A Trip to the Bookstore

Yesterday afternoon we went to the Borders on School Street in downtown Boston. It's a terrific store, kitty corner across from the Old South Meeting House right on the red bricked Freedom Trail. My daughter picked up the newest Rick Castle book (still bewilders me a bit that a fictional author can hit the NY Times list, but that's marketing for you! ;-)) and my DH got the newest Vince Flynn title.

I'm waiting till October 26th to pick up my next book. It'll be my friend CL Wilson's Crown of Crystal Flame. The best way to support an author's work is to pre-order or buy it on the release day (or as close to it as possible). Books hit best seller lists not by virtue of the number of actual books sold. It's based on the velocity with which the book flies out the bookstores during that crucial first 2 weeks after the release date.

But I spent some time wandering the romance stacks and saw no books from Dorchester at all. Not that I expected to, but it was sad all the same. That means none of my Emily Bryan books are in the big box stores any longer. They aren't available in print on the Borders or B&N websites, though you can still get ebooks of them. Amazon has a few copies of my titles left in their warehouse, but once those are gone, they're gone.

Not finding any Leisure or Lovespell books was like reaching an abrupt "the end" to a story I wasn't ready to stop reading. I'm sad not to have my work available in print. Not that I dislike ebooks. I've started reading on my phone and find it so convenient. But in the most recent RT BookReviews, readers were weighing in on Dorchester's decision to move to ebooks only (with tradepaper coming months later) and the comments were overwhelmingly negative. Not everyone is ready to to read their romance on a screen.

However, I was very encouraged to find LOTS of Kensington Brava titles in the bookstore. When my first Mia Marlowe book comes out next May, it should be widely available in print and as an ebook simulaneously (and is already available for pre-order at Amazon, B & N and Borders!)

As you know I've been see-sawing between this blog and my Mia blog for a while. Since my career is turning in a new direction, I'll be moving exclusively to the Mia Marlowe blog starting November 3rd. We'll have a grand Moving Party with guests and give aways. I hope you'll join me and will click to follow that blog if you haven't done so already.

Thank you for your support here. We've been through quite a bit on this blog--my whirlwind 50 day/50 blog tour for Vexing the Viscount, going through my bout with cancer back in 2008, the fun of Red Pencil Thursdays (something that will carry over to the Mia blog!) and through all the changes in the publishing industry that lead me to this new chapter in my life. Thank you for being an important part of my writing. Thank you for being my friend.

Join me Today at The Chatelaines

Happy Friday! I'm blogging over at The Chatelaines today. I'm kicking off a theme of "What's next?" Be sure to pop by often to see what's up with Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, CL Wilson, Gerri Russell, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak and me.

Monday Night Chat At WritersSpace!

Just a quick note! Tonight USA Today Bestseller Joy Nash and NYTimes Bestseller CL Wilson will be at WritersSpace for a chat and to give away signed copies of their new books, SILVER SILENCE and QUEEN OF SONG AND SOUL. I'll be there offering a signed copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL to someone who chats with us as well. Please join us tonight at 9-10PM EST!

The Rhys Rumble

Gore Vidal said, “Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. As you get older, you get more skillful at casting them.”

The first step for me in peopling my story with interesting characters is deciding on their names. Before THE CHATELAINES (the group blog I share with CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak and Cindy Holby) got up and running, the whole gang had some group email discussions about the relative hotness of certain male names. Face it, it’s hard to get excited about a hero named Murgatroyd or Icabod. One name we all agreed had a high hotness quotient was Rhys (pronounced Reece).

I was surprised to learn that several of us had already used, or intended to use, the name. In fact, Rhys is the name of Joy Nash's current hero in SILVER SILENCE. If you love retellings of the Arthurian legend, you have to try Joy's vivid re-imagining of Camelot.

Rhys is also the name of my hero’s father in PLEASURING THE PIRATE. Of course, my Rhys is already dead when the story starts, but that doesn’t diminish his influence over Gabriel. Rhys Drake was a hard man, a driven man, one who demanded much from himself and those around him. His indomitable spirit motivates his son Gabriel to leave a life of piracy and try to reclaim his place as a gentleman.

Would Rhys Drake have ultimately approved? Gabriel will never know. And it maybe wouldn’t matter in the end. Pirates have a tendency to take what they want, devil take the hindermost. Gabriel might not have a swaying deck beneath his feet, but he’s still a pirate at heart.

So that’s the story of my Rhys. Have you read a book with a Rhys in it lately?

What guy names rate high on your hot-o-meter?

PS. Still a few weeks before the drawing for the $100 gift card in my MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL contest! If you haven't done so, be sure to enter!

Friday Freebies!

As you know, I'm running a MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST from now till Dec. 1st. (The prize is $100 B&N gift card and who couldn't use that just before Christmas?) Turns out, several of my writing buddies are running some great contests too! So I thought I'd share them with you.

Preparing for the holidays can leave you with little time for yourself. My friend Gerri Russell's contest will take care of that!


Just in time for the holidays... Win One, Give One As a Gift! One lucky winner will receive two Warrior’s Bride “Relax in the Bath” gift baskets. Each gift basket includes an autographed copy of Warrior’s Bride, a bath pillow, a bath sponge, and bubble bath, one for the winner and one to give to a friend. The contest runs until December 1st. Enter HERE!


This one is not exactly a contest, but it is a FREEBIE! My friend Bonnie Vanak has a free online read at eHarlequin starting Monday, Oct. 19! It's called Seducing the Vampire and it's about a half-vampire, half-werewolf who teams with his former love, a sexy vampress, to save a magick amulet from falling into the wrong hands. Each Monday for eight weeks will feature a new chapter.

What a great way to try out a new author! Be sure to check out Bonnie's latest release Immortal Wolf, which is out this month from Silhouette Nocturne. And say a little prayer for Bonnie herself. Her day job takes her into some rather dicey 3rd world countries. It's taking her to Haiti on Monday. I admire her so much for the way she helps others. You can read a bit more about that in her latest post at THE CHATELAINES.

You may remember Caroline Fyffe. She was here blogging about her debut release a few months ago and now she has a killer contest that gives you a chance to unleash your creativity. I know lots of my readers are also writers, so be sure to enter:


Caroline Fyffe's Under A Western Sky Contest
Don’t miss your chance to win a night’s stay at Slide Mountain Ranch in beautiful Tuolumne, CA. All you have to do is watch a 2 minute book trailer and write your version of the last line of the story. Here's your chance to write a happily-ever-after.....



If you haven't started the Tairen Soul series you have some serious catch up reading to do! From now until October 27, my friend C.L. Wilson is hosting a daily “countdown” blog on her website’s blog. Visitors who post a response to the Question of the Day are eligible to enter a weekly drawing for an autographed copy of QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS (book 4 in the Tairen Soul quintet) and other great prizes. I love these books! So join the fun!

Hope you enjoy visiting my friends' websites and good luck in all the contests! This weekend my DH and I hope to attend an artshow. What are your plans?

PS. Today is my regular day to post at The Chatelaines. I'm talking about "saving the ta-ta's," starting with your own!

A Christmas Kiss!

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is at The Romance Studio today. And we're sharing exclusive excerpts from each of our novellas featuring a Christmas kiss!

Please pop over to join us and leave a comment. You just might win a freebie!

Also, Fridays are my regular posting days at The Chatelaines, a group blog I share with CL Wilson, Joy Nash, Jennifer Ashley, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak and Cindy Holby. I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a rant today, but I'd enjoy hearing from you there, too!

Have a great weekend!

Hot Dish Friday!

In Northern Iowa, hot dish is what you have when you take all your left-overs, mix them in a caserole pan, pour a can of cream of mushroom soup over it and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I'm sort of doing that with my blog today. Sorry.

Fridays are my usual day to post at The Chatelaines. If you haven't given this group blog a try I urge you to pop over. It features CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak, Cindy Holby and moi. Today I'm talking a little about my novella in A CHRISTMAS BALL. I've been so heads down working on STROKE OF GENIUS, this release has snuck up on me. As you can see, it's coming fast. (And as you can also see, you can click on the corner of this countdown widget and grab the code for it. If you decide post it on your blog, you will have my undying gratitude! Let me know you did and I'll build a link to your site!) You can pre-order your copy on Amazon!

Writing a novella was a different experience for me. 30K words seems so short when you're used to luxuriating in 90K. That meant things had to pop. It was a little like writing a romance haiku. Every syllable counts.

Now I'm writing at a 10 page a day pace. For A CHRISTMAS BALL, my recovery from cancer surgery slowed me to 2 pages a day. But this is a special story for me because while I was dealing with uncertainty and a good deal of pain, slipping into the world of A CHRISTMAS BALL was a respite. An affirmation that joy and beauty and love was stronger than what I was going through at the time.

And paradoxically enough, my editor says it's the funniest thing I've ever written.(No, it wasn't drugs! I was off pain meds by then.)

Last Monday, Tessa Dare came to visit and those of you who left a comment had a chance to win a copy of her book. I'm pleased to announce that Booklover1335 is her winner! Congratulations. Please contact me through my website with your mailing info and I'll see that Tessa gets it!

And while we're on the subject of contests, my CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST is still running. Please drop by and enter for your chance to win your choice of my backlist.

So that's all in the blog frig for now. The DH and I don't have plans to explore any more harbor islands this weekend (No need to make a "Spectacle" of ourselves again any time soon!) We're going (involuntary shudder) shopping. But we're shopping for him, so it's all good. (I know, I know, I need to overcome my shopping anxiety. I'm working on it!)

Have a lovely day and a weekend filled with everything that pleases you. (And if you care to share what things that might be, please feel free!)

Home Again!

RWA in DC was a great time, but it's grand to be home in Boston! I'm sorry I didn't post while I was there. The Marriott charged $12.95 a day for an internet connection, even for its wifi in the lobby and it was a matter of principle not to pay for something Holiday Inn Express includes for free. (Especially when you consider the ridiculous room rate we were charged by the Marriott! And I talked to a couple authors who paid the $12.95 for a connection but dropped it after one day because it was so spotty.)Anyway, I'll give you the rundown now.

I had countless fangirl moments--rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sherry Thomas, Tessa Dare, Madeline Hunter, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverley--all my favorites! I'm hoping to have several of them on as blog guests soon.

Meeting my new agent (Natasha Kern) and her assistant Becky was a real treat. Natasha is a real dynamo and I think we'll work well together.

I spent some time with the Lollies (Ladies of Leisure!) CL Wilson, Christie Craig, Jade Lee, Colleen Thompson (who was up for a RITA in a field crowded with all the big names in the romantic suspense genre and she fit right in with them!) Angie Fox, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak, Natale Stenzel, Anna DeStefano, and newcomer Caroline Fyffe. I also had a lovely, tear-inducing chat with Diane Stacy (VP of Direct Sales for Dorchester) about life, love, books and everything in general. She remains one of my favorite people of all those I've met since I first published.

My humor workshop went off well. It really helped that my mom gave me something to start with. I was talking to her before I left and confessed that I was a little worried about giving the workshop because comedy is hard and I've seen humor workshops really fall flat. She said, "Nonsense! You have so much to share. Just go down there and elude confidence!" My workshop attendees thought that was a real hoot, typical motherly advice and a wonderful example of malapropism all at the same time! Thanks, Mom.

A big part of what made my conference special was getting to know my roommate, May Boonpitak. May is from Thailand and we first met a few years ago when MAIDENSONG (my debut Diana Groe title) came out. She'd read it and made a point of finding me at RT to tell me she loved it. She's a delightful person and it was fascinating to learn more about how people live in her country (She thinks Americans are mean to kick their kids out of the house when they reach adulthood. She shares a home with her parents, sister and nephew. No one ever has to live alone.) Anyway, I loved sharing my 'down time' with her.

And now I can't wait to start doing what my agent says is my Prime Directive. WRITE MY FINGERS OFF!

P.S.--Voting is still open for my STROKE OF GENIUS Name a Character Contest. Everyone who votes is entered into a drawing to win a WHOLE BOX OF BOOKS! Please help me name an important character in my current WIP by casting your vote today!

Confessions of The Anti-Shopper

Fridays are my regular days to blog at The Chatelaines--a group blog I share with Jennifer Ashley, CL Wilson, Joy Nash, Bonnie Vanak, Gerri Russell and Cindy Holby. Usually, I try to have two different posts--one here and one there, but getting ready for RT next week is compressing my time. Please join me today at The Chatelaines. I reveal the depths of my anti-shopping bias and how a transcendant shopping experience can convert even a jaded non-shopper like me.

Hope to see you in Orlando!

"You like me! You really like me!"

It's always fun to win an award and even better when the kudos come from a friend. My cyber-pal, Teddyree has honored my blog with the Premio Dardos Award. I had no idea what that means or who Premio might be, so like the good researcher I am, I googled it. Premio Dardos means "prize darts" in Italian. (And here I was thinking it might make a good Italian hero's name!)

Teddy says, "This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day."

Despite the fact that this makes me sound a little Mother Theresa-ish, I gratefully accept this award. And now comes the fun part--passing it on! Here's where I get to share the award with other bloggers I enjoy.

1. Gerri Russell's Blog - My friend Gerri can always be counted upon to share some pics of guys in kilts (Hey! That's cultural!)

2. MamaWriters- This energetic group focus on writing romance while juggling the demands of family and career! (Talk about values!)

3. Minds Alive on the Shelves - While not a romance blog, this lively site did host me one day on my 50 day/50 blog VEXING THE VISCOUNT tour. The focus of this blog is more literary than commercial fiction, but the owner Lisa is so gracious, I need to include her here. (And besides isn't this blog's title the best definition of what a book really is?)

4. WritersAtPlay - This was most fun I ever had in a blog interview! Click over for a good giggle if you missed my interview with CL Wilson the first time around. The name of the blog says it all.

5. TalkAboutMyFavoriteAuthors - For sheer volume of romance reviews and info, this blog is up there with the big girls and it's run by one spunky English major/aspiring writer, Phoebe Jordan.

6. Penelope's Romance Reviews - Penny's reading tastes are broad and she gives thoughtful, well-written reviews. I've been fortunate to receive lots of raves for my work, but Penny's insights are fresh and intensely 'quotable'--a quality my editor really prizes in reviews!

Thanks again, Teddyree! This was fun! (Be sure to check out Teddy's THE ECLECTIC READER. She always has something interesting to say.)

Now it's your turn to share, gentle reader. What blogs do you especially enjoy?

Caution:Writers at Play

NYTimes BestSeller CL Wilson and I had ourselves a giggle-fest. She and I met in Pittsburgh at RT last year and clicked like a pair of magnets. If you haven't tried her fabulous Fading Lands series, you're in for such a treat! Start with LORD OF THE FADING LANDS. You'll thank me later.

Come on over to WritersAtPlay for some Monday morning silliness. You deserve it!

PS. Let a comment or question to win a copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT!

Tingles of Magic at THE CHATELAINES

Have you ever been someplace that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end for no discernable reason? I'm blogging about the experience at THE CHATELAINES. You'll want to bookmark this fabulous blogsite. It features CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak, Cindy Holby and (blush) me!

I'm giving away a FREE copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave a comment or question.

PS. I had a great time at the Romance and Chocolate Group Signing in Farmington, CT. (You can find signed copies of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS and PLEASURING THE PIRATE at the Borders at 1600 Southeast Road!) Special thanks to Rachel, one of my blog "touristas", for making the trip and bringing her mother to the event! :)

The Chatelaines go LIVE!

Take a New York Times Bestseller, two USA Today Bestsellers, an American Title winner, and three award winning, multi-published authors, scramble them all together and what do you get? THE CHATELAINES! http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com/ ! It's the hottest new Historical authors group blog featuring CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak and . . . moi (blush!) Emily Bryan.

We'll be sharing about what's next for our writing, what's happening in our lives and any crazy thing that pops into our heads! Be sure to bookmark us so you'll never miss a moment!