Paranormals need a little lovin’ too

Okay, so here we are at Valentine’s week.  Can you believe it?  Didn’t New Year’s just come around yesterday? LOL  Anyway, seeing all the red and pink decorations everywhere, you can’t help but think about love and warm fuzzies.

Which is just one of the reasons why I like writing.  Even though you know there’ll be a happily ever after at the end of the piece, you still feel along with the main characters as they travel the path to get there.  All of that angst and passion, warm thoughts, broke down moments and finally deep down abiding love.

And so I feel the need to gush about why I love writing in the paranormal genre.  Recently, I just finished a vampire novella which is full of humor, one liners, emotion packed moments, etc.  It’s one of the best things I’ve written (well I think) and I’m super excited to write it’s sequel.  One of my favorite things to do is figure out how the paranormal character will interact with the human.  What added elements and challenges will be present to derail the love story before it has a chance to blossom?

How will the couple overcome such issues?  Work through them, leave them at the door, rush into each other’s arms and…?

Sigh.  Well, you have an imagination! LOL

There’s just something about love on the dark side of human nature that makes for an incredible story.  The desire to give in, just a little bit, and either tame the beast or succumb to it that makes the coming together even better.  And in my case, add in the humor because I can’t help myself.

Hmm, I wonder if you gave a conversation heart to a vampire, what would it say?  And please don’t say Bite Me.  Too overdone LOL

I hope you all find love and happiness with the sweetie of your dreams this Valentine’s Day.  Watch out, sometimes the hearts bite back

Writing Backwards in High Heels

I remember when I told my grandma that I had sold a book last year. She looked at me, cocked her head to the side with a firm press of her lips then said, “Why can’t you write mysteries?”

I just laughed and said, “There’s some mystery in there, Gram.”

I still find her chagrin amusing but I understand her dilemma. She wanted to tell all of her friends that her granddaughter was a writer. She just didn’t want to tell them she was an – and don’t forget to used a hushed whisper here – erotic romance writer.

And why? Why do we need to use a hushed whisper? Why do romance writers get such slack when their work makes up the lion’s share of the market?

Immediately the assumption is that we are frustrated house wives. Why does a mystery writer immediately get a pair of glasses and a considering expression in the average mind but romance writers get a ratty housecoat and a desperate expression? Okay, so I am wearing a housecoat right now but that is beside the point.

Like most romance writers, I have a degree and day job. Like most romance writers, I consume information and my research skills are exceptional. My knowledge base is diverse because my writing requires it. My degree is in history but I know entirely too much about Epigenomics and exactly how I intend to use it in my next novel. In my last novel I definitely got a very pronounced sensation of TMI while researching mating habits of such animals as camels and moles to develop a scientific explanation for the mating habits of my own characters.

It’s like writing backwards in high heels.

Writing romance writing takes a serious amount of skill and knowledge and the ability to twist both in new ways. Not only do I need to develop a believable bad guy and choreograph fight scenes, I have to make two different species fall in love despite their different backgrounds. I need to understand enough of sociology and anatomy and psychology and kick boxing to make my characters and their trials and tribulation real. Romance novels have to have all the elements that other genres have except we have to develop and nurture love.

So while I may very well be wearing a robe, I also wear glasses and a considering expression. I, like many of my peers, am highly intelligent and adaptable. I am a romance writer, absent the hushed whisper.

Clash of the Covers 2/8/10

Welcome to another installment of Clash of the Covers!

 

First, let’s announce last week’s winner, shall we?

 

And the thorn goes to…

 

 

Congrats Lauren!!

 

And now onto this week’s competition… 

 

Dawn’s Pick: 

What Dawn Says: He’s holding a dagger and he has a badass tattoo on his arm.  Sign me up! 

 

Suzanne’s Pick:

 Suzanne says: I love how intense this cover is, and how hot. Steam is practiacally rising off the cover! 

Amanda’s Pick:

Amanda says:  Seriously…do I need to comment? (Er, no Mandy, you don’t.  )

 

Now it’s your turn. Which one is your favorite?

 

Welcome Mary Alice Pritchard to Fangtastic Friday

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing background.  What enticed you to write about ghosts and shapeshifters?

I’m 46 years old and live in Mississippi. I love to read just about more than anything. I have seven cats and one dog.  I’ve written off and on since I was in grade school. I enjoyed making up wild stories about myself and still have a vivid imagination.  I first started writing to be published nearly six years ago. I have two books out with The Wild Rose Press and one to be released in July.  I have three short stories out with DCL and one book due out sometime next month.

I love paranormal books and tend to write about what I enjoy reading. The ghost book just sort of happened. I initially wrote it as individual chapters to be a series where one chapter was released a week for a small press.  The shapeshifters are just my most favorite topic.  Especially cats.

Your book, Opposites Attract, has been on DCL’s “top 5” list.  What do you think is so appealing about this story?

I think part of its appeal is that it has a regular cat as the hero. There are very few books/stories out there where you have a normal everyday house cat or domestic dog as a shapeshifter.  I thought it was a neat twist. The other part is the tension between the hero and heroine.  She is a snob when it comes to being a shifter and looks down on the hero for being just a regular house cat.

As a health care professional, does your job influence your writing?

Some.  The book I have coming out with DCL, See How They Die, has a nurse as the heroine but it isn’t centered around her job at all. 

You seem to have an affinity for felines.  Tell us about your cats.

I have seven felines at home.  They each have their own personalities and keep me entertained all the time.  I can easily put words in their mouths when they meow or look at me funny.  Lizzy likes to keep everyone informed on my blog. www.maryalicepritchard.com/blog.  You can always find out what I’m up to there. Little Bit is the old man of the house. He tends to sleep when he isn’t keeping the others in line.  Then there is Dippity Doo.  He lives inside with me and is so spoiled I would swear he is a real child.  I can’t do anything without his approval.

Tell us about any works you have in progress.

Presently I am working on Book Three of Tales of the Cat.  I concerns a cat shifter named Usher.  Jaguar Nights is the first book and is out now at www.amazon.com  Leopard Dreams will be out in July.

I’m also working on two different short stories. One concerns a series of wolf shifter stories.  The other is an erotica cowboy book.

Have you met any of your writing idols?  If so, whom, and if not, who would you like to meet?

I’ve met Laurel K. Hamilton, one of my greatest idols, Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) and Christine Feehan.  I’ve also met Carrie Vaughn.  They are all wonderful people and I enjoy listening to them as well as reading their books.

 I hope that everyone will visit my website at www.maryalicepritchard.com

Give from the heart…and get something in return

All Romance eBooks Has Heart…

 

During the month of love, when everyone’s attention is focused on matters of the heart, All Romance eBooks (ARe) is helping to fight the number one killer of women, heart disease, with their 28 Days of Heart campaign.

Beginning February 1, 2010, ARe, the digital bookseller that owns All Romance (www.allromance.com) and OmniLit (www.omnilit.com), will release one new novella  per day for twenty-eight consecutive days. All proceeds from the sale of these shorts, which will be offered exclusively on AllRomance.com and OmniLit.com as individual eBooks, will be donated to the American Heart Association.

The stories cover all the genres, from Gay to Interracial, Paranormal to Historical, Contemporary to Sci Fi. They were generously donated by both best selling and up-and-coming authors from some of your favorite publishers including Kensington, Berkley, Pocket, St. Martin’s Press, Ellora’s Cave, Cerridwen, Samhain, Total E Bound, Loose Id, Phaze, Liquid Silver, Torquere Press, Siren, Amber Quill and more!

 The stories range between 10,000 and 20,000 words, so they are a perfect sweet (or more accurately spicy) Valentine treat. Each includes a forward by author Charlaine Harris (of True Blood fame) as a show of support for the charity the stories will benefit. Indulge yourself this year for Valentines Day—enjoy one of each, and know you are helping a worthy cause at the same time.

Can their love overcome a legacy of evil…

Anna Benecia can’t escape her destiny. A promise signed in blood binds a Shadow for eternity even if the one bound longs to live in the sunny here and now.

Malcolm Hayes is the new host for the hunger of an evil spirit who has walked the earth for a thousand years. The Darkhaven shade must have the blood of innocents fed upon by the vampires he creates and controls in order to remain manifest. Freshly possessed and cursed to burn with a hunger only his Shadow bride can slake, Malcolm is determined to fight.

Can a young woman destined to marry into darkness bring the light of hope to a man newly cursed to walk the night?
 

 

Excerpt:

 

She was dying.

Her health had been failing slowly for five beautiful, free years. She had walked on the sun-kissed sand of a hundred beaches from North Shore, Oahu, to Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

But she hadn’t escaped the life of a Shadow.

She didn’t want to die because death would mean the final irrevocable loss of hope. More importantly, if she broke the promise, her entire family would suffer for it.

“I do,” Anna forced herself to say, giving her consent. She held her hand out, proud that it didn’t shake. She had run for as long as she could, but she wouldn’t cower now that the time for running was past. She wouldn’t cringe—yet.

Haversham took the ring from the box and placed it on the third finger of her left hand. It was heavy and cold. The tarnished silver setting was much chunkier and ornate than modern sensibilities could appreciate. Then again, its purpose might affect her perceptions.

The ring fit her finger perfectly, but its chill was alien and ugly on her hand.

“Darkhaven is waiting,” Haversham sighed.

The house or the man or the curse? Anna wondered. Then she realized there was no distinction, at all.

 

 http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ashadowskiss-402484-139.html

 

 

The Amazon-Macmillan Fiasco

You have to hand it to the publishing industry – there’s never a dull moment.

Saturday morning I logged into twitter and found a flurry of tweets from many established authors in the romance industry. Evidently, readers could no longer buy certain books on Amazon and these authors were urging people to go to Barnes and Noble, Borders, or other book sellers to buy their newest releases.

Of course I was curious… and yes, I was thinking that this could be a good blog topic. So I followed the trail of tweets, blog posts, AP notices and Opinion Columns to learn exactly what happened to these poor books (and their authors). What I got was a crash course on ebook publishing, business ethics, and what all of this means to readers. There is a lot to it, but I’ll try to give you the brief, easy-digestable version here.

1) One of the biggest selling points for Amazon’s Kindle, is that all ebooks bought through Amazon are priced at $9.99 or less. This includes pricey hard covers, which can cost up to $28 in print.

2) Macmillan Publishing, one of the big 6 NY Publishers (who owns Tor, St. Martins, and other famous imprints), wanted to control the pricing of their ebooks, basically introducing them at ~$15 and then sliding the price down the longer it was on the market.

3) Amazon said no. Why would they want to keep the price at $9.99 when essentially they were  taking a $5 loss on their hardcover books with each sale? (For an explanation of how they are losing money by selling hardcovers for Kindle at $9.99, go HERE) Well, they wanted to sell more Kindles, of course. With Amazon, it was all about the Kindles, not the books. They wanted to monopolize the ebook market, just like they did the print market. What better way than to under price their books? Sure, they’d take a loss for a few years, but people would flock to them to buy books on the cheap, effectively putting the competition out of business. (Well, at least the Indie Bookstores.) Then, after they acquired a sufficient number of loyal buyers (and enough other stores went out of business) they could raise the price to whatever they wanted.

4)  Macmillan and other publishers worried that readers would expect this type of discount forever. Who would buy the hardcovers at $28 when they could get the ebook for less than half that? Publishers make most of their money from hard covers sales.  Publishing in general would take a hit so huge that they probably wouldn’t be able to recover from it – at least not with their current business model.

5) Macmillan decided to counter Amazon’s pricing scheme by delaying the ebook releases for a few months (or years) after the print releases so they wouldn’t eat up too much of the hard cover sales. Or another idea – they would go to Apple, who was looking to start up an ibookstore to compete with Amazon and would give publishers greater control over pricing.

6) Amazon decided to show their muscle, hoping that Macmillan would see  how much the bookstore giant affected their bottom line. What they didn’t count on was the finicky buyer. People liked to shop at Amazon, but many didn’t mind shopping elsewhere to buy books if they had to…unless they owned a Kindle, of course. Instead of folding Macmillan took out an ad in Publisher’s Marketplace where they protested Amazon’s business practices.

Hence, the fiasco I woke up to Saturday morning. Throughout the weekend  tension rose as both parties ruffled their peacock feathers at each other and waited to see who would back down first. Finally, on Monday, Amazon put out THIS STATEMENT that essentially told Macmillan that they won, and Amazon would agree to their pricing terms. Of course the sock market reacted and Amazon’s stock price dropped under speculation that the power shift in the ebook market may soon change.

 Are there any real winners or losers in this power-play? Will it be “business as usual” now or will we have some lasting changes to the ebook market? And how will the introduction of the iPAD and iBookstore affect Amazon? Only time will tell. In the meantime, tell me what you think. I want to hear about it!

If you want to read more about this fiasco, Scott Westerfeld (SF Writer) has a very reader-friendly summary HERE. And, of course, you can follow the Dear Author threads HERE. Or the AP wire HERE. Or another Tobias Buckell’s (SF writer) take HERE.

Clash of the Covers 2.1.10

First of all, congratulations to Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant  for winning last week’s Clash!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now to see which covers we picked for this week’s Clash.

 

 

What Sandra Sookoo says:

Initial reaction?  Loved the watch and the idea of a time travel Valentine story.  After that, my attention stuck on the hero.  Now there’s a guy you wouldn’t mind spending the most romantic day of the year with.  This cover draws you into the scene and you want to know more.

 

What Barbara J. Hancock says: 

Okay, I’ll be honest.  This cover doesn’t make me want to just read this book.  It makes me want to write a book.  Doesn’t she capture your imagination?  The haunted looking forest, her despair, the wind in her hair…I can’t wait to meet this girl and find out what’s happening in her life.

 

What Susan Blexrud says:

Winterborn features a house reminiscent of Psycho, a pool of skulls, and a splash of misty red in the middle.  What’s not to terrify?  You know this is one scary book.

Pick your favorite in our quick click poll and check back next Monday to see which cover wins The Thorn…

Congrats, Terry W.!

You won a book of your choosing from Robin’s backlist.  You will receive an email shortly.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by. 

Fangtastic Friday – Interview with Robin D. Owens

Please welcome author Robin D. Owens, Rita award winning author of futuristic, fantasy romantic fiction.

ETS – Please tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Denver with (currently) two cats.  I’ve been reading fantasy since I’ve been a child and loved fairy tales and happy endings.   I consider myself a writer, that is, I live the job.  Other pursuits are visiting with family, taking walks, and playing an online mass multi-player game (the heroine in the book I’m writing now is a such a game designer).  And you all know that () and ! are not fabulous in books so I use them in blogs and online.
 
ETS – Explain your Celta world.  How did you come up with the world-building, and what inspired you to write this series?

The name is Owens (Welsh) and I hadn’t seen any real Celtic worlds at the time.   To be honest, my historicals weren’t selling so I just decided to write fantasy with my romance.  I (still) usually just write, and when I was unpublished this was the way I always wrote.  So I sat down and found T’Ash throwing divination dice.

So I had to find a place where it would be manly to use such dice and believe that “Today you will meet your HeartMate.”

Celta was colonized by people with psi power on Earth, though they have long lost contact with Earth…and the psi has pretty much morphed into magic, which I call Flair.

Also, the telepathic cat with attitude (redundant) sold the book, and people still like him the best.  Trickster, companion, mentor, he played many roles.
 
ETS – Heart Change released in November.  What can readers expect in this novel?

I try hard to ensure that you can read any of the books as stand-alones.  For those who have followed the series, the hero and heroine (Cratag and Signet) met in Heart Duel (#3), but now they finally have their own story.  Cratag is the head of guards for his distant relative, the powerful T’Hawthorn.  Cratag has very little Flair but is an excellent physical specimen   He is loaned out by his lord as a bodyguard for Signet and the girl she’s watching.

Signet is a noblewoman in her own right, but the TYPE of her Flair has never been discovered, so she’s been isolated.  In the second scene we learn that Signet is a catalyst – she changes people’s lives for good – but usually when this happens people walk away from her.  Since no one understood the magic at work, she has abandonment issues.  As the back cover copy says:

 As Signet’s and Cratag’s attraction develops into love, her fear of abandonment and his wariness at their different backgrounds diminish.  Happiness seems within their grasp until fate makes them all targets of a secret enemy they must defeat to survive…
 
ETS – You’re a very prolific author.  Have you ever experienced writer’s block?  If so, what did you do to recover your motivation?

I don’t think of myself as prolific.    Writer’s block is a difficult topic because usually I can’t afford to have that happen so I just push through it.  Subliminal music helps “You are confident” LOL.  I have some called Deep Focus/Concentration…and since I have a “Free Your Artist” page on my website and many exercises in my Artist Archives, I use them myself.

ETS – What appeals to you more…a romantic evening at home, or a night on the town?

Different things at different times, but I’m an introvert so it’s home time.
 
ETS – What is your writing process like?  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I rarely plot except to sell a book on proposal (shudder).  Not only do I pantz, but I write out of sequence – I’m pretty sure I wrote the last line of the book I’m working on, Enchanted No More, yesterday.  This can be good or bad.
 
ETS – What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Never Quit.
 
ETS – Thanks so much for chatting with us today!

Thanks for having me and the excellent questions!

Home Page (I love my opening room, explore it!) http://www.robindowens.com
Excerpts, try before you buy: http://www.robindowens.com/reads/reads.htm
Worlds are Extras, and Free Your Artist has motivational quote, affirmation and exercises:
http://robindowens.com/freeyourartist.htm

My blog on writing and publishing is daily/every other day:
http://robindowens.blogspot.com/

Facebook is:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Robin-D-Owens/563491006

Robin is giving away a book from her backlist to one lucky commenter.  Reader’s choice!  Make sure to leave a comment…don’t be shy. 

Welcome Juliana Stone and her Black Opal warriors

Dare to Dream.

 

Three simple words, but if you ask me, they are three of the most powerful words you can utter.  Dare. To. Dream.

Say it.  And then do it.  Ya never know what will happen unless you try!

Two years ago, almost to the date, I decided that I had the time, energy and need to fulfill a dream I’d had since I was a teenager-to write a book.  I’d been toying online at various forums and had met a bunch of wonderful ladies, some of whom contribute to this very blog.  They were all writers and were quite serious about it in fact.  And so was I.

Did I ever stop to think the odds were totally against me?  Did I look up statistics on various agent blogs and publishing blogs, you know, the ones that said something like 3% of queries land an agent?  Did I think I was wasting my time?  Ah, that would be a big assed NO!  I was already dreaming of “the call”.  I never lost focus and I wrote and went for it! 

I am happy to say I landed an agent and she sold my manuscript to a NY house!  Woot!  His Darkest Hunger comes out from Avon/Harpercollins in April of this year!  Amazing. 

But a short story I wrote, and was lucky enough to place with Samhain Publishing, will be my official first release!  And I couldn’t be more thrilled!  As of this coming Tuesday, February 2^nd, I will be able to officially say I’m published.  Black Legacy is a time travel romance and the first in a series of shorts about a family of Warrior women who protect the delicate fabric that is time, from those with dark agendas!

Here is the Blurb:

She’ll make sure he survives the night…even if it costs her heart.

Black Opals, Book 1

Frankie Black is a woman in need of a mission. For a Black Opal—a warrior woman who shifts backward or forward through time in order to, well, save the world—the last six months of downtime have left her bored. Restless. And with a feeling that something is about to hit the fan.

Finally, an assignment: save the life of Dekkar James, an infamous rock god living three hundred years in the past. Tattooed, ruggedly handsome and perfectly imperfect, one look at him and it’s as if her sleeping body springs to life.

One minute Dekkar is having the most mind-blowing sex of his life. The next, goons are breaking down his door, and he’s on the run with a woman who turns from lover to warrior in the blink of an eye.

Dealing with the New Order, operatives who manipulate time without regard for the consequences, is nothing new for Frankie. But this time their tactics have a more personal edge—they’ve found a way to seek out the Opals’ predestined mates.

Unless she can save Dekkar’s life, her future will be the first casualty in a battle for the fate of humankind.

Warning: Contains one hot dude with tattoos, a woman who won’t take no for an answer, steamy sex, an ancient Harley and a little bit of time travel.

I am super thrilled about this series and totally pumped about all the possibilities that this year holds!  I will give away a copy of Black Legacy to a random commentator.  Just tell me what dream is still unfulfilled, one that maybe you’d like to act on this year!  Sound cool?  I’ll check back and announce a winner on Friday, January 29^th!!!!

 You can learn more about Juliana Stone at her website: www.julianastone.com