Just a reminder that I'm off to Worldcon--If you're there, say "hi!" My Program Schedule : Panel 1: Thu 8/24 2:30 PM, 60-90 minutes. Title: GUILTY PLEASURES Participants: Fiona Avery,Eric L. Hoffman,Darlene Marshall(M) Precis: Here are activities that give us great personal pleasure but somehow, down deep inside, we're just a bit ashamed to admit that we like the Smurfs... or bowling... or mud wrestling. Hear people reveal their Guilty Pleasures and why they indulge. Panel 2: Thu 8/24 5:30 PM, 60-90 minutes. Title: PARANORMAL ROMANCES Participants: Paula Guran, Barbara Hambly,Nancy Holder,Darlene Marshall(M),Sharon Shinn Precis: It used to be easy. This book was in that genre; this book was in this other genre. Now the lines aren't so clear. There seems to be a boom in romance novels and stories involving the paranormal, fantasy, and SF. Why is this area booming? Are romance reader...
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YOU ARE A PHOENIX You Are a Phoenix Driven and ambitious, you tend to acquire material success easily. You have grand schemes - both for your own life and for changing the whole world. You are a great leader, and you have no problem taking the reigns. However, you aren't all business. You also have great talents for performing and visual arts. What Mythological Creature Are You?
My Worldcon Program Schedule Panel 1: Thu 8/24 2:30 PM, 60-90 minutes. Title: GUILTY PLEASURES Participants: Fiona Avery,Eric L. Hoffman,Darlene Marshall(M),Fiona Patton Precis: Here are activities that give us great personal pleasure but somehow, down deep inside, we're just a bit ashamed to admit that we like the Smurfs... or bowling... or mud wrestling. Hear people reveal their Guilty Pleasures and why they indulge. Panel 2: Thu 8/24 5:30 PM, 60-90 minutes. Title: PARANORMAL ROMANCES Participants: Paula Guran, Barbara Hambly,Nancy Holder,Darlene Marshall(M),Sharon Shinn Precis: It used to be easy. This book was in that genre; this book was in this other genre. Now the lines aren't so clear. There seems to be a boom in romance novels and stories involving the paranormal, fantasy, and SF. Why is this area booming? Are romance readers looking for more? Or are the SF fans looking for ...
And now, for something different... JMCarr wrote a review of Smuggler's Bride . I can tell it's a good review, 'cause she gave it a B+. However, the review is in Spanish. I'm struggling along trying to call on my minimal Spanish from 40 years ago to decipher it, which was kind of a fun exercise. If your Spanish is better than mine (and almost everyone's is), please check it out.
A beach getaway I've just returned from a beach weekend with friends at St. George's Island on the Panhandle, an area that calls itself "The Forgotten Coast". And that's a darn good thing. SGI has strict zoning laws so all of the beachfront homes are moderately sized, not 20 story condos. Our spot was a delightful waterside retreat, a narrow house with four split levels, offering all of us privacy. We didn't go anywhere except out into the water to swim, and I was reminded again why I love the Gulf of Mexico. On the Florida side it's calm, serene, warm and inviting. The sand is like white sugar up past the Big Bend, and the entire experience was a soothing getaway. Our hosts even did all the cooking, which made me feel wonderfully pampered and lazy. We took the convertible to drive top down and stayed to back roads--US 19, Alternate 27, not the Interstate. Yes, it was a longer trip, but it was infinitely more enjoyable, rolling through Old Town and ...
I dropped by Goerings Books today and was thrilled to see their display of pirate literature for young and old, including three novels by Darlene Marshall. I also got to spend some quality time discussing sf and fantasy books with Mary Ann Evans, who's been working at Goerings 'bout as long as I've lived in town. Independent bookstores offer so much, and a well educated and well read staff is near the top of the list of those offerings. I also got over to the Children's Home Society of Florida to drop off a box of well loved, but now sadly neglected children's books from when my boys were small. I'm not giving away all their books, after all, someday I may have grandchildren come to visit, but I felt these would do better in a new home. The books will be distributed to children within the Society's programs, and I'm sure they'll be appreciated all over again.
Gainesville Magazine dropped by to interview me for a piece they're doing on fans of Patrick O'Brian. It's for their October issue, and I'm looking forward to seeing the entire article. We talked about O'Brian's writing, how he captures that "sense of place" so well, and how, in my opinion, one of the reasons women are such fans of the novels is because essentially it's about a relationship--the relationship between Jack and Stephen--and women enjoy books about relationships (like a good romance novel). I also visited with a jeweler who specializes in nautical and piratical designs. I decided I wanted to reward myself for my overseas sales, and asked Bernie Reller to design a pirate ship for my charm bracelet. You can see examples of his work here , and he's expanding his pirate jewelry line. If you're looking for the perfect accessory for the pirate, privateer or smuggler in your life, check out Reller Online.
Today was a good writing day. I did mostly research, with the occasional break to type up stray thoughts as they came to me, and it must have jarred something loose in my head 'cause I figured out the ending to my WIP. Yay! So let me ask all of you a question: Do you like seeing characters from an author's earlier books make cameo appearances in subsequent books? I've got a couple characters I'm thinking of having a walk-on in my WIP, but I'm curious as to how others feel about this. Oh, and unlike Pirate's Price, Captain Sinister's Lady and Smuggler's Bride , it's unlikely Richard Cooper and Robin will be in this one. Although...I did say in Pirate's Price that Richard and Robin knew each other in St. Augustine before they got back together. Hmmm... Pirate's Price is 1821, the WIP is 1817, yeah, this could work. I'll have to see where this goes.[g]
Well, we never made it to That Pirate Movie tonight. Got to the theater at 5:30 thinking we'd buy tickets for the 7:45 show. Nope. No tickets were available until the 10:30 show. So instead we went out to supper with the couple that was going to join us at the film. Bob and Connie are two of my Florida sailors, people who can look over my books and let me know if I've made an error. Just in case you've spotted an error, they haven't been my beta readers yet--I asked them one or two specific questions, but they won't read the full manuscript until the next book. Dinner was delightful, a veritable feast from the sea while we talked about travel plans, Patrick O'Brian, our kids (my son may have found an apartment today, their daughter's getting married next year) and SF books. After supper we came back to the house to play "Dread Pirate", a board game where you try to amass all the booty while skirmishing and raiding your opponents. Aarrrgh! Fu...
Is it self serving to post reviews of my own books here? Yes. Do I care? Not really. Four Moons!--"The characterization is wonderful; you will cheer with the entire pirate crew as you wait to see if love will conquer all. PIRATE'S PRICE is a laugh-out-loud romance starring two stubborn lovers and a host of eccentric sidekicks. You won’t be able to put it down!"--Erin Brown, Mystique Books
How I Spent the 4th of July “It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.” John Adams in a letter to Abigail on how to mark Independence Day, July 3, 1776. There was pomp and parade, there were shows, games, sports and illuminations, and I’m sure there were guns and bells and bonfires somewhere. July 4th in North Central Florida still has a small town feel to it. Part of that feel in Gainesville is because the town is nearly empty with the University of Florida on summer session, and so many of our residents are off to cooler climes. But for those of us who stay there’s Fanfares and Fireworks , our annual celebration of the 4th on the 3rd, sponsored by our public radio and public tv station, WUFT. It’s become a tradition now to do it on the 3rd, but a lot of folks are unaware that it started out that way because the station couldn’...
Your Virtual Book Bag Pistols At Dawn Michele Ann Young Pistols at Dawn Five Star Expressions ISBN: 1-59414-460-5 www.micheleannyoung.com Available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca A fatal duel leaves Victoria Torrington destitute and at the mercy of a well-known rake, Simon St. John, Earl of Travis, known as Satan to the ton, has a past shadowed by secrets and a reputation for the luck of the devil. To Victoria’s surprise, he declares she must select a bridegroom by the end of the London Season or accept one of his choosing. Tired of irresponsible males dictating her life, Victoria refuses to acknowledge the earl’s high-handed edict and disputes his authority. Thrown into close proximity in London’ season, the couple denies their growing attraction. Beneath the earl’s chilly exterior, Victoria senses an honorable and caring spirit. She can’t resist his sensual allure when he drops his guard. For all Victoria’s seeming innocence, Simon knows the full extent o...
The Simple Life I noticed as I was walking around Clearwater Beach yesterday that there was a little cafe not too far from our hotel, a cafe that specialized in down home breakfasts. Since we were both up early this morning, I suggested a walk to the cafe rather than risking the hotel food. Plus the fresh air and exercise would do us good. It was the right choice. The Sunrise Cafe had a breakfast that was absolute Southern heaven for a fraction of the hotel costs. A waitress whose "Mornin', Honey"' greeted you as soon as you walked in, good fresh coffee without any frou-frou venti nonsense about it, and a deft hand with the basics: eggs, biscuits, grits and home fries. I have no doubt their locally cured ham and bacon was every bit as good as everything else. Now, all that sounds like simple food, but sometimes simple is the hardest to get right. For instance, about a month ago I was in Atlanta-- Atlanta, by all that's holy--and I had the worst grits I...
From Mrs. Giggles, an 80 for Captain Sinister's Lady : Captain Sinister's Lady by Darlene Marshall, historical (2006) Amber Quill, $5.25, ISBN 1-59279-500-5 "...I really like Amanda as a heroine. She wins me over from the first page when it's clear that she has a workable plan when she sets out to America. She's a refreshing change from those stupid nitwits that board a ship after they spent the last of their money on the fare only to wander around like witless fools on a distant shore with no plan and no money. For a long time, she keeps her wits around her and acts like an intelligent, sensible heroine. Morgan can be high-handed at times but his bluster hides the fact that he is socially inept when it comes to women that he wants to woo and marry. He's an adorable mix of the arrogant alpha-male and the mushy beta-hero."
Raiding the Baltics! I got an email from my agent the other day letting me know he'd sold my books to a publisher in Estonia. They want hot pirate romance in Estonia! Who knew? OK, my agent knew. That's why he pulls down his paycheck. Anyway, I'm looking forward to breaking into a new market. It makes sense that Estonians want romance novels. Those long nights in winter give you a lot of reading time. And I'm looking forward to styling myself "Amastama Jumalanna", which a friend assures me is Estonian for "Love Goddess." Knowing her, it more likely means "She Who Steps in Dog Doo". If any of you out there speak Estonian and can verify the meaning of "Amastama Jumalanna", I'd be grateful. UPDATE 7/3--I heard back from an Estonian, and he says "Love Goddess" is "Armastusjumalanna". From now on I expect to be addressed with respect, people!
Captain Sinister’s Lady Darlene Marshall Historical romance Available from Amber Quill Press ISBN: 1- 59279-500-5 March 2006 Amanda Stephenson travels on the merchantman ‘Penelope’ on her way to join her husband’s relatives in America. Now a widow, she hopes to start a new life in a world of opportunity. The Penelope is found stranded on a reef by Captain Morgan Roberts also known as Captain Sinister. Morgan has decided to end his life as a privateer and settle down on his farm but he cannot pass up such an opportunity. Once he sees Amanda he decides he needs a wife on his farm and she will do nicely. Using all his skills as a pirate, not knowing anything about romancing and courting a lady, he goes about trying to convince Amanda to marry him. Captain Sinister’s Lady is another wonderful story from Darlene Marshall. Some of the characters from her books “Pirate’s Price” and “The Smuggler’s Bride” make an appearance in this story. Her stories offer a blend of ad...
Review--from BooksForum at ForumsAmerica : © 2006 All Rights Reserved Readers & Writers Ink Reviews CAPTAIN SINISTER'S LADY By Darlene Marshall Historical romance (19th century Florida) March 2006 Amber Quill Press ISBN: 1-59279-744-X Anyone who has despaired of the current state of romance can rejoice that Darlene Marshall has written of pirates -- um, privateers, courageous women, dastardly villians and a happy ever after that readers can believe in. Young widow Amanda Stephenson is en route from Yorkshire to her late husband's relatives in Charleston, where she hopes they will give her a home and a place to make her soaps and lotions. Sailing through the Florida Straits proves the unmaking of her plans when her ship is grounded and Captain Morgan Roberts takes it over. Morgan is about ready to leave the privateering life and settle down, renouncing his other name, Captain Sinister. He has loved life on the sea but he's getting to be an old sea dog rather than a y...