I started to leave this blank. LOL The older I get, the less I know about life!

Our son graduated from UNT on Saturday. I cried. I always do. His sister cried (takes after me) and his wife cried (she soooo fits in). He’s been through a lot and deserves all the happiness that comes his way. Our daughter and her children were there, too. Her hubby was on assignment and couldn’t make it, missed him!, but we had a fabulous time. It was exactly what families should be all about. Definitely a Hallmark weekend.

Then I came home to a message on the answering machine that Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind is a finalist in the Booksellers Best. That is just soooo cool! Many thanks to all the judges!

Temperature’s Rising, my Brava reissue into mass market will be out in a few weeks. Woo-hoo. I love that book! And have you seen the cover? Verrrry hot!

Okay, I’m off to the dentist this morning so y’all be good! Okay, you don’t have to be. Oh, hey, y’all want to have a contest? Just say hi and I’ll enter your name into a drawing for a copy of I’m Your Santa or Southern Comfort. One winner—your choice of books. Already have them?—they make great presents. All contest rules apply—must me 18 or older…. One entry per household please. And watch for more contests coming soon for my newsletter group (you can join at my website).

Karen Kelley
Cosmic Sex January 29, 2008 Brava
The Power of Love anth/Berkley June 3, 2008
Reissue Mass Market Temperature’s Rising June 3, 2008
The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy July 2008 Brava
www.authorkarenkelley.com
www.myspace.com/authorkarenkelley

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?

I’m always flashed by how many good things the romance writing/reading community gets involved with. Besides writing Romance, which everyone needs and which makes the world a better place, Brenda Novak’s annual auction reminds me of how active we are in other areas. Be it literacy, women’s shelters, American troups, Veteran’s hospitals, it just seems to me that romance reaches out in a lot of ways in addition to our stories.
Sort of sharing the love, compassion, caring, commitment thing at all levels.
Very cool. Very glad to be a part of it.

The Brava Authors have donated a couple “baskets” to Brenda Novak’s wonderful 4th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research.

For the Brava Authors basket #1:

Passionate, provocative, intense, edgy…romantic. Brava novels have them all. Here is your chance to see for yourself with 22 titles straight from the Brava Authors (www.BravaAuthors.com) Remember there is a second Brava basket available for bidding. Here are the titles included in this one:

-DON’T TEMPT ME by Sylvia Day

-THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE HIDDEN BEAUTY by Donna Kauffman

-HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT by Cynthia Eden

-DOUBLE DANCING WITH DEAD by Karen Kelley

-TEMPERATURE”S RISING by Karen Kelley

-WITHOUT A WORD by E.C. Sheedy

-EXPLOSIVE by Charlotte Mede

-RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW by HelenKay Dimon

-DEAL WITH THIS by Lucy Monroe

-THE NORTHERN DEVIL by Diane Whiteside

-THE IRISH DEVIL (mass market) by Diane Whiteside

THE MANE EVENT by Shelly Laurenston

-SUN, SAND AND SEX antho by Linda Lael MIller, Jennifer Apodaca

-EXTREMELY HOT by Jennifer Apodaca

-WHO WANTS TO BE A SEX GODDESS by Gemma Bruce

-PERFECT WEAPON by Amy Fetzer

-YOU DON’T KNOW JACK by Erin McCarthy

-THE MATCHMAKER by Jamie Denton

-TEXAS BAD BOYS antho by Rosemary Laurey, Karen Kelley and Dianne Castell

-THE BANE AFFAIR by Alison Kent

-BEYOND A SHADOW by Alison Kent

-THE EDGE OF MIDNIGHT by Shannon McKenna

If you’d like to support this great cause by bidding on this basket, you can do so here.

For the Brava Authors basket #2:

Passionate, provocative, intense, edgy…romantic. Brava novels have them all. Here is your chance to see for yourself with 22 titles straight from the Brava Authors (www.BravaAuthors.com) Remember there is another Brava basket (Brava Basket #1) available for bidding. Here are the titles included in this one:

-ASK FOR IT by Sylvia Day

-THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE PRINCESS by Donna Kauffman

-HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT by Cynthia Eden

-HELL ON WHEELS by Karen Kelley

-TEMPERATURE’S RISING by Karen Kelley

-KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE by E.C. Sheedy

-EXPLOSIVE by Charlotte Mede

-RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW by HelenKay Dimon

-SATISFACTION GUARANTEED by Lucy Monroe

-THE NORTHERN DEVIL by Diane Whiteside

-THE IRISH DEVIL (mass market) by Diane Whiteside

THE MANE EVENT by Shelly Laurenston

-SUN, SAND AND SEX antho by Linda Lael MIller, Jennifer Apodaca

-EXTREMELY HOT by Jennifer Apodaca

-WHO WANTS TO BE A SEX GODDESS by Gemma Bruce

-HOT HARD by Amy Fetzer

-MOUTH TO MOUTH (mass market) by Erin McCarthy

-REMAIN SILENT by Jamie Denton

-TEXAS BAD BOYS antho by Rosemary Laurey, Karen Kelley and Dianne Castell

-THE PERFECT STRANGER by Alison Kent

-DEEP BREATH by Alison Kent

-OUT OF CONTROL by Shannon McKenna

If you’d like to support this great cause by bidding on this basket, you can do so here.

And a super cool auction for the inveterate Brava lover:

One year of Kensington BRAVA books and six months of Kensington BRAVA Advanced Reading Copies. Kensington doesn’t publish a set amount of these books every month, but you’ll get whatever they do publish. Because they’re trade paperback releases, they sell for $14 - $15 each. Together with the ARCs, that’s a big value!! Thank you, Editorial Director Kate Duffy!

If you’d like to support this great cause by bidding on this basket, you can do so here.

And I’ve donated a personal basket, too:

For my basket:

The winner of this auction will receive a tote bag filled with Godiva chocolate and a collection of Georgian Romances, autographed, from author Sylvia Day.

Titles in tote:

An autographed collection of her Georgian Series — ASK FOR IT, PASSION FOR THE GAME (hardcover), A PASSION FOR HIM, and DON’T TEMPT ME.

If you’d like to support this great cause by bidding on my donation, you can do so here.

Thank you!

How To Enter

Snap a photo of yourself holding the mass market version of ASK FOR IT. (sorry, but the trade version doesn’t qualify for this contest!) and send it to the email address listed on the contest page. Please include your name and mailing address in your email to expedite the mailing of prizes.

Have fun with the pics and feel free to be creative!! (but please, no photos too racy for a general audience.)

Bonus Entry:
Put the “Picture You with AFI” contest graphic on your blog/MySpace/site/etc. and receive an additional contest entry. Simply include the link to the webpage where you’re displaying the graphic in your entry email.

Image link
(copy and paste the code below)

<a href="http://www.sylviaday.com/contest/" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.sylviaday.com/blog/wp-content/AFI_contest.gif" width="140" height="225" border="0" /></a>

The Rules

For contest prizes, dates, and the fine print, check the contest page!

Good luck!

Sorry to be late…

This month was kind of hectic. I had sales conference, RT and pneumonia and as a result didn’t submit my blog when I was supposed to. I have a fun way to make up for my lapse, I believe.

Kris Noble, who does all the Brava covers and indeed all the trade paperback covers at Kensington, let me come with her to a photo shoot for the next three Jill Shalvis Brava books. We were there from 10 until about 5 and the amount of work the models, and photographer and stylist did was staggering. I learned so much about the opportunities the art director has when you shoot a cover as opposed to the challenges presented when the only option is stock art. The models were so professional and personable. But watching Kris in action was the high point. She and the photographer have worked together for some time and their rapport was evident.

So for you amusement, here is a picture of someone with the model for Cam Wilder, hero of Jill’s first book in this new series.

I like to call this photo Bess Truman and Jesse.

I now have less than a week until my first Kensington Brava release, HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT, hits stores shelves. And, um, yeah, I can’t wait.

Today, I thought I’d do a bit of early celebrating by giving away an autographed copy of HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT to one commenter. Wanna win? Just leave me a comment about your all time favorite character. I’ll be back on Saturday to announce the winner.

Dr. Emily Drake, the heroine of HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT, was one of my absolute favorite characters to write. The woman has a hell of a painful past, but she’s overcome her childhood and is now one of the most respected psychologists in Atlanta. Of course, Emily isn’t your typical therapist. She only treats paranormal patients (and that’s where my story, or her story begins).

And, as part of my celebration, I thought I’d post an excerpt from HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT:

* * *

“How much do you know?”

Emily swallowed and tried to figure out just how much she should reveal.

His hold tightened around her.

He was the one sitting down, the one forced to look up at her, but Emily had the feeling she was the one in the vulnerable position. “I-I know you aren’t human.” Her voice came out softer, huskier than she’d intended.

She hoped Colin would leave it at that. Hoped he wouldn’t probe any deeper.

“Ah, baby, I already knew that.”

She tried to tug her hand free, but his grip was unbreakable.

“You’re the Monster Doctor, the one all the local ghouls go to see.” A faint trace of amusement underscored his words. But his eyes were watchful, intense, showing no echo of humor.

Her jaw clenched. “Let go of my hand.”

He smiled at her, and his fingers fell away from her wrist.

Emily immediately sprang across the room, putting several feet between them. Nice, protective space. “Look, if you aren’t here to discuss the case, then I want you to leave.” She turned her back on him, heading toward the front door.

“How do you do it?”

His words stopped her.

“How do you tell who is human and who isn’t?”

She heard the soft rustle of the sofa cushions as he rose.

“That’s a pretty interesting talent you’ve got there. And I’m just dying to know exactly how you do it.”

Emily cast a longing glance toward the front door. “I’m afraid you’re just going to have to live with your curiosity, Detective.” Because she sure as hell wasn’t going to reveal her innermost secrets to a stranger. Yep, letting the guy inside had been a definite mistake.

“Hmmm.” His breath blew against the nape of her neck. Emily jumped, startled to find him so close to her. The guy hadn’t made a sound when he’d crossed the room.

“I’d like to see your hair down,” he muttered, and his fingers brushed against the bun she’d yet to unwind.

She jerked away from him. “And I’d like to see you leave. Guess which one of us is about to get her wish?”

His hard lips curved into a smile, a smile with a hint of real warmth. “Tough lady, aren’t you?”

She’d had to be.

His smile slowly faded. “But trust me, I’m a hell of a lot tougher than you could ever dream of being.” And in a flash, he had her pinned against the wall. His strong, hard body pressed against her, his muscular thighs pushed between hers, shoving up her skirt, and his right hand locked around her wrists as he forced them against the wall over her head.

Her breath left her body in a startled gasp.

“Now let’s try this again,” he growled. “Just how much do you know about me?”

Arggh! I’m trying to put my house on the market. I know. I couldn’t pick a worse time, but there you have it.

Of course, first I had to de-clutter. What? Give up all those ideas in progress that I keep hardcopy for carrying to dentist’s offices, airports, etc. when I don’t want to carry my lap top?

Okay done. And only a few tears. Amazing how much paper a writer can accumulate. And I’m pretty Green. Recycle everything. Still, there were boxes of papers.

And the books. There’s always the library and fortunately I have a good book exchange that appreciated them.

Then there was the cosmetic work, and the floors to be sanded, and the painting, oh and the new carpet in the basement.

Yowser. Who knew?

For the last three weeks, my office has been sharing space with a skill saw and a generator (very noisy) and various tools and cans and tubes of stuff. When not in use, my computer and printer are covered with a plastic sheet and a tarp. Even checking email has become an elaborate ritual.

But being a writer, do I despair? Well, maybe just a few expletives deleted and then I’m thinking, what a great scene. . . . Hmm . . .what if . . . .

I realize we’ve had our differences but you were due this week and I believe it’s time to put all that behind us. I know we both said some things but hey, creating is a painful process, right? How about this. I promise to stop cursing you. I also promise to stop threatening to throw you out the third floor window. And in return, maybe you could promise to behave, and give joy to my readers.

In the meantime, I hope this letter finds you well in the hands of my lovely editor. And it’s funny, but now that you’re gone, I actually, kind of, sort of miss you.

But if you could stay gone, that would be great.

Signed,
Jill

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!