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UPDATE: If you would like to win the ebook of LUCKY CATCH, read through to the end!

I have been a fan of Deborah Coonts since her first Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure, Wanna Get Lucky so I was really excited when she offered to do a guest post for me.  Enjoy!

 SEX AND THE STORYTELLER

 By Deborah Coonts

I’m just no good at sex.

Well, writing it, anyway.  Ask me to put sex on paper and I become as shy as a schoolgirl taking her first ride in the backseat of a Chevy.

What words do I use?  At what point does the prose become purple?  Do I do the Tab A into Slot B approach, or something more prosaic?  Do I venture further afield or use the basic missionary?  Kinky or not so much?

All hard decisions.

And, since my characters become my friends, their voices real, recording their sexual proclivities and activities seems a bit voyeuristic and well, tawdry.  But, to me, a good story has a great romance.  And a great romance involves sex.

So, I’ve got to tackle the sex thing.  After five novels and four novellas you’d think I’d get good at it…or at least more comfortable.  No such luck.

Of course, I guess I could be like a writer I know who made his editor write the sex scenes because he couldn’t bring himself to write girl-on-girl sex.  He could watch it, but he couldn’t write it.

Of course, how many men do you know who can write sex and get it right?  I can count them on one hand and not use all my fingers.

Recently I was on a Sex In Mysteries panel at Left Coast Crime.  One of the spots the moderator, Allison Brennan who is an evil, evil moderator, put us in involved each of us reading a sex scene written by a published author. These scenes, of course, were largely considered the absolute worst of their ilk.   I had no idea this was coming…and I was positively apoplectic as each read in turn, praying none of my efforts ended up being read aloud for all to skewer.

Thankfully, I was spared.  And the scenes were horribly beyond imagining—we all were crying with laughter by the end of it.

What did I learn?  First, I can keep a straight face while reading a terrible, graphic sex scene in front of a couple hundred people I know only slightly.  And, even great writers write bad sex.

Shallow as I am, that made me feel better.  It turns out everyone has issues with sex.  I don’t know why that surprised me.  And, as in life, we each have to find what punches our buttons.

One time, years ago, a writer friend asked me to read some pages.  I took them with me on a flight to Hong Kong.  Settled in with a glass of bubbly, I broke out the pages, and broke out in a sweat.  Holy cow!

When I returned home and my friend invited me to lunch and asked me what I thought, I squirmed and avoided eye contact.  Finally I managed, “You know that first scene?  I’m not sure all of that is even physically possible.”

She looked at me stone-faced and said, “Oh, I can guarantee it’s possible.”

I’m very visual.  I was traumatized.  Still am.

But I also learned that I really don’t want my sexual experiences ending up between the covers… of a book.

But, to the extent we draw on real life when we write, is that realistic?  You bet.  Now I just write sex as I wish it to be.

When Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the Lucky series, was published a man asked me if the book was a how-to book.  I thought for a moment, then nodded.  “Yes, it is.”  He looked confused.  I bet he’s still trying to figure out what I meant by that.

As with all writers, I am working on the next opus.  Yesterday, I ran headlong into the “big sex scene.”  Even still, with all this perspective, I get all twitchy when I have to step into the bedroom (or the closet, or the shower, or the living room, or the kitchen—my characters are often adventuresome) and record my characters inter-coitus.

So, what did I do?  What I always do.  I sat at a bar, ordered copious amounts of wine, and imagined….

 About the Book, Lucky Catch:

Trouble always comes in threes. At least that’s what Lucky O’Toole, the VP of Customer Relations for Las Vegas’ primo Strip casino/hotel, the Babylon, has heard for years from her mother. So, tonight, when Teddie, her former lover shows up at her office unannounced and very unexpected, her father offers Teddie a job at the Babylon, she is called to deal with a pig in residence at one of the hotels most exclusive and opulent suites, and Lucky’s current lover, Jean-Charles Bouclet stops answering his phone leaving Lucky to handle his five-year-old son, Lucky figures she has tonight’s compliment of chaos covered.

As usual, she is a tad optimistic.

With a cadre of celebrity chefs with the maturity of teenagers in Vegas for a televised cook-off, a prized Alba truffle in the Babylon’s care, and her mother’s pregnancy racing toward the inevitable, what could go wrong?
When the truffle is stolen from the walk-in in Jean-Charles’ gourmet burger joint at the Babylon and a young chef apparently killed with a smoking gun is found in Jean-Charles’ food truck on the back lot, trouble takes a sinister turn.

And Jean-Charles still isn’t answering his phone.

Another body is discovered. This one stuffed in an oven at Jean-Charles’ eponymous restaurant and set to broil.

Desperate to put a lid on the body count and more than frantic over her AWOL lover, Lucky uses her Vegas contacts to search in places and in ways the police wouldn’t or couldn’t. Teddie insists on riding shotgun. Lucky hasn’t the time nor the resolve to say no. She’s never been able to resist Teddie … not really. With danger dogging their heels, Lucky finds herself falling once again under his spell as they traverse Vegas, being drawn deeper and deeper into the highly competitive world of high-end eateries and the battle for the very rare, most highly prized gourmet foodstuffs.

Would somebody really kill for a truffle?

In a heartbeat.

And when Lucky’s path crosses the killer’s… will her goose be cooked?

Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJsrREAHLho&feature=youtu.be

About the Author:

I am proof positive that sex sells…and persistence pays off. After fifteen years learning the craft of writing, I am now officially, an overnight success. And it’s been a long road to get here…

My mother tells me I was born in Texas a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I’ve lived in every time zone in the U.S.; the most memorable stint being the time spent in Las Vegas, where I currently reside and where family and friends tell me I can’t get into too much trouble…silly people.

The only constant in my life (besides my family, who deserves hazardous duty pay for sticking with me) has been change (my mother is still waiting for me to grow up). Silly woman.
But all of this career ADD made me incredibly unemployable. Hence the whole writing thing.
Actually, I’ve known from a young age that somehow stories would be a large part of my life, but my path to telling lies for a living (okay, not lies per se, but variations of the truth, for sure) has been circuitous. If someone had just told me when I was a kid that I could actually be paid to daydream for a living, life would have been soooo much easier. But they didn’t. And I never saw a ‘daydreaming’ booth at all those Career Days I attended.

So, initially discouraged when unable to locate anyone willing to pay me to read books, go to the movies, or attend the theatre, and in need of providing for the best child in the world, my son Tyler, I spent years being someone else—an accountant (blech), a business owner (pretty fun), a lawyer (loved law school, hated practicing law), a pilot (giddy and terrifying at the same time). But through it all, I wrote. Along the way I wrote the world’s worst novel, a slightly more well-crafted but equally as poorly plotted novel, several non-fiction feature articles (my first sales!), multiple humor columns for a national magazine (more sales!), and, finally, the novel that sold, Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in a series to be published by Forge Books. The series is a Sex and the City meets Elmore Leonard in Vegas kind of thing, if you can imagine that. Okay, have several glasses of wine, then think about it…makes imagining easier. Anyway, the books are sexy, wry, romantic, and slightly naughty mixed with a little murder and mayhem—shaken, not stirred—then illuminated by the bright lights of Las Vegas—one of the truly magical cities in the world.

Many of my friends have asked me how in the world I came up with the Lucky series. The way they asked led me to believe they thought mind-altering substances might have been involved even though they knew the worst I do is a glass of fine Pinot-Noir. The answer to their question is actually very simple: let your fifteen-year-old male child pick where you live, follow his dream to Vegas, then keep your eyes open.

Hey, it worked for me!

Website: http://deborahcoonts.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeborahCoonts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.b.coonts

If you would like to win the ebook:

Send an email to contest@gmail.com with “ LUCKY CATCH” as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by September 10, 2014. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age. One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

LUCKY CATCH by Deborah Coonts. Cool Gus Publishing (August 26, 2014). ISBN: 978-1621251828. 262p.

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Please welcome my guest blogger today, Mike Bond.

HOLY WAR by Mike Bond

The Battle of Beirut is worse than hell, a maelstrom of implacable hatred and frantic love affairs, of explosions, sniper battles and deadly ambushes. Neill, a journalist on a secret mission for Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, is trying to find Mohammed, a Hezbollah terrorist who could stop the slaughter.

André, a French commando, is also hunting Mohammed, to kill him for the death of his brother, blown up with more than 400 US Marines and French paratroopers by Hezbollah. For Rosa, a remorseless and passionate Palestinian guerrilla, Mohammed is one of few hopes for her people and she will die to protect him. And for lovely Anne-Marie, André is the only one who can save her from hell.

Based on the author’s experiences in Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East, HOLY WAR has been praised for its portrayal of civil war, and for its evocation of men and women caught in a deadly crossfire.

About the author:

Mike has been called the “master of the existential thriller” by the BBC and “one of the 21st century’s most exciting authors” by the Washington Times. He is a bestselling novelist, environmental activist, international energy expert, war and human rights correspondent and award-winning poet who has lived and worked in many remote, dangerous parts of the world and has called more than 30 countries “home.” His critically acclaimed novels depict the innate hunger of the human heart for what is good, the intense joys of love, the terror and fury of battle, the sinister conspiracies of international politics and multinational corporations, and the beauty of the vanishing natural world.

If you’d like to win a copy of HOLY WAR…

Send an email to contest@gmail.com with “HOLY WAR” as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by August 15, 2014. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

Holy War by Mike Bond. Mandevilla Press (March 6, 2014). ISBN: 978-1627040143. 434p.

I am delighted to introduce today’s guest blogger, author Glenn Cooper!

About My Books
by Glenn Cooper

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A few years ago Publisher’s Weekly Magazine ran a piece on me titled, Glenn Cooper: An American Writer Only Europeans Can Love? While the article was factually correct, the title stung a bit (though I was glad they included a question mark). The gist of it was that while my debut and first few thrillers were big bestsellers throughout Europe, they hardly registered on the Richter scale in the US. European authors are used to this state of affairs and grumble about the difficulty breaking into the American market, but hey—I was born in New York City, I grew up in White Plains, I went to school in Boston, I live in New Hampshire (okay, I’m married to a Brit). What gives?

Fast forward to today. If the article were written now, what title would the magazine use? Let me think…the same one. I’ve had seven thrillers published and all of them have been on the top-ten bestseller lists throughout Europe and I can’t get arrested in this country. Again I ask, what gives?

In fact, it’s the most-asked question I get when I’m on tour in Europe—why is it that your books are big here and not at home? I have a number of stock answers: Most of my books are based in Europe and are populated by European characters. I write about historical and religious themes that resonate with European readers. Europeans are intelligent and good-looking and their children are all above average. But the truth is, I’m not really sure. However, I suspect the real reason lies with the way I’ve been published here vs. abroad.

Most of my European publishers have chosen, right from the start, to publish my books in hard cover. Now, I’ve got nothing against trade paperbacks or mass market paperbacks, or e-books, or any books. But there’s something solid about a good old hard cover book. It got all that built-in tradition, gravitas. And most importantly, hard backs get the attention of a species now almost as rare as the ivory-billed woodpecker, the newspaper book reviewer. So, when my first book, Library of the Dead, came out in Italy, the esteemed literary critic, Antonio D’Orrico who writes for the newspaper, Corriere della Sera picked it up and, gulp, liked it, I mean he really liked it. Here’s what he said, and I quote:  Library of the Dead is “one of the best-constructed novels I’ve read in my over-14-years as a book critic.” Guess what? The next week the book was number three on the bestseller lists.

Meanwhile. Back at the ranch, the same book was published as a mass market paperback with I title I hated but couldn’t change:The Secret of the Seventh Son. A major publisher was behind it, but without publicity or reviews it faded fast. I might add that in the stone-age era of 2009 there weren’t many bloggers so there wasn’t much chance for me to get out there myself and pitch.

So here we are in 2014 and here are my stats: I’ve had over 6 million books sold worldwide, the vast majority outside the United States.

Rather than spend all my time moaning about how miserably my books have been published in America I’ve decided to join the revolution and self-publish in the States through my own imprint, Lascaux Media. Now the only one I’ll be able to moan about is myself, which will serve me right. I’ve got four thrillers which haven’t been published yet in the US and I’ll be releasing them over the coming year, one every three months, in e-book and trade paperback formats. (I know, I know, I was just singing the praise of hard backs, but in the self-publishing world, they don’t make sense economically).

So, as I introduce myself anew to US readers, I’d like to say a few words about my background, the kinds of books I write and why I write them.

I have a degree from Harvard in archaeology and decided at the last minute, after taking the bare-minimum pre-med requirements, to go into medicine. I graduated from Tufts Medical School then trained in Internal Medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and in Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. After practicing medicine for a while and doing some tropical medicine in Thailand and Haiti I went into medical research. For almost twenty years I was the Chairman and CEO of a successful biotech company in Massachusetts. All the while I had a rather unremarkable sideline of writing unproduced screenplays before trying my hand at novels.

So, you might think that my books were medically-themed thrillers but you’d be wrong. I always found that subject matter too much like my day job and hence too much like work. However, I do like thrillers very much, particularly high-minded ones by my personal faves like John Le Carré, Michael Crichton, Graham Greene, and Umberto Eco. I also enjoy thinking and writing about philosophical and religious ideas and my books tackle a number of juicy topics. The trilogy which has already been published in the US, Library of the Dead, Book of Souls, and Keepers of the Library is about fate and predestination. My first US self-published title, The Tenth Chamber, is about the possibilities of longevity.The Devil Will Come, is an exploration on the nature of evil. Near Death is about near death experiences and the afterlife. The Resurrection Maker is about the intersection of science and faith.

Conspiracy is a common thread running through my books, particularly the notion of a past event, profound in nature, that ripples through time to impact a modern protagonist. I’m not the first writer to employ shifting time frames, but I’ve tried to make the technique very much my own and tell my stories by interlacing two or more historical time frames with the present to give an immediacy to the past. So in The Tenth Chamber, a modern story based in France and England intertwines with stories of medieval and prehistorical intrigue. The world as we know it today stands on the shoulders of the past and my books try to pay homage to that.

In a year I’m going to do a post-mortem on my initial self-publishing experience. I’d very much like the title of a future article on my books to be, Glenn Cooper: An American Writer Who Finally Came Home.

About The Tenth Chamber

From the thriller writer, Glenn Cooper, whose books have sold six million copies and have been top-ten bestsellers, comes a novel which draws on the author’s background in medicine and archaeology to create a riveting page-turner.

Abbey of Ruac, rural France – A medieval script is discovered hidden behind an antique bookcase. Badly damaged, it is sent to Paris for restoration, and there literary historian Hugo Pineau begins to read the startling fourteenth-century text. Within its pages lies a fanciful tale of a painted cave and the secrets it contains – and a rudimentary map showing its position close to the abbey. Intrigued, Hugo enlists the help of archaeologist Luc Simard and the two men go exploring.

When they discover a vast network of prehistoric caves, buried deep within the cliffs, they realize that they’ve stumbled across something extraordinary. And at the very core of the labyrinth lies the most astonishing chamber of all, just as the manuscript chronicled. Aware of the significance of their discovery, they set up camp with a team of experts, determined to bring their find to the world. But as they begin to unlock the ancient secrets the cavern holds, they find themselves at the centre of a dangerous game. One ‘accidental’ death leads to another. And it seems that someone will stop at nothing to protect the enigma of the tenth chamber.

About the author:

Glenn Cooper has a degree in archaeology from Harvard and practiced medicine as an infectious diseases specialist. He was the CEO of a biotechnology company for almost twenty years, has written numerous screenplays and has produced three independent feature films. His novels have sold six million copies in thirty-one languages. He lives in Gilford, New Hampshire.

Links:

http://www.glenncooperbooks.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Cooper
https://www.facebook.com/GlennCooperUSA
https://twitter.com/GlennCooper
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2902232.Glenn_Cooper
http://instagram.com/glenn_cooper

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I’m a long time admirer of author Kate White, hailing back to my days of reading Cosmo, prior to her books. So I was just delighted when she offered to do a guest blog for me, and then this arrived; a personalized piece, a gift to be treasured! And for all you aspiring writers bitten by the procrastination bug – I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

BookBitch Guest Blog
by Kate White

I love “The Book Bitch” and find it a great source for new books to devour, but it wasn’t until I was invited to submit a guest blog that I clicked on the nav bar’s “about” button and really read up on the fabulous bitch herself, Stacy. I was delighted when I started the sentence that began with, “My dream is to write a book that will be published one day…” but then dismayed when Stacy went on to say that she lacked the 3 D’s: drive, determination and discipline.

Stacy, I can sooo relate. Though I had a great career in magazines, I longed to write fiction, too, but for years and years I just I dragged my heels. I’d set aside entire Saturdays to work on my first novel but would end up spending the entire day avoiding the task and instead puttered endlessly, occasionally attacking noble tasks like organizing my underwear drawer or cleaning out my wallet. I was convinced it meant I wasn’t meant to be a writer. But then finally, when I was in my forties, I adopted a new strategy and ended up writing my first book…and then another…and another…. My ninth mystery, Eyes on You, just came out this month. I really feel that many would-be writers who are stuck actually have the drive and determination. What they lack is only that third D, discipline. And that, I believe, CAN be remedied.

Stacy, I want to share the little trick that made all the difference for me, a trick that I bet will work for you, too–as well as for other aspiring writers. (Excuse me if I’m starting to sound like Dr. Oz hyping a “miracle weight loss herb,” but this strategy definitely is a winner.)

When I was trying to get a handle on my procrastination problems, I came across a very helpful book by a time- management guru named Ed Bliss. He said that we often put off meaningful projects because we make them too darn daunting. He suggested cutting down those kinds of projects into small slices or steps, the way you might slice up an unappetizing chunk of salami to make more presentable (thus the reason for the name: “slice-the-salami-technique”). That way you are far less likely to avoid the project. The bigger discipline is as an issue for you, the smaller the slices need to be.

(Interestingly my fitness and yoga instructor told me something similar. She said that after the Christmas holidays, the people who sign up for three classes a week are far less likely to still be working out in May than those who signed up for only one class per week. The bottom line: don’t bite off more than you can chew.)

After years of being a lard ass about my writing, I decided to apply the salami technique. I told myself that rather than putting aside a whole Saturday to work, I’d write for only 15 minutes—and I’d do the same on Sunday. There was no way I could resist. And a funny thing happened. Over time the pages piled up. And I gradually learned to write more frequently and for longer stretches. For instance, I worked on Eyes on You for at least four hours a day, seven days a week.

Stacy, I sense you have a fantastic idea inside you bursting to break out and you truly do have the drive and determination. So just try slicing the salami and you will conquer the third D.

And one other discovery I made. I’ve come to believe in something I call “the writer’s cocktail,” a mix of ingredients that make the whole process smoother. For me, the cocktail means writing early in the morning on a flat, empty surface. With this approach the words flow so much better than they did when I tried to write at night on a roll-top desk. Experiment. Find your cocktail!

I can’t wait to read your book!!

About the author:

Kate White is the New York Times bestselling author of nine works of fiction—six Bailey Weggins mysteries and three suspense novels, including, Eyes on You (June 2014). For fourteen years she was the editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, and though she loved the job (and the Cosmo beauty closet!), she decided to leave in late 2013 to concentrate full time on being an author.

Her books have received starred reviews from a variety of publications and she has been covered everyplace from The Today Show to The New York Times. Her first Bailey Weggins mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was named as the premier Reading with Rippa selection and soon shot to number one on Amazon. (And it’s now being made into an opera!). She is published in 18 countries around the world.
Kate is currently editing the Mystery Writers of America cookbook, a selection of recipes from many of the top-selling authors.

Like many mystery writers, Kate fell in love with the genre after reading her first Nancy Drew book, The Secret of Redgate Farm, and she still admires those cliffhanger endings that “Carolyn Keene” created.

She is married and the mother of two children, and once had her daughter stalk her through the woods so she could better describe the sounds of someone being followed.

Kate is also the author of several very popular career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve, and Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.

Website: http://katewhite.com
Blog: http://katewhite.com/blog
Twitter: @katemwhite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateWhiteAuthor

Check out the Win Books page to find out how you can win a signed copy of Eyes on You!

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I am delighhted to welcome one of my favorite people and favorite author, Mary Kay Andrews. Read through to the end to find out how you can your own copy of her latest (and my new fave!) SAVE THE DATE.

INSPIRATION POINT

by Mary Kay Andrews

It’s probably the number one question I get—the question all writers get—where do you get your ideas?

Sometimes I jokingly say I find them under the sofa cushions. Or at an outlet mall just off the interstate.

The truth is, I never know when inspiration will strike. But as a writer, whenever an idea occurs to me—or an image stops me in my tracks, or I have a recurring dream, I know it could be an idea for a book.

Take the inspiration for the “meet cute” way the protagonist meets her eventual love interest in SAVE THE DATE. Years ago, a friend in Savannah (where the book is set) told me how she’d met an eccentric neighbor after her dog escaped and she spotted an elderly woman dragging her dog down the street by a piece of string. The woman had mistaken my friend’s dachshund for her own dog—and it was only after Sue followed her all the way home and showed her that the woman’s own dog was in her garden that the woman admitted the mistake. They later became fast friends. As soon as I heard that story, I knew I’d use it someday.

So—in SAVE THE DATE, Cara Kryzik, a florist who happens to live in a fictional townhouse on the same block my friend lives on—meets a handsome stranger when her golden doodle puppy runs away, and the stranger mistakes her for his own missing golden doodle.

Sometimes the idea for a book comes from deep within my subconscious. Or is that unconscious? I can never keep them straight. Anyway, I had a recurring dream that I was sitting in church, and an attractive woman was sitting in the pew in front of me. After a couple nights of the same dream, I started wondering if maybe the muses were offering me an idea. So in my dream that night, when I was back in the same church, I tapped the woman on the shoulder and asked her what she was doing there. “I’m watching my ex-husband get re-married,” she said.

The next morning, I knew I had a great premise for a book, which turned out to be SPRING FEVER. The book opens with the protagonist, AnnaJane, sitting in a beautiful church on a spring day, watching her ex-husband, standing on the altar, dressed in a charcoal-gray Armani tux, waiting for his bride to float down the aisle.

The wedding march plays, the bride starts down the aisle, and AnnaJane, who’d convinced herself she was so over him, realizes she’s still in love—and wants him back.

The premise for LADIES’ NIGHT came about because I had a title I loved, but didn’t know what the story would be. I started thinking about a group of people in a therapy group—who all meet at a dive bar, after their sessions, for the real therapy. I knew I wanted to have one very reluctant male in the group—who feels threatened by all the free-floating estrogen in their sessions. That morphed into a book about a group of people who meet through divorce therapy.

All the members of the group have been betrayed by their spouses and have “acted out” in outrageous ways to get their revenge. Where did I get the ideas for all their awful behavior? Lots of them came from “crowd-sourcing.” I have a very active, fun Facebook page, and I asked my followers to tell me about their worst/best revenge stories.

Boy, did I get some doozies! Some of the stories were so scary the fans private messaged me their stories. One story in particular triggered something in my imagination. So when my LADIES’ NIGHT protagonist Grace, catches her husband being pleasured by her young assistant in the husband’s expensive sports car, Grace reacts in a murderous rage—driving his Audi convertible straight into the family swimming pool.

I never know when the next idea will end up in the lint trap that is my imagination. Some of my best ideas come on long, boring car rides, or in the shower. Or while I’m watching Seinfeld re-runs. My inspiration could be anything at all.

It might be an overheard conversation at a bar, an anecdote shared with an old high school classmate—or, as is the case with the title of next summer’s book, it might be the title of an oldies song. And no, I can’t share. You’ll just have to wait til’ next June to find out about my latest inspiration.

If you’d like to win a copy of SAVE THE DATE…

Send an email to contest@gmail.com with “SAVE THE DATE” as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by July 15, 2014. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

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I am delighted to offer this Q&A with Miranda Neville as her new book arrives in stores. Read through to the end to read an excerpt and find out how you can win your own copy!

Q&A with Miranda Neville

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I have always written, but non-fiction of various kinds. I’d toyed with the idea of writing a novel for years, but only got serious about a dozen years ago.

2. What was the first romance novel you read that made an impression on you?

Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer, when I was about twelve. I loved it so much I went on to read all her books, most of which I liked even better. I just read Powder and Patch again and thought it was brilliant!

3. How did you start writing romance novels?

I stopped reading romance for some years, until I picked up a Catherine Coulter and discovered that Regency romance now had sex. Hot damn! After reading many books by writers like Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Julia Quinn, Victoria Alexander, and Liz Carlyle (to name only a few!) I decided to have a go at writing my own. It took me about five years to get published (not with my first book – that one’s staying under the bed!)

4. How do you balance your writing schedule with the rest of your life?

I have no idea. I always say it’s a miracle I ever finish a book.

5. What do you hope readers will get from your book?

I always aim to take my readers back into the world of the past to meet intriguing and sympathetic characters who meet challenges and find love. I hope to inspire some laughs, some sighs and even the occasional tear.

6. What inspired you to write Lady Windermere’s Lover?

The book stands alone, but it’s part of my Wild Quartet series in which a group of friends have to face the consequences of their youthful errors. In the case of Damian, Lord Windermere, it is gambling away his estate during a drunken birthday bash. One of the things that fascinates me is the way writers use the same romantic tropes and produce such different results. I love marriages of convenience but I had never tackled an estranged spouses story. So I decided that’s what Damian would have.

7. How real are your characters? And their houses?

Like any writer, I borrow from any source that suits me, including my friends and family. But, if anyone says one of my characters is modeled after them, I will deny it to the death! As for houses, I love architecture porn, especially English stately homes. I have volumes of books on the subject. I never use one exactly, only the basic look, then I adapt the layout and features to suit my plot. We writers have power and we like to wield it.

8. Why do you think so many historical romances are set in Regency England? 

It was the time when Britain came fully into its position as the world’s dominant nation. That makes the ruling classes very powerful and power is sexy. It is also a transitional period between the bawdy Georgians and the uptight Victorians with a tension between surface expectations and actual behavior that makes for great romantic conflict. Or the short answer, great male clothing: think Mr. Darcy!

9. Why are heroes and often heroines usually wealthy aristocrats?

Romance is all about the fantasy and historical romance even more so. No one wants to fantasize about being poor, downtrodden, and dirty. I am surprised there aren’t more characters who are self-made but the fashion at the moment is for dukes all the way. I expect the pendulum will swing back to heroes like Lisa Kleypas’s Derek Craven.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

Absolutely. It has happened to me many times. Since none of them turned out to be lasting, I call them infatuation. But if one of them had worked out we’d have been telling our grandchildren we fell in love at first sight. Let’s face it, it’s not the first meeting the counts, romantic as it may be, but what happens afterward.

11. Tell three things about yourself that may surprise your readers.

I own boxes of beautiful fabric remnants, none of which I ever make into anything.

I really want to fly in a balloon.

I’d rather eat fruit than chocolate.

12. How can readers connect with you?

I love hearing from readers. Please join me on Facebook, Twitter, or contact me through my website.

About LADY WINDERMERE’S LOVER–

Hell hath no fury… 

Damian, Earl of Windermere, rues the day he drunkenly gambled away his family’s estate and was forced into marriage to reclaim it. Now, after hiding out from his new bride for a year, Damian is finally called home, only to discover that his modest bride has become an alluring beauty—and rumor has it that she’s taken a lover. Damian vows to keep his wife from straying again, but to do so, he must seduce her—and protect his heart from falling for the wife he never knew he wanted.

like a woman abandoned…

Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. But with her husband off gallivanting across Persia, what was a lady to do? Flirting shamelessly with his former best friend seemed like the perfect revenge…except no matter how little Damian deserves her loyalty, Cynthia can’t bring herself to be unfaithful. But now that the scoundrel has returned home, Cynthia isn’t about to forgive his absence so easily—even if his presence stirs something in her she’d long thought dead and buried. He might win her heart…if he can earn her forgiveness!

If you’d like to win a copy of LADY WINDERMERE’S LOVER –

In this short Q&A, bestselling novelist Cara Black discusses why she enjoys participating in Book Passage’s Mystery Writers Conference, which will be held from July 24-27, 2014 in Corte Madera, CA. She is the author of the Aimée Leduc mysteries set in Paris. Her latest book is Murder in Pigalle. “If the cobblestones could speak they might tell a tale as haunting as the one Black spins,” notes the New York Times. She is a member of the Marais Societe Historique, received the Medaille de la Ville de Paris, bestowed on those supporting French culture. Black is a San Francisco Library Laureate, and her books have been Washington Post Notable Picks, IndieNext Picks and shortlisted for the Northern California Independent Bookseller Best Novel award.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching at the conference?

The camaraderie of the students, how heart pumping enthusiastic they are, hanging with fellow writers, the support of the BP staff, the killer lunches…whats not to love? Seriously, being an alumnae (sp) of the first two Mystery Conferences years ago, I feel grateful and honored to be able to give back in some small way for everything I’ve learned. Here are some of the golden moments I cherish –  when a excited student bursts out – ‘Since last year I’ve finished my book, found an agent, signed a contract etc.’ and they happen every year at the Conference.

What advice do you wish you received when you were a new author?

Set your story in a place where you might be ‘living’ for awhile – especially if you’re writing a series. ie Florence, Cancun.

What do you hope aspiring writers will get out of this conference? 

Confidence and a fresh way to look at their work, gained with tools and techniques from the Conference. Also ideas to experiment with their story and write what they’re passionate about.

About the 21st Annual Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
The Mystery Writers Conference has a strong tradition of great authors and teachers. Mystery writers learn all the clues to a successful writing career. Editors, agents, and publishers share with participants what they need to know to get published. Authors offer classes on setting, dialogue, suspense and point of view. Panels of detectives, forensic experts, and other crime-fighting professionals provide invaluable information that allows writers to put realism into their work. We’re proud of the successful mystery writers who began their careers at this conference. More information: http://bookpassage.com/mystery-writers-conference

About Cara Black
Cara Black lives in San Francisco with her husband (a bookseller) and son. She’s a San Francisco Library Laureate, President of the Northern California Mystery Writers of America and member of the Marais historic society in Paris. Her award nominated Aimée Leduc Investigations are set in different districts of Paris. Murder In Pigalle, the fourteenth Aimée Leduc mystery, is a thrilling follow-up to her 2013 New York Times bestseller, Murder Below Montparnasse.

Download the FREE ebook Aimée Leduc Companion, which will bring you up to speed on previous books in the series. Tour the arrondissements of Paris with interactive maps that show places featured in the series, as well as Cara’s favorite cafes, bistros, and shops in Paris, and various other nooks and crannies of the City of Lights.  Amazon |BN.com | iTunes | Scribd

If You Like the TV Show Revenge,

You’ll Love The Fifth Avenue Trilogy!

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Fifth Avenue has never been so scandalous. In this seductively sexy trilogy you’ll meet 3 handsome men looking to avenge their friend’s death and the 3 alluring women that they meet along the way. The books, Avenge Me, Scandalize Me and Expose Me are written by 3 USA Today bestselling authors, Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews and Kate Hewitt.

Currently ranked as one of the world’s most expensive streets, Fifth Avenue is home to the city’s most prestigious shops and historical buildings. It’s also called home by three of New York City’s sexiest men. A brand-new trilogy from the world’s leading publisher of books for women, Harlequin Presents is excited to launch the Fifth Avenue Trilogy, stories of sex, scandal and the Upper East Side, beginning with:

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 Avenge Me by Maisey Yates (Harlequin Presents, June 2014, $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN) 

 Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews (Harlequin Presents, July 2014, $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN)

Expose Me by Kate Hewitt (Harlequin Presents, August 2014, $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN)

 

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Austin, Hunter and Alex were inseparable during their school days, but the sudden death of their good friend Sarah Michaels tore them apart. However, her death was not as it seemed. Under the many falsehoods lies a corruption so sordid that New York’s elite would never believe it.

Now in positions of wealth and power, these men vow to use their influence to bring down the man responsible—Jason Treffen, an infamous philanthropic billionaire. With a plan in place, Austin, Hunter and Alex are ready for anything—until three very different women enter their lives, making them question their motives for revenge.

Q&A with Maisey Yates

1. Tell us a little bit about your latest release Avenge Me, the first book in the Fifth Avenue Trilogy.

Austin Treffen is a good guy, with his whole life totally together. But all of that starts to crumble when a ghost from the past is unearthed. A letter sent to his pro bono law firm implicates his father in the death of his friend ten years ago.This sets him and his two friends, Hunter and Alex on the path for revenge. Even knowing revenge will cost Austin everything. But Austin isn’t the only person looking for revenge. Katy Michaels blames Austin’s father for the death of her sister. But when they meet it becomes clear revenge isn’t the only thing they want. Drawn together by an intense, unwanted sexual attraction Austin and Katy have to decide to either embrace love or lose themselves forever in the darkness.

2. What was it like collaborating on a trilogy with Caitlin Crews and Kate Hewitt?

It’s a very interesting and difficult thing to piece out a series like this. And I think it would’ve been impossible to work on books that are this tightly connected with authors who weren’t quite as generous with their time and with their willingness to share elements around so that every book had great turning point to the overall plot. Both Caitlin and Kate are very easy to communicate with, and I feel like that was essential to the success of the project. Not only that, I consider the two of them to be good friends so that made the process really fun!

3. Did you offer each other tips or support during the writing process?

We did a lot of problem solving together. Lots of emails, a couple of video Skype chats. Another thing we did was trade scenes when we would write something involving each other’s characters. That way we were able to make sure the dialogue was consistent. I always enjoy doing things like that, because that way we end up with pieces of each other in each book.

4. Some of the Fifth Avenue Trilogy cover models look suspiciously similar to actors. How were the Fifth Avenue models chosen?

You know, I had no involvement in the model selection or photo shoots. Though, I most definitely approve of the choices. I have a feeling they were afraid I would misbehave around the models.

5. You enjoy writing dark, passionate category romances set in exotic places and also light, sexy contemporary romances set right in your own backyard. How do you determine which direction a books setting will go?

I always know what a book will be when I start out. At this point I’m contracted for several presents, and several small town contemporary romances. The stories, characters, and lengths are very different, so that’s always planned before I sit down to start writing. If I’m writing a presents, the setting will be urban, glamorous, or exotic. If I’m writing a small town, they are almost always set in Oregon.

6. Do you draw inspiration for settings from your hometown of Oregon or from other places you’ve traveled to?

When I first started writing I had done very little traveling. I believe it’s possible to write about places you’ve never seen, particularly with the wonders of Google maps at our fingertips. However, since then I’ve done quite a bit of traveling and I do very much enjoy being able to put in the details of smells, sounds, how crowded the street might be, that sort of thing.When I write about more local settings I have the added bonus of being intimately acquainted with the lay of the land. Little details like knowing what supermarket chains are local, what color the grocery bags would be. We don’t pump our own gas in Oregon, so every station is full service. Because I live here, that something I just know without having to look it up. There’s something really nice about that.

7. Did you always know that you wanted to be a writer, or was it a gradual realization?

I always had stories in my head. I always had vague aspirations of writing those stories. But I didn’t get serious about it until I read my first Harlequin presents. Then I thought this is what I want to write, and I’m going to do it. I think it took that moment of a vague desire becoming something specific, to give me the push that I needed to make it happen.

8. How do you balance your daily life with your writing life?

Hmmm… Probably not as well as I should. In all seriousness, typically I work five days a week from 9 to 5. Sometimes I have a little extra time off because I’m not working on anything pressing, and sometimes when I get deep in a project I prefer to work through the weekends, or go back to my office and do some work after my kids go to bed. So I basically balance it the same way anyone with the family and a job would.

9. Who is your favorite character in the Fifth Avenue Trilogy?

I think it has to be Austin. He was such a decent guy, but with so much darkness buried inside of him. I found him unbearably sexy.

10. What is the biggest perk of being a writer?

The biggest perk is going to work in your pajamas. Seriously? I think it’s being involved in an industry to create things I love. I love romance novels, I love to read them. The fact that I get tocreate them daily is something that never fails to amaze and excite me. Creating new characters, new worlds, writing about love… I never get tired of it. But I also love the pajamas.

11. Between your cowboy romances and your Fifth Avenue romances, you are a very eclectic writer. Was it difficult switching over to writing a cowboy romance for your Silver Creek Series?

It’s funny, because the idea of writing something different was very intimidating to me. But when I sat down to actually write the book the words just came pouring out. I discovered a different facet to my voice that was just as natural as writing Presents. They are very different books, but at their core they are the same. It’s all about real emotion, all about two people overcoming the odds and falling in love. The settings change, the types of issues are different, but they have the same heart.

12. In your Cosmo Red Hot Reads book, Crazy Stupid Sex, the main character, Evie, is a multimillionaire app developer who programs her own app for landing a hot guy. What role has technology played in your life as a writer?

Hi, my name is Maisey and I have a twitter addiction. That’s a huge part of my day, and anyone who follows me (@maiseyyates) most definitely knows that. In all seriousness, I’m not sure how I would write if I didn’t have the Internet. It keeps me in contact with friends overseas, it provides a water cooler so that I can interact with “coworkers”. It helps with research, and thanks to the advent of the smart phone, allows me to carry my email with me wherever I go, so I can always be in touch with my editors.

13. What is your favorite type of alpha male hero?

That’s a very hard question. I love a playboy, but I also love an uptight hero. Though I think my favorite is the wounded alpha. The hero who thought himself infallible, but has suffered a major setback. I love scarred heroes, menu of walksthrough hell and come out the other side, not entirely undamaged. But who are fixable with the love of a good woman.

14. What are you working on next?

I have two Presents to write in the next couple of months and then I will be transitioning back into small-town Oregon and writing the second book in my Copper Ridge series that will be out with HQN in 2015.

15. Will there be any more stories in the future about the Fifth Avenue characters? (We hope so!)

I think there are so many characters and possibilities left to explore in the Fifth Avenue world, that I would say anything is possible. Keep your eyes on the horizon. 🙂

About the Authors:

 

Maisey Yates found her very first Harlequin Presents book in a local thrift store. By the time she’d reached the happily ever after, she had fallen in love. She devoured as many as she could get her hands on after that, and she knew that these were the books she wanted to write! At age twenty-three, she sold her first manuscript to the Harlequin Presents line. Maisey lives in Southern Oregon with her husband and three children.

Avenge Me by Maisey Yates

Harlequin Presents; June 1, 2014

272 pages; $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN.

ISBN 978-0-373-43037-6

 

Caitlin Crews discovered her first romance novel at the age of twelve. It involved swashbuckling pirates, grand adventures, a heroine with rustling skirts and a mind of her own, and a seriously mouthwatering and masterful hero. Caitlin has made her home in places as far-flung as York, England, and Atlanta, Georgia. She currently lives in California with her animator/comic book artist husband and their menagerie of animals.

Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews

Harlequin Presents; July 1, 2014

272 pages; $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN.

ISBN 978-0-373-43038-3

Kate Hewitt discovered her first Harlequin romance novel on a trip to England when she was thirteen, and she’s continued to read them ever since. Kate moved to England with the man of her dreams and sold her first short story to a British magazine. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, traveling and learning to knit. After living in England for six years she now resides in Connecticut with her husband and her three young children.

Expose Me by Kate Hewitt

Harlequin Presents; August 1, 2014

272 pages; $9.99 U.S./$11.99 CAN.

  ISBN 978-0-373-43039-0

Click to purchase

I am thrilled to have Elaine Viets as my guest blogger today! And please check out my review of Catnapped!

Some Like It Wet: Cat Washing

By Elaine Viets

I washed a cat once. She was a stray, a mostly white cat named Elsah. My husband Don and lived in an old house in St. Louis with a coal chute. Elsah got into the coal chute and came out gray. She rubbed against our white woodwork until it was gray, too.

She needed a bath. I used Woolite. The label said it was gentle on everything and wouldn’t shrink, fade or change the color. I didn’t want a different cat, just a clean one.

It took eight towels – to mop up the blood.

When I researched my new Dead-End Job mystery, Catnapped!, I was surprised that some cats love baths. Particularly long-haired show cats.

Catnapped! is set in the world of show cats. South Florida financier Mort Barrymore is murdered, and his beloved show cat is kidnapped for a half-million dollar ransom. Husband-and-wife PI team Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont go undercover to find the catnapper and Mort’s killer.

Helen’s up to her elbows in cat hair, learning how to wash Persian show cats. I had the help of Tracy Petty, a judge for the Cat Fanciers’ Association, to advise me on cat washing. Judge Tracy used to breed prize Persians.

Long-haired cats are groomed like actresses for the Oscars, and treated like divas. You don’t just dunk the cat in the water. You must warm the shampoo for the Persian’s bath. No cold soap on those pretty coats. All the towels – and you’ll need at least half a dozen – should be warmed in the dryer.

Before you wash your Persian cat, clean her teeth with a pointed toothbrush designed for feline mouths. Even well-trained cats often don’t like this part. The toothpaste is poultry-flavored, but I can’t tell if that’s cage-free chicken.

The actual cat washing starts with Goop. You read that right. The hand cleaner for mechanics.

Judge Petty gently lifts her cat into “the empty sink with the drain closed off. The Goop goes on a dry cat, carefully so the fur doesn’t mat, but with the water slowly running into the sink.”

Smear the creamy gunk all over the cat’s fur, including the tail, until the fluffy fur is a flat, sticky mess.

This is where my cat would amputate my arm, but Judge Petty said, “You have to start when they’re young.”

Persians have thick fur, and nature intended cats’ coats to protect them from rainy weather, so you have to work to get them wet, Judge Petty said. The challenge is getting the water through the dense fur all the way to the skin. If you don’t wet the cat thoroughly, the shampoo won’t get there, either.

So you work the Goop into the coat with water. The Goop washes the cat, and then you have to wash out the Goop.

Rinse the white-smeared fur completely. Any residue will attract more dirt and her fur will look cruddy.

Once the Goop’s gone, it’s time for the nice warm Orvus shampoo. Then rinse again.

Bored? I hope not, because the cat has to be washed again. This time with TropiClean papaya and kiwi shampoo. Next, the conditioner.

So far you’ve used Goop, two shampoos and a conditioner.

I don’t use that on my hair. But my hair doesn’t look as good as the cat’s.

After thoroughly rinsing the cat, you float her coat. Wrap the cat in another  warm towel, clean the sink, and then refill it with warm water.

Dunk the cat back in the water and see if her coat floats. Gently squish the fur and check for bubbles. Those mean there’s still soap in the coat.

If there’s no soap, wrap the cat in one more warm towel and gently squeeze the water out of her coat.

Then the coat’s blown out with a special hair dryer for cats to separate all the fur and get it standing away from the body.

A Persian coat is too thick to air dry. In warm, humid Florida, Persians have to be dried quickly and thoroughly. Otherwise, the cat risks ringworm.

Besides, a wet cat licking her coat will smear that clean fur with cat spit. Worse, the cat could pull out her fur and swallow it, which leads to hair balls.

How long does the drying take?

Almost as long as the bathing.

“My cats loved the blow dry,” Judge Petty said. “It’s like they knew they were gettin’ beautiful, especially the boys. They’d purr the whole time.”

By that time, I’d be ready for a hot bath and a nap.

But not until I gave my self-cleaning cats treats. I never realized I had easy-care cats.