Author Interview: Jodi Lynn Copeland

Please welcome today's guest and feature author, Jodi Lynn Copeland!

Your newest book, Escape to Ecstasy, was released in January. Tell us about it.

I had so much fun writing this book! With the Aphrodisia line my editor has wanted to keep me primarily with contemporary collection stories, meaning two or three stories in a one-author book or anthology. I do enjoy writing novellas but I greatly prefer the bigger story. While Ecstasy still contains two stories, I worked a bigger story feel into the shorter length, particularly with the first story. Both contain a great deal of emotional tension, and hopefully a good plot, to go along with lots of scorching, sexy heat and love scenes. I really love all the characters from this book and was eager to see them get their “happily ever afters.” In the first story, the heroine is a recluse who became that way after witnessing a shooting outside her apartment building. The hero is a sensual healing coach who is out to help the heroine move past her recluse tendencies. However, the hero also has a lot of emotional baggage and conflict in his past, and the heroine ends up helping him as much as he helps her. The second story is a reunion romance, which means the hero and heroine must first overcome their past if they have any chance of a future...and there too is the heroine’s fiancé to muddy the path.

You've been a published author since 2003. Tell us a little about what you have learned about writing, the publishing industry, or life in general during that time.

It has been an extremely interesting journey. One of the greatest surprises to me is that my productivity level went down a good deal after becoming published. This would be due to my second guessing each word and action, because where before I hoped those words and actions would see the light of a bookshelf, now I know they will, and I want them to be as perfect as possible. I am trying to move past this second guessing, as in addition to slowing down my writing, it also has a tendency to make scenes read not as natural, therefore having the opposite of the hoped for result. So far another surprise for me has been the editing process. I was published with an ePress at first, and I received quite a good share of edit suggestions with most of my books. Then in early 2005 I sold my first book to Kensington Aphrodisia. I always believed that a larger house would mean more edits. But I didn’t receive any revision notes for that first book. Now, four years later and with books contracted through two other larger publishers, I still have yet to receive revision notes. I have a feeling that much of the reason for this goes back to my slowed productivity and fear of getting a scene wrong. I also have a feeling that one of these days I am going to get revisions so extensive I don’t know where to start first. One of the biggest things I have learned is that success doesn’t come quickly to many. There are the exception authors who make it big with their first book, but the majority of us need to write and extensively market multiple books before our name begins to circulate to a wider readership. 2009 will see my 30th release, and I honestly feel I am only just beginning to develop a reader following.

Wow! Thirty books - that's amazing. Does one of the books you've written stand out as a personal favorite?

This answer depends a lot on my mood. I often like the one I am currently writing the best, because those characters are near and dear to my heart just then. However lately I have considered that my personal favorite has yet to be written…or at least finished. I am writing a paranormal suspense story right now that is connecting with me on numerous levels. I think it may just end up being my favorite when all is said and done.

What do you think is the ideal reading setting?

I love to read in the summer sun, with a tall glass of something ice cold nearby. At the same time, in the winter months, it’s wonderful to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and a hot cup of my favorite drink, and sail away with the pages…

Do you have an all-time favorite book or two?

I really don’t. I used to have favorites, but I find as I age and grow that my tastes change and what I once loved, I don’t as much any longer. While I don’t have an all-time favorite or two, I greatly enjoy 95% of the books I pick up. My favorite genre of choice is romantic suspense. I love the combination of the romance and the intrigue, and how the author is able to keep me on the edge of my chair and guessing all the way through to the end. Lucky for me so many other readers feel this way as I find the bookshelves are packed with great suspense novels these days. With a few rare exceptions, suspense stories are the only ones capable of forcing me to turn to a new chapter when I should be heading to bed.

What about favorite authors?

I don’t really have favorite authors either, in that I rush right out to buy their latest. That said, if I read a book by an author and love it, I will rush right out and buy another by them. If the first book is part of a series or includes siblings with their own stories, I will likely purchase the entire series or sibling collection. One thing I do greatly enjoy outside of suspense novels are contemporary stories with quirk. I love Vicki Lewis Thompson’s Nerd books for this reason and would/will rush out and buy it if/when she publishes another.

Tell us three words your friends would use to describe you.

Friendly. Helpful. Motivated.

And three words you use to describe yourself.

Mom. Daughter. Wife.

What are you working on now?

In addition the paranormal suspense I mentioned before, I am trying to get a time-travel erotic trilogy about best friends off its feet for my NAL Heat editor, and then am completing a short, Spice-tone story for eHarlequin.com, which will be posted as a free online serial read in the months of May and June. And then I also have some lingering stuff that needs to be addressed sooner than later.

You are one busy gal! Anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks so much for having me, Tiffany! And thanks to everyone who took the time to read this interview. If you’d like to learn more about me, please drop by my website (www.JodiLynnCopeland.com)--let me warn you, I am still getting the new look up, so some pages may still be in progress. I also maintain an author newsletter, which is sent out roughly once a month and includes exclusive contests, excerpts, free reads, progress updates, and more. To join the newsletter group, send a blank email to: PassionPress-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Great, Jodi! Thanks so much for being here today.

Jodi is offering a signed copy of Escape to Ecstasy to one lucky commenter so let us know what's on your mind or ask your burning questions!

A CHANGE TO CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENTS: I will announce the contest winner on Friday BUT instead of writing a new post, I'm going to announce the winner right here! So make sure you check back with this post on Friday!

Thanks, everybody! Have a great Wednesday and good luck!

THE WINNER OF JODI'S CONTEST IS:


Robynl

Congratulations, Robyn! Email me your snail mail address at Tiffany@TiffanyJames.net and I'll get that info to Jodi.

A huge thank you to Jodi for joining us this week and to all of you who dropped in to say "hi". Have a great weekend!

Blind Date with a Book winners

Congratulations to the following, first annual, "Blind Date with a Book" winners:

Deidre

Angie

Dena

Dina

Romance Fan - Beth

Send me your snail mail info at Tiffany@TiffanyJames.net and I'll get your "blind date" headed your way!

Here's your virtual Valentine and chocolate from Armchair Heroines:

Happy Valentine's Day...Cuddle up with a good book!

The Parlor House Daughter Contest Winner, Trivia & Friday Fiction

Current Read: Don't Tempt Me by Sylvia Day

Paraskevidekatriaphobia...

Quite a mouthful. Any idea what it means?

Put your guesses in the comments and earn an entry in the "Blind Date with a Book" contest.

"Blind Date with a Book" is a chance for you to win and try out a surprise book. Anyone who comments over the next month will be entered into the drawing. I've wrapped five romance novels of various genres in brown paper (hence the "blind date" part). Winners will be drawn randomly on Valentine's Day, of course, from the commenters over the past month. You receive an entry for every time you comment, but you can only win once. Good luck!

Contest Winner:

And now...drum roll, please...the winner of The Parlor House Daughter by Joanne Sundell is...

Romance Fan - Beth

Congrats, Beth! E-mail your snail mail address to me at Tiffany@TiffanyJames.net and The Parlor House Daughter will soon be winging its way toward you!

Friday Fiction:

Check out Samantha James' newest release, Bride of a Wicked Scotsman, here. It will be available on February 24th.

You can read an excerpt from Robyn Carr's newest book, Tempation Ridge, here.

Have a great Friday everyone. See you tomorrow for the big "Blind Date with a Book" contest winners announcement. :0)

Authors of the Happily Ever After blog

Today, I'm pleased to welcome nine authors from the Happily Ever After blog:

Bekki Lynn

Francesca Prescott

Jennifer Turner

Judah Raine

Lee Silver

Linda Banche

Lindsay Townsend

Sara Humphreys

Savannah Kougar

You can check out cover art, blurbs and excerpts from these authors at Monday's Armchair Heroines post or Tuesday's Armchair Heroines post. Or click on their name above to be taken to their websites.

So, without further ado, on with the interview!

What type of romance do you write and why?

Bekki: Writing contemporary romance gives me the opportunity to write real-life characters with issues someone out there has faced or is facing and can relate to. Whether it is mainstream, paranormal or erotic, it’s like the air that I breathe, a necessity to living. Maybe because I spent so many years doing it for myself, writing has become something I must do.



Jen: I write Dark Paranormal Romance because I’m not sure I could write a vampire story that didn’t have a little horror in it. I like my hero and heroine dark, my world even darker, and my happily-ever-after to be well fought for.



Judah: At the moment, Mainstream, contemporary. Not sure why really – it just seemed like a good place to start.


Lee: I love to write fast-paced drama staged in a not to distant future. My writing explores mainstream m/f romance in a framework of high tech intrigue. As an engineer, I’m trained to come up with a way to make things work. The transformation in my new romantic suspense, The Twist is pure sci-fi, but what if it were possible? My technical background gives me the tools to imagine and describe the things a scientist would need to actually make it happen.

We live in a cynical world and I think the lack of romance is at the root of many of the problems we face in our society today. If we’ve lost our hope of finding Prince Charming, how can we believe in the people we meet in our daily lives? If we don't understand unconditional love for another person, how can we be anything but greedy and self-centered? If we don’t hold a vision of a fairy tale in our hearts, how can we live our lives to make the world a little better? In this superficial techno world we live in, we all need to remember what true love is about. As a romance writer, I don't just want to give my readers what they want. I want to give them what they need.



Linda: I write Regency, which are stories set in England 200 years ago. Mine contain the elements I like best, mainly humor, with a touch of fantasy and the paranormal. I think the Regency appeals to me because it's far enough in the past to be part fantasy, and yet close enough to be recognizable. And I love all those pretty clothes and fancy balls.



Lindsay: Medieval and ancient world historicals, because I love getting buried in the periods. I studied medieval history at university and have always been fascinated by the ancient world as well, particularly Rome and Egypt.



Sara: I write paranormal romance because it’s what I love to read! My favorite authors are Chrsitine Feehan and Lori Handeland. I’ve read all of their books several times each. I’m a sci-fi geek and can probably recite every line from the Terminator, Star Trek and Alien franchises. In high school, I watched the NBC soap operas religiously. So if you put those two things together you get paranormal romance. I really love the escape that they provide from every day doldrums!



Savannah: I write erotic romance novels which always revolve around my love of the paranormal, all things magical and mystical ~ and my love for space via Star Trek and Stars Wars ~ you get the sci fi picture.





You guys pretty much run the gamut! What are the best and worst things about being an author?



Bekki: There are many little things that are nice, but I think the best thing to hear is that a reader picked up your books on recommendation from another reader and loved them.

I really don’t think there is a ‘worst’ thing. Sure there are down times when promotions seems to take over your writing time or sales are down, and even when someone declares your work is ‘awful’, but it’s all a part of the whole.



Francesca: The best thing about being an author is freedom. I love being able to work in an office that usually looks like a disaster zone, barefoot and in my PJs, my dogs snoring alongside me, with music playing in the background. I love being able to write whatever I want, whenever I want. I love the idea of entertaining complete strangers, of making people laugh and smile. I love getting feedback from people who have enjoyed my writing.



The worst thing about being a writer? I can’t think of anything I really don’t like. Some writers complain about the time we have to spend promoting our work, but I’ve met so many wonderful people in the process that I can’t say it’s something that bothers me.



Jen: Hearing from my readers. There’s nothing better on a rough day than getting an e-mail from a reader who fell for one of my characters. It doesn’t get any better than that!

The worst: Deadlines. I instinctually revolt against anything structured. :)



Judah: Being able to explore things, people, situations, being able to discover the different layers and responses and challenges that confront people. And being to write, play with words to create something lasting…



The worst: Rewrites. Definitely rewrites…



Lee: The ability to create a world that is limited only by my imagination is a wonderful sense of freedom. Of course like real people, characters seem to take on a life of their own once you’ve created them. My characters are born from the faces of my personality. I’m like each and every one but not like any of them. There is a tiny seed of me in my characters that unfolds like a flower. They surprise me with the things they say and do, taking my writing to places I never could have gone by myself.



The worst? Seeing your story in print is like looking in a mirror for me. A bit frightening, but you gradually accept each wrinkle and line of the smiling reflection until you can say, here I am world, with all my flaws and talents, being the best I can be.



Linda: Getting to write the type of stories I like to read. Wallowing is such fun.



The worst: All the stuff besides writing that you have to do, like keeping track of all the different bits and pieces involved. I have copies of everything all over the place.



Lindsay: Creating romantic stories and having characters play for high stakes. This is why I’ve also written romantic suspense.



The worst: Deadlines and the need to to keep to them by writing a chunk of words every day. Mostly it’s a joy, but sometimes it’s not. I also tend to get ‘threequarter-itis’ at the point where most of the book is done, but the end still seems a long way off.



Sara: The very best thing is the opportunity to create a world that is limited only by one’s imagination. Since I write paranormal romance, there really are no rules. For my first series, I got to create an entire race of people and it’s great fun to watch that world evolve. I also really enjoy creating heroines that have the guts and moxie that I wish I had myself.



The worst: I’m never quite satisfied and every time I read something I’ve written….I always think it can be improved. Also, releasing it to the public is a bit scary. You wonder if they’ll love it as much as you hope they do.



Savannah: Hmmm...that’s a difficult question for me. However, the best is when a reader enjoys my book.

The worst? The current state of the publishing industry. Yeah, I could write a book about it. E-books and small print publishers have so much to offer readers. And I believe there are forces at work which are suppressing their overall success, thus the authors who publish with them.





If you could create another holiday, what would you create and why?



Bekki: This is where I’m going to get personal. They have Secretaries Day - I’d love to have Server’s Day where the waiters/waitresses are hailed to the Gods. We take a lot from the public who deem us less than worthy human beings, yet they hold us responsible for their experience to be of the utmost perfection from the moment they step in the door and until the step back out again. If they had to wait for a table, if the kitchen slipped up on their order, it’s us they punish. It’s reflected in our tip. We have to bite our tongues and take it. We deserve to be God’s for a day.



Francesca: How about an international writers’ day?



Judah: It would have to be national writer’s day – so that the rest of the universe would have to leave my bubble and give me one whole day undisturbed to do my thing!



Linda: How about National Duck Day! Have a Wowl Day! What a life--paddling around, quacking, eating weeds. I love ducks. They’re pretty birds, they’re large enough to see easily, and some will come up to you--if you’re dispensing food. And they stay in the pond where I don’t have to clean up after them.



Lindsay: ‘Volunteer for a Charity Day’, perhaps at a time of year when it’s a long time between holidays. I once stood outside a local supermarket dressed as a panda, collecting for the World Wildlife Fund, and ended up writing a short story out of it for a magazine here in the UK. It’s now at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewshortstory.asp?AuthorID=92533.



Savannah: Being your favorite goddess day. Of course, whatever your choice, it would mean lots of worship, chocolate included.





Complete this sentence: I like myself most when...

Bekki: I’m in control of my emotions.



Francesca: when I’m in complete flow with everything I do.



Judah: I’m being myself.



Lee: I surprise myself. Maybe I come up with a clever scene, maybe I say just the right thing that a friend needs to hear when they’re down, maybe I go off on one of my wild tangents like lock picking, or the history of the bra or how they make balloons. Life is full of surprises and I can’t wait to see where it’s going to take me next :)



Linda: I'm reading a great story. Losing myself in a good book is wonderful.



Lindsay: When I’ve finished a chapter! Also when I get the chance to help others, which is why I do a bit of creative writing teaching.



Sara: I look at my children. They are, by far, my greatest creation. Living with 4 boys, and a husband, provides me with outstanding inspiration.



Savannah: I’m being ultra-creative or helping someone else. And also, when I’m loving on my baby doggies.





Complete this sentence: I'm most dangerous when...



Bekki: I’m floundering.

Jen: Gently woken from a sound sleep. Seriously, I’d rather have my husband jump on the bed or kick me than gently shake my foot or lightly touch me when I’m sleeping. I don’t know why, but for some reason, the latter makes me contemplate dismemberment. :)

Judah: I haven’t had my first cup of tea of the day.

Linda: When I have to do something completely stupid. Unfortunately, life is full of such stuff.

Lindsay: Once a month, and we all know why, don’t we? Grrrrr!

Savannah: when someone crosses me or crosses somebody I care about. Look out...I do have claws just like my shifter heroines, Sun Rocket and Sable Kiki.





Who is your all-time favorite heroine and why?



Jen: Tabitha from Seize the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. At the time the book came out, she was such a different kind of heroine. Direct, on the aggressive end sexually, and a certified ass kicker!



Judah: Hard choice. Maybe Scarlett O’Hara, because she’s just so human with all the foolishness that goes with it.



Linda: I love non-traditional heroines. I love women who go against the odds to take on the world and make it their own, especially women in historical times. The latest book of this type I've read is His Cavalry Lady by Joanna Maitland. In this Regency, based on a real person, the heroine, fleeing a forced marriage, disguises herself as a man and joins the Russian cavalry. For many years, she succeeds in her disguise, until she meets the hero, who eventually convinces her to marry him. After reading this book, I sent my first-ever email to an author, telling her I loved the book.



Lindsay: Clarice Starling from ‘Silence of the Lambs’, for her resilience, persistence and intelligence.



Savannah: Truthfully, I don’t have one. I think every woman who has walked this Earth is my heroine. Why? Because from my experience this is a brutal world for most women.





Who is your all-time favorite hero and why?


Jen: Adam Black from The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning. He’s just…wow…everything a hero should be. Dark, sexy, aggressive but strangely vulnerable. He has it all!

Judah: Heathcliffe, even though he’s not the “ideal” hero type. His intensity is alluring, and his arrogance compelling.

Linda: Courtney Choate, Viscount Chase, in Snowdrops and Scandalbroth (a Regency, natch). Courtney decided he wouldn’t indulge in sex until he was married, which sets him up for ridicule and innuendo in this hilarious story from Barbara Metzger. The fantasy world of Regency romances teems with men bragging about the multitude of women they’ve had. In such an atmosphere, Courtney is a welcome change. I like a man who doesn’t go with just anyone. He’s also gorgeous, a nice guy and a blue-eyed blond, which is my favored physical male type. What’s not to love?

Lindsay: I haven’t really got one, but I have a soft spot for Captain Carrot from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, because of his honesty, innocence and bravery. It’s hard to write a character that good and keep us interested, but Pratchett pulls it off. William de Baskerville from Umberto Eco’s ‘Name of the Rose’, too, because he is a likeable and fallible take on Sherlock Holmes.

Savannah: Any man who is a real man will always remain my hero. Why? Because if a man can remain true to himself and stay a real standup man in this world, he is definitely hero worthy.





List three novels on your keeper shelf.



Bekki: Private Scandals by Nora Roberts, ok, so all of her books are on my keeper shelf, but this book is more special than any other. Charmed by Koko Brown and I Dare You by Larkin Rose. And I just added Black Cat Beauty by Savanna Kougar.

Francesca: “The Pursuit of Happiness” by Douglas Kennedy, “Good Grief” by Lolly Winston, and “Riders” by Jilly Cooper.

Jen: Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon, The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning, and In Her Bed by Deborah Macgillivray.

Judah: A Separate Peace
Wuthering Heights
Love and Peace
(And gazillions of others….)

Linda: Only three? I can go on for hours. My picks are all Regencies, of course. Did you expect different?Besides Snowdrops and Scandalbroth,I love A Perfect Gentleman by Barbara Metzger. Barbara Metzger writes that rarity, an uproariously funny Regency. This story is one of her best, about a nice-guy nobleman hero who works (gasp! shock!) for a living, a definite no-no among the Regency upper crust. I love this book. No Place For a Lady by Louise Allen. A non-traditional heroine, which I love, and a hilarious scene about a stud the hero is wearing.
The Sandalwood Princess by Loretta Chase. Romance, mystery, and a battle of wits between the strong hero and the equally strong heroine. Knocked my socks off. I read this book in one day. Then I ran out to the local Borders and bought every one of Ms. Chase’s books.

Lindsay: Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris), The Blind Assassin (Margaret Attwood) and Men at Arms (Terry Pratchett).

Savannah: I yield to all the other authors on this one. I have too many, which I appreciate equally, if for different reasons.

So, there you have it! Nine of the lovely ladies over at Happily Ever After. Whew - what an interview!

Let us know what's on your mind. The Happily Ever After ladies are standing by to answer your questions and comments. Also, there are only two days left to get entered into the "Blind Date with a Book" contest!

Author Feature:Joanne Sundell

"The Parlor House Daughter is a compelling story of the Old West, and an unexpected romance, evoking the distant past while celebrating the timeless wonder of the healing power of love."

- Susan Wiggs~New York Times bestselling author

Please welcome my friend and colleague, Joanne Sundell!

Tell us about your newest release, The Parlor House Daughter.

First, I have to thank you, Tiffany, for allowing me this opportunity to blog with you today!

You are most welcome. I'm excited to have you here!:0)

My latest Five Star-Gale release is THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER. I invite you to come and HAVE FUN TODAY discussing the brave women—whether parlor house daughters or forced to walk the streets—who are our heritage here in Colorado.

As for my newest release, THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER, it’s perhaps best described in this jacket blurb:

“Bound by birth to the world of prostitution, Rebecca Rose is born in a pine shack, a crib at the end of the line in Nevada City, Colorado Territory, in the mining town’s red-light district. Bound by birth to uphold his family’s good name and sizable fortune, Morgan Larkspur is born in Denver City with a silver spoon in his mouth and iron spurs on his heels. Their lives intersect in 1880 Denver when Becca is seventeen and Morgan, twenty-five. Immediately attracted, they’ve no idea of the high price they’ll pay for this—the danger awaiting.

A child of four when “hell came calling,” Becca determines to grow up and seek her own justice for what her mother suffered. The law won’t help a whore. She’d do what she needed to stay alive, knowing she’d never live happily ever after as in fairytales, yet never ashamed of what she was. When Morgan steps inside room number eight at the Palace behind the beautiful, untried prostitute, looking for nothing more than a pleasant distraction, he unwittingly sets in motion a series of events neither could have imagined in their worst nightmare.

The Parlor House Daughter is a suspenseful, romantic page-turner, set against the backdrop of hustle and bustle, gold-and-silver-rich Denver, where fortunes change hands often and misfortune befalls many. Where the society elite hold themselves apart from the lower classes, and where the fine line between truth and lies easily crosses over.

When Becca and Morgan discover they have nothing to hold onto but the love they once shared, will it be enough to withstand the impossible choice forced upon them—a choice no one should ever have to make?”

Sounds wonderful! What are you working on now?

Writing and marketing … marketing for THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER, out this month, and for MEGGIE’S REMAINS, due out next July and … writing a Civil War series (book two a WIP potentially due out in 2010, fingers crossed here).

Ooh, Civil War stories are so heartwrenching (in a good way, of course)! Do you have a favorite heroine amongst your characters?

I don’t because each one is my favorite at the time of their writing. They’re like my children, once created it’s hard to choose a favorite. To date, I’ve written about strong, brave heroines—an immigrant doctor in Golden City, a young deaf woman in Colorado Springs, a child born into the world of prostitution, and a young woman trying to escape her nightmares, fleeing Boston for the Colorado Rockies—who helped settle and soften the West.

How about a favorite hero?

Same answer here, as you might predict. I can’t choose between Jake Whiskey and Aaron Zachery and Morgan Larkspur and Ethan Rourke. I just can’t. They’re all alive and well and still falling in love in my head most days. It’s the schizophrenic price we pay for writing, is it not?

Boy, you're not kidding. :0) Tell us a little about your road to becoming published.

A long yet sweet road … one might argue. I’ve been writing for ten years, give or take. In 2004 I entered the LERA/RWA contest in NM and won in their historical series category. The important thing here is there I was able to “pitch” to then, Five-Star editor, Russell Davis and later able to “sell” to Five Star, which is now an imprint of Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. From submission to sale took several months, and from sale to publication takes a year, give or take. It’s a road well-worth traveling and I’m ever grateful and humbled, being published now.

Congratulations! Where do you find inspiration?

In history, Colorado history and the Victorian Era to be more precise. I love old-fashioned, traditional romance and easily revert back to another time when this was vogue. Really, I love the 19th century because of all the overlays of the double standard and the challenge to find romance in such a “Victorian” environment. Because I’ve lived in Colorado a long time I find the “turbulent, colorful” environment of days gone by, riveting, with stories coming at me from most all directions on most any day. Clearly, I find inspiration in old-fashioned romance and love to think about falling in love in days of old.

History adds its own romance to our romances, doesn't it?! How do you research?

This process is unending. From the inception of a novel to its completion, I’m ever rummaging through my books collected and folders and charts and graphs and old letters and internet sources, et al … trying to “get the history right.” Suffice it to say, the research IS the most important part of writing any historical romance, for me certainly. The research also takes far longer than the actual writing of the book. Before I “key” the first word of any story, the characters have been born out of my research and are “writing the story” now, and not me. With my first 4 novels, all set in Colorado, I’ve been lucky to already have “a sense of place.”

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I live in the mountains and you probably know how that goes. I’m shoveling snow in winter or tromping through mud in summer or out with my huskies, hiking in the wilds. My children are grown and, except for my son who lives in Denver (bless him), I have to hop on Frontier to see them, darn it. As a family, we all traveled together for many a year. I miss that now, of course. The main thing I do when I’m not writing is actually “get dressed,” every day, changing out of my flannel pj’s on occasion.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

The most romantic spot I’ve ever been is Santorini in the Greek Islands. This could be the Lost City of Atlantis, you know … sigh. Ascending the cliffs to reach Santorini, once there, the vista awaiting takes your breath. I think it’s more romantic than Venice, which is a close second. A third would have to be Australia. Who can resist the Land of No Worries!

…and they all lived happily ever after …

THANK YOU, TIFFANY, for this wonderful day!

Thank you, Joanne, for taking time out of your busy schedule to hang out here with us! Here are some ways to learn more about Joanne:

http://www.joannesundell.com/
http://www.myspace.com/

And here's information about her newest book:

THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER, hardcover from Five Star-Gale
ISBN: 978-59414-722-7
Available online at amazon.com or any bookstore!

Joanne has also graciously agreed to offer one of her beautiful books in a contest. Just leave us a comment and you're entered to win! You'll also be entered into my "Blind Date with a Book" contest which goes until the end of the week.

Thanks to Joanne and to all of you readers for joining us.

Meet the authors of the Happily Ever After blog!

Time to learn a little more about the Happily Ever After blog authors. They'll be here Thursday for a very special group interview!

Check out Jennifer Turner's cool website and learn more about her debut dark paranormal, Eternal Seduction, here.

Josie Tate has been running for a long time – from her past, from a tragic secret, and mostly from herself. Then her life is suddenly upended, and she finds herself back in the one place on earth she doesn't want to be. Worse, she is suddenly caught between an unforgiving past and Cade Harper's unrelenting pursuit.

As determined as she is desperate, he seems hell-bent on making sure that her running days are over. It doesn't help that Cade is the most gorgeous man ever. Or that the uncanny attraction between them seems to have a life of its own.

But Josie is determined to keep her distance from Cade. He is equally determined to shatter the walls she is raising up between them. And when her ghosts reappear in the flesh Josie's life finally implodes. The only way out seems to be...

Check out Judah Raine's website here.

Lady of the Stars--Regency time travel

A legend spanning time, and the man and woman caught in it

Caroline knows something is wrong the instant she steps from her holiday cottage into that unusual gazebo with two doors. But when a man she knows she will never see again appears outside the gazebo, she flings caution aside and plunges through the back door, crashing into the man--and 1817

A voyage through time? Impossible. Richard refuses to believe the strange woman's outlandish tale. Still, the lady is lost and alone, and he helps the stranded wayfarer.

But as attraction flares between these two lonely people, Richard's family legend grinds to its ultimate fulfillment--will it bring them together, or tear them apart forever?

Click here to read an excerpt from Lady of the Stars.

Blue Gold
By: Lindsay Townsend
Categories: Historical Historical Mainstream ROMANCE
Word Count: 125,000
Heat Level: SENSUAL
Published By: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc.

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-bluegold-13932-330.html


Ancient Egypt, 1560 B.C.

Ruling Upper Egypt from Thebes, Pharaoh Sekenenre has many enemies. Aweserre, whose grandfather seized the crown of Lower Egypt. Kamose and Ahhotpe, his son and daughter, who plot to rule in his place. And, most dangerous, the storm-god Set.

It is a time of famine. To prosper a man must be civilized and ruthless. Ramose, priest and Vizier, is all of these. Kasa, a farmer, must learn to be like him to survive. Neith, wife of Ramose, is driven, first to drink, then to courage. Hathor, who killed her son, finds love, desertion, then a second chance at love. Tiyi, the gentle masseuse, is desired by many, but desires only one.

Watched by the gods of Egypt, the conflict reaches its climax in war. The pyramids, a thousand years old when the story begins, play a crucial part.

Behind all is the God Set, with his question: 'What am I?'

Just click here to learn more about Lindsay Townsend.

MURDER BY HAIR SPRAY IN GARDENIA, NEW ATLANTIS

Sheriff Kalypso Sun Wing, 100 years old in the year 2051, never knew why she survived the cataclysmic land changes. Or the Conflicts when she battled for freedom beside those who shouted 'Don't Tread on Me'. Until the rising of Atlantis. And she began New Atlantis with a group of rebels.

Zerculeon, Zryphus Vasquoz, chose an enforcement career with Earth's Federal Union for several reasons-–his fascination with primitive worlds, to make his own way outside the family heritage, and to keep official watch for his own Worlds.

Once he gets an eyeful of the beautiful Sheriff as they investigate the Hair Spray serial murder, Zryphus knows he's found the woman he wants to marry. Despite her cold disinterest.

When the Hair Spray Killer stalks Kalypso, Zryphus won't let her out of his sight, or his bed. They realize those controlling the Killer's leash will use every evil to win world dominion.

Click here to spend some time with Savanna Kougar.

Here's a blurb from The Amoveo Legacy by Sara Humphreys:

What if everything you knew turned out to be a lie? You find out that you aren’t even human—at least not entirely. What if, one day, you realize your world will never be the same again? These are the questions that Samantha Logan must face in “The Amoveo Legacy”. A dream on her thirtieth birthday compels her to leave her artists loft in New York City and move back to the beach with her Grandmother, Nonie. However, the instant Samantha steps foot on the salty shores of her childhood home, she realizes the landscape has changed.

The moment she encounters the mysterious, arrogant neighbor Malcolm Drew, her life is never the same. Through a seductive courtship, he introduces her to the magical mystical world of the Amoveo. The dream walking, telepathic, shape shifters that he claims are her true heritage. However, Malcolm holds back a secret that could destroy them both. Will he be able to protect Samantha and convince her of the secret legacy buried deep inside of her?

You can meet Sara Humpreys here.

Be sure and join us Thursday and let us know what you think because "Blind Date with a Book"is in full swing!

What's on Tap this Week

Current Read: Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery

Here's what's on tap this week at Armchair Heroines:

On Wednesday I'll be joined by my friend and author Joanne Sundell. Her newest book, The Parlor House Daughter, received an excellent review from Romantic Times. Stop by and learn more!

On Thursday I'll be hosting the lovely ladies of the Happily Ever After blog. It's my first ever group interview so be sure and join me on Thursday.

Here is some more information about Joanne and a few of the authors of Happily Ever After. There'll be more tomorrow as well:








Click here to read an excerpt from The Parlor House Daughter.
Click here to visit Joanne's website.

Lee Silver is one member of the HEA blog. You can read an excerpt from her book The Twist here. You can check out her website here.

Bekki Lynn is an HEA author. Click here to visit her website and here to read the first chapter of her book, Last Glass of Wine.












Francesca Prescott is the author of Mucho Caliente! and a member of HEA. You can read an excerpt from Mucho here and visit Francesca's website here.












And don't forget, "Blind Date with a Book" is in full swing so tell me what's on your mind!

"Blind Date with a Book" is a chance for you to win and try out a surprise book. Anyone who comments over the next month will be entered into the drawing. I've wrapped five romance novels of various genres in brown paper (hence the "blind date" part). Winners will be drawn randomly on Valentine's Day, of course, from the commenters over the past month. You receive an entry for every time you comment, but you can only win once. Good luck!