Book Club Rewind - Jerrilyn Farmer

Our book club author for September was Jerrilyn Farmer and with a book entitled The Flaming Luau of Death how could tropical not be the them for dinner?! Jerrilyn writes the Madeline Bean culinary mysteries, but her talents do not stop at writing. She actually started out, and continues to be, an accomplished comedy (some of Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" sketches) and game show (Jeopardy! and Supermarket Sweep) writer.

After college, Jerrilyn moved from Chicago to LA and got involved in comedy writing and game show writing. She wrote for several Saturday Night Live comedians and took writing courses through UCLA and was inspired to write a book. Problem? Living in the LA area and working in the television industry, naturally her first impulse was to show her book to some of the people she knew from the TV industry. Unfortunately, they kept looking at the book from the perspective of turning it into a movie. Jerrilyn then sent out copies of her book to several agents, as most aspiring authors do, and was successful in finding an agent.

When it comes to promotion for her Madeline Bean books, Jerrilyn does not go the same route as other authors of culinary mysteries and provide multiple recipes from, or inspired by, the latest book to readers. Her Editor has never even suggested writing recipes. That is not say that recipes are never given. Jerrilyn generally posts one recipe on her website per book release. It is also worth mentioning that in each book she generally lists the ingredients and preparation for at least one dish but does not provide the exact measurements. Anyone who read The Flaming Luau of Death can appreciate how good those chicken lollipops at the luau must have tasted!

During her book tour for The Flaming Luau of Death, Jerrilyn's publicist was able to line up several TV interviews with local morning shows by pitching the fact that she cooks and writes culinary mysteries. When Dim Sum Dead was released, she held several dim sum parties.

Back to The Flaming Luau of Death. Her publisher thought the title was too long but our book club totally loved it. When asked how much say her Editor has with her plot, Jerrilyn said her Editor is very hands off. Jerrilyn usually just gives her a one paragraph synopsis initially for her OK.

The Madeline Bean mysteries usually have one big event, but this one was a whole weekend. Given the title, it definitely takes place in Hawaii. Can we say research trip for the author? Oh yes. Jerrilyn knew she wanted to partly set a book in Hawaii, but her Editor said they would not mind having the whole book set there. She got to experience some of what is discussed in the book including the spa treatments and swimming with the dolphins.

The Flaming Luau of Death was released in 2005, but talks about the idea of bamboo becoming a mainstream building and flooring product. It is definitely becoming that way today but it certainly was not the case when Jerrilyn was writing this book so I have to give a lot of credit to her for even fathoming such an idea at that time. Jerrilyn says she actually did find a bamboo society that put their minutes online at the time she was researching for this book.


The next Madeline Bean mystery, Desperately Seeking Sushi, is currently scheduled to be released March 2008. Jerrilyn is also planning a new series that should be very funny & over the top.

Eve Silver | A Little Bit Dark....

I wrote my first book when I was nine, the story of an unwanted teddy bear that found a new and loving home. Poor teddy! I guess even at the age of nine was a little dark, LOL!

Years later, I tried my hand at romantic comedy (an abysmal failure). My next attempt was at a lighthearted, fun historical, the kind I loved to read. Only problem was, no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn’t funny. Everything that flowed from my imagination was creepy and dark and moody.

So what is it with me and dark books? Whether I’m writing historical gothics or sexy, contemporary paranormals as Eve Silver, or speculative romance as Eve Kenin, everything I write is dark, dark, dark (with the occasional quirky humor thrown in).

What is it about a dark, tortured hero that is so appealing? And why does the heroine love him when he’s so hard to love?

In my historical gothics (DARK PRINCE, HIS DARK KISS, DARK DESIRES), the heroes are secretive and a little sinister. Terrible things have happened to them, and they’ve done terrible things in turn. Yet, the tortured hero captures the love of the heroine and the reader, and we cheer for his happily-ever-after. Because the heroine is strong enough to be his match. She’s brave and resilient, and she brings light to the hero’s darkness.

My first contemporary paranormal, DEMON’S KISS, is just hitting shelves now, and guess what…? Yep, dark tortured hero. But this story threw a twist at me that I wasn’t expecting. The sexy, seductive hero, Ciarran D’Arbois, is sworn to protect the world of man from the demons who would decimate it. Problem is, he is the very thing that he’s sworn to fight against. How’s that for tortured?

DRIVEN, my post-apocalyptic trans-Siberian trucker tale (written as Eve Kenin) brings a whole new perspective to my dark side. The world that the book is set in is barren and bleak, and the hero is a man with no emotion. Not a guy who hides his feelings. Not a guy who has buried them deep. A guy who doesn’t have any. Kind of made finding true love a bit of a challenge.

Coming up next I have—you guessed it—a few dark, moody tales to tell. My next historical gothic, HIS WICKED SINS, will be out in August 2008. DEMON’S HUNGER, the second book about the Compact of Sorcerers is coming soon. And HIDDEN, the next book set in the post-apocalyptic world I created in DRIVEN will hit shelves in July 2008.


So what appeals to you about a dark, tortured hero? What makes him so appealing? And what sort of heroine do you think is his perfect match?

Happy reading!
Eve
--
http://www.evesilver.net/
http://www.evekenin.com/

Lucy Monroe | Trying Something New

Why an eBook? I get that question a lot since I decided to publish Annabelle's Courtship with Samhain Publishing. My first reaction is: Why not? :-)

But seriously...Samhain Publishing is such an impressive entity to me that I really wanted to work on a project with them. It started with two Inspirationals I'd written before I discovered that my fit as a writer leaned much more heavily toward sexy romance. Samhain doesn't have any of the limitations on publication for an Inspirational that the larger presses do and luckily for me, they were interested in publishing my books.

Meagan's Chance came out under the LC Monroe name in July and Miss Fixit will be out later this year with a co-author.

I also had a historical I'd written early on that Berkley had not yet purchased and I saw this as a golden opportunity to do something with Samhain as Lucy Monroe. Berkley very generously allowed me an addendum to my contract to make this possible and voila...Annabelle's Courtship was published! Not only has Annabelle's Courtship come out as an original eBook, but it and Meagan's Chance will be released in print (available in all major bookstores - and some not so major ::g::) later in 2008. They will both also be highlighted in the Ingram's catalog by my publisher and what that means for my readers is that they can buy the book as easily as any of my others.

What it means for *me* is that maybe a whole new group of readers will meet my characters and maybe...just maybe fall in love with them like I have. Which is a big part of the answer to: Why an eBook?

But the other part of the answer is more about the personal me than the author me. I'm an eBook fanatic. Not only is my office filled with numerous six feet high bookcases with double stacked and overflowing shelves of print books, but I've got several hundred electronic releases on my harddrive. I've read them all, but in addition I've got a TBR folder only slightly less brimming than the bookcase full of print books in my bedroom that I haven't yet read. There are tons of authors on my autobuy list for both print and eBooks, some of whom I insist on having in both.

What about you, are you an eBook reader?

http://www.lucymonroe.com/

Cheryl Holt | What DO Readers Think?

After 21 published novels, and numerous reprints of my old titles, I’m getting ready once again to contract with my publisher to write some more books. It’s always an interesting time for me, because I get to pick new characters, new plot twists, and new storylines.

As I go through this process, I’m interested in what readers think. I’m renowned as “The Queen” of erotic romance, as well as “The Queen” of villains, so I write a story that’s very different from mainstream romance. My books are very plot driven. By this I mean they’re very fast-paced, with a focus on action and dialogue. They’re also very passionate and very dramatic, with extremely evil villains.

If you’re one of my fans, and have read some (or all!) of my novels, I would love to hear what you enjoy about them. For example, is it the macho heroes? The great sex scenes? The heartbreak? The drama? The villains? What do you relish the most? Also, what could I leave out or tone down?

The answers to these questions help me pinpoint the direction my books should go.

If you haven’t read my books before, I’m curious as to why not. Is it that you haven’t heard of me? You don’t read erotics? You don’t read historicals? If you’re not one of my regular readers, how could I change my stories to interest you? What is it that makes you purchase one romance instead of another? Is it the cover? The back-cover story description? The author? The time period? What can I do – as a writer unknown to you – to intrigue you into becoming a fan?


Cheryl Holt
http://www.cherylholt.com/

Terry McLaughlin | A Kiss is Still a Kiss

Ahh, another day in the life of a romance novelist, spending long hours fantasizing about a lingering kiss--that all-important first kiss scene, to be exact. It's a tough job, but if I need some assistance, I can always find a bit of inspiration on film.

Clark Gable bidding Vivien Leigh farewell on a bridge outside Atlanta, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint seducing each other on a train--I love to sigh over kisses that hint about forever and last nearly as long. In Learning Curve, I splurged on an I-shouldn't-be-doing-this-but-I-can't-help-myself first kiss scene that spread across ten pages.

Do I want to add a touch of go-for-broke passion to that first embrace? In Moonstruck, Nicolas Cage gets his message across when he upends the kitchen table before grabbing Cher. My hero in Maybe, Baby may not have knocked over the kitchen table, but he sweeps everything on it to the floor, pushes the heroine down on its surface, and sprawls over her before helping himself to a greedy gulp of a kiss.

I love Bacall's sass in To Have and Have Not when she kisses Bogart and then tells him, "It's even better when you help." Because my hero and heroine share their first kiss in a wine cellar, I had some fun with the dialogue in The Rancher Needs a Wife:

"A little tart," he says after she pulls him close for another one, "but not without promise.”

"Bold," she responds later, as he unbuttons her blouse, "but not without finesse."

"Full-bodied," he murmurs as the heroine gets to work on his clothes, "with a surprisingly strong finish.”

Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard got pelted with rain in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster didn't seem to mind rolling in the surf in From Here to Eternity. Still, I chose a more comfortable--and drier--setting for the first kiss shared by the hero and heroine in my upcoming release, A Perfect Stranger. It's on a hill in Montmartre, with a view of Paris rooftops on a soft summer evening, and...sigh.

What are your favorite movie kisses? I'd love to hear about them--I'm always looking for some inspiration.

Terry McLaughlin
www.terrymclaughlin.com/

Lori Foster | "The" Writer

So You’re the Writer

I get asked that a lot. By everyone. My doctor. My dentist. Neighbors. Friends to my extended family.

I’m not “a” writer.

I’m “the” writer. Like there’s only one.

Or it’s so odd, it deserves special definition.

Most times I keep the writerly part of myself private. Only with other writers and among readers who know I’m published do I relax about my profession. But somehow, everyone finds out. And it’s always embarrassing.

I’M not embarrassed to be a writer. No, never that. I LOVE being a writer. But some people have these interpretations, or just things they say, or maybe WHEN they say them, or HOW they say them, that can make it very uncomfortable.

I recently attended a neighborhood block party, and lo and behold, the topic of my books came up.

I’m NOT the one who raised the subject.

A woman said, “You’re the writer!”

And a male neighbor – a nice guy, but still... told me that, given what his wife reads of my work, he expected me to be a hottie.

I’m positive that I disappointed him. :-)

Not too long ago, I was sitting at a high school sporting event and a woman I know said – from about eight rows away, “I read your book” – they never give titles. Just like being “the” writer, they just say “your book.” Anyway, she said, “I read your book, and then I highlighted the good parts for my husband.”

She had a very carrying voice.

Several people looked my way.

I could feel my face getting red.

And a woman sitting in front of me turned around and said, “Oh. So you’re the writer.”

All that from writing romance novels. And now I’m writing urban fantasy/horror, too.

I wonder what they’ll say next!

Have you ever been in a public situation that embarrassed you? (C’mon, you know you have!)

Is there anything about your profession that raises brows?

If you could ask me anything about writing, what would it?

I hope everyone is having a good day!

You can find out more about me at my websites –

http://www.lorifoster.com/

http://www.llfoster.com/

Lori Foster