Category: Guest Bloggers

Welcome Guest Blogger Linda Wisdom

Going Hexywisdom_pic

Thanks to Cindy for having me here to talk about what makes people remember your books.

One fun part with all the hex titles is that they’re a fun play on blurbs and I tend to make use of it.

Another nice thing is it has the readers remembering the books. Exciting characters also help such as my magic bunny slippers, Fluff and Puff and snarky gargoyle, Horace. They’re excellent counterparts for the witches. Sure, we’ve got the sexy males, but there’s nothing like comic relief.

Over my years in writing I’ve enjoyed writing humorous romance, and the few paranormals I wrote were a blast, but what I’m writing now is like a roller coaster ride.

wisdom_hex_heelsAny paranormal reader will tell you they have incredible choices in the genre. That means we writers have those same choices. I mixed up a witch with a vampire in 50 WAYS TO HEX YOUR LOVER and HEX APPEAL. A witch and wizard in WICKED BY ANY OTHER NAME and a witch and Were Border collie in HEX IN HIGH HEELS. My witches carry their charge cards in one hand and witch flame in the other.

They’re close friends, loyal to the max and always ready to help out each other. I value my friends and I think what I’ve done is give them all a witchy persona. Another good thing about writing paranormal. Anything can be done. I decided the Were didn’t have to be a wolf but a dog, because Border collies are just darn cute.

That’s my mix of characters and creatures. Ones that are fun to work with. Ones that I know I’d like to hang out with and I hope my readers feel the same way.

Blair, my latest witch, is sassy, gifted in the art of revenge, and ready to exact justice for anyone who’s been wronged. She’s ready for romance; so no wonder she’s actively pursing local hunky handyman/Were Border collie Jake Harrison. She deals with gross elves you’d never see in Santa’s workshop, villainous Weres who also happen to be Jake’s family members, and Fluff and Puff without breaking a nail. And when those Weres throw down a nasty spell on Jake, be sure that Blair does her best to save her guy from the unthinkable.

That’s what my witches do. And why they’re so much fun to write and so real to me. Probably why my bunny slippers never seem to be where I left them!

What about you? What do you love in paranormal books?

Linda

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Please leave a comment to enter to win a copy of HEX IN HIGH HEELS. To read the back cover copy, Linda’s bio, and my FCC Blahblahblah, please visit yesterday’s post.

To learn more about Linda and her books, please visit her website!

Linda Wisdom Guest Blogs Tomorrow!

Paranormal romance author and two-time RITA™ finalist Linda Wisdom visits the blog tomorrow! Linda’s blogging about what makes readers remember your books and is giving away a copy of her October release by Sourcebooks Casablanca, HEX IN HIGH HEELS. Be there, or be…not there. But it’s no fun if you’re not there. So definitely be there! Or here, as it were. Ahem.

Back Cover Copy for HEX IN HIGH HEELS:

Fourth in the popular, light paranormal romance series by an author whose books have sold 13 million copies.

In this sexy, funny paranormal romance by bestselling author Linda Wisdom, it’s all beautiful witch Blair Fitzpatrick can do to keep a lid on her talent for revenge spells, but things are about to get a lot more complicated…

Blair loves running her vintage shop and hanging out with witchy friends Stasi and Jazz. She’s forever had a crush on hunky carpenter Jake Harrison, whose Were nature (he’s a Border collie) makes him loyal, lovable, and fierce when need be. Just as sparks are beginning to fly, Blair is served with a big surprise when Jake’s mother shows up along with his pack leader, who threatens to make Jake heel! When the alpha does the unthinkable, Blair is pushed over the edge. No one messes with her boyfriend-to-be, even if he does shed on the furniture!

About Linda:wisdom_pic

Linda Wisdom was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. She majored in Journalism in college then switched her major to Fashion Merchandising when she was told there was no future for her in fiction writing. She held a variety of positions ranging from retail sales to executive secretary in advertising and working for a personnel agency.

Her career began when she sold her first two novels to Silhouette Romance on her wedding anniversary in 1979. Since then she has sold more than seventy novels and one novella to four different publishers. Her books have appeared on various romance and mass market bestseller lists and nominated for a number of Romantic Times awards and Romance Writers of America Rita Award.

She lives with her husband, Bogie, her spoiled rotten Chihuahua/Yorkie, Barney, also spoiled mini white Schnauzer, Syd, an equally spoiled parrot in Murrieta, California, and Florence, her tortoise with attitude.

A number of Linda’s book backlist, including her Hex paranormal series, has been optioned for film and television.

For more information about Linda and her books, please visit her website.

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FCC BlahBlahBlah:

Muse Interrupted Guest Bloggers is provided as a forum for readers to learn about new releases and authors. I do not request nor receive free copies of my guest bloggers’ books for my own reading pleasure in exchange for appearing on my blog. I don’t review the books, either. ‘Nuff said.

Welcome Guest Blogger Annette McCleave

Male Bonding in Romancemccleave_pic

First off, thanks so much for having me as a guest on Muse Interrupted, Cindy. It’s such a thrill to be celebrating my debut novel and sharing my excitement with the blogworld.

One of my favorite parts of romance novels are those little glimpses you sometimes get of the hero is spending some one-on-one time with other guys. Most of the time, I’m like everyone else, desperate to read the next part when the hero and heroine are engaged in clever repartee—I’ve been known to skip over secondary romances in a book just to get back to the main couple. But those moments the hero spends with other men are ones I rarely skip.

Why?

I think it’s because I feel like I’m getting the insider view—a brief peek at what really makes the men in the story tick. The hero is usually relaxed in these scenes, just being himself and not trying to win the day. Although I love my heroes to be larger than life, I like to see them handling the smaller slices of life, too.

mccleave_drawnThere’s usually some humor in those scenes, too, and I enjoy a few lighter moments—especially if the overall story is dark. An example? Okay, I’m going to steal from TV and not a book, just because I know it’ll resonate with most of you: Scenes involving Angel and Spike in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The push and pull between those two very determined male vampires is both fun and funny to watch, even when there are lives at stake. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).

When it comes to my own writing, I find myself including some of that same interaction, in part to round out my characters, and in part for the sheer pleasure of it.

Here are a few moments between my hero, Lachlan MacGregor, and his friend Brian:

Lachlan wiped his practice sword with an oiled cloth and leaned it up against the stone fireplace. “This would be much easier had you begun training when you were a lad.”

“Yeah, well, I was too busy skateboarding and blowing my eardrums out with Pearl Jam, so that wasn’t an option.”

“Your combat skills need a lot of work.”

Brian deposited his sword and shield on the floor. Looking more like a walking sportswear advertisement than an immortal warrior, he used his arm to wipe the faint sheen off his brow and gave Lachlan a rueful smile. “All those years of corporate backstabbing and deep-sixing the competition don’t count, huh?”

“No.”

“But I’m young and I’m agile. You told me that when we started. And last week, you said I’d come a long way in five weeks. So why the long face?”

“Because you know just enough to get yourself killed.”

“Hey,” the former stockbroker protested, “I thought you said I had good instincts?”

“You need more than good instincts. You need skill.” Lachlan rubbed his shirt front to halt the trickles running down his chest. “And you need more bloody endurance. You should be training every spare minute.”

“No way. Unlike you, MacGregor, I have a life.”

“Read the cards, Webster. Things have changed.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. A year ago, the chances of being ambushed were one in fifty and now it’s more like fifty-fifty. But I’m already doing my bit. I work out with you three times a week. That’s more than most Gatherers can say.”

“Three hours a week is not enough.”

“Why not? I’m learning from the best.” Brian smiled. “Word on the Gatherer grapevine is that you once single-handedly took down a pair of martial demons.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“Oh, come on. You were ambushed by elite soldier henchies from the inner rings of hell and lived to tell the tale. I know it’s true, admit it. With you as my coach, there’s no question I’ll eventually own some demon ass.”

Shaking his head at the young man’s bravado, Lachlan strode into the kitchen.

I’m offering up a copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS to one lucky person today—all you need to do is comment. Do you have a favorite book or series that in your opinion does ‘the guy thing’ really well? Tell me about it.

 P.S. This is also a stop on my “Cross into Darkness” blog tour, so feel free to visit my website at www.annettemccleave.com for a chance to win the tour grand prize. If you’ve been following the tour from the beginning, here’s the clue….

Muse Interrupted clue: First word of the two-word answer is the Scottish term for valley.

Thanks for joining me today—I’ve really enjoyed my visit. Good luck in the draw!

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To read the back cover copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS and Annette’s bio, please visit yesterday’s post. To learn more about Annette, please visit her website.

Annette McCleave Guest Blogs Tomorrow!

Tomorrow paranormal romance author Annette McCleave visits the blog! Annette is blogging about Male Bonding in Romance and is giving away a copy of her Signet Eclipse debut novel, DRAWN INTO DARKNESS. Here’s the back cover blurb:

For centuries Lachlan MacGregor has battled demon thieves for the souls of the dead, carrying out his pledge to deliver them into Heaven or Hell. But his greatest challenge as a Soul Gatherer is now among the living.

Struggling to connect with her troubled teenage daughter Emily, artist Rachel Lewis turns to her enigmatic yet strangely compelling neighbor Lachlan for advice. As Lachlan soon discovers, the young girl has fallen victim to a seductive demon—a specter from the past using the unsuspecting women to fulfill an ancient prophesy and settle a hellish score with Lachlan himself.

In the race to save Emily and avert a disastrous power shift among the deities, Rachel and Lachlan forge an uncommon bond. But how can Lachlan tell the mortal woman he’s falling in love with that the next soul he’s been enlisted to gather—and deliver beyond—is her daughter’s?

About Annette:mccleave_pic

Annette McCleave is the Golden Heart® award winning author of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, the first novel in a new paranormal romance series about Soul Gatherers—immortal warriors who battle demons to protect the souls of the dead. A former marketing executive, Annette is now a full-time writer and mother of one.

For more information about Annette and her books, please visit her website.

Welcome Guest Blogger Kylie Brant

THE MAGIC OF BOOKSbrant_pic

Like most authors, I’m a reader first.  I still remember being about four and asking my dad to read the comics to me.  As I sat on his lap, I recall thinking, “When am I going to be able to read?” 

“When you go to school,” was always my mom’s reply when I’d ask.  Imagine my disappointment on the first day of kindergarten when I trudged back home to announce with disgust, “I didn’t learn to read today.  The teacher said I had to wait until next year.”

Even as a small child I knew that being able to decipher those squiggly lines on paper and pages was going to lead to magic.

brant_waking_nightmareI’ve devoured books ever since.  My biggest regret about writing is that it eats into my reading time.  Since I’m still teaching, my free time is mostly filled with meeting deadlines (there’s something about accepting advance money that reeks of expectation :)).  I never had a TBR pile until I started writing but I have one now.  I put a serious dent in it every time we go on vacation.  The rest of the year I have to chip away at it when I can.

The writer in me is always a bit appalled when someone starts telling me about a fabulous book they’ve read and can’t recall the author’s name.  They often go on to admit that the names of the authors just don’t stick with them.  Gulp.  That’s a fairly daunting thought!  Titles don’t always stay with me, but I have always remembered authors.  How else am I going to find their next books if I loved the current ones?  I used to carry a list in my purse of favorite authors in order to make my monthly purchases.  (Okay, so it was before the Internet!)

Covers might intrigue me, but I’m not the sort of reader who’s ever bought a book just because I loved the cover.  It’s always the back cover copy that pulls me in.  I have to read what the book is about and then if it interests me, I’ll open the book and flip through a few pages.  I read almost entirely for author voice, and if I don’t enjoy the way the writer tells the story I know I’m not going to enjoy the book. 

If you could see the two huge bookcases in my office stuffed to overflowing, you’d know just how many I’ve enjoyed so much, I can’t bear to part with them!

What about you—do you remember author names?  How do you make your purchases for new-to-you writers?  What pulls you in, the title, the cover, or the back cover copy?  Are there any like me who have to get a taste of the writing before carrying the book to the counter?

I’m giving away a signed copy of my September dark romantic thriller, WAKING NIGHTMARE, to one lucky commenter today!  Be sure to check out the other two books in the trilogy at my website at www.kyliebrant.com and my multi-author blog at http://ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com.

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To read the back cover blurb for WAKING NIGHTMARE or to check out Kylie’s bio, please see yesterday’s post.

Kylie Brant Guest Blogs Tomorrow!

I’m returning from my Universe Dump Hiatus to announce that dark romantic thriller author Kylie Brant will visit the blog tomorrow. Kylie’s giving away a copy of her brand new release, WAKING NIGHTMARE. Here’s the back cover blurb:

With a serial rapist loose on the streets of Savannah, hot-shot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn’t what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she’s smart, fierce…and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not pyschobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts of torture are actually calculated to match each victim’s darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he’s watching them—the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

Shiver me timbers!

About Kylie:brant_pic

Kylie Brant is the author of twenty-five books for Silhouette Romantic Suspense and three dark romantic thrillers for Berkley. She’s a two- time Rita finalist and a five-time Romantic Times nominee. Kylie was a 2008 Romantic Times Career Achievement Award winner, and twice won the overall Daphne du Maurier award for mystery and suspense in 2004 and 2009. One of her books is included on Romantic Times magazine’s All-Time Favorites list.

For more information about Kylie and her books, please visit her website.