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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

CONFERENCE TIME: Memorable Moments with...Jane Beckenham

With the conference season just around the corner, I begin counting down the days until I meet up with friends I usually only see once a year.

So much gets packed into 3-4 days and everyone's experiences are different. We go away with a variety of highlights or "a-ha" moments.

I thought I'd poll some of my RWAustralia & RW New Zealand friends and ask them to recall their most memorable moments of the conferences they've been to.

Over the coming weeks I'll be featuring these as snippets and as you'll read, you'll see just how special coming to conference can be. For any first timers out there, don't be nervous or afraid of going to conference. More often than not you're going to find yourself welcomed VERY warmly and will probably go away with a host of friends whom you can't wait to meet next year at conference.

Enjoy! 

Jane's Memories: My very first RWNZ conference gave me huge confidence to keep on going with this writing business. There I was in a room of like-minded women and at last I wasn't alone.

Jane
Also during one of the sessions, they said hands up who wanted a critique partner. Well, two women in my row, as well as myself put our hands up. We even found we lived within walking distance of each other.

Then there is the excitement and nerves of pitching, and getting a request. And, of course, if you head across the ditch, there's the wacky and wonderful costumes of the Aussie cocktail party attendees.

No one major moment stands out, except that as I head home from every conference I have a sense of renewed energy and purpose, a long with a dose of determination to keep on going.

RWNZ Conference
Writing and going to conference has really enriched my life, giving me wonderful friendships, and for that alone, going to conferences is well worth the investment.

See you there!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Winner of BURNING LIES

Thank you to everyone who commented on Helene's post about goal setting. She's drawn a winner for her giveaway copy of BURNING LIES.

Congratulations to...

Sarah Brabazon!!!

If you could contact Helene - heleneyoung01(at)gmail(dot)com - and she can arrange to send you the book!

Happy reading!!!

2012 RWA RITA & Golden Heart winners!

Congratulations to the romance world's Best of the Best for 2012.

A special shout out to fellow Aussie, Fiona Lowe, who took out a RITA for her contemporary single title BOOMERANG BRIDE (which was featured here a little while ago).

And a big woohoo for fellow paranormal author, Darynda Jones, for winning a RITA for FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT as Best First Book.

AND a special woot for 2012 Golden Heart winners:

Elizabeth Bemis - Romantic Suspense novel Edge of Deception
Elisa Beatty - Historical Romance novel The Devil May Care

Both are fellow 2010 Unsinkable GH finalists - so good to see them succeed this year!!!

Full results of the night can be viewed here.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Upcoming New Releases

This year is a busy one for debut Aussie authors, and I'm very excited because many of them are personal friends.

I'd like to share with you what's coming out later this year. I'm hankering to read them, so their release dates can't come fast enough. Watch out for them!

First, Bec McMaster and KISS OF STEEL (London Steampunk series)! It releases with Sourcebooks on September 1st 2012.

It's already garnering early rave reviews (you can check out some of them on Goodreads).

He craves her like no other…
Honoria Todd has no choice. Only in the dreaded Whitechapel district can she escape the long reach of the Duke of Vickers. But seeking refuge there will put her straight into the hands of Blade, legendary master of the rookeries. No one would dare cross him, but what price would he demand to keep her safe?
Ever since Vickers infected him with the craving, Blade has been quicker, stronger, almost immortal—and terrified of losing control of the monster within. Honoria could be his perfect revenge against the duke…or the salvation he never dared to dream of.

Next, Kylie Scott and FLESH, her post-apocalyptic, zombie infested romance (coming out October 1st 2012 with Momentum Books)!

When the plague hit, her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs.
Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.
When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation.
Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three band together to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.
Eleni Konstantine has a couple of releases coming up - some short stories and a novella!
ENCHANTED REALMS (Stormy Divide & Angel Eyes) comes out June 29th, 2012 from Musa Publishing.
ENCHANTED REALMS
STORMY DIVIDE
Thom may be used to the dangers of the forest, but nothing has prepared him for this. When he stumbles across a woman dressed in weird clothing lying on the ground during a storm, he has no choice but to help her. Ellie finds herself in another world, having travelled through time and space thanks to what Thom calls The Rifts. The question is whether she will ever be able to find her way back, or if she will be stuck in this new world forever. Or if she will even want to go home…
ANGEL EYES
Vera’s dreams are haunted each night by a man she only knows as Angel Eyes. He feels more real to her than anything else in her life, including her fiancé. Vera must try to forget her childish dreams of soul mates and happily ever after… but are they really only dreams or can she find a way to be with Angel Eyes forever?


Her novella GATEWAY TO HELL  is out on September 7th, 2012 from Musa Publishing. 

Mastering a unique power was much safer for Zeta Kosmos with a mentor to help her along. Now that he’s disappeared, Zeta must continue alone with her calling—closing Gateways to Hell.
Daniel Richards is in the family business—Warding supernatural evil from causing havoc on humans. As such, he’s only interested in the safety of one-night stands. Until Zeta. This bad boy now wants a long, lasting relationship.

But Zeta can’t let go of her past, nor can she ignore the secret demonic threats against Daniel’s life. She’d rather fight demonic spawn and be dragged into Hell than allow anything happen to him. Can Daniel convince her to stay? Will she have to pay the ultimate price?

Who knows, you may find a new to you author from this bunch!

Another REVIEW of VENGEANCE BORN

Seems to be the day for reviews popping up on Google Alerts! :-)

This one is from Errant Dreams Reviews. A snippet:
I even ended up reading that part of the book a second time—it’s one of those fictions where it’s fascinating to go back and look at what came before knowing how the rest of the story ends. I’m certainly glad to have discovered Griffin’s Light Blade series.
Full review here.

REVIEW of VENGEANCE BORN

An insightful review of VENGEANCE BORN over at Ren's Little Corner. I've linked to the English version and while some of the sentence structure and cohesion of Ren's review is lost (thanks to Google's literal translation), you get the gist of it.

Thanks, Ren, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the first in the Light Blade series! :-)

SERIES: The Paranormal DownUnder - Louise Cusack

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading. What better way to celebrate this than by finding a new-to-you author or revisiting a favorite one?

This series of blog posts, entitled The Paranormal DownUnder, aims to do just that!

Any of my regular readers know I'm passionate about introducing 'local' talent (aka authors from Australia & New Zealand). This time around I'm keen to feature those who write in this genre.

So, be prepared for a swag of authors & some blatant promotion of their books as they share their thoughts on the paranormal genre and why they find it so compelling.

Please welcome my first guest...

Louise Cusack is an international award winning fantasy author whose best-selling Shadow Through Time trilogy was selected by the Doubleday book club as their ‘Editors Choice’.  This series is now available as eBooks, published by Pan Macmillan’s digital imprint Momentum Books.

In 2006 Louise presented the Queensland government’s Queensland Writing Showcase in New York, and in 2009 she was invited to attended the prestigious Crossover multi-media think tank sponsored by the South Australian Film Commission.

Louise also runs her own business Writers: Working with Louise Cusack and has completed over 150 manuscript assessments and tutored more than 80 writing workshops.

You can find Louise on her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Louise, what compels you to write in the paranormal genre?
Since I first read ALICE IN WONDERLAND as a child I’ve been hooked on stranger in a strange land stories: novels like Frank Herbert’s DUNE, Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series (recently made into the movie John Carter), Robert Heinlein’s STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, Ursula le Guin’s LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – all stories about a person who travels from one world into another.

That also seems to be the theme of my own work, and I’ve written fantasy worlds, contemporary fairytale, erotica and lost world adventures, but always it involves someone from our world going into a new world, or visa versa. 

Is there something you'd like to write but have yet to attempt?
I’d love to write sci fi, but to me that’s the ‘best of the best’ and I’d like to give myself another decade of writing (I’ve already been writing for 2 decades) before I feel good enough to do it justice.

I grew up reading all the classics, Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke,  Bradbury, EE ‘Doc’ Smith, Simak, Wyndham and Pohl among others – borrowing them from my older brother’s bookcase and reading them under the mozzie net at night with a torch. Those books were beyond good, and they set the bar pretty high for me. I want to do them justice if I try to step into that arena myself.

Who are auto-buys for you in this genre? What makes their books so appealing to you?
Cassandra Clare.  I am totally smitten with the character of Will Herondale.  He’s so broken and so beautiful.  It’s really masterful writing.  And the Victorian setting is so evocative.  As a result, I’m keen for book three of The Infernal Devices series to arrive.

Suzanne Collins is the other standout for me in recent years.  I love the characters in The Hunger Games, Katniss’s strength and compassion, and the way she makes Peeta and Gale appealing in different ways, so the reader finds it hard to stick in one camp.

Guess I’m a sucker for a good love triangle!

Louise's Shadow Through Time series:


Book One: DESTINY OF THE LIGHT
Ennae is a parallel world joined to our own world by the Sacred Pool, a portal that can only be opened by one with the Guardian blood running through their veins. It is through this watery gateway that Khatrene leaves her modern-day life behind forever, drawn into a quest that will take her into the depths of the unknown.

Khatrene must fulfil her destiny as The Light, the woman whose child will unite the four elemental worlds. At each turn are real and imagined enemies who will do everything in their power to prevent her from fulfilling the prophecy, including the ethereal and erotic shadow woman, the enigmatic tattooed man, even her beloved brother Mihale.

Talis, her appointed Guardian, must help her through the dangerous terrain of Ennae, sacrificing everything to ensure her safety in a land where magic prevails and nothing is as it seems.

Book 2
Book 3

Thursday, July 26, 2012

GUEST BLOGGING at Magical Musings

Come join me over at Magical Musings where I'm talking about being a die-hard paranormal romance addict. Find out if you're one too!

Take a look at my checklist of signs and symptoms and you too could claim the rights to wear a t-shirt that says - “I live in a world of fantasy, so keep your reality away from me!”

See you there!

GUEST BLOGGING over at Dark Side DownUnder

Come meet Kymora, the blind heroine of ALLIANCE FORGED, over at Dark Side DownUnder.

Answer the question and go into a draw for some awesome Light Blade swag.

The winner will have the choice of 2 x Light Blade swag items they'd like from the following - Vengeance Born book banner (50cmx90cm), Alliance Forged t-shirt (XL), Vengeance Born and/or Alliance Forged large magnet (21cm x 29cm), Alliance Forged mousepad.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

REVIEWS of ALLIANCE FORGED

Ignoring your family and telling them to fend for themselves so she could read a book is an amazing thing to do, but that's what this reviewer did when she read ALLIANCE FORGED.

That's an image dear to my author heart!
Awesome story, great characters that easily worm their way into your heart, sweet and sexy romance that will leave you breathless, and enough prejudice between the races to spark a revolt; setting the scene for a war that you know is going to go off!
You can read My Book Chatter's full review here.

And how cool is this?

Picture a dedicated author, determined to get out her word count and ignore her latest new release/in the post arrival. Goes to a friend's house with said book, intending to lend it to her (aka removing temptation), but then makes the decision to read a few pages of said book, then takes it home to read it cover to cover in a single sitting.

Read the full story here!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

GUEST AUTHOR: Helene Young - "Setting Goals - Are You Game?"

Are you someone who has a game plan? Do you set goals – short term and long term?

Helene Young
In 2008 I typed up a large sign that said ‘I will have a publishing contract by the end of 2008’ and stuck it on the office wall. I forgot it was there and Christmas rolled around with its string of visitors.

With the house overflowing, friends used the office to get changed into swimming togs.

‘What’s with the sign?’ one of them asked.

‘The sign? Oh, the sign… Umm…’ I struggled for words, feeling my cheeks heat up. Then it hit me like a smack over the ear. I needed to say it out aloud.

By going public with my goal it became more real, more urgent. Up until then I was pretty much working alone at something I aspired to achieve. Once I’d articulated that dream it became something I couldn’t back away from.  By the middle of 2009 I had a contract with Hachette.

A few months ago I stumbled across a blog that caught my attention – http://thepilotswife-thepilotswife.blogspot.com.au/

The writer was married to a pilot who works for the same airline as I do, although I’ve never met him. Her blog was about motherhood and pregnancy - not topics I usually follow closely - but there was something compelling about her writing, her voice and her use of words that kept me sporadically reading. Then one day, she came clean. She was an aspiring writer with plans to finish her first book. Bravo, I thought, and I left a comment to that effect because she’s taken that first step to treating this writing gig as a goal, something serious she will achieve.

I now have a new goal, and it’s nothing to do with writing. By the end of 2012 GW, Zeus and I will be living aboard a yacht. There, I’ve said it out aloud and now I just have to make it happen!

So, are you with me? Do you have goals you whisper to yourself when no one else is around? Here’s your chance – put it out there in the universe and get going! Tell us what it is you are going to achieve.

You’ll go into the running for a copy of the last goal which I turned it reality – BURNING LIES – and yes, I’ll post anywhere in the world!!

Find Helene at http://www.heleneyoung.com
Follow her on Facebook.
Tweet her on: https://twitter.com/HeleneYoung 

BURNING LIES
“Lies, all lies. It didn't matter how attractive he might be. She didn't really know this man . . . He was living a lie and she didn't know why.
”

Kaitlyn Scott is searching for the truth about her husband's death, even if that means revisiting the most painful day of her life. But what she uncovers is a criminal willing to stop at nothing to keep his secret.


Ryan O'Donnell, an enigmatic undercover cop, is investigating arson attacks when he is drawn into Kaitlyn's world. He tries to fight his attraction for her, hoping the case might put his own demons to rest, but it only threatens to push him over the edge.


With Kaitlyn and Ryan on a collision course, the arsonist seizes the chance to settle some old scores. As the Atherton Tableland burns, the three of them are caught in a fiery dance of danger and desire, and not everyone will come out alive.
Set in Australia's tropical far north, this is an explosive story of peril and passion by the author voted by the Romance Writers of Australia as the most popular novelist of the year, and by the Australian Romance Readers Association as the most popular romantic suspense novelist two years running.

CONFERENCE TIME: Memorable Moments with...Serena Tatti

With the conference season just around the corner, I begin counting down the days until I meet up with friends I usually only see once a year.

So much gets packed into 3-4 days and everyone's experiences are different. We go away with a variety of highlights or "a-ha" moments.

I thought I'd poll some of my RWAustralia & RWNew Zealand friends and ask them to recall their most memorable moments of the conferences they've been to.

Over the coming weeks I'll be featuring these as snippets and as you'll read, you'll see just how special coming to conference can be. For any first timers out there, don't be nervous or afraid of going to conference. More often than not you're going to find yourself welcomed VERY warmly and will probably go away with a host of friends whom you can't wait to meet next year at conference.

Enjoy!

Serena's Memories: My favourite memories of the RWA conferences? There are so many! But I’ve decided to write about my first ever RWA conference.

I’d previously been to a small conference in Adelaide run by the Australian Chapter of the Romance Writers of America where I’d met some wonderful like-minded people including a few published authors both new and quite famous.

The wonderful Valerie Parv
This was to be my first *big* conference. I remember the excitement of gathering in the foyer of the Carlton Crest in Melbourne. The buzz was amazing, the atmosphere almost electric. I stood talking to my friends from the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild (I’d found the Guild through RWA’s Hearts Talk!) We were all very excited.

A familiar face came up to us and said, “You’re the girls from Adelaide!” We all replied that we’d met in Adelaide but we were the Melbourne Mob. The lovely Valerie Parv and her gorgeous husband, Paul treated us like long-lost friends. They stood and talked to us for a good half hour. From that day onwards they knew us each one of us by name.

In what other industry would someone so well-known and loved mingle so freely with the people who were just starting out? The romance writing industry has the most supportive community that I’ve ever been involved with. I can’t think of anywhere else where people cheer when someone else gets that coveted promotion (i.e. sells a book).

Over the years I have made many friends, some published, some aspiring to be published, some famous, some not-so-famous. The one thing we all have in common is the feeling of camaraderie towards our fellow authors.

I can’t wait for the Diamonds Are Forever Conference on the Gold Coast. I know I’ll be learning, laughing and catching up with good friends as well as making new friends.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

SERIES: The Paranormal DownUnder - Jenny Schwartz

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading. What better way to celebrate this than by finding a new-to-you author or revisiting a favorite one?

This series of blog posts, entitled The Paranormal DownUnder, aims to do just that!

Any of my regular readers know I'm passionate about introducing 'local' talent (aka authors from Australia & New Zealand). This time around I'm keen to feature those who write in this genre.

So, be prepared for a swag of authors & some blatant promotion of their books as they share their thoughts on the paranormal genre and why they find it so compelling.

Please welcome my next guest...Jenny Schwartz.

Jenny Schwartz is a West Australian author, a member of Romance Writers of Australia and an occasional poet.

Since the publishing world has shown a distressing tendency to ignore her every rhymed word, you'll find her poetry mostly on her blog, but she has been published in Westerly -- and she insists on telling people of this long ago achievement, probably because she's seriously uncool.

1. What compels you to write in the paranormal genre? 
Numinosity. Does that sound weird? Numinosity (my definition, which may be wrong) is an encounter with an otherness greater than yourself that reveals the world to you in a new way. Doesn't that sound like love to you? Paranormal romance celebrates, and gives space to, the power and infinite variety of love. I enjoy that paranormal romance trespasses into the territory of fairytales and tells the truth of life with wit and imagination.

2. Is there something you'd like to write but have yet to attempt? 
I'm writing steampunk at the moment which is the best fun. I get to mis-use my history degree and rewrite real world events to unfold the way I think they should have. I'm a very opinionated amateur historian.

I'd like to write a science fiction novel. I've written a few SF short stories, but I'd like to stretch my imagination into a full length novel. I guess I like the speculative fiction genre in all its guises - well, maybe not horror. I'm too much of a coward to write or read horror.

3. Who are auto-buys for you in this genre? What makes their books so appealing to you?
Patricia Briggs is an auto-buy. So is Ilona Andrews, though her books are generally listed as urban fantasy - I'm still blurry on the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy, or maybe it's the line that's blurry?

But my absolute favourite paranormal romance novel is Bride of the Rat God by Barbara Hambly. A few months back I'd have felt bad about recommending it because it's a few years old and hard to get hold of, but it's now available as an e-book. Bride of the Rat God is set in the early years of Hollywood and it's just wonderful.

I think the appeal of paranormal romance books for me is the exaggeration of everything: the high stakes, the otherness of the other (i.e. the hero or heroines love interest). I mean, they can even be a vampire, which is pretty other - the vivid strangeness of the world building, and the sense of challenge, often in the form of defying social expectations.

You can catch up with Jenny at her website and she'd love to tweet with you. Her Twitter handle is @Jenny_Schwartz. 

THREE WISHES
She is the Bringer of Death
Cali, a djinni, has sworn to twist the wishes of humans so they die by their own greed and evil. Her latest master is arms dealer David Saqr, a man Cali believes deserves the fate she has in store for him. But this time she finds herself up against Andrew, David's guardian angel.
He is a Protector of Life
Andrew believes David can yet find redemption. He fights Cali for the man's life, even as he tries to persuade her to give in to the sizzling attraction between them. He shows Cali another side of David, and invites her to trust again, to hope. But centuries of being enslaved have hardened Cali's heart - it's going to take all of Andrew's love to convince her to open it and let him in.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

GUEST BLOGGING at Riverina Romantics

Blog Tour stop #15 - returning to Riverina Romantics, this time no swag but with a copy of ALLIANCE FORGED.

There you'll learn more about Kymora and Varian, the heroine and hero of ALLIANCE FORGED, and how they're pushed into confronting some challenging decisions, ones that will determine not only their futures but those of the people they love and care for the most.

Come over and find out more about ALLIANCE FORGED!

ALLEGIANCE SWORN - Bk#3 in the Light Blade series

Well, here it is...the cover and blurb for ALLEGIANCE SWORN, Book #3 in the Light Blade series.

I LOVE IT!

The hero and heroine are finally revealed! :-)

There are so many subtle details that tie in with Arek & Imhara's story as well as the series - Gene Mollica is a wizard!

ALLEGIANCE SWORN
(A Novel of the Light Blade)
There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a demon leader seeks to unify the races…
With the alliance of the humans and the half-blood Na’Chi forged, the demon Na’Reish prepare for war by seizing human blood-slaves. Captured during a rescue mission-gone-wrong, Light Blade warrior Arek Barial finds himself claimed by a Na’Reishi female who offers him an unexpected choice.
Raised in the elite ranks of a society she abhors, Imhara Kaal lives a dangerous double life as a Na’Reish Clan-leader and an advocate for a caste-free life that honors the Old Ways. Openly rebelling against the Na’Reish would mean her death, unless she can find an emissary willing to present her petition to the human Blade council.
But Arek isn’t about to blindly follow a demon—despite the intense attraction growing between them. And while hatred for the Na’Reish is all he has ever known, Arek must learn to trust Imhara, or risk the destruction of all three races…

ALLEGIANCE SWORN will be released on April 2nd, 2013 with Berkley Sensation.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

CONFERENCE TIME: Memorable Moments with...Melissa Smith

With the conference season just around the corner, I begin counting down the days until I meet up with friends I usually only see once a year.

So much gets packed into 3-4 days and everyone's experiences are different. We go away with a variety of highlights or "a-ha" moments.

I thought I'd poll some of my RWAustralia & RW New Zealand friends and ask them to recall their most memorable moments of the conferences they've been to.

Over the coming weeks I'll be featuring these as snippets and as you'll read, you'll see just how special coming to conference can be. For any first timers out there, don't be nervous or afraid of going to conference. More often than not you're going to find yourself welcomed VERY warmly and will probably go away with a host of friends whom you can't wait to meet next year at conference.

Enjoy!

Melissa's Memories: The RWA Conference bar was set sky-high in 2008 when attended my first conference at the Langham, Melbourne.

VPAward - Mel is third from the left
Even to this day (and with many conferences now under my belt) this conference continues to resonate. For a start the incomparable Margie Lawson was a keynote speaker. Not only did she bedazzle a newbie with all her writing and psychological insights but she also illustrated a very powerful lesson - show not tell.

One rhetorical device she explained was 'backloading' (putting an important word at the end of a sentence to create instant impact) but it was in the showing of such a device that she excelled.

For three days she stood in front of us, self-contained and articulate, and then at the very last moment she shared her personal journey of recovery after a car-crash. She cleverly performed an emotional 'backload'. And to quote some Margie Lawson jargon - 'Powerful. You bet.'

The 2008 conference also remains a hallowed one because of the special friendships forged. Being a geographically isolated writer, the experience of talking writing to like-minded people proved both empowering and liberating. Faces were put to on-line friends and new connections were formed over cups of English-breakfast tea and mad dashes to already-started workshops.

Each and every RWA conference committee should be commended for the job that they do, year after fabulous year. RWA conferences are truly a magical event. Their sparkle and glitter shine long after the bags are unpacked and the goodie-bag chocolates are consumed. And the magic-dust from 2008 is still very much shimmering.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Riverina Romantics - Sunday Swag!

There's some Light Blade hunky goodness going up for grabs over at Riverina Romantics, folks!



Varian is featured heavily in the giveaways (seeing as it's his book that's just been let loose on the world).

You can check out the goodies here! Good luck if you're entering!

GUEST BLOGGING at The Qwillery

Blog Tour stop #14 - The Qwillery!

Photobucket

There's a snippet from the book and you learn more about Kymora, the blind heroine of ALLIANCE FORGED.

See you there!

GUEST BLOGGING at the Book Club Sisters

Another interview and another snippet from ALLIANCE FORGED over at the Book Club Sisters!

You'll find out about my obsessions, what I like to do to relax and I share a little advice for aspiring authors, among other things.

Will I see you there? :-)


Book Club Sisters

Saturday, July 14, 2012

SERIES: The Paranormal DownUnder - Angela Verdenius

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading. What better way to celebrate this than by finding a new-to-you author or revisiting a favorite one?

This series of blog posts, entitled The Paranormal DownUnder, aims to do just that!

Any of my regular readers know I'm passionate about introducing 'local' talent (aka authors from Australia & New Zealand). This time around I'm keen to feature those who write in this genre.

So, be prepared for a swag of authors & some blatant promotion of their books as they share their thoughts on the paranormal genre and why they find it so compelling.

Please welcome my next guest...Angela Verdenius.

Angela lives in Australia, where she is happily ruled by her cats. When not working as a nurse, or procrastinating and sneaking peeks at books, she can usually be found at her trusty computer…procrastinating by playing on the internet…

Reading has always been her escape, writing her dream. Horror, myths, legends, fantasy and history, there are no limits to the wonders to be found. And romance? Well, that adds the spice, hope and happiness ever after.

What compels you to write in the paranormal genre?
One of the genres I write, sci-fi/futuristic romances, I somehow 'fell' into.  I read Johanna Lindsey's WARRIOR WOMAN , and that was it for me!  I love being able to make my own worlds and laws, no matter how improbable.  My only limits are my imagination, everything is open to run with!

Is there something you'd like to write but have yet to attempt?
I wrote a short zombie horror/satire story, which I loved doing.  I want to write a full horror story one day, and also an urban fantasy with a difference.

Who are auto-buys for you in this genre? What makes their books so appealing to you?
I love Susan Grant's sci-fi romances, she has such wonderful worlds and intriguing people.

I haven't found many sci-fi/futuristic romances that intrigue me, but I also read straight paranormal romance - JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and Christine Feehan's Dark series are two of my automatic buys.

The Brotherhood books are so full of colourful characters and jargon, and Ward is not afraid to be tough on her characters, and they have their own faults as well. The Dark series is so old world and sexy - you gotta love an Alpha man who thinks his woman is the most precious person in the world *swoon*!

OPERATION SEDUCTION
The future is sizzling good fun…
The United Air Medics…health professionals to society, and 'bonzer people' to the populations living in the Australian outback in need of medical attention.
However, behind the scenes is a whole different story.  Generously-proportioned nurse Regan, and the hunky medic Digby, are having an all-out private war...throw in some cattle duffers and a wild ride through the skies, and life is going to get a whole lot more interesting…and hot.

To find out more about Angela, go to her website or blog (for the lighter side of life!).

And here are some of Angela's other books in her Heart & Soul sci-fi series (published with Wings ePress):


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Berkley Jove Author Chat!

On Thursday, July 12 at 9:00 PM - USA ET, folks!!! -  I'll be one of several authors in the Berkley Writerspace Reader's Chat Room. This is my first time participating in this sort of event, so it's going to be a new experience.

If I worked out the time conversion properly, for anyone in -
* New Zealand this equates to Friday, July 13, at 1pm
* QLD, VIC, NSW TAS, Australia - Friday, July 13, at 11.00am
* SA & NT, Australia - Friday, July 13, at 9.30am
* WA, Australia - Friday, July 13, at 9.00am.

The Berkley authors participating are:
Ilona Andrews - MAGIC DREAMS
Stacey Ballis - OFF THE MENU
Maya Banks - ECHOES AT DAWN
Shayla Black - HOT IN HANDCUFFS
Laura Brodie - ALL THE TRUTH
Meljean Brook - HEART OF STEEL
Pamela Clare - DEFIANT
Catherine Coulter - SPLIT SECOND
Sylvia Day - HOT IN HANDCUFFS
Christine Feehan - SAMURAI GAME
Yasmine Galenorn - NIGHT SEEKER
Kylie Griffin - ALLIANCE FORGED
Virgnia Kantra - CAROLINA HOME
Roni Loren - MELT INTO YOU
Kasey Mackenzie - BLACKHEARTED BETRAYAL
Hanna Martine - LIQUID LIES
Tori St. Claire - LIE TO ME
Jodi Thomas - IN A HEARTBEAT
Sherry Thomas - RAVISHING THE HEIRESS
Shiloh Walker - HOT IN HANDCUFFS
Wendy Wax - OCEAN BEACH

If you need to work out your own timezone conversion, try this link.

Would love to see you there!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

REVIEW of VENGEANCE BORN

An incredible review for VENGEANCE BORN from Kaydid in Oz.

Snippets from the review:
Here’s the thing that’s really great about this series: the religion. Stop backing away. This isn’t a scary-religious-fanatic fantasy romance. But it is a fantasy romance where religion plays an enormous part in the world, and therefore in the story. And, if you want it to, it can work as a pretty powerful message about the role religion plays in this world too. But it’s never a ‘hey look at me and my allegory! Aren’t I clever with all this allegory I’m doing here?!’ narrative...

...there’s the deft handling of spirituality in a way that I haven’t seen in recent times, an acknowledgement that a belief system is a powerful force, even if we try not to recognise it, and that for all the strife it can cause, it can be an enormous force for good as well.

Bottom line: Vengeance Born is a thought-provoker, but you might not necessarily notice, wrapped up as it is in the trappings of an entertaining fantasy novel, with a little road trip romance in the middle.
All I can say is wow and thanks! :-)

Full review here.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Joss Ware's Envy Chronicles

Do you like post-apocalyptic romances?

Then check out Joss Ware's Envy Chronicles series...
Everything they knew is gone.
From the raging fires, five men emerge with extraordinary new powers. They are humankind's last hope ... but they cannot survive this dark, ravaged world alone...
Like that?

Still need convincing?


Have a gander at the two interviews I conducted with Joss here on the blog then. She gives the low down on the books and talks about the inspiration behind her series:
If you enjoyed the interviews then here's some even better news.

Avon has ebook specials on the Envy Chronicles series (prices range from $1.99 to $4.99!!!

It's to help celebrate the upcoming release of NIGHT FORBIDDEN (July 31st).

BUT the special only runs until the end of the month!

So, look for:
If you haven't discovered Joss Ware yet, then get over there and check out her books!!!
WARNING: The Envy Chronicles is an addictive series!

GUEST BLOGGING at My Bookish Ways

This is Blog Tour stop #12 and a return visit to My Bookish Ways!

I'm talking about Varian, the hero of ALLIANCE FORGED. Is he a man or demon? Does he possess a gift or a curse?

And there's a giveaway, so don't miss out! :-)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sound the trumpets, call out a multitude of male dancers, throw the streamers and stamp your feet!!!


It's official - my good friend, Michelle de Rooy, has crossed over to the OTHER SIDE! She has received THE CALL, A CONTRACT, and accepted!!!!



I'm bloody proud (and doing a mad dance around the office in excitement) to announce that she has been snaffled up by Samhain who have bought her contemporary romance (the manuscript that won the RWA Valerie Parv Award last year).

She will be writing under the name of Dakota Harrison.


CONGRATULATIONS, Michelle!!!!!!!

CONFERENCE TIME: Memorable Moments with...Cath Evans

With the conference season just around the corner, I begin counting down the days until I meet up with friends I usually only see once a year.
So much gets packed into 3-4 days and everyone's experiences are different. We go away with a variety of highlights or "a-ha" moments.

I thought I'd poll some of my RWAustralia & RW New Zealand friends and ask them to recall their most memorable moments of the conferences they've been to.

Over the coming weeks I'll be featuring these as snippets and as you'll read, you'll see just how special coming to conference can be. For any first timers out there, don't be nervous or afraid of going to conference. More often than not you're going to find yourself welcomed VERY warmly and will probably go away with a host of friends whom you can't wait to meet next year at conference.

Enjoy!

Cath's Memories: My first face-to-face conference was Brisbane 2009. Thank goodness I’d done Clayton’s in 2008 so I had an inkling of how full my brain would become. I knew no one to look at, but had lots of email friends and acquaintances. Meeting them was incredible. What I’d picked up about their personality via email, was usually right. Firm friendships were forged.

The noise is the thing that left me speechless. I’d never heard so much noise. Walking into the Cocktail Party was like standing under a tree with a billion lorikeets screeching at once. I was with my newly-met critique partner and we made a few forays into the room but the waves of noise sent us out again. As we were about to leave, Anne Gracie (who was the RWA President) and Mary Jo Putney (the keynote speaker) stopped to talk to us. We almost swooned. Why would such famous people talk to us?!

We talked about books, writing, conferences, people, the attitudes of others to romance, the noise. They shared themselves with us - two nobodies. We were caught up in the spell of famous authors speaking to us. Then others arrived, the group expanded, people left. We made it to the end of the Cocktail Party and had forgotten about the noise, our discomfort, and our newness.

We walked around the rest of the conference on a high that just got higher. No matter how high a pedestal we’d put authors/editors/agents on, they came down and talked to us.

I’ve been to lots of work conferences and although I’ve enjoyed every single one, I’ve never felt the buzz or the high that RWA conferences give. It’s like a shot of creativity, mixed with confidence, mixed with hope and dreams. It’s the best feeling in the world - except for that noise! :-)

Monday, July 9, 2012

ALLIANCE FORGED Goodreads Giveaway!

Begins now and goes until August 9th!

Spread the word!




 
 


    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 



   

        Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin
   


   

     


          Alliance Forged
     


     


          by Kylie Griffin
     



     

         
            Giveaway ends August 09, 2012.
         

         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         

     

   

   


      Enter to win

RWA Author Cafe

Going to the RWA "Diamonds are Forever" conference on the Gold Coast in August?

Well, one of the special events being trialled on Sunday 19th August is called Author Cafe.

It will be held during the break sessions at tables set up around the conference venue and you'll have the chance to sit and chat with an author for half an hour.

With 28 authors to choose from, and only 5 attendees in each Cafe, it will be a great opportunity to talk to them about anything to do with writing, publishing, the industry...

Attendees will need to nominate 3 authors they wish to chat with.

Nominations must be sent to Author Café organiser Nicole Murphy by August 4.

A random draw will take place to find the five attendees that will sit with each author. Once you’ve been drawn to be in an Author Café, your other nominations will be taken out so you will only be given a place with one author.

Attendees will be notified if they’ve been successful and who their author is on August 10.

For more details, click here.


Authors and the times they will be at the Author Café.

10-10.30 (morning tea)
Eloisa James; Alex Sokoloff; Keri Arthur; Amanda Ashby; Michelle Conder; Kaz Delaney; CJ Archer; Barbara Hannay; Rowena Cory Daniells, Annie West 

12.30-1 (lunch)
Valerie Parv; Fiona Lowe; Rhian Cahill; Anne Gracie; Laura O’Connell; Michelle Douglas; Denise Rossetti; Sandy Curtis 

3.10-3.40 (afternoon tea)
Shannon Curtis; Anna Campbell; Paula Roe; Tracey O’Hara; Kylie Griffin; Christina Brooke; Fiona McArthur; Leah Ashton

Be quick though - places are limited!