Belles in the City

As I mentioned last week, I've been working on a new romance series, "Belles in the City." The first book, Trouble in Paradise, is already available on Kindle. I'll eventually add it to other online retailers, but at the moment, you'll need either a Kindle e-reader or app (free on Amazon or your device's app store). 

Now back to the series. All of the main female characters in the "Belles in the City" books are southern gals with accents, southern sensibilities, and a love for down-home cooking. These women are strong but feminine, and they truly appreciate a true gentleman. 

Since all of these books have a common theme, I chose covers that show each woman's "walk of life." Here they are:

I've labeled them as "Christian Romances," but I think they're much more than that. These stories are about the lives of normal women who find themselves in all sorts of normal and abnormal predicaments. The heroes are unlikely love interests, but as you get to know them, you'll eventually see what Charlene, Bethann, and Sunny find so alluring. And just as much fun is the interaction among the women who form relationships with each other. They all met in New York, but their bond is the South.

Trouble in Paradise

I absolutely love southern fiction, so it makes sense for me to write it. My Class Reunion series (Pretty Is as Pretty Does, Bless Her Heart, and Tickled Pink) are all set in a fictional town near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Most of my other books are also set in the Southeast, but you'll often find my characters making their way up to New York City - one of those places I love to visit as often as possible.

Order here: Trouble in Paradise

One of the things that I find fascinating is when you take a southern girl and place her out of her element. Her accent will grow thicker, and she'll make everyone around her smile - even when what she's saying isn't intended to be funny.

This month, I published Trouble in Paradise, the first book in my "Belles in the City" series. Here's a blurb:

Southern belle Charlene Pickford finds herself in a pickle after landing the job of her dreams in New York City. Her boss Alan might be attractive, but when it becomes obvious that he's hiding some deep, obviously very dark secret, she feels an overwhelming urge to flee. 

She could go back to Georgia to help her parents—even though they've made it clear that they don't want her hovering. Or she can stick around and see what happens with her career and her feelings for Alan. Decisions, decisions, decisions … 

The second book in the series, One Foot Out the Door, is currently in production. I've written it, and now it's being revised and edited. As soon as it's available, I'll post the information here.

Yummy Contest!

I'm an avid reader, and I get really excited when my favorite authors offer a series. Now Sandra D. Bricker is doing something really fun, and I'd like to share it with my blog readers. Here's some information on how to enter a contest to become a character in one of her upcoming books:

Author Sandra D. Bricker Gives Readers a Chance to Step Into Her Book

Sandie's Contest

When Abingdon Press released Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker in the fall of 2010, it was a standalone romantic comedy for the inspirational market. The setting (a wedding destination hotel), the heroine (a diabetic pastry chef) and a unique cast of memorable secondary characters blended to create a perfect storm for readers, and the demand for more books in the series was almost immediate.

“The first couple of reader emails came to me even before the official release of the book,” says the author. “They wanted to know what I had in store for Emma and Jackson, and a few of them were interested in visiting The Tanglewood Inn, hoping that it was a real place. It didn’t take long for my editor to recognize the potential for a few more novels in this series.”

This fall, the second of four Emma Rae Creation books hits store shelves. Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride centers around Emma’s best friend from college, a wedding planner returning to the Atlanta area to take a job at The Tanglewood while planning her own wedding. Always the Designer, Never the Bride follows in the spring, and the final novel of the series, Always the Baker, FINALLY the Bride, wraps it all up with the long-awaited wedding of Jackson and Emma Rae.

“I wanted to do something really special for the final book,” Bricker explains. “I think what I’ve come up with is going to excite my readers while rewarding them for sticking with these characters…and with me!...the way they have.”

On November 1st, a contest will debut on the author’s Web site (www.SandraDBricker.com) where readers will compete for the honor of choosing Emma’s wedding cake from a series of drawings provided by up-and-coming Canadian artist, Hanna Sandvig. Bricker says she talked to more than a dozen artists before finding and falling in love with the childlike wonder of Sandvig’s artistry. “Hanna’s talent just embodies the fun and whimsy of Emma’s personality.”

“I never imagined how loyal my readers would turn out to be,” Bricker says. “I just really wanted to find a way to say thank you in a very personal way. I think this contest is going to fit the bill. The winner will actually be written into the final book as well as receive a preview copy of the novel and a special Emma-inspired confection as well.”

Now all you have to do is click on this link: Sandra D. Bricker. Follow the instructions, and you may find your name in Sandie's next book!

Thoughts about writing

A couple of weeks ago, I started writing the first draft of Special Mission, the second book in the West Virginia set for Heartsong Presents. I can't help but think about my writing process and how much it's changed over the years.

When I first started out, my goal was to wow an editor. However, now I want to entertain my readers while making them worry about my characters. Sure, I want my editor to love my books, but I view her as my first reader. I see my writing now as a series of goals—mine, my characters' the editor's, the marketing department's, and most importantly, the readers'.

In my first West Virginia Heartsong Presents, Noah's Ark, my heroine's goal was to find herself and figure out what she wanted in life. The hero knew what he wanted, but he didn't know where work left off and his personal life began. As I set out to explore their internal conflicts, I had to dig deep to find what really made these people who they are in the story.

Characters in a book have to be well motivated in all of their actions, unlike real life where they can do things "just because." Each thought, scene, and conversation needs to have a purpose and give the reader one of several things: more insight about the people in the story, a way to relate to these characters, incentive to worry (especially close to the end where all hope appears to be lost), a logical progression to the conclusion, and a satisfying ending.

In Peachtree Dreams, my 3-in-1 Georgia set, my heroines all have conflicts that keep them from falling in love in the beginning of the stories. In Love's Image, Shannon is torn between living her mother's dream and doing what she knows deep in her heart is right for her. Jill in Double Blessing has emotional issues involving conditional love. In If the Dress Fits, bridal boutique owner Cindi's dream of happily-ever-after is shattered when her parents separate. In all three of these stories, my goal was to give my readers hope and provide entertainment while showing the power of faith in Jesus. Peachtree Dreams will be available next month.