Sunday, September 30, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome back to another edition of Six Sentence Sunday! Today, we're still on the 1st page of my book Fractured Paradise, which is due out November 6th.

She’d given up her seat in front of a flat screen and a keyboard back in Edinburgh to execute her nana’s fanciful ideas of returning to Sunderland. Rachel had agreed only because it was for Nan, but….

"This, I did not
sign up for." Tears pricked at the corners of her wind-burned eyes, threatening to rip her resolve to shreds. Getting here had been hard enough. It wasn’t fair that her island of paradise looked like the summer cottage from a teenage horror movie.

Well? What do you think? Let me know and check out some of the other Six Sentence Sunday authors on this site. Have a great day!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Killer Openings Class!

Killer Openings
Class takes place: October 1st-31st, 2012
Cost: $5 BDRWA members/ $25 non-members (month-long class)
Killer Openings
Instructor: Alexa Bourne
Class Info:
Students will learn the importance of a good opening and gain a better understanding of what makes a “killer opening.” Students will study examples of good and bad openings and discuss why they do or don’t work.
Students will also submit their own opening lines/paragraphs/pages and receive a critique.
 
Visit here for more details or to sign up. Hurry! Class starts Monday!
 
 


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Just Droppin' In....

Hello, new followers! Thanks so much for joining me/us. You make me feel special! I hope I can live up to your expectations. :P

I've been keeping busy, visiting with family, eating too much, reading, writing and waiting.....

I hope to be able to share some news with you sooner rather than later. I'm waiting for my cover for Simple Treasures, the 3rd Honor Guard story that will be coming to you in December. It's a New Year's story so I'm excited to see what my favorite cover designer comes up with! AND I got some other news...unofficially. Hopefully soon I'll be able to share that too. It's killing me to hold my tongue on it!

If you haven't participated in the Highlander Giveaway Blog Hop, get busy! There are several people giving away books with Highlanders and the Hop is almost over!

Okay, folks. Have a good rest of your week!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Ten Inches Chopped!

Because I promised you....

Before......



After......

 
Now, I'm not thrilled with this pic (that's why it's not my "official" author pic!), but I am absolutely thrilled with my haircut!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

Good morning! Welcome to another edition of Six Sentence Sunday! Today I'm sharing the opening six sentences to my next release, Fractured Paradise. (Coming November 6th!!!) Yes, I'm going backward with my snippets, but I absolutely LOVE this opening. I hope you do too!

In a perfect world, Rachel Grant would be sitting on the back porch of her grandmother’s English cottage sipping a pint of lager while watching the boats ferry tourists across the North Sea.

But this wasn’t a perfect world.

The small cottage she’d been sent to "tidy-up" stared at her with broken windows, exterior walls missing wooden slats and stone, and a thousand years of neglect. Uncontrolled grasses choked the once vibrant and sweet-smelling gardens. Her sanctuary, Nan had called it? Maybe sometime in the last century.

So? What do you think? Feel free to share your comments. And if you're interested in more Six Sentence Sunday snippets, click here to see the list of authors for this week. Enjoy!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Highlander Giveaway Hop!


WINNER ANNOUNCED!! SEE COMMENTS!!!
 
Failte! Thanks to MK McKlintock for inviting me to join this Highlander Blog Hop. I'm a SUCKER for a hot Highlander and I love to discuss them as much as I can. So let's get to it!
 
What is it about Highlanders that readers love? I don't now about you, but I love the accent and the sexy body wearing a kilt. Also, the idea of a hot, seductive, strong man taking care of his loved ones...ah, {{sigh}}. For some women, it's watching the journey of a wounded warrior as he discovers true love and a true partner. The Highlanders I've fallen in love with possess honor, pride, love and compassion. Granted, they may not always show all of those qualities, but by the end of the stories they have shown what true honorable men they are.
 
My own favorite Highlanders started with Connor MacLeod of the Highlander movies. He was banished from his clan for being immortal. He found love with a woman and had a peaceful life...until she died of natural causes and he was left to move on alone. Throughout all his centuries, he always tried to do the right thing.
 
Jamie Fraser of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is another Highlander I love. {{{SIGH}}} How can you NOT love Jamie? He possesses the qualities I mentioned, fights to keep those he loves safe and tries to do the right thing. Unfortunately he runs into many obstacles, but he meets every challenge head-on.
 
But what about contemporary Highlanders? Aren't they just as attractive? Can't they have rock-hard abs and a luscious accent? Don't they deserve our attention as well? I say YES!
 
In my visits to Scotland, I found many hot, compassionate Scotsmen, both in the Highlands and in Edinburgh. When I came back to the States, I started a mission to find more contemporary Highlanders in books, to support those authors who believed intoxicating men of this day and age deserved to be shared just as much as the men of the past.
 
Katie McAlister gave us a desirable contemporary Highlander, Iain MacLaren, in her book Men in Kilts. For me, he was two kinds of delicious. As much as I love historicals, Iain made me crave more contemporary Highlanders. When I couldn't find enough, I decided to write my own.
 
In my 1st book, Her Highland Champion, my hero Malcolm possesses all the same qualities of the historical heroes except he doesn't wear a kilt. (A pity, I know!) Malcolm is reluctant to take care of the heroine, but when he sees that no one else is stepping up and she clearly needs help, he comes to her defense. In my 3rd book, Simple Treasures (due out around the holidays), the hero Colin is much the same. Colin is required to come to his heroine's aid, but he is reluctant to open up and give in to the connection growing between them. Neither of my Highland heroes wants to give in to the women who are fast-claiming their hearts, but they are adamant about keeping them safe. And in keeping them safe, they surrender to the love building between them. In writing my own stories, I hope to honor the men of the Highlands, both past and present, to bring another version of our startling Highland heroes to readers everywhere.
 
So, what is it about Highlanders that YOU love? Leave a comment and your email address to be in the running for a free copy of Her Highland Champion! The winner will be drawn once the hop is over on the 27th!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Author, Can You Help?

Hello, everyone! If you read my Public Service Announcement last week and you agree, here's a chance to make a difference:
 
I joined forces with one of my friends to put together a raffle basket for our monthly Austin RWA meeting (10/9). Twice a year we raffle baskets and the money goes into our discretionary (sp?) fund, which goes to help people who can't afford dues or money for special events. We've also used the money to celebrate (with a rose) when people become PAN members and other personal triumphs or tragedies within our writing family. 

Our basket is themed with parties because my friend's book has a masquerade, my 3rd book happens around New Year's, and the basket will be out in time for Halloween. So if anyone has a party or holiday in their book and would like to donate the book (or any other items), I'd be happy to add your materials to our basket. (We have 3 total baskets and they each go to one individual.) Also, if any of you would be willing to critique a query or a chapter or even 5-10 pages, we'll take that kind of donation too! I'll be typing up a list of who has donated what for the basket so you'l definitely get publicity.
 
And if you're an aspiring writer and would like to participate, let me know. You could offer a gift card or craft books or other holiday items.

If anyone is interested and needs more information, please email me at alexa @ alexabourne . com.

Thanks for considering it!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fractured Paradise Gets A Release Date!



Mark your calendars! My next Honor Guard romantic suspense novella, set in Sunderland, England, will be released NOVEMBER 6TH! Fractured Paradise is near and dear to my heart since it's set in my Mom's hometown and many of my relatives still live there. I'm hard at work making plans for a release party, so stay tuned for those. In the meantime, you can keep reading snippets from this story on Six Sentence Sundays, BUT.....shhhhhhh, don't tell. I'm going to share the opening excerpt with you here and now. Please let me know what you think! (Pls ignore the rough formatting here.)

“A bit of a disappointment, I expect.” A rich, deep voice with a twinge of an English accent drifted from behind her.
She whirled around. Her hair whipped against her cheeks and made her wish for the hundredth time today she hadn’t packed all her hair clips.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
The stranger paused beside the edge of the clearing, and her heart stuttered. Although no one would mistake him for a Hollywood leading man, this guy could command attention by stepping into a room. Or onto an island.
“That’s okay. You didn’t.” She permitted her gaze to wander over him.
He kept his hands stuffed into the front pockets of faded jeans. The wind tore at his gray long-sleeved shirt, outlining the contours of a well-defined chest. Unruly light brown hair touched his collar. High cheekbones accented his deep-set eyes. Not friendly eyes, but no threat lay behind them either, at least none she could uncover.
He pulled a hand from his pocket and held it out. “Aidan Camden of Dawson Tours, your neighbor from across the water.” He tipped his head toward the way he’d come. Camden. His name sounded familiar, but why? She shook his hand with a hint of hesitation. “Rachel Grant.”
His fingers warmed her skin, his grip strong and confident. Awareness trailed along her arm. Then again, it could be the accent that made her skin tingle. British accents never failed to stir her emotions.
A trace of a smile danced on his lips. “Aye, the American.”
Huh. “You know of me?”
A low rumble of laughter slipped from his mouth, the sound relaxing her from deep within. “Word travels fast here. I saw you paddling your way out.”
Paddling? No, he’d seen her fighting with the oars. Until today, she’d never set foot on a boat, much less held an oar. But she would consider swimming across the Atlantic Ocean if it would make Nan happy.
“Tell me, Mr. Camden, are you in the habit of following foreigners?”
“No, lass, but you’re all the talk of the Roker area. The mighty Grant descendant, come to see about selling the family cottage.”
Selling?

Monday, September 17, 2012

Guest Blogging Today!

Good Monday to you! Today I'm over at Long and Short Reviews blogging about my connection to the UK. Stop by if you have a chance, and you can be in the running for their monthly prize!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday


Welcome back for another Six Sentence Sunday! Today, I'm sharing another snippet from my soon-to-be-released book, Fractured Paradise. This is later in the story than last week's snippet. I don't want to share too much about this scene in case you decide to buy the book when it comes out, but I will tell you that the heroine, Rachel, has just gone through something frightening, and of course the hero, Aidan, is by her side. Enjoy!

“Your lips are trembling.”
 
Slowly, he eased his hold on her, but he did not release her completely. His fingers remained at her waist. The intimate touch unleashed a wave of desire within her. This man became more of a temptation to her with every encounter.
 
“Maybe I’m a little scared, too,” she admitted.

Find more Six Sentence Sunday authors using this website. And feel free to leave a comment here or on any Six Sunday site you visit. Authors LOVE comments!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

ALEXA'S PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

If you can read this, be thankful for the health of your eyes. Many people do not have that luxury.

I'm here today to bring a serious topic to you, one that's near and dear to my heart. When I was a child, I was very sick. I had arthritis at three-years-old, open heart surgery at 7, 2 eye surgeries before I was 12, hand surgery, physical and occupational therapy, and several other ailments. I was an expert at how doctors and hospitals worked when most kids my age were outside playing. With the amount of scars on my body, you'd think I was in combat somewhere. Thankfully, as an adult, I am fairly healthy (except for the extra pounds I could stand to lose.)

I tend not to discuss my medical history here because I believe it has no bearing on my writing life. But today I will make an exception. Why? Because I believe we ALL need to help each other in any way we can. This afternoon I am going to the hairdresser's to get 11 inches of my hair chopped off. I've been growing it out for three years and today I am donating it to Locks of Love. If you're not familiar with this organization, it works to make hairpieces for children who are suffering from hair loss due to ANY medical diagnosis. For more information about this organization, visit their website at www.locksoflove.org.

Because of my medical history, I am unable to donate blood. For a long time, I didn't think I could do anything to help those in need. But then a writer friend (Michelle McGinnis) chopped her hair off for Locks of Love and inspired me to look into doing the same. Since then, I've also designated myself as an organ donor on my license. I am not in a position to donate money for any causes, but in the past I have given money to organizations that were close to my heart. Once I get another full-time job, I intend to once again donate money.

My point in telling you all this isn't to pat my own back, but to show you where I stand and how I came to that. I believe regardless of our political views and our religious views, we ALL have a duty to help each other. If you are struggling financially, there are still ways to help others. You could donate your time, too. If you are in a position to donate money, choose one or two organizations that mean something to you and make a donation. It doesn't have to be a huge amount of money, but take a stand. Make a difference. Show your pride and take care of your fellow man, woman or child. Every little bit helps. Your little bit combined with my little bit and the little bit of others can eventually make a HUGE difference to those in need.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Today I've interviewed my hero, Malcolm Fraser, from Her Highland Champion!
Come visit Heartthrob Haven Blog and learn more about this sexy Scot.
Plus, be in the running for a copy of the book! 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

New Review!

The Book Boost has reviewed Her Highland Champion! Visit here and read the comments on my first book! Thank you, Book Boost, for your honest review and your comments!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Sexy Accents

I'm blogging today at the Daily Dose of Decadence Blog (Decadent Publishing's blog!) and I'm discussing my fascination with British accents. Come join me!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Edinburgh Castle

Today I'm blogging about one of my favorite places in Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh Castle! If you have time, come visit, see what I love about the place and enjoy some beautiful pictures! Join me here!

Six Sentence Sunday-Fractured Paradise


Hello again! Welcome back for another snippet of Fractured Paradise, my romantic suspense novella coming to you soon! This week's snippet picks up right from last week's. You can reread last week's here. Hope you enjoy!

Aidan closed his eyes and pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead.

“Hey, are you all right?” she asked.

The gentle caress of her voice was almost as deadly as the fair touch of her fingertips to his wrist. His blood steamed under his skin, tinder threatening to burn with an ache so deep he’d forgotten what it felt like. So long he’d gone without a woman in his life, in his bed. Perhaps this was his body’s way of saying 'get on with it'.


So? What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know! And if you have more time on your hands, find more Six Sentence Sunday participants here.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Busy, Busy! Look What's Coming!

Okay, I guarantee by the end of 2012 you may just be sick of seeing me. I've got LOTS of stuff planned for the release of my next 2 books! My craziness starts with next week. Here's what you have to look forward to:

Today and tomorrow- I'm participating in PROMO WEEKEND on The Celtic Rose Blog where authors with Celtic-themed books are posting blurbs/excerpts so readers can get to know them and their writing. Several of us are offering free copies of our books too!

Sunday- I'm participating in Six Sentence Sunday again with a snippet from my next release.

Monday- I'll be blogging about Edinburgh Castle on the Celtic Hearts blog.

Tuesday- I'll have info on book 1 posted on British Romantic Fiction blog.

Wednesday- I'll be discussing the attraction of my UK heroes.

Thursday- I'll have a new review of Her Highland Champion with the Book Boost. (Fingers crossed they like it!)

Friday- Her Highland Champion's hero, Malcolm Fraser, will be interviewed on the Heartthrob Haven blog.

Hope you'll get a chance to join me somewhere along the week!

Friday, September 7, 2012

It's Friday!

Hi! I've been substitute teaching for most of this week, not writing, but reading and thinking about cleaning the house.

Today...well, tonight I plan to write up 3 blog posts I have to do for guest spots next week.

Tomorrow....I will be working on the next few 1000 words on my historical short story. I'll start cleaning (nothing too strenuous, of course!) and I've got to go grocery shopping! (Kinda craving Walker's shortbread. YUM!)

Sunday....I need to write the next few 1000 words for my historical short story (or finish it?) Then I'll finish cleaning, water the plants and hit the gym. Of course, I'll be visiting other authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and responding to those readers who visit mine.

I suppose at some point I should also continue my continuing search for a full-time job. And I hope to read (and finish?) the Paula Graves book I'm reading.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

I Like It, I Love It!

While many people throughout the US celebrated Labor Day with barbeques, swimming and fun with the family, I worked. And I loved it.

From Saturday morning until late last night (actually, early this morning!) I revised and revised and revised Simple Treasures, my New Year's novella coming out...wait for it...yep, you guessed it...around the holidays. My FANTABULOUS editor gave me great comments and guidance to fix what I already knew was wrong. I pushed through the entire manuscript (about 80 pages) twice over the weekend and each time I loved the story a bit more. Now it's almost where it needs to be, almost to where I can be completely proud of it!

NOW I'm really, really looking forward to seeing what the artist does with the cover.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

Good morning and welcome to my next installment of Fractured Paradise! This is my next book, which should be released soon. This is the story of an American woman trying to do something special for her grandmother and the Englishman who is determined to thwart her plans. Last week Rachel was walking down the street and caught up to Aidan coming out of a store. This week we're in Aidan's point-of-view while he's with her. (Brooke was his wife in the past.) I hope you like it!
 
Okay, here you go!
 
What was it about this woman that prompted him into action, into banter he’d never been comfortable sharing with Brooke? With his free hand, he reached up and caught the loose strands of her hair in his fingers and tucked them behind her ear, his fingertips lingering against the shell.
 
“Thank you.” She allowed that tongue to swish over her lips, moistening them, taunting him, all but begging him to taste them for himself.

He snatched his hand away and stepped back. Where had those thoughts come from?

To read more entries, visit the Six Sentence Sunday website here! And don't forget to leave comments! Authors LOVE comments!