Here are five things I believe every reader wants to find between the pages of a historical romance:

• A sense of time

It’s important that the reader feels grounded in history as soon as they begin to read – or at least by the end of the first page…ideally, the first paragraph. How do authors do this? For me, it’s all about the language used in dialogue or the objects present in the scene. Using old English or adding an object rarely, or better still, never used today will go a long way to ‘showing’ the reader, the story is set in yesteryear.

• A sense of place

Setting is vital in historical romance – it is the author’s job to create as rich a setting as they possibly can. Buildings, horses, carriages, balls, lighting and even a cobbled street can bring the setting alive. The more the reader pictures in their mind, the quicker they will read. After all, it will be like watching a movie!

• Costume

Another vital ingredient in historical romance – there is a reason why we call historical movies and TV shows, “costume dramas.” Clothes are vitally important to bring color and romance to a historical novel. The dresses, bustle and hoops, cravats, boots and jewellery are a simple way to transport a reader back in time.

• Old-fashioned Romance

Historical romance gives the author and reader a chance to indulge in that old-fashioned gallantry that, if I’m honest, I still love to experience in today’s world. In my historical romances, I take full advantage of my male cast opening doors, pulling out chairs, kissing gloved hands and generally treating the females as genteelly as possible…without being sickly sweet, of course!

• And finally…social conventions and restrictions

For me, this is what historical romance is all about – showing those conventions and restrictions that are no longer in society. I often use one or two as the premise for my novels and watch how my hero and heroine fight against them, or overcome them, in order to achieve their goals. I love writing about strong women who wish to expand their lives and change things for women…with the hero’s full approval and support. It’s often that support and encouragement that makes me fall head over heels in love with my hero. 🙂

Rachel writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and Victorian romance for eKensington/Lyrical Press. Her latest historical romance is Her One True Love – here is the blurb and buy links…

She Can’t Forget Him… 

Jane Charlotte Danes has loved the squire of her idyllic country town for as long as she can remember. He is good, kind, and alluring beyond words… and he chose to marry another. Tired of dwelling on her futile longings, Jane plans a move to Bath, where she dreams of a new beginning. But the man who has so imprisoned her heart is only a few steps behind…

He Can’t Let Her Go…

Until now, Matthew Cleaves has endeavored to meet the responsibilities of his position with dignity and good spirits–including his dutiful marriage. But when his wife leaves him for another man, Matthew is at last free to pursue his one true love. Only one vital question remains: will the captivating, stubborn, beautiful Jane allow him the challenge, and the pleasure, of winning her back?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010JYVX66
http://amzn.com/B010JYVX66
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-one-true-love-rachel-brimble/1122226549?ean=9781601832771
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/her-one-true-love

About the Author

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had six books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and recently signed a contract for two more. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Facebook Street Team – Rachel’s Readers

I don’t know if you know this, I have said it before, but before I became a full-time author, I was a professional project planner (PMP certified), first in the Army then in the IT field. So, planning isn’t just something I think about now and then. I breathe it. Love it. Revel in all the bright possibilities of a shiny future. To those of you who aren’t planners/listers, I know you think the rest of us are just a bit touched. 🙂

If, however, you’re like me, I’d love to hear how you get ready for those New Year’s resolutions.

For me, the process begins with something airy-fairy—a mind map. I love putting them together so much that I lead an annual workshop where everyone who participates has a chance to get their next year’s writing goals drawn up. Here’s my 2017 writing map. It’s just a starting point–the big picture goals I want to consider for the new year. I do one of these for my writing life and one for my “real” life. This gets placed beneath a clear mat on my desk to remind me throughout the year of what I dreamed I would tackle during the year.

This week, I’m leading a FREE online workshop, entitled Write 50 Books a Year, for writers who want to develop a more concrete plan for their 2017 work schedule. I teach it because it invigorates my own planning efforts—and it forces me to knuckle down and actually get the work done. Before January even rolls around, I’ll know exactly what I intend to accomplish.

If you’re interested in learning more about mind maps, check out my Mind Maps & Vision Boards Pinterest page.

For 2017, I’m hoping to get ahead of the work, although I think I haven’t evolved much from my Army days. I still work best under pressure. Deadlines are a huge incentive for me, but self-imposed deadlines aren’t all that exciting. But I really, really want to learn to work more methodically. I think I might live longer. 🙂

So, tell me something about how you approach the new year… 

Ever think that working as a librarian is a boring job? Spending all that time among dusty old books, having to be quiet all the time, never having any opportunity for adventure and excitement except that which you find on the pages of a book.

You couldn’t be more wrong.

Librarians are keepers of a vast amount of knowledge. More importantly, they are there to help all of us find what we need at any given moment. They have to follow trends and advancements in technology, publishing, and computer programs. They make sure books and information are readily available to all and not just a few. Knowledge is power. The quickest way to rob people of their power is to keep them uninformed.

The heroine of my latest book, Drakon’s Promise, is a librarian who gets a job that seems too good to be true—cataloguing one of the largest private collections of books. This gives her access to many rare and one-of-a-kind volumes. She also has a talent for psychometry, which allows her a glimpse into the lives of the people who owned an object. She has a special affinity for books. That talent brings her to the attention of a not-so-nice group of people—the Knights of the Dragon. They want to use her talent to help find a book that’s been hidden in the vast library. This book is so powerful it can help them capture a drakon.

She falls into a world of supernatural creatures, conspiracy, and murder. And along the way she discovers a drakon and falls in love.

And you thought being a librarian was boring.

Drakon’s Promise

Darius Varkas is a drakon. He’s neither human nor dragon.

He’s both.

He’s also the target of an ancient order who want to capture all drakons for their blood. When fresh, a drakon’s blood can cure any illness and prolong a human’s life, and the Knights will stop at nothing to get it.

When librarian Sarah Anderson stumbles across a rare book belonging to the Knights of the Dragon, she’s quickly thrust into a dangerous world of secrets and shifters and things she never would have believed possible. When the Knights realize Sarah has a secret of her own, she becomes just as much a target as Darius. Her scary dragon shifter just might be her best chance at survival.

Buy Links:
Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/drakons-promise/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N74PYZR
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1125114236?ean=9781633758001
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-drakonspromise-2173689-140.html
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drakons-promise/id1176306297
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drakon-s-promise

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/awakeningdesires/info
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, but I believe the most precious ones are those delivered from the heart.  It’s easy to get caught up in the mayhem of life, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, but every day, there are people amidst the chaos who help you, who take time out of their busy lives to make a difference in yours. This year, why not return that gift?

This holiday season, as wrapped gifts exchange hands, I ask you to pause, reflect on those who’ve truly made a difference in your life, and if possible, find a special way to say thank you.  This can be a simple gesture—something like a greeting card, a bouquet of flowers, or a heartfelt poem.  Maybe you could bake someone their favorite cookies?  Or, present them a coupon book filled with everyday chores, which they can tear out and give you to do on those trying days when they really need a helping hand.  The absolute best gift you can offer another person is one given from the heart.  And when special-delivered, without any strings attached, it touches their own.

This Christmas, I’m making gift baskets filled with my favorite homemade things, such as macadamia-butterscotch chip cookies, shortbread, double chocolate-orange-pecan biscotti, Vermont maple syrup, and more.  With each one, I’m sharing a part of myself with the other person.

What ideas can you think of?  Remember—the more original and inventive, the more fun!  I can’t wait to hear your ideas!

My gift to you, one of my favorite recipes:

Griffin Westcott aka Wulfe’s Chocolate Covered Pecan-Hazelnut Balls

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar                             1 cup butter                             ⅛ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder             2 ⅓ cup flour                           ¾th cup hazelnut spread

½ cup pecans                           Melted chocolate to use to dip pecan-hazelnut balls into

Directions:

Mix together sugar, salt, nuts, baking powder and butter.  Add flour, mix.   Press into an even layer in a greased 8×8 inch dish.

Bake:

Bake at 350˚F until golden brown.  (About 30-35 minutes.)

Cool. 

Once the shortbread is cool, crumble, and then mix in the hazelnut spread.  Chill.  Make balls with mixture, and place them into the freezer.  Once frozen, dip the pecan-hazelnut balls into melted chocolate.  Place on wax paper leaving ½ inch between each ball.  Cool.

Enjoy!

Author’s note:

An avid baker who enjoys creating new twists on recipes, Griffin Westcott aka Wulfe is the hero of, “His Seduction,” the 5th book in the best-selling MacGruder brothers’ Scottish medieval romantic suspense series.  For more information about the MacGruder brothers visit Diana’s website!

*~*~*~*

I sincerely wish everyone health, friendship and happiness this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
Forbidden Series:  Forbidden Legacy-#1/Forbidden Knight – June 6th, 2017

Diana Cosby ©2016

About the Author

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense.  Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series are translated in five languages.  Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world.  After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series, The Oath Trilogy, and Forbidden Legacy, book #1 of The Forbidden Series, she is now working on book #2, Forbidden Knight.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

www.dianacosby.com

UPDATE: The winner of the free T-shirt is…Heidi Rundle!

* * * * *

Starting with my 4^th book in the SEAL Brotherhood Series, my fictional characters in SEAL Team 3, based out of San Diego, have gotten involved in two wineries in Sonoma County. In SEAL The Deal, Mark Beale comes back to Sonoma County to help his dying sister sell her nursery business. And the romance begins when his sister’s dying wish is that he date her best friend Devon, who has also been asked to help dispose of the property.

Of course, they decide to keep the nursery and turn it into a world class winery, with the help of some investors from the Teams. And so we have Sophie’s Choice Winery, named after Nick’s sister, Sophie.

The winery makes a great backdrop for weddings for other members of the SEAL Team 3, and you know what happens at weddings! In subsequent books, the SEALs purchase a run-down winery in the Dry Creek Valley, and befriend the neighbor, a former Hollywood Director of zombie movies. This wild and creative secondary character has been a fun addition to my series. So now we have Frog Haven Winery.

Well of course the SEALs would want to make beer, and this being natural hop-growing heaven, they develop Frog Piss Beer, “Because Drinking Beer is Better Than Pond Scum,” as the label motto goes.

I’ve had fun with these, even created labels for the winery and the brewery, which I’m showing here. Oh yes, and then I had to make tee shirts.

Now, one of these days, I need to get back to my writing and stop running an advertising agency!

One commenter will win a Sophie’s Choice tee shirt, chosen at random. I’ll keep it open all weekend, and announce it back on Sunday night. Best of luck!

Fredo’s Dream
SEAL The Deal

About the Author

Sharon Hamilton is a NYT and USA/Today bestselling author most known for her SEAL Brotherhood series. She also writes a Golden Vampire and Guardian Angel series.

A lifelong organic gardener, Sharon lives with her husband in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place. When she’s not writing, she’s getting verra verra dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmer’s Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.

Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.

Author Page ** Sharon’s Blog ** Sharon’s Website ** Facebook**Twitter
Sharon’s Newsletter

Thank you for having me on your blog, Delilah!

I first heard of the Coming Together charity anthologies in 2014. The idea of marrying erotica and doing good appealed to me, and I submitted to Coming Together: For the Holidays which benefited Stand Up for Kids, a youth homelessness organization. In the past two years, my stories have appeared in Coming Together: Among the Stars (benefitting International Still’s Disease Foundation), Coming Together: Strange Shifters (benefitting Bat World Sanctuary), and Coming Together: Keeping Warm (benefitting Operation Warm).

After participating in these anthologies I decided that one day, when I was ready, I would edit an anthology for CT. Earlier this year, Coming Together put out a call for volunteers to come up with/edit new anthologies for publication in 2016. I decided to take the plunge.

Coming Together: Under the Mistletoe is the result of that plunge. My anthology benefits Project Linus, who provide homemade blankets to children in crisis. “Through the donation of new, handmade blankets and afghans, we are able to bring a little comfort, a little warmth and love to a child in need. We can’t cure the disease, we can’t mend families, and we can’t undo the abuse. But we can help, in the way of a warm hug when it is most desperately needed. As of October 2016, Project Linus has donated over six million handmade security blankets to children across the USA.” If you are a crafty person, you can make blankets to donate to Project Linus and give it to your closest local chapter (there are over 300). If not, they also accept monetary donations.

My eldest daughter nearly died at the age of a week old on November 10, 2008. She received a blanket from Project Linus while in the ICU. It was a moment of warmth and kindness in a time of darkness. We didn’t know if she would survive, if her illness would leave long term health concerns, or what the future held. For nearly a month my husband and I barely left our daughter’s hospital rooms at Mass General Hospital in Boston. When we entered the hospital, Halloween candy was half off. The first day that my daughter wasn’t attached to IV’s and cords 24/7 was Thanksgiving. When we left the hospital on December 3, 2008, Christmas was in full swing everywhere we looked.

For me, Christmas isn’t a religious holiday. But December and Christmas represent the moment when we left the hospital and finally felt hope again. In that spirit, I decided to edit an anthology set during the month of December.

Under the Mistletoe is a celebration of December first through the thirty-first, from the North Pole to the Antarctic. You’ll meet couples changing up the meaning of spin the dreidel, deciding the fate of their marriage on Hogmanay, and finding new love in a dystopian future, among many more. The poets will make you laugh, and maybe even cry.

As for my daughter? We were incredibly lucky. My daughter lost a kidney to her illness, and needed a helmet and corrective brace when she learned to walk, but you would never imagine her history if you were to meet her. She just finished second grade at the local public school here in Singapore (we’ve been abroad since 2010) with straight A’s. She loves ballet, gymnastics, and Indian Dance. She alternates between being her younger sister’s best friend and worst enemy. She’s hoping Santa will bring her a bike this Christmas.

Rather than excerpt one of the erotic stories, today I’d like one of my favorite poems from the anthology with you.

Frosty

By Corbin Grace

I awoke from a slumber but sleep’s fog prevailed

And stepped from the house to see what had been mailed

Awareness arose from the bite of the wind

For I wore naught but slippers, apart from a grin

My icicle dangled; my spirits dismayed

For the knob wouldn’t turn as the lock had engaged

To gaze out their windows the neighbors might swoon

From seeing before them, a wintry pale moon

I reached for my phone before palming my head

For he hasn’t pockets, who wears not a thread

December had blessed us with snow’s frosty falls

But my only concern ‘twas to warm my snowballs

I wished, for a second, my wife would come back

From visiting family while I’d had a nap

But pictured—all year—that she’d laugh to disclose

I’d been redder than Rudolph and not just my nose

And then on the driveway, her headlights appeared

On Flasher, you Vixen, caught like a reindeer

Back in the house, she wiped tears as she laughed

And as quick as a send, I appeared on snapchat

To make matters worse, came to mind a detail,

That today it was Christmas, there wouldn’t be mail

Men, let me warn you, that turkey’s fowl call

Can make a guy drowsy; Merry Christmas to all!

Under the Mistletoe is now ON SALE

• Amazon kindle and paperback
• All Romance e-books
• Kobo e-books
• Omnilit e-books
• Smashwords e-books

Contest! I have 5 pdf copies of Under the Mistletoe to give away. Please share your favorite Christmas memory in comments. Please leave your email in the comments so that I can reach you.

Autumn is my favorite season of the year for several reasons:

The colors. All the reds and golds and oranges of the leaves turning colors are simply breathtaking. I live in North Texas, where only a few variety of trees actually change color in autumn. I’m surrounded by mountain cedars and live oaks, which stay green all year long. But those trees that do turn color are spectacular.

The cooler weather. Our summers are hot and humid. Most of us breathe a sigh of relief when the weather starts to turn cooler. Finally, we can walk outside without feeling as if we’re hit in the face with a wet washcloth!

Football. And no, those tight pants the players wear have nothing to do with why I love the sport. Okay, maybe a little.

Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. (I know Christmas is technically a winter holiday, but don’t burst my bubble.) Those holidays mean fun for the kids, togetherness for family, lots of good food, and laughter. Who doesn’t love watching a child open a present on Christmas morning?

Autumn also means more time inside for reading. I love to curl up in my recliner with a cup of hot tea and an afghan thrown over my lap while I get lost in an author’s world.

I hope you’ll get lost in *my* world and enjoy one of my books. Here’s a little taste of Vella’s Viking, the sixth book in my Anything Goes series.

* * *

Vella’s Viking

He stared into her eyes, and Vella returned his look. She couldn’t remember ever experiencing such a strong attraction toward a man. She’d known desire many times, especially since starting to work at Anything Goes, but not this…this…

She didn’t even know how to describe it.

His good looks drew her, no doubt about that. He had the broad-shouldered build of a swimmer. She guessed his height at about six-two, which made him five inches taller than she. Their heights seemed perfect when she’d looked at him while holding his phone. She’d seen awareness in his eyes and had held her breath in anticipation of his kiss.

A kiss that hadn’t happened. Damn it.

He wore a polo shirt that matched the color of his eyes, and beige khakis. His pants didn’t hang on him and hide the shape of his legs or ass, the way khakis usually did, but molded to his lower body as if specifically made for him. A nice bulge pushed against his fly.

To get her mind back on business, she located the other two new houses in the storage drawer. “Okay, new ones taken care of. What other two do you want?”

“Which ones do you like?”

Vella smiled to herself. She recognized the ploy. So often, men came in to purchase a gift for their loved one without any clue what to buy. “My taste and your mother’s might not be the same.”

“She’ll probably have all of them eventually, so I think I’m safe in letting you pick.”

“Let me see the photos again of the houses she already owns.”

Jonas removed his cell phone from his pocket, handed it to Vella. Their fingers brushed. A zing passed all the way through her body and settled between her thighs.

His nostrils flared, his eyes heated. Vella thought something had passed between them when her mom first asked her to help Jonas, then again when their gazes met when she finished looking at the pictures on his phone. The way he stared at her now, as if he’d like to take her against the wall, made her realize she hadn’t been mistaken.

Being taken against the wall sounded really good.

* * *

More information about Vella’s Viking and all my other books on my website:

http://lynnlafleur.com/home/books/