Reader Interview: Nichole a.k.a BookQueen

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is Nichole a.k.a. BookQueen. Happy 10th anniversary in advance!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself

-I'm an avid reader.
-I'm a librarian.
-On October 18th my husband and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. And they said it wouldn't last!
-I have no human children but am "mommy" to 4 furbabies (cats).

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

-A hoarder. It's getting a bit out of control, really. They're threatening to take over the house!

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

-Harlan Coben: talented, good sense of humor and bald! Yum!

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

-Chocolate and I have a long standing and very satisfying relationship!

5. Favorite book? Why?

-Jellybeans for Breakfast. It's one of the first books I remember reading and I absolutely loved it! I've been crazy for books ever since.

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

-For my mind: my book collection
-For my stomach: chocolate, the darker the better
-For my heart: my husband

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

-Since it's Sunday, my husband and I indulged and made pancakes and bacon.

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

-11

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

-It's such a cliche but tall, dark and handsome. Flawed. Sensual. Strong.

Contest Winners

Okay, here's the list of winners. If you asked for one of my books, you got it. I then did a random draw for all the folks who put their names down for a mystery book. If you won, you should've already got an email. Congrats!

April
Ayesha
Teresa W.
Cherie J.
Jennifer K.
Shaneh
Casee
Kat
Kim W.
Tammy G.
Lesley W.
Zhan
Danette B.
Karen W.
Ashley V.
Cathy M.

(p.s. The mystery prizes encompassed: M&B Presents, historical, paranormal and romantic suspense books. Not telling the titles though! Enjoy the surprise.)

I'm back!

Back from a fabulous conference and madly doing the catchup thing. I've closed the Away at Conference Competition and if all goes well, I'll draw the winners sometime today. More coherent posts (and photos) to come in the next few days. Plus another fun competition.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend (and missed me like mad of course!)

RWNZ Conference (Edited)

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

I'm off to the Romance Writers of NZ conference today and I'm so looking forward to catching up with all my friends from around the country and across the ditch (a.k.a. the Tasman Sea).

The RWNZ conference is relatively small by RWA standards, but I love the feeling of not being lost in the crowd - even if you come to this conference knowing no one, you won't stay that way for long. So if anyone's thinking of a trip to NZ, time it for the conference! :)

Since I won't be posting again until Monday, I thought I'd run a short competition. If you want to enter, follow these steps:

1. Email me at nalinisinghwrites @ gmail.com (without the spaces)
2. Put "Away at Conference" in the subject header
3. Put your name and address in the body of the email
4. Put your prize preference

And what are the prizes? Well, here's the deal. I have a whole bunch of my Sil Desire books, which I know some people are trying to get hold of, plus I have a random selection of books from other authors (sorry, no time to write up a list!). If you'd like one of my Desires, put the title in the email. If you'd prefer a mystery book*, put that in the email.

A little complicated, I know. But it'll make it easier for me to send the books out quickly once I pick the random winners.

And later next week, something interesting is going to happen, so don't forget to swing by. Now, I'm off to pack!

[*Edited to Add: Oops, seems I wasn't clear - "mystery books" doesn't equal books in the mystery genre. It's just a mystery what book you'll get. Could be anything!]

Reader Interview: Athena

Tuesday is reader interview day (except today is Wednesday so just pretend it's yesterday). If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is Athena (who has a very succint description of her perfect hero*g*).

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Ok. Name's Athena. I'm five foot even. Blonde hair to my rear...luv to read and relax (ok, ok some may say that's being lazy but i gotta disagree) Originally from Mississippi.

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I prefer calling it a "collector"

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

All of them.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

whispers~do not offend thy nectar of the gods'. It is called ambrosia not "chocolate"

5. Favorite book? Why?

Don't have favorites. I love them each and everyone...

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

Chocolate, BOOKS, and a hawt guy...not necessarily in that order.

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Enough Beinget to stuff the French Quarter

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

None. I Conquer. I unabashedly Ignore everyone to Read. Then I lovingly stack into my other piles.

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

Yummy. 'Nuff said.

Questions & Answers & Other Stuff

Today's supposed to be Reader Interview day but I wanted to give you a heads up on a couple of things so the interview will go up tomorrow.

First - I'm answering questions for the next two weeks over at the Romantic Times forum, so come on over and hang out. It's the "Ask the Author" thread.

Second - my website has just been updated. Big news is that Bookplates are now available.

And third - my hands are really cold. I need one of these!! Is it for real you think? In that case, I must have one!

Mr Irresistible - Karina Bliss

I think I posted about how much I enjoyed Karina’s first book – Mr. Imperfect*. Well, I enjoyed Mr. Irresistible even more. I just love Karina’s voice, and how her characters are flawed human beings who manage to find their way to a happy ending.

This book is about Jordan, who I think of as the charmer of the group. It’s really hard to write a believable charmer hero, but Karina did it. Jordan has hidden depths and he’s wonderful hero material – not perfect, but perfect for the heroine, Kate.

It’s a very real contemporary story, but there’s a big romantic moment in the book that’s just wuuuuunderful and absolutely right in terms of why and when it happens. I was all misty-eyed over it. I can’t say more because it would be a huge spoiler, but if you read it, you’ll know it when it happens.

As you can tell, I liked it. If you want to check out an excerpt and make up your own mind, here’s the link to Karina’s site. Now, tell me about what you've read lately.

*This book just won the R*BY (The Romantic Book of the Year award from the Romance Writers of Australia. Congratulations, Karina!)

Links

If you haven't seen it, Meljean Brook now has a cover for Demon Night, the next book in her awsome series.

Dona Sarkar-Mishra also has a gorgeous cover for her debut book, How to Salsa in a Sari.

Milady Insanity has up an excerpt for Portia Da Costa's Extracting Suite Seventeen, and she's giving away books.

Talking about giveaways, The Knight Agency is once more running a contest. Up for grabs are Jaci Burton's Wild, Wicked and Wanton and Gena Showalter's Enslave Me sweetly.

Danette continues her author interviews with Anny Cook, who writes for EC and Cerridwen Press.

Diana Peterfreund talks about entering writing contests and over at RRAH, Patti O'Shea talks about how she got the idea for her new book.

That's it for today! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Weekly Catchup [Edited]

So, I've been gone a month - catch me up with what's been happening in your corner of the world! As for me, I'm currently having issues with the power cable of my laptop so if I'm late responding to emails/comments, it's because I have no power!

Also, a quick link - the Romance Writers of Australia conference is this weekend, and several folks I know are up for the R*BY, the Romantic Book of the Year award. Two of those ladies - Karina Bliss and Helen Kirkman - have been left holding the fort while the others go off to the conference, so they're having a bit of a cyber-party over at eharlequin. Follow this link to go join them!

Edited to Add: Courtesy of Random.org the winner of You Had Me At Halo from Amanda Ashby is Alyssa, who made the second to last comment on yesterday's post. Congrats! Please email your addie to amanda @ amandaashby.com (without the spaces), and she'll get the book out to you.

Zombies, Halos and an Interview with debut author Amanda Ashby

Amanda’s a fellow member of RWNZ so I always planned to read her debut book. Then I heard the title and I knew I had to read the book as soon as it came out – that is one of the most romantic lines in any movie ever (“You had me at hello” is from Jerry Maguire, for those of you who haven’t seen the movie. Go rent it! It’s romantic in the best way.)

The book revolves around Holly Evans. Not only is she dead, but everyone thinks she committed suicide, which she so did NOT do. And now, she’s been kicked out of heaven. She’s got two days to sort her out her issues or face the consequences. Trouble is, she’s got to do the sorting while in the body of a guy. He’s supposed to have vacated the premises, except that Vince didn’t get the memo and he’s still inside the body, too.

Fun premise, no? It’s a fun book, too, and more than that, it’s got a charm that I dare you to resist. I admit, at the beginning, Holly sometimes made me crazy but this book wouldn’t have worked if she was perfect to start out with. The cool thing about Halo, was seeing Holly develop. By the end, I was thinking that she’d be a funny, sweet friend to have.

As for Vince – he goes into the hot hero category. I fell in love with him just as Holly did. Seriously, he’s a keeper and the book is a wonderful debut.

And now, onto the really tough interview questions! (Amanda's giving away a copy of Halo, so just leave a comment to be in to win. Winner announced tomorrow).

1. Who is Amanda Ashby? Tell us all your deep, dark secrets.

Hmmmm, well obviously I can't tell you about the spying stuff because otherwise I'd have to kill you and ditto with the superpowers thing, so I guess that just leaves my unhealthy addiction to chocolate and David Boreanaz - oh, and I bet you get loads of blog hits because I've mentioned them both in the same sentence!

Actually, the truth is that I'm pretty regular. Two kids, one husband and an overactive imagination.

2. Your first book just came out - how's that feel?

It rocks!!!! Seriously though, it does feel a bit weird - like it's happening to someone else - but so far I've been loving every minute of this otherperson's journey!!!

3. The subject matter of your book is just a wee bit quirky - what made you decide to write about the whole life after death thing?

I wrote this book just after my dad died and while the original idea came from an imaginary conversation I had with him at the funeral (hey, I'm a writer - I already know I'm crazy!), the rest of the book came about because I just kept thinking how annoying it must be to die with loose ends (or without knowing the end of the Harry Potter books). As for the body sharing, well that was purely because as soon as I realized my heroine needed to get back to earth, the whole metaphysical thing hit me and I knew that she would have to hijack someone else's body.

4. What's been the most fun part of the publishing journey for you?

Everytime I get an email from my agent or my editors I just feel like the luckiest girl alive!!!!

5. What's next for Amanda Ashby?

Zombies. I've just sold a young adult book about a girl who accidentally turns her entire school into zombies (seriously, it could've happened to anyone) and now she has to find a cure before she ends up being first course on the zombie menu. Apart from that I'm working on another young adult book and another women's fiction novel as well.

Here's Amandas Website: http://www.amandaashby.com - go forth and read an excerpt. Also, don't forget to leave a comment and enter to win a copy of Halo from Amanda.

OOTB Tour: The Lure of the Wolf - Jennifer St. Giles

Sorry for the late post folks. But not only do I have a fabulous OOTB tour for you today, I want to give you a heads up on tomorrow - there's going to be a great interview with a debut author (I wonder who?) and she's giving away a copy of her book, so don't forget to drop by!

Onto the book tour, featuring USA Today bestseller Jennifer St. Giles!
__________________________

THE LURE OF THE WOLF by Jennifer St. Giles

Pocket, July 31, 2007

Mighty warriors sworn to protect humanity, the shape-shifters known as The Shadowmen move between two worlds. Now their dark leader has exiled himself from the spirit world, opening the door to the forces of chaos...and to the power of love.

Half wolf, half man, Aragon has abandoned his brethren to repay a debt of honor; he is sworn to kill a rogue Blood Hunter, though exacting revenge will doom him to a ghostly existence trapped between two worlds. But when a mortal woman unexpectedly calls him to her side, the heat of her soft flesh arouses a hunger in him that threatens to complicate his mission.

Dr. Annette Batista, a dedicated healer, is determined to find her missing sister. With the amulet found at the site of her sister's disappearance, she unwittingly summons a shadowy warrior. She wonders if she can trust this powerful male named Aragon, who claims he can vanquish her sister's captor -- the very monster he's vowed to destroy. Or is Annette blinded by her shocking passion for the most alluring, mysterious man she's ever seen?

Excerpt

Book Trailer

ABOUT JENNIFER ST. GILES

Following the birth of her third child, Jennifer St. Giles quit her job as a nurse and became a home educator to her three children and pursued her life long dream of writing in her "spare time". Jenni lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of twenty-three years, her three children, two cats, one dog, and a two-handfuls of neighborhood kids who make the household the wildest most wonderful Grand Central Station in existence.


REVIEWS

Raw emotions give way to desperate choices, which adds to breathless reading pleasure! 4 stars – Romantic Times

Website http://www.jenniferstgiles.com

Reader Interview: DanetteB

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is Danette B, whose favorite book is also one of my keepers - ah Vane! :)

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a stay at home mom with three girls. I’m currently going back to college a couple classes at a time.(Not sure what I want to major in,yet) I’m always on the web doing something. I run a blog where I talk about whatever is on my mind and I’m getting into interviewing authors. When I’m not in front of the computer I’m taking care of kids, at the beach or reading a good book.

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I share my books when I can, but if someone has one of my favorites, I’ll give them a little nudge. *g*

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

Sherrilyn Kenyon, she got me hooked on romance.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

If it’s milk chocolate.

5. Favorite book? Why?

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon, I picked up that book in 2001 and have been reading constantly ever since.

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

Lip gloss, an umbrella and my books

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

a Danish

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

50+

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

My perfect hero is strong willed, loyal, mostly alpha(hey he needs a little bit of sensitivity) who fight for the ones he loves and has sense of humor.

The Duke and I - Julia Quinn

This was my on-the-plane book for the trip from New Zealand to the US. Given that the trip takes around thirteen hours, you'd think I'd take more than one book, but there's the lure of the inflight entertainment system (and it was a night flight so I was hoping to grab some shuteye). I'm telling you all this so you'll know how good a book would have to be to keep me glued to the page.

This did it.

I cannot BELIEVE I've never read Julia Quinn before. With this one book, she jumped onto my must-read list. The good news is that because I'm a newbie to JQ, I now have a yummy backlist to go through.

The Duke and I kicks off the Bridgerton family series. Basic story is that Daphne Bridgerton is sick of not attracting any serious suitors, not because men don't like her, but because they like her too much. She's too "normal" - they all treat her as a trusted friend, nothing more, while she wants to find love and get married. Simon Hastings, the Duke of the title, on the other hand, has no desire to marry but is being hunted by the unmarried women of the ton.

Daphne and Simon decide to fix each other's problems by pretending to form an attachment - the duke's attraction to Daphne will make her of interest to other men, while the same attachment will keep Simon safe from the attentions of others. Except things don't go according to plan and Daphne and Simon end up married.

Daphne is a great heroine - she is normal, in the best way. No histrionics for Daphne. She just gets things done and I loved her for it. And Simon is a great foil for her - so dark and brooding.

If you want to read a more detailed review, check out Jane's at Dear Author, one of the reviews that convinced me I needed to read this. On my part, I really loved The Duke and I. I literally didn't stop reading until I finished. Now, I must get my paws on the rest of the series!

Links, Contest & OOTB Tour: Moongazer - Marianne Mancusi

I'm heading off to a romance writers meeting this weekend and looking forward to it - nothing like hanging out with book people. But, before I go, I have a couple of cool things for you.

First up, fellow Knight Agency author Jennifer St. Giles has just hit the USA Today Bestseller list. Go Jennifer! To celebrate, the agency is giving away several copies of her books. You have till Monday to enter.

Second, I've got another interesting OOTB tour book for you. Details below! (FYI for the writers out there - this is one of the releases from Dorchester's new Shomi line).
___________________________________

MOONGAZER by Marianne Mancusi

Dorchester, August 2007

Imagine every night entering a nightmare world you can't escape and being told your life is a dream. Skye Brown has it all: the cool job, the hot boyfriend, the apartment on New York's Upper West Side. But lately she can't enjoy any of it. She's having dreams of a post-apocalyptic world. Of a bleak futuristic wasteland. Of a struggle against oppression. And she's been told she's a...

MOONGAZER

But what is that? And what is reality? In her dreams, she's not Skye Brown at all, but Mariah Quinn. In her dreams there's Dawn, the beautiful yet haunted soldier, and Skye is but the empty shell of a girl he once loved. And there was a betrayal, a great betrayal. Ripped between Dark Siders and club kids, the mundane and the mystic, Skye must discover who she is, what she wants and who wants her. And why. But in the glow of the moon, it's not always easy to recognize the face in the mirror.

Excerpt

ABOUT MARIANNE MANCUSI

When it comes to writing, award winning author Marianne Mancusi doesn't like to play by the rules. A multiple Emmy award winning television producer, she sold 11 novels to three publishers (Dorchester, Berkley , Dutton Children's) in less than three years. Marianne has worked in television stations in Orlando , San Diego , and Boston . A graduate of Boston University 's College of Communications , she currently produces for a nationally syndicated lifestyle show. She lives in Manhattan 's Upper West Side .

REVIEWS

“Exhilarating! Once I started, I couldn’t put this book down!”

* New York Times Bestselling Author Gena Showalter

"Dreams, reality and virtual reality collide in Mancusi’s exciting and frightening new futuristic thriller.”

* Romantic Times Magazine 4 Star Review

"An enthralling combination of The Matrix and Snow Crash with a bit of Blade Runner thrown into the mix.”

- SF Scope

Website http://www.mariannemancusi.com

More Conference Photos

As promised, here are some more photos from the RWA Dallas conference, this time with links and everything!

First up, I have a couple of pictures of the Brainstorming Desirables. This is a fabulous, supportive online group I've been part of for years so it was extra special to meet several of these ladies in person.

The first pic is Carol Burnside (check out her blog for more great pictures from Dallas) and Theresa Stevens (Managing Editor for Red Sage Publishing).


This next pic is Marilyn Puett (Writing Playground), fantasy author Gail Dayton and Desire author Emilie Rose.

I also got a chance to meet up with Christina Brashear (Publisher, Samhain Publishing), and a couple of my online buddies - Jaci Burton, and Angie James (editor, Samhain Publishing).

Talking about online folks, I also had a chance to meet and have a fun chat with Wendy, the Super Librarian, gothic writer Sandra Schwab and the lovely Kristie J.

I also met Candy and Sarah from SBTB, Sybil from The Good, the Bad and the Unread, and Jane from Dear Author, but that photo didn't come out properly, so I'm reduced to blatant thievery. Here's one of me and Jane from the wonderful Ann Christopher's blog (more photos there), who I was lucky enough to meet and who was my partner in crime in playing with Jane's nifty iphone (I so want one).
Another writer I met for the first time was Eve Silver, who also writes as Eve Kenin for Dorchestor's new Shomi line.
And finally, here's a picture from RITA night - me, the fabulous Gail Dayton and LUNA author Jeri Smith-Ready.

There were so many other fabulous people I met over the conference that it's impossible to name them all - it was just a brilliant time and I'm so glad I went.

Stop Press!

I'm absolutely delighted to announce that the Psy/Changeling series is now contracted up to book 7! According to the current schedule, that means two books (plus a novella) out in 2008 (Clay and Dorian), and another two in 2009. Yippee!!

Lora Leigh - Tanner's Scheme

So you all know that I'm a fan of Lora Leigh's Breeds series, so when she gave in to my masterful persuasion (*g*) and sent me an advanced copy of Tanner's Scheme (out now!), I was all over it like white on rice. And that was before I saw that cover! Wow, would you turn him down? *fans self*

Okay, moving on. Tanner is a Bengal Tiger breed, which by itself is sexy enough, but when you add in his lazy charm and intelligence, oh man, is he hot! The lucky woman at the center of his attentions is Scheme Tallant, daughter of the notorious General Tallant, someone who is one of the Breed's most hated enemies. Talk about tension.

Sensually, this book is scorching. It pushes at the boundaries but it works fabulously within the context of Breed society and behaviour. But what really got to me was the emotional intensity - there were parts that just tore into me, I was feeling so much for these two characters. TS gripped me from start to finish and it was a heck of a ride.

Excellent, wonderful book - only problem is, I want more right this second! I'm hoping Lora Leigh will write the story of Tanner's twin, Cabal, soon. I'm fascinated by him.

OOTB Tour: Michelle Rowen - Fanged and Fabulous

Today I'm catching up with one of the OOTB tours I missed posting while I was traveling. Check out Michelle Rowen's Fanged and Fabulous below. This book sounds like so much fun.

Update on what's coming up on the blog over the next week - I have some book recommendations (they're goooooood), more awesome photos and there might even be a helping of really cool news (what could it be?!).

But first, Michelle's book!
__________________

FANGED & FABULOUS by Michelle Rowen

Warner Forever, July 1, 2007

Just stake me now.

My name is Sarah Dearly, and I've got major problems. Last month, I was turned into a vampire by the world's worst blind date. Then I may have, totally by accident, started a war between the mostly peaceful bloodsuckers and a bunch of sociopathic vamp hunters who have nicknamed me the Slayer of Slayers. Now I'm being used as bait to draw out the hunters' bad-ass leader, while my gorgeous 600-year-old boyfriend Thierry seems to be blowing me off, and my sizzle-hot, fanged friend Quinn is trying to turn my self-defense lessons into make-out sessions. So you know what? I'm done. I've had it. There comes a time when a vamp has to just suck it up and go after what she wants. And as soon as I figure out what that is, that's exactly what I'll do...

Excerpt

Book Trailer

ABOUT MICHELLE ROWEN

Michelle Rowen is a self-confessed bibliophile, Reality TV junkie, and is well known for making a mean pot of Kraft Dinner. Her debut title, BITTEN & SMITTEN, was a Waldenbooks bestseller and the 2007 HOLT Medallion winner for “Best First Book.” Michelle lives in Mississauga, Ontario, and is currently hard at work on her next fantastical novel.

REVIEWS

"What's a new vampire to do? Win a lot of readers with her upbeat persistence, that's for sure. You can't put "Fanged & Fabulous" down." – NYT Bestselling Author Charlaine Harris

"Four stars! an exciting, action-packed and often humorous tale…a great addition to Rowen's vampire series. " – Romantic Times BOOKreviews

"Rowen has done it again. She has written another wonderfully amusing, suspenseful story. It’s terrific!!" – Romance Reviews

Website: http://www.michellerowen.com

Caressed By Ice Spoiler Thread

This is the thread where you can freely discuss Caressed By Ice and the previous books in the Psy/Changeling series. *SPOILERS* allowed, so if you haven't read CBI yet, click away! This link will take you back to the main blog.

So, if you're sure this is where you want to be....let the discussion begin!

For those of you who aren't bloggers, you can still comment - just choose the Anonymous option and sign off the comment with your name if you'd like folks to know who you are.

NB: I might pop in now and then as time allows, but this is really for readers. If there are specific questions you want to ask me, email's better. Have fun!

Reader Interview: LesleyW

The blog is up and running again and Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's interviewee is Lesley W!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hmm. Okay, I'm in my thirties (and that's as specific as I like to be :) ) and I live in the UK with my cat. I love reading. I guess I'm a frustrated creative type as I'm also trying to write a novel at the moment - which makes me appreciate what authors have to go through. And I also love drawing, painting. I like getting outside and seeing what's out there - love wildlife / birdwatching. LOL. Is that enough, should I stop now?

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I hoard. I'm a terrible obsessive/compulsive. I never want to throw anything away in case it might be useful at a later date. Though I've had a massive spring clean recently which I found very therapeutic.

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

Errmm. Not sure I can talk about that here. :laughs: None of them actually. I don't mean that in an insulting way. But I tend to get tongue-tied and not know what to say. Or babble incoherently which I'm not sure is much better. I'd be happy if I could just strike up a normal conversation at a book signing. Authors that I admire are Kelley Armstrong, Angela Knight, Nalini Singh :).

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

Very. I treat myself to a box from hotelchocolate about once every six weeks or so. It's my indulgence. I have to ration it, because I'm very susceptible to migraines.

5. Favorite book? Why?

Honestly. I'm not sure I could pick just one. I've done a top ten before and knew I left books that I loved out. Probably it would have to be The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. (You think the number of times I've mentioned this book I would know how to type the author's name by now - but no.) I'm not sure that if she wrote anything else it would have the same impact on me, it's just that book. Henry and Clare's story has this heartbreaking inevitability to it.

For urban fantasy - Kelley Armstrong's Bitten. My favourite werewolf book. And re-reading it now, there are scenes when you want to pull Elena out of the book and say - don't do that - because as a reader you know what's going to happen. I don't think there's a wasted scene in that book.

An author who has never put a foot wrong for me is Wen Spencer. I've loved everything of hers that I've read. I like that until you start reading you're never sure what you're going to get. She always seems to be trying something new.

There are so many other authors I could mention here - Lynn Viehl, J. R. Ward, Meljean Brook, Megan Hart, Elizabeth Vaughn, Lindsey Davis, Karin Slaughter...

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

A satellite phone with battery so I could call for help - is that cheating? As I'm deathly afraid of flying it's unlikely to happen. Apart from the phone, paper and pens. So I'd have something to write/draw with whilst waiting for rescue.

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Crunchy nut cornflakes.

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

Which one? I have a big pile and a little pile. The little pile has the books I'm most interested in, there's about 40 books in it at the moment. The big pile has everything else, there's probably around 400 in it I think. Things tend to get put on there when the little pile falls over. I must stop buying books for three months and try and make some headway into the books I already have.

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

For a long time Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series was my idea of the perfect romantic hero. He didn't let Claire get away with anything, but he listened to her and sacrificed himself for her. I've not yet managed to finish the series, but I like that it carried on after they'd had the initial happily ever after.

Henry in TTTW, when I read about him in a way he replaced Jamie, because he was more real. He made terrible mistakes. But you never once doubted his love for Clare. I think to have to lie to her was almost a burden beyond bearing but he did it.

And my other favourite hero is Jeremy from Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. Probably why I love the character of Jaime so much, because she picked him over Clay too.

Hmmm. Looking at my choices I seem to have a preference for the strong (mentally), intellectual type. Who listens to the heroine, but won't let her walk all over him.

Dallas Photos

My trip to the US actually didn't start with the Dallas RWA Conference, but I figure that's what you guys most want to hear about, so here goes.

One of the absolute highlights of the trip for me was getting to meet my agent, Nephele Tempest, and my editor, Cindy Hwang, in person. I adore them both, so it was such a blast hanging out with them before and during the conference.

The first pic is of me and Cindy at the revolving restaurant at the top of the Reunion Tower in Dallas. Lunch was awesome but oh my gawd did that restaurant revolve fast! We could actually see it moving.


While I was in New York, I also met Leis Pederson, Cindy's assistant and acquiring editor. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so my pictures of Leis are really tiny ones taken on my cellphone, which I shall post once I figure out how to download them from said phone.

Next up is my photo with Nora Roberts (courtesy of Jane from Dear Author). See, I really did meet her! Needless to say, she was absolutely lovely.


I also ran into several of the Romance Divas in the goody room. Below is a shot of Dana, Jax, Eden Bradley, Gemma Halliday and Gena Showalter. Look at those beautiful smiles!

That night at the literacy signing, who should I be sitting next to but the talented Linnea Sinclair. Here we are with our mascots - hers is a furzel (a catlike creature from Games of Command) and mine is a kiwi.


During the signing, I met several readers of this blog and some of those people owe me photos. I'm waiting...

I also met the gorgeous and extremely nice Jane Porter that same night (just so you know that I didn't wear that shirt the whole conference *grin*).


More photos to come as I get them organized, but I'm also going to try and get the blog back on track, so the reader interviews will start up again tomorrow, followed by some catch-up things, and then I'll start bombarding you with photos once more. I have several of fellow bloggers, as well as other authors, which I know you guys will enjoy seeing!

I'm back!!

Just a quick post to say I'm back and trying to sort through the well over a thousand emails in my inbox (eek!). I somehow managed to stay almost internet-free in my travels, but now I must pay the price. So if you've contacted me over the past month and I haven't replied, I wasn't ignoring you - I was trying to see as much of the U.S. of A as possible (while eating the maximum amount of chocolate, of course).

Lots of pictures and good stuff to come. But first things first - who's still here? Say hi!

Blog on Vacation

The blog is going on vacation...because I'm heading off traveling. The official reopening of the blog will be August 1. However, knowing my internet addiction, I'll be checking in now and then with updates, so catch up with you then!

CBI ARC Winners

I was planning to give away 5 advanced copies of Caressed By Ice today, but there were so many entries to this contest that I decided that I'd have some extra made up and so I'm giving away 15!

The winners (picked randomly) are listed below - and I've also emailed each person to confirm that they've won, since some of the names were similar. And without further ado, the winners are:

Shaneh
Courtney U.
Angelle Trieste
Deborah W.
Kat B.
Jennifer T.
Jenchm
Guia
Katiebabs
Abby R.
Candice
PamK
Jennifer B.
Athena
Justine W.

Congratulations to the winners and hope you enjoy the book!

Reminder

The clock is ticking - if you haven't entered the ARC contest, you have less than two hours to do it! I'll pick the winners later today and post them up tonight if all goes well. Good luck!

Weekly Catchup & Robin D. Owens' Heart Dance

Today is weekly catchup day, but I've also got an OOTB blog tour for you today. Check out the details below! So what have you all been up to?

(By the way, if you haven't entered the ARC contest yet, you have one more day.)
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HEART DANCE by Robin D. Owens

Berkley Trade, July 3, 2007

DuFleur Thyme is a scientist who's secretly experimenting with time. She'll allow no distractions from her work-not even from a HeartMate. Meanwhile, Saille T'Willow has sent his HeartGift out into the world in hopes of finding his HeartMate, who, it turns out, is DuFleur. Still, DuFleur wants nothing to do with Saille, especially when she discovers that it was his grandmother who brought about her father's ruin. Unfortunately, her body can't help but submit to the passion he stirs in her. But when a scandal threatens Saille's position as head of the family, will DuFleur stand by his side?

Excerpt

ABOUT ROBIN D. OWENS

Robin D. Owens has been seriously writing longer than she cares to recall, but is very happy with how her writing career is proceeding. She was named the Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers in 2004, and 2003 Writer of the Year by the Denver Area Science Fiction Association. Robin has been the librarian, contest co-chair, and President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She has given seminars at Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the Colorado Gold Writers Conference, and Romance Writers of America as well as other groups.

REVIEWS

"Another fascinating visit with the dynamic people of the futuristic world of Celta."— Fresh Fiction

Website http://www.robindowens.com

Conferences and All

I'm going to send you over to the Writing Playground today, where the Playground Monitor has a great post up about conferences and how to handle them.

I, meanwhile, am going to head over to the post office to pick up a package. Ooooooh, what can it be?...

Caressed By Ice ARC contest

Contest now closed. Congrats to the winners!

Okay, here it is, your chance to win an ARC of Caressed By Ice. I think we have 5 left, and a bunch of folks have already won one through my newsletter, so chances aren't bad. Here's all you have to do to enter:

1. Be ready to read the book and review it during late August.
You can review it on your blog, myspace, on online websites like Amazon etc.

That's it. Read. Wait till the last couple of weeks of August. Review. (Though if you love it, you are welcome to tell EVERYONE you know at any stage *grin*).

The entry isn't through comments this time (no big reason why - I just don't want to be chasing down winners' addresses). To enter, EMAIL me at nalinisinghwrites @ gmail.com (without the spaces), with:

1. CBI ARC in the subject line
2. Your name and address
3. Where you intend to review the book.

Contest closes NZ time, Sat June 30th, 12 noon (that's June 29th, Friday 8pm EST)

Reader Interview: Susan

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is Susan (who has excellent taste in books *g*)!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am 33 years old and live in Ohio. For 10 years I sold and serviced 401K plans for a large investment firm. After we had our 2nd child I decided to stay home. Watching my daughter live everyday to the fullest, I decided to try my hand at writing (I wrote a ton in college.) Love it, but let it fall by the way side. I have some freelance work and a short story in progress.)

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

Depends. Your books I hoard. Alison Kent & Lora Leigh I hoard. Others, sometimes yes and sometimes. I am blessed to have a great library nearby, so I borrow alot now.

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

Not in my nature to stalk.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

Very. I love dark chocolate

5. Favorite book? Why?

The Time Travelers Wife.

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

Notebook to write in. Some really good sun block & moisturizer. A good book.

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Cherrios w/ soymilk and dried cherries

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

6

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

I like an alpha man, but not one that is overly arrogant. I think a man can have a strong sense of himself, and still be a decent guy and not cocky. Cocky usually mask insecurities. Arrogance the same. A really confident man does not need to hide behind those two traits.

Blood Lines - Eileen Wilks

If you're not reading Eileen Wilks' fabulous paranormal series featuring the lupi prince, Rule Turner and detective Lily Yu, why not?!

Seriously, this is a great series. I've just read Blood Lines (more like devoured it). You'll probably enjoy it more if you read the series in order - Tempting Danger & Mortal Danger come before Blood Lines. Weirdly, I've somehow missed reading Mortal Danger (I blame it on moving countries), so I'll be catching up on that but books 1 & 3 hooked me from page 1. Awesome books, both of them!

If you want to find out info about the series, check out Eileen's website.

So, any books you want to squee over?

Links

Jennifer Estep had an interesting post up at Romancing the Blog about nibbling vs chewing at books. When I have the time, I gobble up books in chunks, but I've taught myself to nibble too. Lots more books get read that way. What about you all?

Staying with the chewing theme - if you chew a lot of gum, you might be interested in this article: Chewing gum habit 'poisons' woman.

On a more serious note, Skyla Dawn Cameron has a post up at Dionne Galace with details about the Nothing But Red project/protest.

Sasha White is telling her First Sale story and giving away a book at Dear Author.

Candy & Sarah at SBTB have just announced a book deal.

Jaci Burton is giving bloggers a chance to win an advanced copy of Hunting Demon Island.

And to end on a high, two of my Sil Desire releases - Bound By Marriage & Craving Beauty got awesome reviews at Kwips & Kritiques! :)

Have a nice weekend folks.

Weekly Catchup

It's catchup time - what've you guys been up to this week? I went shopping. Through choice. Amazing, I know. I even bought something. What is the world coming to?!

(And yeah, I gave away some ARCs of CBI to newsletter subscribers but I shall also be giving away some on the blog next week, so make sure you swing by.)

Caressed By Ice

I do believe this is the first online review of Caressed By Ice! (Scooper won the meme contest I ran for Visions of Heat and part of the prize package was an ARC of CBI). And she says she loved it!

I'm also going to send out another excerpt of CBI to newsletter subscribers today, but don't worry if you're not the newsletter-joining type. The excerpt will also be put up on the website as part of the July updates.

And the game's still going so join in!

Games

Today's a bit of a flyby so how about we play a game? I saw this on the Romance Divas forum. Basically, you start with a word (four letters), then each person changes one letter to make a new word. You can't add any extra letters (ie. it always has to be four letters long).

Like this:

Neat
Seat
Seal
Sell...(okay, next person!)

Reader Interview: Jennifer K

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is the hysterically funny Jennifer K!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I’m a never-been-married spinster in her mid-30s who’s becoming one of those cat ladies you see getting busted on Animal Planet because they have, like, 300 cats. At least, that seems to be what some people in my family seem to think. *rolls eyes* I have 3 cats … THREE. That is such a far cry from 300 that it’s ridiculous.

I love books and reading and my idea of a great vacation would be to stay in a haunted castle in Scotland or to take part in one of those mystery tours. You know, the kind where you’re on a train or something and somebody gets killed. Then it’s up to you, an intrepid private investigator or reporter to interpret the clues and solve the crime. Who done it?

Oh, and on the more realistic front, I work as a copy editor/layout person at a newspaper in this area. We’ve got a circulation of about 23,000 to 24,000. I’m in the foothills of North Carolina, USA, by the way.

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I mostly hoard. But, really, I’m not one of those crazy cat ladies. I hoard books. I COLLECT cats. Um, I mean, I rescue the occasional cat. And actually, my having three cats? Very weird because I’m so a DOG person. How did I end up with 3 cats and no dog? I better put my brillant observational, analytical skills to the test to figure that one out.

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

Oh, I could be a stalker chick for LOTS of authors. Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, You, Nalini, Jayne Ann Krentz, Lora Leigh, Nora Roberts, Jory Strong, Linda Howard … those are just off the top of my head.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

It depends. Are you offering some to avoid the stalking thing? Actually, I don’t like pure chocolate, but I’ll eat it happily if it has stuff in it. For instance, chocolate with caramel in it? Delicious. Chocolate with rice krispy stuff in it or nuts or cream cheese? Good lord, I’m drooling just thinking about it.

5. Favorite book? Why?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. I’ve read so many over the years, that I’d have to really sit down and think about it. I can say that one of my favorite series of all times is Linda Howard’s Mackenzie family stories. I loved Wolf and Joe’s story was even better. They are all great and I’ve read them multiple times. Alpha heroes, feisty heroines …

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

Lots of bottled water … unless this island just happens to have a pure water source that can be used; lots of sunscreen; and my books -- at least one of which is the “Making It Out Alive When You’re Stuck on an Island for Dummies” book.

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Two small boxes of raisins. I’m kind of on a diet, which I totally blew out of the water earlier by eating a Milky Way bar … hey it’s got caramel in it … yum!

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

Only a few. Maybe three or four. I go through books pretty fast, so they don’t stay in a TBR pile for long.

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

Smart, caring, funny, compassionate and willing to see things through to the end.

Empathy Experiment

When people say "I feel your pain," they do not mean it literally, but certain people really do feel something that appears to be an extreme form of empathy, British researchers have said.

From "Study May Explain Roots of Empathy"

Pretty cool. I've always thought we have the capacity for more than we know - perhaps one day, my Psy stuff will be real in terms of the strength of what we can do with our minds (except without the murderous Psy Council and all). Any of you ever have an extrasensory moment?

Links

Another wonderful first sale story from Ruth Ryan Langan. I love reading these!

Author Colleen Gleason gives the top ten reasons why her heroine Victoria Gardella Grantworth is not Buffy Summers.

Diana Peterfreund has done a brilliant two part Publishing Primer with all sorts of info for writers.

For those of you who are planning to pitch your story to an editor or agent at a conference, the brilliant Nephele Tempest (my agent!) gives some tips on the Perfect Pitch.

Kira, from The Writing Playground, a fellow member of the Brainstorming Desirables, just made her first sale this week. Go read about The Call!

And if you haven't seen, my website's been updated for this month with some good stuff so check it out.

Hope the weekend treats you well! :)

Weekly Catchup

This week has zipped by like a bullet train. I seriously can't believe it's Friday already. I've been working - on another first draft (a novella). It's set in the Psy/Changeling world but a few centuries back from Slave to Sensation. More to come on that later.

Tell me your news people. What's happening in your corner of the world?

Of Thievery & Exercise

I exercised today. Exercise is good. It keeps me from turning into a potato. But man is it tough to get out of bed for it!

However, since I am an intergalactic woman of mystery, I must make the effort. You didn't know I was an intergalactic woman of mystery? Well...let me tell you story. It all began after I read Ilona Andrews' Magic Bites. As I try to do with authors I enjoy, I dropped her an email to say how much I liked it. Guess what happened next? Ms Andrews promptly stole my name - go here to read about Nalini, the woman with blades and poison!

I feel I must now steal Ilona's name - hmmm....

Angels

While working on the first draft of Angels' Blood, I went hunting angel pictures (for no reason but that I had angels on the brain) and look what I found. Ooooooh...

Reader Interview: Bridget Locke

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, today's reader interviewee is Bridget! (A very practical woman...see the answer to question 6 *g*)

1.Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, my name is Bridget Locke (pseudonym :)). I'm 30, single, and live in Portland, Oregon. I'm a reader of books; usually romance, but I also love fantasy, history, biographies, etc. I try to keep myself informed of trends, so I also have a subscription to Entertainment Weekly. :) I'm also an aspiring writer. I seem to write anything that comes to mind, so I don't see myself just writing one type of book. I've written erotica, comedic first-persons, whatever. My only problem is that I never seem to be able to finish anything. I sure would like to know why. :)

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I tend to hoard, until my bedroom gets so overrun by books that I HAVE to give them away. I have a lot of keepers though. I'm a huge Nora Roberts fan, so most of my books are hers, though I also have all of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, Cindy Gerard's Bodyguard series, Harry Potter and Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. I try to keep series together. I like knowing I've got the whole thing.

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

LOL! Probably Nora Roberts, though I'd say there are really a lot of authors I love.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

Very! Chocolate is my comfort food. It's what I use when I'm PMSing or really depressed. It seems to help calm me down. :)

5. Favorite book? Why?

Oh, this is a horrid question! I've got so many favorites. I have to say that one of my very favorite books of all time is a historical (which is shocking, because I'm not a big historical fan). It's called Years & it's by LaVyrle Spencer. It's this wonderful love story that just comes alive for me. I've read it over a dozen times & love it each and every time I read it.

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

An everlasting supply of toilet paper, a neverending pad of paper (with pen) and hopefully some sort of container to store water. :)

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

I normally don't eat breakfast. I'm not really a breakfast kind of girl. :) I had a granola bar though, once I got to work. Joy. :)

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

I actually don't have a TBR pile. I'm the fastest reader I know. I can read a 500 page book in maybe 2 hours. When I go buy a book, I read it in one sitting and that's that. :)

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

Hmm…my perfect hero. When I'm writing a hero, he usually ends up as an Alpha-type, but I seem to go for more of a Beta-type in real life. The things I look for in a real life man are very specific. He has to be tall (I'm 6'1", so this is VERY important), preferably with dark hair. He has to be funny, intelligent, and like me for who I am. He can not be a jerk. If he mistreats women, children or animals, he's on my poopy list. As for heroes in books...I like reading about me who are strong, not perfect looking and who love the heroine with everything in them. I love the idea of a very strong man who shows vulnerability to the woman he loves. It just makes me all warm & fuzzy on the inside.

Magic Bites - Ilona Andrews

This is an awesome book. I closed the last page and immediately wanted to read the next one.

The story focuses around Kate, a mercenary who hires herself out to deal with magical nasties in a world where tech and magic are competing for the upper hand (the magic's winning).

Then we've got vampires, shapechangers and an all-around cool world. I just really liked the whole setup. For a more detailed review, swing by Dear Author, which is where I saw this book first mentioned. And here's a link to the excerpt on the author's website.

So, how was everyone's weekend?

Links

PR Coach Louise Knott Ahern is taking questions over at Fog City Divas.

Lara Adrian tells her first sale(s) story over at Dear Author.

Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series is going to kick off with three back to back releases next year. Very cool.

Samhain editor Angela James has an interview up here.

And that's all the links I have today. Hope all of you have a fantabulous weekend!! (And if you see an interesting link online, feel free to add it in the comments).

Weekly Catchup

It's catchup time. What've you guys been up to? I've just finished a very rough draft of Angels' Blood! :) Okay, your turn.

The Hindi-Bindi Club - Monica Pradhan

I picked this up after reading the blurb about it:

Between mothers and daughters
lies a very special world:

Follow the relationships of two very different generations of women with everything to learn from each other...

For decades, they've gathered together, dressed in saris and sweater sets, to share recipes, arguments, and laughter. They are the Hindi-Bindi Club, a nickname given by their American daughters to the mothers who left India to start life anew. Daughters, now grown, and facing struggles of their own.

Kiran, Preity, and Rani are coming home for the holidays. Home to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and of course, to the Hindi-Bindi Club. For what holiday would be complete without their mother hens' mouthwatering food, their gossip - and their unsolicited advice? For Kiran, a successful career can't fill the void left by her estrangement from her parents. Five years and one divorce later, she's ready to mend fences... and find a new husband the old-fashioned way. Good girl Preity's marriage is nearly perfect, but lately she's haunted by the memory of her first love-and her mother's interference in that romance. Then there's Rani, the wild child with the brains of a rocket scientist - and the weight of a dark burden she's carried all her life.

Now, as East meets West across time and tradition, six women will take their first steps toward true sisterhood, shattering long-kept secrets, sharing joy and tears, and allowing the real power of the Hindi-Bindi Club to take hold.

I really liked this book. First of all, while there are romantic elements in it, the story is founded firmly on the relationships between mothers and daughters. Each of the six main characters gets a turn at being the narrator, and I enjoyed seeing inside the head of each one, as well as seeing how they were perceived by the others. The tone also changes with the narrator, which worked for me.

While the story is set within the Indian culture, I think the themes are universal. In terms of understanding references etc, the author does a great job of explaining things (actually, my only (minor) complaint would be that perhaps not all the explanation was necessary, but then again, to be fair, this could be because being of Indian descent, I knew a lot of things already). It's definitely very accessible and the writing is so easy to read.

Also, The Hindi-Bindi Club's subtitle is "A Novel with Recipes" and there are lots of recipes in between the chapters, which might be of interest to the cooks among you. :) Overall, this was a fast, easy read for me but one with emotional heart - I found myself tearing up at one point, laughing at another. And the romantic in me was totally grinning over the eventual solution to Kiran's husband search. I'd highly recommend this if you're wanting to read something a little different.

Guest Blogger: Jennifer Lewis on BEA 2007

The fabulous Jennifer Lewis, whose first book, The Boss's Demand, releases July, recently attended Book Expo America. I thought it sounded like a fantastic time (how can you go wrong with free books?!) and asked her to give us the lowdown. Please welcome Jen to the blog everyone!!
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Book Expo America 2007

On Friday, June 1st I had two firsts: I got to hold my debut Silhouette Desire The Boss’s Demand in my hot little hands for the first time, and I did my first book signing. Both of these events occurred at the massive celebration of all things bookish that is Book Expo America. Nalini asked me if I’d chat a bit about my experience there, and since I’m still giddy from the excitement of it all, here goes…..

I was invited by my publisher, Harlequin, to sign books in their booth during “Sexy Hour” at 2:00 PM along with Carly Phillips, Brenda Jackson, Cara Summers, Hope Tarr and Anna DePalo.

The event took place at the Javits Center—a huge, black-glass convention megalith on the far West side of Manhattan. I don’t know how most people got there, as it’s convenient to nothing, but I walked from Grand Central Station. Since it was close to ninety degrees I was, um, glowing, by the time I got there. Inside it was also rather warm as the heat of the sun and all those warm bodies had overwhelmed the air conditioning. Definitely wasn’t going to need the jacket I brought with me!

I had some time to kill before my signing so I wandered around a bit on the vast Publisher floor. It’s set up like a giant bazaar, where each publisher has a “booth” and you can go in and fondle their wares. I quickly became overwhelmed and when I came across the Romance Writers of America booth (set up like a French café with wrought iron chairs and tables) I stumbled into it like a desert oasis. It was fun to meet Nicole Kennedy of RWA, and Nicole Burnham who’s on the RWA board, and I chatted with them until it was time to head for the Harlequin booth.

Harlequin’s booth was the biggest I saw, a semi-enclosed room with beige carpeting (most booths had navy carpeting) and several minimalist countertops surrounded by posters and racks of books behind glass. I had no idea where to go, so I headed for an authoritative looking woman at the main countertop. She asked me if I wanted a book, and I said I was there to sign, then she gave me an indulgent look and asked me if I wanted a book anyway. I looked at the book, then at her—I’d just offended Tara Taylor Quinn! I apologized and she was very gracious about it. People always say that at RWA conferences you should just go up and introduce yourself to strangers. I’m the one who’d go up to a redhead with a cigarette and ask if she was a writer (Jen smacks head).

My “handler” was the very lovely Anita Sultmanis of Harlequin. She set me up at the main countertop with a stack of books. In front of me there was a snazzy picture of me and my book cover set against a city scene, and one of my books mounted in a rack. I actually didn’t realize this until later as I was overwhelmed by the site of my book—which I had never seen except as a jpeg of the cover image—right there in the flesh! I fondled it lovingly for a moment, then suddenly it was two o’clock and people were queuing up waiting to lay their hands on my book too!

Since we were giving it away, it wasn’t a hard sell, but I was kind of blown away that so many people wanted the signature made out to them like they were planning to actually keep it. Anita kept stacking more books on the counter, and I kept signing them. My editor and the Desire Senior editor introduced themselves at some point but I barely had time to gush at all as I was so busy scribbling. It was actually a challenge writing fast enough and trying to make my signature look both legible and vaguely consistent. I was developing a cute, curly ‘s’ on the end by the time we ran out of books forty-five minutes later. I’d printed out some business cards with my upcoming titles and website on them, and Anita came up with the idea of popping one in each book. I regretted not making more, as we soon ran out.

It was great fun chatting with people as I signed. Nearly all of them were booksellers and librarians. One hilarious older lady collared me and said “Does the heroine have some backbone?” I assured her that my heroine demonstrates plenty of backbone from page one and that I thought she’d like her. She went on to tell me that she can’t stand wimpy heroines. Her friend, when pressed, admitted that she liked wimpy heroines, so I guess it takes all kinds!

After the signing I’d agreed to do a podcast for Malle Vallick of Harlequin, who’s in charge of digital content. While I was waiting, Desire author Anna De Palo approached me and we chatted. She’s one of the many romance authors (like Nalini) who are former lawyers, so we laughed about that. When Anna and I sat down to record the podcast, Malle asked me if I had a copy of my book with me. I went into my bag to fish out the one copy I’d managed to salvage from the signing, and instead I pulled out Nalini’s fabulous Visions of Heat, which I’d brought along to read on the train. I’m afraid I pushed the delicious jaguar-spotted Vaughn back in my bag and said “Hmm, that’s not mine” but Nalini was there in spirit :)

Anna and I answered all kinds of questions about Desire and our own writing methods, and Anna observed that we are both Ivy League college graduates. One question that surprised me was whether being a romance writer is a good career for women. As mothers of young children we both wholeheartedly agreed. It really is the ultimate set-your-own-hours job—not to mention the most fun work I can imagine. I hope Malle managed to get something useful out of my babbling. Although I usually sound very American after twenty years here, my vestigial English accent makes me pronounce some vowel sounds rather strangely and I’ve discovered that words I cannot pronounce the American way include Podcast, Boss and Demand. Since my book is called The Boss’s Demand, I’m now resolving to say all my titles aloud before I choose them!

The whole experience was a blast and I’ve been tripping on a natural high ever since! For more info about the book, or about my upcoming books, visit my website at http://www.jen-lewis.com.

Reader Interview: Ashley

Tuesday is reader interview day. If you'd like to participate (you know you want to), the details are here. Without further ado, the inaugral reader interviewee is Ashley! (I think I want to have breakfast at her house!)

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Ashley, I'm 24 and I have a 5 year old son. I'm currently a lurker at your blog but I hope to change that. I love to read, it is something that my mother started me on when I was very young and I've never stopped. Some of my favorite memories of her are of the both of us sitting at the table just reading our own books. I'm currently trying to share my love of books with my son.

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

I use to be a big time hoarder. It was next to impossible for me to get rid of books. Over the past few years though, I have learned to share. I have a group of friends and we trade books with eachother. My keeper pile has gotten much smaller, but I know I will eventually replace the books I've traded lol

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

Can I pick more then one? It would be hard to pick between Jim Butcher, Gena Showalter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, you, and MaryJanice Davidson..just to name a few.

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

Very! It's a gift from the gods.

5. Favorite book? Why?

Again it's hard to pick just one. The first that comes to mind is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It hit home and it's just an amazing book to me. Another more recent favorite would have to be Slave to Sensation and I'm not just saying that to suck up. I've been reading tons of paranormal romance books in the past few years, but none of them hit me like STS. I cried and I laughed, and I have never felt more connected or more emotion for a character then I did for Sascha.

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

Hmmm..that's hard.I would take a photo album with all of my son's pictures. . Second I would take Pepsi because I can't live without my soda. Third I would print out all of my ebooks and make one giant book.

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Frozen pancakes with butter and syrup.

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

Around 820, not counting around 1000s ebooks. It's sad really lol

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

He would be tall with short dark hair and emerald green eyes. Muscular but not so big that he looks like the Hulk's twin. He would be brooding and dark, a man who speaks when he has something to say, and answers to his own moral code. He would have to be quietly confident. Someone tortured but without it becoming an obsession. I think that's it lol

Toy Boys

In its promotional material for the speed dating night at the Aurora Lounge in Sydney's CBD, organisers tempted single men and women with lines including "Prefer to get them young and train them?" and "Boys, do you prefer the allure of experienced older women? Perhaps harbouring a Mrs Robinson fantasy?"

Mrs Robinson Night Launches in Sydney

So, what do you guys think of the older woman-younger man scenario?

Links

Today's edition of Links was supposed to be all about interviews, except I didn't spend much time online this week and only picked up three links. So this Saturday you get some interviews and some other interesting stuff.

First up, have you seen the Romantic Advances site? The aim of the site is to gather details about upcoming romance books in one place so readers don't have to search out that info. Cool!

Here are the interview links I did manage to grab:

Sharon Cullars at Alyssa's Book Blog

Barry Eisler at Lust Bites

Jo Leigh at Dear Author

And of course, my Reader Interview - have you done it yet?

Other interesting stuff:

Meljean Brook shares her first sale story: Geek Girl Makes Good

Sandra Schwab talks about writing gothic over at RRAH

Nice Mommy-Evil Editor is running a book giveaway

And last but not least, my June newsletter with an excerpt from AN ENCHANTED SEASON is about to go out (i.e. as soon as I get off the internet and go finish it!). As always, it'll be available in the archives if you join later on.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Calling all readers!!

Okay, I have a new idea for the blog. I'm going to interview you guys. Here's how it'll work - if you're interested, just answer these questions and email the answers to me at nalinisinghwrites @ gmail.com (without the spaces). Put Reader Interview in the subject line.

I'll stick all responses in a separate folder and post up one every week on Tuesday until I have no more (unless of course no one replies, in which case, we vill never mention it again). If you're a writer and want to do it, go ahead - just put on your reader hat.

Questions

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?
3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?
4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?
5. Favorite book? Why?
6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?
7. What did you eat for breakfast?
8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?
9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

p.s. Think I should add any other questions?

Extra reader submitted question(s)! Answer at will :)

* Which character in a book do you relate most with?
* Where do you live?
* So what would people think was a perfect heroine??
* If you were in the Psy/Changeling World, what side would you be in?
* Seen any good movies lately?