Beverley's Winner!

Thanks, everyone, for giving Bev such a lovely warm welcome this week. We all had a ball in the lair, including Bev (she told me!).

Congratulations to:

DANIELLE DO NASCIMENTO!!!!!

Danielle, you won a signed copy of Bev's debut historical romance SINFUL SURRENDER and a signed copy of her latest release A TASTE OF DESIRE! Just drop Bev a line with your snail details to Beverley @ beverleykendall.com (no spaces)and she'll get your fabulous prize off to you!Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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Heroes and Choices

posted by Nancy

Today we welcome back Jennifer St. Giles. With her comes her new alter ego, J. L. Saint. They're launching a series with plenty of boom and lots of angst. Writing this series involved difficult choices for both Jennifer and her hero, and she's here to tell us about them. Welcome, Jennifer!

Choice is a word that contains a treasure trove of meanings and today I’m going to explore two of them because so much about my newest release, Collateral Damage, Silent Warrior Series Book I, involves aspects of choice, in both the writing of the book and within the pages of the story itself. In fact, it can be said that even the act of writing a story, of making a story exciting and well worth reading, is all about the choices an author makes. LOL. I could likely go on and on about it, but that would be a book in itself.

Firstly, I had no choice but to write Collateral Damage. As I’ve mentioned in other blogs, I wrote the proposal for this book back in 2000. It was a “what if” concept that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. What if someone had a large-scale bio-friendly answer to our energy crisis? What if they set out to destroy the oil market? How much power could they gain? How easily could they manipulate the political factions in the world in order to accomplish what they wanted? I sent the proposal out and waited.

Then in 2001 9/11 happened and no one would touch the book, especially from a romance writer. The book sat on the shelf and yelled at me for nine years as I wrote gothic historical murder mysteries and a contemporary paranormal werewolf series.

With every world event that unfolded from 2001 to 2009 Collateral Damage kept yelling louder and louder, Write Me! Write Me! Write Me! So, for my own sanity, when the downturn in the publishing market came and I received an unexpected break, I had no other choice but to finally write Collateral Damage. And I was very lucky to have Samhain Publishing choose to take a chance on a book that other publishers said there was no market for.

Secondly, is the concept that life is all about the choices we make, and yes, sometimes the choices made by those closest to us. The good ones and bad ones all mesh together to weave the fabric of our lives. But more importantly, the choices that we make, regardless of what others choose, determine the direction in which our lives will flow.

One of the themes of Collateral Damage, centers around the realization that we all suffer collateral damage from the choices made by others in our lives. What defines us, what shapes our future, is how we chose to react to that damage and what choices we make from that point on. Both the hero, Jack, and the heroine, Lauren, are victims of collateral damage in this book in a multitude of ways and the story of how they overcome this positively and unite is a thrill ride of action peppered with hot passion.

I know that over the past couple of years there has been collateral damage in my own life and in the lives of those I love. I have been faced with difficult choices and have had to face the harsh reality of choices others have made. Finding the right path through problems and the courage to walk it isn’t easy. This is why I love reading good books.

What? What does reading have to do with life’s problems? When I read about hero and heroines overcoming what sometimes seem to be impossible odds, when I read about their pain and healing, I am inspired in my own life to keep moving in a positive direction. To keep believing in the good. To keep believing in the power of love. Too many years ago to count, this is why I put my pen to the page and began writing stories. So, I invite you this New Year to reflect upon the choices you’ve made, measure their worth, and determine to make every choice in 2011 a wise one.

Damn the consequences, full speed ahead, is injured soldier, Jack Hunter’s, only choice when the American Businessman he killed two weeks ago on a failed mission in Lebanon shows up in the news as having been murdered just yesterday in Brazil.

The story he’s being told doesn’t mesh with the bits and pieces he remembers, and he is determined to uncover the truth. But he gets more than he can handle when he hunts down the businessman’s widow.

First, Lauren Collins’s sex appeal sucker punches Jack then the assassin after her and her twin sons comes close to succeeding. Jack puts everything on the line to save Lauren and the son’s of the man he killed, but loses the one thing he didn’t know he could—his heart.


Meet Jack “DT” Hunter…

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death...

Pink Floyd's "Time" hammered through Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter's brain as he tightened his grip on the treadmill and ran harder, his heart pounding, his lungs burning. Rage tinged with fear made for a potent Power Bar that fueled his drive. Sweat poured from his brow and his body screamed for relief, but he couldn't stop. Not yet. His vision dimmed, and President Anderson's address on the overhead TV calling for a swift but rational retaliation to al-Qaeda's latest attack became nothing but a blur in his mind.

Life often hinged on the details, those seemingly insignificant microscopic events that most people trampled over obliviously. He'd trained to notice the details and to remember them. Yet no matter how hard he tried, his memory of the mission in Lebanon remained a kaleidoscope of combat images and one man's mocking blue eyes...Jack clenched his teeth against the rising pain inside him. He took being team leader to heart both on and off the battlefield. The mission and his men were his responsibility. Rico, Pecos and Neil were his Delta brothers, and it killed him that he could only remember bits and pieces of what happened.

They're here, DT. They're alive! Will Taylor's-aka Pecos-distorted voice echoed in Jack's mind, sucking him down a long tunnel of fragmented memories... Suddenly Jack's head jerked back as his headphones were snatched off and Lt. Col. Roger Weston, his Delta Team commander, whom the teams called Commander Weston because anything less didn't fit his hard-edged charisma, got in his face. "Son of a bitch, DT. Are you trying to kill yourself?"

***

Go forth, choose wisely, and Enjoy!

J.L. Saint aka Jennifer St. Giles
Jlsaint.com

Read the full excerpt at http://jenniferstgiles.com/content/bookshelf/collateral-damage/#more-87 and for a chance to win an ARC email to jlsaintwrites@yahoo.com how you would choose for Lauren and Jack to meet each other for the first time.

For more about Jennifer and J. L. Saint, visit her website.

Who is your favorite soldier hero? What choices have you seen romance heroes and heroines make that were particularly heart-wrenching? What's your favorite book or movie about a survivor?Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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Dwight Yoakam Mystic Lake Showroom Tickets

Dwight David Yoakam is a singer-songwriter, actor and film director that is most famous for his pioneering country music. He's been popular since the early 1980s and has recorded more than 21 albums and compilations and sold more than 25 million records. Yoakam has also starred in many films, most notably as an abusive alcoholic in Sling Blade in 1996, as a sociopathic killer in Panic Room in 2002 and as a police detective in Hollywood Homicide in 2005. Dwight will be coming to the Mystic Lake Showroom on Friday, February 11th at 8pm. Luckily for you, Ticket King still has a nice selection of center section Dwight Yoakam tickets left starting at just $75 each. We don't have a ton left though so I would recommend buying them now if you would like to attend the show.Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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Jay Leno Mystic Lake Showroom Tickets

Stand-up comedian and television host Jay Leno was born in New York and grew up in Massachusetts.  His high school guidance counselor recommended that he drop out of school but instead he continued his education and later obtained a Bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College, where he started a comedy club in 1973. Leno replaced Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in 1992, after having been a regular substitute host since 1987. He continued to perform stand-up comedy throughout his tenure on the show. In 2004, Leno signed a contract with NBC that would keep him on the show until 2009. Leno returned to host The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 1st, 2010, and continues to host it today.  Jay will be coming to the Mystic Lake Showroom in Prior Lake, MN to perform TWO shows on Saturday, March 12th, with one show at 7pm and the other at 10pm.  If you would like to attend either show, get your Jay Leno tickets from Ticket King!  We have a very nice variety of AMAZING seat locations at very reasonable prices. Check them out & buy yours while it's still early.  Both shows will sell out so don't wait too long!Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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The Face | Tyler House by Richard Pier Petit

 



Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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David Beckham Buzz Cut With Side Cuts

David Beckham Buzz Haircut With Side Cuts: David beckham latest bald haircuts with a different look by having a side line completely shaved to create two lines on both sides of the head creating a ultra modern cool short hair style.


Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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Marie Force Celebrates Her "Fatal" Series

posted by toggy hernandes

Our guest today is my good writer-buddy and frequent visitor to the Lair, Marie Force. Here are a few things you might not know about her:

Since 1996, Marie has been the communications director for a national organization similar to RWA. She is a member of RWA’s New England, From the Heart and Published Author Special Interest Chapters. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of Emily, 15, Jake, 12, and a feisty dog named Brandy. Marie is the author of a romantic suspense series, FATAL AFFAIR (June 2010) and FATAL JUSTICE (Jan. 2011), Books 1 and 2 in her new Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press. Book 3, FATAL CONSEQUENCES, is coming in July 2011, FATAL DESTINY in September 2011 and FATAL FLAW in February 2012.

AC: Welcome back to the Lair, Marie!
We’re thrilled to have you here to celebrate the release of your latest, Fatal Justice, the second book in your romantic suspense Fatal Series for Carina Press. Please tell us what your two lead characters Sam and Nick are up to in this latest story.
Marie: Hi there Aunty and all the Banditas! I’m so happy to back for another visit. Thanks for having me!
Sam and Nick return for another adventure in Fatal Justice. They’re newly in love and working out the boundaries of their relationship in the context of two high-pressure jobs: she’s a D.C. homicide detective and he’s a U.S. senator. In this book, Sam investigates the murder of a Supreme Court nominee with the added caveat that she and Nick were two of the last people to see the victim before he was killed. Also in Fatal Justice, Sam pursues a new lead into her father’s unsolved shooting that leads to danger for her. I’m really excited to get book 2 out to readers!
AC: And I can't wait to read it! What particular challenges have you faced in writing a series with the same couple as the main characters?

Marie: While writing Fatal Justice, I was enduring the roller coaster ride of Fatal Affair being on submission. I was disappointed that romance editors weren’t interested in a series featuring the same couple in every book. Boo! Thankfully, the ladies at Carina Press love the idea, and readers are telling me they do, too! I had a feeling they might…

The primary challenge as the series continues is keeping Sam and Nick’s relationship conflicted enough that it stays interesting but no so conflicted that it’s unrealistic. I found that to be a particular challenge in the third book, Fatal Consequences, which I finished in November. I’ve decided that readers don’t want to see them “fighting for their survival” in every book, so they will grapple with a lot of the stuff everyone deals with but in the context of their high-profile Washington lives.
AC: Sounds juicy! (rubs hands together with glee) What were some of the rewards?
Marie: I love slipping back into the Fatal world. It’s like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers. I’m working now on Fatal Destiny, the novella that will feature Sam and Nick’s wedding, and it gets easier with every book to submerge myself in the new story. I know the characters very well at this point. I said to someone recently that the scenes featuring Sam and Nick almost write themselves because I know exactly what each of them would say in most situations.

I’m also really enjoying the secondary characters, including Sam’s partner, Detective Freddie Cruz, Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales, Sam’s father Skip Holland, the O’Connors and the rest of the cast. I gave Freddie, Gonzo and Detective Jeannie McBride major subplots in Fatal Consequences and expect to further develop their characters in future books. Freddie is also prominently featured in Fatal Justice. He’s a trip to write!
AC: Since you also write contemporary romance as well as romantic suspense, do you use a different process?

Marie: I wish I could say my process is different for the suspense books, but I tend to fall back on the same chaotic seat-of-the-pants madness that has fueled all my books. I sold Fatal Consequences and book 4, Fatal Flaw, on proposal, which required synopses. While writing Fatal Consequences, I never once referred back to the synopsis , so it was the same process all over again even though I had done some initial plotting. I really hate knowing what’s going to happen ahead of time. I often have no idea “who done it” until Sam figures it out. I like it that way. It keeps me engaged in the book and the mystery.
However, one of these days my head is probably going to explode from keeping all this stuff locked up in my brain! That’s why I recently hired one of my Beta readers to index books 2 and 3 for me. I did the first book, Fatal Affair, myself and it took an entire weekend. Since I’m staring down a Feb. 28 deadline, I’m very grateful to my friend Aly for taking over the indexing job for me. As I write the fourth story, I’m finding it harder and harder to keep track of all the details, so it will be great to have a series “bible” to refer back to while working on future books.
In reference to the differences between contemporary and suspense, they don’t require different techniques mostly because the Fatal books are also contemporaries. However, it does take a significant amount of brain cells and bone marrow to keep the suspense portion of the Fatal books moving along at a good clip and to end up with a reasonable conclusion to the murder mystery.
AC: Where can readers find the Fatal series?
Marie: They’re available at Carina Press http://ebooks.carinapress.com (just look under "romantic suspense" on the sidebar) and everywhere e-books are sold. I’ve been asked a lot about where Nook users can find Fatal Justice if it’s not yet available on barnesandnoble.com, where it will be eventually. Nook users can download the ePub format from Carina.
AC: What’s next for you?
Marie: I have a print book out on Feb. 1, Everyone Loves a Hero. Also in February, I’ll be running a promotion to give readers the opportunity to plan Sam and Nick’s wedding. Watch my website at www.mariesullivanforce.com for details about how you can participate and win some great prizes.

Fatal Affair will be released in print by Harlequin in July via the eHarlequin website. Also in July is Fatal book 3, Fatal Consequences. The free wedding novella, Fatal Destiny, is out in September as part of Harlequin’s romantic suspense week. Book 4, Fatal Flaw, will be out in February of 2012.

I also recently posted two of my unsold contemporaries, True North and The Fall, to Amazon and have been blown away by the response from readers. That’s been very exciting!
AC: WOW! My head is spinning! 2011 promises to be a very busy year for you. Did you make any resolutions? Or do you have plans or wishes you hope to see fulfilled?
Marie: I never make resolutions and tend to avoid writing goals. I don’t like to set myself up for failure. However, I do hope to exercise more in 2011 and I have set just one goal for my writing career: to finally sell the book of my heart, Treading Water. We’ll see if either of those things happens! Let’s put it this way—the slim chance of a book sale is probably far more likely than the exercise! LOL!
I’m looking forward to chatting with the Banditas today! I’m always curious about what readers think of romance series featuring the same couple in numerous books. So let me know what you think of that, tell me some of your resolutions and the most important question of all: will Bachelor Brad actually choose one of the women this time around? Inquiring minds want to know! I’m happy to give away a copy of Fatal Justice to one of you!

Thanks again for having me.
Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-08T20:56:00-08:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true
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