I’ve always loved a bolter–Nancy Mitford’s perfect description of women who make a dash for it.  But strangely enough, until I was asked to write this blog, it had not occurred to me that all of my heroines are, without exception, bolters, or traveling women–either in the direction of a new job, or a new life, a new country or some unsuitable adventure in a stranger’s arms. The reasons why I am drawn to such women wouldn’t take long on the analyst’s couch.  I was an air force brat. When I was a child, I changed friends, schools, houses, and often countries every two and a half years. As children do, I accepted this as normal, and if I was emotionally scarred by it, I’m not aware of it, but what it does mean is that certain restlessness is bred in the bone. Which is why I love writing historical fiction: it gives me a perfect grown up excuse to scratch that itch periodically –roughly every two years come to think of it. My first book, THE WATER HORSE, published in the U.S. under the title: BAND OF ANGELS, is a fictionalized account of the life of a woman called…

I hope that you have noticed the logo on the home page of Fresh Fiction advertising the Reader’s ‘n’ Ritas conference in November 2010, and I’m here to recommend Tara Taylor Quinn who will be attending the conference. If you haven’t yet read Ms. Quinn I think you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. She writes a variety of books from those that are heavy on romance and laughter, to those that are more suspenseful, and show how right and love always overcome the evil wrongdoer. I’ve never personally met Ms. Quinn, and am really looking forward to the opportunity to meet her, and have her sign her upcoming books (that should all be available by the time the conference arrives) The First Wife, The Second Lie, The Third Secret, and The Fourth Victim. I have no idea what these books will be about, but I know that they will be page-turners that I won’t want to set aside, because Ms. Quinn is that type of writer. She’s written numerous books about a fictional town called Shelter Valley, of which I’ve not read all, but have read several. I wish I could tell you which ones, but unfortunately I don’t…

Of all of the aspects of writing I’ve encountered as a reader and a writer, I think the question “Where do you get your ideas?” is one of the most common questions about writing, since everything grows out of that seed: plot, action, characters, setting – the entire world. However, of equal interest to me is how an idea develops; stories and characters take on lives of their own, and the final result might be something quite different to what the author originally intended. My first – and as yet unpublished – novel took that kind of left turn. I’d never written anything resembling a book, so when I decided to try it, I opted for a form with which I was familiar: a mystery of the Agatha Christie type. That idea lasted about two chapters, and the characters and plot took the bit in their teeth, and I simply held on. Lovers’ Knot, published this past Spring by Running Press, however, was a bit more straightforward. It didn’t veer off into unknown territory, but grew slowly and broadly from a simple beginning. I had been asked to write a short story for a friend’s anthology, as story with two…

The world of publishing has been shifting recently and authors more than ever are taking it upon themselves to get their work out there. Some have tried the traditions of trying to get an agent or submit it straight to publishers, but many find this way to be closed to them, the reasons many. Though vanity presses and such have been around for a long time, newer companies have entered the game, giving you more options that make it easier for you, the aspiring indie writer. Once you have selected your means of entering the industry for yourself, there are at least three :”P’s” you should follow. There might be more, but I will keep it short…or try to, at least. PROFESSIONALISM Having a book available for purchase needs to put you in the mindset of a business person. Yes, you are the author of a book, but when you self-publish, you are the publisher (and the marketer, the public relations person, the secretary, the bookkeeper, etc), the one that talks to bookstore employees and buyers, review blogs, podcasts, and other places that could possibly deal with your book. When talking to stores about carrying your book: be polite, listen…

Small towns are always a popular setting in fiction, especially in contemporary romance. The Virgin River series by Robyn Carr is a reader favorite, for example, as are the contemporary romances by Toni Blake set in the charming town of Destiny, Ohio. Perhaps we’re drawn to these settings because they promise something that can seem elusive in our fast-paced, over-burdened lives. Although most of us have dozens, even hundreds of “friends” on various social media sites, face-to-face contact with people who really know us in a personal way can seem like a quaint relic of bygone days. My latest book, SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL, takes place in smaller town, but in a historical rather than a contemporary setting. Many if not most Regency-set historical romances take place in London, especially the London of the haute ton. On occasion, the ton probably felt like a small town to those who moved in its exclusive circles. Everybody knew everybody else, and gossip reigned supreme. But London was still a big city, and one could easily get lost in the crowds. Not so in Bath, the setting for SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL. Bath was and still is one of the most…

Right now I’m visiting my parents at their home in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m on my way to the Southern Kentucky Book Festival and my dad suggested that since Nashville is between my home in Atlanta and the Festival in Bowling Green, I might want to stop and stay a day or two. I’ve just emerged from their basement with three suitcases stuffed with about five decades of photographs that will find their way to my car trunk before I leave. Now I know why he wanted me to stop by and “visit.” I’m a self-proclaimed “scrapbooker.” I love pouring over old photographs, peering at the younger faces of my grandparents, parents and siblings, recognizing a favorite sweater or toy, plate, a piece of furniture, and even expressions on those faces. These photographs are like a piece of history I can hold in my hand, and can even relish the hours and hours it will take to sort through them, organize them, put them into albums. Hours I don’t really have right now (ack-two book deadlines this year plus the release of two other books!), but hours I look forward to. My maternal grandmother died this past February at the age…

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to thanks to the folks here at Fresh Fiction for having me on the blog today. Thanks so much! As some of you know, I’m the author of the Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series – Karma Girl (2007), Hot Mama (2007), and Jinx (2008). Back in February, my new Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series launched with the release of Spider’s Bite. The second book in the series, Web of Lies, comes out on May 25, and the third book, Venom, will debut on Sept. 28. One of the things that I love most about writing urban fantasy is all of the things that I get to include in a single book -action, danger, drama, magic, and some sizzling romance. Urban fantasy really is a genre where you can do whatever you want to as a writer, and the only limit placed on you is what you can come up with in your own imagination. So what exactly do my books have in them? Well, I’ve got the requisite, tough, sassy, kick-butt heroine in my main character, former assassin Gin Blanco. I’ve got the magic aspect covered with vampires, dwarves, giants, and elementals,…

If you’ve heard the rumors I’ll have to admit some of them are true. When I meet with authors and readers we have the reputation for closing down restaurants, as in staying past normal closing hours. I’m not sure where it began but I think it’s possible it was Bellevue, Washington at the only Emerald City Writers conference I attended in the ’90s. Yup, it’s been a long long time. And not just ‘odd’ places, I’ve managed to have the people in charge turn up the music, get the pregnant hostess to ask us to vacate and more. Amazing how easy it is to get a reputation. And why you might ask? Well, it’s because when I get with readers and authors we talk and talk and talk — about books! And we don’t want to stop. So many people told me over the years they’d like to be part of this “in” crowd that it only made sense a couple of years ago to give it a whirl. Our first Readers ‘n ‘ritas. The name is simple, I like readers and I adore margaritas, so the name made sense to me — two of my favorite things. The goal…

Those of you who haven’t yet gone through the college admissions process will think that my novel, GETTING IN, surely exaggerates how crazy things get. Those of you who have survived to tell the tale know the truth – which is that everything I wrote about could easily have happened, and in fact may have to someone you know. I’ve spent most of my life writing non-fiction, and at first I thought about doing it again this time – writing an irreverent parents’ guide to surviving college admissions with your sense of humor and perspective intact. But the world hardly needs another guide book. And besides, to me the family stories were far more interesting than the question of where a particular kid happened to get accepted or get turned down. I made up funny subtitles for a novel, to get myself in the right frame of mind: A Comedy of Bad Manners, or A Novel of Desire, because the way we behave seemed a far richer subject than the process itself. I found myself rereading Edith Wharton, Jane Austen, Dawn Powell, and thinking about family and ambition and dreams and competition. I began to look at college as yet…

Most of us have money challenges: credit card debt, too much month at the end of the money, problems with guilt spending and retail therapy. Sometimes those money problems can feel overwhelming. That’s where girlfriends come in. They save us from having to face those problems alone. Our good friends sympathize and support us. They comfort us with chocolate. They help us stay motivated. I’m a firm believer in girl power and the value of bringing in the girlfriend squad to help us conquer our challenges. Which is just what my three friends do in my novel Small Change! When faced with money, life, and love problems these women band together, determined to start making changes. The ones they make eventually add up to a big difference in their attitudes and how their lives play out. The book is fiction, but the concept is real life. Pulling together with your friends is the best way to conquer those financial challenges. So, how exactly can your girlfriend squad help you? First, they can help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to money. Most of us have a hard time finding our money management flaws. If you tend to…