Spotlighting: Regency Author Amylynn Bright

by Connie Flynn

It's my pleasure to introduce a terrific new Regency author:
Amylynn Bright

Amylynn Bright

Since I write Regency romances, I’ve pondered this question quite a bit. Anytime anyone mentions reincarnation, people tend to say they were Cleopatra or Genghis Kahn or something. They never say they were the guy from the black plague who pulled the cart through town and hollered for everyone to, “bring out your dead.”

I’ve done extensive research on my genealogy and discovered all kinds of exciting things. Of course, then at http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/05/the-royal-we/302497 you learn that EVERYone is descended from royalty and really, it’s not all that exciting. Don’t believe me? It’s a proven mathematical statistic. Every person on the planet is related to Charlemagne, Nefertiti, and Confuscious. If you think that’s mindboggling, get this little fact. All six billion people on our planet today have a common ancestor who only lived a couple of thousand years ago.

Every. Single. Person.

One researcher I read said that the truly astounding thing would be to prove you were NOT a descendant of Charlemagne.

So even though we were all related to royalty, the fun part of genealogy is figuring out which ones. I got all excited when my family tree took me to Scotland and I got closer and closer to William Wallace, Guardian of Scotland, made so famous by the movie Braveheart. Don’t you know, I am related instead to Edward I, the villain of the movie.

It’s easy to go from a princess to a pauper. Apparently my family has a history of marrying down rather than up. True love kept getting in the way. Still, I hold out hope that someday, someone will show up on my door with a writ proving I’m the long lost Queen of Luxembourg or something

* * *So stop by and ask questions about your possible ancestors. I probably won't know the answers, but I can help you find them. And when you stop, enter my drawing for a free eBook or print copy of LADY BELLING'S SECRET. Be sure to leave your email address which will also get you subscribed to my mailing list. No worries, if you decide the newsletter doesn't fit your needs, unsubscribing is easy. The last thing I want to be is a spammer. * * *

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     LADY BELLING'S SECRET

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Olivia Goldsleigh just wants to live without terror, but a gunshot in the night proves things can always get worse. The beautiful and god-like Lord Dalton swears to protect her, to make the danger go away. She wants the man, the life, the family, the bliss he promises, but her secrets are certain to destroy them all.When Henry Cavendish, Marquess of Dalton, leapt to catch the fainting woman before she hit the cobblestone, he never thought that one chivalrous act would set his well ordered life on end.  His ingrained need to protect her has every bit as much to do with her enchanting beauty as it does his desire to wipe the hunted look from her startling blue eyes. He thinks he has everything in hand, but the lady has secrets that puts everything he loves at risk.

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COMING SOON!
MISS GOLDSLEIGH'S SECRET 

Unfortunately, mail is slow during a war. She thought he knew everything. He had never suspected. Thomas has always wanted to be a part of the Belling’s family but he was too foolish to grab the chance when she threw herself at him before. Instead, he ran off to war.  Emboldened by his new-found appreciation for a grown-up Francesca, he finds that dream is within his reach. If she thinks he’s running away this time, she has no idea what she’s in for.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Blog: http://www.thequillsisters.com
Website: http://amylynnbright.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amylynn.bright1
Twitter: @amylynnbright
Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Bellings-Secret-ebook/dp/B00BCVF43Y

AND JUST A REMINDER . . .
* * *Enter my drawing for a free eBook or print copy of LADY BELLING'S SECRET.  Be sure to leave your email address which will also get you subscribed to my mailing list. No worries, if you decide the newsletter doesn't fit your needs, unsubscribing is easy. The last thing I want to be is a spammer. * * *  

SPOTLIGHTING: Holly Newman Regency Author

from Connie Flynn    

   

Today's spotlight is shining on my long-time friend, Regency author Holly Newman. She is among the best of the best, managing to stay true to Regency conventions while building complex and believable suspense plots that lift the books to a higher level. Like most authors these days, Holly has survived a tumultuous ride. Then she made some changes and life smoothed out. This is what she has to say about that. 

I thrive on the yin and yang of creativity and analytics — of art and science.

I am the author of seven historical novels (written under the pen name Holly Newman), I am a technical writer, I am a fused glass artist, I am a certified professional project manager in the Information Technology industry.

If I dwell too long in either creativity or analytics, in art or science, I become out of balance and irritable. I have found many people need this balance in their lives and I counsel people on achieving balance and what I call Unleashing Bliss.

I live in Phoenix Arizona with my partner, Ken, and six cats. My two daughters are settled and married and I’m a proud grandma of four.

 These and many more of Holly's books are available at AMAZON
 

Click Here to Buy

HONOR'S PLAYERS
A lively match between a shrewish beauty and the suitor set to tame her.
           
Every bachelor in London sought the attentions of the beautiful Helene Monweithe. Unfortunately, pursuit was futile. Helene's father had decreed that she could not wed before her older sister, Elizabeth, wed. Considering Elizabeth's reputation as The Shrew of London, this was cause for alarm.

Then Justin, Viscount St. Ryne, asked for Elizabeth's hand in marriage. If her family wept for joy, Elizabeth shrieked in fury. But in her heart of hearts she acknowledged he resembled the hero of her closely guarded dreams.

Poor Elizabeth hadn't the faintest notion that St. Ryne had a curious plan designed to tame her, a plan that would tangle their hearts and would, in the face of unexpected interlopers and domestic scandal, teach both arrogant husband and quick-tempered wife a thing or two about love and marriage!

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THE HEART'S COMPANION
They say "Love conquers all"
But with loves destroyed and lives damaged by vicious lies,
Will the Devil's Disciple and The Ice Witch share a love strong enough to conquer rumor's power?

Miss Jane Grantley, dubbed the "Ice Witch" for her cool green gaze that intimidated all but the most calculating of suitors, feared no man and scoffed at the many scheming designs on her virtue, swearing never to marry for any reason but love.

The Earl of Royce, the infamous "Devil's Disciple," was all that Jane loathed in a man. He was a rake, responsible for the ruin of innocent ladies -- if the countless rumors about him were to be believed. Jane planned to undo the rogue once and for all, but it appeared that Royce had plans of his own. The Devil's Disciple refused to live up to his name, instead playing the perfect gentleman until even the Ice Witch found her reserve melting.


THE WAYLAID HEART

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A husband murdered
A widow's ruse to find the killer
A nobleman's curiosity
Lead to a white slavery ring destroyed and a love found

A loving heart cannot be deceived

Although her marriage to Mr. Waddley had been passionless, the beautiful widow Cecilia vowed to unmask the man responsible for her husband's untimely demise. Suspecting that the culprit traveled in society circles, Cecilia diverted attention from her eavesdropping and prying with her constant and tiresome complaints of illness.

Sir James Branstoke saw through her feigned fragility. Intrigued by her odd behavior, he believed she was hiding a secret. At the same time, Cecilia sensed deeper emotions beneath Sir Branstoke's witty flirtations. Indeed, the only time Cecilia felt genuinely out-of-sorts was when she felt the gaze of his brown eyes ... and her pretended palpitations suddenly became all too real when Cecilia discovered a blissful and surprising love she had never known before ...

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Interview with Alix Rickloff

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Alix Rickloff. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Heir Of Danger. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

This is the third book in my latest regency paranormal series—The Heirs of Kilronan which follows one family’s struggle to stop a madman from resurrecting King Arthur as part of a plot to instigate a war between Other and Mortal.

HEIR OF DANGER features the final sibling Brendan Douglas. Since his father’s murder, he’s been on the run. But he comes home in a last ditch attempt to stop a war and clear his name. Unfortunately the key to both lies with Elisabeth Fitzgerald, the woman he jilted seven years before. Now trapped together in a reluctant alliance, they must provoke a killer into making his deadly final move, but will the sacrifice Brendan has to make be Elisabeth herself?

Heir Of Danger is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

When we first conceived of the trilogy, my editor told me to throw some title ideas her way. I put together a long list of possibilities, some of them using a pun on Heir as a way to tie the three books together. Heir of Evil, Heir of Passion, you get the idea. Anyway, none of them made the final cut … or so I thought until the third book came into final production and my editor pulled up Heir Of Danger. One of my suggestions! Finally!

Would you describe your book as a cozy, mystery, suspense, or thriller?

I suppose if I had to label it under one of these categories, it would be suspense. I like to keep my readers guessing and definitely turning the pages, but I wouldn’t say I’m thriller-esque as in you’re afraid to turn out the lights, just left on the edge of your seat and eager to follow the twists and turns as the plot thickens and events grow more complicated. The most difficult part of my writing process is balancing the external suspense with the character’s internal conflict and romance. I do a lot of layering once the initial story is down on paper to be sure both arcs work simultaneously.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’m a European history major and have always loved reading historicals whether they be romances, mysteries, straight fiction or non-fiction. But growing up I devoured fantasy and science fiction from writers as diverse as Mary Stewart, Anne McCaffrey, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Andre Norton. So, I loved the idea of pairing these two genres together to see what I could concoct. I tried this approach first with my recent release of DANGEROUS MAGIC where I added a touch of magic to an otherwise straight regency. I had so much fun with that story, I immediately jumped into the regency-paranormal world with my next book, and from there, I never looked back.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

The inspiration for the story came from a previous manuscript. The heroine of that book’s father was murdered under mysterious circumstances, and now and again there was an allusion to some larger dark conspiracy. From those seeds, the entire Heirs of Kilronan series grew. Though it wasn’t until I began writing the first book, EARL OF DARKNESS, that the King Arthur ah-ha! moment struck. After that, the story clicked into place pretty rapidly. HEIR OF DANGER is the culmination of the three books, so it was where I had to wrap up all my loose ends. This made it both easier since by the time I began writing, I knew my characters really well, and I knew where the story was going. The hard part was trying to write myself out of all the corners.

Do you have all the key suspense/mystery elements thought out before you begin writing?

Not at all. I’m a confirmed pantser so my process requires a lot of nail-biting and hair-pulling as the story moves forward, mainly propelled by my muse and lots of coffee. The hardest part is restraining myself from adding so many twists and turns in the plot that I corkscrew myself right into a corner (see answer above). Before I sit down, I will have a general idea about the major turning points of the story. Then it becomes a matter of connecting scenes to build the tension up to each point. But those scenes always evolve as I go and I’m never certain what will pop from a character’s mouth that will change everything.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

While the historical aspects of the books required a lot of research (let’s face it, regency readers are rabid about their details), I was able to throw my imagination into overdrive when it came to the paranormal/fantasy elements of the story. The series is set in Ireland which is close enough to England that much of Society and custom were the same, but far enough removed due to its occupied status that there was a lot I had to learn before I could place my characters there. I found some fabulous research material on Ireland under the Georges, both city and country life which helped tremendously plus some great travel maps from the period that zeroed me in on every little bump in their roads. And last but not least, my s-i-l is from Limerick, so I was able to pick her brain when I needed an authentic phrase or expression to place in my characters’ mouths.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I absolutely loved Brendan Douglas. He seemed to spring to life from the moment he took the stage. He’s cynical and self-serving, but smart, determined, and never takes himself or anything else too seriously. On the lam with his gambling ne’er-do-well cousin Jack O’Gara, the bad guys don’t stand a chance.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

My characters tend to jump into my head pretty complete from the beginning, in that I know their goals and their motivations, but then I take that and add to it all the backstory minutiae like names of parents and siblings, important dates in their lives, eye and hair color; things I may need to refer back to throughout the story and write that down as reference as I go. Beyond that, they reveal themselves through the writing. Body language, personality traits, relationships, personal history, and even their inner conflict will come through as the story progresses through dialogue and internal thought. I love getting to know the characters as I go. I’m surprised whenever I sit down to write at what I discover about them, and for me, that’s what keeps the writing fun and exciting.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Your blog isn’t long enough to list every author that has ever inspired me, but I do have authors who hold a special place in my heart. I dedicated HEIR OF DANGER to four of them; Mary Stewart, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jane Austen, and Rosamunde Pilcher. These are my four go-to authors. Different in genre, style, characterization, but I read their books over and over whenever I need to get lost in a familiar story where the writing is flawless and the characters are old friends.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

So much about success in writing is complete coincidence or out of an author’s control; bookstore placement, distribution, Kindle lists, reviews. I could drive myself crazy worrying over that stuff. Instead, I focus on what I can do. Being a relatively new author, the challenge for me is getting readers to take a chance on someone they may not have heard of before. I’ve found the best and easiest way to do that is to offer them a free book. Let them kick the tires, check under the hood, take a spin around the block. Hopefully, they’ll pass on their enjoyment to a friend or buy the next one in the series, or check out my blog, website, FB page.

What do we have to look forward next?

I’m working on a new series, but plans are still sketchy at this stage. I’m also thinking about dipping my toe in the indie-world with a new book in my Bligh Family series. Again, I’m still in the beginning stages of this venture, but readers can catch any developments on my website www.AlixRickloff.com or my FB page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alix-Rickloff/101434889914147

Thanks, Alix!

To celebrate her book release, Alix is offering a free copy of HEIR OF DANGER to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
ALIX RICKLOFF has never been able to decide who she enjoys reading more; Austen or Tolkien. That lifelong indecision drove her to create stories of her own, combining those distinct loves. Her writing awards include a final in the Golden Heart, while Romantic Times Magazine calls her work both compelling and original.
To learn more you can visit her on the web at www.AlixRickloff.com.

Interview with our very own Linda Andrews

I’d like to welcome our very own guest today, Linda Andrews. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Fiona. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Fiona is the story of an American heiress who receives a telegram from her aunt and uncle requesting help speaking with the dead. Fiona accompanied by the spirit of her dead fiancé sets off to England. She arrives only to find her aunt and uncle missing after a shipwreck. Hoping to find clues to their disappearance, she has to enter London Society during the Season. Unfortunately, matchmakers and fortune hunters keep getting in her way. Enter Kingslea a destitute Earl whose past has given him a deep aversion to American heiresses and an even bigger one to the Duke of August. The very man who may be threatening Fiona's life.

Fiona is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Well, I thought and thought and thought and then my editor just named the book after the lead character because she didn't like what I'd thought up.:-)

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I love ghost stories and the Victorian Era. And really there's no place that screams Victorian more than London. When I was doing my research, I discovered that many American Heiresses paddled across the pond in search of buying an English title. So what would happen if an American heiress traveled to London and had to enter Society, but everyone was determined to win her and her fortune? How would she survive the treachery and keep her reputation intact with only the ghost of her fiancé to protect her. And even he is determined to win her a husband.

What are your favorite paranormal research books or sites, and why?

I didn't really do a lot of research on ghosts for this book because it is a genuine interest of mine. But I love to visit ghost hunters website and love to follow Urban legends.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I loved to write Kingslea. He is in many ways a bit of an homage to Sherlock Holmes who donned fabulous disguises to blend in with his surroundings and get information. Of course, he is quite vexed when Fiona sees through each one.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research and/or world affect your character development?

I'm not sure how I develop my characters. I'm pretty sure I just wait on the literary street corner until they come by and start talking to me. It is when I'm writing and they do/say/or act a certain way that I write it down. Habits, favorite phrases and mannerisms usually help the reader define the character and also gives a good indication of what they're thinking versus what they're saying. The Victorian era was quite constraining for American Misses, and Fiona is a departure in that she went into business, is willing to speak her mind (even if it offends some) and has an opinion. She is her parents' daughter although she fights to conform to Societies expectations. Kingslea is also bound by rules he doesn't like. He was a second son and never expected to inherit, but he fell in love with an American Heiress who threw him over for a bigger title. Now, he's determined work (Good heavens, the scandal!) except he deals in secrets of the nobility which puts him right in Fiona's path.

How do you go about building your world if you use one? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?
I have maps and charts of Victorian London, but I pretty much used the one that actually existed. Only the ghosts have been added, although I think England has it's share naturally (or supernaturally, if you want to get technical).

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

I grew up reading Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and MM Kaye. Lately I've been downloading a lot of indie authors and finding gems, but for the big names I always pick up Amanda Quick, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood and lately I found Gail Carringer.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

I really don't know what is effective or not. I just keep trying different things and hoping something sticks.

What do we have to look forward next?

Animosity is also out this month. It is a SciFi Romance set on another planet. Here's the blurb: Commander Brongill of DaHap and his Earthling wife, Alderina of Rutgers, crash onto a planet he never wanted to see again: His home world of Terrill. War has ravaged the landscape for more than a thousand years and both sides are still fighting to the death. While Ally’s children and Brongill’s crew have been taken prisoner by the defiant Neitz, Brongill and Ally are captured by the fanatical Isfer. Both sides demand, Brongill fulfill the Prophecy of Ages and vanquish their enemies once and for all.

For the sake of Ally’s children and his crew, Brongill is determined to forge his own destiny and unite the two sides in peace. But can he overcome centuries of hatred before the last habitable zones of Terrill are destroyed? For underground lurks an enemy with its own agenda: To see everything and everyone on Terrill erased forever.

Next year, I'll have the last of the Grey sisters out. This time I traveled to Egypt!

Thanks, Linda!

To celebrate her book release, Linda is offering a free ebook of Fiona to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Linda Andrews lives with her husband and three children in Phoenix, Arizona. When she announced to her family that her paranormal romance was to be published, her sister pronounce: "What else would she write? She’s never been normal."

All kidding aside, writing has become a surprising passion. So just how did a scientist start to write paranormal romances? What other option is there when you’re married to romantic man and live in a haunted house?

Check out author’s website at www.lindaandrews.net

Interview with Alix Rickloff

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Alix Rickloff. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called LORD OF SHADOWS. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

This is the second book in my latest regency paranormal series—The Heirs of Kilronan which follows one family’s struggle to stop a madman from resurrecting King Arthur as part of a plot to instigate a war between Other and Mortal.

LORD OF SHADOWS features Lady Sabrina Douglas. Since her father’s murder, she’s hidden herself and her healing powers away from the world. But when she saves a half-drowned man, she’s unwillingly drawn back into her family’s dark legacy. A man with no memory, Daigh MacLir seeks his past. But what he discovers is more chilling than anyone could possibly imagine. Defying death was only the first step in the task he was given, and Sabrina is his last hope.

LORD OF SHADOWS is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

I’d love to say I came up with it all on my own. But Pocket had more to do with it than me. They wanted a title that conveyed both the paranormal and the regency aspects of the story. And for what it’s worth, I think they did a fabulous job.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’ve always loved the Regency period and devoured both non-fiction books exploring the era as well as fiction set during the period. But I’m also a huge fan of fantasy and science fiction. It seemed natural to try and combine the two into something unique. Thus was born the race of Other.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

Actually, the inspiration came from a previous manuscript. The heroine of that book’s father was murdered under mysterious circumstances, and now and again there was an allusion to some larger dark conspiracy. From those seeds, the entire Heirs of Kilronan series grew. Though it wasn’t until I began writing the first book, EARL OF DARKNESS, that the King Arthur ah-ha! moment struck. After that, the story clicked into place pretty rapidly.

What are your favorite historical research books and why?

My office shelves are overflowing with wonderful resources on everything from fashion to architecture to military history, but I have to admit I’m a map geek. I have books of Napoleonic Wars maps, English town and city maps from 1800-1855, old county maps of England; one from the Tudor era and one from the 1830’s. I have maps of Regency era London, a Cary’s Itinerary with coaching routes and timetables, and a Taylor and Skinner that offers the same information for Ireland. My pride and joy is my Cary’s. It’s an 1812 edition. Musty and a little foxed round the edges. I love reading it and thinking of all the people who browsed its pages as they planned their journeys.

Maybe that’s why so many of my stories have traveling in them. I love flipping through the maps and imagining where my characters went, how they got there, and what they passed along the way.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I love Daigh MacLir. He’s an honorable man forced to do dishonorable things. And fighting the compulsion every step of the way. He’s a character who really took charge of his own destiny, evolving in ways I never envisioned when I first sat down to write.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

I start with character sheets, but the information I enter is very basic. The characters really don’t come alive until I begin to write. At that point, their quirks, backstory, motivation, and conflict flow onto the page. It makes for a very messy and drawn-out process, but somehow it all works and by the end, they’re fully fleshed out and completely realized.

What are some common speech terms, dress modes, transportation or housing facts that you found interesting for your time period?

My books are paranormals with plots that rely on an otherworldly universe of my own creation, but the setting is a real one, and thus I want to make sure when my characters are not battling demons or wielding magic, they interact with a well-researched Regency world.

With Lord Of Shadows and the Heirs of Kilronan series, the history major in me reveled in chasing down sources on early nineteenth century Ireland. The landscape, the flora and fauna, the daily life of both the rich and the poor in what was basically an occupied country in a perpetual state of armed stand-off.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

I don’t know about inspire, but I love Robin McKinley’s Damar books and anything by Anne McCaffrey. These are my go-to books, and I usually end up re-reading them every few years.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

I can Facebook and blog and toot my own horn forever, but in the end, it’s all about getting my book in the hands of readers. So, anytime I can give away a copy, I’m creating a potential fan. Hopefully, today will be one of those opportunities.

What do we have to look forward next?

The thrilling conclusion of the Heirs of Kilronan trilogy comes out in January 2012. HEIR OF DANGER features Brendan Douglas. He’s been on the run for seven years, but with the looming threat of King Arthur’s return, Brendan will have to confront his past—including the woman he left at the altar. I’m also working on a new regency-paranormal project that I hope to unveil soon.

Thanks, Alix!

To celebrate her book release, Alix Rickloff is offering a free book of LORD OF SHADOWS to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

ALIX RICKLOFF has never been able to decide who she enjoys reading more; Austen or Tolkien. That lifelong indecision drove her to create stories of her own, combining those distinct loves. Her writing awards include a final in the Golden Heart, while Romantic Times Magazine calls her work both compelling and original.

Check out author’s website at http://www.alixrickloff.com/.

Buy http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-shadows-alix-rickloff/1101116712?ean=9781439170373&itm=3&usri=lord%2bof%2bshadows