I was asked recently why I write about the Gilded Age of New York? Easy and short answer is because it interests me, and while time period similar to the Regency and Victorian eras of England, it’s also different and uniquely American. All of my Jules Vanderzeit novels are all set in the Gilded Age.

​There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of romance novels set in the Regency and Victorian periods of England. I’ve read several. But after a while, I wanted something different than an endless line of Dukes, Earls, Barons and other titles of the nobility. Then it occurred to me, why not America? The Gilded Age, the time period roughly from 1870s to early 1900s, is filled with stories of wealthy families living soap opera lives with scandalous escapades. Perfect fodder for romance novels.

It was the rise of the Robber Baron, Capitalist, and Industrialist. An enterprising young man could go from rags to riches within his lifetime, and pass his wealth on to his children, creating family dynasties. The Gilded Age gave us J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, the Astors, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and so many more.

Behind theses wealthy men, their wives and daughters were setting the stage for high-society with all their self-imposed rules of etiquette, and hierarchy. Caroline Astor, wife of William Backhouse Astor, Jr. proclaimed herself as the highest social arbiter of her time. She made it her priority to codify proper behavior, as well as determine who exactly was acceptable among New York’s elite, going so far as to list the 400 families who could be counted as members of Fashionable Society.

Much like the Regency and Victorian periods of England, the Gilded Age had its upstairs and downstairs, the in crowd and the outs (aka, all the others), new money vs old, or basically rich vs poor. It had fancy dresses, well dressed men and lots of money spent on balls, and parties and yachts and mansions. It was a time of amazing social change, as well as political and social-economic.

What’s not to love, and oh what fun to write about.
​
For further information on the gilded age, I highly recommend To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace. It has a ton of information that includes both New York society and the nobility of England. I’ve also read autobiographies by some of the women who lived through that time, such as Elizabeth Wharton Drexel, and Consuelo Vanderbilt.

October 29, 2019
Novel
Historical ~ Victorican

Sharing secrets requires trust. Jayson Goddard, the spoiled second son of a wealthy New York family, is thrown into a psychological and spiritual journey he could never have imagined, and is forced to confront past mistakes as he works off a blood contract with Jules Vanderzeit, the Maestro. Sarah Miltmore, the youngest daughter of a family struggling to maintain its tenuous status with New York’s social elite, can no longer deny her psychic abilities. Believing society will surely shun her if they learn the truth, she’s forced to decide if she should hide her talent or risk exposure for the man she loves. She has a secret, but so does he, and neither will share until they believe the other can be trusted. Every choice has a consequence.What if you got dead drunk and agreed to sign a blood contract with the Maestro? What if you had a psychic talent but insisted on keeping it a secret? What if you met the love of your life but refused to see them for who they really are? Sarah and Jayson are about to learn every choice has a consequence, and it’s often not what you expect.

Hi, Rick. How are you doing today?
~ Good, good. I can’t stay long. I’ve gotta new case I’m working on and I just got a hot lead.

New case, huh? Are you a cop?
~ No, no. I’m a Private Investigator. A little bodyguard work on the side if it’s needed, too.

Oh, wow. That sounds interesting.
~ It can be. Mostly it’s just long hours on a computer or checking out leads. But it’s a good gig. I’m a partner in a firm with my oldest friend, Josh, his two brothers and Josh’s brother in law, who’s ex-FBI.

Cool. So, Rick, where are you from?
~Born and bred in NYC (New York City, NY) where the days are long and the nights never end. Greatest city on the world.

I love New York, too. And Josh is married to cheflebrity Kandy Laine, right?
~Yup. And for the record, she hates being called that, which is why I do it. Often.

Yeah, I heard you like to tease. So, lets get a little personal. I understand you’ve gotten close with Kandy’s sister Abby? Tell me, what did you think of her the first time you two met
~ Well, we met at Kandy and Josh’s engagement party and when Abby walked into the room my legs got wobbly. All that gorgeous long and midnight back hair was falling down and tickling her waist and her beautiful blue eyes were laughing. When we were introduced and shook hands, I swear my arm felt a shock all the way up to my shoulder. This was one gorgeous woman and I wanted to get to know her better and hopefully talk her into bed.

Pretty visceral reaction. What happened then?
~Well, that thought to get her into bed flew out of my mind the minute she started talking about going to law school and how much she wanted to help people. This was a woman who was so far out of my wheelhouse with regards to class and substance, I knew I couldn't use her simply as a bedmate. She deserved much more than that and I wasn't the man to give it to her.

So was it love at first sight, then?
~Well, lust at first sight for sure! Looking back now, maybe I did lose my heart at that moment.

What do you like most about Abby?
~Her sense of self, her fearlessness, her dedication to making the lives of her clients better all make her a formidable and amazing woman. She’s got a few quirks that I just found out about like her OCD and her shoe fetish, but those just make her more human. And the shoe fetish is something I can get behind since she does love her stilettos. I like seeing her wear them…and nothing else.

How do you see her, physically? Give us the 411.
~ Gorgeous doesn’t do it enough justice. Warmhearted, kind, witty, smart as a whip, and still the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. She challenges me at every turn and I love it! But if you want the physical stuff, she’s about 5 nine without those stilts she loves, has shorter hair now, but still jet black and shiny with enough curls to make a man’s fingers tingle to touch. Her eyes are as blue as the waters in the Caribbean and her mouth, dear God, her mouth. Full thick lips with a perfect bow in the top center. I could kiss those lips – and do all sorts of other things to them (and her) all night.

How do you think she’d describe you? 
~Probably as the biggest pain in the ass she’s ever known. As much as she challenges me at every turn, I give it right back to her and I don’t think she’s used to that kind of pushback from a guy. She’s used to dealing with bullies and she stands her ground like no one’s business. I tend to cross a few lines with the things I say and she calls me on it. Repeatedly.

What made you choose Investigations and Bodyguard work for your career?  
~I was a sniper in the army when I served and the whole military police aspect of the service appealed to me. I’m good with computers and finding stuff, so it made sense I use those investigative skills in a positive way once I left the service. I’ve got a Masters degree in computer programming and research, something I’m proud of, and as far as the bodyguard aspect, well, when you’re built like I am – a tank in sneakers – it makes sense to use that gift to provide protection for people if they need it.

You must have nerves of steel since you were a sniper. Are you afraid of anything? 
~One thing. That I’ll turn into my father. He’s been in jail for over twenty years for domestic abuse. He killed my mother when the police arrived to arrest him for a complaint. He claims he didn’t know it was loaded. I’m scared every day of my life that I’ll turn out to be a drunken abuser like he is. Even though I don’t drink, it still scares the shit out of me that I could be like him. DNA will out, you know?

Sometimes, but not always. Private investigations must be stressful. What do you do to relax?
~ Work out at the gym for a couple hours, then hunker down with a good action flick on the tv. I stay away from booze because of my father.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
~The Count of Monte Cristo. I love a good redemption story.
 
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
~ Don’t sweat the small stuff. Josh’s mother, Deb, told me that.
 
Well Rick, it’s been nice getting to know you a bit. I’ll let you go now since you’ve been sneaking peeks at your watch since we started.
~No offense. Just need to follow this lead, you know. Take care and thanks for having me.
 
Say hi to Abby for me.
~Will do.

Elite bodyguard and P.I. Rick Bannerman's job is to protect. He doesn't get emotional with his clients, but when a woman from his past is threatened, his next job becomes personal.

Family lawyer Abigail Laine is the target of a client's vengeful husband, but refuses Rick's offer of protection. He walked away from her four years ago, and she swore to forget him.

Now her reluctance to accept his help could cost Abby her life.

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"

Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/
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2019 is almost behind us. I hope your year has been productive as well as fun. Mine has been. I’m blessed to live on a lake, so every morning, a new even more beautiful picture greets me. The very best is when the Pelicans visit for several months with their buddies the Cormorants. To me this is thrilling.

Frankly, all this beauty right outside my window can be distracting, but sometime this year the automatic shade behind my computer screen stopped working. Fortunately, it stopped in the down position. It may surprise you I found this a good thing, but too much light coming in makes is hard to see the screen. We’ve tried several ways to fix it, but so far, no luck. (Except as I said, it’s down.)

My 7th book released in 2019. ACT OF SURVIVAL is the 4th in the Second Chances series. Blurb: Encouraged by her friends to protect herself, Kim Mason Dennison is determined to divorce her abusive husband. Cooper Wray, an attorney, assures Kim that her husband, Hunter, can’t keep the proceedings from moving forward because Texas is a no-fault divorce state. But why is Hunter doing everything he can to stop the divorce? And will that even include murder?   
​
iTunes  https://apple.co/2HQFSxZ
Amazon Print https://amzn.to/2Drl798
Amazon https://amzn.to/2In0TRT
B & N https://bit.ly/2WiINmV
KOBO https://bit.ly/2TVasOi

Besides publishing ACT OF SURVIVAL and beginning the next book, a stand-alone set in Fort Worth, Texas and Red River, I also experimented with technology. I videoed myself reading from my first book, a stand-alone, VERMONT ESCAPE.  

Blurb: Two years after the murder of her husband, someone guns down Jill Barlow’s father, a Texas State Representative. The authorities suspect a connection between the murders, but can’t find proof. Jill longs for the peace she found when she visited Vermont after her husband’s death. With the perpetrators still at large, she flees to the small town of Woodstock. 
 The gambling syndicate, believing she has damning evidence against them, pursues her, shattering her dreams of peace.
 Despite having lost so much already, with the lives of her family and friends at stake, will Jill be required to make more sacrifices, even the hope of a second chance at love?
Amazon  Print   http://amzn.to/2fMDt8H
Amazon http://amzn.to/2fmayrf
Barnes & Noble  https://bit.ly/2k340mD
KOBO https://bit.ly/2DYkgdx
iTunes https://apple.co/2Muy5W

Now for many of you doing a video will be old hat, but not to me. While I have a theatre background which makes the reading part easy, the technology is a bit of a challenge. But I’m proud to say I did it, so I hope you’ll take a moment to watch this one-minute video.

https://www.facebook.com/marshawestfans/videos/486906408536068/

My goal is to put out a video clip from each of my books. Facing a new year is a good time to set goals. Do you set goals? (I call them goals rather than resolutions, though that terminology works, too.)

I also have health goals: meditating every day (not there yet but working on it) and continuing with Noom. If you need to lose any weight at all or just improve your health/life, I highly recommend this program.

I hope you’ll take time to set some goals for yourself for 2020. If you’d like to share those with us here, that’d be great. Love to hear from you.
​
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Hi, my name is Beverly Ovalle and I’m horrible at keeping resolutions. Normally I don’t do any! This year however, I have two. Okay, maybe three! I plan on keeping all of them. By December 31, 2020. I have a year, right?

Resolution number one: Get fit. I know, everyone starts the year with this. But I’m diabetic and my weight has gotten out of control. It isn’t so much the extra weight as I don’t feel good. Part of it is retiring last year and becoming a couch potato!  I’m not looking for a drastic diet. I know I couldn’t keep that up. What I’m planning is cutting sugar. It helps when I can’t even eat a candy bar without my stomach protesting! Sad, but true. Since I’m not supposed to have it anyway, I’ve been avoiding the added sugar. We’ll see if it helps. It has helped my blood sugar levels!

Plus, I want to add physical activity to that! I get a build up of restless energy and need to let it rip. I’m debating on a health club, but I really prefer walking. That’s free at my local senior center or anywhere outside. If I want to leave the house. I had to get rid of my treadmill when my daughter moved home. Before I invest in another one decided to kill two birds with one stone. Which brings me to resolution number two.

Here it is:  I need to clean up one of the rooms in my basement. Moving all the years of accumulated junk should use up that energy. (Two birds!) Once it is cleaned up, I’ll have my exercise room back. I set it up, oh seven years or so ago, then we cleaned house and all the junk ended up in the basement. A lot of it is no longer even usable. Since we’ve had a lot of rain and my basement is fieldstone.

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Hi! To start off, please tell us your name, where you’re from, and what you write.
Hello, my name is Danyelle Scroggins and I’m from Shreveport, Louisiana. I write Christian Romance, Inspirational Romance, and Contemporary Women’s Books.
 
How did you become an author? Please share a bit of your journey with us.
I think it was in me from early on and my classmates would say all the five and ten page letters were definitely a sign. But it wasn’t until I married a man who promised to take care of the home as long as I continued to write. So with that, I began a journey eighteen years ago that has resulted in twenty books as of this year, and three anthologies.
 
What are you working on now? Do you have a recent or upcoming release?
I just released a two book series A Louisiana Christmas- (1) Love Me Again and (2) Never Looking Back. I will be off work officially on Christmas Day until February, when I release the first two books from A Louisiana Valentine’s.
 
What is the most challenging part of writing romance?
Making sure that I show people romance from a Christian standpoint.
 
What kind of research do you do when you set out to write a new book?
It depends on the type of book. Oftentimes, I plot what places in the city I want to highlight then I visit them to get a feel of what I want to show my audience.
 
Please share one piece of advice to aspiring authors - what do you wish someone would have told you? Or, what did someone tell you that you’d like to pass on to others?
Don’t quit. No matter how many people tell you ‘no’, keep pressing and keep writing.

What do you love the most about the month of January?
I absolutely love the weather. I’m really not a fan of cold weather-but I love all the shenanigans that comes with winter like: hot chocolate, fuzzy socks, the fireplace, furry blankets, etc.
 
Any last words before we go into the speed round?
​I am so grateful for Love Romance Reads and so honored to be a part of such a wonderful community of writers and readers.
 
Speed round! 
City, suburb, or small-town?
Small-town
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate?
Milk chocolate
Alpha, beta, or both?
Both
Vampire, werewolf, demon or angel?
Angel
Wine, whiskey or punch?
Punch
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, or other? 
Christmas
Cowboy boots, biker boots, or flip-flops?
Cowboy boots
Cats, dogs, or exotics?
Neither

From the urban wilds of eastern Pennsylvania...

​Hi! To start off, please tell us your name, where you’re from, and what you write.
My name is Caroline Warfield. I live in a suburb bordering Philadelphia and I write historical romance set from the Regency through the early Victorian period.

How did you become an author? Please share a bit of your journey with us.
I was raised by two storytellers, and I’ve always been a storyteller. I wrote fan fiction by age ten. As an adult I froze and it took quite a while to get the first novel done. That one was promptly filed away and only later reemerged as a novella, but I was on my way.

What are you working on now?
I am plunging into the new year by starting a new series—not yet named—set around a coaching inn in a village in the midlands in the Regency era, The series will involve returning soldier— the bastard—an earl, their widowed sister, and an entire village of complicated characters. At the same time, I am continuing my Children of Empire series, which arose from my Regency characters, and which brings their sons and daughters into the early Victorian. The new set will be called The Seekers. The first book in that set, which takes place in Egypt, is on my laptop in rough draft. The second, already underway, will take me to Scotland and New Zealand. In the meantime my lovely story, “Lord Ethan’s Honor” will be included in Fire & Frost from the Bluestocking Belles when it is released February 4. It is about a wounded warrior, scarred body and soul, and a woman working with returning soldiers.

What is the most challenging part of writing romance?
For me it is plot. I’m all about the characters. I have to know them through and through. I always know their scars and challenges, details of their setting, and where they’re going, but the rest of the journey, especially the external conflict, comes more slowly.

What kind of research do you do when you set out to write a new book?
It depends on the book, but I do a lot—internet, books, travel, you name it. I particularly like Google Books and other sources of contemporary documents. I’m reading The Staffordshire General and Commercial Directory for 1818 as part of my research for the coaching inn stories at the moment.

Please share one piece of advice to aspiring authors - what do you wish someone would have told you? Or, what did someone tell you that you’d like to pass on to others?
The best advice I ever got was “if you want to be a writer you have to write.” Just sit down and do it. Keep doing it. Write every day.
​
What do you love the most about the month of January?
January’s greatest virtue is also its dark side: it is dreary, quiet and boring on the outside, a perfect time for sitting quietly to allow the girls in the basement to give me stories and ideas. It can be an extremely productive month. I hope to finish a first draft by mid-February.

​Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.​

Website            http://www.carolinewarfield.com/
Facebook  page   https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7
Facebook group                https://www.facebook.com/groups/WarfieldFellowTravelers/
Bookbub          https://www.bookbub.com/profile/caroline-warfield
YouTube         https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycyfKdNnZlueqo8MlgWyWQ
Amazon Page  https://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/
Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter for access to free stories:           http://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter/

I came of age in the eighties when multitasking was the catch word.  Back then, multitasking was touted as the way to success. Being a rule follower, I multitasked my way through college, taking 18 units while working retail 32 hours per week.  My final year as a student, I began planning my wedding, on top of everything else, and still managed to graduate early, magna cum laude.

After my marriage I worked 40 hours a week while we raised our three children. I proudly joked that I had a full-time family, full-time job, full-time home and full-time yard, not to mention my volunteer work. Yet how else was a nineties woman supposed to have it all?

Once my kids could drive and didn’t need me so much, I pursued writing. I couldn’t just take a break. That would be sacrilege! What’s a little sleep deprivation in order to get published?

But now it’s 2020 and I’m hearing a different word. Multitasking has gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, everyone is talking about mindfulness. But what is this mysterious mindfulness? Isn’t that just doing one thing at a time, and doing it very well, before you move on? Isn’t that for people who can’t multitask?

Yet I keep hearing it, drawn to its appeal. What would focusing on the moment be like? Would I like it? I began edging toward this idea, excited to explore the new catch word, to delve into its meaning, to embrace a new way of being.

And then my mother announced that she’s ready to make the move to the city where I live.  She’s ready to leave her 1200 square foot home of 50 years to move into a 560 square foot apartment in Senior Living.  So over the next month (or two), I will help her make this very emotional move. Once that’s complete, with the help of my sister, we’ll begin the process of getting her house ready to sell.

Having lived in both California and Texas, Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more perennials in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.​

Novel
Hot contemporary ~ Romantic suspense

When a fantasy turns into a cold reality

Lexanne Harris had a plan down to the last sexy detail. Never did she think her attempt to spice up her love life with her boyfriend would involve her in a burglary with a sexier than sin thief whose emerald eyes and serious between the sheets skills are impossible to forget. As a police detective she is expected to stand on the side of the law and fight for justice. But what happens when the lines of justice blur and what’s wrong becomes way too tempting?

The situation might be challenging but Lexanne is determined to get assigned to the case, recover the jewels and catch the culprit.

The question is: What will she do with her sexy cat burglar when she catches him?

​Every year, millions of people make resolutions on New Year’s Eve. They join gyms or cut their alcohol intake. Some consider changing careers. Others make frivolous ones like, eat dessert first. OK, that’s one I can get behind.
 
The problem with resolutions is that we make them, and mean them in the moment, but they have the average shelf life of a carton of milk. By mid-January, we’re back to our hectic lives, our resolutions and good intentions tossed aside like wrapping paper on Christmas morning.
 
Last year, in a blog entry on my webpage, I listed the following resolutions:
1. Eat better and healthier
2. Up my writing game
3. Don't sweat the small stuff.
 
Did okay on the first, on and off. Need to do much better this coming year. Did the second, but again I can do much better. And the third is kind of a personal mantra anyway.
 
            This year, I'm thinking about resolutions for the world. And here’s my list:

1. Be kind to each other. We don’t all have to be the same. How boring would that be?
2. Be kind to the planet. We only have one home. Treat her better or our kids and grandkids are screwed.
3. Be kind to yourself. We all set ourselves up for failure; push ourselves too hard at times. Are our own worst enemies. Give yourself a break.
4. Perform one random act of kindness in 2020. Or each month. Or whenever the spirit moves you. The world will be a better place.
5. Stop and smell the roses. Or daisies. Or the freshly cut grass. Life moves at the speed of light. Don’t miss out.
6. Be present. You only get this one life. Don’t miss it glancing at your phone.

 
Wishing all of you, and yours, the very Happiest & Healthiest 2020!!!!

​December 29, 2019
Novel
Cozy Mystery

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year for Smiling Dog Books. Thoughts of Black Friday shoppers, turkey, and The Aunties’ dueling dressing recipes should be all that’s on Addie Foster’s mind. But when an old man dies of seemingly natural causes at a local senior center, a friend of the victim challenges Addie Foster to prove it’s really murder. She wonders if the death is somehow related to the latest in a series of terrifying nightmares she’s had. Will Addie, along with her BFF Grey, The Aunties, and her boyfriend Detective Wolfe be able to solve the crime before another resident dies? Or will Addie’s visions lead her to trouble again?

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It is the turn of the year, the month of Janus, the Roman god who faced both forward and backward and as good a time as any to re-evaluate my life.  I personally think you can re-evaluate whenever it suits but starting a new year (and a new decade!) works for me.

Over Christmas, I read Stand Up Straight, 10 life lessons from Sandhurst. It is the first self help book that Sandhurst has ever done and seeks to explain why they teach certain things to their cadets and the lessons they hope they will learn. I thoroughly recommend it.  One point which was made was that it does take 5 weeks to change habits and that it is best to break things down into small steps while not losing sight of the over arching goal.

So here are my resolutions:

1. Write down on my calendar the number of words I have done.
2. Write down on my calendar the amount of exercise I have done.
3. Make sure I meet my deadlines.  I have no wish to be a thief of anyone else’s time.
4. Schedule things on my calendar.
5. Figure out my objective/what I want to achieve from various projects
6. Take time to celebrate the small things. Small accomplishments make larger things possible.

Did you notice a theme?

I am much better at things when I actively keep a calendar (or several).  There is my accomplishments calendar. My family upcoming calendar and my google calendar where I schedule appointments and social media. I have tried having one overarching calendar and it doesn’t work for me. This year, 2020 is going to be all about the calendars.

I have very good intentions but like many people I can over-commit and occasionally I forget. I then get nervous and stressed and fall back into old habits which does include looking at social media or the news.  It is about recognising my bad habits and making the changes. I can accomplish a lot in 5 weeks.

Reinforcing my positive habits is a better way to go than beating myself up over my bad habits.

It is also recognising that failure can be a good thing. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses means you can assess things better. No one person is strong in everything. There are times when you need to pause or allow someone else to make the running.

So if you need a pep talk or simply to understand how to do hospital corners and shine shoes, do read Stand Up Straight. I found it hugely inspiring and at this time of year (or indeed any time of the year) inspiration is great.

May your 2020 be filled with many good things, including excellent reads. I know I am looking forward to reading the upcoming Sons of Sigurd series from Harlequin Historical which starts in March with Michelle Willingham’s Stolen by the Viking.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical in a wide range of time periods, most recently Viking. Her next book, Conveniently Wed to the Viking will be published in July 2020. Her most recent book A Deal with Her Rebel Viking was published in December 2019. You can learn more about Michelle and her books at www.michellestyles.co.u

Hello everyone! I’m Ester López and I write sci-fi and paranormal adventure romances. Today, I’m speaking with Captain Tremol, the new liaison of the newly formed Earthen Delegation to the Vaedra System. Hello,  Captain.
 
Hello, and thank you for having me here today.
 
Can you tell us a little about what your job entails?
 
Of course. I’ll be leading a group of dignitaries from your Earth to Vaedra’s planet, Vestra Major, which is our home planet. I will set up accommodations for these people and line up introductions to their counter parts in our system so they can learn from each other.
 
That sounds like a good idea. How did that position come about?
 
Well, after Keely helped me find my missing landing party on Earth, her president came aboard our ship for a visit. He liked the idea of sharing technology and assigned Keely for the Vaedran Delegation and me for the Earthen. Since Keely knows the Earth, and I’m from the Vaedra system, we were the perfect choices.
 
Tell me, Captain, do you celebrate any holidays in the Vaedra System?
 
We have our Independence Day on all the planets. That’s when all the various cultures got their own planets on which to live.  We also celebrate the New Ano and all the solstices. Of course, each planet has their ano ending at different times and their solstices are also different times. Lastly, we all celebrate the birth of our Lord. On Vestra Major, that was just after our winter solstice. I believe each planet holds this celebration in their winter solstice as well, but some planets have 14 moon cycles, and others may have twelve, so the day changes for each of us.
 
That’s interesting. Do you have special activities that you do on these holidays?
 
On the Independence Day, all cultures celebrate with feasting and dancing with great fireworks at night. With the solstices, mostly it depends on the culture. On Vestra Major, where I’m from, the family gathers for an evening meal and tells stories of antics from past solstices. If the families are far apart, then this is a time for visiting and merriment. But on the Lord’s Day, we go to our churches and celebrate his birth with friends and family, giving gifts of food or clothing to those less fortunate than ourselves.
 
That sounds interesting. Thank you, Captain, for taking time with me today. I wish you a Happy New Ano! And for those who want to learn more of Captain Tremol’s story, you can read it in “Betrayed,” by Ester López at https://amzn.to/2Vk3b73

​I write sci-fi and paranormal adventure romance and got started in the Smokies, where I reside with my husband and our two dogs, Ellie and Charlie.

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