A day late almost but I met my goal!!!

I finished and submitted the sequel to On the Silver Edge of Time!!! Whoop!

I'm only an hour and fifteen minutes past my goal time but I can live with that. DH was away tonight so it gave me the day to wrap up the project, polish and get that sucker off to my editor.

I tried something different. Three wonderful ladies agreed to be beta readers for this one. I've already heard back from one and applied her comments. I figure the other two will send me comments shortly, but I can make those changes after the manuscript has been contracted so yeah - I'm jumping for joy right now to have another one finished and on it's way to my editor.

Happy New Year everyone.

Inserting an image into yahoo

I love that you can do a search on most any subject and get an answer to a puzzling question. Such was my quest this morning as I attempted to insert an image into the body of my yahoo e-mail. The instructions I came across were very good and should have been simple to follow except they left off vital information. So here's what I did to make it work. First I had to find an image I'd uploaded to a website and then I could either drag and drop or copy and past. No worries. Right? Wrong.

This only works if the image isn't linked. Most all of my images are linked to other sites so when I dragged and dropped, the link showed up and not the cover. Ack. So once I spent time trying to figure out my problem, I finally found an image I'd uploaded of my cover that I hadn't linked. Drag and drop wouldn't work for me but copy and paste worked like a charm and voila - I had an image and it even sent. But it was huge so for future e-mailings, I'm posting my image here again just for the purpose of inserting it into e-mail.

Gotta love technology - especially when it works.

First Review for The Keeper of Moon Haven

OMG!  I just recieved a glowing review for The Keeper of Moon Haven. I'm so excited, I can hardly sit. Gotta love these kinds of early Christmas gifts. Here's a little of what Chris from Romance Junkies said:

"...Dark excitement and intrigue abounds as only Ciara Gold's KEEPER OF MOON HAVEN can incite. Characters are neatly fleshed out. Noreen's precarious station in life can be appreciated by anyone whose destiny has ever taken an unexpected downturn. The mythical creatures are not only varied, but because we either see them through Noreen's perceptive eyes or the wizard's almost too-logical viewpoint, they are what they are – intriguing, timeless, magical Beings. What they most certainly are not are poor, defenseless, giggling, frilly creatures of the childhood fairy tale persuasion. Also, since time travels differently in the Faery realm, it's interesting to see how each Being bears the weight of the past, the ramifications of decisions made in their name, and how their unyielding expectations of the Keeper are matched only by their steadfast confidence in him. The pressure and stress of his position are definitely not for the weak of heart.
Amazing facets to Noreen and the wizard's love story are their irresistible chemistry, the way he so astutely reads her and her inner turmoil, the way she unknowingly foments mayhem within his near impenetrable emotional walls – the moment they surrender their inhibitions and give in to their first kiss – absolutely stunning. Their interactions were something I looked forward to – antagonistic but sometimes silly, sweet yet sometimes cold, and for all their enmity (lest we forget just how stunningly beautiful they both are), no two could be more perfectly suited.

A refreshing paranormal romance that reads like a perfectly blended historical, suspense, and fantasy fairy tale, KEEPER OF MOON HAVEN will easily appeal to lovers of all genres. Although this is my first introduction to Ms. Gold's work, I have already added her other novels to my Christmas list!"

Here's hoping Santa is good to Chris and brings her all my books. LOL.  Read the rest of the review here.

Addressing Christmas cards

So last year I was really bad and Santa should have given me a sack full of sticks, but I didnt send out any cards. I just flat procrastinated so long that it became pointless. I refuse to do that this year, so I'm working on addressing cards. Of course the bad thing about not doing them last year is that not all my addresses are current. Ugh. But - it forced me to do some calling and connecting. I've had a most enjoyable day today talking to old friends. I need to do that more often.

Revamped the book trailer

I had some wonderful advice so I reworked it a bit and cut some of the words.  Here's the new video:

My first attempt at a video trailer

So I did all the images myself except the bookcover. And I found the music at the neatest site. Jon Sayles is a very talented guitarist who wants to preserve the sounds of the Renaissance by recording short tunes. I hope my inclusion of his music will help him spread the word a little more. I've listened to all that he has on his site and they're all quite good.

My Fantasy is now available!!!!

The Keeper of Moon Haven is now available at All Romance E-books. I'm sooooo excited. Whoop! Come check out my website for the first chapter.

I'm so Thankful

For friends and family. I had a wonderful day today. We didn't celebrate in the traditional fashion. My son and his girlfriend had lunch with her folks so we figured we'd do dinner and not do a turkey. Instead, we grilled. We had poppers, shrimp, chicken and ribs as the main course and then I did what most say, don't do. I experimented on my guests and tried two new recipes as sides. Corn pudding and red potato salad. Both turned out awesome.

Afterwards, we all watched TAMU beat UT. It was exciting since we had both UT fans and TAMU fans gathered in one room. I love friendly rivalry.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and wish all a wonderful Thanksgiving day even though the day is almost over.

Welcome Felicity Heaton

Would like to welcome author Felicity Heaton. She's got a brand new paranormal romance out.

Her Fallen Angel

by Felicity Heaton

Annelie fell for Lukas the moment he walked into her pub three years ago. He’s stunning, his vivid green eyes lending to his otherworldly beauty, but he’s seriously out of her league. When he tells her that she’s beautiful and confesses that he wants her, she can’t resist him and his passionate kiss. She unleashes her desire and seizes the moment and Lukas with both hands. But Lukas has a secret, one that will test Annelie’s love for him and threaten to tear them apart.

He’s an angel.
Annelie can’t believe it when Lukas says that their feelings for each other aren’t a sin, but she can believe his pain when he tells her the reason he’s on Earth. He is fallen, cast out of Heaven as punishment for a crime he didn’t commit. Lukas isn’t about to give up and accept his fate though. He’s determined to prove both his innocence and his love for Annelie, and to show her that the intense passion they share is real.
When Lukas and Apollyon discover who framed him, will he be able to stop them from going after Serenity and Annelie? Will he be able to protect the woman he loves and fly away with her into their forever after?

Excerpt

“Where did you go, Lukas?” Annelie took her car keys out of her pocket, turned the corner into the car park, and pressed the button on the fob. The lights on her small car flashed. “I really was worried about you.”

He stopped and looked at her. She turned and met his gaze, letting him see that she wasn’t just saying that. He had disappeared without a word and it had frightened her. She had missed him. He stepped up to her and touched her face again, his palm warm against her cheek. His eyes held hers and she swore she saw another flicker of affection in them.

“I had to go away. I should have told you, Annelie. I should not have worried you.” There was black magic in his voice and the way he said her name, soft but with an underlying note of passion, and she was under his spell. He stroked her cheek, sending a shiver through her, and smiled into her eyes. “I did not think I would be gone so long. I promise I will not do it again.”

Annelie told herself to break free but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to. She wanted to stand there in the warm night, feeling hot from head to toe because of Lukas’s caress and the ardent look in his eyes. She wanted to believe that his words meant what she thought they did and that he liked her and things between them would be different now. She hadn’t looked at another man since Lukas had walked into her life, had dreamed the impossible of him falling for her, and now it felt as though the impossible was possible after all.

Lukas wanted her as much as she wanted him.

She stepped into his embrace, her heart thundering against her chest, and stared up into his eyes. His fingers stroked her neck, his thumb brushing over her chin and then under her jaw. He tilted her head back, his eyes fixed on hers, and lowered his mouth. She shivered when their lips met and then pressed her hands against his firm chest and melted into him as he kissed her. It started out slow, a bare meeting of lips, but before she could draw another breath, his mouth covered hers and he stole it away.

It was everything that she had imagined it would be. She craned her neck, slid her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him, their lips meeting and parting, tongues tracing each other. He groaned and it was music to her heart, driving her on. She licked his lower lip, tangled her tongue with his, and kissed him harder, her breathing coming faster now.

Sense reared its ugly head but she shoved it away, not interested in anything her mind had to say on the matter. The kiss was divine. Lukas was divine. It didn’t matter that he was still a little tipsy and that they were kissing in the middle of an unpleasant car park. She knew in her heart that this wasn’t the drink talking.

He pulled back, breathing hard, and his eyes searched hers. The fire in them matched the inferno burning within her. Did she look so hungry too? She wanted to devour him.

“Annelie...” He started and looked as though he was going to kiss her again, but then he stepped back. “I am sorry. If I have offended—”

“No.”

His eyes darted to hers.

She couldn’t bring herself to say it. She wanted him too. She had wanted that kiss more than anything. She was on the brink of saying it but other words came out instead.

“We should get you home.”

He looked disappointed again and nodded. Annelie walked to her car, cursing herself, feeling Lukas trailing behind her. She was aching all over to feel his hands and lips on her again. Why couldn’t she have just said what she had wanted to? Lukas, it was fine that you kissed me because I want to do that to you and a lot more besides. It was so easy to say it in her head.

She walked around the car and glanced at him. His eyes were on her again, drifting over her body, bringing the fire back in their wake. She burned for him. She burned so much that she felt as though she was going to die if he didn’t touch her and kiss her again, if he didn’t quench the flames as only he could.

If she had said what she had wanted to, would he be kissing her again now? Would that divine body be against hers and his hands be on her, skimming over her in the way she was craving, bringing her to life with passion and need?

Annelie yanked the car door open and got in. Lukas slid into the passenger seat beside her and she started the engine, put the car into gear and drove. He was quiet, only giving her directions across London to where he lived. When they reached it, she pulled the car to a halt in a space outside and stared at the building. It was a beautiful pale Georgian four-storey townhouse.

“You live here?” She couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it. She had never figured Lukas for a moneyed type. He had never once looked as though he had more than a few hundred pounds to his name.

Lukas nodded and got out of the car, not waiting for her. Had she put him in a bad mood? Her eyes followed him. He was walking in a straight line, not wavering at all, and seemed sober now. If he kissed her again, she wouldn’t be able to resist him anymore. She wouldn’t have a reason to.

Annelie stepped out, locked her car, and hurried across the quiet road to him. He waited at the black front door of the building, his gaze on her again. She stopped at the bottom of the steps, waiting for him to say something. All he had to do was invite her in. If he invited her in, she would take it as a sign that she hadn’t messed anything up and that he still wanted her.

His eyes held hers for what felt like hours and then he spoke.

“I just want to be clear about one thing. I did not kiss you because of the drink.” He glanced away and then met her gaze again. “There is a reason I like to sit at the bar and talk to you, Annelie. There is a reason I kissed you.”

He looked as though he had wanted to say more but she didn’t give him a chance. She ran up the steps, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. He stumbled backwards into the door and wrapped his arms around her waist, his tongue delving into her mouth and duelling with hers. This was Heaven. She couldn’t hold in her moan.

Lukas fumbled with the door behind him and they fell into the entrance, still locked in each other’s arms, their mouths fused in a kiss that drove Annelie crazy with hunger. She moaned again and kissed him harder, pouring out her passion and need into it until it became choppy and rough, a clashing of lips and teeth. Lukas’s groan sent a wave of heat scorching through her and she gasped into his mouth when he grabbed her backside. She hopped and wrapped her legs around his waist and he hit the wall with her, pinning her there, his body hard against hers and making her tremble with the images of them that flashed through her mind. She wanted all of them to happen right now, this instant, wanted to live out every hot dream she’d had of Lukas.

“Which floor?” She managed between kisses, too hungry for him to break contact for more than a second.

“Fourth.” There was a laugh to his voice that brought out her smile. He kissed her again and turned with her, heading for the stairs. Was he serious? He couldn’t carry her all the way to the fourth floor while kissing her.

Lukas seemed intent on proving her wrong. He held on to her, his hands grasping her backside, his body shifting between her hips in the most delicious way, and kissed along her jaw as he took the steps two at a time.

Biography:

Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.
Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She's just honoured to write down their adventures.

You can find out more about how to purchase this story and more about Felicity at her website; http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/
You can also find her here:
Twitter:   http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Blog:   http://felicityheaton.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/feheaton

PS:  ALL OF THE STORIES IN THE HER ANGEL SERIES STAND ALONE, JOINED BY CHARACTER AND WORLD ONLY, AND DO NOT NEED TO BE READ IN ORDER.

Welcome Eve Langlais

In Celebration of my own fantasy coming out in December, I invited Eve Langlais to answer a few questions about her fantasy/paranormal stories. I also want to apologize to Eve for getting it on my blog late today. No excuses except - life got in the way? A huge welcome to Eve. 

ME: First of all, I took a look at your site. Wow. You have some really hot book covers and we all know how a great book cover can help sales. How much input do you have in regards to the cover art? Which cover is your favorite and why?

EVE: I’ve been really lucky that I’ve gotten to work with some rally talented artists. Initially, when the book is contracted, I have a chance to fill in a form and describe my vision of the perfect cover. The artists then turn that vision into reality with fantastic results. Making me choose a favorite one is cruel though. LOL. My Alien Mate covers with the smoking hot blue abs have probably gotten the most attention, but Jimmy Thomas straddling the motorcycle on the cover of Apocalypse Cowboy is probably the hottest one for me. J

ME: You write fantasy/paranormal romance with a bit of humor thrown in? What draws you to the genre?

EVE: I love paranormal and fantasy because I get to make the rules. In Lucifer’s Daughter, I remade Heaven and Hell with provoking and hilarious results. In Wickedest Witch, coming soon with Liquid Silver, I was able to use magic to spice up a love scene. The possibilities when you throw in magic are endless.

ME: Tell us about your first book?  How long did it take you to write with your busy schedule?

EVE: My very first book that I wrote and was lucky enough to have contracted was Take A Chance, now out with Champagne Books. It took me three months all told to write, then revise at the suggestion of an editor at Champagne. A full length novel, it was daunting to write, but the euphoria when it got contracted was unbelievable. It gave me the courage and drive to keep on typing.

ME: A lot of writers are “people watchers”.  Where do you do your best people watching?

EVE: At home lol. While I can be social if forced to, I am truly happiest at home. I live vicariously through books and television. I also find Facebook a neat way to see how other people live.

ME: Of the books you have out so far, which has a hero most like your husband?

EVE: LOL, according to my husband they are all patterned after him which is funny considering most of my heroes are either shifters, aliens or magically imbued. I think hubby is probably a mix of Hunter from The Hunter and Brody from Apocalypse Cowboy. One thing for sure, shifter or not, he’s all alpha.

ME: You write both erotic and sweet romance, so which of the two is easier to write?

EVE: I found sweet romance to be stifling when I wrote as I was too conscious of what I could and couldn’t say or do in heated moments. I prefer to use the big words and let the attraction between my main characters steam up the page.

ME: Many authors set lifetime goals for themselves.  What ultimate goal do you hope to achieve with your writing?

EVE: Why to be number one on Amazon of course?! LOL. My goal when I started was to get published, having done that several times over, now I just write because I can’t help myself. I do hope eventually though I’ll make enough from it that we can pay off our debt and put in a hot tub.

ME: Tell us about your latest project.

EVE: Alien Mate 3 is in the planning stages. People love the big blue guys. This one is going to be more of a galaxy trek with geeky earthling falls in lust, er love, with a new hunky blue alien who has no intention of setting down. Cleopatra is also clamoring to get her story out and a few of my series need sequels.

To find out more about me, check out some covers and excerpts, or even better buy some books, please visit me @ http://www.evelanglais.com

Thank you for the interview! J

My new cover is a keeper!!!

I don't think I have to tell you how excited I am about thsi cover. WOW!

Blurb: On the southern fringes of the Mendip Hills sits the Castle Hamingjur, an abandoned structure most fear haunted. Yet, on the rare occasions when the Hunter’s Blue Moon occurs, the Keeper occupies this mysterious castle where he guards the bridge to Alfheim Haven.

Noreen Willshire discovers more than fairytales hidden between the pages of Beletania’s diary. She opens the ancient book and finds a bridge to a Faery Realm where all manner of mythical creatures reside. In her naïveté, she summons the Keeper before his scheduled time in the human realm. In that brief moment, the mysterious wizard touches her soul with more than magick. She promises to return the diary during Mefylleth, a time when the barriers between the two realms melt away, but danger stalks her path. Torn between her desire to make a new life for herself in America and her growing love for the Keeper, she must bridge the gap between magick and time to follow her heart.

DAR

I attended my first DAR meeting and had a lot of fun. It was actually a banquet so we ate good.  This was something my mom encouraged me to join since she's a member.  One of my Swann relatives is responsible for my being eligible so that's all good and I met some great folks.

We also had a very good speaker talk to us about the cultural climate that existed when the constitution for drafted. He was most knowledgeable and very interesting. As much as I love writing historical fiction, I realized just how must I didn't know about American history. Oh yeah, I know the basics, but I'm talking about the nitty gritty, the fine details of how we got where we are today. With that said, I'm thinking that joining the DAR will be good for me as I will have many opportunities to learn more about our great nation.

So now I done "undid" it

I always get so excited when I write the end. It feels so good to reach the goal.  But, I tend to mull over the ending, disecting it bit by bit until I talk myself out of it. I've done that with four of my eight published books.

And now I'm doing it again. It's not that I didn't like what I'd written, but it just lacked umph, verve. Dunno, something. So I reread to the point where I think I lost momentum and deleted from there. Which of course means I now have about 1500 words left to write again. No worries. I still feel good about all I accomplished this summer and I'm feeling better about the new direction I'm taking the ending in. Gotta love the drama.

I Done DId It!!!!

Well sorta.  I made a goal for myself to finish the current wip I'm working on before the start of school. I did go back to work Friday and I didn't finish the book until Sunday, but school doesn't officially begin until Monday, Aug 23, so while it might be cheating, I'm going to pat myself on the back and say "I done did it."

97,630 words so far. Now - that's just the rough draft. The first 40,000 words are pretty well polished, but I need to do several read throughs on the back end of the manuscript before I submit. I'm still thrilled though. Wow. I've only written one other book that fast and that was A Noble Sacrifice.

Still floating a bit. Maybe my hero, Torin, will let me actually sleep tonight. He's the reason I've stayed awake plotting in my head and the reason I met my goal. I was tried of losing sleep. Ack.

One Writer's Life

The following guest speaks close to my heart as I'm also a teacher. Please welcome Allison Knight as my guest blogger. I hope you enjoy her story as much as I did.

Have you ever wondered about the life of the author of the book you are reading? What kind of a person writes about space aliens, or who envisions tales of a mass murderer? How about the author of a spicy romance? Exactly what kind of a person are they - in real life? Because, lets face it, a fiction writer is involved in a world of pretend. More often than not, they're nothing like the characters who people their books.


I never gave the 'real' life of an author a thought, until some interesting things happened in me that were directly related to my writing romances and the way people perceive me.


Let me start at the beginning of my fiction writing career. Here I was, a forty something, I been teaching Home Economics for years, I was mother of four, plump, and viewed as a grandmotherly type. In fact, more than once in a classroom, I got called grandma. So, you get the idea. Picture what you would imagine the typical Home Economics teacher of forty years ago to be.

Then try and imagine the shock of the other teachers who had no idea you were writing anything, when, at a teachers' meeting, your principal pulls your first romance from his briefcase and asks you to autograph it. Of course, in those days, the covers always featured the heroine and the hero leaving nothing to the imagination as to what kind of book it was. And at the time, romance novels were considered little more than trash. Quite a few people insisted they had little value and there was nothing worthwhile about them.

But it didn't end at the meeting. My principal insisted, before our assembled teachers that I had to include him in my next book. At the time my thought was, "Yea! I'll make you a villain." Of course I didn't say it.
I even made radio in those days. Paul Harvey, on his midday show, commented there was a Michigan teacher telling her students about family living during the day and writing romance novels at night. That raised a few eyebrows at school. I didn't hear the program. I was busy teaching and telling my students to put my book away because they couldn't read during class. But, believe me, I heard about Mr. Harvey's comments.

There was one shining moment in my early career as an author and I'd like to share that because it gives purpose to what I do. One afternoon, as I hurried to the workroom for something, (I don't remember what) one of my male students stopped me in the hall. He wanted to know if he could talk to me. He wanted to talk about my novel. By this time, I got a bit defensive if anyone said they wanted to talk about MY book.

He indicated he wished to have his say someplace private, not in the hallway, so we went to a corner of the library. I assured him we would talk, and I figured, oh boy, here it comes again! Another - shame on you, or how could you, or my parents.... I'd heard it all before.

Imagine my shock when he said he'd read my book and then sheepishly, admitted he'd never read a whole book before. I was stunned. He was a junior in high school. I don't know why, but I asked him if he like it. He said, yes, he did. But the story doesn't end there.

Two years later, in the fall, I was shopping in our local mall and stopped at the book store. Here came my student from the back of the store, his arms full of books. He had a stack of five or six hardback novels, and not small ones, by any means. He greeted me and said, "See what you've done to me. Now I spent all my spare money on books." At that moment I knew why I wrote fiction. If nothing else, I had inspired one young man to read a book and once he discovered how wonderful the experience was, he had to have more of it.

Now, when I get a bit discouraged, and wonder why I keep plugging away at the computer, I remember my student. It's worth my hard work if through my books another young person can experience the joy of immersing themselves in the world of make believe.

So, the next time you read a book, you might give a thought to the life of the author. Just what are they like, what kind of life do they live and why are they writing fiction. I'll bet they are much like you and me and I can tell you now, they write because it's in their blood; they have to write. And like me, they have probably experienced something that gives them the incentive to keep writing.

Allison Knight writes "Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch"
Her books can be found at http://www.champagnebooks.com/

And so it begins again

I go back to the regular day job tomorrow. Since I teach, that means a week and one day of inservice. I have mixed emotions. In some ways, I'm excited to start a new year. It's always fun to connect to new students, to teach kids how to discover their creativity. On the other hand, it means I have that much less time to write and -- I didn't make my goal. Well, I'm almost there and technically I don't start actually teaching for another week so it's possible that I could write those last 8000 words by the start of school, but doubtful. Still, I'm excited to be so far along. My next goal is to have it not only finihsed but polished and submitted by Christmas. I'll let you know how I do.

Nancy Henderson joins me for a great interview.

Today, I've invited Nancy Henderson to be a guest blogger. She graciously answered a few questions and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better. Having read a few of her stories, I can attest to the quality of her work, so please welcome, author Nancy Henderson.


I see you have several books published by Champagne. Do you have books with any other publisher? I had two books our years ago with Dragonfly Publishing, both of which have since gone out of print, and I have an upcoming historical romance coming out from DCL Publications.

Looks like you write in two genres, historical and paranormal. Do you find it difficult to switch from genre to genre? Do you have any plans to mix genres in the future? I do find it difficult. Not so much going from historical to paranormal, but from historical to contemporary, as my paranormals take place in modern day. With writing historicals you have a set vocabulary, way of thinking to the time period, and with contemporary (paranormals) I can use modern language. One might think contemporary would be easier, but I find it’s more of a challenge. My voice becomes edgier. Not sure why. LOL
I had the pleasure of reading a short story you’d written once and I remember thinking how much I felt as if I was there, that you knew just how to rev up the emotion. Can you tell us any tricks you have for making the emotion more believable? Well, I guess I try to always put myself in their shoes, to understand what lives in their hearts, what makes them tick. If you don’t know your characters inside and out, you’re doomed from the start.
Romance is about relationships and of course, authors handle the sexual part of the relationship differently. On a scale of 1 – 10, how spicy do you make your love scenes? Do you have a difficult time with the part of the romance? Strangely no, I don’t have a difficult time LOL! They’re actually all different. They’re pretty much character driven. If my character’s bold, well….usually the scene is much spicier. Once I wrote a character who was pregnant most of the story, so it was pretty tame because of her predicament. So it all depends upon the character.
Tell us a little bit about your writing habits. Do you have a set time for writing? Do you listen to music or do you need absolute quiet? I write anywhere and everywhere. I have a large tote bag filled with notebooks, sometimes my laptop. I work full time, so I often write on lunch hours, and I usually write way into the night.
If a magic genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? To write the perfect book(s) that never needed a bit of editing (yeah, right!) For my family and friends to always be safe and happy.

This probably sounds crazy to most people, but I’d love for abuse of animals to never occur. I’m a huge animal lover. I just watched on the news where a dog was thrown from a multi-story building. Just breaks my heart.
Give us a little bit about your background and your life experiences? Have any of your own experiences inspired scenes in your stories? Hmmm…tough one! I come from a family of storytellers. My grandmother always told stories, as does my father. That was a big inspiration for me.
You just had a new release. Can you tell us a little bit about it? Be sure to include links to buy and a website where readers can learn more.
Four Winds is my upcoming release with DCL Publications. It’s a historical romance set during the French and Indian War with a Native American hero. Ghost Of A Chance is my upcoming release with Champagne Books, being released in February 2011. It’s a paranormal, and the hero is a ghost.
Details will be coming soon at my website: http://www.nancyhenderson.com and I post current events of my books at my Twitter site: http://www.twitter.com/nancyehenderson

Thanks for having me Ciara!

Mom for the group

This will be my second post on thank yous to those that have touched my life and writing career. As I mentioned before, Kim got me started in a critique group whose members numbered about 8 at the time. The queen moderator who I think of as "mom for the group" was a most nurturing woman. Tam welcomed me as if she'd known me forever, but what I would thank her the most for was her patience and kindness in "teaching" me the craft.

Sure, I had great story ideas, but learning the best way for  manipulating the words to make that story shine is something that doesn't always come easier. Practice of course makes it easier now, but back then, I had a tone of writing demons to crush. I had a difficult time remembering to use active instead of passive words. And the "that" monster made an appearance every other paragraph. But Tam, patiently corrected me each time. She was also very good at brainstorming ideas and walking you through a difficult plot. Tam's not yet published, but it's not because she can't write. She has a fabulous way of stringing words together that make you feel as if you live in the story. I suspect she'll find a publisher soon. Talent like hers can't not find a home.

So, Tam, thank you for all you did for me so many years ago. I'll always think of you as my friend.

Meeting my cyber buddy

I know. Bad idea right? to meet someone you've only talked to online?  But we've been communicating for about three years and she's a fellow author. She's actually one of my critique partners, but more importantly I call her friend. She'll be on my list of thank yous one of these days when I make my rounds, but in the meantime, just thought I'd shout out how excited I am to meet her as she lives several states away.

All those that have touched my life

This entry will actually start a series on the wide circle of family I've gathered along the way to publication. There are sooooo many folks who have touched me in some way or another. So, where to begin?

I think my publishing story really begins Spring of 2003 when my dear hubby made mention to one of the paralegals in his office that his wife liked to write. At the time, I dabbled. I had started some five or six first chapters but never took it further. (I don't count the one novel I wrote when I was 20) It seems, she too, dabbled but a bit more seriously. She and I exchanged first chapters and after that, she invited me to join a newly formed critique group. I jumped at the chance.

Her name was Kim and today she writes under the name of Kim Lenox. You might have read some of her Shadow Guard books. If not, you're missing out big time. So Kim - thank you for giving me my start in the world of romance. Her knowledge and drive helped many in our small group. The critique group at one time hosted ten members and eventually, I'll add them to my thank-you list.

Do you have anyone who helped get you started writing?

I met Torin today!

Well I sorta met Torin today. Torin is the ancient Irish warrior from my current wip(works in progress) and the hero of my story. Anyway, I've been madly writing this one as it's a sequel to On the Sliver Edge of Time and I really, really love this story.  Time travel just fascinates me. The whole idea of what would we do with the knowledge we have if we had an opportunity to go back in time is just so tantalizing. Or how would we survive in an advanced society if we went forward in time?

Anyway, I digress. I had to take my car in for an inspection sticker. It was a bit overdue. (Only a bit.) I go in to sign the forms and hand over my key when one of the grease monkies came into the shop. Oh my. I couldn't stop staring. He was the spitting image of my vision of Torin. Stocky build, Blue-green eyes, and red, wavy hair. Square face with a strong nose. And he had an intensity about him that was just perfect. And yes, I only stared. I couldn't quite find the words to tell him he was the hero in one of my romances.

That's okay. I know where he works. I'm thinking I'll need the oil changed soon.

Copenhagen

We had the best weather ever for the season. Sunshine and cool breezes marked most of our journey until we got to Copenhagen and then by golly, we had rain. Just enough rain to make things unpleasant but not unbearable. And of course, we were rather weary at that point. One of our first stops was to see the Little Mermaid which of course was on loan to China so they had a live recording of her instead. Interesting concept.

We spent the night on a cruise ship to get from Oslo to Copenhagen. Very nice and the food was great.  After a short bus tour of the city, we enjoyed a tour of the Christiansborg Palace. We also saw the Amalienborg Palace or royal residence.

The following day, we got to tour the Kronborg Castle, the location for Shakespeare's story of Hamlet. Of course we learned there that the story was originally told by others and later made into the famous play.  After our tour there, we had our last meal at Tivoli Garden Amusement Park. It reminded me of Kema and the Boardwalk there.

We went home the next day. Thankfully our guide helped walk us through the Copenhagen Airport. Most confusing and not well marked at all.

To my wonderful Chinese readers

While I appreciate you stopping by to read and comment, in the past, a few of the posts when run through the translator were quite colorful in terminology. I suppose I have you all to thank that I can now cuss in Chinese.

But seriously, if you would like for me to publish your comments, you will need to use a translator and do so in English. I know some of the posts are quite harmless and so I hate penalizing those of you with honest comments. Unfortunately, because of the actions of one or two, I had to put comments on moderation. And because of this, I can't use the translator to check for bad posts until after I actually post. Bummer that, so - I will no longer post anything I have to use a translator on. Sorry. Just the facts of life.

Heading for Oslo

Oh my, but this leg of the trip was fabulous. We went climbed high into the mountains on our way to Oslo.

We stopped along the way and saw a small wooden church. Fresh flowers were place at graves tended by loving hands. That was nice to see.

Stopped at the side of the road to view the snow. Lovely. Pictures don't do it justice. We went throught at least 44 tunnels on our way to Oslo.

Onward to Bergen

On June 6, we left beautiful Stalheim for Bergen, Norway.  There we toured the home of Edvard Grieg, a famous Norwegian composer and muscician.

After our sojourn to Grieg's home, we checked into the hotel, then looked about for a place to eat. Afterwards, my mother was very tied and just wanted to rest, so I arranged to go with others in our group to the Funicular where we rode to the summit of Mount Floien. The view was spectacular and we spent some time enjoying the area. Afterwards, we took our time walking back to the hotel. They had some market areas en route where we all stopped to by trinkets.

We also explored some of the narrow allies between homes and businesses to discover a small slice of medieval times.

Historic Stalheim and the trip to the hotel

We got up early again for our trip to Stalheim, a historic hotel built in 1885. The trip to the hotel was as exciting as the hotel itself. We stopped along hte way to view an historic stave church. This particular church was built around 1100AD if I remember correctly. All made of wood, it's quite amazing that these wooden buildings have withstood the test of time. Why? To build them, the Norwegians would strip the bark from growing trees, bore holes into the trees and let the juices seep out before cutting the trees down for lumber. The wood would be practially has hard as cement.  To preserve the buildings, they tar them every three years. It was fun to note how short the doorways were.

We then continued on to Stalheim located in Voss, Norway and overlooking the Nærøydalen valley.  The view was simply breathtaking.

The hotel boasted an open air museum, one that included several authentic log buildings to show what life might have been like a century past.

Onward to Hamer, Norway

We left Stockholm bright and early. I truly wanted to be alert to see the countryside as we drove, but alas, the bus lulled me into sleep. I did open my eyes on occasion but most of our journey to the Norwegian border is a blur. The first picture shows my mom with one foot in Sweden and the other in Norway.

We stopped in Karlstad en route and enjoyed a nice lunch before heading to Hamer. Most of the scenes I've scenes of the Norwegian countryside were taken from a moving bus through a window so while not the best, I was impressed by how well my camera did.

We spent the night at the First Victorian in Hamer which was okay but instead of a traditional Norwegian meal, they served us Chinese pepper steak. Good, but not what I would have expected.

The next day, we headed out early again. Our first stop was the sight of the 1994 Olympics. The ski jump was very impressive and I actually caught a skier in action. Check out the red dot at the top.

More on Stockholm

One of the things we did while in Stockholm was take a one hour water tour that took us from island to island. The water is very blue.  I also noted a lot of antique sailing ships along the way. As my husband is an avid sailor in the middle of restoring his boat, I took a lot of pictures of sailboats.

Prior to this excursion, we spent time in the bus letting our tour guide tell us all about the sights. We actually had two guides, our regular guide and a city guide. By law, we have to have a city guide tell us about particular places. Anyway, as we were driving about, we noticed these large trucks loaded with teens driving about. The teens were having quite the party. Our guide told us they book the trucks a year and advance and then drive around the city in celebration of graduation from school. What a fun tradition.

One more day in Stockholm and the Vassa

Here's where we ate in Old Town, a very quaint little alley way.

I forgot to tell you about our flight. Interesting. We flew on Lufthansa and our initial flight was delayed almost an hour because the runway was too hot. Then, when we got ready to land in Frankfurt, the plane touched down and imediately went back into the air again for a second approach. Pilot claimed windshear problems. Scary.Okay, so a little more on the hotel.  Security is very tight. We had to use our room key to make the elevator work. We also had to use the room key to make the electricity work. Now, that's a really novel idea, one our hotels in the states should adopt as it forces you to conserve energy. Can't leave without that key so naturally, the lights all get turned off when you're not in the room.

 

The next day, our guide Frits (I think I spelled it wrong in an earlier post - oops) took us to see Drottingholm Palace, a former Royal summer residence. It was supposedly built in a day for the queen's birthday, but it's very oriental in decor. 

Afterwards, Frits arranged to drop us off at Old Town again so we could take the ferry to another island to enjoy the Vassa Museum. I do believe that seeing the Vassa and the drive through Norway was my favorite part of the trip. The museum is home to a 17th century sailing vessel that sank shortly after her maiden voyage. The warship was incredibly ornate, designed to strike fear in the enemy. Too bad the designers failed to add enough ballast.

Mom and I walked the entire way back to the hotel, which turned out to be a bit longer than we expected but it really allowed us to see a lot of Stockholm.

Scandinavia was totally awesome!

But I'm so glad to be home.

So as promised, I'm going to post a chronological diary of our trip. Bear with me as my memory is already fading on some of the details.

After a ten our plane ride to Frankfurt and then to Stockholm, we arrived at the first leg of our trip. Our tour guide met us at the airport and bussed us to our hotel. (You can just see the doorway on the right.) His name was Fits and he was incredible.

A retired school professor, he regaled us with a lot of history when we were held captive on long bus rides. I loved his stories and her keen perspective.

We didn't go imediately to the hotel. Instead we enjoyed a siteseeing tour of the overall city of Stockholm before going to the hotel.  We checked in around 3:00 and mom and I were both bushed. We walked the block but did little else until dinner. The hotel fed us a very nice meal of Swedish meatballs and lingonberries. Desert was apple pie. Yummmm.

On June 2, we went to City Hall.  The building boasts over 18-million gilded mosaic tiles. We also went to Riddarholm Church, a 700-year-old monastery housing the tombs of Swedish kings.  We stopped for lunch at a very quaint little restaurant in Old Town. Stockholm is located on a lot of islands and Old Town is one of the islands that has retained some of its Medieval look.

It was fun exploring the cobblestone streets and looking at the old buildings.

We spent the rest of the afternnon taking a one hour sceneic boat tour. I'll post more later.

Going to Scandinavia!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am working on a sequel to my Viking time-travel but I'm planning a trip to Scandinavia soon so I've been dragging me feet on the book, knowing I'll be very inspired by this opportunity. I can't wait to surround myself with sights, sounds and smells of the birthplace of the people I'm trying to write about. Too fun. I'll get to see a little of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Just a personal note, I do hope to become more active on loops and such again this summer. I miss chatting with folks but man, this second job is really keeping me busy. I love it though. I just have to learn to balance better.

Victorian Fantasy contracted!

It's been too long since I posted, but I wanted to share good news. My Victorian fantasy was contracted about 2 weeks ago. Yeah, I know, I should have shouted from the roof tops but it's been crazy busy at my place.

Anyway, if ever there was a book of the heart, this was it. I wrote her five years ago and have been polishing ever since. It features the Keeper of a mystical world and a very prim and proper Victorian Nanny. As a fantasy, the story comes complete with trolls, fairies and gnomes.

I'll post more about it later, but I wanted to share here first.

Bremond was a Success!

On February 5, I narrated a script for a silent play. The play was inspired by a scene from my book, Once Jilted and was only part of the goings on at the Bremond Library Fundraiser. It was a blast.

Besides the silent play, the Cowboy Church provided cowboy stew cooked outside along with biscuits and cobbler baked in a dutch oven. Kids were treated to a few old time type games while parents bid on silent auction items.

I invited Linda LaRoque to join me. After the play, they allowed us to talk about our books, t

hen afterwards we were allowed to sell and autograph our books. Way too much fun!

To the left are some of the actors in action. And to the right, I'm watching as Linda gives her speech.

The reason I was asked to participate in this event was because Bremond was once a stop for the orphan train and there are still several descendants of the orphan train riders living in Bremond. I really enjoyed giving the program and letting everyone know a little more about the orphan train riders.

Gearing up

It seems like forever since I posted. Most folks would take time to go over new year's resolutions, etc. Well, mine in a nutshell is to survive in the fast lane. Lots of things are going my way already so I just want it to all go smoothly.

Right now, I'm gearing up for a huge event with the Bremond Library. They'll be featuring my book, Once Jilted. It's their annual fundraiser and they are focusing most of the activities around this book. Wow. I'm honored. It's been forever since I acted on stage and I'm so nervous. I'll be narrating a play that's based on a scene from this book.

Right now, I'm sewing a dress so I can look the part. I used to sew all the time but it's been 15 years since I've made a suit and the pattern I chose is basically a suit jacket and skirt. I'll be sure to post pics once it's done. With my schedule, I'm sewing one seam a day. Too fun.