Interview with Susannah Sandlin, Author of REDEMPTION

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I am delighted to have my chapter mate from the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of Romance Writers of America, SUSANNAH SANDLIN, with me today to talk about her new vampire romance, REDEMPTION, first in the Penton Legacy Trilogy, scheduled for release on June 12.

Susannah Sandlin is an author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! A longtime journalist, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch, and always fancied herself living in Cornwall, although she’s never actually been there. Details, details. She also read a lot of Stephen King–the combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.

Susannah has generously agreed to provide a free e-copy of REDEMPTION for one commenter. All you have to do is comment or ask a question at the end of the interview to be entered to win. (If you’d prefer a print copy, she will also provide that after her June 12 release date.)

Susannah, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I went through the bad poetry phase, then the bad short story phase, then another bad poetry phase before going to journalism school and going into a career of nonfiction writing. I only caught the novel bug three or four years ago.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

The thing I like best is (I know, call me crazy) revising and polishing. I love that process.  The thing I like least is writing the first draft. It’s painful….painful, I tell you! At some point in every manuscript I reach the “this is crap” phase and have to crawl my way out.

How do you think your experience as a journalist has prepared you for writing a paranormal romance?

It’s actually been a big stumbling block for me because as journalists we’re taught to keep emotion out of our writing. It’s helped me learn to craft a story and write fast, but accessing my emotions and putting them into the minds and bodies of a fictional character has run counter to all my training.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

I get in what I call “the zone” in certain scenes in every book, where the words come easily and the dialogue flows and the scenes seem to write themselves (as opposed to the scenes where every word feels as if it’s being ripped bodily from my skull—LOL). In Redemption, it seemed to happen most in scenes told from my character Mirren’s point of view. He isn’t even the hero of this book (the second book in the series is his story), but I had to fight him to keep him from taking over!

You’ve written five novels (three in a different genre). What’s your favorite time management tip?

I work a full-time day job and have the usual responsibilities at home, so my writing time is limited and I have to make the most of it. That means butt-in-chair every night and during the days on weekends. I’m really bad to dawdle on email and online, so I use an online stopwatch (http://www.online-stopwatch.com/) and write in 20-minute spurts during which I can’t check email or play with my dog or anything besides write.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

I’m a dedicated plotter, again because I feel as if I need to make every writing minute count. That said, I do leave enough “wiggle room” in my outlines so when my characters do something unexpected—which seems to happen frequently—I can make adjustments without straying too far off-plot.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

It would be to decide how badly you want to be published and how much you’re willing to sacrifice for it. Family, friends, pets, household chores—everything and everyone gets neglected, especially close to deadlines. I know some really good writers who want to be published but don’t want to give up what it takes to get published, which includes not only putting in the time at the keyboard but also studying the industry and continually working to improve their craft.

Tell me more about REDEMPTION. 

The world’s vampire population is on the brink of starvation since the vaccine to treat a global pandemic rendered human blood deadly to them. Their only hope for survival is a handful of rural areas that the vaccine never breached. The tiny town of Penton, Alabama, is one such enclave, where the immortal Aidan Murphy has established a community of vampires and their willingly bonded humans. Together, they live in peace—until Aidan’s estranged brother descends upon the town and begins attacking its humans. Whether the rampage is a result of his centuries-old feud with Aidan or the civil war threatening to erupt in the vampire world matters not. All that matters is the blood. Desperate to save his adopted family, Aidan breaks one of his cardinal rules, kidnapping an unvaccinated human doctor—and unexpectedly falling in love for the first time in nearly four hundred years. Dr. Krystal Harris, forced into a world she never knew existed, must face up to her own abusive past to learn if the feelings she’s developing for her kidnapper are real—or just a warped, supernatural kind of Stockholm Syndrome in which she’s allowing herself to become a victim yet again.

How about an excerpt from REDEMPTION?

Krystal Harris pulled to the shoulder of the two-lane road—highway was too grand a word—and punched the button to turn on the old green Corolla’s dome light. She counted to five before thwacking it with the heel of her palm, and a dim light blinked as if considering her demand. It stayed on—this time.

The car was a dinosaur, but it was a paid-for dinosaur.

She dug a folded Alabama road map from beneath her briefcase on the passenger seat, smoothing the creases to make sure she hadn’t driven past Penton, which she suspected was no more than a wide spot on a narrow road. She didn’t want to get lost out here in the boonies.

Yep, County Road 70. The highway to Penton just looked like the express lane to nowhere.

A gust of wind rocked the car, sending icy air around the loose door seals. Maybe the chill of this night was an omen that she should take this job if they offered it, just so she could buy a more respectable form of transportation. Still, doubts nagged at her. What kind of clinic conducted a job interview at 9 p.m.?

She should never have agreed to it, but the Penton Clinic administrator had waved big bucks in front of her huge college and med school debts, and she’d trotted after them like a donkey after a carrot.

“You had the goody-two-shoes idea of practicing rural medicine, plus you’re already here,” she chided herself, clicking off the overhead and pulling back onto the road. “And you’ve gotta admit, this is rural.”

Another omen, and not a good one: she was talking to herself. Out loud.

A couple of miles later, her headlights illuminated a battered wooden sign covered in peeling paint: Welcome to Penton, Alabama. Founded 1890. Population 3,275.

Twenty years ago, maybe. Krys had done her Penton homework, and that was the boomtown population, when the mammoth East Alabama Mill still churned out threads and batting. It had wheezed its final belch a decade ago, and the town had suffered a slow death by attrition even before the pandemic. The most recent listing Krys found online estimated a population of three hundred. She was surprised they could afford to hire a doctor, much less pay a more-than-competitive wage.

But this was what she wanted, right? A place to practice medicine and be her own boss, to find a community where she could belong? After growing up in Birmingham—the wrong side of Birmingham—she hated the grime and crowds and noise of the city.

Lost in thought as she approached the outskirts of town, she thought she saw an animal in the road—a deer or a bear, maybe—God only knew what wildlife lived out here. But it was a man. He wore a long coat that flapped in the wind and was backlit by a lone streetlight in front of an abandoned convenience store. She’d have blown past him if he hadn’t moved into the middle of the road when the glare of her headlights hit him like a spotlight.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, feet planted apart, watching calmly as she floored the brakes. The Corolla’s old tires squealed, stinking up the air with the smell of hot rubber and stressed brakes.

Good Lord. Was he nuts?

She got the car stopped and took a deep breath, hands frozen to the wheel, her muscles jittery from the aftershock. The man walked around and tapped on her driver’s side window, motioning for her to lower it. Krys’s foot hovered over the accelerator, indecisive. Should she drive on and get the hell out of here?

No, by God, she should not. She’d at least lower the window enough to tell the jerk how close he’d come to ending his life as a hood ornament on a green Toyota Dinosaur.

He held up his empty hands in a gesture of peace. Right. Like he was going to hold up a sign that said Beware of Murderous Backwoods Whack Job.

She snaked her right hand to her purse in the passenger seat, wrapped cold fingers around the handle of a small pistol, and slipped it into the pocket of her suede jacket—after she was sure the man had seen it. The .38 Smith & Wesson snub-nose was her security blanket, and she knew how to use it.

His only reaction to the gun was a raised eyebrow. “I have a man injured here.” His voice was deep and melodic, and he had a trace of an accent, as if he’d grown up not speaking English but had been around a few too many Southerners. “You the doctor coming to Penton for the interview?”

She lowered her window an inch and stared as he knelt next to the driver’s side door, putting his face at eye level. And damned if it wasn’t one of the most beautiful faces she’d seen since…maybe ever.

He’d pulled his dark hair into a short ponytail except for one wavy strand that had pulled loose and blew against his cheek. The streetlight cast enough illumination for her to see the dark lashes fringing blue eyes that reminded her not so much of summer skies or robin’s eggs but of the richness of an arctic sea flowing over darker depths. They appeared to lighten as he studied her with an intensity that almost robbed her lungs of air.

He had a strong jaw, full lips, and a slight cleft in his chin. If he was a serial killer, he was at least a pretty one.

He cleared his throat. “Are you Dr. Harris?”

Krys caught her breath. Good Lord, what was wrong with her? She’d been practically drooling through a half-open window as though he were Adonis personified. He could be Charles Manson’s separated-at-birth, unidentical twin.

Except he knew her name.

 Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Website & Blog

Twitter

 

Susannah, thanks you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Cover Reveal for Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies by Cynthia Cooke

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Blurb:

Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.

After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future…as well as their very lives.

 NOW available at Amazon


Be sure to connect with Cynthia at:

 

Cynthia@cynthiacooke.com

https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.cooke.authorpage

https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.cookeauthor

http://twitter.com/CynthiaCooke5

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4302001-cynthia-cooke

NEWS FLASH! KILLER KISSES goes LIVE!

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KILLER KISSES Is ALIVE and available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080LR1XA

This anthology has romantic tales ranging from short, contemporary, and chaste to long, paranormal and spicy.

In A Peck on the Cheek: Hurricane Jason, a female private investigator searches for a two-timing husband, but lands in an hurricane shelter. Does she get her man?

In Cat Nips: Catastrophe, a crazy cat lady is evicted by her drunken landlord and the lives of her cat are at stake. Will she and her cats wind up on the street? Or will a secret admirer find a better home for everyone?

In Hot Lips: Lake Placid Cure, a woman finds her husband in a compromising position–again. Looking to recover her dignity, she sets out for a medi-spa, encounters a murder mystery and discovers that miracles still happen in Lake Placid.

In French Kiss: Pigmalion, a speech pathology graduate student needs one more subject for her research project to graduate. She runs into a hot guy with a heavy accent and tries to recruit him into her study. Will she teach him the language of love?

In Sizzling Smooch: Bonded for Life, a Mexican artist runs for her life to hide in the little town where she graduated from high school. She’s convinced no one will find her there. But a boy with a high school crush on her grew up to be a hunky cop–and he has her in his cross hairs.

In Delectable and Delicious: An Inn Decent Proposal, a chef and a hotelier join forces at foreclosure auction at an inn and outbid a small time hood. The thug doesn’t like being on the losing end of the deal. Things heat up outside and in the bedroom. Can the couple make a go of it? Or will the hood destroy their dream?

In Release Your Inner Wild Women: Kiss of the Silver Wolf, a young woman searches for the truth about her brother’s debilitating disease. An intriguing man with silver hair and a penchant for long night insists she’s his life mate. How does this sexy man figure into her family secrets?

All my short stories and novellas have been rolled into one full length book, a sweet deal at $2.99 USD. I hope you enjoy the reads and tell your friends.

Interview with David Leadbeater, Author of THE BONES OF ODIN

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I am delighted to have my Twitter friend, David Leadbeater, with me today to talk about his latest release THE BONES OF ODIN, currently ranked on Amazon UK as # 3 in Action/Adventure and #10 in Thriller categories.

Born in Pontefract, U.K., David grew up in Stockton-on-Tees and York. He reads every kind of fiction he can get his hands on and has been writing since he was fifteen. He loves Chuck, Buffy, Firefly, Castle, True Blood, Lost Girl, Nikita and Dollhouse, plus anything Whedonesque or nerdy, really! He lives in York, U.K. and is married with two daughters. David is currently at work writing the next Matt Drake thriller. He cites Robert Crais, Graham Masterton, and Joss Whedon as his major influences. THE BONES OF ODIN will be free on Kindle TODAY, May 1st, 20102 for everyone. His next book THE BLOOD KING CONSPIRACY is due to be out in about 2 weeks.

David, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down?

I became interested in reading novels whilst still at school, the old horror/fantasy writers like Graham Masterton, Stephen King, Stephen Donaldson, Tolkien etc and first tried my hand at writing a book at the tender age of 15, which I subsequently sent off to a publisher to receive a rejection letter for a book that wasn’t even mine. Good start with the publishers, eh?

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

The best times I find are when everything is flowing, a difficult scene gets written with ease as you see your protagonists come to rich and wonderful life. The hardest parts are when nothing you write seems to work no matter how hard you try, and this often happens even if, in the last session, you wrote the best work of your life. Frustrating!

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

Yes, this did indeed happen with the first book I wrote- CHOSEN – many of the secondary characters just invented themselves and seemed to fly off the page!

You’ve written 2 novels, and 1 short story. What’s your favorite time management tip?

Decide what needs doing that day, in work and in your personal life, and get it done. Do not procrastinate. Then, at the end of the day, your mind will be at ease and ready to enter the gentle writing rhythms that promote success.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

No, definitely a plotter. I like to have everything mapped out. That’s not to say the characters themselves don’t interfere sometimes, they do! But, as a rule, most of my book is planned beforehand.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

Take a pen and paper around with you everywhere! Ideas hit you at every time of day and night, and in every situation you can imagine. It’s unbelievably frustrating to know you had that great idea to suddenly realise that you’ve now forgotten it.

Tell me more about THE BONES OF ODIN.

Did ancient Gods like Odin and Zeus and Thor once really exist?
The time has come for a grand adventure filled with high excitement and explosive action.
Matt Drake, a retired SAS officer, must unravel a mystery older than time in his search for the Nine Pieces of Odin. Though scattered aeons ago, it is believed that once the Pieces are reunited they will show the way to the Tomb of the Gods- the greatest archaeological find of all time.
From a rocket attack on the Louvre to a battle in a Swedish cavern, from a daring helicopter raid on New York’s National History Museum to an assault on a gangsters mansion in Hawaii, Matt Drake must find the world’s oldest treasure in one of the wildest places on earth, searching for the very bones of the Gods with the spoils of victory being the entire world.

How about an excerpt from THE BONES OF ODIN?

Kennedy glanced at young Ben with new eyes. “You have groupies? Your band has groupies? That’s a conversation we’re gonna have real soon, bro. Believe it.”

“Only two-” Ben began to stammer as they rounded a portion of the final curve, and then clammed up in shock.

They all stopped.

Ancient dreams of amazement stood before them, rendering them speechless, practically brain-dead for about half a minute.

“Now that’s. . .that’s. . .”

“Gobsmacking.” Drake breathed.

A row of the biggest Viking longboats they’d ever imagined stretched away from them, single file, resting end to end, as if stuck in the middle of an archaic traffic jam. Their sides were adorned with silver and gold, their sails festooned with silk and jewels.

“Longboats.” Kennedy said dumbly.

“Longships.” Ben still had wits enough to correct her. “Damn, these things were considered great treasures of their time. There must be. . .what? Twenty here?”

“Pretty awesome,” Drake said. “But it’s the Spear we came for. Any ideas?”

Ben was now staring at the World Tree. “Jesus, guys. Can you imagine? Odin hung in that tree. Odin.”

“So now you believe in Gods, hmm? Groupie-boy?” Kennedy sidled next to Ben a little saucily, making him blush.

Drake climbed onto a narrow ledge that ran the length of the longship tailback. The rock felt sturdy. He gripped a timber edge and leaned over. “These things are filled with loot. Safe to say, no one’s ever been here before today.”

He studied the line of ships again. A display of unimaginable riches, but where was the real treasure? At the end? The end of the rainbow? The sides of the cavern were adorned with ancient drawings. He saw a depiction of Odin hanging on the World Tree, a woman kneeling before him.

“What does this say?” He beckoned Ben over. “C’mon, hurry. Those dodgy bastards aren’t jamming Bratwurst down their throats up there. Let’s move.”

He indicated a rough swirl of text underneath the woman’s supplicating figure. Ben shook his head. “But technology will find a way. “ He took a snap with his trusty I-phone, which, thankfully, had proved to be out of signal down here.

Drake took a moment to include Kennedy.  “My only idea is to follow these longboats,” he said. “You okay with that?”

“Like the cheerleader said to the football team- I’m game, boys. Lead the way.”

He forged ahead, aware that if this super-tunnel came to a dead end they would be trapped. The Germans would be hard on their tail, not sat resting on their laurels. Drake compartmentalised the thought, focusing on the ledge that had been hewn into the rock. Every so often they came across another glow stick. Drake masked them or moved them to create a more shadowy environment, preparing for the struggle ahead. He searched constantly among the longships, and finally made out a tight path meandering between them.

Plan B.

Two, four, and then ten longships went past. Drake’s feet started to ache with the effort of negotiating the narrow path.

The faint noise of a tumbling boulder, and then a louder scream echoed through the gargantuan cavern, its meaning obvious. Without a sound they bent even harder to their task.

Drake came at last to the end of the row. He’d counted twenty-three ships, every one pristine and laden with loot. As they approached the back of the tunnel darkness started to encroach.

“Guess they never got this far.” Kennedy remarked.

Drake rummaged for the big flashlight. “Risky,” he said. “But we need to know.”

He clicked it on and swept the beam from side to side. The passageway narrowed drastically, until it became a simple archway up ahead.

And beyond the archway lay a single set of stairs.

Ben suddenly stifled a scream, then stage-whispered: “They’re on the ledge!”

This was it. Drake took action. “We split up,” he said. “I’ll go for the stairs. You two get down there among the ships and head back the way we came.”

Kennedy started to protest, but Drake shook his head. “No. Do it. Ben needs protection, I don’t. And we need the Spear.”

“And when we reach the end of the ships?”

“I’ll be back by then.”

Drake sprang away without another word, leaping off the ledge and making for the blind staircase. He looked back once and saw shadows advancing along the ledge. Ben was following Kennedy down the rubble-strewn slope to the base of the last Viking ship. Drake sent a prayer of hope and hit the stairs at a dead run, taking them two at a time.

Come on. He climbed until his calves ached and his lungs burned. But then he came out onto a wide landing. Beyond that lay a wide stream, rushing madly, and still further away stood a raised altar of rough hewn rock, almost like an archaic barbecue.

But it was the massive symbol engraved into the wall behind the altar that caught Drake’s attention. Three triangles, overlaying one another. Some mineral within the carvings caught the artificial light and gleamed like sequins on a black dress.

No time to lose. He waded across the stream, sucking in air when the freezing water rose to his thighs. As he approached the altar, he saw an object resting on its surface. A short, pointed artefact, not astonishing or impressive. Actually mundane. . .

. . .the Spear of Odin.

The object that had pierced the side of a God.

A surge of excitement and apprehension surged through him. This was the event that made it all real. Up to now it had been a bunch of maybes, just clever speculation. But beyond this moment it was frighteningly real.

Horrifyingly real. They were facing a countdown to the end of the world.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Websites – http://tinyurl.com/6mhm2ye

Facebook – http://tinyurl.com/7exp2u6

Twitter – @dleadbeater2011

Buy links book – USA version - http://tinyurl.com/84tgzgp

UK  version – http://tinyurl.com/777pedb

David, thanks you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Jannine Gallant on Beginning with a Bang

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First things first – Sharon thank you so much for having me on your blog today. This is my first stop in my promotional tour for Nothing But Trouble, part of the Honky Tonk Hearts series releasing tomorrow from The Wild Rose Press, so I’m thrilled to be here. And since it’s my first stop, I thought I’d talk about beginnings.

How many of you agonize over the opening scene in your book and rewrite it countless times? It’s the hook that catches the reader’s attention, so it has to be perfect. At least that’s the way I look at it as I revise the first page of my WIP for the 120th time, changing one word here and one word there… You get the picture, and those of you who write can probably relate. The opening scene does more than you think. It doesn’t just introduce your characters and setting. It sets the tone for the book. It shows off your style.

The first scene in Nothing But Trouble came to me in a flash of inspiration. I could see the setting, a dusty highway in Texas in front of a honky tonk bar. My heroine is stranded by the roadside. She takes one look at the cowboy offering her a ride and knows he’s nothing but trouble. But creating a picture isn’t enough to engage potential readers. As an author, it’s your job to show them what kind of book you’ve written. Is the stranded woman frightened, sad, or spitting mad? Do you get a feeling of danger or one of humor from the situation? By the end of that first page, the reader should have a good sense of your voice.

Now, take everything you want to convey in your opening scene, and condense it into one sentence. The oh so important first line of your book. A daunting task to be certain. I’ll admit I’ve written some less than stellar first lines. But I’ve read some true beauties, both in classic books and new favorites.

From Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

From Carnal Innocence by Nora Roberts: The air was raw with February the morning Bobby Lee Fuller found the first body.

From Try Just Once More by Kat Henry Doran: Maggie McGuire didn’t have time to die.

It took me several tries, but I finally wrote a first line for Nothing But Trouble that satisfied me. Chase Paladin slammed on the brakes and prayed.

It may not be the best first line ever written, but I hope it will hook readers and make them ask, “Then what happened?” So, let’s hear your favorite first lines, one’s you’ve read or written.

Blurb:

Chase Paladin avoids commitment like a patch of stinging nettles. He’s seen how love can trample a man, and he doesn’t plan to get hitched—ever. But when Honor Jackson walks into his life, hell-bent on keeping her distance, she turns his convictions inside out.

One look at the too-handsome cowboy with laughing green eyes and a killer smile, and Honor knows he’s nothing but trouble. She’s come to Redemption, Texas to help an old friend, not to let another man charm her into certain heartache.

But every time she turns around, Chase is there, and the closer they get, the more she fears he’ll break her heart. So when anonymous threats make it clear that someone in Redemption wants her gone, Honor is ready to oblige. Only now Chase isn’t certain he can live without her.

Will two wary hearts take a chance on love before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

Chase reached over and gave her arm a squeeze. The imprint of his fingers on her bare skin tingled like a brand.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. Soon as word gets out, you’ll draw the locals like bees to honey.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never heard that line before.”

“I can see I have an uphill battle ahead. Charming you won’t be an easy task.”

Leaning her head against the high vinyl seatback, she avoided his smiling eyes. “More like impossible, so don’t bother trying.”

His lips firmed. “Is it me in particular, or are you always this friendly?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Stroking the dog’s silky coat, she spent a moment composing her thoughts. “I’m sure you’re a whole lot of fun. You’re handsome and entertaining.” She let out a breath. “You’re probably a firecracker in bed to boot.”

He coughed and shot her a wide-eyed glance.

“But I’m not in the market for a fling with a good-looking cowboy.”

“Why not?”

“Huh?”

“What happened to put you off men?”

“Life happened. I plan to work for Andee for a couple of months and get my ducks in a row before moving on. I’m pretty sure—make that one hundred percent positive—getting involved with you would complicate the equation, and I’m no math whiz.”

“What are you a whiz at, besides putting men in their place?”

Places you can find Jannine and her books:

Website: http://www.janninegallant.com/

Blog: http://janninegallant.blogspot.com/

Group Blog: http://www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JannineGallant.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JannineGallant

Buy Link from TWRP: http://bit.ly/IbOwjk

Also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Interview with Shawn Dalton-Smith, Author of Dreamers

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I am delighted to have my chapter mate from the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of Romance Writers of America and fellow Red Sage author, Shawn Dalton-Smith, with me today to talk about her new release, DREAMERS.  Author of paranormal romance novels, Shawn Dalton-Smith is a self-described dreamer. It’s one of the reasons she fell in love with paranormal romances. Shawn lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with the man of her dreams. They met in Korea while serving in the armed forces and after a two month courtship, got married. They’ve been together 23 years, have three wonderful children, and two  grandbabies. Since Shawn experienced a whirlwind romance, she developed an appreciation for stories that featured them.  But she wanted her books to have something more.  That’s where her dreams come in.  She’s always been a vivid dreamer and most of her stories are based on them.  Shawn has generously agreed to provide a free e-copy of DREAMERS for one commenter. All you have to do is comment or ask a question at the end of the interview to be entered to win.

To tease you a bit about her new release, here’s a link to her DREAMERS book trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnwjBcrvozs&feature=colike

First of all, Shawn, I want to thank you and your husband for serving our country. I very much appreciate the sacrifices you’ve both made to ensure our security and safety.

Thanks, Sharon! Serving in the military gave me a greater appreciation for America and what it means to be an American. I’m grateful to all the men and women who have sacrificed to serve the country.

Shawn, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down?

I started off writing poetry when I was in the third grade. I even came in second place when my school held a contest to re-write our school song. I didn’t start writing stories until a college professor praised a story I had written for lit class. By then, I had become an avid reader of romances. Harlequin’s were my books of choice. But life got in the way. School, the military, marriage and children. After my youngest son entered high school, I got serious about it. Now that I’m an empty nester, I have more time to devote to writing and couldn’t be happier.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

I like being able to bring a fantasy to life. Meeting new characters and getting them into outrageous situations. There’s nothing like escaping into a whole new world that you created. And when you get an offer? That’s the biggest high there is! What I like least? Rejection. It’s a necessary evil we’ve all had to go through, but it’s still a bummer.

How do you think your experience in the armed forces and as a mother and grandmother have prepared you for writing a paranormal romance?

When I was in the military it was dominated by men. I think it still is. But I made a lot of male friends and got a lot of insight on the way they think. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I write men pretty well. Not always a popular thing in a genre that has a lot of female readers. Especially since a lot of times the first thing that comes to man’s mind when he first meets a woman is her “doable factor.”  Being a mother and grandmother has taught me patience. It wasn’t one of my greatest attributes when I was single and childless. In order to be a writer, any kind of writer, you have to have patience.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

Life After. It’s due to be released in July, and my hero is being completely unreasonable. It’s the first novel I’ve written where I made out a story board, and my hero went in a totally different direction. I decided to let him have his way, and I’m glad I did.

You’ve written 2 novels, and you are also wife, mother and grandmother. What’s your favorite time management tip?

Turn off the TV. It’s my biggest time suck. Sometimes, when I let it draw me in, and hubby comes into the room and says, “Aren’t you supposed to be writing?” Then he’ll sit in his office, which is right next to mine, and starts clamoring away at his next big project while I write. Thank God I can record my favorite shows.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

Panster all the way! The story board I did for Life After was a complete waste of time. The finished product doesn’t look anything like what I have on that board. Dreamers was a panster job and I loved writing every minute of it! I like not knowing what comes next.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

Finish a book.  I know several writers who have ten or more books started and haven’t finished one. You can’t get your work out there if you haven’t finished it. Pick the one that calls to you and give the characters their HEA.

Tell me more about DREAMERS.

Somiar Ayers always thought it was really cool that she could control her dreams. In one night, her world is shattered when she finds out not only is she adopted, but she comes from a race of female assassins called Dreamers. While in a dream state, Dreamers can astral project anywhere, any time. Since they don’t leave fingerprints or DNA they can literally get away with murder. Now that her biological mother is caught, she has been charged to get her back. At any cost. With the help of her adoptive mother, Somiar is in a race against time. Can she find her mother before Malachi finds out she is the key to the Dreamer he’s been seeking for years? Or will she find her whole life has been a lie? Malachi Walker is a Dream Catcher who has been hunting Dreamers for the past seven years. Particularly the Dreamer that killed his best friend. When he saves Somiar Ayers from a Dreamer, he can’t believe his luck. If he can keep her alive, he can catch the one Dreamer that has haunted him most of his adult life. But as the past descends on them, and webs of deceit are untangled, he starts to wonder. Who will save him from her?

How about an excerpt from DREAMERS? Sure!

 “Hold it right there, Somiar.”

She froze, her fingers still on the pin at Leila’s throat.

“Pull that out and you’re a dead woman.” Stephen’s voice was low and deadly. The click from the hammer of a gun punctuated his sentence.

She remained where she was, sweat beading her forehead. Her heart raced, and though she was sweating she felt cold as ice. “What’s going on here?” she asked without turning, afraid that if she moved a muscle, he’d blow her brains out.

“Do exactly as I say and I might not kill you. Stand up and turn around. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

His words were like steel against her back. No doubt he would shoot her where she stood if she didn’t comply. Her hands and legs shook. She stood slowly, hands at shoulder level. Remaining upright was a struggle, but she forced her legs to stay steady as she turned.

Stephen stared back at her, the large hand gun with a silencer attached aimed at her chest. Beside him was Malachi, his lips stretched to a thin line, hell in his eyes.

“Malachi.” His name was a whisper on her lips. She wished the ground would open and swallow her where she stood.

“You want to tell me exactly what you’re doing?” He looked like he could kill her. When she didn’t answer, he clenched his jaw, his hands clenching and unclenching at his thighs. “So it’s true. You’re a Dreamer.” His gaze never left hers, but his next words were directed at Stephen. “The woman on the couch is her mother. I wasn’t sure at first, but look at them.”

Stephen’s aim never wavered. “You want me to pin her? Nothing would give me greater pleasure.” There was no sympathy in his eyes.

“Let me handle this.” Malachi stalked over to her and seized her wrist. “Stephen just left you upstairs. How did you get past us?”

She licked her dry lips. “I left right after he did. I overheard your conversation and wanted to see who you were talking about.” Her desperate gaze darted around the room, looking for an escape. His grip on her wrist reminded her of another time. The night she first met him. She fought the tears that burned the back of her eyes. “I figured while you were at the bar I could sneak in here and get a look at the woman you had.”

Stephen took a threatening step toward her. “Liar,” he hissed. “We never went to the bar. Malachi met me at the elevator and Lucien took the stairs to the penthouse.” He pulled his phone from the case at his waist. “Lucien, did you pass anyone on the stairs?” A short pause. “Check the bedroom and let me know if there’s a woman sleeping there.”

Somiar cried out as the pressure of Malachi’s fingers on her wrist increased. “Malachi, come on. You know who I am. Your ring’s not glowing. I can’t be a Dreamer.” She knew the desperation in her voice unveiled her guilt. There was nothing she wouldn’t give right now to make her words true. But how was she to convince him, when in her heart she knew she was a fake? “You know who I am.”

“Mal, I have confirmation from Lucien. She’s still there.” Stephen’s steely voice came from behind Malachi.

He yanked her closer to him. “I never told you about my ring.” His nose was inches from hers, his breath hot on her face. “How are you doing this? How did you get in here? The catcher stones should have kept you out.”

“Malachi, listen to me. Don’t do this.” Tears streamed down her face. The sharp pain in her neck took seconds to register. His face became a blur. Her head spun and her legs went numb.

“Almost ready on this end.” Stephen’s voice sounded far away, as if he were at the other end of a tunnel.

“What did you do to me?”

Malachi’s face remained rock hard, but the pain in his eyes was something she would never forget. “Malachi?” Was that a tear sliding down his face? She wanted to brush it from his cheek, but her arms were too heavy. “I’m sorry.” Trying to fight the darkness overtaking her, she shook her head, grabbing his muscled arm for support. Her head lolled to the side and she tried to fight the weight of her own eyelids. It was no use. She collapsed in his arms, allowing the abyss to open.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

DREAMERS available at http://www.eredsage.com/store/index.html
Website http://www.shawndaltonsmith.com
Blog http://paranormal-perks.blogspot.com/
Blog http://www.wordwranglers.blogspot.com/

Shawn, thanks you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Interview with Martha Bourke, Author of The Jaguar Sun

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I am delighted to have my Twitter friend, Martha Bourke, with me today to talk about her  novel, THE JAGUAR SUN. Martha grew up in Burlington, Vermont, often considered a hub of “free thinking.” She was encouraged to write and be creative at a very young age. Martha also had her father’s talent for languages, which later became her career. She spent fifteen years creating and teaching in foreign language programs for young children. She continued to write on the side, trying out a variety of fiction genres. Then she discovered YA – specifically, paranormal romance. She was hooked! Martha and her husband of thirteen years have carved out their own little piece of Vermont in the Massachusetts countryside. When not writing, Martha loves spending time with her animals (including a cat named Edgar Allan Poe), good music, thrifting, and adding to her Converse collection. She is currently working on book two of the Jaguar Sun Series, Jaguar Moon. Martha has generously agreed to provide a free e-copy of THE JAGUAR SUN for one commenter. All you have to do is comment or ask a question at the end of the interview to be entered to win.

Martha, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down? It all actually started with poetry in the fourth grade. My teacher really liked some of my poems and even tried to get a few of them published in magazines. She wasn’t successful, but I was hooked! From there it was short stories around grade six. By high school I was writing novellas by hand in my spare time. I always had a wild imagination and I think writing was and is the perfect outlet for it.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? The best part about being a writer is by far writing the characters. My mother calls them my “people.” Isn’t that funny? She’s eighty-one and what a riot. She makes me sound like Sally Field in Sybil! I really enjoy discovering what my characters will do next. It’s an amazing adventure. I think I dislike editing the most, although I have a wonderful editor whose experience truly does add to my books. But editing and proofing are the mechanics of writing. No need for imagination there! So, it’s just not as fun.

How do you think creating and teaching in foreign language programs for young children have prepared you for writing Young Adult novels? I think that one of the most difficult tasks that face the Young Adult novelist is writing the voices of the characters. It can be difficult to make a young person sound authentic. I spent the majority of my day for fifteen years hanging out with kids of various ages. So, that was very helpful was it came time to write my first YA.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Yes! In fact, that has only ever happened with the Jaguar Sun Series. I wrote an earlier novel about five years ago that was much more difficult to write. It hasn’t been published. In fact, I haven’t even read it over in a very long time.  

For a variety of reasons (day job, children, elder care, book marketing), writers often complain about not having enough time to write. What’s your favorite time management tip? I have to schedule my time to write. I write full-time and I treat it as a job. So, during the week, I hop on Twitter and check e-mail for an hour in the mornings and then go right to my manuscript. I write about five or six hours a day. Then I do another correspondence check and work on interviews, guest posts, contacting bloggers. After that is family time. We don’t have kids, so unexpected interruptions are less likely. But no matter your situation, you need to stay disciplined. I think following a schedule is really important. When it comes to marketing, I usually hire out for the heavy stuff. Right now I’m doing a blog tour for Jaguar Sun through Kismet Book Touring. I know not everyone can afford to do that. I’m very fortunate.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? I think I’m a pantser with planner tendencies. Their story is always in my head and they are constantly trying to tell me what’s going on in their world. With Jaguar Sun, Maya and Matt were constantly telling me where they were headed. Like, in the middle of doing the dishes. I have sticky notes all over my wall in my writing studio of scenes that have popped into my head. It’s almost like the movies! I jot them down so I don’t forget things. I write a lot on inspiration. That doesn’t mean that I forego planning. I just don’t necessarily plan in a straight line. And that works for me.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Always, always have your work professionally edited. If money is a problem, join a critique group or use beta readers. At the very least, have people that you know read it over and make suggestions. As writers, we want to bring readers into the world that we have created. Nothing will bring a reader out of that world faster than a story that is unreadable because of typos or problems with the story itself.

Tell me more about JAGUAR SUN.

DECEMBER 21, 2012 Will that fateful day destroy our world, or did the Mayans have something else in mind? Maya Delaney knows. Unfortunately.

Maya Delaney is just an average sixteen-year- old. She’s busy dealing with exams, her soon to be ex-boyfriend and fitting in. But Maya’s got bigger problems. She’s hiding a major secret from her dad and having strange visions she can’t control. In her struggle to figure out who she is, she learns that she is meant to fulfill an ancient Mayan Prophesy and bring forth a New Age on earth. Will the spirit magic Maya wields be enough to defeat Toltec, an evil society bent on keeping her from her destiny? Or will that destiny destroy her?

 How about an excerpt from JAGUAR SUN? Sure! This is a paragraph from a scene between Maya and her mate, Matt.

That’s when he pulled me to him and kissed me.

Oh, God. It was like my whole body woke up. Something was different. I could feel his strength and power, the perfection of his being. I ran my hands along his chest, slid my hands under his shirt, felt the heat of his skin. I wasn’t just some high school junior with a schoolgirl crush anymore. I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t trying to figure out what he was thinking. I didn’t wonder where we stood. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every fiber of my being was completely attuned to him. He was my mate. I was home.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

 Websiteshttp://www.jaguarsunseries.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jaguarsunseries

Twitter http://twitter.com/martha_bourke

Buy links for your book Amazon Kindle and paperback http://amzn.to/wWLlEu

Kismet Book Tour Page http://bit.ly/y60Px9

Martha, thanks you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Sunny Days!

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I am delighted to report that I am a recipient of the Sunshine Award. I’d like to thank Casey Wyatt for this award (*throwing kisses*).

The rules are that I’m supposed to share 10 facts about myself. I’m cheating a little and using 7 from a previous blog, plus 3 new ones.

  1. I’m a reformed pantser. I used to write “organically,” but then I found much of my work wound up in the composter, so to speak.
  2. I took course with Karen Docter on the “W” Plot and Alexandra Sokoloff on Screenwriting Tips for Authors and saw the light. I now think about my characters’ motivation and goals and plot before I begin to pour my thoughts into my computer.
  3. I get ideas for writing from dreams, news reports, and life experiences. Then I wonder, “What if…”
  4. I love the Readability utility in Word. Passive voice is my nemesis.
  5. Coffee. Nothing more needs to be said.
  6. If I don’t time myself, I fritter too much time away on Twitter and Facebook. Morning and evening check-ins and I’m done. Okay, well this is really more of a 2012 goal than a reality, but I’m working on it.
  7. DESIRE AND DECEPTION was nominated for an RT Best Erotic Fiction Book of 2011 Award. Yeah, not random, but I HAD to share and pinch myself again!
  8. Cats are my totem animals.
  9. I have a lot of leopard in my wardrobe.
  10. Guess what I’m wearing to RT? Yup. Lots of leopard. You can’t miss me.

Now, I hereby tag the following ten (10) buddies for the Sunshine Award. It’s their turn to spill 10 facts and pass the sunshine along.

Wynter Daniels  is hot stuff!

Christi Barth rules the tribe!

Jennifer Lynne writes sexy stories!

Roz Lee lusts after a boat and baseball players!

Chellesie B Dancer entertains in style!

A.E. Tyree mysteries with a bite!

Joy Held keeping us healthy!

Shannon MacLeod weaves Celtic tales!

Tara Lain loves beautiful boys!

Grace DZee reads ravenously!

Interview with D. Renee Bagby, Author of Pet’s Pleasure

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I am delighted to have my chapter mate from the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of Romance Writers of America, D. RENEE BAGBY, who also writes as ZENOBIA RENQUIST, with me today to talk about PET’S PLEASURE. Renee is a self-described military brat turned military wife who is currently stationed in Hawaii with her husband and two cats. Whether writing as D. Renee Bagby or Zenobia Renquist, she is a world-builder. She loves inventing new cultures and shaping their histories and laws because it beats researching the existing ones. Her stories span the fantasy gamut but she dabbles in sci-fi and contemporary from time to time. While her main characters tend to be of different races, she doesn’t let skin color rule or limit her stories. For her, it’s all about how much she can torture her characters so they earn their happily-ever-after ending. The rules are all new and pre-conceived notions will only slow you down, so when reading Renee’s stories, she asks only one thing — Leave Your Reality Behind. Renee has generously agreed to provide a free PDF copy of PET’S PLEASURE for one commenter. All you have to do is comment or ask a question at the end of the interview to be entered to win.

First of all, Renee, I want to thank you and your husband for serving our country. I very much appreciate the sacrifices you’ve both made to ensure our security and safety.

Thank you for the thanks.

Renee, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down?

I started inventing stories to entertain myself as a way to cope with boredom and the general stress of being a teenager. At first, it was all in my head. I would cook up fabulous tales for my “viewing” pleasure alone. Later, I started writing them down in my notebooks, which I still have, to fool my teachers into thinking I was taking notes and paying attention.

A writing contest that I failed to enter due to not having my story finished in time and the teacher who helped me prepare for that contest motivated me to think seriously about becoming an author. I wanted a heroine I could identify with. I wanted to see said heroine get kidnapped by aliens or swept across time or meet up with the hunky shifter. Since I couldn’t find those stories (at the time), I decided I might as well write some.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

The best thing about being a writer is seeing my worlds come to life and hearing from people who enjoyed the worlds I created. I love crafting not only characters but whole civilizations with their own religions and systems of belief and then tossing people (usually heroines) from our society into them and making them cope and adapt.

The thing I like least about this profession is the waiting. We authors have to have an abundance of patience because everything is a waiting game. Waiting to hear from an agent/editor about a query. Waiting to hear from an agent/editor about a submission. Waiting to hear from an editor about edits. Waiting to hear from a cover artist. Waiting for the final release copy. Waiting for the release date. Waiting for reader reactions. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Very little happens quickly in this profession.

How do you think your experience as a military brat prepared you for writing paranormal romance?

I was the perpetual new kid growing up. My family traveled. I had to make new friends, get used to new towns and schools, and learn to fit in with the people around me. As a result, I’m a world builder. As I said above, I craft these worlds just so I can shove my characters into them and make them cope. It’s funny to note that many of the authors who tend towards fish-out-of-water stories come from a military (served or dependent) background.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

Yes, totally yes, and all of them. I may have crafted the world and created the people to populate it, but my characters know they are in charge. I’ve had stories run in the exact opposite direction of where I wanted them to go. ERIS (Siren Publishing) was like that. A story that started out as a simple mainstream time travel graduated into an mfm ménage time travel because a secondary character wanted time in the lime light too.

You’ve written 4 novels (3 published) and 16 novellas (12 published), and you are also wife with two cats. What’s your favorite time management tip?

My favorite time management skill is giving in to the knowledge that something isn’t going to be done. I’m not superwoman. I can’t do everything. Even if I could, it wouldn’t be done right and I strive to do things right so I don’t have to do them again. The kitchen is clean, but the carpets are covered in cat fur. My book is finished, but I still need to do my taxes. The grocery shopping is done, but my car needs to be cleaned.

Being an author is a very time intensive career. There is no multi-tasking when I sit down to write. It’s the one time when I cannot and will not multi-task. If I tried, my story would suffer. As a result of having to be so focused on one thing for long stretches of time, several other things just won’t be done.

But, I’m not writing all of the time. Ever so often, the muse takes a hiatus or my fingers refuse to type another word or I simply don’t feel like it. It happens. Those are the times when I can focus on everything I’ve neglected.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

I’m a pantser. I have a general idea of where I’m going, but I don’t know which route the characters will take until we start the journey together. Sometimes the destination I had in mind isn’t even where we go. That was the case for my CAVEAT EMPTOR Series. That was supposed to be a one-off story — a simple vampire romance where the vampire isn’t in charge for once. With a single question mark at the end of the story that my muse wouldn’t let me edit out or answer, it evolved into a seven book series. The seventh book should be out around June.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

Your story needs to be able to stand on its own. The author who continually has to explain aspects of their story so readers understand it didn’t write a very good story. All explanation needs to be in the book or not at all.

Tell me more about PET’S PLEASURE.

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave, Blush

Genre: Mainstream SciFi/Fantasy Romance

Length: Plus Novel

Price: $5.20

Release: 05 April

 The love of a good owner is hard to find.

Starling envied the easy life of pets…until she became one. Kidnapped from Earth and sold to the highest bidder, she now belongs to an alien king. But she doesn’t want to be his pampered possession. She wants Bekion to see her as an independent woman with needs and desires of her own.

Only deviants break the laws barring sexual relations between owners and their pets, and King Bekion has no intention of succumbing to simple lust. But the long nights with Starling’s lush body pressed tight against his take a toll. Her strength and intelligence make it difficult for Bekion to remember Starling is human—and forbidden. He knows it isn’t right but he can’t stop thinking of his pet and all the pleasure he could give her, even if it costs him his crown.

How about an excerpt from PET’S PLEASURE?

Starling met his gaze. “She gave birth to a smart son. One who knows this thing between us cannot happen. Ever.”

Bekion folded her hands in his and brought her close. “It would be easier for me to accomplish such a feat if you found my attentions unappealing. I do not force myself on the unwilling.” He kissed her hands one at a time. “Tell me you don’t want me. That will end it.”

She tried but her lips refused to speak that lie, not even to save them both. Her body craved Bekion’s touch. This longing went far beyond loneliness or sexual frustration.

“I can’t.” She dropped her gaze and freed her hands. Separating from his warmth and denying the promise of more passion took more willpower than she had ever used before.

She shook her head at him as she turned, presenting him her side. “But that doesn’t mean anything, Bekion. I know you pretty well after watching you these past two months. Even if everyone on Panagiota vowed never to tell, you won’t do it. The guilt of breaking the law would eat you alive.”

He laughed but there was no humor in it. “My mother always accused me of being too honest. It is interesting to hear the same insult from you.”

“It’s not an insult.”

He stood and walked toward the bathroom. “Enough of this.”

“You know I’m right.”

He stopped in the doorway with his hand clenching the doorjamb.

She said, “No more sleeping together. No more sitting on your lap. It all needs to end. I’m novel to you. Don’t make a mistake that will ruin your entire life because of curiosity and a whim.”

As much as those words hurt, as much as she had hated hearing them before, she still said them. Bekion was a good man and a fair ruler. The history she learned showed Panagiota needed a king like Bekion, who was leading them into a golden age.

She refused to be the reason he fell.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Buy links: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9948-pets-pleasure.aspx

Website : http://zenobiarenquist.com

Blog : http://dreneebagby.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.DRBagby.ZRenquist

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ZenobiaRenquist

 Renee, thanks you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Thanks so much for having me!

Happy 120th Birthday, Baltimore Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution!

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In June, 1917, The Patriotic Marylander, a publication of the Maryland Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, interviewed the first Regent of the Baltimore Chapter, DAR, Alice Key Blunt, grand-daughter of Francis Scott Key. Miss Blunt recalled that it was initially quite difficult to get women of the city ofBaltimore to join the chapter, because “the Colonial Dames Society engrossed their attention completely.”

After about a year of recruiting efforts, the Baltimore Chapter DAR was organized on March 4, 1892, and the Chapter was granted a charter on March 18, 1892. Twelve ladies responded to invitations from Regina M. Knott, State Regent of Maryland, DAR. Officers appointed for the first year were: Miss Alice Key Blunt, Chapter Regent; Mrs. Emma Stockton Linthicum, Corresponding Secretary; Miss Margaret Phelan Keenan, Recording Secretary; Miss Elizabeth Burnap, Treasurer; Miss Eliza Snowden Thomas, Registrar; and Miss Kate Mason Rowland, Historian. The Local Board of Management were: Mrs. J. Hough Cottman, Miss Elizabeth Adams, Mrs. Alverda Griffith, Mrs. Henry Johns Berkley and Miss Bessie Graham Daves. At the meeting in October these officers were elected by the Chapter, and Mrs. Neilson Poe, however, became Corresponding Secretary, as Mrs. Linthicum had died between March and October of 1892.

The first State Regent of Maryland was none other than Regina M. Knott, who was also one of the first members of the DAR inWashington,DC. Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, the President General and wife of US President Harrison was “quite gracious…and extended the hospitality of the White House to all members of the new Society visiting WashingtonDCin 1892.”

The Chapter grew rapidly.  Just one year later, at the 1893 Continental Congress, the State Regent of Maryland DAR, Regina M. Knott, reported that there were 65 members of the Baltimore Chapter.  At the fourth Continental Congress in 1894, Miss Blunt was appointed to the national board. In 1896, Miss Blunt became interested in establishing a second chapter in Baltimorespecifically for young girls and young married women. This Chapter was named the Maryland Line Chapter. Miss Blunt stated in her interview that although she “necessarily severed my membership with the Baltimore Chapter,” it still held a warm place in her heart.

Skipping ahead a few decades, in 1898 we find the Baltimore Chapter (often referred to as the “Mother Chapter” by all subsequent Maryland DAR chapters) active during the Spanish War donating garments for hospitals and boxes of clothing to Santiago and sheets to the Red Cross.  The Chapter presented gold pieces and later medals to winners of essay contests in high schools. At the 200th Anniversary of the City of Baltimore, the chapter donated six tablets outlining the boundaries of original Baltimoretown.

In 1900, the chapter introduced a bill to the Maryland Congress to collect flags of various wars carried by Maryland Troops to be placed in the state house rotunda.  Members also donated to the reconstruction of the first monument to George Washington inBoonsboro,MD.   Later, donations were sent to National Headquarters for the reconstruction of theMarylandroom atMt.Vernon.  Baltimore Chapter contributed thirty three volumes of Archives of Maryland, two volumes of Calvert papers, and 4000 marriages copied by members by hand in court houses to the National DAR Library.

The Baltimore Chapter erected three markers in the early 1900’s.  In 1902 the chapter placed a memorial “to commemorate the patriotism and fortitude of the victor and vanquished on August 31, 1814” when the British were defeated at Chalk’s Field.   In 1906, Baltimore Chapter commissioned a large plaque to commemorate the ride of Lt. Colonel Tench Tilghman, a native Marylander and aide-de-camp to Gen. Washington, who rode from Yorktown to Philadelphia carrying the news of the surrender of Cornwallis, October 19, 1781.  Additionally they affixed a Francis Scott Key marker to the Mt.VernonMethodist Church on Charles Streetnoting that Mr. Key “departed this life on the site of this building on January 11, 1843.”

In 1907, the chapter gave a clock for the Assembly room in Continental Hall, placed in front of the balcony, facing the platform, and today it can be seen in the library.

On May 20, 1909, the chapter met at Fort McHenry to vote for the preservation of the fort.  As a sequel to this meeting, the regent received letters from President Taft and President Theodore Roosevelt endorsing plans by the Baltimore Chapter for a national celebration in 1914, the Centennial of the War of 1812-14.

Mrs. J Charles Linthicum, aka the flag lady, as she supplied copies of the American creed and flag codes to schools, was active in advocating for the Star Spangled Banner to be the national anthem and for Fort McHenry to be preserved as a national park.  Her husband, Representative J. Charles Linthicum, a good Husband of a Daughter of the American Revolution or HODAR, listened to the wisdom of his wife and worked hard for the passage of legislation for both the Star Spangled Banner and Fort McHenry. 

The chapter contributed to the Maryland Peace chimes in Valley Forge, lineage books to the Maryland Historical Society, and services to both World Wars I and II. Members purchased liberty bonds, supported French orphans, contributed to the restoration of Tilloloy, France, sold stamps and bond, hostessed in the USO, knitted sweaters for service men and volunteered where needed.

In the 1950’s benefits were held at the Vagabond Theater to purchase books for Veterans.  During this period, a 4th of July was celebrated in “by” laying wreaths on the graves of four signers of the Declaration of Independence, named Mr. Paca, Stone, Chase and Carroll.

Miss Mary Margaret McIntyre, Regent Baltimore Chapter, and other members helped with lessons for naturalization at the foot of Broadway, tutored for tests and gave away small flags.  Miss McIntyre was the first editor of the Spinning Wheel and Miss Margaret Neal assisted her.

In 1975 Judge Mary Abrabian was presented a medal of honor and later one to Mr. Edwin Perkins.  In the early 1980’s a cherry tree was planted at St. James Church, Monkton, MD, in memory of George Washington.  Through Ms. Neal, the registrar at the time, and her research in the 1980’s, three Real daughters graves were marked by the state society; daughters of Colonel Gassaway Watkins of Walnut Grove Howard County, Maryland –Caroline (Mrs. Julius Watkins), Margaret (Mrs. Albert Gallatin Warfield) Albina (Mrs. William Clark).  Later, the chapter dedicated a real daughter marker in GreenmountCemeteryfor the other daughter, Priscilla (Mrs. George Kenley), who was a member of the Baltimore Chapter.  American Flags were presented in Nov. 7, 1987 at a naturalization ceremony, and this event was publicized in none other than Sports Illustrated.

Over the past ten years, the Baltimore Chapter has received awards for its involvement with Maryland and Baltimore history, membership and perpetuation Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R), Women’s Issues and Education. We have had wonderful programs, including, but not limited to: Caring for the Caregiver, Conservation, Native American history, Immigration and Naturalization, Citizenship and Human Trafficking.  Looking forward, I  anticipate an increase in membership due to an increase in interest in and accessibility to genealogical records via the Internet and most importantly, thanks to terrific follow-up and guidance from our hard-working and enthusiastic Registrar, Mary Ann Ensminger.  Baltimore Chapter members will continue to learn about Conservation and incorporating green behaviors into their day-to-day lives from the Chapter Vice Regent, Elinor Spokes.

From the beginning, on March 4, 1892 to today, the Baltimore Chapter DAR has been blessed with hard-working and talented members, women who give of their time, energy and expertise. Baltimore Chapter Daughters walk the talk.  Through 120 years, they have perpetuated the memory and spirit of the men and woman who achieved American Independence; carried out the injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people, “to promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge,” thus developing an enlightened public opinion, and affording to young and old such advantages as shall develop in them the largest capacity for performing the duties of American citizens, and have cherished, maintained and extended the institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty. Now, more than ever before, with so many other opportunities for women in both the workplace and in voluntary organizations, I am humbled by their dedication.  I look forward to new and exciting adventures for the Baltimore Chapter Daughters in the years to come.

Sources

Blunt, Alice Key. (1917, June). Some recollections of the Baltimore Chatper, Md. D.A.R. The Patriotic Marylander, pp. 263-267.

Neal, Margaret. (1992, October 24). The BALTIMORE CHAPTER D A R, 110TH ANNIVERSARY, 1892-2002.