Remembering Mama

I remember the book Mama by Terry McMillan very well and can't believe it was well over 20 years ago that I read and loved it. It was one of those books that really spoke to me in both its style and emotion. With all I'm going through as a writer right now I think I need to revisit it. Check out this interview with the amazing author.



Best,
Kwana

Sinning with a Scoundrel and a Giveaway!

So are you snowed in? Raise your hands if you are?

Lucky me! The mail gods and ARC gods have been smiling and in a recent book shipment I received a copy of To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliot, the first book in the Circle of Sin series. Now once again I was duped buy the old author name change switcharoo. I was like, “where have I heard that name before.” You all know me. Between the Teen Twins and Jack I can’t remember two days ago and surely not when a friend goes and writes under a pseudonym. Foul!

Cara got me with this on twitter too. I was like, “who is this Cara all over the place.” Turns out it’s my friend and bestselling author, Andrea. Duh! I really gotta get it together. Maybe ginkgo biloba, but I do vaguely remember hearing about a study saying that that doesn’t even work. Sigh. Oh well, back to today’s joy…

I got To Sin With A Scoundrel, read it, totally enjoyed it and then saw the lovely Cara/Andrea at Lady Jane’s Salon recently and she ever so kindly agreed to do a short interview with me (even though I’m a ninny that can’t remember her very famous pseudonym).

Now onto the interview:

Hello Cara thanks so much for taking some time out of your busy schedule to pop over her for a bit at Kwana Writes!

Thanks for inviting me, Kwana. You’re such a wonderful voice for the romance genre—it’s an honor to be here!

First off can you tell us a little about your background? Have you always wanted to be a romance writer or is this something that you happened on later? Do you have some fab story of “overnight success”?

Actually, I wrote my first book when I was five years old. It was a Western, complete with meticulously colored pictures of horses and cowboys. (I’ve since moved on to Regency England . . . I must have a thing for Men in Boots!) So I guess that storytelling has always been a passion of mine. However, I also loved art and ended up majoring in graphic design, which took me on a different career path for a number of years, So to make a long story short, I remained an avid reader, but didn’t return to writing until later in life. One day, about ten years ago, I decided to plunk my derriere in a chair and try my hand at writing again. And that was it—I was hooked, though I hadn’t the first clue on what I was going to do with the finished manuscript.

Getting published was a serendipitous quirk of fate. A friend introduced me to an agent and I pitched him a contemporary thriller I had written. (It’s still in a desk drawer for good reason.) He nodded politely throughout the interview and said he would take a look at it. Then, as we got up, I mentioned as an afterthought,” Oh, I also have a Regency romance, but that probably doesn’t interest you.” Well, at that his eyes lit up, and he said,” Oh, the people at the Signet Regency line are good friends. Let me show it to them.” Three days later I got the call that they had bought my book!

What’s your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser? What’s a typical writing day like for you?

Oh, total set-of-the-panser! I can’t tell you how many times I finish a chapter and sit back saying, “Whoa, I didn’t know they were going to do that!”
I’m also a slow writer. On my writing days, I get up early and pretty much keep at it for 10 or12 hours (Okay, okay, with bathroom and chocolate breaks. Chocolate is an essential item on a writer’s desk. One never knows when The Muse might need a little bribe!) If I end up with 8 or 10 pages, that’s a very good day. The good news is, they are pretty clean pages. I’m not someone who writes three or four drafts.

Now I know your schedule is extremely busy since you are currently teaching a class at Yale (yes folks, that Yale) called “Reading the Historical Romance Novel” along with New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willing. Can you tell me a little on how this came about?

Mix two romance writers with several glasses of chardonnay . . .
Lauren and I are both Yale grads, and one evening at Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC we started talking about how romance should be treated as a serious genre of literature, and how we would structure a class. Laughing, we both said, “Oh, wouldn’t it be fun to teach a seminar at Yale on the subject.” But the laughter quickly died away as a simultaneous spark lit in our eyes . . and so we decided to submit a proposal. After months of drafting a detailed syllabus, complete with critical readings, and being interviewed by a committee of students and professors in New Haven, our idea was accepted! We started teaching in January, and are really enjoying the experience.

It’s actually great to see that we are part of a growing movement to focus attention on the fact that great authors are writing great stories in the romance genre. Now, we readers have always known that, but it’s heartening to see the rest of the literary world, as well as the academic community, start to sit up and take notice!

Now onto To Sin With A Scoundrel which as I said I thoroughly enjoyed. Lady Ciara Sheffield is not your typical Regency heroine. She’s been married and has a child and is an intellectual. What made you decide on this type of heroine and the Circle of Sin as an idea for a series?

I’ve always liked creating unconventional heroines . . . maybe because I’ve always been a little quirky myself. So I tend to write stories with characters who dare to be different and who challenge the rules of their Society. It allows me to explore an emotional complexity, which I feel allows me to add depth and texture.

The Circle of Sin is a group of brilliant, beautiful female scholars who meet each week to share their knowledge and their friendship. They are all scientists—now, don’t ask me why! I was absolutely hopeless in math or science in school. (But hey, that’s part of the fun of fiction, and I did do my homework studying up on the basics so as not to make a fool of myself.) That said, I really enjoyed playing with the “chemistry” of pairing each of the three brainy heroines with heroes who were, on the surface, their opposites. Lady Ciara Sheffield, who stars in the first book of the new trilogy, is wary of men, however she has no choice but to accept help from a rakish rogue in order to save herself from scandal . . . and they both learn some unexpected lessons on love.

What was your inspiration for the dashing and sexy Lord Hadley?

Oh, I have a real soft spot for Lucas, who is one of my favorite heroes. He’s a charming rake who cheerfully admits to having no interest in anything but sybaritic pleasure. But at heart, he’s far more sensitive than he cares to admit, and as his best friend Jack says, he simply needs a challenge to bring out his better nature. As for inspiration, well, don’t we all dream of turning our scoundrels into noble heroes!

I can’t wait for the next book To Surrender A Rogue and Alessandra and Jack’s story. The sparks fly with these two from page one. Tell us a bit about them.

Oh yes, things get a little hot between Alessandra and Jack in To Sin With A Scoundrel. Having been burned in the past, she’s mistrustful of the handsome devil who tries to ride to her rescue—especially when Jack ends up tying her young daughter to a tree. (Note: he has an excellent reason for doing it, but still, what mother would not be a tad upset at such heavy-handed measures!)
So in To Surrender To A Rogue, when they find themselves working at the same archeological excavation of Roman ruins in Bath, they are none too happy about it. But when fellow member of the expedition threatens to dig up a dark secret from Alessandra’s past, she finds herself in desperate need of a hero . . . I hope you enjoy their story! (Oh, and then there’s free-spirited Kate, the botany expert, whose story will be told in To Tempt A Rake.)

Thanks so much for being here today. I can’t wait to see you at the next Lady Jane’s.

Thanks for having me, Kwana! See you at the Salon in March.

Folks you can check out Cara’s website here

And if you are in New York on Monday March 1st don’t miss Lady Jane’s Salon where Cara will be reading from To Sin With A Scoundrel. Check out the site here.

Oh and one lucky commenter will win a signed ARC (advanced reader copy) of To Sin With A Scoundrel from Cara. So please leave your comments. The only rule is you must be a follower of ye old blog kwanawrites. Oh and please leave your email so I can get back to ya and enter by midnight Thursday. Thanks.

Best,
Kwana

An Interview, A Giveaway and a Scandal

Oh fun! Today my interview with Amanda McCabe is up over at the Risky Regencies blog to launch her new book Countess of Scandal as Laurel McKee. She's giving away a copy of her book to a lucky commenter so please stop on by and check out the interview here.

And it just so happens that my review of Countess of Scandal is up on Booksquawk so later you can stop on by there and check that out. You'll see I really enjoyed all the scandal. It was a great read.

Once again. Happy Saturday!

Best,

Kwana

Smart Women Reading

What's Jack up to? The Jackster is chilling still recuperating after a busy Halloween weekend. Spending much of his time under the bed or lazing about in the couch. For Halloween he just about barked himself out with the ringing doorbell. My favorite was him trying to push through the glass door and my little neighbor girl dressed as a very annoyed nun holding it shut with one hand and looking at him with reproach and he bounced up and down just tuckering his self out.

Last night I did my monthly escape to Lady Jane's Salon. New York's only romance reading series and once again had a fine time.

This month the featured guests were:

New York Times and USA today Bestselling Author Caridad Pineiro.

Caridad read from her newest book Sins of the Flesh. A sexy paranormal suspense novel that at times can hit a little to close to home. You can check out Caridad here.

Also reading was Joanne Rendell who did a mock play of sorts with excerpts from her book Crossing Washington Square with the help of a hilariously funny cast of helpers.

It's the story of two strong willed university professors and the tensions between them. Check out Joanne, her musings and her first release here.

Lastly, helping to MC the night was Elizabeth Kerri Mahon of the Scandalous Women blog who was celebrating her birthday while dressed as Marie Antoinette who shares the same birthday! Happy Birthday again Elizabeth. You looked wonderful. You can check out Elizabeth's scandalous blog here.

Best,

Kwana

P.S.

Please remember to vote today. Thanks.

Christmas time- La la la...

What's Jack up to? Well, Jack is full of happiness and energy lately. I think he knows he has a birthday coming up. It's Sunday. The dear twins are getting all a twitter over it. I think I'd better get some sort of plan together. Hmm...

Congrats to my good friend Marley Gibson on her newest release Christmas Miracles co-authored with Cecil “Cec” Murphey. Today Marley is guest posting with an interview of Cecil here. Welcome Marley and Cecil!

Interview with Cecil “Cec” Murphey
by Marley Gibson

I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity today to talk to my friend and co-author, Cecil “Cec” Murphey, and to chat about our book, Christmas Miracles.

Marley: Cec, thanks for spending some time with me today.

Cec: Marley, it's great that you could take time away from important things like making a living to spend a little time with me.

Marley: I’m so jazzed about our Christmas Miracles book that’s coming out soon. I’ve had a lot of questions from folks wanting to know how we met, what brought us together, etc. So, I thought we’d do a back and forth on how it all came to be. Of course, I have to give props to our amazing agent and friend, Deidre Knight, for bringing us together. For those of you who don’t know, Cec co-authored the runaway New York Times bestselling hit 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper.

Cec: I have to say thanks to Deidre Knight as well. Between Deidre and my assistant, Twila Belk, I've been able to sell quite a few books. 90 Minutes in Heaven has been my big book. I'm also proud of a book I wrote in 1990 called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. The book has never been out of print and has hit close to four million in sales. Early this year, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in the made-for-TV film version.

Marley: That’s amazing! You are truly prophetic and definitely “the man behind the words.” Now, people ask how we teamed up. Sadly, there was a personal tragedy that brought Cec and me together as friends.

Cec: True. In early 2007, our house burned and our son-in-law died. Aside from the grief over Alan, we lost everything. Deidre and Jan, my-then-assistant, sent the word out of our tragedy without telling me. I'm immensely grateful for every gift people sent, but I probably wouldn't have admitted I needed help and wouldn't have asked. They taught me how much we need other people.

Marley: Deidre put out a call to other clients of The Knight Agency, to help Cec and his family out in any way in their time of need. At the time, my company was moving and we were cleaning house. We had a ton of office supplies that we were either going to throw away or give to some of the charities the company worked with. I got my boss’ permission to send a large care package to Cec…full of office supplies for him to re-stock his writer’s office. You name it…post-its, staples, paper clips, pens, pencils, markers, white out, ruler, scissors, paper, notebooks, notepads, envelopes, a laptop case, tape, glue, folders, binder clips…etc. A veritable potpourri of office delights. I was hoping that it would help Cec have a sense of getting his office back so he could keep working.

Cec: Marley's gift was the most unexpected I received. We hadn't met, although Deidre Knight had spoken of her many times and kept telling me she was wonderful. I wonder if you can imagine what it was like for me to open that box from someone I didn't know. I saw all those practical things for my office and yelled for my wife. I felt as if I were reading a first-grade book. "Look! Look and see! Oh, look!" I was overwhelmed by the gift and even more to receive it from a stranger. Those supplies were the most practical gift anyone could have given me. I'm still using black paper clips and red folders from Marley.

Marley: Awww…thanks, Cec! I didn’t have to think twice about doing it. Writing is such a solitary “sport,” but the writing community always astounds me with how they help their own. Not long after that, over plates of spinach and Gouda omelets, Deidre introduced me to Cec in person and I was thrilled to finally meet the man behind the words. Deidre knew we needed to work on a project together and thus began our brainstorming. What did you think of that first meeting, Cec, and cooking up the idea to work together?

Cec: Deidre and I had already spoken about a Christmas book and I had some idea about what it should contain, but nothing had come together. One day Deidre told me that Marley was coming to visit her and she wanted us to work together on a Christmas project. Marley and I talked before we ate and again during the meal. Everything felt right to me. I knew my strengths and Marley knew hers (and Deidre knew both of us). Everything clicked. Marley, a far better networker than I am, immediately sent out the word for submissions. Within days she had almost four times more than we could use. (She read every one of them!)

Marley: I was truly impressed with the submissions we received and it was hard narrowing it down to the ones we chose for the book. We’re fortunate to have such a go-getter agent in Deidre Knight. Cec, can you share how the whole idea of Christmas Miracles came about and what you thought of the project originally?

Cec: For me, it actually started while I was on the rapid-rail train from the Atlanta airport when I listened to teens talk about Christmas and it was mostly about gifts. I had the idea then, but nothing really came together. Months later when Deidre I and had a meeting, she brought up the idea of a compilation and mentioned my working with Marley. I've been Deidre Knight's client since 1997 and I've learned to listen carefully when she comes up with an idea. I said yes before she gave me all the information.

Marley: That’s the truth about Deidre! Getting back to those submissions, I want to say we got more than two hundred submissions for Christmas Miracles. So many wonderful stories to read through and select for the book. It was a challenge to pick and choose which ones were right for the book, but I loved every minute of it. After I chose the entries that would go into the book, Cec toiled long hours editing the works for a unified voice. What was the biggest challenge you found in the editing process, Cec?

Cec: I've been a ghostwriter and collaborator for twenty-plus years and this was a switch to give the book a unified voice—which was mine. It would have been easier to stay with each writer's voice, but the book—like many compilations—would have been uneven in tone and quality. When I discussed this via email with our delightful editor, Rose Hilliard, she was (to my surprise) familiar with my work. She told me she liked the warm tone of my writing and that I don't waste words. "That's the voice we want," she said. It still wasn't easy, but it was an exciting challenge. After Marley and I agreed on the stories and gave them that unified voice, our editor pulled six contributions. Although different, Rose felt they were too similar to other stories.

Marley: Can you give our readers a preview of the book? A favorite story perhaps…or one that moved you to tears? (I have to say the little boy who wished for nothing but to be able to read a book all the way through because of his stutter had me bawling when I read the submission.)

Cec: That's not fair! I liked them all. The one that touched me most, however, is the last story in the book, "Sean's Question." We had almost finished the book and I was teaching at a conference in Florida. I felt we needed one strong story at the end. Despite all the good ones, I didn't feel fully satisfied to conclude the book. On the last day of the conference, I met a conferee named Sara Zinn for a consultation. As we talked, I mentioned Christmas Miracles and that I still needed one more story. "I have a Christmas story," she said and told me about Sean. As I listened, tears filled my eyes—but, being the macho type I am, I was sure it was an allergy. Sara wrote the story, and it became the one I sought.

Marley: Oh yes…that one is an emotional one all right. It was meant to be in the book because of how you met at the conference. Now, you and I have both had challenges in our lives that others might have found too much to take, but we are both very strong in our faith and our relationship with God. How do you think Christmas Miracles is going to help others feel closer to God and experience His miracles in their own lives?

Cec: Awareness and appreciation are the two things I want readers to grasp. Awareness means for them to realize that they're never totally alone in life. Those unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary events remind us of that. Appreciation means to be thankful for what we already have. Too often, and especially at Christmas, we focus on what we'd like or what is supposed to make us happy. Christmas Miracles gently reminds readers of both.

Marley: In this day and age when our country is fighting two wars, unemployment is high, and a lot of people have a lack of hope and faith for their future, what do you want readers of the book to take away from Christmas Miracles and how can the stories in our book help provide comfort to those struggling?

Cec: I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural (as in one of Marley's stories). I call myself a serious Christian. For me, the world's greatest miracle began with the birth of Jesus. Regardless of a person's religion, this book encourages readers to think about life during the Christmas season and see that life as more than gifts and celebrations. It's also a reminder that God loves us and hears our needy cries.

Marley: Beautifully put, Cec, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Can we share what’s next after Christmas Miracles? J

Cec: Why it's the Cec and Marley show, of course. Because of our go-getter agent and our enthusiastic editor, we've already received thumbs up for The Christmas Spirit. This will be stories of people who express the true spirit of Christmas by acts of love and kindness, for release in the fall of 2011.

Marley: And I can’t wait to start working on that project! Thank you so much for your time, Cec, and answering my questions. It was a privilege and honor to work with you and I look forward to our future projects together. You’ve helped me along during a trying time and I appreciate your friendship and support.

Cec: I liked this project because Marley had to send out the word, collect submissions, read them, and discard the weaker ones. I get to see only the better-written stories. (Don't tell her that I have the better job.) Although I mentioned only one story, all of those in the book touched me because of the poignancy of their situations and the miraculous answers. I won't say the stories increased my faith, but they increased my appreciation for the delightful mix of human need and divine intervention.

Marley: Thanks again, Cec! God Bless! And to our readers, please be sure to pick up a copy of CHRISTMAS MIRACLES, out Now from St. Martin’s Press. It’s a great stocking stuffer or gift basket filler. We hope you, too, will discover your own Christmas Miracles in your life.

Enjoy and think about the miracles in your own life. You can pick up Christmas Miracles here. It makes a great stocking stuffer for friends and family. Hey, it's never to early to start to think about this around the corner holiday.

Thanks for being here Marley and Cecil. Wishing you all Happy Christmas in October!

Now to decorate for Halloween...

Best,

Kwana

Passion makes Perfect

A friend of mine (thanks PIC) recently reminded me of my love of TED so I stopped on by ted.com and watched this video with the amazing novelist Isabel Allende talking about passion.
We women can make all the difference.
Enjoy.




Oh, Happy October!

Best,
Kwana

Strangely Beautiful

What's Jack up to? Please be forewarned. Gross out here.

Grrr... Oh that Jack. That sweet little cutie Jack. What a face. How could he do me wrong? Well, he did. That little stinker did. In the worst, maybe not the worst, but pretty bad, possible way. What did he do? He tinkled in my tub. Da-da-da-daaaaa! I know, right! Good thing I looked before I ran a bath.

Now onto a much nicer subject.

Yesterday I had the honor of hanging with debut author and friend Leanna Renee Heiber as she traveled around my neck of the woods to sign stock on her first book:

The Strangely Beautiful Tale Of Miss Percy Parker

I'm so proud of Leanna and happy for her. I also got to see our friend and fellow writer Stacy and meet her sweet dad.

The staff in the bookstores were all so gracious when meeting us and happy to have Leanna sign. Turns out the afternoon was a joy.

You can buy Leanna's book here.

Best,

Kwana

Have You Read Victoria?

Well why not? I know, probably the same reason as me. The TBR pile is too big. Well, I plan on having her skip a few books after

1. hearing about her cool blog contest and

2. reading the best and funniest review ever of her book The Wicked West and

3. becoming a twitter friend with her and seeing that she really is smart and funny so I know I'll enjoy her writing as much as Publishers weekly.

"Dahl delivers a fun, feisty and relentlessly sexy adventure."- Publishers Weekly

Check her out at her website VictoriaDahl.com here.

Best,

Kwana

I Haz Books!

What's Jack up to? Jack's been a funny one. Honing his skills at owner training. He's getting really good at getting us up and out and doing what he wants. Hanging around the kitchen at the perfect time to con the right individual out of a little morsel of something special. We are failing terribly. All the while he's just as wild as ever. Barking like mad at whoever dares walks by our house let alone darken our door. Oh Jack.

I had quite a few questions as to what books I got from Book Expo o9. Now some of my friends were not the book slut I was and did not get much of any at all. And in all honestly I didn't actively seek out that many books. The moment I walked in a sweet young woman handed me a book on money. I couldn't say no, could I? And of course I was with Katie from Babbling About Books and that woman can get a book. Lucky me.

I guess I was in the right places at the right times. So here's my haul:

DD is in book Heaven too.
Gotta remember to check my horoscope. Wonder if the DH and I are compatible? Kinda late all these years later.

And then the comics. My comic loving neighbor is very happy.

Do you see my Pride and Prejudice and the pretty Wizard of Oz?

Check out this great book. It's already been decided that Jack's somewhere between a Red and a Yellow. We have a lot of work to do. Sigh.

Best,
Kwana

Books Galore

What's Jack up to? This morning Jack has all the energy I don't. He's up bright and early doing his shoving on the bed thing, making sure we're all up and doing what we have to on this Monday morning. Specifically, taking him out and getting him food. Good job, Jack.



Well this weekend had the great opportunity to attend my first Book Expo America at the Javits Center. It was massive, overwhelming and so much fun.


I sent out a Tweet that I was on the way and checked out who else would be there since I knew I would be lost. The fist person I found was Katie from Babbling About Books over by the grand landmark of the giant Clifford The Big Red Dog. It was like meeting a long lost friend.

Here are Kate and Leanna Renee Heiber over at the Harlequin booth.

I had so much fun running with Stacy, Kris, Marissa and Maria and grabbing books galore. My shoulders my never recover. There were my many books being given away. Tons of YA. My children, DD especially are very happy.

Here is Gena Showalter signing her newest YA Intertwined.

Check out the signing of The Diamonds of Welboure Manor with Diane Gaston and

Amanda McCabe. Shout out to Deb who could not be there.

Speaking of Diane and Amanda, how much do I love them? I crashed with them most of the weekend. Parking my books at their hotel before going out for drinks in Soho. Then meeting then on Sunday to head to The Strand for more book and some history and then dinner with the PIC. Thanks guys!!

Drinks in Soho organized by the lovely Elizabeth Mahon. Here is Elizabeth with Diane

and Amanda.

And me, Diane, Fab author and friend Hope Tarr and Amanda.

Also hanging with us: The Fabulous authors Jennifer St. Giles, Jacquie D'Alessandro

and Wendy Etherington. We had the best time with the ladies.

Check out Jacquie's Christian Lacroix's shoes. Hot!

It was such a fun weekend. I'll have more later in the week and tonight is Lady Jane's Salon at Madam X where Diane and Amanda will be reading along with Wendy Corsi Staub and Marjorie M Liu. If you're in town stop on by. Details here.


Shout out to the DH for all the rides and holding down the fort while I had fun and learned a lot from my writer friends. H09!

Best,
Kwana

Girl's Night Out-Literary Edition

Tonight is book group or book/wine/dinner group. Well, to be honest it's mom's night out with a book to give it legitimacy.

New restaurant tonight, Persian and BYOB. Fun! PVE is the designated driver. Loves her!

We've all finished THE TEN YEAR NAP and I can't wait to get into the discussion and see who thought what of this book about mothers going through life's adversities. I've got my thoughts. But, don't I always?

The new selection is THE LACE READER by Brunonia Barry. I've decided to "read" this one on audio book during walks with Jack since the weather is getting better and my TBR (to be read) pile is tipping over and full of great romances that I'm excited to read.

Here is the trailer:

What are you currently reading?

Best,
Kwana

P.S. I made an error! Part 2 of the NYC Housewives reunion is tonight. I'm setting my DVR are you watching?

Who Ya Gonna Call?

It's a scary celebration here today. I'm happy to announce the release of
GHOST HUNTRESS BOOK 1: THE AWAKENING.

It's the first book in my friend Marley Gibson's exciting new Young Adult series. Yay, Marley!

As a treat I was able to pin Marley down for a few moments in between all her exciting travels and Ghost Hunts and have her answer a few interview questions.

Now here's Marley...

1. Tell us about GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING?

It's the first in a trilogy. Get out your tape recorders, crystals, and extra batteries— you’re about to go where our world meets the spirit world..Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results.

In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.
The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality.

2.How did you get the idea for the series?

I was attending the New England Romance Writers' Conference back in 2007 and attended a session run by the New England Ghost Project talking about their ghost hunting investigations. I found the idea completely fascinating and knew I had to write a story about teenage ghost hunters. I had no idea at that time that there were TV shows such as GHOST HUNTERS, HAUNTING EVIDENCE, and DEAD FAMOUS - to name a few - that highlighted such types of investigations. From there, everything just blossomed.

3. What do you want your young readers to get from the series?

I'd like young readers to know that the challenges of growing up and finding out who you are and what your place in life is are universal and timeless. I just want readers to see that being different is okay, no matter if you're new to a town, have an accent, are too skinny...or are experiencing a psychic awakening.

4. Care to give us a hint about what's coming next?

In GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE, out in September, readers will see Kendall growing more comfortable in her psychic skin. She will continue to develop and hone her abilities through the guidance of not only her group of fellow huntresses, but her parents, her mentor, Loreen, and her priest, Father Massimo...and her spirit guide, Emily.

I am currently working on GHOST HUNTRESS: THE REASON, the third book in the trilogy that will be a little darker than the other two books. Kendall will experience some very life-changing things that will leave her questioning everything she's ever known. That book will be out in May 2010.

Thanks so much for being here Marley. I'm so happy for you and wishing you much success. Happy Hunting!

You can check out Marley at her website here and also at her blog which she shares with other wonderful young adult authors: Book, Boys, Buzz here. Enjoy!

Best,

Kwana

Super Saturday

What's Jack up to? It's Saturday so Jack is taking it light and breezy being spoiled by his best bud the DH. He's such a lucky dog.

Speaking of the DH. The winner of The Diamonds of Welbourne contest was pulled last night at around 12:15 by my very own tired DH.

The winner is..... Patricia of PVE designs! And she was the very first commenter.

Congrats Patricia. I'll let the ladies know and have a book to you as soon as possible. I'm sure it will get your artist imagination going.

The DH was so tired because the family was just back from seeing Wolverine late last night. It was a fun and exciting way to start off the summer movie season.
Is there anything that Hugh can't do? Oh, Hugh.
Have a great rest of the weekend.

Best,

Kwana

The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor - 3 Gems

What's Jack up to? Well, as I write this Jack is curled up on the couch sleeping ever so sweetly. One would never know that he got in the trash today and made quite a little mess. Nah. He's an innocent little sweetie. Oh, yes he is.

It's been way too long since I've had an author interview on the blog and today we’ve got a special treat. Not 1, not 2, but 3 fab writers on KwanaWrites. Yay!

Today in honor of the release of The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, an exciting new Regency anthology, we have Diane Gaston, Amanda McCabe and Deb Marlowe the authors. I’d like to welcome them to the blog for a little Q and A.

First off please tell us how the idea of the anthology came about and a little about the process?

DEB: Well, the anthology was actually Harlequin’s idea! Maddie Rowe took us out to a fabulous dinner at RWA and offered us a chance at it, and amazingly, the chance to develop the theme/idea all on our own. Since we don’t live close enough to each other, we met in Williamsburg, VA to plot and plan and shop and tour—and the scandalous Fitzmannings were born! We had a great time and then we went home and about a million emails ensued!

DIANE: As I remember it, after being immersed in history at Colonial Williamsburg, we came back to Deb’s hotel room and started thinking about scandalous Dukes. When we decided to have a family consisting of the Duke’s illegitimate children, I knew immediately who I wanted my hero to be. I think we all had the same experience of knowing instantly who our characters would be.

AMANDA: Williamsburg was definitely a good setting for brainstorming! I’ve never, ever worked on a collaborative project before! Since I’m such a pantser (my stories have a tendency to switch gears halfway through as I follow new pathways!) I wasn’t sure how it would all work. But this went so very smoothly—maybe because we knew each other already…

Now please tell a bit about each of your individual stories.

DIANE: Justine and the Noble Viscount was planned as the first story in the anthology, the one that sets up the others. The whole anthology begins with my hero, Gerald Brenner, showing up on the doorstep of Welbourne Manor. He has been given the role of guardian to his mother’s other children, the Duke’s illegitimate children, half-siblings he has never met and has resented his whole life. Nothing goes as he plans, especially when the Duke’s other illegitimate daughter, Justine, calls powerfully to something deep within him.

DEB: In Annalise and the Scandalous Rake, we meet the most retiring Fitzmanning. Annalise would rather hide in her studio than face society’s censure. She is satisfied pouring her emotions into her paintings until Mr. Ned Milford is invited to a Welbourne house party. Unfortunately, she has no idea he is actually Prattle, a famous caricaturist bent on exposing her family’s secrets. There are many obstacles in their path to love, including a pompous suitor, a slightly scandalous scavenger hunt, exposure to society’s scorn and a devastating artistic duel! I hope readers enjoy it as much as I did!

AMANDA: Charlotte from Charlotte and the Wicked Lord is the youngest Fitzmanning sister, sort of the “wild child” of the family (which is saying a lot!). She’s a writer, a free spirit, who loves being out in nature. But she’s always loved Lord Andrew Bassington. Drew has left behind his own wild past to take care of his widowed sister-in-law and nephew, and he needs a very proper bride. Proper is one thing Charlotte has never been, but she’s determined to make him see how perfect they are for each other—no matter what it takes.

You are all lovers of the Regency. What is it about that time period that has you so captured?

DIANE: First of all, I think the Regency is a time period that is accessible to the modern reader. We can imagine ourselves living in it. At the same time, it is distant enough to give us that feeling of being swept away. Secondly, the era is one of great beauty: elegant fashion, houses, gardens, carriages. Mostly, though, I think the era is one of great drama. The war with Napoleon. The transition from the decadent Georgian era to the repressive Victorian one. Social change in the rise of the middle classes and the decline of the super rich aristocracy. The dawn of technology. The drama of the era gave rise to literary masterpieces from Byron, Shelley, Keats, Austen, Wordsworth, Blake. The era produced beautiful music from Beethoven Rossini, Schubert, and Liszt. Artists included Lawrence, Turner, David, and Constable. Because of this I believe there are endless stories to tell from the Regency era. I can’t wait to write some of them!

DEB: So many larger than life characters walk through the pages of history in this period. So many forces of nature are at work. Think about it—these are the people who span the gap between the wild and wonderful Georgians and the stiff Victorians. They are dealing with war and economical unease and rapid technological advances, just like we are. Fascinating stuff!

AMANDA: I admit, when I first started Regencies as a kid I was first drawn to the clothes! They’re gorgeous and comparatively comfortable, and go with all the beautiful aesthetics of the Neoclassical style. But then I read more non-fiction of the period, and was pulled into the arts and politics and personalities (especially the strong women!) of the era. For such a short period of time, it’s so rich in interest and upheaval. What’s not to love?!

As a final question, I know you are all good friends, tell me something fun about the other 2 women that I might not know. I know I’m bad!

Deb, Diane and Amanda

DIANE: Amanda was my mentor! Shortly after she sold to Signet, she signed up to be a Beau Monde mentor and I was her first mentee. It turned out to be a great way for us to become friends and led to us rooming together on the 2003 Novel Explorations Regency Tour where we became friends with Deb.
Deb has the most wonderful laugh. It is infectious and I love to hear it. When she sold to Harlequin Historical and joined the author loop, I welcomed “Deb Marlowe,” not realizing I was welcoming my 2003 travel buddy!

DEB: Hmm, well, Diane has more research books than my local library! If you ever want to know anything at all, she has a book for it! And Amanda has the most amazing collection of adorable, hand-made costumes. I’m always breathless at the Beau Monde Soiree, waiting to see who she will transform into next!

AMANDA: LOL! Last year it was Cherubino; this year, maybe Marie Antoinette.
Well, Diane loves cats as much as I do! And she has a mega-cool talking Leonidas action figure from 300. Deb has a kick-ass sense of humor—try and sit by her in the bar at RWA, you will have a blast!
It’s been too much fun, and a great privilege, to work on this project with them!

Thanks so much for being here today. I can’t wait to read it for myself being a big time Regency fan.

Amanda and Diane can be found over at the always fun Risky Regencies Blog here or
Amanda here amandamccabe.com
Diane here dianegason.com
Deb here debmarlow.com

Please leave a comment by Friday at midnight and one lucky commenter will win a copy of the new anthology.

Best,
Kwana

I'm Beyond Heaving

I love Romance Books! No big secret to my regular readers there. So last night I was thrilled to attend the 3rd Lady Jane’s Salon. Check out the site here. The only Literary Reading Series in New York devoted to the romance genre. Last night’s readers were: Alisa Sheckley aka Alisa Kwitney (and my new friend) reading from her book The Better To Hold You.

Also reading was one of the founders of Lady Jane, Maya Rodale along with her Delightful boyfriend with the devilish accent from her book The Rogue and the Rival. What a sweet pair they are.

The Salon was co-hosted by the fabulous Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches Trashy Books, check it out here and she brought down the house reading from her and co author Candy Tan’s soon to be released book Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide To Romance Novels.

I was lucky enough to snag a copy for my very own. With Chapters entitled:
Cleavage, Corset, Codpiece and Love Grotto the book will not disappoint.

Here is the synopsis:

The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name...

We do it in the dark. Under the sheets. With a penlight. We wear sunglasses and a baseball hat at the bookstore. We have a "special place" where we store them. Let's face it: Not many folks are willing to publicly admit they love romance novels. Meanwhile, romance continues to be the bestselling fiction genre. Ever. So what's with all the shame?
Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan -- the creators of the wildly popular blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books -- have no shame! They look at the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of romance novels and tackle the hard issues and questions:
-- The heroine's irresistible Magic Hoo Hoo and the hero's untamable Wang of Mighty Lovin'
-- Sexual trends. Simultaneous orgasms. Hymens. And is anal really the new oral?
-- Romance novel cover requirements: man titty, camel toe, flowers, long hair, animals, and the O-face
-- Are romance novels really candy-coated porn or vehicles by which we understand our sexual and gender politics?
With insider advice for writing romances, fun games to discover your inner Viking warrior, and interviews with famous romance authors, Beyond Heaving Bosoms shows that while some romance novels are silly -- maybe even tawdry -- they can also be intelligent, savvy, feminist, and fabulous, just like their readers!

It does look at the bad and the ugly of the romance and celebrates it and its very smart readers for the powerhouse that it and we are!

Kwana and Sarah at Lady Jane's

Funnily enough on the drive from to the city I was listening to Whatever the radio talk show on the Martha Stewart channel and the talk was about a woman losing intimate interest in her husband after being with him for 10 years. A therapist came on and her easy suggestion was to read romance. Seriously hot romance. Because as we all know with women it all start in the head before action moves to other parts of the body. I'm just saying.

Order Beyond Heaving Bosoms then and pick up a good romance today. You won’t be sorry.

Best,
Kwana

Clubbing It

Happy April Fool's Day. I hope yours is a quiet one and any jokes played are indeed playful.

In honor of April Fool's Day I'm joining in with other bloggers for a worthy cause: April Food Day. Bloggers getting together for very worthy cause. I don't have to tell you my friends what's going on. Times are tougher than ever.

People who never had a worry before are now turning to food banks for help and finding that the shelves are bare. There is not enough food being donated to meet the sudden rise in demand.

Every dollar contributed provides seven meals or 10 pounds of food. A gift of $25 provides 75 meals. If you'd like to make a donation to Feeding America (formally second harvest) click here. You can make a difference today.
Now without any appropriate transition except to say I am truly blessed, last night I attended our first meeting of our newly formed book/social club. Now I think we’ve come up with just the right way of how to handle a book club unlike some of the clubs from this NYT article I blogged about here. We decided to make the club not too heavy, but lighter, more low key by not having anyone host. Instead we choose a restaurant to go out to and have some eats and drinks and lots of chat ‘bout. How can you not have a good time with that?

Our first selection was: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee.

It was a good first book full of emotion, colorful imagery and amazing food. A feast for the senses. The book sparked a lively discussion that had us chatting well past our food, drinks and later our coffee. Or maybe we just were not in a rush to get home to our kids and husbands. Hmm...

We’re now busy thinking of what the next book will be. I can’t wait.

Do any of you belong to a book club?

I never thought I would, but with this combo of easygoing friends and a nice night out I’m having loads of fun.

Best,
Kwana