Interview with Patricia Sargeant/Regina Hart

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Patricia Sargeant, who also writes as Regina Hart. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us again at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

It’s a pleasure to be here, Kim. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. I understand you have a new release out called Smooth Play. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

I would love to. Thank you for asking. Smooth Play is the second book in my single-title, contemporary romance trilogy, featuring a fictitious National Basketball Association team, the Brooklyn Monarchs. I’m writing the Brooklyn Monarchs trilogy under my contemporary romance pseudonym, Regina Hart.

Smooth Play’s hero, Troy Marshall, is the franchise’s media executive. The heroine, Andrea Benson, is a sports reporter. Troy and Andrea start as adversaries. He wants to protect the team from the media. She wants to cover a big story to redeem her career. Smooth Play’s theme is forgiveness. Andrea can’t forgive herself for a mistake she’s made in her past and that prevents her from moving on. Troy can’t forgive someone else for a past betrayal, which prevents him from trusting Andrea.

Smooth Play is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

I wanted a title that reflected sports because basketball is the backdrop for the story.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

Basketball is one of my favorite sports. I loved the idea of using that sport as a backdrop for my contemporary stories. Now I can consider all of those hours spent in front of the television watching college hoops and the NBA “research.” LOL!

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I’m definitely a plotter. Plotting the story helps me identify specific areas of research before I need to describe it in the draft. I do a lot of revisions while I’m outlining the story.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

Yes. Although I’m a basketball fan, I still needed to research specific dates of the pre-season, regular season and post season; official names and locations of each arena; which players were with what teams. Oh, man! The player trades caused havoc with my game scenes. After I submitted Smooth Play to my editor, Carmello Anthony was traded to the Knicks, so I had to write him into one of the playoff scenes.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

One of the things a lot of players and coaches talk about is the need to remain focused on the next game. They say the media can cause distractions that negatively impact the team’s performance. I thought the conflict between Troy’s job – shielding the team from media distractions – and Andrea’s job – getting the story – would be an interesting place to start.

But I also love themes in stories, which is the reason I enjoyed working with the theme of forgiveness and building that into the characters’ journey.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I enjoyed writing the relationship between Troy and Andrea. My goal was to show how they helped each other grow, Troy by encouraging Andrea to forgive herself and Andrea by encouraging Troy to forgive others.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Oh, so many authors … Beverly Jenkins for her emotion; Jayne Ann Krentz for her dialogue; Susan Elizabeth Phillips for her world building. So many authors.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

I really haven’t figured that out. Word-of-mouth marketing is the best form of promotion. But I haven’t yet figured out how to build that buzz.

What do we have to look forward next?

Thanks for asking, Kim. The final book in my Brooklyn Monarchs trilogy, which I’m writing as Regina Hart, is Keeping Score. Keeping Score will be released July 3, 2012. I’m very excited by this release as well.

Thanks, Patricia!

Thank you, Kim. It’s always a pleasuring visiting with your community.

To celebrate her book release, Patricia is offering a free book of Fast Break to one lucky commenter on today’s blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
Award-winning author Patricia Sargeant writes romantic suspense and, as Regina Hart, contemporary romance. Patricia’s suspense features ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Regina’s contemporary romances showcase the franchise members and friends of the Brooklyn Monarchs, a fictitious National Basketball Association team set in Brooklyn, New York. Regina and Patricia love chatting with readers. You can contact both at BooksbyPatricia@yahoo.com.

Check out author’s website at www.PatriciaSargeant.com.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short…Well, Maybe a Half Dollar Short

Yes, our blog deadline was yesterday, however, there is a reason why we are a day late.

Glendale Arizona’s Annual Chocolate Affaire.

For three years Tia Dani has co-chaired our writing group’s booksigning booth. We’ve been getting ready for it for an entire year.

And now the Chocolate Affaire has arrived.

We have 46 authors signing their books throughout the weekend. Workshops on How-to Write are scheduled and set to go.

Typically it takes a lot of planning to get an event this large to flow correctly. Not to mention expecting things to change as the year goes by, say a planned event crashing because of an unexpected illness. Okay… we’ll adjust… no problem we can do something else. We’ve got time.

However it’s the unexpected happenings the week of the event which really throws a huge wrench into carefully made plans. Not to mention upsetting the City who is hosting the event.

Not good.

Yep, it happened to us this year…our featured “big-named” author pulled out two days before the event…after the City of Glendale invested time and money in printing and advertising the author’s attendance. Not to mention we scheduled much of our workshop events around that said author.

Do you know how difficult it is to find a new “big-named” speaker at such short notice? IMPOSSIBLE.

Especially when you are a non-profit group with a limited budget.

How this weekend will eventually play out is anybody’s guess.

And why the Half-dollar comment?

One thing for certain, there isn’t any rain or cold, cold weather forecasted for this weekend. Plus Tia Dani , as always, will do her best to represent our authors , and the wonderful city of Glendale, with grace and respect.

Not to mention…despite all our carefully laid plans have shattered around our feet, Tia Dani has experienced a few perks for co-chairing the event. This morning we were privileged enough to be interviewed by a local TV station, ABC, Channel 15, who supports the Chocolate Affaire

AND… we get to be judges at the Event’s “Best Chocolate Entry Contest” on Friday night…something that is not only fun to do but we get to taste some of the best chocolate desserts known to man…er…romance authors.

February Write Path Seminar

Write Path Seminar
LURE THEM, HOOK THEM, REEL THEM
A full day or workshops in the Northwest Phoenix area
Exact address and directions given upon registration

Saturday February 25, 2012
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

More information at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com/seminar.html
Registration form at: http://www.vijayaschartz.com/register.html

Whatever you write in this competitive market, learn to present your work like an appetizing dish, the aroma of which no one can resist. Make sure your query gets read, and that your target audience keeps turning the pages. From submission to "the end" keep readers, agents, and editors enthralled and begging for more.

From the log line, the title, the hook phrase, the elevator pitch, the blurb, all the way to the submission letter, get all your ducklings in a row and working for you. This is a small group, so each attendee gets personal attention and everyone will brainstorm each others' blurb and hooks, and you will get home with the perfect submission package no editor can refuse.


Registration fee: $70.00
All cards accepted through Paypal

Fee includes coffee, Tea, rolls, working lunch.
Small group guarantees personal attention.
All your questions will be answered.

Win fantastic prizes and free books in THE LORD OF ILLUSION release celebration tours!

THE LORD OF ILLUSION is in bookstores February 7^th and I’m celebrating with an amazing blog hop party! Readers can win lots of fantastic prizes, the entire series of THE ELVEN LORDS, and an ultimate grand prize of a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card! This tour is in addition to my regular release blog tour, which already offers many opportunities for readers to win a free copy of THE LORD OF ILLUSION. I’ve listed both tours below, so mark the dates on your calendar, and join in the fun!

Kathryne Kennedy Elven Realm Blogger Hop

All books and prizes to US & Canada Shipping addresses only.

Schedule – Feb 6-Feb 13, 2012

2/6 “Dewhame”—hosted by Star-Crossed Romance http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Small Desktop Fountain + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/7 “Firehame”—hosted by Books Like Breathing http://bookslikebreathing.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Red Candles (battery operated) + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/8 “Dreamhame”—hosted by SOS Aloha http://www.sosaloha.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Pretty Sparkly Make Up + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/9 “Stonehame”—hosted by Book Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Purple Jewelry + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

2/10 “Bladehame”—hosted by The Royal Reviews http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Sword Letter Opener + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/11 “Terrahame”—hosted by Debbie’s Book Bag http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Terra Cotta Wind Chimes + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/12 “Verdanthame”—hosted by Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell http://books-forlife.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Fairy Garden Orament + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

2/13 Elven Realm Blogger Hop Grand Prize Announcement—hosted by the Sourcebooks Buzz Blog http://www.sourcebooks.com/authors/the-buzz-sourcebooks.html

-Anyone who comments on the other blogs throughout the blogger hop will be eligible for this overall grand prize, too-

Grand Prize: $100 B&N Gift Card + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series

Runner-up Prize: All three books in The Elven Lords Series (not signed)

Blog Tour for THE LORD OF ILLUSION

Sourcebooks will be giving away one or two copies of THE LORD OF ILLUSION at each blog. Leave Kathryne a comment to enter to win (USA & Canada shipping addresses only).

2/2 Casablanca Authors Blog/LAUNCH PARTY

http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/

2/2 Night Owl Reviews/A SENTENCE A CHAPTER

http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/

2/3 Fresh Fiction/WHICH ELVEN MAGICAL POWER WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

http://freshfiction.com/pages.php?id=blog

2/5 Happily Ever After Thoughts/INTERVIEW

http://happilyeverafterthoughts.blogspot.com

2/6 Star-Crossed Romance/A MAGICAL VALENTINE’S DAY

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/

2/8 SOS Aloha INTERVIEW

http://www.sosaloha.blogspot.com/

2/10 Much Cheaper Than Therapy/INTERVIEW

http://muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

2/14 Over the Edge/INTERVIEW

http://www.overtheedgebkreviews.com/

2/16 The Book Faery/CREATING THE MAGIC

http://tbfreviews.net/

2/17 My Book Addiction and More/THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING FANTASY ROMANCE

http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/

2/17 RomCon http://www.romconinc.com/

Historical blog/DRYSTAN’S POEM

http://www.romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=lyftenbloggie&category=historical&Itemid=23

Fantasy blog/MAKING LOVE IN A FANTASY WORLD

http://www.romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=lyftenbloggie&category=fantasy%20/%20futuristic%20/%20paranormal&Itemid=24

2/21 Debbie’s Book Bag/INTERVIEW

http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/

2/23 Ponytails Review/MEET MY DRAGONS

http://ponytailsbookreviews.wordpress.com/

2/29 Book Monsters/Q & A WITH KATHRYNE

http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/

THE LORD OF ILLUSION BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY—IN STORES FEBRUARY 2012

He'll do anything to save her...
Rebel Lord Drystan Hawkes dreams of fighting for England's freedom. He gets his chance when he finds a clue to opening the magic portal to Elfhame, and he must race to find the slave girl who holds the key to the mystery. But even as Drystan rescues Camille Ashton from Dreamhame Palace, it becomes unclear exactly who is saving whom.

For the fate of humankind lies with Camille...
Enslaved for years in a realm where illusion and glamour reign, Camille has learned to trust nothing and no one. But she's truly spellbound when she meets Drystan--a man different from any she's ever known, and the force of their passion may yet be strong enough to banish the Elven Lords from this world forever.

“The world sings with vivid imagery and fantastic magic, and all the previous characters join forces in a thrilling final fight for humankind.”~Publishers Weekly STARRED review

“The hero and heroine are also out of the ordinary, and while this novel remains true to romance-genre mores, Kennedy infuses it with unexpected plot twists that will keep fantasy readers enthralled, too.”~Booklist STARRED review

“Superb writing and a fast-moving plot combined with magical passion make this a real page-turner!”~RT BOOKReviews Top Rating and TOP PICK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Sourcebooks

BooksAMillion

Chapters/Indigo

Kathryne’s Bookseller Directory

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryne Kennedy is a critically acclaimed, best-selling, award-winning author of magical romances. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at www.kathrynekennedy.com. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives with her wonderful family in Arizona, where she is working on the next book in her Relics of Merlin series, Everlasting Enchantment.

And the winner is....

Congratulations LilMissMolly. you're the winner of Erin's book. Please contact Kim at kwatters21 (at) hotmail (dot) com (no spaces) to calim your prize. Thaks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

Organization and Travel Hints

Like many of you, I find there isn't enough time during the day to get everything accomplished. I also realized I could save time by organizing our condo. Those minutes I spent searching for clippers, nail files, manuals, etc. could now be used writing or cuddling up on the couch with my husband. (Both equally important.)

Every Sunday, I am sharing what I have accomplished. Now, I admit I already had the top drawer in my bathroom (bottom picture) organized. I wanted to share this with you because I just found more of these handy bins at Staples this week. I put them in my kitchen drawers. They were three for a dollar - can't beat that! And yes, I am in my forties and still using Oxy products. Whoever said you stopped getting pimples when you grow up lied. You just get less. And the blue love notes are from my husband, The Irish Charmer. I keep them in the drawer to brighten up my day.

At the top of the post, there is a picture of travel bags. My husband and I used to spend an evening in Tucson every other weekend. I decided to keep the cosmetics I use most in one bag and store it in a drawer for every day use. I wrote on a label what I needed to add to the bag when we go out of town. The other bag is where I keep deoderant, a travel tootbrush, toothpaste, and perfume. It also has a label that tells me what else I need to bring when we leave town. I can also use this as my airline bag for passing through security at the airport. I just shove it into an outside pocket of my suitcase and we are ready to go. When I'm home, I put it in a bathroom drawer so it is ready for the next trip. These bags have saved me a lot of time.

If you have organization or travel hints, I hope you will share them with us.

Also, I am having a contest you won't want to miss. On February 29th, one lucky subscriber to my newsletter will win a $20 Amazon gift card. If you would like to enter this contest, simply find the purple Join Suspensebytina Newsletter on the right side of the blog. You'll need to scroll down and click on the link. I promise I don't bombard my subscribers with emails, although you will receive a quick welcome note.

I'll have more organizational tips next Sudnay. I hope you'll join us again.

Tina McCright

Interview with Erin Quinn

I’d like to welcome our very own guest today, Erin Quinn. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Web of Smoke. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Web of Smoke was actually my debut novel, published in 1994. It’s been out of print for over 15 years, so I’m very excited to make it available again. Web of Smoke is different than my other novels in that there isn’t a paranormal element to this story. In fact, it was published as a mystery. Back in those days, they called it a “woman in jeopardy” story because romantic suspense had yet to be coined as a genre. Web of Smoke was hailed as a tight mystery with surprising twists and turns and, to date, was one of my most successful books.

Web of Smoke is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

As with 90% of my novels, I didn’t choose the title, the publisher did. My original title was Quietus, which has several definitions, one of which is “discharge or release from life.” Although cool, it wasn’t exactly a catchy title, though.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’ve been asked did you choose the genre or did the genre choose you before and I always answer the latter. I wish I wrote something like Regency or Contemporary romances. For some reason I always trend to a darker story.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

During the time I wrote Web of Smoke, I was a young mother. I lived in San Diego and there was an outbreak of child abductions that were disturbing and heartbreaking, to say the least. The emotional catalyst of Web of Smoke came from my own fears about abductions.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

Like is not exactly the word I would use, but I found DC, the villain of Web of Smoke, a particularly interesting character to write. He was so bad and yet I found myself feeling sorry for him in places.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research and/or world affect your character development?

I wish I could spout off about all these complex and highly intelligent methods I use, but honestly, I’d be lying. I start at page one and learn as I go. That’s what makes it so interesting for me. I like finding out things about my characters on the way. What they say and do determines who they are for me.

How do you go about building your world if you use one? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?

I do use maps, charts and family trees when necessary. As for the world building, like my characters, it comes organically from the story I’m telling and the research I’ve found.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

HUNDREDS. Seriously, far too many to list.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

I think my newsletter may be the best so far. I’ve tried a lot of creative means for getting the word out, but I’ve yet to see anything really make an impact. However, my newsletter seems to get opened and read.

What do we have to look forward next?

I’ve been having a fabulous time writing novellas with fellow authors Calista Fox and Mary Leo. We stumbled into a collaboration after meeting in the bar at RWA Nationals and have been releasing stories in trios---they aren’t trilogies, but they are related stories with a common theme. My latest, Shaking It Up (part of the Love, Served With a Twist trio), has already hit #1 on Amazon hot new releases for anthologies. It’s been a fabulous collaboration and we plan to do more. In fact, we’ve proposed a workshop at RWA about it.

Thanks, Erin!

To celebrate her book release, Erin Quinn is offering a free ebook of Echoes, Whispers or Shaking It Up to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Check out author’s website at http://www.erinquinnbooks.com/

Buy Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Indie Bound

Erin Quinn is an award winning author who writes romance for the thinking girl. Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Readers Crown, Golden Quill, Best Books, and Award of Excellence. Go to www.erinquinnbooks.com for more information.