trueromance

Setting: Regency England and the wide-open sea
Subgenre: Regency Historical
Hero: Lord Alex Savege, aka the pirate Redstone
Heroine: Miss Serena Carlyle

One sentence summary:
Rakish lord by land. Robin Hood by sea. The hero of her dreams.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I am very attached to a scene in which Alex finds himself trapped in a locked room in his own house. But the absolutely hands-down un-cuttable scene must be when, unbeknownst to Alex, Serena boards his ship. It is a scene of revelations and truths, of seduction and surrender, a love scene, and so very much more…

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead saying:
“I don’t give a fig about my family.”

What celebrity is your hero like:
I don’t know! He looks a bit like Hugh Jackman. But in terms of his character and personality, I can’t say. I would love to hear what readers think.

What celebrity is your heroine like:
Same as above — except for the Hugh Jackman part, of course. (In appearance she’s probably a lot Gwyneth and a little Kate Hudson, with darker hair.)

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
Serena is the daughter of a baron, so she has no occupation per se. But she has made it her life’s mission to see her younger sisters safely settled as far away from her wicked stepmother’s influence as possible.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
Alex is an indolent, town-loving, rakish earl. He is also the brazen pirate Redstone who cruises England’s coastline seizing spoiled noblemen’s yachts and giving the proceeds to war widows and orphans. What he wishes above all else, however, is to enjoy the peace and beauty of his coastal Devonshire estate — simply as himself.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
From ballrooms to the rolling sea, CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD mingles all the delightful fun of Regency society with the adventure and intrigue of a pirate story. But most of all, I hope readers enjoy the romance — rich, deep, heart-stopping romance.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
I have had lovely requests for a story for Calanthia from A LADY’S WISH, which just tickles me. She has so much spirit and a great deal of growing up to do. I can already imagine the man who will help her accomplish that!

What’s next:

IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS
~ A passionate lady, a powerful lord, and an enduring love to defy the world. ~
(Book #3 in my Rogues of the Sea Trilogy, coming August 30, 2011)

What is your favorite story of romance and high adventure? Book or film, or both!

The Art of Online Connections
This is not going to be a piece about online dating – though there might be some similarities to be found by the end of it.
Last week, Barbara Vey hosted a fabulous week long PW Anniversary Bash to commemorate the 4th year of her very popular Beyond Her Book blog. The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood brought our signature Ruby Slipper cocktails and sugar cookies to the celebration and gave away a Kindle with some fabulous Ruby releases.
The story of how I and my Ruby Sisters jumped in is an interesting one: I had finished a wonderful book and I wanted to kibitz.
You see, I had been waiting for YEARS for the next book in Brenda Joyce’s Deadly Series to come out. When I saw that DEADLY VOWS was coming out in March, I was jumping in my seat. I had waited so long to find out what happens to Francesca and Calder Hart.
“Is anyone else excited about Deadly Vows by Brenda Joyce?” I threw out into the Twitterverse. “I LOVE Calder Hart.”
Barbara Vey responded, equally thrilled. When I finished the book a day after grabbing it off the bookshelf, I knew Barbara would be the one to chat with. After a brief fan girl exchange, Barbara told me about her blog party.
People always talk about networking and promoting online as a professional activity, but many of the ideas that stick are much more organic. There’s a strong social need in us: The need to chat about books. The need to go to the same party as everyone else just to see what’s happening. The need to feel connected over a medium that is inherently distant.
In addition to Barbara’s fabulous party, I’ve experienced a couple of creative connections recently:
Romance Trading Cards – If you haven’t heard about these, you must check them out. (http://www.romancetradingcards.com). What started out as a late night chat on Twitter has snowballed into a wave of excitement and creativity as authors create trading cards with their characters to share with readers. They’ll be available at the RT Booklovers convention in Los Angeles, RomCon, RWA in New York and hopefully wherever romance authors and readers meet. What a fun way for writers and readers to interact with something tangible and special to exchange!

For me, the online community has been key for reaching out to readers across the country as well as across the globe who have an interest in unusual historical settings.
After learning about BUTTERFLY SWORDS, a group of readers in Indonesia requested my little book be ordered for their bookstore in Jakarta where I got to live out my fantasy of endcap placement next to the likes of Teresa Medeiros and Maya Banks.

Reader Ephi Ong. Picture taken by her friend “SilverWind”.
People want to connect and they’ll keep on finding creative ways to do so. The Internet can become a bridge for creating meaningful real world interactions between people who would normally never find each other.
We do live in interesting times.
Speaking of books (Nice segueway, huh?) Sue generously asked me to talk about my upcoming ones: The sequel to BUTTERFLY SWORDS is titled THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL and will be available from Harlequin Historical in October of this year. If you can’t wait for October, there’s a linked Undone short story, LADY YAO’S SCANDALOUS NIGHT, which releases a month earlier in September. I also have another Undone available this summer. The working title is “The Scholar and the Song Girl” and I consider it the most “Tang Dynasty” of all of my stories. Come by http://www.jeannielin.com for more info about books and releases.
Have you made any unexpected connections online? Social media can feel so daunting and distant, but are there examples of how the Internet has actually helped you bridge the gap into a real world connection in a creative and fun way?

Give away three collector’s sets of my trading cards to commenters

Have you ever been attracted to the wrong person? A guy you’re sure will ultimately disappoint, but you still can’t resist? I’ll shamelessly admit having wandered down that road a time or two. And boy oh boy, it was fun while it lasted! Whether it is a genuine bad boy, or just a bad-for-you boy, there are men out there who lure us in despite common sense urging us to run the other way. What causes that pull, that attraction? Good looks? Prestige? Money? Charisma? In the classic musical Guys & Dolls, it’s attributed to chemistry. Heck, they devote an entire song to the theory.

So when I decided to write a romance that peeks behind the curtain at love in a theatre, I knew the chemistry between my hero and heroine had to be irresistible. And it had to center around Guys & Dolls, as a musical many people would recognize. Having spent years performing (yes, even in Guys & Dolls), I’ll admit we actors tend to be rather dramatic both on and off stage. Put that amount of passion in a romance, and you don’t get sparks – you get a blazing wildfire. In Act Like We’re In Love, Linnea and Luke have chemistry galore. But when two people make beautiful music together onstage, can their love survive once the curtain falls?

Linnea Larson is willing to do anything to keep her family’s Minneapolis dinner theatre from going under. Anything, that is, besides accepting a date from the Hollywood hunk her father hired to inject a dose of star power into their production of Guys & Dolls. It’s a toss up whether his greatest claim to fame is playing a superhero on screen, or a super stud off screen. Neither fact convinces her he’s got what it takes to share her stage. And thanks to a life long pact with her best friend, she never dates actors.

Luke Powell has fame, fortune, and an endless string of women, but also a lingering dissatisfaction with his picture perfect life. Looking for a change, he escapes to his theatrical roots. What he finds are wary cast mates, a nervous best friend convinced the show will ruin Luke’s career, and an adorable costar who stubbornly refuses to go out with him. Suddenly singing and dancing aren’t the only challenges he’ll tackle over the summer. Far from the spotlights of Hollywood, can he find happiness in the footlights of a tiny theatre?

Despite Luke dragging her into his daily paparazzi nightmare, Linnea can’t deny her mounting attraction to his irresistible charm. And even if she’s crazy enough to chance getting involved, their fling would have a guaranteed expiration date. He’s leaving at the end of the run, and she’s tied to her family’s theatre. Why risk the inevitable heartbreak? Their job is to act like they’re in love, but will they decide it’s worth the leap to fall in love for real?

I’m giving away a copy of Act Like We’re In Love, but you’ve got to share your story to win. What made you throw common sense to the wind and date the wrong person? And did he end up, to your surprise, being Mr. Right?

Where is your series set?
Serendipity Falls is a fictional coastal town. It seems like an average small town but it’s really a hotbed of paranormal activity. I have set a few of my adult romance short stories in the same town as well.

Tell us about your hero:
Haden Black is breathtakingly handsome, of course. And he’s a little whimsical and a lot dangerous. He’s in town for a dark purpose and everyone he lets in his life is in danger.

Tell us about your heroine:
Theia Alderson is hard to define. On the surface, she’s almost paralyzingly shy and quiet. Beneath that, she’s actually a free spirit trapped in a careful mind. She’s been raised with very little freedom, but inside her is a reckless heart. As a result, she is very conflicted almost all of the time—trying to please her father and learning to be true to herself are two things very at odds with each other. And then she meets this devastatingly handsome boy….

Can you give readers a one sentence summary?
A dark, twisted fairy tale of romance, danger, and cupcakes.

What is the scene you like most and would never cut?
Theia’s first kiss was a joy to write. I’m glad it went so well for her.

What would your heroine never be caught dead doing?
Theia would never be caught dead doing a lot of things—until she ends up doing them. She wants to please her father so badly that she quashes a lot of her natural instincts to be daring and have fun. Even wearing jeans is a power struggle.

What celebrity is your hero like?
Haden isn’t like anyone out there—he’s a hunky, goth mashup of Jack Skellington, Willy Wonka, and Mr. Darcy. Throw in a little teen Christian Slater, too.

What celebrity is your heroine like?
Theia resembles Rebecca Herbst from General Hospital when she was a teenager in the 90s. I don’t usually picture celebrities as my characters, so this is hard.

What is your heroine’s occupation?
Right now, Theia is a high school student and a very talented violinist. I’m not sure that’s the career path she wants though, it’s more her dad’s wish for her. We’ll have to see (if she lives through this) what direction her path will take.

What is your hero’s occupation?
Haden is a high school student, too. He’s very charismatic and well loved by the people where he’s from. I think he’ll be a good leader if he doesn’t let the darkness eat his soul first.

What you think readers will like best about this book?
Probably Haden. He’s fairly irresistible.

Falling Under is about a lot of emotion, longing, and angst. I hope it catches something in people’s hearts. Growing up is so hard—learning who you are, who you love, how to love. I think the story will resonate with adults as much as teens.

Also, by the ARC reviews, readers seem to be enjoying the fact that there are no vampires, werewolves, or fey in this paranormal book.

Who is the person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet?
That would easily be Madame Varnie.

What’s next?
My keyboard is currently smoking from the sequel writing. I’ve tentatively named it After the Fall, but we’ll see if the title sticks. It’s the continuing story of Haden and Theia and will be released in 2012.

After that, I’d like to work on another YA series set in Serendipity Falls. You can keep up with any further shenanigans by visiting my website www.gwenhayes.com .

In FALLING UNDER, Theia really struggles with finding a balance between pleasing everyone and being true to herself, which I think is a struggle for a lot of women. I know for me, it wasn’t until I was almost thirty before I decided it was okay to put my own needs first once in awhile. What advice would you give the teenage version of yourself about growing up? And if you’re still a teen or still struggling with your inner-teen—what’s one thing you can do today to be a stronger person?

Two lucky commenters will win a copy of FALLING UNDER!

Setting:
In ancient pre-Roman England

Subgenre:
Paranormal/Erotica/Romance
The Wolf and The Druidess is my Celtic take on a Halloween werewolf tale. Mystical and magical the story’s set at Samhain rather than Halloween and instead of a werewolf the hero is the Celtic god Gwydion, a wolf is one of his shape shifting forms.

Hero:
Gwydion, the Celtic wizard god, he’s tall, muscular, has long blonde wavy hair, and blue eyes. He wears a gold torc around his neck, and is often garbed in an open white, gold-speckled druid robe revealing the bronze skin of his muscular chest.

Heroine:
Seren, a druidess, with long flame red hair, usually garbed in a white, gold-speckled robe and she often plays with the hood, pulling it over her head or pushing it back.

One sentence summary:
A god leaves the Otherworld and even risks his life … for love.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I’ve always loved to read about cattle raids so my favorite scene is a cattle raid scene:
“No, he is in danger,” Seren snapped.
“It is our only chance. If we lose milk and beef, the entire tribe could starve during the winter.” Hywell shook his head.
“What harm could possibly befall me? The Silures cannot hurt me if I turn them to ice, first,” Gwydion said.
“My mother would not warn me unless the threat was real,” Seren said. “I myself sense danger, but it may not be from the Silures. You must be careful.”
“Seren, he is a god,” Hywell said.
“Yes, what could happen to me?” Gwydion said.
Rather than answer, she peered into Gwydion’s eyes. “Swear to me, you will take heed.”
“Yes, I will return to you unharmed.” Gwydion pulled his wand from the pouch tied to his side and brandished it high. “I am ready.” He swirled the ash stick, decorated with Celtic spirals, through the air in a sweeping motion.
“Foes of the Ordovices
Your raid is condemned.
I forbid your flight.
Winter’s embrace,
Shall halt your escape,
Frozen like ice.
For the tribe to find.”
A blue light with the power of a lightning bold shot from the wand. Gwydion knew everyone in the village could feel the surge, and he noticed Seren and Hywell had clung to each other during the mighty blast.
“It is done,” he said to them.
“Now you must shift into wolf form,” Seren said to Gwydion as she released her hold on Hywell.
After Gwydion eased off his horse, his body blurred from one form to the next as his limbs shortened and his flesh shifted into a pelt of white fur. The wolf stood before Seren once more.
Hywell gasped. “Gwydion, do not get too near the cattle, you will spook them.”
The wolf nodded, and as he darted off, Seren goaded her horse into a hard gallop. Hywell followed.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
“The tribe can take care of themselves.” or “The dead are gone. They don’t matter anymore.”
She would never make either statement as her duty as a tribe druidess always comes first above her own wishes and needs. She serves the tribe, it’s more than her job it’s part of who she is. Also she believes the ancestors must always be honored. The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is greet the ancestors. And the book is set at Samhain, the Celtic New Year, and the main purpose of the Samhain feast is to visit with and honor the departed ancestors.

What celebrity is your hero like:
The closest I can think of is Brad Pitt in that he’s divinely handsome. Gwydion looks most like Brad Pitt in the movie Troy.

What celebrity is your heroine like: I feel the closest is Emma Stone but Seren’s hair is a brighter red where Emma Stone’s is auburn.
What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing?
Seren’s professional level is the same as a chief or king. She’s the tribes’ druidess, so she’s well educated and trained in everything from doctor, judge, teacher, religious leader, bard, and even advisor to the chief.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing?
Gwydion is a god, and in Celtic mythology the deities all had jobs or duties, and he actually is a druid for the gods as Seren is a druidess for her tribe so they share the same profession.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
Readers who like Celtic/Romances will love it as the story springs from ancient Celtic/mythology. Paranormal/Romance readers who like werewolf or shape shifter stories will love the unique Celtic twist to this one. Those readers who like a good romance will love the intense connection and the red hot love scenes between Seren and Gwydion.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
I’ve been asked at Celtic festivals if I’ve written anything about the ancient Irish hero Finn McCool, so I probably need to write something about him.

What’s next:
Since today is St. Patrick’s Day and I write Celtic/Romances, I felt it was the perfect day for me to guest blog. You probably do know that on St. Patrick’s Day, at least in the United States, anyone who doesn’t wear green gets pinched. But you may not have known that it was King Tighernmas (Teernmas) of Tara, who brought the color green to the emerald Isle. Through trade with the Phoenicians, he obtained dyes to create green, yellow, and blue and introduced those colors to Ireland between 900 – 1534 BC, as his reign fell somewhere in that timeline. He also enacted sumptuary laws on the numbers of colors worn by the different classes. Six colors to the highest of society, kings, queens, druids, five for the chieftains, four for land owners who offered hospitality, three for warriors, two for peasants and one for slaves. By using plaid the Irish and other Celts wore multi-colors, three to six, at one time. So under Tighernmas’s law slaves or servants wore solid colors, peasants wore checkered patterns, and plaid for higher classes.

Please post comments on my question which is, other than wearing green, what are you planning to do today to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Another great reason to comment is I am having a blog contest to giveaway an autographed paperback copy of Queen of Kings (set in bronze age Ireland, the legend of Macha Mon Ruad the only woman listed as a High King of Ireland) and The Wolf and The Druidess. I’ll draw the winner from the comments, so please include an email address in case you win. Also please visit me at http://CelticRomanceQueen.com

Setting: Chicago
Subgenre: Contemporary romance
Hero: Special Agent Nick McCall
Heroine: Jordan Rhodes

One sentence summary: A wealthy wine store owner agrees to pose as the girlfriend of an undercover FBI agent (as part of a sting operation) in exchange for her twin brother’s release from prison.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Early on in the book, shortly after the hero and heroine realize they have to pretend to be dating at an exclusive wine-tasting party, the hero sarcastically calls the heroine (a billionaire heiress) “princess”. Let’s just say that doesn’t go over too well. . . . The banter/quips that follow pretty much set the tone of their relationship throughout the rest of the book.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “They’re beautiful, but I already have enough shoes.”

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero: Nick is the most “guy’s guy” hero I’ve written, and he has all sorts of rules about the things that men don’t “do.” Men don’t do boysenberry colored ties, they don’t do bubble baths, and they definitely don’t watch Dancing with the Stars instead of football on a Monday night. That being said, when matched against Jordan, Nick begins to bend his rules a little, particularly when he realizes that even bubble baths aren’t so bad with the right incentive. . .

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Jordan is the owner of DeVine Cellars, a wine store in Chicago. She opened the store shortly after getting her MBA and has worked hard to make it the most successful wine shop in the city.

Oh—and she’s also the heir to a billion dollars. Her father made a fortune after inventing the Rhodes Anti-Virus, the leading computer security software on the market.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Nick is the top undercover agent with the FBI’s Chicago division. He’s often gone for long stretches while working undercover, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for relationships. The one exception to this is his family back in Brooklyn, who he remains close to despite the demands of his job.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will enjoy the back-and-forth banter between Jordan, a sophisticated wine store owner, and Nick, a rough-around-the-edges FBI agent from Brooklyn. I also think readers will like how real and identifiable the characters are. Sure, Jordan is a billionaire heiress, but she’s smart, ambitious, protective of her family—particularly her twin brother in prison—and yet, despite her successes, she wants to find love. Nick is also a multi-faceted character: yes, he’s got the FBI thing going, and he’s very dedicated to his career, but he’s also close to his family and constantly feels guilty about not spending enough time with them. That’s probably something a lot of us can relate to!

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: A lot of people ask me about Wilkins, Jack’s partner in Something About You. I’m happy to say that Wilkins has a small part in A Lot Like Love, and he may also show up in the book I’m currently writing.

What’s next: I’m currently writing my fifth book, which is tentatively titled About That Night. The hero is the brother of the heroine in A Lot Like Love. He’s a billionaire heir/ex-con who is fresh out of prison and trying to figure out what he’s going to do with his life. The heroine is a woman from his past. . . and that’s all I’m going to say for now. : )

Now on a personal note:

What’s your favorite movie of all time? Oh, gosh, I have so many favorites. I probably have to go with The Star Wars trilogy.

What’s your favorite fairy tale? I’m a sucker for a good Cinderella story.

What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I’d probably still be a lawyer!

What do you do to unwind and relax? A hot bath, a glass of wine, and a good book.

Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? I’m a Starbucks junkie—I think I’ve written a scene at, or a reference to, Starbucks in every one of my books. My order? Decaf tall skinny vanilla latte.

Which era would you most like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? I love the way women dressed in the old black and white films, what I’ll call the Cary Grant era. Everyone looked glamorous and elegant. Although if I had the chance, I’d probably only make it a week dressed like that before I missed my jeans and yoga pants.

Thanks for having me here! Today I’m giving away copies of A Lot Like Love to three randomly selected people who leave a comment below. In honor of my hero, Nick, let’s talk about those “guy’s guys”. . . Who is your favorite “guy’s guy” in books, television, or film, and why?

YOU SAY I’M WRITING WHAT?

Though I’m not considered a romance writer, being shelved anywhere from YA to fiction, to horror, I’ve found that a substantial part of my readership enjoys romance over anything else. I’ll be honest, even though the trend was obvious right from the very first book in the Hollows series, that notion that romance readers were picking up my book and enjoying it completely surprised me.
I grew up on a strict diet of science fiction and fantasy, shunning romance, mostly because of the covers I think. (I was such a prude at heart back then, you have no idea.) I tried to pattern my writing and story-telling techniques on the authors popular in the 70s and 80s, having fast plots, complicated rules, and far-reaching themes. “What on earth,” I wondered, “are they seeing in my work?”
I don’t think I really understood how wide-spread the Hollows series was being read in romance circles until I blithely killed off my main love interest and was promptly bombarded with distraught emails by shocked romance readers. Love interests were always dying in science fiction and fantasy, but clearly that was a no-no in romance. Looking back, I can truly sympathize. I’d taken five books to develop a beautiful relationship—and then I kill the guy? I suppose I deserved some of those early emails. Most readers have forgiven me . . . I think, and they will be happy to know that Rachel is ready to love again.
Urban fantasy, unlike paranormal romance, does not have to have a romantic story line, but at its earliest, most works in the genre had many of the same elements that a romance reader was looking for: a strong female protagonist, a first person narrative that helped the reader fully immerse themselves into one person’s thoughts and feelings, a happy ending, perhaps not at each individual book, but at the series conclusion at least. There was a feeling of magic, of the mystical, of powerful love interests and danger that brings them together as they learn they are stronger together than apart. Okay, looking back at my work, perhaps I do write with more than a touch of romance, but I will wear that badge proudly as I still strive to make my work more mainstream.
Some of my favorite emails I receive are from hearty, down-to-earth husbands who read science fiction and work in the military or police force and are quite frankly shocked and excited to be sharing a slice of their wives’ reading tastes. There’s little more satisfying to a writer than to know that she is bringing couples together in some small fashion.
Romance readers are some of the most energetic, loyal, accepting, enthusiastic readers that I have the privilege to talk with both at signings and through my blog. I’ve discovered that you can often get a romance reader to read outside their accepted genres, but going the other way is a lot harder. That’s one of the reasons I like them so much. They’re looking for a story, accepting of how it might be told, just wanting that happy ending and good feeling when the cover is shut.
Me too.

Kim Harrison is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hollows series. Her latest, Pale Demon, will be available February 22, 2011. Please visit her website or blog for tour and freebie information. www.kimharrison.net

2 Lucky Commenters will randomly be chosen to win copies of Kim’s book! Good Luck!

I’m a paranormal girl at heart. Always have been. I’ve never wanted to write realistic fiction because for me, fiction is an escape from the ordinary, and my everyday life is so very ordinary. Laundry. Errands. Bills. Dishes.

Fortunately, my husband knows and has accepted this about me. He knows I can’t cook and I hate cleaning. He knows I live in my own head, populated in part by strong, beautiful, paranormal men who are irresistible, even with their flaws. Men no real man could ever compete with.

After more than thirteen years together, my husband has finally come up with a proven coping mechanism: since he can’t beat ‘em, he’s decided to join ‘em.
Cliché? Maybe. But effective.

Not ten minutes ago, I got a phone call from my husband, on his way to work. “I got it!” he said, skipping the greeting entirely.
“Awesome,” I answered. “You got what?”
“I fixed your plot. Listen to this…”
So, as he was barreling down the interstate during the San Antonio morning rush hour, he proceeded to tell me, in great detail, how I could fix a plot I didn’t even know was broken.

Was his suggestion usable? No. He should really stick to the nine-to-five, and let me battle the demons, and reapers, and evil in all guises. But it was thoughtful, and his enthusiasm shot right past “cute” and landed well within the boundaries of “adorable.” Which is quite a feat for a grown man of his size.
And now I want to bake him brownies.

While I’m not able to use most of his suggestions, I’ve been plotting books with my husband as a sounding board for several years now. He stopped actually reading the books when designing and maintaining my website started taking up ALL of his free time. But he still listens, and throws out ideas (which usually spark other ideas for me), and…he helps design and sketch my monsters. I can’t get him to draw all the hot men in my head, but I can’t keep him away from my monsters. I’m pretty sure that says something important about our marriage.

It’s now obvious that my paranormal obsession is starting to rub off on him. So I wasn’t really surprised when, around this time last year, he made THE MOST AWESOME VALENTINE’S DAY SUGGESTION EVER. And yes, it deserves all caps.

Last year, for Valentine’s day, we went out for gourmet pizza at this little place near our house, where you can get odd (but delicious) ingredients like pine nuts, montchevre, lamb, and pesto. We sat outside, in a huge tent, scalding on the side near the heaters and freezing on the other side, and after dinner, we split a heart-shaped dessert pizza—perhaps our only concession to a traditional Valentine’s Day celebration.
Then, we went home and watched Zombieland on Blu-ray. High definition zombies. It was awesome.

Later, it occurred to me that after writing twelve novels for publication (ten of which are already out) I haven’t written a single Valentine’s Day scene. Not one. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe I’m afraid I won’t be able to live up to the mushy awesomeness that is my own real-life husband, not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day. (Okay, most days…) But I like to think that even though I haven’t written it, my characters would spend their Valentine’s Days like I spent my last one. With good food, good company, and hordes of zombies.

Up for Valentine’s Day this year? “Let Me In,” the remake of a bloody, visceral foreign vampire film. Because if I’ve learned anything in thirteen years of marriage, it’s that nothing makes you appreciate your normal life and love more than a monster movie blood-fest.

Give away - a signed copy of Alpha, the final book in my Shifters series, to a commenter chosen at random from readers who to tell me what their plans for Valentine’s Day are.

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent is the author of the Shifters series and the young adult Soul Screamers series. She spends most of her time with people she made up, in places that only exist in her mind. Rachel is older than she looks — seriously — and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan. You can find her online at www.RachelVincent.com or UrbanFantasy.blogspot.com