trueromance

Surrender to an Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham

Setting: Ireland, 1180

Heroine: Morren Ó Reilly

One sentence summary: A grieving Irish warrior with a thirst for vengeance rescues a wounded woman, and they heal the scars of each other’s past.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
There’s a scene where the hero and heroine are working in the field together to salvage some of the burned harvest grain. Due to rain the night before, they start slipping in the mud. It’s the first time in almost a year that Morren has laughed, and when Trahern carries her to safe ground they share a tender moment.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
“Come here and kiss me.”

What celebrity is your hero like: Sam Worthington (Perseus from the remake of “Clash of the Titans”). He’s strong-willed and a fighter.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Liv Tyler (Arwen from Lord of the Rings). She’s endured a horror no woman should have to face, and yet she has the inner strength to overcome it.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
Morren is good at making things grow, whether it’s crops or herbs. She has a connection with the land.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
Trahern is a bard who travels across Ireland telling stories.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
As the last book in my MacEgan Brothers series, it’s an emotionally-driven story that gives a shocking twist about Trahern’s past. It does stand on its own (any new reader can join in on the story), but I hope readers who have read the other books will enjoy the character reunions to learn what happened to the other romance couples. You can visit my website at http://www.michellewillingham.com to read an excerpt.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
Prince Karl from my Accidental series (set in the Victorian era).

What’s next: First, I have a sequel novella called “Pleasured by the Viking” that tells the story of Gunnar, a secondary character from Surrender to an Irish Warrior. It’s available now in e-book form through the Harlequin Historical Undone! imprint. Next, I have a new series of Scottish medieval books coming out in the spring of 2011, beginning with Claimed by the Highlander. It’s a reunion story of a prisoner-of-war who returns to the woman he loved seven years ago and how they rekindle their romance.

The MacEgan Brothers series is set in medieval Ireland, and I spent a week this past summer doing more research there (You can visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans to see the photos I took of Ireland, Scotland, and London). Do you have a favorite setting for historical romance? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Three lucky winners will be selected from the comments for a signed copy of Surrender to an Irish Warrior, a free download of “Pleasured by the Viking” or a $10.00 Borders gift card. Good luck!

ENJOY : )

ROYAL MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. sugar
3 T. coffee liqueur
2 eggs
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 ready-to-use chocolate cookie crumb pie crust

For Garnish:
Whipped cream
Instant coffee crystals

Directions:
Mix cream cheese, sugar and coffee liqueur at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chips. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate three hours or overnight.

Garnish with thick, sweet whipped cream sprinkled lightly with instant coffee crystals.

==================================================
Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 pkg. (10 - 16 oz.) frozen broccoli, thawed & drained
Durkey’s French fried onions
1 egg
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese

Mix together chicken, soup, 1 cup of cheese, and broccoli,
Spread in 8×12 casserole dish or equivalent. Sprinkle fried
onions on top. Mix together egg, Bisquick, and milk. Pour
over top of casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 425º for 30 minutes.

==============================================

Coconutty Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in coconut and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Yield 5 ½ dozen.

========================================

Beef and Cabbage Soup

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 head medium cabbage, rough-chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 large onion, rough-chopped
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (32 ounce) carton beef broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
several bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and drain. In a large stock pot, combine remaining ingredients and add ground beef. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for one hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

========================================

Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the peanut butter, white sugar and egg. Mix until smooth.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overbake! These cookies are best when they are still soft and just barely brown on the bottoms.
============================================

BROWN SUGAR MEATLOAF

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
6 slices white bread, cut into cubes 1/2 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons yellow mustard, divided
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in bread, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons mustard and 1/4 cup ketchup.
3. Press the meat mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, stir together remaining mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; pour on top of the meat loaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until done.

=================================================

www.campbellskitchen.com

http://www.saveur.com/recipes.jsp

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/home.aspx

http://leitesculinaria.com/category/recipes

http://www.marthastewart.com/food

http://allrecipes.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/recipes

www.bhg.com/recipes/

http://www.jollycook.com/c/index.html

http://www.fbnr.com/

http://www.pauladeen.com/food_section

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/index.html

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes2008/

www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/default.aspx

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/5-or-less-ingredients

Simply Good Salad

1 small box jello (strawberry, cherry and lime are all good)

1 small can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, well-chilled, undrained

whipped topping

In refrigerator dish, dissolve jello in one cup boiling water. Stir well so that powder is dissolved. Add undrained mandarin oranges and stir until combined. Refrigerate until set. Top with whipped topping to serve.

If desired, you can substitute sugar-free gelatin and sugar-free whipped topping for a “lite” version.

==================================================
COOKIES ‘N CREAM PARFAITS

In a tall parfait glass, place one scoop of your favorite ice cream. Crumble some cookies of your choice (good way to use broken pieces), and add enough cookie pieces to cover ice cream. Top with a little of your favorite syrup. Repeat. Top off with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, candy, cookie pieces…whatever you like. Just be sure to put a cherry on top : )

===================================================

E-Z BEEF FAJITAS: In large skillet, brown one pound ground beef along with 1 coarsely chopped onion and 1 coarsely chopped bell pepper. Drain grease and add one 14.5 oz. can “Mexican Style” diced tomatoes. If desired, add extra cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes & etc to taste. Heat through, stirring well. Spoon desired amount into center of each pre-warmed tortilla. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream. Fold tortilla to form fajita.

These are a few of my favorite things…

I’m so thrilled to be here today on the Borders True Romance blog! It’s my first time here, and I’m excited to spend the day chatting you all. I’m also thrilled for the reason I’m here–winning the Readers’ Crown. (Thank you, RC judges!) My category was filled with wonderful writers and books. I am very honored to have a story of mine listed along with those of so many of my favorite authors (and dear friends).

When I first decided it was time to get serious about my dream of writing romance novels (read: actually sit my butt in the chair and write), I was as green as they come. I wasn’t a member of any writing groups or organizations. I had no idea there were set “rules” or even trends to follow. Not knowing any better, I started out by writing books I wanted to read, without any thought to marketability or genre placement. IN THE FLESH was my second completed manuscript, and it’s a melding of all my favorite things. It’s a book I wrote as a reader, using all the sparkly facets I loved about the romance novels I cut my teeth on. I didn’t know enough about the business to think about how hard it would be to sell the manuscript or how difficult it would be for a publisher to market it. Because of that blissful ignorance and the result of it, IN THE FLESH is a very special book to me.

I used to describe IN THE FLESH as my “historical with gadgets,” but that’s not quite right. It’s a futuristic/high fantasy romance set in a world that feels, in many ways, like a historical–a sheik/desert captive historical, to be more precise. IN THE FLESH has a handsome prince and a dissolute king, a tormented queen and dazzling concubines. It has an old school, ultra-alpha male hero who might have been transplanted from a ‘70s era romance novel, except he’s paired with a kick-ass heroine with modern sensibilities who keeps all that testosterone in its place. There are rolling desert sands and the occasional lush oasis, but there are also sprawling palaces, spaceships, and alternate worlds. My characters and their methods of transportation have Norse/Germanic names, yet they occasionally wear medieval-style clothing. It’s erotic, with star-crossed lovers whose deepest emotional connections happen when they shut out the world at large and surrender to each other. If it sounds a bit “kitchen sink”, well… I warned you. *g* Writing IN THE FLESH was a joy for me as a writer because my inner reader was rooting me on, telling me to add a little more of this and a lot more of that and not to forget this-n-that while I was at it.

So my question for you is this: If you could throw all your favorite romance novel ingredients into a story, what would those ingredients be? Don’t worry about if they’ll work together or fit, just toss them out there. And for being a sport and playing along, I’ll have Sue pick two winners from among those of you who comment. One will win autographed copies of my Dream Guardians books (PLEASURES OF THE NIGHT and HEAT OF THE NIGHT) and one will win an autographed copy of DARK KISSES (which has two stories in it, MISLED and KISS OF THE NIGHT).

No Oridinary Cowboy, by Mary Sullivan
Hi everyone, I’m so glad to be here today. Thank you to Sue Grimshaw and Borders for this opportunity!

My reading habits went through a change this summer. I used to do the bulk of my reading in the winter. There’s nothing like sitting tucked up cozily indoors with a good book on a cold winter evening while a storm rages outside. That feeling of safety, and of delving into a book and drifting away from the cares of the world, is precious to me.

The summer usually finds me out and about, and doing much less reading; however, this summer has been unusually hot where I live, and the humidity insufferable. At the beginning of the summer, I ended up sitting in front of the television every night because it was too hot to go outside, even in the evening. I eventually grew pretty disgusted with myself, turned off the tv and picked up a book. I’ve been plowing through them ever since.

My focus has been on historicals, which I loooove. Most often that means Regencies. Lately, though, I’ve been having a blast reading Western historicals. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I signed up for a course through one of the RWA chapters about gamblers and prostitutes in the American West in the 1800s. It’s been fascinating!

I’ve been reading contemporary Westerns, too. It follows that I would like them, since I write them! So odd considering that I grew up in and currently live in the city.

When I decided to write books about cowboys and ranchers and wanted to set them in Montana, I had to do a lot of research. The Internet was invaluable, of course. Also, though, I ordered books about Montana and the ranching lifestyle—one by a reporter who left the city and went to live on a ranch for a year, immersing himself in the lifestyle and then writing about his experience. What an eye-opener. It’s a hard life and the people engaged in it, tough. Hardy.

I can’t imagine a complainer lasting long on a farm or a ranch. There is something appealing to me about the kind of people who see that a job needs to be done, say, “Right, let’s get at it,” and then do it.

As well, I bought a couple of large coffee table books full of stunning photographs of gorgeous landscapes that took my breath away. A few of the cowboys in the photos took my breath away, too

The facts about time and place and people are out there for any of us to access, whether present day or historical, but what I admire is that these same facts and figures can be used by talented authors in so many different ways to write so many original stories. I have immersed myself in those stories throughout the summer.

When do you like to do the bulk of your reading? In which season? What kinds of stories inspire you?

I have two copies of my August Superromance, THIS COWBOY’S SON, that I would love to give away to a couple of you who leave a comment.

Is there anything sexier than a tortured hero?

Well, yes. A tortured hero with a sense of humor does it for me.

In my book, VIKING HEAT, which won the Readers’ Crown in the
time travel category, my hero Brandr Igorsson was all of that and
more. As a third son and not closely in line to inherit Bear’s Lair,
his family estate in the Norselands, Brandr was off fighting with the
elite Jomsviking warriors when he discovers that his entire family
was murdered by their hated enemy. Brandr goes berserk and
even as he works to rebuilt his keep, he remains a tormented, dour
man.

Until Joy Nelson arrives on the scene, that is, and helps him
regain his sense of humor. She is a time traveler from the future,
a mind healer of all things (a psychologist), who wants him to
discuss his anger issues.

Here’s an example from VIKING HEAT:

“Are you a witch?” he asked in sex-husky voice.
She shook her head, slowly, still dazed.
“Who are you?”
“I told you already. I’m Petty Officer Joy Nelson in the Navy
WEALS training program at Coronado, California.”
“I do not understand what you say by half.”
“You could say I’m a soldier. But I’m also a psychologist.”
“Sigh-call-jest?”
“Psychologist,” she corrected. “An expert on the human mind
and behavior. A person who helps people heal from different mental
maladies, like intellectual disabilities…”
“Dumbness?”
She clucked her tongue at him. “…behavior or mood
disorders…”
“Grumpiness?”
“Stop interrupting me. Also, personality disorders.”
“Ah! Like me, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”

I also offer tortured heroes with a sense of humor in my
soon to be released THE VIKING TAKES A KNIGHT and
DARK VIKING, not to mention VIKING UNCHAINED, TRULY,
MADLY VIKING and SWEETER SAVAGE LOVE.

I’m not the only one doing tortured heroes with a sense of
humor, of course. There is J.R. Ward with her hunky heroes who
suffered tremendously but still manage to laugh at themselves. And
Suzanne Brockman’s Troubleshooters. And Karen Moning’s
Highlanders. And Elizabeth Hoyt’s men who had been captured and
tortured by the Indians. Loretta Chase’s recent LAST NIGHT’S
SCANDAL with its war-ravaged hero. The list is endless.

So, who are your favorite tortured heroes with a sense of
humor? As always, I wish you smiles in your reading…even if some
bad things have to happen to your beloved characters before they
relearn how to laugh again.

Giveaway to winner - Sue’s Stash - Good luck!

Readers’ Crown Best Novella: “Catch of the Century” in Four Dukes and a Devil
By Sophia Nash

Where Do Writers Get their Ideas?

It’s the question that universally makes many writers break into a cold sweat—or at least stammer like a fool for awhile. I never really knew how to answer the question until I finally figured out that most writers of fiction think in a different manner than normal people.

My agent summed it up best recently after a meeting when she said, “Sophia, you come from another planet.” I think she meant it as a compliment. I hope.

So how do most writers think? Well, amid the general chaos of thoughts that batter everyone’s head, writers tend to hit the pause button when situations arise and/or people say something out of the ordinary. Then our imaginations unleash an explosion of “what ifs.”

Here is an example: During lunch one day, a friend mentioned that a person he knew always “refused to eat anything with eyes.” Like any author on the hunt for fresh ideas, I immediately dove into my purse to retrieve an idea notebook, and scribbled in the entry.

The next day, while writing the first book in a new historical series for Harper Collins, I was pondering the traits of one character. He is a handsome gentleman, who has a fascination with horticulture and nothing pleases him better than his spectacular gardens. He is, of course, a villain.

The “what ifs” began: what if this character also refuses to eat anything with eyes. But, he is a horticulturalist, which means he would more likely only eat things with eyes since he prizes all plants. Now, while I fully realize Regency England might be too early in history’s time line for a lord to practice the ultimate Atkins diet, this is exactly the kind of irony I love. It proved impossible to ignore the host of turning points a character trait such as this one would offer in an unfolding story.

In my short story in “Four Dukes and a Devil,” which was lucky enough to win the 2010 Readers Crown for best novella, there are many instances of standard writer’s imagination run amok.

It included a snake bite. Only this time, it came full circle.

I’ve seen a snake swimming next to me in a lake. I’ve watched them rattling their tales in the woods, and I’ve examined them, sunning themselves near alligators in the Florida Everglades. And each time, I envision the entire disaster unfolding, complete with newspaper headlines: Swimmer Struck by Water Moccasin Drowns, Hiker Dies from Cottonmouth Bite, Idiot Writer Gets Too Close to Florida Coral Snake and Dies from Imagination Gone Amok.

This reoccurring snakebite nightmare fantasy was the inspiration behind a key chapter in the novella. What if a woman is bitten but isn’t sure if it’s a venomous snake or not? What if the hero doesn’t know either? What if they both assume the worst? What if a host of tried-but-not-true treatments ensues? What if their friends invade, adding to the general chaos? Yes, this is a classic form of a writers’ daily “what if” game.

By now you might be playing many readers’ favorite game. The “when is the writer going to get to the point of this story” game—the part where she tried to make it sound mysterious by saying something about the snakebite idea, “coming full circle?”

Last night, I met a true heroine. A woman who had overcome not only cancer, but, yes, two deadly bites from a rattlesnake several months ago. One of the most fearless women, she hiked the canyons of California alone and came within striking distance of a huge rattler. What did she do? She turned around and knew she had only a minute or two before collapsing. She ran and then dragged herself to the road, where a motorist found her unconscious. She spent weeks in the hospital, experienced multiple organ failure, her leg and arm turned black, and she nearly died.

The questions poured out. How did she feel, escaping death? Would she ever dare hike the canyons again? Amid the extreme gratitude she felt, she said she wanted to live life to its largest potential. She wasn’t waiting around for anyone or anything. And yes, she did go to the spot again and confront her past. How can a story like hers not fail to inspire a writer to examine the fragility of life? The silent “what if” questions arose all through the long night when I was alone.

Can you guess what sort of heroine is featured in my next book? Perhaps a plucky countess who escapes murder by a rotter of a horticulturalist who only eats things with eyes? A woman who has the courage to confront her past and live for the future? OK, I’ll work on it . . . I never said the well of story ideas was not murky at best.

What are some of your favorite stories you’ve experienced or heard from others? Help me start the “what if” game to strain the muck from my writers’ well of story ideas.

GIVEAWAY: 3 books from my backlist to 3 random replies.

BODY MASTER by C.J. Barry

Setting: New York City, 2011
Subgenre: Contemporary Paranormal Fantasy
Hero: Max Dempsey
Heroine: Seneca Thomas

Three sentence summary: Seneca Thomas is a talented agent with XCEL, a secret government taskforce charged with capturing the dangerous shapeshifters that have infiltrated New York City, passing for humans. When her partner is killed in the line of duty, Seneca finds herself teamed up with Max Dempsey–a shapeshifter. And when the pair discover a growing army of shifters gathering beneath the city, Seneca will have no choice but to trust the one man she shouldn’t.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The first scene where Seneca shows just how special and formidable she is. Her Native American heritage (which I share) makes her the perfect shapeshifter hunter, and this opening sequence tells readers everything they need to know about Seneca, including why she hunts shifters. Her special abilities may be a curse, but she feels bound to use them to keep her world safe.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Let’s get a mani-pedi!”

What celebrity is your hero like: Matt Damon in the Bourne movies. Max is quiet, watchful, and intense–right up until it’s time to do battle, and then he leaves nothing on the table.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld movies. Seneca is fearless, intelligent, and fiercely loyal. The only time you see her tough veneer falter is when the people she loves are in danger or harmed.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: A human agent for XCEL, NYC Division, tasked with locating and capturing criminal shapeshifters. She lives with her grandmother, a wise Iroquois woman who tries to teach Seneca what faith is. In Seneca’s world, however, faith won’t keep her alive.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: A shapeshifter prototype XCEL agent who is using Seneca and her organization to find the man who murdered his wife. Before that, he and his race were driven from their last planet in mass genocide. He is a man with nothing else to lose.

What you think readers will like best about this book: It’s set in one of my favorite places–New York City. I love Manhattan because it is a microcosm of humanity, all consolidated on an island. With this setting, I am able to showcase the shifter’s circumstances and how they are not very different from humans after all. I’m hoping that readers get to experience both sides of a very complex relationship beneath all the steamy attraction.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: From my original Futuristic romance series, ALL the secondary characters in UNMASKED!

What’s next: A sequel to BODY MASTER is in the works. Titled BODY THIEF, this book picks up where the last book left off and explores the changes in XCEL: New York City division.

Visit www.cjbarry.com for more information about BODY MASTER and to read the first chapter.

BODY MASTER trailer:

Discussion questions: How would you react if you discovered shapeshifters replacing your friends or family? Would their presence here cause mass hysteria or do you think we are more accepting? If you were a shapeshifter, who would you want to become most?

I’ll be drawing a winner from those who comment to receive an autographed copy of BODY MASTER.

Captured by Desire – Kira Morgan
Setting: 1500s Scotland
Subgenre: Historical Romance
Hero: Rane MacAllister
Heroine: Florie Gilder

One sentence summary: When the queen’s jeweler, Florie Gilder, claims sanctuary for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacAllister is charged with preventing her escape, leaving him torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall in love with his spirited captive.

Scene you like most and would never cut: When Florie’s time in sanctuary is running out, Florie steals Rane’s bow, threatening to shoot him in order to flee. Rane is forced to trust that her love for him outweighs her desperation, and he disarms her with nothing more than the power of his words and a confession from his heart. That scene can still give me a lump in my throat.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Sure, I’ll do whatever you say.”

What celebrity is your hero like: Philip Winchester, star of “Crusoe.” Want a special treat? Check this out:

What celebrity is your heroine like: Winona Ryder, beautiful but mischievous, like a darling elf.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Florie Gilder is apprenticed to her goldsmith stepfather, the jeweler to Mary Queen of Scots.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Rane MacAllister is the sheriff’s huntsman, but he poaches game on the side to feed the poor.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will enjoy the high-spirited blend of genres. I call Captured by Desire an action-mystery-adventure-comedy-romance.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I’m hoping it’s Josselin, the spunky little lass at the end of Captured by Desire, because she’s the heroine of my next book, Seduced by Destiny!

What’s next: Seduced by Destiny is coming out next spring!

I like writing about simple folk, people whose names aren’t recorded by history, but whose self-sacrificing actions are nonetheless heroic. Who are the unsung heroes in your life–a favorite teacher, a parent, a kind neighbor?

If you’d like a chance to win the gold vermeil necklace featured on the cover of Captured by Desire, come to www.glynnis.net/KiraMorgan and enter my monthly sweepstakes! And I’d be delighted if you’d friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kiramorganauthor .

Book: RAPTURE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer

Setting: Northern Virginia and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Subgenre: Paranormal
Hero: Jag, the bad boy of the Feral Warriors
Heroine: Olivia, a petite Therian Guard with a deadly secret

One sentence summary: Jag finally meets his match in Olivia, but he’s the last male on Earth she could ever trust with her dark secrets, or her heart.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The scene where Jag learns Olivia’s secret and uses it against her. He’s still reeling from the fact he’d nearly forfeited his life to save her. When she hadn’t needed saving.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Help me! Help me!” Olivia’s been on her own for too many years, and is far too capable a fighter in her own right to ever ask anyone for help. In truth, she’s stronger than any male, though no one can ever know that. The strength she possesses is forbidden.

What celebrity is your hero like: Josh Holloway (Sawyer on LOST). Same bad attitude, too.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Perhaps a redheaded Kate Beckinsale.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: She’s the head of a British Therian Guard unit, the elite force of immortal non-shifters who protect the enclaves from draden and Mage attacks.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Jag is a Feral Warrior, one of the nine shape shifters left in the world, the guardians of the Therian race. At present, the Ferals are fighting a Mage plot to free the Daemons and bring hell to earth.

What do you think readers will like best about this book: Watching the pain-in-the-ass Jag not only meet his match, but find the hero inside him that he’s tried so hard to ignore. Sparks and barbs fly between these two fierce and strong-willed characters.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Kougar’s winning the race at the moment, but most of my readers know his book is coming out in February. After that, the votes seem to be coming in pretty evenly for Vhyper, Hawke, and Wulfe.

What’s next: Kougar’s book, Hunger Untamed, comes out February 22, 2011. Beyond that, more Feral Warriors, but I’m not telling who’s next. You’ll have to wait and see!

Who’s your favorite bad boy in books or on television? One commenter will be chosen to win a signed copy of Desire Untamed, book 1 in the Feral Warriors series.

HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE (Jenna Kernan)
Setting: Dakota Territory 1884
Subgenre: Western Historical
Hero: Sky Fox
Heroine: Lucie West

One sentence summary: Former Sioux captive returns to the Dakota Territory to try and make peace with her past but is taken hostage by another former captive, who is determined to secure her help in saving an innocent man from the hangman’s noose.
Scene you like most and would never cut: Their first meet is pretty spectacular with lots of prickling awareness that Lucie has learned to heed and that drives her to run from the threat she knows Sky poses.
I also love the scene when Sky finally gets her alone (after kidnapping her) to deliver a message from the Sioux warrior who once captured her, explaining that he wants her back. Sky gets an earful, including the revelation that she hates her captor for not letting her go before she was ruined and for saving her from slavery so that she is indebted to him for her life.
The scene where Sky Fox finally reveals why he had to flee from his tribe and return to the white world is a very moving and powerful one as well.
But my personal favorite is when Sky calls Lucie beautiful. Lucie’s chin was tattooed during her captivity so anyone who looks at her knows exactly what befell her. She believes the fang-like marks have destroyed her chance to put the past behind her and rejoin the white world. But Sky does not come from that world, having been raised as the adopted son of a Sioux warrior, so he truly feels the marks enhance her beauty. She calls what she believes is his bluff with a challenge that if he finds her so appealing why won’t he kiss her? He does, and in that moment they are both lost…and found.
Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: At the beginning of the story, Lucie would never, under any circumstances, ever return to the Sioux warrior who once held her captive. But later she does just that. I love setting a character up to do something that runs totally against their grain. But I don’t want to give too much away…
What celebrity is your hero like: Picture Hugh Jackman with Paul Newman’s stunning blue eyes. Pretty picture, no?
What celebrity is your heroine like: Reese Witherspoon with strawberry blonde hair. I also picture Kate Hudson looking something like Lucie West.
What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Her facial tattoos make work a challenge, to say the least. Lucie has taken a job as a matron at an Indian School, where she hopes to find acceptance and meaningful work. But that doesn’t go quite as planned…
What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Sky captures wild mustangs, trains and trades them. At this time in history many thought that killing mustangs was a quick and easy way to make Sioux Indians stay put, so Sky is in this business to try to save a tiny part of the world that is dying before his eyes.
What do you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will enjoy seeing two people, who have led very difficult lives, finally find someone who can love and understand them and who they can love.
The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: The hands-down, most requested follow-up story has been for Lucie West. My readers loved her parents’ struggle to recover her in High Plains Bride and became very worried over what became of Lucie. So I hope they will be pleased with her story. After that, my most popular character has to be Nicholas Chien, the shape-shifting playboy timber wolf from my first paranormal romance, Dream Stalker. Nick will have his own story in March of 2011 from Silhouette Nocturne. I’m not sure of the title yet, so readers will have to check my website at www.jennakernan.com for more on that.

What’s next: When a lady’s companion finds herself facing prison over a crime she did not commit, her flight lands her in the household of a small town sheriff who has mistaken her for the housekeeper he is expecting to give his daughter a real old fashioned Christmas…but she can’t cook! Western Winter Wedding Bells, Harlequin Historicals Christmas Anthology is out in October 2010.

And for reader discussion: Who is your favorite Western TV or movie character: Clint in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Gary Cooper in High Noon, Michael Landon as Little Joe Cartwright, maybe Rodney A. Grant in Dancing With Wolves or Sam Elliot in ANYTHING? Perhaps you like unique characters like Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man, Morgan Freeman in Unforgiven or Al Swearengen in the series Deadwood.

Let me know because I’ll GIVEAWAY three FREE books to randomly chosen responders!