Wednesday 4 September 2013

A SHORT BREAK & MOCKTAILS COMPETITION

Winner 
 Mark Missy Berger

Congratulations, you have won the fabulous, Triple E-Book prize. Your prize consists of; The House on Burra Burra Lane by Jennie Jones, What Happens In Ireland by Whitney K-E and
The Hostage by multi-award winning author, Carolyn Wren.

Carolyn, has also generously added, Diplomat's Daughter, Book 1 of, The Protectors Series to your prize. This book was recently awarded, RWA 2013 Ella Winner for, Novella of the Year.

Best wishes & happy reading from TRM.



Sasha Cottman,

The ever kind and generous, Carolyn Wren would like to offer you a copy of her, RWA 2012 Emerald winning e-book, The Hostage. (Finalist - Daphne Du Maurier)

Congratulations, it's a wonderful story. - AP Castell

Thursday 15 August 2013

A SHORT-BREAK & MOCKTAILS WITH

 THE ROMANTIC MUSE (TRM)


AP Castell: Hmm, smell that fresh country air.

Jennie Jones: Thanks for organising this AP. It’s really countrified out here, isn’t it?
AP Castell: My pleasure. Yep, though I must admit, I underestimated just how far this place was from the nearest town.

Jennie Jones: It was a long drive but I packed a few chocolate bars, and have my bottle of bubbly ready to put in the fridge! Happy!
Carolyn Wren: I packed a few dozen chocolate bars because I’m hopeless at reading my GPS.  Surprisingly, I only got lost 3 times.  It’s a personal record.

AP Castell: Three times, not bad.  My chocolate stash was in the boot of the car. I could have used some after swerving to miss a wallaby. Just about gave me a heart attack. It looks like everyone else found the bungalow without incident?
Whitney K-E:  I wouldn’t say without incident. Did I mention I am hopeless with directions? And coffee?!  I couldn’t find anywhere that sold a good coffee.

AP Castell: Gotta hate that. You know, I’m feeling a little guilty sitting out here on this deck catching rays, while the rest of the world is hard at it. *sighs contentedly*
Jennie Jones: Em – nope, AP. I don’t feel guilty at all.

Whitney K-E:  Hehe, I agree with Jennie.
Carolyn Wren: My poor little fingers are worn down to the bone with editing, I refuse to feel guilty today… hand over a chocolate.

AP Castell: Here catch. Good thing we all brought multiple boxes. *pops chocolate in her mouth & leans back in deckchair* You girls are right, I shouldn’t feel guilty, we all needed this break. The year is flying by, so much has happened in the last six months. *grabs another chocolate*
It was only this January that, Whitney was holidaying in Ireland and by the end of February, What Happens in Ireland, was contracted to, Secret Cravings Publishing Two dreams fulfilled in such a short time. That has got to feel pretty awesome Whitney?

Whitney K-E: Sure does! I miss Ireland so much. Think about it every day which keeps the Muse busy writing and editing the rest of the series.  Maybe on our next vacation, I can drag you three to Killarney?
Jennie Jones:  Count me in!

AP Castell: Yes, please. Ireland is definitely on my, Bucket List. Do you recall what inspired the original idea for your story, Whitney?
Whitney K-E: I was planning my trip to Ireland with my best friend and sister. And from there grew my novels. J I had a two year long wait before I could go to Ireland. And I spent the entire time dreaming about it and writing my novels.

AP Castell: I’d be dreaming too.
Then there was the release of, The Scientist, Carolyn’s second book early in the new year. And if that wasn’t enough good news, Jennie calmly announces she’s an Escape Artist! I took this literally, thinking you had been taking magic lessons on the side and keeping it from your TRM buddies.

Sorry, couldn’t resist a little teasing, Jennie. Who can blame me? You sing, dance and act. So the magic idea is plausible. *winks*
Seriously though, The House on Burra Burra Lane, was published this June with Harlequin (Australia) Escape Publishing. The transition to author happened in a whirlwind. In hindsight is there anything you would have done differently to arrive at this point?

Jennie Jones: Heck, I don’t know. No. Yes – well, sort of, maybe (Whitney, could you pass my bottle of bubbly please?). 
Actually, AP, yes! I think my stars were aligned but I also recognised that they’d only be in my sky for so long and that I needed to grasp the opportunity and launch myself into the unknown.  That meant I had to do some hard graft if I wanted to slide down a rainbow. I’d been writing (in beginning mode) for nearly two years and for me, the learning curve was hard to grasp. Writing fiction didn’t come easily - but I didn’t give up (through tears or smiles). I like to think I took up the challenge for myself and that’s the reason why I got published. It’s not just about writing for yourself, it’s about putting yourself wholeheartedly into the open market of competitions and feedback, which is a scary scenario. (Whitney, pass that bottle again, would you?)

Whitney K-E: Bubbly?  I don’t see any bubbly. But I do see a bottle of Bushmills. Hehe, shots anyone? Or a hot totty?
AP Castell: I’ll have a shot, since the champers has grown legs.

So what’s your favourite quote/line from, The House On Burra Burra Lane, Jennie? After a couple of glasses of champagne let’s see if you can still recite it off the top of your head. *g*
Jennie Jones: This is the start of my second glass – and stop counting would you, AP?  My fave line is ‘I want to hold her hand and walk up the hill at the back of town with her. I want to show her the wildflowers and tell her I’ll buy the whole damned field if she’ll only listen.’

AP Castell: Aw, lovely, very romantic. Ethan is so gorgeous, poor tortured soul. *accepts shot-glass from Whitney *  Thanks.  *downs it*
Carolyn, you’re looking very relaxed over there in the hammock. We’re not keeping you awake are we?

Jennie Jones: It’s okay, AP – she’s editing in her head. She’ll come right out of it when necessary (she can multi-task like no woman I know).
AP Castell: Ha! So true.

Carolyn Wren: Hmm? What? Oh sorry, I was visualising Simon Winters wet, with a very small towel wrapped around his waist…
AP Castell: Oh, my God!

Carolyn Wren:  Can someone pick AP off of the floor, please?
AP Castell: Has it suddenly gotten hotter out here or what? *fans face with empty chocolate box*Ahem. Yeah, well it would be safer if you were asleep, if you’re going to randomly drop one liners like that!

Actually talking of hot, this month (1st August) saw the release of, The Widower’s Child. Book five in The Protector Series. This comes less than twelve months after you won, RWA’s Emerald Award for, The Hostage. It was shortly after, that you secured a contract with, Secret Cravings Publishing for the entire seven book series. That’s an amazing achievement, Carolyn. (Clearly a workaholic as well as a chocaholic.)
With a book released every two months; you’re working to an incredibly tight schedule. What has surprised you the most about the whole process?

Carolyn Wren:  My ability to do it!  This is a dream, but not a pensive -stare into the distance with stars in my eyes- dream.  It’s a head down, fingers working, brain spinning, 3D roller coast ride sort of a dream.  And, of course, I’m loving every minute of it.  When I started this, when I entered the Emerald, I didn’t even know how to set a margin.  Fast forward twelve months and I’m pretty good at separating my POV to avoid the dreaded head hopping, clearing out those nasty over repeated words, structuring my chapters…you know, all the stuff a real writer does. 
AP Castell: Aha, and what advice would you give new writers just beginning their journey?

Carolyn Wren:  Write, write, write.  It doesn’t matter if you think what you’re writing is dreadful, and should never be read by anyone.  Keep going.  If necessary, walk away and come back to the story later.  You might find one idea, one chapter, or even a single line that feels ‘right.’ Take that line and run with it.  Don’t write for a publisher, or for an editor, not initially anyway.  Write because you love it, and worry about all the other stuff later.
AP Castell: Great advice. *struggles with the plastic wrapper on a new box of chocolates* What’s everyone working on at present?

Jennie Jones: I’m trying to catch up with Carolyn Wren! And I can’t even think straight when I see what Whitney K-E is coming up with next.
Whitney K-E: I’m working on Deceive Me in Ireland, book two in my Irish series. And a warning ladies. Jack was gorgeous, loveable and well... irresistible. But his brother William is an utter heartthrob. :P

Jennie Jones:: Like I said, Whitney – don’t leave me out of your next Ireland trip.
Carolyn Wren:  I’ve read some of Deceive Me in Ireland, trust me, William is gorgeous   I’m hoping Jennie is working on a certain book containing a character called Ella because I’m dying to read the rest of it! Don’t think you escape, AP, there are a number of your WIP I want to read too.

AP Castell: *pretends a great interest in choosing a chocolate*
Carolyn Wren:  What am I working on?

Hmm let’s see.  I just did pre edits on Protectors book 6 coming out in October, and my Christmas Ghost story Ghosts Of Grace Cottage, coming out in December. I am planning pre edits for Protectors book 7, also released in December, polishing my full length paranormal story called Empathy, and my modern day fairy story Tail of Winthrope Hall (not a typo) and my mammoth 3 book vampire series called The Stolen Ones that I wrote for a friend for her birthday (just for fun.)  In my spare time, I’m sleeping.
AP Castell: You mean plotting scenes starring half naked men.

I’ve put my fantasy, Dawn of the Sorcerer aside for the moment to concentrate on, a contemporary about a couple who are complete opposites in just about every way. It’s a fun story to write, though there is a more serious plot underlining the quirky side. The other day I went back and read the first chapter, surprisingly I really enjoyed it. *g*
Are you ever tempted to read over previous chapters of your WIP?     If so, how do you prevent yourself from tweaking/editing?

Jennie Jones: Oh that’s hard for me. I love to edit as I go, but have learned to find a better medium that allows my creative self to just write regardless of content – just get it down on paper. (Then I sneak back and edit.)
Whitney K-E: Nope. The first draft is spat out in whole for me. I don’t make any changes until I edit. I’m one of those writers who writes in the moment. No going back until the dirty draft is complete!

Carolyn Wren: I write, then I edit.  I can’t do both at once.  When I finish the entire story, then I go back, find the weak bits, and try to fix them.
AP Castell: What about a new story idea?

In my case, inspiration for a story begins with a clear picture of the hero and heroines physical appearance. This includes accents, injuries/afflictions, habits etc. attributed to each character. The plot is revealed in a similar way, the characters communicating their motivations and goals through their actions. How do your stories/characters come to be?
Whitney K-E:  Hmm. I started with an ending for What Happens in Ireland, a beginning for Deceive me in Ireland and Back to Ireland begins in the middle of Deceive me in Ireland hehe. My heroines are somewhat a part of me, exhibiting some of my personality traits, yet blown out of context. And my heroes...*takes a moment to wipe drool from mouth* they are self-made men hehe. They create themselves.

Carolyn Wren:  I need a prologue, an epilogue and a love scene.  My characters often don’t have names or any physical traits in the beginning, but they need a strong connection.  I think that’s why I go for the love scene first.  Not necessarily an erotic love scene.  It could be just a kiss, or a simple touch on the arm, or a look across a room…or a hostage tied up in a room and the covert operative watching him in the darkness, wondering how she will get him out.  Once I feel that spark between my hero and heroine, then I create the story around them.
Jennie Jones:  I start with a scene that pops into my mind. The characters appear in that scene/scenario and I take it from there.

AP Castell: While writing your story did you ever reach a point where you questioned whether the obstacles/challenges you set your hero &/or heroine were too great for them to overcome? (Was their HEA ever in jeopardy?)
Whitney K-E: No.  I had trouble with conflict to begin with. But it’s something I’ve overcome. I’m a plotter these days and it helps to avoid writerly pitfalls.

Jennie Jones: Yes!  And no. My problem to begin with was not giving the characters enough to overcome. The HEA was never in jeopardy but how to get them from start to HEA was definitely in jeopardy
Carolyn Wren: Nope.  I love putting my heroes and heroines as much in jeopardy as physically possible.  The advantage of Romantic Suspense is being able to throw everything at your characters and forcing them to get out of trouble.  If I put them into a pit with fire breathing dragons, I have to think of a way to rescue them, no wimping out. 

AP Castell: Talk about getting all deep and meaningful. *g* It’s getting late and I’m feeling cold now that the sun is setting. Why don’t we head indoors, light the fire and make a round of mocktails?
Jennie Jones:  Mocktails?  (Whitney, I haven’t finished that whole bottle of bubbly yet, have I?)

Whitney K-E: Again Jennie, what bubbly hehe. :P
Jennie Jones: You’re teasing – right?

Carolyn Wren:   Mocktails for Carolyn!  I don’t drink alcohol due to an allergy I inherited from my dad, (gee, thanks dad), so Jennie can have the rest of my bubbly.
AP Castell: Oh, you know what would be fun?  If you each read an excerpt from the book you’re giving away in, TRM Triple E-Book pack.

Twenty minutes later the girls are all lounging around the fireplace with their drink of choice within reach.

To read excerpt click the link below


To read excerpt click the link below


      


To read excerpt click the link below

AP Castell: That was fantastic, what a marvellous day it’s been. We’ll have to do this again at the end of the year.
Carolyn Wren:  We need to do this a lot.

Jennie Jones: Oh no, is it over?
Whitney K-E: Christmas in Ireland?  hehe.

AP Castell: Absolutely Whitney, we’ll all be there.
Jennie Jones: Next time, I’m bringing two bottles of bubbly.

AP Castell: I think a toast is in order. Everyone charge your glass.
Jennie Jones: If you’re not going to drink that champers, Carolyn – I’ll have it.

AP Castell: “To, The Romantic Muse and another six months of success. Cheers!”
Whitney K-E: To TRM! *swigs from bottle with an indistinguishable elegance*

Carolyn Wren: *hands over the champagne to Jennie and picks up her mocktail* To the Romantic Muse!

  A SHORT-BREAK AND MOCKTAILS COMPETITION

For a chance to win, TRM Triple E-Book Pack, comprising of; The House On Burra Burra Lane, What Happens In Ireland and The Hostage (available in either; e-pub, pdf or html format).

Simply answer the question below correctly to go into the draw. 

Q.  In what country do, TRM plan to spend Christmas?

 Entries will be drawn 31st August 2013, using www.random.org/lists/
Good luck, everyone!


Thursday 1 August 2013

THE WIDOWER'S CHILD

TRM are proud to announce the release of the 5th Book in The Protectors Series by our very own Carolyn Wren.


The Widower’s Child is now available direct from Secret Cravings Publishing.

A big congratulations to our dear friend on an awesome achievement.

 
 

Blurb

Jane Preston. Former school teacher and hostage survivor, turned covert operative…

 

Rescued from a traumatic situation by a covert agent motivates Jane to reassess her life. Having glimpsed the exciting yet dangerous world of an elite operative, she joins the protection agency. Now with her training complete, she’s ready for her first solo mission.

 

Undercover, Jane is assigned to protect four year old Amelia Foster, the victim of a kidnap attempt. She’s instantly captivated by her young charge.

 

Amelia’s widowed father is another matter. Philanthropist, Paul Foster, is stern, cold and a workaholic. The man’s an impenetrable fortress, seemingly unable to express a single emotion except anger. Despite this, Jane is attracted.



Another kidnap attempt leaves Jane convinced the threats aren’t random. Paul claims the motive is greed. Something just doesn’t ring true.


While her feelings for the solitary widower grow, Jane can’t ignore the truth. Paul is hiding something.

 

 Want more?   Watch The Widower’s Child trailer here:


 

Buy link:  http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=674

 

Sunday 9 June 2013

Sunday Snippets - Carolyn Wren

To celebrate the release of award winning book, The Hostage, book 4 in The Protectors Series, Sunday Snippets would like to welcome Carolyn Wren.

Do you love secret agents? Determined females? Strong heroic men? 
Do you like your romance tinged with danger?

Leave a comment to win a free copy of this exciting new book.


Welcome to the Sunday Snippets.   

-Please tell us your pen name.  Your book title, genre type, and series name, if applicable.

Pen Name: Carolyn Wren
Book title: The Hostage (The Protectors Book 4)
Genre: Romantic Suspense

-3 words to describe yourself.

Scorpio, Positive, Short!

-3 people you would like to thank.
 
I would like to thank Secret Cravings Publishing for taking a chance on a new author.  Dawne Dominique for the amazing covers on this series, and my beloved husband, Guy, for his constant support. 

-1 sentence to describe your book.

A deadly female covert operative, known for her secretive and obsessively private nature comes up against the man she rescued, who is determined to track her down and learn all her secrets.

-An excerpt from your book.

He was kneeling. Although the word seems to signify submission, there was nothing submissive in the pose. His knees were spread apart to balance his weight, his body bent backwards to equal out the pressure on his spine the awkward position created.
Strong muscular calves and knees had borne the brunt of the unforgiving gravel floor with spots of darkness staining the ground that appeared to be blood. His torso was equally powerful. Highly developed stomach muscles, tattooed by grime, were defined by the upraised position of his arms.
His plight had been made as brutal as possible. His hands were clasped in thick chains suspended from the high ceiling, arranged at such a height that if he relaxed, his arm muscles and tendons would tear from the continuous pull of his body. To gain any comfort at all in his shoulders, he had to take his weight on his thighs. The strain of holding such a position would be excruciating.
At first glance, Omega thought he was dead. But then he would be relaxed and slumped. He wasn't. He braced himself in an effort to achieve what comfort he could, which was little comfort at all.
She could see the faint puff of his ragged breath in the chill of the room, and the shallow rise and fall of his chest. His breathing had been made almost impossible due to his stretched arms restricting his lung capacity. She knew he must be in agony, his face battered, one eye totally shut, his lips cut and bleeding. Looking at his hands, swollen due to lack of blood flow, she wondered if he would be able to use them if needed.
He looked like a pagan sacrifice, his head down, his body tensed and naked, waiting for some mythical god to come and take away his suffering.

 For all you kindle and nook lovers, The Hostage will be available in e-book format from next week at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookstrand, Allromanceebooks and Smashwords.
A print version will be available later this year (exciting!)

It is currently available on the Secret Cravings Publishing site.  But leave a comment and you can have it for free.




My contact links:

 

 



Sunday 26 May 2013

Sunday Snippets with Emily A Lawrence


Today's snippet features a steamy new book by Emily A Lawrence.
Available now. 




Please tell us your pen name.  Your book title, genre type, and series name, if applicable.

Pen Name: Emily A. Lawrence
Book title: Hot Dreams of a Lonely Soul – Book 1
Sequel coming out in August: Hopeful Dreams and New Beginnings – Book 2
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

3 words to describe yourself.

Passionate, funny, sometimes stubborn

3 people you would like to thank. 

I would like to thank Secret Cravings Publishing (Sandy Lea Sullivan), Dawne Prochilo, Theresa Stillwagon and Dawné Dominique for making my dream come true.

1 sentence to describe your book.

A hot erotic read starring an emotionally damaged former bikini model and her new boss, a sexy architect.


Excerpt –Hot Dreams of a Lonely Soul (Emily A. Lawrence)

Carly almost jumped when she heard the sound of her doorbell. “Damn it, who could it be at this hour?” She put on the first nightgown she found in her drawer, pulled a robe on as well, and rushed to the door. Her belly flip-flopped, and her breath caught in her throat when she peeked through the peephole and saw the man in her dreams waiting patiently on the other side of the door. She brushed her fingers through her hair in agitation, not sure whether to let him in or not. A part of her jumped up and down with excitement, but the other was frozen in place, afraid to be alone in her apartment in the middle of the night with a man she barely knew but so much desired. A sudden impulse made her grab the key and unlock the door, which brought her face to face with him.

She blinked perplexed, and the eerie feeling came back to her. He looked over her from head to toe, mouth partly opened. His hair looked as though he had been running his fingers through it, perhaps even grasping strands in frustration. He hadn't shaved for several days and the dark stubble lining his chin made him look rather scruffy. Even so, his untidy appearance still attracted her, and his now familiar musky scent combined with his cologne caused her insides to liquefy. “Mr. Benton, it is way past midnight. What are you doing here?” she asked drily. Shivers ran up and down her spine, as she clutched the doorknob for balance.

“May I come inside?”

Carly hesitated concerned, battling the fears she deemed herself powerless against.





Thank you Emily for joining us on Sunday Snippets, we wish you heaps of success with your book.
Carolyn, Jennie, AP and Whitney.