Cerridwen Press Authors

Author Signings

2010-08-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in the small independent bookstore where I work waiting for the hoopla to begin in about three hours. Our store is small (two owners and myself work here), but we have a huge web presence and that's part of what brought about today's event.

We are hosting a book signing. Actually, we do this on a regular basis. I've even had my own signing here. But this is a larger one. With about thirty guest expected to hear the author, the place will be pretty well packed. The owners are going all out by holding a "high tea" - with cucumber sandwiches, cakes, cookies, other finger foods, and drinks. We will eat, talk about her newest book, and then, the signing.

Signings can be so much fun. I was at one last weekend - a group effort to support the local library hosted by a larger chain bookstore. There were about twenty of us, mostly locals, and we did quite well. Ten percent of sales went to the library and they said the amount was over $500.00 so you do the math. :)

But booksignings can also be a huge bore. I've done them already where nobody came. And ones where people pick up your book, look at it, then ask directions to the bathroom. And I've been to ones where I sold out of what I had. There is never a rhyme or reason as to how well attended one is, especially when you're a writer for a small press or e-books only.

But I keep working at them and people are starting to really recognize me and my name. And that's what the game is all about. Publicity and promotion. First you write the book, get it published by a great place like Cerridwen, then you do the promos.

Then you start work on the next book.

A never ending cycle, but it is fun.

And now, I have to get to work. I have a signing to help get ready for.

Rose Quartz Contest

2010-08-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

For a chance to win a PDF of Rose Quartz just leave a comment at www.sandracox.blogspot.com. The drawing will be held Sunday, August 15.

Excerpt from Rose Quartz, Second in the Amulet Series
On instinct she walked into the den. Hank was leaning over the desk, holding a piece of paper and punching in numbers with repressed fury. The expression on his face made her take a step backward. He spoke into the phone. “Morelly, pick up this phone, you son of a bitch. You listen and you listen good. If I find out you’re behind this last attempt on Bella, I’m coming after you. I will rip out your heart and stuff it down your throat. You’ve had your last warning from me.” He slammed down the phone with enough force to make Bella cringe.
Pivoting on his heels, he spied her standing in the doorway.
She steadied herself and strolled into the room. “It takes a very brave man or a fool to threaten Morelly, sugar.”
His expressionless mask was firmly back in place. “And which do you think I am?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out.” You are my hero. You brave, foolish man.
His jaw set, he ground his teeth and fury radiated like lightning from his tense body. “Let me help you figure it out.” In two strides he was beside her. He yanked her to him.
For one helpless moment she stared into his stormy gray eyes then she lost touch with reason as his lips crashed down and claimed hers. She bobbled like a small craft on an angry sea with gigantic waves threatening to engulf her. She could taste fear and fury on his lips and above all desire. Her body molded against him. A perfect fit as she’d known it would be. Yes, yes, her mind sang. This is where I belong. You’re who I’ve been waiting for my entire life.

Old Friends

2010-07-25T04:45:00.001-07:00

I am in the process of moving and am working on packing my library. This is where an ebook reader would be so nice. But I do still love my books. Unfortunately, I have way too many. Though I am weeding through some and handing them over to my local used book store for recycling, there are many…MANY more which I am keeping. What I find interesting, though, is how my tastes have changed over the years.

I’ve always been a lover of science fiction and fantasy. That hasn’t changed. Somewhere along the line, I also became a fan of romance. As I go through my old books, some ancient favorites jump out – Kathleen Woodiwiss, Beatrice Small, Victoria Holt, Agatha Christie, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert… and many more. At one time, I absolutely adored historicals. I still do, but not quite as much as I did years ago. I still like a good suspenseful romance, but find my tastes have blended, as have many genres.

It seems that more of my books these days lean towards the futuristic, fantasy and paranormal romances, thus blending my loves of science fiction/fantasy and romance. Which probably explains why I also love to write in those areas.

I also find it fun to just go through the books. It’s like meeting an old friend on the street, one you were once best friends with, but lost touch with over the years. Though the books may go into storage, I know they are always there for whenever I want to revisit them.

Happy Interdependence Day! It's been 26 years

2010-07-04T08:36:00.001-07:00

For those of us in the US, today is Independence Day, celebrating the day we as a nation decided not to be ruled by another nation. In other parts of the world, though, it's just July 4. But wherever we are, no matter what culture we're currently in, today is Interdependence Day for my husband and me, because it's
our anniversary.

We got married on July 4 in Brooklyn, NY, 26 years ago, and had our reception in the restaurant in the tallest building in Bay Ridge. We chose that spot because that's where we lived; we loved the area (the southernmost tip of Brooklyn, right before the Verrazano Bridge, which leads you to Staten Island), and by having our reception in that building, we could see the fireworks over in Manhattan. It was one day that we knew most everyone we wanted to invite would have off, and surprisingly, neither the church nor the restaurant were booked. It was a lovely, sunny day (okay, it was summer in New York: It was scorching, the church wasn't air-conditioned, but the sky was a beautiful blue), and we remember it fondly still.

Eventually, we moved away -- across the country, even, to Washington state -- but we had the opportunity to go back to New York a few years ago, just in time for our anniversary. We had dinner at the restaurant at the top of that same building, and watched the fireworks over in Manhattan again. We remember that fondly, too.

How is any of this relevant? Well, I write romances. And our wedding was
romantic. And it's Interdependence Day. So Happy Interdependence Day, one and all!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale from Cerridwen Press!

Changing Tastes

2010-06-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of moving and am working on packing my library. This is where an ebook reader would be so nice. But I do still love my books. :) Unfortunately, I have way too many. Though I am weeding through some and handing them over to my local used book store for recycling, there are many...MANY more which I am keeping. What I find interesting, though, is how my tastes have changed over the years.

I've always been a lover of science fiction and fantasy. That hasn't changed. Somewhere along the line, I also became a fan of romance. As I go through my old books, some ancient favorites jump out - Kathleen Woodiwiss, Beatrice Small, Victoria Holt, Agatha Christie, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert... and many more. At one time, I absolutely adored historicals. I still do, but not quite as much as I did years ago. I still like a good suspenseful romance, but find my tastes have blended, as have many genres.

It seems that more of my books these days lean towards the futuristic, fantasy and paranormal romances, thus blending my loves of science fiction/fantasy and romance. Which probably explains why I also love to write in those areas.

I also find it fun to just go through the books. It's like meeting an old friend on the street, one you were once best friends with, but lost touch with over the years. Though the books may go into storage, I know they are always there for whenever I want to revisit them.

Explanation of Glee video below

2010-06-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to explain why the video of the song, It's My Life/Confessions from Glee is posted on this blog. Co-author Doug Penikas, who wrote From Dreams To Reality with me (published by Cerridwen) is a professional dancer and was on tour with the cast of Glee in May. He is in that dance on the far left (look for his curly hair!).

dougpenikas.com

Baby boomers and young adults

2010-06-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sounds like it's both ends of the stick, doesn't it? But I've written three baby boomer books, all published by Cerridwen Press and one young adult novel, also published by Cerridwen. The boomer lit books are romantic adventures. Why? Because I think boomer women deserve fun, love and adventure. Why? Because we're vibrant women! I wrote the YA book because, my nephew and co-author, Doug Penikas wanted me to write a book with him when he was in high school. What are they about? "Hearts Flight" is a WWII time travel mystery. How did beautiful Emma McDaniel go from 1944 to modern day? "No Time For Christmas" is also time travel, but it takes place in 1890s Oregon when modern-day Joshua Forrester, addicted to his electronics, ends up on the longest camping trip of his life. And "Executive Attraction," a contemporary romantic comedy, is about a senior flight attendant who sticks her foot in her mouth quite a bit. The YA novel comes from Doug's professional experience as a dancer. Meet Sid Foster, mysterious new kid at school. Where does he go after school each day? Why does he disappear from school one day? It's a sweet story about overcoming odds and making a better life.

So, young or older, enjoy these adventures!

barbaragoodwin.com

dougpenikas.com

It's My Life/Confessions - Glee Tour 2010 May 22nd

2010-05-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Off-handed Compliments

2010-04-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

My mom called me last night. Now you may not think much of this, but mom calling me in the middle of the week in the evening is enough for me to think about grabbing the keys and heading for whatever hospital she's been admitted to. It just doesn't happen unless something's wrong.

So why is it important that she called? She wanted to tell me that she'd just finished reading my book "Akashan'te". Which almost had me grabbing my keys to run myself to the emergency room. Because my mom doesn't read books. Ever. It's just not something she does (I got my love of books and the written word from Dad). It took her several weeks to read it.

She wanted to call me and tell me how much she liked it. And that it amazed her that I could do something like that (okay, that one hurt a little, but taken in the light of what she was trying to say, I'll take it as a compliment). And that she was proud of me.

Gulp. What? She was proud of me? Again, not something Mom ever says. Not even when I graduated from college (first in the family). Or went on to get my Master's. Or... for any other accomplishments I (or my siblings) did. She was proud of me? Wow. Going for those keys again.

Before you think my mom is a mean person, she's not. She's one of the most giving people I know. Just not verbally. Her way of saying something is to bake you something incredibly good. Or give you a gift. Something tangible. Words have no value to her. So for her to say these things meant a lot more to me than they might to many people. It meant more than the great reviews (though I love them!) and the pats on the back from friends. Because I knew how difficult this was for her to say.

My mom called last night to tell me how much she liked my book. This is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

May you have a great day like that.

Angel Vindicated - 2010 RITA Finalist!

2010-03-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Great news! My paranormal romance (eh, sort of urban fantasy), Angel Vindicated, is a 2010 RWA® RITA® finalist for Best First Book!!!!

Here’s the complete list: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/2010_rita_finalists

Huge congrats to all the finalists!!

Winners will be announced at the national conference at the end of July. Cross your fingers, toes, wings, whatever-floats-your-boat, etc, for me!!

Thanks!

Viola Estrella

http://www.violaestrella.com/

Buy link for the eBook: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7216-557-angel-vindicated.aspx

Buy link for the paperback: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7997-angel-vindicated.aspx

Outside the Box

2010-02-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

It seems that every place you work these days asks you to "think outside the box". The problem is, what are the dimensions of this fictional box? For instance, I want to promo my books...

The normal channels of promotion are web sites, blog tours, book signings, bookmarks and postcards that you send out, media announcements (including paper, online, radio, etc.), videos, contests, social networking sites, reader loops, reviews, and so on. So where do I go to get outside the box?

This topic has been the subject of discussions on several of the author loops I belong to. As authors, we already spend so much of our time on promos that we have very little left for writing. And many of them cost us dearly as well. So what do I do to get outside the box and get my books noticed?

Does anyone have any suggestions? ;)

I'm In Print!!!

2010-01-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

This has been a weekend of excitement for me. Completely unknown to me and out of the blue, my editor emailed me Friday afternoon and informed me that my first book for Cerridwen Press, Akashan'te, is now out in print.

To say I was excited would be the understatement of the century. I've been waiting for this for three years. Moreover, so have many of my readers, several of whom either don't have connectivity (yes, there are still some people out there who do not), or don't like to read ebooks. But now they'll be able to purchase a real live printed book to hold in their hands.

Yippee!!

So thank you, Cerridwen and my wonderful editor, Helen, for this wonderful surprise. It came at a time when it was definitely needed.

And, dear readers, if you are so inclined, take a look at Akashan'te. It's a fantasy that received 4 stars from Romantic Times Magazine and between 4 and 5 cups/lips/stars/etc. from other reviewers.

The year closes and opens again

2009-12-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's almost time to close the books on 2009 and at the same time open the books for 2010. (So do you pronounce the upcoming year "two thousand ten" or "twenty ten"? Inquiring minds want to know!) Do you have plans for the upcoming year? Are they similar to the ones for the year just closing? I hope you'll be able to achieve them!

Happy New Year!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now!

Holidays

2009-12-25T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here as the sun is just rising, snow covering the ground, birds eating at the feeder outside my office window. The silence envelops me, wrapping me in a warm blanket of peace. Today is Christmas.

I know the silence is short-lived because shortly, the rest of the family who are here will be up and we'll unwrap gifts and then need to start baking so everything will be ready when the rest arrive. These are the last few moments of peace I'll have for a couple of days.

And that's all right.

All too soon, they will depart for their homes and my hubby and I will, once again, be left to ourselves and the quiet will not be shattered by little ones squeals of delight or tired cries soothed by rocking chairs and milk.

To everyone out there, whether you celebrate this particular holiday or not, I wish you peace and joy...

and lots of good books to read! :)

Vicky Burkholder

Plots and kitties, oh my

2009-12-20T11:33:00.001-08:00

All things are possible toys to a kitten. The crinkly paper flowers come wrapped in. The flowers. The leaves. The vase.

Yes, we've had a couple of accidents already this morning. I'm going to lunch with friends, so bought a hostess gift (flowers) along with my potluck offering (fruit). Within 10 minutes of turning my back, the grapes had become soccer balls and the flowers were spilled on the floor. No vase breakage, thank goodness. The Paw of Destruction (a.k.a. Pandora the kitten) just looked at me like I was insane to yell at her. "Toys! Shiny, noisy toys! And small round objects just MADE for play!"

I believe that animals do know right from wrong in the sense that they know what displeases us humans. But kittens don't care yet what pleases or displeases us. Unlike puppies, who are social, kittens really don't care what their humans think. The only time it matters is when what the humans wants coincide with what the kitten wants. Then it's important.

I'm reminded of this while I write, too (yes, you knew this would come around to writing, didn't you?) I've been making good progress on my current W.I.P. but lately I got a bit bogged down. I got bogged down, too, in the book shown here (it's a finalist in the Epic contest, by the way). I was trying to move the characters around on the stage, making sure they got to Point A by a certain time in the plot. It just didn't feel right. They felt wooden, recalcitrant, like they were resisting. Sort of like a kitten when ...

Yep. I was trying to impose my idea of what was correct behavior on the characters I created. And what I thought was right (for the plot) was totally out of character for the character.

Scrap that chapter (oh, I'll save it for later cannibalism) and back to the drawing board. Like kittens, I have to let my characters grow and develop. Maybe at some point our ideas will intersect.

Until then...oops. I hear a noise. I think I may need to clean up some more flower spillage.

Christmas Wrapping

2009-12-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, but I have long had this habit of buying Christmas gifts that have to be sent and ... letting them sit. We're awful at wrapping in our family. For the past few years I've been buying and having signed by the authors all sorts of books for the Hub's cousins, but there they sit in a very big box, patiently waiting to be sent ... someday. And it's not just a dozen or so. No, by now it's approaching a dozen's dozen, and I may take the plunge at last. We have boxes ... tape ... and even the addresses. The only excuse I have now is laziness and the fear of going to the post office and an inability of properly packing a box.

And of course, that fear of the post office (and being a lousy packer) at this time of year is why we tend to do a lot of online shopping. The only time we've forced ourselves to go through with this torture is when we're sending things to my relatives in Japan, and that's iffy.

But all that has to change. With a deep breath, I'm going to approach that very big box of books and ... start to pack. If nothing else, it'll be one fewer thing in my living room. Wish me well!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Holiday Specials and Book Releases

2009-12-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings one and all!

As I write this today, I'm looking out my window, enjoying this past weekend's snow fall here in New England. Most of it fell in my area Saturday evening, creating a lovely blanket of fluffy snow. Now it did need to be plowed and trucks were out doing their job throughout the night, it now feels like the Holiday Season is upon us. I love this time of year. The air is crisp, the excitement is up and those tried and true holiday specials I watched as a kid are on TV. I DVR'd Rudolph, even though I'd seen it dozens of times. But for my daughter, it's a hit. She even has some plushy stuffed toys from the 'Island of Misfit Toys'. It's also now broadcast in HD, so the picture was clear. The story is the same, but I started to wonder, what makes children and adults come back and watch every year.

Of course it's the story, the idea of the awkward, red-nosed reindeer who doesn't quite fit in with the others. The misfit toys. The elf that doesn't want to make toys, but instead, would like to be a dentist. Even the Abominal Snowman is scary until it's revealed that he wants a job. There are countless other Holiday specials, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Clause, I could go on. Perhaps it's the time of year, the memories, or the marketing that draws in new fans of these specials that have been around since I was a kid. In some cases, they've went on the air before I was born. I'm not sure what years they first appeared but sometimes, like after How the Grinch Stole Christmas, television producers and writers will run a special on how the program/special came to be. They'll interview the actors that voiced a character, sang a song, or we'll hear music on the radio that we often associate with the story.

I started to think how this might related to writing and books. Well, my answer was marketing. The Holiday Season is flooded with marketing. I can't go through a Saturday morning without seeing a dozen commercials for the latest toy. TV news anchors will run stories on the popular toy or popular gift items during the season. As a matter of fact, this morning on the CBS Early Show, Maggie Rodrigues interviewed an Early Show contributer from cnet about ebook readers. One thing I would have liked was that they referred to the readers as ebook readers, not just 'ebooks'. Ebooks are what we read on a Kindle, Sony, the upcoming Nook (which I hear is very difficult to get and needs to be pre-ordered) or any other electronic book reading device. However, I was excited about the segment, hoping to learn more about the devices. I did ask for a Kindle for Christmas this year and sure hope that I get it! What I didn't know was that there is a bigger Kindle that stores more information and supports .pdf format that could be useful for college students. That was interesting though a bit pricy for our family budget this year. What I'm going on about here is marketing, promotion, information and stories that bring our attention to products and programs during the Holidays.

After the Holidays, there will still be marketing. We'll see commercials for 'After Holiday' sales. Stores will have barrels an crates of wrapping paper and a fraction of the cost. Grocery store ads will focus on the 'Big Games' of football, hoping to get people to purchase chips, dips, cheeses, sodas, chicken wings, beer and whatever munchie product goes best with college bowl games and the football playoffs and Superbowl. When February comes, jewelry stores will run ads for rings, necklaces and Valentine's Day gifts. It's all in the marketing, the presentation, the grab the consumers attention for this product.

So how do authors do this? Frankly, I love to read. As a writer, I can't remember when I've not had a book on my coffee table. Some authors that I read now, I heard about through RWA or read a review in Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine or other promotional venue. Some authors I learned about through my publisher or wanting to learn more about the publisher. Some were simply by walking into a bookstore and checking out the books. Admittedly, a book cover will draw my attention first. I have my personal preferances to what draws me to look. A hot guy on the cover, yes, I'll look. If it's a Romantic Suspense (which I love, btw), if the cover is kinda scary, shady, hinting of what's inside, I will check out the book. I've found three or four excellent RS authors that I read whenever their books hit the shelves because of the cover. When it came to Paranormal Romance, I'd wanted to read something about vampires and werewolves. I went to the store specifically, did some research, found books that looked interesting, and was hooked on the genre. I especially enjoy series Paranormal Romances, and chose the books that I read because they were part of a series.

I also read some blogs, joined Yahoo!Groups, especially after my first sale with EC/Cerridwen Press. I'd already belonged to some Yahoo!Groups because it's the method my RWA chaptes use to share information and news. My critique group functions primarily online, as we are scattered about the U.S. and abroad. But there are so many groups, blogs, social networks, I'd like to know what other authors and readers look for in those venues that grabs your attention.

I admit, I am on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, all great means of networking. BTW, please feel free to join any and all of the social networking sites. I'll post the urls at the bottom of this post. I also recently created a Yahoo!Group that will allow other authors to promote their books and releases and give me a venue to create a newsletter and interaction with readers. I love chats but sometimes they are hectic. What do you think? I'd genuinely like to know. For the Yahoo!Group, I'm also going to look into posting short interviews with authors and readers alike. This would give an opportunity for authors to learn a little about readers that love their books. Likewise, it would allow readers to learn a little about authors whose books they love. If you're a reader or author and would like to participate in the interviews, let me know. I'll get you on my schedule, send some questions and have it posted on my Yahoo!Group.

Here's the url to follow for my Yahoo!Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrancesStocktonRomance/

If you're interested in following me on Twitter:http://twitter.com/FrancesStockton

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/francesstockton

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/#/frances.stockton?ref=profile

Yes, I know that's a lot of links! But I sure hope you'll consider joining them, following me or more so, think about the Yahoo!Group. There are many out there, this I'm aware of, but as an author of primarily ebooks into print, promotion is key. I've heard it said that people remember something best after seeing it at least three times. Promotion, being visible, running stories, programs or information has worked for tried and true programs and best selling authors. Writing is the fun part, I love it. Love to create characters, have them fall in love and live happily ever after. If it weren't fun, I wouldn't do it.

When I got 'the call' about Seductive Persuasion, I was thrilled. When Rhiannon's Pride released a few months ago, very proud. Now that Book 3 of the Panthera series, Sea Captain's Ghost is now available from Cerridwen Press, I am amazed, excited, and happy for two characters that I truly loved upon the conception of the story. Now I'm writing something a little different but will be returning to the world of the Panthera soon.

To learn more about Books 1, 2, and 3 of the Panthera series visit http://www.francesstockton.com/ or join my Yahoo!Group and social networks. In honor of the Holidays, I'm giving away a giftcard of your choice, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble or restaurant near you. Join the Yahoo! Group or post a comment right here in answer to my question about author promotion earlier in this post, and your name will be added to the drawing. Since it's the Holidays and everyone's busy this time of year, this contest will be open until January 2, 2010.

Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays to all,

Frances Stockton

Christmas Assembly

2009-12-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

For all you Regency fans, you will know what I'm talking about when I say I'm going to an Assembly. Cerridwen Press author, Cynthia Moore (A Cotillion Country Christmas) invited me to attend the party hosted by Regency Friends in the L.A. area. We will be learning to dance in the tradition of Jane Austen and I know I'll have two left feet but no matter. The connection to the past celebrations of the holiday will be there. The dance is followed by a luncheon and that should be interesting as well.

Although we will be in Southern California and a yule log won't be necessary, who could resist the happy intentions of a Christmas party?

Wishing you the very best for this holiday season.

Sarah Richmond

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE - continued

2009-11-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

No comments from anyone not even a sneeze to let me know you are out there and having fun in the sun, rain or snow - or in a sandstorm if you live in a desert country. Being out in a sandstorm would be bloody awful so stay home and close the windows.

I decided to post a picture of me in my "fairy" costume when I was eight or nine years old but it will not upload. It's a very old picture as the subject is now. Enough said. I have moved into a retirement community and discovered a gold mine of stories from individual residents that beg to be told. If I go about it nicely, I hope to collect the stories and post them on my blog with their names.

I told a little tale on my last blog. I shall add another to stir the pot of your imagination. I married during the war. My husband was serving in the Royal Air Force and training in Canada with the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme. My husband graduated at the top his class as a Navigator and was commissioned a Pilot Officer. Bill was retained in Canada as an instructor and was posted back to Britain in May 1944. As a Royal Air Force dependent I was allowed to travel to Britain during war time. I still have my passport from 1944 issued by the Dominion of Canada.

Being young and knowing for sure I wasn't going to die anytime soon, I set sail from Halifax in late August 1944 with other RAF dependents, some with small children. We boarded the Ariguani, one of Fyffe's banana boats, minus bananas, on a bright sunny day and we became part of a small convoy of thirty ships heading out to sea. Within a day or so we entered a thick fog. Fog horns blew. Whistles blew.

For days and days, we sailed into the fog until suddenly we cleared it and, like a miracle, we had joined up with the second largest convoy ever to cross the Atlantic. Line after line of ships as far as eye could see. We headed the third line but positions on the lines changed daily. We sailed on, zig- zagging across the north Atlantic. After two weeks at sea our convoy separated and my part headed past Northern Ireland heading for Liverpool.

At 5:30 am, an explosion lifted me right out of my bunk. I dressed in warm clothes, grabbed my life jacket and headed for the saloon, our gathering place. White dressed stewards calmed us after more explosions rocked our little ship (7800 tons) We were not allowed out on deck.

When the explosions stopped the stewards told us they were caused by "the navy boys practicing dropping depth charges." Of course, we believed them.

When we arrived in Liverypool, we heard that five ships had been torpedoed, including the ship sailing directly behind the Ariguani.

Enough of that story. What happened next? I'm not telling until I hear from you. Tto give you an incentive to join my blog, I will give away a copy of my historical romance, A Very Difficult Man, to the second person who leaves a comment and an e-mail address.

I see this blog as a place for stories and also a place for seniors to rant and rave, should they care to. I shall save my rant for another time.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

To Be Thankful

2009-11-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Here in the states, we are getting ready for the celebration of overeating and family gatherings tomorrow, also known as Thanksgiving.

For this year, I've been having trouble finding things to be thankful for this year. My husband and eldest son will shortly be out of jobs as their company was bought out by one who is cutting nearly 300 positions in our small town. My son-in-law lost his job. My mother-in-law has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's which is causing my husband (only child) and myself no end of stress. My brother called last night to inform me that the pain he's been having in his shoulder for the last few months is due to cracked vertebrae in his neck and he's now looking at surgery. My last two manuscripts have yet to find a home. And I've been fighting bronchitis for the last two weeks.

Great, yes?

No. BUT....

I also know I do have things to be grateful for, and I am. I have a wonderful husband who supports my dreams and does what he can to help me reach them. I have four wonderful kids and two incredible grandkids who are the lights of my life. I have a warm house and friends and food to eat. Yes, I'm coughing my lungs out, but I have a good doctor and medication to help. I have books with my name on them and an editor who is wonderful to work with.

There is more, but that's enough for now. So I leave you with this... every day in our lives, we face challenges and problems. It is how we face those challenges that shows who and what we are.

To bring this around to writing... as writers, we must challenge our characters. We must throw everything at them, and see how they react. Hopefully, with honor, if they are our heroes and heroines. Or even villains, because every good villain should have a shred of good in him somewhere. :)

So to all of you, if you are celebrating the day tomorrow, have a great day. And even if you aren't, make it a day to be grateful for.

What a happy surprise!

2009-11-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

I'm the sort of person who enters a contest then promptly forgets about entering until prizes, etc., are announced.

So I was VERY happy to get an email saying my CP book, Endurance, was a finalist in the Eppie contest (for electronically published novels). This is one of my very favorite books of all the 13 books I have published for several reasons:

it's a first-person male P.O.V. and was VERY tricky to write because of plot elements (and the male POV, of course)

it's an amazing love story about a love that spans time and personalities (reincarnation). And one of those personalities is a dog -- a sheepdog, actually

it's got two great characters, Nico and Lucinda, who are both very unique, charismatic, and quirky in their own ways

So I'm thrilled to announce it's a finalist. And I'm even more thrilled that I already planned to attend the conference in March, so I hope to be on hand if (big IF) I'm a winner!

The deadly dull rewrites

2009-11-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

You gotta rewrite. I've just fully faced that fact, to the point I was ready to throw out my computer. I can't say it any better than Ed Mc Bain does. "The only true creative aspect of novel writing is the first draft.That's when it's coming straight from your head and your heart, a direct tapping into your unconscious. The rest is donkey work. It is, hoever, donkey work that must be done...you must rewrite."

I juat finished the most serious rewriting I've ever done. Can't tell you how bad it was. For the first time my wonderful editor has taken objection to almost everything in the book. What made perfect sense to me was compltetly illogical to her. After the initial shock of her unexpected reaction, I buckled down. A trifle indignantly at first, but gradually realizing she was right. As usual. Le me tell you I've never labored so at fixing a ms. It's done and accepted and is the thirteenth book I've written. Any symbolism there? Don't wanna think about that.

I always spend a lot of time on checking of lazy words such is was, had, got. Have a whole list of those I'm meticulous about. But this rewrite wasn't poor grammar, it was me!

Here's the cover for the book, which comes out next June. The hero, Jason, is a mage and the next book, already submitted, is about his twin Jono. Jono is behaving much better, thanks be to all the Druids and Mages. In the cover scene, Jason has gone outside to avoid the temptation of seducing Aislinn, and a thunderstorm drives her out to seek him. Naturally a love scene follows which pleased me. These two were hard to get together.

Sea Captain's Ghost and More!!

2009-11-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I'm so excited to be here today, mainly because I have a huge announcement. Book 3 in the Panthera series, Sea Captain's Ghost, not only has a release date, it's coming out SOON! So soon, in fact, that it'll be released the week before Thanksgiving. That's right, Adriano and Jocelyn's story releases November 19, 2009.

In honor of the release, I'm hosting a List Mom Day at Cerridwenchat's Yahoo! Group, featuring excerpts, blurbs, and a contest. I hope you'll join me on Tuesday November 17, 2009. It'll be a relaxing day, so bring your coffee, questions, comments and more. Stop in throughout the day if you're working, check in later in the evening and scroll through the posts. Before then, let me tell you a little about Sea Captain's Ghost.

I say "a little" because I don't want to give too much away too soon. But I can tell you that Sea Captain's Ghost features Captain Don Adriano de Montoya, a spanish privateer who's dedicated his life to protecting Spanish shipping and shipping lanes from piracy. Here's a sneak peak:

1715 – Atlantic Ocean and Early Georgian England

Her ship overtaken by English pirates, Jocelyn Kincaid is rescued by Captain Don Adriano de Montoya. Initially afraid of the man sailors call El Fantasma, she discovers he is not the ghost some have portrayed him to be. He claims to be part of a mythical race and her mate!
Fascinated, she’s brokenhearted when he makes plans to sail her home to Boston.

Haunted by the memory of his murdered family, Adriano has sworn to protect Spanish shipping from piracy. Unexpectedly finding his mate onboard an enemy’s ship, he saves her life. Despite their attraction, he keeps his distance until he learns a secret about Jocelyn that changes everything.

If you'd like to learn more, come join me on Tuesday November 17, 2009, along with other Cerridwen Press authors, and be sure to comment. And, of course, don't forget, Sea Captain's Ghost releases November 19, 2009, just in time for Thanksgiving!

So now that I've given my big news, I have a question. I know it's early, but have you started your Holiday shopping yet? Believe it or not, I have! Every year it seems like as soon as Halloween ends, the shopping begins. But this year I've put something special on my list. I've given my husband hints, left notes, even information. Can you guess, well, an ebook reader! What I'd like to know from readers and authors alike is which reader you like/prefer, why you like it, and whether it's easy to use. I'm very interested in the Nook, I have to admit, but there are a variety of devices out there. Let me know what you think and I'll put your name into a drawing for a Barnes and Noble giftcard just in time for the Holiday Season. You can comment here or send an email to romance@francesstockton.com.

I'll be checking in throughout the day, so don't hesitate to share your thoughts, either about Sea Captain's Ghost or ebook readers. Also, if you haven't read Seductive Persuasion or Rhiannon's Pride, Books 1 and 2 in the Panthera series, both are currently available! Here are links to reviews for both. Check them out! http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/seductivepersuasionstockton.htm
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=10743

Until then, have an excellent Monday and enjoy the fall season.

Frances Stockton

Baseball and Claude Levi-Strauss

2009-11-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

For the most part, these two things wouldn't be mentioned in the same breath, but today, it is inevitable. Because it's the World Series (game 6, Yankees vs. Phillies, or as the kid of one of my coworkers refers to the team, the Philistines!) tonight, and famed anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss died only a few weeks shy of his 101st birthday.

Social science majors, and anthropology majors in particular, will tell you that few classes pass by without a mention of Levi-Strauss' works. Cultural anthro wasn't my focus, but I read his work nonetheless (because honestly, you can't take an anthro class without reading Levi-Strauss), and it's only in retrospect that you can truly understand how broad the man's scope was in looking at human society and culture. (I could swear I remember some comment he made about baseball, but could I find it? Of course not.)

From the piece from The New York Times:
"His legacy is imposing. Mythologiques, his four-volume work about the structure of native mythology in the Americas, attempts nothing less than an interpretation of the world of culture and custom, shaped by analysis of several hundred myths of little-known tribes and traditions. The volumes — The Raw and the Cooked, From Honey to Ashes, The Origin of Table Manners and The Naked Man, published from 1964 to 1971 — challenge the reader with their complex interweaving of theme and detail.

"In his analysis of myth and culture, Levi-Strauss might contrast imagery of monkeys and jaguars; consider the differences in meaning of roasted and boiled food (cannibals, he suggested, tended to boil their friends and roast their enemies); and establish connections between weird mythological tales and ornate laws of marriage and kinship."

I always found the differentiation between why one cannibal boils and why one roasts to be illuminating and inspiring. It makes you see the world differently, doesn't it?

That's why it's good to be an anthro major, kids, especially if you want to be a writer: You get to explore the world in a whole new way.

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Birthdays

2009-10-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and, no, I won't tell you which one! :)

But I love birthdays. The excitement of the day - all centered on you. For me, it's a day of celebration, no matter if you're one or one hundred; no matter if you're with a crowd, or sitting by yourself. Celebrate.

Like the new year, it is, for me, a day of reflection. Of looking back over the past year to see what I've done and consider what changes I need to make, or what was right that I can rejoice in. It is also a day to look forward to the coming year, the challenges I will face and how to use my experience to cope with them. It is a day of quiet contemplation, and celebration.

As I look over the past years, I can remember the best and worst presents I received. The best was a surprise trip to the nearby RenFaire. Though I was feeling lousy, the day was lovely and I had a grand time. The worst? A bag of rice cakes from someone who knew I was trying to lose a little weight. The person's heart was in the right place, but come on. Really? For a birthday? :)

So celebrate with me. Tell me about your best and worst birthdays. And what is your fondest wish for your next one?

Promoting oneself

2009-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's something that most writers, introverts that we are (for the most part), don't like to do, but we've got to do it. Sometimes it's in the form of an interview, sometimes it's in the form of marketing material like bookmarks or postcards or magnets, sometimes it's in the form of modern technology, like a podcast. Promoting yourself -- or at least your work -- is inevitable and necessary and sometimes can be downright frightening.

Which is why when Jacquie Rogers, one of the cofounders of the 1st Turning Point website on doing your own marketing and promotion, originally asked me whether I'd be interested in contributing a piece on occasion about marketing and promoting, I said no. I didn't know much about it, because that was the bailiwick of the Hub, who is a professional Marketing Guy. Well, it turned out that what she really wanted was to pick the brain of the Hub, but through me! No problem, I said. I could parrot someone else, if he had a chance. (If there's baseball on, all bets are off. And guess what's on right now? Yes, baseball.)

Of course, that said, I only found out the topic today ... and the podcast she assigned me to is this evening. Do I have time to do any research? Of course not. So I have to use what knowledge I have. The topic is tag lines: the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

Thank goodness I have others around me with more experience and knowledge. If you're interested in what real professionals have to say on the topic (and me), check it out at http://www.pivtr.com or http://www.internetvoicesradio,com at 6pm Pacific Time, 9pm Eastern Time. It's only an hour, so if you've got questions, there will be answers. Drop on by! And if I'm lucky, the Hub will come home in time for me to give a professional's answer!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Early post

2009-10-17T03:53:00.000-07:00

Every time I'm scheduled to post here, I'm either out of town or going out of town. I'm scheduled for tomorrow, so I'm dipping in early because, yep, I'm leaving town in a few minutes to go to see my Mom, who's in the hospital. It's pneumonia and she's 90, so this is a non-trivial illness.

I've been getting my affairs in order (so to speak) so I can stay with her as long as needed. Got ample clothing packed, bags of Stuff to work on, 2 computers, chargers ... it looks like a trek across the country not a 4-hour jaunt to a civilized place (yes, Iowa is civilized, no matter what those Left Coasters think!)

Along with all of this are deadlines at the Paycheck Job. I have an exceptional boss, and she's told me just 'go, do whatever you need to do, check in when you.' Thank you, Lord, for good bosses. That being said, I still put in a few extra hours to wrap up some things so others on my project won't be behind the 8-ball because I'm gone.

I've had 5 books release this year, and I'm trying to be a good soldier and do promo for those. Tricky when you're juggling so much else, but I dip in now and then and promo. Not enough, but it'll have to do.

And I had edits for a book which were, thankfully, amazingly light. Done in an hour and out the door. I have a request from an agent for more info about me, my marketing strategy, my books, my sell-through -- all good and all stuff I can put together while sitting in the hospital room with the drone of machines beeping nearby.

As I did all these chores this week, I thought about the old Need vs. Want vs. Should triangle we often find ourselves trapped in. As I did things, I thought, "I should do this, then that'll be finished and I can get on the road" or "I need to get that done so..." or "I want to check that, if I do...."

I finally realized that when Need, Want, and Should all come together it's the right thing to do.

I need to be with Mom. I want to be with her. And I should be with her.

So I'm on the road again...

Release Day!!!

2009-10-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. Root Of All Evil was released today.

Burdened with guilt and sorrow, fearing for her life…her sanity, Anna Sorenson walked away from everything to gain redemption. A year earlier, Anna buried her husband Aaron. A week later, she lost the child she’d longed for. Anna’s only thought was to put the tragedy of the past behind her and find a way to survive in a post-Aaron world. But the evil she escaped is hunting her down.

Agent John Delaney buried more than just his partner that rainy day one year earlier. He’d shoved aside his feelings, ignored the wrong he and Aaron did in the name of justice, and hoped the past would stay dead. It didn’t. With Aaron’s death and the arrest of his killer, the Bureau considered the case solved. No one had a clue the wrong man confessed to the killings. Until the real killer returned to claim his glory—and his next victim, Anna.
Now he's after the woman John still loves and he must choose between keeping his partner's secrets and losing Anna again. This time forever.

Boomer Lit Romance Novels

2009-10-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided to coin a new term. Boomer Lit. Romance novels for the baby boomers. Romance novels that women can escape into. Why? Because, in my humble opinion, boomer women want stories they can relate to. Sexy stories with adventure, humor and mystery. Stories that show vibrant women with life experiences behind them getting into situations they never would have expected at that stage of their lives.

I've written three books just like that published by Cerridwen Press.

"Hearts Flight" is about WWII secretary Emma McDaniel who steps on a DC-3 in 1944 and accidentally time travels to modern day with mysterious airline pilot Thomas Wells. Why are the neo-Nazi's telling Tom to "leave the past in the past?"

"Executive Attraction" is a romantic comedy about senior flight attendant Jillian Stanton who makes a fool of herself with handsome Bill Cole on the streets of New York then meets him across a contentious negotiations table where he is the Vice President of her airline. Luckily Bill has a wonderful sense of humor.

"No Time For Christmas" is book 3 in my Love Beyond Time series. Joshua Forrester is addicted to his electronics and ends up accidentally time traveling to 1890s Oregon where he finds himself on the longest camping trip of his life with beautiful pioneer woman Addie Benjamin.

"Hiding in Plain Sight," published by Whiskey Creek Press, tells Judy Winston's story about how, as a senior flight attendant for her airline, she accidentally foils a drug running operation. Before she knows it, Judy is working with gorgeous DEA agent Chase Danton undercover to find out who heads the drug running operation at her airline.

You don't have to be a boomer woman to enjoy these books. Anyone with a sense of adventure will find their worries have disappeared for a few hours as they read these incredible character's stories.

Enjoy!

Barb Goodwin

Barbaragoodwin.com

So You Want to Be a Psychic

2009-10-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hi! I’m Carol--Carol A. Strickland, that is, and this is my first time blogging at Cerridwen. I’m here to ask:

Are you psychic?

If you’ve read farther than the headline to this, I suspect you’ve had episodes in your life where strange things have happened. Perhaps it was deja vu, that feeling that you’ve seen something before. Maybe you’ve known something was going to happen before it did. Maybe you’ve felt the presence of someone who’d died, or recalled past life memories, or can occasionally see auras.

Almost everyone experiences psychic events in their life, and I’ve found there is lots of psychic info we can tune into every day and benefit from.

Years ago I was lucky (Lucky, ha! It was the universe clearing the way for me) to find out about a psychic school starting up in Durham, NC, just down the road from me. I attended that school for three years.

It consisted of a small group of people who met every week to learn a wide range of psychic techniques from a practicing psychic healer. She’d learned her business by (1) having been able to talk to dead people most of her life, (2) reading scads of New Age books while she held down a very boring job, and (3) talking to other psychics. Her skills and reputation grew over years of practice.

So if you want to hone your own psychic skills, I’d say you should read as much as possible about various psychic techniques. There are so very many more books on the subject now than when I first became interested in the subject in high school! The Internet has a gajillion small sites for various aspects of psychic work as well. Love your Google; use your Google!

Does your town have a New Age or maybe a natural foods store with a bulletin board? I’ll bet you there are flyers there talking about this or that technique and an instructor who will be offering a course on the subject soon. Use your common sense to figure out what you’d like to learn and whether it sounds legit. Also consider cost. Some of the best courses I ever took were free or nearly so. Some of the ones that I got nothing out of, I paid big bucks for. And vice versa.

Live and learn.

But what can you do right now? Be still and listen. Listen to the world around you. Feel it. Listen to that voice within your head. If you have to make a decision, stop and feel if you might be guided by some unseen force. Use your imagination to visualize what you’d like to know.

Learn about muscle testing so you can begin to try for "yes" or "no" answers to your questions. Muscle testing doesn't work well for me, so I usually imagine that I'm shining a flashlight up into the sky. If the connection feels like that light goes cleanly upward into infinity, I take that as a "yes." If it feels as if it were being blocked in some fashion, that's a "no."

Over time, you’ll be surprised at what will begin to come to you. I have conversations all the time with my Guides, who are very kind, wise, funny types. The vast majority of the time I hear the right thing from them.

Again, go with your gut. If the advice you think you’re getting seems wrong or strange, don’t abide by it. Take it as if a friend were offering you their opinion. Sometimes you agree and sometimes you don’t. You have free will.

If you like to visualize Dr. McCoy’s Sick Bay and run yourself through his sensors to see if there’s anything wrong with you or someone else... Do the sensible thing and back that up with a visit to a real doctor. Your psychic powers don’t come with a guarantee.

And if you ever get scared, just sit down, straighten your back, plant your feet solidly on the ground, take a deep breath, and then imagine white protective light pouring down upon you from the highest reaches of Heaven. Nothing can break through that. You are well. Think to yourself: “I disconnect from any harmful forces. I connect with the Light.” Feel the warmth and security. Thank the universe for watching out for you.

The thing I do the most is to listen to the voices in my head. Perhaps those voices are merely some manifestation of what that book, Blink says, that gut feelings and intuition are actually a combination of observation, learning, and a zillion different data coming together in our brains.

Then again, maybe it’s psychic vibes for real and for true. (oooEEEEooo) (Sound effects always enhance life!) Whatever works, works.

But do have fun listening to the universe. Why, at some point you might even feel a part of that big universe, an important cog in the machinery that helps form an eternal, ever-unfolding vista of ultimate beauty and love.

Then you’ll believe!

And now, the spiel: Maybe you’d like to read about a psychic. My Cerridwen novel, Touch of Danger, stars Lina O’Kelly, who is not only a psychic but a psychic healer and telepath. Oh yes, she’s also a 26-year-old virgin but that’s just because she has an acute phobia to touch.

When a fire breaks out in her hotel, she knows that’s just the start of her day’s problems. Superhero Londo (Valiant) Rand breaks through her hotel door to save her, hooray! But Londo’s foes have temporarily blasted away his enormous powers, leaving the two of them to outrun a mercenary army across an otherwise deserted South Pacific island. If they’re lucky they can reach safety until Londo’s powers return.

But Londo doesn’t want that, not yet. This is the one day in his life he’ll be able to touch someone without the potential of accidentally tearing them to shreds. He excitedly anticipates getting them to safety for the night, but then discovers Lina’s phobia to touch. What the world’s greatest superhero asks for is what she’s unable to give.

Can they escape terrorists, gales and ghosts to find haven? If they should fall deeply in love, how will they cope when Londo’s powers return and he’s too strong to hold Lina in his arms?

Hope that intrigues you. Say, you might be interested in a little event I’m having on a special Yahoo! group this Friday the 16th from 4-6 PM EDT. I’ll be doing quickie psychic readings for folks and seeing what we can get from the pre-Halloween ether. Why, I might even break open a pack of tarot cards if I get stuck. The readings will be just one or two paragraphs, unless there’s no one else in line behind you. And if you live where the time slot is terrible for your schedule, we can work something out.

Sorry, no lucky numbers. If I could see those I’d have won the lottery long ago!

If you’re interested, you need to sign onto the Yahoo! group. You do that by sending an email to:
strickland_psychic_readings-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
and then follow the directions from there. If you want to ask a question (first come, first served), click the “post” line over on the left of the Yahoo screen and then fill things out like you would an email.

Hope to see you there! In the meantime, here’s my book video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obLNAPBbOGY
(Don’t laugh; it was my first time doing an iMovie!)

(PS: come over to my website if you’re interested in reading excerpts from my various novels, seeing my paintings, linking to my blog (recipes, travel reports, “how to’s” about writing and painting), and learning far too much about Wonder Woman: http://www.CarolAStrickland.com )

Tell me a story.

2009-10-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have been blogging about stories, sharing some and asking for more from eager readers of my blog! That is an oxymoron since no one reads my blog! Someone must because my blog counter notes when readers don't just stop and go, they stop! Sadly, no one takes the time to leave a name.

What to do? The brilliant Julie tried Julia Child's recipes and has hit the best seller lists and a movie! Have any of you brilliant thoughts to make a name for yourself?

Because I am an older person, an Aged P., according to my son, I thought to get a blog going about aging and how to keep those old muscles and bones spinning along.

How to start? How to engage readers? My romance writing has fallen by the wayside as I cope with downsizing from a large home to a small apartment. Very convenient and in a lovely location but it has taken me away from my writing. My front window overlooks The Strait of Juan de Fuca where there is a fair amount of marine traffic and gorgeous sunsets.

My historical romance, A Very Difficult Man, is available in trade paperback. It's also available in e-format as are my other four romance novels. Seems like e-readers are coming into their own. Let's hope it results in the sale of our books.

How are your sales? Going well, I hope. If you haven't already done so, please check my web site, for excerpts and covers and other interesting material. www.anitabirt.com

My blog is: www.anitabirtstoryteller.blogspot.com

Anita

The weekend for conferences!

2009-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

While EC and CP authors and readers will be whooping it up in Ohio with the first ever Romanticon, I'll be whooping it up in Bellevue, WA, at the Emerald City Writers Conference. I haven't missed one since I joined the local chapter of Romance Writers of America, in the mid-1990s, and this year certainly wasn't going to be the first (er, it would be bad form if I did, since I'm co-presenting a workshop on dragons around the world)!

Conferences can be fun, and they can be dreadful -- it depends on why you're there, and whether you want to be. Sometimes it can boil down to workshops the conferences offer -- are they useful to you, and again, do you have to be there? Do the sight of other conferees fill your heart with joy or dread? I know some people only through conference, but that doesn't stop us from greeting each other with happiness and a hug. (For that matter, there are some people I greet that way, but we can't quite remember the other's name. It's mutual, so we're not offended.)

It's like this. Writers are notorious introverts, and we don't get out that often. (In fact, I have a day job three miles from home, so weeks can go by without my leaving my neighborhood.) Conferences are ways to connect with others, remind ourselves that we are still part of a larger family, and even promote ourselves and our books. I go to Emerald City every year, I go to RWA's National conference from time to time, I go to a comic book convention on occasion -- I attend other conferences for other reasons, all so that we can reconnect with others, to remind ourselves that we are part of something bigger. And I'll be reminding myself of that this weekend when I see friends I see only once a year or so.

So for those at Romanticon, enjoy! And we'll be doing the same at ECWC!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

ABOUT QUESTIONS

2009-10-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's been weeks since I posted a single word on our CP Authors' site. I've been busy downsizing from a large house to a small apartment. I'm not finished yet but I have surfaced long enough to touch base with my friends. I hope your books are selling well and you have more manuscripts in process.

During my move I came across information about my previous life in Toronto where I specialized in the creation of positive outcomes - very useful in skills training for individuals and groups. One item caught my eye. It's About Questions.

Here's a good rule of thumb. Before you or a character in your WIP asks a question, know what you or the character is going to do with the answer.

Why am I asking the question? What am I going to do with the answer?

So many relationships go astray when questions are used as weapons. In our writing how do we use questions in a positive way? Unless - you/we the writer has thought through what you/we are going to do next.

I'm thinking of my time travel romance, Ring Around The Moon. The first meeting of my hero and heroine is terrifying for her and puzzling for him. He suddenly appears from a shadowy woodland. It's midnight. "Who are you? What do you want?" she shrieks at him and tries to escape.

Questions. His answer shocks her. He wants her! Not the answer she expected. My story continued but not before my hero and heroine answer a multitude of questions about who they are and the mystery of their meeting at Quest Cottage in Cornwall.

So much to do. So little time. Nice to touch base again.
Anita
www.anitabirt.com

THIS is autumn?!

2009-09-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's hard to wax nostalgic about autumns past when it's 85 degrees and burning hot (for those of us in the Puget Sound, that IS burning hot). Fortunately, it's a bit cooler and almost crisp first in the morning. I get the newspaper about 5:30am, and it's still and dark and no traffic nearby, so there's that tranquillity. But two hours later the faint mist is gone and there's that feeling that says, yes, we're going to have another scorcher. Again. Even though the leaves are obligingly golden and red and even crunchy underfoot.

So how do you get into the right mood to write seasons when the season you're trying to leave behind won't GO? Good question.

If you're not up for waking up at 5am to feel that cool air, I'd suggest you open your freezer and stick your head in. if it's really warm outside, that might give you a bit of inspiration. Until you realize that you're wasting energy like crazy and you guiltily close the door. (But while you're there, scoop up some ice and make a pack for the back of your neck. That should give you a second or two of a chill to remind you of fall. But then the ice pack becomes gloopy and it's time to put that away.)

Then again, staring at the calendar with pretty pictures of autumn might help. if you have a calendar with pix of anything other than New England falls, though, this may not work quite as well. If this is the case, admire the kitties and puppies or images of other pretty pix. But try not to think of how warm those pups and kits can get when they're insisting on sitting on your lap.

Sit in an air-conditioned room? Stick your head under the shower? Both work well.

How do YOU beat the unnatural heat of late September?

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Michaelangelo, David, and Dante Luciano

2009-09-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone!

I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the start of the 'fall'. Though technically it is still summer, I suppose, it is crisp outside here in New England, and leaves are already beginning to turn. In a few weeks, the leaves will be brilliant orange, red, brown, amber, and truly become breathtaking. If you've never had the chance to see New England in autumn, I highly recommend a trip.

But that's not exactly why I'm here today. Since today's my blog day here at the Cerridwen Press Authors blog, I was thinking all weekend of a topic. Then I realised that I haven't spent as much time as I have wanted on one of my favorite eras in history, the Renaissance! Why, the subject heading of this post starts out with Michaelangelo himself. Did you know that in 1503, this time of year, infact, he began sculpting his famous statue 'David'. A statue that some say almost becomes so real when you're near it, it feels like David will speak. It is said that while Michaelangelo was in the midst of sculpting the statue, he could be heard saying, "Perche non parli?" Which, in translation, meant, "Why don't you speak?" Now, wouldn't it have been awesome to hear something like that in person?

Or, imagine standing in the heart of the Sistine Chapel, looking up into the ceiling as Michaelangelo painted 12, 000 feet. He started in 1508 and worked until 1512! Not to mention that some of the most influential and famous artists of the Renaissance contributed to the artwork in the Sistine Chapel, including Raphael, Botticelli and Bernini. It took years of study, apprenticeship, and patience to become a true master artist and receive commissions from Popes and merchants and, of course, the de Medici family. Artists of the Renaissance were renowned for making/creating furniture, as well.

The Renaissance was an era the most powerful merchants clothed their servants in elaborate fabrics, so that they would be a representation of that household. Women took great pride in their hair, often using hair extensions and dye to make it beautiful. In same places, notably in the Germanic areas, a fashion statement began, known as 'slashing'. Slashing was when a layer of colorful fabric could be seen through a 'slash' in an outer garment, as there were Sumptuary Laws that were meant to prevent extravagence, and the slashing was a show of rebellion. Throughout Rhiannon's Pride, set during the late Renaissance, Dante Luciano frequently slashes his clothing.

This brings me to Dante and Rhiannon. I feel like these two haven't gotten their fair share of time, so today, I'd like to reintroduce you to them. The protaganists of Rhiannon's Pride, they are truly meant to be. Dante, the adopted son of the Abcynian monarch, Lucien, is an established artist and a man of his time. A man who has loved many women, who loves beauty and challenge and romance. He is patient and kind, but when anyone he cares about is threatened, he becomes a fierce hero, a man who knows how to defend and keep his own. His own is Rhiannon, a woman who's lost her memory and was kept an unknowing prisoner of the Abcynian enemies, the Saturians. She manages to escape and flee to Florence, where she begins to find herself, her past, and her family.

Here's a blurb for Rhiannon's Pride:

Plagued by horrific headaches and fear of a past she cannot remember, Rhiannon Mathews has spent the last 20 years being unknowingly prepared to become the wife of an earl. When the loathsome earl displays a stolen painting, Rhiannon is inexplicably drawn to its depiction of a mythical ancient race. If this painting holds the key to unlocking her past, she and her maid must escape the earl’s prison, and flee to Florence in the desperate hope of finding the artist.

While visiting the Piazza della Signoria two months later, Rhiannon is unaware that the very man she’s come to Florence to find has been watching her from a distance. Master artist Dante Luciano is a 242 year old Abcynian Elder, and capable of changing into a lion. Once he speaks with her mind-to-mind, thus claiming her in the way of their kind, he rushes to take her home, only to discover that she is terribly ill. Because Dante can do nothing other than care and protect his mate, he enables Rhiannon to heal and reclaim her memory. But their future will be threatened by her fears of her past and a vicious man’s plans for Rhiannon.

And, how about a taste of the story itself? http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419920103.htm If you follow the link, it'll take you right to a page featuring an excerpt of the book. And, in honor the romantic and dashing Dante Luciano and his mate, Rhiannon, and the artists of the Renaissance, I'd like to offer a chance to win a ebook copy of Rhiannon's Pride! Leave a comment regarding your favorite Renaisance artist, about a painting, sculpture, historical information, anything that highlights the era, and your name will be placed into a drawing for a copy of the book. If you already have it, fantastic!!! I'll include your name in a drawing for book 3, Sea Captain's Ghost, which should have a release date soon! When I know the date, you'll know!

Until the next time, keep reading and writing,
Frances Stockton

A question for baby boomer women

2009-09-13T22:19:00.001-07:00

How many of you would like to read romances specifically written for baby boomer women? I mean stories that are sexy, romantic, fun and have adventure. How many boomer women have gone to bookstores to look for just that kind of book only to find they don't carry them? Well I have written four romances just for you! Go to Cerridwenpress.com to purchase those books and forget your cares for a few hours.

Meet Jillian Stanton in "Executive Attraction," a senior flight attendant for a major airline who stumbles upon the love of her life across a contentious negotiations table. How about brave flight attendant Judy Winston in "Hiding in Plain Sight" (published by Whiskey Creek Press) who thinks she's stopping a hijacking but in reality is foiling an airline employee run drug operation. Then there's Emma McDaniel in "Hearts Flight," a 1944 war secretary who somehow time travels to modern day, meets a mysterious airline pilot fighting the neo-Nazi's and who seems to have ties to the OSS and the Army Air Forces from her time, 1944. In "No Time For Christmas, book 3 in my Love Beyond Time series, Joshua Forrester is addicted to everything electronic. When Joshua accidentally time travels back to a simpler time, 1890s Oregon he's forced to live without his creature comforts and finds he's on the longest camping trip of his life. Lucky for him he meets beautiful pioneer woman Adeline Benjamin.

Tell me what you think. Do you want romance for the boomers?

I do.

Always,

Barbara Goodwin

Barbaragoodwin.com

Whiskeycreekpress.com

Excitement is good and bad, you know

2009-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's been one of those days that you scratch your head and wonder to yourself if it's actually the magical date (it's 09-09-09, and when my dentist's receptionist booked my appointment for 9am, I laughed; and I was late and actually walked in at 09:09!), or the fates had been saving stuff up to announce all at once. An epress that was just announced a couple of months ago, with publishing professionals the driving force and everything, just as abruptly closed its doors before they got going with simply a letter. Just like that. And Warner Communications, parent of DC Comics, announced that DC would henceforth be known as DC Entertainment, reflecting its reach beyond simple comics. (There was also a presentation by Apple Inc. about its updated iTunes store and updated iPods, but that's not particularly relevant. Although a video camera in the new Nano is certainly a fun idea, Steve.)

Now, the epress going under was a surprise, but the renaming of DC Comics (which, you may know, has always been redundant, since the "DC" stands for "Detective Comics") was more so, especially since the president and publisher, Paul Levitz, stepped down to be replaced by a Warner executive with no comics experience. (Levitz is going back to writing comics, in case you were curious.) This isn't the first time the comics publisher has changed names; it was known as National Periodical Publications as recently as 1970s. And it's not the first time that someone with no comics experience has been at the helm. On the one hand, it's a reaction to the Marvel Comics (sorry, Marvel Entertainment) acquisition by Disney, and on the other hand, it's also a nod from Warner that DC, always a cash cow but sort of overlooked, is being recognized as a more important property than it was when it was first acquired by Kinney (a parking-lot company) back in the 1970s. And there are lists you can look up showing that comics-related movies are among the top earners of all time.

So what does all this mean? Maybe nothing, maybe everything. This company's been around since the late 1930s (home of Superman! Batman! Wonder Woman! Green Lantern!), under changing names through changing times and cultures. It's endured, through good times and less than good, through changing technology, offering the stories of demi-gods reinterpreted for the modern age.

Now let's see how it changes for the 21st century.

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Great review for No Time For Christmas!

2009-09-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you The Romance Studio for the great review of No Time For Christmas, book 3 in my Love Beyond Time series. Read the review!

http://www.theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/notimegoodwin.htm

Barbaragoodwin.com

myspace.com/barbaragoodwin

Review for Eyes of a Stranger at Eye On Romance

2009-08-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

I got a nice 9 out of 10 review for Eyes of a Stranger at Eye on Romance the other day.

Reviews are funny things. This is a nine out of ten, but I can't find a single glowing quote to pluck from it to quote here -- none of those "fascinating!" or "fabulous!" ones that you get in other reviews. And the reviewer dinged me because one of the romantic pair was technically still engaged to someone else when they finally broke down and slept with the other.

Must admit that's the first time anyone has objected to it -- to me, anyway. Make me wonder how many other readers out there have hated it and not mentioned it.

It's difficult for me to explain further without laying down spoilers, but if you've read the book...did you have problems with it?

Writing and Flying

2009-08-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

I love writing romance novels. With a world at war it is great escapism. As a thirty-two year flight attendant where 9/11 is a daily reminder of what happened to the airline industry and our country, writing lets me enter a world when men and women first meet. A world of beautiful women, handsome men and adventure. A world where daily events change lives. My books are adventure stories with hot, sexy romance thrown in. Hearts Flight (a stand alone novel) and No Hope For Christmas (book 4 from the Love Beyond Time series) take place in World War II. I believe there’s a feeling of urgency in a time of war. Urgency to live fast, love fast and move fast. After all, no one knows what’s going to happen. Because of the pace of life during war, people feel compelled to find happiness where and when they can.

The other day after my flight from New York to Los Angeles a passenger deplaned and collapsed on the jetbridge. After heroic efforts to save her life by the flight attendants, EMTs and Paramedics, she died. It’s only been a few days since that happened and I’m still reeling. One moment she seemed fine, the next not fine.

I think daily life is precious. No one knows how long they have to live. So I’ll continue to write fun novels about strong women and men who have adventures they would never have dreamed could happen to them. Why not? It lets us escape our troubles, if only for a short time. But don’t we need that? Don’t we need to decompress after a tough day? Reading a good book helps to recharge an overloaded system, so go ahead, read, recharge and renovate your mind and body with a good book. Then start the next day refreshed and ready to go!

After all, dreams are what we live for. Why else would they be called dreams?

Barb Goodwin

BarbaraGoodwin.com

Books and book distrubutors

2009-08-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

I know that Ellora's Cave/Cerridwen Press has been uploading their books to Ingram's distributors and Baker & Taylor distributors. Today when I went to my local library to see if they could order my books I found that they could! Both Hearts Flight and my newest in print, No Future Christmas were on the Baker and Taylor list. I was thanked for coming in to the library and told they love to have their local authors visit. What a welcome.

Barb Goodwin

BarbaraGoodwin.com

For the Love of Pens and Paper

2009-08-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

It's the start of a new school year here and sales are up all over the place for clothes, shoes, backpacks, etc. But the ones that draw me the most are the ones for paper and pens. Yes, I'm a little strange - but only a little as most of my friends have the same love.

We go into the store and there are notebooks on sale for ten cents each and we scarf up as many as we can. And pens and pencils. We take our bounty to the counter, more excited than the youngsters surrounding us because we know we will put our purchases to good use. On these pristine pages we will make notes about fantasy and mystery, about handsome heroes and feisty heroines, about good vs. evil, about love and life.

Yes, most of us write using our computers or electronic devices of some sort, but for many of us, there is still the love of pen scratching across paper. It can be something as simple and inexpensive as the ten-cent notebook and a cheap pen that spots the paper with every word, or something more ethereal as fancy stationery and an expensive pen, that nests, cool between your fingers and with ink that flows across the paper.

And as we write, we fulfill our dreams. The dream of writing stories that others will read and enjoy. Because that's what it's all about. A good story.

But first, you need pen and paper. :)

Vicky B.

No Future Christmas now on Amazon.com-sort of...

2009-08-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that "No Future Christmas," book 1 in my Love Beyond Time series is now listed on Amazon.com for purchase. The only problem is it's not in stock--yet. Amazon says you can order the book and as soon as it's in stock it'll be shipped. For those of you who can't wait, you can certainly order it at Cerridwenpress.com right now! Anyway, I'm pretty excited to see this book on Amazon.com and I thought I'd spread the word!

Always,

Barb Goodwin

Barbaragoodwin.com

Small press in the news?

2009-08-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

I'm at a conference (mystery conference) and there's a lot of talk about the publishing industry and what's happening. The word "Compression" has been used a lot. There was an interesting panel discussion with a wholesaler, a B&N buyer, an author, two agents, and a PR rep. The author was bemoaning the 'loss of the mid-list' and the wholesaler was surprisingly upbeat, saying that maybe this 'compression' is a good thing. Maybe quality will rise to the top.

The nice thing was that the agents both praised small publishers, saying that with the small press people, that's where you're seeing innovation and change and risk-takers. They also said that authors with a small press are coming out of the gate with a lot of knowledge that most first-timers don't have.

Of course, the thing they all said first and foremost was "Write a good book." Duh.

So I found it interesting to be among those in the industry while they're talking about the changes that are happening. Kindles, e-pubs, and all....

My Adventures in Romance-land

2009-08-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Like a couple of thousand other writers, I attended Romance Writers of America's National Conference in mid-July, this year in beautiful Washington, DC. It was warm, but since it turned out to be even warmer when I got back to Seattle, the weather in DC in comparison (in hindsight) was lovely.

The conference itself was a mixed bag. I hadn't attended in a few years; the last time I went was in 2006, when it was in Atlanta. This was the first year I got to attend as a member of PAN (Published Author Network), which allowed me to check out a whole different series of workshops, which was both interesting (we had Amazon evangelists espousing the goodness of Amazon and, of course, the Kindle) and mystifying (there was a motivational speaker who didn't do much for me motivation-wise). I got to see old friends again, see Washington again (the Hub's alma mater is there), and endure the discomfort that has become travel by air.

But no matter what else the conference brought, it was all wiped out by an incident when I stopped to speak to someone whose blog I read fairly regularly. As I turned to leave, someone from my home chapter called me by a wrong name. I was momentarily confused, because she knew me and I knew her; but she repeated it. She called me by the name of another chapter member, and when I corrected her, she shrugged and said that she couldn't tell us apart, and that it didn't matter.

That would have been funny, but see, I'm tall and Asian. The chapter member she was confusing me with is short and of Indian extraction. We're pretty different. She couldn't tell us apart? Why, because we didn't fit into her mold?

There are so many things I wanted to say, most of which wasn't politically correct ("All blondes look alike," I was tempted to say to this person, who is a blonde, but I know that's not correct). But I bit my tongue, because, you know, I was trying not to be impolite.

This short exchange has bothered me since. I live in an area that's predominantly Caucasian; my writers' group is predominantly Caucasian. It's times like these that I am reminded, in an abrupt fashion, that I am not Caucasian.

Sadly, that's what I'm going to remember the most from this year's RWA conference.

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

The Amulet Series

2009-08-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Great review for No Hope For Christmas

2009-08-03T16:40:00.001-07:00

Today I received a great review for No Hope For Christmas, book 4 in my Love Beyond Time series. Thank you Fallen Angel Reviews. Read it here and enjoy!

Barb Goodwin

BarbaraGoodwin.com

http://fallenangelreviews.com/2009/July/kimber-nohopeforchristmas.htm

Leopards, Lions and Tigers, Oh My!

2009-08-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone!

Today is my blog day here at the Cerridwen Press Authors blog, and as I contemplated what I'd write about over the weekend, the thing that stood out to me the most was last month's post.

Last month, I talked about the Panthera and the Abcynians. Since it seemed that I honed in on giving a description of each, this month, and in honor of my birthday being 4 days away (it's Friday and I'm not telling my age...LOL), I thought about the Panthera. More so, the real inspiration behind a mythical race capable of transforming into magnificent big cats.

I'm not sure if I covered it last time, but what defines 'Big Cats' from other such beasts (such as cheetas or cougars) is the ability to roar. Leopards, lions and tigers all roar, ditto for jaguars. Cougars and cheetas purr, an 'ability' that technically the big cats can't do. Some animal behaviorists and zoologists will refer to sounds the big cats make as purring, but panthers do not possess the same vocal chords responsible for the sound as a cougar or a lynx might make.

As an author of Paranormal Romance that feature leopards, lions and tigers, and having been a Veterinary Technician for twelve years, I didn't write a word until I researched these amazing animals. Did you know that leopards are the most adaptable of the panthers? Originally, leopards were believed to be part lion, hence the 'leo' in their name, and tigers. When it was discovered that they were more of a cousin to their bigger panther counterparts, observers realised that leopards were not only more adaptable, but they were stratagists. They liked to follow lions, hang out in the trees, often carrying their prey up into the trees with them so they could eat without having their meal stollen, and it wasn't common for leopards to approach a village or people. And when they did, more often than not, the villagers were unaware that the leopards were watching. Leopards have an uncanny ability to blend into their environment and not be seen unless they want to be seen. Thus, I created Garrick Forrester, a 450 year old Abcyian Elder, capable of changing into a black leopard. Back in history, 'evil' was often associated with things that were dark or unknown, so I made him a black leopard because that would be even more frightening to villagers and to some extent, his mate Aisley, who must overcome her fear of being accused of being a witch. Garrick and Aisley's story unfolds in Seductive Persuasion, now available in print and ebook from Cerridwen Press. If you visit my website, http://www.francesstockton.com/ there are links that will take you right to both the print and the ebook versions of the book, as well as excerpts! There are excerpts a few posts back right here on the Cerridwen Press Authors blog! I hope you'll check them out.

Now, that brings us to the lions. My second book with Cerridwen Press, Rhiannon's Pride, features master artist Dante Luciano and his mate, Rhiannon, who has lost her family and her memory. Unknowningly kept a prisoner for twenty years, Rhiannon finds the courage to run away when she spies a stollen painting depicting the very race of beings she may be related too. She sets off to rediscover herself and her memory by going to Florence in search of the artist, discovering once there that the artist, Dante, is her mate. In regards to the blog topic today, Dante is an Abcynian Elder capable of becoming a lion. Rhiannon is related, but I hope you'll read the story to find out how and why. Lions, as you may know are famous for their awesome roar, which can be heard from miles away. The are the most social of the panthers, with a dominant male at the top of the pride. Younger lions and lionesses live in harmony until the the males grow old enough to challenge or threaten the leader, who is often their father. Frequently, the dominant male will challenge his younger offspring to maintain his position as top lion, forcing the younger out of the pride. The younger will then go in search of his own pride, making his own way in the world. Now, of course, from time to time the oldest will lose and it is he that must move on, but it's the way of the pride and helps balance the animal kingdom. Lionesses are usually the ones to hunt for prey, causing the males to seem lazy or uninterested. What this does, however, is allows the males to keep watch over his pride. He is protective of his own and will defend when needed, so though they're not the hunters, they are the protectors and defenders of their own. Again, if you'd like to know more about Rhiannon's Pride, visit my website, http://www.francesstockton.com/ to read excerpts and find links that will take you right to Cerridwen Press. This book is currently available in ebook format.

In my previous post, I mentioned my third book coming from Cerridwen Press. Sea Captain's Ghost takes place in 1714, during the Golden Age of Piracy and the reign of King George I, just before the first Jacobite rebellion. Edits are well underway and going well, and when I have a release date, I will let you know! What's fascinating about Sea Captain's Ghost is the introduction of the first were-tiger. Though he is not the hero, the hero is Captain Don Adriano de Montoya, a tawny and sable-haired privateer that can change into a lion, the introduction to the panthera tigris creates a mystery all of its own. For in the animal world, tigers are fierce, magnificent and mysterious. Of the panthers, they are also among the more deadly. There are several reasons for this. Tigers are big! Make no mistake, they are huge and gorgeous and their coloring makes them targets for poachers and hunters. They are loners, more comfortable hunting alone, mating when they can, and then remaining alone. This doesn't mean that an Abycnian panthera tigris cannot find a mate, they surely can, but I wanted to make these characters more unpredictable and a lot more mysterious than their counterparts. While tigers love to swim and hang out in water, they are not very good hunters. They are slower than leopards and lionesses, but they must eat to survive, therefore they are capable of attacking people. Commonly, most people know of Siberian tigers and Bengal tigers, nowadays, Bengal tigers are known as Asian tigers. White tigers in the wild are usually white with sable/brown stripes. White tigers that are 'bred' by mankind, are part Siberian and part Asian, and they are usually white with black stripes. Like lions and leopards, they are also capable of being black, though it is rare, most of the big cat/panthers can have black fur. Let me tell you, I think tigers are magnificent animals, all of them are, but I've long been fascinated by these gorgeous creatures! Be on the lookout for updates and the release date of Sea Captain's Ghost to learn more about lions and tigers, and oh my, some leopards, too!

Since today's my blog day, I hope you've enjoyed the topic. Feel free to add a comment or thought or fact about leopards, lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetas, cougars, whatever you want, and anyone that does, will have their name placed in a hat for a digital copy of Rhiannon's Pride, book 2 in my Panthera series. I'll be checking back throughout the day, so don't be shy!

Until then,

Frances Stockton

When reality reflects fiction

2009-07-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

In my recent ECHOES OF PASSION, I described a scorching hot arid environment that my hero, Daegon Bosaru, comes to. It wasn't a pleasant place, but then it wasn't just the weather that was dreadful, but the circumstances too. Little did I realize that I would be experiencing that hot, icky, scorching climate just a while after the book came out.

And it is horribly, ickily, dreadfully hot. Here in the Puget Sound, in the state of Washington, we are used to mild weather: mild winters, mild summers. But with the blast of ice and snow that we were subjected to this past winter (in the two decades we've lived here, it was the first time that we had police advisories not to leave the house if we didn't have to), it was inevitable that we have this horrific heat in the summer. We are not used to 100-degree-plus days, multiple ones. We are not used to glaring heat. Mild heat, yes. Mild sunshine, yes. But not THIS. When Seattle temperatures hit 103 around the city, it is truly unnatural. This is a city without a real history of air-conditioning, mind you. I think we are getting there. Right now, I have one coworker who has air-conditioning. I think by next year this time, I will have more. It doesn't help that I drive a car without air conditioning (bought in 1986, back when a/c wasn't standard issue).

Why am I whining about this? Well, as we were all whining about the heat (and around here we were), I realized that I didn't add enough details about the heat and the glaring sun in ECHOES. Every time I was out and about the past couple of days, I thought about a detail I should have added. The sweat around the hairline. The belabored breathing. You get the idea.

The moral of this story? THINK about those details. THINK about those senses. I was used to a mild climate. I should have been thinking about a much harsher one. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go find some air-conditioning. The grocery store, the library, the bookstore. I think we're going out for dinner.

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now

Free Read: The Other Side of the Page

2009-07-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Other Side of the Page
Terry Odell

Blurb:
Finding the perfect hero and heroine for a romance novel can turn a writer’s hair gray—that’s why I advertise for them. Interviewing characters can be exhausting, and getting them to stick to the plot? Well, it doesn’t always work that way. And then you find out they’re talking about you behind your back…

Meet Randy and Sarah, the hero and heroine of FINDING SARAH and HIDDEN FIRE, in a funny and illuminating look at what goes on behind the scenes of the romance writing process.

Excerpt:
The Other Side of the Page

As a writer, one of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “Where do you get your ideas?” And running a very close second is, “How do you come up with your characters?” My answer to the first is usually, “Everywhere.” For the second, the reply is obvious. I advertise. How else would I find them?

Of course, handling the job interviews as the applicants come in—well, that’s another story. This is what happened when I interviewed an applicant for the heroine’s role in FINDING SARAH.

* * * * *
“Thanks,” I say, my face aching from the polite smiles I’ve been forcing all day. “I’ll be in touch.” I escort the interviewee to the door, take a deep breath and go back to my desk. I pick up the last yellow file folder and scan the first page of the resume within. Sarah Tucker. Thirty-one. A little old for what I have in mind. I wonder how long ago her picture was taken. I lean across my desk and push the intercom button. “All right, Jess,” I say to my assistant. “Send in the next applicant.”

The door opens and a perfect girl-next-door stands there. Wearing a navy-blue suit with a blouse buttoned above her collarbone. A refreshing change from all the silicone enhancements I’ve been staring at all day. She even has freckles across her nose and cheeks. No problem casting her in her twenties.

“Come in,” I say, my smile a little less forced. “Have a seat.”

She steps into the room. Pumps. She’s wearing pumps. A little worn in the heels, but polished. It’s as if she’s read my synopsis—which is impossible because I haven’t written it yet.
She sits in the seat across from my desk, clutching her purse—which matches her shoes, for God’s sake—on her lap. “Thanks. I’m Sarah Tucker. I’m here for the job interview. For the romance novel heroine.”

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAGE is a Free Read from Cerridwen Press. You can find it here:

View the book trailer for From Dreams To Reality

2009-07-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sid Foster dances into the heart of teenagers in this rags to riches story. Enjoy the book trailer for From Dreams To Reality

Oops. Here's the No Future Christmas book trailer...:)

2009-07-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

No Future Christmas now in print!

2009-07-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to announce that No Future Christmas, the first book in my Love Beyond Time series, is now available in print through Cerridwenpress.com or Barbaragoodwin.com. Enjoy a futuristic race against time while Shauna Wentworth and Mike Forrester fall deeply in love.

The blog days of summer

2009-07-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I don't have any releases out this summer. I had books out in February, April, and June and I have 2 out in September, but nothing in the summer. This is the first summer in 3 years that I'm not busily prepping for a book release.

Of course, I'm still busy, doing promo for the other books and for previous books -- after all, my books are always available, unlike so many that only stay on shelves for a few weeks or months. But it's a different vibe when you're not doing promo for an 'active' book, a just-released book.

I'm glad to have this small hiatus. I'm doing a lot of traveling this year, and I'm usually out of town on the weekends. That leaves the weekdays for work, family, writing, and promotion ... and believe me, I'm good at juggling, but it's getting tiring. I'm booked to travel all but six weekends between now and the end of October, and three of those trips involve airplanes, my least favorite mode of travel.

The good thing about it is that I've trained myself to grab a few minutes here and there to continue my writing. I'm working on 2 books this summer, and am determined to finish them by October 1. One is coming alone nicely, and I'm hoping the other will percolate once I finish the first one. We'll see.

I'll try to check in next month, but don't be surprised if I miss my regularly scheduled blog. I think I'm in an airport that day....

Abcynians and the Panthera!

2009-07-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all!

I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the summer. Since 4th of July is over, it feels like the season is now in full swing. At least here in New England, there's sunshine, a nice breeze, and no rain...for now. We've had a plethera of rain lately, but it stayed nice over the holiday weekend, allowing for cook outs, tetherball games (anyone remember playing this as a kid?), frisbee, and catch. Of course, we watched the Boston fireworks on TV and enjoyed them! Along with the Boston Pops and American-themed music, the coordinators make it fun.

But, of course, since the title of this blog entry is about the Abcynians and the Panthera, I thought I'd discuss the difference between the two. Currently, I have two books available from Cerridwen Press, Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon's Pride. Also, I'm happy to say that book 3 of the Panthera series is underway, titled Sea Captain's Ghost. And, like the first two books, features a little known ancient race known as the Abcynians.

The Abcynians are capable of living long lives, slow aging, but fast healing. To adapt to the cultures they live amongst, they become leading figures of their times, and drink what they call sustenance, a type of wine or juice fortified with secret spices and herbs. Each Abcynian is bound by a primary rule, avoid touching gold. Gold factored into their downfall in their earliest of times and now renders them weak and powerless. But amongst the Abcynians are the Panthera, those who have reached the age of 200 and can shapeshift into a panther. There are leopards, lions and tigers, each a 'panthera', and each with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. In the future, there might even be jaguars.

For now, suffice it to say that the panthera pardus (leopards), panthera leo (lions), and panthera tigris (tigers) walk amongst mankind, an ancient, primal force within the Abcynians that share their souls with the a panthera.

If you'd like to learn more about the Abcynians and, more so, the Panthera, please visit http://www.francesstockton.com and view the morphing characters, hear the roars of the panthers, and learn how they differ. Just go to the 'paranormal books' section, to view them all. Let me know which is your favorite amongst the roars, and post your thoughts right here on at romance@francesstockton.com, and you could win a download of Rhiannon's Pride, book 2 of the Panthera series.

Also, before I forget, there's an on going contest at Coffee Time Romance, where you can win an EC tee shirt, a deck of cards, and an autographed copy of Seductive Persuasion. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ContestPage.html

Today is my blog day here at the Cerridwen Press blog, so I'll be checking back throughout the day, while working on edits for Sea Captain's Ghost. I can't wait to share more about book 3, which features the Panthera, Abcynians, privateers, pirates, and a return of characters from the first two books. But worry not, the book is it's own story, so if you haven't read the first two, you'll be able to follow. Hopefully, you'll check out Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon's Pride, too.

Don't forget to check out the CTR contest, and also, visit http://www.francesstockton.com, to check out the different panthers and tell me your favorite roar or morphing image, to win a download of Rhiannon's Pride. I'll be back later and welcome conversation, questions, and comments.

Until then,
Frances Stockton

Happy Interdependence Day! It's been 25 years

2009-07-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

For those of us in the US, today is Independence Day, celebrating the day we
as a nation decided not to be ruled by England. In other parts of the world,
though, it's just July 4. But wherever we are, no matter what culture we're
currently in, today is Interdependence Day for my husband and me, because it's
our anniversary.

We got married on July 4 in Brooklyn, NY, 25 years ago, in the restaurant in
the tallest building in Bay Ridge. We chose that spot because that's where we
lived; we loved the area (the southernmost tip of Brooklyn, right before the
Verrazano Bridge, which leads you to Staten Island), and by having our
reception in that building, we could see the fireworks over in Manhattan. It was one day
that we knew most everyone we wanted to invite would have off, and
surprisingly, neither the church nor the restaurant were booked. It was a lovely, sunny
day (okay, it was summer in New York: It was scorching, the church wasn't air-conditioned,
but the sky was a beautiful blue), and we remember it fondly still.

Eventually, we moved away -- across the country, even, to Washington state --
but we had the opportunity to go back to New York a few years ago, just in
time for our anniversary. We had dinner at the restaurant at the top of that
same building, and watched the fireworks over in Manhattan again. We remember
that fondly, too.

How is any of this relevant? Well, I write romances. And our wedding was
romantic. And it's Interdependence Day. So Happy Interdependence Day, one and all!

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now!

It's about a guy, see, and he's dreaming about a girl

2009-07-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

ECHOES OF PASSION releases today! It's part of the sci-fi Hunters for Hire series available from Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press! Here's a bit about it:

Neotia Prime… The home world of the Neoti and the Vozuans was destroyed by a doomsday device twenty years ago, but the troubles and unrest that led to the event still plague those who resettled on the twin planet.

When Daegon Bosaru arrives on the unnamed world, determined to uncover who is out to smear his dying father’s good name, he discovers that the tragedies of that civil war still haunt those who remain. Not only that, the mysterious, beautiful woman he’s been seeing in his dreams over the past twenty years may have information he needs. But when he finally meets Imreen Dal in the flesh, she seems not to know him—and furthermore, she runs from him every time she encounters him. Why?

Rumors persist that the crazed dictator who set off the doomsday device may still be alive…with fresh plans for conquest. Bosaru needs to find out how his father, the mysterious Imreen and the madman are related…and stop another world from being destroyed.

You can find it now at: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7007-echoe..s-of-passion.aspx

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale now!

A fun event not sanctioned by RWA

2009-06-20T15:24:00.001-07:00

I had a book signing today in a flower shop.

I grew up in a small town with no bookstore so the flower shop stocks my books. Because I'm with a small press (I don't call them an e-pub) I'm able to work with my publisher to get the books in unusual locations like gift shops, etc.

I sold a few dozen books, had press interviews with local papers and had a great time.

If I followed RWA guidelines I'd be poorer financially and in terms of experience. Thank heavens I started ignoring them years ago!

Sent from the Berry gadget

The countdown begins ... well, it continues

2009-06-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

I got my author copies of ECHOES OF PASSION yesterday, and I was pleased. For one reason or another, I didn't see the book after I turned in the manuscript, and so I was in the dark as to whether it had weathered the editing stages. As a rule, after I finish writing a book I don't revisit it (I mean, if it's done, it's done, and I don't see any reason to go back unless it's to look something up), but it had been so long since I had seen it I felt I had to do something. So I did: I sat down and read my book.

As I did, a few memories of the writing process came trickling back, little by little. I remember writing descriptions, piecing together the descriptions of a war that was waged twenty cycles (approximately two and a quarter years) ago, the battles and the outcome. I remember writing the descriptions of a settlement that had seen more than its share of sorrow and mystery, the descriptions of a lover who never was. Sometimes the descriptions came on like a waterfall, while other times ... well, they didn't. (I'm sure you know that feeling.)

Most of all, as I was reading, I remember shaping the people. The green skin of the Neoti and the golden skin of the Vozuan, so close in so many things cultural and physiological but so far in others. And I remembered why I write; shaping those people, the places, the stories can be an amazing experience.

Only 15 more days until launch! I can't wait!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09

Introduction, Blurbs and a Contest Prize, oh my!

2009-06-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all!

My name is Frances Stockton, and while there may be a blog post of mine in the archives right here on the Cerridwen Press Authors blog, it's been awhile since I've posted. So, I thought I'd take a few moments to introduce myself as an author of sensual Paranormal Romance for Cerridwen Press. With two books currently available, the first in the Panthera series, Seductive Persuasion is available in ebook and trade paperback, and the second, Rhiannon's Pride, is currently available as an ebook, I wanted to share a little about each book.

Both books feature a little known ancient race of men and women known as the Abcynians. Within the race are the Elders, those elite few who have reached the age of 200 and are capable of changing into their Panthera half. While set in my favorite time periods in history, Medieval, Renaissance, and the Golden Age of Piracy, for example, each book features elements of paranormal, history, sensuality, and, above all romance!

So let me tell you a little about Seductive Persuasion, book one in the Panthera series. Here's the blurb:

As an Elder of a diminishing race, Garrick Forrester has lived through wars, plagues and two arranged marriages. But nothing he’s experienced has prepared him for the discovery of his mate or for her resistance. To keep Aisley Reeves safe from an unimaginable enemy, he must persuade her to become his willing countess, while keeping her under constant guard.

Imagine Aisley’s dismay when the Earl of Danford demands she become his betrothed by the close of a fortnight. Already fearful her work as a healer and her birthmark might tempt some to brand her as a witch, she believes it is best to keep her distance from the dark, mesmerizing earl whose thoughts she can hear and who reminds her of a black leopard patrolling the forest. However, when Garrick’s gifts become her only hope for survival, she must decide if she can trust her heart to a man who is far more than human.

Now take a moment to read an excerpt:

An Excerpt From: SEDUCTIVE PERSUASION
Copyright © FRANCES STOCKTON, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
“What brings you to our village on such a night as this?”
“I mean no harm, fair lady,” Haywood promised. His smile was little more than a gap-toothed leer. The balding man made her the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rise, causing her to ignore her worry over the sawing rumble in the distance. “I wish to entertain the village. I have traveled far through the day’s rain in the hope of warding away your troubles for at least a night. Might I inquire as to whom quells my efforts?”
“Aisley, a healer, and I speak not for myself, but for the villagers. This village has not gone unscathed by plague. We have lost many. I would not wish for the sickness to return.”
“Nor would I,” Haywood responded. Feigning elegance, he bowed at the hips. The expense of his green and tan robe and the silk of his gypon made him appear a man of means. At the hem of his robe, Aisley caught a glimpse of a sword. “I am free of plague. You may inspect me for lesions if it would set your mind at ease.”
The rumbling she’d heard grew more prominent, sounding like an animal. It felt as if the beast was warning her against inspecting the man. Oddly, no one else seemed to hear it.
“I think it best if you leave before the villagers lose more coin.” Inspecting this man would require three areas, the armpit, neck and the inner thighs. Touching him was not something she relished, regardless of her vow to attend those in need.
“Aisley, do not rush him off. He promises to reveal the creature behind that curtain, and I, for one, have paid to see it,” Howard Jones said.
It was difficult to avoid staring at the curtained stage resting behind the stranger. The jester had tumbled his way to one side of the wheeled contraption and hung from a ladder. The minstrel strolled toward the opposite.
“Throwing away money like this can only lead to trouble,” Aisley said.
“How is it that a woman speaks so bold?” Sedgewick Haywood demanded.
“It is common for Aisley to do so,” Andrew White answered. “Her father was a physician for the Earl of Danford. She is valued amongst us.”
“Then why have you given what this man has asked?” Aisley wondered aloud.
“Curiosity.”
“We want to see what he has to offer.”
“Worry not, Aisley. All will be well.”
The villagers relayed their wishes and Aisley stepped back. She could not deny them a few moments pleasure. Even her curiosity was piqued.
More pennies hit the ground as Sedgewick demanded. Apparently pleased with the villagers, the visitor bowed once again in acceptance.
“Ah, at last my performers will grant your due,” Haywood pronounced. Proudly, he moved to the side. “Beware, dear friends, sometimes myths can be proven.”
Both the minstrel and the jester beckoned to the crowd and the curtain before them. Whispers filled the air, but they could not mask the eerie sawing drawing ever closer to the village.
Did no one else hear the beast? It sounded as if he roared from a mountaintop.
“What is that I hear?” she asked. “Is someone cutting branches in the forest?”
“I hear nothing of the sort, Aisley,” Howard said.
Ease your worry, little one, only you can hear me, someone said, someone male with a deep, gruff voice. I am close. Do not provoke the visitor.
“Who spoke to me?” Aisley demanded, glancing about. The villagers stared back as though she’d gone mad.
“Your attention, healer,” Haywood insisted. “To one and all, I give you living proof of werewolves in England!”
“Werewolves…are you mad, Haywood?” Andrew asked.
“Nay, I tell you true, feast your eyes on a werewolf’s babe.” Sedgewick swept his right hand toward the jester, who sliced a rope and the curtain shushed to the ground.
“Oh!”
“Evil.”
“Witchery.”
“What do you mean by this?”
“Deplorable…”
“Barbaric…”
Aisley gasped in horror as the villagers voiced her feelings. A child with large, rounded blue eyes stared at them and wept, pleading for love. It was barbaric to see such a beautiful girl subjected to such cruelty.
“Dastard,” Aisley accused. “How dare you cage a child?”
“It is for her safety and yours, dear lady.”
“Nay, this is an atrocity the likes of which none of us have seen.”
“All should know by now there are no werewolves or men that can change into animals,” Howard said. “You show us an unfortunate child.”
“Can you not see her deformity?” the visitor insisted. “This occurs in children of a werewolf.”
“You speak of what is evil, Haywood!” Andrew White shouted.
“Nay, cease! I beg you,” Aisley warned. Talk of evil could spread quickly amongst the crowd. “There is no evil here. This child is an angel from God, not some creature.”
“Mayhap the healer feels herself capable of speaking for God,” Sedgewick hedged, rounding on Aisley and marching toward her. “Be careful in your speech, healer. It would be unwise to speak of His will in such a way.”
“There is nothing wrong in speaking of God.”
“Yet you are certain you can dispel the existence of evil.”
“Evil is a man who can cage a child!” Aisley accused.
“Step away from me, woman! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect? I see standing before me a woman of flame red hair, freckles upon her face and a dark patch of skin right beneath her chin, a woman who shouldn’t be so outspoken.” Sedgewick looked at the villagers. “Your healer bears the marks of a witch. She should be sent to a priest to confess her sins.”
Unbidden, tiny bumps pricked Aisley’s skin as Sedgewick spoke of witchcraft. Because of her father’s teachings, the villagers of Danford did not believe a birthmark was the mark of evil. Such talk could sway minds, causing hysteria and fear.
“My mother bore freckles and my father the same red hair. He also had a mark on his shoulder similar to that which you see beneath my chin. You’ll not find a villager amongst us who would think they were anything less than good, decent Christians, nor I,” she said.
“She speaks the truth,” Andrew added in her defense.
The jester and the minstrel pulled long, sharp daggers from their scabbards. Andrew and others stepped forward to protect the women of the village. Aisley turned away and rushed to the cage.
Realizing she shouldn’t have spoken so harshly to Sedgewick, Aisley tried reason. “Please sir, please free this child and let me take care of her,” she urged and reached for the door.
“Step away anon! That child is not what you think. She is eight with the mind of a babe. There is nothing that you can do to change that. She has been in my charge for nigh unto three years. She is clothed and fed. Another man would have left her to die. “
“It matters not what you say. I beg you to allow me to attend her. I am a healer. I can take care of her.”
Aisley faced the child, attempting to smile, to soothe as best she could from the slight distance. She would love to trace the girl’s wispy brown hair back behind her ears and wash away the dirt streaked across her plump, round face.
“You will be all right, sweet angel. Fear no more.” She paid no mind to the rush of voices warning her to stop.
“Healer, touch what belongs to me and I will make you pay dearly for it,” Sedgewick threatened in a voice so frightening it sent tremors down her spine. “Take your hand from that door or I will cut it off.” The sound of a sword being removed from its scabbard sang close to her ear. From the corner of her eye she saw the stranger raise his arm. She was certain he was about to let the blade slice through her wrist if she didn’t let go of the cage, but she was too frightened to move.
“Threaten what is mine, knave, and you will face a wrath unlike anything you could comprehend!” A man’s unexpected voice rumbled behind them. The unusual sawing she’d heard from the woods reached her then and she trembled, yet she couldn’t understand why no one else reacted to it.

For more information on Seductive Persuasion, check out the following link:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7101-seductive-persuasion.aspx

Rhiannon's Pride, book two in the Panthera series is also available in ebook format! This is my newest release and features a very romantic, dashing hero, a heroine trying to learn who and what she is, and above all, it's a love story! Please feel free to read the blurb:

Book 2 in the Panthera series.

Plagued by headaches and memory loss, Rhiannon has spent years being unknowingly prepared to become the wife of an earl. When the man displays a mysterious painting, she is inexplicably drawn to its depiction of a mythical race. Believing she may be related to them, she and her lady’s maid flee to Florence in the hopes of finding the artist. While visiting the Piazza della Signoria two months later, she is unaware that the very man she needs to find has been watching her.

Artist Dante is an Abcynian Elder, capable of changing into a lion. The moment he recognizes Rhiannon’s panthera leo heritage he rushes to claim her. He discovers her illness and takes her home. As she heals, they fall in love and Dante helps her reclaim her memory. But their future happiness will be threatened by her fears of the past and a vicious man’s plans for Rhiannon.

Now, enjoy an excerpt from Rhiannon's Pride!

An Excerpt From: RHIANNON’S PRIDE
Copyright © FRANCES STOCKTON, 2009
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
As Dante progressed toward the Palazzo Vecchio, his keen eyes raked the crowd, alighting upon the back of an Englishwoman. Her scent became stronger, drawing him to a sudden halt. Si, she was the one he’d been looking for.
Unlike Florentine women and servants who wore fabrics that conveyed their household’s status and wealth, this woman wore a faded brown dress with a linen apron. Her pale blonde hair was confined in a severe knot at the nape. She was at least a head and shoulders taller than most women in the piazza, including the older maid hovering nearby. The woman’s thinness bothered him, as it hinted she may have recovered from a recent illness or gone hungry too long.
Frowning, Dante moved close enough to pounce should she attempt to run and far enough away to observe her without detection. Her cassia scent tugged at his conscience, warning there was something about her he might miss if he did not take the time to study her.
As he watched he realized why her scent reached him over and above the other women. Cassia shared origins with cinnamon, two spices often used in Abcynian sustenance for flavor. The Englishwoman’s fragrance was inherent, not the result of perfume. She moved slowly, with both grace and purpose. He guessed she would be strong, that her movements were made to avoid hurting herself or someone else.
Instinct told him she was only part panthera Abcynian. Had she been fully his kind, he’d have sensed her the moment she stepped into the piazza. He assumed that she had either been converted or she was the child of a converted pair.
Drawing in her spicy fragrance, Dante found himself hesitating. This Englishwoman could well be his mate. If he spoke to her and she acknowledged him, he would claim her as his mate by right of Abcynian law. He didn’t know if he was ready to be mated, regardless of being an Elder.
Being mated meant sacrifice. Mated meant he could no longer take another lover. Dio knew he loved women, too many to count if he were honest. Whether they were young or older, heavy or slight, tall or short, their uniqueness touched his soul and made him long to become as masterful in bed as he was with a paintbrush and chisel. He’d lived two hundred and forty-two years, forty-two of them as an Elder. Was it right to claim one woman and ignore the rest?
With a start, his concerns became inconsequential when she turned. Lifting her chin, she revealed her face, reminding Dante of the first time he’d seen a naked woman. He’d been unable to move then, unable to find his voice or do anything other than stare.
This woman was neither naked nor pleasantly attired. But she was beautiful with her honey colored skin and pale blonde hair. Her face was blessed with the high cheekbones and elegant, straight nose of a female panthera leo, a firm though feminine chin and a lush mouth that made him groan. Her lips were as ripe and plump as berries, begging for a man’s kiss. Yet it was her eyes that caught his heart. They were pure, haunting amber, hinting of a woman’s vulnerability and a lioness’ curiosity.
Unwilling to delay further, Dante spoke to her with his mind. Bella, per favore viene.
Waiting in silence, he watched her look over at the older servant. “Mary, I think someone spoke to me,” she said. Her voice was huskier than he’d imagined in a woman so beautiful. In an instant he was intrigued and aroused by it.
Smiling when she’d acknowledged hearing his voice within her mind, Dante stalked toward her.
Testing her, he continued to speak in the way of Abcynian mates. Come si chiama, bella?
Her pretty scowl sent need pooling low and deep in his groin. Already, he wanted to take her home and consummate their pairing. Surprised at how quickly he responded to her, he recalled Lucien Hunter’s advice before he’d come to Florence. “Always remember, my son, it will take a moment for your panthera half to recognize your mate. But it will take a lifetime to love her as she deserves.” With his guardian’s words echoing in his mind, Dante ignored his aching groin.
Again his mate spoke to the older woman at her side. “Mary, I’m worried. Do you see anyone looking at me?”
Dio! Dante grimaced, looking about. His mate possessed the inherent grace of all Abcynian women, drawing favor from the men and envious glares from the wealthiest women. She seemed not to notice the curious stares.
Dante’s instinct to claim her warred with his humanity for dominance, forcing him to swallow hard to keep from roaring. It would not do for him to challenge every man that dared to look upon his mate.
I see I shall have to speak English to gain your attention, cara. In the way of our kind, tell me your name and I shall tell you mine.
“Rhiannon, are you feeling well?” The older maid revealed his mate’s name before Rhiannon could answer.
“I’m fine, Mary. I thought I heard a man whisper to me.”
Do not ignore me, Rhiannon. This is not a whisper. Your maid should not have been the one to answer your mate.
“Your mate!”

For more information and how to order your copy of Rhiannon's Pride, please check out the following link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7223-rhiannons-pride.aspx

As I realise that this blog post is long, my apologies. I guess I feel as though I needed to make up for lost time, as it has been awhile since I posted. However, because I love writing for Cerridwen Press, I've arranged to post monthly here, but I blog consistantly on MySpace and my website. You can join me on MySpace anytime, http://www.myspace.com/francesstockton.com or check out my interactive and fun website, http://www.francesstockton.com/ where I have blurbs, a book video, morphing characters, excerpts and so much more!

Now as the subject heading for this entry indicates, there's a contest to be announced. And it's really very simple. As an author for Cerridwen Press, and someone who'd like to learn more about what readers and other writers/authors are looking for when they read a blog, let me know what you think of blogs in general. What are you looking for, what draws you to return to an author's blog, and what would you like to see more of? Either share your opinion right here on this blog today (I'll be checking back throughout the day) or email me at romance@francesstockton.com and your name will be entered into a drawing for a Barnes and Noble giftcard and a download of Rhiannon's Pride!

This contest is open all day, Tuesday June 9th, and I'd love to have the chance to interact with you via email or this blog, whichever you're most comfortable with. I'll announce the winner at the Cerridwenchat Yahoo! Group early tomorrow morning!

I sincerely hope you all have a great day. I'm so excited about Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon's Pride and hope you enjoy the blurbs, excerpts, urls, and the chance to win a prize.

Frances Stockton

Voice is picky

2009-06-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

So many other people do articles on craft, so I tend to shy away from them. But something happened a few days ago and I felt compelled to comment. (If I didn't feel compelled I don't know what I'd be doing writing about it. But anyway.)

I work with someone at the Day Job who's not much of a reader. In fact, she jokes (but not really) that she reads one book a year, and she chooses it just before she goes on vacation for a week to the family vacation place beside a lake. The place has no Internet, barely electricity, so reading is the way to go. She's got a dozen books that she's started to read at the lake but never finished. She'll finish them someday, she says.

This year, though, she may finish the book she chooses. Recently, she saw the movie Twilight, and got so curious about the story that she picked up the source novel ... and LOVED IT. She devoured it and had to read the next ... and the next. She can't imagine what those people who disparage these books are thinking, she says. She's never read anything like them!

Now, I have to admit I've never read anything by Stephenie Meyer. Like my coworker, I figure I'll read 'em someday, but they're not really in my bailiwick (I've read enough vampire novels in my day, and I can't imagine that these YA versions are much different from the adult romance version). But my coworker was raving about them, and that makes me curious. I know it's got to be the voice -- and voice is, as we're told, over and over, what makes all the difference.

Two examples. Stephen King. Brilliant writer of short fiction and nonfiction, but his horror novels leave me cold. But I know it's the voice that brings 'em in. I've read two of his novels, and I remember admiring his technique, but while I recognize his craft, it's not something that hits my heart or gut. Will I have nightmares? Eh. I applaud him for everything he's done, but it's not to my taste for the most part. Next.

Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz. My personal favorite. Her voice spoke to me the first time I read Ammie, Come Home, and it has greeted me like an old friend every time since. I've always loved her work, but I know others have only nodded and said, "She's okay."

And that's mostly voice. Does it suck you in? Does it transport you to a land not of your choosing, and do the characters appear in your dreams? If so, damn but the author's done his or her job. And won a convert to boot.

My coworker is afraid that she'll finish the fourth book in Meyer's series before her vacation, but I pointed out that even if she does, there ARE other books out there that she'd probably like just as well. I could suggest a few (more than a few, in fact), but of course, it's her own personal journey to find that voice that speaks to her in quite the same way.

And it's every writer's wish that a reader makes that discovery of his or her own books!

ECHOES OF PASSION: 7.2.09

Only 29 more days!

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, each year on Memorial Day my family would make the trek over the mountain to visit my father's old church in the next county. Though it was only about forty miles, it took well over an hour to get there. The church was a small white wood country church that could seat maybe fifty or so people in its narrow pews. Nestled in a wooded hollow next to a bubbling stream, it was built in 1880 and was where most of my father's family was buried. We went there every year to place flowers on their graves. It has been years since I've been there, but I still remember those trips on Memorial Day.

This is a day for remembering. And to that end, I'd like to reprint one of my father's poems. I believe I've put it here before, but it bears repeating. My father was a veteran and proud of his service. He has been gone for many years, but the memories endure. This poem he wrote about a monument that stands in the center of a small town on the way to the cemetery.

"The Men on Center Square"
(The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Center Square,
New Bloomfield, PA)

They stand on their pedestal
On the monument on Center Square
Stead and strong in winter storms,
And in summer days so fair.
They watched as buses loaded
And the young men said good-bye
And went to serve their country.
They heard the loved ones cry.
Since they are veterans themselves,
they knew some would not return.
For with the sacrifice on foreign land
freedom for America is earned.
They saw some of us come home
And talk of our by-gone days.
They listened to our greetings
As we went about our ways.
The next time you pass by
pause a moment to look up there.
For though they have no names,
they represent those who care.
They are really any veterans
who sometime have served our land
in any of our country's wars.
They are a great brave band.
So is he Jack, or John, or Jim?
The name does not matter.
But because of men like them,
the world is so much better.

J. Reisinger
1975

Technology stares me in the face

2009-05-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Technology is an underlying theme in much of what I write, mainly because it both fascinates me and alarms me. And the fact that I managed to destroy three computers at work in three months has a little something to do with it too.

So knowing that, what does The Hub get me for my birthday? That's right, technology. He got me a Sony eReader because, as he explained, an epublished author needs to have a Reader. Or a Kindle, but the Reader was closer, and he could examine it (and I have certain reservations about the Kindle). I spent the entire day (because I took a vacation day) on line trying to find out how to make it compatible with my Mac, because of course it's Windows only. And I found the software to do it, and so I rubbed my hands together with glee!

And could not get it to work. Not unusual; my learning curve for tech has always been fairly long, and this was no exception. And managed to run down the battery completely, so the next day I had to go out and get an AC adapter. And then I charged it, and sat down to work with it again.

And managed to wipe out the data that already came with it. Sigh. Still couldn't upload any books. The next day either.

It's been a week and it stays there, mocking me. I may have to break down and see if I have any better luck on the Windows machine downstairs. Sigh.

But at least I have high hopes that I'll be able to read my next book on it -- ECHOES OF PASSION is coming out on July 2, so one way or another, I will! I will!

Eilis Flynn, ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09

Only 43 more days! I will conquer the Sony beast. I will! I will!

No blob blog for mr

2009-05-17T05:25:00.001-07:00

I'm on the road so can't post today. More from me next month on my upcoming releases.

J L
Sent from the Berry gadget

Looking for a viral marketing plan for your books?

2009-05-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Want book trailers? Yearn to get your books out on the web? Check out Book Candy Studios. Sandra Rea is a joy to work with and a true professional. I know, since Book Candy Studios has made two book trailers for me. Sandra can answer all your questions about viral marketing at sandy@bookcandystudios.com. Ellora's Cave has been working with Book Candy Studios to promote romance author Brenda Novak's online auction to raise money for diabetes. Check out the promotional trailer Book Candy Studios made for Ellora's Cave and enjoy!

Barbaragoodwin.com

Barb Goodwin

Does it ever change?

2009-05-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have a book coming out from Cerridwen Press on July 2, and I find myself looking forward to it. And I'm amused by that, because I thought I was over that kind of thing. ECHOES OF PASSION is my fourth book with CP, and I figured I was pretty much in the groove, downright blase, for the routine -- you know, you write the book, you submit the book, you get the book accepted, and then your editor takes over. (Oversimplified? You betcha!)

But the deal is, everytime is a little different. The first one is different from the second one (the first one is WAY different from anything else!) is different from the third. The first you're terrified of doing something wrong; the second you're wondering if you're going to do something wrong; the third you're fairly sure if you keep doing the same thing you'll be okay, but the fourth ... can you make any new mistakes?

And the answer is, of course you can. You just don't know what it is yet. So I'm keeping that in mind. And because I've changed editors, the way things get done is a little different too; it's something else to remember.

But the big thing I have to remember is that it's only 57 days until ECHOES OF PASSION comes out. It's still a thrill!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09

Book Candy Studios

2009-05-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

I've been working with Book Candy Studios to help improve my online viewership. They have been unbelievable! Todd and Sandy have been professional, pleasant and fun to work with. I now have 2 book trailers, one for "No Future Christmas" the first book in my Love Beyond Time series and one for my young adult novel written with Doug Penikas, "From Dreams To Reality." The trailers are fantastic! Now they're helping me with viral marketing. I hope that if you need online publicity you'll check out Book Candy Studios at bookcandystudios.com. You won't regret it! BarbaraGoodwin.com

Barb Goodwin

From Dreams To Reality book trailer!

2009-04-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Book Candy Studios made an incredible book trailer for my young adult novel From Dreams To Reality. Check it out at Barbaragoodwin.com on the book trailer page. Thank you Todd and Sandy at BCS.

earth day, and the I-5 mountains

2009-04-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend The Hub and I went down to Portland, OR, where he had lunch with his cousin Jonathan and I went to the Readers' Luncheon, sponsored by the Rose City Romance Writers. The speaker was Lucy Monroe, and she was fabulous, as alway. After lunch (and Luncheon), we headed back north to Seattle. The trip going down (at an unspeakably early time of morning) we couldn't see much, thanks to the thick fog that blanketed the route, but on the way back home? Wonderful. Scenic. Mountains!

At this time of year, most mountains are covered with snow, and yes, there is a certain sameness to them because of it -- but the snow is gorgeous, particularly when the sunlight hits it just right, and the entire mountain glows. That was the case with Mt. Hood, seen here without that glow, but quite handsome, nonetheless:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood

What we found remarkable is that with all the times we could have seen Mt. Hood in all its glory, we'd never seen it like that, whether because of pollution or weather or stress (if traffic's bad, do you notice anything else? I thought not).

Farther north, we saw a mountain with an amazingly rounded top. Never seen anything that before. Until we realized it was Mt. St. Helens, and we'd just never seen it from that particular angle. The image of St. Helens here is clearly not rounded, but it sure looks as if the top's blown:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._St._Helens

I was in Seattle in 1980 when St. Helens blew. A fine layer of ash fell on my mother's yard, but it quickly disappeared. Not so in Yakima, in the middle part of the state; the wind must have been just right, because the town got something like six inches or more of ash, and it was not nearly as easy to get rid of, but it had to be done, and fast, because it could suffocate local vegetation and animals. And people, who were advised to stay inside for a while. The mountain's still around, after all these years, and still reminding us that we've got to keep an eye on her.

An hour or so later, we saw the first signs of home. Mt. Rainier is just known as "the mountain" in Seattle thereabouts, because it is omnipresent. It's there when the weather's clear, and it's there when the pollution's high (just murky). The first Japanese who came to this area saw the graceful lines of the mountain and were reminded of their own distinctive mountain, and referred to Mt. Rainier as "the American Mt. Fuji." The angle of this picture makes it look far less like Fuji than it does from other angles, but on a clear day, from the right perspective, it's understandable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rainier

Where we live, the mountain's not quite visible; we need to go five minutes one way or another to be able to see it. But we still regard ourselves as fortunate that it's close enough to see.

Happy Earth Day. And that includes our mountains.

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09

Coming soon from Cerridwen Press

Don't Close Your Eyes Featured Today At AuthorIsland!

2009-04-18T05:33:00.001-07:00

Don't Close Your Eyes is in the spotlight over at AuthorIsland.

Stop by and check it out!

All the best...

Mary Eason

http://www.maryeason.com/

Great review for No Hope For Christmas

2009-04-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to post a link to my wonderful review for No Hope For Christmas, the fourth book in my Love Beyond Time series. Reviewer Mary, at paranormal website Bitten By Books says, "I enjoyed the three previous Christmas books, and expected this one to be a delight as well. I was not disappointed." Read Mary's review and see for yourself. http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4045

The shape of things to come

2009-04-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Terry Odell's post on green tech had me thinking about the technology of tomorrow, specifically tech like "electronic paper," tech as thin as paper and reads like it but something that changes -- imagine a newspaper that holds the information of the Sunday New York Times but is one sheet thick. You turn the page to whatever you want to read, to the size you want it to be. It's an amazing concept, but when you consider there's a light source just as thick and easy to manipulate, RIGHT NOW (but not marketable due to cost), you know it can't be too far away. The Star Trek (original series) inspired us to expect something the size of a paperback to read from and write on, and we have something a lot like those now. If that's the future realized, what's the real future going to hold? I'm not sure we can imagine it.

It's not just the far-flung future, either, that this is the case. I remember reading recently that the spy gadgets we were amused by on the TV series GET SMART back in the 1960s were the source of inspiration for the real-life CIA. The CIA scientists would see something on the show and try to figure out how they could make a variation for their own uses. (But no cone of silence, as far as I know. And on GET SMART, after all, they never could get the cone of silence to work!)

The book I have coming out in July, ECHOES OF PASSION, has a control device that's smaller than a paperback but a little thicker than a sheet of paper, easy to pocket and easy to overlook. It's a coin, basically; distinctively shaped and integral to the plot. Because The Hub works at a mint (where they design coins), I got a chance to see how intricate coins could be, and that was my inspiration.

But once I thought about it, it's not new at all. I have something about that size, something distinctive, a control device. And you probably do too. Got a garage-door opener?

Eilis Flynn, www.eilisflynn.com

83 days to ECHOES OF PASSION! On sale at Cerridwen Press at 7.02.09

"Green" paper

2009-04-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

Most authors at Cerridwen Press believe in e-books for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the 'green' factor. E-books don't use paper.

Yet we're often faced with departing from the world of the Internet and need actual paper goods for promotional purposes. This means we're back to using paper. It's important to consider more than the basic bottom-line question: "How much will my bookmarks, or postcards, or notepads cost?" I think we also owe it to ourselves to look at the practices of the company that's printing those materials we're going to be spreading around.

First, let me say that I'm going to be using one company as an example, I'm sure it's not the only company with good green practices. I happen to approve of them for their customer service and quality of goods, but I'm not saying this is the only way to go. I'm merely pointing out some things you should be looking for, and other than a personal recommendation, this should not be construed as an advertisement. I'm not making any money, nor do I work for this company. Visit their site to learn more about what they do, and compare it against other companies. And feel free to leave comments about other 'green' companies you've found, printing or otherwise.

One immediate question if you're looking for a printer might be:
Are they using recycled paper? Believe it or not, that might not be the best way to go.

Not all recycled papers are created with the same environmental impact, and an environmentally-conscious company should be selective when choosing the paper for their printing project. While printing on a paper with a high ratio of post-consumer content is a popular option that is beneficial for some projects, saving the environment is not that easy. Chemically de-inking post-consumer paper back into the clean white paper best suited for attractive full-color printing is a toxic process, one with high energy consumption and waste disposal challenges.

What about the inks?

Vegetable based inks, primarily soy, are gentle on the environment.

And how about the coatings?
Everyone likes the slick feel of a glossy bookmark or postcard, right? Those shiny coatings can be water-based rather than UV. Aqueous coatings are also more environmentally friendly.

I'm not going to ramble on about all the other ways any company can try to preserve our environment, from using wind energy to produce their electricity to landscaping their buildings with plants that don't need much water. I'll leave it to you to read and compare with other printers

Terry Odell is a romance author and avid eBook reader, blogging this month for All Romance eBooks' Go Green/Read e Campaign. Find out more about the Go Green/Read e Campaign at www.gogreenreade.com. To learn more about Terry, visit her website. In addition to the Cerridwen Press bookstore, you can find Terry Odell's ebooks and thousands of other eBooks on-line at www.allromanceebooks.com.

Every year, April fools come out of the woodwork

2009-04-01T08:01:00.001-07:00

Every year, I dig out the link to the piece I wrote about April Fools' Day for Romance Writers of America's eNotes newsletter, just to remind myself that having a sense of humor is important. If you try to nurture the child within, if you have a fondness for pranks, if you, frankly, have a juvenile sense of humor and see no reason to grow up, you'll appreciate the article:

eilisflynn.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-foolery.html

Happy April Fish!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09, coming from Cerridwen Press

From Dreams To Reality is finally here!

2009-03-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to announce the release of Doug Penikas' and my young adult romance, From Dreams To Reality. Read Sid Foster's rags to riches story about how he dances his way from a life of poverty to becoming a backup dancer for one of the world's most famous pop singers. In the process he meets beautiful Melissa Manning and rescues her from her abusive boyfriend. Hope you enjoy the book!

Barb Goodwin

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

No one has posted to-day so I decided to jump in and wish all of you a happy St. Pat's Day. My family background is Scotland and England and I married a man from Wales. How about that for a mix

My creative muse has been absent for awhile but is slowly coming back. I don't think it's writer's block. I have completed manuscripts to revise. Two long historical romances, one close to completion, the other well underway. But I am not spending enough time at my computer to make significant headway. Do you think the weather has something to do with it?

We've had an unusually long and cold winter for southern Vancouver Island. My daffodils usually bloom in mid February and they are just beginning to bloom now. As the days lengthen and the sun shines I'm feeling restless. Not at all writing oriented! I'm thinking ahead to April 19th where I shall be launching my historical romance, A Very Difficult Man, now in trade paperback. The launch party is at The Fairmont Empress Hotel, between 3 pm and 6 pm. I'm stirring up interest in my community and have PR material prepared to send to book stores in the United States.

What do you do to create a buzz for your books? I keep hearing how important it is to guest on blogs, especially important blogs! Where are they? With Twitter, Facebook and goodness knows what else is out there, where does an author go to BUZZ?
I'd love to hear from you.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

From Dreams To Reality coming March 19, 2009!

2009-03-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that my newest book, From Dreams To Reality, written with Doug Penikas, will be released this week, March 19, 2009. It's a rags to riches story about sixteen-year-old Sid Foster who dances his way into the bright lights of the pop music scene. Sid is a good kid who has had a tough life, but he won't sit back at let it get him down. He says no to bullies, helps pretty Melissa Manning and makes a name for himself. Read Sid and Melissa's story and enjoy!

Barbara Goodwin and Doug Penikas

The Ides of March

2009-03-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many people are familiar with today and its significance. I believe it's Shakespearean in origin and has to do with Caeser's wife making a prediction about his death (which, of course, occurred at the hands of his friend, Brutus.)

Heavens, our minds are stuffed full of things like that, aren't they? I occasionally have 'past life' memories of books, people, events and occurences that I had no idea I would remember. I wonder what it is about those things that makes them memorable?

I know what makes books memorable for me (and movies, for that matter). There are 2 things: unusual characters and an unusual plot. I was in a discussion recently about time travel films, and Time After Time sticks out for me because of those 2 elements. Memorable characters (H. G. Wells) and a memorable plot (he goes FORWARD in time to catch Jack the Ripper, who escaped into the future in Wells' time travel machine).

I guess that's why I've so enjoyed writing my reincarnation books. The characters are memorable: one a shape shifter and one a human, who communicate telepathically. And the plots are unusual: they're sent back in time to re-live the event that killed them both. The books are damn tricky to write and take a lot of effort, but I'm pleased with the three that are done (two out and one more to release this year). Will I write more?

I'm not sure. To be honest, they take a LOT of work to write and I'm not sure I'm up for the effort -- unless my sales take off. Then the effort will be worth it. My mystery stories sell far more and are much easier for me to write. So I'll have to take a 'wait and see' attitude and maybe do some more ...

... in the future (just couldn't resist the pun!)

Modern technology, how I am conflicted about thee

2009-02-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

Note for things to do: learn html. Or learn how to deal with html with a
little more sophistication. Having a website is a wonderful thing, but updating
it? I can upload articles, but I have yet to figure out how to upload an image
of my next book, ECHOES OF PASSION, let alone a blurb about it. Modern
technology: A pain in the rear, I tell you. It doesn't help that my computer at the
Day Job suffered a catastrophic meltdown on Friday, three days before deadline,
and could not be revived. Its replacement is noticeably slower. But deadline
is gone, and now I've got to figure out life and work with this thing.

But anyway. Modern technology isn't all bad, because it allows my new book to
exist. Yes, that's right, the new book! The release date is July 2, 2009, two
days before The Hub and my 25th wedding anniversary. It's very nice timing.
It's a sci-fi romance in the Hunters for Hire universe, which was established
and created by Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press authors a couple of years ago.
The Hub insisted I should do a salute to the Science Police from the Legion
of Super-Heroes, so my hero, Daegon Bosaru (the early books in the line had
some names randomly generated, which was a fun challenge), is a Secret Sciences
Police officer. Then there's my heroine, the mysterious Imreen Dal, whose name
may be familiar somehow to those fans from the same source. More details as
release date approaches!

One thing that modern technology doesn't have much to do with: My Tea
Project. I continue to clear out the elderly teas in my kitchen. So far I've gone
through five boxes, with only fifteen more to go (hurray!). The liver detox tea
continues to taste terrible. And I'm starting to make a list of Teas: The Next
Generation. If you have any suggestions, let me know -- after these teas are
done, I'm going to be looking forward to fresh teas!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, on sale on July 2, 2009!

www.eilisflynn.com

Dickens and Me

2009-02-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

I'm jumping into the blog to encourage CP authors to have a look at my blog. www.anitabirtstoryteller.blogspot.com

I have not been writing creatively for several months. Personal sadness. Loss of my husband.

I have two historical romances not finished and it's time I rejoined my fictional characters and found out what they have been up to.

So, to get my brain in gear, I am posting a chapter week from a romance novel that's never been published - not even sent out. It's like priming a pump. In spite of the title, my book is not about Dickens. I am emulating his style. Early on in his writing career he sent out an episode a week to the printers. He lured in readers and the rest is history.

I'm not on the same street as Charles Dickens but I'm having fun and feeling good.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

Hooray for Hollywood

2009-02-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

Did you love the Oscars? I watched every minute for the history, the glamour and the gowns.

I can't tell you which was my favorite gown. I loved Marisa Tomei's winter white with the pleated train. Anne Hathaway looked gorgeous in a wheat-colored confection that sparkled (which fit her personality). Amy Adams in her red strapeless, what a crowd pleaser and Penelope Cruz in yards of lace.

When I'm in England I love to visit the Victoria and Albert Musuem Costume Room. They display the real deal costumes from as far back as the Elizabethan Age. What fun it must have been to wear those gowns, except for the undergarments which look like torture.

Did you know that ladies removing their lower rib to give themselves an hour glass figure is a myth? You can find this and other myths and comments by Elizabeth Walton at clotheslinejournal.com

Best Wishes,

Sarah Richmond, Cerridwen Press author
Rose Adagio
Brides of Serendipity

It's been quiet around here!

2009-02-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

It looks like it's been quiet around here lately ... I suppose we all have the Winter Blues, don't we? By this time of year, I'm getting tired of my clothes, the weather, and all the dingy snow around. It's too early to start seeds and it's not cold enough to ski. It's too messy to walk outside and I'm tired of trudging around the mall to get my exercise in.

Is there any better time to pick up a new author and give it a try? Go download something for your Kindle, or, in the case of CP books, buy a Mobi version and transfer it the old-fashioned way ... via your USP connection. I just got back from two trips, back-to-back, and my Kindle got a real workout. I finished a few books I'd downloaded way back when, and also bought a couple of others. I was at a conference and wanted to read the books from the authors I was talking with, so I just downloaded the novels, and started reading.

I also read books on the plane on my Itouch. This was surpisingly a very good experience. I was afraid it would be too small, but Stanza (the app I downloaded) makes it easy to resize the font, and color, and I was able to finally finish a book I'd downloaded long ago.

You know, I just got a coupon from Barnes & Noble for 15% anything in the store. I don't know if I"ll use it -- I just don't buy paper anymore. But hey -- maybe that's what I'll do today -- it doesn't hurt to browse!

Oh, and yes, here's my latest CP book (time travel and reincarnation, all in one). Give it a try -- I think you'll find it intriguing....

At last! The last in the Love Beyond Time Series-No Diamonds For Christmas

2009-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Buy it now! It's finally here! No Diamonds For Christmas, the last of my five book Love Beyond Time series of novels featuring the Forrester men and the Benjamin women. This is beautiful Mary Benjamin's story. She travels back to the Queen Mary in 1956 where she meets handsome Gavin MacAfee a sexy jewel thief. Gavin is onboard to steal a cursed, lavender diamond, the Resurrection diamond. How does Mary deal with a persistent masked thief, a handsome passenger on the ship who desires her, a ruthless Duke bent on rebuilding his fortune at Gavin MacAfee's expense and a haunted ship? Read their story and see how the Love Beyond Time series wraps up. Enjoy!

Barb Goodwin

Villains

2009-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

My January goal was to take a class from UCLA on Writing Villains. My instructor, Don Webb, who writes horror and sci fi reminded the class that every good book has somebody to love and somebody to hate.

I'm finding it difficult to write about evil. I'm hoping the class will open my mind to what scary dudes are really like. They make the story much more fun.

Happy Writing,

Sarah Richmond

Relearning an old art form and studying a new one

2009-01-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

I finished writing a short story (only another one and two novels to go for
the year! New Year's resolutions can be hell), and it felt ... weird. Not
impossible, but weird. The novella I wrote toward the end of the year last year was
nearly impossible, but I managed (thanks to a piece I found by Angela Knight
comparing plotting a novella to plotting a comic book story -- that I can
understand). Clearly I've been writing novels too long.

The thing about the short story was that it was, yes, short. Just as I was
figuring out where the story would go next, it was over. Just like that. I was
actually confused for a few seconds. But a short's a short. (Now, editing a
short ... let's find out if that's any different.)

The Tea Project continues. Some concern was expressed about the ancient teas,
but so far everything's been fine. The twenty-year-old tea was flavorless,
but since the packet still had the original plastic wrapping intact, I wasn't
too worried about it poisoning me. So far I've finished off four boxes,
including the old one. I'm going through ginger, peppermint, Eater's Digest, and the
detox currently. And when I want to indulge, I buy a cup of decaf coffee. Only
twenty more boxes to go!

And at long last, www.eilisflynn.com is live. A few tweaks needed, but
otherwise, it looks okay. I know how to add articles, but anything more on the
fiction page has so far stumped me. But this is a new challenge, and I'll figure it
out before the book's release date!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, late 2009

INTRODUCING SONIKA, on sale now at CerridwenPress.com

www.eilisflynn.com, eilisflynn.blogspot.com, www.myspace.com/eilisflynn

<BR><BR><BR>**************<BR>From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere
in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news.
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Romance and Young Adult? What do they have in common?

2009-01-24T11:13:00.001-08:00

I write romantic adventure stories, primarily. I love to read about people falling in love during adventurous times in their lives. The last in my Love Beyond Time series, "No Diamonds For Christmas" will be released on February 5, 2009. I am also a fan of young adult novels. Harry Potter, Eragon, both adventure novels. I have written a book with my nephew, Doug Penikas, "From Dreams To Reality." It's a sweet story about a sixteen-year-old boy dancer who comes from nothing and makes it in the dance world. Doug is a professional dancer with credits like High School Musical 2 & 3 on his resume. He filmed an epsiode of Eli Stone and a pilot for Fox TV which will be premiering in the spring. This novel is adventurous only in the way the young hero accepts his life and strives to make it better. Along the way he stands up to bullying and an abusive kid in school. Enjoy "From Dreams To Reality" when it is released.

Barb Goodwin

We live in interesting times

2009-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 20th, Barack Obama, will bec0me the President of The United States of America. Excitement is rising by the minute. Busloads of Canadians are making the trip to be part of this historic moment.

On Monday, January 19th, my historical romance, A VERY DIFFICULT MAN, will be released in print by Cerridwen Press. I am stirring up interest in this exciting time for me. Not quite like the parades, the singing, the dancing in the streets in Washington. A slightly smaller scale for sure.

I am not on a bus to Washington. I shall watch it on television right here in Victoria. Then I start planning a launch party for my book.

To my American friends. Your new president has his work cut out for him. I wish him well.
We live in interesting times.

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

The Tea Project

2009-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

When you open a cabinet and boxes of tea fall out, you know it's time. Some
people clean their office (which I should do, but that's not my point here) and
others their kitchen, but this year, I'm going to clear out my tea collection.

It didn't start out to be a tea collection … it was just tea that we
happened to have a lot of. But I realized that we had had some of that tea since we
lived in Brooklyn — and we moved to Seattle in 1989. Yes, that's
some mighty old tea! So if nothing else, if my office continues to look like
a sty, if my kitchen … no, actually, I keep the kitchen pretty clean, that's
not a problem … I will do this one thing this year for my home. I will drink
all of the tea already in my home and actually end up with no tea that's not
actually from this century in my cabinet.

Inspired by this idea, I started a little early, guzzling tea during the
great snowstorms of December 2008, polishing off three types by the end of the
year. (It was cold, and the weather was dreary. But you've already heard all
about that.) There were several boxes of tea that hadn't been opened, even, and I
know I bought one particular one at a little shop in Bay Ridge, in Brooklyn.
There was also a box of "Chinese-style tea," and that's how it was described on
the box, complete with quote marks. Not the greatest, but it's gone, it's
done, go 'way now. I also have no idea where I picked that up. I can see now
that drinking through all this stuff is going to be tea paleontology of sorts.

Currently I'm drinking Twinings green tea. Not bad, but not great -- but
I'm picky about my green tea. There's a liver detox tea and then a
morning-pick-me-up tea that's next on my list. I'm not really looking forward to
something that claims to be a liver detox tea, but hey, that's the point of this
"Tea Project." If it's there, it will be drunk. And no, I have no recollection
when the liver detox stuff came into the house and snuck into my tea cabinet.

And that's it. None of this is earth-shattering, but I suspect it may inspire
a few of you out there to go look at your own tea cabinet. Little by little
the tea in my house will all be drunk. And at the end of the year I will reward
myself with something amazing, maybe even some Queen Anne tea from Fortnum &
Mason, a lovely English breakfast tea. But not until the end of the year!

Eilis Flynn
www.eilisflynn.com
ECHOES OF PASSION, coming in 2009

Reviews

2009-01-10T15:16:00.001-08:00

Hi to all Cerridwen Press authors. I hope all is well and your books are selling like hot cakes. I have had two interesting reviews, one from Romantic Times for Isabelle's Diary and the other from Fallen Angel Reviews for Ring Around The Moon, it's a time travel with a twist.

My hero, Alan Tremaine travels from 1800 to the present time. He has missed two hundred years of inventions, literature and several wars. My heroine, very much a modern woman, is shocked to find this handsome stranger, walking into her life. Beth Ormond, is four months pregnant and has rented a cottage in Cornwall for a month of rest after suffering through an unpleasant divorce. "Alan's reactions to the differences between the two centuries make this book worth reading ..." Look for the review at Fallen Angels Reviews.

Isabelle's Diary, is a contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. "Sally Carter traveled from her home in Canada for a walking tour of Wales and to try to find out about her family ties. Upon seeing a distraught young woman in a coffee shop, Sally is stunned to realize that no one else can see her ..."
Check my web site: www.anitabirt.com for excerpts from both books and information about my other books published by Cerridwen Press.

Watch my blog for a BIG announcement coming soon. www.anitabirtstoryteller.blogspot.com

Anita

Is this funny?

2009-01-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm writing my tenth novel, a romantic comedy. As I finish chapter 5 I'm wondering...will it be funny to my readers? The novel is about a flight attendant with an unusual sense of humor. She says the most outrageous things at unusual moments. Yes, I'm cracking myself up, but will anyone else laugh? I find after writing romantic suspense, time travel and mystery, that comedy is the hardest. But I'm having a blast. So, I'll hope for the best and continue on my way.

Barb Goodwin

Thanks!

2009-01-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone who took time to pop over to the Night Owl Romance "Best of the Best" poll.

Hidden Fire finished as one of the top three in Romantic Suspense. THANKS!!

A New Beginning

2009-01-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Day. Whew! We made it. It's great to have a new beginning, start fresh. The Rose parade was beautiful, I've paid my bills, cleared off my desk (for now) and vowed again not to watch football. I'll walk the hills I live in, spend time with my family and work on finding an agent or publicist to get my name out there in internet-land as well as bookstore-land. I have six books published with Cerridwen now and the seventh comes out February 5, 2009. I never thought when I started my writing journey this would happen and I'm so excited and proud. I'm even flabbergasted that some website reviewers like my books! So, what's next? Hopefully, more of the same.

Happy New Year to all!

Barb Goodwin

Looking backward, looking forward

2008-12-31T09:35:00.001-08:00

For the month:
Finished: Novella. It's true what they say, PLOTTING IS GOOD! Should do
that more in 2009.

Do: Make some effort to holiday-ize the house. We did! We put up our
minitree and dug out our Meowy Christmas Cats Caroling wreath, since clearly we
have no shame or embarrassment left.

Plan: Gift purchases for THIS year. Sent out. At least some. Better a
few than none!

And since this worked better than I thought it would, for the coming year:

Do: Two shorts and two novels. At least plotting. I could get to like
this novella business, too. But it all requires more plotting than I'm used
to. Guess I'll get used to it.

Straighten: Office. Seriously, when you have to pick your way through
the space to get to the computer, it's time to clean and eradicate and
straighten. And speaking of computer...

Replace: Computer. Sadly, my 1998 iMac is no longer up to the
challenge of modern-day requirements. It's been a good one, though. Time to do res
earch. Technology has never been something I see eye-to-eye with, so this will
be particularly challenging.

Launch: New website. It's up, but not quite done -- a few tweaks
needed that my webhost, Bill Hibler, is addressing. The Hub and I have known
Bill and his wife for many years, so I have full confidence that I'll be asking
many stupid questions. It's that tech thing again. Check out
http://www.eilisflynn.com/, and get a glimpse of what's coming in the new year. If nothing else, I
have all those eNotes articles I want to put up there. At last count it was
something like 60.

Happy new year!

Eilis Flynn
http://www.eilisflynn.com/, eilisflynn.livejournal.com, eilisflynn.blogspot.com
ECHOES OF PASSION, coming in 2009

Old and New Year's thoughts

2008-12-29T10:30:00.001-08:00

It's been an exciting 2008 for me. Cerridwen Press has published four of my five Love Beyond Time series books and the fifth one comes out February 5, 2009. What an experience! Their covers are lovely and I'm very appreciative of them. They accepted my young adult novel, "From Dreams To Reality," a book I wrote with my nephew, Doug Penikas. It's a rags to riches story about a 16 year old boy dancer who makes it as a back up dancer for a big pop star. "From Dreams To Reality" will be released March 19, 2009. Doug is a professional dancer and has been in High School Musical 2 and 3.

2008 has been a very difficult year for many people. I'm blessed to have my health, the health of my family and to have had my family come through their tough financial times with grace and humor. I wish everyone a bright and happy 2009! May your dreams of prosperity and health come true and I hope you find a new determination to succeed.

Much love,

Barbara Goodwin

A Christmas frame of mind

2008-12-21T06:05:00.001-08:00

I am in a pre-Christmas frame of mind. The presents are wrapped, I've survived several snowstorms, and I don't have any books releasing soon. Of course, I have 5 books to promo now -- 2 previously released books are now in print, 2 books are finalists in a contest, and I had a new release on Thanksgiving Day.

But the lassitude of the holidays is sinking in. There will be stress, of course. I have to travel on Christmas Eve (hope for no snowstorms) and the day after Christmas, and there's travel during Christmas since I have to stay at a motel, not at my Mom's house (no room at the inn, as it were). Minor stresses, really. If the weather cooperates, all is good. If not, then it's white knuckle time for a few hours.

I think around the holidays everything sort of goes into slow motion. People don't post as often, readers aren't around as much, there's not as much anxiety to get out there and promote. At the office, key people are gone, I can't get answers to my email, and I generally put things on hold for a week or two. It's a nice feeling. I recharge at times like this. I'm writing, of course. I always have a book going. And I do need to get editing on two books that two editors have returned to me. I'm hoping those will be relatively easy. I want all of that off my desk by New Year's Day, so I can return to my WIP with fresh eyes.

Here's hoping you all have safe travels, relaxing holidays, and a chance to settle down with an ebook or two or three to read. I have a few out there you might be interested in (just click on my name on the sidebar). Or there are a bunch of others out there to enjoy. Load up those ebook readers (maybe with one of my books?) and settle down with a hot toddy, put up your feet, and ... happy new year!

Kindles for Christmas

2008-12-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

I bought Kindles for those on my Christmas list. You see readers everywhere, especially at the airport where there can be delays. I never travel without a book, but carrying a ebook reader with several books on it seems to be the way to go.

Best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas. We don't get snow in SoCal but I can see snow on the mountains from my office window. Hope to see lots of new titles in 2009!

Cheers,

Sarah Richmond

Merry Christmas everyone!

2008-12-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a week away and I'm sure you're all in the midst of the holiday rush. For those of you traveling, fly and drive safely. I hope you enjoy your families, eat great food and come home with wonderful memories to treasure.

I have a new book release to announce. "No Hope For Christmas," the fourth in my Love Beyond Time series is now out in ebook format. This is Evie Benjamin's World War II story about being a stewardess on the rare Boeing 307 Stratoliner, an airplane that only flew commerically for one and a half years before it was put in war service. Evie meets James Jeffries III who is undercover for Britain's MI5 and her life is suddenly filled with passion, desire and danger. Read Evie's story and escape to another world. By the way, Evie was named after my mother.

Happy Holidays to all!

Barb Goodwin

Thunder and snow

2008-12-18T07:55:00.000-08:00

That's a combination I haven't run into before, or at least if I have, I don't remember. We had thunder and snow occur a few hours ago. I woke up at 3:30 am -- Fido was persistent in wanting food, and even though I didn't give him any (I mean, isn't 5 am early enough for him to have breakfast?? Really??), went down to check my email when I couldn't get to sleep, and soon enough I heard a sound I assumed was a very large truck going down the street. Nope. Thunder and snow. And it's been snowing since.

If I wasn't on deadline at The DayJob, I wouldn't think twice about not going in. But deadline's next Monday ... I have articles to look over and figure out how to fill a few empty pages ... and I probably should go in later. But once it's light out, and maybe once the snow stops. If the buses come; it's only three miles, but it can be a messy three miles to walk (I've done it in snow and in rain. It can be wet and cold and slippery, as you can imagine).

This is the kind of day to stay at home and read. If you have that option!

Eilis Flynn

ECHOES OF PASSION, coming next year

People are outside playing in the snow

2008-12-14T07:10:00.001-08:00

Weirdoes. *shiver*

They should be inside reading ebooks!

Eilis Flynn

INTRODUCING SONIKA, on sale now

Support Cerridwen Authors

2008-12-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already voted, the deadline is December 31st to cast a vote for the Night Owl Romance Reader's Choice Award.

Cerridwen Press has a respectable showing there, and it would be very good to see our publisher mixing it up with some of the Big NY Name authors.

If you're so inclined, drop over to the site and vote. You can vote one time for one book in each category. This is just the list of Cerridwen authors who are on the ballot -- the choice to vote or not, or who you vote for, is yours.

Best Paranormal Romance

RETURN TO ME by Catherine Berlin
GAME TIME by Mary Ann Chulick
MISSED MATCH by Mary Ann Chulick
BENEATH A CHRISTMAS MOON by Robins, Dupre, McCullough

Best Mystery / Suspense
CHASING SHADOWS by Erin Richards
HIDDEN FIRE by Terry Odell
SILENT WITNESS, Mary Eason

Best Romance
WHAT LIES BETWEEN THEM by Jodi Lynn Copeland

Fantasy/Futuristic/Off World
ACCESS DENIED by Jacqueline Roth

Help us raise the profile of all Cerridwen books! Vote now.

Thanks,
Terry Odell