I am the gardening guru at my school, and with thirty-two raised garden beds, we have lots of space to grow new and enticing varieties of the standard spring fruits and vegetables. As an organic gardener, I find that it’s much safer, and infinitely more rewarding, to start our plants from seed.

But, oh, so many choices! I sent out an email to our gardening teachers inviting them to make their own selection of plants they’d like to grow in their classroom raised garden bed. As I was tallying the choices, I couldn’t help but get excited about the many and diverse varieties of tomatoes, peppers, squash, herbs, melons, corn and other vegetables we will be propagating from seed in just a few weeks.

The children will be watching for the first sign of green popping through the soil, waiting for the first leaves to form so that we can pop them under the fluorescent lights. Then we start the nurturing process—water, organic fertilizer, at least 14 hours of light, and a stable soil temperature for the growing root systems. At the same time, cold-hardy plants like spinach, peas, lettuce, broccoli and other brassicas will be directly seeded in the soil.

At last, the tender plants we’ve been growing inside can go out for a few hours at a time, getting a chance to “try out” the weather. In time they will stay outside overnight in the cold frame for a week or so to harden against the elements, getting ready for that shady afternoon when they are planted in the garden.

Unfortunately, not every plant will resemble the glossy picture on the cover of that seed catalogue we perused in December. And that “hardy producer” guaranteed to produce hundreds of pounds of delicious tomatoes may lose the battle against a lowly cutworm in the middle of the night. You pay your money (or plant the seed!) and take your chances.

This is where I am today. Planting that first seed in the garden of my self-publishing career. I’m optimistic that the time is right for my stories and my voice. I still carry that self-doubt that all writers do that the stories I want to tell, and how I write them, won’t resonate with a sufficient number of readers to make any money at it. But if you never put yourself out there, it’s a self-fulling prophesy. That I know, from experience.

So here goes! I hope you’ll follow my journey and will be sufficiently curious about my writing to give me a try. There will be a novella setting the stage for my Logan Springs series, and Carson’s story. I will re-release my first book, Sidelined by Love, with some changes, this spring, and Strike Three, You’re Mine will follow early this summer.

I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

For those commenting today, I am offering the chance to win a copy of When in Paris, a New Adult novel by my friend and fabulous author, Beverley Kendall. I read this book in one sitting…it is a phenomenal read!

What are you reading this month?

There are so many books to choose from and not enough time to read them all. That’s where YOU, our dear readers, come in.  We need recommendations in order to maximize our time and get the best bang for our bucks. 

As an added bonus to encourage you to share, we’re giving away a $5 gift card to a book seller of your choice to one lucky commenter.  All you have to do is leave a comment and share some of your favorite new finds to be eligible.

We did have some awesome recommendations for our

April First Saturday Recommendations

~~~

Dead Run and In Silence by Erica Spindler recommended by Jane

The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon recommended by Pam Asberry

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke recommended by Mary Preston

Pursuing Love by Karen Hall recommended by Maxine Davis

A Taste of Desire by Beverley Kendall recommended by Sandra Elzie

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn recommended by Marilyn Baron

At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran recommended by JB Hunt

Grim Reaper/Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones recommended by JB Hunt

Born to Darkness by Suzanne Brockmann recommended by Marilyn Baron

Burn by Linda Howard recommended by Linsey Lanier

My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair recommended by Susan Carlisle

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon recommended by Pam Asberry

Nauti Boy by Lora Leigh recommended by Marilyn

Inhale by Kendall Grey recommended by Tami Brothers

The Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith recommended by Carol Burnside

~~~

With so many great books to read, it was tough to pick which ones to add to our e-Readers.  But we managed to find some good ones. 

To thank our readers for sharing their favorite books, we used our handy dandy randomizer to choose a number amongst the commenters from April. 

Lucky #7 was chosen and that would be:

At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran recommended by JB Hunt.

Congratulations JB!!!  Jump over to our contact page and leave a message for our treasurer. Let her know which book seller you prefer and we will get that out to you ASAP.

Now it’s your turn!  What are you reading this month?

Book and glasses photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

She hopes to gain his affections

For Miss Elizabeth Smith, sharing her first kiss with the charming Lord Derek Creswell is nothing short of a dream come true…that is, until she is spotted by one of the most influential gossips of the ton. With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiancé by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort…

He is determined to ruin her

Viscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finds her ruination infinitely more appealing…

But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.

ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE & SEDUCTION – $1.49

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Diesel eBooks

Smashwords – $1.12
The Season – $.99

Today, I’m sitting down with Lord Derek Creswell, my hero of All’s Fair in Love & Seduction. What’s become apparent to me over the course of this book is that Derek has trust issues. Sure, they’re probably considered normal for a man in his particular circumstance, but nonetheless, I believe they need to be explored so we can better understand him and he can better understand his true feelings for Elizabeth Smith.

Me: Derek, anyone with eyes can see that you are attracted to Elizabeth and since you are the one who ‘compromised’ her, why you are so reluctant to do the right thing by her. Why are you running?

Derek (affronted): I believe the term ‘running’ is a slight exaggeration. Yes, I readily admit that she is quite beautiful and holds a certain physical attraction to me—

Me (interrupting): Only physical?

Derek (looking slightly uncomfortable, clears his throat): Yes, only physical. How could it be anything else for a woman who not only tried to trap me into marriage but continues to lie to me?

Me: She’s lying to you? About what?

Derek: Don’t pretend you don’t know. You wrote the book. She’s lying about who she is.

Me: And who is she claiming to be and who is she really?

Derek (gives me a sharp look): She claims to be Miss Elizabeth Smith but she’s really—

Me (interrupting again): Miss Elizabeth Smith.

Derek (narrowing his gaze): You know what I mean. She’s a member of that family. She’s related to that woman who almost ruined my brother’s life.

Me (chastising): You hold her responsible for what happened between your brother and her sister six years ago?

Derek (staring at me, his expression inscrutable.): I condemn her because she’s trying to do the same to me.

Me: And if she is in fact guilty of this, what do you intend to do?

Derek (angles his head slightly toward me and is silent for long moments): I intend to make sure she gets exactly what she deserves.

Me: And what is that?

Derek: I will ruin her for real.

Me (aside to the audience): The only person who will be ruined is Derek—for any other women but Elizabeth. Men must always learn this the hard way.

Obviously, Derek, like many heroes, is a man in deep denial of his true feelings. But he will learn. What about you? Do you like a hero who fights his feelings or is pretty transparent throughout the book? Comment and enter to win a $15 eGift Card and a Grand Prize entry for the December 17^th drawing for an iPad 2.

Beverley Kendall has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in Georgia with her young son. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing. Readers can visit her at: www.beverleykendall.com, follow her on twitter: @beverleykendall, friend her on Facebook or on her review site and blog www.TheSeasonForRomance.com

 

A Taste of Desire

by Beverley Kendall

http://beverleykendall.com/

Zebra Historical

ISBN-13: 978-1420108705

Historical Romance

Lady Amelia Bertram may have a reputation as the most brazen beauty of the ton, but she shocks even herself when she accidentally – and loudly – derides one of society’s most eligible bachelors in the middle of a crowded ballroom. The timing of her faux pas couldn’t be worse, for her father is seeking someone to take her off his hands that very night. But when Thomas Armstrong overhears the so-called “Lady” Amelia slandering his sexual prowess in public, he cannot help but accept the dare implicit in her words. To her father’s great delight, he offers to take her to his secluded country estate – properly chaperoned, of course – to teach the girl a lesson in ladylike behavior.

Amelia and Thomas dance around each other like two fighters circling the ring. Neither is sure what the other will do next. They acted as if they don’t like each other while being intrigued by one another. When Amelia is forced to stay at Thomas’s country home, they continue their well-timed push and pull. As Amelia interacts with Thomas’s family, she learns what it means to be a member of a family something she’s not known in a long time. Thomas sees Amelia as the spoiled daughter of a friend that will never grow up. Weeks go by during which Thomas and Amelia grow closer. They find themselves sexually attracted to each other, but will they find long term happiness?

Beverley Kendall has produced another charming historical with likable characters. Each is a real person on their own.  I liked the love/hate relationship between the hero and heroine. Very nicely done.

Please join us in welcoming Beverley Kendall as Guest Chef today.  Beverley has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states.  She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in Georgia with her young son.  All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing.  In addition to all her other creative endeavors, she also maintains a fabulous resource for readers and writers - The Season Blog.

Welcome, Beverley!

Historicals, Contemporaries, it’s all the same

I’ve published two books so far, both historical romances. The truth of the matter is, I never set out to write historical romances, not even the slightest little bit. Despite the fact that I love to read them, I freely admit that I was intimidated by the research. I couldn’t do it, I told myself on several different occasions. I didn’t have the voice to pull it off. I couldn’t come up with one single plot for a historical.

I eventually conquered the research and ‘voice’ argument but I was still left with the last one: the plot. Then I got this idea for SINFUL SURRENDER. It was a tried and true plot-line…with a twist. The heroine is in love with her brother’s best friend. The twist? Hmm, think a pregnancy and it’s not who you think it is. I immediately started writing the book after I’d boned up on the research and settled on the only voice I could come up with.

What I didn’t realize at that precise moment was the story I was writing was just a historical spin on a contemporary idea I’d come up with long ago. All I had to do was make sure it was a viable story that could be retrofitted into Victorian-era—no small feat, I will just add.

After I finished SINFUL SURRENDER, I immediately launched into my second novel, A TASTE OF DESIRE, which then became the second book in The Elusive Lords series. This time I knew exactly where the idea came from; a contemporary I’d outlined and planned to submit to one of Harlequin’s category lines. In my contemporary plot, my hero overhears the heroine dryly insinuating that his car—a Lamborghini—is the classic male way of overcompensating for other things he is undoubtedly lacking. Ouch! Talk about throwing down the gauntlet—which is how The Gauntlet was born. Now of course the title of the book was eventually changed to A TASTE OF DESIRE, but in this book, you’ll see the heroine unintentionally, yet very publicly, deriding the hero’s rumored sexual prowess. See any similarities?

So in the course of the last three years, I’ve discovered that most of my historical stories were contemporary ideas. Apparently, the plots were so near and dear to my heart, I needed to write the book come hell or high water, even if it meant I’d have to transplant my hero and heroine from the 21^st century and plunk them down, petticoats, cravats and all into the mid-nineteenth century. But you know, I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

You can read more about my books on my website at www.BeverleyKendall.com (I just had it redesigned, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out) or you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/season4romance or friend me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorbeverleykendall .

I’d like to thank the ladies of Petit Fours for having me on their blog today. One commenter will receive a copy of SINFUL SURRENDER and an advance copy of A TASTE OF DESIRE. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Thank you, Beverley.  Readers, please leave a comment for Beverley for a chance to win not one, but two books!  Contest ends at midnight tonight and the winner will be announced tomorrow.