March Comes In Like A Lion

It's finally March!

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it seems to take its sweet old time getting done. Bad weather, clogged highways, missed deadlines–all happen in February.

But it's March!

Time for new beginnings. I'm pleased to announce that two of my Cotillion books will be re-released in March. Blinded By Grace is one of my favorites, since it deals with the eldest son of the family, Halwyn, and how he only needed a pair of eyeglasses to see what had been in front of him all along. Here's the new, snazzy cover, and the blurb:

In 1858 New York City, Halwyn Fitzpatrick thinks he's off the hook for attendance at the annual Cotillion Ball. He has no sister to shepherd down the grand staircase this year and no real desire to go through the rituals of courtship and betrothal himself. Besides, he'll know the right girl when he sees her, especially now that he has new spectacles. But his mother has other plans for him. At twenty-seven years of age, her son is in dire need of a wife.

Grace Wagner needs a husband by July in order to inherit the trust her father has left for her. Her stepfather, though, has plans for the money that don't include Grace, and the last thing he wants is for her to find a husband before she turns twenty-one, thereby fulfilling the terms of the trust. She's been in love with Halwyn since she was thirteen, but he hasn't noticed her at any of the balls they've been at over the years. With the aid of his new glasses, he spies Grace from across the room and they share a dance. Grace decides to present him with a business proposition that will satisfy them both. But can a clueless knight in shining armor and a desperate damsel in distress find a way to turn this marriage of convenience into something more?








The Duplicitous Debutante is another favorite, since Rosemary Fitzpatrick is an author who writes Penny Dreadfuls, but under an assumed name–a name everyone believes to belong to a man. 

In 1859, ladies of New York society are expected to do three things well: find a husband, organize a household, and have children. But despite her mother's best intentions, making her debut is the last thing on Rosemary Fitzpatrick's mind. Writing the popular Harry Hawk dime novels as F.P. Elliott, she's too busy hiding her female identity from her new publisher, Henry Cooper. To protect her clandestine career, she ends up posing as the enigmatic author's secretary.
Henry is not the typical Boston Brahmin, nor the typical publisher, and Rosemary entrances him from the moment they meet. As they work together and grow closer, he wonders how his traditional-minded father will react when he brings her into the family, because Henry firmly intends to marry the working-class woman.
But when her deception begins to unravel at the cotillion ball, will Henry be able to forgive her or has deceit cost her the man she loves?









This entire series is set during one of the most tumultuous times in American history–westward expansion, the suffragette movement, the abolitionist movement, the Civil War and Reconstruction. I've loved taking this ordinary, well-bred family and tossing each member into the midst of history. Sometimes their choices surprised even me, the author. Each book in this series features a different sibling, all of them named after an herb or spice. And although each book can be read as a stand alone, it's fun to see how the siblings and their parents, Charlotte and George, pop in and out of each story. If you've been with me since this journey began, let me know which book was your favorite. If you're new to the series, they're now available on Kindle Unlimited for the first time.

Hope you enjoy the break in the weather and the Cotillion Ball series. 

Anticipation

Fall is in the air, I can smell it. The leaves have yet to turn here in North Carolina, but the days are getting a bit cooler and we don't have as much daylight as we did even a few weeks ago. I'm finally feeling like this is home, although I don't go far still without my pocket GPS system.

I'm also anticipating getting the rights to more of my books reverted to me from Simon & Schuster. I hope to have the remainder of the Cotillion Ball series be released to me in October so I can re-publish them with new covers. It seems to have breathed new life into the first four, all of which have now been released.

And, I'm anticipating hearing from two more beta readers for book three in my new Regency series. I've limited my beta readers before to only one or two, but this time I sent it to four people. The first two had the same comments about certain sections of the book, so I'm glad to have handled it this way. I'll make final changes, read through it yet again, and then send it off to my agent while I rework book two and start book four.

It's a busy time, but as the days grow cooler, I can again take walks with my dog, Mary. The parks system in Pinehurst is amazing with its interconnected trails and I need to explore it further. I had only discovered it before it became too hot to use.

That's what my fall will be like–working in the morning on books two, three and four of the Regency series, working in the afternoon on promotion for the re-released Cotillion books, and walks with Mary in the evenings. What will you be doing?

Rounding The Corner

My struggles to get my books back up on Amazon are finally sorting themselves out. Thanks to all of you who offered advice and suggestions. Both The Reluctant Debutante and The Abolitionist's Secret are now available, with Banking on Temperance and The Tempestuous Debutante slated for September.

Then, in October, I'll get new royalty (or, in my case, lack of royalty) statements from Simon & Schuster, which will clear the way for the rights to more of those books to be reverted to me. I will then work with my new publisher, Prairie Rose, to add new covers, rejuvenate the blurbs, and re-edit the work.

It's been a good feeling to see the revised versions back up on Amazon, and I'm excited about the new Kindle Unlimited option, where people can borrow the book instead of buying it and I get a certain amount for each page read. It's a great idea for those of us with already overloaded Kindles, and I've been quite happy with the results from the two books I have already in that  program.

In a few short weeks, I'm heading to Cleveland for a conference with my old RWA chapter. I'll get a face to face with my agent, and hope we can pound out a sensible plan to move my career onto an entirely new level.

I don't play baseball, but if I did, I'd be rounding third and heading for home about now. 2019 is just around the corner and it's going to be a great year. Bring it on. In the words of the immortal Stephen King:

Cover Reveal Time!

I know the cover's been all over Facebook and twitter for days now, but I'm so excited about this book, for a number of reasons.

First, it's the final book in the Cotillion series, but that doesn't mean you've seen the last of the Fitzpatricks. As Julia Quinn has done with her Bridgeton series, I'm taking secondary characters from the original series and writing about them. I may even jump forward and write about the children. So many ideas, so little time.

Second, this has been the only book in my career where I've had to ask for a deadline extension, so I'm doubly glad to see it up on Amazon.

Third, I think the cover is gorgeous. As my adult nephew said, "That's not the kind of woman that would be forgotten!"

So, here's a bit more about this book:

Blurb:

Don’t miss the touching conclusion to the Cotillion Ball Saga!

In 1863, America is war-weary. Fifteen-year-old Saffron Fitzpatrick, whose teenage years have been spent mourning the dead rather than dancing at her debutante ball, just wants to visit her beloved horse after being housebound due to the draft riots. A chance meeting with soldier Ezekiel Boone changes everything.

Three years ago, Ezekiel ran away with his older brothers to join the war effort, welcoming the chance for adventure. But when all four of his brothers die at Chancellorsville, he retreats home, despondent and depending on the kindness of strangers, like Saffron, who help him on the journey. They share a wild ride and a breathless kiss, parting with fond memories.

Fate reunites the couple three years later, and their former attraction rekindles as they discover unexpected common ground and begin to build a relationship. But though the war is over, a future together may still elude them … especially if Saffron’s older, protective brother and the U.S. Army have anything to say about it.

And an excerpt:

New York City

July 15, 1863

Releasing a shallow breath, Saffron Fitzpatrick glided down the stairs on slippered feet, avoiding the creaky spots with unerring accuracy from years of practice. She surveyed the hallway and let out the rest of the air from her lungs. All the servants were still in the basement, preparing the noonday meal. If she hurried, she could escape the house undetected. She ran to the back door, her curls bouncing around her head, and let herself out into the yard.

Heart pounding, she stood, back up against the door, and listened. No frantic footsteps from inside the house meant her break to freedom had gone unnoticed so far.

After two days of being housebound due to the draft riots, Saffron had tired of heeding her father’s warnings to stay indoors. Even though his motives were sound and he was only trying to protect her from the roaming mobs, she would surely perish from boredom if she spent one more moment inside. Although her intent to breathe some fresh air was dashed because the city was foul with smoke from the fires being set around town, she still cherished the freedom of being outdoors. Her skin erupted in goose bumps at her boldness. She cringed back against the door as the distant shouts came closer.

But she had a mission: She needed to see Biscuit. She could certainly get from the family brownstone to the carriage house in their backyard without running into any of the rioters, couldn’t she? Talking to a horse beat staring at her bedroom ceiling. Or reading another boring book. Her intent clear, she pushed herself away from the door and ran to the small building.

            She opened the door to the carriage house. Diffused lighting came through the windows near the roofline, and the cool air was filled with a familiar, comfortable combination of hay, horse dung, and leather. Saffron inhaled the scents as she waited for her eyes to become accustomed to the subdued light. Biscuit nickered a nervous greeting. She tiptoed across the brick floor toward the mare’s stall.

And came to an abrupt halt.

The apples, which Saffron kept in a bucket to dole out to the horse, were all gone. As were the carrots. Someone had been in the carriage house, and possibly still was. She backed toward the door, hoping if she were quiet, whoever was or had been in the carriage house would not notice her. She’d go back to the house and sound an alarm. Then, armed with the servants, she could return and confront whomever was here.

But Biscuit nickered again. If someone was intent on setting fire to the carriage house, Saffron needed to take her horse into the yard first, then call for the servants. She picked up a hayfork and made her way forward, her slippers not making a sound as they moved over the floor. She opened the door to the stall and found what was upsetting her horse, and the answer to why all the good treats were gone. A Union soldier was asleep in the hay next to Biscuit.

The Quiet House

I have a line in my upcoming book, The Forgotten Debutante, where Saffron tells Zeke he must be quiet as a church mouse on Sunday. Well, it's Sunday and my house is quiet. I am once again flying solo for the winter. My sister, who has taken such good care of me these past months, is taking a well-deserved reprieve. For three months, while I'm slogging through the snow and cold of an Ohio winter, she will be frolicking in the sun.

It's going to take me a while to settle in to my new routine. Because of my health issues, I haven't been able to sit at my desk for over a month. But, I've got projects galore lined up to work on and, with any luck, can limit the amount of time I have to be out of the house, dealing with the elements.

First on my agenda is to finish up the edits on the final book in my Cotillion series, which shouldn't take more than a week longer. Then, I'm going to query several places about my contemporary, and then dive back into the new historical I'm working on, which I left at the flash first draft stage. If I can accomplish all that in the month of February, I'll maybe not notice how quiet the house is, or how cold it is outside. There will be contests to judge, RITA books to read, cell phone to buy, and blogs to write. Before I know it, spring will be here. Fingers crossed that we don't get hit too hard with the icy grip of winter this year.

And maybe, if I can position things right, I can join Sis next year so I can avoid the worst of Ohio's weather. But for now, it's hunker down time. My dog, Mary, will keep me company while I work and get my career back on track. The final book in the series is nearly ready to be released, for which I'll mount a marketing campaign, starting with a cover reveal here as soon as I can show it to folks. And hopefully, my contemporary side will find a home.

How will you make it through the winter? Let me in on your secrets.

Cover Reveal and Exclusive Excerpt!

About one year ago, Crimson Romance decided to expand into the novella category. So, of course, the competitor in me decided to give it a go and see what happened. I'd been wanting to write a story about how Charlotte & George Fitzpatrick met, and thought a novella would be the right length to tell their story.

So, on June 9 the prequel to the Cotillion Ball Series will be released along with a bundle of the first three books in the series. What better way to get to know the family than to start at the beginning?

Here's the cover for the novella. Doesn't Charlotte's expression say it all?

Blurb:

Long before The Reluctant Debutante, there was the story of Charlotte Ashcroft and George Fitzpatrick.

They were two young strangers in New York City until Charlotte took matters into her own hands. Confronted by a busybody who would surely inform her mother she was where she shouldn’t be, and alone, she forced the man in the jaunty blue hat who had caught her eye to act as her escort. By going along with the ruse, George Fitzpatrick sealed his fate with Charlotte. He would become her husband. Now she just had to convince him he couldn’t live without her.

No Buy Link yet, but stay tuned!

Here's a taste of what's to come:

“Charlotte? Is that you?”
Charlotte cringed inside her Sunday best, lavender dress. She knew that voice.
Accepting her fate, she turned to face the old busybody.
“Well, hello there, Mrs. Beasley. How are you this fine Sunday afternoon? Are you
also planning to attend Frances Wright’s speech?”
Mrs. Beasley’s spine straightened at the suggestion, and her gaze pierced Charlotte.
“Heavens, no. I have no wish to fill my head with such nonsense. Where is your mother? I should say hello.”
“Mother’s not with us today. We took the omnibus to get here.”
“What? Without a male escort? Is your mother aware of what you’re doing, young lady?”
Charlotte glanced around the street where they had been dropped off. Suddenly, she spied a familiar hat in the crowd. A blue hat with a feather tucked into the grosgrain ribbon. Her heart began to race as he came toward her.
“Ah, but we do have a proper male escort.” She wrapped her hand around the man’s arm, bringing him, if somewhat reluctantly, to her side. “This is our chaperone, Mrs. Beasley.” Charlotte turned her eyes toward the man and held her breath, silently pleading with him to catch on to her plight.
He executed a proper bow toward Mrs. Beasley, and Charlotte let out her breath a bit at a time. “George Fitzpatrick, at your service, Mrs. Beasley.”
Mrs. Beasley’s face was still full of disdain. “George Fitzpatrick? I’ve never heard of you. Just how do you know Charlotte Ashcroft?” 

“We’re old friends who love adventure. When I decided to escort Charlotte and her lady friends on their outing today, we thought an omnibus ride would be a delightful way to get there. And it certainly has proven to be so.”
Mrs. Beasley was somewhat mollified, if not totally convinced, sending a loud harrumph” their way before she moved on.
“Oh, Mr. Fitzpatrick, thank you ever so much. We would have been in grave trouble if not for you.” Charlotte fawned over the man.
“Well, since I’ve saved you from your current peril, and since we don’t know who else you’ll run into, perhaps I should finish the job you’ve assigned me to and escort you ladies to your final destination? May I meet the other ladies in your party?”
Charlotte quickly introduced him to Emma and Katie but did not yield her hold on his arm.

They found their way to the Hall of Science where Miss Wright was speaking, and George insisted on paying the entry fee for the four of them. They found enough open seats to sit together and moved to the chairs. Charlotte waited for Emma and Katie to claim a seat, and then she sat next to them, leaving only one remaining empty spot. Next to her alone. She smiled at her craftiness.
He took the seat beside her then leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Mrs. Beasley was right. Young ladies such as you could get into a lot of trouble without a proper escort. I’m offering my services to you, absolutely free of charge, for the remainder of the afternoon.”
Charlotte’s laugh bubbled up. “I have a feeling, sir, you’re the biggest trouble I can get into today.” 

Bundle: 

The Reluctant Debutante

It’s 1855 in New York, and Ginger Fitzpatrick joins other women in support of Amelia Bloomer’s cause. During a rally, a stranger helps her evade police. She is introduced to him formally at her debutante ball, the latest society craze. Although Joseph is a friend of her brother’s, he is half Indian and unsuitable. Ginger must ultimately decide if Joseph is worth going against her family’s wishes.

The Abolitionist's Secret

In 1856 New York, despite their divergent views on slavery, romance ensues when David dances with Heather at the Cotillion Ball and later that night, walks her home. An engagement quickly follows. When he receives word that his father is ailing, David wants her to accompany him home to Savannah to meet his family.

But she knows the South is no place for an abolitionist.

Banking On Temperance

Basil Fitzpatrick was born into a life of privilege. In 1856, at 23 years of age, he is the owner of the St. Louis branch of the family banking business. He has his pick of the ladies and life by the horns.

Temperance Jones and her family are far from privileged. Her father is a circuit-riding preacher from Pennsylvania. But the rumblings of a war between the North and the South force the preacher to move his family to Oregon rather than to take up arms against his fellow man. However, hardship and sickness slowed their pace, and they are forced to spend the winter in St. Louis, waiting for the next wagon trains to leave in the spring.

Basil is drawn to the family the moment they roll into town, partly because they remind him of his own big family in New York. But also because of the eldest daughter, Temperance. She is a tiny, no-nonsense spitfire bent on fulfilling her father’s wish to get the family safely to Oregon. Basil knows if he allows Temperance into his heart, he is accepting the obligation of her entire family. He wants Temperance like he has wanted no other, but is the burden of her family too much?

Basil is drawn to the family the moment they roll into town, partly because they remind him of his own big family in New York. But also because of the eldest daughter, Temperance. She is a tiny, no-nonsense spitfire bent on fulfilling her father’s wish to get the family safely to Oregon. Basil knows if he allows Temperance into his heart, he is accepting the obligation of her entire family. He wants Temperance like he has wanted no other, but is the burden of her family too much?

Happy Mother's Day!

As a merchandiser for one of the major greeting card retailers in the country, I've been inundated by Mother's Day cards for over a month now. But this weekend is crunch time, so before I head out to put out the last of the cards for those who are late to the party, I thought I'd talk about mothers.

When I began thinking about writing a series of historical romances, I decided to create the perfect mother. Creating a 19th century American family meant lots of children, that much I knew. I figured anyone who could birth nine children would obviously love her babies to distraction, but I was pretty vague about anything else, except that she would be involved in her children's lives. Sometimes to their distraction.

From the first book, The Reluctant Debutante, Charlotte Fitzpatrick took on her own life. She is funny, at times clueless, loves to pull the wool over society's eyes, still flirts with her husband, and has made it her business to find good matches for her children as they get to marriageable age. I've been fortunate enough to have the same editors from the first book, and they know the characters almost as well as I do. During my last round of edits, my editor made the comment that Charlotte wouldn't say what I had her saying. The editor was right. I'd drawn my character so well, her personality is now known to all. Now, I'm thinking about a prequel to my series, about how Charlotte met George, and their family's journey began.

But that will have to wait a while. I've got three more books to write to finish up the Cotillion Ball Series. Valerian, Pepper and Saffron are each impatiently waiting for their turn in the spotlight. And you can bet, Charlotte will be in the middle of each one's story.

So Happy Mother's Day, Charlotte, and all mothers everywhere!

Lunch Period

You know how it was when you were in high school? You could actually feel wrinkles developing in your brain as you concentrated on what was being taught to you. Or you were involved in test after test without relief.

Until lunch time came.

That 45-minute period was the highlight of the day. You got to eat, first and foremost. Second, you got to socialize with your friends. Third, it was just down time, give your brain a rest time.

That's what I'm about to do. Take a lunch period break. I just turned in book 6 in the Cotillion Ball Series, so while I await a verdict on its outcome, I'm going to kick up my heels for awhile. I've got friends coming into town for several days in May, I've got a chapter conference to go to, which is always a good time to socialize with friends who speak my language. I'm going to eat good food and give my brain a rest. With three books being released so far this year, I think it's time for a break. And having friends coming to visit gives me a really great excuse to clean the house within an inch of its life--something that has been woefully neglected in light of releasing three books in four months' time.

So, if you hear someone giggling manically from the confines of my house, I haven't gone over the deep end. I'm just kicking up my heels.