Quick Update

The last of the 10 WRITING WITH THE STARS finalists is spotlighted at Mia Marlowe Blog. The first round voting for your favorite ends today so be sure to make your voice heard.

Also, you'll want to pop over to The Chatelaines to learn about a contest to win some really cool cloth covers for Jennifer Ashley's terrific new release!

TTYS,
Emily

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.

And We Have a Winner . . .

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who offered an opinion or suggestion for my hero's name for my IMPROPER GENTLEMEN novella. I really appreciate your time and thoughts. They all gave me something to think about.

I was leaning toward Aidan going into the weekend, but not sure about it. Then JennJ gave me the history of the saint of that name. And four of you indicated Aidan was your pick. When Alfke suggested the surname Danaher, it seemed to fit for me. A couple of you liked Patrick as well.

So, my hero's name will be Aidan Patrick Stonemere Danaher (Stonemere is his English mother's maiden name and the title he'll inherit from her!)

If I didn't choose your name, I hope you won't be disappointed. I'm a bit of a name collector, so the name you suggested may turn up in a later story or as one of the secondary characters for this one. Each name set my mind churning in fresh directions and helped me flesh out some of the plot points for the story as well. So thank you, thank you, thank you one and all! I appreciate you very much.

I have some other exciting news. Jennifer Ashley, USA Today Bestselling author of Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage, has given me a dynamite cover quote for my debut Mia Marlowe title TOUCH OF A THIEF:

"Mia Marlowe proves she has the “touch” for strong heroines, wickedly sexy heroes, and love scenes so hot they singe the pages. Throw in a magical diamond and nail-biting suspense, and readers score a winner with Touch of a Thief!"

~Jennifer Ashley, USA Today Bestselling author of Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage

Jennifer Ashley is a romance powerhouse. She's hit the USA Today Bestsellers list for her historical titles. Her paranormal Pride Mates made the New York Times list. She won a Rita for her straight historical title. Jennifer writes mysteries as Ashley Gardner and erotica as Allyson James. She does it all with style and grace and a writing schedule that makes my 6 books and a novella in a year look like slacking.

Be sure to check out her latest release Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage. It's a keeper!

I'm thrilled that Jennifer carved some time from her busy schedule to read Touch of a Thief and even more excited to have such a wonderful cover quote from her. The best way for me to thank her is to urge you all to make her books an auto-buy like I do.

Enjoy!

Em Recommends

Today is Release Day for some friends of mine. First, let me tell you about my critique partner Ashlyn Chase's new light-hearted paranormal STRANGE NEIGHBORS. I've been treated to this story almost from the get-go and watched it shift through several permutations to its current hysterical state.

In STRANGE NEIGHBORS, a small town girl moves into a Boston brownstone that's been converted to apartments and every one of the residents in this building are not what they seem--starting with the hunky baseball pitcher landlord! If you enjoy shifters and vampires and witches, oh my! you'll love STRANGE NEIGHBORS. Check out Ashlyn's website for more about the story that's been called the paranormal version of "Friends!"


Then there's my friend and fellow Chatelaine Jennifer Ashley's newest release as Allyson James (See. I'm not the only one with more names than she knows what to do with!) Her novella "Mortal Sensations" in WEDDING FAVORS from Berkley Heat is sure to be a sizzling good way to start your summer.

For more see Allyson's website



Next, here's something from my bedside table, Victoria Alexander's DESIRES OF A PERFECT LADY. You may remember I blogged about meeting this exceptionally talented writer at RT a few weeks ago. I took her book with me to Bermuda and LOVED it!

Her fiesty heroine is a recent merry widow. After a hellacious marriage to a vicious controlling man, she's finally free to pursue her own desires. Or is she? The conditions of his will stipulate she's only to receive a miserly stipend unless she completes his "collections" with rare and valuable artifacts he'd been unable to obtain. So she's off to win her total liberation from the man who would enslave her even from the grave. And while she's on her way, she'll be crossing items off her to-do list. Things like: Swim naked in a warm sea and Bed the Earl of Wyldewood--who happens to be the man she should have married in the first place and is bankrollilng her little expedition. The book is great fun and I highly recommend it. Here's the link to Victoria's website, which was recently redesigned!

Last but not least, there's my own STROKE OF GENIUS. Even though its release day was May 25th, technically, it's a June book in publishing parlance. I'm beginning to hear back from readers who've loved this story and my "HOUSE-like" hero. Damaged men have always held a special appeal for women. We long to put them back together again. My brilliant hero Crispin won't admit to being damaged, but anyone with eyes can see his rudeness and knuckle-dragging alpha moments are masks for a deep hurt.

If you've read STROKE OF GENIUS, I'd love to hear what you thought of it. And here's the link to my website. Be sure to pop over there today because Chapter 6 of my free online novella A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS, will be posted somtime before midnight. (I promise!)

Oh! If you want a signed copy of STROKE OF GENIUS, check out The Book Oasis. They are an independent bookseller who stocks autographed copies of all my books and they'll be happy to ship them to YOU!

White Christmas? Yay or Nay

I'm guest blogging over at InMyHumbleOpinion today, sharing an excerpt from A CHRISTMAS BALL and giving you a chance to divulge what YOU really want for Christmas! Commenters at IMHO are entered in the monthly drawing for the gift basket filled with signed books from me, Jennifer Ashley, Christie Craig, Carrie Lofty and TJ Bennett PLUS a $20 Amazon gift certificate! Hope to see you there!

When we moved to Boston in 2007, we knew we were heading back into snow country. It didn't daunt us. We've wintered in Iowa where "white-outs" can make it impossible to see the house across the street. In Minneapolis, where wind chill is the big story. In Wyoming where the wind howls like a demon and in Park City, Utah where snow starts falling in late October and doesn't leave completely till late May. (No joke. We had 12 mortal feet of the white excrement to deal with that year, but I should have expected it since Park City is an international ski destination!)

We know how to do snow.

And we know we'd rather not unless we have to. So we arranged our life in New England so we can enjoy looking at the white stuff, but don't have to do anything with it unless we want to. Our condo has staff that takes care of the sidewalks. We live a short walk to the Boston T. If we don't want to drive in the snow, we don't. But we can make snowmen in the park, watch our terrier leap from drift to drift, and appreciate the frozen beauty of the Mystic River.

So this week when our condo staff staked out put out the waist high sticks (and oh, yeah, the snow can get that deep here) to indicate where the walks should be shoveled, I started humming "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Do you live in snow country? Have a blizzard story to share? I remember one time in NC we got 8 inches and it shut down the city for a week! Do you dream of a "white Christmas?"

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!

Celebrate A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Bobbie of BookReviews by Bobbie made this lovely badge for me now that A CHRISTMAS BALL is available. (Bless her heart! She's forgiven me for the snafu on Monday and we're rescheduled to be at BookReviewsByBobbie next Monday, Oct. 5th!)

But today, I'm at Penelope's Romance Reviews where i had great fun with an interview and am giving away a book from my backlist to someone who leaves a comment.

And speaking of backlist,Etirv (Blog touristas will recognize her!) was at her local Honolulu Borders looking for A CHRISTMAS BALL and found VEXING THE VISCOUNT and PLEASURING THE PIRATE instead. She was sweet enough to snap this pic with her cellphone. Sounds like ACB hasn't reached the islands yet, but I'm tickled that some of my books are in paradise, even if I can't be just now. Thanks, Etirv! I really appreciate hearing about where my books are living.

If you happen to spot A CHRISTMAS BALL and have a way to snap a pic for me, I love to track the distribution! Thanks.

Hope to see you all over at Penelope's Romance Reviews today!

PS. My "virtual signing" is still going on at NightOwl! I'm sending out goodie packages to readers who buy A CHRISTMAS BALL between now and October 6th!

Free Book Friday!

Today the 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is off to a new romance site--Romantic Crush Junkies! And for the first time ever, we're giving away a copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL to a commenter (along with a couple backlist books) so there will be 3 winners today!

Start your weekend early and come join the party!

PS: Friday is my regular day to post at The Chatelaines. I'm on a tear about being a "pleaser." If you know what that means, you probably are one. Come share!

Spear Carriers and Supernumeraries!

When I was singing professional opera, the chorus was dubbed the "spear carriers" because the men especially often stood by to make the scene more spectacular by carrying . . . well, spears. However, the secondary characters and the chorus played an essential role in telling the tale. And even in a novella length story, the heroine and heroine need a few others to carry the story ball from time to time. Today at PopSyndicate USA Today Bestseller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I talk about the extras in A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Just think how many boring "mulling things over" scenes there would be if the heroine didn't have a confidante. Who would the hero turn to when the heroine vexed him beyond bearing if he didn't have a best bud? Secondary characters are essential and we're happy to share a few of ours.

Please pop over to PopSyndicate today to learn a bit more about these important second bananas. 2 commenters will win a backlist book from me or Alissa Johnson!

ttys,
Em

Christmas Plunder Down Under

If you follow my blog, you're already familiar with The Eclectic Reader . Teddy-ree sent me the pic of this delightful little reading circle when VEXING THE VISCOUNT came out. And she was instrumental in organizing (dare I say it?)Emily Bryan Week (even now that sounds so weird to my Midwestern ears!) a few months back at THE ROYAL REVIEWS, a terrific group Aussie blog.

And now, Teddy's helping me get the word out again by hosting Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and me at The Eclectic Reader . We're talking Christmas recipes in honor of our upcoming A CHRISTMAS BALL, so please come share your favorite holiday goodie! We're giving away books to 2 lucky commenters, of course.

ttys,
Emily





RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Day 7 ~ Pillow Talk!

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is at Pillow Talk today. Hope you'll come over and join us!

Whenever I do my workshop on characterization, I always ask for people to name their favorite hero. No one waits long enough to raise their hands to be called on. The names fly fast and furious, as though folks can't wait to share their favs.

Then I ask for favorite heroines. Silence reigns. Finally a brave soul will lift their hand and ask, "How about Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz?"

Which tells me that I need to do a better job creating memorable heroines. Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I tried to do just that in A CHRISTMAS BALL. And we're talking about our heroines at Pillow Talk today. Come on over and leave a comment for a chance to win a free book from my backlist or Alissa Johnson's!

Day 6 ~ How do you celebrate Christmas?

USA Today Bestseller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I are guest blogging at FreshFiction today.



We're talking about celebrating Christmas in honor of our upcoming release A CHRISTMAS BALL! Ok, I know it's early and you're not in the holiday mood, but if you pop over and leave a comment, I'll share a cup of cyber-wassail with you. And you'll have 3 chances to win a title from our backlists!

Not a bad way to stuff your own stocking!

Jingling all the way,
Emily

Help from a Friend!

Isn't this a cool blog tour badge? It was made for me by my friend, Bobbie of Book Reviews by Bobbie ! I'm always in awe of Photoshop skills. I think she did a brilliant job. Thanks, Bobbie! The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour will be visiting her site on the 28th--one day from our release date!

And while I'm saying thank you, let me add my appreciation for all our blog hosts this week! They provide a venue for authors to speak to readers without asking for anything in return. We had a great time at RomanceBuyTheBook, Love is an Exploding Cigar, Yankee Romance Reviewers, Romance Junkies, and The Romance Studio. If you don't normally follow those blogs, let me encourage you to put them on your list.

As you know, I did a solo 50 day/50 blog tour for the release of VEXING THE VISCOUNT last January-February. This blog tour has been a very different experience for me. For one thing, since it's so much shorter I can already see the light at the end of the blog tunnel. I'm not recovering from major surgery so pain isn't a distraction this time. And I've been power-blogging for a while now, so it doesn't feel so odd to hurl my thoughts into cyberspace any more. But the nicest part of this blog tour has been coordinating it with my co-authors, Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson. They are awesome, creative and so giving of their time, even though they are both heads down on deadlines!

And thanks to all of you, my blog touristas! You make each stop along the way such fun!

Hope to see you each day!
Em

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!

Day 4 ~ Regency Christmas Decorations

Christmas was celebrated differently in 1805 than today. Please join the 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL blog tour at Romance Junkies. We're talking about the Regency phenomemon called "the kissing bough."


You'll get a chance to visit with my co-authors, USA Today bestseller Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson! And when you leave a question or comment, you'll be entered in the drawing to win a free book from me or Alissa.

Here's the roll of winners so far:
Virginia
Tamsyn
Debbie Haupt
Lindsey
Tucco
Library Pat
Bridget

Hope to see you along the way!

Day 3 ~ Yankee Romance Reviews

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour rolls on and today we're visiting Yankee Romance Reviewers. There's a fun interview with USA Today BestSeller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and me. PLUS EXCLUSIVE EXCERPTS of all our stories from A CHRISTMAS BALL!
The party's already started, but it'll go on all day! Please pop by and leave a comment for a chance to win your choice from my backlist or one of Alissa Johnson's titles!





RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

ttys,
Emily

12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL!

This is it! The first stop in a 12 day blog tour celebrating the Sept 29th release of A CHRISTMAS BALL! Each day, USA TODAY Best seller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I will be be giving away goodies to people who leave a comment and sharing the inside scoop on our three very different stories set at the same glittering ball.

Hope you're up for a cyber-jaunt! Start by clicking over to www.RomanceBuyTheBook.com today. We're talking about heroes and if you follow my blog, you've already heard a little about Ian Michael MacGregor, the head groom who loves the heroine in My Lady Below Stairs. But you haven't met Jennifer and Alissa's heroes, and I promise you won't be disappointed!


So let's roll. And be sure to check back here each day for the new location of the tour, so you won't miss a moment!

ttys,
Emily

PS. If you usually buy your books at an independent bookseller, would you mind doing me a favor? Would you please ask if they intend to stock A CHRISTMAS BALL (ISBN: 978-0-8439-6250-5)? Also, if you use your local library for your reading, please visit my "Free Books" page for all the info you'll need to request that they stock my books! Thanks!

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries." ~ Henry David Thoreau

I Just Can't Wait!

I hope you're ready. It's time to strap on your blog tourista shoes and join me in another trek through cyber-space.

That's right! The 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Blog Tour starts on Monday! We'll be talking about A CHRISTMAS BALL, giving you the inside scoop and backstory for this holiday anthology, and at the risk of rushing the season, sharing some Christmas fun along the way.

And if you don't know my co-authors, USA Today BestSeller Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson, here's your chance to meet some new favorites! Every day there will be prizes and give-aways, so be sure to leave a comment.

Here's your itinerary:

September 14th ~ RomanceBuyTheBook
September 15th ~ Love is an Exploding Cigar
September 16th ~ Yankee Romance Reviewers
September 17th ~ Romance Junkies
September 18th ~ The Romance Studio

Then you get a weekend off to change your socks!

September 21st ~ Fresh Fiction
September 22nd ~ Pillow Talk
September 23rd ~ The Eclectic Reader
September 24th ~ Pop Syndicate
September 25th ~ Romantic Crush Junkies

Another weekend to catch your breath!

September 28th ~ Book Reviews by Bobbie
September 29th ~ NightOwl Romance & A CHRISTMAS BALL's RELEASE DAY!


RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Then as a bonus, I'll be at Penelope's Romance Reviews on September 30th, a sort of cool down day after the tour. I hope you'll join me. And speaking of Penelope, she just posted an early review of A CHRISTMAS BALL. Here's a taste:

"It is extremely difficult to write a novella. Bryan totally nails it. This story has all the things I love about her longer historicals...it's beautifully written, has lusty love scenes, wonderful humor, and a very satisfying ending.

This story is truly like an unexpected Christmas gift...I opened the package having no expectations, and I found a real treasure. Thank you, Emily, for this sweet Christmas story."

You can read the whole review at Penelope's Romance Reviews.

Hope to see you along the way!

P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who emailed me to say they'd be willing to post my Save the Date A CHRISTMAS BALL badge on their blog! I appreciate you so much. If you meant to do it, there is still time. Please email me at emily@emilybryan.com with your request and I'll shoot you the code for the invitation. The more the merrier! Thanks so much!

Which Rocks to Polish?

From my Write Stuff pages . . .
Today's post is mostly aimed at writers, but I hope readers will enjoy a peek into some of the issues writers grapple with as we craft our stories.

When my kids were little, we visited a gem mine. They had a ball picking up moonstones and amethysts right off the ground. Of course, they also picked up rocks that even weeks in a rock tumbler wouldn't turn into anything of value. Only the experienced gemologists could tell the precious from the ordinary with any degree of confidence.

So how do writers decide which ideas are worth developing and which will only wear out the tumbler?

First, make sure your story idea is something that ignites a fire in you. There's no point in writing about time-traveling shape-shifting vampire fighters because you think the market is clamoring for them if YOU aren't excited by them. Lack of passion will shout from your prose so loudly, no one will be able to hear your story.

Don't re-tell stories that have been done to death UNLESS you put an exceedingly fresh spin on it. If you want to do the virgin and the rake, make the guy the virgin. Create characters who are not the usual suspects.

A story thrives on conflict. Make sure the place where your story lives has conflict built into it intrinsically. One of the biggest complaints about romance novels is that the conflicts are contrived or so shallow a simple five minute conversation between the hero and heroine would solve the issue. Make your conflicts matter.
 
Your story needs two kinds of conflict--internal (problems stemming from personal tension between characters) and external (outside influences-villains, unfortunate events, forces of nature). Remember the conflict must be strong enough to propel you 400 pages.

Make sure your story's idea kernel does not violate the conventions of the genre. Romance readers will not accept a rapist as a hero. They dislike heroes and heroines who act in less than admirable ways unless there is a hidden heroic reason for it. Likewise, we mistrust protagonists who are too poisonously good. Give your hero and heroine a few flaws. They need a chance for growth.  


Don't forget to ask yourself the eternal writer's question: "What if . . . " When you're in the planning stages, you can run as wild as you like. Don't be afraid to ask yourself outrageous questions. Think about your characters before you go to sleep and let your subconscious bubble the story all night. You might be surprised what your dreams tell you.

When you're brainstorming your plots, take a fresh sheet of paper and write at least 20 possible twists your story can take. Chances are the real gem will be toward the end of the list. It will be something out of the box, something no one else has thought of, something untried and fresh.

Then all you need do is toss that idea in the tumbler of your imagination and let the precious stone emerge.

We interrupt this post for a brief commercial announcement! A CHRISTMAS BALL is almost upon us. If you'd be willing to post this invitation on your blog or myspace to help me get the word out, I would bless your name! Please send me a quick email at emily@emilybryan.com and I'll shoot you the code for this graphic. Thanks so much!

Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan & Alissa Johnson
invite you to . . .


RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Ok, back to the topic at hand. How do you decide which story to throw your heart and time into? Happy Writing!    

HumpDay GiveAway!

Please join me today at Sapphire Romance Realm for a chance to win YOUR CHOICE of my backlist!


We're talking about A CHRISTMAS BALL (Jennifer Ashley, 1/3 of that book, has already popped in!) my other books, writing in general and whatever you'd like to bring up!

TTYS,
Emily

PS. Here's your invitation to A CHRISTMAS BALL!




RSVP at your favorite bookseller!