Accepting The Inevitable

I wrote a post for another blog recently where I talked about my collection of fashion prints. And I blamed my mother for getting me started on this mad obsession of mine. She was helping another sister fix up her home in Maine and unearthed a fashion print still in its frame, under a porch. Then, since Mom was never one to throw a perfectly good item away, she washed the dirt off it and gave it to me as a housewarming gift when I bought my first home.

Now, years later, I'm writing historical romances and I spend a lot of time discussing gowns–shabby ones, off the shoulder ones, gowns the same exact shade as the woman's lover's eyes, etc. I even went so far as to make one of my characters the owner of a dressmaking shop.

My current work in progress features a young woman who masqueraded as a boy while stowing away on a ship bound for America. When she arrived, she needed to borrow a gown in order to be properly presented to her aunt, and the only gown available was a faded blue serviceable dress which belonged to the hero's dead wife and is the only thing of hers that he kept, since it was his favorite dress. The aunt made some rather caustic remarks about the inferior quality of the gown, but the heroine knew how much it meant to the hero and takes care to properly clean and return it.

Mom may have started me down this path years ago, but if my first Godey print was the catalyst for my choice of genre, then I should be thanking her every day that I write. Not being one who likes being told what to do, it took me several experiments in writing before I settled in on American historical romance. I have accepted the inevitable and will continue to write about the clever, dedicated, brave men and women who made us a free nation.

Thanks, Mom.

Cover Reveal!

I've been so caught up in finishing the last book in my Cotillion series that I've neglected the fact the second bundle–books 4 through 6– is due for release right after Christmas.

This is a great way to catch up on the series, and this set of books, The Tempestuous Debutante, Blinded By Grace and The Duplicitous Debutante, are among my favorites. Each book involves a deb ball, of all things. Here's a little bit about each:

The Tempestuous Debutante–It’s Jasmine Fitzpatrick’s year to shine at this season’s Cotillion and men will be throwing themselves at her. But she sets her sights on a man she’s never met, the Viscount of Foxborough. He’s wealthy and has an English title. Only a few things stand in her way: a wealthy, young, beautiful widow who captures the viscount’s attention immediately, her fear of riding horses when he owns a breeding stable and racetrack, and the viscount’s stableboy, Parr.

Blinded By Grace–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.

The Duplicitous Debutante–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.

This bundle is to be released on December 28, and pre-orders are available now here: http://amzn.to/1Nei5md

I hope you can fill up your days off between Christmas and New Year's by reading these three books. Thank you for your support over this past year. For those of you who celebrate, Merry Christmas! 

TRR's Blog Hop--Day 9--Nora Roberts

I began this blog series on favorite writers by talking about Ava Miller's book, Nora Roberts Land. So it only seems fair that I wrap things up with a tribute to the one and only herself. I don't need to tell you about Nora's legendary writing career. The fact that you're visiting here as part of TRR's blog hop tells me you already know her. What you may not know about the woman is what she gives back to the romance community. And to her hometown.

If you get a chance, stop in Boonsboro, MD sometime. There, you'll bear witness to how Nora breathed life into this sleepy little town, one enterprise at a time. There's, of course, the Turn The Page bookstore, where the legendary booksigning takes place every year and ladies have to take numbers and wait outside for their chance to enter. It's kind of like the lines for a new I-phone, or something. People travel from all over the east coast and midwest for this event.

Beyond the bookstore is Nora's pet project. It's the Inn, in the heart of the town, which was transformed from a run-down historic building into the inn which was featured in the Boonsboro trilogy. Even the pizza parlor in town, also featured in the books, is owned by one of her sons.

But all this largesse doesn't even begin to describe how much she gives back to RWA and to romance writers everywhere. When you meet her, she's always willing to pose for a picture. And she will answer your questions, which were probably asked of her hundreds of times already. Here's a picture of my friend, Barb, with Nora at the RWA Conference in Atlanta. They both look happy.

If you sign up for my newsletter, you are automatically entered to win an e-copy of my latest book, The Tempestuous Debutante. Today's the final day for the contest!

TRR's Blog Hop--Day 8--Jude Deveraux

Of course, no tribute to writers who inspire me would be complete without mentioning Jude Deveraux. She is the one who first introduced me to time travel, a sub-genre I've come to adore. A Knight in Shining Armor has a place on my 'forever' shelf. Even though it's not the first book Jude wrote, and by no means her last, it holds a special place in my heart.

In the course of my many moves around the country, I lost the original version of this book and had to replace it with a later edition. In her notes in the front of the book, Jude explained that, after the initial release, some of her faithful followers were bothered by certain elements of the book, and she was glad for the opportunity to be able to make changes. So, even though I adored this book, the author saw room for improvement. That taught me a lot about how a manuscript is never finished. Now, when I think I'm done with a manuscript, I put it away for a couple days. When I pull it back out, I can invariably find something to correct. And I'm still dying to do what Jude did to write this book--hide away in a cabin in the woods for four months. I hope Jude inspires you, too..

Remember, if you sign up at the right to join my newsletter mailing list, you are eligible to win an e-copy of my newest release, The Tempestuous Debutante.

TRR's Blog Hop--Day 6--Amanda L.V. Shalaby

I adore Amanda Shalaby. Not only is she a wonderful author of two historical books, Rhianna and Audra, but she is a truly genuinely nice person. And she has gorgeous hair!

One of the best parts about becoming a Crimson Romance author is developing friendships among the other authors who are also represented. Sometimes, the relationships form naturally, as with other members of your RWA chapter. But the friendships I love the best are the ones that develop because you really admire the way a person writes. Amanda is an historical writer, as am I. (I do have a contemporary side, too, but with Crimson, I'm known as an historical writer.) So, the fact that we both write historical romances led me to first reading her book and vice versa. I was so impressed with Rhianna because it was so beautifully written. I kept going back and reading segments of it, just so I could hear the words. My dog got to hear many passages read aloud, because I loved the way the words felt on my tongue. Amanda's work is lyrical, almost. You can sense the waltzes taking place as you read. Her descriptions of the ballrooms and the gowns make the reader feel they're there, in the story with Rhianna. Here's a bit about the book:

Upon the unexpected death of her parents, Rhianna Braden finds the enigmatic Lord Guilford Kingsley on her doorstep. He escorts her to Kingsley Manor, where family secrets and scandals begin to unfold. Her uncommon beauty captures the attention of the dashing Lord Thayne Brighton of Ravensleigh, but Rhianna is certain, despite their mutual attraction, that he would never choose her over his wealthy intended. Meanwhile, Lady Lydia Kingsley suspects her husband's attention to Rhianna has led to an affair between them. Events turn deadly when the truth of their relationship is discovered. Eventually, Rhianna is forced to make a life-altering decision while discovering that some secrets are not meant to be kept.

The most recent addition to Amanda's booklist is Audra. We meet Audra in her first book, but she's a secondary character, and a child. In Audra, she comes into her own, and even though she's still young, Audra has a mind of her own. Read more of her story:


Audra Kingsley, a wealthy heiress, may not have seen much of the world, but she knows exactly how she wants her future to play out - and a coming out ball held at her country estate, Kingsley Manor, would suit her just fine. Her father’s wish that she be presented at St. James in London seems silly since she is to marry her neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Lord Crispin Brighton, but she obliges him.
Audra travels to London with her patroness, the eccentric Lady Sutherland, intending to return home as soon as she has curtseyed to the Queen. Unknown to her, Lady Sutherland is in no rush to leave London before the Season is over and intends to show Audra she has more options in the suitor department than Lord Crispin, a second son.
Audra finds herself surrounded by few friends and is forced to attend parties, balls, and operas - all while becoming the object of a secret admirer’s obsession. As Audra struggles to make her way home to her beloved, plans to compromise her into an unwanted marriage are underway.

I highly recommend Amanda Shalaby to you, especially if you enjoy reading historical romances.

Remember, if you sign up to receive my newsletter (button to do so is on the right side of this page), you are automatically entered into a drawing to receive an e-copy of my latest: The Tempestuous Debutante.

TRR's Blog Hop--Day 3--Julia Quinn

No tribute to my favorite authors would be complete without mentioning Julia Quinn. I loved her books before the Bridgerton series, and I love, love, love the Bridgertons. The children are given their names by the alphabet, beginning with Anthony and ending with Hyacinth. Here's what Amazon says about her latest, Happily Ever After Book.


Once upon a time, a historical romance author created a family . . .
But not just any family. Eight brothers and sisters, assorted in-laws, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews (not to mention an overweight corgi) plus an irrepressible matriarch who's a match for any of them . . . These are the Bridgertons: less a family than a force of nature. Through eight bestselling novels, readers laughed, cried, and fell in love. But they wanted more.

And more is what Julia has given us. Secondary characters are now getting their own books, and The Bridgerton family just continues to give us pleasure.

My own Cotillion Ball Series, although based in America rather than in England, is structured much the same way Julia's Bridgerton books are. There are nine children in the Fitzpatrick household, and each will get his or her own book. I do have plans for secondary character books, too, since my readers have their favorites. Instead of my family bestowing names based on the alphabet, they began with a family name, Halwyn, which is a Welsh Arthurian legend name meaning "salt". With a name like salt, it was only natural that his twin sister be called Pepper. Thus began the Fitzpatrick tradition of naming their children after herbs and spices. The latest in the series is Jasmine's story, The Tempestuous Debutante.

Thank you, Julia, for your inspiration, and the many hours of fun you've provided me in reading your books.

If you sign up to receive my newsletter, I'll pick a name and send you an e-book of The Tempestuous Debutante!

Taking A Deep Breath

You know how it is when you're swimming? When, right before you plant your face in the water you take a deep breath? That's how I'm feeling this Sunday. My latest book in the Cotillion Ball series, The Tempestuous Debutante, comes out tomorrow. I have called on almost everyone I know to do an

advance read of the book and post a review on Amazon Monday, since the more reviews you get quickly translates into extra promotion from Amazon, or so I've been told. Now I just need to get those advance readers, to whom I am extremely grateful, to post their reviews. I'll be chasing them for several days, I've a feeling.

While not chasing after reviews, I have a full week of blogging going on. Today, I'm at Authors To Watch. Tomorrow I'm on Crimson's site and USA Today. Tuesday I'm back on Authors To Watch and I have an appearance on Eye on Romance. Wednesday, I'm going to sleep, I think. Thursday, I'm back out on tour, with a stop (and a giveaway!) at Ramblings By This Chick. Friday starts The Romance Review's Fall Blog Hop, which runs until September 21. For a complete lineup of my whistle-stop blog tour, visit my news page here: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com/news.html

Things will calm down again in October. Or will they? I have a contemporary due out sometime before year's end and I'm part of a Christmas anthology.  So, there will be edits for both, promotional efforts for both, and on and on. And then, there's the big news I can't talk about yet. I did some preliminary research for the next book I want to write and had hoped to start on that next month. Oh dear!

I hope my life never slows down. 

How Writing Is Like Cleaning The Floor

A good friend of mine recently wrote an article about the things no one ever tells you to expect once you become published. One item that stuck with me is how, when you're editing your work,

you begin to notice how messy your house has become while you were in the giddy, creative stage of writing your manuscript. And your awareness of the filth and clutter becomes more acute the deeper into the editing process you go. Suddenly, corralling that recalcitrant dust-bunny becomes more important than eliminating that dangling participle. 

Case in point: I spent the weekend putting the final polish on my WIP. I'd painstakingly gone through the process of verifying every scene against my self-imposed checklist over the past few weeks, and I was finally able to dump it out of Scrivener and into a word document, where I set about formatting it and polishing it up. The final step in the editing process started yesterday, and I had a sudden urge to clean the kitchen floor. Usually housekeeping is so far down on my to-do list I can't see it because of the piles of rubble that build up during the exciting, creative phase. And my kitchen floor is probably as old as I am, and it takes forever to make it presentable. Kind of like me getting ready to go somewhere.

Kind of like the process of taking a manuscript and getting it ready to submit. Hmmm....

First, I sweep the floor. That's the easy, breezy part and I can actually see progress being made. The flash draft.

Second, I clean the floor, using a Swiffer machine and liquid cleanser. The first-read-through.

Third, because the floor is old and full of crevices to make it look like it's something it's not, I have to use bleach to really clean the nooks and crannies in the ancient tile. Then, I have to rinse. My checklist, where I am aware of the senses, duplication of words, words I overuse, or which are telling. That kind of thing.

Finally, I polish the floor to a healthy, clean-looking shine. Formatting the manuscript and the final read-through.

See what I mean? And, yes, I CAN make an analogy out of just about anything.

Making A List, Checking It Twice

Anyone who knows me, even a little bit, will tell you I'm a compulsive list maker. Grocery lists, weekly work check lists, weekly writing check lists, new launch check lists--you name it, there's a list floating around on my desk for it.

Right now, the list that's truly giving me trouble is the checklist I've devised for each book I produce. I go scene by scene through the book, checking for overused words, my seven deadly sin words, four news ones to avoid as a result of my most recent workshop, and if the senses are in evidence--not all of them in each scene, but I want an adequate representation of them throughout the book. It's the most tedious and boring part of my process, and I just have to grit my teeth and get through it.

When I'm done, and can send off the polished up version of my manuscript, I can breathe a sigh of relief, but only for a minute. Once the contract is signed with a publisher, I pull out my self-promotion checklist and begin working on that. Once I have an ARC for review, my checklist of what I need to do to get the book ready for launch comes out and I begin to check those items off. This part of the process only gets more complicated if you are working with more than one publisher, or are self-publishing.

Am I compulsive? Maybe, a bit. But, in this past year as a published author, I've learned that there are so many different facets to this new face of publishing and in order to keep them all straight,  I need a checklist. My early tries at winging it had me duplicating myself, asking for guest blogs in places where I was already scheduled, going through the tedious process of having my book listed on Book Pulse or Author's Den, only to find I'd already done so. I'd go to bed at night with all these little to-do items screaming around in my head like cars on a NASCAR track, I couldn't sleep. Coming up with a checklist just made sense to me.

And allowed me to get my eight hours of snooze time. 

Getting Ready For School

The month of August hasn't exactly been unfolding as I anticipated. I have the next book in my series due to the publisher (my self-imposed deadline), and I'm thinking about the next book I'm going to write. But am I doing any of that? NO! Instead, I'm spending the month of August writing guest blog spots.

This is an important part of the business of being an author. It's not enough anymore to merely write a book. Merely? Who am I kidding? I meet people all the time who say 'I've always wanted to write a book." But how many actually do? It's tougher than you can imagine. And then to get it published requires an historic effort, along with perseverance, fortitude and a thick skin.

But, I digress. The business of being an author means you have to find new readers, one at a time, at least in the early years. This means blogging on various sites in hopes of enticing just one more person to be intrigued enough by what you have to say to buy and read your book. And hopefully, to leave a nice review. I have a release in September. September 9 to be exact. The Tempestuous Debutante, fourth book in the Cotillion Ball Series, is going to be released to the general public on that date. It's like sending your child off to school for the first time. You've done everything you can to get your child ready. The editors at the publishing house have helped you get your baby properly clothed and polished up. You put said child on the bus (in this case, the Amazon bus), and cross your fingers that someone will be intrigued enough by the outward appearance to invite your child into their homes for a play date.

An important part of this process involves reaching out to a potential audience in the form of guest blogs. In my experience, I've found people aren't so much interested in me, the author, and what my quirks are. They'd rather read about how I come up with my ideas for stories and characters, how I use my life's experiences to create memorable plot lines, that type of thing. So, in this spirit, I've had to come up with unique content for each guest appearance I'm doing in September and October, to promote the book. It's difficult
to come up with a whole lot of ideas, which is why I am trying to space them out. An off-hand comment, a workshop, a conversation between me and a sibling--all are put into the cauldron of ideas and stirred around. I have two more posts to write before I'm done with my current obligations. I'm sitting here hoping for two more brilliant ideas to pop into my head this weekend, so I can mark "write guest blogs" off my list and get back to the magic of writing an actual story.

Looking Forward--And Looking Back

My latest historical novel, The Tempestuous Debutante, is scheduled for release September 9, and I just got my new cover, which I can now show the world. The book is through the difficult editing processing. Just one more round of edits to go, and it'll hit the streets. This is Jasmine's story, and it was a hard book to write, since Jasmine was such a brat in The Abolitionist's Secret, which featured her twin sister, Heather.

The first question I asked myself was why was Jasmine so bad? Because she was losing her best friend, her identical twin, her counterpart. She and Heather would cover for each other to get them through awkward situations.  One of Jasmine's awkward situations was a fear of horses. She was thrown from her horse a few years earlier, and just the thought of getting up on a horse now frightens her to death. Every time she was asked to go riding, Heather would pretend to be Jasmine, so no one knew of her fear. Until Heather married and moved away, that is. Now Jasmine is on her own for the first time in her life, and doesn't know how to handle it.

Here's the back cover copy:

It's Jasmine Fitzpatrick's year to shine at this season's Cotillion and men will be throwing themselves at her. But she sets her sights on a man she's never met, the Viscount of Foxborough. He's wealthy and has an English title. Only a few things stand in her way: a wealthy, young, beautiful widow who captures the viscount's attention immediately, her fear of riding horses when he owns a breeding stable and racetrack, and the viscount's stableboy, Parr.

Parr O'Shaughnessy loses his heart to Jasmine the moment he meets her. However, he has no title to interest her. He left behind an impoverished existence in Ireland when the viscount offered to bring him and his famous horse to America to build a dynasty together. He believes Jasmine barely noticed him when she was introduced, but she only had eyes for the viscount. He struggles with his loyalty to the viscount and his love for Jasmine. But winning her love might mean losing all he has worked for.

The book should ready for pre-orders from Amazon around September 1.

Now for the looking backward part--July marks the one-year anniversary of Crimson Romance, and all books that were published during their inaugeral year are on sale until the end of July. All books are $1.99 each for only a few more days. Go here to fill up your e-reader:http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=br_lf_m_1001260611_grlink_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1001260611&plgroup=2