I wasn’t a gamer until I met my husband. I mean, I’d toyed with Bubble Bobble in my youth, but I never really understood the appeal of video games. Plus I get frustrated easily, so if I hit a level I couldn’t beat, I’d walk away. (Usually to go read a book, which worked out well for me!)

But when Husband and I started dating, once we got past that stage of having to go do “dates” someplace, I was introduced to a whole new world of video games: action RPGs. An action RPG is a story — it’s got fleshed-out characters, insanely detailed worlds, and highly customizable options. It’s basically a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book, but much, much, much bigger. You, as the main character in the game, are given a main quest, and encounter options for many side quests. In order to complete your quest, you need to explore the world, pick up new skills and bits of information, forge alliances with various characters, and vanquish enemies for loot. There are huge portions of the game that are simply conversations — you engage a character, listen to what she says, and then have 5 or 6 options for a reply. Based on that reply, she’ll take the conversation in a particular direction, giving you 5 or 6 new dialogue options, etc. Each choice you make determines how the rest of the game will play out for you.

So I’d spend afternoons hanging out on my Husband’s couch, reading a book or knitting a sweater while he played Mass Effect. He’d explain about the mission Commander Shepard was on, and I’d occasionally help him choose dialogue options. (One of the reasons I fell in love with him was he always chose the good, “paragon” dialogue options, no matter what game he was playing.) I loved that one of the characters was voiced by Star Trek: TNG alum Marina Sirtis (aka Counselor Troi). Slowly, I began to see the appeal, and I picked up a controller. At first, I’d only play through the dialogue sections, passing the controller to Husband during battles. But as I got more familiar with the mechanics of the battles, I became more comfortable with fighting myself. (Though, to be honest, I’m much better at Dragon Age fights than I am at Mass Effect fights. And I got pretty good at Red Dead Redemption, but nearly threw the controller through the TV when my character stumbled upon a rattlesnake and got bitten.)

What drew me in, what kept me interested in the games was the story. I cared about Commander Shepard. I loved making fun of Ashley, trying to draw out Garrus (and I’m not the only one!), and figuring out a way to romance Tali’Zorah. Through both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, the story grew and intensified, and the choices my husband made for Shepard way back in the beginning had ramifications on the gameplay yet to come. We got invested.

So I’ve been paying attention to the controversy about the Mass Effect 3 ending not only as a fan, but also as someone who makes a living in the world of stories. Without giving any spoilers myself (but if you follow these links, be ye warned), fans are not happy about how ME3 ended. And they put up such a stink that BioWare, the company responsible for the game, is issuing new content. (After a blog post that emphasizes how much they value fan feedback.)

Which brings me to the question I want to ask you: In this age of easily-update-able ebooks and unprecedented author interaction with readers, would you ever petition an author to change an ending, or add a coda to offer more reader satisfaction? Do you expect authors to listen to reader responses about book seven in a series as they’re writing book eight? If an author’s vision for the ending of her series is different from what you expected and hoped, does that invalidate the joy she brought you with her earlier books?

I love erotic romance, but I’m very picky about what I read now. My favorites have a careful balance of heat and emotion throughout the story, so that the reader falls in lust and love right along with the characters. Take either of those aspects away, and the magic is gone. At least for me.

After all, it’s the romance that separates erotic romance from erotica, and I think that’s a very important distinction. A story without romance and a deep emotional connection between the characters just isn’t satisfying to me. I want to see the characters falling for each other, building that foundation of trust so integral for a chance at happily-ever-after along with all that steamy smexin’.  Some of my favorite erotic romances that demonstrate these qualities are Liberating Lacey and Under His Hand by Anne Calhoun, Sheltered by Charlotte Stein, and Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye.

Let Me In is my newest release. It features Liam Brodie, who you might remember from his rather spectacular introduction in No Holds Barred. While the two books are related, each can be read as a stand-alone. The sex is hot, but there’s more than just chemistry between Liam and Talia. Earning her trust is the key to everything, just as she needs to learn to trust him in return.

Blurb: On leave for Thanksgiving, the last thing marine lieutenant Talia Barnett expects to find is Liam Brodie waiting for her at the airport. He’s had a starring role in her fantasies for the past two years, and although she’d love to make them a reality, she has a dark secret that prevents her from taking things further.

A former Marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.

What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?

There’s enough heat between these two to set your e-reader on fire. And don’t forget–for the month of May, Let Me In is on sale for only $0.99 at most retailers!

Now that I’ve mentioned my favorite erotic romance reads, what do you recommend for the perfect blend of heat, emotion and romance? Leave me a comment to enter a contest for a digital copy of Let Me In.

Happy reading!

Callie Croix

Callie Croix writes erotic romance tales about dominant alpha males that she hopes will curl your toes in the best way possible. She also writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense as Kaylea Cross.

You can find her through her website, blog, facebook, twitter, goodreads, and her amazon author page.

One of my favorite party questions (and I’m terrible at parties; I can never keep names and faces straight) is asking people how they ended up with their significant others.  Sometimes as they tell the story, they’ll mention the mistakes they made along the way:  falling for the Narcissist who never called, the Peter Pan who refused to grow up, the bad boy who couldn’t be faithful, the commitment-phobe who kept them dangling for years.  My own near-miss inspired my new regency romance, Ruined by Rumor:  I wanted a nice guy, but when he finally showed up, I put him in the Friend Zone.

I was still in college at the time, and one of my roommates was dating a classmate from a large rooming group.  Over the course of a few days I met his roommates, about a dozen of them, and we all became friends.  They were brash, funny, gregarious guys—all except one.  He was cute but quiet.  He mostly hung back and didn’t join in the teasing, the trash talking, and the noisy conversation.  I mentally categorized him as a math major or a computer geek, someone a bit antisocial.  I certainly didn’t see him as potential date material.

Fast forward three years, and I’d learned the quiet roommate wasn’t really that quiet, just on the shy side.  He wasn’t even a math major or a computer geek.  In fact, I’d had everything about him wrong.  The man I’d ruled out as potential date material turned out to be excellent husband material—witty, principled, charming, and thoughtful.  We got married two years after graduation, and he’s a great husband and father, a handsome doctor, frankly the best thing that ever happened to me.  The point is, it took me far too long to realize just how unfair I’d been to him, discounting his romantic possibilities.  It’s easy to be dazzled by men with quick smiles and smooth lines—the Wickhams and Willoughbys of Jane Austen’s novels—but it’s a man’s character that really counts in the long run.

The sheltered heroine of Ruined by Rumor, Roxana Langley, has to learn that same lesson.  She’s young and inexperienced, since the only man she’s ever loved has been off fighting the French.

After waiting five years for her fiancé to return from the war and marry her, Roxana Langley has been jilted! She may have longed for excitement, but this was not what she had in mind…

Who could possibly throw over a woman as beautiful and vivacious as Roxana? Certainly not Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley, who has spent years trying in vain to forget his unrequited love. When he learns she’s been abandoned by her cad of a fiancé, he finds himself offering a shoulder for her to cry on. Comfort soon turns into a passionate kiss—and scandal when they are caught in an embrace.

Only one thing will save Roxana from certain ruination: marriage to the earl. The match may save her reputation, but responsible, tongue-tied Ayersley is a far cry from her dashing former fiancé. She’s convinced Ayersley is merely doing his duty…while he’s sure Roxana is still in love with another man. Are they trading one disaster for another?

Ruined by Rumor received four stars from RT Book Reviews, which called it “…delightful, absorbing…a truly entertaining vacation to the past.” You can buy Ruined by Rumor here.

Nowadays we’re not likely to enter a marriage of convenience before we find Mr. Right, but everyone’s path to romance is special.  How did you meet the love of your life?  Did you sense right away that he (or she) could be The One, or did it take something more to open your eyes? Leave a comment, and I’ll use Random.org to select the winner of a $25 Sephora gift certificate. (Edited to add: I’ll need the winner’s e-mail address to send the prize, so you can either include it in your comment or check back here tomorrow and be prepared to contact me with it if you’re the winner. I’ll post the winner’s name on Wednesday morning 5/23 after 8:00 a.m. Eastern, which is also the cut-off time for entering.)

Alyssa Everett grew up in Florida, where from an early age her favorite books typically had dukes in them. She met her future husband at Harvard University. They currently live with their three children in small-town Pennsylvania. Ruined by Rumor is her debut romance.  Expect her next regency from Carina Press in early 2013.

Website – Goodreads Author Profile – Facebook – Twitter

Recently I was in a conversation with an author who was saying she had a friend who didn’t read, but instead listened to audiobooks because the friend had a long drive to commute to work each day and this was the only free time for “reading”. The author felt that this was, in some way, not really reading a book and didn’t “count” or mean her friend had actually read it. She expressed the feeling that it felt a little bit like cheating because it wasn’t as if the friend were reading the book. I should note that she wasn’t trying to be punitive or deliberately exclusionary in her thought pattern, and in fact she said she couldn’t even put into words the exact reason for it, but this was simply a gut feeling she had.

I hadn’t given much thought on my own views on this, until our conversation, but once I did, I realized that I add the audiobooks I’ve listened to, to my Goodreads account just as if I’d read them. I don’t separate out in my head that I’ve read 300 books in a year, but also listened to ten. Instead, to me it’s 310 books read. I argued to the author that people listening to audiobooks are absorbing the exact same content as someone reading the words themselves (assuming they’re not listening to an abridged version) and that the auditory nature of taking in the words doesn’t make it any less impactful than if they’d read them. I also pointed out that there are a number of people for whom audiobooks are the only form of reading, for any number of reasons (vision disabilities, inability to hold books/turn pages, lack of time, as in her friend’s case, or many other reasons–for instance my mother-in-law gets severe vertigo trying to read, so can only use audiobooks) and I would never take away from them the label of “reader” simply because they’re not reading it themselves.

On the other hand, I recognize that if we argue semantics, the word reader does have a very specific definition of “one who reads” with reads being defined as “to look at and understand words” but in the argument of semantics, I’d also say that our visceral understanding of readers is often much greater than just the limiting definition. I think, if you’re consuming a book, whether by audiobook, by reading, or by having it read to you via a digital device/computer, then you’re a reader, even if you’re interacting with the book differently. I’d argue that even those of us who read visually a book all still interact differently with it.

But you tell us: is someone who listens to audiobooks a “reader”. Can you say you’ve “read” a book if you listened to the audiobook version?

I have a confession to make and it’s a little bit of an embarrassing one.

It’s something I’ve obsessed over for years.

I tend to tell blurt it out, even when I promised myself that this time, I’ll keep a lid on it.   People on the street, people I get stuck beside in long lines, family, friends, the cats – it doesn’t seem to matter.

*whispering* I have a long standing addiction to footnotes.

There.

I said it.

My name is Elyse Mady and I’m addicted to subscripts and itty-bitty fonts, all crammed down at the bottom of the page.  I always read them.  Sometimes, I even read them first.

And don’t even get me started on bibliographies and works cited.  Monographs.  Secondary sources.  My heart beats faster at the thought.

I definitely got to indulge while I was writing my latest book, “The White Swan Affair” because while it’s a romance with not one but two happily ever afters, many of the events in the story really happened.

In July, 1810, there was a raid on a molly house in London and a tailor named Robert Aspinall was arrested and subsequently tried in what was, before Oscar Wilde’s trial in the late 19th century, one of the most notorious prosecutions of homosexuals in modern English history.    Might seem an odd place to go looking for romance, but when I stumbled across a mention of the trial in, of all things, a footnote, my story senses started tingling.  *clang, clang clang*

Something about the event, and the treatment of not only the accused (which I think can be summed up as appalling) but their families, too, who had to partake in their vilification, appealed to me as a writer.  What would it be like to find out that your husband — a grocer from Essex, or a solider or a carter perhaps — has been leading a double life?  What would you do when no one will acknowledge you, because your father or your brother or your son has been identified by name in the papers as committing a crime ‘too unnatural’ to speak of’?  When your business is ruined and the accused faces death by hanging for their transgression?  The injustice of it all made me want to tell something of the story.  I had to.  The character of Hester simply walked into my mind, worried and distracted about her brother’s fate, and demanded that I start.

So for the first time in my writing career, I was delving into real people and real history.  This meant a lot of research.    I read primary sources, like trial transcripts from the Old Bailey and newspaper accounts and studied prints and maps to get a sense of where everything was happening.    Lots and lots of it never ends up on the page and I’m OK with that because a romance novel should be, first and foremost, about the romance.  And some of it is simply the product of my imagination and best guesses, because that’s what a writer does when they’re telling a story.

But it was exciting learning about a Regency world where balls and Lady Jersey and 10,000 a year weren’t the focus – where life was incredibly hard and bravery took many forms and often involved making difficult decisions where the only hope was to mitigate hardship, not escape it.

So that’s what my love of footnotes has led me to.  A story I was compelled to tell and that I hope readers will enjoy immersing themselves in as much as I did, if only to gain an even greater appreciation of a time and a place so many of us love to escape to.

I’ll never underestimate the power of subscript again!

***

Elyse Mady is the author of  “The White Swan Affair”, “The Debutante’s Dilemma”, “Something So Right” and “Learning Curves” , all with Carina Press.  She blogs at www.elysemady.com.  You can also find her on Twitter at @elysemady, Facebook and Goodreads.

In addition to her writing commitments, Elyse also teaches film and literature at a local college. In her free time she enjoys (well, enjoys might be too strong a word – perhaps pursues with dogged determination would be better) never ending renovations on their century home with her intrepid husband and two boys.

With her excellent writerly imagination, she one day dreams of topping the NY Times Bestseller’s List and reclaiming her pre-kid body without the bother of either sit-ups or the denunciation of ice-cream

Note: please note that the submissions guidelines must still be followed in order to submit a manuscript in response to this call. Please visit our submissions page and follow the directions there.

**

Hellooooo! So, the freelance editors for Carina decided it was time to do another call for submissions. We love doing these, because we get so many awesome stories in. Of course, PLEASE note that in the end, what we really want is a good story—so even if yours doesn’t fit the descriptions below, don’t hesitate to send it to us anyway! Sometimes we don’t know what we want until we get it in our inbox. You can find out more info on all the Carina freelance editors on this page.

Rhonda Helms: I’m open to almost every genre, with or without romance. But there are certain types of stories I’m eager to read more of right now, including:

military of any genre (esp. romance, thriller, sci-fi), steampunk (haven’t had a good one in a while!), atypical fantasy with great world-building and intriguing rules/uses of magic, westerns (esp. ones that use western elements to blend genres), sci-fi/futuristic with aliens and technology, romance (any steaminess level), stories with a mythological element, historicals (esp. if they feature real historical figures/events), stories set in unusual locales of any genre, super-funny romances that make me laugh until I cry, books of any genre with kick-ass heroines, deep and resonant tear-jerkers that move me but still have a satisfying ending, stories that blend genres to create a fresh and compelling world, and anything with a strong multicultural facet (please—want!!).

Melissa Johnson:

While Melissa is eager to read submissions of any genre, she currently yearns for a romance that crosses class or culture lines—whether contemporary, historical or paranormal. She feels it takes a particularly thoughtful author to make these conflicts deep and sensitive, and is thrilled when someone pulls it off. In general, she loves characters who learn from each other, see and love each other’s flaws, and grow over the course of the story.

Alissa Davis:

I look for books I can’t put down and characters I can’t forget. I edit lots of m/m, erotic romance, contemporary romance and historical romance and would love to see more of those. I also wish authors would send me medical romance, erotic historical romance, and m/m fantasy romance, and runaway bride romance. I have a weakness for geeky beta heroes, but mostly I hope to see sympathetic, well-drawn characters with real issues and a legitimate conflict keeping them from finding their HEA.

Mallory Braus: Mallory looks for characters first. Three-dimensional characters—with depth and vulnerabilities and quirks—pull her into a story faster than anything else. She’s looking for all genres, but there are a few things she’s especially keeping an eye out for:

–A zombie hunter romance!

–Psychics – Especially if you have psychic FBI agents or members of a special government agency…

–I’ve been keeping an eye out for quirky characters. Nerdy/dorky heroines or heroes. Funny relatives. Etc.

–Dark romantic suspense or gritty thrillers.

–Historical Mysteries. I’m especially looking for any late 19th to early 20th century mysteries.

–“Band of Brother” type series. Examples would be Nora Roberts’s trilogies, Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, or J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. Where an emphasis is on the building of multiple characters’ relationships over the course of multiple books.

–Stories with unique worlds/setting, including, but not limited to: steampunk, post-apocalyptic, futuristic sci-fi and urban fantasy.

Alison Dasho: Alison wants:

–Sci-fi, especially future humanity dealing with first contact, alien class issues, or cyborg/android integration. What defines humanity? Do robots have souls?

–Fantasy adventure, especially lighter, funnier worlds. I’d love to see a manuscript that tells a rollicking quest story, maybe with trolls and wizards and unicorns and dragons, and has superb worldbuilding and a quirky sense of humor.

–Mystery and crime, especially dark tones and morally ambiguous issues. I’m interested in how the victims cope with the crime after the fact, or how the criminal who maybe got away scot-free in terms of legal justice is forced to contend with karmic justice. I tend not to like paranormal elements in my crime fiction, but will make some exceptions. I would love to see kidnapping fallout stories. Is the kidnap victim grown up and how is s/he dealing with those memories? Is the kidnapper in jail, or contacting the victim for some reason? I’d also love to see wrongly-accused stories — not necessarily like The Fugitive, where the protagonist himself must prove he didn’t do it, but more explorations about how the protagonist feels when faced with an accusation. Powerlessness, reliance upon a flawed justice system, etc.

–Contemporary romance, especially complicated. Both hero and heroine with pasts — maybe she’s a widow, maybe he’s got a criminal history. I love stories where everyone is opposed to the hero and heroine being together at all, let alone earning a HEA.

Denise Nielsen: I’ve had a hankering to read any of the following

–Historicals

• Dark, edgy historical – Victorian or Edwardian era, gothic elements, steampunk, suspense
• Classic historical – vikings, highwaymen, revolutionaries, sea captains – strong female leads
• Jazz era historical – think flappers, luxury

–Contemporary

• Modern reinterpretations of old stories (myths, legends, history) in a believable contemporary setting
• Unlikely hero-heroine relationships that work out against the odds
• Open to the interweaving of parallel stories past and present

Jeff Seymour:

In addition to my usual requests (SF/F, unusual romance, mystery, thrillers, horror, anything you’re afraid doesn’t fit neatly into a genre), I’d love to see some short, fast-paced adventures with series potential. Elements of any other genre welcome—just introduce me to a character and a world I can devour in an evening and still want more of.

Deborah Nemeth: I love intelligent writing, stories that make me laugh or cry (or both), and sharp, motivated protagonists. I’m particularly drawn to exotic settings, rule-breakers and multicultural characters.

I’d like to acquire some unusual historicals, m/m fiction, thrillers, and steampunk. In mystery/suspense I’m always looking for an interesting sleuth(s) to build a series on. I enjoy everything from cozy mysteries to romantic suspense to procedurals. I’d also love a mystery series set in the past (any historical era) or in a future space opera/space western setting. I’m also seeking contemporary romance with strong conflict and strong protagonists—SEALs/Rangers, firefighters, cops, carpenters, cowboys, activists—in any heat level. I love epic fantasy that combines adventure with compelling characterization and unique world-building. In paranormal and urban fantasy I’d rather see a fresh twist on ninjas, superheroes, dragons, fae, ghosts, djinn, Norse gods, psychics or fairytales than vamps, werewolves, demons and zombies.

Angela James: My list is mostly full, but I have a few specific things I’m still pretty avidly looking for, and all center around a good story. I will overlook a lot in writing if the voice, characters and story are compelling:

An erotic contemporary novel-length (70k+) stand alone or series, m/f or multiples, but I’m not seeking GLBT only at this point. A space opera or futuristic romp with strong romantic elements, unique, maybe with some of the Western flavor of Firefly, but with a definite adventure feel. Sports-themed contemporary romance, any sports (yes, racing and MMA are sports!) where sports play a role in the book, whether through the characters or setting of books. Novel-length (70k+) contemporary romance trilogies or series (not stand alone contemporaries), setting can be small town, big city or exotic locale, I’m open in that regard. I’m just looking to build my contemporary list in general!

So, if you have anything that fits the editor requests (or just a great book in general!) to submit, visit our submissions page and follow the directions there. You can address your submission to one of the editors above, or the editorial staff in general. Thanks, and we look forward to reading your manuscripts!

25.8 million people in the USA have diabetes and another 79 million have prediabetes. Of the 25.8 million Americans who have diabetes 7 million don’t know they have it. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the USA. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations & new cases of blindness among adults in the USA.

If you don’t already have diabetes or know someone with diabetes, it’s a safe bet to say you will.

Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease that has become more and more common every decade. Until the role of insulin was discovered in 1921 by Dr. Fred Banting and Charles Best, most diabetics led very short lives. The only treatment available before their discovery was a combination of dietary restrictions and exercise. Research today is showing great promise towards improved prevention, treatment and management of diabetes.

Popular romantic suspense author Brenda Novak has been raising money to fund diabetes research since 2005 with her annual online auction. But she began her personal crusade to fight diabetes much earlier than that when her son, Thad, was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at age five.

The first year Brenda ran her auction she raised $34,982, and it’s grown every year since. So far, her auction has raised $1,368,598 for Diabetes research, with most of the funding going to the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). Her auction is the biggest online event for diabetes research in the world. Some publishing’s brightest stars Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon, Steve Berry and Janet Evanovich are auction donors.

There’s something for everyone in the auction: signed celebrity memorabilia, trips, electronics, books, jewellery, critiques and many other items.

Carina Press and its authors have donated a Kindle Fire, a Kindle 3G, critiques from editors and authors, networking meetings, author training and other author goodies.

We invite you to share your personal stories about how diabetes has affected your life in the comments below.

Brenda will be appearing online at a Twitter party on Sunday May 27 at 1 pm PST (4 pm EST). She’ll be talking about the auction and would love to hear from you! Use the #bnda hashtag on Sunday May 27 at 1 pm PST to join in the conversation.

by Tara Stevens, Assistant Manager, Ebook Marketing

The other day my boss asked me what I like most about my job, what I gravitate towards when I come in to work. Which emails I check first when I sit down at my desk, that sort of thing. The answer is easy: Carina covers!

I’ve been helping to manage our digital-first cover creation process for a while now, and I enjoy it because it’s something totally unique to everything else I do in my role. I think what interests me most about it is the challenge of representing the heart or essence of a book and getting it right so that people will see it online and want to discover more about it.

Do customers judge ebooks by their covers? I think so. How we promote a book has changed a lot in the digital age, but I believe quality covers are still an important ingredient in the total marketing pie. People seem to be spending the majority of their time on the Internet these days and their attention spans are low. So how can our covers stand out from all the competitive clutter onscreen?

I think one of the biggest challenges facing our Art department and freelance designers is creating a cover that’s as unique as the book. Often it can be difficult to avoid using popular stock photo sources. When I brief the designer, we really try to get to the heart of the book’s genre and sell one thing. Part of my job is to pick one key attractive feature about the story and present it in a clear way so the cover artist can let their creative juices flow and get to work on some concepts that I share with the rest of the Carina team. We also try to keep the cover images simple, so if you had to describe the book in one word, it wouldn’t be too difficult a task.

Some of you may be wondering whether there’s anything unique about the digital-first cover process compared to the traditional print cover process. There is! One of our steps involves editor and author feedback. We welcome this insight and always try our best to address any concerns as they come up.

I’ve worked on quite a few special Carina covers along the way, spanning many different genres—everything from historical romance to erotic romance to horror to steampunk! Picking favourites is hard, but the ones you see sprinkled throughout this post definitely rank up there.

So now it’s your turn: What are your favourite Carina covers so far? What catches your eye and makes you click through to find out more about a book?

As a writer, I have learned two things: 1) characters pop into your head and will not leave you alone until you satisfy their ego (i.e.; write their story) and 2) People think you’re crazy when you start talking about the hero and heroine as if they’re REAL PEOPLE. And because, as the writer, you don’t think you’re crazy, then you’re even crazier because you’re in denial…

Well, Noah drove me crazy. For a big guy who doesn’t talk much, he sure got annoying. That’s why Guarding Jess is Noah’s story – it was the only way I could sleep peacefully. When I first started plotting this story, I had to try and think of a strong woman who could match my hero, but would also tease out his gentler side. The initial plotting stage also happened to coincide with my interaction with a tel-co customer service representative from hell.

Have you ever had one of those experiences when someone was so incredibly rude that it took your breath away, left you shaking with rage and utterly flabbergasted that the company actually continued trading with such poor representation? When I shared my story with others… wow, it was like opening the floodgates. I heard stories about rude behaviour at parties, at soccer games, in parking lots – during job interviews!

That got us all talking about manners, etiquette, and BANG! Jessica Pennington, my heroine, emerged. I needed to study etiquette – and I’ve learned it is an absolutely fascinating subject. For example, the origin of the handshake was so folks could greet each other (possibly on a country road) and show that by using their right hand they were bearing no weapons, and not intending to attack. A friendly greeting. The word ‘etiquette’ came from the French, meaning ‘ticket’. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the French royal court would draw up daily lists (tickets) of events, and include an expected dress code.

So etiquette and manners are a general observance and consideration of those around you, with our social interactions. As with all things, you’ve got to take the good with the bad – the social faux pas – or as I call it, the ‘whoopsy’. You know what I mean, when you say or do something that is so embarrassingly wrong… who else has been asked when their baby is due WHEN THEY’RE NOT PREGNANT!!!??? That’s my favourite. There’s no going back after that one.

I’m going to share a whoopsy with you. I once introduced a friend to another very good friend, one whom I’ve known for many years – only to get the second friend’s name wrong. I still haven’t lived it down. Or there was that time when I was absently watching my child do something funny and burst out laughing – at a funeral. Or that – no, wait! I’ve told you mine, now you tell me yours: what have you said/done at an inappropriate time, and wished the earth would open up and swallow you? A comment will be randomly selected to receive a copy of the book that started the whole McCormack Security Agency series, Viper’s Kiss!

Here is an excerpt from Guarding Jess – hope you enjoy!

Something clicked loudly in the brown parcel Jessica was holding, and all three of them looked at it. Jessica froze, a chill spreading over her shoulders and down her arms.
Ollie froze. “Was that—?”
“Yes,” Jessica whispered.
The man standing in front of her moved with a speed that left her stunned. He grabbed the parcel from her arms and ran to the office corridor. He pulled open the garbage chute and tossed the package in. He turned and raced straight for her.
“Take cover,” he yelled.
Jessica’s mouth dropped open in horror as screams filled the office. Before her brain could register the danger, a hard body hit hers, tackling her to the ground and rolling her along the carpeted floor. An explosion splintered the glass doors to reception. The floor they lay upon trembled. Jessica managed a terrified peek over a broad shoulder before it obscured her view, and the hard body covered hers protectively.
Smoke filled the reception area, and foul-smelling embers floated to the floor.
She turned wide eyes from the falling ash to the man lying on top of her, his chocolate-brown gaze eyeing her with a calm intensity.
Ollie’s pale face popped into her peripheral vision.
“He isn’t the client, Jess,” she said shakily. “He’s your bodyguard.”

Psst… for the month of May only, Guarding Jess has the special sale price of $0.99 – so get it quick

Shannon Curtis has worked as a switchboard operator, dangerous goods handler, logistics centre supervisor and real estate administration manager, and now writes copy and content by day, romantic suspense by night!

Follow me on Twitter: @2BShannonCurtis
Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shannon-Curtis/#!/pages/Shannon-Curtis/177000805653410
Visit my website: www.shannoncurtis.com
Visit my blog: http://shannoncurtis.wordpress.com/

“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.”
–Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

We’ve all gone through storms in our life, some have been fleeting, nothing more than a bit of wind and rain, others have pelted us from all sides, bringing the cold darkness and volatile lightning with it.

Oliver Shaw, the hero from EDGE OF LIGHT, came to me in a flash of dark and gritty prologue unlike anything I had ever written. He was so broken. He’d long since lost the will to fight for his life. He no longer believed in anything outside his small cell. And as he turned to the fermented fruit in one corner and began to paint the walls with a mural of home, I knew, with an almost obsessive certainty, that I had to write his story and find a reason for him to go on.

I’m not a dark and tormented person. I wear my rose-colored glasses, having inherited my dad’s “tomorrow will take care of itself” philosophy. But this book poured out of me from some undefinable place. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in the summer of 2010, that I realized I’d been writing this book while completely unaware my body was turning on me.

My cancer had grown into a prison, every bit as solid and impenetrable as Oliver’s. And just like Oliver, I had to learn to reach for the light. I finished EDGE OF LIGHT while recuperating from my colon resection surgery, uncertain of what the future held for me. What followed was six months of chemotherapy and then preparation for a major secondary surgery.

During that time, I clung to my faith. I became best friends with hope. I discovered the difference between surviving day-to-day and living for each day. Now, over one year (and counting!) post chemo, I am cancer free.

It is such an honor and excitement to be here to share EDGE OF LIGHT with all of you. Oliver’s journey is intense and difficult to read at times, but it is my wish that amidst the pulse-pounding action, the chilling villains, and the emotional love story, you will find a greater appreciation for the storms in your own life.

As Alexandre Dumas writes in The Count of Monte Cristo, the book Oliver uses as his journal, “All human wisdom is contained in these two words–’Wait and Hope’.”

Please visit my website to enter my EDGE OF LIGHT giveaway. Win Oliver’s journal, Cambodian money pendants, copies of EDGE OF LIGHT and more!

And now I’d like to open up the blog. Feel free to post any questions you may have about my story or share one of your own. What has made you reach for the light?

————————————-

EDGE OF LIGHT

Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness the brutal torture and slow murder of his entire team, his spirit is not just broken, it’s crushed. He no longer believes in hope. Until he hears Jocelyn through the wall, and suddenly feels like a glimpse of light is trying to reach in…

Jocelyn’s heart aches for the tortured man whose presence and voice give her the courage to risk their escape. But first she’ll have to remind Oliver who he once was, what he once loved, and bring him back to life. Only then will they have a chance for freedom—and the kind of love neither ever thought possible.

Buy EDGE OF LIGHT from Carina Press, Amazon, B&N. EDGE OF LIGHT is also available as an audiobook from Avdible!

Cynthia is a former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense. She started out writing contemporary romance, but when all her plots began to turn dastardly, she decided to stop fighting the urge to throw explosions, dead bodies, and evil villains into her books.

With her B.S. in the chemical sciences and her love of the periodic table (yes, she’s a geek and proud of it!) she finally found the perfect potent mix of love and danger to put into her stories.

Cynthia lives in Arizona with her real life hero husband and their two sons. Visit her website, connect with her on Twitter, find her on Facebook.