On Saturday local romance readers and authors gathered at the King County Library in the middle of nowhere Covington for a Romance Extravaganza!!

Jacquie Rodgers and Ann Charles: Pre-Published Promotion

Sadly, getting lost, roadwork on the freeway, and Seattle’s gnarly traffic conspired against my attendance at the morning meeting. I caught the last half hour or so… These are my notes, not theirs.

Jacquie and Ann spoke about developing a platform to expand your readership. These tools must include a website (buy your domain name now!), and can include workshops and speeches, mailing lists, and social networking sites like facebook, twitter, goodreads or group blogs.

Three questions to identify when creating your platform:

1. Who are you known as NOW?
2. How do others see you?
3. Where do you want to be a Year from now?

Agents and Editors want to see authors have current websites with interactive elements (such as blogs or newsletters). It needs to be updated frequently so that readers return to the site. A newslist is only meaningful if it has more than 2000 names. They want to see that you’re putting yourself out there. Headshots, which you will put on your website and in the back of your books, should be indicative of your subgenre and writing. Write paranormal? Your picture should be dark and mysterious. Write contemporary romantic comedy? Your picture should be bright, sunny and colorful.

Jacquie encouraged us to find author mentors who is a success in some aspect of promotion that you want to include in your business model. Hers are Stella Cameron for having some of the first book trailers (which are now common), Gerri Russell for networking and establishing a broad reader base, and Rowena Cherry for podcasting greatness. She recommended copromoting on your website by giving away friends’ books. Ann looks up to Jane Porter for always being gracious and kind, Yasmine Galenorn for her disciplen, JA Conrad who has a great publishing for newbies resource on his website, and Jacquie Rodgers for being a social networking whore. She stressed the importance of ALWAYS being gracious, courteous and kind.

The two writers have launched a new website for author and aspiring author promotion: www.1stturningpoint.com

Jayne Ann Krentz defends Pop Fiction

Author Jayne Ann Krentz, who writes Regency romance as Amanda Quick and futuristic romance as Jayne Castle, made an eloquent and uplifting defense of popular fiction. I wanted to stand up and shout “Yes! YES! THAT is why I love the romance genre!” If only I could bottle her speech to replay when needed. A former librarian herself, Jayne applauded librarians for getting romance into the libraries. Culturally, Americans think “if a book is in the library it is somehow a ‘real’ book.” She said that romance authors are not alone – no popular fiction authors feel they get respect.

The prejudice against romance is just a sharp part of the bias against pop fiction in general. The convention and standards held up in literary fiction is a masculine style of writing that abhors sentiment and strong emotion, but his is NOT the style of our historic heroic tradition. It is a relatively recent convention based on psychoanalysis and modern angst. Anything with wide appeal is highly suspect in our culture; it is taken for granted and treated with little respect. But popular fiction has it’s own place in our culture and society. It is NOT watered-down literary fiction. It stands on it’s own and draws its power from the historic heroic tradition – not modern angst. It is wrong to use the standards of literary fiction to judge popular fiction.

Popular Fiction “teaches us we need not be victims, but with courage and honor we can vanquish our fears and triumph over adversary.” – Jayne Ann Krentz

In literary fiction, the protagonists are victims. The genre focuses on their alienation and disfunction: the destructive aspects of the human condition. Popular fiction, on the other hand, pits good against evil on a broad scale. Its protagonists may be victims, but honor, courage, determination and love they triumph despite the hurdles in their path. Pop fiction holds up optimism over despair. It has an enormous survival value. Lit fiction does not hold these values important. It illuminates and examines human neuroses, but does not solve them.

Jayne’s Arcane Society is an effort to tie together her many personas and encourage readers of one subgenre to try the others.

Historical and Paranormal Romance Panels

You can tell we were having a great time!

Amanda Quick, Gerri Russell, and Library Goddess Deborah Schneider (RWA bookseller of year 09)

Stella Cameron, Alexis Morgan and Cherry Adair, (Yasmine Galenorn not pictured)

After the Romance Extravaganza, Cherry Adair invited everyone to a very delicious High Tea, while she regaled us with sage advice on writing, plotting and publishing. While some authors urge us to write the “book of our heart,” Cherry Adair urged us to write in a subgenre that we will want to stick with and continue writing in for many books to come. The food was amazing, the company divine. Looking forward to next year!

News from the Library Goddess, sponsored in part by the Greater Seattle RWA. Don’t you wish you lived here?

Romance Extravaganza

Meet some of your favorite best-selling romance authors on a day dedicated to romance readers and book lovers.

Saturday, May 2, 11:30am–2:30pm

Covington Library

Meet the Authors

11:30am – Keynote Address by Amanda Quick

Noon – Book Signing Party with all participating authors

12:30pm – Historical Romance Panel with Amanda Quick, Elizabeth Boyle and Gerri Russell

1:30pm – Paranormal Romance Panel with Cherry Adair, Stella Cameron, Yasmine Galenorn, Alexis Morgan

Sponsored by the Covington Friends of the Library and the Greater Seattle Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Books will be for sale at this event.

You are invited to an afternoon High Tea
with local authors

Pat White & Alexis Morgan!

Please join us on Sunday March 15th at 2:00 p.m. for tea.

Each author will be promoting their latest releases as well as answering questions, signing books and doing a short reading. There will be tea, of course, as well as other refreshments. Your attendance and support for fellow local authors as well as local independent bookstores would be greatly appreciated.

We hope to see you there!

McDonald’s Book Exchange
The Northwest’s Premier Romance Treasure Trove
16415 NE 83rd St.
Redmond, WA 98052
425.885.4773
888.830.2414
Here’s a link to a map!

Alexis Morgan
DARKNESS UNKNOWN, Pocket Star, Feb. 2009

Gwen Mosely’s life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, unconscious and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. Cut up and bleeding, he’s barely survived a vicious battle, but the real shock is how quickly his wounds heal—a gift he shares with Gwen’s teenaged half-brother Chase.

Jarvis Donahue can’t keep his eyes—or his strong, capable hands—off the sexy redhead who rescued him. He finds warmth of Gwen’s smile and the desire in her eyes are impossible to resist, but there’s a problem. Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin in the making, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Neither Gwen nor the boy know it yet, but Chase will need Jarvis’s help coping with the compulsion to fight that is written in his blood and in his bones. Although Gwen may hate him for it, Jarvis is duty-bound to secretly introduce Chase to the dangerous fate they both share.

As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen’s farm. Jarvis is torn between protecting his lover, but without revealing his true identity, or betraying his people’s secret and risk losing her forever.

Pat White
UNDERCOVER STRANGER, Harlequin Intrigue, Mar. 2009

(featuring a heroine named Ciara who lives in Seattle. What’s not to love? )

He suspected she wasn’t as innocent as she claimed…

With her girl-next-door looks and quaint doll museum, Ciara O’Malley seemed innocent. But she was secret agent Griffin Black’s number one suspect for a terrible crime and he knew how to get close enough to uncover her illicit activities. By seducing the truth right out of her. Then walking away. Except all of Griff’s make-believe attraction turned surprisingly real once Ciara became a target herself. Suddenly Griff found himself protecting Ciara rather than using her. And yet, even with all his special training, Griff didn’t know which was more frightening—how deep this criminal network ran…or how far one beautiful redhead had worked her way under his skin.

In a swanky modern mall outside Portland hides my favorite bookstore, host to not only romance author book signings but also a romance novel book club. I am forced to admit that my beloved Seattle falls far short of this delicious attraction. We only have one romance book signing and it’s on the East Side in a hotel, not a bookstore. *shudder*

Friday I made the pilgrimage down to my romance book mecca for the second Rose City Romance book signing at Powell’s Cedar Hill Crossing. I think I might have scared a few authors with my sneaky little flip cam, but it was good fun. My favorite part was meeting the delightful Bridget Locke, fellow book blogger and aspiring author. We had tea after the signing and gushed about books and writing. My only regret is that I forgot to take our photos together. Next time!

PS: Bridget has better pictures than I do, because her subjects are actually looking at the camera. So check them out.

Elizabeth Boyle, Mary Vine, Samantha James, and Meljean Brook. I really wanted to hold the baby.

Meljean Brook and Bridget Locke. The always lovely Meljean (First Blood) writes my very favorite paranormal romance series The Guardians. Her next book DEMON BOUND comes out in November. She was relieved to know that it was not I turning Michael into a feather duster *coughCJcough*, and that I am taking good care of her boys Hugh and Ethan in my DIK hut. They’re taking very good care of me too. *winkwink* I also informed her that I have kidnapped Jake for my hut. He is even better than Ethan, and that’s saying a LOT.

Seattle author Alexis Morgan (Dark Warrior Unleashed) is in the middle with Harlequin author Terri Reed on the right. I recommend Alexis’ PALADINS OF DARKNESS series if you like JR Ward and Laura Adrian. She also writes westerns as Pat Pritchard and she gives a mean writing workshop. She will be at the Emerald City Writers Conference in October.

Alexis is one of the reasons I love being a member of the Seattle RWA chapter and why I cannot recommend enough that aspiring authors join a chapter. When I read part of my manuscript out loud to the chapter in February, she gave excellent feedback. As a result, the piece in question was a finalist in the PNWA literary contest. Tack soa mycket!

The stylish woman looking at the camera is historical and erotica author Lacy Danes (Animal Lust), who is another Seattle RWA member. She will also be at ECWC in October. On her right is debut author Dina James who wrote a short story in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance. and has another coming out in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance. Authors take note – Bookmarks? Done that. Vampire teeth? Score! Both graciously agreed to video interviews, so stay tuned to find out their Desert Island Keepers.

Regency author Samantha James (Seduction of an Unknown Lady) poses with Carrie and me. I am trying to addict Carrie to romance novels. Carrie spent the entire night laughing at my enthusiasm. Once she’s addicted, she’ll be bouncing off the walls at book signings too.

At left, Regency Author Elizabeth Boyle (who also made the drive down from rainy Sea-town) was so pleased to see me yet again. *blush* She was unaware that it was talk like a pirate day. Elizabeth was signing a number of books, including her latest release, Tempted by the Night, which is a regency with paranormal elements.

I also met Jenna Bayley-Burke and chatted again with Regency author Delilah Marvelle, whose Kensington debut novel Mistress of Pleasure was sold out before I made my way around the table. Fortunately she will also be at ECWC, so I can pick up my copy in October.

July 17 – 20, 2008 – Seattle Airport Hilton

This PNWA Conference marks the one year anniversary of when I decided to try my hand at writing a fiction novel. I attended the PNWA conference last year and was inspired by fabulous speakers, including Alexis Morgan, Richelle Mead, Caitlin Kittredge, Michelle Grajkowski, Pat White, and Ann Roth. This year the conference appears to be half the size of last year. It’s tiny! But I’m still attending, since I’m a literary contest finalist and I plan to make my very first agent and editor pitches.

CIARA’S (Tentative)SCHEDULE:
(for a complete PNWA schedule click here)

THURSDAY, July 17, 2008

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Business Side of Writing
Learn How To Pitch To An Agent and Editor. Can you say what your novel is about in one sentence? Participants will have the opportunity to write their idea down and have it discussed. We’ll find out what you really meant to write and the level of interest it generates. All will profit, not just the person whose idea is discussed, as this workshop will show you how to focus your creative energies and learn how to pitch your novel.
Speaker: Bob Mayer is a New York Times bestselling author with 38 books published. He has over three million books in print and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way Concepts.
Moderator: C.J. Wyckoff

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Craft of Writing
Top Ten Novel Writing Mistakes
Speaker: James Thayer

8:00p.m.
Dessert Reception with Agents and Editors,
Featuring Speaker Bob Dugoni

FRIDAY, July 18, 2008

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Editors Forum
Moderator: Bob Dugoni
The editors will give an overview of the kind of projects they are acquiring and the best way to submit your project. A question and answer period will be included.

10:30 a.m. – Noon
Agents Forum
Moderator: Bob Dugoni
The agents will give an overview of the kind of projects they are acquiring and the best way to submit your project. A question and answer period will be included.

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Romance Track
Successful Tips for Writing a Compelling Series. Learn how to develop an engaging series of books that will make readers come back for more. The three things attendees will learn different kinds of series, keeping the writing fresh and developing a compelling story arc.
Speakers: Pat White and Mary Buckham

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Romance Track
The Joy of Writing Sex: (It’s Not Just for Romance Writers Anymore!)
Sex is more than just dirty words on the bathroom stalls. It’s part of being human. As writers we can’t afford to neglect the gem mine of conflicts, hopes and disappointments waiting for our character is in their bedrooms. This workshop will explore the special world of writing sex scenes without apology. Sex is funny. And dramatic. Transporting and heartbreaking. Find out what it means to your character and you’ll know them well enough to tell their story.
Speaker: Diana Groe AKA Emily Bryan

6:30 p.m.
Dinner Program with Keynote Speaker Gayle Lynds

8:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Autograph Party
Over 60 Award Winning and New York Times Bestselling Authors will attend the Autograph Party that will follow the Keynote Address.

SATURDAY, July 19, 2008

8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
The Craft of Writing Track
Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques for Novels. You’ve finished your novel, and you know it needs work, but where do you begin? We’ll cover a diagnostic system to spot common weaknesses in craft and practice a technique for boosting original style. You’ll create a self-editing checklist to take home and confidently finish your revision.
Speaker: Elizabeth Lyon has been an independent book editor for twenty years and has helped nonfiction and fiction writers gain first (and subsequent) book conTracks.

10:30 – Noon
Mystery/Thriller Track
Writing For Adrenaline Junkies – The Art of Addicting Readers to Suspense
Thriller author Rick Mofina discusses how to build drama, tension and suspense; then crank it up so that readers are complelled to sacrifice family and sleep to your story.
Speaker: Rick Mofina, one of the leading thriller writers of the day.

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Science Fiction/Fantasy
URBAN FANTASY Or: The Scooby Gang Saves the World Again
Weres, vampires, and witches, oh my! Creatures from mythology and legend abound in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance genres. But what separates urban fantasy from paranormal romance? While they’re often closely linked, what are the dividing lines that cause a book to fall into one camp or the other? And how does urban fantasy differ from high fantasy? Learn how to ensure your characters save the day without falling into the superhero trap, and that your evil overlords aren’t just Darth Vader or Sauron in disguise. In short, this workshop will offer you some tricks of the trade to make sure your urban fantasy stands out from the pack.
Speaker: Yasmine Galenorn. USA Today Bestselling author

4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Romance
Creating Unique and Individual Characters.
Speakers: Alexis Morgan and Ann Roth .

6:30 – 8:30
Literary Contest Awards Celebration and Dinner
*bites nails*

This month I will be Interviewing Regency author Jenna Petersen about her upcoming Lessons from a Courtesan sometime close to the release date of June 24th.

June 16-18, when Mr. Wonderful gets back from his whirlwind tour of Europe, I will be tagging along with him to Chicago. I’m looking for good books that are set in the Windy City in either the romance or urban fantasy genres. So far I have Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series and Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Chicago Stars series. What else should I read? Any restaurant recommendations?

JUNE 2008

• June 4: Mercer Island Library Writing Workshop. Author Bob Mayer presents on “The Original Idea—The Core of Writing and Selling Your Book and Idea“, 7pm Mercer Island Library.
• June 7: Greater Seattle RWA meeting – author Terry McLaughlin presents First Kiss Scenes, 11 am – 1 pm, Shoreline Library.
• June 7: The Lusty Wenches Book Club discusses The Duke of Shadows by debut author and Gather.com winner Meredith Duran.
• June 7: Richard Hugo House Write-O-Rama, workshops on writing, fundraiser, 9:30 am – 5 pm, Richard Hugo House, Seattle.
• June 10: Muli-award winning author Jo Beverly speaks to the Eastside RWA Chapter, 7-9pm, Newport Way Library Bellevue.
• June 16-18: WANDERLUST – Ciara visits the Windy City
• June 17: Elliot Bay Bookstore Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Group discusses Elizabeth Bear’s Dust, 6:30 pm, Seattle.
• June 18: Mercer Island Library Writing Workshop. Paranormal Romance Author Alexis Morgan presents on “Get Organized–Get Writing!”, 7pm Mercer Island Library.
• June 19: PNWA Meeting – Agent Alice Volpe presents on “How to Pitch to an Agent,” 7pm, Chinook Middle School, Bellevue.
• June 23: Author Jacqueline Carey reading and book signing of Kushiel’s Mercy, 7pm, University Bookstore, Seattle. (I just bought Kushiel’s Dart thanks to the overwhelming recommendation by Sarai and the lovely Desert Island Ladies!)
• June 24: Author Jacqueline Carey reading and book signing of Kushiel’s Mercy, 7pm, Powell’s Books at Cedar Hill Crossing, Beaverton, Oregon.

Anything else I should add?

Join with me now: “Hello my name is [name], and I’m addicted to J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood.”

Welcome!

While you wait for Lover Enshrined to come out, here are 13 other book recommendations for Black Dagger Brotherhood crack addicts.

There is a difference between Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy: Paranormal Romance must have a main love story with a satisfying Happily-Ever-After for the hero and heroine. Urban Fantasy does not. BDB falls in the former, so I have NOT included Urban Fantasy in this list (even thought Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series is teh awesome). The recommendations all contain the things we love about BDB: Alpha heroes, love-true-love, and fabulous world building.

Rec’s for BDB Addicts:

1. Guardian series by Meljean Brook
2. Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
3. Midnight Desire by Emma Holly
4. On the Prowl anthology by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, and Karen Chance
5. Hot Spell anthology by Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook
6. Dirk & Steele series by Marjorie M. Liu
7. Tairen Soul series by C.L. Wilson
8. Darkness Chosen series by Christina Dodd
9. Midnight Breeds series by Lara Adrian
10. Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
11. Paladins of Darkness series by Alexis Morgan
12. Nightwalker series by Jacqueline Franks
13. Psy-Changelings series by Nalini Singh (which I haven’t read but have heard great things)

Do you have any other recommendations?

Photo: If Mercy Thompson was a pinup girl.

So you may have noticed that I have a gazillion ideas and sometimes I fail to follow through with them. There simply isn’t enough time to do everything, so sometimes I’ll announce “upcoming” and you will never see anything come of it. It doesn’t mean I don’t try to do everything I say I am going to. Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.

1. New Design: Most of the pinup girls in the header are by Gil Elvgren. The chick on the broom represents wanderlust. That’s right. My other car is a broom. What do you think?

2. Upcoming Guest Post: I finally got one of my friends to read a romance novel and talk to me about it. My friend Scott has agreed to write us a book review of his impressions of DARK LOVER, the Black Dagger Brotherhood Crack sensation by J.R. Ward. Stay tuned.

3. Aspiring Romance Author Book Club: Our next meeting is June 7, discussing THE DUKE OF SHADOWS by Meredith Duran. I have heard fabulous things about this book and am looking forward to reading it.

4. Mercer Island Library Writing Workshops: Join us for a series of free writing workshops that will spark your creativity, get you organized and guide you through the publishing maze. This series is co-sponsored by Pacific Northwest Writers Association

• The Original Idea—The Core of Writing and Selling Your Book and Idea: Presented by Bob Mayer Mercer Island Library, Wednesday, June 04, 7pm. Can you say what your book is about in 25 words of less? This is essential to both writing a tight book and selling it. We will discuss ways to find and state your original idea so that you stay on course while writing the book and excite those you tell when trying to sell it.
• Get Organized–Get Writing!: Presented by Alexis Morgan. Mercer Island Library, Wednesday, June 18, 7pm. Best selling author Alexis Morgan shares tips on how to get organized to write. Learn how to set both long and short term goals that will help you achieve success in your writing career. Alexis is published in several sub-genres and her paranormal romances feature warriors charged with defending humans from an ancient threat. This August she will release her seventeenth full length book, Dark Warrior Unleashed, the first book in her Talions series, as well as her first short story.

5. Emerald City Writers’ Conference registration is now OPEN! Conference dates are October 10-12, 2008 in Bellevue, Washington.

Scheduled Speakers

• Welcome: Susan Mallery
• Key Note: Julia Quinn
• Closing: Allison Brennan
• “Write the DAMN Book!” Challenge: Cherry Adair

Agents and Editors

• Carolyn Grayson of Ashley Grayson Literary Agency
• Angela James of Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
• Kevan Lyon of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
• Leis Pederson of Berkley Books, Penguin Group (USA)
• Barbara Poelle of Irene Goodman Literary Agency
• Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks, Inc.
• Kim Whalen of Trident Media Group, LLC

Ha! (Harry! Harry!) But doesn’t The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance make you think of it? Biting its readers with two, very sexy, fangs? I digress.

Happy Easter! As you contemplate chocolate eggs, fluffy bunnies and people who rise from the dead, here is the brand spanking new cover for The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, filled with 30 (whoot!) stories from our favorite paranormal romance authors. I am oh-so-excited for its release. I dunno if the chick on the cover is a vampire though – where’s her black leather? And why is she wearing sunglasses at night? So she can watch you weave then breath your story lines? Just remember – Don’t switch the blade or masquerade with the guy in shades. She’ll bite you.

The book will be released in the US and UK August 11, 2008 by Running Press. The publisher is on a Mammoth Book trend, having published Mammoth Book anthologies of King Arthur to Tales of the Road to New Historical Whodunnits to Modern Fantasy. There isn’t much info up on Amazon, nor has google come through for me in my search for a complete list of authors. Here are the ones I found: Karen Chance, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Lilith Saintcrow, Keri Arthur, Vicki Pettersson, Alexis Morgan, Rachel Vincent, Jenna Black, Sherri Browning Erwin, and Nancy Holder.

Updated to add: more authors! Savannah Russe, Colleen Gleason, Jenna Maclaine, C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp, Delilah Devlin, Shiloh Walker, Kimberley Raye, Rebecca York, and Susan Sizemore.

This weekend is the 2007 Emerald City Writers’ Conference (incidentally, not held in the Emerald City, leading me to suggest “Romance Writing for Geographically Challenged Folks” as a new name), hosted every year by the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America, held every year at the Bellevue Hilton. If you aren’t a writer but an avid fan, make sure you check out the Bookfair featuring some of my favorite authors, including Julia Quinn (pictured left), Katie MacAlister, Jenna Petersen, Stephanie Rowe, Elizabeth Boyle, and Alexis Morgan.

Down-and-Dirty FAQS:

When: Saturday, October 27, 2007 4 – 6pm
Where: Skyview Ballroom, Bellevue Hilton, 300 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA
Why: Many fabulous Romance Writers will be there
Why2: A portion of the proceeds from the book sales will go to DAWN, Domestic Abuse Womens Network of South King County.