And I’m still full from my turkey induced coma of last week, have done no shopping and don’t plan to. What am I going to do this holiday season? Read. And read some more. Funny thing that. Thanksgiving night I was going a bit stir crazy wanting a good book. One with a hot alpha, who had hot alpha friends, and who meet up with a heroine who was like no other woman any of them had ever encountered. I was stumped because this story also had to have mad passion, conflict and angst. I looked over my to-be-read pile and still could not quite find what I was looking for. Then I looked down at the box that had arrived from my publisher Simon and Schuster the day before. I knew what was in it, and I smiled. There in that box was a true love story that still haunts me almost 8 months after I wrote it: MASTER OR TORMENT, book two in my Blood Sword Legacy series. This story is of Sir Wulfson and Lady Tarian Godwinson. It is without exception a story of my heart and soul, and it transcended the pages. Reviewers love this story,…

Is there ever enough of it? It seems our lives fairly leap from one moment to the next, barely allowing the time to savor the moment, sometimes even “taste” it! Parenthood, careers, schedules, social lives, volunteer work—it wraps us up so tight sometimes that we long to stand alone on a mountaintop and scream to release the stress! (Okay, that may be “my” vision and yours may be different.) REALITY ALERT: (not for the faint of heart) But in reality, I have to ask myself would I want it any other way? Here is a glimpse of my past week—Deadline of a novella, football game (away) Band contest (45 minutes drive each way) -parent-sponsored/served lunch, transporting grandmas to and from contest parade and field contest-sitting all afternoon waiting for your band to perform, drive home, launder kids clothes, pack to leave Sunday morning-them going to a two day choral festival, us to see oldest son on opposite side of the state. Pick up another son next day, and transport him back home to participate in a football game-where we sat most of the game watching him play in the pouring rain. (They won, that made it all worthwhile) Pick up…

Everyone fears the shadows of the night. No one likes walking down a deserted street after the sun goes down, not in 2008—and not in 1508. Of course, we think we’re being silly to start at every little sound we hear—when we know nothing is lying in wait for us out there in the dark. And violence and crime is on the upswing because our society has broken down—and not for any other reason….right? Welcome to the world of the Masters of Time. The Masters of Time are Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages. They do not choose their destiny—it is chosen for them. The Masters are medieval men to the core—savage in war, ruthless in outlook, totally sexist in nature, and impossibly powerful—after all, they are descended from the old Celtic gods. And one of their greatest powers is the power to leap through time… And then along comes a very modern and independent woman… The romantic conflict is instantaneous. Imagine turning your street corner and coming face to face with the medieval hunk of all time—a Highlander who has more power than any mortal, a mandate to save the world, the knowledge he’s a cut…

Let’s talk about Expletives. “God’s Hooks””’Ods toes”“Piss ‘n nettles”“Christ-all-bleeding-mighty!” Little curses and habitual ticks can bring a character to life. As an author writing in the Medieval time period, I chose the above expletives for my debut book, HER ONE DESIRE. Let’s start with the first one: GOD’S HOOKS: Derived from the hooks (or nails) used to fasten Christ to the cross. This particular expletive later evolved into “Gadzooks”. Many of these “God’s”expressions were reduced to ‘od’s or odds as in “‘ods toes”. Of course, part of the fun is making up expletives. I used ‘Piss ‘n nettles’ for one of the secondary characters in HER ONE DESIRE. I tossed words around for days trying to fit ‘John’ with the perfect expression. Not only does a character tend to use a favorite expression, but also favorite sayings, like: “Are ye wowf, man?” Simply from the way it’s written, the reader might be able to guess its meaning. ‘Wowf’ was Scottish slang used to describe someone who might be insane, crazy, mentally ill or deranged. Along with researching forms of speech, I often mull over a character’s nervous tick before I ever start a book. (Sometimes for days at a time)…

I’m thrilled to be guest blogger here at Fresh Fiction today, and the excitement only expanded when I saw the impressive list of authors posting before me here (Gemma Holliday, Jill Marie Landis, Sabrina Jeffries…WOW!). Talk about a treat! With so many fantastic romance authors working these days, it’s mind-boggling to think my books are now going to be placed near them in bookstores. Someone pinch me… wait, don’t. I bruise easily. I was able to see my very first published novel, THE DEVIL’S POSSESSION, in the bookstore last Saturday during another first – my first booksigning. So far, the ride has been amazing, and the readers have been astoundingly gracious with their feedback. So yes, I’m a brand spanking new author. I write medieval romance. But my love for the paranormal and magical things refuses to allow me the purely romantic story lines of ladies like Julie Garwood (my hero) and Johanna Lindsey’s medievals. Amidst all the romantic growth and amazing story-telling in their books that drew me to medievals so long ago, I acquired the seeds I needed to grow my own story ideas. But, from the staple plots of alpha man meets woman who tames him, my…