The Dynamic Trio - Blog

Because I’ve gotten used to windows movie maker through doing video blogging, I thought I’d try to make a book video for a few of my upcoming books. The problem is, like video blogging, I look up and an hour has passed without my knowing it. It’s fun to think about how to present your book through visual media instead of through words. It’s a whole new way to think about your work and as long as you use the stock photo sites and the stock music sites (hey, I know what it’s like to be pirated!), you can make something fun for around the same price as you’d spend on some cover ads at a website (aside from what a huge time suck it is, but that’s just me loving to learn something new - blame Anya Bast, she started me on this road!)

To tell the truth, I’m not overly convinced book videos make a difference in book buying patterns. Shrug. Hell, lots of things I do I’m not sure if they make a difference. And having them done professionally is far more expense than I’m personally willing to go to (although certainly after having done one now, I know the time and energy it takes!).

However, I’m never opposed to learning how to do things for myself. It appeals to the control freak living inside me, making lists and using color coded 3×5 cards and stuff. I don’t think it can *hurt* to try book videos, most certainly. And I like doing the multi media stuff even if I’m not perfect at it. It’s fun even if it’s time porn in a major way.

I’ve got several books coming out in print the remainder of this year - Making Chase, Reading Between the Lines and Undercover (and Taking Care of Business in the UK) so why not give it a whirl? So without further ado - here’s my very first book video for my summer trade paper release, Reading Between the Lines. Go easy on me, it’s my first time…

Woohoo! Midnight Treat is shipping from Amazon, even though the official release date is 10 June. Here’s the blurb:

WANTED: Kissable bachelor with fangs seeks soft,
sexy lady for a kinky good time. Meet me at midnight….

SALLY PAINTER
To Kiss a Gargoyle

Tempted by the half-man/half-lion statue perched outside her high-rise office window, Marcy puts her hot lips on his rock-hard body, bringing the towering, muscular stud to life — along with her wildest fantasies.

MARGARET L. CARTER
Tall, Dark and Deadly

After a business meeting with irresistible leading man Claude Darvell ends in carnal ecstasy, Eloise learns he’s no actor — he’s a vampire — and his seductive bite arouses her erotic appetite.

SHELLEY MUNRO
Curse of Brandon Lupinus

The gorgeous hunk who haunts Jess’s dreams shows up in the flesh, claiming to be a ghostly eighteenth-century werewolf — and together they indulge in some naughty bedroom play that leaves both of them panting for more.

Buy your copy here.

And finally, over at my blog today we’re discussing pirates. Come and say hello.

Hi all ;D

I’m a bit late posting this and apologize for that. It’s been nuts at work. In fact, before I could get out the door this morning my phone was ringing because some of my customers were having major problems.

My customers are pharma and biotech manufacturers. While they add to our lives by producing everything from life saving medicines to good-ole-cracker-jack vitamins, sometimes they forget that the sun doesn’t rise when they wake up in the morning. Besides, the sun can’t rise when they wake up, ’cause it saves that honor for when I crack open my eyes and sit up in bed ;D LOL!

Anyway, as the day went along the problems kinda of piled up. I even found myself at odds with a co-worker. In fact, we ended up in an argument. Bottom line - my boss gave me instructions to do something a certain way, and the co-worker didn’t give a fig and was determined to do it her own way. The problem with that was that I’d still end up on the hook if the tasks weren’t completed on time or in a satisfactory manner. Can we all say, ‘Bump that mess’ boys and girls?

So, I backed up, backed off…and called my boss to let her handle it.

Now, if that had happened fifteen or twenty years ago I probably would have handled it all wrong by continuing to press my point with my co-worker, even if I knew it wasn’t going to get me anywhere. However, the years of experience in a thing called ‘life’ have given me some wisdom on when to just back up, call it a day, and leave it alone. I do the same thing in relationships (which I haven’t had in for-EVAH!). I think the biggest compliment my ex has ever given me was in front of a counselor when he said, “She doesn’t ask me for much, she doesn’t nag me about anything, she handles the big things like a champ…” Most men would be happy to have a woman like that, wouldn’t you think?

But I digress. My question to you is this - are there things you used to do a certain way at one time in your life that you do completely different now? You don’t have to get too personal, but I’m just curious.

10,500 / 90,000 (11.7%)

RELENTLESS!

Whoo! Hit 10K last night and the story and my characters are opening up for me. Originally I’d envisioned a certain kind of push and pull between H/H but as I write, that’s not how it’s working. Certainly they’re from two different worlds, but I can’t make them not like each other so I’m not going to force it. The meta story is the same, the conflicts are the same, but their chemistry is a bit different.

IMO, you can’t outline chemistry. It’s organic on the page and it develops as you write. At least for me. I know other folks write with very detailed, broken down by scene outlines. I wouldn’t outline at all if I didn’t have to to sell to NY and on proposal because I tend to like to let the story unfold on its own. However, an outline is helpful when you’re starting something you sold on a few pages of an idea in November, LOL.

Don’t get me wrong, selling on proposal and synopsis is awesome. It means editors trust me and my record enough to complete a book, a good book, to buy on spec. I appreciate having come this far. And I’m fortunate to have editors who haven’t complained when I veer a bit off from the original synopsis when I turn in the final. Now, if I was really veering off, like it had been proposed as a post apoc love story between one man and one woman and I turned in a contemporary menage romance, that’s gonna be a problem! But so far, *knocks wood* it’s been smallish things - almost always because as I write, my characters real motivations come to me and I write to reflect that.

I heard this human interest story on the news yesterday. I think a good marriage takes work along with compromise, so it always impresses me when I see a story like this.

British couple Frank and Anita Milford celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary on May 26th. The couple met at a YMCA dance in 1926 and married two years later at Torpoint register office in Cornwall, England. They celebrated their marriage by going to a Charlie Chaplin film. They intended to celebrate their 80th anniversary (oak) with their family and were having a nice meal.

According to the Mirror article the couple said, “The secret of their happy marriage is a little kiss before bed, trips to bingo and good plain English food.” They advise young couples to make time for a little romance every day.

Anita said: “Couples these days don’t last long because they don’t take enough time for each other. There just isn’t enough respect.”

You can read the full article here.

Hi all! I don’t have alot to write about because I’m frantically working on three manuscripts all at the same time. One book is the story of Alaina Bixler, the daughter of Carin and Bix. I hadn’t planned to continue the series after the third book (Kenoe’s story, due out in July) but I got an idea in my head that I just couldn’t shake, so it’s in the works. And speaking of Kenoe’s story, the final book cover has been okay’d and it’s now up on the Samhain Publishing coming soon web page. I’ll have it up on my website soon, too.

I’m also working on books for the Pryde sisters from Spirit of the Pryde. They’ve been on hold for a while, but I’m now hot and heavy working on Niah’s story.

Memorial Day is upon us. Most year’s we barbeque or have people over, but in Colorado we don’t have any family or friends, so we just kind of do our own thing. This year, my son is in Wyoming camping with his dad, and my daughter and I are doing absolutely nothing - which is a fabulous. However if you’re a martini kind of gal, I recently got some new recipes that you just might like…

Check out the Fine Living take on Washington Apple Martinis, Blueberry Martinis, Flirt-inis, Passion-tinis, and more!

It’s a totally gorgeous day. My husband is home installing our new computer (WHEEE!) and my kids are reasonably well behaved. Nice huh? Add to that a swanky new excerpt brochure Frauke designed for me and already some good words added to RELENTLESS and I’m a happy camper.

Pumpkin muffins are the devil. Why are they so good? Our local grocery store has a bakery inside and their pumpkin muffins are sin and I love them. They’re the size of a softball though and I’m quite sure they’re a zillion calories but I can’t make myself care (She says washing it all down with diet coke). I wouldn’t even go to that part of the store (also where the cupcakes live and we know my position on cupcakes) but to access the fruit and veg it’s the natural path unless I go to the front of the store and back around, which makes my loop all wrong. It’s a plan of course, to make my ass even bigger by the corporation that owns Top Foods. Hmpf. Damn them and their delicious baked treats.

AND for yesterday…

I finished copyedits on Undercover. Whew. And I still like the book even if I really don’t want to look at it again for at least six months. It’s always iffy when you look at a book after you’ve looked at it what seems like a zillion times so it’s a relief I’m happy with it still.

I finished Jeri Smith-Ready’s Wicked Game last night. It’s been a while since I’ve been this totally gonzo about a book. I just really loved it. It’s smart, the writing is clever, tight, sexy in the right places, tense in others, scary here and there and totally original.

Ciara is a smart but not perfect heroine. A grifter (oh how I love twisted characters) trying to go straight for a host of believable and layered reasons. Her job at this funky radio station makes sense. The way she acts with the vampires makes sense. The way she interacts with Shane her sort of boyfriend/vampire makes sense. I liked her a lot because she was accessible in a really wonderful way.

The mystery/suspense element was well done. The worldbuilding was clever and believable and the romantic sub-plot handled well and in proportion to the story. On top of all this? Jeri is a really, genuinely nice person, which is all too rarel.

Wicked Game is a really good book and if you haven’t grabbed it yet you really should. You won’t be sorry at all.

And lastly, my husband is home from his business trip so yay! A long weekend without copy edits or a super close book deadline, a new book opening up in front of me to write, time with my family - it’s all good.

I have a new cover for Cat and Mouse, the fifth book in my Middlemarch Mates series. It will come out on 1 October from Ellora’s Cave. Here’s the blurb:

Every woman has sexual needs. Lana Sinclair, feline shapeshifter and widow, is more than ready for a fun night with a likeminded male. Hot lovin’ is compulsory because she’s determined to scratch the itch that’s driving her crazy. This time, career-girl Lana is picking a malleable male who won’t try to corral her into the housewife role.

Fellow shifter Duncan Ross is the perfect candidate. The cowboy follows the rodeo circuit and is only in Middlemarch for the bull riding. One night of mutual seduction, slick, naked bodies and pleasure then he’ll be on his way.

Duncan is astonished when Lana propositions him, but no one could ever call him stupid. He’s always desired Lana and now that she’s ready for sex, he’s all action. It’s time to lasso the woman of his dreams with some sweet lovin’ and charm, a sexy massage and ropes spliced together with addictive pleasure. He’ll seduce her to his way of thinking—a permanent arrangement. This is one go-round Duncan is determined to win.

I’m giving away a copy of Midnight Treat over at Author Island today - that’s the anthology with Sally Painter, Margaret Carter and me. Make sure you hop on over and enter the contest. The winner will receive a print copy of the anthology just as soon as I get my hands on one. This book hits the shelves on June 10 2008.

Hi all! Fabulous news! Hatsept Heat, Vampire Council of Ethics Book 3 is up on the Samhain Publishing coming soon page. To get a look, click here.

I also received the cover for the Pocket Books anthology that will contain Jaguar’s Rule. It’s called DOING IT THE HARD WAY.

I’d love to know what you think.

TJ

Come on over to Lust Bites to tell me!