Rachel Harlin's Blog

For the past couple months, we have been fixing up our new house, moving, and fixing it up more. In fact we have a long way to go. But I have been trying to write when I get a free moment. However, as a result, I am not blogging or networking much. There's just not enough time in my day. But I have been working on things. So I thought you might like to hear from me and get a sample of something I'm working on. I hope you enjoy it!










Morgyn placed a
glass of something in front of her, causing her to lift her head from the
table. Steam rose form it like smoke, producing a combined smell of cinnamon
and garlic. Her nose scrunched and her eyes watered.

“No, thank
you.” She turned her head and laid it back on her arms.

“Drink. It will
help you feel better.” He pushed the offensive drink in her face again.

She sat up.
“I’m not drinking that.”

“It’s not as
bad as it smells.”

She quirked a
delicate eyebrow up in a daring fashion, and he had the decency to duck his
head.

“It will help
you feel better,” he mumbled, and turned to rummage through the glass bottles
on his bookshelf. “Just plug your nose and down it.”

She
contemplated the glass, like a may grow arms and attack her. Shaking herself of
such a ridiculous thought, she threw her shoulders back and slowly extended her
hand until it clasped around the cup. If felt surprisingly light for a full
glass of something so vial.

Before the
offensive odor could affect her, she plugged her nose with her free hand and
swiftly drank the contents. The liquid slid over her throat like warm silk.
When she placed the glass back on the table, gasping, she released her nose
with surprise as only the lingering taste of cinnamon remained in her mouth.

Slowly, her
body relaxed enough that she could analyze the situation.

“Why was
Rettick killed?” Though she spoke the question out loud, she didn’t expect an
answer. “He has always been so dominating in fights. I never thought anything
could bring him down.”

“Did the
Commander give any indication that Rettick had been ill?”

She shook her
head. “He must have been surprised when he opened the carriage door.”

“But if he
opened the door, surely the conveyance would have been stopped. And if they
were in the forest, he would have been suspicious and opened the door with
great care. He would not have been surprised if a bandit stood waiting for him
on the other side.”

“You’re right.
He would have put up a fight.”

“Rettick may
have been attacked, but I doubt he was attacked in the manner the Commander
stated.”

“But Cornelius
said he was rendered unconscious.”

“But he also
said he saw his son attacked.”

In an instant,
something Cornelius said while she listened outside the door to his office
struck her. “Something I overheard him tell Vidal was that someone would be
fine and learn his own insignificance. Could they have been speaking of
Rettick?”

Morgyn
shrugged, a strange twinkle in his eye.

“I’m going to
look for him.”

“Who? Rettick?”

“He may still
be alive.” She marched to the door.

Morgyn stopped
her. “He won’t be where they were attacked. His body, dead or alive, will have
been moved.”

“Yes, but there
will be tracks to follow. I will find him. I have to find him. I am the only
one who knows he’s still alive.”

Morgan lifted
an eyebrow, much as she had earlier. “Besides the Commander and his brother.”

She threw him a
silencing glare. “I am his only ally.”

Samantha Chandler has a Bachelor’s in Architecture from
the University of
Miami. She is the Design
Director for an architectural firm in Miami
therefore, she writes her first romance novel...of course.




Rachel: Did you enjoy reading as a child?

Samantha: I have
always read, and if I wasn’t reading I was drawing as a child. When I grew, my
favorite class was English, and my favorite place to be was my design studio in
school. I read everything from Shakespeare to Existentialism. I had amazing teachers
that made us read out loud in class and discuss the passages. How I hated to be
called on to read! All in all though, these stories in school were my first
book-cations.

Rachel: When did you first start to think of yourself as a
writer?

Samantha: I
started thinking about writing when I read all of Judith McNaught’s novels and
felt...okay...now what? I fell in love with every one of her characters. I
decided that I would write my own story because I had to wait for her next book
and sometimes.... I have a problem with waiting.

Rachel: I have problems, too! What surprised you about
being a writer?

Samantha: I
surprised myself when my writing was instinctive. It has never been a task, and
it has never stressed me out

Rachel: What inspires you to write?

Samantha: What inspires me is reading. When you read a
truly good romance novel, there is a moment that you get that “falling in love”
feeling; it is well worth your investment of time. I wish I could bottle the feeling
and sell it.... I would make millions. So my quest is to make the reader fall
in love with a character, a place, a gesture. If I can make you sigh...I’m
happy.

Rachel: Do you try to write daily, and if so, do you set a
goal of a certain number of words?

Samantha: Oh
dear. I sit at the computer and write, and I never look at the word count. It’s
like seeing a movie that’s playing in my mind. It’s time to get up when my back
starts to bother me or when I feel like I need inspiration. The term “freshen
up” was really meant for writers.

Rachel: So true. What gets in your way of writing?

Samantha: Life,
composed of but not limited to: a man named Lester, two sons; 16 and 20 years
old, an American bull dog, work, and of course laundry and groceries…. I won’t
continue because you know where this is going...like I’ve told my friends the
extra day of the week after Sunday is Someday.

Rachel: How do you get past it?

Samantha: I think
best and write my best in the morning when everyone is asleep, even the dog.

Rachel: What makes you CRAZY about writing?

Samantha: Conceptually
what drives me CRAZY is the fact that I
would love the story to be an original...an angle left unexplored. This is difficult....I’m
still on that quest. When I am actually writing, what drives me CRAZY are the quotation
marks and the He said/She said. Uh!!

Rachel: How long does it take you to complete a book?

Samantha: DUTY
was a few years because I never really thought I would publish it, and I would
come back to it every now and then. I kept the heroine on her way to London for at least 4
month one time. I will keep better time on Remind Me Forever my next romance.

Rachel: Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Samantha: I love the settings, fashion, architecture -
anything that involves design. I also like strong women that can hold their own
but still realize that love is not a weakness. I marvel at how poorly we communicate with
each other and how the truth can be interpreted in many shades of gray when it
is truly black or white. Somewhere in that gray, there is a story.

Rachel: Yes. I often find it fascinating that the exact
same situation can be interpreted many different ways. It’s very intriguing to
me. What is your favorite writing food?

Samantha: Anything
that crunches or Starbucks coffee...Bold, a little half/half and splenda

Rachel: Who do you hope reads your work?

Samantha: Everyone. Women that love romance and men that
need to understand that women love romance!

Rachel: What is the best complement you have ever received
from a fan?

Samantha: One
lady wrote me and said that I had allowed her to escape. That was great because
every now and then all of us need to escape.

Rachel: What are you working on now?

Samantha: Remind
Me Forever, the story of Pierce and Laura. In this novel I want to introduce
the OMG Society and establish an origin to Facebook...lol My first observation
of the OMG Society: “A man always has a perfect plan, a woman’s plan is to make
every man perfect.” Actually that pretty much sums it up, I think.

Thanks for stopping by, Samantha. If you’d like to know
more about Samantha Chandler, visit her website.

Today's review is Dedicated Undeniably to You by Samantha Chandler.




Back Cover:

Fate
has plans for Lord Christopher Jared, the future Duke of Darenth. Although he proclaims
that the notions of love and marriage are truly lost on him, the time is
drawing near when his resolve will be put to the test. He will soon learn that
the contractual obligation to marry as established by his father will not be
what changes his life. What will alter his world will be the force of his own
heart that has willingly underestimated the power of falling in love happily
ever after.




My Take:

This was a fun story. I enjoyed the journey the characters took in this story. Of course, I love a good romance, and this was nice and clean. The characters were fun to follow and this is one that had me thinking about it after I turned the last page.




Join me again for an interview with Samantha.

About the book:

A Royal Elf of Abalon is the latest by author Anna Del C Dye. It is the
story of a young girl, Amaria, raised by her mother, the cruel queen Amathis.
Amathis jealously hordes her daughters love and attention. When the kingdom is
attacked by orks, Amaria is sent to safety. While there, she begins to discover
the depth of her mother's cruelty. Upon returning to the kingdom, she meets one
of the elves who came to protect the kingdom, Kurzan. Kurzan and Amaria quickly
fall in love, though it is a forbidden love.




The story follows Amaria's journey from innocent young princess to
wise and loving queen. Amaria quickly becomes a strong, admirable woman
who must prove her worthiness to rule. Amaria learns who she can trust, and
whose advice to take to heart as she learns to rule. As time goes on, and
Amaria tries to discover a way to be with her love, secrets are revealed which
may throw Amaria's kingdom into an uproar.




A Royal Elf of Abalon is a wonderful, epic fantasy with a strong heroine
who has much to be admired about her. The story sweeps you in, and every time
you think you know what is going to happen, Dye takes the story in a new
direction to keep you guessing. Amaria and Kurzan's story is heartbreaking and
wonderful all at the same time. There are many secondary characters who are
equally enthralling. You'll find yourself caught up in their stories as much as
Amaria's. Dye's great story is full of all the things that make a book great:
forbidden love, intrigue, secrets, wars, elves, orks . . . there is more than
enough to grab any readers interest and hold it until the end.

~Cindy Bennett author of the “Geek Girl”






I haven't gotten to read this one yet, so I won't give you my take on it! However, I did have the privilege of interviewing Anna!




Rachel: Hi Anna! Thanks for being in my
blog this week.

Anna: It is my pleasure to be here. I
love to meet new people.

Rachel: So, tell us what’s happening with
you?

Anna: My life has been quite busy lately.
I am getting ready for the “Renaissance Faire & Fantasy Festival” which
will take three of my weekends in May. I take my books and have fun being a
princess for three weeks. I really love it.

Rachel: That does sound fun. Tell us about
your upcoming release.

Anna: After the great success of “The
Curse of the Elfs,” I’ll release: “A Royal Elf in Abalon” this May.

Rachel: That’s great news! Where can we
find this book?

Anna: Amazon, B&N, and my website will
all have the links to buy it.

Rachel: What inspired you to write this
book?

Anna: Amathis, the queen in the story.
She is a selfish, demanding, and cruel woman. She forced me to write it.

Rachel: The mean ol’ thing! (secretly smiling) What
fantasy bug bit you and got you started writing these mystical tales?

Anna: It was
a great masterful bug and it bit me hard a few years ago—The name of the bug J.
R. R. Tolkien. I love Lord of the Rings and that is my inspiration for my Elf
Series.

 Rachel: Intriguing. I have recently become very interested in fantasy
books! Especially ones with a little romance! So tell us what is this book
about?

Anna: A princess of a mankind kingdom, who
is so sheltered by her mother that she makes some unsafe choices growing up.
They will change her life and that of her kingdom as she faces challenges that
she isn’t prepared for. It also tells of a young Elf who feels an unsafe
fascination about the nearby mankind kingdom. Against his elders’ wishes, he
ventures there, finding heartaches, betrayal, and murder.

Rachel: Now I
want to read this tale! Tell us what’s the first rule in building a fantasy
world?

Anna: To
stay true to the rules. If you say beings in that world don’t do something,
don’t have them doing it later without explaining what changed so that now they
can do what you said they couldn’t.

Rachel: That’s
sometimes really hard to do. Have you ever wanted to write your book in one direction but your
characters wanted to go in another direction? What did you do in such a
situation?

Anna: Your
characters are the most important parts of your book. So, if they want to go
left you go left, even if you wanted to go right. If you don’t, it will be
quite hard to make them change and your tale will feel forced. I want my tales
to go smoothly, so I don’t fight the characters, they know better than me. 

Rachel:
Sometimes people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. Tell us
what’s the most unglamorous thing
you’ve done in the past week?

Anna: Change
dirty diapers and keep my little Alexis happy. She didn’t feel to good. I love taking
care of her though.

Rachel: What's your favorite music?

Anna:
Romantic, hands down. The Platters, The Stylistics, Nat King Cole, Johnny
Mathis. Soft rock. Lots of oldies. More recent artists: Il Divo, Julio
Iglesias, Celine Dion, etc.

Rachel: What other fantasy tale are you
weaving for us?

Anna: I am ready to finished The Flying
Elf, which will be my Elf book for next year.

Rachel: Thanks
so much for sharing with us, Anna.

Anna: Thank
you for inviting me to come. I had a wonderful time visiting with you.

Rachel: If
you’d like to find out more about Anna please visit: http://www.annadelc.com,
and to read reviews of Anna’s books visit her online or at Barnes & Noble. 

I watched The Proposal again the other night! I had forgotten how funny it is! If you haven't seen it and love Sandra Bullock or Ryan Reynalds, they are a great match for this movie! Gotta love it!







In case you are curious, I'm hoping to have another Wednesday Romance coming up in a week or two!

Today's review is Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry.


Brief Summary:
In a secluded village, magic sparkles on the edges of the forest. There, a young girl named Evie possesses unusually strong powers as a healer. A gypsy's charms--no more than trinkets when worn by others--are remarkably potent when Evie ties them around her neck. Her talents, and charms, have not escaped the notice of the shy stonemason's apprentice. But Evie wants more than a quiet village and the boy next-door. When the young king's carriage arrives one day, and his footman has fallen ill, Evie might just get her chance after all...


My Take:
I don't always like YA books, maybe because I'm starting to feel old since my oldest daughter is nearing her teen years. Anyway, I remembered enjoying The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry, so I thought I'd give this a try.


I am thrilled to report that I loved Secondhand Charm! I'm not sure why. I don't like snakes at all, but I was drawn into the book from the first page. (I'm working on figuring out how to do that with my own writing as well, so this was good for me to recognize.)


Evie is a young girl who wants to learn about being a doctor. Due to the kindness of the king, she travels to the capital to attend the university. On her way, she discovers that the things she'd always believed about herself are not true. Everything changes in the time it takes for the ship she's traveling on to sink. She puts her education on hold in order to learn more about her background. Through everything, there is a certain boy who keeps coming to her aide. Though he has his own struggles, the romance that blossoms between them is sweet and intense. As together they save the kingdom, they must both decide what they truly want.


Since I love romances, (not that this is considered a romance, but there is a nice little bit of it in here,) I have been trying to dissect the romance in this novel. It is simple and sweet, yet the book is not focused on it. Still, I think it is the not knowing what will happen is part of what spurred me on.
If you are looking for a fun, fast read, you will surely enjoy this book!

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted any Wednesday Romances lately. I am finding it quite difficult to work, be a wife and mother, write anything, and blog. I know people do it all the time, I just can't seem to squeeze everything in.


My husband and I are also in the process of buying a house. We have been at this for almost a year now, so we are praying that this time things actually work out for us. (Perhaps one day I'll write down my adventures.) Unfortunately, it's been a long, trying, and very stressful time as we have been living with family. While we are grateful for the opportunity to save money, it is hard to find a place to think and type. So, as you may have guessed, my blogging has been one of the first things to be put on the back burner. I apologize to all of you who are so dedicated check my blog week after week just to read a romance that I haven't had time to edit.


So, along with everything else, I am working on trying to get Sweet Ivy published; I am writing a Fantasy about a girl who travels to another world, encounters mythical beings, finds an impossible love, and saves the kingdom of Aveleon from war. I am also starting a new Wednesday Romance about a orphaned waif with a desire to prove herself, even if it means breaking all the laws and doing what no man has ever been able to do before.

I am not certain how frequent any of this will show up on this blog, but I promise not to give up. Please keep your faith in me. Keep checking in, and I promise I will make it worth your time!

Love and Laughter to all!

Back Cover:



When Victoria McKinnon's brother offers to finance her production of Hamlet, she leaps at the chance. She can't imagine anything better than staging Shakespeare's masterpiece in an honest-to-goodness English castle. There's just one problem: the place is haunted by a grumpy, gorgeous Highland warrior who's furious that anyone dares to invade his home.Connor MacDougal has no intention of relinquishing his authority over Thorpewold castle to anyone, let alone a McKinnon. But when he catches a glimpse of the beautiful intruder, suddenly he can't help but wonder why it's taken eight hundred years into his afterlife to find the love of a lifetime…



My Take:




I have to say that of all of Lynn Kurland's books, this is one of my favorites!! I don't know if I could just relate to Victoria or if I just fell in love with Conner. Either way, I LOVED the adventure these two shared!! 

Victoria is the director of a theater company and they relocate to Scotland to do a production of Hamlet at her brother's castle. Conner is the lord of the castle with the mind that no one will take it away from him. EVER! When he discovers his laird-ship is threatened, he immediately riles his forces. However when Victoria walks through the door for the first time, he falls to his knees! (How fun!!) At that moment he is lost, even though he has no idea!

Fun and sassy, Victoria is a strong heroine who takes control of her otherwise suddenly out of control situation. She's a strong lead and Conner is so sinfully scrumptious I almost wish I had a ghost of my own!

If you are looking for a feel-good, fall-in-love-all-over-again kind of book, this is it!

Years ago in college, I was in a theater production called Children of Eden. It was a play that goes through the stories in the Bible from Adam to Noah. Now, I'm not going to get into particulars because I don't think this is the place to do that, either in favor or against. I am a romance writer with stranger quirks, not a religious teacher. Anyway, it was a fun show but not necessarily the most accurate according to the King James version of the Bible. Still, there was a line in one of the songs as God created the earth that said, "Let there be...light." So now, any time I think of that phrase or light in that regard, I can hear that line of the song. And often I will say (or sing) that line and no one gets it. So I had to explain myself. Thanks for humoring me!
Have you ever taken the time to stop and consider the part that electricity plays in your every day life? Kind of a silly thought. I know. But today, I showed up at work (I work at a bank) and noticed several bazaar things. Now at a bank, you always expect things to be the same. You rely on that because it means things are working well and in an organized manner. And nothing gives you comfort quite like the thought that everything is running smoothly at the organization that is holding your money.
Anyway, when I first walked in the doors, I noticed the gates had not lifted on the second floor. Strange. It is always open at 9. Also, the escalators going to the second floor were not working. Hmmm. But the elevator was.I asked the gal at the front desk and she said they hadn’t had power all morning and that it had just barely turned on and the bank wasn’t supposed to be officially open until noon. (This was just before 11.) Naturally, everyone was still working, catching up on things, but by the time I got there, no one had anything to do and wished they had been allowed to go home and get a few things done. Of course, I was no different, but since the power was on, there was no reason for me not to stay.
But it is in situations like this that I think about how my life would function every day without the luxuries of electricity. I wouldn’t have my nice car with seat heaters, that’s for sure! I would have no bed lamp to read with at night. I would have no cell phone to play games on when the battery went dead, or call my husband, or check my email. Shoot, I wouldn’t have my computer for email or for writing. I’d be writing everything by hand. No wonder there weren’t many authors a hundred years ago!
So, while it may be a strange thought and something we often take for granted in our daily lives, today, I am profoundly grateful for the invention of electricity!