My professional opinion after reading Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

1. Jacob is alive. Edward is dead.
2. Jacob is warm and cuddly. Edward is an ice cube. He has to cuddle on top of the sheet so Bella doesn’t freeze.
3. Jacob is happy and smiles all the time. Edward is moodier than a PMSing adolescent.
4. Jacob listens to Bella and compromises. Edward decides what’s good for Bella and dictates.
5. Jacob makes Bella happy. Edward makes Bella anxious and obsessive.
6. Jacob and Bella have equal power in their relationship. Edward has all the power.
7. Jacob made Bella sad for two weeks. Edward make Bella suicidally depressed for many months.
8. It takes Jacob one day to apologize for making Bella miserable. It takes Edward most of a year and a whole lot of drama.
9. Bella loves Jacob for his sunny personality. Bella loves Edward cuz he smells good and looks pretty.
10. Jacob’s age difference to Bella is two years. Edward’s is one hundred (robbing the cradle much?).
11. Jacob is only dangerous to Bella when he’s angry. Edward is dangerous all the time (especially once a month: If Bella’s paper cut puts him on edge, what does her period do?).
12. To be with Jacob, Bella would live life to its fullest. To be with Edward, Bella would say goodbye to all family and friends and DIE.
13. Did I mention: Jacob is hot. Edward is freezing. Who wants to cuddle with an ice cube?

Reading NEW MOON in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in Colorado.

EDITED TO ADD: Kids, I’m all for free speech and literary discussion, but let’s keep the discourse courteous. No name calling. No swearing.

My birthday is in less than two weeks. (JULY 15th!!!)

1. Mr. Wonderful in a kilt.
2. ARC of CRY WOLF by Patricia Briggs
3. ARC of BONE CROSSED by Patricia Briggs
4. ARC of HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE by Nalini Singh
5. ARC of DEMON BOUND by Meljean Brook
6. ARC of MAGIC STRIKES by Ilona Andrews
7. Complete collection of ELF QUEST graphic novels
8. To attend a costume ball.
9. Someone else to clean my apartment.
10. To go on the Pike Place Market Ghost Tour and the Seattle Underground Tour.
11. Help designing my next tattoo.
12. Shopping spree at Powell’s City of Books.
13. A baby. (Y’all saw that one coming!)

I just bought my plane tickets!!! I’ll be in San Francisco MONDAY, July 28 at 6 pm, and I fly out SUNDAY, August 3 at 7 pm. This will be my very first romance conference. Last summer I attended the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference, which I’m attending again this July even though it has half the workshops offered last year. I learned a lot, and I’m really looking forward to RWAcon so that I can bask in the glow of my idols.

The 2008 Romance Writers of America National Conference will be held July 30 through August 3 at the San Francisco Marriott.

Here are 13 workshops that I’m thinking of attending. Until Hermoine lends me her time toy, I won’t be able to attend all of them. Why I picked each is in red.

1. Dialogue: Writing Between the Lines (CRAFT) — Elizabeth Hoyt
   Writing fantastic dialogue can lift your book from good to sold. This workshop will cover the mechanics of dialogue, how to tell if your dialogue is working, and how to show what your characters are thinking when they’re not speaking. Dialogue is the hardest part of writing for me, and I’ve been told to read The Raven Lord more times than I can count. I’m making a new TBR pile – one with an end of July deadline!
2. How to Layer and Texture Your Novel for High Impact (CRAFT) — Cherry Adair
   New York Times best-selling author Cherry Adair explains why there has to be a balance of dialog, narration, research, and description in your novel, which can be achieved by adding layers and texture. (2 hours) Cherry is a Seattle author. I’m still learning the craft of writing.
3. Writing the Best Seller: Six Magic Words (CAREER) — Susan Elizabeth Phillips
   Learn from New York Times best-selling and RITA Hall of Fame author Susan Elizabeth Phillips the six magic words that lead to bestsellerdom. I heart SEP and my critique partner told me not to miss her workshops cuz they are fabulous.
4. Writing the Unputdownable Novel (CRAFT) — Joan Johnston
   New York Times best-selling author Joan Johnston shares eight ways to “hook” your reader so she can’t put your book down. Another TBR author, that several DIK girls have rec’d.
5. Make ‘em Scream: How to Write Amazing Romantic Suspense Editors Will Buy (CRAFT) — Hilary Sares
   Editors are always looking for a hot mix of tough stuff and true love. This Kensington editor presents an insider’s guide to breaking in and staying the course in romantic suspense—covering pace, atmosphere, plotting, technical elements, and romance. I’m not writing romantic suspense, but fast pacing and keeping your readers hooked are good to know for any genre.
6. The 21st Century Heroine: How Far She’s Come and Where She’s Heading (PUBLISHING) — Michelle Monkou, Kate Duffy, Caridad Ferrer, Tracy Montoya, Monique Patterson, Candice Poarch, and Francis Ray
   A panel of editors and authors facilitate a discussion that will highlight the past, focus on the present, and analyze the future of the romance heroine. This sounds like an excellent blog post topic. How can I refuse? And The Kate Duffy herself is speaking. I’m intimidated already.
7. World Building: Creating Your Own Universe (CRAFT) — Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush
   New York Times best-selling author Lisa Jackson and author Nancy Bush discuss how to build a believable, fictional world. I heart world building. The more I learn the more I want to jump head over heels into my next paranormal project.
8. Writing for the Historical Market (PUBLISHING) — Elizabeth Boyle, May Chen, and Laura Lee Guhrke
   The historical market is a vital and wonderful opportunity for new romance writers, but the ins and outs of selling and continuing to sell can be baffling without an insider’s perspective. Join best-selling, award-winning authors Elizabeth Boyle and Laura Lee Guhrke and HarperCollins editor May Chen at this workshop to discover the opportunities that abound by taking a step back in history—without making costly missteps. Elizabeth is a Seattle author. I’m writing a regency, so this sounded important to know.
9. Bad Boys and Naughty Girls (CRAFT) — Allison Brennan, Jordan Dane, Cindy Gerard, C.J. Lyons, and Lucia Macro
   Best-selling authors, debut authors, and an executive editor discuss the seductive nature of villains and anti-heroes. Discover how authors create the darker characters we love to hate and who’ve become our guilty pleasures. Another great blog post topic. Anti-heroes are on the rise. Drake Vireo anybody? And more TBR authors than I could shake a stick at.
10. Secrets of the Best-selling Sisterhood (PUBLISHING) — Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz
    Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz reprise their very popular workshop on what it’s like to be New York Times best-selling authors. SEP and JAK, need I say more?
11. Writing the Hot Historical (CRAFT) — Janet Mullany, Helen Breitweiser, and Pam Rosenthal
    An agent and two authors guide you to creating a convincing historical world (while turning up the heat), with a glance at the market today. Like I said, I’m writing a historical. Would be nice if it were hot. or Hawt.
12. Writing—and Selling—Crossover Fiction (CRAFT) — Eileen Wilks, Ann Aguirre, Catherine Asaro, and Cindy Hwang
    The panel, including a newly published author in urban fantasy, an established paranormal romance author, a best-selling science-fiction author, and an editor who buys and publishes crossover fiction, will present a variety of viewpoints on this timely topic. More TBR authors! This time on the dark paranormal side. Fun, fun, fun! And another great blog topic too.
13. Take Five! The Agent Cartel Reveals Its Top Five Pearls of Wisdom for Career Success (PUBLISHING) — Kristin Nelson, Pam Ahearn, Roberta Brown, Natasha Kern, Lucienne Diver, Elaine English, Carolyn Grayson, Pam Hopkins, Jennifer Jackson, Patti Steele-Perkins, Deidre Knight and Michelle Grajkowski.
    A dozen agents offer five pearls of wisdom for success in publishing. (2 hours) Sounds like something I need to know. Agents intimidate me even more than published authors.

Are you going to the 2008 RWA National Conference? Have you picked out the workshops you are going to yet? What looks good to you? On which workshops would you like me to go and report back? I take fantastic notes, if I do say so myself.

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?

The Desert Island Keeper Hero round-robin game is over. It was fun. No one got any work done. But we got a fabulous list of our favorite heroes. My To Be Read (TBR) list is HUGE. Based on the final composition of the island, I have compiled a list of the 13 authors who had the most heroes make the DIK hero list. J.R. Ward tops the list with 8. (9 if you count Carolyn Jean’s pick of the Omega.) (edited- sorry Christine!!!) Authors 8 through 12 each had three heroes make it to the island, so they are listed in alphabetical order. Josh Lanyon had 3 heroes, but they were fought over so I listed him at the top of the 3-hero authors. Patricia Briggs has 2 heroes, but made the list over the runners-up because Adam was fought over. Viciously. You know it’s gotta be love.

Authors who Rock and their Heroes:

1. J.R. Ward: Zsadist, John Matthew aka Tehrror, Rhage, Qhuinn, Vishous, Wrath, Rehvenge, Butch O’Neill, the Omega *coughCarolynJeancough* (edited – sorry Christine!).
2. Meljean Brook: Hugh Castleford, Colin Ames-Beaumont, Savitri Murray, Michael, Ethan McCabe *coughMineHahahacough*, Belial.
3. Nalini Singh: Lucas Hunter, Hawke, Vaughn D’Angelo, Judd Laurens, Clay Bennett, Dorian
4. Suzanne Brockmann: Tom Paoletti, Sam Starrett, Max Baghat, Stan Wolchonok, Mr. Jules Cassidy
5. Laurell K. Hamilton: Doyle/The Queen’s Darkness, Rhys, Nathaniel, Barinthus
6. Lisa Kleypas: Cam Rohan, Sebastian St. Vincent, Derek Craven, Gage Travis
7. Josh Lanyon: Adrian English, Taylor MacAllister, Jake Riordan
8. Linda Howard: Gray Rouillard, James Diaz, Sam Donovan
9. Kresley Cole: Cadeon Woede, Bowen MacRieve, Conrad Wroth
10. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Zarek of Moesia, Acheron, Vane Kattalakis
11. Stephanie Meyers: Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, Ian
12. C.L. Wilson: Gaelen vel Serranis, Rain Tairen Soul, Kieran Vel Solande (I forgot mine!)
13. Patricia Briggs: Adam Hauptman, Dr. Samuel Cornick.

Runners up:

• Kelly Armstrong: Jeremy Danvers, Clay
• Anne Bishop: Lucivar Yaslana, Daemon Sadi  (edited to add)
• Jennifer Crusie: Calvin Morissey, Phineas Tucker
• Janet Evanovich: Joe Morelli, Ranger
• Patricia Gaffney: Michael McNeil, Sebastian Verlaine
• Judith Ivory: Mick Tremore, Graham Wessi
• Samantha Kane: Derek Knightly, Ian Witherspoon
• J.L. Langley: Nate, Jake Romer
• Linnea Sinclair: Branden Kel-Paten, Gabriel “Sully” Sullivan

Because who doesn’t adore best book ever recommendations? I can’t pass a bookstore without scoping the romance section, but once in front of the shelves I become a deer in the headlights. Tooo many books. Can’t make decision. So I obviously adore recommendations. They let me satisfy my burning desire to buy more books, while making sure I don’t waste my time or money on bad ones.

A number of romance blogging gals had a Desert Island Keeper (DIK) fest yesterday: KristieJ, Sula’s, lisabea‘s, CJ , Christines, Katie(babs), Sarai, Shannon, and Tracy. My Internet was not cooperating yesterday to crash the party, so I’m simply going to post a Thursday Thirteen of my personal romance DIKs today. And of course buy all the DIKs from these girls’ lists that I haven’t read yet! Baby, can’t get enough of good books.

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2. The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
3. Once an Angel by Teresa Medeiros
4. Demon Angel by Meljean Brook
5. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
6. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
7. By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch
8. Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu
9. You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister
10. The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
11. Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas
12. Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night by Kresley Cole
13. Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

1. April 21: Author Linda Winstead Jones interview on Ciaralira. Linda is being honored by the RWA Emma Merrit Award this year and is a double finalist for the 2008 RITA in the paranormal category.
2. April 21: Author Elizabeth Bolye presentation on Discovering Jane Austen’s England at Snoqualmie Library at 7pm.
3. April 26: Rose City Romance Writer’s Readers Luncheon and romance author book signing, 10 am to 2 pm at the Governor’s Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
   
4. April 30: Author Alice Hoffman at the Bellevue Regional Library at 12:30 pm.
5. End of April: Author Hank Phillippi Ryan interview on Ciaralira. Hank is a finalist for the 2008 RITA in the best first book category, and the author of our first Aspiring Romance Author Book Club book.
6. May 1-31: Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research
7. May 3: Greater Seattle RWA meeting – Author Marianne Stillings presents on Writing with Emotion, 10-noon.
8. May 4: Aspiring Romance Author Book Club meeting – Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan, 2008 RITA finalist.
9. May 13: Author Charlaine Harris reading and book signing at University Book Store in Seattle, 7pm.
10. May 14: Author Jane Porter, 2008 RITA finalist, reading and book signing at University Book Store in Bellevue, 7 pm.
11. May 16: multi-author Romance book signing including Meljean Brook at Powells Books in Beaverton, Oregon, details hopefully to come.
12. July 17-20: Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference, Blake Snyder to speak Sunday.
13. July 30-August 2: Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Francisco.

Upcoming books of 2008 that I can’t wait to read, and the links so you can pre-order your own copy from Amazon. Patience is a virtue – too bad I have none!

1. My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne. Hot Damn! The first one was so good, I simply cannot wait for the second. (July 1, 2008)
2. Demon Bound by Meljean Brook. Her world building and characters are SO GOOD. (November 11, 2008)
3. First Blood by Meljean Brook, et al. (August 8, 2008)
4. Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward. Book 6 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Phury’s story. (June 2008)
5. Acheron by Sherrylin Kenyon. The looong awaited story of the king of badasses in the Dark Hunter series, book 12. (August 5, 2008)
6. The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance edited by Trisha Telep. (August 11, 2008)
7. Into the Shadow by Christina Dodd. Book 3 in the Darkness Chosen series. (July 1, 2008)
8. One Foot in the Grave by Jeannine Frost. Book 2 in the Night Huntress series. (April 29, 2008)
9. Playing with Fire by Katie MacAlister. Book 1 in the new Silver Dragons series, a new offshoot of the Aisling Grey, Guardian series. (May 6, 2008)
10. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn. Book 1 in the Two Dukes of Wyndham series. (May 27, 2008)
11. Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas. Book 2 in the Hathaways series. (September 30, 2008)
12. Duchess by Night by Eloisa James. Book 3 in the Desperate Duchess series. (July 2008)
13. The Travelers Guide to Falling in Love (I can dream, can’t I?)

So many books to read, so few hours in the day…

My current Series To Read list. Some I’ve been recommended and others I’ve happened upon while browsing. I can’t wait to bite my teeth into these! (I’ve obviously come off my Regency binge head first into a Paranormal orgy.)

1. The Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian
   Book 1 – Kiss of Midnight
2. The Fading Lands series by C.L. Wilson
   Book 1 – Lord of the Fading Lands
3. Werecat series by Rachel Vincent
   Book – Stray
4. The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
   Book 1 – A Hunger Like No Other
5. Argeneau Vampires series by Lynsay Sands
   Book 1 – A Quick Bite
6. The Drakon series by Shana Abe
   Book 1 – The Smoke Thief
7. Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris
   Book 1 – Dead Until Dark
8. The Silver Dragons series by Katie MacAlister (Seattle Author!)
   Book 1 due out in May – Playing with Fire
9. Tales of an Urban Werewolf series by Karen Macinerney
   Book 1 – Howling at the Moon
10. Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks
    Book 1 – How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire
11. The Sisters of the Moon series by Yasmine Galenorn (Seattle Author!)
    Book 1 – Witchling
12. Guardians of Eternity series by Alexandra Ivy
    Book 1 – When Darkness Comes
13. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton
    Book 1 – Guilty Pleasures
    (Yes, I realize I’m the last person on earth to read this book.)

I may not have blogged for two weeks, but I have been writing and reading. Reading TONS. Writing some. I sent in my first two chapters to the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. I’m freakin tired of rewriting my first two chapters. I haven’t written any new scenes since November!!

My mind’s excuses for not writing:

1. Travel (to spend time with my hubby)
2. Reading (It’s research – right?)
3. Email (networking)
4. Reading Smart B*tches (research on what’s going on in romancelandia)
5. Blogging (marketing and networking)
6. Facebook (networking)
7. Scrabbulous (improving my vocabulary)
8. Eating (can’t write on an empty stomach)
9. Sleeping (can’t write when i’m tired)
10. Exercise (clears my head so i’ll write better)
11. Laundry (it piles up)
12. Cleaning (the house won’t clean itself)
13. Editing (I must get those first chapters *just right* before I move on)