Having just returned from this year's RWA in Atlanta, I thought I'd share a few of my pictures with you. This was my first conference and while it was a bit overwhelming to begin with, I can honestly say that it was an incredible experience, not only because of what I learned while I was there, but also because of the friends I made. Avon had a wonderful program planned for everyone which included not only signings (one was even an e-book signing in cooperation with Autography) but also a great party with a super cool photo-booth opportunity!

The Literacy signing at RWA in Atlanta - July 17th

With the lovely Katherine Ashe at the Avon signing

Had a great time talking to Sarah MacLean at the Avon party. She won the Rita for best historical romance which I thought was very well deserved. Congratulations, Sarah!

Had a blast with Jennifer Ryan (photo-booth moment)

Check out the massive "blinking" ring on my finger! Avon had lots of goodies waiting for us at the party

Tasty Summer Reads

I'm so thrilled to have been included in this wonderful summer blog hop which includes some really wonderful romance authors! My fellow author from the Five Golden Rings anthology, Viv Lorret invited me to join and in return I have invited the fabulous Kristin Vayden and Bronwen Evans to tell us what they're currently working on, so be sure to stop by their blogs as well.

Here's how the hop works: every author along the hop invites other authors to answer five questions about their current summer release or WIP (work in progress) plus a tasty recipe of their choice for you all to enjoy =)

Right now, I'm trying to cram in as many words as possible for The Danger In Tempting An Earl (book 3 in my Kingsborough Ball series) before heading off to the RWA conference in Atlanta next week. The first book in the series (The Trouble With Being A Duke) is all set to go on sale August 27th while book 2 (The Scandal In Kissing An Heir) is due for release December 31st.


Now, on to the questions:

1)When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?

When I finally manage to steer my attention away from all the social media and

Update

My copy edits for THE SCANDAL IN KISSING AN HEIR arrived yesterday so I'm going over those at the moment as they're due back with my editor on July 1st. Meanwhile, I'm just over 1/4 of the way through my manuscript for the third book in the Kingsborough Ball series starring Lucien Marvaine, Earl of Roxberry and the recently widowed Katherine Langdon. We're going from friends to lovers on this one with quite a bit of intrigue/action piled on for good measure =)

Cover Reveal - THE SCANDAL IN KISSING AN HEIR

I have to say that I am so impressed by the talent at Avon - I could just sit and look at this cover all day. How amazing it is that it's actually on the front of one of my books!!! I couldn't be happier =)

Miss Rutherford Quote

Writing tip - open with a question

When embarking on a new project, the hardest thing for me is always that first sentence. There's a reason for that, I think, because it's that first sentence that's going to grab the reader's attention and hold it for long enough to get them hooked on the story. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received, was to open with a sentence that creates a question in the mind of the reader. As an example, I'll use the first sentence I wrote for THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY LUCINDA which reads as follows, "Run, Lucy, run - as fast as you can!"
The reader is being dropped, right in the middle of the action, and immediately wonders who Lucy is, why she's being told to run and what the urgency might be, but in order to find out, they'll have to keep on reading. Creating questions like this, not only at the beginning but throughout your book is what makes it impossible for the reader to put your book down, because they'll want to know what happens next, especially when such questions are placed at the end of chapters. It seems like such a simple trick really, and yet it's something that (at least for me) requires a conscious effort. In the end however, it's likely to make the difference between a page turner and a book that's easily put aside half way through, so I'd say it's well worth spending some time on =)

Work in progress...

I've been driving myself mad trying to figure out how to make this work - a short story (or perhaps one that will turn into a really long one), written by anyone willing to add a few lines here and there. In other words, a bit of creative fun for anyone with a bit of a writer in them =)
Here's how it's going to work: I'll write the first bit, and since I am a Regency romance writer, I will be starting out in that era - apologies to anyone hoping this would be contemporary or paranormal etc. If you want to add to the story, please do so in the comment section below. I will check in regularly to copy and paste your bit into the post, making sure to add your user name in parenthesis next to your contribution. Therefore, if you would like to add something, please check the latest comment first since this will be where the story has left off. Thank you so much to anyone willing to participate - I'm hoping that this will be a great deal of fun for us all!!!
NB: This is a collaboration in creativity - not something that will ever be published! You may make as many contributions as you like, though each one should be limited to one paragraph or eight lines of dialogue and with someone else posting in between. Also, I reserve the right to permanently delete any posts that I consider to be inappropriate for this blog. Thanks!


London, England, 1815

(Sophie Barnes) A loud crack split the air, scattering the birds that had still been resting peacefully in their nests. Nigel Bainley, Earl of Foxwood, blinked. To his astonishment he was still standing upright instead of lying lifeless on the rain drenched grass, which was what he'd expected. Squinting, he peered through the fog as it sifted between the trees, trying to locate his opponent - a youth whose life was rapidly turning into a more reckless one than his own. By God, he'd barely said two words in reference to the delightful attributes of the lad's sister when he'd been called out. Complete madness to his way of thinking, but then again, he didn't have any sister's, so perhaps that explained why he couldn't quite comprehend why anyone would find the words 'lusciously ripe' so offensive.
(Marla Gollady) He could not help it if the lad's sister was exactly as he described, a "lusciously ripe" debutant. Brothers were a strange breed, one, he again could not comprehend, being an only child.