It’s time to announce the winner of a copy of FAERIE FATE from Silver’s guest blog!

Using Random.org, the winner is…

Kami!

Congratulations, Kami! Please email Silver at  silverjames@swbell.net with your choice of paperback or ebook, and be sure to include your snail mail address  for the book, or email address for the .pdf version.

And for everyone else, here’s my question of the day: Have you bought or gotten an e-reader yet?

It’s my pleasure to welcome the one and only Silver James to the blog today! I had the privilege of reading an early version of Silver’s book, FAERIE FATE, and within the very first few pages I was swept away into another world filled with rich characters, deep magic and timeless love.  Please join me in welcoming Silver James!

Writing: One Tenth Inspiration, Nine Tenths Perspiration

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away, a writer slaved away at her desk. Tap-tap-tippity-tap. Her fingers flew across the keyboard and words magically appeared—translated from her imagination to the virtual paper of her monitor. Yet, times abounded when the illusive WIP danced just out of her reach like a will-o-the-wisp, teasing her with a unicorn’s song. Publication. An agent. An editor. The New York Times Best Seller’s List! Elusive dreams indeed.

When harsh reality knocked on the door, I answered. Woe is me. My quest for publication seemed as futile as laying hands on the Holy Grail at times. I considered giving up; considered laying aside my keyboard-cum-sword. Publication was a dragon I could not slay; that shining unicorn merely an illusion. I could tell stories! Inspired stories of derring do and star-crossed lovers, of dark moments and happy ever afters. I could! Convincing anyone but my friends and family proved tougher. But I made it. Finally. Albeit, my route proved circuitous. And that’s when it got hard. Really hard. See, I thought writers only needed to be inspired—that inspiration led to marvelous books of the sort agents and editors clamored to get. Ha! (I’m still looking for an agent, as my circuitous route to publication led me down a less-traveled path.) Getting the contract was just the tip of the iceberg. Edits. Revisions. Excerpts. Blurbs. Websites and covers and blogs, oh my!

The “ugly” truth hit about the same time I received my release date for FAERIE FATE. One word slapped me in the face. Marketing. ACK! AckSputterCringeNOOOOOOO! You see, there’s a reason I never went into sales or retail. I hate selling. *shudder* I especially hate selling myself. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy standing in front of crowd and giving a speech or acting. THAT’S different. Totally. “It is,” she says insistently. I can stand up and give a ten-minute extemporaneous speech at the drop of hat. A ten-minute pitch session with an editor or agent? FAIL! Writing a cover blurb? FAIL! But that’s a topic for another blog. Today, I’m discussing all the fun a writer gets to have when it comes time to promote The Book. Didja catch the sarcasm? Forget the post cards, bookmarks, and promo items to give away. Those are easy. The hard part is doing exactly what I’m doing here today—connecting, hopefully, with readers and convincing them to buy my book. I know it doesn’t look hard, given I’m sitting here in my fuzzy slippers, jammies, and only brushed my teeth because my coffee tastes better. The hard part comes from projecting personality and a feel for my writing and my work in the two-dimensional world. Yes, it is just like writing a book. But not. See, in a book, I am “acting out parts and telling a story.” Here, I am…acting like myself. If a reader doesn’t like *ME*, will they like my book? Will they even pick it up to give it a try? (Cue the Sally Field “They LIKE me” moment…)

Deciding how much to reveal, deciding on a topic of interest, deciding on how much you can write before boring your audience to death… This is tough! Thomas Edison pinned the tail on the donkey when he said, Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration. Simply change “genius” to “writing.”

If you could go back, do it over again, would you take a chance to find true love? What if you had no choice?

On her fiftieth birthday, the faerie catapult Rebecca Miller a thousand years into the past to find her happily ever after with Ciaran MacDermot, the last Fenian warrior in his line. In the 21st Century, Becca is old enough to be Ciaran’s mother. In the 10th, she’s young enough to be his bride.

The fae forgot to mention one slight stipulation. The lovers must be bound before the Festival of Light, or Becca will forever disappear into Tir Nan Óg, the faerie Land of the Ever Young. Will they discover the binding words before time runs out and they’re torn apart forever? Or will their eternal love defeat their Faerie Fate?

Without the words, history is doomed to repeat itself.

****
But knowing y’all, you want to get a little more “up close and personal” with our hero. One of the things Becca notices most often is his incredible blue eyes. (Well…along with his muscular legs and chest, shoulders, and his ass…ets. His other assets. That’s what I meant. Really.) Here’s how Becca describes him at one point:

Becca wrapped the mantle around her like a toga. She ran from the room but stopped on the top step of the stairs, unaware her guard had stopped behind her. Men milled about the great hall, Niall and a few others shouting orders. Ciaran stood in the midst of it all, a wild warrior tall and strong.

She couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t just handsome. He was beautiful in the way the Rocky Mountains were with their rugged majesty, the way a desert sunset was all crimson fire, blazing across a blue sky, so brilliant one had to squint. Her eyes filled with rainbows as she blinked away tears.

Earlier in the story, Becca wakes up to discover Ciaran standing in the doorway, watching her. This is what happened next:

Becca sucked in her breath. That gorgeous guy lounged against the doorjamb, leering at her. “How long have you been there?” she sputtered.

Grinning lopsidedly, he affirmed her worst fear when he answered, “Long enough, cailín.”

The man positively purred at her, and she couldn’t keep her eyes from straying. Lord but he was tall, and all that black hair, not to mention… She jerked her gaze back to his face.

Ciaran really hadn’t meant to watch her get out of bed, but when she threw back the covers and was naked… Then she swung those magnificent legs over the side of the bed, and he couldn’t force his eyes to look away or his body to behave. He was pleased she’d boldly looked him over. Tit for tat, he thought. Then the delicate pink tip of her tongue swept across her bottom lip, and he almost groaned aloud. He knew the gesture was unconscious on her part, which made it even more enticing. When her top teeth tugged at her lip, it was all he could do to stand there. Every muscle in his body wanted to sweep her into his arms so he could kiss her soundly. She blushed and the fact she was embarrassed by her perusal of him amused a man who’d never been amused by a cailín before.

Defensively, she pulled the throw closer around her. “Do you mind?” she snarled pointedly.

“I don’t mind at all.” His masculine conceit fueled his smug grin.

Becca looked around for something to throw at his arrogant face. Guessing her intentions, he laughed before ducking out the door and tugging it closed behind him.

Ciaran is all Alpha Male. Arrogant. Strong. Completely sure of himself, even though Becca leaves him gobsmacked. He has a big heart and he loves his cailín with his entire heart. One random commenter will receive their choice of the paperback or ebook .pdf version of FAERIE FATE. If you already have the book, you can pick another FATE goodie (mug, notebook, or totebag)!

Available now from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com. and B&N.com: FAERIE FATE by Silver James

My imagination has always run rampant. As a published author, I get to share the stories created there. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve been a mother, military officer’s wife, state appellate court marshal, airport rescue firefighter and forensic fire photographer, crime analyst, and technical crime scene investigator. Retired from the “real world” now, I live in Oklahoma and spend my days at the computer with my two Newfoundland dogs, the “lolcat” who rules us all, and myriad characters all clamoring for attention. Eventually, I’ll tell each of their stories, including the second book in the Faerie Tales: FAERIE FIRE coming September 17, 2010. For more information visit me at www.silverjames.com

It’s week five of the Cyber Launch Party!  The prize is the DVD of the third season of CHARMED, and I’ll pick the random winner from this week’s comments.  

I’m so excited about our guest blogger today! Last year, I picked up New York Times and USA Today bestseller Nalini Singh’s book HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE and became an instant fan girl. Nalini’s Psy/Changeling world fascinated me. And now, she’s embarking on an exciting new series with the release of ANGELS’ BLOOD March 3rd. Romantic Times chose ANGELS’ BLOOD as a Top Pick, calling it “Tremendous!”, while Night Owl Reviews called it one “heck of a ride.” Join me in welcoming Nalini Singh!

 Location, location, location!

Nalini Singh

First up, thank you to Jennifer for inviting me to guest on her blog. I thought it might be fun to talk about story locations today. 

My March release, Angels’ Blood, kicks off the Guild Hunter series. Angels’ Blood is set in New York City. I had to change the geography of the buildings a little bit to insert Archangel Tower and a few other things, but the physical geography remains the same. So does the technology, as the book is set in the present day.

I didn’t consciously sit down and choose NY as the setting for Angels’ Blood. I simply knew as soon as I started writing it, that there was no other place it could be set. The city is urban, beautiful, and yes, it has a dark side. All those elements tied in perfectly into the story.  

But more, it was the feel, the beat of the city that was important, because the angels and vampires in Angels’ Blood aren’t reclusive or hidden. They’re very much active in the present, very much part of the world. We see the city through their eyes, and New York’s mix of sophistication and hard edges suits them far better than a “softer” city ever could.

I think setting can play an important part in a book, whether it’s described in depth, or mentioned in passing. As a reader, I often don’t pay attention to a setting consciously-sometimes, it’s only after I close the book that I realize how much it helped shape the story.

 How about you? Is setting important to you? Are there any settings, whether present day or historical, that you particularly enjoy?

 Everyone who leaves a comment goes into a draw to win a signed copy of a book from my Psy/Changeling backlist (i.e. published before 2009). Prize will be posted out in March.

 You can read excerpts at my website: http://http://www.nalinisingh.com/

Today, I have another exciting guest blogger: Nationally bestselling author Eve Silver, who also writes under the name Eve Kenin, has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, Reviewers Choice Awards from RT BOOKreviews, and was chosen by Library Journal as one of their Best Genre Fiction 2007 picks. This is even more amazing considering her first book was published in 2005, just a few short years ago! Romantic Times designated DEMON’S HUNGER one of their Top Picks and said, “…Silver’s climb to the top is proving to be a rapid one!” I agree! I just finished Eve’s book DEMON’S HUNGER over the weekend and loved it! It’s dark, sexy and magical. Eve has generously offered to give away an autographed copy of one of her books to one lucky commenter. Welcome Eve!

 I’m often asked if I bring my life experiences to my stories. My first instinct is to say no because I haven’t experienced anything like the worlds I create in my novels. But if I think about it, then I have to backtrack a little and say yes. Sort of.

In my latest release, Demon’s Hunger, forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn agrees to help sexy sorcerer Dain Hawkins hunt for a supernatural serial killer, only to find herself the most likely suspect.

Well, I’ve never met a sorcerer, a demon, or been part of the hunt for a serial killer, so all those aspects of the story came from the deep, dark cauldron of my imagination. But Vivien’s career as a forensic anthropologist—while not exactly familiar territory—was somewhat related to my own life experiences. I teach human anatomy, so I know a little bit about bones. Not as much as Vivien. But enough to get by. And I have to admit, I love bones. All the little bumps and grooves, the cool shapes, the way they fit together to create the framework to hang our muscles and ligaments and other soft tissues on. Sort of like hanging a coat on a hanger, LOL!

Oh, and the hero of Demon’s Hunger, Dain Hawkins, has a thing for vanilla bean tea. I was drinking a ton of that tea while I was writing the story, and it just crept in–another life experience weaving its way through the book. And while we’re on the topic of Dain…he’s a sexy, solitary, tortured mage of illusion who plays his cards close to the chest. He’s been betrayed by those he put his faith in, and has a bit of a problem with trust…and a problem with damsels in distress. He wants to save them. But this time, the damsel is the type to save herself. What’s a guy to do?

Thanks, Jennifer, for inviting me to guest blog, and thanks to all who have popped by to visit. I’m going to leave you with a short list of some of the February releases I’m looking forward to (yeah, there are a bunch more. I could go on forever, LOL!):

Blood Magic~Jennifer Lyon

A View to a Kiss~Caroline Linden

Road to Seduction~Ann Christopher

Lords of Desire~(anthology) Virginia Henley, Sally MacKenzie, Victoria Dahl, Kristi Astor

Made to be Broken~Kelley Armstrong

For a chance to win an autographed copy of one of my books, just leave a comment, a question, or a book suggestion of your own! (NOTE: Winner will be announced on the weekend.)

Happy reading!

Eve

–

http://www.evesilver.net

Copyright © 2008. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved 

“This is not a good idea,” Dain rasped, but still, he held her close, the faintly citrus scent of his skin beguiling her, making her want to lean close and breathe him in until she was filled.

Deliberately, Vivien shifted her hips against his.

Catching her wrists, he dragged her hands up above her head, pinned her with the weight of his body against the frigid brick wall. He was wire-tight, in-control, and she wanted to break down that wall, free the power she felt pulsing just beneath the surface.

He looked down at her, unblinking, his features hard and beautiful, shadowed by the night.

“Please,” she whispered.

Myriad emotions chased across his features. Speculation. Bewilderment. Wariness. Lust.

He still held her wrists in his grasp, and she liked that, liked the feeling of him holding her, while at the same time she ached to drag her hands free, to shove them under his shirt, touch the heat of his skin.

Letting his weight come full against her, he moved his free hand to her nape, tipping her face to his, her mouth to his, and he kissed her. Rough. Urgent. His lips hard on her own.

She moaned, heat scorching through her, a fever, a blazing desert sun. There was no cold brick wall, no bitter wind, only Dain, the heat of him, the press of his body, a delicious, heavy weight.

Hard, demanding, his mouth moved on hers, his tongue tasting her, licking her lips, her teeth, twining with her own tongue until she thought of nothing but the lush taste of him.

The scrape of his teeth over her lower lip made her moan. Luscious, urgent pleasure. She’d never felt this way. Never wanted anything, anyone, the way she wanted Dain Hawkins, like she had a killing thirst that only he could slake.

She loved the way he tasted, the way he smelled, the crushing sensation of his body pressed to hers.

     Yanking her hands free of his grasp, she shoved them under his shirt, drew her nails along his skin. Hot. Smooth. The ridges of his abdomen—layers of lean muscle—twitched at her touch, his response making the burning current of her desire coil through her veins, setting her on fire.

She tore her mouth from his, licked the base of his throat, tasted a faint hint of salt. With a sultry laugh, she closed her teeth on skin and muscle, and was rewarded by a hiss of pleasure.

     Longing twisted in her gut, so keen, so deep.

     He groaned, slid his hands down her back to her buttocks, dragged her tighter against him, dragged his teeth along her neck. Then he took her mouth with his, claiming her, wet and rough.

Aggressive.

     She hadn’t known she would like that. But she did. Oh, God, she did.

Click Here For Contest Info

Today, I have a very special Guest Blogger: USA Today best selling author  Maureen Child.  Maureen has published over 100 books and novellas,  is a six time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America, and one of her novels, A POCKETFUL OF PARADISE, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector,starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.  Maureen is also a voracious reader, and loves the paranormal genre, which clearly means she has excellent taste! Maureen is  here to tell us about her latest book  BEDEVILED, and pay attention because she’s giving away a free copy! Welcome Maureen!

Hey Jen, thanks for inviting me to drop in on your brand new site! Very nice and can’t wait to get my copy of BLOOD MAGIC!

I’m actually here today to talk about my new release from NAL. It’s called BEDEVILED and that’s the cover below. Is that gorgeous or what? And, speaking as the writer, I’m going to say the story’s really good, too. BEDEVILED got a starred review from Booklist, too, so I’m not the only one who thinks so! (okay, that’s enough for brag mode)

I absolutely love the paranormal. Dark. Light. Scary. Funny. But when I’m writing them, I’ve got to have some humor in there. And I think BEDEVILED really comes through in that department.

Maggie Donovan is a perfectly ordinary woman. Until the day she sees her ex-boyfriend being eaten. (Not in a sexual way, either)! Anyway, in the incredibly clumsy fight for her life, Maggie ends up inhaling what she finds out later, is Faery dust. And that dust is changing her whole world. Suddenly, she’s super strong and has a tendency to float when she’s not holding onto something. But that’s just the beginning of weird.

Culhane, a centuries old Fenian Warrior for the Fae arrives to tell Maggie that she is the Destined Queen of the Fae. The only trick is, she has to defeat evil Queen Mab to claim the throne. No problem, except that Maggie doesn’t know how to fight, doesn’t have time to fight and hey, has zero interest in being the Queen of a world she never even knew existed until like five minutes ago.

Plus, Maggie and Culhane have a much deeper connection than she knows. But then, Culhane has this pesky connection to Mab, too…

 I hope you give BEDEVILED a try and if you do, hope you love it! I’m going to give away a copy of BEDEVILED to one of the posters here today, so tell me…

How do you like your paranormals? Light? Dark? Funny? (Come on, vote for funny!)

Every comment will be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of BEDEVILED! The winner will be announced this weekend.