Teaser

Just writing, writing, writing. Pounding keys.

I'm developing Angelique (who you'll know as Jolene); deciding if I really want a love interest for her; fleshing out young Robert's character; and many other things in the plot.

The book is heavily focused on her life and those in her inner circle as she searches for her identity in London and Paris. Robert, Suzette, Philippe are more secondary characters, but definitely still very much a part of the discovery as the story progresses. It will be an interesting conclusion!!! Just wait to see how she does it!

The little kidnapped baby has grown into a very bold and opinionated woman, especially about her dysfunctional family...after all, she is a Countess! Questions to think about: 

• How is her identity revealed to her?
• Who will find out first who she is?
• How will she feel about her mother when they first meet? 
• Will she get along with her half-brother, Robert?
• Do you think she'll respect His Grace, the Duke, after breaking up her parent's marriage? 
• Will she be able to find Philippe in Paris? Will he even be alive? 
• How will she reveal the truth to her family what she knows and they do not?
• Will she love them or blame them for what happened to her?

You'll just have to wait to find out. Remember, it is The Price of Love.

I should be at 60,000 words by this weekend. My goal for this series has always been about 80,000 per book.

Let me add, that I've been adding quite a bit of the English lifestyle in the Downton Abbey fashion doing research such as the dining experience among the wealthy. One article I found had a wealth of information about the entire dining experience. It's a new era, with new fashions, motorcars, and changing social attitudes. 

Maybe in the days ahead, I'll post a few "draft scenes" to tease you some more.

My best, Vicki

Update on "The Price of Love" Release

I know it's been a while since I've posted, which really hasn't stopped the questions on Facebook, Blogger, or via email - when will The Price of Love  be released?

Finally, after months and months of struggling with this book, my muse (if there is such a thing) has returned to haunt my mind day and night.  I'm about half way through writing the book.

I didn't want to pursue writing this third book by force, and if you're an author you'll understand why.  When you struggle for inspiration, I don't think the end product is worth publishing. In addition, I know there are very high expectations on how this story turns out!  However, if the tale comes from your heart and you are moved by words and scenes in your mind, then it has a chance of being a decent read.  I owe that to you, my readers, to give you a conclusion that is worth the wait.

I'll keep you updated as things progress.  Should there be no more unforeseen life circumstances to prevent my pace (which have been many in the past year), I should have it out in the next two-three months.

Thank you for your patience and love of the series.

Regards,

Vicki

Daunting Research for The Price of Love

The challenges of writing historical fiction and/or romance can be daunting. I admit that I have procrastinated and run into a huge season of writer's block with The Price of Love. At the present time, I am beginning to chip away at the wall that has been between me and the finished book. I am so very sorry to my faithful readers who have been more than patient! Please hang in there with me a little while longer.

As I move through the story, I often become boggled down with questions. I can write one scene and end up doing hours of research on the Internet to make sure I've got my facts straight. I'm faced with a new era, that brings with it new thinking and fashions. In addition, I've placed myself into another geographical location in Austria, where titles and life are somewhere different. Here are a few of the things I've had to research so far, just to give you an idea of the challenges that I face.

1. I am now writing in the Edwardian era, after becoming well versed in the Victorian. It's new territory. Angelique has just turned eighteen. The time is 1905. My first scene included a trip from her residence to the solicitor's office. An obvious change is that the mode of travel is evolving. Carriages are prevalent, but so are the beginning of "strange motorized brass carriages," which were the first cars. I had to make sure they were in production in 1905 in Austria, and I was able to confirm some very early models were on the streets.
2. The question arose whether Angelique could obtain the title of Countess as an adopted child. Boy, that took a lot of research. Here is the scoop. If she was adopted into a noble family as a daughter, and her father had no male heirs, special permission from the king (Franz Joseph in this case) could be granted whereby the daughter would be treated as if she were male and could inherit the title and the estates. She could pass the title to her children, even if she did not marry another aristocrat.
3. Forms for addressing Austrian nobility had to be researched. Even though Angelique inherits the title of Countess, she must use the title of Komtesse (Comtesse Fr. version) until she weds. (It's interesting to note that in 1919 Austria completely abolished nobility and their titles.) Also, how the male population is addressed has changed. In England we have Mister or Sir; in France we have Monsieur; and in Austria we have Herr as the form of male salutation.
4. When was the height of the London social season? Had to research that one too, since I'm bringing Angelique into the scene with other aristocrats. According to research, the season coincided with the sitting of Parliament and began some time after Christmas and ran until roughly late June.  It was then that the aristocrats, who lived on their vast estates in the country, would travel to London to stay in their residences for the social and political gatherings. Thank goodness, I picked the right timeline for my heroine's quest for identity to begin. 

These are just a small example of why historical fiction/romance takes so long to write. It's true that if you don't get it right, someone will slap your hand. Apparently, an English lady caught my mistakes in The Price of Deception with how the Duke and Duchess were addressed incorrectly by the staff. I should have used "Your Grace," even though the former form of Duke and Duchess was permissible. Since I've been watching Downton Abbey, I think I'm becoming well versed in this area. Here's a great link on forms of address for English Nobility in Wikipedia. 

I'll keep you updated as I progress. And once again, my SINCERE apologies for the lateness of this book. 

 Fondly, Vicki

News About Other Works & Recent Award

I know that many of my readers are waiting for The Price of Love, which is still in the works.  It's been a difficult book coming out of me.  Though I've dabbled in it, I still have much to complete. To be honest, the inspiration for the third work has not been there, because I've been consumed with other inspirations.  

Part of the problem, I think, stems from the mediocre reviews on The Price of Innocence. Though The Price of Deception has done very well in contrast, I think my discouragement over the first volume has been part of my procrastination in finishing the third. I feel a lot of pressure for the third work, and I don't want to let my readers down by trying to write a story when my heart isn't there. However, I'm soon to dust it off and try once again shooting for a February 2013 release, because I know for a fact many are waiting for the story's conclusion.  I won't let you down.

As you all know, this August I released Dark Persuasion, my latest historical romance. Yesterday, I was informed that Dark Persuasion came in as a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards for 2012. The official "award statement" is as follows:

Award-Winning Finalist in the 'Fiction: Romance' category of The 2012 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News 

The list of winners/finalists can be found at USA Best Book Awards.  

To be recognized as an independent publisher is wonderful, especially when I competed against authors from big-named traditional publishing houses.  Over 1500 entries were received from mainstream and independent publishers, which were then narrowed down to over 400 winners and finalists. Entries were judged by a panel of industry judges with extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise. Needless to say, I'm stoked!

Of course, every book I write contains the help of many friends and professionals. My beta readers who give me feedback are invaluable, as well as my two main editors, and Robin Ludwig, my graphic artist who did the stunning cover design.  Also, I must thank Jimmy Thomas, the male model on the cover, from RomanceNovelCovers.com for the stunning pose of Patrick and Charlotte.

On another note, in October my muses showed up on the door and incited me to write my first contemporary romance. I chose the pen name of J.D. Burrows (my great grandmother's maiden name). The work is a very personal one, about two lovers, with different desires, who collide in a tale of one woman's struggle to overcome the effects of childhood sexual abuse. It is for 18+ mature audiences only.

It's already receiving extremely positive feedback from my readers, and I hope to have a hit on my hands with this work.  You can find out more about the book at Conflicting Hearts website, including my Twitter and Facebook accounts for J.D. Burrows. 

The book is currently for sale on Amazon in Kindle and Amazon print, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo.  Soon it will be else worldwide as distribution completes.

Once again, thank you to my Legacy Series readers for your patience and support.

Cheerfully yours!

Vicki Hopkins

The Journey for The Price of Love

I thought this picture really mirrors what I feel inside about the third volume in The Legacy Series.  I'm standing at the beginning of the picture and way down there at the end of the hall is where I need to be.  Through that door is publication, but I'm overwhelmed thinking of the journey that stretches out before me.

This past month, I've gone through a lot of doubt about being able to pull off the third book.  Yes, it's true. I think a lot of it stemmed from the tirade of reviews that hit Amazon on the first one and the tough reviews on Goodreads, as well. Since one of my latest reviews called me "lazy" and suggested I'd make a better prostitute than a writer, these things do tend to make you say "ouch."

Let's face it -- it was my first book.  Yes, it's not the best, but I've edited and changed that puppy at least four times.  The story is what it is, and I refuse to do anything more with it. Love it, like it, or leave it. 

I know some readers enjoyed it, though I don't always get the feedback that I need to stroke and validate my low author self-esteem.  Not that any other authors have that problem.  (:inserts cough:)  However, from watching people who hit my website worldwide constantly plugging in the term, "The Price of Love,"  I know they've read one and two, and are waiting for number three.  The thought has crossed my mind, unfortunately, not to finish number three.  I think, though, I would be doing a great injustice to my readers if I curled up and felt sorry for myself over this series.

With my latest release, "Dark Persuasion," and the positive comments and five-star professional review, I know in my heart that I'm growing in my craft.  Each book gets a little bit better and that is really what I want to strive for in the end.  I need to understand deep inside that book number one probably does deserve a lot of the criticism, but it still averages out on all sites as a "good read" and not a totally "suck read" by everyone's accounts.  It's just interesting how that book elicits such a reaction from one extreme to the other.  You would have thought I wrote "Fifty Shades of Innocence."

I will say that recently I heard E. L. James on her 20/20 interview respond to a question about how a number of readers think she stinks as a writer.  Her response was frankly right on - "You cannot own someone's response.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."  Touche E.L.!   So, I'm trying not to own one woman's suggestion I should become a whore instead of writer.  :inserts snicker:

I am thankful that "The Price of Deception" has received good reviews and is my number one best seller.  That's probably because I've offered "The Price of Innocence" free, and when readers finish, they buy number two, and start searching for number three.

So here I am standing at the beginning of this very long corridor.  I have a penciled-in appointment with an editor for November to do copy editing on "The Price of Love."  For the most part, it's very disjointed right now, and I've been struggling on where to focus the story, let alone where to begin.  Oh, I have begun it already, but I may trash what I've written so far.  It just isn't doing it for me.

The book really needs to be focused upon Angelique - the baby kidnapped by Jacquelyn Holland at the end of book two.  She's on the cover already, so I guess I owe her story the spotlight.  I'm trying to develop who she will be, as a character, how her story will unfold, and how I can integrate her back into the lives of her rightful family.  Just as getting Robert and Suzette out of their previous marriages happened to be a great challenge to me, so will rearranging everyone's life in this book. You already know the theme - the price of love; and as usual, I will probably torture a few characters like I always do with struggles, decisions, and various outcomes.

Well, so much for my update!  I'll keep you informed as things progress.  Be assured that I am getting closer to where I need to be, and as soon as the muse returns from his latest celebration over "Dark Persuasion," I'll tackle this book.  On top of it, I have two others - maybe three brewing inside of my brain.  It gets pretty crowded in there.  As authors know, you just gotta let the characters and their stories out, or they'll make you go insane.

Fondly,

Vicki

My Latest Release Receives Five Stars on Night Owl Romance

Okay, I'm stoked. I woke up depressed this morning about all the work I put into my books wondering if I really want to continue writing.  Really...I did.


Then later this morning I get an email from NightOwl Romance that the review to my book, Dark Persuasion, was published.  Suddenly, I was smiling again.  Five Stars - ***** - Top Pick Award.

I guess I will keep writing!

Read Review Here

For More Information Visit the Dark Persuasion Website