Nancy Lee Badger

What's in a name?

2012-01-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

I am very proud of my name. Even so, someone (many someones if memory serves) suggested I use different names when writing different genres. A genre, a writer term, is the type of story: paranormal, fantasy, Science Fiction, Women's Literature, Gothic, contemporary romance, and so on.

When I sold my first manuscript, a contemporary romance set mainly in New York City, I decided to write as Nancy Lennea, my pen name. Besides having written and sold SECRET LOVE MATCH, I was also writing and shopping a paranormal story set in historical Scotland that I called DRAGON'S CURSE. I didn't want my readers to be confused when they looked for a title.

Well, here it is six published stories later and I am living with a split personality! Nancy Lennea has published a contemporary romance and two romantic suspense novels. Nancy Lee Badger (the real me) has published two historical fiction and one contemporary military romance. See the problem?

If you look up either name on Amazon's author page, all you see are three books each. I am in the process of gathering all my titles under the Nancy Lee Badger name and author page. I am also waiting for my real name to replace my pen name on my latest release, LOVE TO THE RESCUE. My publisher, Red Rose Publishing, is with me. Some great things are happening concerning this book (currently an e-book) and I will explain more when I can go public.

For now, enjoy LOVE TO THE RESCUE and my other titles under either Nancy Lee Badger or Nancy Lennea and watch for my latest release SOUTHERN FRIED DRAGON.

Hello, Twitter!

2012-01-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

Since we are already 15 days into the New Year, I decided I do two things:

#1-Gain Twitter followers, and
#2-Give away a beautiful 2012 Calendar.

WIN THIS CALENDAR!

I am honoring 2012 as the year of the Olympics, which will be held in London, England. I will award a beautiful full-color Official 2012 Road to the Olympics Calendar to one lucky person who

(1) follows me on Twitter (if you are already following me, that is great) AND
(2) who leaves a comment below.

Please include an e-mail so I can contact the winner.

Available in e-book
http://amzn.to/AE07jW

I am a proud sponsor of USA Olympics Teams. In fact, the heroine of my book SECRET LOVE MATCH, is trying to earn a spot on the USA Tennis Team. Her dream is to represent her country at the next summer Olympics. will she do it? Guess you will have to read it to find out.

Nancy
Twitter me @NLBadger

Have a Happy Friday the 13th

2012-01-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

Did you know that 2012 is LUCKY enough to celebrate not one, not two, but THREE Friday the 13ths? Three happen every few years, actually. The last was in 2009, and the next is 2015. 2012 is extra special because it is a year where something will not re-occur until 2040: three 13ths landing on a Friday during a leap year.

The number 13 and Friday, found mentioned in mythological, spiritual and religious tradition, means something different to me…and my mom. She delivered me, her first child, around 8 o’clock, at night, on Friday the 13^th in the dark and dreary month of November.

For many pagans, 13 is a lucky number, because it corresponds with the number of full moons each year, but I celebrate them as extra birthdays. Birthdays I do not need to count toward my age. The older you get, the more you will understand. Trust me.

Friday the 13th can feel special, say some people. (scientists, I hear) Supposedly, during a 400-year period, the 13th falls on a Friday more than any other day: 688 times.

Whatever you believe, know that I am embracing the day and using the vibrant energy to clean out my files in preparation for filing my taxes. I believe there is a much scarier date in America…April 15^th!

Me, Lori Keizer, & Sarra Cannon at play.
(Trust me, we are very busy writers)

Nancy

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T12:03:00.000-05:00

I quick note to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my friends and relatives around the world.

Love y'all,

Nancy

A Southern Christmas

2011-12-23T13:39:00.003-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

While visiting my folks in Florida this month, I snapped this photo of Holiday decorations, Florida style. This home is on Country Club Drive at the Spruce Creek Fly-in, a gated community with its own airport, in Port Orange.

Click on the photo for a closeup of all those BALLS....
Ho, Ho, Ho!
Nancy

Family Diaries & a 1925 Meteor Sighting

2011-12-08T18:31:00.000-05:00

Rediscovering old, musty journals of long-dead family members was a treat. You never know what you will find!
Nancy

Dec. 8, 1885

Cold & pleasant. H* gone to Hardwick. Wm** don’t know where to go, but goes to the Bend this afternoon pleasant & cold. I iron, cut R*** a shirt, sew some. H comes home.
*H might be her son Harvey by Joseph Bean **Wm is her 2^nd husband William Folsom. ***R might be her son Russel.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 58)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died fighting in the Civil War

Dec. 8, 1925 South Fairlee, VT
32˚ a. Cloudy, some sun at noon, spit snow p.m. F.* & R. go to woods with both horses. I wash, mop, and help H. with barn chores, saw. Write to Willard J. Fisher, Harvard College Observatory about meteor.** Write to John C. Badger about our branch of family.
*F is her husband Frank (actually Benjamin Franklin Badger) R is her son Ralph. **newspaper clipping attached earlier where she wrote to paper about seeing the meteor on Nov. 5

Eva Bean Badger (age 62)

Dec. 8, 1932 Pittsfield, NH

Doctor calls to see Paul. Says he is overtired.
*Paul is my late father-in-law
Lester Bean Badger

Dec. 8, 1971 Peterboro, NH

Tommey ‘17* 24˚. Sunny. Change my bed & wash. Vac & dust mop all around. L** writes, does dishes & dusts. Cloudy in p.m. After naps L writes & I fold & put away clothes. Address some more cards.
*This is Dorothea Sawyer Badger, their daughter-in-law & it is her birthday. (my late mother-in-law) Her nickname is Tommey Sawyer. **L is his wheelchair-bound wife, Lillian Robinson, my husband’s grandmother.
Lester Bean Badger

TIME MARCHES ON

2011-11-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

The dairies and cash expenditure booklets came to us through my husband's family, and when our son visited the other day, he and I started sorting them. The astonished look on his face as he read the writer's name and the date, made me realize we'd found treasure!

I want to share these snippets of daily life, mostly in northern New England, and far from the 'easy life' we live today. Enjoy! Comments welcome.

Nancy

Spinning yarn

Nov. 30, 1887

I go to see G, have a minute to spin 2 skeins. Beautiful day, would like to go.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 60)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died in the Civil War

Nov. 30, 1923 South Fairlee, VT

Began raining middle of night and poured all day. R. & H. got breakfast & all churn 33# butter. I help & clean up things. Lester*, Lillian, & Paul drive up from Windsor in the rain, get here at noon. Awfully glad to see them. I mend & c. an keep H’s room. Nice letter from Jessie.
*Lester is her son, Lillian is Lester’s wife, & Paul is my late father-in-law
Eva Bean Badger (age 60)

Nov. 30, 1937 West Fairlee, VT

24˚a. Pleasant. R.* goes out with rifle in a.m. I sweep & dust mop. Jessie, May & daughter Rachel drive in just before 11, find me ironing curtains. They help me get them up. They bring tripe, angle (sic) cake, pt. oysters & crackers. Also grapes, go with venison, potatoes & pie & bread so we have plenty to eat. Have nice visit. Company leaves about 3:30. So glad to see our dear friends.
*R is her son Ralph.
Eva Bean Badger (age 74)

Nov. 30, 1971 Peterboro, NH

We get meals & that is about all. Get nice letter from Paul. 40˚ max. (note on this date printed in diary says “Have you ordered your diary for 1972?’ Have it.
*Paul is my late father-in-law.
Lester Bean Badger (age 78)

LIFE BACK WHEN...NEW ENGLAND STYLE

2011-11-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

Nov. 27 1874, West Wheelock, VT

Warmer. Wm & Harvey gone to Greensboro. Alin Ingalls & boy called here. Looks like rain.
*Wm is her 2^nd husband, William. Harvey is her son by Joseph Bean.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 47)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died in the Civil War

West Wheelock, Vermont

Nov. 27, 1888
Aggie washing. I knit some, cut Wm pants and go work in chamber, colder.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 61)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died in the Civil War

Nov. 27, 1914 South Fairlee, VT
Warm. Pleasant. Dad and I drive to Ordway place in a.m. deer hunting but see nothing but one doe. Get home at noon. I develop pictures in p.m. and we lead heifer to Turner’s. Dad & mother drive with me to station at 7:35, Arrive here at 8:45 p.m.
Lester Bean Badger (age 21)

Nov. 27, 1925 South Fairlee, VT
28˚a. Begins to snow before 7 a.m. and keeps it up all day. High wind. F. & R. get ready for woods but storm prevents so they go with cutter & F. gets chains & bolts at Wilson’s. R. goes for feed. Bertha came with him and sweep his room and mend. Take things easy. Finish letter to Mrs. Nobb that I began last Tuesday. Card from Lillian.
*F is her husband Frank (actually Benjamin Franklin Badger) R is her son Ralph, Lillian Robinson is son Lester’s wife.
Eva Bean Badger (age 62)

A TREASURE TROVE OF FAMILY HISTORY

2011-11-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

The dairies and cash expenditure booklets came to us through my husband's family, and when our son visited the other day, he and I started sorting them. The astonished look on his face as he read the writer's name and the date, made me realize we'd found treasure!
This is one reason why I am sharing these snippets of daily life, mostly in northern New England, and far from the 'easy life' we live today.

Enjoy! Comments welcome.

Nancy

West Wheelock, looking toward Greensboro, Vermont

Nov 22 1874 West Wheelock, VT
Pleasant, 10 degs above zero. Don’t go to meeting. Russel gone to meeting. Very nice evening.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 47)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died in the Civil War

Nov 22 1937 West Fairlee, VT

22˚ Ground a bit white with snow. Spits snow some during day. Fluvia about, sick with cold. No callers. F & I read and think.
Eva Bean Badger (age 74)

Nov 22 1969 Peterborough, NH

17˚ Clear & cold NW wind. We shop some. L gets dress from Ward’s.
Lester Bean Badger (age 76)

Nov 22 1972 Peterborough, NH

13˚ sunny. 10: Haircut. I shop a bit. L doesn’t get out of car. Goes to bed when we have had a bit to eat. She feels some better in eve & eats good supper. Listen to Celtics * in eve.
*Boston Celitcs Basketball team
Lester Bean Badger (age 79)

ON OPENING A FAMILY TIME CAPSULE

2011-11-21T13:09:00.000-05:00

While cleaning out a small room next to the kitchen, searching for my turkey roaster pan, I stumbled across a storage bin filled with musty journals. Packed away through two house moves, I knew they were there. Unfortunately, I never seemed to find the time to really look at them.

The dairies and cash expenditure booklets came to us through my husband's family, and when our son visited the other day, he and I started sorting them. The astonished look on his face as he read the writer's name and the date, made me realize we'd found treasure!

I want to share these snippets of daily life, mostly in northern New England, and far from the 'easy life' we live today. Enjoy! Comments welcome.

Nancy

Nov 21 1872 Wheelock, VT

Pleasant and not very cold. Going down to Freemans to see Esther is quite slim with a cold. Dutton came to hire a teacher. Eva gone home with Julia Knit most a mitten
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 45)
*she remarried after Joseph Abner Bean died in the Civil War

Nov 21 1879 Wheelock, VT
Cold wind blows, hard snow flies all over. Sick. Harvey gone up to Mr. Nutts. Me cut and salt the pork.
Lodema Kingsbury Bean Folsom (age 52)

Nov 21 1900 Danville, VT
Cloudy, warm. R. harlowe (sic) in a.m. I clean shed-room. F + boys chop. 3 p.m. rain + severe wind, some thunder.
Ralph Badger (age 11)

Nov 21 1909 Danville, VT
Cloudy and warm Snow all gone. F & L putter around barn all a.m. I write to Eliza.
Eva Lodema Badger (age 46)

Nov 21 1932 Pittsfield, NH

Cloudy + cold. Chichester in a.m. Pittsfield in p.m. P teacher meeting at 4 to plan PTA mtg. Work until 2:35 a.m. +24˚
Lester Bean Badger (age 39)
* my husband's grandfather, who I met in 1973

HUG A VETERAN

2011-11-04T15:44:00.002-04:00

November 11th is Veteran's Day here in America. This year it lands on 11*11*11. The signifigance is not lost on many. The celebration is always held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This year will be the first time all the numbers line up.

Speaking of lining up, I plan to watch my son march in our local parade with his fellow reservists. I cannot help being proud, and came across this quote. Unless you are in the military, or are part of a military family, or the mother of a soldier (like me), these words might not mean much. I hope you read them, feel them, and thank a soldier.

My son Eric is on the far right!

Theirs is not to make reply. Theirs is not to reason why, Theirs is but to do and die. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson

ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS. DO IT!

2011-10-31T14:48:00.000-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined. This is great news! And the relief of knowing you are okay is sweet and worth the few minutes of discomfort!

I had my annual mammogram last Thursday. Since I left last year with an appointment card in my hand, I knew this day was coming for 12 months. No, it is not my favorite exam, but I believe the peace-of-mind is worth the time it takes to drive to the clinic, and have the test. I have had mammograms for over 20 years because I have lost too many friends as well as a beloved aunt to breast cancer.

I have many more books to write. Having the test on Thursday, and recieving the letter stating I am cancer-free on Saturday made my weekend. Knowing I am healthy is one more stress removed. October is Breast Cancer awareness month, so get your mammogram today!

Nancy

WHAT TO DO BEFORE A FIRE

2011-10-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

October is National Fire Prevention Month so I thought I would share this important information with my readers, courtesy of FEMA at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/fire/fire_before.shtm

The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property in the event of a fire:

Smoke Alarms

Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease your chances of dying in a fire by half.
Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence. Place them outside bedrooms on the ceiling or high on the wall (4 to 12 inches from ceiling), at the top of open stairways, or at the bottom of enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the kitchen.
Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms once every 10 years.

Escaping the Fire

Review escape routes with your family. Practice escaping from each room.
Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut. Make sure security gratings on windows have a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.
Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level, and ensure that burglar bars and other antitheft mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened from the inside.
Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air is safer in a fire) when escaping from a fire.
Clean out storage areas. Do not let trash, such as old newspapers and magazines, accumulate.

Flammable Items

Never use gasoline, benzine, naptha, or similar flammable liquids indoors.
Store flammable liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated storage areas.
Never smoke near flammable liquids.
Discard all rags or materials that have been soaked in flammable liquids after you have used them. Safely discard them outdoors in a metal container.
Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top. The chimney should be at least three feet higher than the roof. Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.

Heating Sources

Be careful when using alternative heating sources.
Check with your local fire department on the legality of using kerosene heaters in your community. Be sure to fill kerosene heaters outside, and be sure they have cooled.
Place heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials. Make sure the floor and nearby walls are properly insulated.
Use only the type of fuel designated for your unit and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Store ashes in a metal container outside and away from your residence.
Keep open flames away from walls, furniture, drapery, and flammable items.
Keep a screen in front of the fireplace.
Have heating units inspected and cleaned annually by a certified specialist.

Matches and Smoking

Keep matches and lighters up high, away from children, and, if possible, in a locked cabinet.
Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated. Provide smokers with deep, sturdy ashtrays. Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.

Electrical Wiring

Have the electrical wiring in your residence checked by an electrician.
Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs.
Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails, or across high-traffic areas.
Do not overload extension cords or outlets. If you need to plug in two or three appliances, get a UL-approved unit with built-in circuit breakers to prevent sparks and short circuits.
Make sure insulation does not touch bare electrical wiring.

Other

Sleep with your door closed.
Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your residence and teach family members how to use them.
Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence.
Ask your local fire department to inspect your residence for fire safety and prevention

Also, in case of a fire, don’t be a hero…call 9-1-1 and wait for the people better trained to deal with the dangers of smoke and fire. Be safe!

Nancy, former EMT, Firefighter, and 9-1-1 Dispatcher,
now author of
LOVE TO THE RESCUE
Available from Red Rose Publishing
and Amazon

1st Two Pages of LOVE TO THE RESCUE

2011-09-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

“Miller! Grab the pike and check those walls,” Josie’s partner yelled. Pete Thayer’s order, muffled by his facemask, rumbled low and gruff. She cringed. Couldn’t he see she’d already grabbed the hooked pole? Irritated, she cursed beneath her helmet. I know what to do.

Training for firefighters in this neck of the woods was thorough. She’d fought many a chimney fire before he showed his handsome face in her town. She ignored him, but stopped to give their record keeper her name and tag number before she headed for the stairs. With all this smoke, he probably didn’t see the pike in her gloved hand. Should I give him the benefit of the doubt?

Josie trudged up the stairs, her heavy fire boots thudding on the bare treads. The house was mostly wood, inside and out, a tinderbox ready to ignite if they couldn’t snuff out the fire inside the chimney in time. Her helmet weighed a ton and her arms felt cocooned in a bearskin. Her turnout coat and pants held in her body heat and made her climb seem twice as toasty. Gloved fingers slid along the rail as the stairway turned toward the third floor. The hundred–year–old–home’s central chimney meant every wall touching it needed venting to check for spreading cinders. Other firefighters climbed ladders to the roof to fight a frontal assault.

The owner acknowledged the old chimney lacked a ceramic lining. Ancient bricks settle or deteriorate over the decades, leaving air spaces where thick, flammable creosote lodged until just the right moment. The sticky tree sap congealed over time until it finally ignited. Who knows how much of the internal chimney—and adjacent walls—could be next?

Josie stumbled on the last step. She grabbed the banister before falling to her knees. She’d rather Pete Thayer didn’t witness her awkwardness. He’d stick her in the basement next time. Hunched over in a low–ceilinged dirt floor cellar while shoveling hot cinders from a flaming chimney’s clean–out made her terribly claustrophobic.

She reached her assigned area and located the wall on the north side. Smoke seeped into the halls from somewhere. The haze was barely penetrable. The owner stated the house had no fireplaces on this level, so she searched for another heat source near the open hallway. Thick gray smoke hovered near the ceiling. Clenching her fingers, she forced them straight then removed one glove. She swept her fingers along brittle wallpaper and handcrafted wooden door casements. No extreme heat here.

Slipping the glove back on, she entered the first room on her list. The small bedroom contained a single bed, stripped of its coverings. A mesmerizing swirl of smoke drifted in from somewhere. She looked at the windows then back at the bed. Through the smoky vapors, its striped cotton–tick surface rippled and heaved as if someone gently shook its frame. Gripping the top of her helmet, she arched her back and looked up.

"Damn."

Hope you enjoyed this 'tease'

from my latest romantic suspense

LOVE TO THE RESCUE

available NOW from

Red Rose Publishing

Nancy

CONTEST! Win a Hiking Bottle Holder!

2011-09-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

As an author, I want toreward my readers so I came up with this easy contest. The winner will receive thisGreen & Black Bottle Holder with strap. It is the perfect companion for ahike up a mountain while fall leaves are bursting with color. Yes, autumn ishere. The air is growing crisp and the trees are changing color. Even if you livein a desert or the plains, or even on a beach, this hiking buddy will keep yourbeverage cold.

To win, follow thesesimple steps:

Available NOW

My EMT Patch, well-earned!

Click on the Red RosePublishing Website and find the answer to this question, hidden in the Book Blurb:

When outsideinfluences come to play, what does Pete plan to do?

That’s it! No purchasenecessary, open to residents of USA & Canada (because I have to ship the darn thing) and the bottle is NOT included. Buy your own because you'll probably think of something BETTER than water.

Type your answer in thecomment box.

The contest ends Sunday September 25^th. Good luck!

Nancy

DRAGON IN THE MIST Release Day!

2011-08-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

I keep busy, and have been fortunate to have released TWO NEW BOOKS this month! DRAGON IN THE MIST is a Loch Ness fantasy romance. It is available on Amazon and will be available at Barnes & Noble's e-book site soon.

BOOK BLURB

Life without love is not worth living.

Nessía of the Loch has lived beneath the murky water of Loch Ness since ancient times. The pain of loneliness manifests in anger so strong, the entire valley shakes with earthquakes. In 1816, a Faerie queen pleads for her to cease the tremors and rewards Nessía with a human form. To stay human, she must find love. When the man she believes she loves casts her aside, Nessía responds to the betrayal by cursing the men of the MacDonald clan with the inability to keep a woman’s love. Only an act of true selflessness will break the curse.

After centuries pass, Nessía again searches for love. When Rory Hawthorn, an American scientist, arrives under the pretext of researching the earthquakes but in reality to research his MacDonald heritage and the curse, she believes she has found the perfect mate.

Amid stolen kisses, another earthquake, a steamy night of passion, and a broken heart, Nessía returns to the murky depths of the loch. When Rory dives in to follow her, he meets the green, scaly Loch Ness Monster. Assuming Nessía is in danger, he is intent on killing the monster and saving the woman he loves.

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/nNpfNV

Nancy

CONTEST! Win a prize!

2011-08-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

In celebration of the recent release of my latest romantic suspense, LOVE TO THE RESCUE, I am offering a small but very useful prize to one commenter. All you have to do is:

CLICK HERE to go to the Red Rose Publishing buy page.

Read the excerpt and find any THREE WORDS that catch your eye.

Return to this blog and type those THREE WORDS in the comment box.

That's all! No purchase necessary, though I would hope you would consider buying a copy of my e-book.

The prize is a SanDisk 4 GB Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive that any author or reader will find many uses for. I will choose ONE winner from all comments left between now and September 5^th, LABOR DAY. Open to those with mailing addresses within the United States or Canada. I will notify the winner via e-mail for a mailing address.

Nancy

LOVE TO THE RESCUE: release day & a great book review

2011-08-12T12:17:00.000-04:00

LOVE TO THE RESCUE, the continuing mountain saga that I started with last fall's DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN, is now out!

BOOK BLURB

The clashing relationship between tomboy Josie Miller and fellow paramedic-firefighter, Pete Miller, escalates after he realizes Joe is not just one-of-the-boys. Pete has a sketchy history and has earned a reputation for one-night stands in the small town of Parmenter, New Hampshire nestled between the Mercy River, the mountains, and the small college. Since he arrived a year ago, Josie suspects he is hiding something. Something too horrible to share, even with her. Working side by side, Joe loves her job, and Pete.

They respond to accident calls, medical emergencies, and fast-moving forest fires amid sparks of another kind. Joe’s clumsiness and baggy uniform work against her when she yearns to be the kind of woman Pete wants like the pretty blonde they must rescue after her car hits a moose.

Outside influences come to play when the sister of Pete’s alleged victim shows up and accuses him of something even worse…her sister’s recent death. Once on track to be a doctor, the sister’s betrayal and lies caused Pete to run far away and keep women at a distance unless they agreed to share his bed…and nothing more.

Pete plans to skip town while Josie worries she has given her heart to a monster. A suicide note, some well-landed fists, stolen moments of love, and a desire to listen to their hearts lead these two heroes toward a climax filled with tension, pain, bloodshed, and atonement.

BOOK REVIEW

Now out from Babs Book Bistro. Check it out!

LOVE TO THE RESCUE is now available for download from Red Rose Publishing.

LET RESEARCH BE A WALK IN THE PARK!

2011-07-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

Temperatures in our area in central North Carolina have hovered around 100 degrees for more than a week. Makes writing inside in air conditioned comfort the thing to do, but when the cool breezes returns, I’ll be talking a walk. I think when I walk. I think when I dream. I think when I am sitting in the doctor’s office. Sometimes, though, I need help.
Where does a writer come up with their story? Some claim images appear in their heads or they find an interesting subject, one they want to share with the world. A plot concept needs to fill enough pages to have a sellable piece of work.

This is where research comes in. Dreadful as that sounds, you can turn it around by listening to your characters. Say, what? Just listen! Your characters can help. What is their background? Their values? Their imperfections? How can you layer a story with emotion, action, conflict and more if you haven’t answered these questions?

For instance: in my contemporary romance, SECRET LOVE MATCH, I wanted my heroine to be good at something. Tennis came to mind. Why tennis? I remembered the tennis lessons my parents provided in my youth. I swung a tennis racket in high school and college, too.

It was the simple fact that I liked tennis that led me to research the rules of the game and the summer Olympics. How did my heroine feel when she raised her racket to play against the handsome hero who just introduced himself and asked her to play? I could relate.

My hero takes her to a museum on their ‘first date’. He remembered when he was younger he visited the Hayden Planetarium, part of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I remember frequent class trips to various New York museums and the Hayden Planetarium was a favorite. Research on the internet let me find photos, descriptions, history, and even its street location so I could knowledgably pepper my story with fact.

A walk in the park? Not always. In my latest romantic suspense novels, DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN and LOVE TO THE RESCUE, my heroes and heroines either meet on a mountain trail or in a fire department in the middle of rural New Hampshire. I was born and raised in New York, but graduated from a New Hampshire college in a little town nestled between a beautiful river and glorious mountains. I married and raised a family.

I’ve hiked those mountains, swam in the rivers, and fished. I used these memories to give my books desirable backgrounds for my characters. I also used my knowledge as a former EMT and firefighter to make the rescue scenes realistic. If I didn’t have first-hand knowledge of small town emergency departments and ambulance capabilities, I would have researched these via the internet, my local library, or by brainstorming with friends still living in the area.

Still think writing a story about what is in your heart is tough? Of course it is, but not impossible. I’ve wanted to visit Scotland ever since meeting the man I eventually married. We now volunteer at a large annual Scottish Highland Games held in New England and have used my experience to plot a time travel story set partly at the games. Someday, we will head over to Scotland.

I learned gathering research can be a long, yet enjoyable process. I had no idea I’d be an author one day. Luckily, my brain filed away the beauty of the mountains, the quaint historic village at the games, the sound of bagpipes, and the smell of haggis and shortbread. I used these memories to enhance my story. When my Scottish paranormal was released, I had set DRAGON’S CURSE on an island I discovered while doing research. I’d love to visit an island like Staffa or Skye. Then I’ll absorb enough atmosphere to create dozens of other stories.

What I am trying to say is that research can be fun. Take a walk. Visit a museum. Remember a moment in your life where you experienced something new, wonderful, sad, or life changing. The best stories start in your heart, not in your head. Be it your heart, your mind, or the park…take a walk!

Portions of this article by me were posted Sept. 8, 2010 on the Savvy Authors Blog.
Nancy

Tornado Gone, Destruction remains

2011-07-21T14:36:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, my sister and I traveled a little south of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina to the Farmer's Market. The sun was high, and the stalls were full of vegetables, fruit, plants, and baked goods.

I swiftly bypassed the German bakery goods (with reluctance) and finally choose corn, peaches, squash, onions, and a sweet potatoes. I had promised myself (and my doctor) to eat healthy. With all the bounty available, there is NO EXCUSE not to eat right.

When we left, I asked my sister to stop so I could take a photo of a building barely across the field and street from the Farmer's Market. Less than 1/4 mile away, the building was shuttered. It took me a second to realize this was one of the victims of the recent April tornadoes.

The irony of this aluminum company peeled open like a sardine can faded when I realized this property had been a thriving business; owned by someone, an employer of many, many people.

My sister and I talked about how lucky we were not to have such damage to our homes and places of employment. On the way home I took a photo of the Raleigh skyline. Things go on.

We have entered hurricane season so we will check our supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water and get ready. Raleigh is far inland but can feel the effects. Always be prepared.

Here's a link to a list of items you should keep on hand in an emergency, curtesy of the American Red Cross.

Virginia Kantra-RWA RITA Winner!

2011-07-11T11:39:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to a lovely, talented woman who is a long-time member of Romance Writers of America and the local chapter, Heart of Carolina Romance writers. I met her at my first meeting when I moved to the south from New Hampshire. The meeting was in December, so it was a party atmosphere held at the home of another member, NY Times Best Selling Author, Liz Carlyle. To say I had stars in my eyes is an understatement! I was a new, unpublished writer who knew NO ONE. Who sat down beside me on the over-sized ottoman? Virginia!

I listened as she gushed over her new Children of the Sea series. When I heard the books were set in Maine, I perked up. Been there!

Last Saturday, Virginia returned from NYC, and the annual RWA conference, with a new friend in tow...her RITA award! Virginia has been nominated a fantastic NINE times. We are so very proud of her for earning one of the highest awards given to a published member of Romance Writers of America. Congratulations!

If you would like to know more about Virginia and her books, here is her information taken (borrowed!) from her website:

USA Today bestselling author Virginia Kantra credits her love for strong heroes and courageous heroines to a childhood spent devouring fairy tales.

The author of more than twenty books, Virginia is an eight-time finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards and the winner of numerous industry honors, including two National Readers' Choice Awards. After writing her popular "MacNeill Brothers" and "Trouble in Eden" category series, Virginia turned her hand to single title romance. Her new series, Children of the Sea, continues with Immortal Sea in bookstores now!

Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of three kids, Virginia is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love.

Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations!

Again, congratulations to Virginia and to our other Golden Heart award nominees. Heart of Carolina Romance Writers is one talented pool of men and women who meet monthly in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nancy

FIVE HEART REVIEW!

2011-07-08T17:42:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to show you the five heart review of DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN by the very busy, highly rated review site, THE ROMANCE STUDIO. Here is what they said about my romantic suspense set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, along with the book blurb:

Destiny Blake was enjoying the pleasant atmosphere that the mountain had to offer, not to mention some relaxing time in the splendid water. She never imagined someone would appear, on the mountain, but once she makes direct eye contact with Jacob Oliver, her heart instantly melts. Jacob has his own problems, he wishes to escape. With thoughts of an ex-wife, and no longer with the Boston Police, his life hadn't been too much to really wake up to everyday. After spotting the beautiful Destiny, in the water, he accidentally falls and injures himself. It was almost like kismet bringing them together. Just when it seems that Jacob has discovered the one woman to repair his broken life, Destiny finds herself in danger. Will Jacob be able to rescue her so they can have the life that fate meant them to have, or is happiness no longer in his path?

I absolutely love how two people have that certain gaze when their eyes contact each other, and know they are the one they want. Destiny's Mountain demonstrates that kind of story with two believable and refreshing characters. They touch upon the reader's heart and make them want to root for them, from the first page to the last. This sensational read allows the wide range of emotions, and expressions, to be displayed in every encounter permitting Destiny and Jacob to leap out, not only engaging the reader, but pulling them into the wonderful adventures that lie ahead. Nancy Lennea skillfully paints a portrait where the reader can envisage the beautiful scenery while sharing in the sights, sounds, and even feel the cold, not only in the air, but between the players and their exciting encounters. With a great display of action, romance, suspense and wonderful chemistry, this story is indeed awesome.

Overall rating: 5 Hearts

Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Here is the direct link to The Romance Studio

Me visiting my folks' home in Port Orange, Florida. Back to writing!

DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN is available for download from Red Rose Publishing, Amazon, AllRomanceEBooks, and others.

Yes, I must get back in the groove and get to Writing!
Nancy

BLOG CHAIN INTERVIEW of Nancy Lennea

2011-06-22T10:50:00.000-04:00

Rumney Fire Department

I was invited to participate in my very first Blog Chain, this one made up of members of my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. How could I resist? The men and women of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers are a great bunch of people and this sounded like a great opportunity for me. I write under two names, so today’s post will be my alter ego, Nancy Lennea, answering questions thrown at me by a character from my next book, LOVE TO THE RESCUE.

An interview BY a character you say? Yes! I can already see the possibilities even before I hear the questions. I will do my best to keep the conversation P-G, since my book’s hero has insisted on stepping up to the plate. As you will find out in the book, Pete Thayer is NOT a boy scout, especially with the secret he carries.

The Character:

Paramedic firefighter Pete Thayer arrived in the small New Hampshire community of Parmenter about a year ago. His partner, Josie, suspects he is hiding something. Once on track to be a doctor, a woman’s lies ruined everything for Pete, which is why he keeps women at a distance unless they agree to share his bed…and nothing more.

The Interview:

After what I’ve heard about Pete from the gossip making the rounds all over town, I agreed to meet him in a very public place…the firehouse on Parmenter’s Main street. I pull into the lot and wave to other firefighters who are keeping the summer sun’s heat at bay by hosing down the fire truck…and each other. Ooh, my heart be still. They had removed their shirts, and the water cascading over sun-kissed muscles is making me feel faint. I hope Pete keeps his shirt on, or this could turn into one uncomfortable interview.

I find Pete sipping coffee at the kitchen table. He stands and gestures to a chair.

“Coffee?” he asks.

“Sure. A little cream, please,” I say with a shy smile. He IS good looking!

“No sugar?”

“I’m sweet enough, my husband says,” I add, letting him know up front that I am taken. I must remind myself, too. He smiles as if reading my mind. When he slides his trim 6’ frame into the ladder-back kitchen chair, I take a moment to drink in his tanned profile. Sandy-blond hair and golden eyebrows nearly hide his baby blues. I am such a sucker for blue eyes. I swallow.

“So, ready?”

What did he say? Ready for what? I gain control over my breathing once again and concentrate on his light blue paramedic shirt and brass nametag. I’d glanced at his navy blue uniform slacks with many pockets and several tools. A flashlight? A radio? He wore much the same things I carried when I volunteered on the Rumney F.A.S.T. Squad.

“Ready when you are,” I answered.

“Well, Nancy, rumor has it that you were a volunteer firefighter. True?”

“Yes. I joined the rescue squad first. I have always wanted to be in medicine but never got around to it, and I saw this as a great opportunity. My kids were now old enough to be left unattended when the pager went off. Poor Eric, my youngest.” A laugh erupts and I slap a hand over my mouth. Pete reaches across the table and pulls it away, the heat from his fingers dancing over my skin. Why aren’t these buildings air-conditioned?

“What about Eric? I heard you have two sons?”

“Rob’s my oldest. I didn’t want him stuck baby-sitting his brother, so I waited until Eric turned 10 to join the Rumney New Hampshire Volunteer Fire Department. Several times I had to stop the car and tell him to walk home, or I was late picking him up from sports, or he actually drove to an accident scene with me. He was a trooper and allowed his mother to help others. Both boys were proud of me and the little red light on my white Dodge Caravan!”

“What about the fire department? Isn’t that tough on women?”

“Don’t let Josie hear that!”

Pete had the smarts to blush. “You’re right. Joe is great and as hard-working as any of the guys.”

“But, you DO know she isn’t a guy.” I was worried Pete wasn’t taking advantage of someone who wanted him with every beat of her heart. I’d spoken to Josie just the other day and she couldn’t stop talking about her partner, Pete. Ah, well, love is wasted on the young.

“Well, sure, but I don’t see her as a woman. True, her hair usually smells great, unless we’re fighting a forest fire. And her chocolate-brown eyes make my head swim, when they aren’t hidden by her safety visor.” Pete squirmed in his seat and wouldn’t look at me. He sipped his coffee, then grimaced.

“Gone cold.” He jumped from his seat and poured another cup, giving me a chance to look. Something akin to a bulge filled the front of his slacks. Me thinks the man protests too much. He does like Josie! Well, well, well.

“I take it you’re married?”

“Who, me? Yes. Very. Thirty-five years, actually.”

“To the same guy?” His look of incredulity makes me squirm in my seat. Luckily, I am not one to keep quiet when insulted.

“What? You don’t believe a virile man like my Richard would want to spend a lifetime with a woman like me?” The tips of my ears are burning, and probably turning red. Now I see why Pete has few friends. The man speaks before thinking.

“Whoa, Nancy. I meant no insult! I personally cannot conceive waking up each day to the same woman. Not that you aren’t the perfect woman for…Richard.”

“I guess you have to hope that you someday find the woman who makes waking up beside her worth your while,” I add.

“Okay, let’s change the subject. You have several books out and I want to know more about your latest release, LOVE TO THE RESCUE.”

“Thank-you. Yes, I have four titles out under either Nancy Lennea or Nancy Lee Badger, and my two websites and blogs keep me busy, while I keep writing. LOVE TO THE RESCUE follows my September 2010 release of DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN.

This current book is the continuous mountain saga also set in the small college town of Parmenter, New Hampshire. I have brought two characters from my last book forward, because their relationship and their profession as paramedic firefighters made them an obvious choice for adventure and intrigue. Secrets, mountain rescues, car accidents, and forest fires keep my readers turning the pages.”

“What about sex?”

My throat spasms. No air. What is Pete asking? Well, ask him, you fool. “What about sex?”

“Is there sex in your book? I happen to like hot and steamy love scenes.”

“Well, yes there are a few, but since my heroine is…let’s just say NOT a player…her relationship with the man of her dreams is a long time coming. He, he.”

“Okay, where can your readers buy your book?”

“LOVE TO THE RESCUE, my romantic suspense, will be available from Red Rose Publishing on July 14th.”

“Tell your readers more about YOU.” Pete winks, clasps my hand in his, and leans closer. Thank goodness there is a solid wood table between us. “At least, I want to know more.”

“Anything you say, handsome. I grew up on New York's Long Island then earned a Bachelor of Science degree at a small state college amid the mountains of New Hampshire. My husband and I settled in a tiny rural town nearby. I worked many years as a 9-1-1 emergency medical dispatcher and we now live in North Carolina where I write full-time. I am a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime. I invite my readers to check out the other HCRW members being interviewed by their characters. "

"Is that all?"

"Oh, well, I would love readers to follow me on Twitter. I am @NLBadger."

Full list of participants:

Aimee Laine : http://www.aimeelaine.com/blog/

Lyla Dune : http://lyladune.com/blog.html

Carol Strickland : http://carolastrickland.blogspot.com/

Amy Corwin : http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/

Lilly Gayle : http://www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com/

Rebekkah Niles : http://juturnafaerthing.blogspot.com/

Laura Browning : http://www.laurabrowningbooks.blogspot.com/

Andris Bear : http://andrisbear.wordpress.com/

Marcia Colette : http://marciacolette.wordpress.com/

Nancy Badger (ME!) : http://www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com/

Sarah Mäkelä : http://blog.sarahmakela.com/

Jennifer Harrington : http://www.romanceadventures.blogspot.com/

Scott Berger : http://romanticadventurestories.wordpress.com/

Interview with author STARLA KAYE

2011-06-19T04:01:00.000-04:00

Nancy: Today I’m interviewing Starla Kaye. Her book, Maggie’s Secret Wish, is a contemporary erotic romance and was released on June 10, 2011 by Decadent Publishing. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Starla: MAGGIE’S SECRET WISH is my first published work with Decadent Publishing. It is part of their 1 Night Stand series involving a high-end, very expensive matching service run by Madame Evangeline. She is a bit magical, with a knack for finding the perfect matches for frustrated people seeking help in the relationship part of their lives, even if only for one night. She has a personal goal of making long-term love matches. When I first learned about this basic background series story line, I loved it. I am always up for trying something new, dabbling in a new romance sub-genre.

My particular story in the series, MAGGIE’S SECRET WISH, is contemporary erotic romance and involves a light step into BDSM. The heroine has suffered through disastrous relationships and while she is a sensual/sexual person, she is reluctant to get into the dating world again. Her history at choosing the “right” man isn’t good. But lately not only has she become more sexually frustrated but also she has started having dreams with a “naughty” nature. She has become curious about the world of spanking, not that she wants to try anything too harsh. Then after being badgered by a friend to at least try Madame Evangeline’s matching service, she dares to make contact by email. I won’t go into detail here, but let’s say her dreams are more than met.

Nancy: Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?

Starla: As I said, this particular story in the series is contemporary erotic romance and involves a light step into BDSM. I have written a lot of novels and novellas with such a combined focus: romance and varying degrees of BDSM. In this what I call “spanking romance” sub-genre, I have written contemporary, contemporary Western, historical Western, Medieval, Pirate, and Sci-Fi story lines. I also write contemporary romantic suspense and paranormal romance.

Nancy: When did you start writing toward publication?

Starla: I started writing toward publication about fifteen years ago, but actually started publishing novels and novellas with online publishers eleven years ago. My first book, Tug of Love, was published through iUniverse in 2000 and is still available. It was a sweet romance, particularly compared to what I mainly publish today. I did try to get it published through the print publishing houses, although I really only tried Harlequin/Silhouette. The editors I dealt with there were very patient with me and offered great suggestions, but we didn’t see eye-to-eye on some elements of the story. After the frustrations of going back and forth trying to come to agreement on story elements and then having it ultimately rejected, I decided that I didn’t want to go that publishing route again. It takes too long. I made the decision to keep on honing my writing skills and find other routes to getting published. I am extremely happy being an ebook published author, with a number of Print-On-Demand books also available.

Nancy: Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

Starla: I’m pretty sure that most writers have a supply of manuscripts they have sent out, had rejected, and finally buried under the bed or wherever. I have several manuscripts like that. But a few of my early romances have had their basic story lines or characters resurrected into new stories that have been published. No matter how pitiful some a writer’s early works are, they are still near and dear to our heart.

Nancy: What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

Starla: It isn’t enough for a writer to write a good story that someone is willing to publish. I am fortunate enough to have publishers who arrange to sell my novels and novellas at a number of places, including Amazon, Lulu, Barnes & Noble, Bookstrand, All Romance Ebooks, Fictionwise, and Lightning Books. Still that isn’t enough. An author needs to spend a good deal of time arranging to be a guest blogger on a book review site or another author’s website, take part in blog tours, be a responsive member of some Yahoo group loops, offer the occasional contest, update your website or blogsite, update your Facebook page, Tweet occasionally, and much more. It can be exhausting and overwhelming. But I enjoy most of it, although Tweeting and Facebooking sometimes boggles my weary mind.

Nancy: Which is why you are a welcome guest here, and I why I will be visiting your blog on August 31st! Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?

Starla: I belong to RWA (Romance Writers of America), WARA (Wichita Area Romance Authors), and KWA (Kansas Writers Association), a multi-genre writers group. RWA is a professional organization that I get some occasional help from. WARA and KWA are local writers’ organizations where I get valuable networking with published and unpublished authors who share similar frustrations and experiences. I also belong to EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection), which has an annual conference and other networking possibilities. And I recently joined EAA (Erotic Authors Association).

Nancy: Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

Starla: Don’t give up if this something you really want. Keep honing your skills, keep writing, keep up with the markets, keep networking, and above all have faith.

Nancy: What’s next for you?

Starla: I am always working on multiple projects and usually in different sub-genres. Currently I am starting a new contemporary Western, So Not a Cowboy, for Blushing Books. I have started a follow-up medieval story, For the Love of Rowan, to be released, hopefully, this Christmas by Black Velvet Seductions. And I am in the plotting stage of a contemporary time travel, Katie’s Kept Man, for Decadent Publishing. Until I actually start writing a story it isn’t definite in my writing schedule, so Katie’s Kept Man might get replaced by another story idea…of which I have many.

BOOK BLURB

Maggie’s boring workaholic life and focus on her obnoxious ex is grinding her down. A friend’s advice sends her to Madame Evangeline’s high-end dating service 1 Night Stand. She hopes to find some fun, a date, and va-va-voom sex…not necessarily in that order. At least she will get out of her apartment for one hot night! Because, yes, she is just that desperate for a change, and there is that secret fantasy she’s been wanting to try out….

As Ian turns forty, his day job as writer of steamy erotica and night job as part-time Dom has him worried he will never have a “normal” relationship. With his particular kinky quirks, what woman would consider him husband material? Madame Eve is pretty good at her own job, are these two a match in a million or just a one night flash in the pan?

A little bit about the author

I love all kinds of settings, themes, and people. I’m an observer of everything around me, especially the romantic things I see and hear. When I read or watch movies, I want to be deeply drawn into the story line…I want to experience highs and lows, tears and laughter. With each book I write, I try to get stronger at giving my readers those kinds of experiences. To date I’ve been fortunate to have had 19 novels, 19 novellas, and 5 anthologies published with Blushing Books, Black Velvet Seductions, Decadent Publishing, and Red Rose Publishing.

EXCERPT
She gaped in horror. Five emails from Madame Evangeline. Five! What about her message had captured the matchmaker’s attention enough to have her keep trying to contact Maggie? The spanking stuff! Oh, jeez. That had to be it. Nothing else about her basic info could possibly draw a stranger’s interest.

Fingers shaking, she opened the first message.

I’m so pleased you contacted me, Ms. Malone. I’m sure that I can find someone perfect for you. Please email me back so we can discuss this further.

Palms sweating, she opened the next message.

I’ve done a basic background check on you, Maggie, as I’m sure you’re aware I do for all my clients. Your websites are quite well done, unique. I could see your special imaginative flare. I noticed it in your query message as well. I’m positive I can find the perfect match for you. Please contact me as soon as possible.

Maggie drew in a nervous breath. Madame Evangeline had mentioned imaginative things in her original email, certainly meaning the fantasies. How embarrassing. Yet she opened the third message.

I know exactly what you need, my dear Maggie. You need time away from your work, time to satisfy your secret desires, time to let a very special man attend to your every wish. I eagerly await your response.

Satisfy her secret desires? Let a special man attend to her every wish? Oh, yes! Need thrummed through her, making her squirm in her desk chair.

Heart racing, she opened the fourth message.

What you need, dearest Maggie, is a special night at one of the Castillo Resorts and Hotels. I’m thinking the one in Maui would please you most. The more I study the websites you design, the more sure I am of your sensuality, of the type of man who could please you. I look forward to you contacting me soon.

How could the other woman know about her preference for Maui? How could this unknown woman sense so much about her? See how much of herself she put into each of the website designs? It was eerie…exciting, too.

She gathered her courage and opened the final email, one sent only an hour ago.

Nancy: wow! Sounds like a very interesting read! How can my readers buy your book?

Starla: Readers can go to the publisher’s home page at Decadent Publishing. You can find more information about Starla Kaye and my book, Maggie’s Secret Wish, by visiting my website.

Nancy: Thank you so much for visiting and for sharing your story. I welcome readers to please share their comments.

THE NEW AMERICAN IDOL!

2011-05-25T23:11:00.000-04:00

Scotty McCreery, American Idol (photo from FOX)

Moments ago, local boy Scotty McCreery was crowned the 2011 AMERICAN IDOL. Everyone here in North Carolina are super proud of this God-fearing, baseball pitching, country-crooning seventeen old high school junior from nearby Garner.

Good Luck in whatever comes from your hard work and perseverance, Scotty!

Nancy

THOR is one hot Blond!

2011-05-03T08:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the theater trailer for the hot new 3-D movie, THOR (in theaters May 6th). My interest in the character is purely historical. As one of the comic book heroes I grew up with, he never really took off. Here is his chance! And, with Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in the lead rolls, this movie will change everything. Oh, and don't forget...Anthony Hopkins plays the mighty Odin!

The story premise:

The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Amazing what a hot costume and long hair does to a super hero. As one blond, married to another blond, the hair does it for me!

The Cast & Directors:

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Writers: Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman

As a romance author, this photo says it all and I hope these two enjoy a happy ever after ending. I will be in the center row, watching the story unfold. Anyone want to join me?

Nancy

BIRDWATCHING

2011-04-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

My cat, Blaze, is my companion while I work at home, writing. He appreciates the bird feeders we placed outside my office window. Since he has grown to 14 pounds, the birds usually can see him coming. Looks like he is trying to hide!

Another day at the zoo.
Nancy

A TREE FELL ON MY CAR!

2011-04-28T10:33:00.000-04:00

The pictures say it all. What a mess. Worse...more trees are leaning toward the house, and one is dead, very different than this healthy maple tree. We are very lucky especially since hearing on TV that over 200 people have died in the south overnight.

The birds are upset as well. Where did the birdfeeder go?

Nancy

AFTER THE TORNADO

2011-04-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

Today is dark, dreary, and wet. It is also about 11 days since massive tornadoes ripped through North Carolina. A deadly one, which killed four children in one mobile home, happened about 5 miles east of our home.

My heartfelt prayers go to the victims and their families. My husband and I were 3 hours away at a Scottish Highland Games north of Charlotte. We survived a horrific windstorm and sideways rain but no tornado.

Our homes can be replaced...for the most part. As a writer, I understand all about backup. When I realized I left all the computers at home, along with my printed manuscripts, and flashdrives, I panicked. You see, we planned to stay over one night and I did not want to irritate my husband by sitting in an expensive hotel room tapping on a keyboard. We ended up staying a second night because of the storms. Next time, I will fill my luggage and car with backup discs, flashdrives, and one computer.

Well, today's rain is helping me clean-up my office, signup for TWITTER, and work on my query letter for HEAVEN SENT WARRIOR, my latest paranormal manuscript. I am currently looking for the perfect agent. Wish me luck!
Nancy

EARTH DAY 2011

2011-04-22T10:55:00.000-04:00

In high school, back on the first Earth Day-April 22, 1970-I remember a class or two meeting outside and reading about this new 'holiday' and it opened my eyes. We were recently allowed to wear jeans in school, and spring blouses were sheer and colorful. Flowers were everywhere. Spring came a bit late on Long Island, about 30 miles west of New York City, but I had a feeling something good had begun.

Many years later, while working at a hardware store in New Hampshire, I organized an Earth day celebration in the local schools. Our store advertised a coloring contest and asked schools to prompt the kids to color the page and have them posted in our store windows. Then we chose three prize winning schools. I personally delivered a wheelbarrow filled with planting supplies to the to three schools.

The contest motivated the kids and teachers to get invloved in every step AND they learned that winning something that helped everyone-not just themselves-was a great feeling of accomplishment. The contest made our small hardware store a part of the community as well.

Earth Day might be filled with hardship for others.

Plant some flowers or, as in our area, help a family pick up trash after the tornado. Whatever you do, give back to family, friends, neighbors, or Mother Earth. Taking part and helping others will make you feel good. I promise.

Nancy

2011-04-15T08:04:00.000-04:00

Lori Hayes Keizer and I spent a wonderful eveing last night at opening night of the Durham, NC Full Frame Film Festival. We were fortunate to view the first North America showing of the documentary GUILTY PLEASURES, an insight into the Harlequin mystique.

Harleguin's UK office is Mills & Boon and the story evolved around one of their writers (a man), a reader in India, one in Tokyo, another troubled English couple, and a New York based cover model.

Lori and I found out, when the lights went up, we were sitting behind the model! Yum!

Check out the link...

DURHAM FULL FRAME FILM FESTIVAL

Nancy

Interview with Author Joanna A. McKethan

2011-04-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

Today I have the delightful task of welcoming fellow Red Rose Publishing author, Joanna A. McKethan to my blog. Her book, Lady in White, is a mainstream gothic thriller and was released on March 10, 2011.

Nancy: Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Joanna: This book features a young heroine, a visual artist who studied art abroad in Estonia, a small country near St. Petersburg in Russia, married Estonian royalty and lives with him in a castle. Their love receives a challenge when his secrets and her inquisitive nature collide. Her love of things Estonian and Russian takes a scary turn and brings a legend of horror back to life.

Nancy: Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?

Joanna: This genre features a heroine separated from her normal support systems who is chased by unknown villain or villains in a dark and spooky large house on an isolated estate, often a castle setting. Her lover is a brooding man with secrets, and the place takes on an atmosphere and presence of a character. This is the only genre I have finished works in, but I have many ideas for mysteries, and hope to write in that genre as well. My first book, the abandoned one, was fantasy.

Nancy: When did you start writing toward publication?

Joanna: About 30 years ago. And I have published one fiction short story, feature stories, and many poems.

Nancy: Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

Joanna: Yes, I had one completely finished manuscript other than this, and one partly finished novel. I one two prizes on the 90,000-word manuscript, and have sent it out on my own, but my fear has interfered with this—I’ve got to send a sample out to several places, right away. The first one I began I simply abandoned.

Nancy: Why have you become a published author?

Joanna: Wow. Persistence, for sure. Help from professionals, for certain, as well. One of the best things that ever happened to me was joining Heart of Carolinas Romance Writers (HCRW) and then RWA, joining a couple of critique groups and hearing how my story resonated with my writing partners. But this book took off based on a lead from an RWA special interest group, Gothic Writers, to which I belong. Jane Toombs had an anthology in the works with Wendi Felter-Gabbidon, publisher of Red Rose Publishing. I volunteered to write what we then thought would be a short story in a book, but it turned out to be a separate book in a series. I wrote like crazy so I wouldn’t hold up the published writers in the group.

Nancy: Do you have any rejection stories to share?

Joanna: Well, all of my rejections have been nice ones, so not really. My first finished book earned me PRO status with RWA and fell under the editor’s category of “I didn’t love it enough to champion it.” Mostly the rejections revolve around the gothic genre, because the reasons all have to do with some aspect of a gothic, even the slower, atmospheric beginnings.

Nancy: What is your writing routine like?

Joanna: I actually have one now, so I can answer that question. My best time for “from scratch” writing is first thing in the morning, so I write three new pages in longhand. However, I run a full scale art and teaching business, so sometimes my paintings pre-empt my writing. However Mondays and Tuesdays are set aside for creative work, so I get to spend two whole days writing and organizing my writing and doing the research which I love. While my books are contemporaries, they are based on something historical. So I’m publicizing this book, marketing the other book, and writing the new one. It’s a nice rhythm.

Nancy: What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

Joanna: I am a total novice to promo—and my friend, Nancy Badger, is helping me with this. However, I have started by making a list of contacts, like at local libraries, and am getting some good response and will be working out an “itinerary” shortly, even if that means walking/talking from web site to web site. I already had a web site, but I am behind in that, and have to update that immediately.

Nancy: Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

Joanna: When I look at that beautiful cover designed by Dawné Dominique and say, “Yep, that’s it. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and there it is!”

Nancy: Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?

Joanna: Yes. I’ve been a member of North Carolina Writers Network the longest and have done their conferences and critique groups. As I said, RWA, Romance Writers of America, HCRW, Gothic Writers, NC Poetry Society, and Writer’s Ink, and I was briefly a member of Mystery Writers in Raleigh and Smithfield Writers before that. I’ve done the writers’ conference sponsored by Judith Hill in the mountains, and I started and ran the Harnett County Writers groups for close to ten years before that folded.

Nancy: Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

Joanna: Write as many words and as much as you can in any way that works for you; learn as much craft as you can, mix with successfully published writers that will let you tag along. Find your writing niche. That’s the business success model and it works for artists and writers, as well.

Nancy: What’s next for you?

Joanna: I’m hoping to get my longer manuscript, a 90-000 worder, to an editor who will love it or to an agent who will take on placing it so I can finish the new one I am working on, set in Scotland, that I am very excited about. That of course might mean a trip to Scotland!

STORY BLURB:

Michaela paints a new life for herself when she eagerly accepts an offer of art exchange student in what was a Communist country only a few years before. An artist by craft and by nature, she wants to prove her talent in foreign waters. Her love of truth requires her to question everything and dig for answers. In Estonia she meets and falls in love with Peeter, an art professor, government contractor, and a royal.

He loves her desperately, admiring her staunch separations of black and white. She loves Peeter wholly, not realizing a secret shame drives him. How he deals with life is challenged by his new wife and her unwitting exposing of the past so that he must finally confront his and his father’s unpardonable sin. Michaela plows through danger, even her own. Any single move might redeem her—or kill her.

A little bit about the author
Joanna McKethan is a Southerner with advantages from the Old South and the New, a wife, mother, and grandmother who lived and returned from abroad to her country home in the south. She is an artist, a poet, a teacher, as well as an arts business owner. She has always wanted to paint and write, and has hidden her love for novels behind her paintings until now. She has worked as an assistant editor, written feature stories, and published her poetry. Now her lifelong dream of publishing novels has begun. Her grown children visit her and her grandchildren blow bubbles with her on the lawn. Her "grand-cat," Buddy Number Two has just returned from a long absence, much to her joy. You can sample her creativity at www.joriginals.net.

Excerpt

I do love castles. Loving them does not mean living in them, necessarily. For the most part, castles are cold, clammy places where shadows move about at will. Lately I had seen more than my share. However, loving Peeter, the owner and lord of Haapsalu Castle and marrying Peeter required my residency within its walls.

Castle princess—me and Grace Kelly—I accepted the role eagerly, if not literally. Who wouldn’t? One look at my gorgeous man—black curly hair, strong Roman nose, those high cheek bones, sunken cheeks, and grey-blue eyes dancing with mischief—what more would it take to convince me I had married a royal?

Shared convictions of faith and love of art didn’t hurt our relationship, either.

“You have laughing eyes,” I told him before we married.

He confessed he thought I flirted with him.

“Moi?” I pretended innocence.

I will not bore anyone regaling our wedding. Every girl thinks hers the best, and a wedding in a castle? Well, that was a show stopper. My dress was custom-designed St. Petersburg “Svetlana” lace—exquisite, a white wedding dress dipping to the floor, edged at my neck by a ribbon of fuchsia and contrary to Southern customs, given by the groom. Peeter dressed in a shiny black tux. His appearance took another direction from his usual slack elegance, fitted for lords and professors. Yes, the castle wedding was picturesque; I have an album to show for it, but today I must travel to the Tallinn Art Museum where I work. Peeter still teaches art at the University of Tallinn, where I first met him. He leaves later in the morning for his classes.

Peeter also works with the Estonian government on matters concerning aqueducts.

This morning I donned a linen skirt and layered a shall, a square knitted shawl, an Estonian craft of distinction, over it. Draping beautifully, the corners fell like a cloth diamond over the blouse. I lifted my curls, added earrings, and checked the mirror to make sure the front showed instead of the backside, like I sometimes managed.

Peeter stirred. “You look beautiful, Michaela.” His voice was early morning raspy.

“Why, I’m thrilled you say so,” I said, dipping to peck him on the forehead.

He pulled me down to him.

“Peeter, stop.” But my voice was playful as I straightened up and hand-ironed my skirt. “Linen wrinkles easily. They’ll ask what I did to cause such wrinkles.”

“And you will tell them.” He gave a satisfied smirk, lifting bushy brows repeatedly. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his robe from the chair and threw it around his shoulders without closing it. “I’ll eat with you before you leave or, maybe I’ll eat you before you leave.” He grabbed me.

How can my readers buy your book?

Readers can go to the publisher’s home page at http://redrosepublishing.com/ or click on the book's buy link: http://bit.ly/h4w0NA

Check out my book trailer at: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/ip5ev5hz

You can find more information about Joanna A. McKethan and my book, Lady in White by

visiting my website, http://joriginals.net/

Thought for the day...

2011-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

On Books…

Some books leave us free and some make us free

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a walk, take a hike, but BRING YOUR BOOK!
Nancy

Review: DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN

2011-03-24T10:51:00.000-04:00

THE ROMANCE STUDIO recently reviewed my second novel published by Red Rose Publishing. Here is just a snippet:

I absolutely love how two people have that certain gaze when their eyes contact each other, and know they are the one they want. Destiny's Mountain demonstrates that kind of story with two believable and refreshing characters. They touch upon the reader's heart and make them want to root for them, from the first page to the last....

Please visit The Romance Studio for the complete, spectacular review!

The Romance studio

Nancy Lennea

2011-03-17T00:17:00.000-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

TO ALL MY

IRISH-CELTIC FRIENDS!

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUOTE

2011-03-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy Birthday on Wednesday March 9th to my darling husband, the man who inspires me to greater heights. Happy Birthday, Darling!

Nancy

We Writers hit the beach AGAIN!

2011-03-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Lori Hayes Keizer saved my life. Really. My mind was crushed under the stress of everyday living. I needed a break and her phone call came at the right time.

Am I over-exaggerating? You bet. My life is DULL! Things could be much worse, and--if the Powerball Ticket would do what it is supposed to do--I should be rich. I have a comfortable life; I make my own hours; I share my home with a wonderful husband and a 14 pound orange tabby named Blaze; one of my sons lives near by; my two sisters live very close; and I had four of my novels published in 2010.

Lori asked me to again accompany her to Emerald Isle for the weekend and off we went, Laptops packed, and $$ for meals in our pocket. Gas was much higher than last visit, but this I feel such an expense is part of the cost of my chosen career as a published author.

Writing near the sea is uplifting, and the borrowed mobile home was perfect. We ate, watched 'Eat, Pray, Love' and wrote. Walking on the beach on Sunday ended the weekend on a high note.

I came home refreshed, invigorated, and found that my husband really missed me! Thanks Lori, and all my love to your Mom.

Nancy

WRITING RETREAT WAS A BLAST!

2011-02-09T00:28:00.000-05:00

I am back from our three day mini writing retreat to Emerald Isle, North Carolina. I want to publicly thank our host, Lori Hayes Keizer. Comedy relief was added by Sarra Cannon. The two days of rain did what a huge snowstorm does for many people in America...made us stay inside and WORK! For us, that meant WRITE!

Me, Lori & Sarra kick up some sand

We snuggled around the fireplace, drank tea and worked on our WIPs (work in progress) A short break at the local coffee shop,
BEANS-N-SCREENS, gave us a few minutes of Internet, which is hard for me. Ignoring all those e-mails? They are a time suck.

Lori lucked out when the opportunity to interview the owner AND shadow the barista filled her head with everything she needed to create her story...set in a coffee shop! Things sometimes work out, that way. Sometimes an author has an idea, but doesn't have the background to keep the book accurate, which is why opportunities like this are FIRST RATE!

Hello Kitty shared our beach house because Sarra Cannon, a Young Adult author, was in her element. Typing away on one of two different laptops, and her fancy phone, but she is the techno-savvy author. YA titles of hers grace many e-book seller sites and she is selling her books right and left. She shared some great tips for getting the word out on my own Amazon titles (use their Forums), and has me considering self-publishing some of my stories (in the future).

For me, I worked on my contemporary paranormal, HEAVEN SENT WARRIOR. It is set in North Carolina and actually ends at the ocean, where my heroine drowns...don't worry, there is a happy ending. I love the ocean and it was great to wake up Sunday morning and finally see the sun. We took an early afternoon break to walk on the beach. The photos are fun, and the surfers were cute...I mean, inspirational.

Some day, hubby and I might rent one of the many pastel-colored beach homes and spend a week or two on beautiful Emerald Isle.

Nancy

Time flies when you are WRITING

2011-02-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I have posted, but I have an excuse. I have been writing. Writing is my full time profession. It is time consuming, hair-pulling, heart-wrenching....

I have enjoyed meeting other writers for breakfast, and lunch, and have shared chapters with query partners, while giving them feedback about their chapters. I've worked on our family taxes, worried about owning two ancient cars that could drop dead at any moment, and am planning my husband's birthday trip.

World news is filled with crazy stuff. Family members have suffered illnesses. Their pain affects me in many ways. Luckily, I am still well, so accepted a fellow writer's offer to join her and another friend for a weekend at the beach. No, the North Carolina coast is not the best place in February and the rain has come down for two days straight, but the ability to write, edit, and ask for opinions is a real treat.

As I write this blog post, I am sitting in a coffee shop, the only Internet available. I can't wait to get back to the beach house and continue my writing...shoes off, a hot cup of tea or a glass of wine by my seat, and no interruptions.

Heaven!

WEEKEND PROGRESS REPORT:
1)I have polished chapters eight and nine of HEAVEN SENT WARRIOR. I plan to begin submitting the completed single title contemporary paranormal to agents sometime next month.
2)I have polished the first 4 chapters of SPELLBOUND HIGHLANDER which I plan to submit to a publisher by the end of the week.

Sales for my current novels are adding up, but I am seeking representation in order to get a book published in PRINT FORM. I have goals and met several in 2010. 2011 is a new year and I am looking forward to more success.

Nancy

PAY IT FORWARD

2011-01-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

     Today's saying on my desk calendar states "Before criticizing a new employee, remember your first days at work." How can this simple statement affect me? I retired from public service to write romance novels fulltime.

     Let's see. I am vice president of my local Romance Writers of America chapter. I feel a responsiblity to help our newest members. I have four books published in e-book format and I have busied myself by promoting my work on blogs and a newspaper interview. I attend our monthly meetings and eagerly answer members' questions.

     No, they aren't my employees, but this meeting might have been their very first venture into the world of romance writing. I remember how I felt back in December 2007. I had justed moved from New Hampshire to North Carolina and didn't know a soul except family. That first meeting was the annual holiday party held at Liz Carlyle's home.

     LIZ CARLYLE? The NY Times Bestseller? EEK!

     I did my best NOT to act like a fool. My fears were groundless. With fifty or sixty men and women crowded around her kitchen, with platters of potluck goodies and plenty of beverages, I fit right in and was welcomed.

     So, if someone you know is new to the fold-whether the jobsite or club or church-make them feel welcome. PAY IT FORWARD.

JANUARY & ANOTHER NEW START

2011-01-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

The New Year's eve parties are a memory, and the holiday decorations are nearly boxed away. I cannot find a single gingerbread cookie in this house! The cat still plays with a satin gift bow. We experienced an unseasonally heavy snow on Dec. 26th which had us North Carolinians wondering what happenned to global warming?

Lori Keizer-Jenn Harrington-Me!

Everyone is making and posting New Year's resolutions. I prefer to look back on the year and see how far I've come. I weigh less. That in itself is a miracle. I feel better. I decided to start getting my eyebrows waxed. (Hey...took me 50 years to decide to get my ears pierced!) I survived my first year as Vice President of my local Romance Writers of America chapter. I believe I did a good job. I enjoyed the annual Romance Writers of America conference held in Orlando this past summer.

Richard & his MacBean tartan

I traveled with my husband and enjoyed watching one son graduate from military training, and the other sons enjoying their first new home together. I gathered research while my husband strutted around two Scottish Highland Games in his kilt.

Health issues for immediate family members gve us a scare or three, the worst being my Dad, Robert Beegle. Multiple visits to Florida ensued as he was in and out of the hospital, but he now looks great. Others are slowly returning to normal, but the threat of permanent illness loomed for awhile. We all lived through it and are closer because of it. Unfortunately, I lost two Aunts and one cousin lost her husband this year. There are others for whom a look back at 2010 is painful.

Rodin bronzes at NCMA

I relished the feeling of having my first four novels published...two in June, one in September, and one in December. I reached my goal to be a published author and I am looking forward to my next goal. A resolution? Well, I cannot force an agent to represent me. I cannot twist an editor's mind into publishing me. But...I will write the best damn book I can.

I am currently editing my paranormal which starts and ends at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. My characters also run to the Blue Ridge Mountains and then the Outer Banks. It is different, quirky, sexy, dark, and uplifting and I hope to sell the series. With my family's encouragement I will succeed in this endeavor.

So, back to writing! Again, since everyone is asking you your resolutions for the New Year, TELL ME and my readers how 2010 changed your life!

My Interview in the News & Observer

2010-12-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

Alex Granados
Reporter for the News & Observer
Raleigh, North Carloina

Last week was another ‘first’ for me…I was interviewed by a reporter with our local paper who wanted to talk to me about my fledgling writing career. Hopes and dreams are coming true for me at the ripe old age of 57, and Alex Granados was kind enough to listen and put on paper what it has taken to get me to this point. Here is a short excerpt from the article…

"My plans right now are to get in print," she said. "And in order to do that I have to come up with the best book." To that end, she has enlisted the help of her family. Her two adult sons, 25 and 29, have both read her work. Badger says they don't feel weird about reading her romantic writing. In fact, her son Eric - the one who served in Iraq - helped her with military details for one of her e-books. Even her mother joins in by being what Badger calls her "best editor." The latest book Badger is working on is the first set in her new hometown. In fact, the book begins at the North Carolina Museum of Art. "A big adage that I believe in is write what you know," she said. "I'm not in New Hampshire anymore, so I like to incorporate the local area."

Please remember that I write under TWO names: Nancy Lee Badger and Nancy Lennea

Read the Raleigh News & Observer article in its entirety at http://www.northraleighnews.com/2010/12/26/5884/granados-local-writer-loves-allure.html

A Pen & Muse Review

2010-12-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

A fantastic review is up for DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN! Read all about it at http://thepenmuse.net/archives/1833

UNWRAPPING CHRIS available now!

2010-12-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

My contemporary military romance is available now for less than $2 from various download sites!

Here is the Book Blurb:
Sometimes the best memories are worth unwrapping once more.

Army widow Jayne Rockwell searches for a secure future for her and her two daughters. Staff Sergeant Christopher Hawkins regrets leaving young Jayne eight years ago to go off to war. A crash encounter a week before Christmas thrusts these two lonely people back into each other’s lives once more.

Jayne must learn to trust a man who disappeared with her heart. Chris must overcome the guilt of taking her innocence, and then leaving her heartbroken and alone.

A Christmas wedding brings them closer when Jayne spies him as a groomsman in Highland dress, complete with kilt. He cannot keep his eyes off the woman in green velvet wearing a wedding ring. Accusations, explanations, and remorse leads to a love that erupts among candlelight, Christmas carols, and a dark room. Who needs mistletoe?

To read a free excerpt and more, go to:
Whispers Publishing buy link: http://bit.ly/eGmOQI

Amazon for Kindle: http://amzn.to/i68Q3b

INTERVIEW with CLARE DARGIN

2010-11-30T16:35:00.000-05:00

Today I’m interviewing fellow Red Rose Publishing author,

Clare Dargin. Her book, Speculative Sky is a science fiction
short fiction and was recently released. Welcome!

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Sure no problem. Speculative Sky is about a young woman who is an astrophysicist who journeys to another planet in hopes of furthering her dream of being the first to discover Extra Terrestrial Intelligence. To her surprise, her boss a fellow scientist discourages her efforts but she forges ahead and gets a surprise of her life.
Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?
I believe this is Science Fiction though I’ve been told that it has elements of Romance between the two main characters.
When did you start writing toward publication?
About fifteen years ago. It was so daunting and then one day, I discovered that e-publishing was available to me and it turned to be the perfect fit! Speculative Sky is not my first but I still love it nonetheless. I have been published before with my scifi military romance novel ‘Cold Warriors.’
Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?
Prior to Speculative Sky, yes I had several. But only a couple of them were worthy of being published. One day I hope to have them released again.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Yes I do but I am not sure what to call it. When people read my work, I want them to feel as if they are right there in the midst of it all. I want them to be able to hear, taste, smell and see the action as if it is happening all around them. I also tend to write tight stories with quick pacing. It's what I like to read and consequently how I write.
What inspired you to write this book?
Well, ever since I was a child I always wanted to be a writer. It was a dream of mine to be published and to write stories that everyone could enjoy. Speculative Sky was created because I’ve always had a fascination with stories about Extra-Terrestrial Life and S.E.T.I. and I wanted to integrate such a story with a female character as a strong and intelligent lead.
And how did you come up with the title?
To be honest I’ve always been attracted and fascinated by the abstract and the symbolic. I wanted the title to be symbolic of what April Mullen, the main character, has to deal with as an Astronomer and all that came with her assignment.
What is Speculative Sky about?
It is about a woman who takes a chance and leaves for an assignment on a science colony far away from Earth. As an astronomer, it is her job to monitor the stars at night and to record her findings. Nothing more than that. But, when she arrives, she notices that her new home is a bit odd, and that though there is evidence of life out there… they don’t want her to either acknowledge it or do anything about it. She of course finds this troubling.
Why have you become a published author?
Because I have an obsessive need to entertain people with stories! I can’t help myself!
What are your current projects?
Presently I am finishing up the final editing for “Ice and Peace” the sequel to Cold Warriors. As well as having another expanded universe book in the works. Not to mention, two futuristic romances that are completely different from my military fiction.
Wow! You sound as busy as me! This can be a lonely profession. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
The Motown Creative Writers Group-- they helped get on the road to being published. And not to mention the many groups in the Romance community. They really pointed me in the right direction. I'm grateful for that.
Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Just because one editor does not like your work or says that it is not a good fit for their press it does not mean that there isn’t an audience and an editor out there that wouldn’t want your book right away! Don’t give up! Keep trying and your audience will eventually find you!

BOOK BLURB
Astrophysicist April Mullen has just been hired to monitor the deepest reaches of outer space. In this small outpost filled with scientists, she notices something amiss. Though the idea of searching for extra-terrestrial contact is permitted, the practice of doing so is not encouraged. Not satisfied with the status quo, April decides to forgo the warnings of her superiors to make contact with the inhabitants of that speculative sky. (Published: 2010)

EXCERPT

     “It’s amazing. You say this happens every day?”
     “Night, mostly, but you get the idea,” Bart said, pouring more of the sweet concoction into her glass.
     “Do they know about this back home?”
     “Sure they do. We send them the data all the time. And they tell us to keep tracking.”
     “Why didn’t anyone say anything?”
     “About what? A few blips on a screen?” Bart scowled, pouring more into his glass. “How’s that interesting?”
     “It’s more than we ever had at home.”
     “Trust me, April, it’s nothing.”
     “Bart, this is... Has anyone made contact?”
     “Don’t talk like that around here. Just leave it alone,” he said, shaking his head. “Calm down, get to know the place. You’ll really like it here. Most people don’t want to go home after being here.”
     “I‟m sure that’s the case, but how can I not be excited over this? It’s the find of a lifetime,” April said, reveling in the thought of making contact with extra-terrestrial life.
     “You don’t have to try to impress us. Just do your work and you’ll be fine.”
     “What does that mean?”
     “It means you don’t worry about it. There is plenty of research to be done. You could spend your entire lifetime studying the Jugis Star Cluster alone.”
     “Haven’t you ever looked up in the sky and wondered if there was anyone else out there?”
     “Of course I have. And if anyone back home asks, tell them it’s just us,” he said, finishing off his drink.
     “That’s not what I‟m talking about.”
     “I know what you’re talking about and don’t worry about it.”
     “What?”
     “What you’re thinking. Just don’t do it. I’m telling you, don’t do it.”

A little bit about the author

Clare Dargin is an author of science fiction and science fiction romance. She is an animal lover, just ask her two dogs that get away with everything… She continues to write in her spare time while she is pursuing her education. Her latest work ‘Speculative Sky’ is available now from Red Rose Publishing.

How can my readers buy your book?

Here is the buy link: http://bit.ly/gAXy8c

You can find more information about Clare Dargin and her book, ‘Speculative Sky* by

Visiting her website at http://www.claredargin.host22.com/

Or her blog at http://www.claredargin.bravejournal.com/

THANKSGIVING AND ... FOOD!

2010-11-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, when we take a day to say how thankful we are for...whatever. Some are thankful their loved ones are no longer serving in a combat zone (that's me, talking) and others are thankful for good health, a steady job, or the love of a partner. But, the real thanks happens around a table laden with FOOD!

Which brings me to the thought for the week...what are you having this Thanksgiving? And...can you give me ideas of something easy, hot, and different that I can bring to a holiday party in two weeks? This query brings to mind the pot luck suppers I attended back in our small town in New Hampshire. Here is an excerpt from DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN and harps on Destiny's choice of ...well, you'll just have to read it:

Destiny couldn’t wait to tell Josie everything. She found the perfect chance when Josie called and invited her to a potluck supper at the firehouse.

“You can’t stay cooped up forever. You’ve been so unhappy.”

“Please. Change the subject.”

“Fine, but please come. We’re hosting the annual pot-luck supper for local deer hunters.”

“And you guys do this, why?”

“To raise money for a new ambulance. Everyone brings something in a casserole or crock-pot, and we bake brownies at the station.”

“Okay, I’ll be there. What can I bring? Too late to cook.”

“A beverage? We always run dry,” Josie said.

After racing home and cleaning up, she threw on some comfortable clothes then stopped at the corner store for a keg of beer. When she showed up at the firehouse with a keg of ice-cold beer, Pete Thayer was the first to reach her and her burden.

“Let me help you with this, sweetheart.” Even with his flirty words, she’d been happy to have anyone carry the keg. Catching her by surprise, Pete had covered her hands with his while giving her a wicked smile.

“Thanks,” Destiny mumbled before she pulled her hands away from his strong grasp and went to find her friend. She offered to help in the kitchen. Carrying a large bowl of potato salad toward the buffet, the fire alarm shrieked. She felt the men’s stares as she bobbled the bowl. She hugged the bowl to her chest, took a breath, and then set it on the table. Hands free, she clutched one over her thudding heart.

“That’s loud enough to wake the dead.”

The men groaned then bolted toward the fire trucks parked outside. Josie raced from the kitchen, threw her apron at Destiny, and jumped inside the ambulance. Destiny waved goodbye as the speaker sputtered news about the call, and retreated into the kitchen.

I will not be drinking beer tomorrow, but hubby will when he enjoys his football games. We are having lobster tails this year, a belated birthday celebration for me, brought to us by CIVITAN, a local professional civic organization in Raleigh, North Carolina who hold an annual lobster fundraiser. So, fill up the stock pot, melt the butter, and pass the cloeslaw while we enjoy our New England fare, in the balmy south.

DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN, my romantic suspense, is available from Red Rose Publishing, and Amazon.com for Kindle
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/i81u3d

New Cover for Unwrapping Chris

2010-11-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

Here is the new cover for my military-based contemporary romance, UNWRAPPING CHRIS. Hot cannot describe it. Whisper's Publishing has done another fine job. Check out the last blog article for the book blurb and watch for the release on Dec. 3rd!

UNWRAPPING CHRIS coming soon!

2010-10-31T11:37:00.000-04:00

My alter ego has been just as busy. I also write for Whispers Publishing as Nancy Lee Badger. I have a Scottish paranromal with them called DRAGON'S CURSE, but an opportunity came about when the editors at Whispers called for short stories that included a Christmas wedding. I came up with a contemporary romance that fit the bill! I worked on it, submitted it, and waited. Five days later, they bought it! Here is a small blurb to whet your appetities!

Army widow Jayne Rockwell searches for a secure future for her and her two daughters. Staff Sergeant Christopher Hawkins regrets leaving young Jayne eight years ago to go off to war. A crash encounter a week before Christmas thrusts these two lonely people back into each other’s lives once more.

Jayne must learn to trust a man who disappeared with her heart. Chris must overcome the guilt of taking her innocence, and then leaving her heartbroken and alone.

A Christmas wedding brings them closer when Jayne spies him as a groomsman in Highland dress, complete with kilt. He cannot keep his eyes off the woman in green velvet wearing a wedding ring. Accusations, explanations, and remorse leads to a love that erupts among candlelight, Christmas carols, and a dark room. Who needs mistletoe?

UNWRAPPING CHRIS will be released by Whispers Publishing on December 3rd. Visit their website at www.WhispersHome.com to download.

ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS

2010-10-24T12:16:00.000-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined. This is great news! And the relief of knowing you are okay is sweet and worth the few minutes of discomfort!

I had my mammogram last week. My darling hubby accompanied me and patiently waited as the small line progressed. No, I did not insist he follow me into the room. I have had mammograms for over 15 years. Knowing he was outside waiting was comforting, non the less.

I have many more books to write. Knowing I am cancer-free is one more stress removed. October is Breast Cancer awareness month, so get your today!

My Mammogram is scheduled for October 21ST...when is yours?

2010-10-06T11:42:00.000-04:00

NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals. {Insert any or all of the following bullets, depending on your goal.}

• Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.

• Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.

• Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.

• Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

I believe that if all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods – mammography plus clinical breast exam – breast cancer death rates would drop much further, up to 30 percent. The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely – once is not enough.

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society,(800) 227-2345, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

A note from Nancy ***

Becka, the heroine in my book, SECRET LOVE MATCH, volunteers her time to produce 15 second television adds promoting cancer awarenes. When my hero, Taylor, stands in front of her and the camera and tells how he'd travel the galaxy in order to find a cure for the cancer that killed his mother, well...you'll have to read more. SECRET LOVE MATCH is available at Red Rose Publishing, AllRomanceEBooks, Fictionwise, and Amazon.

I had my first mammogram when I was thirty-four AND had to pay $140 to get it. Insurance carriers did not believe in this new procedure. Now I get one every year and have found a medical center who kindly sends me a reminder AND allows me to make my appointment on-line. My mammogram is scheduled for October 21st…when’s yours?

DESTINY'S MOUNTAINis available now!

2010-10-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is another excerpt of my new, romantic suspense full of stalkers, a murder, ghostly voices, a mountain rescue, spicy sex, and everlasting romance!

White Mountains of New Hampshire

EXCERPT

Jacob glanced around the cabin. His eyes focused on the kitchen’s vinyl floor. Splattered across the cool, usually spotless floor were several muddy prints.

A man’s boot prints.

He knelt down and looked closer. Were these made by hiking boots? The treads looked similar to his.

Jacob spied a flashlight on top of her refrigerator. He grabbed it and ventured out the back door into the dark. Careful not to walk where the mysterious tracks furrowed into the snow, he followed them about twenty feet until he noticed smaller tracks he was certain belonged to Destiny.

Someone must have bashed in her door then chased her into the night. The light snowfall only covered the tracks with a very thin veil, so it had happened recently. The tracks led in the direction of Mountain Mist Falls. He tried to remember the name of that trail as he ran back inside to call the police.

“Beaver Ridge trail?” He tried out the name, and then nodded. “Yes, that’s it,” he said as he picked up the phone. A roar of frustration filled the cabin as he stood listening to the silent phone. No dial tone.

He already knew from past experience his cell phone would prove useless in this area. How could he get help? If he took the time to drive back to town, Destiny might get hurt or killed. He couldn’t chance it.

Instead, Jacob searched through the kitchen drawers. He latched on to a pad of paper and a pen then jotted down a message telling whoever might find it what he had discovered and where he’d gone.

He glanced around her cabin once more and then grabbed her ski hat and pulled it down onto his head. The little feminine knit cap hugged him tightly, but he didn’t care how he looked. It was snowing, and he needed to stay warm. He’d neglected to buy himself a hat. He’d put off many things over the last two months, with his mind filled with thoughts of her.

Destiny had my heart the moment she kissed me in the shower.

Note from Nancy…if you think that’s hot, download DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN today!

Buy Link at Red Rose Publishing: http://bit.ly/a4NOHE

Excerpt from DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN

2010-09-26T16:08:00.000-04:00

Here's a teaser...a short excerpt from my newly released romantic suspense from Red Rose Publishing. DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN will thrill you to no end. Here's the buy link: http://bit.ly/a4NOHE

Book Blurb, first:

In a quirky college town surrounded by the mountains of New Hampshire new art history professor, Jacob Oliver, hikes a trail on a crisp September morning. He contemplates his life. Divorced and forced out of his job with the Boston Police due to a horrific accident, he spots a naked woman beneath a majestic waterfall. Escaping, he falls and reinjures his knee.

Destiny Blake hears a noise. Someone is on her mountain. She finds a handsome man sitting in the mud. Love blooms and lust consumes them after she helps him to the safety of her cabin. Soon, assumptions pull them apart, leaving her vulnerable to the unwanted attentions of other men.

When Jacob decides he cannot live without her, he must save her from a madman who chases her up her mountain through the cold, snowy darkness of a November night. Ghostly voices push Jacob onward, and urge Destiny to fight back. Pain, hypothermia, and death threaten before the sun rises. Can Destiny and Jacob make it off Destiny's mountain...alive?

EXCERPT

With no possibility of heading back down the main trail, since that maniac probably followed close behind, she focused on an image of a trail map in her head. He was somewhere between her and safety, but other trails curled around the mountain. Darkness urged her to stay on the one trail she knew best. Had she veered off onto a smaller trail? Once daylight arrived, she could escape another way. The man chasing her was athletic, but he wasn’t as fast or he would have caught her by now. Besides, the moose hadn’t smelled him, which proved he lagged behind.

Where was Jacob? She could really use his company right about now. What was he doing at his moment when she needed him? Was he home asleep in his bed? If so, she hoped he slept alone.

He never called her or just stopped by. He ignored her at the dining hall and rarely said a word when they met in town. Still, that time he came upon her in the drugstore brought a warm rush of desire to heat her from the inside out. He’d been about to suggest something before Josie turned up and ruined everything.

Shivering, and on the verge of tears, she knew she had to take control of her own destiny. I have to save myself. The blackness of these woods proved both a curse and a comfort. If I can’t see my stalker coming, then the jerk can’t see me.

Holding her breath, she cocked her head and listened to the dark. Again, she heard the crackling sound of snapping twigs amid something shuffling through dead leaves.

A light blanket of crunchy snow coated the trail, which added to the bitter cold of a moonless sky. At least a partial moon would have given her a chance to see the man who was coming her way. She knew this time he was the one making the sounds. Her only advantage over her hunter was that she knew this mountain better. Every twist and turn, every rock and gorge was imprinted in her brain. This was her home, not his.

My article RESEARCH: A WALK IN THE PARK is up at Savvy Authors

2010-09-08T10:34:00.000-04:00

Want to learn a little more about what helps an author write the story of their heart? Click on over to the a SAVVY AUTHORS BLOG at http://bit.ly/cmxXO1 and see what I have to say on the subject!

A Preview of DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN

2010-08-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

My romantic suspense, DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN, will be released September 30th, 2010 from Red Rose Publishing. I have revamped my blog by showcasing the beautiful autumn leaves that New Hampshire is famous for. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

     A footpath led off to his left. Picking his way through the smaller overgrown trail, which looked more like a deer path, he followed the sounds. Both the sweet melody and the roar of falling water grew louder.
     Abruptly, the beautiful singing turned to playful splashing.
     Peering through a blueberry bush, conscious of the possibility of berry-eating bears, he focused on the magnificent waterfall. From his vantage point, he couldn’t see the top of the falls, but at its base, a round pool of silvery foam churned under the weight of the falling water. He didn’t see the singer.
     Did I dream all this? In the middle of the day? He leaned closer. Prickly branches weighed down by fat, juicy blueberries clawed his shirt. A sudden splash of foamy water pulled his attention toward a woman as she burst up out of the pool, her glorious back to him. A long gold braid fell between her tan shoulder blades, reaching the top of her well-rounded bottom. Froth dripped down her slickened body.
     “Beautiful!” he shouted. Uh-oh. He clapped his hand over his mouth Too late.
     She turned his way, as if searching the thick vegetation for a voyeur…, which was him. Water dripped over her milky skin, and...

Well, you get the picture. My books start out during the crisp early autumn of September, and ends in the midst of an early November snowfall on Destiny's Mountain.

The winner of my last blog's question is Kristen Paul! She came closest to the answer I was searching for. Congratulations, Kristen! A gift is on the way!

I'M FISHIN' FOR YOUR VOTE...

2010-08-15T15:08:00.000-04:00

SECRET LOVE MATCH is up for best cover in the YOU GOTTA READ COVER CONTEST. Red Rose Publishing cover artist, Nika Dixon, did a magnificent job using elements of my story to come up with a beautiful cover for my sensual story about a tennis ace with her sights set on an Olympic berth. Please VOTE for COVER #8 AT

http://yougottareadcovers.blogspot.com/2010/08/month-2-voting.html

then come back and read the blurb and free excerpt, below! Thanks!

BOOK BLURB

Rebecca Delacourt has played and taught tennis for the last three years. At twenty-one, she knows what she wants. Without help from her wealthy parents, she buys a condo in Glen Cove, NY and plans to be on the Olympic Tennis team.

She has no time for men, marriage, or children. Her mother gave up her acting career when she became pregnant with older sister, Laney, whose illegitimate son is mute due to recent emotional trauma. She does charity work for breast cancer in Baltimore every year.

Taylor, a former TV actor, notices Becka. She knows him—she’s dreamed of his TV persona for years. They meet at her parent’s country club. He thinks he’s found gold in the athletic blond. After beating him at tennis he meets her parents. Too bad he knows them—a former co-star, and the man helping get him auditions.

Her sister moves in—thwarting any privacy. She’s hiding out and is attacked. Taylor finds himself falling for Becka. Will he change his arrogant ways, save her nephew from kidnappers, and realize she’s the one? Becka wonders if dreams can still be reached with someone beside her. Will they reach their dreams together?

EXCERPT

    “Hi,” he said. He stopped opposite the low bench, not intruding on her space. His hands lay motionless at his sides. One fist gripped the borrowed tennis racket against shorts that suddenly grew tight. He slid his other hand into his front pocket to camouflage a growing bulge before taking a slow, steady breath. She might not approve of a rampant erection making its presence known so early in their relationship.

     “Hi, yourself.”
     “Could I challenge you to a set?” Taylor kept his voice calm while his chest pounded from a sudden desire to run the other way. What the heck was going on? Where had his macho Hollywood persona, built to perfection during cattle calls and late night parties, gone?
     With another deep breath, he watched her thinking. He could almost detect her mind as it quickly evaluated the man standing in front of her.
     “I see you’re considering my request before answering.” He hoped he wasn’t out of his league, here. Yes, he might be twice her age, but he kept his body trim and healthy with daily workouts. He jogged wherever he happened to be, no matter where he traveled. He’d cut out smoking long before it was in vogue to do so and had slowly cut out the drinking. His friends might not agree with that statement.
     Yeah, I still have a way to go with that problem.
     He hadn’t joined Alcoholics Anonymous. He didn’t follow their teachings. He’d take a drink now and then, but he no longer drank to excess.
     He towered over her. Her eyes flashed with desire as she checked him out. Is she staring at my hair?
     During his show’s run, the studio added white-blonde highlights. He’d detested the look, but the fans loved it. Gray hairs had so far refused to make an appearance.
     Her gaze settled uneasily on his face. Supermarket tabloids touted his eyes as his best feature. They described them as “The deep blue of the night sky just before sunset.”
     Get real!
     He fought the urge to laugh aloud. Contacts kept his vision going strong. The blue-tinted lenses made the color even more intense, but he didn’t wear tinted ones due to vanity. In all honesty, they were easier to find when he dropped one.
     He took pride in how his skin pulled tight across his jaw and he still had all his hair. His slightly crooked grin was legendary due to the show. His smile, perfected on his television show, had turned women’s heads for years. He hoped it worked on this cute blonde.
     “I was going to have lunch with my parents, but…”
     Why did she hesitate? Listening intently, he waited to see how she’d finish her sentence. Surely playing with him would make better use of her time than a family get-together. Maybe the little beauty is hungry.
     Hopefully she is hungry for more than just food.
     He didn’t want her to starve, but he could certainly persuade her to get to know him better. After that, who knows where they may end up?
     “Could you delay fifteen minutes or so? Won’t they wait? It’s such a lovely afternoon. My host is attending to business. I came here to play tennis, but if my partner-in-crime doesn’t show up soon, I’ll have to leave without my exercise. Please?”
     Crap! Now he sounded desperate. She gazed over his shoulder at someone before returning her attention to him. Then she smiled. His heart thumped inside his chest.
     “Okay. I can give you one set. Then I have to eat before I leave for an afternoon appointment.”
     Her bright smile flashed a heated spark straight to his groin. She set her water bottle back down on the bench and grabbed two tennis balls. She tossed them his way and Taylor caught both then stuffed the balls in the back pockets of his tennis shorts. She grabbed two more.
     “As a guest of the country club, why don’t you serve?”
     “How do you know I’m not a member?” he asked. “Am I wearing some kind of sign across my chest?”
     “You mentioned your host is off somewhere.”
     Dropping her gaze to his waist, she walked to her side of the net. Was she admiring how he filled out his shorts? Their cut left little to the imagination. Only fair since he had quite the imagination concerning her. As he made his way to the service line, he smiled at her quick deduction that he didn’t belong here. Nodding to her, he bounced the ball twice, set his feet by the right-hand serve box, and swung the racket. Relief flooded his body when the ball made it over the net and landed on his opponent’s court. It wouldn’t do to embarrass himself in front of her so early in their relationship. They hadn’t even exchanged names, yet.
     In a flash, she flew across the court and the return volley sailed past his racket. He watched as the bouncing bit of yellow hit the court inches inside the fault line.
     She got me.

*any idea why I updated my blog with autumn leaves? First correct answer earns a prize. Make sure you leave your e-mail address so I can contact the winner.

ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA CONFERENCE

2010-08-02T17:20:00.000-04:00

Another year is over and the mystery of “How are they gonna pull off moving a huge conference from one part of the country to another in about two months?” has been answered. Michelle Monkou and her fabulous staff at the Romance Writers of America headquarters came through. We will all feel disappointment over not visiting the lovely, yet too wet Nashville area, but Orlando and the Dolphin/Swan Resort complex welcomed us in style.

There were too many events to report at this time, so I’ll give some highlights. The Chapter Leadership all day meeting was an eye-opener to this new vice president (me). I want to publicly thank my wonderful roommate, Florina Craven, President of the Charleston Chapter for surviving my bout with food-poisoning. The Literary signing was a well-attended madhouse! I was unable to visit all the authors on my list, but was happy a few new authors (my chapter mates) were there; Katherine Ashe, Qwillia Rain, and Kelly Gay to name a few.

The workshops I attended were great; I survived my agent appointments; my new friend and virgin conference attendee Carla Smith…oops, I meant to say FIRST TIMER Carla Smith, had a fantastic first-ever agent appointment…the agent requested she send her full manuscript!

The Golden Hearts were awarded to deserving not-yet-published writers and many new faces won the Ritas. The after-award party in Sabrina Jeffries suite was well attended and we love having her as part of the Heart of Carolina RWA here in the Raleigh area. She comes to most meetings and freely gives of herself whenever a struggling new writer (or one who has been around the stacks) has a problem. She looked fabulous and her party started off with fun and laughter when Nancy Berland and Lori Keizer were caught wearing the same outfit…from necklace to sparkly shoes! ( see photo)

Nancy Berland and my friend, Lori Keizer, laugh about their RITA dresses!

The write up posted today at PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY’S BLOG is wonderful. Please visit

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/?p=1846&cpage=1#

for a full-length shot of these two lovely ladies. My shot was taken over a few heads, but I think I caught the happy hijinks.

VOLUNTEERISM & ROMANCE WRITING?

2010-07-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

Secret Love Match is my debut novel, but I want to share a little bit of what has happened up until this point in my life. I spent over 32 years in the retail and customer service segments. From discount store clerk to hardware store assistant manager, I worked with a smile…and a backache. Once the kids were older, I became a volunteer EMT on the local FAST Squad then joined the volunteer fire department. My husband put on bunker gear as well. We enjoyed the camaraderie of training, working fires, visiting sickly neighbors, and raising funds for our budget-strapped town in rural northern New Hampshire.

Volunteerism has always been an important part of our lives. When first married, my husband volunteered as a Little League coach and we were both Cub Scout Den Leaders (during different years for different sons). We had to slow down a bit and let the younger boys and girls take over then we moved to the south. I keep busy with occasional projects for the North Carolina Museum of Science as well as volunteering as an officer for my local writers group. It’s no wonder that I make my heroine and hero volunteers for breast cancer awareness. Becka spends a couple days in beautiful Baltimore filming TV ad spots using well known political figures, Hollywood Stars, and athletes. Taylor helps when she gets in a predicament. He takes over late, near the end of the book, when Becka is hospitalized…well, you will have to read the book to find out what happens next.

I urge everyone to offer an hour here or there to any group, organization, or needy neighbor that could use the help. Then kick back, pat yourself on the back, and read my debut contemporary romance, Secret Love Match.
Here is a short blurb about my book. I hope you like it.

Rebecca Delacourt has played and taught tennis for the last three years. At twenty-one, she knows what she wants. Without help from her wealthy parents, she buys a condo in Glen Cove, NY and plans to be on the Olympic Tennis team. She has no time for men, marriage, or children. Her mother gave up her acting career when she became pregnant with older sister, Laney, whose illegitimate son is mute due to recent emotional trauma. Rebecca still manages to squeak out some time for her charity work for breast cancer research in Baltimore every year.

Taylor, a former TV actor, notices Becka. She knows him—she’s dreamed of his TV persona for years. They meet at her parent’s country club. He thinks he’s found gold in the athletic blond. After beating him at tennis he meets her parents. Too bad he knows them—a former co-star, and the man helping get him auditions.

Her sister moves in—thwarting any privacy. She’s hiding out and is attacked. Taylor finds himself falling for Becka. Will he change his arrogant ways, save her nephew from kidnappers, and realize she’s the one? Becka wonders if dreams can still be reached with someone beside her. Will they reach their dreams together?

Please visit my website
www.nancylennea.com for an excerpt.

Buy Link: http://bit.ly/diHVbn

MY PARENTS ARE MY INSPIRATION

2010-07-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

I want to enlighten my readers with how my parents, Robert and Audrey Beegle, inspired my debut novel, SECRET LOVE MATCH. My contemporary romance, released this month from Red Rose Publishing, tells how a 40-year-old former TV actor seeks out an old friend. Taylor Adams wants him to help get him into film. When he meets the man’s 21-year-old daughter, the tennis ace, he is compelled to get close to her…as long as her father doesn’t find out.

I could fill several pages answering a reader’s question like “how do you get ideas?” Simply, write what you know. My hero came to life when I wanted to portray a drifter looking back on a wasted life. I wanted him a bit older, a little wiser, and he needed a goal; a dream. My character is loosely based on both William Shatner of Star Trek fame and Tim Allen, star of the comedy film, Galaxy Quest.

I grew up during the original Star Trek TV show’s short-lived run. My parents recognized my passion for space during those pre-moonwalk days. They allowed me to stay up late on a school night. William Shatner became a movie star years later when Star Trek-The Movie hit the theaters. In Galaxy Quest, Tim plays the star of a space western, popular eighteen years earlier, now earning a living at sci-fi conventions and other low budget appearances. My own character’s popular TV space western drifted into reruns fifteen years earlier, and now he wants his name in lights.

My parents inspired me to write and keep writing, and helped by editing my drafts. They also helped in the creation of my heroine, Rebecca Delacourt. I was again fortunate to have parents who scrimped and saved so we could enjoy the nearby beach club. I learned to swim and dive then was presented with a tennis racket. It felt good in my hand. I felt powerful each time I hit the ball over the net. I competed against friends. A few of the cute boys came by to play…tennis, that is. I continued to play up and through college and watched Wimbledon and the Olympics. I never would have created a tennis ace with a dream set on an Olympic medal if it wasn’t for my parents. They inspired me to get up from the sand chair, or out of the water, and learn a sport, which in turn made me create Becka.

My characters are two headstrong individuals with specific plans for their futures. Never mind Taylor is nearly twice Becka’s age. Forget that they have absolutely no plans to marry, much less date when such a distraction could impede on their goals. When they meet, everything changes!

Check out the SECRET LOVE MATCH book trailer:

SECRET LOVE MATCH is available now from http://redrosepublishing.com/books or just click on the buy link: http://bit.ly/diHVbn

SECRET LOVE MATCH Release Day!

2010-06-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

My debut contemporary romance is out today! SECRET LOVE MATCH is a full-length story about a young lady set on a berth on the Olympic tennis team and a more mature, former TV actor with a dream to act on film. Age difference, a mute nephew, an out-of-control sibling, a kidnapping or two, an abusive lover, and undeniable attraction between two people with no time for love makes my story pop!

Visit The Book Boost for my guest article on
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION at
http://thebookboost .blogspot. com.

Also read my article
VOLUNTEERISM & ROMANCE WRITING on Kat's Blog at
http://katluvr130. blogspot. com.

BUY LINK: http://bit.ly/diHVbn

WHEN CAN I FIND TIME TO WRITE?

2010-06-15T15:32:00.000-04:00

I am a new author, new in that I had no cencept how much self-promoting I would have to do to get my work 'out there' and hopefully make some sales. I have two books coming out this month and I have set up guest articles, book reviews, and interviews on blogs all over the world.

Luckily, I am an organized person since the two books come out with two different publishers under different names and in two very different genres. I shall finish up and get back to where I am most happy...writing!

Nancy Lennea

SECRET LOVE MATCH Book Trailer!

2010-06-04T13:51:00.000-04:00

Embed Code:

Another sneak peek at SECRET LOVE MATCH

2010-05-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

“Are you ready to enjoy dinner and dancing?” Becka asked. And, a quick kiss good night?
Turning toward the door, she bent over to pick up her shawl and purse from the couch. She better not think about kissing Taylor Adams. The memory of his caress sent shivers down her spine as she moved toward the door.
“I’ve never been to this club. I hope I fit in.”
She couldn’t help notice the concern in his voice. Him? Shy? Impossible. Did he worry his age topped others that frequented the place? Ridiculous. So why did he sound apprehensive?
“I’ve eaten there with friends but I’ve never been to the upstairs dance hall. If we don’t like it, I know another place we can try. Of course, we’ll fit in. Admit it, Taylor…” When Becka paused, he met her gaze head-on.
“Admit what?”
“We look hot.”
His stunned expression brought a smile to her face.
“Come on, this’ll be fun.” She pulled him by the hand to the elevator. She liked that he squeezed her hand in return. Would he compare their date to one of the glamorous clubs in Hollywood where he usually hung out? They most likely welcomed performers of every venue and vintage, as well as friends to help a celebrity like him spend his money.
New York differed from Hollywood. A more sophisticated city with special needs and horrific memories, New Yorkers didn’t waste their time on freaks and has-beens. Of course, he didn’t fit in either of those categories.
Did he think he did?
The elevator ride passed in silence. She followed him toward the curb and smiled her thanks to the doorman who quickly opened the door to the cab Taylor had waiting.
“This is nice,” she said. He sat in stony silence until he turned and gave her a slightly crooked grin.
Oh, God, she sighed. She closed her eyes, instantly reminded of nighttime dreams of that grin as he swooped in with his spaceship to rescue her from demonic aliens. Not wanting him to think she’d fallen asleep in his company, she opened her eyes and smiled.
The yellow cab pulled up to a building where spotlights bounced off an elegant façade boasting a combination of large, smooth river stones and shimmering steel. A tall, massive man, dressed all in black, helped her from the taxi.
“The bouncer?” she whispered to Taylor.
“I better behave myself.”

2010-05-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at my debut contemporary romance;

Becka smoothed her suddenly perspiring palms down her hips and prayed they didn’t leave a trail of moisture. She walked to the door, her high heels echoing across the parquet flooring. She blew out a deep breath and opened her door.
“Hi. You look great.” Taylor said as he flashed his familiar, crooked grin. He walked past her into the condo.
Struck speechless, she could only muster a stare. I think I look mighty good and in walks Adonis, Caesar, and Alexander the Great rolled into one.
His damp hair, most likely from the shower, shone like tarnished gold in the waning light of the late afternoon sun. He sauntered toward her balcony’s glass doors. The scent of soap and lime aftershave lingered. His chiseled jaw, clean of any evening growth of whiskers, seemed even tanner than she remembered. An expertly fitted jacket showed off his wide shoulders and trim waist.
“Is that Armani?”
He nodded, his attention on the view of the water several stories below. Why had she assumed he lived as a broke, out-of-work actor? His gaze swung to the right to take in her living area’s soft colors and simple decor. She smiled with pride.
She had lived with her parents while working as an instructor at the club. She managed to save enough money for a down payment on her one bedroom condominium. Becka prided herself that her parent’s money had not been involved in the purchase, except for the living room set.
Her mom clearly stated she should accept the matched grouping of Shaker pine furniture as a gift.
He slipped his hands in both pockets and whistled.
“What a view. We’re pretty high up. Is that Connecticut?” His chin pointed to a green coastline dotted with miniature buildings. Sailing yachts slipped through the serene, jade-green water of the Sound.
“Actually, I believe that’s still New York. The Connecticut border is more northeast,” she explained. Had her voice really come out in a whisper? All of a sudden her throat seemed too tight and he appeared nervous.
He peered out in the direction she mentioned, not at her, and then up at the sky. Still early evening, the heavens slowly darkened. The weather had been pleasant all week and she smiled when he sighed. Did he wish he could trade places with those boaters?
“I love the Atlantic Ocean. I grew up nearby, in Massachusetts.
“Really? I didn’t know.”
“Who would? My agent kept it quiet. A sleepy little town north of Boston didn’t fit my profile.” He continued to gaze straight ahead. “I’d love to be out there with the wind in my hair.”
She smiled at his reflection in the glass. Still, why did he look so uneasy? As the wise and worldly actor, he flaunted his good looks and bedded famous women all the time. She’d read it all in his profile. Had his agent made it up as well? Whatever the truth, she would not become his latest conquest no matter how good he smelled or how great he looked.

2010-05-14T07:51:00.000-04:00

PLEASE HELP STAMP OUT DIABETES!

Red Rose Publishing authors and the publisher releasing my debut contemporary romance, SECRET LOVE MATCH, are proud supporters of the 6th ANNUAL BRENDA NOVAK DIABETES AUCTION. The auction runs all this month.

Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction

WRITING IS WORK!

2010-05-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

The next person who says writing romance is a hobby better watch out. Writing is work, clear and simple. Sure, ideas might pop up or a dream might linger, but take an idea and plot a 400 page book and see how quick that illusion fades. A friend sent this link from a very savvy lady who reminds me of myself: a wife, a mother, a college graduate, who has worked full-time in the private sector for too many years.

The best answer to all those nay-sayers is this article titled:
I Write Romance Novels-So What? by Eileen Dreyer aka Kathleen Korbel, an author with 36 novels under her belt. Take a look:

I write romance novels -- so what?

Enough said!

BRAG TIME!

2010-04-22T21:43:00.000-04:00

I HAVE SOLD ANOTHER BOOK!

With two books on course for release in June, I am thrilled to report I have today received a contract from Red Rose Publishing for a contemporary romance titled 'DESTINY'S MOUNTAIN'.

This story means so much to me and I cannot wait to share it with my fans AND the friends who helped me. Their support, editing skills, and brilliant ideas helped shape this story into a marvelous romance set in the mountains of New Hampshire, in our great country of America. Here's to all my former co-workers at New Hampshire 9-1-1. Thanks!

My 1st Book Cover!

2010-04-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

My first novel is nearing publication! I spent several days of back and forth e-mailing with the Red Rose Publishing cover artist assigned to SECRET LOVE MATCH. She already read the half-page description of how I pictured the cover, and even though this is a bit different than my idealistic vision, I believe she has captured the flavor of my story.

Here's a short blurb:

Rebecca Delacourt plans to try out for the US Olympic tennis team. Her mother gave up everything for love, but Becka refuses to take time for love or marriage.

Taylor Adams' television livelihood went into reruns long ago. He has set his eye on a film career. Little does he realize the young woman in his sights has loved him for years. Worse, all Hell will break loose if her father discovers their secret romance.

SECRET LOVE MATCH will be available on June 25, 2010 at:

http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=709

Enjoy!

Favorite quotes adorn my office....

2010-04-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

I have pieces of paper, pages ripped from desk calendars, reprinted words of wisdom passed to me from friends or family, and items found while doing research for my manuscripts.

What is on these assorted pieces of paper? Quotes! A famous person's words are sometimes recorded. History will tell whether anything I say is heeded as wonderful, but in the meantime...

'Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.'

This has special meaning to me. I've been busy writing stories for about three years...oh, they were always dancing in my head, but life got in the way. With my first story slated for publication on June 25th from Red Rose Publishing, these words ring true.

'Satisfaction doesn't always come from your job, but it does come from a job well done.'

Time-and sales history-will tell if the satisfied feeling I have from creating 'SECRET LOVE MATCH' was a job well done.

This manuscript was my third full-length contemporary romance. The other two racked up dozens of rejection letters. I never wait for those replies to my submission letters. I keep writing! Since finishing 'SECRET LOVE MATCH', I have completed two more full-length novels and a 30,000 word novella. I attend conferences, take workshops and on-line courses, I attend RWA and local chapter meetings.

The point is, because I realize that 'When one door closes, another door opens," I keep at it. It worked! Check out my website, www.nancylennea.com for upcoming
publication dates.

Nancy Lennea