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There is no shortage of 'strong' women in romantic suspense…none at all.

We've got cops, private investigators, sharpshooters, bail bondswomen…the woman who seems to be the type to leap tall buildings in a single bound, while wearing four-inch heels, and she'll land on the other side without breaking her stride. Her hair will be perfect, her make-up be pristine and she'll give the hero a smoldering look on her way to her next butt-kicking.

Yes?

A little over the top?

Eh, yeah, probably. But you have to admit, there's no shortage of the strong heroine in romantic suspense. And I like a strong heroine.

Sometimes, we have her opposite…the push-over.

I don't like the pushover, but here I was writing…writing about her.

Although, to be honest, she was more of a victim than a pushover.

A few years ago, she divorced her husband, after years of abuse. Physical abuse. Mental abuse. But even the divorce wasn't enough to make her feel safe and she started to run. Hitting the road, never settling down, Hope stayed on the road. She never stopped fearing he'd come after her. And she just might have kept on running. But then she was attacked and it had the weirdest effect on her. It pushed her to the wall, and she found her stopping point.

After all the hell she'd been through, Hope finally found her strength.

I knew it was there…it would have to be for the story to work out, but it was still kind of fun to watch her emerge. She won't ever be the heroine to leap buildings in her four-inch stilettos, but she stopped hiding. She stopped cringing her life away.

She looked inside and saw what the hero saw all along…

Without all that hair, she didn’t look so fragile, he realized. Not that she really was, he was coming to realize. A fragile woman would have broken after what had been done to her. No matter what people thought, Hope hadn’t broken. She had been forced to bend, to take unimaginable shit and heartbreak.

But she hadn’t broken.

She had to be one of the strongest women he’d ever met.

Does the quiet strength work for you? Who are some of the heroines (even the heroes) that come to mind when you think of quiet strength? Shiloh Walker will be giving away a $15 gift certificate to Amazon, Books A Million, or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice) to one person who leaves a comment.

Shiloh Walker

http://shilohwalker.com

By Miranda James

I blame Nancy Drew for my life of crime. Reading it and writing it.

I was ten when I borrowed The Secret of Shadow Ranch from a cousin. It was the first mystery I ever read, and I was hooked. Then, to my delight, I discovered this was only one of a long series of adventures in which Nancy solved mystery after mystery. Just as exciting, I soon found other amateur mystery-solvers: the Hardy Boys, the Dana Girls, Judy Bolton, Trixie Belden, and many more. By the time I began reading adult mysteries, my love of the amateur detective was completely entrenched.

When I decided I wanted to write a mystery myself, I knew my main character would be an amateur. After all, I’m not a policeman, or a lawyer, or a private detective. But I do have a healthy dose of curiosity about the world around me and the people in it. Charlie Harris, the sleuth in my Cat in the Stacks series, is just like me in that respect. He’s also about my age (fiftyish, if you must know), he’s a librarian, he grew up in Mississippi, and he has a Maine Coon cat. That’s as far as it goes, however. I also have a cat, but he isn’t a Maine Coon.

While my life is pretty predictable, Charlie’s is far more interesting. He finds himself involved in the occasional murder in his hometown of Athena, Mississippi. He also lives in a big old Southern house and has enough money so that he really doesn’t have to work in the library for a living; he just does it because he likes to stay busy. Plus he gets to take his cat, Diesel, with him everywhere he goes.

But all this is part of the fun of having an amateur detective. I know a lot of mystery readers don’t think amateur detective stories are very realistic, but I’ll let you in on a big secret. I’m not writing realism – I’m writing escapism. I don’t know about you, but I read to get away from the “real” world. I have a lot more fun tagging along with an amateur than I would shadowing a homicide cop trailing a grisly serial killer.

I also have a lot of fun writing stories about amateur detectives, and I hope my readers will enjoy themselves as they tag along with Charlie and Diesel in the third book in the series, FILE M FOR MURDER. In this book Charlie’s daughter Laura plays an important part, as does a troubled writer whom Laura knows perhaps a bit too well.

Many of us are acquainted with that giddy feeling you experience when you wait all year for a seasonal item and then one day you walk into the store and it's there. Well, I'm feeling that thrill today. A SEDUCTIVE KISS, the 5th book in the Grayson Friends series, was released yesterday. The last book in the series was released over a year ago. Well, those wonderful heroes are back and they're taking on women who will challenge and inspire them in New York.

Previously the books were set in Atlanta (THE WAY YOU LOVE ME), North Carolina and the NASCAR racing circuit (NOBODY BUT YOU), Montana (ONE NIGHT WITH YOU), and Mexico/LA (IT HAD TO BE YOU). The next three book in the series - A SEDUCTIVE KISS, WITH JUST ONE KISS, and A DANGEROUS KISS - all take place mainly in New York with a couple of side trips to the Hamptons, Paris, and Dallas. Since "Kiss" is in the next each title, I lovingly refer to these new addition to these new additions as the Kiss Trilogy.

Alex Stewart, brother of Catherine Stewart Grayson, is a successful lawyer in New York. He has two best friends, C.J. Callahan and Payton "Sin" Sinclair. Alex might have known who the woman is for him since he was a kid. I thought you'd like an excerpt so here it is:

“Are you all right?”

The sound of the rich baritone voice made Dianne Harrington smile. She turned, aware she’d see Alex Stewart, the only other unattached male in the room. Catherine’s big brother had been the extra special bonus of having her for a best friend. “Of course,” she said, still smiling up at him. It had always been easy to talk with Alex. He had also been her first crush.

“Good,” he said, starting down at her.

He had thick lashes her friends would kill for, a straight nose, and a mobile, sensual mouth she had been wondering how it would feel against hers entirely too much about lately. “You’re here to have fun.”

Dragging her gaze away from his lips, Dianne thought of the issue at hand. Alex had always looked after her. Somehow he’d always known what to do to make her feel better. She wondered if he could give her what she needed this time as well.

She wanted a man to look at her as if she were his world, as if she made his life better. She realized she wanted that man to be Alex. The realization didn’t surprise her. Somehow she knew he’d be a gentle, considerate lover. He was steady and dependable. He was always there for her.

Growing up she’d been told too many times by her parents how utterly worthless she was. Alex didn’t think so she thought as she gazed up at him through a sweep of her lashes. But was he the man who could ease the ache in her heart and soul?

Alex stared down into the pensive, beautiful face of his one weakness, Dianne Harrington. He’d probably started falling in love with her the Christmas morning she was five years old and he was nine. He’d seen her crying on her porch steps because her parents had given away all of her toys and Santa hadn’t left any to replace them. He’d quickly climbed off his new bike and made up a story about Santa leaving the wrong bike and size at his house.

The wide-eyed happy smile on her tear-stained face had been worth the lie. He’d happily pushed her around on his bike most of the morning, then the next day with his own money that he’d saved for a telescope, he’d purchased her a pink bicycle. He couldn’t explain to his parents why it had been important to use his own money, it just had been. They hadn’t asked any more questions, just told him how proud of him they were.

He’d long since accepted that he could only have Dianne as a friend. If she leaned how he felt, it would be awkward for her and embarrassing for him. Dianne was like a star, to be gazed at and admired, but not touched.

*****

Things are about to take a dramatic turn for Alex and Dianne in a huge way. Both have lessons to learn about seduction, betrayal and a love that will last a lifetime.

Thank you,

Francis Ray

www.francisray.com

As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, costumes based on television programs like Zorro and Annie Oakley brought me great joy in my youth. However, The Loretta Young Show, a rerun of which I saw many, many years ago has, to date, brought me nothing but disappointment.

You see, to me, Ms. Young was the epitome of elegance. The one magical time I watched the opening of her show, I was blown away by her glamour. It has forever been imprinted on my brain.

She gracefully opened a pair of double doors and appeared to float through the opening. Once she’d stepped across the threshold, she twirled in place, allowing her adoring public to view her ensemble from every angle, then glided down a wide stairway, delicately holding both sides of her gorgeous full skirt as she did so.

I was mesmerized. And dedicated to the idea that when I grew up I’d dress and make entrances everywhere I went in the exact same way.

But alas, blue jeans were in and beautiful full skirts were out in my late teens and twenties. Even when I went to the prom and other formal dances, somehow the time never seemed quite right for me to pull a Loretta Young.

Nonetheless, the desire still burns brightly inside me.

So if, several decades from now, we should end up in the same retirement home and you someday find me opening double doors at the top of a staircase, twirling in place and gliding down the steps, please don’t immediately go find someone in a white jacket to gently guide me back to my room.

Instead, if only for a few seconds, I’d really appreciate it if you’d just stand there and applaud.

HOW ABOUT YOU? WHO EPITOMIZED GLAMOUR TO YOU WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT DESCRIBING THAT INDIVIDUAL . . .OR TELLING US ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE. A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

Jaycie Cash blogs on a regular basis for Writerspace.com. Her debut novel, MRS. GOODFELLER, is available through most major eBook outlets, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She’d love for you to like her Facebook Author page.

By Joanne Rock

I attended my youngest son’s basketball tournament this weekend. I have three boys and have attended the same rounds of tournaments with all of them. After a long day of waiting between games, one of the other moms remarked that she couldn’t believe I’d done this three times. We find it fun but a bit draining, after all.

But I’m always interested to see how the same experiences change for me by the time I get to it the third time. The basketball tournament – like so many things I’ve done multiple times as a parent- is easier the third time out because I know what to expect. I’m more organized. I don’t get lost because I know where the gymnasiums are- even the ones tucked away on little back streets. I bring the right equipment and always have a cooler full of drinks from home so I don’t have to spring for overpriced bottled water. There is Advil in my purse and an extra icepack for the occasional injury. When the baseball tournaments roll around, I know which ones have swimming holes close by for impromptu dips. I always pack a picnic. Of course, I do this after spending way too much money on trips for my oldest son. In those days, I had smaller kids to watch over too so it was tougher to put as much thought into pre-planning our outings. These days, I’m an old pro.

On the down side, however, I sometimes worry my youngest son doesn’t have as spontaneous of a mother as the other two boys might have enjoyed. I might not have as many adventurous on the scenic route now that my path is so well-marked.

With that first book, everything is a surprise. You’re on the scenic route constantly. And yes, it’s all a big adventure. As confusing as it can be, there is a real magic in that first manuscript, the story that called to you so strongly you simply had to try your hand at writing a book. These days, I ask myself if the magic is still there now that I’m more of an old pro.

Well, I hope so. Sure my books today are different than those early ones, just like I’m a different mom to son number three than I was for that first one. But the benefits of experience lend a different kind of magic to the end result. Because I’m not always second guessing myself, I have time to explore new terrain that I couldn’t handle in the early years. My youngest gets to do things earlier because I’m more confident as a mom. My latest book incorporates more points of view or darker subplots because I have the writing courage to tackle them. It’s a trade-off and one I might as well enjoy since I can’t go back and face the world with the same sort of wide-eyed wonder I did a decade ago. I’ve decided writing and parenting are like fine wine and only get better with age.

***What skills have you improved over the last decade? Your spaghetti sauce making? Your people skills for your job? I’d love to hear about an area you’ve worked to improve and how you’ve been rewarded – or not- by the benefits. Chat with me today on the boards or about this thread on Facebook and I’ll give one random poster a signed copy of my Valentine’s Day themed Blaze, MANHUNTING, with Lori Borrill and Betina Krahn.

MR. MONK ON PATROL, my 13th original Monk novel, is very much a story about change. Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive detective, and his assistant Natalie Teeger travel to New Jersey to help out former SFPD detective Randy Disher, who is now Chief of Police of Summit and living with Sharona Fleming, Monk's previous assistant. But the story is about much more than that...or the reunion with beloved characters...or the complex murders that Monk eventually solves.

I have always had a lot of fun writing the Monk books, but most of the time, I was constrained by having to stick to the continuity of the TV series (which I also occasionally wrote for). That changed with the finale of the TV show, which really shook things up and liberated me to let the characters evolve in new and exciting ways...and to even introduce a few new, regular characters. It also freed me to pay off some of the character arcs that began early the novel series, which began back in 2006 with MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE (which I adapted into the episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing").

I believe that characters in a series become stale if they don’t grow and that readers, and the author, will become bored with them. At the same time, you want to remain true to what makes the characters, the relationships, and the "franchise" so special.

It's a delicate balance. And here's how I've tried to maintain it.

The Monk books are narrated by Natalie. I chose that approach because I think it humanizes Monk. It gives us a necessary distance. Natalie’s eyes become the replacement for the camera lens that gave us our point of view on the TV version of Adrian Monk. Also, a little Monk goes a long way. You can overdo the joke and all the obsessive/compulsive stuff. By telling the stories from Natalie’s point of view, we aren’t with him all the time. We get some space, a breather from his phobias and ticks, and I think that’s important.

But there's a side benefit. It’s allowed me to add an emotional resonance to the story-lines that goes beyond just Monk’s eccentricities and the solving of puzzling mysteries. The underlying theme of the books (and yes, there's always one) are often reflected in whatever is happening in Natalie’s life. Her personal story frames the way in which she perceives the mystery and reacts to Monk, so it’s all of a piece. It’s allowed me to make her a deeper, more interesting, and more realistic character. By doing that, I make Monk more dimensional as well, and I can ground the story in what I like to think of as “a necessary reality.”

Without that reality, Monk would just be a caricature and cartoon character. Natalie humanizes Monk and makes the world that the two of them live in believable to the reader. Through her, we are able to invest emotionally in the story. Without that crucial element, I believe the books would have failed.

Since we are in Natalie's head, we get to know her. And the more time you spend with someone, the deeper your relationship should become. So that's what I tried to do with the reader's relationship with her. With that depth should come growth. So, as your relationship with her grew and evolved, so did hers with Adrian Monk. I felt if I did it that way, the changes in their characters and the evolution in their relationship would all feel natural and inevitable.

Natalie is a smart woman and I didn’t think she could stick with Monk, and keep investigating murders, if she didn’t find it fascinating herself. And I doubted she could do it for so long without picking up some skills along the way. It’s an arc I've been developing with her since MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP, the eighth book in the series, and that pays off in a big way now in MR. MONK ON PATROL.

The relationship between Monk and Natalie changes dramatically in this book...and yet I believe it's a natural extension of events in both the TV series and the last few books. This change has major consequences that impact all of the other characters in their world and that carries over directly into the next book in the series, MR. MONK IS A MESS, coming in July 2012, and that leads into the finale of the book series.

Well, at least my involvement in it. I decided while writing MR. MONK ON PATROL that I was going to leave the series at the end of my current contract. My good friend Andy Breckman, the creator of Monk, and my publishers have kindly allowed me to write a finale, one that leaves the door open should they decide to continue the book series someday with another writer.

I hope you enjoy MR. MONK ON PATROL. I certainly had a great time writing it!

www.leegoldberg.com

When it comes to historical romance, everyone loves a Highlander. There’s something romantic about Scottish history, a masculine energy that draws readers in. It all comes together in six feet of rugged warrior who speaks with a lilt and carries a broadsword.

But what happens when you take the Scot out of Scotland?

My MacKinnon’s Rangers series tells the story of three Scottish brothers who were exiled from the Isle of Skye as children and grew up on the rugged American frontier as neighbors, and eventually blood kin, of the Mahican people. They grow into men who embody the best of both worlds — the strength, honor and courage of Scottish Highlanders combined with the skill and fierceness of Mahican warriors.

Forced by Lord William Wentworth, an unscrupulous British commander, to fight for the British during the French and Indian War, they form a company of Rangers, becoming the elite special operations force of their day. Think Last of the Mohicans with a touch of Seal Team Six, and you start to get the idea.

SURRNEDER, the first book in the series, was released in 2006 and told the story of the oldest of the three brothers, Iain MacKinnon, and the woman he abandons his mission to save, Anne Burness Campbell. SURRNEDER went on to become a RITA finalist and remains one of the most popular books I’ve ever written. I think the conflict between Iain, the son of Jacobites, and Annie, the daughter of Scots allied with the British crown, together with the battles with Wentworth, made it a reader favorite.

UNTAMED, the second book, was published in 2008, and tells the story of the middle brother, Morgan, who is taken captive by the French and faces torture and a horrifying death—at least until convent-raised Amalie finds a way for him to escape that fate. Morgan and Amalie’s story earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, despite the fact that more than 25 pages had been cut from the book in order to make it adhere to the publisher’s maximum page count.

Of course, 2008 was four years ago. And for a time the MacKinnon’s Rangers series has been in stasis. I left the original publisher, and for a time I thought the series was dead. That broke my heart, as I loved the characters dearly. Fortunately, Berkley bought the entire series, saving it from oblivion.

I just finished writing DEFIANT, the third book in the series, which tells Connor MacKinnon’s story. The youngest and most hot-headed of the MacKinnon brothers, he finds himself in a world of trouble when a mission to save the life of Wentworth’s noble niece, Lady Sarah Woodville, from captivity among the Shawnee goes awry and leads to the worst possible of all things — love.

To celebrate the July release of DEFIANT, my new publisher for this series, Berkley Sensation, reissued both SURRENDER and UNTAMED with new covers and new content. SURRENDER, reissued in December, contains new and expanded scenes written specifically for this release, while UNTAMED, just reissued this month, includes all of the previously cut pages, including the villain’s original death scene.

I am overjoyed to have the series on shelves again because it offers readers who missed the series the first time a chance to catch up. And I’m thrilled to have Connor’s book completed because now finally I have something to tell the readers who email me every day asking about his book. Yes, it’s done, and it will be out on July 3.

In honor of the reissues of SURRENDER and UNTAMED and to celebrate finishing DEFIANT, I’m sharing an excerpt from DEFIANT today. Comment below to win a signed copy of UNTAMED!

* * *

Sarah was still lying down, facing away from the door, when she heard him enter. She lay there unmoving, childishly feigning sleep, as if refusing to open her eyes would somehow keep the world at bay.

Major MacKinnon called to her softly. “My lady?”

Do not behave like a witless girl, Sarah. Where is your courage?

She wiped the tears off her cheeks, then slowly sat up, the dread in her heart seeming to weigh her down. “Major MacKinnon.”

“’Tis sorry I am to disturb your sleep, but I must speak wi’ you.”

She stood, turned to face him, whatever she’d been about to say momentarily forgotten as she took in the sight of him. His jaw was clean-shaven, his face startlingly handsome. His chest and belly were smooth now, the dark curls she’d seen before gone, his skin oiled to a fine sheen, the cut she’d stitched and the other smaller cuts he’d gotten during the fight giving him a dangerous air. His hair was damp, a striped brown feather tied at the end of one of his braids. His leather breeches rode low on his hips, a knife sheathed at his side.

But what she noticed most was the anguish in his eyes. It was a match for the anguish she’d heard in his voice when he’d spoke to Joseph outside.

“Please… Please sit, major.” She sat, reaching down out of habit to shift her skirts before she sat, only to feel doeskin against her hands. “I wish to apologize for my fit of temper earlier. You have risked much for me. It was wrong of me to—”

“Shhh, lady.” He pressed a finger to her lips and sat facing her. “You’re far beyond the world you ken, aye? ’Tis natural for you to be feelin’ afraid and angry about what has befallen you, but you must trust me if we’re to reach Albany alive.”

He looked away for a moment, his face growing more troubled as he seemed to consider what to say next, his brow furrowed. “I fear I have failed you, for it is on that same troublin’ matter that we must speak.”

She watched him struggle to find the words to tell her what he’d just told Joseph, something inside her touched by his obvious turmoil. “I… I overheard you speaking with Joseph just now.”

His head came up, surprise written on his face, his gaze meeting hers, seeming to study her face. “That’s why you’ve been weepin’. I see the tearstains on your cheeks.”

She raised her palms to her face to wipe the telltale sign of weakness away.

“You understand the choice that lies before you, aye?”

She nodded, folding her hands in her lap. “I must decide whether to chance escape, knowing that you and Joseph will die terribly should we fail, or whether to marry you after the Indian fashion and spend tonight as … as your wife.”

“Aye, that’s the way of it. ’Tis a hard choice you’re bein’ asked to make, but life is no’ always fair.”

Sarah knew that only too well.

Major MacKinnon went on. “Is there augh’ you would ask me afore you decide? There is little time, I fear.”

She shook her head. “No, sir.”

She’d made up her mind before he’d entered the lodge.

She met his gaze, tried to keep the fear from her voice. “I cannot ask you to chance being burnt at the stake, major. You’ve already risked your life once for my sake. As highly as I value my virtue, it is not worth two men’s lives.”

What an irony that her father’s decision to send her away had led her to this — her true undoing. No doubt there were many in London who believed she had no virtue, yet she had left London as a virgin. She would not return as one.

He watched her through dark eyes. “Are you certain, my lady? For I willna take you by force. You must come to me as willingly as I come to you — each of us for the sake of the other.”

She hadn’t thought about it in quite that way, but when he spoke the words, some of the dread lifted from her heart. “Aye, major, I am certain. But…”

“You’re afraid.” He closed one big hand over both of hers, his thumb stroking her knuckles. “I promise I shall treat you this night wi’ the same care and devotion I would if you truly were my bride.”

Then to her astonishment, he cupped her cheek, lowered his lips to hers — and kissed her.

Softly, so softly he kissed her, brushing her lips with his again and again, the mere whisper of a touch making her shiver. She might have objected had the sensation not been so… enthralling. Slowly, his touch became more insistent, his lips caressing hers, nibbling them, her lips tingling, going pliant, yielding to his exploration, her eyes drifting shut. Then his tongue traced the outline of her lower lip.

Startled, she gasped, and her eyes flew open.

He was watching her, his blue eyes dark, his voice a whisper. “My lady.”

And she thought it was over.

But then one big hand slid into her hair to cradle her head, and he drew her against his bare chest, his mouth closing over hers. There were almost too many new sensations to take in all at once, her girlish notions of what it would feel like to be kissed by a man vanishing in a heartbeat. The iron-hard feel of his body surrounding her. The warm scent of his oiled skin. The firm pressure of his lips against hers as he tasted her, his tongue teasing its way inside her mouth with silken strokes.

Then his tongue touched hers, his lungs stealing her surprised intake of breath as he sealed her mouth with his. Her body seemed to melt, and she sank boneless against him, her hands sliding up the smooth skin of his chest, her lips parting to accommodate him, her tongue meeting his. She felt something pound against her palm, and realized that his heart was beating every bit as hard as hers.

Slowly, his kiss stilled, his lips brushing her cheek, her temple. “My lady.”

Breathless and amazed, she looked up into his eyes.

He drew back slightly, his arm still encircling her. “Now you ken the taste of my kiss. Think on that, and dinnae be afraid of what is to come, aye?” * * *

Now that you’ve gotten a taste of Connor, too, I’m giving away a signed copy of UNTAMED to one commenter.

Be sure to stop by my blog, where I’ll be hosting fun contests and games, as well as giving readers a look at the real history behind stories. You can read excerpts from SURRENDER and UNTAMED on my blog, and on my website.

I’m delighted to be at Writerspace today. I love chatting with readers, so here’s a friendly wave and ‘Hi!’

HAUNTED WARRIOR has been out for a few weeks, so I wasn’t sure what to say that would be new and different. Then a friend called just as I started this piece. We talked about HAUNTED WARRIOR and she said, “Oh, I have to tell you - Kendra is so you!”

And there was my topic: The Writer’s Thumbprint.

We all have one. Those who know a writer well can spot her on every page. That’s because ideas and the words that craft a story come from the writer’s psyche.

All our life experiences, world views, and likes and dislikes, blend to create the story. Sure, fiction is fiction. But it’s equally true that every drop of ink on the page holds a reflection of the author.

That’s the writer’s thumbprint.

Also a promise to readers, it signals what they’ll find in a book. For example, my books, under both my names, will always have an atmospheric Scottish setting, a sexy Highland hero, and in the Allie Mackay titles, an American heroine who is usually down on her luck. Readers probably also know there will be dogs in my books and that those dogs never die. They’ll likely also know my tongue-in-cheek humor will be present. And perhaps they’re also aware that my books don’t have profanity.

The above could also be termed as voice.

The writer’s thumbprint is more. It’s detail that is individual and defining.

My friend was right when she recognized me in Kendra Chase, the heroine of Haunted Warrior. I’m always in my Allie Mackay heroines, but Kendra stands out because of her interest in ghosts and her attitude toward them. I was never a ‘spirit negotiator’ like Kendra who uses her ability to see and talk to ghosts to soothe disgruntled souls. But I am fascinated by the paranormal and even spent years ghost hunting in the UK with two like-minded friends. That background helped me write Kendra.

My thumbprint is stamped on her in other ways, too…

She inherited my love of wild places and raw weather. She appreciates quietude, craving peace and tranquility. She dislikes the hectic of the modern world and is charmed by the quaintness of Pennard, the North Sea fishing village where Haunted Warrior is set.

She has a love-hate relationship with UK driving. She isn’t fond of braggarts. History, legend, and lore are her passions. Given the choice, she’d spend the day at a remote cliff-top castle ruin rather than a ‘tourist castle’ that might be intact, but also overrun with tour bus crowds.

She believes in preserving the specialness of untouched places. She is easily charmed by a very clever border collie and even a full-of-himself seal. She’s allergic to construction noise and chaos, especially bucket trucks. And she considers leaf blowers the scourge of the earth.

Those are the fine details I think of as the writer’s thumbprint.

The little bits of me that went into making Kendra who she is on the page. Those were the bits my friend recognized as ‘me’ in HAUNTED WARRIOR.

Kendra’s first meeting with Graeme MacGrath, HAUNTED WARRIOR'S hero, was also taken from an experience of my own while walking a deserted Scottish beach. I saw a kilted man standing on the dunes, looking out to see. He was quite impressive, as all kilties are, and he also disappeared right before my eyes. I think he was a ghost.

Perhaps a guardian of that stretch of rugged North Sea coast? I’ll never know. But I do know I saw him. He was my inspiration for HAUNTED WARRIOR.

Like me, Kendra also sees a kilted man on the dunes as she walks that same remote Scottish beach. Unlike me, she meets him on the strand a short while later.

Here’s a mini-excerpt showing that meeting…

Set-up: Kendra is walking a deserted Scottish beach when she sees a sexy kilted man atop the dunes. She continues on and a short while later, she sees him again. But he’s down on the strand now. And he’s no longer kilted but wearing jeans and a black leather jacket…

Kendra and Graeme’s Meeting on the Beach…

He was the man from the dunes.

And he was coming right up to her, his strides long and easy, his dark gaze locked on hers.

“This is no’ place for a woman to walk alone.” His voice held all the deep, richness of Scotland. “The seas here are aye heavy, the surf rough-”

“Who are you?” Kendra didn’t miss that his dark, good looks were even more stunning up close. “Didn’t I just see you on the dunes?”

“You’re an American.” A corner of his mouth lifted as he avoided her question. His sexy Scottish burr deepened, as if he knew the rich, buttery tones would make her pulse leap. “A tourist come to visit bonnie Scotland?”

“Yes.” Kendra’s chin came up. Hunky or not, he didn’t need to know her business here.

She was interested in his. Only Superman could change clothes so quickly.

“Weren’t you in a kilt a while ago?” She kept her chin raised.

“A kilt?” His smile spread, a dimple flashing in his cheek. He held out his arms, glanced down at his jeans. “I do have one, aye. But as you see, I’m no’ wearing it now.”

“You did have one on. A kilt, I mean.”

“You’re mistaken, lass.” He lowered his arms, fixing her with the same intent gaze as he’d done from the dunes.

“I saw you.”

“You could’ve seen anyone. That’s why I’ll tell you again, this is no’ place for a bonnie lassie-”

“I’m not a lassie.”

“Nae?” He gave her a look that made her entire body heat.

“I’m an American.” The excuse sounded ridiculous. “We don’t have lassies.”

“Then beautiful women.” He touched her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Kendra’s pulse beat harder. “There are lots of gorgeous women in the States. Smart women who-”

“Those other women aren’t here and dinnae matter.” He stepped back, studying her appreciatively. “I meant you.”

***  

Do you recognize a writer’s thumbprint? If you write, do you think your thumbprint is visible? I’m giving away a signed copy of Haunted Warrior to one commenter.

Thank you, Writerspace, for having me here today.

Readers can visit me at my website: www.welfonder.com Or at my blog, Tartan Ink: http://tartaninkblog.wordpress.com/

Is THE DAUGHTERS OF WINSTON BARNETT a romance?

No, it’s a general women’s fiction, but it has romantic elements and a reader can be rest assured that there’s a happy ending for everyone who deserves it.

How did you come up with the idea of blending “Pride and Prejudice” and “Fiddler on the Roof”?

In my blog post The Dairyman and the Gentleman, I gave some background as to how this happened. Using the premise of other stories and blending them together is nothing new to me. I used Little Women and Cinderella to create THE GLASS SLIPPER PROJECT and The Taming of the Shrew was the basis for TAMING MARIELLA. I enjoy the challenge and I always have fun playing with plots. Trust me, there’s a lot more to come. So many stories to write…so little time…

What is it with you and food?

Doesn’t everyone like food? I can’t help myself. I feel that what people eat is important and gives a sense of community. It’s also a cultural shorthand. If someone wakes up and has a banana wrapped in sticky rice or gari as cereal versus steak and eggs, from that small amount of information a reader finds out a little bit about them. Besides most of my stories feature multicultural communities and food is the communal language.

Does writing THE DAUGHTERS OF WINSTON BARNETT mean you won’t be writing romance anymore?

No way. Actually I have an upcoming release coming out next month called SECRET PARADISE (02/21/12). The story allows Monica’s sister, Nikki, a chance to shine. Like most of my readers, I enjoy revisiting characters and familiar places. So anyone who is interested in seeing how JD and Monica are doing will get a chance to.

Is there anything else you’re working on?

I’m always working. In the summer/fall of this year I plan to release a mainstream romance called HONEST BETRAYAL. It’s about a marriage of convenience that uncovers some very inconvenient secrets. I’m also finishing up the THE AMBER BROACH, which is Teresa’s story from THE SAPPHIRE PENDANT. And lastly I just submitted my next romance called A RELUCTANT HERO, which is due out Fall 2012. So as you can see, I’m not standing still.

Readers can find out more at www.daragirard.com and www.facebook.com/DaraGirard.

By Jaycie Cash

I went out of town on business this weekend and ended up eating dinner Saturday night at a lovely seafood restaurant. The food was fantastic, but that wasn’t the favorite part of the dinner for any of the four us at our table. We had an adorably outlandish waiter (a self-described “flamer”) with a name that rhymes with Jason. When a male diner at the table complimented “Jason” on his knowledge of how the food was prepared, saying it made him stand apart from most waiters and that he (Jason) was, therefore, a real stud, Jason was quick to say he would prefer being called a mare.

Jason nicknamed one of my fellow diners Petunia (luckily, it was a woman), we were all darlin’ and he not only gave us impeccable service, he told us exactly what we should order, especially when it came to dessert. In fact, he refused to honor one woman’s request for Baked Alaska, telling her she’d hate it, and instead brought the best key lime pie any of us had ever eaten—in or out of Florida—then proceeded to explain why it tasted so damn good.

He was a whole lot of fun. In fact he was one big ol’ hoot and received a massive tip from the person hosting the dinner as a result. Our host also proceeded to tell the manager that Jason was the restaurant’s best asset. We all agreed. And, although every one of us had a terrific time, I’m convinced no one had more fun than Jason himself.

There’s tremendous power in accepting yourself and embracing who you truly are. No one else can ever be that exact same person. No one else can do and be the “you” that you are. When you offer the world that uniqueness, nine times out of ten, it will give you a big ol’ tip and compliments in return.

That’s a lesson that Elyse Smith, the protagonist of my debut novel, Mrs. Goodfeller, had to learn on her own. In fact, trying to be something she wasn’t almost cost her and her entire family their lives.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS WONDERFULLY AND UNIQUELY THEMSELVES? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US WHAT MAKES THAT PERSON SO SPECIAL . . .OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE US TO KNOW. A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

Jaycie Cash blogs on a regular basis for Writerspace.com. Her debut novel, MRS. GOODFELLER, is available through most major eBook outlets, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She’d love for you to like her Facebook Author page.