The Wild Rose Press March Contest

March is White Rose Month over at The Wild Rose Press.
Come help us celebrate the season of renewal, and Easter and all things that make this month special.

Don't miss out on the jellybean hunt beginning March 5.

Go to http://thewildrosepress.com/publisher/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1234&Itemid=128
This link takes you to the page on the garden gate that discusses our jellybean hunt.

Basically, there are jellybeans planted throughout the bookstore section of the web site. There are a certain number of jellybeans and then one bonus jellybean. Entrants should send their guess to jellybeans@thewildrosepress.com
and at the end of the month one winner will be drawn.

Good luck!

Looking for an Agent or Editor?

What do these editors and agents have in common?

Jessica Faust, Agent, BookEnds, LLC

Michelle Grajkowski, Agent, Three Seas Literary Agency

Leah Hultenschmidt, Editor, Dorchester Publishing

Elaine Spencer, Agent, The Knight Agency

Bob Mecoy, Agent, Creative Book Services

Toni Plummer, Assoc Editor, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press

Johanna Raisanen, Editor, Harlequin Superromance

Rachel Vater, Agent, Folio Literary Management

Angela James, Editor, Samhain Publishing

They will be taking appointments with attendees of the Desert Dreams Writer's Conference in Chandler, AZ, April 4-6th.

Don't miss this opportunity to pitch your story! The deadline to register has been extended to March 15th.

Go to http://www.desertroserwa.org/conference.htm for more information.

Interview with Jordan Summers

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Jordan Summers. 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 OFF LIMITS. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

First off, thank you for having me here. I call OFF LIMITS my ‘Ms. Congeniality on an airplane’ story because my heroine is fairly uncouth. She doesn’t play well with others and frankly hates to fly. That makes her fairly hostile to the passengers and unhappy with her assignment.

OFF LIMITS is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

It was actually my fourth or fifth choice. The original title for my Blaze was Revenge of the Sky Goddess. I still like it better, but OFF LIMITS isn’t bad. It hints at what is happening between the hero and the heroine. Or should I say, what should be happening.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Actually, no. I didn’t do a lot of research for this book because I was a flight attendant for fourteen years, so I had ‘some’ experience. I did however phone the ATF to see if there were any slang terms for arm’s dealers. There wasn’t any that I could use, but they were all extremely helpful. I took a LOT of liberties with this story. (ie I made it all up.) So any mistakes I made concerning the ATF are all mine.

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

In OFF LIMITS, I actually liked my heroine, Delaney a lot. She got to do (and say) a lot of things that I would’ve loved to have done when I was flying. Writing this book was very cathartic for the flight attendant in me.

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero’s shoes?

Clive Owen. The name says it all. *g*

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Is that a trick question? I have several authors who inspired me. The first one would have to be Virginia Henley. She writes wonderful heroes and stories that are rich in detail. I have quite a few of her books on my keeper shelf. She’s also the reason that my very first attempt at writing a romance was in the historical genre. It was a pirate adventure as I recall. *g* I also love Kathleen Woodiwiss. Her stories always swept me away and made me want to write better. Susan Johnson taught me that hot can be defined many ways.

The next generation of authors also inspire me. Lynn Viehl with her wonderful world-building and twists on vampire lore. She gives fantastic advice too. ;) Dara Joy with her delicious heroes (Yes, I still have a crush on the hero from Mine to Take. He’s mine. All mine, I tell you. ;). Patricia Briggs has the ability to weave an amazing story. She writes awesome urban fantasies. I try to learn from their writing. Angela Knight and Emma Holly redefined hot otherworldly heroes, while building richly emotional love stories. Marjorie Liu and Eileen Wilks show me that the world really is populated by a variety of people and that my worlds should be too. Charlaine Harris taught me that humor applied sparingly can be far more effective than slapstick.
All these authors inspire me with their talent, drive and abilities. They make me want to sharpen my writing skills, tell better stories and evoke powerful emotions. Basically, when I grow up, I want to be able to write like them. J

What do we have to look forward next?

My next novel is quite a departure from the light-hearted Blaze. I have my first single title mass market release in November 2008. RED is a twist on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. It’s a near-future, post-apocalyptic story about a woman who sets out to find a killer and in the process finds herself. Oh, and she also has to stop a blood war. RED is the first book in my DEAD WORLD series for Tor. It will be followed by two more books, SCARLET and CRIMSON in 2009.

Thanks, Jordan Summers!

No, thank you!

Jordan will be checking in today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio:
Jordan Summers is an ex-flight attendant with a penchant for huge bookstores and big dumb action movies. She prefers quiet dinners with friends over maddening crowds. Happily married to her very own Highlander, they split their time between two continents.
Jordan is a member of the Romance Writer’s of America, Novelist Inc. and the Published Authors Network. She loves to hear from readers.

Check out author’s website at: http://www.jordansummers.com/ Buy OFF LIMITS from Amazon on March 1, 2008 or at the eHarlequin website in ebook in Feb. 2008. RED will be available for pre-order soon.

THIRD 'Magical Jewel' contest for ENCHANTING THE LADY.

ENCHANTING THE LADY is the first novel in the RELICS OF MERLIN series. Merlin used thirteen different jewels as a focus for thirteen mysterious spells, and the 'magical jewel' in ENCHANTING THE LADY is a pearl.

For this third contest, the prize is a princess-length Akoya cultured pearl necklace. (See my website CONTEST page for a photo and description of this 'magical' jewel.)Entering is easy. Just go to http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/ and click on the NEWSLETTER button to join Kathryne Kennedy's YahooGroup Newsletter. This is a private group, so your information will be kept confidential.

A winner will be randomly chosen from those who have joined (current newsletter subscribers are automatically entered). Only one entry per person. Contest ends March 31, 2008. Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years or older to enter. No prize substitution permitted. This contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Interview with Tina LaVon

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Tina LaVon. 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 Liquid Hypnosis. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

I would be happy to. Liquid Hypnosis is the first book I sold. I have three full practice manuscripts hidden away and I refuse to tell where, even if you threaten to take my chocolate away. I believe I put together what I learned about writing romance and suspense with Liquid and the work paid off. Liquid made the final round of the EPPIE and was nominated as one of the Top Ebook Romances of 2007 by Long and Short Reviews. It also finaled in several RWA chapter contests before selling to The Wild Rose Press.

I got the idea for the story when a friend of mine in the DEA told me his team had investigated the nightclubs in Scottsdale. I asked myself, “What if…” about two dozens times and came up with a romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Donald Maas says you need to put your characters through hell and I’ve been told I did that with Liquid.

Liquid Hypnosis is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

In the story, a female DEA agent must find a missing scientist who accidentally created a chemical that, when mixed with alcohol, controls your mind. I knew I wanted Hypnosis in the title. My critique partner, Deborah McTiernan, came up with the Liquid part during a brainstorming session.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

My critique partner helped make the medical part believable and my friend in the DEA helped with my questions about procedure. Since this is a fiction novel, I had to bend reality more than a bit to make the romance and paranormal elements work. When your hero is bending the law, even for noble reasons, you can’t have your heroine following the rules for the whole story or the romance will have to take place during prison visiting hours. Making a by-the-book DEA agent reconcile her love and her commitment to her job was a challenge.

Of course, the paranormal elements were tougher to research. I’ve never heard of a human lie detector, who can open the door to the spirit world. I also never heard of anyone whose wounds unheal as the evil spirit haunting her grows stronger. I had to use my imagination for that part of the story.

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

I grew attached to all of my characters. My hero is the kind of man I would want my daughter to marry. He’s strong, noble, and dedicated to his family. But of course, I think every writer loves the main couple. The character I had the most fun writing was Orchid. She’s a psychic flower child who is always there for our heroine. Everyone needs a best friend like that.

If your book was made into a movie, what actor would you like to fill your hero’s shoes?

Cameron Matheson, the actor who plays Ryan on All My Children. You might remember him from Dancing with the Stars. He always comes across as a lovable hero.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Every writer who ever spoke at a Desert Rose or Valley of the Sun chapter meetings, and every writer whose RWA conference tape I listened to over and over. RWA taught me how to write. I also take something from every book I read. It could be the way a writer makes me care about the characters or shocks me with a suspenseful twist. I admire writers who can continuously produce like Jennifer Ashley or writers who can maintain the sexual tension throughout a book like Stephanie Myer. Kathryne Kennedy’s world building and Dan Brown’s code breaking inspire me to be true to my own gifts. Debbie Macomber’s speeches motivate me to be persistent and to improve my craft.

In terms of marketing, Karen Fox’s Show Me the Money and Cynthia Sterling’s Market News taught me that being a resource for other writers helps build name recognition. I started a list of MySpace links on my personal blog at http://www.suspensebytina.blogspot.com/ to help romance readers and writers connect on MySpace. The lists now contain 850 live links. Anyone interested in being MySpace friends with readers, writers, reviewers, publishers, librarians and booksellers can click on a link that will take them to that person’s profile and then click add. If anyone wants me to place their link on my blog, all they need to do is leave a message for me on MySpace or leave a comment here.

What do we have to look forward next?

I’m currently working on Desperate Homeowners. It’s a dark humorous look at the people who run homeowners associations and the neighbors who want to kill them.

Desperate Homeowners is about Andi, a substitute teacher who finds herself in a war with the president of the homeowners association while fighting her feelings an old flame the property manager who can’t stop the mayhem. When the board members become a target of a serial killer, Andi ends up playing amateur detective.

The agent who judged it in the final round of the Hot Prospects Contest called it “…very Stephanie Plum-ish.” This is the novel where I finally found my true voice and I love writing it. If you read episodes of The Neurotic Writer in this blog, you’ll get an idea of what my humor is like.

Speaking of agents, I’ll have this story done this summer and then I’ll begin my hunt for an agent to sell it.

Thanks, Tina!

To celebrate her book release, Tina is offering a free ebook of Liquid Hypnosis to one lucky commenter on today's blog. She will be most of the day today, in between her day job. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Check out author’s website at www.suspensebytina.com
Print copies of Liquid Hypnosis are available thru Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Electronic copies are available at http:/www.thewildrosepress.com

Win a free free download of Web of Deceit

Kim Watters is offering up an e-book download of Web of Deceit over at The Romance Studio today in the Book-a-Day giveaway.

Stop by and enter today February 21st.

http://www.theromancestudio.com/bad_form.php

Thanks for playing.

Sold My First Contemporary Romance: The Long Road Home!

I just sold my short contemporary romance to The Wild Rose Press. As yet, I do not have a cover or release date. As soon as I do, I will post both. But for now, here's a blurb of the story:

Travel across the country with her old lover, John McDonnell--and his girlfriend? Impossible. But Clarisse Madison is desperate. Terrified of flying and unable to drive long stretches because of a knee surgery, she sees no other way to get from New York to San Diego and her sister’s wedding.

Three years ago, a plane crash disfigured her leg and destroyed her career as a model. Self-esteem crushed and fearful of rejection, Clarisse severed her relationship with John. Now, forced to travel across the country with him and his girlfriend, Vivian, she is determined to hide her disfigurement. Driving through state after state and mile after mile, though, she begins to fall in love all over again. But can anything come of it? Can she overcome her pride for the sake of love?