Vixenwriter

Today is the day my friend and fabulous writer Michelle Pillow’s second book in her Matthews Sisters series, Along For the Ride releases!

Meet Megan Matthews, a detective who is cursed with always being right. Her instincts are good, her deductive reasoning even better. But she’s that most men find her intimidating, so she’s given up trying to find Mr. Right and has settled, perversely, for arresting Mr. Wrong.

Crime scene photographer Ryan Andrews has had a wicked crush on the sexy detective since he first took her photograph by accident at a crime scene. That picture became headline news, and she hasn’t talked to him since. He’s tried everything to get her attention, and when nothing works he’s left with only one option. But is blackmailing a cop into marriage really a good idea?

You can check out my review of Along For the Ride right here…

This has been a great week for book lovers!

Today at Ellora’s Cave - Bona Fide Liar by Red Garnier releases!

Alex will do whatever it takes to keep male coworkers away from Carly. Who cares if she hates his guts? He wants her bad. He can barely believe his eyes when Carly sways seductively toward him and speaks the words he’s been longing to hear. Her place. Bring the plastics. There really must be a god! It’s finally time to make Carly his—for real this time.

Carly has heard her share of lies, but the ones spilling out of Alexander’s lips beat them all. The gall of him, spreading nasty rumors of them doing all manner of kinky things—even if she has dreamed about it. Carly’s determined to pay him back, and she’s wasting no time putting her perfect plan into action.

Red is one of my favorite up and comers! I think in a year or two she’s gonna make it big. I love her voice and this one is in my TBR pile (I would have read it already but I had to finish up a revision - which I did last night). Anyway, I’ll be reviewing it when I do you can bet on it.

And on Wednesday - another favorite Mandy Roth released Demonic Desires from Ellora’s Cave!

She might look fragile, but Ava Fenaly is fierce. She knows a thing or two about magik, and she knows exactly what she’s doing when she summons a demon in her bedroom. Well, almost. Ava is convinced that the exhilarating, almost terrifying night of passion that follows is all a dream. It has to be, because she’s dead set against revisiting her past—and the horrors she left behind long ago.

For the last three-hundred-plus years, Donatus Manlian has been living a peaceful life. Lonely, but peaceful. When the demon he has kept carefully locked within for centuries finally breaks free and responds to Ava’s call, the peace—and the loneliness—are gone. Now Donatus is forced to revisit tragedies long buried as he protects Ava from the evil that pursues her. But another evil lies within him—and now that it’s been awakened, the demon wants free.

No secret I love Mandy’s writing and this one and Guardian are in my TBR file too!

And wow, look at the list of authors in the newest Caveman Anthology - Seasons of Seduction III!

Six of EC’s really fabulous authors (and two of my personal uber faves Charli Teglia and NJ Walters)

Sunshine for a Vampire By N.J. Walters
Sunshine DeMarco is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed vampire who just doesn’t fit in with her own people. She doesn’t really like the whole vampire lifestyle — the opulent surroundings and overindulgence in everything from food to drink to blood. But even she has family and social obligations.

Reality intrudes and Sunshine flees, but she hasn’t seen the last of her mystery lover.

I Was an Alien’s Love Slave By Charlene Teglia
Micki Sloane needs a hero and she needs him now. She’s got a deadline, writer’s block and no inspiration. What to do? Wish on a star.

Keelan Os’tana has been seeking his bondmate, the one woman who is on his wavelength — literally. He answers Micki’s mental call by beaming her up into erotic adventure beyond her wildest imaginings. Her options? Form the permanent telepathic bond with Keelan or go home and write for the tabloids. “I Was an Alien’s Love Slave” is a sure seller, but Keelan tempts her to live the fantasy instead.

But look, the other four? Fabulous too. Go and check it out!

Last but way not least - Snowbound by Larissa Ione from Samhain

Thanks to a devastating medical diagnosis, ski patroller Sean Trenton has endured two years of celibacy. Two long years that have chipped away at his confidence. Now, with the career opportunity of a lifetime on the line, he’s ready to remedy the celibacy situation, and sexy snowbunny Robyn Montgomery is just what the doctor ordered.

Unfortunately, the last thing reliable, intense radio station manager Robyn Montgomery wants in her suddenly turbulent professional and personal life is a thrill-seeking former Olympic skier—even if he is a total hottie. She’s had it with guys who hog the spotlight and leave her in the shadows. So why is it that even an icy blizzard can’t temper the combustible heat between them?
I’ve had this one on my TBB list forever so I can’t wait to wade through all the other stuff on my to do list to get to this one!

This is potty training central. Sigh. Time number three. This one a girl so I don’t have to constantly redirect penises, which is nice and far less messy. (Again, I know, so glamorous!!). I find myself giving praise for bodily functions, which is, um odd outside of sex, LOL, and no, I don’t give my dude stickers or clap for him, even when he’s got his A game working. She likes to bring her barbie in with her and put her on the back of her seat. Whatever. As long as she doesn’t fall in, I’m game with whatever will get her out of pull ups because after what seems like an eternity of changing diapers (and my oldest will be 10 in November so yeah, a looooong time, each time I get one trained I ended up having another)

I’m in that “in between books” stage. I’m trying to settle in and work on something. I just figured out the opening to dirty/bad/wrong last night and this morning. My husband always listens to me so patiently when I pelt him with my ideas, LOL. And he’s a great sounding board and helps me plot too. I’m also revising something so that’s a task which uses a different writerly brain muscle.

Chased is out in print today! Wheee! I don’t see it listed at My Bookstore and More yet though, grr. It is however, now shipping from barnes and noble!

Even more good news? To Do List will be in a print combo with Jaci Burton’s Unwrapped in September of next year. How freaking thrilled am I? More details as they’re worked out.

Lauren: You all should know up front how much I love Michelle Pillow. She’s one of the people I think consistently makes romance authors look professional. She works hard, she always conducts herself like an adult in public, she’s not prone to oversharing or acting like a tool and she also happens to be a great writer. On top of all that, she quite often shares what she knows with other authors - proving time and again, what community really means. So, it’s not a surprise really that I read her books and thought interviewing her here would be fun. Without any further delay….

LD - Where to start? You’re such a jack of all trades, woman, it’s sort of intimidating!

MP: LOL. People say that, but I hardly feel intimidating. Though, I’ve been told I have a pretty mean growl—gerrrrrr… See, as fierce as a baby kitten.

LD: Let’s see – how about you give us a few details on your upcoming Cheek release, Along For The Ride?

MP: I can do that. *wink*

My books for the CHEEK series are just fun, light contemporaries with lots of erotic romance thrown in.

LD: This is book two in a series about the Matthews sisters – how many books planned in the series?

MP: There will be 5 total, one for each sister, so there should be three more after Along for the Ride. The next, book 3, is contracted — Recipe for Disaster and will release Spring 2008. It’s already on preorder at Amazon.com. The other two aren’t contracted yet, but I do plan on writing them soon.

LD: What’s on tap for you in 2008?

MP: I keep on a pretty busy writing schedule, though I did take somewhat of a break from this year as to the amount of books I put out. Even so, it’s a pretty fast pace. I plan on stepping it up next year and completely a few series I have out there—Space Lords for NCP, the Matthews Sisters for Virgin Books, and hopefully the last of the Call of the Lycan series will come out from EC. We just contracted it there.

I’ve got a few submissions floating around I hope to hear back about soon, but I tend to go where the muse tells me to.

LD: What’s your writing schedule like?

MP: Ever changing. It has to be with my lifestyle. I’ve always got three things going at once. Normally, I try to write every day, sometimes all day with a few interruptions. I tend to do best late at night, but my schedule doesn’t always allow me to stay up until four in the morning.

LD: When you’ve had a crappy day, do you reach for salty snacks or chocolate?

MP: Coffee. And if I can trick my husband into cooking, it’s a bonus. He makes the best pasta.

LD: I know you write across several genre lines – do you have a favorite?

MP: My first love was historical romances. It’s what I originally started out writing. Now I love them all—paranormal, futuristic, fantasy, ect… But historicals have a special place in my heart. Maiden and the Monster was one of the books I wrote pre-publication and it ended up winning the RT award. That is one of those first-love futuristics. I have several more just like it waiting for the right home.

LD: What are five comfort reads?

MP: I tend to comfort movie watch, lol, but normally only because my eyes are so tired from working. Some of my favorites of all time are Pride and Prejudice, Amanda Quick’s historicals—Rendezvous, et all, Mandy Roth’s books (plus I can call and bug her for what happens next in a series if the next book isn’t out yet), nonfiction books… I love nonfiction. Sometimes I read them for fun.

LD: What are you reading right now?

MP: Funny you should ask, Lauren. I’ve got your new EC one here, lol. (and I’m so not lying and playing kiss-up) I’m also reading NJ Walters Tapestry Dreams and Kelly St John’s Ghost and Roses— I tend to go on binges and read several at once. Oh, and I hope to get to Kootz’s Velocity soon. It has the best opening paragraph ever—guy gets killed by garden gnome. That alone won me over on the book. (Lauren here - see what great taste she has )

LD: Are you superstitious or do you have writing rituals?

MP: Does requiring offerings of coffee, cabana boys massages and the whole “Michelle is a Goddess” chanting/fire dance count? Then, no, no rituals. LOL

LD: How do you balance your family life with your professional life?

MP: Family has to come first. Period. But, they know I work at home and know to leave me alone so I have time to work. I really don’t have it all that hard.

Anything else you’d like to add?

MP: Thanks for having me, Lauren!

If readers want to learn more about me or get in touch, here is me on the web:
LINKS
Blog - www.michellepillow.com/authorblog/
Website- www.michellepillow.com
Press Kit - www.michellepillow.com/press_kit.htm
Newsletter - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/michellempillow/join
Myspace - www.myspace.com/michellepillow
Email – michelle_pillow@yahoo.com
The Hussies™ Website - http://www.thehussies.us/
THE RAVEN
Free Ongoing, Online Paranormal Story http://www.ravenhappyhour.com/raven.htm
Paranormal Blog- http://ravenvampireclub.blogspot.com/
Podcasts - http://www.ravenhappyhour.com/raven_podcasts.htm
Raven Reader Yahoo Group (chatting)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Raven_Vampire_Nightclub/join

I haven’t done ebooks for a while and they don’t get enough love so I thought I’d talk about some I’ve read over the last few weeks.

First off, Your Alibi by Annie Dean.

Blurby Bit: Addie Alger is stuck with her ex-husband’s credit card debts and a failing bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere. Her brother-in-law, who refuses to wear pants, won’t move out of room 107, even though her sister died four years ago, and her father is constantly `inventing’ stuff that will, this time for sure, make him the next Ron Popeil.

Deciding all men are jerks, she conceives a brilliant solution to her money woes: youralibi.com. For an outlandish fee, she will confirm (although not in a court of law) that a client was, in fact, staying at her bed and breakfast instead of shtupping someone in Atlantic City. Keeping her identity secret becomes increasingly difficult, however, and she learns more than she really wanted to about her friends and neighbors.

Just as she’s ready to swear there are no honest men left in the world, enter Sean Duncan, enraged husband and small-time reporter, whose (soon-to-be-ex) wife utilized Addie’s service more than once. Things are about to get complicated.

Me again: I have to say it’s been a very long time since I’ve read something that broke as many romance rules and took so many risks and worked so thoroughly. Your Alibi is just really fucking good. (What I fine grasp of language I have!). At once it manages to be heartbreaking and heartwarming. It’s funny and tight and Dean’s characters work perfectly with the dialog.

A little aside - she and I share the same agent and at RT, Laura was talking to me about taking risks and breaking rules as a writer and how she liked to rep people who took chances (as a way to cheer me on to keep writing what I write) and she told me about Ann as another example of an author who took risks and if she just got an editor to take a chance, would be the next big thing. And frankly, I think Laura is right. I love to talk up books I think are worth the time to read, Your Alibi is one of them. It comes out Monday from Liquid Silver. Grab it.

NJ Walters’ Three Swords, One Heart released from EC a few weeks back. Here’s a blurby bit: Malik and Kalis are cursed to forever wander the world, searching for the one woman who can break the curse that has plagued their family for seven generations. In each generation of their family, the firstborn are always twin boys who bear the mark of the curse.

The woman destined to break the curse is a warrior woman, adept at hunting and battle — a woman who will give herself and her love freely to both men. Upon the death of her father, Zarina is cast out of her desert tribe. Raised more as a male than female, she is more at home wielding a blade than tending a home.

When their paths collide, both men know they have found the right woman, but Zarina is mistrustful. Do they want her simply because they believe she can break the curse or does their attraction go deeper than that? But fate will not be denied and the three wounded souls must face their destiny together.

Me again: I love NJ Walters’ writing. I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s fantasy, paranormal or contemporary - I love her voice. This book is part of the Torrid Tarot series and I’ve been fortunate to have been amongst some really wonderful authors. NJ’s fantasy themed story is a fabulous mix of action and romance (oh and hot sex too). The backstory of the curse is unique and Zarina is a really wonderful heroine who is a warrior in her own right. Three Swords, One Heart is another winner from NJ and as always, I can’t wait for her next one.

I have Mac’s Take Me and Amelia June’s Triple X to talk about but I also have a looming deadline so my reading time has been much reduced. I’ll be talking about both books next week.

(Just a note - I’ve loved Alison’s writing from the first Blaze of hers I picked up - The Sweetest Taboo (in the Men to Do series where I discovered other favorites like Jo Leigh), then I found her Girl Gear and she did the first SG-5 book, The Bane Affair which remains a favorite to this day and I could go on but then I’d probably scare her with my squealy fangirlishness at the fearless way she writes. That’s the key for why I come back to her books over and over - she just puts the story out there and she’s always pushing the boundaries.)

LD: One thing about you as an author that always appeals to me is that even when you’re writing category you’re taking risks. Risks with characters and storylines and my favorite of all, risks with sex. Is it just me or do you push the envelope on purpose?

AK: I don’t push in that I think about doing it. It’s just the way I write, and I do take a lot of hits from romance readers who don’t want to go where I’m going but still want to read what I write. I understand that because I have authors whose stories compel me, but with twists and turns that make me uncomfortable, even as they work for the book.

I wrote my first published novel in 1993, and during the editing stage had one scene cut completely because it was too raw – and this was fourteen years ago, so this isn’t something I’ve done for a market or to sell books. It’s just how I write. I never liked closed bedroom doors in the books I was reading. I wanted a detailed a look at the intimate moments between the characters as everything else. So that’s what I set out to write.

LD: Tell me about The Perfect Stranger:

AK: I started THE PERFECT STRANGER years ago, 1994 maybe? It was before I made a sell to Harlequin, but after my first sale to Meteor. I had read AMAZON LILY and loved it so much that I wanted to write my own story of “jungle love.” I still have the coolest rejection letter from Carrie Feron of Avon that she loved my writing but couldn’t do anything with a book set in the jungle. Then Denise Little wanted to buy it for her “Denise Little Presents” imprint at Kensington, but was on a buying freeze at the time.

I put the book away, used tidbits of it (Hank Smithson) when I started the Smithson Group series for Brava, and then finally had the chance to tell Jackson Briggs’ story. He’s the SG-5 chopper pilot, but he’s not one of the group’s operatives, so his is a personal story when he meets Jillian Endicott during a humanitarian work project on a Caribbean island. Though . . . meets isn’t really the right word since she drugs him and kidnaps him for reasons of her own.

LD: What makes a hero compelling? And a heroine?

AK: For me, any character needs intelligence to be compelling. I don’t mean education or experience, but common sense and what my husband calls “snap.” As a reader (or an author) I need a character to be pro-active, never passive, and part of that requires the intelligence to reason their way through a situation – even if they make bad choices. I don’t care about characters who allow a plot to happen to them. They have to belong to it and shape it logically, and that requires a good head on their shoulders. I don’t have to like what they do. I don’t have to agree with it or think it’s the best thing under the circumstances. But I do have to understand it.

LD: How many books do you usually write in a year and is there a process for what you decide to write and when?

AK: Lately, too many, and so I’m cutting back a bit. I’m probably comfortable writing three, with at least one of those being a shorter project, whether a novella or a category book. And the process consists of looking at how far out the deadline is and whether or not it’s time to start the next book. I have new ideas popping up constantly, so sticking with what needs to be written first isn’t always easy.

LD: I know you didn’t start writing until you were 30 – what made you decide to do it?

AK: I picked up a book and said, “I can do this.” I might even have been one of those horrible people who said, “I can do better than this.” I remember the book, and no I’m not going to mention the title or the author because it’s humiliating enough that I ever thought writing a successful book couldn’t be all that hard! But what I said above about closed bedroom doors. I wanted more of that physical relationship in the books I was reading, and so set out to write just that.

LD: What’s the best thing about writing?

AK: The end. And hearing from readers. It can be what they liked, or what they didn’t like. It’s interesting to hear both sides, and I’ve had some great “a-ha” moments after hearing from a reader that she didn’t like a choice I’d made, or how I’d constructed a scene.

I’m not a natural storyteller, so the process of writing is excruciatingly painful for me. The ideal writing situation would be complete solitude from page one to page last while I *am* the book – but who can live like that?

LD: Anything you want to add?

AK: Just a big fat thank you for having me visit and for sharing THE PERFECT STRANGER with your readers!

You can see my review of The Perfect Stranger here and read an excerpt here.

I’m a techno dumbass, Alison has a fabulous trailer for the book, she sent me the code but it won’t work so I’ll link you.

I have an advance copy of NJ Walters’, Craving Candy. This is book 4 in her Awakening Desires series (Erin’s Fancy is my favorite so far).

This entry brought to you in the spirit of Eddie Murphy’s comedy bit “I got an ice cream” (you’ll probably have to be a certain age to get that but still)