Author Interviews! First Up ... JR Ward

Blogger is apparently having PMS or something because every time I try to upload a picture, it times out on me. Finally got one up, although it's not JR's latest book. Ah well... it's still an awesome cover.

Vamps and Scamps will be doing author interviews with various authors~some of the future victims include Lora Leigh, Sylvia Day, Toni Blake, & Erin McCarthy.

Today, the victim is JR Ward and JR has kindly agreed to give away a signed copy of Lover Eternal to some lucky poster. Yes... to win, you have to post.

Dark Lover, the first of JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, appeared on shelves last fall and many, many paranormal fans fell in love.

With the author interviews we are doing, we are letting the readers ask the questions. For a week, readers are given the chance to post their questions to the yahoo group associated with the blog, ScampsVamps& SpicyRomance.

The readers who ask questions may be entered in a drawing for a prize, but that prize is only available to the participators, so if you want to increase your chances of winning, just visit the group's home page or send an email to

ScampsVampsandSpicyRomance-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

And onto the interview...

1) Will there ever be any female warriors in this series?Or will they all stay male?

Absolutely. There is a female named Payne whom you'll meet soon and she is... VERY cool. I like her and I believe I know who she ends up with. And the thing is, with a female coming into the Brotherhood, you're going to see a lot of the essential social values of the race get skewed. Males are supposed to protect their counterparts. But Payne is not in need of protection. She's going to shake up the scene, but in a good way. She's also not one of those annoying, brash, in your face types. She is power. She is strength. She is as up front and direct as any male warrior so she doesn't need theatrics. She just levels her weapon and gives you a choice: you either do it her way or you end up with a leaky hole. I like her because she's really an amalgam of male and female characteristics...

Can you tell I'm into her? ;)

~*~

2)Which authors do you think influenced you most in the writer you became?

Ummmm... Stephen King for the horror aspect and the world building. He's fabulous, a true genius. And I like his stripped down style of prose. Suzanne Brockmann for the romance. She's incredible... she can create emotion in a reader in like, two sentences. I also like her style, very mainstream. Sue Grafton for craft. She has a great command of story fundamentals and she's helped me a lot. She's also very disciplined both in her prose and in her approach to business, so yeah, definitely Sue. Plus I dig her books. My CP, Jessica Andersen, without whom, I think I might be behind bars for a heinous crime against an inanimate object (the compy). Jess also has a great line by line, cleanliness to her work and she's wonderful at suspense. And then I think of my friends... because other writers can influence not just what you put on the page but how you deal with this business of ours. So... Linda Francis Lee and Gaelen Foley and Tina St. John and Shi and Lora Leigh and I'm sure I'm leaving folks out. You need people to talk to, you know?

~*~

3)Who is your favorite brother and why?

Zsadist. Definitely. Without a doubt. He is violent and unpredictable and dangerous. He's also... awkward and not a total savage. I like the darkness in him because it makes his redemption so much more vivid and engrossing. But I will say, that this dark side of his is grounded in what has happened to him- there's a reason for why he is the way he is. I wouldn't be in love with him if he were just a bastard. The fact that he's suffered is the way I connect with him.

~*~

4) If your life had a theme song, what would it be and why?

Queen's Under Pressure. Because I'm usually stressed out and over-focused and feeling like I wish I were doing things better.

~*~

5)If you were to describe each of the brothers as an ice-cream flavor,what would it be and why?

Ummmm... I can't! I just don't and can't see them like that! LOLOL So much for the writer's imagination... *hangs head in shame* See? This is my point about the song choice. I can't answer this question and I think I failed the interview!

~*~

I don't think you can fail this kind of interview, JR. ;) Although I was wondering who was going to be Rocky Road. *G*

Okay...floor is open for comments and JR will pop in later if anybody has other questions.

You can learn more about the books at www.jrward.com and she has a reader group @

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Black_Dagger_Brotherhood/

I'll be posting who the next author interview is here in a few days, so if you want to get your shot at asking the questions, join the group!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScampsVampsandSpicyRomance/

Shi

http://www.shilohwalker.com

Take My Breath Away!

What would you do or have you done if/when you met someone who actually did take your breath away? Or are you surrounded by beautiful people?

My story: I went to the booksigning at RT when it was in Ft. Worth many, many years ago. I had never been to anything like that before and I was in awe at all the authors who were going to be there. I went with a group of women and they were talking about the cover models and I was very smugly thinking that I could care less. I wanted the books and to meet these authors who created them.

As we arrived so did a group of men. Jeans, no shirt, wearing vests, boots, tanned, muscled, 6-pack abs.

OHMYGOD! I couldn't look away. My mouth watered, my heart skipped beats, then began to race. Smugness went to hell in a handbag. I stuttered, I drooled.

But then I met one who took my breath away. John D'Salvo (spelling?) I asked if I could take his picture and quickly snapped two---double exposing him (don't I wish!) Never have gotten a blasted picture of him.

So, tell me since RT is fast approaching. What has been your favorite experience at RT? If you've never been and are planning on going then you're in for a treat. I always have a blast. And if you're not planning on going, have you ever met someone who made you stutter because they looked so damn good?

If you respond in any way, form or fashion I'll put your name in a drawing for a copy of Southern Comfort.


I'm off to look at flooring but I'll check in before I go to bed.
Good Luck!
Karen Kelley

Take My Breath Away!

What would you do or have you done if/when you met someone who actually did take your breath away? Or are you surrounded by beautiful people?

My story: I went to the booksigning at RT when it was in Ft. Worth many, many years ago. I had never been to anything like that before and I was in awe at all the authors who were going to be there. I went with a group of women and they were talking about the cover models and I was very smugly thinking that I could care less. I wanted the books and to meet these authors who created them.

As we arrived so did a group of men. Jeans, no shirt, wearing vests, boots, tanned, muscled, 6-pack abs.

OHMYGOD! I couldn't look away. My mouth watered, my heart skipped beats, then began to race. Smugness went to hell in a handbag. I stuttered, I drooled.

But then I met one who took my breath away. John D'Salvo (spelling?) I asked if I could take his picture and quickly snapped two---double exposing him (don't I wish!) Never have gotten a blasted picture of him.

So, tell me since RT is fast approaching. What has been your favorite experience at RT? If you've never been and are planning on going then you're in for a treat. I always have a blast. And if you're not planning on going, have you ever met someone who made you stutter because they looked so damn good?

If you respond in any way, form or fashion I'll put your name in a drawing for a copy of Southern Comfort.


I'm off to look at flooring but I'll check in before I go to bed.
Good Luck!
Karen Kelley

Description...boring or brilliant??

Description...how much is too much??

And I don’t mean this about the sex because that’s sort of determined by the line but what about the rest of the story...

I often wonder how much does the reader really want to know? Do you really give a hoot what he/she is wearing? How they fix their hair? What they’re wearing on that date and to what detail? Black shoes, white shoes? Blah, blah, blah...

What about the setting...what the room looks like, how she’s making those knitted hats, how he’s building that four-lane bridge?

Sometimes I feel like I’m boring everyone to tears but it does add color or is it adding surface crap?

So, how much is too much or too little?
Any thoughts on this?

Hugs, Dianne

The Way U Look Tonight
April ‘06
RT: 4½ star review
Brava Kensington

Promo on a budget

This week, PBW has been doing various topics that might interest new writers, aspiring authors, and others in the writing industry.

She asked for topics that people would like to explore more closely, and one of them was....

PROMOTION~ to be exact, I think the words were What can be done about marketing for writers with a $2k advance?

Okay, so promo isn't my favorite topic, but it is something I've picked up a few things about. A lot of this is specific to romance writers, magazines, review sites, etc, but I know every genre out there has these things targeted to their genre. You just have to look for them.

Now I'll be honest. I'm greedy. I wanna spend my money on me, I want to take my kids and the DH on a trip, or buy a nice, pretty desk... but you have to put some of the money back into your career.

So with $2000.... what can you do? Bear in mind, the more money you spend on promo, the more it helps with Uncle Sam once tax time rolls around.

GET A WEBSITE!!!! I can't stress that enough. I'm also a reader and one thing that will irritate the crap out of me is when I try to find something out about an author and can't find a website. Readers want to to be able to connect with authors and a website is the best way to do it. A couple of sites to check into for web design are Millenium Promotion and Your Web Goddess

Some pointers...

• If you are going to do it yourself, be objective. If you can't make it look professional, hire somebody. A dumpy looking site, a cluttered site, or a site that looks like your five year old did it isn't going to impress readers.
• Don't get a website with pop-ups. Please.
• Keep it current. If you've had three books out in the past two years, and it still has info from the second one but not the third~you're losing potential readers.
• Make sure somewhere on your site you have a working email address. And don't hide it.

Get some bookmarks~ You can check around, but a good place to go is Earthly Charms. You can get a thousand bookmarks, including the design for around $200.

Use Banners~ Have a banner designed. Sites like Millenium will design a banner for about $20-$30. Then you can post them on reviews sites, every place from Romantic Times (more expensive) to smaller review sites, like FAR or AAR.

• If you really want to go all out, you can spend about a thousand bucks and get an ad in Romantic Times magazine. Sounds like a lot of money, but remember, that magazine is for romance readers. If you've written a romance and sold it, that's one of the best ways to get the word out.

Make friends in the reader community~ For a variety of reasons.

• Word of mouth sells books. People find out you've written and sold one, a lot are going to be curious. If they like what they see/hear, they buy, and if they REALLY like it, they talk about it to others. And that sells books.
• Booksellers! I've met quite a few people who own their own bookstores. An independent bookseller can be your best friend. They like it when authors are friendly to them. Ask if you can send some bookmarks or an ARC (advance review copy) or both. If they like that book, they'll stock it. Independent booksellers tend to know their customers, they know their tastes. If your book is something that would appeal to said reader, they will mention it.
• Pay attention. There are some people in the reader community that really like to talk about books they like. I've been known to give ARCs to these people. They aren't bookstore owners, but they can really sell your book. They tell everybody, from friends to the people in the local bookstore. Some of them have blogs or websites of their own. One author suggested giving away dozen of copies of your book to people with the biggest mouths~so they'd read it and talk it up. Sorry, can't remember where I read that.

Contact your local paper~ or if there's a local magazine, try them. I contacted Velocity Weekly. They did an interview with me and a fellow author, Anya Bast, and we got free publicity. It was a cute, fluffy piece, and very little work on my part. Of course if I'd known they were going to insist on pictures.... ugh...

So, keeping our budget in mind, lets assume you decided to have Jewel Stone do a three page website. The three page package is around $250.

You order 1000 bookmarks from Earthly Charms. $210, give or take.

You run an ad in RT. $1000

Get a banner from Millenium and run it on FAR for the month before and of your release. About $50.

That adds up to $1510.

You've contacted a local entertainment magazine and they are running an interview the month the book releases.

And viola... some simple, fairly cheap *mostly* promo.

Now I started out as an e pubbed author. Things are sometimes done a little different then. First thing I did was join online groups and start trying to establish myself among the readers of my first publisher. Then I designed a website. Then I started messing with things like banners and stuff. It wasn't until nearly two years later that I finally got a book into print. The e pub went into POD and I had to start promoting my print books as well as my ebooks. But promo is promo. You do what you can to get the word out.

*please bear in mind~I checked these prices prior to putting this blog together, but that doesn't mean the prices won't change. Please don't take anything I've said as written in stone. Check around, ask around, shop around.

New Feature Coming~ Author Interviews

With your participation. A couple of times a month, we are going to post the name of the upcoming victim. *G* First victim is JR Ward. Once we post the author, readers will have a chance to post questions they'd like us to ask the author. There will be prizes involved.

However, there is a stipulation. In order to ask the questions and possibly increase your odds of winning a prize, you need to belong to the group associated with the blog. To join, go to the group's home page here and simply click on join this group.

Or you can send a blank email to

ScampsVampsandSpicyRomance-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

It's a fun group and the authors often run contests that are for members only. As well as daily hotties and updates on upcoming releases.

We've got some fun authors in mind that we plan on asking to participate and we hope to see some of you all join in as well.

So... floor is open in ScampsVamps for questions.

Uppity Women Unite!

Uppity women...I love 'em. Give me a true article about a woman who stands up for herself and/or her beliefs and I'll eat it up. So, it will come as no surprise to you that one of my favorite book series is the "Uppity Women of..." you name the era. What this series shows is that women have been asserting their intelligence, their rights and their backbone for as far back as written history goes. Cool, huh?

I think so...which is why when I write a historical, I tend to write uppity women heroines. Not stuck-up heroines, but women who stand up for themselves, their loved ones and their beliefs. My motto is, "If there was one woman being this bold and daring during this era, she could have been my heroine."

But some historical readers prefer writers to stick with what they view as a more realistic portrayal of the time. Women who were not necessarily unique, or forward thinking, or confrontational. Certainly this type of heroine is more typical of the time, but she wasn't the only sort of woman who lived during *any* era. And I don't know...I can't make myself write heroines that don't get on somebody's nerves...usually the hero's, but oftentimes the rest of society's too.

What kind of historical heroine rings your chimes? The more traditional belle of the ton, or a woman who was reading "The Rights and Vindication of Women" even as the author was being killed by her government (France btw - if you are interested) for being such a blasphemous thinker?

I'll be honest and say that while I can't seem to write the more traditional heroine, I can really enjoy reading about her. But my favorite historical authors usually write outside the box too...Amanda Quick, Teresa Madeiros, Julie Garwood, Stef Ann Holm and Barbara Dawson Smith - to name a few.

What about you?

Hugs,
Lucy

whatcha reading...

After being sick going on close to two weeks, my brain is half dead. ;) Yeah, yeah I know...what else is new. Normally, I can think of something to yak about for a paragraph or two, but-uh, I don't wanna.

So here's something easy~and since you're reading this blog, chances are it's something near and dear to your heart. Books & reading.

The past two days, the only reading I've done is my stuff~bleh. That's work, not fun. Had to finish the copyedits for Hunting the Hunter. For my first mass market paperback, it was a lot less painful than I expected. Still made me a little nervous. OKAY... a LOT nervous. If I was a nail biter, I'd probably be in dire need of a manicure right now.

I keep promising myself a treat if I get enough done on my current deadline~my idea of treats is generally getting to read something. Sucks, but I read probably only a couple books a month anymore. I used to read a book a day.

So what was the last book you read?

What is the next book you plan to read?

The last book I read was last week~read Jude's Law by Lori Foster. I picked it up in Cincinatti last month at the signing and I'm glad I did. Great book.

The next book I plan to read is going to be Lover Eternal by JR Ward. *G* I read it months ago~JR was nice enough to send me an ARC and I've read it probably a dozen times by now. But I still need to read the finished one, the one with the pretty shiny blue cover.

My husband and I came dragging into the house at 3 this morning. The dog was really pissed off. Now that the kids are grown, she's the little princess. My grandaughter let it slip that, "Momma said Sukie (the little princess) rules your house."

Yeah, okay, I'm still wondering what her point was. Of course Sukie rules the house. She's spoiled rotten. We know we've created a monster in the guise of a small Pekinese.

We keep dog food out for her all the time, but she gets ham and cheese every day for lunch and dinner and occassionally turkey bacon. She loves turkey bacon but will leave sausage in her bowl. Go figure.

If she gets upset with us, she lets us know by wetting in our bed. We've learned to cover it with a shower curtain if we go away for any length of time.

Leash=vet=shots. My husband and I are probably the only people in the world who dress in full body armor if we have to put a leash on our dog. She doesn't like the leash and she lets us know by biting---usually us.

She used to chase the neighbor's cat when the cat would get into our backyard, but the cat stopped running and Sukie isn't brave enough to get too close.

But in the morning she wakes us up by laying her head on our face. Yes, it pretty much smothers us and she needs a bath really bad---the leash thing again. We're not about to bathe her and taking her to the groomer requires The Leash. But she's cute and adorable and loves us to distraction. I guess we'll keep her.

So, do you have any funny or embarrassing pet stories? If so, now is the time to vent. I'll listen---think of it as therapy. Oh, wow, I could start a whole new business---The Pet Owner Therapist. I couldn't fix any problems but I would listen.
Have a Great day!
Karen Kelley
www.authorkarenkelley.com

I my RIDE WILD enough?

As you guys know WILD RIDE comes out this week, my sexy anthology about Wild Ride Resort, an all inclusive playground for adults that's sort of a Club Med meets Coney Island. The three stories are all set on the island resort but since I've had readers ask me for a single title but my editor likes this format for me, I decided to combine the two and weave the novellas together so that it reads more like a single title and yet you have the fun of mulitple characters and story lines... so I *hope* it is like having the best of both worlds.

So anyway I'm thinking that WILD RIDE is some of my steamiest stuff yet...pushing the emvelope with some sexy situations that include waterfalls, elevators and yes a rollercoaster in motion.... and yet there was a review (I know we always get hung up on the ones that are a little snarky) that said that my stories are about good midwestern folks and are warm at best instead of smokin' hot like the cover implies..... okaaaaay. Of course I started questioning if my love scenes were hot enough for the erotic romance billing when it hit me that IMO hot does not mean raw language or crazy wild sex, but more how intensely the characters feel about each other.... in other words the emition in the sex scenes, not the sex itself. Sure in erotic romance the bedroom door needs to be wide open but I don't think I need to use words or situations that are there merely for shock factor... am I right? Or is WILD RIDE not wild enough?

I know since the book just came out it's hard for you guys to know if it is merely warm or hot but just makes a book hot? The review is over at www.likesbooks.com in case you are curious as to what all the review said. All in all the review was actually pretty nice and well done... I just think the reviewer didn't get the type of heat she was expecting but of all things to critique about the book I thought I had the heat factor nailed.....LOL

What do you all think?

What's in a name?

I have a great book called "45,000 Baby Names". My daughter borrowed it when they were looking for just the right name for the new baby-to-be.

Today's question - what's in a name? Or perhaps - "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. " I don't think so! Would you fall in love with a hero named "Dudley"? Would the book sell?? Maybe Nora could pull it off, or Lori. But I'm 99% sure no editor would ever let that name go into production.

So here's my question for today - Please tell me your three favorite names for heroes... and the same for heroines. Then give me three of your "yuck" names for heroes. And the same for heroines.

I'll take a look at all the lists and pick one entry to keep in my mental rolodex. I'll send that person a small prize.

But remember - to be considered for the prize, you have to come up with 12 solid choices. Put your thinking cap on and have at it!

Janice

Interesting...uh...unique research...

Have I ever mentioned I run across some really interesting things when I'm researching? Well, I do and I've found a new favorite website, but I'll get to that later.

The most recent "makes you blink in astonishment" thing I've run across while researching for my new Brava series is a radio for the shower that has a hidden camera in it. I'm so not kidding...they really sell such a thing. Want to see? Visit the product page here. Okay, I'm having a really hard time grasping the need for this unless you are like the FBI, or something. Really...the or something is a little scary, but the website that sells this also has other ultra hip spy equipment. I can see that coming in very handy with my new series. (And yep, as promised...I've just posted a little info on that on my Current Projects page.)

And how did I find this really very strange product that is honest-to-goodness for sale? On my new favorite website. It's full of info on cool and unusual and sometimes downright strange gadgets. I love gadgets...maybe not as much as my hubby, but enough that I definitely qualify for closet geekdom. Oh...he sent me the website link, by the way. He's great for stuff like that and he reads my books too...what more could a woman ask for???

Now it's your turn...what kind of weird or uananticipated stuff have you run across while innocently web surfing?

Just to let you know...I'll be out of town for my mom's birthday weekend with her and my sisters until Monday. But I'm REALLY looking forward to reading your comments when I get back!

Hugs,
Lucy

Advice... from me?

You're kidding, right?

I have this reaction several times a week. Over the past... oh, I dunno, year or so, I've gotten emails on a regular basis, usually several a week. Asking for some kind of advice. Or info. Some are a little easier than others. The easiest question to answer is...

How much money can I expect to make... I always answer that one the same. I have no answer for you.

I'm primarily still an ebook author, and yes, I write for a living, so I think I do okay, but every author is going to be different. So that one is easy. No answer~sorry.

The rest of them, though, they make me bang my head. I hardly ever have an answer. I've asked, how do you make yourself finish the book? Well, I just do. If I don't finish it, i can't sell it and I like selling them. $$$$$

Where do you come up with your ideas? Every single one is different. Sometimes, I'll see something that inspires me to start a book and then the book comes from there. My current release is one of those. The idea for Hunter's Pride came from something I saw on Animal Planet. A young girl in Africa was rescued from a couple of kidnappers by.... a pride of lions. Now I moved my book to America and it was cougars, or mountain lions, that saved her, but that's where that idea came from.

The original Hunters? Eh...that was all Tori. I wanted a heroine that was kick a$$ but not so stupidly independent she'd cut off her nose to spite her face. Those sort of heroines really annoy me. So there was Tori, and then there was Declan and then there was the book. The rest just sort of came naturally after that.

Other ideas came from various places... fairy tales, or I'll be talking with a friend, and there it is. So I don't have a simple answer for that.

Do you plot out your books? I hate answering this one. I always feel like a moron. Nope, I don't plot out until after I've started the book, and usually the plot just unfolds for me as I write it.

Where should I try to sell my book? Oh, boy. That's a tricky one. Depends on what sort of book, how long, too many factors, and that's another question i hate.

How did you get published? Another one that I kind of scratch my head over. Often... it feels like pure dumb luck. I had a book that was rejected by Harlequin. That form letter so many of us have seen, not what we're looking for...yadda yadda yadda... My personal opinion~eh, it was perfect for them, however I wasn't going to sweat it. That was about the time I'd found EC and I decided I'd just revamp the book and try it there. And that's that as far as my ebook history goes. I've sold more than thirty various books, novellas and short stories to places like EC, Triskelion, and Samhain.

New York career, eh... a little different. Boils down to a couple of people mentioned my name to Cindy Hwang at Berkley and she looked me up, read a few things, and liked them. So I got the infamous call. I didn't really do anything~so pure dumb luck on my part.

There's other questions, like I need an agent. Will you read my book? Do you do critiques? Frankly, I wish I could help but I can't. You can find a lot of these resources through RWA. I don't have time to read for pleasure hardly, and I suck when it comes to technical advice, so I'm not a good person to ask.

It's really very mind boggling to keep getting these emails~scary, yet at the same time, feels kinda cool. But I seriously suck at advice...

Character Qualities

What hero qualities do you look for when you read a romance? Let's go a little further, what qualities do you like to see in your heroine?

I love the alpha hero, but the kind who has a vulnerability. When I read a romance I want to live vicariously through the heroine.

What was the first romance that hooked you? What are a few on your keeper shelves?
Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rodgers and I was hooked. Johanna Lindsey, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Lori Foster.....

What really fabulous romance did you finish last year that you really enjoyed and why. Ulterior motives. I want to add to my mountain of a TBR pile LOL! Believe it or not, I read my first Susan Elizabeth Philips last year for the first time and WOW!

Everyone who answers will have their name put in a hat/can/Wal-Mart bag or whatever else is handy and I'll draw a winner for a copy of one of my avaivable books--winners choice.
Karen

Pets

Pets!

I read about that fifty-thousand-dollar dog that escaped from the airport and it got me thinking. Pets are the best thing ever and they sure don’t have to cost 50K to make them special!

We have two cats, both intended for our kids and somehow wound up with my dh and me. I guess that means we have grand-pets. Our cats don’t do much, no neat pet tricks. Pixel brought me a live mouse once but since that sent me screaming and climbing on top of my computer desk I won’t classify it as a trick...except by me.

My agent has ten dogs, all little ones. She’s starting to buy pets for her pets. When my brother’s dog passed he had a coffin made. My cousin buried her dog in a pet cemetery complete with headstone. I sent a card. When my cat dies a bit of me will die too.

I love pets in books, add them whenever possible and they always play a part in saving the day.

So two questions.
Have any of your pets done anything remarkable?
And using the link below tell me what kind of dog you really are.

I’m a cocker spaniel!

Ruff!
Dianne


http://quiz.ivillage.co.uk/uk_astrology/tests/dogs.htm

Would you, could you...have you?

A few weeks ago I did something I had never done before....I went into Hustler Hollywood (an adult toy store). I had been wanting to do this for a while after my editor said that I needed to spice up my love scenes that were "too conventional". Well.... since conventional was all that I know, I decided that I needed to broaden my horisons so to speak and I convinced my husband that I needed to take a look around in one of *those* shops to see what was out there...

He was appalled (but I could tell he was curious) and cracked me up when he made us both wear baseball caps because he was convinced that someone would see us. I, in turn, convinced him that we wouldn't see anyone we knew in an adult store in downtown Cincinnati and I bravely said "who cares?" if we did?(of course you know where this is going).

So, there we were looking at props and toys, lotions and potions with our caps pulled low over our foreheads. I was in a constant state of giggling and my husband was in a constant fear of being discovered but after a while we both relaxed and started having fun. So, I'm looking a pretty realistic rubber replica of a male body part and commenting to my husband on "geez what would you do with all of that?" when...you guessed it...I saw someone that I knew. ( I was suddenly secretly glad for the ballcap) Of course my husband has at this point forgotten all about his fear of discovery so I have to yank him away from the display and whisper in his ear who I saw. This was a woman was the head of an organization that we had belonged to when our children were younger and I have to admit that I was a bit (okay a lot) shocked to see her in the store. Now under normal circumatances we would have marched over and said, "Hey how have you been? So nice to run into you...." and so on, but instead we hovered in the corner of the store pretending rapt interest in various massage oils until she left.

So my question is: should we have been embarrassed? She hadn't appeared so and seemed to know her way around. As a matter of fact, most of the partons in the store were couples and while there were things on display with a huge "ew" factor, there were plenty of fun things too...chocolate body paint, flavored lotions, scented candles... things that were sexy and would spice things up a bit and were harmless fun. So...

Would you, could you...have you gone in an adult store? If you saw someone you knew would you greet them or hover in the corner like we did?

Let me know your thoughts ;-)

Valentine's Day Gifts

Tomorrow is the big day, and I'm here to tell you that it's not just for lovers. As a public school teacher for 15 years, I enjoyed a host of Valentine parties and gifts... not only from children, but from parents and other teacher friends. I think the day should be about "Love" in all its forms. One of my most treasured "gifts" is a heart-shaped red rhinestone pin my grandmother gave me when I was 13 or 14. It has an arrow through the middle, and I love bringing it out of the jewelry box once a year. I fully intended to wear it to the Reader Appreciation Day in Cincinnati on Saturday, but forgot to put it in the suitcase. :( The picture on this blog is another of my "old" and treasured Valentine's Day gifts. My dh and I started dating during our senior year in high school. This little guy is the stuffed animal Charlie gave me on our first February 14. I keep it in a glass-fronted barrister bookcase that has lots of my romance novels. You can probably see that the paint on his eye is scratched and his original white fur has the patina of age. I hope some of you will share stories of a "special" gift you received in years past. And remember - tomorrow is a day for love... make sure to tell all those special people in your life how much they mean to you. And I'll say it now to all of you - "Thank You" for reading and loving romance and for being such great online friends! Janice

The sexy geek...

Isn't this cover to die for? This guy looks exactly as I picture Hotwire, the hero for and ABLE. He's a super sexy computer geek/ex-mercenary. Is that an oxymoron for you?

I admit I'm biased. I married an uber sexy geek so I see the breed as hero material for sure, but what about the rest of you? Can you go for a hero who can program a super computer, but isn't sure how to tell if he's in love? Do you think a guy who can go on for hours about the new theory for warp drive space travel but has a hard time saying, "I love you," can be sexy? What about the man who has more geek gadgets than Inspector Gadget, but has never touched a vibrating massager? Can he be your idea of a man who can make the heroine melt into a puddle of passion...or at least certain parts of her anatomy?

I love the super geeky, super sexy hero, but what about you? I'm starting a new series for Brava...and I'm thinking there are definitely going to be a hero or two who are as competent with the computer as they are in hand to hand combat...is that a good thing, or does it totally turn you off?

Let me know what you think...

Hugs,
Lucy

What do we owe our readers....

Okay... a troublemaker I know... *and love, admittedly...* is the inspiration behind today's blog.

Said troublemaker lives in Australia. Said troublemaker loves to read. I've gained a number of readers just from her recommendations alone. When you've picked up a LOT of new ebook readers and print readers all from the recommendation of one reader, you realize just how much one reader can affect things.

And she's not alone. There are readers of mine like her in Canada, England, Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Singapore, just to name a few. And most of them buy print books, which means they pay a pretty penny. They all talk about the authors they like. The more they talk, the more others might buy. Okay, not might... do buy.

This is one of the reasons why I appreciate readers from across the globe. You read my books, you buy my books, I love you and you can enter whatever contests I have. And it's even cooler when I get an email, well, so and so said I should try you...and this person is from Singapore, or Italy, or other places that I can't type without misspelling, so I won't try... *G*

But the reason for today's entry was the author who sparked the uh... hmmm... discussion.

Author stated...(and I'm paraphrasing...I'm not linking to the blog, because frankly, I don't want to give her the clicks...it got a little rude) "I don't see why some reader from out of the country thinks I owe her anything more than a thank you."

Okay, somebody opens a door for me~I say thanks. Somebody lets me cut into the flow of traffic without waiting ten years~I wave thanks.

Yes, I'm very grateful to my readers. Now I'm not about to open a vein in gratitude, and they cannot have my first born, my second born, or my soon to be third... But they should get a little more than a simple thank you. I'm not saying they should all get a free book, or you should fly them to the moon. But they deserve a bit more than the same thing you say to somebody who said bless you when you sneeze.

I write for a living. I get to stay home and actually see my kids and play with them, instead of hitting the PC to pound out one more chapter when I get home from work. That right there is worth more than a simple gee, thanks.

But more...readers see something in my writing. They shell out their hard earned dollars, and whether they loved the book or hated it, they still thought it was worth their time, and for that, I think they deserve more than a simple thank you.

They deserve our respect. Even if all they do is look at the book and think about buying it, I think that deserves respect.

Regardless of whether or not you think it's worth it to send books overseas, you owe readers in general some courtesy. Dragging something out into the very public world of blogging when a reader was simply expressing her opinion and displeasure...eh, it's kind of tacky. It showed a complete lack of respect for her opinion, and basically, for her.

It's even worse when you cut off commentary the second it seems that others might agree with her, or they can at least see this reader's side.

Good Morning!

Okay, how many just looked at their watch or a clock to see if it was still morning? I know I'm running behind today. I had to hurry and get my page quota for the day so I could do something really important like drag my husband shopping. Okay, maybe it's not THAT important---I just want to get out of the house and go shopping.

I often wonder if other husbands or boyfriends go shopping with their significant others. Karl does really good unless we go to the mall. Then his eyes glaze over and he looks like he's off in his own little world. Are there Mall phermones to put men into a Zombie like state so they don't care how much their companion spends?

So tell me---inquiring minds want to know---does your spouse/boyfriend (or both if this be the case)go shopping with you?
Karen Kelley