Thanks to the fillies for inviting me back to guest blog with some of my favorite authors.  It’s always a pleasure.  I’ve decided to talk about a topic that’s been on my mind lately.  Cover art.  You have no idea how many questions I get about my Love Inspired covers, mainly from people wondering how much control I have over the final product.  Well, it depends. Here’s the process.  About a year before one of my books hits the shelves I fill out the Art Fact Sheet (AFS) for the book.  That means I have to go a website hosted by the publisher and answer pages of questions about the story.  The questions fall under several categories, such as: Characters, Scenes, Synopsis, as well as a detailed page with basic questions surrounding theme, story hooks, date, setting, story timeline, etc.  The character questions range from superficial things such as physical traits to deeper issues such as psychological wounds.  The synopsis is basically a short and sweet summary of the story, something I would tell a friend at a party or sitting in the stands at a football game. Most of the above is both easy and fun.  However, I find the section about scene description difficult at best.  The publisher wants three very distinct, yet detailed scene descriptions.  This should be easy for me.  I love putting my setting in my books.  But knowing that a real artist will be using my words to create a picture suddenly makes the ideas freeze in my head.  That’s why I love the last and final portion of my job in the cover art process—creating a separate file of the images I think best evoke the mood of my story.  I get to cruise the Internet looking for pictures of my hero and heroine, as well as possible scenes or other similar book covers I think will work for my book as well, especially in terms of overall tone. This final component really makes the story come alive for me in my head.  It’s so effective that I now try to capture many of those types of images before I start writing a book rather than after.  I spent most of my time on this last phase for my current release, MISTAKEN BRIDE.  The final product is one of my best covers yet.  Well, in my opinion, anyway.  In case you’re wondering, I chose images of Alex O’Loughlin and Kate Beckinsale for my hero and heroine.                    Because the three books in the Love Inspired Historical Irish Brides series are so closely connected (each story highlights one of three sisters) the art department decided to create closely connected covers.  If you look at Book 1: THE WEDDING JOURNEY by Cheryl St. John next to Book 2: MISTAKEN BRIDE by Renee Ryan beside Book 3: A BABY BETWEEN THEM you will see that all three covers have a similar color scheme, feel and overall tone.  Each scene depicts the heroine of the story and a ship in some form or another.  What do you think of the three covers for the Irish Brides Series?  Did the art department knock it out of the park, or what?  Leave a comment and you’ll be included in a drawing to win one of three copies of MISTAKEN BRIDE.  An additional grand prize winner will receive all three books in the Irish Brides series. Renee Ryan writes for Love Inspired Historical and Love Inspired.  Her fabulous editor is Melissa Endlich.  For more information, you can visit Renee at renee@reneeryan.com  

Getting an eight-book contract for my Hearts Crossing Ranch series meant that a whole lotta little brainstorms had to burst into real stories. Quick. Like spores or viruses. As things progressed, (Book Five Soul Food is out Friday and I’m currently editing Angel Child, Book Six) I was rather amazed at how often my real life mixed into the inspirations that came my way. Book One, Hearts Crossing Ranch itself is set on a city slicker wagon train trip, not unlike the trip around the Tetons my husband and I recently took. Although I wrote the book first, I’d done enough research so  that details in the book were surprisingly accurate when all was said, done and explored. In Book Two, Redeeming Daisy, a cowboy veterinarian has to deal with a fatally ill black Labrador, a heart-rending experience I based on the loss of our own sweet Marley. (Here she is, left,  with her brother who also has since crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Sigh.) Book Three, Sanctuary, the book of my heart of hearts, glorifies the love, hope and faith of two cancer survivors...based on my own husband (who is four -years cancer free, thank God) and a dear family friend who is battling glioma and desperately  needs your prayers. Book Four, Right to Bragg, deals with a painful rupture among family members who are supposed to love each other, and sadly, echoes an estrangement with my own sibling that I still ache over. Aw, yeah, I bawled when I got to the end of that one. Maybe next Christmas... Soul Food, Book Five which comes out on Friday....what to do? I could do no less than name the heroine after my own beloved niece, Kelley. Truth is, the timing is perfect. She was married just last Saturday in a beautiful Art Deco building in Southern California to a real sweetheart named Jason (yes, he lent his name to the hero.) I had the honor of making her practice bouquet out of her shower ribbons...and to receive a cluster of dark lilies like hers at the reception to honor my hubby's and my long-term marriage which inspires her!   Although my five-year old grandson chickened out of his ring-bearer duties (he was adorable anyway), I also had the honor of reading the couple’s favorite poem. Although it has nothing to do with Soul Food, I can’t help but reprise it now.  By e.e. cummings. Which likely explains all the parentheticals in my post today. i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,  my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful, you are my world, my true) and it's you  are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you. here is the deepest secret nobody knows. (here is the root of the root,  and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope,  or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart  (i carry it in my heart) Well, the real Kelley is an artist, not a vegetarian with a failing restaurant, and definitely not a cowgirl. Nonetheless, Kelley, this one’s for you! May your and Jason’s own love story be a million pages long. Short blurb: With her restaurant on the brink of failure, Kelley Martin comes back home to Hearts Crossing Ranch both to renew her spirit and make some quick cash as chuck cook on the family’s famed city slicker wagon train adventures. Falling for handsome temporary geneticist Jason Easterday is definitely not on her list of things to do. And despite her wavering faith, Jason’s lack thereof shows her there’s no future for them...even if his kisses indicate otherwise.  Always on the move, Jason Easterday has lived his life searching for...something. When he meets Kelley Martin and allows God into his life, Jason feels he's finally found his place. With Kelley at his side, he'll have a home of his own and a wife to adore. But Kelley won't give him the time of day, and she's leaving town to return to her ex. Now, he must find a way to hold  his ground, get her back, and remain where his heart has led him.  If ya leave a comment today, I’ll draw a name to win Books Three and Four.  They are pdf. (That might get you salivating for Book Five. Yeah!)  

   New York Times bestselling author

 

 

K A T   M A R T I N 

 

 Historical Romance ·Contemporary · Romantic Suspense

 

---

 

The cover of a novel is the single most important ingredient in the success or failure of a book.  This isn’t something authors want to hear and it’s not always true.  If the book is special enough and it gets lots of word-of-mouth, even a bad cover can’t stop the book from being a success.  If the author’s name is well known--and I am speaking of New York Times bestsellers with very large print runs--a bad cover can’t stop the book from being a success. However most of us fall in the category where a cover can make the difference between success and failure.  Over the years, I’ve had good covers and bad.  One of the prettiest covers I ever had was on a book called MIDNIGHT RIDER.  The problem was the cover was completely white.  The lovely embossed bird on the front didn’t show up until the reader picked up the book.  Not many did!    The title may have been another part of the problem.  It was chosen by the publisher and no amount of talking could convince them to change it.  The combination of bad cover and bad title was lethal.   The book was my biggest failure and I think it was one of my better books. Starting May 1st, my Sinclair Sisters Trilogy is going to be re-issued.  The first in the series is MIDNIGHT SUN, a fish-out of water Romantic Suspense set in Alaska.  The covers on these three books were extremely plain, just colors and the title.  And I have to admit the title, MIDNIGHT SUN, isn’t that exciting.   I’ve never been particularly good at titles, which makes the cover even more important.  Since changing a book title is very confusing to readers, the publisher is simply changing the cover, putting a guy on the front, which has become sort of a brand for my Romantic Suspense books.   I’m not crazy about the new cover for MIDNIGHT SUN.  For one thing, I just met the cover model, Lynn Gunn and he his absolutely gorgeous--and a terrific guy.  I don’t think the cover does him justice.  Still, it’s interesting, and I’m hoping readers will pick it up and give the book a try. If you enjoy Romantic Suspense and haven’t read MIDNIGHT SUN, I hope you’ll give it a try.  The other books in the series are DESERT HEAT and DEEP BLUE and they get new covers, as well.  Hope you enjoy them all and that you also watch for my new releases.  You can reach me on my website:

 www.katmartin.com

 Very best wishes, Kat

 

 

 Kat is giving away a copy of Midnight Sun to one lucky commentator!

 

 

Now here's an except from Kat's exciting novel:

 

MIDNIGHT SUN 

CHAPTER ONE

 

  Manhattan, New York

     "I don't believe it.  You can’t actually mean to go through with this."  Jeremy paced over to the dresser in the bedroom where Charity stood studying each piece of clothing she intended to take on her trip.            "You can't possibly mean to quit your job, give up your apartment, and go off to some godforsaken town in the wilderness."       Charity flicked him only the briefest of glances and continued to fold her sweatshirt, a red one with a little red-and-white-checked collar she thought was particularly warm.      "It isn't as if you didn't know this was going to happen," she said.  "I've been planning this for weeks.  I told you the day I made the decision to leave.  As you do with anything that doesn't fit into your plans, you simply chose not to believe it."      His crossed the room and reached for her, turned her to face him.  "Think about what you're doing, Charity.  Think what you're giving up.  You've got a good job at Glenbrook Publishing.  You just got promoted to senior editor, forgodsake."      "I gave them notice weeks ago, Jeremy.  They've already replaced the position."       "They'd take you back in a heartbeat and you know it.  You're destroying your career, but if that isn't enough--what about me?"        At five foot ten, with his perfectly styled jet-black hair and deep green eyes, Jeremy Hauser was undeniably attractive.  When Charity had met him at a literacy fundraiser two years ago, she had fallen like a rock for his debonair good looks, Wall Street polish and charm.  After dating him--practically living with him in his swanky Eastside apartment--she knew how self-centered, how totally self-absorbed he could be.       She caught the hand he raised to her cheek and drew it away.  "We've had two years, Jeremy.  We've shared good times and bad, but you know as well as I do, things haven't been great with us for the last six months.  Maybe putting some space between us will help decide where our relationship is headed."       Or if, as Charity suspected, it was headed nowhere at all.       "There's nothing wrong with our relationship.  I'll admit I've been a little stressed-out lately.  I'm up for that promotion and you know how much I want it."  He gave her one of his most charming smiles.  "I realize I haven’t been very good company, but give up this crazy scheme of yours and I'll make it up to you--I promise."       "I'm sorry, Jeremy.  I think this goes way beyond being good company.  We haven't even made love in nearly a month."       He paled a little at hearing her come right out and say it.  Jeremy had always been reserved in the bedroom, which in the beginning she'd found rather sweet.  The truth was, sex just wasn't a driving factor in Jeremy's life.  He was always too tired, too busy, too rushed.  Mostly, he was just too preoccupied with his own needs to care all that much about hers.       She turned away from him, reached for a pair of Liz Claiborne jeans and started to roll them up.  Jeremy leaned over and gently blew against her ear.       "Don't go," he said softly, kissing the side of her neck.  "We'll work things out, I swear it."       Charity eased away from him.  "Don't, Jeremy, please.  Not now."       "All right, what do you want me to do?  What do I have to say to make you give up this crazy idea and stay in Manhattan?  You want to move in with me?  Okay, that's what we'll do.  Finish packing your things and I'll have a moving truck her to pick them up tomorrow afternoon."       There was a time that was exactly what she had wanted.  She had believed Jeremy Hauser was the man of her dreams.  It hadn't taken long to discover he wasn't.  She still didn't know how she'd convinced herself for more than a year that he would change and things would work out between them.       "I don't want to move in with you, Jeremy.  I want to do exactly what I've got planned.  I want to fly out of JFK on Canada Airlines tomorrow morning at seven twenty-nine a.m.  I want to land in Vancouver, change planes and fly to Whitehorse, where, after nearly eleven hours in the air and a two-hour layover, I'll be so exhausted I'll crawl into my bed at the River View Motel without even turning on the TV.  The following day, I want to pick up the Ford Explorer I've leased from National Rent-A-Car and be on my way to Dawson City."        He looked so stunned Charity reached out and caught hold of his hand.  "I know this is hard for you to understand, but I'm twenty-eight years old and I've never done a single thing that's really exciting.  Just once, I want to have an adventure.  Haven't you ever wanted to do something a little bit crazy?  Something you've secretly wanted to do but never had the nerve?"       "No."       She sighed.  "Both my sisters are doing things that are interesting and exciting.  Patience is getting ready to go on the rodeo circuit and Hope is traveling around the country, writing freelance magazine articles.  They're living their dreams and I want to live mine, too."       "Patience is doing research for her PHD," Jeremy argued, "and Hope is trying to salvage her flagging writing career.  You have a very successful career.  You're a fiction editor at a well-respected publishing house.  You should be happy with that."      "Well, I'm not, and I'm tired of arguing with you about it."  She turned and ushered him out of the bedroom, tugged him across her small living room to the front door.  "Go home, Jeremy."  She removed the chain lock and pulled the door open.  "I have a feeling that as soon as I'm gone, you're going to realize our relationship wasn't going anywhere anyway.  You might even be grateful to have your freedom again."       Jeremy's mouth thinned but he didn't argue.  He wasn't in love with her and deep down he knew it--she was simply a convenience.  That kind of relationship was enough for Jeremy but not for her.       "You're going to be sorry, Charity," he said stepping out into the hallway.  "Unfortunately, by the time you figure that out, it's going to be too late."  

To order just click on the book cover!

 

  Have you ever tried to write a dream sequence or a flashback in your novels?  What did you think of it when you were finished?  Were you happy with the end result, or did it leave you feeling a little flat when you read back over it?  The school of thought on dreams and flashbacks is divided.  Some believe that the use of these devices exhibit the writer's immature efforts at crafting backstory and plugging it in, resulting in an amateurish debut into the literary world.  If not done well, this could prove true.  But why pick on flashbacks and dreams?  Even plain storytelling without the use of these literary devices can sometimes result in what dissolves into, at best, a "freshman effort."  It's not necessarily due to using these tools, though some critics may call upon this as their "rule of thumb" to judge by.  Another argument against flashbacks and dreams is that they lead the reader out of the actual moment of the story, and may somehow "confuse the reader."   Oh, come on.  The only bit of confusion that might occur is not the result of the dream or flashback itself; rather, the inability of the writer to make his meaning clear--again, resulting in an immature presentation.  Yes, flashbacks and dreams are sometimes tough to transition to and from, and make that transition "work."  But they can be invaluable tools in creating your backstory.  What are the advantages of dream sequences?  They can foreshadow events to come, or provide information about events that the dreamer witnessed.  In my book, Fire Eyes, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner is being tortured by a band of renegades, so he isn't paying attention to some of the details of events and conversation that is taking place around him at the time.  But later, when he's safely recovering, he dreams about what happened to him.  This dream does two things for the reader: 1.)  It lets us know what, exactly, was being done to Kaed through the conversation and actions of the participants.  We see and hear what is happening, as if we are there, in the moment, without Kaed having to re-tell it to someone. 2.)  It allows Kaed (and the reader) to seize upon a very important piece of information that's pertinent to the plot. He was not aware of it consciously, but his subconscious thoughts had picked it up, and it was revealed in the dream. If you are writing a story with psychic or paranormal happenings, dreams could be a shared link between characters.  This device is used often in novels that include time travel, as well.  One thing to consider when writing a dream sequence is the way your character sees life, and what his or her culture is.  Make your dreams and flashbacks reflect this appropriately.  In Native American culture, an owl is a symbol of impending death--not wisdom.  It might mean different things to people from other cultures.  Yet, a raven will probably hold much the same symbolism for everyone.  Your characters can solve problems in their dreams.  This happens in reality--it can happen in fiction.  Remember, like the presentation of a gourmet meal, a seamless story is in the telling, or the writing.  Backstory is sometimes essential, as are clues to the story that might not be able to be presented any other way.  Make your transitions to the past, or in and out of the dream state, as flawless as possible.  If you do this, your readers won't be confused, and you'll hold them spellbound as they see the story unfold along with your characters.  Do you use dreams and flashbacks in your writing?  I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on this. I personally love both dreams and flashbacks, and use both quite frequently in my writing.  Let me hear from you! FIRE EYES will be re-released through WESTERN TRAIL BLAZER publishing this summer with a brand new cover and some changes to the story that were left out of the original version.  

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening! Thanks for joining me here today.  Let me say upfront that I will be giving away a free book today -- I'm experimenting with giving away ebooks -- so far I haven't figured it out, so I might still be giving away mass market books -- but I will be giving away another book to some blogger today -- so come on in and please leave a comment in order to enter the contest. I thought I'd tell you a bit about the writing of the book, PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN today.  This book has only recently been issued as an ebook -- and this cover is probably my favorite cover of all of these ebooks.  I love them all (the covers), but this one particularly touches my heart. PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN was a book that was written at a time in my life when things weren't going too well.  I've already blogged about the writing of GRAY HAWK'S LADY and how that book was written as I met and fell deeply in love with my husband, Paul.  Unfortunately PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN's story isn't quite so bright, I fear.  At this time in my life, I'd recently gone through a divorce and had returned to California where I hopped straight into a relationship that was anything but a good one.  However, I didn't realize that at the time, and so stayed in the relationship prehaps beyond what I should have. Believe it or not it was the writing of this book that opened my eyes to what my heart and mind were refusing to see.  (This is the book that I had written before I met and married my husband, Paul, whom I love so very much.) Off to the left here is a picture that was taken just a little bit later than this time period in my life -- I'm the one sitting down on the far right in the white jacket.  Anyway, back to my story.  I was in the middle of writing PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN and it wasn't going very well due to many different elements in my life that just weren't right.  But it was a scene near the beginning of the book that opened my eyes to what was going on around me.  I know that sounds funny, but I guess sometimes we don't always really realize things until it hits us square in the face.  In this very telling and important scene the heroine, Julia, is talking with her husband, Ken, in flashback, I believe.  In this scene Ken is saying some horrible things to Julia.  Really horrible -- and all those words came directly out of the mouth of this man who was in my life at that time.  Actually I had to go back and revise that scene because what was really said was doubly worse than what was written.  I edited it because I thought that it would probably seem unreal to others that someone could say such horrible things to another human being. Over to the right is another picture that was taken about that time (I don't have many pictures that were taken at this period in my life).  And this picture was taken almost a year later.  Anyway, back to my story.  It was the writing of that scene and the fact that my hero in the book, Neeheeowee, a friend of Julia's, was going to save her and bring love to her.  Not her husband, Ken -- a terrible man -- but rather Julia's friend from the past, Neeheeowee.  It was this realization and a few other incidents that happened around that time that decided me.  This relationship broke up very, very shortly after the writing of that scene.  Off to the left here is a picture taken about 2 years after the incidents that I am describing above -- this was taken at an RWA convention in Florida way back when -- and I'm here with friend, Catherine Snodgrass. Now you may wonder -- if this time period produced such a terrible example of mankind -- who did I pattern the hero after?  Here I was fresh out of a divorce, and having jumped into a soul-destroying relationship.  Well, similar to the heroine in the story, I had a friend at this time who was never unkind to me, who liked me and never judged me, and who always took my side in most everything.  Although never romanctically involved, the hero in the story took on many of the different characteristics of my friend.  Also at this time period in my life, my friend needed a friend, and I became that to him. In the story of PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN, both the hero, Neeheeowee (Proud Wolf -- translated literally "Wolf on the Hill") and the heroine, Julia, bring a better life to each other through happenstance, through love and through commitment to their friendship, which in the story, itself, becomes a deep, lasting love.  When I first saw this ebook cover of PROUD WOLF'S WOMAN, I was so struck by how this cover brought this story to life.  For me this cover says more than mere words what is felt between these two courageous people in this story.  It's sometimes said that truth is stranger than fiction -- and for me this was really true in the writing of this book.  I was certain no one would ever believe the terrible words that were thrown at Julia in the story -- and although I wrote them word-for-word originally, I went back after I'd finished writing the book, and edited them so that another might actually believe that a man might say such things. This was a major book for me -- a book that completely helped to open my eyes.  It was also a book that aided me in envisioning a true love -- if only because in this book, both the hero and heroine discover a love that had always been there, but had gone unnoticed because of their different cultures. Well, that's all for today.  I really hope that you've enjoyed the blog today, sad though it is.  But perhaps it's not so sad, since it was the writing of this book that opened my heart to the fact that there could be so much more to life and to love.  Please don't forget that I do have about 7 new to ebooks on sale at the moment -- and here is the link to go and see all these beautiful and wonderful new covers that Samhain Publishing has done.  They are works of art.  http://store.samhainpublishing.com/karen-kay-pa-1676.html Please do come on in an leave a comment.

  Today, we welcome author Robert Randisi. He writes western novels and detective thrillers. His publishing list is quite long. He's graciously let us interview him. We hope you enjoy what he has to say. How did you start your writing career? I started reading in earnest when I was 10. Decided to write my own stuff when I was 15. Went to the movies and saw HARPER. Read all the credits, discovered the movie was based on Ross Macdonald's book THE MOVING TARGET. I went out and started reading Ross Mac, and all other private eye fiction. That year I decided I wanted to write private eye fiction, and I wanted to write for a living by the time I turned 30-and I did. What was your first sale as an author? I sold a story called "Murder Among Witches" to Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine when I was 22. How did you come to write Westerns? I backed into writing The Gunsmith series and-as a result-also backed into writing westerns. I had written my first novel, THE DISAPPEARANXCE OF PENNY, a private eye novel, for Charter Books.  It was my hope-and the hope of my editor, Michael Seidman-that I'd be writing for books in the "Henry Po" series, but one day I got a call from Michael who asked me, "Can you write westerns?" At that point I had never even read many westerns, but I naturally said, "Yes." (This was 1981. Back then I always said yes.)  He told me to come up with a proposal for a series. I went to a used bookstore and bought about 40 westerns, representative of at least one book in every existing series. I read them so that I would not repeat anyone's character. I then came up with a proposal for The Gunsmith series.  The working name for the character was "Tom Sideman."  I submitted the proposal about a traveling gunsmith who was actually a fast gun legend AS WELL as a true gunsmith.   Michael liked it and gave me a contract for two books. When I submitted the first book he said it was good, but that he was going to have to break me of my "hardboiled" style. I told him that in a western it was called "hardcase." Before long I got a call and Michael said they wanted to give me a contract for a third book, as well.  I said that was fine.  Within weeks he asked me if I could write a book a month. I didn't know if I could, but I said, "YES." They then gave me a contract for 9 more books, which made it an even dozen I was contracted for. And so, I began . . . Oh, one morning  about 8:30 am - I had just gotten in from my real job with the NYPD and had only gone to bed at 8:00 am - Michael called me and said they had just had an editorial meeting and decided to call the character "Adam Steele."  I told them that was fine with me, but that they should check with George Gilman, who already had a 22 book series about Adam Steele. (Really, who was doing their market research?)  He said he'd call me back.  Later that day he called and said they'd decided to name him "Clint Adams."  I said they could call him Sue if they wanted, as long as they paid me. The first book was published January 1982, the same month I quit my job and became a full time writer. When in the day/night do you write? How long per day? I write every day, day and night. How long depends on whether or not I have to go out and run errands that day. Two day shifts, broken up by dinner. Two night shifts, broken up by a nap.  The longest stretch is usually midnight to 4. Usually, I'm working ion two books at one time-a mystery and a western. What books have most influenced your life? Private eye novels, meaning Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Ross Macdonald.  An occasional favorite novel like NINE PRINCES IN AMBER by Roger Zelazney, REPLAY by Ken Grimwood, HEIRO'S JOURNEY by Sterling Lanier, DINOSAUR BEACH by Keith Laumer. What do you think makes a good story? Anything that shows an application of serious imagination. Who is your favorite author? I don't have one-and by that I mean I don't have ONLY one.  But the books I mentioned above comprise a good list-Chandler, Hammett, Macdonald, Zelazney, Laumer, lesser known authors to the general public like Thomas B. Dewey, Ralph Dennis, modern authors like Pete Robinson, Wallace Stroby and Max Allan Collins. What is the hardest part of writing your books? The time to write all the ones I have in my head. I generally do about 16 books a year. These are mostly books I HAVE to write to make a living. That doesn;t leave much time to write the books I WANT to write. What are your pet peeves as a writer? As a reader? My pet peeve used to be self published authors who thought they should be eligible for professional awards. If you put on a play in your basement should you be eligible for a Tony? But "self-published" has come to mean something totally different these days. But I still don't approve of it as a short cut to a career. Having the disposable income to publish your own books doesn't make you as writer. As a reader? Hmm, writers who have nothing new to say. Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they? The business has changed a lot, but my advice has not. Write every day. Don't look for short cuts. Pay your dues. Where are your fans most likely to find you hanging out? Casinos, race tracks, book stores mostly. And sitting behind my desk. A lot! Who are your books published with? The Gunsmith series has been published for 30 years by Berkley. My Rat Pack books were published by St. Martins Press, but have been moved to Severn House.  I've had some books published recently by Perfect Crime Books, Vantage Point.  I had 24 books published with Dorchester over the past 15 years until they went under. My Adult Westerns are being reprinted by Speaking Volumes LLC. Visit me at: www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/randisi_r.html On Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001698781430&sk=photos

 The Fillies Welcome...

 

Janet Dean

 

 

I’m excited to hang out with the fillies and their terrific friends here at Petticoats & Pistols! This visit marks the release of my first novella and sixth Love Inspired Historical. Last Minute Bride, Brides of the West, is on bookstore and discount store shelves now. The anthology also includes wonderful stories by authors Victoria Blyin and Pamela Nissen. Three for the price of one, a romance bargain.

 

Here’s a peek at Last Minute Bride:

 

Elise Langley was stung to the quick when her would-be suitor suddenly left town. But when David Wellman returns and they are thrown together organizing their friends’ wedding, can she open her heart again?

 

In the dedication to Last Minute Bride, I tell my husband that our wedding day was the best day of my life. The days our daughters were born rate as best days, too, but my husband gets top billing. He was first after all.

 

Our wedding took place on a perfect June evening in a flawless ceremony…if you overlook that no one thought to turn off the sanctuary lights for our candlelight service. The bridesmaids wore aqua floor-length dresses and matching pillbox hats with short flirty veils. The flower girl, my five-year-old cousin, not only looked adorable, she performed like a pro, scattering petals down the aisle. The groom, groomsman and dads were debonair in black tuxes. We all either carried bouquets or wore boutonnieres of white daisies. Lace daisies adorned the scooped neck of my short-sleeved floor-length white gown. The dress graced the cover of Brides Magazine. I still have the picture, the dress, veil, even a packet of rice that wasn’t thrown as we left the church. We found rice in our Chevy convertible for months afterward. The reception consisted of a tiered wedding cake, punch, coffee, mints and nuts. The entertainment was the gift opening, nothing like the elaborate sit-down dinner and dancing at our daughters’ receptions. Though our simple reception was typical for my hometown, it does sound kind of, well, boring. But when you’re surrounded with love and well wishers and feel like the bride and groom cake topper come alive, you’re not bored. J Anyone else have this kind of a reception?

 

Not all weddings go as smoothly as ours did. We’ve all heard, perhaps some of you have even experienced, fainting or giggling grooms/brides/bridesmaids, screaming flower girl/ring bearer toddlers refusing to take a step down the aisle, dropped rings, and a pastor who messed up the couple’s names. If you want to see the funny and the not so funny, check out YouTube.

 

No matter what happens, most couples end up married. I’ve heard that brides and grooms have been stood up at the altar, but never witnessed it. The weddings I’ve attended have been beautiful, deeply meaningful ceremonies that strengthen my commitment to my own vows.

 

These days, with our family and friends and their children married, we attend very few weddings. I miss them. I love everything about weddings. The sacredness of the vows, the stunning clothes, lovely music, smiling faces, wedding cake. I soak up the romance of it all. My husband and I are great guests, if you need extras. LOL We stay late and love to dance. We’re no Ginger and Fred so the crowded dance floors suit us fine. I’m sentimental and get weepy during the ceremony so take a fancy handkerchief. Not sure why I get teary, except that watching the starry-eyed couple take this important step, eager to embark on their new life together, full of hopes and dreams, zips me back to the best day of my life, our wedding day. A happily ever after ending that isn’t fiction.

 

I realize that not everyone finds Mr. Right. Lots of marriages don’t end happily. If that’s the case for you, I hope you will be blessed with peace in your circumstances and optimism for the future. It’s never too late to write a new story, to have a new beginning, to find contentment in the now.

 

I'm giving away a copy of Brides of the West and Wanted: A Family. Perhaps you can share yours or someone’s wedding story. Or if you’re brave, a wedding calamity. Better yet, something funny during the ceremony that made everyone laugh. Whatever is on your mind, leave a comment for a chance to win.

 

Follow the bouncing ball

A couple of years ago I wrote a series of cozy mysteries for a special line my publisher was launching. They released, they conquered the world, they faded away. Now they're back. That is all true except for the conquering part. They're back, they've got new titles and a new author (still me-that's the bouncing ball part of this story) and they're ebooks only and they are extremely inexpensive on Kindle. Buy it Here The good thing about this is, if you buy it and find out you've already read it under the other name, it's not like you're out a whole lot of money. And, PS, you don't have to have a Kindle to buy it. You can download it onto your computer. Amazon will tell you how. They are extremely helpful even when they are selling things for precious little money. I suspect they are changing that policy even as we speak, but for now, the deal is on. Book One of The Historical Society Murders is now called Bury the Lead. It was formerly Of Mice...and Murder. There were those who thought the super cute use of MICE was...ahem....off putting. Since many people loath and fear the little disease carrying vermin, I can understand this. Here's a bit about Bury the Lead by that mystery woman Mary ConNealy. Carrie Evans loves the big city, so why has she taken up residence in her dinky hometown? She has visions of success as a big city journalist, instead she’s the editor of the Melnik Bugle, the smallest of small town weeklies. She wants her life back, but the cute guy who’s repairing her decrepit house seems to think Melnik is a best place on earth. I wrote three of these cozies. If you like book #1, you might like the others. Book #2 is now called Fright at the Museum, formerly Pride and Pestilence. Also by that mysterious Nealy chick. Buy it here (They cost $2.99.) Fright at the Museum: Museum curator Bonnie Simpson is attacked then nearly run over, then she finds a dead guy in Melnik’s Historical Museum, which is the closest she’s come to having a visitor to the museum all week. Joe, the guy who attacked her might have been diving on her to save her from the car. And the car might have just been an octogenarian with an accelerator/brake problem. But that still leaves a corpse to explain.       And last but not least, the exciting conclusion to The Historical Society Murders, Trial and Terror. (formerly The Micemen Cometh) Buy it Here Trial and Terror: Just when Melnik looks set for revitalization, Maddie a troublemaking doctoral student comes to town doing research that could ruin everything. When Maddie finds a dead body and is arrested, Tyler Simpson finds out he’s the court-appointed attorney for the most hated woman in town.         And now, in conclusion, in honor of small towns everywhere because this series is set in a small town, I'll include a picture or two (actually FIVE) from my journey across Iowa last week. I didn't visit every town I'll mention but I did see a few of them...which inspired me to mention the rest.       Riverside, Iowa Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk (which I think is hilarious)                 Ida Grove, Iowa which is inexplicably called The Castle City. Well, not inexplicably, clearly all the castles are an obvious explanation, still, castles? Seriously?   In Iowa? The fact that they are there is the inexplicable part             Sac City, Iowa, the home of the World's Largest Popcorn Ball. It's fully edible I checked. I checked then I got thrown out of town. HELLO! Over react much?? And they didn't even give me a toothpick to get the hulls out of my teeth. A few hours of community service (not in Sac City-can they really banish you from a whole town for eternity? Harsh much? There was plenty of popcorn left!!) and my record will be expunged so it's like it NEVER EVEN HAPPENED.                   Algona, Iowa, the home of the World's Largest Cheeto   This is just disturbing. That Cheeto doesn't even look tasty and everyone knows Cheetoes are DELICIOUS. Originally found in a bag of Cheetos in Hawaii, it was put up for auction on Ebay. When the bidding went out of control at over $1 million, the seller became fed up, knowing the bidding was bogus, and finally sold it to the small town of Algona in Iowa, who had been bidding from the very beginning, but ran out of funds.             And, I had to leave Iowa for this one but it was so cute I decided it was worth it. I didn't leave Iowa to visit it. I left Iowa, using Google, to find it.

The Home of the World's Largest Letter A

  Paris, France        So is your hometown famous for anything? Or have you heard of funny, charming claims to fame by little towns? http://www.maryconnealy.com

Please welcome our special guest...

 

 Deb Mullins

 

Many thanks to Petticoats and Pistols for their kindness in having me as a guest today. I’d like to talk about road trips. Have you ever been on one? Do you like them? Hate them? I tend to like them. The fun thing for me is that you never know who you will meet, what you will see, what you will eat.   About five years ago, my family and I took a road trip when we moved across country from east coast to west. We stopped at Graceland so my husband could have a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. We went through Memphis and ate barbecue on Beale Street and continued through Oklahoma as they were getting pelted by locusts (try getting those guys out of the nooks and crannies of the car). We stopped in Texas and watched people try to get a free meal by eating a 72 ounce steak (not many successes there). We drove through Albuquerque and ate lunch in Old Town, then continued on through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest of Arizona. For some reason I thought the Petrified Forest would consist of standing trees, but it’s actually fossilized chunks of tree trunks just laying on the ground! (They still look like trees!) We continued on to Slide Rock near Flagstaff, a natural water slide that was nice and refreshing on an August afternoon, before moving onward toward our final destination.   This is a journey I’ll always remember. There’s an intimacy to a road trip that brings you closer to the people with whom you’re traveling, shared experiences and memories that linger with you forever and bind you in a way you can’t explain. Perhaps this is why I decided to do a road trip for my April release, THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER (Samhain Retro Romance).   Susannah Calhoun has been arrested for murder and is being transferred to Denver for trial. It seems the deceased is the brother of a U.S. Senator who is pulling some strings. Of course, Susannah didn’t kill the guy, but for once her famous charm fails her as no one believes her about the missing witness who can prove her innocence. When she discovers that her escort to Denver is none other than U.S. Marshal Jedidiah Brown, a man who left town without a word after they shared a flirtation and a kiss a year before, she figures she’s on her own to find the truth. No way would the straight-arrow ex-soldier from Charleston ever believe that she didn’t kill Brick Caldwell, not with the evidence pointing her way.   But when Brick’s irate brother breaks into the jail with a lynch mob in an attempt to hang Susannah, it’s Jedidiah who comes to her rescue. With Susannah’s life in danger, Jedidiah decides they’re going to skip the train and head to Denver on horseback instead to give him more control over their route and schedule. Road trip!   For all that Jedidiah did walk away without a backward glance, he has never been able to forget Susannah. And now that they’re stuck with each other, he finds it harder and harder to ignore the attraction between them. Susannah has tried to dismiss Jedidiah as the one man she couldn’t charm, but the more time they spend on the road together, the more she longs to be the woman who can make him stay.   THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER is the second book in the Calhoun Sisters series (Book one is DONOVAN’S BED.) Come along for the ride as Jedidiah tries to find ways to make Susannah less memorable (how do you disguise the most beautiful woman in the world?), meet the people they encounter along the way, and discover the reasons Suzie cannot seem to stay locked in a jail cell.        

I’m giving away a copy of THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER (electronic only) to one lucky commenter. An excerpt of the book is available here: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/lawmans-surrender-p-6774.html

 

Hannah Benning, the heroine in HANNAH'S VOW, was the daughter of a master thief and confidence man--and in her youth, a student of his trade--so of course, I had to show her in action at some point throughout the book.  I located the help of the most famous detective at the time, Allan Pinkerton, who'd written a book chronicling his thirty years of experience dealing with the criminals who kept his agency thriving throughout his remarkable career. With the exception of modern technology, I suppose there's not much difference between the thieves of then and now, so I must ask--do not try this at home. THE PICKPOCKET - One scenario describes a 'mob' of four men who would target victims as they entered, then left a bank.  One 'stall' would watch the bank patron to ensure he withdrew a wad of cash,  and seeing that he'd placed the cash in the inside pocket of the right side of his coat, follow him outside.  His accomplices bided their time until the unsuspecting target entered a busy thoroughfare, a side street, or a narrow hallway of a building.  Two of the stalls would move in front of the victim, a third (the 'hook') slightly ahead, then signal with a cough when the  time had arrived.  The first two would suddenly halt, forcing the victim to do the same.  The hook, with a coat over one arm to conceal his hand, would delve into the bulging pocket and quickly lift the cash, while the fourth stall jostled him on the *left* side to distract him.  The first two men show no interest in the heist and merely resume their walk, and by the time things settle down, the victim is unaware he'd been robbed. THE MOLL-BUZZER - This is a thief who steals a lady's pocketbook.  Thieves of this type owe their success to wearing a loose sack-coat in which the pocket had been cut open.  Since the coat's lining hangs free at the bottom, he is able to slip his hand completely through.  In addition, he always keeps a handkerchief in the pocket.  His target is the lady seated in a streetcar, always crowded and jostling.  From outward appearances, he sits (or stands) with his hand in his pocket, yet he manages to pull up her overskirt enough to reach her pocketbook, then catching hold of the bag, draw it up his own pocket then step away.   If she feels the movement of his hand against her person, he merely pulls out the handkerchief and makes a show of wiping his face, and no one is the wiser.  WEEDING A LEATHER - For the most expert of thieves, this entails dipping two fingers into the lady's pocket and opening her pocketbook, hooking one finger and clearing out its contents without even removing the thing.  Imagine the speed and dexterity you'd need to do that! I've managed to infuse several more examples throughout HANNAH'S VOW.  Let's read one below: Set-up:  After her father's death, Hannah flees to a monastery to escape her sins and seek the peace she craves.  But a late night visit to a nearby penitentiary goes horribly wrong, and she's kidnapped by one of the prisoners,the hero,  wrongly accused Quinn Landry.  Worse, he's deathly ill, and she must save both him and herself.  To do that, she must call upon old skills, the very ones she's vowed never to use again, to survive. Excerpt: A sturdy lock kept her from the contents.  She returned to the rig and searched for the key, her fingers skimming over the floor, up the sides, under the seat. But, of course, she didn’t find one.  Fenwick wasn’t that stupid. She sat cross-legged on the ground, the box in front of her.  It was made of tempered steel, too solid to jimmy apart without the proper tools.  She studied the lock and recognized its make.  A set of bar-keys wouldn’t work, even if she had them. But a widdy would. The knowledge came rushing back in a torrent too powerful to stop, memories of skills she’d learned under her father’s watchful eye, tricks she’d vowed never to use again. But tonight, she had to.  To survive. Hannah returned to the carriage again, retrieved Fenwick’s umbrella, and opened it.  She bent one of the wires, wiggled it back and forth until the metal snapped, then tossed the umbrella aside. She sat on the ground again and fashioned a loop on one end of the wire.  All she needed next was a length of fine cord. She hesitated. The cord stringing her rosary beads would complete the widdy, but to destroy something so sacred to burglarize another man’s belongings . . .. Mother Superior would be mortified. But Hannah assured herself that if the abbess were cold and hungry and holed up in the middle of New Mexico Territory with an accused murderer, she’d do the same thing.  Surely, this was all part of the test?  Finding a way to survive? Hannah removed the rosary from her waist and broke the cord; the beads slid off into a pile in the grass.  She formed a tight knot on the unlooped end of the wire.  At last, the widdy was finished. And it was perfect. Keenly aware of the deepening cold and rapidly fading light, Hannah slid the knotted end into the lock’s mortise.  Closing her eyes, she worked the tool, allowed a portion of the cord inside.  She felt her way and knew just when to pull the cord taut. The lock snapped open. She flipped the box lid up and gazed in wonder at the contents inside: a scattering of gold coins and bills; a miniature bottle of whiskey; a pearl handled derringer; laudanum; a pocket-knife, cheroots; and a box of matches. Only then did Hannah remember it was Christmas night. And Fenwick couldn’t have given them finer gifts.

To buy HANNAH'S VOW for your Kindle, click here! 

Now I'm curious.  Have you ever been robbed before?  Wronged by some smooth-talking con man?  Taken in by some scam? I hope not!  But if you have, we'd love to hear about it!