Rejection! It's part of every writer's life.
I'm blogging over at the Ladies of the Club Blog today about this very subject. Check it out!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Heat Up The Summer Contest!
I'm one of the many Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press authors participating in the HEAT UP THE SUMMER CONTEST being sponsored by The Hussies.
There area a ton of great prizes to be won. Just hop on over to The Hussies Website for details on how to enter.
I'm giving away a print copy of Summersville Heat as a prize!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
DamNATION and Celebration for the Dead
Like most folks, I have to be careful with my money. Therefore, I'm getting pickier about everything I spend my money on--including books.
These are the latest two I bought and read. Because they were both so great, I thought I'd share them with you.
DamNATION By Nathalie Gray
A species created by man to serve and obey. But we made a mistake…we gave it fangs.
We designed them for our use. To wage our greedy wars, toil in our poisonous lunar mines. We made them pleasing to the eye so our children would not have nightmares, tall and strong and smart so they would adapt to environments never meant to sustain life. We thought we had created the perfect sub-species. Obedient. Disposable. How wrong we were.
Helios stands alone. The first of a dying race. He has spent his life fighting to free his kind. To avenge them. His world is a cold, desolate one that has never been touched by grace or light until a hot-tempered woman, a human, marches into his life, his home and his guarded heart. Through Dawn's dry humor and passionate embrace, he learns to trust again and to love. But just as he starts to hope, she is stolen from him. With his light gone, all that is left is darkness and revenge.
They took the one thing he loved and Helios will stop at nothing to get Dawn back. Even damn his eternal, vampire soul.
This book won the 2007 RT Award for best Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi Erotic Romance and it deserves it. What a fantastic read. You'll lose your heart to Helios. If you haven't already read it, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Nathalie Gray writes some of the best futuristic books on the market.
Next up, is Lauren Dane's Celebration for the Dead.
Witches Knot - Celebration for the Dead By Lauren Dane
Witches Knot 5
Vampire Hunter Minx Rodriguez decides to mix a little business with pleasure when she heads to Mexico to celebrate El Dia de los Muertos. She's hot on the trail of the vampire who not only took her hostage and tortured her but also killed her friends and family.
Connor Bell finds himself in love with a Vampire Hunter who's skipped town without notice — much like he did to her just two weeks before. He heads to Mexico to find her and make things right.
Even as they work through their problems and plan a feast to celebrate the lives of those they've lost to the Oathbreakers, the threat remains. A Hunter's job is never done and there's a job to do in Mexico. The question remains as to whether Minx and Connor can survive what'll be asked of them both.
This book continues the Witches Knot series. (Triad, A Touch of Fae, Vengeance Due, and Thrice United are the first four books in the series.) You'll catch up with characters from books past, as well as get a great story with Minx and Connor. I love the way the author weaves the plotline around the Mexican holiday--the Celebration of the Dead.
If you haven't already checked out this series, you should. Lauren Dane writes some of the best vamps and werewolf books I've ever read. Her Cascadia Wolf series is among my favorites.
These are the latest two I bought and read. Because they were both so great, I thought I'd share them with you.
DamNATION By Nathalie Gray
A species created by man to serve and obey. But we made a mistake…we gave it fangs.
We designed them for our use. To wage our greedy wars, toil in our poisonous lunar mines. We made them pleasing to the eye so our children would not have nightmares, tall and strong and smart so they would adapt to environments never meant to sustain life. We thought we had created the perfect sub-species. Obedient. Disposable. How wrong we were.
Helios stands alone. The first of a dying race. He has spent his life fighting to free his kind. To avenge them. His world is a cold, desolate one that has never been touched by grace or light until a hot-tempered woman, a human, marches into his life, his home and his guarded heart. Through Dawn's dry humor and passionate embrace, he learns to trust again and to love. But just as he starts to hope, she is stolen from him. With his light gone, all that is left is darkness and revenge.
They took the one thing he loved and Helios will stop at nothing to get Dawn back. Even damn his eternal, vampire soul.
This book won the 2007 RT Award for best Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi Erotic Romance and it deserves it. What a fantastic read. You'll lose your heart to Helios. If you haven't already read it, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Nathalie Gray writes some of the best futuristic books on the market.
Next up, is Lauren Dane's Celebration for the Dead.
Witches Knot - Celebration for the Dead By Lauren Dane
Witches Knot 5
Vampire Hunter Minx Rodriguez decides to mix a little business with pleasure when she heads to Mexico to celebrate El Dia de los Muertos. She's hot on the trail of the vampire who not only took her hostage and tortured her but also killed her friends and family.
Connor Bell finds himself in love with a Vampire Hunter who's skipped town without notice — much like he did to her just two weeks before. He heads to Mexico to find her and make things right.
Even as they work through their problems and plan a feast to celebrate the lives of those they've lost to the Oathbreakers, the threat remains. A Hunter's job is never done and there's a job to do in Mexico. The question remains as to whether Minx and Connor can survive what'll be asked of them both.
This book continues the Witches Knot series. (Triad, A Touch of Fae, Vengeance Due, and Thrice United are the first four books in the series.) You'll catch up with characters from books past, as well as get a great story with Minx and Connor. I love the way the author weaves the plotline around the Mexican holiday--the Celebration of the Dead.
If you haven't already checked out this series, you should. Lauren Dane writes some of the best vamps and werewolf books I've ever read. Her Cascadia Wolf series is among my favorites.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
July Sneak Peek Contest!
I've got two books releasing in July and I'm celebrating with a big contest!
A Legal Affair is releasing from Samhain Publishing on July 15 and Jackson's Jewel is releasing from Ellora’s Cave Publishing on July 25th!
I'm giving readers a chance to win a download copy of each book. For details on how to enter to be eligible to win, go to my Website and click on the "contests" page for details!
The winner of the download of A Legal Affair will be drawn from all correct entries received on July 14th. The winner of the download of Jackson's Jewel will be drawn from all correct entries received on July 24th.
Enter once to have a chance to win twice!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Happy Monday!
Good morning and welcome to Monday! The sun is shining and it looks like a beautiful day.
Mondays sure are a lot different for me than they used to be. When I still worked the day-job, Monday was the day that I looked forward to the least. Back to work for another long five days before I got another day off.
Well, now every day is Monday. *g* The difference is that I love it! I work harder now than I ever have in my life. There is no time clock, no one telling me I have to work. Still, writing is a seven-day-a-week job. When you're not writing, there is editing, research, and promotion to do. In-between that, there is the regular stuff of living--family, friends, groceries, laundry...
Still, I wouldn't change it for anything! I love what I do. I love being able to fit my schedule around what I want to do. That's why hubby and I usually take off to the Friday afternoon movies. LOL
Have a great week, no matter where you work. And enjoy each and every day as it comes. :-)
Mondays sure are a lot different for me than they used to be. When I still worked the day-job, Monday was the day that I looked forward to the least. Back to work for another long five days before I got another day off.
Well, now every day is Monday. *g* The difference is that I love it! I work harder now than I ever have in my life. There is no time clock, no one telling me I have to work. Still, writing is a seven-day-a-week job. When you're not writing, there is editing, research, and promotion to do. In-between that, there is the regular stuff of living--family, friends, groceries, laundry...
Still, I wouldn't change it for anything! I love what I do. I love being able to fit my schedule around what I want to do. That's why hubby and I usually take off to the Friday afternoon movies. LOL
Have a great week, no matter where you work. And enjoy each and every day as it comes. :-)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Happy Solstice!
Happy Summer Solstice!
Today marks the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. I hope you all have plans to celebrate!
Today marks the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. I hope you all have plans to celebrate!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
New Contract!
I've just signed a new contract with Samhain Publishing for BY THE BOOK, the next installment of the Jamesville series. I'm so excited. BY THE BOOK is book 6 in this series and I have at least one more I want to write before I'm done.
Book 5 in the Jamesville series--A LEGAL AFFAIR is due out on July 15th from Samhain Publishing!
If you want to check out the Jamesville series, just go to Samhain Publishing .
Book 5 in the Jamesville series--A LEGAL AFFAIR is due out on July 15th from Samhain Publishing!
If you want to check out the Jamesville series, just go to Samhain Publishing .
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Quote of the Week!
"Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary."
~Jessamyn West
It takes guts to sit at a keyboard for days, weeks and months, not knowing if anyone else will ever read your book. There is no one telling you to do it. You have to do it yourself.
Then comes the rejection. Every writer has faced rejection. It takes guts to keep sending out a book and facing more rejection. It takes courage to sit back down and start the next book.
Being a writer is a fabulous profession, but it's not an easy one. :-)
~Jessamyn West
It takes guts to sit at a keyboard for days, weeks and months, not knowing if anyone else will ever read your book. There is no one telling you to do it. You have to do it yourself.
Then comes the rejection. Every writer has faced rejection. It takes guts to keep sending out a book and facing more rejection. It takes courage to sit back down and start the next book.
Being a writer is a fabulous profession, but it's not an easy one. :-)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, Monday...
Good morning and welcome to Monday.
I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. It rained most of the weekend and is still raining this morning. I can't remember the last time the sun was shining. But I'm not complaining because there is no flooding here. It's just enough to dampen the spirits.
I'm currently in rewriting mode. I'm reworking a book that I wrote about a year ago. I've rewritten it several times, but I'm still not happy with it. I tried it as a futuristic, but I'm not happy with it. This time, I'm going to try urban paranormal.
Wish me luck. :-)
Have a great Monday!
I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. It rained most of the weekend and is still raining this morning. I can't remember the last time the sun was shining. But I'm not complaining because there is no flooding here. It's just enough to dampen the spirits.
I'm currently in rewriting mode. I'm reworking a book that I wrote about a year ago. I've rewritten it several times, but I'm still not happy with it. I tried it as a futuristic, but I'm not happy with it. This time, I'm going to try urban paranormal.
Wish me luck. :-)
Have a great Monday!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Happy Saturday!
Welcome to the Weekend!
It's rainy and foggy here this morning. Cold too. Not quite sure what I'm going to do today. I may do some research for a book I need to rewrite. I may go out to the bookstore later.
Whatever I do, I intend to make this a cozy day.
What are your plans for today?
It's rainy and foggy here this morning. Cold too. Not quite sure what I'm going to do today. I may do some research for a book I need to rewrite. I may go out to the bookstore later.
Whatever I do, I intend to make this a cozy day.
What are your plans for today?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Raven Radio with Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth
Raven Radio
by Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth
We couldn’t be more excited. When we started our free story for readers, Raven Happy Hour, those few years ago, we never expected it to be such an incredible journey. But, nearly 50 chapters later, a paranormal blog, website, yahoo group, cult following and Raven minions, we’ve embarked on our latest adventure—a live, weekly Raven Radio show.
Raven Radio was a natural progression for us. It offered another outlet to express ourselves, our creativity and to invite friends of ours to hang out and share in the gabbing. Fortunately for us, the listeners seem to enjoy hearing us talk about everything and nothing and just generally being our normal, comical selves. We started off prerecording the shows and splicing them together. We’re now up to weekly, live shows. All the more fun to screw up without a net while talking to New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors as well as those wonderfully talented authors soon to be there. *wink* We’ve had some really amazing authors join us on Raven. To name a few… Jacquelyn Frank, Gena Showalter, Jaci Burton, Lauren Dane, Anya Bast and Caridid Pineiro. And Raven Radio was recently mentioned in Romantic Times Magazine.
All the shows are archived afterwards and uploaded onto our subscriber sites to be listened to at leisure. Our most recent guest was author, Gena Showalter, who talked about her new series, Lords of the Underworld. But, as the interview proves, we often lured her into our usually digressed topics and ended up discussing chocolate allergies, beauty products and interpretive dance. Other shows feature Mandy and Michelle switching roles while Mandy’s live at a coffee shop and Michelle’s left in charge of the controls with no clue on how to run them. Callers were welcomed with the pleasant sound effect of a toilet flushing whenever they called in. Needless to say, Michelle’s controls were taken away and the password changed. *laughing*
Listeners are welcome to join the live chat or call in to the show to talk to us and our guests. The show will move to its new evening schedule, May 28th where listeners can catch us every Wednesday at 11PM to 12AM EST. We have a lot of authors on the upcoming line up and you can see a full schedule of guests here: http://ravenhappyhour.com/raven_podcast_schedule_of_guests.htm
Authors looking for more information about taking part in various Raven opportunities can visit http://ravenhappyhour.com/raven_faq's.htm#Advertise%20With%20Us
About the Authors
Michelle M. Pillow and Mandy M. Roth are published romance authors. Michelle’s newest release, Recipe for Disaster, will be on bookshelves June 10th. Mandy’s newest release, Daughter of Darkness 3: Bella Mia, comes out the end of June. Check their websites for more details.
Mandy
Website – www.mandyroth.com
Blog – www.mandyroth.com/blog
Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/Mandy_M_Roth
Michelle
Website – www.michellepillow.com
Blog – www.michellepillow.com/blog
Newsletter - http://www.michellepillow.com/newsletter/?p=subscribe
Raven Happy Hour
Website – www.ravenhappyhour.com
Blog – www.ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog
Radio Show – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ravenradio
by Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth
We couldn’t be more excited. When we started our free story for readers, Raven Happy Hour, those few years ago, we never expected it to be such an incredible journey. But, nearly 50 chapters later, a paranormal blog, website, yahoo group, cult following and Raven minions, we’ve embarked on our latest adventure—a live, weekly Raven Radio show.
Raven Radio was a natural progression for us. It offered another outlet to express ourselves, our creativity and to invite friends of ours to hang out and share in the gabbing. Fortunately for us, the listeners seem to enjoy hearing us talk about everything and nothing and just generally being our normal, comical selves. We started off prerecording the shows and splicing them together. We’re now up to weekly, live shows. All the more fun to screw up without a net while talking to New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors as well as those wonderfully talented authors soon to be there. *wink* We’ve had some really amazing authors join us on Raven. To name a few… Jacquelyn Frank, Gena Showalter, Jaci Burton, Lauren Dane, Anya Bast and Caridid Pineiro. And Raven Radio was recently mentioned in Romantic Times Magazine.
All the shows are archived afterwards and uploaded onto our subscriber sites to be listened to at leisure. Our most recent guest was author, Gena Showalter, who talked about her new series, Lords of the Underworld. But, as the interview proves, we often lured her into our usually digressed topics and ended up discussing chocolate allergies, beauty products and interpretive dance. Other shows feature Mandy and Michelle switching roles while Mandy’s live at a coffee shop and Michelle’s left in charge of the controls with no clue on how to run them. Callers were welcomed with the pleasant sound effect of a toilet flushing whenever they called in. Needless to say, Michelle’s controls were taken away and the password changed. *laughing*
Listeners are welcome to join the live chat or call in to the show to talk to us and our guests. The show will move to its new evening schedule, May 28th where listeners can catch us every Wednesday at 11PM to 12AM EST. We have a lot of authors on the upcoming line up and you can see a full schedule of guests here: http://ravenhappyhour.com/raven_podcast_schedule_of_guests.htm
Authors looking for more information about taking part in various Raven opportunities can visit http://ravenhappyhour.com/raven_faq's.htm#Advertise%20With%20Us
About the Authors
Michelle M. Pillow and Mandy M. Roth are published romance authors. Michelle’s newest release, Recipe for Disaster, will be on bookshelves June 10th. Mandy’s newest release, Daughter of Darkness 3: Bella Mia, comes out the end of June. Check their websites for more details.
Mandy
Website – www.mandyroth.com
Blog – www.mandyroth.com/blog
Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/Mandy_M_Roth
Michelle
Website – www.michellepillow.com
Blog – www.michellepillow.com/blog
Newsletter - http://www.michellepillow.com/newsletter/?p=subscribe
Raven Happy Hour
Website – www.ravenhappyhour.com
Blog – www.ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog
Radio Show – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ravenradio
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Guest Bloggers!
Stop by my blog tomorrow, Friday the 13th, as guest bloggers Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow stop by to talk about their Raven Radio Show!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Heat Wave
Much of North America is trapped in a bit of a heat wave at the moment. To celebrate the summer heat and to show you it's not all bad, I thought I'd share the blurb for my Ellora's Cave book, Heat Wave!Heat Wave , Book 2 in the Summersville Secrets Series.
BLURB:
Emma Howard has been sensible her entire life, focusing all her time and energy on her career. In fact, Emma doubts that there is much passion inside her, at least until Tucker Martin moves into her apartment building. Their immediate reaction to one another is explosive and she grabs the opportunity to explore her awakening sexuality. But after a heated encounter, Emma backs away from their growing relationship, unwilling to trust the passion flaring between them.
Tucker’s wanted Emma since the first moment he laid eyes on her. When a blackout traps them in an elevator, it’s not just the heat wave that makes Emma feel hot. Determined to convince her that they are made for each other, he’s more than willing to take advantage of the circumstances that have trapped them alone together.
But Emma’s fears go deeper than either of them realizes, and she will have to face her past before she can claim a future with Tucker.
Heat Wave is also available in print in the two-book anthology Summersville Heat . You can check out this book, or any of my books at Ellora’s Cave Publishing .
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Why are some books more popular than others?
What makes one book more popular than another? Is it the characters? The plot? Marketing?
Whenever an author has a new release they never know how it's going to be received by readers. You hold your breath and hope for the best, but you never know.
One upon a time, I had an idea that I wanted to write a ménage a trois. At the same time I had a female character in my head. She was a full-sized gal who lived alone in a large city, working Monday to Friday. She had no family. No real ties to where she lived.
The two things came together the day I stumbled across a book of Medieval Tapestries. As I flipped the pages, admiring the sheer artistry of the tapestries, a thought occured to me: What if one of the tapestries was magic? What if it had the ability to take a person to an alternate world?
It made me ponder what would happen if the female character, Christina, stumbled across this magical tapestry. What if it took her to a world where women were scarce and the men there would do everything in their power to keep here there? What if she only had three days to decide?
Well, that idea became the basis for Christina’s Tapestry. It was a little book that wrote itself in a little less than a month. It was going to be a stand-alone book. Just a little story.
Boy, was I wrong!
Readers loved it! And I couldn't stop thinking about the Bakra brothers, who I introduced in Christina's Tapestry.
For whatever reason, this book resonated with Readers. It won a Golden Rose Award for Time Travel books and is my best selling book to date. I've added two more books to the series since and book four is on the way. I can't seem to leave this world alone.
I've written other ménage a trois books, including Three Swords, One Heart. I absolutely love this book. It's action and adventure and a kick-ass heroine. While it's sold well, it hasn't come anywhere near the popularity of Christina's Tapestry and I have no idea why.
I guess some books just resonate better with readers.
If you like ménage a trois books, check out Amethyst Moon, my latest Ellora's Cave release, Three Swords, One Heart, or any of the books in the Tapestries series.
Whenever an author has a new release they never know how it's going to be received by readers. You hold your breath and hope for the best, but you never know.
One upon a time, I had an idea that I wanted to write a ménage a trois. At the same time I had a female character in my head. She was a full-sized gal who lived alone in a large city, working Monday to Friday. She had no family. No real ties to where she lived.
The two things came together the day I stumbled across a book of Medieval Tapestries. As I flipped the pages, admiring the sheer artistry of the tapestries, a thought occured to me: What if one of the tapestries was magic? What if it had the ability to take a person to an alternate world?
It made me ponder what would happen if the female character, Christina, stumbled across this magical tapestry. What if it took her to a world where women were scarce and the men there would do everything in their power to keep here there? What if she only had three days to decide?
Well, that idea became the basis for Christina’s Tapestry. It was a little book that wrote itself in a little less than a month. It was going to be a stand-alone book. Just a little story.
Boy, was I wrong!
Readers loved it! And I couldn't stop thinking about the Bakra brothers, who I introduced in Christina's Tapestry.
For whatever reason, this book resonated with Readers. It won a Golden Rose Award for Time Travel books and is my best selling book to date. I've added two more books to the series since and book four is on the way. I can't seem to leave this world alone.
I've written other ménage a trois books, including Three Swords, One Heart. I absolutely love this book. It's action and adventure and a kick-ass heroine. While it's sold well, it hasn't come anywhere near the popularity of Christina's Tapestry and I have no idea why.
I guess some books just resonate better with readers.
If you like ménage a trois books, check out Amethyst Moon, my latest Ellora's Cave release, Three Swords, One Heart, or any of the books in the Tapestries series.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
4 Stars for SOS III
RT Magazine gives Seasons of Seduction III 4 Stars!"These imaginative stories by this group of top-notch writers take readers on adventures from the past to way into the future. While each writer had her own unique style, all their tales have one thing in common: They are all hot and intense."
~Sandra Garcia-Myers
Thank you, Sandra, and thank you to RT Book Reviews Magazine! You can check out the entire review in the June 2008 issue.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Poetry Monday!
Leonard Cohen is an amazing poet and songwriter, who has been sharing his talent with the world since the 60's. He has this incredible deep voice and when he speaks the lyrics or sings it, the effect is enthralling.
This is one of just many of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it!
If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well
And draw us near And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will
If it be your will.
This is one of just many of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it!
If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well
And draw us near And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will
If it be your will.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Awakening Desires Newsletter--June Issue Now Available
If you're not already receiving Awakening Desires --the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters--then you're missing out on all the latest news, author interviews, excerpts and tons more! You're also missing out on a chance to win every month!
The June 2008 issue is now available!
Check out the this month’s interview with Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth. These award winning authors drop by to chat about their Raven Radio Show, which was recently mentioned in RT Magazine.
As well, each month, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win next month is to go to Awakening Desires Newsletter to join and read back issues.
The June 2008 issue is now available!
Check out the this month’s interview with Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth. These award winning authors drop by to chat about their Raven Radio Show, which was recently mentioned in RT Magazine.
As well, each month, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win next month is to go to Awakening Desires Newsletter to join and read back issues.
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