Stolen Birthright - Margaret Tanner

Please welcome my special guest this week, Margaret Tanner, who writes for Whiskey Creek Press and The Wild Rose Press.

Margaret's latest release in both digital and print is Stolen Birthright, published by Whiskey Creek Press

Margaret Tanner is an award winning multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically correct.

Margaret is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, the Melbourne Romance Writers Group (MRWG) and EPIC.
In 2008 she won Author of the Year at AussieAuthors.com.

She is married and has three grown up sons and a precious little grand daughter.



BLURB:
STOLEN BIRTHRIGHT

Sequel to Savage Utopia

Can an English aristocrat ever hope to marry the daughter of convicts?

Georgina, a wild colonial girl, is brought up by O’Rourke, a rough and ready Irishman who she believes is her uncle. While helping the bushranger Johnny Dawson escape from prison she meets and falls in love with a dashing young English aristocrat, the Honourable Marcus Lindquist.

When Johnny Dawson is ambushed and killed, Marcus finally learns the secret of what has bound the young outlaw to Georgina. Johnny is her brother, not her lover as he had jealously supposed, but even darker secrets from the past overshadow their love.

Meanwhile, twelve thousand miles across the sea, Marcus’ Godfather, is plotting Georgina’s death to keep his dark secrets from ever seeing the light of day.

***

Can you tell us a little about your book?

Stolen Birthright is the sequel to Savage Utopia. It is set in Australia during the 1840’s and tells the story of the impossible love between an English Aristocrat and the daughter of convicts.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

After I finished writing Savage Utopia, a story about two innocent people being transported to Australia as convicts, I wondered how this stigma would affect their children.

My sale story.

Well, after many years of disappointment, near misses etc. I received an email from Whiskey Creek Press, offering me a contract. I was so thrilled I didn’t sleep for a couple of days. About a week after that I received the offer of a contract from a different publisher, who unfortunately went into demise, but luckily I was picked up by The Wild Rose Press. So now I have two publishers, WCP and TWRP and 7 novels published, an 8th coming out in April 2009 and I have signed a contract for a 9th.

Favourite books, movies etc.

My favourite books are any historical romance, preferably with an Australian background.
I love the English detective/sleuth stories. Midsomer Murders, Taggert, also the CSI stories and Cold Case.

What am I working on now?

I am revising an historical romance set in Australia in the 1880’s. It is set against a background of outlaws and dark family secrets. The heroine is a girl with amnesia. It was a semi-finalist in last years Amazon Break Through Novel Award.

How can readers keep with your writing and books?

By checking my website:

Video Blogging

My lovely friend, Catherine Bybee, has recently started doing video blogs. What a cool idea! Last week she chatted about what we like in our heroes (and posted a fabulous ad showing exactly why we love kilts!!! ha ha... watch it and drool!) and today she's talking about heroines, and yours truly is mentioned!! What do you like to see in your heroines, and what do you really hate? Pop over and join in the fun!

Black Dragon's Moon - Anita Philmar

Please welcome my special guest today, Scarlet Rose author Anita Philmar, whose latest book, Black Dragon's Moon, was released by The Wild Rose Press on 9th January 2009!

Bio

I enjoy writing erotica with a little mystery and look forward to writing it for a long time in the future.



Can you tell us a little about your book ?

“Black Dragon’s Moon” is the second book in the series. I wanted to write a series about a group of people with special abilities because of eating dragon meat. Smarter, faster, and more intelligent; they live in a normal world but follow a different set of rules. Passionate about their jobs and the person they chose as their mate, they seek to find a balance in their life which will satisfy all their cravings.

Here is the blurb for the “Black Dragon’s Moon.” - Dee Butterfield, a Dragon Center agent, finally has the job she’s alway longed for. On her first assignment, she is assigned to protect sculptor, Scott VanHorn. His rich dragon blood tempts her to enter into an affair, which could not only jeopardize her career but possibly her life.

Scott determined to find out who killed his best friend, is helping the Dragon Center investigate a corrupt art dealer. Posing as a struggling artist, Scott can’t keep his hands off Dee and pursues her while they try to discover what happened to his friend.



How did the idea for the plot come about?

I enjoy collecting all type of art – originals and reproductions. The plot came from artists who sell their masterpieces by replicating them with sophisticated equipment. (Such as lithographs or sign and number prints) I focused on the questions of what if the artist didn’t agree or if they agreed to have them replicated and then wanted out of the contract.

Excerpt:

Her assignment is to protect him, but he has a mission of his own.

His lips slid along the curve of her earlobe. He nibbled and toyed with her tender flesh. Hope pooled and seeped between her thighs. Thoughts of kissing him flooded her head with erotic ideas.

“Wanting you doesn’t discount the need to find the swindler.” He shifted back and twirled her around to search her face. “Is your level of dragon blood as high as Amanda’s?”

Her hands caressed the strong barrier of his chest. She enjoyed the crisp texture of his hair and the melting heat of his skin. The answer to the question held ramifications she didn’t plan to deal with. Their affair wouldn’t last long enough for her to fall into the hazardous state of pregnancy.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not looking at me as a potential mate. We’re only here to have a little fun.”

His hungry eyes narrowed to small slits. “The terms of engagement?”

She stepped closer. Her silk covered breasts brushed his broad chest. The sexy purr of the fabric whispered between them. “I’ll be honest. I like the idea of making love to you, but I’m not interested in anything more serious.”

“No ties.” His burning gaze skated over her face, and his impatient hands gripped her hips. “Right?”

“Yes. To keep my job as a Dragon Center agent, I can’t get married.”

His gaze landed on her mouth and passion flared. A swipe of his tongue moistened his lips. The hands on her hips lowered to squeeze her backside and crush her into his rock-hard erection. She shivered.

“Just a little fun.” She worked her hands around his neck. “Agreed?”

His lips hovered within a breath of hers. “No.”



I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

You might say I was offered a challenge. I wrote the first book as a test to see if I could write erotica. When my publisher, TWRP put out a call for hot books, I took a chance and sent in my story. No one was more surprise than I was when it sold.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!).

I love the old movies, TV shows such as Chuck or Stargate. Favorite books are romance – no particular favorite. Fantasy squeezes can be viewed on my December blogs on Sexy Lady.

What are you working on now?

I started another series about shapeshifters. I’ve finished the first book “Banished Hero”, but again I plan on write a set of three books for the series.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

Visit my website

Happy Australia Day! & Tagged!

I've been tagged by Debra St John, Viola Estrella and Helen Hardt!

The rules are simple. Link to the person who tagged you; write down six things that make you happy; post the rules; tag six others and let them know you’ve done it; tell the person who tagged you when your entry is up.

Ok here goes.

1. My husband. Yeah yeah, I know. But it's true. I look at him and he's always 18 to me! But that's ok, because I'm still 16. hehehe. I'm delusional and proud of it!!!

2. My kids. Even when they're driving me up the wall and down the other side, they're exactly what I always wanted and luckily ended up with!!!

3. A nice glass of Chardonnay. Or even two glasses. I'm not that fussy.

4. Yummy Lindt chocolate, and on special occasions white Lindt balls. OMG. Scrummy central!!!

5. Seeing a rainbow. I love rainbows. Stuff all the scientific facts, they are pure MAGIC!!!

6. Sunday morning lie-ins. Yeeesssss... say no more!!!

I think almost everyone I know has been tagged on this one!!! But consider yourself tagged if you fancy having a go!

Tempt the Devil - Anna Campbell

Check out that cover!! An interview, and a hot guy to drool over! *Ahem*

Please welcome my special guest this week, the lovely Anna Campbell who is celebrating her third Avon release this month, Tempt the Devil.

Always a voracious reader, Anna Campbell decided when she was a child that she wanted to be a writer. Her first historical romance for Avon was the multi-award winning CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, followed by another Regency noir, UNTOUCHED, which featured on several ‘best of the year’ lists. Both UNTOUCHED and CLAIMING THE COURTESAN finaled in the 2008 RITA Awards and CLAIMING THE COURTESAN was a finalist in the 2008 Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year Award. Her current Avon release is TEMPT THE DEVIL (a Romantic Times Top Pick) which came out in January, 2009. Her work has sold to Germany, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan and Norway. When she’s not writing passionate, intense stories featuring gorgeous Regency heroes and the women who are their destiny, Anna loves to travel and listen to all kinds of music. She has settled near the sea on the east coast of Australia where she’s losing her battle with an overgrown subtropical garden.

Thanks for joining us today, Anna. Can you tell us a little about your book, Tempt the Devil?

Tempt the Devil is another dark, sexy Regency redemption story. It tells the story of Olivia Raines, London’s most notorious courtesan, and the infamous rake, the Earl of Erith. Erith returns to London to make peace with his estranged family and as is his wont, he takes the most prestigious cyprian as his mistress for the duration of his stay. Little does he know that this decision will result in an overwhelming, passionate love that puts everything he wants at risk.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

This story was inspired by the classic film An Affair to Remember. It was my late mother’s favourite film so I watched it a LOT. We only had an old video version I’d taped off TV and I had to zap the ads for Mum. Because I saw it in bits, I started to think about the story beyond the grand romantic sweep which is the most obvious element of the movie. I realised that in many ways these characters could fit perfectly into the Regency. Terry Mackay was a kept woman, in other words a courtesan. Nicky Ferrante was if not a gigolo, certainly a rake. These charming, sophisticated people had set up lives that suited them fine until love came along and knocked them for a six. I liked the way they used wit to keep the world at bay. I liked the way they had very strict personal codes of honour, even if the codes of honour had nothing to do with conventional morality. I liked that they were older and thought they’d lost any chance at a life-changing love. So that was the genesis for Tempt the Devil!

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

Actually I love sale stories too! I loved them before I was published – they made me think there was hope for me too! I finished my first book, a medieval historical romance, in between high school and university so I time my search for publication from then. 27 long years later, just before Easter in 2006, Claiming the Courtesan went to auction and Avon books bought me. Yay! As you can imagine, there were a lot of false starts, false trails and disappointments over that 27 years. One thing that kept me going was I did OK in writing contests so as a result, I would really encourage people to enter competitions. It’s a great way to get validation from someone who isn’t your mother or your cousin or your best friend and you never know, it might lead to something further down the track. I know a lot of people who sold their first book as a result of a writing competition.

What an inspirational story, Anna, and proof we must never give up when the going gets tough! Well, we're all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

How long have you got, Christina? Sadly, I’m a bit of a tart when it comes to favourites! One is never enough! I’ve got a list of favourite movies on my website although it does tend to change every week! I’d say right now my favourite movies are Dirty Dancing, Lawrence of Arabia, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and How to Steal a Million. My favourite TV show would be Spicks and Specks – for those who don’t get Aussie TV, it’s a game show about music and it’s huge fun! I pine the whole time it’s off over the Christmas season. Otherwise I love watching Jeopardy on cable. I seem to be a game show tragic, don’t I? Again, I’ve listed favourite romances on my website but my favourite classic books would be Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, War and Peace and the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. My favourite romances would be the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett (not strictly a romance but wow, what books!), Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson and A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart.

I'm a bit of tart in that way too!! What are you working on now?

I’ve just started another Regency noir set in the 1820s. It’s one of those “oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive” books.

Can't wait! How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

I have a website which I update every month. I pop in every few weeks to add to my author’s page on HarperCollins . I blog with the Romance Bandits and you never know what will happen there.

Touch of the Demon - Release Date!

I have a release date for Touch of the Demon!!! 13th March 2009 which is only seven and a half weeks away! Plus it's a Friday the thirteenth!! Yay!!!

This book is described as Futuristic/Fantasy. I'm stoked! I had no idea!!!

Lady of the Stars - Linda Banche

Please welcome my special guest this week, TWRP author Linda Banche, whose debut novel, Lady of the Stars, was released last week!

Linda is giving away a pdf copy of her book to one lucky person who leaves a comment!

Linda, over to you!

Hi Christina. Thanks for having me.

Can you tell us a little about your book Lady of the Stars?

Lady of the Stars is a Regency time travel novella. Here’s the blurb:

A legend spanning time and the man and woman caught in it.
Caroline knows something is wrong the instant she steps into that unusual gazebo with two doors. But when a man she thought forever gone appears outside, she flings caution aside and plunges through the back door, crashing into the man--and 1817.

A voyage through time? Impossible. Richard refuses to believe the strange woman's outlandish tale. Still, the lady is lost and alone, and he helps the stranded wayfarer.
But as attraction flares between these two lonely people, Richard's family legend grinds to its ultimate fulfillment--will it bring them together, or tear them apart forever?

Culture shock abounds on both sides, and provides some of the humor in the story. Someone who read my blurb asked if Caroline already knows Richard. Does she? How could she? And what’s this legend? I can’t tell more without giving the entire story away, but I have an excerpt on my website.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

In 2007, The Wild Rose Press ran a time travel contest called Through the Garden Gate. The heroine walks through a garden gate into the past. Frankly, I never considered writing a time travel, but they promised a free critique from A Real Editor. So I wrote Lady of the Stars.

I'm not quite sure how the rest of the story came about. I've always liked astronomy and I found a picture of an antique telescope, like the one pictured on the cover. Although astronomy figures in the book, the title Lady of the Stars does not refer to astronomy.

One thing I do like is a funny story. Although the overall tone is serious, Lady of the Stars does contain comedy, such as when Caroline and Richard first meet—she literally runs into him. Then there’s the condom joke. But I’m not going to tell you what it is!

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

I lost the contest. In hindsight, of course I lost. I didn’t even know what POV was. But the editor said she would consider publishing the story if I made some changes. By then I had found out what POV was, and I fixed those errors, rewrote the whole story, and resubmitted. I resubmitted twice. And the second time, they accepted it. My first contract!

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

I don’t know if I really have any. Besides the fact that I like blond heroes, maybe because my husband's hair is light, I can't think of what I use for inspiration. My stories come out of my warped imagination. I’ve read tons of Regencies, and I’ve come across some of the same themes so often, I wanted something different. I take these hackneyed Regency standbys and twist them slightly. For example, one of the standard Regency characters is the rich, handsome, powerful nobleman hero. Not that I will never write such a hero, but Richard, the hero in Lady of the Stars, is a poor teacher. Of course he’s handsome—all romance is part fantasy. And he will be rewarded, besides getting the heroine, which is reward in itself.

What are you working on now?

I have a Regency Halloween comedy, Pumpkinnapper, also under contract at The Wild Rose Press. While Lady of the Stars has its humorous moments, Pumpkinnapper is funny from the start, what with that title, then the incidents in the story. Here’s the one line blurb:

Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled and a jealous goose. Oh my.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

Like everyone else on the planet, I have a website, two blogs, myspace, facebook and goodreads. On my website I have excerpts of both my books.

Also, I’m part of the Wild Rose Press Winter Sony eReader Giveaway contest. Anyone who buys a copy of Lady of the Stars from The Wild Rose Press website from January 11 through March 17, 2009 has a chance to win a Sony eReader.

I'll give away a PDF copy of Lady of the Stars to one of the people who comment on this post.

Here are my links.

Email: linda@lindabanche.com
http://www.lindabanche.com/
http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/
http://happilyeverafterauthors2.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche
http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Banche/1059787652
http://www.goodreads.com/profile/lindabanche

Please send me a friend request!

Thank you all,
Linda

Demon ... Coming Soon

Thank you, Catherine, for letting me know Touch of a Demon is up on the Coming Soon page at The Wild Rose Press! It gives me a real thrill to see my title there!

Then this morning I received my Demon galleys, so I spent today going through them and have just returned them to my editor. Hopefully this means it won't be too long before I get a release date!

Don't forget to pop by tomorrow when I'll be interviewing TWRP author Linda Banche, who will be giving away a pdf copy of her time travel romance, Lady of the Stars, to one lucky person who leaves a comment!

A Feast for the Eyes

I have been dying to post this photo on my blog. Can anyone blame me?! Look at those gorgeous eyes! And that face. OMG. Fallen angel, anyone?

Now, I have a confession. I first stumbled across the divine Henri Castelli over at Cari's blog just before Christmas. I was so smitten, I had to keep sneaking back just to drool over the pics she'd posted. Then Viola also posted a few of him, and the other day so did Helen. I pinched this photo from Helen's blog, because... well, do I really need to explain?!

What do you think? Inspirational? The things I do in the name of research...

And the Winner of...

the download of Passion in Paradise is...

Sami Lee from my blog!

and

Monique Wood from Sandie Hudson's blog!!

Congratulations ladies! Please contact Suz by clicking on her little butterfly!

Passion in Paradise - Suzanne Brandyn

Please welcome my special guest this week, Suzanne Brandyn, whose debut book, Passion in Paradise, was released on Wednesday from The Wild Rose Press!

Suzanne Brandyn lives on the Mid-North Coast of NSW, Australia, where she enjoys the ocean and the country. It is here amidst the peace and quiet she dreams her stories and moulds her characters toward that Happily Ever After. In the warmer months of the year you will find her walking along the beach or sitting under the shade of a palm tree jotting down notes for her next story. Suzanne would like her readers to know that the Happy Ever After is not only reserved for children’s fairytales but also has a place in the life of an adult.

Suz, thanks for joining me today, and congratulations on Passion in Paradise already hitting the #1 spot on the novellas best selling list at TWRP!

Everyone who leaves a comment for Suz here will be entered into a draw to win a copy of Passion in Paradise!

Can you tell us a little about your debut book, ‘Passion in Paradise?’

‘Passion In Paradise’ was a manuscript I undertook in a National Novelist Writing Month. It was also listed as a finalist in the first round of the Emerald Competition with the Romance Writers of Australia. I withdrew it from the second round as it got accepted for publication.

Passion In Paradise is set at a luxurious resort on the Whitsunday Coast, the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea and Sydney.

Wow, certainly sounds like a taste of Paradise! How did the idea for the plot come about?

I wanted to have two people stranded on an island as I love the tropics and islands. It eventuated from there. I did a great deal of diving off the Whitsunday coast many years ago, and fell in love with the area.

It had to have an aircraft in the story. Re-my husband is a private pilot. The heroine takes a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef not knowing the pilot, the love of her life, will be flying. They drift off course, a fire erupts in the cockpit and the hero makes an emergency landing over the Pacific Ocean, but he hits his head and is unconscious. The heroine rescues him by getting them both safely to a deserted island.

I love it when the heroine rescues the hero!! As you know, I also love sale stories! So can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?


Well my email story. It said they loved my story, the plot flows nicely and my characters are vivid and appealing, and the emotion is well drawn. Then it read they would like to contract it.
You can imagine the state I was in. I re-read that email repeatedly. The next day I continued to read it and I lost count. I was numbish, with a big grin on my face. I think it took a few days for it to sink in. It’s such a buzz to get an email like that in your inbox. It was in the hands of one editor and she liked it, but ended up in the hands of another. Oh boy, my thoughts were, “What if she doesn’t like it?” Just because one editor liked my story didn’t mean another would. Luckily she did.

I so empathise with the big grin!! We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

My favourite books well, I don’t really have any favourites. I have an assortment. Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, Melissa James, Claire Baxter, Liz Fielding, Marion Thomas, Bronwyn Jamieson, the list is endless. I read a diversity of novels but Norah Roberts stories draw my attention.

Fantasy squeeze - Hugh Jackman. His looks, his smile and personality shines through his character roles.

Oh yeah, have to agree. What's not to love with our Hugh!! Can you tell us what you're working on now?

I have recently completed two category manuscripts. The first one is set in outback Australia, the second in Sydney.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

By taking a peek at my blog, website or visit The Wild Rose Press website.

Thank you Christina for having me. It’s been very enjoyable. I would also like to thank any visitors that pop by and leave a comment. Don’t forget you go into a draw a few weeks after this interview to win a Pdf copy of ‘Passion In Paradise'.

Party Time! YAY!!!!

I'm very excited because today my very good mate, Suzanne Brandyn, has the release of her debut novel, Passion in Paradise, from the Champagne Line of The Wild Rose Press!

Suz is going to be partying like it's 1999 over the next couple of days so do please pop over to her blog to say hi! I'm going away for a couple of days so am going to miss all the excitment BUT Suz will be over here on Saturday when I'll be pinning her to the seat and firing my in-depth interview questions at her!

And everyone who stops by and leaves a comment on the interview post on Saturday will be entered into a draw to win a copy of Passion in Paradise!

Congratulations, Suz! Can't wait to read your book!

MySpace Glitters

Touch of the Demon - Cover Art

OMG!!! What a fantastic New Year's pressie. The cover art for my upcoming Scarlet Rosette was waiting for me in my inbox this morning. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? My wonderful cover artist, Angela Anderson, even included the magical stiletto (which I had entirely forgotten to mention in the art sheets!) I also love the way she's reflected and transposed the cover of Foretaste of Forever.

I'd love to know what you think!

And here's the excerpt:

“I’ll beg you for nothing.” It was a lie. If Celeste thought begging could get her anywhere, then she would already be on her knees before him. She kept that knowledge locked deep in her heart.

Rafe took a step toward her and her heart hammered in her breast. He was taller than any human she had known over the years. But then, he wasn’t human. Beneath the long leather coat he wore against the night’s chill air, his broad shoulders all but blotted out the rest of the world.

She sucked in a suddenly panicked breath, and his evocative scent of other worldly essences, meshed with hot, heavy male enveloped her. Against every principle she stood for, her nipples strained against the fabric of her bodice, peaking with desire and disgust and pure, animal heat.

A mocking smile twisted his full sensual lips. “I could make you beg, human.” His finger traced the outline of her face and she shuddered, hating the way she reacted and yet unable to help herself. “I might even listen to your pleas.” His smoky whisper shimmered along her senses, searing with words unsaid.