Author Interview: Pat McDermott

The Basics
- Pat McDermott
- Genre(s): Historical Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi
- Publisher(s): Red Rose Publishing

To Other Authors

- What are the three MOST important pieces of advice you would give to a brand new author?

• First and most important, educate yourself. Take classes or workshops, never stop reading, and read a wide variety of books. Don’t be afraid other authors will influence your personal style. No one can do that but you. Whether you read for pleasure or research, you’ll not only learn what makes good writing, you’ll also find new ideas that will lead to dozens of other new ideas. Second, don’t become discouraged by armchair writers and critics. You are the one with the grand vision of the story you’re trying to tell, and that’s too personal to let others talk it down or say no one’s ever done what you’re doing before. Third, if you do become discouraged, don’t stop writing. Persevere in your quest to become a published author.

- What's your favorite way to advertise?

• Blogs, online interviews, and other internet venues that allow interaction with readers and other authors. I enjoy my Facebook page.

- What hard-knock lesson did the publishing world teach you (can be your own experience or someone else's that you learned from)?

• Publishing Houses Close Down.

For the Readers

- What are you reading, if anything, at the moment?

• I’m bouncing between research and fun - “Blue Whales” and “Unseen World/Paranormal Research” for research, and an anthology called “The Enchanted Faerie” for fun.

- Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?

• Until I learn more about ebooks, I’d rather read a print book. I love browsing second hand bookstores and libraries when I don’t know what I’m looking for. I don’t have an ebook reader—yet. I’ve been reading some great ebooks on my laptop, not too bad once you get the hang of it.

- Name three of your all-time-favorite, read-them-over-and-over books.

• I seldom read a book again. There are too many too read! But I did read the first three books of Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series twice.

Idle Curiosity Compels Me to Ask

- What inspired you to be a writer?

• Hearing and reading fairy tales and poetry as a child. Falling under the spell of a story made me want to be a magician who could create similar spells for others. I had some great teachers who taught the nuts and bolts of writing well enough to make it a “can-do” passion for me. A Band of Roses is my first full length novel, though I’ve been writing short stories forever. One of my tales received an honorable mention for children’s fiction. That award gave me the boost I needed to finish A Band of Roses.

- What do you do immediately after finishing a manuscript?

• Wallow in being brain dead for at least a week! My novels take years to write, and I need to reboot to clear out all the cookies and history.

- Do you talk to your characters or your muse or both?

• I don’t believe in muses. Sitting around waiting for an idea to pop into my head isn’t my thing. I like being in the driver’s seat. It’s been my experience that when you do the work that writing involves, ideas will flow even if you’re in a lull for a while. My characters and I do have occasional conversations, but I don’t talk to them as much as I daydream about scenes, imagining how the gang would react to various events. Like, what would Talty do if she met President Obama?

Promo Section

~ Most Recent Release ~

When I was a little girl, my aunts entertained me with all sorts of Irish legends and assured me that we were descended from Irish royalty. (Isn’t everyone who’s Irish?) From one of their trips to Ireland, they brought me a copper statue of High King Brian Boru, and I wanted to know more about him than I already did. Everything I read said how sad it was that Brian didn’t survive Clontarf, as Ireland would be a very different place today. So, I started thinking . . . what if he had survived? Title: A Band of Roses Genre: Historical Fantasy - Action/Adventure Publisher: Red Rose Publishing ISBN: 978-1-60435-292-4 Release Date: February 2009 Format: Electronic BUY NOW BLURB Irish kings still rule the Emerald Isle—and a princess is in trouble . . . Ancient Irish traditions remain strong in a world where High King Brian Boru survived the Battle of Clontarf and established a dynasty that rules Ireland to this day. When greed for oil prompts England’s Regent to claim an Irish island in the North Atlantic, Irish Crown Princess Talty becomes a pawn in a murderous plot to seize the throne of England. From Japan to California to an eleventh century Ireland preparing for the Battle of Clontarf, Talty must hide her true identity, though she can’t hide her ingrained training as a member of the Fianna: the warriors who guard the Kingdom of Ireland. She brings home a discovery worth more than any oil well, yet all she wants is to return to her family and Neil Boru, the adoptive cousin she secretly loves and cannot have—or so she thinks. Neil has a secret of his own, one that emerges as the Boru clan works with MI6 to thwart an invasion of Ireland and bring Talty home.

~ Coming Soon ~

Title: Fiery Roses Genre: Historical Fantasy - Action/Adventure Publisher: Red Rose Publishing ISBN: TBA Release Date: TBA Format: Electronic BUY SOON BLURB In the thrilling sequel to A Band of Roses, the discovery of gas off the coast of Ireland ensnares Irish Crown Princess Talty Boru and her devoted champion, Neil Boru, in a web of blackmail and murder. Intent on convincing County Mayo's residents to allow a pipeline to cross their pristine boglands, an arsonist is setting homes and land ablaze. One of his fires sends Talty and Neil to an ancient world at the mercy of a waking volcano. While they struggle to outwit a tyrant with a shocking secret, King Brian locks horns with a ruthless tycoon who will stop at nothing to become a high roller in the oil and gas game. The resulting conflict proves fatal for the Boru clan, whose members once again close ranks to thwart the latest threat to the kingdom they are sworn to protect.

Learn More
- Website http://patmcdermott.net
- Blog/Newsletter http://patmcdermott.net/blog/blog.html
- Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Pat-McDermott/1384076385
- Shelfari http://www.shelfari.com/o1518312963


Thanks, Pat!

Join me next week for an interview with Melissa Lopez.

FF&P Guest Blog #1

Check me out. I guest-blogged at FF&P (Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal chapter of RWA).

Click Here to Read

News: Eris is Finished

Update on Eris

Wow. It was Nov 2007 when I last posted about not reaching my NaNoWriMo goal for Eris. Here it is May 2009 and I finally finished.

That's right. FINISHED!

After having to scrap pretty much all I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2007, re-work the plot to include two heroes instead of one, AND deal with a hero that wouldn't cooperate so he blocked me until I did what he wanted, I am finished.

Eris is the introductory book of the Plain Sight Universe (called such because all the preternaturals hide in plain sight but no one notices them--it's a giant urban fantasy universe :P) and is the first book in the Eternal Truths series. It weighs in at 151,500 words, which I know is long but there really is no way to cut that down unless I sacrifice some of the relationship development... which is pretty much the entire plot. :D

When I did the self-edit, I was hoping to cut 30k words but I was only able to cut 4k. There are two chapters that I'm sure an editor would say are superfluous but they are needed to connect this book to two others in the Multiverse collection (beyond the books of the Eternal Truths series) and even if cut would only constitute like 5k words.

I've sent Eris off to my beta readers, who are long-suffering and have been waiting (and bugging me about it) forever. Once I hear back from them and do the tweaks they suggest, then it's off to the agents.

So what's next?

Today, I am vegging. I'm going to eat my subs and watch TV. After I act like a bump-on-a-log for a day or two, I'm diving back into it. Next on the agenda is probably Yolette, my dragon story (love love love), which is the introduction to the Abaranne Universe.

It's already got 62k words written and my goal is to get it to 80k or higher (but below 100k). I just have to update it to my current writing-style (I've definitely changed since I first worked on this book waaaaaay back in 2003/4), add in a few more scenes, connect the whole thing into a coherent and cohesive whole, and then write the synopsis.

I say probably because it's a toss up between that or finishing another Zenobia Renquist installment. I have a Zen-Ren book called Pet's Pleasure that is a stand-alone sci-fi romance and currently clocks in at 69k. (Told you, I've been writing just not finishing.) Like Yolette, I want to get it over 80k (pretty much all my novel-length books will be over 80k, if I can manage it). And that's not even a hard goal to reach considering I have several scenes outlined within the manuscript (where I got the word count) that need fleshing out, so hitting 80k is nothing but writing it.

Ultimately it depends on which book is talking to me the loudest when I sit down and start typing. :D I admit, without shame, that my characters rule me. When they start talking, I write so they leave me alone.

But for now, they are letting me take a break. So time to veg.

Movie Review: Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation


Basic Premise:
John Conner and the human resistance are fighting against the machines in this saga beginner.

Author Interview: Pam Champagne

The Basics
- Pam Champagne
- Brand(s): Where passion and Danger Collide
- Genre(s): Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Paranormal and Erotica
- Publisher(s): Samhain Publishing, The Wild Rose Press and Siren Publishing

To Other Authors

- What are the three MOST important pieces of advice you would give to a brand new author?

• First and foremost read recently published books in your genre. There’s no better way to discover what an agent or editor is looking for. Second, write, write, and write some more. Third, explore various critique groups and join one. Although, it’s scary for an aspiring author to put their work in front of others, there’s something special about seeing your work through others’ eyes.

- What's your favorite way to advertise?

• I try all avenues. Doing author interviews is my favorite.

- What hard-knock lesson did the publishing world teach you (can be your own experience or someone else's that you learned from)?

• I discovered writing a book is the easy part of the publishing business. Selling it is an entirely new venture. (Renee note - No joke!)

For the Readers

- What are you reading, if anything, at the moment?

• Dawn Keepers, the second book in The Final Prophecy, by Jessica Andersen. This series is fantastic.

- Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?

• I like print books (hiding my head in shame), but only because I’m of the old school. I do read e-books. Soon, I plan to make the leap and buy an e-book reader so I can hold it as if it were a book. Reading a novel on the computer isn’t much fun.

- Name three of your all-time-favorite, read-them-over-and-over books.

• Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers and Gypsy Love by Shirlee Busbee. These classics remain my favorites even though I read them years ago. The characters came alive on the page and have stayed in my mind. I’m a Stephen King fan so I’ll add the unedited, uncut version of The Stand as my third choice. Stephen’s unique way with words inspires me to improve my writing with each book.

Idle Curiosity Compels Me to Ask

- What inspired you to be a writer?

• The idea of writing a novel occurred to me when I’d read a story I thought should be told in a different light. Also, I have so many tales to tell.

- What do you do immediately after finishing a manuscript?

• I generally relax and do nothing until characters start using my head as a playground and my muse nudges me to get back to work.

- Do you talk to your characters or your muse or both?

• I don’t talk to my characters, but they jabber inside my brain. They tell me who they want to be and what their story line should be. Like egotistical actors, they get ticked off if I don’t give them the role they want to play. If this happens, my writing can be blocked.

Promo Section

~ Most Recent Release ~

Dance for Me Siren Publishing Romantic Suspense ISBN: 1-60601-326-2 BLURB Lara Stevens, a Boston detective has her hands full investigating a series of bizarre serial murders. She also has to deal with Reino Larkin, a man twelve years her junior. With several exotic dancers murdered, Lara goes undercover as a stripper at the club where the victims danced. When Reino discovers his murdered friend had been an exotic dancer, he becomes a regular where she danced. Determined to find her murderer, night after night he sits in the club searching for clues. When Lara, the cool detective he'd spoken with at the BPD struts onto the stage, wearing a smile and little else, the heat rises and with it his protective instincts. The lust in his eyes as he watches her on stage gets her juices flowing. Can Lara keep her professional kick ass attitude when all she wants is Reino? BUY NOW

~ Coming Soon ~

Hands-on-Research has been contracted with Siren Publishing for their ménage line. I don’t have a release date or a cover yet. I have several works in progress. Walk the Line is a dark romantic suspense involving a heroine with a gambling addiction, a hero with post traumatic stress syndrome, and a serial killer hell-bent on killing women who frequent casinos. I’m also working on a cowboy trilogy about three rodeo riders.

Learn More
- Website - www.pamchampagne.net

- MySpace/Bebo/Facebook/Grouply/Shelfari et al

http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3865822065

- Blog/Newsletter - pamchampagnenews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


Thanks, Pam!!

Join me next week for an interview with Pat McDermott.

Movie Review: Star Trek

Movie Review: Star Trek


Basic Premise:
A technologically advanced threat has come to destroy the federation and only Spock and James T. Kirk can stop it.

Movie Review: Angels and Demons

Movie Review: Angels and Demons


Basic Premise:
Robert Langdon is back and this time he's helping the church. The Vatican has suffered a great loss with the death of the Pope and it is time for a new pope to be chosen, except the preferitti -- those cardinals favored by the pope -- have been kidnapped in a revenge plot that dates back centuries. Robert has to follow the clues of an ancient order before time runs out, because if he fails millions could perish.

Author Interview: Alisha Rai

The Basics
- Alisha Rai
- Genre(s): Contemporary, Paranormal
- Publisher(s): Samhain Publishing

To Other Authors

- What are the three MOST important pieces of advice you would give to a brand new author?

• 1) I say this all the time: finish your book. It’s one of the most tempting things, to just stop when you hit a wall or give up after the first chapter. You can’t sell a book that isn’t finished.
• 2) Get an (honest) critique partner, preferably one who isn’t related to you, who will give it to you straight.
• 3) Relates to number two: don’t freak out over constructive criticism :). If you have an honest critique partner whom you trust, ideally, he/she won’t gush over every word you write. Take the good with the bad, forget that this manuscript is your baby, and consider your partner’s opinion with an objective eye.

- What's your favorite way to advertise?

• This :). I like blogging, but am a bit intimidated about starting my own. Maybe someday. In the meantime, guest blogs are fun.

- What hard-knock lesson did the publishing world teach you (can be your own experience or someone else's that you learned from)?

• Don’t get discouraged if you get rejected. The editor/agent doesn’t hate you, honest. A lot of publishing is pure timing and luck.

For the Readers

- What are you reading, if anything, at the moment?

• I just discovered Gena Showalter. I powered through Lords of the Underworld and am currently munching my way through the Atlantis series. Don’t you just love discovering a new-to-you author who has an impressive backlist? It’s wonderful!

- Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?

• Hmm, tough. Some of my favorite authors are only out in print right now, so I have very little choice with them. Plus, nothing beats a print book in the tub.

• On the other hand, the instant gratification of an e-book can’t be beat. Click, buy, read? Very seductive. Since I read really fast, it’s also convenient to have the ability to carry all your books inside of something you carry anyway. I read my ebooks on my laptop or my palm (can’t afford the Sony yet, sigh). Last week when I went on vacation, I could just sit on the airplane with the Treo in my hand instead of having to lug around three or four books in my bag. My shoulder was very happy. I have a feeling as more publishing houses discover ebooks, I’ll probably be abandoning print all together.

- Name three of your all-time-favorite, read-them-over-and-over books.

• 1) J.R. Ward Lover Fill-in-the-Blank. Since it’s a series, I can count it as one giant book, right? Love Butch and Zsadist’s stories the most though.
• 2) Linda Howard After the Night. I don’t know if it’s the bathroom scene or the fact that this was my first introduction to sensual romance, but I cannot give this book away. Even if the hero is alpha to the point that he can be a little jerky.
• 3) Shannon McKenna Behind Closed Doors. Actually, I love everything Shannon McKenna writes, but this was the book that introduced me to her.
• I could give a whole laundry list of favorite authors/books: Kresley Cole, Sarah McCarty, Lora Leigh, Angela Knight…how long do we have here?

Idle Curiosity Compels Me to Ask

- What inspired you to be a writer?

• I don’t know if there was any one thing, but I’ve spent most of my life writing and most of my adult life writing romances. About two years ago I finally said to myself, “Self, this is it. You are going to finish this book and try to sell it.”

• So I did.
• And I got rejected left and right.
• So I regrouped, saw what I had done “wrong” and tried to write a whole new book. And here I am. There, you have the cliff notes, highly edited version of my career :).

- What do you do immediately after finishing a manuscript?

• Um, I edit it again. I’m one of those people who is never satisfied with what I’ve written. I consider it finished only when all of the edits are done and it’s in the publisher’s hands.

- Do you talk to your characters or your muse or both?

• I don’t think I have a muse. I do talk to my characters though, and I daydream scenes constantly. Usually at traffic stops, much to the dismay of other drivers, I’m sure.

Promo Section

~ Most Recent Release ~

Glutton for Pleasure Samhain Publishing ISBN 978-1-60504-470-5 They’re craving something sweet. She likes it spicy. Devi Malik knows how to heat things up. She does it every night as head chef in her family’s Indian restaurant. Her love life, though, is stuck in the subzero freezer. Now, with a chance to fulfill a secret fantasy with her long-time crush and his brother, it’s time to put her desire on the front two burners. For Marcus Callahan, a love-’em-and-leave-’em attitude isn’t only a necessary evil of their kink. It’s a protective device. Lately, though, his brother Jace has been making noises about craving something more. Jace’s dissatisfaction with their lifestyle grows with every glimpse of sweet little Devi. Yet Marcus is too haunted by the pain of their shared past to give love a chance. Despite their reputation for vanishing with the dawn, they discover one night with Devi isn’t nearly enough. And Devi finds herself falling in love with two very different men. It’ll take more than explosive sex to light up the shadows surrounding the Callahan brothers’ secrets. But Devi’s never been afraid of the dark… Warning: This title contains two sizzling men for the price of one, ménage a trois, oral sex, anal sex, fun toys, great food, and creative uses for syrup and dressing rooms.

Learn More
Website - http://www.alisharai.com

Thanks, Alisha!

Join me next week for an interview with Pam Champagne.

Favorite Quote #5

"This is 10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
and 100% reason to remember the name!"

- Fort Minor "Remember the Name"

The song may be about a rapper but it still applies to any person struggling with an artistic profession. :)

Holiday Wish - Mom 2009

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

To all the moms, soon-to-be moms, step moms, moms in spirit, and everything in between. Mothers make the world go round (and if you tick them off, moms can also make the world stop). Give them props 'cause it's not easy raising the next generation to be better than the first.

LOVE YA!

Favorite Quote #4

Saw this on a t-shirt at RT Con 2009 during the book fair and even got a picture.

"English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar."

This is a paraphrase of the original quote said by James Nicoll. The original quotation: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

Sold here (though currently unavailable)

Topic: RT Con 2009

MY THOUGHTS ON RT CON

Originally I had planned to summarize each day of the convention and give a sequential time line of events... yadda yadda yadda. Then I thought about it--and noticed how I kept putting it off and realized, like all my writing, sometimes tried and true just doesn't do it for me.

So, I've decided to simply write down my thoughts on memorable events as they come to me and just mention the date so there is a time reference. Depending on how much I blab about, this may or may not be multiple posts. Yippee for stream of consciousness.

- THE DRIVE -
I drove from Maryland to Georgia and then Florida. I stopped in GA so I could drop my cats off with my mom (cheaper then a kennel 'cause it was free) and so my mom could do some sewing for me. A few of my outfits needed to be let out, taken in, and have additions made.

Also driving to GA split the trip in half. Unlike Flash (Stephanie Burke), I couldn't do that whole trip from MD to FL (13hrs) in one stretch and didn't want to try. Well I could, but only after having rested for a full eight hours instead of getting off work, packing the car, sleeping for six hours (maybe... I think) and then getting on the road.

Going to GA was a breeze. Except for construction on I-4 going into Orlando, the trip down was fairly quick and smooth. I saw cops but since I usually keep my cruise control at nine over the posted, they didn't bother me.

The trip home however was a different story. I was mentally and physically tired from the con--took me two days of sleeping to fully recoup when I got back to MD--so the drive seemed to drag on forever. It didn't help that I got lost on the return trip to GA. That was a pain in a half. Worse still, I left GA later than I thought I would (wanted to leave at 3 pm at the latest didn't get on the road until 5:30).

Traffic was fairly light on the return trip but, as I said, I was exhausted. Exhausted and driving at night don't go together. There were several times my eyes closed and I woke up before the car went out of my lane. Yeah, yeah, I know that's dangerous but I eventually did something (can't remember what) that woke me up and I was fine.

I made it home safe at 3am (why did I hit construction 4 miles out from my house?). All I unloaded were the essentials--the cats and their food, my toiletries, and my laptop. Everything else stayed in the car for the next four days (had to go grocery shopping and needed the room :P).

Whew... I get tired just remembering that drive back. But you don't want to hear about my drive. You have to hear about...

- THE MODELS -
This year the contestants of the Mr. Romance competition had to mingle with the masses because the readers got to vote for their favorite. Reader's Choice won $200.

Whoever thought of that, good on them... matter of fact, great on them. Women who would otherwise be too shy got to actually talk to a lot of handsome men. Sure they were vote wrangling but it didn't matter. A hot guy is talking to you. SQUEEE!

The EC cavemen were markedly absent except for the night of the EC Jungle Party on Thursday (more about this later). They showed up to do a routine to Jungle Love. Check out the YouTube vid (shake that money-maker... woot!). Anyway, Rodney and a few others were the only ones who stuck around.

- Rodney Chatman - He is so sweet and bad for you at the same time (like chocolate). Flash had him out on the dance floor at the Dochester party (Saturday) rehashing old dances that had died off long ago for good reason. During the Saturday giant book fair I got him to sign the cover of the EC Erotic Emerald collection so Solange Ayre could sell a few more copies (I even snagged one for me). Of course, Solange kept one too. :D

- Charles Paz - He is such a sweetie. Easy to talk to and very eager. 2009 was his first RT con and he was thankful for any advice he could get, to which Flash had tons (the woman needs to be in marketing and promotions. Every client she touches would be an instant success).

Charles won Reader's Choice and Mr. Romance (prize - $1250 and a Dorchester cover). If you've seen the pictures or the You Tube vid, you can tell he was really happy about that. My only hope is that being in the limelight doesn't change him.

- Franco D'Angelo - Yummy sums it up. The man is so fun to look at. I noticed him the very first time when I came into the hotel after my drive from GA. I saw him again at breakfast the next day and couldn't stop looking at him. It's the hair--black and long--and then his physique.

He won Contestant's Choice at the Mr. Romance competition... not sure about the prize for that.

One person, I can't remember who, said he looked like Melchior from Serenity. After they said that, I couldn't stop picturing Franco blue with horns and a loincloth. *evil grin*

He's got a great sense of humor and doesn't mind showing off his body, so he probably wouldn't mind being slathered up with blue paint for a photo-op... yeah right, like I could afford whatever these guys get paid to do the photo shoot. I'll put that on my goals list though.

- Stefan Pinto - Dark and mysterious. Looking at him makes the mind go to naughty places quickly. He's that secret lover you can't wait to meet once the sun goes down. It's the foreign mystique. :)

I didn't talk to him much but when I did he was a fun guy to be around. *cheek kisses*

He got runner-up for Mr. Romance which is $500 and a commercial with Circle of Seven Productions..

- Eric Teglia - Comic and anime geek! Those are high marks in my book. We got to talking about our cats and movies we liked and it almost felt like I was back with my old group from high school and college. Good times.

I imagine he'd do the covers for goth romance. Not gothic. Goth, like the fashion trend, and don't call it Emo *shudder*. Possibly some vampire novels. He's got that tortured lover look... when he's not grinning.

- Konstantinos Lelis - Don't call him Fabio. And why would you? He looks way better than Fabio and his accent is much, MUCH sexier. The first time he spoke to me, I was gone. I love accents!

I admit, without shame, that his accent had me more so than his looks. He's handsome and yummy but that accent was even more scrumptious. Too bad you can't sell an accent on a cover. :)

- Jimi Gaskin and Jeremy Rivenburg - Except to harass them for promo and autographed plates for the Sinfully Sweet party (more about that later), I didn't talk to them hardly at all. Nice guys to look at though. :P

- THE HOTEL -
All I know about the Wyndham Resort is the convention center. Flash and her husband, Camille Anthony and her daughter, and I got together and rented a condo that was two miles down the street--quick drive so long as the lights and traffic were on our side. Plus, parking at the Wyndham was free.

The condo was gorgeous. Three bedrooms, two full baths (master bath was flippin' huge), full kitchen, laundry room, dining room, cushy living room, and a balcony. There was a pool, but none of us took advantage of it even though Flash kept saying she would.

If I liked Florida, which I don't (too hot, too many hurricanes, too flat, not enough trees), I would seriously think of buying one of those condos for return trips (149K). The price of the condo for six days was roughly equal to the hotel rooms, which (from my understanding, never actually saw them) were cramped.

- THE GOODY ROOM -
Two books this year and the free-for-all was only open to booksellers. We were allowed a return trip to grab two more books. I took Dennis (Flash's hubby) so I could get four *eg*. But to make matters worse, I grabbed a book I was given with my registration bag. *grumble grumble* Note to self - check books as you get them to make sure you don't get repeats.

- FREEBIES! -
I'm talking books, baby. When you go to RT Con, you know you are getting BOOKS and lots of them. I made out with 52 books this year totaling $404.98. Two of those books were advance release copies (bound and presented just like any book you would find at the store minus the "not for sale" at the bottom of the cover) of Pamela Palmer's Desire Untamed and Jeaniene Frost's Destined for an Early Grave.

24 of the above mentioned books were nabbed at the Dorchester party Saturday night. They had six tables (or was it eight?) of books--half on either side of the room. At first they said two books per customer until everyone got a chance. But then they opened the flood gates. When I was done, I needed a box to carry my booty home and Flash was shaking her head at me. :D

What can I say? I wanted my registration fee to be represented by the number of books I brought home and it was. Woot!

I also got three t-shirts, which I will wear proudly.

- MY PROMO -
I strive to remember one rule when doing my promo: give something you would want. If you don't want it, chances are no one else will either. Or they'll take it and then toss it later when culling the herd.

- Postcard photo albums -
Thanks to (list authors) for contributing.

These albums were mailed to RT to be stuffed into the bags given to the booksellers and were also handed out during the eBook Expo and the Saturday Giant Book Fair.

Everyone loved, absolutely loved, them and they complimented me on an original idea. Most people couldn't believe I was just giving them away. I'm sure the idea will be copied and I totally don't mind. Whoever want to tackle that beast is more than welcome. I have to say I'm very proud of the photo albums but I will never do it again. Way too much trouble, time, and energy.

I still have some left over that will be making a one-way trip to Lori Foster's Reader-Author Get Together in June. After that, no more photo albums.

- Over-sized swirl lollipops -
These giant three inch lollis had a sticker with my logo, name, url, and a message that read "Be a sucker for great romance".

I stuffed them into the goodie bags of the Samhain bookseller event and gave them out during the giant book fair on Saturday. Everyone loved the novelty of it. I got a lot of laughs. I'm not sure if anyone ate them. God help them if they did. Can we say sugar shock?

What can I say? I saw the lollis and the idea just came to me. I couldn't resist. I wish I could have gotten some sugar-free ones for the diabetics out there. It's annoying as all when I can't cater to everyone. I'm not a chocolate-eater (stop looking at me like that) so I know how annoying it is to be offered something you can't accept because you won't eat it and don't want to be wasteful.

- Bath sets -
Bianca D'Arc had a bookseller event as well and I contributed to that too. There were two types of bath sets. Both came with a tiny loafa, but one had slippers and the other had a big brush.

Bianca said the booksellers really liked them. So I'm happy they were well received.

- PROMO ALLEY -
This year promo alley cost $25 to place author promo. I didn't do it since I wasn't sure what the money paid for and wouldn't chance a repeat of last year's fiasco (you're gonna have to track down my post to find out what happened).

However, the setup was a good idea. The tables were blocked off into rectangles with the author's names designating their spot. No chance for overflow or promo shifting. Kudos to the RT people for thinking of that.

I did the alley all at once when I was sure most everyone had their stuff out. I know I missed some things but I still got a huge haul. I grabbed three of everything (unless it was coverflats in which case I grabbed four so I could have one). One set of promo is going to Teri, my beta reader who would kill me if I didn't grab her stuff. The other two sets will be offered as prizes as soon as I do the contests (still have to catch up on my monthly contests).

- The Book Signings -
Had fun at both! Everyone loved my Mandarin style dresses. I wore a red one on Wednesday and a blue one on Saturday. (Note - I will be loading these pictures to my website. I wanted to load them to this blog post but I'm running low on time and energy and I haven't shrunk them down yet.)

- eBook Expo on Wednesday -
I was repping Red Rose Publishing so I was up front and center. Lots of smiling and handing out promo. I wanted to have the RRP authors' booktrailers playing but my battery died and the connection was nil.

I sold two ebooks but I think of the expo as more of a promo opportunity more than anything else.

- Saturday Giant Book Fair -
I was seated between Solange Ayre (Mary Ann Chulick) and Blair Bancroft. I entertained the ladies while trying to get people to buy my book. I only had Serenity on tap but I sold over half of my stock. There were seven copies left and I bought those for giveaways and contests and whatever.

My dad, new stepmom, and my mom all came down to see me at the book fair. This was my first time meeting my stepmom and she's such a fun lady. She gets brownie points just for liking my books. My dad wore the t-shirt I had made for him. It has the cover for Serenity and says "Proud Father of an Author". I plan to make him one of those shirts for every book. :)

Flash made 6, count them SIX, huge beautiful baskets to raffle away. People were running over each other to get to them. We ran out of raffle slips and had to borrow some from someone else's basket.

The Mr. Romance contestants were making the rounds so I got to see them. That was a happy. They were all toting around signs for the blood drive going on in conjunction with the book fair.

After everything was done, we packed up our stuff and went to eat. Flash and I arrived just in the nick of time for the signing and had to rush to set everything up so we didn't have time to eat breakfast. We were so thankful when the fair ended and someone mentioned food. Everyone hopped into our cars and headed to an all-you-can-eat Chinese place. We sat and talked and ate for a little over two hours. Flash and I returned to the con in time to see Charles Paz named Mr. Romance. I had wanted to see the whole thing, but I had more fun with my family and friends and food. :D

- THE PARTIES -
One thing RT Con is known for is the parties. It's a "prepare to have fun" situation. And between you and me, it's also an "eat before you go" situation. Let's just say, the food is what you'd expect when preparing a meal for 1000+ people all at once.

- EC Jungle Party (Wednesday night) -
I dressed as a tiger and Flash was a jungle bunny, except her bunny ears wouldn't fit over her giant afro so she ended up looking like a jungle priestess instead. We spent more time taking pictures than anything else and that was fun.

- Faery Ball (Thursday night) -
I'll be the first to admit that I messed up my costume. I didn't give myself enough time to finish it properly. It was a fun idea I hope to actually modify and make work the next time I wear it.

Flash's costume looked great and I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture of it. Thankfully other people did. It's on her facebook (or were those from the first time she wore it?).

I guess the food at the fairy ball was good. Flash and I arrived a little late due to getting ready so we weren't given much time to eat before they called everyone on stage. I got two bites of my steak and when we got back to the table the steak had been traded for chocolate cake *groan*. Suffice to say, I was happy when we got home and I could eat my leftover Popeye's.

- God's of Midnight Party (also Thursday night) -
When the Faery Ball ended Deirdre Knight's party got started. And Ms. Knight cave us hunky models dressed as Spartans. Can I get a "hell yeah!". Oh those boys were hunk-alicious.

The best part of the night was Spartan musical chairs. The boys took a seats that were arranged in a circle and the women circled them like hawks as the music played. Just as you would think, when the music stopped, we (yup I was playing) had to sit down or be considered out. I was one of the last FOUR women standing. You didn't read wrong. I stuck to it until near the end. Though, Chris and Stefan helped me a little. They gave me a little tug whenever the music stopped to make sure I was safe... at least I think that's why they were holding me so tight. Is it getting hot in here? *fanning*

A fun game and I had a great time though I was worried about the models. It never got out of hand but the setup of the game might have gotten someone hurt. Later Eric said he was only worried about his feet. The guys were wearing gladiator sandels around a bunch of women wearing heels. Not a good combination but everyone made it out unscathed.

This party was when I got some oh so fun pics of Franco. Did I mention that man is yummy.

- Vampire Ball (Friday night) -
We arrived late and left early. Everyone was spent by this time. We did take a lot of pictures because everyone loved Flash as a Japanese geisha vampire. Check out the You Tube vid.

- Avon's Dusk to Dawn Mixer (Thursday afternoon) -
Free books being signed by the authors and LIQUOR. Mojitos and rum runners. I indulged in a mojito. It was good. I'd never had it before but I will try it again, assuming the person making it does it with mint and not parsley (yes, I've seen it done with parsley).

Avon, thank you so much. I needed that drink.

To date, my fav drinks are Gucci Slingback (Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, thanks), Pickled Tink (Hardrock Cafe, you so rock), and Mojito (Avon, love ya!).

- Sinfully Sweet Party -
Me, Flash, Dana Marie Bell, Camille Anthony, and Eve Vaughn all got together and did a reader event that was well received. We had a great time and so did the people who came. I think most of us only expected 15-20 people. We had that place packed. I think only 2 or 3 people ended up leaving and that was only because they had to go to another panel.

After the party was over, everyone said how much fun they had and some people tracked us down saying how upset they were that they missed it.

Flash made mini-Victorian hats for us all to wear (which she is now selling on ebay so go catch them while you can... you'll have to bug her for the link). We played Dirty Minds and adult mad-libs. The audience helped us fill one out and the point of the game was to read it without laughing. Flash (I wish I recorded this with my camera) was all but humping some poor woman's leg to make her laugh. Our winner hailed from the Netherlands (the land of my birth... I'm not joking. I'm military, remember?).

We also had a game from Camille (the rules of which are still foggy to me) where people had to think up weird pairings based on a dice roll and the readers got to vote the best. The winner was the woman who said Wolverine and Vin Diesel (ooooh, baby, yeah!). One woman (Laura, was that you?!) said two names that I have blocked from my memory because I can't remember it (I really can't, that's how yuck it was), but when she said it I hit the floor. Literally, I fell over and stayed there. Everyone was laughing at me, but that visual was gross.

The grand finale was the First Line contest. Everyone had to make-up the first line of a book on the spot and the best got an absolutely gorgeous white mini-Vic hat that Flash really didn't want to part with (I hear tale she's going to try and re-create it). The winner was happy to get it and even wore it the rest of the day.

As I said, a fab time was had by all. Everyone's #1 question when it was over: Will you do it again next year? Read a little further to find out.

- RT CON 2010 -
After the expense and the stress, I vowed I wouldn't be doing 2010 in Columbus, Ohio unless I signed a NY press contract with a huge advance...

Everyone so enjoyed the Sinfully Sweet party and kept asking what we would do next year that it looks like I might be going whether I get that contract or not. *sigh* Time to start planning my outfits.

The funny thing is, even with all the stress and money and time needed to prepare, I'm looking forward to 2010 already.

Author Interview: James Boyle

The Basics
- James Boyle
- Genre(s): Dark Fantasy
- Publisher(s): iUniverse

To Other Authors

- What are the three MOST important pieces of advice you would give to a brand new author?

• 1. Never give up. This is a difficult set of skills to learn (I’m still learning myself). It may take 20-30 years to become an overnight success.
• 2. Read everything you can get your hands on. Don’t read only for entertainment, read to watch how the author writes. How does he/she handle a particular situation? How do they put their story together? How do they create living dialogue?
• 3. Write something everyday—even if it’s simply a line saying “I have triple pneumonia and am too sick to write.”--write it down. Make writing a habit.

- What's your favorite way to advertise?

• I like to hang flyers on bulletin boards around the towns and cities I am in. It’s relatively low cost, (I can design and print them on my pc) and can bring my novel and its cover immediate exposure to a wide audience. I particularly like senior centers, colleges, and supermarkets. (Renee note: I need to try this. I've tacked up some business cards at my post office but need to do some more stuff in more places.)

- What hard-knock lesson did the publishing world teach you (can be your own experience or someone else's that you learned from)?

• That in a country where more than 200,000 books are published every year, it is a difficult challenge to get anyone to shell out their hard-earned money for your book. Particularly if they have no connection to you. Why should they?

For the Readers

- What are you reading, if anything, at the moment?

• I am kind of all over the place. I am re-reading John Barth’s “Sabbatical” just to wallow in admiration for his skill. He nearly has three narrators in the same paragraph and pulls it off! I have also just begun Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire series and find her narrative voice very entertaining.

- Do you prefer ebooks or print for your reading pleasure?

• Definitely print. Ebooks don’t have the “new book” smell. (Renee note: Ah ha! I knew there was a reason I loved visiting the book store. That's it!)

- Name three of your all-time-favorite, read-them-over-and-over books.

• It by Stephen King—I love his depiction of the culture of school-age children, separate, but just as valid and dynamic as that of the adults around them.
• Ghost Story by Peter Straub—just a very good horror tale.
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald—it’s a classic for a reason.

Idle Curiosity Compels Me to Ask

- What inspired you to be a writer?

• When I was young I read Treasure Island and was fascinated with the romance of the swashbuckling pirate and wanted to read everything I could get my hands on, which wasn’t much. It occurred to me then, that if I wanted to read another pirate story, I would have to write it myself. Nevertheless, I still have only written one pirate story, which wasn’t very good.

- What do you do immediately after finishing a manuscript?

• Usually try to catch up on things I’d neglected while finishing the work, like cleaning the house. It’s hard to explain sometimes. It’s like I’ve just broken up after a long relationship; there’s a hole in my consciousness. I kind of wander around for a while until I’m able to refocus on something else. (Renee Note: I usually clean my house but no hole to fill just needs doing and my reason for avoiding it just got finished. :P)

- Do you talk to your characters or your muse or both?

• I don’t talk to them as much as become them—all my characters, good, bad and minor.

Promo Section

~ Most Recent Release ~

Ni’il: The Awakening iUniverse ISBN: 987-1-4401-0867-9 Blurb: The Police Chief of an isolated town on the Oregon coast battles a supernatural force determined to destroy him and his community. It will take all his wits and some new-found power for him to defeat the Ni’il. BUY NOW

~ Coming Soon ~

Ni’il: The War Within iUniverse projected release, December 2009 Blurb: Dan Connor and Stephanie return from their battle with the Ni’il, only to find a new person of power in their town. He claims to be a Catholic priest named Fr. Gregoire and says he can bring the power of the Church into the fight against the pagan force. As their town becomes increasingly divided between believers and non-believers, Dan and Stephanie realize they now have two enemies to face. Fr. Gregoire and the Ni’il. Because the Ni’il is still out there, waiting.

Learn More

Website - http://www.jamesboylewrites.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#profile.php?id=15011817668&ref=profile

Polkadot Banner - http://www.polkadotbanner.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=339&Itemid=33

Yahoo Group - IWOFA

Thanks, James!

Join me next week for an interview with Alisha Rai.

Topic: No More...?

Some of you may have noticed I've missed a few new release announcements. You could call it missing them. You could also call it skipping them. I've also missed a few Wednesday Hauls and a LOT of manga reviews. I have not however missed any movie reviews. I love to gab about movies and my blog is the perfect forum.

I'm the type of personality who will take on more and more until I can't handle it all unless I sacrifice something else. Lately that sacrifice has been my time towards writing. It seems every time I get on my computer, I'm updating or revamping or checking something and not writing. That is one of the reasons I want a mini without an internet connection. Then I can totally focus on writing without "shiny" things on my laptop distracting me.

So, I've decided to sacrifice something else a lot more expendable than my writing. This blog will no longer host new release announcements. I love my publishers and want to support them, which is why I'll still forward the new release announcements to my yahoo groups (and some friends' yahoo groups so long as they let me). But I'll no longer take that extra ten to fifteen minutes to post them on my blog. While that does seem like a small amount of time, it is just enough time to break my train of thought and yank me out of a book.

Wednesday Haul is changing because I no longer get manga at my comic shop. Something is up with Diamond Distribution where they are not shipping out manga to the comic shops and I fell waaaaaaay behind (that was the dead air all those weeks). So, I've started pre-ordering my manga fix from BAMM. I get the benefit of the member discount without paying for it because I'm military (AAFES site referral).

I also have a very shiny (extremely... I've been very tempted) new cataloging system that even comes with a UPC scanner, which will make it fast, that has been begging me to use it. I've been very good and sacrificed doing that until now. My book and manga collection has grown to such a point that I really need to have some sort of catalog so I know what I have (and can buy more without worry of repeats :P). Also handy for insurance purposes.

Once I input my collection into the system, I'll then upload said catalog to my site and update it once a month or something. That means no more having Wednesday Haul posts. Actually I'm only canning those posts because I have a big bag of manga (catching up on all that I missed) that I got and haven't wanted to input. Yup, color me lazy.

Finally the author interviews. I have interviews scheduled through mid-November. I'm hoping to fill up the slots through the end of the year. After that, I think I'll stop. I've got a good bunch and they are fun to read, but having to send out reminders and do follow-ups on missing information, et al is too time-consuming.

As well, the interviews were supposed to be a promotional method to get more people to my blog and to my website since the interviewee would link to my blog and send their followers my way. I'm not sure if it helped or not.

This all amounts to time and how I use it. I admit I don't manage time well, but that's because something always pops up (my husband for instance -- man needs a hobby). I write stuff down and plan stuff out and stuff still comes out of nowhere like mushrooms at night. So it's time to start cutting back on the superfluous.

Not to mention, it's going in to summer and that means movies practically every week and conventions every month. Movies means review posts and conventions means preparing promo and lots of traveling. Most of my time-sink activities get started in winter because I have more free time. Well, it's time to end them.

Movie Review: X-Men Origins Wolverine

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine


Basic Premise:
Just like the title says, this is the origin story of the man codenamed Wolverine. You see him as a kid and then as an adult. This movie takes you through his life and gives you a look at why he's as angry as he is.