Welcome my friend, Sandra Jones! Her new book is out now. Don’t forget to enter contest drawing! ~DD

Her Wicked Captain
River Rogues #1
By: Sandra Jones
Releasing November 4, 2014
Samhain Publishing

She played right into his hands.

Possessing uncanny people-reading skills like her mama, Philadelphia “Dell” Samuels has spent thirteen years in her aunt’s rustic Ozarks home, telling fortunes over playing cards and trying to pass as white. But the treacherous Mississippi River childhood her mama dragged her away from finally catches up to her on a steamboat captained by her old friend Rory Campbell.

Known to his crew as the Devil’s Henchman, Rory is a gambler in need of a miracle. Following the cold trail of his boss’s wife and bastard daughter, Dell, Rory has only one goal in mind: saving his crew from the boss’s cruelty by ruining him. The only one who can defeat the Monster of the Mississippi is the man trained to take his place. Rory’s convinced he can lure his boss into a high-stakes game against a rival, and with Dell’s people-reading skills, the monster will lose everything.

Under Rory’s tutelage and protection, Dell agrees to the tortured captain’s plan. Passion and peril quickly bring them together as lovers. But when Rory’s plan goes awry, the lives of the innocent depend on Dell’s ability to read the situation correctly—and hopefully save them all.

An Excerpt from HER WICKED CAPTAIN

“What sort of danger are you bringing me into?”

“Nothing for you to worry about. I’m good with pistols. I’m good with lots of things.” His voice held a smile, and he flicked the top button of her dress open with the tiniest motion of his index finger.

“Stop that.” Shock zinged through her. She planted her hands on his shoulders to

push away, but he resisted, anchoring her in the circle of his brawny arms. “Let me go!

Stop teasing. You’re trying to distract me. I demand to know what trouble you’re bringing Jeremiah and me into.”

“You demand?” His laughter vibrated his chest beneath her palms. “Lady, you can’t make demands on my ship. The cardsharps who frequent Moreaux’s gaming salons are a different breed than the fur traders and muleskinners you know. They’d as soon put a bullet in your chest than lose a hand of cards, but as long as you’re with me, you’ve got no one to worry about.” He ran his index finger gently along her cheek. “’Cept maybe me.”

A sharp retort sprang to her tongue, but the hungry look in his eyes froze her. His gaze fell to her mouth, and he eased forward. Anticipation held her captive as his lips brushed over hers, warm and gentle, fitting like the missing half of a pair. Her eyelids fell shut against the sparks in her mind, and she swore she felt them ignite, the heat flowing up her chest and neck.

When he sat back, she opened her eyes to find him regarding her through dark eyes of his own. Wanting more, she folded her lips together, savoring the wondrous sensation of his mouth on hers a moment longer.

“Did you see that coming, angel?” he whispered.

His teasing words were like ice water in her face. “I see everything I want to see. Be serious.” Truth be told, she was glad she wasn’t standing at the moment. His surprising kiss could’ve swept her feet out from under her. She looked down at him haughtily. She’d show him she wasn’t to be played with. There’d been other men who’d tried to spread her legs, who’d kissed her first—though never as sweet and seductive as Rory’s kiss. But she’d bested every man, found their weaknesses, turned their superstitions against them. Rory wasn’t any different. He thought to bring her back to his boss like a prize? Well, she was nobody’s trophy! “What makes you think you can kiss me, Captain?”

His hand slid behind her head. He smirked. “You’re the one who came to me. Now”—he twined his fingers in the back of her hair and murmured—“let me kiss you properly.”

Dell refused to come any closer, but he bent his knees, propping his feet up on the

other chair and causing her to fall against his body. Her hands flattened on his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath the linen of his shirt. His lips covered hers again, and his hand caressed the back of her neck in a gesture so tender and intimate, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. The tip of his tongue touched her bottom lip in request. She couldn’t deny her curiosity a moment longer, so she opened for him, allowing his tongue to seek hers.

He tasted of smoke and rum, provocative and forbidden as he coaxed her, melting her inside and out, until she gave way and parried, matching movement for movement.

When she fell fully into his erotic dance, he purred low in his throat. His fingertips

trailed up and down her neck, stroking her skin with care, but his lips were urgent. She

drank him in, following her instinct to dissolve in his embrace, allowing him to deepen his exploration. Her fingers fumbled under his open shirt, questing for his skin and finding the fine hair of his chest.

Rory turned his head, taking in a deep breath. His hands covered hers. “I was wrong. Maybe you’re the dangerous one.”

Dell bit her bottom lip as she tried to corral her racing heart. Suddenly uncomfortable in his lap, she readjusted, and he groaned. She discovered the reason for her discomfort—his rigid organ strained against her backside.

Rory tapped her chin with a light fingertip. “If you’re after respectability like you claim, you’ll not find it with me. Understand?”

Dell nodded and untangled herself from him. His arms fell away as she cast off his blanket and stood. Perhaps it was the wine she’d drunk or the heady comfort of his warm body, but she immediately wished she’d stayed put, enjoying more of his kisses. She hugged herself, looking at his boots, the deck, anywhere but at him that he might know her thoughts.

“Unless”—he shifted and spread his arms across the back of the chair in an invitation for her to feast over the naked muscles of his chest—“you’d rather lower your standards like your mama and wallow in decadence with the rest of us.”

“Like my mama?” Dell huffed. “Damn you! My mama was a decent woman. That’s why she got me out of that kind of life. One kiss—two kisses—doesn’t make me one of your tarts, Gory Rory. And you kissed me. I never asked you, I never gave you permission.”

He lifted a mocking brow. “You sure didn’t try very hard to refuse me.”

Dell spun away and headed back to the captain’s quarters. She heard him mutter an

indignant “Gory Rory?”

His laughter rang in her ears as she closed the door.

Link to Follow Tour:  https://www.sandrajonesromance.com/events.html
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22922437-her-wicked-captain

Buy Links
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Her-Wicked-Captain-River-Rogues-ebook/dp/B00M497W56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410398050&sr=8-1&keywords=her+wicked+captain
B&N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-wicked-captain-sandra-jones/1120006611?ean=9781619223752
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-wicked-captain
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/her-wicked-captain/id903379545?mt=11

Author Info

Historical romance author Sandra Jones was born and raised in Arkansas. She loves living in a cabin overlooking White River where she enjoys watching eagles and dreaming about the adventurous frontiersmen who once traveled past in steamboats. When she’s not reading, writing or researching, she’s the cook for her cranky old tom cat, her husband of more than 25 years, and her two grown sons. She also loves to chat with her fans.

Author Links
Website: https://www.sandrajonesromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrajones.author
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SJonesRomance
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SandraJones

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Please See Rafflecopter for Description)

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Hello readers! I am delighted to be on Delilah’s blog today. I am currently writing a series of biker books called Ready To Ride so I’m all about bikers right now.

I love writing about bikers! They are rebels and free spirits.  And usually tattooed.  Yum!  Despite their rough exterior, they can still have hearts of gold…and abs of steel.  J  The only things they care about are the love of the open road, and the camaraderie of their fellow bikers.  Until they fall in love.  And when a big, powerful biker falls in love, it is heartwarming, and beyond sexy!

So what are the top sexiest things about bikers?

5) Strong arms and stronger legs.

Have you ever tried to hold up a motorcycle? I have, once, and it just fell slowly over onto me. Those things are some seriously heavy pieces of machinery. Operating and even just standing with a big bike results in some serious muscle toning.

4) They always wear protection.

Helmets. Visors. Elbow and knee pads. Chaps. That’s right, CHAPS. And even the leather isn’t just for looks, ladies. It’s also super strong, road-burn resistant material. These guys know how to stay safe while still looking like they could take on a band of outlaws.

3) Leather.

Ever dreamed of dressing like catwoman? Hopping on the back of your man’s Harley may be the only excuse you ever have for rocking head-to-toe-catlady leather.

2) The amount of power between their legs.

VERY good vibrations. ‘Nuff said.

1) They’re fun to ride… with.

Bikers know how to move. When to speed up, when to slow down, and probably more than a couple take-your-breath-away tricks. Not to mention the free, wild feeling of flying along a deserted road at top speeds in the open air. Adrenaline rushes are the best aphrodisiacs.

Phew! I’m all revved up just thinking about these delicious bad boys! I hope you enjoy reading about bikers as much as I enjoy writing about them.

Thank you so much for your time, and keep on riding!

Xoxoxo 🙂

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Opal’s brand-new serial novel, called Riding Steele, is releasing over the next several weeks. Riding Steele has six parts and all six parts make up a complete novel.  The first two parts are available now and a bundle that will include all six parts will be available in the new year.  (It’s available for preorder now!)

Riding Steele is the third in the Ready To Ride series. The first two are novellas (Hot Ride and Wild Ride) and each book stands alone.  Throughout the Ready to Ride series, we have followed various members of the gang and their sinful exploits, and in Riding Steele we meet their leader. The Alpha’s Alpha. Get ready to ride once again with Riding Steele!

Riding Steele #1: Kidnapped
November 4^th, 2014
Being kidnapped by bikers is a harrowing experience, but for some reason, Laurie doesn’t feel as terrified as she should. The leader’s steely eyes soften when he looks at her, and the others in his gang clearly know she’s hands off. But does that include Steele’s hands? Her brain resists him, but her body insists she wants those big hands all over her. Steele doesn’t know how he wound up in this mess–with a kidnapped woman on his hands and the police hot on their trail. Now he and Laurie are in hiding at an isolated cabin, and Steele has to figure out how to extricate himself…and steer clear of his accidental captive whose tight, slinky clubbing attire is making him think all kinds of dangerous thoughts…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/1l9AbeY
BN: https://bit.ly/RTR_RS1
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1uTXnj0
Kobo: https://bit.ly/1rjRTJN

Hot Ride
Amazon: https://amzn.to/1l4xkyE
BN: https://tinyurl.com/RTR1-OC-B
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/RTR1-OC-K
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1rqVR75

Wild Ride (An Invitation to Eden Story)
Kindle: https://amzn.to/1jtqhTb
Nook: https://bit.ly/1mbjyzH
Kobo: https://bit.ly/1uFymHh
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1B01cmG

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Have you ever told a mistruth to a guy? I’m not talking about an all-out lie here. I’m talking about an innocent fib. You know, as sort of a…lark. I have, but hey, growing up in a small town, the entertainments available to teenage girls were as limited as the pool of available teenage boys. That never stopped my girlfriends and me. A good lark could fill an evening with fun and although our little escapades occasionally backfired, when they led to meeting new boys, well, those were sweet.

One of our most successful ploys to meet new guys was a road trip. We’d pile into a car and hit the road for neighboring towns. Scoping out the local cuties, when we found a group that included enough boys to go around, we’d stop and strike up a conversation…claiming we were lost. Of course we never were, but the gambit worked like a charm. The truth is, teenage boys are suckers for poor, helpless females. Our mothers would have been horrified if they’d ever discovered what we were up to, but keep in mind, the world was a different place back then. I mean, I never once owned a key to the door of our house because it was never locked and the local townsfolk tended to keep an eye on what the young people did. Our “we’re lost” trips were harmless fun and netted all of us a date or two over the years, and one husband.

Jane Whitmore, the heroine of my Christmas novella, A Case for Calamity, could have been in the car along with my friends and me. She and her best friend, Shae, have been known to enjoy a good lark, but when they agree to switch identities to foil Shae’s father in his latest matchmaking attempt, things go horribly wrong…and since I write romance, wonderfully and sensually right.

So, what about you? Have you and your friends ever perpetrated a harmless lark? If you have, was it a rounding success or an unmitigated disaster?

A Case for Calamity releases 11.10.14. Part of the Yellow Rose line, “Calamity” is book eight of the 12 Brides of Christmas novella series from The Wild Rose Press.

Buy links: Various formats @ The Wild Rose Press or Amazon

For Jane Whitmore, agreeing to switch identities with her best friend seems like innocent fun, but spending a romantic night in Paris with a man who doesn’t know her real name turns out to be a lark gone bad. When their one night of passion proves to have lasting results, tracking down Gabe Sutton and telling him he’s about to be the father of her child is just another calamity Jane would rather avoid. After years of avoiding long-term romantic entanglements, Gabe has found a woman he might just be able to build a life with, only to have her disappear. When he finally finds her, his belief in happily-ever-after staggers under the weight of deception, and looming fatherhood leaves him with two choices: fight her for custody of his future child or cling to the promise of true love.

Excerpt:

“He doesn’t even know my name. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to him and say, ‘Hi Gabe. I’m the chick who tricked you into believing I was Michael Austin’s daughter two months ago in Paris. Oh, and by the way, I’m having your baby?’”

“I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Hi, Gabe. I’m the chick who snuck out of your hotel room in Paris before you could say Good morning, beautiful. By the way, I had a really good time—and six orgasms. Oh, and I’m having your baby. Want to get a pizza?’”

Jane laughed at Shae’s cheeky grin, then shoved her fingers through her hair. “Right. That’ll work.”

“I googled him. You’re right. He’s hawt! He left his number that morning in Paris.” She smiled slyly. “It’s in my phone. You should call him.”

Jane snorted. “I don’t think giving Gabe Sutton a booty call would be a good idea. Besides, I’m on a sabbatical from men.”

Shae waggled her brows. “What’s that old saying? When you fall off a horse, you need to climb right back on?”

Mac’s links:
TheWildRosePressAuthorPage
Amazon Author Page
mackenziecrowne.com
FaceBook Author Page
Twitter @maccrowne
Goodreads

Author bio:

Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie Crowne lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning, multi-published author and seven-year survivor, living the dream.

Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will too.

It’s time that Jazz Fall gets the spotlight—she’s spent the last few years behind the red carpet at SNAP, the celebrity gossip magazine and I interviewed her recently.

You went to USC. How did you end up in celebrity journalism?

Hmmm, L.A. I majored in film and thought I’d work in the entertainment business. Assistant producer, something like that. When the AA job at SNAP came up, I grabbed it. It’s was a lot of secretarial duties, but I was meeting and working with celebrities and it was just so cool! When Maxie Gwenoch came in as Managing Editor for the SNAP magazine, and I was assigned to her…well, it was a crash course in management.

Is this how you thought your life would turn out?

What? Working at SNAP? Living in Kiev? Having a vampire lover? Probably “no” to all of them.

I loved working for SNAP. It was as close to a dream job as I could get and was a great start for a career. I found out early on that the SNAP empire was owned by a hugely old and ginormously wealthy vampire family. I didn’t ever think I’d be involved with any of them, except as an employee.

It sounds like you made changes. What changed your mind?

Meeting Nik.

Who’s that?

He’s the third-in-command of the Kandesky vampire family, he’s about 500 years old, he’s lived in Hungary most of his life, he handles all the family’s business for their armaments factories. His hair is tousled, streaky-blond, and he has these deep, deep brown eyes. He’s stunning. He’s polite. He’s protective. He works in the night with the bottom feeders of Eastern Europe, selling weapons. He’s overbearing and bossy, he’s sex on a stick and he’s my lover.

Overbearing and bossy?

I’m finally figuring out that he can’t help it. He’s from an age and a culture where roles for men and women were defined and stringent. He thinks I defy him and argue too much, I think he doesn’t even listen to me. We’re both kind of right.

I’m from L.A. Love the sun, the beach, the frantic pace of life. He’s a creature of the dark, hanging around with mobsters. We don’t have a lot in common…well, there’s the sex (she laughs). His other characteristics though…he’s incredibly bright, he’s funny and witty, he has a wonderful sense of style, he has oceans of money, he’s the sexiest and most male man I’ve ever known and—BIG PLUS—he loves me.

Where’s this headed?

I don’t know. It’ scary to think about giving up my world to live in his. I know that I need to be with him. I can change…although I don’t really want to…but he can’t. He’s a vampire. That defines his life.

Would you give up your career?

Not at all. I’m staying in Europe now, at Nik’s house in Kiev. I’m still working for SNAP, and working with Maxie. I was promoted to Managing Editor of the SNAP magazine. Since we cover the world of celebrities, I can work anywhere. I travel a lot, visiting our bureaus in Paris, London, Rio. It’s all good because I travel on a company plane. And the demons take care of things. No luggage, passport, time hassles. I just show up and we take off.

What’s the future look like?

I want to stay involved with SNAP, it’s exciting and so much fun to be on the leading edge of international celebrity gossip. And I love living in Europe, although I miss L.A. occasionally. I don’t know if I’ll stay in Europe, but what I do know is that my future will always be tied to Nik. Now I have to decide if I’ll follow him anywhere.

*~*~*~*~*

Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home.  During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries and the eight-book Kandesky Vampire Chronicles paranormal romance series. The third mystery, Delta for Death is scheduled for late 2014 and the ninth Kandesky Chronicles, SNAP: I, Vampire will be available in spring 2015.

Links:
www.michledrier.com
Amazon: https://amzn.com/B00LDCXWRC
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/SNAP–All-That-Jazz?keyword=SNAP%3A+All+That+Jazz&store=ebook
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/snap-all-that-jazz

When people ask what kind of romance I write, I get a little nervous. And when I tell them I write paranormal romance, they always get that look on their face. You know, like I said I sacrifice kittens under the moonlight or something. I then proceed to explain what paranormal romance is all about. I know the next question that will follow. Why do you write paranormal romance?

There are a lot of reasons. I love reading it. I love how I can be transported to a different world where my imagination runs free. I also love how my paranormal characters feel so deeply and will go through hell (sometimes literally) for the one they love. Humans aren’t like. But more importantly, I love how my characters are given these super human strengths and powers that make them on a level playing field for all things evil. The world we live in isn’t always fair, but in my world of paranormal, I can even the odds and the hero always comes out on top in a very big and dramatic way. Plus I like kick-ass heroes/heroines. 🙂

Why do you like paranormal romances?

This time of year has always been my favorite, so it is no wonder that I set a story during the Halloween season, especially since that story is called The Passion of Sleepy Hollow.

The hero, Braden Van Brunt, is the headless horseman, or rather plays that part for the annual Washington Irving Festival in October in present day Sleepy Hollow New York. However, the heroine is Katrina Van Tassel, the 1790’s innkeeper of the Sleepy Hollow Inn. One of the external issues for this couple is that the 18^th century village of Sleepy Hollow where the festival takes place, only appears one weekend a year.

Of course once Braeden has met Katrina, he wants to spend more time with her, but the village disappears. So he does what any self-respecting hero would do who wants to find his heroine, he investigates her but nothing works, including private detectives. His only option is to return to the festival a year later, but that makes it difficult to build a relationship.

Lucky for them, having mutually satisfying sex keeps the village in present day for another day. Talk about pressure! It works fine for this new couple, at least until they get into a fight. Then it becomes a matter of whether they will ever see each other again or not (see excerpt)

The is story’s plot gave me an idea. I have started the annual Venetian Mask Giveaway. Every year around this time, I give away hand-decorated masks made in Italy like this one. For a chance to win this beautiful mask, be sure to enter the rafflcopter below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Always, Lexi

Passion of Sleepy Hollow

Recluse Braeden Van Brunt is not happy to be the Headless Horseman…until he meets Katrina Van Tassel, owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, whose allure bewitches him from the front desk into the bedroom. When he discovers Kat and the village of Sleepy Hollow are cursed to exist in the present day for only one weekend a year, he realizes the sacrifice he must make if he wants to keep her.

Katrina Van Tassel lives between slivers of time. She thought she was through grieving her betrothed’s death, but her dreams flare to life when his mirror image arrives, requesting a room. Drawn to Braeden, she is taken to more erotic heights of intimacy than she ever imagined, but she can’t be sure if her heart is with him or the love from her past.

Knowing he has to conquer both time and ghosts to keep the only woman he’s ever loved, Braeden must put the past to rest. But the dead may not rest in Sleepy Hollow.

Excerpt from Passion of Sleepy Hollow

He didn’t look at her, but kept them moving. “I had an enlightening conversation with Jurgen.”

“Jurgen? What did he say?”

“He said you were planning to marry Brom. He said Brom disappeared the very day of your wedding. He said you’re with me because you’re still in love with Brom and think I’m him.”

Her gasp gave him a small amount of satisfaction, but then she tried to pull away. “Braeden, I think I can tell the difference between my dead betrothed and you.”

He stopped and looked at her. “Can you? Then why didn’t you tell me you were engaged to Brom?”

He started to pull her toward the inn again before she could form a word. He had one goal in mind to confirm everything.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think what you’re thinking, especially when I hadn’t decided what my feelings were yet.”

They were at the back door of the inn, and he let her go. “And what exactly are your feelings, Katrina Van Tassel, fiancée of Brom Van Brunt?”

Kat put her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. “And what are your feelings, Braden? I have yet to hear how you feel about me.”

“How I feel about you right now is that you betrayed me. You led me on. Let me think you enjoyed my company when all the while you were pretending I was your ex-lover!” He yanked open the door and stomped inside, making a beeline for her bedroom.

“Braeden!”

He ignored her and entered her room. Reaching her armoire in three strides, he threw both doors open, hard. One cracked.

“Braeden, what are you doing?”

The scent of brownies flooded his senses and he paused for a moment. Her scent. The woman he had thought he—the woman who couldn’t see beyond a ghost. With anger spurring him on, he pulled clothes out and threw them to the floor.

“Braeden!” Kat grabbed at his arm and he shook her off, but even in his anger he was careful not to hurt her. With her it was instinct.

He growled, “Don’t touch me.” He continued to pull material and clothes, cloaks, shawls, even blankets out of the armoire.

There it was. White material with delicate embroidery along the neckline and shoulders that declared it a wedding dress. He pulled it from its home and held it before her.

Her eyes grew round.

“Were you hoping to wear this again?” His fingers dug into the material. “Perhaps you wanted to wear it for me so we could recreate your long-lost love story?”

Kat stepped back and shook her head. “No. I kept it as a memory, nothing more. It was all I had left of the happiest time of my life…until I met you.”

He stepped toward her. “You mean until you met the man who could be Brom for you. I thought you were different. I thought you liked me for me.” He gave a hopeless chuckle. “You were different. You liked me for the ghost I could be.”

Emotions played across her face like a movie, so when her brows furrowed and her hands found her hips again, he had fair warning.

PASSION OF SLEEPY HOLLOW Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Ellora’s Cave
All Romance eBooks

For more information about Lexi Post:
website: https://www.lexipostbooks.com/
Blog: https://www.happilyeverafterthoughts.com/
twitter:   https://twitter.com/LexiPost
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/lexipostbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915542.Lexi_Post
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lexi-Post/e/B00EBLAFLI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1392417984&sr=1-2-ent

Every writer I know has their own store of favorite quotes or words of wisdom. Here’s one of mine.

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’”

I first encountered those words in an illustrated anthology of verse whose title I can no longer remember. Books seem to sprout like mushrooms anywhere my family congregates, and by the time I was ten my parents were doing regular annual culls of the collection, so the book itself is probably long gone. But one phrase from that one book stuck in my mind, and it’s been rattling around there ever since.

John Greenleaf Whittier knew what he was talking about when he wrote it, of course, but it started me wondering. I write dark stories sometimes, but I like happy endings, and I prefer not to contemplate the saddest anything. So if “it might have been” are the saddest words, what are the happiest? What’s the best possible thing you could write or say?

In my opinion, the answer is simple. “What if?”

“What if” is the basis of all stories. Urban fantasy loves it: what if magic was real? What if the dead could walk? Romance takes it in a different direction (what if these two people met? What if there was something keeping them apart? Holy &%$#, what if a Highlander traveled in time?) but it’s still the same question. And history too—what if Anne Boleyn hadn’t been executed? What if Spartacus had won? To ask yourself “what if?” is to imagine a world beyond the one that you currently inhabit. It’s the place where storytelling begins. And with stories, there’s nothing you can’t do.

I recently took my first tentative steps into the world of romance fiction because I had a “what if” or two to answer. What if an ancient Egyptian knew his mummy was in a museum case? What if magic and art were the same thing? What if you really could live four thousand years, and what would it do to you? I had a lot of fun answering those questions, and I learned a lot too. I picked up information and read books that I would never have touched if I hadn’t started asking that question. And if I’ve done my job correctly, maybe people will pick up a nugget or two of information from my work as well.

“I love you” is a good phrase. One of the best. But for my money, “what if?” are the two most beautiful words in the English language. They’re always the start of something extraordinary.

Catherine Butzen is the author of Thief of Midnight (https://starkhousepress.com/butzen.php) and, coming in 2015 from Samhain, The God Collector. She lives and works in Cedar Rapids, IA, and can be found online at A Murder of Prose (catherinebutzen.wordpress.com).