Marriage vs. Status Quo...

...in romantic fiction and The Artist’s Inheritance

Help me welcome our guest blogger today, Juli D. Revezzo

Thanks Brenda and the Roses for inviting me here today.

I have a question for you and your readers: What do you know about your beloved? Is it enough to save him if the gods decided he’d slighted them?

I posed that question in my debut novel The Artist’s Inheritance.

            As romance authors you’re sort of squashed into a certain format—boy meets girl, boy and girl face obstacles on the road to happily ever after, heck, maybe at first they don’t even want HEA with each other. Eventually they jump over all those hurtles and make it to the altar, or at least broach the subject.

            It’s such an ingrained format most of us can sing it in our sleep.

            But when I sat down to write my novel, that tried and true format just didn’t work. Caitlin, my main character, knew far too much about her beloved. She knew that his brother and sister were artists, she knew that his mother had gone missing, she knew that the brother and sister both committed suicide. Being realistic and rational, these are not things one usually brings up to a girlfriend in the opening stages of a relationship. I contemplated the reunion format but, they’re not my favorite types of books either.

What to do then?

Caitlin had an answer: She insisted they were married. “I have to see what he does in those off hours to see this weird thing he’s creating in secret, don’t you think? I have to live with him, at least. It’s all about his family, sister!”

So, what else could I do? Marriage of Convenience maybe? Since it’s set in Present Day Florida and the characters are not of a culture that might choose that for their children, that didn’t work either. Nor did Caitlin like the idea of a shotgun wedding, so to speak.

I had no other choice.

I had to begin the story after Caitlin and her beloved Trevor married and I ask you, what’s more romantic than a man or woman willing to fight imps and gods bent on your family or your beloved’s destruction?

This is just the beginning of Caitlin’s fight for her beloved, so I hope you will give The Artist’s Inheritance a chance, and like what you see.

Would you like to read more about it? Here’s the synopsis:

How far would you go to save your beloved?

Trevor and Caitlin were once happy newlyweds, profiting from Trevor's art. Until Trevor inherits his brother's house, and with it, his part of a family curse. Now, Caitlin will stop at nothing to save her beloved husband from insanity and suicide, even if it means she must embrace her destiny and become a witch.

The Artist’s Inheritance is available at:

Amazon: http://bitly.com/RDkat0

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/ORLQyF

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/RH0GCI

And in paperback at Createspace:  http://bit.ly/RkOdr0

About Juli D. Revezzo

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of the Independent Author Network. The Artist’s Inheritance is her first novel.

For more information on Juli and her books, see her website at:

http://julidrevezzo.com

at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Juli-D.-Revezzo/e/B008AHVTLO/

on Twitter: http://twitter.com/julidrevezzo

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011

on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

On Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo

Thanks, ladies, for having me here today! Have a ahem, rosy day!

I'm the Mad Hatter

The last time I posted for March I told you I was madly busy. Update: daughter-in-law had a beautiful baby girl and nearly died in the process. All is well now. We're past the first scary two weeks for her. But I've been the care giver through this whole business so my son can keep working to pay for the next eighteen years of fatherhood. Smiling here.

And I forgot to write my blog. Here I am now pounding the keys, nonsensically, posting about four hours late. Sorry readers. So I feel like the Mad Hatter even though I know nothing about making hats. Mostly, he was looney from too many chemicals in the process. I'm looney from too little sleep, too little writing time and too little exercise. But I do have my first grandchild so what more can I say?

With my daughter-in-law now able to do most things for herself, my life should even out and I can write again. How about I leave you with the first few paragraphs of my current novel in progress? Maybe I'll get inspired to get back at it whenever I can.

Phoebe awakened sudden and breathless. Not slow like when the sheet tangled around her legs or when she needed a trip to the toilet in the gray fog of near-sleep. What noise had she heard that now wasn’t there? Her bird, Perry, rustled in his cage. She held her breath and listened, her heart hammering her ribcage. Her budgie rustled again.

Her covers slid away as she swung her legs to sit and slipped her feet into the fuzzy flip-flop house shoes. Damn. Two nights in a row.

Hesitating, her toes clinching and stretching, clinching and stretching against the terry cloth, she closed her eyes to listen again. The pulse in her ears rang. She swallowed and concentrated harder.

 

Visit Brenda at www.brendawhiteside.com.

Or on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/brendawhitesid2

She blogs on the 9^th and 24^th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com

She blogs about prairie life and writing at http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Some March UNMadness to Share by Margo Hoornstra

My personal form of madness isn't confined to March at all. And it's a madness which doesn't grow out of craziness, or even anger, but it does emerge as frustration. Frustration with, as they say, so much to do and so little time.

Life is busy, we all know that. And, while my to do list is similar to everyone else's, some of its particulars for this month included:

1. Wrestle my current Work In Progress - Only If You Dare - to the finish line
2. Collect financial documents and put in some sort of order for income tax appointment
3. Maintain daily social media promotional schedule
4. Complete content and line edits for critique partner's latest WIP
5. Help husband update his resume because, turns out, retirement isn't really his thing
6. Oversee various home improvement projects that seem to take forever

All of which need to be fit in around family time, couple time, exercise time, recreation/vacation time, housecleaning time (hah!) and, of course, those all time favorites, eating, sleeping and breathing time.

But, I'm happy to report two major successes which have emerged from all the busyness.

First, the bathroom remodel project I mentioned awhile ago is done, and is absolutely beautiful.

Second, my latest book - Night Stars and Mourning Doves - has been released and is available

Along with the blurb.

Elyse Monroe may be her sister's maid of honor, but that doesn't mean she has to follow the bride's example and fall in love. Battle-scarred and weary from previous relationships, she has no desire to take a chance on another--no matter how many hints her little sister drops about the best man.

Devastating life events have taken a toll on Eric Matthews. After losing his wife and unborn daughter, he's come home to heal. Serving as best man at his kid brother's wedding is the only relationship he cares to contemplate--no matter how attractive the maid of honor.

Thrown together again and again by wedding duties, Elyse and Eric reluctantly agree to explore a possible relationship--only to have their casual date turn into a glorious night of passion. Can two hearts, convinced a happily ever after will never happen, recognize love when it finds them?

To find all of my books and short stories, some for free, visit my BLOG or my WEBSITE

We've established your life is as busy as mine. Any successes you'd like to share?

March myths and other stuff by Barbara Edwards

When March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb is one of my favorite predictors since my birthday is March first. I like to think I’ve been a lion for the first half of my life and can look forward to mellowing in the coming years. Maybe.

March is an interesting month. We have a soothsayer warn Caesar to Beware the Ides of March in the play by William Shakespeare and the famous portrayal of his assassination by his friend Brutus. This is a must read for anyone.

The celebration of St Patrick’s Day when everyone is Irish is another example. I don’t drink green beer or wear green hats. I do have a pair of emerald earrings that I enjoy putting on and love to watch children dancing. The Irish Tenors with their Irish Ballads make my heart weep any time of the year.

The first day of Spring occurs in March. The March equinox, which marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, is on March 20 in 2013.

I noticed it doesn’t always fall on the Spring Solstice a holiday celebrated by Wicccans. In researching this date I found it’s not called the solstice: that only occurs in winter and summer. On the first day of spring—the vernal equinox—day and night are each approximately 12 hours long, the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator.

How about the most well-known birthstone for March? Aquamarine is a color variety of the mineral Beryl. Blue Beryl is called Aquamarine while green Beryl is called emerald. Maybe the reason I love both. Beryl often occurs as veins with other minerals. It is very hard and resists weathering. Only diamonds, sapphires and a few other gemstones are harder.
Romans named the Aquamarine. It’s derived from "aqua" meaning water and "mare" meaning sea because the stone looks like seawater. It was believed that the origins of aquamarine were the jeweled trunks belonging to the sirens. The stones were said to have been washed up on the shores from the depths of the sea. Aquamarines were said to be sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea.
Because of aquamarines' association with the sea, the stones became popular with sailors. It was 
believed that carrying an aquamarine with one to sea would bring prosperous and safe journeys, protecting the sailor from sea monsters. Greeks were known to have carried aquamarine amulets with them as early as 500 B.C.
     The Romans believed that aquamarine would heal ailments of the digestive system as well as the mouth and throat. During the middle ages, aquamarine was used as an antidote against poison. In additional to its medicinal powers, it was strongly held that aquamarine was used by fortune tellers to read the future.

Visit me at www.barbaraedwards.net for excerpts from my books, buy links and free reads.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Laura Breck

As I look out upon my patio, which I can’t see because it’s buried under about three feet of snow, I comfort myself with the knowledge that the sun is inexorably getting closer to Minnesota with each and every passing day.

Not fast enough for everyone, though! A note went out on our neighborhood Facebook group: “Should we postpone the Easter Egg Hunt, since the park will still be snowed under?” This came from a family whose children are grown and gone.

“Absolutely not!” came a plethora of replies. “We’ll dress our kids in snowpants and boots and have them trudge through the snow to find the eggs,” one father vowed. “They can bring their sleds and slide down the hills, too,” another parent suggested.

Our official Easter Egg Stuffer, a wonderful mother of a teenager, who has, since her child was a toddler, tucked candy and coins into nearly a thousand plastic eggs every year, replied, “Don’t you dare cancel it!” She added a smiley face after the comment, but I imagined her knee-deep in pastel-colored plastic eggs and speckled malted milk balls as she wrote it.

Minnesotans are made of hardy stock, and there are not many occurrences that can grind our traditions to a halt. We’ve carried on with our Easter Egg Hunt in snowstorms and torrential downpours. Our Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest has seen near-tornado conditions as well as early snowstorms. Our August neighborhood picnic has withstood 100+ degree temperatures with 94% humidity as well as (no, not snowstorms, but you thought I was going to say it, didn’t you!) unseasonable Alberta Clippers bringing forty-degree temps.

This last weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a cold one with thirty-degree temperatures, and all anyone could talk about was last year’s record high of over eighty. (Weather is a favorite topic of conversation here in the land of 10,000 frozen lakes.)

Back to my patio view. The sun is shining brightly on the pure white snow, but I know it’s a deceptive sight. The temperature out there is five degrees right now, and we have a wind chill. My Welcome Spring activity today will not be a jog along the Mississippi river as I’d hoped, but will consist of a half-hour on the elliptical in the spare room, watching TV. Soon, the sun will prevail and Minnesotans will be able to come out of hibernation. But…not today.

What are your plans for this first day of spring?

Have a wonderful day!

Laura
~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance
LauraBreck.com
~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital formats at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace
~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

Time Marches On by Jannine Gallant

Is March any more mad than any other month? Life, in general, tends to be a little crazy. For me, March is about change. The snow is starting to melt, and I wait with eager anticipation for the day I can dump my snowshoes back in the garage for good. That probably won't happen until April, though.

Tara running cross-country

My daughters put up their cross-country skis after the final State Championship race, and I switch from freezing at Nordic races to sweltering at track meets. Luckily, March also provides a nice easing in period of weather adjustment.

Kristen at last August's show

My youngest has her final ballet show of the season, and the hectic rehearsal schedule lets up as we close out the month. She also turns 14 in a few days. That means a sleepover birthday party with a bunch of loud, giggling girls. My oldest is 16 and has her learner's permit. Where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday they were the little, bitty girls in the ballet shows, so cute and awkward?

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Maybe because I'm writing about babies. Another change of pace for me. My suspense trilogy is complete and awaiting the release of the 2nd book at the end of the month. And while I stress over sales and promo, I'm writing a fun, cowboy book that one of my editors requested. The aforementioned baby is a demon in a diaper. I'm amusing myself writing this one, a sequel to Nothing But Trouble to be titled Asking For Trouble.


So, has the onset of a new season brought change to your life? Do tell. Find links to all my books on my website. And have a happy spring!

The Day The World Turns Green!

Celtic Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine down upon your face.

And the rain fall soft upon your fields

Until we meet again

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

The day everyone is Irish! So what is it that makes everyone want to be Irish? 

SOME FACTS ABOUT ST. PATRICK DAY'S

The Legend has it that St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Some believe it was really pagans he drove from Ireland.  It is also claimed that he had a way with words, and used the three leaves of the Shamrock to explain the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. St. Patrick's Day commemorates the death of St. Patrick who died back in 461 AD. The first celebration of St. Patrick's day was in 1737—surprisingly in Boston!

Leprechauns come from Irish mythology and are thought to be a type of male fairies that inhabit Ireland. Magical creatures, lovers of mischief, who covet a pot of gold. 

My Irish Guy!

As for the Shamrocks, Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

Personally, I love the Irish! I married one! Love Ireland. I took an Irish pen name, Colleen Connally. Just rolls off the tongue. Fun to say! My husband came up with it. 

So if you are looking for a nice romantic read on this St. Patrick's Day, may I suggest my books under Colleen Connally. Seductive Secrets is a free ebook. Broken Legacy is my newest release!

AMAZON   BARNES AND NOBLE

AMAZON    BARNES AND NOBLE

"May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long."

"Erin Go Bragh." (Ireland Forever)