Nocturnal Readings

Social Blog Hop and Follow Friday

2012-01-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! Hope you had a great week!

Check out our usual blog hop and don't forget to check out Parajunkee's Social Hop as well! And check back on Monday for an updated blog schedule. Til then! ;-)

Q: What book genre do you avoid at all costs?

A: Honestly, I don't have a genre I avoid at all costs. I'm pretty much up for anything if it's a good story or it's well-written. Though when it comes to literary fiction, I'm really picky--I only like really gritty contemporary authors.

So how about you? What's your answer to the hop question? Leave your answer in the comments! ;-)

Social Blog Hop and Follow Friday

2012-01-20T01:44:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! Hope you had a great week! I have been busy between a mix of wedding plans, school, and work--I hope all of you have been significantly less stressed. Today we have our regular Friday blog/social media hop! Courtesy of Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. But before you start hopping, don't forget to check out my blog post over at Kiss and Tell YA, where I write as Kaiti Ballenger. I'm talking about wishes and how sometimes they can go ssoooo bad ;-)

But onto the hop!

QUESTION: What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on a particular book?

MY ANSWER: Other than staying up late and waiting outside the bookstore until the stroke of midnight, nothing too crazy. I will admit though that I dressed up for many Harry Potter releases. Despite that I am a Gryfinndor through and through, I always dressed as Bellatrix Lestrange. I even got my picture in the local paper once lol!

So how about you? What crazy thing have you done to get your hands on a book?

Don't forget to check out the KT blog post and check back in on Monday for our new posted blog schedule. Til then! ;-)

An Irresistibly Sweet Blog

2012-01-16T12:00:00.003-05:00

I received my second blog award from a lovely YA author, Lea Nolan! Thanks, Lea! I want to take a big bite out of those irresistibly sweet strawberries!

Here are The Rules

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you. Thanks again, Lea!

2. Share 7 random facts about yourself. I'm on it--check!

3. Pass the Award on to 10 deserving blog buddies. I'd like to pass this award on to: the ladies of Kiss and Tell YA, Lisa Sanchez, Laura Kaye, Kristin Miller and....honestly, I don't know many more bloggers lol.I hope that's okay! *ducks from people boo-ing and throwing tomatoes*

4. Contact those buddies and let them know. Check.

Okay here we go. Seven random facts about me:

1) I absolutely CANNOT stand mustard. Any type of mustard. The smell alone disgusts me. I don't know why I hate it so much, but I just do and I have hated it ever since I was a small child. Just seeing a bottle of it makes me wrinkle my nose in disgust. Gross! When my soon-to-be-husband eats it, I won't kiss him afterward until he has brushed his teeth! Lol! When I see that bottle, my reaction is somewhat similar to the cat below.

2) I have a planner that I like to use for EVERYTHING. I write every little appointment or thing I do in there. Even if it is a task I have already completed, I go back and write it down. My family jokes that I even plan when use the bathroom--not true!

3) I LOVE jewelry--big, flashy, sparkly, sometimes even gaudy jewelry. Even people who are only acquainted with me could/would probably tell you that I always have a ton of jewelry on. Maybe it comes from the fact that one of my jobs is being a professional bellydancer? And when I'm on stage I'm always wearing big jewelry? Who knows...

4) I'm getting married in 53 days!!! As of March 10th, 2012 I will be Mrs. Jonathan Ballenger. Super excited! And for our honeymoon, we're going to Hawaii! Then from Hawaii, we're hopping over to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo, then back home to Orlando. How cool is that?! We met in a creative writing class at my alma mater, Stetson University. He was a graduating senior when I was a freshman, so I thought he was pretty cool. When I attended his graduation party, right after we met (this was a few years ago) I was SO intimidated. I wanted him to think I was cool lol--plus, his dad was/is the dean of the university! Talk about wanting to make a good impression. That's us in the photo below. Isn't he handsome?

5) Speaking of travels, did you know I've traveled all over Japan? I've also traveled all over Ecuador and have visited Mexico. Tokyo? Nagasaki? Osaka? Quito? Cuenca? Been to them all! Now to add Bangkok and Hong Kong to that list!

6) Even though my last name is very German, I'm mostly Polish. I don't speak it fluently--only a few household phrases, though I'm learning more--but my favorite comfort food in the whole wide world is pierogi! For those of you who don't know, pierogi are Polish dumplings that are usually filled with potatoes or saurkraut--like a potato filled ravioli. I also love things that are super spicy. Love jalapenos (even though they're not that hot) and most things with habaneros in them.

7) Every week my close friends and I have a movie night. The actually night varies, since we all have different work schedules, but it always happens. Of course, I wouldn't be telling you this unless there was something more interesting to it. And there is! You see, we don't always watch 'normal' movies. Things that were currently released on DVD? No. Movies on at the box-office? No. Classic movies? No. We like to watch really crazy things by very "artsy" directors. Let's just say we refer to our movies as "mind-f***s." If we get to the end of the movie and don't say "what the heck just happened?" and cannot proceed to talk about it for an hour afterward theorizing the meaning, it wasn't a successful movie lol. Our latest was a film called Antichrist directed by Lars Von Trier. If you have a weak stomach for violence and sex in film (at times, simultaneously), and don't like to watch movies that are confusing and creepy, don't watch Antichrist.

Thanks for reading. Please visit my friends above and see what seven random things they've got to say.

~Kaitlyn

Social Blog Hop and Follow Friday

2012-01-13T18:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you had a great week! We're participating in two hops today! Our regular Friday blog hop and Parajunkee's new social media hop. Enjoy!

Q: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

A: For me, I don't really listen to music too extensively--not like I did when I was a teen anyway. However, when I'm writing one band that I frequent over and over is One Republic. Love their music! Very inspiring!

Happy New Year Blog Hop!

2011-12-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! Hope you all have had a great week and that your new year will start out great! We have our New Year's blog hop below! Have fun hopping from blog to blog!

Q: The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog? And if you're not a blogger, what are your new year's resolutions?

A: I plan on revising my book review schedule so it's more stable. I also plan on cross-promoting my blog posts at Kiss and Tell YA, where I write as Kaiti Ballenger. And lastly, I'd like to get a wider array of guest authors to do posts and interviews.

Review: Vamped Up by Kristin Miller

2011-12-23T18:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week and that you have a Merry Christmas! As promised, today we have a review of Kristin Miller's paranormal romance novel, Vamped Up, the second novel in her Vampires of Crimson Bay series! Check out the back cover blurb below:

Synopsis: "On the run from hungry vampires with his lover under arm, madly possessive Ruan has one thing in mind: keep the dirty fangs of his khissmates off the neck of his one true love—a human with mouth watering blood. The fact that from the moment he invited EVE into his bed, he’s been having eerily real nightmares about violently screwing her, then killing her? Yeah, that part wasn’t fitting too well into his carefully concocted plan to keep her safe.

Eve, a tantalizing biblical studies teacher at Crimson Bay University, has no idea her life is in jeopardy. Ironically, living with the knowledge of paranormal beings and sharing a bed with one of the most cryptic vampires on the planet was not what had her protectively grasping her throat at night. It was the mention of her name in the ancient scrolls; the scrolls written by vampire elders, revealing what’s in store for the end of times…and her spilled blood.

Savage, a villainous vampire-therian hybrid, has a simple plan: kill Eve, drain her dry, thus binding the death shades (dark spirits of vampire elders) to him.

Determined not to let the evil sucker execute his plan by harnessing the dark energy of the elders and killing everyone they’ve come to love, Ruan and Eve set upon a course to stop the future dictated in the scrolls from coming true. It doesn’t take long however, before Ruan realizes that breaking Eve’s heart and erasing himself from her life might be the only way to save her. If only the pull to her wasn't so strong... "

Genre: Paranormal Romance--adult

First Sentences: "Dante's breath came out in thick pants, fogging his mask and wetting his face, as he surveyed every dark inch of the makeshift training center."Strong opening line, though I would've preferred the book open with either the hero, Ruan, or the heroine, Eve. Even though I loved Dante's character and I'm really looking forward to his book, I didn't want his point of view in the story right off the bat. However, the epigraph before this is what interested me enough to keep reading--it was a strong hook.

Brownie Points: As we saw in book one, and as we're shown again in book two, Kristin Miller is excellent at world building. She creates a realistic society that is captivating and full of detail. Her plot lines never disappoint--they are always intriguing and make the reader want to keep moving forward. Also, Ruan and Eve are already together at the beginning of the novel and I was able to appreciate the switch from the traditional romance novel arc. Most of all, I really enjoyed Dante's character. He is tortured in the most perfect way. Lastly, I liked that Eve was more than what she seemed.

Beefs: While I loved Dante, as a secondary character I thought that he stole some of the spotlight away from Ruan and Eve with how dynamic he was. And though I enjoyed the change in romantic arc by having Ruan and Eve already in a serious relationship, I did wish I could have seen their budding romance, which we skip over as we move from the end of book one to the beginning of book two.

Ending: The ending did not disappoint and I found the second half of the book pulled me in even more than the first. Great ending.

Recommendation and General Comments: Vamped Up is a great read! Paranormal romance lovers will really enjoy this. You will fall in love with the world of the Vampires of Crimson Bay. It's a story of star crossed lovers, a human and a vampire, at it's most badass and in a new, unique way. For this reason, I give Kristin Miller's Vamped Up a rating of three-quarter moon!

I highly recommend Vamped Up! If you're a fan of paranormal romance, then you should go pick this up.

For more information on Kristin Miller, Vamped Up, and the other novels in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series, please visit her author website.
www.kristinmiller.net

To purchase Vamped Up, available in both paperback and ebook formats, please visit any of the following sites (they link directly to the book):

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Avon Impulse

Don't forget to check out the interview we had with Kristin about Vamped Up! Nocturnal Readings will be taking a short break for the holidays, but don't forget to check back with us for the New Year! And check out my posts at Kiss and Tell YA, where I'm writing as Kaiti Ballenger. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And Happy New Year!

Author Interview: Kristin Miller

2011-12-21T13:50:00.001-05:00

Hey, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. Today we have an interview with author, Kristin Miller, about her paranormal romance, Vamped Up, the second novel in her Vampires of Crimson Bay Series. If you'd like to read the back-cover-blurb for Vamped Up click the following link and scroll down to product description: Vamped Up Description. And make sure you check back for my review of Vamped Up on Friday!

Welcome to Nocturnal Readings, Kristin! Let's go ahead and get started.

Tell us a little bit about the main characters in Vamped Up. We’re introduced to Ruan and Eve in book one of the Vampires of Crimson Bay series, but tell us who they really are in book two. Who did you create first?

Ruan is a four hundred year old vampire who can only remember the last quarter of his life. He’s an assistant at ReVamp (Crimson Bay’s rehabilitation center for vampires), and is a think tank without a love life…until he meets Eve, a human with mouth-watering blood, in InterVamption. They were secondary characters in the first installment of the series, so they really didn’t get their moment. Vamped Up is the story of how their relationship grows despite the obstacles thrown against them.

I created Ruan first. Actually, I think he may’ve been the *very* first of the series. Hmm…hadn’t thought about that. He’s a tortured hero, determined to piece his life back together, and I’ve definitely got a soft spot in my heart for him.

What was your inspiration and how long did it take you to write Vamped Up?

Being that Vamped Up is the second in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series, I knew I had to keep my plot tied to their world. I knew my base characters and the villain, and what had to happen in order for my hero and heroine to be torn apart, then connected back together. I guess you could say the creative process was pretty linear for this one.

It took me five months to write Vamped Up, from first word to editor submission.

Which characters were the hardest/easiest to write and why?

I think the characters who are a little twisted are the easiest to write. (That’d be Savage and Lilith in Vamped Up.) I like getting in their heads and seeing what makes them tick. I had to cut a lot of Savage’s scenes out in the end (guess I got a little carried away), but their POV’s come easiest overall.

Hardest to write? I can’t say. I think making a three dimensional character is pretty difficult all the way around.

What was the biggest challenge for you in writing Vamped Up?

Being that Ruan and Eve are already together at the beginning of Vamped Up, I knew readers weren’t going to be able to see their “firsts”. (You know, first touch, hand-hold, kiss, yada-yada.) Showing their growth as a couple through the pitfalls they overcome, versus showing how they fell in love from the get-go, was a challenge for me.

If you could tell us one fun fact about any of your characters, who and what would it be?

I have all sorts of creatures in Crimson Bay—vampires, therians (or shape-shifters), and another introduced in this story that I can’t mention yet—and I thought maybe I could pull off a dragon. I wanted Lilith, a vampire elder with flaming red hair, to be able to shift into a dragon *so badly* I pushed the envelope a bit, all the way to the end. Then, of course, I had to go back and cut it all out because it would’ve been utterly ridiculous. But hey, that’s what first drafts and editing are for, right?

Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on? Aside from Vamped Up, do you have any new releases coming soon?

Yes! I do! I have a Harlequin Cravings novella titled, Claimed by Desire, coming out May of 2012. The second in that series, currently Untitled #2, will release late Summer of 2012.

After the previous question, I have to add: my novellas are about shifters. Werewolves, Dragons, and Merfolk. Yes, I said dragons. I had to fit it in somewhere.

Without giving too much away, what’s your favorite scene in the novel? How did you feel when you completed that scene?

I have a few favorites, but one of them is near the end, when Ruan makes the ultimate sacrifice for Eve. I can’t really say what happens, just that he shows what love really is.

Can we see a sneak peak of that scene?

I hate to give away too much…

How about this:

“Damn it, Eve, all I ever wanted was to protect you. To keep you separate from all of this. I loved you the best that I could. The only way I knew how. Now look where I’ve gotten you . . . closer to the fire than mundanely possible.” He spread his arms to the monochromatic landscape of forever, then slapped them against his sides. “You can’t come with me. I won’t have it. I couldn’t live with myself. The pure part of my soul is gone, don’t you see? I’m no better than the demons down there waiting for me. But you are.” He ghosted his hands along her cheeks, then settled them on her neck. “You’re the most precious thing in the world to me, Eve, and I won’t have you giving up the best part of yourself on a love-struck whim.”

“This is not a whim!” She threw herself at him then, her arms around his neck, her lips to his. The moment their mouths moved against one another, Eve knew she’d give up any part of her soul to be with him. She’d follow him to the depths of hell if it meant they could have one more minute together like this. One perfectly heavenly moment, untouched by the dreariness of the world around them.

What’s your favorite line from the story?

Pick any one of the above. I love that scene.

If you could go back to when you were writing this novel, what advice would you give yourself?

I would have the story begin the day after Ruan and Eve fled from San Francisco’s haven. As it’s written now, a month has passed and the vampires of Crimson Bay no longer hunger for Eve’s blood. I wrote it this way because I thought I could focus on their journey. If I’d written it the other way, I’d have to show Ruan and Eve on the run, hiding from their own kind. I saw their story in another light, but I guess it made the story border a bit on the Urban Fantasy side, rather than the Paranormal.

To me, it’s the best of both worlds.

Favorite book?

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. Hands down. Murder mystery with a little romance thrown in.

Favorite author?

JR Ward, Nora Roberts and Monica McCarty are up on my list at the moment.

What are you currently reading?

I’m knee deep in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter.

Favorite Vamped Up character and why?

Can’t I say I love them all equally? No? Okay, then I’ll leave out the hero and heroine, because they’re obviously toppers on my list, and say Lilith, the vampire elder I mentioned before. She’s witty, sly, and devious with twisted good intentions.

Thanks again for stopping by, Kristin! We're glad to have you any time!

For more information on Kristin and her work, or where you can purchase a copy of her novella/novels, you can find her at the following places:

Website: www.kristinmiller.net

Twitter: KM_Miller

Blog: www.pararomance.blogspot.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vamped-Up-ebook/dp/B00655KLIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1324433987&sr=8-2

I’d also like to note that Amazon has listed Vamped Up’s print price incorrectly. E-copy is $3.99. If you’d like a print copy, buy it from B&N, where can purchase it for the correct price of $4.88. Thank you!

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vamped-up-kristin-miller/1107090426?ean=9780062105219&itm=1&usri=vamped+up

Hope you all enjoyed the interview with Kristin! Make sure you check back for the review on Friday!

Market News for the Week

2011-12-16T14:19:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all had a great week. Today we have some market news and our regular blog hop. Here's what's going on in the publishing world.

Karen Ramsey has published an amazing article about stealing e-books. As she puts it, it's not piracy, it's flat out stealing. Karen aptly points out that we writers, like many others working in entertainment, do not make lots of money off our work, contrary to popular belief. Very few of us manage to hit it rich with our writing. We use the little money we make from our books to buy groceries, pay our mortgage, provide for our children, etc. Stealing e-books is just like stealing from your neighbor. We're not some rich Hollywood big-wig. We're normal people. To read more of Karen's article, click the following link: Writers Against E-book Thieves

In a New York Times article by Richard Russo, he shines light on the horrific sales tactics on Amazon. Amazon has been encouraging customers to go into brick and mortar bookstores and use it's price check app (which allows shoppers in physical stores to scan bar-codes and see if they can get a better "deal" on Amazon) to earn a 5% credit on Amazon purchases--up to $5 dollars an item, up to three times. As author Ann Pachett states, "I do think it’s worthwhile explaining to customers that the lowest price point does not always represent the best deal. If you like going to a bookstore then it’s up to you to support it. If you like seeing the people in your community employed, if you think your city needs a tax base, if you want to buy books from a person who reads, don’t use Amazon.” To read more about Amazon's attempts to monopolize the book market, click the following link: Amazon's Jungle Logic.

A time entertainment article discusses the rise of cowboy romance. If you like reading about sexy cowboys, check this out: Cowboy Romance Popularity Growing

An article in Telegraph UK highlights the importance of beautiful book covers. Do you judge a book by it's cover? To read more about the importance of covers to book advertising, click the following link: Beautiful Book Covers--How Important Are They?

On a related topic, a NYTimes article discusses the importance of improving book covers as well. "If e-books are about ease and expedience, the publishers reason, then print books need to be about physical beauty and the pleasures of owning, not just reading." To read more about publisher's effort to beautify books, click the following link: Selling Books by Their Gilded Covers

n a document leaked today to Digital Book World by someone inside the company, Hachette outlines just why publishers are relevant. The company has shown the document internally to employees and externally to a limited number of agents and authors.

A leaked document from publishing giant, Hachette Books, explains why publishing companies are relevant and why the rise of self-publishing does not mean traditional publishers are obselete. To read what Hachette has to say, click the following link: Leaked Hachette Document

And finally, the U.S Justice Department has confirmed an investigation on unfair pricing in the ebook industry. Uh oh, watch out Amazon. To read more, please click the following link: U.S Dep of Justice Investigates Ebooks

That's it for market news this week. Don't forget to participate in our regular blog hop. My answer to this week's blog hop question is in the comments. On Monday we'll have a QA interview with author Kristin Miller about the latest novel in her Vampires of Crimson Bay Series, titled Vamped Up. I'll post a review of the book on Wednesday. =) Til then! Have a great weekend!

Friday Blog Hop

2011-12-09T23:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all had a great day! I know this post is coming a little late in the evening. Let me just say that I love you all for bearing with my more sporadic posts lately. Things have been hectic and I promise, cross my heart hope to die, that come the beginning of January, I will be back on a regular posting schedule.

Until then, keep your eyes open for more posts and if you want something to entertain you in the meantime, you can go check out the group blog I'm a part of: Kiss and Tell YA. You can find me there writing as Kaiti Ballenger and also enjoy all the other wonderful YA authors. Now, onto the hop! Don't forget to weigh in with your answer to the hop question in the comments section.

Q: Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?

My answer: I would give everyone a copy of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. Though it's not my favorite book (it's one of my fav, just not THE fav), I feel like it's a book that almost anyone could enjoy. And yes, if I had the means, I would buy it for all my friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving! Giveaway Re-drawing!

2011-11-24T03:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Before I get started on my Thanksgiving post, I have a lucky winner to notify! Since one of our winners from the Romance Gone Goblin Giveaway never responded with their mailing address, I've drawn another winner using random.org.

The re-drawn winner of the Romance Gone Goblin Giveaway and a brand new copy of Kristina Douglas' The Fallen: Raziel is.......................................*drum roll*...........................................Arianne Cruz! Congratulations, Arianne! You will receive a notification email today. Please respond within three days time or a new winner will be drawn.

Now, onto the Thanksgiving post!

I have A LOT to be thankful for this year. A WHOLE LOT. Honestly, I would call the best year of my life thus far. It's hard to even know where to begin in saying what I'm thankful for. So many things have changed for me this year--most for the better. I got engaged to the man of my dreams and I'm getting married exactly 106 days from now (yay! xoxo). I was offered representation by a fantastic agent. My book is now sitting on editors' desks, waiting to be read. I graduated from Stetson and started grad school. I'm getting paid to bellydance again. I'm making more money now than I ever have before, not that it's very much lol. And so many other wonderful things. I'm going to have to break them down by category!

Since this blog is primarily about reading and writing, I'll start with some writerly thanks ;-)

I am very thankful for:

--My wonderful, dedicated, and hard-working agent, Nicole Resciniti. She has absolutely AMAZING editorial skills and is a great business woman to boot! She put my paranormal romance novel, Skinwalkers, through the ringer and helped me whip that manuscript into tip top shape. Now, it is currently on submission and we're playing the waiting game. Fingers crossed!
--My awesome critique partners: Britt Marczak and Lisa Sanchez. Britt, Skinwalkers would not exist without you and it never would've been nearly as successful without all your input. Lisa, you've been with me since the very beginning and I can't thank you enough for all your friendship. I don't know if I ever would've had the courage to keep writing through those difficult times if I hadn't had you by my side. I will always be willing to enjoy a good Demetrius and Quinn sandwich with you! Lol! ;-)
--My professors at Spalding and my new writing friends, Rebecca, Melissa, and Genissa. I am looking forward to growing into a better writer along with all of you.
--My sisters at the Seymour Agency for being supportive and welcoming. You ladies, rock!

As a worker, I am thankful for:

--The fact that I have not one, but three jobs to sustain me. While I don't make much and still only work part-time, I feel fortunate.
--The residents at the SH for all the times they make me smile and even all the times they drive me up a wall. You've taught me the meaning of patience, compassion, and understanding. Despite any confusion, I learn new things from your wisdom every time I'm with you.
--VERY thankful for changes in management ;-)
--The tips I receive from the customers at Ali Baba and the renovations my bosses are doing to the restaurant.
--My dance instructor, Hollie, for being a great mentor.

And finally, just as plain ol' me, I am extremely thankful for:

--My soon-to-be husband, Jonathan Ballenger. You are the love of my life and the center of my universe. You bring out the best in me and make me the happiest woman alive. I thank God every day that I am lucky enough to be yours. You've been a great friend to me for years, and I know that you'll be both a great friend and a great husband for many many years to come. I can't wait to share my life with you. I learn new things from you all the time. You've taught me that love without passion isn't love at all and that when you love someone, you'll do anything or give anything to be with them, even if that means enduring the pain of being only a loyal friend, when deep down you want so much more. I love you. Kocham cie.
--My family for their non-stop, unconditional support. You guys are my supportive backbone whenever I need you, and I know you'll always be there when I need someone to hold me up.
--My best friends: Laura and Britt. You girls are my lifeline whenever I need it. You boost me up when I need the lift and put me in my place if I get too big-headed lol ;-) I couldn't ask for better friends. Thank you for being there for me. Laura, we've been through a lot this year, girl. Both of us have been chewed up, spit out and had to rebuild our lives from the ground up. But I think we've done a damn good job, don't you? And we both came out all the better for it. I am honored to call you my friend. You know I have your back and I'll always be your friend.
--My baby, Sookie, for loving me more than anyone else in existence. You're the best dog ever and all the goodies and foxy-squirrels in the world wouldn't be enough to show you how much I love you. Every time I feel at the lowest of the low and like no one could possibly understand, you lick the tears right off my face and lay your head in my lap, you whimper as I cry until I know that you do understand more than anyone else. Your empathy amazes me.
--For our family dog, Mr. Pugsley Q. Magoo Esquire the 3rd. You were a great and loyal friend. We miss you every day. It still saddens me that I will never see your happy face again when I come home. But I am forever grateful for all the times you stood by my side. You were a great dog. We all miss you, including Cookie and Crumb. I love you. R.I.P Puggy.

So what are you thankful for this year? I think all of us have at least a little something to be thankful for. Why not share it with us? Also, any plans for Black Friday? Share them with us!

Happy Thanksgiving! Til Monday ;-)

Romance Girls Gone Goblin GIVEAWAY WINNERS

2011-11-02T19:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

It's time to announce the winners of the Romance Girls Gone Goblin giveaway! Let me start out by saying that this was a very successful giveaway. We had a lot of entries. With that in mind, the winner of Julie Kagawa's Iron King is................*drum roll*.............Geshaumann! And the winner of Kristina Douglas' The Fallen: Raziel is......................*drum roll*.......................The Book Heroine!

Congratulations, ladies! I will email you an official notification. You'll have three days to respond with your mailing address before a different winner is drawn.

Thanks to everyone who entered!!!

Til Friday ;-)

Romance Girls Gone Goblin and GIVEAWAY

2011-10-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

Muhahahahahahahaha! *crash of thunder and lightning* *bats flying everywhere*

Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you're all gearing up for a SPOOOOOOOKY Halloween weekend! To celebrate Halloween we're talking about our favorite scary, Halloween films and we're having a paranormal themed giveaway!

Now, when I was thinking about what to write for this Halloween post, I started to think about all the things I've done over the years in order to celebrate this fantastically creepy holiday.

On thing I'm sure we've all done at least once in our lives is trick-or-treating. But what about once we get older? When we're too old to trick-or-treat, but we don't yet have kids, how do we celebrate?

Along with going to Universal Studios' haunted houses, Halloween Horror Nights, one thing I love to do is watch Halloween or horror movies. It's a great way to get in that creepy, scary sort of mood while you're handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

So this year, to celebrate Halloween on the blog, I thought I would post an excerpt from my favorite Halloween movie (and well..quite frankly, my favorite movie ever). I hope you enjoy this little snippet and that it helps get you in the Halloween mood.

I hope you enjoyed the clip, of my favorite movie, A Nightmare Before Christmas! In honor of Romance Girls Gone Goblin, I'll be giving away a copy of YA paranormal romance, Iron King by Julie Kagawa and adult paranormal romance, The Fallen: Raziel by Kristina Douglas. Click on the covers below to read the back-cover blurbs. Here's what you need to do to enter:

Giveaway deets:

You must be a follower of this blog
You must leave a comment with your name and email addy so I can get a hold of you if you win. Also, please share with us a favorite Halloween/horror film or favorite Halloween memory.

US residents only, please.

Winner will be drawn on November 1st via Random Org. Winner has three days to respond, after which a new name will be drawn.

Make sure to stop by the rest of the participating blogs for more Halloween fun, and chances to win more prizes! Woohoo!

Good luck and Happy Halloween!!

On Hiatus

2011-10-25T18:45:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long silence, just wanted to give a quick update.

I am neck deep in edits for Skinwalkers, so as a result I have not kept up with the blog as I should. I'm hoping to finish my edits by Friday, so hopefully come Monday, I can resume my regular posts again.

Thanks to all of you who follow and/or read the blog! You have no idea how much it means to have people care about what I have to say. If you'd like to stay updated until I finish my edits, please check out my fan page by clicking this link: Facebook fan page.

I will be back as soon as possible! *runs off to do more edits*

Market News for the Week

2011-10-05T18:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're having a great week! Today we have some market news! Here's what's going on in the publishing industry:

Amazon has announced the release of the $199 Kindle Fire Tablet, taking aim at Apple. The device, a souped-up version of the Kindle electronic-book reader, will run on Google Inc.’s Android software. Amazon also introduced a touch-screen version of its e-reader called Kindle Touch. The company is looking to pose a really challenge to the Apple IPad. While the Kindle Fire beats the IPad in access to media content, unlike the IPad is doesn't have a camera, microphone or a connection to a 3G wireless network. The i-Pad also sports a larger screen and video chat. For more information about Amazon's Tablet ventures, click the following link: Amazon Unveils Kindle Fire.

In other Amazon news, booksellers and publishers are concerned that Amazon is creating a monopoly on the publishing industry. Booksellers and publishers are being cut out of the chain. But some authors who have signed with Amazon Publishing say the company offered them a better, fairer deal than traditional publishers.
Amazon also boasts the ability to release titles earlier and price books cheaper. For more information on Amazon's cornering the market, click the following link: Amazon's Rising Monopoly on Publishing

More news is that Lulu has partnered with Barnes and Noble to sell their ebooks. Lulu customers will find it easier than ever before to make and distribute their eBooks through the Barnes & Noble Nook Store. Lulu got its start in 2002 as a POD self-pub service, and with the rise of eBooks it's expanded into both selling and distributing Epub. For more information on the partnership, click the following link: Lulu and B&N partner to sell ebooks.

Were you a loyal Border's customer, a bankruptcy judge just approved Borders releasing their previous customer's private information to Barnes and Noble. B&N won the majority of Border's intellectual property auction earlier in the year. For more information, click the following link: Border's Sells Private Info to B&N.

In even MORE Amazon news, booksellers have begun discussing whether Kindle's new venture into library lend-able ebooks is beneficial to local libraries. Libraries are concerned this is going to make their books exclusive to those who own Kindles and phase out regular non-Kindle readers. For more information, click the link: Kindle's Lend-able a Good Thing?

HarperCollins has announced a partnership with Expresso Book Machines to offer their current and backlist books available in print within minutes. The Expresso Book Machines boast an impressive print-on-demand service on site, which means with the touch of a button a backlist or current book can be printed, bound and put into mass market paperback quality within minutes. For more information on this awesome creation, click the following link: HarperCollins' Books Available on Expresso Book Machines.

Finally, Kelli Martin is now senior acquisitions editor at Amazon Publishing’s Montlake Romance. Martin previously worked as a senior editor at Harlequin.

Barbara Scott has joined WordServe Literary Group as an agent. Scott previously worked as a senior acquisitions editor at Abingdon Press.

That's all the market news for this week! Til Friday ;-)

Author Interview: Catherine Bybee

2011-09-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. Today we have an interview with paranormal romance and time-travel fantasy author, Catherine Bybee, about her paranormal romance novella, Soul Mate. If you'd like to read the back-cover-blurb for Soul Mate click the following link and scroll down to product description: Soul Mate Description. And make sure you check back Wednesday for my review of Soul Mate. Enjoy!

Welcome to Nocturnal Readings, Catherine! Let's go ahead and get started.

Soul Mate is not your first published novella and you’ve had other novels published previously, how did it feel to find out you would be published for the very first time?

The very first time you hear your work is going to be published is a combination of ‘about damn time’ and ‘Whoo to the Hoo, baby’. There is a validation that only happens when a publisher nods. You can have everyone and their brother read your work, but when a bonifide editor from a real publishing house says ‘yes’ there’s nothing like it in the world for an author. At least for me anyway.

The MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy, your first three novels and several other novellas, released before Soul Mate. Which were you most excited about?

First of all… this is true, and not so true. This is actually the second release of Soul Mate. The first publisher that had this novella and I had a falling out. *Always search the preditors and editors bad publisher list* - So the first version of Soul Mate was one of my first books out. I’ve made several changes to the book between publishers… but it was one of my first books finished and published.

As for what I’m most excited about… Wow, that’s like asking which of my kids I like more. It’s hard for me to do. I like them all but for different reasons. Binding Vows, my first full length time travel was also my first print book. And no matter how amazing it is to see people read my book in whatever format they like, holding my book in my hand was a dream realized. I grew up with print books and think they will always have a place on my shelf. Sadly, I think the future will phase them out.

What was your inspiration and how long did it take you to write Soul Mate?

My family and I were camping up in the Sequoias a few years back and a full moon started peaking over the mountain. The opening scene to Soul Mate unfolded in my head and off I went. I liked the idea of a female were and a human hero. For me it all worked.

Tell us a little about your main characters. Who did you create first?

Kari is smart, cunning and resourceful. She’s one step ahead of the bad guys and the cops which makes her the perfect heroine. Nick is smart, cunning and resourceful, but always a tiny step behind Kari and it drives him crazy. I created Kari first and needed to mold the perfect hero for her with Nick.

Which characters were the hardest/easiest to write and why?

No one in Soul Mate was hard to write. Because this is a novella length read, the history of the characters isn’t shoved into the mind of the reader. This is actually harder for a writer to do.

What was the biggest challenge for you in writing Soul Mate?

Keeping Soul Mate a novella length book was probably the biggest challenge. If there is one thing I hear about this story is that the readers wish it was longer. I did add a couple of scenes to this book between publishers to help ease that, but still readers wanted more. Sometimes as a writer, the story unfolds fast and the characters drive it to be a longer read, or a shorter read. When a writer forces a book to be longer, the book feels forced. We’ve all read books with a sagging middle. I think Soul Mate might have become that had I forced myself to add more to it.

If you could tell us one fun fact about any of your characters, who and what would it be?

One of my best friends growing up is named Kari. She loved wolves as a teenager… long before the werewolf craze. She’s all grown up now and does carry a 9mm for her day job. Although Nick is the Fed in this book, Kari was my inspiration for him.

Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on?

I’m working on a couple of things. Highland Shifter, is the 4^th book in my time travel series. Simon, the son of the heroine in the 3^rd book is all grown up and in need of his HEA (Happily Ever After). Like the title suggests, he’s a shifter. Those of you who’ve read the series already know this about him. I have the amazing job of combining time travel with shifters placed in a sometimes highland setting. Yeah me.

I’m also working on the complete opposite of the spectrum with a contemporary I’m self publishing titled Wife by Wednesday. There isn’t one paranormal bone in this story. It’s all in the 21^st century with a rich man and the woman he loves.

Without giving too much away, what’s your favorite scene in the novella? How did you feel when you completed that scene?

I love the tease scene… where Nick is trying to get Kari to go out with him. He says all the right things and she plays him so well he’s like a string about to pop. I love it.

What’s your favorite line from the story?

“…dinner you know kind of like breakfast only later and with wine.”

If you could go back to when you were writing your first novel, what advice would you give yourself?

Be prepared to revise, revise, revise!

Which authors have most influenced your writing?

Nora Roberts has an amazing diversity in her writing. Paranormal, contemporary, suspense. I like that. It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up one of her books, but I love that she hasn’t been stuck in a rut and unable to write different things.

Favorite book?

Oh, man… so hard to pick one. For paranormal romance, I’m going to pick Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher. I have to pick something recent, so I’ll go with that. The books that guided me were much older though.

Favorite author?

Kathleen Woodwiss will go down as my favorite.

What are you currently reading?

The Lost by Caridad Pinero

Favorite Soul Mate character and why?

Kari – She’s strong and willing to go the extra mile to right the wrongs of this world.

Thanks again for stopping by, Catherine! We're glad to have you any time!

For more information on Catherine and her work, or where you can purchase a copy of her novella/novels, you can find her at the following places:

Website: www.catherinebybee.com

Twitter: @catherinebybee

Blog: http://catherinebybee.blogspot.com/

Publisher Website e-book: www.thewildrosepress.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Mate-ebook/dp/B005I63XU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313808093&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/catherine-bybee?store=book

Hope you all enjoyed the interview! Make sure you check back on Wednesday for the review! Til then! ;-)

Review: Obsessed by Lisa Sanchez

2011-09-21T23:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all making it through the week alright. Today we have a review of Lisa Sanchez's erotic romantic suspense novel, Obsessed. If you missed out on the author interview with Lisa, you can check it out by clicking this link: Author Interview with Lisa Sanchez. Let's get right into it.

Synopsis: "The victim of both a brutal attempted rape and now a serial stalking, Halley Davis is broken, and desperate to glue the shattered pieces of her life back together. Tormented by a psychopath and battling a heavy dose of anxiety, sex and dating are the last things on Halley’s anxiety-ridden mind. That is, until she meets the man who rescued her from the hands of a would-be rapist. With a body made for sin, a wicked, sexy tattoo and an aura that screams “badass,” her rescuer not only calms the storm of terror raging inside her mind, he ignites a passion within her she’s never known before.

Tired of using meaningless sex to drown out the horrors of his past, Nick Ackart has sworn off women. In fact, if women were classified as meat, his ass is Vegan. Despite his determination to remain unattached, Nick is unable to stay away from the emerald-eyed beauty he rescued from a sadistic pervert. Immersed in a tangled web of sexual desire and deep emotion he was certain was long dead, he vows to protect Halley from the monster hounding her, even though he stands to lose his heart in the process."

Genre: Erotic Romantic Suspense

First Sentences: "Damon sat back in his seat and ran a hand through his dark hair. 'Dude, you need to get laid.'" Great first line! Get's your attention, and who isn't happy when we're already talking about the sexy times on page one? Hehe.

Brownie Points: I have two major loves when it comes to this book: the heat level and the hero. The hero, Nick, is tortured, broken, scarred and absolutely delicious. If you're a fan of the tatted up bad boys, Nick is the hero for you. He is super sexy and totally in love with the heroine, Halley. What more could a girl ask for? Both Halley and Nick have dark pasts, but despite that, they're able to work through their differences and fall in love, even when a creepy stalker is watching Halley's every move.

And the chemistry between Nick and Halley is white hot! If you want to read some of the hottest, most well-written sexy times, you need to read Lisa Sanchez's novels, specifically Obsessed.

Beefs: Absolutely no beefs. All in all it was a great read.

Ending: It's romance, it's a happily-ever-after, so of course it was wonderful and as with any good romantic suspense, the loose ends are all tied up =)

Recommendation and General Comments: Obsessed is well-written, well-paced and an all around enjoyable read for those who like romantic suspense--even those who aren't fans of the particular sub-genre should be able to find something they like about this book. It appeals to all romance readers. For this reason, I give Lisa Sanchez's Obsessed a rating of full moon.

Full moon is the mother of all ratings! If your a fan of hot romance, you MUST buy this on your Kindle or Nook NOW. I promise you won't regret it!

Hope you enjoyed the review! Til Friday! ;-)

Market News for the Week

2011-09-20T19:45:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend and that your week has kicked off well! Today we have some market news for the week. Let's get right to it.

Beginning September 15th, Publishers Weekly's romance and sci-fic/fantasy/horror review sections will accept digital galleys for review consideration. This includes digital-first publications. PW encourages small and independent presses to make use of this new system. For more information, click the following link: PW Offers Ebook Reviews

According to the Association of American Publishers (AAP) sales figures from June 2011 for adult paperback sales plunged 64% from last years sales. At the same time, ebook sales were up 161%. For more information, click the following link: Adult Paperback Revenues Down

The rise of agency run publishers is causing lots of discussion and debate as well. Do you think it's ethical for agency's to create their own digital publishing for their clients? Read the article at the following link and make your own informed decision: Agents as Publishers--Ethical or Not?

In our final news, The Authors Guild, the Australian Society of Authors, the Union Des Écrivaines et des Écrivains Québécois (UNEQ), and eight individual authors have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court against HathiTrust, the University of Michigan, the University of California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, and Cornell University.Read more about the suit HERE. This week the Library Copyright Alliance stated their opinion on the suit. For more information about their opposition, click HERE.

That's all the market news I have for this week. Until next time! ;-)

Blog Hop!

2011-09-16T20:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all had a great week! I apologize for being on hiatus. School has started again and on top of that I'm still knee-deep in edits. But I am back today with our regular blog hops! Onward!

Blog Hop Link: http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/09/book-blogger-hop-916-919.html

Today's blog hop question is:

As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?

My answer: I just always introduce myself professionally and try to stick to interesting things that I would like to know about a particular author or blogger. It's pretty straight forward.

How about you? If you have a blog, how do you introduce yourself in your profile? And if you're a reader, what do you want to see in a bloggers introduction?

Have a great weekend! Til Monday! ;-)

Author Interview: Lisa Sanchez

2011-09-09T13:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all had a relaxing labor day and have a great weekend ahead of you. Today we have an interview with paranormal romance and romantic suspense author, Lisa Sanchez, about her erotic romantic suspense novel, Obsessed. Below the interview, I've posted the information for our regular blog hops. Enjoy!

Welcome to Nocturnal Readings, Lisa! Let's go ahead and get started.

Sounds good! Thanks for having me!

Obsessed is your first published romantic suspense, how did it feel to find out it would be published?

I was elated when I received the acceptance email from Loose Id. Obsessed is so different from my other novels, and the characters, specifically Nick, hold a special place in my heart.

Eve of Samhain and Pleasures Untold, your first two paranormal romance novels, released before Obsessed. Which were you most excited about?

Oh gosh…that’s a tough question. I was excited about both, but I think I’m gonna have to go with Eve Of Samhain for the simple fact it was my first. I’d been querying EOS for so long, and while I received lots of positive feedback, it wasn’t being picked up, which was frustrating. I still remember the day I received the email from Omnific saying they wanted to publish it. I was reading my email on my phone, in bed mind you, at like six in the morning. I woke the entire house up screaming with excitement. I think they thought someone broke in and was trying to murder me, lol!

What was your inspiration and how long did it take you to write Obsessed?

Obsessed was my Nano novel. I pounded out the first 20k in just under 2 weeks I think, and then got busy with my girl’s competition cheer schedule. I started writing again toward the end of their season, and finished in the summer. I’m gonna say it took about 3 months to finish, not including the time spent in between where I wasn’t writing.

My inspiration came from a song. Well, actually, two songs. Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” and Sara Bareille’s “Gravity.” I really wanted to write a story involving addiction. I’d originally thought Nick would be a bad boy with an addiction problem, and Halley would struggle with co-dependency. If you’ve read my story, then you know that’s not exactly how it turned out, lol! My characters took off in a different direction.

Tell us a little about your main characters. Who did you create first?

I remember drumming up ideas for Halley before anyone else. I sat in my writing chair with a blank notebook and a pencil and started jotting down ideas. Should she be a teacher? Should she work in the fashion industry? It took a little while before I settled on bakery owner. Nick’s progression was more organic. I knew I wanted him to be a bad boy with tattoos and piercings, but I didn’t know anything else about him. He revealed himself to me as I wrote, and I fell in love with him immediately.

Which characters were the hardest/easiest to write and why?

Nick was the easiest for me to write, I think, because I found him so compelling. I enjoyed his voice, his mannerisms, his angst, and his protective instinct.

Halley was the most difficult for me to write, which is funny because out of all the characters I’ve written, she’s most like me. We both struggle with terrible anxiety, and trying to convey that type of emotion in a way that people can relate to and understand is difficult. In the first draft, during her anxious moments, her reactions were very extreme and quick, her emotions up and down. For me, the way I’d written her seemed normal, her panicked reactions were similar to my own, lol! After I went back and smoothed out those scenes, everything fell into place.

What was the biggest challenge for you in writing Obsessed?

Writing the ending scene. I’m terrible with endings. I’d become so invested in Nick and Halley, I didn’t want their story to end.

If you could tell us one fun fact about any of your characters, who and what would it be?

Lol! I originally wanted to have Nick take out a certain bad guy with a can of corn. No joke. I remember running through different scenarios on how to kill my bad guy during a plotting session with a friend. The scene in question places Nick and the villain in Halley’s kitchen. Would I have Nick stab him? Would he drop a fridge on him? Shove his head in the oven? I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I’d had a sugary drink and pastry, so I was feeling a bit stimulated and goofy and thought it would be the funniest thing ever if I had Nick bash the bad guy’s head in with a can of corn. Yes…I know…ridiculous. I feel like I should add here that my crazy little idea didn’t make it into the book. None of my characters were hurt or killed with a random can of vegetables.

Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on?

You bet! I’m currently working on book two in a new paranormal series, tentatively titled The Order Of Seven. The first novella, Cursing Athena, is currently on submission. I’m about three chapters into book two, Hell On Heels and hope to finish it up in the next month or so. Notice I said hope, lol. My girl’s busy schedules have been keeping me away from my computer as of late.

Without giving too much away, what’s your favorite scene in the novel? How did you feel when you completed that scene?

I really enjoyed writing the scene where Nick takes Halley out for a picnic lunch in the park. There’s so much yuck going on for both of them during most of the book, this one scene was great because you get to see them relax and enjoy each other. It was refreshing, and I remember feeling a sense of relief after I finished writing it.

What’s your favorite line from the story?

Oh, gosh. I have a few, but I think I’ll go with this one. It’s in the first chapter, and gives you a good look into Nick’s head. A little set up: He’s at a bar with his friend after a long day at work, and he’s in a pissy mood. The cocktail waitress who’s serving him has her eyes set on him, and he’s having no part of it.

At first glance, Shauna looked okay—tall, thin, and enhanced in all the right places. But when you looked deeper, the stress lines near her eyes were clearly visible, and her front teeth stuck out just a bit, suggesting her real line of work wasn’t slinging beer and cocktails.

Nick picked up his glass, swirling the amber liquid around before tossing it back in one fast gulp. “Sorry, babe. Still not interested.” The mere thought of another round of meaningless sex was about as appealing as a shit sandwich. He shook his head and grumbled beneath his breath. Yeah, no thanks.

If you could go back to when you were first writing this novel, what advice would you give yourself?

I’d tell myself not to worry about how fast or slow I’m writing and to stay true to my voice, and my characters.

Which authors have most influenced your writing?

It’s no big secret I idolize J.R. Ward. She’s amazing, and if I had one tenth of her success I’d be a happy girl.

Favorite book?

Lover Revealed. Butch is my boy!!

Favorite author?

Hee hee. The Warden J

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Ember, a YA paranormal romance by Carol Oates. It’s different and fresh and I’m really enjoying it.

Favorite Obsessed character and why?

Nick. He’s angsty and broken, and completely shmexy in every way. I absolutely adore him.

Thanks again for stopping by, Lisa! We're glad to have you any time!

Thanks for having me! Mwah!

For more information on Lisa and her work, or how where you can purchase a copy of her novel, you can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com

Twitter:@LisaSanchez3

Blog: http://www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com

Publisher Website e-book: http://www.loose-id.com/Obsessed.aspx

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Obsessed-ebook/dp/B0053IK8JM

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/obsessed-lisa-sanchez/1102350321

Crazy-for-Books Blog Hop

Blog Hop Question: “Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

My answer: I read primarily YA, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. I don't read any one of those genres specifically over the other. If one of them stopped being written, I'd switch to one of the others lol. If all of them stopped being written, I'd read multi-cultural fiction like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (one of my favorite books). But if those genres disappeared, I'd be pretty screwed considering that's what I write lol.

What about you? What's your answer to the blog hop question and what did you think of the interview? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Friday Blog Hop

2011-09-02T21:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all ready for the three day weekend! Today we have our regular blog hop. Go ahead and hop from blog to blog. Have at it!

And if you didn't check in earlier this week, make sure you check out the debut of my new Author Website and also our latest review: Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover Review. Have a great weekend! Til Tuesday! ;-)

Blog Hop!!!

Crazy-for-Books Blog Hop Question: "What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season --a particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation?

My answer: I'm looking forward to quite a few things--here they are, not in order of importance. First: my 21st birthday, which just so happens to be on September 10th! Second: making more plans for my wedding in March. Third: my first graduate school residency at Spalding University in November, and what I'm looking forward to most of all....my book being on submission with my agent and possibly being picked up by publishers! Woo hoo! Fingers crossed!

So what about you? What's your answer to this week's question?

Review: Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2011-09-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope you're all making it through the week alright. Today we have a review of Sherrilyn Kenyon's paranormal romance novel, Fantasy Lover. Let's get right into it.

Synopsis: "Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day.

As a love-slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and onto the world. She taught me to love again.

But I was not born to love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace--the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse?

Julian of Macedon"

Genre: Paranormal Romance

First Sentences: " 'Honey, need to get laid.' Grace Alexander flinched at Selena's overtly loud voice in the small New Orleans cafe where they sat, finishing up their lunch of red beans and rice." A super grabbing opening and a great way to introduce the voice of the novel. Despite some of the darker content about Julian's past, the voice remained light and somewhat humorous at times. Very enjoyable.

Brownie Points: I loved Sherrilyn Kenyon's writing voice! Though I know most of you paranormal readers have probably been fans of hers for years, somehow I had never managed to get around to reading her--even though I've met her and by odd coincidence, she now knows me on a first name basis! Long story there. Anyway, I am very very glad I finally got around to picking up one of her books. I instantly fell in love with the writing voice. The writing on the line level was strong, the character's were likable, the hero was a hunk--it was one of those rare occasions where I could barely put the book down! That's the mark of a great writer.

Beefs: Absolutely no beefs. All in all it was a great read.

Ending: It's romance, it's a happily-ever-after, so of course it was wonderful =)

Recommendation and General Comments: This was a great read. An all around feel good book. It's one of those novels that you pick up thinking you're only going to read one chapter before you go to bed and instead you find yourself 7 chapters in and it's 5AM when you finally just can't stay awake anymore! Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of my new favorites. For this reason, I give Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover a rating of full moon.

Full moon is the mother of all ratings! If you haven't read this and you're a fan of paranormal romance, you MUST go to the store or library and get it NOW. I promise you won't regret it!

Would I aspire to write like this author?

Absolutely! The only thing that threw me off was that there was no indications of when we were switching to a different characters POV. I didn't distract me from the story, but I prefer to be warned by asterisks or something. Aside from that, I love EVERYTHING about this book and about the writing.

Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for our regular post! Til then ;-)

Website Launch!!!

2011-08-30T11:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I apologize for not posting yesterday, but I was very busy working on the great news I have now! Today is going to be a rather short post, but for a very good reason.

I'd like to announce the launch of my author website!!!!!!!!!!

That's right! This technologically un-savvy writer now has an author website to call her own! Yay!

For you loyal followers, don't worry. I will still be updating the blog on a regular basis. The author website is simply a place where editors and readers can find me--and it even links back to this blog in a couple of clickable spots. So show some support and go check it out!

www.kaitlynschulz.com

I would appreciate if anyone could tell me if they encounter any difficulties. I hope you all like it and find it easy to navigate. Enjoy! ;-)

Friday Blog Hop

2011-08-26T12:52:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all ready for the weekend! Today we have our regular Friday blog hops courtesy of Parajunkee's View and Crazy-for-Books. So have fun and find some new blogs to follow!

Also, don't forget to check out my new author fan page on FB. I am trying to slowly make the transition from using the old fan page to this one, so if you would like to receive updates in your FB feed about the blog and my books, please "like" my page. You can check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kaitlyn-Schulz-Author/241984212507804

And keep your eyes open for a new website! I will still be keeping up with the blog, but I'll soon have an author page with information and updates on my books that links back to my blog, so make sure you check back for that soon.

Parajunkee Blog Hop Question:

In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

My answer:

I wish vampires would come out of the coffin for real like in Trueblood. They are my favorite paranormal creature and I would be in such 'aw' over the fact that they were real.

Crazy-for-Books Blog Hop Question:

Non-book related this week. Do you have pets?

My answer:

Yes, I do! I have a one-year-old puppy named Sookie--yes, after Sookie Stackhouse in the Southern Vampire Series (Trueblood). She is half collie and half golden retriever, and she is the most lovable big dog on the planet. =)

Have a great weekend, everyone! Don't forget to "like" my new author page! Til Monday ;-)

Market for News for the Week

2011-08-22T16:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! Today we have some market news for the week, so let's jump right into it.

As Amazon gears up to launch their publishing imprint by launching their fall titles, booksellers are trying to decide whether to stock the books of the company they consider to be their biggest competitor. The answer seems to be 50/50 with many booksellers saying they will definitely stock the books, others saying no they won't. But the majority have responded with yes, they will stock certain books under certain conditions. Barnes and Noble fell into that later group saying they will stock Amazon titles, but only if they have the rights to all channels of those titles. That means B&N will stock Amazon titles as long as they also have the rights to sell digital versions of those titles. For more information, you can check out the article here: Publisher's Weekly B&N stocking Amazon Titles.

A Seattle based law firm has filed a class-action suit against Apple and five of the major six publishers including: Hachette, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and MacMillan. The suit accuses publishers of trying to fix e-book prices and attempting to force Amazon into higher ebook rates. For more information, you can check out the article here: Law Firm Sues Major Publishers

The New York Times reports that BookStats, a comprehensive survey conducted by two trade groups, revealed a hint of revival in publishing, despite the doomsday-ist who seem to plague the industry. The Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group collaborated on this effort and as I writer, I'll agree that things look promising when you look at these statistics. For more information, you can check out the article here: NYT Reports on Revival of Publishing Industry

Avon Books has teamed up with the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance to urge women to K.I.S.S (Know the Important Signs and Symptoms). The groups are trying to raise awareness in the same ways many breast cancer foundations have managed to raise awareness to women's health. Avon Books donated an initial $25,000 dollars to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance to support the cause. For more information on Avon's K.I.S.S efforts, you can click on the following link: Avon Books Supports Raising Awareness of Ovarian Cancer

Amazon has released it's new Kindle Cloud App. So if you have a Kindle, you'll want to check this out: Kindle Cloud App

That's all the news I have for today! Check back on Wednesday for our usual post! Til then ;-)

Querytracker Success Story Interview

2011-08-19T15:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope all of you are ready for the weekend =) I apologize for my absence this week, but you'll like the reason I was gone. After years of trying, I finally have a literary agent! I am now officially represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency! Below, I've posted a success story interview I did with querytracker.com and below that, we have the information on our weekly blog hops. Enjoy!

Querytracker Success Interview with Kaitlyn Schulz

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you’ve found
representation? What inspired you to write it?

Sure thing! SKINWALKERS is my third book, an adult paranormal romance. The two previous books I wrote, which didn’t secure me representation, were the first two novels of a YA urban fantasy series. After I wrote the first two books of that series, I queried the first one until I practically had rejections coming out my ears. Since the novels didn’t stand alone, I couldn’t do anything with the second book until the first one was picked up and it felt pointless to continue with the series when I knew it wasn’t going to get me representation. When I finally decided to shelf the YA series, I decided to try my hand at writing paranormal romance. I read paranormal romance just as much as I read YA and urban fantasy and I’d also been told my voice was stronger in 3^rd person point of view (romance is usually in 3^rd person, and my YA books were in 1^st), so it seemed like a good plan of action.

Once I’d decided the genre, I knew I had to find an interesting twist on an old paranormal myth in order for the book to stand out, so I started researching. That’s when I stumbled across information on skinwalkers. It seemed unique, so then I started plotting out the book and creating characters. The rest is history =)

QT: How long have you been writing?

That’s a trick question haha. I’ve been writing seriously since I graduated high school in 2008. Yes, you read that right, I am THAT young lol. I finished my first book at the end of that year. But the idea for that first book actually came from a short story I wrote in 2001, when I was only 11, so I’ve been interested in writing for a long time.

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

I’ve been working on SKINWALKERS since August of this past year, 2010. It’s been almost exactly one year since I started writing it. This novel took significantly longer than my first two. My first two took about 7 months a piece, so 14 months total. SKINWALKERS gave me a lot more difficulties. I had bouts of writer’s block and lots of frustrations with it, but it’s been well worth it.

QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you
to stay on course?

Definitely. I couldn’t even count how many times I felt like giving up. I received, literally, hundreds of rejections on my first book. Even once the rejections had started to pile up and I started to have a bit thicker skin, once in a while, a rejection would still send me plummeting into a self-pity party. It’s so easy and so tempting to want to give up. My difficulty was that I kept hearing over and over that agents ‘liked my book, but didn’t fall in love with it’ and that with the current market they ‘had to fall in love’ before they agreed to represent something. From those responses and the repeated personalized rejections I was receiving (those are golden, they’re a good sign that you’re almost there), I knew that I was SO close. The difficulty in that was that no one could tell me what was wrong. My writing was strong, but I just hadn’t struck gold yet. That’s the worst feeling—not knowing the solution to a problem which stands in the way of your dream. I just kept going and listening to the small voice inside me that knew there is something worthy of publication in my novels. That’s why Nicole gushing over how much she loved SKINWALKERS was better than a dream come true.

Sylvia Plath once said, “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt,” and likewise, Paul Sweeney once said, “True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful.” I think both of those statements are very true.

QT: Is this your first book?

No, SKINWALKERS is my third book. My first was a YA urban fantasy titled, DEMON REINCARNATE.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Yes. I have a B.A in English with a minor in Creative Writing—I just graduated from Stetson University in May. I’m currently about to start my first semester of graduate school at Spalding University, where I’ll be working toward a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I hope to teach creative writing at a college level one day, while writing my own novels of course. ;-)

QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

Absolutely not lol. I’m a pantster, so I write by the seat of my pants. I usually have a vague outline of where the book is going, but I don’t know the details, so the inspiration comes in bursts. I usually try to write, at the bare minimum, a sentence or two a day even if I’m not feeling the inspiration. Writing even that little bit keeps things fresh in my mind. When I’m working on a project very intently, on average I write about 4,000-5,000 words a week—not always the greatest words, and a lot of those get cut in edits, but still a couple thousand. When the inspiration is really flowing, I can do up to 10,000 words a week at times.

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?

SKINWALKERS didn’t go through as many edits as my previous books before I started submitting it to agents. It went through about three rounds of small revisions before I started submitting, but I was much more conscious about editing as I wrote for SKINWALKERS, as where my other books I wrote with a bit more wild abandon. But SKINWALKERS is going through more revisions with Nicole, so it’s still in the editing process.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Yes, I have multiple critique partners who have looked over SKINWALKERS. I had one critique partner who read through the whole book as I wrote it, while others only read bits and pieces that I sent them when I needed editing advice. I would never send out a book to an agent unless I’d had other writers read it first.

QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

As I mentioned before, definitely from the hip.

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

I haven’t been querying this book very long. I started sending out queries in mid-July.

QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

I sent out a total of 30 queries, which is pretty much a drop in the bucket when it comes to querying agents. Out of those 30 queries, I received 10 requests for more material, 12 query rejections, and 8 no responses. Out of those 10 submissions I sent, I received 4 requests for more pages and 2 rejections before the offers started coming in.

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

Do everything in your power to master your craft. Read books, take online workshops, attend conferences, join professional writing groups like RWA, read agent blogs, study the current market, and most importantly, don’t give up. No matter how many rejection you get along the way, it can happen.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us? (If willing,
please include a sample of your query letter)

Of course! Here is the query I used for SKINWALKERS =)

Skinwalker [skin-waw-ker] (n.) – 1. A being capable of assuming the identity of an animal. 2. God of Norse Mythology 3. Shapeshifter

Werewolf hunter Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Execution Underground, a council of fierce, supernatural hunters sanctioned to protect the greater Rochester area. Despite his half-wolf lineage, Jace devotes himself entirely to his job, and he hates nothing more than the monsters he hunts. But when a search for a sexual sadist turns ugly, Jace finds himself face to face with the Rochester werewolves’ packmaster, and now he’s jonesing for a night with his sworn enemy.

The only alpha female to ever run Rochester’s pack, nothing stops Frankie Amato from protecting her clan, and she’s dead-set on massacring the rogue murdering women in her area. After ascending into leadership following her parents’ brutal murder, Frankie’s eager to prove she can hold her own without the help of any men—until a run-in with a handsome werewolf hunter leaves her captive and begging for release.

With a burning attraction and a relationship that moves between one step forward, two steps back, Jace and Frankie work together to end the murders. Their only chance falls on Jace’s shoulders; he needs to embrace his half-werewolf nature and shift for the very first time. But when Jace’s attempts at shifting reveal an unknown bloodline, not a werewolf’s blood at all, this news drums up Frankie’s own dark past, and she’d rather stand on the sidelines than at Jace’s side.

At 72,000 words, SKINWALKERS is the first novel in my paranormal romance series, EXECUTION UNDERGROUND, which follows the romantic lives of multiple, supernatural hunters. Although SKINWALKERS is the first in a series, the story stands alone and would appeal to readers of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter novels and J.R Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

I hold a B.A in English with a minor in Creative Writing from Stetson University. Currently, I’m a graduate student at Spalding University, working toward an M.F.A in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults with dual-genre study in adult fiction. I am also a member of Romance Writers of America, where I’m involved in many critique groups and writer’s workshops. I am an avid reader and maintain a well-read book blog, Nocturnal Readings, where I review novels in the paranormal romance genre (http://nocturnalreadings.blogspot.com).

I would be happy to send the full manuscript or a submission package upon request. Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Wishes,

Kaitlyn Schulz

Blog Hop:

http://www.parajunkee.com

Blog Hop Question: If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play?

My answer: This is easy. Hands down, I would write myself into the Harry Potter series. I'd be a witch, not a muggle, and I'd be another one of Harry's loyal sidekicks. =)

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-819-822.html

Blog Hop Question: What's the longest book you've ever read?

My answer: I honestly have no clue lol.

Don't forget to stop back in on Monday! I'll have market news for the week. Til then ;-)

Friday Blog Hop

2011-08-12T14:06:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all looking forward to the weekend. =) Today we have our regular Friday blog hop. Make sure you hop around to all the different blogs and give them a follow, and don't forget about the blog questions!

Parajunkee's Blog Hop

Question: How have your reading habits changed since you were a teen?

My Answer: My reading habits really haven't changed that much since I was a teen. I still read the same type of books I read back then. The main difference is that I now read on an e-reader occasionally, and I'm also reading books for grad school rather than for high school.

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-812-815.html

Question: Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet.

My answer: I can't seem to find any "crazy" book titles per say, but I can name a couple of my favorite book titles. Personally, I think Laurel K Hamilton comes up with the best titles of any author I read. Here are a couple of them: Obsidian Butterfly, Narcissus in Chains, Dance Macabre, The Harlequin, and The Killing Dance.

So what about you? What are your answers to the blog questions? Also, don't forget to check out the weekly book review that was posted on Wednesday. This week was Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Til Monday! ;-) Enjoy the hop.

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2011-08-10T11:00:00.092-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all making it through the week alright. Today we have a review of Laurie Halse Anderson's contemporary, young adult novel, Wintergirls. Let's get right into it.

Synopsis: “Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia’s mother is busy saving other people’s lives.Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia’s head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less.

If she keeps on going this way – thin, thinner, thinnest – maybe she’ll disappear altogether.

Genre: Young Adult--contemporary issues--anorexia nervousa

First Sentences: "So she tells me, words dribbling out with the cranberry muffin crumbs, commas dunked in her coffee. She tells me in four sentences. No, five. I can't let me hear this, but it's too late. The facts sneak in and stab me. When she gets to the worst part...body found in a motel room, alone..." A grabbing opening, but the rest of the novel's tension level didn't stay up to par.

Brownie Points: I enjoyed the way Laurie Halse-Anderson handled Lia's compulsive habits. Lia constantly relays the amount of calories in the food she is eating and is obviously more food conscious and aware of smells, texture, and taste than the average person. She also did her studies well in finding ways for Lia to force herself into starvation--mutilation to take her focus off her food cravings, convincing herself that the food was sludge that would infect her, and cutting everything into small bits--and also techniques for Lia to hide that she was deviating from her rehabilitation plan--putting quarters in her pockets and drinking loads of water to make herself weigh more during scale checks, scraping her food into her napkin, etc.

Beefs: One thing that I thought wasn't addressed enough was Lia's delusions. Her issues with anorexia were the main focus, but I think her schizophrenic tendencies of seeing things and people who aren't there, her paranoia about Cassie coming back to haunt her, and her self-mutilation was a little more urgent of an issue. I also wasn't a fan of the chapters being titled in correlation with how many pounds Lia had lost. And ultimately, I found the voice forced and overly literary.

Ending: I can't say I was very impressed or found it extremely emotional. It wasn't bad, but it didn't bring out any emotion for me, which is something I hope for in endings.

Recommendation and General Comments: The plot line for this story was pretty much non-existent. The novel was almost entirely internal, yet the internal conflict seemed contrived. The best scenes were between Lia and her mother, when her mother tried to force her to eat. Those were the most poignant in the novel, because they created the most conflict. While Lia's issues with control were compounded upon one another (cutting, anorexia, etc) in a realistic manner because they were all "control issues", many important themes within the novel went unaddressed--almost as if Halse Anderson had created too many issues for one novel. For this reason, I give Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls a rating of quarter moon.

This book was okay--only so so. I would not recommend it, though I wouldn't adamantly recommend against it either. It just wasn't really my taste. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved Speak, but I didn't fall in love with Wintergirls. The writing isn't even remotely similar to the writing in Speak, so if you choose to read the novel, expect something extremely different from Halse's earlier writing.

Would I aspire to write like this author?

No--not for this book anyway. I didn't enjoy the writing style. The story was alright, but the writing on the line level was unappealing to me. Halse-Anderson tried to make it too lyrical. Many of the metaphors and similes were overly grandiose and artsy.

Don't forget to stop back by on Friday for our regular post! Til then ;-)

Blog Hop!

2011-08-05T15:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're all glad that it's the weekend. We have our usual Friday blog hops today! Have at it and hop from blog to blog. On Monday, I'll be posting some market news for the week. Til then ;-)

Blog Hop Question: What is a book that changed your life and how did it do so?

My answer: A book that changed my life was Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. The HP series is what really got me into reading and if I hadn't become a reader, I would've never been a writer. It shaped my whole life and career!

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-85-88.html

Blog Hop Question: What is one ARC you would love to get your hands on?

My answer: I can't think of any at the current moment, but when the next Sookie Stackhouse book is about to come out, I would maybe fist fight someone for an ARC copy of that lol.

Author Interview: Kristin Miller

2011-08-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope you all are having a great week. Today we have an interview with paranormal romance and romantic suspense author, Kristin Miller, about her recently released novel, Intervamption. If you missed my review of Intervamption yesterday, you can find it here: Intervamption Review. Enjoy the interview!

Welcome to Nocturnal Readings, Kristin! Let's go ahead and get started.

Intervamption is your first published paranormal romance, how did it feel to find out it would be published?

~When my agent called, she said, “Avon has made an offer on Intervamption.” My heart stopped. I remember not talking much during the rest of our conversation—which is highly abnormal for me. I was too stunned for words. Excitement hit after awhile, but the first emotion to strike me was definitely shock. I was all smiles from there on out.

Dark Tide Rising, your romantic suspense novel, was released before Intervamption. Which were you more excited about: the very first or the first project with a major publishing house?

~Asking that question is like asking which child I like best! I like them both equally, for entirely different reasons. (Isn’t that the kosher answer?) Dark Tide Rising was the first “baby” I saw in print, and with that came all kinds of tingles and chills and jumping up and down. With Intervamption, I felt a ton of pressure, but in a productive, “I’m gonna kick this book’s ass” kind of way. I worked harder and longer to make Intervamption the story it is, and because of that, I think it’s very special. I’m proud of both books.

What was your inspiration and how long did it take you to write Intervamption?

~I was actually knee deep in Dark Tide Rising when the inspiration for Intervamption hit me. The History Channel blared over the television while I typed away, and I heard “Behold! I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves!” I stopped typing. Watched the program for a bit, without really watching. I thought it would be a really cool twist to have a shapeshifter shift into a vampire to penetrate their haven during war times. I didn’t think it’d been done before and knew immediately it’d be the type of book I’d love to read. Voila! Intervamption was born.

Intervamption is set in a world where vampires have their own established, secret society and are at odds with another underground supernatural community, the Therians. What made you decide on this sort of world-building? Did you always want the supernatural world to be secret, or did you consider making the human world aware of it within the novel?

~I wanted there to be conflict between my two paranormal races. Therians—shapeshifters—needed to be in a position of dominance over the vampires. They needed to police their drinking. There needed to be tension and prejudice coming from both parties. Although I knew I wanted to include all of the above, there had to be a reason for all that. Didn’t take long for the reason to hit me: humans would freak if they knew paranormal creatures lurked in dark alleys, drinking their blood! Look how many horror movies depict vampires as evil, undead creatures! My vampires aren’t evil or undead. They’re simply born with a tweaked genetic make-up and transition into vampires during puberty. Therians wouldn’t want vampires catching the attention of humans (or mundanes, as I call them in Intervamption), because once they realized paranormal creatures existed, nothing would prevent them from turning their prejudices on therians next. Nope, better to keep mundanes in the dark. Better to enforce strict vampire “no drinking” laws.

And it makes for a fun read, don’t you think?

Tell us a little about your main characters. Who did you create first?

~Slade. I definitely created Slade first. He’s my kick-ass shapeshifting assassin, who’s brash and possessive in all the right ways. He’s charged with being the first of his race to shift into a non-compatible form—a vampire—and penetrate a haven to make his final mark and earn back his high-ranking status.

But he didn’t expect chemistry to spark between him and his Newborn Induction Representative, Dylan.

Dylan is the owner of ReVamp, a vampire rehabilitation center, whose sole purpose in life is proving once and for all that vampires aren’t the leeches therians have painted them to be. Something is tainting the blood supply in Crimson Bay, causing vampires to act out on the streets. Dylan is dead-set on finding out what the hell is going on.

They can’t deny the connection between them, but neither can they ignore the gap separating their species.

Which characters were the hardest/easiest to write and why?

~Villains are always the easiest for me to write. (That doesn’t make me inherently evil, does it? Ha!) There are a couple hard core villains in Intervamption, though I won’t go into too much detail—wouldn’t want to give anything away. Let’s just say alliances shift and things aren’t always what they appear. Dylan was probably the hardest for me to write because I felt like I had to get her “just right”. She has a tireless work ethic, yet she has to make time for love. Balancing those two aspects of her life was a bit tricky.

What was the biggest challenge for you in writing Intervamption?

~Breaking prejudices between characters. The two species I created had been battling for centuries. When I first shoved Slade and Dylan together, Slade hated everything about vampires. The transition from hate to like to acceptance and, eventually, love was a process that had to be massaged along. That was the by far the biggest challenge.

If you could tell us one fun fact about any of your characters, who and what would it be?

~Savage, San Francisco haven’s leader (or Primus, as I call him), is named after Savage from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Around the same time I started writing Intervamption, I received an autographed copy of The Art of Seeing by Aldous Huxley, from my mother and father-in law. Although I’d never read that particular book, I loved Brave New World and thought Savage would be a perfect name for my villain.

~Side note: There’s also a ton of biblical names used in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series: Eve, Moses, David, Amon, Abram, and Hiram, to name a few.

Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on?

~I’m currently working on Vampires of Crimson Bay #3 as well as a paranormal novella with fantasy elements. The novella is set in a different, yet equally complex world. Vampires of Crimson Bay #2 will be released from Avon Impulse December 6^th, 2011.

Without giving too much away, what’s your favorite scene in the novel? How did you feel when you completed that scene?

~My favorite scene is the climax. I was so “into character” when I wrote it, I remember hunching over my computer, typing with my head cocked to the side…like I was leaning down over the scope of a rifle. Husband kept asking what the hell I was doing. “I’m writing!” I told him, and went back to sniping. That’s all I’m going to say. :evil grin:

What’s your favorite line from the story?

~Oh, there’s a ton of them! If I had to pick, I suppose it would be one of the snippets of Crimson Bay current event info placed at the beginning of each chapter. My personal favorite is:

“Celeste Bloodslinger, star of the reality show iSuck, went in for dental reconstructive necrosurgery this weekend. This is rumored to be the star’s one-hundredth necroadjustment.” –Vampertainment Tonight.

I had so much fun writing those tidbits! I hope you enjoy them too!

If you could go back to when you were first writing this novel, what advice would you give yourself?

~Make a list of characters, traits, and motivations before you start. Things get complicated when you create a series. Worlds are thick and heavy, with tons of confusing layers. The only notes I had were stacks of Post-its with POV designations, so I always knew when it was high time to switch things up.

Which authors have most influenced your writing?

~Dean Koontz and John Saul. Their writing is dark and spooky and tension riddled. Growing up, it’s all I ever read. That aspect has seriously impacted how I write my own novels.

Favorite book?

~Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, the only book I’ve read more than once. A dark murder mystery. A fledgling romance .Who could ask for more?

Favorite author?

~There’s too many to list! How about two authors I’ve read recently and absolutely loved: Monica McCarty and Stacia Kane.

What are you currently reading?

~Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter. For some ridiculous reason, I thought I’d read all three at the same time. (So not like me!)

Favorite Intervamption character and why?

~Meridian. She’s the goddess, oracle, or prophet figure in the book. In my eyes, she’s a kooky cross between the Oracle from The Matrix and Judge Judy. She talks in code, is much smarter than she looks and has an odd fascination with porcelain cats. Who wouldn’t love a character like that?!?

And just for fun: Intervamption is the first in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series, give us a small teaser for book two.

~On the run from hungry vampires with his lover under arm, madly possessive RUAN has one thing in mind: keep the dirty fangs of his khissmates off the neck of his one true love—a human with mouth watering blood. The fact that from the moment he invited EVE into his bed, he’s been having eerily real nightmares about violently screwing her, then killing her? Yeah, that part wasn’t fitting too well into his carefully concocted plan to keep her safe.

Eve, a tantalizing biblical studies teacher at Crimson Bay University, has no idea her life is in jeopardy. Ironically, living with the knowledge of paranormal beings and sharing a bed with one of the most cryptic vampires on the planet was not what had her protectively grasping her throat at night. It was the mention of her name in the ancient scrolls; the scrolls written by vampire elders, revealing what’s in store for the end of times…and her spilled blood.

SAVAGE, a villainous vampire-therian hybrid, has a simple plan: kill Eve, drain her dry, thus binding the death shades (dark spirits of vampire elders) to him.

Determined not to let the evil sucker execute his plan by harnessing the dark energy of the elders and killing everyone they’ve come to love, Ruan and Eve set upon a course to stop the future dictated in the scrolls from coming true. It doesn’t take long however, before Ruan realizes that breaking Eve’s heart and erasing himself from her life might be the only way to save her. If only the pull to her wasn't so strong...

Thanks again, Kristin, for stopping by! We're glad to have you any time!

~Thanks for having me on Nocturnal Readings, Kaitlyn! I loved answering all your questions and hope you’ll have me back soon!

For more information on Kristin and her work, or how where you can purchase a copy of her novel, you can find her at the following places:

Website: www.kristinmiller.net

Twitter: @km_miller

Publisher Website for paperback & e-book: www.avonimpulse.com

Review: Intervamption by Kristin Miller

2011-08-03T11:00:00.085-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week. As promised, today we have a review of Kristin Miller's brand new paranormal romance novel, Intervamption! Check out the back cover blurb below:

Synopsis: "Congratulations!

Either one or both of your parents has vampire blood. Welcome to the vampire race!

Please keep a few things in mind as you ease into the most difficult phase of your life:

1. Light sensitivity, humming teeth, and stomach pains are completely normal. You’ll also be faster, stronger, and sexy as hell (if you’re lucky).

2. You’ll bloodlust and go crazy if you deny your body’s urge for blood. Why fight it?

3. Do not pierce the skin of a mundane involuntarily. We’re not animals and will not behave as such.

4. Therians, our shapeshifting brethren, cannot be trusted. Their loyalties shift as often as their identities.

And finally,

5. Lighten up—you’re not dead.

Contact Dylan, owner of ReVamp, in Crimson Bay, California, for more information. "

Genre: Paranormal Romance--adult

First Sentences: "Slade didn't think twice about slamming the blonde against his closed apartment door. She gasped as her head snapped back, hitting the wood with a resounding thud." WOW! Talk about an opening! Loads of tension and it definitely grabs you from the start.

Brownie Points: One of my favorite things about Intervamption is the attention to detail when it comes to world building. The supernatural world Kristin Miller creates is both believable and imaginative at the same time. From the descriptions of prophesies and ancient Valcdana ceremonies to Dylan's blood blast bars, I was hooked on the unique world Kristin portrayed.

Beefs: I don't even know if this could be considered a "beef" lol, probably not. Intervamption is extremely plot driven. It's well-paced, filled with tension and unexpected twists. My usual preference is more character driven novels. Nevertheless, Intervamption took a writing technique I'm normally not a fan of, and made me love it. That's an accomplishment!

Ending: Thoroughly enjoyed it. I won't say too much, because I don't want to give anything away. But let's just say, I'll definitely looking forward to reading the upcoming books in the series.

Recommendation and General Comments: Intervamption is a fantastic read! Paranormal romance lovers will not be able to put it down. You will fall in love with the Intervamption world and the sizzling romance between heroine vampire, Dylan, and the sexy therian hero, Slade. It's a story of star crossed lovers at it's most badass. For this reason, I give Kristin Miller's Intervamption a rating of full moon!

This is the mother of all ratings! I highly recommend this book! If you're a fan of paranormal romance, then you should go pick this up as soon as you can. This is no run of the mill vampire romance--this book is one of the most unique spins on vampire lore I've seen yet, and I do love my vampire novels, so that's saying something. I guarantee you'll love it.

Would I aspire to write like this author?

Absolutely. Intervamption is well-written, well-paced, intriguing, full of tension, unique and sexy as hell. The better question is: why wouldn't I aspire to write like this?

For more information on Kristin Miller and Intervamption, please visit her author website.
www.kristinmiller.net

To purchase Intervamption, available in both paperback and ebook formats, please visit any of the following sites (they link directly to the book):

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Borders
Avon Impulse

Don't forget to stop back in tomorrow to read an interview with Kristin about Intervamption! Til then ;-)

Sherrilyn Kenyon Giveaway WINNERS!

2011-08-01T23:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm happy to announce the winners of the Sherrilyn Kenyon Giveaway are as follows!

Winner of the autographed copy of Blood Trinity: Steph

Winner of a brand new paperback copy of No Mercy: Liesa

Winner of a brand new paperback copy of Blood Trinity: Crystal

Congratulations to all the winners! I'll be notifying you by email with the details of receiving your prize. Keep your eyes open for more giveaways coming soon. Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for a special interview with Kristin Miller, author of Intervamption, a new paranormal romance novel from Avon Impulse. Til then ;-)

Sherrilyn Kenyon Speech and GIVEAWAY

2011-07-27T11:00:00.056-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week! Today we have some very exciting things going on. First off, I'd like to direct everyone over to the Romance at Random website. This Friday 7/29 I'll be doing a guest post, talking about how I started Nocturnal Readings and my personal book recommendations for the paranormal sub-genre, make sure you come check it out and show some support. Now onto the main post!

In honor of our 1 year blogoversary today, we're having a giveaway! And not just any ol' giveaway, we're having a Sherrilyn Kenyon themed giveaway! I had the fortune of meeting this amazing woman at RWA Nationals this year, where she signed a few books for me to give away on the blog. I'll be giving away two paperback copies of Blood Trinity: Book One of the Belador Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and co-author Diana Love (one signed copy and one un-signed) and I will also be giving away a paperback copy of No Mercy: A Dark Hunter Novel by Sherrilyn Kenyon (un-signed). So there will be three different winners! How cool is that?!

Here are the rules:

-The Sherrilyn Kenyon Giveaway will run from now, Wednesday 11AM EST 7/27/11 until Monday 11AM EST 8/1/11.
-You must be a follower of this blog in order to enter.
-U.S Residents only.
-Leave a comment with your name and an email where I can contact you if you win (if you don't want to leave your email somewhere public, you can email me your entry to nocturnalreadings@gmail.com)
-You can earn up to two extra entries for posting a link to the giveaway on either Twitter and/or Facebook (one entry for a Twitter post and one entry for a FB post). You must provide the link in the comments along with your entry.

I'll announce the winners on Monday at our one year blogoversary celebration!

Now, following the theme of Sherrilyn Kenyon, I thought I would share the amazing keynote speech she made at RWA Nationals this year. It's extremely inspiring, even if you aren't a writer. Enjoy! See you at Romance at Random on Friday! Til then ;-)

Sherrilyn Kenyon RWA Nationals Keynote Speech:

"You know, I often joke with my hubby that one day he’s going to come home and I’ll have #1 NYT bestselling author tattooed across my forehead.

I’m seriously not joking. It is the most miraculous and surreal thing imaginable to me. Kind of like when they handed my sons to me after they were born and actually let me leave the hospital with them. What? Are you people nuts? I don’t know what I’m doing with this. OMG, it’s leaking out both ends! Help!

I wish I could say publishing was easier than parenting, but it’s really not.

I spent many years attending writers conferences as both a published and unpublished writer, sitting at big round tables, wondering... well A) will I ever be published and B) what would it be like to have the honor of being a keynote speaker.

I have to say it seriously doesn’t suck... but it is very scary.

And as I sat down to think of what all of you might want or need to hear, it forced me to walk back through my life and my career. Something I honestly try not to do because well... I always say there are two things you never want to ask me about. Publishing and pregnancy because I’ll scare you off both.

But the theme of being a writer is stories. Everyone has one and so I wanted to share mine along with some unvarnished truths. We are all the heroes and heroines of our own lives. And as Kalil Gibran once wrote “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.” Of course, he’s also the man who said, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” Anyone who’s been in publishing for five minutes knows the truth of this.

You can’t look at anyone and tell what they’ve been through. Ever. The deepest scars are never the ones that mark our skin. They are the ones that mar our souls. Unknown and unseen by everyone, but felt deeply by those of us who bear them and we can never fully escape their wrath.

Like the characters in our hearts, they whisper in our ears as a constant companion. They tell us we’re not good enough. Smart enough. Talented enough. That we don’t deserve our dream. That we’re stupid. Fat. Ugly. Those voices are the hardest thing to let go of. Twice as hard when critics and others, especially those who claim to be well meaning, give an exterior voice to them.

Other people say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. What they never talk about is finding the courage inside you to pursue a dream when it seems like even heaven itself has conspired to keep it from you. When obstacle after obstacle is not only thrown at you, but dropped on top of you with such force that you feel like Wile E. Coyote. But notice, Wile E. never once stopped pursuing the Road Runner. No matter how badly squashed he was, he always dusted himself off and kept going after his dream.

If you take only one thing away from this speech today, I want it to be a belief that you can achieve any and every dream you hold in your heart. That you have the power to be whatever is it you decide.

Your living isn’t determined by what life brings to you as it is by the attitude you bring to your life. It is hard to make lemonade out of lemons. No one knows this better than I do.

But you have to keep fighting.

One of the family stories we have is about my great grandfather who ended up in a fight with another man who pulled a knife out and stabbed him. He ended up with an infection and was told that he only had days to live while the other man was virtually unharmed. At sixty-three years old, he snarled at the doctor, “Ain’t no man gonna kill me and live to tell it.” So he got up and went to the man’s house to continue the brawl. This time, the man tried to shoot him and in the scuffle for the gun, my great grandfather killed him.

He went on after that to live another thirty-four years.

If that’s not tough, I don’t know what is.

As a girl, I was never allowed to complain about anything. You have to remember, my father was a drill sergeant who believed that no matter how hard you worked, you could always do better.

And that was my sympathetic parent.

My parents had one basic belief. The world will not take mercy on you. Your enemies will not take mercy on you and I will not be doing you any favors if *I* take mercy on you.

That was from my mother which tells you a lot about my childhood. I wish I could say it was happy, but it wasn’t. It was the kind of childhood people use to justify criminal behavior.

But that which does not kill us... serves as a motivational speech for others.

Every statistic I ever heard or read growing up said that I was destined to be a teen mother. A drug addict. Drop out. Most likely end up in jail at some point after having relationships with men who abused me. Some people brag that they were the first in their family to go to college. I’m one of only two in my family who graduated high school. As I said, you can’t look at anyone and know what they’ve been through.

One of many things no one can tell by looking at me now is that I grew up with one of the worst speech impediments imaginable and I had a thick Appalachian drawl.

I was so mocked for my accent and speech by others over the years that I learned not to talk to anyone. And my husband can verify this. In college, even when class participation counted for an entire letter grade, I refused to speak in class. So when I say I’m nervous about being up here, it’s on many levels.

In addition to not being able to stand up here and speak, I shouldn’t be able to read... never mind write a novel. I am severely dyslexic. So severe that it even manifests verbally, especially when I’m tired. Another thing I was relentlessly mocked for and called stupid over. The only reason I can read today is because my older brother took me aside when I was in first grade and said, “I’ve already got one ignorant sister, I ain’t having another. You gonna sit there, girl, until you’re literate.” And with a crumpled up Spiderman comic book, he taught me how to read.

I became a writer as a small child because it was how I coped with the trauma of my childhood. There is no worse feeling than to be completely at the mercy of others and to have no way out. For those of you in this room, and I know some of you are here, who know what I’m talking about, I am so sorry that you do. I wish I could make that better for you. But I made a vow to myself that if I could, by some miracle, make it out alive, I would never put myself back in that situation.

Oh but Fate was never going to make that vow easy on me.

I wrote because in fiction, I could eviscerate all the evil in my world. I couldn’t fight the real bullies and villains in my life, but I could slay them on paper. And I did.

I still do.

When I was five years old, before I could even read a book, and back when I was already drawing pictures to tell stories, I told my mother that when I grew up, I was going to be a New York Times bestselling author. My mother looked over at me with a mask of disbelief that I can see to this day and asked if I even knew what that was. “Nope. No idea. But it’s on the front of a lot of the books you read, so I figure it must be good and since I want to be a writer when I grow up, that’s the kind of writer I want to be.”

She laughed, and she by far was not last one to do so.

But the one thing my childhood and family taught me was to fight for what I wanted.

You never could say to my father that something was difficult. If you did, he always countered with, “Girl, you don’t know what hard is. You try taking two bullets in the chest. One in the leg and then belly crawl over the bodies of men you call friends to get to help while enemy bullets fly over your head. It’d have been far easier for me to lie down and die that day in a blood soaked field than it was to get to the medics who were pinned down by gunfire and save my life. You don’t wait for others to come help you. You take responsibility for yourself. Life ain’t never easy. It ain’t supposed to be. But you do what you have to do to survive it. So don’t you dare tell me how hard you think it is.”

That battle my father talked about... he was one of only ten in his unit who survived it and he was only nineteen years old.

I think about that a lot whenever I want to whine about something. As my mother always said, as bad as you think you have it, trust me there’s someone out there who would change places with you in a heartbeat. My mother at sixteen gave birth to a daughter with severe cerebral palsy. The doctors told her that my sister wouldn’t live to see age fifteen and that she’d never walk. It took my mother nine long hard years, but she taught her to walk. Trisha will turn sixty-one this year and she’s walking to this day.

Sometimes impossible just means you have to try harder.

Growing up, I wrote through all the arrows outrageous fortune shot at me and by no means was I ever spared. And I was lucky, I published my first piece in a local paper when I was in third grade. And I made my first professional sale at age fourteen. I used that money to buy a subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine. I was on the school paper and yearbook staff. Anything I could do to be published, I would do. I guess the experts were right after all. I was a junkie, but my drug of choice was publishing.

Contrary to all the experts and odds, I made it to college where I was the editor for our school paper, and one of the three jobs I had to hold down to pay for it was as an editor for a small SF magazine. By then, I’d made numerous sales to national magazines. But do you want to know why I don’t have a degree in Creative Writing or Journalism?

They wouldn’t let me in the programs. I applied three times to the Creative Writing department and even though I was already published, the professor told me that I didn’t write well enough to be admitted. On the third try, she told me not to waste her time by applying anymore as the slots in her program were reserved for students who actually had futures as professional writers and that my writing... well, sucked. I couldn’t make it in Journalism because they had a typing requirement and my right hand is partially paralyzed. I can’t type on a regular typewriter so I couldn’t pass that test and they wouldn’t let me in even though I was an editor for the paper and a magazine.

While you may be able to measure a person’s aptitude or even their talent, what you can never measure is a person’s determination and their resilience. As my brother so often said it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog.

My personal motto is: over, under, around or through. There is always a way to get to what you’re trying to reach... just ask any toddler who wants a cookie from the top shelf. The only person who can stop me is me and I don’t think enough of myself most days to let me be much of an obstacle.

At 20, I’d decided that I was going to finally write a novel and submit it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d written dozens of novels by that point and I do mean dozens. But I was an editor so I knew they reeked. I spent what little free time I had writing the draft. During Christmas break, between my jobs, I diligently typed those pages on a typewriter that I’d borrowed from my older brother’s roommate.

I will never forget when my brother, who as a teenager with a driver’s license, had spent his entire summer teaching a six year old how to read, came to get the typewriter. “I know it’s going to be a winner, baby. I can’t wait to see it in print.”

He died a few days later. Out of everything that had happened to me in my life, that was the hardest blow. He’d been my only light in many a bleak darkness. Needless to say, I trunked that book. I couldn’t stand to look at it. I chucked all my writing. I crawled inside myself and to this day, a part of me died with him.

But fate wasn’t through with me. My husband who had been my boyfriend before my brother died returned to my life with a vengeance. I always three people saved my life and kept me sane.

My brother who will always be my hero. My best friend Kim who gave me a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Flame and the Flower when we were thirteen. A book that gave me hope and showed me that a bad past didn’t have to define the rest of my life. God bless romance and Kathleen Woodiwiss. I shudder to think where I’d have ended up had Kim not introduced me to a genre that finally empowered me. That showed me I didn’t have to be a victim and that I could defy all odds. That even I could be loved by someone who would cherish me for who I was. Happy endings are possible even for those of us who don’t really believe in them.

And the last, is my husband who showed me that heroes aren’t just on paper. Real men are out there and they will stand by you and hold your hand through hell itself. And believe me, that poor man has been tested.

When I was moving in with him, he found my old notebooks with the manuscripts I’d written for years. He looked up at me and said, “I remember before we broke up that you were always writing something and plotting a new book or story. Why don’t you do that anymore?”

I couldn’t tell him then that after my brother’s death, I didn’t believe in dreams anymore and that I honestly expected him to abandon me at any moment like everyone else in my life had done or turn into a ferocious monster who abused and belittled me.

But that darn fate was still there and she wasn’t through with me.

Have I mentioned that I really hate that bitch?

Anyway, like most newlyweds, we struggled hard that first year and honestly many years after. But that first year, I couldn’t find a job even at McDonald’s. I’ve never felt more worthless, which given my past is saying something.

In my darkest hour, my best friend who happened to be an editor for a magazine did the most incredible thing of all. She offered me work. “Now I know you haven’t written in awhile, but if you’re willing to do it...”

Oh my God, are you serious? I can get paid and not take off my clothes? I’m so there.

I hung up and went to the closet where my husband kept his old typewriter. Then I sat down on the floor– we had no furniture in our apartment at that time- and the moment my fingers touched those keys the most amazing thing happened. Every character. Every voice I’d silenced on that cold winter night when my brother had died, came back with a screaming clarity. I had no choice but to write.

When my husband came home that night, he was horrified and I don’t blame him. He’d gone to work with a normal wife and come home to a stark raving lunatic. I was still sitting on the floor with tears streaming down my face and crumpled up pieces of paper all over.

“Um honey, are you okay?”

“Yes! I’m writing!”

In that moment, he saw his future and his nightmare. My husband has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. So to keep from killing me over the paper mess on the floor, he, who has never believed in using credit for anything, took me out that night and charged a word processor, rickety card table and a ten dollar steno chair that he set up in the living room of our two room apartment. It was there I wrote my first ten novels.

Contrary to what I wanted, they didn’t sell right away. But I joined RWA that year. I was finally going in the right direction again.

And I did what most of you have done. I entered contests and waited patiently by the phone, hoping some publisher somewhere would take pity on me. I wish I could say I’d finaled in the Golden Heart or Maggie or something, but I didn’t. As an unpublished writer, I only finaled and won one award and that was the Mara.

Those were long hard years. I always say that it’s easy to write a book when you have a contract. The hardest thing in the world is to write one when you don’t know if it’ll ever sell. At first, everyone’s excited for you. You’re writing a book- woohoo and then as time goes on and you don’t become Nicolas Sparks overnight, that support dries up. In fact, one of the last things my father said to me before he died was that I should spend the money I was wasting on writing to buy lottery tickets. At least with lottery you’d win once in awhile.

But then the miracle happened. On Feb 3rd, 1992, I got the call that every writer dreams about. Well okay, even that was backward. I’ve never done anything the way I was supposed to. Instead of the editor calling me, I called her to interview her for another magazine I was working for. She mentioned my mss and I quickly assured her. “I’m not calling about that.” I was terrified that she’d think I was harassing her.

“Oh, well I was going to call you later today about it. I want to buy it.”

I was stunned. Ironically that was the same book I’d typed on that Christmas break that my brother had been so sure would sell. And in the next year, I went on to sell a total of six books. When they came out, they hit bestseller lists and at my first signing, I sold through all of my books in under 45 minutes. They went so fast that the writer sitting next to me kept gaping and asking if I was someone famous. “Who are you?”

Like most writers would, I thought I had a career.

But keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. As quickly as it came to me, it left. And that was hard. Harder still was the fact that most of my writing friends abandoned me too as if they were afraid that what I had was contagious and they might catch it if they stood too close.

And when it rains, it pours. I’ve noticed that whenever a writer has trouble in their career, they have it in their personal life, too. I was no exception. My father died just after my first book came out. My mother was diagnosed with the same cancer that had killed him. My son was born prematurely a few weeks later. I was told twice to pick out funeral clothes for my baby. And I remember standing in the NICU telling God he could take anything from me. My career, my house, my car, just don’t take my baby.

It was a bargain He accepted.

Because of the medical bills and the fact I’d lost my job due to the days I’d missed with him, we lost everything. I *was* homeless with an infant who had horrifying medical problems. While my husband was at work with our one and only car, my son and I would stay in the hospital waiting room, just in case, and because it was the one place you could stay for hours on end and no one thought anything about it.

When we were lucky enough to have a roof over our heads again, it was a roach infested apartment next door to drug dealers. I could not write this stuff, people. I wouldn’t do this to my worst villain. We’d sold everything we had except my 286 DOS computer with a whopping 24 MB hard drive that used a 5.5 inch floppy- this was 1997- I had that as my computer until 1999. The only reason we still had it was that no one would give us anything for it. We didn’t have cable TV. No internet. No phone. We couldn’t afford it. I’d managed to hold on to my RWA membership only because my family and friends would take up collections at Christmas and buy it for me.

Nietzsche said that hope is the worst of all evils for it prolongs the torment of man. At times, he’s right. And I was running out of hope. By 1998, it’d been over 4 years since I last sold a book. I’d tried every genre and every story I could think of. If a new line opened, buddy, I was there for it.

Desperate, I sat down and wrote the most marketable book of that time. A regency set historical romance. How could I lose? My critique partners at that time were NYT bestselling Regency historical authors. It had every element that had made numerous authors famous. My critique partners loved it. My agent thought it was one of the best books she’d ever read and she eagerly sent it out.

Then one by one, the rejections rolled in again. Until the day my agent sent the worst one of all. And if any of you ever get a worse one, dinner’s on me. That rejection? “No one at this publishing house will ever be interested in developing this author. Do not submit her work to us again.”

Yeah. It devastated me. But you know what? I am grateful to this day for that editor and for those words. ‘Cause I am Southern, y’all. The best way to fire me up is to try and kick me down. As my uncle Carlos so often said. We are Cherokee and we don’t run. Sometimes we want to. Sometimes we ought to. But we don’t run.

I decided right then and there that I would rather be a first-rate version of myself than a second-rate version of somebody else. If I was going to fail at this, I would do it on *my* terms and I’d do it writing the books *I* wanted to write. I have never since that day chased a marketing a trend and I never will.

So after I unpacked the 286 computer I’d packed up in the box and swore I’d never touch again, I started writing the book I wanted to write for the first time in years. Now I knew that thing wasn’t marketable. It was a pirate book set in 1791 and this is long before Pirates of the Carribean. I sent it to my critique partners who read me the riot act and I don’t blame them. They were right. No publisher had bought a pirate novel in years and even when they did none had been set in 1791. Was I out of my mind?

Well, of course I was. I’m a writer.

But that’s never stopped me before. I sent it on to my agent who promptly reiterated everything they’d said and that I knew. More than that, she told me that we’d had a good run but that it was time to go our separate ways. I don’t blame her. She was a great agent and she’d stood by me longer than most.

But without her, I had no way to submit. I couldn’t afford to. Plus, my supportive hubby had become burned out after almost a decade of a fizzled career. And he had every right. I’d wasted a lot of money chasing a dream that kept eluding me at best and at worst, kicking me in my teeth. How could I take another cent from my family for this stupid dream?

I was through.

Until one fateful day when I pulled the RWR out of my mailbox. In it was a market update with a name I knew. Laura Cifelli had been added to the HarperCollins staff and was looking for submissions. My heart started pounding. I knew Laura. She’d been an editor at Dell, and for two years had tried to buy one of my books but couldn’t sell the unusual Dark-Hunter idea to marketing.

But I’d promised my hubby that I wouldn’t waste anymore money. I debated and agonized and finally decided that I would give it one more shot and one more only. If Laura said no, I’d never, ever try again. So I sat down and wrote the most pathetic query letter you’ve ever seen. It actually started with, “You probably don’t remember me.” Laura had been my agent years back when I’d been selling and I was her first client. But I had no ego. I still don’t.

In that query, I pitched her two novels. The pirate book everyone had told me would never sell and the one she’d held on to for so long about a Greek general who’d been cursed into a book that I’d written in 1994 as an option book for Daemon’s Angel.

I’ll be honest, I actually stole a single stamp out of my husband’s wallet. I didn’t dare take two because I knew with his OCD, he’d know they were missing and he’d know exactly what I’d done with them. Not to mention, if it was a rejection, I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t think I could take another one.

Three days later, I was changing my baby’s diaper when my neighbor came running over. “There’s a call for you on my phone and it’s someone in New York.”

I think I had a small stroke as I handed my baby to June and ran to catch it. It was Laura. Since the paranormal market was completely dead and Laura knew Julian’s book was tied to a vampire series- something no one would touch back then, she passed on Julian’s story. But she wanted to see the pirate book. I was too afraid to even hope. Not to mention, I didn’t have the money to submit a partial.

But June was kind enough to offer to loan me the three dollars I needed. I worked on it all night long, after my hubby went to bed, and sent it off the next day with a lump in my throat.

Laura called back to offer me a three book contract. To this day, I’d throw myself under a bus for her. And that book with that pirate that I was told wouldn’t sell. Is still, thirteen years later, in print. For one twenty nine cent stamp, my entire life was forever changed. Sometimes our lives are defined not by the big decisions we make, but by the small chances we take.

And for the record, my husband forgave me for raiding his stamp and I did pay June back.

Laura did so much for me. She helped me to get a great agent who did an awesome job, but who didn’t want to handle the paranormal stuff. For one thing she’d never handled it before and for another, it still wasn’t selling. No one, other than Anne Rice, had hit a list with a vampire novel in over twenty years. She asked me why I wanted to write the same stuff I’d been writing when my career tanked.

But I believed in those Dark-Hunter books. And I finally wore my agent down after much begging. She began submitting them and again, over and over, rejection from every corner. Until Jennifer Enderlin at St. Martins saw it. When I heard Jen was willing to buy those first two books, I sat down and cried. There was no market for paranormal. No one was writing it then, no store wanted to carry it and everyone was convinced we wouldn’t sell more than ten copies.

Against all odds and expectations, ten months before Night Pleasures came out, it had an overall Amazon sales ranking of #6. I was the first writer to take a paranormal novel to number one on a major list. I was the first one to take a historical paranormal novel into the top ten of the New York Times and thanks to my wonderful, incredible fans, I have since placed more at number one than any other paranormal author currently writing. I am the first genre author to put an SFR novel at number once since Johanna Lindsey did it in 1993 and I put two of them there last year and they were books out of the first series I’d ever sold. The same series that tanked my career on the first go round.

That being said, I am also the first author in RT history to get a one star rating- they used to only go down to three stars. As my luck would have it, they dropped all the way down to a 1 the very month my first book was published. And in spite of the successes I mentioned, and having placed over 50 novels on the NYT with twenty percent of them being number ones, I have never received an RT career achievement award.

I’ve never once finaled for a Rita. The closest I came was an anthology I was in where every writer in it finaled, but me.

And I’m really okay with that.

I only bring it up to show that careers aren’t perfect.

I live my life by one principal. Do no harm.

Unfortunately, others don’t share that and in this industry, we come across them a lot. But don’t you dare let them win. Don’t let them hurt you or stop you from going after your dream. The one thing I learned from my family is that there are people out there who can never be happy for someone else. They’re only happy when they spread misery and attack others.

I could go on all day about writers who have tried to ruin me. I have been plagiarized, betrayed by people I thought were my friends, and very publicly ridiculed and attacked by some of the biggest writers in the business for no reason whatsoever.

Too many people think that the only way they can rise is to tear someone else down. But it doesn’t work that way. No publisher ever stopped buying an author because someone new came along. No reader stops reading an author because a new one is published. They stop reading an author when that author disappoints them. One person’s success has no bearing on anyone else’s except to say that a rising tide will float all boats. We have a paranormal genre today because a tiny handful of us carved it out when it didn’t exist. We proved it was viable and we opened the doors for many others and I am proud to be a part of that.

But unfortunately, no matter who you are or where you are in your career, someone is going to be jealous and they will attack you. They’re going to say hurtful and mean things to you and about you. But don’t despair. Just remember this old Japanese proverb. If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by.

My entire career has been built on the island of Long Shot. Believe me, no one is more stunned to see me standing here than I am. In fact, the first time I hit a major list, I was the one who called my editor to tell her. She actually didn’t believe me. And she was stunned that I wasn’t lying.

No, it’s not easy for any of us at any level. But you know why we do this?

We do this... well mostly because we’re insane. But we do it for those characters who live inside us. Only you can give them their voice. Only you can tell that story. Don’t let them down. They’re depending on you.

And we do this for all the readers out there who mean so much to us. Books saved my life. They gave me laughter when I needed it and they were my haven through many storms. And I want to pay that forward.

There is nothing more wondrous than having a reader tell you how much your story meant to them. If I could have one wish, it would be for all of you to have an easy rise straight to the top of the lists and to stay there until they engrave your name in that #1 slot. You can do it. I know you can. Remember that “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

Don’t.

I hope the best seller fairy moves in and leaves you gifts constantly. But until she does, remember, it’s not the hare that won the race. It was the ever diligent turtle who didn’t stop for anything.

Never give up. Never surrender.

For every career that was built overnight and skyrocketed to the top, there were dozens more that took years to build and that list includes a writer named Dan Brown.

We Cherokee have a saying: There are many paths to the same place. The important thing is to make yours the happiest trail possible.

Thank you all and good luck. Now go write those books! I always need a good one to read!"

Intervamption: Release Day!

2011-07-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you all made it through Monday okay. I know I don't usually post on Tuesdays, but today is a special occasion!

Today is the release of Kristin Miller's paranormal romance novel, Intervamption! Congratulations, Kristin! Some of you may remember Kristin from when we had an interview and review of her first novel, Dark Tide Rising, a romantic suspense, here on the blog. If you enjoyed Dark Tide Rising just wait until you read Intervamption! If you're a lover of paranormal romance, this is a MUST read. I highly recommend it.

Here is the back cover blurb:

Congratulations!

Either one or both of your parents has vampire blood. Welcome to the vampire race!

Please keep a few things in mind as you ease into the most difficult phase of your life:

1. Light sensitivity, humming teeth, and stomach pains are completely normal. You’ll also be faster, stronger, and sexy as hell (if you’re lucky).

2. You’ll bloodlust and go crazy if you deny your body’s urge for blood. Why fight it?

3. Do not pierce the skin of a mundane involuntarily. We’re not animals and will not behave as such.

4. Therians, our shapeshifting brethren, cannot be trusted. Their loyalties shift as often as their identities.

And finally,

5. Lighten up—you’re not dead.

Contact Dylan, owner of ReVamp, in Crimson Bay, California, for more information.

Isn't that a great back cover? I know it makes me want to read more, and hopefully it does the same for you.

Intervamption is available from Avon Impulse starting today in ebook format and the print version will be released on August 9th. If you're interested in purchasing a copy or learning more about Kristin, I've posted some links below.

Intervamption is available in e-book formart for:
Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook
or directly from Avon Impulse

For more information on Kristin and Intervamption, visit her at: www.kristinmiller.net

We'll be having another interview with Kristin on August 1st and on August 3rd I'll be posting a more thorough review of Intervamption. Don't forget to stop back in tomorrow. I'm announcing the beginning of a special giveaway! Til then ;-)

Google+ What in the heck is it?

2011-07-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

So as I promised this past Friday, today we're going to looking into Google+

Like many of you, I stumbled upon Google+ by word of mouth, or word of status messages that is. All the sudden on Facebook, I was seeing posts everywhere about Google+. The general consensus among the posts was this: 'I don't want to have to uproot all my pages and friends and move them over to Google+. I'm just now starting to like FB after switching over from Myspace,' or similar responses.

My response: what the heck is Google+?

From the posts of others, I gathered that it was a new social networking site, somewhat similar to FB, Myspace or Twitter. I also learned that it was still in the testing phase and you currently have to be invited in order to join and try it.

Though this is a fair amount of information, I still wanted to know more. I wanted to know what would make everyone want to switch over to Google+. After all, who wants to move all their social networking to yet another site? Not me, that's for sure. So I thought I would check out what Google+ is all about.

Here are a list of features available on Google+:

--The Circles App: This app allows you to share information and status posts with only certain people. For example, you can limit a post complaining about your job so that way only your friends can see it; your boss can be a circle of his own.
--Hangouts: Quite like the location feature on FB and Twitter, this allows you to show your friends where you're currently at, so then they can come hang out with you for some "Face-to-Face time" as Google calls it.
--Instant uploading: You no longer have to struggle with putting your photos and videos from your phone onto your computer. When you take a picture or video it is automatically uploaded from your phone to a private folder on Google+ where you can choose who to share it with later.
--Huddle App: This allows you to text message multiple people. For example, if you're going to the movies with six people and you're having trouble texting them all separate messages you can use this feature and everyone can see what everyone else is saying, so it's like a group conversation.

Personally, I don't find any of these features to be fantastic enough that I want to switch over to Google+. But, of course, that is just my opinion. For more information on Google+ follow the link: http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/+/demo/

So what about you? Are you ready to make the switch over to Google+ or do you want things to remain the same? If you're ready to switch, tell us why, and if you're already on there, tell us what's so great about it. I'd like to here your thoughts.

On Wednesday, I'm going to announce our big one year blogoversary giveaway! You won't want to miss it! Til then ;-)

Books: A Thing of the Past?

2011-07-22T12:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you've all had a great week. The weekend is finally here, which I'm sure you all are cheering for.

So I know today I said I was going to talk about Google+ but I couldn't resist posting this video. This is a question I get from a lot of people who don't know much about the publishing industry: are books a thing of the past? These consumers are worried that e-books will overtake print sales and they will be forced to read on a Nook, Kindle, etc when their true love is for the print book.

While e-book sales are rising rapidly, they've yet to outsell print books and experts predict that the sales will end up level with neither print or e-books taking the lead.

I think this short video from CNN puts things in perspective. So I thought I would share it with you. Enjoy!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2011/07/19/savidge.end.books.borders.cnn?iref=allsearch

So how about you: do you think e-book sales will outrun print sales or do you think they'll even out? Have you switched over to the ebook world yet, or are you still reading print, or perhaps both? I'd like to hear your thoughts in the comments.

On Monday, I promise to keep to my word and post about what's up with the new Google+.Also, don't forget to participate in our regular blog hops. Til then! ;-)

Blog Hop Question: name three authors you would love to sit down with for an hour to either talk about their books or get writing advice from.

My answer: J.K Rowling would be the first, hands down. Harry Potter is my all time favorite series and I would love to discuss both the books and her writing techniques with her. The second would be Charlainne Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Series and third, Suzanne Collin, author of The Hunger Games Triology. I would ask Rowling about her world building strategies. I'd ask Harris about her characterization, and I'd ask Collins about how she builds tension in her novels, while keeping them well paced.

This is the new link for the Crazy-for-Books blog hop:

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/07/book-blogger-hop-722-725.html

Blog Hop Question: What's one genre you wish you could get into, but just can't?

My answer: Literary fiction. I can enjoy literary short stories and I even write them, but typically, I can't stand reading a full length literary fiction novel--there are only a few authors I can stomach. As an academic, I wish I could get behind this genre more, but I just don't find it enjoyable. Whoever said literary fiction had to mean boring and uneventful? Because I think that's become a requirement.

WooHoo Wednesday

2011-07-20T11:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week!

Since we haven't had one in a while, I thought a WooHoo Wednesday was in store! It's always nice to recollect the good things to brighten our day a little. These are in no particular order. Here are all the things I'm grateful for this week. The things that make me want to yell woo hoo:

--My wonderful boyfriend, Jon, who is my stronghold when I need it most. He is supportive of everything I do and is always there when I need him. He's my best friend, and I couldn't ask for better. I love you, Juan-athan. ;-)
--My good friend, Britt, who has worked tirelessly on helping me edit my current manuscript, Skinwalkers. Britt, thank you for being so awesome and supportive of my work, and for putting up with my never ending "I need your opinion" Yahoo! instant messages lol.
--My mom, one of only two people who has read everything I've ever written. She's always honest about what she thinks and always gives great advice from a reader's point of view.
--I'm thankful for all the requests I've been getting for Skinwalkers. It currently has 6 partials and 2 fulls out. One of those partials turned into a request for a larger partial, and one of the previous partial requests turned into one of the two full requests. So two agents have requested more material after reading some. That's good news!
--The opportunity to post on the Romance at Random blog on Friday, July 29th! A hearty thanks to Sue Grimshaw for offering me the chance.
--My dog, Sookie, for always being by my side when I need her for both comfort and friendship.
--My critique partners. In particular, Kristin Miller, who presented me with many opportunities with both agents and editors as of late. You should check out her paranormal romance novel, Intervamption. It releases from Avon Impulse next week. I'll be posting an interview with her and a review of Intervamption on the blog soon.

So what are you thankful for this week? What good things have been going on in your life? Let us know in the comments.

Don't forget to stop back in on Friday! We'll be talking about social networking and the advantages/disadvantages of new sites like Google+. Also keep your eyes peeled for some upcoming giveaways.

Til then ;-)

Market for News for the Week

2011-07-18T11:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! Today we have a little market news. Here's what going on in the publishing world this week.

Google has announced that along with their ebook program they will also be launching their own e-reading device, the Story HD. Google has partnered with a Korean electronics manufacturer, iriver, to produce the Story HD, which became available this past Friday (7/17/11). The Story HD is an e-ink device with WiFi connectivity. It will be priced at $140 dollars and will be sold exclusively through Target stores. For more information on Google ebooks and the release of the Story HD, click the following link: Google Release Story HD

In other news, Amazon has purchased U.K e-retailed The Book Depository. The company has expanded it's international reach by signing to an agreement to acquire the fast growing retailer. The Book Depository offers over 6 million titles and sells to more than 100 different countries. The deal will be complete at the end of August. For more details on Amazon's expansion, click the following link: Amazon Purchases U.K E-Retailer

Relationship counselor, Susan Quilliam, in a British academic journal suggested recently that romance fiction breeds unrealistic hopes and encourages promiscuous sexual behavior among women. In response to Qulliam's assertions, romance authors and readers have been voicing there own opinions. To hear more about Qulliam's unfounded, non-academic claims and what major romance authors, such as Meg Cabot and Nora Roberts have to say in response, clicking the following link: Relationship Specialist Attacks Romance Genre with Unsupported Claims and Readers' Response to Romance Genre Insults

So what do you all think of Susan Quilliam's claims? Do you think romance novels promote unhealthy relationships and unsafe sex? Or do you agree with writers like Nora Roberts and Meg Cabot? I'd like to hear your thoughts. Also, hope you enjoyed that classic Fabio picture, the king of male romance cover models.

Til Wednesday ;-)

RWA National Conference: Part Three

2011-07-15T21:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! The weekend is here! That means relaxation for most of you and work time for me lol. Today is our final post about RWA Nationals! If you missed the first two posts, you can find them here: RWA National Conference Part One-Networking and RWA National Conference Part Two-Workshops. As promised, today we're going to be talking about publisher book signings and agent/editor appointments.

Both of these events can be highlights of your conference if you know how to handle them. Let's start with some book signing advice. These are just my opinions. Here are some tips on how to make your book signing experience worthwhile:

1. Only pick up books you're truly interested in. For me, this usually means anything paranormal, urban fantasy or young adult. For example, I don't stop at the historical romance or romantic suspense tables, because that's just not what I usually read. If you don't plan on reading it some day, or it's not a genre you enjoy, don't take the book. It will free up room in your bag or make it cost less in shipping to send your books home. Plus, it's considerate. Some authors run out of books very quickly, so don't take a book you don't want. If you do, someone else might be mourning that their favorite author ran out of books before they could get a signed copy.

2. Don't feel obligated to wait and get your book signed. Yes, authors love if you wait and talk to them and ask to get your book signed by them. But if it's an author that you've never read before and you don't have a strong desire to have their autograph, it's okay to just take a book and go. It frees up the flow of traffic and makes the signings less crowded. However, if there is a line of people waiting to get that author's book, make sure there are enough books for the people already waiting in line, and if you're not sure, then come back when the line has cleared some. It's not fair to bypass everyone who is waiting if there aren't enough books to go around.

3. Go to the signings a few minutes after they begin. I usually try to enter after the first fifteen minutes when the initial wave of hysteria and insanity caused by the sight of mounds of free books has dissipated. Usually, most authors haven't run out of books at this point, but it's not quite as busy either.

4. Don't be afraid to ask the author for a generic signature; most of them are willing to oblige. They know that many attendees give away the books on their blogs after they read them. Don't be afraid to tell them this. It gets them more readers.

5. If you move fast, you can manage to go through and grab a few books from some of the signings in between workshops. That way, you don't have to miss out on learning about craft and industry just to get some of your free signed books.

Hope those are helpful!

Now, for the dreaded agent and editor appointments. If you're like me and actively searching for an agent, this can be the biggest event of your whole conference. Here are some tips on how to ensure your agent or editor appointment goes smoothly.

1. Make sure you are fifteen minutes early to each of your appointments. Otherwise, your appointment will be given away and believe me when I say they are absolutely ruthless. 14 minutes early? Too bad. If your spot has already been filled by someone else, you're out of luck. So set an alarm and make sure you're there on time.

2. While you're only allowed to register for two appointments (one agent and one editor), if you wait in the lobby, the no-show or canceled appointments can be stolen by anyone who is willing. If you're a PRO member who is already very educated in craft, sometimes waiting in the lobby all morning in hopes of snagging one of those appointments is well worth missing a few workshops.

3. Be prepared. Make sure you've memorized a well-written one line elevator pitch for the manuscript you are currently pitching, your current WIP, and your any manuscripts you've previously shelfed (also, if your manuscript is the first in a series, have a pitch prepared for the next book, even if you haven't started writing it yet. You never know what the agent/editor will ask about). If you don't know what the one line elevator pitch is, I suggest you take a workshop on it before the conference to help you prepare--it will be invaluable to your current and future experiences.

4. Be polite. These agents/editors are confined to one room for hours with no break, listening to pitch after pitch, at least be nice to them.

5. Relax. Most people are extremely nervous before their appointment, but there are some things to remember. They will always request SOMETHING. No matter whether it's a full, a partial, or just a query letter, they will ALWAYS request something. So even if you royally screw up and have to read your pitch off a piece of folded paper from your pocket or forget everything you planned to say, you'll still get a request. Also, while you want to make a good impression, these professionals will have seen so many faces throughout the conference that they will all blur together. Unless you specifically do something horrible to make them remember you (and I mean really horrible, not something you think is just embarrassing), they will only remember your pitch, not that you snorted every time you laughed.

How about you conference veterans out there: what are your recommendations and advice about Nationals? I'd like to hear what you have to suggest.

Don't forget about our regular blog hops! On Monday we'll have some fresh market news for the week. Til then ;-) Have a great weekend!

RWA National Conference: Part Two

2011-07-14T16:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope everybody is making it through the week stress free! The weekend is almost here, so keep moving forward.

Today we're going to have part two of our RWA National Conference series post. For those of you who missed part one, you can click the link to catch up: RWA National Conference Part One. In part one we discussed networking, but today we have another important aspect of the conference: workshops and publisher spotlights.

Which workshops and spotlights you choose to attend while at the conference can heavily effect your overall experience. If you don't choose wisely, you may end up in a slew of workshops which aren't beneficial to you. But RWA makes it easy. By labeling which workshops are PRO and PAN recommended, it allows members in these classifications to have a starting place, to know where to look. Yet, there are three main questions you need to ask yourself when choosing workshops.

1. What is my goal for this conference? What would I like to improve on or increase my knowledge of?

The most important thing to do before choosing your workshops is to identify your overall goal for the conference. Do you want to improve your craft? Do you want to expand your industry knowledge or build your author brand? For this year, my particular goal was learning as much as possible about the industry and the current market. Because of this, I chose not to attend any workshops focused on craft (craft workshops are what I focused on at last year's conference). This means that the majority of my workshop time was spent in the publisher spoltlights, where I was able to get a look into what the specific houses are looking for and which publishers I'd like to target.

2. Who's running the workshop? Who are the panelists or presenters?

This is particularly important if you are trying to decide between two different workshops. Sometimes we'd like to attend multiple workshops that are all running at the same time. Since we're unable to clone ourselves, we have to select our best option. A good place to start when choosing between the two, or choosing any workshop for that matter, is seeing who the speaker is. Many of the workshops I chose to attend at this year's conference were my first choices because they were packed full of industry professionals. Who better to learn about the current market and publishing trends from? While a QA with two bestselling authors about the historical romance market may be interesting (this is hypothetical, I'm not citing any specific workshop), if there is a panel of industry professionals discussing a similar subject at the same time, I would go with the industry workers. We often can commiserate with other authors, but how often do writers get to interact with the big names of the industry? Does this necessarily mean that the workshop will be better? No, not always, but you must select your own method of how to choose your workshop.

3. How will this be beneficial to me?

Are you going to a workshop on alpha heroes simply because it interests you, or because characterization is one of your weaknesses? An important thing to remember (and this goes hand and hand with the first question) is your goals. Before the conference, you need to identify your goal based upon both your strengths and your weaknesses. Examine what you're good at and what needs more improvement. Based on this, make an informed decision about your workshops.

So for those of you who attended this year: how did you choose your workshops? And for those of you who were unable to attend: take a look at your own writing goals. What goals would you have had if you attended Nationals? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Tomorrow we'll have part three of our series: book signings and agent/editor appointments. Til then! ;-)

RWA National Conference: Part One

2011-07-06T23:04:00.053-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you guys had a great weekend! Today we have a post about the Romance Writers of America National Conference. If you're not an RWA member, the red parts of the post are for you. Today we have part one. It's something many people fear when thinking of Nationals: networking.

Personally, this is my favorite part of Nationals and also what I think is the most important aspect, especially for you PRO and PAN members out there who have already spent a considerable amount of time developing and honing your craft, or at least I hope you have if you've reached PRO or PAN status lol.

Now the question some of you may be asking is: why is networking important to me? Chances are, if you're not a published author, or you're not trying desperately to become one, you haven't thought much about it. But networking is an absolute must for everyone. Whether you're a New York Times Bestselling author or you're working on writing your very first manuscript, networking is important to you.

Here are three reasons

1. Friendship--As juvenile as the idea of 'let's go make friends, everyone!' can sound, this is truly something every writer needs. Every writer needs other writers to connect with. Let's face it: family members and friends who aren't writers just don't understand. Who can blame them? We spend hours and hours staring at our computer screens, creating fantasy worlds and talking about the voices in our heads--only another writer can truly understand that. We need a support network. We need support for those times when we're down; when an agent has rejected your full manuscript or a publisher has said no to publishing your novel. We also need other writers to celebrate our joys. Who understands the feeling of getting a full request after someone reads a partial than another writer? Whether close friends, distant friends, critique partners, or what have you, having other writers to commiserate with is a must.

2. Valuable Connections--While some of the connections you make at conferences seem invaluable, you never know when you will need someone's assistance. Who cares if the woman in the elevator is a writer who has never completed a manuscript and lives out in the boonies of Iowa! Stick out your hand, say hello, and introduce yourself! You never know when a connection can become valuable to you. Two years down the line, you may decide to set one of your novels in Iowa, or make your characters travel there, and who better to get inside information from than a resident of the area? That's when you whip out your trusty card holder, look up the writer you met and reach out and make that connection all over again.

3. Future Opportunities--This is of major importance and perhaps the reason I most love networking. You never know what opportunities you will be presented with. Be friendly and outgoing, even if you're not normally that way. Force yourself into it. Because I was being friendly and introducing myself to everyone, I managed to meet three literary agents and two editors (all individually, they weren't traveling in packs lol)--most of which I connected with on the hotel elevator of all places! Now I have an introduction if I choose to query those agents. Now I can connect with those editors if they're ever the ones evaluating my manuscript for publication. Those sorts of industry connections can be invaluable. Connections with other writers can be invaluable in this way as well. You might run across someone's client or be introduced to someone in the industry through your friendship with another writer.

Whether or not you're a veteran publishing your tenth book with a major house, or whether you just started writing, reach out to other conference attendees. You never know what good may come of it.

Don't forget to check back on Wednesday for part two of our RWA Nationals talk! Til then ;-)

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-04T20:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

After a long hiatus, I am finally back on my game and ready to return to blogging! I send loads of apologies your way for not being able to balance the blog on top of my hectic life. But the crazy waves of homework and other obligations are over--I'm free!

With my undergrad degree finished, RWA Nationals over, and my latest manuscript complete and on submission with many agents, I'm ready to dive back into the world of blogging full swing.

So make sure you stay tuned in as my regular posts will resume on Wednesday. We're going to have a series of posts all about the RWA National conference and I have lots of free books (signed by the author!) that I am soon going to give away. We also have our one-year blogoversary coming up! So don't forget to stop back in!

Happy 4th! Til Wednesday ;-)

Author Interview: Christine Ashworth

2011-06-06T21:47:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope June is starting off on the right foot for all of you. RWA Nationals are quickly approaching, so I've been busy finishing my current WIP. It's my first adventure away from urban fantasy novels--paranormal romance. Please forgive me for the sporadic posts. I promise things will pick up normally in July, but I'm going to try and keep up as much as I can this month as well.

We have a special treat today! Another author interview! Today we'll be talking with Christine Ashworth, author of Demon Soul, a paranormal romance. Here is the back-cover blurb for her debut novel:

"Gabriel Caine stands on the edge of the abyss. A vampire has stolen his soul and if he doesn’t get it back soon, his next step will be into Hell. Only the mysterious Rose can help him retrieve it. Without her, he really will become the devil himself.

Rose Walters has been sent back from the dead to complete one task – save Gabriel Caine. She’s drawn to Gabriel on the most basic level, but restoring his soul may cost Rose her life.

Rose has touched the whole of Gabriel, making him yearn for a love he believes he can never have. Her willingness to put her human life on the line for him forces him to bring all three parts of himself – demon, human, and Fae bloodlines, and the strengths of each – into harmony and into the fight that decided their fate."

Thanks for coming by, Christine! We're really glad to have you. Let's get started.

Demon Soul is your first published novel. How did it feel to find out it would be published?

It felt fabulous. I was actually vacationing in Snowmass, Colorado at my best friend’s house. The acquisitions editor at Crescent Moon Press, Heather Howland at the time, and I had been emailing back and forth for several days. When I did finally get that email where she threw confetti and offered me a two-book deal, I was totally thrilled!

Is Demon Soul the first novel you ever completed? Does it have a special place in your heart compared to your other works?

I’ve been writing for ten years, have completed ten manuscripts and started a gazillion more. Demon Soul has a special place in my heart because it sold first, lol!

What was your inspiration and how long did it take you to write Demon Soul?

I wanted to dive into paranormal but I didn’t want to write the same old vampires and werewolves mainly because I didn’t think I had anything new to bring to the table with those tropes. So I came up with a demon/human/Fae mix, just to keep myself entertained. I wrote the rough draft in about three months, then sent bits out to contests to see if it worked/didn’t work/needed work. The consensus, across the board, was that it needed work, lol! The feedback I received from those contests allowed me to rewrite the story and make it more cohesive.

Tell us a little about your main characters. Who did you create first?

I actually created Gregor Caine first, the oldest, in a short story. As he made his way through the story, Justin Caine came into being, and then so did their half-brother, Gabriel Caine. Gabriel is the hero of Demon Soul. Gregor shows up at the very end of the book.

Which characters were the hardest/easiest to write and why?

Rose was the most difficult character to write. Her name changed four or five times and so did the timeline between her first meeting with the Caines. The ending of the story was fairly locked down, but the beginning went through some drastic changes before I felt it was ready to query.

What was the biggest challenge for you in writing Demon Soul?

Good question! I have to say, seeing the book through my editor’s eyes. Liz Pelletier was my editor, and I learned so much from her. Whenever I received an editorial round, I’d have to sit back, absorb what she was telling me, and accept that I’m not perfect and there are other ways to write the book (lol!). Once I did that it was easy to make the changes she needed me to make. Once I actually started the rewrites, they took a week, and the book is much stronger because of her.

If you could tell us one fun fact about any of your characters, who and what would it be?

Rose was an artist when she was a young teen. It’s been her dream to get back into it. In later books, she actually does some fancy artwork in the family home, to freshen the spells on the walls that the Caine family matriarch originally painted.

Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on? Demon Soul is a paranormal romance, but you also write urban fantasy. Is paranormal the only thing in the current future?

Ooh! Another good question! I’m currently finishing the sequel to Demon Soul, called Demon Hunt. I’m hoping that one will be out by the end of this year.

In the urban fantasy world, I’m currently working on a series tentatively titled The Damaged Ones. It’s about a demented vampire (my favorite kind!) who has been messing around with human biology – and Sheila Blue’s young twin daughters just may have the DNA he’s been looking for. There’s a possessed sword, a corset-wearing witch, and a suspicious cop who are also involved.

Without giving too much away, what’s your favorite scene in Demon Soul? How did you feel when you completed that scene?

Wow, that’s hard. I’ve got to go with the scenes with Mephisto, though. They were so much fun to write, mainly because they were such a surprise to me. I didn’t expect to like his character so much!

What’s your favorite line from the story?

Most of my favorite lines deal with fire, so I’ll pick one of those. “She embodied fire—warmth, life, energy, ruin and death.”

If you could go back to when you were first writing this story, what advice would you give yourself?

To start where the action starts. Maybe I wouldn’t have written at least six different first few pages of chapter one had I started in the right place the first time.

Which authors have most influenced your writing?

All of them, lol! I glean ideas, learn turns of phrase, learn pacing, from every author I’ve ever read.

Favorite book?

My favorite books read so far this year? I did devour Rachel Firasek’s Piper’s Fury. I’m now reading Rebecca Zanetti’s Fated. And I truly enjoyed Deidre Knight’s Butterfly Tattoo.

Favorite author?

Today it’s Robert Jordan. I’m currently on book 4 of his 12 book series and I totally love it. Everyone else in the family has read the series so I’m the late bloomer.

Top three hottest fictional heroes?

Jamie from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Devil Cynster from Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens. Acheron in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Not necessarily in that order!

Favorite Demon Soul character and why?

I love all my characters, but I must admit I adore Mephisto. As damaged as he is, he’s still got a heart. I hope to write his story some day.

Thanks again, Christine, for stopping by! We're glad to have you any time!

Thanks so much for having me!

Stalk me here: http://christine-ashworth.com

Twitter: @CCAshworth

Make sure you check back on Wednesday to read the Nocturnal Readings review of Demon Soul. In the meantime, you can check out her website by clicking HERE. Til Wednesday!