Talia Kelley is My Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio

Come listen tonight at Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio when erotic author Talia Kelley will be reading from her best selling paranormal romance JUST DUCKY.

***

Shy, unassuming Emma Brooks loves curious and unique items, and thanks to the generous legacy of her great aunt, she lives a life of travel without itinerary, searching for old books and curiosities to fill the manor she calls home. It's a life for which many would give a selected body part, but it's also a lonely one.

Things change for Amy when she accepts the gift of a strange little bath toy from a grateful shopkeeper. Suddenly, she finds herself in a world of strange occurrences and erotic dreams, with a phantom lover who seems uncannily real, and whose passions bring to the surface desires Emma has long denied and would rather not encourage. But the spirit is counting on those passions, and he's not about to let her abandon them -- and him.

Readers, Where Do You Buy Most of Your Ebooks?

Readers, where do you buy most of your ebooks?

From the publisher's website?
From ARe/OmniLit?
From Fictionwise?
From Amazon for Kindle?
From Barnes and Noble or Borders?
From another 3rd Party Distributor?

Authors, by the same token, where do you sell the best?

It's Been a Productive Summer

It's been a very productive summer.  I finished one novel and three short stories (each just under 20K words).  Plus I've managed to completely re-edit The Battle Lord's Lady (taking it from 111K to 113K) for future subbing.

I feel accomplished.

I Went Back to School Today

I had to start back at school today.  This is my 33rd year teaching.  In some ways I'm always happy to go back and see my new batch of Kindergarteners.  But on the other hand, I'm getting burned out of teaching.  Still, I have 5 more years before I can retire and become a full time writer.

I am sooo looking forward to that time!

Please Support Your Mom-and-Pop Bookstores!

I often do book signings at locally-owned book stores, and I do them for many reasons.  For one thing, the owners are very personable, and they go out of their way to make you comfortable.  Plus they do boocoos' worth of advertising.

Secondly, they have a built-in audience.  People come there to browse and buy books.  The overall atmosphere is much more laid back than at a large corporation book store.

So one of the ways I "thank" the owners for having me is that I take half a dozen or so books I've read and no longer wish to keep, and I give them to the shop keepers.  It's free revenue for them, and a great chance to clean out my bookshelves!

My Kindle Books Are Now Available at Amazon UK!

This is such great news!  I've gotten an email that my ebooks for Kindle are now available at Amazon UK!  They include both my romances with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid and Red Rose Publishing, and my horror books. 

Sweet!

Dear Linda - a ? About Eating

Dear Linda,

I've noticed in several of your books (I haven't read them all to be 100% sure), you always have a scene of some sort where the H & H are eating, usually in a restaurant. Is this a little perk of yours?

Oh, geesh, do I? LOL! I've never been aware of that odd habit that I seem to have. Now I'm going to be very conscious of it, but to me such a scene is always inevitable. The hero and heroine need to talk at some point, and a very comfortable way of doing that - prior to and after love scenes - is when they're having a bite. I guess you could say that food and sex go together like peanut butter and jelly.

R. G. Porter is My Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio

Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio, my guest author is R. G. Porter.  Come listen to her read an excerpt from her erotic paranormal romance, CURSE OF INNOK.

Show time is 11 pm et.

There be dragons!
***
A curse placed by evil was just the beginning…

Gabriel is a man who is cursed to live a half life. Images and visions of the past haunt his dreams while the loss of his love shatters his soul. He wanders alone, fearful of eternal life and unable to succumb to death. Sure he will live his life alone he wanders in from the night to wallow in his despair while he eats only to find the pull to a woman who tugs at heart but is more than she seems.


On the run from her family and the man they want her to marry, Alayia wants nothing more than to be left alone. Haunted by the murder of her brother she’s on a quest to kill the beast that took him from her life. If only she’d known that the very creature she was after was the same man who’s piercing gaze drove straight into her heart.


Destiny has brought them together once more— to unlock the past and free the future.


But first they must release the dragon within.

Now Available! ISABELLLA, a Tale of Paranormal Horror

Now Available!
ISABELLLA
A tale of paranormal horror
by Gail Smith
(Linda Mooney w/a)

Four years ago Byron Shales was a manager for a department store. Now he hunts down and captures the newly zombie-fied dead, and resells them at auction to the highest bidder. What his buyers do with them after the sale is finalized is none of his business, and frankly he couldn’t care less.

His beliefs and apathy come to a sickening halt when he elects to keep one young woman for himself, and discovers that all his pre-conceived notions about these non-living creatures have been a lie. In fact, the truth about Rothsburg’s Disease may be more horrifying than the flesh-eating creatures it infects.

http://www.lindamooney.com/Isabellla.htm

And available on Kindle!  http://www.amazon.com/Isabellla-ebook/dp/B003YOSC40

****
EXCERPT:

Taking the snare pole in both hands, he took several steps into the room. Habit made him double-check the corners for signs of another one of those things. A good trapper had to keep an extra pair of eyes in the back of his head if he wanted to live long enough to spend his money.

Glancing back at the girl, Byron saw she had gotten to her feet, but she remained where she was. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear she wasn’t in any hurry to attack him.

"What’s the matter? Why won’t you come over here and take a bite? Huh?" He held out an arm in invitation. "Come on. Here it is. All nice and warm and juicy. Bet you’d love to take a chunk out of it, wouldn’t you? Well, come on!" He gave his arm a little wiggle. "Come one and try."

The creature looked at his arm, then back at him. She took a tentative step toward him. Byron took an identical step backwards.

"That’s right. Come and get it. It’s full of warm blood, and I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?"

She took a second step, which he echoed in reverse, but her gaze wasn’t on the tempting arm he was baiting her with. She was watching him. As ridiculous as it appeared, it was like she was wary or something. Byron shook his head. No way, man. No fucking way.

He grabbed the snare pole with both hands and played out more of the wire. The creature stopped. One of her hands reached for her throat, and he nearly dropped his jaw.
It was starting to be too goddamn freaky.

"What’s with you, for Christ’s sake? What’s with the hesitation? You’re acting like you have intelligence, and we both know that can’t be true. You’ve been dead now for, what? A few days at the most. Not more than a week. You’re fresh. I gotta hand you that, but your brain’s been rotting inside your skull all that time. There’s no way you could be thinking, much less anticipating me."

He took another step, and this time the girl took a step backwards.

"Fuck!"

Enough of this bullshit, Shales! Get her!

Determined to end this imaginary stalemate, Byron strode over and slipped the noose over the thing’s head, pulling it tight as he gripped the end of the pole.

She didn’t struggle.

She didn’t howl.

She didn’t fight him or the noose.

Byron stared in shock at the creature. He had been hunting zombies for nearly four years, and nothing had prepared him for this. No other undead had acted this way, and those dead things were as predictable as night and day.

He tugged on the pole. The creature didn’t react one way or another. Byron frowned. Maybe her attack button was missing. That, or she never had one. Or it had rotted away.

Something flashed at the corner of his eye. The setting sun reflected off something like a window in the distance. The distraction reminded him he was wasting time. Plus it was a good three miles to the compound if he wanted to get there before the gates were closed for the night.

Pulling on the pole, he watched as the girl reluctantly took a step forward. Then another. Gradually, she followed him outside and to the truck. The entire time her hands remained dangling by her sides.

Once they reached the pickup, he debated whether to slam her up against the board of nails so he could cuff her. To his shock, he saw the creature’s eyes look over at the thirteen-by-seventeen piece of wood attached to the side of the vehicle before she glanced up at him. Warning bells were going off in his head, but at that moment he was totally dumbfounded.

"Shit. Don’t tell me you don’t want to be pinned. Is that it?"

Christ, why was he even asking her? She was dead! She had no brain function anymore. Therefore she couldn’t think, and she damn sure couldn’t be dreading what was about to happen to her! She was already dead, for fuck’s sake! What could be worse?

"Fuck this," he muttered, dragging her to the tailgate. He grabbed a pair of cuffs out of the toolbox and jammed the end of the snare pole underneath the ramp. "All right, girlie. Let’s see if you fight me now."

Borders - Your Neighborhood Used Book Store?

With the traditional publishing industry continuing to turn on its ear, people I've been telling have been asking me what will be the fate of book stores (and from several, used book stores). Where I live (pop. 70,000) we don't have a book store.


Yes. You heard me. There is NO traditional book store. No B&N. No Borders.

However, there is a Hastings, thank goodness. And already they have an entire aisle in their store of used books, mostly hardbacks.

How much longer do you think it will be before the big corporation brick-and-mortar stores start carrying 2nd hand, just to help make ends meet?

Romantic Movies With an HEA

I've been in the mood recently for a nice romantic movie where there's an actual Happily Ever After at the end.  But most of what was suggested to me was...well...I want my HEA, dammit!

Here's some of the titles suggested by friends:

City of Angels
The Count of Monte Cristo
Wuthering Heights
Jewels (Danielle Steel)

I've already seen them and been bitterly disappointed.  If you give me angst, then give me a loving payoff at the end.  Don't give me death.

However, I have found a few titles where the romance may not have been the main "focus" of the movie, but it was sweet and very memorable. And - yes - there was an HEA.  Anyone ever see Timeline with G. Butler?

So here's a few of my recommendations:

You've Got Mail (contemp. rom. comedy)
Innocent Blood (paranormal/vamps)
Crying Freeman (anime)

Any suggestions?

Having a Book Signing When All You Have Are E-books

I've been to several book signings with other authors. All of us are basically e-book pubbed, but several don't have their works out in print yet. So the dilemma becomes "how can I do a book signing when I don't have any books to sign"?


Here's some of the relatively inexpensive and easy solutions I've seen, I've followed, and am passing along:

1. Do a slide show of your covers and various pictures which go with each title. Have the show viewing on your laptop or netbook at your table.

2. Or you can burn a DVD of your book trailer videos and show them the same way.

3. Have a drawing for a free e-book. People just give their names and emailing addys, and pop them in a box, a hat, a bowl, etc.

4. Burn a CD of PDFs of your cover and first chapter of each book, and give the signed CDs out.

5. Use Oriental Trading for inexpensive gizmos which are "themed" to your books/genre. Attach a business card or a signed bookmark to them, and hand out.

6. People will keep bookmarks with tassles or charms attached. You can also do postcards this way. Don't forget to sign them!

7. Give out tiny bags of candy (colored cellophane works great, and it's cheap!). Be sure to attach a business card or bookmark.

****
Readers, any comments, additions, or suggestions?

A Best Seller and an Interview!

First of all, FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS is now a certified best seller with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid for the month of July!  Thanks to everyone who bought a copy!

Second, Teri Thackston interviewed me about this book at The Examiner.  You can read it here, and leave a comment if you'd like!

New Review for My Horror Novella, CODE 30

I just got this wonderful review for my horror novella CODE 30 (which I write under the name Gail Smith) from Manic Readers. I'm only posting part of it, but including the link if you want to check out the whole thing. Warning - the review includes graphic content.

***

"There were twists and turns, and situations I didn’t see coming. The horror in this story was spine tingling. I can’t even begin to explain how Ms. [Smith] described so well and so fluidly the acts and deprivations that occurred. There was sadness in this story, but don’t get me wrong, this was 100% horror city.

Well done Ms. [Smith], I hope every horror fans takes a look at Code 30 because it is so worth it!"

Reviewed by Claudia, Manic Readers

http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=reviews&bookid=5151

Tonight I'm Hosting Danyealle Myst

Tonight I'm hosting erotic fantasy author Danyealle Myst on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio.  She'll be reading from her book FATE: IN THE BEGINNING.

Show begins at 11 pm et.  See you there!
****
They’ve met twice once at one the Marquis DeSade’s infamous parties, then during World War II in Germany. That should have been the end of it. It wasn’t…

Darious Mooksoon, the demon Lord of Lust, Sex, and Decadence, could have any being he wants, human or dark creature. But there is one he wants more than any other, and he can’t find her—the doe-eyed, sexy and beautiful Lady Danyealle DesLoup.

After more than a century of trying to find her, he’s been able to locate her once more and will do everything to have her again back in his life. They parted amicably, so he feels it shouldn’t be a problem. But it is. Faced with the obstacles she gives him, he has to do the impossible to make it happen, or perform things he’s never thought he would or could do.

Straight From the Horse's Mouth (So to Speak)

I just got off the phone with a girlfriend, who had just read one of my books and called to talk about it.  But she was also pissed that she had been forced to wait for the print copy to come out, while "everyone else got to read the book first" when it was initially released in e-book.  She refuses to buy an e-reader, and has many reasons why not.  Her biggest why not is because she loves the physical aspect of a "real" book -- turning the page, smelling the paper, etc.  Hey, as long as she buys my books, I don't care, but her attitude is similar to several other friends'.

I often have other authors ask me if I believe the print book will ever become obsolete.  In my opinion, I think print books will never completely disappear, but I think the pie graph will definitely shift from minority e-books vs majority print to majority e-books.  Why the shift?  Not because of pricing or availability, but mainly because the older generation is less likely to adapt to the newer generation of technology.  And as the years progress, what we are accustomed to today will be upgraded or replaced by something newer and/or better.

The only thing that bugs me, though, is her referring to e-books as being "not real books".  I wonder if there's any hope that someday she'll change her mind?

5 Things NOT to do at a Book Signing

(as per one of my gracious hosts)

1. Don't assume everyone who walks in the door likes to read your genre. Or, for that matter, doesn't like to read it. A simple, "Hello! Thanks for coming by! Do you like to read (genre)?" is your best introduction.

2. Don't intimidate the readers by trying to get close to them. Remain seated, or if you need to stand, move back a bit and give them room to approach the table.

3. Don't brush off a potential reader if they initally show no interest. Offer them a freebie like candy, a bookmark, a pen, etc. Friendliness pays.

4. Don't get defensive if customers make rude remarks about your covers, genre, etc.

5. And most of all, if a reader buys your book, and you autograph it for him/her, don't summarily dismiss that person as "done that" and turn your attention elsewhere. Keep being friendly. You never know when they may want to get another book for a friend, relative, or for themselves.

(cartoon from toothpastefordinner.com)

It's a Book Signing! Come By and Say "Hi"!

I'll be there from 11-2
Come by and say, "Hi!"

Boomerang Books
907 W Main St
League City, TX 77473
281-316-1404

I Have My Podcasts Linked Now

Most of you know I do a weekly talk show on Blog Talk Radio called Other Worlds of Romance. Sometimes I interview other authors of sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal romances, and sometimes I read excerpt from my own books.

I've gone back to my website and added links to those podcasts to the books I've already read. So if you see this button (see above left), it'll take you straight to the podcast, which will be a little blue and white box at the top middle of the screen. It'll play a short 15 second ad first, which you can mute until it's over and the podcast begins. :D

Over on the horrror side, the button is a bloody microphone with the word PODCAST --->

It's a Scratch and Dent Sale!

I was doing inventory on my print books for an upcoming book signing I'm doing in League City this Saturday, and I found a copy of SANDEFLAY and a copy of RUNNER'S MOON: SIMOLIF that are a bit too roughed-up to sell. These are new books, but their covers leave a bit to be desired.  So I'm selling them for $5.00 each (plus $2.00 postage)!  (Regular price $17.95 and $15.95 respectively.)

First come, first served!

Coming Soon - The End of the "Runner's Moon" Megabook

The "Runner's Moon" Megabook, which features the first 3 novels of that series (JEBARAL, TIRON, and SIMOLIF), reaches the end of its contract in October.  At that time, the megabook will be taken off the market.

The good news is that readers will still be able to get these three books separately!

But there's more good news to share.  In November, both HEARTFAST and HEARTCRYSTAL will be offered as a 2-in-1 megabook.

Children's E-books?

I was reading a recent article that Scholastic, a well-known seller of chidlren's books, is thinking about stepping into the e-book market.

Scholastic Close to Testing E-book Distribution Platform

Only one thing wrong with this.  It's getting e-book readers into the hands of children.  Yes, the e-books will be available to read via computer, but it's not a practical solution for several reasons.

Which means there will need to be a very viable and CHEAP version of e-book readers for the youngest generation of readers. And that means schools will need to become pro-active (instead of their usual "wait and see what happens 10 years down the road" stance) to get those readers into the classroom.

Yeah, I seem very negative, don't I?  Do you think it's because I've been in education too long to realize that schools are the LAST place to see new technology, even though districts pride themselves on claiming to have the Latest And Greatest for their students?

Tonight I'm Hosting Elysa Hendricks on Blog Talk Radio!

Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio, I'm hosting Elysa Hendricks.  She'll be reading from her sci-fi romance novel STAR RAIDERS, now available from Dorchester Publishing.

Show begins at 11 pm ET.  Don't miss it!
***
A smuggler’s daughter and an interstellar lawman, Shyanne and Greyson were destined to collide. Their affair was scorching, dazzling…and ended in a blaze of betrayal. Ten years later, the flames between them haven’t cooled. Now if Greyson’s plan to save mankind succeeds, he’ll lose the woman he loves...this time forever.

New Poll! First Person Narrative

New Poll!

First Person Narrative
Once you've read the excerpt and discovered a book that sounds promising is written in first person, are you still likely to buy it?  Or do books in first person turn you off?

I write all my romances in third person, but I sometimes write my horror in first, because I feel it gets the reader "closer to the blood", per se.

Please tell me what you think.  Poll closes next Saturday.  Thanks!

Dear Linda,

Why did you self-publish one of your stories?

1.  Because it was an older story that had already been with a publisher, and

2.  It was a horror story.  But in the land of romance novels and romance loops, and after being with a primarily romance-focused publisher, it didn't sell well, so

3.  Once the contract was fulfilled, and I got my rights back, I felt it was still good enough not to hide in a drawer.

4.  Therefore, after some research, I decided to go the Amazon Kindle route to sell it as an ebook.  I also got a new ISBN number for it.  Plus I went with Lulu to make it into a print edition, so I can sell it at book signings.

(The results?  It's doing VERY well over on Amazon!)

Why Dinosaurs Are Extinct

Purchase JOURNAL for 15% Off!

You can purchase either the PDF e-book or print version of my zombie novella JOURNAL at Lulu's for 15% Off!  Just use code BEACHREAD305.  But hurry!  This offer ends 08/15!

http://www.lulu.com/product/11069166?cid=071810_en_email_BEACHREAD305

Disclaimer: Use coupon code BEACHREAD305 at checkout and receive 15% off Journal. Maximum savings with this promotion is $10. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on August 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM so try not to procrastinate! While very unlikely we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so.

10 Thoughts to Ponder

Number 10
Life is sexually transmitted.

Number 9
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Number 8
Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny.  If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.

Number 7
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

Number 6
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.

Number 5
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals, dying of nothing.

Number 4
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

Number 3
Why does a slight tax increase cost you $200.00, and a substantial tax cut saves you $30.00?

Number 2
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.  Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

And The Number 1 Thought
Life is like a jar of Jalapeno peppers; what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
 
(Thanks, Jo!)

Sand Castle is an ARe/OmniLit Best Seller!

Sand Castle now proudly wears the All Romance e-books/OmniLit Best Selling star!

http://www.omnilit.com/product-sandcastle-13518-149.html

***
Second chances, are they possible?


Terrie Myers never believed life would give her a second chance at anything. Little did she understand the draw of a little girl with dreams of a knight in shining armor. Or the magic of hope that would turn those dreams into reality.

Can the magic of Christmas make dreams come true?

I'm Hosting Jesse Fox Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio!

Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio, I'm hosting guest author Jesse Fox.  She'll be reading from her paranormal m/m romance SAMHAIN'S EMBRACE.

Show time is 11 pm et.  Don't miss it!
*****
What is loss to the human heart?A spirit of nature, misunderstood and forgotten by modern man, when drawn out on the one night he roams the darkness freely, seeks to understand the meaning of loss and ease a young man's pain.Bran Conleth is a man broken by the ultimate loss - death. Desperate to summon his deceased lover he chooses the one night when the veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead is at its thinnest. Instead of his lover, he calls forth the embodiment of the night - Samhain.Together they share one incredible journey that will teach Samhain about human loss and Bran that there is life after death.

WhooHoo! JOURNAL Has Broken Into Amazon's Top 100!

It's time to do the Snoopy Dance!  My zombie horror novella JOURNAL has just broken into Amazon's Top 100 in the following:

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #24,686 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #81 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fiction > Horror > Occult

If you have a "taste" for horror, check out the links (below and down the right-hand side of this blog) to my horror books and blog.

***
Edited to add at 8:00 p.m. ct

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #18,362 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#59 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fiction > Horror > Occult

***
Edited to add on 07/19 at 10:00 a.m. ct

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #9,605 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#34 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fiction > Horror > Occult
#57 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Occult

***
Edited to add on 07/19 at 2:15 p.m. ct
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #7,912 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#25 in Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Fiction > Horror > Occult
#50 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Occult

I Has a Sad

In the past week I've gotten word that four co-workers whom I've become good friends with over the years have been promoted or transferred to a different campus.  One of them was my assistant principal, and I'm sure many of you can understand how rewarding it is when you have a boss who fully supports you.

Although I'm very happy for their success, it means I'll be starting this next school year with four less people I can go to and share a smile or joke with.

If Life Was Perfect...

If life was perfect, writers would get the edits to their next book AFTER they'd finished writing their latest novel.

(Not in the middle of it when the muse is working hot and heavy, the words are flowing onto the computer screen, and the ideas are falling all over themselves.  Because we all know what happens when you put a good thing on hold...)

It's a Buy-Out!

WHOOHOO!

Back in 2006, I submitted the first book of my BATTLE LORD saga to Publish America.  I signed a 7-yr. contract, which meant I wouldn't be able to get it back until 2013.

Since that time I've learned my lesson, and I've sold very poorly.  Yes, I got a nice looking cover and a terrific-looking book. Plus I got listed on Amazon. But $29.95 for a 396-pg. paperback?

Today I got an email from PA saying that, due to low/non-existent sales this last year, they're offering to return my contract rights back to me...for $99.  Am I going to take them up on their offer?  Hell, yes!  For one thing, I've already completed 3 more books in the saga. And I've planned at least one more book, plus a 3-book additional trilogy.

So while I'm waiting to receive verification (they have to snail mail me the papers - go figure in this day and age of technology), I'm going to go back and polish my original manuscript, and then try to figure out where I'm going to sub this 111K book and all of its sequels.

My Favorite Apocalyptic Movies

in no special order.

The Omega Man/I Am Legend
The Miracle Mile
Cherry 2000
The Book of Eli
Soylent Green
Deep Impact
The Road
Testament
The Day After
The Day After Tomorrow
Mad Max

(Check back as I'll be adding more as I think of them.)

The Apocalyptic Genre and THE BOOK OF ELI

I love apocalyptic stories.  I especially love the movies if they're done right.  THE BOOK OF ELI is one of those done right.

It's been several days since I rented and watched this flick, and it's still sticking to me like meat to a bone.  The acting is top notch, but the scenery and circumstances of the movie (not to mention the killer ending) are what make it, in my honest opinion.  If the "background" isn't plausible, nothing else is going to get me interested in the plot.

Why the interest in this genre?  I have no idea.  Maybe it's because it's always so abysmal, that someone has to emerge victorious in the struggle for survival. And it's that someone we cheer for whenever they succeed.  (Please don't get "apocalyptic" confused with "futuristic".  The "end of the world as we know it" could happen today.  And the future could become a marvelous utopian society.)

Likewise to reading and watching, I love to write these kinds of stories.  My BATTLE LORD series (yes, there's only one out, but there's 4 more finished books waiting in the wings, not to mention a separate trilogy I've outlined.) is my hands-down favorite.  There's also A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY, which is due out this December from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

Technically speaking, of all the apocalyptic movies I've watched, the overwhelming majority of them do not end Happily Ever After (among those rare exceptions are 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow.)  Still, it doesn't stop me from watching to see how movie makers depict the end of the world.

I'll be posting a list of my favorite doomsday movies tomorrow...

That is...if there IS a tomorrow!

Karenna Colcroft is my Guest Author Tonight on Blog Talk Radio!

Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio, I'm hosting author Karenna Colcroft.  She'll be reading from her paranormal romance Eternal Love.

Show time is at 11 pm et.  See you there!
***
Karenna Colcroft is the alter ego of a shy mom, wife, and former teacher. She began writing when she was five, and in 2006, she started writing erotic romance. The first erotic romance scene she ever wrote is now part of her new novel Eternal Love. Since 2009, Karenna has received contracts from several publishers, including Pink Petal Books, Siren, Noble Romance, and Excessica. In her spare time, Karenna—wait, she has no spare time! She lives in the northeastern US with her two daughters, her real-life romance hero husband, and two cats.

Books as Babies - One Mother Author's Perspective

The comments have arisen again about authors who consider their books as their babies, which has brought about a lot of ridicule and teasing from other authors.

Come on, people!

I am very protective of my books.  I get emotionally involved in them when I'm writing.  But I know these creations aren't flesh and blood.  I know I don't have to get them their immunization shots, or make sure I teach them to look both ways before they cross the street.

But I do want to make sure they have a good home with a publisher who'll treat them with respect.  I want to give them a good cover to make them attractive.  And most of all, I want readers to enjoy them.

So in a very rhetorical way, yes, my books are like my babies.  And I believe other authors who have the same sense of "mothering" feel the same way.  We are in no way equating books to actual children.  We're simply saying that, after all the effort we've made to bring these creations into the world, we hope they're well-received.  We hurt if someone derides them.  We get upset if someone casually dismisses them without actually giving them a chance.  And we sometimes get defensive.

Why?  Because it's the way we're wired.  Creative people are less analytical and more spontaneous.  We're also more emotional, and it shows in our books, our paintings, our sculptures, etc.  Emotion drives the creative spirit.  Emotion, and the love of creating, keeps us producing.  But because of emotion, unfortunately, some of us are less adept at handling negativity than others.

So the next time an author comments that her books are like her babies, please accept the allegory and go on.  If husbands can call a favorite car "their baby", and other people can call their pet dog or cat "their baby", there's nothing wrong with authors doing the same about their books.

The Plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani - Please Help Out a Great Cause!

Over on Emily Veinglory's blog (link here), she's discussing the plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman who was condemned to death by stoning because three of her judges "think" she committed adultery.  It doesn't matter that they have absolutely no proof to back their suspicions.

It reminds me of the Salem witch trials, where anyone accused of being a witch, regardless of any incriminating details, was automatically put to trial.  And it then became the prosecutor's job to invent evidence to support the claim.

Emily is giving Amnesty International $1 for each comment to her blog.  So please go by and leave a message.

Dear Linda,

Do you make your own webpages, or do you have someone who does them for you?

The answer is I do them myself, so please don't expect them to look ultra-professional.

Seriously, though, I know of a couple of writers who have theirs done by a professional.  Both of them have really neat looking websites, but one isn't happy with the fact that when she needs something uploaded or changed, she has to wait until the designer can get to it.

The other friend is lucky in that her designer can get the changes done within a decent amount of time, usually within twenty-four hours.

However, there's always the COST to be considered. 

I started making my own websites long before FrontPage ever existed, back when we had to use html codes for the background colors and all.  And because I can change my webpages as frequently as I change my mind, I prefer to do my own.  Of course, I often take ideas I see on some websites and incorporate them into mine.  No website should be static, in my honest opinion.  And by keeping it fresh, it becomes a plus for both me and my readers.

So What?

There's been a lot of talk lately since scientists have determined that reading speed decreases if a person is using an e-book reader, rather than reading from an actual dead tree book.

My response is, "So what?"

Is there a race here that I don't know about?

Are we being "graded" on how fast we can finish a book?  Or how many books we can read?

I'll be very blunt and admit that I often skip whole paragraphs and sometimes pages when I'm reading through a print book, usually because the story has gotten uninteresting.  But I don't always do that with my e-reader.  For one thing, I can't find my place I left behind because I tend to forget to bookmark my page.  (Yeah, getting old sucks.)

But all in all, is it really IMPORTANT to know we slow down our reading on those e-readers?

(Psst!  Did they count the number of times we went back to re-read those steamy sex scenes?)

Dear Linda,

Any chance of a sequel to the HeartFast/HeartCrystal stories?

Yes, but I have no idea when.  But I've had several people let me know of some "loose ends" that I need to clear up, especially regarding:

-the romance between Doctor Devorah Perlakian and Commander

-StarLight's past history

-Seeker's infatuation with Master Hunter

What I can tell you is the title will be HeartStorm.  So just keep your eyes open for further details and announcements.

(Thank you, DW!)

"We Didn't Start the Fire"

For all you people who remember Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", check out Daddy Comic's updated version. You can find out more info about it here.

I'm Hosting Diana DeRicci (Diana Castilleja) Tonight on Other Worlds of Romance on Blog Talk Radio!

Tonight, my guest author will be Diana DeRicci, aka Diana Castilleja.  She'll be reading from her erotic paranormal romance novel CAGED.

Come by and listen!  Show starts at 11 pm et.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/other_worlds_of_romance

Happy Independence Day!

It's a Book Signing! Come By and Say "Hi"!

I'll be at Hastings today from 11 to 4, signing copies of my newest release FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS.  Come by and say, "Hi"!

Movie Review - CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

Yes, I watch animated movies.  I do so for several reasons:

* I teach Kindergarten, and sometimes on rare occurrances, I'll show a movie if it deals with something we're studying, or if there's an "off" day, like the Last Day of School.

* Animated movies tend to leave you with a really good feeling.  A warm fuzzy.

* Most animated movies are based on beloved children's books, like this one.  So it makes for a great Compare/Contrast,

* Finally, I LIKE animated movies.  Admit it - you'll rent one to "watch with your kids", but you'll get just as much of a kick out of it as they do.  Maybe more so!

Get this movie and watch it.  Look for the "in jokes", like the nod to Independence Day and Shatner's Twilight Zone episode where he's an airline passenger.  From the moment the giant banana knocks the Paramount statue off of her pedestal, you know you're in for a treat.

And as an added plus, for those of you who like to listen to movie soundtracks, this one is fantastic!

I give this a 5 out of 5, and this warning:
Don't be surprised if you find yourself growing hungry during and afterwards.

Looking For a Unique Marketing Tool?

My new car had a dealer's frame around the back license plate, and I told my husband I was about to take it off.  He suggested I get a personalized frame, and I found one here at Autoplates (dot) com.  Very reasonable!