APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS

Do you garden? 

What’s your favorite flower or plant? 

Or is your favorite flower delivered in a vase?

ELIZABETH HEITER

HUNTED 

Harlequin MIRA, January 2014 

When I moved into my current house, it was winter and I had no idea what was in the gardens, so I waited anxiously to find out what would bloom in the gardens.  The answer?  Mostly pricker weeds that promptly grew to 3-feet tall.  Other than a few daffodils and irises, there wasn't much.  So, it was a lot of fun to yank out those weeds and replace them with roses, hibiscus, hydrangea, rose of sharon, peonies, and other assortments. 

I also dragged in 800 pounds of rocks to border another garden so I'd have more space to fill with flowers.  But some of my very favorites are probably my orchids, which brighten up my house even in the dead of winter. 

ELLE JAMES

THE WITCH'S DESIRE

Harlequin Cravings 
May 2014

I love flowers! All the colors bring a smile to my face every time. I haven't always been fortunate enough to grow them, but the house I live in now has the best sun to grow flowers and I've been lucky each year to have a beautiful flower garden. 

I planted a lot of azalea bushes that bloom in the spring and again in the fall. I planted tulips to welcome spring in each year. 

In late April, early May, I plant my annuals. Usually I'll put in begonias and vinc (periwinkles) and marigolds. I have the pleasure of enjoying them all summer long. 

Which flower is my favorite? Hard to say. They all bring me joy! 

ANGI MORGAN

NAVY SEAL SURRENDER

Texas Family Reckoning Book 1

Harlequin Intrigue, May 2014

I'm sooooo not a gardener. But I am surrounded with great gardens here in my hometown and take a ton of pictures to share on my blog and on Facebook.

I do try rosebushes, but I don't have much light in my yard--so more power to 'em for sticking with me! My favorite flower is an Apricot Queen Anne Rose...mainly because it's right by the back porch and has outlasted my black thumb.

April in Texas is bluebonnet season and this year they were awesome. We searched all day for a picture like this. I will definitely be framing it for our wall.

JENNA RYAN

BLACK ROSE

Harlequin Shivers

April 2014

Sorry to say, I don't garden at all.  But I do love looking at other people's lovely gardens.  My favorite flower would definitely be a deep red rose, the kind that smells so beautiful. 

And of course, I'm doing a whole series for Shivers where the titles have flowers in them, so that's an ongoing theme. BLACK ROSE, BLOOD ORCHID, AND SCARLET BELLS.  I'm currently working on a fourth book which is called DARK LILY.  See?  Like I said, all about flowers.  Well, and a lot of shadows.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

ANIMAL INSTINCTS

I'm a long time self-taught gardener, but five years ago, I became a Master Gardener, trained by University of Illinois Extension to be a volunteer to help other people with their gardening problems.  That training has helped me improve my own garden, and it has made me more aware of a sustainable lifestyle. I recycle, I compost, I add native plants to my garden to help with storm water runoff, which is a serious problem in big cities. 

My city backyard is totally a garden as you can see the in the attached photos. I spend as much time as I can reading or writing in my garden every summer. It is my greatest pleasure. My heroine Skye in Animal Instincts reflects on the healing nature of her (my) garden. But, writing as Lynn Patrick with a partner, I was able to give  my gardening knowledge to my heroine, Heather, in A Forever Home. 

AIMEE THURLO

UNDERCOVER WARRIOR

Harlequin Intrigue, July 2014

Here is a photo taken today of a Columbine, a plant Aimée and I planted three years ago. Last year it didn't bloom at all, but this year it's bigger and more beautiful than ever, and that means a lot to me.

Our heroine in the July 1st Copper Canyon Intrigue, UNDERCOVER WARRIOR, has a dream of buying her own farm someday and working with her hands, growing things. Here is an excerpt from UNDERCOVER WARRIOR:

Erin led the way outside, then hurried over and crouched by the tiny plant. At the tip of its sole slender stalk was a small stem with new growth and two leaves. In the center was a tiny perfectly formed bud. “Look!” 

 

REBECCA YORK 

DIAGNOSIS ATTRACTION

Harlequin Intrigue, April 2014

I love to garden.  My favorite flowers are the azaleas that bloom here in the spring.  I wish they lasted longer, but I do have early blooming varieties and later ones, so the color lasts for about six week.  Here I am with some of the ones in my front yard.

JULIE MILLER 

THE BRIDESMAID'S BODYGUARD

June Free Online Read at www.Harlequin.com 

(a prequel to KCPD PROTECTOR, August 2014)

I'll confess, I'm not much of a gardener--too many allergies!  Fortunately, my hubby has a green thumb and we have a lot of flowers around our house.  I love a riot of colors--nothing too lined up or perfectly sculpted for me.  An iris is my absolute favorite flower, but impatiens are a close second.  I have a stand of irises across the front of my house.  I'm bummed this year because a late freak sleet/snow/ice storm pretty much decimated the iris that were coming up, so I probably won't have many (if any?) of those this year.  

But it's an annual tradition at my house to go to the local nursery on Mother's Day and pick out a bunch of flowers to put around the house in colorful pots I've collected over the years.  I love to get lots of impatiens and bunch up related and contrasting colors to show off against our white house.  My job is to pick out what I want, and my hubby plants them for me.  I help a little with the tending.  But since I have the distinction of being able to kill even a cactus, no one lets me do too much but enjoy the flowers all summer long.

BEVERLY LONG 

HUNTED

Harlequin Intrigue, Aug 2014

One of my favorite things in the world is a flower garden in bloom.  I live in the Midwest but that doesn’t stop me from getting excited in February about gardening, anxious in March, and ready to go in April. This year it is way too cold to be planting flowers, yet I’ve already been to the garden center and have bought many flats of annuals and have started filling pots.  Of course I’m covering them with a sheet at night so that they don’t get too cold! I suspect that amuses my neighbors.

I generally do about thirty pots every year so I have to get an early start. Plus, I like to plant annuals in my perennial gardens to give them a boost of color.  I don’t have a favorite flower, although I am partial to Cosmos and Zinnias and for early spring, nothing beats a big pot of pansies.  Here’s a picture of my early efforts. 

We hope May brings our readers many happy blooms !!  You can catch us everyday on Facebook. Send us a copy of your favorite Intrigue in your "blooms" and be entered in a special giveaway.

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Marshall Field’s Christmas Memories

Last year, Entangled Publishing offered my two related holiday romantic suspense novels, HOLIDAY IN CRIMSON and NIGHTMARE IN CRIMSON, sold separately. Both were substantially revised Intrigue backlist novels. This year, they are being offered together as CRIMSON DUET at a great discount.

As a child, I lived in the Chicago suburbs. I didn’t know much about the big city, nearly twenty miles away, except that I looked forward to Christmas, when Mom took me downtown to see the iconic Marshall Field’s windows on State Street. When writing my holiday romantic mysteries, I wanted to use a department store like the one I loved as a child. I wanted to involve the Christmas windows. And I wanted the murder victim to be Santa Claus. As a matter of fact I killed him twice!

In Holiday in Crimson...
Westbrook Department Store’s Christmas party wasn’t that wild--but Santa ended up dead and now window designer Shelby Corbin suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in his murder.  CEO Rand McNabb's romantic attentions both thrill her and frighten her. Is Westbrook’s impossibly sexy co-owner really helping Shelby search for the truth about that fatal night?  Shelby wonders if Rand has a deadlier motive for courting the only possible witness to the crime...

In Nightmare in Crimson...
Last holiday, Pippa McNabb's faithless husband was found murdered in a Santa suit after a Christmas party. Another year, another Christmas party, and another dead Santa – this time, run down by eight tiny reindeer and a sleigh. And now Pippa is the prime suspect. Sexy sleigh driver Sky Thornton seems intent on helping her, but is the man who knows too much about her really trying to clear her name, or is he trying to frame her for a murder he committed?

I enjoyed creating these intricately plotted (and connected) romantic mysteries.

Marshall Field's is long gone, but for a look at my inspiration, go here:
Marshall Field’s Christmas Memories



Happy holiday memories to all our readers.

Patricia

Website: http://PatriciaRosemoor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaRosemoorAuthor
Twitter: @Prosemoor

What's your Favorite Holiday Song?

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS

what song was their favorite holiday song and share the YouTube versions.

ANGI MORGAN

THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, January 2014

I have two absolutely favorite songs to listen to at Christmas (but I love Christmas music…traditional and modern). The first is Linus & Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas: 

AND I adore the Christmas Can Can by Straight No Chaser:

Linus & Lucy reminds me of childhood…the anticipation of seeing the Charlie Brown specials (no VCR, DVDs, YouTube, etc….). And my sister-in-law introduced me to Straight No Chaser. They are amazing. But the Christmas Can Can reminds me to celebrate and laugh. I also admire the success of these young men. Their story is amazing. To all my friends…Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza and Happy Hanukkah!

AIMEE THURLO

HOMESPUN  CHRISTMAS, November 2013

I absolutely love Il Volo. These men have the most dynamic voices. We all have books that are special to us. Homespun Christmas is the perfect feel good story, as one Amazon reviewer said.

My grandmother taught me all about knitting and crocheting and it led to a lifelong passion. I've won first, second and third places at our New Mexico State Fair with my pieces, and one day my love for homespun gifts sparked the idea that became Homespun Christmas!

Homespun Christmas is a story about the will to succeed - even when the odds are against you. It's a book about working class Americans, the unsung heroes who make a real difference though you won't find them headlining the news. Here's a Christmas medley with wonderful images on YouTube:  

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

DUET IN CRIMSON December 2013

"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, composed by Mykola Leontovych with lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on a folk chant known in Ukrainian as "Shchedryk."

I never knew this was something from my Ukranian heritage, but I always loved the strength of the music and the way it made me feel. I've been known to play it over and over and over... I picked a YouTube version I haven't heard/seen before but love and hope you will, too. 

ELIZABETH HEITER

HUNTED, Harlequin MIRA, January 2014

My favorite holiday music is probably Silent Night simply because it's beautiful.  I love to sing along to holiday music, and I particularly enjoy when there are strings in the background, probably because I used to play violin.

My debut suspense, HUNTED, from Harlequin MIRA, releases right around the holidays, on Dec. 31, 2013.  You can visit me on the web.

JULIE MILLER

YULETIDE PROTECTOR, December 2013

An RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

It's not Christmas for me until I watch WHITE CHRISTMAS and hear Bing Crosby sing the title song.  Although I love the spectacle of the finale scene where they sing it again with a big chorus, set and costumes, this plain, straightforward version is my favorite.  I like Bing Crosby's rendition in HOLIDAY INN, too--another holiday movie I'd highly recommend, even though it doesn't get the press of the 1956 movie.  I like this slightly melancholy, definitely hopeful version because it's Bing Crosby at his best.  He's one of those rare people whose singing feels effortless.  The song reminds me of family, too.  My mom and I watch it on DVD every year.  And, it's one of the few musicals my dad watched and enjoyed--probably because of the military storyline.  Now we've got the next generation of nieces/nephews and my son watching it with us.  WHITE CHRISTMAS is a relaxing holiday tradition at my house.

CINDI MYERS

Rocky Mountain Revenge, February 2014

My favorite holiday music are hymns and carols. I've sung in choirs since I was old enough to stand up, so Christmas is always full of music for me. One of my favorites -- because it was my mother's favorite and it reminds me of her -- is "What Child Is This?" 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

from ALL the HEARTS of the INTRIGUE AUTHORS

It's All About The Animals

ANIMAL INSTINCTS, my new urban fantasy romantic suspense novel, is all about the animals. Attending a couple of Humane Society meetings about passing laws to help stop dog fighting, I wanted to raise awareness by using murders related to dog fighting as my crime. It was quickly pointed out to me that readers would think of their pets, and so I took a left turn and made them shifter fights.
    My hero, Luc Lazare, is half-human, half-Kindred, and he’s a man who has been pulled between his two worlds all of his life. His retired social worker mother is all human and has instilled the idea of caring and justice in him. The Kindred part is reference to his father’s line–descendents of the Nephilim (progeny of fallen angels and earthly women) who are shapeshifters. Luc’s family is black panther, but other Kindred are other predators–wolves, hawks, African wild dogs, pythons and more. In their human form, their goal is to gain power by corrupting the rest of humanity.
     My heroine, Skye Cross, is an animal advocate. She arrives with Animal Control at a dog fight, her purpose to see to the welfare of the dogs. To her surprise, the only dog she sees is an African Wild Dog. It’s opponent, a coyote, escapes the arena and she goes after it, only to be surrounded in the dark by wild predators, who see her as their next snack. Yes, she can “hear” their thoughts. And, saved by Luc, she realizes he, too, has gotten in her head:

    Dark hair whipped around features so rugged they could have been cut from granite. High cheekbones. Broad forehead. Square chin. His eyes appeared silver in the moonlight, and they glowed at me, tightening my stomach and making it hard to breathe.
    Trembling, I gasped, “What just happened?”
    “You got into something that doesn’t concern you.” Forget about it.
    I started. He hadn’t said the last bit out loud. There was something about him so powerful that I almost agreed.
    I fought the desire to give in, saying, “I’m not forgetting about anything. Who are you?”
    I felt as if he were trying to push the command into my mind.
    Glaring at him, I pushed back.
    “What are you?” he asked.
    “Someone who protects animals.”
    His silence told me that wasn’t exactly the explanation he was looking for. My pulse threaded unevenly as he stepped closer. I sensed both threat and something less tangible, something that made my stomach knot and my throat tighten. I’d always had a psychic connection not only with animals, but with my brother. No one else. Not until now. And this guy being able to mess with my mind went beyond any previous experience I’d had.
    “Did you have something to do with the fight?” I gasped. “Where did those predators come from? What kind of power do you have over them?” It had to be something supernatural.
    He stepped closer, and I sucked in a breath as his power cut through me, speeding my pulse, drying my mouth.
    “You need to forget about them, Skye.”
    This time he said it aloud. And he used my name.
    “How do you know who I am?” I demanded, my heart beating so fast I could feel it bump up against my ribs. “What were you doing here? Who are you?”
    Rather than answering my questions, he reached out and slid a palm along my cheek. The touch seared me, reminding me of the time I’d inadvertently touched a live wire. Wanting to move, wanting to run, I stood frozen instead. He was so close, I imagined I could feel the heat of his body as he splayed fingers around the side of my head. My insides trembled and my breasts felt full and tight.
    What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I move? Or speak?
    You never saw me. You’ll forget about me the moment I disappear.
    Every fiber of my being longed to do what he wanted. But something in me, the thing that made me do what I do, was stronger.
    “Disappear to where?” I demanded through a parched throat when I finally found my voice. “I have an excellent memory.”
    Appearing frustrated that I’d been able to hear the silent command, he dropped his hand. “What are you?” he asked again.

    It is all about the animals for me. The holidays from Thanksgiving to the New Year is a time of giving, and I’m hoping that this year, those of you who can will support an animal shelter or sanctuary or zoo, whether it is by volunteering, buying gifts that help the organization or by donation. Here are a couple of places that I support:
    PAWS Chicago, with it’s adoption center, spay and neuter clinic, and at the forefront of animal advocacy.
    Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the last free zoos in the country.
    Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization.
***
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor has written 95 published novels that have generated more than seven million sales for eight publishers. Her fascination with "dangerous love" has led her to bring a different mix of thrills and chills and romance to each book. ANIMAL INSTINCTS and CRIMSON DUET (2 related holiday novels at a discounted price) by Entangled Ignite is available at digital retailers. And don’t miss DANGEROUS ATTRACTION Boxed Set – romantic suspense novels published independently by Patricia and nine other USA Today bestselling authors.

You buy ANIMAL INSTINCTS at these digital retailers:
Amazon, BN, Kobo, iTunes

You can find Patricia at
Website: http://patriciarosemoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaRosemoorAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PRosemoor

Collaborating to Publish a Romantic Suspense Collection

Patricia Rosemoor, Rebecca York and Dana Marton have banded together with seven other successful romantic suspense authors to publish DANGEROUS ATTRACTION, a collection of their works--this includes Patricia's SEE ME IN YOUR DREAMS, Rebecca's CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, and Dana's DEATHSCAPE. The nature of the partnership is somewhat unusual, inthat a few of the authors are indie only, some are indie and digitally published, while others are hybrid--both indie and traditionally print-published. The collaboration comes not in the writing, but in the business of supporting and promoting each others' work.
***
Having written two Intrigues with a paranormal element, Patricia pulled together an idea for a paranormal series, The McKenna Legacy. In the first novel, SEE ME IN YOUR DREAMS, she explored a different aspect of the dream world. Keelin McKenna dreams through the eyes of a teenage girl who runs from her home because of an emotional crisis. Tyler Leighton, her father, doesn’t believe Keelin when she first comes to him. He thinks she’s a scam artist trying to con him out of money. Having refused to act in the past and thereby prevent a tragedy, Keelin won’t let it be. What will it take to win Tyler’s trust? And will they find the girl before some real harm comes to her?

Patricia says, “I got the idea for a family legacy when my uncle and cousin both created unrelated family trees for the McKennas – my maternal grandmother Rose having been a McKenna. I’d done two other paranormal stories for Intrigue and I wanted to do something that combined my family tree with beliefs of my Irish ancestors. So I created Moira, a bean feasa (believed to be a wise woman, healer, witch) and had her leave her legacy of love and danger to her grandchildren. I made Keelin most like her both in her psychic abilities and in her using her grandmother’s herbal garden to heal. Unlike many of my action-oriented heroines, Keelin is soft, both sweet and tart in nature, and definitely the ultimate romantic.”
***
Was it attempted murder or a boating accident? Either way, Jordan Campbell, the hero of CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, is in a coma. In this novella, part of Rebecca York's Decorah Security series, Frank Decorah asks nurse Hannah Andrews to use her psychic talent to connect with Jordan. She knows it’s a dangerous job. Once she’s on the case, whoever tried to kill Jordan will likely turn on her. But as she digs into the man’s background, she can’t refuse Frank’s assignment. Now she’s risking her life–and her heart.  But will this be Jordan and Hannah's last Christmas?

Rebecca says,  "Apparently I am fascinated with the idea of mind to mind communication because I have used this in several stories, including my Mind Benders series for Intrigue. In CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE, there's a further complication.  Hannah Andrews must communicate with Jordan Campbell, a man who's in a coma. I love the intimacy of forging a bond with another person's mind.  What closer connection could there be between two people?  Either they're going to love or hate each other.  Since I write romantic suspense, i come down on the side of love.”
***
In Dana's DEATHSCAPE, a Broslin Creek novel, when artist Ashley Price saves a man buried alive on her land, she doesn't know he's a detective, or that he will accuse her of being in league with a serial killer. Detective Jack Sullivan spent his career hunting the man who'd murdered his sister. But when he does catch up with the man, Jack loses the battle and is nearly killed himself. Can he trust Ashley, or is he walking into another deadly trap?

Dana says: "I wrote this book because of Jack. He is such a wonderfully complex character. Almost lost, walking that ragged edge. He's been obsessed with his sister's killer for too long. In trying to think like the killer so he can catch the man, Jack had taken a lot of darkness inside him. He's gone too far, broken too many rules. He's become ruthless. I wasn't sure if he was in control of his vengeance or his vengeance was in control of him. I think he was almost too far gone for love to reach him. Certainly farther than any character I've ever written. So writing his story was really interesting for me, watching the light inside him struggle against the darkness, rooting for him that he'd be able to come back from the dark places where he'd pushed himself."
***
DANGEROUS ATTRACTION is downloadable at Amazon, iTunes, Smashwords, BN.com and Kobo, available for the incredible price of 99 cents until the end of launch week on November 16. There's also an online launch party going on all week, with prizes, including an iPad mini.

BOOKS into MOVIES

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS

if any holiday movie reminded them of a family event OR one of their books.

AIMEE THURLO

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Heartwarming, November 2013

This November, we have several projects to bring you. HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS is especially dear to us and we wanted to tell everyone a little bit about it. This book is a clean romance - no sex, no violence- and perfect for the holidays! It's set in a fictional New Mexico town. When Independence loses the one industry that kept them going, the crafters get together to breathe new life into a dying community.

HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS, a story about the will to succeed - even when the odds are against you, features a small town that must set aside its rivalries and come together if they're to survive. This story is about working class America, the unsung heroes who make a real difference, though you won't find them headlining the news.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

ANIMAL INSTINCTS, November 2013

I love-love my upcoming Animal Instincts (coming from Entangled Ignite on Nov 23), an urban fantasy romantic suspense and would love to see it made into a movie. With sequels, of course. :) 

The world building was such fun. The story is set in today's Chicago, but there's a hidden segment of the population, descendants of the Nephilim, shape shifters who are out to corrupt humanity. Luc Lazare has always been torn between his mother's human world and his father's dark one. 

Skye Cross, an animal advocate, is drawn into that world (and to Luc, of course), searching for answers as to why her cop brother was murdered.

ANGI MORGAN

THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, January 2014

TEXAS FAMILY RECKONING is a mini-series releasing May & June 2014 (Navy SEAL Surrender & The Renegade Rancher) are about estranged brothers. What the perfect TV family movie! Set in North Texas my twins must save their family horse ranch and try to repair their family relationship. 

There are murders, kidnapping, SEAL moves, Paramedic rescues, high school sweetheart reunions and lots of twin switches. Remember, there's not just one gorgeous hero…it's double your pleasure, double your fun, and double the suspense.

I've included a picture from my research trip where my pup, Texas, meets a horse for the first time.

MALLORY KANE

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, December, 2013

I may be slightly prejudiced, but I think my April Harlequin Intrigue, Star Witness, would be a great TV movie. It takes place in one night, during a devastating storm that spawns tornados as well as damaging straight-line winds, knocks out all power for hours and paralyzes law enforcement and rescue personnel with its fierceness.

Harte Delancey, an Assistant District Attorney for the city of New Orleans, is prepping Dani Canto, his star witness in a huge murder case, at a B&B where she's in protective custody, as the storm begins to rise.

But the storm is only one of the threats Harte and Dani will be running from on this night. The murderer has found Dani and suddenly, the darkness, the near-opaque curtains of rain and the wind seem safer than the ruthless killers following them.

I believe the high intensity setting, the chase and the hero and heroine's journeys through conflict, mistrust and danger to the love that grows through the long dark hours before dawn brings the end to the storm, would make a really good movie. But as I said above. I might be a bit biased. To find out more about Harte and Dani's story, visit my web page at mallorykane.com

ELIZABETH HEITER

HUNTED, Harlequin MIRA, January 2014

All of my early beta readers for HUNTED told me the same thing: “It reads like a movie!”  Definitely not a holiday movie, unless your idea of holiday fun is spending time deep in the woods with a serial killer!  

But as long as you watched the movie version during the day, with the lights on, HUNTED would make for a tense, action-packed hour and a half on the small screen.

 

Back when I started my very first draft, I made myself a big binder with character information, and I found pictures of people who look like I imagine my characters.  In my mind, my FBI profiler Evelyn Baine looks really similar to Thandie Newton.  And her colleague (who’d really like to be her love interest!) FBI Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle “Mac” McKenzie looks like this particular picture of Hugh Jackman.  I think they make a fantastic start to my imaginary movie cast!!

CINDI MYERS

Rocky Mountain Revenge, March 2014

If my family had a Christmas movie, it would be called “The Christmas Pie” – a feel-good story complete with comic mis-understandings and a dessert that won’t die.

When I married, I was in awe of my mother-in-law, a smart, funny woman who I thought could do anything. I was still a teenager and more than anything, I wanted Loretta to like me. We married at Christmas and left on our honeymoon, but the next year, we celebrated with his family and I was introduced to their family tradition – the Osgood pie.

I grew up eating pecan pie at the holidays. Sometimes pumpkin or apple. I’d never heard of an Osgood pie, which turned out to be a syrupy concoction of raisins and walnuts. I disliked the pie immensely, but I choked it down and told Loretta how wonderful it was, because I loved her and I wanted to honor the family tradition.

The pie started showing up at all kinds of family celebrations and dinners. I was trapped! After making such a big deal about the pie the first time, I couldn’t confess my feelings now. This went on for a few years, until I wrote a short story which featured a young bride who wanted to impress her mother-in-law by loving her (awful) Christmas Pie. The story was sweet and funny, with a happy ending. It was published in an issue of True Love magazine.

Which my mother-in-law bought and read. Fortunately for me, Loretta has a good sense of humor. I confessed my true feelings for the pie – and for her – and we had a good laugh. Now, at holiday dinners, my mother-in-law still makes Osgood Pie, but I bring pecan, and everyone is happy.

And I’m happily anticipating the arrival of my very first Intrigue, Rocky Mountain Revenge. Here’s a sneak peak: 

Despite her new identity in the WitSec Program, Anne Gardener has been found by the one person who hurt her the most: FBI Agent Jake Westmoreland. And when she testified against her own flesh and blood, her whole existence was turned upside down. Jake couldn't expect any more from her--except that he did. He wanted the impossible...her help.

Jake doesn't have much time to restore Anne's faith in him. She is the only one who can help him locate her mob-boss father and put him away for good. He knows that his betrayal has hurt her deeply. Loving her was never part of the plan; yet losing her is a risk he won't take. He'll do anything to keep her safe--even if it means walking into the lion's den...

JULIE MILLER

YULETIDE PROTECTOR, December 2013

An RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

There are several holiday stories that come to mind--one was for Easter (when we celebrated my mom's 80th birthday) and one is our family's traditional "Christmas in July".  Others have involved Christmas and Thanksgiving.  All have to do with getting everyone in the same place at the same time--and the miracles that allowed those reunions to happen.  If this was a movie, in some ways it would be a heart-wrenching family drama--but in others, it's definitely a comedy of errors.  You see, my mom, brothers and their families, and my family all live in different states.  We have kids in college, some in junior/senior high school, one who's married--all super involved with activities like sports and music. 

My younger brother is a major in the Army National Guard (he's the "retired" Marine) who has his military commitments and has been deployed several times, in addition to his regular engineering job.  My older brother is a successful workaholic (okay, so he's learning to relax a bit in his middle age).  I'm a writer with deadlines.  Hubby teaches and has school commitments.  My mom is a social butterfly in her retirement, with a very active schedule.  So, as you can see, getting us together in one place at one time requires months of planning, patience and luck--and then there's always the curve ball of the weather to throw in there.  Blizzards have altered travel plans in April.  Flooding has forced us to change locations or modes of travel.

 

I could tell you about the time my brother scheduled his leave from Kosovo to coincide with a surprise birthday for my dad.  That was a surprising, joyous, tear-filled airport reunion.  Or the Thanksgiving my dad was in the hospital, and we all crowded into his tiny room to celebrate.  I could share when my nephew, on a baseball scholarship, was going to be the only family member missing from my mom's 80th birthday.  Guess who drove up just as we were all gathering at the restaurant?  Yep, rain had cancelled his game, and he zipped across 3 1/2 hours of Missouri countryside to join us.  Then there was the creative, scenic change of course required for my family to find a way across the flooded Missouri River to get to Kansas City.  Or the blizzard my folks brought with them one Christmas.  We were glad they could stay the extra couple of weeks.  And on and on.  I think we'd make a great Hallmark movie, steeped in emotions, adventure and laughter.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK TURNED INTO A MOVIE?

WRITTEN IN THE STARS: Digital Book Launch Party!

You're invited!

Whether or not you'll be in the Chicago area tomorrow, September 10, you can be part of the launch party for WRITTEN IN THE STARS by Patricia Rosemoor and Sherrill Bodine.

Come to McNamara's if you can. If not, join the party on your laptop, tablet or Smartphone. We'll be streamed live. Go here  tomorrow between 6 and 9 pm Central Daylight Savings Time to join us:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kaye-publicity 

You're invited, so take part in the fun!

Patricia

Pictures and Writing

THIS MONTH WE ASKED INTRIGUE AUTHORS FOR A PICTURE INVOLVING THEIR WRITING.

~ ~ ~

CAROL ERICSON

TRAP,SECURE, September 2013

I live within a mile of the beach, and it’s very much a part of our lives.  My boys are surfers and junior lifeguards, my husband runs on the beach, and I take walks to the beach and sometimes go to bonfire parties at night where I took this picture of the sunset this summer.  The beach is also part of my writing.  When I get the chance, I go to the beach to write.  I sit in my chair with my ice tea lemonade at my side and my AlphaSmart in my lap.  The beach can also serve as my inspiration.  A few years ago when my boys were younger, I took them to the beach to surf while I sat on the sand watching them.  It was the end of the summer and the end of the day, and the beach was mostly deserted except for a few other surfers and the lifeguard in his tower.  

As I gazed out across the ocean, I began to think about a story involving a female lifeguard.  What if she was working late in the summer and late in the day when the beach was deserted and she noticed two men out in the water?  She watched them through her binoculars and saw that they were struggling.  She takes the phone off the hook, sheds her sweats, and grabs her can.  She high steps over the waves and dolphin-kicks out to the flailing men.  When she reaches them, there’s blood in the water and one of the men is grasping a knife.  This is no ordinary rescue.  And that’s the beginning of NAVY SEAL SECURITY, which is a bonus book along with my October release, TRAP, ENGAGE.  Hope you enjoyed your waning days of summer and didn’t run across any dead men on the beach!

ELIZABETH HEITER
HUNTED, Harlequin MIRA, January 2014

This shot (get it?  <G>) was taken at the FBI Academy at Quantico.  I'm learning proper form on a Glock pistol, which is what the FBI profiler in my debut suspense novel, HUNTED, carries.  As you can see in the picture, my finger stays outside the trigger guard until I'm ready to take my shot.

HUNTED is the first in the Profiler Series, Harlequin MIRA. Available for pre-order now.

MALLORY KANE

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS,  Delancey Dynasty, January 2014

The pic is Smoke Monster and Mallory Kane. Monster is explaining what's wrong with my latest manuscript.

JULIE MILLER

TASK FORCE BRIDE, September 2013

"Writing Amidst the Chaos" has been my mantra this summer.  Between attending the fabulous RWA conference in Atlanta and taking a mini family vacation right here in the Midwest, as well as promoting my current release, TASK FORCE BRIDE, and editing hubby's newest YA novel, we've been doing lots of home repair work at our house.  

Some we've done ourselves (I'm an ace painter/stainer) and some we've hired out.  

New windows, new front door, new furnace & A/C, replacing hail-damaged siding, fresh paint in living room and bedrooms, and so on.  We had to make the most of hubby being off from teaching and not taking classes this summer.  

But that also means learning to ignore the hammering and drilling, extra bugs (bad year for flies here!), dog barking periodic alerts, furniture sitting in the middle of rooms, knocks on the door to answer workmen's questions, taking lots of pix because I'm so curious to watch the transformation, and so on.  In other words, it has been hard to concentrate on my writing this summer.  

But I keep plugging away.

Slow progress is still progress, and I'm finding that the further I get into my story (a new Precinct book, tentatively titled ONCE A COP), the easier it is to write.

ANGI MORGAN
THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE, January 2014

I'm writing the first three chapters of book 2 in my WEST TEXAS PROTECTORS series, THE RANCHER. My trips to Chicago have inspired the heroine. A city girl with no experience of animals or West Texas. It's going to be very interesting getting this heroine on top of a runaway horse.

I love visiting this city. I took an early morning walk last year. Six A.M., clear and crisp (actually around 20 degrees)  and almost all to myself…I walked from the convention center back to my hotel snapping pictures. I love this shot where nature and city meet.

I've visited the cloud many times. It's a huge tourist attraction and always surrounded by people. But on that morning, you can see the tourists slept in. >>grin<< It was the first time I'd ever gotten the city reflection.

I also have to share. I love that my husband is involved in some of my writing. He designs my temporary covers until I receive the real thing from Harlequin. I thought of my Texas-themed website, but he followed through.

ROBIN PERINI
THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY, December 2013

Robin Perini had the biggest fan girl moment ever at this year's Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta. Cowboy in the Crossfire was nominated for the RITA® award.

Guess who stopped by at the Harlequin book signing? THE Rita Clay Estrada, one of the namesakes of the RITA award. 

What an honor! I got a picture to prove it.

PATRICIA ROSEMOOR 
(writing as Lynn Patrick ) 
A FOREVER HOME, September 2013

Edward and I sailed the Bahamas on a Windjammer Barefoot Cruise a couple of decades ago. I learned to snorkel as well as sail.


-- The beginning of my love for the ocean, early research for Written in the Stars.

AIMEE THURLO 
FALCON'S RUN, July 2013

I've recently developed a great interest in handmade teddy bears. A neighbor of ours made them and I fell in love with her creations. Sadly, she passed away, but we now have some of her collection, in addition to two of her very special hobby horses that have become my pride and joy! One's an antique, the other not, but both were made by the same company in England.

It was our neighbor's beautiful crafts and her collectibles, like the ones pictured here, that inspired our story Homespun Christmas (Harlequin Heartwarming) set here in New Mexico.

In this very special book, Independence, New Mexico has lost the industry that kept it going, and now is in desperate need of a lifeline, one Myka Solis is certain she can provide. She's determined to prove that locally crafted treasures like those she sells online can help transform their dying town into a vibrant, creative hub. And she knows exactly who can help make her plan a reality: Joshua Nez, the confident, big-city architect, now back in town to rebuild his own life. 

Thanks to Josh's expertise, Myka finds herself leading a revitalization effort that draws in the entire community. But working with Josh has to stay a business-only arrangement. Her childhood friend has dreams of his own, and those involve starting up an architectural firm far away from their home town. If only Myka can show him they both have a future in Independence…together. 

This book is all about the will to survive even when the odds are against you. It's also the perfect southwest Christmas story. I hope those of you who are reading this will get a chance to pick up the book, now available for pre-order at Amazon!

November we will also have Ghost Medicine. In this new Ella Clah mystery, Ella's life and career take a new turn, one she wasn't expecting. In conjunction with this book, our readers will get a chance to see the CBS script Lee Goldberg and Wm Rabkin wrote based on our Ella Clah series. It will be available in mass market at the same time.

REBECCA YORK 
BAD NIGHTS, Sourcebooks,  September 2013

DESPERATE MAGIC, Carina Press, Chronicles of Arandal, July 2013


Sometimes I do research for a book. Other times, I do something cool that may end up in a future book. Here I am getting ready to take off in a glider plane a few years ago. 

The pilot sat in back of me. We were towed into the air by a small plane and then let go for a half-hour flight where we circled over Reagan's former ranch. I used this experience in BAD NIGHTS, my September romantic suspense from Sourcebooks. When the hero has to rescue the kidnapped heroine from a militia camp where she's being held, he and his Rockfort Security partners fly in silently using glider planes and land on the rifle range. 

HAVE YOU GOT A QUESTION FOR OUR AUTHORS YOU'D LIKE ANSWERED? Send it to Angi.