Spring is in the Air - here in Florida, anyway!

My deepest sympathy for the victims of the latest tornadoes sweeping through the midwest! It's amazing what nature can do. We're safe on the Gulf Coast in Florida, as the high winds tend to be inland - skipping over us completely. This has nothing to do with writing, but I just wanted everyone to take a moment and appreciate what we have in our lives.

On a brighter note, I joined a brand spanking new RWA chapter - it's called the Sunshine State Romance Authors. Great group of writers of all genres, ages, backgrounds, and experience. Our emblem is a mermaid! For those of you unfamiliar with this part of Florida, we have Weeki Wachee Springs which is the home of live mermaids! Not really - they are beautiful girls who are able to swim and dance underwater. Here's a link to their site - it's one of the original tourist draws in Florida!

I believe in mermaids!

I hope everyone is busy getting ready for spring and warmer weather. It feels like summer here - in the low 80s or high 70s most of the time. Whenever I hear about snow in other parts of the country, I have to remember that it's still winter for some people. I even have my garden planted and some of the tomato plants have little green tomatoes! Okay, I cheated - we bought them with some fruit on the vine already.

Read any good books lately? If it's still cold where you live, cuddle up by a frosty window under a warm blanket and discover a new gem or revisit an old friend. Jane Eyre is my all time favorite for dark and bleary days, or any other gothic novel. Tell us what you've been reading, or what you're doing to get ready for spring!

Romance on Valentine's Day and Every Day!

People think it must be easy for a romance author to write about something as obvious as Valentine's Day, but I guess it's as difficult for writers as it is for everyone else. I mean, what can I write about the ultimate holiday that celebrates love in all its wonderful forms? So to celebrate this day of hearts and flowers, I've clipped a love scene from one of my current projects to give you a glimpse of love in Regency England! This is a scene between Mary Bennet (the middle sister from Pride and Prejudice) and her fiance, Frederick, who happens to be drop dead gorgeous and an earl, to boot! They're playing the piano together in the middle of the night. It's a piece she wrote about him.

     A log on the hearth collapsed with the muffled sound of rustling autumn leaves. He’d stoked the fire earlier, but it was almost dying. She wondered if she should light a few lamps–perhaps all of them, and some candles, besides, but then decided against it. There was a magical quality in the air, hovering around them. Light would only disturb the moment.

     “This part rather hangs in the end,” he said suddenly, his eyes focused on the page while his fingers continued to work through her notes. She blinked.

     “Does it?”

     He nodded, seemingly unaware of her tumultuous feelings. “Tell me what you saw when you wrote this. In your head, I mean. Is this Everhill?” He played a few chords, and then looked at her expectantly.

     She stifled a laugh. “I do not remember what I saw in my mind. I was just thinking of…” Being lost in your arms, of running my fingers through your hair…She gulped. “It was just you.”

     “Just me?”

     His quiet voice matched the silent darkness all around them. The fire crackled in the hearth, then seemed to go silent, as if the inanimate room waited for her reply.

     “Just you.” Her response had been a throaty whisper. She took a deep breath as if she were preparing to swim across a lake. Her left hand slipped off the keyboard and linked with her right, which remained in her lap.

     She felt one of them should look away first, and quickly. Something was about to happen, and she didn’t know if she should try to stop it, or even how she could.

     His eyes glowed in the dim room, burning flames of their own. He moved closer to her on the bench, taking the last eighth of an inch. Heat emanated from his body until she felt his warmth through her dressing gown and nightgown, and finally, to her bare skin. She hadn’t realized he’d taken her hand until he pressed it to his lips.

     The pressure of his mouth against her palm increased to a defined kiss. This was no repeat of mocking Jeremy’s attempt. Her breath seemed trapped in her lungs, and she arched toward him. He curved her fingers around his cheek, the rasp of his whiskers grazing her skin. She longed to touch him of her own accord, to stroke his silky-looking hair and the straight slope of his nose, but her hand was captive.

     Unable to bear not being in his arms any longer, she slid her free hand up his arm, feeling the muscles contract until she reached his shoulder. He slipped his injured arm around her back and drew her close, releasing her hand in another instant to tilt her chin as his head dipped down.

     She had never anticipated a kiss before, yet instinctively knew what to do. She pressed her hand to his chest, her fingertips inadvertently slipping between his shirt buttons so that she felt his heated bare skin. His breath fanned her cheek with short, quick puffs, and his heartbeat pounded against her palm.

     The tips of their noses touched, and then his head turned slightly. The feather touch of his mouth against hers sparked something deep inside her, and she murmured his name. That action parted her lips, and it was all he needed. His lips were gentle but firm, tasting and teasing her until she kissed him back, her head reeling with the rapid onslaught of sensations his kiss aroused.

Hope that puts everyone in the mood for your own personal love story! May it be filled with hugs and kisses, candy hearts and roses! (And someone else doing the dishes for a change.)

Plotting A New Novel, Jane Austen Style!

Well, I finally finished and submitted a Regency historical romance, book 1 of hopefully 3 in a series, and am now working on book 2! This one stars Georgiana Darcy, the famous Mr. Darcy's younger sister. I love immersing myself in the Regency period and am excited to work on this new book. Usually, when I finish a book, there's a little sense of loss - like the baby bird has flown the nest! But sticking with the same background story (Pride and Prejudice) and familiar characters makes it feel like I'm with an old friend again.

Who is your favorite Jane Austen character? Are you fond of matchmaker Emma? Sensible Eleanor Dashwood? The Bennet sisters? What is it about her books that have inspired readers and authors for nearly 200 years?

Cassie's Christmas Wish - A Mini Christmas Story on Kindle!

I wrote a Christmas mini story (a chapter that might have been) for Cassie and Jed from TAME THE WILD WIND. We finally get to meet the elusive Uncle Abe and find out what Cassie got for Christmas! If you enjoyed TTWW and can't get enough of the characters, then this mini is for you!

Cassie's Christmas Wish on Amazon.com

I hope everyone got their own Christmas wish answered this year. I'm looking forward to 2012 and all the possibilities and wonders that it holds! Blessings and peace to all.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

I can't believe another year has flown by. It seems that the years pass quicker since I had my kids. Was it only yesterday I was telling stories about the Nativity and Santa Claus? Now, I have one more night to go until I'm putting out cookies and milk and urging my 7 yo son to go to sleep so Santa can come.

My Christmas gift to myself was finishing my latest novel, a Regency historical romance. My New Year's resolution is to find a publishing home for it! I also want to finish the Tame the Wild Wind sequels (I planned 4) and maybe write some shorter stuff. What are your resolutions and plans?

Thanks to all our soldiers who served in the Iraq war and are now coming home. May they all have a safe and happy holiday at home. Peace on earth!

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! 236 years young!

I hope my readers and fellow authors adore the incomparable Jane as much as I do. Her novels (along with the Bronte sisters' Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre) sparked the romance genre that we all know and love today. If you haven't read Emma or Pride and Prejudice yet, do your heart a favor and start reading! The movies of the books are all wonderful, but my favorite is the Keira Knightley version.

My current "work in progress" is a Pride and Prejudice-based novel, and in honor of Miss Austen as well as begging her pardon, I'm giving you a sneak peek at one of the scenes. Hope you enjoy it!

     She closed her eyes, exhaling on the window so that her breath bounced back into her mouth, as warm as his had been. Confusion swirled through her, igniting all variety of emotion. She’d sensed a connection between them. Somehow, beyond the difference in their ages and stations, not to mention life experiences, she’d felt a kinship. As if she’d known him all her life.

     Nonsensical dreaming was all it was. Girlish fantasy and listening to Lucinda’s romantic nonsense. That was the source behind her confusing thoughts. She suddenly did something she had never done before in her life.

     “Frederick,” she whispered. Her lips relished the shape of his name, the way they parted on the consonants, as if preparing for a kiss. Her tongue pressed the back of her teeth on the d. Her breath misted the glass as she spoke his name, and she stared at it until it evaporated.

     Though she wasn’t the least bit sleepy, she climbed into bed beside Lucinda, pulling the quilt up to her chin. Colonel Parker had offered her a solitary room at the start of her visit, but she, who had always shared a room with her younger sisters, found the large, drafty house a little frightening at night. She scooted close to Lucinda, taking some comfort in her friend’s sleepy warmth.

     Lucinda mumbled in her sleep. The sweet tones of the pianoforte filtered through the closed door and the layers of carpeted floors and walls. It was a variation of his symphony. She wondered if he thought of his former love as he played.

     It was too much to think that a man such as he would ever consider playing for a simple country girl like herself.

FREE Cookbook from The Wild Rose Press Authors!

Yes, I said FREE.  Yours truly has a recipe for some tasty lasagna roll ups in there! Just go to the link below to get your own free downloadable copy. You still have to "check out" but it's 100% free. The Wild Rose Press has award-winning, one-of-a-kind romances of all genres, so check out their books while you're there!

FREE Wild Rose Press Authors Cookbook

While we're on the subject of food, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And to my international readers, Thanksgiving is an American holiday whereby we all eat a lot of turkey, watch football, and take long naps! Seriously, it is a time for reflection on what we are thankful for. Here's my list - that I have a healthy family, a roof over my head, a job I love, friends I adore, and the best readers in the world!

What are you thankful for? I'd love to hear it.