I just got back from the RWA Conference. This year was more social for me than anything else. I heard Linda Howard speak and…well, that was about it for workshops. I’m not saying I couldn’t benefit from a few workshops. We probably all could. But this was more about connecting with people and talking about careers.

I heard about agents and editors. I saw a bunch of new covers (love that!) and heard about new sales (love that even more!!). Hearing about other people selling fills me with glee. No idea why, but it does. I met new authors like Carrie Lofty who recently sold her first two books to the Zebra Debut program and Zoe Archer who just moved to Kensington and has a not-to-be-missed series coming out next year that has my editor so excited that I thought she might burst.

One of my favorite events is the Literacy Signing. Mostly I just love the look of the room, filled with authors. All that talent and excitement packed into one room is an amazing thing. Love seeing all of those stacks of books. Love being in the presence of all those great authors I read. I still can’t believe I get to be in the room. Here’s a photo of the room as the doors opened to let the crowds pour in:

Then there are the readers. They are just the best part of the Conference. Of everything, really. I love meeting readers, other authors and people I chat with online. Thanks to all who stopped by to say hello. That is a bigger thrill than you’ll ever know.

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?

I love this time in the book release cycle. We’re about three weeks out from the point where the July ’08 Brava releases hit the bookstore shelves. Reviews are starting to come out. Author copies will arrive any day now. It’s a mix of being nervous and excited. And, for me, the thrill of holding the book that first time is as fabulous on book seven as it was with my very first release.

This release is extra special because my upcoming release, HARD AS NAILS, is a follow-up to the first novella I ever had published. It was in the anthology WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS. Having the opportunity to revisit characters I loved and letting their stories unfold was just a fantastic writing experience.

I also enjoyed going back because I’ve always been a fan of connected books. It’s something I learned as a reader from authors like Nora Roberts and Lori Foster. See, when I first started reading romance I stumbled across their work and had the joy of following family members as each got their own books.

And now it’s my turn to give writing connected/related books a try.

Do you like connected books? For me, they work. I know others don’t feel the same way. What about you? Let me know your thoughts and you’ll be entered to win a copy of WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS. I’ll pick an winner this week and post it here in the comments.

Good luck…and go pre-order

Have you guys heard the great news? We have two new Brava authors joining us. Yay!!! These ladies write in some interesting genres. Some genres that aren’t significantly represented in Brava now.

First we have Mary Wine. The Publishers Marketplace sales notice says this:

Mary Wine’s THE COUNTERFEIT BRIDE, described as “Cinderella with kilts,” to Megan Records at Kensington Brava, in a three-book deal, by Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Agency.

The second Brava newbie is Beth Williamson. Her PM sales listing says:

Beth Williamson’s THE EDUCATION OF MADELINE, in which a wealthy spinster rescues a wrongfully accused drifter from being hanged without a trial…all she asks from him in return are a few bedroom lessons of the explicit kind, to Kate Duffy at Kensington Brava, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency (World).

Scottish historicals and western historicals – could we be more excited? Welcome ladies!

So…what are we missing? Are there genres you love that no one in Brava is writing or only one or two authors cover? If you could chat with Kate Duffy, what genres/subgenres would you ask her to seek out? Anything? I’m not looking to branch out, I just wonder. I look and see a pretty diverse selection. Do you see the same thing?

Sorry for the late posting. I could not get online…which is a travesty!!! All is well now.

I thought I’d post about something that made me chuckle. Fellow Brava author Alison Kent pointed out a cover for Jackie Kessler’s upcoming release, HOTTER THAN HELL (Kensington August ’08), and then referenced the cover for my upcoming release HOT AS HELL (Brava, November ’08):

You can probably guess Alison’s comment. She said: I guess Jackie’s book is hotter than yours.

I think they’re both great covers. I just adore the guy on mine. And being compared to Jackie in any way is fabulous for me. She’s a terrific author and…well, you should buy both!

My newest book, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW came out last week. [Go buy it.] The release of this one is special thrill for me. I wrote it while moving across the country, switching from being a full-time lawyer to being a full-time writer, and while I was so sick with a flu that would not leave my body that I could not lift my head off the pillow. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? [Feel bad for me and buy it.] And, here’s the painful part, I wrote it twice. The first time I wrote it, I got all the way to page 250-something and decided it wasn’t good enough. [It's fabulous now, so buy it.] I threw out all but the first 35 pages or so and started again. The re-write wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Really. [Despite that, you should feel obligated to buy it.] I couldn’t see where the book should go at first. Once I did, the writing went very fast. [Did I mention this is a Romantic Times 4 1/2 Star Top Pick!]

So, what is it about? I describe it like this: what happens when two people who lie for a living have to figure out how to tell the truth about what they feel for each other. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW starts with a break-up. Not a little misunderstanding. This is an “it’s not you, it’s me” then dump-the-wine-over-his-head break-up. The very beginning looks like this:

“This isn’t working.”

There they were. To Gabrielle Pearson the phrase stood second only to “it’s not you, it’s me” as the most lame male excuse on the planet for cutting out of a date before the dessert menus hit the table.

Gabby glanced around the upscale restaurant looking for reinforcements. If anyone heard Reed Larkin’s big kiss off over the rumble of conversation and clanking of silverware, they were not letting on. No one held up a roll ready to lob it at Reed’s fat head. A shame, really, since his over-inflated ego made it the perfect target.

“Gabby? Did you hear me?” Reed asked with his suddenly not-so-kissable mouth turned down in concern.

“I’m not deaf. I was thinking.” Thinking that a woman never had a vial of strychnine when she needed one.

He frowned. “I was-”

“It’s interesting, don’t you agree?”

He switched to squinting. “You lost me.

“Obviously.”

She lowered her fork to the white tablecloth, but not before toying with the idea of stabbing Reed smack in the center of his perfectly angled chin. One hit of the sharp prongs and no woman would ever be lured in by his inviting sexy smile again.

“I’m talking about your timing, Reed. You waited until you were done with your meal to make this announcement. You skipped the appetizer course and choked back your undercooked steak without taking a breath.” Now she knew why.

Reed was a man on the run.

The big weasel.

Here she thought tonight, formal date number nine, might be the date. The one to capture all the heat pulsing between them with a bedroom ending. Hell, she’d be lucky to get cab fare out of him now.

Reed took a long swallow of water.

When he didn’t choke, Gabby cursed life’s unfairness. “I’m assuming I’m the part of the relationship that’s not working.”

“Look, it’s not you. It’s-”

Oh, no, no, no. “Don’t finish that sentence.”

If he continued down that road the half of the salmon filet she did manage to swallow would make a repeat performance all over his expensive navy suit. Tempting but not going to happen.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked as if he actually did not know.

“Just don’t.” She pointed a finger in the general direction of Reed’s heart to back up her threat.

Those ice blue eyes that were so attractive up until five minutes ago blinked several times. “Gabby, we should-”

“Stop talking before someone loses a body part.” Her gaze dropped to her fork. “Preferably you.”

Doesn’t sound too romantic, does it? But it is. Gabby and Reed just need to find their way back to each other…and they do.

You interested? Do you like stories that start with the parties being estranged? Comment here and you’ll be entered to win a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate. [Which you could use to buy, oh, let me suggest, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW...]

I read a review of a mainstream title in the January ’08 Romantic Times. The reviewer’s comment made me chuckle. I doubt the author being reviewed felt the same way, but the comment did bring up a good point. Here it is:

Is it possible to dislike every character in a book? Yes, it is. There’s not one likable or redeemable character in this story. They’re all despicable people with no morals or values. Is it possible to dislike a book based on hateful characters? Yes, it is.

This happens to me in movies all the time. For example, my husband (who loves artsy films) loved The Hours. I hated the movie. Part of my problem is what the book reviewer said – I hated every single character. Not that everyone needs to be cheery and happy. That’s not it. In fact, I saw the movie No Country For Old Men last weekend and loved it (except for the last 15 minutes). There aren’t a lot of likable characters in No Country For Old Men. Lots of death and shooting and more death. Still, the movie worked for me. Maybe the difference is that the characters in The Hours weren’t supposed to be bad and unlikable as the characters in No Country For Old Men were. In other words, there wasn’t an expectation that I would like the No Country For Old Men characters but there was one for the characters in The Hours. On that point, The Hours didn’t work for me at all.

When I pick up a novel I expect to like someone in it. In a romance novel, I anticipate having a reader bond with the hero and heroine. Clearly the mainstream book I referenced did not forge that reader bond for the RT reviewer. I can’t think of a time when I hated a romance hero and heroine. I’m sure there have been a few, but I’m blocking them. Have you found a hero and heroine unlikable lately? Have you had this sort of “yuck” reaction to characters in a book, and by that I mean a “yuck” reaction to someone other than the villian or nasty old girlfriend or someone you were supposed to have a “yuck” reaction to?

I have a pretty little book and matching pen I’ll give away to someone commenting here. I’ll pick the person at random over the weekend.

I just started writing a Brava Christmas novella. This one comes out in an anthology called TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT next October (Oct. ’08). My anthology buddies in this one are Donna Kauffman and Jill Shalvis. And, really, how lucky am I to be teamed up with those two talented ladies?

Anthologies have always been some of my favorite reading. I find new authors. Get a taste of writing styles. Connect with old favorites. Basically, I love anthologies. Despite that, I don’t remember reading all that many holiday-themed anthologies. Not sure why since they seem like so much fun. I love Christmas. Love anthologies. Seems like a natural pair, doesn’t it? Even stranger is that I don’t remember reading all that many holiday novels (non-anthologies) either.

The November releases are coming out. December releases will be out soon. With the holidays right around the corner, are there antholgies and novels with holiday themes that you’re looking forward to reading? If so, what are they and why these novels/anthologies over other releases?

Let me know your thoughts and you’ll be entered to win a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate. Just think, you tell us all about some titles and you have a chance to win a prize that lets you buy one or two!

I ended up blogging here and at Access Romance today. The double blogging thing seemed like the perfect excuse to put out some short (copyrighted but unedited) excerpts of my upcoming Brava release Right Here, Right Now (March ’08). The excerpt starts here and continues at Access Romance.

Check out both, comment on both blogs and you’ll be entered to win your choice of two of my previous releases.

Good Luck!
_________

Right Here, Right Now (continued at Access Romance)

“This isn’t working.”

There they were. To Gabrielle Pearson the phrase stood second only to “it’s not you, it’s me” as the most lame male excuse on the planet for cutting out of a date before the dessert menus hit the table.

Gabby glanced around the upscale restaurant looking for reinforcements. If anyone heard Reed Larkin’s big kiss off over the rumble of conversation and clanking of silverware, they were not letting on. No one held up a roll ready to lob it at Reed’s fat head.

A shame, really, since his over-inflated ego made it the perfect target.

“Gabby? Did you hear me?” Reed asked with his suddenly not-so-kissable mouth turned down in concern.

“I’m not deaf. I was thinking.” Thinking that a woman never had a vial of strychnine when she needed one.

He frowned. “I was-”

“It’s interesting, don’t you agree?”

He switched to squinting. “You lost me.

“Obviously.”

She lowered her fork to the white tablecloth, but not before toying with the idea of stabbing Reed smack in the center of his perfectly angled chin. One hit of the sharp prongs and no woman would ever be lured in by his inviting sexy smile again.

“I’m talking about your timing, Reed. You waited until you were done with your meal to make this announcement. You skipped the appetizer course and choked back your undercooked steak without taking a breath.”

Now she knew why.

The first book I read post-deadline was J.R. Ward’s Lover Unbound. The review of it is up at PBR right now. After writing the review, I checked out what Dear Author and others had to say about J.R. Ward’s newest. Seems some folks think Ward lost some of her luster with this installment. I understand the complaints but still feel the Ward love.

I have always insisted that if you’re looking for a huge paranormal romance, the Brotherhood books are not your answer. To me, these books are less about romance and more about what I view as a vampire family drama, sort of a Band of Brothers for vampires. In fact, I found the romance in Lover Unbound to be the least interesting and least developed aspect of the book. It was too contrived, too fast, too…something. But forgivable because the strength of Ward’s writing comes from her ability to create this huge, seemingly unwieldy world, keep it straight, build on it and move it forward. The hints of future planted in Lover Unbound prove Ward has an overall plan. I praise and adore Ward for that.

In many ways Lover Unbound is hard to talk about because the entire thing feels like a spoiler alert. Won’t even try to give a plot summary here. Read it yourself. Not sure what else to say except for what I said in an email to friends this morning: “Once again I devoured the book then looked back in stunned admiration at what Ward accomplished and how she hooked me despite significant flaws.”

That is Ward’s gift. She creates reading addiction. For that I continue to be a dedicated fan.