Book Signing Event

I'm proud to announce that this Saturday the Romance Under the Big Sky writers group will be coming together under one roof to participate in a book signing event!

Support First Night Missoula

Saturday, December 1st

Support First Night Missoula

Authors Signing All Day at Fact & Fiction Downtown

Noon-1:30

Danica Winters

Rionna Morgan

Casey Dawes

Pam Morris

 All proceeds from this event will go to support Missoula First Night--a program that provides safe and fun events for local people and their families.

Kate Whittle of the Missoula Independent has kindly written an article in advance of the event, spotlighting Danica Winters and Montana Romance Writers.

 An Angel's Justice,to be released by BTGN December 2012

"...Danica Winters, who says finding your niche is an important part of becoming a successful genre writer. Winters would know: she's been writing paranormal romance for a few years, with published titles like Curse of the Wolf and The Nymph's Labyrinth, and can boast about making Amazon's bestseller lists.Haters can hate, but the romance novel industry—and it is an industry, with about $1.4 billion in sales in 2011—provides fun and escape for many readers, mostly women, while paying the bills for many authors, mostly women. Yes, romance novels are easy to make fun of, especially because our society loves to deride stuff that's for chicks.So let's dispense with the mockery, because romance authors face the same difficulty as everyone in a media-related job: The Internet has maximized our ability to create and share information, while devaluing creative work and imploding our paychecks. Winters says a book she released in May has already been pirated online at least 20,000 times, mostly by foreign websites..."

If you are interested is seeing the full article, please click here.

It is my sincerest hope, that I will see you at this event.  I will be there answering questions, signing books, but be prepared to laugh!

Thank you for your on-going support,

Danica Winters

The Next Big Thing Blog Chain

I’ve been  invited to participate in an ongoing Blog Chain called, The Next Big  Thing.  Here’s how it works:  I post on my blog the answers to the  questions (below), along with links to 5 other writers.  This is a great way for you to meet a few of my writer friends!The interview questions:What is the title of your next book? My next book to be released December 31st, 2012 is entitled, The Nymph's Labyrinth.Where did the idea come from for this book? I am a trained archeologist and I have a love for learning about cultures and history.  I think one of the most interesting legends is about Ariadne, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth.  I used the legend as the basis for the book.  I also added some real historical events to the story line (as in the eruption of the volcano in Thera).What genre does your book fall under? This is a paranormal romance novel.How long did it take to write the first draft? This book took less time than any other full length novel I've written to date.  I think I was done with this book in a little under three months.  I think my background in archeology made it easy to write as this book didn't take as much research as most of my other books.What actors would you use for a movie rendition of your book? When I wrote the book I used story boards.  For the hero, Beau Morris, I used Bear Grylls as my character model.I would also love to share the pics I used for Ariadne and Kaden  (unfortunately I do not know these people's names).What is a one sentence synopsis of your book? The Nymph's Labyrinth is about a nymph (Ariadne) who is tasked with keeping the secrets of her sisterhood out of the hands of an American archeologist (Beau) and his delinquent son (Kaden) while also protecting them from the curse of her kind that forbids her to love--Can she keep them safe without falling in love?Will it be self published or represented by an agency? This book (and the next two in the series) will be published by Crimson Romance, a division of Adams Media.What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? There are a few archeology based books out there (think Chris Karlsen) and there are a few that are centered around the minotaur (Stephanie Drey); however I think I bring to the table some amazing characters, a well-written story, and an unforgettable plotline that makes this book truly unique.What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? This book was initially intended to be the second book in my Veela Curse series (to take place after Curse of the Wolf).  However, Ariadne (the main character of The Nymph's Labyrinth) simply did not want to be a Veela (Those darn characters certainly have a mind of their own!).  Thus, the Nymph books were born.  I'm currently well on my way to finishing the next nymph book which is tentatively entitled, Montana Mustangs.  If you love The Nymph's Labyrinth, you will love Montana Mustangs.  I also have the next book after Montana Mustangs under construction. Thanks to: The readers who have taken time to learn more about my next project!  I also want to thank one of my dearest friends, Author Casey Dawes, for including me in this blog chain!  Check her blog Stories About Love out by clicking here!My Chain of Author Friends:Chris Karlsen:  Check out her website Here!Serena Zane:  Check out her website Here!Rosanna Leo: Check out her blog Here!Sharon Kleve: Check out her blog Here!Elle Rush: Check out her website Here!Thank you for being part of my 'Chain Gang!'

The Allure of the Short Story by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Since the release of my short story, Antique Charming, I have been consistently asked the same question—Why did I opt to write it as a short story versus a full-length novel?

The answer is actually quite simple. From the start, Antique Charming was always intended to be a short story. It was meant to be six hours in the life of Lizzie Morton. A sensual, delicious little bite to leave the reader asking questions, especially, just who or perhaps better…what exactly is Adam Nichols?I am delighted that the story has sparked debate among its readers, even controversy. This was my intent. As a writer, it’s very easy to stick to a formula where all of the storylines are neatly tied up with pretty little bows by the end of the story. The curtain falls, all questions answered. But why is this an absolute necessity? Of course it brings a sense of closure for the reader. But why shouldn’t the reader be able to speculate her own conclusion to the story?So, just how did Antique Charming come to be, and from my perspective, exactly what is Adam Nichols?I am an avid collector of Victorian and Edwardian-era photographs. To me, there is much beauty in these black and white stills. Last spring, I found a photograph from an online seller that completely captivated me. The size of a postcard, but printed on a much thicker stock was the image of a funeral home (I come from a long line of folks in the funeral care business). Outside, a very handsome man stands proudly with his hands clasped in front of him, most likely one of the owners at the time. Although the photo is slightly faded, you can still clearly make out the reflection in the glass of a black funeral carriage tied with elaborate ribbons. The back of the photo reads in very elegant script, Week of Oct-11-1896.Although the photo was pricy, I splurged and bought it for myself.When I finally held it in my hands, I was in love. It was then that an idea occurred to me. What if a very lovely lady who is just starting out in the funeral business buys this particular funeral home, determined to restore it to its former glory. And what would happen if one night this woman was visited by the very handsome man in the photo who claims to still own the funeral home?To me, the idea seemed like a good one. He wasn’t a ghost or a vampire. The closest I could describe him is as a dybbuk. In Jewish folklore, the wandering soul of a dead person that enters the body of a living person and controls his or her behaviour. But even is dybbuk isn’t quite accurate.At the end of the day, it is you, the reader, who will decide just what Adam Nichols really is. I never expected so many readers to write and ask me for a full length novel. Perhaps at some future time I will speak with my publisher about turning it into a full novel. But for right now, my photographs are beginning to speak to me again and just maybe inspiring a few more paranormal spins. Antique Charming/Natalie-Nicole Bates

The night he came home…forever.Third-generation funeral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized. She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and its upstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its once former glory. But a late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home still belongs to his family. Lizzie scoffs at his odd behaviour and outlandish claims, but when a vintage photograph appears, she soon realizes, to her horror, that Adam Nichols did once own the funeral home—more than one hundred years ago—and now she has allowed this entity to pass into her home.Author Bio:  Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.  Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.  She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19^th century post-mortem photos.Visit Natalie online on Twitter ,  Facebook,  or on her Website!