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Sloane Taylor, Sam Cheever, Lizzie T. Leaf, Lucynda Story
We've got an action packed romance writer chat at Realms of Love Monday. Sam Cheever, Lizzie T. Leaf, Lucynda Story and Sloane Taylor vault the castle walls and start their blog tour with a bang at RoL. They are billing themselves as the Steamy, Love and Laughter Sirens tour.
These four ladies are embarking on a special tour that departs from Realms of Love tonight via Lizzie's Tea Room. See the schedule for the rest of their tour below.
If travel to exotic locations is your thing, along with heroes who rock your world and heroines who keep them in line, then you've got to read a story by Sloane Taylor. Her stories are set in Europe where the men are all male and the women are both feminine and strong. There’s always a twist, but as a true romantic, the women she writes will bring more than just lust to their men’s lives.
Sloane loves to cook and cooks well and posts menus on her website and has been doing so since 2005.
Her recent releases include Czech Mate from Amber Quill Press and Photo Op! available at Aspen Mountain Press.
Sam's most recent release is: 'Tween Heart's Fire and Devil's Delight available at Ellora's Cave.
Award winning author Sam Cheever mixes in a little fun, a little magic, and a little
real-life spice to create her sexy fictional characters. Sam’s fun-loving creations fight their way through a dizzying array of dangerous challenges without letting little things like dangerous bad guys, angry, manipulative gods, evil dark world denizens, or killing Furies dampen their zest for life and hot love!
In her real life, Sam lives on a hobby farm in Indiana with 9 dogs, 4 horses, 2 barn cats, 2 daughters, and one husband. Not necessarily in that order. When asked why, why, why on the 9 dogs (yes, they all live in the house!), Sam simply shrugs and says she’s stupid. But what she really means to say is that she’s a dog-aholic. She of course can't be blamed for her addiction. She is a victim.
A frequent visitor to Realms of Love and one of our special hostesses, Lizzie has been delighting readers with her unique sense of humor. Her latest release is an expanded revision of Dogspell now available at Red Rose Publishing.
According to Lizzie, "I've loved books since I opened the first one. My dream was to write them myself. Of course life has a way of throwing us a curve ball, and the writing became a distant memory, lost in the hectic day to day world of family, job, laundry and housework. When the twinkling ember did spark, it was usually doused by someone demanding their share of my time, and me allowing it to happen.
But life does seem to go full circle. The desire to put the stories that continued to play in my head on paper emerged stronger than ever, and at a time in my life when there was someone encouraging me to do it. Now I'm living my dream; creating stories to share with others. I hope you enjoy them.
My other hobbies, gardening and baking, are now taking a back seat, and as for housework...what's that?"
Lucynda started life as the first born in an Air Force family. She traveled often going to such exotic hot spots as New Mexico, Texas, and Turkey. After a stint in Maine, her father settled down in Colorado, the location Cyn calls home.
Traveling, moving in particular, is as inherited trait for Lucynda. She's lived in Nebraska, Michigan (both east and west sides of the state), and is currently residing in her beloved Colorado.
Family life keeps Lucynda busy. Her son recently graduated from the Air Force Academy, and her daughter is about to start college at Lucynda's alma mater. Her youngest son will be an eighth grader this fall.
Lucynda loves to travel and has visited some interesting places. She did extensive traveling in eastern Europe before the demise of the Berlin Wall. On her latest trip, she visited Ireland, the setting of her first release, Reynardine.
Lucynda's latest release is a revised version of Welcome to the Jungle, now available at Aspen Mountain Press.
These four ladies are embarking on a special tour that departs from Realms of Love tonight via Lizzie's Tea Room. Called the Steamy, Love and Laughter Sirens tour they will be visiting these romance reader hot spots:
Posted by thunder on Sunday, August 09 @ 13:04:35 CDT (510 reads) (Read More... | 7871 bytes more | Score: 0)
Twitter Marketing: 6 Steps to Creating a Viral Marketing Campaign with Twitter
Twitter Marketing: 6 Steps to Creating a Viral Marketing Campaign with Twitter Hashtags
by Donna Gunter, The Online Biz Resource Queen (TM)
Twitter, as a popular social networking platform, is a viral marketing strategy all on its own, especially if your followers like your tweets and retweet them to their followers. However, I've recently noticed another trend in Twitter usage that increases its viral marketing capabilities through the use of hashtags.
What's a hashtag, anyway? Also called the pound sign, the hashtag (#) is added to a tweet as a way of creating trackable categories, groups, or topics that others can use to search for info using the Twitter Search feature. One of the most common uses of the hashtag is to tweet what's happening at an event or conference. The event organizer will request all attendees use a specific hashtag, i.e. #yourevent, when tweeting about the event to your followers. So, then, someone who isn't present at the event but wants to follow what's happening there can simply search for #yourevent and see what's going on and what participants are saying and sharing about the event.
Posted by scarlet on Thursday, July 30 @ 09:49:08 CDT (746 reads) (Read More... | 4327 bytes more | Score: 0)
Learning a New Internet Marketing Language
I wasn't going to mention this as it is not so much about copywriting but about using words in general to influence people. However I think it is such a powerful factor in successful communication that it needs to be mentioned.The language that you use to talk in your writing is not just about being enticing, about conveying emotion and gripping the reader, it is also about proving you are one of them!!
We all want to be with people who are like us, who like the same things and hold the same opinions, we connect with those kind of people. So if you are talking to someone about a topic and you mention a word or phrase they are used to hearing they will pick up on that and connect with you, if you use words and phrases they are not used to hearing that will create a barrier between you.
For instance in the Forex market then a downwards trend is a 'bear market' and an upwards trend is a 'bull market', if you didn't know anything about the Forex language you would not use those terms and it may go unnoticed. But if you are speaking to someone who knows about the Forex market then they'll pick up if you use those terms straight away!
Posted by scarlet on Friday, July 10 @ 08:26:58 CDT (722 reads) (Read More... | 2879 bytes more | Score: 0)
Rainbow Romance Writers - New RWA Chapter
Rainbow Romance Writers is the newest Special Interest Chapter within the Romance Writers of America. A lot of hard work has gone into setting us up as a chapter, but we are very proud to announce that writers specializing in LGBT romance now have a specific place to network with other career-focused writers and concentrate on our unique needs within the romance genre.
Our goals are:
* to promote excellence in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender romances * to help members become published in LGBT romances * to be an advocate within the industry for our genre * to be a resource to our members and others on writing and the publishing industry
We currently have 39 wonderful members who represent all different aspects of the LGBT romance genre.
Interested writers can contact us at membership@rainbowromancewriters.com if they would like to become members of Rainbow Romance Writers. They can also email me directly at jade.buchanan@yahoo.com
Here’s a HUGE thank you to everyone involved in making this happen, those in the new chapter and those at RWA who service the interest of the whole romance writing community! KUDOS!
Posted by thunder on Sunday, May 03 @ 06:51:54 CDT (788 reads) (Read More... | 1780 bytes more | Score: 0)
Deidre Knight and Lizzie T Leaf Chat Monday!
Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency chats with Lizzie T Leaf and a bunch of lucky chatters this week in the Realms of Love Chat Castle. Be sure to arrive before the 9 PM EDT start as this chat is going to fill up. Stop by Monday, April 13 at 9 PM Eastern.
Kudos to Lizzie for bringing us such a fine guest. Let's all do our homework and line up some thoughtful questions for Deidre Knight. We'll have a Cougar Club give-away, so don't be late.
Immortal warrior and Spartan slave River Kassandros has a special gift--the ability to transform into any weapon. But in a recent battle, he was trapped as a dagger, unable to become human again. His one hope of salvation is a mere mortal.
When Emma Lowery beaches her kayak on an uninhabited island off the coast of Savannah, an ancient dagger seems to call out to her. Compelled by dark forces, Emma draws blood with his blade, freeing River. Now he’s stronger, angrier, and exudes more sensuality than Emma can resist.
But a sinister power wants to claim River’s destiny, and his precarious freedom. The pair must join the Spartan warriors to fight Ares himself. But can they face sacrificing their love to protect humankind from the war god’s demonic plan?
Deidre Knight is a literary agent, mom, wife, novelist and southern woman, and proud to answer to all of these titles. Before she founded The Knight Agency in 1996, Deidre worked behind the camera in movies and television. During the twelve years since she launched her literary agency, she has grown The Knight Agency to national prominence, shepherding authors on to every major bestseller list. With agency sales of more than 1,000 titles to major publishers, a large percentage of which are in the categories of romance and women’s fiction, Deidre has established a reputation for discovering vivid and unique storytellers and is considered an industry expert on the hot trend of paranormal fiction. Writing in that genre, she creates fresh characters and strong, emotional storylines. As an author Deidre has been described not only as outstanding and emotionally evocative, but also as having tremendous verve and a great knack for character and smart scenes. Deidre’s innovative novels have been nominated for a plethora of accolades including the PEARL, the PRISM, the NOR, the JABIC and the STRCA.
Deidre began her writing career at age nine, when her award-winning essay on Barbie was published in her hometown newspaper, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. She has been writing in one form or another ever since. After nearly a decade of working with Knight Agency clients, helping them discover their creative potential, Deidre’s dream of writing romance came true in the form of her very own debut series THE MIDNIGHT WARRIORS which concluded with PARALLEL DESIRE in December of 2007. Deidre's riveting new series, THE GODS OF MIDNIGHT, chronicles the journey of seven passionate and immortal Spartan warriors. The first book in the series, RED FIRE, was released on October 7, 2008. The second installment, RED KISS, will premiere June 2, 2009.
Katherine is a classy older woman escaping her two-timing director husband by going to Vegas for a quickie divorce. Barhopping, she meets Corin and life is about to unexpectedly change. Will this cougar keep her cub, or will she send him running for a playmate his own age?
Lizzie T Leaf has another Cougar Club story in the works and a loop for all aspiring cougars to share hunting tips. Be sure to ask her about them.
Lizzie says: I've loved books since I opened the first one. My dream was to write them myself. Of course life has a way of throwing us a curve ball, and the writing became a distant memory, lost in the hectic day to day world of family, job, laundry and housework. When the twinkling ember did spark, it was usually doused by someone demanding their share of my time, and me allowing it to happen.
[You know, Lizzie's biography is getting pretty boring. Can you write a better one? I'll use the best entry the next time Lizzie chats.]
But life does seem to go full circle. The desire to put the stories that continued to play in my head on paper emerged stronger than ever, and at a time in my life when there was someone encouraging me to do it. Now I'm living my dream; creating stories to share with others. I hope you enjoy them.
Phaze Books Next Week, Aspen Mountain Press the Next
Phaze authors Mychael Black, Victoria Blisse and L.E. Bryce chat at Realms of Love Monday, April 20. The Aspen Mountain Press writers chat April 27.
Posted by thunder on Friday, April 10 @ 19:30:19 CDT (673 reads) (Read More... | 6280 bytes more | Score: 0)
SMOOOCH ME, BABY! Says Keta Diablo
SMOOOCH ME, BABY!
What could be more fitting for romance than to talk about osculating? For those who aren’t sure what the word means, let me give it to you in layman’s terms: ~ Osculate ~
Encarta Dictionary: to kiss somebody Your dictionary.com: to touch closely RhymeZone: to touch with the lips or press your lips against someone's mouth or other body part. I don’t know about you, but I like RhymeZone’s definition. Some little known facts about kissing:
* A kiss triggers a cascade of neural messages and chemicals that transmit tactile sensations, sexual excitement, feelings of closeness, and even euphoria.
* Kissing may have evolved from a primate mother’s practice of chewing food for her young before feeding them mouth-to-mouth.
* Some scientists theorize that kissing is crucial to the evolutionary process of mate selection.
* Lips may have evolved first for food and later applied themselves to speech. (Hmm, who would’ve thought?)
* Scientists believe kissing can become addictive
* Five cranial nerves that affect cerebral function are at work when you kiss, shuttling messages from our lips, tongue, cheeks and nose
* Kissing unleashes a cocktail of chemicals that govern human stress, motivation, social bonding and sexual stimulation.
* Kissing boosts pulse and blood pressure; pupils dilate, breathing deepens and rational thought retreats.
Posted by thunder on Tuesday, April 07 @ 06:11:34 CDT (653 reads) (Read More... | 3768 bytes more | Score: 5)
Questions about Romance Writing and Publishing?
Questions about Romance Writing and Publishing?
You've got questions, these ladies have answers.
Maura Anderson, Sandra Hicks and (maybe) Lena Austin will cover topics that will help YOU get published or maybe improve your standing with publishers in 2009. Whether you are looking for new ideas to jump start your writing career, whether you are published or not, these ladies have some valuable tips for you.
Join us Monday, January 5 at 9 PM Eastern when we will discuss essential items like self-editing and submission dos and don'ts. You have other burning questions? Bring them along and we'll either answer them or plan to cover that topic in a future chat.
Don't be shy. All writers have to start from somewhere and Sandra Hicks, Maura Anderson and Lena Austin have not forgotten the lessons they had to learn to achieve success. You just might learn something that will take you to the next level in your romance writing career.
We'll see you at Realms of Love on Monday, January 5 at 9 PM Eastern.
Lizzie T Leaf hostesses Melissa Mayhue Monday, January 12.
We've got the Phaze Books authors chatting January 19.
Looking for a friendly web host for your romance writer web site or blog? Email thunder!
A FRUSTRATED author has confirmed what other unpublished writers have long suspected: even Jane Austen would have difficulty finding a book deal in the 21st Century.
But what really astonished David Lassman was that only one of 18 publishers and literary agents recognised her work when it was submitted to them under a false name.
Mr Lassman (43) had spent months trying without success to find a publisher for his own novel, 'Freedom's Temple'. Out of frustration - and to test whether today's publishers could spot great literature - he retyped the opening chapters of three Austen classics: Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
He changed only the titles, the names of the characters and his own name - calling himself Alison Laydee, after Austen's early pseudonym "A Lady" - then waited for the offers to roll in.
Instead, he received yet another sheaf of rejection letters, including one from Penguin, which republished 'Pride and Prejudice' last year, describing his plagiarised chapters as "a really original and interesting read" but not right for Penguin.
Posted by thunder on Wednesday, November 26 @ 20:18:16 CST (578 reads) (Read More... | 2830 bytes more | Score: 0)
Posted by thunder on Saturday, November 01 @ 08:27:34 CDT (570 reads) (Read More... | Score: 0)
NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month
Welcome to NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month
November 2008
Realms of Love is having a block party launch! Saturday and Sunday for every weekend during NaNo at 8am, 3pm, and 7pm Eastern there will be a speedwriting, morale lifting, get that wip done or else party! We'll be posting word counts, chatting up writing, and having an all around good time. Who' s invited? You are! Just drop by the Realms of Love, log in, Click on Chat (Under "Explore the Realms") and play!
So all you writers who want to really make that novel happen... Come on by Realms of Love Saturday and Sunday November 1 & 2 and get that extra bit of support that just might help you make that dream a reality this year.
For more details about NaNoWriMo visit their site at http://www.nanowrimo.org/ I just got a "site overloaded" error when I tried to connect. Please be patient.
Posted by thunder on Tuesday, October 28 @ 21:20:57 CDT (596 reads) (Read More... | Score: 0)
Chat with an Editor This Week
Chat with Sandra Hicks, the publisher and editor in chief of Aspen Mountain Press this week at Realms of Love. Join us at 9 PM EDT / 6 PM PDT Monday September 22 for a friendly and informative chat with the head of this successful eBook publishing house.
Writers: How do you get your story published? How do you get editing for free? What will get your manuscript noticed in the mass of submissions?
Readers: What's cooking in your favorite genre? How do you get your purchases for a reduced price? What's next for Cody?
Everybody: There will be give-aways of downloads of Aspen Mountain Press eBooks.
Come on by and get your questions answered. Come on by and chat with readers and writers like you! Arrive a few minutes early to sign up and/or log in. You must register to chat.
Some recent releases from Aspen Mountain Press:
Imagine if you could once again talk to the loved ones you've lost. Imagine if there was no mystery to it, no darkened rooms with mediums in a trance and strange moving tables-Talking was just a simple matter of using an obsolete mobile phone.
What questions would you ask those who answer your call? What issues would you try to resolve? What would happen if, even after such a miracle, things remained unresolved?
Maybe miracles destroy? And who could hope for a second miracle to make things right again?
Things aren't going well for Sylvia and Travis. He's just too busy to make the time their relationship needs to be healthy. Their performance in bed isn't too exciting either. When Sylvia decides to break things off with Travis, a mysterious stranger enters her life and teaches her about sex on the edge in this erotic sequel to Bet Me. Caution: This story contains the following: cyber, public, spanking, light bdsm sexual elements.
Grace Ridge is a waitress at Del Fantasma, and has recently moved to the late shift. She is trying to pay off debts her ex-boyfriend left her with when he skipped town. Debts both legal and illegal. When a mysterious vampire butts into her life, she is anxious to keep him out, but circumstances beyond her control drag him further in than she wanted. Once he is there, though, does she really want him to leave?
Posted by thunder on Sunday, September 21 @ 11:53:09 CDT (583 reads) (Read More... | 4604 bytes more | Score: 0)
Hollywood at War - The WWII Museum Exhibit
Jasper writes "A special exhibition is now running through August 31 at the National World War II and D-Day Museum in New Orleans, focusing on Hollywood actors who joined the military effort in the most meaningful way by signing up for actual duty in the armed forces.
Established stars like Henry Fonda (Navy), Jimmy Stewart (Air Force) were just two of many who saw combat duty, while others visited and entertained soldiers on USO tours. Directors and screenwriters also contributed by producing recruitment films and newsreels.
Visit the WWII Museum web site for full exhibit details and special screening schedules of films made for the war effort.
Posted by thunder on Friday, June 13 @ 08:56:56 CDT (701 reads) (Read More... | Score: 0)
JK Rowling is smart, funny and human
JK Rowling's Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association brought tears to my eyes several times over its 20 minute span.
Ms Rowling's life has spawned stories nearly as fantastic as those in her novels. In this speech she sets the record straight, shares some lessons she has learned and quotes some nuggets of ancient wisdom.
Posted by thunder on Sunday, June 08 @ 10:38:16 CDT (682 reads) (Read More... | 17085 bytes more | Score: 0)
Golden Heart Finalists
The Romance Writers of America have announced the finalists in their annual Golden Heart contest. Winners will be notified at their annual conference held this year in San Francisco.
Posted by scarlet on Monday, April 14 @ 20:09:32 CDT (1043 reads) (Read More... | 4218 bytes more | Score: 0)
2008 Eppies, Quasars and Dirk A Wolf Awards Announced
The 2008 Eppie Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all finalists and Winners.
The Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC) is proud to present the 8th annual EPPIE Awards. These awards, which honor the finest electronically published books of the year, will be presented at the EPPIE Banquet during EPICon 2008.
And the 2008 EPPIE goes to...
Category A - Action/Adventure
**WINNER**Murder By Proxy by Robert L. Hecker—Hard Shell Word Factory
Until Death Do Us Part: Book 2 of the Incognito Series by Karen Wiesner—Whiskey Creek Press
Category B - Children/YA
**WINNER**Grizzelda Gorilla by K. D. Huxman—Dragonfly Publishing/Imprint – Kittycat Books
Attack of the Killer Prom Dresses by Donna McClaire—Calderwood Books/Imprint -Calderwood Kids
Category C - Contemporary Romance (TIE)
**WINNER**Perfectly Good Nanny by Paty Jager—The Wild Rose Press
**WINNER**Thin Ice by Liana Laverentz—The Wild Rose Press
Cover Me by Sharona Nelson—Amber Quill Press
Bride Of The Emerald Isle by Trish Wylie—Harlequin Romance
Posted by thunder on Sunday, March 09 @ 16:31:14 CDT (1073 reads) (Read More... | 22139 bytes more | Score: 0)
Sloane Taylor:
Sam Cheever:
Lizzie T. Leaf:
Lucynda Storey:
Immortal warrior and Spartan slave River Kassandros has a special gift--the ability to transform into any weapon. But in a recent battle, he was trapped as a dagger, unable to become human again. His one hope of salvation is a mere mortal. 
Katherine is a classy older woman escaping her two-timing director husband by going to Vegas for a quickie divorce. Barhopping, she meets Corin and life is about to unexpectedly change. Will this cougar keep her cub, or will she send him running for a playmate his own age?
Encarta Dictionary: to kiss somebody