Stephanie Julian | A Writer’s List of Thanks

Since November is the month when we give thanks for being lucky enough to live in our great country—and since I figure I’ve given enough tax dollars to the government to say thanks for the next fifty years—I thought I’d list all those things that we, as writers, should be thankful for every day.

Ergonomic chairs. Pretty self-explanatory.

Agents. The first line of defense in any writer’s arsenal against rejection. It’s not that you don’t get rejections, it’s just that she gets them first. Yes, they still sting but having someone who believes in you makes it all a little better.

Writing buddies. Knowing I can call them, day or night and bitch about my uncooperative muse makes me breathe easier.

Call waiting. Don’t recognize the number? Ignore. Recognize the number as your mother-in-law’s? See response to first question.

Cattle prods. For those days when the kids demand to know why they don’t have any clean underwear and what exactly you did all day if you didn’t do wash.

Tazers. For the husband on vacation (or retirement) who walks into your office as you’re furiously typing away, leans on the door and says, “So, what are you doing?”

And the thing I’m most grateful for as a writer? Junior Mints. Decadent little discs of dark chocolate and mint. Nectar of the Gods.

I went through several (okay, more like too many) boxes as I wrote the fourth installment of my Magical Seduction series from Ellora’s Cave. SEDUCED AND ENCHANTED is my own take on the Sleeping Beauty story, set in the contemporary world where the descendents of the magical Etruscan race are alive and well and living among us.

Linchetto Rio de Feo has just met the woman of his dreams. Rosie Bianchi is smart, sexy, sweet…and cursed. She’s got an evil dead witch on her tail and a secret even she doesn’t know anything about.

Rosie can’t believe her good luck. The gorgeous guy she just met is Prince Charming material. But after one night of hot sex, Rosie wakes up with magical powers and is thrust into a battle for her life.

Love will need a little help and a little luck, but where there’s an enchanted rose hedge and three godmothers, there’s magic.

Want to read an excerpt? Check out my website at www.stephaniejulian.com/. You’ll also find excerpts from the other three books in the series and a whole world of Etruscan magic that you never knew existed.

I love writing about magic in our everyday world and I’m thankful that others are enjoying my series as well.

What are you thankful for?

Stephanie Julian

Angela Steed | The Road to…Time Travel?

Her footsteps go where no other woman has walked before. Through a doorway our heroine treads into a fracture in the universe, and empty space becomes a walkway to her destination. Stonehenge is the beginning of her journey; a renowned world is the end. And everything else between is…nothing?

Science is an ingredient I really wanted to add to The Sea’s Embrace, but only as much as I could get away with in a romance novel. I managed to throw in enough to make it work, excluding a short prologue divulging the secret behind the mysterious floating orbs lighting the way. (You’ll have to read the story to find out about them.)

The true science comes with time travel. I’ve always been fascinated with the Bermuda Triangle. Ever wonder why things go missing there? Did you know there’s a similar phenomenon off the coast of Japan? Some scientists believe these two locations are connected beneath the earth by a black and white hole. Though it hasn’t been proven, and has caused a bit of controversy within the scientific community, most gurus would love to believe in this fantastic theory.

Think time travel. Not in a sense you can travel back in time and play lottery numbers already played. Wouldn’t that be nice? Think traveling from one place to another in the blink of an eye, think wormhole. Though in the case of my book, a short walk between the sea and sky takes our travelers to a legendary world as well as a different time.

So back to the book: I sent my characters into more chaos than one can endure, leaving science somewhat in the backdrop. After all, it’s a romance novel, so everything is centered around love. The story is adventurous, mind-boggling and dark, and in one reviewer’s words, “mentally exhausting.” No, it’s not the simplest romance novel to read, and there are several traumatic life or death scenes. But I believe anyone who wants something different and loves unusual sci-fi, fantasy love stories might actually enjoy it.

You can find more information, as well as an excerpt, at www.angelasteed.com/. I’m also on Myspace at www.myspace.com/angelasteed.

The Sea’s Embrace will be out at www.blacklyonpublishing.com/ sometime this month as an e-book. It’ll be available everywhere else on the official release date of November 1st.

Angela Steed

Teresa D'Amario | Why Shape shifters?

Hi Everyone! I’m so excited to be here! And many thanks to the folks of Fresh Fiction for inviting me to their blog. I’ve met several of the ladies in person at Celebrate Romance in Columbia, SC, and let me tell you, they are a fun group! CR was my first ever conference, both as a reader and as an author, and I can tell you I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Rubbing elbows with some of my favorite authors, and getting to know the folks who love to read! What could be better?

It was a wonderful experience, and one I shall always remember. I only wish I could make it to RWA or to RT this year, but sadly I will be unable to join all the wonderful authors and readers at those two. So instead, I thought I’d introduce myself here at Fresh Fiction and answer the one important question I seem to get.

“Why Shape shifters?”

Paranormal romance in general constitutes so many different types of creatures. There’s the vampires we all know and love. The demons we are just learning to have love affairs with, the selkies, the faeries, and even more. So what makes the shape shifter so different?

First, we have to look at ancient lore. For hundreds of years we’ve heard of the werewolves. Creatures of the night who lose control of their bodies at the full moon and run rampant on the unsuspecting souls of the local communities. In ancient times they were believed to be controlled by witches. In fact, documents from the middle ages don’t doubt the existence of werewolves, but instead debates how they came to be controlled by witches.

An interesting concept.

And so the werewolf has haunted our imaginations for more generations than most of us can guess. But why is it suddenly so romantic? So sexy? What is it about this creature that pulls at our imaginations?

First, let me say that while my first book is about wolf shifters, I love the idea of all animals being shifters. For instance, my next work is about a Tiger. Now that has been really fun to write. Lions, tigers, bears, wolves, you name it. The powerful and the strong.

But that still doesn’t answer the question. For me, though, the answer is simple. It’s Instinct.

When we read contemporary romance, the human male is handsome and sexy, and oh so masculine. He’s either funny or serious, but he’s everything a woman ever wanted in a husband. And he’s politically correct.

That’s right ladies. A man can only be so masculine before our natural instincts kick in and say “ewww” if he gets too aggressive. We don’t want a real alpha male. Now a fictitious one? Maybe.

In walks the vampire. He’s oh so handsome, and has lived for hundreds of years. He’s so strong he can lift an ox single handedly. He is cold and calculating, yet when he gives his heart, whether it beats or is still as death, he gives it all. He’s everything we Dark Shadows fans longed for when we met Barabus Collins. The damaged soul that only the heroine can repair.

But the shifter, he’s different. He’s powerful and strong, like his vampire friends, but he has something they do not. Pure animal instinct. He doesn’t worry if his vampire buddies thinks he oversteps his bounds. Oh no. When he wants something he takes it. Whether that something be the pack or family, or if it’s the future mate. He respects power and strength and that calls to us ladies as well. But who wants a mate who’s always powerful and strong and we’re mere weaklings in his mind? That’s not a problem with shape shifters. The animal instinct inside him drives him to respect the feminine, to respect her strength and intelligence. He longs for the woman who can handle what he has to offer, and can give what he wants to take.

He steps in to protect when he is needed, is possessive of his chosen mate, and his sexual appetite, well…. Ladies, you have to read the book to find that out, but I promise you, he delivers, whether he’s a tiger, a panther, a leopard or a wolf.

So the next time you’re off looking for good reading material, and want to rely on the hot, powerful animal instincts, check out your local shape shifter author. I bet she’s got something for you, whether it be the cat, the wolf, or even the dragon. You’ll find the perfect author to your taste!

Teresa D'Amario

teresadamario.com

T. Sue VerSteeg | Ah, love...

This one tiny word encompasses all from which romance novels are made. It doesn’t matter what genre, category or heat level. It all comes down to those four little letters. Now, the word itself may be small, but the concept is huge. The tiny flicker eventually turning into an all-consuming flame--now that is love…or at the very least, lust.

As a romance writer, I have to admit that this fire is what sucked me into writing the genre. I love…love. The sex is great, but it is so much more than hopping in the sack. The thrill of the chase, the spark of the first kiss, the flame of the passion, and the sigh of the happily-ever-after ending make it the only category for me to read and write.

There are many people who say romance is nothing but predictable, just because they end the same. I have one word for them: Duh! Mysteries end with a resolution to the mystery and horror stories are going to have gruesome scenes, yet for some reason, they generally aren’t lumped into one bunch and pooh-poohed as a whole. Writing a book is all about the presentation and figuring out how to flow your words from point A to point B with finesse, regardless of genre. If a writer does it well, it sticks with the reader. Period. For me, if a writer does it well and their characters fall in love, I’m a fan forever.

Don’t be afraid to flaunt the fact that you are a romance fanatic, especially with today’s romance. There truly is something out there for everyone.

I’d like to thank Fresh Fiction for inviting me to blog today. I never pass up a chance to ramble on about my love of writing and romance. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at sue@tsueversteeg.com I’d love to hear from you. You can also visit my website at www.tsueversteeg.com/. My latest release, Click!, is available in e-book format from my site. All proceeds from sales are being donated to help the wonderful folks at Romance Divas. This is a writing site dedicated to those whose passion in writing is aimed at the romance world. Stop by and say hello. www.romancedivas.com/.

T. Sue VerSteeg

Leigh Wyndfield - The Search for the Perfect Male

I’ve got a confession to make. The heroes in my romances are usually a prototype of my husband in some way, shape or form. After all, he’s the man I know best and I married him because I obviously find him hero-material. Combining him with a little Han Solo, I had in my opinion a wonderful male. But after many books, I began to think I needed a new prototype. Someone was bound to start noticing that my hot, yummy heroes were all a little alike.

So, I started the search for another hero archetype. He had to be handsome, smart, witty and the number one requirement was that even if he wasn’t perfect (in fact, I was looking for slightly flawed), he needed to be okay with not being perfect. I like heroes who feel great in their own skins.

I looked and looked and couldn’t find anyone. Months rolled by. I began to despair. Even the issue of People magazine’s yearly Best Looking People provided no new fodder. The men all looked too handsome, too delicate, so perfect as to be uninteresting.

Then I saw him. I was meeting my old work buddies (think a table full of computer geeks) when this guy walked into Panera’s. Tall, lean but covered in muscle, sandy hair, a real tan that had lasted into October, and a walk that screamed confidence. But that wasn’t the clincher. The thing that sealed the deal was that he wore an Australian outback riding jacket as if he’d just come in off the range. My mouth dropped open. What guy could actually pull that off and not look like a complete idiot?? My fingers itched to take out the small writing pad I haul everywhere with me for just these occasions. He was the perfect combination of Brad Pitt before he got all weird and a 30 year old Robert Redford. Brad Redford I named him in my mind, suppressing a female giggle that really isn’t my style, I swear.

It might have been better if he’d walked on by, forever to live in my mind as a fictional character. Instead, he sat down next to me. It turns out he was friends with the guys I was eating lunch with. Usually I’m okay with my voyeuristic tendencies – I’m an author after all. How am I supposed to build stories if I’m not constantly watching my fellow man? But now I felt a little weird and uncomfortable, similar to the feeling I had when my mother-in-law told me about her sex life.

This odd feeling went on until I looked down and saw him fiddling with his sock. Only it didn’t look like a sock exactly. It looked like…

“What the hell is that on your leg?” I asked, horror creeping into my tone.

He yanked on the thin, stretchy fabric. “That’s the problem with wearing tights. They always get all messed up around the ankles.” He spoke as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about men wearing tights.

I couldn’t stop myself. I had to know why Brad Redford was wearing women’s legging, even if I had a feeling the answer wouldn’t bring me any satisfaction. “But why are you wearing tights?”

He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “It’s cold out,” he said, as if that explained everything.


I left that day heartbroken and, without knowing it, had made a new (tights wearing) friend. Dave plays soccer every chance he gets, is a complete jokester and is, yes, hot. Weird (too weird), but hot. It took me two years before I finally used him in a story and when I did, it was unexpected, mainly because it isn’t the type of tale I ever thought I’d write. He’s one of the two men in my latest release, a ménage with the title TWO FOR THE MONEY. If Dave ever knew I put him in a M/M/F ménage, he’d be furious. He may wear tights, but he’s also much too Alpha to ever share a woman. But lucky for me, he’ll never know. It will just be our little secret!
Check out an excerpt of my stories at www.leighwyndfield.com/!

Lucy Monroe | Trying Something New

Why an eBook? I get that question a lot since I decided to publish Annabelle's Courtship with Samhain Publishing. My first reaction is: Why not? :-)

But seriously...Samhain Publishing is such an impressive entity to me that I really wanted to work on a project with them. It started with two Inspirationals I'd written before I discovered that my fit as a writer leaned much more heavily toward sexy romance. Samhain doesn't have any of the limitations on publication for an Inspirational that the larger presses do and luckily for me, they were interested in publishing my books.

Meagan's Chance came out under the LC Monroe name in July and Miss Fixit will be out later this year with a co-author.

I also had a historical I'd written early on that Berkley had not yet purchased and I saw this as a golden opportunity to do something with Samhain as Lucy Monroe. Berkley very generously allowed me an addendum to my contract to make this possible and voila...Annabelle's Courtship was published! Not only has Annabelle's Courtship come out as an original eBook, but it and Meagan's Chance will be released in print (available in all major bookstores - and some not so major ::g::) later in 2008. They will both also be highlighted in the Ingram's catalog by my publisher and what that means for my readers is that they can buy the book as easily as any of my others.

What it means for *me* is that maybe a whole new group of readers will meet my characters and maybe...just maybe fall in love with them like I have. Which is a big part of the answer to: Why an eBook?

But the other part of the answer is more about the personal me than the author me. I'm an eBook fanatic. Not only is my office filled with numerous six feet high bookcases with double stacked and overflowing shelves of print books, but I've got several hundred electronic releases on my harddrive. I've read them all, but in addition I've got a TBR folder only slightly less brimming than the bookcase full of print books in my bedroom that I haven't yet read. There are tons of authors on my autobuy list for both print and eBooks, some of whom I insist on having in both.

What about you, are you an eBook reader?

http://www.lucymonroe.com/