Welcome to the Money, Honey Blog tour, in which author Susan Sey celebrates the July 6 release of her debut novel by counting down the Top Ten Most Common Reactions an ill-groomed stay at home mom receives when confessing her secret career as a romance novelist.

Ahoy the Pirate Ship Revenge!  Thanks so much for helping me launch my beloved debut novel Money, Honey!  It’s a risky endeavor, launching a career in these uncertain times.  Happily, I have a sense of humor about the whole thing.  You write unpublished romance novels for any length of time, especially contemporaries –the subgenre least likely to sell, WOOT!—you laugh or you cry.  Up to you.

Me?  I laugh.

And just to prove it, I’ve been keeping a Top Ten list.  Every time I confessed my unlikely ambition to a stranger, I made a mental note of how this news was received.  If nothing else, I figured it would make for a great blog tour someday when (not if) I published.  And I was right!

At the Revenge today, we’ll be discussing Response #5:  “It must be embarrassing, writing sex for a living.”  (I saved you guys a good one.  If you’re interested in hearing about the other nine, feel free to check out http://www.susansey.com/pages.php?ID=5 for details.)

So, let’s unpack this one.  There are a several assumptions at work here, all of them unflattering & most of them untrue.

Assumption #1:  Writing romance is unseemly because it has sex in it.

Not only do I disagree with this assumption, I actually feel  bad for people who make it.  And do you know why?  Because the assumption within the assumption here is that sex is dirty.  And that’s just sad.  I mean, can you imagine believing this?  That sex is, by definition, dirty & shameful?  Call me a harlot, but I think sex is beautiful.  Sex between people in love—or falling in love—is a gorgeous, transcendent, transformational thing.  The only thing that can make it ugly is context & intention, which leads us directly to….

Assumption #2:  Romance is porn for women.

Oh, heavens.   Porn is sex between strangers, people.  It’s purposefully stripped of emotion, connection, or context.  It’s sex *made* dirty.  Romance novels have sex in them, yes, but it’s sex that celebrates connection.  It’s a physical manifestation of a hard-won emotional intimacy, an outer expression of an inner tenderness.  And I’m sorry but that is NOT the same thing.  Read Mary Balogh if you don’t believe me.  She’s the queen of the Bad Sex Scene, in which her characters have sex too early, before they’re in love, & it’s painful and awful and bordering on tragic.  Susan Elizabeth Phillips does a bang up (heh) job of this, too.  After they fall in love, though, it’s a different story & the sex scenes that ensue prove it.

Assumption #3:  I’m making a living writing this stuff.

Oh, crap, are you serious?  Yeah, me & Dan Brown.  We’re raking it in.  They issue you a villa in the south of France with your publishing contract, didn’t you know?  Okay, seriously now.  I write *contemporaries.*  Getting a contract alone was a miracle.  I don’t expect to make any money.  Not until somebody comes along and blows up the genre the way Anna Campbell blew up the historical genre with her first Regency Noir a few years back.  Would I love to be that girl?  Hells, yeah.  Am I planning to be?  Um, not really.  If I’m making enough money to help out with college tuition by the time my 7 year old graduates from high school, the universe & I will be square.

Assumption #4:  Writing sex is cheap & easy, and you wouldn’t need to go there if you had any real talent.

Oh, please.  Like all action scenes, sex scenes are incredibly difficult to write.  (If you do them right, anyway.)  A sex scene isn’t just about sex any more than a fight scene is just about the punching.  You don’t punch somebody because you feel like punching them.  You punch them because you have a goal & they’re in your way.  Sex scenes are the same way.  Characters have sex because they have a goal—they want physical or emotional gratification, they want power, they want to prove something to or about themselves, they want to distract, entice, entrap, endear, connect, something.  Sex gets them closer to the goal.  Period.  And when you write a sex scene, it needs to work on every level—the physical action, the emotional punch it packs & the power struggle.  Who’s getting what out of this?  If the reader finishes the scene & doesn’t see where the plot moved forward, you didn’t do it right.  (Revisions!  Yay!)

So here’s a sexy scene from Money, Honey to prove my point.  There’s a lot more going on here than just sexual tension.  It was a ton of fun to write.  Hope you enjoy it!

Patrick frowned and took his first step backward since Liz had stepped out of her car. Those bluebell eyes of hers had gone all calculating, and he had to squash the heady little zip of adrenaline that look always sent racing through his veins. God, he loved a woman with a plan. Liz’s plans had never gone well for him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate a woman with guileless eyes, a china-doll face and a crafty, devious mind.

“What now?” he asked warily.

She blinked, as if she’d just realized he was standing in her doorway, as if they hadn’t spent the last ten minutes toe to toe, hissing at one another. Then a smile curved her lips, a smile so packed with carnal promise that his mouth went dry. “Come inside, Patrick.”

He obeyed, his brain in high-analysis mode while his body was just hopeful. He fell back on the habits of a lifetime and slouched easily against the foyer wall. Act like you know what you’re doing, like you have every right in the world to be exactly where you are, and people believed you. His ability to exude superiority had bought him considerable time in many a sticky situation over the years, and he was counting on it now. Because Liz had a new angle here, something he couldn’t quite figure out.

He gave her a lazy grin, something slow and easy and somehow southern despite the fact that he’d been born in Iowa and had never spent more than a few weeks at a pop below the Mason-Dixon. “What now? Are you going to offer me some sweet tea? Because busting into your house all afternoon surely was a thirsty job.”

His breath backed up in his chest when she laid her small, cool palm against his jaw and smoothed her thumb over his cheekbone.

“You had a little something,” she said. “Just there.”

His entire system surged to attention, making the space between their bodies suddenly supercharged and electric. But a part of his brain hung back, wondered. She’d sounded like the Liz he knew, all brisk and direct, so why was she touching him like the Liz of his dreams? Something was off.

His body didn’t much care. It was still hung up on the part where Liz was six inches from his mouth and looking suggestible. He forced himself to speak, had to really dig for an appropriately amused tone. “Liz. Darling. What are you doing?”

She leaned in, eyes wide, the faintest hint of calculation still swirling in the deep, deep blue. “I’m saying yes,” she breathed.

Then she kissed him. If he hadn’t already been leaning up against the wall, he’d have sagged there for sure. He’d kissed Liz enough lately to anticipate the punch of it, to know that it would be sweet, sharp and addictively hot, that it would have him dancing perilously close to the edge of control. How could he have possibly known she’d been holding back all this time?

But she had been. Must have. Because this kiss was like nothing he’d ever experienced. It was like being there for the birth of a star. Blinding light, incinerating heat and a merciless gravity that had him helplessly circling her like a planet in orbit. He felt his arms band around her, his mouth open to the demand of hers. The edges of reality blurred, and his entire world narrowed to her. Just her. A curvy little angel with a gun and a badge who was pressed up against him and kissing him like the fate of the free world depended on making him happy.

And she was doing a damn good job, because he was extremely happy. He tried to loosen his grip on her, show a little finesse, but she wriggled against him and said it again. “Yes.”

He lost track of his thinking. He didn’t know exactly which of them had opened the buttons of her ugly suit coat, but he slid his hand inside to find her breast. She made a hot little noise against his mouth and arched into his hand until he could feel the jut of her nipple through her shirt. Lust pounded through his veins in a steady, accelerating pulse, and he brushed his thumb over her nipple until her head lolled forward and her breathing went ragged.

Which was nice, because his own wasn’t so steady, come to think of it.

“Yes,” she said, her forehead against his shoulder, both hands fisted in his shirt. Patrick glanced toward the living room, dismissed the curvy lady couch and the hardwood floor. That wouldn’t do. He wanted a bed. A big one. He slid his hand from her shirt, vaguely disturbed at how difficult it was for his body to process the command from his mind to let her go.

“God, Liz,” he said, shaken. “I want—” He broke off. He couldn’t define exactly what he wanted. Her body, yes. And Lord, that mouth. Everywhere. But more. There was something primal and possessive racing through his system. Something that made him want to mark her, own her, claim her.

“Yes,” she said again. “Yes, yes, yes.” She chanted it like a mantra, her eyes closed, her pulse beating like mad in the delicate hollow of her throat. And it pierced the fog of desire just enough for a chilling note of doubt to creep in.

It was all she’d been saying, yes. It was all he’d wanted to hear from her for years. So why did it feel wrong?

So, let’s hear from you now!  Do you have a favorite author for sex scenes?  Somebody who does this action-on-all-levels thing particularly well?  I offer you Mary Balogh, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Jenny Crusie as my personal heroes in this category.  Who do you love?  Five lucky commenters will win a copy of Money, Honey for their very own!

We have a killer day in store for our Pirate Pals today. I won’t say this is the best guest we’ve ever reeled in, cause we’ve had some really cool guests, but this one is a doozey. Today we have a bona fide industry insider for the first time ever. If you read this man’s website, you may come away with the impression he has some sort of super powers. That’s what I thought anyway.

He’s a writer with more degrees than I have socks (okay, that might be a stretch), a literary agent and champion of the Romance genre, and dabbles in acting when he’s not teaching, wrangling kids, or officiating pool side. Straight out of Puget Sound, mastermind behind Greyhaus Literary Agency, I give you, Scott Eagan.

I want to thank you so much for visiting with all of you today. Hopefully the things we talk about will give you something to think about before you head out to Nationals. If you aren’t going, then keep these things in mind before you do pitch at later conferences.

I want you to think about the concept of opportunities. Successful writers in this business not only take advantage of opportunities, but they find a way to make opportunities. Along the same lines, writers that are successful make sure not to blow those opportunities when placed before them. Unfortunately, I see far too many writers that blow those chances when they pitch to editors or agents. They have waited for a chance to get their writing in front of these people and in those few short minutes, that chance is ruined. Why? They have forgotten one simple rule.

This is a job interview.

For some reason, writers seem to believe that what they do is somehow different than working in the real world of business. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you approach pitch sessions the same way you approach any other job interview, you will have an increased chance to being successful (assuming you have strong writing skills).

BE QUALIFIED

Do you apply for jobs you aren’t qualified for? Probably not. Yet many writers are applying for coveted writing slots with editors and agents and are not qualified to do so. No, I am not talking about their writing ability, but the simple fact that their writing doesn’t fit with that editor or agent. Every house has a specific style and voice. Each editor is only looking for certain things and your writing has to be that fit. It isn’t a matter of it being well written, it has to be right.

Just because a publisher says they take romance writing does not mean they take it all. They have limits, obviously, on the genres they take, but there is a bigger issue here. They have specific voices they are looking for. I always say that vampires at Grand Central Publishing are certainly far different than those you find at Harper Collins. The voices are different.

Your job, before you even think about pitching is to make sure your writing really is what they are looking for. This isn’t a guessing game. Do your research.

BE PREPARED

For a job interview, you take the necessary time to get ready. You review your qualifications. You have projects that are finished. You have researched the person you are pitching to and know their likes and dislikes. You are aware of the business and know how things work with the business.

Being prepared means that you could be ready to start that day. This means that you should never be pitching projects that are incomplete, and this includes projects that you still want to send to your critique group for consideration. The story has to be finished. No exceptions.

When we talk about being prepared, it also involves knowing the answers to all of the questions you may be asked. Before an interview, you take the time to think through how you would answer questions about your experience and so forth. Why not for a pitch? There are a lot of times that I will ask authors questions about their story and they really don’t know the answer. These are simple questions about characters or plots. If you don’t know these answers, what does this say about your readiness?

PROFESSIONALISM

What is the image you want to give to that editor or agent? For many authors, they seem to think it is only an issue of their story being good. Unfortunately, we want to know you are someone we can work with and want to work with.

When you go to an interview with a company, do you start off by telling the person you are far from qualified? No. If this is the case, why would you start a pitch session by telling the person you are terrified and this really is the first thing you have ever done, or to tell the person you really don’t know what you are doing?

Let’s try this one. When you interview, do you dress to impress? Sure! And the same goes for pitching. Care enough to show you are the person we want.

Another element to consider goes back to being ready. You shouldn’t be reading your pitch to an editor or agent. Think about job interviews again. Do you read your resume? Then don’t read your pitch.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO HEAR?

This is really simple and straight forward. Your job is to keep things simple and to the point, but at the same time impressive. If you are going to Nationals, you need to know that we will be listening to pitches for 2 hours. You have to stand out in the crowd. I always try to break this down into THE 3 B’s. THE BASICS, THE BOOK, THE BIO

The BASICS include the information we would log into the computer. Author name, title, genre, and word count. Don’t forget all of that.

The BOOK includes the high concept and a brief summary of the book. Make sure to hit the main characters, the conflict and the solution. In this case, the key is to nail that high concept. In other words, what is it that makes your story different from everyone else out there?

The BIO is a bit about your writing career. What other projects do you have going? Where do you see yourself at in the future? Do you have prior publishing credits? Again keep it simple.

You only have 10 minutes. Make the time count and impress us.

I’ll be checking in every now and then today. Send me your questions and comments and I will see what we can do.

Scott

The Ins and Outs, and Pros and Cons, of Writing Secondary Characters who aren’t so Secondary by Christie Craig

I love ‘em.  Those secondary characters who help make up our books.  They add layers to our plots, they are the mirrors we use to reflect our heroes and heroines.  They can be good, bad, and sometimes even evil.  We can love ‘em, hate ‘em, manipulate ‘em, abuse ‘em, and even kill ‘em.  They are props, our little minions that help us tell our stories.   But to really do their jobs, they can’t ever look like props or even minions.  They have to have their own stories to tell and they have to be important to your hero or heroine’s story.  If not, you gotta kick their butt off the page and find a replacement.   

After Divorced, Desperate and Delicious, my first book with Dorchester, hit the streets, I got a lot of reader emails.  Amazingly, more people wrote and asked about Jason than they did my hero Chase.  In my mind, I could hear Chase say, “Hey, what’s up with that!  This was my time to shine.  Damn, that Jason, he always steals my thunder.  Even old women fall all over him.”

Jason, of course, would just grin his cocky smile and say, “It’s not my fault.  I can’t help it if all women love me.”  But down deep in Jason’s gut, the attention would feed his never-ending need to feel loved and accepted.  That’s what happens to men when at nine years old they were abandoned by their moms and placed in foster home after foster home. 

Did you feel that?  That tug on your heart strings?  A good secondary character will pull at the reader’s emotions.  If the plot allows, a good secondary character can become the hero in your next book.  Jason did.  But the thing is, if you are really good at writing secondary characters, you may find that these people do what Chase accused Jason of doing—of stealing the thunder. 

If you read Divorced, Desperate and Deceived, my third book in the Divorced & Desperate series, you probably remember Joey.  Joey, a big lug of a guy, was often described as a hit man with a conscience.   Truth was, Joey wasn’t a hit man, he’d signed on as a body guard.  He could protect someone, but he didn’t have the stomach to kill anyone.  He had enough bad in his life thanks to his drug-addict mom.  But when his boss tried to force him into the role of hit man, he had to decide to either kill, or very likely be killed.  At first he wasn’t sure what he was going to do.  It wasn’t as if he was a good person or anything, but when he realized the killing would involve a woman who had a small son and possibly a pregnant woman . . . well, Joey made up his mind that his life wasn’t worth that much anyway.  He’d die before he hurt or even let someone else hurt that little boy’s mom.  Don’t you just love Joey?  I did.  But he was like a piece of popcorn stuck in my teeth from day one.

Joey was one of those characters who from the moment he showed up on the page, he grabbed a hold of the steering wheel and tried to take over the plot.  He and I had numerous heart-to-heart talks about his snatching the thunder.   To this day, Luke, my hero in D D & Deceived, is pissed because Joey got more attention in the reviews than he did.  Yeah, characters are funny like that.  They can get their feelings hurt.  Now, I went back in and kept trying to make sure Joey didn’t overshadow Luke, but I won’t lie, Joey came in a close second for hero status.

Shut Up and Kiss Me, my seventh romance novel, has just hit the bookstores and already the reviewers are talking about the secondary characters.  And yes, a lot of people are mentioning poor Jose.  Now of all the secondary characters I’ve written, I was probably the hardest on Jose.  But with good reason.

I was hard on Jose because Maria, another secondary character in the book, told me what he did to her.  That he broke her heart when he chose his career over her and left Precious, Texas to go to New York.  She was so upset, she never told him she was pregnant.  And when she told me she lost that baby, and maybe even her ability to ever carry another child, well, I knew I had to make Jose pay for his sins.  And he did. 

There was the car wreck, the fire ants, the thorns, and oh, let’s not forget about the skunk, or how Jose fell head first through the sheetrock.   But even after he paid for his sin, what I had to decide was if Jose was going to win Maria back?  Or if Matt, the guy Maria was now dating, was her soul mate.  Oh, decisions, decisions. 

Anyway, now that I’ve given you a bit of a peek into the role of secondary characters, I want to point out some things you might have noticed.  Things that might help you write your own secondary characters, and things to be careful about when you do.  Remember for every rule, there are exceptions, but these are how I generally go about writing secondary characters.

Things To Do:

1)    Make sure your secondary characters didn’t just fall off a turnip truck yesterday. 

Just like my main characters, I give my secondary people their own past.  In this past, you’ll find the essence of what makes them tick.  If you have a character who is not coming alive in your book, look and see if you’ve given them a past, or if you just grabbed them off the turnip truck and slapped them into your story.  Then you have to make sure that their past is somehow important to the overall plot of your story.  That it in someway reflects, showcases, or supports the hero or heroine’s journey.  Hey, I didn’t say it wasn’t going to be hard.

2)    Being a secondary character should be hard work.  Don’t make it easy on them!

I don’t allow secondary characters who are slouchers into my books.  If a character is in my book, he/she is gonna have to work.  And by work, I mean he’s gonna have a quest.  He’s gonna want something.  And that something isn’t gonna be easy to attain.  To say it another way, even my secondary characters have goals and conflict.  And here comes the tricky part, you have to make sure that the result of them attaining or not attaining their goals will somehow affect your hero or heroine.  That’s why they call it plot; it takes a while to figure all this crap out.

3)    Give ‘em flaws.

Nobody is perfect.  And if they are, we don’t like ‘em.  They remind us of the perfect cheerleader in high school whom the whole football team drooled over.  You know, the girl who stole your boyfriend.  Yeah, that girl!!  Instead, make sure your secondary characters have flaws.  It is so often the flaws that will make someone interesting.  Then, if the character isn’t a villain, make sure the flaws are so properly motivated, that we forgive the flaws because we understand the reason behind the flaws.  A villain’s motivation also needs to be in place, but it generally isn’t forgivable.  In my books, the flaws are almost always connected to their past.  (I mean, aren’t we all messed up because of something mama and daddy did?  Or is that just me?)

Things to Be Careful about:

1)    Thunder thieves

If you have a secondary character, like Joey, who is threatening to take over the story, first make sure you haven’t given them too much page space.  Is he/she with your reader more than your main hero or heroine?  If that isn’t the case, then you need to make sure that whatever the conflict is for this character, it isn’t more dramatic, more heart rendering than that of the hero or heroine.  If this is the problem, chances are it isn’t the past of the secondary character you need to work on, it’s the past of your main characters.  I mean, why should you go in and make somebody less special when you can go in and make your hero or heroine more special?

2)    Opening a book in the Secondary Character’s POV

Our readers are like orphaned geese.  The first person they see when they open that book is generally the person the reader is gonna follow around and call mama.  And if you try to switch mamas on them, they’re likely to complain loudly and put your book down.  The exception to this rule is when perhaps you open a book up in the villain’s POV, and his actions are what propel the story forward. 

3)    Keep your secondary characters off the stage until your readers have fallen in love with your main characters.

Let the reader bond with your main character before you start introducing them to secondary characters.  I don’t usually bring in secondary characters until after chapter one, after page 25 or more, and after I’ve really grounded the reader into the main story.   It’s also wise not to start introducing too many characters in the same scene.  Have you ever been reading and aren’t clear who John is?  Is he the old boyfriend, the neighbor, or the garbage man?  Dribble those characters in and when you introduce them, make sure they have something, a character trait, a weird hairstyle, or an accent that when you bring up the next time the reader immediately knows who they are.

Okay, so there you have it.  My tips on writing secondary characters.  I hope I’ve said something that gives you insight.  And here’s what I’d like to hear from you.  Who is your favorite secondary character?  It can be your own character or one that you’ve read.   Oh, I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Shut Up and Kiss Me to one commenter.  So make sure you post. Today I’m also blogging over at BookEnds blog on: Five Pieces of Well-meaning Writing Advice I’m Glad I Didn’t Take.  Also pop over to my blog at Killer Fiction for another chance to win.

Oh, almost forgot my manners, thank you Terri and all the Shipmates for asking me to blog!

~CC

*camera zooms in on Captain’s Quarters, specifically onto a bright tartan blanket, which appears to have a pair of bodies writhing beneath it*

Captain Jack Sparrow: Did….

*high pitched feminine squeal and a slap of flesh hitting flesh*

CJS: I suppose I deserved that. Excuse me, luv, I work better with light in the room. *pops up from the top of the blanket* There, that’s much better. Don’t you agree?

Blythe Gifford: *emerging from the blanket as well, hair rumpled, slightly disgruntled* I’m sorry we didn’t find your rum bottle. *straightening hair*

CJS: What were we doing before my rum went missing? Oh, yes… *grins roguishly* We were talking about your new novel, His Border Bride, and about heroes who are born on the wrong side of the blanket, like me.

Blythe: You were born on the wrong side of the blanket?

CJS: I think so. Isn’t that what it means when people call you a bastard?

Blythe: Not always. But in my hero’s case, he really was born on the wrong side of the blanket. He’s a bastard by birth, not personality. Gavin Fitzjohn is the illegitimate son of a prince of England and a Scots woman. Not only is he torn between royal and noble, he’s torn between two kingdoms. “A rebel without a country,” as the back cover copy says, he’s a man with a reputation so terrible, he’s outcast by both sides. He refuses to try to change anyone’s opinion of him. He just puts on that lazy smile lets them think he’s as bad, or maybe even worse, than the rumors. He’s my first “bad boy” hero.

CJS: You mean I’m not your first?

Blythe: *bats eyes and smiles*

CJS: He sounds like he has a reason to be cranky–*sniffs*–much like me. I feel sorry for the poor girl who ends up with him. What’s she like? A hellion who can match him toe-to-toe, or an angel of the house who he couldn’t even begin to deserve?

Blythe: A woman who is looking for the perfect “knight in shining armor,” of course! Clare Carr expects perfection in herself and in her future husband. But Gavin’s business, like that of any knight, was violence, dominance, and death. It’s no wonder that a “knight in shining armor” might hide some dark deeds beneath the shiny façade. Or, that the bad boy might see beyond a woman’s spotless reputation to the things she’d prefer to keep hidden…

CJS: Ooo. A beauty with hidden secrets. I like her already. What is it about Medieval history that interests you? And how much research do you do for your stories?

Blythe: I’ve been interested in the 14^th century since I read Anya Seton’s Katherine in Junior High. It is the story of a lifelong love affair between John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III of England, and Katherine Swynford, his mistress of many years. They had four children together, eventually married late in life, and their descendants sat on the throne of England. It sparked my interest in the royal family, the 14^th century, and children born on the wrong side of the royal blanket – all the things I write about today!

In addition, I write angsty historicals and to me, the medieval period seems very conducive to the wounded hero. I do a lot of research, but that’s one of the things I love about writing historical. Somehow, I’ll discover an historical tidbit and it’s as if I’ve found a piece of my character’s backstory. The story grows as I explore the period.

CJS: And do you find it challenging to write Medievals when it seems like most historicals are set in the Regency or currently, the Georgian era?

Blythe: There are many wonderful writers of Regency. No reason to be a “me, too” in a popular time period when another one really speaks to me. Writing medieval means it may be a little more challenging to find my readers, but it would be even more difficult if I were trying to chase the market.

CJS: That’s my philosophy. I let the ladies come to me, if you know what I mean. *Blythe raises an eyebrow; CJS clears throat, changing subject* The crew always—ALWAYS—wants to know about Call Stories. What is your Call Story?

Blythe: Actually, my best Call Story was when I got the call that my manuscript had finaled in the Golden Heart contest. This was back in the dark ages and they made the calls on a Sunday night instead of posting on the internet after each call while we all hit refresh every ten minutes. I had no expectations, so I was watching the Oscars at 8 p.m on a Sunday when I got a call from a Phoenix phone number. It was Tara Taylor Quinn telling me I was a finalist. I was totally, totally incoherent. She was trying to explain what was to happen next and finally, I sort of blubbered, “Do I have to do anything intelligent tonight?” I have a picture of myself that evening in my jammies with a bottle of champagne! (Rule to live by: Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge in case a celebration breaks out. Although rum will do in a pinch.)

My real Call Story, which came nearly two years later, wasn’t quite so dramatic. Harlequin had had the Golden Heart manuscript for months and I had spoken both to the editor and senior editor, so The Call (at 10 a.m. in the morning) wasn’t exactly a surprise. I was prepared with my list of questions and all, but I had just gotten out of the shower and had one contact in and one out. So I really did need to ask if I could call back because without my eyes in, I was even more disoriented than you might expect!

CJS: What are you working on now?

Blythe: I just signed a contract with Harlequin for three more historicals, so I’m working on the first. I’m a little superstitious about saying too much too soon. I will say I’ve stayed on the Scottish borders, but I’ve changed time periods. (And no, not to Regency!)

CJS: And lastly, what writing advice would you recommend to aspiring authors?

Blythe: Know why you write what you write, beyond the desire to be published. I do not downplay fame and money! I’ll happily accept more of both. But when you are sitting at the keyboard facing a blank screen, those aren’t the things that bring forth your most authentic work. It’s the soul you bring to the page that connects to the reader. That’s what brings them back for more.

CJS: Blythe, I must say, you have been a most gracious, beautiful guest, and I’ve had a most lovely time rolling around in the blankets with you. I still think it would have been perfect with a bit of rum, but nonetheless, just lovely. Is there anything you’d like to say or ask the crew?

Blythe: Thanks so much for having me! I love to have visitors so come see me at www.blythegifford.com or at www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford. I’d love to hear from the crew about what everyone is working on (or reading!) and what calls to them about their own genre or setting.

BLYTHE GIFFORD is the author of five medieval romances from Harlequin Historical. She specializes in characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket. With HIS BORDER BRIDE, she crosses the border and sets a story in Scotland for the first time, where the rules of chivalry don’t always apply. Here’s a brief description:

Royal Rogue: He is the bastard son of an English prince and a Scotswoman. A rebel without a country, he has darkness in his soul.

Innocent Lady: Daughter of a Scottish border lord, she can recite the laws of chivalry, and knows this man has broken every one. But she’s gripped by desire for him—could he be the one to unleash the dangerous urges she’s hidden until now?

Her 2009 release, IN THE MASTER’S BED, has just finaled in the Readers Crown contest. Blythe loves to have visitors at www.blythegifford.com or www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford.

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ®and T are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license. Copyright 2010 ■ Author photo by Jennifer Girard

*in the early morning light, where the Romance Writer’s Revenge is anchored at port in Vermont, which is truly magical since Vermont is not a state with a coastline, and the deck is suspiciously quiet. Perhaps the crew of the RWR are sleeping in preparation for their guest Miranda Neville, who will be dropping by the ship to discuss her new book, The Wild Marquis*

Miranda: *peeking over the railing* Hello? *climbing over the edge and finally standing on deck* Whew! I wasn’t sure about that rope climbing thing. I mean, even with the knots tied at intervals, it’s still pretty….

Jack: Miranda! My sweet, my luv, my precious, my pet. I’m so glad to see you. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come get you personally, but I was busy getting the ship ready for your arrival.

Miranda: *breathless, patting down her hair* Really? The crew is ready for me?

Jack: *laughing* Oh, no, I sent them to shore. Amazing what free pints of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream coupons will do for a bunch of chocolate-loving tarts like them. I mean, I could barely get the ship pulled into port before they were diving off the sides and swimming for land. I think they’ll be stockpiling.

Miranda: But…what about my interview?

Jack: Oh, we’re still doing your interview, luv. *guiding her with one hand at her lower back* Come with me where I can now assure you no interruption as you tell me more about your delightful novel. *kissing up her arm* The Wild Marquis, is it?

Miranda:  The setting is Regency England, my favorite place, and it’s a tale rife with sex, violence, and deep, dark secrets involving ruthless rare book collectors.

Jack: The story does sound very promising. Especially the rife with sex part. The hero himself sounds very much like yours truly. What did the blurb say? “He is notorious for his wretched morals and never received in respectable houses. The ladies of the ton would never allow him in their drawing rooms . . . though some of them have welcomed him into their bedchambers.” I mean, that sounds like a page out of one of my journals! Tell me more about this Marquis. I like to know about my competition.

Miranda: Cain, the Marquis of Chase loves women. Not just for you-know-what. He really likes them as people. He was just a lad when his father kicked him out of the house and he was rescued from a robbery by some charming prostitutes. Since then all his best friends are women and he makes a point of protecting them and treating them well, not just you-know-where. This makes him unlike a lot of the befuddled hunks who inhabit so many romances (not that I don’t love a befuddled hunk too). Cain rarely misunderstands women but, perhaps because he knows them too well, he has never fallen in love.

Jack: You know, it takes a special sort of woman to appreciate men like the Marquis and me. Someone daring, someone yearning to be a bit wicked herself, someone…devastatingly beautiful. Who is this girl, and did you bring her with you? I know she’s met this Chase fellow, but do I have a shot at her at all?

Miranda: Juliana Merton is a very serious girl and I’m afraid she might not appreciate your … unusual … approach to life. Her husband was murdered and she’s having a hard time making ends meet in her rare book shop. Turns out most men don’t think women know anything. But when Cain needs an expert to help him buy back a family heirloom, he’s thrilled to find a woman with the right knowledge. Plus she’s cute as a button and Cain’s not good at depriving himself—and the women in question—of a good time. Juliana doesn’t think much of Cain at first but she needs him as a client. Then he starts to make her laugh. (Hmm. On second thought, Jack, perhaps you’d better stay away from her. She might fancy you.) Specters from both their pasts emerge and Juliana is in danger. Next thing the two of them are charging around England in a carriage, and you know what happens when you put a hero and heroine in a carriage together ….

Jack: Fine, fine. The next girl then. You definitely have to introduce me to the next girl. What’s up next for you? Any winsome wenches on the horizon for me?

Miranda: I think you’ll like Diana, the heroine of my next book. She’s quite a saucy minx. On the other hand she wants to marry a duke. The book is called The Dangerous Viscount, a hint about how that plan goes. You’ll have to invite me back in October if you want to meet her.

Jack: Where are my manners? Have a seat, my dear, and a spot of rum. *goes to pour rum but his bottle is empty* Chance has it here somewhere. *returns with two new bottles* Here you go. Go ahead, perch yourself in Hellion’s hammock. She won’t mind. So what is the daily life like for a glamorous romance novelist like yourself?

Miranda:  *holds out glass* Thank you, I will. Or just give me the whole bottle. Just to keep you all guessing, I’m going to make the account of my day multiple choice.

I start the day with (a) a little champagne (b) a lot of coffee (c) a hangover.

I step into my (a) rose-scented bath tub (b) dust-infested office (c) dungeon

where I (a) receive a massage from a Swedish movie star (b) check my email (c) am tortured by publishing professionals wanting to know where my book is.

Dressed in (a) a chic little number I picked up in Milan (b) my bathrobe (c) armor, I (a) compose ten pages by noon (b) stare at the screen for an hour then eat half a jar of peanut butter and a candy bar (c) have a nervous breakdown. Then I (a) plan my next research trip to exotic locales (b) go to my day job (c) drink heavily. It a (a) hard (b) hard (c) hard life being a romance novelist, but there are compensations, like meeting delicious pirates with a steady hand for eyeliner application.

Jack: Well, I do enjoy being a perk. (That is what Hellion called me the other night…or did the word start with j?) All right. Last question—but definitely the most important—do you think you’ll write a few pirate romances in the future? Because I can help you in the most indelible ways in researching for those stories. The way a pirate thinks. The kind of eye liner he wears. The sort of place he prefers to seduce his winsome wench. We can start researching now if you prefer….

Miranda: You know, Jack, I don’t know anything about ships, but if you could give me a few pointers I might be persuaded to put someone like you in my next book. Especially if you give me eyeliner lessons. But before you do that– *watching Jack kiss up her arm* –let me wrap up here.

I have the most chaotic work habits and it’s a miracle my books get written. I’m still not entirely sure how it happens. I’m always madly impressed by writers who sit down at the same time each day and produce a quota of pages. Are you like that? Or do you type THE END and wonder where the heck all those words came from? (Oh, and did I mention I am giving away a copy of The Wild Marquis to one lucky commenter?)

Hells and I met up for our monthly writing meeting the second Saturday of the month like usual. Goals had been set (and almost met!), agendas planned, food made and topics ready; and I brought a guest. None other than the GPS. Through the years, the GPS and I have been the closest of friends and the fiercest of allies, yet both of us struggle to portray that type of character on paper. Hells was gracious enough to allow the GPS aboard again to bring you the topic of friends and what you would and wouldn’t do for them.

***

The Grand Pixy Sita here again bringing you the latest news from Booty magazine. I’ve got the hottest scoop on the new rage, Vajazzling. Some of you may remember the bedazzler. If you owned or operated a bedazzler, you will be more familiar with this new fad. If you’re not, maybe you can remember the phase where everyone was covering things with rhinestones. It was all about the bling; cell phones, cameras, PDAs, etc. Well, this fad is the beautiful and sparkling combination of both.

The world of the vajayjay has never looked brighter. I am headed out to investigate this brave new world and see what kind of people are really into this new taboo. Are there shops like body piercing? Is this a strictly DIY project? Is it a closet, I’m only going to trust my best friend, project?

It didn’t take much research to determine this was a DIY project. DIY with a close personal friend. (Though the tattoo artist seemed game, I didn’t feel I could trust him. Call me paranoid.) So I decided to ask my friends. They’re game, right? They’d take a bullet for me. What’s a little hot box blinging amongst friends?

As luck would have it, I happened to be flying past the RWR and was able to drop by and see my good friends Hells and Sin. A couple bottles of rum, and I’d have more material than I would ever need for my article. Jazzling Amongst Friends—I could see the title now. While I hoped they would have some insight for my article, I secretly hoped one of them had been in the closet and now had a sparkling hooha they were willing to show off like a sequined purse.

“So, Sin, have you heard of Vajazzling?”

“Have you been drinking and flying again?”

“You know, Sin,” Hells piped up, “We were blogging about it last week. In the comments. You know… the sparkles… down… well… there… you know… it.”

“So, Hells, you know about it, eh?  Have you secretly had it upgraded lately?” I was simply drooling in anticipation. A break in the story! Pixy dust was flying everywhere as my sweet little wings were buzzing in the air.

“NO. Are you kidding Sita? Why on earth would I have that done? Can you imagine the conversation of explaining where I’d want the rhinestones put? Apparently I’m the only person on this ship who refers to my special place as an it. No, thank you.”

Who knew the Captain was such a sharer?

“Well… if you ever wanted to really make your special place special—“ how I kept from laughing I don’t know—“I just so happen to have some adhesive and some beautiful blue jewels. We could have fun.”

Hells gave me a Look. “So I could have a matching blue box to go with my boyfriend’s blue….”

Sin leapt into the fray, clearly concerned for my safety. Hells was looking like someone who’d pull the wings off flies, let alone mouthy pixies. “Hells, I told you Sita would do it if you asked. She is such a freak like that.” Okay, maybe she didn’t love me that much. She had a hateful smile on her face.

Still, if she was reckless enough to step in front of the Captain, she’d surely be up for a little harmless redecorating. What was this really but a sparkly version of a bikini wax? If you could have a bikini wax done without blinking an eye, what was the big deal about gluing on crystals?

“You know, Sin, I’m not always that predictable. I’m actually trying to get out of the smut business and work for a real publication like the Treasure Chest. Unfortunately I’m having some trouble with my real investigative writing. Apparently my editors and my agent feel like I’m only suited to be the star reporter for Booty magazine. It’s not like I’ve done anything that wild. It’s not like I’ve uploaded my own video to Argtube or anything. No one has any official record of me doing anything raunchy to me or anyone else. Especially not that hot little thing I was stalking a while back. Come on, you guys have to help me. I really need a story—a human interest story about the power of friendships—to break my way in… Right after we vajazzle Hells.” I batted my eyelashes. “You know, for the sake of friendship.”

Sin and I both had a devilish look on our faces, but Hells merely drew her sword and gave the Look again. “Don’t even think about it. We’re not that good of friends.” Then she left. Poor crabby Captain. She could use some bling for her box. Then she could stop calling it an it.

“You know, Sita, if you come anywhere near me with those jewels of yours, I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t worry, Sin, we aren’t that good of friends.”

So my fellow pirates, help a fellow Pixie out: how do you write believable friendships? The kind of friendships that last and are true, the kind where you’d walk through hell and back, or in this case, let someone vajazzle you?

“Galley Ho here. Reporting to you from the ship’s galley where I am preparing a special dinner for a very special guest. I’m sooo excited that Santa O’Byrne, NYT bestselling author, has agreed to have dinner with me here in the galley. “

“I’ve prepared a mouth watering pork roast seasoned with grated parmesan reggiano cheese, crushed garlic and parsley, along with rosemary roasted new potatoes and tender  baby  asparagus grilled to perfection and drizzled with 45 year old balsamic vinegar and first pressed olive oil.”

“What? No, this is a special menu just for Ms. O’Byrne! She’s a gourmand, don’t ya know, and a certified olive oil specialist. She’s even got the pin to prove it. So you know it’s not your ordinary fare for her. Nope, it’s Tuesday so crew’ll be getting breakfast for dinner. Hard tack and powered eggs.  Yum!

“Hellooo! Anyone down below?”

“Oh, my goodness! She’s here. She’s here. Squeeee!! Forgive me my fangirl moment but I’ve read all her books and this is the first time I’ve ever gotten a chance to meet her and…and….”

“Permission to come aboard. Oh, silly me! I’m already aboard, aren’t I?”, Santa O’Byrne (did I mention she was a NYT bestselling author)glides down the narrow stairs into the galley. Her face sparkles like Swarovski crystals in the moonlight. Or maybe it’s just the reflection her crystal encrusted jacket throws off. She is glamorous, poised and sophisticated. Everything you’d expect –did I mention the Times-a best selling author to be.

“Ms. O’Byrne, darling. Please come down. Make yourself at home. Dinner is almost ready.”

“Dinner? I thought I’d be handed a cocktail. Terri Osbourn, we’re pals, got a Frozen Nipple out of the deal yesterday! My assistant said the least I should expect to get was Sex On The Beach. Believe me, I could use some Sex On The Beach.”

“Of course you can have Sex On The Beach. I’ve sent Armitage up to get you some.”

“Thank you, darling. I’m absolutely exhausted. I just got back from the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Research, don’t you know. It was exhausting driving up and down that coastline with nothing to see but pastel colored terracotta homes nestled in the hills facing clear azure waters.”

“Research for your next novel, I hope”  I can’t help the edge of jealousy that taints my voice, “What part does the Amalfi Coast play in your next book?”

“Well, as you know, I have written a series revolving around three female chefs and the men they fall in love with. This, my third and final installation in the series, features Megan a New York City party planner who’s business has gone bust and she has no choice but to accept a position as private chef to an eccentric couple who live on an estate in Minori on the Amalfi Coast.  Feeling liberated for the first time in years, she meets and falls in love with Nico a darkly handsome caretaker on the estate. Her happiness is short lived when Nico betrays her in the basest way possible. All her illusions shattered, Megan loses herself in her cooking, creating masterpiece after masterpiece…for no one until Steve comes to Italy on business. Steve is someone she sparred with in my first novel. They begrudgingly became allies to bring Melissa and Jake back together but not without wanting to tear at each other’s throats.  Steve’s just broken off with his fifth fiancée in two years. Val, his best friend from college, basking in his own HEA with Nola, suggests he get away for a while and he unwittingly ends up at the estate of his great-Aunt and Uncle where Megan is cooking up a storm. In the beginning, they fall right into their safe pattern of jibes and jabs.

But Italy-Italy changes all that. In Italy, they let go of their inhibitions. Their bravado. Their one up manship. In Italy, they learn what true love can be.”

I can’t help but sigh.

“Well, look at me going on and on about my book when all this lovely food is getting cold. It looks and smells divine. Oh, and lest I forget, I’ve got some Sex On The Beach waiting for me.”

So tell me, darlings, where do you think true love is found? On the sun kissed hillsides of Italy? A quaint upstate New York town? New York’s ever changing culinary palate? Or right at home in your own backyards – where ever they may be?

Today we have Harlequin and Signet author, JESSICA ANDERSEN, author of the Novels of the Final Prophecies visiting the ship.  This paranormal series about the Doomsday prophecies has lots of plot twists, some amazingly hot characters, and all the emotional angst a reader could want.  Her latest, SKYKEEPERS, is out in stores now.  

I’ve already read SKYKEEPERS and I officially think it’s my favorite so far.  Michael is deliciously tortured; Sasha, sassy and strong.  And their sexual tension?  To die for.  If you’ve read Ms. Andersen’s work before, you’re in for a real treat with this one.  Don’t miss it!

Take it away, Doc Jess!

**********************

Hello, and thanks to Marnee for inviting me to visit and talk about SKYKEEPERS: A NOVEL OF THE FINAL PROPHECY!  

One randomly selected commenter will win a signed copy of NIGHTKEEPERS or DAWNKEEPERS, which are the first two books in this sexy series of paranormal thrillers. And, of course, SKYKEEPERS is in a bookstore near you now!

Here’s the blurb:

Ancient prophecy holds that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Mankind’s only hope lies with the Nightkeepers, modern magic-wielding warriors who must find their destined mates and fulfill the legends to defeat the rise of terrible Mayan demons in the last few years leading up to 2012.

In SKYKEEPERS, Michael Stone is a man with a dark secret that has skewed his magical abilities dangerously toward the underworld. Seeking redemption, he sets out on a perilous mission to save the daughter of Ambrose Ledbetter, a renowned Mayanist who died before he could reveal the location of a hidden library. The Nightkeepers must find the library before their enemies gain access to its valuable cache of spells and prophecies.

Sasha Ledbetter grew up hearing heroic tales of an ancient group of powerful magi who were destined to save the world from destruction. She never expected that her bedtime stories would come to life in the form of Nightkeeper Michael Stone, or that she’d hold the key to the warrior’s survival. As Sasha and Michael join forces to prevent the imminent battle, sparks of attraction ignite between them, and they’re forced to confront the unexpected passion that brings them together … and also tears them apart.

This series (and particularly this book) often looks at what makes people afraid. In the largest sense, the overall arc is about the fear of death and endings: The Nightkeepers are fighting to keep the world from ending, and to keep themselves (and future generations) alive. But more, it’s about the fear of failure: The Nightkeepers’ parents sacrificed themselves in an effort to short-circuit the 12/21/2012 countdown, but it continued and their children grew up orphans, in many cases not realizing their true natures. Now reunited, the modern magi are struggling to find their footing amidst new magic, ancient prophecies, and things that go bump in the night.

Within each story, the hero and heroine must deal with more personal fears. In SKYKEEPERS, Michael fears the loss of control—of his temper, his soul, the situation around him … and his heart. Likewise, Sasha fears change, growth, and learning the truth about her father and herself.

I think we can all relate to these fears, some of which might reflect back on our own lives. The concept of a relatable fear is in part what makes us (as readers) connect with a story, even if it’s about something that might not be in our immediate lives, such as Mayan magi, or vampires, or spacemen … The world of the story might interest us, but without a relatable character, it’s just a world.  It’s the characters that help us connect.

Beyond the ‘big picture’ stuff, smaller fears can become important details that help bring your characters to life.  In the fourth book in this series (DEMONKEEPERS, April ’10), the hero is recovering from a demonic possession that kept him trapped inside his own skull for nearly a year. As such, he emerges badly claustrophobic, to the point that he avoids his own couch because its soft, enfolding cushions and high arms make him feel trapped. 

Most often, these small details about a character emerge as I’m writing the story. Sometimes I don’t even know why someone has a certain phobia at first, only to see it later and think, “Duh. Of course!”  But by the same token, (as a writer) don’t be afraid to think about your characters’ phobias and use them as quirks, or clues into that person’s backstory.  As part of this, I’ve always thought that it’s interesting to look at the wide variety of phobias out there, and think about where they might stem from, and what interesting behaviors those fears might create.

Here’s one of mine: I have to minutely check over my earmuff-type hearing protectors every time I put them on, whether for mowing, nail-gunning, target practice, or whatnot. This is contrary to my overall character, as I’m fairly easygoing about my equipment and its state of repair (my significant other is the maintenance guy in the family- I tend to use what’s available, then complain when it breaks).

So … what does this mean?  As a writer, if I had an otherwise casual (borderline too casual) character who insisted on obsessing about one piece of equipment (hearing protectors), I would ask myself: why?  An immediate answer in this case might be that I might be afraid of going deaf. Maybe I have a family history of deafness, or already have some hearing impairment, making me hyperconscious of hearing protection.  Okay, that’s not bad … but it’s not the case here. 

So let’s go a level deeper.  What might have happened to this character (me) to make her obsess over her hearing protectors?  Well, in most cases, I use hearing protectors with a built-in radio (thus why I use earmuffs over earplugs). That might suggest that I’m easily bored, and don’t like being left alone with my own thoughts when doing activities that require hearing protection (check and check). But it also suggests that something might’ve happened with the radio, thus causing my paranoia.  Did it short-circuit, zapping me unconsciousness one day?  Nice try, but no. 

For me, the answer is another fear that I think many people can relate to: Spiders.  Now, I don’t love spiders, but I’ve learned to tolerate them without screaming and bolting. For the most part, anyway. But one day a few years ago, I shut off the mower mid-chore one morning, stripped off my gloves and ear protectors, and went inside to get a drink. When I got back to the mower, I skipped my usual (and semi-casual) “check to make sure nothing crawled into the earmuffs” routine—it’d only been a couple of minutes, after all.

Well, I hadn’t mowed much further when there was a tickle in my ear.  Thinking it was a stray piece of hair, I pulled off the muffs, scratched my ear, put them back on, and continued mowing. The tickle returned; I repeated the scratch, this time glancing into the muff to see if there was something in there—a piece of grass or something.  I didn’t see anything.  Tickle, look, scratch. Rinse; repeat. 

This went on for a good ten minutes before I finally shut down the mower, took the headphones all the way off, and examined them in detail, only to find a BIG, JUICY BROWN SPIDER hiding all tucked up under the lining.  Aaahhh!!!  It looked like he (she?) had been hiding up there when I took off the muffs, and then when I put them back on, s/he would come out in the nice, warm darkness to explore MY EAR.  Urgh.  (Shuddering at the memory.)

From a character standpoint, we could go deeper with this, into how I had an uncle who suffered a catastrophic aneurysm in his forties, and a grandmother with late-onset Alzheimers. I’ve got an ego about being fairly intelligent, make my living as a writer and technical editor (both brain-critical jobs), and live with a low-grade fear of brain injury: I ride showjumpers, and although I always wear the latest in crash helmet technology, head injuries are unfortunately a risk in the sport. And while I intellectually know that there’s an infinitesimal chance that the spider could have crawled up inside my ear canal and laid eggs, and then that the resulting progeny could have somehow burrowed up into my brain, thereby damaging it … I had nightmares for a couple of weeks after that incident. Seriously. I would wake up, convinced there were baby spiders coming out of my ear and I couldn’t remember my own name.

Thus we arrive at the otherwise-casual character who obsesses about her ear protectors.

Will I ever use this particular detail and backstory for a character?  Maybe. Probably not. But I think it gives an interesting perspective on how small details can provide larger insights into characters, and how it’s important to keep both large and small details in mind when writing a story. 

So tell me … what small, strange thing scares you (and if you’re willing to share … why)???

*****

Dive in there, ladies and gent, let’s give ourselves the creeps.  And don’t forget, one lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of NIGHTKEEPERS or DAWNKEEPERS!

Scene opens with the entire crew wearing men’s dress shirts in various colors.  Some buttoned more than others. *cough*Hellie*cough*  Lounging on two scarlet red chaises are writing phenomenon, Victoria Dahl, and the Bo’sun.  Hottie crew members are passing out drinks and bon bons.

Bo’sun: Thank you so much for joining us on the ship today, Ms. Dahl.

VICTORIA: Thanks for inviting me to the party! This is quite the set up you’ve got here. Do I get my very own cabin boy?

Bo’sun:  Of course you do! Check out our Hottie Crewmen and take your pick. (I’m guessing you’ll like our resident cowboy. *w*) You can even have two if that’s your fancy.  To say you are one busy lady might be the understatement of the year.  Why don’t you tell everyone what you have on your plate and up your sleeve for the next year?

VICTORIA: I am a busy lady! Strange how much time I still have for snacking, but snacks aside, here’s what I have going on. My first erotic e-romance, “The Wicked West,” debuted in June. START ME UP hits the stands this week, and ONE WEEK AS LOVERS will be in stores on August 1^st! Woohoo! And I have one more release in 2009; my first vampire novella, “Laird of Midnight,” which will be included in the September anthology HIGHLAND BEAST with Hannah Howell!

Bo’sun: *takes a moment to close her mouth*  Is there some kind of special supplement you take every day?  Or maybe some magical clock that has 33 hours a day?

VICTORIA: I get a lot of vitamin C in the margarita form. And I emulate Scarlett O’Hara every time someone asks how I’m going to make my next deadline. “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Basically, my life has been crazy for the past year and a half, but I’ve tried to be brave in the face of sacrifice. For example, I’ve nobly given up cooking and cleaning and sewing homemade Halloween costumes with nary a complaint. Also, I never sewed Halloween costumes.

Bo’sun: You are officially my new role model. I think we should all follow your regimen.  So, as you mention, July 1^st you’re celebrating the release of the second in your Contemporary series titled START ME UP.  What’s the book about?

VICTORIA: START ME UP is Lori Love’s story. It’s a bit of the flip side of the first book, because TALK ME DOWN was about Molly Jennings returning to her small home town, but Lori has never managed to leave, despite big dreams of traveling the world. At this point in her life, she can’t drop everything and move, but she wants to experience a little of the excitement she’s missed out on. Luckily, her childhood friend, Quinn Jennings, volunteers to help her spice things up, using her favorite erotica stories as guide books. Obviously the man is a genius. A sexy genius.

Bo’sun: *looks around to find the crew fighting over the one copy aboard*  I knew that was going to happen.  The first in this series featured a heroine with an interesting occupation, which led to a sort of spin off/follow-up extra story.  Tell the crew about TALK ME DOWN and the bonus that came out of it.

VICTORIA: Molly Jennings, the heroine of TALK ME DOWN, writes erotic romance for a living. Throughout that book, Molly is hard at work on a story about a Wild West sheriff with kinky needs he can’t satisfy with the decent women in his town. I never considered writing the story myself, but my publisher called me up one day and asked if I’d be willing to consider it. Consider it?! I jumped on that offer faster than you can say, “Oh, Sheriff!” “The Wild West” is now available online as a short story in ebook form. And I hope it’s as fantastically delicious to read as it was to write! *dabs sweat from brow*

Bo’sun:  There seems to be a heat wave on this ship today. “Oh, Sheriff!” indeed.  Now, where was I?  Oh yes, it’s time to bring up the reason I knew I had to have you on the ship. Other than the fact that you’re an irritatingly talented writer (*g*) and uber-cool, you created a heroine who *gasp* is sexually experienced, knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to say it.  So, uhm, how’d that go for you? LOL!

VICTORIA: Well… let’s put it this way: some readers were THRILLED. And some were… er… willing to use strong language to convey how much they didn’t like Molly. But Molly is Molly. She takes joy in life and in men. As a matter of fact, I was a little surprised at some of the negative comments about Molly–“dog in heat” comes to mind–because she’s so positive about her own sexuality. There’s nothing damaged or dirty about it. And that’s how I hope ALL of us can view ourselves, no matter how much or how little experience we have. Sex is supposed to be a good time, and frankly, I’m not interested in cursing my poor heroines with a lifetime of bad sex before the hero finally makes his entrance. You never hear the HEROES complain about how miserable sex was before the heroine came along. She’s special, of course, but folks, he has been having orgasms, and plenty of them.

Bo’sun:  Well let me just say THANK YOU from all of us. We certainly try to promote that sex is a good time here whenever we can. (You’ll see proof when you see the drink menu.) You are totally our hero…err…heroine.  For anyone who has been living under a rock, you actually debuted in Romance with Historicals.  Did you always write in both time periods and how do you handle bouncing between them?

VICTORIA: Historical was my first love. As a matter of fact, when I started to write, historicals were the only thing I read. Then I discovered paranormals. Then romantic suspense and just about every genre in between. I’ve since written historicals, paranormals AND contemporaries. For me, writing across subgenres is almost like cleansing my palate. After I’ve been concentrating on the lush, rich world of scandalous historicals, it is such a relief to crack a few penis jokes, you know? Almost like a vacation… for the first few days anyway. LOL

Bo’sun:  *clears throat* Why we were just talking penises around here last week. Well, the rest of the crew were, I’d never….okay, I started it.  Now, our favorite topic, heroes. *sigh*  Where do you find inspiration for these delectable men and what’s your favorite part about writing them?

VICTORIA: Hmm. Well, it’s not easy. I have to spend many, many hours of prep time just lounging around with them first. You’ve got to put in the good quality time with these guys to be sure they’re worthy hero material. And sometimes they surprise you. That’s the best part. My upcoming historical hero is Lancaster, who first made an appearance in A RAKE’S GUIDE TO PLEASURE. I knew he was handsome and charming. I knew he was adorable. But suddenly, Lancaster takes off his cravat and he has this scar. A huge scar on his neck. What in the world happened to him? I was horrified! Poor Lancaster! I had to write his story just to find out. And you’ll have to read ONE WEEK AS LOVERS if you want to know too. *evil grin*

Bo’sun:  You had me at “takes off his cravat”.  I guess it’s time I give the crew and our pirate pals the chance to ask some questions.  As mentioned, we do have an extensive drink menu on this ship so just let 2^nd Chance  know whether you’d like a Glittery Hooha or a Seething Passion.  Then again, there’s always the Mighty Mast.  We still have no idea where she gets those, shall we say, illustrative glasses.  Did you have a question you’d like to put to your audience?

VICTORIA: Oh, you know I’ll have to go for the Glittery Hooha! Okay, girls, here’s my question: In START ME UP, Lori Love offers Quinn a glimpse into her fantasies by letting him read her favorite erotica books. Would you let your significant  (or not-so-significant) other read your favorite books to find out what YOU think is sexy?

Thanks so much for having me! (Pun intended.) This is one fun interview!

Bo’sun: I can’t wait to read the answers to this one.  There’s a copy of START ME UP up for grabs to one lucky commenter so get to it, wenches!

Jeanne Adams writes thrilling suspense for Kensington and has a number of magical romantic suspense novels waiting in the wings as well, hopefully to be published soon with another publisher.  Her debut novel, DARK AND DANGEROUS, hit shelves one year ago to critical acclaim and much reader love.  Now she’s celebrating the release of her sophomore effort, DARK AND DEADLY, and joining us here on The Revenge as my second interview vict….err….interviewee.  So without further ado, it’s on with the show…

Bo’sun:  First off, thank you so much for blogging with us here on the pirate ship. 

Jeanne:  I’m delighted to be here!  Thanks for having me aboard.

Bo’sun:  To start off, we need to make a quick trip back to the beginning.  How long have you been writing and how many manuscripts did you write before you finally sold?  And do please share your call story. Nothing like a great call story (and really, aren’t they all great?!  I mean, it’s THE CALL!).

Jeanne:  I’ve been writing seriously – as in with an eye toward publication – for about 10 years, and Dark and Dangerous was my 9^th manuscript.  Had to laugh, because yeah, any Call story is GOOD!  Ha! 

Mine began on a muggy summer morning about a week after the last Dallas conference.  I was driving my son to camp.  My cell phone rang, and since my sister usually calls during drive time, I didn’t even look at the number.  I just picked it up and said, “Hey sis, hang on.  BOYS!  Keep it DOWN, I’m trying to talk to Aunt Sis.”  Turned back to the phone to hear Kate Duffy laughing.  She said, “Well, it’s not your sister, it’s Kate Duffy.”

I had an OS moment, and since it was morning and was as yet uncaffeinated, I had to think, oh, man, what did I just say?  Did I curse?  Crap!  I put on my most professional voice and said, “Kate, how nice to hear from you.  I’m driving my boys to camp, could I call you back in about thirty minutes?”  All the while thinking, Holy CRAP!, It’s KATE DUFFY!  Meanwhile, she’s still laughing.  She said it would be fine for me to call her back, and by the way, she wanted to buy what became Dark and Dangerous.  I thanked her, hung up and screamed, then started singing the alto part of the Hallelujah chorus.

Both the scream and the singing got my sons’ attention – the little one started to cry because he couldn’t understand why I had screamed.  :>  The older one wondered what the heck was wrong with Mom!  I told him, in terms he could understand (i.e. a baseball analogy) that I’d just hit a homer.  He grinned, got out of the car at camp and told his coaches, “Hey, my mom hit a homer in the car!”  The youngest still doesn’t understand why I screamed.  Ha!

I obviously called Kate back, and she was still laughing at me.  I didn’t care because she kept saying things like, “buy” and “contract” and “paperwork will be mailed to you” and things like that so I didn’t care. 

Bo’sun:  Your debut novel, DARK AND DANGEROUS, hit the shelves a year ago.  What was that like?  Did you pinch yourself for months?

Jeanne:  I really did.  It was surreal.  My second book was due to Kate the same day Dark and Dangerous came out, so in some ways I didn’t have the mental space to be too freaked out.  Have to say though, the first time you walk into a bookstore and see a book with your name on it?  Priceless.

Bo’sun:  Now, to do some selling. Your new release, DARK AND DEADLY hit shelves June 1.  What is this one about?  And did you get to name your own books because these are some great titles?

Jeanne:  I’ll answer the second question first…no.  Kensington picked the titles, but I’ve liked them, and my cover art, so I’m happy!

In Dark and Deadly, Torie Hagen had terrible luck with men.  First, she’s left at the altar, then when she recovers from that, she finds her luck goes from bad to worse.  Or I should say the men have terrible luck!  Several are injured, one dies, and all because they dated Torie.  This string of tragedies culminates with Torie’s house being bombed and her ex-fiance being murdered five years to the day after what would have been their wedding day.  Evidence at the scene implicates Torie.  Now a murder suspect, Torie has to turn to the one man who she believes would as soon see her dead or in jail.  Paul Jameson was her ex-fiance’s best man.  He and Torie had one hot date, but Paul broke off any further contact, and tried to keep her from marrying his best friend.  Now her lawyer, Paul also becomes a target.  Together Paul and Torie have to figure out what the police are missing, who’s been stalking Torie and is now targeting them both for execution, before they either kill each other, or fall madly in love.

Bo’sun:  I’m exhausted just reading all that.  You do put your characters through the ringer.  But you also have some really creepy characters do some really scary things.  Do you ever creep yourself out?

Jeanne:  Every now and again, I do.  I come up with some pretty creepy villains.  Most of the time, I try to think about what I would never do, then drop it down a level even creepier than that.  It does sometimes creep  my husband out too.  Ha!

Bo’sun:  I’m sure the man sleeps with one eye open. *g*  You have such an interesting array of skills and experiences.  How do you combine a degree in interior design and landscape design with more than a dozen years working in the funeral and cemetery business? (Yes ladies, she’s your go to girl on body disposal. LOL!)

Jeanne:  I’m a glutton for punishment?  Ha!  Part of it is being a writer, I think.  I’m interested in a lot of things.  The funeral and cemetery biz knowledge is an offshoot of being married to a funeral director for a number of years.  My first husband.  I killed him off in my first manuscript.  Very cathartic.  Then again, that manuscript was a great catharsis and learning experience all the way around – which is probably why it’ll never see the light of day!  I’ve been in real estate and design though since high school.  My Mama was a Realtor and I just love gardening and landscaping and all that.  Combine that with a degree in psychology, Library Science and a near-degree in English for an even wilder mix, you know?

Bo’sun:  If I didn’t feel like a major under achiever before….  To wrap it up before I turn things over to the crew, you give back to the writing community with some great workshops.  Can you tell us a bit about them and how they came about?

Jeanne:  What a lovely compliment!  I do love to give back.  So many authors, especially Romance authors, are very generous with their time and knowledge.  As a recipient of a lot of those hours of instruction, it’s a privilege to give back in any way I can.  The classes I teach are a result of wanting to help writers write well, and/or provide information that might not be easily available otherwise.  I’m teaching the body disposal class at National this year, and as another way to pay back some of that great karma I received, I’m also running for the RWA National Board!  I know, glutton for punishment…but if you’re not casting a vote for your BFF in Region One, I’d love it if you’d consider voting for me!  :>

What about you all?  What’s your way of giving back?  Or conversely, how do you overload yourself?  I had to force myself to give up PTA, because I really wanted to make my writing deadlines, and then run for the board…but it was tough!  How do you draw the line?  (I’m always looking for new ways to UNtangle myself from commitments!  Ha!  I could use some pointers!)

Bo’sun: You all know I can’t help with this one so chime in and help Jeanne out!  TWO lucky commenter will win a free copy of Jeanne’s latest release, DARK & DEADLY, so get to it.