Michelle Gagnon | Thrillerfest 2008

Sadly, I missed the inaugural Thrillerfest, which was held in Phoenix. I had recently given birth to my first child, and the thought of Arizona in July with a newborn was not terribly appealing. Which is a shame, because from what I understand it was one for the ages.

I made up for it by attending the past few Thrillerfests in New York, and I’m happy to report that despite the fact that everyone always says, “You shoulda been at the first one,” I’ve had an amazing experience each time.

My week kicked off with a joint reading at the Park Avenue Borders. Tim Maleeny, Laura Caldwell, J.T. Ellison, Mario Acevedo, Laura Benedict, Shane Gericke, Alexandra Sokoloff, and I participated in “Quick Thrills from Out-of-Towners.” Lee Child graciously served as our MC, and in completely disregarding our prepared bios introduced us with anecdotes a hundred times wittier than anything we could have come up with. Everyone read for five minutes to an incredibly receptive crowd. The store was quick to add rows of seats as the place filled, we auctioned off Borders gift certificates and stuffed snakes (which were more of a hit than the $100 certificates, go figure). A good time was had by all.

I don’t know of many other conferences where you can rub elbows with Jeffery Deaver, Carla Neggers, Barry Eisler, and Heather Graham in the hotel bar, or where nearly forty top agents show up to hear pitches from aspiring authors. The organizers also made a serious effort to host panels outside the norm, and it showed. The “Lethal Weapons, Bombs, and Terrorism Hands-on Weapons Demonstration” by the ATF was definitely something I haven’t seen before, and perfect for thriller writers looking to expand their knowledge base. Other high points for me included the reviewers’ panel with David Montgomery, Bob Gussin, and Bookreporter representatives Joe Hartlaub and Carol Fitzgerald dishing on how and why books really get reviewed.

I am of course biased, but I loved the two panels I was on. I felt a little out of place on “Don’t Look Now: Paranormal Thrillers,” (my first novel, THE TUNNELS, has some paranormal elements but my latest is a straight serial killer thriller). However it was so amazing listening to Vicki Pettersson, Heather, Mario Acevedo, and Cathy Clamp discuss their work. The downside is that it added another stack of books to my already towering TBR pile, and nearly forced me to check my carry-on bag thanks to the added weight (you should see my biceps after hauling that thing into the overhead compartment!) Then on Saturday bestselling author Michael Palmer led our discussion of “The Art of the Thriller,” complete with berets and a lively discussion of Macguffins.

Thrillerfest is slated to take place in New York for the next two years, a decision which has inspired some debate in terms of the cost of attending and the fact that in a city with so many other attractions, people tend to disperse. I straddle the fence on this one. Part of me hoped that next year it would be moved somewhere less expensive (you should have seen my hotel bill!), preferably a place like New Orleans that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit. On the other hand, if it was moved it’s less likely that so many amazing authors would attend, or that I’d have the chance to meet with my editor and agent in the same fell swoop. I’m also not certain they would be able to attract as many participants in Agentfest were it held outside the city. But at least for 2009 and 2010, the deal is sealed and we’ll see what happens. I for one will be there, $16 glass of house chardonnay in hand. After hearing all the stories from the first one, I don’t want to risk missing out.

I’m running a series of contests this month to promote the release of BONEYARD. Go to http://www.michellegagnon.com/, click on “win,” and I’ll toss your name in the hat for an Amazon Kindle, iPod Shuffle, digital picture frame, Starbucks gift certificates, and other fabulous prizes.

Michelle Gagnon is a former modern dancer, bartender, dog walker, model, personal trainer, and Russian supper club performer. Her debut thriller The Tunnels was an IMBA bestseller. Her next book, Boneyard, depicts a cat and mouse game between dueling serial killers. In her spare time she runs errands and puts money in her piggybank to cover the cost of conventions .

Michelle Gagnon

Cheryl Holt | What DO Readers Think?

After 21 published novels, and numerous reprints of my old titles, I’m getting ready once again to contract with my publisher to write some more books. It’s always an interesting time for me, because I get to pick new characters, new plot twists, and new storylines.

As I go through this process, I’m interested in what readers think. I’m renowned as “The Queen” of erotic romance, as well as “The Queen” of villains, so I write a story that’s very different from mainstream romance. My books are very plot driven. By this I mean they’re very fast-paced, with a focus on action and dialogue. They’re also very passionate and very dramatic, with extremely evil villains.

If you’re one of my fans, and have read some (or all!) of my novels, I would love to hear what you enjoy about them. For example, is it the macho heroes? The great sex scenes? The heartbreak? The drama? The villains? What do you relish the most? Also, what could I leave out or tone down?

The answers to these questions help me pinpoint the direction my books should go.

If you haven’t read my books before, I’m curious as to why not. Is it that you haven’t heard of me? You don’t read erotics? You don’t read historicals? If you’re not one of my regular readers, how could I change my stories to interest you? What is it that makes you purchase one romance instead of another? Is it the cover? The back-cover story description? The author? The time period? What can I do – as a writer unknown to you – to intrigue you into becoming a fan?


Cheryl Holt
http://www.cherylholt.com/

Plano Book Club - Note from this month's author, Linda Conrad

Man, how I love reading good books! And geez, how I hate finishing one! If it’s a really good book that hooks me into the characters’ lives, then I want to know more! What happens next? I want to know whether the best friend finds her own true love. I want to know if the brother will ever change his ways and find a woman who can tame him. I just want to know more!

I guess that’s why I almost always write linked books and make up my own mini-series. Some readers tell me they feel the same way I do, that they love books in series. Others seem to feel somehow cheated that they must find and buy more books to satisfy their curiosity. I make sure each book tells its own story, but I guess I can’t help hinting that there might be more to it. And I suppose therein lies the problem. Sigh.

Which brings me around to my newest series of books, the Night Guardians, and the reason I'm so looking forward to talking with the bookclub!

The Night Guardians is a series of six books I've written for Silhouette Intimate Moments (now called Silhouette Romantic Suspense) The series tells the story of a new cult of shapeshifters spreading evil and terror on the big Navajo reservation in New Mexico and Arizona . These shapeshifters, known as ‘Skinwalkers,’ are familiar to the Navajo from their ancient stories and legends. The heroes of the Night Guardians are Navajo medicine men, calling themselves the Brotherhood, who have banded together to fight the evil.

My latest book is book number five in the series. Called SHADOW WARRIOR, it’s the story of Michael Ayze, a professor of Anthropology at Dine College . He knows the most about the ancient legends and feels the answer to conquering the Skinwalkers lies there instead of fighting them openly. As if he doesn't have enough troubles, his younger brother’s widow and son have now appeared in the midst of the danger. One look at her reignites deep emotions in Michael that he’s denied for years.

It seems unseen universal forces are trying to bring Michael to his knees. Respect for tradition, natural disasters, even his own mother are pushing him closer to the woman he only wants to protect from the deadly dangers waiting in the night.

I had such fun researching and writing this series. I'd love to talk to the bookclub about it! Depending on the quantity of food and drink consumed, we can chat about just nearly anything! Any of the Silhouette Desires I have written in the past or any of my plans for the future. Everything is fair game except the surprise ending to the Night Guardian series! I can’t wait!

Thanks for you help!

Linda Conrad
http://www.lindaconrad.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/lindaconrad
2007 RT Reviewers Choice Award winner for SHADOW FORCE!
WisRWA '07 Write Touch Readers Award second place for SHADOW WATCH!
2007 Desert Rose - Golden Quill Award nominee for SHADOW WATCH!
Don't miss the final book in the Night Guardian series:
SHADOW WHISPERS - Silhouette Romantic Suspense - coming September 07

Book Club Rewind - Shanna Swendson

Book club last night was great. Of course, that had a lot to do with fact that this month's author, Shanna Swendson, was there in person rather than over the phone. Shanna, Harry Potter fan that she is, even provided a couple of meal suggestions for June or July's (I forget) Harry Potter themed book club menu. Besides that, how could you not like someone who has enough humor to admit that her longest relationship so far has been her four year crush on one of the local TV news guys?!

The idea behind her Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. series came from a trip to New York City with friends after she had some knee surgery done. There Shanna was moving around NYC not totally sure footed and she received nothing but kindness and assistance from the locals. Her friends apparently did not get that same polite experience in NYC. A few years later, she thought to combine the concept of the two different experiences she and her friends had in NYC with her love of Harry Potter (did I mention Shanna's a fan) and Chick Lit (which she sees as the style most like her life). The Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. series was born!

So what is next in the series? The fourth book, Don't Hex With Texas, is written and scheduled to be released in January 2008. Shanna said that book three, Damsel Under Stress, was written as a two part-er and that book four was planned for release sooner than the following May (the previous three books were released in the month of May). The fourth book will have a satisfying ending, but that the fifth and final book (currently unwritten) would wrap everything up if it were published (and that my friends is up in the air right now unfortunately).

TV and movie possibilities for MSI series? There was almost a TV deal. There is a possibility of a movie deal.

Shanna is currently working on a proposal for a Young Adult book. The YA book would probably be a standalone paranormal. "Grimms' fairy tales invade Grey's Anatomy."

What does Shanna Swendson like to read when she is not writing:
- Chick Lit
- bargain bin books (She's on tour right now and is seriously binge purchasing bargain bin books.)
- recently read and recommends Babe in Toyland by Eugenie Seifer Olson.

Some of her notable quotes from the evening with our book club:
- "My legions of minions plotting against..."
- "Certain books can only be read in certain weather."

Plano Book Club - Note from this month's author, Shanna Swendson

If there's anything I like more than reading books, it's talking about books, so I'm really looking forward to meeting with the book club (eating comes right behind talking about books, so I'm anticipating the food, too).

I write a series of books that could be called fantasy/chick lit or else light urban fantasy, depending on whether I'm talking to a chick lit reader or a fantasy reader. When I started submitting the first book in the series to agents, I wasn't sure which side of that line it really fell on, so I looked for an agent who handled both genres and let her decide what it was. Now I don't worry too much about genre and just write my books, which have a mix of humor, fantasy, intrigue and romance. The best way I can think of to describe the tone and content of my books is by saying "Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter." A grown-up Harry, of course.

The fun thing about writing a series with the same main characters is getting to watch the characters grow and their relationships develop. The first book in the series, Enchanted, Inc., introduced my heroine, Katie Chandler, to the world of magic and to magical people, including a certain very intriguing young wizard. We saw her get deeper into the magical world as she struggled with her own unique abilities in the sequel, Once Upon Stilettos. In the most recent book, Damsel Under Stress, she seems to have everything more or less together -- at least at first. She's finally got the relationship of her dreams starting and she's doing well at work. But, of course, things can't go quite that smoothly for her, and next thing she knows, everything she cares about is in jeopardy and she may have to make some tough choices. There's at least one more book in the series coming, and I have plans for one more after that. Depending on how much wine they make me drink, the book club might even manage to get some hints for the future out of me.

Shanna Swendson
Damsel Under Stress, May 2007
Once Upon Stilettos, May 2006
Enchanted, Inc., May 2005
http://www.shannaswendson.com/

Shanna Swendson Reading from DAMSEL UNDER STRESS

Shanna Swendson Reading from DAMSEL UNDER STRESS,
originally uploaded by freshfiction.

Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter is the way Shanna pitched her "Enchanted" series to Ballantine, and they are definitely fun, set in New York City where the "unusual" is not that much out of the ordinary...or is it?
Katie Chandler fled small town Texas to the big lights of New York City where she finds it isn't quite as she expected! People with wings on the subways, gargoyles winking and flying through the streets and magic every where. But Katie finds a new job, new friends and new adventures in the big apple!

Now just when her life seems settled, she also gets a fairy godmother. And as the fables go...it's isn't always all it's cracked up to be! Shanna read the scene where she and the fairy godmother go out to dinner. With a wave of a magical wane, confusion ensues!

Another winner from Shanna and we can only hope for many many more!

REPORT: Fellow readers have reported some book stores aren't carrying DAMESEL UNDER STRESS Be sure to ASK for it and have your local book store order a copy for you (it's free to special order from the big chains! We don't want this series to end!