Land of the Czars.

[Click on pictures to enlarge]





St. Basil Cathedral, landmark of Moscow, encompasses several chapels, one under each coupola and doesn't function as church anymore.




Years ago, I was Director of the Analytical Division of an environmental company. I supervised a staff of chemists performing analytical tests and worked on various government contracts. A monotonous predictable life that suddenly changed when I won a contract to refurbish a military laboratory in Belarus.



I traveled fifteen times to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In Minsk, capital of Belarus I was well received by everyone, officers, directors, chemists, journalists. I worked with colonels and generals, was invited to theirs homes and became friend with their wives.


TO LOVE A HERO highlights the hospitality and warmth of the gorgeous and gallant Belarussians officers who sing, toast with vodka and make a woman feel like a goddess.

• Let me take you to the heart of Moscow, Red Square, the Kremlin and its churches, St. Basil Cathedral....
• 
  Stalin wanted to destroy St. Basil to allow his army to parade on Red Square. When the Mayor of Moscow resigned and the Russian people dared to protest, Stalin changed his mind.

It's a tradition for the young married couples in Moscow to take pictures at Red Square. We saw seven wedding parties on the Saturday we visited Red Square and the Kremlin.

And here against the Kremlin wall, the tomb of Lenin. Lenin's statue was removed in 1991 after the fall of the communist regime.

Inside of the Kremlin walls we counted seven churches with golden domes covered with real gold leaves that don't rust with time. The most famous being the Church of the Annunciation, of the Assumption, of St. Michael, one more elaborate than the other.

This fountain has a story. It's dedicated to the two architects that Ivan the terrible contracted to design and build St. Basil Cathedral. The Czar was so pleased with the cathedral that he had his guards poke the architects' eyes so that they could not build another church as beautiful as his cathedral!!






The University of Moscow on top of a hill overlooking the city of Moscow, is a superb building constructed by the Germans during the Nazi occupation.











Below Moscovite students celebrating the end of the school year at University Hill.





Tomorrow I will announce the winners of contest 3.

Meanwhile here is contest 4:

Wha's the favorite drink of Russians? You can't miss it if you read my book TO LOVE A HERO!!!

FRENCH PERIL in print and on sale

I just received an email notifying me that FRENCH PERIL, my romantic suspense, set in the French Loire Valley is now in print. Yeah!!!!

This is what the email said:

French Peril by Mona Risk

http://w/ww.jasminejade.com/p-7354-french-peril.aspx

Blurb: A summer job in France with room and board in a chateau owned by a handsome count. Can it get any better for Cheryl Stewart? The graduate student in Architecture is now officially on a mission for her sick professor. Count François can't hide his disappointment when Cheryl arrives instead of the eminent professor. But the aristocratic playboy is not one to turn away a beautiful young woman. He allows her to manage the restoration of the chateau's chapel while keeping his search for a valuable historical statue a secret from the other students working on the project.

Soon things deteriorate. The professor is poisoned, the chateau's butler attacked and Cheryl's room burglarized. When Cheryl's summer job changes into a romantic involvement and dangerous treasure hunt, Count François is faced with a difficult choice. Is the priceless statue worth jeopardizing the safety of the impetuous young woman who has stolen his heart?

Reader Advisory: This story contains explicit sex scenes.

Categories: Romantic Suspense

ISBN: 9781419959240
Price: $14.99

SPECIAL SALE PRICE: $12.00

To celebrate the release of FRENCH PERIL in paperback, (it's the same book that received a great review a few days ago) let's go to FRANCE.

I will post pictures taken in the Loire Valley where the plot was set.

A few years ago, my husband and I rented a care from Paris and drove west. After two hours we stopped at Chambord, the most impressive chateau in the Loire Valley. I remember the marble staircase four-story high.

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them, then hit the Back green arrow to go back to the blog)

A different view of Chambord.

Chateau de Cheverny


Chateau d'Amboise

The Leonardo Da Vinci House and Museum.

Da Vinci spent ten years working for the King of France, painting and constructing special architectural projects.

Chenonceau, the women castle.

When King Henry II succeeded to the crown in 1547 he gave Chenonceau Castle to his older mistress, Dianne de Poitiers.

Here is the chateau I used in my book. I call it Chateau de Valroux. Honestly I have no idea what its real name is.

Next question for contest 3: Who is poisoned at the beginning of the story?

You can find the answer in the blurb or in the excerpt posted on my website www.monarisk.com

But I really hope that by now you bought my two books, TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIl (sigh...)

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat. Meet the spirited heroines and the alpha heroes who share irresistible chemistry.

St. Kitts and St. Martin

I never heard of St. Kitts, previously called St. Christopher, before this past January. The island is located in the Eastern Caribbean. The ocean is warm, offering exciting wave action on the Atlantic side and calm gently lapping waters on the Caribbean side.

At the center of St. Kitts stands the spectacular, cloud-fringed peak of Mount Liamuiga, covered by dense tropical cloud forest filled with elusive green vervet monkeys and brilliant tropical flowers. We saw a lot of monkeys but I couldn't catch any on my camera.

The mountain range rises to a high of 3,792 feet. The foothills, particularly to the north, form a gently rolling landscape of sugar-cane plantations and grassland, while uncultivated lowland slopes are covered with thick tropical woodland and exotic fruits such as papaya, mangoes, avocados, bananas and breadfruit.

Here is the Fort of Bristol Hill.

The beauty of the islands of St. Kitts masks a turbulent history. These islands were originally settled by the Carib Indians. The Caribs were a war like set of Indians, who were mostly cannibals. It is from them that the Caribbean gets its name. The islands were discovered by the Europeans in 1493 on Christopher Columbus' second voyage.

Colonization began on St. Kitts in 1623, with the arrival of Sir Thomas Warner, his family, and fourteen others at what is now Sandy Point and their settlement at Old Road Bay. The English were joined in 1625 by French settlers led by Pierre Belain d'Esnambue, who had sought refuge on the island after a losing fight with a Spanish galleon. The two groups wiped out the Carib Indians in a massacre at Bloody Point in 1626, weathered a Spanish attack in 1629, and then turned their attentions to colonizing the islands around them.

France captured the island again in 1706 and lost it once again after that. But the French returned to lay siege to the British fort on Brimstone Hill in 1782. The British eventually fell after a heroic defense.

St. Kitts was returned permanently to the British in 1783 after the Treaty of Versailles.

St. Kitts, like only few other island in the Caribbean, is a lush tropical paradise. The atmosphere here is characterized by an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea air and fantastically abundant vegetation.

St. Martin ( French side) or St. Maarten (Dutch side) is a lovely island with gorgeous beaches.

Saint Martin is also a vibrant blend of Caribbean paradise and French sophistication. The first time we visited it with two other couples, we rented a taxi and asked the driver to take us to a "nice" beach. Guess what???

He took us to a nudist beach as we discovered after he left. We spent two hours stuck there with no transportation, the only people "overdressed" with a bathing suit. But we never laughed so much. Hmm...

Here are some pictures of St. Martin taken this past January.

The weather is tropical, with the always present trade winds keeping the temperature pleasant all year around.

The shopping is fantastic in St. Martin, with more bargain than in other islands.

The winners of my second contest are:

Eva Silkka and Jane Cheung.
Congratulations.

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already.

Here is a list of my prizes, mostly books or exotic magnets to post on your fridge.

Paranormal Romance: Lady of Light And Shadow by NY Bestselling author C.L. Wilson
The Scorpion & the Seducer by Bonnie Vanak, specialist of Egyptian historical/ paranormal
Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank, The Nightwalkers series.
The Magic Knot by American Contest/RT winner Helen Scott/Taylor, my wonderful critique partner.

Historical Romance:Tempted Tigress by Jade Lee, USA Today Bestselling author
A Little Bit Wicked by NY Bestselling author Victoria Alexander

A thriller: The Death Dealer by the incomparable Heather Graham from my local chapter FRW.
HQ Supperromance A Not So Perfect Past by Golden Heart winner Beth Andrews

Several medical romances by Margaret McDonagh, Carol Martinelli, Melanie Milburne, Lilian Darcy , Olivia Gates,...

Copies of my own romantic suspense ebooks: To Love A Hero and French Peril.



If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat.Meet the spirited heroines and the alpha heroes who share irresistible chemistry.

Fran Lee: OUT OF HER DREAMS

We are taking a day break from my month-contest and promotion for BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, to feature a guest author.

Please welcome Fran Lee, a lovely multitalented author. In addition to writing successful hot novels, Fran, maintains several blogs, features a different book every day on her Examiner column, and creates multiple video trailers for her friends. She did a wonderful job on my FRENCH PERIL trailer. And Fran is always available to help, support and promote her friends.

Without further ado, I give you Fran Lee.

Now that we have settled in, why not discuss your latest release?

Thanks, Mona! My first book from Ellora’s Cave is being released June 12!

I’m not at all excited…I keep bouncing around like this for exercise. Oh, you want to know what it’s about? Okay…you twisted my arm. This one is titled Out of Her Dreams,

http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-7256-50-out-of-her-dreams.aspx

and it’s about a rather painfully shy romance author (no relation) who created the hero for her extremely popular books in her dreams. Problem is, there’s an extremely frustrated pro wrestler out there who thinks her fantasy hero looks just a tad too much like him.

Can you let us see a blurb or excerpt of OUT OF HER DREAMS?

Of course!

Blurb:
She’s a best-selling erotic romance writer. Her fans adore her. She’s making excellent money. All by writing about a man she dreamed up many years ago. Her hero is handsome, virile, sexy, strong, sensitive and a complete gentleman.

He’s a hot-headed, sex-on-the-hoof pro wrestler. He has a reputation for being the hottest, nastiest man on the mats. The fact that his face and body are plastered all over a bunch of mushy romance novels written by a woman with a death wish doesn’t sit well on those massive shoulders. His agent’s demanding monetary retribution from the woman who’s dared to use his image on her covers but he has another form of retribution in mind…and it has nothing to do with money.

When did you first decide you wanted to be an author?

Oh, I think it was in the sixth grade, right after I read War and Peace. I dreamed of creating a Tolstoy-ish masterpiece, and sat down to write my own. Gave up after six pages. But then at fourteen I decided to take on the subject of Romance (which is popular with teenaged girls I hear) and I’ve been writing ever since.

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?

Since most of my novels and stories were written over twenty years ago, and my memory is very short these days, I can’t answer that question truthfully, so I’ll just jump in with a quick, snappy made-up answer…um…okay…well, to be honest, I just sit down and start writing, and then can’t stop.

How do you know what to name your books or the characters?

I said in a recent interview that I don’t write books…I channel them. Usually I just start writing and the most amazing things happen. I plan absolutely nothing. At the risk of being carted off by the nice men in the pretty white coats, I freely admit that my books sorta write themselves. I will be madly typing away on my keyboard and a phrase suddenly leaps out at me and that becomes the title. Must be that my muse has PMS because nobody ever changes my titles. I think they’re scared of her.


Of all the individuals you have created, do you have a particular favorite? What appeals to you the most about this character?

Wow. That must be the toughest question anyone has ever asked me. Off the top of my head, I would say my very favorite character is Uziel of Freth. I wrote this buy guy into a fantasy universe about twenty three years ago, and he is the epitome of warrior-type macho male hard-headedness who falls for a diminutive, equally stubborn female in a novel I have yet to submit for publication. Well…I did submit it in 1987 through an agent. But the publishers all came back and said it was far too hot to handle. Maybe in 2009 it won’t be. I like him because he helped me let out all the stops.

Has being published changed you at all?

Um…I think I’m about $24.89 richer? Joking! Actually, I’ve been “published” since 1995 when I became a photo-journalist/reporter for a fledgling martial arts league that published a quarterly magazine. I also wrote articles for major monthly martial arts publications. No. Nothing has changed. I see my book covers online and I think, “Hm…that sure looks like something I would write.” You get sort of ‘detached’ from reality when you actually see your own book out there. Like it’s something you just dreamed about.

What do you do to relax?

Relax? Would you spell that please? Oh. Yeah! Relax…well…I write. I spend 10-14 hours a day on my computer creating websites and videos and…oh. That isn’t relaxing? In that case, I don’t think I do relax. I just had a vacation at my condo in the mountains, and came back in worse shape then when I went up to “relax”.

What makes a great book to you?

Something that reaches out and grabs a reader and makes them laugh and sigh and maybe squirm in their chair. Romance is many things, but I find humor in everything. I love books that lead me out of myself and into a world where anything can (and will) happen. I am into total escapism. It has to carry me away. And when I come back for a landing, I feel refreshed and entertained. It can be romantic suspense, paranormal romance, or perhaps historical romance. It can be sweetly breathless or erotic. Bedroom door open or half-way closed is fine with me. But I must feel transported away from myself.

Do you have any indulgent behaviors one might find surprising?

Nope. I don’t have a surprising or indulgent bone in my body. Just plain old Fran. Except for chocolate. And cover models. But no matter how fast I run, they always escape before I can grab them.

Your friends (me included) are so grateful for the gorgeous video trailers you created for them. How did you get the idea? Was it difficult? Tell us more about that hidden talent.

A writer friend e-mailed that she had a brand new book trailer she’d just made on her computer using Windows Movie Maker…um…I think that might have been you. I was so impressed that I started trying to create one with MY Windows Movie-Maker software (what a joke!) Couldn’t do a thing with it because it kept crashing. Well, when Fran hits a brick wall or a dead end, she starts looking for ways around.

I have always had an eye for composition (I was a photojournalist for ten years) and I really wanted to make a great book trailer and was too cheap to pay someone to do it for me (make that too broke). I found a great free site online called “OneTrueMedia” and played with it for a week or so until I was able to create a semi-decent montage video of my condo property at Snowbird Utah. Then I took the cover of a Romance novel, and created a video of that. Just one photo over and over with music and text. The rest is history. I have made about fifty cover trailers for friends and for myself simply because I wanted to help people promote their books. You know the old adage, “A picture is worth 1,000 words”? It’s definitely true.

Any other talent you can share with us?

I sing and dance and make a mean “from scratch” enchilada. I have a daily column on Examiner.com where I interview authors, publishers, editors, and cover models, do book reviews, etc. I create photo montages for the cover models who allow me to interview them. If you’d like to see some real eye-candy, check out my YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/dragonlady10

Do you have another website besides this one that you would like to share?

http://franleesromanceblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.franleeromance.com/
http://franleesbookreviews.blogspot.com/
http://franleesensuousromance.blogspot.com
http://sixsexysirens.blogspot.com/
http://goddessesofstorytelling.blogspot.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-5288-Salt-Lake-City-Romance-Novel-Examiner
http://www.youtube.com/user/dragonlady10


Blurb of last book or any book you want to promote.

I have several more books coming out shortly from Ellora’s Cave and Resplendence. Dictated by Fate will be released from Resplendence on August 25. Hallie’s Cats has not been given a release date yet, but I expect it out before the end of the year fro Ellora’s Cave. A Brief Moment of Pleasure will be released from Resplendence in February 2010.

Fran, thank you for visiting my blog. We wish you a lot of success in your writing career and many, many sales.

Puerto Rico: San Juan

Dr. Marc Suarez, the hero of BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is Puerto Rican and the last chapter of my book takes place in San Juan.

To honor the hero, I will take you to San Juan, the city where he was born and where his meddling family still lives.

I visited San Juan last winter as part of a Caribbean Cruise.

We stayed at El Convento Hotel, a historic convent with a church, converted into a hotel. We had a lovely time.

Founded in 1521 by Ponce de León, the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan , is the oldest city in US territory and has one of the oldest fort, pictured above.

Home to 1.6 million (more than a third of the island's citizens), it is also the heart of Puerto Rican tourism.

What draws travellers here year-round are miles of smooth, clean beaches, a wide range of accommodation, fabulous restaurants and, of course, Old San Juan, whose beautifully restored historic sights surrounded by crashing turquoise surf are reason enough to make a trip to Puerto Rico.

The City Hall and the main plaza.

Here is an old totem pole facing the ocean.

And in the middle of the square the statue of

Christopher Columbus.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat.Meet the spirited heroines and the alpha heroes who share irresistible chemistry.

The Sun Will Shine Again

We had a lovely day today. My little girls came and we went to play on the beach. Later my daughter arrived still wearing her scrubs after a thirty-hour shift. I took my granddaughters and went to visit my mother who is confined to her recliner after her recent stroke. We wanted to let my daughter sleep for a few hours and at the same time I knew how much my mother enjoys seeing the smiling faces of the two little girls.

In the evening I had a lovely surprise as I received an unexpected review for my romantic suspense, FRENCH PERIL. This book was released as ebook in June 08 by Cerridwen Press and should soon come out as paperback book.

Here is the review link at Coffee Time Romance:

ttp://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/frenchperil.html

4 cups.

French Peril is a great romance with an excellent mystery. The instant attraction is met with a slow and sure build up of emotions. The couple are very complementary, compelling, and wonderfully romantic. The physical part of the relationship is not the most important part of the book, but good. The background characters are intriguing, with an ending that is complicated but entertaining. Ms Risk writes outstanding dialogue and this, combined with the lushness of the Loire Valley, are the final elements that make French Peril an excellent story.

Here is the chateau where I set my story.

For those entering my contest, here are new questions:

What are the name of the hero and heroine of French Peril? What are their nationalities and what are their positions or jobs?

Answers can be found at my website: http://www.monarisk.com/

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already.

Here is a list of my prizes, mostly books or exotic magnets to post on your fridge. Those in purple are already taken.

Paranormal Romance: Lady of Light And Shadow by NY Bestselling author C.L. Wilson

The Scorpion & the Seducer by Bonnie Vanak, specialist of Egyptian historical/paranormal

Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank, The Nightwalkers series.

The Magic Knot by American Contest/RT winner Helen Scott/Taylor, my wonderful critique partner.

Historical Romance:Tempted Tigress by Jade Lee, USA Today Bestselling author

A Little Bit Wicked by NY Bestselling author Victoria Alexander

The Naked Baron by Sally MacKenzie

Adventure and Romance: Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr

A thriller: The Death Dealer by the incomparable Heather Graham from my local chapter FRW.

HQ Supperromance A Not So Perfect Past by Golden Heart winner Beth Andrews

Several medical romances by Margaret McDonagh, Carol Martinelli, Melanie Milburne, Lilian Darcy , Olivia Gates,...

Copies of my own romantic suspense ebooks: To Love A Hero and French Peril.

Dedication to my Daughter

Separation is the last thing I want to think or blog about. Yet it’s been on my mind non-stop since yesterday, when my daughter kissed me, said, “I love you, Mom,” and announced they are moving away to Virginia. What breaks my heart is that I am going to be separated from my adorable 3 and 5 year-old granddaughters.

Of course my daughter and her husband have the right to move anywhere they want or anyplace that’s convenient to them. He’s been without work since last November and interviewing right and left in a desperate attempt to find a job. He hasn’t found one yet but they have decided it would be easier to be in Washington to job hunt.

I wish them well and pray that he can find a job soon. But how am I going to cope with my little ones moving a thousand miles away?

I know I can rely on my husband, my writing and my wonderful friends. And I will be extremely busy with the promotion of my third book.

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is a sweet and spicy medical romance that garnered several wins in contests and is based on my daughter’s professional experience. Needless to say, the book is dedicated to her as she read and corrected the medical cases.

My heroine is a pediatrician and a neonatologist finishing her residency and training in a children’s hospital in Washington. Same as my daughter did. And my heroine Holly “coincidentally” shares some of the medical cases and emotional career turmoil that my daughter faced during her tough training. But the coincidental similarities stop here.

My heroine is attracted to a tall, dark and handsome hero (hmm son-in-law is also T, D, and H, pure coincidence again). My hero is a Puerto Rican doctor. Now this is pure fiction.

The story behind BABIES IN THE BARGAIN started on a Christmas Day, a few years ago, when my daughter was still a first year neonatology fellow. She was on-call on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day—as she’d been for the previous three years.

To share the holiday season, we called her and said we were coming to have lunch with her at the cafeteria. My husband and son helped me carry the elaborate home-cooked meal and the wrapped presents. We shared a happy lunch with the guest of honor wearing green scrubs.

• 
  Later, she invited us to visit the NICU. We slipped yellow gowns over our clothes and scrubbed before entering the room where five preemies fought for their lives. I approached one of the isolettes and noticed that the preemie wore a dress with Christmas prints. My daughter explained that a nurse sewed the tiny outfits for the babies in residence over the holiday. I realized that the dedication of the NICU personnel, including my daughter, went beyond the performance of a well-done job. They gave a hundred and one percent to the babies they helped save and did it happily. On that Christmas Day, I decided to write a story featuring the wonderful doctors and nurses who treated our loved ones.

I wish you a happy time as you read the story of Holly Collier, a beautiful and dedicated neonatologist who spends many hours in the hospital NICU, and falls in love with Marc Suarez, the dashing Puerto Rican doctor who shares her journey.

• Contest: Answer in the comment of this blog:

I am sure you all have faced separation. How did you deal with the situation? How long did it take you to adjust?

• WINNERS OF FRIDAY 6/5/09

Babyblue 22 (Afshan) and Laurie Gommermann Congratulations you are my winners for the first contest.

Please let me know in the comments if you want 2 medical romances or specify any one of the books mentioned as prizes.

There will be many more next week. Stay tune.