We have a guest! Make room for her in front of the fireplace!

Hello! My name is Melissa Snark,

Welcome Melissa. Grab a cup of hot tea or coffee and tell us about yourself.

 I'm a fantasy and romance author. If I could have a moment of your time, I'd like to ask for your help as a reader. Please consider nominating my Norse folklore fantasy novel Battle Cry on Kindle Scout.

Amazon's new publishing program is called Kindle Scout, an innovative platform that provides readers with a sneak peek at unreleased books as well as the opportunity to have a say in what gets chosen. The timing of Scout was amazing. The announcement came just as I neared completion of my novel. The terms being offered are attractive. As a publisher, Amazon has as much clout as one of the traditional publishers. This simply seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass on, so I submitted Battle Cry for consideration.

Per the FAQ: How does Kindle Scout benefit readers?
Kindle Scout readers get to preview new, never-before-published books and influence which ones are made available to millions of readers on Amazon. In addition, any time a reader's nomination gets published, they will receive a free copy.

I appreciate your support!  To nominate Battle Cry, you only need to be logged into your Amazon account. You can head over to the Kindle Scout website and view Battle Cry's profile page. If you like what you see, please consider voting for Battle Cry.  Thank you so much!

Nominate BATTLE CRY to Kindle Scout

BATTLE CRY

Book #2 in the Loki's Wolves series

Melissa Snark

Genre: Norse folklore fantasy

Number of pages: 375 approx.

Word Count: 95,000

Cover Artist: Farah Evers

Goodreads Want to Read

Tags: #Fantasy #Amreading #Kindle @MelissaSnark

Promo Tweet: One man dares defy Fate. Please nominate BATTLE CRY on #KindleScout. #Fantasy #Norse #amreading @MelissaSnark

Logline: One man dares defy Fate.

Survival demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.

Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake seeks the truth at any cost.

After losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren't going to make that easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the Hunter King's second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague Victoria.

When the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her unborn child, she's not so sure they are wrong.

Sawyer Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn't know whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he's willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't reveal without risking the ceasefire and his life.

At Sawyer's urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn't end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria's pack... or for their world.

Attribution: Norns weaving destiny, by Arthur Rackham (1912).  Public domain.

Short excerpt (PG):

Shade enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and oppressive, closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not grow to adulthood in Midgard."

Victoria's heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands and flew to protect her abdomen. "What do you mean?"

"Your daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday," Skuld said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack, will give the child over to your greatest enemy."

A growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution, refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent this?"

"We speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a sympathetic tone.

"Your predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their prophecy.

The old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes. "Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved into the spiritual fabric of the world."

Stubborn determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods.

Whatever it took.

"Do you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked.

Victoria answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me. Please."

"The final days are upon us," Verðandi said.

Skuld took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing the beast that kills Odin."

Victoria's stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and doom us all."

Skuld's gaze held steady. "You will."

Victoria snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death."

Skuld turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in its socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you will."

Fast Facts About Melissa Snark:

·      Melissa Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author with five unique titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.

·      Her Loki's Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and BATTLE CRY.

·      She lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.

·      She is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs about books and writing on The Snarkology.

Connect with Melissa Snark:

Author Website

The Snarkology

Email: melissasnark@gmail.com

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @MelissaSnark

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

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Battle Cry Kindle Scout Giveaway

1.      Nordic Lights Jewels of the Moon Pendant Amulet Talisman for Psychic Ability by Maelstrom Odssonn 

2.      (3) Signed Paperbacks of HUNGER MOON

3.      (2) $10 Gift Cards to Amazon

Rafflecopter HTML:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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“A Brilliant Historical Romance!” ~Wanda at Romance Writers Reviews

Excerpt from Chapter Three:   
October 1789, the King’s Arms, Dover,  England

With a petition to the Blessed Virgin that Captain Evans might find her très adorable, Cecile Beaumont lifted her burgundy-striped skirts and swished down the narrow steps from her second floor bedchamber to the scrubbed flagstone entry.

Fortune smiled on her and determined seamen had salvaged her trunk before The White Rose sank and bore all her worldly possessions to the bottom of the sea. That the forceful captain persuaded them to surrender her goods, she did not doubt. They’d plundered some of the cargo.

Uproar followed, soldiers arrived, and shots were fired—a minor distraction to Cecile after the upheaval in France.

Her all-consuming focus centered on her doubtful ability to masquerade as Mademoiselle Devereux. What other choice had she? She must remain in England!

Robust voices assailed her from the thronggathered in the main room of the King’s Arms. She paused outside the arched doorway framed with darkened oak, then stepped uncertainly inside. The massive hearth, flickering white tapers, and oil lamps shed light on the guests, mostly men, quaffing ale and recounting the adventure of the day in lively animation. One man even stood on his hands— comical if Cecile hadn’t been so taken aback. And hardly a female was to be seen. Those women she spotted were serving wenches or more common folk. Surely it was improper for a young lady, whom Cecile made every effort to emulate, to progress unescorted among the boisterous assembly?
Her rescuer had invited her to meet him here whenever she was ready. Or was he her guardian, host?

Whatever he was, her chest pounded like the surf when she spied Captain Evans seated alone at a corner table. His bearing instantly set him apart from the others. His companion, Sir Thomas Archer, must still suffer from his malady, poor man. The captain stared into the hearth as though oblivious of the surrounding commotion. His blond head shone in the mellow glow. He’d changed into a reddish-browncoat, fresh linen—not in the least frilled—fitted leather breeches, and boots buffed to a high gloss. His attire emphasized his rugged masculinity while declaring him a gentleman of the first order. And so he was, his late father a lord, she’d been told.

Should she hurry to his side, or remain as shewas? Calling out to a gentleman in public was unthinkable except under the most grievous circumstances. Hovering inside the doorway while male eyes roved over her didn’t qualify as dire, but she squirmed under their open appraisal. One bold man winked at her. Another made a gesture obscene in any language.

Cecile shrank back. Maybe she should hasten to her room and await a knock on the door. Her empty stomach protested and her heart drummed in expectation of meeting with the captain.

As if sensing her predicament, he glanced around. His blue gaze locked on her and the rowdy assembly faded into the background. A giddy swell surged through her middle, more potent than when she’d met the finest of French aristocracy, and stronger than any emotion she’d ever known—except fear. A goodly measure of that mixed in with the current coursing through her.
If violent emotion seized the captain upon sighting her, he gave no indication. Acknowledging her arrival with a nod, he got to his feet and strode to where she waited. The hint of a smile, reflected in his eyes, provoked a rush of hope in Cecile.~

Historical romance Into the Lion’s Heart is reduced at The Wild Rose Press and available in various formats (even ePub) to suit any e-reader or electronic device. So if you haven’t popped into the Wild Rose Press lately, or ever, give it a try.  But it's also available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.

     I subscribe to a Zen of the Day quote loop. Today’s quote is We cannot see our reflection...

     My first thoughts were what the heck does that mean? Every time I look in the mirror or see my reflection in the still waters of a pond, I see my smiling face. I had to search deeper to discover how that quote was relevant to my life.

     It’s three weeks into January and for some of us the resolutions and goals we set for ourselves have become just desires we don’t act upon. I made a resolution in 2010 to put my butt in my office chair and write six days a week. Did I succeed?

     No. Well, why not?

     Because I didn’t see my reflection in my goals. In other words I didn’t understand why I wanted to achieve them. Thoughts of becoming rich and famous didn’t motivate me. Neither did the idea that storytelling is in my blood so I must write every day or I won’t find any peace.

     I had to dig deeper.

     I asked myself, “What did I want from life?” And even deeper, “What will enhance the quality of my life?” My answers surprised me. None of them were self-centered. I realized I have to help others to find peace and achieve their dreams, because when the people (and that includes you) I love are content, I’m happy.

    My life started out on a rocky path, and I’ve had some challenges along the way. But God blessed me with a gift for writing stories. And that gift is my reflection. So how do I show it to others?

     First, I have to slow down and live in the present moment. I only have control over the decision I make this second.

     Second, I have to surrender that decision to the universe. This means I no longer worry about past rejections or future sales. I keep my attention on helping others.

     And third, trust that when the time is right, my work will be rewarded, my dreams fulfilled.

     This year I’m working on my romantic suspense series which I hope will entertain. I’m also writing a memoir to celebrate how the struggles in my life aren’t really a hardship but my pathway to becoming the best person I can become.

     Before I close, I want to remind you to honor your successes. I did achieve some goals in 2010. I sold an erotic paranormal story After Glow to Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewilderroses.com) and continued to enjoy a wonderful fellowship with my family and friends.

     Now it’s your turn. How do you plan to see your reflection?

The Pink Fuzzy Slipper

Writers are delighted to

welcome editor,
Kathryn Cottrell of

The Wild Rose Press's

Last Rose of Summer Line.

This is so exciting! Ms Cottrell is here to tell us about her latest project,

be sure to read all the way to the bottom, you'll be glad you did.

Welcome Kathyrn, we are so please to have you join us to kick off
our blog adventure with the Class of '85!

Did you ever wonder what happened to . . .

The Prom Queen?
The guy most likely to serve time in a maximum security cell?
The couple voted most likely to succeed?

The Last Rose of Summer invites you to a reunion of The Class of '85

In March, 2010, an invitation to the 25th reunion of the Class of 1985 of Summerville High School went out to published authors at the Wild Rose Press, asking if they might be interested in rewriting a bit of history . . . or exacting a bit of revenge. Initial interest was so huge, we issued a general call for submissions—from there, RSVP's took off.

The setting, already created by a few Wild Rose Press editors, was based on an historic neighborhood in Rochester New York which features brick and stone mansions and quaint parks. We picked it up [figuratively] and dropped it on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario. With a few bare essentials of a church, school system, hospital, minor league sports teams, and a college, the rest was left to the authors to invent.

By the end of May, we had contracted eight stories. To date [early September] fifteen stories have been contracted. An email loop set up for the sole use of Class of '85 authors has proved to be a wealth of support and information. Photographs of real “Summerville” mansions and existing beach scenes, including the Coast Guard Station and Summerville Pier and Lighthouse, were shared. Authors came together to identify secondary characters who will eventually star in their own story. This includes the former schoolyard bully now Chief of Police who, because of an irresistible nickname, has become a legend in his own mind—thanks to several vivid [and vicious] imaginations!

Thanks to multi-talented Nicola Martinez, who has provided us with incredible cover art, the reunion class boasts one [retired] rock star, two network news anchors, one dual Pulitzer Prize winner, one movie action hero, a high fashion photographer, a modeling agent, one crusading attorney, a former cosmetics giant turned doggy treat mogul, and a couple geeks turned computer magnates. And that's only a few of the published [or soon to be] stories.

“Getting It Right”, the first of the alums, arrived at the reunion on August 11th and featured a network news anchor who returns to Summerville to make amends. This time he gets it right, believe me.

“The Serious Moonlight”, with seriously gorgeous cover art and a beauty and the beast theme, was released on August 18th.

“Lonely Road Back to You” tells the story of a burned out rock star and a children's book author who travel from a Montana cattle ranch to Western New York State for the reunion. Along the way, they find love and learn acceptance. This one made me weep at the end. As I told the author when I offered the contract, 'I don't do crying, dear.'

I'm showing my age when I brag that the cover art for “Corvette Confessions”, due out September 8th, is too cute for words—is right out of Happy Days or My Three Sons. It's a darling story that takes place inside a classic Corvette in the school's auto shop.

Three other beauties are scheduled for release through the month of September: “Fairy Tales Do Come True” [9/15/10]; “Bonded For Life” [9/22/10]; and “Transatlantic Loving” [9/29/10].

On behalf of the authors from the Class of '85, as well the editors and staff at the Wild Rose Press, we thank you for inviting us to Fuzzy Pink Slippers, and hope you'll stop by the bookstore [www.wildrosepress.com] to check out some or all of our classmates.

Summerville High Forever!

BTW, submissions are always welcome at: queryus@thewildrosepress.com. Please include CLASS OF '85 in the subject line.

With each passing year I’m getting closer to my fifties. I see both positives and negatives in that. For one thing, I’m much smarter now and more accepting of myself. I’m definitely not so concerned about what the world thinks of me anymore.


Now fifty isn't old, but as the years roll by I’m getting a little anxious. I haven’t achieved all my dreams yet. There are a lot more books I want to write and things I want to see, do, and experience. And while I’m fairly healthy, I’m not as flexible or as mentally sharp as I was ten years ago. Where did I put those darn keys?

So how do I slip gracefully into my fifties?

I know. I’ll turn the exciting momentum of an Aha Moment I had a few days ago into a workable plan. The moment, use my fifties as a springboard to the best years of my life.

To accomplish this, I bought myself a bracelet. I call it my Commitment Bracelet. It helps me to stay focused. It’s made of rubber so I never take it off. I’m a visual learner and respond better to what I can see or touch, so every time I notice the bracelet I take time to...

 Stop and be grateful for what I have. I’m very blessed but tend to forget that fact in the midst of daily troubles.

 Be kind to myself. Eat healthy, get more sleep and exercise. Put myself first. Love me.

 Work toward achieving my goals. Even if I can only do it for five minutes.

 Envision myself happy and succeeding. Imagine my dreams, live them in my mind.


That’s all, just four little steps to make my fifties my biggest and best years yet.

Most of you attended National this year in Orlando. You’re already pumped up and rearing to go. Your motivation is strong. But as the days pass it probably will begin to fade (as it often does in my case). Then what?

Just as I’ve made a commitment to make my life great at any age, I challenge you to skydive toward your dreams, and then find something to keep you focused. It can be as simple as a quote posted on your computer or a picture your kid painted in school, just make it relevant to your life.

I’d love to read all your wonderful ideas.

With much love,

Pamela Varnado (Vee)

AFTER GLOW available now (http://www.thewilderroses.com/)
http://www.entertheveespot.blogspot.com/

Happy last day of March. What a fine day to welcome Maggie Toussaint. Spring is showing off in Georgia and it's about time! I knew letting Maggie choose her topic was brilliant. I knew I could trust her to say what we need to hear. I was right, and so is she. Welcome to the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog, Maggie. Take it away!

Write what you know
By Maggie Toussaint

Write what you know. I can’t tell you how many times I heard this advice as a new writer, how many times I still hear it. Sure you can research to your heart’s content, but there’s nothing like knowing something, of having experienced it firsthand. When you convey that level of understanding, the words leap off the page.

That’s what writers, editors, and readers want.

A story that leaps off the page.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I decided to try this approach.
With an eye toward blockbuster sales, I listed my previous careers: aquatic toxicologist, technical writer, chemist, industrial hygienist, biologist, college student, golf course worker, movie house ticket sales… None of those screamed best seller. They’d been rather routine jobs.

Had I missed the point of write what you know? I was more than these job titles. I was a mother, a daughter, a wife, a friend, a guitarist, and so much more. I’ve felt loss and injury and injustice and yearning for things I couldn’t have. I’ve marveled at a baby’s perfect fingers, hugged a sleeping puppy, and fried myself silly under the southern sun.

A resounding aha moment occurred. It sounded a bit like mental thunder, felt a bit like virtual lightning. Could writing 3-D characters really be so easy?

Once I changed my perspective, character possibilities rolled in like flood tide. I’d known the terror of being in a car careening through a ditch on two wheels. I’d known heartache from bad breakups with boyfriends. During my rebellious teen years, I’d inadvertently hurt myself and others with my behaviors. I’d been the mother of an unconscious child, despairing and praying.

A glittering universe of ideas beckoned.

I rolled up my sleeves and let the ideas flow.

The longing I felt to
, connect with my late father became the story seed for HOUSE OF LIES. The sisterly tug of war over jointly held property became SEEING RED. The shadowed woods where I kept losing my golf ball became the murderous setting for IN FOR A PENNY. And the financial black hole of keeping a nonprofit for horses going became NO SECOND CHANCE.

Were these entire books scripted from my life? No way. But the story seeds, the “what if” moments, came from an emotion attached to events I’d experienced.

Once I embraced emotional depth, characters yammered at me day and night. Don’t get me wrong - my friends and family aren’t poured onto the page verbatim. (Only my mother would read that!) Instead, I layer my characters taking a bit from this person a bit from that one. It’s like having an entire wardrobe of coordinating separates. You match them up, add a little attitude, and off you go.

Here’s what I learned. Write what you know and who you know. Do it in a way that is interesting and expressly you. Be real about the truths in your writing.

Agree or disagree? Leave a comment and your email addy. One lucky commenter will win the Maggie Toussaint book of their choice. The winner will be announced in the comment section of this blog, so check back by noon on Thursday to see if you won.

And, since I have your attention, two new Maggie Toussaint releases are on the horizon. MUDDY WATERS, a fall 2010 romantic suspense, features the secret passions of a small town. ON THE NICKEL, a March 2011 mystery, sprang from the indestructible car my daughters drove in high school.

Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com
www.facebook.com/maggietoussaint

No Second Chance, buy a book, help a horse

ISBN 9781601541628 buy it: Amazon The Wild Rose Press Kindle

It's our turn to ask questions and I expect good ones.

We are avid readers who enjoyed books since a tender age. Our pink fuzzy slippers warming our feet, we love to snuggle in front of a cozy fire and immerse ourselves in a beautiful romance.

We are dreamers who rearrange the present, linger in the past, jump into the future, or keep bouncing between centuries. Some of us travel to fairy words they create or change their human appearances while a few share their experience in soul-lifting stories.

We are writers who weave love stories, challenge our characters with obstacles and conflicts but grant them a happy ever after when they reached the goals we set for them.

Come and meet us:

Mary Marvella:
I am the blog Mama (Moderator sounds so formal.) of the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog and I have completed novels in paranormal romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, and good old contemporary romances: The Gift, Protective Instincts, The cost of Deception, Protecting Melissa, Haunting Refrain, Cheerleader Dad, Margo's Choices, Forever Love, The Demon's Daughters (Sisters Four)


~~I live in Georgia. After teaching English/language arts and working as a school counselor, I became a story teller, a writer and a tutor. I have beautiful daughter, handsome son-in-law, and 2 grand dogs.


Linda Nightingale:



I write paranormal romances. Black Swan released February 25 from The Wild Rose Press.


Originally, this story—or part thereof—was written for an anthology called Loving the Undead, but it was rejected with a nice note saying that it wasn't quite what she had in mind. The characters walked on stage to tell me about being Black Swans, mortals who submit to the vampire's kiss to experience euphoria and sexual ecstasies. At birth, Black Swan had a twin story. My wonderful editor, Callie Lynn Wolfe, told me I had one story, and with her help, the Black Swan and Swan Song became one spicy vampire story.


Beth Trissel:
I'm an award winning historical/light paranormal romance author. I have four releases out with the Wild Rose Press: Somewhere My Love, Daughter of the Wind, Enemy of the King and Through the Fire, were all voted Best Book of The Week at the Long & Short Reviews and are bestsellers at TWRP. Through the Fire was nominated for Golden Heart award. Somewhere My Love, was winner of Preditor's & Editor's Readers Poll.


~~Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with children and multiple animals. The beauty of the valley and surrounding mountains are my inspiration, as are my roots which go well back into Virginia's history.


Joanne Barnada aka Josie Riviera:
I write historical, 80,000-100,000 word manuscripts. Fatal Fortune, Fatal Flaw and Fatal Fascination, my current whip. The manuscripts are set in the Tudor era, with a young King Henry VIII on the throne, and were carefully researched for Gypsy traditions, superstitions, spells, and language. Fatal Fortune has won the Virginia Fool for Love, the prestigious Golden Pen, and the Dixie First. Fatal Flaw has won the Golden Acorn, the Wallflower, and is currently a final in the FTH Golden Gateway.


~~When I am not writing, I am teaching at my music school, tending to my Ebay music store, "A Grand Time," finding "Deals of the Day," and ferrying my "model" teenage daughter to her modeling auditions and jobs. I've been married to my wonderful husband for 34 years. We are northern upstate NY transplants now living in sunny and warm South Carolina. We also have two adult sons, both professional musicians, who thankfully live near us.


Mona Risk:
My romantic suspense novels are published by Cerridwen Press: To Love A Hero, set in exotic Belarus and French Peril, set in the historical Loire Valley. I also write sweet and spicy medical romances, published by The Wild Rose Press: Babies in the Bargain, was voted Best Book of The Week at the Long & Short Reviews and is a bestseller at TWRP, and Rx for Trust is due in December.

~~A former chemist and Analytical Director of an environmental company I visited over fifty countries on vacation or business trips and I love to set my stories in the foreign places I enjoyed. I have been married to my hero for many years. Now that our son and daughter are married and have their own families, my husband and I settled in sunny Fort Lauderdale but often visit with our four adorable grandchildren. Recently, I have been spending my days next to my sick mother writing, editing my new manuscripts or answering emails and blogs. When I can spare a moment for myself, I swim in the ocean.


Barbara Monajem:
My paranormal romance, Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil, will be published by Dorchester Publishing next spring. Recently, I sold a historical short story to Harlequin, which will also come out next year. I have won several writing awards, including the Daphne du Maurier, the Jasmine, and the Maggie, and am currently at work on more paranormal and historical romances.

~~Now my kids are adults. I live in Georgia with an ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.


Mary Ricksen:
I write paranormal romance, Tripping Through Time is published by The Wild Rose Press and was a bestseller. The sequel, Burned Into Time, is due next year. Love, happiness, a little bit of magic, and a hunky hero with a happily-ever-after ending is my favorite thing to read or to write. Especially if they are time travel.

~~ I live in Florida, but love Vermont and North Carolina in the mountains and animals, horses, cows, and critters who live in the wild. Small town life is my future haven after big city madness. I made up my mind that someday I’d be back in the country, even in just in her books.


Dayanna Knight:
I picked up a pen at a very young age and kept going with it. Love all things paranormal and gothic. I have several published works including poetry, short stories, craft articles, and novels. Curse of the Marhime, Eternal Obsession, Bestial Cravings, published at The Wild Rose Press. Eternal Obsession earned a perfect review and Bestial Cravings was a bestseller at TWRP.


~~I live in sunny Florida and juggle a fulltime job and writing.


Judy Keim:
I started out writing children's stories for magazines before turning to women's fiction and bigger children's stories. The following are three stories that were published: Jonathan's Great Idea - Children's Playmate ; The Easter Pig - Jack and Jill; The Secret of the Red Wagon - Highlights for Children . Land of Fire and Ice: The first book in a series of books about Agor, a young boy who lives in a primitive land of long ago. Summer in Mossy Creek, Belle Books; Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul, Stories Celebrating the Wisdom, Fun and Freedom of Midlife.


~~Presently I live in Florida, with my husband Peter. We've been married many years, have two sons and two granddaughters, and have enjoyed a good life together. We've had the opportunity to do quite a bit of traveling and, always, I've been amazed at the beauty of the world. Simple things, like the sound of ringing cow bells falling down the mountains in Switzerland or gazing at the flowers in my own back yard, bring me great joy. It is this idea of the magic of it all, the logic of it all, that I hope comes through in my stories and touches the child in each of my readers, young and old.


Jianne Carlo:
I love writing sensual romances where East meets West, cultures collide, passion sizzles… Available at Loose-id, Manacled in Monaco, Notorious in Nice and White Wolf are set in Mediterranean cities and have earned raving reviews. D is for Desire, T is for Temptation are published by Siren Publishing.


~~I went to college in Canada where I met my own hero. We married and raised three wonderful sons and live in sunny Florida. I work as a software expert during the day and write at night and whenever I can steal time.

Toni V. Sweeney:
My friends say I am a prolific writer!! Here are the books I wrote under my own name:
Spacedogs' Best Friend; The Rose and the Dragon; Dragon in Chains; Murder in Old Blood; Bloodseek (Book One of the Chronicles of Riven the Heretic)Blood Curse (Book Two of the Chronicles of Riven the Heretic)Sinbad's Last Voyage (Book One of the Adventures of Sinbad) (audio and print)Sinbad's Wife (Books Two of the Adventures of Sinbad)Walk the Shadow Trail (Audio and print)Vengeance from Eden (audio and print)Blood Sin (Book One of the kan Ingan Archives)"Love, Vampire Style"; "Demon in Blue Jeans"; Serpent's Tooth (TBA)numerous short stories for amazon.com/Shorts and assorted magazines

I also write under Icy Snow. Here are Icy Snow’s Books: The Irish Lady's Spanish Lover;Three Moon Station; Jericho Road; Earthman's Bride (winner of the 2009 "Reveal Your Inner Vixen" award for best alternate/fantasy romance, by Missouri Romance Writers Association (MORWA); When the Condor Returned (TBA); Bargain with Lucifer (TBA)

~~I was born on a Sunday--Married on Saturday, gave birth on a Friday, divorced on a Thursday-- Moved to Nebraska on a Monday, to California on a Friday, back to NE on a Wednesday-- Signed my first book contract on a Tuesday, my last on a Sunday,and that's the story of Toni V. Sweeney.

Years ago a brave woman named Kathryn Falk, Lady of Barrow, started a magazine for readers of romances. Now the magazine is huge. Fans of that magazine and the authors she showcases in it meet for a convention yearly. This year the convention took place in Orlando, Florida and some of the ladies on our blog took part.

There are book signings, workshops and parties! OH, and there's a contest for men who want to be on romance novel covers. Hunky guys compete to be named Mr Romance. They strut their stuff and vie for that title and the contracts that go with it.

Yes, I got close to as many as I could. No, I won't tell you for which hunk I voted!





Linda and I found our own Mona Risk the first day there.

Then we found our Jianne.













Mona signed To Love a Hero.









Linda signed her novella, Black Swan,







Some people were actually working.

We found Helen Scott Taylor, former member of this blog.

Please help me welcome our guest for today, Melissa Beck!

What was your first published book and with whom? I first sold to HardShell Word Factory in 2000. That book is no longer available.

How many books did you write before selling one? Not sure. I would guess 7 or 8 full manuscripts. I wrote two young adults, and then several contemporaries.

How many books have you published? Two. My current release is The Daddy Issue, published by The Wild Rose Press.

What themes go through your books? Longing for family, a gaining of self-confidence, mutual trust in each other. I would say my books have a mainstream feel. They're centered around a couple who need to discover what is hurting them, holding them back from the full capacity to love. Their love helps them grow and evolve into the best they can be. But they've always had good core beliefs. Maybe some trauma in their lives has made them forget, or push aside their inner strengths, and love helps them find and use those great traits again.

Which other jobs have you had? Waitress, retail sales, bank management, needlework finisher, freelance editing/writing—nonfiction.

Which "bucket list" types of things have you done? Beauty pageant participant, judged shelties at my local club's dog show, took improv comedy classes, taught Vacation Bible School, facilitated Adult Disciple Bible Study classes, entered and was a finalist in a suburban newspaper's cooking contest, took quilting, rug hooking, rug braiding and beaded jewelry making classes, sold collectibles on Ebay and at antiques market, member of garden club. Oh, and blue and red ribbon winner at North Georgia Fair with my needlework projects. And my family and my cattle dog, Shadow, just auditioned to be on the national TV show, "It's Me or The Dog."

What do you love most about writing and do you not like? I love probing characters' minds and creating their lives for them! I enjoy the puppetry act of being a writer. What I dislike is that it involves a lot of sitting down. I like to be active. And I wish I wrote faster, so I could get up off the sofa in a more timely manner! I don't like the way it takes a few false starts and a lot of character analysis and synopsis work before I know my people well enough to write their story. And I don't like it that I write so much, I don't have a lot of time for pleasure reading.

What are you writing now? It's another twist on the secret baby theme. I'm a little shy about discussing the details of the next one until I'm further along with it. But suffice it to say, I'm happy with how I'm doing on the early chapters.

What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write? Exactly what I'm writing. Contemporaries with plenty of emotion.

Why do you write? Because I can! And because I can do it for hours, and then look up at the clock and time has just ticked away. That's a good feeling, to know that you've gotten yourself so occupied, you haven't noticed the time. Life coaches are always telling people that's the type of job they should have!

How do you write? Laboriously, and all the while wishing I could be faster!

An employer asks his secretary to stay late and copy some disks for him. It's not an unusual request so she complies. He goes into his office.... Five minutes later, the secretary is running for her life as she sees her boss murdered.

That's the beginning of my new novel, Three Moon Station. It's a straight romance, albeit a futuristic one, a departure from my other stories which border on fantasy/horror, so I employ a pseudonym--Icy Snow Blackstone. The origin of that name has a story all its own, but that's for another day. For now, Three Moon Station and the people who live there have the spotlight.

Katy Rawls is a shy, compliant orphan raised by a domineering uncle who's a successful business man because he plays dirty and has even dirtier friends. His partner, Karel Andrews, is his exact opposite, loved by everyone in the office. Katy's witnessing of Andrews' murder sets her feet on a path that sends her to another planet. With the disks containing the evidence that got her boss killed, she heads for the shuttle terminal, intending to go to the police. Because the killers are in hot pursuit, however, and she left purse and identification behind in the office, her destination turns out to be entirely different.

At first, Katy thinks this is the best idea. Getting included in a transportation of Domestics to the pioneering planet Tritomis-2--where females are at a minimum and each passenger will be bid for by a man who'll take her to his ranch--Katy figures she can tolerate being a housekeeper for a year, then when things on Earth cool down, she'll go to the local Federation Marshal and turn over the evidence and live Happily Ever After, as well as Safe from Harm.

Almost immediately, things don't go as she plans. She's noticed by Alwin Marsten, a rancher whose Domestics mysteriously die within a year of going to his ranch. A woman who befriends her on the voyage to Tritomis-2 gets caught in a bidding-duel between Marsten and Abel, a handsome, young farmer who desperately wants her. Only the intervention of a mysterious redheaded station owner enables Abel to win over Marsten, an event that erupts into a fist fight between the rancher and the redhead. When Marsten attempts to buy Katy, the stranger bids four times as much for her and again the rancher loses, leaving the auction with anger and threats.

Katy finds her new employer, Sarkin Trant, a gentle, humorous, and surprisingly shy man, the son of an Arcanian Exile and a schoolteacher from the Scottish colony on Mars. Though still in his thirties, he has a son two years younger than Katy, and she believes he'll be easy to work for--as well as easy to leave when the year's up. When they arrive at Three Moon Station, his ranch, only then does she learn the truth: the Contract she signed with Sar wasn't an Employment Agreement as she thought but a Marriage License, and she's now wed to a total stranger who expects to receive full marital benefits from his new wife!

Katy has exchanged one danger for another of a very, very different kind...and the Terran hit men are still on her trail!

(The release date for Three Moon Station is still to be announced by The Wild Rose Press. It is the second book written by Icy Snow Blackstone, the other being The Irish Lady's Spanish Lover, a paranormal romance.)