A Romance Author's Vacation...Fourth and Final

Our last place on the tour for Ireland is Waterford!  Yes, the amazing and sparkly crystal that I’ve been waiting for.

We watched artisan’s create the blown glass and etch the famous designs we all want shining on our holiday tables.

Not a place to have a problem with the credit card.  I chose a large selection of crystal and jittered with anticipation and smiles as the very helpful salesman (who had traveled to a Wisconsin Waterford store) rang up my choices.  I had carefully selected pieces made at the store we were in.  The card didn’t go through.  OMG!  And the bus will leave in ten minutes.

I had to leave without the treasures.

Later called the credit card by their 24/7 free call from anywhere in the world. 

The day before, my husband had tried to use a Tyme machine by putting the card in at least five times.  The card company though it may have been stolen, so they closed it.  After the call, all was settled and the card open.  We weren’t near the Waterford store anymore.

Long story, short, I ordered pieces online, Ireland said they don’t ship to the U.S. (only for tours), so I ordered on a different site.  The nice UPS man brought me a huge box and placed it inside my door.  Yeah!  Four days later I received another huge box.  Both orders came.  My husband laughed and said “keep it all.”

Sometimes errors work in your favor!

Across the channel and into Wales.

We visited Cardiff Castle, which was amazing with decoration and history.  This is the same castle that Harry Potter was filmed in, and on the day we arrived a wedding had been scheduled.  The groomsmen wore handsome kilts.  The bridesmaids had crimson satin dresses.  The Groom arrived in a black Jaguar with a bridal bow across the hood of the car-English tradition.

The castle was the first English castle to have electricity and plumbing because of the owner’s great wealth.  Each room had murals full of stories.  The wooden trims along the walls are embedded with real garnets, rubies, and emeralds.

During the ride back to London, I updated my notebook.  I have a hoard of ideas for another novel.  The mystery and cold of exquisite castles, the churning waters of the channels, the austere atmosphere of Heathrow, the personally ordered pieces of crystal, and the running prowess of the horses are all parts of an upcoming novel.  As soon as I write it!

 

Have a grand holiday,

The Pearl by Anonymous

I read this unique Victorian erotic volume in Dublin, Ireland.  I consider myself to have hit a home run when having a cocktail in the lounge and browsing a shelf of books left by other visitors when I happened on it.

It’s the type of novel that keeps the curiosity mounting as each storyline begs a different partner(s) and scene for a sexual escapade.

The novel is a combination of sexual fantasies not normally talked about or admitted in nineteenth century England.  The chapters come from an informally published gossip rag of the upper echelon published from 1879-1880 before it disappeared for nearly a hundred years.  Of the  eighteen issues published, the selections chosen will make you blush.  And smile.

The writing is exquisite and timely with the Victorian age.  Vulgar language is unnecessary as plain talk tells it all.  Sex may have not been openly talked about in this age, yet don’t fool yourself that it wasn’t practiced in many savory traditions behind closed doors.

Treat yourself to a trip overseas and between the sheets when you read this story.

Happy reading,

Dawn   

A Romance Author's Vacation...Part One

You may wonder what kind of vacation a romance author takes…the main difference from your vacation and mine is that I’m still constantly thinking of a plot for the next great American romance!

I just returned from a tour of the United Kingdom…England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Wales.  I’m not a historical writer, just reader, so I think about how I can turn this tranquil kingdom into a suspenseful arena. 

Yes, I saw beautiful castles, cathedrals, landscape, and ate English food.  I’m sure you’ve all seen documentaries and magazines depicting all of the above, so I’m going to relate a few personal adventures.

After an eventful flight from O’Hare to Heathrow, yes I got sick on the plane probably from too many “relaxers”, my husband and I exited the spacecraft.  The atmosphere of Heathrow was, to say the least, a bit spooky.  The two story walls were glass and stark.  We were directed through a series of turns, stairs, and escalators with only the light from fluorescents. 

Not too bad until I noticed not a single shop or kiosk, only the people from arriving planes, and police everywhere.  It was quiet.  The bathrooms had one toilet.  England’s terrorist alert had raised a level the day before.

Led to a long line of travelers, almost two hours later we handed our travel documents, passport and card explaining who we were and our reason for arriving, to one of a dozen officers.  

I can’t help but add a little controversy.  My card read…JOB:  Govt.  I do work for the govt. (USA), but I didn’t expand.  The officer looked me up and down-no I looked a wreck at this hour.  He rummaged through my carry-on, looked me up and down again, then said, “You work for the government?”

I said, “Yes.”  Could I be more obtuse, or what?  I felt the thrill of a challenge brewing already.  With the bobbies of England!  I was messing with the police!  My heart thumped and thudded as I waited for his dark eyes and thin lips to respond.  I have a former Marine at my side and wasn’t afraid to use him.

It ended well as he chuckled, stamped my card, and moved the long line forward.  I think I was a bit relieved.

Now I am in London!  Our hotel was two blocks from the Thames and we had legs ready to go with no sleep for twenty-seven hours. 

One more story about the infamously bad English food…

That first day our stomachs drove us to find a café for breakfast.  We eagerly tried an “English breakfast.”  I thought I over reacted, but my husband didn’t like it either.  Imagine, a poached egg, tiny hash brown (not too bad yet), a mushy tasteless sausage, and flavorless baked beans.  Don’t forget that a cup of coffee comes in halfsies and no refills.  Tea is abundant, but I couldn’t solely rely on it.

Sorry, but I won’t be gaining weight in England.

So much more to tell…Our hostess, Alexis, will need to give me more time to relate the interesting parts of the tripJ

Always travel with a mission and get the most out of it!

Dawn  

The Last Victim by Karen Robards

A criminal pathologist, Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Stone, has more than her expert degree to help her find a serial killer, which has returned from a hiatus of seventeen years.  The opposite of science, she also has her sixth sense of seeing recently murdered victims.

She doesn’t’ want to see the barely cold bodies come alive again, but she needs more than FBI Special Agent Tony Bartoli’s help to stop the killings.
 

Tony is an experienced agent and does his best for the investigation, but there’s another man involved that he doesn’t know about and can’t see.

The other man happens to be the convicted felon, Michael Garland, who dies in Charlie’s arms. A felon can have a hot body and a few good characteristics despite a criminal streak, and Michael proves it…after death.

The page turner with this story is the constant suspense and a maze to find the killer along with two nearly eligible bachelors competing for Charlie’s attention. 

They both get attention, but only one wins in the end.

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones

 

 

Jones has put together a remarkable novel encompassing the lives of four sisters who, through the ingenious efforts of their mother, all become queens throughout medieval Europe.

Each sister is represented by the cunning description their mother paints according to the wants of the targeted king or king-to-be. 

Granted, to be a queen of a country and its provinces sounds worldly, heady, and full of perks, yet the actual lives and forfeits of freedom for the sisters sounds downright primitive and full of abuse. 

Love is not considered in the trade for a kingdom, yet each sister strains her efforts to find love amidst the trading, money, wars, and all it takes to be a queen.

An unforgettable novel full of sacrifices for the family, love, and politics.

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

 

The Mercy Seller by Brenda Rickman Vantrease

In the fifteenth century Europe, freedoms were not as liberal as in many countries today.  Heresy was high on England’s King’s list to be done away with.

Do not believe what the King considers wrong, do not write the Bible in any language other than Latin, and do not counter the word of the Church. 

Anna Bookman writes in multiple languages and can’t ignore what the English translation of the Bible tells her.  Her manuscripts will hang her if found out.  She lives in Prague with her grandfather until he dies, and then she is directed to find help in England. 

At the same time, a priest, Brother Gabriel, encounters her under a tip of heresy.  He disguises his identity and against church rules, has incredibly lustful feelings for the maiden. 

Both hidden behind false agendas, their paths take many wrong turns.  Danger and enemies multiply for each until they are forced together and their true works and goals revealed.

The historical detail of the fifteenth century and the range of characters give a heart-pounding and fearsome reality to the challenges Anna and Gabriel must overcome in order to be true to themselves and their love for each other.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Dawn Kunda

 

I hope you’ve all taken in the advice of the groundhog by now, whether he told you what you want to hear or not in your part of the country.  My local groundhog wants to sleep longer.

Now it’s time for reading info, and I hope it’ll put a smile on your face.

Warning:  Any anxiety or fear created from reading Inked by Dawn Kunda is pure fiction.

Here are some favorite questions I get…

Did you always want to be a writer?

No, I wanted to be a brain surgeon, a financial planner, an attorney, and a bunch of other things.  Maybe I should’ve made up my mind sooner.  I did dabble in the legal system as a private investigator and many law school classes. 

How did you start, then?

I thought about it for about ten years, then decided it was time.  I sat down and wrote whatever came to mind.

I still do that, write whatever comes to mind.  I tell myself “You can always change it later.”

How do you keep the characters from all sounding the same?

Many times I pick a person I know, whether friend or acquaintance, and imagine what they’d do.  Eventually the character takes over and does the thinking for me.  Granted, I have to get them out of sticky situations that I hadn’t planned many times.

Who’s your biggest supporter?

Many people support me, whether they realize it or not, but of course my husband is the best!  He encouraged me before I physically sat down and wrote, and he still likes to read my work.

What we’ve been waiting for…Your new release, INKED, now in ebook and scheduled for paperback in May.  Give us a clue!

Ah, yes, INKED (From the CIA #1) is hot off the press.  Here’s a little about the romantic suspense…

Guns and sex make Mary go round…

CIA agent Mary Reiss is teamed with the agent of her nightmares, Cal Guevin.  He nearly got her killed and now they’re teamed to infiltrate Egyptian terrorists.  The imminent danger reignites their fiery past, yet mistrust and a deadly enemy block their advances.

What’s the “bonus” for readers who purchase INKED?

This is very exciting for me and many others.  I will be donating a portion of my royalties from the first quarter of 2014 to the American Cancer Society!

May romance and cancer patients both have a happily-ever-afterJ

Thanks for finding me on HEAT, and happy reading to everyone!  Leave me a comment and a random participant will receive a free ecopy of INKED!

Here’s where you can find me:

dawnkunda.com

sirenbookstrand.com/dawn-kunda/inked

sirenbookstrand.com/dawn-kunda/court-of-lies

goodreads.com/dawn-kunda

FB

 

Spirited by Mary Behre

Set in a coastal town where the crimes are getting stranger by the minute, Juliana Scott wants to be normal.  In other words, not see ghosts and be mauled by them at their convenience.

Seth English, the hottie cop in town, meets his new neighbor in the most unconventional way.  Jules lands in his apartment dressed as a hooker and with an explanation.

Her explanation was easier than telling English a ghost had told her to do it.  Ghosts tell her to do a lot of things and help her get mixed up in a diamond heist.

English is reluctant to get involved with Jules if she’s on the wrong side of the law.

Fast-moving, suspicious characters, and a mystery to crack even with the help of the screaming ghosts.   This is a delightful read and unless you’re psychic, the ending will come as a surprise.    

Spirited is a Berkley Sensation March 2014 release and can be pre-ordered.   

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

High Risk by Vivian Arend

 

Who couldn’t fall in love in Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)?  The scenery is stunning year-round. 

Marcus Landers suffered a permanent injury to his studly body, but didn’t want to stray too far from his main interest. He was a member of the Lifeline Team, search-and-rescue squads that rescue stranded mountain climbers among others, until his accident.   Now he teaches the squads.

Becki James shows up to mentally work through the fatality of her partner in her squad. 

Becki and Marcus have a past, a past that resurfaces into many steamy appointments. 

Both their changes in life prove a barrier to offering their love.  But we know, it’s all in their minds, and a shove in the right direction will show that physical and mental roadblocks can be overcome.

Arend is a high risk kind of woman, and she portrays the excitement and rewards of “giving it all you got!”  I checked out her biography, and she lives her writing and writes her living.

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

Our Hot Heroes and a $25 Amazon Gift Card

Happily Ever After Thoughts is thrilled to be participating in the Hot Summer Heroes Blog Hop. We are giving away a $25 gift certificate to Amazon to one lucky commenter So I asked my four other bloggers what they thought was “hot” about one of their heroes. Here’s what they said. 

Alexis

CHASE

            Chase Hunter.

            Don’t you love that name? He’s the hero from my book A Good Man For Katie. Despite what the townspeople say about him, despite the reputation he found himself saddled with, he really is a good man.

            Yes, he’s handsome. So handsome, he takes Katie’s breath away (and why wouldn’t he be drop dead gorgeous? I wrote him…well, he helped). When he looks at her with those incredible gray eyes, her heart goes pitter-patter (at least mine did). And when he flashes that smile, well….Katie never stood a chance. Neither did I.

            More important than Chase’s good looks (which is what attracted Katie in the first place…oh, and the fact that he saved her from a runaway stagecoach), what makes him sexy, what makes him my kind of hero, is the simple fact that he is a good man. As we know, good men are hard to find. Katie knows that first hand.

            No, what makes Chase Hunter sexy is so much more than looks as Katie (and you, dear reader) find out. He is respectful…to everyone, even when that respect is not returned.  He’s kind, even when he shouldn’t be (he has a reputation to live up to, you know). He has integrity, another quality I…I mean Katie, finds sexy. He loves his family. He will do what’s right, no matter how much it hurts him. He’s willing to risk his life, his safety, for others. He has a big heart, though he tries to hide it and once he gives his heart, you…again, I mean Katie, has it forever.  

            All those things make Chase Hunter incredibly sexy. What do you think?

Marie

Buy Link AGood Man for Katie

JAKE or DAVID

In Katie’s Rock, Arizona ranchers Jake and David McAllister are both hot!  Tall, dark, and handsome, they are like mirrored bookends with very different personalities but the same kick-ass gene pool and the same sh**-eating grins.  Jake is dark and brooding with a passion for his children and a drive to keep his family together. His cell phone is always at the ready and he is lazer-focused on the task at hand, shooting for perfection in the marketing end of the family ranching business.  Jake’s divorce has him on the ropes and his love for his children drives everything he does.  To sum him up, with Jake you get tall, dark, handsome, intense, focused, driven, perfectionist, passionate, and an overwhelming love of family.   Who doesn’t love a man that loves his kids?  David is more laid back and easy-going, with a tendency to leave his cell phone at home as he oversees operations for the family business.  This is the hot and sexy guy who is witty and funny, always a smile, never picks a fight, never a harsh word, picks you up when you’re down, and is happy to do whatever you love doing.  His nice guy approach and lack of intensity sometimes puts him in the backseat—a role he doesn’t seem to mind.  He handles his life so effortlessly, he makes it look easy.  To sum up David, he’s tall, dark, handsome, easy-going, gentle, funny, witty, smiling, friendly, pleasant, supportive, and flexible.  Ya just gotta love a guy who sincerely wants to do what you like to do!  Can you honestly tell me that these brothers, so opposite of each other, aren’t both sexy?  Don’t lie now!

Kayce

Buy link at Amazon

SCOTT

At first, I intended on picking one of my new heroes who wait in the wings as my favorite, but then I had to go with my first.  Scott was my first in Court of Lies, and the first is always memorable no matter what faults he has.  I picture him as handsome with a hard cut body.  More than that, he’s intelligent, and that’s important too, and he has a heart no matter how long he has to hold back until the right moment.  He endures the initial impression that he doesn’t care or is insincere, yet when it comes down to it, he comes through better than anyone else for his heroine.   Just ask him how a real man gets his woman and he’ll tell you that it’s not a plan, but fate will put the right couple together no matter how impossible the circumstances appear.  It’s all in the chemistry. 

Dawn

http://www.dawnkunda.com

SYNN

I can’t think of Synn without sighing. Synn, the hero in Masque, is a 19th century aristocratic, Nova Scotian. In addition to his long brown hair, muscular body, and gray eyes with shards of blue, he is kind, caring, and protective. The problem is he is too focused on his goal to free the 73 trapped souls he believes he killed, even if it means an eternity trapped in time. This hyper-responsible side to him gets him in trouble with the heroine, but as aggravating as it is, the fact that he takes responsibility and determines to make things right is such an exciting quality to find in a hero.

What else makes him hot? Since this story is an erotic romance, Synn’s extensive sexual experience is very exciting. He takes the heroine through the 7 Pleasure Rooms, always mindful that each one is a new experience for her. He can’t let another man have her, he protects her from the villainous ghost, and he never pushes her, allowing her to choose and enjoy each room, but he does challenge her boundaries – to the satisfaction of them  both.

So with Synn being such an amazing lover, friend, protector, and overall responsible character, is it any wonder I can’t think of him without sighing?

Lexi

Buy Link Masque

So tell us if these great authors have hit the mark on what’s hot or if they need to consider another quality and you will be entered to win the $25 gift card. Then move on to one of the other blogs on the hop. There are so many prizes plus the grand prize to win, you don’t want to miss a single one :-)  Good luck!

Alexis

Dawn Kunda: Latest Update and a Giveaway

Today we have our own Dawn Kunda, here to update everyone on her latest project and giving away a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble! Be sure to leave a comment with contact information for a chance to win! Check out what's new with Dawn.

The life of a writer is never stagnant, no matter how long it takes to finish writing a novel, hear a response from an editor, or think up the next scene or story.

I’m in the middle of all-of-the-above right now.  My romantic suspense, In Plain Sight, the first in a proposed series, From the CIA, is wandering the inboxes of selected agents and editors while you read this.  The sequel to Court of Lies, Window of Lies, is awaiting its last two chapters, which I continually swear I’ll finish today-okay tomorrow, but soon.

I have no set schedule for writing or thinking up my next step in a story.  Rather, it all happens when the time is right.  Matter of fact, I’ve always been a panster-little preplanning of plot- for the most part, but when I start the next two (I’ve turned into the author who has two novels going at once) I decided to make a lengthy plan for each.

Why would I do something silly such as change my system?  I think it’s because the next novels will have more complicated plots and sub-plots.   Or maybe I like to drive myself crazy and pull more hair out as the screen and I have “staring” contests!

Either way, I love every part of writing novels.  Writing the novel is great, editing the drafts are a nice change of pace-to read scenes I’ve forgotten about supply my own surprises, and the thrill of working with an editor at the publishing house is inspiring and always full of lessons. 

And even more fun, is chatting with the readers!  I always want to know what you’re thinking, your questions, your expectations of a great story, and I’m excited to be here with you today :-)

Ask Dawn a question or leave a comment for a chance to win!