Guest Blog: Suzanne Johnson - "Writing Outside the Box"

Face it. Romance fiction has spent the past thirty years wedged firmly into a tiny box. There were people (mostly women) who wrote romance books, and there were people of both genders who wrote “real” books. The fact that “real” books often contained romantic elements was largely ignored. A romance was small and insubstantial. A “real” book was not.

How did this little romance box come to exist? To some extent, it reaches back to the 18th century, when Samuel Richardson released "Pamela", widely considered the first novel focused on courtship and featuring a (gasp!) happy ending.

"Pamela" is also a novel, I must add, that caused me much embarrassment in my 18th-century lit class when I answered an exam question with the euphemistic “they went to bed” and the professor returned it with “They did more than that, child! In flagrante delicto!” scrawled across the page in red ink. And then I had to go and look it up to see what the heck “in flagrante delicto" meant. But that was many moons ago, and I digress.

So, Richardson set the stage for Jane Austen, who set the stage for the Brontes, and on it goes. But those are classics, yes? They aren’t “romances” that one needs to hide inside another book jacket or read anonymously on one’s Kindle--although I maintain that if Austen or the Brontes or, for that matter, Margaret Mitchell were trying to publish today, they’d be trotted off to a small handful of “romance” publishers.

Today’s boxed-in romances can be traced back to 1972, when Avon began releasing single-title romances as paperback originals. Romance readers were voracious, and Canadian-owned Harlequin soon came along with its revolutionary idea of marketing romance titles “where the women are”—at supermarkets and retail outlets. It was fast, formulaic, production-line fiction for a loyal, book-buying readership. And thus the box was born. Today, the box may come from e-publishers as often as print publishers, but e-pubs have only expanded the size of the box, not deconstructed it.

However… Now—dare I say it—the box is being wrenched open as urban fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi steampunk, epic fantasy, and even space operas are beginning to embrace the embrace, so to speak. The formulaic romance genre is still going strong, but the stubborn genre-gap is breaking down. Why has this happened? My guess is that science fiction and fantasy, long the domain of male writers, is finally facing a generation of women authors who’ve grown up reading SF/F and are putting their own stamp on the genres they love to read. And, sorry, but “romantic elements,” the phrase du jour for the romantic subplot, are rarely the domain of male writers.

Authors such as Meljean Brook and M.K. Hobson, both of whom recently released great mashups of science fiction alt history and romance, must be a nightmare for book marketers and publishers, who cling to the notion of “pure” genres. They don’t quite know how to categorize this new generation of mashups. I sold my first manuscripts as “urban fantasy with elements of paranormal romance,” and expect it to show up in the SF/F aisles of the bookstore rather than romance. Yet the romantic elements are vital to the series—they are, in fact, the thread that binds the series.

I should note here that it’s not just paranormal fiction that is deconstructing the box. Suspense, horror, thrillers, westerns—you name a genre, and “romantic elements” are there.

This is a great time to be an author of romance….whatever we choose to call it. My own new favorite romantic mashup is steampunk romance. What’s yours?

Suzanne Johnson is the author of a new New Orleans-based urban fantasy series (with romantic elements!) beginning with ROYAL STREET and RIVER ROAD, both releasing in 2012 from Tor Books. A longtime New Orleans resident now living in Auburn, Alabama, Suzanne also writes the monthly “Fiction Affliction” columns at Tor.com, previewing all the upcoming releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, and young adult paranormal. Find her online at
Blog: http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Suzanne_Johnson
Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/Suzanne_Johnson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Johnson.author
or visit her official website at http://www.suzanne-johnson.com

BLURB: ROYAL STREET…Coming from Tor Books in April 2012
As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. Her boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous floodwaters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the other world crumbled. Now, the Undead and the Restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerald St. Simon has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and an undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and the killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love serves up one bitter gumbo.

CONTEST: Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Meljean Brook’s new steampunk romance, The Iron Duke! Deadline for leaving a comment: midnight ET on October 31. BE SURE TO PUT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN WITH YOUR COMMENT!

Interview of Author Raine Delight

Today it's my pleasure to present an interview of romance author Raine Delight.

Latest Book: Devon Falls 5: Haunting Magic
Buy Link: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/paranormal/romance/haunting-magic/prod_112.html
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djKViDA_AH8

BIO:
Raine Delight is a pseudonym of a self professed book lover and after one too many TSTL characters, decided to see if she could write something a little better. Well many drafts later, Devon Falls series came to together. It was originally was to be one book but somehow ended up to 4 with a 5th and 6th one being planned for sometime in 2010. I write a paranormal contemporary series for Aspen Mountain and I am also branching out to other genres as I continue to listen to the voices in my head. Check out my book pages to see what is going on with me. My muse is a male nut who likes to leave me to go sip mai tais on the beach and leave me foundering for words; though eventually he takes pity on me and gets my words flowing and characters start settling down.

Personal notes: I live with my own boytoy and two kids. I love Johnny Depp movies and enjoy hiking, reading and watching movies with my family.

Q: What’s the first thing you did when you received word you’d sold a book?
A: Celebrated like crazy then got into the next book.

Q:What part of the book is the easiest for you to write? Why?
A: I think the blurb or synopsis. I enjoy trying to figure out what key parts to hook a reader to pick up the book and get them intrigued.

Q: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
A: I believe right now it’s my demons….I am currently creating a new series that centers on a paranormal BDSM club called Club Fantasy and is run by half-demon of lust, Damien and his lover, Sim. I am having a blast creating it and the research has been fun. These two are hot!!! Lol Makes me want to find the club myself for some recreation.

Q: If one of your books became a movie, which celebrity would you like to star as one of your hero? Tell us about your hero.
A: Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Johnny Depp so I think in my Halloween story, Haunting Magic; I can see Johnny playing Rodrick Dracon. *grins* Bad boy with a heart of gold. *nods head* anything with JD is bound to be wonderful. Lol

Rod Dracon is my wolf shifter who, if unable to find his destined mate by Halloween/Samhain night, he is bound to be a lone wolf forever. What he never anticipates is the woman meant tobehis is his nemesis, Jaxon Sinclair-a woman who doesn’t fall for his many charms and loves to needle him. *grins*

Q: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
A: I love to read my favorite authors, hike when weather is nice, watch movies with DH and I adore the TV show Criminal Minds.

Q: You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?
A: Well, first have him build me a hut or lean-to so I can get out of the sun for a spell, then get reading some yummy books as he finds us food and then do some wicked things to him when he gets back. *EG*

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaine-Delight
Website: http://authorrainedelight.com
Raine’s Book Nook Blog: http://rainesbooknook.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Raine_Delight
Author/Reader Loop: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Author_Raine_Delight
Email me: rainedelight@yahoo.com
Where to buy my books:
Aspen Mountain Press: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com
Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com
All Romance E-books (Are): http://www.allromanceebooks.com
1Romance E-books: http://www.1romance.com
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com

BLURB:
A werewolf claims his mate in Devon Falls.

Rodrick Dracon is the twin heir to the Dragon Inn. When he finds himself longing for a mate after being footloose and fancy free, he finds himself drawn to the most obnoxious, brassy woman he has ever met: Jaxon Sinclair. She is the one woman who doesn't melt when he goes by or hangs on his every word. She is just aggravating and down right sexy as sin! Soon the sparks fly, passion goes into boiling and Halloween approaches. Can a wolf shifter get this woman to heel before the full moon? Or can Jax turn the tables on this ladies man and tame the wolf?

ADULT EXCERPT:
Jax’s fingers traced the outline of his hard cock as she tried to still her raged breath. She could still feel the way his lips captured hers and she wanted more. Her nipples ached and her pussy was dripping wet, going down her thighs. She didn’t know what to do or say but she knew she wanted more of him and she wanted Rod naked very soon if he kept this up.

“I…” Jax tried to talk but her throat was dry and her breath kept hitching every time he swirled that tongue of his on her ear lobe and then nipped it. Swallowing hard, she tried again to speak, though if he kept twirling his tongue along her ear lobe, she was going to do something drastic very soon. All this tension was making her stomach clench and her breasts felt achy from wanting to be touched.

His body felt like it was cast from granite, hard and unyielding though each time she traced her fingers along the hard ridge in his jeans, she heard him groan. Jax debated if she should let this go further when all thought of caution went flying out the window as he nibbled on that one particular spot between her shoulder and neck. It was like a time bomb exploded inside her. He made her feel like she was going to combust. She couldn’t stop the way her body melted into his or the moan that seemed to come from deep inside her. She wanted more and she was going to get it, regardless of the consequences.

Jax grabbed his t-shirt with both hands and yanked it over his head. The pale skin gleamed in the light and she drooled over the way his abs rippled. She slid her hands across his chest, marveling at the way his body looked to her eyes and how his nipples pointed out when she teased them with her fingernails. With just his jeans on and no shirt, he looked like a wild god, ready for his sacrifice, and Jax was more than willing to sacrifice herself. If he didn’t get naked soon, she was going to go up in flames, Jax thought as she nipped his lips with her teeth. Hearing his breath hitch each time she traced a path around his navel had her aching to explore even more. Flipping the top button of his jeans, she teased Rodrick as she looked at him with her eyes at half mast, passion glazing in them. She slid her fingernail across his nipple, causing him to tighten his grip on her waist. Slowly, she slid the zipper down and her breath hitched as she saw his cock straining to get free. He was utterly naked under the jeans and Jax was about to scream as her eyes took it in. Her panties were so drenched that her juices were sliding down her legs, coating the inside of her thighs.

Jax slid her fingers around the waist of his jeans and as her eyes drank in the way ardor had him in its hungry grip, she slid one finger over the ridge of him, teasing and tempting him with her light touch.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for letting me come by today. One lucky person who comments today will win a backlisted PDF copy of one of my books-Winner’s choice. Contest will run to Monday October 18th.

Ooooops...

I can't believe that I survived the plane trip home from Romanticon...

It was not bad flying there...and the convention was fabulous...but I think next time I fly anywhere, I will spring for First Class instead of the cheap seats!  I was crammed into a plane for a total of 2100 miles, when the actual trip was only 1600 miles!  The return flight left Cleveland...and stopped over in Houston Texas.  HUH? Then another 1100 miles back West and North to Utah. Eight solid hours of plane-sitting...after six hours of airport-sitting? 

Sigh...no wonder I was sick as a dog for four days after I got home!

I will never fly again without taking my trusty Airborne. 

It was my first-ever romance convention. And it was a total blast!  But I can only afford one each year. So I won't be attending any of the other great conventions around the country.  All in all, I loved every minute...except that damn return flight.

If you want to see the photos I took, check out my blog at http://franleesromanceblog.blogspot.com

Have you ever come home from a trip and gotten instantly sick with a nasty virus?  A number of us got sick as soon as we arrived home.  Must be something going around...

Hugs!

Fran Lee

http://www.franleeromance.com

The Road to RomantiCon

Prepping for the conference was intense and started about six months ago. I made lots of goodie bags and I’m happy to say that most of them were gone by the time I left on Sunday.
RomantiCon 2010 is over, but far from forgotten. The partying went on for four days straight and let me tell you I enjoyed every last moment. I got to spend some time with Cindy Spencer Pape and Anny Cook. These two women are incredible. I had so much fun getting to know them better. They made this shy author feel right at home.
All the women of the Cougar Challenge series did the same. Hugs were plentiful over the weekend. I also had a chance to meet a new author – Shoshanna Evers. I sat down next to her in a workshop and introduced myself. She immediately said, “Oh I’ve read your work.”
I blushed, surprised that someone read my stuff. I know there are people out there buying my books, but I’ve never had someone sit next to me and tell me.
Then there was this reader, Cindy, who came up to me at the booksigning who had a star next to my name. She just had to meet me. It was so exciting to think someone wanted to seek me out. :o)
While I was a newbie when it came to conferences, the fellow readers and authors made everyone feel right at home.
Then there were the Cavemen. Oh they are hot and so very friendly. They didn’t have that I’m too sexy for you complex. They were down to earth and ready to show everyone a good time. Angelo, who is on the cover of my Dante’s Desire book, was kind enough to autograph a cover flat for me. Speaking of when he walked in to the meet and greet the DH said, “I know him. He’s all over our house!”
He is…I just love my cover.
Overall it was an amazing time and I’m really looking forward to next year.
In other news – Book Three in the Freedom Fantasies series PLAY WITH ME comes out tomorrow. :o)

Romanticon Wrap-Up

I had a ball at Romanticon! The staff of Ellora's Cave outdid themselves putting together a fabulous conference. The authors were their usual fun selves, and the readers were amazing. I even won an award "Wings and Tails, Oh, My!" for the Heroes of Stone series (which subsequently sold out at the book fair.) Spending time with other writers is one of my favorite parts of my new career, so even though I'm still exhausted, I can't wait until next time!

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You can find the rest of my pictures on Facebook.

Do you like FEAR?

The sound was loud enough to wake her from deep REM. Like the crack of knuckles against a wall, the thud reverberated through her room, making it impossible for her to tell where it had originated.

Eyes flickering open, she lay as still as death while her ears strained to hear the noise again. The covers pressing down on top of her trapped heat in, making her perspire and her slick hair stick to the back of her neck. Trying to hold her breath so she could be as quiet as possible, she went a little dizzy as she waited.

The sound came again.

Her body tightened convulsively. Lurching into her throat, her heart suffered a severe case of claustrophobia as it beat hard through her pulse, anxious to escape the tight space. Her lungs burned with the need to evacuate air.

Again, the knock sounded from down the hall. From Davey’s room.

But no one had been inside his domain since he’d disappeared.

Unable to hold back any longer, oxygen rushed from her lips, shuddering with stunted gasps.

And then it started. A continuous knock, knock, knock as if someone was pounding on the door to Davey’s room, demanding to get out.

Shoving the covers off her, she leapt from her bed and reached for the nightlight, only to bulldoze it over with her fingers, sending it crashing to the floor. The tinkle of breaking glass followed.

The knocking continued, booming louder and faster. She fumbled in the dark, scurrying toward the hallway. Reaching the entrance, she slapped on the hall light only to find the door to his room cracked open a few inches.

A chilly breeze settled over her, like the cold hand of doom clawing out to grab her and drag her in. It stirred her damp, matted hair and prickled the skin on her arms. Though she wanted to turn back, escape inside her room, slam the door and lock it, then hide under her covers until the horror stopped, she raced forward.

Shoving open his door the rest of the way, she halted in the threshold and gawked inside.

Then she screamed. And screamed. And screamed.


**********

Okay, now that I have your lungs pumping a little harder and your blood flowing a little faster, I’ll finally get down to the meaning of his post.

Fear.

Obviously, since you’re here, you’re a fan of romance and happy endings, but do you ever like to add a little fear to that happy ending? Do you like scary movies? Horror novels? Halloween?

I’m scared to death of them myself. In fact, the one and only time I visited a Halloween sppok house, I was somewhere between nine and twelve. It was during the eighties, maybe early nineties, when girls wore those long necklaces made of big beads. I went with my older teenage sister and a group of her friends. I think I clung to her and hid my face in her stomach through the entire tour. I honestly don’t remember much; the trauma’s probably blocking most of it!

The most notable part of this journey, however, came at the end of the walk-through. Some bloody dude with a knife yelled at us and charged, making us escape from him by entering a small crawl space fashioned from hay bales.

Yeah. Hay bales.

If we wanted out of the house, we had to get down on our hands and knees and crawl single-file through an itty-bitty tunnel made of hay bales.

Well, at this point, we were all pretty much ready to leave. Screaming, we surged in one lump mass toward the not-so appealing exit. I wasn’t the first to enter that crawl space, but I was the first to exit it.

I was so scared, all I remember to this day was breaking out into the dark night and just taking off sprinting through town. My poor sister probably had to chase me down and restrain me until I calmed. From her take on the story, I passed a couple people in that tight crawl space, must’ve wiggled right under one my sister’s friends to get by her, because I came out of the hay bales wearing her long beaded necklace. And I wasn't wearing it when we entered the haunted house.

So, yeah, I’m a big scaredy-cat when this time of the year rolls around.

What about you?

Interview of Cover Model/Actor Julian Fantechi!

Today it’s my pleasure to present an interview of multi-talented Julian Fantechi. His career encompasses many avenues: cover model, occupational therapist, fitness trainer, advertising model, actor! His resume lists a variety of items to include television roles, commercials, magazine appearances and theatre performances.

Contest: Win a GODIVA CHOCOLATES gift card! Contest ends midnight ET 15 October. To enter: Leave a comment (more than "nice interview"). Please put your email address in with your comment!

Where to find information about Julian Fantechi:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/julian.fantechi

Q: With all the different career directions you’ve taken, is there one job you’ve thought about trying but haven’t attempted?
A: Hmm...perhaps a minister...no seriously. Go to some third world country and get my hands dirty helping people out and talking Jesus at the same time. That's what a real man of God should do instead of telling people who to vote for and condemning gays.

Q: You have a Master’s degree in Pediatric Physical Therapy and specialized in working with mentally disabled children. Tell us about some experiences you had. What was the best part of your job?
A: It's a great career to have. Helping children. I would not be doing anything else in my life. Well except maybe be a PlayBoy photographer, lol.


Q: All the modeling work you’ve done includes the following magazines: Men’s Exercise, Exercise for Men, Men’s Workout, Men’s Health, and Men’s Fitness. How would you describe the competition for these jobs?
A: Intense. Everyone wants to be in a magazine but only a few can be.



Q: You’ve appeared on romance covers for Harlequin, St. Martin’s Press, and DCL publications. Tell us what a “shoot” is like for a romance cover model.
A: It involves flowers, candles and castles. And lots of white doves flying around.

Q: As a cover model, do you have any say into the process? Can you ask for a pose to be changed or not used? Have you ever done this, and, if so, what happened?
A: Not really. It's what the publisher wants. This is a business not a glamour ego thing.

Q: Is there a difference between doing a “shoot” for magazines and book covers?
A: Not really. A shoot is a shoot. You just have to go with the theme.

Q: Tell us about your acting experiences. Any favorite one?
A: Ugly Betty was great. I got to make out with Salma Hayek.

Q: Favorite food?
A: Sushi

Q: Favorite drink?
A: Lemonade from lemons in my yard.




Q: What would you consider to be the most romantic place in the world…just so we might get some travel ideas?
A: Hawaii

Anything else you’d like to add?
I am looking forward to new covers by Lori Lyn, Veronica Towers, Annie Marshall and of course Kate Hoffman who I have done several wonderful covers for. Any authors wanting me to appear on their cover please contact me at julian216@gmail.com or anyone wanting to purchase an autographed copy of any of my magazine covers.
Thanks for having me and a big hug and kiss to your readers!

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate

Each year, the little town where I live has what's called a "Chocolate Walk" (gee - could it have anything to do with the chocolate factory in the middle of town?). People purchase tickets ($15.00 and all proceeds go to charity) and then can go to 30 different stores in town and have something chocolate. It starts at 10 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m. And there are rules - you have to wear the button that came with your ticket and you have to get your ticket stamped - one time to each place only. It is a day dedicated to decadence. There are truffles, brownies, cakes, cookies, smoothies, fruits dipped in chocolates, french toast, pretty much anything you can imagine - in chocolate. Most people have learned to bring along a container for their samples.

Yesterday was Chocolate Walk day. I don't participate in the walk since I have to work - which I did yesterday. By the time I got to work at 1, town was packed. Curb-to-curb people strolling in the beautiful weather, all with their eyes on their next chocolate fix. Our store featured a small restaurant that specializes in smoothies. (If your store isn't a food place, you bring in someone who is).

In addition to the chocolate draw, it's a day when a lot of people get shopping done for the upcoming holidays. We had a lot of customers in for the chocolate who also browsed our shelves and purchased books - which is always nice.

One thing I love to be able to do is recommend books to people. In our store, my specialties are Romance and YA paranormal, though the three of us who work there have knowledge of all the sections (it's a very small store, but very well known!). What stymies me all too often is people saying they love author A, who else would they like? I'm okay if it's an author I know, but too often, it's someone I'm not familiar with and I'm lost so I ask for the "type" of book they like and try to go from there.

So, my question to you is... what authors would you team up to recommend as similar in style?

Highs and Lows of Writing

Well, I tried to post this earlier, but my on-going love-hate relationship with my computer, resulted in it not happening. I think I may be headed for an electronic divorce.

At any rate, I wanted to talk a bit today about the highs and lows of writing. Every writer knows them, and unfortunately (or fortunately) some folks experience more of one or the other. How do you all cope with them?

I've found my critique group not those closest to me, to be the most valuable resource that I've had for navigating both highs and lows. When there's things to celebrate, man we really celebrate! When we have lows, we band together to pull each other up by the boostraps and kick our butts in gear to keep on that proverbial wagon.

This week I had some frustrations. My critique partners allowed me to vent, both on the phone and in our email. They helped me navigate a rough spot in a work in progress. And they aided my momentary self-pity by frankly, just letting me indulge. Sometimes when things get low, that's the best way to handle it. Have the cry, get it out, then move on.

Conversely, my week ended on a high point. I discovered I finaled in a contest, (results are still unofficial so I can't say much), and my critique partners were there to raise that proverbial glass in toast.

In all, they are my rock. I'm not sure what I'd do without those phenomenal ladies.

So, I'm curious -- what do you all do to celebrate your successes? How do you navigate your frustrations?

Interview of Author Rebecca L. Gillan

Today I'm pleased to present an interview of romance author Rebecca L. Gillan.

Latest Book: The Hawk’s Bride
Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-hawks-bride

BIO:
I first became interested in the paranormal at age four, when my dad let me watch Salem's Lot. For several years after, my mission in life was to catch a vampire and keep it as a pet. My older sister, who had the joy of sharing a room with me, did not enjoy me trying to use her for bait, though.

Now, thirty years later, I write fantasy romance. My taste, however has gone from keeping vampires in bird cages to elves, shape shifters and the tales of ancient Briton, Whales, Ireland and Scotland. If you have ever read the Mabinogian or the Book of the Kells, you will recognize many of my characters.

Q: What’s the first thing you did when you received word you’d sold a book?
A: I immediately shut down my internet browser, then opened it back up and logged back in to see if the editor’s e-mail was going to vanish.

Q: What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
A: Love scenes are the hardest for me to write. I’m constantly wondering if maybe this scene is too raunchy or too sweet or two alternative or too much like the last scene I wrote. Add to that the who “to swear or not to swear” conundrum make them very tricky for me.

Q: Do you eat comfort food when writing? If so, what food inspires your imagination?
A: I do eat comfort food when I write. The food depends on the story, though. For some odd reason, when I write about the Wild Lords, I crave apples. I mean really, really crave apples! I actually ended up making that a mannerism of the hunt lords. When they are agitated, they eat apples, too.

Q: What’s your strongest point as a writer?
A: My strongest point as a writer is my ability to keep track of story lines in my head. I can flip-flop between them like most people change channels with a remote. On the one hand, it does take a bit longer to completely finish a story, but on the other hand, I never get writer’s block.

Q: What genre would you like to try writing in but haven’t yet done so? Why?
A: I would love to do a regency romance. That genre is like the gold standard for me. I haven’t actually tried it because my one attempt a highlander romance, which is similar in many ways, ended out as a really unusual blend of steam punk chick meets wild highland laird. I’m just a bit afraid of what I might come up with if I try to write a regency.

Q: Facebook, MySpace, Blogs, Chats, or Twitter. Which do you like best and why?
A: I like blogs the best, though I’m on FB quite a bit. Blogs let me get out what I’m thinking and get feed-back from others in the comments section. Facebook is my next favorite. It’s like MySpace and Twitter all rolling into one, except Twitter only lets you have 140 characters and FB gives you about 400, I think. I must confess, I don’t do chats. Everyone starts “talking” over each other and if you aren’t careful, someone’s feelings are going to get hurt and then you have a flame war on your hands. Not my idea of a fun time.

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
My page: http://rebeccalgillan.com
My Publisher: http://www.bookstrand.com
I post every Wednesday at http://shapeshifterseductions.blogspot.com
My author page at FB: http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Rebecca-L-Gillan-Author/133163163371571?ref=sgm

Back Cover BLURB:
Banished as a child, Lucan Hawk has grown to be a bitter warlord with a bad reputation. Now someone is killing the king's heirs. King Patton wants him named heir, assuming a shifter lord trained by black elves will be a harder target for an assassin. But Luc can't forgive his uncle for allowing the banishment ten years ago. Then he's offered a boon he can't refuse--the right to marry the only woman he ever loved!

EXCERPT:
Caitriona, a human-born cat shifter, was orphaned as a young child and brought to Aintoch to be raised by the captain of the guard. Feisty and beautiful, Cait was Luc's childhood best friend and teen sweetheart. Though she knew she could never marry her elfin lover, she never forgot him. The night Luc comes for her, she thinks she's dreaming. But the dream turns to a nightmare when the assassin targets her!

“Something amuses you, lass,” a warm, honey voice whispered into her ear, sending chills of another sort down her spine. Cait closed her eyes and inhaled his scent deeply, vaguely recognizing it. Odd, she thought. She only knew one shifter lord well enough to recognize his scent, though she hadn't seen him in years. She didn't remember him talking like a human.

She heard him inhale her scent as he buried his face in her neck, and felt his tongue licking her tender skin. Liquid heat seared her skin, starting at the spot he’d licked and running straight for her core. He breathed deeply again, inhaling the pheromones her body had released with her desire. Cait was vaguely aware that her arousal was not normal, but couldn’t bring herself to care.

She felt the elf lick her again. Another shot of heat sizzled her skin. He groaned and latched onto her neck with a deep, sucking kiss. Falling to her knees, Cait felt the hand that had been clamped around her belly loosen into a soft caress, and felt the one around her shoulders drop and fondle a breast.

“Let me hae ye.” The desire in his voice thickened the brogue she’d only slightly detected before. Cait whimpered. This had to be a dream. One's dinner didn't usually turn into a seductive stranger wanting a mate!

“Please, little kitten,” the voice whispered softly in her ear. He licked the lobe of her ear before purring, “Please let me hae ye.” Then, he gently bit down. Cait splintered apart. She felt his growl of satisfaction more than heard it. The elf lowered her to the ground. She sprawled on a mossy bit of earth on her belly and rolled over to see him hastily stripping off his clothes. Her breath caught in her throat. He was tall with long, curly, golden hair, a couple of locks at his temples in thin braids that dangled halfway down his chest. He had a very well-defined chest, ripped without being bulky. On second thought, Cait figured this elf's seduction might be more enjoyable than snacking on a slimy, raw bird.

The dream buck, sensing Cait's cautious willingness to be seduced, placed his knee boots beside his discarded tunic, dropping to his knees in front of her. He grabbed her legs and parted them on either side of him, pulling her in close. Cait felt her breath catch in her chest at the sight of his sex straining the top of his unfastened pants.

He noticed where she was gazing and smiled wickedly. He pulled his sex out and began stroking it, groaning softly at the top of each up stroke. Cait watched raptly, breathing fast and shallow at the sight of this divine male pleasuring himself for her.

She was so wrapped up in watching him that she didn’t notice his other hand smoothing the skin of her inner thigh until a large, calloused finger nudged gently at the folds of her mound. She shuddered violently as that finger burrowed between the folds to find her swollen nub, the nail lightly scraping as he flicked his finger over it in time with the hand pumping for his own pleasure. Cait’s hips started to rock in time with the primal rhythm he was creating.

The elf changed the finger to his thumb, rubbing more firmly now, and slipped the rest of his hand under her butt, urging her to lift up onto her heels, to raise her woman’s core up to where he could reach it better. He scooted closer, sliding his knees under her thighs, holding her hips high, and then placed his sex against her folds, not entering her. Instead, he used the hand that he'd been stroking himself with, firmly pressing it into her dampness.

Cait felt the head slipping over her nub, slick from her own juices. She felt the elf penetrate her with the thumb that had been stroking her nub, plunging it into her counter to his thrusting hips.

“Please!” she whimpered. “More! I need more!

Anything else you’d like to add?
I am running a give-a-way right now. On September 1, I gave away a 4 gig USB bracelet flash drive to one lucky winner who entered the contest from the contest form on my website. I am seriously thinking about extending this to give away one the first of every month until all the flash drives I bought are gone.