Romance lives

Oh yeah, it really does. And since this week I'm celebrating an anniversary with the man of my dreams, I thought this was a good time to shout out my eternal enthusiasm for love and romance.

I hear people claim that there's really no such thing as happily ever after. I have to shake my head and disagree. I've been blessed to have been loved by a man I admire, respect, like and love for more than 30 years. And not a day goes by that I don't count that as the biggest blessing in my life.

Does romance die after that many years? Not in my world. Not with a man who tells you every day that you're the best thing that ever happened to him and that he loves you more than life. And not with a man who backs those words up in his actions.

So color me a lucky gal this week and help me celebrate my good fortune, my happily ever after. And as a little something for that wonderful man.... here's the song that says everything I'd say (and do).



Hope your week is filled with love and romance!!

Hugs-
Ci

Romance is more than flowers

Romance is more than just giving your lover flowers or a special gift. It’s the intimacy of sharing special moments just about the two of you.

Simply cuddling up on the couch to watch a movie can be highly romantic. Doing the tender things that convey ‘I love you’ and ‘you’re special to me’ will translate into romance if done with that special person.

Making time for each other is an act of romance. The greatest gifts you can give another person are your time… your attention… your care. To have an intimate relationship, you must be willing to be vulnerable. That’s the risk, but one that can bring great rewards in a satisfying loving relationship.

If you plan a perfect romantic evening complete with flowers, wine, dinner, and a romantic setting but don’t have intimacy then it is only window dressing. The driving force of romance is emotion. The feelings you share with your lover creates those special moments. It’s allowing your lover to see inside you and touch your soul.

That’s why watching a movie or shopping for groceries or taking a walk can be some of the most romantic moments in your relationship.

Basing Romance On Actual Historical Figures - Stede Bonnet - The Gentleman Pirate in Watchkeeper by Debra Glass

Several years ago, I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, and stayed in the beautiful Battery Carriage House Inn facing the historic White Point Gardens.

Just prior to my visit, however, I watched an episode of Haunted History that featured events witnessed by patrons of the inn. Visitors had seen the headless torso of a Civil War ghost while another spirit, dubbed the “gentleman ghost”, had frightened several females by joining them on their beds. Needless to say, I was nervous when I crawled into the antique four-poster my first night there, which, incidentally, was a Friday the thirteenth. (There’s a fine line being daring and stupid.)

Whether it was just my imagination or really the famed gentleman ghost, I felt an unmistakable presence sink onto on the bed just behind my knees that night and the night thereafter.

I knew if I had opened my eyes, I would have seen a ghost.

The next day, while on one of the historic Charleston ghost walk tours, our guide asked if anyone was staying at the inn. Sheepishly, I raised my hand and she inquired if the ghost had sat on the bed with me. I recounted my experience but told her I’d seen the episode of Haunted History.

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the History Channel’s version, which portended the gentleman ghost was a man who had committed suicide in the house.

The guide claimed she knew the identity of the real gentleman ghost. “Why, it’s Stede Bonnet,” she said in her lovely Low Country drawl. “He was incredibly handsome and was known as the ‘gentleman pirate’. He was hanged on the site where the house stands now.”

The romantic story of Stede Bonnet has fascinated me ever since.

Stede Bonnet was christened July 29, 1687. He was born into a wealthy family from Barbados. He married Mary Allamby in 1709, and the couple had four children. Shortly after the birth and subsequent death of his daughter in 1716, he purchased a ship—which he named Revenge—hired a crew and sailed off to become a pirate.

Shortly thereafter, he encountered Blackbeard. The two formed an uneasy alliance but after a falling out, Bonnet petitioned the governor of North Carolina for a pardon and a Lettre of Marque, which would classify him as a privateer instead of a pirate.

When a hurricane prevented him from obtaining his Lettre of Marque, he returned to a life of piracy.

In the late summer of 1718, Colonel William Rhett led an expedition against pirates along the Carolina coast and captured Stede Bonnet at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Bonnet was held in Charleston but managed to escape disguised in a woman’s dress.

He was recaptured and, despite impassioned entreaties for his life by the ladies of Charleston, he was hanged for piracy on December 10, 1718, at White Point Gardens.

I love basing the characters in my romance novels on actual historical figures. The hero in my first Phantom Lovers book was Thomas Benton Smith who was based on a Confederate Brigadier General.

Stede Bonnet, whose fascinating tale is not often told, seemed the perfect choice for my third book in the series, Watchkeeper.

Blurb:

When Gwendolyn Wyse booked a room at a bed and breakfast in romantic Charleston, South Carolina, she’d hoped to rekindle the flame in her cold, unresponsive husband. What she didn’t expect were divorce papers—or her husband’s untimely death.

Shocked and desperate, Gwen relies on her background as a witch and her knowledge of magic, invoking the rite of twilight to bring her husband’s soul back from the dead. But nothing prepares her for the swashbuckling spirit who answers her call—Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate, who died on that very spot three centuries prior and who now possesses her husband’s body.

Stede offers Gwen all the passion she never had with her husband. But when the pirate lays claim to her heart, Gwen must choose between the man she loves and the demands of Stede’s mortal enemy, a villainous spirit with the power to take away everything Gwen holds most dear—including her pirate lover.

Excerpt:

“Bloody damn hell!” A ragged groan tore from his throat as he collapsed and covered her.

Gwen lay on top of the scattered divorce papers underneath the man who’d confronted her with them. She was trembling and sated and flooded with renewed love for him.

She ran her hands over his back, which was misted with perspiration. His hot breath fanned her ear and she turned her head more fully toward him as he brushed his mouth against the sensitive shell. He pressed a kiss there and then propped on one elbow to gaze into her eyes.
Gwen’s stomach tightened at the combination of love and lust in his expression. She cleared her throat. “I don’t suppose you plan to divorce me after this.”

His forehead furrowed. “Divorce?”

Gwen swallowed. “I can change if you can. I want this to work.”

“What to work, luv?”

“Our marriage.”

He burst into laughter. “Marriage?”

Gwen was stunned—and bruised. Her hand slid from his shoulder and she swiped at a lock of sweat-dampened hair that had stolen across her face. “Yes, our marriage.”

“Marriage?” he repeated incredulously.

Gwen’s eyes narrowed. “If you still want a divorce after this, then by all means, you fucking bastard, give me a pen and I’ll sign the papers.”

He cleared his throat. “Luv, how can we possibly divorce when we are not married?”

Anger flared. She slapped at his shoulders. “Get off me and stop with that fake accent.”

He made no move to get off her. Instead, he endured her feeble pushing and slapping until she grew weary and stopped. When she was finally breathless, he said, “Exactly who, my lovely lady witch, do you think I am?”

Panic surged.

Gwen stared.

He was still semi-erect inside her.

But who was he?

Suddenly, a blast of wind rushed through the room, rattling the windows and door violently. Roger’s divorce papers swirled around her while the plantation blinds rattled. The temperature in the room felt as if it had abruptly dropped twenty degrees.

“Major Stede Bonnet!” a voice reverberated in the tiny room. The sound of it had an unearthly, metallic rasp to it.

Gwen gasped. Her gaze riveted to the pale apparition of a pirate. He stood inches from the bed with his legs braced wide and his hands on his hips. She froze.

Wearing a cutlass belted to his hip and twin flintlock pistols jammed into the waistband of his breeches, he was dressed from head to toe in the eighteenth-century garb of a pirate. A greasy black, braided beard jutted from his chin, hanging halfway down his chest. His bottle green coat was so long it nearly concealed his trousers. The coat’s impossibly wide cuffs were turned up and held in place with big brass buttons. Thigh-high black leather boots and a ragged, feathered tricorn hat completed his pirate ensemble.

“Edward Teach,” seethed the man who was still embedded inside her.

Gwen’s gaze flicked back and forth between them. Her heart beat rapidly. Well…she had wanted to meet a ghost. But this one looked downright mean.

The sulfurous odor of brimstone permeated the air.

Chills swept her arms and legs despite the carnal heat of the man on top of her. The voice in her head told her there was no possibility of life ever going to back to normal. Not after this.

Watchkeeper

Phantom Lovers

Debra Glass

Click Here To Buy Watchkeeper

About The Author

Debra Glass is the author of numerous erotic romance novels, including Gatekeeper, Shadowkeeper, Watchkeeper, Restraint, Death By Chocolate, Bought And Paid For, and Extra Sensual Perception. She has written several regional folklore books and has had numerous articles published in Fate Magazine and various Civil War magazines. She lives in Alabama with her adorable, romance reading husband and one very spoiled black cat.

10 Ways to Survive Spooky Love

Love with a monster is not all that it's cracked up to be.

There are certain things you have to consider when falling in love with a creature of darkness and then moving in with him.

1. Where to live. Chances are you'll have to move into his place because he has all the systems in place to keep you and of course others safe for when he becomes a lunatic during a full moon.
   
   
2. Meeting the family. This could get a bit uncomfortable if you aren't prepared. Rent some tapes like the Adams family, Munsters and a few others to place you in the right frame of mind.
   
   
3. Picking out furniture. Chances are the average human couple doesn't shop for a red, silk-lined coffin, so don't get panicky when the topic comes up. Remember, compromise is a key component to building a good relationship.
   
   
4. Grocery shopping. Yeah, this one is going to be a real sore point for some. Vampires don't eat food, so that's a no brainer, you'll be buying for one. Werewolves like raw red meat, so be prepared for a bigger food budget. The upside is little to no food preparation.



5. Sleeping schedules. This could easily become an issue if this is the first time you've ever been with a vampire. Communication is the key to overcoming any issue. If your lover is a werewolf, you'll only have about 3-4 nights per month of disturbing sleep patterns.
   
   
6. Clothing expenses? Shapeshifting lovers can present some real challenges, so you'll need an open-mind and even be willing to share your wardrobe should the occasion call for it.
   
   
7. Transportation. So your lover could bankrupt a frequent flyer program. Try to find ways to take advantage of it. Gargoyles and vampires are both governed by the night, so getting a lift across town will be limited to after sunset hours. If you work a nightshift, then you'll save on gas and car maintenance.
   
   
8. Chores. This can be one of the most difficult aspects of co-habitation, especially when opposites have attracted. You need to divide the housework between the two of you before moving in. Surely those wings can be put to good use like dusting.
   


9. Friends. Your friends and his friends and how to make them into our friends will be very challenging. Typically we have things in common with our friends, so try and find common interests with his friends. If howling at the moon isn't your thing, then maybe dancing under a full moon is. Hate bats? Therapy might be necessary.
   
   
10. Entertaining. Having guests over to dinner or throwing a fun party are activities you can enjoy as a couple. Just make sure your lover knows that guests are off limits as food choices and you should be fine.

Read More

The Day the Music Died

And no I'm not about to start singing "bye bye Miss American Pie". I'm referring to the fact that before dawn on Friday my laptop crashed and even though I was able to get it back up and running (after many hours with tech support) I lost all of my muic.

Yes, I had a "waaaaa" moment. More so over that than the fact I lost a book I was writing and had only two chapters left to finish it. The book I can rewrite - and make it better than the first time around. The music? That stabs deep.

Music plays a big part in my life. Each book I've written has a certain kind of music attached to it. Each important event in my life has music associated with it. Every time I get romantic or frisky with my honey ... you guessed it, there's a musical theme.

Today I'm rewriting that book I lost and the music that's playing is one of my all-time favorites from a lady I think is one of the biggest talents ever....



Hope you find some love sneakin' up on you:)

Happy Sunday!!
Ci

People Who Judge People Who Read Romance

Happy Friday Morning!

Sally asked me if I’d like to take a day each month to blog. Me? The self-professed non-blogger? You gotta start somewhere so I agreed to do it. Hey, who can say no to the woman who writes such sexy gargoyles?

The big dilemma – what to say. Should I talk about the gratification I experience when the Muse comes to visit and the latest WIP takes shape? Everyone who writes knows that feeling.

After much thought, I decided to talk about one of my pet peeves – people who judge people who read romance.

Romance isn’t a dirty word, no matter how some people try to make it so. I could care less what people think about the books I read. In fact, I’ve never cared. I’ve never hid my books from anyone, including my family. They knew not to touch.

Do you hide your books under a book cover? If you do, why? Are you embarrassed for the repairman or someone in a doctor’s office to see what you read?

What makes romance romance? Love between two individuals, right? So what’s wrong with reading a love story? Absolutely nothing! I read a lot of different genres, some not romance. I’ve listened to whispered comments by people who label Romance porn. Have you read some of the classic authors? My first introduction to explicit sex was when I read my first Harold Robbins novel, The Adventurers. Shocked? Yes, I was. Would I read it again? Of course. In fact, I might get it from the library and re-read it. Mother Dear threw away my copy. She labeled it as filth.

And what about those people who complain about so-called risque book covers? What’s the purpose of those things anyway? To titillate you, correct? I remember when friends referred to them as ‘bodice rippers.’ Crass and a little dumb, huh? I’ve seen the term used recently, too.

Who are these people to judge what you and I read? We won’t even think about those narrow-minded people who complain that the book covers are harmful to their children. Children belong in their own section of a bookstore.

Thanks for reading. I hope I haven’t put you to sleep today. Be kind, this is my first time.

Next month – Romance and the Holidays.


The Vixen Moderator and Lover of Books!

p.s. Remember, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Do yourself a favor! Get that mammogram. A few minutes of a little pain could save you a lifetime of pain and worry!

The Fall 2008 NOR Awards & Book Flicks

Hi Romance Vixens,

Thanks for having us on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Over at Night Owl Romance we have quite a bit going on. We recently had a site uplift. We hope everyone likes it and that things are a bit easier to find. You can now find links to some great reviews on our homepage along with some longer versions of some of the reviews. We also have a recommended read section and an author spotlight section. Oh and don't forget the bookmark club. We will send you out a set of bookmarks every 4 months - and it's free! We even pick-up the postage. USA Shipping Only.

If you are looking for something more interactive you can watch mini videos of books and we also have a some audio excerpts. The audio excerpts can be found on our homepage. http://www.nightowlromance.com/ - Videos at: http://www.mybookflick.com/

We also have our Fall NOR Awards going on. So, make sure you get your votes in.

We are doing awards for best romances, best erotic romances and also best erotic romance ebook covers.

Romance Voting at:

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards/fall2008norawardsromancebooks.asp

Erotic Romance Voting at:

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards/fall2008norawardseroticebooks.asp

Ebook Covers at:

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards/bebc2008fall.asp

The voting is going on through Dec. 31st, 2008

One Vote Per Person

On a secondary note - If you like the new NOR header and want one for yourself you can find out more information on Tammie's other website - http://www.tammiekingwebdesign.com/ - Tammie has been doing up some cool ones for authors - See them at: http://tammiekingwebdesign.com/tammiekingwebdesign/romanceauthorgraphics.asp

The Wickedly Romantic authors, Taylor Tryst and Cilia Jade all have used one of Tammie's banners on their blog or website.

Now - If your hungry and want to start baking or cooking up liquid potions some authors have Recipes for you! This year's Author Recipe Celebration is on! You can find things for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all year long. Who would want to miss out on - Ashlyn Chase's - Lazy Hot Buttered Rum, Shawna Moore's - Way to a Man’s Heart Cake, Rae Lori's - Razzle Dazzle Pork Chops, Vicki Lewis Thompson's - Never Fail Cup Cakes, Red Garnier's - Aztec Hot Chocolate or Elain Lowe's - Chocolate Trifle. NOT ME!

Make sure you cook up some for me :)

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/ARC/arc2008.asp

Well that's it for this month. Come and join us for fun. We have lots of chats scheduled throught the next couple of months.

Hugs to you all and happy reading!

Tammie & the Night Owl Romance Girls