Sara Reyes | Book Signings and Elvis

The new year is here and book signings are starting to happen...I spent a whole day entering the local signings at our Book Club's web site. We have a few (ha!) good ones coming up in 2009. Steve Berry was our first one for 2009. I managed to write down the right bookstore but insisted on driving to the wrong one. All was well since fortunately the bookstores are close together so we only missed the introduction. Whew. He was a great speaker and told the 50 or so of us there about the way he does research, how he picks the places and objects he weaves stories around and then what's coming down the pike. He also enthused about the ThrillerFest organization and the annual meeting they have in NYC. It was a fun way to start an evening, which we had to top off with a late dinner.

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Dinner, that was a real challenge. Since I was "confused" on the location my favorite spot, Cheesecake Factory wasn't close. So a new place had to be negotiated. Isn't that the way it happens with other families and friends, the restaurant negotiation. Who's on what diet, who's hungry for what, who will EAT what....I could go on. Fortunately being a "mom" holds some sway so being hungry and tired I threw out the ultimate tease...Chuy's. A new one opened in our town and what a better time to try it?

Hold on...obviously I'm not in the know. Thursday was also Elvis's birthday. Elvis is the pinup for Chuy's. Chuy's celebrates Elvis. Do you get the drift? First sign was the parking lot was crowded. Second sign was the Elvis fans on the windows and doors. Third sign was the huddle in the front area. Yes, they had the Elvis impressionist in the bar area, singing loudly (he wasn't that bad). But the place was also packed with a 20 minute wait. ON A THURSDAY NIGHT at 8:30pm? Seriously! But the wait was worth it. The food was HOT and great! And we had the entertainment of Elvis fans ... some dressed in costume, okay, T-shirts and Elvis pompadours, to admire.

All in all, it was a great way to start off 2009 signing trips. Next up is today's tea with 19 friends and Rachel Caine. First a signing with her at Legacy Books, then a high tea this afternoon. It will be fun!

Sara Reyes

DFW Tea Readers Group

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Summer Devon | Give Me the Dessert Tray...

I love anthologies. They’re like getting small portions of several desserts. You don’t have to choose between the mousse, the chocolate dipped strawberry or the truffle cake—you can have them all. Plus you get a real taste of what you’re reading. Novellas are actual portions--not the single bite of a short story.

I love writing novellas, too, and that shows up in the number of anthologies that contain Summer Devon stories.

The first collection is Taming Him (Ellora’s Cave/Simon and Schuster) Other authors: Michelle Pillow, Kimberly Dean. Summer’s story is "Perfection": A laboratory experiment gone awry cranks Bryan's pheromones into overdrive and he’s irresistible to women. Escaping droves of desperate women is only one of his worries. Thugs from the lab are after him, eager to recapture the million-dollar essence he exudes. His only hope is to find the "perfect" woman. Sleeping with her will turn off his pheromone factory. Finding her is another matter.

Most of the anthologies I’m in have themes, such as dragons. I Dream of Dragons, Volume 1(Samhain Publishing) Other authors: Marie Harte, Bianca D’Arc. The Summer Devon story is "Knight’s Challenge": Sarkany has collected a fine hoard, including much of a small New England city. But Miranda knows his true nature. To drive this dragon from her home, she issues Sarkany a challenge—give it up or get out. His counter-challenge: if she loses, she becomes his.

There’s an anthology with interconnected characters and a paranormal professional practice. Shrink Wrap (Ellora’s Cave) Other authors: Lyn Cash, Kris Starr. Summer’s story in that collection is "Invisible Touch": When Bonnie spurns the sexual advances of a real creep, she suddenly finds herself invisible to any man she finds attractive. She soon learns that the man she turned down is an amateur sorcerer who placed the curse on her. Now he's threatening to make it permanent unless she agrees to spy on his boss, a man Bonnie finds irresistible.

Here’s a collection unlike any I’ve seen in the world of erotic romance—infertility is the theme of Who’s Your Daddy (Total E-Bound publishing) Other authors: Lyn Cash, Alexis Fleming. Summer’s story is "Direct Deposit": Five years ago she and her husband had used him in a strange threesome that turned out to be less about passion than about an infertile couple's desperation. Divorced and infertile - yet finally content with her life - Colleen is shaken when the man she'd unwittingly deceived re-enters her life. She can't forget that their one encounter left her wanting more.

The latest anthology featuring Summer Devon has a paranormal theme: Out Of This World Lover. (Ellora’s Cave/Simon and Schuster). The official release is today! Because it’s brand new, I’m shoving in all the novellas’ blurbs--lifted straight from the publisher page:

Description
SHANNON STACEY
Interstellar Sparks
After intergalactic Acelan ambassador Ilyna shows up at hard-bodied electrician Bryan Cameron's door to re-enact some steamy scenes she saw on the XXX channel, he indulges her nocturnal fantasies...before the morning brings a scandalous surprise.

SUMMER DEVON
Futurelove
Candy is shocked when a tall, mysterious -- and deliciously sexy -- stranger from the future lands with a thud on her park bench. But with a little intimate flirtation and a lot of erotic fun, she treats him to a red-hot escapade that makes him beg for more.

CHARLENE TEGLIA
Wolf in Cheap Clothing
Wearing her slinkiest bikini, Lou is on the hunt for the rogue werewolf who changed her -- until a gorgeous, towering hunk takes her hostage on the beach for an unforgettable night of carnal pleasure.

* * *

If you like e-books, your novella selection can be more a la carte. Almost all the anthologies’ stories are also available as individual e-books…So if you hanker for lemon meringue alone, you can skip the sorbet.

Kate Rothwell writing as Summer Devon
Blog
KateRothwell.com
SummerDevon.com

Sunny | What Book Format do you prefer?

With my new release, Mona Lisa Darkening, just out in mass market paperback—the first one of my novels to do so—I’m left scratching my head a bit. One reader emailed me with praise for switching the series from the more expensive trade paperback to the smaller and economical mass market paperback format. But two other readers queried, asking if Mona Lisa Darkening would possibly be available in trade or hardcover format, which they preferred. I’m sorry to say no. But it surprised me greatly that they would ask. I’d love to hear which format others prefer, and why.

Okay, some happy news. My 11-year-old son, Michael Chen, recently starred in a small independent film called Children of Invention, an amazing experience all in itself, but now we’ve just learned that it’s been accepted into the 2009 Sundance Film festival, under the Spectrum category! Here’s a link to the other 15 films in the category—the Spectrum group is halfway down the page. Robin Williams, Ashley Judd, Mary Tyler Moore, and the like are listed there!

And, as listed in my son’s bio, he’s a great dancer. Here’s a ballet clip I just posted of him on YouTube from last year’s recital.

I’m giving away one free copy of MONA LISA DARKENING to one of the brave souls who posts a comment here. Any topic is welcome. Don’t be shy. Would love to hear from you.

Sunny
www.sunnyauthor.com
MONA LISA BLOSSOMING, PRISM Award winner
OVER THE MOON, PRISM Award winner
LUCINDA, DARKLY, PRISM 2nd place winner

Kat Martin | Trapped in the Past

Trapped in the past for nearly two years, I have written four historicals in a row! I much prefer to mix in Contemporary Romantic Suspense, but contract obligations made it impossible.

The good news is, when you are writing in a certain time period, you begin to get a feel for that period. Mostly, my historicals have been set in the Regency Period, but a few years ago, I got an itch to move on, and so I set The Heart Trilogy: HEART OF HONOR, HEART OF FIRE, and just released, HEART OF COURAGE, in London in the 1850’s.

The books are all set around the London ladies’ gazette, Heart to Heart. I chose the period because it was a time when women were beginning to be involved in activities outside the home. They worked, they owned businesses, they were becoming more outspoken. I thought this time would give me an opportunity to explore a broader range of stories and I think it has.

Currently I am immersed in The Bride’s Trilogy, books about three brothers, also set in the Victorian period. The first, ROYAL’S BRIDE, will be out next September.

In the meantime, I hope you will watch for HEART OF COURAGE and that you enjoy! All best wishes for a great 2009!

Kat
www.katbooks.com/

Margay Leah Justice | From Conception to Birth, Or One Book’s Journey to Publication

Ah, the first blush of romance. The first time you see the idea, sitting there in the corner of your mind, trying to get your attention in that inconspicuous manner these ideas sometimes adopt. You look away, convinced that there is no way this idea could possibly go anywhere. It’s just a fluke, a fling. Surely, you’ll forget it by morning. But when you look back, the idea is still there, sitting in the corner, flirting with you. So what’s a harmless little flirtation? You approach the idea cautiously, in a manner you hope is suave and sophisticated, but as you get closer, your excitement rises. Your heart begins to race. You lick your lips in anticipation. It’s even more exciting up close. So you flirt with it, spend the night with it, take it home with you. In the morning, you’re surprised that it’s still with you. After two months, you begin to believe this idea has a future. So you cultivate it, give up sleep for it, nurture it as it grows within you. Soon, what began as a nugget of an idea in your mind blossoms into a full-blown creature. It grows within you, like a fetus in a womb, becoming bigger by the month, more substantial. You can almost feel it move within you; you carry it everywhere, wherever you go, it’s there with you. All of your energy is devoted to it.

After a suitable gestation period, your little nugget of an idea, which you have affectionately begun to call “the book” while you search for the right title, is ready to make its appearance. Your months of labor are about to pay off as you prepare to deliver your book into the capable hands of the publisher who will introduce it to the world. But wait, his assistant has to help you clean it up a bit first and you are struck by the niggling thought, What if my baby’s ugly? What if I put this out there and no one likes it? But with the reassurances of your publisher, you clean the book up and send it back, maybe with a prayer or two, and you wait. Now it’s time for your baby to prove its worth.

As you can tell from my whimsical tale above, writing and publishing, to me, often mimic conception and birth. The stages of both are remarkably similar. There is the courtship period when you are first introduced to the idea that will one day take over your life. Followed by the get-to-know you period during which you decide whether or not the idea has longevity and you want to commit to it. Once you make that commitment, there is the gestation period – I think you can guess what happens here. The idea grows and grows, taking on a life of its own, convincing you that you are mad, suffering from a hormonal imbalance, or both. But in the end, it’s worth it because you deliver a rollicking, three hundred page epic that someone is bound to love – and not because they’re related to you.

So I guess you could say that Nora’s Soul is the first of my literary babies. She is almost two months old now, having made her debut in November, and growing stronger every day. Bringing her to the attention of the public is similar to the care and nurturing of an infant, requiring constant vigilance. Yet the pay off is that people are noticing her, some are cooing over her, and others even want to take her home with them. She may just be crawling now, but soon she will gain her legs and walk on her own – and I will sit back in amazement like any proud mother, thinking, Wow, I can’t believe I created that! And in the grand tradition of mothers everywhere, I will want to create another one, forgetting all of the pains and labor involved in the process. Keep your eyes open for the debut of Nora’s brother, Dante. Thank you for riding along with me on this whimsical journey into my take on writing. I hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

Margay Leah Justice is the author of Nora’s Soul, from Second Wind Publishing, LLC. Nora’s Soul is currently available on Amazon.com. To read more about Margay and her writing, visit margayleahjustice.com.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of NORA'S SOUL -Today only.

Jan Brogan | Addictive Personality

Reviewers often refer to my protagonist, Hallie Ahern, as both “feisty,” and “troubled,” as if this combination is something of a surprise.

But to me, these traits go hand in hand. Hallie is an investigative journalist, a recovering gambling addict who has to struggle with herself to stay away from the online poker sites. But because she isn’t really addressing her addiction, she still craves the action of a hot table. To get her adrenaline fix, she pushes whatever investigation she’s working on farther than it should go.

In Teaser, Hallie discovers that local teenage girls are featuring provocative videos of themselves on the local social networking site. Hallie discovers this is more dangerous and far reaching than just a teenage whim. When teenage girls start disappearing, Hallie’s story becomes a mission.

Although I’ve never been addicted to anything --except maybe FreeCell-- I’ve had a lot of experience with the addictive personality. People I’ve loved have had to come back from the precipice, and I’ve suffered along on their journey. But I’ve also been fortunate enough to learn that when in recovery, the same personality trait that drives these loved ones to their addictions, also drives them to success.

A compulsive personality is a double-edged sword. The useful side of that sword is a single-minded drive can cut through a lot of obstacles the rest of us just wouldn’t take on.

In truth, a lot of thrillers never made sense to me. Most well-balanced people simply wouldn’t creep through a vacant warehouse or board a drug-dealers boat to try to bring down a child pornography ring. They’d give the information to the cops and let them take the risk.

But in the newspaper world, it’s bad form to give information to police. And if a reporter is terribly ambitious for a story, compulsive by nature, and in need of an adrenaline fix, then all that risk-taking begins to make sense.

To be honest, most super-hero sleuths bore me. I know I should be impressed with their skills, but they seem so one dimensional. And if they are so darn terrific, OF COURSE, they’re going to solve the crime. Where’s the suspense?

In every book, I want the reader to wonder: Will Hallie be able to overcome her own obstacles? Will she wreck her relationship with Matt? Will she go too far this time and ruin her career?

More than anything else, I strive to make Hallie human: fallible, complex, dedicated, compulsive, vulnerable, and self-depreciating. She’s got a good sense of humor and pokes a lot of fun at herself. But she never gives up. The books are about her struggle, not just with the clues of the puzzle, but with herself.

To check out Teaser, go to my website www.janbrogan.com/ and download a first chapter. Or take a look at this trailer:

Sandi Shilhanek | My Reading Resolutions for 2009

I want to start by wishing everyone happy healthy new year! I hope that 2009 is a great year for all.

Every year there’s discussion in my yahoo groups about resolutions. Some people make more personal resolutions about things such being more fiscally responsible, getting healthier by exercising or watching their diets. Some are making resolutions about their TBRs and/or potential reading choices.

Last year I attempted to do an alphabet challenge. This was to have had me reading at least one book by an author whose last name started with every letter of the alphabet. I was doing fairly well at this, and even had been told who to read for X and Z, but then I lost my list of what I had read and gave up. This year I’m going to attempt it again, and can use those authors from last year’s X and Z challenge, because I haven’t read those books yet. I knew procrastination was good for a reason!

This year I’m also going to attempt to join in the challenge the same group is doing and read the selected word of the month. This means picking a title that has a certain word in it. To assist in that I’m currently reading NOT SO SNOW WHITE (snow is the January word) by Donna Kauffman.

Lastly I’m going to work really hard at reading the book for our the DFW Tea Readers Book Group. For January the author is Laura Griffin, and while I won’t read her current book I will be attempting to read her first book ONE LAST BREATH before our meeting.

So, now you know what I’m going to attempt with my reading. I want to know what your reading resolutions are. Would you also like to share your personal ones as well, and perhaps we can form a little support group and cheer one another on during the year.

Sandi
DFW Tea Readers
Readers 'n 'ritas... celebrating literary obsessions