trueromance

Anita Clenney grew up an avid reader, devouring Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books before moving on to mysteries and romance. After working as a secretary, a Realtor, teacher’s assistant, booking agent for Aztec Fire Dancers, and a brief stint in a pickle factory (picture Lucy and Ethel–lasted half a day)…she realized she’d missed the fork in the road that led to her destiny. She backtracked and started sprinting to catch up, spilling her heart and soul onto the page. Now her dream has become a reality and she writes Paranormal Romantic Suspense about Secret Warriors, Ancient Evil and Destined Love. The first book in the series, Awaken the Highland Warrior, will be released May 2011. The second, Embrace the Highland Warrior, will be released November 2011. The third, Unleash the Highland Warrior, will be released Spring 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca. Anita lives in Virginia with her hero/husband and two kids, where they are slaves to a white Boxer named Lily. You can learn more about Anita and her writing at www.anitaclenney.com.

Title: Awaken the Highland Warrior
Setting: Albany, New York – Beauly, Scotland
Subgenre: Paranormal
Hero: Faelan Connor
Heroine: Bree Kirkland

One sentence summary: Historian Bree Kirkland discovers a Scottish warrior buried in the crypt behind her house, but the warrior isn’t dead, and Bree finds herself smack in the middle of a secret society of warriors, appointed by Michael the Archangel, who’ve existed since the beginning of time. Whew, that was a mouthful!

Scene you like most and would never cut: I love the opening scene. After a lifetime of searching for treasure, Bree thinks she’s finally found it, but instead she finds Faelan, who has just spent one hundred and fifty years awaiting release from his time vault.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Bree would never wait for a man to protect her, unfortunately, protection and chivalry are second nature to Faelan, so we have some interesting conflicts between chivalrous warrior and modern-day woman.

What celebrity is your hero like: Probably Gerard Butler, but with long, dark hair like he had in his Attila the Hun role.

What celebrity is your heroine like: I’ve been told that her character resembles Rachel Weisz, as Evie from The Mummy. I was surprised to hear that comparison, but in reflection, I can agree. Physically, I picture her more like Bridget Regan of the TV series, Legend of the Seeker.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Bree is a historian, specializing in antiquities and the American Civil War. She doesn’t know that she has a calling that dates back to the beginning of time.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: He’s a Scottish warrior sent by Michael the Archangel to battle demons disguised as humans, in this case, Faelan has been sent to America to stop the demon responsible for stirring up the hatred and strife that will culminate in the American Civil War, but Faelan is captured by the demon and locked in the time vault, therefore unable to stop the demon and the war.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Bree and Faelan are from completely different worlds. She’s modern, spunky. Faelan is a chivalrous warrior from a time when men protected women and women welcomed it. Faelan is perplexed by this adventurous woman who seems to attract danger wherever she goes. Her lack of caution is making it bloody hard to keep her alive. Whether they’re at each other’s throats or locking lips, this is a sizzling, funny couple.
The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I’m a debut author, but the readers who’ve critiqued this story can’t wait to read Ronan’s story. Ronan is an interesting character, quite a charmer, but he has many secrets. My editor says she loves all the warriors so much she doesn’t care which one comes next.

What’s next: Embrace the Highland Warrior, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Nov. 2011. Antique dealer, Shay Logan becomes the target of the powerful demon who destroyed her family and left her for dead when she was a child. When he discovers her empty grave and realizes he’s been tricked, he comes after her with a vengeance, believing she has stolen an ancient book and that she may be the one destined to destroy him. Knowing she can’t fight this demon alone, Shay is forced to return to the Scottish warrior who betrayed her, the only man she’s ever loved.
Followed by Unleash the Highland Warrior, Sourcebooks, Casablanca, Spring 2012. The only weapon that can stop the demon trying to steal Tavis Connor’s clan’s sacred Book of Battles is his brother’s talisman which is locked inside a time vault that can’t be opened for 150 years. Tavis sacrifices his existence to go forward and finish his brother’s quest. But when he wakes in this strange, modern world, he finds more than his brother and his clan’s descendents waiting for him. Tavis finds his destined mate and a devious plot that has been brewing for nearly a thousand years.

AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR

EXCERPT:
Bree’s fingers tightened around the metal disk as she ran through the graveyard, zigzagging past leaning headstones. Her lantern swayed, throwing shadows on the crypt looming before her, its stone walls the color of bones. Thick vines crept over it, sealing in cracks left by time, while gnarled branches from the twisted oak hovered like outstretched arms. Protecting…or threatening?
An owl screeched overhead as she scurried up the crumbling steps, wishing night hadn’t fallen, when shadows twisted into monsters and spirits came out to play. The burial vault lay open near the back of the crypt, waiting. Blood rushed past her ears, a sound like all the angels’ wings beating in unison. She moved closer and peered at the chest inside. It was ornate, made of metal and wood, with green gemstones embedded in each corner. It looked ancient, like it belonged in a museum or a pyramid, or perhaps Solomon’s Temple. The beauty of it struck her again, as it had when she’d first discovered it.
She set the lantern on the edge of the burial vault and studied the markings on the chest. Swirls and shapes like writing shifted in the amber glow. Stretching out a finger, she touched the surface. Warm? She yanked her hand back and hit the lantern. It crashed to the floor, throwing the top of the crypt into darkness. Dropping to her knees, she scrambled for the light. A sound cut through the silence, scraping, like fingernails against stone. She grabbed the lantern, not daring to blink, then remembered the wind outside and the claw-like branches of the old tree.
She placed the lantern securely on the vault cover she’d pushed onto the alcove and unfolded her hand. The metal disk she held was three inches in diameter and appeared to be made from the same metal as the chest, not silver, not gold. One side had deep grooves; the other was etched with symbols. With trembling fingers, she lined up the disk with the matching grooves on top of the chest and pushed. There was a series of clicks as the notched edges retracted.
A voice rushed through her head. What lies within cannot be, until time has passed with the key.
Bree whirled, but she was alone. Only stone walls stood watch, their secrets hidden for centuries. It was sleep deprivation, not ghosts.
She pulled in a slow, steadying breath and tried to turn the disk. Nothing. Again, this time counterclockwise, and it began to move under her hand. She jerked her fingers back. A loud pop sounded and colors flashed…blue, orange, and green, swirling for seconds, and then they were gone. Great, hallucinations to go with the voices in her head.
Her body trembled as she gripped the lid. This was it. All her dreams held on a single pinpoint of time. If this ended up another wild goose chase, she was done. No more treasure hunts, no more mysteries, no more playing Indiana Jones. She’d settle down to a nice, ordinary, boring life. She counted.
One.
Two.
Three.
She heaved open the chest.
Terror clawed its way to her throat, killing her scream.

In this time of holiday cheer, it can get quite chaotic. A writer friend mentioned that you have to be a warrior to survive shopping, and as a last-minute shopper, I would agree. It got me thinking…what is the funniest or most bizarre holiday experience you have had?
Anita is offering a $25 Borders gift card to one randomly chosen commenter!

Setting: Ireland 1801
Subgenre: Historical
Hero: Conlan McTeer, Duke of Adair
Heroine: Lady Anna Blacknall

One sentence summary: Conlan McTeer, Duke of Adair, has come to Dublin to fight for a free Ireland, but when he finds himself reunited with the beautiful Englishwoman Lady Anna Blacknall his passion turns from politics to pleasure…

–Scene you most like and would never cut: I really love the scene where Anna and Conlan make love for the first time. I felt like I knew them very well by the time I wrote that scene and had been with them through lots of danger and tumultuous emotions. To watch them open their hearts to each other actually made me cry a bit as I wrote it! I also really enjoyed the riot at the Parliament building because I like a good fight. And the Christmas party scenes were a lot of fun, since I love the holiday season. And the secondary romance between Lady Katherine and her French artist—sigh. I knew I couldn’t pick just one!

–Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: She would never walk away from someone in need. (She would also never walk away from a fight—or a good party—or appear on What Not to Wear.)

–What celebrity your hero is like: I love to make “character collages” before writing each book, which means finding inspirations for the hero/heroine, photos of settings, etc, so I love this question! Conlan, Duke of Adair, is dark and rugged, not “model perfect,” so it took me a while to find the right image for him. I ended up turning to my all-time favorite historical drama (which is saying a lot considering how much I love historical dramas), North and South. Richard Armitage’s Mr. Thornton was much like I pictured Conlan, even though the time periods are very different. (I also watched Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera, but that ended up an inspiration for the next book, Lady of Seduction.)

–What celebrity is your heroine like: Anna is all the things I wish I were—tall, blond, and confident. So I needed to find an aristocratic blond, like Gywneth Paltrow or Diane Kruger. I also watched this wonderfully cheesy, made-for-TV Barbara Cartland movie called Duel of Hearts, and that heroine was also a lot like Anna (she had a fabulous Regency wardrobe, too).

–What is your heroine’s occupation?: Hmm—socialite? She’s an upper-class young lady in late Georgian Dublin so she’s only expected to go to parties, look pretty, and marry well. But she longs for so much more, to do good in the world and make a real difference…

–What is your hero’s occupation?: Being a duke! It’s a huge job. Dukes don’t just have cool titles and huge estates. They were also responsible for dozens (if not hundreds) of people, and Conlan takes his responsibility very seriously. He’s also secretly a revolutionary.

–What do you think readers will like best about this books?: If they’re a reader like me, they’ll definitely enjoy the passion between Anna and Conlan. It was sparked when they first met in Countess of Scandal, and it grew and grew in this story. As their author, I was very lucky since they were one of those couples whose feelings for each other take off right away and then run away with the book! I loved them together, and they were always surprising me.

I hope they also like the glimpse of a very turbulent and emotional historical moment, and the tender romance between Lady Katherine and her young French artist.

–The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I’ve had questions about what happens to Caroline Blacknall, the youngest sister. But they won’t have to wait much longer to find out…

–What’s next: Caroline’s story, Lady of Seduction, is out in June 2011 (and has a gorgeous cover which I love). An excerpt can be read at the back of Duchess of Sin. My other writer self, Amanda McCabe, had a Christmas novella out last month in Regency Christmas Proposals and has a new book, The Shy Duchess, coming in March 2011. (So many duchesses!)

You can find out more at my website, http://laurelmckee.net

–My question for readers: I’ve told you one of my favorite historical dramas (North and South) and a favorite guilty pleasure (Duel of Hearts). What are some of your favorites?

And what are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? (I love holiday music and sugary treats! I listened to lots of “Celtic Carols” while writing this book…)

It’s the most, busy time of the year . . . is it not? Shopping, reading, baking, reading, Holiday parties, & reading all of those great Romance books! Thanks for blogging with us & hope to see you next week. Our weekly winners are announced below — please email SueG with your snail mail — Congrats!!

Sunday Sue’s Stash - US winner - Lisa Ann Richards; Danielle; RobinK

Monday & Kate’s winner - SherryS; Katrina

Tuesday & Zoe’s winner - Jessica S

Wednesday w/Gayle - BarbaraB

Thursday & Marjorie’s winner - Darcy

Friday - Jo’s winner’s - US only- Diane S; anne

Saturday w/Lavinia -Teresa

Just in case you’re interested in what we’ve got going on the week of 12/12? Check it out below:

Sunday is w/Cynthia Eden

Monday & Hope Tarr

Tuesday & Mary Carter & Cathy Lamb then afternoon with Teresa Medeiros!

Wednesday with Laurel McKee & Afternoon with JL Saint

Thursday newbie Caris Roane — you’re going to luv her!

Friday with Elizabeth Essex

Saturday with Leanna Renee Hieber, LJ McDonald & Helen Scott Taylor

Great line up & more prizes - enjoy your Holiday parties!

Happy Romance!
SueG

December is here & the Holiday’s are right around the corner — are you ready? Shopping done, cooking done, guest rooms ready? Me neither! But, I am ready to announce this weeks winners - congrats to everyone!

Monday w/Lorraine - Molly; Teri

Tuesday & Kathryn - CrystalGB; Kristi; Vanessa

Wednesday & Debbie - CindyL; LSUReader; Kimberly

+
Maria - TraceyD

Thursday + Sophia - KayaH; Leagh

Friday w/Lumincello - Arlene; Sharon

Saturday’s winner with Cate: Heather

Please stop by this week for the following:

Today with Cathy Maxwell

Monday & Kate Perry

Zoe Archer is on Tuesday

Wednesday with Gayle

Thursday + Marjorie M Liu

Friday + Jo Goodman!

Saturday with Lavinia Kent

WHEW! Awesome week, don’t you think? Hope 2 C U on www.bordersblog.com/trueromance

Happy Holidays!
SueG

Countdown to Christmas
Cate Masters
It’s December 4th already! It hardly seems possible. Whether you’re ready or not, the Christmas countdown’s begun. Have your checklist ready?

Thanksgiving decorations taken down, and Christmas decorating’s begun (if you’re like me, this is a days-long process) – check!
Got your Christmas cheer on – check!
Wish lists – check!
Lined up a few Christmas miracles…
(ahem) I repeat, lined up a few Christmas miracles…

What? No check mark for a few Christmas miracles? It’s one of the most important items on the checklist! And not impossible. If you close your eyes and picture someone in need of a miracle, I bet you are just the person to make it happen.

Because at Christmastime, miracles are as commonplace as snowflakes. All you need to do is use a little imagination. One of the things I love best about Christmas is the feeling that anything can happen. Christmas magic makes people smile for no reason. It fills imaginations with wonder. It makes the world sparkle in anticipation.

These days, so many people need a little hope and joy and love, a little goes a long way. And like snowflakes, kindness builds upon itself to layer the world with love. It’s a beautiful thing, like snow glimmering in the moonlight.

Giving is a miracle in itself. When you care enough to give to someone else, the joy comes back to you, and inspires the receiver to give too. I’m guessing you don’t need to look very far. Maybe it’s someone in your neighborhood – an elderly person, perhaps, or a family in which maybe the mother or father, or both, have lost their jobs and need a little Christmas magic for their kids. Just look around, and ideas will come to you.

Treat every day of life like a gift. Like a miracle. And pass it on.

For me, this means writing. The process brings me such joy, and I hope my stories bring that same joy to readers. Some of my favorite reads include miracles, if even the small miracle of finding love, and the theme of redemption.

In my Native American historical, Follow the Stars Home, Black Bear and Quiet Thunder lose hope – and one another – when they attend the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The school tries to strip them of their Lakota identity, but each rebels differently. Finding their way home again is difficult enough, but can they find their way into each others’ hearts again? Follow the Stars Home is available digitally from Borders:

You can read excerpts, reviews, and view the trailers for all my releases on my web site at http://www.catemasters.com.

Is there a theme such as redemption that draws you to a story, regardless of genre?

I will give away a print copy of Follow the Stars Home to a randomly chosen US commenter.

Happy holidays!

Cate

Cate Masters writes fantasy/paranormal, historical, contemporary and speculative fiction, described by reviewers as ‘so compelling, I did not want to put it down,’ ‘such romantic tales that really touch your soul,’ and ‘the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.’ The proud mom of three adult children, she currently lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Lily the dog, their dictator-like cat, Chairman Maiow, and dozens of characters inhabiting her imagination. Visit Cate online at www.catemasters.com, http://catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com