Author Ju Dimello - Of dreams and realities

The after-effects of playing "Catch up"

2012-02-14T03:31:00.003+05:30

I think this counts as my first official post for 2012 .... How is that possible when I clearly had a few fab authors dropping in and answering my awesome questions, one might wonder... but then, here's the deal. I was hiding behind a wall, allowing others to hang around at my blog, while doing the vanishing act myself...

And I sincerely feel that's not only wrong.. but that's downright cowardice from my side. And why was I doing that? That's where the title comes into effect. Yep.

What does it mean? All I was doing since I came back from my "vacay" was : Oh, my, twitter is overflowing..I'm not in there.. Facebook, dang! I must accept the new friend requests and think of something new and awesome to update as my status... OMG! I've gotten my edits.. (and 3rd round at that) .... And the major down factor being.... I haven't been able to write a single darn word on a new MS or any of the other "half done" MSs..... And in the middle of all this, I found a bunch of cool new blogs...which I just had to check out, new authors and new books, which I just had to read...and well...

Did I accomplish any of the above? :hangs head: Honestly, I did none of the above.. I kind had about 4 tweets over 2 months, 1 status update in FB, still finding my way through the edits.., jotted down 1 plot bunny, didn't read any new book nor really took time to read blogs or comment on any. And as one can clearly see the impact on my neglected blog as well... I was physically and mentally drained for the past 1.5 months to even care about anything either.

And what's done, is done. But now... the least I can do is accept my mistake, admit it aloud - to myself and to you, my wonderful blogger friends and try my best to get back on the bandwagon where blogging is concerned. I feel if I can bring back my enthusiasm into it, who knows...the rest of the things might shine bright too :)

So, what have you all been up to since New Year? Feeling fresh and active, or still battling the post-holiday blues, or starting afresh like me?

Lovely friend and Author Empi Baryeh with giveaways and more...

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000+05:30

Hello lovelies,

I’m so happy to bring you a great friend and fantastic author,Empi Baryeh! Without much ado, let me shine the spotlight on our guest ;) Readon to find out more about her debut release and do show her some comment lovefor a chance to win her book!

What steered you towards romantic fiction? And where do youthink your stories fit? I know I'm sneaking in a second question here,but you can't blame me for curiosity...

Good question, considering I didn’t start out writing romance.Let’s see…I like the thriller/mystery/espionage as much as the next person, butsomewhere along the line I realized I liked happy endings a little more. Iliked reading books and watching movies where I didn’t have to crack my brain,wondering whether the hero/heroine was going to die at the end. Plus, I’m asucker for seeing people find their perfect match.

Where my stories fit…since most are set in contemporary Ghana,with at least one African protagonist, I suppose my stories will be classifiedas multicultural (interracial in some cases). Tone-wise, I’d say my stories are‘passionately sweet romances’. The reason I need passion and sweet is that Ilike to explore my characters’ emotions; I use sex scenes to advance the plotand not just to satisfy some number count. My sex scenes are fully described,but I like to think they are tasteful.

Tasteful;) as in yummy…ooh..hot? :p At the very least, I’m drooling all over thefantastic cover…

So tell us, what are the major milestones in your writing journeyso far? And what next?

Uh, you mean apart from getting published (tee hee hee). (Get serious,Empi. This is an interview). Ju, every completed novel is a milestone for me,but of course the biggest milestone is getting published. For years, I keptsaying that writing is what I do best, and so I see it as a validationthat someone other than a friend/family (or me) read and liked my work enoughto invest in publishing it.

Typing my name on Amazon and actually coming up with results!That’s another milestone.

What’s next…at present, it’s completing the sequels to the twonovels coming out this quarter: Most Eligible Bachelor and Chancing Faith(17-Mar). Then I have a mainstream novel that I’ve been dying to get to. That’sgoing to be next on the agenda. But every day, new ideas come up so who knowsfor sure what’s going to be next?

Ican totally understand about the Amazon search part! I used to do “google”search for my name from the time I settled on my pen name, ie Ju Dimello J

What are some of your writing tips and tricks?

Writing Tips…read a lot. Reading goes hand-in-hand with writing.Reading gets me excited and when I get excited, ideas pour out more easily. Icould be reading a thriller but get inspiration for my romances.

Any and every thing is a trigger. Could be a conversation I overhear, a dream I have, anevent I attend, a news item that triggers a ‘what if’ question or phrase. ThenI have to decide if it fits into a current WIP or if it has enough promise togrow into its own story.

I work full-time so I can onlywrite in the evenings and on weekends. The rest of the time, I think about thescene or chapter I want to write, kind of run it in my head before sittingdown. I do it on the drive to and from work, in the shower…you get the picture.I usually don’t have a notepad handy, but if I really need to put something down,I use my phone. If I’m alone or driving, I’d set the recorder yap away. If not,I type it like an SMS or ‘note’. Once I get to my laptop, I put down the recordingand then edit.

I’m definitely a pantser. I’mconvinced plotting goes hand in hand with Writers’ Block, but we won’t talkabout that. I’m learning how to bring some order to pantsing, to ensure my GMCsare in place and so I don’t suffer lengthy breaks from writing.

Likeyou, I’m all for reading, reading and more reading. I have at least 3 books I’mreading at any given point in time – one for home, one in the library and one inthe train/bus…

What are some of the most important things you have learnt as anauthor that you didn't when you were a writer?

Biggest misconception: that my first (or 2^nd) draftwas good enough to wow an editor! (I officially apologise to any editor andagent who had read those). The first draft of Most Eligible Bachelor wasenjoyable, if I may say so myself, but considering how much work has gone intoit to get it from that first draft to a published novel, I don’t expectany editor to have been willing to put in that kind of work/time.

As an author, I know writing doesn’t end with completing the storyor even getting published. Before I started pursuing publication, I also didn’thave to worry about blurbs and synopses. And upon getting published, I’vediscovered this beast called promotion that I have to think of now. As anauthor, I have an unseen timeline, especially with series. I feel like I can’tdecide to not write on any given day ‘just because’. The sooner the sequels aredone, the better, because readers will expect them soon.

My advice to aspiring authors: take a break if you must, but don’tstop writing.

Fantasticadvice, Empi! And I still cringe when I read my initial stories.. Maybe I guessI owe an apology to everyone who read those as well!

Last, but not the least... Writing vs social networking. How doyou find the perfect balance?

(Snickers in what she hopes is a very ladylike manner) Is theresuch a thing as the perfect balance? I’m still learning how to maximise the benefitsof some of the social networking tools, but I am addicted to the internet, so Isuppose that helps. It also means the balance is very difficult to achieve. If I’m inspired and the wordsare flowing, there’s no problem with focusing on writing. My current strategyis to have the internet off for periods of time when I don’t want theinterruption – sort of like a timeout.

Internet off? OMG! That’s so difficult for me… Hats off onmanaging that! And thanks so much for dropping by, Empi! I loved to have you inmy blog and hope you’ll come by more often with more releases!

Thank you for being such a wonderful host. As for coming over again, just name the date :-). (lifts cyber champagne) And here's to more releases from both of us. I’m giving away a free copy of Most Eligible Bachelor toone lucky commenter. Please do check my website for other opportunities forwinning a free copy in my 100-fan book give-away contest: http://www.empibaryeh.webs.com/

Oooh! Fantastic ways to win her book, friends! Go ahead and officiallystalk her ;) and read on to find more about Empi’s book...

AUTHOR BIO

Empi Baryehhas been writing since the age of thirteen after stumbling upon a YA story herolder sister had started. The story fascinated her so much that, whenshe discovered it was unfinished, she knew the task of completing itrested firmly on her shoulders. And somehow the ideas and the words forthe rest of the story began to pour into her mind. She’s been writing eversince.

Itwasn’t until another thirteen years later, however, that the romantic in hergeared her toward romance. She now focuses on heart-warming multiculturalromance with enough passion to enthral readers who want a little sizzle withtheir romance. She lives in her native country, Ghana, which provides theexotic setting for most of her novels.

Visit Empi Online:

Blog: http://empibaryeh.wordpress.com

Website: http://www.empibaryeh.webs.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/empibaryeh

Twitter: @empibaryeh

Book link: Evernight Publishing

BLURB

Magazine columnist Chantelle Sah doesn’t celebrate Valentine’sDay—not since her fiancé’s betrayal three years ago—and after botching herfirst assignment as a feature writer, she’s more than willing to put in a hardday’s work this Valentine’s Day; even if it means going on a date with gorgeousconstruction Tycoon, Lord McKenzie, and opening herself to an onslaught of allthings love.

When Lord—his given name, not a title—sets his sights onChantelle, it isn’t just work he has on his mind. But even he couldn’t havepredicted the magnetic attraction between them when they meet, nor the eveningending with more than an interview. Now he has to convince Chantelle that theirone-night stand wasn’t a mistake. Can he win her love without revealing asecret from their night of passion, which could prove fatal for both theirhearts?

EXCERPT

He seemed amused by her lack of a response as he took her hand andled her back to the dance floor. The music had turned slow.

She hesitated. Slow music meant being in his arms, their bodiestouching. She shouldn’t do this. Yet for some ridiculous reason, she wanted – needed, even – the closeness, to feel like a woman again. Just for a moment. Even if she wascertifiably insane for wanting all this in the arms of Lord McKenzie.

He pulled her gently, bringing her body flush against his. Atremor rushed through her. His warm breath on her face sent tiny tinglesrunning over her skin. Heat radiated to her from each part of his body touchinghers, his powerful thighs, lean hips and firmabdomen, his hand, pressed firmly on the smallof her back.

When was the last time she’d been this close to a man? Her breathquickened as raw need surged through her. Fartoo long. Not since Martin.

Tears stung her eyes as the familiar loneliness accompanyingValentine’s Day closed in. Old love songs always got to her. She turned awayfrom his watchful gaze, focusing on other couples huddled close together on thedance floor. Yearning pierced herheart. She gave herself a mental shake. She couldn’t entertain such thoughts.Once she did, there would be no salvation.

As if sensing her distress, Lord pulled her closer, his holdtightening around her. Every thought flittered out of her mind as soon as theirgazes locked, and she began to drown in the deep pools of his dark eyes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Chantelle.”

Was it stupid that she liked theway her name sounded on his tongue? She opened her mouth to say something – about how Valentine’s Day had beencommercialized to the point of triviality, an occasion for errant lovers to feel better aboutneglecting their significant others, a day to buy enough credit for anotheryear, oneday to make the unloved feel even less loved – anything to hide how hard it was to hear those words, butnothing came out.

His face hovered just inches away. Her heart stutter-stepped; her breath snagged. Without explanation, she wanted to know thetaste of his lips. She wanted to erase it all from her mind, her pain, his reputation. She wanted to simply believe he reallywas just the most eligible bachelor in town, and he had her in his arms.

He smiled, really smiled, not the movie star grins he’d been flashing earlier. His gazeemitted pure heat wrapped around a hint of sadness. What in the world couldmake a man with his looks and popularity melancholic? Surely Lord McKenziedidn’t have the same kinds of problems as mere mortals.

His fingers feathered her cheek, sending another wave of tremorsthrough her. When his hand reached her chin, he lifted her face. Her mindbarely registered what was happening before the space between them vanished.His searing kiss was nothing she could have imagined. It scorched her, insideand out. A soft moan escaped her throat before she could stop it. She meltedinto him, curling her fingers around his nape.

When he pulled away, her breath came in fast, shallow bursts. Instunned reflex, her fingers came to her lips, which felt swollen, having notbeen used for this purpose in a while. Weak-kneed and aroused, she sensedshe only remained standing because of his strong arms around her.

One of the couples dancing bumped into them, jerking her back to reality.

Shoot. This evening would be more difficult than she could haveguessed. How was she supposed to conduct a professional interview when she’djust kissed the interviewee, and now her mind insisted on dancing around wordslike ravished?

Welcoming Author Lorraine Nelson...

2012-01-08T21:04:00.000+05:30

What better way to jump straightinto the New year by inviting my fabulous friend and author, Lorraine Nelsonback to my blog to celebrate her latest release J Please do saya hi, welcome here aboard while I ply her with tricky questions through thisrandom conversation ;)

Ju: I'd like toknow how you can write about unconventional heroes / heroines / couples…like Sam- didn't have a hand; like Lucas- Winnie - older couple. You're a risk taker...isit a part of you, or do you unintentionally take risks?

Lorraine: Well, I’m notintentionally a risk taker, and there is a certain challenge to writing theunconventional Hero/heroine, but I’d have to say it worked beautifully for Sam.She’s such a feisty, independent character that she could take it in stride.That was her flaw, her psychological vulnerability that made her stronger yetprevented her from seeking a relationship.

Lucas Sr. and Winnie are kind of the Manning patriarchs.They kept telling me they had a story to tell, so I wrote it. Divided loyaltieshave caused many a rift in relationships, but it’s how they’re dealt with andworked out that matters.

Ju: I know we writewhat we are most comfortable writing - and hope it sells.

Lorraine: LOL! I can't say Iwrite what is comfortable. I’ve gone out on a limb quite a few times.

Ju: For sure westretch ourselves to fit some of the current market info into our comfort zone.How did it feel to "research" Sam’s no hand thingie?

Lorraine: Thank God for theinternet! You can find out virtually anything you need to know. It felt weirdresearching the different types of prostheses—to learn what these people had todo to be fitted for one. Makes me realize how lucky I am that I still have twogood arms. That started me thinking on the emotional aspects. Would Sam want toundress in front of a man? What would she think, feel? My answer was that he’dhave to be someone truly special, and Blake fit the bill perfectly.

Ju: What things did you have to take into consideration towrite about an older couple? For eg : like they couldn't get it on thrice in arow ;)

Lorraine: They couldn’t? LOL They’renot that old, late forties. Don’t you know that’s the last thing to die? J

Ju: You know thedictionary definition of romance right...a man plus a woman, falling in love. Usually if they are a couple already, they must beseparated for it to be considered a romance, so when you wrote about Lucas Sr andWinnie, it was a stretch of the traditional, whether you realized it or not. :)

Lorraine: I didn’t reallythink of it as such, although I knew it would be different.

Ju: That’s the point…youknew it would be different. Yet you did it - why?

Lorraine: Lucas and Winnie twistedmy arm. J Seriously, the more I write about the people at TheThunder Creek Ranch, the better I get to know who they are. Life is not perfectand there’s many a stumbling block to living happily ever after, even once thevows are said. I love Lucas with his western twang and Winnie with her caringways, and I felt their story needed to be told. Unconventional? Maybe, but itwas certainly an interesting story to write.

Places you can find me:

Website – http://lorrainenelson.weebly.com

Blog – http://lorrainenelson.wordpress.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/LorraineNelson.Author

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/lornelca

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1/188-7193462-3918419

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

The Talent Cave - http://www.thetalentcave.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&itemid=4

Email – lorrainenelson_author@hotmail.com

Purchase links:

Evernight Publishing - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/

All Romance eBooks - http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Bookstrand - http://www.bookstrand.com/lorraine-nelson

Amazon - - http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1/188-7193462-3918419

Ju: It certainly sounds perfect, Lorraine J Thanks forsharing the story behind these stories in such a honest conversation! All thebest for your release and hope the readers adore your books like I do!!

Now, for the blurb and excerpt (not to mention droolingover the hot cover!)

Blurb:

Lucas Manning, Sr. is married to Winnie, Roy Grayson'smother. Trouble ensues from the moment authorities arrest her son for stalkingand terrorizing Lucas' daughter-in-law. Winnie feels guilty and withdraws fromthe Manning family. Suddenly a threatening phone call disturbs their lives evenmore as Winnie becomes a target. Can Lucas convince her of her worthiness andsave their marriage? Or will danger and loyalty to her son drive a furtherwedge between them?

Excerpt.

Trouble Brewing in Thunder Creek

Thewarm water sluiced over their hot bodies in a rushing stream as they stoodentwined in the tiny stall. Her kisses tasted like chocolate mint from thecandy bars they’d snacked on earlier.

Shepoured a liberal amount of his shower gel into her palm. “Turn around.”

Hedid as requested, and she dutifully soaped his back. As her hands moved to soaphis chest, she rubbed her breasts against him, and he shivered in response tothe sensations rioting through his body. When her hands reached to soap hiscock, he gasped, taking in a mouthful of water, which he promptly spewed out.

“Lady,you sure are full of surprises,” he said as he turned to face her, rinsing offunder the spray before turning the taps off. He grabbed a towel and dried herbody, his ministrations causing exquisite little moans to escape her lips.Quickly drying himself, he tossed the towel aside and wrapped an arm around herwaist.

Side-by-side,they walked through to the bedroom where he could make love to her in comfort.He loved this woman. He’d shown her every day in every way he could, but thewords themselves didn’t come easy, not since his first wife died and took apiece of his heart with her.

Asthey lay down, he cuddled close and worshipped her body with his hands andmouth, old memories pushed to the farthest recesses of his mind.

Herbreasts spilled from his hands as he massaged their silky softness. “So damnedsoft. I could play with them all night long.”

Sheclutched his head urging him forward to taste her rosy buds. “Be my guest.”

He laved a tongue over a nipple,teasing before pulling it into his mouth, his hand pinching the other one. Hersoft murmur of delight spurred him on. He let go of her breast, with a lightbite, trailing kisses down over her abdomen to reach the honeyed prize nestedin reddish curls. Her legs spread for him, the most feminine part of her openand waiting for his attention.

Wow…:fans self: Lucas and Winniecertainly have it very passionate. And… Let me shut my big mouth before I say somethinginappropriate and instead, allow our friends to comment here J Come on girls, have fun.

Welcoming Author Nina Jade Singer

2011-12-12T22:46:00.002+05:30

I'm in the middle of my vacation and my access to internet is almost zero! But here I am snagging a few minutes to welcome AuthorNina Jade Singer at my blog today! Hi Nina…Please tell us about yourself.

I’ve always lovedstories of the supernatural. With mystery, suspense, and a good dose ofromance.

After years in the corporate world, I had to start writing my own suchstories. And I had to do it New England - near mystical Salem, Mass.

Wow! Sounds intriguing. Whatsteered you towards romantic fiction? Where do you think your stories fit?

Like most authors, I’ve always been an avid reader.I’d spent several years in the corporate world and my therapy after a toughdaywas to relax with a good read. One day an idea popped into my head about acompelling character and what his story might be. And soon after that I hadanother idea. And so on. Eventually, I figured I should write them downalready!

My stories are definitely paranormal but they’re mostlyset in the contemporary, real world. Kind of a ‘they walk among us’ feel.

I love readingcontemporaries and I’m sure a paranormal set in such a world would bewonderful!

Major milestones in yourwriting journey? And what next?

One milestone would definitely be when I met mycritique partners. At the time, I had no idea how lucky I was to find a groupthat was so talented and so supportive. I now realize what a precious raritythat is. A couple of other milestonesincluded some exciting contest finals. And of course, the day Crescent Mooncontacted me with an offer to publish Secrets of the Knight, my first release.

Yay! I can sureunderstand that! What are some of your writing tips and tricks?

I actually did a post for an online workshop a whileago about finding time to write in a busy schedule. The crux of it is that I’mconstantly thinking about the story and what my next scene/sentence/word willbe. I keep index cards all over my house. And in my purse. And in my car. I’dkeep them in the shower stall if I could figure that one out! I’ve had ideascome to me in the middle of the grocery store. But I’m definitely a panster inthat I don’t outline or anything in advance.

I guess I have to searchfor that post! Most needed for me now…

Last, but not theleast.. Writing vs social networking. How do you find the perfect balance?

I soooo haven’t figured that out yet. Still a work inprogress for me!

Some fun questions :

Relaxant : Wine orchocolate?

Both?

Movies : Rom coms oraction flicks?

Action flick with a great romance between the maincharacters!

A genre you'd love towrite but haven't tried yet?

I love the paranormal genre. I’m right where I want tobe! But suspense in general appeals to me.

Thank you for being withme here today, Nina! How about a few words to everyone out here?

Well, the holidays are on my mind because they’re fastapproaching. I wanted to remind all those fabulous women out there (and men forthat matter) to take time for themselves amidst the chaos and the demands ofthis time of year. Grab a novel and relax for a few hours or as long as youcan. You deserve it!

Secrets of the Knight

Blurb:

Severalyears ago life forced Thomas (Bo) Bowden to give up everything, including thewoman he loves, and take refuge on a Caribbean island. Little did he know, hewas taking the first step to fulfilling his mystical destiny.

NicoleBalian has come to the small island of Trenado to find a missing teenager.She's shocked to the core to find her former lover instead. And the attractionbetween her and Bo is as strong as ever.

Workingtogether to solve the unexplained disappearances plaguing the island, they findthemselves in a frightening world of voodoo and magic. Trenado's history isshrouded in supernatural mystery. The danger they face serves to reignite theirlove. But as Bo fights an ancient evil that haunts the island, will Nicole be ableto save the man she loves? Or will she lose him once again, this time forever?

Buy Link: Amazon

Nina on the Web: Website Facebook Twitter

One lucky commenterwill receive Secrets of The Knight. Followers andcommenter’s of the blog tour will go in the grand draw of anAmazon Gift Certificate of US$100.00!

For the full itinerary and more chancesto win, check the AUTHOR PAGE!

Fabulous, isn’tit? Go on ahead, say a hi to Nina and welcome her J

Debut Author and a fab friend, Renee Silvana celebrating her release!

2011-11-21T12:58:00.000+05:30

I’m so happy to host Renee’sInterview here. We have each other’s beta reader forever, somehow pushing eachother to write, to gobble up any piece of the story—be it a single chapter orjust a snippet of random unfinished, unwritten book. It’s so liberating, not tomention fabulous to say that we’ve not only completed a story, but sold it andhers is already released!

Let’s welcome “Author” Renee Silvanaand subject her to my awesome questions!

Whatsteered you towards romantic fiction? And where do you think your storiesfit?

Romancewas always a guilty pleasure of mine. Between reading science and speculativefiction, horror and science books, I'd duck into a library and pull out aromance book, because I always knew the book would end happily-ever-after. Inmy earlier years of writing, I tended towards dark horror (fueled by my lovefor the masters like H.P. Lovecraft and, of course, Edgar Allan Poe). When Ifound that I could combine paranormal elements into a romantic storyline, Ijumped on board. WAKING THE DEAD was one of the first plots I worked with.

I remember WAKING THE DEAD when itwas a teeny weeny little baby J And now, it’sall grown up ;) :sniff: Look at the beautiful cover!

Majormilestones in your writing journey so far? And what next?

Myfirst rejection was a huge step for me. I took it enthusiastically, becauseafter sitting on a manuscript for two years, trying to tweak it and finallyhaving the guts to submit it somewhere, the e-mail that came 16 weeks to theday saying my story wasn't a fit for that particular publisher was a welcomeresponse. It meant I had taken the step from being just a writer of stories toa writer determined to see her piece in print.

Hmm… That’s expected, seeing howeager you were for a response, any response. And I’m glad you had the guts togo behind what you wanted.

Sharewith us some of your writing tips and tricks?

Thereis no trick to writing, and one of my favorite authors demonstrated this. Yearsago, due to his frustration with people mystifying the writing process, he put outa press release, took his typewriter and sat in a book store window, and infront of camera crews and hundreds of fans, he wrote an entire story over aneight-hour period. His point was to show that authors are just working people.The only way you're going to get a book published is to sit down and startwriting it.

Mywriting process goes something like this. I'll have an idea in mind, and if anyunfortunate friend is in the immediate vicinity I'll tell them every piece ofit that I know. If not, I'll write it all down. This lets me determine wherethe gaps are and what needs tweaking. This is when I hop in the shower to workit out... I get a lot of inspiration when I'm in the shower, probably becauseit's one of the few times in the day when my mind and body are completelyrelaxed. I also work out plot problems on a nice long run. (Running is mymeditation!)

Istarted out as a 100% pantser, but realized that wasn't very effective for me.I need more direction than just a general idea of the major conflict. WAKINGTHE DEAD was completely pantsed and took months to write and rewrite. Anotherstory I've just completed was completed plotted, and I wrote it in under 2weeks.

Pantser turned plotter—umm? I wish Icould say “you traitor!”, but since I’m glad you’ve found what makes writingclick for you, I’d let it go ;)

Whatare some of the most important things you have learnt as an author that youdidn't when you were a writer?

Ihaven't had much experience as an author, and hesitate to call myself one evennow with my name on the cover of a book. Like many, I thought with a contractin hand, I would somehow magically find inspiration and write novel afternovel. If anything, the added pressure of producing a work hinders the writingprocess. Will book 2 be as successful as book 1? Will anyone like book 1 enoughto even bother with book 2? Should I start this new amazing series or focus onthe one I have published now? Pretty much I've learned I need a calendar tokeep me in check!

Whoa…Did you pick the answerstraight out of my mind? I am terrified too…and my first book is not even out.

Last,but not the least.. Writing vs social networking. How do you find the perfectbalance?

Isthere such a thing? I write when my fingers tell me it's time to write,otherwise I'll lose the inspiration. Social networking... I'm going to befrank, I suck at it. I don't know how to promote a thing. Give me a few moreyears and I might have a better response!

You bet I will—give you a few moreyears and ask you the same question, that is ;)

Nowfor some fun questions:

Whatcomes first: Character or the conflict?

Characterfirst. I don't care what the conflict is if I can't connect with the charactersinvolved.

Relaxant: Wine or chocolate?

Dependson the time of day and what I'm doing. I love wine, but one glass will put meto sleep!

Movies:Rom coms or action flicks?

WillI sound like a jerk if I say the idea of sitting through either makes me a bitqueasy? With action movies the image I get is a 90-minute chase with awfulsound effects of a car shifting gears even over 120mph. Romantic comedies justdon't appeal to me, either on a romantic or comedic level. I tend to likemind-bending psychological horror movies that haunt me for days as I try towork out the conflict.

Netflixseems to think I like "dark suspenseful movies based on real life,""inspiring fight-the-system documentaries" and movies about H.H. theDalai Lama. They're probably right!

Agenre you'd love to write but haven't tried yet?

Historical.I'd love to write an ancient historical! I doubt my ability to write true tothe time period, though, which is why I've put it off.

What'sthe first characteristic that comes to your mind when I mention:

Hero:Dark (yeah, I like the dark, brooding type!)

Heroine:Strong-willed (no damsels-in-distress here!)

Wow hon, you certainly surprised mewith a lot of answers, but now, I do know you better J Thanks so much for celebrating your debut release with meand hoping for more to come...

Thankyou for having me Ju! And thank you to everyone else for making it this far!

Andhere’s a contest for everyone:

WAKINGTHE DEAD features heroine Miriam Spencer, a hereditary witch who can't performmagick and yet is still charged with a crime associated with raising a hellishspirit that wreaks havoc on a small town. What would your magick power be? Themost original answer (as decided by random.org, LOL) will win a copy of WAKING THEDEAD! Please put your e-mail address in the comment box to qualify!

That’s easy ;) Let me think of amagick power for myself… Go ahead and comment, friends…The book is fabulous!Oh, before I forget… In case you’d like to stalk Renee, go ahead and do at thefollowing links:

Blog: http://reneesilvana.blogspot.com

PersonalFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/renee.silvana

FanPage: http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorReneeSilvana

Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/reneesilvana

Website(under construction...yep): http://reneesilvana.weebly.com/

Tempted to know more about the book? Here’s the blurb andexcerpt before you jump to the comments…

WAKING THE DEAD

By Renee Silvana

Blurb

Guardian of the gate to the spiritworld, hellhound Adrian Mason is responsible for apprehending errantnecromancers—witches who conjure spirits during divination rituals—and now hehas his hands full with a demon on the loose. When all evidence points toMiriam Spencer, she swears she's not to blame. Though she is descendent from afamily of powerful witches, Miriam can barely divine answers from a magic eightball, let alone raise spirits.

But, if she's not the culprit, then who—or what—is wreaking havoc on the smallupstate-New York town? Falling for his prime suspect isn’t on Adrian’s agenda.Duty-bound and with time running short, he must bring Miriam to justice, orface his own.

Excerpt

Adrian pulled back from their kissand hugged Miriam tightly, pressing her breasts against him. He nuzzled hisnose into her hair, inhaling her cinnamon-sandalwood scent, filling him withwarmth. He knew Miriam could feel his need, the hardness of his cock pushinginto her stomach and pulsing with every heartbeat, but she just felt so damnedgood to hold.

His hands never ventured beyond herwaist, though he perceived her clothes as a barrier between him and pure bliss.Her form-fitting jeans and blouse had him on edge the entire time he’d sat inthe kitchen, wishing for a moment he would be able to tear them off. The needto feel his flesh against hers, to have her wrapped around him as he thrustinto her over and over, tempted his restraint as he breathed in her scent.

“Incredible,” he said into her hair.“No witch should smell this good to a hellhound. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s called shampoo,” she said into his chestwith a gentle smile in her voice. “It wouldn’t hurt you hounds to use iteither.”

Adrian cupped her face with hishands and kissed her again, harder this time. Her lips, as soft and deliciousas he imagined they would be, molded into his so perfectly. So dangerously.Everything about their union was wrong, forbidden by both their clans, and yethe had never felt such peace. For now, he reveled in the gentle sensation ofher mouth latched to his and how perfectly her curves felt pressed against hisbody.

Mixed in with the spice, herfeminine musk grew stronger. Her arousal drove the animal in him beyond hiscontrol. He could feel his canines lengthening, and the dull prick of clawstrying to push from under his fingernails. Reluctantly he broke their kiss,drawing a sound of disapproval from Miriam. Stubbornly, she reached her handsunder his shirt while her lips travelled across his neck. He inhaled sharply,letting her explore with her tongue and fingers.

“No,” he said, placing his handsfirmly on her shoulders.

“I need to touch you,” she insisted,sneaking her fingers into his waistband and grazing the sensitive skin beneath.

“Please,” Adrian stated decisively.If Miriam went much further, he’d lose complete control, and he was alreadynearing the edge as it stood now. It wasn’t fair to her, and the least he coulddo was try and give her the pleasure he would need to deny himself.

Miriam’sfaced was flushed, her lips parted. She seemed to avoid looking at him as shespoke, her sentence punctuated with rapid breaths in between words. “I know. Idon’t know what came over me. I guess it’s my penchant for sleeping withhellhounds.”

Adriancouldn’t help himself and laughed.

Pullingaway abruptly, she hugged her arms around herself, almost as a shield. “What doyou find so amusing?”

“There’sanother hole in your story, love. No hellhound has ever mounted you.”

Herred face grew pinker by the moment. “Not that it’s any of your business…”

“Ifyou ever had sex with a hellhound, you would have been able to cast back thosedemons that were chasing you down the street, but you didn’t even try. Infact,” he went on, stepping closer to her and giving her a predatory smile. “Idon’t think anyone has ever touched you before.”

“Again,”Miriam said, dropping her arms and poking one sharp index finger into thecenter of his chest and taking a step back. Adrian conceded and let her go.“It’s none of your damn business who I’ve slept with, or if I’ve slept withanyone, or who I want to sleep with.And I find it a little unnerving that you can tell just by sniffing my hair.”

Helaughed again. “It’s the pheromones you’ve been emitting since you walked inhere,” he explained. “They’re stronger than any human or witch I’ve eversmelled, but it’s clear you have never been attached to anyone. I don’t knowhow to describe it. You smell innocent.And I love it.”

Silence stretched on for a few longmoments, the air thick with tension. Nothing in the laws of his pack orMiriam’s coven would permit him to mate with a witch. It was consideredtreason, a conflict of interest between his duty as a hellhound to guard thespirit worlds and the rituals of the witch that played with that delicatebalance. Jacob’s encounter had resulted in the young hellhound becomingspellbound. This was the precise reason behind the laws that prevented sexbetween the two clans.

Her voice was guarded, heavy. He wasconvinced now the flush on her skin was an echo of the lust she tried to tampdown in her voice as she spoke. “Why should I trust you, after everythingyou’ve done to me?”.

It killed Adrian that he couldn’thave her completely, to never prove to Miriam just how much he wanted, no,needed to protect her. Her innocent words, the way she worried her handstogether as she stared up at him expectantly, reminded him why he was so takenwith Miriam when he went with her as the guardian for her first ancestorsummoning.

Adrian was also reminded of why hebroke off their friendship in the first place. He wanted her, and that wasunacceptable to his kind.

“Why should I trust you?” sherepeated.

Adrian stepped closer to her,leaning his hands on the wall and pressing Miriam against it with his body. Heground his hips into her while she whimpered helplessly with fear and need. Helowered his mouth to her ear, his lips curling away from his teeth. “Youshouldn’t.”

Tracy Sumner kicks off her blog tour with fantastic giveaways....

2011-11-14T08:39:00.001+05:30

Hello there, lovelies!

We have a fantastic treat for everyone J Fabulous author Tracy Sumner is here with us, kicking offher blog tour.Read on to find out more about her and trust me, the gifts she comes with arerocking!!!!

Without much ado, let’s shine the spotlight on our guest J

What steered you towards romantic fiction? Where do you thinkyour stories fit?

The firstromance novel I read was LaVyrle Spencer's VOWS. I picked it up during college,a beach read only, not expecting much from the genre. I was hooked from page 1!And I've never looked back. I love romance -- as a writer and a reader. Mystories are historical but I think I tend to have a bit of mainstream voice. Alittle contemporary for a historical. Comments that come up repeatedly inreviews are: witty dialogue, battle of the sexes, intense relationship/drama,sexy love scenes. I have my characters talk a lot. But you also know whatthey're thinking. Especially the men.

I often find myselfconnecting as much or more with him when I write. Stephen King said in ONWRITNG, that writers tend to revisit themes of importance to them in theirwriting. I have a real connection to male relationships (brothers or bestfriends) and seem to incorporate this often. I also am fascinated with the"girl loved the boy, then she grows up and he finally loves her"theme. I can't help it!

I <3 romance too! And the theme you love is something Ireally love too J Except that I haven’t triedmy hand at it yet… maybe some day…

So, what are the major milestones in your writing journey? Andwhat next?

Well, selling abook and landing my first agent were major milestones. And I sold the firstcomplete manuscript I submitted -- and that sounds lucky -- but there are constoo. I might have benefited from writing five novels and polishing my craftbefore being unleashed on the publishing world, which can be brutal, withoutsome experience. Though I've learned along the way!

Next? Well, myhistoricals so far have been US setting based (southern, Outer Banks and SC)and the next is set in London. A Victorian with what I call "light"paranormal elements. I also have a contemporary novella coming out in April --in addition to the backlist stuff I am reissuing through the rest of 2011. Oneof those, TO DESIRE A SCOUNDREL, is a holiday anthology. I had so muchfun writing it! And I knew the characters well, since it's a sequel to TOSEDUCE A ROGUE!

Wow! Seems like lots of things are in the works J Congrats and wishing you the best!

What are some of your writing tips and tricks?

I think thebiggest writing trick is writing. Simply put butt in chair. However, musichelps or perhaps a movie to get you in the mood. Something I read or perhaps acomment gives me an idea -- and I have found myself writing things on menus,receipts, you name it!

I have to maketime to write, like everyone else. I have a four-year-old son and a FT graphicdesign job, soooo...it's hard but gotta do it!

I'm closer to apantser -- but I do have some detailed scenes, maybe 10 or so, thatgo throughout. I keep them in order and plug them in when I'm working onthat scene. They are usually bits of dialogue I want here or motivations. Keystatements, that sort of thing.

I really love finding out behind the scenes of an author’slife J Kudos for managing everythingso perfectly!

Last, but not the least… Writing vs social networking: How doyou find the perfect balance?

I'm very new tosocial media. Facebook fan page is going well -- but I'm LOVING Twitter! I justlove it. And so far, it hasn't gotten in the way too much. I just had alearning curve with all. I like Goodreads, too, though new to that as well.Daily writing goals work for me, so you can see where you're going and howyou're doing.

Hmm… I wish I could set daily writing goals or say thatinternet is something that doesn’t get in my way ;) Maybe I can dream… LOL!

Some fun questions :

Relaxant : Wine or chocolate?

WINE!!!

Ah, maybe I should have asked why :p Movies : Rom coms oraction flicks?

Romantic! Favsinclude: The Notebook, Sweet Home Alabama (because I was living in NYC whenthis came out, saw it on 42nd street, and I felt just like RW's character.Southerner in NYC, loved NYC, but loved the south, too), GWTW, The PhiladelphiaStory (classic! please view if you have not!), The Way We Were (Hubble!!!), etcetc

A genre you'd love to write but haven't tried yet?

Though I'vetried my hand at contemporary, no one has read any of this yet. But the novellain April! :) We shall see how it goes!

A few words to everyone out here....

Thanks for having me.And happy reading. What a great genre we support. Go romance!---

Hey Tracy, I love discovering new-to-me authors and I lovedhaving you at my blog!

Now for the giveaway!!

Two winners would bepicked for 2 of Tracy’s books and all comments would go in for a grand prizedrawing of a KINDLE!!! Whoa!!! Just comment on for a chance to win ;) Greatisn’t it? Come on then, say hi to Tracy J

Thanks to Nas for arranging the blog tour and giving methe chance to host Tracy!

A mini rant, movies and updates...

2011-11-07T05:23:00.001+05:30

I hate the new blogger's look. I changed it by mistake -- to this new whatever design -- which literally messed with my formatting and showed only my posts on a plain white background. Well - duh! Why do I have the sidebars then? Where went the "about me" and my favorited "blogs / sites" and then, the little bit where I get to toot my own horn, ie, the follower button? Thanks blogger, but no thanks!

It was veritable pain in the neck to get back the things to whatever they were, but well :) I sat through it, wasting half a day to get them back - and voila - I'm proud of myself ;) If you can see things dark and gritty - then it means all is well. If you see something gray, white, pasty....holler to me and I'll whack my blog once again!

Umm..and movies :) This weekend I made it a point to watch all James Bond movies - And all Pierce Brosnan at that!!! I know Sean Connery is the indisputable king, but I <3 Pierce Brosnan! Well..what can I say? :Happy sigh:

The edits are hopefully, almost, in the final stages and I'm learning some new formatting gimmicks in the meanwhile in MS Word! And new plot bunnies are thankfully silent in the meanwhile.. and I've been trying to figure out some new "social media" stuff..

I have a new Author Page on FB : Romance Author Ju Dimello :grin: I did feel like shouting from the roof top about the "Romance Author" part! Come on over, like me if you'd like to! Aaand Has anyone heard of Tribber? No? Well..if you have an invite, do send me one too :p I'll figure it out and let the world know!

Also, I'm busy packing for my month long trip starting third week Nov. It's going to be partially with internet, partially without! And a whole lot of hard/dusty work.. like helping out parents redo the kitchen and the bath etc... :cough cough: I better pack my anti allergy medications already!!!!

Oh! And no Nano's for me..Are you doing this year? I guess I could give the reason as my trip..but well..the truth is that I kinda go bonkers in a frenzied environment.. I know - it did make me enthusiastic about getting words down on paper two years ago..but now I feel that quality is more important quantity and even if I write a few measly words per day, I better make them count.. Meaning, I'm a lousy person when it comes to edits...I'd rather get it right the first time around...

Er..after ages I've written a long post....basically emptied my mind ;) Come on guys, share what's going on in your life presently - and let's sit around a virtual bonfire as the winter sets in... Brrrr...

Psst..Do take a look at my website (just click on the link on the top, below my banner and beside the home) and tell me how's it!!! It's my own baby, created using weebly.com (Perfect for a html dummy like me!)

I haz my first edits....

2011-10-25T05:00:00.000+05:30

I'm still trying to process the fact that I've sold a book and that in a few months I could call myself a published author! It does seem surreal on one side, but totally like any normal day on the other side!

In short, life doesn't change overnight ;) nor is a magical genie hovering at my beck and call to write books, not that I'd make him write books if I have my very own genie, that is :p LOL!

And of course, now, reminding me of the fact that I am indeed an author under contract, I've gotten my edits!!!

Woo hoo - on one side..but the other side of me is trying to digest the bare truth that my MS needs work. Yep, a lot more work than I could have foreseen, but well....I'm 100% sure that my fantastic Editor is spot on with what needs to be buffed up and revamped in the story.

My mental gears are hard at work ;) trying to see how I could really accomplish what is required within the given timeframe, but there's a plot bunny hopping around in my head at the most inopportune time...

So here I am - goofing off at the internet in the name of research.... And this reminds me as well.. the second post on NET-diction is long overdue ;) I have a brilliant title for my post - "NET-diction-The creativity s*cker".

Now, if only I could find a super-duper post for my post-Apocalypse, my first dystopian world story involving shifters..... Any suggestions ;) ????

Oh, and my plan for this week - Make a to-do list of to-do list..if that makes sense. How do you juggle multiple things? To-do lists? Some kind of task-tracking-software? Post-it's? Or awesome memory? Do share....

Welcome Author KJ Reed! She comes bearing fantastic gifts....

2011-10-18T07:57:00.002+05:30

Hello my lovely friends,

Today I have a fab friend and a fantastic author, KJ Reedhere with us, sharing her writing journey and more J She’s got12 books contracted and got an agent too! All within 2 yrs of writing. Wowza,isn’t it? I <3 her ;)

Her books are published with Ellora’s Cave and wow, thatmakes her my pub sister too !!! Yay J

Btw..It feels wonderful to say that aloud ;) Without muchado, I present you KJ!!!

What steeredyou towards romantic fiction? And where do you think your stories fit? (I know I'm sneaking in a second question here, but you can't blame mefor curiosity... hehe).

Romance is what I read! I’m truly not someone who likessurprises. Knowing there’s a built-in happy ending makes life a lot easier tohandle. The twists and turns of the relationship and their lives leading up toit is enough for me. I love being able to expect the happy ever after (or atleast, for the foreseeable future!) in there.

I think my stories fit in with someone who loves mainstreamromance, but wants just a little more steam. Not full-blown kink (though thathas its place too) but someone who wants that same relationship development,only a more direct eye on the actual physical intimacy.

I love romance for the HEA (HFN) too! I really can’t bear toread tragic endings or ones that leave me hanging!!!

Majormilestones in your writing journey so far? And what next?

As KJ Reed, having 6 books published and 6 more contractedby my 2 year writing anniversary was a pretty awesome milestone.

I think snagging my agent was the best thing so faroverall. She’s representing me under a separate pen name for mainstreamromance. That’s always exciting, to be able to say “My agent…” :)

See? Like I said, KjßAwesome! And oochi! Isn't her cover awesome too?

What are someof your writing tips and tricks?

I’m a total plotter. I can’t pants. It makes me nervous.Plus, as I start writing more series and connected books, it just makes lifeeasier to have things plotted out.

I usually have a notebook dedicated to each active WIP(work in progress) that I keep notes in. I write down all proper nouns(restaurant names, secondary characters, so on), as well as the characters’physical descriptions. Also notes for what my characters are wearing in scenesif it’s memorable. It helps me keep track and avoid flipping back through theentire manuscript to see if I ever mentioned what my hero’s mom’s hair lookedlike or what that one store they shopped at that one time was called…

That’s so awesome, KJ! And absolutely opposite of what I do J I usuallyfly by the seat of my pants ;) And well, I had have my gray-eyed hero’s eyesflash blue once ;) Has that pulled me to plotting? Heck, no! I guess I need tofigure out what happens along with the characters, aka, story is as new to meas I read another author’s..LOL! Tried the opposite, but alas, it didn’t work…So I commend you for being such a good plotter :p

What are someof the most important things you have learnt as an author that you didn't whenyou were a writer?

I started writing two years ago. And I quickly learned…

You’ll never get it all right all the time. I thought whenI first started out that every story had a “perfect” way that it should go. Andthat once I found that stream of perfection for the book, that it would begolden.

Not so. I could write a book that two thousand people love.One might still hate it. And that’s just life. So I have to write to the bestof my ability, and when I’m satisfied with the book, then I release it into thewild blue yonder, and pray it’s well-received.

This, I guess, is the most important part that I might takeaway! I too feel sometimes that I have to twist my Hero or heroine’s arm so tospeak to get to an ending that I want it… Or to pull the story I want it to go.Slowly realizing that it’s best to go with the flow and hope the story is asgood on paper as it is in our minds…

Last, but notthe least.. Writing vs social networking. How do you find the perfectbalance?

I just try to do what makes me happy. I don’t force socialnetworking. If I have something to say, I say it. If not, I don’t push it. Thenit feels and sounds fake, and that’s just sad. If I catch myself readingtwitter too much, I just remove the internet from my computer.

Ah! Theswitching off internet..If only I could do that ;) I keep it open in the nameof research and for days do only that..LOL!

Thank you somuch for being here, KJ! And I adore your Romanticon "sticky figure" videos…they wereabsolutely wonderful ;) And girls!!!! You should check it out J

Before(Expectation): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHQ04Po7-lk

After (Forrealz) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rKmjopPqTo

Thanks forhaving me as a guest, Ju! Everyone can find me at my website: www.authorkjreed.com,or on Facebook at facebook.com/kjreedbooks or on twitter: @authorKJReed.

And since Ijust received my first-ever paperback author copies from my anthology, ComeTogether, why don’t we give one away? I’ll do a random drawing Friday morningand pick a winner from one of the comments in this blog post. (If the winnerhappens to be international, I’ll offer up the three novellas in ebook formatthat make up my paperback.)

Squee!!! Thisis so fab, KJ! I haz envy on the lucky winner already ;)

Do show somecomment love for KJ and don’t forget to leave your email id!

Maybe I can gobehind the scene and tempt KJ to allow me to peek into her stories… :whistlesinnocently: and walks away!

Giveaway with Author Nell Dixon

2011-10-11T02:06:00.002+05:30

Hi lovely friends,

Today I’ve broughtalong a new-to-me author, Nell Dixon! She has her latest book “Renovation,renovation, renovation” coming from Myrmidon press and is here to celebrate therelease with us J And yes, she comes bearing gifts too! Read on to findout more, as I bombard her with my hosty host questions ;)

What steered you towards romantic fiction? And where doyou think your stories fit?

I write the kind of stories I love to read. I wantsomething to make me laugh, make me cry, a hero to sigh over and a heroine toroot for. I want to escape for a few hours into the story. My books arewarm-hearted and down to earth with a twist of humour and a pinch of eithersuspense or something that's a bit different. I've been compared to some otherbig name writers like Jill Mansell and Janet Evanovich which is hugelyflattering but I'm not so sure is true.

Aw, Nell! You’retoo humble, I’d say J And now that you’ve given me a couple of authornames, I gotta hunt them down to read!!

I’m still in thefirst half of RRR(My shortened way of calling Renovation, renovation,renovation) and I must say, I already love the way you’ve captured the the POVof 2 heroines—one in the present and one in the past! It’s a great new way ofwriting and you’ve done it fabulously!

Do share with us what were the major milestones in yourwriting journey so far? And what next?

This is tricky. I suppose my major milestones were my firstacceptances. That really is the goal most unpublished writers aim for. Then itwas winning The Romance Prize/Love Story of the Year. Both times that was themost amazing, incredible thing ever. It made me finally feel like a 'proper'writer. Crazy, isn't it how self- doubting us writers can be! My finalmilestone has to be the release of Renovation, Renovation, Renovation. This ismy fist 'big' single title release that isn't part of a line. Myrmidon havebeen so lovely to work with and their belief in the book, and in me, when themarkets are so difficult right now, has been fantastic.

I hear you on theself-doubts! My first book got accepted just a couple of weeks back and I’malready fearing it’s all a dream I might wake up from… :shudders: And yeah, thebest feeling an author can get is faith from their publishers! I’m so happy foryou J

Hmm…your writing tips and tricks?

My stories are triggered by all kinds of things. ForRenovation, Renovation, Renovation it was hearing how many couples have splitup but are still forced to live together because of the recession. That, addedto my passion for old buildings and interest in unexplainable events led to thestory. I am a complete pantser. I know my beginnings and endings but the middlebit is kind of fuzzy until I'm writing it. I have notepads everywhere withcryptic scribbles on them so I don't forget stuff.

Yay for pantsers! I’mone too…and usually I do know the start/possible end, but well, the charactersrule the story J And as to cryptic scribbles… I have a bunch ofpost-it’s that I have to decipher this week…:shakes head at my hopelesspantsing:

What are some of the most important things you have learnt asan author that you didn't when you were a writer?

I've learnt to be better at marketing - I am still prettyrubbish at it but I've learnt that I need to improve my IT skills. My advice toany aspiring author is to make the most of the time before you get published tolearn about blogging, facebook, twitter, review sites, book blogs etc so you'llbe ready when it all happens.

Umm. Kickstarting ablog, FB and twitter was something I did know a bit earlier—in the sense it wasdrummed into me even before I started writing—by a couple of great online friendsof mine! But marketing…seriously I have no clue! Just trying not to panic here J

Last, but not the least.. Writing vs social networking. How doyou find the perfect balance?

I'm sure I have if I'm honest. I'm not very good at it. Ilove facebook as it allows me to interact much more with readers. My focus ison writing. I set word targets each week and do my best to achieve them. Theother stuff gets squeezed in around the writing.

I wish I had a bitof that “writing” seriousness in me... Usually I find hours have passed while I“just” checked on FB/twitter stuffs... I’m a major lurker, procrastinator too!And hats off for fitting things around your writing.

Hope you had funwith the interview like I did, girls! Here’s more about Nell:

Nell Dixon is a Black Country author, marriedto the same man for over twenty-five years she has three daughters, a tank oftropical fish and a cactus called Spike. Winner of the RNA’s prestigiousRomance Prize in 2007 and 2010, she writes warm-hearted contemporary romancefor a number of publishers in the US and the UK including Myrmidon Press,Samhain Publishing, Little Black Dress, Astraea Press, E-Scape Press andFreya’s Bower.

Website: http://www.nelldixon.com

Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nell-Dixon/228642037151856?sk=info

And on Twitter at @NellDixon

Booklinks and description :-

Available from Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Renovation-ebook/dp/B005RFFRFG/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1317554138&sr=8-22

And Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Renovation-ebook/dp/B005RFFRFG/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1317552486&sr=8-24

Renovation, Renovation, Renovation is the new release frommulti award winning author, Nell Dixon.

Overworked, over budget and just so not over him! Katewould like an engagement ring from Steve but instead he's lumbered them with athirteenth renovation project, and doing up Myrtle Cottage disturbs a ghostfrom the English Civil War who has romance troubles of her own.

The blurb isintriguing to say the least J Loving the book sofar and I’m sure it would be wonderful!

Friends, just showsome comment love to Nell, make her feel welcome here… and she’d pick a luckywinner for her book from the commenters! Easy peasy?

PS: Giveaway runsuntil Thursday and winner will be announced on Friday!

Until then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING :-D

Lorraine Nelson's pre-launch party & giveaway!

2011-10-04T09:19:00.000+05:30

A hearty WELCOME to my dearest friend and lovely author,Lorraine Nelson! Her debut book is about to launch tomorrow and she’sgraciously agreed to host her pre-launch party at my blog! Woo hoo!!!

And guess what? She’s invited me to her blog to double party with her J Yep, I’mstill celebrating my first contract with Ellora’s Cave. This time though, I’vespilled my guts about how many times I “almost” gave up before getting back onthat demmed saddle, so to speak! Would love for you to drop by J

Without much ado, let me ~~pull~~ invite her on the daisright away!

What steered you towards romantic fiction?

I’ve been an avid romance and mystery readerfor many years. It seemed natural to combine the two and try my hand at writingone. Romantic suspense is a growing market and, as most of my novels endup with an element of suspense in them, that seems to be the genre for me...although some, such as Zakia, are scorching hot.

Oooh! Scorching hot ;) Maybe I have to wear my mittens? Ornot… I <3 hot romances!

Share with us, what have been your major milestones in yourwriting journey so far? And what next?

Major milestones... I'd have to say signing that firstcontract for Zakia and the Cowboy. I've been writing seriously for overtwo years and have learned a lot on the way. My first attempts were riddledwith head-hopping but I've finally mastered that one, or at least, I hope so.lol

Next, the sequels to Zakia. Book 2, Covert Mission:Sudden Love, and Book 3, Trouble at Thunder Creek are well underway withpossibly 2 more to follow.

I'm also dipping my toes into the self-publishing worldwith a Christmas novella. His Christmas Wish will be available throughAmazon on Oct 15th. It's a sweet romance about second chances and at $.99, agreat bargain.

Hot and sweet too! You have me hooked, Lorraine ;) ~~(See,I told ya, I wouldn’t tell anyone that I had the privilege of already readingHis Christmas Wish, and fell in love with it…and my mouth is zipped.)~~

Hmm..your writing tips and tricks?

I'm a pantser all the way. The idea for Zakia wastriggered in the same moment I heard her name. I usually see the peoplefirst and when they start talking to me, I delve into their story, mull it overand start writing. Always, always have a notepad handy. You just never knowwhen inspiration will strike.

I need peace and quiet to write, although I jot down noteswhenever, wherever. Sometimes it's hard to juggle writing and real life, but Itry to write a little bit every day.

A little bit every day sounds awesome! If only I couldconvince my muse to do that ;) Usually the more pressure I put, the more mymuse rebels…The moment I back off, she comes out to play in her own sweet time…Gotta love her though ;)

Snapping back to our guest, what are some of the most importantthings you have learnt as an author that you didn't when you were awriter?

I needed broader shoulders. LOL My cp's were quick to pointout my trouble with head-hopping...point of view changes. At first, I didn'tsee the problem, had a difficult time picking up on it in fact, butit was one of the learning curves thrown at me and I persevered. Glad I did. Myfirst attempts were really very choppy.

Broader shoulders??!! First time I’m hearing that! :grin:

And, last, but not the least.. Writing vs socialnetworking. How do you find the perfect balance?

Is there a balance? I haven't found one yet. lol Istart my day by checking and answering emails, FB posts and Tweets.I can easily get lost for hours online, or I can write. Most days, Iwrite.

OMG! So true.. I get carried away by chats too (That seemsto be my new addiction…..)

A few words to aspiring authors in out here…

Study the genre you're aiming for, read the books and thensit down to write your novel. Writing involves a continual learning curveand I've learned a lot this past couple years. In fact, I learn with everynovel written, which adds to the sense of accomplishment.

There, I blasted you with my awesome questions ;) Maybe nowyou can lounge around, enjoy the party ;)

Thank you so much for having me here today, Ju. Your ideaof a pre-launch party has been a blast. Can we break out the bubbly now?

Sure, Lorraine… Feel free, since you’re a guest and in away, you’re the host too! What a catchy cover for Zakia ;) I’m all for thecowboy… :sneaks away:

Oh, and beforeI ~~grab~~ talk to the cowboy, let me also share that Lorraine hasgraciously agreed to do a book giveaway of her debut to one lucky commenter.Just say a hi, and leave your email id J Easy peasy, right?

I have a contract !!!! Woo hoo!

2011-10-01T08:21:00.001+05:30

I SOLD!!! I'LL SOON BE AN AUTHOR!!!!

Sorry about the “allcaps” and shouting, but well J I’ve been sitting onthis news for the past few days, until I got the contract in hand! Let me tellyou, waiting for a couple of months on a submission is no big deal, compared tothis insane urge to yell about my first ever sale from the top of a mountain ;)Yes!

And I sold my ménage story to ELLORA’s CAVE! They were one of the firstpublishers I aimed working with, and this is like a special dream come-true forme J One of my dreams is now a reality…and I’m shell-shockedto say the least!!!! :Pinches self:

I first want to thank every one of you, my lovely friends,who made me keep going when things got rough… picked me up when I lost hope! ThankYou!!

And, it’s a double treat daytoday!!! Especially because me and my CP, Renee are co-hosting each others’call stories J We got together in 2009 when we started getting seriousabout writing…and we sold to 2 different publishers—she first, me a few weeks later!It’s so unbelievable and so wonderful that we decided to celebrate at both theplaces!!!

Head over to Renee’s blog to check my call story, and goahead, read hers here!

Thanks for having me today, Ju!

I’ve always written stories. Imean, the moment I realized I could manipulate words into sentences to saywhatever I wanted, I was doing it. My mom loves to tell me about how adorable Iwas as a young child. (Maybe to make me feel guilty for growing up orsomething.) She said when I was two or three years old, I’d “read” a book bymaking up a story based on the pictures.

Like many writers, I was spinningtales as a child without worrying about goals, motivations, conflicts. All Icared about then was that there was some fantasy element to it. And almostalways a dinosaur.

It wasn’t until about two yearsago that I downloaded every one of the free “Try Harlequin” books. I read them all, even the Love Inspired bookshad me intrigued – and I’m not even Christian, I just enjoyed seeing romancesdevelop. I decided it was time to get myown story told. My writing became serious around August of 2009, and I onlyknow this because I searched through my old e-mails to see when I startedworking with critique partners!

In April 2011 I finished “WakingThe Dead.” I submitted it to the Nocturne Cravings pitch, and was promptlyrejected. Okay, so my pitch-writing wasn’t very strong. A month later, I hadthe manuscript polished up and submitted it to Samhain Publishing.

While I was waiting for a responsefrom Samhain, I started researching other potential publishers in the (likely)event WTD was rejected. I also started seeing problems in my manuscript, a fewof which I fixed up along the way. It was during that time that my friend KimBowman introduced me to Evernight Publishing. Okay, I lied. She’d recommendedit to me before I’d subbed to Samhain, but I didn’t know enough about it. Iknew they had nice covers, and they did a ton of promotion for their authors.

Over the next few weeks, Irealized Evernight was a great place to start my writing career. And not justbecause Piers Anthony had reported some crazy number of sales for one authorwithin three days of publication. Not just because one author received RWA PANstatus two weeks after her story was published. And not just because theircovers are gorgeous (although that was one deciding factor).

So when Samhain sent me my formrejection letter sixteen weeks later, I scrambled to fix the remaining issues Ihad with “Waking The Dead.” Fixed up the query letter, and mailed it off toEvernight at 4:15 p.m. on August 29.

At 6:47 that same day, I receivedan offer for publication. I didn’t cry, though. (Not until I received mydrop-dead gorgeous cover a week later!)

OMG! Honey, you have me sniffing here! That's a lovely cover!!! Congrats on your sale to Evernight and thank you for being a part of my writing journey so far!

Here's hoping for many more for you!!

And I'm still feeling nervous and yet exhilarated...! Once again, thank you all, my lovely friends! I'll surely keep you all updated on what's happening...

Do drop by in a couple of days, where I have a uber-fantastic ~~new bride..~~, new author, Lorraine celebrating her debut release and having her pre-launch party here with giveaways!!!!

Humor in romance? Author Lucy Woodhull is here...with giveaways and more!

2011-09-26T07:37:00.000+05:30

Moi, as a writer, especially one who leans heavily on darkparanormals I really struggle to inject homor into my romances. ;) Lucy Woodhull,the super-duper author who has agreed to share her debut release with us, doesit so seamlessly that in addition to laughing out loud while reading her book,I really had a moment of writer-envy! And that, my friends, is a high compliment ;) since, I personallybelieve a book is meant for relaxation and if I can take that away from herbook—the entire credit and some more goes to the author, ie Lucy J

With those words, let me welcome Lucy Woodhull into thespotlight! I hope you enjoy chatting with her as much as I did.

What steered you towards romantic fiction? And where do youthink your stories fit?

I’ve always readromance and loved it. I adore a happily ever after! My first wasthe Rosemary Rogers book Bound By Desire. I have no idea where Igot it, but it’s a filthy Old School to end all Old Schools and if my motherhad known I probably would be typing this from a maximum-securitynunnery. One thing I never found a lot of was funny romance, although Ithink it’s more prevalent now. I grew up with a dad who loved Mel Brooks,the Blues Brothers, Monty Python, and movies like Love atFirst Bite. It’s really no wonder I developed a compulsion for rubberchickens. If you only enjoy angsty heroes who sullenly writhe in theirtragic, sorrowful angsty angst, then I might not be the author for you. But if you like an alien dude with a tail and a snappy comeback, then maybe tryRagnar and Juliet.

Humor is a bit of ared-headed stepchild in the romance world/publishing in general (perfect for mewith my Totally Natural™ red hair), so one of my goals is to make unrepentantlyhumorous romances more popular. Sometimes at the end of a long, crappyday you just need something to lift your soul, you know? And booze. Booze helps, too.

Interesting history there, Lucy! I fell in love with RosemaryRogers too ;) And I’d rather snort with a romance novel than with booze! LOL!

Could you share your major milestones in your writing journey sofar? And what next?

Getting Ragnar andJuliet accepted by Liquid Silver Books was definitely an amazing day. The wonderful Tina Burns at LSB emailed me to accept the manuscript twenty-fourhours after I sent it, and the turnaround was so short I felt sure I wasgetting a “don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out” letter. WhenI read her happy email I cried and ran to my husband, who saw my face and thoughtI’d had a rejection. Hmmm… maybe I should have let him “comfort me”before I told him the truth…

Within the same monthI got my agent, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank of Fairbank Literary. She’srepresenting a humor (non-romance) work of mine. To have nabbed one ofthe best agents for humor out there was amazing and baffling. I can’tbelieve I get to play with the big girls! It’s been a great year.

What's next is moreromance, to hopefully get my humor book sold, and then, someday, to be able tounleash a parody on the unsuspecting world. Bwahahahahahahaaa!

My secret, evil,ultimate plan? To bring back the interrobang. Come on, publishers! What’s not tolove‽

I really had to google up interrobang! Don’t even ask me what Iinitially assumed that as ;) And yeah, sometimes, I do have a dirty mind…Congrats on getting the agent, Lucy! Hope you can sell your books and we get tosee many more on the bookshelves (both virtual and otherwise)

So, what are some of your writing tips and tricks?

Ha! It’s cutethat you think I have a “technique” besides grabbing the Cheez-Its and tryingto get my cat to stop sitting on the keyboard. My stuff is funny (atleast to me), so when the funny is not coming, I put the laptop down and returnlater. If I have to think too hard for the joke, it never works. I’m a 100% pantser. I could be the Queen of Pantsers. I am theHigh-Poobah of Planning it Ahead of Time Sucks. I tried plotting for onebook – once I’d worked out all the details of the story I became bored anddidn’t want to write it anymore. I love having events unfold unexpectedlyin front of me, and have the characters naturally develop their quirks, tics,and issues, plot and personal, they must to resolve.

I usually work from apremise (female bounty hunter goes after a hot, innocent man, like in Ragnarand Juliet) and then just start writing. After a while, even I haveto figure out a general direction for the book, so that’s when I open up a Worddoc and type nothing more than “this happens, then that happens, then they getnaked (yes!), then the other happens, the end.” This basic road map isusually all I need. The other thing I’ll do is keep a list of plot pointsand character arcs I must tie up before the end so I don’t forget. Buteven then your beta readers can save you from a screw up. When he read Ragnarand Juliet, my husband pointed out to me that, as it was originallywritten, I’d accidentally blown up a bunch of innocent concubines. Oops. That’s not very funny. Sorry, concubines!

The ever present pantser in me is nodding at what you’re saying,especially parts about developing the characters as we write. I usually getclosed-mouth treatments from both H/h, if I try to get to know them beforetheir story comes J Oh, and I’m gladyou didn’t blow those innocent concubines up!

What are some of the most important things you have learnt as anauthor that you didn't when you were a writer?

The biggest thing I’velearned since I began serious writing a few years ago is to trust myvoice. I’ve had people try to drown me in writing “rules.” Sure,it’s important to study and learn what the preferred, current writingtechniques are and proper POV and such – you must learn them so you can choosewhen to blast them to smithereens.

Not everyone is intomy kind of humor, and I can appreciate that. But I learned that when Itrust in what I’m doing, in what flows naturally from my (weird) brain, that’swhen I do the best and, ultimately, succeed. So my advice to the aspiringauthor (am I not still one of those‽) is to learn it all,know the rules, read the advice, get the critiques – but then decide which touse and which to throw out because they don’t work for you. I hateabsolute “rules” in art. J.K. Rowling has multiple point-of-views thatswitch with no warning in the first chapter of Harry Potter and theSorcerer’s Stone, and none of them are Harry’s. Rules can bebroken – telling a good story is what matters most. Love what you writeand others will, too.

Ah, that’s the perfect wisdom summed up in a nutshell! Aspiringauthors (like me), take notes here;)

Last, but not the least.. Writing vs social networking. How doyou find the perfect balance?

That’s a hardone! You must get out there, but you must also get your ass in the chairand write something. I’ve tried all the platforms and decided I can’t beeverywhere at once. So I mostly keep to my blog, Twitter,and now Goodreads. I just have fun and find that readers who enjoy my silly blogging about nothingmay also enjoy my books. One piece of advice: if you stand on astreet corner and try to sell romance that way, it doesn’t turn out at allhow you think it will. And never let a guy named Icepick be your agent.

Icepick..LOL! I never thought about it that way ;) Wonderfulperspectives, Lucy! Thanks so much for being a sport and being here with metoday!

Thanks so much to Jufor being my very first interviewer! Shewas extremely gentle, and I highly recommend her to other first-time… writers.

Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Lucy J Honored to beyour first. I love having authors on my blog – a writer’s life can get verylonely otherwise! So thank you!

RAGNAR AND JULIET BLURB:

Bounty hunting is usually so easy. Flash a little cleavage, mix aroofie cocktail, and Juliet has her man right where she wants him: out cold,ready to be swapped for cash. Her passions are freedom, trashy clothes,and pie -- not necessarily in that order.

Hunky alien ship captain Ragnar doesn't deserve torture at thehands of the psychotic king who hired Juliet; he liberated one of William theNefarious' illegal concubines. Juliet can't ignore such a noble act. Shedoesn’t trust men, but this one, with the kindest smile she's ever seen, picksaway at her resolve to stay aloof and clothed. He's just so...nice! Crazy shecan deal with; sincerity is terrifying.

Before she gives in to her irrational urge to get a timeshare withhim (and his cute tail), they're caught by the bad guys. Ragnar disappears andabandons her to her disgusting captors -- so much for togetherness. Perhapshe’s not such a saint. Even worse, Nefarious William (who prefers"Bob") has nominated her for Concubine of the Evening. This dubioushonor does not thrill her, and only a few hours remain before the king’smind-altering drugs obliterate her free will.

Sexual slavery might not be fatal, but Juliet would rather die. Ofcourse, the third option (run away to a beach and hump Ragnar silly) is thebest, if they can live that long.

And lovely friends, Just show Lucy some comment love and she’llpick a winner for hr book – Ragnar And Juliet. The book is fantasticallyhilarious ;) And I bet you wouldn’t be able to put it down once you startreading it. You can find her at : http://www.lucywoodhull.com

PS: Winner will be picked by Thursday and announcedon Friday! So comment away!

Winner of Christina's book and weekend plans..

2011-09-24T23:15:00.002+05:30

Christina loved all the comments and had to choose the winner by putting all the names in a draw ;) And the lucky winner is.... Lorraine Nelson!

Woo hoo!!

Contact her to claim your book at : christinahollis AT hotmail DOT co DOT uk ! Thanks so much to Christina, Nas and to everyone else who participated!

And for next week...there's a special romance author coming up - one who has her debut book out and whoa - you seriously need to read it! And in my opinion, it must come labelled with a warning : Your stomach might end up in stitches because of continuous laughing ;)

Curious to know who is it? Or how to win her book? Just drop by in a couple of days ;) hehe :insert evil laugh here:

Have a nice weekend, friends! I am so tied up - with cleaning and shopping (for a festival)...that I might need a weekday to relax ;) What's your plan?

Author Christina Hollis with fab giveaway!

2011-09-19T08:40:00.002+05:30

Hello mylovelies,

Today,fabulous author Christina Hollis is here with us, celebratingher latest release and sharing loads of tips and inspiration for aspiringwriters…

Withoutmuch ado, let me hand over the dais to a wonderful author. Oh, and she’s comebearing gifts J Read on to find out more…

What are some of your writing tips and tricks?

I keep my ears and eyes open all the time forinspiration, and always have either a notebook or my Alphasmart Neo with me formaking notes. The internet and celebrity magazines provide lots of snippets ofinformation about living the high life. I write between school runs, whichgenerally means between 8.30am and 4.30pm. In the morning I write, and in theafternoons I read back over what I’ve done, edit and catch up on paperwork. Iused to be a pantser, but I’m leaning more toward planning now. I’m trying outthe Snowflake Pro system at the moment, which is a lot of fun.

I’m athorough pantser too.. and planning.. Do I have to try that? :puppy dog eyes: Ilove the way you have set the morning time to write..nothing like a fresh mindto garner inspiration!

What are some of the most important things you havelearned in the publishing industry that you would give as advice to an aspiringauthor.

I’m always amazed at how much non-writing workwriters must fit into their working week. Quite apart from the nuts and boltsof running a business there are the interviews, the blogging and the booksignings to arrange, and to attend. I love it all, but it’s really important toget the work-life balance right. Writing is my way of life, but my familyalways comes first. Although I work from home there are times when I hardly seethem outside of the school run and bedtimes. If a deadline is approaching,something has to give but I make sure it’s the housework rather than familytime. Incidentally, as I write this, the cat is chasing a fluff puppy acrossthe floor...

Fluffpuppy! OMG…so cuuute (or I’m sure it would be)… I really understand the partabout the time balance..there were rookie mistakes I’d made—not so long in thepast—that it did take some hard truths to serve as an eye-opener, that family comesfirst. Thanks for sharing this bit with us, Christina.

Writing vs social networking. How do you find theperfect balance?

I don’t - it’s impossible! I love to chat, so I’veadored Twitter from the moment I first tried it. The trouble is, I lovecorresponding with readers and writers so much, it really eats into my writingschedule. I now have to be really tough with myself, awarding myself a tenminute Tweet-break every couple of hours.

Theten-minute tweet break sounds really interesting. Are you able to really managewith that 10 mins? Do you ever overshoot? Curious minds wants to know… That’sthe “trick” part with breaks, IMO.

Now, onto some fun questions:

What comes first: Character or the conflict?

I like to find good, interesting charactersand then live with them for a while,imagining them in all sorts of situations. Sooner or later they develop somelittle flaw or foible that is bound to lead to a simmering conflict.

Relaxant : Wine or chocolate?

It’s got to be chocolate every time, preferably inthe form of cake. Multilayered, with a touch of ganache, please!

Movies : Rom coms or action flicks?

It depends on my mood. If it’s a girly night we’llindulge in something like Legally Blonde or Pretty Woman, but if I’m on my ownI’ll get back to my roots with part-time archaeologist and iconoclast Lawrenceof Arabia, or marvel at the triumph that is LA Confidential.

A genre you'd love to write but haven't tried yet?

A non-fiction book - maybe about seasonal English cookery. I once harboured dreams of becoming a chef,but writing won. Nowadays I’m more than happy simply cooking for my family, andfor pleasure. Realistically, I don’t think I could have stood the intensepressure of being a professional cook. One of my favourite TV programmes at themoment is The Great British Bake-Off, which I watch with a mixture of awe andhorror. Those amateur bakers are brilliant: the judgements are absolutelyruthless.

What's the first characteristic that comes to yourmind when I mention

a) Hero

Charisma, definitely. He’s got to have that certainmagical something that money can’t buy and good looks can only enhance.

b)Heroine

Independence. It’s a quality I think everyoneadmires, and many would like to have.

Ooh, Iloved the chocolate in layers of cake J

Thanks somuch for being here with us, Christina! I really enjoyed knowing the storybehind the scenes (aka, the wonderful books of yours that we get to read).

I’ve really enjoyed stopping off here on my blogtour - thank you so much for inviting me, Ju. My next Modern Romance forHarlequin Mills and Boon Limited is released on 16th September. Weight of theCrown is the story of Lysander’s struggle to balance his public duty with hisprivate desire for Alyssa, the woman he wants but can’t have.

What do you think makes for the perfect conflictbetween a hero and heroine? Tell me what you think, and the names of everyonewho posts a comment on this site will be entered into a draw to win a signedcopy of Weight of the Crown. In addition, anyone with the stamina to comment onevery one of the blogs on my tour (Dates and details at http://rbpp-ch.blogspot.com/)will be entered into a further grand draw, with the winner announced at thewrap-up party at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.comon 15th December.

The bookcan be also obtained fromhttp://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/Modern/Weight-of-the-Crown.htm.

Inaddition, my links are as follows:

Website: http://www.christinahollis.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/christinabooks

Facebook: http://bit.ly/9rv4df

Blog: http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com

Tumblr: http://christinahollis.tumblr.com

Oh, wow! Signedcopy for the winner. That’s really something fabulous, Christina. Thank you! In“Weight of the Crown”, I loved, loved the crown image at the bottom. I am yetto start reading your book….and I’m so eager after reading the blurb!

Here’s the back-blurb for Weight of the Crown:

Now Duty ishis only mistress

For notoriousplayboy Prince Lysander Kahani, playtime is over...Left with a country to run,he draws the line at playing nanny to his orphaned nephew!

Instead hesends for a professional. But one glance at buttoned-up Alyssa Dene andLysander’s wicked side re-emerges! Wary of Lysander’s scandalous reputation,Alyssa tries to keep her distance - but Lysander draws her like a moth to aflame.

Lysander isfighting a battle between public duty and private desire, but he is determinedto make Alyssa a royal offer she won’t refuse...

Whoa. That’s intense ;) Come on, friends, just go ahead, say a hito Christina, answer the question about the perfect conflict between hero /heroine..for a chance win her book! Don’t forget to leave your email addy…Happy Monday, everyone J

Winner of Kate's book!!!

2011-09-17T03:30:00.005+05:30

I'm jazzed to announce the winner of Kate's book!!! "Rishal" !!!!! Contact Nas, so she can forward your details to Kate :)

Woo hoo!!

Loved having you here, Kate! And thanks to all my fabulous new friends and old, who dropped into make Kate so welcome here on my blog!

I wuw u all!

And make sure to come back here on Monday, where another fab author will be here as part of her blog tour....

And recently I've realized..waiting for response on a submission...is tooooo tough!!!! How does everyone (aspiring authors like me) manage it? And readers - do you know that we writers sit on pins and needles after sending a story out for consideration????

Lovely author, Kate Walker's blog tour with mega giveaways!

2011-09-12T09:08:00.001+05:30

Hello my lovely friends,

It’s party time!!!! Today’s guest in my blog isnone other than Kate Walker, who’s kicking off her blog tour for her latestHarlequin Presents release, “The Return of the Stranger”! Woo hoo! The lovely Nas has arranged for it and you canfind the details on her special page created for the tour. Be prepared for fun, excitementand loads of prizes!

I’m so thrilled to have Kate here, as you cansee by the way I’m spellbound and mute in her presence ;) But the good host Iam, let me don on my professional mask and get down to interviewing thefabulous author of 12 point guide to writing romance,the de-facto book we, aspiring writers, turn to. She’s sharing her writingwisdom with us, which I’m sure has to be bookmarked for future use (I alreadydid)!

At this stop she’s also giving away a copy ofher latest release(or any of her backlist if you have the latest) to one of thecommenters.

Read on…

What are some of your writing tips and tricks?

Whattriggers a story? Well, I once tried to convince my accountant that living wasa viable expense for a writer – but he wouldn’t go for it! But just goingthrough every day throws up triggers for ideas and inspiration. Theproblem is making that tiny seed of inspiration grow into a fully developedstory. So, yes, I always, always have a notebook and pen handy - forgetto note down the flicker of an idea and you have lost it. For example Ihave a note on my bedside cabinet that says ‘The same points that she had madebut now turned against her.’ And I know exactly how and where it’s going to fitinto a scene. But then I need to work that through – take the tiny idea-seedand see what it might grow into. This means usually working with mycharacters. Finding out just who they are and what is happening intheir lives. I am sort of half plotter, half pantser – Iplan my characters very carefully, making sure I get to know them, Idecide on what the situation is and the conflict that is there between them –and then I introduce them to each other and see what happens. Harrison Fordonce said his approach to acting is ‘Let’s pretend’ – my approach to writing is‘What happens next – and why?’ But the people I ask this of are mycharacters. I don’t decide what happens, I want it to come from my hero andheroine and what they are feeling. That way I get the best emotional responsesand the tension between them.

I have really faced this “flicker of idea” just when Iwoke up (more than a couple of times), which when I miss writing it down, wham,it vanishes! So I’ve resorted to carrying my phone with me and “texting” myselfthose glimmer of ideas ;) Loving the let’s pretend method…have to surely try itonce!

OMG! Did you look at that UK cover??? :swoons:

What are some of the most important things you havelearned in the publishing industry that you would give as advice to an aspiringauthor.

Well the firstmisconception is that as soon as you are accepted everything becomesmiraculously easier, the door is instantly open and never slamsshut! Each new book is as much of a new challenge as the very first –sometimes more because after 60 titles, there is now the likelihood that I havealready written a book with this theme, this sort of conflict and I need towork extra hard to make sure that this is somehow different and fresher. The other really important thing is that publishing – especially genre publishing/categoryromance is a living, growing, changing thing. It changes subtly andgradually as a plant grows so that it doesn’t seem very different from day today but one day you could look back over a year and find that everything is newand different, the old tried-and-tested themes have become too tried and testedand don’t appeal any more. One of the things that I am most proud of is that inmy 25+ years as a published author I have kept up with the changes, keptcurrent – and kept selling. I’ve never strongly changed my style butlearned from what is being published now – and what is selling now. I wrote my best advice to aspiring authors in the 12 Point Guide ToWriting Romance and one of the best possible feelings is when someonewho has bought it and read it writes to me to tell me of her success andI know I’ve helped them on their way just a little bit. But I always emphasizethat the best thing any aspiring author can do is to keep reading thetype of books she/he wants to write – and reading what is current. I knowsome people who only ever read books they have bought in second hand shops/bookexchanges – and then they wonder why the editors think their work is notcontemporary.

That’s such a fab suggestion, Kate! Something we’all haveto remember as we aspire to be writers!

Writing vs social networking. How do you find the perfectbalance?

Writing mustalways always be the priority. Social networking is a publicity and a sellingtool and it’s always fun and fascinating to keep in touch with readers andspecially fans. But there is a real trend for people who have not had a singlebook published to keep blogging, commenting, promoting themselves when theyhave nothing to promote. I started writing in a time when there was nointernet, no Facebook, no Twitter – and I just got on and wrote. Noeditor is going to buy you because you have a great blog or are really activeon Twitter. They will buy the great book you have written when you writeit. Networking is great when you have a new book out – likemy new title The Return of The Stranger! – but I need to make sureI have another new title after that . . . and another. Soalways writing first. Then networking is fun and hopefully helpful.

Perfectly true and so in time when the NV competition isjust round the corner! Thanks so much for the insight, Kate!

And now, onto some fun questions :

1. What comes first: Character or the conflict?

Character –absolutely. The conflict comes out of the characters. The only variation onthat rule is that sometimes a conflict comes into my head and it can onlyreally work for one particular type of character. Then I include the conflictin the development of the character.

2. Relaxant : Wine or chocolate?

Winedefinitely. I know it’s strange to some people but I don’t eat or evenlike a lot of chocolate – but a chilled dry white wine (it has to be whitebecause red gives me migraines) at the end of a long busy day is great.

3. Movies : Rom coms or action flicks?

Romantic filmsevery time – but I prefer less of the ‘com’ and more of an emotionallyintense story. I can enjoy a thriller or a mystery but they’re always best if there is some emotional relationship in there. There are reasonswhy I write romance!

4. A genre you'd love to write but haven't tried yet?

I have alwaysbeen fascinated by the supernatural – but not vampires or shapeshifters or thatsort of thing. I’d love to write a really good scary ghost story.

5. What's the first characteristic that comes to your mindwhen I

mention a) Hero, b) Heroine.

Actually,they’re both the same – Strength and vulnerability - for both. Their strengths will give them the courage to fight for what is right for them,and the vulnerabilities, however hidden, are the ways they will be able toreach out and touch each other emotionally.

Ah, loved reading the answers to this batch ;) I’llsurely be on the lookout for that scary ghost story, Kate!

Loved having you here, Kate! Make sure you leave acomment for Kate and a way to contact you, if you’re picked a winner and you’reset for the giveaway. And go ahead, check out her tour page aswell for more fun.

You can find Kate at : http://www.kate-walker.com and at : http://www.kate-walker.blogspot.com/

Kaily's book winner and summer plans..

2011-09-06T21:51:00.000+05:30

After a nerve-wracking, ahem, fantastic long weekend, I came back to find out that Kaily has picked a winner ;)

None other than : Helise!!!!! Woo hoo!! :Tosses confetti and jumps madly: You're in for one fab treat m'dear! Contact Kaily at her author email ID : kaily AT kailyhart DOT com and pick your choice of book :) for a hot hot read ;)

And friends, now that the summer is whizzing by and fall is arriving, what's your plans?

I want to go walking by the riverside, take a hike and umm, maybe a picnic to enjoy the weather while it lasts... Brr...Even thinking about Canada's winter is making me shiver..., but then it's also a great time for me to hoard up some books for the winter..LOL :)

Come on..share your wishlist with me and let's compare notes ;)

KarenG's Labor Day BBQ Party

2011-09-02T21:02:00.001+05:30

Hello new friends,

Welcome to my blog :) A lovely writing friend, Amalie pointed out the party for me, and I hope I can visit all of you today.

I have brought along loads of vegies for the BBQ(think of the big mama bear here, making sure everyone gets their share of goodness), and then some iced tea as well! What better way to watch the blazing hot summer turn into the colorful fall, by a BBQ party :) Thanks to KarenG!

Let me give you a wee bit about myself... I've been writing for ages, or so it seems like, even thought it's been only 2 yrs + since I started doing it seriously. And I'm still in the "aspiring" category.

My writing might be in paranormal, bordering from sensual to erotic, but in my blog you'll barely find any references to it ;) Instead I love chatting about the writing life in general, planning my time (or lamenting the lack of it) and I luuuuv bringing authors into the spotlight, with an interview and a giveaway :)

Psst..Take a look at the post below this and say hi to the lovely author and friend, Kaily :)

Oh..and for September I have 2 super-duper authors coming here as part of their blog tour....Visit here on Sep 12 to meet Kate Walker and on September 19th to meet Christina Hollis!

Take a look around .. Hope you love it here and come to visit me often! Enjoy the party, friends!