Historic or Contemporary? Why Not Both?

Depending on who you talk to, I’m either a writer of historic romances, or an author of sexy contemporaries. No, I don’t have a Jekyll/Hyde personality, but sometimes I do feel like I’m using both sides of my brain when I write. I liken it to the Olympics, where the same person competes in various disciplines of the same sport—say downhill skiing, where the object is to go fast and slalom skiing, which calls for precision and accuracy. The basics are the same, but it’s the tricks of each that make them unique and special.

Historical romances for me are like slalom skiing—orderly and analytical. I need to get my facts straight before I begin writing. The Cotillion Ball series takes place in America in the late 1850s and 1860s. Those years were tumultuous times in the country, as the threat of civil war loomed on the horizon. But it wasn’t just the war that happened during that time. Western expansion caused many Americans to move from one coast to the other, gold was discovered in California, railroads and telegraph lines carved pathways across the face of America. What this translates to is plenty to write about, but I’d better make certain my facts are in order. If I have a wagon train going west, it better leave from one of the towns where the trains began, and it better happen in the correct time period.

Fashion is another factor. Do my heroines wear hoop skirts or were they passé? Did women walk by themselves during the day in downtown New York, or did they need an escort at all times? Are the words I’m using too modern? It’s a constant game of checking and double-checking facts. I love to write and read historic romances, but they are difficult, tedious and time consuming to achieve.

By contrast, contemporary romances are just the opposite. They’re the downhill skiing in my eyes. Quick and sometimes verging on out of control. Yes, I still need to fact-check, especially if I’m placing the book in a part of the country I’m not familiar with, or if I’ve got things in the book that I know nothing about—bull riders, motorcycles, lobstermen, tornadoes, jewelry makers, to name a few. But I don’t need to obsess over whether the word was in use in the 19^thcentury, and I can use words that I know didn’t see the light of day until the year 2000 or beyond. It’s liberating to me to be able to write a contemporary, and I can find all kinds of fun things to write about. 

 

I like to change things up after I write a historical and compose a sexy contemporary. But as I write each genre, I’m thinking of the next one, and what I’ll write. So by the time I finish a contemporary, I’m ready to slide back into my world in the 1850s, and can tackle the new story with fresh ideas. Regardless of what the sub-genre is, the basics are still the same. There must be a compelling love story, and the writing has to sparkle. Without those two elements, no one will care what type of writing you do. It’s kind of like skiing. You can sign up for whatever kind of specific discipline you want, but you’d better first know how to ski. 

BEYOND THE FIRE--NEW COVER AND GIVEAWAY! by Cheryl Pierson

When Kendi Morgan witnesses an attempted murder near her home one stormy November night, she makes the only choice her heart will allow: she has to help the victim. But bringing the handsome stranger into her home traps her in the middle of a deadly drug war.

Wounded DEA agent Jackson Taylor is a man with nothing to lose and nothing to fear—until he falls for the beautiful woman who risks everything to save his life.

With his cover blown, Jackson knows he’s all that stands between Kendi and Benito Sanchez, a powerful drug cartel lord. Sanchez swears his vengeance, vowing to see Jackson and Kendi both dead.

Love comes fast when there may be only hours left…can it survive? Or will Jackson sacrifice his partner’s life—along with his own—in exchange for Kendi’s safety? Does a future exist for them BEYOND THE FIRE…

I'm relaunching my Fire Star Press story, BEYOND THE FIRE, with a brand new cover, and I want to give away a digital copy of this wonderful story to celebrate!

This is a story that was pretty "gritty" to write and make it realistic, but I think you'll be surprised with some of the twists and turns it takes! In BEYOND THE FIRE, Kendi Morgan has been horribly hurt by her ex-husband, but she never lets go of her dreams. She's my kind of girl! She's been knocked down, but she gets up and keeps on moving forward in life. When a wounded DEA agent, Jackson Taylor, shows up on her property, she's not sure if he's a "good guy" or not, but she takes a chance--a big one!

What's the biggest chance you've ever taken in your life? Be sure to comment to be entered for the drawing for a digital copy of BEYOND THE FIRE!

Amazon links for BEYOND THE FIRE:
https://amzn.to/2WTFGSU -- KINDLE
https://amzn.to/2uS6GGo -- PAPERBACK

New Release -- WINTER WISHES and A CHRISTMAS WEDDING by Celia Yeary

 A collection of three wintry western short stories that are sure to warm your heart!

Merry Christmas, Victoria
Victoria yearns for the love of one special man. However, rancher Cade Hollister treats her as a friend, so she follows his lead. As she works alone in her cold dress shop on Christmas Eve, he stops by to visit, and walks her home. At the door, he gives her an unexpected kiss.

Cade has loved Victoria for a long time, but he's never found a way to tell her. This Christmas, though, he takes a chance. Will his surprise gift make her understand how much he loves her?

Wishes Do Come True
Ross Davis has been in love with Anna Morrison for years, and he believes she feels the same. But every time he’s asked her to marry him, she sadly rejects his proposal. Determined to ask one final time and learn the reason for her refusal, they both learn something about each other that changes everything.

On this blustery winter night, the secrets each of them has kept are told, and Anna learns that Wishes Do Come True!

The Cattlemen’s Ball
Cattleman Ryan Cameron attends The Cattlemen’s Ball after the big sale. He’s done well at the auction, but when it comes to dancing, he doesn’t know how—so he asks a beautiful girl to teach him! Miss Olivia Westmoreland is instantly taken with the young, handsome cattleman and all too happy to show him the steps he needs to know.

When Ryan’s rival, Paul Wellington, tries to steal Olivia away the night ends on an unexpected note for everyone, and The Cattlemen’s Ball will never be the same!

Kailey Lovelace, maid of honor in her brother's Christmas wedding, hopes the best man Alex Dunn won't bolt when he sees she is six feet tall and has frizzy blond hair. At the airport, she almost loses her breath when she learns he's even taller and looks like a dream. If only he likes her enough for the week of the wedding to go smoothly.

Alex Dunn, recently discharged from the Army, can't believe his good luck when he meets his partner for the wedding. Kailey is just the right height and gorgeous, as well. He looks forward to a pleasant week in Texas.

What could possibly go wrong?

       

There's No Place Like My Favorite Reading Chair for Christmas!

 Tracy Garrett

Are you one of those readers who plan what you’ll read when you get those few extra hours once the presents are open and the dinner is a memory? I am! I love having time to dig into a new story—or three—once all the Christmas gatherings and church services are over.

This year, I have far more to choose from than usual. Some would say I have a book-buying problem. I think I have a not-enough-time-to-read problem!

Now, I readily admit that my tbr (that’s to be read for those not sure) is more a mountain—or it would be if it wasn’t all housed on my handy dandy e-reader. I remember the days of taking a larger suitcase on a week-long vacation just so I had enough books along. The e-reader is much lighter. But, it has it’s issues, too. Mostly, I don’t see a teetering stack of paperbacks so I think, hey, I need something new to read, and off I go. Again. Anyway—

I have so many books I really want to read cued up to start the moment I get a, well, moment, but I think I’ll start with something from Prairie Rose Publications:

Check out Angela Raines’s newest, The Gift of Forgiveness.

And Livia Washburn's adorable short story, Naughty or Mice.





Want a few more? Something a little different? These are next on my list:
   The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath – I’ve been waiting for this character’s happy ever
       after forEVER!

   And, for you Sherlock Holmes fans, A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro, which I started
       this summer, but had to put away when real life interferred.

   And At Last & Just Once by Addison Fox.
   And The Christmas Match by Allie Burton.
   And—

Okay, I'll stop now.  You get the idea.

Of course, that list doesn’t even scratch the surface.  Prairie Rose Publications has so many more new books out, I could start there and not come up for air until spring. Check out … Oh, forget it.  Just go HERE to choose your own.

Your turn.  What’s whispering to you from your TBR mountain? If we all share, there's still time to add to that list of books we want from Santa!

NEW RELEASE AND GIVEAWAY! MIDNIGHT SUN BY VELLA MUNN

Years and years ago, my husband and I went to Alaska on one of those cruise adventures. At the time we had teenage sons (who strange as it sounds, were delighted to have us gone for 10 days), and couldn't afford something so expensive. However, we'd assumed a lot of care for my mother-in-law who'd recently gone blind, and she and my father-in-law decided to thank us by handing us the tickets. It took awhile for the shock to wear off but once it had, I became giddy as a child just before Christmas.

It's impossible to pick one day, one sight, one town, one mountain as the one that truly stood out for me, but Skagway is near the top. I was raised in California's gold country so maybe that's why Skagway, the jumping off point to the Klondike, spoke so intimately to me. I loved the museum with its wall-sized picture of an endless line of would-be miners trudging up the mountain carrying everything they believed they'd need for survival and eventual wealth. Sadly, most of them wound up broke but at the time of the climb they had hopes, high hopes.

These days Skagway mostly depends on the tourist dollar. Summer in Alaska is a frantic scramble to keep the roads operating and I was drawn to the rugged men and women (a number of Eskimo women) running the machinery. When I decided on Skagway as the setting for my contemporary romance, I had no doubt that my hero and heroine would be involved with road construction. Of course my hero was the contractor (rugged man, rugged occupation) while my heroine knew everything there was to know about operating heavy machinery.

To complicate things because romances always need complications, I decided that my heroine's father had his own construction company and he was being accused of shoddy work that resulted in a building collapse that nearly killed the hero. My hero believes the heroine's father is guilty. My heroine is determined to salvage her father's name.

Bring on the plot. Bring on physical and emotional attraction between two strong-minded people. Bring on an isolated but wonderful small town that's weaving a spell around my characters.

The only thing that's missing is me being able to return to Skagway Alaska which I'd do in a heartbeat. At least writing Midnight Sun made it possible for me to live there in my mind.

BLURB
When Brand Lockwood barely survives a building collapse, memories of trying to rescue other survivors haunt him. He vows never again to be a victim of another man’s negligence and greed—and to actively pursue the builder he feels was responsible for the collapse.

Kara Richardson isn’t going to sit by and let her father be slandered as an incompetent contractor. She goes right to the man who has brought her father so much misery and ruined his life—Brand Lockwood—and applies for a job with his firm. She can handle a bulldozer as well as any man, and she’s got to financially support her father until she can manage to clear his name.  But how can she get to the bottom of things when neither man will tell her what happened?

Kara’s father demands that she come home—but it’s too late for that. Brand has already laid claim to her with his dark eyes and heart-stopping touch. Now, Kara has to find out what only  Brand can tell her about the horrific accident. How can she live with the truth? And how can she live without Brand?

BUY LINKS MIDNIGHT SUN    Barnes and Noble Nook    Smashwords     Kobo

SUMMER FLAMES   Barnes and Noble Nook       Smashwords           Kobo

MEMORIES FROM MAPLE STREET   Smashwords  Barnes and Noble Nook   Kobo

                    

PRP New Release: Cast Away Heart by Sarah J. McNeal -- Giveaway

CAST AWAY HEART by Sarah J. McNeal

An abandoned piano, rejected love, and hope

Blurb:
After her fiancé humiliates her and breaks her heart on what was to be their wedding day, Ella Dubois has vowed never to open her heart again.

Nickoli Vesa, a Romanian pianist, has loved Ella for years, but she sees him only as her best friend.

How can a deserted piano heal a shattered spirit and inspire it to sing again?

Excerpt:
   There it stood like a brave soldier, silent in its despair and covered in snow.  One of the ornately carved legs had rotted away and lie on the ground beside it causing the piano to list to that side.  It resembled an old ship that had taken a huge wave and, as the water began to fill its hull, was sinking slowly into the sea.  The wooden underside of the keys had begun to swell and dislodge from the smooth white pads.  The black keys had eroded into splinters and the top of the piano had caved in on the piano wires.
   Ella choked back a sob at the sorrowful sight.  How could that awful man watch this happen to such a beautiful instrument? The piano could have brought the joy of music to so many.  How much hatred could he possibly have to find delight in watching the destruction of his wife’s piano?  What a despicable human being.
Nickoli drove the car to the side of the road and stopped.  He turned to Ella and gathered her up into his arms.  “You must stop mourning, inima mea.  Until you stop longing for things to be different, you cannot change your future.  You cannot let happiness in.  You understand, yes?”
   She knew he was not talking to her about the piano.  He was talking about Mark.  There was no way for him to understand the pain she still felt from Mark’s rejection.  The memory of her standing there at the front of the church with her friends and family all present as her father announced there would be no wedding that day was still sharp enough to cut into her heart.  “I need time, Nick.  I can’t just let it go like it never happened.”  She pushed back from his embrace and met his eyes.  “It’s the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
   He did not take his eyes from hers.  Removing his hands from around her, he moved back into his seat.  “All is required, you let go.  Stop looking back or you cannot see where you are going.”

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook.

B&N Link           Smashwords Link

         

NEW RELEASE AND A GIVEAWAY! SWEET DANGER by CHERYL PIERSON

Sweet Danger was my first contemporary romantic suspense novel. Up until this point, I had stuck with writing western historicals, though my Time Plains Drifter, which was re-released recently through Prairie Rose Publications, is also a bit of a departure from that, venturing into the paranormal/time travel aspect, as well as historical.



Sweet Danger is the story of Jesse Nightwalker, an undercover cop, and Lindy Oliver, his beautiful next-door neighbor. They’ve been very much aware of one another for the past year or so, but have never formally met, until one fateful Friday morning when they both come into the local deli and end up next to each other in line.

But things turn deadly as a gang of criminals takes over the deli in what seems to be a robbery. Unfortunately for Jesse, the leader of the pack is Tabor Hardin, a vicious cop killer that Jesse helped put behind bars. Hardin’s purpose changes instantly. The robbery was only a façade for a much more heinous crime—kidnapping the governor’s children from the adjoining daycare. Now, Hardin swears to make Jesse pay for his part in Hardin’s imprisonment before anything else takes place.



As if things couldn’t get worse, one of the other children in the daycare is Jesse’s own son, Nash. Jesse has to walk a fine line to figure out what he can do to save his son and Lindy, as well as the other hostages—even though it means certain death for himself.

When his wife died four years earlier, Jesse cut off all romantic feelings, immersing himself in his undercover work. Now, Lindy Oliver has reawakened those feelings at a most inopportune time, and Jesse is incredulous at what’s happening between them, now that he stands to lose it all at Hardin’s bloody hands.

I loved the premise of this book, and especially loved figuring out how to make it all “come around” so that Jesse and Lindy could have the HEA they so richly deserved.

Sweet Danger was re-released with FIRE STAR PRESS recently. It’s also available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon, among other distributors. I’ve posted the blurb and an excerpt below for your reading pleasure! Please leave a comment. Visit my website at http://www.cherylpierson.com

BLURB:

When bookseller Lindy Oliver and undercover cop Jesse Nightwalker sit down to share a pastry at the local deli, they're strangers. But as breakfast suddenly becomes a heart-stopping life-or-death ordeal, a stolen kiss changes everything between them. Escaped convict, Tabor Hardin, blames Nightwalker for his imprisonment. With Lady Luck on his side, the brutal murderer plans to quickly gain a fortune, then make the cop pay with his life – very slowly. Hardin's gang enters the deli in a hail of bullets, and Jesse shoves Lindy beneath a table to shield her. But as he does, he steals one hot, life-altering kiss that forms an unbreakable bond between them. Now, with someone to live for, survival takes on new meaning for both of them. Secrets and vengeance are bound to crush any thoughts of a future between them. Fate provides a glimmer of hope for true love, but can it last in the firestorm of this Sweet Danger?



EXCERPT FROM SWEET DANGER:

This excerpt takes place in the first chapter. Jesse Nightwalker, an undercover cop, runs into his neighbor, Lindy Oliver, in the local deli. Though they've never met, they are very aware of one another. The deli owner introduces them officially and points them toward the only available booth. But their Friday morning takes a quick nosedive in the next few minutes. Here's what happens.

Jesse looked past her, his smile fading rapidly. As the flash of worry entered his expression, Lindy became aware of a sudden lull in the noisy racket of the deli. Jesse’s dark gaze was locked on the front door, a scowl twisting his features.

“Damn it,” he swore, reaching for her hand. “Get down! Under the table, Lindy…”

But she hesitated a second too long, not understanding what was happening. In the next instant, the sound of semi-automatic gunfire and shattering glass filled the air.

Lindy reflexively ducked, covering her head. The breath of a bullet fanned her cheek as Jesse dragged her down beneath the sparse cover of the small table. He shielded her, his hard body crushing against her, on top of her, pushing her to the floor. The breath rushed out of her, and she felt the hard bulge of the shoulder holster he wore beneath the denim jacket as it pressed against her back.

Her heart pounded wildly, realization of their situation flooding through her. A robbery! But why, at this hour of the morning when the take would be so low? The gunfire stopped as abruptly as it had started. From somewhere near the counter, a man shouted, “Come out and you won’t be hurt! Come out—now!”

Lindy looked up into Jesse’s face, scant inches from her own. What would he do? They were somewhat concealed here at the back of the deli, but these men were sporting semi-automatic weapons.

“There’s a back door,” Jesse whispered raggedly. “Get the hell out of here. I’m gonna be your diversion.” She didn’t answer; couldn’t answer. He was likely to be killed, helping her go free. He gave her a slight shake. “Okay?”

An interminable moment passed between them before she finally nodded. “Get going as soon as I get their attention.” He reached to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, his own gaze softening as he leaned toward her and closed the gap between them. “Take care of yourself, Lindy,” he whispered, just before his mouth closed over hers.

The instant their lips met shook her solidly. Every coherent thought fled, leaving nothing but the smoldering touch of his lips on hers, burning like wildfire through her mind. Soft, yet firm. Insistent and insolent. His teeth skimmed her lower lip, followed by his tongue, as he tasted her. Then, he pulled away from her, their eyes connecting for a heart-wrenching second.

“Safe passage,” he whispered.

Lindy didn’t answer, more stunned by the sudden sweet kiss than by the madness surrounding them. Jesse pushed himself out from under the table and stood up, directly in front of where Lindy crouched. Only then did she hear his muted groan of pain, his sharp, hissing intake of breath. The blossoming red stain of crimson contrasted starkly with the pale blue of his faded denim jacket as his blood sprang from the bullet wound, soaking the material.

He’d been shot!

Lindy gasped softly at the realization. How could she leave him now?


SOME OLDER REVIEWS:
NIKKI FROM SIREN BOOK REVIEWS GIVES SWEET DANGER 5 SIREN STONES!
Warning- if you are going to read Sweet Danger, then make sure that your schedule is clear for the next few hours. I say this because once you start this; you're not going to want to put it down.
This suspense story has so many twists and turns, it's filled with plenty of action. Readers will be at the edge of their seat, biting their nails until the last page is read.

Fans of top notch romantic suspense will surely enjoy Cheryl Pierson's Sweet Danger. It has a perfectly blended amount of romance, tension, suspense, and soul searching.

Lindy Oliver is one of the strongest, bravest heroines I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. She is a fighter, and amidst a scary situation she manages to stay calm and brave.

This is an amazing story, and Cheryl Pierson has me hooked!



Here’s what Pepper from Romance in the Back Seat had to say about Sweet Danger!

Sweet Danger has some delightful touches of humor (which it needs to break up the tension) and also some touching moments, though Pierson doesn’t make it easy for her characters. Things start out bad and just get worse. I thought as I watched the relationship between Jesse and Lindy develop, that Pierson had a good handle on how extraordinarily tense and dangerous situation can change people’s attitudes and make them look at what’s really important. I also thought Pierson had an excellent conception of what a hostage situation must be like for both the hostages and the cops trying to free them. I can only imagine how difficult it must be on everyone concerned. But Pierson portrayed it very well. If you like romantic suspense, I don’t think you can go wrong with Sweet Danger. Just be prepared to bite your fingernails.

I'm giving away a copy of SWEET DANGER today to one lucky commenter! Be sure to leave your contact information in your comment so that I can reach you if I draw your name!

If you just can't wait to see if you won, here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Danger-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B00KY8GGH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402670222&sr=8-1&keywords=Sweet+Danger+by+Cheryl+Pierson