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

How Authors Help

Even though I'm blogging at Love is an Exploding Cigar today for the 2nd day of the 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL blog tour, I wanted to continue offering my readers interesting things here at my blog as well.

Please welcome Ashlyn Chase! She's the president of the New England Chapter of RWA (and my critique partner!). She's talking about how authors give back. Take it away, Ash!

Romance authors are some of the most generous people on the planet. Not only do they offer their knowledge, time and even money to fellow authors, but they reach beyond their own local friends and help people they’ve never met.

Brenda Novak is one notable example. She started an auction to benefit Diabetes research—a cause close to her heart. This little auction has taken off over the last few years and is now a huge event. Everyone in the industry offers whatever gifts they have that others might want to bid on. An agent might offer a critique. Even a busy editor might offer to read the first chapter or two. And authors donate all kinds of things! Baskets filled with bath goodies, gift bags filled with books, percentages of their royalties, and even their writing talent when asked.

I’m one of eleven authors participating in a fundraiser to help a family who lost their nineteen year-old daughter in a fire. The hospital bills for two weeks in the ICU and then a funeral were astronomical. My story is called Giggles by Gabby, release date 9/15. That’s today! It’s in the Lara series. http://www.jasminejade.com/s-282-lara.aspx Please check out all the books in this fundraising project!

I also just sent off a check to the National Arbor Day Foundation, which I do on a regular basis from my print book royalties. They use the money to plant trees in areas that need reforestation, as well as to educate our young people about the importance of trees to our planet. They clean the air, help stabilize the earth, and are important in building and, of course, paper.

Events like romance conventions or conferences share profits from their huge book signings with the foundations for literacy. Since 1991, RWA (Romance Writers of America) has donated more than $600,000 to literacy charities. The authors receive no royalties for these donated books.

Most of the time, the beneficiaries will never know who they are. But that’s not why romance authors give. Most of us are very fortunate. I consider myself lucky to be able to spend my spare time doing what I love. I’m certain many authors feel the same way.

And just because I must also pay the bills, here’s the info about my next release which will earn royalties. My novella Oh My God is a modern day erotic comedy about the Greek God Dionysus in New Orleans. http://www.total-e-bound.com/ It will be released 9/28/09. This story is a rewritten and expanded version of one that was nominated for a CAPA (Cupid and Psyche Award, a reviewer’s choice contest) and in this incarnation it was published in an anthology and was nominated for an Eppie. On 9/28 it will be available as an individual download from my British publisher.

For a look at all of my available books, visit my website: www.ashlynchase.com
Please support the arts! Without you buying our books, we couldn’t afford to write them.

Thanks for stopping by today, Ashlyn. (We're good to go for critique next Tuesday, right?)

It's not exactly a charity, but Alissa Johnson and I are giving away one of our backlist to someone who leaves a comment at Love is an Exploding Cigar today. So please let us know you visited us there.

Of course, I love to hear from you here too! Please share the causes you like to support with your time, talent or money.

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!

Heroes Remembered

I couldn't let the day go by without reflecting on the loss our country suffered 8 years ago today. To those who lost loved ones on that terrible day, I still weep with you. To those whose loved ones were lost after 9/11 protecting us on foreign fields of combat, I ache for the void left in your lives. And to those whose loved ones are still in harm's way because of the way 9/11 changed our world, you have my heartfelt thanks and deep admiration.

Let us not forget those who have fallen. They have walked the true hero's path.

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!