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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, May 15, 2015

A party on the seashore for Felicity's Power, J Arlene Culiner



"I haven’t ridden a horse in years,” LaVerne announces to the other hostesses, patting her bay mount’s sturdy neck and swaying in time to its gentle gait. “I’d forgotten how much I loved it.”
 
Crushed under hooves, the long grass from the field releases their sweet scent of summer’s promise.

Mary closes her eyes and breathes deeply. “They should bottle that smell. Warm horse and nature. You can’t beat it.” The faint sound of a car on gravel ruins the effect and her eyes pop open. 
 
“Nature?” Lilly twists around in her saddle, winces then rubs her bottom before glaring at Mac. “That’s the fifth car I’ve seen in as many minutes. I thought you said the party was being held in a remote cabin on the coastline and this was the only way in.”

“Yeah, well,” Mac hedges. “It seemed pretty isolated on Google maps. Anyway,” she winks at the other girls. “I thought with your extra padding you’d be fine.” Mac chuckles as Lilly tries to take a swipe at her and nearly falls off her horse in the process. She gestures at their surroundings. “You have to admit this is a great way to see the countryside.”

“My favourite kind of transport.” Lyn beams, as she stands in her stirrups and sniffs the air. “We can’t be far now. I can smell the sea!”

Their party tops a rise and Mary lets out a squeal, grabbing Debby’s arm. “And I can see it!” She expertly wheels her horse to a stop to admire the view.

“Just look at that!” Debby breathes. “No wonder Felicity and Marek fell in love here."

A rustic cabin that looks as if it were put together piecemeal sits back of a rocky outcrop which drops down to the sea. Sunlight bounces off the tide pools that dot the shore below.
Lilly brings her horse to a halt beside them and sighs. “Oh, it is romantic. I’d be here all the time if it were mine.” She arches a brow at Mac as she spies a few parked cars to the side of the building. “But like the smart guests who’ve made it here before us, I’d be taking a car!”



“Come on, ladies.” Debby nudges her horse forward. “Enough dilly-dallying. I can’t wait to say hi to Arlene again. She has the best parties with the yummiest of guests—uh,I meant food! And I need to fix my hair. Lord knows what this helmet has done to it.”

Lyn snorts. “I don’t think you need to worry, Debby. That big hair of yours is something else. It’ll spring back to life in seconds.”

The horses’hooves clip-clop on the packed gravelly sand and they ride along the shoreline. As they approach the cabin, the front door opens. Arlene steps out, a wide smile of welcome lights her face. “Oh, you’re here! I heard horses and wondered who it could be. Of course it had to be the Roast ladies. You girls sure know how to make an entrance.”  

LaVerne laughs. “That wasn’t quite the intention, but it sure was fun.”
She dismounts and pulls the reins over her horse’s head and the other hostesses follow suit, stifled groans of relief escaping everyone’s lips. Arlene shakes her head with a grin and with a ‘wait there’ signal, pops her head back through the door. Moments later, a group of pre-teen girls come out and excitedly relieve the hostesses of their mounts. 
“Come inside, girls. Everyone’s waiting. We can’t start the party without you!”
Oliver greets them with a chilled glass of dry white wine which they all take gratefully. Moments later, he’s back with a cocktails, then a tray filled with a trio of mouth-watering vegetarian canapés. Mushroom and stilton tarts, feta bruschetta and a delicious Fig and olive tapenade on toasted baguettes.



A table groans with platters full of fresh fruit, asparagus rolls, spicy corn fritters and a wide assortment of salads. In a nod to the coastal setting, oysters in their shells sit on beds of ice along with mussels both smoked and plain.
 

Centre-stage of the room is the most gorgeous of cake creations. The cover of Felicity’s Power sits proudly atop it. Mary licks her lips. “I don’t know what looks more delicious. The cake or that cover!” 
 “I know,” Arlene agrees. “I loved this cake so much last time that I had to have it again. You can never have too much of a good thing, right?” she asks. 

“Never,” Lilly affirms and raises her glass of chardonnay, waiting until she has everyone’s attention. “To J. Arlene Culiner and her latest book, Felicity’s Power Here’s to indulging in all good things!”  

This week's skit was written by LaVerne Clark




BLURB
Contemporary Romance from The Wild Rose Press

San Francisco, 1971: hippies in the streets, music and revolution in the air. The evening Marek Sumner opened his door to the wild-looking Felicity Powers, he knew nothing would ever be the same again. But even love and passion couldn’t keep them together.

Forty-three years later, having lived in the world’s most dangerous places as a foreign aid worker, Felicity is back, still offering him love, passion, and adventure. But why would Marek risk having his heart broken a second time? Now a well-known author, he loves his calm, solitary life in an isolated farmhouse. He and Felicity are just too different; their relationship could never work.

But Felicity is just as fascinating and joyful as ever, and that wonderful sexy magic is still there too. As for love, perhaps it’s even deeper and more delightful the second time around.

EXCERPT

“Making a quick getaway?” Felicity stood in the doorway taking in the scene: the open but  fully packed suitcase on the bed, Marek’s trench coat flung over the table. He was on his way out. No denying the evidence.


Marek sat in the armchair by the window, his face tight, his eyes haunted. “I’m sitting here, in a chair, right? Aren’t the words ‘a quick getaway’ somewhat of an exaggeration?” He drawled the words out slowly, mockingly.


“Okay then. A slow getaway.”


He stared at her, unable to pull his eyes away. Her face was pale, her expression wild.  Loose tendrils of hair shadowed her neck, calling attention to the slow throb of veins under the delicate skin. She looked sexy as hell. Tempting and far too dangerous to think about.

“Not quick, not slow. Neither one of the above. No getaway.” His voice was icy, impersonal.

“That!” Her arm waved wildly, gesticulated in the direction of the suitcase. A sharp, searing feeling of betrayal mixed with humiliation kept her tense, unrelenting. “I mean, if you want me out of here, all you have to do is tell me. Since you’re obviously desperate to get rid of me.” She felt as if she’d been stabbed. She crossed the room slowly until she was standing beside him, staring down at him, her eyes flashing with determination and fury. “But let’s not forget you were the one who invited me up here. Remember? I didn’t ask to be put up in your hotel room.”

But you might have done so. If he hadn’t taken matters into his own hands. Well, never again. Never. Your time is up as far as I’m concerned, Marek Sumner!

He stood up, studied her for a minute, silently.


“God, you’re beautiful.” It was as if the words had been wrenched out of him, as if he would have given anything not to say them, but they made her heart stand still.

  ISBN Digital: 978-1-62830-876-1
ISBN Print: 978-1-62830-875-4
ASIN: B00TZABHQW
Page Count: 226

 
Born in New York, raised in Toronto, J. Arlene Culiner has spent most of her life in England,
Germany, Turkey, Greece, Hungary and the Sahara. She
now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no real interest. Much to everyone's dismay, she protects all living creatures -- especially spiders and snakes -- and her wild (or wildlife) garden is a classified butterfly and bird reserve.
In her perfectly realistic contemporary romances, heroines are funny, and heroes are dashingly lovable. All are proudly over the age of forty.

http://www.j-arleneculiner.com
j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com
https://twitter.com/j-arleneculiner
https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Arlene-Culiner <file://localhost/pages/J-Arlene-Culiner>
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_Culiner






***GIVEAWAY***

To win a copy of Arlene 's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.

Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)

66 comments:

  1. Good morning! Oysters for breakfast anyone? Oliver has really outdone himself this time. What a gorgeous meal. Thank you! Big hugs.

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  2. It's so nice to see you here at the Roast again, Arlene! What a gorgeous setting for a party - and book! Although I'm not a vegetarian, if Oliver were to present food like this to me every day - I so could be! Yummy! And cheers - congratulations on your latest release. You've been busy! :)

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  3. Well...it's not strictly vegetarian, LaVerne. Oysters? Mussels? But I just can't resist them. And smoked mussels are bliss. But then again, so is this fig and olive tapenade: a totally new thing for me!

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  4. Hi LaVerne (Hug sister hostess) and hello Arlene, welcome back, it's lovely to see you again, and what a gorgeous setting for your book, as LaVerne said, so glad we were able to share it. I am not a shellfish fan, and although not strictly vegetarian either, I'll delve into some of the scrummy vegetarian dishes, and I'm really looking forward to the cake being cut!

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    1. It's lovely to be back and seeing everyone again, Hywela Lyn. How about if we sneak a few pieces of cake (and just hide the damage.)

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    2. -That's an excellent idea. Just hope we can manage to leave enough for everyone else! :)

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    3. Hehehe - great plan, Arlene. I won't tell.... ;)

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  5. What a lovely location for a roast. So glad to have you back, Arlene, and so happy to see those oysters. While I like veggies and such, I do like my meat, and seafood is my favorite. I adore oysters...and you know what they say about them. lol! I bet Merek and Felicity have eaten quite a few. Just look at the way they are gazing into one another's eyes. If they disappear for a bit, I don't think we should go looking for them. lol!

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  6. Hm-m-m-m. Yes, that's what they say about oysters, but is it really true? Come on, fess up: have any of you actually tested the theory and seen results?

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  7. Well, to be honest, I'm usually at the beach when I eat oysters, which means I'm away from home and all the stress. I also find the beach quite romantic and inspiring. So, who's to say if it's the oysters, the ocean air, or just being away from home that inspires romantic passions. lol!

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    1. That's a very sneaky way to get around the question, Lilly. But Felicity and Marek just might agree with you. When they show up at the beach, things certainly get romantic.

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  8. Quite frankly I puke at the smell of oysters, but I'll partake of a glass or two of that chilled white wine, and a wee nibble of everything else on the fabulous menu. Nothing like a delicious spread while you're reading a good book by J Arlene. I'm a big fan of hers.

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    1. email address is jeanne.livingstone@orange.fr

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    2. Oh dear, JJ. Stay away from those oysters. But the wine is really fine. Cheers! Thanks for coming to the roast.

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    3. Please don't smell the oysters, J. :-) And I think I'll have a glass of that wine too.

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    4. Hi JJ, so glad you could join the party - I'm with you on skipping the oysters - some more white wine please Oliver, there's a dear.

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  9. LOL JJ. I'm right there with you on the yuckiness of oysters but, Arlene's right. The wine is fine!

    *air kisses all around*

    Hey hey, chickies and welcome back, Arlene. Congrats on the release, sweetie. Sounds like a lot of fun. :-)

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  10. Thanks Mackenzie. It is a fun book, I think. Just imagine former lovers coming face-to-face again after forty years. And Felicity deciding she still loves Marek, even after all this time.
    And, by the way, who hasn't imagined meeting up with a former passion years and years later?

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  11. Sorry to be late, fighting with DH is so much fun. Don't you hate when they refuse to see what you are trying to say?
    You guys can have my oysters, those slimy things do not look good at all to me. But, I love the horseback riding. It's been my favorite thing since I can remember liking anything!
    This book looks right up my alley, there is always hope for love!

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    1. Hiya sweetie. My bum is still sore from that ride...thank you very much, LaVerne! :-)

      As for the DH, don't be too hard on him. Sometimes the testosterone gets clogged and causes issues.

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    2. Okay, okay. I'll eat ALL the oysters...just in case the erotic promise Lilly mention really is true.

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    3. What's up with all you oyster haters? They look like something produced by a head cold, but they taste so delicious....and they look a bit more appetizing when they are lightly battered and fried. But I'm with Arlene. The less y'all eat, the more for us....and I heard a rumor that Oliver was hand feeding women the raw oysters. I think I'll wander over by the surf and see if the rumor is true. I see him handing out wine and wine and oysters go so well together.

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    4. That sounds like Oliver, all right. But, oh yes; Battered oysters. Or oysters poached for one minute only in dry white wine or champagne, then put back into their shells and covered with a very light wine-cream sauce. Wonderful.

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    5. All the more for us, aye girls?! And when paired with being hand-feed by Oliver....oh my....I'm in heaven :)

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  12. I don't know what it is about oysters, they remind me of when I was a kid and bit my sister back when she bit me. That's what they feel like in my teeth. Plus, they taste awful to me. My BD is on Christmas and the one time that someone surprised me with a party, they had oysters and mussels, I ate the cake! So you can share mine.
    Now the rest of what Oliver has made is marvelous. Lilly lobster on the beach is much better.

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  13. Nope, no lobster. They have highly developed nerve systems and suffer horribly while being cooked. (Sorry to ruin your appetite, Mary.) But the rest of Oliver's offerings are splendid.

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  14. I do agree about the lobsters, Arlene, I think it's really cruel, I wouldn't fancy lobster anyway,, but as you say, the rest of the feast is pretty yummy. And I do agree with mary about the horseriding along the beach too, I haven't done that since I left Wales! (No beaches where I live now, in the middle of England, far from the coast.)

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    1. No beaches near me either, Hywela. Just fields and trees. Many horses too, but I'm past longing to ride them. Too long since I did, I'm afraid. But I wouldn't mind having a mule or a donkey and trotting along the green lanes.

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    2. Fields and trees are nice too though. Especially if there are lots of horses in them. I've been horse mad since I was a small child, and have two of my own now. I love donkeys too, but mules aren't as common in the UK as they are in the States, although they're often seen at Western horse shows (Western riding is becoming increasingly popular I'm happy to say, and both my horses are Western trained.

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    3. Actually, I haven't seen any mules around in my area of France either. There are donkeys here and there. I suppose it's the idea of a stubborn mule that appeals. However, since I live in the Paris area in the winter, having either a donkey or a mule is impossible. In a two room apartment? With two dogs, two cats and two adults? On the third floor? With no elevator? What self-respecting mule or donkey would accept conditions like that?

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  15. Now I'm curious: do any of you writers put animals in your books? If so, which ones? How about food and recipes?

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    1. I've got my beloved greyhounds in two of my books, Arlene. Rescued ex-racers of course. Food isn't mentioned much in my books, but somehow, a good New Zealand wine always gets a mention, lol!

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    2. Funny, that wine always filters into my pages too. I'm not that familiar with New Zealand wine though - it would be hard to find here in France. Too bad, eh?

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    3. Ooo - but you've got FRENCH wine, mmmmmm :)

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  16. What a good question, Arlene. I write SF Romance (basically 'space opera') and in the first two books of my trilogy I have ponies, based on the Icelandic breeds, used for transport on an imaginary planet which is very cold for most of the year, and covered with ice and snow, and there is also a fictional creature like a bear, called an 'icecat' and in the third book I have no horses, but a large wolflike animal called 'Shifter' which has chameleon like tendencies and can merge into the background for safety. My old endurance mare 'Sal' and my black Welsh Cob, Harri, are both in my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' and I have a novel on the 'back burner' which features my other mare, T'pau, whose nickname is 'Tiptop'.

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    1. Yes, I see there's lots of opportunity for strange animals in SF romance. You can just let your imagination run wild. But I am curious, Hywela: why have you mixed together SF and romance? It's a genre I know nothing about, and I'd love to know more about your motivation.

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    2. Sorry to be late coming back to your party and answering your question, Arlene, time caught up with me and I was asleep! (we're five hours ahead of you here in the UK)

      Anyway, I write SF because I've always been fascinated by the stars and the idea of traveling in space and finding strange new worlds. I also love Westerns and think of my stories as being a bit like 'Westerns in space'. It is so much fun creating new worlds, with their own rules and peculiarities, not to mention dangers. and their is so much scope for the imagination to have free rein. I realised soon after I started writing, that everything I wrote ended up as a love story, so it was a natural step to combine writing the Science Fiction and Fantasy I love with Romance - and I was delighted to find that The Wild Rose Press had Science Fiction as one of their romance genres and even more delighted when they accepted my debut novel 'Starquest'.

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    3. Oops, I've just remembered you're in France, Arlene, I was thinking you were in the US. So you are actually not that far different to the UK as far as time zones go. The UK is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern time. I guess you were staying up pretty late then ! :)

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    4. Nope. Just up early, as usual. I love the early morning when most people are asleep. It's the best time for writing. I always feel more intelligent in the morning (even if that's a fantasy too.)
      Nice that you found a home for your work with The Wild Rose Press. Are there many publishers interested in SF romance? I'm asking because this is all new stuff to me.

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    5. Oh I'm so not a morning person Arlene - but I could happily work all night into the early hours - if hubby would let me, but he's a morning person! We have to compromise and go to bed earlier than I would like but later than he would if left to his own devices!

      It was practically impossible to get SF romance published in the UK, when I approaced the WRP, which is why I decided to try American publishers. I think now more UK romance publishers have expanded their sub genres, and I think most US publishers accept SF, paranormal, historical Western, Fantasy and everything in between, as well as contemporary, of course. When you think about it, love is universal, and I can't think of any genre that couldn't encompass some romance!

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  17. I could not cook a lobster. If it's already cooked, what the hey.
    But. I am with Lyn, not a fish fan at all of any kind really.
    I love Shifter though, I really have to give out a leak about that terrific story Lyn just sold!!
    Don't get angry Lyn, for telling and not showing.
    I wish I'd had a horse...
    Anyhow

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    1. Just sold? Congrats, Hywela Lyn.

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    2. Aw Mary, glad you like 'Shifter' my heroine won't go anywhere without him! :) Wish you lived over here, you could share Harri, he'd love the hugs you give to people and horses alike!

      I'm not annoyed that you leaked out the news about 'Beloved Enemy' - it's all promo right? (Thought this is Arlene's day and I don't want to hijack it) Yes, it's the third in the series that started with 'Starquest' Arlene, and I have to admit I'm excited about it and can't wait to start the edits.

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    3. Mentioning your book certainly doesn't hijack my event. We're here to talk about everyone's work, aren't we? If you want to tell us, more now, that would be lovely.
      And do you love doing edits as much as I do? I know some writers hate them, but I don't. it's a time to polish and then polish some more.

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    4. Oh, Lyn!! That is so exciting!! And I'm with you girls. I LOVE doing edits. Nothing like polishing up those gems.

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    5. That's sweet of you Arlene. Just a little bit about it then - it concerns Kerry Marchant, one of the main characters who 'lost out' in the first book. The woman he loved gave her life to save his, and he still blames himself. He's committed to the starship he designed, and his friends on board her, and has withdrawn into himself and vowed not to allow himself to get close to a woman again. The heroine is searching for the man she believes killed her sister - and the trail leads her to Kerry. Circumstances strand them together on an alien planet and they are forced to work together to survive, and as hard as they try, they cannot hide the chemistry that sparks between them...

      I am with you and LaVerne on the editing, too. I love edits as well. The first draft is always the hardest for me. The ideas may be flowing, but it's getting it down and filling in plot holes and making sure it all makes sense that's the hard work. Revising and polishing is great, you can see the work improving before your eyes, and often something new creeps in (for me anyway) that adds an extra dimension. And when you have a good editor working with you it makes it even better as they show one where it can be improved even further and polished till it shines!

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    6. Thanks Hywela Lyn. And yes, those first drafts are such killers, I've given up on quite a few.
      Ditto for the good editor. I loved working with Eilidh MacKenzie at The Wild Rose Press, and I have had other editors that were lovely too. However, I once had one (for a narrative non-fiction work) who crossed out every single original image, every adjective, every nice turn of phrase. I called her up, asked if we could meet for breakfast, and then told her I'd rather break my contract than proceed. She backed down on everything and, in the end, I was able to have MY book publsihed. About a year later met another author who had worked with that same editor. She had accepted to do all the cuts and changes, and now she regretted having given in. She hated her book. So you see, some editors can be very manipulative and dangerous. But they're the minority.

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  18. I always have a dog in my books. I think most people like animals and enjoy them in the stores they read. J. Arlene,do you put an animal in every story? I am in the same place as you with horses. Love them, but too old to ride now. It would kill me! But, the love of them is always in me. What's your favorite breed?

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    1. I put masses of dogs in my romance, All About Charming Alice. Alice rescues dogs out in the Nevada desert. She's also a herpetologist, studying and rescuing snakes. Jace and Alice meet when Jace brings in a stray he found along the road, but of course he's a city man, dislikes dogs and absolutely hates snakes. But no, I haven't put animals in the two other romances, and now that I'm aware of the fact that they're missing I'll add in a wonderful, shaggy dog to the romance I'm now working on. As for breeds, I just love mutts, the ones with spaniel tails, shepherd heads and great Dane feet. The ones everyone laughs at. The ones whose mothers had romance stories with every furry male in town.

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    2. Alice sounds lovely! The sort of person I'd love to meet. My own dog is a 'rescue'. He's supposed to be a Jack Russell, but his legs are far too long and he looks more like a border or Welsh terrier. I don't care what he is though, I'm with you, mutts are the most delightful dogs and it really doesn't matter who their daddy was, they are usually the most affectionate and loyal (and fun) dogs you could wish to know.

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  19. And how about another short excerpt for anyone arriving late? And for us too!

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    1. Or coming early, Mary. Your evening is my middle of the night. All these different time zones make communication an on and off thing. But I'll go and find an excerpt. Be right back!

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  20. Okay, here's another excerpt. Felicity and Marek are here, at night, in an abandoned garden in a California costal town. Marek has briught here here because it's another stop on their trip down memory lane - before they separate once again...

    For a minute he’d stood still, watching her etched by the moon’s pale beams. Then, in that gesture so familiar to him, so gentle, he reached up, loosened the barrettes holding her hair, watched the curls tumble down over her shoulders. Filling his hands with its chaotic wildness, he bent, rested his forehead against hers.
    Unbelievable. This whole situation was unbelievable. He was here with Felicity. Again. After all this time. And nothing had changed, nothing had been lost: not their desire, not their love, not their need, not their compassion for one another.
    “Some things are a gift from the gods,” he half whispered. A deep, rolling wave of tenderness filled his heart, and he pulled her closer, folding her tightly against him, feeling the beating of her heart against his.
    “It’s as if our coming together again is the most natural thing in the world,” she murmured gently. “Even our souls seem to be intimately and eternally bound.”
    The words floated on the air. She was right, he thought. Their souls had been bound together from the very first instant they had met.
    And then reality intruded. Their souls? Nonsense. It was this situation that provoked thoughts like that. The clear night, the fragrant forgotten garden, the timeless sound of distant waves, the waxy veil of moonlight.
    But he continued to hold her, loving her warmth, her being. And if his idea had been to make love under a starry sky, this moment had little to do with desire and everything to do with tenderness.

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    1. Oh what a lovely excerpt - so tender and expressive and so descriptive, I cold practically hear the waves crashing in the distance and smell the blossoms!

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  21. I love the beach. Thanks for the great party.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. You're welcome, Mary. But the party is still going on. There's today and tomorrow too.

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    2. Hi Mary, so glad you could come to the party, as Arlene says, we'll be partying all over the weekend too!

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    3. Why leave early? It's too much fun hanging around with everyone.

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  22. It's beautiful out here and the food is delicious. I could be happy staying here forever. Oh, I seem to have finished my drink. I need to go get a refill. *winks and grins wickedly* Maybe the gorgeous man I saw earlier will be by the drinks.

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    1. I'm so with you, Terri! :) EVERY part of the scenery here is gorgeous ;)

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    2. Hi Terri - oh yes, there are one or two totally gorgeous men around here, and the scenery, as LaVerne says, is quite good too! :)

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    3. Oh dear. Is Oliver working his magic again?

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  23. Thanks to everyone for coming here. Thanks so much Hywela Lyn. I suppose people might start drifting home soon. Tomorrow's Monday and real life begins again... But do stay if you want to see a seaside sunset.

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  24. We've loved having you here, Arlene. You've been a real joy. I for one will not forgo the chance to watch the sun set over the sea - a sight I used to be able to see from my office window when I worked at the University College of Wales! Absolutely beautiful!

    Wishing you many sales, and much future success.

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