Mr. Romance

Each year Dorchester Publishing sponsors the Mr. Romance Contest. All week long, the contestants mix with the convention attendees and try to garner as much support as they can. Then on Saturday, we have the the "Pose Down." For part of the show, the cover models dress as heroes from Leisure Book and LoveSpell novels. This is Eric Trugila, the model who portrayed my Lucian from VEXING THE VISCOUNT.

Eric is studying to be an EMT. When I told him he wanted to be a real life hero, he said he only hoped he'd get to emergencies soon enough to be a hero.



This is Franco D'Angelo on the right. He's a professional wrestler when he's not vying for the Mr. Romance title.



The pic on the left is Constantine. He's from Greece, with a devastatingly attractive accent. He is interested in body building and philosophy. Don't you just hate it when the guy has prettier hair than you do?








Meet Stephan. He has a really big . . . sword, doesn't he? He is portraying Jade Lee's Dragon hero.







Jimmy is an All-American boy who spends his time panning for gold in Columbia (I am not making this up!).






"Well, howdy ma'am!" This cowboy is Charles Paz. He won the competition and let me tell you why. Of course, he's handsome and he has trouble finding jackets that will fit over his muscles because they're so big. But what Charles really has going for him is his personality. He's funny and thoughtful and very sweet.


During the Pose Down, there's a segment where each of the contestants gets a chance to romance one of the female models. Most of the guys went for the dipping kiss or swooping the girl into their arms to carry her off, but Charles took off his jacket, draped it around her shoulders and kissed her on the hand. It was the essence of romance, an unspoken desire to protect as well as possess. It reminded me of something my DH would do. When Charles won, I was on my feet cheering!



The lucky girls with Charles are Erin Galloway, Dorchester's marketing guru, and Leah Hultenschmidt, my own fabulous editor. Look for Charles on a Leisure Books cover sometime in the future!

Special "Thank you" to my friend Christie Craig. In addition to being a hysterically funny romance author, she's a kick-butt photographer. These pics are all hers. Look for her next title GOTCHA in June but you can pre-order it today to make sure you don't miss out by clicking right here! She sent me her DIVORCED, DESPERATE AND DATING to read while I was recovering from cancer surgery and I nearly split my incision laughing!

Contest Winner Alert!

Jennifer Ashley was here on Monday and she's chosen her winner. It's MARI! Please contact me through www.emilybryan.com with your mailing info and to let Jennifer know which of her backlist you'd prefer. Everything is available except THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE.

Thanks again for stopping by, Jenn!

Romantic Times in Orlando

I'm on the move again! Today I'm blogging over at MyHumbleOpinion sharing a scene that almost didn't make it into VEXING THE VISCOUNT. Be sure to leave a comment or question there for a chance at TJ's monthly goodie basket!



Today, as promised, I'm sharing my RT Convention experience. As you can see from the pic above, the Orlando Wyndham was a lovely place--peaceful, serene, the only riot was in the profuse plantings of azaleas, magnolias and begonias. But if you go inside the Convention Center, it was a whole different animal.

You might just see a pirate kissing a mermaid in the hall outside of Club RT. And inside the club, you could chat with your favorite authors, shop for jewelry and "convention" clothes (lovely shawls and such), have your sketch drawn by an artist who was totally entertaining when he talked and fascinating when he drew, or visit with the companies who offered author promo services.


My roommate, NY Times Bestseller Bobbi Smith sponsored a photo op for S.O.S. (Save Our Soldiers) You could get your picture taken with the hunks who were competing in the Mr. Romance Contest, sponsored by Dorchester Publishing. These guys were not only fine to look upon, they were genuinely nice. (More about them tomorrow!)

After the sun went down, you could dance the night away. At the Vampire Ball, a seriously pregnant gal got up and led the crew in a hysterical rendition of Michael Jackson's THRILLER! (Pay no attention to the date stamp on this photo. That's only one of the many things I don't understand about the camera I was using!)

And you didn't have to be a 20-something to rock the house. The cute vampire on the right is 83 years young! You should have seen them in their fairy costumes! (I was unfortunately having a fight the camera the night of the Fairy Ball. Anyone who has picks from then, please send me some! emily (at) emilybryan.com No spaces. Thanks!)

But one of the biggest thrills of my week was meeting a couple of my "blog touristas." Here are Jane L and Maureen (aka 2nd Chance). What a treat! Jane wore my VEXING THE VISCOUNT button all week and I swear, she spoke to everybody at the convention about my books. Who needs a PR firm when you've got friends like that! Love ya, girls! (Oh! And they both pitched their WIPs and got requests from editors and agents! Woohoo!)


More tomorrow. Please remember to visit me at MyHumbleOpinion today!

Jennifer Ashley Does it Again!

I have a real treat for you today. Jennifer Ashley is here with us. Jenn is a USA Today Best Seller, a RITA winner and the author of over 40 books in several different sub-genres: historical romance, paranormal, straight historical, erotica, mysteries and I think I even saw a chicklit on her backlist! This talented author writes as Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James and Ashley Gardner, and is the driving force behind the fabulous IMMORTALS series with Joy Nash and Robin Popp.

But today, we'll focus on her historical romances and she has new one coming for us called THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE. Here's the blurb:

The year is 1881. Meet the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz.

The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.

Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.

And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.

I'm already hooked. I sat down with Jennifer for a cyber-chat recently. As always when I have a guest, my words will be in bold. Jennifer will speak in italics.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie features a hero with Asperger's Syndrome. Can you tell us about this condition and what prompted you to tackle it in your story?

Asperger's Syndrome is a form of "high functioning" autism. Symptoms can vary widely from person to person, but typical characteristics are: inability to make eye contact, obsession with details while ignoring overall concepts, obsession with routine, inability to read non-verbal cues, and not understanding subtext (e.g., sarcasm, jokes, or teasing). Not all people with AS have all symptoms, and they might have other difficulties than I list here.

What prompted me to tackle it in my story? Many people these days either have AS or know someone who does (family member, child, friend, child of friend). I write historicals, so I'm always looking for good historical ideas. I wondered, what did people with autism face in past times? AS wasn't identified until the mid-twentieth century, and even now it's not well understood. How did an autistic person function in Victorian society, when psychiatry was in its infancy? And the story was born.

It was a difficult story to write. It went through many drafts before it reached its final state.

Sounds fascinating, Jenn. What does your heroine love most about your hero?

What Beth loves most about Ian is... well, everything. Ian is such a complicated character that no one characteristic stands out. He's honest (painfully so), charming, sexy, stubborn, single-minded, and vulnerable. She feel protective of that vulnerability, but she doesn't pity him.

One question I've had already from readers is: Is Ian a virgin?

No. Decidedly not! Ian has no trouble enjoying sex, and in fact, courtesans like him because he's charming, kind to them, and very, very generous.

Of course, once he meets Beth, Ian turns his single-mindedness to getting her into his life--permanently.

Ah, single-minded! Just the way we like our men! You and I are part of the same Christmas anthology coming out September 29th. Can you tease us a bit with a blurb of your story?

Yes, A Christmas Ball features three stories based around a ball in one of the most fashionable houses in London. In mine, "The Longest Night," Mary Cameron (sister of Egan Macdonald in Highlander Ever After) encounters Baron Valentin, an exotic Nvengarian she met (and was dazzled by) the year before.

Valentin has returned to England as aide to the new Nvengarian ambassador, and he and Mary run into each other at this Christmas ball. Valentin has a mysterious and dangerous mission to perform, but it doesn't keep him from testing out the legend of the Longest Night. Will the lady he spends the Longest Night with (i.e., Mary) be with him for the rest of his life? He's willing to find out.

It's a fun, romantic piece that rounds out the Nvengarian (historical/paranormal) series.

So The Longest Night in A CHRISTMAS BALL features a character your readers have met before. It's always fun to meet an old friend in a new story.

Back to the one that's out now. I understand Lord Ian is the first in a new historical series. What's coming next?

I will write books about all four brothers (Ian, Mac, Cam, Hart), in order from youngest to oldest. Book 2, Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage features the second oldest Mackenzie brother, Mac, and his estranged wife, Isabella. You encounter this couple in Lord Ian, where they play a pivotal role in bringing Beth and Ian together.

Now Mac (based on advice from Ian) has decided to try to save the marriage he wrecked. Isabella, who caused scandal by eloping with Mac then leaving him, is not certain she wants him back. It will be an intense and sexy tale.

I'm also working on a new paranormal series based around shapeshifters, but with a twist. The first book, Pride Mates, is out in January 2010. The premise is that Shifters "came out" twenty years ago, were rounded up into internment camps (Shifter-towns), forced to wear collars that suppress their violent instincts, and made to obey a set of restrictive laws. Humans believe the dangerous Shifters have been suppressed and tamed. Or have they? Kim Fraser, a lawyer defending a Shifter on a murder charge, is about to find out.

While we're on the subject of paranormals, I have to ask: Will there be more Immortals books?

At this point, we've finished the Immortals stories. Immortals: The Reckoning, an anthology of three stories set in the Immortals world, came out this March, and pretty much wrapped up all the threads.

I never say never-who knows if Joy or Robin or I will come up with another tale from that world? But for now, there are no plans to continue the series. My contracts are for the Mackenzie series and for the Shifters series.

Thanks for being with us today, Jennifer.

See her website (http://www.jennifersromances.com) for information on upcoming books and other fun things, plus links to her other psuedonyms (award-winning authors Allyson James and Ashley Gardner).

Jennifer is giving away a book today someone who leaves a comment or question. Which book are you offering, Jenn?

Thanks for having me, Emily. I will allow the winner to choose which backlist book they want, from any pseudonym (anything besides Ian).

April 28th Update--Great news! I talked Jennifer into hanging around for another day so there's still time for you to comment for a chance to win one of her books! Good luck!

Day Two of the Romantic Times Convention

Bobbi and I got an early start with the Aspiring Writers today. Bless their hearts, they had another full day of workshops. I know they must feel like their heads are about to explode because we gave them lots of things to think about. One of them let me read the first couple of pages of her WIP and give her a critique. She had some really strong positive points and just needed to rethink a few things. There is a lot of writing talent out there and I really enjoyed working with the aspiring writers group this year.

Diane Stacey, our beloved VP of Direct Sales and Book Clubs at Dorchester, came in tonight and we got to visit with her for awhile. She's such a doll.

I'll be giving another workshop tomorrow and will be helping a couple of my "blog touristas" (Jane & Maureen) polish up their pitches. For those of you who aren't involved with publishing, a "pitch session" is a short appointment with an editor or agent where the author serves up a small dollop of their story in the hope that said editor or agent will ask to see either a "partial" (3 chapters and a synopsis) or a "full" (complete manuscript and synopsis). It's not as scary as it sounds if you remember that the editors and agents are just people who are looking for a good story. Keep your fingers crossed for my friends!

More tomorrow . . .

Day One at The Romantic Times Convention

Busy day here in Florida! I taught two workshops for the Aspiring Writers, met one of my blog touristas (Jane L is here! YAY!) and had a ball hanging out with the gang. While we were at dinner, the fine looking young man in this picture came over to our table. His name is Charles Paz, one of the Mr. Romance contestants. The happy lady with him is my roomie, NY Times BestSeller Bobbi Smith. Charles will appear in the POSE DOWN as Bobbi's cowboy hero Lane Madison from her July release RUNAWAY. I haven't met the contestant who will portray my Lucian, but when I do, rest assured I'll get a pic for you!

The Magical Mystery Tour of the Romantic Times Convention

Tomorrow morning I'll be up at oh:dark-thirty and on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Orlando and the Romantic Times Convention. It's a wild, wacky, always exhausting, never boring week.

It will be a time for resolving a number of mysteries. The first one is whether or not I'll be able to get my suitcase closed. I don't know about you, but packing is part science, part art and mostly luck for me. Fortunately, I cured my DH of expecting me to pack for him on the first trip of our wedded life. I neglected to bring any underwear for him. (Hey! It could've happened to anyone! And the fact that he noticed he didn't have any clean underwear meant I'd bagged a keeper!)

The next mystery is whether or not I'll be able to figure out how to use the digital camera on my own. For things technical, I usually defer to the man with the talent in this area. In this shot, my DH is either trying to walk me through downloading my saved pics or he's angling for a quick peek at my cleavage. Either way, he's my hero!

That little black smudge blending into the couch between us is Susie the Wonder Dog (we wonder what kind of dog she is!) Whenever the Dreaded Suitcase appears she feels the need to stick pretty close to me until the coming catastrophe of my departure is up on her. She also wants to be sure I don't forget that she's good to go. (She's logged enough miles under the airline seat in front of me to have her own frequent flyer number!) Please don't feel sorry for her over being left behind this time. Because I'm gone, she'll be upgraded from the foot of the bed to my pillow so she can sleep next to the DH.

If you're going to RT, please look for me there! I'd love to meet you. If you can't make it this year, I'm going to try to provide you with highlights right here, so please pop back by everyday!