Many of the RWW members are working on stories we hope to publish in an anthology and a boxed set later this year. J.J. Devine wants a sneak peak at our opening scene. If you've joined me from A.S. Fenichel's blog, welcome. What did you think of hers? Here’s the first scene of “No Life But This” – my contribution to the Romance Writers Weekly Box Set. Santos Carregado pulled the twelve passenger van into the taxi loading zone and set the parking brake. Grabbing the cardboard sign and crumpled sheets of paper his sister had thrust into his hand before he'd rushed out the door this morning, he strode into Arrivals. A scattering of people milled about, no one going anywhere fast. To his right the building stretched, long and narrow, toward the Departure area. Muted sunshine fell through the glass ceiling two stories above. A sparrow, seemingly at home in the echoing space, swooped and swept, landing on a precarious edge along the outer wall. Santos took a seat on a log hollowed out into a bench. I'd love to hear what you think - let me know in the comments! Want to see what Kim Handysides is working on? Check it out here!
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Enter now through MAY 10th, 2015 (MOTHER'S DAY)! Grand Prize is a $100 Amazon giftcard. 2nd and 3rd prizes are $20 giftcards. Plus you could win one of 14 prize packs full of great titles from the Romance Weekly authors! Xio Axelrod says:
Readers always ask "How much of yourself do you lend to your characters?" Here's your chance to answer. What traits do your characters have that come from you? And if not you, someone in your life. If you joined me from Leslie Hachtel, welcome. And I apologize right now for the vagueness of my post today - my head is stuffed from a cold, and I'm not thinking very clearly. But I didn't want to miss out on the this week's hop, so I did my best. I think it’s impossible for any writer NOT to include a little bit of themselves in every character they write. Writers are, after all, only one person (although most of us have a lot of voices inside our heads!). So no matter how hard we try, bits of our personalities have to creep in. I’m a “tell-it-like-it-is” type of person. I don’t suffer fools gladly and I employ the use of sarcasm on a regular basis. Most of my characters have these traits in some degree or other. My meekest heroine, Abigail from NO LIFE BUT THIS, has hidden those feelings for most of her life, and it was fun to write about her breaking out of those habits. Of course, as a romance writer, I write from the male point-of-view as well. I watch my husband, father, brother-in-laws, and try to really see how they react in certain situations. Again, it’s not that I am putting those people in the book. I am simply using them as a model on how my character should act. I also use real-life experiences in my stories. CHEF D’AMOUR takes place on the set of a romance reality TV show. While I have never worked on a show exactly like that, I have worked in television production for more than 25 years, so have a good grasp on what goes on behind-the-scenes. How much of herself does J.J. Devine put into her stories? She’s your next stop on the blog hop! I am thrilled to be hosting fellow Romance Writers Weekly member, Gemma Brocato, as she celebrates the release of BED OF ROSES, Book 4 in the “Five Senses Series”. This close to Valentine’s Day, Malin Eckert’s flower shop is entering its busiest season. As if the added work isn’t enough, her father’s drinking has spiraled out of control and Mal discovers she’s been named guardian of a fifteen-year-old sibling she never knew about. To make matters worse, Mal’s crushing on a customer, a serial dater who drops by the shop with alarming regularity to send flowers to other women. Not enough? Here’s an excerpt: Gunnar laughed and tugged her closer. Turning her face up, she met his gaze. His eyelids swept down to her lips an instant before his mouth descended. It was a fast peck, something friends exchange, a gesture of greeting or parting. It didn’t matter. With the first brush of his lips, desire flared. She’d like to pretend the heat between them was the warm, gentle glow of friendship, or because their fingers were still laced together. But she’d be lying to herself. The kiss had created tingles of passion she couldn’t ignore. Leaning away, Gunnar didn’t release her hand. Surprise filled his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something then snapped it shut again. Giving a slight shake of his head, the corners of his mouth quirked up, and he pressed another kiss to her cheek and squeezed her close. “You got this. I watched you deal with Mrs. Aubrey-Smith. You can handle a moody teenager.” When her chest collided with his, heat spread from her breasts down her stomach until the sensation lodged between her legs, hotter than a humid, steamy greenhouse. It was getting harder and harder to keep this beguiling, intriguing man in the friend zone. Gemma is giving you a chance to win a $25 gift card to the retailer of your choice. Click here to enter. And be sure to put Bed of Roses on your To Be Read List on Goodreads!
This week on Romance Writers Weekly, Victoria Barbour wants us to dream big. If our most recent book was being produced for Hollywood, who would we cast for it? If you’ve joined me by Eden Ashe, welcome! My most recent release, Chef d’Amour, has prickly, fiercely independent Jemma dealing with an ill grandmother, a jerk for a boss, and the dangerous attentions of Paul Almeida. Kiera Knightley’s sharp, strong features immediately come to mind. Jemma sports a short haircut, as well, except that her bangs are longer and dyed a vibrant pink. As for Paul, one Google search for dark haired actors came up with Wes Bentley, and he’s just right. This is Paul’s “TV” look – he’s the sexy bachelor on the romance reality show where Jemma works. When he’s running his own 5-star restaurant he’s more formal, but I’m sure Wes could pull it off!
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