Vixenwriter

Heard back from our editor at Black Lace today and he said he really enjoyed TCOB. His comments made me quite happy and I’m looking forward to plotting out the next book with Megan next week!

Early tomorrow I’m off to Anya’s and then on Sunday we’re off to Megan’s! Then we have a photo shoot with the uber fabulous Scott Church on Monday the 14th. Later that evening a book signing at the Waldenbooks in the Lebanon Valley Mall from 6 - 8 pm so if you’re in the area, please do come by to say hello!

And then on Tuesday we’re off again to Pittsburgh for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. I’m all atizzy with prep today. The washing machine is going. I’m nearly totally packed but there are always last minute things and I realized Wednesday that I’ll need to take along another small suitcase for extra promotion stuff because we have 68 people and not 50 sign up for our reader party. I’ll also be able to bring back books in it so I suppose that’s a good thing too.

I have not written as much as I wanted to this last week, which sucks. But I’m still good and hopefully I’ll come back as energized to work this time as I did last year.

Cascadia Wolves: Fated

Just wrote a very emotional scene last night but I think it came out well because I cried as I wrote so apparently it translated, or it did to me anyway.

Bookwise I haven’t read much although I did get an early look at Beth Kery’s Wicked Burn and I have to tell you all, this book is freaking amazing. Dark and sharp, totally sexy with an alpha hero who reminded me a lot of Linda Howard’s early heroes. Speaking of La Linda - I read Now You See Her last week and I have to reiterate how much I love her books. I LOVE HER. I’m reading The Ruins now which is uber creepy and I don’t think I’ll be taking it with me on this trip. I did get Karen Chance’s new one and also Meredith Duran’s Duke of Shadows so we’ll see which one I pick for the plane. I may actually do some plotting out of an idea I have as well. I don’t often have large blocks of time that are solely my own so I have a plethora of choices.

The swag I ordered for RT arrived and it’s so super awesome! This is something just for the folks attending our reader party on Friday and for some of the baskets I’m doing. They turned out so well, I’m totally thrilled…

WHEEE! Today I got notes from Amazon that The Outlaw Demon Wails AND Grimspace have shipped. Yes, that’s right, I have read Grimspace but I’m buying a copy too, LOL! Also about half an hour ago, Rhyannon Byrd’s new Nocturne showed up on my doorstep. Much squeeing on my part. OH, and I’ve got an early copy of something that won’t come out until the fall.

I’m trying to recover from being sick, which sucks but with three young kids, it’s sort of old hat. I’m sweaty, dizzy and now annoyed at my children but such is life, LOL. Anyway, I’m thinking a lot about three things:

First - The Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in April. This will be my second year and I’m totally thrilled to be attending again. I’m trying to figure out all the basics, the promotion stuff, the swag for our reader party, costumes and clothes - all that good stuff.

The trip will be jam packed with stuff - I’m flying into Anya’s neck of the woods and she and I are driving to Megan’s! Then we’re getting our author shots with the super fabulous Scott Church. I’ve wanted so much to get him to do my headshots but he’s in PA and I’m in Washington so I wasn’t sure when to make it happen. I’m totally thrilled about it! And then there’ll be a signing and Megan, Anya and I will do a fun live webcast probably Monday night before we head into Pittsburgh for RT on Tuesday. Then you know, RT stuff for days and days. Books, authors, readers, dancing, friends old and new, it’s going to be fabulous.

Second: The release of What Happens in Vegas May 1! (and I’ve heard it’ll be available early at RT!!) Oh my goodness how excited am I about this anthology!! We sold it in late 2006 so the four of us have been waiting a while now for it. Recently we’ve received some early reviews so I’ll be posting those at my website soon and now it’s a matter of making sure the ads are in place, getting my prize baskets ready for RT and contests elsewhere and trying not to break my neck looking at Amazon and Barnes and Noble every three minutes.

Here’s a longer blurb for my story, Stripped:

Dahlia Baker had a reputation in her hometown. It was one of the things a woman with a body like hers had to contend with. As if large breasts and legs for miles made her a dumb bimbo. But it wasn’t like anyone cared that she had a 4.0 and a free ride to UNLV and so she grabbed opportunity with both hands and headed for the sunny heat of Las Vegas.

Still, she has bills to pay and if she wants to keep herself in books and a roof over her head, she has to get a job. And that’s where The Dollhouse came in where she worked as a burlesque dancer.

She’s got a plan for her future. But into her life strolls Nash, the brother of the man who owned the Dollhouse and a reputed player. Nash was literally the hottest man she’d ever clapped eyes on.

And he wants her.

Despite her reservations, they enter into a fiery affair and soon Dahlia’s heart is involved.

Nash knows Dahlia is skittish and over time, he begins to understand why. He may be a playboy, but he knows what he wants and he wants forever with Dahlia. It’s just going to take a very skillful combination of extremely hot sex and unconditional love to get her to see it too.

Third (and related to #2): Getting Sensual Magic finished. This is the follow up to Stripped, the novella I’ve got in the Vegas anthology. I’m nearly done and if I can stop feeling like I’m going to hack up a lung, I’ll be done by the end of this month and have plenty of time for crit and revisions. This is William’s story, he’s Nash’s brother and he owns The Dollhouse, the burlesque club Dahlia (heroine from Stripped) works in. This one has a paranormal storyline (as do the others in the second anthology!)

oy, there’s “pull my finger” talk going on in the other room, must put a stop to it before I get “the talk” from teachers.

I usually read a lot. Several books a week along with writing but at the moment I’m working on three different projects at three different stages of the process (editing, revising and writing) so I’m so busy I’m not able to spend as much time as I like reading other people’s books.

Anyway, I’ve picked up two books recently where I’ve just had to put them down. The thing is, one person’s wallbanger is another person’s keeper. I totally believe this is true. There are books I hear folks raving about all the time but when I read them I just wasn’t engaged at all.

Here comes the part where I ramble about sex in books and a great many things I find myself annoyed by…

One thing I notice a lot is how sex is used in a book. Now not everyone writes erotica or erotic romance. Not everyone puts big sex scenes in books and that’s fine too. But one of my biggest peeves is how authors will toss in multiple, totally gratutitious sex scenes in a book. I don’t know why they do it. Perhaps it’s because sex sells and people think that more is better. I don’t know. Sometimes, more IS better. Sometimes that’s what the book calls for. Sometimes not so much.

A sex scene is like any other scene in a book. It should propel the story in some direction. If it’s just filler, it’s useless and it reads that way. Put from my perspective - it’s a wasted opportunity for great character interaction. Sex is rich with opportunity for an author! If you use it, use it wisely. If I skim past a sex scene, it’s not really motivational for the characters. Can I skip past large blocks of other scenes with the same effect? If so, same thing - you’re not utilizing your words.

There are authors who don’t have long detailed sex scenes but who understand the complexity and importance of a sex scene. It’s not the level of graphic words, it’s not page count - it’s content and purpose. Look at Nora when she writes as JD Robb - when Eve and Roarke have sex there’s a reason for it. That’s why the physical chemistry between them resonates with readers so deeply. Roberts understands how to use sex effectively even though she’s not writing 24 page sex scenes. There are authors who do write long, detailed sex scenes who DO know how to use them effectively (several of them blog right here at The Bradford Bunch) Sadly, I see a lot of stuff that mistakes quantity for quality and the use of certain words as shortcuts to try and seem sexy.

I’m not an expert more than anyone else is. I write sex. I like to write sex and so perhaps when I read, I see it differently than other readers do. I’m sure I’m far more nitpicky than some people can be. For instance - I don’t care how gargantuan his penis is, it’s not going into the heroine’s womb. The head of a penis can bump the cervix which can be painful or pleasurable depending on the woman, the time of the month and hell, the day or level of arousal. But the womb is closed, penises do not go into them. Now, there are times when a woman’s uterus contracts - often during orgasm and she feels THAT during intercourse, but that’s not a penis in her uterus.

Also - some things are just plain painful. If an author is going to use backdoor play in her story - can she please avoid scenes without lube or (cringe) double dipping? It’s not safe to have the fingers/toys or a penis go from anus to vagina.

In many scenes a little goes a long way. As in - just because you have him dangling her upside down from the side of a building, singing the national anthem with sparklers in his ears while attempting four movements from the Kama Sutra, doesn’t mean it’s “hot” - no, sometimes it makes me cock my head and wonder just how bendy any one human can be. Most people aren’t double jointed.

And I was just discussing this with someone who will remain nameless earlier today - what is with the gagging scenes during oral? I’ve noticed this as a trend in porn too. Maybe I’m alone in this feeling but it’s not sexy. First of all, have people actually gagged? Because it’s not a pleasant thing. Second of all, while I’m sure a great many people have triggered the gag reflex while giving oral sex, it’s usually not on purpose. Sounding like one is about to vomit doesn’t ring my bell and I tend to wonder about the dude whose bell it does ring. Again, this is just *my* perspective and I could totally be wrong and gagging could be the sexiest thing since Gerard Butler in a leather kilt.

Anyway, I’ve just finished a huge edit/revision so I’m braindead. The best you get from me today is a ramble. What are your pet peeves with sex in books?

BTW - I’ll take the folks who reply and toss the names into random.org and choose a winner for an ARC of Standoff - you have until 2/10 at noon pacific to reply!

Went to the Emerald City conference this past weekend and it was lovely until the conference crud set in, sending me home early. I was thrilled to hang out with my agent, friend and all around rock star Laura Bradford for a few days. We hung out and chatted about books until well after midnight both nights. Had several fangirl moments (SUSAN ANDERSEN, people!) Christina Dodd gave an amazing speech and made me laugh. Julia Quinn was at my table on Saturday for lunch (JULIA QUINN!!). Had a lovely dinner with friends on Saturday night, the booksigning was fun although the person who was supposed to sit next to me didn’t show so I was sort of isolated in a back corner, LOL, but people came by to say hello including my husband who brought the kids to show them what momma did at work.

I got some pages done on Saturday morning, which is lovely. I need to get back to work today because yesterday I left the con early, came home, slept, woke up, and slept more.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

So, week one of Sven - 24.5K! WHEEEE!

I’d written an opening scene but it just wasn’t working for me, or it was fine but I want more than fine. So I changed that and it totally freed everything so yay! Sometimes, writing is like a puzzle, you have to put the edge pieces together but when they all look like sky, it takes a bit of cocking your head and patience as you work through it.

Somehow, it’s become very cold. Like we skipped fall and it’s winter or something. When I picked the kids up at school Friday my hands were so cold they stung. Bleh. Sideways rain, high winds and cold. But I do love this time of year. I’ve pulled out the crock pot and used it several times, I get to wear scarves and all manner of sweaters and get all snuggly at night with my dude.

Got my cover for To Do List, hopefully I can put it up soon!

Oh and I finished Blood Fever and wow. I know some people are put out because this series isn’t a romance but it’s excellent dark fantasy and I’m really thrilled with where Moning took Mac in this book. I liked Dark Fever but this one is more taut, better plotted and definitely dark (a few spots made me a bit queasy but in the best possible way). Vivi Anna’s new Nocturne came last week so it’s in my TBR pile now but they said Lisa Renee Jones’ was delayed! I pouted over that because I love her writing.

I need to get my basket for the Emerald City RWA con finished, send out some contest wins and get some planning and promotion done for my November 3rd booksigning at the Waldenbooks at the Southcenter Mall (6-8 pm). I’ll be there with my fellow Samhain author Stacia Wolf. Stop in, say hello, we’ll have chocolate and books and well, it’s us, what more do you need?

Hey everyone, I’m back!

The Lori Foster thing was fabulously fun and I am so glad to got to meet some really wonderful people (Barb, Pam, Anne, Karen, Tara, etc as well as several authors I hadn’t met yet). The signing was crazy but my Chase Brothers are in the hands of all sorts of people and Anya was able to get Witch Fire early and she sold out! If it doesn’t conflict with BEA next year I’ll definitely be back.

Some Pictures:

This is me and Tara, a wonderful reviewer from Two Lips Reviews who flew all the way down from Alaska!

This from left to right - Me, Anne and Karen (anne is such a trouble maker!)

Pam K has been on my loop since pretty much the beginning! I loved her accent ;)

And the baddest barb around! I just love her and she’s so wonderful in person too!

And the cutest mommy around - Anya Bast who made the plane ride worth it because I just love her to death

I also got books read on my flight - Lara Adrian’s Kiss of Crimson, I re-read Liz Maverick’s Crimson City and also the 4th Riley Jensen book. At the con I picked up Toni Blake’s Swept Away and made sure Anya signed my copy of Witch Fire. Since my amazon one shipped today, look for it as a contest prize later on this month.

My last and final line edits are all done for Ascension and Making Chase so I’m expecting my author copies any day now. I’m going to start a series of rolling contests tomorrow so keep an eye out.

I’m doing a List Mom day on Thursday at the EC Reader Chat and also on Monday at the Samhain Cafe so mark your calendars, it’s going to be a very fun two days!!

How was everyone’s weekend?