Book Trailer of The Familial Witch

Guest Post By UK Author Rachele Brimble

 

I am so happy to be here as part of the Romantic Suspense blog tour I am taking part in along with Bri and fifteen other authors. It gives me a chance to talk about the one sub-genre of romance I write that, to be honest, I haven’t ventured into for over two years now.

I intend to remedy that in 2011!

Romantic suspense is my favorite genre to read and so the first book I wrote was also romantic suspense. After all, the one of the best piece of writing advice to new and aspiring authors is ‘write what you love to read’. This worked for me and in 2007, my debut novel, ‘Searching For Sophie’ was contracted by The Wild Rose Press, followed by my second romantic suspense novel in 2008, Reluctant Witness.

I love both of these books (and will be giving away a free pdf of either one to a random commenter) yet haven’t felt the spark of another romantic suspense story until recently. So what have I been doing in between? Writing other sub-genres of romance, of course!

After Reluctant Witness, I wrote a romantic comedy, followed by an historical and since then two straight contemporary romances. All of which have sold, yay! But as I started writing novel number seven (my second historical), the germ of an idea for a new romantic suspense formulated in my mind.

I scribbled it down in very sketchy detail but basically, it was the hero’s voice asking for help that I heard first. He was talking to the heroine and asking her to provide him with a false alibi. Hmm, not exactly heroic behavior, is it? But then I wondered why he was asking such a thing? What has happened to him? Why doesn’t he plead innocence? Why does he feel the need to ask the heroine to lie for him?

All great questions that have led to my basic story idea of a man falsely accused of murder and the woman who helps him catch the real killer before he is due to appear before judge and jury. I am not sure if will work out like that, but it’s a start and I’m excited to be re-visiting the sub-genre of romantic suspense after such a long absence, (even if all my books seem to have some kind of villainous character in them!).

So look out for a new romantic suspense title some time soon, but in the meantime here is the blurb for my latest contemporary romance, published by Lyrical Press. Enjoy!

Getting It Right This Time

 She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.

Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work.  But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter?  Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?

Rachel’s Buy Links:

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=427

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=1011

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

Rachel’s Personal Links

www.rachelbrimble.com

www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble

 

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  Having always believed there’s someone for everyone, Rachel started writing her own tales of love once her children were at school.  Since then, she’s had several books published with The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press and Lyrical Press.  She aspires to secure an agent in the near future.  A member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, Rachel cannot imagine her life without romance or writing!

When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family.  And in the evening?  Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…


Thank you kindly Rachel for visiting and sharing your thoughts and experiences in the romance genre and sub genre's. Also thank you for offering up the chance to win a free PDF book. So just leave a comment below dear readers and you could be the winner. I'm so glad to have met you Rachele and delight in your continued success.

Bri 

How Can An Old Jewish Tale Give Guidance In Todays Publishing World? Don't Worry I'll Tell Ya...

We as writers are essentially in a brother and sister hood of sorts. We all want the same goal publication success. However, on that journey we can handle ourselves two ways...we can be selfish and  self serving or we can have empathy and charity. We can impart our praise, patience, knowledge and time.

 An old Jewish legend tells of two brothers, Abram and Zimri, who owned a field and worked it together. They agreed to divide both the labor and the harvest equally. One night as the harvest came to a close, Zimri could not sleep, for it didn’t seem right that Abram, who had a wife and seven sons to feed, should receive only half of the harvest, while he, with only himself to support, had so much.

So Zimri dressed and quietly went into the field, where he took a third of his harvest and put it in his brother’s pile. He then returned to his bed, satisfied that he had done the right thing.

Meanwhile, Abram could not sleep either. He thought of his poor brother, Zimri, who was all alone and had no sons to help him with the work. It did not seem right that Zimri, who worked so hard by himself, should get only half of the harvest. Surely this was not pleasing to God. And so Abram quietly went to the fields, where he took a third of his harvest and placed it in the pile of his beloved brother.

The next morning, the brothers went to the field and were both astonished that the piles still looked to be the same size. That night both brothers slipped out of their houses to repeat their efforts of the previous night. But this time they discovered each other, and when they did, they wept and embraced. Neither could speak, for their hearts were overcome with love and gratitude. ⁸

This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves, ⁹ seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us. ¹⁰

^{Let us learn from the example of Zimri and Abram. As we gain success let us impart of our substance of time and experience to those authors that seek after it. I'm not saying that we should ignore deadlines and answer every scrap of email that comes through. Use your common sense and simply be willing. I have to say I would rather have just enough success and a network of friends and colleagues than a NYT bestseller and no one to share the joy with.}

Did You Know That Erotica Has It's Own Morals? My Interview With Sarah Ballance

Saulti Dear Reader today we will hear the fairy tale like story of Sarah Ballance and her road to publication. And during this interview I have learned so much about romantic suspense as a genre as well as sub genre's within it. On with the interview....

Sarah lives a charmed life as the mother of six incredible homeschooled children, all of whom are completely adorable when they're asleep. Her husband of many years (long, long years, he calls them) is the kind of guy who could teach those heroes from the books a thing or two about romance, not that he'd readily admit it. Completely supportive of her new found passion for writing, he's generously offered to help with any necessary research for "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.

Sarah wrote her first novel because she told someone she couldn't.  It was accept by the first publisher she queried, and the rest, as they say, is history.  While the idea of writing novels initially intimidated her, it has morphed into a favorite pastime since her characters, unlike her kids, actually listen to her. Most of the time.

1.       Have you ever googled yourself? If so what did you see?

Not until a couple of months after my first book release.  What I found was about three pages of ME.  I was shocked.  Fortunately, there wasn't a horrifying entry in the bunch.  I mostly found news of my release and blog entries or interviews, and also discovered my book for sale at several third party vendors which was a nice surprise.

2.       Do you have a mentor/s? If so who and what have you gained from their relationship?

My crit partner wins this prize.  She read the first draft of the first chapter of my first novel and she's still speaking to me, if you can believe it.  ;c)  She's my hero, though.  I shudder to think what a crit group would have done to my "had" and "that" riddled manuscript, but she offered gentle guidance in those early days which, in turn, gave me the confidence to grow and improve (a LOT) as an author.  There's no way I'd be here, two releases down, without her.

3.       Have you considered self publishing? If so elaborate on whatever your decision was.

No, I haven't.  My first manuscript was accepted by the first and only publisher I queried, so it's hard to say what might have changed had I faced a rejection or ten.  But would I move forward without professional editing?  Absolutely not.

4.       Do you follow writing blogs? If so which ones and why?

I try.  Oh, how I try.  LOL.  There just aren't enough hours in the day, and I exist in a perpetual state of "frazzled."  So rather than frequent any one spot, I tend to make the rounds when I see a tweet or a message board entry with the news of a new blog or interview posted. 

5.       How/where do you gather inspiration?

I love music when I write.  My hubby is a total romantic (don't tell him I said that) and he keeps me inspired on a greater scale.  We've been together 15 years, but he still turns my insides to mush, which is handy when you're writing about those fluttery first moments of attraction and heart-pounding lust.

6.       How do you gather information/research for a book? What’s the most significant experience you had with research?

My first two novels, DOWN IN FLAMES and RUN TO YOU, did not require research.  The one I'm working on now required quite a bit and, in fact, I recently told the tale in a guest blog I dubbed The Riot of Research.  I spent hours asking my hubby about a gun, only to realize I really need to know about ammo.  It took a solid day just to gather enough info for a short two-page prologue, and now if I so much as mention "having a question" to him, that little vein on his head starts to throb.  It was hilarious.  (We won't ask him what he'd call it, LOL).

7.       What’s the best/worst writing advice you have ever received?

The best?  Be yourself.  You don't have to write 3,000 words a day – or even 300 – to be a "real" author.  No need to wait for the end - you can edit as you go along if you'd like.  You don't have to fit a mold and neither do your characters.  The worst?  Anyone insisting otherwise.

8.       What’s the best/worst marketing advice? Best advice, hands down, was "one reader at a time."  That said, the worst is a nonstop barrage of "buy my book" tweets and FB status updates.  As a reader, I tend to avoid the latter.  But as for an author who takes the time to connect with me?  Forget buying one book – I'll buy them all.

9.       What’s the best/worst publishing advice?

Do your research!  Period.  I didn't know enough to research before I had my first contract, but I couldn't have chosen a better publisher.  Noble ROCKS.

10.   What defines a great romance novel?

There's an X-factor. It needs to be well-written, obviously, but readers need to be able to connect to the characters in a way that touches them.  Any story that has readers emotionally invested in a believable, heart-wrenching, breathtaking plot scores big in my book.

11.   Do you feel that a romance has to have sex in order for it to be great?

Absolutely not!  In fact, the tension without sex can be incredibly erotic in itself. 

Thank you so much for having me here today.  It's been a pleasure having the opportunity to chat with you!  I'm going to hang out to answer any questions your readers may have, so, dear readers, feel free to bring 'em on. Anything goes – nothing's too crazy or too personal!  ;c)

Fabulous honest answers Sarah. Grazi...Grazi...And in order to get her to quit stalking my page people please ask some questions. (Kidding Sarah) Now lets learn about genre's and sub genres.


Those that know my work know that I write what is considered "clean fiction" in the romantic genre's. However, I do believe in the art of sexual tension. I have my own personal moral code of what is too far, words that are taboo and what's ethical--as I'm sure all authors do. I'm pleased to see  that publishers have that as well and it ranges from the strictest clean fiction publisher to the most erotic publisher. Here's two examples that I saw within the erotica genre. The first being that any writing of an erotic nature with in the books be from consenting characters 18 years of age or older no matter the genre or time period. Second they have what's called levels of heat or flame. Most have a scale from 1-5. 1 meaning less description. 5 meaning....well you get it.

Now lets talk about sensual romance. When I asked Sarah this her answer was , in reference to her book Run to You. " There's sex, but little to no mention of body parts - not graphic." Kathryn Anne Dubois defined three subgenres of romance in her article on Defining the Market as....

Erotica – explicit sex without emotion and commitment.
Erotic Romance – explicit sex with emotion and commitment.
 Sensual Romance – lot of unexplicit sex with emotion and commitment.

Now while I won't be writing novels with heat ratings...I have respect for those women that do and their craft. Just like I know those women I've befriended that write in the genre don't call me a prude. (at least not on my wall.) LOL. Now time for Sarah's latest novel Run to You

HEAT LEVEL:  SENSUAL ROMANCE (Run to You)
GENRES:  romantic suspense, romance - I love a good romantic suspense.  It's my favorite genre to read, and being able to write them is a dream come true.

BLURB (Run to You, romantic suspense)

Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.  
BUY LINK: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214

Wow that's sounds like romantic suspense with a dash of adventure!! If you'd like to learn more about Sarah or her books please click on the links below. Thank you kindly Sarah for visiting. Keep up the good work...don't be a stranger now either.

Website:  http://sarahballance.com/
Blog:  http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#%21/SarahBallance

Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499

Facebook Friend Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499#%21/profile.php?id=100001580043965

Week One of 17 weeks of Fantastic Romantic Suspense...Author Leanne Dyck

Welcome Dear Readers to the first interview  in a 17 week series where we will visit and talk with different Romantic Suspense authors. Something that I have learned in my journey through in the romance genre is that you really can't judge a book by it's cover. (But you can get a pretty good idea!)

Just because there is a half naked man or woman on the cover does not mean that it is necessarily erotica, or what would be rated R if it was a movie....

Take The Sweater Curse by Leanne Dyck (published by Decadence Publishing on January 10, 2011) for example. It's more of a thriller than a romance. The premise is new and intriguing and I'm very excited to have it on TBR pile.

Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey through her past and right a wrong.

But which wrong?

Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:  if she remains, others are destined to die.

How will she solve the mystery before it is too late?

Preface...

This isn't Heaven. It isn't Hell. And I'm not alive.

Picture this:  a bus stop, tons of people packed into the same small space all waiting to continue their journey. Many buses stop here. Some passengers get off, others get on. Young children with sickly white complexions huddle together in the shelter. Teenagers with rope burns around their necks get off the bus. Old men with bullet holes climb on.

Throughout this confusion, the only constant is me. I remain alone.

Why?

I don't know, but I must find the reason. I must examine my life to discover the momentary lapse. The wrong I've committed. The task I've neglected. It's my only means of escape.

Now to meet the talented Leanne Dyck.....

Author Bio:  Leanne Dyck began her knitwear design career in August 2002. Her patterns have sold in North America and internationally. Shortly after The Sweater Curse is published, Leanne plans to close this business to write full-time.

She earned her first writer's paycheck for an article published in a knitting magazine and is a member of the Mayne Island Writers Group, the Victoria Writer Society, and Crime Writers of Canada.

 

      

 1.  Have you ever googled yourself? If so what did you see?

Yes, I’ve googled ‘Leanne Dyck’. The first entry on page was “Author Leanne Dyck knows her craft, her audience, and her setting” (wow that's awesome)

2.      Have you considered self publishing? If so elaborate on whatever your decision was.

Yes, I have self published an audiobook short story collection and a mystery.

I’ve written an article about my experience. If you like, in a future blog visit, I could share the article with you and your readers.( well ain't she slick...of course we want you to come back girl)

3.      Do you follow writing blogs? If so which ones and why?

Following writing blogs is an affordable means of learning the craft. Some of the blogs I faithfully follow are:  Story Fix, Story Flip, The Creative Penn and Writers Unboxed.

4.      How/where do you gather inspiration?

I’m inspired by things I’ve heard, books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, songs I’ve enjoyed, dreams I’ve had and on and on…

5.      How do you gather information/research for a book? What’s the most significant experience you had with research? 

I gather information by reading books, talking with people and by using search engines.

6.      What’s the best/worst writing advice you have ever received?

A gem I gathered from a writing magazine was a writer’s job is to write and submit.

7.      What’s the best/worst marketing advice?

Once upon a time, I had a craft supply store. One fateful day in walked a tourist. He spent hours examining all the merchandise, finally he found me hiding in a corner—knitting. “Your store is so well stocked. You should be very proud. If it were mine, everyone within in a 50 mile radius would know I was here and what I had to offer.”

Now, as a writer, I try to follow his advice. (I'd call this a gem too.)

8.      Is there anything you want to share or wished that were asked that hasn’t been?

I’d like to thank my readers for their kind support. (Talented, beautiful, intelligent and well mannered, we will definitely be inviting Mrs. Dyck back.)

For more information on The Sweater Curse click the highlighted link. To purchase The Sweater Curse click here.

Grazi, Grazi, Grazi!!! to Leanne for spending time with us today and I hope to have her back again soon to talk more.

Bri

Caffe' Seduzione

 

 Caffe' Seduzione will be available for purchase by the end of January.