Cover Reveal: God of the Dark

Several ideas were considered for the cover.  I rejected the idea of stock photos of random Fantasy chicks, because everyone does that. I considered an illustration, but again, that's what everyone does. Instead, I took inspiration from Grecian urns with their umber backgrounds and nearly B&W art. Grecian urns often depicted stories and legends.

This one looked nice:

...so I handed it over to my graphic artist and turned her loose in Photoshop.


Finally! I've got the cover for God of the Dark.

This is the print edition cover, with front and back. I love how the quakie leaves wrap around the spine.



Book up for pre-order on the following platforms:

Amazon | KoboBooks | Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords | Books2Read

and pretty much anywhere good ebooks are sold.

Otherwise, once the book is out in October, you can request it at your local library. (I encourage this, even if you acquire your own copy.)

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Her Grace wrote this series for readers to enjoy. Help share the love.

Cover Reveal: Her Endearing Young Charms

May I present the evocative new cover for my new release Her Endearing Young Charms, book one of the "A Lady of Many Charms" series.

Miss Merribelle Hales spent years imbuing a silver locket with man-attracting charms. On her way to her first London Season, her locket is stolen--along with a kiss--by a highwayman. Her only clue to his identity: a pair of intense eyes. This vexes her. Without her best charm, how will she ever be able to compete on the Marriage Mart? It would be so much easier if she didn't have to compete at all.

Lord Alexander Rochester has worries aplenty. His ailing father's estates are woefully in debt, so he must seek a wealthy wife. His courtship of Miss Hales goes terribly awry with a simple kiss that leads to his slapped face and an accusation of theft.

It's a case of mistaken identity. Alexander knows and fears the real culprit. He faces the loss of his father, his estate and Miss Hales--whom he's loved since childhood--by the hands of the Handkiss Highwayman.

Her Endearing Young Charms is sure to please fans of Mary Robinette Kowal and Georgette Heyer.

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Ebook release date: 20 May 2016. Available now for pre-order.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Paperback release date: June 2016.  That's right, fans. Enough of you have asked if my books are available in hardcopy format. Starting with Her Endearing Young Charms, all my full-length novels will be available in paperback for your hefting and sniffing enjoyment. Also, if you buy the paperback from Amazon.com, you'll be able to download the ebook version for free.

Can't wait until Her Endearing Young Charms is out? You can read the novella "A Lady of Many Charms" for free, a story set in the same world as Her Endearing Young Charms:  B&N |  Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

"Marry Me" - A Candy Hearts Romance - Official Blurb

MARRY ME by Heidi Wessman Kneale

A Candy Hearts Romance

In 1905 New York City, affluent Millie Moore wants to be outspoken like the suffragettes she admires. She also wants to rid herself of an annoying and controlling suitor. For a well-brought up young lady whose mother fears her impending spinsterhood, speaking her mind is an uphill battle.

When Raymond Wilson sees Millie at a rally, it’s love at first sight. Not wanting his stutter to ruin his chances, he enchants a little candy heart to do his talking for him.

For Millie, Raymond is a breath of fresh air. And maybe, just maybe, someone she could love. But for her social-climbing suitor Guy Wilson, he’s a threat to his plans. And Raymond isn’t the only one who knows something about magic. Now the ante has been upped and Millie is the prize…

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Her Grace will have the book launch on Lover's Week, after Valentine's Day. More info pending.

COVER REVEAL - for "Marry Me", a Candy Hearts romance

All I can say is, "How AWESOME is this?!"  I couldn't have asked for a better cover. Fits the story perfectly.

Release date: in time for Valentine's Day, 2016.
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Her Grace is giddy with delight over this evocative cover.

Randomosity at Disneyland

Today we are all about the entertainment (or at least, things that entertain me).


First up, this video of Gaston being challenged to a push-up contest.

Yeah. he's got egg on his face.

And now, to judge some book covers by their, um, covers, check out these Lousy Book Covers. (Don't do what Donnie Don't does.)  As I browsed through this site, I checked out some of the books behind these awful covers, and some of them were sitting at a respectable 4 & 5 stars on Amazon. Huh. Who knew?  Either that, or those authors have some really dedicated mates.

Alas, most of them are suffering from poor sales. Covers have a rather strong influence in marketing, more than these authors realised.

A note to many indie authors: "indie" doesn't have to mean "amateurish".  You can design your own cover if you want. At the very least, have some random stranger give their honest opinion before you post your cover. There must be some site somewhere that will critique covers before you make the marketing mistake of putting up a bad cover. Oh look, there is.

If you have any vision left in your right eye, soothe it with these winners from the Cover Design Awards.  I'm taking notes from these.

Now, back to Gaston. After his triumphant win over push-up guy, here's a girl who's challenged him to arm wrestling. Go redhead! You're my hero today.

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Her Grace hasn't been to Disneyland in about thirty years. Maybe it's time to go back.

Happy Book Birthday, For Richer For Poorer!

For Richer, For Poorer is out today!

Help celebrate by getting it from The Wild Rose Press.  Also available on Amazon.

The Deveraux line is famous... for a family curse. The rich must marry the poor or lose their prosperity. Peter Baring is the last of the Deveraux and sinking slowly into poverty. But will marriage to his icy business partner save him?

Beatrice Nottham dreams of leaving Earth for a fresh start. But only married couples are allowed to move off-world. Marrying a man she’s unsure she loves will solve that problem...but at what cost?

When Beatrice visits England to research her branch of the Deveraux family tree, she meets Peter and sparks fly. Both question everything they ever believed would fulfill their dreams. If they dare to be together, will the Curse follow them beyond the stars? The answer to breaking its power could lie in the heart of a crumbling tapestry...if they have the courage to try.

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Her Grace quite enjoys this book. However, it is rather gauche to give her own book a review. If you read this book (and you know you want to) please consider giving this book an honest review on Amazon or GoodReads or other place of your choice. Thank you.

For Richer, For Poorer available for pre-order on Amazon

It's driving you nuts. You want a copy now, but you'll have to wait.

For Richer, For Poorer is available for pre-order on Amazon.  Pre-order now, get it before Christmas when it comes out 22 December. Otherwise, you can wait and get it from The Wild Rose Press. But why wait? ORDER NOW!!

The Deveraux line is famous...for a family curse. The rich must marry the poor or lose their prosperity. Peter Baring is the last of the Deveraux and sinking slowly into poverty. But will marriage to his icy business partner save him?

Beatrice Nottham dreams of leaving Earth for a fresh start. But only married couples are allowed to move off-world. Marrying a man she’s unsure she loves will solve that problem...but at what cost?

When Beatrice visits England to research her branch of the Deveraux family tree, she meets Peter and sparks fly. Both question everything they ever believed would fulfill their dreams. If they dare to be together, will the Curse follow them beyond the stars? The answer to breaking its power could lie in the heart of a crumbling tapestry...if they have the courage to try.

Until then, I'll post regular blogposts regarding fun aspects of this book and the world it lives in.

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Her Grace is one up on y'all, because she's already read the book.

Cover Reveal - For Richer For Poorer - out 22 December 2014

My next novella, FOR RICHER FOR POORER will be released on 22 December, 2014, just in time for Christmas!  It will be available through The Wild Rose Press, Inc. store and all external distributors worldwide. You know you want a copy!

The Deveraux line is famous...for a family curse. The rich must marry the poor or lose their prosperity. Peter Baring is the last of the Deveraux and sinking slowly into poverty. But will marriage to his icy business partner save him?

Beatrice Nottham dreams of leaving Earth for a fresh start. But only married couples are allowed to move off-world. Marrying a man she’s unsure she loves will solve that problem...but at what cost?

When Beatrice visits England to research her branch of the Deveraux family tree, she meets Peter and sparks fly. Both question everything they ever believed would fulfill their dreams. If they dare to be together, will the Curse follow them beyond the stars? The answer to breaking its power could lie in the heart of a crumbling tapestry...if they have the courage to try.

I love this book. It's got magical curses, and sci-fi stuff and genealogy and a really good pasty for dinner.

In the book our hero Peter Baring asks, "Other than a rose, what is your favourite flower?"  Feel free to answer in the comments.

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Her Grace is fond of any flower she can eat. Have you ever eaten a flower before?

Top Six Ways to Hide a Book

For those of us addicted to books, we have had times we've needed to hide what we're reading, or even that we were reading. (Hello, my name is Heidi and I'm a chronic reader...)

I've had more than my fair share of getting in trouble in class for reading novels. And then, in the 80's, I had to hide the fact I was reading trashy Historical Romance bodice-rippers with fuschia covers.

Here's my Top Six Ways to Hide a Book:

1. Hiding it behind another book (usually a textbook). Classic hide. Can also use a folder/clipboard or a magazine. I have seen some Classic Literature book covers to hide our favourite Trashy Books.
2. Bag it. Keep the book in a purse or a pencil case. Sneak a read while looking to dig around in your purse.
3. Book covers. In junior high, all our textbooks had to be covered. Most people used brown bag paper--cheap, plentiful and... opaque. So, is that a pocket dictionary or a Jude Deveraux on my desk?
4. Camoflauge. DVD cases, cereal boxes, anything square-shaped and book-sized can hide a book. Doesn't even have to be square-shaped. I've seen book covers that look like teddy bears (If you consider being seen carrying around a teddy bear preferable to carrying around a copy of Fifty Shades of Gray or Lady Chatterley's Lover). 
5. eBook reader. If you don't mind letting people know you're reading, but don't want them to what you're reading, an ebook reader hides the identity of your novel from your fellow bus-passengers. Also, it's really easy to disguise an ebook reader as a tablet. Are you reading a cozy mystery, or are you browsing Facebook?
6. Different format: audiobooks are the commuter's friend. Also, stick your iPod earphones in, and nobody knows you're listening to a book, especially if you include a rhythmic head-bop. Ebooks on phones?  For all your fellow commuters know, you're playing Angry Birds.

How have you hidden your reading habit?  Or are you out of the closet?  Or are you in a twelve-step?

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Her Grace has had an issue with reading when/what she wasn't supposed to.  Thus, the background in literature subterfuge.

My Failed Novels: The Women of West Town series

So this eighteen-year-old budding author gets inspired yet again by something and has to write a novel.

I developed a secret addiction to Historical Romance novels during the 1980's.  They all had covers like this:

Now you know why I had to keep it a secret. Covers like these? Prolly not the best thing to feed a pubescent adolescent.

Fortunately, today, this is what the outside of all romance novels I read looks like:

Anyhow, I digress.  Just accept I had a penchant for Romance.

So, one day I was watching Dr Quinn Medicine Woman on TV and thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to write Historical Romance in the American West?"  I knew a fair bit about American History, thanks to My First Job at a living history museum.

So I gave it a try.  

Thus was born, "Adelaide", "Kathryn" and "Marinda".  (Yeah, I liked the name Adelaide. Moving to Australia fixed me of that soon enough.)

Oh dear.  I did not do a very good job of it. I'd barely finished rough drafts of the novels, but they were sad imitations of the torrid 80's Romance I'd secretly enjoyed. My novels were tepid, boring and tedious. Dull. Snooze-worthy. Trunkable. I still had a lot to learn Craft-wise.

Can't even remember much about the novels, other than one of my heroines fell in love with the town Mortician.

Ah well.  We all gotta make mistakes. These were mine.  About the only thing I learned from these novels was that I should not be writing Western Romance.  My feet are firmly planted in the nice, secure world of Speculative Fiction.

Either about this time, or soon after, the misc.writing Usenet newsgroup (and specifically Erin Cashier) put me on to the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy (OWW-SFF, or simply the 'Orkshop). Back then, it was sponsored by Del Rey and was free. Now it requires paid memberships. Still, it was worth every penny to me.

Man, I love that place! It is responsible for taking me from an apprentice writer to a journeyman.  I can't recommend it enough.  Granted, it better serves short story writers, but the workshop environment taught me more about the Craft than anything else.  I also met some really great people who went on to become really great authors.

People you know and read. OWW is The Place that Birthed This Generation of Authors. 

I cheerfully trunked those three horrid novels and got back to what I love: Fantasy.

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Her Grace has some pretty bad novels in her trunk. Don't bother asking to see them. They really aren't that good.

Top Ten Peeves for Book Lovers

We love our books, but it is an imperfect love. Here is a top ten list of Peeves for Book Lovers.

In no particular order:

1. Cheap trade paperbacks whose spine glue breaks enough for individual pages to slip out -or- discovering missing pages from a really good book you're reading because of this.
2. When that spine glue breaks on first opening.
3. Incomplete series. (I'm looking at you, Anne et Serge.)
4. Inability to locate a book in a series (ie, it's listed as "missing" at the library, the bookstore doesn't carry it and it never shows up when they order it, Amazon's out of stock, etc.)
5. You have to wait a whole year before the next book in the series comes out.
6. That book you had to study in English Lit class. 
7. Someone recommends a book as Really Good, only it turns out to be full of dull plots, flat characters, blatant bigotry or leprosy-ridden rapists.
8. Long-winded literary style that bogs down the pace. Also, why does Litrachoor have to be so depressing? (Exception: Paulo Coelho. Go read his stuff.)
9. Bad cover art:  butt-ugly; has nothing to do with the book; pornographic Fuschia Fabio Lust Covers (aka 1980's Romance bodice-rippers); terrible brown 1970's literary covers.
10. You finally find a Really Good Book cover-to-cover, and it's too short.

What peeves you off about books?

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Her Grace loves books.  But yeah.  There are moments.

Cover Reveal!

My Novella "As Good As Gold" is due for a January 27th exclusive Amazon.com release with World Wide release coming in May 2014 from The Wild Rose Press.

And now, my gorgeous, evocative cover:

Daywen Athalia wants love--true and lasting. Fearing a future of bitter loneliness, she seeks help from a gypsy woman. The price: a hundred pieces of gold. Daywen's never had two shillings to rub together in her life. Where's she going to find a hundred gold pieces?

Bel MacEuros made a career of theft from fey creatures. When the cursed gold he rightfully stole from a gnome is taken from him by Daywen, the consequences could bless or break his life.
It is not the gnome's curse or a gypsy's blessing but another magic, far deeper and more powerful, that will change their lives forever.

This is my story from "The Enchanted Faerie" released as a single title.  If you never had a chance to get a copy of "The Enchanted Faerie" but want to read my story, here's your chance.

Judging a book by its cover

I'm extremely proud of our book cover for The Enchanted Faerie.
We are very lucky Romance Spinners, because we had a say in what we wanted the cover to look like.

Most writers are not so lucky. Science fiction writers seem to be particularly unlucky.

So for a good chuckle, and a fair amount of shaedenf.. schaedenfroo... snark, check out the goodness at Judge a Book by its Cover.