Friday 14 December 2012

Five Favourite Things Bloghop and Giveaway this weekend.

Carolyn Wrens publisher, Secret Cravings Publishing, are holding an event this weekend, December 15th -16th 2012 to share the five favorite things of their authors.

Carolyn's favourites can be found on her personal blog.
We would also like to offer an extra PDF copy of her book for anyone who shares their own five favourite things with us here at The Romantic Muse.
Don't forget to leave your email address.

Friday 30 November 2012

JENNIE JONES CHOC LIT FINALIST

TRM are thrilled that Jennie Jones’s novel, The House on Burra Burra Lane has been shortlisted in the Choc Lit Search for an Australian Star competition.

This is a wonderful achievement and much deserved.

Way to go, Jennie!


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Banner and Blogspot

The very talented Jennifer Labelle designed the following banner for TRM member Carolyn Wren.
Check out Jennifer's blog for some great author interviews and giveaways.


www.carolynwren.com


Friday 16 November 2012

Another Interview

Carolyn Wren is feeling doubly honored this week to have two interviews both with lovely ladies called Jennifer!

Thank you to Jennifer Labelle for hosting one of our authors on your site.

http://labellebooks.blogspot.ca/2012/11/a-giveaway-two-winners-interview-with.html?zx=2b3992d82f69edd8

Interview

Carolyn Wren had the honor of being interviewed by the lovely Jennifer Simkins

Feel free to come along and have a read.

http://www.jennifersimpkins.net/

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Diplomat's Daughter is out in the world

Book 1 of The Protectors Series is now on sale at Sweet Cravings Publishing.  For all you Kindle lovers I will post the Amazon.com link as soon as it comes up.

http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=111

For a chance to win a free pdf copy of the book.  Please leave a comment and tell me your favourite secret agent and why?

Don't forget to include your email address for your prize.



Tuesday 30 October 2012

Good News! - Carolyn Wren Signs the Protector Series!

The girls here at TRM are happy to annouce that Carolyn Wren has signed her seven book series, The Protectors Series, with Secret Cravings Publishing!
We are all estatic and very proud of our dear friend and motivational coach :)
Carolyn's debut, Diplomat's Daughter is now on pre-order on the Sweet Carvings website, so don't waste another minute and head on over to grab yourself a copy!

You can watch the book trailer for Diplomat's Daughter here:
 

The rest of the series will be released over the next twelve months as follows:


Feb 2013 Book 2, The Scientist. Simon Winters, the charismatic agent known for his love of danger is given the task of protecting scientist Elizabeth Barrett while she completes her research. What seems like a straightforward mission turns deadly when it seems someone wants her and her research dead.

April 2013 Book 3, The Actress. Bryce Black, the technical wizard of the Protectors agency does not normally do personal protection assignments but he falls for Katrina, the famous television actress under his care, and when she is kidnapped by an obsessed fan, does everything in his power to find her.

June 2013 and later in print,Book 4, The Hostage. She is known only as Omega, and when businessman James Northam is rescued from a desert terrorist compound by this enigmatic and secretive agent he is determined to track her down and thank her. But someone else wants to find her too, for much more sinister reasons.

August 2013 Book 5, Widowers Child. Jane Preston is new to the Protectors agency. Her first assignment is a recommendation from Meg, formally known as Omega to watch over the five year old child of wealthy Paul Foster after a kidnap attempt. Jane begins to suspect there is more to this story and that Paul is keeping secrets from them all.

October 2013 Book 6, Undercover Agent. Lucien St John has been working undercover for over 2 years as finance officer to corrupt Russian businessman Karl Cheknov. In order to finally penetrate Karl’s private empire Lucien needs a fiancĂ© and the only person available is retired agent Jade, now working as a personal assistant for the head of the Protectors agency. When the assignment turns dangerous these two vastly different people must overcome their aversion to each other and work as a team.

Dec 2013 Book 7, Secret Family. Peter Sinclair needs to find Amity Blake who has posted a picture online of someone she believes to be her long lost father. The picture is of deceased agent Cal Davies, a man with many enemies. Peter must protect her then send her on her way to begin a new life before someone tracks her down and takes their revenge on Cal’s only living bloodline.


Congrats Carolyn!
From the rest of TRM girls.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Another Finalist In Our Midst!


TRM is happy to announce that one of our own, Jennie Jones, has finalled in the Rebecca competition (Land of Enchantment Authors, RWA) at third place in the Contemporary section for her novel The House on Burra Burra Lane. 

 

Jennie is one happy writer and we are one happy team.
Congrats Jennie!

Tuesday 16 October 2012

The Storm By Whitney K-E

The Storm

By Whitney K-E

 
 
Looking out the window, Sarah bit her lips as she took in the turbulent scene outside. It had been raining non-stop for a week now, the patter of rain on the tin roof that sheltered her head getting heavier, louder with every day that passed. At first she’d been relieved; the sound of rain sweet promising lush green pastures and an end to the drought that had plagued her homeland over the last few months. Yet, when the rain had not let up, the sky continuing to darken as the wind battered the small cottage she lived in, her worry intensified. The flash flood warnings had finally been sent out and her brother, Dan and husband, Andrew had set out to muster the steers that grazed on the river flats, leaving her here to wait and wonder.


Walking over to the fireplace, she crouched down in front of it. Harley, one of the working dogs, laid down beside her, huffing as he settled his head atop his big paws.


‘I know,’ she said, scratching the dog behind the ears. ‘I miss him too.’


The dog’s ears pricked and suddenly, he was bolting for the door, barking as he went. Rushing to the window, Sarah peered out, searching for two riders. It was hard to see through the rain but finally she spotted a lone rider. Fear sunk its teeth into her. As the rider near, her anxiety increased when another did not appear. Turning, she raced to the door, flinging it open just as the rider pulled up and swung down from the horse that danced beneath him. Leading the horse behind him, the man stepped into the light. Filled with both relief and worry, she ran toward her brother, latching onto his arm, her heart racing in her chest.


‘Where’s Andrew?’

Monday 15 October 2012

October writing challenge - Spa
A Hens Night in Iceland
©Jennie Jones 2012

Lizzie sank into the lava heated spa, her muscles relaxing as the seawater caressed her body. Heaven. The night sky was a cyclorama of spilt ink. The lagoon a blanket of hazy blue. White clouds of steam billowed like freshly plumped pillows, but it was the brilliance of the midnight sun that captured her heart. It hadn’t left the June sky. It hadn’t said, Goodnight northern hemisphere, hello Mr. Moon. It had stayed. A shimmering ball of diamonds hanging in the Icelandic night.
            ‘Come on, Lizzie,’ Cassandra called. ‘It’s even hotter out here.’
             ‘I’m gearing up to it.’
            ‘Scaredy-cat,’ Susan said from even further out in the lagoon.
             ‘I miss Daniel,’ Lizzie murmured before she could stop herself. A whistle-stop trip to Iceland to celebrate her hens night with her two best friends. They’d been exfoliated, massaged and manicured, and now they were soaking up the minerals of the Blue Lagoon. ‘Sorry to be pathetic, but I do.’ Impossibly silly to miss the man she was going to marry in three days when she’d only been gone from his side for seven hours. Since he’d kissed her goodbye at the airport and wished her a wonderful time, telling her, with a lowering of his brow, that if she didn’t return to London on the morning flight, he’d be coming to find her.
            ‘Okay,’ Susan said on a drawn out sigh. ‘It’s time.’
            ‘Time for what?’ Lizzie asked.
            Her friends waded towards her, their grinning faces heat flushed and a bit too excitable for her liking. ‘What are you two up to?’
            They each took an arm and frog-marched her through the water towards the walkway. ‘Out you get.’ Susan pointed to a small cabin at the end of the barrack-like building that banked the lagoon. ‘Through that door is the finale.’
            Lizzie drew her eyebrows together, shivering as she left the warmth of the water. If they’d planned something tacky, like a man wearing hardly anything as he gyrated his hips to some hip-hop song, she’d skin them alive. ‘I explicitly said no funny business.’
            ‘Hey,’ Cassandra said. ‘We sat patiently while you tried on seventeen wedding dresses. Would we do something trashy at this stage?’
            ‘Now I really don’t trust you.’
            ‘We just know something you don’t,’ Susan said as she pushed through the water, an arm around Cassandra’s shoulders. ‘Enjoy. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine without you.’  
            ‘Aren’t you coming too?’
            ‘Not for this. This one is all yours.’
            Lizzie glanced at the cabin as she picked up her towel and wrapped it around her body. A lamp was lit above the door. Diamond speckles of night sun spotted the roof but otherwise she faced a darkened, misty walkway leading to something she wasn’t going to like.
            She straightened her shoulders and headed for the cabin.
            ‘Hello,’ she called as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. ‘Is anyone here?’
            A shadow flickered in the darkness. Her gaze darted to the corner, her heartbeat stuttering like a firecracker let off too soon.
            The shadow spread to encompass the low ceiling as someone stood. ‘Didn’t think I’d let you spend a whole night without me, did you?’       
            Lizzie gasped, her skin prickling. ‘Daniel?’
            He walked out of the shadows with the tower-of-strength ease she’d been dreaming of all day. ‘Who else were you expecting?’
            ‘You followed me.’
            ‘I don’t trust those friends of yours.’ He raised his brow. ‘I hope you haven’t been dancing on another man’s lap any time in the last seven hours.’
            She grabbed him, wound her arms around him. ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you.’
            He pulled her in tight, kissed the top of her head. ‘I missed you the moment you walked through the departure gate so I got on the next flight.’
            ‘Silly to miss me,’ she told him, looking up at his smiling face. ‘In three days you’ll be stuck with me every night for the rest of your life.’
            He bent to her. ‘Elizabeth, that’s three nights too long.’

Monday 8 October 2012

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Secret Cravings Publishing Blog Hop.

TRM is pleased to annnounce the two winners of a $5 Secret Cravings Publishing book voucher are.

Ann Q and Eva's Flowers

We will be in contact soon and hope you enjoy spending your voucher.

Keep tuning in to our blog for future contests and giveaways.

 


Saturday 6 October 2012





Secret Cravings Publishing are having a blog hop to identify the location of their authors around the world.
Read the following clues and try to find out where Carolyn Wren lives.
One lucky commenter will snag themselves a book voucher
I have temporarily deleted my location from my bio, so no cheating!


My country has sun sea and sand and a Matilda who Waltzes.
My state is not to the east and is larger than Texas.
My city was named the City Of Light by Astronaut John Glenn.

Check out the website and the blog to find other authors and locate them for more prize chances.



Thursday 27 September 2012

Cover Reveal: The Diplomat's Daughter by Carolyn Wren

Well, exciting things are happening this week, one of them being the reveal of Carolyn's cover for her debut novella, 'The Diplomat's Daughter', book one of the Protector Series.

And here it is!



'The Diplomat's Daughter' will be released on November 16th by Secret Cravings Publishing! We're all very excited about the release of our Emerald girl's novel and be sure to mark the release out on your calender.

And to top things off, we have the blurb to share as well:

A covert operative. A life filled with secrets.
Jared Knight works with an elite group of agents trained to track down the worst criminals humanity has to offer. His career leaves no room for relationships.
On a dangerous assignment in Monaco he is captivated by a woman in a crowded ballroom. Disturbed by the uncharacteristic lapse, he is determined to forget her...
Five years later Jared offers Cecilia Benedict his protection when she becomes the object of an overzealous secret admirer. Unbeknown to Cecilia she is the woman who has haunted Jared’s thoughts. He can stay away no longer now her life is in danger.
Cecilia is intrigued by Jared’s serious manner and deep grey eyes. In the close confines they share she finds herself emotionally and physically drawn to him. An attraction grows...
But danger lurks in the shadows, threatening to destroy their relationship before it can even begin.
 
 

Saturday 22 September 2012

Interview: CJ Archer

AP CASTELL INTERVIEWS...

 Author - CJ Archer

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing the lovely CJ Archer about her riveting paranormal series, ‘The Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy’.  Book 1 -THE MEDIUM is available in EBook and Paperback.  Book 2 - POSSESSION is out now.

Hi CJ and welcome to The Romantic Muse (TRM).  I am sure you must be excited about the recent release of ‘Possession’?  
Thanks for having me, Anna. Yes, I'm absolutely excited to be releasing POSSESSION. This is my first time writing a trilogy, and although it's been an interesting exercise in juggling plot threads over three books, it's hugely satisfying too.

I am curious, how did you come to be writing paranormals or more specifically about mediums?
I love ghosts and have always been fascinated with them. Maybe it stems from my love of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir movie, or from telling ghost stories with my brother around the campfire as kids. I also have a fascination for history and there's so many old buildings that have ghosts associated with them. I just adore hearing their stories, not only of their hauntings, but also who they were when they were alive.

‘The Medium’ is full of twists, turns and great nail biting scenes. What can we expect in the second book and will there be any surprises?
Loads of surprises! Not only do we learn more about Emily's father, but also her paternal ancestry. Another family member she didn't know she had pops up too. There is also a shocking revelation about the reason behind Jacob's death. The relationship between Emily and Jacob heats up too, but another gentleman complicates matters.

The relationship between Emily and Jacob is potent. I love the scene with Aunt Catherine and later with Jacob’s father. It is steeped in emotion.  Jacob is charmingly protective; every girl’s knight in shining armour. If you haven’t already guessed, Jacob is my favourite character.  I was cheering him on all the way.  From ‘The Medium’ who is your favourite character and why?
I'm glad you like Jacob so much. He's the guy I want in my corner, that's for sure. But I think my favourite character is Emily. She's had to battle against some strong society prejudices but I think that has toughened her enough that she's learned to stand up for herself. I can't help cheering for her.

Will all the main characters be making an appearance in ‘Possession’? You mentioned Jacob is returning.
Absolutely! This is very much Jacob AND Emily's story, so all three books will feature them, but the path ahead is a bumpy one for them. Plus there'll be George, Celia, Adelaide and a few others we met in THE MEDIUM.

When I write, it is my characters that guide me through the story, revealing their feelings and motivations along the way.  How do your stories come to fruition and have you ever discovered something that surprised you about a character?
I usually plot out the story before I write, and although I tweak it as I need to, sometimes things happen that completely take me by surprise but add a new layer to the story. This happened with Emily's character. When I started writing THE MEDIUM, I knew there would be a cloud over her father's identity, but I didn't know she had a non-Anglo background. She appeared on the page as a feisty young woman with darkish skin, brown eyes and dark, wavy hair. This is something I've explored more in POSSESSION.
 
What are the challenges of writing a series of this type?
Remembering what I wrote in earlier books! LOL. Even though I kept a folder with information on characters, places, and the paranormal "rules" I'd created, I still found myself forgetting who knew what information, and other small events in the story. The other main challenge was simply juggling all the plot threads over three books, and making sure they got their own "air time" without being left behind or taking over. It was the most difficult thing I've ever written, but immensely satisfying too. 

Can you share with us what you’re current WIP is about?
I'm currently editing book 3 of the Emily Chambers Spirit Medium trilogy. It's tentatively titled EVERMORE, and will be released in December.

What are you reading at the moment?
I have two books on the go at the moment - Wool by Hughe Howey, a dystopian sci-fi which has just been optioned by movie giant Ridley Scott's company, and The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James. You probably couldn't get two more different books, but that just goes to show my eclectic reading tastes.

Is there anything you would like to share with us about your writing journey or a piece of advice for aspiring writers? That would be great.
Wear your heart on your sleeve when you write. Think about what makes you cry, laugh, angry, sad, or just plain curious? Put those elements into your writing then wrench the emotions out of your reader with your fabulous word usage.

Thank you for your inspiring words, CJ and all the very best success with the release of ‘Possession’.

Thank you.

The purchasing links for all CJ’s books can be found on her website's Books page: http://cjarcher.com/cjs-books/

Website: http://www.cjarcher.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cjarcher.writes
Twitter: @cj_archer
                                                        
C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two with her historical romances. Under her other name of Carolyn Scott, she has published contemporary short stories in women's magazines on two continents including Take A Break, Woman's Day and That's Life.

She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. She has won and placed in romance writing contests including winning RWAustralia's Emerald Award in 2008 for the manuscript which she went on to self-publish under the title Honor Bound.

C.J. spent her early childhood in the dramatic beauty of outback Queensland, Australia, but now lives in suburban Melbourne with her husband and two children.

 

Sunday 16 September 2012

Welcome to The Romantic Muse!

Hey everyone,
Welcome to TRM. I'm Whitney and I write rural and contemporary romance.
The girls and I are looking forward to getting this show on the road. And we will be lauching with four stories inspired by our 'Beginning' here on the TRM blog. :)

So make sure you follow us, as there will be a lot happening here in the near future.

Whitney

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Jennie is here too!

I am so looking forward to The Romantic Muse Blog and happy to be amongst my wonderful writing buddies. Can't wait to get going ... Jennie

Monday 3 September 2012

Hello to my fellow writers at, The Romantic Muse.

The future looks bright,

AP Castell