Robin's Cap--Get a free copy!

Actually a re-release of an oldie-but-a-goodie. Back in 2007, Freya’s Bower put out a submission call for a faerie anthology based around real folklore. I’d never written a faerie story, so the call grabbed my attention. At the time, I was still trying to find my voice as a writer, so I was always dabbling in new areas to write in. Anyway, before I took on the challenge, I had to figure out what kind of mystical creature I wanted to concentrate on. As I researched, I found I kept going back to the more malevolent creatures: goblins, phookas…redcaps.

A faerie with a hat made of human skin and dripped with human blood?

Sold!!!

So the research on Redcaps commenced. It didn’t take me long after that to stumble across Robin Redcap and the tale of Hermitage Castle. To say I was fascinated would be putting it mildly. Who wouldn’t be drawn into an evil lord with his faithful familiar?

So the idea of Robin’s Cap started forming in this whacked out imagination of mine. A few weeks later, I had my first (and to this day, only) romantic horror about a couple on the rocks who go on a trip to Scotland in an attempt to save their relationship—or Graham is trying to save their relationship, Kat’s just trying to get through the week. LOL.

The story was accepted into the anthology and released in March 2008 with a group of other talented writers and their faerie tales.

Fast forward three years later, contract expires, rights revert and I’m left with a previously published story sitting on my hard drive. I can’t have that. So Robin’s Cap got a spanking new cover and I uploaded it onto Smashswords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Are. Here the cover:

It took me awhile to find the pictures I wanted to use. Any other authors out there spend hours looking through pictures for covers? It’s a time suck, I tell ya.

But here is the blurb:

Tales of ancient evil surround Hermitage Castle. What happens when legend becomes reality?

Graham Parish and Kat Davis are about to find out.

What started as an attempt to save a relationship turns into a frantic fight to save their lives. Can love be rekindled when faced with certain death?

And a quick excerpt:

Kat wrapped her arms around her body. Dear Lord, it’d really happened. Some psycho had them trapped. They were going to die. Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger was hiding in the shadowy corners somewhere, or worse, some Scottish version of Michael Myers with his horrible white mask and crazy synthetic hair.

Would that be the last thing she ever saw? A grotesque mask and the reflective surface of a knife as it plunged towards her?

Fear twisted her stomach. Her gaze ran over the uneven walls, looking for a possible hiding place for their soon-to-be killer. “Graham, what are we going to do?”

The shuffling of his feet answered her. She felt the heat of his body against her back before his strong arms embraced her. He pulled her to him. Turning, she rested her cheek on his chest, hugging him tightly in need of his comfort.

“I’m not sure,” he answered, “but we’ll find a way out. I promise.” His hold loosened as he stepped back. “Why don’t you sit down while I take a look around?”

She shook her head. Sit down? Was he crazy? “Uh-uh. You’re not getting away from me!”

His lips twitched at the corners, but his features remained serious. “I meant look around the room. I’m not letting you out of my sight, Kat.”

Her first instinct was to refuse his request, but her knees still quaked from her near-death experience. And there was the added horror of the threatening laughter. She shivered as she remembered the horrifying sound. Maybe a seat wouldn’t be a bad idea. One in a nice cozy corner where a masked murderer couldn’t come up behind her and slit her throat. It would give her an opportunity to gather her scattered emotions and prepare for escape.

Finding the perfect spot, she settled on the chilly floor, then pressed her back against the rough wall. The aged-worn corners of the stone chaffed her bare shoulders, but she was too exhausted to care. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes.

A scurrying noise caught her ear, as if a rat frolicked on the landing above her. She snapped her head up, gaze drawn overhead. Every muscle in her body stiffened. She listened for the noise to repeat.

Moments passed. Nothing. Not even a rustle. With a sigh, she relaxed.

Don’t build things up in your head, Kat. All you’re doing is asking to leave this place with a head full of gray hair.

The thought hadn’t even left her mind when the scurrying issued again, only this time lower and louder.

Okay, a corner doesn’t feel too safe right now.

She jumped to her feet and whirled around, examining the wall. Directly above her, a face peered out of the shadows.

She screamed and stumbled backward. In her haste, her foot caught the seams of the stone floor. Her legs flew out from underneath her. Flailing her arms, she tried to catch her balance but failed. Her palms slapped against rock. Her backside contacted with the hard ground. A stabbing pain shot through her wrist. She hissed. Her ass felt as if her tailbone had been shoved to the top of her spine. Groaning, she rolled to her side.

“Kat?”

Too dazed to respond, she opted to lie on the ground. In seconds, Graham was by her side. His arms slipped beneath her shoulder. He helped her sit up.

“Are you okay? What the hell happened?”

“They glowed.”

“What glowed?”

“Eyes...red, evil eyes.”

I'd like to give away a couple of copies. So leave a comment and I'll throw your name into the pot.

Thanks for letting me share!!

Esme

www.esmereldabishop.com (I apologize for the state of my website. I'm remodeling:)

You can find the short story at the following locations:

Smashswords

All Romance Ebooks

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Waking Up in Your Favorite Romance Novel

We all have that one special romance novel that we read over and over again. A part of us fantasizes about waking up in the arms of the hero who’s stolen our heart.

Gabby Stone’s romance novel is Devlin’s Destiny. Who is Gabby, you ask.

Why the heroine in my upcoming release. I am self-publishing a novella tentatively titled, Between the Pages, very soon. Sorry, don’t have a blurb or cover yet, but thought I’d take an opportunity to talk about the story.

You see, Gabby has been obsessed with the Devlin’s Destiny for months. She doesn’t understand why. It’s definitely not because of the crappy romance or the twit for a heroine. But the hero? Man, what she wouldn’t give to have ten minutes alone with the Scottish warrior.

She gets her wish when she wakes up inside Devlin’s keep and takes over the role of the heroine. But granted wishes aren’t always a blessing. With each turn of the page, obstacles are thrown in her path. A war between love and written words ensue. Can Gabby overcome Devlin’s Destiny and win him for her very own?

Here’s a quick excerpt from the first chapter:


“Gabrielle, my bonny lass, how ye taste, ye smell.”

She stilled beneath him, a creepy sense of déjà vu hitting her. “How do you know my name?”

“Ye jest,” he said, jerking back. The desire evaporated from his eyes as a muscle jumped in his jaw.

Gabby blinked as he jumped off her, cursing. “How could ye lie with me when ye doona know me?”

The déjà vu increased and a rock formed in her stomach. Why would she dream this?

Dream, my ass. She was having a nightmare. Only a nightmare would leave her body throbbing the way it was with no relief in sight.

Wake up, fool.

But she was firmly planted, even with knowing exactly where she was now and how this would end.

Her. Unsated.

Lord Devlin McCalister paced the room. The hurt and confusion she’d read over and over again in her favorite romance novel etched on his face, causing her heart to constrict as it did every time she read this scene. Gabby looked away. She guessed it was possible to read a book one too many times and she was a little too obsessed with Devlin’s story, as she’d been told by her co-worker on countless occasions.

How many times had she imagined herself in this very scene, in Devlin’s arms, knowing how relieved he was to finally have the woman he loved show some sort of emotion toward him--that was until he realized she had no clue who he was. She watched him pace, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Calling himself a fool for believing Gabrielle had finally come to her senses.

As expected, Devlin stopped and gave her one more searching glance, sadness exuding off his powerful frame. “Ye doona know me?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

She could have recited the words with him.

Unsure of what to say, she stuck with the book. “Nay, milord. I doonae.”


I got the idea for this story a few years ago as I have my own hero obsession. Anyone know the name Grimm Roderick?

He’s the hero of Karen Marie Moning’s To Tame a Highland Warrior. Yes, sirree. That man totally does it for me. I’ve read that book over and over again. Unlike Gabby, I liked Jillian, the heroine, and believe their love story. Too bad really. LOL.

Since this idea formed, I’ve taken on one more hero obsession, one who has usurped Grimm as my number one hero. Jericho Barrons. Ring any bells?

He’s also a creation of Mrs. Moning. (She really does write some freaking hawt men). Barrons, as he is referred to through most of the Fae series, is the hero. I use that word loosely too, because he even states he’s not the hero, lol.

So those are my two favorite heroes. I’d gladly trade places with the heroines, for a short time, most preferably a love scene, if given the opportunity.

Who is yours?

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com

Twitter and an Excerpt

I did something I said I would never do a couple of days ago. I opened a Twitter account. It’s not that I have anything against Twitter. I just don’t get it. Facebook, I get. MySpace—even though I no longer use it—I get. Twitter? A big ole black hole of WTH?

I’ve messed around with the application for a couple of days now and still don’t understand its purpose or how to use it. I’m following somewhere around 50 people right now and my thread thing is an unholy mess. How do you keep up? How do you organize it? Am I supposed to sit there and scroll through the page every time I visit?

I know the Facebook post thread is horrible. But at least there I can organize. I have people grouped into categories, so with one click I can see what my in-person friends and writer friends are up too. It works really well for me. Can I do something like this with Twitter?

I’m going to have to suck it up and learn. Carina Press uses Twitter for promos and that is the only reason I opened one. I'm not crazy, I'll use every means I can to promo. Who knows, maybe I'll learn to love the application. But right now I stare at it with a perplexed expression. I really could use a Twitter 101 course. So any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

In other news, I found out I get to choose my excerpt so I wanted to thrown one out there for The Panther’s Lair.

Raimond snarled, and his beast roared to life. With images of Sydney cowering against a corner wall, blood trailing down the left side of her face as the man stood over her, threatening her with his strength and presence, the transformation began.

Bones popped as he bent to all fours; a slick black coat sprouted from his pores. Sydney’s pleas for John to spare her life filled his ears, and rage engulfed him. He raced forward, sailing into the kitchen window with a caterwaul. Shattered glass flew everywhere, and the pair froze.

Sydney screamed, her face draining of any remaining color. The bastard stumbled backward.

Snarling, Raimond placed himself between Sydney and John. His satisfaction spiked at seeing the man who got off on frightening his mate whimper like a weakened fool. But whimpering wasn’t enough. This man had made her fear for her life, made her bleed.
Raimond lunged forward and pinned him to the ground. He brought his whiskered face close to the other man’s, letting his mouth open to show his sharp, feline teeth. John’s face whitened, and he screamed in manic shrieks.

The only thing keeping Raimond from ripping the man’s throat out was knowing Sydney was watching. He would never leave that kind of image in her mind.

He sniffed the man’s neck. Angry growls rumbled deep in his throat. He wanted to bask in John’s terror, hoped he got a real feel for what it was like to be defenseless, powerless to stop someone stronger. The man squeezed his eyes shut, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Please. Oh God. Please.”

Seeing he’d accomplished his goal, Raimond moved off John just as Sydney bolted from the corner. John snatched her wrist and yanked her on top of him on the floor as he pushed backward into the corner, holding Sydney between his legs as a shield. Raimond hissed, baring his teeth. Her gaze dropped to his canines. Violent tremors shook her body, and tears shone in her eyes. “Please don’t hurt me.”

The agony of her ever thinking he could hurt her, even in this form, made him cringe. Her terror erased his vengeance, and he meekly lowered to the ground, resting his head between his paws. John shoved Sydney forward. Screaming, she landed hard on her stomach, her face inches from his paws. John surged to his feet and flew into the kitchen. It took everything in Raimond not to go after him, but Sydney’s trembling frame kept him planted. No more horror for her. None. They knew who the assailant was, and the police would be called. In the submissive pose, he didn’t move a muscle, waiting for her to understand he wouldn’t hurt her. Slowly, she lifted her head, and they stared at each other, nose to nose.

“Yellow eyes,” she breathed.

Thanks all!
Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com

Chaos to Calmness

The last two months have been a wild ride for me. I had to take a break from writing because my personal life blew up. Now I’m settling into a new life as a single mother, living on my own for the first time in my life (yes, first time. I moved straight from living with momma and daddy to living with my future husband). I’m also working a full time job for the first time in six years. Talk about some major changes. Luckily, things are starting to calm down and I’m falling into a routine, which is actually giving me time writing again. I’m very glad about this. I’ve missed writing.

Before the explosion of doo, I had landed a contract with Carina Press for an erotic paranormal romance titled The Panther’s Lair. Between living with my wonderful friends who took me in (Thank you again, Heather and Jeff), looking for a job and finding an apartment and moving in, I was in deep edits with this release. I’m so proud of this story and my editor, Kym Hinton, was awesome to work with. I’m ecstatic about being part of the Carina Press family.

The Panther’s Lair is set to release on June 28th (the day after my birthday). Unfortunately, I don’t have an approved excerpt yet.

But I have a killer cover-->

See. Isn’t he hot? I know. I know. The whole cover is gorgeous, but I can’t stop looking at him. The cover artist, Angie Waters, did an excellent job of capturing the image of my hero, Raimond—a French-accented, drool-worthy shifter. Don’t you agree? He’s simply breathtaking.

I also created a trailer with my blurb:






I can’t wait to share this release with everyone. And thank you for letting me share this bit of information I have.
Esme

http://www.esmereldabishop.com/

Squaring Off With Research

I’ve done a lot of research over the years, some fall-asleep-at-your-desk boring, some pull-your-hair-out frustrating, and some so enthralling you-spend-more-time-researching-than-writing.

What I want to talk about today is sport research—specifically MMA (Mixed Martial Arts for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym). I recently completed a manuscript (that is making the rounds, so keep your fingers crossed for me) about a hero who is a cage fighter. Number one, I adore this sport anyway so this research quickly fell into the spend-more-time-researching-than-writing category. But not only did my research increase my respect for the sport, it also gave me a whole new understanding of what these men go through. And added to the complexity of my hero, making him well rounded and oh-so-very yummy.


These men are not barbarians who simply jump into a cage and beat the crap out of each other. Yes, they do get paid to fight, but there is a science to entering the octagon. The training is intense (sometimes up to eight hours a day) and painful, the mind games real, the focus crucial, the strategy and studying of their game plan vital. When a fighter is training for a match, their life is consumed with each of these things. I learned so much through writing this story, I now consider MMA extreme fighters some of the top athletes in the world.

Did you know that hitting a bag in speed drills is painful? I should know. As part of my research, I took part in one these “drills.” Now mind you I only did a minute instead of the usual three these guys do. Let me tell you, sixty seconds is a LONG time. By the time my buzzer sounded, my arms were on fire and wet-noodle weak. Then I found myself shocked to learn these men feel this way each time they do a burn out session. How exciting. I was also informed that most fighters dread bag work because it is so painful. I was able to use this in one of my scenes:

“Burn out!”
In quick short punches, Dante hit the bag, over and over again. In less than a minute, burning seared his arms up into his shoulders.
“Two to go. Faster!”
He increased his speed, pounding in swift repetition. The burning deep in his muscles intensified until he yelled. Pummeling faster, he refused to let the strong sting daunt him. Sweat coated his arms and dripped off his elbows. Still he continued.
A loud buzz rang. “Time.”
Dante bounced back, hopping from foot to foot as he shook out his arms.

Not only did I participate in a drill, I watched a training session. All I can say is wow. Hours of Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and a plethora of other Martial Arts came into play. Now each of these men is not specialized in every aspect of Marital Arts. You have some who are black belts in Jiu Jistsu, some masters of Brazilian boxing, others who are All-American wrestlers, a wide range of different techniques.

In my story, my hero is an undefeated stand up fighter with a punch that has knocked out countless men. His opponent is an undefeated ground fighter with a chokehold that will render an opponent unconscious in seconds. I couldn’t have asked for two very different men. So what happens when a standup fighter (boxers) takes on a black belt in martial arts?

Train, train, train. Study, study, study.

Each man will spend hours studying previous fights to watch their opponent for their strengths and weaknesses. Then they will train on how to take advantage of these things. A boxer will have to learn how avoid being taken to the mat by a seasoned ground fighter and if he is how to wiggle out of a triangle hold before a submission occurs while a ground fighter will have to learn how to dodge the punches aimed for his head and look for that opening to take his opponent down. Each have an agenda, and each is trying to keep the other from reaching it. Every move has to be calculated, intentional. One false step and the game plan goes up in smoke.

I could go on and on about the sport that has stolen my heart. The research I did throughout the months I wrote Dante and Cait’s story will stay with me forever. It’s the first time I have been impacted and understood how very important learning what your writing about is crucial to portraying realistic characters. Without immersing myself into the MMA world, I would have written extreme fighting all wrong and the story would have lacked a certain luster. But because I did the opposite and researched my little heart out, I was able to bring a spark to Dante’s conflict that otherwise would not have been there. So the morale of the story is: Research helps enrich your writing, don’t forsake it. :)

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com

Introducing Fierce New Member Esmerelda Bishop!

I'm thrilled to say we have yet another awesome new member joining us. Please welcome Esmerelda Bishop!

Esmerelda Bishop has lived life with her head in the clouds, dreaming and reading about true love. Nothing makes her happier than a sigh of contentment as she reads the last page of a romance.

Three years ago, she did something she never thought possible. She picked up a pen and started jotting down words. Who knew those words would evolve into a story? And that it wouldn’t stop there. With the voices unleashed, she has completed numerous short stories and two novels.

She writes with no heed to genre. So if you have a craving for Redcaps who terrorize an estranged couple, a Medieval Scottish romance novel that comes to life, a fairy tale with a special twist, or even an everyday housecat that shifts into a scrumptious male, you’ve come to the “write” place.

When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at home with her four-year-old twins and husband. She loves the gym and hanging with her friends


Welcome to Fierce Romance, Esmerelda! Please tell us about your books. (Fantastic covers, by the way!)
A Love Rewritten was the first short story I ever completed and the first contract I was offered. I was thrilled to be included in the Dream by the Fire: Winter Magic Anthology. The story came to be because of a favorite romance novel of mine. Every time I open that book, I wanted to live it, not just read it. That’s what happens to my heroine Gabby. She is swept back into Medieval Scotland as the heroine of her favorite romance novel. Or is she? What happens when the actual heroine shows up?

A review: Yes, we’ve all had those thoughts of going into our favorite romance book and finding our hero. Ms. Bishop does it for us with a splash of suspense and keeps the characters charming and believable. --From Samatha Ann, Night Owl Romance Reviews. Rating 4.5 and gave the Viewers Top Pick Award.

Robin’s Cap was the first fantasy/romance I had written. When the call for submission went out for the ‘In the Gloaming: A Faerie Anthology,’ I knew I had to give it a shot even though I’d be stepping outside my comfort zone. I’m glad I did. Robin Redcap, to this day, is one of my favorite characters. It was the first time I dipped into the sinister side of my psyche. I quickly learned that I loved writing the bad guys and Robin is one nasty little faerie. What happens when an estranged couple comes face to face with a horrifying legend? Will they survive the torment inflicted upon them to mend their broken relationship? Or will they die before telling each other how they truly feel?

A review: In The Gloaming really is a superior set of tales. I have read many authors and many anthologies, and this is the first one for me where every tale is rich and enthralling in their own right. I turned the page expecting more and found myself deflated that the book had ended. I wanted more, damnit! -- Nutty Nana, Cocktail Reviews. Rated: Entire Bottle Plus One Flute.

Prince Henry’s Secret was my first stand alone published. (First one to actually have my name on the cover, I loved that.) This is a sweet fairy tale I wrote for my twins and I wanted it to be different. A typical fairy tale usually revolves around a cursed princess where the prince gallops in with a kiss to break the curse, but what if the cursed one isn’t the princess, but the prince and instead of the kiss being the resolution, it is the crux.

A review: Fans of the Grimm Brothers will love Prince Henry's Secret.---5 Angles from Kimber, Fallen Angel Review.

I also have a novella coming out in July 2009 from Lyrical Press. This is my first novella (do you see a lot of first in this, told you I was new) The Feline Fugitive. All I’m going to say about this release is you’ll never look at your cat the same again.


Wow those sound fascinating! And what great reviews! Which element of story creation is your favorite?

Characterization. People are complex. Nothing is simple about the human mind. We think, we feel, we react. What I love most is half the time the things we say are not what we are actually thinking. Those are all wonderful things to add to your characters. Each emotion and reaction is driven by something, be it a past experience or a deep-rooted belief. Take a look at your characters. Have you ever defended him/her by saying ‘it’s just the way they are?’ Let me ask you another question. Are you the way you are just because? Or has every life experience you’ve lived helped define you as a person? That is how I look at my characters. If I ever find myself defending my characters with a ‘that’s just how they are’ and I can’t give a deep reason for their behavior, then I know it’s time to step back and have a long heart to heart with my character.

That's a great insight! What is your writing process or method?
I’m a pantser to the core. I don’t even character interview. I know, I just gave you a huge spiel on characterization. But, I get to know my characters through writing them, just like you get to know a person by hanging out with them. This normally means I have to rewrite the beginning, which is okay with me. I would rather complete the novel and have 100 percent understanding of who my characters are than to force them to do what I want. Yes, I know I’m the author, LOL. I can force them to do what I want, but most of the time that backfires right in my face. So I’ve just learned to let them do what they need to do. It’s easier on me, and on them.

Excellent advice. What was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale?

Deep POV. This is just my opinion here, others may disagree with me, but I feel that deep POV is the foundation of a book. Once you learn to write deep, showing, characterization, pacing, and plot are easier. Everything just falls into place.

I have to agree with you on that. Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

This is an easy one. Keep at it. I know you’ve heard that a million times, so don’t roll your eyes. I’m dead serious. The more you write, the more you learn and the more you come into your own. Also find a great critique partner who isn’t afraid to tell you like it is. Sure it hurts, I’ve cried plenty of times over a critique, but I’m still going strong and have no intentions of giving up. Remember, persistence pays off.

What’s next for you?
Hmmm. I’m between projects right now. I just finished a full-length and I’m starting the rounds for it. I have a few characters vying for attention; we’ll see which one butts their way to the front.

Would you like to ask blog readers a question?
Sure, what draws you to a book?

Esmerelda has a nice surprise for you guys! She's giving away one copy of each of the shorts she has out right now to lucky commenters!

Please visit her website:

www.esmereldabishop.com

Again, welcome, Esmerelda! We're thrilled you've joined us!!