5 Easy Tricks to Writing Short

Please welcome guest blogger Paige Cucarro

Having a knack for writing short stories is kind of like having curly hair. People with curly hair wish they had straight hair and people with straight hair wish they had curly. A lot of writers find they can either write long or short, but switching back and forth becomes a problem. Since this is about writing short, we’ll focus on writers who find it difficult to condense their epic, multi-generational, globe-tripping, character-rich ideas into fifteen-thousand-word quickies. No surprise. Short stories aren’t supposed to be epics, right? Short stories are meant to offer a glimpse into a world where something interesting is just about to happen, and when the interesting thing is over, the story is done.

Short stories present a reachable goal, a surmountable conflict, a clear motivation and a satisfying resolution. All the extra stuff, is well...extra and can be left out. Okay, so with that in mind, here are a few tips that might help reel in that far-stretching, multilevel imagination of yours.

1. Clear the stage: If they aren’t stars, keep them in the wings.

In short stories, there’s no room for subplots, flushed-out secondary characters, or settings that steal the stage. For romance, there’s a hero and a heroine. If your story needs a sounding board, someone your main character can think aloud to, introduce them in the simplest terms. If the story isn’t about them, we don’t need a detailed account of what they look like, what motivates them, or their back story. You can just say she’s the heroine’s look-alike mom, or her perky friend, or her lazy dog. One-word descriptions work great, and then you can set these secondary characters to work propelling the story.

2. Reunion stories: Love can be better the second time around

An easy short cut is for the hero and heroine to have a history when the story begins. Having your characters already introduced and engaged in some sort of relationship -- friends, co-workers, work-out partners, etc... saves a TON of words by cutting out the “Hi, my name’s Sally. What’s yours?” stage of the story. It also saves time spent on revving up the interest between the hero and heroine.

3. Straightforward motivation: No time to be deep and mysterious about your characters' reasons.

The more basic the motivation, the easier your story will unfold. Sex, greed, love, hate -- these motivations are fantastic plot devices in a short story. Maybe your character needs a date to an office party, or she’s had the hots for the hero forever and finally decides to take her chances. Or maybe your character needs the prize money from dance contest, and the best dancer she knows is her ex-boyfriend whom she still loves. Whatever it is, if you can sum up your character’s motivation in a quick sentence, it’s a great idea for a short story.

4. Make happiness possible: Don’t try to lasso the moon; instead aim for turning on a light.

Like any story, regardless of length, conflict is the fuel for the story. But since a short story is more like a lawnmower and less like a limo, the amount of conflict and the level of complexity can be much less. Trying to resolve abandonment issues or mental scars from some horrific abuse in fifteen thousand words or less is like trying to fill a Dixie Cup by standing out in the rain. Too much unfocused information. Give your characters a fighting chance by narrowing your plot with conflicts that are more everyday. Examples: Friends deciding to take their relationship to the next level. Old lovers nervous over reuniting. Co-workers who reveal their true feelings when they’re stuck together during an office motivational retreat.

5. Tender moments: Happily-ever-afters don't require multi-generational sagas.

To make it even easier, shorten the time span of the story: one month, one week, one day, one DATE. Short stories are rarely the tale of an entire life. They’re snap shots, a moment in time snipped from two people’s lives in which they faced a speed bump and overcame it.

All stories regardless of length have a beginning, middle, and end; a character with a goal; a reason for wanting that goal; and a hurdle to overcome to achieve that goal. In short stories there’s no room for anything else. The key is to focus. You must narrow your plot, slim down your cast of characters, zero in on their motivation, simplify the conflict and offer them a goal that’s believably achievable in the short amount of time involved.

Happy writing!

Paige Cuccaro also writes under the pseudonym, Alison Paige. She is a multi-published author with Harlequin, Berkley, Samhain and Ellora’s Cave. Her latest electronic release is LITTLE RED AND THE WOLF. Look for her latest print release, NAUGHTY BITS 2 in book stores now.

Visit Paige at her website: www.PaigeCuccaro.com & www.AlisonPaige.com Or follow her on twitter: @paigecuccaro

Little Red and the Wolf

Who said being eaten by the big bad wolf was a bad thing?

Maizie Hood struggles to keep her bakery turning a profit, her landlord from evicting her, and her dear Granny in a nursing facility. Wrestling with the decision to sell Gran’s cottage is hard enough. The last thing she needs is her childhood big-bad-wolf nightmares turning into real-life adult fantasies. Sexy businessman Gray Lupo’s sudden interest just makes matters worse. Is he the answer to her problems, or just a wolf in gentleman’s Armani?

Since his wife was killed twenty-one years ago, Gray’s life has been focused on two things: protecting the pack and avoiding the grown daughter of his wife’s killers. When it becomes clear he can’t do one without compromising the other, Gray finds playing “big bad wolf” to Maizie Hood’s “Little Red” is a role he enjoys far more than he expected.

A real bad wolf’s attack on Maizie changes everything. Gray can’t deny the pull she has on his instincts—and his heart. Suddenly he finds himself taking on a role he never thought he’d want, as her protector and mate. Until the truth about his connection to her nightmarish past comes to light…

Birth of a Blurb

Please welcome guest blogger Marilu Mann

Blurbs are meant to be back cover matter. A blurb must hook the reader and make them NEED to read the book—not just want to read it. It’s an author’s first chance to show a new reader our voice, to hint what the reader can expect inside the story.

These blurbs do not spring forth from our foreheads fully clothed. Most often they tumble out in a mismatched array of verbs and nouns that we have to delicately carve and fit back together. Here is a peek at the raw footage for the blurb for Sex and Trouble available April 2 from Ellora’s Cave.

First attempt: January 26, 2010 from Cai.

Marielle Greenlea inherits a creepy old Victorian house and all its contents. Not bad, you say? Well, what if you find out that that house comes with a Demon. Not just any demon, a Hedonae-or sex demon, who has been bound to the house by your estranged father. Now, not only does Marielle have to deal with her inheritance from her father and learning that she's a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free!

Rosier can't believe he's still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who's sexy as all get out but unaware of her own appeal. A fledgling witch who doesn't really believe he's a demon-until she sees his-ahem-horns; and the fact that Marielle has never had an orgasm with a partner. Not only does he have to bring her to orgasm once, but three times—and they must be three simultaneous orgasms! Marielle and Rosier have to find three keys to unlock Marielle's power, defeat a former student of her father's and have mind-blowing sex to affect Ros' release from captivity. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Second attempt: January 28 from Arwen

You know it’s going to be a bad day when:

1. Your father dies leaving you a creepy old Victorian home.
2. Butler isn’t a butler and he comes with the house.
3. Your father’s enemies are after everything in the house—including you and the butler?

Meet Marielle Greenlea. She’s just learned that her inheritance involves not just an old house but also a butler-cum-demon. And not just any demon. He’s a Hedonae—or sex demon—who has been bound to the house by her estranged father. Now, not only does Marielle have to deal with her inheritance from her father which includes learning that she's a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is.

Rosier can't believe he's still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who's sexy as all get out but unaware of her own appeal. A fledgling witch who doesn't really believe he's a demon. But once she sees his-ahem-horns, she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex. But he wants to go home and if that means making her scream with his name over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it.

Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen according to her exes, she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms when she’s never had even one? Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex? What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Lie down and take it!

Cai’s Response: Was able to see it on here (meaning an iPhone), blurbs are only supposed to be two paragraphs long we'll have to work on this.

Third attempt: January 28 from Cai.

I say we use yours as our Blog entry. Here's my go at the blurb in two paragraphs...

Marielle Greenlea has just learned that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. Ros is a Hedonae, a sex demon, bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Marielle have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s sexy as sin, but unaware of her own appeal. She’s a fledgling witch who doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his-ahem-horns. But he wants desperately to go home, and if that means he’ll have to pleasure her into a coma, he’s willing to give it a go.

Mari truly wants to help him, but as the reigning Popsicle Queen, according to an ex, she doesn’t believe she can. Three simultaneous orgasms? Three? When she’s never even had one with a partner? Now, not only does she have to deal with her crazy father’s influence, she has to find three keys to unlock her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex? What’s a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Fourth attempt: March 2 from Arwen. We are getting serious now because we are counting words.

This is yours and mine combined. :) 254 words total.

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you learn that your inheritance from your estranged dad involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. A Hedonae--sex demon-- is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Mariell have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns. , she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s hotter than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal. But he wants to go home and if that means making her scream with his name over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen according to her exes, she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one. Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Fifth Attempt: March 2 from Cai. You will see a back-and-forth on how we first introduce the heroine in the next few versions.

A few changes/corrections (spelling of Heroine's name for one!!) - 253 words:

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you learn that an inheritance from your estranged dad involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Marielle have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal. Still, he wants to go home and if that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Sixth attempt: March 2 from Arwen

More alterations. Changed the opening line. :) 237 words. Tightened and emphasized.

You never sleep with the help. When Mari learns that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon, she may have to break that rule. A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Mari has to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch and she has to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Even though Mari’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. As the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), Mari insists she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex—all in two weeks time. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Attempt seven: March 2 from Cai.

Just changed her name at the very beginning since I think we need to put her full name in there at least once...If you disagree, change it back.

You never sleep with the help. When Marielle learns that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon, she may have to break that rule.

A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Mari has to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch and she has to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Even though Mari’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. As the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), Mari insists she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex—all in two weeks time. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Well, finally! We had a blurb! Full of happiness and enthusiasm, we sent it off to our editor…only to get this response:

I have this, but it is far too long. The blurb for a book this length needs to be 120 words or less.

Want to take another crack at it and resend?

So, it was back to the drawing board! Now we had to condense the blurb even more.

From Cai:

Per B’s email—stripped the blurb. Could only get it to 127 words—we need 120 or less. Here’s what I came up with. See what you can do with this.

Marielle’s inheritance involves a creepy old house and a sexy butler…demon. Finding out he’s bound to the house by magick and that she’s a hereditary witch only compound her problems! Mari doesn't believe in her own power, or that he's a demon until she sees his…horns. Then she has to face facts—one of which is that he can only be released is through sex.

Though Mari's sexier than any human Ros has ever known, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. Now they have to find three keys to Mari’s power, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex! What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Arwen’s response:

Marielle just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance involves a creepy old house with a hot butler who happens to be a sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. Then she sees her butler‘s—ahem—horns. Then she has to face facts—one of which is that he can only be released through sex.

She's sexier than any human he's ever known, but Rosier just wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream his name in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. First they have to unlock Mari’s power, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex within two weeks! What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

After a few more back-and-forth emails to tighten even more, here’s what we finally sent to our editor:

Marielle has just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who’s really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler‘s—ahem—horns, she has to face the facts. And, he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari’s sexier than anyone he's ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. It’s simple…they have to unlock her powers, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex…in the next two weeks or he’s trapped forever. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

This last one IS the final version. What do you think? Do you prefer one of the earlier versions? Does your reaction to a back cover blurb really influence you to “buy the book”? Are you ever disappointed by the blurb not having anything to do with the actual story? Tell us your thoughts and if you like our final blurb.

Official Bio:

Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn't stop there. Marilu's willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow. She'll also circle the world to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.

Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for.

Marilu is thrilled to be a part of the Ellora's Cave family and loves to hear from readers.

Read the real bio here. http://www.greatmta.com/bio.shtml

The Key

Please welcome guest blogger Eilis Flynn

Keys are interesting. They’re functional (they give you access to your home and keep you and your stuff safe), they can be artistic (you’ve admired skeleton keys, haven’t you? They can be so graceful), they can be metaphorical (you’re all writers, I don’t have to expound on this one, do I?).

For me, keys are also mementoes. For instance, I have a broken house key (actually, I have two, but that’s beside the point) that I keep on my ring. Decades ago, when we lived in Bay Ridge, in southern Brooklyn, I came home one afternoon and inserted that very same key, back when it was intact, into the lock of my apartment’s front door. I must have turned the key a little too sharply (or the metal might have been a tad worn, for all I know) and snap! That was that. The top part of the key got left in the mechanism, and so I was locked out of my second-floor apartment.

My neighbors in the building weren’t home yet, getting in the back door would have involved breaking glass (no key available for that door), my husband wasn’t expected home for hours, the landlord was off-site and not really one of those caring landlords … and I was running out of options. There was one thing left I hadn’t tried: Getting in the window we’d left cracked open, because it was late spring, and if you’ve ever been in New York City in late spring, you know that it can be pretty warm (and sometimes pretty stormy, but fortunately that was not the case here).

That window looked like the only option I had, because these were years long before cell phones (yes, that’s how long ago it was) and my husband was not within a phone. The only trick in getting to that window was that nobody in the immediate neighborhood had a ladder that tall (because as I said, we lived on the second floor, and by then my neighbors all around were getting alerted to my little dilemma), but the good news was that there was a drainpipe. And also fortunately, it was a sturdy drainpipe, which I was still leery about shinnying up, because even though I was a lot younger and a lot thinner back then, drainpipes still weren’t, and aren’t, meant to be used as climbing apparatuses.

But I was out of options. So yes, much to the entertainment of my neighbors (with whom we were acquainted, or else that would have added yet another layer of comedy to the proceedings if someone decided to call the police), to get into my apartment, I shinnied up the drainpipe. My neighbors, good Brooklynites all, applauded when I finally crawled in the window (and back then, I wore these conservative little suits, so the idea of my suited derriere wiggling in probably had even more entertainment value for those who didn’t think much of Wall Street types).

And finally, finally, finally, I was home. I went downstairs, retrieved my sensibly heeled shoes and briefcase, thanked one and all who had nothing better to do than to encourage me in my somewhat rash actions, and collapsed once I got back upstairs.

And what the heck does this have to do with anything? Well, I guess I could tell you it had something to do with the symbolism of the key, how my apartment was the heart of my life blah blah and I had to get in somehow, even if it meant doing something stupid, or how my keeping the key around was symbolic of doing what had to be done, or … well, I’ll tell you what it means.

I like keys. A broken key was interesting. It was a bizarre afternoon, and I got to know my neighbors (in very, very unexpected ways). And yes, it did end up being a symbol of, say, determination. And on occasion, I look at that key and it makes me think of all sorts of things. It gives me inspiration of what I can do, it gives me inspiration for writing stories with unexpected twists, and it gives me inspiration for amusing anecdotes.

Everybody has his or her own version of that key, something that inspires you, something that has symbolic meaning, something that makes you think. What’s yours?

Eilis Flynn has written fantasy, comic books, and financial copy as well as romance. And she much prefers fantasy romance. 

Echoes of Passion

Part of the Hunters for Hire series.

 
Neotia Prime… The home world of the Neoti and the Vozuans was destroyed by a doomsday device twenty years ago, but the troubles and unrest that led to the event still plague those who resettled on the twin planet.
 
When Daegon Bosaru arrives on the unnamed world, determined to uncover who is out to smear his dying father’s good name, he discovers that the tragedies of that civil war still haunt those who remain. Not only that, the mysterious, beautiful woman he’s been seeing in his dreams over the past twenty years may have information he needs. But when he finally meets Imreen Dal in the flesh, she seems not to know him—and furthermore, she runs from him every time she encounters him. Why?
 
Rumors persist that the crazed dictator who set off the doomsday device may still be alive…with fresh plans for conquest. Bosaru needs to find out how his father, the mysterious Imreen and the madman are related…and stop another world from being destroyed.

Writing Between the Sexes

Please welcome guest blogger Leigh Michaels

Let's say when you're wandering through the bookstore, you flip open a book by someone called Chris Smith, and you read this:

Max, incidentally, had spiffed himself up for the feds and/or the press by putting on a tie, a silly one decorated with nautical flags. Elizabeth was still wearing her tan suit, but had removed her jacket, revealing one holstered .38 and two holstered 36 D's.

Now based on the name our author goes by, Chris Smith could be either sex. But I'm betting you have a pretty clear picture in your head of Chris Smith, just from those two sentences. And I'm betting you know whether Chris wears boxer shorts or underwires.

How about this one? Is the author male, or female?

Reluctantly turning off the tap, she reached for a thick purple towel, winding it around her hair, turban-style. Wrapping another around her torso, she stepped from the shower and surveyed her steam-filled bathroom with a sigh. The old house didn’t have vents to carry away the humidity, so she removed her towel to wipe, ineffectually, at the mirror. She saw the blurred reflection of a tall, slender redhead with very pink skin. I look like a lobster, she thought, applying the towel to her still-damp skin.

Or this one?

She looked at the mirror as she toweled off. Not too bad for a thirty-six-year-old with an adolescent son, she thought to herself. Her breasts had always been smallish, and though it had bothered her when she was younger, she was glad now because they hadn’t started to sag or droop like those of other women her age. All in all, she was pleased with how she looked this morning.

Or this one?

Her eyes narrowed. “Does this have anything to do with my being sick?”

Warily he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Are you trying to get me to rest more?”

“If I am, do you have a problem with that?”

Men and women think, act, and talk differently -- and vive le difference! But when women write the actions and dialogue of male characters, those guys often come off sounding like girlfriends. And when men write the actions and dialogue of feminine characters, those gals often come off sounding like tough guys.

Why is that a problem? Because when readers encounter a male character who doesn’t sound masculine, or a female one who doesn’t sound feminine, they may stop believing in the world the author is trying to create. You may get by with that if your audience is the same sex you are – but if you’re aiming to broaden your readership, here's a place to sit up and pay attention.

In WRITING BETWEEN THE SEXES, we’ll look at the behaviors and traits which most commonly lead us to tag someone as feminine or masculine, and how to use those behaviors and traits to create realistic -- but not stereotypical -- characters of the opposite sex. I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

Leigh Michaels is the author of 80 contemporary romance novels, with more than 35 million copies in print in 25 languages. She currently writes single-title sensual Regency-period romance. She is the author of On Writing Romance, which has been called the definitive guide on how to write romance novels. A six-time finalist in the RITA contest for best traditional romance, she  has also won Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times and the Johnson Brigham award from the Iowa Library Association for outstanding contributions to American literature. She teaches romance writing online at Gotham Writers Workshop and many of her students have gone on to be published in romance fiction. She wrote her first romance novel when she was 14, then went on to write and burn five more books before her first submission was accepted and published.

WRITING BETWEEN THE SEXES runs from April 5, 2010 through May 2, 2010

Brainstorming

Please welcome guest blogger Ella Drake

Before I started writing with the goal of publication, I worked for a time in a product development and user testing environment. Part of my job was to help in creation of new ideas, products, websites, etc. This involved coming up with ideas as a group, and sometimes we used various ways of directed brainstorming. I thought I'd show you some of the tools we used and then relate it to how I brainstorm for story ideas.

Tools. In a group meeting setting we sometimes used props such as the Creative Wack Pack by Creative Think http://www.creativethink.com/. This is a deck of cards that ask various questions to direct you in thinking of your problem in several angles. One way the cards do so is to prompt you to think in a new directions. Like, looking at something in the opposite way, or relating it to a random object. It was an interesting exercise in idea creation, but we didn't end up using it frequently in the product environment, but it might be fun to try again as a writer. They now have a Iphone/iPod version of the card deck. It might be worth taking another look: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id307306326?mt=8

There are other brainstorming tools out there, if this is an area that you feel you need to work on, then do a quick search. You'd be surprised at the number of tools available.

The White Board. We'd sit in a room with or without snacks (I venture to guess we did better when we had snacks) and cover the white board with ideas that people throw out. Sometimes we might have columns and think of ideas in specific idea areas or we might just throw anything up on the board to think about. It really helps if you have one of those new boards that can capture what's been written. The important thing here is that all ideas are captured, no matter how tangential they may seem. Because at some point, that idea may be used to freshen the idea or move us in a new direction.

Mindmaps and flowcharts. Put all the elements you need and start building out from that. This was usually implemented when we started from a set of requirements. We already had building blocks, so now we worked on the flow of how a product would work. What happens if a user clicks here? Flow-charting ended up being my most relied upon tool in thinking through how a product works.

Drawn sketches or storyboards. As simple as sitting down together at a table and sketching ideas, discussing them, moving them around. These could be as simple as stick figures or as elegant as a fleshed out graphically designed screen shots.

Focus groups. Bring in a group of people and ask directed questions to prompt them to brainstorm. Things like, look at this, how does it make you feel? What would you do here? What concept do you think of? What do you think happens next? This is another sort of skill I reuse as an author. The "why". If the hero does this... why does he do it? What happens next? Why does that happen next? The worldbuilding is set here. Why is it set here? Why does the science work this way?

All of these ideas and techniques have helped me in my role as author. The ones I've found that I use the most are the flowchart and the concepts behind the focus group. I frequently use a flow chart for my plot. This is the closest I get to plotting, but it makes sure I hit high points and I capture any concepts I need from each plot point.

But my most effective brainstorming tool now is to just let my mind go. Frequently I'm hit with a storm of ideas while on a walk, in the shower, or when I'm lucky, when I direct the tail end of a dream. This is rare, that moment during waking when my mind isn't quite awake and I can let it wander down the path of a story. The key point I've taken away is that no idea is bad. Capture all those ideas, and let your mind wander and wonder.

How do you brainstorm?

Ella Drake

Author of The Forbidden Chamber from Samhain Publishing, erotic paranormal short stories "Scent of Cin" and "Wolf-Bitten" from Cobblestone Press, and an erotic SciFi-Rom novella, "Firestorm on E'Terra" in the Hearts Afire: December Anthology from Liquid Silver Books.

http://www.elladrake.com/ || twitter || facebook

Last Chance for PRISM!

The Prism Contest for Published Authors is one of the most prestigious contests for Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal romance. Have you had a new futuristic, fantasy or paranormal romance release in 2009? What are you waiting for? Get those entries in now!

Categories are: Dark Paranormal, Light Paranormal, Futuristic, Fantasy, Time Travel/Steampunk, Erotica/Romantica, Novella (between 20,000 and 40,000 words), and Young Adult.

***Erotica/Romantica and Young Adult categories are low on entries.***

E-books and small press-published books are welcome, as long as they are non-vanity/non-subsidy as defined by RWA. All finalists receive a certificate and pin; winners also receive a beautiful, crystal Prism award (author in photo not included). The deadline for entries is March 20th, 2010.

For more information, visit the main contest site at http://www.romance-ffp.com/contests.cfm or email contest coordinators Marie Andreas and DeAnn Sicard at PrismContest @ romance-ffp.com (without the spaces).

Enter NOW!

It’s All About the Characters

Please welcome guest blogger Susan Meier

Next month I’ll be giving one of my favorite, most popular workshops, JOURNEY STEPS, TAKING THE TRAIN TO SOMEWHERE. This workshop thoroughly deals with plotting. Just between us, I give away some of my best secrets for coming up with interesting, fun, innovative twists, turns and back story, as well as some great ideas for just plain making sure you have “enough” story!

The implicit thread that runs through the workshop, though, is that everything that has to do with plot always relates back to character.

What do I mean?

Simply put, characters take the steps that become the “journey” that is your plot. And there are two things that impact those steps. First, the beliefs they’ve created in their pasts will guide decisions they make. Second, every step your character takes has to be properly motivated.

So even though you think plotting is all about action, maybe external conflict or situations…the truth is…all those steps are really about the people who are taking them.

Let’s borrow some info from my workshop MAMA ALWAYS LIKED YOU BETTER THAN ME…Mining your characters’ pasts to find a real conflict.

Just as your characters need friends and family, jobs and neighbors, because no one lives in a vacuum, they also can’t be “hatched” in scene one of your book. They were babies, children and teenagers before they became adults. They’ve had successes and failures. These successes and failures produced core beliefs – beliefs about themselves, other people and life in general – that ultimately become a ‘shorthand’ for decision making.

For example…

When you turned twenty-one, if you went out with your friends and got extremely drunk and had a hangover the next morning, nine chances out of ten you formed some core beliefs about drinking alcohol. One of them might have even been it’s not worth a hangover to drink. So when you go to a bar or out to dinner with friends, you don’t have to pause and ponder…Hum…should I have a drink or should I get a cola? Your subconscious does not want to have another hangover and you order the cola. You don’t have to think it through. You simply order.

The same is true with your characters. Things that have happened to them in the past have created core beliefs designed to avoid pain or gain pleasure. If a hero has always had bad luck dating rich girls, he’ll probably stay away from them. If a heroine was left at the altar by a playboy, (as mine was in MILLIONAIRE DAD, NANNY NEEDED) you can bet your bottom dollar she’s not going to want to date a playboy. Which means, if one strolls into her life, no matter how good looking or sweet, she’s going to be wary.

Some core beliefs come from comparisons. Things your characters see happening in the lives of their friends will also cause them to form beliefs. If the hero’s parents had a terrible marriage, he may form the belief that marriage is bad, or a trap, or for fools.

Your characters’ beliefs should be formed the same way.

The bottom line is there’s always a reason for everything your character believes. Especially for the belief that forms the basis of the internal conflict because the internal conflict is what drives the plot.

No one decides to spend his or her life without companionship without a good, solid reason. Yet most of us create heroes who don’t want anything to do with the lovely heroines thrown in their paths. There has to be a reason he’s made this choice. Otherwise, if he growls at our lovely heroine for no reason, readers begin to form some unhappy beliefs about him – like he’s a grouch! Or not attractive. Or not appealing.

Think it through…

If you’ve created a hero in his thirties, who has never married, he’s got to be the unluckiest guy in the world – never to have met a girl he wanted to marry – or he’s got a core belief that prevents him from marrying. And there’s a reason for that core belief. He might have been hurt. His dad could have been unfaithful – making him wonder about himself. He might have seen three or four awful marriages of his friends. Or maybe he just plain thinks being single is fun – but why? Did somebody show him marriage wasn’t fun? Does he see it as a trap? Even if he’s having such a good time that he doesn’t want the party to end – that means he sees marriage as the end of the party! LOL What makes him believe that?

Creating characters strong enough or tortured enough or in desperate need enough to drive an entire plot isn’t just a matter of knowing who their first grade teachers were or what they like or breakfast. It’s more a matter of knowing what happened to them, what situations “formed” the belief systems that made them the people they are on page one of your book, and how will those systems work or fail when faced with both the terrible trouble and the hero or heroine!

So don’t just create a light, cute sketch of a past for your characters. Dig deep. Give your characters pasts that will give you fodder for your plot!

Susan Meier is the author of 40 books for Harlequin and Silhouette and one of Guideposts' Grace Chapel Inn series books, The Kindness of Strangers. Her books have been finalists for Reviewers Choice Awards, National Reader's Choice Awards and Cataromance.com Reviewer's Choice Awards and nominated for Romantic Times awards. They have been published in over twenty countries, touching the hearts of readers of many cultures and ethnicities.
 
Susan loves to teach as much as she loves to write. Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere! is one of her most requested workshops. Her article “How to Write a Category Romance” appeared in 2003 Writer’s Digest Novel and Short Story Markets.  Susan also gives online workshops for various groups and her articles regularly appear in RWA chapter newsletters.

Her newest release is MAID IN MONTANA, Harlequin Romance (June 2009.  Her next release, just in time for Christmas is:  THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Romance coming November 2009.

With her little foster son Harry to care for, Christmas suddenly sparkles again for secretary Wendy Winston. The only fly in the ointment is Cullen Barrington. He's her boss, yet insists on playing the part of Scrooge.  When they are stranded together in an ice storm, Wendy sets about showing them just how magical a family Christmas can be.



Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere runs April 5, 2010 through May 2, 2010

When Mers Go Walking

Please welcome guest blogger Judi Fennell

The title of this blog came to me and I thought it sounded catchy. (Yes, pun totally intended for the release of my third Mer novel, Catch of a Lifetime, out this month.)

But what does it mean?

You know, when we write paranormal, we pretty much have free reign. I mean, when you're writing a world, building it to your own specifications, you can do whatever you want with it. Let vampires run around in daylight? Sure. If you change the mythology for that world, it can work. Have werewolves be able to be killed with silver bullets? It's a twist on our "known" mythology, and definitely works.

So why can't Mers walk on land?

I was actually surprised by the question when I first started with this series. People were surprised that my first Mer, Reel, in In Over Her Head, had legs. Then, Rod, the hero in Wild Blue Under came out of the water and ended up with legs. And now Angel has them until she goes back in the sea--and boy, does that cause problems!

But I never considered my Mers not getting legs. First, there's the obvious question of "sensitive scenes." (And, yes, I've gotten that question more times than I can count!) But there's also the question of how the hero and heroine are going to overcome their prejudices about their different races. How better to do that than walk in each other's shoes? Or fins, as the case might be. Oh, not that the Humans can get fins; I figured that'd be stretching the suspension of disbelief too much. But they get to breathe, hear and see underwater by kissing a Mer (which was just so convenient, ya know? ;} ) Plus, it gave my heroes and heroines the chance to experience life "on the other side." Get the skinny on why the grass (or kelp) isn't always greener.

Here's Angel's intro in the world of Humans:

***

The seagulls were laughing at her.

Atop a lighting fixture at the end of the dock, the birds started making noise the minute Angel stepped off the rocking boat.

They could cut her some slack. So she was a little unsteady. This was the first time she’d ever had legs, and disembarking a rocking boat wasn’t easy. Not to mention, she was still floating over the fact that she’d pulled it off. Logan was letting her stay. She had an excuse and an opportunity to test out her plans for the Coalition.

Now she just needed to figure out how to pull off a disappearing act every other night to ensure the return of her tail so she could stay for more than a day or two. Much as she wanted to learn about Humans and get the directorship, she didn’t want to sacrifice her tail to do so, which is what would happen if she had legs for more than two consecutive sunsets.

“How long have you had the boat, Logan?” She turned around as he climbed over the gunwale. “Do you use it often? Have you ever lived in it on the marina? The ocean? What does it run on? Diesel? Biofuel?”

Logan stepped onto the dock. “What’s with the twenty questions?”

Damn. She had a bad habit of wanting to know the answer to everything right away.

“Oh, just curious.” Then she tripped over some loose mooring lines, and, on cue, the birds erupted with more laughter.

At least she stayed upright. As long as they didn’t start speaking to her, she could pretend they were squawking that signature caw Humans found so annoying—and would find even more annoying if they knew the gulls were laughing at them. Seabirds just loved bathing-suit season.

Then her heel came down awkwardly on a hose someone had left out. This time she couldn’t manage to keep her balance and fell—right into Logan’s arms.

Suddenly the seagull noise faded into the background. So did Michael’s laughter, the creak of the boat against the dock, the motor of someone’s charter leaving the marina, and all her twenty questions.

Everything faded into the background except the feel of Logan’s arms around her. The flexing biceps beneath her palms. The tightening of his stomach against her chest. That delicious blended scent of sea breeze and man…

Angel looked up—he was so much taller than she was. So much bigger. Yet he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that. How she did, she didn’t know, but something… almost a quiet strength about him, told her, in one instant, that she could trust him with her life

She blinked. Now that was ridiculous. He was a Human. Humans were the last beings a Mer could trust.

***

So, what about you? Have you tried seeing a point from another person's perspective and ended up changing your opinion because of it?

Now, if only I could figure out how to get shoes on those fins, Angel truly could walk in Erica's shoes...

Catch of a Lifetime

Sourcebooks, Inc.

February, 2010

ISBN#:9781402224287

She’s on a mission to save the planet…

Mermaid Angel Tritone has been researching humans from afar, hoping to find a way to convince them to stop polluting. When she jumps into a boat to escape a shark attack, it’s her chance to pursue her mission, but she has to keep her identity a total secret…

When he finds out what she really is, they’re both in mortal danger…

For Logan Hardington, finding a beautiful woman on his boat is surely not a problem—until he discovers she’s a mermaid, and suddenly his life is on the line…

What people are saying:

"Fennell's got detailed worldbuilding, creative secondary characters and an impressive use of mythology in this great read. While this title is part of a series, it works well as a stand-alone. Angel and Logan are both incredibly textured characters.

-RT BookReview Magazine 4 Stars

"Judi Fennell has extraordinary imagination and has certainly used it in creating this exciting and colorful story. Her characters are wonderful."

Fresh Fiction

"The best blend of both worlds. I... love each and every character in Catch of A Lifetime (and) found (it) well worth diving into."

Long And Short Reviews 4.5 Books

4 Stars!

Affair de Coeur Magazine

"Catch of a Lifetime is a heart warming tale. Ms. Fennell Ms. Fennell has created a delightful world that, I have enjoyed escaping to. It is both dangerous and fun."

Anna's Book Blog

About The Author:

Judi Fennell has had her nose in a book and her head in some celestial realm all her life, including those early years when her mom would exhort her to “get outside!” instead of watching Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie on television. So she did--right into Dad’s hammock with her Nancy Drew books.

These days she’s more likely to have her nose in her laptop and her head (and the rest of her body) at her favorite bookstore, but she’s still reading, whether it be her latest manuscript or friends’ books.

A three-time finalist in online contests, Judi has enjoyed the reader feedback she’s received and would love to hear what you think about her Mer series. Check out her website at www.JudiFennell.com for excerpts, reviews and fun pictures from reader and writer conferences, and the chance to “dive in” to her stories.

Contest

To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com

E-Books, The New Kid on Steroids

Please welcome guest blogger Dara Edmondson

As our faltering economy chugs on, someone forgot to tell a tiny segment of the economy that things were bad. The e-book market continues to flourish. This growth is fueled mostly by the romance and erotic romance market.

The most recent RWA report finds that in 2008, as the U. S. and much of the world slipped into recession, a whole bunch of people bought their books electronically, more than ever before. 5.4% of respondents read an e-book, a 68.4% increase over 2007. And the Association of American Publishers found the numbers through May of 2009 even more impressive. While printed book sales were down 4% in that time, e-book sales jumped a whopping 167%. How many industries had that kind of Herculean jump in sales? Overall, book sales and even romance book sales were down slightly.

Another new development is the respect factor. USA Today’s Best-Selling Books list decided to include Kindle e-book sales in its bestseller calculations. All the biggest traditional publishers have now launched digital publishing divisions, hoping to tap into this wildly successful segment of the book sales pie.

Yet overall, e-book sales remain a small portion of the number of books sold. But with the explosive growth of this industry, I think I am exactly where I need to be. I currently write for three of the top erotic romance e-publishers – Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Red Sage.

For lots of practical information on how to break into the e-book market, please check out my online class, The Ins and Outs of E-Publishing, here at FF&P from March 29 – April 2.

Dara Edmondson began making up stories as soon as she could speak.  She started working on her first novel in college - a mystery.  But she soon realized the collegiate life involved way
more than books, so she spent the rest of her time there partying.

When the writing bug bit her again years later, she tried her hand at many different fiction genres from Young Adult to comedy to erotic romance.  She has authored books for several publishers, most recently under the pen name Wynter Daniels. She currently writes erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave (Tropic of Trouble), Loose Id (Playing with Barbie) and Red Sage (Can’t Stand the Heat). Older books are under her own name for such publishers as Red Sage (Captured) and The Wild Rose Press (The Kitten Club, Compromising Positions and Falling Star).

Married with two nearly grown children and two spoiled cats, she writes full time.  She sincerely hopes her stories are as much fun for you to read as they were for her to write.  You can find her on the web at: www.WynterDaniels.com, and at www.NaughtyAuthorChicks.Blogspot.com and on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace as DaraEdmondson. 

Get Grammar

Please welcome guest blogger Kat Duncan

Hello everyone! I'm Kat Duncan, RWA-PRO, New England Chapter member, author of seven full-length manuscripts and several short stories, published in poetry and looking for new fictional territory to explore. At the end of this month I will be presenting a workshop on grammar (apologies to those of you who cringe at the word). But hey, if that describes you then it's time you got the better of this beast and I'm just the gal to help you do that. If it doesn't describe you then, maybe this does: Ever get a feeling that something's wrong with your writing, but you can't quite put your finger on it and neither can your critique partner? Ever get a rejection that says something like: "This story didn't grab me the way I thought it would?"

My critique partner told me this morning: "You really made big difference in that opening scene. Wow! It really sings now. The scene is so alive. You must have made a lot of changes." Me: "No, I only changed a few words and re-wrote a couple of sentences."

It's true. My partner was blown away by a few simple changes. Most of them were either word choice changes or grammatical changes. How did I do it? For a long time, I didn't really know. Maybe I'm just instinctively good at grammar (don't hate me). But that wasn't good enough for me. I had to try to understand what makes writing bad versus good and good versus great. Luckily, I'm a tutor by trade so I have lots of opportunities to read what people write and try to help them understand what they want to say and how to say it better. I haven't gotten all the answers (yet!), but I can promise you one thing in this workshop: practical, useful solutions that you can start using in your writing the moment you learn about them. No short lists of "do this, but never do that", no drawn out lectures about subjects, predicates and complex clauses. And I promise I won't ever make you diagram sentences!

What you'll get instead is a sensible explanation of what works grammatically and why it works. Not the kind of scholarly details you'd find in a textbook (although I do provide the correct grammar terms for the die-hards out there). You'll get real, practical applications and examples geared to romance writing. For those of you who are really old-school, there will be optional practice exercises that you can work on. You can send these to me privately and I solemnly promise never to reveal your grammar goofs.

This workshop is for writers who don't "get" grammar and for those who think they don't want to get it. Proper use of grammar makes a story flow smoothly, page after page. Poorly constructed sentences and paragraphs ruin the pace of your novel and make editors and agents pass up your manuscript. I'm going to make it easy for you to try out techniques that work and I'm going to explain why they work so you don't go back to making the same old mistakes. I'll show you how to blend different grammar constructions to make action, emotion, and tension come through.

Lately I've been writing a string of short stories. One thing short stories have taught me is how to set up scenes in just a few words and how to get to the crisis point quickly. Come join me at the end of the month and give yourself a chance to "get" grammar off your back once and for all! Head on over to http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=163 to sign up today! The workshop runs from March 29^th to April 4^th. See you there!

Kat Duncan obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and German from Regis College in Weston, MA and spent a Fulbright year in Germany. She recently obtained her Master's Degree in Special Education from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She is a full-time tutor to students from elementary through college and beyond in reading, writing and math. An active member of the New England Chapter of RWA, and RWA-PRO, she has written a series of popular newsletter articles on grammar and style.  With seven completed manuscripts she uses a spreadsheet to keep track of multiple submissions to agents and editors.

It's PRISM Time!

The Prism Contest for Published Authors is one of the most prestigious contests for Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal romance.

Have you had a new futuristic, fantasy or paranormal romance release in 2009? What are you waiting for? Get those entries in now!

Categories are: Dark Paranormal, Light Paranormal, Futuristic, Fantasy, Time Travel/Steampunk, Erotica/Romantica, Novella (between 20,000 and 40,000 words), and Young Adult.

E-books and small press-published books are welcome, as long as they are non-vanity/non-subsidy as defined by RWA. All finalists receive a certificate and pin; winners also receive a beautiful, crystal Prism award. The deadline for entries is March 20th, 2010.

For more information, visit the main contest site at http://www.romance-ffp.com/contests.cfm or email contest coordinators Marie Andreas and DeAnn Sicard at PrismContest @ romance-ffp.com (without the spaces).

Enter NOW!

Photo: Leanna Renee Hieber at 2009 RWA National Conference, showing her trophy for Dark Nest.

Interview with Amanda Ashley

Please welcome guest blogger Amanda Ashley

1) What is your favorite part of the writing process, and why?

The actual writing, of course. It's so much fun to create a world of my own and people it with characters that I love to love, and love to hate. A world where I get to be the hero, the heroine, and the villain. And since I don't plot my books, everything I write is new and exciting, something I've never read before.

I'm fascinated by the whole writing process. It's just so amazing. Sometimes I start with nothing more than a single line that pops into my head. I follow that line and it becomes a sentence, and then a paragraph, and then a page, and if I'm lucky, it becomes a book.

I'm not always lucky. I must have 20 beginnings sitting on my computer. Some are only a few words long, others are a few pages, or maybe a few chapters. Every now and then, I look them over to see if they inspire my Muse. Usually they don't .

I also love doing research. I hate to travel, but I like going to new places via the web. This was especially true when I was writing historicals. Sometimes, the research into the Old West and Indian lore was so interesting, it was hard to go back to writing. The same is also true when researching vampires. There are so many different vampire myths and legends, you can spend hours reading them.

2) What is your least favorite part of the writing process, and why?

My least favorite part is when the book is finished and I've sent it in. I always feel kind of lost and let down, sort of like sending your kids off to school for the first time. You're used to having them home 24/7 and you love them, and then they're gone, and you feel sort of empty until a new kid comes along

3) On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 = total pantser, and 10 = detail-oriented plotter), where do you fall, and what advice do you have for people who are a similar blend?

I guess I'm a 2. I don't plot my books when I start writing but I do write a few things down as I go along and ideas occur to me. Nothing detailed, just a few words. I can't imagine plotting every chapter - although when I get stuck in the middle - and I always do - I think it's probably a good idea. Still, it doesn't seem like it would be much fun to write the book if I already knew what was going to happen in every chapter.

As for advice, my only advice is to write whatever way works for you!

4) What is your writing schedule like?

I don't really have a "schedule". I write in spurts, an hour here, an hour there, throughout the day, but do most of my writing at night while my husband is watching, basketball, baseball, football, golf, or movies older than I am. I don't like to write in total silence, so I usually have the tv on in my office, usually turned to old reruns of Cheers and Frasier.

That said, I can pretty much write anywhere, any time. When I bowled on a league years ago, I used to write between frames when I got an idea, because if you don't write it down as soon as it occurs to you, it's gone. That's especially true for ideas that come to you just as you're falling asleep. I used to think I'd remember them in the morning, but I quickly learned that didn't work, so I try to keep a pencil and paper by the bed, and if that's not handy, then I drag myself out of bed and write it down.

5) From an author's perspective, what do you find the most challenging part of the publishing process, and how do you deal with it?

Hmmmm. It used to be negotiating contracts until I got an agent.

The most challenging part now doesn’t really have anything to do with publishing, exactly, it’s trying not to be discouraged by the negative, nasty reviews that are occasionally posted on Amazon. For a while there, I was tempted to stop writing because those poison pen letters were making me so depressed. And then someone reminded me that I receive far more positive emails than nasty reviews on Amazon. It also helps to remind myself that I'm doing what I love and that it's still just as satisfying and just as much fun as it was when I first started writing over 20 years ago, and that when all is said and done, there's nothing I'd rather do.

Amanda Ashley is one of those rare birds  -  a California native.  She’s lived in Southern California her whole life and loves it (except for the earthquakes). She and her husband share a home with  a fluffy Pomeranian named Lady,  a tortoise named Buddy, and a wild sparrow named Tweety.

Amanda and her alter ego, Madeline Baker, have written over 50 books,,  many of which have appeared on various bestseller lists, including the New York Times List, the Waldenbooks Bestseller list,  and the  USA Today list.  Not bad for someone who started writing just for the fun of it.  

You can visit Amanda’s website at www.amandaashley.net


Everlasting Kiss

DESIRE NEVER DIES


Daisy O’Donnell doesn’t get the attraction some women feel for
vampires. She likes her men with a pulse. And she’s just met one who’s
full of life: Erik Delacourt, the unreasonably sexy man she keeps
meeting at a popular L.A. nightclub called the Crypt. She barely knows
him, but there’s no resisting the connection she feels…

There’s one important detail Erik hasn’t gotten around to telling her
yet. He’s a powerful vampire out to hunt the Blood Thief who is
draining young vampires all over the city—and who has just raised the
stakes by destroying one of Erik’s friends. To Erik, Daisy is a bright
spot of innocence in a world of darkness and menace. He’ll do
anything—even lie to her—to keep her safe and pure.
If only he knew that Daisy has something of her own to hide…