Ah, the holidays! Chestnuts roasting, stockings hung by the chimney, city sidewalks dressed in style, people laughing, mulled cider spices warming the blood… Yes, blood. I have to think of the vampires. They enjoy the holidays, too. One of my favorite things about this time of year is snuggling by the fire with a good book. What does an author of vampire stories read during the holidays, you ask? Some childhood favorites: 1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Sometimes shopping makes me feel like a Grinch, but the Whos down in Whoville always bring out the best in me. My heart grows three sizes with every read. Bring on the roast beast! 2. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Like lead character Sara Crewe, I’ve always been a princess in my own mind. The magic of Sara’s imagination in keeping the hard times from getting to her always reminds me, in a way, of the magic of Christmas. And of course, she has her own sort of Christmas miracle at the end. Did you know that The Little Princess was originally based on Charlotte Bronte’s abandoned manuscript Emma, about an heiress being abandoned penniless at a…

What comes to your mind when you hear the word spies? James Bond, gadgets, an eccentric Civil War-era spinster known as Crazy Bet. Yes, that’s right…a spinster known as Crazy Bet – Elizabeth Van Lew, a Richmond spinster known as Crazy Bet, used her eccentric behavior as a cover for her ingenious schemes, disarming the people she’s deceiving without ever using a weapon. The daughter of a prominent Richmond businessman, she spent her inheritance buying and freeing slaves before the war. During the war, she spied for the Union, supplying information to Union generals; during her frequent visits to the Confederate prison in Richmond, Crazy Bet brought food and books for the imprisoned Federal soldiers and much desired treats for the guards while she gleaned information she could funnel to Union officers. Using her reputation as an eccentric to her best advantage, she adopted the touched persona of “Crazy Bet” to further avoid suspicion of her activities. Elizabeth Van Lew’s story inspired the character of canny spymaster, “Crazy Betsy” Kincaid, in Angel in My Arms, the story of Amanda Emerson, a beautiful Union spy and Captain Steve Dunham, the Union officer she recruits for a suicide mission. Steve Dunham’s facing…

Hello again! Thanks for having me back! I had such fun blogging last time about collections, I’ve been pacing around my office trying to think up another topic that might be as fun. Nothing like a little pressure to motivate…lol. Well, as I was brainstorming, I realized I reached for my tea about ten times. I adore tea. All sorts, flavors and kinds. So I thought, what are your fun foods? Some people call them comfort foods and I think that term applies well. My biggest one is the tea. In my kitchen there is an entire cabinet full of tea boxes. It smells really good when you open it up too. There are loose leaf and bags. Fruit tea…I’m sort of on a cranberry kick at the moment, last year it was almond. I’ve got mint growing in my yard that I often add to my tea when it is brewing. My latest thing has been decaffeinated varieties because I drink so much of it, I have to switch to “unleaded” or I can sit still to write! My Dad was and is a coffee man. I keep coffee in my house for when he drops by. A lesson…

A few readers, after having read my two novels, asked me a similar question, “Is it difficult to write about a prostitute then a nun?” My answer was no. Because prostitute or nun, they are women and human beings. I love to write about women, especially heroines who are on the verge of drastic transformation — their courage, struggles, and triumphs. In my debut novel Peach Blossom Pavilion, story of the last Chinese courtesan, or geisha, Precious Orchid is tricked into a prostitution house after her father is executed for a crime he had not committed and her mother banished to a Buddhist nunnery, Precious Orchid finds herself abandoned in Peach Blossom Pavilion, an elite house of prostitution. At first, life at Peach Blossom Pavilion feels like a dream to the thirteen year-old. Precious Orchid enjoys her poetry, music and calligraphy lessons and feels herself thriving. But all too soon she discovers that this is merely a prelude to her role of pleasing customers, including China’s most powerful men. The novel relates her survival and ultimate triumph: how she escaped from the prostitution house, reunited with her long lost mother, avenged her father, finally finding true love and starting a…

If you enjoy historical romances where a spun-sugar princess has servants at her beck and call to dress her in a sumptuous gown for a lazy afternoon of flower-gathering, you may be disappointed in my books. I like hard-working, goal-driven, salt-of-the-earth heroes and heroines, people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. In CAPTURED BY DESIRE, heroine Florie Gilder is a goldsmith’s apprentice who’s had to learn to fend for herself, and Rane MacAllister is a huntsman who provides food for starving villagers. Why this preference for commoners? Basically, there are three reasons: I get bored with do-nothing characters. (In fact, I tend to make them the villains!) Characters that spend all day fretting over their attire for the ball or learning how to flirt with a fan or going on leisurely flower-gathering expeditions are dull, dull, dull. I’d much rather write about hard-working people with dreams and motivations. Renaissance jobs are cool. Sure, Lady Winifred and Lord Rupert can indulge in certain proper occupations—sewing, dancing, hawking, hunting, attending feasts, going a-Maying. But can they be waxchandlers (candle-makers)? Chapmen (traveling salesmen)? Thimbleriggers (scam artists)? Broom-dashers, beekeepers, or beerbrewers? Who wouldn’t want to write about a hero who’s a vaginarius?…

I love to drive fast. I’m one of those people whose foot is made out of lead when it comes to acceleration. My husband constantly tells me to slow down, that I’m going over the speed limit. At my day job (where I’m a scientist), sometimes I rush through an experiment just because I want to know what the answer is — I don’t want to wait. I love the instant gratification of the drive-through, and the wind whipping through my hair as I speed down the highway. For me, life has always been about being in the fast lane. So you are probably all wondering why on Earth I would ever want to become a writer. For those of you who are non-writers, let me tell you a little secret: publishing is slow. Even in the world of ebooks, you have to wait for a response on your submission, wait for edits, wait for second round of edits, and then wait for your release. That’s if you’re lucky. Quite often your manuscript will get rejected, so you will have to revise and resubmit it somewhere else where the process starts all over again. Nothing about this industry is fast….

A-Tac #2 July 2010 On Sale: July 1, 2010 Featuring: Madeline Reynard; Drake Flynn 384 pages ISBN: 0446542040 EAN: 9780446542043 Mass Market Paperback $6.99 Add to Wish List Romance Suspense Buy at Amazon.com Fresh Fiction Readers favorite Summer read! Dangerous Desires by Dee Davis Love is a lethal game. A-Tac is an elite CIA unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college. Brilliant, badass, and seemingly bulletproof, the members of A-Tac are assigned to the riskiest missions and the most elusive targets. When the CIA learns that Madeline Reynard, the mistress of international crime-lord Miguel Ramón, can provide the location of a newly developed bio-chemical weapon, they contact A-Tac. And A-Tac survivalist Drake Flynn is given the responsibility of extracting Madeline from Ramón’s compound, finding the weapon, and transporting them both to a secure location. A woman with nothing to lose, Madeline is willing to risk everything to escape her life with Ramón – even a dangerous trek through the jungle with a man who makes no secret of his disdain. Madeline had an impoverished and dangerous childhood, and she makes no apologies for the life she’s led, but despite mutual animosity, she cannot deny her attraction to Drake….

Fresh Pick is PROMISES TO KEEP by Jane Green http://tinyurl.com/6f9npl # Winston is helping to set up for tonight's DFWTea book club. He's got his seat ready http://twitpic.com/2fyhrb # @SummerSharp you know that is SO Winston. He's starting a stash under the dining room table in case by miracle he's allowed to stay for BC in reply to SummerSharp # @SusanVLewis trust me, Winston knows and loves the book club ladies but he's not allowed out until 9pm Some still save food for him. LOL in reply to SusanVLewis # Powered by Twitter Tools

Carly Carson blogs "Austria Has SOOOO Much to Offer … and not just studel" http://tinyurl.com/2aze6tb # Fresh Pick is THE HOUSE ON OYSTER CREEK by Heidi Jon Schmidt http://tinyurl.com/27ownr7 # Just a short ad: if you're in N. Texas, want to improve your blog, this is the weekend for you! http://tinyurl.com/23mwjxc OpenCa.mp # just a thought, gives me a little shiver every time I see another 100 followers. It's exciting, ah the little joys. Thanks all! # RT @sandishilhanek: RT @ReadersNRitas You can book your hotel rooms using the "RNR" code for rooms starting at $79 http://fb.me/BsRrQp8O # DFW Tea Readers Book Clubs was updated, menu additions for Beverly Barton. http://meetup.com/u/f4t # @DakotaCassidy Yup, we're going to Twisted Root. You're not sick are you? Because I saved myself for a Twisted Root burger! in reply to DakotaCassidy # @thehistorychic get better, because you've got book club tomorrow and you CAN NOT BE SICK (or miss the fun, we'll yak about ya) in reply to thehistorychic # After extraordinary wait & loss of my chili burger 2x enjoyed a green chili cheese burg — at Twisted Root Burger Co. http://gowal.la/r/23aYE # @thehistorychic well, not lost as much as some guy took…

Carly Carson blogs "Austria Has SOOOO Much to Offer … and not just studel" http://tinyurl.com/2aze6tb # Fresh Pick is THE HOUSE ON OYSTER CREEK by Heidi Jon Schmidt http://tinyurl.com/27ownr7 # Just a short ad: if you're in N. Texas, want to improve your blog, this is the weekend for you! http://tinyurl.com/23mwjxc OpenCa.mp # just a thought, gives me a little shiver every time I see another 100 followers. It's exciting, ah the little joys. Thanks all! # RT @sandishilhanek: RT @ReadersNRitas You can book your hotel rooms using the "RNR" code for rooms starting at $79 http://fb.me/BsRrQp8O # DFW Tea Readers Book Clubs was updated, menu additions for Beverly Barton. http://meetup.com/u/f4t # @DakotaCassidy Yup, we're going to Twisted Root. You're not sick are you? Because I saved myself for a Twisted Root burger! in reply to DakotaCassidy # @thehistorychic get better, because you've got book club tomorrow and you CAN NOT BE SICK (or miss the fun, we'll yak about ya) in reply to thehistorychic # After extraordinary wait & loss of my chili burger 2x enjoyed a green chili cheese burg — at Twisted Root Burger Co. http://gowal.la/r/23aYE # @thehistorychic well, not lost as much as some guy took…