Tag Archives: marriage of convenience

January 1, 2018 · 12:32 pm

Liz Tyner: Ten Quotes That Focus My Writing World ~ Redeeming the Roguish Rake

I’m pleased to share a post from my good friend, Liz Tyner, who always has something informative and entertaining to share… plus, she’s a fantastic writer!!

Ten Quotes That Focus My Writing World

The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business. John Steinbeck. When I realized that many authors from the past had day jobs, or were supported by someone else, or had an inheritance, I felt so much better. And when I realize I’ve chosen, in a surprise way, to be a professional gambler of sorts, it helps with the day job.

People ask you for criticism but they only want praise. W. Somerset Maugham. It’s very true, but constructive criticism helps us grow as writers, and I believe the ability to listen and evaluate feedback is important. I still have to work, however, to keep from taking criticism personally.

The first sentence sells your novel, the last sentence sells the next one. Mickey Spillane. Most likely, I will spend the rest of my life hoping for a perfect first sentence and never entirely satisfied with the endings.

Try to leave out the parts that most people tend to skip: Elmore Leonard. Editing is so important.

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. It’s the difference between lightning and lightning bug. Mark Twain When I’m having trouble finding the right word and I care, then I remember it matters.

It’s only a book. Tim Hallinan When I get stuck on trying to find the right word and I give up. It’s only a book and if I don’t finish it, no one will be able to read it, ever. So the other 69,999 words are more important than one I can’t find.

You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Anne Lamont may have said this about writing, and it’s an old joke, but when I think about my book that isn’t written yet, and know I plan to submit it, and I need a pep talk, this type of quote resonates so that I’ll get busy and write one word at a time.

I don’t like green eggs and ham. Dr. Seuss He wrote a book using only fifty words. And he wrote it about green eggs. It tells me to push myself, challenge myself and if I believe in a topic, then I should write about it.

You can do it. The Waterboy movie For some reason that imprinted in my brain. And when a deadline approaches, sadly I can hear the “You can do it all night long…” but it’s not true.

Royalties. I don’t remember who said it first to me. But it does roll off the tongue and makes the Steinbeck quote a little more palatable.

BLURB:

Beaten and left for dead, Foxworthy falls in love with the vicar’s daughter who saved him, and it’s a perfect relationship until he regains his ability to speak.

EXCERPT:

Foxworthy wanted to kiss Rebecca, but he could not.

He could not let his face near hers. No woman should be touched by such ugliness. He reached out and rested his fingertips against her cheeks. Then he traced her perfect nose. Even her jawline was perfect.

He’d thought nothing fascinating about her face, but now he looked closer. In her plainness, she had a simple beauty. The wisps of hair framing her face enhanced the softness of her skin. Such a contrast to the rough hands—the work she did made the woman more delicate.

He grasped her shoulders and her eyes opened. She’d taken pity on a beaten man and helped her neighbors with whatever they needed. He could see purity. An unaware angel.

He must kiss her. He must.

“Kissed?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Never?”

Her head wobbled a no. Eyes begged him.

“Later.”

His right hand rested against her throat. Her pulse hammered. She swallowed.

“Promise?” she asked.

He traced the fullness of her lips and without words made a promise to both of them.

BUY LINK:

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781488086533_redeeming-the-roguish-rake.html

BIO:

Liz Tyner has had seven books published by Harlequin, a division of Harper Collins. In her spare time, she walks her rural acreage trying to select the perfect tree to place her trail camera.

http://www.liztyner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/search/posts/?q=liz%20tyner%20-%20author

https://twitter.com/LizTyner1

4 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as Harlequin, Harper Collins, marriage of convenience, Regency, Romance

September 21, 2016 · 9:58 am

Author Jan Scarbrough: Don’t Be Afraid to Make Your Dreams Come True – New Release: Tangled Memories

I am very pleased to introduce Jan Scarbrough who is sharing her latest release, Tangled Memories. It’s a gothic mystery romance…which I adore!! Welcome, Jan…

Don’t be afraid to make your dreams come true!

When I was thirty-eight, I almost died. After that happened, I figured it was time to make my dream come true. I’d always wanted to write a novel, but had been scared of failure and never tried. After my life-threatening experience, I knew it was time to make the effort.

Tangled Memories is like an old-fashioned gothic romance with a dark, mysterious hero and the spunky heroine. There’s a big supernatural element involving a medieval plot. However, the book is contemporary, set in a modern-day Kentucky mansion. After a few starts and stops, the book wrote itself, because I had a story to tell. I was fortunate that the Romance Writers of America selected Tangled Memories as one of its Golden Heart Finalists.

I’d love it if you’d sign up for my monthly newsletter. As a subscriber, you’ll receive a list of my favourite places to visit in the Bluegrass, insider scoop on my stories including exclusive reads and sneak peeks for upcoming releases, and a chance to win my monthly giveaway.

Blurb for Tangled Memories

After losing his wife, Dr. Alexander Dominican is determined his infant daughter will not grow up motherless as he did. Offering sensible, kind kindergarten teacher Mary Adams a marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution. The widow’s husband left her with a mountain of debt. For Alex, paying it off is a small price to pay for his daughter’s happiness. Until his sensible new wife begins to lose her mind.

On the day of their marriage, Mary starts having frightening hallucinations of medieval England—visions that feel more like the memories of woman who lived centuries before. More terrifying, someone—or some thing—is stalking the new mistress of Marchbrook Manor. Could it be one of the sinister servants? Or Alex himself? Alex is reawakening hidden desires and longings in Mary, but until she can untangle the web of nightmares and secrets, she can trust no one. Not even Alex.

Alex has no idea he’s unleashing a destiny that’s taken him seven hundred years to fulfill.

If Alex and Mary are to salvage their future, they must first unravel centuries of…Tangled Memories.

Excerpt – Tangled Memories

By Jan Scarbrough

Present Day

His eyes were gray. I had never noticed before. They weren’t the color of slate but smoky and mysterious.

Swallowing a hard knot of dread that surfaced in my throat, I walked down the silent aisle toward him. Chin held high, very lady-like in posture and demeanor, a trace of smile upon my lips—I was the picture of confidence.

Inside, I trembled.

I stopped in front of the altar. A cloying scent of gardenias assaulted my senses. How curious the delicate white flowers in my bouquet should be so overpowering. Just like the man beside me. Just like the deep, heady gray of his eyes.

I extended my hand. He took it, and I drew a breath and held it. The firmness of his fingers surprised me.

“Friends.” The minister glanced up at us and smiled. “We are gathered together in the sight of God to witness and bless the joining together of Mary and Alexander in Christian marriage.”

Alex was tall, so tall I had to look up to connect with those mesmerizing eyes. I was aware of my breathing, erratic and shallow. I’d married for the second time in my life and, once again, my reasons were more practical than romantic.

How even more ironic was the Methodist minister’s white stole, a symbol of purity and love. I felt neither pure nor in love. His black robes better matched my somber mood.

“I ask you now,” Reverend Watts continued, “in the presence of God and these people, to declare your intention to enter into a union with one another.”

To enter into a union.

Heaven help me. Would it be a union? How could it be? Our union was a business arrangement, plain and simple. I understood that. For some reason though, sadness settled around my heart.

Reverend Watts looked at me. “Mary, will you have Alexander to be your husband to live together in holy marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

Alex’s penetrating gaze burned upon my upturned face. “I will,” I said at last.

“Alexander, will you have Mary to be your wife?”

From underneath my lashes, I watched him. He wore his black hair swept back and long, curling at his neck. A stray lock touched his forehead and set off his eyes. His high cheekbones and jawline gave him a classic look. His lips were full and inviting. Enigmatic in his formal black tuxedo, crisp white shirt, and bow tie, he seemed a brooding Byronic hero. Handsome, though austere, his masculine good looks belonged to another century or, at least, on the cover of a romantic novel.

How different would my life have been if I hadn’t become pregnant my freshman year in college…if I hadn’t married Bill…if I hadn’t miscarried? What if I had met Alexander Dominican under different circumstances, before life touched me so cruelly?

“I will.” His deep voice resonated throughout the empty chapel.

Turning from the minister to me, Alex’s eyes brightened as his gaze captured mine. Out of habit, I licked my lips, but nothing eased my tension. The strain I felt surely communicated to the self-assured man who held my hand. Did he feel the hypocrisy of our oath? Or was he simply satisfied with a marriage of convenience?

GIVEAWAY!

Comment and enter to win! One commenter will receive a print copy of Tangled Memories! Winner will be drawn and announced tomorrow…good luck!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/TM_Amazon

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/TM_AmazonUK

iBooks: http://bit.ly/TM_iBooks

Kobo: http://bit.ly/TM_Kobo

B&N: http://bit.ly/1P8RfzW

Bio for Jan Scarbrough

A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan Scarbrough has published with Kensington, Five Star, ImaJinn Books, Resplendence Publishing and Turquoise Morning Press. She writes paranormal Gothic romances and heartwarming contemporary romances with a touch of spice. Her favorite topics are families and second chances and if the plot allows, she adds another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books, and the excitement of a horse race or a big-time, competitive horse show.

Website: http://www.janscarbrough.com/

Newsletter Signup: http://www.janscarbrough.com/contact/

Facebook: fb.me/Romancerider

Twitter: https://twitter.com/romancerider

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/janscarbrough

10 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as giveaway, Golden Heart Finalist, gothic romance, marriage of convenience, Reminiscent of Mary Stewart, romantic suspense

August 11, 2016 · 7:42 am

Author Interview with Charlotte O’Shay – NEW RELEASE: The Marriage Ultimatum

Please help me welcome author Charlotte O’Shay…

Thank you for joining me today, Charlotte. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

Hi Alicia. So happy to be on your blog.

I’m a born and raised New York City kid. I grew up in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, the middle child and now the eldest female in a large family. From a very early age I dreamed up stories about the people I encountered and always had my nose in a book, usually romance. I also love detective stories, non-fiction and history.

I met my husband (who after many years of marriage is still my best friend and love of my life) at my first legal job, became a lawyer and a mother of four in ten action packed years. During those years we lived in the suburbs of the city. Recently, we moved back to Manhattan and I have fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing romance.

We have a very sweet, adopted cockapoo who has a way of getting treats from everyone in our family as well as everyone in our building.

The Marriage Ultimatum is the first of three loosely tied together tales of women and men who are either born in or travel to New York City to make their mark in the world. My hero Vlad and heroine Sabrina view the city as the place to transform their dreams into reality. At the moment they least expect, they meet and begin the journey to happily ever after.

For me, choosing New York City as the setting, with all of its energy and chaos, makes the city a character of each story. I chose a contemporary setting because it’s what I most like to read. The most difficult thing to me about writing this book or any book is the discipline of staying with it when life’s little and large interruptions happen. Sometimes it’s easy to get side tracked.

The hero and heroine in The Marriage Ultimatum came to me full force and I just started writing. Sabrina and Vlad are two New York strivers with every reason to distrust each other but who are instantly attracted to each other.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story? Sit down and write. If the words won’t come, take a walk and then force yourself to write even if it’s stream of conscious.

What book have you read that you wish you had written? I’m a fan of so many books I couldn’t possibly choose one. The books that stay with you, that you don’t want to end, where the characters are so real you could reach out and touch them——those are the ones that I wish I had written. What’s helpful about having all of those favorites for me is that they have helped me find my unique voice, my place in the large world of writers.

Do you collect anything? I collect signs, large or small, of many materials, whether wood or framed or ceramic that have some saying or blessing to do with HOME.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Marriage Ultimatum? First and foremost, I would hope that my book is a page turner, that my reader had a good escape from her or his usual life by coming into the world of my story. I would want them to realize that instant attraction doesn’t happen all the time but it is very real. I want them to see that when you peel beneath the layers of anyone, we all want the same thing: love and home.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review? No review or a review that is thoughtful but might have some constructive criticism. Personally, when I really don’t like a book, I don’t review it.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write? Historical early American colonial period. I’m a total history nerd and that’s my favorite time period.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? The character of Sabrina was informed in part by some women I met as a lawyer. Women who are struggling to hold families together and feel beaten down and fearful of the system. From that point on every other character and the conflicts are all dreamed up by me.

How much of the book is realistic? Even with a contemporary romance I believe a larger than life aspect in the characters and the conflicts is essential for the escape into the story. Fantastic things happening in the lives of real but also flawed characters. It’s a tall order when you think of it and I’m still finding my way and trying to get it right.

How did your interest in writing originate? I’ve always written, notes, compositions, short stories. Always. It took me a while to want to share my writing with anyone else. I have also always wanted to paint. I dream in very vivid color.

Your favorite…

Movie The Terminator (the original)

Place you’ve visited: Italy and Ireland

Place you’d like to visit: Wyoming

TV show from adulthood Game of Thrones, VEEP

Sports team: Baseball (Yankees) and softball

Which do you prefer board games, card games or television?: I like cards and charades and anything interactive with people as opposed to a phone or a board.

Giveaway:

I welcome readers to come take a look at and sign up to my WordPress website charlotteoshayauthor.com for news about my upcoming release entitled A Model Engagement.

I will gift a signed paperback of the Marriage Ultimatum to one person, chosen at random, who has signed up to my blog.

Thank you SO much for an interesting interview, Charlotte, and for the giveaway offer. You DID pack a lot into ten years. 🙂 Sounds like a great life. And, thanks for the writing advice. I believe it’s the most important thing a writer can learn to practice. Now, please tell us about your book…

Blurb:

Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina’s plan. But Sabrina’s dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost. Vladimir Grigory doesn’t believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York’s corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he’ll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level. When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina’s son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad’s marriage ultimatum.

Excerpt:

Once again, she passed through the gauntlet that was the VGI executive floor and kept her head up, gaze focused straight ahead. The whispers buzzed feverishly around the woman in the train wreck of an outfit as she strode down the corridor—this time with a toddler in a stroller.

“Ms. Boyd,” his assistant stepped in front of her, guarding the domain of the boss like a rabid pit bull, “you can’t—”

Sabrina looked her straight in the eye. That was what you did to make a dog back down. Or was that what made a dog attack? She couldn’t remember, and she didn’t care.

“I’m not leaving, so you might as well move before I shout this place down.”

There was steel in Sabrina’s tone, and her voice was pitched loud enough for the hapless woman to know that she couldn’t care less who heard.

The assistant stepped aside. “Now this should be interesting,” she muttered.

She shoved the door open and pushed the stroller inside as if she did it every day of the week, then nudged the door shut with her elbow. “It’s not gonna be that easy to get rid of me.”

“I get the feeling nothing is easy with you,” he said.

Buy the book here:

amazon.com/author/charlotteoshayauthor.com

The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4358-the-marriage-ultimatum.html

ISBN(s) 978-1-5092-0814-2 Paperback

978-1-5092-0815-9 Digital

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Ultimatum-City-Dreams-ebook/dp/B01FCBBAMI

ASIN: B01FCBBAMI

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Ultimatum-City-Dreams-ebook/dp/B01FCBBAMI

Kobo: ISBN: 10:1509208151

ISBN: 13: 9781509208159

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-marriage-ultimatum-4