Chocolate Affaire Book Signing

In Arizona Super Bowl weekend?

Don't miss the Chocolate Affaire, just a few short miles from the stadium.

If you can dip it in chocolate, they'll be selling it at Murphy Park. (Okay, almost anything you can dip in chocolate.)

The Chocolate Affair, held Feb 1st and 2nd at the corner of 58th and Glendale Avenues, is listed as one of the Top 100 events

in North America by the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and the American Bus. Association. It is also one of the largest gathering of romance novelists in the Southwest.

Kim Watters and I (Tina LaVon) will be signing our books, along with many of our writing friends across from the NE corner of the park.

See Glendale's official site for details.
http://www.glendaleaz.com/events/2008ChocolateAffaire.cfm

Kim Watters will be signing Web of Deceit

Saturday from 1:00-4:00

Faith Callahan’s husband is dead…isn’t he? So why is someone breaking into her home and work and making phantom phone calls in the night? Sheriff’s deputy Adam Quinn wants to find that out. The only problem is he needs to get close to Faith again--the only woman he’s ever loved. Will Faith allow Adam back into her life after her disastrous first marriage? Will Adam risk his career to win woman he loves? Finally, can Faith and Adam put their trust in God, and let him guide them through these perilous times?

Not attending the Chocolate Affaire? Web of Deceit

is also available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

and through Amazon. ISBN: 1-60154-115-5

I will be signing my award winning suspense, Liquid Hypnosis on Friday from 5:00-10:00 and Saturday from 10:00-10:00.

More innocent lives will be lost if Samantha Garrett, the DEA agent known as The Human Lie Detector, is unable to solve the mystery surrounding a secret formula which controls minds. Her career took a roller coaster ride after her last case went badly, but she still has a chance at the promotion dangling in front of her and she refuses to lose it now. While searching for the suspect who got away in this new case, she must fight her feelings for his brother and handle the repercussions from her last case, which haunts her still.

Kevin Brewster, a mild-mannered, dedicated doctor, has spent his life trying to make up for his father’s crimes. His work life revolves around a clinic helping those in great need with no resources to take care of themselves. To that end, he has become inventive and daring. In addition to his work there, he must now prove his brother’s innocence before the by-the-book DEA agent discovers their secret.

Read the first deadly scene at http://www.suspensebytina.com/

Not attending the Chocolate Affaire? Liquid Hypnosis is also available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ at Amazon, or through a bookseller near you.

ISBN# 1-60154-123-6

Interview With Anna Jacobs

I’d like to welcome our guest today, multi-published novelist Anna Jacobs, who writes historical and modern novels. 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 ‘Tomorrow’s Promises’. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

‘Yesterday’s Promises’ takes place in 1919, just after the first World War ends. I’m interested in what might have happened to women who did men’s jobs during the war and then were expected to go back to their old household roles. My heroine, Ellen, has worked as a driver and mechanic in London but is forced by her mother’s illness to return to Lancashire after the war and the only job is her old position as housemaid. She buys the motor cycle she has used and travels home on that—which outrages some people. Her employer is as vicious as ever and her violent stepfather is determined to marry her off to a man she hates. However, she has an ally in Seth Talbot, the new local policeman, who is determined to bring order to a town where the law has been flouted for years. Little do either of them realise how corrupt so-called respectable people can be and how dangerous when cornered. But along with danger comes love - and who can resist that?

‘Tomorrow’s Promises’ is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

When the 1914-18 war was coming to an end, people in England were promised a land fit for heroes. Nobody promised anything to the women who’d filled all the men’s jobs and risked their lives working in munitions factories. So my story is about what might have happened to women in the promised new tomorrow.

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

I always do a lot of research for my historical novels, and luckily, I find it interesting. I try very to get my facts correct. Before I started writing historicals, I did a year-long unit at university covering the history of my period (1750-1950) which helped give me good foundations for future detailed research. I’m not interested in political history, but in social history. And even so, I’m not interested in the rich and famous but how ordinary people (especially working and middle class women) lived their daily lives. Quite often the women’s side of history hasn’t been the focus of novels, so there are some wonderful situations that I can use as background and give my readers something a bit different. For example, most books about World War I focus mainly on war and the trenches. Mine are about the women’s side of things, especially life on the home front, both during the war years and just afterwards. I have several published set against that background.

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

My heroine, of course! It’s always the heroine who fascinates me. I feel these ‘women’ give me a chance to taste life in a different age. Readers write in to tell me they felt as if they were ‘there’ and I feel just the same. I love it! And Ellen was facing so many challenges, in a world where women had little power over their lives and few choices. But I’ve read autobiographies of that period and there were some wonderful women who did incredible things against all the odds. I try to create heroines like that - and then give them a good man to love. I don’t go for macho heroes, but for caring, strong, intelligent men of the era.

Actually, I love all my characters - except for the villains. I always do long, complex stories with several sub-plots. I got very caught up in the life of Ronnie (short for Veronica), the second lead in ‘Tomorrow’s Promises’. She’s from a better-off background, had worked in the Land Army during the war and met a man her mother considered unsuitable. She too wanted to change her life from what had been expected before the war.

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

Now that’s a hard one to answer because I don’t watch a lot of movies. I’m too busy writing three novels a year! I had to ring my daughter to consult her - and we came to the conclusion Pierce Brosnan would be perfect for the part. Gorgeous, strong and sensitive.

Do you have any authors that have inspired you?

Many, for which I thank them. I read at least three books a week and have learnt a lot from analyzing the particularly good ones. First of all, Georgette Heyer. My first book published was a regency romance in her style, which won a $10,000 prize in 1991. After that I found my own voice, but it was because of her I developed a love of history. Then later on I started writing modern family relationships novels (always with a romance central to the story) because I enjoyed reading them so much. I now write for two publishers, historical sagas for one and modern novels for the other.

Among my many favourite authors, from all of whom I’ve learned something, are C J Cherryh (SF/F, fascinatingly complex stories), Rosamund Pilcher and Maeve Binchy (complex family/friends’ stories), Nora Roberts (wonderful characters, dialogue and male/female relationships), Catherine Cookson (historical sagas, UK style), Katie Fforde (modern relationships stories). I read modern, historical and SF/F most.

What do we have to look forward in 2008?

JUNE: ‘Kirsty’s Vineyard’ in paperback - modern woman in jeopardy/romance. Kirsty is an English librarian, who unexpectedly inherits a small vineyard in Australia from an elderly client, on condition she goes to live there for at least a year, without her domineering brother. She gets more than she bargained for - including romance.

JULY: ‘Yesterday’s Girl’ - paperback of historical saga set in 1919. Vi has been a personal assistant to a special intelligence squad during World War I, and saved lives in the bombing. She’s a widow now, thanks to the war, and she definitely isn’t going back to work in her family’s small corner shop. What she finds when she returns to her home town is danger and romance and a wonderful new future - if she and Joss can make it happen.

JULY: hardback of ‘Freedom’s Land’, (paperback January 2009) a novel set in 1925 about the group settlement days in Western Australia, where ex-soldiers were given forest land, then loaned the money to clear it and set up farms - in a scheme which wasn’t well thought out. Life was very hard, and some settlers failed, some succeeded. Add to this a marriage of convenience, because only married men got the land and the hero was a widower with children, and a complex cast of fascinating characters, and you get a rich tale of human endurance and triumph. I think this is one of the best stories I’ve ever written. I think American readers will love this, as they’ll be able to relate to the settlers theme.

LATER 2008 (date not yet set): ‘Chestnut Lane’, modern story. I saw an interview with Paul McCartney and it made me wonder what happens to ageing pop stars? Do they ever settle down? They may do if they meet the right woman. But if you throw into the equation a son the star didn’t know, plus two grandchildren, the heroine’s rebellious daughter who is giving her a lot of trouble, and a stalker who is prepared to hurt the hero and anyone connected to him . . . well, it isn’t easy for love to flourish.

Thanks, Anna!

Thanks for having me.

To celebrate her book release, Anna Jacobs is offering a free copy of ‘Tomorrow’s Promises’ to one lucky commenter on today's blog. She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio: Anna’s first novel was published in 1991 and she now has 41 novels published. She lives in a waterside house in Western Australia for 8 months of the year, and in her UK holiday home for the English summers (which may or may not be sunny!) so that she can catch up with her family there and do some research and PR for her books. She is still married to the love of her life, and they have two daughters and a recent grandson.

Check out author’s website at http://www.annajacobs.com where you can read first chapters of her books.

Join her readers’ newsletter by emailing her at anna@annajacobs.com

Buy books from http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk (postage free anywhere in the world) or any on line bookshop, as well as ordering them from bookshops if they’re not in stock.

Harlequin Authors Love the Desert Dreams Conference!

Why should you attend the Desert Dreams Conference for writers on April 4-6?

I asked Harlequin American author, Cathy McDavid. She said she pitched her story to Paula Eykelhof, senior editor at Harlequin at the 2004 conference and is convinced that first meeting eventually led to making the sale!

Laurie Campbell, Silhouette Special Edition author said,

"Desert Dreams is where I first pitched my book to an editor, who told me at the next Desert Dreams they were buying it, and at the next one I had copies to sign. Without that face-to-face pitch I would've taken a lot longer to sell, and since we'd met in person our phone conversations were smoother. I've met editors at National, as well, but a relaxed setting like Desert Dreams makes it so much easier to chat!"

Attendees continue to comment about how nice everyone is. The Desert Rose members go out of their way to make your conference experience a great one!

For more details go to http://www.desertroserwa.org/

Interview with Kathryne Kennedy

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Kathryne Kennedy. 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 ENCHANTING THE LADY, the first book in the RELICS OF MERLIN Series. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

I’m very excited about my new RELICS OF MERLIN series coming from Dorchester Publishing (thanks to My Most Awesome editor, Leah Hultenschmidt). Although the books are stand-alones, they are all connected by Merlin’s thirteen relics—jewels that the sorcerer Merlin crafted, each holding a different spell of power. Most of the jewels have disappeared and they allow the owner a magic that surpasses that of a Royals’, and no one is sure what spell each relic contains. Each book is about a different jewel, different characters, and different time periods in Victorian England. The first book, ENCHANTING THE LADY, is Felicity and Terence’s story…a duchess under an evil enchantment, and a baronet who is a were-lion, and immune to all magic. My editor wrote an amazing back cover blurb, so I have to share it here:

In a world where magic ruled everything, Felicity Seymour couldn’t perform even the simplest spell. If she didn’t pass her testing, she’d lose her duchy—and any hope of marriage. But one man didn’t seem to mind her lack of dowry: a darkly delicious baronet who had managed to scare away the rest of London’s Society misses.

Sir Terence Blackwell knew the enchanting woman before him wasn’t entirely without magic. Not only could she completely disarm him with her gorgeous lavender eyes and frank candor, but his were-lion senses could smell a dark power on her—the same kind of relic-magic that had killed his brother. Was she using it herself, or was it being used against her?

One needed a husband, and the other needed answers. But only together could they find the strongest magic of all: true love.

Enchanting the Lady is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

All of the RELICS OF MERLIN books have ‘enchanting’ in their title. I wanted readers to know that although the setting is Victorian England, they would be reading a novel about magic and spells and an alternate reality. Whenever I’m brainstorming names for my books I always google them, in order to try and create a unique title. Surprisingly, ENCHANTING THE LADY hadn’t been used as a title before, which is another reason why I chose it.

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

Yes. I’ve read and own many books on the Victorian era, from architecture to furniture to social economics. (I listed many of my research books on my website blog). I have always loved that time period, so I found the research fascinating. Then I created maps of my alternate Victorian London to keep track of changes to name places (Pall Mall became Pall Mage, Belgrave Square became Gargoyle Square, and I added the Hall of Mages next to Buckingham Palace, for example) because with the influence of magic, the city would develop differently. I also have a ‘map’ of a Victorian mansion, with the type of furniture for each room listed (In England, the first floor of a home is the ground floor, and the first floor is called the second, which is often confusing to my American mind :}). I also have a chart with hereditary titles, how each peer is addressed, and their level of magic. I keep a dictionary of my own words, because I often make them up; and a chart of the relics, when they were discovered, what type of jewel and spell (if known). I also create character sheets along with animal references, since my heroes’ natures are so strongly influenced by their were-creatures.

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

Oh, tough question. When I’m in the middle of a book, I fall in love with my characters. They’re the most wonderful characters to write about…until I start the next book.

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

My imagination is always better than real life. I can’t think of a man in existence that could fill my hero’s shoes--or paws, in the case of Terence.;}

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Hundreds. Mostly, of course, romance and fantasy authors. Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey, Robin Hobb, Andre Norton and Robin McKinley come to my mind right now.

What do we have to look forward to next?

The next book in the series, DOUBLE ENCHANTMENT, is Jasmina and Sterling’s story. Jasmina is an earl’s daughter who cast a simple illusion of herself, unaware that the jewel in her possession was one of Merlin’s relics…and the spell took on a life of its own. Sterling is a were-stallion and meets Jasmina’s illusion. He can’t resist making love to her, then does the gentlemanly thing and marries her. When he finds out the truth, and meets the real Lady Jasmina, love really starts to get confusing for him.

It was such fun to write. DOUBLE ENCHANTMENT will be released September 2008.

I’m currently brainstorming the third book, ENCHANTING THE BEAST.

Thanks, Kathryne!

To celebrate her book release, Kathryne is offering a free, autographed copy of ENCHANTING THE LADY to one lucky commenter on today's blog. 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.kathrynekennedy.com/

Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Enchanting-Lady-Kathryne-Kennedy/dp/0505527502/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200081433&sr=8-1

Desert Dreams Writers Conference

Why should you attend the Desert Dreams Conference April 4-6th in Chandler, AZ?

***

We asked USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Ashley:

"Desert Dreams is a highly professional conference delivering informative workshops by the top names in the publishing business, without being too large and overwhelming. The relatively small size of the conference gives a feeling of friendliness and warmth without detracting from the quality of information, or the quality of the speakers. DD was the first ever romance conference I went to (back in the 90s), and I haven't found one to surpass it yet."

***

Jennifer will be a speaker this year,

along with New York Times Bestselling Authors

Sherrilyn Kenyon, Carly Philips, Cheyenne McCray,

and Vicki Lewis Thompson.

***

For more information visit http://www.desertroserwa.org/

PR Isn't A 4-Letter Word by Marcia James

Self-promotion isn’t for sissies. It can be expensive and time-consuming. There are many factors that play into an author’s decision concerning which PR options to try, including technical savvy (e.g., creating your own Web site), shyness (e.g., public speaking and power-schmoozing), budget and whether the publisher is also providing promotional support. You need to decide if you’re going to target existing romance readers and/or try to “convert” new ones. Here are several options to consider, starting with the most traditional types of author promotion.

Readers can be found on message boards and email lists. And there are many Web sites that offer access to romance readers for a price. You can also purchase a list of readers groups from Pat Rouse and mail them your promotional items. Or you can buy an ad in RT BOOKreviews. But don’t overlook budget-saving options. For example, there are sites (e.g., Coffee Time Romance) that offer some free services, such as an online calendar for authors to post their booksignings. And many publishers have an email loop for their authors to chat up readers, as well as post book blurbs and excerpts.

You can reach readers by cross-promoting with other authors. The simplest way is reciprocal links—authors posting each other’s URL links on their own sites. Another is guest-blogging, which is an easy, free way to introduce yourself to another author’s readers. An additional positive to guest-blogging is that it requires a short commitment of time.

There are also authors who interview other writers for articles and blogs, such as this one. And there are free e-zine opportunities for author interviews. One great example is Su Kopil’s The Motivated Writer e-zine (http://themotivatedwriter.com/), which features fiction authors at all stages of their careers.

Creativity is part of a writer’s “toolbox”, and many are putting it to good use by inventing interesting ways to cross-promote. One such author is Paige Cuccaro, who has a popular Writer’s Cave page on her Web site (http://www.paigecuccaro.com/). She posts photos of other authors’ offices along with their URLs. Readers visit Paige’s site to see their favorite authors’ offices, then stay to explore the other authors’ photos and sites.

In addition to meeting readers and other writers, an author can forge relationships with booksellers and librarians through readings and booksignings. Consider joining with several other authors to booksign at a store or do a panel discussion at a library. If you’re too shy to speak in front of groups, you might consider presenting an online workshop. And there are print and electronic publications that are always looking for articles from authors.

Targeting niche markets is a great way to reach interested romance readers and tempt those who normally avoid romance novels. Look at the different elements in your book to see which groups might be interested in it. For example, if your hero drives a vintage car, there are groups of vintage car enthusiasts who might buy your book. If your heroine is a veterinarian, you can send a press release to the veterinarians’ professional association. Library reference books, such as The Encyclopedia of Associations, offer the contact information on thousands of groups.

You can also reach readers through your local media. Some of the questions to consider when developing a press release include: Who is your audience? What is your angle? Also, it’s important to use a cover letter to put the press release in context and suggest the next step to your media contact (e.g., an interview, coverage of an event or simply your availability as a subject matter expert).

The contents of a folder-style press kit can include: the cover letter, a business card, an author bio, a press release, the book’s cover flat, a book excerpt, book reviews and copies of any previous media coverage. The press kit and its components should reflect your author brand (e.g., darker colors for a suspense author vs. brighter colors for a comedic author). You should share your press kit with your editor and agent, so they’ll know how you’re promoting yourself. And you can put a version of your press kit on your Web site.

Whichever PR options you choose, promote your author brand as well as your books. There are a number of good resources on branding, including articles on author Jenn Stark’s Web site (http://www.jennstark.com/). And it’s never too early to create your brand or to develop your Web site, on paper at least. If you go to the national RWA’s Web site page on member sites (http://www.rwanational.org/cs/authors_and_books/rwa_author_websites), you can check out what others have done and note what you like and don’t like about their sites. When it’s time for you to create (or pay a Web designer to create) a Web site, you’ll have noted your preferences on color, graphics, visuals, etc. Also, lock in your pen name’s domain name before you get The Call.

Self-promotion is a vital part of the business of fiction writing, and the time to study it is BEFORE you’re published. Don’t get caught playing PR catch-up after you sell. Learn about the many PR possibilities and which might work best with your schedule, budget and personality. But most of all, have fun with it. Your options are only limited by your imagination.

Thanks for sharing all that wonderful information with us!

Bio: Marcia James tapped her own PR background to develop her brand—an author of “hot, humorous romances”. Her logo is a Chinese Crested hairless dog, an animal found in all of her manuscripts. And her PR giveaway, a thumbcuff keychain, hints at both her law enforcement protagonists and the level of sensuality in her writing. In addition to writing articles and presenting workshops on author promotion, she has a 100+ page PR information WORD file she shares with any RWA member who would like it. Just go to her Web site (www.MarciaJames.net) and request the file through her “Contact Me” page. This file includes details on the PR options mentioned in this article.

James’ debut comic romantic suspense, AT HER COMMAND, is out in trade paperback from Cerridwen Press. Buy at: http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=1-4199-0704-2

Book Recommendation - Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant

Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant, 309 pages
Self-Council Press, 2007
ISBN: 1551807394

If you’re just starting out in the romance genre, Writing Romance is a good place to start. The author, Vanessa Grant, has over 9 million books in print and has written 25 Harlequin romances, so she has the experience and publications to know what she is talking about.

Writing Romance delves into several topics of interest. The author touches on many of the basics regarding telling vs. showing, viewpoint, pacing, plotting and conflict. Ms. Grant uses her own work as examples.

For advanced writers, you might glean some new information, but basically this book is for the beginner. Also, this is specifically tailored for the romance writer. There is also useful information for any genre writer though.

I can see why this title has been updated. This edition includes much more on the internet and its resources.

The Neurotic Writer's New Years Resolutions

******************************************

Therapist: Suzie, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen you. How was your holiday?

Suzie Writer: Wonderful! I cooked an awesome twenty-pound turkey for my family. We ate, joked, drank, and ate some more.

Therapist: Sounds like you had a relaxing, enjoyable day.

Suzie Writer: Sure did! I was having so much fun, I let the family stay an extra hour before I kicked them all out to write. This year, I even let Uncle George back inside to get his car keys. Last year I made him call a cab and wait on the front lawn. I warned everyone they had to leave by three. I read on the loops that you have to write every day and set boundaries so no one keeps you from your work. Even children cannot interfere unless they’re bleeding a gusher or running around with their clothes set on fire.

Therapist: Did you ever think the person who wrote that message on the Internet loop was exaggerating?

Suzie Writer: Oh, no. No pain, no gain.

Therapist: That applies to exercise, not to the safety of children.

Suzie Writer: Let’s talk about me. I wrote my New Years resolutions. 1. I will write thirty pages every day. I heard Nora writes a chapter a day. That’s the secret to her success. 2. My first published book will hit #1 on the New York Times list.

Therapist: Do you think it’s wise to set a goal you have no control over?

Suzie Writer: What are you talking about? I can turn myself into a New York Times Writer. I’m visualizing and using the power of positive thinking.

Therapist: What happens if you don’t make the list this year?

Suzie Writer: (Extends her palm in the “Talk to the hand” position.) Now, I’m visualizing you and Nora at my book signing. You’re fighting over who gets the first copy. I would let Nora have it. I’ve heard her speeches on tape. She sounds like she could hold her own in a brawl. Reminds me of my sister.

Therapist: (Resisting the urge to roll her eyes) Well, I’m visualizing the clock and I’m positive our time is up.

Web of Deceit Now Available in Print

Web of Deceit is now available in print from
The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Kim Watters is also the featured author this week over at
The Long And The Short Of It.

Stop by and try and win an e-book copy of Web of Deceit.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/

Web of Deceit has also been nominated as "Best Romance of 2007" in the long ebook category over the The Long And The Short Of It. So stop by and cast your bote today!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/poll.htm

Interview with Eilis Flynn

Happy New Year! To start off a fantastic 2008, I’d like to welcome our guest today, Eilis Flynn. 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 INTRODUCING SONIKA. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Sure! A daughter of super-heroes who turned away from her birthright when her parents were killed finds herself facing her destiny when that past comes back to haunt her in the form of a man who seeks revenge against the son of her parents’ greatest enemy.

INTRODUCING SONIKA is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Really? You think it’s interesting? It’s a cliché, but it was too appropriate not to use it. It’s a tip of the hat to the titles of comic book stories. Almost invariably, "Introducing" somebody is how a new character comes into the ongoing story. Duh, right? Nothing else really worked as a title, and since my editor didn’t object, I figured it was fate.

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

Actually, I did, but not for the comics part. I worked for DC Comics when I was younger; I wrote a few stories for them, and when I was a teenager I was a comics geek, writing letters to the editor and critiquing the stories. That stuff came the easiest. No, I did research into the anti-gravity device that plays a part in the story.

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

This was one of those books that I really enjoyed writing in the viewpoint of all the characters! The heroine, Sonika (or Sonya in her ordinary life), lived as quiet a life as possible, with all that power waiting underneath the surface; I loved that feeling, knowing that one day that was all going to change, burst into being what was always meant to be. And then there’s my hero John, who was crippled by a master criminal wannabe, with all this grief and rage rolled up into one, only to be startled by and attracted to this young woman who was a mystery to him – that was an amazing feeling too!

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

My husband and I have spent a lot of time talking about this. John’s supposed to be pretty geeky, and he thought Patrick Dempsey was geeky enough. Yeah, someone who plays a character nicknamed "McDreamy" is not geeky. When Dempsey was a young actor, sure, but now? No, he’s aging well. There are a few actors who could do John. The next time you watch TV or watch a movie and there’s a thirtyish actor who slips on a pair of glasses … that could be John.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

So many!

What do we have to look forward next?

Right now, I’m finishing up a romantic sci-fic that’s supposed to be part of a continuity series for Ellora’s Cave/Cerridwen Press. I’m one of the founding authors of this thing, so I feel a certain protectiveness about the Hunters for Hire series, and I really want to finish it. Other than that? I’ve got a loooong list of books I need to write, and at least one is a sequel to INTRODUCING SONIKA!

Thanks, Eilis!

Bio. Eilis Flynn is a longtime member of the Greater Seattle RWA, a veteran of the Wall Street wars, has been a professional journalist, was a scholar (for a very short while), and even wrote comic books. She lives in a quiet neighborhood with her all-suffering husband and cranky cats.

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

Buy INTRODUCING SONIKA at http://www.cerridwenpress.com/.

SHOW AND TELL—AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

SHOW AND TELL—AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP

INSTRUCTOR: Shannon Donnelly
WHEN: Jan 5 to Jan 16 (6 lessons posted over two weeks)
COST: $15 for NEORWA members, $20 for nonmembers
REGISTRATION: www.neorwa.com for registration form and workshop details or
contact Kristine Thompson at thompos@ameritech.net

WORKSHOP: Show, don't Tell" is a cliché that has almost lost its meaning. But"showing" and "telling" are both valuable tools for any writer. In this workshop, we'll use writing examples to figure out the truth hidden in this tired phrase. The "telling" part of the workshop includes tips, tricks, and techniques tohelp improve narrative and identify when it's time to tell your story.

The "showing" part blends a set of exercises to strengthen an understandingof what makes a scene come to life.

Topics we'll cover:
1) Telling: Use of the Narrative Voice
2) Showing to Pull a Reader into Your Scenes
3) Descriptions: How to Make them Vivid
4) Deep Viewpoint to Show a Character's Inner World
5) Time, Transitions & Word Count--where Telling Helps
6) Showing and Telling--Not Absolutes
7) Write to Your Strengths: When to Show, When to Tell

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:Award-winning author of romance novels, children's books, video games, and non-fiction books, Shannon's work has earned praise from Booklist and other reviewers who have called her work: "simply superb"..."wonderfullyuplifting"....and "beautifully written." Her awards for writing include anomination for RWA's RITA for Best Regency, winning the RWA's Golden HeartAward, winning the Grand Prize in the "Minute Maid Sensational RomanceWriter" contest, (judged by Nora Roberts - which gave her a trip to Paris), and multiple finalists in the Bookseller's Best, Orange Rose, HoltMedallion, Colorado ACE, and other contests. Shannon is a member of LosAngeles Romance Authors, Orange County Chapter of RWA, East Valley Authors,and the Published Author Special Interest Chapter. She regularly teaches online workshops, has taught writing at UCLA, and has spoken at RWA's National Conference, as well as at RWA chapter meetings and other conferences.

She can be found online at ShannonDonnelly.com and atmyspace.com/randomfreshink.

5 Angel Review for When Johnny Comes Home!

My dear friend, Kim Watters, does not like to brag so I'll do it for her.

When Johnny Comes Home received an awesome 5 angel review from

Fallen Angel Reviews!

Read what Linda L (the reviewer) had to say:

"When Johnny Comes Home is a heartwarming story that transports the reader... I adored the beautiful written letters between Johnny and Aubrey, not to mention almost hearing the sounds of Glen Miller playing in the background. One can almost see the soldiers saying goodbye to their loved ones and feel the emotions when they are reunited again. I was mesmerized by the whole ambiance of the era. Kim Watters paints a beautiful read that captures the reader and holds them spellbound."

See the whole review at http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2007/December/LindaL-WhenJohnnyComesHome.htm

Buy the story at www.thewildrosepress.com