Christmas in July is coming with lots of giveaways!

Fun News, you guys!

Boroughs, the publisher who oversees my Hearts of Metal series, is having a Christmas in July party on Facebook, where multiple authors, including yours truly, will be doing tons of giveaways!

Go to this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/142022203033527/?active_tab=discussion to join in the fun!
In other good news, I've reached the 90% mark on Hearts of Metal book 5. I'm warning you, you're not going to like Quinn in this one, but we'll see if he starts being reasonable at the end.
Then I'm taking a week or so off to pick huckleberries so we can make more syrup, jam, and jelly.
I hope everyone's having a good summer and I'll talk you you again soon!
Thank you so much for being one of my readers.
((Hugs))

Brooklyn Ann

RT 2014 Recap: Part I

Sorry for the delay. Some personal stuff happened right after I got back from my trip.
Anyway, as you all know, I recently returned from my very first book convention, which was none other than the RT Booklover's Convention in NEW ORLEANS!!!!!
I figured for my first con, I'd go big or go home.

Well, it was more than big, it was HUGE.

My best description for my mental state during those action-packed four days was "Overwhelmed and Overjoyed." There was just so much going on that I'm going to split this into at least 3 posts.

I'll start with the overview. After a long plane ride across the country, I arrived in NOLA and thankfully didn't miss my airport shuttle. On the shuttle I met some fellow excited attendees and a nice local who point out the cemeteries and landmarks along with recommending some good restaurants.
The Marriott in the French Quarter was large and imposing. However I managed to check in and get my badge and track down my roommate, Urban Fantasy author Jess Haines.

Releases July 1st!

If you haven't read her already, CHECK HER OUT!!!!

Anyway, she showed me to our room and since we were both starving, she immediately took me to a nifty restaurant called Daisy Dukes and we split a basket of the best fried shrimp that I've had in my life. She then played sherpa and took me on a mini tour around the block. I just gaped at everything and forgot to take pictures. She treated me to my first beignet. OMG, the fluffy, sugary goodness!!

Still joyous and staring at everything, we returned to our room to get ready for a Mardis Gras party. I got to meet my first book reviewer, Casey from Literary Escapism and she is a doll, so I totally gave her one of my few copies of WRENCHING FATE.

We talked books while changing into festive costumes and heading down to the bus that took us to Mardi Gras World. Jess was to participate in the event so I tagged along with Casey and Amy Boggs, a charming literary agent. I pretty much stayed glued to them as we headed into the building because they were the closest to familiar people I knew. We really had no idea what to expect and were awed and delighted at what came next. Ready for a slew of pictures? Great!

Lining up outside Mardi Gras World

There were some awesome statues that I think they use on floats.

BATMAN!

Headless Horseman!!

After that, there was a parade with Jazz musicians and authors in floats and stuff throwing beads at us.

Sara Humphreys yanked me out of the crowd so we could take a selfie with her and Susanna Kearsley.

It was freakin' awesome.

After the parade we got to visit a bunch of booths and try New Orleans food. And that is how I fell in love with Shrimp n' grits and Crawfish Etoufee.

I also met a bunch more authors and reviewers and readers and industry people.

The bar outside was too spendy and exact cash only, so Jess and I took off shortly afterward and she gave me a quick tour of Bourbon Street and we visited a cool outdoor bar called Pat O' Brien's and had a nifty cocktail (I got to keep the glass) before shambling back to the hotel.

Then we passed the heck out because we were exhausted and had a full schedule of more RT fun early in the morning.

So the first day was... WOW!

Stay tuned for part II!   

When Our Favorite Authors Crash and Burn

I am sure this happens to you all often. You get hooked on an author, eagerly awaiting their next release while voraciously re-reading their previous books to whet your appetite for the new installment.

You bring their newest shiny book home, perhaps you even call in sick from work to devour it. You crack it open and begin reading the first few pages with a joyous grin. Then, it starts. Your smile dims somewhat. This character would never do something like that. However, with high hopes, you read further. Perhaps there's a nifty twist to explain it. A few pages later, a perplexed frown mars your features. Either a crappy character or a cheesy plot device has entered the picture. And is that yet another typo?


You finish the book and close it, aching with disappointment. What happened? If this were anyone but your favorite author, you would have tossed the book aside by the second chapter. Nevertheless, meager hope shines in your breast. Maybe the author was having some personal issues. Maybe this bad book was needed to lead up to something awesome. But....you have a bad feeling. You wait for the next book, but not with half the excitement as before. You don't run to the closest bookstore to get it. Instead, you search for the best bargain, and even then part with your money grudgingly.

And your suspicions were confirmed. This one is even worse than the last. Still, you've invested a lot of time with this author and retain some loyalty. You wait until the next one is released in paperback...and again it was a waste of money. Better just get it at the library next time.

As a reader, I feel horribly betrayed when this happens.

As an author, I fall on my knees and pray, "Please don't let me end up like them!"


But really, what happened? I hear rumors sometimes that this or that author has literally gone insane. I read in the news that another had lost a close relative. Or perhaps it is as simple as not following Stephen King's credo to "write with the door closed" during the first draft. It is hard enough for an unpublished writer to refrain from talking about their project or even showing it to friends and family. I can't imagine what it's like for best-sellers whose work everyone and their cat is clamoring for. But like King says: "...if no one says to you, '....this is Wonderful!,' you are a lot less apt to slack off or to start concentrating on the wrong thing...being wonderful, for instance, instead of telling the goddam story."


Of course...there are a few out there that I am more in favor of the "gone insane" theory. :)

Fun at the Release party for HUNTED

I've been anticipating this story since book one, when the premise was first hinted. Needless to say, like all of Rebecca Zanetti's release parties, I was hella-excited to attend this one. The only bad thing about 'em is that I've been working a night job and thus I only get to hang out for a half hour tops.

But I made it, picked up my copy of HUNTED and I got my fan-girl picture with the author.

Rebecca's her usual elegant self. I look like a dork, but at least I'm rockin' my DIO shirt!

My buddies, Shelley Martin and Bonnie R. Paulson were there as well and we had fun catching up. I didn't get any wine this time because I'd lost my wallet (at work, thankfully) and the guy carded me. Shelley and Rebecca were jealous, but I was more irritated than flattered. It sucks not having a wallet...or wine. But at least I learned that my heavy metal t-shirts make me look young. :)

To make up for the lack of wine, I indulged in the always awesome appetizers. There was this feta-olive-herb spread that was to die for.

Then Shelley and I wandered around the store, ogling the cooking supplies. I REALLY want the nifty utensils for getting meat out of crab and lobster. We also ran across something that had me giggling and telling dirty jokes...until one of the store employees caught us, but you'll have to check out my Facebook page for that one.

Alas, it was time to go to work. So I hugged my friends, got another hug from the author for good measure and took myself and my shiny new copy of HUNTED off into the warm Spring evening.

And I'm still wondering where I'll have my release party. 

What makes a favorite author?

Due to my tiny house and only having one book case, I had to get rid of 3 bags of books. Excuse me a minute while I mourn their loss.

This is my bookcase after getting rid of 3 bags of books...and a foam airplane one of the cats "killed."

As you can see, I still have a lot of keepers. Some are favorite books, like THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett, SILKEN SAVAGE by Catherine Hart, IF TOMORROW COMES by Sidney Sheldon, and NEW ORLEANS LEGACY by Alexandra Ripley.

And some are favorite authors.

The difference is: The favorite books are ones I read and reread over and over again, but I didn't enjoy other books by those authors as much.

But this is a favorite book by a favorite author:

I replaced it after my eighth read but kept this copy for sentimentality.

But what makes a favorite author?

My answer:

A favorite author is one whose books are an instant buy.

A favorite author is one whose books do not leave your library.

A favorite author is one you forgive easier. i.e. Stephen King often sucks at endings. I'm sorry, but he does. However, the journey still makes it worthwhile.


A favorite author is one who you won't give up on if they write a less than stellar book. However, if they keep writing bad books, they can easily lose their position. I ranted about that here a couple years ago.

Some of my favorite authors include, Stephen King, Eloisa James, Shana Galen, J.R. Ward, Maggie Shayne, Judith McNaught, Rebecca Zanetti, and of course, my critique partners: Bonnie R. Paulson and Shelley Martin. Because you cannot be a good critique partner if you do not love the other's work... and love it enough to call out the author when they're letting you down.

Favorite authors inspire me to work hard, so maybe one day, I too, can have permanent space on someone's bookshelf.

Transporting the Reader.

So I just finished reading HEARTS IN ATLANTIS by my hero, Stephen King. This guy has got to be the most misunderstood author ever. Both my mother in law and Grandmother shudder when they hear his name, though I'd bet a fortune neither have read so much as a paragraph of one of his novels. And the looks on the faces of some people when they're informed it was Stephen King who wrote THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION & STAND BY ME? Priceless.

They think he's just a horror author, good for gore and cheap thrills. They don't realize that not only does he write other things than horror, he is a master story-teller. He captures people's hopes, dreams, and fears and places them on the page for the reader. He builds worlds with such clarity that one can smell the air, spot the landmarks...and even draw a map. (Hey fellow SK fans...I'll meetcha in the Barrens in a few...we have a monster to kill.)  Okay, though I'm tempted to use IT as an example, I'm going to stick with HEARTS IN ATLANTIS.

The blurb on the back says it "...will take some readers to a place have never been...and others to a place they have never been able to leave completely."

Wow. I've never seen a blurb deliver exactly what it promises.

HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (the book, not the movie) was four stories and an epilogue in which the characters all intertwine in some way. And all were about the 60's and the effect it had on those people.

I wasn't born until '82 so it was definitely a whole new world to me. I love my historical novels for the same reason...but this was different. This was deeper, because though I'd never been in the 60's, I have friends who have, a lot of them Vietnam Veterans. They rarely ever speak of the war, especially to me...unless they are very drunk. To them, I'm still just a kid...and a girl at that. How could I ever understand? I was never there, of course I can't understand. I was never offended.

There are things people experience that many will never understand. I think of a crazy New Year's Eve when I was 13...the madness of that night is still too much to talk about except for a vivid memory of my mom shoving me into my room and screaming at me to barricade the door with my dresser. It was a huge dresser, I have no idea how I managed, but I did what she said...then I remember collapsing in tears and praying she'd be alive in the morning....and then nothing.

Anyway, after reading HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, I still don't really know what my drinking buddies have been through, but I think I may have a glimmer of understanding.

King didn't elaborate too much about the actual war, but more on the effects it had on people....still, since he was there in that era, I bet his drinking buddies were less reluctant to talk about it.  He didn't fight in 'Nam, but he'd wanted to. "Don't be an idiot, Stephen," his mother told him. "With your eyes, you'd be the first one to get shot. You can't write if you're dead." That was in ON WRITING and thank God for the wisdom of moms. But I now learned there was more to it than that.

Apparently back then, men in college had to keep a certain grade point average or else they'd get drafted. It was literally: STUDY OR DIE. My mind is still blown by that concept. I asked a few people if it was true and they just shrugged calmly. "Yup."

I think of the scene where the mother tells her son to work hard at his studies because boys who don't have been dying....and tears come to my eyes. Then King goes on to describe how the "peace sign" became the symbol of the war protests and so much more. To people of my generation it was just a cutesy retro design. But for a generation it actually MEANT something.

I'm not going to say anything good or bad about Vietnam or the protests or the government or anything like that....and for the record, I don't think Sai King really did either. He gave the reader an unbiased panorama of all sides. I wasn't there, I have no room to talk. But....while reading HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, I felt like I was for a minute.

And THAT'S the point of this post. I want to transport the reader to different worlds and perspectives. I want them to feel like they've REALLY been to the places I put on on a page. As writers we ALL should feel that way.

P.S. To the lazy-nicks out there: the movie only featured the 1st story...and they totally ruined it. But, Anthony Hopkins kicks ass and it's still worth watching. But to get what I'm talking about in this post, READ THE BOOK!

Writers: Don't Stop Blogging! ....Unless you hate it.

I'm waaay late to the party on this one, but since it's a topic that likely won't go away for a long time, I think it's okay for me to weigh in.

A few weeks ago, the blogosphere exploded on the subject of, well, blogging. Awesome author, Roni Loren, gives a nifty list of links to the debate here. Also, you should totally follow her blog because she's one of the best out there. She's always on top of what's going on. Whereas I am not, as you can see. (Hey, I was sick that week, then my blog was booked up with awesome guest authors and Halloween fun. In my universe, Halloween takes precedence over current events...unless it's the zombie apocalypse)

Anyway, two of the main debates are: Should an author bother to blog? If so, what should they blog about? An agent caused a furor over this advice: "Don't blog about writing."

Anyway, here's my opinions on these matters:

AUTHORS SHOULD DEFINITELY BLOG

Why?

A) To connect with other authors.
I've met the greatest people through blogging as well as found valuable information on all aspects of the journey.

B) Blogging may not equal BIG sales, but it does equal sales. I have bought books because I liked the person's blog.

C) Book giveaways and contests are the BEST!

Who doesn't like winning free books? If authors stop blogging, then those awesome giveaways stop and that will make this poor smut-writing-janitor very sad. Also, these giveaways do equal sales and connections in miraculous ways. Here are some examples:

1. I have a very limited budget so I am careful on who I buy. If I win a book and love it, I will buy the next one and be a customer for life. AND I spread the word to my friends, who then buy the book as well. 
2. An author once ran a contest in which she awarded a full manuscript critique to the winner. I won and her critique made the book awesome enough to get my book deal.
3. Through blog tours and giveaways I have made friends and valuable connections. They promote me to their readers and vice-versa

 Pretty cool, huh? And all of this came from author blogs.

Now to the next point:

WHAT SHOULD AUTHOR'S BLOG ABOUT?

My short answer: Anything!!!

As for the "don't blog about writing bit," I say, go ahead and blog about writing, just don't be boring. I think Chuck Wendig has one of the most entertaining blogs out there...and it's all about writing.

However, the whole "not blogging about writing" admonishment was a bit of a relief to me. For the longest time I had believed the opposite and felt guilty for my nothing-to-do-with-writing posts. But now that I figured out how to track my most popular posts...check it out! Most of them have little-to-nothing to do with writing!

Then there's the advice to write about a niche. I simply can't do that. I have too many interests, which is why you'll see everything from cats to rock stars to movies on here. And ya' know what? When I let go of the guilt and let things be that way, my traffic went up exponentially.

The summary? Blog about whatever you want, as long as you be yourself.

And finally, if you hate blogging, (and it's pretty obvious if you do since your posts are probably sporadic or dry as burnt toast) then DON'T do it. Find some other way to connect to readers. The options are limitless.

Book Covers and Blurbs

Maybe it's the artist in me, but I've always had a thing for good cover art on a book. It's the first thing I notice when browsing. And paranormal romance novels have some of the most kick-ass covers. I picked this one 'cuz not only is it a beautiful cover (I love purple), but it is an awesome series. I generally don't pick books that have yellow covers because that color offends me for some reason.

If the cover grabs me I read the blurb on the back to see if it does the same. Unless it's one of my favorites, author recommendations mean nothing to me. It's all about the back cover synopsis. If it's confusing or boring, I put it back. 

Unfortunately I can't name specific things that make me go, "YES!" But a few things that will turn me off are:

A.) love triangles. I think it's because I've been in one or two (Loooong ago) and the emotional baggage of them nauseates me.

B.) If the heroine/hero has a kid/kids. Harsh, I know. But as a mom, I read to escape. (One major exception is Rebecca Zanetti's DARK PROTECTOR series.)

C.) Getting back with an ex. This one's 50/50 for me. If it sounds like the back story will be told and it's interesting, I may give it a whirl. Because one of my favorite parts of a romance novel is reading about how the characters first meet.

Of course I can still be willing to read these types of romances if they come recommended by friends or are by a well-loved author.

How about you? What grabs you in a book's cover art and blurb. What things make you go, "meh," and put it back on the shelf?

Getting to Know You.

It's been about a year and a half since I created this blog and I'm all the way up to 90 followers! W00T! Now I must confess that I check out all your profiles and I enjoy getting to know more about you. One surprising thing I've noticed is that despite my blog's subject being predominately Paranormal Romance....though I frequently deviate... many of you read and write different things. I have followers that write horror, fantasy, science fiction, and all subgenres of romance... including inspirational!

It warms my heart to see such a variety and I think it helps make this blog more interesting. Now I would like to thank you all for your support and feedback on my posts. I would also like you to let me know what you write and what you read so I can better tailor my posts to be useful or at least entertaining to everyone.

Again, thanks so much and big hugs to you all!

P.S Be sure to stop by on Friday for a Special Guest post from debut author, REBECCA ZANETTI and a chance to win a copy of her shiny new release, FATED!!!

Romances that stay with you forever.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, especially since I lost my mother that day 2 years back, I'd like to bring a little romance back into Valentine's day for us all. The best way I can do that is to discuss those special romance novels that were more than a good read. You know the ones. By the time we finish with them, the characters are still with us, for we can't let them go. We often read them over and over again and replace them when they are in tatters. I will list some of mine. Not all are paranormal, but I feel they have a place here anyway.

These are not in order.

1.) Until You, by Judith McNaught: This book puts a whole new twist on the "governess wins the heart of an Earl." In fact, due to her having amnesia, neither of them find out she's a governess until just before the wedding...and then shit hits the fan. This tale will make you laugh and cry.

2.) Tempted, by Virginia Henley: A brazen, bad-ass Scottish lass, a sexy-as-hell Scottish Lord with an accent that'll make you quiver...what's not to love? The sparks and conflict in and out of the bedroom, set against a rich tapestry of the historical events leading up to the battle of Flodden Field will have you on the edge of your seat. As a bonus, there is also a ghostly love story in the background. I adore all of Henley's novels, but the romance in this one is by far the most powerful.

3.) Night Play, by Sherrilyn Kenyon: I love this book because the heroine is not perfectly trim and gorgeous, but a sexy werewolf loves her for it. The exciting plot developments and delightful shifts between humor and poignancy makes this book in the Dark Hunter novels one of my favorites. I love when a book gives me happy tears.

4.) Infinity, by Maggie Shayne: This is the second in her Immortal High Witches series and was my fave until I read the 3rd one. Now I can't decide. When the kick-ass Arianna recovers her beloved's heart, she wastes no time restoring him to life. Problem is, he thinks she was the one who betrayed him and cost him his life centuries ago.

5.) Almost Heaven, by Judith McNaught: When Elizabeth's asshole miser uncle makes the a ludicrous offer of her hand to men that had previously proposed to her before her reputation was ruined, a mistake sends Elizabeth to the hunting cottage of Ian Thornton, the very man who ruined her. The compounded misunderstandings and intense chemistry between the two keep the reader turning the pages.

7.) Lover Unbound, by J.R. Ward: This is my fave in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, no matter what anyone says. The chemistry between the vampire, Viscious, and the human doctor, Jane was sizzling. Also, Jane was one of the most developed heroines in this series so far. I'm not a fan of the ending, but I made peace with it.

8.) Dance With the Devil, by Sherrilyn Kenyon: The Dark Hunter Zarek is one of the grumpiest heros I've ever encountered. But he has good reason. His back story will make you cry. When Astrid, little sister of the 3 fates, is sent down incognito to decide whether he will live or die, sparks immediately fly between the two, and eventually start an inferno.

9.) Destiny, by Maggie Shayne: When ancient Immortal High Witch, Nathan discovers his former love, Nidaba in an asylum, he rescues the near-catatonic witch and nurses her back to health. Their back story in ancient Sumer is revealed as past betrayals and a rival high witch threaten the hope of their love being rekindled.

10.) The Hawk and the Dove, by Virginia Henley: When sheltered Sarah Bishop is wed by proxy to Shane Hawkhurst just for her land, she is infuriated. She hatches a plan with Shane's brother to become a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, and ultimately Shane's mistress. She takes on the name, Sabre Wilde, and intends to wrap her unsuspecting husband around her finger before revealing her identity and demanding a divorce. This book is a blast. Also HOT as hell.

What about you? What novels have you read until the pages fell out? What romances have made you sigh and daydream even on the worst days? I'm always looking for more.

Have a happy Valentine's day, all!

Special Guest Author: Danae Ayusso

Danae and I share the same agent. (Update: As of July 2011, said agent closed shop) We also both live in the Inland Northwest and we’ve added snow to our rants on writing and motherhood. Anyway, it is past time I introduced you all to this awesome wordsmith.

What made you stand up one day and say, “I’m going to write a novel.”?

It was during that ungodly snow we had two years ago, and we were snowed in.  We had my 10 year old niece over and she was bitching about not having anything to read since I’m a R.A. Salvatore fanatic, and Pher is a Terry Brooks fan.  So I asked her “What do you want to read?”  She said she was reading something called the Vampire Diaries.  Rakyia gave me a quick rundown and it sounded boring.  However, vampires in high school?  I’ve never heard of such a thing.  I sat down and found a picture on the internet of a pale girl with raven black hair wrapping around her from the breeze and large eyes that were the most haunting color of blue that blended to teal with hints of green in them.  Her features were delicate and doll like but there was something about her that made you want to fear her.  She was a killer.

That picture, that single, simplistic picture inspired Prophecy.  In 4 days I have a 30K story written for my niece and she loved it.  However, I didn’t.  I took some of the characters and wrote them out better and started over.  Five weeks later, Prophecy: Revelation was completed at 247,000 words.  Immediately I jumped to the second installment, Contrivance, and the third, Nemesis.  But were they any good?  I was too scared to ask.  My friend at work demanded that I let her read one since she was out of stuff to read, this friend is 50 years old with a book collection that rivals any library, so she read Revelation.  Four pages in, she walked around the aisle to my cubical and punched me in the arm and told me that this was brilliant.

In twelve weeks I wrote three full books totally more than 600,000 words.  I thought that there was no way that writing was this easy!  That is when I discovered this little thing called “WORD COUNT” and that my Prophecy Saga was really long in the printed sense but the stories are quick and addictive and action filled.  Either way, it just snowballed from there.

What triumphs and challenges have you faced in your writing?

Overcoming the Twilight comparison was very hard.  Since I’m a fellow Northwest Girl, I base my shit off of what I know, and I know the Northwest.  Because of commercial success of other vampire or werewolf books based in the Northwest, it causes an automatic Twilight comparison.  It is beyond frustrating and two pages into any of my work, the notion is thrown out the window, but it is that initial comparison that drives me insane.

What is some memorable feedback that you’ve received from your fans?

Anytime I hear, THIS KICKS TWILIGHTS ASS is a proud moment for me—I’m über petty like that.  There has been many moment.  I started writing Jan 2, 2009 so this approaching Jan will mark my two year mark, but in these two years, I have gotten emails from people about how UNDILUTED MINDS helped them laugh again after the sudden loss of their young husband, loss of a friend, mother, father, and so forth.  Two fans named children after two of the characters from my books and asked for my blessing and permission—slightly awkward.  Ninian and Kellan from Prophecy Saga, their story helped a young man in South America come out to his family, and for the first time he felt happy being who he really is.  But I think overall are the comments that they love that a woman is strong and doesn’t need the man.  That is my thing; strong women that are smart and independent.  Hearing girls and women, even men, make the comment that it’s about damn time that a woman kicked some ass in a book, that makes me smile.  Even Kennedi, frail and broken, sick and physically weak Kennedi, is mentally strong and it shows outwardly and she is a fan favorite because of it.  Strong doesn’t mean they can bench press a damn Buick, it means that they don’t need a sparkling crutch to give them self worth.

Name one thing you’d do/ buy if you became a mega best-seller?

I want to build an environmentally friendly house with a moat around it filled with dragons to eat people.

Tell us a little about your next project.

At the moment I am working on The Damned of Lost Creek: Requiem of the Damned.  I am also brainstorming an epic old school styled Fantasy with my best friend and writing buddy Jolyn Palliata; we spent three hours working on the basics for book one of that project yesterday, and she was amazed that I rambled for over 7,000 words in that time.  There is also the Hush Anthology that I randomly pulled out of my ass Saturday while I was supposed to be taking a break from writing.  It will be a collection of shorter ghost stories, which I’ve never written before, but I have some ideas in my head for it. 

www.danaeayusso.com

http://danaeayusso.blogspot.com/

http://www.lulu.com/danaeayusso

“If you are a dreamer, come in.  If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer.  If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!” Shel Silverstein

What's Your Favorite Paranormal Hero?

Forget the whole "Team Jacob" vs. "Team Edward" thing. For one thing, they're so limited. What I am talking about today goes far beyond opposing creations of the same author, or even two or three authors. I am talking about what cover description, what "creature feature," if I may, that is most likely to tempt you to take out your wallet and a book to the cashier.

Back in the late 80's and early '90s, when the paranormal romance genre came into being, the choices were fairly limited. You had the ghosts, classic brooding vampires (that never wanted to be vampires), and in a rare case, you'd get a sorcerer or a Djinn.

Now we have fey, selkies, satyrs, mermaids, were-everything (Authors, Stella and Audra Price even have weresnakes! Check out Entwined by Fate) witches, sorcerers, ghosts, demons, djinn, and classic vampires.

Even with all these choices, I still gravitate towards vampires. To me they are the epitome of all that is dark and sexy. Witches and sorcerers are a close second, because I've always loved magic.

I've never been all that into ghosts because face it, they're dead! I suppose the same would go for zombies. I've grown up on too many zombie flicks to even remotely considered an animated corpse as a sex object. Howver, there's a disclaimer. I have yet to read a zombie romance, so though I'm reluctant, I will give em a shot.

As for werewolves, at first I cringed at the thought of a werewolf romance. I'm a cat person and the smell of dog makes gag. To have a canine lover that would reek when he came out of the rain? Ewww! But I've read so many good werewolf stories that, if recommended to me, I'll give em a try. Favorites so far are the Kitty series by Carrie Vaughn and 13 to Life by the awesome Shannon Delany.

So which monsters and creatures are your favorites? What turns your dials up to ten? Which paranormal heroes do you loathe? And why?

Writing a Series

Many of my favorite novels are part of a series, and I'm willing to bet that is the case with many people. A lot of naturally want to write a series of our own because we love to read them, and because one's characters keep having adventures. Writing a series, however is a whole new animal compared to a stand-alone project. Especially with a romance series, since there must be a stand-alone love story in every installment.

One of the biggest issues, in my opinion is blending the stand-alone story with the continuing story of the series. In my first novel, I botched this badly. However, I still think that the story and characters are awesome, so I have passed it on to my Saintly beta readers in a bid to fix it. In the meantime I am composing an outline of the series itself, and then I will write mini outlines of the individual books in hopes of discovering which key points can be emphasized in which books.

One of the leading geniuses of blending individual love stories with a continuing saga is J.R. Ward with her Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. The romance unfolds naturally amidst the backdrop of the brutal war the Brotherhood fights. Future characters are introduced to the reader smoothly, and often teasingly.

Another team of authors, not as well known, that do a great job with a series are Stella and Audra Price. Their Eververse series is like the ultimate guilty pleasure soap opera. The reader eavesdrops on multiple characters with multiple plots that build and unfold throughout each consecutive novel.

What are some of your favorite series? What do the authors do that "Works," in your opinion.