Favorite Heroes. 'Nuff Said?

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 Our May topic over at Bits & Bytes...the Writer's Way is What are your favorite kinds of characters to write?  To read?

If you have time, please pop over and share your thoughts on the subject.

Romance...in Images

http://bit.ly/wP05r6 

Today I'm blogging a little differently over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way about what romance is to me.  I hope you'll pop over and share.

The First Books I Fell in Love with

Today I'm over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way blogging about the first books I fell in love with: http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-books-i-fell-in-love-with-penny.html I do hope you'll pop over and share your own favorites.

Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way

Today is my turn to blog over at Bits & Bytes: http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2010/02/until.html

I hope you'll join me! I'm posting an excerpt of one of my favorite scenes from Sapphire and Gold.

If you're interested in writing and haven't had a chance to check out the blog, please do. It's chock full of great info.

Christmas Romance

While the entire story of Sapphire and Gold isn't centered around Christmas, there are several scenes that take place during the Christmas season in Colonial Williamsburg. Here's an excerpt of one:

Alexandra stood at the staircase landing’s large multi-paned window, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. She waited and worried. Waited for Derek’s schooner to appear at the plantation’s wharf. Worried about his reaction to her confession.

She placed her hand on her abdomen and wondered if she would look different to him. Within weeks her condition would be apparent to all. Would he turn away from her in disgust? She wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“Alexandra?”

She leaned over the balustrade looped with spruce garlands. “Yes, Mother?”

Laurel stood at the foot of the stairs. “Our guests are arriving.”

“I’ll join you in the ballroom in a few minutes.” With a heavy sigh, she cast one more longing glance out the window then gathered the folds of her burgundy velvet skirt and descended the stairs in slow, unhurried steps. Her brow knitted in concern. Derek had said he would be there. Something terrible must have happened.

“Why, wherever could your husband be, sister dear?”

Alexandra turned to see Jillian emerge from the shadows of the hall. The jubilant expression in the younger woman’s dark gaze put her on guard.

“Do you suppose he has tired of you already?” Jillian shook her head and clucked her tongue. “I can see why. You look a bit dreadful. I fear that color doesn’t suit you. Did you do your own hair? Your secret’s safe with me. I shan’t tell anyone.”

Alexandra resisted the urge to smooth her hair. The slight movement would only serve to reward her sister’s desire for revenge. Instead, she stood confident. Derek had often remarked he liked her hair unbound and he had chosen her dress himself. “I won’t fight with you. Nothing you can say will spoil this day for me.” With quiet dignity, she walked past the younger woman.

“I do believe the purpose of this ball is to celebrate your marriage. Won’t that be a trifle difficult without your roving husband?”

Alexandra’s footsteps faltered for but a moment at the venom in her sister’s voice. Then she squared her shoulders and continued on her way, struggling to shut out the echo of Jillian’s mocking laughter.

“Derek has not left me,” she whispered. “He will come back. He must.” She lifted her chin a notch and entered the ballroom.

Festive splendor greeted her. Christmas finery decked the large room and brought a hint of a smile to her troubled heart. The fragrance of pine and bayberry mingled in the air. Garlands of box and bay added touches of gaiety. Sprigs of holly had been tucked behind the mirrors. In one corner, fiddlers played a romantic ballad that tugged at her already fragile emotions.

She forced back the sudden onslaught of weepiness and moved forward to greet her guests. Many of the prominent planters of the area accompanied their wives in wishing Alexandra well with her marriage and asking after Derek. After each congratulatory offer, the scorching heat of Jillian’s triumphant gaze bored through her back.

Where are you, Derek? Behind her she heard the doors open. The curtains fluttered, then a hush fell over the room.

She turned. There stood Derek.

Dizzying joy swept through her Her husband caught her up against his lean, muscled form. “I claim the right of kissing the fair maiden standing beneath the kissing ball.” He lowered his mouth to hers and stole her breath.

Alexandra entwined her arms around his neck and reveled in the sweet sensations. “I thought you’d never arrive.”

He pressed a final kiss to the tip of her nose. “I always keep my promises. Don’t you know that by now?”

A lump in her throat thickened her speech. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.” A frown gathered on her forehead and she gave his chest a sharp poke. “Where have you been?”

His eyes alight with a merry twinkle, Derek turned and signaled to a house servant. Within seconds, Polly Taylor and the children swarmed around her, talking and hugging all at once.

The children had come. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pulled them close, touching each and every one of them to assure herself they were really there. She looked up. Derek stood outside the circle of children, his grin wide. “Is this the pressing matter you had to attend to?”

He nodded. “You are pleased with your Christmas gift?”

“Pleased? I’m more than pleased. It was more than I dared to dream for.” No wonder she loved him so.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/sapphire-and-gold-p-1287.html

~~~~~

One of my favorite Christmas movies is While You Were Sleeping. (Love the leaning scene.) One of my favorite Christmas books is A Season for Miracles by Marilyn Pappano, which is the first book in her awesome Bethlehem series. Do you have a favorite Christmas story or movie?

Why Romance?

If you have a couple minutes, please come visit me while I blog on the topic "Why Romance?"

Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way http://warawriters.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there!

One Year and Two Days

Exactly one year and two days ago I received "the call." Actually, it was "the email." The Wild Rose Press wanted to contract my historical romance, Sapphire and Gold. I just about fell out of my chair. I work for an accounting firm and we were hot and heavy into tax season. I was just taking a quick peek at my email and saw the title of my book in the subject line. Of course, I had to read it.

After I danced around my office, I had a horrible thought: what if it was an April Fool's joke? Feeling like a fool, I emailed my editor and asked her straight out if it was a joke. Nope. She loved my book and had totally forgotten what day it was.

So, after a couple rounds of edits and proofreading, my release day is approaching. Sapphire and Gold will be published on June 26, 2009. Once I get past the current tax season I will figure out how to post my beautiful cover here, as well as the blurb and an excerpt or two. If you are curious and want to see the cover now, you can find it on my website. I promise to get some content onto my site...after tax season.

Free Read

I'm tickled to announce that my free read, A Colonial Valentine, which is a prequel to my soon-to-be-released novel, Sapphire and Gold, is available!

If you want to read my short story, this is the link:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=180&products_id=1143

If the link won't work, go to thewildrosepress.com. On the left side of the page, go to "Free Reads." At this moment, mine is listed at the tippy top.

Here's a tiny blurb of A Colonial Valentine:

It’s Valentine’s Day and, despite pinning bay leaves to her pillow, no one has asked Laurel Whittaker to be his valentine. When handsome Jared Montgomery walks into her father’s apothecary shop, will he join in the Valentine’s Day merriment?