The Royal Wedding to Come

I freely admit it. I was one of the millions who savored the coverage of the wedding of the century between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. I’m a romance writer – I’m a romance fan. How could I not watch the extravagant, beautiful nuptials and sigh with the bliss of a happily completed fairy tale?

Now it’s Prince William and Kate Middleton who take center stage, their son and his long-time girlfriend. The idea of watching them get married can’t help but be a bit of history repeating itself. I’m sure the ceremony will be fantastic.

But what about the couple?

Prince William seems to have genuine commitment to the life he was born in to. I think Kate, while gorgeous and appealing in much the way Diana was, seems ready to take on the title and life of being part of the royal family in ways Diana probably wasn’t. I pray God blesses them both with the ability and strength, and love, to persevere in what is most definitely a gilded cage.

I admit to being surprised that Prince William gave Kate the ring which Prince Charles gave to Diana? How do you all feel about that? Is it a bad omen? Bad karma?

I had to think about it a bit before coming to a lasting conclusion on that topic. After all Charles and Diana’s marriage didn't end the way we all dreamed when we watched them walk down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral. But then I dug a little deeper. I read up on the “Royal Wedding Hubub,” and realized that there’s a loving, sentimental significance to the ring for William. To him, their son, the ring honors two of the people he loves the most - his mother and his father - even if they didn't find the happily-ever-after that was dreamed of back on that fateful day in July of 1981.

Chime in with your $0.02 on the Royal Wedding to come! I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

Until next time – blessings!

Happy Birthday, With This Kiss!

WITH THIS KISS RELEASES!!

It's been two years in the making, but With This Kiss is finally available. Please check it out at:

WITH THIS KISS - THE WILD ROSE PRESS


Here's a blurb and excerpt to tempt you along!

BLURB:

‘So Bella, do you still like the way snowflakes feel when they touch your skin?’

Many Christmases ago, a stolen kiss beneath a snowy sky sealed their fate. Now, will love be enough?

Jonathan Santini heads a preeminent labor law practice in New York. He’s driven by passion – unrelenting in his pursuit of two things: A better life through labor law, and Isabella Alfano.

But the Santinis possess a somewhat checkered family history - one that puts Jonathan on the outside of Isabella’s branch of the Alfano clan.

Bella’s tangled emotions can’t stop what she feels for the bad-boy turned good. Taking over her grandma’s deli brings them together again, and the chemistry is electric.

But the obstacle of family honor isn’t the only thing in their way. A jealous colleague at Jonathan’s firm is bent on revenge - revenge that puts Isabella’s store into legal peril…

EXCERPT:

“Isabella Julianna Alfano,” Jonathan repeated in a murmur. “That’s not a name, that’s poetry. I’m delighted to meet you.”

The comment snared her wide-eyed attention. The blush deepened but she replied, “Thank you. It’s a pleasure. And, unfortunately, Grandma never fails to use the unabridged version of my name. I’m usually called Bella.”

Translation: Beauty. Jonathan grinned. “Indeed.”

Grandma Rach chuckled low; Bella averted her gaze, but rebounded quickly. When she looked back up at him there were questions in her eyes. Questions, and intrigue.

Aunt Bella!”

Bella’s attention slid to Jonathan’s left. He turned, following the direction of her gaze.

“Hey, Nick!” Isabella called, her voice a perfect blend of smoke and satin. “Come here and give me a hug. I haven’t had a chance to see you yet. Did you get a look at all the gifts under the tree?”

The youngster, maybe six or seven, all but rocketed into her open arms. A look of love bloomed from Bella’s smiling lips to the depths of her eyes.

Fleetingly Jonathan envied the boy for being on the receiving end of her tenderness and enthusiasm.

Bella crouched and flipped her hair to the side so she could give her nephew a quick peck on the cheek.

The back of her gown, like the front, scooped discreetly; once more the sight of her exposed skin turned into a siren call, prompting him again toward a light, soft caress. Again Jonathan’s fingers twitched, but for the second time he quelled the impulse.

Nick pulled urgently on Bella’s hand, yanking her free of their group, saying, “C’mon! You’ve gotta come to the window and look outside. It’s snowing like crazy!”

She looked back at Jonathan, apology in her eyes. He smiled and nodded in understanding.

When Bella drifted away from the table, a middle-aged woman took her spot. Carrying a goblet of red wine, she regarded Jonathan with unhidden speculation and more than a touch of hauteur when she asked, “You are?”

"Jonathan Santini.”

In an instant her attitude graduated from haughty to ice-cold. That left him confused; he’d never met her before.

“Santini. Would Carlos Santini be your father?”

Oh yes, he thought. Here we go. This woman knew his dad, the scrappy, opinionated, tough-minded businessman and former union boss.

Life experience had taught Jonathan to remain smooth and calm in the face of hostility. Further, he refused to ever hurt or offend Grandma Rach, so he regarded the woman politely. “That’s right, yes. You would be?”

“Isabella’s mother,” she answered with succinct cool. “My name is Emily Alfano.”

Rachel gave her daughter-in-law a quelling look. “Em, did you know that my Jonathan here is attending Columbia Law School? In his spare time, he’s been helping me out at the store. I wouldn’t make it without him. He’s a God-send.”

Jonathan took Rachel’s soft, gnarled hand in his and held it firm. “Labor of love, Grandma Rach.”

Emily, however, remained stoic and unswayed from a suspicious demeanor. “Interesting style of help you’ve recruited for the Deli, Mom. I hope you keep as close an eye on him as he does on you.”

Rachel’s mouth went taut, her lips pressed tight as she glared at Emily. Jonathan addressed his next comment solely to Rachel. “I’ll be back for a visit shortly.” But before he walked away he couldn’t resist looking once more at Isabella’s mother. “Mrs. Alfano, I’m glad to have met you. Enjoy the evening.”

Jonathan’s struggle to remain proper evaporated once he left. He clenched his jaw and strode toward the bar. Right about now something cold, and preferably spiked, was definitely in order.

Everybody Loves A Winner!!!

Whew!!

My month-long blog tour to announce the arrival of Hearts Surrender has come to a close, and I'm delighted to announce the prize winners! These are folks who left comments at one of the wonderful blogs I visited this past month! Prizes were awarded, via e-mail and blog notice, just a little while ago. Hope you enjoy!

Drum-roll please!!!!!

Miss Mae - $10 to White Rose Publishing - For visiting Regina Andrews blog!!
Rebecca Booth - $10 to Amazon.com - For visiting the Inspirational E Books blog!!
Rebeka Stowe - Autographed copy of Hearts Surrender - For visiting Tanya Stowe's blog!!

Congratulations, Miss Mae, Rebecca and Rebeka - and thanks to everyone who paid visits, offered love, support and encouragement. It means far more than these mere gifts can ever express.

Until next time ~ Blessings!

Marianne

The Hearts Surrender Tour!

Throughout the month of September, I'm blog touring to announce and support the release of Hearts Surrender. Join me, won't you, at the following locations? Those who comment on any of the blogs listed below will be entered in a contest to win:

1. A $10 gift certificate to White Rose Publishing

2. A $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com

3. An autographed print edition of Hearts Surrender

The three winners will be announced here on September 30th at the end of the tour - so stay tuned!

JoAnn Carter

September 03 2010

http://whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com/

Dawn Roberto (Love Romances & More)

September 06 2010

http://loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/

Regina Andrews

September 07 2010

http://reginaandrews.wordpress.com/

Robin Bayne

September 08 2010

http://wwwwritingbetweensundays.blogspot.com/

Mary Manners

September 09 2010

http://marymannersromance.com/

Holly Hewson (The Romance Studio)

September 09 2010
http://theromancestudio.com/party

Clare Revell

September 11 2010

http://telscha.blogspot.com/

Therese Travis

September 13 2010

http://theresetravis.net/

Tanya Stowe

September 15 2010

http://www.creativewritingforces.blogspot.com/

Gina Welborn

September 15 2010

http://www.inkwellinspirations.blogspot.com/

Delia Latham

September 17 2010

http://my-book-bag.blogspot.com/

Mary Eason

September 18 2010

http://www.maryeason.blogspot.com/

Casey Herringshaw

September 20 2010

http://encourageanauthor.blogspot.com/

Book Discussion-White Rose Readers Group
September 20-24 2010

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhiteRosePublishing/

Carol Ann Erhardt

September 29 2010

http://www.carolannerhardt.blogspot.com/

Shawna Williams

September 22 2010
http://inspirationalebooks.blogspot.com/

Each comment earns you an entry, and here's a bonus - comment here, and that counts as well!!

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy Hearts Surrender! It's an awesome story of finding love and God's grace in the most unlikely - but wonderful - of places!

God bless!

Marianne

I want you to meet some friends of mine...

First off, say hello to Jeremy Edwards and Monica Kittelski:

Jeremy “JB” Edwards dreams of one thing: Having a loving wife and children of his own. Not a surprising ambition, since he was raised at the heart of a large, tight-knit family.

Monica Kittelski spends her days at Sunny Horizons Daycare Center pouring her heart and faith into other people’s children. But Monica harbors one impossible dream: Having children of her own someday.

JB and Monica seem the perfect match, but what will come of their electric, sassy relationship when Jeremy learns of Monica's infertility?

Hopes and reality collide when they must confront the idea of finding God's plan and following His will when a dearest hope is destined to remain unfulfilled.

Can these two loving, passionate hearts survive a communion of dreams and reality?

Hearts Communion, Coming Soon from White Rose Publishing!

~~~~~

Next, I’d love to introduce you to Tyler Brock and Amy Maxwell (oh...and that adorable little pixie, Pyper, too!):

A chorus of faith sung in the key of second chances.

Life hasn't been kind to Amy Maxwell. Once, the effervescent leader of the pack, her marriage should have been perfect. Instead, she escaped with nothing but the clothes on her back and her daughter, Pyper.

Tyler Brock is dazzling. The once shy teen has evolved into a powerhouse in Christian music, and when he returns to Woodland for a benefit concert, Amy can’t believe he is as faithful and tender as ever. He even manages to touch the heart of a doubtful Pyper.

But, Amy can’t escape her own self-doubt, and she questions the wisdom of her heart when it comes to the charismatic musician who is so different now, yet so much the same.

Can the key to their hearts unlock a lifetime of love?

Hearts Key, Coming Soon from White Rose Publishing!

~~~~~

These beloved characters of mine comprise books three and four of the Woodland Series, and they’re coming very soon to White Rose Publishing! The Woodland Series takes its name from the church, and characters, you first met in Hearts Crossing. Readers and reviewers asked for a sequel to Hearts Crossing, and I’m thrilled to be able to deliver on that request through an extraordinary publisher of Christian romance.

Book two, Hearts Surrender, releases in just a few weeks, on September 3^rd! I’m so eager to share this story with you! Hearts Surrender, the story of Woodlands pastor, and the woman who claims his heart, will be available in both print and electronic formats via White Rose Publishing and Amazon.com.

Rest assured, each book in the Woodland Series stands alone as a touching, heart-stealing romance, but when you connect the storylines, from Hearts Crossing onward, I think you’ll find yourself carried away into a church family, and the lives of characters you won’t soon forget.

So dive on in! Join the Woodland family of faith, and fall in love…again, and again!

~ Woodland Church...nourishing faith, nurturing love! ~

Until next time, blessings!!

Marianne

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Long & Short Reviews!

Hi, everyone!

Long & Short Romance is celebrating its third anniversary - and I'm one of the party hosts! The gifts, however, are all yours! Participate in a scavenger hunt where LASR is giving away THREE Nook eBook Readers, along with a $50 BN.com gift certificate. Bonus? The Nook comes pre-loaded with dozens of romance and juvenile fiction eBooks...my current release, Hearts Crossing, included!

All you have to do is "Find Marianne's NOOK!!" It's somewhere on my website, http://www.marianneevans.com/

Here's a hint: Think about...uhm...stuff I have coming up in the future - LOL!

Find my nook, and then fill out the form you'll find on the entry toggle below! It's that easy! What are you waiting for? Click, and go huntin'!!! Have fun, and good luck!!

Oh, the glamour of business travel...

I'll be the first to admit it. When I hear about friends and colleagues who jet off to big cities on business trips, there's a part of me that thinks:"Gee. How fun. How glamorous..." You fly in, check in at what will most likely be a very comfortable hotel, accomplish some business goals, have a nice dinner, mix and mingle with people you may have only known through cyberspace or phone calls...sounds good right?

Sure it does.

Let me share the 'glamorous' story of my recent business trip to Chicago.

My plane departed at 7 am, so I arose at the horrific hour of 4 am to be sure I got there on time. Delays in getting a shuttle from the parking area to the terminal ate up a bit of the extra time I had built in, but no worries. Until I checked in at security, that is.

The 7 o'clock hour heralds the first morning flights to most major cities along the east coast from Detroit, so security was an absolute madhouse. After an hour in line, and a mad dash to the gate, I boarded the plane. Just barely.

Arrival in Chicago was uneventful, and actually quite fun, as the city skyline came into view. I had met up with a colleague from Ohio and we made our way to the Midwest headquarters of our company. We checked in at the security desk of the office building, and that's when problem number one came up. I lost my drivers license.

I had it when I went through security, and I slid it into my tote bag after that, so all I can figure is it came out when I was reading a book on the plane and I didn't even realize it.

Frantic calls to the airport, to the TSA, offered up only voicemail recordings. I finally connected to a human being who told me the documents I'd need to get home the following day. He also warned me to be prepared for a "slightly longer security check" on departure. Fine, I thought, as long as I get home.

Issue settled for now, I met up with my colleagues for - yes - a very glamorous dinner at the Signature Room, on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building. Outstanding views!! Wonderful atmosphere and food! After that, I literally sank into bed and was out before my head hit the pillow.

The next day we concluded our business activities and headed to the airport with plenty of time to spare (and get me through security without a photo ID...!) It only took an extra 15 or 20 minutes, and I had plenty of time, but the TSA team was thorough. They opened and searched my overnight carry-on. They emptied and searched my tote and purse, and even took apart my phone. They were nice, but very businesslike. And, since I had nothing to hide and was very eager to simply be aboard my plane, that was fine by me. I didn't even object to the full pat-down in the plexiglass security/holding pen...

However - I shouldn't have been in such a hurry.

I boarded the plane, pulled out my book to read (after making sure nothing fell out! LOL!) and the crew buttoned up the aircraft and we pulled away from the gate.

And stopped.

The captain came on, informing we were under a full ground stop at O'Hare due to severe, late afternoon storm systems moving through the Midwest. We'd be stopped for, at minimum, an hour and a half, but perhaps as long as two and a half hours. A sense of claustrophobia set in almost instantly. They kept the air running, but it wasn't very cool, and we were asked to close our window shades to further aid in keeping the cabin cool. Mid-July in the Midwest is typically humid and sunny - and late afternoon storm systems like this happen frequently - but I couldn't get over the idea of feeling trapped, and hemmed in.

I worked hard to distract myself with e-mails from my BlackBerry, reading, chatting with my seatmate, I even tried to write, though, to be honest, though I had a scene idea in mind, I just couldn't focus to that degree.

Thankfully after an hour and a half on the tarmac, we were cleared to take off. Just less than an hour later I was back home - drained and exhausted and eager for nothing but comfy clothes and fresh, cool air!! Added bonus? I had a trip to the Secretary of State in my future!

It sounds horrible - and, yeah, parts of it were, but it was also beneficial to me, fun, and just a small taste of that glamour I always thought about when hearing about business travel. Now, however, I understand more clearly when those who travel frequently on business tend to warn: "It's okay - but it's not as alluring as you'd think."

Be blessed everyone - and see you next time!