Saturday, July 18, 2015

Twenty Years



I can hardly believe it's been 20 years since my first book was published by Kensington. Shades of Rose was part of the Denise Little Presents imprint, and I was the happiest writer in the world. My editor--the amazing Denise Little--was a goddess, and I signed contracts with Kensington for 8 more novels over the next few years.

This book has a very special place in my heart for many reasons. I set the story in the Ozark Mountains where my father was raised and where we vacationed often when I was a child. The fictional town of Dogwood is actually beneath what is now Tablerock Reservoir. It was interesting to take a present-day character and place him in a time before the Army Corps of Engineers came through and built the dam that changed the landscape--and many lives--forever.   

Shades of Rose is about justice and retribution, which I'm told is a common theme in my books, but it's also about family. Dylan Marshall lands in the late 1800s face-to-face with his great-great-grandparents.

This was really a lot of fun, as you can imagine. Dylan has a mission--one thrust upon him, but one he must accept, because of the kind of man he is. He stumbles upon a skeleton sealed in a cellar in his time with several bags of gold. A strange vortex grips him and when it releases him, he discovers the skeleton is now a vibrant young woman named Rose. He has come back in time to prevent  her murder.

Shades of Rose has never been available in ebook or mobi format--there was almost no such thing as digital publishing in 1995. It is now available for pre-order, and I'm offering a 40% discount coupon to anyone who pre-orders through Smashwords before the 8/30/2015 release date. Feel free to share the coupon code (MJ69P) with friends and family. The book is also available to pre-order through iBooks and Barnes & Noble. However, the coupon will be applicable at Smashwords

I hope you enjoy my first book. It's been quite an experience for me to become reaquainted with these characters after twenty years and as many books and novellas later. They're just as special to me now as they were then. It's like visiting family I haven't seen for twenty years!

Happy reading, and may all your days include a bit of magic!
              Love, Deb