What Inspires Creative Ideas

Welcome to week two of the Valentine's Month Blog tour. Visit as many of the eleven blogs as you can, leave a comment, and you're automatically entered in a chance to win weekly prizes and a grand prize worth over $50.

Blog participants are:
Linda Kage- http://lindakage.blogspot.com/, Amie Louellen- http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/,Caroline Clemmons- http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/, Jennifer Jakes- http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/AJ Nuest- http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/, Lynne Roberts- http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/, Maeve Greyson-http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/ ,Amy Corwin- http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/, Jill James- http://www.jilljameswrites.com/, Kat Duncan- http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

Today, my guest is Amy Corwin, rose expert, critique partner extraordinaire, and award winning author of Regency romance, paranormal romance, and cozy mysteries.
So, Amy where do you get those intriquing ideas for your novels?
 
It’s so hard to figure out where a creative idea comes from. Most of the time, I have no idea “what made me think of that?” However, I would have no creative ideas at all if not for the creativity of others. Books, movies, magazines, and even paintings have inspired me. Even my gardening. In fact, that’s probably the best illustration of how the seed for a novel can come from an unlikely but still creative source.

Several years ago, after sweating and swearing over Hybrid Tea roses, I decided there had to be some roses that weren’t so fussy and that even I could grow. I wanted to get away from all the sprays, too, as I was afraid of what they were doing to the animals, insects, and birds thriving in my garden. So I started researching and found classes of roses that not only didn’t need spraying, but often resented the use of chemicals: Old Garden Roses.

The history of roses and rose hybridization absolutely fascinated me, particularly since I was able to find some of the varieties folks grew in the past, like Shakespeare’s Musk Rose (a specimen of which I’m now growing in my garden to disguise my somewhat inelegant chicken coop behind the house). That research revealed the unexpected information that even in the height of the Napoleonic wars, Josephine got permission to transport roses and invite English nurserymen to France to help her build the rose garden at Malmaison. Then I read the tidbit that they had terrible trouble with thieves coming at night to dig up the roses and sell them.

This led directly to my first historical novel, “Smuggled Rose”, where Margaret smuggles roses from France for her own garden in England. After all, if thieves were stealing the bushes from Malmaison, they had to be selling them somewhere, right? It seemed inevitable that a few would wind up back in England. In “The Necklace”, Oriana grows roses when she’s not trying to keep tabs on her adventurous uncle and his dangerous-appearing friends, and in a novel I’m working on right now, “The Deadliest Rose”, a murderer uses sprays of roses to indicate who his next victim will be.

In “The Bricklayer’s Helper” the heroine, Sam, doesn’t grow roses, but she sure becomes familiar with their uses when her aunt insists on turning Sam into a true lady. For centuries, roses were indispensible in the preparation of both cosmetics, food and even medicine, and Sam uses rose water to clean and soften her skin as many Regency ladies did.

So this one hobby turned into a near-obsession that resulted in at least four novels. And who knows, it may eventually lead to a few more!

Blurb and Excerpt for The Bricklayer’s Helper


What would you do if you were a young girl, orphaned during the early years of the 19th century?
 When Sarah finds herself orphaned after a suspicious fire burns down her home with her family trapped inside, all she remembers is the warning to “run and hide,” and hide she does. She cuts her hair and dons the garb of a young boy, hoping to survive on her own. In this disguise, she’s obtains a job as a bricklayer’s helper and remains safe for thirteen years.

Unfortunately, in London, a man recognizes her and arranges a meeting, only to be murdered before they can speak. Desperate that she may be vulnerable, Sarah hires an inquiry agent from the Second Sons Inquiry Agency.

However, the inquiry agent, William Trenchard, is far too attractive for Sarah’s peace of mind. In her experience, handsome men can rarely do more than fumble their way beneath a lady’s skirt, but she fears he may be her last chance.
 Unfortunately, her decision may prove to be dangerous to both their hearts…if not downright fatal.
Buy Link: : http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-bricklayers-helper-p-4156.html


Trailer for The Bricklayer’s Helper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owJnpB6J2BA

Excerpt:
In this scene, Sarah has pushed William a little too far and she’s about to get everything she deserves…and then some.

“Get back into bed, or I’ll put you there.”

Her eyes turned silver as she studied him, her head cocked to one side. “If you think you can, I recommend you try.”

"I don’t foresee any difficulties,” he said, striding toward her. After all the stabbing and head-bashing, he thought she’d have enough sense to stay abed.

Obviously, he was wrong.

He deliberately came to a stop mere inches from her, hoping to discomfort her at least half as much as she had discomforted him since their first meeting.

She stared at him, her chin thrust out at a mutinous angle. Although she blinked a few times, she didn’t back away.

He glowered.

Her eyes blinked more rapidly.

So he did the only thing he could think of that would put the fear of God into her soul.

He leaned nearer and kissed her.
—

Thank you for having me here, Lilly. I certainly appreciate it!

Amy Corwin

Amy also has an awesome paranormal romance that's now available from TWRP

Vampire Protector
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/vampire-protector-p-4309.html

A frightened woman must unlock her memories if she's to survive the deadly company of her Vampire Protector…

An anonymous note forces Gwen on a mission to discover an ancient family secret that may be hidden in her long abandoned childhood home. When she asks her attractive neighbor, John, to accompany her, she’s not expecting much, except possibly help if she falls through any rotten floors.
Unfortunately, that's just her first mistake.
John is a vampire, and her house is not exactly empty. Secrets—and the dead—won’t always stay buried, and John’s extraordinary strength and determination may be all that can withstand what awaits them in the shadows...

Trailer for Vampire Protector: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmyCorwin#p/a/u/1/dQeKIFCVg3c

Amy Corwin is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and has been writing for the last ten years and managing a career as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry. She writes Regencies/historicals, mysteries, and contemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.


Amy’s books include the Regency, SMUGGLED ROSE; three Regency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER’S HELPER, and THE NECKLACE, and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR.


Website: http://www.amycorwin.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor
Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/Bio

The Significance of First Lines

Welcome to week one of the Wild Roses Valentine's Month Blog Tour! Commentors on all eleven Wild Roses Blogs are automatically entered to win one of four weekly prizes and a grand prize worth $50. So stay tuned all month, visit as many blogs as possible and leave a comment for your chance to win!

Blog participants are:
Linda Kage- http://lindakage.blogspot.com/, Amie Louellen- http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/ ,Caroline Clemmons- http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/, Jennifer Jakes- http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/AJ Nuest- http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/ , Lynne Roberts- http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/, Maeve Greyson-http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/ ,Amy Corwin- http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/, Jill James- http://www.jilljameswrites.com/, Kat Duncan- http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

My guest today, who'll be talking about the significance of first lines, is Kat Duncan.

As a young child, Kat once tried to confess the telling of her stories to her parish priest because she thought they fit the definition the nuns gave for 'telling a lie'. The wise priest asked her if her stories were told to hurt other people. "Oh, no!" she replied, "I only tell them to make people happy." The priest asked her if she had any other sins to confess and when she didn?t, he advised her to continue telling her stories and then he assigned her a few prayers to say for those who could not hear them. Kat has been telling her 'lies' ever since and writing stories to entertain and enlighten. After a successful career as a software engineer, Kat decided she needed something different to do. She's now a tutor of adolescents with special needs. With one teenager in high school (home school) and another in college, every moment of her meager spare time is spent creating romances.

So, Kat, tell us what you think about the Significance of First Lines~


You want to be seduced when you read a book. You want to be drawn in, to forget your troubles and just enjoy yourself. That's why first lines in a book should be like pickup lines. They could be the kind you might expect to hear in a bar, "Hi gorgeous, can I buy you a drink?" or in a nightclub, "Hey, I'm Joe, wanna dance with me sexy lady?" These kinds of first lines are a sexy come-on. They promise an enjoyable, sensual experience. How's this for a first line:


"Strip off his shirt," she said.

That's the first line of the book I'm working on now, Ransom's Captive. It's an historical romance and I wanted the first line to be a bit scandalous-sounding. The next few paragraphs show why the man's shirt has to be stripped off.

First lines could also be the kind you might hear from the cell phone salesman at the mall "We've got a 1-day special on iPhones." These can feel a bit off-putting, making you feel as if you have to pay attention to something you don't want to miss out on. The first line of my romantic suspense, Fifty-eight Faces, is:

"We're gonna win this one, Caroline."

Win? What are they gonna win? I have to find out. Within a few paragraphs it's clear they need to win a big court case over the Blue Diamond or they'll have to close their financially-challenged children's hospital.

Still other first lines are the kind you might hear walking around a huge warehouse store "Were you able to find everything you're looking for?" The solicitation lets you know you are in good hands, or maybe it irritates the heck out of you because you don't like to be interrupted while you shop. The first line of Six Days to Midnight, another romantic suspense I wrote, goes:

"With an explosion of dirt and hooves, Mirza whipped her mount toward the starting line."

The words are harsh and the character, Mirza, sounds merciless. She hurts my feelings just whipping her horse. She doesn't even think of it as a horse. To her it's just a "mount". An evil woman. I don't like her already.

And then there are the kinds of first lines that are sort of slow-witted. The kind you don't always understand right away, but yet can't stop listening to. The kind you might hear sitting next to an old man at a bus stop. "You know, back when the bus stop was on Main Street, folks used to wait inside the newspaper office. Good stories weren't so hard to find back then." You scratch your head and read on, hoping everything will become clear if you keep reading. Another of my historicals, Without a Lord, starts like this:

"It isn't possible to capture a faerie."

Huh? If it's not possible, then why are we talking about it? In the short conversation that follows, we learn that dozens of knights, desperate to end a local war, insist that they've seen a faerie.

Depending on what kind of mood you're in, you may be turned off by the first line or you may be interested in hearing more. Personally, I'd rather have a reader put my book down if they're turned off. I'd rather they read it when they're in a mood to enjoy it. The first lines of a book set the mood and tone and should be an honest indication of what is to come. If I keep reading it's because I've been seduced by the first line.

So, which first line of mine would seduce you?

Kat Duncan's most recent release, Fifty-eight Faces is part of the Jewel of the Night series. You can purchase this book at: http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=4366

Blurb:


Chief of surgery at a small children's hospital, Caroline's last hope to save it from financial ruin evaporates when she loses the Blue Diamond case to greedy Evan Quinn. When Evan buys the hospital property for high profit condo conversion, Caroline's hatred shifts into full red-alert.

But Evan is not her real enemy. Rolf, the hospital's chief administrator, has had his eye on the blue diamond since he learned of it from his Nazi grandfather. To be the 58th face to possess the Blue Diamond, one for each of its facets, grants the owner unlimited power. Rolf plans to kill the current owners and use the diamond to build his Neo-Nazi regime. Can Caroline give up her hatred and Evan his greed before Rolf kills them both?

 
Excerpt from Fifty-eight Faces:

"If I wasn’t sworn as a doctor, I’d pull this trigger.”


A flash lit the darkness. An ear-shattering echo reverberated in the concrete vault. Evan staggered. Caroline dropped the gun, and its over-sensitized trigger fired again. It spun like a top on the concrete. She rushed forward.

“Evan. Evan. Are you hurt? Where? I didn’t pull the trigger. It just went off in my hand.” She grabbed his shoulders, bracing him, scanning him for a wound.

He steadied himself and pushed her aside. “You missed.” He stared at the gun lying on the floor. He picked it up and hefted it, his brows pinched in thought. Pointing it away from her, he firmly grasped the weapon and gently tapped its side. It fired.

He turned on her, his mouth thinned into a grimace, his eyes squinting.

She put up her hands. “Evan, don’t…”

He tipped the gun toward the ceiling and, with a snap, removed the clip. He tossed the pieces in opposite directions. They spun and clattered on the concrete floor. In a few quick steps, he closed the distance between them. His broad hands engulfed her shoulders, infusing her shivering body with a surge of solid warmth.

“That gun was rigged by an expert. An expert who arranged for us to meet here. Then disappeared.”


Kat Duncan writes romantic suspense. Visit her at http://www.katduncan.net/ or http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/WriteAbout/150069588366130
She's also on Twitter: Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/write_about

Holiday Feasting

What better to feast on during the holiday season than good food and good books. Today, we'll be talking about both with author Rachel Brimble. She's guest # two on this second week of The Wilder Roses Blog Tour. So check out the tour for info on how to win some great prizes.

At the end of the tour, I'll be giving a way The Man of My Dreams-- a candle from Celebrating Homes. To be entered to win, post a comment about the man of your dreams OR a favorite holiday food or recipe. To see other blogs and rules for other chances to win, visit: http://rosestour.blogspot.com/

Now, here's Rachel, to tell us about her favorite Christmas foods.

My Favorite Christmas Food – Yum!

Hmm…where to start??

In the UK we tend to start eating for Christmas WAY before the actual date appears, I wonder if it’s the same for you guys in the US? We don’t have Thanksgiving as you probably know so the decorations are up in the shops in November without fail, as though reminding us all the big day is approaching lest we forget.

I love everything about Christmas and always try to get my shopping done as early as possible so I can enjoy the festivities rather than buckle under the stress! So in comes the food with no thought or care for calories, weight gain or fitting into my favorite Christmas outfit.

And best of all is I am not the cook in our house (I am thirty-six years old and have never cooked a roast dinner in my life, how shameful is that?), my lovely husband is so I prepare all the vegetables and potatoes for him on Christmas Eve and on the actual day leave everything to him, while I nurse a ice-cold glass of Chablis. Perfection!

So what are my favorite Christmas foods? Well, why don’t I give you my dream menu?

Starter

Prawn Cocktail or Lentil Soup

Main

Turkey dinner with all the trimmings!! Roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sausage wrapped in bacon, cabbage and I’m even a fan of the dreaded sprouts!!

Dessert

Raspberry Pavlova or Crème Brulee

Finished With

Cheese with Cranberries and biscuits

Oh, bring on Christmas right now! I want it all, ha ha!

And of course, I have a pretty good idea what my heroes and heroines would love to eat too!

Lily and Andrew (The Arrival Of Lily Curtis) are in Victorian England so it would be a very traditional British Christmas with maybe raw oysters or pea soup to start, traditional dinner with roast potatoes and vegetables, but more likely than not, the meat would have been goose or turkey…and to finish would have most definitely have been plum pudding.

Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-arrival-of-lily-curtis-p-4124.html

As for Lisa and Aaron (Transatlantic Loving)? Well, Aaron is American so I’d love to hear about what you guys in the states tend to traditionally eat at Christmas – do you just have your turkey at Thanksgiving? I’ve never been sure if you repeat it again on Christmas Day! And Lisa is a bit of a traditional girl like me so I’m thinking her ideal Christmas menu wouldn’t look too dissimilar to mine. Good girl!

Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/transatlantic-loving-p-4244.html

So over to you! What are your favorite Christmas foods???

 Rachel,

As an American who loves the holidays, I can tell you that we do Turkey on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. There's also nothing better than a good Christmas ham. And on my mom's table, there may not be raw oysters but we do have oyster stew. Yum.

And for those readers who think Rachel's books sound as yummy as her dinner menu, here's a bit more about her and her fabulous romance novels:

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  Having always believed there’s someone for everyone, Rachel started writing her own tales of love once her children were at school.  Since then, she’s had several books published with The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press and Lyrical Press.  She aspires to secure an agent in the near future.  A member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, Rachel cannot imagine her life without romance or writing!

When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family.  And in the evening?  Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…

Blurb – Transatlantic Loving, Class of ‘85

In a desperate bid to escape the bitter reality of her children accepting her ex-husband’s new – and younger – fiancée, Lisa Cavendish travels from the UK to accompany her friend to a high school reunion.  Forced to dress as Madonna in her hey day, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the school’s coach, who seems to hold as much regard for his child as her ex did when he walked out…

Aaron Taylor can’t believe his eyes or ears when he is introduced to Lisa – sexy and funny, she has no idea how her accent enhances the heartbreaking wait he endures waiting for his daughter to call him back to the UK.  But after spending just three short weeks with Lisa, he sees the answer to his pain in the eyes of the most phenomenal British lady he has ever met…

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/transatlantic-loving-p-4244.html

www.rachelbrimble.com

So, what are you going to feast on this holiday season?

What's on Your List?

Welcome to day one of The Wild Roses Christmas Blog Tour. At the end of the tour, I'll be giving away The Man of My Dreams...okay, it's not a real man but a candle scent from Celebrating Homes. Just leave a comment, telling me about the man of your dreams and you're automatically entered to win.

Today's topic is What's in your TBR or to be read pile? I'm over on Amy Corwin's blog today discussing my Christmas reading list. So when you get a chance, drop by http://amycorwin.blogspot.com and leave a comment for a chance to win an herbal bath kit. And please help me welcome fellow Wild Rose Press Author, Victoria Gray.

So, Victoria, What's on your list?

Holiday TBR, by Victoria Gray
I’ve always loved to read. Many of my fondest memories are of pleasant afternoons spent at my grandmother’s side, devouring books from the public library with a child’s greedy glee. As a romance writer, I create stories for other readers (and myself!), but nothing dulls my desire to read the words set down on paper by others. One of the greatest joys of the holiday season is the precious gift of time to read, read, read!

This year, I have several books I’ve earmarked for my “to be read” list. I love historical fiction…I write historical fiction set during the 1800s…this is by far my favorite era for romance fiction. I’ve recently discovered a new variant of romance fiction that blends historical Victorian settings with science fiction – steampunk – and a new author, Meljean Brook. Her new release, The Iron Duke, sets high on my “tbr” list. I’m itching to learn the elements that set steampunk apart from other genres, and this book, with its striking man with abs of steel (or iron, perhaps) on the cover seems a great place to start.

I’m also planning to get caught up on some non-fiction reading. My son gave me a copy of Jon Stewart’s Earth for my birthday earlier this month. I plan to dive into this volume and sample the wide range of topics contained within.

Last, but not least, I plan to jump headfirst into cooking. I am admittedly quite woefully unskilled in the kitchen, despite having a huge collection of cookbooks. I fully intend to actually open some of those volumes and learn a bit from Rachael Ray and Paula Deen. Hopefully, I even have time to cook up a recipe or two…if I can pry myself from my writing.

Victoria Gray writes historical romance set in the 1800's. Angel in My Arms is available now from The Wild Rose Press-
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/angel-in-my-arms-p-4308.html 

Destiny is also available from The Wild Rose Press- http://www.thewildrosepress.com/destiny-p-4018.html

If anyone gets a chance, check out Victoria's buy links. You just might find a new book to add to your own TBR list. And don't forget to leave a comment telling me about the man of your dreams. You can also tell me what's on your TBR list. I might want to add it to mine.