Once again, welcome to Duck Chat!

If you’re a dragon lover, you’re in the right place today. Tammy Kane is with us!

Tammy is a native of our neighbor from the north, and, like most authors, has been writing since a very young age. Her debut book, Breath of Fire, is one you shouldn’t miss (see my review here). You not only get some wonderful dragons in the book, but some terrific writing as well. Tammy talks about all of that and then some today. Be sure to check out the Breath of Fire excerpt that will post later today!

She’s been married for ten years, and she and her husband have two sons. She’s a Dallas Cowboys fan, loves lilies of all colors, and sci-fi movies. Tammy is from a family of writers, of which includes her grandfather, mother, and sister.

You’re in luck today, the odds are in your favor, Tammy is giving away five autographed copies of Breath of Fire. So be sure to leave that meaningful comment or question for her!  Now let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Tammy, let’s start right off the bat talking about Breath of Fire, your debut book. What a wonderful read this is! First please tell us where the idea for the story came from and how it evolved during the writing process.

TK: Thanks for having me on Duck Chat!  I’ve always adored dragons, so I guess it seemed only natural to choose them as the base for my first fantasy-romance novel.  For years, I’d had this image in my head of an exotic young woman standing against a massive slavering dragon.  I didn’t know how she came to be in that predicament, or even how she intended to survive, but both the woman and the dragon demanded that I write their story and find the answers.  I admit, I was hesitant.  With all the books and worlds of dragons, could I do something original with the legend?

So I thought about the legends surrounding dragons, and I started playing with them until finally I had created an entire race of people who revolved around the rite of sacrificing virgins to appease the wrath of a dragon.  A race of men who used this rite to save the sacrificial virgins and then claim them in their beds as payment for services rendered.  Of course, the rite is a ruse, and my dragonslayers are definitely not what they appear to be.  But once I had my world figured out, I decided I was ready to start writing.  The only problem?  That exotic young woman in my head was no sacrificial virgin waiting to be saved.

So my hero became my sacrificial virgin, and my heroine saved him from the dragon… then claimed him in her bed as is her right.  The role reversal opened up all sorts of unusual concepts, and I intended to have all manner of fun (evil grin) with my unsuspecting virgin hero.  One of my favorite scenes happened after Karl gives Elera the silent treatment (totally justified in his head, and certainly very manly) until she laughs at him for using a woman’s tactic to make his displeasure shown.  Of course, that sparks a more typical alpha male reaction, but I giggled the entire time I wrote this scene.

The dragons in Breath of Fire are temperamental, immortal, and protective of the men and women who hold them sacred.  Sandy does a great job describing the bull and his harem of females in her review   But I had a lot of fun creating the evolution of a civilization that had once worshiped the dragons that they now protect, play and bond with.

DC: Now would you tell us about Karl and Elera and their story?

TK: Intelligent and controlled, Karl is just two days away from taking his vows and fulfilling his lifelong dream of joining the Mattaen guild of warrior/scholars when he comes across a village preparing to sacrifice a girl to a dragon.  Certain that dragons are nothing more than a myth, but unable to convince the villagers of their own ignorance, he makes a single error in judgment and offers himself as the sacrifice.  This misguided confidence brings Karl face-to-face with the mythical and slavering creature itself, gets him saved by a woman, and then sent to her bed as payment for her services.  But the Mattaen are a celibate brotherhood of monks, and while Karl has studied sensual texts… this was so he could avoid being seduced.  Nothing in his teaching has prepared him for the exotic and sensual woman who claims him.

Headstrong and passionate, Elera can fight and play as hard as any man in her race.  Her lineage has made her an outcast among her people, but since it is the mate she chooses who will ascend to rule her world, Elera has become a pawn of power, politics and one unforgiving warlord.  Desperately searching for a way to save her race from this warlord and an ancient enemy, Elera finds Karl roaming the barrens and claims him in a night of esoteric rites.  Fallen from his path and waking alone, a furious Karl follows Elera to a world of danger and beauty and intrigue.

Elera needs every ounce of her determination to overcome the resistance of the man who fights their bond at every step.  Karl needs the strength of both his mind and his body to unveil the secrets of the dragons that have evolved alongside her race, face-off with the warlord who wants Elera for himself, and prevent the war that would turn him against the very brotherhood he meant to join.

DC: I’m sure the fan mail has started to come in for you.  Have you gotten any really weird/strange ones you can tell us about? Or one that touched your heart?

TK: Of course I was ecstatic when I opened my very first fan mail!  But while I haven’t gotten anything weird yet, there is one that I have to mention. A woman wrote to thank me for writing, telling me that Breath of Fire had ‘taken her away’ from all the unpleasantness going on in her life.  I found it humbling that something I wrote could have helped her in this way.  So yeah, that one touched my heart.

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

TK: I have to know my characters really well before I can even write the opening scene, so their actions rarely surprise me.  Sometimes the things they say seem to come out of nowhere, but those are the best days for dialogue to flow naturally.  My plot is a different story (no pun intended).  Every twist and turn in the story line is a complete surprise to me.  I usually thought of a twist at the same time you’re reading it in the story.  If I try and figure out the plot first, then the entire story loses its magic and I can’t write anything.

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

TK: I’ve tried, and I’ve lost.  My characters do what they want to do.  If I try to force them somewhere they don’t want to go, they punish me with a stumped plot-line and cardboard dialogue.

DC: You’re working on another book, Fires of Faith, that features a character from Breath of Fire. Is there a series of books planned?  If so, is there a name for the series?

I originally meant to write a trilogy to resolve the growing conflict between dragonriders and dragonslayers.  Since I connect more closely with my heroes, I planned this trilogy around the men: Karl’s story(Breath of Fire), Tem’s story(Fires of Faith), Simon’s story(Faith in Ruins).  I never came up with a series name because I had tied the titles together instead.   But the more I write, the more characters who come to life and demand that I give them their stories also.  At the very least, Tem’s nephew Tornak is going to need a book of his own!  I do like ‘Dragonfold’ for a series name.  The warriors of Verteva refer to themselves as a Fold.

DC: May we get a sneak peek of Fires of Faith and Tem, the hero, and his heroine?

TK: Well, I’m not finished writing it yet, and I find that Tem and Danika stop talking to me if I start talking about them.  But here goes…

Tem is my playful hero: fun-loving, good-natured, and fiercely protective of kin and dragon.  He is painfully aware that the men of his race are capable of committing terrible acts: brutality, murder, rape.  But not since the times of the ancients has anyone seen the brutal massacre of entire villages – the punishment that the ancient riders had once used when a village refused to hand over their sacrificial virgin as payment.  Unless he can find the rogue warrior responsible, the tension between his race and the Mattaen threatens to explode into an open war that will spill the blood of the dragons he holds sacred.  He certainly doesn’t have time to be distracted from his cause by a pampered lady demanding his protection.  But this woman knows things about his people that no one outside his race should.  What dark secret is she hiding?  And why does she try so desperately to hide the passion he can see in her eyes?

Danika has grown up in the protected city; taught to fear the savagery in the barrens.  She is cool, aloof… and haunted by a childhood trauma that sends her fleeing across the barrens in search of the land of dragons and their riders.  Her journey brings her to Tem… a man whose raw sexuality and gentle nature challenges her composure, and threatens to shatter every dark preconception she’s been told about his race.  But can she trust him with her darkest secret?

That’s the best I can do for an on the spot blurb, but I’ll post chapter one on my site in a month or two.

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

TK: Nothing can distract me once I’m actually writing… though I have no idea the horrific things I may have given my kids permission to do while I’m in the ‘zone’.  But time constraints tend to hinder me.  I prefer to write in six ten-hour stretches.  If I know something’s going to interrupt that, then I can’t immerse myself into the world, and I usually end up tossing whatever I tried to write.

DC: Are there other genres you’d like to try in the future?

TK: Outside of romance?  Definitely not.  I’ve tried, and the romance always finds its way into my story.  But the best thing about romance is that it covers every imaginable genre.  So I’ll probably write across the board in the romance genre… fantasy, sci-fi romance (I actually am writing a series in this genre), suspense and even contemporaries.

DC: I read you have a secret crush on damsel-in-distress romance novels. What’s your favorite?

TK: I love all of the earlier Elizabeth Lowell books (I haven’t read any of her new stuff).  Outlaw, Lover in the Rough, and Winter Fire are three of my favorites.  Hidden Star by Nora Roberts is also at the top of my list. The hero actually calls the heroine a damsel-in-distress in this one.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy strong heroines, but I’m always disappointed if the hero doesn’t jump in and save her from some serious villain or danger.

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

TK: Take a few risks.  Have fun and enjoy the moment.  I was always so worried about making a mistake that I never took any chances or just lived ‘in the moment’.

DC: If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

TK: As a mother of two, Tammy can successfully complete grade six homework (not as easy as it sounds), guitar lessons, and build lego Bionicles.  But besides her cool blue-haired son, nothing out of the ordinary really shakes up her quiet existence.

Until the doors close and the lights go out.

Then this quiet woman disappears into hidden worlds of danger and death, of barren lands and fantastic creatures.  Does her husband suspect the things she’s doing to the lean and sexy men she finds?  Do her friends and family realize that behind her sweet facade lies a woman eager to shed blood and create war?

LOL.. that sounds more like a blurb for a soap opera. But the men in my family are still getting over their shock at some of the things their ‘sweet and innocent’ niece (and daughter) has written

DC: What would be your “voice’s” tagline?

TK: I think it changes with whatever sub-genre I’m writing in, but let’s try… sensual, with subtle humor and plenty of unexpected twists to keep you guessing.

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

TK: I gave myself until I turned forty to get my first book published, so I consider myself lucky to be a few years ahead of schedule.  But I was a bartender before I got published.  I think I’d still be doing that.  I loved the variety of people I got to meet, and the amazing or strange stories they had to tell me.

DC: I had to chuckle at a tidbit on your site – you discovered how not to burn dinner after ten years of marriage by utilizing the crockpot!  I do love mine. Do you have a favorite recipe you can share with us for our crockpots?

TK: Hmm… funny you should bring this up.  I recently managed to burn dinner in my crockpot. (Sigh)  I tossed sausages and vegatables into the pot, turned it on low, and went out for a couple of hours.  Which you’re supposed to be able to do with a crockpot, right? My husband came home before me, found the house full of smoke and the sausages burnt to a crisp.  Even the broccoli was black!  But other than this one tiny mishap, I’ve been doing pretty good.  Swiss Steak is my favorite, and I’m happy to share it.  I altered the recipe from the book, because quick and easy is always best:

3-4 pounds of whatever steak you want

flour to coat the steak

salt/pepper (to taste)

can of diced tomatoes(herbed)

1/2 cup of sliced onion

1/4 cup of chopped celery

1 tablespoon of steak sauce

Cut steak into cubes, coat with flour, salt and pepper and toss into the pot.  Add everything else.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Add a bit of flour/water to thicken the sauce according to taste in the last half hour.

Done.

I usually slice and cook potatoes with steak spice in the oven, and then mix it all together to serve.

DC: What’s on the horizon for Tammy Kane?

TK: I’ll be continuing the Dragonfold series (okay, so the name is really starting to grow on me).  But I just hate it when an author starts writing a new series instead of finishing what I’ve been eagerly waiting to read.  If I do write more than three or four books in this series, then I’ll probably start mixing things up with a few sci-fi romances as well.

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?      -  Milk

- smooth or chunky peanut butter?       -  Smooth

- heels or flats?       – Flats.  I only pretend that I can walk in heels. I really just balance on my toes all night, never quite touching the heels to the floor.

- coffee or tea?      – Tea

- summer or winter?      – Winter

- mountains or beach?       – Mountains

- mustard or mayonnaise?       – Both

- flowers or candy?       – Candy.  Unless the flowers are lilies.

- pockets or purse?      – Pockets.  I’m too scatterbrained to remember a purse.

- Pepsi or Coke?     – Coke

- ebook or print?      – Print

And just because:

1. What is your favorite word?     – Adore

2. What is your least favorite word?      – G**damn… I can’t say it, write it, and my eyes gloss over it when its in a book.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?      – Music.  Loud and powerful-rock works best.

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?    – Feeling guilty about something.

5. What sound or noise do you love?     – The rain outside my window when I’m in bed.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?      – Squabbling children.  My own.  If they belong to someone else, then I can smile in knowledge that I don’t have to break it up.

7. What is your favorite curse word?      – I don’t curse…except when I’m driving;)  Shit is my fall-back curse word, I guess.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?      – Helicopter Pilot

9. What profession would you not like to do?     – Nursing.  I can’t even look at a needle without feeling woozy.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?     – “Don’t worry.  No one gets left behind.”

Thanks for having me!

DC: Thank you, Tammy, for being with us!

It is only for Kristie and Wendy I would get up early on a Saturday and drive to the post office. They have up wrap up posts today with contests! LOL hence my drive to the post office…

I would wrap but I am not done, this isn’t shocking I am always late. So expect some posts til Wednesdayish but will try to have the last contest posts up Sunday at least two more bet you can guess one of them (to close wed).

Unless we go ahead and update the template and it crashes (Did I mention I am somewhat cynical?) this western drive could go on for weeks… ::innocent blink::

It’s a Western Wrap Wendy Style

It’s a Western Wrap Kristie Style

Now on for some Harlequin Historical reckon…

Turner’s Woman by Jenna Kernan

I mention this book all the time and it is one that when Wendy finally read it – she didn’t like it near as much – we forgive her, she can’t be perfect.  Why do I love this book so much? I mean it is sick, I have put it in the hands of more people than I can remember and noticed I have a copy to send to Renee! I adore Emma and didn’t hate Jake near as much as Wendy.  And the setting… oh man the setting is just amazing.  It is almost another character in the book.  And the women you meet in the story, pretty much all kick ass.  Loves it.

The rest I couldn’t decide on a book so I picked my fave authors and am giving you a few picks.

The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane or His Borrowed Bride

The book we are giving away is the most recent, His Substitute Bride. I admit I adore Quinn but I loved His Borrowed Bride (the first in the series). And The Stranger a hecka lot more than Gwen did. And good new is Elizabeth Lane has a novella coming out plus another story in the current series in March 2010. THEN another one… you can read deets here.

Carolyn Davidson is one of those authors I want to go back to Harlequin Historical. Her last HQN, Eden, was painful to read. The one before that not that much better, although unlike some I really enjoyed Redemption (her first HQN).

But her HH are (mostly) amazing. She is one of the authors who were on my reread spree at the beginning of 2009.

Maggie’s Beau
Loving Katherine
The Midwife
The Tender Stranger
The Wedding Promise – which ties into the HQN novel Redemption
There are more… The Seduction of Shay Devereaux, Runaway all awesome, hope the line sees her back soon

Kate Bridges

Do not know what to rec here.  LOVE her books and omg her next, ALASKAN RENEGADE  looks amazing.  FAB cover. I WANT.  So many to pick from but will say… something old and something newish *g*

Klondike Doctor (1st in Mountie series set in the Yukon Gold Rush) and The Doctor’s Homecoming (noted on her site that “has been reprinted. It’s part of a larger Close to Home Collection offered by Harlequin. It’s included in the fourth shipment. There are lots of popular authors included!” I did not know that but I recently read it for the first time.)

AND holy hell look what it sez on her site:

Kate’s also working on a novella for a Mail Order Bride anthology (title to be determined) with two of her favorite Western writers–Carolyn Davidson and Jillian Hart. Release date is spring 2010.

EVERYONE ssssssqqqqqqqquuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee those are three of my fave authors all together!

Cheryl Reavis the author I shouldn’t even mention since I don’t think she is going to write for HH again. Moved to SSE line, prolly just to break my heart because it is all about me. They maybe hard to find, not sure, but Prisoner, The Forbidden Bride, & Bartered Bride are three of my faves.

I know you were expecting a different Cheryl but I think we have touched on her.

And three authors you read you might have missed these books were first published as HH:
Lawless by Nora Roberts – one of the few of hers I have read
Reckless Love by Elizabeth Lowell – another fave
trilogy I ::heart:::
Apache Summer by Heather Graham
Dark Stranger by Heather Graham
Rides A Hero by Heather Graham

Our three blog hosts cum Western Romance experts have taken the time to tell you a little more about their thoughts and feelings concerning this beloved genre of theirs. So sit back and have fun with these ladies as they answer the same questions from their very differing points of view!

Sybil in Sybil-ese:

GREAT WESTERN DRIVE: What was the first western romance you ever read?

SYBIL: No clue. Whirlwind Bride by Debra Cowan is the first western I see reviewed on TGTBTU on 3/14/05, but was nowhere near my first western. Or my first Harlequin Historical. I want to say prolly Nicole Jordan’s The Outlaw or Elizabeth Lowell’s Winter Fire, which lead to the Only Series (Winter Fire is still my FAVE and the only series ROCKS).

BUT back when I read trash (I say that with so much love and why I am confused to this day why romance is called ‘trash’), but from 13 to early 20s (I slowed down around 17 cuz I was verra busy causing trouble, uh I mean working), in between reading all of V.C Andrews, Sidney Sheldon, Daniele Steele, Jackie Collins I read a western romance. All I recall, it’s a cover with a bathtub type thing (barrel like) with the outlaw behind her. She was kidnapped. And uh… that is just about it… This is the time to I read Glitter Baby by SEP.

I always say my first romance was Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale because that is when my OCD blogness started. When I went searching for like minded people, found Maili’s blog and AAR. It is when I started my blogspot and blah blah blah (I warned you I ramble, yes?) AND didn’t figure out until after I was blogging for a few years? that Glitter Baby was THE SEP. So I still don’t really ‘count’ that nameless book.

GWD: Do you have a favorite western romance author?

SYBIL: I have favorites I like to bitch about *g*. No longer writing westerns but SHOULD BE faves would be Susan Kay Law, Maureen McKade, and Dana Ransom.

GWD: How about a favorite western hero? Heroine?

SYBIL: Oh I suck at this type of question, can I phone a friend?

GWD: When reading, what do you look for in the perfect cowboy?

SYBIL: Oh holy hell, these questions were put together while I was dealing with the website cuz yuck. I will go with K and W gave amazing answers and point you to them. [Ed. you could try, Syb!]

GWD: And the perfect cowgirl to go with that cowboy?

SYBIL: Someone who can hold their own…

GWD: How do you know when you’re reading a bad western romance? Are they any signs?

SYBIL: The author takes the idea that alpha means abuses, demeaning, or assholish. But oddly I can read and LOVE Elizabeth Lowell’s old westerns. For some reason they don’t trip my switch as being ‘too much.’

If the characters all sound like they are in 2009, I can’t read that, or if the cheese is just too fantastic. The whole drama over Cassie Edwards was odd to me because her writing seems like such a bad joke, I was not at all surprised it was copy and paste.

GWD: What’s the one thing that will really turn off you when reading a western romance?

SYBIL: LOL the above

GWD: How do you know when you’re reading a good Western

SYBIL: LOL I make it through the first few chapters without a headache from rolling my eyes.

GWD: Is there one Western that stands out above all others?

SYBIL: Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare. There is something about a book that opens with a man pointing a gun at a very pregnant woman demanding she doctor him and she gets the upper hand in the first few chapters.

GWD: Who is the Western Author who no longer writes them that you miss the most?

SYBIL: Oops, I answered this, huh? Did I miss anyone? Lorraine Heath REALLY should come back as well as Patrica Potter

GWD: Why do you think westerns have seen such an ebb and flow over the years?

SYBIL: I think it is totally about glitz and glam. People think west and think of the work, sweat, work, bawdy women, work and go ewwwww I want that pretty, pretty, pretty Regency book. Waltz me baby, which is all well and good, but people tend to forget a lot of the Regency history in those books are painted with the same romance brush as westerns.

Personally I don’t ‘put myself’ into the shoes of the heroine. I don’t want to fall in love with the hero as much as I want to fall in love with the love story. And some of my themes lend themselves so well to westerns – Second Chance stories, Road Romances, ‘Cabin Romances.’ People also forget America had a lot of money and glam in the East, so some of those ‘westerns’ can give them both things. They even have virgins in the west… honest.

Ramblin’ Kristie J:

GWD: What was the first western romance you ever read?

KRISTIE: I’ve been reading Westerns for years, so I can’t remember exactly which one it was – but I have a feeling I was at a UBS looking for Rexanne Becnel and forgot her name and ended up getting a Rosanne Bittner instead. I can’t remember what book it was – but it blew me away and I was hooked from then on.

GWD: Do you have a favorite western romance author?

KRISTIE: Well, Rosanne Bittner *g*. Also Patricia Potter, Cheryl St. John, Lorraine Heath (Westerns only). Those are the ones who first come to mind.

GWD: How about a favorite western hero? Heroine?

KRISTIE: Hero – there are too many to choose from!! Heroines one of my favorites is Miranda Hayes from Outlaw Hearts by Rosanne Bittner.

GWD: When reading, what do you look for in the perfect cowboy?

KRISTIE: I always love a hero who is wrecked for the heroine – in any genre. I also love the tortured hero. Lobo from Patricia Potter is one who fits both those bills.

GWD: And the perfect cowgirl to go with that cowboy?

KRISTIE: As for cowgirls – one who is strong, who doesn’t rely on the hero to bail her out. One who wears dresses for the most part, although I did just finish Stacey Kayne’s latest, Mountain Wild, and she was a trapper yet I really liked her. I think it was because she was forced into her circumstances rather than choosing it. [Ed. See, Sybs, not so hard!]

GWD: How do you know when you’re reading a bad western romance? Are they any signs?

KRISTIE: I started reading one not long ago and the author put in “Western” speak!! It was awful – even worse than Scottish speak. I couldn’t get past the first chapter. It may have been a good story, but I’ll never know. Wooden stereotypes are also annoying.

GWD: What’s the one thing that will really turn off when reading a western romance?

KRISTIE: Bad writing, bad writing, bad writing. As much as I love Westerns, a poorly written book will turn me off.

GWD: Is there one Western that stands out above all others?

KRISTIE: Outlaw Hearts by Rosanne Bittner. If someone asked for my choice for one that embodies most of what I love about the genre, this is my number one pick.

GWD: Who is the Western Author who no longer writes them that you miss the most?

KRISTIE: Lorraine Heath – without question. Her Westerns had a poignancy – every single one – and I don’t think she has captured that as well in her English historicals.

GWD: Why do you think westerns have seen such an ebb and flow over the years?

KRISTIE: I think all genres have an ebb and flow but the Western more so then most. I don’t think a lot of readers have tried them, so they don’t know what they are missing. I think a number of readers who have tried them just haven’t read the right one for them. And I think some readers like being carried away by the fantasy of England. But if they read the right one – and see what a good Western can offer – I think they can be swayed. There are a lot of genres I thought I’d never try and yet when I read that one book, I was converted. And I think there are quite a fan of Westerns who have kind of ‘forgotten’ about them. We are really hoping to reach all those groups with this Drive.

Wendy, the SuperLibrarian:

GWD: What was the first western romance you ever read?

WENDY: Nevada Nights by Ruth Ryan Langan, a 1980s-tastic western romance that I read when I was around 14 years old and the first book I read that had gasp s-e-x in it. This book features some of my favorite old-skool tropes. Convent-raised heroine? Check. Mysterious gunslinger named Colt? Check. Soap opera style plot featuring heroine’s odious long-lost family? Check. I wouldn’t recommend this book to readers today, but, dang, as a doe-eyed teen I flipping loved every single word.

GWD: Do you have a favorite western romance author?

WENDY: Hands down Maggie Osborne. She wrote fantastic heroines and never took the easy way out in her stories.

GWD: How about a favorite western hero? Heroine?

WENDY: This is tough. I have a huge soft spot for Beta heroes, so probably Dillon Hennessey from The Horseman by Jillian Hart. Although I also have a soft spot for younger heroes who feel like they have to ‘prove themselves’ – so on that front I think Austin Leigh from Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath wins.

GWD: When reading, what do you look for in the perfect cowboy?

WENDY: I’m looking for a hero with a strong moral code. Heroes that, while they might have terrible reputations, will ultimately do what’s right.

GWD: And the perfect cowgirl to go with that cowboy?

WENDY: Generally speaking, I like heroines with gumption. They don’t have to kick ass and rescue themselves necessarily, but I also want them to do more than sit in the corner, ring their hands and cry. A lot of western heroines start out their romances literally up against a wall (and no, not in a good way!) and I like reading about a woman who isn’t going to simply roll over and die or pray for a hero to come along and rescue her.

GWD: How do you know when you’re reading a bad western romance? Are they any signs?

WENDY: There’s a long-lost gold mine in the plot. Seriously. Every terrible western I’ve read tends to feature a long-lost gold mine. Also, there’s a bathing scene. Hero and/or heroine spies the other one taking a bath in a stream, pond, lake, whatever and they get all tingly. Sort of like spies in Regency historicals, the bathing scene has been done to death in westerns and it needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

GWD: What’s the one thing that will really turn you off when reading a western romance?

WENDY: Too-stupid-to-live heroines who aren’t dead yet. Look, living in the west was hard. There weren’t a lot of comforts, and for that matter, there wasn’t a whole lot of structured law. When I read about a heroine doing something stupid in a western, I think to myself, “How is she not dead yet?”

GWD: How do you know when you’re reading a good Western?

WENDY: Westerns aren’t all that different from other romance subgenres. I’m looking for what I call the Emotional Gut Punch Moment. That moment when the author takes all the emotion, heartbreak, angst, etc., rolls it up and smacks the reader over the head with it. Every book in my keeper stash has such a moment. That moment where the author literally rips my heart out, resurrects it, and stuffs it back into my chest cavity.

GWD: Is there one Western that stands out above all others?

WENDY: This is tough because I’ve read so many great westerns over the years. I would say Lorraine Heath’s Texas/Leigh brother trilogy, mostly because it’s one of the few times in my life I’ve ever read a series back-to-back-to-back. Also, A Reason To Live by Maureen McKade, just for the sheer emotional intensity of that story. That story knocked me out.

GWD: Who is the Western Author who no longer writes them that you miss the most?

WENDY: Definitely Maggie Osborne, who retired after her last book in 2004. I really admire many of her books and, frankly, I think the romance genre desperately needs more writers like her.

Of authors who are still publishing but have left the west? Probably a toss up between Lorraine Heath and Nicole Jordan.

GWD: Why do you think westerns have seen such an ebb and flow over the years?

WENDY: Demographics have changed. The baby boomers literally grew up on westerns, in books, films, and TV. You couldn’t turn on a TV in the 1960s without tripping over a cowboy. But as time has advanced, publishers (like every other industry) is desperate to court that 18-49 year old demographic, and frankly? Those readers (of which I’m one) didn’t necessarily grow up on westerns. Also, publishers want to make money – so they’ll hop on The Next Big Thing, whatever that is, when it starts to sell. Hey, the western romance was king at one point, but like everything, it couldn’t last forever. Readers got burnt out. They got tired of slogging through crap to get to the gems. So they went looking for something “new.” I think readers will come back to the western, especially those readers hungry for real emotional stories. It’s just going to take publishers willing to take the “risk” and talented authors churning out quality stories.

GWD: And there you have it, Western fans, the be-all, end-all last word of the biggest fans in blogdom about reading those famed Western romances. You ready to gnaw on some bones with these gals?

You might have noticed this is NOT a review.  funny that

1. My site, I can do things like that, cool huh?

2. Site issues have made it difficult for any of us to get in the back end until the last few days so we are going with the flow… (as if that is a new thing ::shug::)

KristieJ and THEWendy have both have awesome rec’s and I will prolly repeat them but I will try not to… and no there aren’t any contemporaries.  We went back and forth with that at first.  We have grand lurve for the historical so are ‘focused’ on that but will have some posts on contemps.  TGTBTU does have some reviews ups for contemporary westerns if you must have RIGHT NOW.  And HSR line is grand to check out as well.

on with the rec’s

Jo Goodman

This is one of the STAND UP AND CHEER authors. Not only is her next book Never Love a Lawman a return to America west (a great read coming out Sept 1st from Kensingston so EASY for you to get review and more coming soon *g*) but her next book will take place in the same town.

But since I am talking more about backlists, when I first heard about this book, I cheered. Well it was prolly more along the lines of sending her an email of omg is this fucking true, which she totally didn’t get. But I am used to that… tis happens a lot with me.

So while on my rereading spree at the beginning of the year I pulled out my much loved copies of Jo Goodman’s Dennehy Sisters series (which turned out had a character very briefly mentioned in NLAL).  They range on OMG hard to find and you can walk into a UBS no sweat and pick on up.  I happened to read them when they had just been reissued so I was lucky.  Not sure on the reissue plans as of now (if there are any… but I have asked… will update if I hear anything)

Wild Sweet Ecstasy
Rogue’s Mistress
Forever In My Heart
Always In My Dreams (least fave of the series)
Only In My Arms (most fave and yes the nuns book don’t you wanna read it now)

Maureen McKade

I adore Maureen McKade‘s writing and am lucky enough to still have quite a few books by her left in my tbr pile.

Sadly right now real life has taken her away from us and she isn’t currently working on anything. I hope like mad this changes. When I heard she was going to do another Romantic Suspense after her ‘Forrester Brothers trilogy’ I pretty much begged her editor for a western. And the answer I got was as grand as they were they just didn’t sell.

It was pretty much a we will print them, if people will buy them type thing. Hopefully Maureen McKade will have the time and want to start up her writing again soon and when she does readers will be buying them again.

Until she does… we are gifted with a great backlist to keep us company. And her website has an email where you should bug her for more books. I never said I play fair.

I suggest you start with:
A Reason to Live
(YES holly hon, LIVE LIVELIVE, she sucks as a secretary but she is cheap)
This isn’t a ‘light’ book and deals with PTSD. It has a hella strong female character and a man to match her who are both dealing with living through the Civil War. She was a nurse and is set on delivering the last words to the the families of the soldiers she promised. The ruined South becomes a character in the book itself. And while Laurel is dealing with this (along with the PTSD), Creede Forrester is dealing with his own loses. Powerful book… one you really should read. SADLY out of print. But visit Wendy! She has contest.

Dana Ransom

aka Nancy Giddon aka Rosalyn West aka something else I think

But my heart belongs to Dana Ransom, which is rather odd cuz these are WESTERNS as in dirty, gritty, hard, not always ‘nice’ books with bows ties around everything books. Like in real life, things suck, but you get through it. The series that I have read and revisited in January is “The Bass family series“. And I loved it as much then as I did the first time. I totally need to do a Duckies Do Series Review on this series.

Temptation’s Trail – Harmon and Amanda book. Amanda is an Eastern heiress who hires a dime-store novel hero and believes everything she reads. Harmon is an half-Apache tracker who is so beyond pained I shouldn’t have been able to believe it or read it. One of the few virgin hero stories I think I have read and believed.

Texas Destiny Jack and Emily book. This is so messed up and soapy but she pulls it off amazingly without melodrama. Jack Bass is a Texas Ranger being held by Apaches and in a grand twist he is saved by a white captive – Emily. He is so going to marry her, until he finds out she is already married, to his boss.

Wild Texas Bride – started with this book, bought at a library sale and shows what a twisted chick I am cuz it is one of MY fave type of tales. Billy and Sarah book
She has known him forever and evah AND HE is HERS. So what if their first kiss happened when she was 13 and he was 18? 19? I forget the book isn’t in front of me. She sort of grabbed him and he complained to her brother about it for days. She is older now damn it and that chick on his lap has got to go. And whatever trouble he has gotten himself into, well she is going help him get himself out of it. She is a BASS and Harmon’s niece. It is time for Billy to grow up. Shotgun wedding story, friends to lovers and all that

Texas Renegade – Kenitay and Leisha book Revenge is a theme that plans heavy in all of these books but I am pretty sure this one and in the next is it HUGE. Harmon is still a big player in it as well. Kenitay is taken at the end of Wild Texas Bride and it takes him a long time to come to terms with the fact he was TAKEN not ‘let go’. Leisha never ever forgot him. Great story.

Sweet Texas – Dreams Morgan and Becca book. Like I said before or meant to (meant this to be short and sweet) if you don’t like REVENGE PLOTS it all comes to head here. Then again if you made it this far… Becca is trying really hard to be Harmon’s daughter. Sadly at times she was TSTL. Still over all it didn’t hurt the book or the series. LOVES the series tons.

So would love a new historical from Dana Ransom.

Linda Lael Miller

I know, I know you are going huh? What? That chick is soooooooo still in print but today is backlist day and my TOP fave of hers is:
The Vow
How I love the intro of the heroine. It is something you just need to read. It has a 12 YEAR separation something I HATE people. HATE HATE HATE with the heat of a 1000 suns and yet, this book I ::heart::

I would also recall liking Daniels Bride and was going to flip threw it because honestly all I remember is it amused me. I am not sure why. It isn’t one of the books I reread this year (The Vow was as was Banner O’Brien verra purple but I adore it chick dr!) and is a ‘female outlaw’ story, which in all honesty those can make me bang my head. AND I can only find the LLM books I have reread this year. I know I own a hella lot more. So recall I am well medicated and take that with a gain of salt and for GODSAKE do NOT pay $35 dollars for it new on amazon. Seriously do people do that?

Susan Kay Law

I have blogged about Susan Kay Law before cuz I lurve her. Lots. And I thought about not mentioning her here, KristieJ has but I say read Journey Home and One Lonely Night. So I felt she needed another nod LOL.

And in the omg you are gonna go there again category, I don’t guess I need to whine about Elizabeth Lowell or Lorraine Heath needing to write westerns again again. ::pout::

**thanks go to the lil sis for coming up with the title and she sez Tobey Keith for the song ::shrug:: I don’t listen to western music yes the irony

Read a Western, Cowboys Need Love Too

I do so ADORE our icon isn’t it beyond grand?  For those of you that don’t already know this I shamelessly use the talents (well of all the ducks in the pond and in the case of icons) it is generally Sandy M. Pondering Icon fun is coming at you thanks to the number 666 and the letters G-W-E-N.

I was suppose to give you all reasons for why I adore westerns today.

1. I seem to have issues with following directions, yes I know not a secret.

2. We have been having more site issues than normal.  So after I finally got something typed up that would work as an intro thinking coolio I can do another post tomorrow after Dotster fixes whatev is fucked up with the site this time – it took Sandy M (the poor soul who got roped into helping me at 2am which really was only midnight her time) I think around an hour to get the post up.

And today was a mess, at times the site was down completely.  The fact I am typing this up is sort of awesome.  If it posts – I just might squeeee

Sooooo why should you read a western historical romance…. my automatic response is because we say so *g* really you need more reason than that?

Honestly I would say because I use to be you (if you are one of those people rolling your eyes saying omg I hatessssss all things western, DO.NOT.WANT).  I live in Texas.  I was born here and at the rate I am going will die here.  I live in the hill country, pass horses going to check the mail – I have to DRIVE to check my mail. AKA I live out in BFE.

It is beautiful.

The land is amazing.

If you listen it can speak to you.

Seriously fuck that shit, there are bugs, did I mention I have to DRIVE to get my mail?  And yes I can hand it to you that heroes have not always been cowboys or whatever but uh do you know your history?  Regency England (which there are many I adore) and Medieval Novels (le sigh, Madeline Hunter come back!) are taking creative license.  No really.  There are some flat out, throw me on the floor and rock me hard with your history romances out there but rarely if ever will the smells reflect what they REALLY should and I wouldn’t them too.

They call this stuff fiction for a reason and I am ok with that, hell, tell me a good story and I can go along with some ‘wallpaper historicals’.  If I start to question the author it is most likely because I am bored and generally it is the characters doing it.

But like I said I use to be one of those people who wouldn’t touch a western with someone elses saddle and can’t even remember now which book I first ‘rode’ that gave such a rock’n good read.   It might have been Elizabeth Lowell with her asshole alpha’s who give annoying pet names that I wouldn’t date for the life of me but color me HUGE fans of the books. Or maybe it was oh wait I am getting ahead of myself… the recs are coming…

And I will try my hardest not to repeat Wendy in all her superness or Kristie in all her rambling.  I have dug deep into my library for books that you can (hopefully) find in your Used Book Store if they are Out of Print.  I have some awesome prizes being donated that I will be drawing from the comments on all three blogs (many will be open to the US only, sorry, working on that).  We will be recommending books that are upcoming and still in print.

Will everyone who has never tried a western, love it?  No.  Will everyone who picks it up again, find a new mistress? No.  There are no ‘all’ for anything or any book.  But hey I bet there are westerns out there for just about each one of you.  So tell us what you like.  What have you tried?  What have you loved? What have you hated?

And I bet before the week is up, between the three of us, we will find you a book, or at least give it our best shot and have good fun trying *g*.  And if we can’t maybe someone else in romanceland can…

Lynne Connolly’s review of Blue Smoke and Murder by Elizabeth Lowell
Romantic suspense re-released by Avon 31 Mar 09

Elizabeth Lowell wrote two of my all-time favorite romances – To The Ends Of The Earth and Tell Me No Lies. I loved her heroes, who really were rough-tough men’s men, and actually seemed capable of the acts they performed between the pages of her books. They were grown-up, cynical killers, untamable until they met their women. Her heroines were hit and miss for me, but the best were intensely female, while retaining a toughness of character that took them through their ordeals and out again.

Usually, I could see why the men were attracted to them, women who had something about them, didn’t act stupid and weren’t complete doormats. Her research was always impeccable, taking the reader into the world of antiques and precious objects, archaeology and the rancher’s lot. Of course, with an author like Lowell, there were bound to be misses, but I think the romance world would be a much poorer place without her.

These days she writes more suspense than romance, although the result can be seen as romantic suspense, since there’s a romance at the heart of the books. In her latest, “Blue Smoke And Murder,” she takes the reader back to the world of antiques. This time, her heroine, Jill Breck, is a river guide, who is plunged into the world of art and art forgeries when her aunt dies, leaving her a dozen valuable paintings, which someone wants bad enough to murder for.

Her hero, Zach Balfour, works for St. Kilda Consulting, which consists of ex-agents working for an independent operation, and St. Kilda’s owes Jill a favor. While Zach doesn’t like bodyguard work, he’ll do it for Jill.

I enjoyed the connection between Zach and Jill, but maybe the names were a bit close to “Jack and Jill” at times, which made my reading a little bumpy. I got over it. I did like the pace of the book, which moves from one adrenaline-fueled set piece to the next, rarely allowing the reader a chance to get her breath back.

However, I’ve read this before from Lowell, especially in the great Donovan series. I’d love her to return to the deeper romances that provided the backbone to her books. Although I liked Zach and Jill, I could maybe have done with a little more personal connection, a reason for them to be attracted outside the bedroom as well as in it.

Jill’s fundamentalist Mormon background has raised a few hackles here and there. I can’t enter the discussion, I know very little about it, but it might have been better if she’d kept the religion a little vaguer and described a fundamentalist background that would have had the same effect on her heroine without the labels. However, Lowell prefers to give her characters a realistic background, and although sometimes her tendency to move into typecasting makes her a no-no on some readers, her sheer writing ability always draws me back.

Because I think she’s used these themes before to greater effect, I’ll give this one a…

Grade: B-

Blurb:
.
Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting’s premier operators. But when a string of ominous events-including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings-culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.
.
Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he’s got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn’t his preferred way to spend time.
.
Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory-among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who’ll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she’s ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.
.
From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .
.
Read an excerpt here.

We’re glad you could make it back to Duck Chat!

Beth Williamson is our guest today. Can you say cowboys? Sexy cowboys? I bet you can!

With more than twenty books on her backlist, Beth has become synonymous with western romance, but did you know she also writes contemporary erotica? A few of those have a western flare, but others like On His Knees and her The Perfect Score series don’t.  But it’s her Mallory family and her Devils on Horseback series that her fans clamor for. And her latest western releases, Hell for Leather, The Education of Madeline, and The Redemption of Micah are also fan favorites.

Beth was born and raised in New York but know lives with her husband and their two sons just outside Raleigh, North Carolina. She will be popping in and out today, so leave a meaningful comment or question for Beth. She’s graciously offered a copy of The Education of Madeline for a giveaway, so you want to make sure you’re in the running! So let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Beth, what was it that first drew to you the western genre of writing romance?
BETH WILLIAMSON: Well, I grew up watching Westerns, child of the 70s with the fantastic Clint Eastwood movies that my oldest brother loved to watch. So I did too and I became fascinated with westerns. Then when I started reading romance as a young teenager, I loved the historicals the best. When I found western romances, that was when everything clicked for me. Aha!

DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

BW: Hm, probably, where do you get your ideas from? That’s a common question in most interviews. I never know how to answer it because there is never a single answer. LOL.

DC: Let’s talk about your Malloy family series first. How did this series come about? Has it evolved as you thought it would after completing the first book? Would you give us an overview of the series as a whole?

BW: Ah, the Malloys. My second family. I started writing The Bounty about fourteen years ago and it took me about eight years to get a version written well enough to be published. I didn’t know then I’d be writing seven books in the series, but as soon as I’d written the second, The Prize, I knew then that I needed to write much more. The only Malloy without a full-length book is Ethan, the second oldest.
The series as a whole contains seven books. It begins with the only girl in the family, Nicky, then ends with Nicky’s adopted son, Noah. The books include, in order:

The Bounty
Hero: Tyler Calhoun
Heroine: Nicky Malloy

The Prize
Hero: Jack Malloy
Heroine: Rebecca Connor

The Reward
Hero: Malcolm Ross y Zarza
Heroine: Leigh Wynne

The Treasure
Hero: Raymond Malloy
Heroine: Lillian Wickham

The Gift
Hero: Trevor Malloy
Heroine: Adelaide Burns

The Tribute
Hero: Brett Malloy
Heroine: Alexandra Brighton

The Legacy
Hero: Noah Calhoun
Heroine: Rosalyn Benedict

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

BW: Oh, absolutely true. My imagination seems to be a separate entity from my brain. Scary sounding, isn’t it? LOL. You see, the characters take on a life of their own and will fight me tooth and nail if I try to force them into how I plotted the book. I can tell immediately if I’m doing it wrong because the words simply don’t flow. I will creep along in a scene and that’s when I stop what I’m doing, back up, and turn left to where the characters are waiting for me.

DC: The last book released in the series was The Legacy in April of 2008. Are there any more books planned at this point in time? Do you know how many books will be in the series once it’s complete?

BW: At this point I don’t have any more books planned, but I’ve been asked if Ethan will get his story told, or if I’ll do the second generation Malloy series. Like many of my readers, I love series and I understand not wanting to let go of characters who have become like family to you. I did write a free story at Christmas time for Ethan called The Present. I left it kind of wide open for another book, so perhaps…

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

BW: Haha, who told you? Yes, I do argue with my characters. It’s the pushy ones who think they can boss me around. Unfortunately usually they win because I can’t keep writing unless I give in.

DC: Your Devils on Horseback series is also popular with readers. Can you tell us a little about this series?

BW: Oh, my Devils. It’s a series of five planned books centering around five men, Civil War veterans from Georgia, who struggle to find their place in post-war Texas. Each of them has their own unique emotional or physical (or both) issue to overcome. This series is grittier, bloodier, more violent, and an emotional roller coaster for the reader (and the writer!).

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

BW: My husband. A book or a good movie. I am a movie whore in addition to being a book whore. *sigh* I can’t help it!

DC: So far we’ve seen Nate, Jake, and Zeke. Any more Devils in the future?

BW: Yes, there sure is. I’m in the middle of editing Lee’s story before submitting it to Samhain for publication. Lee’s book has been the most difficult because he’s not only the angriest devil, he also has only one arm. Then the last book will be Gideon’s — he’s the caretaker for the group and, of course, he will be last to receive his happily ever after.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved over your career? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

BW: I don’t know if it’s specific to the characters, but my writing has definitely evolved over the years. I think I’ve honed my writing with each book, and I’ll continue to do so the rest of my life. I think that’s true of any artist in whatever medium they choose to create something in. I have tackled some tough issues in my more recent books, such as being homeless, disabled, or an alcoholic.

DC: Tell our readers about The Perfect Score series, please.

BW: That was simply fun to write.   It’s a three-novella series written for Loose Id — one is an interracial (heroine is white, hero is Japanese), one is a BBW, and the other is an F/F. They were all different, and the interracial was my first, whereas the F/F was by far the most challenging. They are erotic, really hot and still emotional. I think one of my best gifts is the characters and their emotions — just because I write erotica doesn’t mean there’s no romance or emotions.

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

BW: Yes, I’d love to write a Medieval. Oh, those knights! My second favorite genre is Medievals and the only thing holding me back (aside from time!) is the research involved. I’ve become adept at writing historical westerns and have my resources lined up. Medievals are an entirely different ballgame, but one day, I will write my knight!

DC: Your two latest single titles are The Education of Madeline, which released in March of this year, and The Redemption of Micah, which hit the shelves just a couple of weeks ago. First, are the books related in any way at all? Would you tell us a little about each of them?

BW: Yes, they are related. There are three books in the series and these are the first two. Madeline’s story is a BBW about an intelligent, wealthy woman in 1872 Colorado who has spent her life in a small town, without a man, without love. She hires our hero, Teague, to teach her what it means to be a woman and, in the process, finds herself and her strength. Teague, on the other hand, recovers his soul and loses his heart to Maddie.

Micah’s story picks up where Madeline’s ends — he’s her friend and the lover of her best friend, Eppie, who is left in a coma at the end of Madeline’s story. Micah’s story is three years later when Eppie finally awakens from the coma to discover a sad-eyed man and a three-year-old daughter she doesn’t know. It’s got a ton of emotion, an interracial love between a mulatto and a white southern man, alcoholism, and some hot sex too. This is a highly gut-wrenching novel requiring at least a dozen tissues to get through.

Special treat! Excerpt from The Redemption of Micah:

Eppie had just gotten herself settled in the chair when she heard the crash and the girl screaming. She jumped up with more energy than she thought she had and darted out the door. The sheer size of the house made her eyes goggle and she wondered if he’d been telling more truth than she realized.

She spotted him at the bottom of the steps, the tray of foot scattered around him. The girl sat beside him smacking his cheek.

“Daddy, wake up.”

Eppie made her way down the stairs, clutching the thick mahoghany banister. When she made it to the bottom, the little girl looked up at her with tears in her eyes.

“Daddy sleep?”

“I’m not sure, honey.” Eppie’s fear was that he’d died before she figured out if he was telling the truth, or worse, that he was truthful and didn’t get a chance to tell her everything about herself. She’d be trapped in a house she didn’t know with a child she didn’t know in a town that was as unfamiliar as the people around her.

She knelt down and put her hand on his chest, and felt the steady beat of his heart. A breath of relief whooshed out of her. He must have just knocked himself unconscious when he fell. She didn’t think she knew much about being a doctor, but she did feel for any broken bones and was glad to find none.

“He bumped his head and went to sleep.”

Instead of reassuring the girl, she started screaming and shaking Micah by the shoulders. “No, Daddy, wake up!”

Eppie didn’t know what to do to calm the girl down. Her reaction made no sense.

“He’ll wake up in a minute or two. Why don’t you get a pillow for his head?”

The girl sobbed even louder but she nodded her head and stuck her doll under his neck. The sight made Eppie want to laugh, but she swallowed the chuckle. She started picking up the broken plate and the pieces of biscuits. Without being asked, Miracle helped clean up even as she continued to cry.

Eppie didn’t know if that was common for her, but she knew it was unusual for a girl that age to have such a sense of responsibility. After they’d picked up the mess, Micah still hadn’t roused. Eppie wasn’t really worried, but she was getting concerned.

“Where is the kitchen?”

The girl pointed to room down the hall.

“Can you go get a glass of water for your daddy?”

“Why?” Precocious little thing.

“To help him wake up.”

The child looked at her as if she’d sprouted horns, but went to the kitchen just the same, frowning fiercely and crying all the way. It gave Eppie an opportunity to study Micah up close without feeling self-conscious about it. She could see the resemblance between he and the girl, a glimmer of his cheekbones and chin. The hair, of course, was identical.

He had a terrible scar that ran from his jaw line down his neck. It was deep and made by something sharp. He had a whisper of whiskers on his cheeks, and shadows permanently etched below his eyes. There were very light brown baby hairs around his hairline. Without even thinking about it, she reached out to brush the hair from his forehead.

“Don’t touch.”

Miracle’s stern admonishment made her heart skip a beat. Eppie turned around and managed a small smile.
“I was making sure he was okay.”

The doubtful expression didn’t leave her little face. She thrust the cup of water forward, splashing some on both of them.

“Thank you, Miracle.” Eppie’s stomach was jumping around like crazy, but she put her hand behind his neck and trickled water into his mouth. He swallowed, thankfully, then he sighed, the smell of lemon tickling her nose.

His eyelashes fluttered and her relief knew no bounds when those silver orbs peeped up at her.

“Eppie?”

“You fell down the stairs and knocked yourself silly.” She set the glass down and let his head back down onto the doll.

“I did? Oh damn, the water, I forgot.” His eyes widened. “Is Miracle okay?”

“She’s fine. A little upset.” An understatement, but she didn’t want to scare him.

“I here, Daddy.” She inserted herself between them, the warmth of her little body seeped into Eppie’s. It startled her and she shifted back to escape from the sensation. She definitely wasn’t ready to be physically close to anyone, much less a child calling her “Mama”.

“Thank God.” Micah took Eppie’s hand in his. “You have my gratitude.”

She wanted to snatch her hand away, but at the same time, his dry slender hand felt comfortable in hers. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought.

“It’s not hard to be kind to people in need.” She managed to extract her hand and sat back on the step above him. “Do you think you can get up?”

He frowned and shifted, wincing as he did. “I think so, but it’s going to take me a few minutes. I think I bruised my back.”

Although she didn’t want to touch him, she helped him to his feet. Even if her head and her heart didn’t remember him, it appeared her body did. She wasn’t sure if it was just being close, his scent or something else entirely. Whatever it was, as soon as her arm went around his waist, her body warmed to his and heat flowed between them.

To her astonishment, even her nipples hardened. She hoped to God he didn’t feel those against his side. She’d be absolutely mortified if he did. It was hard enough to forget everybody she knew, but to have no control over her body made it even worse.

“I help.” Miracle jumped around the other side of her father and together they steadied him.

“Where is your room?”

“Upstairs next to Miracle’s. It’s the largest room in the house and Madeline insisted on me taking it.” He smiled sadly. “I think perhaps she thought you and I might use it together.”

Eppie wanted to let him fall on his head for trying to manipulate her. He had to understand she didn’t forget him on purpose. She’d give anything to remember one shred of who she was. If he kept pushing her, eventually she would shut the door on any possibility of a relationship with him. One thing she did know about herself is she didn’t like to be forced into decisions.

She’d been doing a lot of thinking since she’d woken up. There were a lot of decisions to make and she wasn’t done making them. Micah would just have to be patient.

Somehow they made it up the stairs and none of them fell back down. Micah straightened and took hold of the banister and Eppie let him go. Her body yelled at her to grab him again but she listened her head instead and crossed her arms, stepping away.

“Thank you.” He took a shaky breath. “I’ll be okay. I’m going to splash some water on my face.” He laughed. “Although I might have had enough water for the day.”

Eppie couldn’t help the smile that escaped. His charm was a surprise. “I’ll be in, well, in my room I suppose.” She ducked away and escaped before he could call her back.

She leaned against the door and pressed a hand to her chest, trying to will her heart to slow down the blood as it raced through her. Since she didn’t even feel comfortable being in the house with him, it made no sense that she tingled just being next to Micah.

Winded and exhausted from too much so fast, she climbed into bed and pulled up the quilt. Within minutes, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

BW: Hindsight is 20-20, right? That’s a damn true statement. My advice to my younger self is to not wait until I was 36 years old to get published. LOL. I’ve got author friends who are still teenagers getting published. When I think about how much time I hemmed and hawed about submitting to a publisher. Time wasted!

DC: You’ve also started a new contemporary erotic series, Private Lives. Can you let us know where the idea for the series came from? And then tell us about the first book, On His Knees, which was published in May.

BW: The idea came from being a married, forty-something woman in the prime of my life and still learning who I am and what I like. There is a lot of erotica centered around single women, usually twenty-something, and I wanted to do something different for those of us who live in the real world. And thus, Private Lives was born.

On His Knees is a story about a BBW who is newly divorced and has spent the last year discovering just how strong she is. When her ex-husband literally falls at her feet, she decides to demonstrate for him just who she’s become. Lots of really hot sex, female domination, and, of course, emotions.

DC: If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

BW: I love this question! Hm, let’s see — “Strap yourselves in and hang on because the ride’s gonna be bumpy and a little crazy.”

DC: What would be your “voice’s” tagline?

BW: My voice? Oh that little thing that talks to me all the time. How about: “Secrets, sex and passion all rolled into one.”

DC: The Stranger’s Secrets is a book set for release in January 2010. Is it possible to give us a sneak peek? Please?

BW: Ah, yes, book 3 in my Brava series. The Stranger’s Secrets is Sarah Spalding’s story — sister to Micah. She is my first disabled heroine and walks with a cane. Sarah is also outspoken, intelligent, and stubborn as hell. She embarks on a journey from Virginia to Colorado on a train with a northerner, Whitman Kendrick, who has his own secrets he’s keeping from Sarah. Somewhere along the way they fall in love and come to terms with the secrets between them.

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

BW: Laundry. Wait, no, that’s what I’m doing right now and I am an author. My day job is as a technical writer, so even if I hadn’t made the plunge to write books, I’d probably still be a tech writer. It does still pay the mortgage.

DC: Who’s your favorite author?

BW: Oh, unfair question! I would say the author I’ve learned the most from is Stephen King. The author who introduced me to the western romance genre is Elizabeth Lowell. I have too many other favorites to pick one!

DC: What’s on the horizon for Beth Williamson?

BW: Beth is going to continue writing for Samhain and love every second of it. Emma Lang will begin publishing for Kensington in April 2010 as Beth’s alternate pen name. Emma will write hot western romances and start things with a bang with a runaway Mormon scientist and the assassin sent to kill her sister in 1872 Utah.

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?  – milk
- smooth or chunky peanut butter? – smooth
- heels or flats?   – flats
- coffee or tea?  – coffee
- summer or winter?  – summer
- mountains or beach? – beach
- mustard or mayonnaise?  – mustard
- flowers or candy?  – flowers
- pockets or purse?  – Purse (I am a total purse whore)
- Pepsi or Coke?  – Diet coke!
- ebook or print?  – Either! (I am a total book whore too!)

And because we still like them:

1. What is your favorite word?  – Passion.
2. What is your least favorite word?  – Colonoscopy.
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?  – Hot, sweet sex full of emotion.
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?  – Selfish assholes.
5. What sound or noise do you love?  – The sound of the ocean.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?  – Car alarms.
7. What is your favorite curse word?  – Bullshit.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  – I’m living my dream now! But perhaps I’d like to be a millionaire.
9. What profession would you not like to do?  – Crab fisherman in the Bering Sea.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  – “Howdy, I’m glad you’re here.”

DC: Beth, thanks so much for chatting with us today!

Connie’s review of Innocent As Sin by Elizabeth Lowell
Contemporary romantic suspense hardcover release by William Morrow 19 Jun 07
Massmarket paperback release by Avon 29 Apr 08 (book links to mmppb)

Contemporary romantic suspense often walks a fine line between the various elements that make them up. How to be contemporary without overloading on technical details. How to be romantic without sacrificing the suspense. How to be suspenseful without sacrificing the romance. This book didn’t do such a good balancing job.

All seems to be going well for Kayla Shaw until she barely escapes being kidnapped and accused of money laundering for a wealthy client. After five terrible years, Rand McCree may finally be able to get the man who killed his twin. The man who killed Rand’s brother is an international criminal and Kayla is slated to be his next victim.

Kayla decides to fight back and Rand needs her to get to the hated enemy so they join forces to stop him. Some people are realy evil and need to be stopped before more innocent people are hurt.

After more about gun-running and banking than I ever cared to know, they are trying to stay one step ahead and aren’t sure if they wil stop the evil but are willing to die trying. While they seemed to fall together pretty quickly, they forged a pretty good bond. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all that believable or interesting to me.

I’d recommend this book only to fans of the author (of which there are tons – she’s a good author – better than this book indicates).

Grade C-

Book summary:

One day Kayla Shaw was an underpaid and under-appreciated private banker in Arizona. The next day, someone tried to kidnap her.One day Rand McCree was painting daffodils in the Pacific Northwest rain. The next day, St. Kilda Consulting offered him something he’d wanted for five years: the name of his twin brother’s murderer.

Kayla had nowhere to turn, nowhere to run, no one to believe that she wasn’t a money launderer hiding hundreds of millions of dollars.

She was trapped.

Until Rand McCree appeared, offering safety. For a price.

Kayla didn’t want to trust him, but had no real choice. No police would believe that she had been set up, that she was innocent. And no civilian alone could stand against the international criminal who wanted her dead.

Even her own government was suspect.

Rand trusted Kayla as much as he trusted anybody-not much-but what he really wanted was revenge for his brother’s death. Everything else came last.

Then the man who had killed Rand’s brother sent a killer after Kayla Shaw. The violence of the past exploded into the present, leaving only a future that might be too dangerous to survive….

Read an excerpt (nice long one)

We here in Romancelandia are complete series addicts. Once an author writes a well received book, her fans immediately start clamoring for more stories set in the same world. I think it would be correct to state that no two Romancelandians will ever have the exact same entries on their own Favorite Series list. 

Eclectic and fodder for debate, these are the series that leap to mind when I’m asked what my favorite reads are. The order I’ve listed them in is approximate as my preferences change based on my mood and what feels right at the time.

Bev(QB)’s All Time Favorite Book Series

1. Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Ballantine Books) This complex fantasy/urban fantasy showcases Hamilton’s unparalleled world building expertise. (see Review: A Lick of Frost)

2. Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. (Delacorte Press) I consider this fantasy/urban fantasy to be a master’s class in the use of first person POV. Brilliant.

3. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. (Berkley) Hamilton is one of the godmothers of what is now referred to as urban fantasy. Unlike most long-running series, I’ve known people to jump in this one – at any point with no problems. I started at book 9, Obsidian Butterfly, then went back and read them all – several times.

4. The Cynsters, particularly the Bar Cynsters (books 1-6) by Stephanie Laurens. (Avon) The crème de la crème of Regency era historical romances. In fact, I consider book 1, Devil’s Bride, to be closer to perfection than any other romance I’ve ever read. Its only glaring flaw is that unfortunate back cover pic (roll over the original cover in the link to see it). What were they thinking?!

5. Skye O’Malley saga by Bertrice Small. (Ballantine Books) The life and loves of an extraordinary woman and her family during the reign of Elizabeth Tudor. To read a Bertrice Small book is to instantly and completely be absorbed into the rich tapestry of the tastes, sounds, sights and lives she weaves together.

6. Breeds series by Lora Leigh(Ellora’s Cave and Berkley). When someone says they are new to ebooks, I recommend they start with this series. No one writes sexual tension and characters consumed by unquenchable need better than Lora Leigh. The intense erotic scenes are woven into the story of a not-quite-human species as they overcome the horrors of their past, and begin a journey to understand themselves as a species and as individuals, while also striving to find love and acceptance.

7. The Highlanders series by Karen Marie Moning. (Jove and Dell) Although they were always a highly enjoyable auto-buy for me, it is the audio books (with Phil Gigante’s swoon-worthy narration) that earn this series a permanent place on my list. (see Aural Pleasures 103)

8. The World of Hetar by Bertrice Small. (HQN Books) In this epic fantasy, Ms Small has created a world that is in some ways recognizable, yet vastly different from our own. Without the constraint of historical fact, she allowed her muse free rein to create this lusty, sweeping saga.

9. Jarheads by Sean Michael. (Torquere and Fictionwise) Sean Michael has a unique voice. He doesn’t give us much physical description of his characters, but somehow paints an emotional picture. We get to know them through their words and actions and I get completely caught up in the lives of these lovable and loving men. Rigger, whom I adore, is the heart and soul of the series and someone I’d like to count as a good friend in real life. One caveat though – there were times when even I said, “Enough with the sex, already! Get on with the story!”

10. The Donovan series by Elizabeth Lowell. (Avon) Still tapping my foot waiting for the rest of this contemporary romantic suspense series – including a look back at the elder Donovan’s love story. You know, I do believe I’m overdue for a re-read!

11. Brothers in Arms by Samantha Kane(Ellora’s Cave). The newest addition to my list. The erotic scenes in these Regency period bisexual manage stories are written in exquisite, excruciatingly drawn out detail. And Kane manages to make each scene feel completely unique to each triad.

12. What series will someday claim this last spot on my list? Is it a series I’ve already started? Maybe Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series or Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series. A Gentleman’s Wager by Madelynne Ellis is already on my single title favorites list, but with its upcoming sequels and spin-off, will it land on my series list, too? Or maybe my next favorite series is waiting out there for me to discover it. Maybe it’s not even been written yet and is being nurtured by a muse waiting to bestow it on some worthy author.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

more,more,more,more,more

ohhh I hate that search here thing but whatever… and not that I would buy it but look a new hardcover.

Only His, Only Mine, Only You, Only Love – Mostly great stories His and Mine are two faves.

Only His

Escaping the ravages of the Civil War, a gently reared lady must leave behind everything she knows — and trust her life and her future to a dangerous gunfighter with a passion for vengeance.A team of prize Arabian horses is all that Willow Moran has left — and Caleb Black is the only man who can help her reach her brother in the Colorado Rockies. But she fears this stranger who burns to avenge the wrongs of treacherous men. For Caleb is as wild and unpredictable as the uncivilized land he loves. Yet, though she challenges him at every turn, the spirited southern lady knows this proud, enigmatic loner is her destiny. And no matter what peril awaits, they must face it together — for Willow has become a fever in Caleb’s blood … awakening a need so fierce that he would defeat the devil himself to possess her.

Caleb is a Old Testament kind of man and doesn’t let you forget it. I know little to nothing of the old west or the way of life. I guess you could say all I know I learned in romance and Deadwood so I take it all with a LARGE grain of salt. So were people as godly and bible quoting in the old west? Couldn’t say… it makes sense in a way… those were thought to be lawless times where it was common to not use your full name or even your real one. So who would they be accountable to? Either way it works in Caleb’s character.

Of course these same godly men, are the men who frequent whore houses and widow then expect sisters, daughters, and wives to be treated with respect (aka don’t fuck them unless you marry them). And the parallel drawn between Cal and Willow and what Cal is trying to avenge is really funny.

Caleb can be the biggest bastard in romance land to the ‘fancy lady’ he takes to find her husband. And it does take a lil piece of skin to make him admit to himself he cares for ‘the southern lady’ and she isn’t a whore but only his. There are some phrases repeated over and over, men are rough, women are evil, the land is harsh, and true virginity conquers all. This is something of a repeated theme with many Elizabeth Lowell books, but some how, it works (although I think each exheroine should introduce herself to the heroine of current book as “Hi my name is X, I have never screwed your hero, am not in love with him, nor he me.” because it would save mucho grief).

My copy of Only His will need to be replaced soon because it isn’t one of the reprints and is falling apart. Yes it is complete with the no shirt hero and very perky almost bare heroine set back, from 1991, although I like the horses in the background. My copy has been read more times than I recall and has seen better days. But I love a good western and I love a road romance and this is one of the best – and on horseback!

The bastard son of a viscount and a Cheyenne shaman’s daughter, Wolfe Lonetree agrees to rescue the pampered Lady Jessica from an unwanted impending wedding — but only if she will be his wife.Naive and shockingly innocent, Lady Jessica Charteris tricked a rugged, handsome stranger into a marriage in name only in order to escape a union with a vile British lord. Totally unprepared for the hardships awaiting her in America, she is terrified by the prospect of life in the harsh and magnificent land at the edge of the Rockies. But even more frightening is Wolfe himself — a man whose raw sensuality leaves her breathless. Her proud, virile new “husband” is not one to be trifled with, nor will he be denied what his heart fervently desires — for only in Wolfe Lonetree’s arms can Jessica truly learn the unparalleled joy of becoming the right man’s woman.

Nothing like rescuing a woman you have always wanted and then treating her like crap. Wolfe is a great character we met in Only His, where he is nice and kind to morph into rat bastard a la Caleb in Only His. So of course Caleb plays the sweetie now on.

Wolfe is tough on Jessica and if they would just talk, well the story would have been much shorter. But yeah I loved it. I liked seeing the English miss love the west and give it her all. Just wish Wolfe had been a little better about it. Even saying this book has only been read twice, well maybe three times.

Only You

With nothing left to wager but her innocence, the wily cardsharp “Evening Star” stares across the poker table at the killer who destroyed the two people she loved most in the world … and deals the winning hand to a rugged, unsuspecting stranger.Matt “Reno” Moran can’t believe that the conniving beauty he “won” in a card game has run off with all his winnings — including the map to a gold mine. He should never have trusted Evelyn Starr Johnson, a tawny-haired lovely hardened by poverty and loss. But the temptress cast a spell on him, making him careless by enflaming his passions as no woman ever has before. And now the only way Reno can reclaim what is rightfully his is by joining forces with the scheming, remarkable lady on a perilous treasure hunt that could cost the handsome sharpshooter everything … including his heart.

Reno is an ass. He was an ass when he found Willow in Only His, and he continues to be an ass here. There is nothing stupider than a man bitching about women fucking men being no good whores. Unless he himself is a virgin. Which I don’t think there is a virgin hero in EL books.

I really liked Eve. And I really like that she got to save the day then picked up her shit and left his ass. Again this is mostly a road type thing while they search for gold and when it is just Eve and Reno’s mouth isn’t turned on stupid, it is great. How they meet is great and the end is wonderful. You can give me a give me a stupid ass hero as long as he get beat over the head a few times by the end.

Only Love

A beautiful woman alone in the Colorado Rockies, Shannon’s last hope lies with a rugged loner.

Proud and courageous, cast adrift by the War Between the States, Shannon Conner has carved out a life for herself in the mountains. But now that she’s become a target of the vile, predatory Culpepper brothers, she must turn to a stranger for help — Rafael “Whip” Moran, an enigmatic wanderer tied to no place or promise. Intrigued by this intoxicating “widow” with a walk like honey and a tight grip on her shotgun, Whip is resolved to defend Shannon’s honor and her life. But no peril in this high, lonely place is greater than the intense passion the lady inspires within him — for it threatens to cost Whip the freedom that is as much a part of him as his soul.

The yondering man searching for the next sunset… This is the book I have read twice so the details are vague at best.

I was going to try and reread it before I posted this but what the hell. I have written down I liked it. Does that help .

Same song different verse… very Elizabeth Lowell… and good. Not the best and Whip really did drive me crazy with how long it took him to come around. And Shannon is a touch TSTL in thinking she will be ok living there alone. But I can so see NOT wanting to live with the family of the man who was too stupid to know you were the best thing to happen to him.

Say what you will about romance, about the authors, about the history used, use the word wallpaper all you like but Elizabeth Lowell does seem to research the hell out her books. Her settings and plots are characters in and of themselves be it Utah Territory, Ruby Mountains, Colorado, gold digging, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Jade, Dimonds or just the old west. Elizabeth Lowell is a treat to read and a big part of why I haven’t read her Romantic Suspense (beside not really liking the genre much) is I mourn the loss of her westerns, her contemporary romances and even her bastard alpha heros with pet names on repeat.

If you are a fan of her RS, you should at least try one of her westerns, Only His or Winter Fire get my vote. If you have never read a western and never want to, I would still suggest trying one of hers. You could hate it. You could never want to read her again. But she is a romance experience, a true classic, dated as the books can be they are worth a read. And then a glom and reread… imho.

Sybil’s Review of To the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Lowell
Contemporary Romance by Avon 01 May 1998

Posted 1/30/5 in live journal (I don’t have too many book posts in my lj but there are a few I want to move over)

I read my first Elizabeth Lowell book that I didn’t like. le sigh, that makes me sad. I haven’t read any of her newer books since I am not much into romantic suspense novels but her historical novels are just about the best evah. Her Only Series is the reason I fell in love with westerns.

To the Ends of the Earth was just bad. Bad, bad, bad and made no sense what so ever. Cat is working herself to death to put two teens (her twin sister and brother) through med school and because her grown mother can’t balance a checkbook. ::blink:: take the fucking thing away from her and make the kids take out a few loans. The whole idea is, if she can just make it to January when her mother marries some rich dumbass, all will be fine. I understand the book was written in the 80′s and updated and re-released in the 90′s but please.

And the hero… he is scarred and wounded from his first marriage (as all hero’s are that have been married before) so he has sworn off women. Well other than to fuck them. So whores and mistresses he gets but mutual sex based on pleasure or feelings isn’t something he understands. I am sorry, after you have mind-blowing sex with someone you think you have feelings for and they offer to pay you – find the door. Quick. She didn’t – and he offered AGAIN. He pretty much spent the book pissed off she had to work and waiting for her to ask him for help money wise. And omg -the end of the book is awful, how EL got a HEA in this is beyond me. The whole thing is like a car wreck you can’t understand you are watching. So back to the UBS with this book.

Then again Elizabeth Lowell has made an art form out of hero’s treating their heroines like shit and then somehow making it work. At least for me, she crossed that line in this book and I just couldn’t see it. But that can’t be said for everyone since AAR gave it a DIK review.

Grade: F

A WOMAN OF THE WORLD: Photographer Cat Cochran has been to exotic places most people only dream about — but all she wants to do is settle down and get her life in order. One last assignment and she can put her past behind her — forgetting about her heart’s disastrous misadventures as she loses herself in the natural beauty she has so far only glimpsed through a camera’s lens. But first she must photograph the mysterious and elusive ship designer T.H. Danvers and his awesome creations.

A MAN IN A MILLION: Travis Danvers is dangerous — a millionaire with an athlete’s body; an enigmatic charmer capable of breaking down Cat’s well-constructed defenses with a buccaneer’s arrogance and flourish. She knows she must resist him, for experience has taught her that pain is the eventual price of the pleasure to be found in the arms of such a man. But caught in the waves of a sensual sea, Cat hears sirens whisper seductively, telling her to abandon all caution; to trust and love Travis with all her soul, and to ride with him on the winds of forever.