Six Sentence Sunday

(Please scroll down for the Hero's Blog Hop)

Another six from my contemporary romance, ‘Changing the Future’.

Paul and Lisa are both shocked when they meet at Hillside College. Paul has gone to see Lisa at the end of the afternoon, and after a very barbed conversation, he asks whether there has to be war between them all the time.

“Are we going to ignore each other if we happen to pass in a corridor?” he went on. “Make some excuse to walk quickly away from any situation where we’re forced to meet?”

“Like you did when we met this morning?”

He acknowledged her truthful comment with a slight tilt of his head. “Yes, I’m sorry, I was so stunned to see you here, but if we make deliberate efforts to avoid each other, people are going to notice, aren’t they?”

“So what do you suggest?”

Blurb: Lisa Marshall is stunned when celebrated volcanologist Paul Hamilton comes back into her life at the college where she now teaches. Despite their acrimonious break-up several years earlier, they soon realise the magnetic attraction between them is stronger than ever. However, the past is still part of the present, not least when Paul discovers Lisa has a young son. They can’t change that past, but will it take a volcanic eruption to help them change the future?

'Changing the Future' is available at $3.99 on Amazon

Read more 6 sentence excerpts from the other Six Sentence Sunday authors here.

Also if you scroll down to my Friday post below, there’s still time to enter the Hero Blog Hop, with some great prizes. Leave a comment there for the chance to win a copy of ‘Changing the Future’ (or one of my other romance novels) 

A Hero's Blog Hop

What’s my ideal romance hero?

I usually define  him as an alpha-minus, beta-plus man, who retains the best and loses the less attractive qualities of each type.

So my hero has strength of character without being domineering, self-assurance but in a non-aggressive way, and of course that indefinable charisma which makes him stand out in a crowd. He’s successful too, not because of any inherited wealth or position, but through his own efforts in whatever sphere of work he has made his own. On the beta-plus side, he’s sensitive and caring, and maybe struggling with some inner insecurity which he keeps hidden.

In His Leading Lady; Kyle Drummond is a successful theatre producer/director, with a string of successes in both London and New York. To begin with, he comes over as overbearing and arrogant, but there are reasons for this. Jess, after disliking him intensely when they first meet, soon discovers a deeply caring man behind his public persona. He’s also pretty good in bed too (but then so are all my heroes!)

One reviewer said, “And OH MY do I wish Kyle Drummond were real!!! His character was so incredibly perfect and smoldering.”

In Fragrance of Violets, Jack Tremayne is a journalist and best-selling writer. After making a name for himself, he’s in a position where he can concentrate on the serious issues he wants to research such as global warming and alternative energy sources. At the same time, he reveals his compassionate nature as he tries to rebuild his relationship with Abbey, understanding all the reasons why she is so full of distrust.

In the words of a reviewer: I fell in love with Jack. What a heroic character. Considerate and patient with Abbey's presumption all men are like her absentee father, Jack works in the background to ensure Abbey can achieve her heart's desire. 

In Changing the Future, Paul Hamilton is a world-famous volcano expert, no longer the unknown university researcher he was when he first met and fell in love with Lisa. After an acrimonious break-up, both their lives have changed when they meet again. In contrast to his careful and guarded professional research, Paul has to deal with his tendency to jump to the wrong conclusions over the things that happen in his personal life.

Here’s the moment when he realises the truth:

His son. He let the words roll round in his mind. They sounded so good. His son.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. So did that mean—?

He heard the echo of Lisa’s words: No, you’ve got it all wrong!

The truth hit him like a thunderbolt. He had got it all wrong. Utterly, appallingly, catastrophically wrong.

For a few seconds he struggled to breathe. Lisa had been telling the truth, but he’d refused to believe her denials. Unfounded suspicion, and, yes, jealousy and resentment, too, had led him to make the most disastrous decision of his whole life.

In Her Only Option (my next release, due out in November), Ross McAllister is a well-known archaeologist, working on his dream project in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. He’s articulate, determined, and dedicated. His ex-fiancee told him he was married to his work, and she couldn’t compete with that. Realising the truth of her words, he’s decided there’s no room for a woman in his life. Until he meets Neve Dalton, a cruise ship tour guide, who shares his passion for Ancient Egypt. He knows he has met his soul-mate and, when their relationship is threatened by an unknown enemy, he won’t rest until he has discovered who is behind the threats.

My critique partner describes Ross as “one of those guys so interesting and smart, he doesn't see how gorgeous he is.”

You can find all my books at my author’s page on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Paula-Martin/e/B005BRF9AI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

And now I’d be interested to know which of my heroes sounds the most attractive to you!

Or, if you’ve already read one or more of my books, which one did you like the best (and, of course, why)?

I’m offering a PDF copy of either His Leading Lady, Fragrance of Violets or Changing the Future (your choice) to one person who leaves a comment here (please remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re a winner!)

And now read on for even more exciting news!

Over 100 Authors and Bloggers are sharing their favorite things about romance heroes, a character post from them, and what we love about romance and men in general.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yes, there will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. So you can enter over 100 times!

What are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack! (USA only – apologies to my fellow Brits!)

Go here to visit the other participants in the bloghop, and increase your winning chances!

http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.co.uk/p/a-heros-hop.html

Thursday Tour of North West England - Morecambe

Morecambe is a seaside resort in north Lancashire, situated on Morecambe Bay. Until the latter part of the 19th century, it was a small fishing village called Poulton-le-Sands, a fact which confused me no end when I discovered my g-g-grandfather living there at the 1871 census, and thought it referred to another Poulton about 18 miles away!

In the mid-19th century the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company was formed to build a harbour and a connecting railway. A town started to grow up around the port which gradually developed as a seaside resort. This absorbed Poulton village, and also the neighbouring villages of Bare and Torrisholme. The new name of Morecambe was officially adopted in 1889.

By the mid-20th century, Morecambe had become a thriving seaside resort, attracting visitors especially from West Yorkshire (due to the railway link to Skipton and Bradford), and from Scotland. I remember that one week in July was known as ‘Glasgow Week’ when Morecambe seemed to be full of Glaswegians!

More recently, Morecambe has declined. The two piers were lost, one in a storm, and the other by fire. In the 1990’s the fairground and swimming pool also closed. I have happy memories of both from when I was a child.

Recently there have been some efforts to regenerate the resort, and its popularity is gradually reviving. 

The Midland Hotel, a landmark art-deco building, was built by the LMS Railway in the 1930’s. Despite being designated as a Grade II listed building, it fell into disrepair in the 1970’s but has recently been refurbished and reopened its doors to the public about 4 years ago.

Another Grade II listed building is the Winter Gardens, where in the 1960’s I saw a lot of variety shows in the theatre and danced in the ballroom. Again this closed in the 1970’s, and sadly the charitable trust formed to preserve the Winter Gardens has not yet been able to raise sufficient funds to restore and refurbish it.

Currently, one of Morecambe’s most famous landmarks is the statue of Eric Morecambe who was born in the town in 1926 and became one of Britain’s best loved comedians, along with his partner Ernie Wise. Eric and Ernie’s Christmas shows were almost mandatory viewing in the late 60’s and 70’s.

Last but not least, one of the reasons I love visiting Morecambe is the wonderful panorama of Lakeland Hills which can be seen across the bay.

Photo by ©.Oliver Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

All other photos in public doman at Wikimedia Commons

7777 Challenge!

Teresa Cypher has tagged me!  She said (and I'm blushing!):

Paula Martin writes romance. I recently read her newest release, "Changing the Future" and loved it. I'm not a romance reader, but had read Six Sunday snippets and gave it a shot. Review worthy. :-) Paula is a wonderful writer and I'd like to get a glimpse of seven from her next project.

(And many thanks to Teresa for her 5* review)

The instructions are to post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction by following these rules:

• Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
• Go to line 7
• Post the next 7 lines or sentences on your blog as they are (no cheating, please!)
• Tag 7 other authors to do the same.

My current WIP: "Different Worlds"

Eventually the truth she hadn’t wanted to admit forced its way into her mind. Disappointment. Yes, admit it, Beth. You were disappointed when he only gave you a quick parting kiss on the cheek.

She chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds as she tried to forget the melting effect of his kiss the previous Sunday. Her mind, however, refused to cooperate, and she blew out a long breath. She’d hoped for—and wanted, if she was being totally honest—the same kind of kiss tonight.

Now I have to tag 7 other authors to do the same:

Celia Yeary - Romance - and a little bit of Texas
Rosemary Gemmell - Reading and Writing
Jennifer Wilck - Fried Oreos
K.E.Saxon - Author of Red Hot Romance
Lynette Sofras - Manic Scribbler
Gilli Allan - Writer Cramped
Sandra Sookoo - Believing is Seeing

Have fun, and don't forget to let me know when you've posted your 7!

Six Sentence Sunday

Another six from my contemporary romance, ‘Changing the Future’.

Paul and Lisa are both shocked to see each other again at Hillside College. This six comes at the end of their barbed conversation about why they are both working at the college.

He knew she wasn’t telling him the whole truth but there was no point pressing her any further. Her animosity was palpable, and he didn’t want to provoke a full-scale confrontation or go over all the old ground again. “So how are we going to handle things?”

“Handle what things?”

“We have to work in the same place for a few weeks. Does it have to be war all the time?”

Blurb: Lisa Marshall is stunned when celebrated volcanologist Paul Hamilton comes back into her life at the college where she now teaches. Despite their acrimonious break-up several years earlier, they soon realise the magnetic attraction between them is stronger than ever. However, the past is still part of the present, not least when Paul discovers Lisa has a young son. They can’t change that past, but will it take a volcanic eruption to help them change the future.

'Changing the Future' is available at $3.99 on Amazon

The latest 5* review said:

I loved this book. I rarely read straight up romance, but after reading snippets of this book on the author's blog, I thought it really sounded good.
It wasn't mushy-sweet, and had this great tension between the male and female main characters.
The characters were well developed and delightful to read. Their flaws brought them right down to earth.
The pacing was great. I could have read it in one sitting if life didn't get in the way.
Truly enjoyable story. Great job, Paula Martin. Romance: five stars.

(Thank you, Teresa!)

Many thanks to everyone who visits my blog each Sunday and leaves such great comments for me :-)

And while you're here, do have a look at my post yesterday about next weekend's Romance Hero Blog Hop, when there'll be some amazing prizes up for grabs!

Read more great sentences from the other Six Sentence Sunday authors here

Romance Heroes

Are you ready to hear what your favorite romance heroes have to say? Well, we authors are ready to share our hunky heroes! Starting next Friday and ending on July 31st, over 100 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about romance heroes, a character post from them, and what we love about romance and men in general.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger. Mine will be a PDF copy of one of my contemporary romance novels - your choice from 'His Leading Lady', 'Fragrance of Violets' or 'Changing the Future.'.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. So you can enter over 100 times!

Here's the link to the bloghop http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.co.uk/p/heros-blog-hop-hop.html

What are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (or $199 guift card if you already own one of these)
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack! (USA only - sorry to anyone in UK or elsewhere!)

Yep. ALL of that! Be sure to come back here next Friday and over the weekend to enjoy some stories and facts about our favorite Romance Heroes and enter to win!

Thursday Tour - today we're in Lancaster

Lancaster, situated on the River Lune in the northern part of Lancashire, was originally a Roman fort which was built on the hill where the medieval castle now stands. Little is known about it between Roman times and the Norman Conquest (between the 5th and 11th centuries), although some Anglo-Saxon remains have been found in the area, suggesting there may have been a monastery there.

The first documentary evidence of Lancaster is in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was referred to as Loncastre – Lon referring to the River Lune, and caster from the Roman word, castra, meaning a fort. The ‘Honour of Lancaster’ was granted to one of William 1st’s supporters, and changed hands several times over the next few centuries, with more land being added until the owner held one of the largest estates in the country.

The Duchy of Lancaster was created in the 14th century for John of Gaunt, one of Edward III’s sons, who had married the Lancastrian heiress. When John’s son, Henry, usurped the throne in 1399, he declared that the Lancastrian inheritance should be held separately from the other possessions of the Crown. Thus the Duchy was never surrendered to the Crown Estates, and still belongs personally to the monarch. The present Queen, therefore, has the title of ‘Duke of Lancaster’ as well as her royal title.

Lancaster Castle was started in the 12th century, and added to in later centuries. John of Gaunt’s gateway was built by Henry IV in the early 15th century (presumably named in honour of his father), and has been called the finest gatehouse of its type in England.

For many years, the Castle was used as a court and a prison. The ‘Lancashire Witches’ were tried and sentenced to death here in 1612, and ten of them were hanged. The castle is still used as a Crown Court, and was also used as a prison until last year.

The Priory Church of St Mary, which stands close to the castle, is thought to have been built on the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery. It was established in the 11th century as a Benedictine Priory, but when the monasteries were abolished by Henry VIII in 1539, it became Lancaster’s parish church. Since then it has been enlarged several times.

In the Middle Ages, Lancaster was a market town, serving the surrounding agricultural countryside. During the 19th century, it also became a busy port, although this was short-lived when the River Lune began to silt up.

In recent years, Lancaster has developed as a centre for information technology companies, in addition to other industries such as animal feeds, textiles, chemicals and farm machinery. It’s also a cultural centre, with theatres and concerts, both classical and pop. A new University was established just outside the city in the 1960’s (which I featured briefly in my novel 'Changing the Future').

My personal link with Lancaster comes through my father’s family. His great-grandfather, Joseph Wilson, was baptised at the Priory Church in 1812 and married his wife Jane there in 1833. He was a tailor and draper, with a shop on Market Street in the town, and was also a member of the Town Council.

He and Jane had 10 children between 1834 and 1857, including my own great-grandfather, Edward Wilson, who was born in 1834. In 1860 Edward married the oldest daughter of a Primitive Methodist Minister who had eventually settled in Lancaster after a previously peripatetic life in over a dozen different towns. When Edward fell out with his twin brother, John, he moved to Ashton-under-Lyne, a small town near Manchester, but I think there are probably quite a lot of Wilson descendants still living in or around Lancaster.