The writings and ramblings of Colette Saucier

Welcome to the Hump Day Hook Hop for January 30th, 2013! With this blog hop, each author posts one(ish) paragraph from a WIP or finished book for all to see and - we hope! - leave a comment... Do other authors experience this? With All My Tomorrows being in the spotlight recently, I decided to pull it out the other night just before bed; and I swear it was as if I had not even written it!  I found myself really getting into it (not like I didn't know what was going to happen). So, even if you've already read All My Tomorrows , I hope you will enjoy this little excerpt....     Alice turned to leave the dance floor and stopped just short of walking into Peter. Before she understood what was happening, he had taken her hands and tugged her toward him.    “Where’s Winnie?” she asked.    He furrowed his brow and peered at her through squinted eyes. “Why would she be here?”    He stepped forward as she resisted. “I’ve been dancing – I’...

200 years old already! Gosh - it seems like only yesterday that Pride and Prejudice was just a tiny line on my required reading list for junior high school. If Sister Felix could see me now! Who would have believed that this little romance novel could have everlasting consequences, not just on my life but throughout the Western world - and beyond! (Lest we forget the Bollywood tribute Bride and Prejudice !) I don't know about you, but I have not one but TWO bottles of champagne chilled (one for each century) and a birthday cake on order. We have a dinner planned fit for the master of a grand estate (although I doubt white soup will be on the menu). I think, too, it might be time for me to re-read The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt - the first romance novel I ever read. I think it may have planted the seeds for my desire to become an authority on Miss Austen's classic. LAST CHANCE - MONDAY ONLY - January 28th, Pulse and Prejudice - the vampire adaptation of...

for January 27th, 2013 And the 200th Anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice ! In honour of the birthday of the world's most beloved novel,  Secret Cravings Publishing and I have a gift for YOU! Through Monday, January 28th, Pulse and Prejudice - the vampire adaptation of Jane Austen's classic - will be available at a discount of 25% off on all eBook formats at the Secret Cravings store!   PLUS - tell me whom YOU would choose to play Vampire Darcy for a chance to win an autographed copy of All My Tomorrows ! For full details on all the birthday surprises, click here .   And in honouring this anniversary, the following excerpt is, of course, from Pulse and Prejudice , the paranormal adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, which tells the story of Mr. Darcy, vampire . Here, Darcy and Elizabeth are dancing at the Netherfield Ball.  You will find it differs slightly from Miss Austen's version....      The dance brought thei...

It's the Bicentennial Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice ! On January 28th, 1813,  the novel that Germine Greer called "the matrix on which all Harlequin romances are built" was published, thus thrusting upon Western civilization "the best-selling plot-line in literature." And what would any birthday be without cake? Uh, I mean GIFTS! Of course, by all means have cake! But Secret Cravings Publishing and I also have a gift for YOU! Through Monday, January 28th, Pulse and Prejudice - the vampire adaptation of Jane Austen's classic - will be available at a discount of 25% off on all eBook formats at the Secret Cravings store! That's only $4.88!*** Click here for the Secret Cravings store In addition, on Monday I will be giving the first clue for the Pulse and Prejudice Pop Culture Challenge! So this is the perfect opportunity for you to grab your copy and get in on this exciting scavenger hunt. You can also get ready for the Dark Jane Austen Bo...

Welcome to the Thursday 13 for 1- 24 -13!   This is a collection I had planned on using for Valentine's Day, but since the amazing romance writer Jean Joachim just had this article published in USA Today and listed the favourite romance films of her fellow Secret Cravings authors - including yours truly! - I decided to publish this list early.   My Thirteen Favourite Romance Movies 13. Moulin Rouge - This is my favourite film of all time, but certainly not because of the romance since we know from the first scene that the heroine is going to die.  Sorry - If the boy doesn't end up with the girl, it is not going to be ranked high on my list. Ditto Casablanca . Lovelovelove the movie, but no Happily Ever After (unless Rick and Louie are going off for an M/M sequel!). 12. Ghost - This is one of those films that, if I ever catch it while running through the channels, I'll stop and watch it. Alas, again, no HEA.   11. Meet Joe Black - Happily Eve...

And Now for Something Completely Different... Welcome to the Hump Day Hook Hop for January 23rd, 2013! With this blog hop, each author posts one(ish) paragraph from a WIP or finished book for all to see and - we hope! - leave a comment... I realize my previous eleven Hump Day Hooks have all been from my current work in progress, Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth , the sequel to Pulse and Prejudice , the vampire adaptation of the Austen classic.  The 7/7/7 meme that's been going around forced me to dig up another (completely unedited) manuscript I have in the pipeline, so I thought I would share a taste of it if for no other reason than to demonstrate that I do write novels wholly unrelated to Pride and Prejudice ! (Also, I have had some complaints from fans of Pulse who have avoided the weekly samples of its sequel because of the fear of "spoilers.") In this scene from Untitled , our hero has driven our heroine home because she had a few too many margaritas...    ...

I am overwhelmed!  I have been tapped by three of my fellow bloggers - all inspirations in their own write - for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  First, I must tell you a little something about the lovely ladies who have nominated me: Ciaran Dwynvil burns up the pages with his paranormal romances, and he weaves fantasy worlds through her words of poetry. Be warned - we aren't talking Hogsmeade here! Christina Cole is a fellow Sweet Cravings author, with her novels Irresistible and Happily Ever After . She has been writing since the tender age of seven, and I'm looking forward to her novel about pirates in my home state of Louisiana! Paloma Beck has become something of a mentor to me over the last several months, and you can credit her for my success in the blogosphere. She writes both paranormal and contemporary romance (like yours truly!) and her novel Coming Home was just voted a Top 10 Romance Novel of 2012 - but I'm a sucker for her Seven Sisters ser...

for January 20th, 2013. Once again, as with last week's Six Sentence Sunday , in honor of its being voted a Top 10 Romance Novel of 2012 in the P&E Readers' Poll , today I present another excerpt from All My Tomorrows. And no romance novel would be complete without a little conflict...        Peter crashed into her office with such violence the door hit the wall. “Are you out of your f#¢k*ng mind?”       “Uh – Door. Closed. There for a reason.” Alice had never seen him so angry before – not even on screen – with his eyes bulging and his nostrils flaring and his fist twisted around what must have at one point been the script – and it pleased her immensely.       Her calm manner only provoked him, and he threw the mutilated script on her desk. “Are you insane?”       “If you do not calm down, I will have to ask you to leave.”       He turned aw...

There's a new writer meme going around, and I have been tagged - twice!  In this game, authors go to page 7 or 77 of a manuscript, count down 7 lines, then copy the next 7 lines as their Facebook status. I had a difficult time with this game because nothing interesting was happening on page 7 or 77 of my published novels, All My Tomorrows & Pulse and Prejudice , or even the sequel to the latter, my current WIP Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth !  So I had to go to another (completely unedited!) work in progress, which I hope to finish in the next year. Now that I am thinking about this story again, I thought I would post Page 7 in its entirety for anyone who's interested.... From Untitled - Chapter 1 Page 7 Slowly everyone in their large party trickled out of the restaurant, and they made their way to the exit.  Outside the front doors, the final pleasantries, he conveyed a slight hug and peck on the cheek to April, then turned and repeated this to her.  Her h...

Welcome to the Thursday 13 for 1-17-13!     Here are 13 places I have been that begin  with the letter "T" (in alphabetical order): Thailand  1.    Tacoma  2.    Tampa  3.    Texarkana  4.    Thailand   The Sacred Valley   5.    The Netherlands   6.    The Sacred Valley  7.    Thibodaux  8.    Trenton   The Netherlands  9.    Troy 10.    Tucson 11.    Tunisia 12.    Tuscaloosa 13.    Tuscany Tuscany The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comme...

Welcome to the Hump Day Hook Hop for January 16th, 2013! With this blog hop, each author posts one paragraph from a WIP or finished book for all to see. Then, it would be really cool if you could visit all the writers participating and comment on their paragraph! This excerpt is from my current work in progress, Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth , the sequel to Pulse and Prejudice , the vampire adaptation of Jane Austen's classic love story. Sorry - it is more than just a paragraph, but I had a difficult time choosing! Whilst reading Pride and Prejudice (or Pulse and Prejudice , for that matter), did you ever wonder what was going on in the mind of Lady Catherine de Bourgh's daughter Anne? In this scene, we find her in close conversation with her cousin Mr. Darcy...     Anne stopped to catch her breath, and Darcy offered her water, which she shook away. “I regret only how I have not lived. I could never be the daughter Mamá wanted.”     “Anne, La...

Check out this New Release from fellow Austen Variations Author , the lovely and talented Marilyn Brant!   I love just about any Austen-inspired romance, and anyone who has read All My Tomorrows knows I am a sucker for a modern twist on Pride & Prejudice. I couldn't resist Marilyn's newest release.  I am already 62% into it, and I might have to stay up all night to finish!  You'll want to add it to the top of your TBR list, too!    ~ Colette An original, contemporary Austen-inspired romance... A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It’s a tribute to the power of both “pride” and “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart… Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy? Beth Ann Bennet isn’t look...

for January 13th, 2013. As with last week's Six Sentence Sunday , in honor of its nomination for the P&E Readers' Poll Romance Novel of 2012 , today I present an excerpt from All My Tomorrows. In this scene, Alice shares a duet with Peter....   Somehow a microphone materialized in Alice's hand, but – too stunned to move – she couldn’t bring it to her mouth. After singing the refrain, Peter began the second verse, and she forgot he was acting. She might have stood there transfixed if he hadn’t squeezed her hand to remind her to sing. When she began, the audience cheered, perhaps vicariously joining her on stage; but then they all disappeared. She couldn’t see anyone, she couldn’t hear anyone except Peter. He pulled her closer to him, and it pulled at her heart as well. He kissed her hand, closing his eyes and letting his lips linger until he sang again... Thanks so much to the readers who nominated All My Tomorrows for the P&E Readers' Poll R...

Today I am thrilled to have fellow Secret Cravings Publishing author Kerrianne Coombes visiting my blog to tell us about her newest addition to the Demon Tales Series , which is already at the top of my TBR list! Be sure to leave a comment for a chance in her awesome giveaway!     ~ Colette Thank you so much for having me today! I am having a BIG Giveaway over on my blog that ends on the 1 st of February, and anyone who comments on this post will be automatically entered into the prize draw!  I am offering ALL THREE Demon Tale books (Ebook) A £10 Amazon voucher a £5 Secret Cravings Publishing Voucher AND a box of chocolate from the French chocolatier Voisin!!! Snow White The Demon Huntress, is the third book in my series of Demon Tales. Snow White is not like a Disney princess. She is hard, bad tempered and pretty lethal with a blade.  She takes no crap, but gives as much as she can. Snow White had attitude in the bucket load, and...

Welcome to the Thursday 13 for January 10th, 2013 ! I love figures of speech! In writing fiction, I enjoy using puns, metaphors, alliterations, etc., to add richness to the prose - as well as to have a little fun.  For example, in Pulse and Prejudice , the vampire Mr. Darcy is so disgusted by his affliction, he refuses to utter the word. Hence, when he is forced into the company of Mrs. Bennet early in the novel, I punctuate the paragraph with other "V" words: The vagaries of fate never ceased in their vexation of Fitzwilliam Darcy. I—a gentleman of rank and good breeding—face impalement or incineration for an affliction not of my own choosing, yet Mrs. Bennet exhibits her vulgarity and vainglory without censure. Another favourite figure of speech is the oxymoron , so today I offer my top thirteen: 13. Passive aggressive 12. Act naturally 11. Boneless ribs 10. Virtual reality  9. Deafening silence  8. Alone together  7. Random order  6. Aw...