Follow the secret lives of Moonlighters Carrie Hinkel-Gill and Margay Leah Justice.
For website issues or questions, contact our Webmistress.
This blog works best with Mozilla. Scroll down to see today's blog.
Please Disable the Java add-on to your browsers to protect yourself from it's security flaws! Happy surfing!
Our Fantasy Files blog returns with a new look!
It's Tuesday, and that means Hollie posted a new review on our Book Review blog! Be sure to check them out!

Current Releases

Buy: Sloane Wolf by Margay; Nora's Soul by Margay; Pandora's Box by Gracen; Hell's Phoenix by Gracen

Video of the Day

We Are Young - Fun

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tantalizing Tuesday

Hello everyone! It gives me great pleasure to bring you another one of the neat ladies I met at Romance Bandits -

Anna Campbell

Since we're entering November, a time that we should be thankful, and many of us are struggling to find reasons to be thankful for many reasons (spouse/person we know in Iraq, someone we love fighting cancer, or having lost someone in our lives), we need to remember to look past our troubles and be thankful for what we have. Easier said than done, right?

Well, sometimes laughter is the best medicine, or escaping to a different place works too. That's what books are for. In a time when so many of our favorite movies and TV shows are being remade due to lack of an original idea, many authors continue to come up with original ideas, and Anna Campbell is one of those authors!

UntouchedI managed to pick up Untouched and Tempt the Devil from my local libraries and have them in front of me right now. I just did what I would do if I found them in a store - pick them up and read the first page. The problem with doing that is, I almost forgot I was supposed to be writing this blog intro. It was quite painful to pry myself away!

Who wouldn't want to know why people were referring to Grace Paget (Untouched) as a whore, especially when the girl herself didn't know? But that's what's so great about the start of this story, the reader is just as confused as the heroine. Truly wonderful beginning.

Tempt the DevilWhile Tempt the Devil starts out differently, the reader still wants to know why the Earl of Erith wanted Olivia Raines for his next mistress and why she had such power over him without having spoken a word yet.

That's the power that Anna Campbell has. She hooks you with a great piece of meat and happily you chomp on it as she reels you in! Her latest work, Captive of Sin, seems to be in that same fashion. I heard about some nightgown issues that just fascinated me, because I love nightgown issues!

Not only is she a great author, but she's a very neat person to talk to. We've had some very great discussions via email, and it's no wonder why I've brought her into the moonlight today. She's just not someone to keep to yourself, but a treasure you must share! I hope all of enjoy her interview as much I do!

In case you aren't aware of it, Anna Campbell lives on the other side of the ocean from us, so we gave her some slightly different questions.

Let’s start with some trivia about you:

ME: In the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving with a large feast (akin to early harvest celebrations), family gathering and in some cases, prayer. Do you have a similar holiday in your country? If so, what is it called and when do you celebrate it?

ANNA: Hey, Carrie and Moonlighters, thanks for having me as your guest! And happy Thanksgiving to you and your readers! I love the idea of a holiday where one gives thanks. We actually don’t have an official holiday like that down here in Australia. The closest we’d come – well, at least we eat lots including turkey, and it’s a real family gathering – is Christmas. We adopted a lot of the British Christmas traditions, although these days, we’re such a multicultural society, anything goes. Because it’s generally really, REALLY hot, the big Dickens Christmas with all that food and plum pudding has been replaced in some families by seafood or a barbecue. Lots of people go to the beach. Oh, by the way, my family always does the big traditional thing. You feel awful eating all that heavy food when it’s sweltering, but that’s part of our Christmas experience in Oz!

ME: What, if any, holiday traditions (decorating, gathering with friends and family for a meal, etc.) do you have?

ANNA: Well, Christmas, as I said, includes a lot of the British stuff. You know, trees and decorations and carols and lots of cards with snow on it – never really got that! Not a lot of snow in Australia at Christmas, although I did visit Tasmania one December and there was snow on Mount Wellington up behind Hobart. My poor little Queensland self in her shorts nearly froze her nether parts off!

ME: What was your most memorable holiday and why?

ANNA: Oh, too many to mention. Just pulling one out of the air, I think it was when my brother and his wife brought their first child and the first niece/grandchild in my generation down for her first Christmas. There was something lovely about the continuation of the family at that celebration.

ME: If you were to have a Thanksgiving meal with us, which would you put on your plate: white or dark turkey, white potatoes or yams, green beans or corn, bread rolls or crescent rolls? (If you have other ideas for a Thanksgiving feast, please share them!)

ANNA: MMMMM! Roast dinners! I don’t think I’ve ever had a yam. Is that like a sweet potato? I’d definitely have both types of turkey, potatoes, green beans and corn, and probably crescent rolls. Is there gravy? I love gravy with my roast dinners!

ME: What, in your opinion, was the oddest food served at a holiday dinner you’ve attended?

ANNA: One of the funniest – well, in a macabre way! – was when my brother caught a stack of mudcrabs and Mum decided to do a special entrée. Mudcrabs are a large and rather aggressive local crustacean from Moreton Bay where I grew up. The entrée was delicious however cooking the crabs was a bit of a fiasco. They kept getting away from us and clattering across the kitchen floor. Herding an army of angry mudcrabs with a broom? Priceless!

ME: Tell us 3 things you are thankful for this year, please.

ANNA: What a lovely question! Only three? OK, I’m always thankful for my lovely friends. Life would be so much poorer without them. I’m thankful my fifth book has just been accepted by Avon (MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, summer 2010), especially as for a lot of my life, I didn’t think I’d ever see one of my books in print. I’m thankful for my tottering TBR pile. How cool that I’ve got all those wonderful books ahead of me! What bliss!

ME: Just for fun, if you could be among any of the original members of that first Thanksgiving, who would it be, the Pilgrims or the Wampanoag (Native Americans)? Why?

ANNA: Hmm, given my fondness for roast dinners, I don’t think I should be running around revealing too much flesh. I think those copious black dresses that cover EVERYTHING might be just the ticket. So a Pilgrim’s hat for me!

ME: Considering that feast, what do you think that first harvest celebration meal would be? What would the meal be if it happened in your country?

ANNA: Man, I’m learning a lot doing this blog. I had no idea what they ate at the first Thanksgiving. And now, thanks to the History Channel, I’ve got a really good idea. Check out this link: http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving And there’s a menu too – might have skipped the seal and the eagle! But the seafood looks great! In Australia, if there had been a Thanksgiving dinner in 1788 when the first settlers landed, I think they would have had goat and mutton (brought over from England), kangaroo, fish and shellfish (Sydney’s coastline abounds in great seafood), birds like pelicans or herons, potatoes, turtles, maybe seaweed soup! Farming was a problem for the first settlers so I doubt they would have had many greens!

Now, let’s get to your writing:

ME: Why historical? Why hot romance versus actual regency? What’s the draw?

Errol FlynnANNA: I’ve always loved historical romance, right back to when I was a little girl and I used to watch Errol Flynn swashbuckle his way into many a wench’s heart. I love the way a great historical sweeps you into a different world – and hey, the glamorous clothes and settings don’t hurt either! If you’re talking about traditional Regency, the market for that has pretty much evaporated, sadly. It’s a pity. I used to enjoy a lot of those books. I think a higher level of sensuality suits the passionate, intense stories I tell and I love the way the characters are naked (in every sense of the word!) in a good sex scene!

ME: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? What do you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story?

ANNA: I use the phrase ‘passionate historical romance’ in my marketing material and I think that pretty much covers it. I hope readers go through an intense emotional journey with my stories and emerge with a sigh of satisfaction as my characters get their happy ending after all their travails.

ME: Have you ever written holidays into your stories? Why or why not?

ANNA: What a good question! I haven’t written any holidays into my stories – I guess it’s just never occurred to me. Yeah, I know, that’s a wimp of an answer.

ME: Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one basting the turkey?

ANNA: Mmm, turkey… Mind you, I’m still waiting to find out if I get gravy! What was the question again? Oh, muses. I tend to write from my subconscious, which I suppose you could say is where my muse lives. I know if I try to get the characters to do what I want instead of what they want, they go quiet on me and the book doesn’t progress. Mind you, the upside of that is that if the characters are in charge, I know the story’s coming alive.

ME: Have you ever based a character on a real-life person? If so, why? Was it simply to immortalize them or was there more to it than that? If you can, tell us the name of that person, please! We’re all curious here!

ANNA: Actually I haven’t! Really, truly. I’m sure elements of people I’ve known have crept into my characters but I’ve never consciously based a character on someone I know.

ME: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

PhotobucketANNA: Actually my characters tend to pop up from my subconscious fairly fully formed so I’m not sure how much creating I actually do. My hero and heroine go through such hard times, perhaps fun isn’t the best description for writing their stories. I usually have great fun with secondaries though. Ben Ashton, Verity’s Yorkshire-speaking brother, in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN was huge fun, especially when he was pretending to be Ben Ahbood, the mute eunuch. In UNTOUCHED, my fun character was actually a dog. Wolfram was great to write about. In TEMPT THE DEVIL, the fun character was Olivia’s gay friend Perry with his awful taste in home decor. He was such fun, he makes a reappearance in MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. In CAPTIVE OF SIN, I loved writing about the hero’s best friend, Akash. He’s one of those smooth, incredibly capable, rather mysterious types who turns up when you most want him. A little like an Indian James Bond!

ME: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

ANNA: Oh, my goodness, what an interesting question. Clearly I’d LOVE to meet all my heroes – but then I might have trouble choosing between them. Hmm, I have enormous respect for Olivia Raines from TEMPT THE DEVIL and I think she’d have an unusual perspective on life. Actually, I think I’d like to met Wolfram. He was such a nice pooch! ;-)

I’ve written a couple of dastardly villains. Kylemore’s mum from CLAIMING THE COURTESAN was awful! Matthew’s uncle from UNTOUCHED was even worse, I think. In CAPTIVE OF SIN, Charis’s stepbrothers are really greedy and violent but I don’t think QUITE as bad as the other two I mentioned. I don’t want any of these people moving in next door, thank you very much!

BLURB:
Captive of Sin - Inside

He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .
Returning home to Cornwall after unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger, and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He’s dismayed to discover that she’s none other than Lady Charis Weston, England’s wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.

She promised to show him how to love—and desire--again . . .
Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She’s grateful for his help, but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience—especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control—and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.

EXCERPT:
Captive of Sin - Full Cover

Winchester, early February, 1821

“Good God, what have we here?”

The man’s deep voice pierced Charis’s pain-ridden doze. She flinched, stirring from her cramped position. For one dazed moment, she wondered why she was shivering in fetid straw, instead of snuggled in her bed at Holcombe Hall.

Blazing agony struck and she stifled an involuntary moan. And a curse for her rank stupidity.

How could she forget the danger long enough to fall asleep?

But she’d been blind with exhaustion when she’d stumbled into the stable behind the sprawling inn. Unable to manage another step even though she hadn’t come far enough to be safe.

Now she wasn’t safe at all.

The light from the man’s lantern dazzled her bleary eyes. She discerned little more than a tall shape looming outside the stall. Choking with panic, she clawed upright until she huddled against the rough planking. Blood pulsed like thunder in her ears.

Muffling a whimper as she moved her injured left arm, Charis crossed shaking hands over her torn bodice. Scenting her terror, the big chestnut horse that filled most of the space shifted restively.

As the man lifted the lantern to illuminate Charis’s corner, she shied away. Beyond the ring of yellow light that surrounded him, menacing shadows thickened and multiplied up to the high pitched ceiling.

“Please don’t be frightened.” The stranger made a curiously truncated gesture with one black-gloved hand. “I mean you no harm.”

The rich baritone was sheathed in warm concern. He made no overt movement toward her. Charis’s crippling fear didn’t subside. Men, she’d learned from cruel experience, lied. Even men with velvet voices, smooth and cultured.

A sharp twinge in her chest reminded her she hadn’t drawn breath since he’d found her. The air she sucked into her starved lungs reeked of horse manure, hay dust and the sour stink of her own fear.

She turned her head and really looked at the man. Her throat jammed with shock.

He was utterly beautiful.



We might have tall red woods,
Big Tree Image

but take a look at this image from Tasmania (and it's not their tallest)!
Big Tree Image - Tasmania

56 Moonbeams (comments):

Carrie said...

Since I am a huge basketball fan and my team has Australian center Andrew Bogut, I have to do it for you:

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!
Oi, Oi, Oi!!

CallMeKayla said...

sounds great! I love Anna's books!!

kaylajohnson3969@sbcglobal.net

Anna Campbell said...

Ah, it's music to my ears! That's just what the native fauna say here where I live. The kookaburras and koalas all going Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!!! Oi! Oi! Oi! Snort! Oh, the snort was me, not the local wildlife!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Kayla! By the way, I love your avatar!

Beth said...

Hi Anna, what interesting places you keep on turning up. I promised myself I would read COS this past weekend but it didn't happen unfortunately. Keep your fingers crossed for this weekend. It is lovely to have something to look forward to. I think you should start a Thanksgiving tradition yourself. It is my absolute favorite holiday. The whole family gets together, you eat A LOT of great food, and you don't have to buy anyone presents. To me it is a no pressure holiday. Although this year dinner is going to be a my house for the first time. YIKES!

Anna Campbell said...

Hi Beth! I'm covering some new territory in this particular blog tour! Actually I think here in Australia we do the eating thing at Christmas. It's definitely when we serve turkey although we do a more English style Christmas with plum pudding, etc. All that heavy food sits like a rock in the tum on a 40 degree Celsius day but somehow that's part of the deal. Or at least it is in my family!

Hey, good luck with the dinner. I've only ever cooked one Christmas dinner - been a parasite on other people efforts ever since ;-)

Hope you enjoy COS! Hey, did you see the Publishers Weekly news?

Pamela Cayne said...

Hooray! More Anna Campbell books (and I'm hoping I can pick up one at the Nasvhille RWA signing in July?)

It was a delight to hear about your holiday traditions down under, and the crab story was too funny. I'll remember that when dealing with some overzealous (yet well meaning) relatives this season. And I will make you all the gravy you want!

Beth said...

Yes I did! PW doesn't do much romance so that is a double honor.

You can come be a "parasite" at my house anytime. :)

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Carrie, meant to thank you for that fabulous intro, by the way!

Anna Campbell said...

Yeah, I spent all yesterday going, "COS is in the top 100 books on PW!" Wow! Nobody got a lot of sense out of me yesterday! Thanks for the invite, Beth. You know, Aussies are like stray cats. If you feed us, we never go home!

Anna Campbell said...

Pamela, I had such a laugh when I remembered the crab story. I hadn't thought of it for years but it was just hilarious - if kinda scary. They're mean mothers, those mudcrabs! And as big as cats!

I'll definitely see you in Nashville in July. Already excited about my trip!

Sharon Archer said...

HI Anna and Moonlighters

Thanks for an interesting blog - I've learned a lot about Thanksgiving! It's a very old tradition and a special holiday for you in North America, isn't it?

Anna, your readers are going to love Captive of Sin! Congratulations on another wonderful story!

I did chuckle at the idea of one of your villains moving in next door - I wouldn't want that either! But if I wasn't already a happily married woman, one of your gorgeous heroes could leave his hessians under the bed anytime! Mmm, actually, no, I take that back - much as I love them all, my pick for the long term would be Matthew from Untouched. Such a sensitive man!

;)
Sharon

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Sharon, thanks for swinging by. All the Thanksgiving stuff is interesting, isn't it? And thanks for those lovely words about the books. Mmmmm, Matthew! A few girls I know wanted him to stick his boots under the bed once they met him. But he only has eyes for that Grace, drat it!

Vanessa Barneveld said...

Hi, Anna! Happy Thanksgiving to you and the Moonlighters!

Anna, your mudcrab story had me in stitches! I can imagine such a scene would scare the living daylights out of a child.

Like you, I'm antipodean. November/December here is not a time to cosy up to a crackling fireplace! I love a seafood feast for Chrissy lunch. We celebrate Christmas in July--roast turkey drowned in gravy and always, always a pudding.

Carrie said...

Welcome to everyone! Please, pull up a chair and enjoy the atmosphere! Drake managed to find some tables, chairs and stools made from eucalyptus.

I must say, Australian furniture has some very unique designs and the wood grains are quite beautiful! The Sydney Blue Gum and the Red River Gum look wonderful!

Anna - I'm glad you liked the intro!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, yum, V, I love the idea of Christmas in July. Especially with gravy! Hey, I'm not exaggerating. Angry mudcrabs are dead scary, aren't they? Thanks for swinging by!

Carrie said...

I really laughed at the mudcrab story until I looked up the images of a mudcrab and then I nearly choked on the "Holy Crap" that came out of my mouth at the realization as to how big those things are!

Anna Campbell said...

Carrie, the trees are beautiful when they're TREES too! I love to go into the bush and look at the wonderful big trees. If anyone ever gets a chance to visit, try and visit the Big Trees (that's what they call them - hmm, someone really worked hard on that name!) in Western Australia. They'll take your breath away.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, I think when I said crabs to people who don't know what a mudcrab is like, they imagine some sweet little soft shelled thing. These mudcrabs have claws on them like a super set of pliers! And believe me, these guys were ANGRY!!!!!

Carrie said...

I love looking at nature, unfortunately, I'll have to enjoy images from the Internet!

In fact, I found one and I am going to add it to your guest blog!

Tawny said...

*waving* Anna!!! One of my favorite gals :-) What an awesome interview and such fabulous questions and answers. I had fun reading it. In in California, so all the snow-themed holiday stuff always makes me sigh too. I am still laughing over your mudcrab story -what an image!!

I have COS sitting right here on my desk and am so excited that I get to read it soon. What was your biggest surprise in writing this story?

Carrie said...

Just added a nice image of an Australian Big Tree, and I can understand why they got their name. The namers were probably too in awe to think of anything more creative!

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Carrie, extra illustrations. I love it! Thank you!

Anna Campbell said...

Tawny, great to see you too. And congratulations on getting another fabulous Tawny Weber to Harlequin for my delectation a little further down the track. Glad you got a laugh out of the mudcrab story!

What a great question. Actually Charis was the surprise for me in this story. It's very much hero-centric but I knew where Gideon was coming from. Charis emerged just so much stronger and gutsier than I imagined she'd be in my original concept. She's amazing! Yeah, I know I talk about these people like I have no control over them. Guess what? I HAVEN'T!

Carrie said...

When I saw it, I couldn't resist! It's a great one because it has a person in it to help accurately demonstrate the size!

It looks like it would be magnificent to see them in real life. Even this picture puts me in awe!

Anna Campbell said...

There's a whole forest of big trees a few hours south of Perth (I didn't make it to the far south west corner where the BIG big trees are). It's like standing in a cathedral. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to describe the awe you feel - kinda like you're small but still a part of it all. Is that too new agey?

Anna Campbell said...

Ooh, Carrie! That's amazing. That's bigger than the trees I saw! You can see why people are utterly awe-struck by them, can't you? There's a place you can do a treetop walk and apparently it's like nothing else on earth. I love the southern corner of Western Australia. But it's a long way away even for Aussies!

Carrie said...

Anna - definitely not! It makes sense to me!

Carrie said...

Okay, it turns out the first one I posted was a California Redwood, but I found one from Australia, which isn't their biggest tree, to give you a real perspective on this!

I find it just fascinating!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Anna, what an interesting interview. Congratulations on your pick by Publishers Weekly for CAPTIVE OF SIN as one of the 100 best books of 2009. That includes non fiction too! What an honor for any writer, and even more special for a romance writer and an Australian. I'm so proud of you!

Kandy Shepherd said...

Hi Anna. When my Australian friend married a Californian, she was disappointed at how low key his family's Christmas celebrations were - they pulled out all the stops for Thanksgiving. Christmas was just too soon afterward to make a fuss!
I think Vanessa mentioned "pudding". Pudding is a different thing in the US than it is for British and Australian people.
Australian Christmas pudding is a rich, cake-like dessert that is dense with dried fruit. It is steamed for about six hours to cook it. To serve, it is doused in brandy and lit so it flames. It's then eaten with custard, preferably brandy custard, or brandy butter. (No wonder people get very sleepy after Christmas dinner with all that brandy sloshing around!)
I have yet to meet an American who likes it - but I'm sure you are out there!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, thanks, Kandy. It was a huge thrill. Thanks for swinging by - glad you enjoyed the interview! I know much more about Thanksgiving now than I used to!

Anna Campbell said...

Kandy, I really don't like fruit cake. We make a very heavy fruitcake that's called Christmas cake here as well. The funny thing is I LOVE plum pudding. I've never quite understood why. Yum! Hot custard and plum pudding.

Okie B said...

Hi, Anna :D I'm from South Texas, it never snows and it doesn't ever get below 65. I totally understand celebrating Christmas and all the fixin's in 95+ degree weather. lol
-Okie

jo robertson said...

Hi, Anna, how fun to get to know even more "stuff" about you, fellow Bandita!

And YES, you may have gravy. Thanksgiving does not exist without gravy, which is one of the things I can make really well (she says humbly).

I love the idea that you can have all that fresh seafood for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Forget about the veggies!

Carrie said...

Yeah, up here we consider ourselves lucky if it's warm enough to snow.

A few Christmases it's been so cold that you wouldn't want to leave the house (below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but not too often though) and you wouldn't want it to snow because it would just be hard ice crystals.

Of course, we've also had some nice Christmases where it was just warm enough to rain (about 36 degrees Fahrenheit).

Turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Christmas! mmmm!

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, Okie, well, you'd understand that rock-like but somehow pleasant effect of eating all that heavy food in hot weather, wouldn't you? Seriously, it's part of Christmas here!

Carrie said...

Well, I'll take turkey since I'm allergic to shellfish of any kind!

Anna Campbell said...

Jo, as you know the fantastic Christine Wells and Denise Rossetti are visiting me a writerly weekend - we're having a seafood feast on Friday night. No vegies will be harmed in the making of this dinner ;-)

You can make great gravy? You'll have to show me how. My mother made brilliant gravy but it's something I never got the hang of! Thanks for swinging by and finding out even more about your Bandita pal. ;-)

Anna Campbell said...

Carrie, I was brought up on the idea of a white Christmas as the ideal. I think a snowy Yuletide sounds great!

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, Carrie, so sorry about the shelfish addiction. In that case, you have turkey and I'll have oysters! And nobody will say we're shelfish!

Carrie said...

Good one Anna! Lol!

Anna Campbell said...

Groan! ;-)

Unknown said...

Hi :)
Thank you for the esteemed author Anna Campbell here today & thanks to Anna for sharing. I enjoyed learning more about her & her writing.
And thank you for the great comments Anna!
Love & Best Wishes,
RKCharron
xoxo

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, RK, we have to stop meeting this way!!! Hey, what am I saying? You're so great to turn up to all these blogs - keep it up!!!! Wasn't it a fun interview? Thanks for checking it out.

jo robertson said...

Ah, Anna, there's a secret to making good gravy which I will share the next time we visit. Promise.

I'm so jealous of your getting together with Bandita Christine and Denise. And a fish fest! Wow, putting on the ritz.

I've just ordered my copy of COS. It seems like I've been waiting forEVah for this book and my local Borders is being snitty about carrying it for some reason.

I'm sure it'll be the best yet!

Carrie said...

Hey Anna - scroll down to the end of my interview. Katsrus accidentally commented to my interview when she meant to comment to yours! Lol!

Sheila Deeth said...

I'm trying to imagine those crabs and its making me think of spiders. Oh dear.

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Sue, sorry you got lost! Thanks for the comment and good luck in the draw!

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Jo. So sorry you had problems with your local bookshop. Thanks for persisting!

And I'll hold you to that gravy offer.

Anna Campbell said...

Sheila, these crabs were WORSE than spiders. Well, way bigger anyway! And the clatter was incredibly loud. Thanks for swinging by!

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Carrie and everyone, for a great day blogging here at Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem! Don't forget to check back to see who won the signed copy of CAPTIVE OF SIN! Good luck!

Annie West said...

Anna, I'm chuckling at the image of you and your mum chasing mud crabs. My mum had the same experience with a big blue swimmer crab that escaped but at least there was only one!

I think I'd join you in the cover up pilgrim clothes so I could enjoy the harvest celebrations heartily sounds great. I wonder if they had chocolate? Now, wouldn't that be great?

Congratulations again on your utterly fabulous new release. You know I love CAPTIVE OF SIN, it's one of your best but it's worth saying again. And congrats too on having it listed in Publishers Weekly's list of the top 100 books for 2009. Yay!! I hope you have a little thanksgiving celebration of your own. Maybe this weekend with your guests?

Annie

Anna Campbell said...

Hi Annie! Thanks for swinging by. Nice to see another gal who goes for the cover-up option! Hmm, chocolate... Thanks for saying those lovely things about CAPTIVE OF SIN. As you know, I was wildly excited about the Publishers Weekly listing!

And ack to the swimmer crab! Having said that, though, muddies are much bigger and heavier. More like a heavyweight boxer in the crab world!

Carrie said...

Thanks to Anna and everyone who stopped by for offering some great entertainment and conversation!

Margay Leah Justice said...

Anna, sorry I'm so late welcoming you to the Moonlight - I was so deeply immersed in writing yesterday, I'm lucky I remembered to pop my head up long enough to eat, let alone anything else! So good to have you visit with us. I love your posts - they're always fun and inspirational.
Margay