I selected Vicky Dreiling’s HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and within a few pages I was hooked.  HOW TO MARRY A DUKE can best be described as Regency version of the popular T.V. show The Bachelor.  (See blurb from Vicky Dreiling’s website for more info.)  Now, I’m not a reviewer.  But I can say that reading Vicky Dreiling’s debut was like a vacation at a five-star beach resort.  I would trade drinks with little umbrellas and sand beneath my toes for this fun, sexy read any day of the week.  If you haven’t picked up a copy go online now or run to your local store.  And be prepared to keep reading once you start.  You won’t be able to put this one down!

From www.vickydreiling.com:

Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live. No love is necessary—nor desired. But how to choose amid a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates? Hire London’s infamously prim and proper matchmaker. Then pretend she’s not the most captivating woman he’s ever met . . .

Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes. Her methods may be scandalous, but she’s determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife—she’ll bring him true love. Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke’s affections, she longs to win his heart herself. And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan’s desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker’s number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

As promised, here are a few pictures from my trip to Papingo, Greece!  The first picture is of the hillside village of Mikro Papingo taken from my friend’s house (she lives near the top of the hill). All of the houses in Papingo are made out of stone including the roofs.  

The second picture is of the magnificent rock formations behind the village. From the patio at the taverna, we had an amazing view. And the third shot is from our hike to the mountain hut. My husband and I, along with our good friend Dave (who took all of these pictures and graciously agreed to share), climbed up to this so-called hut for lunch. 

When we reached the top, we found a pristine lodge that served amazing food. Even if we hadn’t been hiking for hours, I think the lentil soup would still be some of the best I’ve had in ages. Three donkeys make daily trips to the village for supplies. We encountered them on our way up and back along with one of the men in charge of the hut. When we first saw the man and his donkeys, he was talking a mile a minute in such a fashion that my husband immediately likened him a NYC cabbie. It turns our he was talking on his bluetooth headset while leading his donkeys!  

More to come soon, including some of our “river walk” through the gorge below the rock formation and some of our hike to the abandoned village, which had a taverna despite the fact that only one family currently lives there!

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

During our time there, the company welcomed us with open arms. We watched performances, went on long hikes (by long I mean 8 hours of forging back and forth across a river), and joined the group for family-style dinners both at our friend’s house and the local tavernas.  

I also found the time to write and explore a few new story ideas. The long hikes allowed plenty of time to mull over possible plot lines, and it was very exciting to be surrounded by a group of artists creating their own projects.

As part of their summer experience, OYL runs an apprentice program for college students. This year, the students created and then performed Gilgamesh in the surrounding villages. For the Papingo production (performed in Megalo Papingo, the neighboring “big” village to Mikro Papingo, which has a few hundred year-round residents), the apprentices invited all of the village children to participate. It was a truly inspiring experience to watch the village children perform in front of their community along side a group of professional New York City actors and college students.  

If you’d like to learn more about the exciting new production the company was rehearsing during our stay visit the One Year Lease website. Below is a brief blurb:

“We are proud to announce that Teaser Cow, written by Clay McLeod Chapman and featuring the OYL acting ensemble will run at Teatro Circulo in New York City from January 8th through February 6th 2010. Mark your calendars and come see what happens when you cross the ancient myth of the minotaur with Fast Food Nation.”

Like most nonprofit organization, OYL relies heavily on supporters to make their artistic endeavors possible and every little bit counts. I know there are lots of nonprofits that all deserve donations (including many wonderful ones created by romance writers), but from what I saw in the tiny mountain village this one offers something special through their art. If you’d like to make a donation, please click here.

The entire trip was amazing and a great way to see a stunningly beautiful corner of the world. I promise to post pictures later this week once I have recovered from the jet lag!

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

First stop: brunch at Mothers Bistro and Bar!  This lovely little bistro wins my vote for best brunch after a long, long flight from NYC the night before.  Next stop, the Saturday Market down by the water.  At the market, we mostly perused the handcrafted jewelry until we stumbled across the perfect necklace.  The sterling silver pendant features a message that I dare say would speak to any aspiring author:

Remember Your Strength, Reach for the Stars, Live Your Dreams.

After the Saturday Market, we stopped at the Rogue Distillery & Public House to sample the local beers.  Then we walked through the Pearl District.  At the end of our walk, we found a cute Parisian Brasserie on Jamison Square, Fenouil and stopped once more for a drink.

After exploring Portland on Saturday, we spent Sunday traveling down to my in-laws farm in the valley, stopping along the way at various wineries.  I believe Rex Hill wins the prize for my favorite, mainly because the staff was so friendly and helpful.  The wines we tasted were superb at all of the vineyards.  Perhaps, we’ll stop by a few more in the coming days.  Today, I’m off to play with the goats on the farm!

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The second love story featured living, breathing people, instead of characters on a page.  On Saturday evening I attended my grade school friend’s wedding. As an avid reader and aspiring author of the romance genre, it should hardly come as a surprise that I love weddings. I adore that magical moment when the bride meets her soon-to-be husband at the altar and smiles up at him quite literally glowing with love. The look on my friend’s beaming face throughout the ceremony and reception spoke volumes. Her happiness shown from the heart, reminding me of my own wedding day when everything seemed so perfect, even the brief rainstorm.  

Perhaps that is one reason so many of us love to witness weddings, to be reminded that the joy we felt on our own wedding day is still with us long after the ceremony, the dancing, and the cake. Or perhaps, this is an overly romantic view (hardly surprising seeing as I spend my days leading my fictional characters to their happily-ever-after). However, I’d like to believe it is the first reason, and that all of the wedding guests were reminded of the happiness in their own lives.  

As the wedding ceremony came to an end, I began to wonder how we, as writers, capture the magical glimpses of blissful love and happiness that I witnessed my friend’s face in mere words? It seems a daunting task. Yet, regardless of what words we chose, in the end, I believe finding those words, and sharing them with others, is a delightful goal indeed.

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The View from My Desk

As anyone who has ever lived in NYC knows (and perhaps this holds true for other big cities as well), there are certain thrills that come with visiting the country when one spends most of the year in a urban setting. First, there is the blissful peace and quiet. While I can hear the cars driving off in the distance occasionally, and the birds chirping away, it is far quieter here than any apartment building could hope for. Second, is convenience. I love being able to park my car directly in front of the door, and up here, I can even drive to the grocery store! And last, but certainly not least, is the beautiful natural landscape.

While my husband rides the Amtrak train to and from his city office each day, I sit in a beautiful light-filled room with a peaceful view, and slip into Regency England. Sadly, I can’t spend all day in the 1800s.  I also have a long list of spring-cleaning chores that need to be completed during our month long visit. Yet, this Spring I am far more motivated thanks in large part to my new flower bed. Last Fall during our stay, I planted nearly a hundred bulbs and now that Spring is finally here, the beautiful flowers are starting to bloom. As soon as it stops raining, I will take a picture and post it. Although, I’m told it might be many days before the rain stops; but in truth, I find the gloomy weather perfect for writing. Now, I’m off to work on my latest revision of The Virtuous Courtesan (if you haven’t read the revised excerpt, click here).

Do you have a favorite place you go to write (or read)?  Last week Tessa Dare wrote in her Diary about her weekend retreat to hotel to focus on her latest work-in-progress. Have you ever escaped to a hotel or quiet retreat in the country to write?

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Whether I’m traveling by plane, train or automobile, I always have one or two on hand. Currently in my purse (yes, my purse is large enough to hold multiple mass market paperbacks in addition to my writing notebook and of course my wallet), I have an advance copy of Tessa Dare’s The Goddess of the Hunt and one of Stephanie Lauren’s Cynster novels. The Stephanie Lauren’s title is one I’ve read in the past, but you never know when you might be stuck in the subway or waiting for a plane.  Although I’m fairly certain that if I get stuck on the subway anytime soon, I’ll simply reread The Goddess of the Hunt from page one.

As anyone who has ever taken a crowded subway or train for their daily commute may know, the other passengers can’t help but glance at what your reading.  This especially holds true when you happen to be standing in front of a row of seats holding onto the rail above.  The people seated below you (if awake) can’t help but look up and notice that you’re eagerly turning the pages of a books whose title just might include the words “seduction,” “rake,” or perhaps “wicked.”  The title, combined with the cover image, may leave the other people on the crowded subway car wondering just what exactly you’re reading at that precise moment.

Of course, with the advent of the Sony E-readers and the Kindle, passengers can read whatever their heart desires without receiving odd looks from the half-awake businessman in the next seat.  Not to mention readers who fear being stuck on a runway without a book to read can now carry a virtual library.  I have yet to purchase an e-reader for myself, but when I do, I’m sure it will become the must-have item in my carry-on.   

What’s in your carry-on?  Do you have an e-reader or Kindle?

 And please stop by and read my interview on Jauntsetter!

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

President’s Day weekend provides the perfect opportunity to leave NYC in search of a winter wonderland.  For our winter adventures, we hopped in the car and headed north to Vermont for a week of skiing, snowshoeing, and of course writing by the fire.  

I could easily grant myself a reprieve from my writing schedule given that it is a national holiday, yet in all honestly I am dying to know what will happen next.  I have a plan and a detailed outline, but until the words are on the page I am not precisely sure how everything will play out.  What if my rakish hero decides at the last minute that he simply cannot seduce an innocent well-bred young lady even if his endgame is marriage?   

However, Puma, my Burmese cat and sometimes writing partner, has completely abandoned our current work in progress to frolic in the snow.  There is a certain sparkle in her big blue eyes as she races past the laptop eager to explore the great outdoors (a rare treat for an NYC cat).  By evening, when I am curled up by the fire contemplating various plot points, Puma is asleep, far too exhausted from her adventures to participate in the writing process.

Puma and I would both love to take a break from our respective winter activities to read about your President’s Day adventures.       

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Horses are one of the many reasons I love the Regency period. If I could, I would abandon modern transportation in favor of true horsepower.

This past Fall my husband and I did exactly that. We traveled over one hundred miles on horse back through the Pyrenees Mountains in France. For me, this was possibly the closest I will ever come to knowing what it was like for the ladies and gentlemen in Regency England to traverse the countryside with a horse as their only means of transportation. 

Unlike many horseback-riding vacations, our trip was unguided. This meant we had to find our way using the maps provided by the stable and a compass. But what would travel be without a little adventure?

During the Regency era, adventure travel was the norm. The roads were often rough, not to mention the threat of bandits.  While our paths were challenging in some areas, thankfully we did not encounter bandits during our journey. 

We rode for five days through cattle ranches, small towns, and over numerous mountains.  Thanks to my husband’s amazing ability to read maps, we only lost our way once.  If it weren’t for him, I would still be there. 

Riding my horse into the courtyard of a castle built in the 13^th century was one of the highlights of this trip (see picture). Located outside of Puivert, this Cathar castle had rings built into the walls to tie the horses (just like a modern day castle would have a parking lot). When I rode across the drawbridge and through the entrance gate, I felt like a lady riding into court.  A rather underdressed lady, but I think that was for the best.  The locals would have laughed at us if I’d worn a Regency era riding habit, never mind a ball gown.  

This was our second adventure vacation on horseback (our first unguided) and I can’t wait to plan the next one. We saw a part of France rarely visited by tourists, especially American tourists.  In fact, very little English was spoken at some of the places we stayed along the way.  This became somewhat of a challenge seeing as neither of us spoke more then a few words of French and our French-English dictionary did not contain key phrases such as: “Where can I find a bale of hay?” or “Will the wild boar attack my horse?” 

I could go on and on about my adventure on horseback, but suffice to say, I envy my heroes and heroines as they depart on their morning rides in Hyde Park or race through the open fields of their family estates.   

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I learned this important lesson when my husband and I went to Capri, Italy—the perfect place to relax on the beach or by the pool with a book.  Upon unpacking, he discovered I’d brought six romance novels and six pairs of shoes for a ten day trip, which begged the question: did I need to bring an entire library? 

The answer was an emphatic yes! I spent more time deciding what to read on the trip than I spent packing. My final selection included the first six novels in Stephanie Lauren’s Cynster series. I’d been saving this series for the perfect vacation when I could read them in order. (I realize most romance fans began this series more than a decade ago, but seeing as my employer at the time did not publish her, beginning the series involved reading a number of non-work books. I knew once I started I would not be able to stop.)

In the end, I only managed to read the first four. There were other things to do apart from lying on the beach and reading. Capri is a beautiful island, with a number of sights.  Not to mention, my grandfather was born on the island and we had a number of relatives to visit.  

It is also an island best seen on foot as most areas are pedestrian only, which leads me back to the shoes. 

My husband managed to withhold his comments about my shoe collection until he realized I was wearing sandals everyday. Sightseeing in heels—on an island without cars—was simply not an option for me. Thus, the heels remained lined up in the hotel room thoroughly enjoying their Italian vacation. 

In the future, I would recommend bringing only the essential shoes and a plethora of romance novels—you certainly don’t want to find yourself without a book on the return flight!

With the holidays just around the corner, I am once again planning the perfect vacation reading list.  While many will be hoping for snow, I will be in Florida with my family and would welcome suggestions!  What is on your reading list this holiday season?

©2012 Sarah Tormey Blog. All Rights Reserved.