Nancy Gideon... By Any Other Name

IWSG: Change is a-Coming . . . and it’s a good thing!

2025-11-04T12:05:00.002-05:00

Welcome Fall!! Here in Michigan, the world is ablaze with brilliant red, yellow and orange as trees change color. The air is so fresh it practically gives you brain freeze. A perfect time to sit back with a cup of hot coffee and reflect upon this month’s question:

November 5th IWSG question: When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?

First, a BIG thanks to our co-hosts: Jennifer Lane, Jenni Enzor, Renee Scattergood, Rebecca Douglass, Lynn Bradshaw, and Melissa Maygrove! Now, on to the question . . .

From the moment my sixth-grade teacher drew attention to a one-page story this incredibly shy girl wrote by having it published in our school newsletter, my fate was sealed. After the initial rush of embarrassment, I basked in the positive attention and remarks after my article was read aloud, confirming what I’d always known in my heart – I was meant to be a writer.

While the projects of my heart were always fiction, I also had an affinity for journalism. The trouble with that career path was soon apparent – I was too introverted to aggressively follow up on leads with strangers. After long discussions with teachers and school counselors, I gratefully stepped back into the private sector of fiction writing with a promise to friends and myself that I would submit a novel by that summer. And I did! A huge historical epic of over 600 pages – that still remains unpublished. I had forgotten a writer’s unbreakable rule – study the market (which was a brand-new thing back then). While all editors agreed that my writing ability was top notch, they had no niche for that work . . . until stars aligned and my extremely long Regency-set romance (another 600 pager!) was purchased on the cusp of the historical romance boom. After that, I sold almost everything I wrote under three different names – Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings – to five different publishers in four romance categories – 60 books worth! I was able to pay the downpayment on our first house and bought my ex a truck and bass boat. I spoke at writing conferences, living the writer dream. And it was everything I imagined . . . until the market took another turn, leaving me stranded as self-pubbing became the next big thing. Again, I drew from my resources, finding a fantastic proofreader and cover artist, and several indie publishers to keep my career afloat and profitable.

And now I have a backlist of 60+ more books I can reissue after the end of the year now that the rights have been reverted under contract!

So what did I learn? Change can be your best friend instead of an enemy. If you’re willing to adapt to it and alter your course mid-stream, you can not only stay afloat as a writer, you can also expand your horizons. There’s no defeat, only change. Don’t try . . . Do!

Now where’s that next Big Thing? What do you, as a reader/writer, hope yours will be?

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the November 5th posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Lane, Jenni Enzor, Renee Scattergood, Rebecca Douglass, Lynn Bradshaw, and Melissa Maygrove!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: Is It Real or Is It AI?

2025-09-02T21:04:00.000-04:00

I’m excited to be co-hosting Insecure Writers Support Group this month along with Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Diedre Knight, and especially looking forward to visiting with many of you. AND because of our September question:

September 3rd Question: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptr, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, story bible, or creating outlines/beats?

I’ve been in the writing game for so long I wrote my first manuscript by hand then typed it on a manual typewriter and had my then husband run it through their copier at work. I’m proud of every word I put on those pages and of the fact that every one of them was MINE. When technology caught up to me, I fought it as long as possible but finally gave in to invest in a new word processor that would store up to a page in memory! Then finally, I treated myself to a cutting-edge machine with a memory large enough to maintain eight pages. Bonus: It would edit up to a paragraph for spelling errors! I was in author heaven!!

My next upgrade was a computer that made my life SO much easier. But with it came temptations. I could copy and paste and edit freely. I could compare documents side by side. AND I could request it to edit my work. What a dream come true! Or was it?

After updating several chapters via the AI Assist, the material produced didn’t seem quite . . . right. Oh, everything was correct, but it was somehow . . . flat. Artificial, just like that program. The flavor was missing. The words weren’t mine. As my critique group looked the pages over, they declared them . . . lifeless. Just like the program that twisted the originality out of them.

Use AI to create? No. Never again. As for doing corrections (I’m a terrible speller!), it can correct and serve but not in a creative capacity. For research, it’s an awesome tool, providing sources it would have taken me weeks to find.

I know my resistance to change makes things harder for me, but that choice was and is mine. And the words in my books - those choices were mine, too. And I’m proud of them! I’ll leave artificial to my sugar packets and let my creativity have its own way.

How about you? Can’t wait to see how you younger folk deal with today’s “helpers”!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the September 3rd posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Diedre Knight and Me!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: A Shot in the Dark, CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT

2025-08-30T20:49:00.003-04:00

One of the best things about writing in the paranormal genre is the ability to reach beyond the known into the impossible, making the unbelievable all too real. Since I’ve already established worlds for both my vampires and shapeshifters, why not go juuuust a bit farther by expanding their supernatural powers – not going crazy with it, you understand – but just adding some interesting tweaks to the repertoire of an elite few. Take my hero, Max Savoie, for instance (Yes, please!!)

Having no idea about his history, Max had to rely upon the unreliable “facts” supplied by his mentor/owner, one of New Orleans’ most notorious criminals who makes the most of Max’s talents. Jimmy Legere’s motto is what Max doesn’t know will keep both of them alive.

Jimmy had been in Detective Charlotte Caissie’s sites since her police officer father’s murder when she was a child. Falling in love with the man she’d intended to use to jail his mentor was never her plan . . . but now, it’s her reality, a tightrope act balancing love and loyalty for the most unacceptable male imaginable. Here’s a tease from CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT, the third book in the series, all of which I hope to get reissued soon!

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT, Book 3 in the unforgettable By Moonlight shapeshifter series by Nancy Gideon – soon to be reissued!

IN THIS DARK THRILLER FROM NANCY GIDEON’S SULTRY NEW SERIES, SEXY NEW ORLEANS COP CHARLOTTE CAISSIE GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE LAST NEMESIS SHE EVER EXPECTED: HER SUPERNATURAL BOYFRIEND.

THEIR LOVE IS JUST BEGINNING.

Detective Charlotte Caissie is growing used to the secrets that come with loving the mysterious leader of a shape-shifter clan. But that doesn’t mean she has to like it. She’s avoided complications of the heart all her life, but when it comes to irresistible Max Savoie, she’ll force the truth out of him if she has to.

HIS TIME IS ALMOST UP.

Hunted by the deadly trackers his nefarious father warned him about, Max is transforming into a preternatural force he can’t explain and Cee Cee will never understand. He’s tempting the dangerous limits of their love, but it’s her curiosity that could get them both killed.

WILL THEY EVER REALLY BE TOGETHER?

When Max discovers the enemy’s true target is someone far more vulnerable than he, he must do the unthinkable to save his own flesh and blood. But he can’t fight this battle alone, and Cee Cee faces the ultimate test of loyalty: the man she’d sacrifice everything for . . . or the laws she swore her life to protect.

The Excerpt

“I should have told you this yesterday, but it threw me so hard I couldn’t get on top of it. I’ve been sitting here trying to work up the right words.”
Her heart hopscotched in alarm as she whispered, “What is it?”
“The John Doe on Dovion’s table, did you get a look at him?”
“Only the eight-by-tens. Not much left to look at after they were done with him. Oh, Max—is it someone you know?” Her hand slipped over his as her voice softened. “Someone I know?”
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
“Philo’s little brother, Tito. I had to take him the news just after the club opened.”
She automatically went into cop mode. “Was he working for you?”
“No. Philo said he was doing small stuff to stay off the docks, looking for a place to fit in without trading on his connections . . . just a kid who must have stepped on some powerful toes.”
“You know how he was killed, don’t you? Dovion is totally in the dark.”
“And he needs to stay that way.” Max’s tone toughened as his instinct for self-preservation slowly overcame his grief. He hesitated, debating on how much to share with her. “It’s called a pulse,” he said at last.

I can’t WAIT to get up close and personal with this series again . . . and to get them back out to new readers! Happy almost end of summer!!

Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Sins of the Past . . .CHASED BY MOONLIGHT

2025-08-07T00:01:00.003-04:00

I’m continuing the reunion with my BY MOONLIGHT shapeshifter series and its characters (whom I consider some of the best I’ve ever created!). Book 2, CHASED BY MOONLIGHT, picks up where we left Max and Cee Cee trying to negotiate their unique relationship – between cop and criminal, between human and shapeshifter . . . So far, so good, until New Orleans detective Charlotte Caissie is torn between justice and happiness when she investigates a brutal murder that points to her preternatural lover, Max Savoie. Here’s a bite to whet your appetite for more . . .

CHASED BY MOONLIGHT, By Moonlight series, Book 2 (soon to be reissued!)

The Excerpt

Because he’d had enough invasion of his personal space, Max strode through the crowded club with his presence cloaked, psychically invisible. He could see their surprise when he was upon them without their notice, seeing their awe, their uncertainty as they parted to let him pass . . . and their fear. Just enough to remind him that even here, among his own kind, he was alone.
As he eased into his chair at the table reserved for him alone, the voluptuous Amber was immediately at his elbow.
“Good evening, Mr. Savoie. Your usual?”
“I’ve got it, my lovely.”
They both looked in surprise at the lean, dark figure who’d approached undetected. Rollo grinned and placed a bottled beer on the table in front of Max and sat without being invited, not bothered by Max’s glittering stare of objection.
“I’ve been expecting you, boy.”
(. . . and a bite more . . .)
“What do you want?”
The cold greeting didn’t lessen the other’s cheer. “To chat. To get to know my only son.”
“Several decades too late for that, don’t you think?”
“For father and son, perhaps. For two of a kind, I don’t think so. I’ve been asking around about you, just in case you are stingy with the details.”
Uneasiness rippled. “And what did you discover?”
“Not much. You’re an enigma, my boy. You’ve kept yourself hidden. Your mother’s influence, no doubt.”
“Why would you say that?”
“’Rollo, don’t make a spectacle of yourself. You’ll draw attention. They’ll see that you’re different.”
His imitation of Marie Savoie was so dead-on it took Max aback. And for the first time, he could see them together, his mother and this man he didn’t know. He sat frozen in his seat.
His father . . .

This is, bar none, my favorite series (Sorry Midnight vampire lovers – but it’s true!). Getting reacquainted with these characters and the pulse-pounding plot lines have new story elements swirling about to invade my trying to get to sleep hours. What do you think? More Moonlight/Shadows books?

Now . . . time to catch up with what’s on your computer screen.

Happy Summer!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG Unethical Practices - Rights

2025-08-05T18:15:00.002-04:00

Our IWSG question for August 6th is: What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

Boy, do I have some opinions on this one! I was first published in NY waaay back in the late ‘80’s when authors were working out of their homes totally isolated from each other. There were no chat groups, no industry magazines, no Internet! I’d never met another writer! Many agents (not all!), if you could get one, were found in an outdated hardcover compilation in the public library and were more interested in catering to the publisher than fighting for their own author’s interests. At that time, the majority of newbie authors felt as though they were working for the agent instead of the other way around, that if you didn’t tow the line, the agent would fire YOU! I know I did.

Then came my first national romance writer convention where I met walking, talking, writing folk just like me!! Did they ever set me straight! I had the chance to talk to my heroes in the industry, authors I’d read and adored (and they’d actually read MY books!), forging connections that still stand strong. I found a new agent to partner with and went home with the card of an editor who would buy dozens of my Dana Ransom/Rosalyn West historical romances. And for the first time, I felt like I was in control of my career.

And when I conferenced in New York, I got to meet my historical editor, who took me to their downtown office where I got to see my next cover being developed and met the cover model who was working on my next book. What a Cinderella moment. In my opinion, that’s what all we authors should experience.

Allowing ourselves as the creative force behind the industry to think we’re second-class citizens is a grievous wrong to our psyche and our bank accounts. Something that social media and assessable in-person gatherings are still working to overcome. The ability to self-publish was a huge milestone for many of us, giving writers an opportunity to bring their dreams to a fully realized life on their own. I like keeping a foot in both worlds.

As our industry continues to evolve and change, it’s up to us to inform ourselves so we can ride out those sometimes unwelcome surprises and take advantage of new and exciting prospects. And as always, Writer Beware. If it sounds too good to be true or too easy to believe . . . do your homework!

Until next month . . . Write On!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the August 6th posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Natalie Aguirre, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Olga Godim!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: That BIG Book

2025-07-01T19:52:00.003-04:00

Happy already summer! I confess, I’m not a big fan. Give me the mid-70s, a porch swing, and a beverage of choice—the perfect combination for the creation of that next writing project. Ahhhh! But since that sweaty ship has sailed, I might as well address our IWSG question for this month in my air-conditioned home office.

July 2nd question – Is there a genre you haven’t tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

After having 80 romance-genre books published during my almost 40-year career, there are few writing universes that I haven’t explored since my non-traditional Regency, SWEET TEMPEST debuted for Zebra Books in 1987. Suspense, contemporary, historical, paranormal (everything but sweet romance) from New York Big Five to self-pubbed, I’ve enjoyed writing them all for some of the best editors in the industry. Of course, my dream was to get that BIG book sale, the one that would launch me from genre to single title shelves . . . but my first agent convinced me to stay in mass market for the quick turnaround of contracts. After the romance boom began to calm, my favorite editor, who’d by then retired, told me her biggest regret was never taking my books up to that next level. I never got that BIG book published with a Single Title launch.

Of course, I’m not done . . . yet.

Looking forward to finding out what new worlds in writing you’re anxious to explore!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the July 2nd posting of the IWSG will be are Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Father Figures You’d Least Expect

2025-06-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of exceptional cuts of manhood, I’m celebrating the best fathers from my Dana Ransom historicals – those who come upon that title unprepared yet still excel in the job they’ve been honored (some at the business end of a shotgun!) to accept. Hats off to two reluctant heroes from my absolute favorite families – the Prescotts of Dakota and the Basses of Texas.

It’s no secret that my Bass Family western series set in the Big Bend of Texas is my hands down true love. At first glance, Billy Cooper is that last man a father would welcome as a son-in-law at the point of his shotgun after he’s discovered snuggled up to the Dime Novel hero’s only daughter in an outlaw camp. But no one in this adventure is quite what they seem . . . and therein lies the fun!

WILD TEXAS BRIDE, Dana Ransom aka Nancy Gideon, Book 3 of the Bass Family saga.

He gave her her first kiss when she was thirteen, and Sarah Bass was sure he was the man to make her dreams come true. But when she discovers Billy Cooper has taken up with a dangerous gang of outlaws, the seventeen-year-old dons boots and breeches and rides out to rescue the man she loves from a life of crime. What could go wrong?

The Excerpt

“Ever tell you when your aunt decided she was in love with me?”
Sarah shook her head. She liked it when her Uncle Harmon talked about Amanda, the way it softened his features in a way nothing else could. Before Amanda had come along and snatched up his heart, her childish fantasy had been to grow up and marry him herself. Of course, that dream faded with maturity, but she still liked admiring him with her eyes and listening to his drawling voice.
“Well, just after he’d hired me on to find her brother, we came across a bunch of cow thieves, and Amanda, being Amanda, wouldn’t listen to what I told her to do and ended up getting her backside peppered with buckshot. Had to hold her over my lap and pick every one of them pellets out.”
“No!” Sarah grinned, imagining it as she began to feel decidedly light-headed.
“Not one of her favorite recollections. Guess she figured if she could trust me with her fanny, I was the right kind of fellow to fall in love with.”
He didn’t tell her the fanny involved wasn’t Amanda’s but rather his, and the way his wet Levi’s clung to it. Amanda had taken one look and fallen madly in lust with him. In fact, he mused with a small smile, Amanda still was partial to grabbing onto his back pockets for a squeeze.

Sounds like the beginning of a family tradition!

I am SO loving getting reacquainted with this family and the rough-and-tumble world they live in. In fact, I’m off to get back to writing the next chapter in their next chapter!

Happy Father’s Day to those who are one and those who celebrate theirs!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: Flights of Fantasy . . .

2025-06-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

IWSG: Flights of Fantasy . . .

Happy Spring!! I’ve just finished planting a dozen flats of porch plants (I’ll never get that potting soil out from under my nails!) and am ready to sit in my comfy office chair instead of crouching over endless containers waiting to be filled. Not complaining – it’s my favorite time of year. I love watching things grow . . . everything from flowering starts to new plots. Which brings me to today’s question:

“What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?”

Though she absolutely loathed the nonsense of Dr. Seuss, I was blessed with a mother who said if I could reach it in the library or bookmobile and understand it, I could read it (much to the consternation of my elementary and middle school teachers who called her in more than once because I was reading books like Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy instead of “age and gender appropriate” books! She told them if it was in the library, I could read it. Thanks, Mom!!). I LOVED sci fi and series books, devouring everything I could find, and was rooted in front of Lost In Space and Star Trek. I wanted to follow the Hardy Boys, not Nancy Drew (though I DID read through the entire series one summer and thoroughly enjoyed them because she was more than just a girlie girl!). But my favorite of all time series from early years was The Black Stallion. I loved horses (the idea of them more than the sore butt and smelly reality of riding them on trails).

In middle and high school study hall and sometimes in class, instead of doing homework, my friends and I would spin a continuing story about buddies on adventures—usually with me coming up with the story line. Then, we started writing them out. The day my science teacher snatched up one of them and marched me to the office was the best day of my life. Instead of punishment, I found myself sitting with the guidance counselor who told me in no uncertain terms that my future was in writing fiction. How right he was!

Eighty titles later, my main goal is still to share a flight of fantasy with my reader. And if that reader wants more . . . my job is done!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the June 4th posting of the IWSG will be are PJ Colando, Pat Garcia, Kim Lajevardi, Melisa Maygrove, and Jean Davis!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: “. . . and he was lost.”

2025-05-31T14:51:00.006-04:00

I’m loving this unexpected plunge back into my By Moonlight shapeshifter books where, page after page, the danger, excitement and desire come flooding back, demanding more from me than just a skimming of pages. I’m right back in New Orleans with these characters I adore (and some I justifiably loathe!). And I find myself wanting . . . more! More stories, more time with these glorious creations conceived over 25 years ago and still, just like yesterday.

Book 3 in the series, is where the rubber hits the road, metaphorically. Secrets have been spilled and now it looks as though blood will be, too. All in a days work for tough-as-nails NOPD detective Charlotte Caissie and her mobster/beast boyfriend, Max Savoie as they try to find a way to merge their two opposite worlds into one future – together.

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT

“By Moonlight” series, Book 3

Soon to be reissued . . . at last!

CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT, Book 3 in the unforgettable By Moonlight shapeshifter series by Nancy Gideon – soon to be reissued!

IN THIS DARK THRILLER FROM NANCY GIDEON’S SULTRY NEW SERIES, SEXY NEW ORLEANS COP CHARLOTTE CAISSIE GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE LAST NEMESIS SHE EVER EXPECTED: HER SUPERNATURAL BOYFRIEND.

THEIR LOVE IS JUST BEGINNING.

Detective Charlotte Caissie is growing used to the secrets that come with loving the mysterious leader of a shape-shifter clan. But that doesn’t mean she has to like it. She’s avoided complications of the heart all her life, but when it comes to irresistible Max Savoie, she’ll force the truth out of him if she has to.

HIS TIME IS ALMOST UP.

Hunted by the deadly trackers his nefarious father warned him about, Max is transforming into a preternatural force he can’t explain and Cee Cee will never understand. He’s tempting the dangerous limits of their love, but it’s her curiosity that could get them both killed.

WILL THEY EVER REALLY BE TOGETHER?

When Max discovers the enemy’s true target is someone far more vulnerable than he, he must do the unthinkable to save his own flesh and blood. But he can’t fight this battle alone, and Cee Cee faces the ultimate test of loyalty: the man she’d sacrifice everything for . . . or the laws she swore her life to protect.

The Excerpt

“You were my chance, Charlotte—my chance to do something good, something right. My chance to remember where I’d hidden my soul when I was just a child. I swore that day that I would never do anything to put that look back in your eyes, that you would never, ever have reason to fear me.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Max. I’ve always known I was safe with you.”
He grabbed her wrists so suddenly she gasped, his grip tight, too tight to be comfortable. “You’re not safe now, Charlotte. I’m not safe. I’ve always been able to control the other part of me, ever since that first time when I was a boy. But I can’t now. There’s something loose inside me, something without a heart, without a soul, without a care for what happens to you.”
( . . . and a bite more . . .)
He shook her once roughly then, realizing what he’d done, he quickly released her, shoving his hands deeply into his pockets, his breathing harsh with agitation. “I can’t trust myself to touch you. I’m afraid of what I might do.”
So, she touched him, just a light brush of her knuckles along his taut cheek.
“Don’t.” His eyes were on her, wide and wild with objection.
“I trust you.” And she stretched up to take his mouth, lightly at first, just a taste, then slowly sinking into passion. He made a soft sound in his throat, a moan of helpless surrender, of desperate longing. And he was lost.

I was lost, too! Head over heels with these amazing, unique characters who came to life effortlessly on my computer screen in Book 3 of 15 (!) set in the dangerously sexy shapeshifter world of New Orleans.

And now I find myself wondering rather wistfully if there’s room on bookshelves for a few more . . .

Laisse le bon temps rouler!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: “Would You Break Your Precious Laws For Me?” CHASED BY MOONLIGHT

2025-05-24T22:42:00.003-04:00

I’m double dipping this month because post dates for Paranormal Romantics and Weekend Writing Warriors are just days apart . . . and I have a Big 0 birthday to celebrate.

The reason I enjoyed writing my BY MOONLIGHT books SO much was because there were no easy scenes. Every one of them was strung with tension, thick with desire, quirked by humor or wrapped up in a backdrop of impossible issues that would keep any couple apart. But Max and Charlotte aren’t just any couple. She’s a tough NOPD cop and he’s literally the King of Beasts, at least in shapeshifting communities in New Orleans. When secrets from a past she barely remembers and a legacy he can’t escape pressure them to deny their relationship things heat up in this second book of my BY MOONLIGHT series. Here’s a nibble . . .

IN NANCY GIDEON’S SEDUCTIVE NOVEL, A TOUGH-AS-NAILS NEW ORLEANS COP MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THE CAREER SHE’S DEDICATED TO AND THE DANGEROUS SHAPE-SHIFTING LOVER SHE CAN’T RESIST.

SHE’S SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY.

Mixing business with pleasure gets more complicated for Detective Charlotte Caissie when her sexy preternatural lover, Max Savoie, is accused of a high-profile murder. To prove him innocent she must distance herself, but her tangled emotions don’t make it easy for her to stay away from him. And neither does Max.

HE’S DESPERATE TO UNCOVER HIS PAST.

Left in charge of a criminal empire and protector of a clan of shadowy shape-shifters, Max walks a precarious line. Can he believe the cunning stranger who claims he can teach Max the things he needs to know to stay alive? A con man who would betray anyone to make a profit, who may be a ruthless killer?

TOGETHER, THEY’RE TEMPTING FATE.

The harder Cee Cee fights to clear Max’s name, the more he pushes her away. He’s protecting a dark truth that could blow the top off her investigation. And that means hiding his motives and lying to a woman who values truth above all. The woman who can save him . . . if he’ll let her.

The Excerpt

“Would you break your precious laws for me?” he asked with fierce intensity. “Would you look the other way while I broke them?”
Her mood cooled slightly, as did her tone. “I’ve bent them plenty already.”
“That’s not what I asked.” His voice lowered to a silky rumble. “The truth, Charlotte.”
“It depends on—”
“Nothing. Don’t hedge your bet. Just answer.”
. . . and a bit more . . .
She scowled at him, furious because she’d been tiptoeing around their contrary careers and now he was shoving it in her face, demanding she make a choice. And he would know if she wasn’t being honest, damn him.
“Yes,” she growled. “For you, if you asked, yes, I would.”
A satisfying amount of surprise registered in his eyes, which irritated her enough to elaborate.
“I would hate it, but I would do it. It would destroy everything I built my life on, would strip me of every ounce of dignity and self-respect, but I would do it without hesitation, without regret, if you asked me to. That’s how much you mean to me. And if you care for me even half that much, you would never ask.”

Now THOSE are some difficult hurdles for even a regular couple to overcome . . . and there’s nothing normal about this pair!

I can’t wait to reissue this series to a whole generation of paranormal readers! Stand by for more . . .

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: It's In Her Kiss . . . Masked by Moonlight

2025-05-17T20:43:00.008-04:00

I'm enjoying a writers' weekend in the woods (in a great house - not literally camping in the woods!) a gorgeous block off Lake Michigan, working on my WeWriWa post that doesn't want to cooperate. Enjoy a nibble from my By Moonlight shapeshifter series straight to you from New Orleans (wishing I WAS there!)! I'm working on getting the rights back to the first four books which are now out of print so I can package them for newer readers (and for those who may have lost them or want them i e-format).

MASKED BY MOONLIGHT (Book 1 of 12)

Detective Charlotte Caissie's vow to take down a crime boss is complicated by her attraction to the mobster's attack dog (Literally!) Max Savoie. She can't afford to trust any man. Good thing Max isn't one! Enjoy!

The Excerpt

"Well?" Her question caressed his bruised mouth.
"What?" Barely a whisper.
Her fingertip followed the hard line of his jaw. "Aren't you going to kiss me back?"
"Absolutely." And he swooped down on her like a hawk.
Her hands busily unknotted his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it from his shoulders to catch at his wrists. As it fell free, he felt the cold touch of metal of her handcuffs then something sharp pierced his shoulder.
(. . . and a bite more . . .)
Charlotte pushed away from him, panting, her lipstick smeared, eyes wide and wild. And then he got the first hint of how deep her clever treachery went as the sliver of silver began to eat through his system like acid.

Now that's a first date. Can't wait to get the By Moonlight books back out to readers (and in e-format, too!).

Okay, back to work!

Nancy

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IWSG: Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself . . .

2025-05-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

Our Question for May covers all our neurotic bases in one powerful word – FEAR. It can push us to great heights or paralyze us . . . yet it’s something we can control and USE to become better writers!

May 7th question: Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do (did) you manage them?

I grew up painfully shy. Getting called on in class and having all the eyes turn to me was paralyzing-literally. Then, in 5th grade, the teacher everyone was afraid of picked two anonymous selections from essays we’d turned in – one she consider promising but needed work and one that was perfect. As she read the first one, the class was restless, but a few students offered helpful suggestions – including me. Then the second work was read. It was mine! As I sat paralyzed, I realized that there wasn’t a sound from the class. Everyone was . . . listening. Then came the comments – ALL were overwhelmingly positive. When the teacher asked for constructive criticism, there was silence. Then the boy I had a crush on, (of course!) said he was mad . . . because there wasn’t more of it!

I was stunned!

Then came college. My dream was to become a journalist. Imagine being asked as the only underclassman to join the university newspaper staff . . . until I realized it meant actually going out of my comfort bubble and initiating interviews with - strangers. My first deadline came and went. Concerned, the editor actually came to my home to find out what the problem was, because he just loved my work. When I confessed it was a people problem, he gave me another avenue to consider . . . fiction writing (another class he taught!), where I had control and could be my own boss on the bigger canvas I deserved. A light bulb moment. I had a huge historical novel sitting in a manuscript box. His words convinced me to send six copies out into the scary world of NYC. They all came back. One had a brief note. “This didn’t work for us. Do you have anything else you can send for our upcoming historical romance line?”

Romance was a brand-new genre. Short or long. Sweet or steamy. Present day or historical. All the avenues this writer had dreamed of. What I thought was a traditional Regency became one of the first two Regency-set historical romances - the first of my 80 (!) published novels to come in multiple genres from NYC and small press to self-pubbed.

Don’t let fear stop you! Don’t allow statistics to build a wall too high to climb. Publishers buy books every day! Midlist houses take new authors. Self-publishing isn’t as forbidding as it once was. There is a path for you and your book of the heart.

Don’t be afraid to take it!

And don’t forget to peruse the other offerings from our IWSG this month!!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the November 6th posting of the IWSG will be are Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: “If you mean it . . .” Masked by Moonlight [By Moonlight Series - Book 1]

2025-05-03T21:00:00.002-04:00

I LOVE revisiting older books that I’ve written . . . some, to see how far I’ve come and others, so I can rediscover what made my career grow. No doubt about it, things began to happen when I wrote the first three installments in my By Moonlight shapeshifter series for Pocket Books. I loved everything about the experience – my fabulous editor, Micki Nuding, who was my biggest fan, the art department who brought me in for a walk through to watch one of my covers being made while I was in New York - starting with posing the REAL cover model! Not me, personally-darn it! Seeing the mock-up cover tacked on the senior editor’s bulletin board, and going over promotional opportunities with the head of PR. What a thrill and an honor!! A dream come true. That series will always be my absolute favorite. And I’m looking forward to getting it reissued as soon as I get the rights back to the first three books (soon-fingers crossed!).

Max and Cee Cee will always be my favorite romance couple (and a flattering number of readers agreed!). Here’s a nibble from Book 1, MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, that introduced readers to Max and Charlotte . . .

The Excerpt

Detective Charlotte Caissie’s vow to take down a crime boss is made complicated by underworld figure Max Savoie. Is he an ally? She can’t afford to trust any man. Good thing Max isn’t one . . .
“You killed those men.”
He didn’t admit it, not exactly. “I’m sorry. Did you want to get to know them better?”
“You rushed in to take on armed men with your bare hands? Are you insane?”
“Should I have just kept walking?” His gaze locked into hers, eyes heating, darkening with something she’d never seen in them before.
“Step back, Savoie.”
Her gruff command must have lacked conviction because his head lowered until his breath feathered against her lips—soft, warm.
“Don’t.”
Not quite so tough.
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
He tasted her slowly, firmly, riding the jerk of her chest, gentling his hold on her hands, finally releasing them. Her palms came up to rest against his shoulders, motionless at first, then beginning to push. He lifted off her by a scant inch, his stare delving into hers. His breathing hurried.
“Max, stop.”
That hoarse whisper still didn’t convince him. The tip of his tongue lightly rimmed the fullness of her lower lip, the gesture so provokingly intimate she trembled with a helpless chill of response.
His challenge brushed silkily over the damp part of her mouth. “I will if you mean it.”
And for a moment, for one startling moment, she didn’t.

Sigh . . .

I’d better stop there or I’ll never get this post out!

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve been doing!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: CHEERS! What fantasy character would you like to tip a glass with?

2025-04-02T00:01:00.004-04:00

(Sorry I’m late with today’s post! I have no excuse except spring fever.)

The April 2nd IWSG Question is What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?

Though it was my first love as a young reader, I haven’t slipped into the fantasy realm for a long time. Not since I discovered the paranormal. I always thought of fantasy as dreamy and paranormal as the gritty stuff of nightmares. I guess I prefer to walk the edge of the dark side. The mid-‘60s horror soap opera DARK SHADOWS sealed the deal for me . . . I was paranormal all the way! Sigh, Barnabas Collins, the original tragic hero/villain. I’d tip a glass with him anytime . . . as long as I was wearing a silver cross and the content of the glass wasn’t red. And then there was his werewolf cousin. Quinton. Le sigh . . . I’d tip a pint with him in the foggy burg of Collins Port.

Since there was no PNR when I grew up, I devoured whatever darkish fantasy I could find. A WRINKLE IN TIME sold me on the genre because they fed my active imagination. Then came the Vampire Academy books . . . Because I was young(ish) back then, I never actually wrote more than snippets in the genre to entertain my friends at school. But when I became a published author that desire to sink my teeth into the dark side of romance became too powerful to deny and I approached my editor with what would become one of the two first mass market paranormal books, MIDNIGHT KISS in the mid-‘90s. So, I guess I am a trailblazer.

I plan to start a list of What to Read in Fantasy after checking out your posts . . .

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the April 2nd posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Lane, L Diane Wolfe, Jenni Enzor, and Natalie Aguirre!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Promises to Keep . . . DAKOTA PROMISES

2025-03-22T17:42:00.009-04:00

Nothing like a little (or a LOT) of free time to get things long put off finally done . . . or at least in progress. Having a backlist of 80 titles with 3/4s of them out-of-print nudges one into thinking Why the heck aren’t I getting these books back out there to new readers now that I have the rights back? Well . . . why aren’t I? I’ve got a wonderful virtual assistant chomping at the bit to turn old paperbacks into scanned copy and I’ve got an idea file for new covers. But what I’ve discovered is having all the time in the world is an excuse to . . . waste it. Maybe what I need to do is turn my “spare time” into time to get back to work—for myself, this time. And a great place to start is with the two western historical series I did for Zebra Books as Dana Ransom, one set in the Dakotas and one in Texas. How hard could it be to reacquaint myself with the Prescotts and the Basses? After all, they were practically family for years!

Here's a tease from one of my favorites. DAKOTA PROMISES was the final book of four in that series . . . at least for now.

Goodreads

HE WAS HER PAST

The minute Norah Denby first laid eyes on handsome Rory Prescott, she knew her heart would belong to him forever. But the rugged South Dakota cowboy clearly didn't feel the same way about her, and when she realized that as his wife she'd always play second fiddle to his sprawling family spread, Norah took their son and fled east to Baltimore... vowing to make a new life far from the tantalizing memories of her husband's seductive embrace. But fate would soon sweep her back to the Bar K Ranch, reuniting her with the only man she would ever love-and rekindling the flames of an unforgettable passion!

SHE WAS HIS FUTURE

Three years apart spent rebuilding the troubled Prescott ranch still hadn't dimmed Rory's wild, consuming desire for Norah. The fiery beauty was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman and a wife... and now that she was back, he didn't intend to lose her a second time. With slow, burning kisses, he'd melt her resistance. And as their passions soared to rapturous new heights beneath searing Dakota skies, she'd discover once and for all that they shared a love meant to be their destiny!

The Excerpt

The sight of Jacob sitting on the front steps fleetingly lifted his doldrums ... until he saw the boy was wearing his Eastern sissy suit and felt the cool bore of his son’s stare. “Morning, pard,” he called with a brave attempt at a smile.
“Good morning, sir.”
Sir, again? Rory frowned slightly. “Thought we might ride on over to the Lone Star to see if we could find you that special horse.”
“My mother and I are taking Mr. Samuels over to the Indian Reservation this morning.”
“Oh.” He tried not to sound too disheartened as he sank awkwardly down on the steps beside his rigid son. Absently, he rubbed at his knee. “We can do it later. I didn’t know your mama had plans.”
“I don’t think I’ll be needing a horse, anyway.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, pretending not to know ... pretending his heart hadn’t dropped right into his boots.
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
But Jacob wouldn’t answer. He was trying hard not to cry. He didn’t want to talk about the horse he would never have or think about the father that would never be his. Better to pretend neither mattered. After all, the big rough-talking cowboy at his side wasn’t going to stop his mother from taking him away again. Wouldn’t he stop her if he cared?

DAKOTA PROMISES was the final Dana Ransom installment of my four-book Dakota series for Zebra Books. Back in the early ‘90s, the Prescotts were like family to me (until I met the Basses . . . but that’s another story – or five).

Hope to have these award-winning stories available soon!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Only an Illusion . . . DAKOTA DESTINY

2025-03-15T17:19:00.002-04:00

With the mechanics in my first artificial knee giving me fits, I’ve been trying to slooow things down to prolong the unpleasant inevitability of having to upgrade with another surgery. It’s not looking (or feeling!) good. I’ve had over ten years of mileage on this one—from up and down three flights of stairs at my old apartment only three weeks after my first surgery to mountain climbing (literally!) only three months after the second one underwent a similar upgrade. But nothing lasts forever. If only . . . sigh. The hero and heroine in both books three and four of my four-book soon-to-be reissued Dakota historical western series written as Dana Ransom, (an award-winner for Zebra Books!) agree with me. Here’s a look inside DAKOTA DESTINY, Book 3 . . .

Soon to be Re-Leased!!!

He was her business . . . Building a life of luxury by conning rich, unsuspecting gentlemen, Norah Denby always kept control of her emotions. But all that changed when rugged rancher Rory Prescott landed at her feet. How could one Dakota cowboy completely undo her common sense?

She was his pleasure . . . Born to choose between loyalty to a grassland legacy and the love of his family, Rory Prescott had always dreamed of one day marrying a lady . . . and now that perfect dream was standing right before him. Except she was a clever schemer performing con games on the rich . . . and was out to steal his fortune.

The Excerpt

It was unnerving that a man could feel so good, could kiss so good, love so good. . . and make her believe in good again. How had it happened? How had he stepped off the Dakota plains and right into her heart?
The music and magic of the night seduced her, but that was part of Rory Prescott’s charm, too. He made everything change just by being there. He made everything alive and new and exciting. Even the dance, just a simple waltz, was so disturbingly sensual when he moved her through the steps. She could feel the whole length of his body; hard, strong—hers. If she tipped back her head, she would find his hot, dark eyes ready to devour her gaze. How could she keep saying no when the only answer he would hear was yes?
( . . . and a bit more . . . )
Wasn’t it the answer she wanted to give? Would have given if things were somehow different. If she had an iron-clad guarantee that nothing from her past would ever reach them out here on this prairie empire. If she could be sure he would never, ever find out about the woman she really was—or rather the woman she had been before he woke a conscience up inside her. Or was that a dangerous illusion? One that had her believing she could keep Rory Prescott’s love forever.

Sigh . . . how I love getting under the covers with these older romances to find the fires still burning bright! I guess true love really is eternal! Can’t wait to get these books into the hands of new readers!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

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IWSG: If I Could Be Anything/Anyone . . .

2025-03-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

Our March 5th IWSG question is: If for one day you could be anyone or any *thing* in the world, what would it be? Give me a minute or a lifetime to think about that . . .

When I was five, that would have been an easy answer – I wanted to be like everyone else! When I started elementary school as the youngest of three girls, my middle sister was three grades ahead. She and my eldest sister had gone to the local elementary in our neighborhood which was mostly middle class. Then, a new shiny school was built in the area’s wealthiest neighborhood. Being on the edge of the district, we had the choice: stay at the old building or go to the new school.

To my mom, education was everything – the doorway to any future we could dream of. So that meant a mile walk or bike ride in every kind of weather to sit in a shiny classroom where we were . . . different. While we were hardly poor, we stood out in our homemade/hand-me-down clothes. Our dad wasn’t a doctor or a lawyer. My mom didn’t stay at home watching soap operas. She worked part-time and took a bus. I shared a bedroom with my middle sister and fought tooth-and-nail to get a storebought outfit to wear to a middle school field trip so I wouldn’t feel . . . less. I dreamed about being MORE. And those imaginings poured out in fantasy stories I shared with my friends - where I was a queen or a famous writer or the savior of the planet. Those fictional worlds were my escape . . . and my future as a multi-published author of 80 titles. I never became ‘famous’ or wealthy, but I was something better than that – a steady provider for my family by doing something I love and there for them whenever I was needed.

So, what else would I be for a day if I could be other than who I am? In my books I’ve been a warrior, an explorer, the savior of the dang planet! I’m good.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the March 5th posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Wolves at the Door, SWEET TEXAS DREAMS

2025-03-01T23:13:00.002-05:00

Not all families are equal, loving and kind as Becca Bass is about to discover when she meets the Northern branch of her mother’s kin in the final (for the moment) book in my Bass Family Saga. She’s run away from her parents’ expectations in Texas to experience the very different world in New York City – a world that is as overwhelming as it is unfriendly. Here’s a taste . . .

Soon to be available for the first time in eBook

SWEET TEXAS DREAMS

Dana Ransom, Book 6 in the award-winning Bass Family Saga

Handsome, sophisticated New York attorney Morgan Daniels is everything shy Texas beauty Becca Bass has ever dreamed of in a man. Although a dangerous mission has brought Daniels west, Becca seizes the chance to escape the searing loneliness of her sheltered life by assuming a dangerous pretense.

Morgan Daniels needs someone to lead him into the desert to rescue his stepfather, a powerful industrialist who has been kidnapped for ransom. The legendary tracker Harmon Bass is injured, but his lovely daughter insists she’s the next best thing…and Morgan is desperate enough to believe her.

Here’s a taste of SWEET TEXAS DREAMS . . .

The Excerpt

“Whom have we here?”
The imperious voice shivered like fine crystal. Becca turned toward the speaker, tucking as she did, closer against Morgan’s side.
A tall, thin woman who wore her age like an elegant patina stood in the cavernous foyer quizzing them through thick spectacles. Magnified eyes of a watery blue held as much warmth as an iced-over pond. That didn’t change as Morgan performed the introductions.
“Mrs. Duncan, this is Becca Bass, Amanda’s daughter. Becca, this is your Aunt Millicent.”
Though there was no welcome in the old woman’s stare, a certain change came over it; a slow, speculative gleam that Becca recognized as greed.
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
“Becca, my dear, what a surprise this is. The family will be so thrilled to meet you. I’ll have a room prepared for you at once. Mr. Daniels make arrangements with the staff to have her belongings fetched. Come, child. This is a treat long overdue. Consider yourself one of us.”
Why did that proposal send a tremor down her spine?
Becca looked up one last time to Morgan, her gaze begging a last-minute appeal, but he stood firm and purposefully released her arm. Surrendering her up to the wolves.

Poor timid Becca is about to learn that family doesn’t mean friend.

I can’t wait to get this series back out to readers . . . and to finish a new book in the series featuring Randall, Becca’s hell-raising brother.

Happy Spring!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: It Starts With A Sweet Texas Kiss . . . WILD TEXAS BRIDE

2025-02-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

Back to my Bass family series . . . and to one of my feistiest heroines. Sarah Bass doesn’t want to wait for her man to ride back for her . . . she plans to chase him down . . . and keep him forever.

He gave her her first kiss when she was thirteen. But now Billy Cooper has taken up with a dangerous gang of outlaws. So seventeen-year-old Sarah Bass dons boots and breeches and rides out to rescue the man she loves from a life of crime. But when they find themselves locked in a shotgun marriage, Sarah must come to terms with the vengeful passions that drive him . . . and with the secret he can’t share with her.

Here's a taste . . .

The Excerpt

WILD TEXAS BRIDE, Dana Ransom, Texas series Book 3
“H-howdy, Mr. Bass. This ain’t what it looks like.”
“You trying to tell me I can’t trust what I’m seeing with my own eyes? Is that my niece? Are them your britches she’s got her hand tucked into?”
Billy glanced down in surprise to find that Sarah had indeed nudged her hand under the band of his denims, her palm resting against the flat of his abdomen for warmth. He gripped her wrist and removed her damning touch. Hell, the man might as well have come upon them naked! There was no reasoning with the cold circle of metal pressed into his throat or the cold blue steel of Harm Bass’s gaze as it pinned him to the ground.
“I’m William T. Cooper, sir. I ride with Jack and the rangers.”
“I know who you are. What I want to know is what you’re doing with my niece.”
“Nothing.”
The hammer clicked back on Harm’s carbine. “Try again.”
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
That was it. Billy had had enough. One hell of a day behind him and a short future staring him in the eye. What did he have to lose? He’d probably feel a whole lot better if Harm Bass blew his fool head off!
“Less you’re gonna shoot me right now, get that thing outta my face. I haven’t had so much as a cup of coffee, and I’m in no mood to argue with Sarah’s relatives over what’s none of their business.”
Harm’s eyes narrowed int flinty slits. “Come again?”
Billy sat up, refusing to go to his Maker flat on his back and begging. “You can shoot me now, or we can just wait around and let some of my friends finish the job they started.”

Nothing like a girl with a passel of steely relatives planning to protect her . . . whether she wants them to or not! Can’t WAIT to get this series back in print . . . and finish the final book (maybe!) surrounding Harmon’s son, Randall.

Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day that wasn’t as snowy and cold as mine was!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Torn Between Honor and Desire—TEXAS DESTINY

2025-02-08T23:32:00.003-05:00

Continuing through my Dana Ransom Bass family historical series, Book 2, TEXAS DESTINY, has one of my most unique and heartbreaking stories of finding love in the wrong places. Jack Bass is a man to whom honor and loyalty is everything. Rescued from certain death at the hands of the Apache by a mysterious white woman living amongst them, he discovers she is the long missing wife of his best friend and Ranger captain. Struggling with his own feelings for her, Jack is determined to return her to her husband—a man who is less than happy to have her back . . . especially after Jack vows to return her half-Apache son to her. Here’s a tease from my soon to be back-in-print star-crossed adventure . . .

The Excerpt

A Tender Touch . . .
Jack took hold of Emily and carefully turned her to face him. The sight of her tearstained face unstrung his emotions. “Emily, that’s not true.”
“It is,” she argued with a weary resignation. “It’s what Neil thinks. It’s what those men thought. No white man will ever respect me, knowing what I’ve been through. And no man is ever going to want a woman like me.”
“I do.”
He said that quietly as his hands came up to frame her face. And even as she began to shake her head in denial, he leaned forward to prove it was true. His mouth touched to hers and pressed gently until the fit was perfect. Emily made a soft sound of wonder, and as he pulled back, she gazed up at him with such longing that his will caved in around his heart.
“I know what it’s like to be shut out by circumstances, Emily. I know how much it hurts when those you love don’t love you back. But you can’t give in; you can’t give up. It’ll get better. You have to give it time.”
“I want to believe you,” she whispered.
“You have to believe me, cuz it’s true.”
“Then prove it to me again, Jack. Make me a believer.”

Once I get the pages scanned and formatted by my faithful assistant, I can start working on the cover art. This is one series I can read again and again . . . Sigh!

. . . So what are you working on this wintery week?

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: Back in Time

2025-02-04T23:18:00.004-05:00

Our Insecure Writers Support Group question for February 5th is: Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

This is a tough question because of the sheer volume of backlist I’ve amassed in the nearly thirty years since I first sold – 80 published books if you need a number, along with dozens of finished but not contracted or begun but never completed novels.

As a rule, I didn’t, and still don’t, do a lot of rewriting, mainly because my contracts were so close together I didn’t have infinite time to spend with any one book. I submitted an outline, wrote the first draft, did the necessary edits (which, with the exception of my very first Regency, were usually either minor or nothing I felt strongly enough about to object to), sent the finished book in, then moved on to the next project. While working on any one of those titles, there was nothing but that work filling my concentration (even when working on several books in various stages of publication at a time!).

I saw each book more as a film than as a novel, with characters and plots weaving through a very visual backdrop of emotions and motivations. If, when finished, I could sit back with a satisfied sigh, the hows and whys of how I got there were immaterial. Being blessed with a great critique group and fabulous editors who were awesome cheerleaders was HUGE.

At this point in my career, I’ve gotten back the rights to the majority of my early works, so when getting them reissued I’ll have the luxury of time and the ability to make changes if I feel they’re needed. And I’m looking forward to that challenge!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the February 5th posting of the IWSG will be are Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Tell Me A Story . . . TEMPTATION’S TRAIL

2025-02-01T23:11:00.004-05:00

I grew up on stories at bedtime . . . one of the reasons I became a writer!! My sister, who shared a room with me, and I had our mother read to us every night before bed. Fables, Dr. Seuss (which she hated because it was nonsense, but we LOVED!), books we picked out from the weekly Bookmobile, and fairytales. And sometimes, my favorite – adventure stories like Robin Hood and the Lone Ranger comics. I’m a firm believer that those nightly sessions are why I became a writer. I couldn’t WAIT to find out what happened next, so I made up my own scenarios. And those stories evolved in high school to revolve around my cadre of friends and the futures we imagined for ourselves. Overhearing them, my English teacher told me I’d become an author someday. And that prophesy, I’m happy to say, came true. Read to a child and create an endless imagination. And so it goes with the nieces and nephews of dime novel legend, Harmon Bass in TEMPTATION’S TRAIL . . .

The Excerpt

“Uncle Harmon!”
Immediately, three little bodies were pressing close, all grabbing for a hand or a sleeve, and his dark mood melted away.
“We want a story, Uncle Harmon,” Jeffrey demanded.
“Well, I don’t know. Your chores all done?”
A chorus of yeses. Grinning, Harmon allowed them to drag him to the steps, where they pounced upon him until he sat on the top one. He had a nephew on each knee and Sarah’s arms about his neck, and he looked ready to burst from the pleasure of it. Too old for such fussing, Jack sat cross-legged at the foot of the steps. Amanda leaned against one of the porch posts. He didn’t look like such a hard case with his lap full of kids and his face wreathed in a smile.
Not at all like a cold-blooded killer.
(. . . and a bit more . . .)
“What do you want me to read?”
“This!”
Sidney thrust a ragged novel at him and Amanda recognized the cover at once: Harmon Bass and the Texas Rangers; or, The Mexican Stand-off.
“It’s my favorite,” the boy exclaimed.
It was her favorite, too.

After this first book, I was on a roll . . . with four more in this Career Achievement award-winning series written as Dana Ransom! I can’t wait to get them back in print!

Happy Trails and Happy Groundhog Day!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Like a Ninja

2025-01-25T08:00:00.004-05:00

While I was supposed to be writing this blog post, I got pulled away by one of my favorite distractions . . . a martial arts movie. Not an All-American Chuck Norris-y film, but a poorly dubbed Japanese ninja-fest filled with implausible feats where, even after being down three quarts of vital fluids, the hero can overcome a small army of well-armed attackers . . . and still have perfect hair (well, that still could describe a Chuck Norris movie, too!). What a segue from the hot and dusty American Western romance I should be working on for reissue. But once in a while you need to break away from the familiar in order to appreciate what the unexpected has to offer.

Even an American Western romance can borrow from other cultures. My Dana Ransom’s TEMPTATION’S TRAIL hero (and my favorite!) Harmon Bass is no ordinary cowboy. His rugged Texas and mystic Apache worlds are as foreign to my heroine, Easterner Amanda Duncan, as sleeping under the stars and treating snake bite and bullet wounds. It’s their differences that draw them together in an unexpected relationship spanning a five-book series (even though this is the only book in which they are the main characters). Those opposite expectations are what makes this twosome work so well together . . . except when they don’t. And that’s even more fun! Here’s a taste . . .

HERO FOR HIRE

When Amanda Duncan headed West to find her missing brother, she knew she was out of her element. Her privileged upbringing in a fancy boarding school hadn’t prepared her for the perils of frontier Texas. So Amanda made a plan—all she had to do was hire a hero. But when the legendary Harmon Bass showed up, he wasn’t what she expected. What kind of hero didn’t carry a gun?

Here's a taste . . .

The Excerpt

Every plant in the Big Ben was a porcupine. Nature armed to the teeth, Amanda thought as she gingerly sliced into a thick-bodied cactus. Sucking on a section, she brought a handful back to Harm.

“Chew it,” he mumbled. “Don’t swallow it.” He stuffed a piece into his mouth and began crushing it for the precious juices.

Amanda did the same. She looked a mess; all sticky from the heat, with her hair in wet strings, her inappropriate clothing damp, and tender skin an angry red from burning. She talked too much. She rushed headlong into trouble. But at that moment, there was no place he’d rather be than half-dead of snakebite in a desert with Amanda Duncan.

She’d better be careful. Those desert plants can deliver a kick!

I can’t wait to bring this series back for new readers (even if it means the laborious task of scanning and reformatting my aged paperbacks since I no longer have manuscript copies). I AM anticipating the job of doing new covers and promoting them to a new generation of readers. AND I am currently working on a new book in the series which will feature Harm and Amanda’s son, Rand.

Here's to lots of surprises, amazement, and writing and reading delight in 2025!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

WeWriWa: Destined to be Together . . . TEXAS DESTINY

2025-01-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

What else is there to do when it’s freezing outside and you’re waiting to schedule a second-round knee replacement surgery with your leg in the air? Think warm thoughts. Think of romance . . .

I’ve been going back through my older titles getting ready to start reissuing. The hold up – I get lost in the rereading! I love these books. Sigh! Historicals were my go-tos the last two times I was heavily sedated and in bed dreading that trip to the bathroom down a narrow hallway on a walker after two separate knee replacement. The romance hasn’t died out . . . but the artificial knees do wear out and that’s where I am now – hoping we can get the car started when I do get an appointment with my knee guy. So, what else is there to do but bask in the heat of West Texas with the Bass family.

DESTINED TO SAVE HIM

Wounded and left for dead by a band of savage Apaches, Texas Ranger Jack Bass thought his life was over -- until a white woman dressed in Indian clothing suddenly appeared. Before he could learn the identity of this green-eyed angel of mercy, she vanished into the night, leaving him with only the memory of whispered words and a gentle touch...

DESTINED TO LOVE HER

Ever since the terrifying day she was abducted from her husband's home and forced to live among the Apache, Emily Marcus knew she no longer had a place in the white man's world. But she couldn't forget the tender stranger she'd nursed back to life. Now, as fate conspired to bring them together once more, Emily found herself torn between honor and desire -- between vows made long ago and the love she'd risk her very soul to claim....

The Excerpt

“I’ll get her back for you, Emily.”
He said it easily as if it was just that simple. She was about to call him on it when she happened to gaze into his eyes. There she saw a deep, steely conviction . . . and she believed, if only for a moment.
“I’ll get her back for you and see you’re a family again.”
Emily didn’t answer that. She couldn’t, because a sacrifice would have to be made in order to return to Neil Marcus, and it wasn’t one she cared to discuss with the compassionate Jack Bass . . . something that would weigh on her soul alone and she wasn’t sure she could stand it.
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
Jack watched her. She was trying so hard to be brave as she stared solemnly into the fire. No one should have to be as miserable and alone as she looked at that moment. So he opened his arm to her and patted his shoulder with his other hand, coaxing her to settle in without a word.
He told himself he was doing it because he felt sorry for all she’d been through. Or because she was the wife of his good friend. Or because he was just a decent human being. But the truth touched on none of those reasons. The truth was, he would have done anything in the world for Emily Marcus.
Because he’d fallen in love with her.

Oh, sigh . . . I feel warmer already! Happy New Year!!!

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Nancy on the Web

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

IWSG: The Strong, Silent Type – My First Hero

2025-01-08T00:01:00.007-05:00

Our January 8 Insecure Writers Support Group question hit home with me for many reasons, many of them not realized until later in life – that understanding that comes with age and experience:

Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. When you’re young, you see just the surface things – like they’re one of those stars in your favorite TV show – larger than life, always in the know, always there, always right . . . and perfect. With the advance of years and knowledge, those opinions change, for better or worse as relationships and roles grow stronger or fade away.

My dad was my hero – the original handsome strong silent type. In a household of three daughters, each of we girls found our own way to relate to him – when he wasn’t working, fishing, hunting, motorcycle riding or building us a cabin up in Michigan’s north woods. My dad was a man’s man, an admirable figurehead to me as a child, whose response when approached was always, “Go ask Mommy” . . . until I was old enough to move out into my first apartment. After helping me drag things up three flights of stairs, I made him a Chinese meal from scratch in my new pans to thank him, something far-flung from the bland fare we got at home due to his ulcer. And, for the first time, we talked as adults. And we really, really enjoyed it.

Imagine my surprise that instead of not wanting to be bothered by we girls, he LOVED to tinker and tote and talk. Where had this quiet, funny, interesting man been all my life? He was uncomfortable because we’d all been educated far beyond what he’d been able to achieve having grown up one of five kids on a working farm, enlisting early in WWII shortly after getting married, and working two jobs to support us thereafter. He was afraid we were embarrassed by him. Jaw drop!

Due to complications from rheumatic fever as a child, improperly treated shrapnel wounds from the war, and smoking like a chimney since a teen, he never got to walk me down the aisle, to help me garden in my first backyard, or meet my sons. They would have loved him! At least I have albums of black and white photos, an American flag from his funeral, and memories to share with my grandson.

My dad was . . . and still is! . . . my hero.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the January 8th posting of the IWSG will be are Rebecca Douglass, Beth Camp, Liza @ Middle Passages, and Natalie @ Literary Rambles!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group