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Filed in: book reviews | craft | events | friends and family | pitching | publishing | slice of life | The Bookshelf | travel | writing Tags: chocolate rose | lara | morwa | romance writing | rwa | rwa contests
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 I had a great day today.
I gave my first writerly talk and I didn’t implode. Even though I’ve taught high school, every single time I address a group of people, I still get butterflies. It never goes completely away. I think people had a good time and hopefully learned something about pitching and querying. My main goal was to demystify what it involves and give people tips about being as prepared and as comfortable as possible.
I also received a lovely Chocolate Rose for our local chapter contest where published authors critique and judge first pages from the unpublished authors. Intrigue of the Dragon Court, my first baby, was awarded first. That’s the actual picture of the award. 
And in addition to seeing my chaptermates, who are an energetic, lively bunch of people, an online writer buddy drove two hours to attend the meeting. She asked me over lunch about the benefits of joining RWA. Whenever I get that question, I start to gush. I know many romance authors have made it without being an RWA member and truly, it’s not for everyone. But it is for me, for these reasons:
- I’ve always been close to a strong, supportive local chapter. The monthly workshops plus additional programs such as writing loops, critique groups, and mentorship programs are worth the membership fee times ten.
- I need to see real people. I need the face to face connection to keep me motivated. I’ve met some of the most wonderful writers through LARA who encouraged my writing and made me believe that real people can do this. When I moved, MORWA put me instantly in touch with a new group of friends who have pushed my writing in leaps and bounds over the last year.
- RWA National Conference. Going to National conference every year for the last three years has taught me so much about the industry and the lowered fee for members makes it worth it.
- One way to show this is not just a hobby. If I want to show that I’m a serious writer, membership to professional organizations seems like a must for me to put on my writing resume.
- And I’m all about the contest loop. You don’t have to be an RWA member to enter all of them, but again, the added cost makes membership worthwhile. Contests have been integral in getting my foot in the door with agents. I can track the effectiveness of my query process to the day that I started putting contest finals and wins on the letter.
- Days like this. I learned tips from Angie Fox about how to craft a killer story that works from start to finish. I networked with friends and authors in every stage of their career, had tortellini for lunch and chatted about everything from poodles to e-publishers. Can’t beat this for a Saturday!
I know many, many successful authors walk this road without RWA membership, so I’m not saying you can’t get by without it. I’m just saying, I can’t get by without it. As with all things, you can get as much out of it as you want and I try to squeeze out every last drop and gulp it down.
Going to enjoy some chocolate now. If you haven’t joined, but were thinking of it, here’s the link –> RWA National Organization
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Filed in: book reviews | new releases | publishing | The Bookshelf Tags: barbara scott | historical romance | listen with your heart | review
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“Listen With Your Heart” is a new release by Golden Heart® winner, Barbara Scott.
In Chicago, late 1800s, Morgan Gable grows up surrounded by the life of the theatre. As a young girl, she is touched by Irish singer Daniel Connolly’s performance after a brief encounter where he emerges as her knight in shining armor. Throughout time, amidst her father’s downward spiral and her mother’s continued absence, her childhood crush develops into something much deeper.
Daniel Connolly is the sort of man who loves completely and with all his heart — even when he knows he’s given his heart to the wrong woman. Caught in a tragic marriage to a woman who does not return his devotion, his soul is torn apart when she dies suddenly in a fire, one of many sparked by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Daniel’s friends scheme to exorcise the ghost of his ex-wife Helene. Unfortunately, they’ve employed Camilla Browne, a charlatan with a projection box. Camilla has tricked Morgan’s father into her servitude and presents Morgan in disguise as the manifestation of Helene. Morgan destroys the projection box and spoils Camilla’s plans. In the aftermath, Daniel arranges to marry Morgan, both in an attempt to banish the memory of his dead wife as well as to avoid being deported back to Ireland.
Listen With Your Heart incorporates many fascinating historical details – the Chicago Fire, the projection box, likely some form of a Magic Lantern used for “spirit summoning”, and the Fenians — a secretive Irish Brotherhood with underworld connotations. All of these elements provide a fascinating backdrop for the love story between Daniel and Morgan. At times, you almost wish there was more time to explore some of the plot points. Daniel’s son from his past marriage is deaf and his education and relationship with Daniel and his growing acceptance of Morgan provide some very endearing moments, yet this subplot is abandoned by the end of the story to follow up on another subplot involving Helene’s involvement with the Fenians.
Aside from some rough spots at the beginning as the story transitions from Daniel and Morgan’s past to their reunion and arranged marriage, the romance between them is beautifully rendered. Daniel is a tortured hero who treats Morgan with heartbreaking tenderness despite his lingering memories of Helene. Morgan is a strong, believable heroine who is able to harbor an unrequited love without appearing weak and pining. Ms. Scott does an incredibly wonderful job of creating Daniel and Morgan as real people with wounds and with rich pasts that color their every action.
The story is strongest at its center where the romance flourishes. The subplots take a backseat and it is more than enough to watch Daniel and Morgan learn about one another, navigate around each other’s vulnerabilities and burrow deep into each other’s hearts — as they burrow deep into yours.
Listen With Your Heart is a very special romance. You will care for these characters and their deeply emotional journey and you can’t help but fall in love with them.
Listen With Your Heart is available from Desert Breeze Publishing. Buy it here!
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Filed in: Announcements | new releases | publishing | The Bookshelf Tags: bound to please | crystal jordan | erotic romance | lillian feisty | on the prowl | releases | shape-shifters
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ON THE PROWL by Crystal Jordan
Meet the Cruz brothers. They look human—except for the golden sheen their eyes take when they’re aroused beyond control…and the way their claws come out when it’s time to play rough. They’re Panthers, ancient shapeshifters, and their survival depends on mating to bring out their wild sides…
Undeniable
When Antonio, the strong, sexy new leader of the Panther pride, meets luscious Solana in a dark alleyway, their passion lights up the night. But she’s an outcast, an impossible mate—and her touch makes him lose all control…
Irresistible
Ex-model and businesswoman Andrea doesn’t need anyone—until she meets Miguel, who tempts her mind with daring games and teases her body with dark, forbidden pleasure she can’t resist…
Indescribable
Wild twins Ricardo and Diego do everything together—and their women appreciate the teamwork. Until shy Isabel takes refuge in their pride, and both want to claim her. Of course, sometimes two mates are better than one…
Places to get it on the web:
Barnes & Noble
Powell’s
Amazon
Chapters.ca
——————–
BOUND TO PLEASE by Lilli Feisty
FROM FANTASY TO ECSTASY
Ruby Scott is a beautiful, quiet event planner who leads an oh-so-respectable life. Yet the things that go on in her secret fantasies are anything but. She has every intention of keeping her hidden desires under wraps-until she meets a gorgeous, hard-muscled man ten years her junior. Mark St. Crow is a gifted, up-and-coming musician who collects erotic art and loves to “play” women as much as his piano. After one night of uninhibited passion, Ruby realizes there’s no turning back. But as she surrenders to her deepest needs and lets Mark control every forbidden thrill, her passion for him builds. Can the wild, intoxicating nights they share lead to a love that will last forever?
Barnes & Noble
Powell’s
Amazon
Chapters.ca
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Filed in: The Bookshelf Tags: e-book | elloras_cave | release
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Perfect Formation
KB Alan
Friends for much longer than they’ve been lovers, Taryn and Richard enjoy each other’s company while looking for “Mr. Right”. When they meet Caleb the attraction is instant and mutual–for all three.
Caleb wines and dines them then shows them how good it can be if they trust him to lead the way. One night is all it takes to prove that the three of them are a perfect match, at least in the bedroom.
Taryn has to decide if explosive sex and the feelings that are quickly overtaking her are worth the risk of losing it all–she knows only too well that you can’t count on fate to always go your way. Richard sees Caleb and Taryn as the perfect couple but isn’t so sure there will always be room for him. Caleb has to suppress his urge to tie them both to the bed until they understand that they belong with him, but if they don’t come around soon, he’ll be pulling those ropes out after all.
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Filed in: The Bookshelf Tags: e-book | release | shifters
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WILD
Marra’s body burned with desire. It was Wild time, the first week of spring, when Lynx from all over North America gathered in the Sierra Nevada foothills to mate. The time when every Lynx female went into heat.
But Wild is bittersweet for Marra. She’s past the age when most Lynx find their mate. She only comes to Wild for sex and always leaves as she came: alone.
Yet this year is different. A new male Lynx has come to Wild, a foreigner who will claim her in ways she only imagined…
Buy it here.
Read an excerpt here
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Filed in: The Bookshelf Tags: ebooks | releases
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CAROLINA WOLF
By Sela Carsen
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60504-374-6
All it takes is a spark of Grrrrrl power to set the swamp on fire!
Librarian Debra Henry is boring. And she’s okay with that. Really. It’s not as if the teensy amount of witchcraft that flows in her veins is worth getting excited about. Yet someone—or something—thinks it’s worth crawling out of the swamps to attack her. Those “somethings” are werewolves.
When one of them is hurt saving her, the least she can do is take him home and patch him up. Healing him stirs more than her senses. Maddox Moreau awakens the magic that sleeps in her blood. And suddenly, life’s not quite so boring.
A wildlife manager at Congaree National Park by day, Maddox likes being the BWIS—Big Wolf In the Swamp. By night, he lets his wild side out to play lone wolf. At least until he meets the one woman who can share his soul. Perhaps it’s best, though, if he holds off on sharing his preference for raw meat.
Rescuing her seals his fate—but only if he can protect her from a rogue of his kind. A werewolf with a nasty stalker streak…
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Filed in: The Bookshelf
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The Jealousy Plot – By Jolie Cain
For as long as she can remember, Callie has been in love with her next-door neighbor Trey, a firefighter on the Oceanside Fire Department, but he has never seen her as anything more than a good friend, a pal. Then for her birthday, Trey gives her something wonderful … not the usual tire jack and mace spray. No, he gives her a beautiful antique locket, and Callie begins to dream that maybe he has changed the way he sees her. After all, when a guy gives a girl jewelry, it means something special–right? Only her friend Marianne Riley isn’t so sure. She thinks Trey needs to be nudged just a bit in the right direction. So she enlists the aid of her brother, one of Trey’s fellow firefighters, in a plot to make Trey jealous. But Ben Riley seems interested in more than simply helping Callie out. And he arouses feelings in Callie that Trey never has. While Trey has always made her feel safe and secure, Ben makes her feel wild and out of control. He pushes her and fulfills her darkest desires. Eventually Callie must decide … which firefighter is the one that sets her heart on fire?
Captive Flame – Rhiannon Leith
As a djinn, a being formed of fire, Adara has spent centuries enslaved to the human Magi, passed from one to another, made to do their bidding. She yearns for freedom. She yearns for love.
When firefighter Peter O’Connor pulls her out of an inferno, he snatches her from her current Magus. This new master has no idea of what or how powerful she is, and the opportunity to break free finally becomes a real possibility. If only her body didn’t react to him with such abandon. If only his touch didn’t make her lose the will to do anything but be with him.
With the Magus closing in on them, and Peter’s life in danger, Adara must choose between her desire and her dreams.
And with supernatural arson attacks sweeping the city, Peter must decide if a firefighter can ever really trust a fire?
BUY IT HERE
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Filed in: The Bookshelf
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Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60504-367-8
Length: Short Story
Price: 2.50
Publication Date: January 27, 2009
Cover art by Tuesday Dube
Born to protect women’s hearts, her own beats longingly for a mortal. Oops…
Ondina, one thousand years a goddess, doesn’t think much of mortal men. Probably because her sole purpose in life is to protect the hearts of women who don’t want to fall in love. And now one of those blasted men—Jack—has shattered her sacred chalice, trapping her in a mortal body.
Jackson Nichols, on the partner track at his law firm, is the first to admit he always follows his head. Never his heart. Dina is infuriating, messy, condescending, sexy, beautiful and…well, just about everything that doesn’t fit into his meticulously planned life.
Neither expects to find many redeeming qualities in the other. But when push comes to love, which will Dina choose? Her newly human heart…or one thousand years of duty?
*All author and editor proceeds from the sale of Oh Goddess will be donated to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis. You can find out more about the foundation at www.coalitionforpf.org.
Warning: Recent studies show that consuming beverages while reading this story can cause damage to computer monitors, clothing, and sometimes nearby walls. Reader agrees to hold both Samhain Publishing Ltd. and Gwen Hayes harmless in case of accidental spewing caused by laughter.
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Filed in: The Bookshelf
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Her Cinderella Complex
She’s got the man—and the wedding—of her dreams. If only love were part of the fantasy.
Her Cinderella Complex is a sweet romance about a woman who is dreaming of happily ever after with a man who views their relationship as yet another business transaction. I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. — Gotta Write Network
“The characters were splendid and jumped off the pages. The whole concept of the story was very intriguing and was enough to keep me glued to the pages until I finished the book. Would this happen in the real world? It would be very nice if it did and I was Heather. The sexual tension was exactly where it needed to be.” – Fallen Angel Reviews
“This is a fantastic story with very strong characters who were beautifully written and I immediately fell in love with both of them.” The Good, The Bad, and the Unread
“Her Cinderella Complex was a wonderfully sexy and fun book…Their sexual encounters were extremely erotic…Her Cinderella Complex is the first book that I have read by Ms. Bayley-Burke and it won’t be the last.” The Romance Studio
“Her Cinderella Complex is a delightful gem that had me laughing out loud and rooting for these two people to make it. Just when I’d think I had the plot figured out the author, Jenna Bayley-Burke would throw me a curve, which kept me on my toes, and interested in finding out what happened next! The relationship between Heather and Curtis is a welcome and refreshing change from the typical alpha male and the all-too-willing-to-agree female pairings that tend to dominate these types of love stories. This is a fast-paced book that will not only have you smiling but enjoying the hot, steamy and sometime funny love scenes. At no point does the story drag. So do yourself a favor and treat yourself to having a good time while reading Her Cinderella Complex .” – Literary Nymphs
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Filed in: The Bookshelf Tags: release
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If you’re looking for tight and edgy romance, Kim Knox does not disappoint!
Buy it here
Frozen for decades on an abandoned asteroid, Katya Ortaega thaws and collapses at the feet of the most deliciously sinful man she has ever seen… she thinks.
Katya’s problem is her memory—she hasn’t got one. Her mind is blank. And now she’s stuck on a drilling platform with James Kinsare, a man who has her skin tingling and sometimes not in a good way. James is not who he appears to be and she can’t trust him … even as she finds him far too attractive.
All too soon, her past rears in the form of a man intent on killing both of them and now they have to work together to stay alive. However, Katya’s memories begin to resurface. And James Kinsare, the man who’s kept her alive against all the odds, the man who’s thawing her frozen heart, might prove to be the biggest threat of all.
Read an excerpt here
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