Darlene's Digest

It's been a while since I posted my "How to read Darlene Marshall novels" cheat sheet, so I thought I'd run it past y'all again.  All of my books are written so they can be read as stand-alone novels, however you may find it more enjoyable if you combine them so crossover characters are introduced first: Sea Change , then Castaway Dreams . One of the secondary characters in Sea Change is Royal Navy surgeon Alexander Murray, who's the hero of Castaway Dreams . The Bride and the Buccaneer , then Captain Sinister's Lady. The marriage minded Captain Sinister (Morgan Roberts) and his crew are introduced in The Bride and the Buccaneer. Pirate's Price , then Smuggler's Bride . Pirate's Price is set a generation before Smuggler's Bride  and the heroine of Smuggler's Bride   (Julia) is the daughter of the hero and heroine of Pirate's Price . All the books are available in paper and ebook editions at Amber Quill Press  and Amazon , ...

He poled up the creek, away from the juncture with the river. The small tributary narrowed and soon they were both ducking under lowhanging cypress and oak branches. She saw a bull gator sunning itself on the bank, lazily watching them go by and ignoring this midday incursion into its domain. When Rand could pole no further, he tied up the boat and jumped into the shallow water, lifting Julia and following the creek down along a sandy strip. “What is out here? It seems like the middle of nowhere.” “It is,” Rand said, “but that’s what makes it special.” Despite the poling he showed no strain carrying her and since her feet were bare and the ground was rough, she didn’t encourage him to put her down. Besides, she rather enjoyed it, though she’d never tell him so. He walked past the sand into a hammock of live oak sprawled out like a dowager who’d loosened her stays, and emerged on the other side to a pool fringed by sand and boulders on one side, bushes bright with yellow berries and mo...

I was cleaning my fountain pens today (I know, I should have been writing more instead) when it occurred to me that I had no idea why I was writing "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party" a gazillion times. Yes, I knew I was writing it to test the ink flow on the Sensa and the Cross, but why that sentence?  Then I remembered it was a famous line I'd first learned, as so many people did, in typing class.  That sentence was used to test one's speed while typing, and it lingers in the back of my mind to this day. Then I wondered if they still teach typing in schools?  I know penmanship seems to have gone the way of the rotary dial telephone, but I would think touch typing is still a useful skill in this keyboard age.  I know it makes my writing faster than if I were looking at my fingers or "hunting and pecking" my way through a manuscript. Incidentally, the pens all appear to be unclogged and ready for action now.  I think I...

            “Again, Papa, throw the knife again!  Hit him in the eye this time!”             Robert paused.             “As entertaining as it is to stab someone from a distance, always remember, Mattie:  If you throw your knife you no longer have a knife you can use, and it could even be used against you. You must have a back-up weapon.  What did I tell you is the first rule of knife-fights?”             “To bring a pistol, Papa.”             “That’s correct. If your opponent brings a knife, you bring pistols, with your own knife as back-up.”             “Yes, Papa.”             “Also,” he added in a pedantic f...

They went up on deck together, David carrying his prayer book. The men were assembled wearing their finest clothing. At the starboard rail a canvas length awaited them, sewn by Sails, weighted to carry its burden to the bottom of the ocean. It was on a trestle, covered with the flag of the United States that fluttered at the edges in the light breeze. The crew was silent as their captain stepped forward, and a hurricane bird soared overhead, far from land but reminding them all that someday, they would return to their homes. Some of them. -- Sea Change   Today is Flag Day in the United States , the day we mark the adoption of our nation's symbol of freedom.  It was immortalized during the War of 1812 200 years ago with Francis Scott Key's poem, now our national anthem.  My flag is flying, as it does on all national holidays.  Long may it wave.

We lost one of the great American writers today, Ray Bradbury .  His work has been read by every American schoolchild, and his writing spread across generations and genres, from Fahrenheit 451 to The Martian Chronicles to "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit". I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Bradbury at Confederation, the 1986 World Science Fiction Convention in Atlanta.  When people asked me after my years in broadcast and print news which famous person I'd enjoyed interviewing the most, I never hesitated: "Ray Bradbury. Funny, smart, gracious and charming.  Interviewing him was one of the high points of my career." Somewhere in Heaven there's a small town that looks like it was lifted straight out of the cornfields of Illinois, and that's where you'll find Ray Bradbury today.

His glance flicked over her, and he grunted dismissively. “Not much to you.” Sophia drew herself up to her full height. “I have it on good authority I am worth three opossums!” A twitch dented the corner of [the Indian's] mouth and he looked at Jack. “You pay three possums for this?” “At the time it seemed like a good idea,” Jack said, putting down his rifle and brushing off his own clothes. --The Bride and The Buccaneer (winner, FCRW Beacon Award and the subject of a three minute lecture at Harvard University on "How the barter system approximates commodity currency in a market economy.") My elderly dachshund treed a possum last night.  I knew this because around 11 p.m. there was a frantic barking from the backyard, something along the lines of, "OMG! OMG! I caught supper! Quick, mom, bring the rifle!" When I went out to investigate, the dog was at the base of a huge oak, her front paws planted firmly on it, tail wagging furiously as she barked at somet...

Marriage of Mercy by Carla Kelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

I just got the idea for my ninth novel.  It will have pirates in the Caribbean.  Can't tell you more yet, because much of it hinges on secondary characters in my WIP (Book Seven, aka "The Hot Pirate's Secret Baby").  More on this as it develops...

"Jacob was an American who signed on with the Magpie after the war, and he called this ' The Liberty Song .'" She hummed for a moment and then began to sing: " Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all, And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call; No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim, Or stain with dishonor America's name. " Daphne sang two verses and the chorus before she realized Dr. Murray was staring at her, and the only way to describe the expression on his face--there was no way to describe the expression on his face. She'd never seen anything quite like it before. "There are more verses," she said helpfully. "Miss Farnham!" He shook his head and started again. "Miss Farnham, that was the most treasonous piece of trash I have ever heard. Do you know what melody that is? Heart of Oak ! Heart of Oak , Miss Farnham! I implore you, never, ever sing those lyrics around a navy man, for I ...

Back in 2007 I wrote this review: "I read a lovely YA romance this weekend, Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It's a fantasy about a heroine who in the manner of Scheherazade staves off death by telling a tale of a young woman who gets lost in the woods, and meets Lord Death. Death will spare her life if she finds her one true love within the span of a day. It's sweet and sad and romantic and very well written." Now I learn that there's a Kickstarter campaign to make a movie out of Keturah and Lord Death . If you're a fan of this novel, or well-written romantic fantasy for readers of any age, I encourage you to check it out.

I know many of you are Nook users, and I'm a B&N fan myself.  However, they're not always as fast off the mark as some other sites to get my books out for sale.  So, if you're anxious to purchase Castaway Dreams , and I know you are, remember that you can load ePub and PDF files onto your Nook reader.  Those are discounted at this site  and are also available at All Romance eBooks .

The print, ebook and Kindle editions of Castaway Dreams are now available from the usual suspects, or in the queue (Nook, Fictionwise, I'm looking at you! ) With the release of the paper edition I've set up my Goodreads giveaway, where you have a chance to win a signed copy of Castaway Dreams between now and mid-August. Click on the link for the details. In the meantime, I'm hard at work on my next novel and waiting on reviews of Castaway Dreams. Remember to please take a moment to rate the novel if you belong to one of the book social media sites.  It means a great deal to authors when they get reader feed-back, and thanks!

Friday, May 18 I'll be discussing Castaway Dreams on Conner Calling , the phone-in ltalk show about books on WUFT FM, 89.1 .  You can hear it streaming by following the link, and you can email questions if you're not in the local area. Also, Castaway Dreams is now in Kindle edition at Amazon , and the print edition will be out very soon. More on that later.

The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh My rating: 5 of 5 stars I re-read this classic Signet Regency romance last night because it's one of my comfort reads.  The author's use of words is so careful, the mood building done so well, that I like to take it off the shelf every now and then to remind myself of how a small book can be done so beautifully. View all my reviews

Straight: The Surprisingly Short History Of Heterosexuality by Hanne Blank My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found this book fascinating, and eye-opening.  The author starts from a unique perspective: her partner is intersex (XXY) and appears androgynous.  Is her partner male, female, or both?  Is the author heterosexual or homosexual? Blank challenges the reader to re-examine his/her/hir attitudes about sexuality and how it's defined, and how we are shaped by cultural and sexual "doxa".   View all my reviews

It's release day for the ebook edition of  Castaway Dreams , with the print and Kindle editions to follow later this month. It's been a long road for me to get this book written, because the heroine, Daphne, is so unlike me.  She's sweet and giggles and thinks everybody is her friend. Me, I'm much more like the curmudgeonly hero, Alexander.  There would be times when I'd be writing Castaway Dreams , Daphne would say something sarcastic, and I'd have to mentally slap myself and say, "No, Darlene's the sarcastic one. Daphne's sweet." I did promise myself my next heroine would be a sarcastic, snarky, annoying person.   Much easier for me to relate to and to write.  You'll meet Lydia Burke, governess to piratical offspring in [working title] The Hot Pirate's Secret Baby .  In the meantime, download Daphne and Alexander (and Pompom's) tale in Castaway Dreams and enjoy a trip to an island paradise.  Here's an excerpt: CASTAWAY D...

I know you're thinking of getting your mom that diamond tiara she deserves for putting up with so much of your crap when you were a teenager. Or perhaps I'm just projecting here. Anyway, if you're not yet prepared to get her that tiara, have you considered getting mom an ereader?  Everyone I know who has one loves the convenience and ease of purchasing books, and for older readers it has the added advantage of an adjustable font. When you get mom that ereader, you might preload it with some award winning romance novels featuring pirates, privateers and smugglers, not to mention a possum or two. Lest you think your mother's too old to appreciate a hot historical romance, my oldest fan (that I know of) is 96, and is eagerly awaiting my next novel, Castaway Dreams .  Mom's cooler than you think, and she loves a good novel as much as you do.  

Sea Change is a finalist in the Regency category of the Golden Quill contest sponsored by the Desert Rose RWA Chapter.  I'm thrilled to be in such good company!

Like most readers I worry obsessively about my vision, so I had to run to the ophthalmologist this morning to have an issue examined that doesn't appear to be severe, yet bears watching (heh).  However, the dilation and poking around at my eyes meant I couldn't put in my contacts, which meant I couldn't see the computer comfortably enough in my glasses to get any work done.  Instead, I used the down-time to finish reading a fantasy novel: Passion Play by Beth Bernobich My rating: 4 of 5 stars Lovely novel with an out-of-the-ordinary love story at the heart. The characters and world building made the story flow, and the heroine's journey was told in a realistic and intelligent fashion. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series! View all my reviews My dilation's nearly worn off, the contacts are back in, and life's more or less normal again.  Whew!