Since I’ll be blogging all over the place during the next two months (to celebrate the release of my ebook short story and my July Harlequin Historical), I decided to share with you all some of the most wonderful historical trivial details I’ve discovered while writing the books. Lots of readers ask me where I get my ideas and how I do my research, so I thought I’d share some interesting tidbits o’ history with you all.

So, let’s talk about DALLAS — you know — the blockbuster of a tv series about the oil barron and his family who lived on Southfork Ranch in the Big “D”….and how it could have been set in the medieval time period. Once I started researching the main historical figure of the Middle Ages for my new trilogy, (um, that would be William the Bastard…er…the Conqueror) I was struck by how much his life and exploits resembled a modern day primetime soap opera…like DALLAS.

William the B…Conqueror was born out of wedlock to a father who it is suggested did not marry his mother to avoid in-law problems over property and titles. (Sound like the whole Barnes-Ewing feud?) After William was born, his father married off his mother who bore two more sons for her husband. Though raised by his mother, William became duke at age eight when his father died while on a Crusade to the Holy Lands. (Um…didn’t Jock Ewing disappear and die mysteriously, too? Hmmmmm)

Then William quickly learned about the ruthlessness needed to claim and hold power–his first three guardians were killed and nobles throughout Normandy jockied for position to try to take control of the duchy. Finally, with the backing of the king of France, William took control and ruled with an iron fist. (Hmmmmm…didn’t JR push Bobby out of control of Ewing Oil to take over the company?) After winning his first battle he retaliated harshly against anyone who did not support him. (How many competitors did JR ruin, drive out of business, and/or destroy for trying to beat him? Hmmmmmm?) And there is a story that William had the hands cut off of those villagers in Alencon who taunted him before he attacked by beating on leather hides in a not-so-subtle insult about his illegitimate origins — William’s mother was supposedly the daughter of a tanner. (JR could have learned a thing or two from him, huh?)

And, as JR had poor Cliff Barnes to push around and pick apart, William had Conan of Brittany (one of many actually). Conan and William circled each other for years, invading or threatening to invade each other’s lands, supporting each other’s enemies, undermining each other’s power, vying to be the most powerful nobleman on the continent. When they couldn’t take direct action against each other, they used whatever was at their disposal — other people usually — to do the job. Finally, when William warned off any of his enemies, and allies, from attacking Normandy while he was on the Pope-sanctioned invasion of England in 1066, Conan told William he planned to attack as soon as William left! (C’mon — think about how many times JR lured Cliff in and then stomped him into the dirt?! I mean really!). So, want to take a guess what happened to Cliff…er…Conan?

He was poisoned — apparently the LEATHER gloves he received as an anonymous gift were impregnated by poison. As I said, William could have taught JR a thing or two about how to get things done.

So, why is any of this of interest to me? Well, I set my upcoming trilogy - the Knights of Brittany - during William’s conquest of England. The three Breton knights who fight in William’s forces were freed up to do that by Conan’s death and his successor’s alignment with William. So, William’s problems with anger management and control issues gave me the idea for the setup of my story! Woohoo!

I hope you found that interesting? Let me know!

To celebrate my June and July books, I’ll be guest blogging all over the place and continuing my stories about historical trivial details that I’ve learned researching for my writing. I hope you’ll stop over on my website to see where I’ll be and I hope you’ll stop in and comment or visit one of my chats and say hello!

Terri

Terri’s first short story (and first only-ebook release) is coming out today - June 1 - and will be available at www.eharlequin.com and at other online booksellers. A NIGHT FOR HER PLEASURE, a Harlequin Historical UNDONE, will be available in a number of digital formats and will introduce the rest of the Knights of Brittany. THE CONQUEROR’S LADY, her July Harlequin Historical, is about what happens when not only cultures but also strong-minded, courageous, loyal people clash and love is in the mix. Visit Terri’s website - www.terribrisbin.com - for links to her new books as well as info about upcoming blogs and chats!

I confess — I am completely and utterly a romance reader at heart! When I have spare time, and sometimes even when I don’t, I read romances. Usually my favorites are historicals — medievals and Regencies fill my shelves and my TBR piles….mountains. Actually, for a long, long time, I only read historical romances.

Then, as I began writing and, more importantly, meeting other writers and authors, I was tempted to branch out to other subgenres like contemporaries. I wrote time travels and read them, too, but you all know that time travel romances are different from other ‘paranormal’ romances (LOL!) because they seem to be more about the time period in which they’re set than the whole woo-woo element of traveling through time.

And after a while, I was quite comfortable in my staid ways…happily ignoring tons of books in favor of my narrow range of likes. Then one day, it happened….because I knew the author, I tried something different. After years of swearing I did not like. . . gulp. . . vampire romances, I started finding more and more that I liked. Some classic vampires, some with a spin, I couldn’t help myself — Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters, Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love at Stake, Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed and others.

Maybe I’m going through a midlife crisis (do women have those or are only men allowed?) because after swearing I do not like shapeshifter stories, I’ve begun reading those, too! Sheesh! The late Ronda Thompson’s Wild Wulfs of London started it…then Christina Dodd’s Darkness Chosen series…and now most recently Deborah Cooke’s Dragonfire series which took only a few days to devour…

Gosh! Where will this end? Does this mean I’m going to be open to reading ANY kind of romance soon? Will it ever stop? LOL! How about you? Are you hopelessly stuck in one subgenre or do you read all across the romance market? What’s your favorite — what’s not?

More importantly, do you have any suggestions for me? I will send two lucky posters each a copy of one of my favorite shapeshifter books in exchange for their suggestions for something new!

Terri

Terri Brisbin also tried something new with her writing — a short story! Her Harlequin Historical UNDONE! A Night For Her Pleasure will be available online in June at eharlequin.com and other digital booksellers. Visit her website at www.terribrisbin.com for more info!

Ah, the budding flowers, the growing grass, the beautiful azaleas and forsythia bushes are gaining size and color….and I’m packing my bags.

Spring is my busiest time for a couple of my jobs…not including my writing. So, I begin traveling just about every week between now and late May all over the Northeastern corner of the US. I’ll be in places like Grand Rapids MI, Williamsport PA, Albany NY and other small cities and towns. Though travel is tiresome for many people, I tend to enjoy visiting other places, meeting colleagues, and having time to read…because I have stashed away a bunch of romances that I haven’t had time to read yet!! But, even though these trips are only to places not so far away, I am in the midst of planning a trip to. . .

SCOTLAND!!

So many readers tell me that they’d love to go to Scotland, many have been and many are making their own plans. It seems that Scotland just strikes a chord in the heart of so many. Either because of family ties or reading about it in their most favorite historical romances, I just don’t know why. I know it calls to me and, by the time I am boarding the plane for home, I am making plans to return. Since I know we have so many readers and visitors who love Scotland, I thought I’d ask your help in setting up my ‘dream’ itinerary!

Have you been to Scotland? Do you dream of going? Tell me the places or events I should not miss on my trip — and I’ll award a special souvenir from my last trip to one person whose suggestion I add into my plans. This is a very special year in Scotland…it’s the 250th Anniversary of Robbie Burns’ birth and the Homecoming year when many towns, cities and clans are planning special events…so which is the most un-miss-able?

What do you suggest?

Terri

Terri is working on the second book in her Knights of Brittany trilogy for Harlequin Historicals while awaiting the release of her June, July and December books! Visit her website at for more info about all her books!

I always struggle to come up with a topic for the blogs I write. I am a talkative person, but as soon as my blog day approaches, I lose all my ideas and run around asking people what I should talk about…! But, I’ve decided that I will share with you all my experiences as I get into my busy traveling season for my other, real-life jobs.

So, greetings from sunny San Diego, CA!

I arrived a day early for my meeting here and made reservations to go whale-watching. The grey whales are in the midst of their northward migration from Baja to Alaska and they are passing by the San Diego area. Actually, some of you may have seen the news that one whale has been exploring the San Diego bay area since Tuesday? I saw it as our whale -watching cruise boat passed by Harbor Island on our way out to the Pacific Ocean!!

Then we battled strong, cold western winds as we headed around Point Loma out into the Pacific Ocean and traveled almost 12 miles into the open waters. The city’s skyline and buildings faded in the distance as we were surrounded by miles and miles of ocean. After almost an hour, we slowed and began scanning the horizon for whale-signs — the water spray from their blowholes and the sight of their tales skimming the water’s surface as they rise and dive into the deep, searching for food on their long journey north.

Minutes passed in silent seeking as everyone on the boat searched for any sign and then someone yelled and pointed and we witnessed a whale breaking the surface off to one side of the boat. The captain turned and followed and soon we were in pursuit of a small group of whales as they zigzagged along the coast. Finally, we hit the right spot and the whales swam alongside of the boat, diving and surfacing, spraying water and air and then disappearing for minutes beneath the water. The water around them turned turquoise as their grey, shiny bodies reflected the sunlight through the water at us. One, then two, then three whales appeared and seemed to be entertaining us as they headed north and we followed.

Then, almost as quickly as they gathered next to us in the water, they were gone! We waited and watched and searched for more signs of them, but they’d gone deep and far and it was time for us to head back to the dock. The trip back was beautifully scenic, the sun was bright and now the winds were at our backs, speeding our trip back into the city.

Overall it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in (and out of) the city. But it did remind me of writing — the search for story ideas is sometimes like whale-watching. Sometimes, writers search and search for ideas for stories, looking far and wide, for something of interest, something beautiful and emotional, something wild and untamed, and never catch a glimpse of them. Then, suddenly, ideas flow, plots simmer and follow us, plaguing our waking and sleeping hours, sometimes near at hand, sometimes just out of reach and sight. And writers follow, watching, listening, dreaming and imagining until the idea becomes clear and travels with us while we learn about it and capture it for our use.

Story ideas can be as elusive as the grey whales migrating north in the Pacific Ocean, but writers will always be looking and watching and waiting to find them…just when we least expect it!

So, have you ever been whale or dolphin watching? Cruised on the ocean? Tell me about it!

Terri

Terri is hard at work on a new story for Harlequin Historicals while she waits for her next book to be released. A NIGHT FOR HER PLEASURE, a Harlequin Historicals UNDONE! online short story will be followed by the first of her new THE KNIGHTS OF BRITTANY trilogy, THE CONQUEROR’S LADY in July. Then her first Kensington BRAVA romance, A STORM OF PASSION, will be released in December! Please visit Terri Brisbin.com for more info about all of these!

It’s February so I must be referring to Valentine’s Day and the Month o’ Love? Well, no actually, I’m not.

It’s close to March, maybe I’m referring to Spring and its approach? Um, nah!

So what goes on during this time of year? Well, American Idol, of course!

After weeks and weeks of watching hopefuls try their hardest to get onto Season 8, the show is nearing the time of the final twelve contestants. I didn’t watch the first six seasons regularly, but started watching it last year when friends asked me who I thought would win… Each week we would ‘pick’ the bottom three contestants and try to guess who was going home.

What I found interesting about Idol is those opening weeks, though, when thousands of performers with a dream show up, stand in line all day and hope for a chance to sing for Paula, Randy and Simon (and Kara, this year). They’ve worked at their craft for years, sometimes since they were children, to show off their skills and win a chance to move to the next round.

In many ways, Idol is just like some of the writing contests I’ve judged.

Over the years I’ve read some entries that made me think ‘what were they thinking?’ or ‘how did they ever think they could write?’ just as I do when I watch Idol and some people who cannot sing try out and are offended when someone tells them that they have no ability. The excuse is that their ________ (fill in the blank with your choice of: mother, father, significant other, husband, sister, friend, etc) told them that they were wonderful.

Or I begin reading something that doesn’t make sense as described in their synopsis and find a gem within — a real storyteller with a wonderful voice and a gift for making words sing. It’s like watching the Idol contestant who looks like a mess, but then opens their mouth and magic comes out.

Or I love the way the synopsis opens and explains a wonderful story only to find that, though technically proficient, the writer cannot tell a story at all. Just like those singers who approach the microphone with a confidence that usually means skill and talent….only to find my eye twitching from the off-key tones and inability to carry a tune or remember the lyrics.

And occasionally, it all comes together — the technical and the talent, the details and the vision, the performer and the magic. The contestant whose singing makes you hold your breath as you listen. The writer whose book I look for later in all my TBR piles, forgetting that it was only an entry in a contest and not a book I bought to read.

Sure, I am not infallible — I mean I have thought some entries would never sell and yet they did and the resulting books have gone on to be best-sellers. Or on Idol, I pick out my favorite only to see him sent home early on in the competition. But, I have to say that I’m pretty good — last year, in our ongoing, friendly competition to pick the winner, I did. I chose David Cook when I saw the final twelve contestants. My favorite was, however, Michael Johns who was tossed out early on in a shocking audience decision.

So, I am looking forward to this year’s American Idol and to those writing contests, too. You just never know when the real magic is going to show itself and I want to see it happen.

How about you? Do you watch American Idol? Are you good at picking out the good and the bad? Who did you think would win last season? Any advance guesses for this season? Let me know! I’m thinking the oil worker is looking and sounding pretty good?!)

Terri

Terri is madly writing her first Brava romance - A Storm of Passion - which will be a December 2009 release from Kensington. But before that, she’ll have an online short story in June 2009 from Harlequin Historicals UNDONE and a Harlequin Historical romance, The Conqueror’s Lady, in July 2009. Visit her website at www.terribrisbin.com for more info and for updates on her new releases and upcoming contests.

I’m not sure if it’s just the auspicious day (Presidential Inauguration Day!) or the beginning of a new year, but I’m feeling the urge to get organized for the coming months and to make some audacious plans, too. So, I find myself getting my research books ready to be searched, getting my office clean and finishing up my must-reads that I know I must before I begin the downward spiral I call my ‘deadline writing binge’.

This is when I look and feel as far from a glamorous romance author as any writer can! I spend days in my jammies, not leaving the house (unless it’s on fire or under flood waters!), eating whatever food is in the cupboards and cooking even less than I sleep. My family understands that my calendar is empty and they carry on as though I am away on a trip, ignoring my occasional forays into the kitchen or the bathroom almost as though they don’t see me. They’ve learned well.

And it’s not at all what I expected when I began writing and when I was first published. . . I thought I would learn to write methodically, producing pages magically every day and finishing each and every project well ahead of time. I would never lose sleep over approaching deadlines, I would love every word I wrote and so would everyone who had the chance to read them!

What a rude awakening I had! I wrote half my first book in a week when I needed it for an appearance on Lifetime TV. I wrote most of my second and third and eighteenth books in the last two weeks before they were due. The orderly writing process has turned into one that includes months of mental percolation followed by manic days and nights of pushing out the story as it’s ready to tell…or sometimes whether it’s ready or not!

Anyway, every time I survive the process, I swear that I will change my behavior and will never. ever write a book that way again — because, gosh, I’m getting to old for this…. and don’t those writers who write in a logical, smooth way know something that I don’t? So, isn’t this my perfect opportunity to change now?

Apparently not. My new beginning isn’t going to happen this time — even though this is the first book of a new contract, with a new agent, a new publisher and a new editor. I’m missing the perfect opportunity to change my ways because the old way just simply works for me. After 18 novels, novellas and even a short story, I just can’t change my ways.

So, I guess I’ll have to look for other ways to make a new beginning…for 2009. Does anyone have any suggestions or does anyone want to share their new beginnings for this coming year? I can see a special gift on one of my shelves that I will send to one person who posts about their new beginning.

Terri

www.terribrisbin.com

For as long as I can remember I always got in trouble on rainy days. Something about the grayness and dismal atmosphere triggered the mischief in me and would result in reprimands or even the dreaded detention through my Catholic school experience and even through high school. But once I’d grown-up, I had to add the whole month of November as a potential quagmire in any given year.

November is the month when my father died, suddenly on a Thanksgiving Day. November is the month when I fell and re-fractured my back for the second time. November is when the cold winds and increasing darkness finally get to me and my need for bright and sunny begins to increase…. I always feel like there is a black hole growing at my feet in November, threatening to pull me right down into it.

I can’t figure this out though, because as bad as some Novembers have been, others, more, have been spectacularly good ones. November is when my youngest son was born.

November is when I got THE CALL and made my first sale and it’s when my first book came out 10 years ago. November is when I met my first fan who is now a longtime friend. And this November is my two-year cancer-free mark.

Spectacular events to say the least.

Now, I try to focus on the wonderful things that have happened to make November a fabulous month for me and try to let go of some of the negative memories – I mean no month deserves to carry around all that old baggage, huh? With its focus on Thanksgiving, I usually end the month feeling better than I begin it since I really do have so many people and events to be thankful for – family, friends, writing colleagues, readers, having the chance to write my stories and share them, and so much more.

So, how about you? Is this a good or bad time of year for you? Do the Holidays make things better for you or can you not wait for them to be done?

Terri’s newest release, ONE CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS, is available now in print and digital formats from Harlequin Historicals. Terri and the other authors are celebrating its release with a contest and prizes that’s open to readers to enter. When not franticly trying to plan her upcoming Thanksgiving dinner for 18 members of her family, she’s busy writing her next project, either a short story for Harlequin Historicals’ UNDONE or her first novel for Kensington’s Brava line. Visit her website at www.terribrisbin.com for more info on Terri and her books and events or to enter her contest!