Category: Writing Life

Back from Paris

Posted on:

I’m back from my work trip to Paris, a whirlwind week if ever there was one. In my just six days in the city (one day spent in travel), I toured the offices of three French publishers: J’ai Lu, Bragelonne, and LeDuc, met with the senior editors at each house as well as their art and marketing staff, and had multiple meetups with a bevy of lovely and enthusiastic French bloggers including those from Au Boudoir Ecarlate and Onirik.

The meetups were held at the J’ai Lu offices and coordinated with help from the French romance review site and webzine, Les Romantiques. Merci a tous!

A dinner at La Fresque, a charming laid-back bistro situated on the site of a former open air market in the first arrondissement, followed the Monday meetup. Delicious wine, food, and conversation — e.g., the romance industry in France vs. America — kept us at the table well into the night.

Hope with Margaret Calpena, Responsible editoriale, of J'ai Lu.

As some of you may remember, J’ai Lu bought the French print rights to my Men of Roxbury House trilogy. Vanquished, renamed La Rose de Mayfair, released last spring with the publisher’s Aventures & Passions romance line. The lovely translator, Viviane Ascain, with whom I also met, will soon be hard at work translating books #2 and 3, Enslaved and Untamed, into the French as well. Bon courage, Viviane!

I also gathered photos and information for my upcoming travel articles for EuropeUpClose, including one focused on Bastille Day or, more properly, La Fete Nationale as it’s referred to in France. Viewing the shimmering spectacle of a light-bedecked Eiffel Tower and later the fireworks display from a rooftop restaurant in Monmartre was a rare and special moment, a memory for a lifetime, as well as research for my travel tips piece.

The meetup at J'ai Lu on July 16th drew nearly 20 romance bloggers from Paris and its surrounds.

Now it’s nose to the grindstone time, or at least posterior planted in the office chair, as I finish up edits on Operation Cinderella, Book #1 in my new contemporary romance series with Entangled Publishing, complete my travel articles–and occasionally take time to dream of my next trip to Paris.

Many thanks–un grand merci–to my new French friends for making this American (romance author) in Paris feel utterly welcomed and at home.

And yes, there was cake, les macarons, as well as other treats.

Hope

Happy Friday, New Video!

Posted on:

Today is my first day back from a truly delightful mini-break at the beach in Ocean Grove, NJ where I celebrated the Fourth with my sweetie basking on the beach and giving all creatures crustacean a true run for their lives! (I have the seafood tower photo posted to my Facebook Page to back up my claims).

While I was away, I picked up a lovely bit of bric-a-brac, a mermaid hanging ornament with the saying, “Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.” Indeed.

With my recent Suddenly Cinderella Series sale to Entangled Publishing, lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on the fairytale front. Fairy tales allow–promote–not only the possibility but the probability that extraordinary, wonderful things will happen when we least expect them–especially when we least expect them.

Please check out my latest unexpected bit of wonder, my video interview for the Author Learning Center. I gave the interview last winter and then forgot about it in the  hectic rush of holidays and deadlines. Behold, the interview went live within the last 24 hours. Please enjoy–it’s super short, promise! Likes and Shares are, as always, much appreciated.

Wishing you a fairytale weekend…

Hope

If the Slipper Fits…

Posted on:
Photo: "Cinderella," Disney, 1950.

OK, so those of you who keep in touch with me via Facebook and Twitter know I’m all kinds of aflutter over selling my Suddenly Cinderella Series to uber fab digital-first publisher, Entangled.

Even so, there comes a time once deals are struck and contracts are inked that as writers we must descend from our swirling pink clouds to terra firma and well, write some stuff.

But before the writing, mes cheres, comes the research and depending on your subject, that can be the very best part. In the case of my Suddenly Cinderella Series, the plot device that connects all three books is shoes!

1930's vintage velvet peep toe heels from Saks Fifth Avenue. Photo: Etsy.com.

Behold my very own take on Cinderella slippers, late 1930’s vintage red velvet evening shoes from the legendary Saks Fifth Avenue. In the spirit of “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” these princess worthy heels will be passed among my three heroines, starting with women’s magazine editor, Macie Graham of OPERATION CINDERELLA, coming this October ’12, then going to fashion photographer Francesca St. James (PROJECT CINDERELLA) and lastly to plus-size personal chef Stefanie Stefanopoulos (THE CINDERELLA CAPER).

How can one pair of high fashion heels fit all three heroines? Well, for starters, they’re magical shoes. (In the words–word–of ever-eloquent actor Charlie Sheen, “Duh!”) Secondly they’re strappy, not enclosed, so there’s more wiggle room, so to speak. Lastly, if we can suspend our disbelief and accept that a single pair of jeans–jeans for gosh sake–can be worn by multiple women, shoe sharing should be a snap.

For now, join me in playing dress up!

Hope

Suddenly Cinderella Series: It’s Official!

Posted on:

Who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story? (Note: not really a question).

I love the Cinderella story so much that writing one such themed book wasn’t going to be enough for me, not nearly. So, instead, I’ve signed on to write three of them!

My “Suddenly Cinderella” Series (Operation Cinderella, Project Cinderella & The Cinderella Caper) will be published with Entangled Publishing starting this fall 2012. As per the deal report on Publishers Marketplace:

“Three unlikely Cinderellas are helped along by uber-cool fairy god friends and princess-worthy red stilettos as they meet their matches in these contemporary re-tellings of the classic fairytale beginning with OPERATION CINDERELLA, wherein a goth-girl editor is paired with a sexy conservative radio talk-show host, to Stacy Cantor Abrams at Entangled, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication starting in fall 2012, by Louise Fury at the L. Perkins Agency.”

Bonus: the books’ digital releases will be followed by audiobooks with Dark Desires Audio, my wonderful audio publisher for Tempting! I’ll be sharing sneak peak snippets from the series in the coming months, so please check back. For now…

Huzzah to Happily Ever After!

Hope

Lady Jane’s Salon & Press Goodness from USA TODAY

Posted on:

The Monday, June 4th Lady Jane’s Salon (7-9PM at Madame X) is proud to welcome the attendees of this year’s Book Expo America (#BEA12) held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center here in Manhattan.

In town for BEA or just plain in town? Please put Lady Jane’s on your after-party roster. Click here for deets on the Salon night program including our four great guest readers. Hint: they include regular Salon attendee and now fully minted author, Beatriz Williams!

Earlier this week I chatted about the Salon to Joyce Lamb of USA TODAY’S Happily Ever After blog. Please check out my interview and, if you can, take two ticks to Like it and/or leave a comment here.

Hope

The Joy of Being Popular: Lady Jane’s & The Popular Romance Project

Posted on:

Last June ’11, we at Lady Jane’s had a very special group of visitors, Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker, Laurie Kahn and her crew with The Popular Romance Project.

With grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mass Humanities, Romance Writers of America, and the Tavris Fund at Brandeis University/Women’s Studies Research Center, The Popular Romance Project seeks to “explore the fascinating, often contradictory origins and influences of popular romance as told in novels, films, comics, advice books, songs, and internet fan fiction, taking a global perspective—while looking back across time as far as the ancient Greeks.” The website, mere months old, has already received hits from 80 countries!

Please take two ticks to watch (and hopefully “Like”) the video short of Lady Jane’s Salon. The less than four minute video is packed with interviews and readings from our guest authors that night: Sarah MacLean, Karen Rose, Carrie Lofty, Dianna Love, Leanna Renee Hieber (Salon co-founder), and Eloisa James as well as brief behind-the-scenes interviews with the Lady Jane’s Salon Team including Yours Truly. 🙂

http://popularromanceproject.org/behind-scenes/1997

Sherry Jones, author of THE JEWEL OF MEDINA and THE SWORD OF MEDINA guesting at Lady Jane's Salon in May.

Lastly, if you’re in the New York City area, please join us for our next Salon on Monday, May 7th, 7-9PM at Madame X. Guests are Suleikha Snyder, Zoraida Cordova, Kate Cross, Alethea Kontis, and Sherry Jones!

Admission is $5 or one romance novel. Net proceeds to benefit a New York City based women’s charity.

Hope

 

Book Week in Review: Barbara Vey, Lady Jane’s & the RT Con

Posted on:
With PW Blogger @BarbaraVey at the RT BOOKLovers Convention Book Fair.

This past week was rather…full. Or better yet, replete with lots of great opportunities to meet and interact with fellow writers and readers in both Milwaukee and Chicago.

Kicking off the fun fest was PW blogger Barbara Vey with her first Annual Readers’ Appreciation Luncheon in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. More than 200 readers and 38 authors including Cathy Maxwell, Roxanne St. Claire and Yours Truly congregated at the Oak Creek Community Center for a lovely catered luncheon. Heather Graham gave the fun keynote talk, regaling us with true tales far stranger than any fiction.

Tempting cupcakes by author Dianna Love.

More than 38 author-donated raffle and door prizes were awarded including my “Tote of Tempting Treats” filled with an ARC of the Tempting audiobook and other goodies. Lastly, the guest authors signed our for sale books. Didn’t make it this year? No worries. Barbara’s already set the date for next year’s luncheon: April 27, 2013, location TBA. Indeed the sell-out event was so successful that next year’s will require an even larger venue. Way to go, Barbara!

 

Then it was off to Naperville, a Chicago suburb, for my guest reading at our satellite Salon, Lady Jane’s Salon Naperville. Founded by romance authors Tracey Devlyn and Adrienne Giordano in February 2012, the Salon is held every other month in the loft of Le Chocolat, a lovely local chocolate patisserie and coffee bar in downtown Naperville.

My table at Barbara Vey's Luncheon.

Just a few months’ old, the Salon already boasts a robust following of romance readers and writers. The April 10th event hosted five guest authors: Laurie London, Traci Hall, Tracey Devlyn (reading her romance debut, A Lady’s Revenge, Book #1 in the Nexus series), Cherry Adair, and yes, me, reading from Tempting. To learn more about the Naperville satellite and “Celebrate Differences,” the recipient charity, visit their website.

 

Another Tempting tote was a charity raffle prize at Lady Jane's Naperville.

Last but in no way least came the RT BOOKLovers Convention. Highlights of the con included the Thursday E-Book & Graphic Novel Expo, workshops and panel talks by authors representing every Shade of Gray (so to speak) of romantic fiction, a mind boggling array of theme parties and costume events, and of course the renowned giganormous Saturday Book Fair, open to the public as well as convention attendees.

But there is indeed no place like home. After a week of glamor–or at least makeup, “real” clothes, and daily hair washings–I returned home to New York on Sunday evening pleasantly weary and wonderfully… replete, happy and blessed to be back to this writing life of sweat clothes’ wearing and copious cat cuddling and sitting down every day to write the books of my heart.

At the RT Book Fair with @LenGunnModel, Mr. Romance 2011

April Lady Jane’s Salon

Posted on:

Join us for our next Lady Jane’s Salon as we welcome spring with guest authors Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cara Elliott and Suzanne Brockmann reading from their latest releases. Event sponsor: Little Black Dress Vodka.

Admission: $5 or one donated romance novel. Net proceeds support an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity.

Lady Jane’s meets on the first Monday of the month unless otherwise noted, 7-9PM, at Madame X (Top Tier).

Guest authors’ books available for sale and signing on-site.

Please note our new website at www.LadyJaneSalonNYC.com.

Never been to a Lady Jane’s Salon!?! Check out our latest press goodness in STARRING NYC.

 

March Lady Jane’s Salon

Posted on:

Join me for this Monday’s Lady Jane’s Salon on Monday, March 5th, 7-9PM at Madame X. Along with hosting, I’ll be reading from Tempting and sharing the Salon stage with three great guest readers Lisa Dale, Kate McMurray, and Sarah MacLean.

Admission: $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel to benefit a NYC women’s charity.

Cash bar with $5 drink specials.

Salon ends at 9PM.

Amazon, IPG & My Men of Roxbury House

Posted on:

Earlier in the week, Amazon and the Independent Publishers Group (IPG), a Chicago-based book distributor that provides print and electronic books to retailers such as Amazon, broke off contract negotiations. The sticking point has to do with the terms impacting profit margins for e-books. Those who care to can read more about the situation as reported by the New York Times blog.

Amazon has removed all its Kindle order links for e-books distributed by IPG, including those for my Men of Roxbury House trilogy: Vanquished, Enslaved and Untamed.  Note: the print versions of all three books remain available for purchase on the site.

But as in any good romance novel, all is not lost, not unless we let it be. You can still purchase  my trilogy e-books through Barnes & Noble’s Nook Store, Apple’s iTunes, Google Books, Sony’s Reader Store, and other online retailers. And Kindle Fire users can download the titles by using almost any e-reader app and purchasing the EPUB and PDF editions from the aforementioned retailers. Below are the direct order links:

Vanquished for Nook

Vanquished for iTunes

Vanquished for Google Books

Vanquished for Sony

***

Enslaved for Nook

Enslaved for iTunes

Enslaved for Google Books

Enslaved for Sony

***

Untamed for Nook

Untamed for iTunes

Untamed for Google Books

Untamed for Sony

And of course, Tempting, republished this month as a digital-first book, remains available everywhere. 🙂

Some days we have to work a little harder for our Happily Ever After but the rainbow at the end remains just as bright.

Hope