trueromance

Time certainly flies! I just celebrated my 15 years at Borders & we’ve turned over our first year with Borders True Romance Blog! How exciting is that?

To celebrate, I would love to hear from you all what you like about our blog; what you think we could do better; & what you totally hate - k? Be honest — I can take it This site is for all of us to enjoy & it is important to me that you like visiting as much as I do! So leave your comments below - Thank you!

Now for our winners - congratulations to all!

Carly Phillips Winner 4 Sunday is April; & Sue’s Stash Winner is Rachel C

Livia Dare’s Monday winners are Kate Marcille; Lisa Alexander Griffin

Sheri Whitefeather’s Tuesday Winners are Zina; Cories; Susan Leech

SJ Day’s Winner Is on Wednesday, Diane Sadler

Thursday Winner with Abby Gaines is Maree Anderson

Friday Winners are for Alexandra Ivy Jenny is her winner; & Sue’s Stash winners are: Anne; Cynthia N

**Remember, if you are a Sue’s Stash winner you must live in the US.

Now, for next week — come visit us & meet:

Sunday w/Brenda Novak

Monday with Susan Sizemore

Tuesday is ME! Today is a BIG romance release week & I’ve got a list of books I think you’ll want to buy . . . .

Wednesday with Sue & her Book Report!

Thursday with Michelle Willingham

Friday with Anne Marsh

& Saturday with the lovely, one & only, Teresa Medeiro’s - Devil Wears Plaid

Thanks again for being part of Borders True Romance Community — see U soon!

SueG

Setting: Bordertown, Arizona (a fictional town based very loosely on Douglas, Arizona)
Subgenre: Romantic Suspense
Hero: Hot, hot, hot Roderick Guerrero!
Heroine: Up to her eyeballs in deep shit Sophia St. Claire (LOL!)

Short (Ha! Changed this!) summary: Police Chief Sophia St. Claire finds herself out of her investigative league when someone starts shooting people at pointblank range and leaving them to rot in the desert sun just outside her small town. Help arrives in the form of California’s Department 6 Roderick Guerrero, but as far as Sophia’s concerned that only makes things worse. As the half-breed bastard of a wealthy local rancher, he has a history he can’t get past–a history that includes her.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I don’t want to give too much away, but the scene I love most is where Sophia and Rod first meet up (after having known each other in high school years before). I love that the power has shifted from Sophia to Rod and watching her grapple with the change (and what Rod has become) is a lot of fun. The humor in this scene makes me smile every time I read it.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: That she loves her stepfather. LOL Their relationship forms some of the conflict in the story. She can’t stand him—and for good reason.

What celebrity is your hero like: Oh boy. I’m notoriously bad at this because I don’t watch TV and don’t remember the names of the stars I see in movies. He’s taller than Tom Cruise and not as stocky as Gerard Butler. I guess he sort of resembles Ricky Martin but his personality is very different.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Another tough one. If I had to cast someone to play Sophia, it would be someone closer to an Angelina Jolie than a Jennifer Aniston.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Sophia is chief of police, but she’s new and the way she got the position was rather political. She has a lot to prove.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Rod works for a security contractor called Department 6 that specializes in undercover ops inside the U.S.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The chemistry between the hero and heroine! It’s my favorite of the HEAT books for just that reason. The hero and heroine came to me so clearly when I was writing and are so perfect for each other—without knowing it, of course. I loved seeing them work through their conflicts and find what the reader believes almost from the start—they need to be together.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
I probably get the most requests for a sequel to my second Superromance—SNOW BABY. I just got one today! The heroine’s sister, Stacy, meets a guy at the end of the story. I did this to show that things were hopeful for her, too, and that was my only intention. But readers really want me to write that romance so they can see Stacy become happy. Next would probably be a sequel to the Stillwater Trilogy. I’ve had a lot of people email me to see if I’m going to write the last sister’s story (even though the mystery is solved after Book 3 and there really isn’t anywhere to go).

What’s next: KILLER HEAT comes out September 28th and will complete the Department 6 trilogy. In KILLER HEAT, the remains of seven women have been discovered in Skull Valley, Arizona. It’s up to Jonah Young, from Department 6, to assist the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department in solving these murders. But he doesn’t anticipate the complications that arise when he’s forced to work with an old flame. Then everything grows more complicated—and far too personal. They quickly zero in on the most likely suspect, but betting on the wrong man might be the last thing they ever do….

I received a note from one of my fans that she was “disappointed” that I was writing a book about the illegal immigration problem (she hadn’t read it yet—just the excerpt on my web site, which only gives the first chapter). This book is definitely NOT about illegal immigration. It doesn’t get involved in the politics of it or try to sway people one way or another, but it does use the tension and problems along the border as a backdrop for a juicy murder case. Do you find yourself biased against books you perceive as incorporating problems that are currently in the media? Or do you find such stories more intriguing because they feel so real and show characters dealing with today’s problems?

Giveaway - Brenda Novak tote filled with autographed copies of WHITE HEAT, BODY HEAT & KILLER HEAT - Good luck!

Wow… How on earth do I give the awesomeness of this book justice in my review? I think it’s taken me three hours, at least, to finally think of something to say.

I enjoyed SIN UNDONE. I adored Sin and Con and the dynamics of their relationship. I loved the way Larissa skillfully weaved problem after problem into the book without ever making me sick of all the drama. (Let me tell you, there was a lot. I actually gave a sigh in relief when everything was finally resolved.) And most importantly: I love how Sin’s origins–how she’s the only female Seminus demon–is explained. Yeah, it was brief, but it worked.

But primarily? I adored Sin and Con.

I’ll admit, I was curious about how the two were going to connect as a couple and resolve all their issues. Con had to have issues, otherwise, the pairing wouldn’t have been convincing. Not when Sin’s past was so messed up. In this regard, readers are not let down. Con’s got emotional baggage up the wazoo, just like Sin. It definitely made for an interesting read, that’s for sure.

Unlike other paranormal romance series, Larissa continually reconnected readers with her past couples. That is something I find fairly important while I’m reading. Usually, when I’m reading other series, I start to ask myself questions such as: are these past couples dead? Is the current couple living on a deserted island away from civilization? What the hell happened to the past heroes I used to drool over!?  (okay so maybe I don’t think so much about the first two questions… but the last one is fairly important)  I mean, older characters/couples were painstakingly created, why not bring them back for a quick scene or two? Well, Larissa did that, and so much more. They became an integral part of the storyline… much like every other book in this series.

There was sap with the reunions, yes, and usually sap will make me cringe, but I felt it was necessary for SIN UNDONE… especially because this book was also the end. We, as readers, participated in a family’s journey. First with Eidolon, then with Shade, Wraith, Lore, and finally with Sin. And I must say, the journey was draining, heartbreaking, heartwarming, gut wrenching, holy-shit-I’m-going-to-bite-all-my-nails-off dramatic, sappy, lovey dovey, and AMAZING.

For some reason, though, I wanted to see more fighting in this book. Especially because Sin’s the leader of the Assassin’s Den. I mean, there was a lot of fighting, but I wanted a little bit more. I think it’s because I had a True Blood marathon for three days straight. Right before reading this book… Yeeah.

Oh and before I forget: Luc’s in this story! If you’re like me and you were rooting for this poor were’s HEA, prepare yourselves, because you’re gonna get it.

SIN UNDONE is a stellar finish to a wonderful series that I am somewhat sad to see go. I say somewhat because, while I will miss the Demonica series, I cannot WAIT for Larissa’s spinoff series with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If you buy this book, I highly suggest checking out the preview of ETERNAL RIDER, book 1 of the Lords of Deliverance series coming out in March 2011.

As for SIN UNDONE? Well, I already think highly of this series, and Sin and Con’s story is one you would regret missing out on. All five books were definitely worth their price and time.

Overall verdict: 5/5 Stars

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

-Tori
Check out my paranormal book review blog, Book Faery (http://book-faery.blogspot.com/).

Yours for Eternity

Alexandra Ivy:

Setting: London, England
Subgenre: Historical Paranormal
Hero: Victor, Marquis DeRosa
Heroine: Juliet Lawrence

One sentence summary:

Victor is a vampire who is accustomed to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Juliet in his bed, and ruling at his side, if only he can convince the stubborn female she’s his destined mate.

Scene you like most and would never cut:

The scene where they’re battling the Jinn beneath the London docks. It reveals the depth of emotion between the two and how much they’re willing to sacrifice for one another.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:

Staring into the mirror to see how pretty she looks.

What celebrity is your hero like:

Darcy in Pride and Prejudice…only with fangs.

What celebrity is your heroine like:

Sandra Bullock

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:

She is half-fey, half-witch with the unique ability to sense magical objects.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:

Clan Chief of England.

What you think readers will like best about this book:

The combination of action, horror, and humor.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:

Levet, the tiny gargoyle who makes life hell for my vampires 

What’s next:
Tane’s story in Devoured by Darkness. This is the seventh book in my Guardian of Eternity series.

If you could have any book made into a movie, which would it be?

I’ll be happy to give away a book of the winner’s choice.

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Hannah Howell:

Setting: Medieval Scotland
Subgenre:Paranormal/Vampire romance
Hero: Adeline Dunbar
Heroine: Lachann MacNachton

One sentence summary:Lahcann MacNachton is hunting for the lost members of his clan when he finds Adeline Dunbar and the child, Osgar, a MacNachton, and together they fight to get the child to the safety of Cambrun, the MacNachton fortress, as Lachann overcomes his mistrust of human women and falls for Adeline.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The prologue. It was one of those scenes that just came to me when I was struggling to come up with a better beginning than I had. The beginning was good but I felt it didn’t have the snap I wanted and then, suddenly, I wrote the prologue and it fit. It’s the satisfaction I felt that also makes me like it the best.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: She’d never say - ”You can just leave me here.” And she would never, never leave Osgar.

What celebrity is your hero like: Maybe like Clive Owen in Child of Man where he does so much to save the child and the woman. In truth, I never think of celebrities when I draw my characters, although I will give them some bits of actors or actresses that I like, such as one’s eyes, or another’s mouth.

What celebrity is your heroine like: Here comes that problem of never thinking of a celebrity when devising my characters. Maybe a little like the Sarah Connor character in the Terminator movies where she does all she can to save her son. Adeline might not be able to kick butt like that, but she has the spirit to do anything she can to save those she loves.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: She’s a healer/midwife, an expert with herbal remedies. She does what her mother did and that gets her marked as a witch.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: He is a soldier for his clan and one of the ones hunting down the Lost Ones, people with MacNachton blood. They are the descendents of the clans’ forefathers that the clan has only recently learned about and the ones who have survived are now being hunted so the clan is working hard to gather them all together.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I hope they like the way these two completely different people come together to save the child Osgar and both learn to trust despite pasts that have taught them not to.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
There’s a character in my late-Georgian psychic tales(If He’s Wicked, …Sinful, …Wild) that people have already said they want me to write about – Modred, the head of the Vaughn and Wherlocke families, who has telepathic powers and an empathy that’s so strong he has become a complete recluse. Unfortunately, he needs to be a lot older than he is now to get his own story but I have a few ideas. I do know that he will get his story if the series continues long enough for he just won’t stay tucked away in his castle on the border of Wales like a good little duke and constantly gets mentioned or appears in the stories of his family. So he is definitely demanding one.

What’s next: I just turned in the manuscript for the next Murray tale – HIGHLAND PROTECTOR – that is Sir Simon Innes’ story. I found the perfect Murray lass for him. And now I’m working on another tale of the Wherlockes and Vaughns. Sir Argus is in trouble and he’s going to get help from an unexpected source, a lovely young woman his ‘gift’ has no effect on. Such an arrogant fellow deserves a strong woman who can look him in the eye and say – Hah, I don’t think so, sir.

I like to write about strong women who do what’s needed in extraordinary circumstances and don’t let the hero walk all over them. Is there a strong woman in your life that you admire?

I have contests on my web page: www.hannahhowell.com where I give away signed copies of my books and other goodies. Come and try your luck at the various ways my webmistress comes up with to test you.

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YOURS FOR ETERNITY, Immortal Dreams

KAITLIN O’RILEY

Setting: Victorian London
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance/vampire novella
Hero: Lord Radcliffe
Heroine: Grace Sutton

One sentence summary: What’s more romantic than finding the man who has been in love with you for over a century?

Scene you like most and would never cut: That’s tricky to answer without spoiling the plot, but there’s a sexy dream sequence that I love. Dreams play a big part in this story.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Grace is independent and strong-willed at heart, but she would never kick-box anyone who got in her way.

What celebrity is your hero like: Lord Radcliffe is very handsome, intense, secretive, and has a dark past, so I’d say he’s a little like a Victorian version of Jon Hamm’s Don Draper character, just without all the drinking and smoking and cheating!

What celebrity is your heroine like: Grace is beautiful with auburn hair and probably physically resembles Rachel MacAdams.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Of course a Victorian lady did not work, but if she had a career, I think Grace would be a writer because she keeps a journal.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: He’s a sexy vampire and has amassed a fortune over the years. He doesn’t need a job.

What you think readers will like best about this book: This was my first venture into the paranormal genre and Immortal Dreams is a very haunting and romantic story. A love that endures the physical realm is what everyone longs for.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Readers are waiting for the next in my Hamilton sisters series. Lisette’s story will be out in October 2011. And yes, the younger sisters will get their stories told too!

What’s next: I’ve a steamy novella coming out in February in An Invitation to Sin, along with Jo Beverley, Sally MacKenzie and Vanessa Kelly.

Who do you think is the sexiest vampire out there in TV or movies?

Abby Gaines -

Let’s hear it for the heroines

Romance readers have strong views about romance novel heroes. We may not always agree, but we know what we like. (For me: no beards, no guys who need mothering, no one who’s had sex with a thousand women)

Heroines don’t seem to get an equal share of the debate. But when I read a romance, it’s just as important (well, almost) that I like the heroine. Love her, even. After all, she needs to be worthy of that fantastic hero, and I want to be sure she’ll make him as happy as he makes her. Which isn’t going to happen if she’s, say, whiny. Or selfish. Or dull. Or pathetic. Ouch! Of course, one reader’s dull is another reader’s sparkling….

There’s a theory that when you read a romance novel, you “become” the heroine. Subconsciously, you put yourself in her place, experience her trials and her delights. Which makes it all the more important for the heroine to be someone you like.

I like my heroines strong, but with a sweetness of character that reminds the hero just how churlish he’s being. A great heroine knows what she wants and is willing to work for it. Intelligent – very! Honest and principled, too (though she may at some stage have to fake an engagement, pretend her marriage of convenience is for real, or pose as a billionaire’s girlfriend…all in a day’s work for even the most honest heroine). Pretty? Hmm, maybe. When you like someone you tend to think they’re nice-looking, so quantifiable prettiness isn’t essential .

What I don’t want is a perfect heroine: never having a mean thought, always sacrificing ungrudgingly for others, endlessly patient. Those gals just show me up! And as for the heroine who refuses to accept the gorgeous designer dress purchased for her by the super-rich hero…what’s that about? No, my kind of heroine is also a pragmatist…one who likes nice clothes even if she’s not always sure how to choose them.

So who are these non-paragons I love to read about?

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has written a couple of my favorite heroines, Daisy in KISS AN ANGEL and Jane in NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE. I loved Maggie in Kristan Higgins’ CATCH OF THE DAY, and Callie, the heroine in Higgins’ new book ALL I EVER WANTED, shapes up well in the preview. Karina Bliss wrote a wonderful librarian in WHAT THE LIBRARIAN DID. Liz Talley’s librarian in VEGAS TWO-STEP is also fun. Try BLACK WIDOW BRIDE by Tessa Radley for a heroine who’ll keep you guessing (and cheering). Sandra Hyatt’s Alexia, in HIS BRIDE FOR THE TAKING, wants to be a princess and ends up just that.

Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood (aka SHOPAHOLIC) is a heroine I loved more in the subsequent books than in the first one, but I’ve adored her through five books. Ruth Logan Herne nailed a compassionate do-gooder who was far from perfect in WINTER’S END. Maddy in FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by Laura Kinsale is a long-time favorite of mine and many other readers. Emilie Richards wrote a fun, real woman called Tracy in HAPPINESS KEY.

Georgette Heyer’s heroines deserve a special mention. She wrote so many delightful women (or girls). Warm and funny Arabella and Venetia in the eponymous novels, Mary in DEVIL’S CUB (feistier than the hero could ever have dreamed), wry and creative Hester in SPRIG MUSLIN, courageous Phoebe in Sylvester.

But enough about my preferences. Recommend a great heroine whose story I can add to my To Be Read pile, and one commenter will win a copy of THE GROOM CAME BACK, winner of the short contemporary award in the Readers Crown Contest and available now in Borders stores. The book’s heroine, Callie Summers, married secretly as teenager so she could escape a custody dispute. Now her groom, Dr. Jack Mitchell, has come home for a divorce—and he doesn’t even recognize his own wife! Unlucky for him, Callie has no intention of signing off on that final decree….

Writing Herstory

Hi, all! It’s me (Sylvia Day) again. Back as one of my other selves (Sylvia Day, S. J. Day, Livia Dare).

The idea for the Marked series came to me while I was in the shower. This is actually where a lot of my new ideas begin. Also, when I’m driving. I think this is because my brain goes into standby mode at those times, and my subconscious can take over. Sometimes, it rears its head somewhat ferociously, which is what happened with the Marked series. A scene unfolded in my head and it was so vivid and so different from anything I’d ever written before, I knew I couldn’t stand losing it. I hopped out of the shower with soap still in my hair and dashed off a few paragraphs of notes on my laptop, which was–very luckily–sitting on my bed.

After I finished my shower and got dressed, I sat down with the notes and realized the Marked series begins as a woman’s story, not a couple’s journey. It’s an urban fantasy tale, but it came to me in third person and with multiple points of view–the heroine’s and the two heroes’. There are angels and demons, vampyres and werewolves, and a host of somewhat lesser known creatures from the lore of various cultures around the world. Set in Orange County, CA–home of the Happiest Place on Earth (Disneyland)–it’s not so much urban gritty (crime-ridden metropolis at night) as it is urban sunny (affluent tourist destination with lots of sunshine) . Just as IN THE FLESH is a little of this and a little of that, so too is the Marked series.

Focusing on one character’s adventures was awesome for me. I’m grateful to my character, Evangeline Hollis, who made it fun to spend a year writing the first three books in her story. She’s far from perfect. As a Mark (one of thousands of sinners drafted via the Mark of Cain to hunt demons on God’s behalf), she’s supposed to be kick-ass, and she is, but her greatest weapon is her brain. She’s horrible with a sword and knives, which–go figure–are the two primary weapons of Marks. She doesn’t deal well with celestial bureaucratic red tape, and she definitely doesn’t tolerate the ultra alpha tendencies of the two men in her life–Cain and Abel.

Because all three of the main characters have separate agendas, switching point of view among them was part of the process of sharing the many facets of Eve’s story. Seeing her through the eyes of those around her is important to knowing who Eve is. One of those facets is her love for the two heroes, which brought in the romantic elements I love so much as a reader and writer. I can say without reservation that the Marked series, while so very different from anything else I’ve written (hence the pseudonym), is very dear to me. There’s a lot of my history in the locations used in the books (I’m a SoCal native), so in some ways, it’s very personal. From my heart to your hands, you could say.

I have a FREE Marked series story, “Eve of Sin City,” that is available for your downloading pleasure (in multiple popular e-reader formats). You can enjoy the short story without having read the first three Marked books. For those of you who are already fans of the series (thank you!) the next original Marked story is in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE 2 (with Lara Adrian, Karen Chance, Ava Gray, Gail Carriger, and many more!), which releases in October. “Eve of Warfare” picks up where EVE OF CHAOS left off.

So, my question for you is this: have you found books set in places where you’ve lived or live now? Does that increase your enjoyment of the story or not? What’s a particularly good example of book set near you?

One commenter will win a $25 Borders gift card!

Have you ever been to a psychic? Had your cards read? Wondered about past lives? Some of my books have dealt with these subjects. In fact, my current erotic romance, PRIVATE DANCER (Berkley Heat), delves into past life regression, and my Reader’s Crown winner, (Silhouette Romantic Suspense), includes a secondary character who aids the plot with her psychic skills.

My first experience with a psychic was in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. I was sitting in on someone else’s reading so I didn’t expect any of the information to be directed at me. But the psychic kept glancing my way until she finally said, “I’m getting a strong feeling about you.” She proceeded to tell me that she sensed a major career in my future, something that would change my life. At the time, I wasn’t pursuing anything “major.” It made no sense to me. Then, about three years later, I got the bug to write and the prediction came true.

In 2001, I attended a writer’s conference in New Orleans. I was published by then and was writing regularly for Silhouette Desire (my first sale was to Desire). I brought my teenage son to the conference with me, and both of us fell in love with the French Quarter. It was there that I had my second psychic encounter. I asked questions about my career, but the reading went in another direction. I was told that an unknown family member was searching for my husband (my current ex) and that this person was extremely important. An unknown family member? Sounded odd. But months later we discovered that my ex had a daughter from a previous relationship and she was searching for him. Yes, our son had a sister and we had a nearly grown daughter! It doesn’t get any more important than that.

Present day. My third psychic reading. This time in Portland, Oregon. I was with a girlfriend and we were staying downtown. We were itching to get a reading, but the psychic near our hotel had gone out of business. Determined to follow through, we found an artsy little bookstore in the Northwest District that was hosting spiritual readings.

Once again, I asked about my career, but most of the reading was focused on a man who has become my dearest (and sexiest!) friend. The psychic told me things about our relationship that were very specific and very true. She also said that we knew each other in past lives and keep reconnecting. I’ve never been absolutely certain about the existence of past lives, but about a year ago, I told this friend that I felt as if I’d known him before, maybe in a past life. He felt familiar to me, as if I recognized his soul.

I was also told that in my past lives I lived in Europe and have always been bohemian. This resonated with me because it’s exactly how I would see myself in a past life. According to an internet source the term bohemian, of French origin, was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, journalists, musicians, and actors in major European cities. Funny thing, too. In THE ART OF DESIRE, one of my erotic romances written under the pen name Cherie Feather, the heroine was a nineteenth century bohemian artist.

So, based on your feelings about yourself and if you could choose a past life, what would it be? What era and lifestyle do you feel connected to?

Author Giveaway: Three copies of WEDDING FAVORS—an erotic and magical anthology set in New Orleans that Sheri WhiteFeather wrote with Nikita Black and Allyson James.

What I Learned from The Reader’s Crown …

Authors are sensitive types. (Most) of us don’t have thick skins but learn to develop them during the “I’m trying to sell my book” process. Rejection after rejection becomes the norm and it is hard not to take it personally. In my case, it took me 7 years and 10 completed manuscripts, revised over time, resubmitted, re-rejected, before I sold my first novel, BRAZEN, to Harlequin Temptation in 1998. And though you’d think that once you sell, that’s the end of the pain, the truth is that’s just the beginning. There’s still rejection by publishers, bad reviews, etc. so that that thick skin must keep … well getting thicker. Every once in awhile, in the middle of this career we have a love/hate/really love relationship with, there’s a shining star of success that validates everything we do, at least for a little while, LOL! What could be better than winning an award (RomCon’s The Reader’s Crown) in which my book is chosen by READERS? The very people we write for? Just to final in a talented field of my peers was an amazing thing. But to win? It’s THE BEST. In my case, this award came at a particularly good time in my life, so the thank you’s can not be said enough!

The truth is, a writer never knows whether a story they’re working on will please readers. The one universal truth is that we can’t please everyone, so it’s most important to please ourselves. If we don’t enjoy the writing process, I firmly believe our readers will know. It’s also important to live up to reader expectations – if someone pays good money for our books, they should know what they’re getting content-wise. Beyond that, writers do the best they can. Some books are hard. As in, gut-wrenching, painfully hard. LUCKY BREAK, my Reader’s Crown winner was one of those. I barely remember how I made it through, LOL. So the win was especially sweet.
Then there are books that are just pure joy to write – and those are, simply stated, A GIFT. My current book on the shelves KISS ME IF YOU CAN was such plain fun, it was a definite gift. It’s sequel, LOVE ME IF YOU DARE fell somewhere in between on the scale.

I think what I learned from The Reader’s Crown contest was this: Authors write the best books they can at any given time. And thankfully, reader’s don’t always know from the reading how painful … or blissful the process was for the author. And THAT is a very good thing!

So as a discussion topic today, I want to know … do readers ever wonder if a book was an easy one for an author? Or a hard one? Or is this just something WE live with and you, thankfully, never know, LOL!

1 lucky random chosen commenter will win from Sue’s Stash! & 1 lucky random commenter will win a $25 Borders Gift Card — Good Luck!!

No Oridinary Cowboy, by Mary Sullivan
Hi everyone, I’m so glad to be here today. Thank you to Sue Grimshaw and Borders for this opportunity!

My reading habits went through a change this summer. I used to do the bulk of my reading in the winter. There’s nothing like sitting tucked up cozily indoors with a good book on a cold winter evening while a storm rages outside. That feeling of safety, and of delving into a book and drifting away from the cares of the world, is precious to me.

The summer usually finds me out and about, and doing much less reading; however, this summer has been unusually hot where I live, and the humidity insufferable. At the beginning of the summer, I ended up sitting in front of the television every night because it was too hot to go outside, even in the evening. I eventually grew pretty disgusted with myself, turned off the tv and picked up a book. I’ve been plowing through them ever since.

My focus has been on historicals, which I loooove. Most often that means Regencies. Lately, though, I’ve been having a blast reading Western historicals. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I signed up for a course through one of the RWA chapters about gamblers and prostitutes in the American West in the 1800s. It’s been fascinating!

I’ve been reading contemporary Westerns, too. It follows that I would like them, since I write them! So odd considering that I grew up in and currently live in the city.

When I decided to write books about cowboys and ranchers and wanted to set them in Montana, I had to do a lot of research. The Internet was invaluable, of course. Also, though, I ordered books about Montana and the ranching lifestyle—one by a reporter who left the city and went to live on a ranch for a year, immersing himself in the lifestyle and then writing about his experience. What an eye-opener. It’s a hard life and the people engaged in it, tough. Hardy.

I can’t imagine a complainer lasting long on a farm or a ranch. There is something appealing to me about the kind of people who see that a job needs to be done, say, “Right, let’s get at it,” and then do it.

As well, I bought a couple of large coffee table books full of stunning photographs of gorgeous landscapes that took my breath away. A few of the cowboys in the photos took my breath away, too

The facts about time and place and people are out there for any of us to access, whether present day or historical, but what I admire is that these same facts and figures can be used by talented authors in so many different ways to write so many original stories. I have immersed myself in those stories throughout the summer.

When do you like to do the bulk of your reading? In which season? What kinds of stories inspire you?

I have two copies of my August Superromance, THIS COWBOY’S SON, that I would love to give away to a couple of you who leave a comment.

I was thrilled when I learned that my historical romance, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, won RomCon’s Reader’s Crown in historical. I was very surprised (I saw that list of finalists!), but happy!

I asked readers what they’d like to hear me talk about on this blog, and hands’ down, they requested I talk about Ian Mackenzie and why he is so loved.

When I conceived the series, I wanted to write about the most dark and dangerous men I could think of—rich, powerful, and decadent, they love the best in art, women, whiskey, horses, you name it. They go anywhere they want, and do anything they want. They break all the rules, and no one stops them.

Each brother is a bit obsessed with what interests them, and that obsession manifests itself fully in Ian. I was thinking about autism and started to wonder how even a mildly autistic person, perhaps someone with Asperger’s, had fared before anyone had put a name or diagnosis to the syndrome. In the Victorian age, such a person would be considered eccentric, different, mad, maybe even dangerous.

Ian Mackenzie was born. He’s a tall, handsome hunk of a man, and he knows all about sensuality—in fact he learns it as an art and focuses on getting it just right. His heroine, Beth, doesn’t know what she’s in for. She only knows that Ian is the most intriguing man she’s ever meet, and his determination to have her, even though he claims he doesn’t understand what love it, is both exciting and heartbreaking.

I had to do much research both on Asperger’s Syndrome and how the “mad” were treated in the Victorian age. In Ian’s case, his father gets him locked away in an asylum when he’s ten, both because Ian doesn’t fit into his father’s controlled world, plus Ian knows secrets that his blunt speeches might reveal.

Ian’s brothers, especially the two middle brothers, Mac and Cameron, could do nothing to get him out of the asylum, but they tried to make his time there bearable. The paid him visits and smuggled him cigars, whiskey, and erotic books, trying to make certain that their little brother would grow into a well-rounded man. The day that Ian’s father dies, Hart, the oldest brother, goes to the asylum to bring Ian home.

I did not model Ian from any one person I know; he grew from my research on people with AS. Not all AS people have the same traits, so Ian will not have every single trait associated with AS. I tried to make him as unique and realistic as possible.

Ian has trouble meeting people’s eyes (therefore I couldn’t simply write “His gaze met hers…” No, it didn’t!”). He wanders off conversations or doesn’t respond at all, especially if the topic doesn’t interest him, but he’s very focused on what does interest him. For instance, he collects Ming bowls and can tell a real one from a forgery in a heartbeat. But he collects only *bowls*, not vases, and only of the Ming period. Any other ceramics, he has no clue about.

Ian has trouble with emotions, especially spontaneous ones. For example, he’s not sure why people clap after a performance, but he’s learned to do it when everyone else does. It doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the performance; he simply doesn’t equate the response of applause to what he feels.

Likewise, he does not believe he is able to fall in love, but because this is a romance, I and Beth set out to prove him wrong! The entire book is about Ian’s growth, and learning what it is to love another person.

Since the release of Madness of Lord Ian, I’ve received so many letters from readers telling me that Ian reminds me of their own sons, brothers, husbands, friends, children of friends, or students. The outpouring has surprised me—I was fascinated by Ian and wanted him to have a HEA, and it looks like many of my readers did too!

I truly appreciate the response to Lord Ian, and I hope his brothers (who are as obsessed in their own way as Ian), are equally pleasing. Mac’s story came out in July 2010 (Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage), and Cameron and Hart will follow, in that order. (I’m writing the brothers youngest to
oldest.)

To celebrate Madness of Lord Ian’s win, I’m offering a signed copy of the book here to a commenter—and if you’ve already read it, feel free to choose anything else from the books I have out (including Lady Isabella). Simply say hello or talk about why you like heroes who are a little bit different (or why you don’t!)

Thank you so much for loving Ian!

Jennifer Ashley