First Fast Five Winner!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to check out my new blog feature. You're really going to enjoy who I have on tap for next week.

This week's winner of Eliza's new release, Wicked Lord, is Jennifer! Congratulations, Jennifer. I'll get you hooked up with Eliza so you may collect your eBook.

Until next week...

Happy Reading!

Angela

Fast Five with Eliza Lloyd

Today begins a new series where I use the occasional Friday to do a simple Q & A with an author. I give them 5 questions and they give me their 5 best answers. Sometimes, like today, they even offer up a Free Read.

Today's author is Ellora's Cave author, Eliza Lloyd . Her third 'Wicked' book - Wicked Lord - was released on September 14th. I still need to read this series, but I did read Another Lover in under 2 hours. Eliza knows her heat factor. You won't want to miss any of her beautifully crafted stories.

Today.. one lucky person will win an eBook copy of 'Wicked Lord'.

#1 – Do you have an idea for characters and build your plot around them or vice versa?

The plot “idea” always comes first. Then I’ll get a glimpse of the characters. Once I know what they want and why they can’t have it then I got back to plotting. I am a pantster who lives by sticky notes so plotting is a very fluid process for me.

#2 – Wicked Lord is the third in the series. What makes this book different from the previous ones?

That’s a tough question especially when I’m writing a themed series (see below.)

One of the biggest relationship differences is that the hero is in love with his wife before she realizes she is in love with him. Because of the circumstances of their marriage, he believes it is necessary to wait for her to declare her devotion to him first. This 19th century story is also set at a country estate rather than in London during the season – so there is only one waltz.

#3 – What is the common thread throughout the series?

The Wicked Affairs series started with a single idea, “happily ever after unless.” All of the protagonists are married but are at some great impasse in their marriage. In Wicked Desires, the hero is impotent. A great trick to pull off in an erotica! In Wicked Temptation, the heroine is married to a younger man and her naughty past comes back to haunt her. And in the new Wicked Lord, the hero is newly married but his wife is in love with another man. I like to write about married couples – it is more realistic during that time period and the hurt and emotion can be greater, I think.

#4 – I read Another Lover in 2 hours last night (I LOVE MY KINDLE!) You tell a beautiful story. What drew you to this genre of romance?

I love historical romance and read it non-stop so I was naturally drawn to that genre when I started writing. The erotica came next because I tend to write stories that are more sexual. For me, the early 19th century is just so full of romanticism, drama and wonderfully dressed men in tight breeches – what’s not to love?

#5 – What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and how has it helped you?

A couple of years ago, I met three authors at a Celebrate Romance conference in Kansas City. They told me that to get published I would need luck, perseverance and talent. I used that as my screen saver for several years to remind me that to be successful was going to take more than just the ability to string a few words together.

Secondly, learn to be your own best critic. Writing a novel that impresses your friends and family is generally not going to impress a New York editor. Look for ways to make every word count and to make them strong. Voice is a nebulous thing but we all recognize it when we read it. Find yours.

You can pick up any of Eliza's books by going to her blog and clicking the Amazon or Ellora's Cave link.

How do you win your copy of a Wicked Lord? Answer the following question by leaving your answer in the comments. Happy Reading!

Answer and WIN!

What is the common thread throughout the Wicked series?

When life happens.

I realize I've not gotten back in here as soon as I'd planned. Where does time go? I know my days stay full with writing and creating and life. Someday I'll strike a balance that will prevent me from letting some things lapse while others roll along without incident. Yeah.. right! And if you find the solution before I do, please share.

My weekly column has been well-received so far. I'm getting great feedback from the community. Partly, I think, because it's about community. So I spend some of my 'free' time knocking on doors, introducing myself to business owners and others responsible for keeping Birch Tree MO in existence.

Aside from the weekly column, I've been able to add some feature stories to the paper. I've reported on local entertainment and crime news. I guess you could say my focus has been more on Non-Fiction than on Fiction in recent weeks. It's been an interesting change of pace.

But over the past couple of weeks I've found my love for fiction again. I entered four categories in the Ozark Creative Writers competition. One of the most challenging entries, and the most fun I've had in a long time, was to write a 500 word piece of sale-able fiction, without using the letter E. Have you ever tried to write a sentence without the word THE - let alone an entire flash fiction piece? I put Thesaurus.com through it's paces over the course of two days and came away with a story I'm happy with. We'll see how it does in competition.

I also entered the first chapter and a 5 pg synopsis of the Western Romance I've been playing with. I entered it in another category last year, sponsored by Western Author - Dusty Richards. I thought the chapter was good. But when it didn't place at all, I went to Dusty and asked if he'd do a critique on it for me. The one thing he found most lacking was INTERNALIZATION. I wasn't in my character's head enough. Okay. I can do that. But my biggest question was, Why in all these years of critique sessions has no one else ever pointed that out? I know I don't write a lot of it because it's the part I will skip over in a book. I love dialogue and it is my strength.

So with Dusty's critique in hand, I fine-tuned the first chapter yet again and submitted it in a different category. I'm anxious to see if it fairs any better. We'll know on October 8th when the awards are handed out.

I also had the pleasure of speaking to the Springfield Writers Guild on Saturday. I've known the current president for over fifteen years and this is the first time we've had the opportunity to work together. I was asked to give my Pitch workshop. With conferences still popping up through the end of October, I think some of them will have the opportunity to put the tips into practice. I wish them luck and would love to hear how they do.

I've been lining up more guest authors beginning in September and hope to fill the calendar out to keep the guests coming in this door through the end of the year.

As to my writing...

I'm writing every day on something. I'll try to be better at keeping you posted.

What are you writing today?

Busy Week

Good morning, everyone!

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here. As most of you know by now, when my husband comes home after being gone for three weeks, my world centers around him - at least for the first of the 3 he's home.

This time he brought a friend with him. Kassie has been a part of our lives since the day she was born.... she's now 14. But every couple of years she wants to come spend time with us. Having a teenager around the house wasn't really an issue. But I don't get to spend much time with her. When she comes down, I try to show her places she might not otherwise get to experience and she enjoys that.

The third week she was here, we also had the grandtoddler. Man, is that little girl growing. She'll be 4 in November. This time she was all about 'grandpa'.

So as you can tell, writing wasn't really part of my agenda. When you have the babies home, you just want to enjoy them.

By Tuesday, the house was all mine again and I had news in my email. I will be writing for our local newspaper on a weekly basis as a reporter for our small town - one of many small towns included in the paper's readership.

So I have lots of writing in my future. I won't be forgetting about the novels but short story competitions loom and now the weekly byline. As a result I need to reassess my GOALS. So give me a couple days and we'll get back to speed.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Barb H. was the big winner in out Win It Before You Can Buy It give away. Thank you to Vicki Lewis Thompson for this generous gift. I know you're going to LOVE the book!

Happy Reading!

Thank You, Vicki!

Just a quick Thank you to Vicki Lewis Thompson for stopping in today and sharing her love of cowboys with her readers.

Tomorrow I'll announce the winner of Cowboy Up! from our Win It Before You Can Buy It Give away!

Happy Reading!

Angela

Cowboy Up! with Vicki Lewis Thompson

The very talented Vicki Lewis Thompson is joining us.

A romance writing career has brought Vicki Lewis Thompson many wonderful things –New York Times bestseller status, an appearance on LIVE with Regis and Kelly, the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America, thousands of readers, many dear friends, and the cutest little yellow convertible in the world. Her career has also given her work

she loves.

Although she’s written more than 100 books, she continues to be fascinated by the many ways that a man and woman fall in love. The age-old story remains a challenging puzzle to be solved anew with each book. That makes her a very lucky person, indeed.

When you've finished chatting with us here, please make sure to check out her website at VickiLewisThompson She has an AWESOME contest going on and you can sign up for her newsletter - offering up another opportunity for FREE great reads!

Today, Vicki has a topic near and dear to a girl’s heart – COWBOYS! So cowgirl up and get ready for some ‘sizzle in the saddle’ with her Sons of Chance series.

Thank you for joining us today, Vicki!

Happy first Tuesday of June, everyone! And thanks to Angela for inviting me here today to talk about my favorite subject, snug jeans . . . um, I mean cowboys. Well, and snug jeans,

which is part of the whole cowboy allure, don’t you think? I live in Arizona, where the cowboys run wild and free, because we still have a reason for them out here. It’s called dude ranches.

Also in Arizona we have a fair number of men who haven’t made a career of cowboying but still love climbing on the back of a horse and cantering down a dry desert wash on the weekends. In my mind, these guys count as cowboys, too.

I live near one of these dry washes, and it truly brightens my day to hear the sound of hoofs on sand and then glimpse a Stetson-wearing cowboy riding a fine-looking horse. The cowboy doesn’t bounce on that tooled leather saddle, either. I know because I watch to see if his buns come off the leather. Research, you know. Somebody has to do it.

All that heavy research goes into my Sons of Chance series from Harlequin Blaze, which continues with another three books this summer.

The June book,

SHOULD’VE BEEN A COWBOY

is out now, but I’m giving away the July book, COWBOY UP, to

one lucky commenter today! These books are worth it just for the covers alone. Yummy. Although the books are part of a larger series, each one stands alone, so you don’t need to read last summer’s group to understand this batch.

Sons of Chance celebrates my fantasy image of a cowboy – the scuffed boots, the worn jeans that mold to his thighs, the yoked shirt that emphasizes his broad shoulders, the hat that shades his eyes and gives him an air of mystery . . . whew. I need a moment.

Yes, cowboys have considerable physical appeal, but that’s not the main reason I love writing about them. For me, cowboys represent an ideal similar to the knights of old. Part of it might be the horse.

There’s something about a man on a horse that stirs the blood and inspires admiration.

But cowboys also have a code of honor, a sense of chivalry that marks them as modern-day knights in shining armor. Like knights, they protect the weak, show respect for women, and stand up for what they believe. What could be sexier than that? A modern cowboy might have a smart phone tucked into his jeans, but his values are centuries old.

And that, in my opinion, is what’s so great about cowboys.

What’s your favorite thing about cowboys?