February Brings A Chill And Romance Fills The Air...

 Happy Friday Everyone!

It's February of 2022! February. Let that sink in a moment. February makes me a bit nervous this year. Last year, on February 15th, we lost power and water, got displaced for about 4.5 months (due to water pipe bursting and needing to fix parts of the house). With the talks of winter storms and things, I'm doing a lot of praying for this year not to have another Snowmeggeddon. (Yes, I'm praying for those who DEFINITELY will be dealing with bad parts of the storm, but I'm also praying that we don't have to go through what we did last year).

In between all this, I'm editing. My freelance editor, the incredibly helpful Deb Ewing finished all passes on my manuscript and now it's down to me doing the final read-through and little nit-picky things. Deb warned me not to get so hung up that I lose the way my story works, which is a fair point. As a writer, you don't want to poke and prod your work into a oblivion and lose the voice that works for it. However, I know that this pass is very necessary (including something that Deb made a note of that I've been watching out for). (By the way, Deb is an AWESOME editor and I highly recommend her. If she has time to work with you on your manuscript, go for it. She gave me great notes).

I've also set up a "10-minute with an Expert" meeting through The Manuscript Academy. I joined under the Gold Membership to take full advantage of what they offer. So far, I'd say if their faculty and workshop offerings look like something up your alley having at least a month or more of a subscription (either Basic or Gold are the choices) with them could benefit a writer. It really depends on where you are with your career, what you're looking for, and what you need assistance on in your own craft. I've attended other of their events before I chose to get a subscription, so having a membership wasn't my first introduction to the company. And, I have to say so far the "10 Minute Meeting With An Expert" seems like a helpful item (they have other meeting options, but I chose this particular one for several reasons--one of them being I wanted to work on my query letter a bit more--I've had at least 3-4 sets of eyes on it including my own, but the chance to have an actual agent look at it is an opportunity that's hard to pass up. (And probably shouldn't be passed up, either, if you find someone on their list that reps what you write).

The Author Encounter continues forward. This year, we plan to have our "mainstay" events (Authors March Forward in March, Traditional Publishing Day in September, Indie Author Day in November). Other things are being worked out. For February's Behind The Page, we're going to have author Robin Covington as a guest.

February is a fantastic month for us romance/romantic writers since it's filled with romance and Valentine's Day prep. Fun fact: there actually existed a real guy named Valentine who was a bishop. I've also read that there is, in fact, more than one St. Valentine. The one I've read about attributed to February 14th  and that he left a note for someone and signed it "Your Valentine". In any case, February 14th has lots of stories attributed to it and if you celebrate the day, I wish you a good one.

Also, yesterday, February 3 marked 63 years since "The day the music died" when Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper", Richie Valens, and their pilot, Roger Peterson, died in the famous plane crash (I apologize, I meant to put plane crash and originally had "car crash" that was a typo. And apparently the plane is unnamed, not named "American Pie"). Years later, Don McLean released the song "American Pie" in tribute. Don was a Buddy Holly fan, and so am I. He was very talented, and apparently well-liked by those who knew him. May their souls rest peacefully in Heaven and their music live on.

Lately I seem to be posting once a month, so unless I get some news or have something interesting to post, I'll keep my posting frequency at once a month.

Hope you have a wonderful February and a Fabulously Fun Friday!

What's-Her-Face...?

Happy Friday Everybody!

Recently I finished writing a Romance that features shape-shifters. This is not a YA (Young Adult) novel. Considering that my aim is not YA with this novel, and I'd been thinking about it for a long time, I decided to develop another pen-name strictly for those types of novels. Bethany Averie will remain associated with the Immortal Dreams series and any other YA novels I write. Jeannie Averie will be for the NON-YA Romance novels (Paranormal and Fantasy) that I write. The Jeannie Averie novels will be for ages 18/21 and up. Bethany Averie novels are high school and up.

There isn't a drastic difference, except that the Jeannie Averie novels are a bit different in style and tone. Slightly "hotter".  So they need a different pen-name.

Now, why do I use pen names?

I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional life. Yes, tiny details of my personal life seep into my professional life, but the two are not exactly the same. My husband and offspring names and ages are not included in my professional life. In fact, I've only posted one or two pictures of my husband and none of my offspring. This is on purpose. As far as my husband and I are concerned, their lives are private. My husband and I discussed it a while back and that was the decision we BOTH agreed on. (In fact, I had come to that decision before he even suggested it to me LOL. It's nice to be on the same wavelength).

Why am I making a big announcement about the pen-name? Well, it's not really a secret. But they are going to be different types of books and I don't want the two to be mixed up. Bethany Averie is YA and is the Immortal Dreams series. Jeannie Averie is not. It's Romance geared more towards older audiences. This way my readers will know what type of novel they're getting.

As of March 1, 2019, there aren't any published Jeannie Averie novels out there. I'm hoping that will change with the one I'm currently editing and getting ready to shop around. We'll see how that goes.

Under Bethany Averie, I'm working on Book 5 of the Immortal Dreams series. My plan is to finish this one and finish Book 6. So those will be under Bethany Averie.

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!

What If You Could Live Forever?

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

I've been back from RWA Nationals 2018 in Denver, Colorado for about a week now. It was all right, but I liked last year's better. But that's okay. (Part of it was that I had bad heartburn 2 days in a row. I've spoken to my doc about it, and I'm fine, now).

Moving on, I'm way behind in my "promise to read and review on my blog" books, so let me get right down to today's:

A while back, I won in a fun little giveaway a signed copy of It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble. Joy is an imaginative and talented author behind the amazing Anastasia trilogy (that I loved). She didn't ask me for a review, but I promised her one.

Joy took the idea of "the fountain of youth" and added murder, mystery, suspense, romance, and a quick-witted, smart heroine.

After drinking a tea mixed with a herb found in a disappearing-reappearing-in-different-places spring, Emma O'Neill and Charlie Ryan find themselves remaining seventeen no matter how many years pass, and not able to get sick or age. Unfortunately, a group of religious fanatics hunt them down the way they did their families, but somehow, over the course of over a century, the two manage to elude the group. However, they do that separated. Charlie thought he was giving Emma her best chance at survival, and Emma didn't understand his motives.

While outrunning the Church of Light (later called The Light Givers) Emma becomes a P.I. to investigate a string of murders of girls who look like her. Who's inherited the role of leader of the Church of Light, and is Charlie still alive? Does he still love her?

As Emma does her best to survive and try to save others from falling under the same grave fate as the ones who have died, she keeps hunting for Charlie in hopes of being reunited with him. That is, if he's still alive, too.

But can she do it before she's the one laying cold and dead on the ground?

The only way to find out is to pick up your own copy of Joy Preble's It Wasn't Always Like This.

Have A Tantalizingly Terrific Tuesday and Happy Reading!

You Mean It Isn't That...?

Happy Monday All,

We're getting closer to Romance Writers of America's National Conference (aka "Nationals" or "RWA18"). It's interesting to me how the longer I'm in the genre, the more of the stereotypes and comments that come my way.

For instance, last year, I was in the elevator going up to get something from my hotel room, and this person who was attending another event said to me, "Oh, you're with that book thing."

Now, I played it off. I mean, technically it is a "book thing", but this illustrates some of what we romance novelists encounter. Nationals are so much more than just a "book thing". We have a ton of writers there, sure, but we also have people in other capacities. There are agents, editors, bloggers, sometimes cover artists/models, and well, it wouldn't shock me if someone from film showed up...oh wait, they already did...PassionFlix.

Darling readers, any of you who have followed me (or any other romance novelist) for any amount of time are also aware of the vastness of the genre. There are so many sub-genres (no, I haven't tallied them up, but I imagine they keep expanding). Romances sometimes even contain some kind of mystery--even murder (example, Christie Craig's The Cop Who Stole Christmas). I'd venture to say that if one looks hard enough there's bound to be something for everyone. In my novels, I've got adventure, romance, suspense, humor--you name it.

The point is, Romance writers don't encompass just one thing. They're NOT all like whatever is popular (for example, I've gotten "Oh you write Romance...like Fifty Shades Of Grey?" and I've also gotten, "Oh, like Twilight?") No, it's a vast, expansive--whatever adjective you want to use to say the word "big"--genre and industry.

And we love our readers. Romance writers are incredibly big on being good to their readers. Case in point: author Elizabeth Hunter often does "Five Friday"--a live Facebook video where she answers reader questions/comments and talks about her upcoming work. She also does giveaways. I've done several giveaways. I also carry around swag (bookmarks) for people that include information on how to find me so if they want to know more they can find that information.

I honestly think that no matter your gender or background, you probably can find a romance that suits your tastes (I've even seen little bits of romance in mid-grade...like Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine or Betsy & Joe and Betsy's Wedding both by Maud Hart Lovelace). (P.S. If you have a kid 10 years or older who is interested in writing and you live near Brewster, NY, Gail Carson Levine is doing a 6-week workshop!)

In any case, the Romance genre is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) genres out there. And the comments I've mentioned don't really bother me; however, they do remind me that there are a lot of stereotypes and at one point, yes, there probably was something to them (when there weren't a lot of options) but the genre has come a LONG way since then.

So, go ahead, and enjoy the genre. I know I do!

Have A Magically Marvelous Monday!

Excitement Building...

Happy Monday All,

Like I've said before, my posting on here is inconsistent. Blog topics are hard to come up with and my life is full of being mom, wife, and writer. But enough of excuses!

I'm gearing up for RWA Nationals 2018. I think I've been gearing up for it since Nationals ended last year. I can't help it. I had such a blast in Florida, I'm looking forward to what Colorado will bring.

I'm also excited to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time. Particularly one who was a year behind me in high school. We hung out in the same social group and had one class together my Junior year. She's a sweetheart and I've missed her. We're going to get manicures and hang out. I think it's going to be a ton of fun!

Nationals is a great way for authors (particularly Romance authors) to get together, find out what's new in the publishing world, and network. Publishers, agents, and other industry professionals come from all over as well. It's a HUGE event (I've heard numbers upwards of 2,000 people in attendance). 

Also, I've never been to Colorado. I've been a lot of places in the mainland of USA, but not there. So that will be interesting, too.

Unfortunately all this doesn't happen until July, so I've got to wait a little longer. But, it's nice to have something to look forward to doing. It's fun to feel the anticipation building as we get closer and closer. I can hardly wait!

What do you have to look forward to doing?

Have A Marvelously Magical Monday!

5 Things To Know About...

Happy Wednesday All,

As the time draws closer, I'm working on the edits from my publisher and getting ready for the big day...

RELEASE DAY for Perfect Love.

In preparation for the June 2017 release, here are 5 things you should know about Perfect Love:

1. It takes place years after the events at the end of Immortal Love.

2.  Hailey and Arion are the main point-of-view characters.

3.  Laney and Jason make cameos.

4.  There is a special surprise at the end of the story. (No, I'm not dropping any hints).

5.  I don't know whether or not it's the last book in the Immortal Dreams series. I haven't decided, yet. So, I've left myself an opening in case I continue the series. I'll let you, the reader, see if you can figure out the opening...you probably will...a lot of readers figured out Hailey's story was next. I'm sure you readers figure out the room I left myself in this one. (And no, this isn't the surprise, the surprise is something else).

So, the question you have to ask yourself now is...

Are you ready for Perfect?

June will be here soon!

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

When The Music Inspires You...

Happy Monday Everybody,

Last week on Facebook I revealed one of the songs from Hailey Banks' play list. Hailey's story is the one that's releasing in early summer/late spring this year. To get to know Hailey, read the Immortal Dreams Trilogy--Divine Love, Astral Love, and Immortal Love, she's Laney's best friend.

Play lists can reveal some of the moods of either the author, the scene, and/or the characters involved. To see the play lists from my Immortal Dreams Trilogy, click here.

Music has a way of inspiring a lot of writers. When I wrote my stand-alone Fantasy Romance, All's Fair In Love & Lion, I listened to a lot of Chris de Burgh's music. There was something so beautiful and stirring in his ballads. Interestingly enough, I didn't listen to very much of his music for the Trilogy (except for one song for Immortal Love) but that's because Immortal Dreams novels are a different story. All's Fair In Love & Lion is something of a fairy-tale, and Monroe is a lot more classically romantic than Jason or Laney (think Beauty & The Beast, Cinderella). Where Monroe would probably have a waltz played and dance with Sasha to it, Jason is all rock n' roll.


Several YA authors have play lists (Katie McGarry is one). I've found them useful for inspiration when writing, and to convey to readers a bit more of the characters' personalities.

So what music inspires you? Are you more classical, rock, rap, country, punk, etc.--or a bit of everything?


Have A Merry Musical Monday!

Are You Embraced?

Happy Tuesday One & All,

So, are you all ready? Today I have an official blog book review for you...the very first one of 2017. Pretty cool, huh? I think so, anyway.

This one came about when I requested the ARC of her upcoming book one of her new series. I agreed to do a review in exchange for the ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). 

When March 2017 hits, readers and Kerrelyn Sparks fans will embark on a brand new journey into a Fantasy Romance.

Kerrelyn weaves a world of imagination, magic, adventure, suspense, danger, intrigue, and romance. As always, her story is well-mapped out and she handles the details well. 

Lord Leofric (Leo) is an interesting leading man--he can be hit and survive a lightning strike, while absorbing the power and in turn, wielding it for his own purposes. Unfortunately, he can't TOUCH anyone.

Luciana's character arc takes the journey of her taking a step that looks brave, and showing her actually becoming determined and brave. She's no "Mary Sue" or "damsel in distress".  Sure, she can be rescued, but she's also going to rescue the hero in the process. And she learns How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days.

I can see readers and fans embracing (pardon the pun) Kerrelyn Sparks' new The Embraced series.

How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days will be on sale in March, but you can pre-order it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Now I just have to wait until August to see what happens next!

Have A Tremendously Terrific Tuesday!

Romantically Defined

Happy Monday All,

Did you have a good weekend? A great one? Mine was full of recovering from my ear/sinus infection. It sounds like a blast, doesn't it? Well...it wasn't what I'd call the most fun I've ever had. But I did enjoy a little time with my husband, so that was a plus.

Interesting question occurred to me as I was watching a Hallmark Channel movie (Love By The Book):

What is your idea of Romance? What is something that happened to you that you consider romantic?

This is interesting to me on more than one level. For one thing, I'm hopelessly romantic. I even like some of the cheesier stuff. Or heartwarming.

It's also questions Romance novelists (such as yours truly) strive to answer when they write their novels.

So, you tell me. What do you consider romantic?

Have A Marvelously Magical Monday!

Is It Better Left UNSPOKEN?

Hi Darling Readers,

While my blogging right now is going to be a bit on the sporadic side, but to make it up to you, I have a special surprise...an official blog book review!

Author C.C. Hunter has the final installment of her Della stories on sale today.

Della is a vampire on a mission: to clear her father's name. She doesn't believe for an instant that he killed his sister. But between secrets and lies, how is she supposed to uncover the truth?

Then there's Chase. The vampire who saved her life. Is her attraction to him real or just part of the blood-bond they share? Can she even trust him after he lied to her?

Truths will be revealed and secrets discovered. Lives will change forever.

But is it a good thing or should it all have remained Unspoken?

You can get your copy of the exciting conclusion to Della's story on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Happy reading and have a tantalizing Tuesday!

Take A Trip Into The Everglades...

Happy Friday All,

I've decided to do an impromptu book review. Recently I finished reading Stacy Hoff's Desire In The Everglades.

When I read Anne B. Cole's blog post where Stacy made a guest appearance, her story and the background behind it intrigued me. Stacy and I emailed each other and decided to exchange books. She sent me a copy of Desire In The Everglades, and I sent her a copy of my novel, All's Fair In Love In Lion.

Anyway, I finally got to sit down and read Stacy's story:

Stephanie Lang has enough stress being a producer for Teleworld Broadcasting Company without being forced into working on the insane new show her boss and the Board of Directors have come up

with. Seriously...a guy armed ONLY with a knife surviving in the Everglades? Have the higher ups lost their minds?

But between being strong-armed and then catching the photo of Colin, who they plan to contract to be The Everglader, she finds herself agreeing to the whole idea.

Little does she realize what she's about to experience.

The story has plenty of action and adventure for those who crave it. It's definitely a romance novel, and the romance is done well.

If you're someone who loves a bit of danger, a bit of romance, and suspense, then head over to Amazon to pick up a Kindle copy of Stacy Hoff's Desire In The Everglades. You can also pick up a paperback copy through Amazon or go to Barnes & Noble to order a paperback copy.

Hope You All Have A Fantastically Fabulous Friday!

Dreams, Fae, & Book Review...

Happy Thursday All,

I'm overdue for posting this, but I plead life and other things as the reason this hasn't gone up. I don't have an assistant, so I probably need to start keeping a log of To Do list for this blog. (Hey there's a New Year's Resolution right there!)

Anyway, I do want to introduce to you all a novel by author Larynn Ford. Since this is a promised review, it's an official blog book review.

Lynzi Lancaster didn't figure herself for a target until several life threatening incidents happen...all in one week. Who would want to hurt her?

Then there's the dreams. Layne Brady has been long gone out of her life for twenty years. Now all of a sudden she can't get him out of her mind or her dreams.

Magic and reality clash as Lynzi works to make sense out of what's happening to her and Layne struggles to prove that he is very much alive, and still loves her deeply.

If you like a twist on contemporary/western with a hint of the Fae, you'll find In My Wildest Dreams intriguing. I'm always into the unique, and this one definitely delivers.

And, it's on sale! So you can grab yourself a copy from Amazon Kindle today.

For paperback versions check out Amazon paperback and Barnes & Noble.

Have A Totally Twinkly Thursday!

Cover Reveal! IMMORTAL DREAMS Book Two: ASTRAL LOVE!

Hello Darling Readers,

This is actually for Monday, but because I'm writing, and doing a bunch of other things, I wanted to make sure I got it up in plenty of time.

Hope everybody had a great weekend! I was sick on Saturday, but got better on Sunday, so that was good. I'm working on Book Three of the Immortal Dreams Trilogy, but I figured everybody would want a little peek at what's to come (especially for anyone who has already read Immortal Dreams Book One, Divine Love).

So here we are, the cover art for Immortal Dreams Book Two, Astral Love! I love it, don't you?

Book Two is due to release Fall of 2014 (yes, this year!)

Here's wishing you a great work week/new school year!

Have A Marvelously Magical Monday!

Updates & 2014 Upcoming Releases...

Happy Friday All,

I've been thinking about what kind of post to write, and well several ideas have been floating in my mind. I couldn't nail down one, so I waited until I could. And I still haven't, but I thought I'd give it a go to see what happens. (Bear with me LOL).

I'm awaiting 1st round edits for Immortal Dreams Book 1: Divine Love.

I'm still waiting on the paperback version of All's Fair In Love & Lion (I'm sorry that's been taking so long).

I'm waiting on the cover art for Immortal Dreams Book 1: Divine Love.  The form has been turned in to the artist, so I guess just waiting on them.

I am so looking forward to this cover you have NO idea. I love this Trilogy. I do, I really do. There's just something about Erich and Laney that has me going bonkers. My beta reader is awaiting Book 3. She's loved the first 2 and is ready for the third one. 

If you're a member of Goodreads, all 3 Immortal Dreams Trilogy books are up on Goodreads for you to press that "Want To Read" button. I haven't put in much of a blurb, yet, because I wanted to wait closer to Divine Love's release date to do that. However, don't let that stop you from pressing the "want to read" button. The more "buzz" that is created, the better. 

Here's a very general overview of the Immortal Dreams Trilogy: 

18 year-old, senior high school student, Laney Alberts mourns the death of her beloved father. Even though it happened a year earlier,

it might as well have been yesterday.  Enter Erich Magnus. There's

something about this guy, and it's not just his god-like good looks, cocky attitude, leather jacket, and silver Corvette. There's something more, something deeper. What Laney hadn't bargained on was her place in the whole crazy situation. Secrets will be uncovered, lies revealed, and to put it into Laney's words "major suckage" ensues. Can they figure it out before the world is taken over by chaos? Find out starting June 18, 2014 when Immortal Dreams Book 1: Divine Love is released!

I realize that's not the most awesome blurb in the world, and I promise I have another one that should be better yet to come, but that's what I can offer at the moment.

Meanwhile here's a list of books (besides my own, of course) that I'm really excited about (in no particular order) and some of these you can pre-order, too:

Kiera Cass's The One (Book 3 in The Selection series)--May 2014

C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls After Dark:  Reborn (spin-off series to her Shadow Falls series)  -- May 2014

Kerrelyn Sparks' How To Seduce A Vampire (Without Really Trying)  (next installment in her Love At Stake series)  -- April 2014

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Opposition (book 5 in her Lux series)--August 2014

Katie McGarry's Take Me On --releasing May 2014   also looking forward to Breaking The Rules (a new Noah & Echo story!)--December 2014

Lesley Livingston's Transcendent (book 3 of Starling series)--December 2014

There's other books I'm looking forward to reading that I already have but haven't gotten to, but these are the ones that are releasing this year.


What books are you looking forward to seeing released THIS year?

Have A Fabulously Fun Friday!

Classics Week Guest Post: Tina Bausinger "Love, Death, And Madness"

Happy Thursday Everybody,

I can't tell you how excited I am that you all have been enjoying Classics Week. When I got this idea I wasn't sure what would happen, but it's turned into a lot of fun. Yesterday's posts by Mina Khan got many comments (thank you for supporting Mina!) Which is great. It's always nice when readers support an author.

Today I welcome an author who is on one of the email loops I'm on. Like Mina, when I sent out the call for certain authors, (mostly Paranormal and Fantasy, but I welcomed a couple of other genres, too) author Tina Bausinger answered the call and I was delighted to have her come aboard for this blog series.

So please join me in welcoming Tina Bausinger as she talks about Emily Brontë:

The windy heights—a horrifying thunderstorm and a choice between a love-crazed, revenge-seeking rogue or a beautiful aristocratic pretty boy. Who can resist the world of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë? I know I can’t.

 

Love that transcends all boundaries, even those set by sanity--Cathy Earnshaw is the original Bella Swan. She’s indecisive, whiny, spoiled—and yet, brooding, handsome, mentally unstable Heathcliff and gorgeous, wealthy and wussy Linton are ready to fight to the death for her. Well, sort of—Linton is ready to pay someone to fight in his place, but still.

 

When Cathy thinks about Heathcliff, she says, “If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.” When Heathcliff speaks to Cathy, he says, “Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life!”

 

Wuthering Heights is so much more than just a love story—it’s a revenge story as well, and we see Heathcliff as the antihero. We can’t help rooting for him to win Cathy, but he’s sort of a weird obsessive bad boy whose mental instability keeps us guessing till the end. Gotta love a good, dark Gothic tale.

        

If you like dark and twisty tales like Wuthering Heights, you’re gonna love my book, War Eagle Women. It’s considered a Southern Gothic romance. Like Cathy, Eden is torn between

beautiful, moody, talented artist Craig and Mike, a handsome, dedicated trauma surgeon. Elizabeth, Eden’s grandmother, tells her own story about her choice between dark Italian hottie Antonio, who hides a questionable past and rough and handsome boy-next-door Henry. In the tiny town of War Eagle where secrets lie as deep as the river, four women whose lives are inextricably linked by blood and destiny must share their long buried stories to help their youngest, Samantha, to disclose her own secret that, left untold, threatens to steal her very life. Dark and gritty, War Eagle Women is part romance, part mystery, part ghost story, and part Indian legend. I promise that Eden is a more likable heroine than either Cathy or Bella. Give War Eagle Women a try!

Note From Bethany:  You can find War Eagle Women on Amazon Kindle. 

Classics Week Guest Post: Marie Hall "Why I Love Regency Period Romance"

Happy Tuesday All,

Did you all enjoy yesterday's post? If you haven't checked it out, please do so by clicking here.

Today I welcome author Marie Hall to Write By Bethany. Marie is

an author I came across while browsing E-book options. I read Her Mad Hatter and was hooked. Now several more titles later, and having interviewed her, plus chit-chatting on Facebook (she's a Once Upon A Time show fan, too). I'm delighted to be able to welcome her once again to my blog as she discusses her love of Jane Austen, and other period romances.

Take away, Marie Hall...

I guess it’s no surprise that I as a romance writer would love romances. And I hardly doubt I’m in the minority when it comes to loving Jane Austen, and the Bronte sisters. I’m also very partial to Dickens, but he didn’t write the traditional romances. So for the sake of this piece I’ll stick with romance period writers.

I first picked up Pride and Prejudice in high school. It was a school assignment and I wasn’t too keen on the idea. My idea of a period romance was going to be a book full of big words I couldn’t understand, completely unrelatable characters, the ultimate snooze fest. Four hours after opening the book I was done and my world was forever changed. How could a woman who lived so long ago perfectly capture the spirit of love, desire, jealousy, and betrayal?

Realizing I may have just stumbled across a new genre of books never before read to me I picked up Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility. Though none of them quite captured my attention the way Mr. Darcy had, they were all very good. On a quest now to search out new authors I picked up the Bronte’s. I’ll be the first to say that I hated Wuthering Heights. To me that was most definitely not a romance, but a tragedy. As I’ve grown older I’ve come to appreciate the complexities and psychology of the story but I would still hesitate to call it a romance. That said, Jane Eyre stole my breath away. Mr. Rochester specifically. Wow, what an anti-hero. He was brusque, MARRIED, and just downright nasty. But I loved him. Loved everything about him. I loved the dark edge to him, how he could put on a show for others, but how with Jane he dared to be his true self.

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Rochester shaped my idea of what a wonderful hero could actually be. Someone who on the surface seemed so wrong and just horrid, but who in the end, you couldn’t help but root for. It is that archetype, more than any other that I love writing to this day. In a lot of ways Rumpelstiltskin is an amalgam of the two. Haughty, disdainful, and yet there’s something in him that calls to the heroine because she can see beyond the mask to the wounded man beneath. Thanks to two ladies who lived centuries ago I feel like I’ve found my true calling in life and I could not be happier. After all, isn’t that what romance is all about? Happily ever after.

Marie didn't mention it, but she has a brand-new release out in the Alphas After Dark anthology. Her story is entitled Rumpel's Prize (which I reviewed in this post) and is a part of her Kingdom series.  You can get your copy of Alphas After Dark on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Kickin' Off Classics Week With Guest Patti Korbet...

Happy Monday Everybody,

Welcome to the first ever Classics Week on Write By Bethany. Each day I will feature a different author. The author for the day will talk about which classic author and book they enjoyed and why, plus whether or not it influenced them. At the end of the post, they will feature one of their own publications for your reading pleasure.

To kick off Classics Week, I've got author Patti Korbet. I met Patti through author Marie Hall's Facebook page. As it turns out, we're both avid Once Upon A Time fans (as well as fans of Marie Hall's work) and started chatting. She's got some interesting things to say about JRR Tolkein, so I'll hush up and let Patti take over...

My childhood memories are filled with moments of fantasy and science fiction, from the cartoons that started our Saturday mornings to the films we saw in the movie theater. Many of those stories were classics of childhood for kids of the 70's and 80's – E.T., The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story, Legend, Labyrinth, Planet of the Apes, Back to the Future, Willow and of course, Star Wars, to name a few. The ritual of watching sci-fi and fantasy together binds my family even now.

Of all those movies, the one animated film of the two genres that always stayed with me was The Hobbit (1977). Before special effects and Peter Jackson could do justice to Middle Earth, the animator's hand gave life to this fantastical world. It stuck with me more than any Disney movie I had ever seen at that point.

Note from Bethany:  I think these were the Ozark Mountains
in Arkansas, but look a little Tolkein-ish!

Years later, a college friend gave me his extra copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy. I didn't read them immediately, but knew I would – I had loved that little Hobbit Bilbo from my childhood cartoon. Then a coworker loaned me his copy of the original BBC broadcast teleplay of LOTR, and let me tell you, if you've never heard it, you should. What Peter Jackson did for the films, that production did for audio. When I played the last CD, I felt compelled to read all four books. I devoured them.

I knew the story of The Hobbit, of course. But I could not have been prepared for the wonder that enveloped me when my eyes directly consumed J.R.R. Tolkien's words. He wove this fantastical tale of dragons, of demons with names like 'goblin' and 'orc', of elves the size of men, dwarves more complex than Snow White's pals, wise wizards and the small, gentle, half-men known as hobbits. It changed forever how I read fantasy and laid the foundation for the amazing series that followed.

In many ways, The Hobbit was not just the pre-quel to the LOTR saga, it was also the pre-quel to all the fantasy stories that came later. Some, like Harry Potter, nod very directly to Tolkien. But many writers and stories – even those outside fantasy and sci-fi – owe The Hobbit for paving the way to creating worlds that do not exist.

What Tolkien teaches us through The Hobbit is that you can create a wholly fictional universe, and as long as you believe in it, your audience will, too. When that world comes directly from your own imagination, however many words you need to carry the reader into the varied and vivid landscapes and to illuminate the characters, those are the words you must use. I don't write fantasy or sci-fi – not yet – but if I do, I know I'll strive to meet the standard set by The Hobbit and Tolkien.

Until then, you can catch my contemporary romance series, Ward Sisters, about an interconnected group of people. The third book, Right Here Waiting, featuring a strong woman and the soldier who steals her heart, is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, where you can also find the first two books.