Reviews for Null and Void
Reviewer’s Top Pick "This book reminded me of something I read as a teen. Not that the stories were similar but because both books had a gothic feel... a romantic gothic embrace that made me fall in love with it’s on-the-edge suspense. Yes, thanks to Jane Toombs, I am now addicted and you probably will be as well, if you read this book. So if you are looking for something that sounds like this... Pages bewitched with twists of Gothic spirit, on- the- edge suspense, and an aura of romance that is absolutely addictive. Then this series is for you." - 4 Tarots, C.H. Scarlett, Pagan Pen
Visit Jane Toomb's web site
Read an excerpt from Null & Void
About Jane Toombs
Jane Toombs, award-winning author of over eighty books, plus some twenty or more novellas, lives on the south shore of Lake Superior with the Viking from her past and their calico grandcat, Kinko. Jane writes in many genres, but her favorite is paranormal romance. She's a charter member of RWA and was published before she joined.
Also by Jane Toombs:
Recently published books Include:
NIGHTINGALE MAN from Champagne Books 2010
ONCE AN OUTCAST, Sixth book in the Orphan Train Series from Champagne Books 2009
CREOLE BETRAYAL from Amber Quill Press 2009
THE FLAME from Amber Quill Press 2009
NORTH OF NONESUCH ANTHOLOGY from Whiskey Creek Press 2009
"The Third Kiss" my story in MAGICAL KISSES JOTQ ANTHOLOGY
"The Nonesuch Curse" my story in TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE VI JOTQ ANTHOLOGY
(JOTQ is JEWELS OF THE QUILL, a private, closed group of twelve authors who promote each other. Both these anthologies were published by Whiskey Creek Press in 2009 )
For a complete backlist please go to www.JaneToombs.com.
An Interview with Jane Toombs
By Holly Hewson for The Romance StudioHH: Jane, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Please tell us about your featured book, Null & Void. JT: NULL AND VOID was a book I'd started some time ago. It didn't fit any genre well, which bothered me, so I abandoned it after three chapters. But when this series came into being, I realized gothic romance was a good fit. So while we were discussing the series, I set off to finish it, having to rewrite only the third chapter. Now that I knew what the story was, the book all but wrote itself. Which was why it became the first to be submitted and published. The basis of the story is two ten-year-old girls, Mandy and Ari, vanish from the grounds of Null House one evening. A survivor is found in the woods, the next day, so traumatized she has no memory of what happened, and doesn't even know who she is. A barrette in her hair with a name on it identifies her as Ari, Relatives take her to another state, but she never recovers the memory of the first ten years of her life. Twenty years later, she's invited back to Null House. She doesn't want to go, but the child's voice in her mind that sometimes whispers to her, tells her, "It's time..." The story begins with Ari driving to Null House.
HH: This is the first book in your new Shadowed Hearts gothic series. Where did the idea for the series itself come from? JT: I belong to the Gothic Writers RWA online chapter. For some time we'd been discussing doing a gothic anthology, but when twelve writers signed up to do it, I realized it would be two anthologies. An idea hit me--make the stories longer and do a series. Twelve gothics coming in would surely interest an publisher. So I checked out submissions on publisher URLs. Red Rose Publishing was looking for gothics, so I queried Wendi and got back a quick answer--she liked the idea. The group was thrilled. But in RRP's submissions I noticed they wanted "polished stories" so we created an editing group of three volunteers. I had everyone send their finished story to me to edit, then sent in back to the author for rewriting, then a second editor looked it over, So essentially each story was edited twice before being submitted to RRP, including mine. I'm sure that helped every story so far being accepted, plus we're all published authors. When this was in place we named the series SHADOWED HEARTS, which Wendi liked. At this point another author decided to write one, so now we have a spooky thirteenth coming up.
HH: How does Null & Void kick off the series? JT: NULL AND VOID already has two great reviews from Romantic Times Book Reviews and from The Pagan And The Pen, who gave it a Top Pick. I've been blogging everywhere I can and, of course Jewels of the Quill is promoting it because I'm one of the this closed group's twelve authors who promote only each other. I'll be giving away downloads in some of JOTQ's many contests.
HH: What can you tell us about the stories to come in this exciting new series? JT: Since I've edited every one of them so far I can tell you the quality is high. Plus the variety is fantastic--historicals and contemporaries, located in lots of spooky places all over the US and even in Romania. A real castle, a lighthouse, ghosts, shape shifters, and all sorts of enigmatic, sexy heroes.
HH: I'm a huge fan of gothic romance though they are exceptionally hard to find. I remember reading many of them in the early 90's. Do you see a comeback for this entertaining type of story in the romance genre? JT: Wendi told us she began looking for gothics because so many readers had complained they couldn't find any. We knew this because gothic writers also like to read gothics and they've been rare, indeed. My first published book was a gothic, TULE WITCH, published by Avon in 1973. I subsequently published six more. These old ones were the not-much-more-than-a kiss type. But then Silhouette Shadows came along. These were essentially sexy gothics and I had six more published there. A seventh had been contracted-for and partly written when the line closed down--that one was subsequently published by Kensington. Actually some of the paranormals written today, though definitely not all, are gothic in tone. I hope RRP is successful in starting a trend for the "new" gothic.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers? JT: I also belong to an online list called The Grande Dames, because we're all "of a certain age." We're published and wanted to do an anthology. But after I sold the gothic series to RRP, I suggested a series instead. One of our members is a Tarot card reader, so we settled on a Tarot card series and seven of us signed up to do one. Champagne Books took a chance on us, calling the series In The Cards. What keeps this a series is that in every story, a Tarot card is seemingly accidentally found by either of the main characters and this card influences and changes both their lives. All the books are romantic suspense. Mine, LADY LUCK, is the first one, featuring the Wheal Of Fortune. It will be out sometime this year. Since we began, several other authors have signed up to do a book.
Also RRP has contracted for a paranormal romance series of mine called DESPERATE DECEPTION and already has the first two books, SHADOW ON THE FLOOR and WATCHER AT THE DOOR.
HH: What's a typical day like for you? JT: I try to write every day , but don't always succeed. Since this is winter, I also try for two sessions on the exercise machine and always get in at least one. Right now, I'm madly trying to get things together for the CPA who does my income tax, because that has a deadline. In better weather, The Viking and I walk once or twice a day. I also garden. Got great rhubarb.
HH: What do you consider a really satisfying writing day? JT: One where I didn't get interrupted fifty times and have to do other chores. A cook and housekeeper would take care of that, but, unfortunately I am both. Although the Viking does the vacuuming and washes windows. He's a real keeper.
HH: What do you personally enjoy reading? JT: Suspense and mysteries mostly, though I prefer some romance with both. Mostly Big Print because of my eyesight. I do enjoy paranormal. Of course I'd read gothics, too if I could find them.
HH: What would you most like to accomplish this year? JT: My New Year's resolution was I had to finish the first book in every series I started that was salable in today's market. Since I have some six or seven around, this means I can't write anything else unless it's already contracted for. No grasping at new ideas. Though I will allow myself to write the idea down to pursue later. If ever. Because this will take me about five years to complete and I'm already an old bat.
HH: Thank you!
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