Laura Griffin | Who doesn’t love a good page-turner?

My favorite experience as a reader is to be riveted by a book and simply unable to stop reading while time ticks by all around me.

As you can imagine, this drives my family nuts. I have certain favorite authors (Linda Howard, Karen Robards, Patricia Cornwell, Lee Child, just to name a few), whose books seem to grab hold of me, shove me into a chair, and demand that I stay there until the very last page. Occasionally, I do get up to answer the phone, feed my family, or grab an Oreo, but sleep and other unnecessary activities fall by the wayside.

What are your favorite page-turners? For me, they’re often mysteries or romantic suspense stories.

Click here to read the rest of Laura's blog and to leave a comment.

Sara Reyes | What's a book club?

Book club dynamics. Hmm, interesting topic. This past Wednesday I realized we've been meeting at my house for four years. A long time but something has evolved. As people come and go we have a core group of women who monthly come and spend three to five hours every third Wednesday at my house. First putting together a meal, followed by eating, followed by a talk with an author on a speaker phone then followed by lots more time "visiting."

I also watched as the dinner was put together. We've been meeting so long it's like a family: everyone assumes a role, chore and position. And you don't mess with the status too much. We've had new people come every month, so we have a "hostess" who makes them feel at home and puts a drink in their hand. Also gets them out of the temperamental chefs way. (I say this with GREAT affection, so if you're one of those temperamental chefs you will NOT kill me in the near or far future! okay?) I've learned my place is to sit at the breakfast table aka my office desk and observe. I no longer make any comments about the cooking, as I value my life and enjoy the food too much!

After the food is assembled we sit down. We have to be eating by 7:15 because the author will call at 7:30 and it's so impolite to talk with your mouth full or to try to converse over clicking flatware and plates. Those phones pick up everything! We have the author talk down to a science as well: introduction, summary of book, prepared questions, general conversation, and closing. Then we finish eating, have the dessert and coffee, a refill of the glasses and settle in to talk or what my mother and grandmother would call 'visiting."

We talk about the author and their books. What we liked, didn't like. What the author said that may change our perceptions and whether we agree or not. Did I mention some of us are contrarians. We always have copies of the author's books on the table, so they'll get passed around and more comments pursue. Then eventually we get to our lives! That's always interesting. Then a bit more coffee, talk about future and it's 10pm and time to go home...or in my case, to clean up.

Buy Your Copy today

All this became relevant because our author guest this week, Laura Griffin asked about our club. What we do at meetings, how we're organized, pick books and generally curious about our set-up. As I said, we're different than most in we never require the members to read the book. I know enough will to have a lively discussion, besides it's certain that the members who suggested this author and are required to prepare questions will have read the book. Plus we ask for author suggestions a couple of time a year so it's not as if we're coming into an author cold. And if the author is interesting (and who isn't talking about their "baby"), we'll go out of the dinner with converts who have been known to stop by a Barnes & Noble or Wal-Mart on the way home and buy her current book, they'll hunt down her last books and be sure to buy all her future ones. I've seen it happen over and over. And the author got to do her presentation in her jammies (possible) and with a glass of wine (we encourage it)! What a deal for both of us!

So, if you attend a book club, tell me what it's like, after all, we like to share stories, no? And as a special prize from our book club...I'll give away a brand-new copy of something in our treasure trove of new arrivals! Just enter here or better yet, leave a comment!

Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Readers 'n 'ritas in 2009!

Pre-Order WHISPER OF WARNING today, Laura's next book in the series and from what she told us about it, it's going to be a HIT!!!

Laura Griffin | Breaking in this New Year: Tips for Aspiring Writers

Are you one of those voracious readers who believes that somewhere, deep down, you have a book inside you? If you are, I’ve got some tips about how to break into the business this year.

Tell Laura about one of your favorite childhood reads, and you’ll be eligible to win a free autographed copy of her upcoming release, WHISPER OF WARNING (Pocket Star Books). Comment below or Click Here

As Susan Sontag once said, “Writers begin as bewitched readers,” and I know this was certainly the case for me. I can remember combing the dusty bookshelves in my grandmother’s house and making a discovery that would impact my life: a complete collection of Nancy Drew mysteries. What books influenced you as a kid? I love asking book lovers this question, and I’m always amazed by the varied responses.

Pre-order WHISPER OF WARNING Copy today

Now for those tips I promised. If you follow these suggestions, I can’t guarantee that you’ll land that elusive book deal. But I can guarantee you’ll be several steps closer than you were before:

1. Join a writers group. Surrounding yourself with professional and aspiring authors is a great way to kick your butt into gear. Many writers groups offer monthly seminars about the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Writers groups are a wonderful place to network, gain motivation, and (if you want) get linked up with critique partners who can help you polish your work. Personally, I’m a member of my local chapter of Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. And for those of you in remote areas, there are many online writers groups.


2. Take a writing class. “Yeah, right. Like I have time for a writing class,” you’re probably saying. Well, are you committed to becoming a professional writer or not? If so, you have to invest some time in honing your skills. Here’s the good news, though. There are hundreds of classes available online. Check out www.writersonlineclasses.com and (for the aspiring mystery writer) www.rwamysterysuspense.org, for an amazing array of classes.


3. Read within your genre. What’s a genre? It’s the type of fiction you’re writing, such as mystery, romance, paranormal romance, thriller, fantasy, erotica, inspirational… the list goes on. You probably already know where your work fits in. I’d be willing to bet that the genre you want to write in is what you like to read. That’s good, by the way, because it’s critical to know what is going on in your genre. What do the fans love, and what do you yourself enjoy as a reader?


4. Write every day! Even if it’s just to jot down a story idea or a scrap of snappy dialogue between two characters who have been rattling around in your head. The more you write, the easier it is. A full length novel is 90,000 words or more, so it’s important to get into the discipline of getting words on a page. But don’t let the sheer size of the task intimidate you. Every single novel begins with a lonely first sentence.


5. Get an agent. Okay, so you’ve written that story that has been percolating in your head for years. Now what? It’s time to get a literary agent. (Please see my web site at www.lauragriffin.com for tips on this very important step.)


6. Don’t give up. I know this sounds trite, but I truly believe it’s the most important tip of all. Publishing is a very competitive business, and talented people get weeded out all the time simply because they allow one or two rejections to derail them. Keep in mind that it only takes one interested editor to buy your book. Almost all successful authors (John Grisham, Stephen King, and Allison Brennan, to name a few) had their first efforts rejected, but the reason you’ve heard of them today is that they persevered. You can, too. So take a deep breath, fire up your computer, and start writing the book from your heart.

Laura Griffin is the award-winning author of numerous romantic suspense novels, including WHISPER OF WARNING, which hits bookshelves on March 31.

Leave your favorite childhood books below and be eligible to win a copy of WHISPER OF WARNING

Sandi Shilhanek | My Reading Resolutions for 2009

I want to start by wishing everyone happy healthy new year! I hope that 2009 is a great year for all.

Every year there’s discussion in my yahoo groups about resolutions. Some people make more personal resolutions about things such being more fiscally responsible, getting healthier by exercising or watching their diets. Some are making resolutions about their TBRs and/or potential reading choices.

Last year I attempted to do an alphabet challenge. This was to have had me reading at least one book by an author whose last name started with every letter of the alphabet. I was doing fairly well at this, and even had been told who to read for X and Z, but then I lost my list of what I had read and gave up. This year I’m going to attempt it again, and can use those authors from last year’s X and Z challenge, because I haven’t read those books yet. I knew procrastination was good for a reason!

This year I’m also going to attempt to join in the challenge the same group is doing and read the selected word of the month. This means picking a title that has a certain word in it. To assist in that I’m currently reading NOT SO SNOW WHITE (snow is the January word) by Donna Kauffman.

Lastly I’m going to work really hard at reading the book for our the DFW Tea Readers Book Group. For January the author is Laura Griffin, and while I won’t read her current book I will be attempting to read her first book ONE LAST BREATH before our meeting.

So, now you know what I’m going to attempt with my reading. I want to know what your reading resolutions are. Would you also like to share your personal ones as well, and perhaps we can form a little support group and cheer one another on during the year.

Sandi
DFW Tea Readers
Readers 'n 'ritas... celebrating literary obsessions

Laura Griffin | A Romantic Thriller and a Chance to Win

People often ask me where I get story ideas. With my latest romantic suspense novel, THREAD OF FEAR, the idea took shape as I watched a news broadcast about a kidnapped girl. It wasn’t the kidnapping itself that caught my attention, but the forensic artist who helped solve the case.

How does a person interview a traumatized victim, and come away with a life-like picture of a criminal? This is the job of a forensic artist. They listen to people’s heart-wrenching stories and transform them into concrete leads for the police.

Fiona Glass’s talent at forensic art has made her the best in the business—which is why she’s quitting. She’s haunted by the stories of victims and the faces of sadistic criminals. She’s working on her last case when rugged Texas police chief Jack Bowman bulldozes over her resistance and convinces her to help him hunt down a serial killer who is terrorizing his small town.

Jack never intended for Fiona to become so involved in his case. Or in his life. But he knows she’s his best hope for finding a psychopath who’s lurking in plain sight. He desperately needs Fiona’s help, but he never counted on her ending up in the killer’s crosshairs.

If you like a spine-tingling mystery, as well as a love story, I hope you’ll enjoy THREAD OF FEAR.

While you’re here, please check out my fall contest, through Fresh Fiction, for a chance to win a gift basket that includes: a $15 Starbucks gift card, a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card, a box of Godiva chocolates, as well as my romantic suspense novels, THREAD OF FEAR, ONE WRONG STEP, and ONE LAST BREATH. For details, just click here . To read an excerpt from THREAD OF FEAR, or to drop me a line, please visit my website at www.lauragriffin.com/. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy reading!

Laura Griffin

www.lauragriffin.com/
laura@lauragriffin.com

Laura Griffin | A love story: sweet, salty, and shaken…

My favorite books are the ones that deliver pulse-pounding suspense and also touch my emotions. That’s why I love to read—and write—romantic suspense. This week I’m celebrating the release of my latest romantic suspense novel, ONE WRONG STEP.

This story is a definite case of opposites attract. Long, tall Texan John McAllister is a woman-loving-and-leaving, adventure-seeking, adrenalin junkie. He’s an investigative reporter, too, and I must admit that he bears a striking resemblance to many of the guys I worked with over the years when I was a newspaper reporter. Celie, on the other hand, is like some of my best girlfriends—a “still waters run deep” type of person who also knows how to enjoy a good margarita.

So what do Celie and McAllister have in common? An attraction that has been simmering beneath the surface for years, for one thing. And for another, Celie has a knack for getting herself into dangerous situations, and McAllister—with his nose for news—always seems to show up when things get interesting….Such as when Celie’s ex-husband comes to visit her and turns up murdered an hour later. That’s when Celie realizes that the police have their eye on her, along with an enraged drug lord who is seeking payback for her ex-husband’s debts.

But it’s not all mystery and adventure with these two. The core of the book is a love story. Celie and McAllister are so different, they really test each others’ limits and force each other to experience life—and love—in new ways.

I hope you’ll enjoy this story. For those of you who read ONE LAST BREATH and wrote to ask me, “So what about Celie and that reporter?” this one is for you.

Oh, and here’s a challenge for any of you readers who has ever been to Austin: If you can identify the Austin Mexican restaurant where Celie and McAllister spend their first date (hint: it’s the best Mexican food on the planet!!), I will gleefully send you a free copy of my next release, THREAD OF FEAR (Pocket Star, October 08). Just drop me a line at laura@lauragriffin.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Laura Griffin
www.lauragriffin.com/

One Wrong Step (Pocket Star)
One Last Breath (Pocket)

And coming soon:

Thread of Fear (Pocket Star, Oct. 08)
Whisper of Warning (Pocket Star, 09)