Happy Labor Day!

I’m crawling out from the rock I’ve been under for the past, well, for all of 2013. LOL.

Just this past week I turned in my book, Pleasing the Pirate, to my editor and wow, I feel like a 335 page book has been lifted from my shoulders.

I really have no more words left in me right now and considering it’s Labor Day weekend I’m sure you all are standing around the grill enjoying summer’s last gasp. So today I will leave you with some Labor Day trivia.

Have a fun day!!!

-Sharon

-The first Labor Day parade to be held in the USA was on September 5, 1882 in New York City

-Grover Cleveland was the US President who signed the bill making it a national holiday

-Peter McGuire – founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America–is credited with first proposing the idea of Labor Day as a national holiday in 1882

-There are 155.7 million people age 16 years and older in the country’s labor force as of May 2013 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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The Notorious Lady Anne – Sunday Six

“I’m sorry about . . . Well, about what happened in my office.”

Her eyes flew open and she stared up at the stars. Her face grew hotter. Not with embarrassment, as he would probably assume, but with anger. How dare he take her one good memory and taint it with an apology. Now she felt cheap, when before she felt wanted and cherished and treasured.

 

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Ahoy Matey – Talk Like a Pirate Day

So yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day and I totally missed it! I’m so bummed. I’ve written two pirate stories and have a third planned because I LOVE pirates!

Argghhhh (<–pirate speak)

So in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day I’m giving you a short excerpt from my first pirate story, Wherever You Are.

Morgan sat at a corner table at The Scabbard, a tankard of ale within easy reach and a willing woman on his knee.

The ale he’d come in search of, the woman was an added bonus. Or so he thought. Now, hours later, he just wanted the whore gone, but couldn’t seem to remove her from his knee. That probably had a lot to do with his very advanced inebriated state.

He took a swig of ale only to find the tankard empty and signaled the barmaid for another. The woman on his lap slipped and grabbed his neck for support. She giggled and placed a sloppy, wet kiss on his cheek. He pushed at her, but she was like a barnacle he feared his mates would need to scrape from his body.

Blearily, through a thick haze of alcohol, he noted her once red dress had faded to a dull orange. Her breasts were falling out of the tattered garment. Dirty, brown hair hung in her face. He didn’t even want to think what crawled in it.

Disgusted, he looked away. The Scabbard was one of the most dangerous taverns on the docks. Dank and dark, a smoky haze hung over the occupants. The floorboards stuck to your feet when you walked. More than one patron was plastered to the floor, full-bodied.

It was the type of place those without heart and soul congregated, a sort of hell on Earth and Morgan felt right at home. He fingered the cutlass hanging at his side as his gaze swept the room, searching for trouble. Whether to get in to or out of, he didn’t know.

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The Notorious Lady Anne

Welcome to Sweet Saturday Samples. Click here to find other wonderful samples.

Boldly, almost daringly, she stared at him. Her eyes were more green than blue today, matching her shimmering gown. At any other time, in other circumstances, he would have admired her beauty, but his frustration wouldn’t allow it. Not when she was an interloper on his ship.

“You are aware we are sailing to Boston?” he asked. “Boston is nowhere near Barbados.”

Her smile didn’t dim. In fact it appeared to brighten as if she knew he was irritated and it pleased her. Which only served to drive his irritation straight into anger. Emmaline Sutherland was a distraction he could ill afford. Good God, they would spend five weeks together on this ship.

Impossible. He simply could not take her to Boston.

Except they’d already left port and if he were to stay on schedule, he couldn’t possibly drop anchor now.

“I am aware of the location of Boston on the map, Captain.”

“And what business have you in Boston, Mrs. Sutherland?”

He swore her jaw muscles tensed, but more than likely it was the shadow cast by the sails.

“Personal business, sir.”

What possible “personal business” did a woman have in Boston? If her husband was any sort of man he wouldn’t allow his wife to gallivant around the world unprotected on some mysterious “personal business”. His irritation now encompassed Mr. Sutherland. For allowing his wife to travel alone, for not protecting her. For not being here. Because if he were here, Nicholas wouldn’t be responsible for her.

“I admit to being away from society for some time. I wasn’t aware that the best dress makers are now in the colonies rather than England and France.” What the hell happened to him when he was around this woman? His tongue had a mind of its own, it seemed. He was about to apologize for his lack of manners but her narrowed eyes stayed the words and suddenly he wanted to see that back straighten again and those eyes flash fire at him. Because she was exquisitely beautiful when angry.

“Not all women are concerned with fashion,” she said between clenched teeth.

He barely stopped himself from grinning. Damn but she was beautiful. “I can’t imagine what other personal business a woman alone would have in Boston.”

Did she bar her teeth at him?

“That’s why it’s called personal business, sir. It’s personal. I wasn’t aware a sea captain need be informed of a paying passenger’s reason for travel.”

 

Find out more about Lady Anne here.

Top 5 Favorite Romances

Welcome to Friday Five where every Friday I list five of my favorite things then ask you to do the same. Today I’m listing my five favorite romances and discovered, after I wrote my list that all of them, except #5, are historicals. Huh. Figures my top five are the same genre I like to write.

Again, these are in no certain order:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

 

 

 

 

I read this book over ten years ago and still, to this day, the characters have stayed with me. I just recently downloaded the Kindle version and when I get time, I’m going to read it for the third time.

 

2. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

I remember reading this book twenty-two years ago. Yes, that’s how old it is. But its timeless and, again, another book where the characters just stay inside you. This is more time-travel than historical, but still an excellent book.

3. The Bride by Julie Garwood

Julie Garwood’s historicals are comfort reads to me. I read them over and over when I’m feeling down, or can’t settle into a good book. I absolutely love every one of her heroes.

4. Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

I just recently read this one and didn’t want it to end (the hallmark of a great book). I loved the characters and the fact they are married but didn’t really know much about each other. Some of my favorite stories are about couples who are couples before the book even begins.

5. Second Chances by Sharon Sala

When I first started even thinking about writing romance I knew I wanted to write emotion like Sharon Sala. This book is packed full of it. The journey these two characters take really spoke to me.

Okay. Your turn. Name five of your favorite romances. One… Two… Three… GO!

New Cover Reveal

Here it is. The cover for my February release with Random House’s Loveswept Line. I love getting new covers. It’s like Christmas in my inbox.

Sweet Saturday Sample

From The Notorious Lady Anne, out in February, 2013 with Loveswept (cover pending)

Gone was Lady Anne, in her place just Emmaline. Two components of one person, making a whole that baffled him but he wouldn’t think about it now.

Tonight was for them, Nicholas and Emmaline. No one else. He curled onto his side and tucked her into him. He fell asleep with the scent of her hair—ocean breeze and warm sunlight.

View a complete list of Sharon’s books

Comfort Reads

As a reader, sometimes I’m in the mood for a certain genre and sometimes I’m not. Paranormals (vampires, shape-shifters, etc), I have to be in a certain mood for. Romantic suspense–have to be in a certain mood for. Sometimes I need something new and fresh. And sometimes I need something comforting. Something I’ve read before and loved. A standby that will…well…comfort me.

My comfort reads are Julie Garwood historicals. Ahhh. How I love her heroes and heroines. They’re great stories I can fall into that I’ve read over and over and never get tired of.

<–My three favorites

 

So what is your comfort read?

Sunday Six

From Wherever You Are, which released in paperback this week. Enjoy! And click here for other Sunday Sixes.

“I didn’t set fire to your ship.”

His head tilted, the thoughtful expression deepening. “Didn’t you?”

She shook her head, unable to tear her gaze from his. That whole sense of the unreal descended on her, numbing her. More seconds passed–seconds in which the large man stared at her with eyes that seemed to pick at her thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sweet Saturday Sample

This week my historical time-travel, Wherever You Are, was released in paperback. In honor of that, I’ll leave you with a sample from the book. For more Sweet Saturday Samples click here.

Hands curled around the edge of the boat and her rescuer’s head popped up. His shoulders bunched and flexed in the bright firelight. Biceps rippled as he pulled himself over, water pouring off a shirt glued to his sculpted body. Men cleared the way for him to make his way to the bow. He spoke to a few he passed, quiet, clipped words. The men nodded, their expressions grim. His gaze skipped over her before he lowered himself to the bottom of the boat and ran his hands through his long hair, squeezing the excess water out. He pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, letting his hands dangle between and focusing his attention on the towering ball of fire floating on the water.

“’Tis reachin’ the magazine,” the man beside her mumbled. A few men murmured their agreement.

No sooner had he said the words than the ship exploded. Night turned to day as flames raced toward the sky. Juliana screamed and covered her head with her arms as bits of fiery debris rained down on them. The ones who’d been rowing began to row harder, their expressions ranging from shock to anger to blank trauma. They were wet and bedraggled and every one of them was armed with knives and pistols. Strange-looking pistols. Old-fashioned pistols. Not the Smith & Wessons, Glocks, and Berettas she was used to seeing in her work as an investigative journalist.

Something inside Juliana turned cold. Colder than the seawater soaking her clothes. Colder than the wind whipping her hair into her eyes.

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