We’re looking towards Mother’s Day this weekend, and I’ve been thinking a lot about my mom.  It has been two-and-a-half years since she passed away, yet a day doesn’t go by when she isn’t in my thoughts.  Her birthday was May 9^tth.

Mom was vain when it came to her hair.  She had the most gorgeous white locks, and she went to great lengths to make sure her hair always looked presentable.  As she advanced in age, and during the last two to three years of her life, we had a weekly date.  Every Tuesday I’d arrive mid-morning to wash, set, and style her hair, then we’d head out for lunch.  Bless Mom’s heart, she once told me that was the highlight of her week.

One of the things I love most about the Special Edition line is the inclusion of family in the stories. Isn’t it our family who first teaches us how to love?  Our family also helps us learn to compromise.  As we observe how our parents interact with each other, we figure out if they practice what they preach or if they’re trying to make us the people they wish they could be. Unfortunately, families can also be our greatest source of pain.

The beauty of including a family in our romances is that it gives us the opportunity to write the kind of fantasy family many of us yearn for.  I loved weaving Kieran and Beverly, the parents of the Grady clan, into the fabric of Courting His Favorite Nurse. As I grew to know the parents—Kieran with his blustery faux fierceness and Beverly with her smart sense of style and need to control—I began to understand the family dynamics and placement of the siblings, Anne, Lucas and Lark, in the Grady family structure.

I’d like to take this time to wish all the mothers out there HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!  If you’ve got one – give her a hug or call.  If you are one – I hope they treat you right for your day!

Here’s my favorite photo of my mother.

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

This week I am preparing a workshop on Point of View with two other author friends for the June meeting of my local RWA chapter – LARA.  It reminded me about the blog I wrote for the Seekerville blog way back in February.  I decided to share it here for those who may have missed it.

Speaking of blogging, this week I have the privilege to blog at the brand spanking new Special Edition Authors’ blog Tuesday, May 8th.  I’ll be talking about the lure of the family in the SE books.  On Friday, May 11th I will be spolighted at the Harlequin Junkie’s blog.  I’m giving a book away at both blogs, so I hope you’ll stop by!

Now – on to Point of View

Nailing POV is one of the toughest things I had to do as a writer, and I still occasionally get called out by my critique partner for messing up.  The concept of a character being the “eyes” of the story is monumentally important.  One false move and your reader will be thrown out of the story.

The tell-tale signs of Not Quite There Yet POV (from now on will be referred to as NQTY POV) are subtle, but once the reader is on to the error it bugs the heck out of them.  I see this most frequently as a contest judge, but I’ve also seen it in published books.  Evidently it isn’t a big deal to some editors, or it’s so subtle it slips under the radar.

Everything is going great and then…

The POV character commits the sin of self-description.

There you have it, my pet peeve, and a true breech of POV.  The authors, in their eagerness to get their character on paper, have the wrong person describe their physical characteristics.

• How many of us glance at our lap while eating lunch and think of our strong      thighs?  (Well, maybe someone who has spent years at a gym developing those muscles, and someone who might be a bit in love with themselves.)
• When we run our hand over our hair do we think what color it is or that it’s      silky? (Perhaps if you just paid big bucks for a Brazilian blowout)
• Have you ever buttoned your blouse and thought what a great rack you have? (Katy Perry might, or someone who just had breast augmentation, but I’m talking      about regular folks.  Us!)

Admittedly Bad Example:

Example #1:  Calista stomped across the room in her pink pumps, furious at Giorgio.  How could he be so inconsiderate?  Gathering her nerve to chew him out, she ran her hands over her curly red hair then spun around and nailed him with her cornflower blue eyes.

Do you see what I’m saying?  It doesn’t have to be this obvious, but little slip ups here and there are enough to make for a bumpy reading road.  The last thing we want to do is make our books hard to read, right?

Solution:

When I read stories in contests that have sections like the above example, I suggest to the author that they wait and let the love interest describe the character.  A description means more coming from the opposing character.  They see things about the other person that the character themselves might not notice or value.  Letting the love interest or antagonist physically describe the protagonist brings a whole new dimension to the story.

Let’s fix the above example in Calista’s POV.

Calista stomped across the room, furious at Giorgio.  How could he be so inconsiderate?  Gathering her nerve to chew him out, she ran her hands over her hair, then spun around and nailed him with a don’t-mess-with-me stare.

Now let’s give Giorgio a shot:

Calista stomped across the room almost losing her cute little pink pumps.  Did she have a clue how much she drove him mad when she was angry?  Giorgio knew she was furious with him, he’d let her down again, but if she’d give him a chance to explain… 

She ran her hands over her shining red locks, taunting him. The gesture stole his complete attention.  In the middle of imagining running his fingers through those curls, she spun around nailing him with an intense stare.  How was he supposed to take those baby blue eyes seriously?

Example #2:  Rebecca rubbed her neck, tense with the day’s problems. Her black pencil skirt cut into her waist, and her pinstriped blouse strangled her torso.  Who was she trying to fool dressing like a professional?  She was nothing more than a member of the secretarial pool, and hadn’t convinced Jake Rutherford otherwise at today’s meeting.  In fact, since she’d boldly opened her mouth and made a suggestion, he probably didn’t respect her anymore than he did her position in the company.  She pulled at the bobby pins in her luxurious wavy brown hair and let it fall to her shoulders. It helped relieve her headache. Somehow she’d make him understand she was more than a secretary.  She had plans and dreams, and she’d show him he wasn’t the only person in the company with a vision.  

This example isn’t quite so obvious, but let’s clean it up a bit:

Rebecca rubbed her neck, tense with the day’s problems. Her clothing felt too tight.  What was she trying to prove dressing like a stylish business woman? That wasn’t who she was; she was a hard worker, a proud member of the secretarial pool, the department that documented all of Jake Rutherford’s business.  He probably didn’t respect her anymore now since she’d opened her mouth and blurted her suggestion, than he did her position in the company.

She pulled at the bobby pins in her hair and let it fall to her shoulders.  It helped relieve her headache.  Somehow she’d make him understand she was more than a secretary.  She had plans and dreams, and she’d show him he wasn’t the only person in the company with a vision.

I hope I’ve helped someone somewhere have a lights-on moment regarding NQTY POV.  Now repeat after me – I won’t let any of my characters describe themselves…I won’t let my characters describe themselves.

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

General Five-Stage story structure for fiction:

1. The character has a problem
2. Complications make the problem worse
3. Conflict, complications, and crises result in a climax
4. Problems get resolved
5. The characters learn something about themselves and/or life

In Romance, step #3 is termed the Black Moment – when all seems lost between the hero and heroine.  Done right, the author makes the reader believe there is no way this couple will ever be together again.  All is lost.

The Problem:

Often in Romance, the writer has not set up strong enough conflict to ensure a dramatic, all or nothing, black moment. Editors sometimes complain about the hero and heroine “skipping through the tulips” instead of emotionally battling each other.  Notice I said emotionally battling, not bickering.  Big difference.

Conflict is the key. The most engaging books take the reader on a rollercoaster ride through emotion and drama, forcing their characters to walk through hell before finding and accepting the gift of happily-ever-after.  Without solid conflict for both of the characters (hero and heroine) this cannot be achieved.

What Makes a Good Black Moment?

One ingredient cannot be overlooked when creating the characters for a romance.  There must be a relationship barrier.  The RB is what keeps the character from moving closer to their love interest.  It isn’t something external that prevents the couple from physically getting together.  No, the RB is internal and should keep this particular character from engaging in a love relationship with ANY other person.  For the purposes of our Romance books, the RB prevents our hunky hero or spunky heroine from crossing over the border of physical lust into true love.

No Wimpy Characters

We don’t write about wimpy characters in Romance.  We like to read about people willing to overcome their shortcomings in order to attain the love of their life.  When our characters are hit with the black moment – that moment when their worst fears are fully recognized – they do something many people forget to do these days—they GROW.  They may not do that immediately in the book—the author may torture the reader with the possibility of the whole relationship falling through—but we sense that change is coming.  It keeps us turning the pages.

The Goal of the Black Moment

…is to magnify the relationship barrier along with the character’s major personality flaw when the plot forces the character to face their worst fear…to either change or lose out.

Yes, the characters have an epiphany and realize they must change or give up, or let go of that long-held baggage that has been holding them back in life. The hero is the catalyst that gives the heroine the courage to let go and try for a better future, and vice versa. Each wants to change in order to experience true love.

The HEA – Ah

When everything falls into place in a Romance book, the reader closes the cover with a sigh and a solid sense of “all is right with the world.” The characters we’ve invested in for however many pages, are giving themselves permission to crawl out of the chains of the black moment and FINALLY fall in love.

I am on vacation, and this blog was originally written by me for the Rachael Johns blog on April 19th.  I hope you enjoyed this re-run from my blog tour.

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

Recently I had a conversation with my son who is young and single and who isn’t afraid to learn to salsa and tango.  I was very happy to hear this news since so many guys out there don’t seem to know how to move a woman around a dance floor.  He’s no fool, either, because while his buddies are stuck at the bar observing, he’ll be out dancing and meeting women – who love to dance!  His secret?  All you have to know are the basic steps, then let the lady do all the fancy stuff.  Pretty smart right?

I remember several years back, a wonderful country song by Martina McBride called I Hope You’ll Dance.  That song moved me to tears the first time I heard it, because the message was so true and important. “If you have a choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” That was my metaphoric wish for both of my kids regarding life, and also more specifically since dancing is one of the most wonderful ways to express ourselves and connect with emotions locked inside.  Not to mention being up close and personal with, hopefully, a person of interest.

What If

When it came to writing my current book for The Wild Rose Press, An Indiscretion,  I had an image of two young and awkward mid-teens in cotillion class.  What if this young couple, a rich girl and a boy whose mother works for the girl’s father, develop a tender crush, only to have that crush stomped on by big daddy?  And big rich daddy goes even farther by humiliating the boy, accusing him of stealing in front of the girl and all his friends. He goes so far as to have the young man arrested. That idea grew to be the backdrop for this book.  Spring forward thirteen years, and the real story begins.

Men Who Dance Are Sexy

I’ve always found men who dance to be very sexy. Also, men in the medical profession have added appeal, so picture a dark, handsome doctor who knows how to rumba named Paul Valverde, and well, be still my heart!  Most of this book takes place in a hospital but several key scenes are in a dance studio. CarringtonHanoverstill remembers the special feeling a handsome young man gave her when they danced together in cotillion class all those years ago, and when she secretly pursues her passion for dancing, a big surprise is in store for her.

A doctor… A nurse… An Indiscretion…

Here is an excerpt:

Carrington sat mesmerized by the colorful spectacle before her. So drawn into the blistering dancing, she jumped when Paul touched her wrist and took her hand in his.

Not quite sure what to do about the condition of her hand enfolded in his, she decided to relax and enjoy the heady feel of his palm against hers.

The powerful music and dancing stirred her, but not nearly as much as the feel of Paul’s skin flush with hers. His long fingers laced through hers and drew her hand toward his mouth. He stared into her eyes and kissed the pad below her thumb, then smiled in a way she’d never seen him smile before as he placed his lips to the palm of her hand. Heat and desire radiated from his eyes, and it transferred through his mouth and up her arm.

Carrington’s throat tightened. But her body reacted in a completely different way. The constant pounding of the dancer’s feet and the fiery music made her skin heat up. If she were being honest, she would admit that the source of the stoking fire was the point of contact with Paul’s lips.

What had she gotten herself into? A long day at work. Two difficult procedures. Dinner with her boss. The most incredible paella and sangria she’d ever tasted. Maybe a bit too much sangria. Exciting flamenco music and dancing. And Paul.

She closed her eyes and inhaled, only to realize he was lifting her hair from her neck. The kiss at the curve of her shoulder sent chills scattering up her scalp and across her chest. Her breasts tightened and pebbled, and she enjoyed a desire she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs. How in the world could one gentle kiss, placed in the perfect spot on her shoulder, make her so turned on?

It wasn’t the kiss. It was Paul. Still the most incredible male she’d ever met.

You can connect with Lynne Marshall on the Web:

Website Facebook RomanceWiki Author Page

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

Over the last couple of months I’ve worked very hard to get the word out about two of my books released in March. Courting His Favorite Nurse,    Harlequin Special Edition, and An Indiscretion, The Wild Rose Press. In order to do this, I  have traveled cyberspace blogging about everything from character point of view to who is more romantic – men or women, to research on hot air balloon rides, to why I love RN protagonists, to my top five favorite romance book story hooks.  On and on and on…

What else can I possibly talk about?

Well, today I’d like to spread the word about how valuable a blog tour is.  Yes, they really are worth it.  Here are a few reasons why:

• I have met some wonderful readers and aspiring authors along the way.
• I’ve developed a few new and hopefully lasting relationships with both readers      and reviewers.
• I’ve spent hours at each blog stop being entertained by the wonderful comments left by participants from around the world.
• I’ve found out about fantastic new blogs that I didn’t know existed until Nas      Dean set me up for this blog tour.
• And, yes, I’ve sold a few books and picked up a few newsletter and blog      followers along the way, too.

Win-Win!

I consider my good fortune of touring cyberspace a win-win for myself and for those blog homes where I’ve been a guest.  Here’s why:

• I  bring traffic to their blogs and I meet people from those blogs I’ve never met before.
• I get to share the books that I am so proud of with potential new readers.
• My world opens up more with each guest appearance, as I make new      acquaintances from all over the globe.
• I get to share the behind scene stories and give extra information about my      books with visitors to those blogs. Hopefully this info intrigues someone      enough to pick up one of my books.
• I’ve replied to each and every comment left by anyone kind enough to leave one,  and have developed a relationship, though brief, in the process. Often      those people follow the blog tour.
• I learn things!

Tips for Bloggers:

1. Keep the blogs short, entertaining, and upbeat. 500-600 words – tops!
2. Post pictures when you can. (Good looking men seem to draw in readers)
3. Honor those who leave comments by replying. (Blog etiquette 101)
4. Respect differences in opinion – in other words be diplomatic.
5. Tell your friends where you are blogging.
6. Visit blogs where your friends are blogging (As in do unto others as you would have them do unto you)
7. Don’t feel compelled to leave long excerpts after a long blog post – readers will skim them.
8. Interviews may be fun once in a while, but short creative blogs are more entertaining for the readers. (My opinion)
9. Giveaways are not necessary at every blog stop – but snappy topics are!
10. Do not let your tour interrupt your writing any more than absolutely       necessary. (This is the most challenging part of all!)

Final thoughts:

Have realistic expectations about what your blog tour will do for you. I noticed that the big blogs, such as Fresh Fiction,RomanceUniversity, and Seekerville had the biggest and most diverse turnout in commenters.  Group author blogs such as Riding with the Top Down and LoveCats DownUnder also drew a lot of new-to-me commenters.  Individual blogs required I work harder at bringing in readers and commenters, yet I still met new people everywhere I went, and I did my utmost to write an informative or entertaining blog for every stop on my cyber-tour.

Newsflash – when it’s all over: you may have picked up a few new newsletter subscribers; a few more people may know your name; you may have more Facebook or Goodreads friend requests; and you may have added a few book sales and reader fans to your roster; BUT life will go back to normal. Thank goodness!

When all is blogged and done – it’s time to write that next good book.

Share your thoughts on taking a blog tour or following one, won’t you?

I’d like to giveaway my current e-book – AN INDISCRETION for either Nook, Kindle, mobi or e-pub and more, to one commenter this week.

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

My Five Favorite Romance Book Premises:

It is a well known fact that there are only a limited number of plots for books – I’ve heard anywhere from twenty to thirty-six – such as human against nature; Human versus society; human against human; human against self; human against supernatural; and the list goes on.

It is also said that there are sixteen to forty-five master character archetypes depending on which books I refer to, and I have a few favorites. I love the plucky heroine, or the seductive muse.  Who doesn’t love a protector hero or the bad boy?

Writing romance forces the author to learn about the “hooks” readers have come to know and love.  Again, this number varies depending on your resources. Today, I’d like to share my top five favorite romance story premises, and why I love them so.

1. Marriage of convenience.  Ever read one of these?  It takes a real skill to write forced proximity stories well, and I drool when I read a good one. I used this      premise in Assignment Baby. I find many of these types of stories in historical romance, which lends  itself to barter brides or mail order brides. A great example of a recent marriage of convenience story was the wonderful con-temporary movie starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal.
2. Secret baby.  Ah, who doesn’t love a good “I got pregnant but never told you” story? I’ve written one or two of these books, and I found it very challenging to make the situation believable while not making the reader angry at the heroine for keeping the super big secret. In Temporary Doctor, Surprise Father I added a special twist to this plot and it was a book that wound up being a finalist in the Greater Detroit Book Buyer’s Best contest in 2010.
3. Pregnant with another man’s baby.  Also known as – How to you make a man fall in love with a pregnant woman in nine months or less? This is an incredibly tough plot to pull off due to limited time and the exceptionally touchy subject of a man accepting a woman carrying another man’s baby.  One false move and the story may ring untrue and turn off the reader.  Fiona Lowe did a wonderful job of pulling it off in Pregnant on Arrival.  I also have an as-yet-to-be-published book titled Her Baby, His Love that tackles this very topic. I confess that I loved writing it!
4. Beauty and the Beast. Who doesn’t long to take a dark and brooding male, with or without some sort of disfiguration, make him fit for society again, and have him fall in love with you in the process?  Anyone remember the old TV show back in the 80s – Beauty and the Beast, where Vincent read Dickens and Shakespearean sonnets to Catherine? Very romantic.
5. Mentor/Protégé also known as Boss books.  This is a hugely popular      plotline from the number of books I’ve seen with “boss” in the title. I’ve written one of these too.  The Boss and Nurse Albright put a  brooding doctor to task when the new nurse practitioner showed up with many out-of-his-comfort-zone ideas on her list of how to change his clinic.  I adored pitting the hero and heroine against each other until they were hopelessly in love!

I also confess to having a few plots that I’m not crazy about.  For instance, amnesia books.  Sorry.  That plot just doesn’t draw me in. You won’t catch me reading any Sheik books either, as I cannot buy into that fantasy on any level.

There is one other storyline I DO love to read and write – reunion stories.  I love when couples who weren’t able to get it together in the past, get a second chance at finding love.  I used this plot for both Courting His Favorite Nurse, and An Indiscretion.

As readers or writers I’m sure you all have your personal favorite plots, too.  What is yours? Or, if you prefer, share a plot you’re really tired of or have never liked.

Over the years I have known several GH finalists, and by one step removed a RITA finalist or two, but this year, I’m overjoyed that I personally know two of the finalists!

I’ll start with Fiona Lowe the RITA contemporary romance finalists from Carina Press with Boomerang Bride (an absolutely wonderful book, bTW).

Back in 2005, when I sold my first book to Harlequin Mills & Boon, I immediately was contacted by a lovely woman from Australia who’d sold her first book to the Medical Romance line six weeks earlier.  Her name was Fiona and she called us “Twins” since we’d sold so close together.  Without her friendship and guidance, as we coursed the all-new-to-us waters of publishing, I would have sunk!  So to say I was happy to see her name pop up there with her very first single title book – Boomerang Bride - is a complete understatement!

Since the RITA might be a once in a lifetime thing, Fiona has decided to come all the way from Australia to the RWA national conference in July, where the big finale after a week of workshops and superb speakers will be the RITA and Golden Heart Awards.  I’ll finally get to meet my “twin” (with several years difference between us, me being much, much older!).  Yay!

WELL DONE, FI! CONGRATULATIONS.

I am also super happy for my good buddy, Robena Grant, who has finaled in the Golden Heart in the Romantic Suspense category with her manuscript – Exposure.  The reason I’m so thrilled about Roben’s accomplishment is because years ago a handful of us newbie authors formed a critique group called – The Fabulous Fictionists – aka the 4Fs.  Roben was one of them along with Trish Albright, TJ Bennett, Gina Bono and myself.  Both Trish and TJ were GH finalists and both became published authors.  So much joy has come out of that hardworking critique group!  And though I have not had the pleasure of reading Robena’s GH contest entry,  I know of her deep dedication to, and love of the craft of writing, and can imagine what a wonderful book it is!

And isn’t this logline from her website and blog the perfect choice of words? BTW, she writes fabulous blogs – visit her website and have a look around.  And come July 28th, wish her luck in a contest that could change her writing life!

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

Won’t you join me this Friday, April 6th, when I visit Lilly Gale’s blog - I’ll be talking about WHAT MEN WANT! See you there.

The blog tour for COURTING HIS FAVORITE NURSE is coming to an end this week, when I pay a visit to Romance Book Haven Tuesday, March 27th.  I hope to see you there.

Today’s blog is a replay of my visit to the Book Bordello where I spoke about why I love writing nurse protagonists, and it begins with a test!

Pop Quiz

Why is Lynne Marshall partial to nurse protagonists?                                                      Because:

• She was a Registered Nurse for twenty-six years.
• She knows how dedicated RNs are to their jobs
• RNs are natural nurturers
• She has a big imagination and has a million “what if” stories running around in her head featuring a nurse and often including a doctor.
• She loves the tradition of doctor nurse stories

If you chose any of the above answers, you’d be correct.

Two Books Are Better Than One!

I am one lucky lady to have not one, but two books out in March, both featuring RNs as the main character.

Anne Grady is the protagonist for COURTING HIS FAVORITE NURSE my debut Harlequin Special Edition available February 21^st and in stores in theU.S. for the month of March.

Anne must return home after a motorcycle accident has left both of her parents injured, and in need of her help. She left Whispering Oaks twelve years ago as a broken hearted teenager and, after completing her nursing degree, she never returned. Anne looks at her parents, the people she loves dearly, and realizes she’s almost lost both of them, and the thought makes her wonder why she’s stayed away so long. Her next thought reveals the reason: Jack Lightfoot.

Carrington Hanover is the protagonist for AN INDISCRETION a contemporary romance with medical elements from The Wild Rose Press available in e-book only beginning March 21^st.

Carrington is happy to be a nurse. She has led a privileged life but has walked away from her father’s money after her mother dies from cancer, and vows to live within her own means. Now, her grandfather turns her life upside down when he bequeaths her a million dollars. Realizing on her wedding day that her fiancé has dollar signs in his eyes instead of love, she runs away to St. Stephen’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Here, she plans to keep secret her inheritance. A man must love her for her alone, not her money – her self-respect is in the balance. But she must work with a doctor she’d known as a teenager in cotillion classes, a boy who’d been accused of stealing from her father – Dr. Paul Valverde.

The Runaway Nurse Syndrome

You may have noticed a theme going on here. Both characters, Anne and Carrington, are runaways. Anne leaves home because she can’t take the pain and memories there.  Carrington runs away from her marriage plans because she’s sick of people only wanting her for her money.

Heroes with benefits

With two heroines such as Anne and Carrington, it takes one special guy/hero to help make things right again. It has been a long time coming for both couples, and when Anne and Jack, and Carrington and Paul finally get together, well…

What they’re saying about:

Courting His Favorite Nurse  “A touching story that will tug at the heartstrings.” Romantic Times 4 Stars

COURTING HIS FAVORITE NURSE is a heartwarming romance overflowing with emotional conflicts and unspoken desires.” – Cataromance 4.5 stars

An Indiscretion  “Lynne Marshall has written a first-rate romantic read that will make readers smile as well as shed a tear.” Nas Dean, Romance BookParadise

Question for blog readers:  What is your favorite medical drama TV show?  Do you enjoy reading about medical professionals in books?

One commenter will get to choose which e-book version they’d like as a gift from Amazon or B&N. If you’re not into e-reading, I will provide a print copy of one of my back list Medical Romances from Mills & Boon.

Thanks for reading, and until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

The blog tour continues, and here are this week’s stops:

March 19th: Romance Book Paradise- My Five Favorite Romance Book Hooks

March 21st:  Minxes of Romance - The Pert and Plucky Heroines of Romance

1. March 21st:  The Wild Rose Press blog - Behind the Garden Gate- A Brief History of Medical Romance.

As you can see, I have a double header on Wednesday the 21st, which also happens to be the day An Indiscretion becomes available at The Wild Rose Press, and at Amazon. I hope to see you somewhere out there in cyberspace as the Courting His Favorite Nurse blog tour continues!

Now, on to my exciting news from last week.  On Saturday, I found out my book One for the Road is a finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence in the Mainstream with Strong Romantic Elements category, and  I couldn’t be happier!  Winners will be announced in May.

While I’m in midair clicking my heels over that good news, I am also shouting for joy, because FINALLY An Indiscretion is available for download on your e-reader.  To help make up your mind about this book, see the book blurb and the character pictures I used when writing Paul and Carrington.

AN INDESCRETION by Lynne Marshall

A doctor… A nurse… An indiscretion…Paul Valverde is stretched to the limit, caring for an elderly relative while running a business and maintaining a full-time medical practice at St. Stephen’s Hospital–with no time for a relationship.

RN Carrington Hanover leaves her money-hungry fiancé at the altar and moves on to a new job at St. Stephen’s Hospital in Los Angeles. The next man in her life must love her, not her money.

All work and no play has made Paul an unfulfilled man, and the resurrected redheaded crush from his youth is driving him to distraction. Can their complicated past become untangled by their newfound attraction–or will their love be doomed by mistrust and long-held resentment?

Paul Valverde, entrepreneur and medical doctor, is ready to expand his business and move into the multi-million dollar market with a new medical patent.  Duty, honesty and loyalty are the most important things in life, especially after being falsely accused of stealing as a teen, and being sent to juvenile hall.  Being raised by his Anglo mother, he learned about his Spanish heritage from his grandfather, who is currently harping on him to find a good Hispanic girl and settle down.  He hardly has time for an affair, let alone a committed relationship. Devoted to his Grandfather, who has recently had a stroke, Paul is caring for him, and also running his medical business while working full time as a Doctor at St. Stephen’s Hospital. And though stretched to the limit with obligations, a woman from his past forces him to understand a man must still make time for passion.  Too bad she’s a person he can never allow himself to get involved with again.

Carrington Hanover is happy to be a nurse.  She has led a privileged life but has walked away from her father’s money, vowing to live within her own means after her mother dies from cancer.  Now, her grandfather turns her life upside down when he bequeaths her a million dollars.  Realizing on her wedding day that her fiancé has dollar signs in his eyes instead of love, she runs away to St. Stephen’s Hospital in Los Angeles.  Here, she plans to keep secret her inheritance.  A man must love her for her alone, not her money, her self-respect is in the balance.

I hope you’ll join Paul and Carry as they work through their differences and fall in love.

Until next week, make it a great one!

Lynne

March 14th - Riding with the Top Down - A group author blog by many of my favorite romance authors, where I’ll be discussing – Who is more romantic men or women? (Book giveaway!)

This blog is a duplicate of the one I posted at Fresh Fiction on February 21st.

One of the challenging parts of writing a book is the research you unwittingly thrust upon yourself.  When I began writing Courting His Favorite Nurse for Harlequin Special
Edition, I saw a pivotal scene play out in a hot air balloon.  For someone who has a fear of heights and who once gave her husband a hot air balloon ride as a birthday present, but who stayed behind with feet firmly planted on the ground, I needed to do research!

Thank goodness a lady can sit in her office chair and through her web browser, research hot air balloon rides and how those big, colorful balloons with baskets work.  After spending a good hour reading and digesting the information I found, without dumping too much research into the scene – I wrote it something like this:

Courting His Favorite Nurse – Excerpt:

Suspended in the sky beneath a blimp-sized rainbow-colored balloon, Anne gripped the thick wicker and concentrated on looking out, not down. Lush farmland divided into neat squares, patches of orchards and rows of newly developed vineyards passed in the distance. Once again, she’d forgotten the humble beauty of her hometown. Oregon was so much greener, but the yellow and brown hills of Whispering Oaks held their own special charm, and the farmland, well, it was the salt of the earth.

Jack skillfully fired up the propane burners whenever needed, and by ascending or descending into the air flow, he controlled their direction. His summer of apprenticeship had paid off as he piloted their balloon as if second nature.

“This is so fantastic,” Anne said.

“It’s relaxing, isn’t it? Just what you need.”

“It’s the same feeling I get when I float in water.” She opened her arms, taking in the entire valley vista. “Except the view is much better from here.”

They smiled at each other, there gazes met and held. A spark in Jack’s eyes communicated he was happy to be here with her. Heck, he’d gone out of his way to make this happen and she was flattered. She’d been aware of a small adrenaline pop in her chest when he’d picked her up earlier, and ever since something hummed nonstop through her veins. He’d brought fresh pastry and more coffee, and she’d loved the warm raspberry jam in the Danish on the drive over to Marshfield. He’d thought of everything.

Like the hot air balloon, Anne decided to go with the flow for the next hour as they
drifted like a behemoth birthday ball across the Whispering Oaks horizon.

end of excerpt.

Later when Jack kisses Anne, and they’re definitely distracted by their first kiss since high school, they come dangerously close to the lovely strawberry fields below.  I had fun writing this scene, and having the hot air balloon depicted on the book cover made me grin for an entire day.

Have you ever been on a hot air balloon ride?  If not, would you like to go for
one, or are you a foot-on-the-ground kind of girl like me?

This past week, my friends across the US and Canada told me they’d spotted my book at Target, Walmart, Safeway, and of course Barnes & Noble.  It is so exciting to know this book is on a shelf somewhere out there in your neighborhood!

Until next week, make it a great one,                                                                              Lynne