But, soft, what light by yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Jane is the sun. Jane! Wow, what an entrance. And I'm guessing that is because your first two releases with Harper Impulse have been historicals. Loved them too, I have to say. Beautiful covers and great stories. But enough about that for now. Jane is an author from Bath, UK. www.janelark.co.uk

   Jane, pull up a pew and tell us all about your ideal man. Mr Darcy, perhaps? Rochester?

Right! I could go with that. What about your school girl crushes, any poster boys in your teens, or fan club stalkings we should know about?

I liked older men. The posters on my wall were mostly Clint Eastwood but Trevor Eve was up there too.  I carried that through and married a man ten years older than me ;D

Well, hey, there won't be many women out there who would disagree with you about Clint... even now.

So, oh woman of great taste, what did you want to be when you were growing up?

A writer, I knew I wanted to write novels even then. I’ve always loved writing and telling stories.

Result!

So what were you reading when this all began?

When young, The Faraway Tree Series, but by ten I was reading John Wyndam and I loved the The Midwich Cuckoos, and used to always be writing sci-fi stories at school. Then I discovered the historical romance writer Anya Seton, and her amazing book Katherine. That was when I knew I wanted to be able to write historical novels.

Thank you, Jane. So back to your writing. Now I've mentioned your historicals, but you've also had a new adult title published recently, haven't you. I haven't read that one yet, but it's had great reviews. Again, stunning cover.

Thanks again for dropping by, Jane.

You can download Jane's books at all good online retailers. And her contact sites include:  http://janelark.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @JaneLark & @JaneLnabooks

https://www.facebook.com/Janelarkauthor

https://www.facebook.com/JaneLark.NABooks

Today I'd like to welcome Jan Ellis. Jan is an author from Somerset, England, but her heart really belongs to her old stamping ground, London.

Hi there, Jan, take a seat and talk us through your ideal man.  Where did he come from and who has fallen by the wayside en route?

When I was at secondary school, friends were divided between Donny Osmond and David Cassidy, both of whom I thought were pretty wet. My passion was ignited by the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers – whose name I can’t even remember! – then transferred to David Essex. Swoon!

I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. Not a great era for fashion, was it?  :-)   And the hair!  Definitely a move in the right direction there.
So who do you like now?

I still haven’t got over David Essex c.1975: the dark curly hair and the sexy grin gets me every time.

And he even improved with age.

As for brains, Dr Harry in Silent Witness (actor Tom Ward) looks like the sort of chap you could have a serious discussion with before whipping off his scrubs.

:-) Hurrah!

When it comes to voices, Neil Oliver could tell me that marmalade was mined by elves in Dundee, and I’d believe him.

So what did you want to be in the days when you were swooning over David?

I was 11 when we went away as a family on our first foreign holiday. We stayed at the Hotel Hawai in Lloret de Mar, and it was the most glamorous, wonderful experience of my young life. After that, I toyed with the idea of being a trolley dolly before deciding on holiday rep. What could be better than getting paid to swan around the Costa del Sol turning golden brown, taking tourists on donkey rides and drenching them in sangria? Bliss.

Very true. I often thought a cruise ship croupier would be a great job. Play cards all night and never lose, and then wander round sunny beaches in the day. Never quite worked out for me, though. And so what were you reading back then? Which books stand out in your memory as special?

I was a big fan of Enid Blyton’s Brer Rabbit stories when I was little. (Note to self: add to Goodreads profile!) I think the first book that made me weep was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I also have a memory of being off school ill and tucked up in bed with Jane Eyre.

Great stories all. And what about your writing? We'd better not forget that.

I had two out last year. An Unexpected Affair, July 2013  http://amzn.to/1hciK7U
And more recently, French Kisses, December 2013, both novella-length e-books, published by Endeavour Press Ltd.
http://amzn.to/1gE208E  Both doing very well it seems. Loads of great reviews. Good luck, Jan, and thanks for stopping by.

You can find Jan on Twitter:
@JanEllis_writer

Her Website: http://jlravenscroft.wix.com/janelliswriter
And on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7221943.Jan_Ellis?from_search=true

 Recently I was asked if I would write a match report for a football game for the under 10s. I thought about this. Could I use my usual style? No? Something different, perhaps? See what you think and please do NOT imagine children whilst reading this! ;-)

   The game begins and out of the corner of my eye, number 4 leaps forward. His body, toned and athletic, he takes control and glides into position. His foot moves, caressing the ball with the ease of a lone wolf playing with his prey. Moving with long strides, he swerves and manoeuvres the length of the pitch. His quiet confidence captures my attention and I watch as his muscles dance a seductive rhumba across his back. He makes his move and passes, closer to the goal, to number 8 who swiftly takes control, his commanding presence subduing all those in his wake. The opposition makes a challenge and I bite my lip as the delicious tension begins to mount. Glistening limbs power to the fore as strength and skill both take their place in the game. But what are his moves? What is his game? 16 moves in from the edge, all poise and ambition. He knows exactly where to go and what to do to make it right. I know this. I can see it in his eyes. At his touch, the excitement builds and anticipation heightens my senses. Ripples of pleasure begin to stir within me as I hear my heart beating harder inside my chest. It’s got to happen, please; make it happen; for me? I can’t take this any longer. ‘Drive it home’, I shout, as my pulse begins to fly. It’s within his grasp now, tantalising my senses. ‘Get it in. Get it in’, I scream. My breath quickening as the promise draws near. Expectation blurs my gaze as with one forceful motion, he buries it deep inside and reaches the spot. ‘Goal!’ 
    And as the sweat-dampened sheen of excitement ebbs away, the players line up to do it all over again…

So, what do you think? Should I give it a go? ;-)

Fantasy and reality, you should NEVER mix the two. :-)

Today we're going to have so much fun. Look who's dropped by...it's that wonderful author from County Durham, Michelle Betham. Welcome, Michelle, find a seat and let's talk men.

Who would be your ideal man?

Beautiful cover!

Thank you for dropping by, Michelle, it's been fun talking about Wild Boys, but I'm a Notorious chocoholic and now I'm Hungry Like the Wolf!

You can find Michelle's books at: amzn.to/M2UhqP

 And you can contact Michelle on:

https://twitter.com/michellebetham

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMichelleBetham

http://michellebethamwriter.blogspot.co.uk/

I'm very excited today, because a fabulous author and good friend of mine, all the way from across the pond in Kouts, Indiana, has dropped by to say hello... AmyJo Nuest!   http://ajnuest.com  http://ajbooks.blogspot.com

Now you know I'm expecting great things from you, AJ. I need hot men and embarrassment, and I need them now! So hit me with it... who would be your ideal man?

Ohhh...this is hard. My ideal man would be tall (I’m 5’8” so he’d have to be taller than that). He would have either an Australian or English accent. I like thick dark hair and he’d have to wear a five o’clock shadow. I also like a hairy chest. LOL Who is that? Henry Cavill? Although, Chris Hemsworth would do in a pinch.

Chris Hemsworth would do??? Woman, you have too many men swimming round in your brain! Were you quite so picky in your teenage years? Who were you into then?

Let me see... David Cassidy, Shawn Cassidy and let's not forget William Shatner/James T. Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise

You should get together with Nic Tatano and Lynn Marie! It must be a Yank thing! ;-)   But James T Kirk?  Really? :-) 

Shawn Cassidy, hey? Now I haven't clapped eyes on him yet... Oh, there we are. No, I think I would have been a 'David' girl.                 

So what did you want to be?

I wanted to be a famous actress! Or singer-song writer/actress. Heck, I still wanna be a famous actress. LOL

I'm not sure hiding behind a keyboard in the back of beyond is the way to go... It's just a thought. :-)
And what sort of books did your teenage aspiring musical actress self like?

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
The entire Nancy Drew Mysteries Series
The Little House on the Prairie Books

Oh! Little House on the Prairie! I loved that - the TV series, obviously; perish the thought I'd have picked up a book! They're actually showing repeats over here at the moment. Not quite so gripping 30 years on.  ;-)

And we can't let you go without mentioning your own books, three of which have come out recently and I've been hooked since the first page - waiting for number 4, coming soon. They're called The Golden Key Chronicles and they're a romance/fantasy cross. Now I'd never delved into fantasy before, a strict historical/contemporary girl myself, but I really enjoyed these. Apart from the setting and a bit of the dialogue, it is still a romance at the heart of it. If you haven't had a go before, I really recommend you try them. Think: 'The hot guy, the Sorceress and the Wardrobe'!

You can buy AJ's books in e-format now. Her latest, Caedmon's Curse you can get by following these links: For Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/o5rjrc2    and for UK: http://tinyurl.com/oovffy6  The final part is being released on the 13th, but I recommend you start  with the first.
You can contact AJ at her website, or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest#!/pages/Tattered-Pages/259835887466  or Twitter: @AJNuest .  Thanks for dropping by!