Healing Summer author Elizabeth Seckman--Top Ten Reasons Why NOT to Write.

My good friend and encourager, Elizabeth Seckman is here with us today to tell us her top ten writing excuses. Her new release, Healing Summer was recently released by World Castle Publishing. If you read her first book, Past Due, you'll want to make sure you have the second story about the Coulter men. Be sure to check back here on Jan 17th for more on Healing Summer. Now, for Elizabeth's excuses:


 Top 10 Reasons For Not Writing
 
 10. Facebook addiction has no support group. 
 
 9. I am working toward becoming the Solitaire champion of the world. 
 
 8. My kids have bottomless pits for stomachs and expect me to feed them.
 
 7. My cat has decided the keyboard is her favorite napping spot. 
 
 6. Too many episodes of "Jersey Shore" robbed me of my vocabulary. 
 
 5. Too many years spent in solitary indoor confinement left me with rickets. 
 
 4. I'm too busy checking blog stats, sales ranks, and number of followers.
 
 3. My bad hair is weighing on my brain and won't let me think. 
 
 2. My royalty check came and it wasn't enough to pay the electric bill. 
 
 And the number one reason for not writing:
 
 1. After years of unyielding devotion to the written word, the health department has locked me out of my house.


Ditched at the altar…biopsied for cancer…Mollie Hinkle is having a bona fide bitch of a summer.When life sucks so hard it takes your breath away, what's a girl to do? Road trip! Pack a bag, grab a few friends, and leave the past and the worry in the rear view mirror. What wounds can’t be healed by a drive across the Heartland, where quarter flips at cross roads determine the route and the future? All roads lead to Craig, the second son and bad boy of the haughty Coulter line. Craig has spent his life taking care of number one—himself. He’s not interested in a relationship and he’s definitely not looking to fall in love. But if a morsel drops in his lap, who is he to refrain? Mollie’s not looking for love either, but truth be told, she’s not opposed to it. Heck, if fate brought her to the miniscule Montana town to find happily ever after, she won’t fight it.Perhaps it is a summer where love, not time, heals all her wounds.

Check it out on Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Summer-Elizabeth-Seckman/dp/1938961668/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356968094&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+summer

Need to read the first book? You can find Past Due here: http://www.amazon.com/Past-Due-Elizabeth-Seckman/dp/1938243323/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

Cover reveal: Dawn of the Morning Star-- Penelope King

I'm privileged to have my friend Penelope King here with her latest release, Dawn of the Morning Star, part three of the Spellbound Series. If you haven't read any of King's books, be sure to check out her Spellbound trilogy as well as her Demonblood series. 

(Click on the picture to purchase it on Amazon)

The sins of the mother...

Calista McCoy’s idyllic existence has been shattered and her life is in shambles. Her once happy home is gone, her family and friends lost. Now she must pick up the pieces and rebuild her world, and discover the truth about what really happened all those years ago…with shocking new developments that no one saw coming.

Check out King's blog at http://authorpenelopeking.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @_wendybird_
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/authorpenelope

Top Ten Reasons Why NOT to Write--Catherine Bennett Lascow

Welcome back, everyone. Today, Catherine Bennett is here to share her list of excuses. Be sure to check out her book below. 

10 Reasons Why I Don’t Write by Catherine Bennett

 

1.     Fear of failure                                                                                                  

2.     Constant demands by my two Labradors

3.     Facebook

4.     Job

5.     Too busy reading other people’s books

6.     Bored husband who demands attention in the evening

7.     Pinterest

8.     Hours spent at Starbucks with compulsive coffee-drinking son

9.     Difficulty piecing together a compelling story

10.  Too much sleeping

Love. Desire. A psycho bent on revenge. But can Charlie Reynolds recognize the most dangerous of the three?

Since being out on her own at eighteen, Charlotte “Charlie” Reynolds is a street-smart “good” girl who hides her desire for love and security behind her feisty and independent personality. She just never expected a more noxious hero than wealthy, self-consumed Evan Gardner, the CEO and founder of Valley Tech., a successful software company in Los Angeles. From the moment Evan rescues her from an apparent random attack, their attraction for each other bubbles just below the surface of all-out passion.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Trouble-With-Charlie-ebook/dp/B00849AM9I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355848735&sr=8-2&keywords=the+trouble+with+charlie

Top Ten Reasons Not to Write-- J. F. Jenkins

Please help me welcome back, author, J. F. Jenkins of Astraea Press. Check out Jenkins's books on Amazon, B&N and Astraeapress.com. (see links at the bottom of the page.) Now, tell us all your fabulous excuses that keep you from writing.

Why I DON'T Write (in no particular order):

1)      I have a toddler. I really think that should be self explanatory, but in case it isn't here's why: he needs a lot of attention, he likes to jump on me, he tries to break my computer...A LOT. Just watching him sucks up all of my energy these days.

2)      Sleep. This is probably a big one. My need for sleep usually takes up a lot of my free time that I have to write. (Amen to that! Naps rock.)

3)      Working the day job. I've gotta earn money some how! Writing doesn't always pay the bills, sorry! The day job takes not only more of my time, but also a great deal of my energy.

4)      Video games are my next biggest reason why I don't write. Why? Because sometimes I just need to do something relaxing and not taxing to my brain.”

5)      Bad reviews. We all get them. It's part of the business. But I don't feel like writing when someone tells my book is stupid, that they could have written better “crap” than that, and that they should get their money back. Who wants to write a book after seeing that written about their heart and soul?

6)      My muse sometimes doesn't want to work with me. It's frustrating and annoying.

7)      There are days where I'd rather be reading, doing anything, but writing. Sometimes I just don't feel like it!

8)      My husband likes to suck up my time by running errands together. ( HA! )

9)      Health problems. We all have them on occasion. Some days, they just take over and ruin everything.

10)  Excuses. I come up with a lot of reasons as to why I should be doing something that isn't writing. Most of them aren't good ones.

Thanks for stopping by, Here's one of Jenkins's latest novels: 

Darien and Tai Oceina have not been married for long, but already they have one of the most complicated relationships. He is a dragon and the leader of a nation. She is carrying their first child who is supposed to be “the answer”. As Darien dives further into the politics of his people, a wedge is driven deeper between him and his wife.

Twin brothers Jason and Matthias Inero were always inseparable. For the first time in their lives they are apart from each other. Matt continues to do the will of their father, the corrupted Dragon Lord of the Inero, while Jason has fled with his bride to an island where he can forget about everything. Or try to. Being possessed by a demon makes that hard to achieve, and as the creature fights to control his body, Jason discovers a lot of shocking truths about his lineage and destiny.

The two worlds of fire and water collide as both dragon tribes prepare for war with the other. Matthias is determined to crush Darien's people. Only an ancient spell will give Darien enough power to fight back and have any hope at winning. The spell is complicated however and requires all four dragon tribes to work together in harmony. Something that is a lot easier said than done.

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Touched-Dragons-Saga-ebook/dp/B0087451OG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355246638&sr=1-1&keywords=J.+F.+Jenkins

Top Ten Reasons I Don't Write-- Brea Essex

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. Today I have the privilege of having Brea Essex with me. Brea publishes with Astraea Press.

 Excuses, excuses, excuses…we all have them. Here are my top ten reasons why I don’t write: 

1. The baby is crying/cranky/hungry/wants to be held. I have an almost-five-week old, so of course he needs a lot of attention. Of course, this is a recent excuse. (I hear you on this one, Brea! I can't get anything done when my 12 mo old is awake.)

2. I’m too tired (see #1). The baby keeps me up at night.

3. Too much to do around the house. If I’m not busy with the baby, I’m usually attempting to clean/do dishes/do laundry/cook before he needs me again. 

4. I don’t know where I’m going with the story. I’m terrible at outlines, so they’re usually not very detailed. This has tripped me up on numerous occasions.

5. I know what I want to write, but the words aren’t coming. This has been the story of my life lately. 

6. I’d rather be reading. I read a lot. Unfortunately, sometimes others’ books take precedence over my own. (I can never find enough time to actually read the books I want to read either! My kindle is filled to the brim with books on my TBR.)

7. My husband will be home soon, so I’ll write then. Sometimes I get so busy during the day, that by the time I can sit down to write, it’s almost time for my husband to get off work. More often than not, I’ll just decide to write after he gets home and can take the baby. It almost never happens, because I want to spend time with him rather than write. 

8. It’s too loud in my house. Sometimes if I do actually try to write when my husband is home, I can’t because he has the TV too loud, or he keeps trying to talk to me. I’m easily distracted, and I don’t want to ignore him, so again, writing does not get done. 

9. There’s a movie/TV show on that I really want to watch. This is especially the case if there is a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings marathon on (or I start watching my DVDs). 

10. I’ll just check Facebook one more time. Yes, I’m guilty of being sucked into the black hole of Facebook. In fact, I’m pretty sure I checked it at least ten times while I was writing this post. Okay, I’m exaggerating. Or maybe not. I lost count. (*raises hand* Guilty as charged here too!)

 So, there you have it: my top ten (and I’m sure there are many more) reasons why I don’t get any writing done. If you write, what are your excuses? 

 Check out Brea's books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Astraeapress.com. Click on the pictures to go to Amazon.

Check them out for your nook as well. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/foreshadow-brea-essex/1108016476?ean=2940013864382

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/overshadow-brea-essex/1111639100?ean=2940014706957

Thanks for being with us today, Brea. 

Winning awards-- Real Book Awards

I've been stalking the website since the beginning of November when they announced that they'd announce the winners "Mid-November". Let me just say, that since November has 30 days, one would think they would post the winners on Nov. 15. But alas, I had to wait a whole extra day until the 16th to discover that AT WHAT COST was chosen as a finalist in the 'Youth Issues' category. YIPPIE!

The contest was the 2012 USA Book News annual contest.

And my book was a finalist! Isn't that awesome? Now I can officially say that it is an award winning finalist or that I'm an award winning author. The whole idea is foreign to me, but I'm appreciative anyway.

I feel like celebrating. Wanna join me? Great, just talk up the book and enter through the Rafflecopter below.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Reasons NOT to Write-- George Clever.

We're back with a second installment of the TOP TEN REASONS (excuses) WHY NOT TO WRITE. This time we have my friend, George Clever from the Sinclairville Write Circle with us. For those of you who know George, you'll know he has a unique sense of humor, so some of these reasons may be lost on you without the aid of his glorious explanations. However, we can't have it all all the time. So, enjoy George's excuses anyway.

Ten Reasons Why I Can’t

                                                        Won’t                Write!

                Don’t

By George Clever the un-writer

1.)                All my pencils are broken and I can’t find a pen.

2.)                I have writer’s block.  Where is the writer’s  Draino?

3.)                My composition teacher told me I was not good at it.

4.)                There is a 2,000 pound elephant sitting on my keyboard.

5.)                Everything worth writing about has been written.

6.)                Writers must write perfectly.  Only God does that.

7.)                I can’t SPEL Goodd.

8.)                What if I became a famous writer?  I would hate that!

9.)                My “to do” list is very long today.

10.)            I get lonely sitting by myself when I write.  

By the way, you can pick up George's book on Amazon.

        

Top Ten Reasons Not to Write: Doris Richardson

Recently in my writers group, The Write Circle, we got to chatting about all the excuses we make to not write. So, in George's infinite wisdom, he made that the assignment for the following week. When we returned the next week, for the first time, everyone had done the assignment! Granted, I did mine as I was sitting there because I didn't have time during the week. I mean, I have a baby and a house to clean and Christmas shopping to do...oh, wait, those sound like excuses.

Anyway, I told the group if they sent me their top ten, I'd post them once a week on my blog. Doris was the first to respond. Doris always shows us all up. She writes more than anyone I know and that's between the millions of other things she does that would easily give her an excuse to set the writing aside. So Doris has become our inspiration. If Doris can write despite all the other things she does, surely we can get a few words down on paper.

So I leave you with Doris's thoughts on her top ten reason not to write.

Ten Reasons Why I Can’t Write

By Doris Richardson

1. I don’t have time.

      I’m working almost every day and housework and spiritual responsibilities plus a lot of other things.  My plate is full enough. After all, I am supposed to be retired.

2. I don’t have the ability.

      I write because I enjoy it and feel compelled to do it, not because I’m a great writer.

3. I haven’t done anything worthy of writing about.

      What I’ve done has been for the Lord, not for people to pat me on the back.

4. I’m lazy.

      I require five or six hours of sleep a night.  Can’t navigate as well on less.

( Ed. Note: Five or six? That's a nap for me!)

5. I don’t always feel like it.

      I discipline myself to do what I should, not what I feel like.

6. I don’t know what to write.

      That is occasionally true of an assignment, especially if it is abstract in nature and requires more imagination that I possess.

7. Nobody will read it anyway.

    Yes, there is great satisfaction in writing but why write if no one is going to take the time or have the interest to read it?

8. There are too many interferences.

      I start writing and the phone rings or my husband starts talking to me or I have to do this or that.  So my best concentration is after midnight when I’m suppose to be sleeping.      

9. I have arthritis in my hand.

      Yeah, but it is under control and my hand works just fine.

10. People will take what I say and misconstrue it to mean something contrary to what I intend.

            There are ten reasons why I can’t write.  But why am I looking at all these negatives?  “I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13), so away with all the reasons.  I can and will write.

Thanks, Doris, for being an inspiration to all of us. 

If any of you writer-type would like to set a spot on the Top Ten. Please contact me. 

Defy The Stars--Stephanie Parent--review

Defy the Stars Blurb:

Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories. 

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.

DEFY THE STARS is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, DEFY THE STARS is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

This novel contains mature language and themes, including drug use.

My Review: 

Over the few days it took me to read Defy the Stars, the book became like a drug to me. Each moment away had me itching for more of the high. Granted I had to take breaks to do things like, *Gasp* feed my children or *sigh* shower. But if I could have avoided those things, I would have in order to get the next fix of this book.

Defy the Stars is a beautifully written, poetic interpretation of the classic Romeo and Juliet story. The flow of the writing is flawless and draws the reader into the story. These real, raw characters are beautifully flawed, creating people we as readers can relate to. Despite depiction of drug use in this book, we love and understand these characters. We want these characters to grow, to learn, and every time they fail, we urge them to get back up and fight again.

One of the things I was the most impressed with was the connections to Shakespeare’s masterpiece. Now, someone could have come along and twisted the original story and come up with a less than impressive knock off, but Ms. Parent weaves the story into her own, creating something beautifully impressive. It is by no means a knock off. She makes the story her own and in reading Defy the Stars, we forget that we’re reading an interpretation of the Bard’s story. Yet, when I finished and began a few notes for this post, I began to realize just how closely she was able to tie in bits and pieces of the original play. From the apotheCARY, to the beloved cousin/uncle, to the banishment of Romeo, all pieces that are skillfully played by Ms. Parent. Upon finishing this book, I want to now go back to my English studies from college and reread Romeo and Juliet. I think if I do, I’d see even more connections that Parent slipped in under the radar.

This is one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time. Parent has found a new fan in me.

5/5 stars.

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15770390-defy-the-stars

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Defy-the-Stars-ebook/dp/B008RA3RIW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351808917&sr=8-1&keywords=defy+the+stars

 Be sure to go back and check out the rest of the tour.

http://yabound.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-tour-schedule-defy-stars-by.html

 Author Info:

Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.

Giveaway Info:

1^st prize: $30 gift card from Amazon and a e-book copy of Defy the Stars.

2^nd place: 4 e-book copies of Defy the Stars.

Additional Prize: A query letter critique by Stephanie Parent.

All giveaways are open internationally!

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Sarah Ross--AVENGE

Avenge is now Available!!!

Sarah M. Ross, author of Awaken and Echo of an Earth Angel, has released the highly anticipated sequel, Avenge. This must-read book is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Book:

Six months ago, Lucy Donovan thought that being killed by a drunk driver was the worst thing that could happen to her.

She was wrong.

Now, the person she loves most has been ripped away from her, soul held hostage, and Lucy has vowed to stop at nothing to get it back.

Part of a new team with enhanced powers, Lucy and her friends begin a quest to avenge the souls that have been stolen. Enemies of the Patronus have united, however, and a spy from within the Patronus realm is feeding the enemy their every move.

When a mission goes horribly wrong, Lucy’s soul becomes compromised. It will take a strength she didn’t know was within her to escape the darkness, return to the light and avenge the soul she loves.

Price:

$3.99 for ebook

$12.99 for Paperbacks. (Autographed copies available at www.sarahmross.com)

To celebrate this release, Sarah has placed Awaken on sale for only $.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!!

About the Author:

I started my obsession with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. I would read any fiction book I could get my hands on. I knew it was an addiction when instead of grounding me from TV or music, my mom would take away my books as punishment (The Horror!). My love of all things paranormal was inspired by my good friend Laurie, who convinced me that books with vampires, witches, and all things shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, I gave it a shot with the Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history. 
I grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with my degree in English, and taught 8th graders to love reading as much as I do for several years. I will always be a proud member of the Steelers Nation, but I couldn't take the cold and moved my frozen tush to Florida where I now live with my family and two cats. You will find me now with my trusty Kindle in hand and toes in the sand!

When I'm not writing or reading, I am probably partaking in my favorite vice: sunbathing. I know it's wrong, but I love the feeling on the hot sun on my skin and could lay in it for hours. I do live in Florida for a reason!

Please feel free to contact me!

Website- http://www.sarahmross.com
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/SarahtheAuthor
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/SarahtheAuthor

Halloween Party and Kindle Fire Giveaway

My friend, Lisa Orchard, author of the Super Spies series, is hosting a Halloween party with a bunch of us author-y type, and we're giving away a Kindle Fire.

Yep, you read that right. A KINDLE FIRE!

Contest runs: October 15- October 30

To enter: leave a comment on LISA'S BLOG

See below for what your comment needs to include.

How to play Bobbing for Books. 

1. Tweet about the event. Post your tweet URL in the comment section of LISA'S BLOG. Each tweet or share counts as one entry. So, the more tweets you do the more entries you have. 

2. Share about the event on FB. Post your share URL in the comment section of LISA'S BLOG. 

3. Buy a participating author’s book(s) and post the confirmation code of purchase/book title IN A COMMENT ON on Lisa Orchard’s blog

Tweet/share = one entry. Book bought = two entries so enter often! But get credit for it via Lisa’s blog!

Here's a list of the participating authors and their books. No purchase is necessary, but feel free to "bob" for books for extra chances to win. Click on the book to purchase from Amazon.com. They're also available at Barnes and Noble. 

If you see another book by one of the authors below, those count too! It's not limited to just the books below as long as they're by that author. 

                 

      

     

         

         

Author Donna Crow--Interview

Please help me welcome Donna Crow to RBTL today. She's a mystery writer. I always respect mystery writers, probably because I wouldn't be able to do it in a million years. I have a hard time keeping my characters' eye colors straight, much less clues to a murder. But Donna does it magnificiently.

Hi Jessie, thank you so much for inviting me to be a guest on “Read Between the Lines.” I’m delighted to have this chance to chat with you and your readers. I just wish it could be in person over a cup of tea.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Ah, where to start? My husband and I live in Boise, Idaho, we have a far-flung family of  four adult children and 11 grandchildren living in Los Angeles, Boston, Canada and Kentucky.  Next to my family my passion is for British Christianity. I love to tell the stories of holy men and women of the past in hopes of inspiring people in the present.

The award-winning Glastonbury, A Novel of the Holy Grail, an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history, is my best-known work.  I am also the author of The Monastery Murders: A Very Private Grave  and A Darkly Hidden Truth; as well as the Lord Danvers series of Victorian true-crime novels: A Most Inconvenient Death, Grave Matters, and To Dust You Shall Return; and a romantic suspense series The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries: The Shadow of Reality and A Midsummer Eve’s Nightmare.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?

I am an enthusiastic gardener and I love sharing afternoon tea with family and friends. Of course, I’m an avid reader and I love traveling to visit family and to research new books.

3. How did you choose the genre you write in?

My desire to share the stories of British Christianity wasn’t really a choice. It is more of a spiritual calling. The genre those stories come out in is really a matter of which seems to fit the story best. I do historical novels, romance and mystery. I do seem to be focusing more on writing mysteries recently. I like the added challenge of more complex plotting. I want my readers to keep turning those pages.

4. Do you work with an outline, or just write?

Since I try never to write about a place I haven’t visited and most of my settings are in England that requires some pretty intense research trips. Which means I have to have an outline so I’ll know exactly where I need to go and what I need to learn when I get across the water.

I just returned from a research trip to England for my next Elizabeth & Richard Mystery: A Jane Austen Encounter. English literature professors Elizabeth and Richard are on sabbatical visiting all the sites where Jane Austen lived. My outline for the book was my itinerary. Now my experiences researching will be the book— with a murder thrown in for fun, of course.

5. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your book published?

My greatest challenge was restarting my career in 2010 after a 10-year hiatus. Life simply overwhelmed me as our children married, emigrated and had children, my parents died, we moved. . . I was still writing, but I wasn’t publishing. When I was ready to get back to work I needed a publisher for my Monastery Murders series. The book publishing world had changed. I had changed. It was like starting a whole new career. The key to getting back in was finding the right agent. Janet Benrey has truly been a Godsend. Janet sold The Monastery Murders to Monarch Books in England and has overseen getting several of my series published in ebook format.

6. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

In The Monastery Murders the background of my heroine Felicity is based on the experiences of our daughter Elizabeth who studied classics at Oxford, found teaching school in London borning, went off to study in a theological college run by monks in a monastery in Yorkshire, and fell in love with an English priest. (Yes, I know— it sounds like a novel— but that part is all true.)

Although Felicity’s personality is much different than Elizabeth’s— even opposite in many ways— I do enjoy writing scenes  based loosely on things Elizabeth actually did. For example, when our son graduated from West Point we were all staying in an ancient inn along the Hudson River. We returned so late after the graduation ball that the inn was locked up tight. Elizabeth, still in her ball gown, grasped the edge of the balcony, swung her long legs over the edge and entered the window.

This became the final scene in A Darkly Hidden Truth where Felicity and her mother, locked in a room in an ancient manor house, discover that Antony is held prisoner in the room above hers:

            She ran to the window and wrenched it open.  There was just room for her to wedge her shoulders out as she leaned far to one side and then the other.  They were, indeed, at the top of a sheer brick wall, as Angela had said.  If she could just spot a window to tell her where Antony was. . . She stretched farther, gazing upward to survey the roof behind the paramented gable over her head.  “Careful!”  Cynthia cried and grabbed Felicity’s ankles.

            Felicity reached an arm up.  If she could grasp the edge of the parapet she could swing herself onto the roof.  If she could only see where to go from there.  If no  window, surely an air vent.  There must be an aperture of some sort.  But the roof line was unbroken.

7. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Because my books are set in England getting the details right is always a nagging worry. Thankfully, I have an English editor, but still mistakes can slip through the net. Having a reader point out an “Americanism” is my nightmare. (Yes, it happens. Blush)

Conversely, having an English reader say she couldn’t tell it was written by an American was a huge compliment. I also cherish the letter I received from an American Marine who had read Glastonbury, praising my battle scenes.

8. What does your protagonist think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you, the author, her creator.

Well, Felicity’s clash with her mother Cynthia is a major story line in A Darkly Hidden Truth, as motherhood is a theme of the book. I hope I don’t irritate Felicity as much as her mother does, but let’s face it— Felicity is rash and stubborn and a bit hot-headed and she irritates me sometimes. Actually, I see a lot of the fun of the series will be growing Felicity up. And just think of poor Father Antony. She drives him absolutely wild and yet he’s in love with her.

9. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself or your book?

I hope your readers will come over to my website to read more about all of my books, watch my trailers and see pictures from my garden and research trips at: http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/  And I would love to have you follow me on Facebook at: http://ning.it/OHi0MY

Check out her books too! Here are the links for Glastonbury:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

And for A Darkly Hidden Truth:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Thanks so much for joining us today, Donna!