Today's NEW RELEASES ....

DANCER DOG
BY Miriam Newman
Published and released today by the Dark Castle Lords- Click the link to get your copy today!
http://www.thedarkcastlelords.com/dancer-dog.htm
To learn more about "Dancer Dog," go to the authors website- http://www.miriamnewman.com/


DAUGHTER OF THE WIND
BY- Beth Trissel
Published and released today by the Wild Rose Press- Click the link to get your copy today!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Daughter+of+the+wind+by+Beth+Trissel&x=11&y=25

Scroll down to learn more about Author Beth Trissel!

Interview with Author, Beth Trissel ...

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with Author Beth Trissel.

Welcome Beth!

I have to tell you as I was doing the interview I was so intriqued by how you've found your inspiration. I love the story behind Daughter of the Wind, its so heartbreaking and touching! I can't wait to read the book.

So, the first question everyone wants to know now is, what inspired you to write Daughter of the Wind?

One account that I came across in my studies of the early Scots-Irish influenced my writing more than any other, the tragic story of a captive woman who fell in love with the son of a chief. As the result of a treaty, she was taken from her warrior husband and forced back to her white family where she gave birth to a baby girl and grieved herself to death. Heart wrenching, it haunts me to this day. Daughter of the Wind grew out of this account, as did my yet unpublished historical romance, Red Bird’s Song.

I love this! what an amazing story.

What do you think makes Daughter of the Wind different? What will draw readers to it?

Daughter of the Wind is very different from Somewhere My Love in that it’s set in the colonial frontier just after the Revolution where the war never really ended. Technically we’re not ‘colonial’ anymore in that time period but I use that term to differentiate from the western frontier. ‘Daughter’ also has strong Native American elements and is a very different blend of paranormal and historical than Somewhere My Love. The word mystical comes to mind.

Oh, Mystical, this just gets better and better!

How long have you been writing?

12+years.

Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?

A Pantser making efforts to become more of a plotter. And not really succeeding.

I can definitely understand that, I am a Pantser myself, and plotting isn't an easy thing for me.

How would you describe your voice?

Innate. I’ve always had it.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

When my research is done and I’m just writing. I like to see where the story takes me and am very in tune with the characters, which means I must know them well.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Research into my early American Scots-Irish/English forebears has been a great source of inspiration as is the rich heritage of Virginia history I am immersed in.

Your own genealogy can always be a great source of inspiration, I too have had many stories pop out of my own research!

How do you come up with your ideas/plots?

Sometimes from actual accounts I’ve come across in my genealogy and studies, often from dreams.

Oh wow, from your dreams, these stories really WANT to be told. How incredible!

Do you write in long periods or short stretches?

Whenever I can, so both.

Do you write in silence or listen to music?

I love music and often chose soundtracks from historical movies like The Last of the Mohicans and Braveheart, and many, many others. I also favor Celtic music with a sound that transports me.

I couldn't agree more with your choices! I find music can actually put me in a characters mood more than anything else, especially Celtic music, there's just something about it.

Do you research your story before you write it? Or as you go?

I do a lot of research before I begin and then more as I get into the story. Research is vital.

What have you learned through research that you will remember for the rest of your life?

I am practically an expert on various facets of Colonial America.

If you ever decide to give up writing you can always be a professor! But seriously, I don't think people realize how much authors actually know about the subjects they write about.

How do you decorate your writing space?

I don’t. But now that my husband has built me a sun space I love writing out there surrounded by the natural beauty of the valley and our farm, and my potted plants. Both dogs and the cats also sit with me. They love the sunbeams.

Sounds lovely!

Does all your writing take place on a computer or do you ever write using pen and paper? Always use my laptop now. Years ago I wrote by hand and my dear mother typed it all up. Poor woman.

What a nice mom!

Do you ever act your scenes?

Yes. But not in front of witnesses.

lol, why not?? :O)

How long do you wait once your story is finished to revise it?

I revise as I go (obsessively) and then go back over it all again within a few weeks, sometimes longer.

Do you ever second guess yourself and your writing?

All the time.

I don't think I've had an author yet that has said, NO. Its incredible how insecure us storytellers can be.

Do you allow family and friends to read your writing?

Yes.

Do you feel a draw to the people and the time periods you write about?

I must be deeply drawn to a time period or I don’t write it.

I all ready knew the answer before I asked that question. Its apparent you're passionate about your stories!

Do you have a favorite character?

Rebecca in Through the Fire

What is one thing your readers would find interesting about you?

I’m an expert gardener, but allergies run a lot of interference. I love growing heirloom plants and herbs, do a lot with herbs in my stories.

Oh wow, that is awesome!

Do you ever stray from your genre? Your comfort zone?

I am right now in my latest WIP and it’s tough.

Do you find love scenes difficult to write?

Sometimes. You have to be in the right mood that’s for sure.

lol, I agree!

Is it necessary to have a critique/writing partner?

They are helpful.

Authors make writing look easy? Is it harder than most people imagine it to be?

It’s the hardest thing I can think of to do outside of brain surgery.

I'm with you there! Most people don't understand how hard it really is.

How long does it take you to finish a story?

Weeks, months, years….

I can relate to the years answer .. sigh*

Which authors are on your Must-Read list?

AAMilne. :O)

Has your writing journey been a smooth or bumpy ride?

A virtual roller coaster.

What advice would you give to a new/ aspiring writer?

Write what you love because you are going to be doing it for a very long time.

What is your favorite writing memory?

That first kiss I ever wrote, so sweet. I relived my own, with my hubby. He and I were our first dates and have been together ever since.

That is so sweet, I love it!

Do you have more than one book out now?

Yes, two, and very soon to have four.

That's incredible! Congratulations!! We will be showcasing your other releases soon!!

Whew. Thanks so much for having me on your lovely blog!

You are so welcome Beth, I enjoyed getting to know you better and wish you all the best in your future endevours!!!!!! And I can't wait to spotlight your other releases!!!!

To learn more about Beth Trissel please visit her website at: http://www.bethtrissel.com/

or scroll down through my posts for the spotlights on her new release- "Daughter of the Wind"

New Release- My Lady Captor, by Hannah Howell

My Lady Captor

By-Hannah Howell
Price: $6.99
Release Date: May 5, 2009

Pre-order Price Guarantee. Learn more.

Lady Sorcha Hay is devastated to learn that English soldiers are holding her young brother captive. Penniless, the only way she can pay for his freedom is by taking a hostage for ransom herself.

Her captive - a wounded knight plucked from the battlefield - is furious to be imprisoned by a woman. But nothing will stop Sorcha from keeping Sir Ruari Kerr enslaved, even as the sight of his bronzed body sets her mind reeling and her senses afire...

With her dark mane and soft curves, Sorcha is everything Ruari has ever desired in a woman. As she tends to his wounds, Ruari fights the intense attraction that ignites at her very touch. But he can't afford to lose his heart to his tempting captor.

For when he's finally rescued by his men, Sorcha will pay dearly for her treachery - and loving her could put both their lives in peril...

The SPOTLIGHT is on, Author Beth Trissel ...

AUTHOR BIO

I’m a Wild Rose Press author of historical and light paranormal romance and 2008 Golden Heart ® Finalist.
My first release, SOMEWHERE MY LOVE, a murder mystery/ghost story romance with flashbacks to early nineteenth century Virginia, won first place in the 2008 Preditors & Editors Readers Poll for Best Romance Novel and was reviewed on Barbara Vey’s Blog at Publisher’s Weekly, April 1st, 2009.

I am married and live on a farm in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with children and multiple animals. The beauty of the valley is an inspiration, as are my roots which go well back into Virginia’s history.

My fascination with the colonial frontier and the Shawnee Indians is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. Intrigued with all things Celtic, much of my writing features the Scot-Irish who settled the valley and spread into the surrounding mountains and the Carolinas.

This absorption with early America also extends to the high drama of the Revolution and ancestors who fought and loved on both sides of that sweeping conflict. My research into the Southern face of the war was partly inspired by my great great great grandfather, Sam Houston, uncle of the famous Sam, who kept a journal of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, 1781, used by historians today.

ENEMY OF THE KING, coming to the Wild Rose May 2009, grew out of my passionate interest in the Revolution. I’ve researched extensively and consulted with members of the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band to ensure authenticity of the Native American aspects in my work.

THROUGH THE FIRE, my Golden Heart ® historical entry, also coming to the Wild Rose Press May 2009, is set in the colonial American frontier with a strong THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS flavor.

My light paranormal release, DAUGHTER OF THE WIND, is a suspenseful historical romance set among the clannish Scots-Irish in the Alleghenies two years after the revolution. The Celtic flavor of these early Scots is a unique twist on stories set in the Old Country with an intriguing paranormal element in the form of a 'bear walking' Shawnee warrior and a mystical necklace. The Ohio Shawnee confided this ancient belief/practice of bear walking to me and they are long known for their belief in the power of amulets.

Come back Wednesday for my interview with 2008 Golden Heart Finalist, Beth Trissel!

http://www.bethtrissel.com/
The Wild Rose Press
Or visit Beth on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/bctrissel

The SPOTLIGHT is on, "Daughter of the Wind," by Beth Trissel

Autumn, 1784: A tragic secret from Karin McNeal's past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman who longs to know more of her mother’s death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in her life among the Scot’s settled in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies. Jack McCray, a wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother’s death, holds the key to unlocking the past. Will she let this handsome frontiersman lead her to the truth and into his arms, or seek the shelter of her fiercely possessive grandfather? Is it only her imagination or does something, or someone, wait beyond the brooding ridges—for her?

Click the link below to order your copy today-

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Daughter+of+the+wind+by+Beth+Trissel&x=11&y=25

To learn more about Beth Trissel please visit her website- http://www.bethtrissel.com/

Interview with Author, Eliza Knight

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with the Author of the Highland Jewel Series, Eliza Knight.

WELCOME Eliza!

First off I want to tell you that you've been graced by the cover God's. Nothing like a sexy man to grab someone's attention!

First thing I want to know is what inspired you to write, "Love In A Box?"

I wanted to wrap up the Highland Jewel Series, there were several questions left un-answered. In the first book, Warrior In A Box, we meet Donell and Lainie, they are the parents of the hero, Colin in Love In A Box. You also get a brief mention of Sera, the heroine of Love In A Box in the first book and the second, Lady In A Box. Together, Sera and Colin hold the future of the clans in their palms.

Ah, so you would definitely want everyone to read the first two books before reading this one! Well, duh, yeah!!!! :O)

How would you describe your voice?
I like to think of my voice as passionate, strong, a dash of humor, a pinch of sarcasm and a dose of fantasy mixed realism.
I love anything with a bit of sarcasm, becuase really in your own life, no one is serious all the time! Would make one extremely dull, wouldn't you say? lol :O)

What is your favorite part of the writing process?
My favorite part has to be coming up with the story—I get this euphoric flying feeling and I just can’t stop plotting, planning and making my characters come to life.
Its all so exciting isn't it?

How do you come up with your ideas/plots?
They just come to me. I could be doing anything, daydreaming, chores, sleeping, watching a movie, reading a book or taking a walk. From there I work it out in my mind and on paper.

Do you write in long periods or short stretches?
Both. It depends on a number of things. Two mainly being my schedule and if my kids are home or not.
Kids, the writers curse! lol, I know it well!!

How do you decorate your writing space?
Does decorating it with coffee cups and paper count? My desk is seriously disturbing…you’d think I couldn’t get any work done, but whenever I clean it, I just mess it up again. I think the chaos works for me.
Sure, coffee cups work for me! ha ha, sometimes some people thrive in chaos!!! I call it organized chaos!!

Does all your writing take place on a computer or do you ever write using pen and paper?
I write on my computer. I do sometimes take notes on paper, but I’ve never been able to write for long periods of time with paper and pen—it hurts my hands. I also HAVE to use my ergonomic keyboard. Whenever I leave my desk to write elsewhere with my laptop, I end up waking up half the night with wrist cramps. I think this comes from years of piano playing and typing.
Paper just sounds so old school doesn't it? I've heard about the ergonomic keyboards. Do they really help? Ugh, wrist cramps- neck cramps- back ache! writing is hazardous to one's health!

Do you ever act your scenes?
LOL! I’m not telling

Oh, come on that's not fair!!!!! Tell, tell!!!!

How long do you wait once your story is finished to revise it?
This depends on what my deadline is. I always wait at least a few days, to get it out of my system. Recently I was working on a story I thought was HORRIBLE. I waited about 2 months, then went back to revise it—and LOVED it! Go figure…

Do you ever second guess yourself and your writing?
Yes! See above… I do it all the time.

Seems to come with the territory!

Is it necessary to have a critique/writing partner?
For me, it is a must. I like to have a few different eyes look at my work. There are just some things your own eyes won’t pick up on. Sometimes its as simple as their vs. there or as major as, what is the motivation here? It can’t hurt!
I couldn't agree more! A crit partner is woth their weight in gold!

Authors make writing look easy? Is it harder than most people imagine it to be?
Hmm…Okay, writing is easy. Writing a great story is not! It takes practice, skill, imagination, research and lots of editing. Getting published is even harder. I know some writers who’ve been writing for over a decade and are still not published. It’s a difficult business to get into.

That is so true, and most people don't understand that. They think you pick up a pencil and that's it. Its so much more than that.

Which authors are on your Must-Read list?
The list is too long to write here…A short list, if they write a historical, I am all over Ken Follett, Jude Devereux and Julie Garwood.

Has your writing journey been a smooth or bumpy ride?
A little bit of both.

What advice would you give to a new/ aspiring writer?
Keep writing! You have to be persistent. Remember to use rejection as a learning tool. I know it hurts, I’ve been there, but remember some big time authors got hundreds of rejection letters before they made it!
That is sooooooooooooooo true!!!

What is your favorite writing memory?
That would be when I finally sat down, decided I want to write and said “I can do this!” I haven’t stopped since.

Good for you!!! I wish I could get to that, "I can do this moment," I'm still in the I don't think I am cut out for this mode." sigh*

Do you have more than one book out now?
I do. The three stories of my series, Highland Jewel Series are out now with The Wild Rose Press, and I have a Regency out with TWRP as well. Her Captain Returns, is the first in my Men of the Sea Series. To read excerpts, see reviews and book trailers, visit my site:

http://www.elizaknight.com/

I want to thank you for being here with me today, Eliza! Its been a pleasure!

To learn more about Eliza and her books, don't forget to visit her website!

Scroll down for a sneak peek at LOVE IN A BOX!!!!

The Spotlight is on, "Love in a Box," by Eliza Knight

Colin MacDuff has grown up learning the ways of Highland warriors from his father Donell--but he's never believed his parent's faniciful stories of time travel, true love and a brooch known as the Highland Jewel. Until…he lands on his butt, literally, in the year 1648. Before him is the most beautiful, not to mention sexy as hell, woman he's ever seen. The only thing is, she refuses to be his, or to believe in the power of the brooch.

Sera wishes she'd been able to escape the Highlands like her sister did, and vows she won't marry for anything less than love, and refuses to be a pawn in a marriage deal. Until…Colin shows her what she's missing. He takes her body to the heights of heaven and back, all while proving to her that true love is possible.

Now everything and everyone, depends on the future of these two lovers. Will Colin stay in the past to save the future, and will Sera succumb to passion and love?

Review:

4.5 Ribbons at Romance Junkies!

"LOVE IN A BOX" is the third book in Eliza Knight’s HIGHLAND JEWELS series. After reading the first two stories I was anxious to find out just who the brooch would find love for next. The introduction of Colin is a delightful twist since we were privy to Donell and Lainie’s romance in the first story WARRIOR IN A BOX and it’s interesting to see how his going back in time affects the dynamics of the MacDuff clan. You also get to revisit Ian and Natalie from LADY IN A BOX. I loved Sera’s feisty nature and her determination not to marry just to join the clans. There’s no doubt that their union is meant to be and if the brooch’s bringing them together isn’t enough proof for you, the sexual tension between these two is certainly proof positive." ~ Chrissy, Romance Junkies

Excerpt-

He couldn’t believe it. The stories his parents told him about time travel had been true. Shit, shit, shit...

There was no other explanation for the woman’s outfit, the horse and the fact he disappeared from dinner in the blink an eye. He had traveled through time.

Was Colin now in his father’s time? What was that? 1647? 1648? Oh, Lord. Who was the chick?

He took a deep breath trying to calm his erratically beating heart. He held his hands in front of himself and mentally made them stop shaking.

Get a hold of yourself man! If his father could do it, so could he. Hell, the man taught him everything he knew. Colin bent down on one knee beside the woman. He brushed her long auburn waves from her face and then recoiled his hand in shock. She was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen. Her skin was the color of milk and honey. Well-defined cheekbones, a straight slender nose, and dainty chin framed her face. Her eyes were closed, leaving a thick brush of lashes lying against her creamy cheeks. Her full pouty lips were partially opened. He leaned down to listen. Her even breaths tickled his ear. At least she was breathing. And damned if he wasn’t turned on by the feel of it against his skin.

Gently he placed two fingers against her graceful neck. Her heartbeat was strong. Colin straightened out her limbs. Arms that were long and sculpted and legs that went on forever. He gritted his teeth against the desire simmering inside him. Whoever this chick was, she was hot.

To learn more about Eliza Knight please check out her website- http://www.elizaknight.com/

To purchase LOVE IN A BOX, click link - BUY NOW!