#WriteTip - Consider the Calendar by Jessica Cale (@JessicaCale), a @LSB_LSBooks #HistoricalRomance Author

Fellow Liquid Silver Books author Jessica Cale has a brand new historical romance out. In addition to snagging an excerpt from Virtue's Lady (which, incidentally, has a smoking hot cover), I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. As we all know, authenticity is important for historical settings. This author has a tip to for keeping the details straight.

Consider the Calendar by Jessica Cale

When writing fiction, it’s easy to forget special days like weekends, holidays, and birthdays unless you’re writing something around a holiday theme, but allowing for these and working them into your story is one way to anchor your writing in reality. Few weeks go by without a unusual day or two. If it’s a public holiday in America, your heroine might not get an important letter, or if it’s a Bank Holiday in Britain, the weekend before is likely to be full of parties and pub crawls.

Remembering holidays and notable days in history is especially important when writing something set in another time period or country. Christmas celebrations vary from country to country, and depending on where your story is set, there might also be feast days or important anniversaries that could help your plot along. For example, in seventeenth century England, Guy Fawkes’ Day was called Bonfire Treason Night, and it was actually the law that everyone had to celebrate. Every town was lit up with bonfires and alive with celebrations that lasted through the night. So much for staying home!

Virtue’s Lady takes place in Southwark between September and December of 1671, so my heroine, Jane, would have definitely been a part of the celebrations on November 5th. I worked this into the story and ended up with a couple of scenes that were smoking hot in more ways than one.

People love reading about different celebrations and customs. For your next project, remember the calendar, and consider including birthdays, holidays, and other notable days to enrich your plot.

Thank you for reading!

Virtue’s Lady

by Jessica Cale

Lady Jane Ramsey is young, beautiful, and ruined.

After being rescued from her kidnapping by a handsome highwayman, she returns home only to find her marriage prospects drastically reduced. Her father expects her to marry the repulsive Lord Lewes, but Jane has other plans. All she can think about is her highwayman, and she is determined to find him again.

Mark Virtue is trying to go straight. After years of robbing coaches and surviving on his wits, he knows it’s time to hang up his pistol and become the carpenter he was trained to be. He busies himself with finding work for his neighbors and improving his corner of Southwark as he tries to forget the girl who haunts his dreams. As a carpenter struggling to stay in work in the aftermath of The Fire, he knows Jane is unfathomably far beyond his reach, and there’s no use wishing for the impossible.

When Jane turns up in Southwark, Mark is furious. She has no way of understanding just how much danger she has put them in by running away. In spite of his growing feelings for her, he knows that Southwark is no place for a lady. Jane must set aside her lessons to learn a new set of rules if she is to make a life for herself in the crime-ridden slum. She will fight for her freedom and her life if that’s what it takes to prove to Mark—and to herself—that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Amazon | GoodReads

Excerpt

Poor Lady Jane. She’s ruined now.

Jane’s eyebrows knit in irritation. She most certainly was not. The way she saw it, she had only begun to live.

She heard a sniff and looked up sharply to see Greta hastily wiping away a tear. Greta had been with her all of her life, and she took it hardest of all.

Jane sighed impatiently. “Please do not cry.”

“I beg your pardon, my lady.” She wiped her eyes and set down the brush, her task long since completed.

“I wish you would not be so upset. I’m not.”

Greta sank onto her stool, uncharacteristically emotional. “I blame myself. If I would have been here, I could have protected you.”

Jane turned to face her, unsure of how to handle her tears. At a loss, she offered her an embroidered handkerchief. “Truly, I am unharmed. See?” She raised her arms as if to demonstrate that she was still in one piece.

This seemed to make her cry harder.

Jane was growing impatient. “What is it?”

“But you are not! The damage to your reputation alone, the scandal! Your prospects are greatly reduced, my lady.”

“A small mercy,” she muttered. “Why would it trouble anyone that I was kidnapped, so long as I am unharmed?”

“You were gone overnight. I’m afraid they must assume the worst.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “What do they care, so long as I am wealthy?”

“Forgive me for saying, my lady, but few would willingly take a damaged wife.”

“Who says that I am damaged?”

Greta wiped her eyes and looked around the room, as if to satisfy herself they were alone. She lowered her voice and confided, “I apologize for speaking indelicately, my lady, but I know what happened.”

Jane tilted her head in confusion. “You do?”

Greta nodded. “Your small clothes. There was blood…”

Jane grasped her hand. “Does Father know?”

Greta shook her head frantically. “I daren’t tell him or Lady Hereford.”

“I beg you, please do not. They will never forgive me.”

“Forgive you?” Greta looked incredulous. “It is not your fault you were ravished, my lady.”

“Ravished?” Jane frowned. Greta had assumed the worst.

As her suitors had sharply declined in number, it was clear that everyone else had assumed the worst as well.

Jane patted Greta’s hand affectionately. “I assure you, I was not.”

Greta threw up her hands and looked away. “Of course. We should not speak of such things. I will keep your secret, and we shall pray you are not with child.” She stood at once and opened Jane’s closet, quickly sorting through the glut of pastel dresses before settling on a newer one in pale yellow.

Jane rose and obediently stood on her short stool, raising her arms to be dressed. Greta draped the yellow dress over the chair and straightened the already meticulously even laces of her stays before slipping the skirt over her head and dropping it to brush the silk stockings that covered her feet. She pulled the panels of bodice together in the back and began to lace them together from the bottom, taking care not to wrinkle any portion of the lace-edged chemise beneath.

When Jane had returned home, her father had asked her in his usual blunt fashion if she had been ravished and she had answered truthfully that she had not. He had openly wept tears of relief. Try as she might, she could not bring herself to tell him the whole of it for fear of breaking his heart.

Jane had hoped that by taking a lover, she would render herself unmarriageable and free herself to live the life of adventure that she craved, away from the responsibilities and expectations that came with being the daughter of an earl.

She had been right about the unmarriageable part.

Don't forget to check out the first book in the series...

Notorious harlot Sally Green fights for survival in Restoration London. When a brutal attack throws them together, Sally is torn between the tutor who saves her and the highwayman who keeps her up at night; between new love and an old need for revenge. Winner of the Southern Magic Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence 2015.

LSBooks | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | ARe | iBooks

About Jessica Cale

Jessica Cale is a historical romance author and journalist based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Pinterest | Tsu | AmazonAuthor | Goodreads

#WriteTip - Kill Your Darlings by Thea Landen (@TheaLanden), a @DecadentPub #Romance Author

Fellow Decadent Publishing author Thea Landen has a brand new romance out. In addition to snagging an excerpt from Elysium, I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. As we all know, pacing is important. This author has a tip to bring it up to snuff. 

Don't be afraid to cut the words/lines/scenes/chapters that are disrupting the flow of the story. I know it hurts because I know how much we fall in love with our own beautiful prose, but in the long run, pacing is more important! ~ Thea

Elysium 

by Thea Landen

1Night Stand series

Two years have passed since April Patterson’s husband was shot and killed in the line of duty, and she’s trapped in a haze of grief and uncertainty. Having grown frustrated by all other efforts to engage her in activities where she could meet new people, her cousin pays for a date via 1Night Stand. Not thrilled with the idea, April nevertheless contacts Madame Eve and requests the impossible: a date with her deceased husband.

Brilliant software engineer Drew Monroe created his company, Elysium, to help give closure to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, through the use of virtual reality. Though passionate about his work, being constantly surrounded by heartache and death has taken a toll on his mental health. When he accepts the case of a young widow referred to him by Madame Eve, her tragic tale depresses him further, but he commits himself to programming April the romantic date she desires.

April arrives at Elysium and prepares to enter Drew’s virtual realm. Will she find the solace she seeks within? Or will she discover she doesn’t need a fantasy world to discover happiness again?

Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | B&N | ARe | Decadent

Excerpt

I licked a path down his neck, dragging my teeth across his skin. Downy hair sprinkled across his chest and I ran my fingers through the golden tufts. Firm planes and sinewy muscle defined his lean physique. Determination inspired me to examine every inch, every angle.

Roaming both hands over his sides, I peppered his pecs with feathery kisses. He was like a museum exhibit, a piece of fine artwork, and I played the curious spectator to study him in detail and show appreciation. My tongue darted out to flick across his nipple and he sucked in a sharp breath.

I teased the flat disc a little more before continuing onward. Working down his body, I flung the blankets back to grant uninhibited access. Skimming my breasts over him, I marked a trail down the center of his torso. With both my fingers and lips, I traced every contour of delicious definition in his abs.

Drew stirred beneath me and a low groan rumbled in his chest. Lower and lower I ventured, arriving at the ultimate destination at long last. His thick, engorged cock begged for attention. I hadn’t done this in quite some time, but only one way to get back in action, right?

I started at the base and used the tip of my tongue to paint a line along his entire length. He groaned again, louder than before. I laved the bulbous head with broad strokes, swirling in wide spirals. His fingers knotted the sheets and his lashes fluttered.

I paused in the ministrations. He was ready for me, yet I wanted to see his hunger. Not only did I need to know how badly he craved that intimate touch, how much he coveted me, but I sought satisfaction for more personal wishes, reassurance that I was desirable.

He opened his eyes when I whispered his name. Sweeping my hair over one shoulder, I turned back to his bulging cock. He watched me ease the tip into my mouth and a gasp left his parted lips. With our gazes locked together, I took more and more of him inside.

About Thea Landen

Thea Landen lives in New York with her husband and a variety of houseplants. A former educator, she strives to encourage creativity and passion in all those around her, and uses writing to help inspire. Though she reads and writes in nearly all genres, she has a special fondness for science fiction, fantasy, and adventure and anything that pushes the imagination beyond its usual limits. When she’s not writing, or thinking about writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing games.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Email: thea@thealanden.com

#WriteTip - Character Emotion by Starla Kaye, a @DecadentPub #Menage #Romance Author

Fellow Decadent Publishing author Starla Kaye has a brand new menage romance out. In addition to snagging an excerpt from For Ruby’s Love, I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. Ever wondered how to help a reader connect with your character? Let's see what Starla has to say.

Character Emotion by Starla Kaye

If your hero or heroine has gone through a bitter relationship or a divorce, just the sight of a wedding photo might cause a variety of emotional responses.

If a character has suffered the loss of a child, he/she might have a range of feelings from sadness to pain to anger.

The point here is that a writer must dig deep to create characters that seem real to the reader. You need to let the reader feel what the character felt.

Cowboys are my first love when writing a hero. Along with a confident, powerful business executive. Or a medieval Scottish warrior. Or…. Basically I like to write about strong men who know their minds, have set beliefs on how things should be done, and knock heads with a woman who makes him a bit crazy.

For Ruby’s Love, my latest release from Decadent Publishing, has two such heroes and that type of woman. Calhoun Cordell and Daniel Patterson first made their appearance in The CEO and The Cowboy. While they had worked out their differences at that time and had settled into a loving relationship, I always felt something was missing. Someone who could both draw them closer together and shake up their world. In walked Ruby Tuesday McMurtry.

Buy Links 

Decadent | Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo 

Where to Find Starla Kaye

Starla Kaye has published: 20 novels, 38 novellas, 18 short stories, and 8 anthologies with Black Velvet Seductions, Decadent Publishing, Blushing Books and Red Rose Publishing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Amazon Author Page

For Ruby's Love
by Starla Kaye

Calhoun’s a simple cowboy with more problems in his life than he can handle at the moment. After nearly two years, he struggles to hang onto a relationship with Daniel, his first male lover. Daniel is worried about him because of the fire, his concern for his prized breeding mare, and because he is determined to buy the neighboring ranch to expand. But Daniel isn’t a businessman without goals of his own for expansion, a fact that frustrates Calhoun as well. He doesn’t want to lose Daniel, but will their differences finally be too much?

Daniel considers himself a lucky man to have met the rancher, someone almost his opposite and someone who he doesn’t want to live without. Standing beside the moody Calhoun has been difficult since the fire that burned down a horse barn, took the lives of two valuable horses, and traumatized a favored mare. Along with all of that, his harried friend is determined to expand his ranch holdings. Daniel is against the purchase and would prefer to find a way to slow the man down. Lately, he’s also begun worrying if maybe he isn’t enough to satisfy his lover’s needs.

Complicating everything even more, Ruby shows up later than expected at Calhoun’s ranch to honor a job as a horse therapist that her father had agreed to before his sudden death. She knows what happened to the mare and is certain she can help her, if given the chance. But the stubborn rancher can’t get past the idea of her being a woman, someone not strong enough to work with such a damaged horse. They butt heads over the matter until she finds an ally in Daniel. He is concerned and yet believes in her abilities. Another problem arises, though. She and Calhoun have been skirting around an unwanted attraction, and then she discovers another surprising interest between her and Daniel.

Excerpt

When a tear managed to escape and slide down her cheek, he experienced the same distress as earlier, when she’d admitted her father died. Something about a woman crying always got to him.

He got up and went to her. She looked so small, so defenseless, kind of lost. He didn’t mean to touch her. Yet, he reached down and wiped away the tear with a thumb. His gut tightened at her velvety-soft skin. He hadn’t been this close to a woman in a while, caressed one…or had sex with one. He almost backed away.

But she held him in place by looking up at him with her sad eyes. Misery lurked in the depths. As their gazes remained locked, the heat of awareness fired in them. She drew in a shaky breath. Her pretty brow furrowed as if in confusion. His reactions to this stranger, this young woman whose emotions were all over the place, puzzled him. One moment she bristled, another she challenged him, and in another she pulled on his heartstrings with her pain.

Before he could move, the furnace kicked on, blowing warm air around them, mixing in her light floral scent as it surrounded him. He also caught the essence of her. His body tensed; his cock hardened.

Shocked, he pulled his hand back and stepped away. This was wrong. He felt as if he were betraying Daniel. He would never betray him.

Guilt weighing on him, he turned to the windows, unable to face either of them. “We should go get your car,” he blurted out.

“Truck,” she corrected, sounding bewildered by his abrupt change in mood.

His cock hadn’t softened when he put distance between them. He could still smell her, hear her sensual voice. No way could he take her to her truck. He needed time to get his body back to normal and get his head straight.

“I’ll get a ranch hand to go with you. You can stay in one of the guest rooms tonight.” He hesitated. “Before you leave, I’ll pay you for making the effort to come here.”

Without looking at either of them, he strode across the room toward the doorway. “I need to find that phone number for the other horse whisperer.”

In the next instant, she moved right behind him. She grabbed a belt loop. “Whoa, Cordell! We need to talk.”

He brushed her hand away and turned around. Her vivid green eyes no longer looked sad; they flashed with anger. The plump breasts he’d been trying not to notice strained the fabric of her pink plaid Western shirt. Otherwise, she stood stiff, her temper appearing to sizzle. Damn if he didn’t find her cute as hell.

And that notion frightened the bejesus out of him. He needed to get as far away from her as possible. “We’ll talk tomorrow. You need to get your truck and get some rest.” He shifted back. “I have business to tend to.”

The tenacious woman stepped right up to him. “This business being to call another horse whisperer.” She tilted her chin up and met him eye-to-eye. “Well, cowboy, I’m the second best one in the country.” Sadness slipped back into her eyes, but determination remained as well. “The best now with my father dead.”

God, those expressive eyes were killing him. He fought the urge to tug her into his arms and hold her until she’d shed every tear, until the grief left. Doing that would be a huge mistake for so many reasons. He mentally shielded himself against her.

“Forget it. I’m not letting a puny little thing like you anywhere near Starbright.” If she’d worked alongside her father, Calhoun would no doubt have been okay. Maybe. But the idea of her being alone anywhere near the powerful, troubled, and crazed mare scared the devil out of him. His heart raced.

The woman had no back down in her. She thrust her chin higher. “I’m not puny! I’m not big and muscled like you, but I can take care of myself with any animal.”

He snorted at the foolish declaration and shook his head. “Not with my horse. Starbright can’t be trusted with most work-hardened men, including me at times. There is no way I could trust her not to do you serious harm.”

Once more he turned to walk away.

This time Daniel stopped him. “Give her a chance to at least tell you about her credentials. Let her explain her abilities to work with a traumatized animal.”

He spun to glower at his friend, who looked every bit as resolute as he felt. “No.”

The man gave him a censuring look and ground his jaw. They would have words later. But he wasn’t going to change his mind.

When he glanced at Ruby, her shoulders were tense, her body rigid. But instead of arguing with him, she stormed back to the recliner and grabbed her coat, jerking it on. Grumbling to herself, she snagged her oversized bag and marched past them both and toward the foyer.

Daniel’s expression grew stonier, pissed at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked gruffly.

“Leaving,” she snapped over her shoulder. “I don’t need this job. I came here out of respect for my father’s agreement with you. And out of concern for Starbright.” She picked up her pace, not bothering to glance at him.

“You can’t just leave. I have to get one of the hands first,” he blustered, unable to believe her boldness.

“I don’t need help—yours or anyone else’s.” She stiffened. “I’m going back to my rig, grabbing a gas can, and walking to the nearest town. Not any of your concern.”

“The hell you are!” He strode after her. Lord a’mighty, what an obstinate female.

She stopped long enough to look in his direction and hiss, “The hell I’m not!”