Enjoy this little video of some of your favorite authors, including Sabrina Jeffries, Jane Charles, Ann Lethbridge, Julie Johnstone, Samantha Grace and, of course, Ava Stone and Jerrica Knight-Catania of Romance Ramblings...

Answer our question in the comments for a chance to win a $10 gift card to Starbucks!

Jude Devereaux and Julie Garwood during an Author chat. I can't remember the moderator's name. She is the one in the middle.

Julie Garwood, Catherine Gayle and Jane Charles
 

Ava Stone and Jane Charles

Ava Stone leading the Regency Feud game

Best meal ever - lobster thermadore, garlic smashed potatoes and asparagus

One of the many male models

In my haste to get up the Travel Tuesday post, I completely left off one of our TQ ladies in the RT lineup! Gah!

So, just in case you're at RT this week, here is where you will be able to find the lovely ROSE GORDON...

Thursday 2 May
Club RT @ 2pm
&
E-Book, Indie Publisher & Graphic Novel EXPO @ 4p-6p

And to recap, here are where you'll find Ava and Jane as well...

AVA:

Thursday 2 May
Lady Lavinia's Regency Bridal Shower @ 11:15a - 12:15p

Friday 3 May
Name that Playlist @ 11:15a - 12:15p

Saturday 4 May
Regency Feud @ 2:30p - 3:30p

JANE:

Thursday 2 May
E-Book, Indie Publisher & Graphic Novel EXPO @ 4p-6p

Saturday 4 May
FAN-tastic Day Party @6:30p

And remember, they're all walking around with FREE giveaways! So don't be shy! Get your SWAG on! :)

As I write this, two of our very own TQ ladies are packing their bags, getting ready to head to Kansas City for the super fun Romantic Times Convention.

Ava Stone and Jane Charles will be partying the week away with readers and writers alike, celebrating romance novels and all the people who make them possible: authors, editors, agents, cover artists, cover models, etc...

If you want to get up close and personal with Ava and Jane, just look in the bar. I promise at least one of them will be holding down the fort at all times ;) They have giveaways, too! So don't be shy!

And if you want to spend even more time with them, here are their itineraries...

AVA:

Thursday 2 May
Lady Lavinia's Regency Bridal Shower @ 11:15a - 12:15p

Friday 3 May
Name that Playlist @ 11:15a - 12:15p

Saturday 4 May
Regency Feud @ 2:30p - 3:30p

JANE:

Thursday 2 May
E-Book, Indie Publisher & Graphic Novel EXPO @ 4p-6p

Saturday 4 May
FAN-tastic Day Party @6:30p

If you're going to RT, have a wonderful time! And be sure to comment here so we can tell Ava and Jane to keep a look out for you!

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

We're skipping Thirsty Thursday this week to announce this new and exciting compilation from the ladies of Timeless Quills!

Presenting 6 full-length novels in one collection for only $0.99!

Her Reluctant Groom by Rose Gordon
To Walk in the Sun by Jane Charles
A Scandalous Pursuit by Ava Stone
More than a Governess by Jerrica Knight-Catania
The Devil's Daughter by Suzie Grant
The Healing Tree by Amy De Trempe

HER RELUCTANT GROOM ~ Marcus Sinclair, sixteenth Earl of Sinclair, has lived the last thirteen years as a recluse following an accident that left him heavily scarred. Though a recluse, Marcus has still managed to fall in love. The problem? The woman he’s taken with is none other than the sister of the lady he was once betrothed to!

~*~*~*~

TO WALK IN THE SUN ~ Hiding from a dangerous man, Tess Crawford thought The Wiggons’ School for Elegant Young Ladies would be the perfect place to disappear. Vincent Latimer, Viscount Atwood, is not a vampire and He wishes the book, Wake Not the Dead, had never been written. When a storm thrusts Tess into Vincent’s path and destroys the school, both of their pasts collide.

~*~*~*~

A SCANDALOUS PURSUIT ~ A very proper English lady has all her plans for the future disrupted when she innocently stumbles headfirst into a compromising situation with a very improper English duke.

~*~*~*~

MORE THAN A GOVERNESS ~ Becky Thorn has been keeping a secret for more than seven years. A secret that could destroy her. So before she gets too ensconced in London society, she accepts a position as a governess for a reclusive Viscount, far away from the ton.

~*~*~*~

THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER ~ A bounty hunter facing his past, Gade Ryder returns to Eden, Texas, after twelve years to investigate a gang of rustlers on the family ranch. Had he accepted the job out of misplaced family loyalty or was it the compelling mystery of the devil’s daughter keeping him in the one place he didn’t want to be? Confronted by the memory of his mother’s suicide and the father he blames for her death, Gade finds himself seeking comfort from the one woman he couldn’t trust.

~*~*~*~

THE HEALING TREE - Lady Lilian Bliant is determined to thwart her manipulative father’s plan to shackle her to a weak-willed man of the ton. Lord Maxwell Warrick is anything but weak-willed, yet Lily wreaks havoc on his heart. Will their differences be put aside and will Lily one day accept his faith as her own and Max as her husband.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

The Eiffel Tower

What trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower?  The first time I was there I couldn’t even go up in the elevator.  I have a horrible fear of heights.  I even have to close my eyes when watching a movie with someone looking over the top of a tall building or cliff.  However, on the second trip we were eating dinner in the restaurant on either the second or third level.  Well, I don’t like to miss a meal, so I closed my eyes and stepped on.   

I have to digress here for a moment because for a short time I thought I was going to be saved from having to go up there. You see, workers were on strike at the Eiffel Tower.  I don’t remember what they were protesting but they were on strike, which means it was basically shut down.  However, the restaurant was still open.  I don’t care how hungry I was, I was not going to walk up the steps. When there is a strike in France, it is usually for a day or so, from what I understand.  It is simply to get their point across. This was a foreign concept to me. If that is incorrect, someone please call me on it. This is just what I picked up while I was there and could have easily misunderstood.

Anyway, because we already had reservations, and had probably paid for the meal through the tour company, we were allowed onto the elevator.  Like I said, I closed my eyes and probably held my breath too.  The book, Angels and Demons played through my mind.   Remember the opening scene when the elevator malfunctions?  Yep, that was what I was thinking about. 

My first trip up was at night.  The view was breathtaking.  And maybe one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because there weren’t any crowds.  In fact, while we were outside looking over the City, it felt as if we had the entire Eiffel Tower to ourselves.   

There was no strike on my second trip, but I found myself taking that elevator up again (closing my eyes and holding my breath).  I have to admit, this view was even better because it was in the middle of the day and you could see so much.  Also, the shops were open so I had to buy a few souvenirs. Who knew if I would have the guts to ever go up again?

The Eiffel Tower is located on the Champ de Mars (which has its own history that I will discuss in a later post).  It was built in 1889 and was the entrance arch for the 1889 World’s Fair.   It is the design of Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguir, two senior engineers, after discussions for a centerpiece for the 1889 Exposition Universelle – a World’s Fair, which would celebrate the French Revolution.  Koechlin made an outline drawing in May of 1884. At first Eiffel did not have much enthusiasm for the design so he and Nouguir asked Stephen Sauvestre to contribute to the original design. Later Eiffel went on to state:

"not only the art of the modern engineer, but also the century of Industry and Science in which we are living, and for which the way was prepared by the great scientific movement of the eighteenth century and by the Revolution of 1789, to which this monument will be built as an expression of France's gratitude."

However, it was not met with enthusiasm from everyone.  Some didn’t think it was feasible and others “objected on artistic grounds.” A committee including important figures of the French artists was formed and a petition was sent to the Minister of Works and Commission for the Exposition and published by Le Temps.

"We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection…of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower … To bring our arguments home, imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack, crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream. And for twenty years … we shall see stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the hateful column of bolted sheet metal"

Did you notice they mentioned twenty years?  Yep, the Eiffel Tower was to have been temporary.  It was supposed to have been dismantled in 1909 when the City of Paris became the owner.  The reason it wasn’t is because it became valuable for the purpose of communication.  During WWI, powerful radio transmitters were fitted to the tower in order to jam German communications.  Not only did it hinder their advance on Paris but contributed to the Allied victory.

I think anyone visiting Paris should visit the Eiffel Tower.  Is it my favorite place? No. That is because I prefer to be further back in history.  My favorite places in France are much older and when I set stories within France, the Eiffel Tower doesn’t exist, nor has it even been thought about.

(All quotes and historical information taken from Wikipedia)

White wine, that is...

Am I a wine connoisseur? 

Hardly. 

My qualifications for writing this post are:  1) I really like wine and 2) I am hunting for the perfect dry white wine.

I will be honest; my budget doesn’t allow me to spend much on bottles of wine. Heaven knows that there are some out there what could put a serious dent in my paycheck. 

I don’t buy those.

I purchase my wines from a local grocery store or Friar Tuck.  There was a day that the only wine sold in grocery stores were the really cheap bottles that took up about one row, if that, in the liquor section, which always had far more beer than wine.  Those days are gone.  At one of the stories I shop the selection has kept me in the wine section for a good amount of time as I chose the bottles I wanted to try.  The fear or meat spoiling and dairy going bad has forced me to rush my decision process. There were so many to choose from that I simply couldn’t decide. 

When buying wine to enjoy at home it will be a Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.  I am a white wine drinker and the dryer the better.

I have tried reds but I can’t say I like them. I blame it on drinking too much cheap red wine once upon a time and the aftermath has ruined me forever.

However, last summer I did try a red wine that I actually enjoyed. The bottle was brought to a dinner by someone dating a friend of mine.  He can afford those wines that I can’t even think about.  It was the first time I was able to get past a few sips. I even finished my glass and had half of a second one.  I cannot remember the name of that wine but if I find out, I will splurge and buy one for myself.

So, as I am on the quest to find the perfect white wine I thought I would blog about the latest bottle I have tried. 

So, what did I drink this week?

2009 Carmen Sauvignon Blanc, Chili, Curico Valley

It had a nice, crisp taste.  It was green-yellowish in color, but not overly dark.  Citrusy that was more grapefruit than any other fruit.  In fact, after the second sip, grapefruit is what came to mind. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just what stuck out.   I think I paid about $7.00 for the bottle. It has a screw top, which is really convenient for places like picnics and party buses. 

Would I buy it again?  Yes!

As I am on the quest for the perfect budget wine, what would you recommend?  I am not a sweet wine drinker.  Few Rieslings are enjoyable and seem more syrupy to me than wine.  Nor do I enjoy blushes/pinks because they are not dry enough.  I will not disregard a red selection as long as you can assure me it is not heavy and that it is very, very dry.

Oh, and as for budget, I will not spend above $15 for a bottle of wine during this search.  A good bottle of wine does not have to be expensive.

Share your suggestions for red or white wines that you think Jane would like and win a beautiful wine glass from The Betting Season or A Season to Remember (your choice!)

by Jane Charles

I toured Palais Garneir, also known as Opera de Paris, on my second visit to Paris.  Opera de Paris is the one place my middle daughter HAD TO SEE.  It is all she talked about in the months leading up to the trip. Her passion and desire to visit Palais Garneir began when she wrote a paper on its history, and only grew from there. I should also mention this is my theatre child, so it should not have come as a surprise that out of my three children, she was the one that wanted to visit. 

Opera de Paris is gorgeous.  I can think of no other words to describe the inside.  This establishment opened its grand doors for the first time in 1875. I had thought it was much older, bu it is the opera company itself that goes back to the 1600's. This building was simply its home from 1875 through 1978.  It now hosts the ballet and the opera has moved to a more modern building.

The theater portion seats around 2,200 people with a giant chandelier in the center. We were able to step inside what would be a private patron's box where we could look down on the seats and large stage below and view the chandelier up above. Additional research told me that the stage could accommodate up to 450 artists.  That is one huge stage! At least to me. The stages I’m familiar with would get crowded with only 75 people.

The Grand Foyer rivals the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and my daughter and I will never come to an agreement on which is more beautiful. Of course, I still favor Versailles.

However, what this building is most famous for is the setting of The Phantom of the Opera." In 1896, one of the counterweights for the grand chandelier fell, killing one. This, as well as the underground lake, cellars, and other elements of the Opera House, inspired Gaston Leroux in 1909 to write his classic Gothic novel, The Phantom of the Opera."* We did not get to go below to see the underground lake but would have loved to.  That would have been the icing on our cake. 

It is also haunted, if you believe in such a thing.  I skipped the opera house on my third visit to Paris,  but my colleagues who were there insist on it’s paranormal activity. I didn’t feel any “presence” during my previous visits, but I wasn’t looking to encounter ghosts either.  However, I was looking through photos that another parent took and I am convinced she captured a ghost, or the outline, or whatever you call it.  I don’t look for ghosts in pictures or anywhere else for that matter. But she told me she kept having trouble taking a picture of these huge candelabra. Indeed, I saw a face and the outline of shoulders.  Kind of gave me chills and then I pointed it out to her.  Several people had pictures with floating lights, which is not unusual when taking pictures in such old places. The question is, are they ghosts?

By the way, following the tour I took with my daughter, she informed me that she plans on being married there.  My thoughts were 1) I had better sell a lot, I mean a lot, of books; 2) we need to hit the lottery (guess one of us should start playing); or 3) it will only be her, her husband and the few people who can afford to travel. I really hope she doesn't have her heart set on this. I haven't asked her recently, fearful of her answer.

*Quoted from Wikipedia

    To ring in the New Year, a party on New Year's Eve has always been the most common type of celebration throughout England’s history.  When the stroke of midnight chimes and Big Ben rings, many toast the New Year with a drink.  The most famous celebration in England takes place in Trafalgar Square where big crowds gather to welcome the New Year. 
    During the Regency Era, if the family preferred to ring in the New Year at home there was such a custom for “the members of the household to sit themselves round the hearth, and when the hands of the clock approach the hour, the head of the family rises, goes to the front door, opens it wide, and holds it thus until the last stroke of midnight has died away. Having let the Old Year out and the New Year in, he shuts the door quietly and returns to the family circle.” 
    Many may have heard of the song, "Auld Lang Syne," it’s traditionally sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country worldwide to celebrate the New Year.  This custom of singing this song on New Year’s Eve dates back to the British Isles from the 18th century when guests ended a party standing in a circle and singing this particular song.
    And did you know, the New Year's Eve ball drop tradition can be traced back to 19th-century timekeeping! In 1833, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, installed a ball that would drop down a pole at 1 o'clock every afternoon to assist ship captains with calibrating their instruments. Other places besides Times Square use time-balls throughout the year, like the U.S. Naval Observatory, where a ball drops at noon every day!

Now that we have our taste buds tingling from the fascinating facts of our originating history, let’s see how our TQ ladies rang in the New Year…

Jane Charles

For us it is lasagna and cole slaw.

My mother started the tradition of lasagna because it was something she could make-up the day before (New Year's Eve) and stick the pan in the refrigerator for the next day.  I've carried this tradition on because after being out late it is nice to have dinner already prepared and ready to pop in the oven.  The cole slaw is because my family believed that if you ate cabbage on the first day of the year you would be prosperous. It has been pointed out that none of us are wealthy and mom was quick to remind us that we have food, clothing and a roof over our head, which is what I have reminded my children when they complain about that one bite of coleslaw I make them eat each year.  I never forget to eat cabbage on January 1st.

Rose Gordon

15 years ago, when I was 11, one of our traditions was to play games of bingo.  With one of those bingo sets, with the big ball you spin with all the little bingo balls inside, until midnight.  My parents would buy prizes: movies, CDs, $10 gift cards, special kinds of candy, etc and for each game there'd be a different prize.

These days, I go to bed about 9 and start mumbling in my sleep when the neighbors start lighting off the fireworks and scaring the dog.

Ava Stone

I spent this New Year with The Scientist (my boyfriend), his daughter, some friends and their two daughters. We went to downtown Raleigh to see the "acorn" drop. Raleigh is the City of Oaks, so they drop a big acorn at 7p for kids and then again at midnight. We meant to make it for the kids drop but missed it due to traffic. YES, apparently a lot of people wanted to see a big acorn drop. I don't really get it either. 

Having missed the acorn drop, the kids went ice skating instead, and then we headed back to our friends' house to ring in the New Year watching Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper on CNN, mainly because Anderson Cooper's giggle makes me laugh until my side hurts. 

Jerrica Knight-Catania

We have no traditions. It’s sad, but true. Hubby and I have spent years trying to find the *perfect* New Year. And every time we think, “this is it,” it turns out to be a disappointing night (no offense to anyone who has hosted or partied with us!) Not to say we didn’t have fun, but after a busy holiday season, staying up until midnight, going to sleep in a strange bed and having our kid wake up at all hours of the night just wasn’t ideal.

BUT, this year was different. We decided not to make a big deal out of New Year’s Eve. We did a kid thing during the day, and then we hung out on the couch, watched a movie and drank some wine in the evening. I’m pretty sure that until our little girl is old enough to party with us at a pre-fixe celebration, we’ll be chillin’ at home on the New Year.  So we’ll see all you party animals in about 18 years.

Our best wishes to all for a happy, healthy 2013!
The Ladies of TQ

Timeless Quills author Catherine Gayle was a guest on Blog Talk Radio today, where she read an exclusive sneak peek excerpt.

Catherine's novella, To Enchant an Icy Earl, will be featured in the historical romance anthology A Season to Remember, which will release next week from Night Shift Publishing. Other novellas in the anthology are written by Timeless Quills authors Jane Charles, Ava Stone, and Jerrica Knight-Catania.

If you want to be one of the first to hear it, listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2012/09/26/rrw--whats-write-for-me.