Wildcard Weekend: Castle -- a Don't Miss Series

Love Inspired Suspense Author Terri Reed reveals why Castle is a Must Watch Series for her

About the TV Series “Castle”
Castle is a 1 hour witty drama based on a famous mystery novelist who helps the NYPD homicide department solve crimes.
Richard “Rick” Castle [Nathan Fillion] is a bestselling mystery author who was investigated by the New York City police department when the victim of a murder matched the description of a victim in one of his novels. At the time Castle was suffering writer’s block having just killed off the main character, Derrick Storm, in his successful series of novels. During the investigation Castle is inspired by his run-in with the beautiful Detective Kate Beckett [Stana Katic] and through his connections with the Mayor he gets permission to hang out as a consultant at the precinct to do research for his book.
Beckett is initially horrified by the idea of Castle tagging along referring to him as “a 9 year old on a sugar rush totally incapable of taking anything seriously” but as time progresses she learns to appreciate his unique approach to solving crimes. Rounding out the team at the precinct are Detectives Ryan [Seamus Dever] and Esposito [Jon Huertas] and Captain Montgomery [Ruben Santiago Hudson].
From www.castletv.net

As an avid TV junkie I love this show. At times corny and over the top, the interplay between the characters entertains quite well. I love the sexual tension between Beckett and Castle. They have a great rapport as well as chemistry. I enjoy the duo of Ryan and Esposito. They play well off each other, alternating between comical and beleivable. And I have to say Captain Montgomery has some great facial expressions even if not as much air time as the others.

But mostly I like Castle. The character is endearing and cute and sexy and just the right balance hunky bachelor and father. I really enjoy the relationships between Castle, his daughter and his mother. The trio does a good job of balancing dysfunction and normalcy. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Nathan Fillion is super attractive, a good actor ( you may remember him from Firefly and Serenity) and the inspiration for many of my hero’s in several of my books. In fact my hero in this month’s Love Inspired Suspense release Covert Pursuit was inspired by Nathan.
One other fun thing about watching this show is going to Lee Lofland’s blog on Tuesdays, (the show airs on Monday nights 10pm pacific time). Lee, a veteran police investigator, does a commentary on the police procedure used during each Castle episode. http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/index.php

So if you haven’t taken the time to watch Castle, pull up a chair, grab some popcorn and have some fun.

Covert Pursuit
By Terri Reed

Danger in the Keys
Boston Homicide Detective Angie Carlucci thought she was getting a much needed vacation. But her Florida Keys holiday is interrupted when she sees someone dump a body bag in the ocean. In the tangle between arms dealers and treasure hunters, she’s the only witness—and the main target. Unless a certain boat captain can keep her safe.
A pretty cop complicating his mission—and endangering his cover—is the last thing federal agent Jason Bodwell needs. Yet the more Jason and Angie work together, the closer they grow. Jason’s willing to risk his life to solve the case…what will he risk for love?

Must Watch Friday - 'The Blind Side'

Our columnist Annie West revisits the recent US film 'The Blind Side'.

My dad has discovered Sandra Bullock and he's trying to catch up on her films. So recently he, mum and I went to a matinee screening of 'The Blind Side'. On the way home that afternoon I heard Sandra Bullock had won an Oscar for her performance in that film and I wasn't surprised. I bet it was a popular choice.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this movie, especially when its opening scene was a replay of part of an American football match (a sport which has always baffled me). I'm glad I went with few expectations as it made the experience even more delightful. This is a feel good movie with heart. I enjoyed it so much I've now seen it twice and I wasn't bored the second time round. And for anyone else as flummoxed as I am by the way football is played in the US, don't worry, despite what the poster implies, this isn't a sport film (though there's some football in it). This is a story about family and making a difference and above all about love. Is it any wonder I enjoyed it?

The story is about Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), who at the beginning of the film is a high school boy who sleeps on a friend's sofa as his drug-addicted mother can't provide a home for him. The father of his friend takes action to get both boys into a local christian school. Michael's grades are almost non-existent and there's doubt whether he can make it through the course, but reluctantly he's accepted. The school coach, who recognises his latent sporting talent, champions him, but before he can play sport he must improve his grades. Michael doesn't seem to fit with his peers. He's not outgoing, not achieving academically, not white and living from hand to mouth.

Enter SJ (Jae Head), a gregarious boy about half Michael's size, and his parents Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw). Realising Michael has no place to sleep, Leigh Anne offers him a bed for the night, then invites him to stay for their Thanksgiving meal. Eventually the nights spent on their sofa lead to an offer to move in and a room of his own. Michael becomes part of the family in every way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Quinton Aaron's performance as the unassuming Michael. Despite his traumatic past he has an innately caring and gentle personality and this shines through in the movie. His new family are at first glance so different: materially wealthy, educated, confident and successful. Yet instead of a clash of values and personalities, the story reveals the slow establishment of relationships built on trust and respect. Sandra Bullock as the no nonsense Leigh Anne who shows her love through action rather than words is excellent. Kathy Bates, as Miss Sue, the tutor who helps Michael achieve the grades he needs, is a treat too.

In some ways this movie is predictable: the poor hero facing insurmountable odds. The battle to do well in a new environment. The tension over whether he'll succeed. But that didn't detract from the story. It was a tale that affirmed all the things we'd like to believe about the charity, warmth and generosity of those around us. It had people who were fascinating and quirky and likeable. It was satisfying and funny in a gentle, laid back way. One of my fave lines was Sean saying to his wife after Michael's tutor confessed her political views: " Who would have thought we'd have a black son before we met a democrat?".

If you're after a film everyone in the family can enjoy, or a film that will leave you smiling, this is it. One of the nicest moments for me was during the credits at the end, when we were shown photos of Michael and the Tuohys. That's when I realised the film is based on a true story. That made it even better.

Annie has lots to smile about this month as it's almost time for her latest title SCANDAL: HIS MAJESTY'S LOVE-CHILD to be released. If you like sheikh stories, keep an eye out for this one - the fourth and final story in the DARK HEARTED DESERT MEN series. The book is a June release in the UK and a July release in North America, Australia and New Zealand. You can read about it on Annie's website or buy it from Amazon or Amazon UK. There's also a copy to be won (with other prizes in Annie's new contest) on her website.

SILK AND SCANDAL! Meet the ladies....

Welcome back to the Historicals authors of the Silk and Scandal miniseries - let's get up close and personal with the heroines!

A SHORT GUIDE TO SOME EXCEPTIONAL HEROINES


In November you met the heroes of the new Harlequin Historical miniseries Regency Silk & Scandal. (Refresh your memory here!)
Now for an introduction to the exceptional ladies who beguile, bewitch and ultimately capture them!

From Louise Allen, author of THE LORD AND THE WAYWARD LADY (Book 1) and THE OFFICER AND THE PROPER LADY (Book 7:)

I was lucky enough to have two heroines to discover – Nell Latham, the “wayward lady” of the first story and Julia Tresilian, the “proper lady” of the seventh.

Nell certainly strikes Marcus Carlow, Viscount Stanegate, as wayward, but it isn’t wilfulness that has made her independent, determined and disinclined to do what an apparently cold aristocrat wants, but circumstances. Neither of them knows it at first, but their pasts are linked by an old scandal and tragedy and their meeting is the first move on the chessboard by the shadowy figure who has vowed vengeance on three families.

Nell has come down in the world from a hardly-remembered life of luxury to a hand to mouth existence as a milliner. Tall, thin, tense – there is nothing in Marcus’s first glimpse of Nell to attract him except her courage and her voice. As we both got to know her better the real Nell emerged – intelligent, sensual, beautiful in an uncommon way. I knew I had found her when I saw this lovely fashion print: it seems to show her deep in thought, studying one of the clues to the mystery.

I met Julia Tresilian face to face in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. My shriek of recognition brought two guards and several visitors to the scene and my embarrassed husband dived for cover behind a large urn. But there she was, head and shoulders in her glass case – innocent, serene, determined – and my husband was eventually prevailed on to photograph her.

Julia is in Brussels in 1814 hoping for a good marriage: the last thing she needs is a rakehell cavalry officer whose courage and looks are no compensation for the ruin that associating with him would bring a very proper young lady. But Hal Carlow is caught up in the hell of Waterloo and Julia will not abandon him – even if it means searching for his body on the battlefield. What neither of them realise is that Napoleon is not the only person threatening Hal’s life: he is as enmeshed in the lethal mystery as his brother Marcus. To Hal’s amazement the virtuous lady will throw reputation to the wind if that is what it takes to be with her most unsuitable lover.

I grew very close to my two heroines as we wrote Regency Silk & Scandal – I hope you enjoy meeting them and discovering their unfolding love stories as the mystery intensifies.


From Christine Merrill, author of PAYING THE VIRGIN’S PRICE (Book 2) and TAKEN BY THE WICKED RAKE (Book 8:)

When it came time to find a heroine for Paying the Virgin’s Price, she fell quite naturally into place for me. I had already decided that the hero would be a gambler. And at some point, in plotting and naming characters, my mind turned to Guys and Dolls, and found Nathan Detroit. And thus, Nathan Wardale was named.

Although I could hardly repopulate England with New York toughs and lowlifes, it was no real stretch to change the proper Sergeant Sarah Brown into the Regency archetype of a lady’s companion for the Carlow sisters. In Diana Price, I had someone smart, organized and almost preternaturally virtuous to keep one step ahead of the girls, and set them a good example. I gave Diana a reason to hate gambling in general, and Nathan in particular. And then, I launched her at him and let the fun begin.

After a little searching, I found the perfect heroine picture of Diana/Jean Simmons. Even the dress is right!

When it came time to write Taken by the Wicked Rake, I had the name of my heroine, before any other detail. I’d always loved the name, Verity. And I thought that, for a series that involved a mystery, it would be good to end with someone who was the embodiment of truth.

I knew what the other members of her family were like, and made a baby sister that would suit them. Verity Carlow was eager to please her family, and yet frustrated at the limitations placed on her by society. She wanted to spread her wings, but was wondering if she would ever have the chance. She had also seen the happy endings of all the other characters in the series, but had been sheltered from much of the darkness they’d experienced. This might make her a little reckless. Though she was intelligent, she was still quite naïve.

But in choosing a face, I was drawing a blank. I knew she had dark blonde hair and hazel eyes, but that was all. Pictures of actresses I found were all too pretty, or too familiar. When I looked at the face, I didn’t want to think of anyone but Verity.

So I went to a website I use sometimes, called Morphthing.com which allows you to blend different pictures to get a new face. And I made her up. My heroine is a cross between Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan.

From Julia Justiss, author of THE SMUGGLER AND THE SOCIETY BRIDE (Book 3:)

Since Lady Honoria Carlow, heroine of book 3, was the daughter of one of the families we created for the miniseries, her name, age, and background were already determined. But we’d established only a brief sketch of her personality.

I like parallels, so I was drawn to the idea of an innocent targeted for ruin by the revenge character in retaliation for the ruin of his life by the original scandal. Fueling the desire to target Honoria is the fact that, of the three friends involved in the murder and hanging, only her father escaped the debacle with title, reputation and fortune intact. What better way to hurt him than by destroying his innocent daughter?

Except for the plan to work, she couldn’t be entirely “innocent.” For even her own family to believe she might have been reckless enough to set up a rendezvous with an older roué to make her fiancé jealous, she must already have been skirting the edges of propriety. So the tempestuous character of Honoria began to take shape.

When she flees to the Cornish coast, the future as she’s always imagined it forever destroyed by the scandal, the angry and despairing Honoria must figure out what to do with her life.

It seems all of a piece that she should find herself instantly attracted to a most unsuitable gentlemen. No matter that he’s a local celebrity—and devastatingly attractive—Lady Honoria Carlow and the captain of a smuggling cutter should not even be on speaking terms.

But as Honoria begins to discover who she truly is, she finds Gabe Hawksworth is much more than he seems. And an attraction that should never have been turns into a love impossible to deny!

How do I picture Honoria? Think Vivian Leigh, vixen of “Gone with the Wind” and “That Hamilton Woman” fame, with wavy golden-brown hair and grey-blue eyes!


From Gayle Wilson, author of CLAIMING THE FORBIDDEN BRIDE (Book 4:)

I was very excited to begin my research for Claiming the Forbidden Bride, primarily because my heroine, Nadya Argentari, is a beautiful Gypsy healer. During the Regency period it was believed the Roma originated in Egypt, hence the inaccurate name. In actuality, the Roma, or Rom, began to migrate from northern India sometime in the 11th century. From there they spread throughout Europe, retaining much of their original language, their customs, and their nomadic lifestyle.

In picturing my heroine, I was influenced by that information. I had just re-watched Slumdog Millionaire and the image of its heroine, played by Indian actress Freida Pinto, stuck in my mind. I also have an Indian neighbor, whose beauty and charm firmly cemented the emerging picture of Nadya as someone who would clearly demonstrate the ethnic roots of her people.

In the course of my research, I also discovered that women often played major roles in Roma society. My heroine’s knowledge of herbal remedies is greatly valued, and during the course of the novel, she saves the hero’s life as well as the lives of several others. Nadya’s grandmother, Magda, also influences the outcome of the novel with her own powerful presence within the kumpania. I really enjoyed learning about the Rom and hope that I have accurately portrayed these interesting people and both these strong, courageous women in my story.

From Annie Burrows, author of THE VISCOUNT AND THE VIRGIN (Book 5:)

When we blogged about how we created our heroes for this series, I admitted that my inspiration came from chat on this site about the need for more blond men in tight breeches and ruffled shirts. (Shallow? Moi?)

In total contrast, it was my heroine’s personality that came to me first. As we discussed the events that serve as a background to all our stories, I realized that these would have a very serious impact on her. Her father was murdered, her mother had a sort of nervous breakdown, and then remarried in an attempt to escape the scandalous associations of her first marriage. With so much going on, Imogen got neglected, and, in an effort to get her very superior new stepbrothers to notice her, she became a complete tomboy. When she eventually does go to London for a season, she feels like a fish out of water amongst the all the very prim and proper society misses. She is more used to climbing trees than sitting in a drawing room making polite conversation.

Obviously, it does not take her long to start getting into scrapes. As her exasperated aunt remarks, even when she is not looking for trouble, somehow it always manages to find her.

As for her appearance... no pic to go with this as I'm afraid Midge defies description!


From Margaret McPhee, author of UNLACING THE INNOCENT MISS (Book 6:)

In Unlacing the Innocent Miss, my heroine undertakes a journey in more ways than one.

At the start of the story Miss Rosalind Meadowfield is a mild mannered paid companion to an elderly dowager. But Rosalind’s meek and quiet demeanour has been forged by the necessity of her situation. Throughout the years she has had to become a woman who must blend unnoticed with the background, a woman who is resigned to a life of loneliness and servitude in order to hide a dark secret from her family’s past. But events conspire to ruin all of her plans and life takes a vastly diverse path for Rosalind when she is forced to flee the length of the country to the wilds of Scotland. Through the trials that she faces quite a different woman is revealed, one that is courageous and determined and passionate. And as the tough, handsome thief-taker sent to find her, Will Wolversley, or Wolf as he is known, experiences first hand, one who is also stubborn and defiant, and with a gritty measure of pride. Rosalind has to overcome the worst of her fears and in doing so she realizes her self and ultimately finds true love.

I envisaged Rosalind as pale with long dark hair and clear hazel eyes. She is kind and gentle, with a wonderful smile and a warmth about her. When I searched for a picture of someone to match the image of Rosalind in my head I found that perhaps Dr Allison Cameron from television’s House drama comes close.

Ready to be swept away by the heroes and heroines of REGENCY SILK AND SCANDAL? Louise Allen’s Book 1, on sale now at eharlequin.com and millsandboon.co.uk, will appear soon at your favourite bookstore!

AND as an extra bonus - the authors have banded together to bring you an online read at eharlequin!  Read Seduced By The Dark Stranger!

The books in the series go as follows:
 
The Lord and the Wayward Lady by Louise Allen
June 2010

Paying the Virgin’s Price by Christine Merrill
July 2010

The Smuggler and the Society Bride by Julia Justiss
August 2010

Claiming the Forbidden Brideby Gayle Wilson
September 2010

The Viscount and the Virginby Annie Burrows
October 2010

Unlacing the Innocent Missby Margaret McPhee
November 2010

The Officer and the Proper Lady by Louise Allen
December 2010

Taken by the Wicked Rake by Christine Merrill
January 2011

We interrupt this blog...

For a teensy bit of news!

The Pink Heart Society finally has a Facebook page!

Come on over and join in the fun.  There will be links to current blogs as well as updates on all things current - you know, the special I'm-so-excited info that you can't wait until your next blog date to share!  Authors - feel free to drop by and share your good news and readers - let us know what you recently read that you loved...or say hello to some of your favourite authors. 

It's all happening RIGHT HERE!

Writer's Wednesday: THE CALL with AMANDA BERRY!

Ooooh - we just LOVE call stories!  Please welcome brand new author Amanda Berry to the PHS!

Thank you to the lovely ladies at the Pink Heart Society for inviting me to blog with them.


When I first picked back up writing in 2000 I thought I’d write a Harlequin Temptation. I started a couple of books, joined a critique group and found out I had a lot to learn. Before I started writing again, I read tons of craft books and felt more comfortable with writing in general.

In 2006, my husband took an opportunity to work in England, giving me the opportunity to leave the workforce. I wrote two books while in England, both paranormal romance. I also took a class from Katherine Garbera on Writing the Selling Silhouette Desire in February. During that time, I wrote the first scenes of L.A. Cinderella and a synopsis.

Meanwhile I finished up my second manuscript and started submitting it to contests and agents. When November came around, I was looking for something to write for NaNoWriMo and decided to write L.A. Cinderella. In the spring, a friend mentioned the Marlene was low on category romance entries. I polished up the first few chapters and sent it in, figuring I’d get some good feedback.

L.A. Cinderella ended up being a finalist and eventually winning first place and a full request from Patience Smith, the final judge. I spent a month polishing the manuscript before sending it off.

I went to Nationals and got a few requests for my paranormal romance, so I queried agents again. On the Friday before Labor Day weekend, I was getting my kids ready to go to their grandparents, so I could attend a Write-in. I picked up my cell phone and noticed I’d missed a call. From New York!

My hands shook horribly while listening to the message from not an agent, but Patience Smith. I dialed back and she offered to buy L.A. Cinderella for the Silhouette Special Edition line.

I floated into the Write-in and couldn’t write a page. I did, however, e-mail the agents that had my paranormal and asked if they would like to represent me with this sale. I got a call from Becca Stumpf, the Prospect Agency.

It’s an amazing nerve-wracking experience. You never know when the opportunity will come along that will help you sell. I’m grateful for all the help I received along the way. The Marlene prize also included a critique of my entry by the Pink Heart Society, which was very helpful in cleaning up the full before sending it in. So thank you very much to the Pink Heart Society for being part of my journey.

After an exciting life as a CPA, Amanda Berry returned to writing when her husband swept the family off to England to live for a year. Now she’s hooked, and since returning to the states spends her writing days concocting spicy contemporary romances while her cats try in vain to pry her hands off the keyboard. Her Marlene-award winning contemporary romance, L.A. Cinderella, debuts from Silhouette Special Edition in June 2010. One thing she requires of all her books is a happily ever after. Amanda lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children. For more information, please visit www.amanda-berry.com.

Temptation Tuesday – Internet Games

If the first step is admitting you have a problem...The Pink Heart Society editor Jenna Bayley-Burke is almost there. She'll get around to quitting after she beats her sister on Bejeweled.


Most of the time, those around us have no idea what it is we writers do on our computers. As long as the keys are clicking, they figure we're getting something accomplished. What is strange about that is the most productive time in writing a story can come when it is spinning in your brain...and the least productive time can be when the keys are clicking away...on Farmville.

I'm not knocking Farmville - I'm level 70 and trying very hard to quit now that I've topped out. These games are fun for the escapism they create. And I've 'met' some really fun people playing these games.

It all started when I joined Facebook. A speaker at my local RWA chapter said it was a must so I did...and found it rather boring. So when a friend gave me a cow as a 'gift' I started playing. I only played when I was on the phone with my mother - a non-writing time. It tended to be while the toddler was flitting about the living room during Sesame Street. Well...Sesame is an hour long and my mom can talk that long without taking a breath.


So Farmville morphed into Farm Town. Cafe World. Yoville. Mafia Wars. And eventually I was playing more than when my mom was on the phone. It was cutting into my writing time. But that was OK...I mean...my cyber crops can't be left to whither! I might get whacked if I didn't collect from my properties!

They do help you build a collection of 'friends'. And I know I've sold more than a few books just to people I interact with on the games. But it was getting to be a bit much. I knew it was a problem when I was stitting in my brother's hospital room playing Bejeweled.

Here was the pocket of time I'd always wanted - complete silence, hours to myself (my brother is lovely now by the way, and was lovely enough then thanks to some fantastic nurses and pain medication). But was I writing?

I told myself it helped calm my anxiety. It did, I felt better when I was playing. But at the end of the day I couldn't believe all my wasted time! I have so little time to write right now...and I'm worried about feeding my cyberdog.

My real dog is fabulous, and perfect for me. He can warm my feet, bark at door-to-door sales people, and provide a stepstool so the tiny one can get onto the couch. So why am I worried about treats for a cyber dog?

And I have accepted the fact that my sister is some kind of Bejeweled savant. So there is no point in me trying to be on the same scoreboard as her. It's like trying to fit into her jeans - it ain't gonna happen.

So...I'm slowly setting aside this temptation. Really. I'm going to make my farm look nice and then let it go. I'll bank all my money and then let the rival mafias do their worst. And I'm sure I'll get a lot more done because of it - even when my mother is on the phone!

Jenna has a new ebook out. Pride & Passion comes complete with a hero used to getting what he wants, a heroine determined not to give in to him, some indecent proposals, a fair amount of pride, and enough passion to burn up everyone’s control.To find out what Jenna is up to ...check out her website & blog.

Male on Monday: Tom Hardy

Michelle Styles investigates the question -- what happens when you wake up one day and know you will never play Mr D?

Sometimes actors have cherished dreams destroyed. Tom Hardy long wanted to play Mr Darcy. He auditioned for the part when they were casting the most recent film version of P&P. he put on his best prep school accent, and was according to the account I read, dressed in a blazer, blue shirt and jeans. A modern Mr Darcy or so he thought. After the audition Stacey Snider the CEO of Dreamworks is reputed to have said to him 'Every woman in the world has an impression of Mr Darcy and you're just not it.'

Thank goodness for that! I say.

With enormous bruised looking lips and bristling with energy, there was a certain raw sexuality to his performance that would not have fitted the more urbane Mr Darcy. Hardy instead plays bad boys and gangsters like Heathcliff from the recent ITV production of Withering Heights. Or Freddie in The Take. Anti-heroes.

After going to to a posh prep school and the Richmond School of Drama, Tom Hardy got his start in Band of Brothers as John Janovec. His first role in a major movie was in Black Hawk Down. He is currently best known for playing the lead role in Bronson. He will be playing Nick Nolte's son in the boxing picture Warrior, and a member of Leonardo DiCaprio's team in Christopher Nolan's latest sci-fi thriller Inception. Both movies are coming to the big screen later this year. The latest trailer for Inception has just appeared...For Warrior, Hardy hit the gym and gained about 2 stone of muscle. He also has a part in Mad Max 4 (due out in 2012). He is a hard working actor who knows the sort of roles that he can play. He has a reputation of being able to play very difficult roles and bring a vitality and energy to those roles. Say what you like about ITV's Wuthering Heights, but his protrayal of Heathcliff was the best of the show.

On the wild side in his youth, he has had tortured love life but is rumoured to currently be with Wuthering Heights and the Take) co-star Charlotte Riley.

So I flag him up for those people who like their British gentleman with a tad more earthiness than Mr Darcy. Men who are in need of taming...

Michelle Styles's latest Compromising Miss Milton is out now in the UK and features a hero in need of redemption.