Debra -- Aw, Hell...hound. (Vote)

The fates were smiling on Bell Bridge Books, and we found another fabulous YA author to share with the world. Yay, us! We've done a few cover rounds and you can see the results below.

BITE ME (the first Demon Underground novel) from Parker Blue is an edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Barely eighteen-year-old heroine Valentine Shapiro got a raw deal in the parent lottery. Her father was part incubus demon, and her mother's never forgiven her for that.

Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Thrown out of the house by her mother, Val puts one foot in front of the other and does the only thing that seems to make any sense--she takes aim at the town vampires. A stake a day, keeps the demon at bay. (But don't call her Buffy. That makes Lola, her demon, very cranky .)

Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.

Great, huh? It gets better. She's the proud new owner of Fang, a hellhound.

Here's where things get dicey for me. We had a great photo of Fang for the back cover. The author felt the photo matched her imagery. What's the problem? We forgot to check the price on the photo. He's very very expensive. (Aw, hell!) I couldn't even buy a reduced resolution to show you!

Instead we're auditioning other's for Fang's role and you can help. Tell us which dog-type you think would make the best hellhound. Are you going to go for quirky or do you like a classic?

1. The terrier-- These little dudes can be relentless. And funny. They have no fondness for vermin and they'll go down a hole to root them out.

2. A Border Collie-- Here's a breed that isn't afraid to do their job. You don't stand up to a 900 lb cow unless you've got some grit. Borders don't back down easily. And they have a strong work ethic.

3. An Irish Wolfhound-- "Gentle when stroked and fierce when provoked. " This dog has the heft to fight at your side. Bred to take down wolves in the "Old Country." Usually stand 34 or MORE inches tall at the shoulder. They've been known to die of grief, shortly after their owners died.

4. Other. If you don't like these choices, describe your take on a quirky or classic hellhound.

Kathleen On Changing Her Ways

I'm set in my ways. I change my ways periodically, but it takes concentrated effort, and then I get set again. I seem to be an all 'er nuthin' kind of gal, and it bugs me. Changing is so hard.

So I'm thinking about making changes lately and what I have to do to accomplish each one.

For one thing, my writing habits. Does anyone else have this problem? I have to be in my space. Once I establish the space, I have to have things a certain way. In the last couple of years, I've changed space because writing privacy in this house became difficult to achieve. (Reason: little kids.) So I'm like an animal getting to the nest, the dog turning circles before she settles--I have to have everything a certain way in the same space, and if I don't get there by a reasonable time and get settled, the day is lost. Once I'm there, leave me alone. It works pretty well as long as life doesn't mess with me. I'm closing in on finishing the WIP in record (for me) time. But as soon as I finish this one--my life's mantra is "as soon as I get this book done"--I need to make changes. I have to reorganize my time, chores, day. It sounds so easy. (Now that basketball season is over--Yea Celtics!--I should be able to give up TV. Except for Stewart and Colbert.) For one thing, I need to save the newspaper for the end of the day. But Coffee and newspaper first thing in the morning is such a habit with me. And it I give it up in the morning, I might lose touch with the world entirely, right? I stopped doing e-mail first thing, and now I seem to avoid it for days on end. I stopped getting on the phone, and now I don't call anyone unless it's an emergency. All 'er nuthin'.

Anyone else have this problem? I know I can make the ol' Kathleen machine function better if I just make a few changes in the habits. I know it's a matter of behavior modification, and that you have to repeat an action many times before it becomes a habit. But it's so hard! Staying ahead of the curve on laundry and cleaning is major with little kids around. Workin' on it. Accumulating stuff is one of my lifelong habits, and I'm trying to change that. All 'er nuthin'. I have to stay away from E-Bay and Tuesday Morning entirely or I'm buying just one more doll or do-dad. (I stopped buying dolls a while back, but now it's kids' clothes. My granddaughters have more clothes than they can wear. Okay, they're like live dolls.)

Heck, I successfully lost weight and so far so good on maintaining; pretty much stopped biting my fingernails; wrote the first book on a new contract on deadline (and I set ridiculous deadlines this time); didn't spend a ton of time and cash filling flower pots this spring (see writing deadline and all 'er nuthin'--I planted NO pots). Not too bad for an old dog.

Some things I'm working on now: time management, work habits, exercise, shopping habits. How can I do these things without going to extremes? What tricks do you have for establishing new habits? Are you working on any habits in particular?

HFF Winners!

Kimmyl and Dina (of the butterfly avatar) win a copy of HIS FORGOTTEN FOREVER! Please email Michele at: toastfaery @ gmail.com with your snail mail address.

Thanks!
M

The Amnesiac Vampire: HIS FORGOTTEN FOREVER

If you lost your past, would you want it back?

Quite a heady question. We all have our own ideas of what amnesia means. The sudden loss of memory. The absence of all that you know. Fear. Anxiety. Utter devastation. But what about freedom?

It's all about me today! I'm celebrating the release of HIS FORGOTTEN FOREVER, which is now in stores for a brief month—so get it while it's there. My hero has amnesia. Yes, I always thought I'd never have an interest in writing one of the tried, true, and much-loved staples of the romance genre, the amnesiac. But the hero came to me as a villain of the previous book, KISS ME DEADLY, and I really wanted to shake up his world.  What better way to do that than to take away all that he knows? All that he has held dear, and all that makes him safe.

So back to what we think we'd feel if we had amnesia. Why not freedom? Suddenly, you've no memory. No ties to anything. You have no worries, no angst, not even a family to wrangle you into their dramas and grief or love. You're free. Okay, you do need to anchor yourself in the world somehow, but your immediate thoughts are not "Who am I missing from my life", "Who is looking for me?", "Where do I belong?" Those aren't your thoughts because you have no memories that tie you to what could be missing.

It's a weird concept to grasp. But we, as non-amnesiac people, have our memories. We know what we would miss. But if you had not those memories? Well, then, you wouldn't miss them. Think about it for a while.

When I was researching this story, I stumbled upon a documentary, UNKNOWN WHITE MALE. Fascinating stuff! A man, who has amnesia, was filmed quite soon after developing the malady by a close filmmaker friend. He followed him in the immediate days and discovered that an amnesiac, besides trying to fit into the world and just anchor himself, has no real anxiety about family, friends or lovers. Only when prompted, does he consider what or who might be missing from his life. I really latched onto this concept, and utilized it in my story.

Some have debated whether the film is an elaborate hoax. I watched it two times consecutively, and then another time. I believe it's truth. 

So what if you did have amnesia? And what if the first thing that begins to prompt your memories is the reflection of your fangs in the mirror? Yeah, I said fangs. And suddenly blood sounds really tasty to you. Wouldn't that freak you out?

If you're into vampires or amnesia, or hopefully, just want a dark and adventurous read, check out what happens with Truvin Stone as he regains his memories and learns he wasn't such a nice guy, and is forced to face his past indiscretions and create a new life with a woman who wants to love him. Read the first chapter here!

Now tell me, have you ever thought about what you'd do if you had amnesia?  Would you like a mild case, maybe just a day or so, so it would get you out of the office picnic or baking cookies for the annual Boy Scout sale?  Are amnesia stories your thing?  What's your favorite amnesia story?

I'll give away two copies of HIS FORGOTTEN FOREVER to two random posters!  Stop back tomorrow for the winner's names.

Michele

Winner of Marjorie M Liu's The Iron Hunt

Tetewa - come on down! You're the winner of Marjorie M Liu's, THE IRON HUNT.
Please e-mail me at cgerard@iowatelecom.net with your snail mail address so Marjorie can get the book to you.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Welcome, Marjorie Liu

We have another treat for you today. Marjorie Liu is not only and amazing talent, she is one of the nicest people I know, despite the fact that she's gorgeous:o) And check out all the fun things she's got going. Marjorie has generously offered to give away an autographed copy of her brand new release: THE IRON HUNT but you have to comment to win :o) Please give her a warm, topdown welcome ...

Four years ago this month I sold my first book, and while I never take for granted the fact that I now write full-time, for a living, it’s amazing how all the things about publishing that were once a distant mystery, have now become -- well, not exactly commonplace -- but at the very least, familiar. I mean, when I used to go into a bookstore or library, it was magic – possibilities abounded, the air was light with words, and the smell of the paper, the texture of the covers, the art – all of it was beautiful. It still is.

But now that I’ve seen the other side of publishing – now that I know what goes into making and selling books – my focus has changed. Books are still magic, but now I’m keenly aware of the people behind them – authors, especially – and I wonder about those individuals more than I ever used to. Before I sold that first book, I never thought much about authors – or rather, I did not want to impose myself upon them. I never wrote a single letter, I never considered attending a book signing. If I saw a signed book in the store, I would be inclined to pick it up – but meeting that writer? In high school, I remember having the chance to talk to Robert Jordan. He was at a signing, sitting completely alone – I loved his books and he was larger than life. I was too shy to hardly even look at him.

I wish I had done things differently.

That’s all changed now. Suddenly I’m an author – and authors are people, too. Not just imaginary stick figures, or ghosts, lingering in that netherworld behind the pages of a book. Someone wrote those words. Physically put them down, then lovingly – or in a great rush, with the fear of a deadline – revised them. Stuff happened, to make the book I see on the shelf. Every book, filling every corner of the library or bookstore. It’s still magic – but now it’s a human magic – and I realize something that I never did before:

Authors like to be talked to.

I’m speaking in generalities, of course. I’m sure there are some writers who hate being pestered by readers, but if they exist, they’re a rare breed. Authors are often a solitary bunch, by necessity or choice, but we like to be sought out. We love it. When lightning strikes between story and reader, there’s nothing better than being told so. Even if a reader did not care for a book, an author with an ear for careful criticism does not always mind such words. It still means you read the book.

So, though it might seem absolutely ridiculous that this is my big lesson from publishing – there you go. I can see beyond the books now, to the people who write them – and while there’s still a mask, a wall, between author and story and real world, it’s not what it was. When I read a book I love, I now write the author. When I happen to be in a bookstore where a signing is going on, I stop at the table and say hi. I’m still shy – but the distance between my sentiments and the person on the other side of the book no longer feel so deeply insurmountable.

Do any of you have questions about the publishing world? Or if you are published, what was your biggest lesson or surprise about the business?

Thanks for having me here!

This is a big summer for Marjorie’s books: the first in her new urban fantasy series, THE IRON HUNT, just hit shelves – and if you’d like to read and listen to an excerpt, you can visit this site: (http://web.mac.com/marjorieliu/Site/The_Iron_Hunt_Excerpt.html). Also out is an anthology of paranormal erotica, HOTTER THAN HELL -- and coming this August, the eighth Dirk & Steele novel, THE WILD ROAD – as well as NYX #1, a Marvel Comics X-Book that Marjorie is writing, about mutant teens living homeless on the streets of New York City. To learn more, visit her at: www.marjoriemliu.com

To purchase The Iron Hunt from amazon.com go to: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Hunt-Marjorie-M-Liu/dp/0441016065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196920602&sr=1-1

FAUX PAS. . . the dubious art of recovering your cool

Betina Here. If, like me, you occasionally step in it (your mouth, that is) I have the book for you. THE FAUX PAS SURVIVAL GUIDE, by Jeanne Martinet.



I could have used this book. . . oh. . . about five decades ago. Would have saved me all kinds of grief.

Ever reached out to touch a pregnant woman's tummy? BUSTED!

Ever asked a woman if she was preggers and she WASN'T? BUSTED!

Ever shared a juicy bit of gossip only to look up and find the object of your tidbit standing there listening? BUSTED!

Ever ranted in a social situation about the horrible service in a hospital/restaurant/store only to find you're talking to one of the managers/employees of the place in question? BUSTED!

Ever assumed a woman was a guy's mother, only to learn it was his wife? BUSTED!

So what are the best/most popular recoveries for the classic faux pas?
(Which by the way is French for FALSE STEP, not as is often quoted "f**k-up")

1. Confess and Apologize: own up to the misstep and offer to make it right or do penance

"Oh, gosh, did I hurt your feelings/ embarrass you/ insult you? Can you ever forgive me?"
"Please tell me what I can do to make this right."
"Okay, I want you to insult me badly. Please. Then we'll be even."
"I can't believe I just said that-- I am so clumsy/stupid/lame."
Non-verbal version: mime hanging, shooting, or choking self.

2. Make an excuse:

"So sorry, I'm not myself. I was just fired from my job/dumped by my boyfriend/had my wallet stolen/was yelled at by my boss."
"I just had some dental work done and I may have taken too many painkillers."
"Please forgive me; I'm really distracted by a huge project/deal/difficulty at the office."
"I'm really sorry; the truth is, someone was really rude to me (no, I don't want to tell you who it was) and I'm just not myself just now."
"Please forgive me; I've got a crashing headache and it's making me irritable."

3. Use Humor:

"I just made a fool of myself, didn't I? I hate it when that happens."
"Sorry, I was raised in a barn."
"I just read a book on 'faux pas' and that one was on page 59."
Talk to imaginary communicator: "Scotty I'm having trouble down here. . . beam me up!"
"You know there are some days you should have stayed in bed? Well, I'm having a whole year like that!
"You know there are some days you should have stayed in bed? Well I should have stayed in the womb!"
"How much will it cost me for you to keep quiet about this?"

There are a few other techniques: denial, diversion, and sudden departure. But the aforesaid three are the best and most honest. And honesty, according to the book and to my mother's wisdom and to good old common sense, is the very best defense.

Being up front about recognizing that you've blundered will go a long way toward mollifying any hard feelings and will make you look at least like an decent, caring person--who just happened to put her foot in her mouth. Hey, it happens to us all.

Own up to your humanity, admit the "faux pas," and go on. Forgiving yourself is part of the equation, because you can't expect others to forgive you and let it go if you can't.

Yes, I occasionally look back on situations where I should have kept my mouth shut or just walked away BEFORE stepping in it. But, being me, I usually just forge ahead into disaster. So, rather than letting a misstep ruin a social situation or a perfectly good working relationship, I intend to confront it head on from now on. I intend to address it in the here and now. . . and hopefully make amends.

So, I'm taking a page from this book and telling myself that to "faux pas" is human and to forgive is divine.

Care to share your favorite faux pas or favorite apology? Ever been the victim of a faux pas? What did you do? How would you react if somebody congratulated you on being preggers. . . when you weren't? (Murder is NOT an option. Have you seen those orange prison jumpsuits?)

Tiptoe through the...

As some of you may know, I've been featuring 'Guest Toes' all this month at my blog. Guess who's featured today? Riding's very own Posey Tiptoer, Cindy Gerard. Stop by for a peak, and page down a bit and you'll find Lois's toes as well!

Michele's DUSTED blog.

Trends: In, Out, In, Out, In ...

I went to an outdoor Jack Johnson concert last night. It was a gorgeous night, mid-70's, sunny, slight breeze. There had to be close to twenty thousand people there, and, yes, I was ... um ... on the older side of the fan base.

For those of you not familiar with his music, Jack is Hawaiian and it comes through in his sound. He's got a light, hippieish, surfer dude, environmental/societal issue awareness thing going.

While I enjoyed the concert, I got an even bigger kick out of people watching. Everywhere I looked I saw tie dye, flowered dresses and skirts, peace necklaces, headbands and psychedelic hair. The pungent smell of reefer filled the air. My husband even swears he saw Janis Joplin. (And, no, he wasn't smoking anything!)

Funny how trends and fashion, even ideas and philosophies come in and go out of style. I loved the return of bell bottoms and the hip hugging lower waist-line of jeans, but if the padded shoulders and the big hair of the 80's makes another come 'round count me firmly out. I love tie dye, always have, always will. And I totally buy into the whole environmental awareness recycling gig. But I can't stand the smell of incense.

What thing, fashion, ideology, food, music, etc... would you like to see return in popularity? What returning trend drives/would drive you crazy?

Helen

Get Smart!

I had to put up a review today because I'm eager to see what others thought of GET SMART.

This was one of my favorite TV series when I was a kid.  Maxwell Smart and Agent 99?  I wanted to be both of them.  As long as cool gadgets were involved.  I don't know how many dreams I had about walking through those secret doors into the inner sanctum filled with super spies and Control.  

I don't normally go to comedies.  Not sure why, maybe it's that $8.75 I have to shell out.  I prefer to pay for tears not laughs.  But I was not going to miss this movie, despite the fact I've never cared for Steve Carell all that much (though I thought he was great in Horton Hears A Who; could it be because I didn't have to see him?).

I've just read a few reviews that said it was a disaster, less than impressive.  Well, I thought it rocked!  I laughed.  A lot.  And that's the best judge of a comedy, isn't it?  Sure, it gets a little doofy at times.  Sure, some of the acting could have been better.  (I wasn't too impressed with Anne Hathaway.)  But overall, it paid wonderful homage to the original TV series.  I had forgotten that Smart wasn't so much a bumbling idiot as a highly intelligent man who just happens to have a lot of bad luck.  The man has heart, and is genuine.  He means well, and tries so hard.  And Carell nailed the character.  One great example was the dance scene: he gestures to a group of sexy young women, hoping one will respond, but is rebuffed.  But he shakes his finger at them.  Oh, no, I'm not interested in you ladies.  I want her...the fat girl hiding in the corner behind them.  And it's played so warmly, and for the right kind of laughs.  Loved it!

And if you like action, you'll be surprised by the amazing action scenes, especially the one at the end.  I kept saying to myself, wow, this would fit right into even the biggest action flick.  It's creative and daring and had me at the edge of my seat. 

Watch for a Bill Murray cameo.  And yay, for the shoe phone!  (I think I tried to make a few phone calls with my shoe when I was a kid, yeah, rotary dial and everything.)

Did this movie miss it by that much?  Not at all.  I thought it was right on the mark!

M

That time of year . . .

We've spent nearly every weekend of the last month and a half at either graduations (college and high school) and weddings. It's just that time of year, and I've been listening to a lot of speeches giving wise (and, IMO, not so wise) advice to the kids.

So I was thinking . . . what's the one thing I really wish my seventeen (or twenty, or twenty-three) year old self knew? (Not that I would have listened back then, but I never said I was wise.)

And this is what I wish I'd known: to stop worrying so much about what anybody else thinks of you, because the truth is that 99.9% of the time NOBODY'S THINKING ABOUT YOU. Because they're all way too busy thinking about themselves and their own problems. Anybody who has time to judge you, your looks or your choices or anything else, isn't someone whose opinion you need to worry about anyway.

So what about you? What would you most want to tell your eighteen year old self?

Susie

Winner of RESCUE ME

MSHELLION - congratulations!! You're the prize winner of yesterday's blog on Cindy's Deadline Dementia which is a copy of RESCUE ME, autographed by Cindy!

Please e-mail me at: cgerard@iowatelecom.net so I can send you the book!

Cindy's Deadline Dementia

I’ll tell you straight out and up front. I’m approaching deadline dementia and fading fast. For that reason, this is going to be short, sweet and self-serving.

RESCUE ME, a super hot romantic suspense adventure anthology featuring Cherry Adair (JUNGLE HEAT), Lora Leigh (ATLANTA HEAT) and ME (DESERT HEAT) will be released July 1, 2008 and I really want you to go out and buy it. Told you this was going to be self-serving.

Okay, here’s the deal. St. Martins Press asked the three of us to come up with a theme to wrap a group of novellas around and after very little discussion we came up with a rescue theme. What’s not to like about that? Haven’t we all fantasized about being rescued - from cleaning the toilet, scouring that proverbial frying pan, life in the slow lane? Or how about rescuing someone – a major hunk with a hang nail, a wounded soul in need of TLC, a cowboy without a cow (nothing sadder IMO), a romance writer losing her battle with the calendar and the ticking clock?

Now is the time and this is the forum to share all those secret (or not so secret) rescue fantasies you harbor. Who would you most want to save you from (fill in the blank). And as long as I have your attention, I’d like to hear your opinion on anthologies as a whole. Do you like them? Hate them? Buy them for one author only? Don't give them a second look? Tell me what I need to know, okay? This is the first time I've been published in this formate and I'm curious as to what to expect.

Oh - and I'll give away a copy of RESCUE ME - hot off the presses and autographed by me - to one lucky blogger but you have to post to win. Don't be shy. A quick hello is all you need to get in the running at which time you might be rescued (ahem) from the dull drums by your very own copy of RESCUE ME. Did I mention it was super hot and fantastic???

Welcome Guest author Karen Tabke!!

We are thrilled to welcome a super cool person and a super hot writer, Karen Tabke today. If you haven't read her yet - oh my! You're in for a treat. Please, without further delay, welcome Karen..............

Hello, ladies! And thank you, Cindy for the invite to pop in, introduce myself and hang out for the day. I’m really honored to be here.

So, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Karin Tabke, and I write really passionate romance! Seriously. And not just passion between the hero and heroine, but their passion for life, their passion for what they believe in, their passion for family, and living, and loving, and playing. Oh, and passion for food. I love a good food scene. LOL

My characters always stand for something and never fall for everything. They live hard, play hard, and love harder. We’ve all heard the adage write what you know; well I have taken that to heart. I’m a passionate person. I married a passionate man. My children are passionate. We are loud, emotional, and love to eat good food and be with the people we care about the most. I have three dogs, two cats and an African Grey named Max who has all of our laughs, cries and cell phone ring tones down pat. My house is in constant motion, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I started writing hot cops. It wasn’t a stretch, the hubster is a retired cop. His many years on the streets and the passionate people he worked with have given me endless fodder for my stories. But my first love, the reason I fell in love with romance was reading the sweeping historicals of the 70’s and 80’s. The meaty, emotional, passionate ones where men were men, and women were woman, and they made no excuses for who they were and what they did. Life was different one thousand years ago, and those sweeping love stories carried me off to my own world for countless hours. I still sigh when I think back to those days. And it was exactly that feeling I wanted again, and so The Blood Sword Legacy series was born.

I’m very excited to say I have two books out this month. JADED the third in my ‘hot cop’ series, and my debut historical, MASTER OF SURRENDER, set in tumultuous 1066 England. It is the first book of the series. Every time I think of the hero and heroine, Rohan and Isabel, I smile. Their passion for what they believed in nearly destroyed them but their love did conquer all. This story takes me back to the days when I was a girl, squirreled away in my bedroom eagerly reading and sighing and wishing that one day my prince would come. He did, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love to read about other girls getting their prince. It’s why I write.

So tell me, what book made you fall in love with romance? And I’d love to give away a copy of GOOD GIRL GONE BAD, SKIN or WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE, to a lucky commenter. As simple Hi, Karin, will get you in the drawing.

Thanks again ladies for inviting me here today!

Debra Dixon - BOOK COVER VOTES, results and winners!

Well, as many of you have guessed, the dark cover won in a landslide with 86% of the vote.

As it turns out, the author, who saw the covers for the first time today, also likes the dark cover.

Thanks to everyone who's come out to play and participate in the blog today.  We appreciate you guys! 

Now to the WINNERS...

READER prize --  Pearl

WRITER prize --  Christine L

If you guys would scoot on over to www.DebraDixon.com and just send me an email from there so I can talk to you about collecting your prizes ?  That'd be great.

Debra Dixon - Big prizes ! But you have to vote.

Yep. I'm using you as a focus group today. We're working on the cover for our first YA contemporary fantasy novel coming out from Bell Bridge Books (08/08), and we have not one, but two covers we like.

What to do? Which to use? I have a favorite and I'm hoping you folks will support my cover.

Marilee Brothers, author of Moonstone, has a fabulous YA voice. Wry, compelling, heart-warming and just plain fun. Allie Emerson is living in a twenty-four foot trailer with a mother who has decided to Retire From Life. Not exactly the sort of environment you'd think would produce a girl destined to save the world. Allie's barely managing to survive high school. She hasn't got time to believe in prophecies and evil. Until evil makes it personal.

(Please do not blame our marketing department for this blurb. They'll do a much better job when the time comes for the real blurb. And now you know why I don't write the blurbs. I leave that to others except in blogging emergencies.)

Which cover floats your boat? Which one do you reach for?

Regardless of how you vote one "reader" and one "writer" will get some goodies.

Our writer will be offered a 25 page critique from me. Seems oxymoronic to consider the "picking apart of a manuscript" as a prize, but we writers are an odd determined lot. And nope. You don't have to have a synopsis. I don't care what genre.

Our reader will receive any four (4) titles from either the BelleBooks or Bell Bridge Books catalogues. (http://www.bellebooks.com/) The Bell Bridge site is still building but the offer of 4 books is good through the fall as the rest of the Bell Bridge Books hit their pub dates. The Southern titles from Bell Bridge will be cross-listed for sale at both BB and BBB websites.

We have some great Southern fiction lined up for July and the fall:

Booth's Sister is a beautifully written novel of Asia Booth, who endured the wrath of a nation when her brother killed Lincoln. Jane Singer, noted Civil War scholar, has masterfully imagined the family dynamic and intimate dilemmas that led to one of America's most fateful crimes and left a sister's life in shambles. (Did I mention beautifully written?)

Egret Cove by travel writer Margaret Nava is a fun romp with a mature woman as she makes a new life in Florida just when she thought life was through handing out exciting surprises.

We also have Jacquelyn Cook coming out this fall with The Gates of Trevelyan, another of her richly detailed Southern historicals.

Fear not. Eventually, we will get the next MOSSY CREEK novel out the door. I've been a little busy, and the editor insists I have to finish a story for the book. And the corporation insists that I negotiate the foreign, domestic and audio distribution contracts and all that other boring business stuff.
(Yes, our titles will be coming out in audio as well.)

And as a final plug we have a dark, scrumptious, "Anne Rice meets Laurell K. Hamilton" epic vampire series that will launch in September. Rich. Textured. Epic. We first meet the clan centuries ago. We posted on every blog in the world that Bell Bridge wanted contemporary urban fantasy, but when this came in the door, we all decided there was room for a voice and a story this big. A great lush read. With more to come.

There you have it! Lots of yummy goodness for readers who aren't afraid to step up and vote for their favorite Moonstone cover. Tell me why you like it. And let me know what you think about any of the upcoming titles. TELL ME IF YOU'RE AFTER the WRITER prize OR READER prize.

Better Than Sex

Lois Greiman

I read recently that anyone who says there's nothing better than sex is either a pervert or a liar. And despite what I write, I had to agree. I mean, really, there’s caramel, ice cream, and a little thing called chocolate for starters.

Okay, there are probably non-eating activities that are preferable too, but my mind naturally runs toward all things caloric. (I share that with my mystery heroine, Chrissy McMullen.) And although I’ll readily admit that I’m light years from being a gourmet cook, I do have a few recipes that, if prepared properly, could make you forget your own name.

However, warm weather makes me even less eager to cook than usual. Thinking our riding readers might feel the same, I thought I’d pass along one of my favorite, perfect-for-picnics-and-parties recipes.

I offer you:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie 1 baked pie crust 1 8 oz package of cream cheese 1¼ cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp lemon juice 1 quart strawberries 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon butter whipped cream Whip the cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Spread in the bottom of the pie crust. Saving ½ of the best strawberries for the top of the pie, use the rest of the berries for the center. After mashing them, stir in 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cool slightly, then pour over the cream cheese layer. After the pie has cooled for 2-3 hours top with whipped cream and remainder of berries.

So there it is…one of my childhood favorites. I’d love it if you’d share a beloved recipe of your own. I’m going to start something called Chrissy’s Corner on my website and will be listing some fun recipes, quotes, etc. If your recipe is chosen to be a Chrissy favorite I’ll send you a copy of my latest McMullen novel, Unmanned.

On the other hand, maybe you know something other than food that’s better than…you know what. I'm sure we'd all love to hear about it. Or…if you’re pretty sure there’s nothing better…let us know that too.

www.loisgreiman.com

More Winners!

Kathleen's electricity is out due to a nasty storm that came through the Twin Cities Saturday night and Susie's have technical difficulties with her computer. She probably crashed another one!!

So I'm posting the winners for their blog days:

PJ - You've won for Susie's day! Please email me at helenbrenna@comcast.net and I'll make sure she gets your address.

And Marilyn (Playground Monitor) - You've won Kathleen's gift! Please email her at kathleen.eagle@comcast.net.

Congratulations, ladies!

Kathleen on: Wedding Season

Many important things happened in 1947.

I was born, for one thing, so I notice these things about 1947. It was also the first year of Filene's Basement's "Running Of the Brides."

Having grown up in Massachusetts, how have I lived this long without ever hearing about Running Of the Brides?

I ran into a special about it channel surfing recently. In case I'm not the only one who had never heard of it--they started holding the event in Boston once a year, and now I think it's twice, plus yearly in their other stores. $1000 to $10,000 wedding dresses for $299, $499, and $699. Brides line up at the door in the wee hours with their teams of power shoppers, and when the doors open, they dash for dresses. The idea is to grab as many as you can first. When the dresses are gone from the racks, brides try dresses on, and then the trading begins.

It sound like a madhouse, and it is, but I have a feeling it's an experience that turns out to be almost as memorable as the wedding. For better or for worse. You can see clips on YouTube and there's at least one bride's diary at About.com/weddings, but Google will get you there.

If you run across the show--it's a one shot special--great for any wedding fan.

I'm such a curmudgeon when it comes to the money people spend on stuff like weddings and proms these days, but I'm also a romantic. I've mentioned here before that I learned the answer to the Why Weddings? question when our daughter got married. My own wedding was typical Boomer flower child in many ways--spent very little because I was marrying "the wrong guy" and my parents didn't attend. Clyde's family--the whole community, really--put on our wedding. What I love about weddings is each unique story, and so many little details from our daughter's wedding went into a book (ONCE UPON A WEDDING, featured in TODAY'S PRIZE).

So how did "Running Of the Brides" get past me all these years? I wasn't into weddings. And then I was. It was all about my little girl. Oh, my goodness, you should see us create "wedding fashion" at the Eagle's nest with the 6 and 4 year old granddaughters and Nana's bag of dress-up fabric.

Anyone remember the reality show with the couple getting a planner, something like $5000, and a week to plan, but they have to stay out of it and let the their chosen team make the wedding? I'm so bad with titles, but I liked that show. Again, the story. I can't do "Bridezillas." Those girls need some serious education. And Platinum Weddings, Celeb weddings? No story appeal for me.

What about you? Talk weddings with us.
I'll draw a name from the comments to this post and send that visitor an autographed copy of ONCE UPON A WEDDING and this lovely hankie from my collection of vintage hankies (which got started as a result of my "wedding awakening"). This one features delicate handwork, and it would be perfect for bride. It's something old!

Okay, I'm a little late posting this morning, but I had to watch the game and the postgame and the post-post game last night.

How about those Celtics!

We have another Winner!!

Congratulations go out to Dina Stornello! Dina won an ARC of SHOW NO MERCY and her name as a character in Cindy's 3rd book of her new Black Ops Inc. series, WHISPER NO LIES. Cindy will also send Dina a special little gift of a crystal bowl filled with potpourri.
Congratulations again to Dina and all of our anniversary extravaganza winners! You guys all rock!

Hotties - courtesy of Cindy :o)

Today’s giveaway: Hot off the presses, an ARC (advanced reader copy), of SHOW NO MERCY, the first book in my upcoming Black Ops, Inc series, AND – YOUR NAME as a secondary character in book 3 of the series, WHISPER NO LIES, which will be released in January, 2009.

Okay – now to business. Sort of. Some would say I’m beyond the stage in my life where Hotties should get me hot. To that I say: Bull pucky. I’m mature (notice I didn’t say old) but I’m not dead. And let me tell you, when I got the cover art for SHOW NO MERCY, TAKE NO PRISONERS, and WHISPER NO LIES, I was in Hottie Heaven.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to let me know which of these three bad boys you think is the hunkiest of the hunk, the buffest of the buff, the baddest of the bad, the … well, you get the picture. And if you don’t want to judge, then just enjoy the cover boys :o) and indulge me (thank you) in a little blatant self-promotion. Hey. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Meet my boys: Gabe Jones (Show No Mercy), Sam Lang (Take No Prisoners), and Johnny Reed (Whisper No Lies.

While you’re pondering the boys, even though we’ve had a similar discussion before, what, with all the books there are to chose from, makes you decide to buy a certain book. Is it the cover? Is it the back cover blurb? Is it the author? Is it a cover quote from a favorite author? How about that infamous first line, first paragraph, first page? Do you select based on RT reviews? On Amazon.com reviews? Do you brows other on line book review sites to see what others are saying? Does an author's web page help you decide to buy his/her book? What about e-news letters? Love ‘em? Hate ‘em? Delete ‘em?

Whew. Lots of questions. Help me out here, okay? I need lots of answers – and don’t forget, there's a prize!!

Surviving Reality. . . Shows, That Is.

Okay, my name is Betina ("Hello Betina.") and I'm hooked on a reality TV show. I didn't think it would ever happen to me, but here I am. . . glued to the tube each Tuesday night at nine, watching a bunch of smack-talking twits compete for a fabulous prize that none of them deserve.


Hell's Kitchen. Yep, I've been mindnapped into watching the entire season and, yes, even talking back to the contestants during their "confidentials" (where they address the camera for their own personal commentary/rant). I cheer for some, boo at others, and generally make a fool of myself by getting involved with people who chain smoke (How they can still have taste buds, I can't begin to guess!), drink like fish, curse like vocabularily-challenged sailors, and back stab worse than Caesar's good buddy Brutus. How can I possibly have let myself get so brainwashed as to care what happens to these morons?

I confess. . . a lot of the appeal is the host and chief judge on the show Gordon Ramsay. Whew. He'd heat up ANY kitchen. Unfortunately, he has something of a potty mouth. . . which he's said in interviews is not his habit off camera. Personally I find that hard to believe. But he does eat with that mouth and seems to still have a palate. . .

What astonishes me is the fact that, since it's an elimination competition, the contestants are basically horrible to each other from day one. They double cross and backbite and cut each other verbally, especially in their "private" time with the camera. I'm always astonished at how low they'll stoop and how naked and simple-minded their ambition appears. I mean, it's embarrassing. . . the posturing, the bragging, the bitching, the dissing. . . it's a half step above Jerry Springer!

And I'm still watching. Sigh.

I mean, my mama taught me a code of conduct:

Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Don't say anything behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face.
Don't trust a gossip. (Also expressed as: "A dog who will bring a bone will carry one.")
Before you fly off the handle, stop and count to ten.
Remember everyone has strengths and weaknesses. . . yes, even you.
If you can't say something good, don't say anything at all.
Given enough rope, people will hang themselves without your assistance.
Keep your mind on your own work; that's what you're accountable for.
Take responsibility for your mistakes.

Well, you get the idea. But apparently when they select candidates for these elimination shows, they bend heavily toward people who are mom-wisdom deprived. Or folks whose moms went to a really different school than mine. These folks have no inhibitions and are fond of smack-talk, bragging, and the abundant use of the "f" word. Oh, and "biatch." Only without the "a." (All while handling the tenderest fillet mignon and most delicate soufflés!)

And the men are all Neanderthals. Really. They refer to the women's team as Hell's Bitches and make lots of misogynistic statements about the female contestants. And some of the women try to lure (sexually) some of the guys to "get their heads out of the game." Yikes. The back-hair alone should prevent inter-team coupling! I mean, have you seen short order cooks?

I should have known I was headed for this. It started innocently enough with an episode or two of Survivor. . . just to see what all the fuss was about.




Then there was Dancing with the Stars. And who could possibly forget the first season of The Apprentice with The Donald? Then The Next Design Star and Top Chef. It was a slippery slope toward So You Think You Can Dance and finally. . . Hell's Kitchen.

Only four contestants left in this season's Hell's Kitchen, thank heaven. Soon I can rest again and return to my usual sane viewing habits. . . until next spring and season four. . . unless I get hooked on another evil "reality" show.

Is there a Twelve Step Program for this?

So what's your favorite "evil moment" from a reality show competition? Remember the naked Richard Hatch on the original Survivor? Remember Omarosa on the Apprentice? That poor woman's name has become a synonym for double-dealing! And what about the Survivor couple that got married. . . Amber and Boston Bob. . . did you root for their romance or cringe to see them together?

What's your favorite reality show? And what bugs you most about this kind of TV? Do you think it's dumbing-down America? And do you secretly love it when the contestants go at it fang and claw?

Speaking of fang and claw. . . I'll be giving away a really cool gift to one lucky commenter today! So get ready to chat!

Wednesday's Winner Is . . .

Drum roll please!

Cai! You're the winner of a gift basket including one of my favorite writing cd's (for listening while reading or writing!), some lovely bath stuff, and a copy of the absorbing and entrancing grammar book, The Comma Sutra.



Even if you're not a writer or an aspiring author, Cai, you'll enjoy this spicy introduction to improving the written word! Some of the examples used are. . . very memorable!

Send me your snail-mail address, Cai, to: bkrahn@tampabay.rr.com and I'll ship your goodies right out to you!

Betina

Tuesday's Winner!

Anna of "Anna and Sean" is Tuesday's winner! Anna, e-mail me at christie@christieridgway.com so I can get your snail mail addy for your surprise gift!

p.s. I'm off this a.m. to Las Vegas with Surfer Guy to see Elton John in concert. Will be back tomorrow at noon, so won't be at my computer until then.

Congratulations!

Sex and the City--Movie Love

(Remember, this is our Reader Appreciation Anniversary. A surprise gift will go out to one lucky commenter!

Fashion

Oh, the outfits were fabulous! I remember reading that no 30-something woman could possibly afford the way they were dressed in the series but that never stopped me from drooling over the clothes. After watching the movie, I was inspired. Not to cash out my 401-K for a shopping spree, but let me tell you about the backyard barbecue I went to last Friday night. I would usually have worn something very casual and flip flops. But, inspired as I was, I put on a pair of dark gray cropped jeans, a yellow halter top with ruffles around the deep vee neck, big earrings with matching yellow discs, and these great shoes I recently bought—wedge sandals with yellow and gray patent leather straps. Oh, yeah, then I upped my make-up usage by a couple of pounds, mostly mascara. I looked so chic! I received many compliments, but then kind of blew my cool by blurting out it was all because of the movie—but the women there totally understood.

Age

Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, to me, will always be “girls” in their sense of fun. In the movie, they have mature relationships and mature problems at times, and I liked that. I also liked how they didn’t try to make them perpetual thirty-somethings. These are women approaching (or in) their forties and fifties and they weren’t self-sacrificing, dowdy caretakers (and motherhood and wifehood can make all of us feel that way sometimes). There was a scene where Carrie didn’t have make-up on and you could see her age on her face. I appreciated that—but also gained a new appreciation for the value of good enhancement (see above on my new loyalty to mascara).

Friendship

The men were there. Smith, what can I say? I have it bad for blonds. And I’ve had a thing for Big since the old Law & Order days (Chris Noth is always “Big” to me now). Not to mention that there’s some pretty eye-bugging scenes of naked bodies doing what naked bodies do. But the star of this movie is that heartfelt friendship the four women have. Whether they’re shopping for wedding dresses or just walking down a city street, their bond reminds us all of the power of women together. Go, us! That’s what we build wherever we go, don’t we? We find “our people” and connect with them and make our little communities of caring, fun, and, well, cosmetics. That’s what the Riders have here with each other and with our readers! Lucky all of us!

Have you seen the movie? Do you have a group of girlfriends that nurture you? Tell us about them!

Monday's Winner!

Kimmy is the winner of Monday's gift, so email me at helenbrenna@comcast.net with your address and I'll get TREASURE and your Burt's Bees out to you!

Thanks everyone for stopping by and chatting.

Oh, and dress #5 gathered momentum and pulled ahead of #4 in the end. When I do find a dress, I'll post a picture one of these next few weekends. Just for the fun of it!

Thanks everyone!

Heels and Purses and Dresses, Oh My!

I’m having a little bit of a panic over, not one of my favorite topics, clothes.

No. 1

Romance Writers of America’s national conference is at the end of July. It kicks off with a massive book signing Wednesday night and ends with a Saturday night ceremony where the winners of the Golden Heart (unpublished) and RITA (published) awards are announced. In between those two events there are any number of publisher parties, dinners, lunches or breakfasts with agents and editors, workshops to attend or present. You name it, we authors pretty much have to be prepared for it.

No. 2

This kind of once a year mega-event is, I think, for us women writers, always cause for at least a little bit of anxiety. We work from home, so our daily attire more often than not consists of pajamas, sweats, jeans, fleece, and everything in between. In other words, we don’t get out much. And most of our wardrobes show it.

Being the particularly casual and cheap individual that I am, I probably have fewer dresses and dressy outfits than your average woman. Hence the panic.

No. 3

I’m not overly worried about Wednesday night through Saturday day. I’ve been to enough national conferences over the years that I think I have those outfits covered, or can get them covered with minimal fuss. It’s the awards ceremony Saturday night that has me in, okay, I’ll admit it, a tizzy.

Saturday night is a very dressy night and you’ll see everything from business suits and dresses to full-length formals to French twists. What I’ve always gotten a kick out of is that the attendees are 99.99% women. There are very few men to impress and, still, we look all made-up, manicured and coifed to the max.

No. 4

I’ve never been too worried about the awards ceremony in the past. I’ve always worn kind of a middle of the road short to three quarter length dressy type dress. But this year is the first time I’m a RITA finalist.

That means that if I win (and that’s a big if, cause there’s some very stiff competition in my two categories), I’ll have to get up on stage in front of more than 2,000 people to accept the award. I want to look good. Just in case. I figure, hey, this is as close as I’m ever going to get to prom, so I want a formal, full length pull out all the stops kind of dress.

No. 5

A few weeks ago I did some initial reconnaissance. I must have tried on thirty or more dresses and had a difficult time making up my mind, although some style constraints became very clear to me. I don’t like the way strapless or spaghetti strap dresses look on me. While I narrowed thing down, I’d still like input.

These are samples of some dresses I’d definitely take off the rack to try on. In fact, I have actually tried on some of these styles. Still, though, I’d like some input.

No. 6

Let's pretend price is of no concern. LOL Which one is your favorite dress? What colors do you like best? Should I go for sexy or classy? Make a statement or be safe?

You guys pick the dress and then all I have to do is lose ten pounds!!

No. 7

And in keeping with our anniversary celebration, one commenter will receive a copy of TREASURE, my double RITA nominated book, and one of these cute little Burt’s Bees Healthy Hands kits.

Helen

Debra- What's up with June 17th ?

Hello!

Congrats to all our winners!  But we're not done yet.

The lovely prizes will just keep on coming.

I'll finally be "up to bat" on June 17th, and I'm planning to have a little "sump'in sump'in" for readers AND writers.  Yep.  Multiple prizes, including a 25 page critique. 

So, y'all keep on coming back as the prizes just keep piling up.

Winners recap

Just to do a recap for our first week of winners, and put all the names in one handy-dandy post...

Winner of $100 GC - Keri F

Lois's Tuesday winner - catslady

Wednesday from Janelle Denison - CrystalGB

Michele's Thursday winner - Laurie M

Susie's winner will be picked on Monday and announced, so comment all weekend.  All comments will be included in the drawing!

Keep comin' back.  We've got lots of prizes yet to give away!

Two New Winners!

Catslady please email your address to lgreiman@earthlink.net to claim your surprise gift.

Limecello, you will soon be a character in Seduced By Your Spell if you write to me at lgreiman@earthlink.net.

Congratulations to you both. And thanks for hangin' with us in the convertible.

Maintaining?

I always prided myself on being such a low maintanence kind of girl. Things like makeup and manicures are for special events only. My preferred outfit is a fleece and an old pair of cargo khakis. I've always washed my hair in the morning and spent a bit of time drying it, but that's it . . . and considering I came of age in the late 70's/early 80's, the fact that I never succumbed to the great Bang Erection fad should be proof of my creditionals in that regard.
I did my own hair and makeup and nails for my wedding, for heavens sake!

But I've come to realize lately that, well, it doesn't apply any more. I take a LOT of maintaining. Worse, I'm not looking any BETTER for all that. That's what it takes just to keep from sliding back into the abyss.

There's the hair highlighting, to keep the fading color at bay. The dentist three times a year (because my teeth somehow seem to manufacture plaque at a world-record pace; why I cannot manufacture something more useful, I don't know), the eye doctor twice a year, my yearly checkup/pap/etc., the yearly mammo. I'm THIS close to having to add colon inspection to the list.

I pop pills daily, a vitamin, a calcium, a fish oil. It just seems the thing to do, and I imagine that number's more likely to go up than down.

I've recently added once-in-a-while accupunture, for a bit of TMJ pain. (Not entirely sure how well it works for that, but for some reason laying on that table with needles poking all over me is the MOST relaxed I've ever been, and I'll keep it up for that alone.) Exercise class twice a week, because I need a kick in the pants to sweat and I'll never do it on my own. A facial now and then, because the skin needs all the help I can get. And, for a still-mostly-makeupless face, I'm no longer the least bit wash and wear - there's a cleanser and a cream for night, and a cleanser plus three various potions for the day, plus a once-a-week mask.

Lots of other things look a bit tempting . . . lasers? A spray tan to even out my legs now that shorts season is here? (Where did all those veings come from, anyway? I don't think I have that much blood.) Needles of various kinds and the concotions they carry?

The problem is that maintaining is taking an awful lot of my time and STILL not sure I'm even maintaining.

What's your approach? You all battling 'til the end, or just giving up and enjoying all the free time that then comes your way? Anything you'll NEVER give up (I'n not at all sure I'm ready for gray hair, though right now I have very little), or anything you know you'll NEVER do, no matter what?

PSSST . . . there might be a little surprise in it for one of you who reply.

Susie, in her khakis and fleece

Thursday's Winner!

And the winner is...

Laurie M. 

Yay!  Laurie, please email Michele at toastfaery @ gmail.com with your snailmail address.  

Many thanks to everyone who stops by to chat and comment.  You are all making this a super-fab anniversary!

M

The Kissing Bits...

What about you? Do you like the kissing bits, or do you skim the pages when you get to the kissing and sex scenes?

I used to read books straight through, not skipping a page. Now, I find I skim through the sex scenes more often than not. Why do I do that? Isn't that one of the payoffs of reading romance? You get to see what goes on behind closed doors. Hey, I can admit it, a sexy scene is a good thing every now and then. I'm focusing on straight contemporary and historical romance here. Erotica is a different bird that, well heck, I buy it because of the sex scenes. Doesn't everyone? (And please, if you don't buy erotica for the sex, then you must tell me why not?)

But have we done it all on the page?

The main reason I'm skimming pages is because I've read that scene before. Or it's similar to the last ten books I read. Rarely now do I find a book with a sex scene that makes me slow down and read every word. Think to myself, wow, this is great. It's unique. It's original. It's making me think and it's entertaining me.

I'm not saying it needs to be wild and wacky stuff to lift my eyebrows. Heck, I prefer the vanilla stuff, thank you very much. But tantalize me with words, beckon me with pacing, bleed the emotion onto the page, and I'm so there.

So are you a read-every-word kind of gal, or a skimmer? What do you think it takes to really make you slow down and indulge in a great kissing scene?

I've got a fun prize to give away in celebration of our two year anniversary. First, I'll send the first three books in my BEWITCH THE DARK series out to you (the July book isn't even in stores yet!), a handmade bookmark, and I'll send a neat package of Zum products like soaps and washes and moisturizers. It's my favorite place to shop online. I love the goat's milk soaps and the lemon lavender hand lotion!
I'll choose one winner from today's comments. Return tomorrow to check out the winner!
Thanks for cruising with us!
Michele

Ever wonder what your favorite author's toes look like?  Stop by my blog all month for guest toes!