by Michelle Lauren

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Hope you all had a great week-end. We are in the second and last week of voting for the first line in the American Title V, so please if you haven’t voted yet, take a minute, play editor for a day and cast your vote at:

http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

We have a winner from last week… Fedora. Congratulations!!!!!!

Note from Sylvia: If you’ve been named a winner, you need to contact either Marie-Claude or me with your mailing address. I can’t send out your prize, if I don’t know where to send it.
Hugs, Sylvia

And now, please welcome Michelle Lauren who finaled with her urban fantasy, HOW TO TAME A HARPY.

MC: Michelle, how did you feelwhen you found out that you were an American Title V finalists?

Michelle: I was so grateful. The opportunity to participate in this contest filled me with excitement - and terror. The prospect of putting my manuscript up for public critique à la American Idol. It felt surreal because I’ve voted for members of my writing groups in this contest but I never imagined I would be in this position. It’s been a great experience so far.

MC: You are so right, it is so great to have the chance to participate in such a great experience. Has the final changed things for you in your writing life?

Michelle: My schedule has gotten a lot more hectic. I’m still involved in a regular, 9 to 5 job, along with working part-time as a freelance writer, so I’ve gotten very good a balancing the schedules. The final is very big for me because, not only has it introduced me to new friends in the other AT V finalists, but it’s helped me connect with readers and fellow writers. So this is an all-around win/win situation for me.

MC: You are certainly turning all this into a positive thing for all. Can you tell us what your story is about?

Michelle: Here is the blurb from my site:
Welcome to Poseidon, Virginia. A place where the things that go bump in the night come to play and where passion and danger go hand in hand.

Tall, dark and lethal, genetically-enhanced human Daniel Smith lives in the shadows. Nicknamed “gargoyle” for his ability to shift into stone form in direct sunlight, he is considered an outsider even among other creatures of the night. Jaded by past betrayals, Daniel swore off love. But when fate—and a series of murders—tosses Siren Jones (a street smart harpy with a temper that has a mind of its own) into his lap, he finds both his heart and his life in danger.

Passion and danger collide as Daniel struggles to protect Siren from a killer determined to destroy them both. As time runs out, his only hope lies in learning How to Tame a Harpy.

MC: What a enticing premise, it gives me goose bumps, wow. Where did you get the ideas for this story?

Michelle: I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales and comics. I enjoy blending traditional themes of soul mates and love conquering all with more fantastical elements such as super powers and paranormal creatures. For How to Tame a Harpy, I modeled the heroine after the X-Men character Storm, a woman whose emotions were connected to her powers. When she lost control, bad things happened.

My character Siren is a harpy, so I made her “trigger” emotion anger. When she loses control of her temper, the emotion manifests physically in kinetic force.

MC: I’m a big fan of X-Men myself and aside from Wolverine, Storm is also my favorite. How would you best describe your writing style or tone?

Michelle: Darkly funny, sensual and fast-paced.

MC: Darkly funny, now this is new to me. How does this translate in HOW TO TAME A HARPY?

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY has a lot of dark humor and sensuality. Both Daniel and Siren are somewhat jaded, use humor to deflect attention from their emotional vulnerabilities. Another “dark” element comes in connection with the murder mystery woven through the plot.

MC: Dark elements and a mystery, how interesting. Doyou have any idea why you write dark?

Michelle: I enjoy reading stories with a lot of action and some darker elements. I’m a root for the underdog kind of girl, so the characters that affect me most are flawed but redeemable.

MC: Is this story more character-driven or plot-driven or both? How so?

Michelle: Both. Although the race to catch a killer and clear Siren’s name is paramount to the story, it doesn’t overshadow the developing relationship between Siren and Daniel. Their interactions deepen as the plot unfolds.

MC: How does the AT finalist theme of “Love Conquers” relate to your story?

Michelle: This really is a story about love conquering all in every aspect. Siren and Daniel are from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds, yet they forge a strong emotional bond despite those differences. They enjoy a committed, passionate relationship in spite of the outside forces contriving to separate them.

MC: It is really nice how you put all these very important elements together. I look forward to read this story.Can you describe the pace of HOW TO TAME A HARPY? It seems like a fast/edge-of-your-seat kind of story

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY is fast-paced, with several twists, mysteries and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. I think readers will enjoy Siren and Daniel’s unique approach to crime solving.

MC: Now I am very curious. What kind of heroine do you have, and how does she relate to the hero?

Michelle: Siren is street smart with a trigger happy temper that has a mind of its own. But her tough girl attitude conceals a vulnerable heart. Burned by love in the past, she isn’t sure she can trust her heart with Daniel, a man as handsome as he is lethal, but he offers her everything she secretly craves: protection, acceptance and a passionate love he will do anything to protect.

MC: What kind of hero is Daniel?

Michelle: Daniel is a gamma hero: dangerous, a bit jaded and a lot sexy, not to mention extremely loyal. He never backs down from challenges. Plus, he’s gorgeous! Betrayed and rejected by past lovers, he swore off relationships until meeting Siren. She challenges his mind, heals his heart and offers him the kind of future of his dreams.

MC: Gamma heroes, my favorite!!! Now tell us a bit about the world building of your story, it must be important in an Urban Fantasy. How did you create this world?

Michelle: I envisioned Poseidon, Virginia as Sin City with less gore and set in the South. Dark imagery juxtaposed against the beauty of lush Virginia landscapes. This is a world where creatures that go bump in the night roam free, maintaining a fragile peace with the city’s human inhabitants.

MC: Fascinating. What do you think readers will get out of your story?

Michelle: This story delivers on all counts: it has humor, action, political intrigue, jealous exes, passionate romps, and true love conquering all.

MC: Definitely a winner there!!! Do you have any more projects in the works beside your American Title entry?

Michelle: My article “Six Things American Title Taught Me About Promotion” will appear in the Passionate Ink Winter newsletter. My column “Agent Spotlight” will also be in upcoming issues of Romance Writers Report, featuring literary agents Ethan Ellenberg and Jennifer Jackson. Also, I have several urban fantasy novellas out now with publishers.

MC: Wow, you are very busy. Ifreaders want to know more about you and your writing, where on the web can they find you?

Michelle:
http://www.michellelaurenbooks.com:
My main website. I host giveaways, post book reviews and author interviews (Some of my past interviews include bestselling authors Sunny and Lynn Kurland).
http://www.myspace.com/michellelaurenbooks:
Find me on Myspace.
http://thenaughtygirlsnextdoor.blogspot.com:
The Naughty Girls Next Door Blog, where I blog with authors Minx Malone, Emma Petersen, Savannah Chase, Eden Rivers, Linda Wisdom, Meagan Hatfield and Kyann Waters.

MC: What is the character you chose to interview and why?

Michelle: I chose to interview the heroine, Siren Jones, from HOW TO TAME A HARPY because she’s a spitfire. She is beautiful and dangerous yet has an aching vulnerability that I love. I want readers to get inside her head and love her like I do.

M-C: I am certainly looking forward to this interview on Thursday and read a little of your dark humor.

Thank you so much for telling us a little about your book and your writing. Good luck with all your projects, I’ll be looking forward to my next copy of RWR!!

Please everyone, join us on Thursday for Michelle’s interview with Siren Jones. Thank you Sylvia for letting us take over your blog today!

And don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. We are right in the midst of the American Title V competition now with the contestants trying to get as many votes as possible. Edie is handing flyers to local merchants, while writing partners Tamara and Barbara have teamed for their promotion efforts and while I remain chained to my laptop while my boys are in school!!!

Don’t forget to cast you vote for the first line at:

www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

And we have a winner from Monday………Shari C. Congratulations!!!!!

So without further ado, let’s welcome Jessica recount her visit with her character from A SERPENT’S TOOTH, Gladys.

——————————————————

The kitchen is spotless, like every other room in the Baxters’ town home, even in the unforgiving gray light of winter. The young woman across the scarred pine table from me wears a dress the color of the rain-heavy sky, broken by the white of starched apron and the warmer hue of her hands—much softer than they should be—folded in her lap. This is London. This is 1855. And this is Gladys, ladies’ maid to the Baxters. Confidant of Reba MacKenzie.

Strange. I don’t know her last name.

“Another cup of tea, miss?” she asks, as if speaking to a child, deceptively serene. It was Nate who noticed for me that Gladys was Welsh. The eiderdown “o.” An “i” like a dagger.

I look at the milky dregs in their chipped porcelain cup, the rose-garden rim robbed of a bloom. “No, thank you. And thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”

“Of course, miss.”

“I know that you’re very discreet, but I’m going to ask you to be frank with me.”

“I’ve nothing to hide, miss.”

I manage not to smile. “What was your first impression of Miss MacKenzie?”

“She’s a fine young lady. Good manners, good education, and a generous heart.”

I look over my glasses at her. She doesn’t quaver. “You do know who I am.”

“Yes, miss. You’re the Author.” She shifts in her seat, sitting a little straighter, a little taller, a most un-servant-like gesture of defiance, which is part of what I like about her. “And as that’s the case, you already know all about Miss MacKenzie.”

“And I also know all about you.”

She goes saucer-eyed. “You mean . . . are you offering to tell me—”

“What was your first impression of Miss MacKenzie?” I repeat.

Her eyes dart to the door behind me. Then she leans forward, lowering her voice. “I met her on the docks in Baltimore, not a quarter hour before we were to leave for England. She looked . . . . You’d expect a young lady about to set off on such an adventure to have an air of excitement, wouldn’t you? She looked like she was off to the gallows. We withdrew a bit to let her and her uncle say their goodbyes, and the way they looked at each other . . . .” She sits back, shaking her head. “She didn’t cry. You could see it. It was breaking her heart, both their hearts. But she didn’t cry. I liked that about her.”

“You know how that feels, leaving your family.”

“Yes, miss, though I was a bit younger myself. Fifteen when my family sent me to service. Still—” She looks away, not smiling. “Leaving home. It’s a grand adventure, isn’t it?”

“So now that you know her better, what do you think?”

“I think she could stand to cry a bit more often. She’s got so much anger locked away inside. Not that she doesn’t have cause. But she could stand to let a little of it go before it poisons her.”

“And what about Lord MacDonnell?”

She turns back to me with a small smirk. “My first impression? I thought he must have weak eyesight.”

It takes me a moment to realize what she means. Then I laugh. “The waistcoats!”

“The waistcoats. He was a sight. Must’ve been seventeen shades of vermillion in the one he wore that first morning at sea, the morning after he and . . . well, you know.”

“Want to know something funny? I had no idea why he dressed like that when I wrote it. Turns out, it was a plot point. Is. Will be, I mean, from your perspective.”

“It could hardly be anything else.”

“Okay, but seriously, what else did you think of him?”

She shrugs. “I thought he was a gentleman.”

“You don’t say that like it’s a complement.”

“Do you know what ‘gentleman’ means to a girl like me? It means a man who doesn’t have to listen to ‘no.’” Her smile turns hard, and I wonder if I know as much about her as I thought.

“And yet, when Mrs. Baxter put you on chaperon duty on the ship, you let Reba sneak out of her cabin and visit him in the middle of the night. When Mrs. Baxter banned him from this house, you helped them arrange their secret meetings—”

“I saw how he was around her. I thought he might be different.”

My eyebrows rise. “Thought? So you believe the rumors? You believe he could be involved in Reba’s uncle’s death? Because last night, you told her it couldn’t be true.”

“But then he didn’t deny it, did he?” Her eyes narrow at me, as if the whole mess were my fault . . . which, of course, it is. I can’t even claim I never meant to hurt anyone. My stomach clenches with guilt, and not for the first time.

I look away and turn my teacup in its saucer. “So if you could talk to them both, right now, give them advice, what would you say to them?”

She is quiet long enough that I brave a look at her. She is chewing the inside of her cheek, lost in thought. “I would tell Lord MacDonnell that . . . that she wouldn’t be so angry if she didn’t truly love him, and that someone who loves him like that deserves to hear the truth, whatever it may be. And I would tell Miss MacKenzie that a young man can be a foolish, prideful beast. But so can a young woman.”

I smile at her. “Thank you, Gladys.”

“You’re quite welcome, miss.” She looks at me expectantly.

“You’re sure you want to know your future?”

She smirks again. “Will it be as horrid as what you’ve put them through?”

“Yes and no,” I reply, and I tell her my plans for her.

I know she won’t remember a word.

——————————————————–

What a brilliant interview Jessica. Very witty. I can’t wait to read this book!! You have such wonderful characters.

Thank you so much for sharing them with us. And thank you Sylvia again for hosting us here today.

Next week, we will hear all about Michelle Lauren and her urban fantasy, HOW TO TAME A HARPY.

Please, don’t forget to join us next Monday and please leave a comment for a chance to win!

Best to all,

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Guess what, this is the big day! It’s voting time for the American Title V. I’m very nervous about the judges’ comments. I’m just petrified to go over to the RT website (www.romantictimes.com) and look at what they said.

But I am so curious to read all the first lines of my fellow contestants, so I’ll have to be brave and go over to read them out.

I encourage you to play editor for a day and go read all the entries, vote for the one that grabs you in the first line, then read the judges’ comments. How fun!!!

Today, I have the pleasure to interview Jessica Darago, who finaled with The Serpent’s Tooth, a Victorian historical romance with a touch of suspense, set in America, England, and Scotland.

First let me announce the winner for today… Jane !!!! Congratulations.

Now back to Jessica.

M-C: Jessica, what is the first thing you did when you found out that you were an American Title V finalist.

Jessica: I was at work, and my office mate and I were discussing our busy upcoming weekends—all the housework, social events, and whatnot we had to get through. I was talking about the writing and editing I had on my list (in addition to my own fiction and my critique groups, I also freelance for a couple of ebook presses), and just as I was saying, “Plus, I still haven’t heard back from that big contest,” I glanced at my computer screen and saw a new email from Dorchester. I opened it. I squealed. My office mate squealed. My boss ran in, squealed, and hugged me. Then I started emailing—my family, my boyfriend, my critique partners, all in all some 30 people. I actually emailed 30 people and said, “Shh, this is just between us.” I didn’t actually catch the irony of that till later.

M-C: Better go over and email the same people and ask them all to vote now, right! How great to have so much support So far has the final changed things for you with your writing?

Jessica: My daily writing schedule has gone completely out the window in favor of all the promotion work for American Title, but I’m about to get back on track. I have shifted my goals a little as well. I write across several different genres, and I’d been focusing on the draft of a chicklit, just for a change of scenery. But since The Serpent’s Tooth is historical, I’m going to put more energy into revising and expanding a 20,000-word historical suspense about the Great Fire of London that I wrote for the International 3-Day Novel Contest in 2006.

M-C: Wow, this other story looks very interesting. Now, can you tell us what The Serpent’s Tooth is about?

Jessica: It’s a gothic tale of love, revenge, and redemption set amongst the dramatic, sometimes violent social upheavals of the mid-19^th century. All Reba MacKenzie ever wanted was to live the life of a country doctress, learning the art at her beloved Uncle Toby’s side. But Toby insists she needs a formal education–and on sending her to Scotland to get it. But when Toby is killed and Reba is left destitute, all their careful plans fall to ruin, and Reba ends up in the last place she expected: in the employ of her parents’ killer, and in the arms of his son.

M-C: How sad and yet gripping. Where did you get the ideas for this story?

Jessica: It actually started as sort of a joke. My old roommate and I were on a long drive and started throwing around ideas for a romance novel plot. Aside from a few jotted notes and scenes, I didn’t really work on it until almost a decade later. At that point, I did a bit of research about the period, did a lot of daydreaming, and finally, once I felt like I could tie the characters’ lives to the research, make these huge events like the Highland Clearances and the Underground Railroad movement really personal for them, I trashed all the pieces I’d written thus far and wrote the thing straight through, start to finish, working on my lunch hours over a period of about 11 months. I changed jobs shortly thereafter and had a lot less time to devote to writing, so the revisions took me almost two years!

M-C: My husband being Scottish, I know how deeply the Scots feel about the Highland clearances. Good for you to bring this up in a romance. What series of words would best characterize your writing style or tone?

Jessica: Dark, sensual, smart, intricate, evocative, witty, ironic.

M-C: I am curious to know how dark and sensual translate in The Serpent’s Tooth.

Jessica: The Serpent’s Tooth is a very dark story, but also very sensual—in more than one way. I was trying to evoke the style of a real 19^th-century gothic novel, without going completely impenetrable or melodramatic. Even though the characters are invented, the history they are living is very much real, and I tried to be as authentic as possible about the political, economic, and social realities surrounding them. The book also takes place in locations that I know well and love very much. I really wanted to bring Virginia, London, and Skye alive for the reader. I strove to make the landscape feel like another character. Everything about my style was calibrated to make the reader feel as if she’s really there.

M-C: I am really looking forward to read this. I love gothic settings. Do you have any idea why you wrote in such a dark tone?

Jessica: I’m always surprised by how dark my writing imagination is. I’m actually a very goofy person. I love puns and wordplay and really bad jokes. Hanging out with boyfriend and me is like living in a Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn comedy crossed with an episode of A Bit of Fry and Laurie. We’re always playing verbal one-upmanship, making up songs about squirrels and bubble wrap, telling each other really rude jokes. I guess the part of me that makes stories is the flipside of that, the outlet for my imagination’s sinister side.

M-C: Is this story more character-driven or plot-driven?

Jessica: I always feel that plot and character are inextricably entwined. You put the right person in the right situation—or, more accurately, the wrong situation—and the plot is how that character changes her circumstances. In the case of The Serpent’s Tooth, I started with the idea of a strong-willed young woman who wanted to be a doctor in an era when women just didn’t do that. I added a hero whom she just wouldn’t get involved with, and I got her involved with him. Reba changes her world, but her world changes her, too.

M-C: Can you describe the pace of The Serpent’s Tooth? Is it a fast/edge-of-your-seat kind of story or more the kind of book you just want to bury yourself in for hours?

Jessica: The Serpent’s Tooth is definitely a rainy-day-and-cup-of-tea sort of read, but that’s not to say there’s no action. The last three chapters in particular aim to make that tea go cold.

M-C: Sounds great, I love to bury myself in a good book for hours. What is your heroine like and how does she relate to the hero?

Jessica: Reba is smart and brave and compassionate and takes everything far too seriously. Her life has been a bit of an uphill struggle. She lost her homeland and almost all of her family in one fell swoop when she was a toddler, and now she’s fighting the whole world just to be allowed to do what she does best: be a physician. When she meets Nate and discovers he’s the son of the man who destroyed her family, she pegs him as one more obstacle to overcome. And then he turns out to be the opposite of everything she expected. He’s kind and generous and funny wants to help her live her dreams. But he also has his secrets. The question becomes how much of him is real. Can she, when her own life is on the line, trust him?

M-C: Can you define Nate as a romance hero? Alpha or Beta?

Jessica: I don’t think Nate would fit easily into either alpha or beta categories. Nate was born the eldest son of a Scottish marquis, but he ran away at sixteen because…well, that would be telling. He made his way to America by working on cargo ships, then found his way to New Orleans, where he made himself an independent fortune through good poker skills and even better business sense. So he’s entirely his own man, and he knows what he wants and goes after it without hesitation, which is alpha-ish. But he’s not a domineering presence or brooding man of mystery, either. He’s like that movie sidekick who ends up stealing the show (and sometimes the girl)—a Jack Sparrow, a Barney Stinson, a Spike, a Mercutio. He’s the kind of character who always grabs my attention, so instead of relegating him to sidekick, I put him front and center.

M-C: He sounds very intriguing. How important is a happy-ever-after in your writing?

Jessica: In The Serpent’s Tooth? It’s essential. At the risk of spoiling the ending, Nate and Reba resolve both their conflict with each other and conquer the personal demons that have tormented each of them their whole lives. The plot is built in such a way that they couldn’t have met either goal without also meeting the other. But I can’t say happily-ever-after is always the case in my stories. Sometimes I like to leave the reader with happily-ever-possible—the sense that, though there may be tough times ahead, the characters have the strength to meet them. Then, of course, there’s the paranormal I plan to write that starts with a dead heroine and ends, happily, with a dead hero—and no, I don’t mean undead. Basically, I try not to worry about “the rules of romance” so much as being true to the characters.

M-C: What do you think readers will get out of your story.

Jessica: My real aim was catharsis. I want to put the reader through an emotional ringer and have her come out satisfied, maybe a little more thoughtful or introspective about what it means to love, to trust, and to forgive. It would be a nice bonus if I get people interested in an often-overlooked period of Scottish history as well.

M-C: Seems like you have everything covered. Do you have any villains? And how do they relate to your hero and heroine?

Jessica: There are multiple villains in The Serpent’s Tooth, and not all of them are people. Similarly, there are good people who do bad things and bad people who do good things, just like in real life. The whole story does build to a final showdown, but to say anything more than that would spoil the surprise!

M-C: Let me repeat myself, it does seem like you have everything covered Do you have any more projects in the work beside your AT entry?

Jessica: Like I said above, I’m presently revising a novella about the Great Fire of London into a full-length novel. But I can’t deny that other plotbunnies are hopping around, demanding my attention. Depending on where my pantser brain (now there’s an image!) decides to take me, I may end up marketing myself as a cross-genre writer very early on in my career!

M-C: If readers want to know more about you and your writing, where on the web can the find you?

Jessica: I chronicle my personal and writing life at my LiveJournal blog, http://justjayj.livejournal.com. I also have a website advertising my freelance editing services at http://www.darago.us, though I’m not taking on many large or long-term contracts these days, since I’m working full time for an educational publisher and, of course, doing more writing. I hope in the near future to be offering pre-submission editing services for other novelists, but I’m not focusing on building the business just now. In addition to all that, I recently drank the Facebook and Twitter Kool-Aid. I’m Jessica Darago (of course) on the former and justjayj on the latter.

M-C: Now you’ll come back on Thursday to interview a character? Who did you choose to interview and why?

Jessica: I decided to interview one of the tertiary characters—Gladys, a ladies’ maid in the service of the heroine’s chaperone, Mrs. Baxter. When Mrs. Baxter takes it upon herself to keep Nate and Reba apart, Gladys takes it upon herself not to let that happen. And like a good Victorian servant, she knows everyone’s secrets. I thought it would be fun to get the view from “below stairs.”

M-C: How clever, I love “downstairs” characters. I’m looking forward to Thursday. Aren’t you all?

Thanks so much for answering all my questions, Jessica.

See everyone back on Thursday.

But before don’t forget to go vote at
www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle.php.

And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win.

Thank you so much, Sylvia, to have us over today and to have gathered such great prizes!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hello everyone.

This is Marie-Claude, bring you back American Title V finalist Tamara Hughes and this time she will interview her favorite character from ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE, Victorian working-class maid Rebecca Bailey.

But first, let me thank everyone for visiting us Monday and we have a winner…..Sara Hurt.

Congratulation Sara!!!!

Now to you Tamara:

———————————————-

Hi everyone. I’m Tamara Hughes, author of the novel ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE, and one of the eight American Title V finalists. Today I’d like to interview the heroine of my novel, Rebecca Bailey. The date is March 26^th, 1883, and Rebecca is at the Vanderbilt masquerade ball. I plan to be the bug in her ear, so we can meet her, live and in person.

Guests costumed as peasants and gypsies, monks and knights mingle in the immense ballroom, their extravagant clothes studded with gems. The strain of violins and the chatter of the crowd hum around us, while the smell of rose petals clings to the air.

TH: Rebecca? (I whisper from inside her head.) Can I speak with you a moment?

RB: (Rebecca gasps.) Dear heavens. My father has finally driven me mad. I’m hearing voices.

TH: (Oh crap.) No, Rebecca, I’m…I’m your conscience. (Good save—if I do say so myself.)

RB: Oh, good Lord. As if my life wasn’t a mess already.

TH: Stay calm. You seem a bit on edge.

RB: You would be too if you had the unenviable task I’ve set before me.

TH: And what would that be?

RB: If you are indeed my conscience, why would you ask such a question? Ah, never mind. Now I’m not only talking to myself, I’m arguing. I’m here because…because I’m hoping to find a wealthy gentleman willing to aid me and my father.

TH: In what way?

RB: (Rebecca rubs a strand of pearls between her fingertips.) My father is indebted to terrible men. And I’m not a woman of means. If I had another way to come up with the money…(Rebecca exhales a long breath.)…I wouldn’t be here in my mother’s finery, quaking at the knees, trying not to make an utter fool of myself.

TH: I doubt you’ll embarrass yourself. You look lovely in your…maid costume. (I take in her black dress trimmed with delicate white lace at the cuffs and scooped neckline, a chiffon apron tied around her waist and a feather duster in her hand.)

RB: Don’t laugh. It wasn’t my idea, although I can’t find fault with the reasoning behind it. At a masquerade, you are expected to play the part your costume inspires. And in this gown, if I forget myself and treat the other guests as my betters, none will be the wiser. Besides, I’ve already made an imbecile out of myself.

TH: How?

RB: (I can feel the heat of embarrassment radiate through her.) I’m a horrible liar, and one lie begets more. Oh, I can’t believe I talked myself into this charade. But I can’t give up—I won’t give up. My father is the only family I have left. (Rebecca’s eyes open wide, and her heart pounds faster.) Good Lord, there he is.

TH: Who?

RB: Mr. Black…Christopher Black. My word.

TH: (After some searching, I spot Christopher, dressed entirely in black, talking with a group of gentlemen. He’s costumed as a pirate in a free-flowing shirt unbuttoned mid-chest to reveal the glitter of a silver chain about his neck. His curling ebony hair and dark stubble give him a wild, almost dangerous, appeal.) What do you think of Mr. Black?

RB: Hmm?

TH: I said, what do you think of Mr. Black?

RB: Oh, I’ve only met him once, but he seemed genuinely kind.

TH: How so?

RB: He came to the Endicott manor, where I work as a maid, to visit Miss Endicott. As I delivered refreshments to the parlor, I spilled extremely hot tea on his trousers, and then promptly tripped, falling to the floor at his feet. I don’t need to tell you how horrible it all was. Yet instead of worrying over his trousers, indeed his scalded…person, he asked about my welfare and helped me to my feet. (Rebecca takes a step forward.) It could be my imagination, but he looks preoccupied now. You see how his arms are crossed, and he’s scanning the guests. He laughs and smiles when spoken to, but it appears he’s barely listening. I wonder what’s troubling him.

TH: Why don’t you go ask?

RB: No, I don’t dare. What if he remembers me? Besides, judging by this absurd conversation, I’m quite certain I’m as mad as a March hare.

TH: You’re quite sane, Rebecca.

RB: But I’m hearing voices. What could that be but insanity? Then again, my life has become rather mad of late. Perhaps my daft mind suits the occasion.

TH: Rebecca, for the last time, you’re not crazy, and to prove it I’ll go.

RB: Well, I hope you don’t mind my saying, I wish to never speak to you again.

TH: I don’t mind at all…and as crazy as your life seems right now, believe me, it’s for the best.

————————————-

Thank you Tamara. This interview really makes me want to read your story. You have quite a humorous voice and Christopher appears very sexy. I’ll be the first in line to buy your book.

So thank you all for dropping by today. And please leave a comment for your chance to win. I’ll be back on Monday to interview American Title V finalist Qaey Williams who will discuss her writing style and her romantic suspense IN A LOVER’S SILENCE.

Marie-Claude

www.mcbourque.com

ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE by Tamara Hughes

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Thanks Sylvia for letting me visit your blog again this week.

Hope you all had a good week-end. I spent mine surrounded by 6 years old at a birthday party. Still recovering

But I had time to pick a winner from Thursday’s post and today the winner is …..Cynthia Eden.

Congratulations Cynthia!!!!

This week, we are stepping back in time for a Victorian historical romance set in New York City, ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE and I am please to introduce you to writer Tamara Hughes, former computer programmer and now a stay-at-home mom living in Minnesota.

M-C: Tamara, of course the first thing I want to know is what did you do when you found out you were an American Title V finalist?

TAMARA: First I gaped at my computer screen for a minute. And then I jumped up, grabbed my cell phone, and called my critique partner, Barb, who is also a finalist. Pretty freaky really, that of all the entries submitted from around the world, two critique partners were chosen. Very cool, but very weird. Next I called my husband, who listened while I rattled on and on, talking faster than I ever have in my life. By the end of the day, I had called all of my family, emailed the rest of our critique group, and drank a couple glasses of champagne that my husband had surprised me with at dinner. All in all, a very good day.

M-C: Sounds like it and kind of fun that you and Barbara are in this together. So far how has the final changed your writing life?

TAMARA: I’m still plugging away at my work-in-progress, but I’ll admit it’s been slowed down with all of the preparation required for this contest. I continue to try to get up around 5:30am to write before the kids need to get ready for school, and that time is still devoted to my new novel.

M-C: Wow, you are very organized. Can you give us a glimpse of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: Imagine what you would do if you suspected your soul mate murdered your best friend. Christopher Black struggles with this dilemma. He meets Rebecca Bailey at the Vanderbilt masquerade ball and is captivated by her inner strength and vitality. She’s so different from the pretentious ladies of high society, and from the fiancée that broke his heart. He pursues Rebecca, convinced he’s found the woman of his dreams, and then he spies an emerald comb in her hair – a comb that links her to his friend’s murder.

Rebecca fears her secret will be discovered: she’s a housemaid impersonating an heiress to attract a wealthy suitor. She’s risking it all (her employment, her dignity, and her heart) to save her father, a gambler who owes hundreds of dollars to brutal men. When those men threaten her life, Christopher protects her despite the mounting evidence against her. He must let go of the past and learn to trust his instincts again. While Rebecca isn’t the killer he’s looking for, she is involved in the crime; she just doesn’t realize it yet.

M-C: You really do have all the elements of a great story there. Where did you get your ideas?

TAMARA: I’ve always enjoyed historical romances, particularly those with a Cinderella theme. The idea of someone rising up from despair and conquering whatever obstacles lay in their path is intriguing to me. Add to that my awe of Kathleen Woodiwiss books, where plots are complex and layered, and I couldn’t help myself but add a murder mystery into the mix.

M-C: It certainly sounds like a lot of fun. How would best characterize your writing style or tone?

TAMARA: To keep with the historical period, my writing style for this novel is more eloquent than the contemporary I’m currently working on. The tone is at times humorous, emotional, sexually tense, and suspenseful, with lots of conflict.

M-C: Humor in a historical is always fun. How does this translate in ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: The humor in this book comes out in many different ways. In particular, my heroine, Rebecca, is funny without really meaning to be. When she tries to mingle with high society, she finds she makes mistakes - lots of them. In fact, it seems she digs herself a deeper hole with everything she says and does. I also have a secondary character (Christopher’s friend and confidante) who likes to amuse himself anyway he can. He does and says outrageous things throughout the book, including dressing up as Cupid for a Greek God party. He may get a book of his own some day.

M-C: That would be fun. Do you have any idea how your writing turned so humoristic?

TAMARA: I find I really like to write humor. I was always a bit of a comedian as a kid. It’s the thrill of trying to get people to laugh and enjoy themselves.

M-C: Since your story is a historical, I assume the setting plays an important role.

TAMARA: The setting is New York City in 1883, and it plays a huge role. New York during this time period had class distinctions similar to London but with a twist. With the flood of immigrants into the city, the wealthy lived within blocks of the poor, and the mentality amongst the working class was starting to lean toward the idea that the rich were no better than them. Meanwhile, high society was divided into two camps – the aristocrats with rich bloodlines and the bouncers, those who became newly rich and were looked down upon. In 1883, even that was changing as more and more bouncers were becoming accepted into the fold. In the story, Rebecca, a working-class maid, attempts to enter high society and sees firsthand the odd interactions between all of these classes, and how they’re slowly changing.

M-C: Rebecca looks like interesting heroine. Can you tell us more about her and how she relates to the hero?

TAMARA: Rebecca is a caring, sensible person who has spent the last ten years supporting her grieving father at the expense of her own happiness. Once she’s forced to take a chance and experience life, we see her true self shine through – she’s a quick thinking, feisty woman who can laugh at herself.

Christopher is the strong, reliable man she needs in her life – someone to care for her for a change. Her problems escalate when it seems like he might soon remember her from her job as a maid. She feels drawn to him, but knows she has to resist her desire to be with him if she wants to save her father.

M-C: Would you say Christopher is an alpha or beta type hero?

TAMARA: Christopher is both alpha and beta. He’s a self-made shipping magnate who used to captain his own ship. So, he’s a man who’s used to being in command. When a good friend is murdered, he’s determined to find the killer. He’s intelligent and extremely observant, which makes him curious about Rebecca from the start due to her odd behavior. When he discovers she’s involved in the crime, he’s torn between his loyalty to his friend and his growing attraction to Rebecca.

M-C: That dilemma certainly brings some interesting twists. What do you think readers will get out of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE? Is there a theme or a message that your story brings forward?

TAMARA: I think the theme of the story is “letting go.” For Rebecca, this means coming to the understanding that she isn’t the one who can change her father back into the man he once was – that’s a choice only he can make. She needs to stop sacrificing herself for him, and live her own life. For Christopher, it means forgiving the fiancée that didn’t love him enough to defy her aristocratic parents, and looking deep within himself to decide whether to trust Rebecca. As for what I hope readers will take away…I believe, at times, this story will get you thinking, make you laugh, and stick with you for a while after you put the book down.

M-C: Do you have any more projects in the works beside ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE?

TAMARA: I had planned to write another historical (a pirate tale), but a different type of story hit me up side the head, and I had to go with it. It’s an urban fantasy romance inspired by a variety of music, especially Evanescence songs. I thought this story would be much darker than anything I’ve ever written, but it turns out my heroine has a wry wit that pops up all over the place.

M-C: Evanescence is one of my favorite band. I’m looking forward to see how your new story turns out. Now which character will you interview on Thursday?

TAMARA: I chose to interview Rebecca because I wanted to highlight her personality. She’s a sensible, down-to-earth woman who is in an impossible situation that requires her to take risks she wouldn’t ordinarily take. She’s also imperfect in many ways, and that’s what I like so much about her. Sometimes she’s clumsy; she’s an incompetent liar; and when she tries to seduce Christopher, she makes a total fool of herself. Throughout the book, I find her quite funny in a naïve, endearing sort of way.

Well, everyone. I do love a good historical romance and this story is one I certainly don’t want to miss. Tamara has worked some great characters in a wonderful rich setting. I am looking forward to her interview of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE’s heroine, Rebecca, on Thursday.

Is you want to know more about Tamara and her writing, you can find her on the web at:

www,tamarahughes.com

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1477831876

See you all back on Thursday and don’t forget to leave a comment. First, we just love to hear from you and also you have a chance to win!!!!

Marie-Claude
www.mcbourque.com

DEAD PEOPLE

Edie Ramer and her Character, Cassie Taylor

Hi everyone!

This is Marie-Claude. Thank you so much for attending Edie’s interview on Monday. We had many wonderful comments and ….. a winner…….JOYE wins one of the wonderful prizes from Sylvia’s treasure chest!!!

Monday also marked the launch of the American Title V finalist group blog: LOVE CONQUERS. With posts nearly every day, I encourage you to visit at loveconquers.wordpress.com/ and bookmark the site.

Today Edie is interviewing Cassie Taylor, DEAD PEOPLE’s Ghost Whispering Heroine. So here to you Edie:

——————————————————————-

For months Cassie Taylor from DEAD PEOPLE lived in my head and my heart. I felt her pain, her passion and her humor. I heard her voice in my head — and it wasn’t soft. The only thing soft about Cassie were parts of her body. I admired her grit. But once the book was written, we split up. She’s gone on, and so have I. Other characters have taken up residence in my mind. Now I feel nervous sitting at this table for two in a long white hall, as if I were waiting for an old friend or lover.

CT: Did you have to tell everyone about my extra pounds?

ER: Crap. I mean, darn. How do you know I said that?

CT: [sitting across from ER] A little ghost told me.

ER: Right. [shivers. The talking-to-dead-people thing creeps me out.] So how old were you when you first started talking to ghosts?

CT: How old were you when you first started breathing?

ER: Did it make your life hard when you were a child?

CT: I don’t blame dead people for my unhappy childhood. [She sits back, her eyes darkening.] I blame live people.

ER: Your father and stepmother?

CT: If the name fits … Remember the book I was writing about former cases?

ER: You didn’t write that book. I wrote that book. Well, excerpts of it.

CT: You honestly believe that? Puhlease. We both know it was me. There’s only one author name on my contract.

ER: You sold it? Was it reported in PM? [Cassie nods, her mouth curved in a self-satisfied smile.] What kind of deal? Nice? [I lean forward and speak in a hushed voice.] Major?

CT: [smirks] I’m not saying a word. Aren’t you supposed to ask me about the book you wrote?

ER: [glaring] I know what happens in DEAD PEOPLE. I wrote it, remember? It’s your life before or after the book I’m curious about. Tell me, what was your hardest ghost busting case?

CT: [glaring back] I don’t bust ghosts, I’m more like a ghost therapist. I help them leave earth. I’m so tired of people calling me that. I thought you’d know better.

ER: Sorry. [my voice small, because Cassie was right. Another character who knows more than I do. Since I make them up, I don’t understand how that happens.]

CT: [gestures dismissively] You asked about my hardest case. It was the one in DEAD PEOPLE. Someone killed the former owner of Luke’s house and tried to kill me. I naturally fell in lust with Luke and he with me.

ER: Why naturally?

CT: You’re interviewing me for the American Title V contest, right? The book will be excerpted in Romantic Times magazine, not Scientific Journal. It’s all about the romance, baby.

ER: [shaking head] You’ve changed. You’re more relaxed, less defensive.

CT: We did create a fabulous beginning of the rest of my life.

ER: You mean an ending.

CT: Ha! That’s what you writers like to think.

ER: [shuddering] That can’t be true. If all our characters came to life, there really would be vampires, werewolves, dragons, half-dressed lusty Vikings, sexy devils that can give you an orgasm with one look from their fiery eyes … [Cassie’s smile widens, and I swallow] If this is true, why haven’t I seen them? Where are these sexy devils … er, I mean we should know this so we can exorcise them. Or erase them. Put them back onto the pages.

CT: [standing] Sure, I believe you want to put them between the covers of a book and not the covers of your bed. [winks] Gotta go. I’ve been invited to a party. Everyone’s going to be there.

ER: Where? Who? The Vikings? The vamps? The sexy devils? The hunky firemen? Will they be at the party too? Don’t go. Take me with you.

CT: [striding away, laughing manically]

ER: [getting off my butt and running after Cassie] It is, after all, my duty as a citizen to make sure there aren’t dangerous sexy devils roaming the streets of America, causing lust and havoc. And it’s my duty as a writer to research. Especially those lusty Viking. Lots and lots of research.

——————————————————————

What a great heroine. This was great, definitely a little snarkiness there, LOL. Thank you so much for being with us this week Edie and good luck in the contest. You can keep up with Edie at www.edieramer.com

Next week we have Tamara Hugues, who will tell us all about her Victorian Historical Romance ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE.

Thanks to Sylvia for hosting us today and to all for visiting. Don’t forget to leave Edie a comment for another chance to win!

See you all next Monday!

Marie-Claude
www.mcbourque.com

DEAD PEOPLE by Edie Ramer

Hi everyone,
I am very excited to be launching a series of interviews with the very talented finalists of the American Title V contest, sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and Romantic Times. Thank you so much Sylvia for hosting this again on your blog.

It will be great fun to learn all about our finalists writing style and also, a new feature this year, to have each writer interview their own favorite character. I am very curious to see that part. Aren’t you?

The contest will work just like it did last year, where each rounds of voting will serve to eliminate contestants. This year, because there are only 8 finalists, the first two rounds (first line and characters) will eliminate only one contestant. There will be five rounds of online voting starting on Nov. 10^th and ending in April. The last standing finalist will win a publishing contract for their entry with Dorchester Publishing. This year the categories have been opened to feature all kinds of romance genre, including historical and romantic suspense.

The finalists went through a stressful summer preparing and submitting their partial then full manuscripts. You can read what went on behind the scene at Dorchester in the selection process. If I had known all that, I may not have been brave enough to enter!!!

Now, let me introduce you to our finalist Edie Ramer, author of light paranormal DEAD PEOPLE. Her short stories have been published in National magazines and she is also co-creator of an inspirational website for writers, www.writeattitude.net.

M-C: Edie, what is the first thing you did when you found out that you were an American Title V finalist?

EDIE: I emailed my three CPs who were with me through the writing. When I ripped the original DEAD PEOPLE apart, gutted half of it and rewrote, they critiqued it a second time. They supported me all the way. They’re still supporting me.

M-C: And how has the final changed things for you in your life and your writing?

EDIE: In general, my busy life has gotten busier. The PR, the American Title V group blog we’re setting up, the Facebook site, etc., all interrupt my writing. But they’re good interruptions! I’m also helping coordinate a Margie Lawson workshop in Milwaukee on Nov. 1^st. . It’s another interruption that’s good.

This is what every published writer I know goes through. They’re writing one book and they get edits on the previous book and have to write a proposal for the next one. So I consider this practice for being published.

M-C: Now, can you tell us a little about DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: When Cassie Taylor talks, ghosts listen. She wants to heal their souls so they can leave earth. Brooding songwriter Luke Rivers wants to give his newly found daughter a normal home, but he discovers his new house in small town Wisconsin is haunted by a ghost with an attitude. His ghost whisperer has an attitude too – even before someone tries to kill her. So why does he have the hots for her? And why does she lust after him? He wants conventional. She wants acceptance. No wonder she thinks men are hard and DEAD PEOPLE are easy.

M-C: This looks like such a fun read. Where did you get this idea?

EDIE: I don’t remember what sparked the story premise, but I can talk about a unique aspect of the book. In a previous book, I had a songwriter heroine and had fun writing verses for her. That gave me the idea to begin every other chapter with one or more verses from songs Luke wrote. To give Cassie equal time, I started the even chapters with excerpts from a book about her ghost whispering experiences.

M-C: That is certainly unique. What series of words would choose to best characterize your writing style?

EDIE: Witty, quirky, snarky, dark and light, optimistic, tension, illuminating, insightful. Love.

M-C: Snarky really? How does snarky shows up in DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: Cassie’s snarkiness is her defense to keep people from seeing the hurt inside her. Luke likes it. He has his own wounds and her snarky tongue amuses him. It’s a change from being sucked up to by people who want to use him. And when Cassie is with his daughter, he sees her gentle, loving side.

M-C: Do you have any idea how your writing became a little snarky?

EDIE: Not every character I write is snarky, but they’re all damaged in some way, and none of them complain or whine. They just lift their chins and go on with their lives the best they can.

I’m sure I get that from my mother, who was a widow with five young children. I never remember her complaining. I know I’ve handed that down to my son. He has a saying: “It’s all good.” That’s a real optimist!

M-C: You told me the setting of DEAD PEOPLE is important, how so?

EDIE: In DEAD PEOPLE the house is a character. It was part of the Underground Railroad during the pre-Civil War days. It has two turrets and a secret room. It gives my story Gothic undertones. I had fun with that and the Underground Railroad angle was part of the story.

M-C: And would you say the story is character-driven or plot-driven?

EDIE: Characters first. Always. I like a good plot and worked hard on creating tension, but when I think of DEAD PEOPLE, I think of the hero, heroine, the daughter, the ghost, the heroine’s best friend – a good looking cop killed in the 1950s – and of course the villain. I care for all of them. Well, except the villain. My characters came alive to me, whispering in my ear. The hero singing in my ear. They’re very individual and I think it shows in their voices.

M-C: How did you balance the romance with the paranormal elements?

EDIE: Because Cassie is trying to clear Luke’s house of the ghost, the suspense/paranormal elements bring them together instead of separating them. And the danger brings them even closer together. It takes them to a higher level of caring. As the tension escalates, so do their emotions.

M-C: Can you tell us more about Luke? What kind of hero is he?

EDIE: Usually my heroes are an alpha/beta mix, but Luke is alpha with very little beta. His mother was part of the hippie culture, and he was raised without structure. As a songwriter, he was thrust into the same lifestyle, but with more money, more drugs and more sex. His ex-wife cheated on him and let him think his daughter was his former friend’s. Only the need to give his daughter a normal home made him hire Cassie. The first time Cassie meets him, she thinks:

“He may as well wear a sign that shouted, THIS WOMAN IS A FAKE. She used to wonder why people like this man called her, begging her to come, paying her a wad of money. By now she knew.

They were desperate.”

M-C: What a great hero. Now I really want to read this. Would you say a happily-ever-after ending is important in your writing?

EDIE: It’s important. Although I don’t need a happily ever after ending, I need to end a story with hope. DEAD PEOPLE has a HEA, but a subplot ends on a sad note. If you watched LOVE ACTUALLY, which has multiple stories, there were a couple endings that weren’t HEA. I think the poignancy made the movie better than if every story had a Disney ending.

M-C: How do you think people will feel as they read DEAD PEOPLE?

EDIE: Readers will smile and chuckle at times, but I don’t intentionally write humorous. It comes from my characters’ thoughts and comments. Mostly readers will care about these damaged people who find the one person who can heal their wounds. This includes Luke’s 11-year-old daughter who has her own wounds that Cassie helps heal. Even the ghost’s wounds are healed by Cassie, Luke and the daughter.

I notice I keep talking about “healing,” so that must be the theme in my book. I have a theme when I start a book, but I don’t think about it when I write or when it’s done. I think about the characters, and I hope that’s what stays with the reader too.

There are books that I close reluctantly when I reach The End, because I don’t want to let go of the characters just yet. I sit and think about them and feel a warm glow inside me. That’s what I want the reader to get out of my story. That warm glow.

M-C: That is wonderful theme, Edie. Do you have any more projects in the works beside your AT entry?

EDIE: My last book, SATURDAYS AT THE KARMA CAFÉ, is women’s fiction, told through the voices of four women, aged 25 – 61, brought together by a weight loss group and the wishes they make together. A nerdy dotcom owner wants a baby but not a husband. A widowed teacher nearing retirement wants to be as free as the wind while her family wants to tie her down. A seemingly confident businesswoman wants to keep her family from finding out the secrets she’d thought safely buried. Their young waitress wants to regain the courage taken from her in an act of violence. A hunky gardener, a Harley-riding neighbor and an alpha neighbor add complications.

My WIP is a return to paranormal romance. It has the women friends’ angle (although in this case they’re family), but with one heroine/hero. My plan is to sell it and write sequels for the other characters. I’m enjoying combining the strong friends/relationship angle with paranormal and the romance. I think it’s the best thing I’ve written. My goal is to write every book better than the last, and for the last couple years I feel I’ve achieved that goal.

M-C: Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us all about your writing. It was neat to get a glimpse of DEAD PEOPLE. Now for Thursday, you chose to interview Cassie. Why her?

EDIE: Both she and Luke are damaged, but in many ways her life is harder. Since she was a child, she was treated as a freak by her father and stepmother. She talks to dead people. Isn’t it hard enough for a normal person to have a social life? Imagine what your life would be like if you saw dead people. The one person she thought loved her turned out to be using her. Her best friend is a ghost.

Both she and Luke are interesting, but she’s more interesting. I hope people will come back on Thursday and find out why.

Well everyone, I certainly look forward to Edie’s upcoming interview with DEAD PEOPLE’s heroine. And thanks to all for visiting today. If you want to learn more about Edie and her writing you can find her at:

www.edieramer.com

www.magicalmusings.com

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747112424

See you all on Thursday and don’t forget to comment to get a chance to win some wonderful prices!!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hey all,

Don’t forget! There are lots of great prizes available for those of you who comment on the ATV interviews and prepare to vote for your favorites!

Hugs,
Sylvia

P.S. I’m over at Murder She Writes today!