News on the Book Front

Have to share the first review Big Mike and I have received for Veil of Deception. Reviewer Dawn with Love Romances and More gives Veil of Deception a 4.5 out of 5 hearts rating:

If you enjoy a suspenseful romance that keeps you guessing even as you flip the pages, then grab VEIL OF DECEPTION. Both these authors will keep you on your toes, jumping at shadows until the very climatic ending and then you’re eager to read it again. I definitely will be going back and reading this again in the future as it stays with you even after the last page is read. Run, don’t walk, to pick up the latest book from these two talented authors and be prepared to get lost in the mystery of Spenser Lake. I look forward to more collaborations between these two in the future.

Read the rest of the view here.

Full Throttle is now available in paperback. For all of you readers who prefers a print book you can hold in your hands, this one is only $13.95 and can be purchased here.

Also got a new review for Full Throttle. Mickey with You Gotta Read Reviews gives Full Throttle a "You Need to Read" rating (which is basically 4 out of 5 stars)?

The character studies are wonderfully detailed and vivid. I love the interactions between Sam and Linc as they work through their their individual problems, how those situations impact their lives and any potential relationships that they are trying to develop with each other and the people in their lives. Added to this underlying tension is a threat to Sam's well-being that concerns everyone, plus a developing closeness to Linc's young son that surprises them both. Full Throttle is a very enjoyable story, one with all the requisite elements needed to make it a must read book: great characters, superior plot, witty dialogue and surprising twists.

Read the full review here.

Thanks for taking the time to check out both of these books - two of my all-time favorites that I've written to date.

Veil of Deception Now Available

The time has finally come - my first romantic suspense novel co-authored with Michael Davis is now available in e-book format from Champagne Books!

We don't have any reviews that I can link here yet but the initial buzz is that everyone loves it. I encourage you to visit my website and Big Mike's if you want to learn about the book, read an excerpt, and learn how the idea for the novel was born.

We are thrilled to finally see our "baby" published and eagerly await the first reviews.

And hey - if you got one of those spiffy new e book readers for Christmas, why  not upload Veil of Deception and give it a try?

It's That Time Again: Preditors & Editors Book Poll

Every year, Preditors & Editors holds a contest for the best book in several categories, best publisher, best cover art, etc. for fiction and nonfiction published in the prior year. If you've never heard of Preditors & Editors, the site is a valuable resource for anyone in the publishing industry listing publishers, agents, and submission guidelines for all genres and types of publications. They post information without bias, and let others know about possible scams and bad publicity (hence the name) - a very constructive compendium.

The annual poll allows anyone to nominate a book, author, artist or editor and vote on the selections. It is only open for two weeks, this year from January 1st to January 14th.

I personally nominated Amanda Kelsey for her fabulous work on the cover art for Suspicion of Love. She did such a fantastic job getting every little detail just right I feel she really deserves the honor. If you want to vote for her you can access the poll here: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml.

Of course there's lots of great Champagne books and authors, there, too, as well as Champagne being up for best publisher. Then there's my last release as the sole author, Full Throttle. If you've read it and liked it, please consider placing your vote. Use this link to take a look and vote on your favorites in all categories: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/.

And if you can, I encourage you to support Preditors & Editors. You can find out more about them and make a donation at http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/.

Full Throttle is Now Available!

FULL THROTTLE - The Story Behind the Story

Before I met and married my current husband, I spent some time doing the Internet dating thing. I started corresponding with a guy who told me he was new in town, attending school and riding an old bike. I pictured some nerd on a Schwinn 10-speed.

He sent me his photo and I thought he was pretty cute. Pretty soon we met in person. I realized his “old bike” was a Honda motorcycle and he was attending Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. To pay the tuition, he worked nights at a printing company.

I spent a lot of time keeping him company at his job. One night I changed the clutch on his Honda still garbed in the dress I’d worn to work (which got covered in splotches of grease and oil and ended up in the rag bag), while he printed out a stack of brochures for a client. That was the night he told me he was in love.

It wasn’t long afterward that he moved into my house and convinced me to front the money for a mobile motorcycle dynamometer. If you’re not familiar with this particular piece of equipment, it’s a device mounted on a trailer that measures the horsepower and torque of a motorcycle.

We got our mobile dyno business going and attended every motorcycle event and local “bike nights” we could. It was hard, grueling, dirty work that consumed nearly every hour away from our “real” jobs. Because we were on a limited budget, we usually camped out for the weekend at rallies, adding to my work.

My boyfriend graduated and got hired at a custom cycle shop in town. Many nights I met him at the shop and helped him work on his own basket case of a Harley. His co-workers accepted me in the service bays and considered me just “one of the guys”. By day I was the executive office manager for an upscale, three-star hotel; by night I was a motorcycle mechanic. There were days I would show up for work dressed in a business suit, hose, and heels with grease under my fingernails.

Along the way I met lots of interesting people. They all became the basis for the characters in Full Throttle – from the rich guy who rode a Deuce and hired us for a full day of testing and tuning his garage full of motorcycles to the woman who rode her own huge, customized hog proudly with a group of gruff bikers.

Full Throttle’s heroine Samantha is much like me. She holds a business degree but teams up with her cousin to start a motorcycle dyno business and market their services to the owner of the custom cycle shop where Doug works, Linc Montgomery. Linc is a handsome ex-motorcycle racer who is the amalgam of several men I met while testing and tuning bikes.

Alas, my relationship didn’t last, nor did the business. I still have an MMI uniform shirt that I wear to change the oil in my truck while I remember those days. I wouldn’t do it again, but boy, the experiences… Read about them in FULL THROTTLE, available now in e-book format from Champagne Books.

Full Throttle is Coming Soon

Look at my newly created cover art for Full Throttle! I think the artist, Trisha Fitzgerald, did a fanastic job.

Full Throttle will be available October 1st through Champagne Books. Here's a blurb about this contemporary romance (my first!):

When ex-Harley racer Linc plots a full throttle seduction of motorcycle tech Samantha, the last thing he expects is love to throw a wrench in the works

Phoenix is hot but the bikers are even hotter and Samantha finds this out firsthand after partnering with her cousin to run Dr. Doug’s Mobile Dyno, a motorcycle testing and performance tuning business. Spurned by an ex-fiancée and resolved to taking care of her aging father and his medical problems, romance is the last thing Samantha’s looking for while expanding her new business is at the top of her priorities list.

Along comes opportunity in the form of Linc Montgomery, a tough, business-savvy, ex-Harley racer and new owner of Full Throttle Custom Cycles in Phoenix. Linc is used to having gorgeous women fall at his feet. When he meets Samantha and agrees to contract her dyno services, he quickly realizes she isn’t one of those brainless bimbos he normally dates before carelessly tossing aside.

The challenge is on for Linc as he sets out to seduce Samantha just to prove he can. He doesn’t plan on the interference of his ex-wife and her ex-fiancée – both of whom serve to make him realize that along the way, his seduction scheme causes him to fall head over heels in love. It isn’t so easy to convince Samantha she belongs to him

This book is so far the nearest and dearest to my heart. It is based on my own experiences owning a mobile motorcycle dynamometer and the adventures my partner and I had traveling around the area and attending biker events. I can't wait until it comes out, and hope you can't either!

My Wackiest Interview Yet - Angelica Hart and Zi

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a very talented pair of writers who form the author team of Angelica Hart and Zi. Listen in on their wild and wacky personalities that come out in response to my very normal questions.

CM: From where did you get the idea for your latest release?

Z:  Great query.  The cultivation of ideas has great import.  To do this we participate in what we call  lamestorming sessions.  About twice a year Angelica and I pitch stories and plots.  It is a set aside day in which we each bring twenty ideas and participate in a game of war similar to that of the card game.  I'll play one flaming arrow princess love story which would then be triumphed by one biological plant that trans-morphs into a man who becomes horny.  If it's lame it goes.  This single elimination tournament then leaves us with the four semi-finalists which we then consider as possible projects. 

Bombastic... Imbecilic... Improbable are coupled with social relevance, entertainment value, and fortunetelling when we each privately create our pitch points.  Then the fracas begins.  At the conception point of ideas, we allow ourselves the freedom of being without boundaries because once the idea is set into our queue natural boundaries will restrict it.

KILLER DOLLS being released in September 2009 was one of those card ideas played on one of those pitch days.  It lost to a tango dancing private investigator who had gone under cover in a dance studio as a dancer to solve a mystery.  His peril included Spanish dance shoes with loosen heels.  Angelica pitched that winner.  I was being nice and let it slip through.  We never wrote it, claiming I knew nothing about dance, and re-offered KILLER DOLLS insisting we can use her private investigator persona as the hero.  We never did.  Used his name.  Made him F.B.I.  He can't dance. 

A:  You said he was going to dance in the sequel.  We are writing a sequel aren't we?  Zi?

Z:  Sure we are... We're going to title it KILLER DANCING DOLLS...  Next question!

CM: I love the idea of a tango-dancing P.I.! Can't wait to find out what your lamestorming is going to produce next. Now then, tell me a bit about your background and what prompted you to write a book.

Z:  Educated as an engineer.  (Long pause should be placed here...  one pensive sigh... and that look that implies I believe I've answered your question.)  I find myself uncomfortable talking about me, but I shall do my best to respect the question.  Obviously, like most writers I love the play of stories and how well-crafted words can steer reaction.  From age twelve I knew there were stories housed between my rather dapper ears.  At age fifteen, I rewrote the ending of Lord of the Flies.  Let my friends read it, and was applauded.  At age sixteen I wrote a school play.  At age twenty-seven I wrote a community theater play.  By then I was writing, and haven't stopped since.

A:  I'm a control freak. 

Z:  That would be quite the understatement.

A: (I turn, stare, providing my best effort to... control any further outbursts by him.)  As I was saying...  So even as a child when I wrote my first book using construction paper and crayons, I wanted the princess to have the sword and ride the horse.  So I wrote it.

Z: So you self-published?

A: Signed limited editions.

CM: I can relate to that, Angelica! My first book, Mr. Fathead Goes to the Moon, was self-published and released in limited distribution (to the family) at the age of seven, too! With your love of reading and writing in mind, what one book would you take to a deserted island because you could read it over and over again?

A:  I’d bring an e-book reader like the Kimble, that way I could bring about 1500 books.  Seriously, how do you pick just one?  Impossible.  There are the classics like Jane Eyre, more Victoria Holt books than I can count, let’s not forget Piers Anthony and Asmiov, King, Koontz, Cook, and all those authors coming out of Champagne … like YOU, Candace, and Michael W. Davis, and Kimber Chin, and… and… and…   (Starts to hyperventilate and calms down.)  Sorry, books are a passion of mine.

Z:  I'd take the dictionary.  It in itself could inspire my imagination.  The word mohair could inspire a story about big foot.  Stubble makes me think of a planet that all of the corn stalks were cut close to the ground, and I'd wonder why and imagine huge cannons that shot popcorn.  So, captured in that treasury of words could be endless possibilities. 

A:  Never mind ... I'm just taking a cell phone and calling Zi.

Z:  Did you notice neither one of us answered your question?

CM: I did notice that, Zi. As a seasoned interviewer I must admit you guys have got me flummoxed! Let's me move on to a less, um, controversial topic. What is the first book you can remember reading that made you realize a good book is something special?

Z:  Lad A Dog was special because in the privacy of my own read when the copperhead set fang to Lad and brought the dog to the brink of death, I as a lad myself found apt tear, cursed at the book but have held a great respect for the power of the word.

A: (Remembering the story, sniffles and  blows nose, loudly.)  The Velveteen Rabbit… Actually, it was read to me.  I cried and laughed and felt sad when the story was finished.  I missed the characters.  I’d carry the book around after that and hold it out in a demanding fashion to any and every reading-able adult.   I couldn’t wait to learn how to read so I could read every book in the world.  I’d hoard books and comic books like a rabbit and its carrots.  They were my friends.

Z:  Chipmunks horde.  Rabbits they wiggle their noses.  Re-examine your simile.

A:  No...

CM: Oh, I loved The Velveteen Rabbit, too! That is definitely one of the classics. Speaking of hoarding, how do you get yourself into the mood to write? Any special rituals/habits?

Z:  Writer's block.  We define that as time set aside to write.  A definition quite different than most. We think our optimistic approach works.  Except for once in my entire life, I can't remember being without appropriate words or an idea.  How do I prepare?  How do I put myself in the mood?  What are my rituals?  Habits?  Provide me a pencil and a pad, I write.  Provide me a computer, don't even need a chair, I write.  Provide me a tape recorder, I write.  Provide Angelica on the other end of a cell phone, one of us having something to scribe with, and I write.  It seems as natural as a boy chasing a girl...  And she catching him. 

A:  (Takes a breath, thinks, blurts.)  Tea… tea… and more tea.

Z:  That's Tea-rffic.  (Wasn't that punny?)

CM: Very punny, Zi, and it sounds like you enjoy a never-ending supply of ideas. But still... What do you do when you hit a point in your book where you don’t know where to go next?

Z:  Never happens.  This is not intended to be dismissive but completely honest.  Because we work together, we have wonderful sessions where we outline.  We texture locations and pre-define characters.  It is rare that on the fly do we ever vamp in a new direction.  That would be unfair considering we share the geneses and development of every project.  Oops, you just saw the engineer, a vision becomes reality within a certain set of guidelines.

A:  However, when we are in the midst of creating the outline we sometimes want to go in different directions, that makes for some interesting bantering.

CM: Having co-authored a book with Michael Davis, I know what you mean Angelica. I love getting those honest reactions fueld by personal and gender differences. Of course we all have to base our characters on those we've encountered during our lives. Do you include people you know disguised as characters in your book(s)?

Z:  Not a single one yet everyone.  Characters are the cross-culmination of varying personalities.  Circumstance draws upon traits of every person and every experience that life has granted, then magnified, embellished, and altered with nuance to meet the plot's need.

A: (Winks.)  Nary a soul is safe.

CM: Hmm, I'll keep that in mind! Note to self: do not get too up close and personal with these people. What do your family and friends think about your occupation as a writer?

Z:  They say they're proud but by definition because they are family and friends, they have to be.  We have never had the fire squad moment where its live or die, like me or not.  That's obviously a tad morose so I'll just believe them. 

A:  They're my cheerleaders, and you should see their pom-poms.

Z:  Lean to the left... lean to the write... stand up... sit down... write, write, write!  Go Angelica!  Go!

CM: Zi, that cheerleader outfit has to go. I'm reminded of that Saturday Night Live skit... not pretty. Do you get support from your family when writing and upon publication of your books?

Z:  Abso-frackin'lutely!

A:  Can we say that?  If so, what he said.

CM: Maybe you should write the dictionary instead of bringing it to the deserted island, Zi! What’s one thing that most readers would be really surprised to learn about you?

Z: That I had to file an accident report for a company car where a buffalo sat on the front hood.  That explained the crater-like dent.  The accident report did not include the very simple fact that this mammoth creature shat on that same hood and that material was so viscous and was expelled with such force that it covered the entirety of the windshield, hood and side panels and I could not put a claim in for the five hours of lost time bucketing water from a stream just so I could see to drive to a place where I could wash it. 

A: That I drive Zi crazy 'caaaauuuussseee  I'm sometimes allergic to logic, and engineers live by logic.

CM: I can sympathize, Angelica, as Michael Davis is much the same. And Zi, I'll never look at a New York football player the same way again. When you sit down to write a book, are you two plotters (laying out all the plot points ahead of time) or pantsters (plotting by the seat of your pants)?

Z:  (Nice wordsmithing.) Duh!  I'm a plotter's plotter.  I pre-plot the plot.

A:  Plot... plot... plot... running off... Zi  grabs me by the seat of my pants (metaphorically) and sets me down ... and then we plot... plot... plot...

CM: (Fanning self) Whew, you had me going there for a minute imaginging all sorts of S&M... Remember this a G-rated blog, kids. Which of the characters you’ve written is your favorite and why?

Z:  wRen from SNAKE DANCE, being released February 2010.  She's a blossom, a steel blossom. 

A: Vench and Vilgal from KILLER DOLLS.  They're just so nasty.  What fun to dive into that villainy.

CM: Now you've really got me worried, Angelica. Who says their favorite character is a villain? I can only imagine what whips and chains are in your closet! Now I know you don't write erotica, but what genre is your favorite to write?

Z: Contemporary thriller with the sub-text of growing romance.  All wrapped in the banana peel of quirky.

A: Fantasy and thrillers and sci-fi and...  Oh shoot, the more apt question would be, what genre don't I like to write...  non-fiction.

CM: I can only imagine just how quirky your books are! Okay, finally, the most important question: chocolate or vanilla?

Z: Strawberry.

A: Vanilla with chocolate fudge syrup.  We were talking ice cream, right?  Oh, and don't forget the M & Ms.  I speak for both of us, this has been great!  Thank you for having us.

Angelica Hart and Zi
Killer Dolls  ~  September 2009
Snake Dance  ~  February 2010
Champagne Books



CM: It's been a real pleasure and quite the wild ride, Angelica and Zi. Thanks for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to talk to me.

Interviews

I'm trying to take this whole promotion part of writing seriously. In so doing, I've asked for a little help from my friends. They were happy to oblige, thankfully!

You can find one of my interviews posted at Nancy Henderson's blog where I talk about writing in general and the gift of creativity. Nancy is a very gifted author herself, with several historical and paranormal romances published with Champagne Books.

Next week, I will also be featured on Sharon Donovan's blog talking up my latest release, Suspicion of Love. Sharon and I just recently got to know each other through the miracles of cyber space and we have found a lot in common. She has a great sense of humor and her guest interview posts are full of her exceptional creativity.

I thought I'd also share the photo Sharon is posting along with my interview since it dovetails nicely with the type of clothing worn in the Edwardian era in which Suspicion of Love takes place. The dress is a circa 1910 ballgown I bought from a former employer at an antique and vintage clothing shop. This photo was taken about 26 years ago - when I was still small enough to fit into the tiny clothes from yesteryear. Ah, those were the days!

I hope you enjoy reading the interviews. I'm off to chase chickens and try to burn a few calories!

It’s All About Promotion

At least that’s what, as a romance author, I’ve been told over and over again by the wonderful staff at my publisher, Champagne Books. It’s not just enough to write a romance novel and get it published.

That’s when the real work just begins. Blogging, chatting, book signings, handing out bookmarkers and business cards, marketing the website, posting excerpts, creating profiles at book-related sites, social networking – the list goes on and on.

Honestly, how’s anyone with a “real” job supposed to write another book, let alone keep the home fires burning so they remember what romance is supposed to be like, and keep up on promotion?

Yeah, it can be difficult. Unfortunately, just because you create an artistic piece doesn’t mean someone will find it, and buy it. Promotion is the difference between being a no-name artist and one who becomes an icon.

Even so-so artists have been able to make a career out of their art because of great promotion. Take Bob Dylan and Madonna, for example. Or Willie Nelson. None of these singers is particularly talented vocally, yet all have made millions of dollars.

For a romance novelist, the road can be rocky indeed. I know very few authors have ever made big bucks on their first novel. Look at Janet Evanovich. She started out writing category romances for Harlequin many moons ago. Were those books great literary works of art? Hardly. But I guess they paid the bills until she could sell the fantastic novels she writes now.

Does that mean I aspire to be a so-so writer who just markets herself successfully? Not in the least. I’d much rather be known as a good writer, but am realistic enough to realize that is not enough in today’s ultra-competitive market.

Call me a promo whore. Maybe one of these days it will pay the bills.

Review of the Ebook, Invisible by Kimber Chin

Invisible

By Kimber Chin

The first person she made disappear was herself

Available now in ebook format from Champagne Books

Maeve Delaney is a woman with a lot of issues as the result of a past filled with disappointment, hurt, and hard times. Hagen Rayner is the rich grandnephew of Birger, Maeve’s dear friend who dies shortly after the beginning of the tale.

Birger’s death, however, does not mean that he is no longer in their lives. The old man’s will stipulates that in order for Hagen to inherit the big, old family home filled with antiques and artwork Hagen has accumulated for his granduncle, Hagen must go on a treasure hunt to find the deed. The only person allowed him to help in this venture is Maeve.

So begins the chase across the globe to find the house deed and the quickly developing romance between Maeve and Hagen. The biggest obstacles to their success in both ventures is Hagen’s financially overextended cousin, Dag, and his wife, Isabelle, long the object of Hagen’s desire.

Kimber does an excellent job of creating the characters. Maeve’s current fears and her past trials and tribulations are truly heart wrenching. Hagen, for all his intelligence and business savvy, comes across as a big, lumbering bear of a man with a heart of gold. Their journey to find the hidden treasure makes both of them aware of some rather difficult-to-swallow life truths along the way. Watching them grow and mature is indeed a pleasure to the reader. It is not until the very end that the purpose of each of the clues planted by Birger becomes known and Maeve and Hagen finally figure out the old man’s true motivation.

My interest was kept until the very last page. I would highly recommend this intriguing suspense novel with a rather unique take on romance to anyone who enjoys a good read which will keep them turning the pages. Kimber’s style is not flowery, and reminds me somewhat of Janet Evanovich in terms of her ability to move along the plot at a good pace. Personally, I can’t wait to see what Kimber’s got up her sleeve next. This was a great job on her second published novel.

Master's Mistress Now Available

Master's Mistress

by Patricia Bates

Historical Romance

Published March 1, 2009 by Champagne Books

In a world of betrayal and murder, a vibrant Celtic slave woman holds the key to her Viking master’s heart.

My dear friend, Patricia Bates, realized a dream when her first full-length novel was released Sunday, March 1st from Champagne Books.

I had the pleasure of reading this book before publication. Patricia has a very distinct style to her writing and a masterful way of creating characters the readers can genuinely care about.

Review:
Amoda Ni Cormac is a slave meant for a member of Viking royalty as a wedding present from his father. It is Olaf's brother, Mykyl, however, who yearns to have the beautiful and intelligent slave as his own. Although she resists, in the end, Amoda cannot deny her own attraction for the handsome and virile Mykyl.

Although the plot of a lord falling in love with his slave is a familiar one, Patricia freshens this wonderful tale with her well-paced writing and strong characterization. You will fall in love with Lord Mykyl and feel compassion for the slave, Amoda, whom he will do anything to possess. Accurate history and vivid descriptions make Master’s Mistress a certain to be a favorite with anyone who loves rich historical romance set in medieval Europe.

Visit Champagne Books and check out Patricia's great novel today.

The Streets Were Dark With Something More Than Night...And Other Quotes

The author Raymond Chandler was a veritable fount of pithy quotations. For instance, here's one that caught my eye the other day:

"At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable."

My next release from Champagne Books, due out April 1st, just so happens to be a mystery novel with a whole lot of romance.

I must confess that Suspicion of Love does, indeed, violate this rule. But then who made up that rule anyway? Is there really a rule regarding the solution to mysteries?

I have always thought that the best mysteries keep the reader guessing; that the solution is not one they would have thought of. It makes it more suspenseful to not be able to guess the eventual outcome. That is what I hope I have accomplished with Suspicion of Love. Well, that and some good, steamy sex scenes.

Of course, Mr. Chandler also had this to say about writing a mystery novel, "When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand."

Now that's one I definitely used. Mystery novels should always include a bad guy with a gun.

Anyway, I am anxious to find out if readers enjoy reading Suspicion of Love as much as I enjoyed writing it, because it truly was a lot of fun and a labor of love. And of course, you are always welcome to let me know what you think. Just remember what Raymond Chandler said about criticism, though: "Good critical writing is measured by the perception and evaluation of the subject; bad critical writing by the necessity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic."