Chartered in 1767, but in operation much earlier, the Royal White Hart Lodge No. 2 is the second oldest Masonic lodge in North Carolina, after St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 1, in Wilmington (chartered in 1756). Before the hall was erected in Halifax, lodge founders met in homes and rented rooms in inns. One of the earliest taverns mentioned as a meeting place was The Sign of the Thistle. Because of prominent Halifax resident Joseph Montfort, the Royal White Hart Lodge has special significance in the history of Freemasonry, and the history of North Carolina. On January 14, 1771, Joseph Montfort was appointed “Provincial Grand Master of and for America” by the Duke of Beaufort, Grand Master of England. He then established early masonic lodges across the state. Montfort held many titles, among them: Treasurer of the Province of North Carolina, Colonel of Colonial troops, patriot and Freemason. He is the only Grand Master in America. Born in England in 1724, he died in NC on March 25, 1776 and is buried east of the Royal White Hart Lodge. 1776 seems a rather propitious time to die with the dramatic events unfolding in America.



Rarely open to the public, the Royal White Hart Lodge is hosting the book signing for my new release, Traitor’s Legacy, in Historic Halifax, on Oct. 11th. Not only that, but the lodge is being repainted inside and out in colonial colors and appropriately decorated for the event. Sumptuous refreshments will be served inside the lodge, while the old town comes to life with 18th century music, reenactors, and other period displays, I am honored by the privilege of having my signing here. For more information on the event visit: http://www.nchistoricsites.org/halifax/halifax.htm

Colonial American historical romance novel

Last weekend, I attended the Indie Mashup Book Signing in Houston though I only have one self-published novella, The Night Before Doomsday ($.99 on Amazon).  I had been to another large book signing in January and was prepared to have a great time and sell a lot of books.  I wasn’t prepared to have to go alone and haul my Smart Cart of books and goodies up two flights of a steep ramp because the elevator had yet to be turned on.  But I made it!

Then the problem became getting the books out of the cart.  Since I suffered a back injury in a fall from a horse in late April, I gingerly struggled them out and set up my table.  One young man came by and took a picture of my table saying it was the best one in the signing.  That pleased me enough that I forgot the troubles of getting to the signing.

However, I was destined for another disappointment.   My tablemate and the author sitting at the table on my left were self published and could sell their books for far less than my print books’ prices.  I watched them selling book after book.  They were both writing about angels, and I gritted my teeth that no one had yet published my angel book, Redemption.   Onward and upward, a reader stopped by and said she’d seen my Facebook posts on Sinners’ Opera and bought a copy.   Every one of my signed cover postcards went.  I also had scented candles wrapped in netting with a Sinners’ Opera cover card stapled to the ribbon and, of course, chocolate.  I also took my new banner from VistaPrint.

I’d like to say that it was a wildly fun and successful day, but I’d be lying.  I resolved next signing to be sure I had a friend to take along to while away the time between visitors.   I have signed up for another big book signing in November.   By then, Sinners’ Obsession will be in print.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Here is the cover to my latest release, Sinners' Obsession, sequel to Sinners' Opera, and  Book #2 in the Obsession Series (to be followed by a prequel called Sinners' Waltz).   All my books are available on Amazon and at Double Dragon Publishing.

Thought I'd also share the book video for Sinners' Opera:

HOPE I DIDN'T SOUND TOO NEGATIVE!!   HAPPY FRIDAY,    Linda

On

e day I got up and had no where to go. I had just left my job and I thought I'd be really happy about it. But, I felt as if I was in a place where I had no way to use my brain. I was kinda lost. What was my purpose now? I was purposeless!
I stood on a bridge with no place to go. I had no goals, no new people, no job, no life, nothing.

For over thirty years I had worked in medical and finally in dental offices. My boss was crazy in my last job. That's a book in itself. He was totally inconsiderate of any one else in the world. He had an abusive nature. The first day I saw a clipping on his desk. He had settled in a case of assult with a former assistant. Ha, I thought try that one me bucko! One time he did, we were outside arguing over the way he treated people. Yes, it's true. He kinda got in my face and I shoved him, he hit the door behind him and had a look of shock on his face. I was sure I could take the little weisel so I said. "Try it, just try it, I'd love to beat the crap outta you."Now those of you who know me, know I am not at all confrontational in a physical way. But the look on his face was worth every second of it. So he always respected me and I never took any nonsense from him. I was always stopping him from something. One day a guy came to the front desk. Apparently his wife had been offended by something the dentist said. So he came in to beat the doctor up. I said to him. "Listen, you have a wife and kids, if you beat him up you will go to jail. I believe in karma, he will get it someday." He thanked me and left.



This stuff happened every day. Why did I stay? We needed the money. He paid me very, very, well. I hate to say it, but that's why. I like to think I helped people. He did excellent work, he was just born an ass. Yes, the donkey, sorry to offend anyone. Yes, I hated my job, but I couldn't afford not to work there. I paid a high emotional price for it.



So here I am at home. Bored and wondering if I had any purpose in life. I don't know why, but something made me start writing again. And I thought maybe, just maybe I could finish one of those stories I started. Then I started to think about where I was happiest. That was on the lake in Vermont. What if one traveled back in time?
There is a saying the old Vermonter's have about the lake. It goes something like this:

The wind she blow on Lake Champlain, the wind she blow some more.
If you do not want to drown, you'd best to stay on shore.


I always loved it there and I started to imagine. What if?
Now we have no children, not for want of trying. I felt like a failure, I had no purpose, no special talent. I could always sing, played the guitar, made stained glass pieces, painted, and every other thing I tried. I was always okay but never excelled. I wanted to excel, I wanted to leave my mark behind somehow. Then I got to thinking, someday someone will read my book, maybe ten years from now, and I would be remembered. I could excel, I could publish a book. I'd write a time travel romance novel. I musta read thousands of them. I knew I could write fairly well, but could I do it? Could I write a romance about life over a hundred years ago. Would anybody care?

So I wrote a book. Ha, at least I thought I did. Then I heard about critiquing and suddenly realized I had a lot to learn. So I read everything I could and I sucked it all in. The I wrote some more. Now I had the idea, well basically anyways. I'm still learning every day.
The day I got offered a contract, I could not believe it. I still don't, pinch me so I can wake up. My skepticism just wouldn't let me enjoy the moment. When would they take it all back. And then I got my book in the mail. I opened the box and there it was. It had my name on it.

I was so thrilled. Here in front of me was my own book.


I didn't believe it. It wasn't real still to me. While others were doing the dance of joy, I was doing the, no one will like it. Fear reared it's ugly head again. I had to fight it back. The friends I have in the Florida Romance Writers, The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers, The Author Roast and Toast and the other Wild Rose Press authors, all helped me to find the courage to promote.

So here I am at a book signing with best selling author Traci Hall. Gosh I think I've come a long, long, way. And I'm still going! I am hoping to get a contract for my second book very soon.
It just proves to me that learning not to quit is the only way to make it.

If you will be in the Richmond, Virginia area tomorrow evening, Friday, November 14th, please stop by the Chesterfield Towne Center Barnes and Noble Sammie Jo Moresca will be signing SMOLDER and MORE, MORE, MORE! alongside her chaptermates from the Virginia Romance Writers: Mary Burton, Pamela Kinney and Donna Dalton!

Well my first book signing was last Saturday, at the World Erotic Art Museum. A very interesting place indeed. I saw some of the most tasteful paintings I have ever seen. Some of the them, the faces just told you a story, of desperate adoration to complete boredom. I saw statues of erotic nature from as far back as 500 BC. Even then sex was depicted in many ways. Some beautiful, some of which I'd rather not think. All in all, I am glad to have seen it. I got to see things from Egypt, Africa, Japan, and all sorts of other countries. I also got to see my chapter president, a wonderful educated and fun woman sit on a huge, I mean huge statue of you know what. I still have it in my cell phone, along with one of my friend who came with me. Hmmm, could be useful.

After a tour which made me feet feel like cement blocks, I sat down at my first panel, at my first book signing, and gulp, short speech on Sensuality in Romance. A topic that I am not sure I know about. In any case, knees knocking, and heart pounding, with a paper in front of me, I waited for the panel to start. Wonderful and talented people sat all around me. Zelda Piskosz moderated the panel. Also on the panel were Joanne Straatsma/Jianne Carlo, Lyn Armstrong, Lisa Manuel/Alison Chase, Traci Hall, Linda Conrad, Mona Risk, and me. I'm thinking to myself for quite a while before the event. What the heck are you crazy? What are you going to say, wear, say. You get my drift? So first, the wonderful Zelda spoke, then Traci, then Joanne, by this time I'm thinking I can do this. They Aren't talking long, this is nothing too difficult. The Lisa spoke, and then me. Heart thumpin', sweat rolling and stomach jumping all together at one time. Fear. But somehow, I did it, I really did it! And I didn't make a total fool of myself. Flashbulbs lighting to accommodate pictures in front of me, was so strange to see. They were taking our pictures like crazy. Next was Lyn,(show off, that level of comfort was so hard to take). After Lyn came Linda, and then finally Mona. Everyone had finished and when no one had questions, we were done. Done! Whoo Hoo, done!
Everyone got up to leave, and I felt instant relief. I'd accomplished something my agoraphobic mind could not imagine. Yeah! Then Lisa who was sitting next to me pointed behind me. She said softly, "Look who is with us in all the pictures." I looked behind me, and shock took hold. There was a huge organ there, and you know what kind of organ I mean. It even had fur glued to the bottom. It was bright pink, like my face. I couldn't speak for a minute. Then I looked at Lisa and we both laughed, me out of incredulous, her because she writes sweet and sensual, not hot or even spicy.
And so I'd done it my first book signing, even if all I had were bookmarks and no release date. I'd done it. Albeit in an unusual way, I did it.

Hi all,

I'll be signing my 2008 EPPIE Award winning mystery UNDERDEAD this Saturday, April 26, from 2-4 at the LA Times Festival of Books. Look for me in the Sisters In Crime booth. (Booth 355, next to Royce Hall.) If you're one of the tens of thousands going to the festival this weekend, please stop by and say hi! I'd love to see you.

In UNDERDEAD, Science teacher Jo Gartner thinks teaching geology to hormonal pre-teens is deadly... until she is bitten by an inept vampire and becomes UNDERDEAD--all the problems of being a vampire, none of the perks.

When she finds a body on her classroom floor with teeth marks in his neck, she must figure out "whodunit" before her Underdead secret gets out. But she's running out of time. The detective in charge of the case is dogging her every move, her vampire traits are evolving in new and embarrassing ways, and someone wants Jo dead...the traditional way!

“UNDERDEAD is certainly not your typical vampire story, it’s better…. I guarantee UNDERDEAD will have you laughing out loud, while keeping you in suspense right up until the end.”~~ Two Lips Reviews

Hope to see some of you there!

Liz, ready to get a sunburn and heatstroke for her art. (Forecast for LA tomorrow is sunny and HOT!)

http://www.lizjasper.com/