2008 July | Brava Authors

Archive for July, 2008

Romance Boot Camp

Posted by: Kate Duffy | Comments (15)

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

That is what I call the RWA National Conference. And it’s that time again.

I always dread going and I always have a much better time than I think I will. In my pessimism, I only remember the incidents which confound me – like the persistent statement, “I know that historicals aren’t selling…” This came up repeatedly at RT. I got so annoyed (to be fair I was coming down with pneumonia) that I threw up my hands and begged the heavens to “Take me now!”

You know this how? Because nobody who sits behind a desk in a publishing house or literary agency is going to say something so silly.

Which brings me to my point. There is an absolutely staggering amount of misinformation circulating out there. I don’t know whether conferences like RWA and RT do a tremendous amount to minimize this but give us credit, those of us who attend, give workshops, author/editor appointments and the like – we are trying.

If you get your industry information from someone who is not employed in the industry, I beg you, be skeptical. Ask, “You know this how?”

Categories : Kate Duffy

Comments (15)

Long, lazy days of summer…

Posted by: Cynthia Eden | Comments (29)

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Down here, in what I like to think of as the Sweltering Center of the South, the temperatures are topping out in the triple digits (I think it was 115 yesterday with the heat index–and seriously, that sucks). When it’s this hot, the best thing to do is to sit inside, enjoy the air conditioning, and read a good book.

And, as fate would have it…I have a book to give away today. (Hmmm…did you see that one coming? Not too subtle, was I?)

I’ve got a fresh, hot-off-the-presses copy of EVERLASTING BAD BOYS that I’d love to give away to a commenter. (EVERLASTING BAD BOYS isn’t scheduled to hit store shelves until the end of August, so this is one of those win it before you can buy it deals!)

Here’s the back cover blurb for EVERLASTING BAD BOYS:

They’re bad boys—with that little something extra. Sexy, wild, out-of-this-world talents that can leave any woman feeling weak at the knees (among other body parts), they’re the ones to call when you want pleasure that lasts…and lasts…

“Can’t Get Enough” by Shelly Laurenston: Even for a dragon, Ailean the Wicked has a bad reputation. For 150 years he’s been renowned for his fighting prowess, but now he’s got a new conquest in mind–a gorgeous dragoness known as Shalin the Innocent. Ailean suspects she’s anything but. And while he’s saving her from her enemies, he plans to prove that, even in human form, a bad-boy dragon can show a girl a good time that’s truly off the scale.

“Spellbound” by Cynthia Eden: No witch in her right mind would summon an immortal soul-hunter to her aid, but Serena Tyme needs Luis D’Amil’s help to destroy the warlock who’s stalking her coven. And she’s willing to pay any price he names…especially when the tall, dark, sexy-as-hell assassin shows her he can work some sensual magic of his own.

“Turn Me On” by Noelle Mack: Finally, Beth Danforth has found a man who can flip her switch. That’s because supersexy Justin Watts, CEO of SpectraSign, is literally made of light. His dazzling, custom-built body can’t ever wear out. And talk about energy–Beth can’t get enough of the guy. The sex is electrifying. The love will never fade away…

***************************************************************************
Interested in winning? Tell me your favorite summertime activity–could be swimming, could be reading, could be a trip to the beach–whatever you enjoy the most, just tell me. I’ll be back on Saturday to pick a winner. Until then, stay cool!

(Oh, and if you haven’t entered my CHRISTMAS IN JULY contest yet, make sure you check it out!)

Cynthia Eden
www.cynthiaeden.com

Categories : Cynthia Eden

Comments (29)

Monday again?

Posted by: Emma Lang | Comments (13)

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Hard to believe Monday arrived so fast. I am one of those people who believes Mondays should be renamed. I mean really, doesn’t the word “Monday” just make you cringe?

Well, perhaps it’s because I have a full-time job in addition to my writing career – when Monday rolls around it means back to the “real world” and leave the writing behind until that evening. I was going like gangbusters this weekend on Micah’s story (my July ’09 Brava release) and got 6K written.

But alas, I am here in the real world in my Clark Kent suit. *sigh*

Anybody else have a Monday dislike phobia or is it just me? LOL – maybe I shouldn’t ask that question!

People often ask me how I balance my writing with my life and I tell them very carefully. It’s a fine path to traverse and I often find myself torn between deadlines and my family. Of course, family always comes first (you’re not reading this, are you Kate?) and that sometimes puts me behind.

Then of course, I have to lock myself in the writing cave to meet the deadline I had to ignore in the first place. I know the writers out there are nodding their heads.

Coping strategies are always welcome – tips, tricks and perhaps a magic spell or two as well. If you’ve got them, bring ‘em on y’all. I need to find a better balance before I fall off and hurt myself.

Categories : Beth Williamson

Comments (13)

Junk Mail

Posted by: Karen Kelley | Comments (9)

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Waving Hi,
I love having a new book out. I love holding it in my hands, running my fingers lightly over the cover—yes, I’m obsessed or maybe that’s possessed. Actually, I love all books. Fiction, non-fiction, junk mail–okay, maybe not junk mail.

Oh, speaking of junk mail, I got something in the mail the other day. A dismal looking yellow envelope and in big bold letters it had YOU CAN GET PUBLISHED. I put a couple of my bookmarks in the no postage required envelope and sent it back to them. Revenge is sweet.

But then I started thinking….

You got it. If I get junk mail, then I’ll very politely say no thanks, and send them a bookmark. Mass publicity. Too cool. I love my life.

The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy is out—yea! I’m having a really cool contest for my newsletter group so drop by and join if you get the chance. Yes I went shopping, but I’m not going to say where.

I thought you might enjoy the opening of my synopsis for The Bad Boys Guide To The Galay. This is what I sent my editor:

Nerak is the perfect planet—sort of. First and foremost there are no men, only companion units. They vibrate and they don’t talk back—well, unless you give them an attitude chip.

The weather is perfect—every day. Day in and day out.

And there is no sickness.

Well, there wasn’t until Lara’s cousin’s spacecraft returned with earth aliens on board and one of them became ill. Now one of the Elders is infected and Lara, who is a healer except she never gets to heal anyone because no one ever gets sick on Nerak, has to go to Earth and find a cure for this ailment before the leader of her planet succumbs to this strange malady.
Except she’s not a good traveler.

But she does find her sister…and Sam. Her first real man. She’d like to explore him, for purely scientific reasons, but he doesn’t want to cooperate—yet. Her sister, Kia, talks Sam into offering the use of his cabin, which has access to many plants that she can test for a possible cure.

When Sam reluctantly offers to stay with her so she doesn’t come to any harm, even better. She should have plenty of time to explore earth…and Sam…and find a cure.

Have a fantastic day!
Karen Kelley
The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy/Kensington Brava
Book Three in the Planet Nerak series Available Now
www.authorkarenkelley.com
www.myspace.com/authorkarenkelley

Categories : Karen Kelley

Comments (9)

First Love

Posted by: Gemma Bruce | Comments (5)

Monday, July 7th, 2008

I just took my daughter to her college orientation last week. The campus was still filled with students who hadn’t left for the summer as well as all the soon-to-be college freshmen. It was an exciting time, lots of energy and enthusiasm and tender moments.

Not just seeing our children off on their adult life. But just walking across the campus and rounding a corner to find a young couple face to face lost in a private dialogue. Or coeds battling with water balloon on the green. Walking hand in hand or arm in arm down the sidewalk. Or just sitting side by side, books open in the study section of the library.

It was just a reminder of how special young love is. Whether it lasts or is just preparation for another different love, there just doesn’t seem to be anything more wonderful, especially for us writer types always on the look out for stories. It made me happy just to see them, inspired me to recapture some of that magic with my fictional couples.

And it made me think of my first love. I fell for his voice. I’ve always been a sucker for low resonant baritones. I think he was tall, maybe dark haired, but his voice. Now there is something I’ll never forget.

How about you? Do you remember your first love?

Categories : Gemma Bruce

Comments (5)

Back Again

Posted by: HelenKay Dimon | Comments (16)

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

You can go home again. The home I’m talking about is the fictional home in a book. As some of you know, my current release – the one that just hit the shelves – is HARD AS NAILS. It’s an anthology of three related stories.

The plot follows Cole Carruthers and Adam Thomas, two of the secondary characters from the very first novella I ever wrote, Hardhats and Silk Stockings in the WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS antho. The third hero, Ray Hammond, is new and remains one of my favorites.

No vampires. No demons. No creatures of any sort. Just a fun, flirty contemporary stories.

And this is not the first time I’ve come back to characters I created in the past. Sometimes these folks just don’t let go. Readers ask for their stories. You think about them and then create their happy endings. Right now I’m finishing up another one of those stories. This one is a follow-up to YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. Like YMDMC, this new book takes place in Kauai, Hawaii. It’s Josh’s story (he was the DEA agent in YMDMC)…and I love it. Really. I’m almost at the end and kind of don’t want to be done.

This book will be out in Fall ’09 (not sure if it’s September or October, but I think it’s one of those). Before that, you’ll get two other Hawaii-based books. The first is the mass market re-release of YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY (March ’09). The second is called IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII (April ’09).

And for a little fun, here are the two versions of the YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY cover. The original trade from August ’07 is on the left. The new mass market version that comes out in March ’09 is on the right.

What do you think of the change?

Categories : HelenKay Dimon

Comments (16)

Q+A

Posted by: Charlotte Mede | Comments (10)

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

I was at a party the other night and, as usual, eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. Not polite, I know, but ultimately a good habit to develop if you’re a writer. A great opportunity to pick up on speech patterns (useful for dialogue) and bits of gossip (fun for later — nothing to do with writing). I noticed that people don’t really ask each other a lot of questions but mostly talk, monologue style, about whatever.

Nobody asks the surgeon what it feels like when she first slices into the flesh of a patient. Or the electrician about the worst thing that could happen if you tried to wire your house yourself. But when it comes to writers, everybody has questions. When do you write? How do you write? Where do you get your ideas? The sad truth, in my case anyway, is that I’m nowhere close to as exciting as the characters I write about, never mind the surgeon or the electrician.

So why are people so interested in the writing process — and in writers’ personal selves?

Categories : Charlotte Mede

Comments (10)

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