Talent Tuesday!

Folks, welcome back for another Talent Tuesday! For this segment, I have a lady I've known for several years, Vonda Sinclair! She's generously sharing some of her fabulous photography with us!

My love of photography started when I was a child. Although I wasn’t allowed to touch a camera then, one of my prized possessions was my photo album, which I still have. In college, I took a photography class as part of my minor in art. My husband, who was then my boyfriend, bought me a nice professional 35mm camera for Christmas (this was during the time before digital cameras.) I was hooked! Over the next few years I burned through hundreds of rolls of film. People had me photograph their weddings. You rarely saw me without a camera around my neck. When digital cameras arrived on the scene, I was thrilled. No more film to buy or having to pay for processing. No darkroom work, just photo editing software. (I love Photoshop.)

I don’t call myself a photographer. I’m more like an amateur photo bug. My husband is used to me saying, “Stop! I have to take a picture.” My only explanation for this obsession with photos is that I’m a very visual person. I love to look at beautiful scenes, settings, and colors. Simply gazing at a gorgeous photo gives me a lot of pleasure and it can even affect me emotionally. I often look at something, usually a landscape or maybe a collection of flowers, and think that would be an awesome photo. I compose it in my mind before I point the camera. I notice the details and the background.

I have two photos of flowers on display in a local area hospital, which I consider a great honor. One is a picture of foxgloves I took on Isle of Skye. And the other is black-eyed Susans taken in my garden.

I’ve also done drawing, painting, pottery, sculpture, flower arranging, jewelry making, candle making and various other crafts. But photography is the only one that has stuck with me so long.

My favorite place to take photos is Scotland. The country is so beautiful it would be difficult to take a bad picture there. The landscapes and natural scenery are breathtaking and atmospheric. The castles are often situated on islands, beside lochs, or next to the shore in amazing settings.

My favorite series of photos are ones I took on our last trip. One evening, we were returning from a hike in Glencoe, heading toward Oban, and driving along Loch Linnhe in Argyll. The sun’s rays sliced through the dramatic clouds. I had never seen anything so beautiful! I almost went crazy wanting to find a pull off and take come pictures. These are the moments photographers live for. I found a pull off and hurried as fast as I could to get out there beside the loch with several more people who were just as impressed as I was by the stunning natural beauty. We were hurrying because, well, who knew how long the scene would stay as it was? I took a few there, then rushed on a mile or two further to take some with Castle Stalker and the sunrays. I got some great ones. But I’m still kicking myself for not finding the side road to go down and take some of the castle from a different angle.

I also enjoy taking pictures of rainbows, which Scotland has a lot of, considering the amount of rain. Two of my favorite things—Scotland and photography—go wonderfully together!

 

www.vondasinclair.com
http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/
My Daring Highlander at Amazon http://amzn.com/B00C3ONO22
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-daring-highlander-vonda-sinclair/1114964693?ean=2940016715957
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/vonda.sinclair
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VondaSinclair
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VondaSinclair

Bio
Vonda Sinclair’s favorite indulgent pastime is exploring Scotland, from Edinburgh to the untamed and windblown north coast. She also enjoys creating hot, Highland heroes and spirited lasses to drive them mad. She is a past Golden Heart finalist and Laurie award winner. She lives with her amazing and supportive husband in the mountains of North Carolina where she is no doubt creating another Scottish story.   

Latest book: My Daring Highlander

Beautiful and fiercely protective of those she loves, Lady Seona Murray captured Keegan MacKay’s attention when she first set foot in Dunnakeil Castle. Though she is a chief’s daughter and forbidden, Keegan has fallen in love with her from afar and burns to possess her. But so does the clan traitor, Haldane, an obsessive outlaw bent on murder and kidnapping.

Sinfully handsome, Keegan MacKay is a fearsome guard as well as the chief’s cousin, but Seona’s father would never consider him a worthy husband for her because he is not a titled laird. Seona has secretly watched the sensual, tawny-haired warrior from across the crowded great hall for months, but when he is tasked with escorting her across Scotland, back to her home, their simmering attraction flames into sizzling passion with just one kiss.

Though she fears she is endangering Keegan’s life, Seona cannot resist his seductive charm or his spellbinding kisses. Keegan sets fire to the memories of her sad past and shows her what it means to truly live. But her father has other plans. He’s arranged for her to marry a wealthy Lowland laird. Is Keegan daring enough to steal her away? Or will the vindictive Haldane snatch her first?

My Print Cover!!!! It's Here, It's Here!!!

 

This is the cover for my 3 Honor Guard novella anthology. Her Highland Champion, Fractured Paradise and Simple Treasures will be released as one PRINT book. Isn't this cover AWESOME???? That's Castle Stalker in the upper right hand corner and the Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland, England in the lower left corner. That bridge is the bridge my mom used to walk across as a kid and she and I have walked across it together as well. I am in awe of this cover and I cannot WAIT to hold the book in my hands! It also makes me want to write more stories set in England and Scotland.

And just to tempt you, here's the unofficial back cover blurb:

The International Protective Network hires the most efficient operatives to protect their clients, but what happens when those employees need to face their personal demons in order to get the job done?

A broken-down bodyguard with no confidence...an American lass with no memory...a technical analyst more confident with computers than people...a lad living in the past...a new operative with something to prove...a former soldier struggling with her war scars.

In the cozy communities of the British Isles, three couples charge through the dangers confronting them in order to find truth, justice and the love they deserve.

Six Sentence Sunday-

Good morning! Welcome to another set of Six Sentence Sunday! To read snippets from other authors, visit the official website, www.sixsunday.com.

This morning I'm bringing you another snippet from Silent Surrender, my short story with my heroine, Meggie, from Her Highland Champion, and Quinn, the Irishman. Here you go!

Aye, she'd had a grand time with him, but she'd left him behind in Dublin. She'd tucked that woman away and returned to her life. It had been a good decision.

Hadn't it?

Now she couldn't be sure because those feelings he released in her all shot up and out of her mind and body. And THAT bothered her more than anything.

So? What do you think? Remember this is the really, really, really rough draft. This snippet isn't as good as the others over the last few weeks, but it still works. Poor Meggie! She has no idea how to handle or what to make of Quinn!

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!