Guest Spot...

I'm guesting at romance author Judy Jarvie's blog today! We contemplate the benefits of a Hero Club and our first inductee is...well, I'll let you see for yourself ;)

Tea & Tiaras: A Royal Wedding Recap

It's been a difficult week here in the South. A couple of members of my family had close calls with the storms that tore through Alabama and Georgia Wednesday night, but thankfully no one was hurt. The same unfortunately can't be said for those who have lost loved ones, homes, and possessions. As my sister and I approached our tea party Thursday evening and early yesterday morning, our thoughts were with the people of our home and neighboring states....

The festivities began around midnight. After a round of Disney princess trivia, we watched two of our favorites - The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. Around two, we took brief naps to power up for the early morning ceremony. Not long later, we were both wakened just in time to see Princes William and Harry leave their father's residence at Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. Seeing both Windsor men in full dress uniform proved to be a wonderful wake-up call! We were both delighted by the queen who arrived in a festive daffodil dress and hat.

All the secrecy surrounding Catherine's dress was well worth it! It lived up to its hype and then some, and Alexander McQueen seemed to be the perfect shout-out to British fashion. When I saw the lace overlay, I instantly thought "Princess Grace of Monaco," which seemed to be a subtle nod to American glamour as well. Kate's "something borrowed," obviously, was the stunning Cartier Halo Tiara, a Windsor family heirloom loaned to her by the queen. (Bad luck to the person who bet $10,000 she would wear the queen's Russian Fringe Tiara instead.) Her "something new" was a gift from her own family - the gorgeous diamond drop earrings designed to look like her family's official coat-of-arms. Kate's "something blue" wasn't Diana's sapphire engagement ring given to her by Prince William to mark their own engagement. It was a small blue ribbon sewn into the inner lining of her gown.


Kate's composure was other-worldly, not a hint of nerves. The Middleton family, too, held up very well - better than some members of the royal family. I didn't expect to be impressed with sister Pippa's performance. She looked as at ease as Kate herself and genuinely happy to be there. I especially love this moment, at left. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was experiencing their big day with my sister, too. (If you haven't seen the dress details, click to enlarge the photo. It's well worth the closer look!)


William looked quite nervous but endearingly so. I loved the banter between him and Harry. The moment that eclisped even the two balcony kisses as far as romance goes is the moment when William turned to Kate at the altar and saw her for the first time. Le sigh! At this point, I forgot all about my steamy cup of British Breakfast tea. The ceremony as a whole was perfection. Despite the fact that two billion people were watching their every move, it felt very intimate. The thing that struck me most about the vows was William and Kate's eye contact throughout (something we didn't see during Charles and Diana's nuptials thirty years ago). It doubled the already touching level of intimacy and sincerity. What does it matter that the ring didn't quite fit? The ceremony was magical and I'm thrilled I got to watch history unfold with such joy.

Here's my sister and me bedecked in our tiaras and pajamas drinking our tea waiting for Kate's exit from the Goring Hotel. We're both a little sleepy - but overall, thrilled (and frizzy, on my end)!

And we toasted to Will and Kate's happiness, of course....

It was a good day for romance and Anglophiles! As a fan of both, I will definitely cherish the memories! I'd love to hear your favorite moments and overall impressions of the event, Cozies! Sound off....

10 Disney Princesses

In honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials, I wanted to put together a list of my favorite Disney princesses but no one could do it better than this Beyond the Trailer feature, which is as surprisingly informative as it is entertaining. Enjoy - and be sure to let me know who your favorite Disney princess is!



Tomorrow I'll be recapping the royal wedding and our own tiara/pajama tea party! Be sure to check back....

My Favorite (Fictional) Princes

What is it about royalty that compels storytellers so much? Think about it.... That famous phrase so inherent with the romance genre - "Happy Ever After" - came about with the retelling of fairy tales. Tales of relatable heroines who find their Prince Charming. It was fairy tales that originally sparked my fascination with royalty and romance. In real life, the two elements might not gel. To my imagination and those of many others, they're the perfect mates! Here's a look at my favorite fictional princes...and some you might not expect....

WRATH. Ok, so when we meet the "blind" king of the vampire race in Dark Lover, he's technically no longer a prince. But part of Wrath's journey throughout the book (and the series as a whole) is moving beyond his reluctance to take his place as leader of his race. I love all the heroes of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but c'mon - there's just something about Wrath! The dark shades, the long black hair, and that hot combo of daggers, leathers and shitkickers... It's pretty hard to beat! My favorite part of the seventh series installment, Lover Avenged, was the powerful glimpses of Wrath and his shellen, Beth. Wrath has been entertaining Black Dagger fans for several years now, but in my opinion, he remains the most fascinating fictional royal.


ALBERT. Queen Victoria's prince is the only real-life man on this list, but I had to include Rupert Friend's depiction of Prince Albert. When you think "prince" the word "nobility" should come to mind. And when it comes to princely nobility, Prince Albert is the cream of the crop. I didn't become a fan of Friend until I watched him opposite Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria. I loved his portrayal of the German prince and the hurdles he had to leap to win the queen's hand and her kingdom's respect. And I think Victoria and Albert's is likely the most romantic arranged marriage in history.



DOUGRAY. Let's hearken back to 1998 when Dougray Scott was the heartthrob of the latest Cinderella adaptation, Ever After. He remains to this day my favorite "Prince Charming." It might have been the hair or the eyes, the rebellious turn...or maybe that scene with the tennis match (nom!), but Dougray gave the perfect voice to a famously cookie cutter hero. Henry is still tall, dark, and handsome, but Dougray's performance proves that a true hero needs more depth than charm to win a real lady.


NAVEEN. The Frog Prince has the distinction of being the only amphibian to make The List. That's because he is quite simply The Best. He's probably the most witty prince on this list as well. Naveen's humor had me in stitches when watching Princess and the Frog for the first time and is the reason it's one of my favorite animated films. He also had the rare distinction of...how should we say...well, being broke, which (along with a small mucus-y problem) put to rest all those sneering complaints that Disney princes are all wealthy and classically handsome.


ALEXANDER & BENNETT. Nora's heroes are remarkably lovable, but I love and adore two of them in particular. It has a lot to do with the fact that they are royalty. The first, Prince Alexander, in Command Performance is the heir to Cordina's throne and king of the stiff upper lip. Watching those walls of protocol come crumbling down at the hands of heroine Eve Hamilton is just delicious! And speaking of delicious...there's the party prince, Bennett, in The Playboy Prince who as "the spare" goes, puts Prince Harry to shame ;)




PHILLIP. Ah, Phillip. He was the first Disney hero with his own backstory, making him more than the usual cardboard cut-out Prince Charming (as in Snow White and Cinderella). In fact, Phillip had more screen time than the title character, Princess Aurora. He is the reason Sleeping Beauty is another one of my all-time Disney favorites. Mostly because of the lengths he goes to to kiss his princess and dance off into the clouds. And you have to admit, for an animated guy, he's pretty hot ;)



SNAPE. Bet you didn't see that coming! He's not royalty, but he is the Half-Blood Prince so Snape has earned his place on my list of Favorite Princes. And why not? He's tall. He's dark. He's handsome. He wears a cloak. He might not be your a-typical hero. Like Wrath, he's more anti-hero, to be fair. But after reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we have little doubt he is heroic. And the most compelling thing about Snape is his flaws. Give me a hero and a prince with flaws any day and I'll say "YES MA'AM!" Snape also has the distinction of being the only prince on this list with no happy ending. But there's always fan fiction. Am I right, ladies? ;)



So that's my round-up of Favorite Fictional & Not-So-Likely Princes! Who did I leave out? Sound off, Cozies!

****NOTE: Prayers go out to those affected by the terrible weather that went through the South today. Everyone please think of them and remember to give your loved ones extra hugs....

Amazon Author Central

I have a new link for readers! This week I've updated my Amazon Author Central profile to include blog posts, Twitter feed, and photos. Several of my paperback titles can be viewed on the Author Central page and I'm working on getting more of the ebooks that are available on Amazon on my profile for preview, too. Visit my Amazon Author Central page today - I hope you enjoy it!

New Character Q&A Feature!

While browsing through some old writing notes for my contemporary romance series, I discovered something interesting - character Q&A! To get to know the series' heroines better, I compiled a list of fun questions for each to answer that would give me more insight into their characters, something I could look back on while crafting their stories. Some great brain-clouds should be recycled so I took the exact same Q&A and applied it to the characters of my western romance trilogy, the Ridges of Wayback, TX - and boy, did it turn into a party!

The best part of all this is that if you are a member of my exclusive mailing list, you will get a front-row seat to the shenanigans! Starting next month, I'll be including one character Q&A session in each of my monthly reader newsletters. First up is the heroine of Blackest Heart, Stella Ridge! If you're a fan of western romance, the Ridges of Wayback, TX, or character interviews and you haven't yet subscribed to my mailing list, now's your chance! Click on the pink button on the sidebar here at Cozy! Sign-up only takes a few seconds....

This summer I'm thinking about heating things up at The Cozy Page by hosting a character competition. Authors will be able submit their own character's Q&A from their published or soon-to-be published titles to be voted on by the readers. The winning character will be featured in my newsletter and the author will receive an extra special prize! Check back in around mid-May for more contest details....

This month, I'm still planning to celebrate the royal wedding with a round of royalty-inspired articles on romance as well as a recap of the tiara tea party and Disney princess marathon my sister and I will be hosting on the big day! And while I'm on the subject, the awesome baby sis served as a Cozy correspondent at the rodeo last weekend and has agreed to do a recap for all of us, complete with pictures from the event. Stay tuned for that within the next week or so. In the meantime, I'm trying to think of a good correspondent alias for her.... Hm....

I've been a bit quiet on the blog lately. I apologize for that. The hub helped my mother move into her new house on the water in my hometown, which is where my contemporary series takes place. The spot on the water where she now resides is very near to where I imagined the heroine of the first book's bed-and-breakfast would be. Now as I go about recharging the muse for another round of contemporary rewrites for book two, I have the perfect place to go for inspiration! My writing sessions will now include gorgeous pics from the shore. I promise to post them here for everyone to see. (I'm also considering doing a similar inspiration feature for this year's anniversary trip to the family lakehouse in northern Alabama.)

The hub and I recently added a new sleigh bed to our home. Thanks to some redecorating, the office shelves he built for our anniversary last year will have a new home in my office. I know what you're thinking; this calls for a new office vidblog tour. The last one I did, I think, was in 2008 so I owe everyone an update....

All these exciting new features and more are coming your way soon! Stay up-to-date on everything here at Cozy, checking my website for updates, and by subscribing to my newsletter!

A Bit of (Musical) Inspiration...

So I guess I'm behind the curve as far as Adele is concerned. I've heard about her, but I've never really listened to her music. Silly, because she's incredible.

My muse, Tink, is very musically inclined, especially when poetic lyrics are involved. They really get her working. (I make playlists for every manuscript to help the words flow faster.) I'm currently taking a closer look at my contemporary series and there's a character with some serious heartbreak in her past who is featured as a secondary character until book three. She's my favorite breed of heroine: enviably strong but not without human frailties. Adele's new single, "Rolling in the Deep," is her new theme song....

April Newsletter & Buttons

My April newsletter went out this morning with a special announcement! If you aren't a subscriber yet, read it here and subscribe with the pink button on the sidebar here at Cozy!

I've set up subscribe buttons on my website, too, so you can now access registration for my mailing list through the HOME, NEWS, CONTACT, and LINKS pages! Remember, you can always easily unsubscribe if you no longer want to receive monthly updates. And new on the EXTRAS page are another round of fun and informative articles -

Writing Axioms That Work

Guest Blogging Do's & Don'ts

Books I've Trusted Along the Way

The Steam Factor (with excerpts!)

Confessions of a Night Writer

When Small Gestures Mean Big Things

The Music Behind Western Romance

Research Log: Forever Amore

See it all at my website. And thank you for all the positive messages about the new look! I'm still thrilled about it!

1st Quarter Recommended Reads

It's that time of the year again, Cozies! I've compiled my list of 1st Quarter Recommended Reads. It's sad how behind I am on some of my TBR. Please keep in mind that not all of these books were published in 2011. Most, I think, were published in 2010 (2009 at the earliest). I love, though, when reviewers go back and feature books that have been published in the past. In fact, that's how I discovered one of my favorite Regency romance authors, Christine Wells!

Title: Marked Author: Elisabeth Naughton Genre: Paranormal Romance Review: 4/5 - I love discovering new voices in paranormal romance, especially those who take the world we know and give it an intriguing world within our own. This is the case with Naughton's Marked. Another thing I loved about this book was its mythological overtones. The Eternal Guardians and their people are descendants of Greek gods. The Greek references made a mythology geek like me squee. And of course, the romance between the guardian, Theron, and his "supposedly" human mate, Casey, was spot on. I can't wait for the third book in the series, which features the guardian, Demetrius.

Title: The Irish Warrior Author: Kris Kennedy Genre: Historical Romance Review: LOVE! - Sorry, but it's hard to find a better voice in historical romance than medieval romance author Kris Kennedy. Loved her debut novel, The Conqueror. Despite my high expectations, she didn't disappoint in The Irish Warrior. I think the title character, Finian, is probably one of the best historical romance heroes I've had the pleasure of reading in some time. And heroine, Senna, doesn't disappoint either. Even if you don't read much of the medieval period, if you're a fan of historical romance you must read at least one book by Kris Kennedy!

Title: Covet Author: J.R. Ward Genre: Paranormal Romance Review: 4/5 - Anything by J.R. Ward is on my must-read list, but I was a little cautious about her new Fallen Angels series and some iffy reviews for Covet. Despite this, I enjoyed the book. As much as I love and adore the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, it was nice to take a break outside that world with Ward's awesome paranormal voice. Although Jim isn't the romantic hero of the book, he is a central character and he and his angel friends are my favorite so far. I have to warn you though, Covet is even more dark and scary than the BDB books. Still, I look forward to reading the next in this series, Crave.

Title: Deadly Fear Author: Cynthia Eden Genre: Romantic Suspense Review: 5/5 - I discovered the romance genre through romantic suspense so it's been a little weird over the past few years. My romantic suspense TBR has been pretty sparse. I have no idea why. Especially now that I've had a chance to read the first book in Eden's Deadly series, Deadly Fear. My love for romantic suspense has definitely been rekindled. All of the books on Eden's booklist feature things that go bump in the night. Deadly Fear is no exception. In fact, this novel's heart-tripping pace and freaky villain kept me reading into the early morning. My favorite element though, is the hero Luke's feelings for heroine Monica. Monica, who comes from a dark and harrowing past, might be one of the strongest heroines I have ever read. If you don't mind jumping at small noises while you're reading RS, read Deadly Fear! (Side Note: Deadly has just been nominated for a RITA! Congrats, Cynthia!!!)

Title: Happy Ever After Author: Nora Roberts Genre: Contemporary Romance Review: 4/5 - Other than the usual batch of lovable characters, Nora's Bride Quartet series started out a little lackluster for me. Book three finally turned things around for me, enough for me a await the final book, Parker's, with excitement. I liked streamlined Parker and her near to OCD tendencies from book one. She's a perfectionist you can definitely learn to love. It didn't take me long to fall in love with Harley-riding hero, Mal, either. The series' completion is a satisfying one. If you're a Nora fan, I recommend Parker and the gang :)

Title: Haunting Beauty Author: Erin Quinn Genre: Paranormal Romance Review: 5/5 - Light paranormal is something you don't see a lot of now but Erin Quinn writes it with some serious flair! I'm a fan of the Irish setting and Celtic characters so this book was a double win all around for me. Quinn's Irish setting is fluid and lush as is her voice and storytelling ability. The romance between hero, Sean, and heroine, Danni, is heartbreaking in its sweet intensity. This book packs plenty of heat nonetheless and it left me wanting to rush off to the bookstore to buy the second book in this series right away. Quinn's imagination is one I will be revisiting soon!

Title: Strangers in Death Author: J.D. Robb Genre: Futuristic Romance Review: 4/5 - I'm so far behind in Nora's In Death series. And why oh why? Eve and Roarke set a romantic precedent above all others and this addition was no exception. A rarity for a Eve Dallas viewpoint, our heroine knows who the culprit is early on and from there it's a pretty awesome game of cat and mouse with the usual suspects assisting her in her quest to unveil the killer. Roarke, Peabody, McNabb, Feeney, Mira, and Summerset feel almost more family to me than they do to Eve. And did I mention Roarke? Sorry, can't seem to do that enough. Another excellent saga in the Eve/Roarke storyline.

Next quarter, I'll be reviewing J.R. Ward's latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover Unleashed, and the first book of Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series (I'm told there's must-read upside down tree sex involved so, trust me, it's next on my TBR) as well as another great Ann Aguirre book and more!

Clink!

No matter how many manuscripts I complete, there's nothing in the world more satisfying than typing THE END. Even in the case of my contemporary romance, which I've been rewriting for nearly a year now. Today I finally wrote the final chapter and put the finishing touches on the new manuscript, which - as an added bonus - came in 500 words under maximum word count.

Cyber champagne all around! Now I get to go wash my hair and catch up on some reading before final edits begin tomorrow morning and I send the manuscript on to my agent Friday! Squee!

Oh, and join me and the rest of the Roses (The Wild Rose Press authors, that is) at Novel Sisterhood for a daily chat! I'll be there with excerpts from Denied Origin and the Ridges of Wayback, TX trilogy!

DWTS Favorites...

Despite icky weather during this week's broadcast of Dancing with the Stars, I got to do my favorite Monday night thing - watch Ralph Macchio and a bunch of other people dance!

I'm kidding...sort of.... The truth is, I'm pretty impressed with this season's cast members' skills. The guys especially seem to be bringing the sparkly rhinestone panache to the ballroom. Most unexpected, in my opinion, is wrestler Chris Jericho. I enjoy watching singer Romeo, too. And we'll get to my favorite karate kid later. This week the stars took on some emotional material by choosing the song most meaninful to them. Some of my favorite dances from past seasons have been the ones with a personal touch or tribute. Chris Jericho and Hines Ward both danced rhumbas dedicated to their mothers, which turned out to be more sweet than weird - an overall win. Hines even pulled into the top spot with model Petra Nemcova right behind him.

Kirstie Alley was too embarrassed to bring the sexy to her rhumba, believe it or not, which she dedicated to her parents (to the tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"). A stumble from Maks - shocker! - made them tumble from the top of the leader board while Playboy bunny Kendra Wilkinson moved up. Most touching of the night might have been Romeo's tribute to his cousins who both died at a very young age with Jackson 5's "I'll Be There."

I know Hines did well, but because of those dang weather alerts I didn't get to see him dance. Darn it! He's my second favorite star this season. It's week three and I'm still rooting first and foremost for Team Kamachio!

Just when you think Ralph Macchio can't get any cuter, we find out he's been married for twenty-four years. This week's rhumba coincided with their wedding anniversary so he chose the song "Stay Gold" from The Outsiders (his break-out role), which was played at the wedding. I don't know what was sweeter - the '80's wedding reel or Ralph kissing his wife's hand at the end of the dance. Despite the fact that he and Karina moved down the leader board this week, watching them perform never fails to make me smile and it's the reason I'm tuning in every Monday and Tuesday night!

Quote of the night goes once again to Tom Bergeron: "Later tonight Len goes to the wizard for a heart."

So, readers, for some DWTS-related fun, which meaningful song would you have chosen to dance to this week? Mine would probably be Sinatra's "Just the Way You Look Tonight" (from the first dance at my wedding five years ago). And because I love spreading the cheer, I dare you not to smile when you watch Team Kamacchio's week one Foxtrot....

Guest Spots...

Hi Cozies - just a quick update! Yesterday author Rebecca J. Clark interviewed me on her Once Written, Twice Shy blog. Find out what makes me a shy writer and how I used writing to step outside my comfort zone....

And don't forget that tomorrow I'll be at Sweethearts of the West doing my monthly western romance post!

I'm sorry I've been a bit quiet since the Fool for Romance Contest wrapped. I've been working on the end of my contemporary revision - yes, I'm there! After a year, I'm almost done with the final rewrite. My muse is getting amped up for the second book in the series, too. I'll try to pop by mid-week with another update. Thank you to those who have visited my new website and those who have shared their thoughts and taken the time to write me with compliments! The response has been great and I'm so excited about the new look!