Tuesday, February 12, 2013

An Interview with Rachel Brimble

It's my utmost pleasure to host Harlequin author, dear friend and agency mate, Rachel Brimble, to Tattered Pages today, who spoils us with some information about her busy life, her latest release and those WIPs! 

Let's start by asking, of the characters you've created, which one is your favorite and why?

I couldn't possibly choose a character because I love them all in different ways, BUT I am usually in love with the main character of the book I am working on at any one time. At the moment, my heroine is a Victorian prostitute trying for a better life. I just love Laura. She is so determined and feisty, yet has a heart of gold. She makes me very happy :)
 
My favorite setting, however, is Templeton Cove where my novels for Harlequin take place. As I'm planning books three and four, the entire town and community have now become very real and very dear to me. I really hope I can keep adding more and more stories to the series because I can't imagine every saying good bye to the town now!
I'm always falling in love with my characters, too! They become so real, don't they? What are you working on now?
I am just coming to the end of the first draft for my second Victorian romance for E-Kensington. I hope to have it finished, polished and submitted to my agent by the end of February. In addition to that, I am plotting my next romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance - this will be the third book in the series. I'm very excited about it! :D
Love it! So, after finishing a manuscript, do you take some time off or dive right in to the next story?

Time off? Time off? What's that?? LOL!!
Seriously, I dive straight back in - more often than not, I'm working on more than one project. I love working this way because it gives me somewhere to redirect my attention when I hit a stumbling block. I often find working on something else (especially a different sub-genre), frees my mind and when I resume work on the 'halted' book, I know exactly where I went wrong. There's method in my madness, honestly!
There are never enough hours in the day, are there? But that's a great strategy! What’s on your nightstand (or downloaded onto your Kindle) right now?

Right now, I am reading the debut novel of my dear, sweet friend from the UK - Alexandra Brown's Cupcakes at Carringtons. Just fabulous! I'm also reading the huge bonkbuster of the 1980s, Lace by Shirley Conran. I can't believe I missed this the first time round. Such a great, epic story :)
Uhhh...sounds like two books I need to check out! What about hobbies? What are your favorite things to do besides writing?

I love to knit, read and walk my beloved black Labrador, Max - I am also thinking of taking up an American history course as I'm obsessed with all things American despite being a Brit, living in the UK. Hence why I write for the US market!
Thank you so much for this peek inside Rachel's world!! And now on with the show!
 
Old friends, new secrets 

Sergeant Cat Forrester lives by her own set of rules. When her childhood friend is murdered, Cat's world is thrown into chaos. Especially because Jay Garrett-a man from her past-is a suspect, and he needs her help to prove he's innocent. After all they once shared, how can she say no? 
 
The attraction flares between them, and getting involved with a suspect is a huge risk. But the more time Cat spends with Jay, the stronger the tug on her heart. He is the same caring, irresistible man she remembers. Yet she can't let her emotions interfere with the case-solving it is top priority. And as she digs deeper, she discovers Jay has secrets that may jeopardize any possible future together.
 
“I need your help, Cat. I’m in trouble. Big trouble.”
The timbre of despair in his voice alerted her to grief. Loss. She heard it loud and clear. It didn’t matter whether the speaker was male or female, young or old. When you lost someone before you should, it always sounded the same. She was trained to recognize it--personally and professionally. To listen and help. To alleviate others’ pain and hide her own. She stopped pacing and tightened her grip on the receiver.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Sarah.”
Her mind whirled back seven years ago to the last time she and her family took their annual holiday to Templeton Cove. A picturesque town situated amongst the spectacular “English Riviera” region of South West England. The place Jay and his family had lived for generations.
“Sarah? Is she okay?” Cold dread seeped into Cat’s blood, making goose bumps erupt on her arms. “Jay?”
“She’s dead, Cat. Murdered.”
She sucked in a breath as a lump of stone dropped into her abdomen. “What?”
“You need to come to the Cove. Investigate her death. The police here aren’t getting anywhere.” His shaky breath rasped down the line. “I’m a suspect, Cat. You have to help me. You have to help me show them--”
“Wait. You’re a suspect?” How could good, kind-hearted Jay Garrett be a suspect in a murder investigation? The Jay she remembered always smiled, laughed and kissed with lips that could lead a girl into all sorts of trouble…
“Please tell me you’re the detective you always swore you would be. You have to help me. I need you.”
He needs me. After all this time. “Jay, listen to me. If you’re a suspect, what happened? Cops do not go around accusing people--”
“The cops are walking around like their bloody heads are cut off.  Sarah’s parents are waiting for them to release her body while the police point the finger at me rather than the real killer. I feel trapped, Cat. You’ve got to come to the Cove.”

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. 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 beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England…although she hopes a dream visit to Canada might just change her mind!
She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
Links:


Friday, February 8, 2013

Careful...this one's a little steamy...

Hang onto your hats, ladies, it's a face-melter!
I just received the cover for my new contemporary romance
She's Got Dibs
scheduled to be released soon from
THE WILD ROSE PRESS!


 
That's right...go ahead and enjoy the view.
And the guy's not bad either.
 
It was designed by the beautiful, brilliant and abundantly talented
ARIAL BURNZ!
Thank you, sweet pea! XOXO
 
As soon as the release date is scheduled, I'll be posting around the globe!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

So I just recently sent off my last round edits on a contemporary romantic comedy I have been working on for five years. I originally wrote She’s Got Dibs way back when I first decided to become a published author. Oh, the bliss of ignorance. At that point in my career, I freely admit I had no idea what I was doing. All that mattered was the process of writing, sitting down at the keyboard and getting my thoughts into some sort of cohesive plot from start to finish.

As luck would have it, I sent the story to my publisher and it was assigned to a newly acquired editor who loved it—bless her heart. However, once she sent in a contract request to her Sr. Editor, the manuscript was returned to me with a request for revisions. No big surprise now that I’ve become privy to the myriad rules governing the elusive craft of writing.

I glomed onto my editor’s advice, rewrote and resubmitted the story, thinking a contract offer was just around the corner. The submission was sent back for more revisions, so I dove in again, rewrote and resubmitted…only to have it returned to me a third time. Still too long. Still not enough focus. Still too much extra fluff that needed to come out.

To be honest, I’ve lost track of how many times I rewrote and resubmitted this one (I’m guessing five or six times), and would have probably given up and stuck the story in a file on my hard drive had it not been for the unwavering support and belief of my editor. She truly championed this story…sometimes even more than me.  

But this post isn’t about the dogged perseverance any new author must exemplify once they’ve decided to dive headfirst into the bottomless chasm of publishing. It’s about what happened to me during those five years.
 
My son went from a shy, glasses-wearing 2nd grader to a hulking, Jr. High man-child who races dirt bikes, has a FaceBook page, and knows how to work the electronics in my home better than me. He’s also my “go-to” guy whenever I can’t get the pickle jar open. The kid has hands the size of a yeti. My daughter grew from a one-year-old baby into an artistic fourth grader who plays the scores of Andrew Lloyd Webber on the piano, writes, edits and posts her own videos on YouTube, and comes home each afternoon with stories of the “drama” that happen amongst her classmates during recess. You want great ideas for twisting plot turns? Spend the afternoon dissecting the relationship dynamics of a fourth grade girl. You will emerge the other side a changed person. My husband and I saw our home-based business through a recession (hopefully), he learned to fly a powered parachute and I became an agented author and full-time editor.

Throughout all this, the characters in She’s Got Dibs were with me. Whenever I needed an escape from reality they were there, patiently waiting for me to bring them into sharper focus, deepen their commitment or write a snappy line of dialogue. They became good friends of mine. I began to think of them as real people, with real issues, fighting their way through to their happily ever after.

So while the goal of each author is to take those folks we spend our time creating and send them out into the world for others to enjoy, and I can admit a huge sense of satisfaction and relief accompanied my hitting the SEND button, I also must confess …I am deeply saddened to see these folks go on their merry way. After accepting the last of my editor’s requested changes, I got in the bathtub...and sobbed. Like…sobbed. Then I spent the remainder of the day walking around in a fog.
 
Was I really done? Did my two dear friends seriously just smile and wink, wave goodbye and disappear into the ether? How could that be? What about their tomorrow…or the next day? What about their future, for crying out loud? How could they just leave me like that? Didn’t they realize how close we’d become? Did they even care?

While I know that, yes, the only true way to get over this leave-taking is to craft another story—and I have been doing just that—I also have to wonder. Just how crazy am I? Is it time I called my physician and begged for Prozac? Perhaps I should forgo pharmaceuticals entirely and proceed (do not pass go, do not collect $200) to the nearest mental healthcare facility? Am I the only writer out there who undergoes a grieving process at the completion of a story? Your advice would be greatly appreciated.   

Friday, February 1, 2013

Heroines...what's your stance?

I am thrilled to have Joanne Stewart, author extraordinaire and agency mate, visiting Tattered Pages today. And I LOVE this post. Love it. It speaks to me on several different levels. If you're an an author like me and Joanne...heck, even if you're not..I wonder...what is YOUR favorite type of heroine? Leave us a comment and let us know. Oh, and do yourself a favor and scroll down to the excerpt. Whoot! LOL

Take it away, Joanne!
If you’ve ever read one of my books, you’ll know I don’t write feisty heroines. In fact, my heroines tend to be the exact opposite. They tend to be the quiet girls. Bookworms. Geeks. Shy girls. The type of people who usually get overlooked. I prefer them, because, well, they’re more like me.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like the kickass heroine. It’s kind of fun to be in the shoes of someone strong, who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and say to hell with what others think. In fact, I wrote one. Becca Morgan from Winning Becca. She hasn’t gotten published yet. She’s still sitting with my agent, waiting to be edited. But Becca is a third degree black belt in karate and she isn’t afraid to stand up to the likes of the hero, Jackson Kade. I had fun watching Jackson break down her defenses. I’m also partial to Vonnie’s Evie from Those Violet Eyes and Jezzy from AJ Nuest’s Jezebel’s Wish. And no. I’m not just tooting their horns because I like them. Both books blew me away. If you haven’t read them, you should! (Okay, LOVE JOANNE! LOVE HER! LOL THANKS, TOOTS!)

Back to my point (I’m a yapper once you get me going)… despite all that, I’m still more partial to seeing poor, picked on, overworked and under-appreciated Cinderella get her prince. I was that shy girl once. Unsure of herself, quiet, positive she just didn’t make the grade. I certainly wasn’t popular and I was definitely on the dorky side. lol So, I like to see the little guy or girl get his or her man (or woman).

That’s the type of heroine you’ll find in my books. The girls usually passed up. The wounded women who have fears and secrets they don’t want made public. The ones who often suffer in silence. The heroine of Her Knight in Black Leather, Cat Edwards, is a woman like that. She’s shy and quiet, a bookworm who works in her father’s small bookstore. She’s grown up with a self-absorbed mother who had an infamous reputation and Cat grew up fending off advances from guys who assumed she was exactly like her mother. Cat learned to fade into the wallpaper. She and I are a lot alike in that respect. I spent my life playing the part of the wallflower, so writing her was very easy, because in a lot of ways, she is me.

 Cat meets the hero in the town bar. She’s been dragged there by her best friend. She’s supposed to be having fun, but feeling twice her age and way over her head….

Excerpt:

“Follow my lead.” His voice flowed against her ear, rich and smooth and darkly sensual. The kind of voice she could well imagine whispering to her in the dark. It added to the stubble prickling her cheek and, for a moment, her mind twisted off in another direction, filling with naughty fantasies. Suddenly she was dying to see the face behind the voice.

Louder he said, “Miss me?”

Velvet soft lips brushed her earlobe as he spoke, combined with the deep, sensual quality of his voice and sent delicious shivers slipping down her spine. For a moment, Cat forgot to breathe, forgot what in the world she was supposed to be doing. Somewhere through the haze that took over her mind, his meaning finally occurred to her. Her body went limp with relief. She had the sudden urge to turn and hug the man. Chivalry hadn’t died with King Arthur after all.

“You’re late.” Playing her part, she straightened on her stool and reached back to twine her fingers with his. Soft, thick fingers that filled her overheated mind with visions of them sliding over her skin.

The clod’s hand finally released her thigh, and Cat swallowed a sigh of relief then spun to face her savior. “You were supposed to be here...”

Her train of thought derailed as she came face to face with the center of a broad chest. A thickly muscled chest barely contained by the black T-shirt covering it. Her heart skipped several beats as she followed the muscles upward, past even wider shoulders, until her gaze collided with a pair of dark brown eyes that made her breath catch.

Oh boy. She clamped her mouth shut and swallowed hard. A five o’clock shadow covered a strong, square jaw, giving him a rough and rugged edge. His thick, almost black, hair licked at the collar of his worn leather jacket, just long enough to be rebellious, and tousled by the wind. Her fingers itched to reach up and slide through his hair to see if it felt as soft as it seemed.

“Forgive me.” As he bent down to her eye level, his eyes burned into hers, a hidden meaning in the dark depths she couldn’t quite grasp. She couldn’t concentrate much past the fact his face was now a scant inch from hers. His soft, warm breath fanned her lips, and her gaze zeroed in on the mouth that had sent delicious sensations thrumming through her body barely a minute ago.

Before she could ponder what on earth he meant or come up with a proper response, he took their charade a step further.

He kissed her.

Blurb:

Cat Edwards has spent her life playing the wallflower in an effort to escape the repressive weight of her mother’s tarnished name. Dragged to a bar by her best friend in an effort to forget a broken heart, the shy bookworm is determined to be someone else for the night, but quickly gets in over her head. She discovers chivalry isn’t dead after all when a mysterious stranger comes to her rescue. He’s wearing black leather and a mischievous smile that promises to be exactly what she needs.

When his terminally ill father suffers a setback, Michael Brant returns to the town he swore ten years ago he’d never return to. He’s come back this time determined to make peace with the past, but being home brings up memories he doesn’t want to remember anymore. His first night in town, he’s captured by a damsel in distress. Cat’s beauty is made all the more alluring when he realizes she has no idea who he is. He can’t resist spending a single night in her arms. With her, he’s only a man, disconnected from his family’s name and the past that haunts him here.

As the town erupts with the news of his return, Michael’s dark past comes back to haunt him, putting Cat in danger. Someone is threatening her life and the life of her family. Desperate to keep history from repeating itself, Michael offers her his family’s name in order to keep her safe. When the lie spirals beyond their control, can they stop their hearts from becoming entangled as well?  

About the author:

J.M. Stewart writes sweet and heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of passion. She’s a wife, a mother, a spiritualist, and lover of puppies, and happily addicted to coffee and chocolate. She lives in the Great Rainy Northwest with her husband of sixteen years and their two sons. She’s a hopeless romantic who believe everybody should have their happily-ever-after and has been devouring romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing them has become her passion.

Where you can find Joanne on the web:
Website: http://authorjmstewart.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JMStewartWriter
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-JM-Stewart/129990420383155
Blog: http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3159044.J_M_Stewart
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorjmstewart/

Buy link:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00AWWZVBE

Friday, January 25, 2013

After Midnight is on Sale!

It’s official! For the next two weeks my award winning contemporary romance, After Midnight, is on sale for the super low price of 99 cents! So, I’m celebrating with a re-blog, re-tweet and share to win celebration!

What can you win???

$25 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM BARNES & NOBLE or AMAZON
(winners choice)

 Here’s how to play:

  1. Tweet (or retweet) about the sale. Every tweet will earn you one entry in the drawing. Make sure to include @SarahGrimmAuthr in your tweet so I can track your entry.
  2. Post or Share the sale on Facebook. Every post/share will earn you one entry in the drawing. Be sure to tag Sarah Grimm – Author in your post so I can track your entry.
  3. Reblog this post. Make sure to leave a link here so I can keep track.
That's it. Pretty simple, yes? The more you tweet, retweet, share or repost, the more entried you receive! I will announce the winner of the gift certificate on this blog on February 11, 2013.

Can music heal a fractured soul?
Or will it tear them apart forever?


Thirteen years—that’s how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother’s life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar…

Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal—one that doesn’t include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won’t be easy, but he can’t get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.
Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

2012 Romance Through the Ages Award Winner ~ 1st Place Contemporary
2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist
2012 Readers Favorite Award Finalist
2011 Book of the Year Finalist ~ Long and Short Reviews

GET IT TODAY – Just $0.99!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11kD7JS  (1/25 – 2/08)
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/TNBRdL  (1/25 – 2/08)
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/VohFcm (1/25 - 1/28)
"After Midnight is one hell of a love story! I was hooked at the end of the first chapter. I had to read more. I had to know more. And Sarah Grimm definitely delivered more."5 Stars, Fire Pages
"Ms. Grimm creates characters that grab hold of your heart and never let go. This is an emotional ride that you won't want to miss."BEST BOOK, Long and Short Reviews
"I am in love. This book was amazing. I would even go as far as to say that it was one of the best books that I read this year." — 5 cocktails, Cocktails and Books


Friday, January 18, 2013

Renee Charles Changes in Autumn!


Ex-animal control officer, Autumn Reynolds always had a soft spot for injured animals. So when one shows up on her porch with a gunshot wound, she has no choice but to help it. But she gets caught in the maelstrom when the injured wolf turns out to be a hot werewolf and the shooter comes back to finish the job. Now she's going to become a wolf, or die trying. Fortunately, she has her own Alpha-male who owes her one. However, Autumn fears if she does survive, she might lose her heart in the process.

Conner Grayson owes the beautiful woman his life and feels obligaged to help her through her first change. Though he recognized her as his mate, as her Alpha, he won't deny Autumn the right to choose once she becomes a wolf. That is, if he can resist the overwhelming need to claim her as his own.  

As Renee was prepping her post to visit with me today, we were tossing out ideas as authors are often wont to do, when she came up with a zinger of an idea...

Maybe a paragraph about what inspired this story and why it's different than most werewolf stories. What do you think?
 
I, of course, shouted a resounding, FABULOUS! Because of the recent influx of shapeshifter, vampire, werewolf stories, coupled with the fact that I am an avid fantasy reader, I'm always looking for a story that stands outside its genre. But it's often hard to figure out which of those books are the best choice, right, Renee?

Right! It's a good question AJ. There has got to be thousands of werewolf stories out there. But, Changes In Autumn is not your typical werewolf story. This Novella stands apart from others in this genre in that it avoids the typical ‘Alpha male finds his mate and mounts her’ angle. Instead, it chronicles the changes Autumn goes through to become a werewolf…physically, mentally, and spiritually. I really wanted to take on the perspective of Autumn discovering she is about to become one of those creatures that go bump in the night. I love a good, steamy werewolf story, don't get me wrong, but I had to think there would be a significant freak out factor about more than "hey, this hot guy is my mate, lucky me." That being said, one of the 'changes' happens to be meeting and claiming her mate, but not until Autumn comes face to face with the fact that she is, for all intents and purposes, becoming a monster. I like to be surprised, caught off guard by a story. So, that is the experience I try to provide for my readers as well.

Sounds wonderful! And for all you readers out there, here's a sneak peek inside Changes in Autumn!
 
    “I will not do this to you. The change has begun and you...you have to choose your mate.” His words came between short ragged breaths. “If we make love, you will no longer have a choice.”
     “There’s always a choice.” Even as the words left her mouth, her body denied it. She hummed with an awareness of him that could not be ignored.
     He shook his head. “Stay in the water until your skin doesn’t itch anymore. I’m going to put a couple of steaks on for us.”
     The click of the door closing behind him when he left her alone echoed through her aching
body. Autumn refused to believe that what she felt wasn’t real. She was so aware of him that she could feel him leave the next room after he got dressed. Her awareness of him was like a rubber band that stretched tighter and thinner the further he moved away from her.
     If what he said was true, she feared it was too late. She’d already chosen.

Here is where you can find Renee on the web:


Thanks for visiting!
XO AJ XO

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Chronicles of Kerrigan are here!

I am thrilled to be one of the lucky people chosen to show off the brand new covers for...
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
by Wanita May
 
Whoo Hoo!
*Cheers Whistles Confetti*

Read on to find out more about this amazing series by my friend and agency mate, Wanita May!
 
 
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN
RAE OF HOPE – BOOK I
How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?
Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed.

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter?

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.
 
DARK NEBULA – BOOK II
Nothing is as it seems anymore.
Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus.
Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help. Has her destiny been written? Or will she become the one thing she hates the most—her father’s prodigy.

 
HOUSE OF CARDS – BOOK III
 
Rae’s half a year away from Guilder and just accepted a position as an agent for the Privy Council. She’s given a mentor, Jennifer, who fights like a demon – she’s fast, tough, and incredibly beautiful. Rae bonds with her, and just at the right time, she finds a new friend when Devon disappoints her again.
A memory from Book II comes back to Rae and haunts her. Something about where her parents took as a child evokes a hidden secret that she’s determined to solve. When the Privy Council asks her to go undercover to found out more information about the Xavier Knights – another agency similar to the Privy Council, Rae dives in head first. Through the mystery and secrets, she begins to question what the PC represents and loses herself in the confusions about the past, the present and her future.

ROYAL TEA – BOOK IV
Why would a prince marry a commoner?
This fairytale wedding has a twist; the new Queen has a tatù that even the King knows nothing about.
The newly crowned King and Queen of England have requested the help of the Privy Council. Partnered with her ex, Devon , the two must pretend to be couple and work as body guards protecting the royal couple as they entertain at Buckingham Palace and on holiday. They need to found out who wants the queen dead and also comes to terms with their feelings for each other.
Can Royalty be protected in time for the annual Royal Tea Charity? And will Rae ever be free from her father’s grip, even after his death?


Interested in learning more about Wanita May and The Chronicles of Kerrigan? Find her on the web at:

Twitter: @wanitajump
 
Congrats, Wanita! Here's to a very successful run!
XO AJ XO