Take the Midnight Train to Paris with Juliette Sobanet!

Today I’m privileged to welcome my dear friend, fellow writer, and intrepid CP Juliette Sobanet. A Montlake author of four charming womens’ fiction novels with a French twist, Juliette has agreed to offer us a window into her Parisian-inspired world and her new serialized novel Midnight Train to Paris. It’s truly ooh la la!

Thanks, Sharon! One year ago, my husband and I made the cross-country move from Washington, DC to San Diego. During our first month in the land of sunshine and margaritas, we were totally beach-crazed. Every chance we got, we high-tailed it to the Pacific and spent our days enjoying this new, laid-back lifestyle of ours. Little did I know, those beach trips would inspire the idea for my latest novel, Midnight Train to Paris.

One afternoon, after a sandy beach walk, the train that runs up and down the San Diego coast—aptly named The Coaster—rambled past us, blowing its whistle and giving its passengers a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. The minute I spotted that train, an idea took shape. I envisioned a glamorous young woman, perhaps a woman from the 1920s or 1930s, holding her vintage suitcase and boarding the train late at night. I knew she was running from something, or someone, and I knew that the train would be magical and would possibly transport its passengers forward or backward in time.

This seed of an idea percolated for several months, and when my publisher asked me to write a Kindle Serial, I knew it was time to bring my train story to life. Since I base all of my books in France (I’m even more obsessed with France than I am with the beach), I took that late night train to the French Alps, and Midnight Train to Paris was born.

A Kindle Serial is a novel released in episodes, leaving you on a cliff-hanger each week so that you can’t wait to read the next episode. The idea is that the episodes are released as the author writes them, which makes for an entirely different writing process than I was used to. I knew I wouldn’t have the opportunity to re-write the first chapters over and over again, as I usually do. I had to get it right the first time, which, to be honest, was slightly terrifying! But as soon as I sat down to write that opening scene, the young girl I’d envisioned months ago boarding the midnight train came to life, and what emerged is a story packed with mystery, romance, and magic…a story I am beyond excited to share with my readers. Episode 4 of Midnight Train to Paris is out this week, and here is a sneak peek of that opening scene…

To read more, please join us over at Blame it on the Muse or click here to continue reading. 

Kieran Kramer’s Sexy Regency Heroes: A Tea Party to Remember

Today I am honored to (re)introduce Kieran Kramer (who happens to be my sister-in-law!), the award-winning, best-selling author of my favorite Regency romances including the Impossible Bachelor series and her new House of Brady series. But as I set out the tea and cakes, looking forward to a cozy chat, she arrives with two tall, muscular men.

Me (whispering): Kieran? Why are there two hot men standing behind you?

Kieran (shrugging): The heroes in my two recent books love attention! And I have to admit, I love to give it to them. So when they asked to come along, I said yes.

Me: I’m not one to complain, but won’t your brother (my DH) have something to say about this?

Kieran (tosses away my concern with a regal wave): We just won’t tell him! So let me do the formal introductions. She nods to the more rakish of the two, with blue eyes and dark, wavy hair. 

Me: Did he just wink at me?

Kieran (laughing): This is Gregory Sherwood, Lord Westdale, the sexy hero from my current release, THE EARL IS MINE. He’s the oldest son of the Marquess and Marchioness of Brady, and he has a deep, dark secret. However, not everyone in the ton knows about it, but those he loves does–including Pippa, his new wife and the love of his life. They’re old, old friends who stopped being true friends for a while. She’s the only person who knew something was bothering Gregory, but he didn’t want her to get close to him because he couldn’t risk revealing the secret. He became an island. But as we all know, love changes everything, and with Pippa’s help, he’s restored to the man he’s meant to be: full of life, love, and laughter.

Me: Gregory winks again, but I play coy and turn my attention to the broader man with amazing sapphire eyes and hair like coal. Where Gregory has the advantage of height, this gentleman clearly has seen some time in a fighting ring. And I have to say I’m intrigued.

Kieran: This is Luke Callahan, Gregory’s new brother-in-law and another handsome hero. Luke’s romantic story will be told in SAY YES TO THE DUKE, my August 2013 release. Against his will, Luke falls in love with Gregory’s little sister Janice. And if you think Gregory had a secret–well, Luke’s is a mighty bombshell, too. I suspect he might let the cat out of the bag today, but…you won’t have any idea how the story unfolds unless you read the book! Janice is the only woman who really understands what motivates Luke to make the decisions he does. In turn, he helps her get past some of her own insecurities. Theirs is a passionate love story that takes place outside of London–much of it, believe it or not, in a stableblock that belongs to the self-absorbed Duke of Halsey.

Me: Although I’m delighted to meet these historical hotties, I can’t help but wonder what they are doing here. Checking out the amazing women who visit this site? Or maybe to score an exclusive invite to the Duchesses Tea Party in Atlanta? Whatever the reason, I quickly dump the tea and pull out my DH’s bottle of 40-year old scotch. I have a few questions of my own. (And I’m sure Kieran won’t mind!)

To read more, please join us today at the Dashing Duchessess or click here to read more.

Congratulations, Golden Hearts, and RITAs

Congratulations to all of my friends and colleagues who received a phone call today! You are 2013 RITA^® and Golden Heart^® Finalists*!

And for those who are disappointed, I want to share my go-to, feel-good quote by James Scott Bell in his book The Art of War For Writers.**

“A Hero keeps writing, no matter what, knowing effort is its own reward: A fool eventually quits and complains that the world is unfair. Be a Hero.” (page 17)

Since everyone who entered the Golden Heart or RITA (the most competitive of the genre fiction contests) had to have completed a manuscript or published a book, you’ve done more than 99% of the world’s population will ever do. So be proud. Be a Hero!

You rock!

*Romance Writers of America (RWA), the trade association for aspiring and published romance fiction authors, offers two annual awards. The RITA — the highest award of distinction in romance fiction — recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. The Golden Heart recognizes excellence in unpublished romance manuscripts.

The 2013 RITA and Golden Heart winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony on July 20 at the 2013 RWA Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA.

**Bell, James Scott. The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics, and Exercises. Writers Digest Books, Cincinnatti, Ohio. 2009.

*****UPDATE! I’m excited and humbled to announce that I am a Double Romantic Suspense Finalist in the Romance Writers of America 2013 Golden Heart Contest for Juliet’s Rogue and Rogue’s Redemption, two of my favorite manuscripts. And congratulations to my 2013 GH sisters! It’s a privilege to stand with you!*****

Silent Snow and Spring Bouquets

Although Easter is less than a week away, a late-season snow is falling on my early Spring bulbs. As I watch this battle outside the kitchen window, my children fight a different war in the family room. It’s day ten of THE FLU, and no one has been spared. Even the dog, who has vigilantly kept watch over their high fevers and severe headaches, has developed a sore sympathy paw.

But as the day ticks by, my inbox experiences a battle of its own, growing anxious with two different concerns. The first question both my published and unpublished authors are asking: Who will get a phone call tomorrow?

(For those of you who don’t know, tomorrow is the day the call goes out for this year’s Golden Heart and RITA nominations.*)

And the second worry? Who among my friends and neighbors will be furloughed/laid off next month when the sequestration cuts kick in?

So as I make endless cups of tea and dole out cough medicine, I sort through last years volume of digital pics in desperate need of a promise that Spring will be here soon, regardless of what the future holds.

So for my friends struggling with illness, financial woes, and the count-down to tomorrow’s phone calls from RWA, I’m offering a photographic Spring Bouquet. May these flowers give hope and solace on a silent winter’s day.

*From the RWA website: The purpose of the RWA Golden Heart contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding romance manuscripts. The purpose of the RWA RITA contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.