Friday Catch-up!

Today is my catch-up day--a day to gather up loose ends and clear the decks. Ever have one of those?

Let's start with announcing the winners from last week's little online Mini-Romance Conference:

Monday with Barbara Monajem--Gillian Layne! Contact Barbara at bmonajem@yahoo.com with your snail mail address so she can ship your prize.

Tuesday with Connie Mason--Linda Henderson! Contact me through www.emilybryan.com with your mailing info and I'll send you LORD OF DEVIL ISLE. (A nice long excerpt of my STROKE OF GENIUS is in the back of this book!)

Wednesday with ME!--Magdalen! Contact me through www.emilybryan.com with your mailing info and I'll send you STROKE OF GENIUS as soon as my author copies arrive.

Oh! I published the next chapter in my free online novella A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS this week. If you haven't tried it, I invite you to pop over to www.emilybryan.com. There are 5 chapters up, so it's enough to get a sense of the characters. You can also vote for how you'd like to see the story continue and be entered in my monthly contest at the same time!

Several people have asked how I intend to keep blogging with the writing schedule I've just agreed to. Six novels and a novella in 15 months is a bit daunting. The answer is I'll blog as often as I can and I intend to maintain my 5 posts a week pace.

You see, in the time I've been blogging, I've discovered it's not just about me entertaining and informing you (though I always hope to do that!). Along the way, I feel we've developed a community here and I enjoy hearing from my cyber-friends.

So next week, look for MY HUSBAND MARRIED A HOOKER, Part 2 on Wednesday, along with a regular Red Pencil Thursday. I'll make the rest up as I go along. That is what I do for a living, after all.

Today, I've also got a new post up at www.miamarlowe.blogspot.com about my reception as a new Brava author at RT. And I'm up on The Chatelaines too. Hope you'll click over and join me.

This weekend, I'm dragging the DH out for some shopping for our upcoming cruise. The boy seriously needs some new shorts. I know this must come as a surprise to those of you who know me as The Anti-Shopper. The truth is, I'm only averse to shopping when I'm buying for myself.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Lord of Devil Isle by Connie Mason

I was privileged to meet Connie Mason in 2006, the year my debut novel came out. She graciously gave me a cover quote for it and a beautiful friendship was born. Recently, Connie and I exchanged emails so I could spotlight her and her newest book, LORD OF DEVIL ISLE here. There's even a short excerpt! Enjoy!

Emily: So, Connie, you've been writing for a good long while and have over 50 titles to your credit. You're a New York Times bestseller and were featured on the news program 48 Hours. Why do you think your writing career has been so long and successful?

Connie: I attribute my long writing career with connecting with my readers. I write what they want to read, what I like to read myself. I try to keep my writing fresh by mixing up the time frame and countries in which I write.

Emily: Now authors are encouraged to "brand" themselves by delivering a recognizable type of story with each book. What makes up the Connie Mason brand?

Connie: Each of my stories has elements of action, adventure, suspense, sensuality, and above all, romance.

Emily: I'm always curious about how other writers pull together the beast that is the novel. What is your writing process? Do you plan your stories out in advance or just write them as they come to you?

Connie: I always have a sense of where I'm going with a story and the characters, but even if I write a synopsis or outline, I never follow it. I write with my gut.

Emily: I usually say no one is born knowing how to write a novel, but it sounds like you were! You have traveled extensively and it certainly shows in your body of work. I think Antarctica might be the only continent that hasn't been the setting for one of your stories. But out of all the places you've been, what was your favorite trip?

Connie: I have visited or lived in every European and Scandinavian country, Eastern Europe and Russia, Spain, Portugal and Africa and Greece. I have also visited several Asian countries and lived three years in Thailand. It's difficult to pick out one country over another because there is so much to admire about each of them. But because of the difference in culture and religion, I'd have to say Thailand and Morocco.

Emily: My readers would love to know a bit more about you. Please share anything you'd like about your personal life--kids, grandkids, hobbies, etc.

Connie: I have three grown children, nine grandchildren, all grown except a twelve year old grandson, and two adorable great-grandchildren, ages 3 and 18 months. As many of you know, I lost my husband of 57 years two years ago. It was a shock which I am still coping with. As for hobbies, I take tai chi classes twice a week and read during my spare time.

Emily: I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope your kids and grandkids live close by.
I just have to ask, what's next after LORD OF DEVIL ISLE comes out April 27th--OMGosh, that's today!!!! (I'll have to sneak out of RT and run to the nearest bookstore for my copy!)

Connie: Thanks, Emily. This coming November, I'm taking my readers to Scotland with SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER. "Mad Rob" MacLaren abducts his enemy's bride at the altar, but never expected to fall under the lass's spell himself. It's a tale of honor, redemption and, of course, love.

Emily: Oh, yummy! Men in kilts! Thanks for sharing with us, Connie and I hope you'll come back when SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER hits the bookstores. And now, for a sneak peak at LORD OF DEVIL ISLE . . .


"The post as my mistress has been vacated. Would you be interested in applying for the position?”

“Captain Scott!” She raised a hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist and held it fast.

“Miss Upshall, you are far too highly wrought,” he said silkily. He brought her wrist to his lips and brushed them across her pulse point, never taking his gaze from hers.

She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm and persistent. Like a bird charmed by a snake, she lost the will to resist and allowed him to continue to hold her hand. He stroked the back of it with his thumb. Tendrils of pleasure followed his touch, ebbing and flowing like a rising tide. She knew she shouldn’t allow it, but it felt amazingly good.

“In my experience,” he said softly, his voice a low rumble, like a lion’s purr, “when a woman protests this much, it means she hasn’t had the attention of a man recently and is in desperate need of it.”

That broke the spell.

“You conceited swine! Perhaps if you consorted with women other than barmaids and trollops, you’d recognize a lady’s revulsion when you see it."

His gaze dropped to her breasts, where the hard tips showed like a pair of raised buttons under the man’s shirt she was wearing.

“Believe me, Miss Upshall. I can read the signals you’re sending, and revulsion is not in evidence.”

___________________________________________

Oh! I love it when a man sees through a woman's not-so-honest protest! Thanks for visiting with me and my readers today, Connie. I can't wait to read LORD OF DEVIL ISLE. Here's the buy link!

Leave a comment or question for Connie for a chance to win a title from Connie's backlist!

The Writer's Marathon

On Monday, they ran the Boston Marathon here.

A marathon of a different sort is about to begin--the annual spring running of the authors. It's when we crawl out of our winter writing cocoons and hit the speaking trail. I got a little jump on it last weekend when I popped up to Maine to speak to MERWA.

Tomorrow I'll sneak down to Connecticut for the day to give my My Husband Married a Hooker workshop for Connecticut Fiction Fest. No, it's not what you're thinking, you naughty girl! It's about adding writing hooks. In case you can't make it, I'll post my notes here on the blog one day next week.

All my blog posts have to be set to go for next week because I'll be in Columbus, OH for the Romantic Times Convention and I'm never sure how reliable my internet connection will be when I'm traveling. If I can, I'll still pop by to respond to comments, but I'm only taking my baby computer with me and it's sort of an internet virgin. Since I do all my writing on this little 10 inch gem, I try not to expose it to anything that might gobble up my WIP. (I'm on p. 250 of a manuscript that's due June 1st, so I can't risk losing any of it. Yes, I have some new contracts and I'm so excited about it I'm about to burst, but I'll tell you about all that later. Suffice it to say, for the next 15 months, I'm going to be a very busy girl.)

For those of you who've never been, RT is a wild week. On Monday and Tuesday, I'll be working with the Aspiring Writers Bootcamp with Bobbi Smith and Judi McCoy. I love teaching and the students are all so eager to learn. Then during the main convention, I'll be on a How to Be a Blog Queen panel, signing at the bookfair on Saturday and hanging out with readers and writers at the after-hours parties.

I'm even co-hosting one this year--The Mad Hatter's Tea Party--along with Victoria Alexander, Renee Bernard, Kristina Cook, Genella deGrey, Charlotte Featherstone, Heather Graham, Carrie Lofty, Sally MacKenzie, Donna MacMeans, Amanda McIntyre, and Sharon Page. It'll start on Wednesday night at Midnight! If you're at RT, please try to make this party! Dorchester has sent out 150 copies of Distracting the Duchess for me to give away to readers. I'll be signing as long as they last!

It'll be a fun and exhausting week and I'll be ready to assume the writing position again once I get home late on Sunday week. (For those of you who don't speak Southern, that means Sunday after next.)

Here on my blog next week, we'll have a little mini convention with some special guests and some chances for YOU to win some freebies--Barbara Monajem on Monday, romance legend NYTimes Bestseller Connie Mason on Tuesday, Me on Wednesday since STROKE OF GENIUS is coming up very soon, Glynis Smy on Red Pencil Thursday and on Friday, I'll tell you about my big contract news! Please be sure to pop by the blog next week. I will be responding to comments once I get home from Ohio for sure.

So who's going to RT and who can I count on to keep the blog fires burning?

Lord of Devil Isle

We interrupt all the Christmas blogging to bring you a breath of what's coming next spring!

I was popping over to my editor's blog Romantic Reads. (If you're an aspiring writer, I highly recommend you follow Leah Hultenschmidt's very informative blog!) I happened to see New York Times Bestseller Connie Mason's new cover for LORD OF DEVIL ISLE. Those of you who were at the Romantic Times Convention in Orlando last year will recognize the hunk in this "From Here to Eternity" moment. It's Charles Paz--Mr. Romance 2009!

Congrats to Charles, who's a super nice guy (which I noticed right after I noticed all those incredible muscles. Yes, ladies, he really looks like that!)

And also to Connie Mason, a grand dame of the genre! I'll be looking for LORD OF DEVIL ISLE next May! (And not just for the hunk on the cover!)

Mr. Romance 2009 ~ Lord of Devil Isle

Those of you who went to RT in Orlando last April probably fell in love with Charles Paz, Mr. Romance 2009. Not only is this young man extremely fine to look upon, he's got personality oozing from every hunk-a-licious pore! Part of the prize for winning the Mr. Romance title is a cover contract for one of Dorchester's books. And I managed to find out which cover will be sporting Charles next year.

It's Connie Mason's LORD OF DEVIL ISLE. Romance fans may be aware that this NYTimes Best Seller decided to retire two years ago. But the fans have spoken and Connie is writing again!

I have a very soft spot in my heart for Ms. Mason. She gave me a cover quote (the first one she'd ever granted!) for MAIDENSONG, my debut Diana Groe title. Of course, all of us who write for Dorchester would love to have Charles Paz on our covers, but I'm thrilled for Connie! And I'm happy for Charles. It's great to see such a genuine, likeable young man on a NYTimes Bestseller's cover!

If you'd like to see a slideshow of how a cover photo shoot happens (the pics are much bigger than the one above and more fun too!), please visit this RT BookReviews SlideShow

How do you like your beefcake done?