Deborah Grace Staley on the Angel Ridge Series

In 1995, my family and I purchased a fabulous circa. 1867 farmhouse on seven acres in the rolling hills of East Tennessee . On one side of the house, there's a breathtaking view of the mountains of North Carolina . On the other side you can see the backwaters of what is now Tellico Lake . The home has a unique "butterfly" design. That means that on either side of the front door, there are two wings--capped by two bay windows--that jut out, making a V shape around the trapezoid-shaped front porch.

Now, I am a lover of old homes. I have traveled extensively in the south and have toured more than I can name. I not only love the homes for their beauty and unique architectural elements, but also for the history surrounding them. So, naturally, when I moved into my own historic home, I immediately set out to research its roots. The more research I did, the more interesting facts I learned about the area surrounding the home.

The first settlers that came to this part of East Tennessee (present day Vonore, Greenback, and Maryville ) settled along the Little Tennessee River . They built their homes near the river, grew cotton and other crops. Some had received these parcels of land as Revolutionary War pensions. One notable person who purchased land in the area was the father of Sam Houston. In fact, the man who built my house, A.B. Howard, was Sam Houston's brother-in-law. Additionally, the gravesite of Sam Houston's mother and the Sam Houston Schoolhouse are only a few miles from my house.

The people who lived in this area were wealthy. They lived well. Their homes were not quaint frontier cabins, but rather elegantly appointed plantations. They had weeklong parties when the paddleboats came up to the docks to pick up shipments of crops. Their children went to private schools. They rode fast horses. They intermarried. They stood together against Indian attacks. They feuded. But it all ended.

The river on which the people built their homes frequently flooded making rich bottomland in which to grow crops. It also left wide spread destruction each time it flooded. The Tennessee Valley Authority was established by the federal government to deal with this flooding problem. The plan was to install a system of dams to control the levels of the water along the rivers in Tennessee and also to create lakes for recreational purposes. Creating the lakes required flooding large areas of land along the river. So, most of those fine plantation homes that once stood near my home are now inundated. Covered by what is now Tellico Lake .

At this point in my research, I went into "what if" mode. What if you had lived this type of lifestyle and suddenly had it taken from you? What if you had to move up into town and live with all the other people? How would that affect you? How would you mix with everyone else?

That is the basis for the Angel Ridge Series. The McKay's and the Jones's, they were some of those displaced people. They moved up into a town called Angel Ridge , which had formed on a high ridge above the river, safe from the flooding. A town with quaint Victorian homes, now spotted with elaborate Victorian mansions more suited to its new residents. The McKay's? They owned the bank, were lawyers, accountants, professional people. The Jones's? Well, they got their money the old-fashioned way. They married money. Unfortunately, they lost it to gaming and drinking.

Now the Jones home stands abandoned at the end of town, next to the McKay property, a shell of its former glory, decaying and damaged by fire. The Houston 's are known for doing their civic duty. There has been a Houston mayor in Angel Ridge for as long as anyone can remember.
It would be safe to say that the older generation is set in its ways. It would also be safe to say that the new generation of Angel Ridge residents is determined to make their mark on the town and bring it into the Twenty-First Century. People like Cole Craig, Josie Allen, Dixie and Blake Ferguson, Candi Heart, Sheriff Grady Wallace, and even the town's current mayor, Patrick Houston.

You'll notice that the names of the town residents are Scottish, English, or Irish surnames. These are all names that are found on old tombstones in the area near my home. Some are still found on mailboxes and street signs.

And my home? Well, at the turn of the century, it sported gingerbread trim that was taken down when a former owner decked it out in crisp, white vinyl siding back in the 80's. But that trim is still in the barn, and my husband and I plan to restore it and put it back up in the eaves of the house where it belongs. The predominant feature of the trim is the fleur de lis and angel's wings. Thus the town name, Angel Ridge . And if you haven't yet guessed, I live in Miss Estelee's House.

I look forward to chatting with you today. Who knows? Maybe even Dixie or Miss Estelee will show up, so tell all your friends to come over, sit a spell, and have a chat. We’ll even give out some prizes along the way!

Ya’ll take care now!
Deborah Grace Staley

Abby Gaines: It’s not me, it’s my job

I realized today how much more I enjoy reading – and writing – a novel where the hero’s and/or heroine’s job is big part of the story. Not so big that it overshadows the characters or the romance, but big enough to provide some insight into the character (why did he choose this job, and how does it affect what kind of person he is?), and interesting enough that I’ll absorb some knowledge about a profession of which I might otherwise be ignorant.

This insight came to me partly because I’m reading Tessa Radley’s The Saxon Brides trilogy from Silhouette Desire (Pregnancy Proposal is a December 08 release). The trilogy is based around a winegrowing family, and Tessa Radley gets the level of work-related detail exactly right. Interesting, insightful, but not overpowering.

Earlier today, I was flicking through my January 2009 release from Superromance, The Groom Came Back. It’s a secret wedding story, and the hero is a neurosurgeon who married the heroine eight years ago when she was still a schoolgirl, to rescue her from a custody battle. Then he took off around the world doing important neurosurgeon stuff, and now he’s back wanting a divorce. Well, you can’t always get what you want...

My neurosurgeon hero is a dedicated doctor, but he keeps his distance from his family. That’s partly because of his job – it’s bad enough worrying about his patients, he doesn’t want to worry about family, too. The heroine is a florist – she gets involved in other people’s special occasions, but doesn’t have many of her own.

In the books I write for the Harlequin NASCAR series, the job – the NASCAR world – is an integral part of the story, and that’s what makes those stories fun to write.

I read somewhere a suggestion that readers prefer books where the heroine’s job is not too high-powered. Apparently, readers definitely want the heroine to be good at her job, whether she’s a florist, a homemaker, a teacher, a nurse or whatever. But if she’s too high-powered, she might be...I can’t remember the exact phrase – not likable enough? Too much of a Type A personality to have the softer qualities that readers like?

I’m not so sure about that. I’ve had heroines with the following professions: accountant, homemaker and aspiring novelist, pediatrician, scientist, PR agency owner, sport psychologist, vet, and now a florist. In the pipeline, I have a beauty queen, a counselor and a lawyer. I like to think they all have the mix of both strength and softness that, frankly, most real women have.

When it comes to heroes, I admit I’m partial to very successful businessman...and the occasional neurosurgeon. I’m not that big on cop or firefighter heroes, or military, though obviously lots of readers love them.

What do you think? Do you have any preferences for the kind of job your favorite heroes and heroines have?

Abby Gaines

Jackie Diamond is Keeping Track of Characters

Many readers enjoy characters who continue from book to book. Look at the popularity of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, and many of Debbie Macomber's and Nora Roberts' books, for just a few examples.

As a writer, I enjoy continuing characters, too. Writing my
Harmony Circle miniseries -- published within the Harlequin American Romance line -- lets me enjoy their personalities over a period of years as life throws them curve balls.

I learned a lot from reading topnotch series, and also from a few I wasn't so crazy about. What bothered me were the cookie-cutter beautiful/handsome best friends and siblings obviously plopped into stories to set up future books. In Harmony Circle, I build heroes and heroines with special qualities, issues and occupations to make them memorable.

For example, in The Family Next Door and Baby in Waiting, a subplot concerns a wealthy young woman named Sherry LaSalle who buys a cottage in the neighborhood to tear down and replace with a mansion. Her haughty attitude antagonizes many of her neighbors, especially auto mechanic Rafe, who lives across the street.

In my January 2009 release, Million-Dollar Nanny (which earned 4 ½ stars from Romantic Times magazine)¸ Sherry has been conned out of all her money. Broke, she's forced to live in the cottage and discovers she can't even land a minimum-wage job. Rafe, who adopted his orphaned niece and nephew, needs a nanny, and Sherry decides the job would be perfect for her. He, on the other hand, doesn't want her anywhere near his kids or his heart. Because I'd developed their antagonism in previous books, their tangles and growing attraction were especially fun to write.

Doctor Daddy, to be published in September 2009, features Dr. Jane McKay, an obstetrician who longs for a baby of her own. Jane was the heroine's best friend in
Baby in Waiting, and now her story will be featured in Harlequin's Men Made in America promotion. Jane harbors a secret passion for heartthrob physician Luke Van Dam, who moves in next door and joins her medical practice. Unlike Jane, he attracts babies and the opposite sex without trying, but hasn't a clue how to find happiness. She's about to enlighten him.

Please watch for reviews and news on my website, Hope you enjoy the short video interviews with me on the home page.

Over the course of creating interlinked novels, keeping track of the characters is a challenge. As I start each new book, I review the characters we've met before and look for ways in which their lives can grow and develop just as real people's do.

But then, to me – and I hope to my readers – they are real. I only wish we all had a guaranteed happy ending!

Ann Roth: Sisters- Good or Bad, We're Stuck With Them

My women's fiction novel, My Sisters, is out the first week of November, so I'm focused on sisters. There are so many aspects to the relationship between sisters. Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging around the 'Net about some of them. (You'll find a list of blog dates and links below.)

Sisters intrigue me, and not just because I am one. There are so many complexities to the relationship. Face it, we're born into the same family, offspring of the same mother and father. We can be as different as day and night, see the world from completely opposite angles, walk divergent paths. We might not be the best of friends, or even speak to each other. Yet our family connection links us together, especially during family crises. That old adage, "Blood is thicker than water?" It's real.

It certainly holds true for Margaret, Rose and Quincy, the three heroines in My Sisters. Talk about different paths and personalities! They rarely see or contact each other. And yet, when disaster strikes... I'm not going to spoil the story by saying anything more.

What about you? Do you have a sister? Is the relationship close, or not so good? I'll start. My sister and I--things could be better between us. (Still, we're much closer than Margaret, Rose and Quincy are at the start of My Sisters). But under the surface we love each other. Knowing that comforts and sustains us both. If God forbid, tragedy strikes, you can bet I'll be reaching for the phone and calling her post haste.

Looking forward to hearing about your sister(s), and thanks for stopping by!

For more blogs on sisters, check out the following blogs and dates:
Nov 4 Nov 6 Nov 7 Nov 11 Nov 12

Visit Ann's website