Friday, September 28, 2012

Back to school, my darlings!


Today I have sister Wild Rose Press author, the very British Rachel Brimble on my blog. Welcome to the south, Rachel.

Hi Lilly,

Until this last school holiday I always thought I was pretty good at time management…but how very wrong I was! Oh, lordy, lordy! Six long weeks of barely typing a word and when I did, it wasn’t very good – not a great recipe for producing something polished enough to submit to my agent come the Autumn.

I’m mum to two young daughters of thirteen and eleven – the age where I stupidly assumed they would be out with their friends playing in the sunshine. Remember when we did that? Yes? Well, as other writer mums out there reading this undoubtedly already know, such nonsense is laughable. I soon discovered kids don’t need to go out with friends when they have virtual ones all over the internet and TV, arrghh!!

Alas, the holidays are over and my little darlings are back to school so I am feverishly writing once more, hoping to finish a novella and another novel by the time they break up for Christmas…she says. The interruptions were mammoth this summer. The moaning and fighting worse than ever or maybe it was just my own frustration and naïve expectations that caused me to drink far too much wine and break out in hives.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! We are into September now and don’t have to think about the summer holidays again for another ten months….but of course, Christmas is just around the corner! ;)

Rachel’s latest release is “Love’s Debt”, available now from The Wild Rose Press.

Here’s the blurb & excerpt:

To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern.  The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies.  Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison.  Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers.  Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

Excerpt:

Joseph Jacobs closed the tavern door behind him and paused a moment to take in his surroundings. As a man used to looking over his shoulder and sensing trouble, experience taught him to be aware of others before they became aware of you. He narrowed his gaze. The meager number of patrons at the tables surprised him at an hour when he expected the bar to be fairly busy. He glanced at the clock; maybe it wasn’t time for the workers yet. He shifted his gaze to the woman standing beneath the clock and his heart kicked. Her green-gold eyes held him where he stood. She stared and Joseph swallowed, willing some words to come forth from his frozen tongue or at least a smile to curve his paralyzed lips.
She lifted her eyebrows and slowly pulled a cloth from her shoulders. Her hair was a mass of fire-tipped curls around her oval face, her skin creamy-white and her parted lips, a soft delicate pink. Joseph cleared his throat and belatedly removed his hat. “Good evening, miss.”
Her smile slipped easily into place. “Good evening to you, sir.” Her voice was smooth, clear and full of confidence. “Are you looking to quench your thirst or just planning on soaking up the atmosphere?”
Joseph inhaled a long breath through flared nostrils as if trying to smell her. Something told him she’d smell of lavender…or maybe musk. Something to throw a man off guard, to lower his defenses.   He stepped forward. “Neither. I am looking for the landlord. Would you happen to know if he’s available?” Her gaze lingered on his a moment longer before she looked to the four glasses at the table beside her. She grasped them expertly between her fingers and carried them behind the bar without answering his question.   Joseph couldn’t take his gaze from the natural sway of her hips beneath the deep burgundy dress she wore, the bustle a little too prominent for the current fashion showing her lack of money to afford better. Why else would a woman with the features of an artist’s model be working in a tavern unless necessity demanded it?
Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4967

Rachel’s Links:

http://www.rachelbrimble.com/
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

9 comments:

  1. Hi Rachel and Lilly!
    You're singing my song, Rachel. Summer vacation ended earlier here (August), but I was ready to go out of my mind by time school finally rolled around. My kids fought and bickered every stinking day of summer break. It was impossible for me to get any writing done. Suffice it to say, I was more than excited to start packing lunches and helping with homework again. However, they're now on a two week track out and I'm not sure if I'll make it!
    Cute post. And gorgeous cover. Love's Debt sounds great! :}

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  2. I remember the days of playing in the sunshine! The good old days. Kids have virtual sunshine now :)

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  3. Oh Rachel - I'm so there with you! School has just finished for the term so I have my 11 year old son at home for two weeks. I'm in the process of arranging him to attend a cricket course for each morning of the first week. Lucky he's a big cricket fan! :)
    I remember those days of playing outside in the sunshine with friends. My mother's most common phrase was - "you kids - go outside and play!" Maybe I need to adopt that phrase too! Happy writing Rachel! Sounds like you've got a lot on :)

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  4. My girls are grown so I actually miss having them here all summer. I already miss summer. :-(

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  5. Helloooo!!! So sorry I missed you guys yesterday - the time difference completely threw everything off and then I have a girls night out in Bath. We had a fabulous time! Check out my FB page for some pics :)

    I'm glad i'm not the only mother who is going around the bend come September, lol! I have so much on right now, the holidays felt SO slow. I love my girls, don't get me wrong...but 7 weeks can be a long time!

    Thanks for the kind comments about "Love's Debt" - if any of you are nice enough to buy a copy, be sure to let me know what you think :)

    Love
    Rachel x

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  6. Hello Rachel and Lilly! Well, I thought I was done with all that long ago, Rachel, but it seems not. I'm not caring for my own teenage daughters, since they're in their 30s, but it's now my gorgeous grand daughter who is centre stage in my week and sucking away my writing time. But, I wouldn't trade a minute. I've just got to work out how to claw back all those hours and sleep as well. any ideas?

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  7. Nancy, can't wait until I have grandchildren. Until then, I really need to get some writing done. lol! Rachel, would LOVE to have a GNO in Bath, but I don't own a private jet and couldn't afford the airfare. Guess I'll have to settle for a night out in Raleigh or Durham, NC. lol!

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  8. Hey, Nancy! Aww, grandchildren must be the best bit - all those cuddles, fun and spoiling and then send them back to mum & dad. Perfect!

    Lilly, Raleigh or Durham, NC sounds pretty fabulous to me ;D

    Rachel x

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