One Picture, Three Views, Three Authors

Photo by Sunny Forest

From a few years ago. I asked Parris Afton Bonds, Yves Fey, and Rebecca George, three wonderful authors with backgrounds in romance, to give this a shot. The rules, as always, are to tell what they see in this photograph in 150 words or less. 

BONDS

Her steps lagged as her eyes took in the old place. It had always been a retreat, a respite from the dutiful demands of family, work, and, yes, even her public persona. She had bought the little house with her first royalty check, as meager as the house. Over the years, as her checks had increased, she could easily have afforded to restore the place to a quaint luster. Yet she had kept its genteel shabbiness, something to hide behind, something real, something authentic, when she no longer knew who she was, when she needed to escape the demands of everyone, waiting for her to solve their problems. Now the children were in college, her husband claimed by someone else, her work schedule less demanding but more rewarding. And the little house was no longer shabby but serendipitous, for inside awaited, at long last love. Her steps quickened.

FEY

Standing in the rough grass, Cassie looked at childhood home, the sting of salt air sharp on her skin, salt scents teasing her nostrils.  Teasing her memory.  She’d been isolated here.  Lonely.  Protected - the doors and windows roughly carved with runes, curtains woven with spells, dreamcatchers snaring nightmares.

Silence embraced her.  Not silence without.  Even on the most sunbaked summer day, the air weighted with heat, the sound of waves crashing on the rocks floated over the cliff’s edge.  Sometimes, like now, a gull screamed.

But blessed silence reigned within.  The rising cacophony of voices – voices of minds screaming, souls screaming – they did not carry here.  They did not invade her.

Cassie walked forward, then gasped as a cold spike of fear pierced her spine, pinioning her where she stood. 

Someone waited inside.  Hid inside.  Anticipating.  What?

Had she not chosen to come here? 

Had she been summoned?

GEORGE

She walked toward the cottage.

Fifteen years, she thought, and it looks the same.

Her heart began to beat faster as it would have fifteen years earlier.

Would he still look the same, she asked herself, and now questioned her decision to come back to Ireland. When she left, it was never to return. Yet here she was.

She had changed her name and, with a new identity, achieved a certain peace in Dallas. For fifteen years she believed she had buried the past. Then his letter came, and it was as if those years meant nothing.

“Please,” he wrote, “come home. Until now, I did not know why you left. If only I had  known the truth then, I would have done everything in my power to stop you.”

Would you, she wondered as she opened the door.

He stood tall before her.

“Hello, Harry,” she said.

“Hello, Kathleen.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Parris Afton Bonds

PARRIS AFTON BONDS

Parris Afton Bonds is the mother of five sons and the author of thirty-five published novels. She is the co-founder of and first vice president of Romance Writers of America.

Declared by ABC’s Nightline as one of the three-best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the award winning Parris Afton Bonds has been interviewed by such luminaries as Charlie Rose and featured in major newspapers and magazines as well as published in more than a dozen languages. She donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates.

At Amazon

YVES FEY

Yves Fey’s debut mystery, FLOATS THE DARK SHADOW is set in the dynamic and decadent world of Belle Époque Paris. Aspiring artist Theodora Faraday and Detective Michel Devaux clash in their search for an elusive killer who has already claimed too many children.  Classic detection and occult revelation lead Michel and Theo through the dark underbelly of Paris.  Following the maze of clues they discover the murderer believes he is the reincarnation of the most evil serial killer in the history of France. Whether deranged mind or demonic passion incite him, the killer must be found before he strikes again.

At Amazon

REBECCA GEORGE

Rebecca George is the award-winning author of five novels. Her newest, SO WHISPERS THE HEART, was released recently on Kindle. Of her four previously published  books, DAPHNE  was a Romantic Times award winner, Best Historical – Love and Laughter, and was considered by Aaron Spelling Productions for a TV movie. CALL HOME THE HEART was a runner-up for Best Historical.

A native of Georgia, Rebecca was raised in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She went to the University of Georgia and majored in history. She lives with her four rescued dogs in a historical district in Upstate South Carolina.

Join in and tell what the picture says to you. Post 150 words or less in a comment.

FIRST FRIDAY! 3 Fab authors-1 Picture. Bonds. Fey. George.

Photo by Ivan Dzyuba

For February’s First Friday, I wanted a little more heart, so I asked Parris Afton Bonds, Yves Fey, and Rebecca George, three wonderful authors with backgrounds in romance. The rules, as always, are to tell what they see in this photograph in 150 words or less. 

BONDS

Her steps lagged as her eyes took in the old place. It had always been a retreat, a respite from the dutiful demands of family, work, and, yes, even her public persona. She had bought the little house with her first royalty check, as meager as the house. Over the years, as her checks had increased, she could easily have afforded to restore the place to a quaint luster. Yet she had kept its genteel shabbiness, something to hide behind, something real, something authentic, when she no longer knew who she was, when she needed to escape the demands of everyone, waiting for her to solve their problems. Now the children were in college, her husband claimed by someone else, her work schedule less demanding but more rewarding. And the little house was no longer shabby but serendipitous, for inside awaited, at long last love. Her steps quickened.

FEY

Standing in the rough grass, Cassie looked at childhood home, the sting of salt air sharp on her skin, salt scents teasing her nostrils.  Teasing her memory.  She’d been isolated here.  Lonely.  Protected - the doors and windows roughly carved with runes, curtains woven with spells, dreamcatchers snaring nightmares.

Silence embraced her.  Not silence without.  Even on the most sunbaked summer day, the air weighted with heat, the sound of waves crashing on the rocks floated over the cliff’s edge.  Sometimes, like now, a gull screamed.

But blessed silence reigned within.  The rising cacophony of voices – voices of minds screaming, souls screaming – they did not carry here.  They did not invade her.

Cassie walked forward, then gasped as a cold spike of fear pierced her spine, pinioning her where she stood. 

Someone waited inside.  Hid inside.  Anticipating.  What?

Had she not chosen to come here? 

Had she been summoned?

GEORGE

She walked toward the cottage.

Fifteen years, she thought, and it looks the same.

Her heart began to beat faster as it would have fifteen years earlier.

Would he still look the same, she asked herself, and now questioned her decision to come back to Ireland. When she left, it was never to return. Yet here she was.

She had changed her name and, with a new identity, achieved a certain peace in Dallas. For fifteen years she believed she had buried the past. Then his letter came, and it was as if those years meant nothing.

“Please,” he wrote, “come home. Until now, I did not know why you left. If only I had  known the truth then, I would have done everything in my power to stop you.”

Would you, she wondered as she opened the door.

He stood tall before her.

“Hello, Harry,” she said.

“Hello, Kathleen.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Parris Afton Bonds

PARRIS AFTON BONDS

Parris Afton Bonds is the mother of five sons and the author of thirty-five published novels. She is the co-founder of and first vice president of Romance Writers of America.

Declared by ABC’s Nightline as one of the three-best-selling authors of romantic fiction, the award winning Parris Afton Bonds has been interviewed by such luminaries as Charlie Rose and featured in major newspapers and magazines as well as published in more than a dozen languages. She donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates.

At Amazon

YVES FEY

Yves Fey’s debut mystery, FLOATS THE DARK SHADOW is set in the dynamic and decadent world of Belle Époque Paris. Aspiring artist Theodora Faraday and Detective Michel Devaux clash in their search for an elusive killer who has already claimed too many children.  Classic detection and occult revelation lead Michel and Theo through the dark underbelly of Paris.  Following the maze of clues they discover the murderer believes he is the reincarnation of the most evil serial killer in the history of France. Whether deranged mind or demonic passion incite him, the killer must be found before he strikes again.

At Amazon

REBECCA GEORGE

Rebecca George is the award-winning author of five novels. Her newest, SO WHISPERS THE HEART, was released recently on Kindle. Of her four previously published  books, DAPHNE  was a Romantic Times award winner, Best Historical – Love and Laughter, and was considered by Aaron Spelling Productions for a TV movie. CALL HOME THE HEART was a runner-up for Best Historical.

A native of Georgia, Rebecca was raised in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She went to the University of Georgia and majored in history. She lives with her four rescued dogs in a historical district in Upstate South Carolina.

Join in and tell what the picture says to you. Post 150 words or less in a comment.

4 Excerpts, 2 Authors, 4-Book Giveaway!

At Amazon

We’re giving away four Kindle eBooks this week. Each author will draw two names from all the commenters, so you could win two books. Comments must be in by 8 p.m. Eastern Time Friday, September 14. Winners will be announced here on Saturday before noon, September 15. Check out these brief excerpts.

SO WHISPERS THE HEART by Rebecca George. Historical romance, Napoleonic era, 1803 

…Ninon was unprepared when he grabbed her from behind and threw her over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" She demanded between laughter and anger.

"What I’ve wanted to do since that night in the alley.” He patted her rump.

"Sacre Dieu, Christan, put me down! The blood is going to my head and giving me the headache."

"Not a chance, sweetheart." Laughter rumbled in his chest. "And a headache? Nina, I expected better of you."

"You’re about to get the worst of me." And then, almost pleading, "The devil! If you don’t put me down this instant, I’ll..."

"You’ll what?" He lowered her onto her feet.

"Merci!" Her sigh of relief was short-lived when she discovered he was removing his shirt.  

At Amazon

CALL HOME THE HEART by Rebecca George. Historical romance, Napoleonic era, 1814  

Diccon contemplated the lone figure on the beach. The Cassie of thirteen years ago would never have sought out this solitude. But the forlorn figure below bore little resemblance to his Cassie of old.

Nor was it her appearance that seemed so changed. As he had noted before, her adolescent loveliness had matured into the potent beauty of adulthood. True, that inner fire that had been so much a part of her was lacking but to him that aura of sorrow that clung to her enhanced her desirability. His mouth twisted upward in a self-mocking smile. Cassie would be desirable to him regardless of her appearance. It was still difficult to believe that she had returned. No. What was difficult to believe was that she had ever been gone. He loved her. He had never stopped loving her.

At Amazon

MURDER DÉJÀ  VU by Polly Iyer. Contemporary mystery 

“When I moved down here, I’d hoped my past life would be that—past. But when your ex-husband made a big deal about my buying this property, word got out who I was and what I’d supposedly done. I didn’t care anymore. I was tired of running and fought him.”

“It doesn’t matter who Robert hurts, as long as he makes headlines.”

Reece brushed a curl off her forehead. “Why did you stay with him so long? I suspect you did it for your sons, but there must have been more to it.”

Dana swiveled around, her back to Reece’s chest. She couldn’t look him in the eyes when she told him. He wrapped his arms around her, and she felt his heat like a warm blanket in the cool morning.

“There is.”

MIND GAMES by Polly Iyer. Contemporary suspense 

At Amazon

Most of America recognized Diana Racine, and the stares she attracted from the cops in the station proved no exception. She approached the ruddy-faced desk sergeant, whose vigorous assault on a wad of chewing gum slowed to a grind when he saw the precinct’s late-night caller. He squinted and leaned across the desk.

“Well, looky, looky who we have here.” Anyone who missed Diana’s entrance knew she was here now. Heads turned, tongues clicked, and eyes squinted. “To what do we owe the pleasure? Come to report a missing body, have you?”

Diana had heard similar sarcasm ad nauseum and learned to slough off the sleazy comments. But they still rankled. “When you’re finished with the jokes, I’ll be waiting right here to see the person in charge, since I’m pretty sure it’s not you.”

History Whispers to Her

At Amazon

Historical romance author Rebecca George is my guest. She's celebrating the release of her new novel, So Whispers the Heart.

Last week I finally published my historical romance, So Whispers the Heart, on Amazon Kindle. It’s a loosely connected prequel to my last book, Call Home the Heart, which was published by NAL in 1989. It was my first new book in 23 years and as I began this novel process of self-publishing an e-book, I could not help but reflect on the evolution—maybe I should call it a revolution—that has taken place in the publishing industry. Since I published my first book, Tender Longing, with Pocket in 1986, everything has changed!

Everything then, of course, was done via snail mail and writers used reams of paper. First, you sent a proposal that included a synopsis with three chapters. No multiple submissions allowed! Then months passed as I waited for rejection or acceptance. Make that mostly rejections. Only then could I send a proposal to another publisher. Now multiple submissions are allowed, you copy your material in an e-mail--no attachments – and usually hear back promptly.

Mainstream publishers today will only read agented or recommended material. In the beginning I had no agent, but in the 80s publishers did accept unsolicited proposals. So I sent my three chapters and synopsis of Tender Longing (not my title) to Pocket and amazingly it was accepted. At the time I had no idea just how unusual that was. It was pulled from the slush pile of unsolicited manuscripts. That would never happen today!

My editor and I then exchanged boxes of written material: partial manuscripts, completed manuscripts, copy-edited manuscripts and galleys went back and forth through the mail. Altogether I published four books between 1986 and 1989. Then I think I got too busy with raising my daughter and living life in general. But I never quit writing. And between 1989 and 2012 literally everything in the publishing world changed. Actually, you can amend that to read that everything changed within the last four years or so. And it’s still changing!

Since I did not even try to traditionally publish this fifth book I do not know about the status quo today, but I assume the amount of actual paper exchanged between authors and editors is minimal. Probably no hard copies at all are exchanged—far less paper is needed when email suffices. That's a good thing. I’m sure this makes the trees happy.

Next is the cover. As every writer knows, covers are so important. In my pre-historic publishing contracts I never had cover approval. Few authors did. I was fortunate that of my four book covers, two were beautiful and to my liking. The other two—not so much. Back then you took what you got and, as we all know, some historical romance covers can cross the line into…oh, I don’t know…call it “cheesiness.”

In self-publishing my first e-book, I had the final say in cover creation. This was a process I thoroughly enjoyed. I chose the pose, the background and the lettering. Polly Iyer, a great friend and fellow author, designed it for me. I couldn’t be more pleased. In fact, it is probably the favorite cover of my five books.

As for my first four books, I got back all publishing rights and plan to release them soon. Now another author friend and I have established our own publishing company, Valentine Press (named for the fact we both have Valentine birthdays). We purchased and use ISBNs. Although not necessary for e-books, I may want to also publish POD (Print On Demand)—so ISBNs are a good idea.

My first “baby,” Tender Longing, was written on typing paper and copied with carbon using a rented IBM Selectric. The other three books are saved in my attic on old-fashioned large floppy discs. I had all four professionally scanned—I wasn’t about to retype them—and other than a few odd letterings they were delivered back to me on a zip file perfectly formatted for e-publishing.

As I struggled (and I did struggle!) to grasp the intricacies and complexities of e-publishing, there were times (as when writing the blurb) that I thought about how wonderful it was to have a publisher do all this for me. Nevertheless, I forged on. Now that I’ve finally done it, I’m thrilled.

From the slush pile to the world of professional publishers to self-publishing an e-book…it’s been quite a journey. In spite of the glitches, hitches, frustrations and tears, I’ve mostly enjoyed it. In the immortal words of The Grateful Dead: what a long strange trip it’s been!

So Whispers the Heart

New Orleans, 1802. Even as Napoleon prepares to change the future of Louisiana, so too is the future of Ninon . Claire about to change. An orphan reared by her doting grandfather, the enchanting and unconventional Ninon enjoys an idyllic and carefree life. Then she encounters a roguish stranger in a dark alleyway. Although the attraction between the two is immediate, the developing relationship is doomed when she learns the stranger is not who he claims to be. Ninon’s life is shattered as she confronts the lies not only of this man she has grown to love but the deceptions of her beloved grandfather as well. Ninon is now compelled to leave her grandfather and travel to England with the stranger who destroyed her world. But a shipwreck alters everything between the two.

Once in London, more lies separate them, and Ninon flees to the security of her grandfather. Torn by love, Ninon struggles to find the truth, but only her heart can find the answer.

About Rebecca

Rebecca George is the award-winning author of five novels. Her newest, SO WHISPERS THE HEART, was released recently on Amazon Kindle. Of her four previously published books, DAPHNE (Pocket, 1988) was a Romantic Times award winner, Best Historical – Love and Laughter. CALL HOME THE HEART (NAL, 1989) was a runner-up for Best Historical of the Year. She plans to release all four previous books on Kindle soon.

A native of Georgia, Rebecca was raised in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She went to the University of Georgia where she majored in history. She lives with her three rescued dogs and one (temporary) granddog in a historical district in Upstate South Carolina.