Eleni-fest: I'm not a kick-butt heroine...yet!

Contest is now closed!

Thanks Christina for inviting me to bring Eleni-fest to your blog. For those who don’t know it’s a month long celebration during October where I’ve been yakking about grants, conferences, writing community and the romance and fantasy genres. And I have been lucky to have many special guests throughout the month. Christina will join me on Halloween...cue scary music.

But today I’ll be talking fantasy and paranormal genres – more specifically kick-butt heroines (sorry typing kick ass makes me think of a kicking donkey. I know get over it Eleni, still…my term of choice is kick-butt).

In the beginning…

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved fairy tales and stories in general, watched many cartoons, comics, TV shows (e.g. Bewitched) and movies (e.g. The Wizard of Oz) to fall in love with the whole ‘fantasy’ world whether it be set in another world or in this one with paranormal elements (super heroes). How cool! How amazing! How fantastic! And the allure of fantasy began…

I wanted to be that kick-butt super heroine – I remember dressing up as Batgirl after getting a show bag from the Royal Show that is held yearly in Adelaide. Here I was with gappy teeth, wearing a cape pretending I was oh so super heroine-ish.

There was also Wonder Woman, the Bionic Woman, Super Girl, Wilma from Buck Rodgers…sorry big fan of Buffy but she didn’t invent kick butt. Not to mention the non-paranormal ladies like Charlie’s Angels and Police Woman (oh so cool with great hair with bangs).

See don’t you just want to be these unruffled, tough ladies, with hands on the hips saying ‘bring it on!’ (cue the ‘da da daaa’ music) then flick the hair.

Oh and one of the first romances I barracked for was Wilma and Buck. I was only young but I remember that clearly. Though I can’t remember what did happen. I’ll have to go find me a DVD of the series and find out!

Cultural influence…

But even before this there were kick butt stories. And coming from a Greek background, a big influence on my life – Greek Mythology. When I was 9, my family travelled to Greece and the stories of the Gods and the history of Greece came alive in my mind. It was then I was given a copy of a Greek Mythology book (in Greek). There were some great pictures in it that stirred up the imagination, like this one of Athena. Yes, I still have the book *grin*

Can you see why my 9-year-old self would be intrigued? The vivid colours, the scene, and what’s more, she was a warrior god that also had the owl for the symbol for wisdom. Brains, beauty and power!

I didn’t realise until much later but while the Greek Gods & Goddesses had powers and were immortal, they were not always moral. Maybe that’s why the stories fascinated me as well as kind of scared me. Who knew what you could do to displease the gods and you suffer for it?

How each god and goddess represented different parts of nature, human nature or culture fascinated me – like Gaia being Mother Earth, Artemis the huntress, Aphrodite the love goddess and so on. Stories of monsters, creatures like the Gargoyles (Medusa) and abilities like throwing lightning bolts, appearing and disappearing, freezing a person to the spot with a look, sparked stories in my mind. Adventures like Odysseus’ trek home, Jason with the Golden Fleece, and Herakles (aka Hercules) brought that quest element to life. And of course the Amazons who were warrior women standing their own against the men & other creatures.

Now I have always been an uncoordinated soul. While other kids could do cartwheels properly, I just didn’t have that ‘bend’. Mine were erratic. I played soccer in high school but the amount of injuries I had due to lack of finesse, well I ran out of fingers to count. Not only was I unco, I was and am plump and vertically challenged. Yes, that’s short for un-PC among us. No long Elle Macpherson legs for me!

So the closest thing I could come to a kick-butt heroine is by reading about them, watching them, or writing about them.

Fantasy & Paranormal influences...

Though the serious writing came many years down the track when the series The Chronicles of the Cheysuli by Jennifer Roberson changed my life – epic generational fantasy. And I was hooked. Oh yes, I’d read The Hobbit, seen bits of The Lord of the Rings (cartoon), but there were female characters in this series that were just as important as the male ones. It has been many years since I have read the series and I may view it differently now, but that can’t take away the importance it had in my life.

Then I read some more different types of books – some high fantasy, others more with paranormal elements, all with a hint of romance.

Marion Zimmer Bradley – The Mists of Avalon

David & Leigh Eddings – The Belgariad

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (Cross Stitch) – Jamie is my all time fave hero.

Barbara Erskine – The Lady of Hay

Robert Jordon’s – The Wheel of Time

Sara Douglass’ – The Axis Trilogy

Traci Harding’s – The Ancient Future trilogy

Still I had always read widely and continued to do so (including horror, detective, mysteries, different types of romances). But I’ve really come to terms that I really haven’t as an extensive reading experience in the fantasy genre as you might expect. I had been slowly getting behind with my reading and with catching up reading the greats because of CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).

I looked at this list of the Top 100 Fantasy Novels (speculative fiction) and worked out that I have only read about 18 of the titles and/or series. Sad state of affairs *sad face*. In my down years, I did however rely on TV and movies to get me through and the visual medium is great when you are too tired to read. So I score a lot higher with these. (Top 100 Fantasy Films and Top 100 Fantasy TV series for your interest).

Holy Cow - Paranormal Romance!

In the years where I had not been reading so much, the market of paranormal romance has ‘kapowed’. Aha, that’s my Batman reference all right.

From Fantasy Art Design website

And that is the direction my reading has taken recently. I’m enjoying reading these stories because even though they had been around, the stories have flourished adding different elements to old legends and tales. And special guests that I have this month on Eleni-fest who write in this and the urban fantasy genre – my gracious hostess Christina of course, Mel Teshco, Anna Hackett, Tracey O’hara, Eric Hayes, Keri Arthur, and Denise Rossetti (more fantasy but I’ll add to this list).

I’ve only recently found the Goodreads lists and they are a great way of introducing you to any genre you are not familiar with.

For example: Best Paranormal Romance Series.

Actually in Heart & Craft, author Kelly Ethan has a great chapter about Fantasy Romance (this is the book that is part of my website competition). Where a fantasy romance focuses on the romance, the romantic fantasy has romantic elements.

I’ve also recently started reading Graphic Novels (aka formerly known as comics but with longer length from what I gather). And that has given me another layer to this whole paranormal/graphic world. It goes hand in hand with urban fantasy and horror I believe. Fascinating!

Still while I may not be as widely read as others, I love the fantasy and paranormal worlds and it doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of them. Unfortunately there’s no ‘time stop’ button so I can catch up on my reading, and the last thing I want is for reading to feel like a chore. I want to read…actually I have to read, just like I have to write. It’s good for the soul.

My stories and world building...

The sense of discovery, of needing to obtain a goal, of watching characters grow and learn is what I love about fantasy including the quest fantasies. It’s probably why my yet to be published book -Healer’s Destiny- is one. And why I have more waiting in the wings for me to write. I love the middle ages type world with dragons, magic, and the journey of discovery. I love a Greek mythological type worlds also ;)

From Fantasy Art Design website

But since I’ve always loved paranormal elements, and had written a few short stories with this aspect, I’ve also started to delve the paranormal fiction world with longer fiction (novella and novel) and I’m having fun blending our world with another layer of magic.

Researching...

In university a friend dubbed me the appendix queen because I had so much research in my assignments that needed add appendices to be pointed to, as it would not fit in the 2000-5000 word essays.

So yes, I can go on and on with research. I now take the ‘research when I need’ approach otherwise I will never get to the writing.

A couple of books I use extensively are:

The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference: an indispensible compendium of myth and magic

The Writer’s Guide to Everyday life in the Middle Ages: The British Isles from 500 to 1500 by Sherrilyn Kenyon

There are plenty more including books on mythology, costumes, and history, but these are a great starting off point.

And more and more, there are plenty of online references. Here are just a few:

Encyclopedia Mythica

Nation Master Encyclopedia – Fantasy Fiction

Hellenic Art

Historic Cities

Fantasy World-building Questions

Community...

RWAus has had a paranormal group off and on for a number of years now. Before the conference and since the loop is buzzing with more activity, which is great to see. Writers get each other, still those who read or write Paranormal (we include all speculative fiction in this), get why we love this genre that touch more. So it’s good to bounce thoughts and ideas with each other, discuss books, TV programs (yes, Supernatural is high on the list - ), movies.

I also follow blogs and twitter (you can follow other social media if you are so inclined) and it can help you feel part of the broader community of fantasy/paranormal romantic elements (big or small) enthusiast (say that quickly 3 times!). It actually has been a blast getting to know people via cyberspace. That’s how I got to know Christina (& our mutual love for BSG!)

So while I myself am not a kick-butt heroine, my aim is to create those them, give them vulnerabilities, battles and obstacles to overcome, and to make the story sing!

How about you?

I’m giving away a mini-pack to one commenter.

Comments will be open until end 27th October.

For more information on Eleni-fest, check out my website.

Thanks again Christina for having me on your blog. I hope I've been a good house-guest *wink*

~Eleni

Spring & Shivers

It looks like Spring might finally arrived here in WA (and about time too!) We've had a few days of sunshine and I actually took two blankets off the bed a couple of nights ago (this is Major). I can't get over the fact that four nights ago I had the heater on in the bedroom, and the following night it was so hot we switched to the air con. Crazy or what!!!

In writing news I've dived back into ancient history and am half way through chapter two of Druid 2. As the heroine in this one is the best friend of the heroine from book 1, I already know her pretty well, but the hero is all new, all dark and all brooding. *shivers* Just the way I love them!!!

Shadowfae ~ Erica Hayes

Please welcome my special guest today, urban fantasy author Erica Hayes, whose debut book Shadowfae hit the shelves this week! Erica is another Aussie author and I met up with her at the New Zealand conference earlier this year. OK Erica, over to you!

Bio stuff: I write full time, which is the perfect job for me, because (apart from the fact that dreaming about hot paranormal guys for a living rocks!) we move around a lot and it’s portable. Once, I had ‘real jobs’, and they weren’t much fun. I was an editorial assistant (yeah baby) and a telephone fundraiser (you know that person that rings while you’re trying to have dinner and trips your guilt about starving African children? Yeah. That was me). Once, I was even in the air force, which didn’t turn out well :)

Now, I write erotic urban fantasy... Hmmm. Ever get the feeling you’ve been travelling in the wrong direction? But I had the opportunity to give up ‘real work’ a couple of years ago, and I’ve never looked back.

Can you tell us a little about your book?

Why, certainly :) SHADOWFAE is released on October 13 from St Martin’s Press, and it’s a sexy urban fantasy/romance. Here’s the blurb:

Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you’re in, there’s no escape…

Enslaved by a demon lord, Jade is forced to spend her nights seducing vampire gangsters and shapeshifting thugs. After two hundred years as a succubus, she burns for freedom and longs to escape her brutal life as a trophy girl for hell’s minions. Then she meets Rajah, an incubus who touches her heart and intoxicates her senses. Rajah shares the same bleak fate as she, and yearns just as desperately for freedom. But the only way for Jade to break her bonds is to betray Rajah—and doom the only man she’s ever loved to a lifetime in hell.


Fun, huh? Go watch the trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHOmbn7-o94

Or watch it here!~



And there’s an excerpt on my site: http://www.shadowfae.net/fae-excerpt.html

I was hooked the second I discovered there were half mad fairies and demon lords! How did the idea for the plot come about?

Well, I knew I wanted to write about a succubus — a demon who seduces men and sucks out their souls! yum yum! — so I got all the novels I could find about succubi to make sure I wasn’t covering the same old ground.

And you know what? All the succubi I read about, I figured they had it too easy. They’re demons, with magical powers, so they can shapeshift into whatever sexy form they like. Seduce whoever they want without effort, and then just switch it off and walk away when they’re done. No angst, no consequences.

So I thought: what if the succubus wasn’t a demon, but a human forced into hell’s servitude? What if she couldn’t shapeshift, but had to use foul demon magic she couldn’t properly control to seduce her victims? What if the demon’s power over her meant she couldn’t refuse, no matter how grotesque the victim? And once she’s (ahem) swallowed the guy’s soul, then what?

So my heroine, Jade, was born. She’s a human in thrall to a demon for a thousand years, and she’s sick of being forced to have sex with men she doesn’t want. She’s looking for a way out, an end to her thousand years of misery, and she discovers an ancient ritual that just might break her demon thrall and let her die. And then, she meets a guy she does want — a sexy 400-year-old incubus named Rajah — and sparks fly. Oh boy, do they fly :) Only he’s seeking his freedom too, and there’s only enough ritual for one...

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

I did all the usual things: wrote manuscripts, queried agents, got rejected, tried again. My SHADOWFAE query got rejected I think fourteen times before the lady who’s now my agent picked it up. And then the manuscript got rejected by four or five editors before it sold, for being either too romancy, or not romancy enough, depending on the imprint. SHADOWFAE was my fourth completed manuscript, and the third I sent out queries for, but really it was the first one I seriously put out there with any idea of what the genre was or what the market was like. It’s a learning process, and sadly it means that a lot of first manuscripts will never get looked at, just because it takes us writers a while to figure out what’s required.

But I like to focus more on what I *didn’t* do. I didn’t meet an agent or an editor at a conference and knock her socks off with my ‘elevator pitch’, whatever that is. I didn’t know any bestselling authors from whom to get a glowing referral to their agent. I didn’t learn some secret magic formula to write my query letter so it’d immediately get noticed. I didn’t final in the Golden Heart — hell, I didn’t even get it together to enter the Golden Heart, and in each of the RWAmerica contests I did enter this MS, it totally bombed.

I’d heard all these myths about what you need to do to get published, folks, and they ain’t true :) though they do work for some people. I got there because I kept writing while I waited, and because I didn’t give up. And those are the only reasons.

As for call stories, mine’s kinda subdued. I was home alone, and I woke up to two emails from my agent in Florida, who’d been patiently waiting for me to get out of bed. The first one’s subject said ‘Offer! Yay!!!’. The second one said ‘Wake up, already!’ :)

I think I stared at it, and giggled. I’m still giggling, really :)

LOL on the giggling! It's actually great to hear authors do sign with fab agents through the slush pile querying process. So onto the nuts and bolts. Do you write every day? Do you give yourself daily/weekly goals?

Definitely. My deadlines are currently six months apart, so at the pace I write, I wouldn’t get the books finished if I didn’t do a little every day. I aim for 2,000 words a day, or 10,000 a week, which means I get the occasional day off if I’ve been good :)

Great plan! Panster or plotter?

Plotter. Plotter, plotter, plotter. Obsessive, perfectionist, figure-every-last-detail-out-before-I-begin plotter. I can’t operate any other way. I need to know exactly where each character in each scene is going, or I just waffle and end up cutting it out later. For me, plotting saves time in the end. That doesn’t mean I don’t get creative as I go :) but my stories tend to turn out pretty much as I planned them.

What keeps you motivated when the writing gets tough?

Deadlines? Sheer stubbornness? :) No, really, I think part of it is stubbornness — ‘I’m not going to let this problem beat me’. But adaptability also helps. There’s always a solution to every story problem, even if it means that your characters aren’t exactly who you wanted them to be, or don’t do the things you imagined they’d do in the beginning. You have to be prepared to change your mind. When I get stuck on a scene, I try to go back to first principles: who is this character? What is she trying to achieve *right at this moment*? Does she achieve it? What needs to have changed for her before the scene is over?

And, of course, I love spending time with my characters. Even when I’m in the deepest, darkest, most depressing ‘this-book-sucks-and-I’ll-never-write-anything-good-again’ hole, they always lure me back :)

Is there any advice or light bulb moment you'd like to share about getting/being published?

Don’t stop writing. Ever. Publishers don’t buy a single book -- they buy an author, and they want you to keep producing, the same but different. This is what they mean by an author’s ‘brand’ -- a string of books that are the same, but different. Start thinking about series arcs, connected characters such as brothers or families or clans, plots that can tie in with future books. The editor loved your original idea, or they wouldn’t have bought it. So feed off that idea, expand it, play with it, and capitalise on that editorial enthusiasm as much as you can.

Fantastic advice, Erica. Do you have critique partners (CPs)? If so can you tell us how you met up and your process?

I’m in a group of five, a subset of Canberra Romance Writers, which is an RWA group. I just turned up there and they adopted me. Eighteen months later, they’re sorry, but it’s too late to get rid of me now :)

We bounce initial story ideas about — I still remember ringing up my friend AJ and demanding to know whether she thought I could get away with a fairy serial killer for a hero — and swap manuscripts, or large chunks thereof. We’re kind of harsh with each other, I guess :) but we’re all at that stage of development as writers where we need to know what doesn’t work, not how great everyone thinks it is. I think that’s the most important thing in a crit group — you all have to want the same thing out of it.

The answer was yes, by the way. To the fairy serial killer, that is. That book’s called SHADOWGLASS, and it’s coming out in March next year :) in fantasy you can do anything! And yes, it’s got a happy ending!

This gorgeous hunk of man is Bollywood actor Dino Morea, and he looks a lot like Jade’s hero, Rajah, from my book. Not quite sure what he’s doing with the bike and the gas pump, but who cares?

Ha! No, I sure don't care (especially since it shows off his biceps so perfectly!)

How to catch up with Erica:

Website:
Blog:
Twitter:
MySpace:

Fractured Toes & Opening Scenes

I opened a blank document this morning and was all set to type DRUID II at the top... when suddenly the most perfect title popped into my head! It's a play on HIS FORBIDDEN PRINCESS and I don't know whether it will fly or not but at the moment it captures exactly the feel I'm searching for. Not only that but I managed a whole page! And after all my angsting on trying to figure out what the hero was up to in the opening scene, it's my heroine who walked onto the page. *Typical*

Anyway, back to that one page. The reason I didn't do any more is because last night my son, for reasons known only to himself, decided to use the family room as a skating rink, bent his big toe under and then fell, crushing said toe with his entire body weight. So most of today was taken up with the doctor and getting x-rays (he fractured the top section of his toe) and now he's on crutches. What fun!

Fear of the Blank Page

Well I spent most of Friday and the weekend sorting out the tangles my CPs found and now my angel is with my agent. I need to get back into the ancient Roman mindset and I'm very excited about the second book except I have a fear of starting it! That dreaded blank page is sitting there mocking me. Plus I don't have a title, so it looks like it's going to be Druid II until I can figure out something a lot more enticing!!

I've no idea where the last week's got to and I swear Sunday bypassed me entirely. The fabulous Eleni-Fest is still going strong, with lots of amazing prizes up for grabs, so if you get a moment pop over and join in the fun!

Hot Books Up for Grabs!

The book that would not end has ended! Hooray! It's polished and with my CPs, so now I just need to write the blurb and synopsis and what not and I'll send it off to my agent. It's a very weird thing but the minute I got to the end of my edits, my throat started to hurt. Now my throat is killing me and my head hurts like hell so I think this is my body's way of telling me to get away from the computer and rest!!

But before I do I want to share some goodies around, as some friends are giving away free books today yay! As part of the fabulous Eleni-Fest during October, the lovely Anna Campbell is over at Eleni's Taverna having a very rowdy party and a copy of Tempt the Devil is up for grabs for one lucky person who leaves a comment. And Erica Hayes, whose debut urban fantasy Shadowfae is out next week (and Erica will be here next Friday answering my hard hitting questions!!) wants to know what paranormal power you'd choose to take on for a day. For the chance to win a copy of her book, pop over to Literary Escapism!

And for all you zombie lovers (and I know you're out there!) head on over to the weloveya blog where my lovely CP Amanda Ashby is giving away a copy of Zombie Queen of Newbury High!

Thank You! xoxo

Thank you all so much for all your congratulations and good wishes on my recent sale to Berkley Heat! You helped make a special time even more fabulous and I'm very lucky to have so many wonderful friends in the writing community.

So, what have I been up to this last week. Mainly, I'm writing like a crazy woman trying to finish my current book. Today I hit 82k, so it's been a good week for me word count wise but ack! Still have lots to go before I get to the end.

But I love reaching this stage of the book, as I gallop toward the finishing line. I find it so exciting and can't think of anything but my characters and their world and the problems they have yet to overcome to find their Happy Ever After (and I'm still hoping like mad my muse knows how that's going to pull together). I forget to buy bread and milk when I go shopping, but I recall obscure details of my hero and heroine's life while poking around the frozen food section so it all balances out in the end!!!

SOLD!!! To Berkley Heat!!!

I'm thrilled to announce my fabulous agent has sold my darling Roman in a two book deal to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat!

The books are scheduled for release in 2011.

Here's the scoop from Publisher's Marketplace:

Christina Phillips's HIS FORBIDDEN PRINCESS, in which a Roman centurion leads an invasion into Cambria, and the druid princess who both defies and enthralls him, to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat, in a two-book deal, by Emmanuelle Alspaugh at Judith Ehrlich Literary Management.

And here's a slightly longer blurb!

As Rome conquers Cymru, Centurion Maximus falls under the spell of ethereal Druid princess, Carys. Charged by his Emperor to eliminate all cursed Druids before they rise up against their new masters, Maximus is unaware of her heritage and is determined to possess her and discover where she and her kin are hiding from the might of the Eagle.

Despite knowing he's the enemy of her people, Carys is fascinated by this commanding foreign invader, a barbarian who displays unexpected honor, and willingly meets him in secret to satisfy her desire for sexual pleasures. But when Maximus captures her heart her loyalties are twisted and freedom from Rome is no longer her single-minded obsession.

As the summer solstice approaches Aeron, the High Druid and ex-lover of Carys, gathers the dark gods to crush the enemy into oblivion, the Druids into submission and Carys to his will. Maximus and Carys must defeat the encroaching devastation, overcome the prejudice of their warring gods and opposing cultures and find a way for their love to survive.

Now I just have to write book two!!!

Heads Up ~ Agent Interview

Tomorrow Shelley Munro has an interview with agent Holly Root from the Waxman Literary Agency. Holly is lovely (I queried her a couple of years ago and she was very nice!!!) so don't forget to pop over and soak up her words of wisdom!

October Awesomeness!!!

My lovely writing friend, Eleni Konstantine, is holding a month long celebration in October, chatting about grants, conferences and more (see above!!) Not only will she be sharing heaps of information but she also has a stellar line up of guests who are giving away fantabulous prizes!

Eleni is also holding a contest - details below:

Place the icon on your blog or website from now until end October for your chance to win a trade book-cover.

Email me at eleni-fest@elenikonstantine.com

with Spreading the Word in the subject line and the details of where you have displayed the image.

WIN Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series

Over on the We Love YA blog, there's a fabulous contest going on. Here's the lowdown on the goodness!

And to celebrate our absolute awesomeness, we’re going to give away the whole Vampire Academy series, signed by Richelle Mead during her tour, as well as one extra copy (sadly, unsigned) of her latest, Blood Promise.

To enter, leave a comment telling us your favourite public place to indulge in a good book. For extra entries, mention this contest (and let us know where you did it). Each mention gets you one extra entry. Oh yeah, and you don’t have to be in Australia to enter. Just somewhere the postal service can reach.

Entries close on September 30th at 1 am AEST.

Historical Yumminess

I just want to give a shout out to the RWA Historical Loop I'm on. We've been having a BIAM during September and it's really helped motivate me in getting those words down. Well, last week our lovely co-ordinator Dana nominated me for a coveted chocolate heart as I had almost hit my target for three weeks on the trot! Yummy!!!

Yes, I'm completely shameless and will write for treats!!!

Is the End in Sight?!

Just hit the 60k mark on the wip which is always a relief as I now know I have enough words to fill an entire book! Without fail, I always start off paranoid it will all be over and done with before I get to 30k (strangely enough, until I wrote Foretaste of Forever I'd never attempted a short story before. Or erotic romance!)

Now I guess I'd better let the muse start tying thing up and I certainly hope she knows what she's doing, because I haven't the faintest idea how my hero and heroine are going to get their HEA in this one!! The only reason I'm not totally pulling my hair out in a mad panic is because I didn't have a clue how my darling Roman was going to get his happy ending either, but thankfully the last 100 pages almost wrote themselves and it all got sorted. Don't you just love it when that happens!!!

The Good Sex Guide

Whoops! I've been a very bad blogger again. To make up for my absence I dug this up. Apparently it's an extract from a Sex Education Textbook from the UK, circa 1960. Read it and weep!! Seriously, is it for real? Did they really teach teenage girls to behave like this? I'd like to think it's all a big scam but I have a horrifying feeling it might be true!!

OK, here it is... and the italics are all mine...

Once you have both retired to the bedroom prepare yourself for bed as promptly as possible. Whilst feminine hygiene is of the utmost importance your tired husband does not want to queue for the bathroom as he would have to do for his train. But remember to look your best when going to bed.

Try to achieve a look that is welcoming without being obvious. If you need to apply face-cream or hair-rollers wait until he is asleep as this can be shocking to a man last thing at night.

When it comes to the possibility of intimate relations with your husband it is important to remember your marriage vows and in particular your commitment to obey him. If he feels that he needs to sleep immediately then so be it.

In all things be lead by your husband's wishes, do not pressure him in any way to stimulate intimacy.

Should your husband suggest congress then accede humbly all the while being mindful that a man's satisfaction is more important than a woman's. When he reaches his moment of fulfilment a small moan from yourself is encouraging to him and quite sufficient to indicate any enjoyment that you may have had.

Should your husband suggest any of the more unusual practices be obedient and uncomplaining but register any reluctance by remaining silent.

It is likely that your husband will then fall promptly asleep so adjust your clothing, freshen up and apply your night time face and hair care products. You may then set the alarm so that you can arise shortly before him in the morning. This will enable you to have his morning cup of tea ready when he awakes.


*cough*

So is it for real?!

Romance Bookmark

I'm very excited to share that recently a group of authors have got together to start up a Yahoo group specifically for romance readers - called Romance Bookmark. The launch day is Monday14th September, but it's open now! Click on the link or there's a button on the sidebar that takes you right there.

So far the author moderators are Shelley Munro, Tessa Radley, Christina Phillips, Tawny Weber, Leah Braemel and Beth Andrews. Every so often we'll be holding contests to win print books and e-books and who knows what else!

Now, this isn't a promo loop, so there aren't going to be heaps of blurbs and excerpts. It's for readers and authors to discuss what you're reading now, books you love or don't and to generally chat in a friendly atmosphere.

So if you'd like to join the fun, please do! We'd love to see you over there!

Illusions of Destiny - Kiss Carson

Please welcome my special guest this week, fellow Aussie and The Wild Rose Press author, Kiss Carson, who's chatting about her recent release, Illusions of Destiny!

Kiss Carson has always loved stories that whisk her away from the real world and dump her right in the middle of a once in a lifetime adventure. Danger and love always seem to go hand in hand, along with a little bit of fantasy or paranormal. Her collection of dragons and knights give her inspiration, as does the ghost that lives in her bathroom. She lives in Queensland, Australia, with her very own dashing hero, two budding heroines and a hero in training (and Fred the Phantom Flusher).

Hi Kiss and thanks for stopping by today. Can you tell us a little about your debut book Illusions of Destiny?

Illusions of Destiny is a fantasy romance based in the early 16^th century, in a different dimension. It follows the heroine, Ianna, as she travels through time and meets the man of her dreams, Regan Shay. Regan is part of a mythical race of winged people called sidhe. The evil queen of the sidhe is besotted with Regan and does everything she can to keep the two of them apart. There’s lots of action, romance and one of my favourite love scenes.

Blurb:

When Ianna Ward receives a mysterious parcel, she thinks someone is playing a trick on her. However, the contents of the 16^th century chest transports her back in time to a different dimension where the sidhe, a mystical race of people, war with humans. She meets the mysterious and appealing Regan Shay, the sidhe leader, and her attraction to him is as powerful as his hypnotic gaze and devastating grin. But someone else has laid claim to Regan and will stop at nothing to keep him within her cruel grasp. With the help of unicorns, dragons and a cheeky Pegasus called Mercury, Ianna fights for love. Is she strong enough to battle destiny and change her life forever?

Oh, I love reading about different dimensions! How did the idea for the plot come about?

I really can’t remember EXACTLY what inspired me. I actually wanted to write a Scottish time travel ... Somehow, the hero grew wings and the heroine became a cynical divorcee. I think I was researching mythical animals one day because I wanted to somehow incorporate them into the storyline. Then, I came across the sidhe and fell in love with them. The rest, I made up as I wrote. (I’m a panster!)

I love sale stories (ok I am just nosy!!) so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

My road to publication **sigh** contained many, many, many rejections from both publishers and agents. Apparently my stories just didn’t fit the “mould” of a modern romance and because I write fantasy (with mythical beasts), the publishers believed their readers to be too intelligent for my sort of stories (true! I was told that by TWO publishers). Well, I started in earnest about two years ago and sent off my manuscript Jewels of the Sun to a private editor who loved it so much that she offered to help me self-publish. I rejected her offer because I’d picked up an agent in Melbourne who also loved Jewels of the Sun. Twelve months later, after a few more rejections, my agent dropped all her writers due to illness ... I’d just finished Illusions of Destiny and I was pretty much at an all time low. It was a case of get published or work full time (I work part time) and forget about writing - something I’d done all my life. I’m a member of the Romance Writers of Australia and one of their authors announced that she’d signed a contract at TWRP. Nearly at the end, I checked out the guidelines and Illusions of Destiny fit them perfectly! So, I sent off the first email and synopsis and had a reply within a week ... send the first three chapters ... ooooh! ... Two weeks later, another email, send the whole manuscript. Well! I was beside myself. I’d never been that far before and ... ooops, Illusions of Destiny needed a rewrite! I rewrote 85 000 words in seven days, sent it off and 4 weeks later, received the contract. I still can’t quite believe it and I’ve just signed my 2^nd contract for Jewels of the Sun.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

My favourite book is A Touch of Enchantment by Teresa Medeiros. My favourite movies are Phantom of the Opera (2005), A Knight’s Tale, The Day After Tomorrow, and the Jurassic Park Trilogy ... I’m a bit of an action freak. I love Lost, Ghost Whisperer and Most Haunted. I really liked Life on Mars. My current fantasy squeeze ... too many to choose ... I like Eric Bana and mmmmm Gerard Butler.

What are you working on now?

At the moment, I’m working on two manuscripts. One is a novella of about 45 000 words. It’s a little bit HOT and contains a ménage. I know! I’ve never actually written erotica before and I’m not sure I’m very good at it. The second is another full length fantasy called Angel Magic.

An angel story! Yay!! How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

I have a website www.kisscarson.com.au and when I take off, I’ll send out newsletters every now and then.

Angelic Musings!!!

I was sitting here a moment ago kind of gazing at the all the little ornaments that are scattered between my keyboard and monitor and then it hit me. I was staring at an angel of Harmony my mother-in-law got me years ago. Behind that are a pair of white china cherubs my m-i-l gave me after we visited her back in the UK five years ago, and in front of them is a little angel of peace my eldest daughter gave me a few years ago. Over the other side of the monitor is an unnamed angel in amber in a be-ribboned box.

Now, if that wasn't enough! Behind me on my knick-knack shelves are four glass angels (from younger daughter three years ago) and a box of three blessing angels (eldest daughter, three years ago)

The very first book I wrote after moving to Australia, aimed at Harlequin Mills and Boon, was all about an amnesiac who thought she was an angel (but in fact was being guided by her guardian angel) (and yes, it was totally rejected by M&B as being unsuitable for any of their lines!!!)

So really, why did it take me so long to get back to writing about angels when they are everywhere I look?!

09.09.09

Okay! Well I really don't have anything to say today, but couldn't let this date slip by without acknowledging it!!! Although I think 08.08.08 is prettier I also think I managed to forget about that one last year.

So what's everyone been up to? I'm deep in my universe and loving it sooo much it's hard to re-emerge into the real one. It took a while to understand what my characters were up to, about 30k in fact which isn't usual for me as generally I tend to know them pretty well after the first few chapters. But not this time, it turned out the heroine had a sister and the hero a secret occupation, both which seriously impact on the entire plot!! And of course this means the beginning is going to need some ruthless tweaking at some point, so that should be fun(!)

Stone Cold Lover - Mel Teshco

Please welcome my special guest today, Mel Teshco, another Aussie debut author and another lovely lady I met through the RWA Paranormal loop a few years ago! Stone Cold Lover was recently released by Ellora's Cave.

Mel, welcome to the mad house! Please tell us a little about yourself.

I live on a semi-rural property with three horses and 3 cats (do fish count? lol) My husband works full time while I am now a full-time mother of three girls of wide-spread ages: Teagan, who is 19 and living with her boyfriend and who is about to make me a grandmother at the tender age of 39! Shannon, she’s 11 and way too smart for her own good. I seriously won’t be surprised if she becomes an author some time down the track. Codi, she’s just turned 2, a gorgeous cupcake who is also a whirlwind on legs! I also have three stepchildren, though Daniel, who is 16, is the only one who lives with us. He spends a lot of time sleeping!

Can you tell us a little about your book?

When I wrote this book I wanted to reveal a hero emotionally crippled by forces beyond his control. I wanted to portray him as steely hard and remote—particularly towards the heroine, hiding his sensitive side and an obsession with the heroine who is totally, completely, irrevocably unattainable.

Add a heroine who has used sex to fill a void in her life, a heroine who always gets what she wants, and let’s just say the sparks do fly. =)

BLURB:

Heiress Loretta Shaw is notorious for her loose morals and sexual needs. Trouble is, it’s taken her one too many one-night stands to realize that no man can extinguish the sexual fire she feels toward her guardian, Cray Diamond.

A long-ago curse made Cray immortal—a gargoyle, a guardian, who is impelled to protect a human, chosen by the curse. He is imprisoned in stone during daylight hours but the dusk returns him to flesh and bone, to carry out his immortal duty.

That Cray can shift between human and living gargoyle at night, bothers Loretta not one bit. She’s seen him naked many times and her desire for him—in any shape or form—knows no bounds. She’s tired of his resistance. He’s her gargoyle and she wants him in her bed.

Ooooh! I have this on my tbr pile, and it's my first gargoyle book! How did the idea for the plot come about?

I’m definitely not a plotter, and my stories almost always come from a scene or visual that I endeavour to turn into words. The rest of the story then flows from that one scene—well, it doesn’t always flow LOL! Stone-Cold Lover was the exception, where instead of a visual I mucked around with putting words on paper to create a simple, but dramatic curse. This was well before I knew fully what or who the characters would be. I did know—much as I love writing about werewolves and vampires—that for this paranormal story I wanted a hero who was just a little more unique.

That's a fascinating way to start a book, with a curse and build from there. Okay, I think everyone knows how much I love sale stories!! so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

The road to publication has been quite a long stretch. My first book I churned out with the dedication of a girl (I was nineteen or so) who imagined herself a brilliant writer, on the cusp on a fantastic career. Oh, how I wish I’d kept that manuscript now, just to see how far I really have come! (mind you, I’m sure in all that drivel there were occasional glimmers of greatness ) From there I wrote bits and pieces, but never really completed a whole story, and actually quit writing for a while to concentrate on family and health issues that knocked me off my feet for a good while. In that time I moved to QLD, a single mum with two daughters who were then nine years old and six months old, where we went through quite a healing process. Only then did I realize I truly needed to write again.

As for my call story, well, I’d pretty much talked myself into believing Stone-Cold Lover (originally titled Kissed by Stone) was going to be rejected by Ellora’s Cave. For a start, I’d written it for another publisher entirely, which meant vanilla sex (by EC standards) without all the descriptive, graphic words often used. When I read the subject line from EC’s editor saying “Kissed by Stone, Accepted” I think I very nearly swallowed my tongue! She said she’d have bought it immediately *except* that she wanted to know if I was willing to increase the sex and graphic content. (hell, yes!)

LOL! I love those swallow-the-tongue moments!! Who or what inspires you and why?

What doesn’t inspire me! I can sit and weep while watching a movie about someone down on his/her luck and yet taking a stand against all the odds. Ditto a h/h in a well written book doing the same. I really don’t care if its fiction or non-fiction, if I’m deep into a story, I’ll believe it for as long as I’m reading it. I have to say my eldest daughter, who really has fought against all the odds, also truly inspires me.

Where do you see yourself as a writer five years from now?

I plan on being a successful writer, whether it’s paranormal, erotica, mainstream or even category one day (who really knows??) I just want to be earning a living doing what I love! And if I’m still doing it at ninety (perhaps erotica!) then I’ll know it’s my passion that keeps me going.

Oh I completely agree. And especially about the writing of erotica at ninety! So what's the best, and worst, things about writing for you?

The best: I love creating characters, bringing them to life and making them believable, making a reader love them as much as I do (well, that’s the plan!). The worst is probably how much commitment it takes, (especially while juggling a family) not with just the writing, but the little non-essential details that I guess really aren’t trivial in the bigger scheme of things. (like blogs and emails and internet time)

I know what you mean, the promo side of things really does eat up the time. Is there any advice or light bulb moment you'd like to share about getting/being published?

My advice is to stick with it. Really stick with it! If writing is your passion, your dream, don’t let anyone who doesn’t understand it persuade you otherwise. Light bulb moment. Write, yes, but don’t be afraid to send off your ‘baby’ to competitions, and then more competitions. Don’t be too proud to listen to advice, weigh up criticisms logically (not ah, emotionally ), then polish until it sparkles—without losing your ‘voice’ in the process. Start sending it to agents and/or editors, it’s no good letting your work sit on your computer, in your desk, wherever. I believe many of us are subconsciously scared of success. I was trapped there for quite some time.

Great advice. Do you have critique partners (CPs)? If so can you tell us how you met up and your process?

I was part of an online critique group called Clayton Critters for quite some time, even shared list mom duties for part of it—hey guys! But I realized, after baby number three, I had to strip my writing and computer time down to the bare bones if I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. (IE: have time for my beautiful family and still give myself time to write). I’ve had a few CP’s in my time, one being Tracey O’hara when we both feeling our way in the paranormal genre, but with very big dreams between us =)

The process with my two current CP’s (hi Melissa and Karen!) is generally a chapter exchanged every month, though that’s been quite informal and even lax at times lol! And I still hope my old CP who has taken on motherhood for the first time, will return to the fold very soon HINT HINT!!

Catch up with Mel on the net:

http://melteshco.blogspot.com/

http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419923418

melteshco@yahoo.com.au

Exciting Bits & Pieces

Just hit 30k on the current book and am happy about the way it's shaping up, especially since a couple of weeks ago I had no idea where it was heading! This flying into the mist is scary stuff!

In other news the lovely Cari Quinn has recently signed a contract for her erotic novella, Full Disclosure, with The Wild Rose Press! Congratulations Cari and welcome to the Scarlet Roses!

And more exciting news! Amanda Ashby's Zombie Queen of Newbury High was released in Australia and New Zealand today! Squee! Tomorrow we go on a zombie hunt!!