GUEST BLOG: C.H. ADMIRAND

How Did An East Coast Girl Get Hooked on Cowboys? Well, why don’t you pull up a chair while I brew you a cup of tea—this might take awhile…

It all started when I was just a kid—most obsessions begin either early in one’s life or due to a traumatic/major event in one’s life. Mine began one wintry Saturday morning. My dad loved to watch cartoons with us. It used to make my mom nuts—there was no getting us out of the living room and away from the TV if Dad was in there with us. His favorite cartoons were Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote, but there were Westerns on TV, too! Dad got me hooked on the Roy Rogers Show and John Wayne movies. To me these heroes were larger than life, did what was right, and seldom stopped to ask questions. Take charge men who weren’t afraid to use their fists to do the talking when the bad guys weren’t listening. Life was definitely simpler back then.

I started reading the TV schedule to see if there would be any cowboy movies on one of the daily movie channels: The Million Dollar Movie (Channel 9) or The 4:30 Movie (Channel 7). And before you ask, yes we had remotes back then—I was usually the closest to the TV, so I was the remote. When asked, I’d get up and change the channel. :-)

My dad was born in a little village outside of Denver, Colorado, a place called Louviers. It was a DuPont town, most of the residents worked for DuPont. Whenever he spoke about growing up out West, my imagination was right there with him, sneaking out his bedroom window when his mom (my Gram) would close her eyes in the middle of the day, and running hell-bent-for-leather across the open prairie. He had a souvenir that he picked up and my grandparents had stuffed for him—a Horned Toad—I don’t remember if it was alive at the time. As a kid I was fascinated by it—even though the stuffing was starting to come out and a leg or two threatened to fall off.

So when I was in high school and our folks decided we’d be driving cross-country to California, stopping off in Colorado to see where Dad was born—I couldn’t wait! To this day that will always be my favorite family vacation. I’m not sure my sisters or brother would agree, but to me it was paradise; seeing the Alamo in the pouring rain, tucked in alongside huge buildings, left a lasting impression. I have no idea why I thought it would be standing all alone out in the middle of nowhere—that must have been the Hollywood image in my brain—because I was also hoping to see Davy Crocket (played by Fess Parker…not the John Wayne version) standing guard. A wild imagination has never been a problem for me. LOL!

I loved the beauty of the West: skies so blue it actually hurt your eyes, air so hot we got sunburned at 5:00 in the afternoon while visiting the Sonora Desert Museum—yeah the Tarantula and Scorpion scared the you-know-what out of me! The colors of the Painted Desert were warm and inviting, while the Grand Canyon was amazingly austere—so huge and so deep. I’m not a fan of heights. The Petrified Forest was another highlight for me. So much of the desert appealed to me, I’m not sure if I could live there, but I’d love to go back.

All of the sights, sounds, and experiences just added to the allure of the American cowboy and his way of life for me. I’m still a sucker for a man with broad shoulders and working-man hands. A man who isn’t afraid to pit his strength and stubbornness against nature and come out on top! Oh and just FYI, in a battle against Aliens…Cowboys always win—they know how to fight dirty when it counts!

Thanks for inviting me today. If you want to read more about my books or me, stop by my website at www.chadmirand.com or follow me on Facebook - www.facebook.com/CHAdmirand and Twitter- www.twitter.com/CHAdmirand.

DYLAN BY C.H. ADMIRAND – IN STORES JANUARY 2012

There was nothing he couldn’t tame…
Dylan Garahan might be an old hand at lassoing fillies, but one night at the Lucky Star club, and he ends up wrapping his rope around someone that even his formidable strength can’t tame. She’s wily and beautiful… and she’s his new boss. Dylan’s had his heart broken bfore, but even an honest cowpoke has to wrestle with temptation…
Until he got his lasso around her…
Ronnie DelVecchio might be fresh off the bus from New Jersey, but she’s a hard-edged businesswoman and has had her fill of men she can’t trust—although she might consider getting off her high horse for that big handsome rancher with a Texas drawl.

About the Author:

C.H. Admirand was born in Aiken, South Carolina. She has published 9 bestselling novels for the library market. Her Secret Life of Cowboy series, published by Sourcebooks Casablanca includes Tyler (available now), Dylan (in stores January 2012) and Jesse (in stores July 2012). She lives with her husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ very best traits, in northern New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.CHAdmiarand.com or follow her on twitter, @chadmirand.

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for one of two copies of Dylan. US and Canada residents only please.

GUEST BLOG: DANIELLE THORNE

What I Learned From a Hobbit
Part of being a good writer is being a reader, and I don't often get the chance to indulge in reading for pleasure these days. It's ironic, since books have been my biggest inspiration in life. Recently, I sat down for almost three days and indulged myself in a Lord of the Rings marathon. As much as I would have liked to have time to actually sit down and read the books (and I plan to with my ten year old who let me read The Hobbit to him last year), I did get a lot out of the movie and took some time to reflect on the beauty of Tolkien's imagination and the wisdom in his messages.

Every time I write a story, whether it's a romance or some far flung adventure, I am conscious of the messages that I send out with my characters. While I'm certainly no genius at integrating life changing morals into epic tales, I am fully aware of the impact of what my stories say. It's my hope that with my sea adventures, the reverence I have of the oceans comes through the pages. With Historicals, I strive to bring the beauty and innocence of the past to life. So many lessons behind us have been forgotten. Maybe in his own way, that's what Tolkien was trying to do, too.

Here are ten things that I have learned from the hobbits of the Shire:

Life was meant to be an adventure.
Never, never, never quit.
Faith will always find a way.
There is no greater gift than a loyal friend.
Power is a heavy burden to those who are true, and a weapon for the wicked.
No one is flawless.
To die with a friend, is to go in peace.
Trees have feelings, too.
To choose not to act, is to fail what is right.
There is no place like home…

I know there are more messages, all more profound, in the story of Frodo and his ring that I haven't even begun to unravel. I wish I'd taken the time to jot down my thoughts as I watched the films, but that they still linger on my mind is proof of the profound influence a good book can have. I wish each of you a wonderful new year full of books (and epic film interpretations) that bring inspiration, wisdom, happiness -- and yes, adventure.

Danielle Thorne
Author of Historical and Contemporary Romantic Adventures
www.DanielleThorne.com
Follow my blog! http://www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com

About the Author: Danielle Thorne is the author of sweet romantic adventure books, both historical and contemporary. She currently writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. Besides contract editing and writing full time, Danielle has four sons with her husband, Rob. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors.

Backlist
THE PRIVATEER (Desert Breeze Publishing)
BY HEART AND COMPASS (Desert Breeze Publishing)
JOSETTE (Whimsical Publications)
TURTLE SOUP (Smashwords)
SOUTHERN GIRL, YANKEE ROOTS (Willow Moon Publishing)
Coming Soon: DEATH CHEATER, February 2012

GUEST BLOG: KAT DUNCAN

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Please click on the banner for a complete list of tour stop. Kat will be awarding a gift basket worth over $15 of Irish items to one randomly drawn commenter (US/Canada only please).

Please tell us a little about yourself...

I'm a creation extremist and avid explorer of knowledge. I value creativity, am a non-conformist and a die-hard do-it-yourselfer. When I turn my attention to a topic, I explore it thoroughly, turning over every convention, questioning and examining in a Socratic way until I understand. And then I seek out ways to share what I’ve learned with others. I have a variety of interests and friends who often fall into factions that can’t seem to understand one another except that they all have a common friend in me. I’m a naturally optimistic person and have trouble understanding human emotions of greed and anger. I believe that negative emotions like these are due to some underlying fear that, once confronted, can be overcome.

Please tell us a little about your book....

Stalked by a killer bent on stealing her laboratory notebook, scientist Molly Augur is desperate to figure out who she can and cannot trust. With the help of co-researcher Bill Banely, she uses DNA technology she invented to prove she can release hidden ancestral memories. In the brain synapses of her mind she finds one person who may know the truth - her long dead ancestor, Mailsi, whose life memories have been recorded in the depths of Molly’s genes.

Ancient passions and betrayals come alive and collide with the present when Molly discovers philanthropist Dr. Philman, with a secret billion dollar need for the technology only she possesses could be the one after her notebook. And Bill, whose wandering heart she has finally won, is working for Philman. In the face of limitless money, what is the value of Bill’s love? Or the value of her life? The answers lie deep within the synapses of her mind.

What inspired you to pen this particular novel?

I had one of those "what if" moments when I thought about all the as yet unidentified genes in DNA and what knowledge they might hold. Scientists speculate that all of those genes that are now inactive were at one time actively being used. I wondered what they were used for and whether unlocking them would reconnect us with our ancestors and their memories. Synapse explores some interesting possibilities for our own DNA to help us understand who we truly are. It also shows us that no matter what we learn about the past, it is our own choices right now that create our future.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer in high school when I wrote a poem that was read aloud to the class. Before that I hadn't really written anything that was delivered to an audience. When the class commented positively on the poem and asked me questions to explore its meanings, writing suddenly had a whole new aspect for me: entertaining readers. I was hooked.

How do you keep your story flowing?

With action. For me the most engaging stories have lots of things happening. By that I don't mean violent fights, car chases and thrilling roller coaster rides. I want the characters to be doing something, not sitting around thinking. Even when Molly and Bill are thinking about what's happened to them, or trying to figure out what to do next, they are busy doing things.

Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it?

I've only once run into writer's block and I turned to my part time writing partner for help. I was having trouble finishing a manuscript set in medieval Scotland. I just got stuck about a third of the way through. No problem, I just shifted my attention to other projects thinking the words would come when they were ready. But they didn't and many months went by before I could face that manuscript. After he wrote a synopsis of the story in modern terms, I was able to push through and see what I needed to write. So if you are stuck with writer's block don't suffer in silence, ask for help!

What is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write?

No quirks or must-haves, but I'm fickle, so I need to have several projects going at once. I might be brainstorming one story, drafting another, editing a third, polishing a forth, etc. I write medieval historicals as well as romantic suspense, so I can flip time-frames as well as writing tasks and that keeps my brain and my writing fresh.

Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future?

I'm interested in some mainstream topics right now, such as politics and economics. I'm also into cross genres, in fact, Synapse is a bit of sci-fi a bit of romance and a bit of suspense all rolled into one. I'd also love to get back to my fantasy novel series. It's a sweeping classic fairies, dragons, elves and sorcerers story and should be a lot of fun to share.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope they will be whisked away to a different world for a little while and come away with a new way of looking at things.

What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing?

“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer." –Barbara Kingsolver

What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers?

Be selfish. Don't carve out little bits of spare time to write. Let writing take over your life. You won't regret it. If you really have the desire to write, your family and friends will understand. And do take the time to learn the craft, you may be born with talent, but craft will make your books stand out.

Are you currently working on any new projects? What can we expect from you in the future?

I'm working on a contemporary romance novella, a mainstream political novel about the origins of the US Constitution, as well as another medieval historical.

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future.

About the Author: Kat Duncan is a creation extremist who is doing her best to identify human creativity and free it from captivity, one student at a time. As a young child, Kat once tried to confess the telling of her stories to her parish priest because she thought they fit the definition the nuns gave for telling a lie. With her lies fully sanctioned and blessed by church authorities, Kat has been telling her lies ever since and writing stories to entertain and enlighten. After a successful career as a software engineer, Kat decided she needed something different to do. She's now a tutor of adolescents with special needs.
Find the Author Online:
Web: http://www.katduncan.net
Blog: http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
Twitter: @write_about
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writeabout

GUEST BLOG: KETA DIABLO

This is a stop of the Virtual Blog Tour. Please leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for a download of the winner's choice of any of Keta's books, excluding Dark Night of the Moon. About Dark Night of the Moon:

Dark Night of the Moon is the second book in the series and the sequel to Holding on to Heaven.

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on eradicating the haunting memories of his brother’s wife. Brand Gatlin, presumed dead, resurfaces after a long absence and with his re-emergence, the destinies of those he loves is altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage must travel to the village of her husband’s People. There, she is reunited with Crooked Back, the ancient healer. On the long trek back to Full Circle, devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every corner for Sage, Lauren and Peter Pa.

Dark Night of the Moon will take you on an unforgettable journey of war, violence, overwhelming grief, and finally, love.

* * *

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for stopping by today for my blog tour! I'm really excited about the release of Dark Night of the Moon. Did you know the novel is a wolf shapeshifter? Why do you think we're so fascinated by shapeshifting -- the ability of man (woman) to turn into animals? I'm really intrigued with wolf-shifters and bird-shifters, though not entirely there yet on rodent shifters and bear shifters. I suppose there's an audience for everything though –lol.

The wolf in Dark Night of the Moon is a gray wolf. In wolf form he’s called Wa-kan-man-nee or Walking Spirit. I spent considerable time learning about this species and dug up some interesting facts you might enjoy. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is also known as the Arctic wolf, common wolf, Mexican wolf, Plains wolf, timber wolf, and Tundra wolf. At one time, they were the world's most widely distributed mammal, but they've become extinct now in much of Western Europe, Mexico and the US. Their packs have been reduced by almost one-third over the years because we've been led to believe they prey on livestock and humans. In actuality, it's very rare for humans to be attacked by a wolf.

More intriguing facts about the gray wolf:

* Genetic studies confirm the gray wolf is the ancestor of a domestic dog
* They wear their prey down by chasing them until they tire and then attack
* They’re capable of running at speeds of 35-38 miles an hour and can continue at that pace for 20 minutes.
* Their stomachs can hold up to 20 pounds of food and 8 quarts of water (Wow! we're talking serious eating here)
* Mated pairs stay together for life unless one dies (then it's "I'm moving on” time)

* Their sense of smell is weak, but their hearing is very keen. They can hear leaves falling from quite a distance.
* Their jaws are extremely powerful. They kill by biting large chunks of flesh from their prey thereby producing massive blood loss
* Wolves howl to either assemble the pack or to sound the alarm

If you read Dark Night of the Moon, I thought it would be interesting to know about the gray wolf while you turn the pages. I hope you enjoy the book, and wish everyone much luck in the contest! Don't forget to leave your e-mail address in the comment section below in case you win. The blog host will be selecting a winner when the tour is over. Winner will be sent an e-mail and announced on this blog.

Don't forget to leave a short review on Amazon if you read the book, and I'd love for you to follow my blog so you know about all future releases: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com.

Have a great week everyone,

http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
About the Author::

Keta is a multi-published author of paranormal and historical romance and gay fiction. In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a Bookie Award and by Deep In The Heart of Romance for Best Romance of the Year.

Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS, have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.

If you'd like to know more about Keta and her latest releases, she haunts the Net here:

Keta's Keep Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY POST!!!

Randomly, Long and Short Reviews will have a special post on one of their blogs... and it's all about giving things away. Today, anyone who comments on this post will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon GC. Also, all the comments will count double towards our monthly prize of a $50 GC. All you have to do is answer the following question: Who is your favorite author?

GUEST BLOG: ELISABETH NAUGHTON

I’m so excited to be here at the Long & Short Reviews today!

Long before I was romance writer—or reader—I was a Soap addict. Not all Soap Operas, mind you, just one: Days Of Our Lives. It was a sick obsession. So sick, in fact, in college I used to schedule my classes around the show. I gave up Soap Operas about the time I found my first romance novel, but every once in a while, in the middle of the day, I’ll flip on the TV and watch for a few seconds. And whenever I do, I always find myself remembering just what it was about those Soaps that hooked me at an early age: the emotional angst, the mystery and suspense, the action and sexy characters. All the things I love in my romance novels today.

One of my favorite Soap story lines was the amnesia plot. When the hero woke up not knowing who he was. This storyline sucked me in every time because I couldn’t wait to see if he’d ever get his memory back. How would his family react to seeing him alive? Would he fall in love with the same woman? Would he be the same or different? I remember spending hours in front of the TV waiting to find out if John Black really was Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives. And when the answer wasn’t what I wanted, I made up my own alternate ending. (This should have been my first clue I was destined for a career as a writer, but, alas, it took several years for me to clue in.)

There’s something both romantic and mysterious about a character who can’t remember who they once were, and that fascination obviously rings true because shows like Once Upon A Time and movies like Unknown are employing the same amnesia plot lines today. Amnesia story lines can—and have been—worked into any genre, from paranormals to contemporaries to thrillers. So long as the amnesia element creates questions, readers (and viewers) can’t wait to find the answers. They keep reading (and watching), which is why writers (Soap Opera writers and mainstream writers) keep on writing them.

My latest release, WAIT FOR ME, is a contemporary romantic suspense with an amnesia twist.

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach.

“Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read.” —Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

Are you a fan of amnesia stories? What do you like about them? I’m giving away a copy of WAIT FOR ME to one lucky winner today so leave me a comment to be entered in the drawing!

***

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.ElisabethNaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.

GUEST BLOG: VICTORIA CONNELLY

Tell us about the experience of seeing your first book turned into a movie.

It was an amazing experience! My first book – Flights of Angels – was published in Germany - although it’s now available as an ebook worldwide – and my husband and I flew out to Berlin to see it being filmed. We got to meet the actors and even got to be extras in the film which was incredibly exciting, and the finished product was so lovely. My story is about a young widow who has a group of tiny guardian angels to take care of her and the way they’d filmed the angels was so cute and funny. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.

What led you into writing Austen-related fiction?

I wanted to explore what it was like to be a Jane Austen addict in the modern world. A lot of Austen-related fiction deals with fans who suddenly spiral back in time to Regency England but I hadn’t read anything about modern-day fans other than The Jane Austen Book Club. I’m an Austen fan myself and I wanted to talk to other fans and find out why her books are still so popular 200 years after their first publication.

I’d also been visiting lots of beautiful Jane Austen locations: Chawton in Hampshire, Lyme Regis in Dorset and the gorgeous Georgian city of Bath. They inspired me to write about them and I thought they’d be great settings for my trilogy. It was also a fabulous excuse to read all the books again and watch all the film adaptations – in the name of work, you understand!

What's your favorite part(s) about living in London? Least favorite things about it?

Actually, I’ve just left London for rural Suffolk and I’m much happier in the countryside! I lived in London for eleven years and it was great to be able to attend publishers’ parties and meet all my writer friends. I also adored the fabulous museums and art galleries but I found living there very noisy. There are just so many people all the time and we didn’t have enough space either. We now have a lovely big garden for our hens and dog (with plans to get more of each!) and I can see fields full of horses from my study window! I’m much happier here – you can’t help but be inspired by the beauty and I hope to write many more novels here.

Victoria Connelly grew up in Norfolk before attending Worcester University where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she worked her way through a number of jobs before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. In 2000, she got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and moved to London.

Although having had articles and short stories published, it was only when Flights of Angels was published that Victoria was able to realize the dream of becoming a professional writer. Bought in a bidding war between five publishers and released as Unter deinem Stern in Germany, the novel was made into a film for television by award-winning Ziegler Film. Her second novel, The Unmasking of Elena Montella (Wenn es dich gibt), was published in 2007 and her third, Three Graces (Wohin mit der Liebe), was published in 2009.

Her first novel to be published in the UK – Molly’s Millions – came out in 2009. She is currently working on a trilogy about Jane Austen addicts. The first, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, was published in the UK by Avon, HarperCollins, and was published in the US by Sourcebooks in July 2011. The second in the trilogy, The Perfect Hero, was published in the UK in April 2011 and will be published in the US as Dreaming of Mr. Darcy. The third book, Mr. Darcy Forever, will be published in the US in April 2012.

Her next book to be published in the UK will be The Runaway Actress – a romantic comedy about a movie star who swaps Hollywood for the Highlands.

Victoria’s three fantasy rom coms, previously published in Germany, are now available in English on Kindle and other ebook formats.

She lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a springer spaniel and ex-battery hens.