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Mind on the Run

Regan_Summers | January 18th, 2012

Reading has always been my favorite escape.

Well, that or champagne and chocolate on the beach. (In my fantasy world the champagne is always chilled, the chocolate rarely melts, and sand never creeps into uncomfortable places.)

I was neck-deep in winter and in desperate need of distraction when I wrote Don’t Bite the Messenger, my urban fantasy novella with Carina Press. For those of you fortunate enough to have avoided it, winter in Alaska is cold, deep, and still. I found myself wandering aimlessly or lying – salted slug-like – on the couch. Do any of you get the winter blahs like that? You find yourself craving Color. Motion. Excitement. Something to heat your blood and confirm you’re still alive and vital in the darkness.

I’d reread all my favorite books, read a few new ones, and watched every movie with a scene like this in it:

I needed more, and this is where Sydney Kildare, Malcolm Kelly, and the world of Messenger came from.

Anchorage, Alaska

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare.

Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she’ll retire is her grave…

Sydney is as determined as she is capable and, despite a rough upbringing, she’s still quick to laugh (don’t let that phenomenal cover fool you) and quicker to help people who need it. Malcolm is hiding secrets behind a charming smile, and his first encounter with Sydney leaves him wanting far more. All he has to do is keep up as she speeds through the frozen streets of Anchorage and beyond.

The story starts with a kiss, a car chase, and an explosion…and then it really gets going. Just what we need on a long winter’s night.

What’s your favorite escape? Is it in your imagination, or is it a real place? Where does your mind turn when it requires rest or revival?

DON’T BITE THE MESSENGER IS AVAILABLE NOW


Regan Summers lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and alien-monkey hybrid of a child.

Visit Regan at the following locations:

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS

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Posted in Carina Press | 9 Comments »

Escape Velocity: Falling In Love All Over Again

Dianne Fox | January 4th, 2012

On the product page for Escape Velocity, beneath the blurb, is a short sentence in italicized type:

First published as Runaway Star, newly revised by the authors.

We first wrote Runaway Star in…probably 2006, and it was first published in January 2008. That was a long time ago, in e-publishing years. This business moves at the speed of light, bringing us new romances as fast as we can read, and we love it.

It was a long time ago in terms of character creation too. When we started talking about revising the novel, using what we’ve learned in the years since it was first written to make it better, we were both a little nervous about it.

It wasn’t the idea of putting all that work into an old manuscript that seemed daunting. No, what made us nervous was one question: Would we still love the characters?

We would be diving headfirst into another year of commitment to these characters, getting inside their heads, living their lives from the inside out, and we’d both grown and changed a lot as writers since 2006, so the question wasn’t an idle one. The most compelling reason we had to go back to the book was to share Elios and Sender with the world one more time. We had to fall in love with them all over again if we were going to write their story.

At first, we decided to read through the old manuscript independently, and we’d report back our findings—Was the old work still good enough to rework? Were the old characters still interesting?

Not a week later and we had our answer: a resounding YES. We were both excited to start, to jump in and get to work on the story. We had so many ideas, and most importantly, we still loved Elios and Sender as much as we ever had. While we gave their story new spark and excitement, we didn’t have to change a thing about our heroes.

We hope you love them too—so much that we’re giving them away to launch them back into the world again!

One commenter to this blog post will receive a copy of Escape Velocity.

And, to spread the love, another commenter will receive a copy of our previous Carina Press book, One Real Thing.

—Anah Crow & Dianne Fox

Websites: www.anahcrow.com & www.foxwrites.com
Twitter: @anahcrow & @diannefox

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Posted in Authors, Books, Contest/Giveaway | 14 Comments »

Sci-fi is for women, too

JL_Hilton | January 4th, 2012

J. L. Hilton, circa 1978

I remember when the first episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” aired, and Patrick Stewart declared that the crew of the Enterprise would “boldly go where no ONE has gone before.” In the original Star Trek, they were only going where no MAN has gone before.

As a girl who grew up with Star Wars and Battlestar Gallactica toys instead of Barbies, that difference meant the universe to me. But guys didn’t get it. They would say, “When Captain Kirk said ‘man’ he meant the whole human race, OK?” OK. But with ST:TNG, I finally felt included in the ranks of sci-fi geekery.

Science fiction continues to be viewed by many as a man’s genre. Women, in their Federation-issue miniskirts and skinny cylon hotness, are just there as fanboy eye-candy. Did Han Solo ever end up in sexy slave garb? No, he did not.

It was important to me, when I wrote STELLARNET REBEL, that I created SF for everyone.

There’s technology, video games, lasers, aliens, fights and explosions. But the main character, Genevieve O’Riordan, is a woman. Not a man’s idea of a woman, like Robert Heinlein’s “Friday,” who felt just fine after being brutally raped and tortured. But an individual with realistic feelings, reactions and faults.

And Genny’s fellow heroes are not “typical” men—since they’re not men at all, they’re aliens. Duin and Belloc are Glin, a race in which the sexes are the same size and gender characteristics only appear after puberty. This not only shapes the dynamics of their culture, but affects how they relate to Genny throughout the novel.

My heroine is not just eye candy. Her genetic modifications might make her attractive by human standards. But that doesn’t mean much to aliens derisively called “frogs” because of their skin colors, large eyes and webbed fingers. It’s her personality, intelligence and loyalty that make her desirable. She’s no damsel in distress but saves her own butt and the butts of others—usually by some combination of wit, resourcefulness and courage, not just brute strength and a gun.

Who is your favorite SF heroine and why? Is SF still dominated by men, or is this changing? I’d love to hear your thoughts. One lucky commenter will receive promo items including your very own labradorite nagyx pendant on recycled sari silk cord—designed to look just like the “soul stone” necklace that plays an important role in STELLARNET REBEL—and a $10 gift certificate to ThinkGeek. Recipient will be announced in the comments on January 11.

***

Welcome to Asteria, a corporate-owned, deep-space colony populated with refugees, criminals and obsessive online gamers. Genny O’Riordan has shifted in from Earth determined to find a story that will break her blog into the Stellarnet Top 100, and even better—expose the degradation of the colony’s denizens.

Duin is an alien—a Glin—a hero of a past revolution against the Glin royal family, yet branded a terrorist. Duin speaks every day in the Asteria market, hoping to spur humans to aid his home world, which has been overtaken by the evil, buglike Tikati.

When Genny and Duin meet, what begins with a blog post becomes a dangerous web of passion and politics as they struggle to survive not only a war but the darker side of humanity…

Read an excerpt of STELLARNET REBEL or buy it now.

Follow Genny and Duin on Twitter. Belloc will join them at the appropriate point in their timeline.

Follow the author at JLHilton.com or Facebook, Twitter, deviantART, Goodreads and Google+.

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Posted in Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 23 Comments »

The Girl Who Loves Wish Lists

Tara Stevens | November 28th, 2011

by Tara Stevens, Carina Press acquisitions team

With Christmas upon us and a good chunk of my shopping for other people done, I finally have time to revel in a recent addiction of mine: wish lists. I don’t know about you, but with so many fabulous books popping up every day all over creation, it’s hard to keep track of everything I want to devour in words.

Wish lists were probably invented by a Virgo, but sometimes Virgos invent useful things, especially if they’re also geeks. Having your heart’s desires at the ready is especially handy when your parents or partner want a gift idea that doesn’t involve stone-cold cash or a frying pan. I mean, they may know you’re generally a literary type who likes losing herself in other people’s stories, but they don’t necessarily know what particular book you’re craving at the moment. So why not help them (and yourself) out?

Besides being the more prepared way to go, I also think wish lists are a more polite approach to consumerism. (Maybe they were invented by a Canadian Virgo?) In light of recent “competitive shopping” incidents involving pepper spray south of the border, taking the civilized route not only nets you better karma (important at this time of year), but also increases your chances of actually getting what you want without landing yourself in prison.

The good and bad thing about wish lists (specifically book-related ones) is that they can be constantly updated and have the tendency to grow wildly out of control (like your bevvy consumption in December after one too many holiday parties).

Another neat thing about wish lists is that they’re so easy to set up online. With the advent of the interwebs, you just browse, pick and click to your heart’s content. The best part is that you can share your consumerist longings with those closest to you with a few taps on your keyboard. In my experience, you’ll quickly find out that some people know how to follow directions (i.e., keep you happy), while others don’t like being told what to do and go rogue with the nearest catalogue.

While most of my wish list this Christmas is populated by actual books (Blue Nights by Joan Didion, Then Again by Diane Keaton, The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, anything I haven’t gobbled up by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb), there are some other book-related things I also covet.

As part of the Carina Press acquisitions team, I’d love to see more male/male and witty contemporary romance submissions in my stocking this year. It would also be cool to get more connected editorial in 2012, so that when I find a story or character I love, I know there’s more guaranteed awesome to be had in the same vein coming my way soon.

But enough about me and what I want. What’s on your Christmas wish list (books or otherwise) this year?

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Posted in Books, Carina Press, Random conversation, submissions | 16 Comments »

Dive Into iTunes, Climb Out With Tuscan Heat

KathleenDienne | October 11th, 2011

The black hole of iTunes sucks me in every time I load it up. “I’m just going to look up that one song and get back to work,” I say, and two hours later I blink at the screen wondering why I just bought a love song sung in Chinese by Jackie Chan. (Seriously, it’s called “Jia Xiang de Long Yan Shu.” It’s kind of awesome.)

One night in early 2011, I got online and in this order, I purchased:

- Jonathan Coulton’s remake of “Baby Got Back”
- Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli’s remake of “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
- Andrea Bocelli’s “Con Te Partiro”
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ “The Impression That I Get”
- Husker Du’s “Too Far Down”
- Rodney Atkins’s “If You’re Going Through Hell”

At that point, I snapped out of it. It was a little insane, but not as insane as the night I bought six versions of “The Way You Look Tonight.” Anyway, “Con Te Partiro” lodged in my head like a tattoo on my brain.

I suppose I could say I bought it because it appealed to the theater major still inside my skin. It’s a lush and romantic song, and well, theatrical. And sure, it’s in Italian, a language with which I am totally desperate to learn even though I’ve been stuck at the “dove il bagno” stage for two years.

The truth is I bought it because when I heard it, an entire book took form. The story thumped around in my skull until I got it down on paper. The song was in heavy rotation through most of the first draft and I never got tired of it, though my preschooler now hears the opening notes and says “Mama, pleeeeeeeeease play something else.” There was something about the lyrics (scroll down for the translation) that made me dream of travel and sex with handsome men and happily ever after on a motorcycle. The result of that dream is Tuscan Heat, and I sure hope you like it.

Will you share your worst iTunes binge or craziest MP3 purchase and keep me company here in the black hole? Ooh! Annie Lennox! You know, I’ve got a great idea for a book….

###


Tuscan Heat is Kathleen’s third book with Carina Press. Check out two brief excerpts from the first chapter over here on her website. Let her know what you thought of it on Facebook, Goodreads, or @KathleenDienne on Twitter.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press | 9 Comments »

We do it for the love

C.J. Barry | October 4th, 2011

When I started writing science fiction romance, I had no idea what I was doing. No clue about markets or distribution or craft. I didn’t even know that the genre I was writing had a name. One day, I just decided that I wanted to write a book, and since I grew up reading science fiction and romance, the combination worked for me. I was so excited and passionate about every word. Plus, hey, I’d read so many books, how hard could it be to write one?

Cohl slid forward another meter. Instinctively, he whipped the laser pistol sights toward a small black object that sailed silently through the air and landed in a heap ten meters from his feet. He squinted under the dimmed lights. It didn’t move. Looked like cloth.

Then another dark object dropped a few meters from it. Was that a sock? He lowered his weapon. What the hell?

The sock’s mate landed next to the first one. Cohl stepped out from his cover and stared at them. He looked up just in time to snag a pair of pants out of midair aimed at his head.

Tess emerged from behind a nearby container, smiling triumphantly and sporting nothing but a black lace bra and matching panties. It took a while for him to notice her weapon pointed at his chest. His was hanging limp from his hand, much like his jaw.

“Gotcha,” she said smugly.

Her breasts peeked luridly from behind the lace. His gaze skimmed down the slender waist and firm legs in direct proportion to his rising body temperature.

He tossed his laser pistol to the floor. “I surrender.” (Unearthed)

Over the next few years, I learned that writing was the hardest job I’ve ever done, my genre was called SFR, the market is quite small, and the readers are fiercely loyal. I also learned that love is love, no matter what planet you set it on or where your characters are from or what kind of craft they drive/fly.

He looked ready to kill as he tossed the suit down and stepped toward her. She stepped back.
“Is that damn plate all that matters to you?” He wasn’t even blinking.

She raised her chin. “Yes.”

“Just so you can become a Majj?” He took another step toward her, the heat of his anger reaching her.

“Now you’re getting it,” she shot back.

“There’s nothing else to you?”

“No.”

“You’re wrong,” he charged, his voice steely.

She blinked at him in surprise. Then shook her head. “My work is my life, it’s who I am. It’s all that I am.”

“Wrong,” he repeated, taking another step and backing her to the wall.

“Ask anyone,” she stammered. “If I lose my career, I lose everything I am. I lose myself.”

“Wrong.”

His mouth closed over hers and if she’d had anything else to say, it was quickly forgotten in the great rush of blood from her brain. (Unraveled)

Love truly is the universal language. It’s why we are here. It’s why we sacrifice, how we connect, and how we keep going when all seems lost. These stories, they are you and me and every soul on this planet. We all tell our love stories in different ways—through music, literature, art, song, food, volunteering, nursing, gardening, and in all the many jobs we hold every day.

“I’ll help you across,” he said quietly.

Lacey shook her head. That meant “No, I’m not going.” He as an intelligent life form, he should be able to figure that out.

Zain took her clenched fists in his hands. He looked down, frowned and carefully pried open one of her fists. She winced and realized blood creased her palm where her fingernails had dug in.

She heard him say something softly, and hen he pried open her other hand.
Slowly, his gaze rose to hers. She waited for him to tell her that her fears were stupid and ridiculous. To tell her in a lengthy, humiliating lecture how she should be able to conquer them like a normal person.

Just like Robert.

Instead, he wrapped her fingers in his and gently pulled her toward him.

“Look at me,” he whispered, and she promptly lost herself in his dark eyes. (Unleashed)

The thing about love is that you don’t know what you’re doing. There’s no guide book, no classes, no training. Sometimes, you just have to hold your breath and jump. How hard could it be?

“You can’t hold it in forever,” Torrie whispered.

A hard shudder shook Qaade’s body as if her words gave him permission to release. He took a deep breath and held it.

She waited as long seconds passed, almost afraid of what might happen when he finally let go. And then he threw his head back and roared like a wounded animal. The plaintive howl pierced her soul and brought tears to her eyes.

Over and over again he roared, unleashing his anger and grief for his lost people.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and held him tightly, trying to get through to the man beneath the pain.

Steam rose from his skin with each tormented outburst, and her tears soaked the back of his shirt. It was like watching him be torn apart from the inside.

How could she have doubted him even for a moment? (Unmasked)

Here’s to jumping.

CJ Barry
www.cjbarry.com
The series on Carina Press
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CJ-Barry-Readers/300678919146
http://twitter.com/#!/cj_barry

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Excerpt | 5 Comments »

Hoarders: Literary Edition

Dana_Grimaldi | September 22nd, 2011

by Dana Grimaldi
Harlequin.com Copy Editor

It’s a pretty safe bet that if you’re reading this post, you love books. And if you’re anything like me, you love books so much that you can’t bear to part with them. This can become a problem, right? Even if you read ebooks, you’ve probably got a lot of print books that you bought in the dark ages, before ebooks were created. And even though I still love print books, they do take up space, and I can only pile books so high before the possibility that they’ll crush me in my sleep becomes a serious concern.

Every now and then I try to do a book cull, getting rid of the books I no longer need and making room for new books. Over the years, I’ve honed this process to a fine art, not unlike classical music or video games. I’d like to share the questions I ask myself when deciding whether or not I should keep a book. Hopefully you’ll find it useful!

1. Did I like this book?

This is the most important question, and it’s also probably the easiest to answer. If you didn’t like the book, out it goes. If you did like it, things can get trickier…

2. Will I read this book again?

If you liked the book, but won’t read it again, you can safely set it free for someone else to discover. If you’ll want to read the book again, you’ll be tempted to keep it. And maybe you should, but first you should consider this…

3. How easy would it be to find another copy of this book? For example, if you loved Jane Eyre, and you know you’ll want to read it again, it would probably be pretty easy to find a copy at any bookstore or library. Or, you could get rid of the paper copy and purchase the book in electronic format. (FYI a lot of out-of-copyright books are available in ebook format for free!) If that’s the case, you can probably get rid of it. Unless…

4. Do you have an emotional attachment to this book?

Some people might laugh at this question. Emotional attachments are for people, right? Or pets? Or handsome, brooding Fassbenders? Not so! There are many books I’ll never give away because of the emotional attachment I have to them. Here’s an example: I have quite a few books my mother read in university. Even though I may have read Heart of Darkness, and even though I could easily find a copy at the library, I can’t get rid of her copy. This is mainly because I love reading the painstaking notes she made in the book’s margins. Check out the allusion to “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”! And speaking of school books…

5. Did this book stop being useful once you wrote the exam for first-year psychology? If so, then get rid of it. You will not need to know about classical conditioning in your everyday life. And if you suddenly find yourself with a burning need to find out about it, there’s this thing called the internet. (This is easier said than done. I’m still hanging on to my copy of CP Caps and Spelling, despite the fact that it’s very out of date and I no longer use Canadian Press style.) Next question…

6. Did you buy this book and never read it? Was that more than five years ago? If yes, get rid of it. And finally…

7. Is this book suitable for someone of a first-grade reading level? Then keep it. I firmly believe in keeping children’s books. Even if you never have children, there will be a day when you want to remember what it’s like to believe that you could plant a balloon in the ground and wake up to discover a balloon tree. After all, that’s one of the reasons we love books—it’s why we read them. Books have the ability to transport us to another world, and that’s always worth giving up some shelf space for.

Hopefully these questions will help you figure out which books you can let go of and which books you should keep. I’d love to know what you think…which books will always stay on your keeper shelf?

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Posted in Books, Carina Press | 11 Comments »

Have You Ignored an Important Call?

Bonnie_Paulson | August 24th, 2011

Take that call next time.

Telemarketers always bug me during my writing time – afternoonish when my kids are sleeping. One or two a da. You’d think I was rich.

November 4th I sat down to write a particularly difficult scene and my phone rang. I glared at the offending buzz and shook my head.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. I groaned and answered. “Hello?”

“Is Bonnie Paulson available?” Super sweet voice which makes it even harder to say “no, not interested”.

“This is.” Mama taught me manners and I use ‘em.

“Hi, Bonnie. This is Angela James from Carina Press. I’m calling about the manuscript you submitted.” At this point, my eyebrows scrunched together. Had I done something wrong?  I’d never heard of an editor calling an author. Maybe I’d offended someone. Still wasn’t 100% certain she wasn’t a telemarketer.

But Ms. James continued on and I realized she was offering me a contract. I’d said “Uh hunh” to her comments and she paused, asking if I had any questions so far.

My response? Yeah, she tweeted about it. I said, “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

And you know what? I didn’t, but that sense of surreality hasn’t left.

Mallory Braus proved to be as sweet and romantic-at-heart as Breathe Again needed.

Angela James has been more than accessible and supportive at every turn – even when I sent her interview questions for my own blog that were less than professional.

My cover artist took my breath away.

The copy editor made me smile and taught me a thing or three.

But Mallory worked my story over and in my developmental edits she made a suggestion that, as I worked it out, brought me to tears. I finished the scene sobbing, closed my laptop and looked around. The only think I wanted to do involved an empty wineglass (I don’t drink), a fireplace (green of course) and me looking for tissues around the apartment/house.

Mallory and the Carina Press team made me feel like Joan Wilder discovering my stories all over again.

Here’s a favorite part of mine from Breathe Again.

How could one man be sweet and genuine while the other lacked all sense of manners? Maybe the brute was raised on a farm where he never had the opportunity to see normal people and acted like a bull because he was raised among the cows. Maybe my sheep reference hadn’t been far off… Shampoo bubbles filled my hair and a chuckle escaped at the thought of Brodan in denim overalls slinging muck.

Ryan, on the other hand, seemed smooth and courteous, fun even. He’d made me laugh and that hadn’t happened in a long time.

But if I could put Ryan’s personality into Brodan’s body, it might have been just what I would be looking for, or not looking for, since the idea was strictly shower thinking. I’d gotten in trouble before, pursuing thoughts generated in the shower.

I lathered my body, trying to push the images of the men from my head. Aided by my hunger, I switched easily to considering menu items, with thoughts of pancakes smothered in syrup and crisp sizzling bacon ruling my mind.

By the time I finished washing, my stomach growled in earnest. I wouldn’t make it another two hours. Rather I left for the 24-hour one-stop shop ten minutes farther.

Beside my adorable VW van, blue with a white top from the early 70s, I drew in a deep breath. I loved when the rest of the world slept and it felt like I was the only one awake. Opening my door, I tossed my purse onto the seat beside the driver’s side. Before I climbed in, the blue paint glinted, reminding me of Brodan….

Dang. I’d have to retrain my attraction guide. The man’s similarities to Dean should have been the only repellent I needed. Add his rudeness and the fact we couldn’t be in the same room together, I should feel nauseated just thinking of him. Get him out of your head, Maggie.

I wrote Breathe Again while I was pregnant and you’ll notice I involve food a lot in my story. I’d write about the lasagna (recipe to follow) Maggie makes for Brodan and of course, finished the scene and had to make some. I ate most of it – much to my Hubs distress.

I drew my husband in with this recipe I developed – my own personal creation. You can find it at the bottom of this post. Maybe make it for you and your *wink* friend or eat it while you read Breathe Again.

Breathe Again Cover
Don’t you love this cover? Maggie leans against Brodan. The skyline reminds me of a Montana sunset. Carina Press artists captured the mood perfectly. I literally gasped when I saw it – and teared up.

I hope you enjoy Breath Again. Another book I would direct you do – well, two actually – Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera and Endless Night by Maureen A. Miller OH and Man Law by Adrienne Giordanno, so three.

They capture the essence of what Carina has to offer – exceptional authors with a phenomenal team backing them. Harlequin is so awesome I used superlatives that aren’t slang.

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Lasagna OR Dip-It Lasagna

  • Sauce Ingredients: One large can of tomato sauce, 1 large can diced tomatoes, 1 TB of minced garlic (with oil), chopped onions, italian sausage, 2 TB dry/fresh parsley, 2 TB sugar, 1 – 2 TB salt with pepper:
  • Everything but the sauce and diced tomatoes brown in a pan keeping the sausage oil. Add the tomato sauce and tomatoes. Simmer until the rest of the ingredients are ready.
  • Cheese ingredients: One small ricotta cheese, one medium cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella grated, garlic salt (about 1 TB).
  • Mix all and set aside to be layered.
  • Layering ingredients: Fresh spinach, fresh sliced mushrooms, sliced olives, anything else you like in your lasagna – like noodles – but don’t prepare too many, this is a less-pasta-more-fun-stuff dish.
  • Start your layers. Best to start with something like mushrooms then top with pasta, sauce then cheese. Next, olives, spinach, pasta, sauce then cheese. You should have a fairly thick dish with few layers. Cheese tops it and you’ll cook it in your pan (whatever kind you love) at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. This is SLOPPY and great to dip your garlic bread in. I love garlic.
  • Also, play with this recipe. You can’t ruin it because it’s a subjective dish. Like it sweeter? Add more sugar. More noodles? Add more. The sauce and the bread is the only reason I make it.

Bonnie R. Paulson

Enjoy and please! Please! Please! email me and let me know how you liked it! bonnierpaulson@gmail.com

Come find me on Twitter – @bonnierpaulson

And my blog: www.bonnierpaulson.com

I’m offering a $10 gift card to a randomly selected commenter on today’s post. To another a copy of BREATHE AGAIN – Woot!

I’d like to know who has supported you throughout your life? It’s all about people and the roles they play to our hearts. Maggie and Brodan help the other heal… Who do you have? This is your “I’d like to thank the Academy” moment. What would you say?

Oh, sorry? Did you say you wanted to know how you can purchase Breathe Again?

Carina Press (of course!), Amazon, Nook,Lybrary.com.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art, Excerpt | 32 Comments »

A Novel Soundtrack

Shannon Curtis | July 26th, 2011

Photobucket

I have really enjoyed the process with developing Viper’s Kiss. It all started with a dare from my husband . He was travelling to Seattle and Las Vegas for conferences, and if I could find dirt cheap airfares, I could come, too. Ha! Should have seen his face when I showed him the tickets. Should have seen his face when I got upgraded and he didn’t!

But while DH was busy with conferences, I was exploring Seattle surrounds with two fabulous guides – Shelli Stevens and Judy Wiebe. Imagine my surprise to discover these wonderful ladies could also write great stories! (Shelli’s book, Negligee Behaviour, can also be found at Carina Press: http://tiny.cc/q35s5). I spent some time at Odegaard Library at University of the Washington, and the characters of Viper’s Kiss were born.

I’ve since been asked – where do I get my ideas? To which I usually make a pyramid with my fingers and laugh with a Machiavellian sneer (that’s not as easy as it sounds, by the way!) A lot of the times, the scenes play out in my head like a movie, then I have to race and write it down. But I do find that music can feed my muse. I’ll think about the tone of the scene that I want to achieve, and then I’ll set the scene around me to help me to write it – and this usually involves music. Nice, romantic Mozart for a dinner date, or some rock guitar with a heavy bass for an action scene. I will spend hours scanning iTunes for just the right piece, and add it to my playlist. Unfortunately the playlists don’t play during edits. They require a little more concentration – for those times when you’ve written something like: “Maybe he would kill her – or worse…” only to have your editor ask very politely whether possibly death could be the worst.

Anyhoo, I’ve discovered that music can help my writing, and I thought I would share with you the playlist for Viper’s Kiss:

1) Theme from Mission Impossible

2) Don’t Cha, by Pussycat Dolls

3) Does Your Mother Know, by Abba

4) Mistaken Identity, by Delta Goodrem

5) A Little Less Conversation, by Elvis vs JXL

6) Vertigo, by U2

7) Buttons, by Pussycat Dolls

8) Cream, by Prince

9) Master Assassin, by Jesper Kyd

10) I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, by Bon Jovi

11) (You’re  the) Devil in Disguise (Elvis Presley)

12) Run To You, Bryan Adams

13) Flight over Venice 2, by Jesper Kyd

14) I’m Gonna Getcha Good, by Shania Twain

15) Theme from MacGyver, originally created by Randy Edelman, performed by Charles Fernandez

16) Beverly Hills Cop (Axel F.), by Starlight Orchestra

I’m giving away a copy of Viper’s Kiss: Tell me – what are your favourite songs to ‘do’ something to? Whether it’s doing the vacuuming to getting your mojo on, what is on YOUR playlist? I’ll randomly select from the posts and announce the winner on 5th August through the comments!

Viper’s Kiss by Shannon Curtis
Librarian Maggie Kincaid yearns for excitement—but being accused of espionage is not what she had in mind. Wanted by the police, the FBI and the criminal element, Maggie goes on the run—and runs straight into sexy Luke Fletcher. Unfortunately, when Luke pulls out the handcuffs, it’s not because he has something kinky in mind…

Security expert Luke is intent on seeing the murderous spy known only as Viper brought to justice. The un-spy-like behavior of his fugitive makes him suspect he’s apprehended the wrong woman. Just as they give in to lust, new evidence convinces Luke that Maggie’s not as innocent as she claims to be.

Devastated by Luke’s inability to trust her, Maggie runs again. She’s determined to clear her name, and if that means tracking down a notorious spy even Interpol can’t, then that’s just what she’ll do…

Shannon Curtis has worked as a switchboard operator, dangerous goods handler, logistics centre supervisor and real estate administration manager, and now writes copy and content by day, romantic suspense by night…

Follow me on Twitter: @2BShannonCurtis

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway | 19 Comments »

Male/Male and Me

Tara Stevens | July 7th, 2011

Tara Stevensby Tara Stevens, Carina Press acquisitions team

I’ve always thought of myself as a one-man woman. Boy, was I wrong! Well, at least when it comes to my reading tastes.  If you had asked me a year ago, I’d have said that the male/male niche just wasn’t my cup of coffee or type of thing. I certainly wouldn’t have had a clue what “vanilla gay sex” meant.

That all changed last September when I volunteered to read a manuscript called Muffled Drum for the Carina Press acquisitions team. I confess I didn’t know what to expect, but what I got was a compelling and engrossing historical romance that just happened to feature two heroes in the starring roles.

Two hot men in uniform, transporting you to a different time – what’s not to love?

Since then I’ve become a m/m go-to girl of sorts, and have read not only gay historical romance with Gothic and paranormal elements, but contemporary gay fiction with no trace of romance at all. It doesn’t matter if it’s a novella or a full-length novel, either – if it’s m/m, I snap it up!

Now that I know what all the fuss is about, I have to admit that my discovery makes me feel more adventurous as a reader. I’m not going to get all Freudian on you and try to explain why an increasing number of women are devouring stories about two men getting it on. I will tell you the thing I like best about m/m books: the characters are not automatically lumped into the traditional male/female roles dictated by gender. The heroes start off on more equal footing, and sometimes being gay isn’t even a major issue or big deal – just an accepted reality.

I’m lucky to live in a country where same-sex marriage has been legal for quite some time. We also just finished up another fabulous Pride Week here in Toronto. Homosexuality doesn’t equal shame or silence or stigma. For me, reading stories featuring two men is my little way of understanding and celebrating our diverse sexual and gender identities.

Of course, the smokin’-hot sex doesn’t hurt. :) Having said that, gay “stroke” books with just a bunch of sex scenes strung together are not for me. It can’t be all about the nookie or feel like porn with a superficial plot line. There has to be heart and heat. The story and voice of the manuscript are more important than the sex contained within it.

As a relatively new m/m disciple, I’m happy to see that the market for these books doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, if the number of submissions and recommended books we see on the acquisitions team are any indication.

My favourite m/m books are those with substance, believable conflict and strong character development. Balancing the romantic/emotional aspects of the relationship with the sexual tension makes for a more well-rounded story.

But enough about me – what intrigues you most about m/m books? Have you tried them yet?

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Posted in Books, Carina Press, Marketing, Random conversation, Writing/Submissions Advice | 30 Comments »

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