Hey everyone! An apt title for an author that juggles a gazillion different roles, lol. For a confirmed Blog-Hogger, I’m getting serious withdrawal symptoms following a long blog absence, but I’m making up for it by joining The Cupid Diaries: Moments in Time Blog Carnival put together by CRR. I’m also being interviewed today by Sarah Simas at The Love Struck Novice so I’d love for you to visit me there as well (link)

So just what is The Cupid Diaries: Moments in Time? It’s our fabulous CRR anthology, with contributions from some of our authors spanning a variety of romance genres – something for every taste. I’ve contributed two stories, both very different, and in looking back to the writing of them I realised just how significant Moments in Time really are. Especially the little ones…

So often we tend to want to measure our lives with large signposts – those life-changing events that stand out bold and dramatic in our personal landscapes. Truth is, if we really think about it, they are few and far between. It’s the small, ordinary events that join together to measure our life’s journey.

I have many of those, personal treasures that I’ve signposted along the way and which mark the moment of a special memory. I’m a busy girl most of the time, and it’s easy to let the frenetic pace take over. Sadly, this leaves little more than a long unmarked stretch of road. We may accomplish much, achieve our goals, even be enormously successful (and rich, and famous, and…) but if we haven’t pinpointed those little highlights along the way – a special gift, a thoughtful friend, a day with a loved-one – they simply get lost in the blur of traveling at speed. To remember them we need to mark them. To mark them, we need to take time to find them.

Writing my two stories for The Cupid Diaries: Moments in Time was just such a landmark. I almost didn’t. Was too busy, had too much to do, needed to focus on other “priorities”… I’m glad I did. It was a moment of self-indulgence, in which I got to dig deep, focus on what I love doing, and get to know a couple more characters…

The Uninvited tells of two people driven apart by misunderstanding and brought together unexpectedly. Sometimes, when least expected, love
will invite itself in and make itself at home.

Beyond the Blue is a longer story of abiding love, the kind that hangs on even when it seems that hope is gone…

I loved writing them. I enjoyed going back and reading them. They came from the heart, told of things I didn’t know were there, and left a mark on the winding road of my life.

CRR will be drawing 10 winners from those commenting on the different blogs over the weekend. For details of who is where, visit the CRR Blog at: http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1782

Have fun!
Jude

I just want to say I’m excited to go on a mini-blog tour in support of the Be Mused Anthology coming out with Desert Breeze Publishing on 1 April 2010. It’s has five light-hearted short stories about muses, their writers, and love. My story in the anthology is “Matchmaking A-muse-ment.” Two muses fall in love, but in order to be together, they conspire to have their writers fall in love. My thanks to Jude for having me today and putting together this tour through Classic Romance Revival.

The mythos of the muse – they have their own lives, they go to bars to relax, they go on vacation, and they attend muse conferences. Inspire a writer? That’s their job. They exist on a different plane. They can’t talk face-to-face with us. They can’t be seen. We hear their whispers as inspiration; intuition.

When Gail (Gail Delaney, Editor-in-Chief at Desert Breeze) told me about the anthology I thought it would be a lot of fun to write a story, but all the writers had been set. I was bummed.

A couple days later Gail asked me if I wanted to write “Matchmaking A-muse-ment.” I jumped at the chance. Silly me, though – I was so eager to write the story, I totally forgot about the mythos of the muse. It went right over my head.

Isolde and Tristan, the muses in my story are pixie muses with wings who talk to their writers. Big no-no’s. When I showed the story to Gail she said, “Hey Steph, it’s a great story, but…”

I died of embarrassment. My cheeks turned red. I lost a lung in the pixie marshes. Gail said, “Don’t worry, we’ll throw a little pixie dust on it.” I smiled. So while Isolde and Tristan don’t quite fit in with the mythos of the muse, a little pixie dust cures everything. Enclosed is a picture of Scarlett Johansen, my inspiration for “Isolde” and Chace Crawford, my inspiration for “Tristan.”

Here’s an excerpt from “Matchmaking A-muse-ment.”

Isolde jumped on top of the monitor, her wings beating fast. “Alexi slides off the cliff. John offers his hand. Alexi spits on him and lets go, falling to his death.”
“Perfect!” cried Jane. Isolde grinned with pride. Jane’s fingers typed so fast, Isolde thought she was watching a NASCAR race. Jane dramatically paused and then typed the last two words slowly. “The End.”
Isolde jumped off the monitor and did a happy dance on the maps. “You did it!”
“I’m going to send it off to Gus and wait for his edits.”
Isolde stopped dancing, pointed a finger at her human and winked. “While you edit, I’m taking a vacation.”
“A vacation? You can’t leave now!”
“Why not? There’s a difference between editing and writing.”
“But–”
“No buts. I’ve spent eleven months on this project. I need a vacation.”

******
If you post on the blog today, I’ll be picking two names out of a hat to win an autographed postcard with the “Be Mused” cover on it, signed by me.

I’ll also be offering a grand prize gift bag of “Be Mused” products including a coffee mug, mouse pad, magnet, and autographed postcard to my blog tour winner. In order to qualify for the prize, you have to post on all the blogs in the tour. The prize winner will be announced on 10 April. (I go on vacation from 4-9 April)

“Be Mused” will be available in ebook format at the Desert Breeze Website, All Romance books, and on Amazon for the Kindle 1 APRIL 2010.

Desert Breeze: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-73/Be-Mused–dsh–%3Ci%3EAn/Detail.bok

Hey everyone! I’m back at last, this time for the Classic Romance Revival Blog Carnival – a hugely fun activity for authors and readers alike, with prizes, top blogs and other surprises. Please add your comments to this post… I’ll be drawing three winners over the next two weeks (the duration of the carnival), one for each of my books. Also, commenting on all the blogs in the carnival puts you in line for the grand prize – a hamper of ARC’s from participating authors.

Winners for the grand prize will be drawn from visitors commenting on the most blogs. To qualify for the grand prize, you need to register for the contest. Please visit the Classic Romance Revival blog to find details of all the blogs and to register:

http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1671

You don’t want to miss out!



So what does “From Life to Romance” have to do with anything…?

I have it on the best authority, from innumerable sources – friends and otherwise – that if I wrote my life it would be a best seller. Having had the (dubious) privilege of experiencing more than my fair share of crises, calamities and catastrophes (most on a notably significant scale, lol) there’s no question that life, for me, beats fiction hands down.

Having a sense of humour helps, along with a somewhat perverse determination to find the funny side in the worst situations. It helps, trust me. Being able to have a good laugh, especially at yourself, somehow manages to make things more do-able… The other thing that helps is writing. Taking life experiences and transforming the icky ones by making them part of a well-crafted book, or preserving the wonderful ones that way, definitely makes me the winner. Most of my books have these little moments in time – things that happened that inspired a story, a situation, a scene. It also somehow grounds the book in real life, something that can be lost in the pursuit of fiction and which every good book needs. An anchor.

The thing with moments is they become memories, the good and the bad. Little milestones that measure life’s journey and built a road-map of where we’ve been and how we got there. I believe that, while we can’t alter what life throws at us, we can change what these experiences do to us, and what we do with them. It’s a philosophy that has kept me sane. I try to learn from the bad, then let them go and move on. But the good ones… I hang onto those, my little “happy pennies”, stored and jealously guarded in life’s piggy bank. On grey days I take them out, examine them, rub them a little so I can recapture the memory. They feed the soul and buoy the spirit, and the most wonderful thing? They actually earn interest, just from sitting in that little piggy bank… it’s called Hope, and it grows at a rate that is nothing short of astonishing.

My relationship with my late husband, Gary, is a case in point. For those who don’t know, he passed away just over thirteen years ago from bone cancer, and the last few years were fraught with all kinds of trauma, stress and heartache. They also provided some of the most precious “happy pennies” I have in my stash.

Gary was an unusual man. He seemed to simply fill the space he was in and then overflow. The whole world loved him, possibly because he had nothing to prove and was entirely happy with who he was. He was a real “man’s man” – fishing, hunting, 4×4’s, motorbikes… But was also the most romantic man I have ever met. How many men do you know who will take time out on a fishing trip to pick veld flowers for their wives?

That was my man, and I shall miss him forever. And on this Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share my most romantic moment…

So there we are – the Annual Hopewell Trout Angling Competition (yes, we used to go fishing together). It’s incredibly beautiful country, rugged terrain sketched in bold landscapes right on South Africa’s mountainous border with Lesotho.

It’s also an incredibly beautiful morning. The mist shrouds the dam, enveloping us in our own private world illuminated by the faint promise of the rising sun. Although there are a hundred or so fishermen out there, only the low, muffled murmur of voices and the odd faint thud of something bumping against a boat penetrate the wrapping silence. (Rule number 1: Never frighten the fish!)

I’m totally in awe of the dawn unfolding, feel the essence of it, as if the breath of it captures a timeless magic and this is a moment where wonderful things are about to happen…..

Being an incurable romantic, I go ahead and say pretty much that – whisper it really, more to myself than anything, because it’s just so breathtaking.

Gary gets The Look – the one that always manages to turn my heart to squidge – and out come’s Granny Flo’s ring…..

I promptly burst into tears (yes, I know, and I’m not one of those that cries beautifully either!) and then fling myself into his arms, nearly toppling the old tub that masquerades as a boat, and almost sending both of us and the bottle of champagne hidden in his jacket under the seat overboard….

It has to be the sweetest proposal I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve had that many, mind you, but if I had, it would still be the sweetest. And the most romantic.

And the rest, as they say, is history…..

That’s all folks! Happy reading, and don’t forget to register for the contest.

Take care,
Jude

Judah Raine
http://www.judahraine.com
Still Running, and A Thick Black Line…
And the award-winning The Look

Hey everyone! I know, it’s been a while – sadly, in the somewhat frenetic kaleidoscope that masquerades as My Life (fraught as it has been with losing work, finding work, moving offices, home and zoo, as well as major health issues) I’m afraid this old “bloghogger” had to step down a little and focus on the “have to do’s” rather than the “love to do’s”…

Anyway, this is hopefully the start of a long and prolific bloghogger indulgence, and I’m kicking off with a wonderful topic – MUSIC. Not just any music, and not just any musician either. To be precise: BLUES (yep, that stuff that makes my toes curl and brings out the best in me…) Best of all: My old friend Papasean Johnson has just released his new CD! Yayy!!

For those who follow this little blog, you’ll recall about a year ago I posted on his first CD, The Colours of Blues. Click here if you’d like to read that post again. At the time, I promised I’d do a follow up when his second album (he was working on it at the time) was released, so here we are – we being me and my special guest today, Papasean Johnson himself.

Judah: Welcome here! It’s good to have you back and I can’t wait to hear about your new CD. I love the cover by the way – makes me want to explore…

Papasean: Its great to be talking with you Jude, thanks for inviting me.

Jude: So tell us – when exactly was your newest “baby” released?

Papasean: Well the CD was released November 17th 2009 and was Recorded at NAL Sound in North Vancouver.. we booked the studio for a few days.

Jude: Sounds like a lot of fun! Now for the title (you’re in “romance author territory” here, so “movin’ on” is a theme that we’re definitely all familiar with!) – it’s an interesting and eloquent choice. Want to fill us in on the “why” and “how” of it – without letting out any secrets, that is…

Papasean: I chose the title Movin’ On because I’m basically doing just that. Taking the next step forward from the first album and writing 11 new songs based on my life now. This CD is a lot more up tempo and fun and reflects my life at the moment. I really enjoyed writing these songs and recording them with two new, great players , on Bass Louise Prevost and Drums Walter Ray. They brought some great ideas to the CD.

Jude: Okay, I’m going to pick a few titles from the CD – maybe you could share a little background, or the inspiration for each… First, seeing as we’re in “romance land”, how about “Still Love that Girl”?

Papasean: The Song “Still Love that Girl” is inspired from my long time partner in life, Erin. After all these years I still love her more than ever and as it says in the song “her favourite car is a chevy impala two door”.

Jude: It’s those little snippets that add layers to music, just as they do to writing, the personal details that add life… Next on my list is “Young and Restless”.

Papasean: “Young and Restless” is about young love and that it didn’t matter what you were doing as long as you were together.

Jude: Ah, young love! You’ve summed it up rather nicely there. Okay, “Ain’t No Friend of Mine”?

Papasean: “Ain’t No Friend of Mine” is almost self explanatory from the title, getting burnt by a friend more than once isn’t a nice thing. I’m sure we all had that happen to us before….

Jude: And how – definitely a “real life” thing we can all identify with! Finally, one that really intrigues me… “Me and Two”

Papasean: “Me and Two” is about a friend of mine who is going through a bad divorce and he has two children involved, hence the the chorus “taking care of me and two”. When I told Rick, my friend, that he inspired the song He was pretty stoked.

Jude: What emerges here is that you still have the “real life” touch that I believe makes your lyrics and your music. It also adds dimension to the CD – or maybe I should say “diversity”, with multiple themes and experiences that capture life… But I’ve heard a rumor, that there’s a couple of exciting things on the cards for Papasean…

First, he is in the process of shooting a video for the first single “Listen To Me Girl” with Norman Fournier of Rogue Agent and it should be released by the end of January. Then, Papasean Johnson’s next show is in Vancouver at the Cottage Bistro on January 7th, start time is 9. All ages are welcome so go early and enjoy some great cuisine. If you’re a blues fanatic (sadly I’m in SA, so it’s not an option…) it’s the place to go. If you’re not yet a fanatic, it’s also the place to go – check it out, love it and become a fanatic….

A huge thanks to Papasean for joining us today! You can check out his music, bio, anything else you need at his great website: http://papaseanjohnson.com/home.html

To buy his music (and read some great writeup) visit: http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/papaseanjohnson

And now for a little taste of what you can expect…

Hope you enjoy it – have fun everyone!
Jude

Judah Raine
Still Running, The Look and A Thick Black Line

http://www.judahraine.com

I’m doing a follow-up post today on romance author LK Hunsaker, featuring her wonderful new book Off the Moon. If you’re looking for romance with depth and multi-layered characters, writing that delivers “romance with an artsy twist” and an intriguing exploration of relationships and human interaction, look no further…

I recently had the privilege (as part of Classic Promotions) of assisting LK with the promotion of Off The Moon by setting up a blog tour. It afforded me the opportunity to explore her work, her inspiration and her writing ability “up front” through the different blog posts, and I enjoyed every minute of it. So much so that I’m thrilled to be able to share an excerpt with you, and to encourage you to explore this wonderful book – and the other books – from a remarkable author.

Here’s a taste of what you can expect from Off the Moon

“Do you want to shower before bed? It might help you unwind.”

She shook her head against him.

“Katie…” Ryan stopped, with no idea what he planned to say.

After a few minutes of quiet while she stood and held him, she met his eyes. “I’m sorry I scared you. I … seeing him … I’ve tried to forget…”

“That’s understandable. And I should have told you what we were doing. But I didn’t want your hopes up if…”

“You didn’t want to find him.”

Choking on his guilt, Ryan wished to hell he had never admitted that. “I uh … I only meant … I know, I’m a selfish ass. I always have been. But I can’t….” With a deep breath, he figured he might as well say it all and quit trying to pretend he was more than he was. “I don’t want him to take you away from me. I don’t want anyone to take you away from me. I … I have never felt as alive as I have since I met you and … I feel more for you than I wanted, than I should, and I’m trying very hard not to. I know I’m not … you need something better than this. I can’t….”

Her hands slid around from his lower back to his stomach, up, nearly to his chest. Her eyes were on his. “It’s okay.”

Okay. Ryan wanted to ask her exactly what was okay. That he felt the way he did or that he could kiss her the way he wanted to kiss her? Which did she mean? Why was so much of what she said in code?

When he didn’t answer or react, Katie pulled away.

He caught her hand. She didn’t look at him when he moved back in front of her, when he raised the other hand to her hair, again brushed it out of his way. And she didn’t stop him when he found her lips.

It was a soft kiss, wary, questioning, all on his part. Until she returned her hands to his waist, sliding them around to his back, pulling herself in closer. And he let go of shoulds, of Daws’s voice in his mind telling him to be careful, she was too young, it was too dangerous for his career, of Will referring to him as a big brother, of his mom accepting her as family, as a daughter, of his own misgivings. His hand wrapped around the back of her head, holding her into him, kissing her more deeply, watching for signs she wanted him to stop. He didn’t get any. No hesitation, no drawing back, no pushing away. She allowed him as close as he wanted to get.

Realizing he was starting to want way too much, he broke off the kiss and moved his lips to the side of her head, to just above her ear, to her ear lobe that she’d kept hidden from him for so long. Her head tilted back, fingers digging deeper into his skin, her breath becoming more rapid, raising her chest against his at regular, quick intervals. Her eyes were closed, trusting him. Wanting him.

Ryan studied her face while he moved his fingers against it, touched her closed eyelids, her cheek, her lips. And he realized how blind he’d been. She wanted him. Possibly more than any girl he’d ever known, Katie wanted him honestly.

To buy the book, pop across to Elucidate Publishing

Or read the hot off the press Classic Romance Revival Review here

A big welcome today to LK Hunsaker, who is celebrating and preparing for the lease of her latest book “Off The Moon” with a month-long blog tour arranged by Classic Romance Revival. I have the honor of “launching” the tour on my blog which is a lot of fun. (If you’d like to see the full itinerary, please visit the CRR website here for a full list of hosting blogs) Don’t forget to leave your comments! One person from each blog will be drawn to receive a signed, mailed copy of the short story LK has written as a bit of a prequel to Off The Moon, called Toward The Sky, plus there will be a signed print book drawing for anyone who comments on at least 8 blogs!

Anyway, enough of that! Welcome to RomanceWriteup, LK….

Hello Jude and thanks so much for not only having me here today, but also for the wonderful tour setup! This is my first book tour and I’m looking forward to a fun month!

With the beginning of the tour, I thought I’d introduce myself and talk a bit about what I do:
“Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist”

Readers who see my tagline often ask what I mean by “literary romance” – a fair question since it’s not an official genre. Literary fiction involves heavy exploration of societal issues, social problems and injustices and morality questions, psychological impact of relationships and culture. It can be quite short as in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” or very long such as Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” It often infuses the writer’s thoughts and sometimes rambles beyond the story and into ideas. Romance as a genre has a strict guideline: heavy focus on the relationship between two characters where they meet, are parted in some way for some reason, and come together at the end for a happily ever after. Anything not necessary for the specific plot of the story is not included. It most often runs between 60,000 and 100,000 words (around 250-300 pages).

I combine the two. I write romance. The burgeoning love relationship between two characters is always central. However, I also throw in literary elements to look more deeply at the “why” of each: why they are attracted to each other instead of someone else, why they are hesitant about it if they are, where they came from, their family histories, and how society has affected them and their goals and needs. I’ve covered such topics as parenting and the effects of different styles, grief and how it affects each of us differently, racial issues with a half Native American character who grew up in the 50s and early 60s in a small-minded small town, child abuse, clashes between the wealthy and working classes, and women’s issues. Unlike much literary fiction, however, my stories are not heavy and sullen. They have heavy, sullen moments, but the overall feel is light and hopeful and I love to throw in bits of humor. The end, as in romance fiction, is always upbeat. I refuse to leave a reader on a down note.

Within my stories, you will always find the arts. I was raised in a highly artistic family and it’s embedded in my nature. So far, I have novel characters who are dancers, singers, painters, landscape designers, and musicians. A short story series in progress deals with a sculptor and a gardener who used to be an architect. Another revolves around a songwriter with a family-disrupting mental illness. I’m music obsessed and it fills my stories, even those that don’t revolve around music. You’re likely to find some of my own fave singers and bands mentioned in each. And you’ll find music industry issues, such as manipulation of artists by big recording companies and marketing methods that may or may not be quite truthful. Did you know it’s not unheard of to change an artist’s age for marketing purposes? I have that issue coming up in a future book, which will actually help my singer disguise her identity.

A bit about my background that leads me to write the kind of stories I write: along with an artsy family and many art and music courses, I have worked for a musician helping with online promotion, have networked with musicians outside my family, and have a psychology degree. Let me note I am not a psychologist or counselor, at least not yet. I do work for a sandplay therapy network. And I have always studied human nature and have paid attention to nuances of personalities. This has been great help in making my characters very deep and real.

So, there you have the basics. Questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll get back with you! Be sure to check my blog this month, also, for Off The Moon related interviews. [http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com] The first one is up today and features Vicki Blankenship, indie singer/songwriter and president of IndieGrrl.com. Vicki was gracious enough to allow use of lyrics for one of her songs from her newest album at the end of Off The Moon as the music epilogue. I have one in each of my books, so far, always by indie artists.

Find my website for more info, plus a free download of the beginnings of each of my novels:
http://www.lkhunsaker.com

Here’s the blurb for the book I’ll focus on this month on tour, release date November 27th!

Off The Moon
LK Hunsaker

“Riveting” Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing
Print ISBN 978-0-9825299-0-4
Ebook ISBN 978-0-9825299-1-1

Thanks again, Jude!

Next up: Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt with Jane Richardson, Nov. 3
http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/

Hey everyone! Well it’s definitely been a while since I last managed to get here to indulge one of my favorite pastimes… Blog(hogg)ing! Anyway, here I am and it’s good to be back, and I do have good reason for my absence!

Actually, I’m really excited. My “baby” has grown wonderfully and is now officially launched into the world! It’s a major milestone for me, and reflects a lot of thought, time, effort, energy, brain-drain… Still it’s worth it – Classic Romance Revival now has its own website! Yep, that little idea – first conceived in March this year – has surprised all my expectations and mushroomed into a “grown-up” group in an amazingly short time-frame.

When I first started CRR as a little private Yahoo group for authors in March, it really wasn’t much more than an experiment, a “testing of the waters” to see if there was a need out there for authors who, like me, felt the need for a place where readers, authors and publishers of “Classic Romance” could meet, find common ground, and grow the Classic Romance Genre in the romance industry. A few tentative emails soon got the ball rolling with a vengeance, and by early April we launched our Readers Yahoo Group “with a bang and not a whimper” along with our blog. The response was huge, and had me hopping to keep up with the new additions that literally poured in over a week or two!

Since then, we’ve continued to grow at a steady pace, adding readers and authors and our Review service which is showing signs of healthy growth too (so much so that we’re needing reviewers again, so if you’re keen, please email reviews@classicromancerevival.com with REVIEWER INTEREST in the header) with submissions starting to come from publishers themselves.

From June this year, work on the website started in earnest, and what a learning curve that was! Being “the other fella” rather than “Rockerfella” I needed to take the “me, myself, I” route, which meant searching for user-friendly database-driven software, installing it on “localhost” to learn how to “drive” it, customize it and generally teach it who really was the “Mom” in the whole create-a-website scenario. It proved to be a satisfying but also exceptionally frustrating (nothing worse than ignorance!) journey, with any number of long delays while I learned “techi-speak” and searched the forums for answers, but here we are – live and launching, and looking forward to a month-long “maiden voyage” for the CRR “flagship”!

From a Mom-perspective yes, it definitely was (and is) worth it. I have met and got to know some amazing people from all over the world. It seems like every day someone lets me know how excited they are to have found a group that has “Classic” in its name. I’m blessed to have on board a wonderful “crew” of authors who are committed, enthusiastic and supportive – I always say a group is only as good as its members, and we have (I’m allowed to say this, it’s what Moms do) the very best!

We have run some wonderful contests (our first ever Blog Carnival being the highlight) and there are still a lot of plans for future growth. With our website, we launched Classic Promotions, which offers affordable ad options for all Classic authors (not just our members). Soon this will grow into other promotional activities – promo on the loops, new release events, website hosting and development, publisher showcases… Right now we’re researching the need, so feel free to let us know what you would like on promotions@classicromancerevival.com and we’ll see how we can help.

We’re also looking to grow the services to existing and aspiring authors – relevant links, submission requests, promo tips, editing tips, submission tips… the list goes on!

So, like any Mom out there, right now I’m looking at my “baby” and going “Wow! Did I really grow you?” It’s an immensely satisfying feeling, but I couldn’t have done it without a little help from my friends. So, to all CRR members, a huge thank you for your ideas, input, support, encouragement, patience… okay, for everything! I love you all, am immensely honored to be able to spend time with you and work with you, and am looking forward to the future.

To end, a toast: To the good ship Classic Romance Revival and all who sail in her! May the wind in our sails be a good one, and may it be a voyage worth remembering, an exploration worth undertaking, and a journey that lasts a long, long time!

If you’d like to climb aboard for our month-long maiden voyage or check out our list of planned and upcoming activities, click on the website link image to get to us!

Take care everyone! And stay with us…

The Revival Has Just Begun!

Jude

Hey everyone! Today I have a special guest… I’m doing an interview with one of the Classic Romance Revival authors as part of the CRR interview exchange. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to introduce Hywela Lyn, and to share with you a little of the amazing world she creates in her books and the characters that help to bring it to life.

Hywela Lyn lives in a small village in England although her heart remains in her native rural Wales, which inspired so much of her writing.

Although most her writing tends to be futuristic, the worlds she creates are usually untainted by crowded cities and technology, embracing the beauty and wildness of nature. Her characters often have to fight the elements and the terrain itself. Her heroes are strong and courageous, but chivalrous and honorable – and of course, handsome and hunky. Her heroines are also strong and courageous, but retain their femininity and charm. However difficult the journey, love will always win in the end.

Judah – Tell us a little more about your writing… What type of romance do you write and why?

Hywela Lyn – I mainly write futuristic and fantasy, although I started out writing Westerns. I love the drama and romance of the old west, the idea of exploring a new world and fighting the elements and terrain, never quite knowing what dangers were going to be encountered. Probably my love for horses had something to do with my interest in that genre as well. I couldn’t find any market for Westerns in the UK, especially Western romances, so I turned to science fiction and fantasy. When you think about it, there are similarities between the genres. In science fiction you have the same pioneering spirit, brave people leaving everything they know to explore strange new worlds, with starships instead of horses. Fantasy is even more like the Western genre, with, usually, vast open spaces and primitive technology. Another advantage of science fiction and fantasy is that one is able to draw even more on one’s imagination and create whole new worlds where different rules and laws of physics can apply. This is such fun, although it does involve a certain amount of research. Even fantasy has to be ‘logical’ and there has to be a rationale for what happens. The element of danger is also a great way for the two main characters to interact and work together and ultimately to fall in love. When I received my first contract, I was thrilled to find that my Publisher, The Wild Rose Press, not only has a paranormal line for futuristic and fantasy, but also a Western historical line as well. Watch this space, folks!

Judah – Who are your favorite hero and heroine, and why?

Hywela Lyn – In my own books my favourite heroine would be Jestine Darnell in ‘Starquest’. She lived in my mind for such a long time, she became almost like a sister. I love her courage and determination, and the fact she also has a vulnerable side. Of course I love both the heroes in this story (no, it’s not a ménage, more of an eternal triangle with a h.e.a.!) It’s difficult to choose between the two main male characters in that book, they’re both so different, and I really like them both.

As far as more famous books are concerned, Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With The Wind’ of course, and Ged, or ‘Sparrowhawk’ and Tenar in ‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ series by Ursula Le Guin. They both suffered so much and took so long to finally get it together, but they were so right for each other when they did.

Judah – Do you listen to music while you are writing and if so what music is it?

Hywela Lyn – I usually have some form of music on in the background. I find it helps set the mood and is also a form of inspiration in itself. I love light classical and film music, also folk and Celtic music. I love Clannad and Enya too. I do find, however, that the music gradually fades into the background as I become immersed in my writing.

Judah – If you could entertain a character from a book, who would it be and what would the evening be like?

Hywela Lyn – Naturally, the evening would be fantastic. I’d like to entertain Mr Darcy from ‘Pride and Prejudice. He is such an interesting character. We would have a candlelit dinner, out in the open, with the moon casting a romantic glow across the lake (from which, of course, he emerged earlier on dripping wet,!) *Grin.*

Judah – What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have any special hobbies or collections? Is there an activity you would love to pursue…as soon as you can find a bit of spare time?

Hywela Lyn – Well, apart from snatching the chance to read, I am an ‘oudoor person and a great animal lover. I have two horses and a ‘rescued’ Jack Russell terrier who keep me very busy. The horses are kept some way away from where we live, unfortunately, which involves a lot of travel, especially in the winter, although my husband is great at helping out. For me, there’s no better way of finding inspiration than a long ride in the countryside or walking with my dog. I also enjoy spending time pottering around in my small garden. I’m no plant expert, but I do love seeing things grow, and watching the wildlife that visits. I spend a fortune on bird food but it‘s such fun seeing them feed, and bathe in the bird bath. I used to love to draw and paint in oils, mainly horses. I don’t have the time for it these days, unfortunately.

Judah – What was the most difficult thing in your journey to becoming a published author?

Hywela Lyn – Learning to cope with rejection and To take advice when it meant changing or removing completely some of the passages I had worked so hard on. That, and knowing that there comes a time when you have to realize you’ve done all you can and polished your book as much as you can; to know when to ‘let go’.

Judah – What is the hardest part of writing for you; the area you really wish
you could either have someone else do for you, or better yet, just make
it go away?

Hywela Lyn – I think the promotional side is the hardest thing for a lot of writers, as well as myself. I love the interaction with readers and other writers on the loops and groups, but it’s such a time guzzler and sometimes it seems there’s just no time for the actual writing!

Judah – We all have little maxims or wise words that we live by… what would be yours?

Hywela Lyn – I am a great admirer of the native Americans. I love and admire thee way they respected the earth and the life it supports. One of my favourite historical characters is Chief Seattle (In fact in ‘Children Of The mist, my heroine from ‘Starquest’ has named her computer ‘Seattle’ in honour of him.) These are words from one of his most famous speeches:

“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.” How true. How much poorer our lives would be without the animals who share our world.

“Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

I try to remember these words in my daily life. I often think if the white man had taken more notice of them, today we would not be faced with global warming and the other dangers threatening the Earth and our way of life.

Judah – Wise words! Thanks so much for sharing these insights into your life and your work.

Hywela Lyn – Thanks so much for having me, Judah, I’ve really enjoyed it.

Well, that about wraps up my interview with Hywela Lyn. Her latest book ‘Children Of The mist’ was released by The Wild Rose Press on 19th June 2009 and is a sequel to her debut novel, ‘Starquest’. A futuristic tale of love, betrayal and friendship.
Hywela Lyn is a member of EPIC and Romance Writers Association (UK). She loves hearing from readers and other authors at her website www.hywelalyn.co.uk or her blog www.hywelalyn.blogpspot.com. You can email her at Hywelalyn@hywelalyn.co.uk and she also has a ‘My Space’ www.myspace.com/hywelalyn as do both the heroines of ‘Starquest’ (www.myspace.com/jestine_darnell) and ‘Dancing With Fate’ (www.myspace.com/terpsichoremuseofdance)

Thanks for visiting with us. I’ll see you all again soon|!
Jude

http://www.judahraine.com
http://judahraine.blogspot.com

Hey everyone! Well, after four days in the cyber wilderness due to a hard drive crash (no, not me, FRED – the laptop, though it’s almost the same thing…) I’m back and raring to go. My thanks to Jaimi who responded to my Bloghogger Challenge, and posted the first topic…

“It’s apparent the romance genre isn’t going anywhere (take a look at the market). So why doesn’t the entire industry (writers, publishers, etc) get the respect and recognition they deserve as a whole? We all know of at least one friend that will scarf down some romance like the last supper, but will stuff the books into hidden hampers or drawers when company drops by…”

Interestingly enough, it was something that I found going round in my own head while I amused myself during the enforced downtime (you have to do something fun while cleaning out the garage!), so I was intrigued to find it waiting for me. I’m not going to re-invent the wheel by hauling out statistics, but the latest trend is that romance is alive and well and demand is way “up there”, even with the downturn in the economy.

Okay, so assuming that (based on sales figures) the statistics “don’t lie”, there’s an awful lot of people out there who read romance, but how many actually admit to doing so? Even on the loops, readers prefer to “lurk” in the background, and e-books have rapidly gained in popularity (perhaps because they can be purchases anonymously?)

Just to set the parameters here – this is not part of the debate between traditional (sweet or similar) or erotic romance. This is a deeper look into the reasons why romance as a genre seems to be relegated to some dark and shadowy corner and never confessed to in public. I can’t comment on what happens elsewhere, but here in South Africa there seems to be a feeling that romance contradicts the modern, liberated woman, that it is simply an escapist thing for women who are “unenlightened” and that it in some way denigrates today’s woman.

That’s a generalization, sure, but it’s still very real. Mention that you write / read romance and the initial reaction is something along the lines of “that’s all you can manage”, which somehow implies a lack of intelligence, or worse…

Actually, if it wasn’t quite so insulting it would be laughable. I read romance because I enjoy it. I write romance because I enjoy it. And I think that my books are as good (and sometimes better) than some of the other “stuff” out there being peddled as “good reads”. I don’t see why I should have to defend my preference or my intelligence based on that particular choice. I’m an English major student, cut my teeth on the classics, and still have the great poets and authors on my keepers’ shelf. Better than that, I did my degree part time, and cracked distinctions… the defense rests!

So what am I? A frustrated, cheerless, oppressed woman – oh, and let’s not forget mindless, lol – who needs to “lose” herself in the pages of a bodice-ripper because life has no other “jollies” to offer, and ends up worse off because said penny-horrible only reinforces her inferior status because we all know they’re demeaning to woman….
Oy vey! I feel a soapbox moment coming on… Seriously though, maybe it’s time for all of us incurable romantics to climb out of the hamper and make ourselves heard. Fact is, we’re in good company (it’s a recorded, measurable truth that the romance publishing industry is one of the strongest out there) and that’s no small achievement. I for one think we ought to enjoy it.

Oddly enough, no-one seems to have any problem with candlelit dinners and shared bubble baths, or with celebrating engagements, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day… and believe me, I’ve seen any number of versions of South African dyed-in-the-wool beefcake and brawn not bat an eyelid at wandering through a shopping mall clutching that bunch of roses, or balloons, or the teddy-bear with the slushy neck-tag. Go figure.

As my last post said, part of the Bloghogger Challenge is to pass the topic on to someone else, so I’m now challenging all of you – readers and authors alike. Let the Romance Readers of the World unite! Or something like that, anyway! If you have a blog, pick up the topic and blog on it, add your voice. If you don’t, add links on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Whatever… Send it on to your friends and family… Tell us why you read romance, and what you enjoy about it. Add your comments wherever you can. Share the posts with everyone you know. Then add your name to the “I Read Romance” page here and share that with everyone you know. Let’s see how many names we can collect…

Most of all, let’s have ourselves some fun here!

See you on the Web,
Jude

Hey everyone! I’ve been inspired by Classic Romance Revival’s recent very successful Blog Carnival, and thought I’d introduce a little fun to this particular blogaholic’s life…

So, what’s the plan? Well, I thought I’d offer a prize at the end of it, so read on. The idea is for anyone to challenge me to blog on a particular topic of your choice. Just add your topic as a comment to this post, I’ll pick it up and blog, and will then select another author to pass the challenge onto, then pick up the next topic… At the end of July, the authors will vote for the best topic challenge, and the winner gets their pick of one of my books. The blurb and covers are listed below…

A Thick Black Line

Bo Carmichael has drawn a thick black line around her heart, and with good reason. She has worked hard to overcome the anguish of betrayal and the devastation it wreaked in her family’s lives, and she’s now close to realizing her dreams. There simply isn’t place in this equation for emotional entanglements, especially not with Nic Sinclaire, the only man who has the ability to breach her defenses.

From their first encounter, an impossible chemistry rages between them – a crackling heat that threatens to melt the ice surrounding her.

A bizarre twist makes Nic a constant companion and self-appointed protector. As Bo’s barriers shift and crumble, she can no longer ignore the powerful emotions his proximity evokes…

The Look

With a secret that makes her pretty much a walking time-bomb with the potential to turn her own life and a whole lot of others inside-out, Morgan Slater’s plans definitely don’t include the suspicions of the determined and dynamic Blake Thornton.

She heads out to the back of beyond on a simple Quest for the Truth, but her first meeting with Blake draws the battle lines for a persistent confrontation that makes focusing on her real reason for being there extremely difficult. Worse, he has this uncanny instinct and a way of seeing beyond her sassy, street-wise confidence that makes their ongoing conflict more than simply a battle of wills.

But Morgan has also not anticipated a lot of other complications and, as she struggles to keep her secret and protect herself and others in a world of shifting boundaries and increasingly difficult emotional situations, The Look rapidly becomes…

Still Running

Josie Tate has been running for a long time – from her past, from a tragic secret, and mostly from herself. Then her life is suddenly upended, and she finds herself back in the one place on earth she doesn’t want to be. Worse, she is suddenly caught between an unforgiving past and Cade Harper’s unrelenting pursuit.

As determined as she is desperate, he seems hell-bent on making sure that her running days are over. It doesn’t help that Cade is the most gorgeous man ever. Or that the uncanny attraction between them seems to have a life of its own.

But Josie is determined to keep her distance from Cade. He is equally determined to shatter the walls she is raising up between them. And when her ghosts reappear in the flesh Josie’s life finally implodes. The only way out seems to be to keep on running…

There you go! Post those challenges and let’s see which topic wins!

See you on the blog!
Jude