New Reviews for MY UNFAIR LADY

"My Unfair Lady has everything I look for in a romance story. I cheered for Summer, wanted to hug and save Byron, my cheeks hurt from grinning so much and I could not put the book down until I’d read it from cover to cover. If this book is a representative of Ms. Kennedy’s regular style, I’ll be looking into her back list. I’d recommend this book to all my friends."~Rating: 5/5 Books, Reviewed by Xeranthemum for Long and Short Romance Reviews http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-unfair-lady-by-kathryne-kennedy.html

***** FIVE STARS! Historical Romances by Kathryne Kennedy always has something for everyone. This one has hot romance, suspense (someone is trying to kill Monchester), humor, and so much more. Summer's collection of adopted pets kept me constantly amused. She has a monkey, a vixen, an old cat that cannot use its hind legs so it gets around by using ... Never mind. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed the odd animals. For the history buffs, the story tells much about history in America and England. Prince Albert Edward even makes several appearances. As I said, something for everyone. I loved every moment of Summer's story! The author, Kathryne Kennedy, is more than good. She is downright smashing! ***** ~Reviewed by Detra Fitch for Huntress Reviews http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:ixNQyppnuz8J:www.huntressreviews.com/histrom.htm+%22my+unfair+lady%22&cd=201&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

My Unfair Lady is a Library Journal Editor's Pick!http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6677270.html

Promotion Tips

PROMOTION TIPS

Yesterday, Kim Watters, Carol Webb, and I spoke about using social networks to promote your writing. I want to thank all of you who attended and added to our discussion. It’s amazing how each time we speak we worry we won’t have enough to say, but always run out of time because there really is so much to talk about on this topic.

Here are a few of the tips discussed at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library yesterday.


Do NOT let your promotion efforts take over your writing time. You can schedule promo for those moments you don’t usually write. You also don’t have to do everything in one day. Spread your efforts out over the week.

The four essential elements to promotion are having:
-a website
-a blog
-a Facebook profile
-a Twitter profile

If you read Kathryne Kennedy’s post on Tuesday Sept. 29th she tells you how to set your Facebook and Twitter to feed automatically from one to the other when you post. It also tells you how to feed your blogs into one another.

3. Blogging – Creating a group blog like Much Cheaper Than Therapy saves time. If
you only have a personal blog you should post at least once a week, two or three times will help generate traffic to your site. Offering a service like editor/agent interviews is a great way to encourage readers to come to your blog. I currently cross post from this one to my personal Blogger and my Myspace. If I set the feed correctly it will automatically go to my Twitter.

4. Blog tours are an effective form of promotion. If you read Kathryne’s post on
October 17th you can read where Kathryne went on her blog tour and what she discussed at each one.


To hear more tips, you can listen to our next speech on promotion at the Glendale, AZ Chocolate Affair on February 6th at 3:00. Hope to see you there!

Until next week,
Happy Writing!

Tina LaVon

Interview with Lisa Mondello

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Lisa Mondello. 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 Yuletide Protector. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Here is the back cover blurb for Yuletide Protector. A DEFENDER FOR CHRISTMAS - Her ex-husband wants her dead? Daria Carlisle can hardly believe it. Detective Kevin Gordon insists it's true...and that it's his fault that her ex is still at large. Which means it's his responsibility to make sure Daria stays safe. He knows first hand that Daria's ex means business. And with Christmas coming, the determined cop intends to give Daria the holiday celebration she deserves - safe and sound by his side forever.

Yuletide Protector is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Yuletide Protector wasn't originally a Christmas book. But since it was being released in December, my editor asked me if I wanted to make it a Christmas book. I jumped at the chance because I love reading Christmas romances!

Would you describe your book as a cozy, mystery, suspense, or thriller?

I'd call it a suspense/thriller.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

My hero and heroine always seemed to be on the run and dead people kept showing up in my books. Seriously, with my very first book I wanted to write a straight contemporary romance, but as I wrote it the suspense and danger just came out. I find that writing suspense comes naturally to me.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I get ideas from everywhere! A lot of times ideas come from something I've read in the newspaper and then my plot plays off that. This particular story came from a report I saw on television about an undercover sting that caught a wife trying to hire a hitman to murder her husband. I twisted it around and provided another twist in Yuletide Protector.

Do you have all the key suspense/mystery elements thought out before you begin writing?

I have most of them. But a lot of red herrings and twists come to me while I'm writing. It's not uncommon for my story to change a bit when I figure out something more compelling while I'm writing.

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

My favorite research for this book was with my own husband. He's a police officer and the hero in Yuletide Protector is a police officer. This was the first book that I got to run story ideas and details by him to see if it would work.

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

I really loved writing both Daria and Kevin's story. Kevin is the strong protector who is full of honor. Very grounded and kind of cool too! Daria has a strong desire for a home and that creates instant conflict when she's face with having to leave her home after she's finally achieved her dream of having one.

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

Character sheets would give me the hives. A lot of times I get the seed of an idea and begin researching it. From that I may develop an opening scene in my head and start writing, just to see where it takes me. Once I get a basic idea of the direction I want to go, I sometimes write a letter in first person from my hero and heroine. It always starts out with the dry stuff like "I was born in Boston, blah, blah" and then I begin talking about things that happened in their childhood and college and end at the moment the story starts. The letter can end up being 6-8 single spaced pages when I'm done. From there I can usually pull out conflict, motivation and character elements to make my characters real.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Lots! I love Dee Henderson and Karen Kingsbury books. Lately I've been engrossed in C.L. Wilson's fantasy series.

What do we have to look forward next?

My editor has 3 projects on her desk right now so hopefully you will be hearing some good news from me soon!

Thanks, Lisa!

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

Bio. Lisa Mondello published her first novel in 1998 and continued on, selling 4 books in her Texas Hearts series to Avalon Books. Lisa's eighth published novel, an Inspiration Suspense called Cradle of Secrets, was published November 2007 by Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense and was a finalist in the Colorado Award of Excellence and the Holt Medallion contest. Her ninth book, Her Only Protector, published 08/08 received a 4 ½ star rating and was a Romantic Times Top Pick and Reviewer's Choice Finalist.

Check out author’s website at http://www.lisamondello.com Buy Amazon, Barnes & Noble or anywahere Harlequin Bs are sold..

PROMOTING YOURSELF BEFORE “THE CALL”

PROMOTING YOURSELF BEFORE “THE CALL”

By Marcia James

Think public relations (PR) is something you do after selling your book? Think again. Author promotion can be a daunting task when faced during the hectic days after “The Call”. Don’t make it more difficult on yourself by waiting until you sell to learn all you can about self-promotion.

Nuts and bolts

Prior to publication, there are many things you can do—free and easy things—to become PR savvy.

• Read those author promotion articles in the Romance Writers of America^® (RWA^®) Romance Writers Report and your chapter newsletters.
• Get a subscription to RT Book Reviews to check out author ads and the press releases in the “RT Clubhouse” section.
• Ask the published authors in your chapter what they do for promotion and take note of their e-mail posts about chats and blogs.
• Take an online promotion workshop to learn about the available PR options. (I’m presenting two such workshops in 2010. For more information, check my Web site: http://www.MarciaJames.net/Schedule.html)

The more you know about marketing yourself—especially the nuts and bolts of available PR options—the less intimidating it will be. For example, well before I was a featured author-guest in a chat room, I participated in several online chats with other authors to learn the process, the lingo (GA, BTY, TTYL, etc.), and my server’s ability to work with different chat hosts’ software. And before my first guest-blogging opportunity, I set up my blogger profile and figured out how to post comments on blogs.

Brand identity

The most important thing aspiring authors can do to get a jump on PR is to choose a pen name, lock in the corresponding domain name, and design—on paper, at least—a Web site. However, I recommend learning about author branding before spending a lot of time and money on your Web site. Golden Heart winner Jenn Stark has very helpful branding tips on her site (http://www.JennStark.com/). And when picking a pen name and slogan or tag line, remember to Google it to make sure it’s unique.

Modern technology

Exploring PR opportunities on the Internet is another pro-active move. Kensington author Dianne Castell believes in building your name recognition by networking online. “Get on loops and message boards you like and make contacts there,” Castell said. That way, “they care when you sell, and it’s a big deal to them as well because you’re friends. They will spread the word for you.” However, she warns that being friendly and helpful on loops is the key; not just pushing your books.

Social media sites, such as MySpace, offer a chance to start building your brand and your pen name before selling. I’m technically challenged, so I’ve resisted taking the MySpace plunge. But I was able to test the waters by joining a MySpace page for Ohio romance authors (http://MySpace.com/RomanceAuthors), which New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster designed and maintains. By being one of many, I learned to navigate, blog, friend people, etc., before committing to my own site (http://www.MySpace.com/MarciaJames). This co-promotion concept is true for blogs, as well. There are aspiring author group blogs, started by friends, critique groups, and award finalists.

If you’re technically handy, you can experiment with making book videos, which can cost less than $50 if you use stock photos, paid instrumental music, and free software such as Movie Maker. Several authors have become so good at creating these video promos, they’ve started their own companies.

Another helpful skill is podcasting. You don’t have to be published to have your own Internet radio show, although most podcasting is not inexpensive.

Writing and workshops

Penning press releases and articles also provides name recognition. It’s never too early to learn to write a press release, and there are books at your library offering samples of this promotional writing. You can volunteer to write press releases about your local RWA chapter’s conference or contest as a way to hone your skills and make contacts within your local media. And remember, a press release is not just a recitation of facts. It’s important to point out in your cover letter or e-mail why the media person’s audience will care about your press release.

KODer Jacqui Jacoby writes for the RWA Kiss of Death newsletter and other publications. “The first goal I set for myself back in 2002 was to start submitting at least two articles a year,” Jacoby explained. “You can pack a lot of info into that little bio at the end of an article, though I tend to steer clear of the laundry list of awards and accomplishments.” Jacoby’s articles are available on her Web site (http://www.JacquiJacoby.com/), which she considers her “virtual resume.”

In addition, Jacoby teaches both online and onsite workshops, which has the added benefit of getting her name known within the industry. Aspiring author Kellie Finley (http://www.kelliefinley.com/) also presents online workshops, as well as writing articles, volunteering, and using the Internet to promote herself. Since studies show that fear of public speaking is more prevalent than fear of death, presenting workshops isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But aspiring authors can give it a try by participating in (less scary) panel discussions, such as joining with critique partners to do a creative writing presentation at your local library.

Fiction writing requires a great deal of craft and business knowledge, and there are only so many hours in the day. But learning about self-promotion now will save a lot of stress later in your career. As Jacoby said, “We need to be seen and make a little noise. But most important, we have to have fun doing it.”

Marcia James writes hot, humorous romances and finaled in eleven RWA chapter contests before selling her first comic romantic suspense, At Her Command, to Cerridwen Press. In June 2009, her short story, "Rescue Me", appeared in Tails of Love, a Berkley benefit anthology, along with stories by nine other authors. Marcia is an advertising copywriter and marketing consultant, and she presents author promotion workshops. In her eclectic career, she has shot submarine training videos, organized celebrity-filled nonprofit events and had her wedding covered by People Magazine. After years of dealing with such sexy topics as how to safely install traffic lights, Marcia is enjoying “researching” her novels' steamy love scenes with her husband and hero of many years. She offers her 245+ page file of author promotion options to any writer who requests it. Just email her through the “Contact Me” page on her Web site: http://www.marciajames.net/

FOR WRITERS: A contest for you to win free advertising!

Authors, a heads up. SingleTitles.com just relaunched, sporting a full site makeover and a contest to celebrate the new look. They’re offering up $450 worth of advertising as prizes. If you write romance, mystery or thrillers you should head over and check out. http://www.singletitles.com
(I love this site, and they have been very supportive to authors, including myself, so it's my pleasure to pass on the word about this contest.)

The Writing Doctor on Writing Organizations

Next week Kim, Carol, and I are speaking at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library on Promo.

Why promote yourself?

Name recognition is an important reason why readers buy books. If a reader knows your name they are more likely to buy your book than one written by someone they never heard of. Of course, other writers are also readers so they can be your first source of networking.

Name recognition also plays a role in obtaining representation from an editor or agent. If you have been around long enough for your name to be recogonized they know you are serious about your career. It helps, but don't forget you need a great novel for them to buy.

If you are not yet published, you are just starting out, where can you start promoting yourself?

Writing Organizations – This is a great place to learn the craft of writing and to get your name out there when you network at meetings and online. Many organizations have some sort of loop for you to communicate with other members of your organization. Remember, writers are also readers. Always be respectful to others. It's just good manners too.

Romance Writers of America is where I learned the craft and business of writing from newsletters, local chapters, online classes both free and paid for, conferences, speeches on CD/tapes, critique partners, etc. The local chapters are where I do most of my networking. There are also the meetings where I have made life long friends.



Romance Writers of America – http://www.rwanational.org/
Local AZ Chapters:
Desert Rose - http://www.desertroserwa.org/
Meetings are held in Tempe the last Tuesday of the month.
Valley of the Sun http://www.valleyofthesunrw.com/
Meetings are held in Glendale the second Tuesday of the month.

Listing of 118 US Chapters - http://www.rwanational.org/cs/about_rwa/chapters_listing/us_chapters


Special-Interest Online Chapters:
The Beau Monde Regency Special Interest Chapter

Celtic Hearts Romance Writers

Chick Lit Writers of the World

Electronic and Small Press Authors Network

Elements of RWAFaith, Hope, and Love, Inc. (Inspirational Writers)

From the Heart Romance Writers

Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal

Golden Network Chapter

Gothic Romance Writers

Hearts Through History Romance Writers

Mystery/Suspense Chapter (Kiss of Death)

Outreach International Romance Writers

Passionate Ink

Published Authors Special Interest Chapter/PASIC

Rainbow Romance Writers

RWA Heartbeat

RWA Online

Scriptscene
Young Adult Special Interest Chapter



Other chapters my romance-writing friends have found helpful.

Sisters in Crime - http://www.sistersincrime.org/ (Has a local AZ chapter - meets every 3rd
Wednesday at Carumbe Cafe in Scottsdale.)

International Thriller Writers. http://www.thrillerwriters.org/
Published authors can be active members, unpublished are affiliate members.
They hold an annual conference called Thrillerfest




There is an expansive list of writing organizations at http://novelspot.net/node/1154


Once you feel you have an idea of what you are doing, then it is time to join social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Your fellow writers will be glad to help you get started. You can also attend our free workshop next week in Scottsdale. I posted all the details last Sunday.

Until next week,
Happy Writing!
Tina LaVon

Interview with Lyn Cote

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Lyn Cote. 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 Her Patchwork Family. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Her Patchwork Family is the 2^nd book in my "Gabriel Sisters" series for the new Love Inspired Historical line. The Gabriel sisters are Quakers who believe that God has given each of them special gifts and missions to use to heal America after the Civil War. These books are coming out one each December from 2008 to 2010.

Felicity Gabriel has inherited a large house, a mansion really, in a town along the Mississippi River in Illinois right across from St. Louis. She plans to open an orphan's home there. Her neighbors are horrified. They don't want riffraff in their neighborhood. But the real challenge to Felicity is Ty Hawkins' little traumatized daughter. How can she reunite this good man with his child?

Her Patchwork Family is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

My editor. I'm not very good at romance titles.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I love history and historical fiction. And I love to write about strong women. My blog is http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com/ If you want to read stories of strong women in fiction and in life, drop by!

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

I was going to say a little of both, but I'll amend that to a LOT of both. I plan some and then start writing. When I need something, it just comes.

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

I did some research, especially on 19^th century law and the crusade to enact laws that would deal with children offenders differently than adults. My brand is Strong Women, Brave Stories. I love to write stories of strong women who are ahead of their times, stories with a multicultural cast of characters and stories that include authentic history.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I always look for a historical period with a lot of social change. It's easy to find conflict enough for a story there.

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

Felicity is a delight. She just never takes no for an answer and is fearless in her zeal to protect and help children. And the hero finds her irresistible too.

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

I always use Tami Cowden's Archetype book, Kathy Jacobsen's Conflict Grid and a character interview. And of course choosing a name is key.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Georgette Heyer, Mary Stewart, and Phyllis Whitney.

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

Writing a book people want to buy is a good idea.

What do we have to look forward next?

The final book in my Texas Star of Destiny series will come out in early 2010. It's title Her Abundant Joy and features a heroine who has just immigrated to Texas in time for the Mexican American War.

Thanks, Lyn!

To win books by Lyn Cote and more!

There are 4 ways to win books which include Lyn’s.

1-Enter the quarterly drawing at http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com

2-Drop by Lyn’s blog http://StrongWomenBraveStories.blogspot.com in a month that she has a new book released. She will give out several copies in a drawing of those who comment during the weeks. In 2009 that includes August, September and December.

3- Drop by my website http://www.LynCote.net and click Meet Lyn Page and scroll to the bottom to join the ChapterAWeek Club. Several times a year, this group gives away a prize of 10 lbs. of autographed books by notable Christian Authors, including Lyn.

4-Join www.goodreads.com and then click on Explore and then Books, there you will find scores of book giveaway drawings which you can sign up for. I give 1-2 copies of each of my new books here.

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 www.booksbylyncote.com

Buy www.booksbylyncote.com.