The Death Of Books, Or Is It?

Recently I've been reading numerous articles on people debating and bemoaning the demise of print books versus the rise of electronic books, while others insist readership is on a fast decline.
With millions addicted to the written word, I'd say readers are here to stay. The format and presentation of it may change with time, but then change is inevitable. Nothing remains the same forever. However remember it's the written word itself that's important. As long as it is always available to all that's what counts.
Do I prefer print books versus electronic books? Yes, I do. I love the feel of a book in my hands, placing a bookmark between the pages to await my return and finally making it part of my library to enjoy over and over again, or passing it on to other book addicts to enjoy.
I also think about how great it would be to have a Kindle and download a bunch of books. Imagine the convenience when traveling, not to mention storage. In the end I believe it will all sort itself out, to the disappointment of some and the satisfaction of others. But always remember it's the demise of the written word that should remain our main concern.
I'll leave you with a quote from a true book addict... Erasmus. "When I get a little money I buy books, and if any is left I buy food and clothes."
How do you feel about print books versus electronic books?

Week Two Feb. Contest

This week take a chance to win an autographed copy of The Bewitching Twin plus an autographed cover flat of The Angel & The Highlander. Just put contest in the comment box with your e-mail address or as many of you chose to do e-mail me at donna@donnafletcher.com. I'll post the winner on Saturday (Valentine's Day). Good luck to everyone!
Here's a brief excerpt from The Bewitching Twin...
"I have need of you."
"Define this need," Aliss said sharply before losing confidence.
"Your skills. They are necessary to my clan."
"Tell me more," she said hesitantly, daring to hope that was all he wanted of her.
"Illness has ravaged my clan. Old and young alike are dying and some are not affected at all. It is as if the heavens pick and choose who will be spared. Your skill as a healer is known and I need it to help save my people."
"Then I wish to make a trade," Aliss said, knowing full well she would never deny the ill the benefit of her knowledge.
He smirked. "You think to bargain with me when you sit here on my ship, as my prisoner?"
The reason for her abduction could also be the solution. Excited, she spoke with haste. "I have something you want, my skills; you have something I want, my freedom. I will trade you one for the other. As soon as I heal your people, you will return me home. It is a fair and reasonable bargain."
"You must heal my people," he said as if confirming his acquiescence.
She nodded and repeated, "Then you will take me home."
He gave a quick nod and moved closer.
His imposing size and the fierce wolf head made her wish that she could fade into the corner behind her, but then that would be retreating, and she could almost hear her twin sister scolding her for cowering. Fiona's rebuke would be clear; show the enemy a weakness and you give him a weapon.
"Then we have a bargain," she said with bravado.
A glint surfaced in his eyes and for a moment, Aliss expected him to smile, but he did not.
"How do you know you can trust me?"
"I ask the same of you."
His icy stare froze her.
"Do not think to play games with my peoples' lives."
The mere suggestion that she would use her healing skills to do harm turned her fiery hot and melted away her fear. "How dare you even suggest that!"
He nearly plastered his nose to hers. "I dare anything when it comes to the protection of my people."
"Like kidnapping a helpless healer?"
He glared at her. "You are far from helpless."
His compliment startled her.
"You will heal my people," he said sternly and stood.
"You will return me home." Her words were meant to seal their bargain and she could only pray that he was a warrior true to his word.

February Contests

Behold, February is here but not spring according to Punxsutawney Phil (Happy Groundhog Day). But what the heck, it's the month of romance. Hearts, flowers, chocolates and more chocolates! So to celebrate romance I'm going to hold weekly contests this month. Each Monday, four in all, I'll post the contest on my blog and the winner will be announced that Saturday.
To enter just leave your name and email address in the comment box or if you prefer email me at donna@donnafletcher.com. This week the prize is an autographed copy of Return of the Rogue and an autographed cover flat of Lachlan's book The Angel & The Highlander.
Good luck to everyone and happy romance month!

Recipes & Mysteries

Taking a break from edits and proposals, I turned to sorting through recipes I've collected (and I continue to collect). I admit I haven't tried them all, but I'm working my way through them. It got me to thinking of a mystery book I read, and enjoyed, years ago that had recipes in it. While I couldn't recall the author's name, I knew I could find food mysteries at Amazon and sure enough I did.
Here are some scrumptious (couldn't resist) mysteries to try.
Sweet Revenge
(Goldy Culinary Mysteries Book 14)
Diane Mott Davidson

Cooking Up Murder
(A Cooking Class Mystery)
Miranda Bliss

On What Grounds
(Coffeehouse Mysteries No. 1)
Cleo Coyle

The Chocolate Jewel Case
(Chocoholic Mysteries No. 7)
JoAnna Carl

Key Lime Pie Murder
(Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes No. 9)
Joanne Fluke
Ms. Fluke's book titles are mouthwatering: Cherry Cheesecake Murder, Peach Cobbler Murder, Carrot Cake Murder, Fudge Cupcake Murder.

Can anyone else recommend a food mystery book?

Guest Blogging Today

I'm blogging today at http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/ stop by, visit and take a chance to win Return of the Rogue, Under the Highlander's Spell and the cover of Lachlan's book The Angel and The Highlander, due in stores April 28, 2009.

Back Again

I was away for a week visiting with my four year old grandson. We were very busy playing cars, drawing and his favorite... the invisibility blanket. We sit under a particular blanket and no one knows we're there, except rabbit, squirrel and bird who gather around us. We also did a lot of reading. I'm always buying him books. His favorite at the moment is Bad Dog Marley and I believe I now know it by heart. He thinks the part where Marley drinks out of the toilet is hilarious. He's such a cutie, I just love him a bunch.
Unfortunately, he had a head cold and gave it to me as a parting gift, along with his hugs and kisses. But I must admit that it gives me a reasonable excuse to spend time resting, which means hot tea and a book.
I will, however, be guest blogging on Wednesday. You have to love the Internet. You can keep a speaking engagement of sorts sick or not. I'll let you know all the particulars on Wednesday.
Right now though, I'm going to enjoy that hot tea and book.

San Francisco Surrender

San Francisco Surrender was the first book I sold. I can't begin to tell you what I thrill it was to see it on a shelf in the bookstore. It wasn't supposed to be available yet, but I checked the romance section anyway and there it was. I can honestly say that my legs grew weak when I spotted it. And yes I bought more than one!
Almost twenty years later with the rights returned tome, I decided to do light revisions and offer it as an e-book. I'm pleased and proud to announce that San Francisco Surrender is now available on Kindle at Amazon.
Also a very special thanks to talented artist, Michael Di Pascale for creating the new cover. He went beyond my expectations in bringing the Dragon and the Serpent to life.
I have enjoyed revisiting these special characters and refreshing their love story. So take a stroll with me down memory lane.
San Francisco 1873, Barbary Coast
Drunken men being shanghaied, robberies common place, prostitution available at every turn and clipper ships arriving daily keeps the Barbary Coast an exciting and dangerous place, and one not easy to survive.
Presently, a thief known as the Serpent is leaving his stinging mark along the wharf. He robs from the rich blokes who frequent the area in pursuit of the prostitutes and leaves a damaging mark so close to their manhoods that they all fall faint at the sensation of his blade slicing so near to their family jewels.
One man in particular is not at all pleased with the trouble the thief is causing and he is approached by other concerned citizens to see to the demise of the Serpent. After all it should be easy for a man known as the Dragon to do in the Serpent.
Sebastian Blood takes on the task but is furious when under disguise as a drunken fool he tastes the sting of the Serpent. He swears to make the thief pay.
But the Serpent is none other then a young woman Victoria, disguised as the lad Vic and turned thief out of necessity. Her younger sister Beth is extremely ill and needs constant medical attention. When it becomes too dangerous for Vic to continue the role as the Serpent, she does the only thing she can... she seeks employment with the Dragon. He in turn feels for the lad and his dire situation so he takes Vic and his sister in and that's when the fun and love begins.

Happy New Year!

2008 winds to an end (here) with a brief snow squall and then the sun shined through. Now that's a terrific omen ... after the squall sunshine! That means the year ahead holds a bright future... which is what I wish for all of you!
Enjoy the night, but be safe and wise and welcome the New Year with smiles and promises.
Happy New Year!

The Angel & The Highlander's Book Cover

Check out The Angel & The Highlander's book cover on my website.
http://donnafletcher.com/

Yule Log

I can imagine the Sinclare brothers are busy walking the woods in search of the perfect Yule log and wishing their youngest brother Ronan was with them.
Burning a Yule log is a long standing Christmas tradition, though it started long before the first Christmas. It's part of the Winter Solstice celebration, when the darkest part of the year dies and light is once again reborn. Sprigs of holly were tossed into the fire to cast off old troubles and to start anew. There was song and dance, storytelling and food and drink. A bit of the previous year's Yule log was saved to help start the new one and to keep continuity. The saved piece was also believed to keep the house safe throughout the new year.
Since I presently don't have a fireplace, I plan on doing as the French did when big fireplaces in France began to become obsolete. Instead, they created a cake roll resembling a log and called it "Buche de Noel." I intend to bake one, place a sprig of holly on it and encourage my guests to do the same, casting off the old and starting anew.

Give a Kid Book!

Every Christmas among many other gifts my three sons received a book. All different types from fiction to non-fiction, and of course comic books for my son Marc. I've carried on the tradition with my grandchildren.
So here are a few recommends for young children.
Any Paddington Bear book by Michael Bond is a winner. When I worked at Borders Bookstore as a community relations coordinator I would get various book character costumes for events. When I got Paddington I got a paw stamp and had him sign books for the kids. My granddaughter now has a book signed by Paddington. You can do the same for your child.
A Very Marley Christmas by John Grogan and Richard Cowdrey is a must for my four year old grandson since I recently gave him Bad Dog Marley for his birthday. He insisted I read it so many times that I know it by heart. He specially liked the part where Marley drinks out of the toilet.
Any Fancy Nancy book by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss-Glasser is a sure fire treat. The author and illustrator do a great job of introducing fancy words to young girls. When I gave my three year old granddaughter Fancy Nancy and The Posh Puppy I also took her to a local Build-A-Bear store where she chose a pooch and dressed her fancy. We had a great time.
Give A Mouse A Cookie and Give A Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe and Felicia are also great choices. All of these books have been given 5 stars by my two grandchildren.
So don't waste another minute, give a book for the holidays!

Ronan's Book

I have a tentative pub. date for Ronan's book. As of now it's due in bookstores January 2010. However that can change, so check my blog for updates.

Christmas Cookie Recipes

My sister and I are going to spend a couple of days baking Christmas cookies. Then we'll be sharing them with family and friends. If anyone has any cookie recipes they'd like to share send them along. We're eager to add new ones to old favorites. I'll share a few of my own recipes over the next couple of weeks. Happy baking!

List of My Books

Many of you are asking about a list of my books in order of series being made available on my website. It's in the works, I promise, so please be patient. In the meantime I'll e-mail a list to anyone who asks for it.

Rebellious Bride in the News

My friend Renee called me all excited. She told me that my book Rebellious Bride was in an article in the NY Post titled Blond Justice. Not quite romance but a nice shot of my book cover. Have a look.

The Sinclare Brothers

When I first got the idea for the Sinclare brothers series I was so excited. I grabbed one of my big notebooks (I keep extras on hand) and got busy learning all about them. How were the brothers alike? How were they different? What type of woman would be good for each of them? What were their individual stories? And on and on and on until the brothers came to full life along with the Sinclare family.
I looked forward to writing each brother's book and I loved being able to revisit with all the characters in the books that followed and creating new ones... a few surprising characters at that.
While readers have enjoyed Cavan (Return of the Rogue) and Artair's (Under The Highlander's Spell) stories, I went on to write Lachlan and Ronan's books. Though there is still editing to be done on Ronan's book, it's basically finished and I was sad for it to end. I truly love those Sinclare men! And as for the Sinclare family... they have struggled through difficult times and have shared joyous ones. And I've enjoyed every moment I have spent with them. I hope you have too.
There's much for you to learn about Ronan, but first I can't wait for you to read Lachlan's story, The Angel & The Highlander in stores May 2009. Over the next few months you'll find out more about Lachlan and his love and of course there's the great cover that I hope will be available soon.
I have lots more ideas in the works and will be reporting on them soon enough. In the meantime I'll be sharing my musings about my writing and things in general with all of you. Right now I'm about to start research on a Highlander warrior king!
Where's that new notebook of mine?

A Reminder

Just wanted to remind you that you can order Under The Highlander's Spell straight from Donna's Store on my website. Happy Reading!

Where did my musing take me today?

Characters in a book basically have minds of their own. I always think I know my characters before I begin to write about them. After all, I write up bio sheets, see them in my mind's eye and almost hear their voices in my head. Then I begin their story and what happens? They take over. They do unexpected things; say unexpected things. Suddenly I'm not sure who they are but they certainly show me who they are.
Cavan from Return of the Rogue gave me a start. He had more secrets than I realized and had more scars that needed mending. It was interesting to see how he evolved.
Do I still continue to write up bio sheets? Of course, it's how my characters come to life, but how they live is up to them.

First Musing

With the unexpected delay in the launch of my new website www.donnafletcher.com, my son Marc suggested that I join blogger.com to keep my readers updated on my books and anything else of interest.
I am a wordsmith, a.k.a a writer. More precisely, a USA Today best selling, historical romance author. I don't claim to be an expert wordsmith, but I'm not a neophyte. Words fascinate me and I love working with them. They are my best friends and at times misbehaved children who refuse to come together coherently. But like a good parent I don't give up.
My most recent efforts turned into my 24th novel, Return of the Rogue. It's the first book in a four book series about four Highlander brothers. The reviews have been great and the numerous e-mails I've been getting tell me they can't wait for the other three books. If you'd like to know more about Return of the Rogue and more about me go to Avon.
I love connecting with readers, wordsmiths and people in general. So opinions, thoughts, suggestions and definitely encouragement are greatly appreciated.
I'll be musing on my books, all areas of writing and more - please join me when you can.
One more thing, my son Marc just published his first comic book Adam Zero the Last Man of Earth. Go to his website www.adamzero.com and find out more about it.