Marin Thomas: A Cowboy's Duty

Never Trust A Man!

That’s what Dixie Cash learned from her mother. That and fathers don’t stick around. She's pretty independent, and doesn’t need help from her baby’s daddy, sexy rodeo rider and ex-soldier, Gavin Tucker. But he seems determined to do right by her. Just as Dixie starts to imagine together they might be a family, tragedy strikes—and Gavin shows his true colors. She knew he wasn’t honorable!

After what Gavin went through in Afghanistan, he was more than happy to lose himself in the rodeo circuit—and in sweet Dixie’s arms. But doing the right thing can be hard sometimes, and when Dixie—Gavin’s lifeline—doesn’t need him anymore, he’s at a loss. His heart still longs for Dixie, though he’s not sure he deserves a second chance...

Who Said Girls Can't Ride Bulls?

I love writing cowboy stories and I'm currently finishing up a six-book series for Harlequin American Romance called Rodeo Rebels. You can find more information on the series at Happy Ever After…The Cowboy Way. (www.marinthomas.com) Regarding the final three stories in this series my editor asked that I come up with a unique angle to tie the books together.  The stories all take place in the same fictional town—Stagecoach, Arizona, but my editor wanted something more than just a location to tie them together. 

Years ago when my family vacationed in Colorado I recalled meeting a really old rodeo cowboy who'd been a friend of the family for years.  I don't recall his name—only that it had sounded old-fashioned. Vern…Vick…Vance…not sure.   Anyway, this old cowboy had been a former bull rider and he had the bowed legs and crooked spine to prove it.  He competed in rodeo back in the day when no cowboy had heard of Kevlar vests and protective head gear.  He told stories of his days on the circuit and one tale in particular left a lasting impression on me.  He claimed a young woman had entered a bull-riding competition using a man's name.  As the story goes, she was "about as handsome as a sack of horse-shoes."  Today we call these women "plain Janes".  Supposedly, this young lady hid in the shadows until it was her turn to ride.  She rode the bull a full eight seconds and the fans went crazy until her cowboy hat popped off and exposed her long, blond braid.  The cheering turned to booing and as the legend goes….the cowboys chased her "halfway to Mexico". 

So where is this memory of mine leading….to the unique angle I came up with for the final books in my Rodeo Rebels series.  I've incorporated women's bull riding into each of the stories.  I admit this is an unusual angle for a romance, but the sport calls for very strong heroines—both mentally and physically and I gave each heroine a strong motivation for riding bulls.  I've learned a lot about women's roughstock events while writing these books and have come to greatly admire the courageous women who compete in bare back, bull riding and saddle bronc events. 

So tell me, does an unusual storyline scare you away from buying a book or are you willing to read something a little off the beaten "romantic" path?  Leave a comment by midnight tonight for a chance to win a copy of A Cowboy's Duty.

You'll find Marin hanging out at...

Happy Ever After…The Cowboy Way (www.marinthomas.com)

All My Heroes are Cowboys (www.marinthomas.blogspot.com)

FB (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marin-Thomas-Harlequin-Romance-Author/118915338136945?ref=ts)

Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/MarinThomas)

Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/cowboyauthor/)

***Marin's winner is Shelley B!  Congrats, Shelley!  Please send your full name and mailing into to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com.  Thanks!***

Grant Me One Favor!

by Anna Campbell

Last month, I was totally self-indulgent and put up some gorgeous fashion photos of the first real supermodel Lisa Fonssagrives (check out the pics here if you missed it, they really are beautiful: http://authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/gorgeous-fashion-photos.html).

Very kindly, a lot of you said how much you enjoyed the post so I thought I'd be self-indulgent again and talk about one of my favorite movie stars as a tribute to my late mother.

Part of the reason for this is that yesterday would have been her 84th birthday. So happy birthday, Mum! Here's Cary, just for you! A list of six of the best!

He played with all the great leading ladies and often more than once. I had to start with the wonderful pairing from AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957) with Deborah Kerr. This was my mother's favorite movie. I can't tell you how many times she watched it. It's lush and romantic and witty and elegant and altogether one of the best love stories ever on film. I dare you not to cry!

Alfred Hitchcock loved working with Cary Grant who starred for the master all through his career from SUSPICION in 1941 through to NORTH BY NORTHWEST in 1959. One of the sexiest of those films features a very distinguished, older Cary Grant romancing a smart-mouthed and beautiful Grace Kelly, TO CATCH A THIEF (1955). The scene where Grace scares the life out of him driving like a maniac along the Grande Corniche cliff tops is particularly memorable. Look at that picture. Can't you just feel the chemistry sizzling between them? Just as an aside, my mother couldn't stand Grace Kelly! Thought she was a cold fish.

The next photo down is from my favorite film that Hitchcock did with CG and one of my favorite films ever, the sexy, romantic and passionate NOTORIOUS (1946).There's an amazing kiss scene towards the beginning where because censorship codes forbade kisses lasting more than a few seconds, CG and a luminous Ingrid Bergman kiss each other multiple times for 2.5 minutes, each kiss only lasting a few seconds. Phew! It's a very hot 2.5 minutes! If you haven't seen this film, get it. It's one of the best.

Another pairing of Cary Grant with a much younger actress that created cinematic fireworks is CHARADE (1963) where CG's costar is the radiant Audrey Hepburn. It's a really clever script with everybody doublecrossing everybody else and features some of the wittiest dialogue I've ever heard.

All of these films so far feature Cary in his suave man of the world persona. But one of the many things I love about Cary Grant is that he could play broad comedy better than nearly anyone else I can think of. Earlier in his career, in particular, he displayed his faultless timing and willingness to set himself up for a prat fall in a number of sparkling, uproarious comedies.

I couldn't do a piece on CG and not include BRINGING UP BABY (1938). He was the perfect bumbling, other-worldly, charmingly naive archeologist to Katharine Hepburn's madcap heiress who has a pet leopard, the Baby of the title. Classic slapstick!

I was torn for a last film between THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, HOUSEBOAT, THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER and MY FAVORITE WIFE. I ended up choosing MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940) partly because Cary plays a man who finds the shenanigans of the women in his life completely bewildering in so many films, and this picture encapsulates his reactions perfectly.

Cary Grant is about to remarry after having lost his wife seven years earlier in a plane crash. Mayhem ensues when said wife, Irene Dunne, turns up out of the blue, alive. It emerges that she's been stuck on a tropical island with the very dishy Randolph Scott. Brilliantly clever script where every step the characters takes just digs them deeper into the holes they're in. They don't write films like that anymore!

So let's talk old movies. Do you like Cary Grant?
What's your favorite Cary Grant movie? Do you have another favorite male lead from the Golden Years of Hollywood?   

I'm actually going to be off the internet for a little while because I'm attending my oldest friend's birthday party.  I will however swing back to respond to comments late tonight, U.S. time. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kandy Shepherd - Setting the Scene

How important is setting to you in a novel? As a reader, I’ve always enjoyed books set in different parts of the world. I’ve probably learned more from novels than I have from geography or history lessons!

I love to travel, and visiting places I’ve read about in books is one of my favorite things to do. Visiting new places also inspires my own writing—and helps me get the details of the setting right. How lucky we writers are to be able to travel and count it as research!

What kind of hero or heroine would live in a house in this amazing setting? Mendocino, California.

 I just returned from a trip to California, that turned into a fact-finding mission for my stories. We started off in Anaheim for the Romance Writers of America national convention, which was as fabulous as always.

An artistic water stop outside the Mountainsong Galleries in dog-friendly Carmel-By-The-Sea.  I like writing dogs in my stories--could this inspire a scene?

Then we set off on the road trip. We visited Santa Barbara (what a beautiful town!); the quaint Danish village of Solvang; charming Cambria; Carmel (my third visit); then drove north to visit friends in Shasta County via San Francisco.

The car he or she drives can help define a character. I love this one parked at Carmel-By-The-Sea. 

We drove on  the coast-hugging Highway 1 to make the most of the awe-inspiring scenery (when it wasn’t shrouded in fog, that is!) Point Reyes, Elk, and Mendocino were highlights.

This was the view from our room at the Greenwood Pier Inn at Elk, California.  I'm sure I'm not the first writer to be inspired by this delightful place with its magnificent views and beautiful gardens.

 It always amazes me the things can catch the writerly imagination—from the house a character might live in, to the work they do, to the pets they might have, or quirky details that can add life to a story.

This pony grazing in a field of daisies in the Fall River Valley, California, might be just the horsey character I need for one of my stories.

On this trip, I found just what I needed for the story I am currently writing—but I won’t jinx myself by telling you about it just yet. I also found a whole lot of inspiration for new characters and new stories.

This tells me the person who set this scene near their front door has a warm and welcoming heart - the kind of heroine I want to write.

We finished up in the beautiful Fall River Valley to stay with our friends who farm wild rice. They also produce a delicious chocolate bar made with puffed wild rice and Belgian chocolate. The crunch and flavor the wild rice adds to the chocolate truly is a taste sensation.

Wild rice growing in the Fall River Valley, CA. I love wild rice whichever way it's cooked but its particularly toothsome added to chocolate!

 Is there a setting you particularly like in a book, movie or TV show? Or one you don’t like? Have you visited a place you’ll never forget? I'd love to hear from you!

My friends produce this chocolate from the wild rice grown in their valley. I'm hoarding my bar, but I don't know how much long I can hold out until I eat it!

Please leave a comment to be in the draw to win one of three bars of Fall River Wild Rice Dark Belgian Chocolate that retail for $4.50 each. I'm sorry, but this prize can only be sent to addresses in the USA. Be sure to leave your email address with your comment.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction. She is the author of The Castaway Bride (set on a tropical island in the Pacific); Something About Joe, (set on the harbor in Sydney, Australia); Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is (both set in San Francisco.)

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Speechless by Fiona Lowe

Have you ever been struck speechless? It happened to me 12 days ago at the Romance Writers of America's conference in Anaheim, California. Back in April, my single title, contemporary romance, Boomerang Bride had been nominated for the prestigious Rita award and that in itself was a wonderful shock and delightful surprise.

Over the next few months, I read and enjoyed all the great books that had been nominated in the same section and I was heard to say more than once to my husband, "Oh man, this book is so good, how can anyone possibly choose who wins."

 The thought of winning had never really crossed my radar. The night of the awards, Carina Press staff took me out to dinner to a wonderful Hawaiian Fusion restaurant where I sipped Mai Tai's.  I pretty much floated into the awards ceremony and sat back to enjoy  the night.

When the point of the evening reached the single title contemporary romance category, I had a couple of books in my head that I thought might win and I was keenly listening to romance diva and legend, Linda Howard as she said, "And the winner is..." I was never more stunned when I heard "Boomerang" and then this almighty roar went up and I didn't hear anything much else after that. I think my mouth fell open Then my good friend and date for the night, Alison Stuart was hugging me and Angela James, the executive editor of Carina Press was saying, "We won," and still I don't think I'd managed to say anything at all.

Time seemed to slow down to nothing and then I remembered, as per the instructions at rehearsal earlier in the day, that I had to go up onto the stage. Shock is a funny thing and as I made my way to the stairs, all I could think about was how on earth was I going to get a 12", six pound statue back to Australia!

 "They" say always have a speech ready just in case and a month prior, when my husband had said, "you should write a speech" I had put bullet points on the back of a business card and shoved it in my evening bag. By the time Linda Howard had given me the statue and I got to the lectern I was shaking. My fingers couldn't get the card out of the little pocket so money, lipstick and tissues spilled out onto the podium. I guess I was lucky there wasn't a tampon in there as well!

 I finally pulled the sucker of a card out of the bag and when I saw the bullet points I felt a bit calmer and although I wondered if it was a coherent speech. Apart from saying my eldest son's name first instead of my husband, I think I did okay. Given that I tend to call all the men in my family by the wrong name and have been known to call them by the cat's name,I think I might be forgiven
;-) Once the speech was over I got all wobbly again and was pleased to get back to my seat although I'm not sure I actually let go of the trophy!

 Those few minutes from the announcement until just after the speech are still blurry but I remember the rest of the night...the wonderful congratulations, the photos, the champagne... all of that is totally clear.

 I did manage to get "Rita" home although airport security x-rayed her twice and dusted her for explosives. She is now on pride of place on our mantle. It was and continues to be a wonderful time in my writing career.

I'd love to hear your stories about the moments of joy where you've been struck speechless and I'll give away an eBook copy of Boomerang Bride to one lucky winner.

Fiona Lowe is a Rita award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. A RuBY nominee, you can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Boomerang Bride is available now from Carina Press, Amazon Kindle, Nook and all other online book stores, as well as being available in print in Australia under the MIRA imprint.

 Letting Go With Dr Rodriguez is available from Harlequin.com as well as being on shelf in Australia. Her books can be purchased from  The Book Depository , iBooks and other online shops.

Detours–or serendipity : : Anne McAllister

Back in June when my husband, The Prof, and I were returning for a visit to Quebec followed by a few days in Connecticut and New York City, we were scheduled to fly out of LaGuardia one morning and get home maybe six hours later – which considering that we live a part of the world where airline travel is still something you usually drive a car 80 miles to experience – was a pretty good deal.

Or it would have been if the airplane we were scheduled to fly out on hadn’t been struck by lightning on the way in.

We were sooo close to getting on the plane – and then, whoops, the loudspeaker informed us that we would all have to be rebooked.  All 220 or so of us.  I didn’t rush to the ticket counter with at least 100 others. I sat right where I was and called the airline on my phone.

Astonishingly, by the time I got through the phone tree to a real person, we had already been rebooked – to Dallas.

Dallas is about, oh roughly, a thousand miles from where we had been going, which was Chicago. 
“No problem,” the nice lady on the phone told us. “You’ll get there tonight.”

“And the rest of the way?” I asked, because there was a ‘rest of the way’ short flight we needed to take as well.

“Oh, certainly,” she said with terminal good cheer.

Sceptically, an hour later we boarded our flight. To Dallas.

We have a daughter who lives not far from Dallas. I called her from the airport when we arrived and said, “Guess where we are.”  "And, “No, don’t bother to come to the airport. We’re leaving again.”

As indeed we did. And quite amazingly, we got to Chicago in time – barely –to catch the late night commuter flight home.  Clockwork – as promised.

Except for the luggage which had gone straight to Chicago on someone else’s flight and beat us home by several hours.

But the detour, while meaningless in terms of the flight (other than some extra miles on our frequent flyer accounts, brought an unexpected bonus.

We got to watch an in-flight movie we never would have seen otherwise.  We got to watch it in silence because we didn’t have headsets, but it was intriguing enough to make me pick up a copy of the DVD when it came out.

If you have not watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, give it a look.  It’s a quiet little film with some interesting things to say, an unexpected hero (played unexpectedly by Ewan McGregor), a heroine who could work in the Good Cheer Department of our airline (Emily Blunt), a seriously handsome Egyptian actor (Amr Waked) who is called the “George Clooney of Egypt” – or so they say, and as the British Prime Minister’s press person, Kristen Scott Thomas, who was perfect and perfectly funny.

It looked good without the dialogue. It was better with.  And we had dinner last night with friends who live in Oman who had seen it there and were equally impressed. 

I doubt I’d have picked it up without my ‘detour’ to Dallas.  I’m so glad I went there now!  Let me know what you think if you’ve seen it.  And if you haven’t, take a chance on it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

Lori Wilde: Tea Party

In my latest release, The Cowboy and the Princess, the heroine—Annie—is a princess in disguise working as a wedding planner’s assistance. When a client insists on “high tea” for her daughter’s wedding reception, Annie gets to educate the woman on the difference between “high tea” and “low tea.”

Many people believe that “high tea” is the traditional tea service typically served between 2 and 4 p.m. High tea sounds like something a royal would indulge in, right? This is probably were the confusion comes in.

“High tea” is historically the tea of the working class. It’s a heartier meal served at 6 p.m. and often substitutes for dinner. “Low tea” or “afternoon tea” is a lighter meal, meant to hold people over until a late dinner.

Either way, it’s fun to host a tea. I’ve been to several readers’ teas and it’s always a lot of fun. If you belong to a book club, why not try a tea the next time you have a meeting? Here’s some sample tea menus to get you started.

Low Tea

Cucumber sandwiches

Lavender scones with lemon curd

Cheddar herb crumpets

Chocolate tarts

Egg salad sandwiches

High tea menu

Fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate

Stuffed mushrooms

Roast beef sandwiches

Deviled eggs

Blackberry scones with clotted cream

Image from Shutterstock

Have you ever been to a tea? Would you like to throw one? Which appeals to you most? High tea or low tea? Leave a comment and be entered to win a royal Prince Albert tea set. Check out the tea set here:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/royal-albert-dinnerware-old-country-roses-pink-vintage-5-piece-place-setting?ID=641455&CategoryID=53630

New Beginnings + win a signed book!

Thanks for all the comments! The winner of the signed copy of Blood Bath & Beyond, chosen at random, is molly.frenzel. Molly, please contact me at michelle@michellerowen.com with your mailing address to claim your prize. Congrats!

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Tomorrow is a big celebration day for me. It's the release date of my 20th novel! If you'd told me when I was an aspiring, fresh-faced, newly agented young'un back in late 2004 that in 2012 I would have twenty books out (as well as a companion guide, a plethora of novellas, and short stories), I would have laughed quite heartily. Ha ha ha!! Back then, I was happy with just one!

My 20th book is very special to me. Well, ALL of my books are special to me, but this one is special in a different way. It actually has the same heroine as my very first book -- a heroine I've now been writing or thinking about for nearly a decade. However, this book is the start of a different series, in a different genre, with a different publisher.


BLOOD BATH & BEYOND is the first Immortality Bites Mystery. While it is unofficially a continuation of my original five-book Immortality Bites series (which started with the national bestselling and award-winning Bitten & Smitten), it's also fresh and new and so much fun I can barely contain my enthusiasm for it. So I won't. Woo hooooo!!

Frankly, I can't believe it's taken me THIS LONG to discover the cozy paranormal mystery genre. I mean, how much fun is this? (The answer: A LOT.)

In Cozy Paranormal Mystery, I can have:

1) A quirky heroine -- fledgling vampire Sarah Dearly is very quirky and hilarious, if a tadddd more mature than she was in the original series, just as I'm a tad more mature as a writer!

2) A sexy hero and plenty of romance -- Sarah's fiancé is the rather ancient and dour but delicious and devoted master vampire Thierry de Bennicoeur. These two are complete opposites and it's so much fun to continue to explore their complicated relationship. Thierry was a tricky one in the original series, very mysterious and enigmatic... even to me! But now I know him and I think that his true awesomeness really comes out on the page. I hope you agree!

3) Kooky sidekicks -- Sarah meets many new people in her adventures, including a fledgling vamp who's nearly her mirror image, a todders-and-tiarras-esque little diva of a vampire, a deadly vampire assassin, a dark wizard, and, of course, scary vampire hunters.

4) A couple puzzling mysteries -- because, well, it is a mystery novel!

5) Lots of humor -- while there are danger and thrills galore, Sarah has always had a way of looking at things with a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. It makes her so much fun to write.

6) Room to grow -- BB&B is just book #1... and I've already written the sequel, Bled & Breakfast (out June 2013). I love the opportunity to have an arching urban fantasy mythology to explore, but also have each book have a real single-title feel with a satisfying ending. And I have plenty more ideas after that! Quite honestly, if I'm still writing about Sarah and Thierry ten years from now, I would be perfectly happy to do so!

Here's a little more about the book!

BLOOD BATH & BEYOND 

(An Immortality Bites Mystery #1)

August 7, 2012 - NAL Obsidian

Sarah Dearly is adjusting to life as a fledgling vampire, satisfying her cravings at vampire-friendly blood banks. But when her fiance Thierry takes a job with the Ring—the secret council in charge of keeping vampires in line—Sarah’s about to get more than a taste of danger…

Being engaged to a centuries-old master vampire can be challenging—especially when he takes a job with the Ring. Thierry’s in for fifty years of nonstop travel and deadly risk. It’s enough to make any woman reconsider the wedding…any woman except Sarah, that is!

Traveling with him to Las Vegas for his first assignment, they encounter a child beauty pageant contestant from hell, as well as a vampire serial killer leaving victims drained of blood, potentially exposing the existence of vampires to the whole world. But when Thierry’s truly ancient history comes back to haunt him, and he’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit, it’s up to Sarah to clear his name before their immortal lives come to an end.

“A bloody hysterical paranormal mystery!” –New York Times Bestselling Author Victoria Laurie

4-1/2 star TOP PICK! “Rowen jumps from paranormal romance to paranormal mystery without skipping a beat…Here’s hoping Sarah will have many more adventures in her new series.” —RT BookReviews

**********  WIN A SIGNED COPY!  ***********

I'd love to give away a signed copy of BLOOD BATH & BEYOND to a commenter. Please comment here -- tell me what is your favorite book of 2012 so far, since I'm always looking for new ones to add to my TBR pile! -- and I will choose a winner at random on Friday, August 10th at 9:00pm EST. Open internationally! Please check back to this post then to see if you've won and for info on how to claim your prize. Good luck!

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For more info about me and my books, visit:
Website: www.michellerowen.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michellerowen
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michellerowenbooks

Kate Walker - Olympics and heroes

I’m late with my posting – but I do have an excuse. I’ve been watching the Olympics.

What? Everyone who knows me  will be wondering at that statement.  Kate? Watching the Olympic Games?  When more than two months ago I declared that I was already bored with the  whole event  and I would be glad when it was over.

Well, yes, I did say that – and I meant it. I’m not a great fan of watching sports on TV and the build up to London 2012 has been pretty non stop. I was bored with all the coverage,  fed up of  the  constant talk in the media and frankly fed up  with it all before it even began.

I swore I wouldn’t watch any of the events -  I didn’t want to waste my time in front of the TV in what little bit of summer we’ve had just watching sport. But that was before Andy Murray powered his way into the finals and the prospect of a gold medal.  I was sitting in the sunlight  - and believe me, after the rain we’ve had this summer  you have to grab any little bit of sun you can get! – when I realised that the match was on, that Murray was 2 sets up . . . and I just had to go and watch. And cheer him on.

Watching this match reminded me of why I write the sort of books I do, with the sort of heroes I create.  The tennis player is out there on his own, battling for success with only his own strength and skill and intelligence  pushing him on. He’s not like a footballer or a rugby player with a team of other men  backing him up, helping him on, he stands or falls by his own decisions and his own determination.  That’s why once upon a time, back in  1999, I created my one and only sportsman hero – and he was a tennis player.

 I remember how it always used to be said that sportsmen didn’t make good romance heroes. Not good Presents romance heroes anyway.  It was always said that a writer would do best to avoid these types of men as heroes – they didn’t appeal, they weren’t popular with the readers.  Looking at some of the high achievers these past weeks, I wonder if that’s still true.

What do you think? Do you love sportsmen as heroes? Or do you find they  don’t work for you?  And if you’d love a sporty hero – what sport would that be? The single-minded determined tennis player?  The runner who’s the fastest man on earth? Or the dogged cyclist  who wins the Tour de France and the Olympic gold? Do you prefer team sports – or perhaps the small group who make up a rowing team  of gold medal winners?  And what about the equestrian events?  Does a man on horseback stir your excitement in the modern day n- even if he’s not a knight on a white charger?

I’d love to know. Have you been watching the Olympics ? And who do you think are the real heroes out there? What events have you most enjoyed ? And what are you looking forward to coming up?

I’ll have to leave it there – because – well, I have to admit that I’m going back to watch another Olympic event. You see there’s the Mixed Doubles tennis match on now and I have to see who wins that . . .

You can read all about Kate Walker's books on her web site and her most up to date news can be found on her personal blog

The Trilogy: Why Three is the Perfect Number

You know the saying, "two's company, three's a crowd"? It's not true when it comes to series. I'm a big fan of the trilogy, so when I started out writing about the Deadglass world, an arc of three seemed only natural. One book can stand alone, but it doesn't leave anything to entice the reader who's left off wanting more. Two always feels unfinished to me; it's like the main event and then a hasty afterthought. But three...ah, three is the magic number. As storytellers, we like things that come in threes: Three wishes. Three hurdles to cross. Three sons to set off to make their fortunes. Even more structural: three acts. There is something magical about the symmetry of having three steps of character transformation, three acts to complete the quest, and then three books to achieve not only the transformation of the character, but of the entire world. 

In the Deadglass Trilogy, each book has a different hero/heroine pair that risk everything to find love. That love allows them to complete their part of the quest, but the world of the Deadglass won't be saved until all three journeys are complete. A trilogy arc fit my requirements perfectly, because I knew I needed one book to break the world, one to pick up the pieces, and one to put it back together again.

When I think back on my favorite childhood books, they were all trilogies. Whenever the author tried to extend the magic, the forth book fell flat. I loved Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy, and Phil Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy. Long series have always eventually lost my interest. The books start to sound the same. The world building grows stale. The action turns into an endless parade of past characters. As a reader, I need closure. I can only go so many years without knowing who the Big Bad is or seeing the hero finally get his HEA. Three isn't long enough for readers to drift away. It's just the right size for a hefty chunk of world building and a satisfying finish.

Do you agree? Have you ever drifted off halfway through the Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones, or Sookie Stackhouse series? Do you ever wish your favorite authors would hurry it up already, or do you think the slower the build up, the better the climax?

A native Seattleitte, Kira spent her childhood hiking the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest and drying out by the fire with a good book and a mug of something hot. She graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, where she met her real life Prince Charming and promptly dragged him back to sunless Seattle. She fell in love with historic, haunted cities in graduate school. Now she writes about the twisted cities of her imagination, where wraiths and shape-shifters stalk the night and love redeems even the darkest heart. When not writing, she can be found drinking inordinately large mugs of Assam tea, knitting wool socks, and raising a wee heroine-in-training. Her website is kirabrady.com

HEARTS OF DARKNESS

In the first of a dazzling new romantic trilogy, one woman’s courageous search plunges her into a millennia-old supernatural war—and an irresistible passion…

Nurse Kayla Friday has dedicated her life to science and reason. But for her, Seattle is a place of eerie loss and fragmented, frightening memories. And now the only clue to her sister’s murder reveals a secret battle between two ancient mythologies…and puts Kayla in the sights of lethally-sexy werewolf mercenary Hart. He’ll do whatever it takes to obtain the key to the Gate of the Land of the Dead and free what’s left of his soul. But seducing the determined Kayla is putting them at the mercy of powerful desires neither can control. And as the clock ticks down to hellish catastrophe, the untested bond between Kayla and Hart may lead to the ultimate sacrifice.

Darcy Burke: Life is Stranger than Fiction

How’s this for a plot for a contemporary romance novel: an average American woman is invited to Denmark to participate in a “This is Your Life” type of reality show about her famous half-Danish cousin, whom she’s never met. Let’s say the producer who invited her is mysterious and attractive and may or may not be involved in the cousin’s sudden disappearance…

One of those sentences is actually true, and you can probably guess which one. Last month, my brother and I flew to Copenhagen to meet two of our three cousins for the very first time—one of them on a television program. She had no idea we were coming or that she was even going to be on This is Your Life (she’s a multiple-award winning actress, truly one of the finest in Denmark). My brother and I were the final guests of the show and when the door opened to reveal us standing there, her look of surprise and happiness was priceless. But it wasn’t as profound as the joy we all shared in making this family connection for the first time.

I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity and not because I got to visit Denmark for the first time or because I got to be on television (though hair and makeup rocked!). It was all about seeing family and forging a bond that will undoubtedly last our lifetimes and hopefully beyond as our children continue these relationships. We all found a deep sense of belonging, of finding something that we perhaps didn’t realize was missing. Much like a romantic love connection in a romance novel! (Um, without the romance.)

The first three books in my Secrets & Scandals series bring together three heroes and three heroines who didn’t realize what their lives were missing. In Her Wicked Ways, a wealthy debutante with London at her feet discovers love and purpose in a backwater village orphanage. In His Wicked Heart, her brother’s life is turned upside down—for the better—by an actress who teaches him the meaning of family. And in To Seduce a Scoundrel, a blackguard finds redemption with the love of a determined young woman who will stop at nothing to find her happily ever after.

Her Wicked Ways is currently on sale FREE at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and All Romance eBooks. His Wicked Heart and To Seduce a Scoundrel are just $3.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, and iTunes.

What crazy exciting thing has happened to you that sounds as if it’s straight out of a book or a movie? Or, what crazy exciting thing do you wish would happen to you? One random commenter will receive a $10 gift card to the online ebook retailer of their choice. Bonus: If you also sign up for my newsletter while this giveaway is open, I’ll throw in an ebook copy of the fabulous Heiress Without a Cause by my good friend Sara Ramsey.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her devoted husband, their two great kids, and three cats. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge. Visit Darcy online at http://www.darcy-burke.com, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/darcyburke, or like her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/darcyburkefans.

***Darcy's winner is Chey!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your full name and mailing address!  Thanks. :) ***

Lisa Hendrix: Conference Brain

[First, an explanation and apology: My visit to Totebags and Blogs was scheduled way back when Immortal Defender was scheduled to come out this month. Since then, the book has been pulled from the schedule—all my fault, by the way—and I don't have a new date yet. I apologize to my readers for the inordinate delay. Torvald's story will be rescheduled soon, and I'll be trumpeting the new date everywhere.]

Last week, the Romance Writers of America held their annual national conference in Anaheim. I was there. I also attended the RT Booklovers Convention in April, and if things had worked out a little better, I'd be at Author After Dark in NOLA next week.

               

WORKSHOPS:  Kristen Lamb giving us the skinny on social media

I love conferences.

               

I love the workshops, the luncheons, the parties, the business meetings, the crazy-busy signings, and the meet-ups with friends, readers, and Twitter buddies (both planned and serendipitous). I love the late night gossip sessions with my roomie. I love the award ceremonies and the racket of 2000 women excited by chocolate cake pops and friends winning RITAs — although my ears ring for days afterword. I even love the travel. [This time, I ended up seated next to a man from the East Coast, who, it turned out, had gone to law school with romance/YA writer and Portland, OR chapter-mate Inara Scott. Now who'd have predicted *that* one!]

               

There are just two things that keep me from going to ALL the conferences. One is the money. The other is more deadly and harder to overcome:

               

Conference Brain.

               

Conference Brain is a well-known phenomenon among RWA members and other writers, one in which a person returns home from a conference and falls into a stupor that can last from a day to as long as a week. I've suffered with it every conference I've attended, small or large, and have come to accept it as a normal part of my recovery process. This time, however, it seems especially bad, despite the fact that I turned in at a reasonable hour every night.

               

Because although the strange beds, funky pillows (really, Marriott?), allergies, free-flowing alcohol, aching feet, multiple daily clothing changes, and general lack of rest may exacerbate the state, Conference Brain isn't really about physical exhaustion.

               

FREE FLOWING ALCOHOL: Honey PomPom served at Romance of the Cocktail

(VanGogh Vodka special event)

It's about abundance.

               

Tawny Weber, writing at Healthy Writer, defines Conference Brain as  "that overloaded, exhausted intense feeling of having too many ideas, emotions and energy flying through your system." (http://www.healthywriter.com/index.php/traveling-workouts/). And, boy, does she have it pegged

               

Right now, my brain is as overstuffed as a Turducken. I think I got more solid information this year than I ever have before. I have so many ideas racing around my skull that I'm afraid I may never capture them all, despite having made notes, sent text messages, and taken pictures. I have a thousand scraps of information at my fignertips, and still I know—KNOW— there are crucial concepts I haven't successfully recorded, nuances of character and plot that have slipped away, details about self-publishing that I haven't fully grasped, processes that would somehow make my writing life more productive if only I could get those last two neurons around them.

               

In other words, my brain is working just as hard now as it was during the conference itself, trying to assimilate everything that was thrown at me. 

It's wonderful.

Now if my brain would just finish assimilating and let me get back to work. Torvald and Josian are right in the middle of...Oops. That would be telling.

GIVEAWAY: Another part of the abundance of conference is the swag — the books and goodies we all get just for showing up. I'll be giving a tote bag chock full of Conference swag, plus copies of the first three Immortal Brotherhood books (Immortal Warrior, Immortal Outlaw, and Immortal Champion), to someone who either asks me a question or answers the following in Comments before Friday at noon:

What's your favorite way to get the old brain cells jazzed and ready for a new project? Do you suffer a period of paralyzing overwhelm before the excitement fully kicks in?

***Lisa's winner is Erin!  Erin, please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your full name and mailing address!  Thanks. :) ***

Heaving Bosoms & Throbbing…er…Whatchamacallits

I love romance.  I love to read it.  I love to write it.

Most of the time.

I love my heroes and my heroines.  I love getting inside their minds and hearing what they’re thinking.  Their emotional journey is satisfying.  I enjoy creating dialogue and I LOVE the sometimes zany secondary characters that appear out of nowhere on the page, and the unexpected twists and turns the story can take. 

I enjoy building the sexual tension.

And then . . .

It.  The sex scene.

I will tell you my dirty little secret.  One of my favorite things about reading romance novels is the sex. 

Unlike Billy Crystal’s character in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, I do not read the last page first to see how the story ends.   But when I start reading a new romance, I ALWAYS thumb through the book, find the culminating moment, and make a note of it.  I don’t read it, mind you.  But I know what page it’s on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.  It’s supposed to be about the romance and the glorious, all-conquering, life-changing love between the H and H.  And that’s great too.

But I like a steaming hot sex scene.  And knowing where Tab A meets Slot B in the book gives me something to anticipate.

But WRITING a love scene?  Arggh! 

How to make it romantic and sensual but not purple?  You know what I’m talking about.  ‘His magnificent scepter’ or ‘her steaming tunnel of love.’

 

Ew.

It’s a quandary.  Euphemisms are tricky.  And as for the medical terms . . . If I were a guy, I’d be picketing Washington or NIH or wherever demanding a better word.  And I’m not crazy about the anatomically correct term for the girl part either.  Nothing romantic or hot about either one of those words.

So what’s a romance writing girl to do?  Sometimes you just have to call it what it is.  Or, rather, what you character would call it. 

And, ultimately, that’s what it’s all about:  Being true to you characters.

The last love scene I wrote took me the better part of four days to write.  It also required a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream and several glasses of wine.  But I did it.

Or, rather, THEY did it.

Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t hate writing sex scenes.  But I pull my hair out trying to get it right, because love scenes are important.

Evocative.

Emotionally satisfying.

And darn hard to write. 

What about you?  Do you prefer sweet or steamy sex scenes in the romances you read and/or write?  Share your thoughts for a chance to win a copy of book 2, Demon Hunting in the Deep South.   

Blurb for Demon Hunting In The Deep South:

Shy, self-conscious Evie Douglass tries to stay under the radar, especially when petite socialite Meredith Peterson, aka The Death Starr, is anywhere around. Meredith and her bitch posse of skinny girlfriends take great delight in tormenting Evie about her size, calling her names like The Whale and Thunder Thighs.

Unfortunately, it’s hard for a plus-sized gal to stay invisible in a small town like Hannah, Alabama.  And Evie has been The Death Starr’s favorite target since the seventh grade, when Meredith got ticked off at Evie for getting boobs first. 

It doesn’t help that Meredith’s husband is Evie’s boss.  More torture time for The Death Starr. 

And then Evie finds Meredith brutally murdered.  On Evie’s desk.  In her office at the mill, only a few days after a very public scene in which Meredith accused Evie of having an affair with her husband. 

Worse, a bloody knife is found in Evie’s car. 

Suddenly, awkward, timid Evie Douglass is the Number One suspect in a sensational murder case.  But Evie’s got bigger problems.  Hannah is infested with demons, soul sucking, body snatching creatures of evil.  And for some reason they want Evie.  The only thing standing between Evie and death or possible possession is a hunky blond demon slayer named Ansgar.  Ansgar is a Dalvahni warrior, a supernaturally gorgeous race whose sole purpose is to hunt down and capture rogue demons. 

Evie could swear, though, that Ansgar is interested in more than demons.  She could swear that he’s interested in her.  Ridiculous, of course, because he’s sex on two legs and she’s . . .  Well, she’s Whaley Douglass. 

To add to Evie’s troubles, Meredith doesn’t even have the decency to stay dead.  She shows up as a ghost to torment Evie and she’s more of a beyotch than ever.  And Meredith has deathnesia.  She can’t remember who killed her, which leaves Evie to solve this mystery herself, or go to jail for a murder she didn’t commit.