He grew “out there” in what was effectively the wasteland, a dry and arid patch just outside the neighbour’s wall and right beside my gate. I often wondered how it had got there – whether someone had actually put it there (what were they thinking?) or whether he had simply picked that spot out of some kind of belligerent desire to take on the world. And win.

In retrospect, maybe someone moved him there as some kind of eternal banishment. He was ornery enough to have deserved it. The problem was, he had no intention of staying there in no-man’s-land. With perverse and gritty determination, he insisted on shimmying on over the wall and straddling the fence between the two properties as if being actually rooted on the outside gave him some kind of independent right to pretty much do as he pleased.

Now he was actually a beautiful thing when in full bloom, the deep purple bracts vivid against the blue of the sky and profuse with enthusiastic colour. I have no problem with bogey’s in general. Here in South Africa the bougainvillea is a popular plant, and you find them everywhere, huge and glorious and sprawling with breathtaking displays of every colour imaginable. This particular one, however, seemed determined to be the single overwhelming proof that bogeys can pretty much grow anywhere, need no attention to keep them growing strong, and will keep going long after everything has gone. That “everything” seemed likely to include me.

Fact is, I don’t know what I did (or didn’t do) to upset him that much, but it quickly became enormously apparent that he was out to get me. First he tried veering right and “sewing” up my gate, effectively blocking either my exit or my entrance. It didn’t seem to matter much which of these necessary activities he prevented. He just seemed intent on making sure I was either zipped in or zipped out. I responded by carefully (and with unavoidable personal injury as he fought me every step of the way) cutting away the guilty zippers.

He then tried growing long, extended, overhead “arms” which he trained to drop at strategic moments. (I really believe he could grow these overnight!) Usually when I was easing in through the gate with armloads of shopping and concentrating on not letting my mom’s-home-excited dogs find a gap to escape into the wide world. These arms would then proceed to do as much damage as possible. They would embed their evil thorns into my clothing, wind them impossibly into my hair, and claw into any available inch of flesh that wasn’t easily got to when it came to extricating myself…

Getting to the bottom of these torture-tentacles was no easy feat. I found I could easily lop off the end, but the beginnings of them vanished into the bushy centre and twisted their way through every conceivable obstacle that made tracing them a particularly frightening (and painful) exercise in itself. Actually getting to cut them was worse. I had to do it in bits and carefully manoeuvre these from the heart of hell.

The problem was, I think, that he knew I had kind of a soft spot for him. Insane I know, but you need to understand that what masqueraded as “garden” was, in effect, a plot of red sand that made the Kalahari look like an oasis. Even our tough South African weeds had a hard time growing there. So the bogey was really the only “real” garden I had, aside from the few struggling patches of grass – which deserved full marks for trying, valiantly, to establish themselves.

Finally I made The Decision. The bogey had to be taught a lesson, once and for all… So, bright and determined one Sunday morning, I plonked my white patio chair slap-bang in the middle of the wanna-be grass and eyed my tormentor with mixed feelings of fatality, fear and fed-up-ness. This little study was to work out a plan of action (one that would leave him thoroughly disciplined and me reasonably unscathed). A him or me moment.

Oddly, as I studied him, I realised he was pretty old as bogey’s go. I saw the toughness and determination in the twisted branches, some dried and stunted by the work of the elements (or previously desperate humans). I saw the beginnings of a new splash of colour, and the strong young branches that reached out to the sunlight. And, crazily, I saw myself.

Like him, I pretty much grew up on the “outside” and had to struggle and claw my way through the walls raised up to defeat me. Like him, life had dealt me more than my fair share of blows, things that stunted and twisted and weathered, and like him I had to push new branches and learn to grow past the pain of it. Like him, I had to learn to reach for the sunlight, and to splash myself in colour on the panorama of life.

It was a curious moment. One of understanding, and wisdom, and humility. I realised then that, like me, he struggled only for the right to achieve his full potential. In that moment, things changed irrevocably, and I’m so glad they did. We spent a wonderful Sunday together, Bogey and I. We talked, I gently trimmed, and carefully saved the trimmings to make cuttings so that I could bring a whole new batch of little Bogeys into the world. He learned to trust me, and I learned to work with him so that he could show me what needed to go…

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. Now, when I find myself sliding into a place of arrogance, I take a step back and remember the wisdom I learned when battling my Bogey one bright Sunday morning…

Jude

Judah Raine: Still Running and The Look and Coming Soon: A Thick Black Line
http://www.judahraine.com

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-13915-330.html
http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html

Play on, play on, play on….

I’m a music fanatic. It’s so much a part of my life it’s almost who I am, alongside writing, of course. I listen to pretty much everything (with one or two notable exceptions which we won’t go into right now!)

Shakespeare recognised the strong link between love and music, and it recurs in much of his writing. And almost any couple I know has “their song”, or we have a number that reminds of a particular time, a memorable moment… music and romance go hand in hand.

Personally, I have a “thing” for blues – I love the almost-discords, the underlying tension and depth and richness that comes through, and I love the words and the way it all comes together. So I’m really excited to interview my next guest, whom I discovered by way of MySpace (don’t you just love Cyberspace?)… today I’m interviewing Papasean Johnson, blues musician, who has a bright future ahead of him. He was recently given the GrIndie Award for their CD “The Colours of Blues.” (A GrIndie Award is RadioIndy’s stamp of approval that this CD is an excellent quality CD.)


Judah: Hi there – it’s great to have you along, and pretty brave of you to step out into “romance” territory! To kick off with, why don’t you give us the short Papasean musical history.


Papasean: Hi Judah. It’s great to be here. I started playing guitar when I was 10, and
right away knew this was something I wanted to do with my life. I went on to play my first bar gig when I was 18, then played guitar in a local blues band in northern Ontario called Tom Foolery in my 20’s.

Judah: So have you always played blues, or did you try other things as well along the way?

Papasean: No, I’ve played various music styles though my life but always came back to the blues. This is where my soul lies.

Judah: I picked up on that passion when listening to your album… so where do you draw the inspiration for your songs?

Papasean: From life, mainly. I get all my inspiration from life experience, and I draw on what I see around me and what effects my life.

Judah: And now for one of those “inevitable” questions! As a musician, you obviously also listen extensively to music. Are there any particular musicians that inspire you, or whose style has influenced your own music?

Papasean: You could say that I’ve been influenced by some of the guitar “greats” – Billy Gibbons from ZZ top, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix, bb king, Robert Johnson, Paul Gilbert, Malmstein… the list could go on and on.. I kind of take a little piece of everyone and incorporate it into my music. I learn from them, and then make it my own.

Judah: I really enjoyed your first album, “The Colours of Blues”. Tell us a little about it – some background and what the main inspiration was behind it?

Papasean: “The Colours of Blues” was released in 2008, and mostly inspired by a good friend of mine that I lost a few years ago. It was an outlet for me to work through my emotions and the deep feelings I had.

Judah: I think the depth and variety on the album reflects that exploration. I also found it quite “broad” in it’s treatment of the Blues genre, which is intriguing. So often, albums seem to stay within a particular framework.

Papasean: Yes. There are a lot of different “feels” on the cd – some SRV Swing, swampy slide guitar work, a jazzy feeling tune and some more edgy rocking blues stuff. Basically it’s an unselfish album – I wasn’t trying to impress but rather just playing what felt right at the time.

Judah: So what about the future? Do you have anything in the pipeline right now you’d like to tell us about?

Papasean: Currently I just finished my songs for the new cd coming out this year. I’m pretty stoked about it. We’re heading into the studio in the next few weeks. This cd is going to be more up beat and grooving, and a lot more polished for sure.

Judah: Okay, time to “unpack” Papasean the person… When you’re not working – making blues music, that is – -what do you do for fun, for relaxation?

Papasean: I enjoy riding my Harley, taking in B.C.’s beautiful sites. Oh, and stopping in at various pubs with the buddies for a cold beverage. Also spending time with my wife Erin, family and friends. I enjoy camping and fishing, sitting around a camp fire and the peaceful sound of nature. I also love my dog, Colt, he is a Harlequin Great Dane. It’s like having a cow that lives in the house. …lol.

Judah: Sound fun. And talking of “pets” – what’s your “pet hate” in life?

Papasean: I think what bothers me most is people that are always negative, in what they say and do. I believe you get back what you put out, it all comes back around sooner or later.

Judah: And your favorite colour?

Papasean: Definitely dark blue.

Judah: Okay, last one… Food?

Papasean: I love Japanese and Italian food, and let me tell you this: I know my way around the kitchen… I enjoy good food…

Judah: A blues musician who also cooks, and not just on the guitar! Find out more about Papasean Johnson by visiting his website at http://papaseanjohnson.com. Check out his “The Colours of Blues” album – I did, and really loved it. I predict that his music is going places, and if you’re a blues fan, get in on the ground level. Personally, I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

For the authors out there – if you’re looking for something catchy and different for your next book trailer, give the blues a try. Contact Papasean and let him know what you’re looking for – Click on the image below and find the email link on the site (bottom left)….

Or, better still, have a quick listen then pop across and contact him…

That’s it folks! I had fun, hope you will too…

Jude
Judah Raine

http://www.judahraine.com

Still Running – http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-13915-330.html

The Look – http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html

Coming soon: A Thick Black Line

The Look is due for release tomorrow (24th March) and I thought I share a little background, mainly on the setting, because this is my “stamping” ground – rural South Africa, with it’s interesting collection of “one-horse” towns (or is that one-shop?) dotted throughout the rolling farmland, where community is a way of life and values like family and loyalty prevail…

Thornleigh is a fictitious town, but it epitomises any and all of the little remote backwater “outposts” that you can stumble into on a leisurely drive through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region – and any other part of South Africa for that matter. “Town” is something of an exaggeration.

Thornleigh consists of a filling station, a general dealer (which also serves as the post office) and, of course, the farmers’ co-op. The general dealer usually stocks everything from pantyhose to safety pins to school shoes (our kids wear uniforms here) and beer. Oh, and brandy, let’s not forget that. Klipdrift, usually, a popular brand among farmers. The farmer’s co-op deals in anything from portable braai’s (barbeques) to irrigation systems and, of course, fertilizer.

What they lack in infrastructure, they more than compensate in a commodity beyond price – community. Everyone in the district is known. Their genealogy, who married who and is related to who and how, where their kids are at school (boarding school, of course), who owned that particular piece of farmland before them (right back to three and four generations) and what it was sold for in Nineteen-“voetsak” (a classic South Africanism which basically means the year dot).

The KZN Midlands is an incredibly beautiful area, stretching inland from the mild coastal areas. The land rises steadily upward from the Valley of a Thousand Hills, beyond the provincial capital, Pietermaritzburg, and on to become the foothills of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range. The scenery is spectacular – lush and green and softly beautiful in summer, and incredibly shaded in hues of rust and gold and brown in the drier winters.

It is part of the vast empire of the Zulu monarch, King Shaka, who forged a nation from the tribes he conquered and who ruled with an iron hand. A master-strategist, he revolutionised the tribal armies and turned his “impies” (battallions), with their massive shields and hand held spears, into a force that effectively challenged the might of the British Empire. The area is also steeped in other history, the canvas against which the Anglo-Zulu wars, and the Anglo-Boer wars took place, and before that the place of hope and new territory for the Boer farmers who trekked east and north, seeking to escape British rule.

It’s primarily farming country, cattle and horses, and crops as well. It’s well known for it’s trout fishing, with dams big and small opening their doors to anglers, and also hosts the Midlands Meander, a sightseeing trip drawing local and national and international visitors. A slow drive through farmland to all the little out of the way places reveals a treasure of tucked-away craft venues, with screen-printing, pottery, sculptures…. Anything you can think of, you’re bound to find it there.

It has also mushroomed with many bed and breakfasts – farmhouses opened to the public, where you can stay as long as you like, rest, take walks and hikes, horse rides, fishing… All of these offer the most amazing getaways, with hosts warm and welcoming and the atmosphere beyond description. Zulwini Lodge, which plays a big part in The Look, is just one of these places (Zulwini is the Zulu word for heaven). The Midlands area is also, with it’s sweeping vistas and water-painted views, a popular place for weddings, and venues usually have to be booked well in advance.

This is the remote backwater my heroine, the sassy, streetwise, Morgan Slater, finds herself in. She comes looking for facts. Instead she finds a truth far deeper, one that challenges all her assumptions and turns her life inside out. The Look is not just a story about love – although Morgan’s encounter with lodge owner Blake Thornton brings a whole new dimension, and conflict to her life. It’s about community, and family, and the layers that go into making us who we are. Layers that Morgan is forced to explore and confront and examine in her journey to things unimaginable.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! You can find it, along with an excerpt at: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html and I’ve included my blurb and author spotlight here…

Jude

Judah Raine
http://www.judahraine.com

Blurb:
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…

Author Spotlight:
“I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, because it explores the layers – in people, in situations, and in our assumptions about life and about truth and how they all fit together. Morgan’s courage lies in allowing the process of stripping-away to become a process of adding-to, an intriguing journey that I think almost all of us can relate to.” ~ Judah

Being an author (and Mom, Dad, Zookeeper and general Take-Care-Of-Everything-Person, not to mention only breadwinner!) can sometimes seem a selfish occupation. With life constantly filling up with all sorts of crazy things that need attention, writing time becomes a precious thing and, if I’m on a roll, everything else seems to take a back seat so I can cram as many words in as possible.



Actually it works for me. I’m fairly simple soul. I have my group of friends and we interact as friends do, but I’m not the “out and about” type and tend to be fairly selective about where I go and with whom. Being on my own doesn’t bother me at all. I actually enjoy it, and find I get on pretty well with myself.

But, as a “farm girl” at heart, I love my animals. I don’t think I could survive without them. Right now having animals = having zoo, as I’m babysitting another two German Shepherds whose “parents” are in the midst of financial crisis and can’t bear to lose them. Nor can I, because they’re actually my “mommy” dog’s puppies. I brought them into the world, I literally bottle fed the one and… well, let’s just say that not helping out isn’t even an option.

All in all, I now have 7 on board – four German Shepherds, a Great Dane masquerading as a Maltese Poodle and two cats. (It’s true. See for yourself at “My Zoo“). Anyway, I have my hands full most of the time, feeding time is a frenzied affair, and more often than not I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe. I have days where I’d like to ship the lot of them off somewhere far away, but actually I love them all and they put a lot into my life.

Often, though, I’m absorbed in my own stuff and they don’t get the attention I’d like to give them. It’s easy to take them for granted, until the unthinkable happens. Just the other day, my old girl popped a disc and totally lost the use of her back legs. That was the moment I realised how much I loved her, because I got to thinking…

She came to me as an undernourished pup, because the mom had thirteen and just couldn’t feed properly. She’s not pure Shepherd (I suspect a good dose of Doberman), but needed a home and gave me “that look”. We all know the one. Anyway, home she came and thrived, and turned into the most delightful friend ever. We had a rough time financially after my husband passed away, but she never complained, never moaned, never got mad, never made me feel guilty….

Still barely a pup, she ripped through a door to save my life the day I was held up at knife-point. I still don’t know how she did it, except it doesn’t say much for the door!
She tried to do the same when my little tenant was brutally attacked one day, but the door was a lot more solid than the last one. She raised nine babies without batting an eyelid, and isn’t at all phased to have some of them move back home. Just mothers them all including the Maltese and the cats.

Most of all, she makes me laugh. Her best trick is stealing things. Still now, definitely grey and matronly (nicknames: Pork Chop and Rotunda, with good reason) she will flatten those ridiculous little ears along her head, get that particular wag and I swear she actually smiles, and proceeds to rifle around in whatever cupboard, box or bag might be open for something to steal. The game of course is to get it away from her. If you ignore her she waddles off to hide it in the couch. Anything missing? Look in the couch.

The other infuriating habit she has is the early morning wake-up call. The “I-need-to-go-out. Now” thing. I can’t even begin to imagine where she learned it. I’ve never ever seen (or heard) another dog even attempt it. But it is a guaranteed get you out of bed thing. She simply positions herself on which ever side of the bed gets her in close, then leans in so her mouth is right by your ear. No, no licking, heavy breathing… She clacks her teeth. Like castanets in the hand of an overly enthusiastic flamenco dancer. And continues to clack for however long it takes. It’s not usually long.

I got to thinking, looking at her and trying to decide whether or not to try the (hugely expensive) spinal surgery which might or might not work, or whether to accept that this was the end of the road. I thought about the times she saved our lives. I thought about the times she was there in the early reaches of the morning when, as a lonely woman struggling through the most horrendous emotional and financial stress, I found sleep impossible. I thought of how many times she “cleaned” my tears, or just let me hug her and cry. I thought about how she’d be there at the gate, every single day, rain or shine, with that crazy dog smile to welcome me home from work. I thought of my many failures, and how somehow she reminded me that, to her, I was a hero.

Her “never-say-die” attitude is was an inspiration, and I knew I had to give her the chance (and to hell with the bank manager!) I’m happy to report that Standard Bank would be well satisfied with the investment they made in my best friend. She certainly reminded me what she was made of. Up and walking on her own in 3 days, and out of hospital in a week. They actually have a “record” up at the vet’s, because it’s unheard of. She’s still a little weak, and probably always will be, but naughty as all hell and ruling the roost with an iron paw just as she always have. And yes, she still does the castanet thing, and right now it doesn’t seem all that bad.

I even realised, when facing the unthinkable, that the clacking would probably be the thing I missed most of all. I cannot imagine life without Keila, without “Mommy Love” stirring the pot and wagging that entirely impudent rump along with her tail. I realised that all old friends have bad habits, things that irritate us. But those are the things that somehow define them, make us laugh, and which we remember fondly when we get to the place that they are no longer with us.

Aren’t we crazy creatures?

See you next time,
Jude

… then you will like “A slave of my own desire” by Eve Summers.

He is tall, dark in the expensive-chocolate sort of way and sinfully handsome. He knows what you want and he’s not afraid to give it to you. He won’t ask permission, he won’t need a map, and afterwards he won’t say: “Did you like that?”

- “A Slave of My Own Desire” is for all women who don’t want to be asked.
- “A Slave of My Own Desire” is for all women who just want to lie back and enjoy.
- “A Slave of My Own Desire” is for all women.

Yvonne Eve Walus writing as Eve Summers
He will force you to do EVERYTHING you’ve ever wanted to do….
BUY LINK: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=245
“A Slave of My Own Desire” (Red Rose Publishing)

Title: Valentine\’s Day with Eve Summers
Link out: Click here
Description: Books, romance, sex
Date: 2009-02-14

Hey there! Thanks for joining me today for my interview with Kathy Otten…

Judah: Hi Kathy, good to have you here. Why don’t you kick off by telling us a bit about your books – your style of writing, the genre you write in, and what you set out to achieve when you start a book.

Kathy: Hi Judah. I write historical romances, set in America between the start of the Civil War and the end of the cowboy era. I try to create stories that touch on the emotions of the characters, and hopefully convey that emotion to the reader.

Judah: That’s an interesting choice… but what prompted you to take the plunge – first to actually write a book, and second to actually submit it?

Kathy: I have been writing stories since I was a kid, so I never actually made a conscious decision to write a book, but it wasn’t until my kids were in high school that I seriously sat down to write. I wanted my book to be perfect before I submitted it, so I joined a couple of critique groups. Not only did I learn my stuff wasn’t perfect, it never will be. I next had to learn that once it was as good as I could get it, I had to let it go and stop fixing it. I started submitting my work to publishers and agents. It was a daunting task, and took years of being rejected before my first story was published.

Judah: Being an author myself I can so identify with that “stop fixing it” bit! So do you pre-plan your books, or do you just work from an idea and see where it goes?

Kathy: My characters come to me first. They lurk on the periphery of my mind until I begin asking questions, like their name, or where they live. Eventully the bare bones of a story are sketched out. Dialogue usually comes to me next. I hear my characters talking to each other in my head. I write it down and flesh out a scene around it. The scenes are never in order and once I have a significant number I start putting them in some kind of sequence then fill out the vague areas.

Judah: What is the most difficult (or challenging) part about being an author?

Kathy: For me, the marketing and promotional stuff. I’m not good with computers or navigating all the loops, blogs, and friend networks. I wish there was a book with step by step instructions to establishing a nation wide fan base and achieving finacial success.

Judah: (lol!) Don’t we all. But now that we’ve got that question out the way, what do you most enjoy about writing?

Kathy: When I finish writing something, I put it away. After a significant length of time passes I take it out and read it, and there is always some powerful bit of dialogue or scene that jumps out at me and I think, wow, I can’t believe I actually wrote that. Those private moments when I know I nailed it.

Judah: I love this next question… If you had one “do over” in life, what would you like that to be?

Kathy: Do overs are hard because if you actually had a do over to fix one thing in your life, everything else would be affected. I don’t know that I’d want to give up all the good things that evolved from my mistakes. Sometimes though, I wish I had been brave enough to start submitting my work sooner.

Judah: How do you feel when you come to the end of a book?

Kathy: Once the creative energy is finished, editing begins and that for me is work. By the time I’m finished with it, I’m almost relieved to be done with it, because I have other characters in my head clamouring to be heard.

Judah: Do you think any of your characters would be a “best friend” if they were real? If so, which one and why?

Kathy: I have no idea. They say that when you have kids, the child who is most like you is the one you argue with the most. Since all my characters each have a piece of me, it would be hard to say what would happen. We’d probably fight.

Judah: Some people have said that “romance” and “real life” don’t fit in the same book… how do you feel about this?

Kathy: Real life is made up of moments. Those moments when everyone you love is safe and healthy and happy are the one you hang on to through all the rest. I think that escaping into a story where love triumphs over the trials of life, reminds us to appreciate those moments.

Judah: What great answers! Thanks, Kathy, for being so honest…

Kathy’s historical western romance, Between the Lines, is available from the Wild Rose Press at http://www.TheWildRosePress.com

Here’s the blurb to whet your appetite, or use the following buy link for an excerpt: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=882

You can also visit her website at http://www.kathyotten.com

Blurb:
Anxious to escape the confines of her loving, but overprotective family, Meg Greyson travels to Wyoming Territory to marry the man of her dreams. Only she discovers Brendan Kelly is nothing like the gentleman rancher who penned her beautiful letters. As she comes to know this intimidating, yet tacit man, Meg finds herself constantly having to rationalize away his dark and dangerous side in order to conform him to her image of the perfect man who wrote her letters.
Brendan knows he should tell her the truth, but once he does, she will leave him forever. So he keeps pretending and every time she says, “I love you,” he dies a little more inside, for he knows he will never be the man she wants him to be.

Sounds like an intriguing read to me…
Thanks for visiting,
Jude

You know the old saying: “If only animals could talk….”? Well, newsflash!! They can. It’s just us that can’t understand them. But we managed, with a computer-aided audio-interface, to catch an stable exchange at the Harper Estate – and can now bring you some real inside information on Judah Raine’s Still Running…

(Hormione): I’m concerned, Henry, really I am. And it’s not my imagination – The whole barn is a-buzz with it, you know. Cade is behaving really strangely these days… all pent and moody and just not his usual gorgeous charming self. At first I thought it was something I’d done, but the other girls have noticed it too.



(Henry): Don’t be a nag, Hormione. For an old mare who knows all the tricks you’re being surprisingly dense. It’s plain as a donkey’s tail what the problem is.














(Desmond): Hay! I heard that! He haw, he haw, he hawlways picks on me. This really is just the last straw!










(Hermione): Oh stop being an ass, Desmond. He didn’t mean it personally. So… what is the problem then?








(Henry): Do I have to spell it out for you? (Sigh) It’s that cute little filly that’s arrived… Josie, I think her name is. She’s got him all hot and bothered, brought the young stud in him to the surface… Our Cade is already out the starting gate and raring to go. She, however, is still prancing around and giving him the wild eye… it’s driving him crazy. Got him in a real lather, pulling at the bit and champing away, fairly foaming at the mouth…






(Hermione): Oh my! And so he is… I can’t believe I didn’t see it! What on earth is wrong with the girl? It’s not like he isn’t good to look at… and he’s such a charmer, too. Knows just how to make a girl feel like she’s the only mare in the world.



(Henry:)Personally, I think she’s a little gun shy, as they would have said in the old days. Had a rough time, she has, and it’s going to take a lot more than some fancy footwork and sweet nickering in her ear to bring her in. He’s going to have to work hard at taming this one, I’m afraid. He’s going to have to break her in gently, else she’ll be off and running and there’ll be no catching her.


(Hermione): Well, the good ones always need the most work, I suppose. And skittish isn’t always a bad thing, it shows spunk. I just hope he knows what he’s doing.

(Henry:) He should do by now, Hermione – as I remember you gave him a good run for his money, back in the old days when he was trying to get you haltered. You and a few others.



(Hormione): Yes, we did, didn’t we. You too, as I remember. So maybe I should give him the same advice as I gave you – he needs to slow down a little, pull back, stop pawing at the ground and showing his impatience. All that horsing around is just going to scare her off. For good.




(Henry): Easier said than done, you know. Anyway, I don’t think humans are quite the same as us horses. It’s a lot simpler for us.




(Hormione): Maybe. And maybe you could talk some horse-sense into him. Before it’s too late, and she bolts for good. It makes a good story, though… maybe they should call it Still Running.

(Desmond): He haw! He haw! He haw!






(Henry):Very funny, Hermione. It’s a bit like a race though – neck and neck, both pulling out all the stops… I wonder what the punters would say about it…

To find out, go to: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-3915-330.html

Okay, I’ve done some pretty odd things in my life, but I’ve never had to interview myself before (quite a “novel” experience, lol!) Still, I’ll try anything once, just so long as it’s legal, so here goes…

You’re a South African girl, and the settings for your books are all South African. Do you find it a challenge writing for an international market?

In some ways, yes. The essence of romance is, of course, the same everywhere, but each country and culture has nuances, turns of phrase, expressions… things that lose their real flavour outside of their cultural setting. I find I often have to “rework” something because it’s loaded with “South Africanisms” that have no real significance to an audience who doesn’t intimately know the context. It’s about getting the balance between infusing a book with a personality that reflects “Africa” without making it “unreachable” to the reader.

So how do you go about choosing your settings, and do you have any preferences?

I don’t really “choose” them. Not consciously, anyway – they seem to just sort of happen, to just “be there” when the time is right. I suppose I prefer smaller settings, probably for a number of reasons. It’s what I know – I grew up as a farmer’s daughter in a small rural community and I’m fascinated by the workings of the small town dynamic. It’s very different to city life where to a large degree you can remain anonymous outside of your social circle. In small places, “community” is spelled in capitals and anonymous is no longer in the dictionary. You either love it or hate it, lol. I also like the canvas of the rural setting. It gives me the opportunity to paint the South African panorama, whether it be the rolling green hills, the mighty Drakensberg, the tucked away, secluded corners that speak beauty and magic and mystery. A city landscape has it’s own version of romance, but I guess at heart I’m a country girl.

And your characters? How do you go about “crafting” them into your books?

Again, I think it’s more a case of they were there and I told their story. For me, writing a book is a journey – I love exploring the layers and complexities of each character, going beyond the surface to the multitude of things beneath. The events, memories, happenings that make each of us individual are fascinating, and the joy of writing is the discovery of those, to be part of the process of bringing those to life, to making a character understandable, and lovable, so that their story is done justice. I love getting to know each of them, being surprised by them, finding out something I never knew…

You’ve said your first book, Still Running, is about real people and real “stuff”… I’ve also heard it said that “real” and “romance” is something of an anomaly, that “real” essentially negates the concept of “romance”. How do you feel about this?

I suppose on a simplistic level this might be true, but then we would have to exclude the things that actually go into well-rounded characters who grow and develop and change. “Real” people are multi-faceted, whether in a book our out of one. I look at “real stuff” as being the fabric of life, the basic cloth on which the “romantic picture” is then embroidered… I think romance can be defined as the ability to lift us beyond the ordinary, to take the “negative” and turn it into something good and beautiful and positive. Pretending that life, with all it’s ucky bits, isn’t there doesn’t make much sense to me. They are the foil against which romance is measured – I heard once that “you cannot really laugh until you’ve first learned to cry”. It made a lot of sense to me, still does. To me, the ultimate romance, is when love and passion and commitment transcend reality to triumph over it at the end. It’s what gives us all hope…

How do you go about writing – are you a planned person, or do you take it as it comes?

I tend to write in marathons – just let the story pour out onto the page. I have a problem with thinking. I think way too much, and analysis doesn’t work for romance. If I allow myself to plan or think, my writing becomes very clinical and I lose the passion of it. Words have their own life, their own power, and I’ve learned that my best work is when I let them get on with it. It’s vital to capture the thought, the emotion, the nuance right there and then, otherwise it’s lost and no matter how hard I try it’s impossible to get back. So I just get going and keep going until I have to come up for air. Then I go back and do the adjustments, the tweaking, adding or taking out.

So why write romance? Was it any particular influence – a writer, a person, a place?

Mainly because I believe in it – it’s a “have to” for everyone. It’s in us, and we all look for it, no matter who we are or what we may say to the contrary. As for influence – I’d have to say all of the above. I cut my teeth on the classics – Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters, the romantic poets… the list goes on! My husband Gary was a real romantic, though he hated to admit it, and he taught me so much about finding romance in the little things in life. Then again, I live in Africa, which has to be one of the most passionate places in the whole world. Passion is the heartbeat of Africa – grand passion, sometimes harsh, but always hugely romantic. I was raised on the novels of Sir Henry Rider Haggard, the ultimate in “African romantics” and the poetry in some of our African writers… Romance is inevitable for me, I suppose. And it’s fun. Immense fun. Being able to turn something around and make it beautiful and eternal.. that’s way too good an opportunity to miss.


Well, that’s me – I hadn’t realised how difficult some of my own questions were, but hey, we survived. To find out more, visit my website on http://www.judahraine.com (I haven’t done an author profile for obvious reasons, but you can find out everything you need to know with just one click, or check our my Images of Africa slideshows too).

Still Running is available on: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-13915-330.html
and you can find The Look at: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html
For more, visit my blog titled “Under African Skies” on the Happily Ever After Authors’ Blog here.

Today’s guest from the Happily Ever After authors’ group is Lee Silver, a professional engineer who specialises in bringing a new twist to romance…

Judah: Hi Lee. Good to see you here.  It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life?

Lee: I do have a day job to pay the bills, but my writing is just as important a part of my life. My first career was in advertising. I delivered flyers on my bicycle for our neighbor’s electrical shop. Hint: A penny a flyer is a dumb way to make money in a rural neighborhood

I’ve always been the quiet, geeky type so it was pretty natural that I got into engineering. After a couple years of writing specification manuals for the Navy, I went back to school full-time to earn my graduate degree from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. Not counting my early days in advertising, my entire career has been as a professional engineer.

Judah: Bring us into your home and set the scene for us when you are writing. What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting, handwriting?

Lee: We live in an old Victorian we renovated on Norfolk’s waterfront on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s full of bits and pieces we’ve refinished over the years. My bow front mahogany china cabinet is the only thing we actually paid real money for. It’s to die for!

I write in our son’s old room. We converted it into sort of an office for me and a gym. It’s full of memories and still has a few pieces from his childhood like the basketball hoop over the trash can I have one of those $50 particle board computer stands for a desk. It’s so out of character with the rest of the house! I mostly write at home but get my best ideas in traffic jams. I keep one of those five dollar voice recorder thingies in my car, so I actually look forward to 5:00 rush hour.

Judah: Your romantic suspense, The Twist, is a BookStrand #1 bestseller. Tell us a little about it, and what gives it the edge it so clearly has.

Lee: I wanted a heroine who would stand toe to toe with the leading man and a plot that would keep a reader on the edge of his seat. The Twist is only the beginning. A story of mind-bending control and unnerving metamorphosis, The Twist unravels the tale of a hotshot consultant as he struggles to foil a plot to steal $12 million and to rescue the feisty, female scientist who has stolen his heart.
The hero actually turns into a carbon copy of the leading lady. I really had to get into Zane’s head to write The Twist. Women are so different…our emotions, what’s important to us, how we relate to each other. And then there’s the things we take for granted. Hair, nails, putting on your face, the whole bit. It would all have to be pretty strange for a guy.

Trying to stuff all of that into a guy’s head was a challenge. Male characters just don’t have the range of emotion for you to work with. I guess that’s part of what makes them guys. As Zane begins his transformation, everything he is grappling with bubbles to the top as a confused mix of humor and rage. After the change it’s like he’s got the hormones of a squad of teenage cheerleaders.

Yup, we finally get our revenge on the guys in The Twist

Judah: It’s a fascinating concept, a man with a woman’s emotions! And it must take unique characters to pull it off. So tell us about the main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

Lee: My characters are born from the faces of my personality. I’m like each and every one but not like any of them. There is a tiny seed of me in my characters that unfolds like a flower. They surprise me with the things they say and do, taking my writing to places I never could have gone by myself.

Zane met his match with Kathy in The Twist. He’s full of himself in a typical guy sort of way. But Kathy, with all her feminine charm, let Zane know from the minute they met at the elevator, she’d stand toe to toe with him for the full nine rounds. Its mutual respect like this that turns to love that will last a life time.

Jude: With The Twist being that successful, are you currently working on any writing projects our readers should watch for release soon?

Lee: When I wrote the Twist, I had considered it to be a one book story. Working on my edits, I realized there might be enough open ends for another book. I just started working on a sequel to The Twist so we can see what everybody’s favorite feisty female scientist is up to next

Judah: Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

Lee: It took a bit of personal growth to think of myself as author, Lee Silver. Now it’s effortless, just one more of the different rolls I have in my life. We have hats we put on as coworkers, girlfriends, Sunday school teachers, parents wives, moms and authors. A little artistic license may be needed for one or the other, but I think the key is to let our true self shine through as we relate to the people and situations in our lives regardless of the hat we are wearing. In that regard, as writers we have it easier than most. The hardest part for me has been to find the time. I’ve made so many new friends and love hearing what everyone has going on with their writing and in their lives. I’m going to hate having to slink back into my cave to get to work on the sequel to The Twist.

Jude: Thinking about your writing career, is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published?

Lee: I think a new writer needs to be careful not to be so anxious to be published that he settles for just anyone who offers to print his book. I have heard some simply awful stories about small publishers going defunct and tying up an author’s work. I was looking in a lot of wrong places when I was searching for a publisher for The Twist. I was very fortunate to have received an offer from Siren-BookStrand. They put a lot of faith in me as a new author, and I am proud to be represented by a top name publisher.

Judah: Well I’m afraid that’s all we have time for today, although I could have asked a dozen other things…. Thanks for the interview, Lee, and best of luck with your sequel.

You can find The Twist at BookStrand Publishing: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thetwist-11084-330.html or check out Lee’s author profile here.