THE GREAT WESTERN DRIVE - FINAL DAY

Read A Western; They ALL Need Love

Prizes and Pleadings!!

Hang onto your hats - the is is going to be a long one!

And - as the sun slowly sinks into the West, we come to the end of The Great Western Ride.

But!!

Not Really.

For it is just the beginning.


I mentioned at the beginning of the week, that one of the main reasons I came up with the idea of featuring Westerns - and with much, MUCH help from my Cowgirls Sybil and Wendy, who both posted more this week then either of them had for ages - if ever - was the lower votes the Western got (and more one that in a moment).

But there was another reason too! One of the books I've been anticipating more then most is Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman. To me she is an author of such richness and depth you can't rush through her books. They are to be read slowly, so as to savour them. I wanted readers not to see that this book was a Western and think 'b'ah, not gonna bother. I was hoping by having The Great Western Drive, when readers see this one come out on the shelves in September, those in blogland who have been visiting the three of our blogs - or any of the other wonderful ladies who have picked up the torch and blogged about Westerns - will think to themselves, not "'b'ah", but instead, "hmmm, I think I will just give this one a go" . Judging by the response at Dear Author when they offered up free copies, there are a lot of readers who will do just that!

The Prizes

So in order to keep this one front and centre in your thoughts, Sybil scored some copies from Kensington and is sharing with Wendy and me. So! I have a copy to give away to one lucky reader.
The is the Grand Prize - but not the only one. Sybil and Wendy both have other contests running for books so how could I do any less?? In addition to the Grand Prize here at Ramblings, I have me some other Westerns to give away too.


Touch of Texas by Tracy Garrett

Who can resist that cover? And the story inside is pretty good too!







Dear Penelope by Sharon Ihle

She didn't get a mention this week, only because of the vast numbers already, but if you like your stories on the light and humorous side, then she's an author to look for





Rachel and the Hired Gun by Elaine Levine

This is great book and one I mentioned in the interview at Petticoats and Pistols







Bridegroom by Linda Lael Miller

I'll be finding out along with whoever wins this one since it's a new release and I haven't read it. I got 2 copies of this one - one to give away and one for me - not only 'cause I love Westerns, but oh mama do I love this cover!!





The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne.

Now Maggie is Wendy's girl, but I've read this one too and really enjoyed it.







The Scotsman Wore Spurs by Patricia Potter

Now Patricia Potter is my home girl. She is the creme de la creme of Westerns so I have two by her. Leslie back's me up on this one!






Wanted by Patricia Potter

Another Most Excellent Potter Western. Whoever gets this one is one lucky reader







A Texan's Luck by Jodi Thomas.

Now I'm behind in reading her newer books, but this one is an older book I've read and can easily recommend!

The Pleadings

The short version - The Western genre - please read one.

The longer version because that's always more fun. I've said a few times I've no pride and no shame when urging readers to try something I've read and loved (or watched and loved) and the Western certainly fits into that category. From many of the comments I've read between our three blogs and at other blogs who have taken up the Ride, many reader used to read Westerns and loved them and then they kind of slipped their minds. We aim to remind those readers what they've been missing. To them I beg "Come Back. Come Back. Wendy, Sybil and I are desperate. We want more Westerns. We want the choices we used to have for this neglected genre". But the publishers are saying they aren't selling. So we need you to help us!

And for those who haven't tried a Western - put aside your Paranormals, your Vampires, your Shapeshifters, your Dukes, Viscounts and Earls - just for a short time (because I love them too!) and try a Western! Sybil, Wendy and I have offered up a lot of our choices but you can be like Lea and Amy and try one not on our list. Barbara has promised to read my all time fave. And Nath has mentioned us too. Samhain publishes a lot of Westerns - I have three Beth Williamson books I'm dying to dive into.

We long to see a resurgence in this genre. I mentioned the site Love Western Romance and the poll they had. Well this seems to be an ongoing poll and they have the results as of July 31/09. Visit the site - they have a whole passel of Westerns.

And Petticoats and Pistols is also a Must Visit blog. And I'm not just say thing because THE Cheryl St. John interviewed ME!! They have some great authors posting, most of whom I've read or at least own books of - and those who don't I plan to! And at this point I'll mention that they donated a great prize themselves - details at The Good, The Bad, The Unread - though only open to US residents so you don't have to worry about me winning all the loot *g*. And a reminder Sybil also has the Sarah McCarty contest open to all

And read Wendy's post today. She's pretty good at pleading and begging herself and also has a contest to win Never Love a Lawman as well as the previously announced Maureen McKade book. And dang - but I forgot to link yet another post at TGTBTU wherein Sybil, Wendy and I also answer more questions about what is is about the Western.

By now you may be thinking - enough with the pleading - just tell me how to win! Well, I'm going to give away the books alphabetically by author last name unless you specifically say there's one you don't want (like you already have that copy of such and such a book but would like a chance to win another one) What YOU have to do, is commit to reading a Western and name the book. They are so easy to find at bookstores, UBS's, the library, an e-copy - where ever you can find one.

And! You will be added to the list on the sidebar for The Great Western Drive. You can see I've already added Sybil and Wendy and I know there are already more but I didn't put them up yet so they can drop by here for a chance to win. I want to get that list going down the entire sidebar!! And then! You can add the icon to your own sidebar if you have a blog.

So - what do you say? Will you take pity on the three of us and Ride a Cowboy; Read A Western? Is there one book that is calling your name? Let me know in the comments for a chance to WIN!!

And I figure a week is enough time to pick on out to read. So the winners will be announced one week from today.

I hope to do a revisit down the line and find out what you all thought of the one (or ones) you read.

And smack me on the head and call me stupid! I almost forgot to mention I issued myself my own challenge - which I answered and that was to get an Inspirational Western. While at the book store the other day I picked up a copy of The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist.

A Contest

I don't hold a lot of contests - I can't think of good stuff to hold them about. But two things came together tonight and I thought "Say!! Why not have a contest!!"

Incident #1 - I stopped at GT (Giant Tiger) on the way home from work and happened to see this HTF book on their small book rack. I knew right away it was hard to find so I picked it up even though I have a copy. I wasn't sure at the time what to do with it, but then happened upon Incident # 2 and since I don't have the talent but others do - a contest idea was born.

Incident #2 -I was checking out the EHarlequin site for sale books when I saw this one. I passed it, went back and looked again and thought O.M.G.! I'm not good at cover snark but this one just begs for it.



So - in order for a chance to win this book, come up with a good tag line or back cover blurb or whatever your imagination decides. The one that makes me laugh the hardest will win

Are you ready??

Here it is

Yep - I found a brand new copy of Lord Ruin by Carolyn Jewel. I know she's a hot author right now.

Keep in mind I have a warped sense of humour and the more warped, the more likely to make me laugh.

And in case you are wondering - the contest is open to anyone anywhere. Of course if you are from the planet Melmac, I can't guarantee when it will get there.
In order to come up with an idea, for anyone interested, I will pick the winner next Wednesday (not to be confused with tomorrow). We always need a laugh or a bit of good news on hump days.

Just leave whatever you come up with in the comments section.

There is a reason........

Do you ever......catch something out of the corner of your eye, look down and think some kind of weird and strange bug is making it’s way up your chest. You screech and start batting at it, only to discover it’s a piece of fluff?

Do you ever......start eating those teeny little cinnamon hearts that are so hot they burn your mouth – but you keep eating them anyway even though you hate spicy food?

Do you ever......notice when you forget to put the cap on the toothpaste for a few days and if you live by yourself with no one around to put it back on for you, that it dries up at the top? And when you go to use it – not because you haven’t brushed your teeth for a few days – but you felt like a change in toothpaste – you squeeze and squeeze the tube to get it out and sometimes instead of coming out the top, it squirts out the bottom?

Do you ever......get carried away so much by a book that you aren’t really paying attention to what you are doing when you make a coffee, and kind of forget to put the coffee mug under and when you hear that final gurgle and go to get your coffee, it’s all over the counter top?

Do you ever......find yourself running late and you just grab your purse, which is hooked onto the kettle and the kettle goes flying and you end up with water all over the floor and no time at all to wipe it up? So you just real quickly throw a bunch of towels and kind of stomp over them to absorb the water and then hope the floor isn’t ruined when you get home?

Do you ever......leave the back door open so your cat can look out the screen door and then kind of forget you did that and head off to bed – in the middle of winter – only to discover to your horror the next morning that you left the door wide open and unlocked?

Do you ever......keep track of your books in either an excel spreadsheet of an online book cataloguing system and still forget to add any new ones? And then you see the same book and think again it looks interesting so you buy it again? But by the time you discover you already have a copy, you’ve lost the receipt. You could turn them into a UBS but it would be ever so much fun to do something else.

At least I think so. And thus begins

Kristie’s Ooooo-psie Contest

The first book up is His Captive by Diana Cosby. I haven’t read it yet so I can’t give a thumbs up or a thumbs down. I got my first copy when it first came out and neglected to record it anywhere and kind of forgot I got it. Then when her second book came out, I figured I needed to get the first one - *sigh* and ordered it online when I needed a fairly inexpensive book to make the minimum for free shipping.

So – how do you win you ask? Well – let’s see, just leave a comment with anything dumb you might have done – big or small – so I know I’m not alone in my d’oh moments. I’ll pick a random winner on Saturday.

There will be no rhyme or reason to this give-away. I’m trying to get my books organized so I’ll have one whenever I discover a duplicate and think “ooop-sie”.

~~~***~~~

And an update to the previous post, and thanks to the wonders of YouTube, if you listen to Eh Tu Tom around the 14 second mark you can hear him utter those words he obviously stole from Smart Bitches. If you want to keep watching, the dance is pretty good.

But if you want to see EXCELLENT and missed it last night, this one was the night’s winner.

Updates of interest!!

Smack me on the head and call me stupid! I would have posted this earlier but I worked (and worked DAMN hard on the weekend and came home and vegged both nights - though I did have time for some reading of a Very Good Book)

I forgot to mention in my previous post - The Good, The Bad, The Unread has a fascinating interview with Jennifer Ashley, the author of The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie and as a bonus, has FOUR ARC's to give away.

And.... SandyM also has a great review of this book. I'm not the only one who adores it :)


And in other news of interest....we have us another Crusader!! Stacy - fellow good Crusader that she is, pointed me in the direction of Beth Kery, author of Wicked Burn recently watched North and South - and loved it!!

Contest Alert! I want to win this book!

We had a field trip at work today - all the branches in our area. It was really good and I enjoyed the day quite a bit. They had an motivational speaker - a most excellent one and one of the things he said to do was to take ownership. So - this is me taking ownership.

I don't often post contest alerts - no particular reason, I just don't think of it I guess 0r I blog about something else. But in this case I am blogging about it because.

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

No if ands or buts about it. This is me. Taking ownership.

Dear Author and Smart Bitches have combined forces and are having a Save the Contemporary Campaign going and as you may have noticed, I'm all about the campaigns. And as I've always loved contemporaries and

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

I'm fully on board.

Now there are a number of ways to enter. You can Twitter about it - using some kind of hash mark thing a ma jig - but I don't twitter. You can email about it - but I don't really send a lot of emails or you can blog about it. Since

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

I'm going the blogging route. They have set up a special page here and also a nifty little place you can add your own rec's for contemporaries you have enjoyed. Now I'm going to make a list of a lot of them I've enjoyed.

Hopefully I've done the blogging thing right because

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

If I didn't get it right - which to be honest wouldn't surprise me, hopefully someone will tell me how to do it right because

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

Now I know there are others saying the same thing about Smooth Talking Stranger and (yippee for us) St. Martins Press is donating 20 copies! AND there is a second prize St. Martins is offering - a 20 book package of their backlist.

In addition, Borders is offering 30% off all pre-orders. But since I don't live in the US, this particular incentive doesn't work. Thus

I. WANT. TO. WIN. THIS. BOOK.

Now, in case I'm missing something - this is what you have to do

Lisa Kleypas Smooth Talking Stranger

Email This Page ShareThis

Ella Varner has it all–a successful career as an advice columnist, a handsome boyfriend, and a circle of friends in Austin. When anyone has a problem, Ella knows the answers.

But one night she receives a call that changes everything. And as Ella’s world is turned upside-down, she meets a man who is the opposite of everything she ever wanted . . . a man who will offer her the most irresistible challenge she has ever known . . . Excerpt

To reward those who help spread the contemporary goodness, St. Martin’s Press has provided us with 20 copies of Smooth Talking Stranger to giveaway and a grand prize package of 20 titles from SMP’s backlist (Lora Leigh, Jennifer Crusie, Cheyenne McCray, and the like) to a random entrant.

To participate, simply forward the details to a friend using the “Email This Page” link above. The more times you forward the details of this giveaway for Smooth Talking Stranger, the greater chance you have of winning. Alternatively, use the “Share This” and twitter the contest and link or blog about it. You’ll need to send us a link, though, or twitter us too at @smartbitches or @jane_l.

Contest Alert!!!

I love authors. I really, really do. They have given me more hours of enjoyment then they can possibly imagine. They've lifted my spirits when I didn't think they could be lifted. They share through their stories, so many different ways the human heart can love.

But some authors hold an even more special place. And when I share an authors works and someone discovers the same love for that author - well, at the risk of sounding down right corny (OK - it's not a risk - I do sound down right corny) it just warms my little toe cockles.

I'm just double delighted (and now I'm sounding like a character out of the cartoons I used to watch as a kid) that Barbara of Happily Forever After has a review posted for one of those 'special' authors Pamela Clare. Barbara has posted her review on Ms. Clare's most recent release Untamed. (I loved it - the book I mean - though Barbara's review is also pretty dang good).
And she has a great contest to go along with it! She's giving away a copy each of Surrender and Untamed. And... she has a bonus book giveaway!!

So hie thee over to Barbara's blog and read her review - and maybe win a book!

Goulish Halloween Book Giveaway

BOO!

Halloween is only a few short days away, and to honor this fun day where children get free treats, I have decided to give away some special treats away for the adults!

I have two spooky gift packages to put in your pumpkins. The people at St. Martin's Press so graciously sent me 2 copies of Sherrilyn Kenyon's One Silent Night, her newest book in her Dark-Hunter series that comes out in November. Not only will you get this future release but 3 other books to go along with it.

Bloodcurling Prize Pack #1:
One Silent Night- Sherrilyn Kenyon
Phenomenal Girl 5- AJ Menden
Dark Magic- Cheyenne Mc Cray
Between Light and Dark- Elissa Wilds

Terrifying Prize Pack #2:
One Silent Night- Sherrilyn Kenyon
Any Given Doomsday- Lori Handlehand
A Curious Affair- Melanie Jackson
King of Sword and Sky- CL Wilson

You have to act fast in order to win these books! Just comment here by Friday, October 31 by midnight and answer these questions:

1. What is your favorite scary movie?
2. What is your favorite scary book?
3. What candy did you love to get when you went trick o' treatin as a child (or for some, until they turned eighteen? :P)

Katiebabs (KB)

Romance - it's not just the books!

I have - well for lack of a better word - obsessive type personality. When I find something that moves me, I just can't let it rest. Some of you may have noticed that about me.

Besides romance books, I also have another thing that has taken over and obsessed me in the last little while. And that is Dance shows. It started with Dancing With The Stars. I loved that show - did not miss a week of it. And then I could smack myself for coming so late to the party that was going on for a while, I discovered So You Think You Can Dance. While channel surfing, I'd come upon it on occasion and watch, but for some unknown reason it didn't quite 'take' at first. And aren't I regretting that fact!!

But it really grabbed my attention midway through the last season and I was caught - hook, line and sinker and in no time, it became my favourite show.

You see, I think this too embodies romance. The passion, which I love so much in romance is also very evident in dance. The costumes, the intensity, the whole drama or laughter of the dance - no matter what style! It's all just as wonderful as a good romance book.

I found it mesmerizing - these young people with their DEVOTION to dance. The routines, the choreography, the music - I was enthralled!! And then they started advertising for SYTYCD Canada. I counted down the weeks and then days until it started here. I watched the auditions and then they weren't on for a couple of weeks and I lost track of it. With my most grateful thanks - Carrie, who knows A LOT more about dance then I do, emailed me to see what I thought of the first night of the final 20.
Tragedy
I'd missed it!! But! This little bit has a happy ending - Carrie sent me links and then the replayed the whole show again on Much Music on Sunday night. So I was able to watch it.
The final 18 where on again last Wednesday. I started vibrating with excitement round about Monday. I was going to watch THIS ONE live. I LOVED it. Even the routines that weren't so good.
But there was one that totally and completely captivated me. So much in fact that as soon as they started, for some reason, this one author kept popping into my head - and stayed there for the entire performance.
"Aha!" I thought. This calls for something special! And a contest idea was born.
Again the wonderful Carrie came to my rescue. I was emailing her about it and she so very kindly sent me the link. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it already!

So, here is the routine. Whoever guesses which author I was thinking of - well I have a copy of My Lord and Spymaster for the lucky guesser.





(and the fact that I think Nico is sex on a stick has nothing to do with it)
And both Carrie and Katie know which author - so they can confirm it - I couldn't keep my excitement to myself until it was up on YouTube. And I'm just about to email said author and let her know.

And I've been a bad contest holder too. There is a winner for the last one - if anyone remembers and I'll be posting very soon!

A contest - Name That Body Part

Subtitle - I can't believe I'm doing this!!




Kate talked me into doing this!


Kate and I were emailing about the previous topic on the lack of names for the female innards and we both thought the same thing. Instead of Guess That Book, why not have a Name That Body Part contest??
I emailed her today and said I didn't think I could go through with it but she told me I had to!

The Prize?

I have another autographed copy of Dangerous Secrets By Lisa Marie Rice that she so wonderfully gave me to give away in San Francisco.




How to win?


Just come up with an interesting name, a funny name, a real purple prose name, an 'alternative' name, use it in a sentence and Kate and I will pick a winner.

And just so I don't keep horrifying myself and others, it's amazing what you can come up with by cropping in paint.



The winner will be announced next Monday

(see - I did it Kate!!)

Second Chance for a good book!!

Jessica of Racy Romance Reviews - a great new blog I recently discovered (I love when that happens) is giving away her copy of Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves.

As I loved this one myself, here's another chance to get a copy!!

Tempted by the Night and His Captive Lady Reviews **CONTEST**

Elizabeth Boyle's latest historical, Tempted by the Night is a bit deceiving, especially by the cover. You would think this is a straight up historical romance. That is not the case. This is a historical paranormal romance and the next book in her Marlowe series about a very eccentric family who barely has any money and a mother who makes her children’s lives a bit crazy. Tempted by the Night is about Hermione Marlowe, the sister of Sebastian, who was the hero in His Mistress by Morning. If you read His Mistress by Morning, then you know about a magic ring that is being tossed around. Anyone who wears the ring and makes a wish, that wish will come true. Hermione is the lucky girl this time to be in possession of the ring. Herimone or Minny as she is called by her friends and family has it bad for Thomas, the Earl of Rockhurst. He doesn’t even know she is alive and Herimone is so far gone over the man she can hardly speak when she sees him. All she can do is moon over the handsome Earl and say, “Jiminy!” too many times to count. Yup, she is one of those heroines that has an annoying catch phrase.

Herimone wishes she was an invisible phantom from sunset to sunrise so she could follow Rockhurst around and find out all of his secrets. And guess what happens? Her wish comes true. Now poor Minny is invisible the moment the sun sets. This gives her the perfect reason to stalk Rochurst. And as she watches Rockhurst, who has a habit of going out late at night, she expects him to drink and whore the night away like most of the gentlemen of his ilk. Instead Rockhurst is on a special mission. He is known as the Paratus, a title passed down from his family from generation to generation. He must defeat the evil specter that is called Melaphor, who comes from another dimension and is killing people. Rockhurst, a.k.a. the Paratus must try and stop Melaphor from his reign of terror and either kill him or force him back to where he came from. But these two are equal in their abilities to stop one another and can never defeat the other. That is until, Rockhurst realizes he has a shadow, an invisible woman who tries to defend him.

This is where the story gets a little strange. Rockhurst is fine with some invisible London miss following him wherever he goes even though she won’t say who she is. Herimone is afraid that if Rockhurst finds out who she is, he will run the other way and be disgusted with her. These two have actual conversations while Herimone is invisible. And the kicker? Rockhurst proceeds to have sex with Herimone many times while she is invisible and nameless, only calling her his Shadow. Some have raised the all important question whether Rockhurst can aim or see certain parts of his involved in the actual act since Herimone is invisible during it. Boyle solves this dilemma by having Rockhurst close his eyes. Apparently his skills go beyond just fighting forces of evil. He is quite skilled at having sex with an invisible partner.

If you can put all that aside, Tempted by the Night is actually a fun read, mainly because of the antics of the invisible super girl that is Herimone. For laughs and some interesting invisible action, try Tempted by the Night. (Avon, September 2008)

3 stars out of 5 stars

Anne Gracie’s His Captive Lady was such a wonderful read! I adore all of Anne’s books and she is one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her latest may not have an invisible women running around causing problems, but there is a young woman who must find her missing baby stolen by her father. Helen Freymore reminded me so much of Tess Durbeyfield from the Thomas Hardy classic, Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Poor Helen has been through so much. Not only was she raped by a former associate of her father’s, but her infant daughter, who she loves more than her own life, is taken away from the one person she always looked up to. Now with her father dead and gone and her home auctioned away because of his debt, Helen has a choice to either give into despair or rise above it all, find work and continue looking for her missing daughter.

The first time Harry Morant notices Helen, he thinks of her as a, “drowning Madonna” because Helen is stuck in the rain looking up at the sky in awe. From the moment on, Harry decides to help Helen in any way he can even though she doesn’t want his help. Harry falls hard for the somewhat naïve yet tenacious Helen. Harry wants to marry her, to take care of her and make sure there is no more sadness or tears in her eyes. For some reason that Harry cannot understand, Helen won’t let him help her. She thinks she is not good enough for Harry because of what has happened to her. Why would a man like Harry want a damaged woman with an illegitimate daughter like herself when he can have any woman he wants?

Harry is able to bring Helen around to his way of thinking, mainly by kissing her into submission. And when Helen finally tells Harry what she has been through, Harry rises in my opinion as one of my favorite heroes this year. Harry is a simple man, with simple needs. When he sees Helen, he can’t get her out of his mind. She may not be, “beautiful, nor voluptuously built, and she certainly employs no arts to attract. But he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.” I love when the hero falls for the heroine just because he finds something special about her to him. She is not a raving beauty or is intelligent to the point she can give the hero a good argument. Helen is the complete opposite of most heroines I have read lately. When first introduced to Helen I found her a bit off, perhaps a bit slow in her thinking. But instead, I see her as a fragile little bird, much like a sparrow who may not survive in the worst of situations but is still strong enough not to succumb to defeat. Helen certainly doesn’t succumb to the odds against her and once Harry is in her corner, things begin to look up.

Anne Gracie builds up sexual tension quite well between this couple, because sex is not a quick answer, especially because of what has happened to Helen. Harry is understanding and so very noble. He is a tad tortured in his thinking because he doesn’t think he deserves love, but when Helen admits her love for him without one word from him in return, those love scenes almost brought a tear to my eye. His Captive Lady is sweet, endearing and an overall lovely read. If there is one historical romance you read this fall season, it should be His Captive Lady (Berkley, September 2008).

4 stars out of 5 stars

Haven't had the chance to read an Anne Gracie novel? Well here is your chance! I am giving away 3 copies of His Captive Lady. In order to have your chance to win, just comment here about either Tempted By the Night or His Captive Lady. You have till Thursday to win!

Katiebabs (KB)

Nalini Singh's Hostage to Pleasure

OK - three in one day - with maybe more.

In my blog hopping I noticed Nalini Singh is holding a contest. How fortuitous since I just picked up Hostage to Pleasure earlier today when I picked up a SECOND copy of Cry Wolf.

Here's how it works:

What do you have to do to enter?

(a) Do a post on your blog, livejournal, myspace, facebook or website etc, where you answer at least one of the questions below. You can do all three questions if you like!

* Which fictional hero (from books, tv, movies...) would you most like to hold hostage?

* Which fictional hero would you most like to be held hostage by?

* Which fictional world would you most like to be held hostage in?

(b) link back to this post & mention the contest
(c) post the cover of Hostage to Pleasure if possible; and
(d) leave a comment here with a link to where you've posted your entry

I think my answers will be pretty much a given since she's allowing us to use fictional characters from TV, Movies - and I have been accused of being a bit - well - obsessed.

* Which fictional hero (from books, tv, movies...) would you most like to hold hostage?
John Thornton of North and South. Then again maybe it might be Guy of Gisborne so I could have my wicked way with him.

* Which fictional hero would you most like to be held hostage by?
John Thornton of North and South. Then again maybe it might be Guy of Gisborne so he could have my wicked way with me.
Tough decisions both of them.

* Which fictional world would you most like to be held hostage in?
OK - this one takes a bit more thought. I think the answer might be the Starship Enterprise so I could explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Of course if I were being held hostage I might not get a chance to do those exciting things.


PS - Did I mention that I got a chance to meet her again this year in San Francisco?? Sadly I didn't get much of a chance to talk to her this time round - but I did meet her - AND she remembered me!

Anton Strout Interview and Book Giveaway!

After reading Dead To Me and hearing Ace author Anton Strout speak, my goal was to have him answer some questions that have been on my mind about the publishing industry along with the Urban Fantasy genre that has exploded recently with such excellent authors! And, I can honestly say that Anton is one of these authors.

Since you work in the publishing industry, are there any secrets or advice you can give to a new author trying to get their work published?

Anton: Be professional when trying to submit your work. Publishing is a business, and although your secret heart is poured out on your manuscript pages, you can't take things personally. If you get a form rejection, don't rage and scream against the industry. If you get a more personalized rejection, take any advice you get in it and give it careful consideration. I've heard too many stories about aspiring authors getting caught up in feeling like their precious baby has been kicked in the teeth that they forget that they SHOULD be trying to make their manuscript better! Serve the story. Even published authors are always learning new things to make their work better. You should be too!

I have heard so many rumors about how important it is to wait to buy a book on the release date. How true is it that sales are only counted after a book is released than before? If I buy a book before its release date, does that mean I am a bad person and that it won't count toward the total sales of the book?

Anton: It depends. Generally, it works best if you pick up an author's work in the first 8 weeks or so after the "street date" of a book. Why? The stores that carry these books are looking to see what the strong performers are during that time period and those sales will affect how many of your NEXT book they will take. It's also a crucial time for trying to get an author onto the bestseller list. By buying a book early, there is a chance that those early sales won't get lumped into the first week sales that are reported and crucial to a books performance. I believe some of the online retailers do factor this in and report the sales as one rolled up figure, but it's not a constant.

How did you come up with the character of Simon?

Anton: Is it strange to say that he decided to show himself to me over time? There was no initial inspiration for him that I can remember, but when I started writing the protagonist of this story I wanted to tell, the situation's kind of help to build him. Simon strives to be a badass hero that we're all used to in the genre, except he's not. He's a fairly normal guy who simply wants to get his shit together, date, and do something a bit more good and meaningful in his life. But all of this only came to me as Simon walked up to situation after situation. It was only then than he revealed how he'd handle it.

You made New York City come so alive that it seemed like another character in Dead To Me. Did you do any type of research on the city or just make it up along as you wrote since you work there and live close by?

Anton: I lived in Manhattan for about a decade and about six years in Queens, so I am very familiar with most of New York City. It IS a character all its own and I set out to portray the lively creature that it is. I researched a lot of my locations within the story and if I didn't have the time I would Wiki some of the history of those locations. It's such a fascinating city! I have little videoed bits on my camera where I would act out certain scenes at locations, which drew some stares. The Lovecraft Cafe, for example, is based on an East Village coffeehouse/movie theater I used to go to. I'm almost afraid to go back there because my fictional version of it has so taken over that I might be disappointed by the reality of it.

What does the future hold for Simon?

Anton: Well, Ace recently contracted books three and four in the series, so suffice it to say, poor Simon has some troubling times coming. DEADER STILL, book two in the series has Simon dealing with oubliettes, ghosts, cultists, and the scariest creature of them all... women!

What is your definition of Urban Fantasy? Do you see this genre exploding even more? What other authors should we look forward to?

Anton: I have a very loose definition. I think that to qualify as urban fantasy you need a modern day city and you need something fantastical... magic, vamps, you name it. That's it for me. A lot of it can wander into the paranormal romance category, which generally speaking constitutes more emphasis on the boning and less on the plot. Julie Kenner gets away with sub-urban fantasy, with her soccer mom demon slayer, so there are of course exceptions to these rules... I'm doing humorous urban fantasy, sort of in a Whedon-esque vein, and I'd love to see even more of that. I miss Buffy and Ghostbusters.I think the genre has grown about as much as it will, but I think we'll be seeing changes in what specifically is being dealt with in urban fantasy. Vampires were the initial trendsetters... shape shifters are big now... I'm gonna predict that dragonkin will be next. Not in my work, mind you, but hey, it could happen!As far as other authors, I can always recommend my colleagues over at the League of Reluctant Adults... and also this new author at Ace, Jes Battis, who is doing my kind of stuff only with a more serious edge and a paranormal CSI squad.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 books would you want with you? Also, what 5 characters would you want living in your hut?

Anton: Hmm...again with the tough questions! I tried to come up with all kinds of erudite answers, but you'll have to settle for these...

Fellowship of the Ring- I like beginnings, and this is my favorite one. I reread it every few years.

The Hotel New Hampshire

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy- I don't think I'd be a writer if it weren't for the humor in this book

The Sandman- the entire graphic novel series, which I'm counting as one book.... this has a little bit of everything and helps class up my list

Neuromancer- this William Gibson classic made me realize that I had to work hard, both as a writer AND as a reader... first read through at fourteen, I didn't get it, but I wanted to. Gibson (who I recently had a sammich with!) hits the ground running, not looking back, and it's up to the reader to catch up to what's going on and quick.. I like that Runner up:

Snow Crash/The Diamond Age- Neal Stephenson makes me drool a little bit, what can I say...?

If you could have any superpowers, what would they be? Who is your favorite superhero if you have any?

Anton: These are tough questions to ask a self-proclaimed comic book geek. I've given too many hours to thinking about this in my life. Spidey has always been one of my favorite heroes and I'd probably want his powers. I don't need nigh-invulnerability or anything grand like that... I'd be happy to settle for webslinging, clinging to walls and super strength. Although I always used to play Tony Stark driven Iron Man clones back in my RPG days... I'm also a huge Batman fan, but other than his smarts and wealth, he doesn’t really have powers... which is keen in its own right. Now please to be putting on this Wonder Woman outfit....

Not only was Anton nice enough for me to "pick his brain", he is giving away a signed copy of Dead To Me! All you have to do to win is post here by Thursday. But to make it interesting, I want to know:

"If you could have any super power what would it be and why?"

Katiebabs, who would want the power to fly! :D

Jeaniene Frost Interview and Contest!

This past October I was introduced to a new author who has written a new paranormal series that blew my mind. That author is Jeaniene Frost who has penned an on-going series about a half-vampire, half-human woman named Cat. In Jeaniene's first book, Halfway To the Grave, Cat's sole purpose was to kill any vampire she could find and along the way she found her soul mate in that of Bones, a vampire. (Kind of ironic, don't you think?) It has been a long time since a new author has made such an impression. The sequel, One Foot in the Grave, is to be released next week and if you read my review I posted here, you know that I have become a true fan of this wonderful series and the author who has penned it.

**I also recommend you go to my Comic Con buddy's blog. Christine has just posted her own review of One Foot in the Grave. She of course was the one responsible for introducing me to Jeaniene. *G**

I wrote to Jeaniene after I finished reading One Foot in the Grave and asked if she wouldn't mind doing an interview. As you can see she said yes! :)

You are pretty active on your own blog. How has having a blog helped with your creative processes? Do you think it is important for authors to have websites and keep their readers in the loop about what is going on in their lives, whether it is personal or professional?

Jeaniene: How has having a blog helped with my creative process? *laughs* It's a great way to procrastinate, for one! I can burn hours of time blogging and reading my friend's blogs. It can be truly addictive.

But, with proper restraints, I think blogs are great for authors. I know I love getting a peek into my favorite author's activities through their blogs, and it's a quick easy way for readers to connect with authors. Websites, in today's internet world, are essential for authors. I check author websites all the time for release date info, excerpts, appearances, interviews, etc. Plus, a website can be an easy way to get a feel for an author's "style", too.

Your Night Huntress series is categorized under "Urban Fantasy Romance". Do you think being labeled under a certain genre helps sell books or limits your target audience?

Jeaniene: Both, actually. We all know romance outsells any other fiction, but as my books teeter on the edge of urban fantasy and romance (hence them being called urban fantasy romance :), having that romance label has turned off some UF readers, who don't venture into the romance aisles because they want more UF elements versus romantic ones in a book. And having as many UF elements in my novels as I do has turned off some romance readers, who wanted more emphasis on the relationship between my characters versus external plot complications.

I do respect the need for labels, so consumers can get a good idea about the product they're spending their hard-earned money on. As an author shelved primarily in romance, I know I need to deliver a HEA for my characters. And I will. There will just be some UF issues and complications that need to be dealt with first.

The writing process has always intrigued me. Are you the type who needs total quiet and writes in their PJ's, or with music playing in the background and staying up all night drink a ton of caffeine?

Jeaniene: I like quiet when I'm writing, but I use music to help get in the mood for writing. Yes, I've been caught writing in my PJ's, LOL, and there have been more than a few nights when large quantities of caffeine were imbibed so that I could make a deadline. I don't have a particular time of day that I'm more productive - though I will say that I dislike writing very early in the morning. This is probably because writing while half-asleep results in the most revisions later from my editor ;)

I have so many books in my TBR pile it is not even funny. How many books do you have pending to be read and what are some of their titles?

Jeaniene: *looks over at bookshelf* Um, I have a lot of books in my TBR pile. Here are a few of them:

TOUCH OF TWILIGHT, by Vicki Pettersson (currently reading and loving this)
MAGIC BURNS, by Ilona Andrews
THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS, by Kim Harrison
UNDEAD AND UNEASY, by Mary Janice Davidson
BY VENOM'S SWEET STING, Tiffany Trent
THE BLEEDING DUSK, by Colleen Gleason
BLOOD DRIVE, by Jeanne Stein
THE SMOKE THIEF, by Shana Abe
BLOODSUCKING FIENDS, by Christopher Moore
ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY by Jennifer Rardin

One Foot in the Grave is the sequel to Halfway to the Grave. Did you have a sequel planned all along or was this something that came up after you finished writing Halfway to the Grave?

Jeaniene: When I first started writing, I never intended it to be more than one book. Hey, I didn't even know if I could finish one book. That was something I'd procrastinated about for twenty years, is there any wonder I didn't set a goal to do a series when I started?

But, when I was about midway through my first version of Halfway to the Grave, I knew there was no way I could get Cat and Bones's entire story out in one book. So I finished that novel, and immediately started on the second book. Then when I finished that and realized I still had more story to tell, I started on the third book. Then when I finished that and knew I still wasn't done, I was about to start on the fourth book when my husband said, "Uh, honey, shouldn't you try to sell the first book before writing several more in the series?" Yeah, good point ;). That pushed me to start querying agents. Finally, many rewrites of Halfway to the Grave later, I was signed by Rachel Vater and then sold to Erika Tsang at Harper.

Tell me something about Cat or Bones I wouldn't necessarily catch?

Jeaniene: Bones loved his mother, despite his very odd upbringing. One of the reasons he so relentlessly pursues Hennessey in Halfway to the Grave is because Hennessey preys on prostitutes. Since Bones was the son of a prostitute, Bones takes that very personally.

Because of Cat's frigid family environment and her disastrous first relationship, she has a very hard time letting anyone - even herself - know how much certain people mean to her. It's a classic emotional defense mechanism of reject-someone-so-they-can't-reject-you-first. This may be a "duh" obvious trait of Cat's, but sometimes, certain readers think she acts in ways because she doesn't care, when in reality, she cares so much that she hides from the emotional vulnerability it causes.

Sex scenes, especially in romance, are critical to moving the story along and bring out the underlying emotions in the main couple. How important is it to you to write a key love scene, especially between Cat and Bones who are very passionate and struggle with their animalistic natures?

Jeaniene: I treat sex scenes the same way I do fight scenes: I don't want them to ever be gratuitous, I want them to evoke emotion in a reader, and I want the details to be clear so that readers can feel like they're seeing what's happening. This is TMI for some people, and not enough for others, LOL.

Seriously, I try not to let my own personal shyness/morality/boundaries dictate what happens sexually with my characters. I am NOT my characters, so their actions shouldn't be filtered through my internal censures. I sure as hell don't write a sex scene with the thought that my parents will one day read it (and they do, but I cringe and pretend they didn't see those scenes :).

I try to be as in character writing sex as I am writing any other scene, and that means sometimes, my characters will embarrass the hell out of me with what they do (Katie, you know whereof I speak *wink*). But to do anything less isn't being true to them as a writer, in my opinion. So I write sex scenes as I think they would unfold with my characters if I wasn't peeking in their bedroom door, then I wait to see if my editor censors anything for public consumption (side note: she hasn't yet).

You wake up one morning and, BAM, you are a character in a book. Would you want to be either a vampire, werewolf or shift changing seal woman known as a selkie. What would your name be and how would you spend your day/night?

Jeaniene: Oh, I'd have to say vampire. Hello, RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY! Of course, I'd want to be a vampire with sentience and choices, not just a mindless feeding machine. What can I say? I'm always looking to set my own rules ;)

Jeaniene has so kindly donated both, Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave for a contest. *G*. I welcome any questions or comments you have for Jeaniene. But to make this really interesting why don't you tell us which character you would want to be and what your name would be? Would you be a sexy vamp, a crazed werewolf or some other character all together? Whoever posts will be eligible to win both these books and you have the whole weekend to come up with something creative.

Katiebabs (KB) who wouldn't mind being the Queen of the zombies. But the zombies must be hot men who look like Richard Armitage or Gerard Butler and craze sex and not flesh. My name will be Katrina who always has perfect windblown red hair!

**EXCLUSIVE* *Jeaniene Frost Interview Tomorrow!

Tomorrow we are posting a great interview by Jeaniene Frost! Her first post-interview since winning the Romantic Times award for Best Urban Fantasy for Halfway to the Grave!

And... there are prizes to win!! You have the chance to win signed copies of both Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave.

So, be here tomorrow, same Bat time (probably a bit earlier), same Bat blog.

(Katie copping a feel under Yoda's robe pictures maybe optional)

Katiebabs (KB)

Just a reminder

Tomorrow is the Ides of March. Anyone wanting into the draw for the DVD of North and South just leave a comment saying you're in. I'll make the draw tomorrow night at midnight (I'm off on Monday so I can stay up late)

Add one more Crusader!!! And the Winners!

Thea, Ana's blog partner over at Book Smugglers was Urged and Fawned to watch North and South by Ana and with the (I admit) over the top Crusade, watched it on the weekend - and guess what? She loved it too! Now what's cool about this is Thea isn't a real romance reader - yet. Ana is doing her darndest to bring her into our world. So it was great to see that a non-romance addict also loves North and South!

And Sula, Katie and I each drew a name for a copy of the book. The winner are:

Ames: Sula drew her name

Georgie Lee: Katie drew her name

Mollie: Kristie drew her name.

So if you want to send my your snail mail addresses, I will get them out to you

Congratulations to all of you!!

We may soon have us another one!

Devon now has a copy and is just waiting for a chance to watch - you know what! I'm crossing my fingers she likes it as much as we and our newest convert Dev did!

And just a reminder - there is a contest :)