Samhain Publishing

This will be my second release this year–and I'm not done yet. Look for another book in August. But, I digress.

This particular book is special to me because I deliberately wrote it outside of my comfort zone. When I was getting to know the characters, I realized that this book would be more emotional than anything I've ever written. Emma has been through a very traumatic experience. Her reactions, reasoning, and decisions had to be thoroughly researched. At one point in the book, she has a panic attack. Since this is a historical, they didn't call them panic attacks back then. It was just considered an unreasonable reaction–something akin to hysteria. So, I asked a friend who occasionally suffers from them if my portrayal of her actions rang true. She agreed that it was possible, but of course there are as many types of panic attacks as there are people who have them. Unfortunately that makes writing them easy and hard at the same time.

*****

Sometimes the greatest casualty of war is trust.

Lionel Cantrell has all but given up hope of finding his missing wife and child. He left them in the care of his parents and older brother while he went abroad to fight the French, only to return to a marriage in shambles, a daughter who cannot possibly be his, and his wife and son fled to parts unknown.

Until now. At a former comrade’s house party, Lion comes face to face with the object of his five-year search. Emma, whose cold reception is keenly edged with barely concealed panic.

When Emma’s perfect marriage to her childhood sweetheart crumbled into an unendurable year of humiliation and torment, she had no choice but to take their son—and her sanity—to build a new life under an assumed name. Her chance meeting with Lion threatens to expose long-buried emotional scars. And physical ones, the origins of which he must never know.

Emma’s stubborn refusal to explain why she won’t return home only fuels Lion’s relentless curiosity. So does their undeniable passion. Time is on his side, and his well of patience is deep. But Emma’s trauma runs far deeper…perhaps too deep for love to reach.

Read an Excerpt and Buy it here.

Denise

I’m not good at blogging. I can never think of anything to write about. I tend to think my everyday life is boring, but since I also write under a pen name (for a reason), I try not to write about too much personal stuff. Hence, my blog is often neglected. Many years ago, I used to do Thursday Thirteen and I loved doing it because I could talk about me in a sort of impersonal way. I understand it’s back and is going strong again. Maybe it’s time to get back to it. So, because today is Thursday, in honor of Thursday Thirteen, I give you:
 
Thirteen Schools I Have Attended
 
1.  Starr King Elementary, San Francisco, CA [Grades K-3]
2.  Daniel Webster Elementary, San Francisco, CA [Grade 3]
3.  Nellingen American Elementary, Nellingen, Germany* [Grade 3]
4.  Boeblingen American Elementary, Stuttgart, Germany** [Grades 4-5]
5.  Schwaebisch Hall American Elementary, Schwaebisch Hall, Germany* [Grades 5-6]
6.  Chipman Jr Hi, Alameda, CA (now a Middle School) [Grade 7]
7.  Col. Johnston Middle School, Ft. Huachuca, AZ*** [Grade 8]
8.  Sierra Vista Jr Hi, Sierra Vista, AZ (now a Middle School) [Grade 9]
9.  Buena High School, Sierra Vista, AZ [Grades 10-12]
10. University of Maryland, Munich Campus, Munich, Germany* [AA Degree]
11. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ  [BA Degree]
12. University of Utah College of Law, Salt Lake City, UT  [JD Degree]
13. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA  [1 class]
 
*closed
**now a combined elementary and middle school
***now an elementary school
 
Can you tell I was a military brat?
 
Denise
Website: http://www.denisepatrickauthor.com/
Blog: http://denisesden.blogspot.com/
 

I have to admit–this was a difficult blog to write. This year didn't start out as one of my better ones and it went downhill from there, but  now I'm on the uphill side and things are looking up.

The beginning of the year was bittersweet for me because this would be the first year since Samhain published my first book back in 2006 that I didn't have a release on the upcoming year's  schedule. Because I'm a slow writer, with a full-time job and other responsibilities, I often don't get more than one book written per year. Unfortunately, the book I'd written the year before was promised somewhere else (long story, the motto of which is: Never enter a contest without a finished manuscript). So I started on the next book.

I love that I have a January birthday. Even though it comes around a mere two weeks after Christmas, it's still a special day for me. I don't even really need presents. But, this year my hubby bought me an iPad. I have to admit that my geek side really, really wanted one, but my practical side always said I didn't need one. After all, I have a Kindle and an iPod Touch. Why would I need what seemed to me to be merely a large iPod Touch? Didn't matter, and hubby was seriously on his way to sainthood.

By July I had contracted a new Regency with Samhain, Summer was finally arriving after a very cold and wet Spring and life seemed to be calming down, both at work and home. I had dealt with a mild (questionable word there) health problem and surgery was scheduled to handle it. On July 4, my iPad was stolen. It was partially my fault because I had left it unattended, but that only made me feel worse. Hubby insisted I replace it and took a huge leap down the road to sainthood. The day before I went in for my scheduled (brain) surgery at the end of July, I sent off another book to my editor. Two in one year=serious excitement.

So, now, life moves on. I was off work for an entire month recovering from my surgery, but all seems to be well, except that I'm still exhausted after a full day at work. Very little is being written these days, but that doesn't mean I'm not creating in my head. After all, I have space now.

So, how's your year been so far?

Denise

http://www.denisepatrickauthor.com

http://denisesden.blogspot.com

Last week my husband and I took off for a week. Since my day job goes into overdrive just before Christmas until mid to late March, we tend to pass each other in the night and never get a chance to just be with each other. So, we decided on a week-long getaway.

Heading south for warmer climes, we packed up the car, gave the kid remaining at home enough money to ensure he wouldn't starve if he didn't cook, and took off. It was snowing when we left – and snowing in the town we stopped at for the night. Despite the cooler than usual weather, we stayed there two days, then headed further south.

When we left the first town, I managed to leave my briefcase (containing my laptop) in the hotel. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it was missing until we got to the town further south and were stopping for the night. Too late to go back. We called the hotel and they confirmed that it had been turned in by the maid and they would keep it until we came back for it. Whew! First problem solved.

The next problem would require a three-hour round-trip drive to solve. My iPad charger was in the briefcase, too. The town we'd left had a number of sufficiently large stores that purchasing another charger would not have been a problem. Unfortunately, our second town was not that large and the nearest store that would have something like that was an hour and a half away. At this point, the hubby turned to me and said: "You have too many gadgets."

Now, I don't necessarily feel that there's any such thing as too many gadgets. The problem I have right now is that each of my gadgets (laptop, cellphone, Kindle, iTouch, and iPad) has a specific use and I rarely use one for something I'm used to using something else for. And, in my defense, I did point out to him that HE was the one who insisted on buying me an iPad for my birthday. I probably would not have bought one for myself. But, I digress.

The upshot of his comment was that I did not need the laptop AND the iPad, so it was no wonder that I managed to forget one of them. What he failed to realize is that I take my laptop everywhere so I can write anywhere (and this is the first time that I have ever left it somewhere). The iPad doesn't cut it for writing anything except emails for now – even with an external keyboard. In a pinch, the iPad could replace my iTouch or Kindle, but I would not want to read extensively on it or listen to music from it for long (it would be especially hard to jog or lift weights with). If his inference was that I should not have one (or two) of them, the laptop would NOT be the gadget that went by the wayside. But, the other three fit nicely into my purse and are always with me, so leaving them behind would never happen.

Years ago, I always took my pillow with me when I traveled. After leaving it once in a hotel, requiring a three-hour round-trip to get it back, I haven't traveled with it since. As I told the hubby, this is not the same. I don't plan on leaving my laptop home anytime soon.

It’s Black Friday and I’m writing this blog for future posting. If my family knew they’d be shocked. After all, I’m not packed yet. My flight leaves Sunday morning at 7 am. And tomorrow is booked from 9 am until at least 4 pm. Guess when I plan to pack? Of course, I’ll have to do laundry first.

Anticipation, however, is another entity entirely. My husband has been packed since the beginning of the month. Actually, I should say he’s been packing since then. He packs, then unpacks, adds something in, takes something out. And wants my opinion on everything. He’s driving me nuts!

So, where are we going?

Germany. Specifically, we are headed for Christkindlmarkts. Ten days, five favorite cities, lots of fun and shopping to be had. And, this year (our third in a row) we are taking my brother-in-law and his wife with us.

Because my hubby and I usually travel alone (just the two of us), we know what each other wants to do, where we want to go, and when to let the other one go off on their own. It will be different having another couple along.

As for what I expect to do. In Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, I will add to my lighthouse collection. In Würzburg, I will buy cookies, drink glühwein (spiced wine), and eat too much. Nürnberg has my favorite bratwurst stand. After 20 years, I can still find it. In Regensburg, I will be doing research. It has one of the best city history museums and I can spend an entire day in it. Regensburg is also the seat of the Thurn and Taxis family. (For Regency fans, this is the family of Princess Esterhazy of Almack’s fame.) In Freising, I will be relaxing and gearing up for the flight home the next day.

So, as you are reading this blog today, I will be fending off the effects of jet lag and probably sleeping. But, I’ll be out to check for comments when I wake up.

Denise
Website: link
Blog: link (more pictures)

What do January, May, June, July, August, and September have in common? I’m sure the title has given me away, but those are the months that Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments either begin or end. It’s a time when tennis afficionados everywhere are glued to their screens to watch the latest battle between names like Nadal, Federer, Williams x2, Blake, Berdych, Wozniacki, Isner, Murray, Roddick, Oudin, Soderling, Jankovich, Sharapova and more. At least most of them are.

I love tennis. It’s okay to watch, but I’d rather actually be on the court. So, do I watch tournaments? Not usually. But, I come from a family of tennis nuts, so I don’t need to. Between my Dad and sister, I get shot by shot updates, as well as the latest speculation of who will be upset in this tournament or that. That’s the only reason I can spit out all those names in the first paragraph so easily.

Don’t get me wrong, if I have the time, I don’t mind watching all or part of a tennis match. I can go green over a shot that I could never make in a million years and be happy for the player that made it. It’s just that I often have other things on my mind – like the plot of my next book. So, when my sister calls me with the latest court antics, I listen. But, if she calls and says, “Let’s hit the courts.” then she’s got my attention, and I’m willing to drop (almost) everything to go. And, having been playing tennis for over 40 years, I just prefer to do rather than watch.

How about you? Do you have a favorite activity that you would rather participate in than watch?

I’m not much of a TV watcher. Most evenings, I come home from my day job, have dinner, then park myself in front of my computer to write the night away. That means I get a lot of my news and information from online sources, unless I happen to be eating dinner when the news (or something interesting) is on.

I used to be an Olympics junkie. Every four years, I was glued to the television, watching any event that came on. I guess age is creeping up on me because this year I barely even know they’re there. What has caught my attention when I skim the stories in the newspapers or online now is how young the athletes are. It’s not like I didn’t know it before, but now that I’m getting older I find myself looking at these athletes and wondering why all these young “whipper-snappers” aren’t in school–or something equally absurd.

When I was a teenager, I was amazed at Olympic athletes. After all, some of them were close to my age. Remember Olga Korbut? What about Nadia Comaneci? Or Mary Lou Retton? Yes, I was a gymnastics fanatic–for a while. It became a painful process to watch; holding my breath hoping they wouldn’t fall or wobble. What eventually turned me off was the realization that you had to be perfect to win a medal. I can only imagine the pressure someone so young must endure to be perfect.

So, curiosity won out and I did a few searches. It looks like the teens are still striving to be perfect.
The youngest athlete in Vancouver is Britteny Cox from Australia. She’s 15 and skis in the Mogul Freestyle event.
The next youngest, Scott James, is also from Australia. He is almost three months older than Britteny and is a half-pipe snowboarder.

I could stop here and feel satisfied I found the information I was looking for, but I happened to notice something unusual about the third youngest athlete.

Although born in the U.S., Allison Reed, who is almost a month older than Scott, is an ice skater for the Republic of Georgia.

Last, but not least (and I don’t know where she sits in the lineup of youngest to oldest), Ashley Caldwell, at 16, is the youngest athlete on the U.S. Olympic team. She is another freestyle skier.

I didn’t bother trying to discover who the oldest athletes are. I don’t think my poor ego could handle knowing someone near my age can still keep up with a teenager.

I have a lot of admiration for a 15-year-old who is able to compete on the international stage in something as amazing as the Olympics. I just wish they didn’t have to be perfect to do so.

Denise
www.denisepatrickauthor.com

I’ve got a three-day weekend coming up. It’s also the same weekend of my RWA Chapter’s Conference. So, what did I do? I took the two previous days off, too. Five days off work, and heading to the mountains to play with my writing pals. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

Unless you count coming home and having an empty house to myself. Whoa! Life just got better.

I’m not a crowd person by nature, but I love to be around them. I love the energy they give off, the excitement, the anticipation. I also love to watch people. Even so, when the day is done, I love going off to my room – alone. It helps me to wind down and relax so I can go to sleep and be fresh for the next day.

I’m also a family person. But, I love it when the hubby goes home to visit his family and the college kid goes off to visit his sister for a week – and those weeks coincide. Once again, I’m alone and loving it. Of course, during that week, I still have to go back to the day job, but my evenings are mine. And, coming off of a writing conference, I’ll be stoked and ready to write.

Coincidence? Actually, yes it was. I didn’t know (actually, I hadn’t looked up) the dates of our chapter conference when my husband planned his trip home this year. And, after getting the dates set for the kid’s week of sibling bonding (not that my kids need more of that – they are very close), I finally checked my calendar. And discovered nirvana. This weekend and the next week (both hubby and son return next Saturday) are my idea of the perfect coincidence? How about you?

Denise
Utah Heart of the West Conference
October 9-10, 2009
www.utahrwa.com

He doesn’t need a wife. She doesn’t want a husband. Destiny’s not listening.

As children, Brand Waring, heir to the Duke of Warringham, and his brother were kidnapped and sold to a plantation in the West Indies. Now Brand is back to wreak vengeance on those responsible for his brother’s subsequent death. The last thing he wants, or needs, is to be distracted by an instant attraction to a flighty Society belle.

Felicia Collings has found it easy to refuse every marriage proposal, thanks to a ring left to her by her gypsy great-grandmother. Reportedly it will lead her to the man whom she is destined to marry. To her relief, the ring has been blessedly silent on this issue. Until Brand recognizes it, and sparks fly.

In spite of himself, Brand finds himself drawn to the beauty, and to the wounded soul reflected in her eyes. At his gentle hands, Felicia begins to learn what it means to be cherished and loved.

Then the past rears its head to threaten their fragile happiness. As Brand begins to doubt whether vengeance is as sweet as a lifetime with Felicia, he finds himself racing to save them both from not one cold-blooded killer—but two.

Reviews:

Ecataromance “. . .a fabulous tale of true love, murder, betrayal, and mayhem in merry old England! What a treasure of a story! Plan on having enough time to finish because when you start reading, you will not want to stop!. . .This is a fascinating story, rich with the history of the period, full of adventure, kidnapping, true love, and a mystery that will keep the reader glued to the pages as the story unfolds. . .It is a Keeper! Susiq2