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Monday, September 29, 2008

Monday Morning Reading....


Okay everyone, what are you reading this Monday Evening? Okay so I was going to post this earlier and I didn't get around to it. So what are you reading tonight? What are you looking forward to reading in October?


I'm reading TRIAL BY FIRE by Jo Davis, it's really good. I'm enjoying it alot.




hugs,

Wendyk

Saturday, September 27, 2008

And we have a Winner!


Congratulations to our Virginia Kantra Post winner, Amie Stuart. Please email me at highlandlovesong at yahoo dot com with your address information. Thank you again to Virginia Kantra for stopping by and visiting with us.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Author Katrina Wampler speaks about an Author Tour











I have been given the privilege of hosting a Christian Author Tour with some of the most amazing published authors in the industry and you're invited!!!

Our very first featured author will be Sharon Hinck, joining us September 27th at
http://www.katrinalwampler.com/. You will be able to view her past published works as well as her latest release. Sharon Hinck is the proud winner of the ACFW Book of the Year award at this year's conference. Be sure to stop by http://www.katrinawampler.wordpress.com/ to view her interview in its entirety through out the week of September 27 and October 3. Leave a comment for her to be considered for an autographed copy of one of her best selling novels.

Be sure to stop by regularly for updates on the next featured author. There will be a list of BLOGs that are following the tour as well giving you added opportunities to win a copy of my latest release A Hope and A Future. Be sure to stop in to meet the characters of A Hope and A Future as well as my upcoming novel (and sequel) Hopeless Tap Water.

We'll see you on the Christian Author Tour.

Katrina L Wampler




Thursday, September 25, 2008

Thursday.....

Today is Thursday and we have Virginia Kantra visiting us since Wednesday. I'd like to thank her for doing that. She is such a great author and person. But since it's Thursday and the weekend is almost here, I wondered what book is everyone looking forward to reading this weekend?

I have planned to read TRIAL BY FIRE by Jo Davis.

hugs,
WendyK

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra

August 2008
SEA FEVER
Dylan's story
Some heat cannot be quenched...
A desire for life...
Regina Barone knows something is missing from her life. She spends her days working in her mother's restaurant on the Maine island of World's End and her nights caring for her young son. When the island's only eligible bachelor marries another, Regina realizes that the love she yearns for isn't just going to appear by magic. Or is it?

A denial of blood...
Dylan Hunter has returned to World's End for his brother's wedding, but he is troubled by his human ties. Years ago, he chose his life as a selkie - an immortal being of the sea - over the fragile and treacherous emotions of humanity. The same emotions that destroyed his family, and that will strike at his very heart...

A danger to both...
Neither Regina nor Dylan can control their attraction to each other - or foresee its disastrous consequences. But their destiny has been foretold, and their fate will be decided in the stormy tides of water and fire, where only love can save them - and the world!

Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra


July 2008
SEA WITCH
Caleb's story
Berkley
ISBN 9780425221990
Her spell cannot be broken...From the water…
For years, Margred has gone without the touch of another. Now, her need has driven her beyond her world to sate her desire. For she is a Selkie-a legendary being of the sea, able to shapeshift into seductive human form. Finally, she has found the one man she wants…
From the land…
A burned out veteran of big city streets, Caleb Hunter was only too happy to take a job as police chief on the peaceful Maine island of World's End. Nothing ever happens in this tiny community bounded by the sea. Until he meets a woman who's everything he's ever dreamed of. And more…
To each other…
Their passion is undeniable. Irresistible. But when a murderer begins targeting women in World's End, Caleb must face the terrible possibility that the killings are somehow connected to the mysterious Margred - and that the power of their love may change the fate of human kind

Virginia Kantra on World Building






When you write paranormal romance, people talk about the world of your stories.

“A paranormal world that moves with the rhythm of the waves of the tide.” – Suzanne Brockmann
“A breathtaking new world.” - Lora Leigh
“A haunting new world of passion and danger.” - Nalini Singh

Which is wonderful! Except then you run the risk that people will actually ask you about your world building. I get asked, and I laugh. Actually, I cough nervously and try to pass it off as laughter.

I read books, published books, books I admire, with glossaries, charts, character notes, and prologues that set up these imaginatively conceived and beautifully executed worlds.
And that’s just the finished product. Talk to the authors, and they’ll tell you that in the writing stages they create even more elaborate lists, fact sheets, family trees, species traits, and special powers that would make a dungeon master drool. (“My hero is a fourth level Paladin with a Sword of Light and the ability to see in the dark when the moon is full.” Or whatever.)

All those charts and lists and notebooks are positively inspirational. Except…I don’t do them.

My story pitches to my editor go something like this:

ME: So, I thought I’d do this police chief on an island in Maine, okay? And he’s on the beach and he finds this beautiful naked woman who’s been attacked.

EDITOR: You want to write another romantic suspense.

ME: Um…No. Not exactly. I was thinking maybe the woman—the victim, you know?—I was wondering what would happen if she weren’t human.

EDITOR: Okay. What is she?

ME: Well, there are these Celtic folk legends about the selkie…

EDITOR: The what?

ME: Immortal beings who take the form of seals in the sea and take off their pelts to come ashore as beautiful naked men and women.

EDITOR: Naked is good.

ME: Yeah. So anyway, I thought maybe the heroine—Margred—would be selkie.

EDITOR: Your heroine is a seal.

ME: Well. Sort of. Except she comes ashore as a human for sex.

EDITOR: Sex is good.

ME: Usually.

EDITOR: So where does she live when she’s not on shore?

ME: I’m not sure.

EDITOR: Who attacked her?

ME: I don’t know yet. But I think it may be another elemental who wants to pin the blame on humankind.

EDITOR: Go for it.


Every detail, every plot twist, every complication after that, is driven by the characters and their situations.

I do try to incorporate as much original source material as I can. In Children of the Sea, I used the Orkney ballads of the selkie

http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/sulesk.htm
(“I am a man upon the land; I am a selchie on the sea”)

and structured the trilogy around an old sea shanty, “The Keeper of the Eddystone Light.”
http://home.comcast.net/~debee2/NNNS/Eddystone.html
(“of this union there came three…”)

Obviously, since all the details grow organically out of a basic premise—and then I’m stuck with them later on!--I try to keep things simple. As the characters and the series go on, however, new layers, new complications, and new dangers develop. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! In Sea Lord (May 2009), the underlying reason for the attack in Sea Witch (July 2008) is revealed. Who knew? And the prophecy in Sea Fever (August 2008) has a new and devastating twist.

I hope readers enjoy discovering the world of the children of the sea along with me.

Virginia Kantra
*Leave a comment for your chance to win a signed copy of SEA FEVER, Virginia's 2nd release in her Children of the Sea series. *

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Virginia Kantra....

We will have a special guest blogger tomorrow, Virginia Kantra. So be sure to stop by and chat with us.

hugs,
WendyK

Monday, September 22, 2008

Fall Into Reading Challenge


Okay how about we take part in this reading challenge? If you'd like to take part as well please visit:
http://http://www.callapidderdays.com/2008/09/fall-into-reading-2008-time-to-read.html

The Challenge starts today, September 22, 2008 and ends December 20, 2008. I'm hoping to get as many of these books read in that amount of time as possible. I'm trying to pick books I may not necessarily be in the mood to read.

My main list of books to read:

KISS OF FIRE by Deborah Cooke
CATCH OF THE DAY by Kristan Higgins
THE PRICE OF DESIRE by Jo Goodman
RACE TO THE ALTAR by Ron Benrey, Gloria Clover, Becky Melby & Cathy Wienke, Gail Sattler
COLTER'S WOMAN by Maya Banks
LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER by Toni Blake

My hopeful list:
PATRIOT PIRATES by Robert H. Patton
ON WRITING by Stephen King
HOW I WRITE by Janet Evanovich


I hope to get all these read before the deadline but we'll see how I do.

Let us know if you plan to take part in this challenge and keep us updated on how you are doing.

hugs to all,
WendyK

Saturday, September 20, 2008

And We Have a Winner!!!



Congratulations to our Karen Ranney blog post winner, Joy! Please email me your contact information, address and such so Karen can get your books out to you!

I hope you enjoy your prize, thanks for posting and be sure to check back often. Please stop back by and tell us what you think of the stories as well.

Send your information to Wendy at highlandlovesong@yahoo.com.

Enjoy the reads, they are great!

Thank you Karen for you time, and great books!

hugs,
WendyK

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Hi Karen Ranney

Welcome Karen! What an interesting Blog and my response is, I don't know if "hearing the words" in my head is a term that applies to me, but rather having the stories reappear in my head at any time is more like it. I've been an avid reader for forty plus years and I can remember tons and tons of books. The thing is the hilarious stories always pop in more than others and it usually happens when I'm on some form of public transportation. Riders use to look at me like I was nuts if I laughed out loud or giggled over some exchange between the main characters. I've take care of this though with the help of my IPOD. I have the earphones on almost always now and if a hysterical scene pops in my head I laugh and giggle till my hearts content because riders now assume I'm listening to something funny on the IPOD or watching a tv program I downloaded. It also works if an emotionally challenging story pops into my head. I don't have to explain the sad look or the watery eyes. People just assume I'm listening to a sad song.

THE DEVIL WEARS TARTAN by Karen Ranney

Synopsis
A man in the shadows
Some say he is dangerous. Others say he is mad. None of them knows the truth about Marshall Ross, the Devil of Ambrose. He shuns proper society, sworn to let no one discover his terrible secret. Including the beautiful woman he has chosen to be his wife.
A fallen woman
Only desperation could bring Davina McLaren to the legendary Edinburgh castle to become the bride of a man she has never met. Plagued by scandal, left with no choices, she has made her bargain with the devil. And now she must share his bed.
A fire unlike any they've ever known
From the moment they meet, Davina and Marshall are rocked by an unexpected desire that leaves them only yearning for more. But the pleasures of the marriage bed cannot protect them from the sins of the past. With an enemy of Marshall's drawing ever closer and everything they now cherish most at stake, he and Davina must fight to protect the passion they cannot deny.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Karen Ranney speaks on Word Noise



WORD NOISE

When I finish working for the day I’m exhausted. I’ll avoid the phone and anything that requires me to talk to another human being because I don’t want to hear anything else. Keep in mind, however, that I haven’t actually spoken to anyone all day – I’ve been working.

When I read, I hear the words in my mind. When I write, I hear words in the same way. I hear the rhythm of them, the cadence of them, and the music of them. I hear thoughts exactly the same way I hear words and at the end of the day I’m tired of word noise.

I once mentored some adults who were learning to read. One gentleman in particular always remains in my mind. He was in his sixties and wanted to learn to read so that he could read stories to his grandchildren. He sounded out the words aloud, and even after he became more proficient, continued to do so. One day he finally confided in me the reason why. “I don’t like to hear the words in my head,” he said.

Do you think that people who like to read have somehow become accustomed to the “words in their head”? Or that it’s a comforting feeling, something they crave? Is that the reason why, in one family, one child may love to read and another avoid it like it’s peas or broccoli?

Do writers hear too many words in their head? Are we poor souls who have to have some place to put all these words or we’ll go a little nuts?

When circumstances do prevent me from writing, even for a day or two, it’s like putting a car on blocks and revving the engine. In other words, the brain doesn’t stop manufacturing stories; it just lacks an acceptable creative outlet for them. So, the mole becomes cancer, the toenail fungus - leprosy, the late phone call – an accident, and the noncommittal response – something’s horribly, terribly, awfully wrong.

My family and friends have pleaded with me to always keep writing; it’s the only way to cope with the word noise in my head without driving them nuts.

*Post a comment to this blog post for your chance to win a signed copy of THE SCOTTISH COMPANION as well as THE DEVIL WEARS TARTAN * The Devil Wears Tartan will be mailed in October.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Blog Guests

Hello dear readers,
We will begin to have Blog Guests this week. They maybe authors, or they maybe others within the writing industry. Please be sure to check back to see who our guests are. Our first blog guest will be here this Wednesday, September 17th.

I hope you will stop by and offer a comment for your chance to chat with our guest and possibly win a book.

hugs,
WendyK

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Can a Metro man be an Alpha?

Okay over at trrcpublic yahoo group we are talking and it came up about Beta heroes, Alpha heroes and metro men. Now for me I can't see a Metro man as an Alpha hero. But then I prefer Alphas to all other types of heroes. So I'd love to know our readers thoughts. Can a Metro man still be Alpha?

And will an alpha allow a woman to dominate him in bed?

What are your thoughts? Do you think a metro man, you know one of those who's always neat, gets his nails done and so forth can be an Alpha?

Let's hear your thoughts,
WendyK

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sandra McCann?

Have you all seen the news about romance author Sandra McCann? Here is a link to the article.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5771263&page=1

What are your thoughts on this? Anyone read her books? What did you think of her writing?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on this issue.

hugs,
WendyK

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Okay so it's rainy here in NC..........

Okay so it's a rainy day here in my part of NC and I'm playing online and reading and just in general doing nothing. But it got me to wondering.....What do you most enjoy doing on rainy days? Any book(s) that you just know would make a perfect rainy day read? Do you like to watch/read scary movies/books when it's dark, rainy, chilly, and in general a day to stay inside?

Okay so spill what do you do on rainy days? (Anyone else got the song "Rainy Days and Mondays" running through their minds now?)

hugs,
Wendyk

Monday, September 08, 2008

Unleash Your Story

Hello all,
Please visit UNLEASH YOUR STORY and donate to a great cause. They are raising money for CFF. It a great charity and a wonderful event. Please do all you can to help out.

WendyK

Sunday, September 07, 2008

August Reading?

Okay let's see what you all are reading......what book is waiting on your bedside table? What book are you dying to buy in August? What book is one you hadn't planned to buy/read but you heard so much about it, or read a blog or whatever and decided to try it and loved it?

Also the TRRC site has been updated. Some great reviews are up.

Some great books there to choose from.

OKay let me see what book are you trying to read, but I keep interupting?

hugs,
Wendyk

Friday, September 05, 2008

September 2008 Releases "As"

Okay I'm going to try to do this. Here is a list of some releases in September 2008. Bear with me as I get the hang of this okay?

Here are the books I can find with authors who have last names that start with an "A". I will try to go from there to the Bs and so on. If you know of a book being released this Month I have left out, please let me know.

hugs,
WendyK

DESTINY BAY by Sarah Abbot
THE BRIDE OF CASA DRACULA by Marta Acosta
DRAGON ACTUALLY by G. A. Aiken
SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN by Victoria Alexander
GAME FOR SEDUCTION by Bella Andre
THE REDEEMING by Jennifer Ashley
JESSE’S CHALLENGE by Nicole Austin

And we have a Winner!!!!


Hello all, and a special congratulations to our winner of the signed copy of ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Our winner is:
Christy Foster!!!!!
Christy please email me at highlandlovesong at yahoo do com (highlandlovesong@yahoo.com) with your mailing address.
Congrats on winning!!!
hugs,
WendyK

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

I'm Sorry!

Hello all,
I'm soooo sorry for not being here. I've had a bad tooth issue, then the holiday and today got 2 teeth pulled. I will be back soon with updates, releases for the month of September, maybe a surprise guest, and I will post our winner of ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon shortly!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.

hugs,
WendyK