Coming Attractions for April

Posted By Kate

It's April Fool's Day in the Lair! But we're not fooling around! We've got an absolutely fabulous line-up for you this month and you won't want to miss out on one single moment of fun, prizes and general raucous behavior! Here are some of the highlights:



On April 2, Lair favourite, the fabulous Kate Walker, returns for another fun-filled visit to celebrate the release of her latest book, The Proud Wife, and to share some really great news about one of her 2010 releases.





On April 3, Diana Orgain visits us for the first time to chat about the latest book in her Maternal Instincts mystery series, Formula for Murder. As a busy mother of three, she's got some great tips for aspiring writers who can't find the time to write.





April 4 finds Kay Thomas back in the Lair, along with her newest Bulletproof book, Bulletproof Hearts, from Harlequin Intrigue.







On April 6th, Jules Bennett will return to the lair to talk about her April Harlequin Desire release, Her Innocence, His Conquest.







And on April 7, Cheryl Ann Smith talks to Donna about her journey to publication and shares an excerpt from her debut historical, School for Brides. RT Bookreviews says Smith “makes a dazzling entrance to the romance community with a charming, sexy, innovative tale that sparks the imagination.”







Don't miss the fun on April 8! Joan hosts the wonderful Kristan Higgins AND the hero and heroine of her new Harlequin release My One and Only as they play 20 questions.




On April 12, Jeanne interviews Maureen Batita from the popular blog, Romance Writers Revenge. She'll discuss her ebook, The Kraken's Mirror. Yo ho, yo ho!








And on April 19, Dianna Love will join us in the lair to talk about keeping dreams alive, and why she's sponsoring a national art contest based on the book, Blood Trinity.









On April 21, Patricia Rice returns to chat with Nancy about her first direct-to-electronic release, Evil Genius.









On April 25, our favorite witch, Jennifer Lyon, visits to talk about her two new books in the electrifying Wing Slayer Hunter series, Night Magic and Sinful Magic.












Kathleen O'Reilly returns to the Lair on April 26 to chat with Bandita Nancy about her new Blaze, Just Surrender.













There will be a night of scandal and mayhem in the lair when the paparazzi crash the ball celebrating the launch of Midnight's Wild Passion, Anna Campbell’s latest historical romance from Avon. Mark your calendars for hijinks and giveaways on Wednesday, 27th April! You can read the blurb and an excerpt here: http://www.annacampbell.info/wildpassion.html.

And Anna's holding a Midnight Madness contest on her website to celebrate the release of her latest historical romance MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION on Tuesday, 26th April. All you have to do is read the excerpt from MWP on her Books page http://www.annacampbell.info/wildpassion.html and tell her what color Ranelaw’s hair is. Email your answer to anna@annacampbell.info The contest closes 30th April 2011. For more details, please visit http://www.annacampbell.info/contest.html.



One more April happening: The RT Book Lovers Convention comes to Los Angeles April 6-10. Are you going? What are you wearing? Tell us everything! And even if you're not going, we can pretend. What fabulous fantasy costume would you wear to the Fairy Ball? Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Affordable Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat Tickets

Hey Minnesota Timberwolves fans! As you may know, basketball season is sadly coming to an end in just two short weeks. Tomorrow night at 7pm, the Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Miami Heat at the Target Center in Minneapolis. This will be the third to last home game of the season for the Wolves, just ahead of the Phoenix Suns on Wed. April 6th and the final game against the Houston Rockets the following Wed. April 13th. If you would like to show your support for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the last few games of their 2010-2011 season, check out our supply of Minnesota Timberwolves tickets and order yours now! We have a very nice variety of seat locations for each game, with prices starting as low as $25 each for the Miami game; $9 for the Phoenix game or $4 for the Houston game. Get yours today! 
GO TIMBERWOLVES!!!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Britney Spears Femme Fetale Fashion Style by D&G

After dressing up Kylie Minogue, D&G dressed Britney Spears for the promotional photos of her newest album, Femme Fetale.




Photo Source: InStyle.comSource URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Colleen Gleason Launches New Vampire Series

I'm happy to be hosting Colleen Gleason today to celebrate the release of The Vampire Voss, the first in her new vampire series. Not only have Colleen and I been friends since we both finaled in the Golden Heart in 2003, but I'm a big fan of her work as well.

For those of us who are fans of your Gardella Vampire Chronicles, tell us how your new vampire series, the Regency Draculia, differs.

Both series are set during Regency-era England, with the Gardellas around 1819-1820 and the new series during the Napoleonic War—specifically in 1804.

The biggest differences are in the vampire mythology and also in the structure of the series. The Gardellas are really more of a historical urban fantasy series, following the life—and loves—of one heroine, Victoria Gardella. The books are really all about her as a sort of superhero (a vampire hunter) in a historical time period. There are no “good” vampires in the Gardellas, they aren’t ever the protagonists or heroes/heroines. The vampires are all evil, and meant to be slain.

I took a different tack with the Regency Draculia. These books are definite vampire romances, with a spotlighted hero and heroine in each book and a happy ending for them at the end of each story. There are over-arching subplots and romances—a la Suzanne Brockmann and Eloisa James—but each book does end happily for the main couple.

The mythology of my Draculia vampires is much different from that of the Gardellas as well, for in these books, there are vampires that run the gamut from being totally evil to being vampires with a conscience. The vampires in these books have basically sold their souls to Lucifer, and they are living their immortal lives with this knowledge—and with all of its benefits and repercussions.

One of the things that make my vampires different is that each of them has an Asthenia--a specific weakness.

Like the vampires of legend who recoil at the sight of silver, and who are weakened by its presence, each of my vampires have a similar “Achilles Heel”—in this case, I call it their Asthenia. And for each Dracule, it’s something different. For one, it could be sapphires. For another, it could be an oak tree. For another, it could be grass or horses or rosemary.

After writing the Gardella series, you began writing post-apocalyptic stories as Joss Ware. What brought you back to vampires?

I love to write historical novels (in fact, the Joss Ware series almost feels historical in some ways, due to the lack of infrastructure and limited technology in that world), and when it was suggested that I try my hand at a true vampire romance novel, set in the Regency, I jumped on it. I love that time period, and I’ve come to love my vampires too. ;-) After writing five books with all-evil vampires, it was a fun and interesting challenge to twist my brain a different way and to write about sexy, dark, compelling vampires.

Why do you think vampire stories continue to ride a wave of popularity?

I think there are several reasons, one of which is the aspect of escape. We—or many of us—read for escape, and what better place to escape than to a place where we know it’s not real...and where things are often much darker than they are in our own world.

Another thing, however, that I think makes vampires popular is the environment in which they live: darkness, sensuality, forbiddenness (is that a word?)...all of that makes these characters intriguing and compelling. And there’s the sexual aspect—the penetration, the need, the angst and the reality of what is it like to live forever? Those are all fascinating, titillating aspects of vampire lore, and each author approaches them in a different way.

As a reader, which authors of vampire stories do you enjoy most?

Some of my favorites are Lara Adrian and Jeaniene Frost, but I confess that I don’t read very much in the way of paranormal romances...simply because I write them.

I am a huge Buffy fan, however. ;-)

Tell us a bit about the characters in The Vampire Voss, the first in your new series.

Voss, the Viscount Dewhurst, has been a vampire for a hundred and fifty years. He agreed to sell his soul to Lucifer, and now he has everything he’s ever wanted: immortality, scads of money, imperturbable power, and all the women he can handle. If a man were to live forever with all the power and pleasure and money he ever wanted, I believe he would be just like Voss: Selfish, hedonistic, and, at some point, bored with it all.

Everything is going along just fine—if not becoming a little routine after more than a century of pure hedonism with no negative consequences—until he meets Angelica Woodmore…who is the first woman he finds himself unable to enthrall and seduce.

Angelica is one of three sisters (the eldest of whom is featured in the second book in the series, The Vampire Dimitri) who has a bit of the “Sight”, courtesy of their half-Gypsy grandmother. She becomes a pawn in a struggle between two factions of vampires (if I may....the “good” vampires versus the “bad” vampires).

Because of who he is, Voss is studiously neutral in this struggle—playing both sides—because he wants to use Angelica’s powers for his own protection. And Angelica is terrified of vampires.

So...you can see where this is going. ;-)

And then add in all of the aspects we love about Regency romance: the balls, the dance cards, the manners and repartee, the powerful, rakish viscounts and the bored, brooding earls...and you’ve got a good feel for the series.

Also, there are two more books in the series, coming in early May and early June: In The Vampire Dimitri, we meet a tortured, brooding vampire who has come to strongly regret his bargain with Lucifer and who is trying, in vain, to break that bond. Too bad the woman he falls for is fascinated by his Draculean bent. And in The Vampire Narcise, we meet a damaged female vampire who believes that love isn’t for immortals—because nothing can last forever, especially for someone whose soul is not their own.

Thanks so much for having me here! I’m going to give away a copy of the second book in the series, The Vampire Dimitri, to a commenter today.

To enter to win, either ask me a relevant question about the series or writing, etc., and/or tell me...if you were a Dracule, what would your Asthenia be?
~~~
Thanks, Colleen. Can't wait to start this new series. You know how anxious I was to get my hands on each new Gardella book.

So, get to commenting, folks. :) There's a great new book up for grabs.Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Epic Duran Duran Tickets

The English New Wave band Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978 and became one of the most successful bands of the 1980s.  Since then, they have placed 14 singles in the Top 10 of the UK singles chart and 21 in the Billboard Hot 100 and have sold more than 100 million records. The band worked with fashion designers to build a sharp and elegant image that earned them the nickname "the prettiest boys in rock."  Their controversial music videos became popular in the early 1908s on the then-new music video channel MTV. If you would like to see Duran Duran at Epic Nightclub in Minneapolis on Friday, April 22nd, check out our Duran Duran tickets and buy yours while it's still a little early!  This one will sell out so don't be left outside without a ticket! Get yours now!
Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Misa Ramirez Visits the Lair!

posted by Jo Robertson







Today we're fortunate to have writer Misa Ramirez, aka Melissa Bourbon, return to the Lair.


Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams. She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox with Turquoise Morning Press.


Please give Misa a hearty welcome.


Lucille Ball famously said, “If you need something done, ask a busy person.” I embody that quote and all that it means.




Let me start with this background info: I’m a wife. I’m a mother of 5 kids, aged 8-18. I teach online classes. I teach at a local university. I’m on the board of my kids’ elementary school’s PTA. I’m creating the yearbook for that school. Just me, no help (how did that happen, anyway?). I run Books on the House (http://booksonthehouse.com/) I co-founded The Naked Hero (http://thenakedhero.com/) I co-founded The Writer’s Guide to ePublishing (http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/) I write. I’m the Marketing Director for Entangled Publishing. I’m sure there’s more, I just can’t think of it right now.


The bottom line? Writing is my passion. I am a former middle school and high school teacher, and, as I said, I still teach online with Savvy Authors, RWA, and at Southern Methodist University’s Cape Creative Writing program. Teaching, I think, is in my blood and always will be. But slowly, my passion for writing has taken over a huge part of my life. It’s what I do. It’s become a large part of my self-identity, and I love every bit of it. Mostly, I love the actual process of writing.




A Deadly Curse, my newest romantic suspense, is based on the Mexican legend of la Llorona. I love this book. A reader recently called it “chilling” and another said, “This is a creepy book, in the very best sense of the word...a fast-paced story with a surprise twist at the end that I, at least, didn't see coming. Highly recommended!”




Here's the blurb on A Deadly Curse:


Most people think the Spanish legend of la Llorona, a woman who killed her children to be with the man she loved, is just a story. High school teacher, Johanna Rios, knows the truth. A descendant of la Llorona’s one surviving child, Joanna’s mother fell victim to the curse, drowning as she tried to kill Johanna and her sister Carmen. When one of Johanna’s former students, dressed in a white peasant dress like the crying woman herself, turns up drowned in the San Julio River, Johanna’s world turns upside down.


The curse is back.


Single father Ray Vargas is filled with guilt. His daughter’s friend, a former student from the high school where he’s principal, is dead and he could have prevented it. When Johanna Rios, one of his teachers, reveals her obsession with la Llorona and thinks three more people will die, each one representing a different version of the crying woman’s story, he will do whatever it takes to stop the killings from happening.


But with danger closing in and his own daughter at risk, Ray must join forces with Johanna to confront the legend, the curse, and the man behind the killings.




http://www.amazon.com/A-Deadly-Curse-ebook/dp/B004N62762


Read an Excerpt at http://misaramirez.com/misas-books/a-deadly-curse/excerpt-a-deadly-curse/




The second book, A Deadly Sacrifice (chupacabras, ranchers, and a curandera, oh my!) will be out in April. I also have a new cozy mystery series with NAL. Pleating for Mercy debuts August 2nd.


And I’m thrilled beyond belief that my Lola Cruz mystery series will continue--release date at the end of 2011. Woot!





My writing fills my life. So why, then, did I take on the position of Marketing Director for Entangled Publishing, a boutique publisher filling the space between traditional publishing and self/indie/mass quantity ePublishers? Because in the process of writing and promoting my own books, marketing has become an offshoot passion, something I’m good at, and something I want to help other authors with.




Finding a piece of the publishing industry that I really believe in has been a huge thrill, and I believe in Entangled Publishing, what they stand for, and how they do business. Throwing your book out there and crossing your fingers that it sprouts wings and flies is all well and good. It happens to a few fortunate people. It does not happen to most of us. We have to create our opportunities.




This realization led me to create Books on the House, a site bringing books and readers together under one roof. Every week, readers give away copies of their books...for free. It also led me to co-author (with Tonya Kappes [http://tonyakappes.com/]) The Tricked-out Toolbox: Promotion and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs




https://www.createspace.com/357956




This book is a practical guide to promotion and writing and chock full of ideas, tips, and resources to make the most of your time, energy, and marketing dollars. Because of these two endeavors, I was well-primed to take on the role of Marketing Director for Entangled. Entangled has a phenomenal management and editorial team, and the marketing department, led by me, is just one of the many elements which sets us apart. We are a boutique agency, part of which means we have a very strong focus on building relationships between the publicists and the authors they represent, leveraging each authors’ strengths, and gaining maximum exposure for each and every book.




There’s no silver bullet to success. Mostly it’s hard work. And that’s on top of the hard work required when writing a book. Even with a stellar marketing department behind you (and I’m here to tell you that most publishers do not devote the time, energy, or money to promote each of its authors/books), it’s up to each author to do what he or she can to build a career and garner sales. In the day and age of e-books, independent digital publishers, bricks and mortar stores closing left and right (it was announced recently that Borders is closing 28 more stores), and the changing face of publishing, marketing and promotion have never been more important.




Getting your book in front of readers is paramount, but how do you do that? Here are some intentional things you can do to market and promote your books (these are covered in detail in The Tricked-out Toolbox): • understand your PR personality • build an action plan • set goals • set a budget • brand yourself • have a professional and effective website • blog, grog, or otherwise having an online presence • understand theme and audience • participate in online groups, loops, and social networking • think about swag, book trailers, and other promo materials • network • set up opt-in mailing lists • use ethical bribes (or bartering) • have a press kit • advertise • set up blog tours • use contests and giveaways • decide if book signings are for you • create a sell sheet.




Whew! That seems overwhelming, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be. Starting with goal setting is key. Once you know your strengths and what you hope to achieve, you can set about building your action plan. Once you have a solid action plan, you can begin to put that plan into effect. Start with what you know you can do and work within your comfort zone. As you’re able, stretch yourself by tackling a task outside that safe place. No matter where you are in your publishing journey, it’s never too early to start creating a brand and promoting yourself. What are you doing now to fill your promotion and marketing toolbox?




You can find Misa online at: http://www.misaramirez.com/ http://www.thenakedhero.com/ http://www.thetrickedouttoolbox.com/




Find Misa's newest release at the following: http://www.amazon.com/A-Deadly-Curse-ebook/dp/B004N62762 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Deadly-Curse/Misa-Ramirez/e/2940012080295






I love the cover on Misa's book Pleating for Mercy. Here's a question for our readers: What makes you pick up a book.... the cover? The title? Author blurbs? And how do you feel about indie-pubbed books verses traditional NY pubbed books? Are you willing to take a chance on an indie-pubbed book?
Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Rita Finalists Booty

Thanks to all our wonderful friends who are Rita finalists this year! We appreciate you taking time to stop by and celebrate with us.

And another YAY to our Golden Heart finalists VA and Nancy!!!

We had a lovely prize package of several books from our Rita finalists, so Aunty fired up ye olde Random Number Generator and...


CONGRATS TO: JANE!


Please send your snail mail addy to our hackey hudjson email so we can pass it along and you can receive your booty/books.

Thanks again to everyone who helped us celebrate.Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland Athletics Opening Day Tickets

2011 Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins is right around the corner at less than two weeks away. Friday, April 8th will be the very first home game of the 2011 season for the Minnesota Twins as they welcome the Oakland Athletics to Target Field in Minneapolis. The series against Oakland will run through Sunday, April 10th, ending with an afternoon game at 1:10pm.  If you're looking for Minnesota Twins Opening Day tickets, Ticket King is your #1 source! We have seats currently starting as low as $70 for Opening Day; $40 and up for Saturday's game or $35 and up for Sunday's game. Any of our tickets can easily be picked up from our Minneapolis office, located by the Metrodome on the corner of Chicago and Washington Avenues. Support the Minnesota Twins this season and get your Twins opening day tickets today!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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A Random List

by Susan Sey

I'm feeling quick & sassy today so I'm going to do a list blog. Yay! I'll admit I was inspired by Suz's awesome post yesterday about secondary characters. It got me thinking about things that'll set a book apart for me, really make it stand out in my mind.

Therefore, without further ado, I give you Susan's List of Things I Like in Novels but Rarely See Anymore. Enjoy!

1) Villains who aren't.

Aren't what, you ask? Aren't actually villains. Aren't evil. I love it when the bad guy is just really smart, really rich, really well motivated and wants--no, needs--the opposite of what my hero & heroine want/need. I love it when I don't have to hate the bad guy. In fact, I kinda like to like my bad guy if that makes any sense. Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham comes to mind. (Can I get an amen? As God is my witness, he was the only reason to sit through that whole movie, unless it was to drink every time Kevin Costner's accent went wonky.)

2) Generous internal monologue and gracious pacing.

Not that I don't enjoy a rip-snorting thriller, but I'm 3/4 of the way through Mary Balogh's "First Comes...." series about the Huxtable family & I'm struck time & again by how well she paints her characters' internal lives. As writers these days we're told time & again to pick up the pace, keep the action rolling, get out of our characters' heads. But Ms. Balogh has been treating me to something else entirely. She gives us a whole lot of people thinking, reflecting, pondering and brooding, & somehow I never feel anxious to get on with it. I find myself savoring her characters' slow tumble into love. That's skill, ladies & gentlemen, & something modern publishing doesn't put out a lot of anymore. So here's my shout out to you, Ms. Balogh. Keep it coming.

3) Grownup heroines.

This is not to say that most heroines are TSTL (that's Too Stupid To Live, for the acronym challenged among us.) Just that romance novels are all about growth, & if you're going to finish up as a mature, well-rounded individual with a decent shot at a HEA (that's Happy Ever After), you have to start, well, somewhere else, right? Which means when books open, the heroine has some work to do. Which means it's sometimes difficult not to have her doing, well, immature things & making bad choices. But last year at Nationals, I found WICKED BECOMES YOU by Meredith Duran in my goodie bag, & I gobbled this book up like kids gobble Easter candy. I rarely write to authors to express my profound admiration but I dropped Ms. Duran an email to tell her how very much I cherished her smart, grown-up heroine who admitted when she was wrong, acknowledged her shortcomings & made every effort to live an authentic life, right from the very start. And in a historical, no less, where female characters can get away with a certain sheltered innocence due to gender roles. That one book made me a fan for life.

So how about you? What sets a book apart for you? What makes it really stick in your mind & in your heart so you'll remember it years from now? And just to sweeten the pot, I'm going to give one lucky commenter an autographed copy of Tamara Hogan's TASTE ME, a debut novel I just read which showcases a fantastic example of a villain-who- isn't. It's a treat, I promise!Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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Secondary Characters: The seasoning in the soup

by suzanne

No secret here, but I love to tinker in the kitchen. I especially like to try my hands at soups. Why? Because my husband LOVES soup. That man will eat soup everyday until the pot is empty.

Here's one of the things I've learned about soup. You have to layer in the flavors.

You start with your butter/olive oil heating in your pot. To this you add your Mirepoix--a mixture of diced carrots, onions, celery. After sauteing this until the onions are translucent, you usually add your meat. Then your wine and finally your stock. You must season with salt and pepper as you add each component, just a touch though. Always tasting to be sure you've seasoned correctly. Bring it all to a boil then you reduce the pot to a simmer, allowing the contents to mix, mingle, grow and change. Each element has an affect on the other.

Writing has the same process.

Butter/oil: You start with your story idea. That is the movement, the beginning of your process.

Mirepoix: You add your plot. This is the spot where you have a solid base of flavors on which your story must build.

Meats: Main characters. Your hero, heroine, antagonist. Those elements that give your story its uniqueness. Their backstories will change the pot to a certain flavor.

Wine & stock: This is your goal, motivation and conflict. They soften the characters, tenderize them, strengthen their flavors.

Seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, rosemary or bay leaf): Secondary characters. Added throughout the story to give it depth. Complexity. Some are minor walk-through characters that make subtle changes to your story/characters. Others have such a strong impact and manipulate the other ingredients to such a detree that without them the story might not be the same.

Without seasoning, your soup might have all the major ingredients, but it will be bland, flat.

Secondary characters are some of my favorites.

Pride & Prejudice: Who doesn't love Lizzie's sister Jane and Mr. Bingley? They are such an important element in the story. They affect both Lizzie and Mr. Darcy's motivation, their conflict, their goals.





Lord of The Rings: The Hobbits. Each one has a destiny to fulfill. We all know Froddo's mission, but Sam is the element that helps achieve that goal all the way to the end. Merri and Pippin have their own battles to wage, affecting the outcome of the tale while adding their perky flavor to the story.






The Dark Hunter series: While each book is a stand alone book, their are elements that flow through each that unite their flavors. Acheron and Simi, Artemis and the other greek gods/godesses. The Damons. Even New Orleans plays a character in the books, flavoring them with its own unique spice.





No Body's Baby But Mine: This is my favorite SEP novel. Cal's family becomes an igredient that changes him and his relationship with his wife Jane. His parents relationship not only grows into a secondary plot, but influences the outcome of Cal and Jane's story.







Saving Grace: My favorite Julie Garwood story. Joanna's step brother Neil plays a pivitol role in bringing his sister to Gabriel for her protection. He irritates Gabriel, mostly because he's English, but also because Gabriel suspects that Neil harbors a hidden desire for his sister. When he turns up later in the story, he once again plays a part in the ever changing plot.






So, dear readers, do you like secondary characters? Who are some of your favorites? Why?Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2011/03/
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A Special Celebration

posted by Aunty Cindy and a few Special Friends

A few nights ago in the Lair...

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Paolo grumbled aloud as he descended a back staircase. "I hate pulling late night duty. The Banditas always seem to want snacks when it's my turn."

He traversed the short hallway into the side entrance of the kitchen and stood in slack-jawed surprise at Sven working feverishly over a tray of goodies. The unmistakable smell of Joanie's chocolate chip cookies filled the air.

Before Paolo could recover himself to speak, the big Swede tossed an oven mitt at him. "Good! Just in time to remove the first batch of cookies."

Paolo snagged the mitt in mid-air and rushed to the oven. Late night snacks were usually the venue of Sven's assistant Lars, who tended toward serving popcorn or chips and dip. However lately, the newest cabana boy Jean-Pierre had been training specifically to relieve Sven in the kitchen, but he was nowhere to be seen tonight.

"I can't believe you're preparing the snacks tonight," Paolo mused aloud as he pulled first one cookie sheet and then another, both loaded with the fragrant little bits of heaven.

"That's because tomorrow is the BIG DAY," Sven answered, deftly piling hot cookies onto an elegant silver platter. He then shoved the platter into Paolo's left hand and a carrier filled with glasses of milk into his right. "Now get these down to the Banditas slaving away in the deadline caves while the cookies are still warm."

Paolo squinted at the calendar on the wall and saw the date March 25th circled in red with multiple exclamation points after it. "I didn't know it was a holiday."

Sven huffed in aggravation but never missed a beat in plunking more cookie dough on the baking sheets. "How long have you been in the Lair? Don't you pay attention? The calls go out tomorrow for Golden Heart and Rita finalists." When Paolo continued to look confused, Sven continued. "After the calls go out, we'll be having another blow-out extravaganza here in the Lair. Since some of the Banditas and plenty of their friends will be finalists, we'll ask THEM about getting 'the call' and maybe you'll understand."

Looking unconvinced, Paolo hurried off to deliver the milk and warm cookies while Sven shoved the refilled baking sheets into the oven.

Fast forward to the wee hours of Sunday morning...

The Lair is festooned with glittery party decorations, drinks and plenty of goodies for all the Banditas, guests, and BBs. As the celebration gets into full swing, Sven drags an embarrassed Paolo around to ask the Banditas and several of their friends about how they received their 'calls.'

First up is Golden Heart Finalist, Bandita Nancy!

It's always my ambition on Call Day to forget about the whole business. This year, my guys were out of town Thursday night, so I stayed up late and slept in. Within fifteen minutes after I'd grabbed coffee, two solicitation calls came in (and never mind that we're on the Do Not Call registry). The phone rang again, with a name and number I didn't recognize in Caller ID. Figuring it was a solicitation call, I didn't answer. Now irritated and not yet caffeinated, I had no thoughts at all about the Golden Heart.

Five minutes later, another solicitation call, this one from a charity we actually do contribute to, but still. Three in under an hour?! The phone rang again, with Caller ID showing the number and name I'd ignored earlier. I answered the phone in my I Have No Patience voice.

"Nancy, it's Linda Jones with the RWA Board," said the caller, and I thought, The board? Did I botch up something for my committee? (I'm chairing Strategic Advisory this year.) Then she rolled on with "I'm calling to tell you your manuscript finaled."

And then I remembered what day it was. I think I also remembered to thank her. Then I logged onto the computer to see who else had finaled (including Anna Sugden, yay!) and found several names I was delighted to see. As well as happy emails in my inbox. And several on the bandit loop from morning people congratulating Anna and saying, "Doesn't someone ELSE have news?" And "I WISH she would get online."

They know me well, they do, including the fact that I am so not a morning person. I couldn't have a better place to celebrate than the Lair or a better bunch of people to share the fun than the Banditas and our Buddies.

On to our other Bandita finalist, Anna (VA) S!

The experience of GH/RITA day is slightly different for me because I live in the UK and am usually 6 hours ahead of CST. This year, we haven't yet 'sprung forward' so the difference was only 5 hours. Still, it means that there's a morning of hanging around and waiting for everyone on the Board to wake up and get calling.

Like many other people, I was convinced that this would be another year where I wouldn't get the call. I'd forgotten about the date until someone reminded me on Thursday night and even then it didn't click in my poor little brain because ... I'd forgotten I'd entered! I'd been dithering about whether or not to submit an entry this year and somehow as time passed, had assumed I hadn't. LOL

Anyway, as I said, I wasn't expecting a call, so I was busying myself with revising a manuscript, when an email popped up from one of my dear friends - Lindsey Brookes - that she'd finalled. That's when I realised the calls were starting to go out. After squealing happily for her, I scanned a few loops and got back to work. Then an email popped up from a friend saying she couldn't wait to happy dance with me, when I finalled. After laughing, I was in the middle of a reply explaining why I wouldn't be a finalist, when the the phone rang. I assumed it was one of my buddies telling me they'd finalled. Instead, it was the lovely Lorraine Heath to tell me Legacy of Love was a Golden Heart finalist!

Poor Lorraine had to put up with some shocked babbling from me and some celebratory singing from lovely hubby! She handled it with grace *g*. I have to say, it was so much fun to have a call from someone I know - made it all the more special. It was also special that this time, unlike my previous two finals, my hubby was here with me ... not on a plane, halfway across the Atlantic or in an important board meeting!

One of the first emails I typed was to my lovely Banditas - who better to share the fab news with?! My happiness was doubled to see that fellow Bandita Nancy was also a finalist! It was great too to have so many BB's share the fun, here on the loop and on FB and Twitter. And, of course, it was awesome to be able to celebrate on the day Susan Mallery was here!

And now we'll move on to DOUBLE Rita finalist, Virginia Kantra:

You know that scene in "He's Just Not That Into You" where Ginnifer Goodwin is staring at the phone, willing it to ring?


That was me on Friday. And it didn't ring. Not once. All morning. Not for several hours in the afternoon. Which, I told myself firmly, was okay.


Take a deep breath. Work on the next book. Be happy for your friends who have finaled.


I was mopping up cat yack from the carpet when the answering machine picked up.


"YAY YAY YAY!" yelled my friend Carolyn. "Congratuations! Call me."


I swallowed hard and called back. “I’m not a finalist,” I said. Quickly, to get it over with.
“But..." She sounded confused. Embarrassed. I knew the feeling. "Why would someone have texted me that you were?”


“Because she’s an idiot?” I suggested.


“But...Are you sure?”


Of course I was sure. But because I am that big a fool – or an optimist – I unzipped my purse. Looked at my cell phone, which was lit up like a Frasier fir on Christmas morning.


My hands shook.


Nine messages.


The most recent one from my editor. “So exciting! I can’t believe you let me find out from the website!”


Wow. Well. Me, either.


I couldn't focus on my cell phone enough to push all the little buttons and listen to the other calls. I collapsed in front of my computer. Looked on the RWA website.


Well. Wow. I'm a double finalist, for Best Paranormal Romance with IMMORTAL SEA and Best Novella with "Shifting Sea" in BURNING UP.


Yay, yay, oh, really, YAY!!! (And take a deep breath and work on the next book and be happy for my friends who have finaled.)

Next, checking in from Mexico is Ann Aguirre:

I swear, I think this is the first call I ever got. Even when I sold to NY for the first time, my agent IM'd me because it's international long distance. So this was exciting, intoxicating, crazy-with-delight-making. To set the scene, it was early, about fifteen minutes past nine in the morning here, and I was talking to Lauren Dane on IM. One of my friends, Victoria Dahl, had gotten her call, and we were all excited for her, but I wasn't expecting my phone to ring.

And then it did. I didn't say anything to Lauren, but as I ran to answer it, I was thinking, nuh UH, it can't be. But our phone never rings that early, so I had some hope even before I answered. I said, "Bueno!" which is how you answer in Mexico. The person on the other end paused, and then said, "I'm looking for Ann Aguirre." In English. Which was when I knew. Because anyone else would've addressed me in Spanish.

She went on to say, "This is Jeanne Adams from RWA. I'm calling to inform you that your book, KILLBOX, has been chosen as a RITA finalist in the Strong Romantic Elements category..." She told me some more stuff, and was very kind, but I lost my mind after that. I do recall that she said she was a big fan of mine and would be rooting for me in NY. I got some more information from her, and then we disconnected. I ran around my house screaming for a while and then I went to tell Lauren Dane, who I had left hanging in mid-conversation. I told my agent, who was properly thrilled. I twittered about it. I spent four hours surfing an incredible high. Later that night, my family took me out to dinner and to a movie to celebrate (Battle: LA, which is totally appropriate). It was crazy, brilliant, and utterly surreal. I mean, wow, I've finaled in a category that includes Nora Roberts. That pretty much says it all.

Frequent Lair guest, Patricia Rice:

I missed my call! I was doing taxes for AARP Friday morning, and the internet kept crashing, so I was really late leaving, exhausted, stressed out, and starved half to death. I had no idea that it was Call Day, so I grabbed a pear and sat down to check my email while I nuked a Lean Cuisine. The first one I opened was from one of the other Word Wenches, Cara Elliott, shouting she'd been nominated. So out of idle curiosity, I checked my voice mail--something I never do because I'm phone phobic. And sure enough, there was a message from Trish Milburn asking me to call her. Needless to say, my stress disappeared and I was grinning from ear to ear as I munched my nuked pizza! BTW, four of the eight Word Wenches have been nominated, two in historical and two in Regency. Go, us!!!

And speaking of our recent guest Cara Elliott...

The RITA call was all the more wonderful because the day had not gotten off to a great start . . . I awoke to a harried e-mails on a design project I'm working on. Glitches in the web pages needed new files sent ASAP-and I had plans to go to meet friends for lunch at the Thomas Lawrence exhibit at Yale. Swearing under my breath, I was madly working on getting the files done, my mind totally focused on finishing and getting out of the house on time, when the phone rang. Expecting it to be the web designer, I answered rather, er, brusquely.

A soft voice asked for Cara Elliott.

That's a pen name, not my real name, so my first impression was, "How in the world did a fan get my home phone number? (Clearly my head was still in a funk) So I said-again, rather brusquely-“May I ask who's calling?”

The voice replied, “Lorraine Heath.”

Lorraine Heath! Gulp. It slowly sinks in. March 25, writers, phone calls . . . RITAs!

Lorraine went on to say, “I have some good news for you . . .”

Needless to say, I started dancing madly on my chair while stammering my thanks. And then suddenly those files didn't seem quite so odious to finish. Off they went, and I got to my lunch-which was with fellow romance writers, which made it all the more fun to share the good news!

From Romantic Suspense Rita finalist Annie Solomon:

I'd just finished breakfast when the phone rang. I thought: Who the #$# is calling me so early in the am? I checked the caller ID and it was unfamiliar. I was really pissed. Almost didn't answer. But finally I yanked the phone off the hook, ready to yell at whoever was on the other end for calling so early...and this nice, polite woman said she was calling on behalf of RWA.

Gulp...heart pounding...the rest is RITA finalist history, lol!

Moving on to Historical Rita finalist, Sherry Thomas:

Usually I am not a nervous person, possibly because usually I have no idea what's going on. :-) Take the RITAs, for example, in 2009 and 2010, the calls came early in the morning, right after I'd come back home from walking the Junior Kidlet to school, before I'd even realized what date it was. This time, however, I began working before waking the kidlet up, and while using the dictionary widget on my macbook, I happened to glance at the calendar widget, and the 25 was highlighted.

Too bad, a second later, I remembered that RITA calls went out on the 25th. This set me slight on edge. I am not a hoper--is that a word?--and usually prefer to first mentally prepare myself for the worst that can happen. And when 8:30 came and went, I thought, well, that's probably it. The calls have gone out and I didn't get mine.

Then at 8:37 the phone rang. I scrambled to get it. Ack. The number of a known telemarketer. I pressed the rejection button really hard and muttered something under my breath. And then, just as I was walking away from the phone, it rang again. And this time it was Cindy Kirk from RWA. There is an old Turkish proverb that goes: When Allah wants to make a poor man happy, He takes away the man's goat and then lets him find it again. And boy, when I got the call after thinking I wouldn't, did it make me happy!

Another DOUBLE Rita finalist and recent guest, Kieran Kramer:




Here's my call story. I was working on my computer in the kitchen about 9 a.m., deeply immersed in a story I was writing...


Not!


I was roaming the Internet to see if anyone had gotten the Call yet, LOL!!!!



I'd barely had time to settle in when my phone rang. It was an area code I didn't recognize, so my heart gave a little leap. But then I reminded myself that I get spam calls from unknown areas all the time. Why should Friday, March 25th, be any different?

But this time, it was. I'd been nominated for Best First Book. The feeling was so surreal, I felt a little disconnected. I couldn't believe it was really happening. But that wasn't the most shocking part of all to my call story! I had NO IDEA that if you finaled in more than one category, a different category coordinator would call. So there I was, my head already spinning, thinking I'd already climbed to the mountain top, when forty minutes later, I got another call from a different unknown area code.


I thought, "Oh. That's weird. Maybe this is someone from the RWA offices reminding me to look for my Rita information packet in the mail."

So when I picked up the phone and Lorraine Heath herself--a Rita winner and NYT- and USA Today best-selling author--was on the other end of the line, I had to grab a chair. What could she possibly want with me? I'd already gotten the Call! And then she proceeded to tell me that I'd finalled in Regency Historicals, too. That call really threw me--even more than the first. I think it's because I knew the first was possible. I'd entered the contest, so I might--just might!--get a call. But the second call? I was truly taken aback. It's been a long time since I was that surprised.


I was babbling into the phone even more than the first call and have no idea what I said.


It was a morning I will never forget!!!

Finally, Lair favorite Nicola Cornick summed it up so well:


It is a huge thrill to receive a RITA nomination for One Wicked Sin and to be a finalist alongside so many fabulous authors whose books I love and whose writing I admire. "The RITA Call" was an amazing experience! It was the first time I had taken "the call" in person and I didn't exactly receive the news in a calm and collected manner. First I was so excited I couldn't breathe then I became incoherent because I was completely overwhelmed. Certainly the dog was looking at me as though he thought I needed urgent medical attention as my squeals of excitement bounced off the kitchen walls. So much for the famous British cool formality!

Congratulations to all the finalists and thank you to the hackey hudjson for inviting me to your RITA Special!

And now a "call story" from the other side of the phone line....

Its 9 a.m. on "call day" and, as a member of the RWA Board, I have my super-secret call list in front of me, and I'm ready to call my first Rita/GH finalist. I had taken my list and organized them by time-zone, east coast to west so I wouldn't call someone in CA at some unholy hour of the morning. All set there, I was ready to dial. It is seriously one of THE BEST moments of a Board Member's time on the board to get to make these calls. SO fun!Anyway, I'm ready to rock, I've got my coffee, I'm mostly awake...dial. Got a voice mail! Arrrrgh! So, I leave a message, very similar to what I said to Ann Aguirre (yes, we DO have a script! ahahah!) "Hi, this is Jeanne...RWA Board...Trying to reach you...try back in a bit, or you can call me at..." I hang up and go on to my next call. About 20 minutes later, my phone rings and it's my friend and fellow WRW member, Gail Barrett. I had SO hoped Gail would final because MELTDOWN is fabulous, and if she did final, that she'd be on my "to call" list. She did final, of course, but she wasn't on MY list! Arrrgh! I had the person just below her on the list. Are you beginning to see what happened? *wince* So Gail calls me, "Hi Jeanne, it's Gail."

I have a very silent, and quite painful apoplectic fit, because I can't tell her ANYTHING. She's not on my list.

"Hi Gail! How are you?" I manage to brightly say, feigning total ignorance of what's going on. There's a pause.

"I'm great, but you left a message on MY machine for this Kendra person...."

OH, CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!!! What can I say, but, "Oh, so sorry!" and get off the phone. WHEW!!! Gail posted later that she was so crestfallen that, at the time, she didn't wonder why I even had her number up and ready to go, nor why I might call her by mistake early on a Friday morning... none of that thankfully, registered. Now I had to wait until I saw her name pop up on the RWA site, to be SURE my fellow Board Member had called her, so I could then call back and apologize! Hahahah! Gail took it with her usual good grace and aplomb, since thankfully she had actually finaled. Grins. And I was able to tell her how very much I had enjoyed her finaling book, MELTDOWN, and that her number, right above the one I was SUPPOSED to call, is what I'd written down instead. Probably something Freudian in there...

It really was fun to call Ann as well *waves at Ann* because I am a fan, thanks to her coming on here to the hackey hudjson blog. Grins.

Ya'll will laugh because I started out those first few West Coast calls apologizing for calling so early - hey, it WAS early for THEM! - then telling the finalist the news. I wasn't sure Ann even heard the bit about calling so early, or being a fan, but hey, I guess she did! Hahahah!

*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Now do you understand the significance of 'Call Day'?" Sven asked as he led the round-eyed Paolo back to the kitchen.

Paolo nodded still struck dumb in astonishment. Sven loaded a tray with mimosas, handed it to the silent cabana boy and gave him a push toward the door. "Then don't you forget it next year! Now make sure none of our guests are thirsty."

Some of our guests have offered copies of their books as a prize for our special celebration. One lucky commenter will receive a copy of:
One Wicked Sin
When Harry Met Molly AND Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right
His at Night
Killbox
Immortal Sea

So which do you prefer, chocolate chip cookies or mimosas? Do you forgive Paolo for his ignorance? And what makes a celebration special for you?



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