Archive for October, 2010

« Older Entries

Nurturing our creative energy…

Angela James | October 29th, 2010

This isn’t the topic I had planned for today, but it was timely for me. Some of you who follow me on Twitter may know that I spent the week in the Toronto offices. To be very specific, I spent the week in the Toronto offices attending meetings. If we look back at my Monday-Thursday, the amount of time I spent not in meetings MIGHT equal 4 hours. Even my lunch hours were scheduled. And since you know I wasn’t in those meetings alone, you can imagine that many others in the Carina Press team were in a similar situation. In fact, I’m lucky to be at home today while many of them still have another day of meetings to look forward to.

So when I was thinking about this post this morning, and what I had planned to share with you (which was actually insights into my trip to the offices and what it’s like to work for Harlequin), my brain got tired. I’m mentally exhausted after a week of high-energy, high-focus meetings and brainstorming. My well runs dry, so to speak.

But this isn’t something unique to this week. I often have to make choices. Do I focus on the Carina Press blog or my personal blog? Do I tweet from my personal Twitter or Carina Twitter? What is my social media strategy going to be for Carina. What can we be doing better and differently and what can I improve? And where will I find the mental energy and resources to make those moves.

And this isn’t something unique to me. Everyone on the Carina Press/Harlequin team faces similar each day. And I know all of you do as well. Maybe you’re an author trying to tap your creative energy for the next book. Or you’re someone getting ready to start NaNoWriMo and wonder just how you’re going to do it. Or perhaps you’re a reader and you find yourself busy with work, home, life and suddenly hitting a reading slump where just nothing catches your interest because you can’t seem to focus.

What do we do when this happens, when we need to recharge. How do we nurture our creative energy?

I’m going to share what I do, and I’m hoping some of you will give me new ideas. Of course, what works for me might not work for you, and vice versa, but I’m still game to hear what you do, because I might want to try it!

1) First, I give myself permission to say no. No, I’m sorry I can’t do that (at least not today), no, I’m sorry I can’t help you. No, I’m sorry I can’t go on a field trip. Or cook dinner tonight. I think we often tell ourselves we can’t say no, because we don’t want people to think we don’t have it under control. Or we feel guilty and believe we’re ruining our children’s/family’s/parent’s/friend’s lives because we’ve said no. But the truth is, giving myself permission to say no is better for both them and me in the long run, because it makes me able to engage more enthusiastically and with more energy in the things I say yes to.

2) I do something different. I’m going to use reading as an example for this one. Sometimes I hit a reading slump and just nothing is catching my attention so instead of trying to force myself to read, I try a different medium. Usually for me, it’s TV shows. I don’t watch a lot of TV on a regular basis (because I’d rather read) but I do have a few favorite shows and I save them for times when my brain needs to engage in an alternate activity. I find that after a few days’ break, I’m ready to dive into a new book.

3) I take a break. And not just, from that task, but from the computer. I go cook, I go shopping (I do love me some retail therapy), I go for a walk or hang out with my family or have a date with my husband. Being at the computer can send my brain into a certain mindset, and it’s not truly a break unless I get away from it.

4) I search out something to inspire me. Maybe a conversation with friends, listening to music, reading articles. I look for sources of inspiration, things that will job that creative spark and re-energize the creative spirit.

Something I don’t do as much of as I should, but I know works for me:

Physical exercise. I get caught in a vicious cycle. I feel better after I exercise, I get a charge from it, and I do some great thinking while I’m exercising. But I have a problem giving myself permission to take the time to do this on a regular basis. Think of all the other things I could be getting done! I need to do better here.

So those are just a few broad and quick things that I do to nurture my creative self. What about you? Do you have something general or something very, very specific you can share?

Tags: ,
Posted in Random conversation | 15 Comments »

When One Reader’s Trash is Another Reader’s Treasure

AmyWilkins | October 28th, 2010

by Amy Wilkins, Carina Press Acquisition Team and Assistant Manager, Digital Content and Social Media at Harlequin

First off, I apologize that I have to be rather vague when talking about the book that inspired today’s blog post. We discussed it literally two days ago in our last acquisition team meeting and hasn’t been officially acquired yet so I can’t reveal any details about it.

But to be honest, that book was actually discussed in last week’s acquisition meeting, too. As Angela mentioned in her post about how acquisitions work, two people must say yes for a manuscript to be acquired — one from the editor who first read and it put to forward to the team, and one acquisition team member who does a second read of the book. Last week, Jenny Bullough was the second reader on a book she didn’t enjoy and I became the third reader to give the tie-breaking vote.

Luckily for the author, I did like the book, and recommended it be acquired. Though it was in a genre both of Jenny and I enjoyed and the plot intrigued us both enough to volunteer to read it, our personal taste meant we had very different reactions to the book. I think the main difference was that this book reminded me of a TV show I watch, and one character who had a trait that annoyed Jenny actually reminded me quite strongly of my favorite character from that show.

I’ve been on the reverse side of this as well. One thing I’ve learned being on the Carina acquisition team, reading a variety of genres (including a few I’d never read before!), is that the romantic suspense genre just isn’t for me. I did read a couple romantic suspense submissions that I didn’t like, that then went onto a third reader who does enjoy romantic suspense (usually Tara :) ). That third reader did like them and they went on to be acquired. Romantic suspense writers will be glad to know that I now pass on any submissions from that genre,  so second readers who are familiar with and like rom suspense will give them a better shot than I would!

Have you ever been in this situation,  liking a book that someone else has disliked? Or have you ever hated a book that has gotten rave reviews?

Posted in Behind the Scenes | 19 Comments »

Random Type Facts and Stuff

Lauren_Dane | October 27th, 2010

Some facts about Second Chances –
• There are two heroes but the book is not a ménage book.
• It’s a small town romance
• Each hero is a dominant man in his own unique way. Zach is more quietly powerful with tats and piercings while Jude is more aggressively powerful with long lean looks.
• Rori is a submissive in the bedroom only! She’s an independent and strong woman and neither man would want her any other way.
• Originally it was supposed to be the story of a pregnant widow come back home after being away for a decade.
• My editor, Angela James, really, and I mean really hated Jude for the first sixty percent of the book. Her comments in the margins made me laugh. Made me work hard to redeem him though ☺
• Maybe I will write Cole’s story next, yes.
• As I wrote Jude I saw him as Ryan Kwanten (Sookie’s brother Jason in the HBO series, True Blood)
• For Zach, I pictured Joe Manganiello, Alcide from True Blood
• Yes, I did indeed do a marathon of the first two seasons of True Blood before the third came on which I also watched as I revised.

Any more questions? Ask away and I’ll stop in to answer. At the end of the day I’ll choose a winner or two from the comments in this and the previous post.

www.laurendane.com
@laurendane at Twitter

Posted in Carina Press | 18 Comments »

Second Chances…And Second Chances

Lauren_Dane | October 27th, 2010

I first wrote Second Chances in 2005. It was, in fact, the third book I’ve ever written. The experience was not the best for a whole host of reasons, but I learned a lot about myself during the process. About editing and standing up for myself when I felt strongly about something.

It was a book I liked writing, a book I got notes about from time to time and when I got the rights back in 2007, a book I knew I’d want to revisit someday.

But you know how someday can be. It seems like you just thought about it yesterday and then a year or two has passed and I saw a tweet from Angela James about how she’d been looking for BDSM erotic romance to fit in an October slot. Here I had this book, finished but in need of some revisions and I thought perhaps it was time to drag it out and give it a once over.

Angie had been my editor before. In fact, she’s been my editor longer than I’ve worked with anyone else in publishing, how cool is that? Anyway, that does not mean she gives me any free passes! So I queried her to ask if she’d be interested, and she was.

Fast forward to the lovely note from her saying she wanted it and when could I get her the finished book and all that jazz and Second Chances got a second chance.

Revising a book I’d written years ago was fascinating, fun and frustrating. Obviously I’m not the same writer I was in 2005, which is a good thing because when I went in to revise I wasn’t afraid to tear it apart. I knew I could put it back together and I knew my editor would ride me to be sure I did my best. It took more work than I’d imagined, LOL, but again, in the end I’m proud of both versions. Proud of the story, which I still loved so much, but also proud of the work I’d done.

Second Chances isn’t revolutionary. It’s told in a way I don’t see a lot of romances told. It’s certainly the only time I’ve told a story that way – for a whole host of reasons – good and bad! I wrote it before I knew about “the rules” and I’m so glad I did. I’m glad I took some risks to give Rori her HEA and I hope readers think the same.

In the end, the book is about simple, uncomplicated and utterly necessary things like love and family. About connection and the power of truly being who you are. The journey Rori takes to get there is the heart of the book. This is her book, though of course Jude and Zach are also integral to the story.

So the book gets a second chance. Rori gets more than a second chance, she returns home to a life she left behind because at the time she needed to escape. She rises above and moves on to forge something better, something she can be proud of. Though a lot happens to her, it’s really a simple story about three people’s lives and their connections to each other. I hope you all enjoy Rori, Zach and Jude’s story.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Carina Press | 12 Comments »

Welcome to Hellsgate

Karalynn Lee | October 26th, 2010
cover of Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee

Cover art by Croco Designs

A guided tour to the setting of Demon’s Fall, a city home to demons and the soulless, where everything is for sale — even an angel.

Origins

Just as ports are built because they serve as points of access between land and sea, Hellsgate is the city between Hell and the mortal realm.

Hell is so inhospitable — so utterly boring and under the iron control of the Princes of Hell — that many demons don’t care to stay there. The mortal realm, however, is full of humans who tend to panic at the sight of demons or constantly try to exhort foolish bargains. This grew tiresome, so a city was established at the gate to Hell where all demonkind is welcome, and today it’s a bustling center of trade, full of both demons and understanding mortals.

Inhabitants

The majority of the population consists of demons of all breeds, from the human-shaped succubi (and their male counterparts, incubi) to animal familiars, from pyromaniac ifrit to swift-hooved demon-horses (who can serve as paid transportation). Even mirror-demons, who can have one side in the mortal realm and the other in Hell, have established their own residence, the Hall of Mirrors.

A rough hierarchy of demons does exist, determined by how powerful each breed is and somewhat mitigated by an individual’s personal influence. All bets are off when the Princes of Hell are in town, but thankfully, they rarely make an appearance outside of Hell.

Mortals tend to dwell in their own quarter of the city. There are generally two types of humans who live in Hellsgate: the soulless and entrepreneurs. While dwelling in the mortal realm, demons have common needs such as food and clothing, and these are often provided by humans who have set up shop.

The soulless have succumbed to a demon, and in their deprived state have made it to Hellsgate in hopes of intercepting their tempters and recovering their souls. Few succeed.

Sites of Interest

The marketplace is a must-go. From Hellfire-forged weaponry to freshly baked pies, long-hooded cloaks for less comely demons and jars of sticky sin for those wanting to ward off the holy — you can buy anything you need here. Most merchants are open to bargaining, so don’t fall for the first named price, no matter how much they insist it’s an amazing deal.

The actual gate to Hell after which the city is named lies a short distance away. Not recommended for the casual tourist.

The Labyrinth is an tavern notable for its mixed patronage of humans and demons. Prices are reasonable, the menu tasty and accommodating of a variety of appetites, and the barkeepers good listeners. They always know the latest rumors. (“Did you hear there’s a caged angel for sale?”)

Although locked to outsiders, the aforementioned Hall of Mirrors is still a stunningly reflective piece of architecture that can be appreciated by daytime passersby. It’s also a recommended destination for those pursued by a gorgon.

Customs

Holy water, holy seals, and any other blessed objects are strictly forbidden. Their confiscation is problematic, however, considering that no demon or sinful mortal can bear to touch them.

Currency

Although mortal businessfolk will accept mundane silver coins, any dealings with demons will require payment in souls. Authentic soul currency will appear to be a gold coin, with the soul’s ex-possessor’s visage stamped on one side and his or her true name etched upon the other. Some souls come from humans with a more refined pedigree, and these are considered to be of a higher denomination.

Mortal visitors, if they fail to bring appropriate coinage, may attempt to sell their own souls, but only minor imps are likely to be interested; more powerful demons prefer the game of tempting or tricking a reluctant human. Also, soullessness is a known state of misery, and promises an afterlife in Hell — the place so unpleasant, you may recall, that even demons avoid it.

Now…how would you like to pay for today’s tour?

Author’s note:

One of the few things I remember from the glorious haze surrounding my memory of the acquisition call is the editor’s comment that the story had an unusual setting. So I’ve shared the world of Demon’s Fall with you here — you can read more about the book, including an excerpt, by clicking on the title.  Now I’d love to hear about cool, unique settings you enjoyed in other books.

Karalynn

Karalynn Lee spent her childhood in a foreign city, Seoul, where she encountered no demons except for reckless taxi drivers. Find out more about her or read more of her writing at karalynnlee.com.

Posted in Authors, Books | 7 Comments »

Review Links and Random Thoughts

Carly Chow | October 22nd, 2010

The other day I was really sick. When this happens, I tend to just lie around on the couch and do… well, a whole lot of nothing. My book-a-holic self makes a valiant effort to make a dent in the TBR pile, but my mind ends up wandering in and out of the plot with totally random thoughts that are only marginally related to the story. I was still kind of sick while sifting through the reviews, so random thoughts were definitely bouncing around. Here are some of the more interesting ones.

Trash Course by Penny Drake – Fresh Fiction

Maria would love to “drink coffee and eat cheesecake with [the heroine] as she tells her about her latest case” because Maria thinks Terry the heroine was “a little snarky, a lot smart, and seriously kickass”.

I would totally want to be Terry’s only confidante and muse about her work life over cheesecake and coffee. I know some people like to imagine themselves as an existing character the book, but I always like to envision myself as a completely new character that happens to be “in-the-know” about everything.

True Believers by Maria Zannini – Rom Fan Reviews

Ms. Carla said, “There were a few times I wanted to slap the characters for their stubbornness and failure to see the obvious, but that was also the reason I kept reading, hoping they’d finally realize what I already knew, and I wasn’t disappointed.”

Sometimes I get so infuriated with characters that, like Carla, I just want to jump into the book and set them straight. But, I only ever feel this way when I really connect with a character and I just want them to do well because they’re like a close friend to me.

Do Over by Mari Carr – Night Owl Reviews

Chris says, “I suspect a lot of women will be both envious of Faith and angry with their own husbands. While I’m sure there are some men who would and could do this, remember that this is fiction. This is a story I will read again just for the sheer joy of it.”

The whole time I was reading this review, all I could picture in my head was George Clooney playing Troy and Julianne Moore playing Faith in the movie. He’s just got the dashing-handsome-mysterious-older-man look and she’s got the I’m-a-housewife-but-I’ve-got-these-oh-so-sultry-sexy-eyes look.

In Darkness Bound by Christine Price – Smokin’ Hot Books

K.C. thought the book was “full of suspense with a dash of manlove” and “highly recommends this one for those looking for something a little darker and might have you jumping at things that go bump in the night.”

Actually, when I’m clearly not sick, I tend to get very engrossed in most books and will shriek like a little girl when someone sneaks up on me (and by sneaks up, I mean, they probably just said hello).

Posted in Carina Press, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Show me something novella

Angela James | October 22nd, 2010

Sorry, sometimes I can’t help but play with the blog titles. Earlier this week, while participating in an #askeditor chat on Twitter, someone asked if we were looking for/accepting novellas. The answer is emphatically yes and I mentioned that I’d been preparing a call for novellas.

As we plan our 2011 publication schedule, I’ve noted that we have plenty of novels (70k+), which is fantastic but we like to insert novellas into our publication schedule as well, in order to give readers access to stories that don’t involve quite the same time commitment. I’m actually a big fan of novellas myself, because they fit much more easily into my editing schedule than novels do.

So this is our official call for novellas. I did this once before, via Twitter, and we had great success from it. Right now, we’re particularly interested in seeing shorter works from 15k (nothing under that, please) to 40k. Of course we’re still very actively acquiring above 40k, but we’d love to see some novellas along with our longer submissions. We’re not seeking in a particular genre/sub-genre, so please feel free to submit both romance and non-romance, erotica, science fiction, fantasy and any sub genre in between. If you’d like to target a specific editor, you can see what they’re seeking here.

Please keep in mind that we aren’t currently acquiring YA. You can find out more details of our submissions guidelines and FAQs on our website (that’s probably where you’re reading this but just in case…www.carinapress.com) and submissions will be ongoing. This isn’t a limited-time call!

I should also mention that right now, everything submitted prior to October 15th has been assigned to an editor (and shortly, that will be everything submitted prior to this week) so manuscripts submitted now won’t be sitting around long waiting to be seen by an editor!

Any questions can be posted in the comments here of the blog, or on Twitter to @CarinaPress or @AngelaJames (just remember it’s easy for us to miss @ replies there so if we don’t respond, you might comment here instead). And you have full permission to forward the text of this post and use it on any forum or blog you think might be interested. I look forward to seeing your submissions!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Carina Press, editorial, submissions | 7 Comments »

Tis the Season…already

Aideen O'Leary-Chung | October 21st, 2010

I have a confession. I have a mixed relationship with the Holiday season. Once Halloween (a.k.a. the bane of my waistline’s existence) is out of the way, suddenly the festive season is upon you. As a Canadian, I was “thankful” several weeks ago, so my next big Holiday is Christmas. That’s right I’m invoking the “C” word already.

At first, I can’t wait to get out the decorations, create lists of great gift ideas and eat as much turkey as possible. The world has a wonderful, cozy glow. Then, suddenly, I lose all steam. As misguided family members attempt to place two ornaments of the same color side-by-side on the tree (a classic tree decorating misdemeanor) and my gift list becomes tattered from countless trips to the mall, I find myself craving the quiet sanity and yes, boredom of January. To make matters worse, my super-efficient sister-in-law shops for Christmas all year long and most has most likely purchased her entire list by now – I don’t even ask anymore. As I got my son’s first hint (quite subtle – along the lines of a Toys R Us catalog taped to my forehead) of what should be under the tree, I knew that I’d better pull out my potluck recipes because the time has come.

But I feel better prepared this year. Not because I’ve done any preparation, but because this year, Christmas snuck its wily way into summer. We’re doing three Carina Press Christmas collections releasing in December so my thoughts were forced to the festive at the end of August…in 95 degree heat. Luckily, I was ready for a respite from the humidity that had been dogging us all summer, so creating the covers for Naughty and Nice, Winter Wishes and His for the Holidays was a very enjoyable intro to the holiday madness. Keep your eye out, Angela will be featuring the covers on Facebook in the next few weeks and hopefully they’ll put you in the festive frame of mind as well.
For me, I have lists to begin.

Posted in Carina Press | 5 Comments »

Zombie Chickens and Scorpions

Maria_Zannini | October 20th, 2010

I’ve lived in big cities, little towns, and now my address is in the middle of nowhere. Evidently, I’m very adaptable. :)

I think of all the places I’ve lived, I’ve enjoyed this last home the best. A quarter mile to the north, there’s a big cat preserve while my neighbor to the south raises llamas.

At night I’m serenaded by the lions, but that’s okay because I think it keeps the feral pigs from getting any closer. (You do NOT want to meet a feral pig if you’re hiking the woods.)

Even though I grew up in Chicago, I’ve become quite the homesteader. What with zombie chickens and my faithful rotties, Tank and Iko, every day is an adventure in survival.

It’s always a crapshoot to find out what’s going to eat me next. I’ve been stung, bitten, clawed, scraped, burned, electrocuted, slimed and necrotized. And that was just last week. I ought to be a zombie by now!

But like any good professional, I covet all these precious (painful) moments and save them for the next book. Nobody does pain like I do. LOL.

Aside from my daily torture sessions, it’s an idyllic setting. Lots of trees, fresh air, and the occasional missile attack from kamikaze squirrels.

I let the chickens loose during the day and they carry on like drunken sailors on shore leave. They like to hide in the bushes then ambush me as I walk by. Da bums! They’re just looking for handouts. A couple of them are so brazen they try to hop on my shoulder.

It’s at this point I shake my fist at them and threaten to put them in the pot. But they ignore me and pick my scalp for bugs.

I get no respect.

At least it’s better than the scorpions. We are mortal enemies. And though I’ve killed my fair share, one of them managed to sting me while I was in bed.

Worst. Pain. Ever.

I’m a professional at pain. Believe me when I tell you, a scorpion sting is like getting hit with a ten pound hammer. There’s no redness, no swelling, just horrible throbbing pain.

I hate scorpions and they hate me. I’m pretty sure they’ve got a hitman after me, but so far I’ve been lucky. That’s why I let the chickens out during the day. I’ve heard chickens will eat scorpions.

If they know what’s good for them, they better make sure I stay safe.

Tell me about where you live. What sort of creature terrorizes your neighborhood?

***

To buy or read an excerpt from  TRUE BELIEVERS go here.

I’m giving away a copy of True Believers to one person who comments on any of the blog posts I post today. I also have a big blog tour going on with a chance to win a Texas-sized prize. Go here for more information.

Bio: Maria Zannini used to save the world from bad advertising, but now she spends her time wrangling zombie chickens, and fighting for a piece of the bed against dogs of epic proportions.
Follow Maria on her lively Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

What’s this? Maria needs your help. Her story, “Mistress Of The Stone” is in the running for a book contract but she needs your vote.  Read the excerpts here and vote.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press | 20 Comments »

True Believers: Behind Closed Doors

Maria_Zannini | October 20th, 2010

I think my favorite part of any story is right before the MOMENT. You know the one. It’s that hesitation right before imminent carnal knowledge.

The excerpt below is one such moment. Jessit has Rachel right where he wants her, but not the way she expected.

Take a look.

***

Jessit stood at a curtained doorway, thick velvet brown drapes hiding a private sanctuary. The jewel and the braid in his hair were gone, and he looked naked without them. She stumbled back by one pace, realizing too late she had been staring. He looked bigger now, more menacing, but she also couldn’t deny the tug of desire. She had missed his gruff arrogant manner—and his gentleness. She wished things had turned out differently between them.

She wanted to be angry with him and perhaps she should have been. But she felt safer here, even if it was against her will. It would’ve been nice to continue the playful banter they enjoyed, though in hindsight perhaps the banter was what led to her predicament. Had she insulted him? Was this a means of retaliation?

Damn it, Gilgamesh. Where are you?

In a borrowed sundress two sizes too big, Rachel suffered the humiliation of a long measured stare. The shoulder straps slipped one after another until she just let them lie there.

Jessit smiled; a careless swish of a hand ordered Senit out without even looking at him. He strode over to her casually, sizing her up like so much baggage. “I told you I would find a way to bring you here.”

Rachel glared at him. “You didn’t tell me it would be as your concubine.

***

The first reviews have come in for True Believers and it seems I made an impression.

Reviewer Ronda Tutt says: Phenomenal Writing! Excellent Read!

Reviewer Charlie, Smart Girls love Scifi: I love SciFi romance, so I expected to like this book, but True Believers exceeded those expectations. It is truly a cut above and will definitely stay on my virtual keeper shelf.

Reviewer Jackie Burris writes: This book is just full of twists and turns and some of the most interesting and sensually erotic scenes between Rachel and Taelen I have read that were also tastefully done without being over the top.

***

Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. LOL.

While I won’t tell you what happens after Rachel’s last line, I will tell you, it won’t be anything you expected.

To buy or read an excerpt from  TRUE BELIEVERS go here.

***
I’m giving away a copy of True Believers to one person who comments on any of the blog posts I post today. I also have a big blog tour going on with a chance to win a Texas-sized prize. Go here for more information.

Bio: Maria Zannini used to save the world from bad advertising, but now she spends her time wrangling zombie chickens, and fighting for a piece of the bed against dogs of epic proportions.
Follow Maria on her lively Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

What’s this? Maria needs your help. Her story, “Mistress Of The Stone” is in the running for a book contract but she needs your vote.  Read the excerpts here and vote.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press | 10 Comments »

« Older Entries