Emily Bryan is running a quarterly contest in conjunction with her free online novella A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS. Each month her readers vote for the direction the story should take and she writes the next chapter. March is the last month a vote will enter readers in her March 31st drawing for a $100 gift card. The link to the contest is: http://www.emilybryan.com/contest.htm

It’s that time of year again – Christmas! And the question in my latest contest is: What would be your perfect way to spend Christmas? Would you like money to be no object? Or would you be happy with your family around you? The more I think about this the  more I realise that it does not matter whether we’re financially well off. Christmas is a time for families. To have our loved ones around us.

In 2004 I wrote a book called Her Husband’s Christmas Bargain. My poor hero had fathered a daughter he knew nothing about. She is four years old when the story starts and she asks Santa for a Daddy for Christmas. And guess what – she gets her wish. It’s a long uphill struggle before her Mummy and Daddy finally get back together but love conquers all in the end.

So do you agree with me that Christmas is about family get togethers and not money? Or do you think Christmas is too commercialised these days? Would you like to fly away from it all and enjoy a holiday somewhere different? Email me your answers here and you could win a copy of my latest book – The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal. The perfect Christmas present to yourself!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Margaret

Civil War Romances Reveal Fine Line between Love and Hate

by Jessica James

Hello and a big thank you to WeWriteRomance for allowing me to visit as part of my Holiday Blog Tour and Civil War Romance Basket Giveaway.

As some of you may know, my name is Jessica James and I am the author of the historical fiction novel Shades of Gray, which has twice hit No. 1 on Amazon in the romance/historical/U.S. category, putting it temporarily ahead of the iconic classic Gone with the Wind. (And I do mean temporarily).

Shades of Gray

Reaching the #1 spot in a romance category, even briefly, was something I never dreamed could happen. When it did though, I began to think about what makes a novel like Gone with the Wind so memorable, and how other authors can capture the intensity of emotion that Margaret Mitchell did so eloquently.

Most writers learn from the beginning that conflict is the foundation upon which every great book is created – and GWTW provides plenty. But another aspect shared by both GWTW and Shades of Gray is the old adage, “there’s a fine line between love and hate.” Scarlett and Rhett, needless to say, outwardly appear to dislike one another, yet all the while the reader somehow knows the depth of affection the two share.

That premise is taken a step further in Shades of Gray because the main characters have diametrically opposing views on the war. Serving under different flags – one as a Confederate cavalry officer, the other as a Union spy – makes their “hate” relationship even stronger, and, eventually, their love more intense.

I don’t know how to explain the concept of the “fine line” except to say there is passion and emotion in both love and hate. The War Between the States provides an author with the perfect setting for conflict and emotion, and history provides many examples of enemies becoming friends (and even becoming husband and wife as in the case of the real-life Confederate spy Antonia Ford who married her Union jail guard).

Whether your book’s plot is built upon that “fine line” or some other storyline that builds conflict, emotion must play a central role. It is that ebb and flow, that roller coaster ride of sentiment and excitement that keeps the reader hooked.

In the end, a memorable book really comes down to the ageless theme that all romance readers desire – true and everlasting love. Mix in a healthy dose of conflict and emotion, and you have a book that will steal readers’ hearts and make them think about the characters long after the final page has been turned.

Shades of Gray Basket

Note: Tomorrow’s Blog Tour stop is at Romance University (www.romanceuniversity.org) where I’ll be writing about researching historical fiction. Leave a comment for a chance to win a basket of Civil War and romantic goodies. Check out the Tour’s full schedule and other ways to win at www.jessicajamesblog.com.

I am really excited to be here today as part of my blog travels to talk about HeavenSent.com, my novella in the Holiday Brides anthology (due out tomorrow!). I’d like to thank the crew here at We Write Romance for hosting me and to thank you for stopping by to chit chat with me about how I wound up writing about love.

I didn’t start out writing romance. I wrote poetry all through my teen years before heading off to the University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Journalism. I went there to become a writer and graduated as a reporter. When I did get around to penning my first manuscript, it came out more like Read more… »

Abby Green is running a super contest…she’s giving away 2 hardbacks of her December UK release, Ruthless Greek Boss, Secretary Mistress to the first two people who email her and mention the title of that book. And she’s giving away 5 copies of her current book, Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire too. Just visit her site and check out her NEWS section for more on how to email her!