I stink at talking about my books. They are 1.) romances 2.) fantasies 3.) have shape shifter alpha male heroes uh….okay, that’s all I have. So, when I saw the announcement that I would be talking about Wild Hunt, my initial reaction was “Crap, what am I going to say?”

I really was hoping to blog about either something Southern fried—being from the Ozarks I totally get beauty of anything Southern fried, or chica—which is half of one of my favorite endearments for my daughter. (The other half being bonita.)

But then it hit me…I won’t blog about the book, how I wrote it, blah, blah. I’ll blog about the beings in it and which you and I would most want to be.

So, here are the choices…

1.) Hellhound – hellhounds are shape shifters (human to massive dog with a hellish addiction to blood lust). The males are very alpha. No female hellhounds appear in Wild Hunt, but I have a Bite coming out this fall that features one. The females are survivors.

2.) Valkyries – The heroine of Wild Hunt is a Valkyrie. In my world, Valkyries pretty much stay in Valhalla

these days, and they don’t necessarily love it. They have gone from the days of glory as warriors to just serving the spirits of fallen warriors. But they do come with some cool gear—flying horses and feathered capes that also give them the ability to fly. They also are perfectly capable of kicking butt.

3.) Norn – Norn are the fates of Norse Myth. In my world, they can read rune stones and cards. They can also speak to animals if they are in contact with some part of the animal. This talent comes in handy for my one Norn character in Wild Hunt when she and a hellhound both want the same thing… They also deliver a child’s fate to him/her at birth.

4.) Witches – You probably can figure this one out for yourself. One thing that is somewhat unique about my witches is they can store power. So when magical things happen around them, like a hellhound shifting from canine to human, they soak up the power to use later. Then they get to blow things to bits—always fun.

5.) The ErlKing – The ErlKing runs the Wild Hunt—a hunt where a pack of hellhounds in spectral hound form hunt down beings and steal their souls. There is only one ErlKing at any given time. I don’t go into his history a lot in the book, but the way I see him is a bit like Tim Allen in the Santa Clause…except major scary and wearing a helmet made from a boar’s head. In my mind the ErlKing was at one time a normal man, elf, whatever, then he somehow got hold of the horn and called up the hunt. That act made him into the ErlKing. He lost his soul to the hunt. Now he is the hunt, and he has some major powers, not the least being the ability to control a pack of hellhounds with the curl of his pinky.

And that is it, no humans, elves, trolls or giants in this book.

So, which one would you want to be? Which do you think would be most useful in modern life? I’m leaning toward Norn because I just think it would be cool, and because I think of them as being kind of catlike. But there are certainly days that shifting into a hellhound would be darn useful…

You can read an excerpt here, visit Lori Here or buy her book here!

Please join us on Wednesday when the lovely and talented Lori Devoti joins us to talk about her new book WILD HUNT!

Alongside his hellhound brethren, Venge Leidolf was summoned to start the Wild Hunt anew. But in this dreaded pursuit of souls, Venge sought to free himself from his infernal bondage—by claiming the heart of a fierce Valkyrie.…

Geysa never questioned the alluring gifts that set her apart from the other Valkyries, or her hatred of hellhounds—until Venge fell under her spell. Drawing the alpha hellhound so close made Geysa doubt her every instinct. To stop the Hunt, the two blood-born enemies would need to cast aside old vows and allegiances. Only then could no one question the strength of their union….

Lori Devoti grew up in southern Missouri and attended college at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Journalism. She, however, made it clear to anyone who asked, she was not a writer; she worked for the dark side—advertising. Now twenty years later, she’s proud to declare herself a writer and visit her dark side occasionally by writing dark paranormal romances and urban fantasy novels with a little death and a lot of adventure.Lori lives in Wisconsin with her husband, daughter, son, an extremely patient shepherd mix, and the world’s pushiest Siberian husky.

You can read an excerpt here!

I’m rebelling.

Us less-confident types expend a lot of energy on positive affirmations, calming pep-talks and, occasionally, a lot of money on our alcoholic beverage of choice (mine’s white wine, but I’m always happy to make friends with a champagne cocktail or a margarita). We aspire to be positive, well-groomed, well-balanced individuals who have conquered their self-defeating behaviours and spring, light-footed, through a world of flowers and dreams in full bloom.

Reality falls somewhat short of that aspiration.

Instead, we feel more like we’re hanging on to our sanity with our ragged , unpainted fingernails, as we stagger, creased and unwaxed, from one near-crisis to another. Flowers in bloom? HA! The cat’s been sick on the carpet again…

All that energy spent on trying not to say, “Gad, I suck!”

I am reclaiming that energy. I am embracing my suckage! My suckness is an integral part of the person I am, and an irrefutable part of my mental processes!

I had my first book published this week. No amount of snide self-doubt or first-timer ignorance can take away from how truly, wonderfully, f a n t a s t i c that feels. Seven years of hard work in the face of occasionally overwhelming odds, and I can hold my book in my hand and know that somewhere out there, it’s being taken down from shelves and bought and read.

And you know what? That book doesn’t suck. It really doesn’t – reviews, editors, readers are telling me so (one particular reviewer begs to differ, but – heh - what do they know? *wink* ).

But it did suck. Oh yes. And the process it went through as a result of that – it’s Stages of Suck – brought it to publication in the form it’s in now.

If my first draft hadn’t sucked, I wouldn’t have rewritten it. If that rewrite hadn’t unbalanced the ending, I wouldn’t have changed that. And if that change hadn’t made the middle less-than-its-best, I wouldn’t have reworked that, either.

Its suckness has made it what it is.

Rather like me, in fact.

You see, I quite like me. I don’t say that in a, “I am fabulous, dahlink,” sense (please note the creased, unwaxed, barely-sane notes above, which are 100% accurate), but in a, “I find me quite a nice person to spend time with,” sense. And harassed and un-manicured as I am, I retain enough sense to know my suckage is an integral part of the me I quite like.

It’s quite a revelation.

And like all good revelations, it has to be shared. So, my fellow suck-sisters, throw off the shackles of the hated positive affirmation oppression, and embrace your suckage.

To paraphrase the sainted Yoda, “Use the Suck, Luke.”

So, tell me, what was your latest, “I suck,” moment, and how can you embrace it? C’mon now… be brave….

Anna Louise Lucia’s first novel, Run Among Thorns , a romantic suspense published by Medallion Press, is out now!

In a crisis moment of her life, Jenny Waring did something exceptional.

She killed three armed men.

“Excellent… an all-round compelling escape.” 4 ½ stars, Romantic Times

This week’s guest blogger will be Anna Louise Lucia.

I’ve known the very talented, funny, and extremely gracious Anna (cyberwise) for several years now, from back in the days when eharl was a tightly-knit community with only a few message boards.

A large number of my writing friends come from that time (Cat Brown of Romance Junkies, Amie Stuart, Sasha White, Raine Weaver, Dee Tenorio, Julie Cohen, Sela Carsen, Linda Winfree, and Kat Glover (who’s working on my website) just to name a few.

There’s a reason why I suspect many–if not all–of those names ring a bell; they’re a group of very talented ladies who were (are) very generous with sharing any writing/publication knowledge (or experience) they might have come across with the rest of  eharl group.

We’ve drifted to different online communities, writing for different publishers, but we managed to keep in touch,  so you can just  imagine how THRILLED I was to hear Anna sold!   She’d been >thisclose< on several occasions with Harl/Sil but in the end her debut romantic suspense RUN AMONG THORNS came out this week with Medallion Press.  

Anna has an awesome command of the language and her descriptive passages re setting, emotion, and action are sure to knock your socks off.   You can check some excerpts here.

So come back on Wednesday and join the Southern Fried Chica when Anna comes by to guest host.  

I’m thrilled to introduce one of the hardest working women I know as today’s guest blogger. She the mother of five, an awesome writer, and an AWESOME person whose auction to benefit Diabetes research is in it’s fourth year….she’s also someone I greatly admire. And it’s my pleasure to welcome her here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Brenda Novak!

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It’s been a busy spring. Not only am I currently running my fourth annual on-line auction for diabetes research at brendanovak.com, I’m on deadline for another book, just returning from a tour of Europe, launching the first three stories in the Last Stand series–TRUST ME, STOP ME and WATCH ME—this summer, and gearing up for a really fun contest where a short description of why your friend is “the perfect friend” can win you and that friend a seven-day Caribbean cruise. With five kids to care for before I can get to anything else, I feel like I’m going Mach 1 with my hair on fire. (I’m writing this as I fly over the Atlantic on my way home, where I’ll immediately head to Utah to attend my daughter’s graduation, then take her and the rest of the kids to Disneyland, at which point I’ll also attend Book Expo America). But if I’m not busy, I simply scoop more onto my plate. So as much as I may dream of it, I guess slowing down isn’t a realistic expectation for my personality type. LOL

TRUST ME, the first book in my new series, just came out on Tuesday. It will be followed by STOP ME on June 24th and WATCH ME on July 27th. The idea behind these books actually stemmed from the passion I feel for my charity work. At some point in the past, the heroines of all three books were victims of some type of violent crime (Skye was awakened in her bedroom one night by an intruder wielding a knife, Jasmine’s little sister was abducted while she was babysitting and was never heard from again, and Sheridan and the boy she was with were shot by an unknown assailant while sitting in a parked car at the lake). After meeting at a victim’s support group, they decide to start a charity designed to help others like themselves, a charity they name–you guessed it–The Last Stand. They’re determined to make a difference, and they do—by getting involved in some pretty frightening and compelling cases, the first of which is Skye’s own.

I’m pleased to report that TRUST ME is getting the series started off right by garnering some truly wonderful reviews. RT BOOK Review Magazine calls it a “clever, impeccably plotted thriller” (and gave it
4.5 stars and a TOP PICK). Publisher’s Weekly says it “generates genuine thrills.” And Romance Junkies and Once Upon a Romance both gave it five stars. For anyone who’d like to read a sample, the first chapter is posted on my Web site, where you’ll also find a fun video trailer, some book group questions and the opportunity to receive coupons for $1.00 off the price of any of the three books (TRUST ME and/or the two that immediately follow it). While you’re at brendanovak.com, check out the rules for the “That’s What Friends are For Contest” I mentioned. I’ll be picking a semi-finalist each week, which I’ll post for everyone to read and enjoy. In August, the members of my fan club will vote to determine the grand prize winner, which will be awarded on the last day of the month.

Also, I’ve written a free prequel to the series (a short story titled by the series name–The Last Stand), which you can soon find at eharlequin.com (or, in a few weeks, at my Web site).

It’s going to be a busy summer—but hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to visit The Last Stand, my victim’s charity, and check out everything the founders of it have going on. If you’re interested, there’s a store on my Web site where you can order your own “The Last Stand…Where Victims Fight Back” T-shirt, mugs or other goodies. And it’s not too late to help us reach our goal of raising $300,000 for diabetes research. The auction doesn’t close until May 31st (although some individual items close before that). Check it out–and put your shoulder to the wheel.

Here’s to making a difference–Brenda Novak

Let’s give a warm Southern Fried Chica welcome to author Amy Ruttan!

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I recently had to do some etymology research for some edits.

My first reaction when I asked was to pull the hair out by the roots, fling open the door and run naked up my suburban street.

I decided to save my neighbors a scare and did what my wonderful, kind and generous editor asked me to do (by the way I’m totally buttering her up so I never have to do this again.) *cough cough*

Etymology, as it turns out (and trust me at first I didn’t know) is the origins of words. This can be especially important if you’re writing a historical. What did I discover was that people must not have talked prior to 1800 because most of our phrases and words today are after 1800. (I’m kidding by the way, we’ve all read Shakespeare). We’re talking about things that sound old.

There was no Faschizel my nizzle in my 18th Century manuscript. My words were not modern. I didn’t have any split infinitives and the like. The words I chose were words I had read countless times in other historical romances; but still the call of the editor takes precedence. There would be no getting out of it, it had to be done.

Blast! Cracking my knuckles I went to work. I found the online etymology website and went to work.

At first it seemed tedious, mind numbing stick a fork in me I’m done kind of boredom. Then I found my groove, and I found some fun stuff. Here’s a bit of sampling of words I found.

Mime~ “A buffoon who practices gesticulations” [Johnson], 1603 Fr. Ok, that’s freaking hilarious; but see if you’re writing a romance about a mime in 1585 who falls in love with a woman outside his invisible box. It’s not going to swing. However, buffoon or jester was first used c.1549.

Clitoris~ Ah, you think fairly modern. Clit was coined in the 1960’s but our dear friend the Italian anatomist Mateo Renaldo Colombo claims discovery over it. A man, that’s right kind of ironic. He called it the amor Veneris, vel delcedo or “the love or sweetness of Venus.” Awwww. But clitoris or kleitoris is Greek first coined c. 1615, known as to sheathe. To be inclined towards pleasure or tickling was a German word der Kitzler, or the tickler. I think I like the Italian version of it.

Ironic~ There’s a black fly in your chardonnay, well if you were singing this song before 1502 A.D., you would be considered a mad person.

Pump~ As in a low shoe without fasteners. You’ll be surprised if you guessed after 1800, it was actually first used c.1555 and Arabic.

I could go on forever but why deny you the pleasure and fun. Here’s the link to have your own fun.

So next time you use a word think about where it came from and when, you’ll be surprise.
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Check out Amy’s new releases from Ellora’s Cave and Cerridwen Press! Love Thy Neighbor is due out on May 22, followed by Fox’s Bride on May 29!

Amy Ruttan’s Website

Make sure you stop by this coming Wednesday to chat with erotic romance/historical author Amy Ruttan! A mega-talented writer with a great sense of humor, Amy writes for Ellora’s Cave and Cerridwen Press.


Here’s her bio:

Amy Ruttan is an erotic romance and historical romance author whose first book [was released] from Ellora’s Cave in September 2007. She writes sensuous passionate romance whether it’s a little bit on the steamy side or a little bit spicier; her romances are always timeless and full of passion.

Amy discovered her love of the written word when she realized that she could no longer act out the fantastical romances in her head with her dolls. Writing about delicious heroes was much more fun than playing with plastic men dolls with the inevitable flesh-colored “tighty whities.” She loves history, the paranormal, and will spew out historical facts like a volcano, much to her dearest hubby’s chagrin. When she’s not thinking about the next sensual romp, she’s chasing after two rug rats and reading anything spicy that she can get her hands on.

Here are a few of Amy’s awesome book covers!

Please join us in welcoming author Jeri Smith-Ready. Her latest novel, Wicked Game is out this month from Pocket Books. After you read her post, leave a comment and you’ll automatically be entered in Jeri’s book giveaway. One lucky poster will win a signed copy of Wicked Game.

And now here’s Jeri!
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Brainspace

Have you ever noticed, when actors go on talk shows to plug their new movies, they’ll often spend time discussing the movie they’re working on now, a movie that won’t be out for another year or two? You can sense that’s what they’re most excited about. It’s filling their ‘brainspace’—the place where their creative and problem-solving energy is flowing like crazy.

I wish I were the kind of writer who could sit down and work for just ten or fifteen minutes, swatting away distractions like meddlesome flies. But I need time to sink into the story’s brainspace. It can take half an hour or more of sitting still, drinking coffee (or tea, in the evening), and staring at the screen before any worthwhile words appear.

There are many enemies of brainspace, including:

* Television
* Family crises
* Illness
* E-mail/Web surfing
* Upcoming release of a new book (hmm, no idea why that one comes to mind right now)

Some of these we can avoid or at least minimize; some we can’t. Most of us aren’t hermits. We can’t seal ourselves into a vault to do our work. So we need to find shortcuts.

How I create brainspace:

* Music: After working on a book for a week or two, I choose music that resonates with its mood and characters and story. Then I play the same music every day when I sit down to write. Eventually I get like Pavlov’s dog: when I hear those opening chords, my brain clicks into writing mode.

* Spider Solitaire: Just one game, I swear, at the beginning of a writing session, while I listen to the music. I see this as easing my brain into the space. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

* Coffee: Usually it’s the second cup of the day, whether it’s 10 am or 4 pm. (It took years, but I have finally stopped feeling guilty for not writing first thing in the morning.) Of course, coffee enhances concentration most (and tastes best) when accompanied by something sweet.

How to tell what’s dominating your brainspace:

* What do you think about when you’re on ‘autopilot,’ i.e., driving, taking a shower, folding laundry?
* What’s the last thing you think about before going to sleep, or the first thing when you wake up?
* What do you dream about?

I’d love to know: how do you create brainspace for your writing? Do you have a ritual? Is it different for each book? Do you yell at people and pets for invading it? Tell me in the comments to enter a drawing for a signed copy of my new vampire book, Wicked Game.

Thanks so much for having me at Southern Fried Chicas, and thanks especially to Tanya for inviting me!

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Jeri falls into the brainspace of her new vampire series every time she turns on the radio. Wicked Game (and its sequel, Bad to the Bone, coming May 2009) concerns a cadre of vampire disc jockeys and the con artist trying to save their ‘lives.’ Simply Romance Reviews called it “an urban fantasy thrill ride” and “sexy as hell.”

For more about Wicked Game, go here. To visit the DJs and listen to a sample of their shows, click this link. Jeri and her heroine Ciara can also be found on MySpace, though mysteriously never at the same time here and here.

I first discovered Jeri after a friend recommended her urban fantasy, Requiem For The Devil last year. The premise was so unique that I immediately ordered a copy from Amazon and waited with baited breath for it to arrive. I’m not exaggerating when I say once I got the book, I couldn’t put it down. I mean, Lucifer was the romantic hero, for God’s sakes!

And the story was in his POV.

Talk about a compelling read.

I was so taken by Requiem that I turned into a total fangirl and contacted Jeri. Not only that, but I also did a write up on my blog last year telling everybody who’d listen to pick up a copy.

Annnnyway, Jeri’s got another novel coming out from Pocket Books, and I can’t wait to read that one! She’s going to be here on Wednesday, May 14th, so be sure to stop by and say hi.



Here’s her bio:

Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. She holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and lives in Maryland with her husband, cat, and the world’s goofiest greyhound.

Her hobbies include cooking and animals—though not at the same time, unless you count the cat’s culinary supervision, which looks remarkably like sitting on the floor waiting for food to drop.

Jeri fosters shelter dogs with Tails of Hope Sanctuary. As of this writing, she has hosted twenty dogs at her home, all of whom have found loving adopters.

Recently, I found an article on the internet about Peter Mark Roget. I’m embarrassed to say I knew nothing of the man. It seems his entire family was plagued with mental illnesses, from simple depression to possible schizophrenia and paranoia. An uncle slit his own throat while Roget struggled to take the razor away.

To hold onto his own sanity, Roget wrote long lists of synonyms. He found solace in words. I can understand this. When I’m restless, can’t write, or even settle down with a good book, I pick up the dictionary to find interesting, previously unknown words. Words fascinate me.

I’d be lost without my copy of Roget’s Thesaurus. Not only does it offer many choices, but sometimes one of the synonyms sparks my imagination, enabling me to write a better sentence.

Words make the world go round. They allow us to communicate, albeit not so well at times. It’s not just a good story that sells a book, but how it’s written. Think about how your words will flow into a reader’s mind.

Pick a random sentence from one of your manuscripts and spend time improving it. The more often I do this, the faster I get. Now I take all my weak sentences when I complete a chapter and make them stronger. And, of course, Roget is my bedside companion.

For anyone interested in reading the entire article on Roget, it can be found HERE.

I’m also looking forward to reading The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall. Discovering more about Roget’s unhappy life might be great research for anyone wanting to know more about the darker side of mental illness.

My mother always told me, “Choose your words wisely.” Of course, she wasn’t referring to my writing, but the idiom holds true whatever way you look at it.

Happy word hunting!