Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

The Romantic Times (RT) convention this year will be in Las Vegas. VEGAS! You know, subtle, low key, modest, relaxing Vegas. Since I grew up in California, Vegas is a day’s drive. So with routine visits, I’ve witnessed its transformation over the years. For Vegas newbies, there are two main parts to Vegas. The original downtown centered around Fremont Street and the newer, glitzier Strip. In the 60’s, I remember the Strip with two story buildings and sand around the driveways. Now it’s the main center of the action. So while romance readers will descend to Vegas en masse , I highly recommend you take a few days and experience some of the delights that Vegas offers. I’m ignorant about the rollercoasters and club scene (my days of discos, mirrored balled dance floors, and big print polyester dresses are long gone—and deservedly so). But Vegas can offer some unforgettable delightful and/or really unusual experiences. Some you cannot have anywhere else in the world. Here are...

Greetings! My first book, THE RAKE’S HANDBOOK, was published in November 2014. My third book in the series, TO CATCH A RAKE, will be published in February of 2016. A little over one year of authorial bliss. How did it go?   It wasn’t at all what I expected, but what did I expect? Hard work is a given if you plan to write a novel. My life’s career was in a scientific field, so I had no training as a writer. “Well brain, you large pile of margarita-addled noodles, let’s do this!” So a little research revealed Romance is a best selling genre, over fifty percent of mass-market books sold. “Fabulous. What’s a romance?” A friend, Eve, gave me a list of books she loved, so I started to read. Then I found FREDERICA, by Georgette Heyer. Like the rest of the planet, I was charmed, entertained, and amused by Heyer’s story. “Okay, a romance novel like that one is my ultimate goal.” Time to train the vestigial right brain (if the neurons still fired). So I joined the RWA....

April 7 th is the release day of my second book in The Rake’s Handbook series, WHEN A RAKE FALLS. This book has a fun, singing hero that I adore.   Here’s the blurb: He's racing to win back his reputation Having hired a balloon to get him to Paris in a daring race, Lord Boyce Parker is simultaneously exhilarated and unnerved by the wonders and dangers of flight, and most of all by the beautiful, stubborn, intelligent lady operating the balloon. She's curious about the science of love Eve Mountfloy is in the process of conducting weather experiments when she finds herself spirited away to France by a notorious rake. She's only slightly dismayed-the rake seems to respect her work-but she is frequently distracted by his windblown physical magnificence and buoyant spirits. What happens when they descend from the clouds? As risky as aeronautics may be, once their feet touch the ground, Eve and Boyce learn the real danger of a very different type of f...

It’s Spring! This is the time of year that the 2015 nominees for the RITA ® and Golden Heart ® contests are announced. Having been a 2013 Golden Heart nominee, I know how exciting it is to get that early morning call. Congratulations to all of the 2015 nominees. Yay! This is the first year I have the privilege of judging the Rita contest. I was given seven books to judge. All of them were not in my genre, so it was a blast to read some books I never would’ve read otherwise. Six out of the seven were amazing books. One book, however, could have benefited from more feedback before it was published. Which leads me to RWA-sponsored writing contests. First off, let me say everyone’s experience is different. For me, these contests were invaluable as a method to learn the craft of writing. I decided to write a book late in life and had no previous experience writing fiction, so a large quantity of feedback seemed an efficient way to learn. There are many advantages of conte...