trueromance

Tall….6’1”….check.

Smart….you bet….check.

Chris Winters is a TV-Film guy/techno-jock who makes the A-list for Borders True Romance, Reader’s Entertainment Group, and Between Your Sheets. Born in Virginia and currently living in LA, this 2008 Mr. Romance can be seen in TV and movie cameos, biking or running around the city, appearing at events, or sometimes on various websites.

What do romance readers want to know about Chris?

Has being Mr. Romance helped you in achieving any of your Hollywood goals?
I think anything you do adds a step to achieving any kind of goals in life. I have had, very interestingly, someone mention it on a red carpet event before. I started recently using it more to bring the awareness.

Has being a cover model added romance to your relationships or has it actually been a detriment?
Well, I do not think being a cover model of anything will add or take away romance from an individual because a person should love someone for who they are inside. I know me just being me adds a lot to romance, or anything else for that matter. Romance is defined on respect, communication, and love for the other person.

Where do you hope to be in your career in the next two years?
Well, I do have a few people pushing me that are successful working actors, so I will be having a great year in the middle or end of 2010. I remember in 2005 a lot of things happened within that year and it was the same time. I’ve done a lot in Hollywood since my arrival two years ago. I have to thank my fans for that as well for keeping up with me.

If you could go back in history and become anyone he wanted, who would that be?
That’s a really tough question. I would imagine the person I could possibly be would be Abraham Lincoln. He has his own personal issues along with doing something really great in his life. One true hero.

If you could choose to be any character in a book for a film, which character would it be?
This is another tough question. Off the bat, I would imagine Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies. I always loved that character!

What Chris wants you to know about him?
I can honestly say I do love life. I thank God everyday for another chance to breathe again. I am the type of guy who you will meet and walk away smiling, knowing that I am down-to-earth.

I am a free spirited individual who believes in living life to the fullest and laughter is the start of everything. I enjoy many things in life. This ranges from eating, running in parks, solving challenging problems, to spending some time with someone. They say life is too short, but I always ask: “What else is longer?” Life shouldn’t be measured in time, but the time you enjoy with it.

Here are the following fun filled facts:

I am very goal oriented and determined but I have a weakness for chocolate and other sugary things.
I like a stimulating conversation, this can range from fractual functions to macrophages; or the uvula!
I love Xbox 360. I only like a few select games that have a storyline.
I like parks– especially Pan Pacific in Los Angeles, next to The Grove (it was featured on Miracle Mile and actor Brian Thompson was on it. I worked with him. The park is pretty cool at night, while running).
I like Peanut butter, and most common things everybody else likes. Ladybugs come to mind.
I DO NOT fold clean laundry. Hate it. I use it for my ultimate Hamster Nest. My Hamster Nest is when you sleep on various clothing articles.
I like snakes, snails, spiders, and scary movies. Yeah, I am NOT AFRAID to get my hands dirty, muddy, or tear up my shoes! I will also rub your feet.
I like various music. However, I really like Indie music that no one else listens to.
I really, super love, swing sets! If you want to feel young again, that is the place.
Midnight blue or blue that resembles late, starry night. Romantic and euphoric.

So let’s give a shout out for this talented, humorous guy who is determined to make it to the top and to take all of his friends with him because success for Chris is all about the heart. Hear him on the March 9th on Canned Laughter and Coffee with Renee Bernard and learn why this is a swinging Mr. Romance, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/circle-of-seven/2010/03/10/canned-laughter-and-coffee or learn more about Chris at Between your Sheets.com

My Borders Romance Group

I am very lucky that the Borders I shop at has a wonderful Romance Reader Group. This is a group of about 20 ladies and we are growing. I have been a part of this group for over 8 years. We meet once a month and just talk romance books. When we talk book, we talk books. We talk about what we liked, what we didn’t like. Why did the author do that and what really turns us off of a book. We even went to San Francisco when RWA was there. A whole bus load of us went up and came back with a bus loadof autographed books.

We all have a few pet peeves that we don’t like. Some of them are, if the hero is unfaithful to the heroine after they met. He can do anything he wants before they get together, but once they meet. He better stay faithful to her. Then you have the heroine that is just to stupid to live. You just want to shot her and it can really ruin a book for you. The other biggie is modern language in a historical. I know that one really upsets people. Or the cover does not match the hero or heroine. Here you are reading a book and the cover shows a blond with flowing hair, but in the book she has flowing black hair.

Another big plus in our group is we get ARC’s to read. That is Advanced Reader Copy. This has opened my eyes up to so many new authors and genres. I never read shifter books until I got a ARC for one. After that I was hooked. I love Lora Leigh, Shelly Laurenston, Terry Spear, Nalini Singh. I have found new authors this way. Authors I never would of picked up if I hadn’t gotten the ARC, Anna Campbell, Deb Stover, Nina Bruhns just to name a few. Well also get ARC”S of up coming releases. Brenda Novak, Robyn Carr, Madeline Hunter, you can’t miss her new series, they are outstanding! An ARC is great because it can really open up your eyes to new and old authors.

We are even lucky to have a few authors in our group. Bella Andre, Jasmine Haynes, Mardi Ballou, and Shelly, who has three pen names, Shelly Bates/Shelly Adina/Shannon Hollis . It’s fun to have them because they do tell us some interesting things. It is also nice to know what some of them go through with there books. It’s nice to hear what makes them write, where they get there ideas, and all important when the next book is out.

We have had authors that will come and talk about their new books and then sign them for us. Brenda Novak came and talked about her Last Stand series and the new series that will be out this year. Veronica Wolff and Monica McCarty have come by. Jenny Anderson, who is a member of the group just had her first book published. We have also had Jami Alden, Anne Mallory, Crystal Jordan and others come by.

Because of this group I have met some wonderful ladies, I have read some great books. I have gotten others to read good books, like The Madness Of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. They have gotten me to read books out of my comfort zone like Immortal Sins by Amanda Ashley, I don’t really like vampire books, but this one was Ok.

If you are not lucky and don’t have a group like this around. The next best thing I found has been the Romantic Times web site. It has a wonderful message board and we talk books all day long. It has a bunch of different boards that you can go to. You have a board for your favorites, readers roundtable, book sleuth, a general board and you also have a spoiler one. If you have a question about any book you can post it here and it will be answered. I have met allot of nice ladies here also. Mater of fact I have one lady that we will send books back and forth to each other, thanks Danielle!

Last I would like to wish my mom a Happy belated Birthday. When I first did this post it was to run on her Birthday, but we got bumped!!

Do any of you have a Romance group in your area? What are some of your pet peeves in a book? Do you have someone who encouraged you to read?

Setting: St. Dennis, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay
Subgenre: Contemporary romance
Hero: Grady Shields
Heroine: Vanessa Keaton

One sentence summary of Coming Home:
A lonely widower and a divorcee, both haunted by their pasts, find that when it comes to love, never say never.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I can’t choose just one - sorry! – but I loved:
~ the scene where Vanessa is baking cookies for Mia and Beck’s wedding and Mia sends Grady to give her a hand, and they both realize that the impressions they’d had of each other were completely wrong;
~ the scene where Vanessa explains to Grady how her life changed after she arrived in St. Dennis and why Hal is the father she never had;
~ the scene where the realtor is showing Vanessa the house she ends up buying.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Hey big fella, how ‘bout you just sit there and let me wait on you while you tell me what to wear, what to do, and how to do it?

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Boxer. Maybe.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with:
No contest! Steffie Wyler, Vanessa’s best friend, was a lot of fun.
And I ended up LOVING Grace Sinclair, a 70-something woman who’s lived in St. Dennis all her life and runs the local paper, and is the author of the diary entries that appear here and there throughout the book.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby:
Dressing the windows of her pretty shop, Bling.

Your hero’s favorite hobby:
Back-packing in the Rockies.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
I think readers will love the characters – both Grady and Vanessa have had to weather some pretty heavy emotional storms but each found a way to land on their feet. But there are so many others – Hal Garrity, Vanessa’s surrogate father, and Steffie, her best friend, and all the others who gather for coffee at Cuppachino in the early mornings before they disperse to go about their business. I also think readers will love the town of St. Dennis, which is a character in itself – it’s a small Bay town that’s just recently started to become a tourist attraction, and is experiencing some growing pains with the influx of new businesses and lots of visitors. I loved this town when I first wrote about it in LAST WORDS, and could not wait to revisit it again.
I think readers will love seeing Vanessa and Grady fall in love and finding their happily ever after. There’s one place in the story where Vanessa is confessing to Grady that when she was little, she really believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters and romance, but she doesn’t anymore. I’m paraphrasing here, but he tells her that he still does, and she questions that: How can you believe in still finding your princess after what happened to you – and he says, “Wrong princess.”
I think that pretty much sums up the feeling we all have when things haven’t gone well in a relationship – the feeling that there’s still hope of finding that one person who’s going to be the right one for you.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
For the past few years, it’s been a tie between Grady Shields and Jack McGowan. Grady’s finally getting his happy ending. Jack…well, he’s still among the missing!

What’s next:
Book two in the Chesapeake Diaries series – HOME AGAIN – will be out in October (I think the date is 9/28). This is a book that’s been in the back of my mind for a long time – since I did the re-write of my second book, A DIFFERENT LIGHT, which Pocket reissued in January of this year with a gorgeous new cover. It’s hard to believe that I wrote that book back in 1994! There was a character in that book who was spoken of but was never actually on the page. Her name was Dallas MacGregor, and she was the college sweetheart of the heroine’s late husband. In A DIFFERENT LIGHT, Dallas had gone to LA to become a movie star. Over the years, readers would ask me about her – had she ever found happiness with someone else? When I started writing COMING HOME, Dallas kept popping back into my head, and I knew that she belonged in St. Dennis, that this was the town where she spent all her summers before heading west. Of course, she would have had a summer love – and I knew right away that that had to have been Grant Wyler – Steffie’s brother.
So that’s how it goes…one little idea grows eventually into a Big Idea, and before you know it, you have another book in your head that wasn’t there yesterday!
After HOME AGAIN, will be ALMOST HOME – Steffie’s book. I think once you’ve read COMING HOME, you’ll know who her hero will be. This one is scheduled for the spring of 2011 – April or May, as far as I know now.

Many of you know that for the past ten years, I’ve written romantic suspense – nineteen books, actually! But did you know that I wrote seven contemporary romances before I turned to the dark side with VOICES CARRY? Now, I love writing suspense – but after nineteen books, the research required to write all those psychotic villains was starting to get to me – and it started to get to my daughters, too, since they never got to leave the house without a lecture when they were in high school! “Call me before you leave the party so I’ll know when to expect you.” “If a car is following you and it has a flashing light on, put on your emergency flashers and drive slowly to the nearest police station…or dial 911 and give your name and location and tell them someone’s following you and you want to know if it’s legit before you pull over.” They tell me now that I drove them NUTS back then!
But in the midst of the dark times our family experienced last year – losing not only my dad, but my brother as well – I found I needed to go to a happier place in my writing. Re-writing A DIFFERENT LIGHT reminded me why I loved writing romance so much. When I asked my editor what she thought of me returning to my kinder, gentler roots, she very enthusiastically gave me a green light. The new series will be very much like the books I used to write, with the focus on relationships, not just between the hero and the heroine, but their families and their friends – books that center on the importance of home and community, and that explore the power of love in all its varied forms and all its possibilities.
I can’t seem to help myself from adding a little bit of mystery to the pot, but I’ve always been big on blending – contemporary romance with women’s fiction with a little mystery. This new series even blends characters from several of my old series. Grady Shields first appeared in my DEAD books. We met Vanessa Keaton in LAST WORDS. Even Grace Sinclair has made a previous appearance – in the epilogue for ACTS OF MERCY – the third book in the MERCY STREET series - as the childhood friend of Trula Comfort (who will be visiting St. Dennis soon). And of course, there’s Dallas MacGregor from A DIFFERENT LIGHT. Throughout the series, you’ll meet old friends as well as new.

I’m really excited about the Chesapeake Diaries – COMING HOME was an absolute joy to write, and in some ways, felt like coming home for me. But I’m curious – how do you, as a reader, feel about writers switching genres? Are you disappointed when an author writes a book – or books – that are very different from what you’ve become accustomed to? Inquiring minds want to know!

GIVEAWAY: Mariah Stewart mugs to 3 lucky commenter’s!

The Seduction of Secrets:
How Peyton Place Inspired Words of Seduction
Dara Girard
Peyton Place. Just saying the name brings up images of sex, scandal, and small town secrets. Author, Grace Metalious, was referred to as a “Pandora in Blue Jeans” because she’d supposedly opened up a ‘box of sin’ and revealed it to the world! Both she and her book where denounced by preachers and politicians and banned in Canada and other countries. When asked in an interview if she thought Peyton Place would be remembered, Ms. Metalious, said, “I doubt it very much.” Peyton Place which was published in 1956 (and crucified by some critics) is still in print and has sold millions.

By today’s standards, the novel would be considered tame, but I believe the spirit of Peyton Place is the reason it has lasted all these years. Why? Because its themes– hypocrisy, social inequities and class privilege–are what make this ‘trashy little book’ resonant years later. Aside from the scandal and sex, it is a story about the lives of three women—Constance MacKenzie, a woman with secret fears and desires; her daughter Allison who is a product of a secret heritage, and Selena Cross whose secret pain shatters an entire town. And that is why Peyton Place inspired my recent release WORDS OF SEDUCTION.

WORDS OF SEDUCTION is a story about Suzanne Rand, a former housewife turned hot novelist who is forced to return to her small town of Anadale, North Carolina after her father dies. There she reunites with a man who broke her heart years ago and soon her real life is igniting more sparks than her stories. Along with the small town setting, just as in the book that inspired me, there are three women with secrets whose lives eventually intertwine—Suzanne returns with secrets and fears that Rick Gordon is determined to reveal (although he has dangerous secrets of his own). His mother, Frieda Gordon, has a dark secret that threatens to destroy her son’s new love and then there’s Suzanne’s former music teacher, Melba Lowell, whose shocking secret from the past continues to echo in the present.

What is it about secrets that tantalize? I believe it’s because there’s something about pulling away the veneer of ‘perfection’ and revealing the ‘imperfection’ underneath. Whether it is a secret love affair, or a ‘love’ child, or a man now living as a woman secrets show us that many lives are more complex than they first appear to be. As Ms. Metalious once said of her own hometown, “To a tourist these towns look as peaceful as a postcard picture, but if you go beneath that picture it’s like turning over a rock with your foot–All kinds of strange things crawl out.”

We are drawn to the darkness where secrets linger. Their seductive invitation is the demons we all know exist, but rarely think of. We all understand the pain of quiet desperation, forbidden desires, and hidden domestic sorrows. In my initial draft of this story I came up with a Town of Secrets for the title. I quickly changed my mind. First it’s not a practical title for a romance and secondly, secrets weren’t the only theme. So I chose WORDS OF SEDUCTION because, as a writer, I know the power of words to seduce. Not just in terms of eliciting passion, but also for persuasion to get someone to commit acts or think thoughts that they might not normally do (Lady Macbeth comes to mind). Frieda persuades her son to betray Suzanne, Melba persuades the townspeople to look away from the truth of her life, and finally Suzanne persuades Rick on many different levels.

In the end, like Peyton Place, WORDS OF SEDUCTION is a story of love and forgiveness, which I hope will make for a memorable book readers will enjoy. You can find out more about this novel and read an excerpt on my website: http://www.daragirard.com

What do you think about secrets? Good or bad? What did you think about the secrets in Peyton Place? When secrets are revealed, why do some people try so hard to deny them? I’ll give away an autographed copy of WORDS OF SEDUCTION and a multi-lipstick holder to a random commenter.

Another week gone buy & Winners need to be announced for week ending March 6 . . . if your name is published below please contact SueG at sgrimsha@bordersgroupinc.com to collect your prizes! Congrats!

Sunday - Francis Ray - 1st place - 1st edition autographed copy of FALLEN ANGEL Janice Thomas; 2nd place - autographed copy of UNTIL THERE WAS YOU Estella; 3rd place - autographed copy of ONLY YOU L. Jones; 4th prize - autographed copy of UNTIL THERE WAS YOU Chocolate Bunni; 5th place - autographed copy of UNTIL THERE WAS YOU Gayle; 6th place - autographed copy of YOU AND NO OTHER Kaetrin
Please send your mailing address to:
francisray@aol.com

Monday - Sophia Nash - 5 winners: Natalies Mama;PamP;Veronica Franco; Shakera; Donna

Tuesday - Pamela Clare - Cherie J

Wednesday - Julie James - Cybercliper; Sharon

Thursday - Alyssa Day - Amanda; Chelsea B; Chey

Congrats to all!

New this week;

Monday - Dara Girard

Tuesday - Mariah Stewart

Wednesday - Debra Vodden

Thursday - Male Romance Cover Review — DON’T MISS THIS!

Friday - Karen Matheny our Reader Blogger

See you soon!

Happy Romance!
SueG

The Feehan/Novak Fan Convention is winding down but not without a few more good stories to share!

I didn’t win at Bingo today, though I had a great time, but having Christine Feehan and Brenda Novak run the game was entertaining all by itself. They both have a great sense of humor and there was a lot of laughter between games. During the games there was a lot of quiet as everyone concentrated on their Bingo cards in the hope they would win one of the over 25 prize packages put together for the game.

I think most people got about 10 books during the convention plus a lot of other really great stuff. The book signing included a row of interesting things to do during our wait in line like watching book trailers, looking at cool kaleidoscopes and palm reading. No matter what was going on there was some kind of entertainment or gift.

I met a lot of people and now have some great stories and new friends. You can see the easy camaraderie between attendees and you won’t find anyone sitting alone, without something to do or someone to talk to.

I spoke to some of the attendees during the book signing and have posted a couple of videos. I also got the chance to speak with Brenda Novak who is very gracious and kind (and also well known for her wonderful online auction for Diabetes Research). I’ve got video of that as well!

Attendees were already talking about seeing each other again next year. For many this was their very first convention so I was so happy to hear they want to repeat the experience.

The convention was a huge success with a lot of very happy fans taking gifts, prizes and memories home with them.

I wonder if having such a positive experience will encourage them to attend similar events in the future? Do you think positive author, reader, library or industry events encourage readers to attend other conventions? Could these smaller venues be a catalyst to more reader events in the future?

UPDATE: See what the fans had to say for themselves!

UPDATE 2: I caught up with Erin who works in marketing at Berkley Publishing, Christine Feehan’s publishing house, right before I left and she was nice enough to let me do a quickie video with her. This is totally unedited, unscripted and I felt it was very heart felt so I wanted to include it with blog.

The Fan Convention in Sacramento started and ended with a lot of happy people having fun. The goodie bags provided by Christine Feehan included some unique items like specially made kaleidoscopes, cookies with the author’s logo on it, containers that had wolves, owls or dragons on them which I loved and several other smaller items. I have to say the kaleidoscopes are beautiful and were my favorite!

People arrived to the Speak Easy at 7 PM and though the event was suppose to end at 10PM it didn’t actually end until well after 11PM. I watched Christine Feehan start on one side of the room, stopping at tables to chat and she made her way to the other side before the night was over. I saw her sit down with one girl and later Christine told me the girl had come without knowing anyone and by the time Christine left her a group of women had befriended her. I discovered that Christine Feehan hates to see anyone by themselves, without friends to have fun with and chat with. I wondered how that fan felt having her favorite author come sit next to her and ask her about her trip to get to the event and what she liked to do in her spare time. It was very sweet.

I played Texas Hold’em for the first time in my life. The table I sat at included Denise Tucker, Christine’s daughter and Erin Galloway from Berkeley Publishing. Erin was dealing and Denise was shuffling. Our little group had a blast with everyone laughing and encouraging each other. One girl lost her chips early on so some of the other girls gave her some of their chips so she could stay in the game. No, no real gambling was going on, but the person with the most chips at the end of the game got an incredible prize. So, giving up your chips to someone you just met is a pretty significant thing. In the end, the lady who won got her gift basket and took one thing out for each of us from our table, so we all got a little something. So, a big shout out goes to Cheryl, a generous lady!

Many people wore costumes, including myself and there was some fun music going on in the background. I was glad the music wasn’t too loud to prevent talking. I made an effort to meet as many people as possible. Unfortunately my camera battery died so I have to wait until tomorrow to upload pictures.

Afterwards I was invited up to Christine’s room for a little after-party chat. When I got there she was asking people if they thought she’d done okay in her effort to meet each and every person who attended. I don’t know if she did or not, but I think she gets an A for the attempt.

The readers were talking about their gifts, some were talking with old friends that they met up with at the event. Everyone was full of smiles and friendly. No doubt about it, the Speak Easy was a huge success!

I did get to catch up with Christine prior to the party and ask a couple of questions. I had my little handy-dandy Flip camera with me and thought you might like to check out the video!

Do you think themes, like the Speak Easy ‘20’s theme or the Mystery Dinner Theater are something you’d like? What are some ideas for themes that you think people going to fan conventions might enjoy?

Who started these fan conventions? I know Nora Roberts has had fan events and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I wonder what other authors have either done something like this or plan to invest in small venue, personalized conventions specifically geared toward reader appreciation?

Christine Feehan and Brenda Novak’s first fan convention uses a very unique and fun venue – The Delta King Riverboat in Sacramento, California. With Feehan throwing a Speak Easy event where attendees can show up in 1920’s costumes, play poker and dance to jazz and Novak throwing a Mystery Dinner Theater event there’s no doubt the weekend will be filled with fun.

I saw some of the gifts the attendees will be given and some of the prize packages. It’s pretty elaborate and impressive. The atmosphere is full of excitement and merriment. Everyone is here to have a great time, meet their favorite author and bond with fellow fans. The small venue makes it seem more like a party than a convention and already people who have just met are on a first name basis.

Will small venue fan conventions be the new trend? What do you see as the benefits for the fans and for the author? Should the author’s main goal be to have a closer relationship with the reader? To find out what the reader likes? Or should it just be as simple as creating an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the love of reading?

Today I’ll talk to some industry professionals about small venue fan conventions, fan loyalty and appreciation and see what some of the attendees think. Let me know if you have any questions you’d like me to ask the authors or the fans!

Click Here - Exclusive, Too Hot To Handle, By Louisa Edwards

Welcome to my little slice of heaven! True, it’s not quite as heavenly as a slice of dark chocolate mousse cake, but I hope you’ll enjoy the site anyway. There are a few goodies here, actually—yummy treats such as book excerpts, free reads, videos, and of course, all the latest news about my Recipe for Love series!

Check back for updates soon!

Bon appétit,
Louisa

About the Author:
“My favorite thing about romance is that it’s like real life — but the way you wish life could be.”
—Louisa Edwards

Louisa Edwards grew up in Virginia, surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. By age 11, she was sneaking Harlequins out of her visiting grandmother’s suitcase, making her parents nervous about what, precisely, their little girl was learning from those books. Naturally, they were relieved when Louisa decided to attend Bryn Mawr College, hoping the Seven Sisters vibe might instill the intellectual rigor she thus far seemed to lack.

To their dismay, however, even the ivy-covered halls of Bryn Mawr couldn’t distract Louisa from her addiction to romances. Instead, she traded in her Harlequins for longer, juicier single titles, reading everything from Laura Kinsale to Jennifer Cruisie. She also managed to graduate cum laude with a degree in Romance Languages (which is not as sexy as it sounds—mostly she studied Spanish, French, and Italian literature, although some of that French stuff did get fairly racy.)

After graduation, Louisa moved to Manhattan, landing a job as an editorial assistant at Penguin Group (USA), where she worked directly for the smart, savvy president of Mass Market Paperbacks, Leslie Gelbman, who guided Louisa as she built her own list.

Vindication! It was possible to make a living from reading romance novels. Louisa’s parents were equal parts surprised and thrilled. While at Berkley, Louisa was lucky enough to work with some great authors, assistant editing Leslie’s heavy hitters, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz. Louisa’s own list included, among others, Lucy Monroe, Jennifer St. Giles, and Shelley Bradley. All of which led to Louisa being promoted to assistant editor.

Then real life romance ensued: Louisa married a journalist and was promptly exiled to Ohio so her husband could work for his family’s newspaper. There Louisa started reviewing romances for FreshFiction.com and took a part-time job at the Culinary Vegetable Institute. Personal interaction with chefs, plus the limited repertoire of local restaurants stoked Louisa’s interest in food. She began critiquing restaurants for the local newspaper, got sucked into Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, trailed a chef friend at his restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, started cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and decided to bring it all together by writing CAN’T STAND THE HEAT.

Now she awaits the response of the masses to her foodie-inspired romance. Meanwhile, Louisa will continue to eat in as many wonderful restaurants as possible—purely for research, of course.

Louisa will be posting on 3/19/10 - if you’d like to comment below, she’ll review & include answers in her upcoming post

Happy Romance!

Alyssa Day, ATLANTIS REDEEMED, Setting: Atlantis and Yellowstone National Park
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance
Hero: Brennan, an Atlantean warrior who has lived without emotion for more than 2,000 years
Heroine: Tiernan Butler, a human investigative reporter who has the Gift of Truth Telling

One sentence summary:
When 2,000 years of lost emotion hit you all at once—do you fall in love or die?

Scene you like most and would never cut:
When Brennan first re-encounters Tiernan and the curse he has suffered under for so long shatters.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Anything that makes her look, feel, or be helpless. She has a vested interest in bringing the truth to the public and achieving justice for her murdered best friend.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:
Pure Atlantean silk, baby.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with:
The vampire leader, Devon. He has very interesting goals and the shocking twist at the end almost surprised even me! I’m going to write his book one day.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby:
Walking on the beach, far away from anybody who might be telling lies. Lies hurt her; they feel and sound discordant and screeching against her soul.

Your hero’s favorite hobby:
Can I say it involves Tiernan and nakedness? LOL. He also is having a great time learning to tell jokes now that he has emotion back and can recognize humor.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
The emotion. My editor said this is the most emotional novel I’ve ever written and I think she’s right. Something about Brennan’s almost childlike attempts to cope with 2,000 years’ of lost emotion swamping him all at once; then the way he and Tiernan fight for each other even when they are in so much pain—I admit I cried more than once writing this book.

Reviews: Wow! Everything from “spectacular” and “exemplary” to “a cocktail sauce of awesome.” I’m loving the reviews!

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
High priest Alaric. His path is so tortured, and everyone wants to know what happens with him and Quinn. There is a very emotional scene in Atlantis Redeemed between the two of them; Alaric is starting to crack around the edges a little bit.

What’s next:
Christophe’s book is next – and it’s a heist book! In ATLANTIS BETRAYED, out in September, he encounters a famous British cat burglar and boy, do the sparks fly! Then it’s the first of my new urban fantasy series, also for Berkley. I can’t wait!
For the first time ever, I’m stuck for a title for Denal’s upcoming book. If you can think of a wonderful title (must have Atlantis in it), I’ll put you in the acknowledgements for the book.

There must be prizes! One book to 3 random readers commenting on this blog! Please visit me online at http://www.alyssaday.com for excerpts, a free short story, video interviews, and more. Thank you so much!
Hugs,
Alyssa