Books, Authors, Prizes! Oh My!

Valentine Special
  20% off
Kindle & Nook 

I adore the Month of Love. I drape the house in red and place heart this-and-thats all over the place. Add candles and a few strings of white lights for atmosphere. And with red poinsettias left over from Christmas, the house feels oh so romantic.

The perfect place to cuddle with a hunky Highlander. Uh...book I mean.

Do you decorate your house for Valentine's Day? I'd love to get some new ideas for next year.


In celebration of Valentine's Day, authors are gathering at events and giving away prizes. Here are a few places you'll find me and some friends. Consider visiting. You might find a new favorite author and/or snag a great book.

Two Weeks of Romance at Heart of Romance

28 Authors Offering Book Giveaways

February 1st - 14th

Love Your Authors Valentine's Day Bash

34 Authors ~ Lots of Prizes

Kindle Fire Giveaway

February 10th - 14th

Valentine's Day Gift Hop

175 Authors/Bloggers ~ Lots of Prizes

Two Grand Prizes: Kindle Paperwhite and Digital New Adult Romance Basket

February 10th - 15th

Have a fabulous Valentine's Day!
~Dawn Marie

A Day in the Life of an Author

 I'd like to say I am female version of Richard Castle, author teamed up with a beautiful homicide detective, only in my case, with a hunky Highlander from Scotland Yard, or maybe a JAG agent in the jaguar shifter world, or following the Silver Brothers around to help with anything they need help with, or the SEAL wolves....yes!!!

The reality is that I was rereading Jaguar Pride again, finished two more bears for orders, made up gift baskets for RT Convention, and fed the cardinals and got some pictures. Oh, and began reading another Rita book. Worked on another guest blog. While I was working on the bears, I watched Richard Castle have all the fun!

LOL

Just kidding! Everything I do in the day of a life of a writer is fun.
 

And so that's what I was doing. :)


So my question to you is: Can my cardinals eat too much seed? Do the birds feed at night? I didn't think birds did, unless they were nocturnal birds--birds of prey and such, but the seed is all gone by morning. It will sit there all day and no one will eat it. So just curious!

Another bear finished for another order! Two more to go! Plus, I have to ship these today.

And I was super excited to see the female cardinal feeding on one of the bird feeders my mother had out, which makes it even more special for me. Right behind the cardinal, you can see the bunny's ears as the bunny thinks the dish is his. Or... it's sharing the seeds with his bird friends. See how I have to make up a story for everything?

 And I'm back to writing! Still trying to get everything back up on my new computer after my old one crashed and it's amazing how much I lose every time. :(



I also spent tons of time adding a couple of books to Google Play. Will it help sell them? I sure hope so. Everyone says it takes about 2-3 to see any results from sales 2-3 days earlier, so will have to check back in a while. Maybe by the next time I post on here.


Have a great new month! Any super plans? I just learned my daughter wants me to come visit for Spring Break. Yes!!!


Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male!”
www.terryspear.com

Books and Bears!! And a SALE to Sourcebooks!

This makes #16 in the popular werewolf series and we’re back to Silver Town and the Silver wolf pack in the Christmas adventure!

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Today’s Book of the Day is a Historical Romance novel by USA Today bestselling author, Terry Spear, and it’s 80% off for a limited time. Taming the Wild Highlander has a 4.4 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $4!
“Ms. Spears really knows how to craft a story and this one is a winner in my book.” D.C. – Amazon Reviewer


Taming the Wild Highlander
by Terry Spear
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Price: $0.99 save $4
Taming the Wild Highlander – Sony Reader

USA Today Bestselling Author
Edana Chattan senses concerns where people she knows could be in danger. When her brothers warn her they’re in trouble, she can’t convince her father to listen to her, so with an escort, she tries to locate them. Separated from her escort during a storm, she is discovered by Angus MacNeill, who is tasked to return her home.
Only Edana has other notions–and convinces him and his companions to allow her to use her abilities to locate her brothers who are manacled in a dungeon somewhere. That leads to a faux marriage and more dungeons and more trouble than Angus had ever thought possible. So why is the bewitching, fiery-haired lass making him think of marrying her for real?

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In the Dead of the Night is now in audio book format!

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The Shadow Elf  is in audio book now!

Campbell Clan Bear is done!

And I have 3 more orders for Australia!

 Best Friends Purple Sweater Bear

 Happy Birthday Blue Sweater Bear

 Pink Hearts Sweater Bear
And I finished Jaguar Pride!!!
In other words, I’ve written THE END!!! I love when that happens. I’m halfway done with editing it–which is the advantage of editing as I write because it’s not a totally rough draft. Some have to write the book first and then edit or they’ll get stuck editing and not writing. For me, I would be way over word count when I didn’t flesh out my scenes until after I wrote the book.

And then I’m working on 13 blogs for the blog tour for Silence of the Wolf!

Silence of the Wolf:

Book 13

(March 2014)

B&N

Amazon

And because I don’t have enough to do, I started bird watching.

But… I had to take a break, so see what I did on my break?
I took pictures! I read about another author who had bird feeders out and so she got a new camera and took some fun pictures of the birds and squirrels, and I thought how cool! And another friend tells me how she’s always refilling her bird feeders in snow-buried Minnesota, so I thought I would get some bird feeders too. Only nothing’s feeding at them.  I realize from this I’m rather impatient. LOL
Still, the winds were so high, they scattered finch seed from the feeder on the patio, and I had white crowned sparrows feeding. And my male cardinal came down also.

The female cardinal usually hides, but this evening, she was out with the male, and they were dying to come down and eat some of the sunflower and other seeds I put out for them today. Here is the cardinal in a pear tree.

And here is the female. He joined her when I came out to take a picture of them, but I missed capturing them together.

So do you have feeders out and if so, what kinds of birds are you getting?

We have frigid winter and high winds back so right now, I’m getting ready to work some more on Jaguar Pride edits. Hope to have it done by the end of the week!

And then, it’s time to work on all those interviews and guest blogs (13), read the rest of the Rita books (8) plus I’m making up a couple of raffle baskets for Romantic Times Convention!

How do I do it all and actually get it done? I set goals, prioritize, and whittle down the things on deadline. Every time I got too tired of editing Jaguar Pride, ie, I was just reading but not looking for mistakes, I'd take a break and work on interviews, then go back to Jaguar Pride. Or take a break and stare at the feeders, wondering where the birds were. Every night before I go to sleep, I read on a Rita book. And bears, I'll throw on some Supernatural or Castle, and take a break to work on the bears. So it all gets done. All have deadlines. All in March. And I aim to get everything done way before that, and jump on the next projects! :) And it works!

Oh, and I’ve had 3 things go out on me in the past week–my microwave, computer, and now a floor heater. That’s it for a while now, right? 3 things is the max? Right?

Have a super great day!!!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male!”
www.terryspear.com

Happy Holidays

As the holiday fast approaches, I am reminded of how far behind I am.  This year has been a year of major changes and the last thing on my mind has been Christmas.  Yet, some as soon as Thanksgiving goes by, we seem to be on the fast track for Christmas -- and boy does the time go fast.

Every year it is a major ordeal in finding a Christmas tree as I am allergic to every kind except a Scotch Pine, which are very hard to find.  I know you are probably thinking just get a fake one -- I just can't bring myself to do it.  But after the long trek to find the needed Scotch Pine and the decorating, I love just sitting in the living room with all the lights off, but the Christmas tree.  Soft music in the background also brings me back to some of my best memories involving Christmas, whether they were from childhood or even more recent years.

This year we are cutting way back on presents.  It's not easy to do when Christmas has always been my favorite time of year.  But as I age I am finding the best gift is just to have my kids come home.  What is your favorite Christmas gift?  Stuck on what to give family and friends?  The gift of books is always the best way to go.


As always Crashing Hearts and Mirrored Deception are available for the avid readers in your life.

So, happy shopping and have the happiest of holidays.

May is Blooming

Not in my garden! I have a black thumb. Nothing I plant grows. I always tell my kids they are lucky they survived childhood because everything I try to grow; dies. :)

No, my writing and producing books is blooming. I have two self-published books out, one out in a couple of weeks, and the paranormal romantic suspense, the book of my heart will be out by month's end. Dangerous Shift is the story I always wanted to write when I decided to pursue writing as a career. It is hot and sexy, scary and dangerous, and totally out of the box according to my husband. LOL After that I will start plotting a new series about a single mommies club and my zombie romance.

So, by the end of May I will have two more books on my virtual shelf, with more coming soon. These days I feel like I have a barren lawn and the little sprouts are popping up here and there, the green so noticible among the brown, more of them every day. Not a green, sweeping fairway, but the promise of one.

I'm very much a creature of seasons. Winter and I are not friends. I read alot, not write alot. I hibernate until spring arrives with warmer weather and pretty flowers and blooming trees. This year I feel like I might have the growing thumb after all, only for books and stories, not plants and trees.

Is there a time of year that your writing blooms?

Jill James, author of Tempting Adam and The Second Chances series at Amazon and BN.com

Changed My Life

In my opinion, books have more power than people in this modern age give its credit. Books can still change your life in a way, I think movies and other forms of entertainment can't quiet accomplish. As with you, I have read tons of books. Some I hated, most I liked and a few I loved.  And it's those few that changed my life.

The first book to do that was Little Women. Much like every other girl. I know most girls swear they are Jo. Me, I'm Beth.  I wanted to be Jo. Strong and sure and fearless even if I burn the back of my dress. I have an older brother and no sisters and as an Air Force Brat, I never stayed in one place for very long.  All I had was my family and a father who did and could go off to war at a moments notice.   That wasn't the only lesson, Alcott taught me.  I learned about the difference of women, of the differences in one female. Me at different parts of my life, I think I've been an Amy, Meg or Jo. As I've grow older, I realized that in different parts I'm all those girls but still mostly, Beth.

The second book that changed my life was The End of the Affair. Growing up, church was attended on Sunday then Sunday school and when we moved to New York City, it was Catholic school. For me being religious was just a part of me. I believed in God even when I didn't bother with Him much. When I picked up that book, I discovered that my faith has never faltered though I'm not the greatest of followers. I guess that's why my faith hasn't faltered, it never had to be tested.

Another book to change my life too was See Jane Score (SJS) by Rachel Gibson. When I was younger, I always wrote but in college, I choose a major I could find employment after graduation and writing wasn't going to be it. Well, since I'm a PRO member of RWA you know how that turned out. Well, anyway, I was reading SJS and having so much fun that I never wanted the book to end. When I closed it, I knew I had to write. I wanted to give that fun, magical whirling sensation I had to others and to experience every sensation of writing such an exciting jaunt.  Now here I am. Plugging away even when I'm ready to stab myself in the eye with my pen. (would never do that but I'm sure you understand the feeling)

That's the power of books, to influence your life's path, make you discover who you are, or a trait about yourself you might have lost or never even questioned. Don't think for a minute that only these books changed me. No each word I've ever read whether an Edith Wharton, a Sandra Brown, or Christina Dodd or Terry Spear and everyone in between have each changed my life.  So, thank you. 

Now tell me which book changed your life?

Unofficial interview of a famous reviewer

“A review is NOT a critique,” the lady sitting next to me said in a firm tone as I listened with the utmost interest.

You see the lady I had the privilege to chat with, is a well-known reviewer who has reviewed NY bestsellers before I even started writing novels, hence every word coming out of her mouth about books --yes every word-- was worth listening, understanding, pondering, and applying. Considering the number of participles—ing words--I am glad this post is not a submission to be reviewed.

“So how do you compare critique and reviews?” I asked eagerly.

“You don’t.”

“Ah.” I wasn’t going to argue and ask silly questions.

“A critique is done on a work-in-progress. The critique partner is expected to carefully read the submission, analyze it, dissect it, and point the author to the things that need corrections. A critique is not about flattering your best friend, it’s about being honest and helping an author improve her writing. No one except you and your CP is going to read the comments. But a review is a very different thing.”

“So what exactly is a review?” I said to encourage the famous reviewer to elaborate on reviews.

“Remember a review is done on a book already published. A reviewer cannot change the book by giving advice, therefore a reviewer should abstain from saying negative things about a published book. A good reviewer should restrict herself to highlight the points she likes in a book.”

“Do I understand you right? A review should always been good?”

“Yes, a review is supposed to help sell the book. Therefore a good reviewer will abstain from mentioning things she doesn’t like. Remember, reading and judging a story is so subjective and will depend on the reader’s taste. What I don’t like as a reviewer, another reader may like. A good reviewer should never destroy a book with nasty comments.”

“Interesting. You have a good point here. So what do you do if you really think the story is poorly written?”

“If I have nothing good to say about a book, I don’t review it.”

“What if you have committed to review it and discover mid-way, you don’t approve of the writing?”

“If I am already committed to review it and my employer is expecting a review, I will grade it, give it a 2 or a 3, but I will still say something good about it. Let’s face if there was absolutely nothing a reader would like about a book, the publisher wouldn’t have published it.”

“So you have never trashed a book?”

“Never. By trashing a book, one would trash not only the author, but also the editor and the publisher. Trashing a book means that the reviewer is a bad reviewer who has a streak of nastiness and should not be allowed to review books.”

“Wow, I like that. I wish you could review my books.” It never hurts to try to get a review when one is guaranteed good review.

“Nope. I never review authors I know,” the lady said with a peremptory tone and a sweet smile.

Have you ever received a bad review? In that case, remember your book is good but your reviewer is bad.

Some of my reviews:
BABIES IN THE BARGAIN:
Romance Junkies~5 Ribbons. BABIES IN THE BARGAIN is one novel that pulls you into the story and holds you captive to the last page.
Joyfully Reviewed~ Romance blooms amidst tragedy in BABIES IN THE BARGAIN. It tugs heart strings and stirs emotions.
WRDF Review~ This was a great read, romantic and at times bittersweet.Enjoyable from beginning to end, Babies in the Bargain sports believable characters, an ultra romantic story line, and a thoroughly satisfying ending.
Readers Favorite~ 5 Hearts This is Mona Risk at her best. The story will bring tears both sadness and joy. The characters are easy to relate to. The plot is excellent. Fans of romance will love this story.

PRESCRIPTION FOR TRUST:
Night Owl Romance: Prescription for Trust was a fantastic read. The plot was also very well thought out and the pacing on target. The wonderful healing that took place in this book also made it a very sweet read.
Got Romance! ~ 4.5 Diamonds Mona Risk writes a charming story. Keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot. With great characters like Luc and Olivia the reader will enjoy the world that she has built.
The Long And The Short Reviews~ Mona Risk’s writing sweeps you into the story from the first page, and keeps you turning the pages.


TO LOVE A HERO:
SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEW: Outstanding Read. Mona Risk's TO LOVE A HERO is a wonderful love story... I definitely recommend TO LOVE A HERO , and while you're at it pick up a bottle of vodka! Nazhtrovia!!
Two Lips Review: Mona Risk tells a poignant yet beautiful and sweet story of two people falling love, who must fight their attraction... This is a story readers will enjoy.
The Romance Studio: Sweetheart of the Week. ~ Ms. Risk is one of those authors who puts together a tale that’s captivates from first page to last. I’ll have to look for more of her work in the future.

FRENCH PERIL:
Night Owl Romance: Recommended Read Mona Risk will pull you in with her amazing characters and in-depth twisting suspense... Travel has never been this suspenseful nor this cheap!
Review Your Book: In French Peril, Mona Risk creates a swirling air of mystery around the excavation of a chapel ruin... French Peril is a great contemporary romantic read.
The Romance Studio: This is a wonderfully exciting romantic suspense novel. The characters are appealing and the setting is very romantic, a chateau in the Loire Valley.
TWO LIPS REVIEW: Pick up French Peril, a sweet mystery romance you’re guaranteed to enjoy.
Coffee Time Romance: French Peril is a great romance with an excellent mystery. Ms. Risk writes outstanding dialogue and this, combined with the lushness of the Loire Valley, are the final elements that make French Peril an excellent story.
Publishers Weekly Saturday Blurb Barbara Vey's Special Beyond her Book Blog ~ Who wouldn't want to lose themselves in Mona Risk's French Peril? Traveling to the beautiful French countryside, staying in a marvelous, ornate chateau, eating fine food and drinking the chateau's wine, and let's not forget the charming and handsome host. Sign me up, Ms Risk, I'll be looking for your next foreign escape.

All books available at Amazon.con

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat.

Looking Forward - Looking Back

December 1st. The time of year to wonder how the year flew by so swiftly, to get ready for the mad dash of the holidays, and to make resolutions for the new year.

I have a friend who is not much for New Year's Resolutions and I'm tending to agree as I notice I start with such great intentions, and then about February 1st they fall by the wayside.

It is much more fun to look back over the year and take stock of the great events, family additions, and accomplishments of the year. What happened to you and your family this year? Even tragedy has a way of bringing families together. Did you add babies or sons or daughters-in-law to your family dynamics? What goals did you set for yourself this year? Did you meet them, or just come close? Did you do Nanowrimo? Did you win? Did you say your would finish a manuscript this year? Or send to XX amount of agents and editors? Or go to one or two conferences? Or maybe, try to shed your shy writer persona?

I decided this would be the year to put myself out there. I would send out queries. I would accept invitations to group blogs, to guest blog, to help out on blogs. I would get my name out there. Maybe it is just coincidence or maybe karma, but this is the year I became a published writer. And that wasn't even the goal for the year. LOL

Take a moment, look back over the year before you march forward into the next.

Jill James
www.jilljameswrites.com

Looking your Best

As far as I remember my mother repeatedly told her daughters they should never leave the house without looking their best. In her book, looking your best includes fashionable clothes and shoes, make-up and jewelry.

After being hospitalized ten times two years ago, Mom moved to an assisted living facility. She used a wheelchair to move around, had to raise her legs most of the day, inserted an oxygen tube in her nose to breathe better…and swallowed so many pills my stomach hurt for her.

Looking your Best. My mother practiced what she preached. Mom was always perfectly well dressed in pantsuits, and twin sweaters, and would never forget to wear her earrings, bracelets, necklace or rings. There was a beauty salon in her building. So Mom had her hair set and her nails done once a week. Salesmen from a couple of stores came twice a month to sell clothes to the residents of the assisted living facility. My mother was their best client. Although she was a professor before retiring, my mother’s hobby had always been fashion designing and sewing her clothes and her daughters’ clothes. Before moving to assisted living, she gave us her precious jewelry, and bought fashion jewelry to replace the expensive pieces.

My mother professed that being nicely dressed and jeweled helped her forget she was a very sick person, confined to her wheelchair or recliner. The other residents complimented her and tried to emulate her. The assisted living staff admired her positive attitude, and the compliments of an old gentleman filled her with pride.

If I forgot to wear makeup when I visited, Mom asked me if I was sick. When I explained I was too busy to pay attention to my appearance, I regularly received a lecture. Basically, it went as follows: I didn’t have the right to neglect myself when I was healthy; I should realize that an agreeable face and a nice smile went a long way to cheer people confined to their living quarters. A presentable person projects a good impression and commends respect.

Mom died two weeks ago. Everyone remembers her lovely smile.

Needless to say, I’m always aware of what people wear around me. Including my characters. While authors describe their hero and heroine’s eyes, hair, figure, I always have to describe their clothing as well to better characterize them and situate them in a scene.

In TO LOVE A HERO, my heroine, Dr. Cecile Lornier is a career woman. You will find her dressed in dark suits that match her profession of serious scientist. When she’s attracted to General Sergei, she will let Tania, her sassy Russian driver, influence her into buying more stylish, colorful outfits and of course a Russian mink chapka (hat) to warm her during the freezing Belarusian winter.

In FRENCH PERIL, the heroine, Cheryl Stewart, is a young graduate student practically living in jeans and t-shirts. Yet to attract the handsome count François, she won’t hesitate to follow his sister Marilène’s advice and buy a Frenchy black dress.

In BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, my first medical, Holly, the pretty resident lives in scrubs but wears a tight long black dress, slit up to her thigh, when the hero invites her to the opera. The dress is a killer and the hero can’t resist.

In Rx FOR TRUST, my heroine, Dr. Olivia Crane is a psychiatrist, a university professor and a single mother. At work, she favors professional suits and classic silk shirt, but as soon as she is home she changes into a velvet pantsuit that matches the color of her eyes. The French hero, Dr. Luc George dreams of seeing her in sexy shorts or sophisticated short dresses.

I have given examples of heroines. Yet the same goes for my heroes.

Are you a fashionista when it comes to your characters? How do you dress them? Do they look like the picture on your cover? Or do you avoid mentioning what they wear?

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat~

TO LOVE A HERO

FRENCH PERIL

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN

Rx FOR TRUST

All books also available at amazon.com

After all those years in Asia, I don't have to do promotion anymore. We just release a Jackie Chan movie and - Boom! - people go. ~ Jackie Chan

I do promotion when it is necessary, but I always want to get back to the music.~Enya

Oh how I wish I could be like Jackie Chan or Enya. To be able to release a book and – Boom! – people reading…it would be lovely. Sadly, that is rarely the case for most authors. You have to build your audience. You have to encourage them to read your words by promoting yourself. There are many ways to do this.

One thing published authors must take into consideration is promotional materials. I'm not talking about promo where you talk about your latest book. I mean the tangible stuff sometimes referred to as SWAG. That's a slang term for free promotional items. SWAG, aka Stuff We All Get, can be anything from bookmarks to t-shirts.

I've used pens, coffee cups, bookmarks and postcards in the past. Honestly, however, paper promo is not really SWAG per se because it is paper. Consider things like beach towels, lunch bags, jump drives, water bottles, stress balls and jar openers instead. You want something the reader will keep using so that they keep seeing your name. This is part of that old marketing adage sometimes called the Rule of Seven.

“The customer needs to see an advertisement seven times before it is effective.”

That generally means seven times but in as many different mediums as you can afford. So a book video, a bookmark, a good review—all of those are marketing in terms of being seen. If you can get something physical in the reader's hands, then you've upped the ante considerably!

Pens are one of the most common swag items. I personally like pens that work. I still have pens I got at RWA conferences three years ago.

One enterprising author put her name and book cover on water bottles. While this is a great idea, it's temporary. Raise your hand if you did NOT throw away the water bottle once it was empty.

That's what I thought. But sometimes, that's okay. I still remember that author's name (Kresley Cole for those who are curious - LOL) and even that the book cover had a ship on it so it must have worked, right?

One difficulty is finding the right source for your promotional items. I want the most bang for my buck just like everyone else. So I find 500 jar openers at one site for .50 each. What about this other site where I can get 650 jar openers for .35? Get your calculators out, darlings. This is where that high school math comes in handy. 500 jar openers at $.50 each is a grand total of $250.00 whereas 650 for $.35 is $227.00. Houston, we have a winner!

But do we, really?

Let's say the second site has an art set up charge of $90 plus shipping and handling BUT the first one is only $40 and if you order by Friday you get free shipping. Well that just bounced the 650 up to $317.00 which brought them up to $.48 a piece. So they are still cheaper than the first site per item but it may be a win for your pocketbook to stick to the $250.00. Or you can team up with another author and cut your cost even more!

For the Romantic Times Booklovers Conference in 2009, I joined forces with Ashlyn Chase to purchase 1000 coffee mugs.

By splitting all the production and shipping costs we were able to get a nicer swag item. It was popular for sure!

Other authors have also combined their money to come up with bigger items for that conference. C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp offered the cutest lunch bags that were handed out at the 2009 RT Awards that were just stuffed with books. I use mine on a daily basis - good advertising for them, right?

Some good sites to look for promotional items are:

1. http://www.4imprint.com/
2. http://www.motivators.com/
3. http://www.gopromos.com/

You can also ask your fellow authors who they use. Pay attention if they tell you that the customer service was not good. Bad customer service is never worth the money you save.

For my publisher's convention, RomantiCon 2010 this October in Ohio, I will be offering mini bottles of Tabasco with my name, website and tagline.



Here is the actual size.



My plan is to put these out with my business cards and some postcards featuring my latest book, Needing Harte, with the tagline "Add a little Spice to your Life." This story is my first novella-length M/M set in a BDSM world and will release on October 6. You can find that here.

Needing Harte

Harte Donovan has a problem. A murder leads him to wanting a sexy stripper bound and naked in front of him. He can’t let his secret desires ruin his career as a detective. When he’s given a mysterious business card, Harte discovers a side of himself he intends to fully embrace.

Ramey Nichols strips for a living and he’s not willing to pretend to be something he’s not. When this sexy submissive meets the closeted cop and unwitting Dom, something has got to give. That something might just be Ramey. Ramey knows what he wants, and more than that, finds himself Needing Harte.

This is part of a brand-new series called 1-800-DOM-help

So what kind of swag do you like to get? Do you still have anything from conventions past? If you have a great promo place, please share it with us.

Revving up the engine

After my long hiatus, I’m back at writing with a vengeance.

It was only a matter of time, of course, but I never want to go through that ever again. I hope you never have to either.

It irked me when I could see all that time, energy and money spent on how-to books, and on-line classes, (I’m a workshop junkie), not to mention all the hours spent sitting at the computer writing into the night, disappearing down the plughole.

Happily, it’s all in the past.

In a concentrated effort on the part of the Universe, everything happened at once.

It began with the Romance Writers of New Zealand national conference when we hosted Christopher Vogler as one of our speakers. He conducted an all-day workshop and I’ll swear his carefully chosen words were written with me in mind. He certainly made me sit up and take notice.

Hard on the heels of the conference came an amazing workshop that really got my engine revving. Titled The Book Factory, if you ever get the chance to take part, I can’t recommend it highly enough. The teacher, Kerri Nelson, teaches you how to work on more than one book at a time, several in fact, have a clean and tidy house AND get some exercise. Just seeing what she juggles in her busy life is enough to make anyone want to lie down and have a rest till they feel better.

Thanks to that workshop, I’ve now fished out some manuscripts that have been languishing on my PC, and start working on them again—three at once, including Book One of my Egyptian trilogy. Woohoo!!!

The cherry on the top is a new contract. And I’ve just sent the first round edits off to my editor in good time

Now, what’s next?

Jean

A Face for my Hero

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SPECIAL NOTE: Morgan Wyatt is the lucky winner of Barbara Monajem SUNRISE IN A GARDEN OF LOVE & EVIL. Morgan, I will send your email to Barbara.

A FACE FOR MY HERO

I can't describe a hero without a clear picture of him in front of me.

Hugh Jackman who was voted Sexiest Man Alive in 2008 and hosted the 2009 Oscars, lost his Aussie accent to become my aristocratic Count François de Valroux in French Peril. Hugh’s angular features and hazel eyes perfectly matched those of my French hero. I still have the lovely picture of Hugh sent to me that my Playground friends for my birthday. I printed a pathree years ago ge-size copy and daydream while I type.

Another friend knew I was writing a medical romance and gave me the right inspiration. George Clooney’s picture landed on my desk next to that of Hugh. Dark, tall and handsome Clooney who played Dr. Doug Ross in ER became my model for my Puerto Rican Dr. Marc Suarez in Babies in the Bargain.

While writing my fifth book, a medical romance set in Belarus, Prescription in Russian, I asked Pierce to lend his heart-stopping smile and suave charm to my hero, Dr. Fyodor Vassilov. Can you understand now why the heroine, Dr. Jillian Burton, an American physician on a mission to Belarus, loses her heart despite her life-long pledge never to fall in love? Could you resist a Pierce Brosnan look-alike? I couldn’t. By the time I typed THE END to my manuscript I was head over heels in love with my hero—whether his name was Fyodor or Pierce.

I loved him in The Thomas Crown Affair, a light suspense comedy he played with Rene Russo about a billionaire playboy who steals priceless work of art from the Louvre Museum until a lovely detective puts an end to his infuriating hobby.

Laws of Attraction was even better. Brosnan starred opposite Julianne Moore in the story of two divorce attorneys who don’t believe in love and compete against each other in court but become attracted to each other.

And recently have you seen Pierce singing in Mamma Mia? According to an interview with Reader’s Digest, Pierce said he’d accepted the role as soon as his agent said, 'Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!' And he was trained by two singers from the Sweedish pop group ABBA who wrote the music for Mamma Mia. Hmm I wasn’t very fond of his singing but…

Don’t you just love him!!!

I didn’t use an actor to picture my hero in my first book To Love A Hero. The handsome real-life colonel X worked with me on a laboratory renovation project in Minsk, Belarus, ten years ago. He was hero enough to make any woman daydream. I had several pictures of him lying around on my desk for the duration of my wriring.

Now, imagine my surprise when I received a notification from Facebook a week ago informing me thatColonel X wanted to friend me and has left me three messages. I smiled to my ears and opened my messages. X said he found me on Facebook. He and his wife and daughters have checked my website and were thrilled to learn that I wrote a story set in Belarus. I sent him an electronic copy of To Love A Hero. And he sent me a family picture. Big disappointment: The handsome colonel who retired from the army was wearing a suit and has gaineda lot of weight and turned gray. Good thing I wrote my book before he found me on Facebook!!!

Do you look at the face of your hero when you write or read a book? WHO do you visualize in his arms when he holds and kisses the heroine?

All my books are available at amazon.com, fictionwise and the publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Cerridwen Press.

http://www.monarisk.com/