Getting into the holiday spirit with a book sale.

The holidays are fast approaching. Halloween is behind us. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Christmas is fast approaching.

Don't know what to buy for Christmas gifts? What about a book? Or two or three or ....

Kristie Leigh Maguire has placed all of her books on sale for only 99 cents. From a sweet western romance to sensual romances to a satire on romance, Kristie has written it. What's even better, you can download all her books without leaving the comfort of your home. No malls, no crowds.

Click HERE to view Kristie Leigh Maguire's Amazon Page. All her books are priced for the holidays for only 99 cents. No Lady and Her Tramp is FREE.

No Lady and Her Tramp
Top Ten - Preditors & Editors Poll

An Amazon reviewer stated, "...if you like a book filled with sex (Linda Lovelace would have a 'hard' time keeping up), revenge, espionage (trailer park style), gossip (move over Barbara Eden-Harper Valley), feuding neighbors (yeah, Hatfields and McCoys), I guarantee, you will not be disappointed."

No Lady and Her Tramp will have you rolling in the aisles as you follow the exploits of the residents of President Park, the trailer park to top all trailer parks. When Beth Ann Dixon buys herself a computer and decides to write a steamy erotic novel, her husband, Billy Ray, can't do much of anything right, not even shoot a gun. Janet Higgins is the resident Peeping Tom - and Troy Finkmyer is the guy we all love to hate. Everybody gets into the act and there are showdowns all over Grapevine - Grapevine, Kentucky that is. Shirley Snodgrass is the local gossip columnist for the Grapevine Gazette and records it all in her column, 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'. 

These two authors, Kristie Leigh Maguire and Mark Haeuser, by putting their talents together, have written a very funny book laced with pure, unadulterated steam.

Second Chances: Love Lost, Love Found
Mike Farley, a devilishly handsome Wyoming cowboy. Jane Porter, his girlfriend and neighbor whose longtime dream is to be Mrs. Mike Farley. Enter Samantha Jo Smith, a beautiful and sexy red-haired stranger who steals Mike’s heart like a thief in the night. Can Mike redeem himself with sweet Jane after committing the ultimate betrayal to their love? Find out in Second Chances.

Desert Heat: What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas
Romance of the Year - Affaire de Coeur Magazine 

“Maguire singes readers' eyes with the fire of her love scenes.” - Romantic Times Book Club Magazine 

“Come take a journey to the Mojave Desert where the weather is hot and passion runs high. Ms. Maguire weaves an erotica filled with more than just fun and games.” - Just Erotic Romance 

Don’t expect the typical romance story with this novel. There are no shrinking violets or shy maiden virgins who long to be taken against their will in Desert Heat. 

Marcie and Steve have a long-time and mutually satisfying marriage. However, when career changes force them to move from a metropolitan city in Texas to a small crossroads town in the Mojave Desert in Southern California, a surprise is in store for them that neither Marcie nor Steve could have ever anticipated in a million years. Marcie commits the unthinkable. She falls in love with her handsome new boss, Jim. How will Marcie handle being in love with both Steve and Jim? Will this be the end of Marcie’s marriage to Steve, the guy who has been by her through thick and thin? 

Read Desert Heat and get swept away to another world. Come visit the desert where it is always hot, hot, hot! Live with Marcie, Steve and Jim as they explore the shades of difference between love, sex and friendship. You may never view love or the desert through the same eyes again! 

Continue Marcie’s story in Cabin Fever: And the Flames Burned Higher (Affairs of the Heart Book Two).

Cabin Fever: And the Flames Burned Higher
Top Ten - Preditors & Editors Poll 
Affairs of the Heart (Book Two) 

The beautiful and sexy Marcie Treyhorne is a steel magnolia who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. Marcie's story began in DESERT HEAT. Her saga continues in CABIN FEVER. Marcie leaves the blistering heat of the desert but the searing passion she carries to the northern Nevada mountains will melt the deepest of winter snows. The ending is a twist that will hit you like a runaway train. You won't want to miss this one!" 

“Renamed the ‘Diva of Romance’ by her fans, Kristie Leigh Maguire writes with a style and flair often copied but rarely duplicated. Her ability to capture the pure animal heat in her characters takes the reader to a realm of surreal pleasure rarely found in today's writing.” – Mark Haeuser

2013 Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop Just in time for Christmas!

It's that time of year again - time to celebrate Christmas and the coming of a new year by giving away some great books! 


Cookie's Book Club is linking up with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookhounds to bring you even more chances to win books. Be sure to check out the list of participating bloggers at the end of this post.

Cookie's Book Club Annual Christmas Giveaway! 

This is an amazing giveaway with loads of books, book bundles and even a couple of gift cards! Check out the list below, click on the links to read more about each offering and complete the entry form below. Leave a comment with your preferences and we will do our best to accommodate them. Have fun!

CLICK TO ENTER THE CONTEST

The Spinning Wheel: An Old Fashioned Café and Bookstore for Authors and Readers

THE SPINNING WHEEL

See the sign over the door?

"The Spinning Wheel: An Old Fashioned Café and Bookstore for Authors and Readers."

The mellow yellow letters painted on sea foam green background goes well with the white brick building with the navy shutters on the windows.

Please wipe off any negative attitudes on the welcome mat before entering this building. We welcome everyone but we don't welcome negative attitudes. Please leave them on the other side of the door.

Close your eyes and envision what is on the other side of the door. You are about to enter the No Spin Zone.

Rows and rows of books on shelves with pots of ivy and the occasional geranium scattered around. Smell the fragrant candles along with the hint of homemade oatmeal cookies wafting through the air?

Miss Daisy, the resident cat, is curled up on the top bookshelf. She seems to be dozing but don't let that fool you. She's watching you. Or perhaps she's keeping an eye on Ralph, the resident dog, snoozing over by the potbellied stove in the corner. It's always cold on that side of the room so the fire stays burning all the time. Feel free to wander over and warm yourself. Throw a log on the fire if it needs it.

See that place in the corner across from the potbellied stove? Where the big overstuffed couches and easy chairs are located? That's the lounge where we all congregate. It's nice to have a place to just sit and relax and have a nice hot cup of coffee or tea but don't forget to read the sign hanging on the wall of the lounge.

"Treat others as you would like to be treated. Respect goes a long way in keeping The Spinning Wheel a friendly little old fashioned bookstore where everyone is welcome."

There are so many books just waiting to be read. The bookshelves are crammed to overflowing. Open your mind. Explore new possibilities. Think beyond what has normally been your comfort genre. Or if you aren't up to exploring new genres, we are bound to have something you like on our shelves. The possibilities are endless.

Pick up a book. Download a sample and browse the pages. Buy it if you like it but there is no pressure here at The Spinning Wheel to do so. You can browse here to your heart's content.

Head on over to the lounge area if you would like to discuss the books with others. If you hang around long enough you might even get to discuss the books with the authors who wrote them!

Authors and readers alike are welcome at The Spinning Wheel where the door is always open and the books are waiting for you.

Readers and authors, please introduce yourself as you come in.

Authors, feel free to place your book(s) on the shelves of The Spinning Wheel by posting the blurb for your book and the link to where it can be purchased when you first come in. Thereafter please limit to just placing a link to your book when you post or when you feel it is appropriate.

Readers, get those questions for the authors ready.

By the way, my name is Kristie Leigh Maguire. I am the proprietor of The Spinning Wheel. I am also an author and a reader. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you.

The Grand Opening of "The Spinning Wheel: An Old Fashioned Café and Bookstore for Authors and Readers" has begun! Come on in, everyone! Have fun!

***

Edited to add:

We now have completed construction of a screened in sun porch out back of The Spinning Wheel. It faces Lake Serenity. We have plenty of hammocks for relaxing and reading a good book while the bamboo fans stir the air overhead. Baskets of hanging ivy add a nice touch of greenery.

We have added a 5 Star Resort for Dogs and Cats so you are welcome to bring your pets and let them play while you visit The Spinning Wheel. I have nicknamed this resort The Animal House.

Another added event at The Spinning Wheel is author readings. Authors, if you would like to schedule a reading just post a message on the bulletin board at The Spinning Wheel and let me know. I will reply to you with a post at The Spinning Wheel with a date. I do not send out emails.

Both authors and readers are welcome to drop into The Spinning Wheel. I hope it becomes your home away from home.

Eileen Goudge and "Once in a Blue Moon"

Eileen Goudge's bio reads like a can't-put-down-novel. Below is the first paragraph from her website.

I was born on the Fourth of July, and it's been fireworks ever since. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area as one of six kids, I was never without a cast with which to stage my early theatrical productions, which included a musical rendition of "The Christmas Carol," in which I was Ebenezer Scrooge. I began writing at age eight, with short stories and poems, and I haven’t looked back since. From the early days of mostly collecting rejection slips, I went on to publish thirty-two novels for young adults, thirteen (and still counting) of women’s fiction, as well as numerous short stories and magazine articles, and one cookbook.

 Read the rest of Eileen Goudge's bio. You HAVE to go read the rest. It is fascinating.

Eileen's latest novel is Once in a Blue Moon. It sounds fabulous!

About Once in a Blue Moon:


While she was growing up, twelve-year-old Lindsay had to look after three-year-old Kerrie Ann. When their mother was arrested and imprisoned for drugs, the girls entered foster care.

Nearly thirty years later, Lindsay owns a bookstore in the California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay. Adopted by a loving couple, she’s still trying to reconnect with her long-lost sister. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has led a very different life, bounced from one foster home to the next. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of her own little girl.

When the sisters are finally reunited, the two very different women clash. As Lindsay and Kerrie Ann engage in the fiercest battles of their lives—while each embarks on a journey of the heart with the unlikeliest of men—they are drawn together.

Buy the book at Amazon.com.

Author Karen Fenech is "Gone"

Gone
by Karen Fenech
ISBN: 978-1-59414-811-8
Purchase from Amazon.com

FBI Special Agent Clare Marshall was separated from her sister Beth in childhood when their mother tried to kill them. Now Clare learns that Beth lives in the small town of Farley, South Carolina but when she goes there to reunite with Beth, Clare discovers her sister is missing and that someone in the town is responsible for her disappearance.


Clare receives an offer to help with the search from fellow FBI Special Agent Jake Sutton. The offer is too good to refuse though that is exactly what Clare wants to do. Jake is Clare’s former lover, a man she cannot forget and who has an agenda of his own.

Now while Clare tracks her sister, someone is tracking Clare, and finding her sister may cost Clare her life.

Read Chapter One

About Karen Fenech
My first novel, Unholy Angels, was written over a two-year period and, in part, in some very unlikely places such as line-ups at deli-counters and cash registers, and doctor and dentist waiting rooms. While I was out running errands, I jotted down scenes for the story in a notebook I toted around in my purse, and then typed them up when I returned home.


Writing novels is what I have wanted to do since I was ten-years-old and undertook to write a book based on my beloved Nancy Drew mysteries. As I grew older, I continued to read mysteries but I found that as much as I enjoyed attempting to solve the puzzle, I became enthralled whenever a new development occurred in the romantic relationships of the characters. When I thought of writing Unholy Angels, I knew it would have to be a romance.

Of course, my love of mystery and suspense meant that while my characters were finding love, they would also face life-threatening danger!

I live with my husband Andrew and our daughter Pamela. When I’m not writing, or spending time with my family, you can usually find me curled up with a good book – or out shopping for one.

 

ABA Asks for Government Investigation of Price Wars

By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 10/22/2009 4:30:00 PM

In a letter sent to the antitrust division of the Department of Justice Thursday, the board of directors of the American Booksellers Association requested that the government begin an investigation into what the organization believes is the illegal predatory pricing policies being carried out by Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target in selling 10 hardcover titles for as low as $8.98. The ABA requested a meeting with officials as soon as possible, arguing that left unchecked, the predatory pricing policies “will devastate not only the book industry, but our collective ability to remain a society where the widest range of ideas are always made available to the public.”

Read the complete article.

Jennifer Blake - "The Steel Magnolia of Women's Fiction"

From Jennifer Blake's Website:
(Visit Jennifer Blake online)

"Blake's style is as steamy as a still July night on the bayou, as overwhelmingly hot as Cajun spice."

~ Chicago Tribune

Gallent Match
Masters at Arms, Book Five
February, 2009!

Sword master Kerr Wallace agrees to escort headstrong Sonia Bonneval to Mexico for her arranged marriage -- since the groom is the man he's been tracking for years. But the bride will do anything to avoid the wedding...

About Jennifer Blake
Jennife Blake has been called the Steel Magnolia of women's fiction, and a "legend of the romance genre." She is a seventh generation Louisianian who married at 15, began writing at 21, sold her first book at 27, and gained New York Times Best Seller status more than 20 years ago, with LOVE'S WILD DESIRE. She has written more than 50 books, including ROYAL SEDUCTION, SHAMELESS, and her acclaimed Louisiana Gentlemen series. An international best seller as well, she has been published in 18 languages with worldwide sales approaching 30 million. She was honored with the position as Writer-in-Residence for the University of Northeastern Louisiana, and is a charter, and honorary, member of Romance Writers of America.

Numerous awards for her work have been gained over the years. Among those she values most, however, are the Golden Treasure Award for Lifetime Achievement from Romance Writers of America, induction into both the RWA and Affaire de Coeur Romance Halls of Fame, and the Frank Waters Award for Excellence in Fiction.

Since 1998, Jennifer and her husband have resided in a lakeside Caribbean-styled retreat in North Louisiana where they often entertain friends and family. Always a gardener, she spends much of her free time encouraging her newly planted garden to bloom with her favorite daylilies and antique roses. When not gardening, she enjoys collecting antiques, painting, and needlework, including quilting.

Still, evenings find her and her husband lounging on one of the expansive verandas, sipping café au lait or a cool drink and listening to the gentle lap of waves. Here, as Jennifer says in her own words, "I write my fantasies of love and adventure in the romantic South. And sometimes, when I sit on the porch with the sunlight falling across the lawn and the smells of magnolia, sweet olive, honeysuckle and roses wafting on the warm air, I live them."

About Jennifer's Pseudonyms
During a career spanning more than 30 years, Jennifer has written under several pen names and in a variety of genres. She began with Gothic mystery-suspense tales, writing eight of these for Fawcett Gold Medal and Popular Library as Patricia Maxwell between 1970 and 1978, as well as a historical romance under that name in 1977. A single collaborative effort in the Gothic genre, STORM AT MIDNIGHT, was released in 1973 as Elizabeth Trehearne and, following the decline of the Gothic market, she wrote a murder mystery and a suspense tale under the pseudonym of Patricia Ponder. Six light contemporary romances were penned as Maxine Patrick for New American Library between 1978 and 1980, but the break out of her first Jennifer Blake title, LOVE'S WILD DESIRE, as a New York Times Best Seller in 1977, focused her attention on the historical romance market. Over the next decade, fourteen historicals were produced for Fawcett/Ballantine. Some of her older titles, originally published under other names, have been reissued under the Blake pseudonym. They appear in paperback and also in large print and library hard cover editions. They are currently available online and as print on demand copies at retail outlets which have this capacity.

Jennifer's Journal (blog)
Jennifer's Book List
 

Sylvia Day - National Best Selling Author

Sylvia Day is the national bestselling, award-winning author of over a dozen novels written across multiple sub-genres — contemporary, fantasy, historical, futuristic, science fiction, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy — under multiple pen names: three! A wife and mother of two, she is a former Russian linguist for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence.


Sylvia is a lifelong California resident who loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her to Japan, Holland, Germany, France, Mexico, Jamaica, and all over the United States. Born in Los Angeles, she grew up in Orange County (the O.C.), and later lived in Monterey, Oceanside, and the Temecula Valley.

She is a Japanese-American who enjoys the many Japanese cultural events in Southern California as well as frequent family jaunts to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Sea World. Her childhood career aspirations were few — become a dolphin trainer at Sea World or a bestselling novelist. Obviously, the dolphin trainer career took a back seat.

A year after she first sat down at the keyboard, Sylvia sold her first book to Kensington Brava and three years later–to the day–she sold her 15-17th single title books. In addition to her novels, she’s written numerous novellas and short stories for both print and electronic-original release. Sylvia’s stories have been called “wonderful and passionate” by WNBC.com and “wickedly entertaining” by Booklist. Her work has been translated into Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, Czech, German, and Thai. She’s been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice award, the EPPIE award, and the National Readers’ Choice Award, as well as multiple nominations for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award of Excellence.

Sylvia travels extensively in conjunction with various speaking engagements. In addition to presenting workshops before writing groups around the country, she is a frequent panelist at events such as the Romantic Times Convention, Romance Writers of America’s National Convention, and Comic-Con.

Sylvia also writes under the pseudonyms S.J. Day and Livia Dare.

Visit Sylvia Day online.

Long, Lean and Lethal by Lorie O'Clare

Detective Rain Huxtable works alone, and she likes it that way. But when a fourth spouse turns up dead in Lincoln, Nebraska, Rain’s superiors call in help from the FBI. They’ve either got a serial killer or a hired murderer on their hands, and their solution is to team Rain up with Special Agent Noah Kayne - and send them undercover as a married couple.

Noah is infuriating…and infuriatingly attractive. Rain wants no part of this charade, but with four people dead under suspiciously similar circumstances in a matter of months, she has no choice but to play the part of a doting wife and investigate a close-knit group of suburban couples. It’s hard enough to keep up a professional facade when the heat between her and Noah burns so dangerously. But it may be even more dangerous for Rain to let her guard down once she realizes that the couples involved are playing a very sordid - and deadly - game…

Buy at Amazon

About Lorie O'Clare


All my life, I’ve wondered at how people fall into the routines of life. The paths we travel seem to be well-trodden by society. We go to school, fall in love, find a line of work (and hope and pray it is one we like), have children and do our best to mold them into good people who will travel the same path. This is the path so commonly referred to as the “real world”.

The characters in my books are destined to stray down a different path other than the one society suggests. Each story leads the reader into a world altered slightly from the one they know. For me, this is what good fiction is about, an opportunity to escape from the daily grind and wander down someone else’s path.

Lorie O’Clare is an award winning erotic romance writer with over 40 books published. Her stories range from the wild lives of werewolves to the passionate and thrilling world of romantic suspense. She is an EPPIE Winner for 2006 and she also won Reviewers’ Choice Award for 2006.

Lorie currently resides in Kansas with her three boys and two dogs, a Boston Terrier and Beagle.

 Visit Lorie O'Clare online.

Author Carly Phillips has a Lucky Break!

Long ago, as revenge on a Corwin who stole her son's fiancee, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his love and his fortune ...

Jason Corwin knows he should resist his attraction to Lauren Perkins. After all, it was one of her ancestors that came up with the curse that had haunted every Corwin male since. But after one night of mind-blowing sex with his supposed—and very seductive—enemy, he can’t bring himself to stay away.

All Lauren wants is to sell her late grandmother’s creepy house and leave the past behind forever. But that's not such an easy thing to do with gorgeous contractor Jason Corwin whispering sweet, sexy somethings in her ear ... about staying in town. Then a saboteur and the promise of hidden treasure changes everything - and one lucky break just might put an end ... to the Corwin curse forever.

Read an EXCERPT.

Carly Phillips Website.

You can sign up for Carly's newsletter by clicking HERE.

Fresh Fiction

Fresh Fiction is a great site for people who love to read. I really enjoy getting their newsletters. I highly recommend that you sign up for their newsletters too.

From the Fresh Fiction website:

About Fresh Fiction
FreshFiction is a web site designed to provide easy, accessible, and informative data to popular fiction readers on current authors and their available books. We specialize in genre fiction: romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, graphic and action novels. FreshFiction.com consists of author pages, book pages, reviews, columns, blog, book reviews, news, and contests.

We have an active online database of authors and books growing daily with input from our researchers, reviewers and columnists. All books in our database include basic information: ISBN, publisher, publication date, genre. Additional information includes the cover image, price, tagline, summary, primary characters, setting location, period, excerpt and note from author or publisher. The information is displayed on a book page incorporating provided information, purchase links and author backlist.

Our author information includes basic information: publicity photo, biography and
available back list. The author page displays the information with links to each book in their list and optionally to the author's website.

If you join us as a registered member of Fresh Fiction, you can be notified via email when authors publish a book no matter who the publisher. You can also join our community and leave your thoughts on book and review pages. You're also able to create your own shopping lists. Contests are easy to enter with a single click. There is NO COST to join FreshFiction.com, simply register and log in when you visit us.

Contests and Freebies

Enter to win a S. J. Day / Shayla Black tote bag and an autographed copy of EVE OF DARKNESS! at http://www.sjday.net/contest/

Ashleigh Raine is having a contest to celebrate the upcoming release of Twofold Desires. Win a gorgeous Twilight’s Fancy beaded necklace. http://www.ashleighraine.com/contest/

Enter to win an ARC of Hunter's Need by Shiloh Walker. The book isn't due out until 12/1, but you could win it before it's released...visit Shiloh's blog for details. http://shilohwalker.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/blog-about-it-thats-how-to-win/

Be sure to enter Lorie O'Clare's new contest on her website! http://www.lorieoclare.com/contests/

Are writers sane?

Here is an interesting blog post from Borders SciFi Babel Clash.

Are writers sane?

by Karen Miller

So here’s my first post to Babel Clash, and my thanks go to Morgan from Borders and Alex from Orbit for throwing me in the deep — I mean, kindly inviting me to join in the fun. Also, while I’m thanking people, I’d like to thank Borders customers who have so generously bought my books!

And to kick off my tenure here at the Clash, I have some thoughts on that perennial question: Are writers sane?

And my answer is: No.

Writing is one of the most insane occupations around. I rank it right up there with acting. And since I’ve done both, I feel confident in that assertion.

So, why is it that writers’ elevators don’t got all the way to the top?

Well, for a start, our job requires us to sit by ourselves for extended periods of time, in isolation, getting up close and personal with people who don’t really exist. It requires us to have deep and meaningful conversations with them. It demands that we get so involved and so attached to these people we made up in the first place that when something awful happens to them we have to get terribly, terribly upset about it. Even though it never actually happened at all. And anyway, we did it to them.


Read the complete article: Are writers sane? by Karen Miller

Open Letter To Clean House

Dear Clean House,

First off, I would like to commend you for helping the messy, hoarding, dirty-dish-leaving, non-clothes-folding masses lead neater, more sanitary lives. It is a very good deed you are doing.

That being said, I would like to make one thing clear:

Romance Novels Are Not Trash

Really, I promise. See, Romance Novels are things we like to call "books." You may have heard of them?

And, last time I checked, "books" are generally considered to be possessions--even prized ones on occasion. Just like those vinyl records that you not only let the other person keep but even built shelves for!


Read the complete article at Avon Romance Blog.

Are you too old for sex?

Yesterday I was at Rum Runners, a delightful little harbour-side restaurant, with my husband having Sunday brunch. A more romantic place may exist but I would be hard pressed to name one.

Close your eyes and come wit me to my Island, mon.

America's Paradise. St. Croix. Virgin Islands. Caribbean Sea. Tropical tradewinds. Steel pan band playing. The sight and sound of the waves. The scent of tropical flowers wafting in the breeze. Boats in the harbour. Blue skies. Sun shining. Crabs running loose trying to nibble your toes peaking through your sandals. Dress up Sunday sun dress. Sipping a Bloody Mary while waiting on your food to be cooked.

I took my Bloody Mary and went to the bar to have a cigarette. Sat beside a woman reading a book from her e-reader. Struck up a conversation with her since writing is my game and besides I was curious as to what type e-reader she had. I thought it looked like my Kindle but not really. Come to find out it was a Sony e-reader.

Found out that she liked Nora Roberts books.

Oh, so you like to read romance, I asked her, thinking to myself that here may be new reader for my romance books that I write.

Oh, not just any romance, she replied, I like fantasy and paranormal.

I thought to myself, and you like to read Nora Roberts?! I write romance, I said. Not just any old romance though. I don't write sweet romance. Mine are hot and spicy. Maybe you'd like to check me out and order my books for your e-reader, I said and handed her my card.

Oh I don't think so, she replied. I'm too old for sex.

Now that set me back a bit as I thought about how to reply to that. Well, are you too old to dream, I asked her. Read my books and remember how it was in your heyday.

Romance Writers of America Conference

As Romance Booms, Authors and Publishers Invest in Face Time
By Rose Fox -- Publishers Weekly, 7/22/2009 7:51:00 AM

Around 2,000 members of the Romance Writers of America descended on
Washington, D.C. this weekend for RWA's annual conference. Despite overall
economic woes, romance is selling well in both trade and mass market, and
the mood was quite upbeat.

......

Despite an admission fee close to $500, the conference hotel charging over $200 a night, and the expense of travel, authors were adamant that RWA is a good investment in their careers.

Read the complete article at PW Daily.

Lisa Lane - Guest Blogger

Today's guest blogger is author Lisa Lane. Lisa is a friend of mine at Facebook.

Lisa says, "I have been writing novels and screenplays for over twenty years, but my craft didn't take that necessary leap from good to polished until about five years ago. Whereas dialog and narration came rather naturally to me throughout the majority of my life, only my most recent works truly reflect a sense of depth, pacing, and suspense that comes only with experience and time. Of the works I feel are finished or in the process of redraft, I can claim seven novels: two literary, one narrative nonfiction, three erotic horrors, and one erotic romantic sci-fi. I have adapted three of my original novels into screenplays. I also have four original screenplays,as well as a collection of short stories and essays. My stories range from literary, science fiction, and horror to lighthearted comedy, romance/erotica, and heartfelt confession. I love to explore new genres, and then find new and exciting ways to make them my own. My work is eclectic and unique. And I write because I have to."

And now, here is Lisa!

********

I want to thank Sizzling Hot Romance for having me as a guest and Kristie Leigh Maguire for inviting me. I feel honored to talk about my work here, especially since I am not the typical romance writer. With that in mind, I want to talk to you today about the distinctive and the unusual.

Breaking Traditions, Bending Rules, and Shattering Boundaries

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Lisa Lane and I write mixed genre fiction. That might seem like a blanket term, but I think it describes my work well. I house many muses, and as a result my writing is very eclectic. Whether is it my pulp sci-fi, romance, erotica, or horror, critics agree that my work has a unique flair all its own.

I am fascinated by the archetype and the cliche, not because of the abuse each have suffered over the centuries, but because of the literary tools that persist within them, despite their abuse. When broken down to their most basic elements, they are what create and delineate the various genres we write. I feel it necessary to suggest that they also ultimately dictate the various rules by which we as writers have grown accustomed to following. For example:

* the Hero in a horror story is a survivor
* the Hero in a romance seeks fulfillment and lasting happiness
* the Hero in a pulp sci-fi is a product of his society

The very nature of these characters create rules I have learned the hard way one rarely breaks:

* only the strong/persevering/smart/etc. survive horror stories
* romance books must always have happy endings
* even the anti-hero must be likeable in his own way

I can think of one story that successfully breaks one of the above three rules; this story is an exception, and it a powerful piece specifically because of the one rule it breaks. The work is an Indie horror film titled CUBE, and only because of its brilliance and unique approach is it able to get away with all that it does, while ending on such a powerful note. Most of us can only strive for such brilliance, and for the meantime, we must follow the above rules.

I have learned, however, that those rules can still be bent. Executed in just the right way, romance can be bittersweet, horror can be enlightening and provocative, and sci-fi can be powerful and heart wrenching. I think that is what literature is all about: learning the rules, and then finding unique and permissible ways of twisting and contorting them to suit the needs of both the audience and the story. When used wisely, such technique can make the difference between a good story and an exceptional one.

In my erotic horror trilogy, THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT, I take the most basic elements of the vampire myth, using an archetype akin to Dracula or Lestat, while also importing elements from numerous other genres. The result is a unique tale that is dark and gritty, but also thoughtful, heartfelt, and provocative. It is a work of erotic horror, but it is also a romance, a social commentary, and a tribute to its genres.

A character in book III, Anna, the seemingly human offspring of vampires Karen and Billy, is the perfect example of the character that strips the archetype to its most basic elements, while importing elements from other archetypes and bending numerous rules. Anna is a psychic vampire, and she travels the Astral plane via a Doppelganger, or psychic double, in search of men willing to trade small bits of their life-force for sexual favors. Anna does not drink blood and she does not shun the daylight–unlike her fraternal twin brother, Andy. I chose for Anna to be a twin for a reason: Andy, the archetypal vampire, is a stark contrast to Anna, and by placing the two side by side along their story, their contrast only becomes that much more apparent. Together, they make a statement:

* this story bends rules, and prepared to be surprised


THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT: BLOOD AND COFFEE

Life becomes complicated enough, after Karen takes sexy Billy as her lover andhe turns her into a vampire. Once they exchange blood, however, she finds that they share a bond more powerful than anything she has ever experienced. When Karen and Billy become separated, she is forced on the run from her crazy father, who imagines himself a vampire hunter, dream walking demon hunters, and a creepy commune of brainwashed vampires, controlled by orgy-loving leader, John-Michael. In this breathless debut novel, Lisa Lane takes you on a thrilling ride through vampire enclaves, moral dilemmas, and forbidden sexual encounters.

"...the writer is a good storyteller, and does an excellent job of leading the reader on..." - Regina, Coffee Time Romance

THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT II: COSMIC ORGASM

Karen's dark, sexy vampire odyssey continues, as she finds herself pursued by John-Michael's bounty hunters by night, and by once-sexy, now-demonic Billy's restless spirit by day. In a strange turn of events, lover becomes captor, foe becomes ally, love begins anew, and Karen survives her biggest challenge yet: childbirth. The second installment to The Darkness and the Night series, Cosmic Orgasm picks up directly where the first book ends, Karen's journey taking her through both the shadows of her past and the glimmer of light in her future. Her sexual exploration continues, as well, with a cosmic experience like none other, guaranteed to leave you breathless.

"I finished the book much quicker than the first and by the time I read the last sentence in the last chapter I really wanted Lisa Lane's next and conclusion to her The Darkness & the Night series to be published already so I could read it. I give this book 4 Open Books." - Phoebe Jordan, Talk About My Favorite Authors

THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT III: TWINS OF DARKNESS

Karen learns quickly that being both a mother and a vampire is no easy task, especially since her children, fraternal twins Anna and Andy, are not typical kids. Anna, although seemingly human, has the unique ability to not only travel the Astral, but also manipulate objects and people between planes. Andy also appears to be a normal human boy, but appearances prove disastrously deceiving. With the help of her blood donor and lover, Jason, Karen does her best to offer the twins a "normal" suburban life. Despite them, Anna and Andy come into their own, exploring their family's past . . . and the very different beings they are both slowly becoming. In the process, the author takes us on a wild ride that breaks beyond the boundaries of time and reality, sexual exploration, love and sacrifice . . . and back to the vampire commune.

". . .well written and exciting. This is certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have come across. It is chock full of imagination and feeling; a totally fresh look at the dark side." - Lototy, Coffee Time Romance

"Having read the first twenty-nine pages off and on, I continued straight through to the end. As I’ve already said, the plot is superb, and when such a plot comes along, I always marvel at the human imagination and what it can produce." - Fanny, Cerebral Reviews

For more information and buy links, visit my website: http://www.cerebralwriter.weebly.com/erotica.html

Thanks for reading! I’ll be popping in throughout the day to chat and answer questions, so if you have a question or comment, I’d love to hear from you!

********

Thank you, Lisa, for visiting with us today at Sizzling Hot Romance!

Kristie Leigh Maguire

Lisa Lane will be guest blogger on Tues July 14th

Mark you calendars for Tuesday July 14th. Author Lisa Lane will be my guest blogger for that day.

Lisa says, "I am a writer. Writing is my passion, my release, and my escape. My day is not complete unless I write at least a few pages, and I craft sentences and redraft chapters as I drift off to sleep each night. It is quite safe to say that I obsess over the written word. I see words as broken shards of colored glass: alone they are worthless, but when placed together in just the right way they have the potential to form great masterpieces."

Be sure to come back Tuesday to learn more about Lisa Lane!

Author Kiki Howell coming this way! Get ready!

Author Kiki Howell will be guest blogging here at Sizzling Hot Romance on Wednesday, July 1. Mark the date on your calendar so you'll be sure not to miss this event.

Kiki describes herself as an author of magical erotic romances. She is multi-published with Whiskey Creek Press.

"Kiki’s use of words and descriptions is indescribable and weaves a kind of magic around the reader." -ParaNormal Romance Reviews

Kiki's latest book is The Witch's Beast.

A Torrid Twisted Tale

A witch rejected…a few spells for revenge…an arrogant Prince turned into a Beast…a beautiful woman taken captive …

And, that is just the beginning of this tale of a Beauty and a Beast told by the Witch who cast the spell that began it all. A dismal castle, possessed candles, and a little mangy fur will be the least of the Beast’s troubles as the Witch goes into a jealous rage over the Beauty he now holds captive. A magic mirror…desperate sex spells…magical seductive dreams…orgasmic punishments in a dungeon…

This time, the Beast will be caught between a Beauty who has caught his eye but rejects his proposal of marriage, and the Witch who allows him moments in his human form to fulfill his every sexual desire.

For whom will there be a happily-ever-after?

The Digital Age and RWA: A Call for Change

Hi, Kristen Painter, ESPAN president here. After RWA president Diane Pershing’s letter in the June RWR, I had a conversation about RWA’s stance on epublishing with my good friend, talented author, and owner of The Knight Agency, Deidre Knight. She had so much wisdom and industry information to bring to the topic that I asked her to guest blog here at ESPAN. This is what she had to say…

Many of you know me as founder of the Knight Agency, which represents a powerhouse roster of bestselling authors of fiction and nonfiction. Some of you may also be familiar with my romance novels, such as the recently released RED KISS (Signet) or the e-book, BUTTERFLY TATTOO (Samhain, 4/09). Since I come from the perspective of dual publishing careers, I’d like to address some of the recent issues and discussions within RWA concerning digital publishers.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE.