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10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures. With every “Today’s Adventure” post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14. You may enter today’s contest at Katherine’s website. Find links to all the authors below–follow any of them to keep up with the latest adventures.

Here’s Katherine:

When I joined the Unforgettable Adventure giveaway, I thought I remembered my main character, Jeanette Palmer, actually using the word “adventure.” Yes! On p. 278 she has been forced to borrow money from an older relative and asks anxiously, “Has the adventure worked out for you, Cousin Effie? The whole thing, I mean—coming to Paris?”

Change the question: “Will the adventure work out for you, reader? The whole thing, I mean—going to Paris with Jeanette and Effie?”

Adventure means finding yourself somewhere new, facing unexpected challenges. It means not always knowing what you are doing or what comes next. If those are the criteria, then writing a novel is an adventure—and so is reading one from a new author. You can’t judge by past experience; you just have to take a chance. How might the chance pay off if you head to Paris with Jeanette?

From the company she keeps on this group blog tour, you can guess that romance will be part of Jeanette’s story, yet it is not what she sets out to find. Jeanette is a naive but determined young woman who crosses the Atlantic in 1878 to study painting. The last thing she expects is to meet an older man haunted by a war and fall in love with him. My hope is that you will fall in love with both of them—that you will be swept up in Jeanette’s talent and ambition, immerse yourself in her friendships with other women artists, experience Paris with all your senses, then feel achingly Edward’s attractions and sorrows. If you remember the characters long after you finish, I’d call the adventure a success.

But that leads to a last question: “What are you looking for in an adventure? What makes a book worthwhile to you?”

GIVEAWAY: To win a free copy of Where the Light Falls, leave a comment on my blog any time before August 13. If you choose to comment on an archived post, be sure to include the phrase “Unforgettable Adventure Giveaway.” The winner will be selected randomly and contacted by e-mail (your e-mail address is automatically recorded by the website but it will never appear publicly).

Keep up with the latest adventures and chances to win through any of the authors:

Alison Atlee, The Typewriter Girl Facebook
Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye Facebook
T.J. Brown, Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening Facebook
Sarah Jio, The Last Camellia Facebook
Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird Facebook
Katherine Keenum, Where the Light Falls
Stephanie Lehmann, Astor Place Vintage Facebook
Kate Noble, Let It Be Me Facebook
Deanna Raybourn, A Spear of Summer Grass Facebook
Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair Facebook

10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures. With every “Today’s Adventure” post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14. You may enter today’s contest at Jessica’s Facebook page. Find links to all the authors below–follow any of them to keep up with the latest adventures.

Here’s Jessica:

Opportunity doesn’t always knock. Sometimes it slips quietly into the mailbox, folded, stamped, addressed. This was especially true in ages past, before the immediacy of email. College acceptances, job offers, invitations, declarations of love—once upon a time, they all began with a letter. An envelope that, when opened, led to adventure.

For Elspeth Dunn, a Scottish poet with more dreams than adventures, opportunity arrives one day in the form of a fan letter. The letter, from a college student in far-off Urbana, Illinois is more than a glimpse of life beyond the shores of her native Isle of Skye; it’s a line to reach it. Her correspondent, David, is a daredevil. He fills pages with his escapades, going places and doing things she’d only imagined. For David, that first fan letter is just one more adventure; for Elspeth, it’s only the first.

Elspeth wasn’t looking for adventure. She was doing the things women on Skye did in the early twentieth century—spinning, gardening, cutting peat, braiding rope from heather. She wandered the hills with a notebook and wrote poetry, published to small acclaim in London. She was content. But then that letter arrived, with its Illinois postmark and teasing praise, and she began to wonder. To wonder what else was out there, to wonder who else the world held, to wonder how far she could go.

The opportunity for adventure, no matter how small, isn’t always sought. It can arrive, unannounced and unexpected, making you wonder what more your life could be. That was true for me, when I was given the chance to move to Scotland. Like Elspeth, I was content. But opportunity quietly slipped in and I began wondering. That wondering took me across the ocean to the biggest adventure of my life.

Elspeth didn’t expect adventure, but when it arrived, she recognized it. When opportunity sends you a letter, all you have to do is reply.

To win, leave a comment on my Facebook page telling me about a time you found adventure in your mailbox!

Keep up with the latest adventures and chances to win through any of the authors:
Alison Atlee, The Typewriter Girl Facebook
Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye Facebook
T.J. Brown, Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening Facebook
Sarah Jio, The Last Camellia Facebook
Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird Facebook
Katherine Keenum, Where the Light Falls
Stephanie Lehmann, Astor Place Vintage Facebook
Kate Noble, Let It Be Me Facebook
Deanna Raybourn, A Spear of Summer Grass Facebook
Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair Facebook

10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures. With every “Today’s Adventure” post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14.  You may enter today’s giveaway at Alison’s blog and/or by liking her Facebook page. Enter at both places to double your winning chances!

Here’s Alison:

“But did you know it is almost the best job in London a girl could hope for?”

That question of Betsey Dobson’s turned up in the earliest draft of The Typewriter Girl and survived many revisions, but it took awhile for me to understand just how much it expressed about Betsey and the adventure that changes her life.

Funny how we speak of adventure: Adventure awaits. It beckons, calls. We discover adventure, we embark upon it.

Which all suggests that we have to make ourselves available to it. A shiny new adventure might be sitting in the driveway with a full tank of gas, but it’s going nowhere until we take our place in the driver’s seat.

What I loved about writing Betsey’s adventure was how she kept letting it grow, just a little at a time. She thinks she’s made it, there at the beginning of the story. Getting that typewriting job was an enormous accomplishment for her. She thinks, If I can just hold on to this much, I won’t ask for more.

Except for the word “almost.” Almost the best job. To me, that signaled a spark inside Betsey, a belief that if she gave her dreams a little extra room to run, they’d grow. And then, anything was possible.

 Remember, there are two ways to enter the giveaway: Like Alison’s Facebook page and/or go to her blog, At Issue. Do both and get two chances to win.

 Keep up with the latest adventures and chances to win through any of the authors:

 Alison Atlee, The Typewriter Girl    Facebook

Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye         Facebook

T.J. Brown, Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening  Facebook

Sarah Jio, The Last Camellia           Facebook

Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird      Facebook

Katherine Keenum, Where the Light Falls

Stephanie Lehmann, Astor Place Vintage Facebook

Kate Noble, Let It Be Me        Facebook

Deanna Raybourn, A Spear of Summer Grass       Facebook

Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair Facebook

10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures. With every “Today’s Adventure” post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14. You may enter today’s giveaway and the grand prize at T.J.’s blog, https://teribrownbooks.com/tjblog/. You’ll find links to all the authors below–follow any of them to keep up with the latest adventures.

And now, T.J. on WWI Women and Their Flying Machines:

Come Josephine in my flying machine

Going up she goes! Up she goes!

Balance yourself like a bird on a beam

In the air she goes! There she goes!

Up, up, a little bit higher

Oh! My! The moon is on fire

Come Josephine in my flying machine

Going up, all on, Goodbye!

Aeroplanes play a big part in the Summerset Abbey trilogy and the eldest sister, Rowena, becomes a volunteer pilot in World War One. Did I stretch the truth too far or did I not go far enough?  Through my research I found that while the numbers were small, there were women who flew actual combat and reconnaissance missions during the war and many more who worked in aeroplane production. The following women were pilots during the war when aircraft technology was in its earliest stages:

• Helene Dutrieu flew reconnaissance flights from Paris to check on German troop movements.
• Marie Marvingt flew bombing missions over Germany and was probably the first women to fly actual combat missions.
• Russia had several such daring aviatrixes: Princess Eugenie M. Shakovskaya, Helen P. Samsonova, Princess Sophie A. Dolgorukaya and Nadeshda Degtereva all flew during the war, though in different capacities.

It’s important to remember just what a fledgling science aircraft actually was. For the first two years of WWI, the average life expectancy for pilots was 10-15 days to three weeks due to the rushed training and the rapid increase of the quality of German planes.

In Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening, Rowena volunteers to transport newly built aeroplanes, as well as flying key officials,  to various military bases. When the series begins, Rowena is diffident and a bit lost. She is searching for her purpose in life. When she takes to the air for the first time as a passenger, she knows immediately that she has found it. Flying becomes her passion and she does most of her growing as a character while in the air. Volunteering for the war effort gives her adventurous spirit an outlet and changes her outlook on life.

Don’t forget to enter at T.J.’s blog, https://teribrownbooks.com/tjblog/. Keep up with the latest adventures and chances to win through any of the authors:

Alison Atlee, The Typewriter Girl    Facebook

Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye         Facebook

T.J. Brown, Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening  Facebook

Sarah Jio, The Last Camellia           Facebook

Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird      Facebook

Katherine Keenum, Where the Light Falls

Stephanie Lehmann, Astor Place Vintage Facebook

Kate Noble, Let It Be Me        Facebook

Deanna Raybourn, A Spear of Summer Grass       Facebook

Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair Facebook

10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures. With every “Today’s Adventure” post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14.  You may enter today’s contest by going to Kate’s Facebook page and liking it. Find links to all the authors below–follow any of them to keep up with the latest adventures.

Here’s Kate:

Everyone needs the chance to be new, at one time or other.  The chance to experience different sights and sounds, the ability to be open to learning new things and new ways of being.  To let go of a (slightly) disastrous past and face the world with a fresh perspective.

That’s how Bridget Forrester feels, in Let It Be Me, when she takes advantage of a tree falling on her house to persuade her family to go to Venice for the season.  She needs a fresh start – last season was abysmal, living in her sister’s shadow. In Venice, she can be someone different, someone mysterious – and she’s been invited to study piano with the renowned composer Vincenzo Carpenini. It will be the grandest adventure of Bridget’s life.

The only problem is, when she arrives, Carpenini has never heard of her.  But his friend, theater-owner Oliver Merrick has.  He’s been writing letters on Carpenini’s behalf, and the minute he sees Bridget’s green, trusting eyes, he knows he’s only invited trouble to Venice.

But when Carpenini and Oliver get Bridget involved in a wager, she is thrust into the glittering and dangerous world of Venice’s musical elite, and she must work harder than she has ever worked in her life.  She must transform herself from an amateur into a master pianist.  But as difficult as it is, with Oliver at her side, it is something magical.

 It becomes the grandest adventure of Bridget’s life.

Ready to join Bridget in Venice? Remember to like Kate Noble’s Facebook page, and you’ll be entered to win Let It Be Me and the other nine stories. Keep up with the latest adventures and get more chances to win through any of the authors:

Alison Atlee, The Typewriter Girl    Facebook

Jessica Brockmole, Letters from Skye         Facebook

T.J. Brown, Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening  Facebook

Sarah Jio, The Last Camellia           Facebook

Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird      Facebook

Katherine Keenum, Where the Light Falls

Stephanie Lehmann, Astor Place Vintage Facebook

Kate Noble, Let It Be Me        Facebook

Deanna Raybourn, A Spear of Summer Grass       Facebook

Lauren Willig, The Ashford Affair Facebook

Finally!

I finally got a new car. I had one before, sort of, but it was five years old when we got it and I shared it with my daughter and I rarely got to use it. (Anyone who thinks sharing a vehicle with a teenager is an economical solution needs to rethink…) She had to go to work, school and see friends… all I did was sit at home and peck away on the typewriter. In other words, she had a life, I did not. (She may have had a valid point, but the upshot was still that I didn’t have a car to drive) Then my son was using my car. Then my daughter. Then my son.

So I stole my mom’s car.

She wasn’t driving it! No, actually, she  gave up driving, but  since my daughter had my comfortable car and my parents didn’t want to ride in my husband’s vehicle, I  bought her car from her. I just find it ironic that my daughter stole my car so I stole my moms…

ANYWAY,Now that my daughter has her own car, my husband and I decided it was time for me to splurge and buy a car. So I did.

Isn’t it lovely? It’s a little Kia Forte Hatchback. I was originally looking for a Rio Hatchback, but the Forte was roomier and came with a lot more options. If you know me, you know that this little car is perfectly me:)

And yes, on top of nonstop remodeling, my husband and I have been shopping around for cars…because we just weren’t busy enough. I can’t see light at the end of the remodeling tunnel yet, and indeed my house seems to be getting more and more chaotic as we go along, but my car is a bright spot and tomorrow, I am driving it up to an author friends cabin for two days of nonstop writing!!!

ROAD TRIP!

I get a little jealous when I hear of the warm, supportive relationships that other authors have with their critique partners. Some are even epic, like Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe or Rachel Vincent and Rinda Elliot. Others have whole groups, like the Viva Scrivas who maintain their own blog.

I have… no one.

Not that my writing doesn’t  need critiquing. God knows it does. My writing weaknesses include tenses, commas, and taking the easy way out instead of developing scenes to their fullest potential. (My editors are all nodding their heads here.) I credit my first critique group for taking my completely novice self and whipping me into shape so quickly that I had an agent in a matter of months. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without the input of some wonderful people.

But on the whole, having a critique partner is just not for me. I should have gotten a clue with that first group… the fact that I was such a newbie and still the first one to get an agent rankled. Within a month or so the group had imploded.

I’ve had other wonderful CP’s that were too busy themselves to keep up with the fact that I am a bit prolific. (Understatement) I’ve had others who went in a direction that I didn’t feel I could competently critique. Then I had some who were just flakes and never got back to me after I critiqued their work. Then there were times when I flaked out. Not purposefully, but sometimes shit happens.

However, no matter how successful you are, there are those moments when you want someone to give you another perspective. So I hire one. Yep, I hire a CP.  Some benefits of hiring a critique partner:

• They never ever, ever need you to critique their chapter when you are on a heinous deadline
• In fact, you never ever, ever have to critique their writing, period.
• They love what they do and are generally quite good at it.
• They don’t want anything in return except a check.

Though I do have a relationship with my hired Cp’s, I don’t have friendships. No hurt feelings, no awkward emails. I send my stuff, they send it back all marked up, I send the check and  that’s the end of it.  I am free to take their advice or not. This doesn’t mean I won’t occasionally send something short to a friend to look over or critique something in return, but on the whole, hiring someone to do it for me works better for me now than a CP type of relationship could. It gives me peace of mind and that means I get more work done!

As my tweets and facebook status’ will attest, my life has been insane the past week. I took the week off of writing to start the process of remodeling the tiniest great room in America, i.e. my living room kitchen and dining room/office. I don’t know how many square feet this conjoined space is, but it is Lilliputian small, which is fine, the kids are on their way out the door and then my husband and I will have three bedrooms all to ourselves. Basically, it’s the starter home we never left and now we don’t have to get rid of half our belongings and downsize when we get old, so neener, neener, neener.

(Ahem)

Having never remodeled before I was unaware of the amount of chaos it engenders. I’ve learned it’s a lot like writing a novel and here are three reasons  why:

• I’m sure some people collaborate just fine during the rough draft of the novel/remodel but not me. I generally prefer to have input from an editor,(or my husband) after I’ve made all the major decisions.
• In remodeling, things have to be done in a certain order. I need the floor installed before the appliances are, the appliances have to be in before the countertops can be measured for the granite and I have to paint my cabinets before the granite is installed, etc. When I write a novel I have to have the concept firmly in place before I develop the characters, the characters before the major plot points and the major plot points before the black moment. Everything builds on the thing or event that comes before.
• Remodeling and writing a novel is HARD. You have to slog your way through. Yes, there are high points like picking the appliances or the colors, but most of it is banging your finger with a hammer, spilling paint on the floor or fighting with your husband. Writing a novel mostly consists of pulling words out of your brain with pliers, murdering that lovely scene that’s not working and arguing with your characters.

I have to return to writing and career on Monday even though we’re still at the beginning stages of the remodel. Someone has to pay for it. (Who knew that curtains were so expensive?)

 Before I get to Born of Deception, I wish to say that I’ve been blessed that the reviews for Born of Illusion have been  overwhelmingly positive. I’m always happy when people truly GET the book…even to those little nuances that I thought were just for me. And one little thing:  the mother daughter relationship in this book is very, very complex. It isn’t SUPPOSED to be a relationship of mutual happy support or the book would be SO MUCH LESS than what it is. There, with that said, I will get to the real post which is the cover copy for Born of Illusion and address an abiding rumor…

Budding illusionist Anna Van Housen is on top of the world: after scoring a spot on a prestigious European vaudeville tour, she has moved to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. Along with her handsome beau, Cole Archer, Anna is prepared to take the city by storm.

But when Anna arrives in London, she finds the group in turmoil. Sensitives are disappearing and, without a suspect, the group’s members are turning on one another. Could the kidnapper be someone within the society itself—or has the nefarious Dr. Boyle followed them to London?

As Cole and Anna begin to unravel the case and secrets about the society are revealed, they find themselves at odds, their plans for romance in London having vanished. Her life in danger and her relationship fizzling, can Anna find a way to track down the killer before he makes her his next victim—or will she have to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Set in Jazz-Age London, this alluring sequel to Born of Illusion comes alive with sparkling romance, deadly intrigue, and daring magic.

I am SO excited about this book. It is MUCH, much darker than Born of Illusion, which was so much fun to write…

Now the rumor… When I queried Born of Illusion, my idea was to have each story  told from the view point of a different illegitimate daughter. Houdini first, Rasputin Second and then a prequel of Jack the Rippers daughter. When I sold the book, my editor loved Anna Van Housen so much that she wanted the second book told from Anna’s POV.  I agreed. So the second book doesn’t feature Rasputin, but Aleister Crowley and Harry Price are both in Born of Deception.  That would have been the end of it except that almost every single  review of BOI includes the Rasputin rumor!

I have the Rasputin book in my head and would love to do one with him soon. The reason the rumor got out? Somehow the original query that  I used in looking for a new agent ended up on Goodreads… I have NO idea how that happened.  I will keep everyone posted about the Rasputin book. Here are some pix of the next two gentlemen in the book…You can read more about these too men here and here.  Both are VERY HIGH ON THE CREEP FACTOR SCALE. They are part of the reason that Born of Deception is so much darker than Born of Illusion.

Last week, I decided that July Fourth would be my own personal Independence Day.  My last Fourth of July holiday was spent  sick and weak and undergoing brutal radiation treatments. It taught me a thing or two, just as cooking and gardening has taught me a thing or two. So this summer I’m declaring my freedom from the things that hold me back as a woman, a writer, a creative and a human being. I don’t believe that these things will just happen overnight but I hope to keep these resolves in my mind every damn day. So without further ado…

• I’m declaring my freedom from my inner editor who tells me I can’t write. I believe I’ve proven my merit as a writer, thank you very much, and the next time my inner editor raises her head, I’m going to bitch slap her.
• I’m declaring my freedom from my inner critic who tells me I’m not worthy, I don’t deserve this, I’m not creative enough, etc. Bullshit. I AM worthy, I do deserve this, I am creative! So bite me.
• I’m declaring my freedom from my inner Joan Rivers who bashes me every time I look in the mirror. Who is this woman and what is she doing in my head telling me everything that is wrong with the way I look? And at my age, why am I still listening to her? Off with her head!
• I am declaring my freedom from the guilt I feel over my past failures. Failures teach so I need to learn the lesson, forgive myself, ask forgiveness from others if need be and MOVE ON. No more laying in bed at night, my cheeks burning as Ms. Mcshamey Pants recounts everything I have done wrong since I was three. I have the power to make her disappear and disappear she will!

There, I hold those truths to be self evident and all that. It’s time for an inner revolution. I have too much to accomplish and too much living to do to allow that cast of sadistic characters to rob me of my enjoyment of life and the satisfaction of attaining my goals.