Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
And One More Thing.....
In HOMECOMING, Jill Marie Landis has written a beautiful story of love dueling with big odds. When I read the book I knew it would become one of my favorites. It has, and I'm honored to introduce HOMECOMING to you. Jill needs no introduction but I'll add that she's wonderful, too!
Another big Mahalo (thanks) to Stella for this repeat appearance at Running With Quills. What are the chances that I’d have not one but two books out in the same month after a year off the publication rotation?
HOMECOMING goes on sale this week and I’m happy to say that I’m quite pleased with this book. Stella no doubt feels like a Godmother for this one. It’s my first book for Steeple Hill (another is already in the hopper and set to come out next July) and so I was a little insecure about whether or not I’d accomplished what I’d wanted to when the was finished. (Gee, imagine a writer feeling a bit insecure!)
Stella and her hubby were here on Kauai and she graciously said she’d read the first fifty pages or so. No one else had read a word yet. I handed them over and went and hid under the bed. In no time at all, Stella was at the door demanding more. And then more. And then more.
And thanks to Stella, I wrote the obligatory happy ending scene (I always save those until the very, very, very last draft) with elements she asked to see incorporated. Feeling very good about the results, I mailed it off to my editor. Then I got back under the bed to await her editorial input.
Imagine my shock and awe when she said she cried reading it and there were no edits. Not only had I switched back to writing western historical romance, but I’d finished my first Inspirational novel and got it right!
I’m not crazy enough to think this will happen with every book I finish, but it was a thrill to have such great validation after trying something new.
HOMECOMING is set in Texas in the 1870’s. It’s the story of a young woman who is “rescued” from the Comanche clan that abducted her as a child. She has no memory of her past when she is taken in by Hattie Ellenberg, a woman who has suffered at the hands of the Comanche herself. Joe Ellenberg is Hattie’s son. He’s a man who has lost his faith and his hope for the future—until this lovely young woman searching to know “Who am I? Where do I belong?” comes into his life.
One question that I’ve been asked over and over is “How will HOMECOMING, an Inspirational, appeal to your fan base?”
I think the one thing most readers are looking for is a page turning tale. One that is impossible to put down until you read the final page. A book that’s full of tension and emotion. That’s what I focus on when I sit down to write. That’s what I hope happens with each and every book. I think that’s the kind of read folks will get when they pick up HOMECOMING.
Do stop by my website at www.jillmarielandis.com and say hello. I love hearing from readers. Thanks again, Stella, and everyone at Running With Quills. Until next time, aloha, Jill Marie
And the lucky winner of the Carly Phillips drawing is. . .
dfender! Congratulations, Deb. Send your mailing information to susan@susanandersen.com and Carly will put an autographed copy of Hot Property in the mail for you.
I have a special guest today! Carly Phillips has been rockin' the bestseller lists (Can you say NYT, USToday, Waldenbooks and. . . well, pretty much everything) for several years now. She writes funny, sexy contemporary romance and you all know that works for me! Her latest is Hot Property.
But rather than have me talk about Carly, let's do something more interesting and let her speak for herself. Oh, but first--not only do we have a cool guest, but she comes bearing gifts! Carly's going to autograph a copy of Hot Property for one lucky poster, so check back tomorrow night to see whose name was drawn.
Welcome, Carly!!
**************************************************************** Giving Birth to and Raising Children (the human kind and the kind made of paper)
Just last week, My husband and I had a very tough time with my oldest teenager. Without going into details, thank goodness she is OK. We are very grateful and hope lessons were learned. This experience led me to think about how children don’t come with instruction manuals and as parents, all we can do is our very best. The same can be said of my other children – my books.
Unlike my real children, who I hopefully can continue to teach and grow and mold into healthy safe and happy adults, there reaches a point in the birth of a book, when we must send them out into the world with no further say in who they are and what they become. We put them out to there and expose them to the world, virtues, vices and all. Just like our kids, only they never change.
HOT PROPERTY is my current book out now. It’s the last book in the Hot Zone Series of books (Hot Stuff, Hot Number, Hot Item and now Hot Property) and it forces me to say goodbye to this set of children and begin the process of raising/creating new ones.
Unlike some authors, I am able to move on to a new book fairly easily because I get a rush of excitement each time I start something new. That is, until the hard part of actually developing the characters begins!
And as a reader, when my favorite author finishes a series or a book, I’m sad – but I’m already excited for the next one – regardless of what they’re writing. (Unless it’s a complete genre switch but that’s for another blog, since I tend to only read romance!)
So I’m wondering …Authors out there – do you move from ending one book or series easily and jump into the next? Or do you angst?
And Readers (the people we, as authors, count on) – as much as you know you will miss the end of a series of books, do you get excited by the start of a new one by your favorite author? Or do you need to read it and see if it will strike you before the excitement kicks in?
The RITA is Romance Writers of America's highest award, so when I received my very first nomination this year for Coming Undone it was a pretty big thrill for me. Since then, however, I've had an even bigger thrill--getting to know several of my sister nominees.
Diana Holquist contacted the eight nominees (well seven, plus her if you wanna be literal) and proposed we do a trash talk video to spoof ourselves. She put us all together, enlisted Lindsay Farber to produce the final result and wrote the story board.
The latter went through some changes. Hey, you didn't really think you could involve this many writers and not have all of us put our two cents in, did you? But without Diana it never would have gotten off the ground.
Not everyone was comfortable with the idea. I wasn't at first, since I tend to get uber selfconscious when video cameras are pointed my way and I'm expected to say something brilliant, or, okay even comprehensible. But the whole trash talking concept sounded like way too much fun not to stretch my comfort level.
And I'm so glad I did. Because those of us who ended up doing this video had a blast. And as Toni Blake pointed out, we got the extra added bonus of bonding over it. I was blown away at how natural and funny my sister finalists were--they just cracked me up. And win or lose, I'm truly privileged to be included in such marvelous company.
So, here it is. I hope you get as big a kick out of watching it as I did participating in it.
P.S. Dearauthor.com is having a poll on the right hand column of their main page as to who should win the RITA for this category. I'm betting a lot of you have read a lot of us. Drop by and cast your vote.
There is something about a series. When I go into a bookstore nothing delights me more than finding a new book in one of my favorite series. We happen to be in Hawaii at the moment and for lanai reading I brought along the newest volume in Simon R. Green's Eddie Drood series: DAEMONS ARE FOREVER. Green does a fabulous job with clever, grandly heroic Urban Fantasy. I also picked up Janet Evanovich's FEARLESSFOURTEEN, the hilarious new Stephanie Plum book.
I'm addicted to a lot of series and luckily we here at RWQ have plenty to offer. There's LORI FOSTER's SBC FIGHTERS, ELIZABETH GUEST'S PHARAOHS RISING, STELLA CAMERON'S BAYOU BOOKS, ELIZABETH LOWELL'S ST KILDA BOOKS, SUSAN ANDERSEN'S LINKED STORIES and my own ARCANE SOCIETY novels.
In addition I follow all three of Robert B. Parker's series (Jesse Stone, Spencer and what's her name, oh, yeah, Sunny Randall). I can't wait for the newest Gabriel Allon book from Daniel Silva and the latest John Rain story from Barry Eisler. The list goes on.
What is it about a series that compels us? Certainly the pleasures of returning again and again to familiar fictional landscapes starts in childhood. I'm thinking of all those WalterFarley horse stories, the Little House on the Prairie books and Nancy Drew, among others, not to mention comic books. And then there's Harry Potter and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga series.
There are series books available in most if not all of the genres: Heck, mystery and thriller writers build entire careers around series characters. The tradition goes way back. Think: Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. Series are huge in romance and the paranormal. They are the backbone of science fiction. They are wildly popular in the new generation of romantic erotica. Can anyone say Kate Douglas and Chanku?
There are a few things that can instantly turn me off a series forever and ever. I have standards. I stopped reading one mystery writer when his screw-up hero allowed his own little adopted daughter to get killed in one of the books. When another mystery writer made a big deal about the homicide victim in the story being a pathetic loser because she read romance novels I closed the book without bothering to finish it. I did not throw the book across the room. I put it directly into the garbage and dumped it down the trash chute. The odd thing was that one of the reasons I had enjoyed that particular series up until that point was because of the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine!
Most of the people I know who read fiction for pleasure follow the events and characters in one or more unique "worlds" or series. As a lover of connected titles, I'm always interested in discovering new series.
Have I got a treat for you! I was introduced to Virginia Kantra's books when I judged one in the Ritas a couple of years ago. It knocked my socks off, so I wrote to tell her so. And this is one generous woman, lemme tell you. She sent me the Trouble in Eden series that she'd written for Silhouette Intimate Moments.
Well. . . generous or wicked. Because can you say, "Wanna free book, little girl?"" Now I'm a stone VK junkie.
And I'm not the only one, clearly. Romantic Times gave Sea Witch four stars and called it “an emotional journey of discovery and an intriguing launch into a compelling new series.”
At WritersAreReaders.com, Suzanne Brockmann wrote: “A paranormal world that moves with the rhythm of the waves and the tide… Kantra tells Margred and Caleb's story with a lyric, haunting, poetic voice.”
Fresh Fiction said: “Sea Witch is a fantastic story full of excitement, humor, suspense and loads of hot, hot sex. (Susan, who scored an early copy, interrupts to say: Oh, yeah) This paranormal is so interesting, you want it to go on and on and never quit. I thoroughly enjoyed [Kantra’s] witty style of writing and her wonderful, fascinating characters. Anyone who enjoys a good paranormal should NOT miss this one!”
But enough from them--let's let Virginia talk for herself. And, ooh! Ooh! She's giving a copy of Sea Witch to one lucky poster and the anthology Shifter by her, Angela Knight, Lora Leigh and Alyssa Day to another. Then the two of you can join me in twitching as we await her next book.
I’m so excited Susan invited me to guest blog today. This is more fun than sitting at the cool kids’ table in the school cafeteria. (At least, I imagine it is. I didn’t spend a lot of time at the cool kids’ table.) Anyway, the people here are nicer.
And we get to talk about books!
I remember summers by the books I read. All of Edward Eager at a cramped cottage on Cape Cod the summer I turned nine. Peter Beagle’s The Last Unicorn in a dusty London flat when I was fourteen. Mary Stewart’s This Rough Magic on the train in Germany. I read my first novel by Jayne Anne Krentz (it was Family Man) with my butt in the North Carolina sand and Susan’s Baby I’m Yours in Charleston a few years later.
The crash of the waves, the caress of the sun, the tang of salt, and the promise of a hot romance still mean “summer” to me. This year, I have a new paranormal romance series to share with you, stories filled with the mystery and magic, power and passion of the ocean: The Children of the Sea. Set off the coast of Maine, these books were inspired by the Celtic legends of the selkie, immortal creatures of the sea living apart from humankind but able to shape-shift into seductive human form. For centuries, the children of the sea have co-existed in uneasy peace with their fellow elementals, the children of fire. Now that balance of power is tested as three siblings born of a human father and a selkie mother become embroiled in an ancient rivalry.
Caleb, the soldier, who returns from the desert to fall in love with a woman from the sea (Sea Witch, Berkley, July 2008)
Dylan, the loner, who must choose between the freedom of his mother’s kind and the bonds of mortal love (Sea Fever, Berkley, August 2008)
Lucy, the dreamer, whose heart and fate are tangled with the sea king’s son (Sea Lord, Berkley, February 2009).
In Sea Witch, Margred, a selkie, is driven to the island of World’s End by her desire for down-to-earth police chief Caleb Hunter. Strong, steady Caleb is bewitched by this sensual stranger. But when a murderer begins targeting women on World’s End, Caleb must face the terrible possibility that the killings are somehow connected to the mysterious Margred . . . and that the course of their love may threaten everything he believes in.
I hope you’ll check out the excerpts on my website, http://virginiakantra.com, and the “Countdown to Sea Witch” at my blog, http://www.myspace.com/virginiakantra
In the meantime, share: What are some of your all-time favorite summer reads? Do you remember where you were when you read them?
Why do we "save" things? Why do we ooh and aah over a pair of earrings, a scarf, fuzzy slippers that look so soft, then, when we get them, save them?
Those of you who don't save are now excused:) The rest of you, stay with me.
What do you crave, lust after, yearn for--and feel pitiful if you can't have, or can't have enough of it? Have a good think. Jot a little--or a big--list, if you want to.
Perhaps my list goes like this:
Shoes
Purses
Paintings
Jewelry
Knitted toys
Coats
Porcelain
Pajamas
Frogs
Fairies
Christmas decorations
Coffee mugs
And on, and on and on. Truthfully, I have a lot of "stuff." I have much more stuff than I need but I'm told that "need" has nothing to do with "want." I don't think that's entirely true but it has a comforting ring.
When I'm working I wear black pants, a T-shirt, a baggy shirt over that, no makeup, no jewelry, and no shoes. (Okay, I can also be found in a chenille bathrobe over p.js. sometimes) And I'm almost always working.
Of course that's what I wear. I shouldn't be expected to put on makeup, wear "good" clothes and pick out jewelry, hose, slippers or shoes, maybe a scarf, should I?
We-ell. If I don't use the stuff why have the stuff? I've known people who wanted a piece of jewelry really badly, but when they got this prize, they made copies and put the "good" piece in a safety deposit vault--permanently. Think about that.
My motto is: Use it or give it to someone who will. No, that doesn't mean I've got a table on the sidewalk marked, "Take what you want." It does mean I actually put favorite things where I can see them. My office walls are covered with paintings--none of them valuable but each of them special to me. The fairies and the frogs abound here. There are no "good" rooms in our home. Not anymore. And I'm not saving a pretty piece of porcelain, using an old mug to spare a "special" one, keeping a purse in a cloth bag and wearing a tatty one, or (shudder--shudder) saving a coat or pair of shoes for "best."
The only moment I definitely have is this moment. I think I'll go see how many scarves I can drape around my neck:)
What about you? Will you share your list of "good, special, and best things?" And how do you feel about using, versus hoarding?
I think I'll throw a bunch of love at all of you...
What a whirlwind it's been, planning, executing, and enjoying the 4th annual READER AND AUTHOR GET TOGETHER. I tell you, I finish each weekend with an enormous smile on my face, and a sense of well being. This really isn't my and Dianne's event.
It's EVERYONE'S event.
Dianne and I couldn't do it without the help of so many people.
Then I drove to the airport to pick up my good friend Shana, flying in from CA for the event. Shana and I hooked up after she read one of my first mma fighter/romance books, and since she's a big mma fan too... well, the rest is history! (The black T-shirt I'm wearing at the event was a gift from Shana. It has Bas Rutten on it! Whoo hoo!)
THEN we went to Joseph-Beth booksellers to see Tito Ortiz, there to sign copies of his book. Tito is a well-known UFC fighter, for you non-UFC fans. That's Shana on the left (She and Tito are both from Huntington Beach, CA) and see me with Tito on the right. He's saying, "Wow! It's Lori Foster!" (Not! He was just clowning around.)
Shana and I got our pictures taken, bought two books (we put one in a special raffle basket for the Get Together) and got Tito to sign a magazine, too. He was really nice!
Friday morning I met Ashley and her mom, who drove a GAZILLION hours (or so it seemed) to come to the event. Ashley is super nice, as is her mom. Author Kelley Nyrae, also known to me through my message board, had quite the odysee to get there, but I'm so glad she made it! That's a photo of LeeAnn that Kelley is holding, to help LeeAnn feel that she made it to the event. LOL
At 11:00, we joined other attendees to start stuffing goody bags, donated by Samhain publishers.
While we were stuffing, the bookseller, Linda Keller from BN, rallied troops to help set out the GAZILLION books that'd be for sale starting on Saturday. (We had over 100 authors signing, so yeah, there were a LOT of books!)
I looked around, and it made my heart feel SO good to see so many people just pitching in, working hard, doing what needed to be done to make this thing happen. That's why I say it's not my and Dianne's event.
At 4:00, registration started, and lemme tell you, the line was endless! Dianne and I hadn't anticipated SO much growth! We nearly doubled in size, and weren't quite as prepared as we should have been.
Our poor registration volunteers, Cheryl and Christy, were worked to the bone!
Make a note: TWO registration tables for the 2009 event! (Yes, I've been making notes since the second my last guest was on an airplane home!)
We had an incredible line-up of special guests this year, including, from left to right, Michelle Buonfiglio from Lifetime.com; Sheila Clover from Circle of Seven Promotions; Barbara Vey from the PW blog; Borders buyer Sue Grimshaw; Berkley editor Cindy Hwang; Jennifer Schober from the Spencerhill Agency; Agent Laura Bradford; and Samhain publisher Crissy Brashear.
We also had an incredible line-up of smaller press publishers like Red Rose, Wild Rose, Liquid Silver and Resplendence Publishing.
And we had an enormous amount of authors! Over 100 in fact, ranging from big sellers to those who'd just made their first sale. (That's most of us trying to crowd in close so we'll all fit in the photo. LOL. It was a pretty tight fit! A few of the more shy authors are missing, along with some who had ventured off when we made the call for the photo.)
Some of the authors from our new benefit anthology, THE POWER OF LOVE, were on hand for a group photo. Back row is: LuAnn McLane, Patricia Sargeant, J.C. Wilder, Lucy Monroe, and Kay Stockham. Front row is Toni Blake, Lori Foster, Dianne Castell and Janice Maynard. Not pictured, but also in the anthology: Erin McCarthy, Rosemary Laurey, Karen Kelley. (All author and agent proceeds from this book will benefit the Hamilton Co. YWCA Battered Women's Shelter.)
And we also took a photo of the available authors for the next benefit anthology, out June 09, LOVE TAILS. From left to right: Ann Christopher, Donna Macmeans, Marcia James, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant, and Lori Foster. Not shown, but also in the anthology are authors Stella Cameron, Sarah McCarty, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, and Kate Angell. (All author and agent proceeds from this book will benefit my local no-kill animal shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, or AAF.)
Best of all, through our raffles of donated baskets and outright donations, we made a lot of money for a lot of worthwhile causes!
$526 in cash, plus a lot of valuable donations to be mailed off, for our TROOP PROJECT, spearheaded by fabulous volunteer Laurie Damron!
$1064 in cash, plus a lot of needed supplies for the Animal Adoption Foundation. I'll drop that check off soon, and then share a photo of the AAF.
$5452.50 for The Conductive School of Learning, a special learning facility for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. A portion of the bookfair proceeds, around $900, is added to our raffle amount to get that total. BN will mail the check directly to the school.
And of course, we sold a LOT of copies of The Power of Love, so there'll be pleny of proceeds joining the advance already sent to the Women's Shelter.
Already we've had some great people committed to a return visit next year. Spencerhill Agency (the one I'm with) is going to send an agent, my editor Cindy Hwang would like to return, Borders buyer Sue Grimshaw and Michelle Buonfiglio from Lifetime.com said to count them in! Our event in 09 will be June 5th - 7th, so mark it on your calendars now!
This weekend, I have a big Father's Day party planned, and I'm looking forward to it. My Dad is 85 now, and still very young at heart!
Oh yeah, did I tell you that my dad and stepmom dropped in to see me at the event!?
And I took my sister with me. That's her with my hubby, chatting up Sheila Clover from COS while the rest of the nearly 300 peeps were out hitting the lunch buffet. She's the sister that I told you about, the one who had been in the bad car accident. I made Monica a shirt that says, "CAR CRASH!" so folks could identify her - but in truth, even with her bruises, she and I look a lot alike so most figured out pretty quickly that she was my sister. She's had her eye surgery and now just has to recover from all the breaks and bruises.
So... what did YOU do this weekend!?
If you attended the event, what was your favorite part and how many books did you buy?
If you won a basket, tell us about it!
If you didn't attend, what kind of basket would YOU like to win?
Do you have plans for Father's Day? (Yeah, I'm combining topics here because I wanted to tell you about the event, but I'm also hoping that everyone will have a wonderful Dad's Day!
Truth to tell, I’m deep into writing the final chapters of the latest book in my Pharaohs Rising series and couldn’t come up with a single idea for this blog. Then, as I was sitting at my computer today, occasionally glancing out the window at the forest behind our house and the flowers spilling out of the large terra cotta pots on the back deck, I happened to glance down at my feet.
Eureka!
Let me tell you, folks, inspiration can come from anywhere. Even from my big, bare, freckled feet. (I love alliteration.)
So with tongue planted firmly in cheek, with a wink and a nod and a hint of self-deprecating humor, I am going to interview myself.
EG: I couldn’t help but notice you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. Are you getting enough sleep? Self: Hello! What part of writing-my-butt-off-all-hours-of-the-day-and-night-as-I near-the-end-of-a-book don’t you understand? Of course, I have dark circles under my eyes.
EG: A little touchy on the subject, aren’t we?
Self: I assume that’s a rhetorical question. EG: So, how’s the book going?
Self: Peachy keen. EG, smacking herself alongside the head: What could I be thinking of? You never like to talk about the progress of a book until it’s finished, finalized, and FedExed.
Self: The three F’s.
EG: Ah-hem, maybe we should take this interview in a slightly different direction.
Self: Excellent idea.
EG: What about your hero and heroine? You’re a lifelong romantic who believes in the concept of one man, one woman, destined for each other and for all time.
Self, perking right up: I love the hero and heroine of this story! They’re my kind of people. He’s an ancient Egyptian prince who was next in line to become pharaoh after his brother was assassinated. She’s a museum curator who discovers a mysterious sarcophagus in the deepest, darkest recesses of the museum cellar.
EG: I’m captivated.
Self: Of course, you are. You’re my captive audience. Anyway, there are some really weird things about the ancient coffin — and we’re talking "woo-woo" weird here. First, it’s covered with strange hieroglyphs. Second, it’s too massive and heavy to be supported by the museum floor above, so it’s been left to gather dust in one of the storage rooms in the vast basement below. And, third, it appears to be carved from a solid block of granite.
EG: In other words, no lid.
Self: Yep. No way in and no way out. EG: What happens next?
Self: Well, Keira – she’s our heroine— is startled, puzzled, and more than a little frightened when she goes down to the basement one night and finds the sarcophagus standing wide open . . . and empty. EG: Woo-woo, indeed. So, what’s the title of the book?
Self: NIGHT HUNGER. I love the title, but I can’t take any credit for it. NIGHT HUNGER was suggested by my brilliant editor at Berkley, Cindy Hwang. EG: Publication date?
Self: You’ll be the first to know. I’d guesstimate sometime in early 2009. (As you also know the book had to be postponed due to unexpected medical problems we ran into this past year.) EG: What’s up next?
Self: Book 3 of Pharaohs Rising. The working title is NIGHT FIRE. Ideas are already clamoring for our attention, so we’ll start writing NF like a house afire in July.
EG: By the way, what did your feet have to do with inspiring this blog?
Self: Our feet. Well, I’d considered writing a humorous and over-the-top blog about our best physical feature. But then I quickly realized it’s not our feet. It’s not our hands. It’s not our naturally curly hair because we’ve always been of two minds about the curly part. It’s certainly not our elbows. It’s not our ankles. It’s not our— EG, interrupting not a moment too soon: Whoa! I think we all get the idea.
Self: Are you getting enough sleep? I couldn't help but notice you've got dark circles under your eyes.
EG: Our eyes.
It's June. It's almost summer. It's time for frozen popsicles and a little levity. So Inquiring Minds want to know: What's your best physical feature?
DARK LIGHT, the next book in my Ghost Hunter series, won't go on sale until August 28 but the cover art just showed up so I thought I'd give you all a preview here.
Gotta say, I really had fun with this one. The heroine of DARK LIGHT is Sierra McIntyre. She's an intrepid reporter for a tabloid newspaper, The Curtain (slogan: Go Behind the Curtain for the Truth).
Sierra is on the trail of a really big expose. Thanks to her, The Curtain has been selling a lot of newspapers lately with headlines like Guild Conceals Discovery of Alien Lab. Needless to say, the Ghost Hunters Guild would rather she did not continue to report the conspiracy.
Sierra's investigation lands her an interview with the powerful new boss of the local Guild, John Fontana. He agrees to give her some deep background about the conspiracy but only if she enters into a Marriage of Convenience with him.
Sierra goes for the deal. She's thinking about lots of screaming headlines such as: Mystery Man in Charge of Crystal Guild: What is he Hiding?
Fontana is thinking more along the lines of: Couple Goes Through Secret Hunter Wedding Night Ritual in Alien Temple of Love.
And then there's Elvis, Sierra's dust bunny companion. You didn't think I could do a story like this without an Elvis sighting, did you?
Lets talk books. I have no blogging chops for anything else today, but then we're all here because we're readers, right? So let me start the discussion by talking about some of the books I've read and enjoyed lately. Maybe I can turn you on to some new authors or titles. Perhaps you can do the same for me.
Because most of the stuff I've read recently has been recommended to me by other readers. I've blown through several books by my favorite authors, of course. But, man I love discovering new to me authors. And joy, joy, joy: my brainstorming partner, Caroline Cross, has turned me on to two separate series written by writers I'd never read before. She brought me Books One and Two in one of the series and Book One in the other, and I became a believer in both.
I first took note of J.R. Ward some time ago while I was checking the Bookscan sales list. This author I'd never heard of was simply shooting up the charts. I saw that she wrote a vampire series, however, and thought, "Like we need more of those." Then Caro brought me the first two and, folks, they knocked my socks off. Ward's built an interesting world of caste systems and warriors and vampires who get their sustanance from other vampires rather than humans. I'm only three books in, but what I've read so far is simply fascinating. It has romance and sex and danger and that wonderful "something" that keeps us turning those pages as fast as we can.
The other series she got me started on was Stephanie Myers teen angst/vampire/werewolf saga. Book One, Twilight, was the author's first book, period, and it was darn near perfect. (Except that we in the Pacific NW do not call our highways/ freeways "The" whatever number. We simply say I-5 or 101. But that's a nitpick) The main vamps in this book are a cobbled together family trying to exist without drinking human blood. They can also go out in the daylight but have taken up residence in Forks, Washington because it has the most rainfall of anyplace in America. Which is helpful as they become very conspicuous in sunlight. (I won't give away why)
Then my sweet baby boy brought me the uniquest book--one he picked up in a section of Barnes and Noble that I probably never even would have checked out. This one's called Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow. It's a book written in free verse about weredogs in L.A.
I know! It seems to be all paranormal all the time with me these days. What can I say; sometimes it just turns out that way. I knew I had to write an actual review for this one for WritersAreReaders.com before I even finished the thing, because I was simply stunned by the sheer level of enjoyment it gave me. Sharp Teeth is funny and hard-edged and wicked-sharp. It's sometimes grim yet often lyrical. And it just plain kept me rivited. To get a more indepth idea of its plot go to http://www.writersarereaders.com/andersenbarlowsharpteeth.html
I'm reading yet another fabulous book, but I'm going to save this one for next Friday's post as I've invited its author to be our feature blogger. Meanwhile, what have you read lately that's blown you away? If there is one thing I am always up, it's hearing about wonderful, entertaining books.
Jill Marie Landis needs no introduction, but this is an opportunity to gloat over a story I've read and you haven't . . .yet:) TROUBLE IN PARADISE is a deliciously funny story in which mishaps and interference compete with love. It is a race for a big prize.
Place your bets now! And let Jill take you to her beautiful home, Kauai, for a sunny outing to remember.
Stella
Stella has graciously given me her blogging time to send along greeting and let you know that I have a couple of publications out this month. Last year was the first year since 1988 that I haven't had a book out in some form or another. It was a lovely break away from promotion and deadlines, but now I'm back in the saddle and raring to tell everyone what's up.
On June 10th, DESTINATION: MARRIAGE, a Harlequin anthology collection of contemporary destination wedding stories, will go on sale. I've been teamed up with Jo Leigh and Jackie Braun, two very prolific writers, to bring you three stories of three brides, three weddings, and three destinations.
Romantic Times has given the collection a 4 Star rating. Various review sites quote Harriet Klausner, uber reviewer: "These are three wonderful contemporary romances starring likable couples discovering what they really desire and love in life." I'll take "wonderful." Mahalo, Harriet.
Since Kauai is near and dear to my heart, I set my own story, "Trouble in Paradise" here. It's a light hearted, humorous romp with a touch of spice and quite a few laughs in the bargain.
Talk about a jinxed bride! Carrie Evans gets a bad case of pre-wedding jitters when her dream getaway nuptials appear to be sabotaged by fate. First her groom misses their flight, then her luggage fails to show—with her wedding dress inside—and the "Storm of the Century" grounds their guests on the mainland. On top of it all, her fiancé's great aunt seems to have wandered away somewhere between Florida and Denver. Throw in a missing caterer, a cryptic warning from a mysterious Hawaiian man who Carrie may or may not have seen, and Kurt Rowland, a groom who realizes he is running out of time to convince his bride to say yes all over again.
I don't know about the fabulous ladies of "Running With Quills," but when I set out to write about a place that I know well, like Kauai or California, I tend to shy away because I know there's so much I still don't know about a setting or a culture. I realize there is no way I can do it justice. I'm sure to miss something.
For me it's easier to choose a setting that I don't know well. I'm most comfortable when I can create one. That way, I won't be as likely to miss something vital about a place or its people. I won't have to choose what to put in and what to leave out. Sounds crazy, I know. But for "Trouble In Paradise" I went for it. I used a touch of Hawaiian culture which is still, thankfully, woven into the fabric of the islands the a reason why so many love it here.
The second publication this month is a Western Historical Romance. My first historical in about six years. I'm back in the saddle again and loving it with a book from Steeple Hill entitled, HOMECOMING. I'll be back to tell you more about it later in the month. It will be available on June 24th and can be pre-ordered from your favorite bookseller. For now, please do drop by my website www.jillmarielandis.com. The website has been updated with a new bio, news about my new books, and a scrapbook of fun photos.
Thank you, Stella, for letting me drop by and for the "twist" at the end of "Trouble In Paradise!"
Until my next visit, a hui hou! ('Til we meet again). Jill Marie Landis
Aloha Again,
HOMECOMING goes on sale this week and I’m happy to say that I’m quite pleased with this book. Stella no doubt feels like a Godmother for this one. It’s my first book for Steeple Hill (another is already in the hopper and set to come out next July) and so I was a little insecure about whether or not I’d accomplished what I’d wanted to when the was finished. (Gee, imagine a writer feeling a bit insecure!)
Why do we "save" things? Why do we ooh and aah over a pair of earrings, a scarf, fuzzy slippers that look so soft, then, when we get them, save them?
This really isn't my and Dianne's event.
Then I drove to the airport to pick up my good friend Shana, flying in from CA for the event. Shana and I hooked up after she read one of my first mma fighter/romance books, and since she's a big mma fan too... well, the rest is history! (The black T-shirt I'm wearing at the event was a gift from Shana. It has Bas Rutten on it! Whoo hoo!)
THEN we went to Joseph-Beth booksellers to see Tito Ortiz, there to sign copies of his book. Tito is a well-known UFC fighter, for you non-UFC fans.
Friday morning I met Ashley and her mom, who drove a GAZILLION hours (or so it seemed) to come to the event. Ashley is super nice, as is her mom. Author Kelley Nyrae, also known to me through my message board, had quite the odysee to get there, but I'm so glad she made it! That's a photo of LeeAnn that Kelley is holding, to help LeeAnn feel that she made it to the event. LOL
At 4:00, registration started, and lemme tell you, the line was endless! Dianne and I hadn't anticipated SO much growth! We nearly doubled in size, and weren't quite as prepared as we should have been.
We had an incredible line-up of special guests this year, including, from left to right, Michelle Buonfiglio from Lifetime.com; Sheila Clover from Circle of Seven Promotions; Barbara Vey from the PW blog; Borders buyer Sue Grimshaw; Berkley editor Cindy Hwang; Jennifer Schober from the Spencerhill Agency; Agent Laura Bradford; and Samhain publisher Crissy Brashear.
We also had an incredible line-up of smaller press publishers like Red Rose, Wild Rose, Liquid Silver and Resplendence Publishing.
Some of the authors from our new benefit anthology, THE POWER OF LOVE, were on hand for a group photo. Back row is: LuAnn McLane, Patricia Sargeant, J.C. Wilder, Lucy Monroe, and Kay Stockham.
And we also took a photo of the available authors for the next benefit anthology, out June 09, LOVE TAILS. From left to right: Ann Christopher, Donna Macmeans, Marcia James, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant, and Lori Foster.
This weekend, I have a big Father's Day party planned, and I'm looking forward to it. My Dad is 85 now, and still very young at heart!
And I took my sister with me. That's her with my hubby, chatting up Sheila Clover from COS while the rest of the nearly 300 peeps were out hitting the lunch buffet. She's the sister that I told you about, the one who had been in the bad car accident. I made Monica a shirt that says, "CAR CRASH!" so folks could identify her - but in truth, even with her bruises, she and I look a lot alike so most figured out pretty quickly that she was my sister.
EG: I couldn’t help but notice you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. Are you getting enough sleep? 
