In the Moonlight with Loucinda McGary and a Giveaway

FIRST KISSES

First of all, a BIG THANX to the ladies of Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem for inviting me to guest blog today.

Recently one of my critique partners and I were discussing favorite scenes in books, what we liked and why we liked them. After throwing out a few and analyzing our choices, my CP came to the conclusion that she consistently liked scenes where the hero and heroine kiss for the first time. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I liked those scenes too! I loved reading them and writing them.

Unfortunately, the details of Aunty’s very first kiss are somewhat blurry. It was so very, very long ago… (I think, perhaps, it may have been Og and he hit me over the head with his club before he dragged me by my hair, hence the faulty recollection.) But I have very fond memories of first kisses from special ‘dates’ over the years. Usually the anticipation of those kisses proved more enjoyable than the actual lip contact, but AH! – the build-up!

Maybe that is why first kisses in fiction make such enjoyable scenes? The author can take her time building up all that wonderful tension between the hero and heroine and the actual moment of contact never has to be disappointing. Unlike real life, no clubbing, hair-pulling, bad breath, or tangling of tooth braces need ever happen! The author can revise and reinvent to her heart’s content, and the reader can savor all the lovely anticipation as many times as she wants.

Since my new release, The Treasures of Venice has a dual storyline and two sets of lovers, I got to have all the fun of writing the ‘first kiss’ scene twice! Here is the first kiss between my contemporary hero, Keirnan Fitzgerald, and my heroine, Samantha Lewis:

She stopped abruptly and pulled her hand away. Keirnan followed her gaze across the street where white letters on a green cloth awning proclaimed “Bello Giardino.” Window boxes filled with pink and yellow primroses decorated the front of the four-story hotel.

“Looks like we’re here.”

His libido suddenly over-rode his conscience, and urged him to do more than walk away.
Impossibly bad timing! He fought back the urge.

“Thank you again for being such a good sport, Samantha.”

When had he raised his hand? But he must have because it was poised next to her face. Of their own volition, his fingers cupped her cheek. Her smooth skin felt overheated in the cool air. Those ten thousand volts sizzled up his arm and made his pulse hammer.

“And I meant what I said back there on the Bridge of Sighs. He’s a fool. You’re better off without him.” And me.

Though shock flickered across her expressive eyes, she said nothing, the tip of her tongue moistening her bottom lip His hand moved from her cheek to cradle the back of her head, the silky strands of her hair flowing over and through his fingers. He lowered his head and slanted his mouth across hers, his own tongue lightly following the path of hers. She tasted warm and sweet. But without warning, the painted image of Serafina Lombardo flashed behind his closed eyes.

Saints in heaven, he was losing it! Keirnan pulled back and dropped his hand, but instead of releasing her as he’d intended, he grasped her hand and raised it toward his mouth.

“Take care, Samantha, luv,” he murmured and pressed his lips lightly against her palm.
Blood roared in his ears, but somehow he managed to drop her hand before he made an even bigger and far more stupid blunder.

And here is the first kiss between my Renaissance couple, Serafina and Nino:

Nino paced the open space in front of the bench. His graceful movements made her think of dancing. Who had he danced with during Carnevale?

“Well, he was right about the Doge’s niece.”

Serafina shifted her voluminous skirts so that he could sit next to her on the bench. He hesitated for a moment before he sat down.

“Maybe so, but he should not have poked fun at you.”

“I…” As at the cemetery isle, warmth seemed to radiate from him to her. “…don’t mind. Besides, I may not have a wart on my nose, but my jaw is too square and my mouth is too small.”

She repeated the faults her mother so frequently pointed out, except she never should have mentioned mouth. The instant she spoke the word, her eyes immediately went to his.

She watched in fascination as his lips parted and he spoke. “Your mouth looks perfect to me.”
“Not…” Her hand moved of its own accord. “…so perfect as yours.” Her fingers lightly brushed across his cheek and traced the edge of his lower lip. “Yours feels so soft.”

Serafina lifted her face and his warm smooth lips touched hers. The unexpected contact jolted them apart.

“Forgive me!” Nino leaped to his feet.

“Kiss me again,” she whispered, pulling him back down beside her.

Now THAT is a woman after Aunty’s own heart! I’ll bet she could even handle Og.

What about you? Care to share some memorable first kisses, either your own or fictional? One lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of The Treasures of Venice.

I want to send a HUGE thanks to Aunty Cindy for accepting my I want to send a HUGE thanks to Aunty Cindy for accepting my request to guest post on our little blog here. As always, Aunty, when you post something, it is truly entertaining! And this looks like another great book to throw on top of the wish list pile. Two love stories in one? I'm in! And with a cover like that, how can you go wrong? Okay, everyone, let the competition for the book giveaway begin! ~ Margay

UPDATE: The winner of The Treasure of Venice is Molly Daniels!! Congratulations!

In the Moonlight with Lorhainne Eckhardt, author of The Captain's Lady

The Challenges of writing about a war that is still so prevalent in the news and sparks so many different reactions in people

Did you know I thrive on challenge? I believe quite strongly in moral issues. When I write a story it will be surrounding some prevalent issue, which is forefront to me at the time. We all have a voice and need to be heard. The difficult issues that arise, I believe they need to be addressed and brought to the forefront. In our fiction, it may be a fictional story, but the research done, you can lend another side to the reader. Especially of issues that spark controversy. That’s how we bring about change for the better.

Just mention the war in Iraq to anyone and the heart wrenching emotions that arise, will spark an instant debate along with the politics and the anger. The opinions and reactions are vast. I felt compelled during the war to write this novel. One was the support I felt needed to be extended to the troops. Whatever anyone’s view is of the war, the troops are the ones sent to the front line. We’re not there and they are. I do hope my novel will spark reactions in people, and create discussions about the challenges the troops face there everyday. What better place to write about the challenge and controversy that surrounds the Iraqi war then in a story.

Blurb: The Captain’s Lady

Captain Eric Hamilton is a powerful force in the U.S. Navy, having earned himself a reputation of being a hard-nosed chauvinist. He’s commander of the USS Larsen, a destroyer, currently deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Abby Carlton has just escaped from the man who held her captive for a year. Abducted while travelling in Paris, she was given to an Arab man as a gift, until one night she makes her desperate escape.

While on patrol one morning Captain Eric Hamilton discovers a dinghy floating aimlessly. Abby is found, battered and in an advanced state of pregnancy, lying in the bottom of the dinghy. From the moment she lay on the deck of his ship her innocence finds a way to penetrate his hardened heart. But time is running out. Eric is falsely accused of sexual assault and the CIA wants Abby and the baby for bait to flush out her captor.

Excerpt: The Captain’s Lady

“We have no reports of a ship in distress in the area, Captain.”

“What about fishing boats?”

“No, sir, no reports.”

Looking once more at his first officer, Eric issued curt orders, the harshness grating in his voice. “Send a rescue team to check it out.”

Handing the binoculars off to one of the crew members, he strode with determination off the bridge, heading directly to the ship’s launch. His well-trained crew scurried about. Joe appeared at his side and they watched from the rail as the small rigid hull sped off in the direction of the dinghy. His pulse rose and the dampness on his back soaked through his short-sleeved shirt.

“So what do you think?” Joe leaned on the rail, uncertainty clear in the crinkle of his brows.

“Don’t know, dammit.” Eric focused on the scene unfolding in the distance. Again he commandeered the binoculars from Joe and scrutinized the three-man team approaching, then securing the boat to the dinghy.

His senses were keen; over the years, he’d learned to trust them. The uneasiness that crept its way into his gut, the hairs now standing up on the back of his neck and the racing of his heart; this unshakable feeling was telling him that things were about to change—drastically. Puzzled, he felt the mounting frustration build inside, along with something else he could not quite put his finger on. Shaking his head, he realized it was not a feeling of dread.

The crackle of the radio interrupted his speculation. A voice from the rescue team came over the line. “There’s someone in here, a woman, and she’s in bad shape.”

My sincerest apologies to Lorhainne, but I didn't have access to a computer today and my situation was just resolved. ~ Margay

Lorhainne Eckhardt

Hi Folks,

We appear to be having some technical difficulties with our post for today. Hopefully we will be able to fix them shortly.

Thanks for Your Patience!

YA Author Spotlight Saturday Presents... Kimberly Joy Peters!!!

Hello Everyone!

As I've said before, we’ve had a lot of fun shining our spotlight on some very fine young adult authors so far. In fact, I will continue with this list until I feel it is utterly too long (maybe renew it every six months). We've brought Linda Dawda, Brian S. Pratt, Sara Zarr, Jaime Adoff and Susan Beth Pfeffers (but on a Monday), Christine Hart, and Nancy Werlin into our spotlight we affectionately call the moon and stars, and today is no different!

I'm proud to bring you Kimberly Joy Peters, the author of Posing as Ashley, which was pretty darn good!!

Happy weekend! My name is Kimberly Joy Peters, and I am the author of Painting Caitlyn, Posing as Ashley, and the forthcoming (Definitely Not!) Camelot, all published by Lobster Press. I live on the lake in a small town in Central Ontario, Canada, where I work at the local school as a teacher of French and Art. Although I would never write specifically about my students’ lives, working with adolescents all day definitely helps keep me in touch with YA readers and their interests. I am often asked what it is like to be a YA author, and, as I considered that question for this blog, it occurred to me that in many ways, it is just like being back in one of my all time favourite places: high school. Hence:

Nine Ways Being a YA Author Mirrors my Adolescence

1. The possibilities are endless

Years ago, I couldn’t wait to get to high school. Then I couldn’t wait to be a senior…a graduate…a university student. Not that I didn’t enjoy myself along the way: it was just that there were so many opportunities before me, and having goals kept me going forward.

As a writer, I continue to be excited by the endless possibilities for my career. Just writing a book as a personal challenge morphed into the goal of finding a publisher, and that achievement led me to spin-offs and awards. I feel very proud of what I’ve already accomplished, but I also look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

2. I don’t know what I don’t know

Confession: when I was fifteen years old, I had a big crush on a guy in my math class. My father had died earlier in the year, and I was feeling grown-up and oh-so-mature in the aftermath. So when this boy – Paul – invited me to go camping with him and five of his friends, rather than making up an elaborate story and lying to my mother about it, I decided to act like a grown up and just tell her I was going. And thank goodness I did, because she put her foot down firmly and said “absolutely not”. “But you can trust me!” I argued, explaining that there would be separate tents. “It’s not you I don’t trust,” she countered. “It’s just not a good idea.” Flash-forward to adult me: she was totally right. It was a stupid idea. Parents do know things, despite what we believe when we are young.

Editors are kind of like parents. When I come up with elaborate, unconvincing stories, they rein me back me in, pointing out exactly where the flaws are in my plans. Sometimes, it feels unfair (I’m an artist! I should be able to create what I want!) But they are the ones with the wisdom that comes from experience, and I need to trust that – like my mother – they have my best interest at heart.

3. I’m still trying to convince people not to judge books by their covers

Once upon a time, my sister came along with me to pick up a male friend with whom I was going to a movie. As he trundled down the driveway in his army-green, ankle-length trench coat, his shoulder-length hair wrapped in a bandanna resting just above his sixteen or seventeen earrings, my sister gasped out loud and exclaimed: “Oh my gosh, Kim – I didn’t know you knew anybody like that!” Long hair, earrings and all, Neil was probably one of the brightest, kindest people I knew, but his appearance almost made my sister dismiss him. Eventually, she looked past his “cover”, and today they are the parents of two beautiful children.

Still, just as in high school, when first and lasting impressions are based on your clothes, your hair, your make-up (or lack thereof), and your expression, book covers can make or break a novel. And as much as I believe that it’s what’s inside that counts, I’ve seen grown men avert their eyes at the sight of the bare midriff on Painting Caitlyn and teenage girls squeal with delight over the bubble skirt on Posing as Ashley. People do judge books by their covers. I’m lucky, because my publisher does an amazing job at making my books visually appealing, but it’s ultimately up to me to make the insides worthwhile. Wish I’d understood that as an adolescent when my face was dotted with zits.

4. I’m still figuring out who I am

There are some things you can’t admit to anybody… (oh – wait – that’s the first line of my first novel, Painting Caitlyn. But then again, it works here, too…). Adolescence is, traditionally, a time of self-discovery. Much like the Ashley character in my novels, I spent much of my adolescence trying to balance my desire to be perceived as “normal” with the brainiac label I already had, and knew wasn’t “cool”. Often, as a result of this conflict, I’d present myself – not deceptively -- but differently, depending on who I was with. It wasn`t that I couldn’t admit to who I really was – it was just that I wasn’t yet sure of it myself.

I’m still doing it. Although I’m honored and proud to be an author of YA literature, when the dental hygienist asked me last week how I spend my summers off, it didn’t even occur to me until after she’d left the room that although I’d told her (honestly) about boating and cottaging and walking the dog, it hadn’t even occurred to me to mention that I also write books. Partly, I was just caught up in the “non-author” parts of my life – wife, teacher, slave to my pets. But truthfully, on some levels, I still don’t believe that I’m fortunate enough to be a published author, and privileged enough to touch the lives of my readers the way so many authors touched mine. Seriously. I popped into this blog a few weeks ago, hoping to get some ideas about what other guest bloggers had submitted, and saw the name “Susan Beth Pfeffer.” Here. On the same blog as me. And I got really excited to read what she had to say, because I can still tell you exactly on which part of which shelf her books were found at my local library when I was growing up, because I read them all. So even though I’m told that I’m an author, I still, most of the time, feel like a reader.

5. My popularity is still relative.

If you asked me whether I was popular in high school, I would say “no”. I didn’t date much, and in fact never dated anyone who actually went to my high school (I did marry one, but that’s another story). I rarely went to parties. I didn’t join clubs, or have a large group of friends. But a few years ago, I got a very touching email from a guy who’d attended high school with me, and who wanted to thank me for always being nice to him, even though he was (in his words) “socially challenged” and I was “popular” (his words again). The “popular” label surprised me, and I’m still certain that many of my former classmates would disagree with it completely, but from his point of view, it fit.

To me, my “popularity” as an author of YA fiction is a similar mystery. I do not share movie billboards or million dollar sales stats with New Moon or Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but Painting Caitlyn did join them on both the 2007 American Library Association's YALSA Quick Picks list and the 2008 International Reading Association's Young Adult Choices list [Now I have to give my library some sh..er..good talking to for not carrying Painting Caitlyn!]. And as a Canadian author with a small publisher, I am unlikely to have the luxury of “quitting my day job” any time soon. But my publisher says my books are well received, and continues to ask for more. So maybe, as with my high school social standing, my legacy as an author will ultimately depend not on final sales figures, but on how my books entertain and inspire the people who read them.

6. It’s still kind of hard to win over the boys…

Even though I didn’t date much in high school, I was crushing on one or two guys, and trying to get them to notice me.

As a YA author, girls readily pick my books, but guys tend to be more reluctant. It’s not just the pink and purple covers: reading isn’t something that most guys consider cool, and fiction is not generally their first choice. Still, one of my favourite compliments ever came from one of my male eighth-graders who asked when my first book, Painting Caitlyn, would be available for purchase. I’d already read the final draft out loud to his class, so I expressed surprise that he still intended to purchase it. He replied with “Yeah, but it was funny, and interesting, and I just really liked it.” Too bad those guys I used to crush on never took the time to listen to me the way my student listened to the book. They would have found out that I was funny and interesting and likable, too.


7. Like it or not, there’s always room for improvement

You know how you can work really hard on an essay or project, hand it in with confidence, and then feel completely pathetic when it comes back covered in red ink and suggestions to “make it better”? My editor makes the adjustments electronically, and she tries to be gentle, but I still often end up believing that I suck. Later, after I’ve forced myself to actually consider her suggestions, I often discover that there was room for improvement, and with a little revision, my work ends up better than before.

8. Distractions, distractions.

In high school, when I had a deadline, there was inevitably something good on TV.

Not only am I still under deadlines as an author, but technology has evolved so much during the past twenty years that now there is cable, satellite, and digital T.V., Home Box Office, and DVD rentals and – most distracting of all – YouTube.
[heh, heh, you forgot cell phones, PDAs and Kindles!]

9. I’m still working right down to the wire

Yes, I pulled all-nighters. It wasn’t that I wasn’t thinking about my essays in advance – it was just that once I actually got started on them, I had so many, many ideas that I couldn’t stop, and the best ones seemed to come just as I needed to finish up.

And yes, my brain still works that way. What began as five has morphed into nine, and I`d love to go for ten, but it`s time to hit ``send``.

Books that Rock Your Socks

Next to writing and spending time with my family, my favorite hobby is reading. Each time I settle down with a book in my hands, I’m also a reviewer, whether I’m asked for my opinion or not. Like all readers, I either like the book or I don’t.

So, I’m in the process of reviewing a book—or trying to review a book—and I’m struggling with it. Mega wattage style! If I hadn’t promised to read this book and give my opinion on it, I would have set it aside within the first ten pages I’m so bored. Seriously, braining myself with it would be less painful. (Keta, if you’re reading this, NO it is not your book, so no need to worry!) But it’s gotten me to thinking…what makes a book rock my socks? This author is popular, well known, well-respected and NY published, so she’s got clout in the writing industry. Unfortunately, I’m less than impressed. I’ve read many e-book authors that are much better writers in my opinion.

However, it has me pondering what makes a book good? Certainly, the genre has something to do with it, whether it’s romance, horror, murder-mystery, etc. But even so, some romance authors are better than other romance authors. So, what is it that makes a book good and what are the characteristics of a good book? What is it about a book that keeps me turning the page?

For me the author that is able to touch my emotions and make me feel empathy for and with the characters, those tend to be the ones I’m drawn to over and over again. If a book makes me cry, I’ve been touched by an amazing author that dragged emotion from me, which is not an easy task. Clean, easy to follow writing that flows so smoothly, it’s like a tributary feeding straight into my brain, something that takes little brain power to process, but is so entertaining it’s hard to set it aside. Also, I prefer books that push the limits, the boundaries between morally right and wrong, maybe even pitch a little on the side of taboo. But paranormal romance is my favorite, so it’s easy to stray to those sides with that genre. And I love the romance genre in particular because it’s an escape from reality. If I want reality, I’ll turn on the news and immerse myself in the horror of daily life.

Now, your turn…What is it about a book that rocks your socks?

In the Moonlight: Karen Harrington, author of Janeology

Today's featured author is Karen Harrington, whose debut book is entitled Janeology. Karen also maintains a wonderful blog that, especially if you're a writer, you will find brimming over with interesting tidbits, including insights into her writing process and why she wrote Janeology, and family photos that inspired her.

Writers Take Heart. You Have Your Own Saint

by

Karen Harrington

Like most writers, I’ve collected my share of rejection notices over the years. And now that I’m on looking for an agent, I expect I’ll collect a few more. But I don’t let this get me down. I try to remember the scores of writers who’ve gone down this path in their quest just to be read.

In fact, what if I told you there was a writer so determined to draw attention to his writing he posted it on walls, slipped it under doors and handed pages to anyone he could? Crazy? Some might say so. But it’s also a model of persistence, courage and faith. And as it happens, the man nailing those pages onto walls was writing, in fact, about faith. He was Francis De
Sales, a writer so prolific and powerful he was proclaimed the Patron Saint of Writers and Journalists in 1665 by Pope Alexander VII.

Writers at all stages can take heart! You have your own saint.

De Sales wrote his whole life without ever being formally published. But his books, as we know them today, have not gone out of print in almost four centuries. (And they all enjoy an Amazon sales rank any writer would envy.)

De Sales was born in 1567, the eldest child in an aristocratic French family. His father had ambitions that his son should study law and theology, for which he eventually received doctorate degrees. After his studies were complete, he was expected to marry and take a position in the Senate. But De Sales refused and turned his attentions to his truest passion – a ministerial life.

He became a bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Geneva at a time when Calvinism was spreading. De Sales determined to lead an expedition to convert the 60,000 Calvinists back to the Catholic Church. In this regard, he developed a reputation as an exceptionally patient man. For years, no one would listen to him. No one would open the door when he knocked. So he found a way to get under the door. He wrote out his sermons and slipped them under the door.

His most famous book, Introduction to the Devout Life, is a collection of many of those letters and passages.

Today, the weary or discouraged writer, or anyone in need of encouragement, can look to St. Francis’ example of persistence in the face of rejection. So if you are waiting for that agent or publisher to call, perhaps a nod heavenward to St. Francis wouldn’t hurt. His official saints day is January 24.

Following are some wonderful passages I discovered within his writings.

“True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.”

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.”

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”


Karen Harrington is the author of JANEOLOGY: the story of one man's attempt to understand his wife and her sudden descent into madness. Read an excerpt at www.karenharringtonbooks.com

(Author photo credit: Photo by Gail Nogle)

Buy the book

On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of reading Janeology and I can honestly tell you that it is like nothing else that you will ever read. What starts out as a simple case of an overwhelmed mother taking the life of one of her children (the other survives the attempt) soon evolves into a complex tale that tackles the question of whether or not a person is genetically predisposed to commit murder. Using a combination of detective work and genealogy, the protagonist searches for those answers more for his own peace of mind rather than to save himself from going to jail, too. It is a fascinating read. ~ Margay

A Little Mayhem with Marcus Dino, Author of Diary of a Mad Gen Yer

Today, I have as my special guest Marcus Dino, author of Diary of a Mad Gen Y er. Please give him a nice Moonlighter welcome!

Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Why I Self Publish

by Marcus Dino

Author, Fifi: Anything Goes in the Double Os
and Diary of a Mad Gen Yer

When I first finished my manuscript for Fifi: Anything Goes in the Double Os back in 2003, at first, like perhaps any first time author, I decided to find a traditional publisher to publish my novel. I must have sent at least a hundred query letters and brief summaries of my book to numerous literary agents and publishers, both large and small. The fruits of my efforts, one rejection letter after another. Some of these people didn't even have the courtesy to send me a form letter that says 'You're rejected.' I guess they had so many manuscripts to 'reject' they didn't have the time. Face it for any first time author today getting published by a traditional publisher perhaps is equivalent to 'winning the lottery.' Unless the author is a celebrity, 'knows someone' in the publishing business, or is perhaps a graduate of small select number of 'MFA programs' which in my opinion proves nothing about an author's writing ability but is part of this ridiculous 'credentialed society' we currently live in (Hemingway who never attended college, would probably utter a large gregarious laugh when told about these MFA programs if he were alive today), a first time author is going to have a tough time getting his her book published by a traditional publisher.

So the only alternative is to self publish, Does self publishing have that 'vanity stigma' of only desperate authors pay to have their books published? It certainly does not, or at least in my opinion, not anymore.
Look at best selling books like Eragon, Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Christmas Box,and The Celestine Prophecy, all of which were originally self published.
When I went with Iuniverse and later on Airleaf to publish Fifi, the only thing I wanted to do was to get 'my book out there.' Yes you may have difficulty your books into large 'brick and mortar stores' like Borders and Barnes and Nobel because 'they don't take Print on Demand,' and yes you may not have your book reviewed by The New York Times because they don't review 'self published books' but you can't let things like that stop you. You need 'to get your book out there.' Who is going to read your manuscript stuck up in your dusty old attic or stuck in the hard drive of your laptop, your mother, your kids, your cat? Are you going to sacrifice perhaps five to ten years of your life sending thousands of query letters that will be eventually rejected and trying to network with everybody you know involved in publishing in the hopes they take a look at your manuscript? You can get your book in all the major online stores, you can get book reviewed by many well known online book reviewers and by numerous small and local newspapers like I did with Fifi. The main thing is to get your book out there for people to see it.

Think of self publishing as kind of a tryout, an analogy would be the kid with all that potential in the world given a tryout by a major league scout and he hits that 95 mph fastball over the center field wall. He then signs a lucrative major league contract. That's what a first time author should think when he or she self publishes, doing a 'tryout.' If you get a strong reader audience, if you build a respectable sales record, then perhaps you will sign that 'lucrative contract' and have your book republished with a big name publisher.

Self publishing also gives you the writer to write your book any way you wish, you get your book out in a matter of months as opposed to say a year or two with a traditional publisher, and finally you can have greater control over your royalty payments. The disadvantages with self publishing are obviously paying potentially a large fee to have your book published, constant editing or paying a professional editor to edit your books because realistically your self publisher is not concerned about quality, only that you paid them foe their services,and of course marketing. However the great majority of authors who have had their books traditionally published are also having to do their own marketing because traditional publishing houses have tight marketing budgets which they spend on their 'superstars.'

In summary I feel the benefits of self publishing outweigh the disadvantages. If you have little name recognition, want to get your book out to readers as quickly as possible, and want the freedom to write as you please and have total control over your book then I feel at least initially you should consider self publishing. I went the self publishing route with Fifi and more recently Diary of a Mad Gen Yer because I want to get my books out to the readers as soon as possible and as to as many readers as possible.

Marcus Dino has had an interesting professional career, first as an Aerospace engineer, next as a passionate math teacher teaching in urban Los Angeles which he currently still does, and finally, as a part time literary fiction author. It is Mr Dino’s being a die hard movie buff that led him to writing Diary of a Mad Gen Yer in addition to his first novel, Fifi, Anything goes in the Double Os, first published in 2003. Mr Dino is a graduate of Chapman University and he also has Masters Degrees in both Education and Electrical Engineering. Diary of a Mad Gen Yer and Fifi can be found at www.smashwords.com and www.summertimproductions.net. Mr Dino’s personal website which includes numerous blogs, short stories, and poems involving his central character Fifi Larouche, which helped inspire him to write his anthology, Diary, can be found at www.authorsden.com/marcusdino.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Marcus!

Mayhem with Sylvie Kurtz

Today we will be having some mayhem with Sylvie Kurtz. Unfortunately, she's off creating some mayhem of her own in the woods somewhere with her husband (okay, that probably gives away exactly what kind of mayhem...), so she's here with us via satellite.

If you aren't familiar with Sylvie, you can find her bio in every one of her books, at least as far as I've noted. It's pretty interesting if you ask me. Some people might think she's crazy for turning away from her pilot's license in favor of a keyboard and the voices in her head, but as every author knows, you have to stop and listen to those voices if you want to be sane. So, that's what she did. Here's her bio as you'd find on her website and in her books: "Flying an eight hour solo cross-country in a Piper Arrow with only the airplane's crackling radio and a large bag of M & Ms for company, Sylvie Kurtz realized a pilot's life wasn't for her. The stories zooming in and out of her head proved more entertaining than the flight itself. Not a quitter, she finished her pilot's course, earning her commercial license and instrument rating.

Since then, she's traded in her pilot's license for a keyboard, where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense.

When not writing, she enjoys the outdoors with her family, quilt-making, photography, and reading whatever catches her interest."

After reading A Rose at Midnight and Spirit of a Hunter, I felt I needed to bring Sylvie here and introduce the rest of you to her. She is a phenomenal writer and has a gift for suspense and well, intrigue. I'm currently reading Under Lock and Key and finding it hard to put down and hard to pick back up because I know if I pick it up, I won't be able to do anything else until I've finished reading it! Then I will be on to

Mask of a Hunter and Pull of the Moon
Follow us on Goodreads to see my progress and my reviews of these and other books.

By the time I finished the books and read her website, I was filled with questions. Now, I could ask all of them, didn't want to scare the girl off, so kept my list of questions to the ones I wanted to know now.

[I started with some questions specifically about Sylvie herself]

ME: What drew you to the Intrigue Line?

SYLVIE: The combination of romance and suspense. I love both genres, so finding both in one story seemed like the perfect marriage.

ME: What influenced your life that you find enjoyment in the darker and gothic romances as well as suspense?

SYLVIE: Um, that's a loaded question J [supposed to be a smiley face but you can't see it!]. I'm not really sure why darker stories appeal to me. Maybe it's because Joe and Jane Average win in the end, no matter how bad, strong, rich the opponent is. This so rarely happens in real life, where Joe and Jane more often than not find themselves squished. Plus New England scenery, with its thick trees, granite, and weather, lends itself perfectly to that dark atmosphere.

ME: Was there any one author that influenced you and your writing more than any other?

SYLVIE: When I was a kid, what got my attention was a book cover with a horse on it. When I ran out of kids' books, I turned to the adult section and found Dick Francis racing books and Mary Stewart's Airs Above The Ground. I loved that book so much, I went back and read every book by Mary Stewart I could find. That got me hooked on the Gothic genre. Once I decided to write, I devoured both romance and suspense novels, not so much with a reader's eye now, but with an eye to learn how to make the genres work. I learned sexual tension from Jayne Ann Krentz, emotions from Nora Roberts, atmosphere and the sheer joy of word usage from Dean Koontz. When I first started writing for Intrigue, Tess Gerritsen still wrote for them, and I learned the pacing of an Intrigue from taking apart her books. I try to learn something from every book I read, which sometimes ruins the fun of reading J. Volunteering at the library has helped me find many new authors, making my list of favorites long and my to-be-read piles a health hazard [Isn't everyone's TBR a mountain range? I know mine is!].

[Sylvie touches on a very important point that I don't think can be stated enough for anyone wanting to improve their writing. Read, read and read some more! You need to read good and bad writing to teach yourself what to do and what not to do. She has an impressive list of teachers there! Okay, back to the interview.]

ME: Okay, we all know that the Intrigue line is a limited release and doesn’t get into reprints. Is there a possibility of your books, your seeker series at least, being release as eBooks through eHarlequin?

SYLVIE: I haven't heard anything about that yet, but Harlequin is always looking to maximize sales, so I don't see why they wouldn't end up on their e-list eventually.

ME: There’s a different recipe before each of your Intrigue novels, is that something you did or was that a Harlequin addition? Why were those recipes added?

SYLVIE: My first agent once commented that my books made her hungry because food appeared in so many scenes. Most of my good childhood memories revolve around food--Christmas dinners, Easter pastries, summer picnics, Thanksgiving turkey, and one special high tea at the Ritz with my grandmother. Because food became an unconscious layer in all of my books, I asked if I could include a recipe and it stuck. Even when I couldn't have it in the front pages anymore, it ended up at the end of the book.

[Here's where I finally start asking questions about her books.]

ME: Spirit of the Hunter is book 5 in The Seekers . Do you plan on writing any more of The Seekers, or do you feel it sort of wrapped itself up?

SYLVIE: I have an idea for Gray's sister, and one for Harper, but I don't know if I'll get to write them.

ME: What gave you the inspiration for The Seekers? Was it something from your own life?

SYLVIE: Mostly frustration at not being able to get local law enforcement to answer questions. Then in a book on law enforcement of the future, I read about the idea of private policing and used that as the basis for The Seekers.

ME: Did you have any specific men in mind when you wrote the different heroes of The Seekers? If so, who?

SYLVIE: Not really. They all kind of appeared with their own personalities. Sebastian first, then his crew as he needed them. I love how they were all so different, yet shared the same basic values.

ME: Which Seeker hero was your favorite?

SYLVIE: I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, and I know readers like alpha heroes, but my two favorites are the more beta heroes, Dominic and Noah.

[Interesting concept, a beta hero!]

ME: In A Rose at Midnight, the main premise swirls around a New Orleans Myth. Is that myth the real thing, or something you made up?

[I love, love, love this cover!]

SYLVIE: It's actually a French Canadian tales I grew up with. I can still remember a particular television show called Franfreluche, where the main character reenacted the tale--her getting caught up with the stranger, the horns appearing on the devil's head, the smoke around their dancing feet, her inability to get away from him, and the sound of the grandfather clock bonging midnight in the background. I couldn't have been more than seven, but the images are still clear. I always wanted to use that tale somehow and got to in A Rose at Midnight.

ME: How long did it take you to research myths and legends?

SYLVIE: I got a couple of books of Canadian tales to refresh myself on the details. I ended up finding several versions and kind of molded them all into the one I used in the book. I used Quebec City as the setting, because my grandmother had lived there and the old part of Quebec City is so ripe for that Gothic atmosphere.

ME: What kind of research did you do, or was it mostly online (what resources did you find the most helpful)?

SYLVIE: Online research is fast, but I still like hands-on research. If I can try something my characters will do, then I like to have the experience--like shooting a handgun or a rifle, kayaking, hiking the White Mountains, etc. I like that I can tap into my own emotions as I was in the midst of the experience for my characters.

[Okay, how can I do this? I don't think my husband will buy the, "Honey, I need to do research for a book I want to write, so I'm booking a trip for us to..." Um, no, won't work. Oh, darn!]

ME: I recently started reading Under Lock and Key. A castle complete with moat is an interesting idea for a contemporary novel, but what made you decide to put one in Northern Texas?

SYLVIE: Because a similar one does exist, although I'm not sure about the moat part. I forget where now, because it's been so long since I've lived in Texas, but I remember reading an article in the newspaper about how a man had had a castle transported stone by stone and rebuilt it. I cut the article out and placed it in my idea file until the opportunity to use such an element came up. I didn't use the actual Texas castle, but created one just for Melissa based on an English castle. [click image at right to go to castle's website]

ME: Why did you make the main character a journalist over some other career choice?

SYLVIE: You're asking me to dig back far! I had to find someone who had a good reason to contact Melissa and someone who would most press Melissa's conflict buttons. A too-gorgeous guy, who she thought wanted to expose her "ugliness" seemed like the perfect fit.

[Here are some questions about future publications:]

ME: Are you currently working on any projects?

SYLVIE: I'm currently dabbling in several things.

ME: If so, what are their titles?

SYLVIE: No titles so far--those tend to grow out of the story and surprise me somewhere as I'm writing the story.

ME: Will they be suspense or intrigue?

SYLVIE: I'd like to do both!

ME: If not, what genre will they be?

SYLVIE: I started a psychological suspense and was having fun with my heroine, but then this guy started talking to me (this probably sounds normal only to other writers--I swear I'm not psychotic J) and his voice was so strong that I had to start writing down his story, which kind of goes back to my paranormal roots, because there's a ghost involved. I have no idea where that will end up.

The way the mind works has always fascinated me--why people do things, how they react, how they survive, hence my attraction to the psychological suspense genre.

We'll see what happens.

ME: What are you doing in the meantime, besides working on future books that is?

SYLVIE: I'm teaching two classes for the Long Ridge Writers Group--Breaking Into Print and a novel course, and volunteer at my local library one afternoon a week. I also present the occasional online workshop. The next one is for the NEORWA chapter (www.neorwa.com) from September 7-18th and it's on revising.

ME: Thanks for taking the time to interview with me and I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!

SYLVIE: No problem--it was fun!

[Any questions for Sylvie that you'd like to ask? Want to tell her how much you like her work, post it here for when she checks in later!]

Just Another Parody Monday

Hey all,

I scrapped my regular blog because I felt a parody coming on. Since the muse was calling, I had to listen!

This one has the tune of Mountain of Love by Charlie Pride (or Johnny Mathis - if he sang it).

Enjoy!

Mountains of Books

Standing on a ladder peering down at my stacks
And overwhelmed ‘cause they spill out my backpack
Zipper’s broke open along each side
Adventure, romance and
Sci-fi fantasy,
Books spill out onto the floor
But that’s what you get
When you have mountains of books

Chapter by chapter and right up to the end
Reading my nights away until dawn
Reading each word so I don’t miss any parts
Line by line it flows, as I follow the journey
There’s so many to choose
Too many to name
Among my mountains of books

Mountains of books
Mountains of books
You would be amazed
What used to be a small little pile
Now flows into the bay

My husband swears there's a half a million books
All through the house in every nook and cranny
There’s even a box I got from my great aunt Mary
In the closet and on the kitchen table
He’s so grouchy because
They’re everywhere
All from my mountains of books

Big tall mountains of books
Big tall mountains of books
Big tall mountains of books

Philippa Gregory Book Giveaway!

Happy Sunday Everyone!

On Tuesday, August 18th, 2009, Philippa Gregory's new book, The White Queen, hits store shelves. You can pre-order it through Amazon, B&N as well as Borders and many other places. But what you can't do, is win a free copy!

That's right, the contest you may have read about in our first newsletter is finally here! Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem has three copies of The White Queen that we are allowed to raffle off!

Why enter this contest? Why this book?

If you have to ask, then you haven't read her book, The Other Boleyn Girl, that was recently made into a movie. Both the book and movie were fantastic! I have also recently finished listening to The Boleyn Inheritance and loved it. The time of England's Kings and Queens are Philippa's element. She thrives here.

The depths to which Philippa does her research are astounding! I also genuinely appreciate how she always makes a point to tell you what in the book was fact, what was rumor and what she made up. What's mind blowing is that what she makes up is so believable that it leaves you feeling that things really could have happened the way she has described! She is that familiar with the ways of society back then, that you are left with not much of a choice but to believe her story as a possibility because she uses the facts of history as the skeleton and builds logical connections and suppositions with the rumors and records of life from that time.

She boggles your mind with the facts and blows it away with the suppositions. Of all the stories of a similar nature that I have read, not many are as brilliant as Philippa, which is why I am so pleased to announce this contest!

The contest starts today, Sunday, August 16th, 2009 and runs through Saturday, September 19th, 2009.

Starting today, you can enter your name by leaving a comment in this blog! (If you sign is as anonymous, you must sign with a name for your entry to be valid. Multiple entries will not increase your chances of winning, but we like it when readers praise authors who are generous enough to provide books for us to raffle off!)

For the last three Sundays of this contest, Gracen, Margay and I will post our reviews of Philippa's book as well as offer some other tidbits about Philippa and the book, so stay tuned!!!

We are so excited to see who will enter, and who will win!

Note: Due to the high costs of shipping over seas, we are restricting our winners to U.S. residents only. Thanks!