Lucy Monroe's Blog, page 79

Contest Prizes for this Week's Give Away!

Prizes for this week's blog give away! I'm giving away two books a day from blog comments. Weekly winners will be posted on Sunday.
Monday:Close QuarterLucy Monroe ANDSouthern ComfortKaren Kelley

Tuesday:Deal with This (Mass Market)Lucy Monroe ANDThe Samms AgendaAllison Kent

Wednesday:The Greek Tycoon's UltimatumLucy Monroe ANDThe Irish DevilDiane Whiteside

Thursday:Ready (Mass Market)Lucy Monroe ANDThe Mane EventShelly Laurenston

FridayWilling (Mass Market)Lucy Monroe ANDThe Mckenzie ArtifactAllison Kent

Saturday:And Able (Mass Market)Lucy Monroe ANDThe Strangers SecretsBeth Williamson

Wolves, Warriors & Dragons...Oh My!

By now, most of you know that my next Children of the Moon book is going to have a dragon shifter for the primary hero.  
Yep, an uber sexy Highlander who is both prince of his people and simple clan member.  How does that work?  I hate to be snarky, but you'll have to read the book to find out. ;-)  Taran is willing to sacrifice everything for the good of the Éan, but it's not so clear whether he'll be able to do what it takes for love.
I fell in love with dragons a good 20 years ago when I read my first book in the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, Dragonflight.  She created an amazing world in which dragons were neither evil, nor were they stupid.  They didn't hoard treasure, or eat virgins.  In a word?  They were cool!
I honestly never thought I'd get to write a dragon book...it just didn't fit with my view of the kind of stories open to me, but I was happily, oh so happily wrong!
Not only was Berkley very okay with me bringing a dragon in as a hero, my editor suggested it before I had the chance.
Finding inspiration for Taran's character wasn't easy...I had to look for both that perfect hero archetype and a well...a dragon.  A red dragon, to be precise.  This lovely specimen is not exactly as I see *my* dragon, but he's as close as I found looking through hundreds of images on the web. by Brueh at http://brueh.deviantart.com

Writing about a creature that is surrounded by so much lore is both a lot of fun and huge challenge.  I've done almost as much research on dragons as I have on the realities of the medieval period in which I write.  Thankfully for my sanity and my characters' hygiene, I am allowed to create mores for my shifters that might not have been as common among their human counterparts back in the day.  Which is not to say that people never bathed in the middle ages.  They did, but they also used animal and human waste in ways we would find wholly objectionable to our noses today.  But that's a topic for another blog, and probably not one written by me.


I am also allowed to take some license with my dragon, seeing as how he is part human as well.  He's a warrior, but not a marauder.  He casts fire to kill, but only when necessary and he's amazingly sexy.  Well, with the Rock is his inspiration...how could he not be?


Dwayne Johnson in "The Scorpion King"

His love interest?  A beautiful femwolf whose brother he killed.  Sound like they're going to have some *interesting* interactions?  They so do! LOL She's no pushover and he's oh so alpha.  It's a match made in Heaven, or it will be once they both figure it out.


The writing is going well and quickly, even though for the first time in my career, I'm working on two books at once.  The last few years have been tough and last year the toughest, putting me so far behind, I simply don't have a choice.  But ask me if I mind?


I don't.  I love doing what I do and feel so incredibly blessed to have the support of really great editors and amazing publishers and readers who patiently wait for me to come out of my grief so I can start sharing my stories and myself with them again.  Thank you!


Now, it's your turn to share...what is your favorite dragon story, or author who writes them?


Hugs,
Lucy
http://www.lucymonroe.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romance
http://twitter.com/#!/lucymonroe

Birthday Week!!

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that DQ's daughter turned 1 on August 3rd.  Well, today is my birthday and BQ's daughter turns 3 on August 10th.  Can you say super cool, way fun birthday week? I'm celebrating by giving away books to *your* local libraries.  


Just post the name and address of your local library here and (after my Admin verifies the library - yeah, not everyone in the blogosphere is honest, but I'm not letting that stop me doing things the way I like to) I'll send them one of my books.  Easy peasy!


Offer is good through midnight Monday (Aug 8 2011).  After that, the ability to comment (thereby posting the library's name and address) will be turned off. :)

Contest Winners!

Congratulations to the following people for winning this week's contest! Please be sure to email us with your name and mailing information so you can get your prizes! Happy Reading!


Monday: DannyfiredragonTuesday: JaneWednesday: Judy FThursday: catsladyFriday: Moran VSaturday: girlygirlhoosier52
Please Note: Although Lucy is happy to ship internationally, there have been some customs issues in Africa and Asia, therefore she would like to offer winners in those locations a free ebook. Please provide your email and we will send you a pdf. file.

Writing for a Niche - Jami Davenport

First, I would like to thank Lucy for allowing me to do a guest blog. Lucy was one of the first authors I met when I started writing for publication. She's been a great resource over the years and incredibly supportive.

I'm a long-time female football fan. As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I've cheered for the Seahawks since their infancy, including being a season ticket holder during the Kingdome days. I've stuck with the Hawks through the good and lean times, and there have been a lot of lean times.

I've written since I was old enough to write words, but I never shared my stories. They were private to me. Many years ago, maybe ten or fifteen, I combined my love of writing with my love for football and started a working on a romance novel with a football player named Derek and his relationship with a childhood friend, Rachel.

About five or six years ago, several friends encouraged me to share my stories and write for publication. I joined an RWA chapter (Romance Writers of America) and took tons of craft workshops. The first rule I was told about romance writing was sports heroes don't sellunless you're Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well, believe it or not, at the time I'd never read any of SEP's books, so I bought them all and fell in love with them.

Still, since sports heroes don't sell, I stashed the partially completed book in a trunk and moved on to a book with more commercial appeal. Three years ago, I signed my first publishing contract. I've since published three novels as Jami Davenport and six additional novels under another pen name. However, Derek and Rachel's story continued to beckon to me over the years.

With the increasing popularity of eBooks and the increasing number of quality small presses, a whole new world has opened up for writers. In the past, if you didn't write a book with mass-market, commercial appeal, you had little chance of getting it published. Now the smaller digital publishers are filling the niche markets -- areas larger publishers won't touch because the mass-market appeal isn't there, or they believe it isn't.

I've never understood why football hero romances don't sell. After all, over 45 percent of NFL fans are women. Perhaps, it's because many of the football hero romances published today are written by authors who know nothing about the game and use it as a background prop. The female characters in their books aren't football fans, rarely go to a game, and in several books the hero quit the game for the heroine. I didn't want my book to be that kind of book.

Keeping that in mind, I dusted off my old football romance and completely re-wrote it. I've never been one to write to trends or to write specifically what sells, and I hoped to share my passion for football with my readers. Fourth and Goal is a different kind of football hero romance, one in which the heroine loves football and is as knowledgeable as most men. My hero is a struggling football player, attempting to get his game back. The story not only follows the romance between hero and heroine, it also follows the team's ascent from basement-dwellers to championship contenders.

In the process of writing Fourth and Goal, I did quite a bit of research with the help of my husband, a former D-2 college player. I wanted to make Fourth and Goal as realistic as possible. One of the highlights of my research came when I attended the Seattle Seahawks Football 101 workshop. I toured the Seahawks training facility, listened to players and their wives talk about life in the NFL, and participated in some of the same drills the players use to hone their timing and reflexes. This workshop was entertaining and informative. Not to mention, I loved the goodie bags and raffles. The attendees met current players and their wives, former players, the head coach, and the TV personalities who do game commentary. Almost all NFL teams sponsor a Football 101 clinic in October to benefit breast cancer awareness. I highly recommend attending one of these workshops if you get a chance.

I watched even more football than I normally do and asked all sorts of questions of my husband. I did online research, read books on football, became intimately familiar with the NFL Channel, and tried to get a feel for the game, which is somewhat difficult as I've never played football. Yet, I hope I've captured it somewhat accurately.

I enjoyed the opportunity to be able to combine my passion for football with my writing. I plan on writing more football-themed romances in the future. This book was so much fun to write, it almost wrote itself.

I'd love to hear of other football-themed fiction books you've read and loved, as I'm compiling a list for my website.

**

Fourth and Goal

Book 1 in my Seattle Lumberjacks Football Series

By Jami Davenport

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

All Romance EBooks

Fictionwise

Sony

Author Info

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamidavenport

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jamidavenport

"I got sucked into this book. I mean, hook line and sinker sucked in. I was deeply invested in these characters."-- Wendy, the Super Librarian

"Romance so real that you feel you are there."--Trixie, Blackravens Reviews

"I am thoroughly impressed with Ms. Davenport's ability to instill escapism in her story. For the duration, I was consumed with her tale of two friends to lovers intertwined with football." -- Yadira, Night Owl Reviews

BLURB:

In a game played on and off the field, only one of them will emerge the winner.

Armed with an uncanny ability for evaluating football talent, a dogged determination to succeed in a man's world, and an empty bank account, Rachel McCormick agrees to help struggling wide receiver Derek Ramsey get his game back. Rachel believes Derek, her former best friend and lover, knows the truth behind a points-shaving scandal which ruined her father. She vows to expose the secret even if it destroys Derek in the process.

When Derek's coach suggests sex as an excellent tension reliever the night before a game, Rachel takes one for the team. The next day, Derek has the best performance of his not-so lustrous pro football career. As Derek and Rachel rack up nights in bed and other places, the team racks up wins on the field. Rachel is torn between her loyalty to her father and her growing affection for Derek. Now it's fourth and goal, one second left on the clock. Their hearts are on the line. Do they trust each other enough to go for the long bomb or do they get dropped for a loss?

Paying it Forward - Mia Marlowe

Back in 2003, when I was a neophyte wanna-be writer, I joined Eastside RWA in the Seattle area. (Waving "hi" to my girls in WA!) The monthly meetings were a revelation. Not only did I get a chance to meet real published writers, like Elizabeth Boyle and Jane Porter, these amazing women were willing to share what they knew about writing and the publishing business with me. In addition to the local stars in the group, we were treated to visiting speakers like the lovely and talented Lucy Monroe!

When I first heard her speak, she had just recently had her first book published, but even then, she understood so well what hooks readers. Lucy's workshop was about using all the senses in prose and her exercises designed to engage them were wonderfully inventive. She played a snippet of music for us and asked us what the sounds made us smell! Similarly, we were encouraged to hear colors or feel a smell. She made me think in new directions. She gave me hope that I could hone my craft well enough to join her in the ranks of the published. I've sat through scores, possibly hundreds, of writing workshops since then, but I probably remember more of Lucy's than any of the others. Thank you , Lucy for being so open-handed with your gifts.

It took me another two years and as many manuscripts before I received "the call." I learned so much from my critique group (drawn from the writers of Eastside RWA) and from my first crit partner, Darcy Carson (without whose frequent cyber kicks in the pants I would not be published!). Since I have freely received, I try to freely give back.

That's why I host Red Pencil Thursday each week on my blog. A volunteer submits the first 500 words of their WIP and I give them an online critique, opening it up to my readers to chime in with their suggestions. For writers, it's a chance for some feedback on that all important first 500 words, the initial hook and set-up that can mean the difference between published and "also ran." For readers, it's a peek behind the wizard's curtain into the world of writer-think. I've hosted newbies and New York Times Bestsellers in my hotseat and the one constant is that we're all drunk on words and in love with storytelling. I invite you to drop by MiaMarlowe.com each week and join us!

And as long as I'm here, I should probably mention that my new novella, A Knack for Trouble, just came out in the IMPROPER GENTLEMEN anthology from Kensington Brava! Here's what Romance Junkies had to say about it:

"A sizzling tale, Mia Marlowe's A KNACK FOR TROUBLE is a delightfully humorous and suspense-filled read that will keep you guessing. Brimming with humor, steamy love scenes, interesting plots, clever repartee, charismatic characters, romance and lots of love, IMPROPER GENTLEMEN, with contributions from three amazing authors, is a delightful way to escape your daily cares. Do not miss it!"

Thanks for having me here, Lucy and congrats on getting your blog up and running again! I'd love to offer a giveaway to your readers, so anyone who leaves a comment or question for me will be entered into the drawing for a signed copy of IMPROPER GENTLEMEN!

Here's a question to get the ball rolling: We all have people who've helped us along the way. Who has made a difference in your life?

Humpday Hottie!

Inspiration for my current hero - dragon shifter! Kinda perfect, right?

Contest Prizes for this Week's Give Away!

Prizes for this week's blog give away! I'm giving away two books a day from blog comments. Weekly winners will be posted on Sunday.
Monday: Deal With This (Mass Market)Lucy MonroeANDPerfect WeaponsAmy J. Fetzer
Tuesday: For Duty's SakeLucy MonroeANDThe Beach AlibiAllison Kent
Wednesday: Moon BurningLucy MonroeANDRed VelvetNoell Mack
Thursday: Ready (Mass Market)Lucy MonroeANDBody HeatKatherine Garbera
Friday: Royal Affairs (includes a re-release of Forbidden: The Billionaire's Virgin Princess)Lucy MonroeANDThe Irish DevilDiane Whiteside
Saturday: The Greeks' Bought Brides (includes re-release of Bought: The Greek's Bride)Lucy MonroeANDThe Midnight Man Charlotte Mede

We're Back and Live from Lucy's Desk

As many of you know, my own health and that of my mother (who we lost in April) forced me to take a sabbatical from my blog.  It was necessary, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the unique kind of interaction and discussions we had here.

So, we're back!  I say we, because running the blog contest, making sure excerpts go up and coordinating guest bloggers is falling on the very capable shoulders of my new Promo Gal...Carolyn.  Friends since we were too young to attend school, Carolyn is very dear to me.  And I am dear to her and that is how she ended up agreeing to coordinate my promotion.  Because she cares about me and my books, and I'm sure you'll see that in the way she keeps things current.

Andre, (many of you knew him as Promo Guy), has finished school and is ready to move on to pursue his own dreams.  I'm so very happy for him, but honestly no less pleased for myself as Carolyn joining the Lucy Monroe team is such a huge blessing to me. :)

Carolyn & Lucy at DQ's Rehearsal Dinner To celebrate the return to Blogger Land for me, we are running a book-a-day giveaway for the entire month of August.  Winners will be drawn from the comments all week long (Sunday through Friday) and announced on each Saturday.    We'll actually be giving away two books to each winner, one by me and one by another fabulous romance author.  Like today, I'll post a discussion/chatty blog on Mondays.  Each Tuesday, the list of prizes will be listed.  Wednesdays we'll have our Hump Day Hotties (some chosen by me, some by Carolyn) and Thurs & Fridays are for excerpts, guest bloggers and other fun stuff like that.

So, yeah...it's a party and kind of overdue and I'm going to enjoy it thoroughly.   So, here's hoping you all will too!

Hugs and happy reading,
Lucy

http://www.lucymonroe.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romance
http://twitter.com/#!/lucymonroe

My Adventures as Kiltdown Man

As no doubt anyone who's read "Bodice-Ripping Scotsmen from Mars," knows, there is a certain romance or magnetism with folks who wear authentic Scottish garb. I experienced this myself last weekend, and have lived to tell the tale.

My wife had bought tickets for us and a friend (who shall remain nameless; you know who you are) to the Portland Highland Games this year. For those not in the know, it is one of the larger (largest?) gathering of Highland Clans and activities in the Northwest, held at Mount Hood Community College campus.

We wanted to see for ourselves the traditions, clans and activities. This event is held in wide regard. It is an all-day affair, with pipe bands, drum major contests, a Kilt run (yes, they run in kilts), Shinty (kind of like hockey on grass, the mowing kind) and the famous Caber Toss. If you've ever wanted to see brute-force throwing and flipping of telephone poles (OK, but 19 foot 165 lb poles are still BIG), you won't be disappointed.

A couple notable items. Pavilions are set up based on Clans (there were at least 12 that I saw; I'm sure I missed some), and amazing history and armory shown. Booth owners represent their clan, and are happy to describe their history and provide booklets and links for more info. Everyone was very friendly, and were happy to get their pictures taken. The swords and weaponry were in great condition and wide variety. There was no evidence of clan rivalry. Which is not to say that any fights-to-the-death did NOT happen; I just didn't happen to see it.

As expected, the majority of attendees were in Scottish garb, and that includes wearing kilts displaying the tartan pattern of your clans. As you might expect, there were several vendors marketing everything from bagpipes to kilts, and even more fun, a couple of booths offered pirate and Steampunk items as well.

My big interest has always been window shopping (now pipe down, men, you do it too when you're at a hardware store), so I was perusing by a kilt shop, when a salesmen called me out with, "So, are you interested in a kilt?"

"Well, my wife has always tried to talk me into one, but I'm still on the fence about purchasing one. You know, perception and stuff."

The salesman smiled, "Yeah, we get that all the time, but these are really practical items! They keep you cool, and they're durable. And contrary to popular belief, there are places to put your phone, wallet…once you try one, you'll understand better. We always encourage folks to try them on first, before considering buying one. Here," he gestures, "come on in and fit one on, and you can see for yourself."

"I'm not sure…hey, how much are one of these, anyway?"

The salesman gave a figure. Kilts aren't cheap, but they are along the price lines of other clothing I've seen. But being Broke-On-My-A$$ Man, I have a reputation to keep.

"Well, that's out of my price range..."

He nods, "Totally understand. But let's try one on, and see what you think, OK? You don't have to buy."

Fair enough. I look around: it's an open 8x8 foot pavilion, with the kilts on a rack facing an adjoining closed pavilion.

"So do I step into some booth, or…?"

"Let me walk you through it," as he measures my waist (and asks me to quit trying to suck in my stomach). "There", and he pulls a kilt from the rack, unsnaps it open to create a wide swath of cloth.

"Now face the rack," and as I do, he sweeps the kilt so that it surrounds my back and my sides in a "U". Obviously he's just going to button it over my pants.

"Now go ahead and drop your pants."

"What?! Now?!"

"Yep, don't worry, no one can see," as folks mill by us in the DID-I-MENTION-OPEN-PAVILION!...

What to do? I dropped my pants.

With a swift action, he swings the kilt around to overlap in front, very professional. "Now go ahead, " he gestures, "and fasten these snaps in the front, and it's on!" I do so, easier than I thought.

"Just one item: the kilt should sit lower, on your hips…."

"You mean, like gangster style?" The visualization of this crosses several paths of decency.

"Oh no, NOT like that. Just lower it a little so it seats correctly." Done.

With my test garb on, I glance down the vendor row. My luck, the Misses and her friend are in the booth next to us.

I lean out, and call out, " If you want to see me in a kilt, now's your chance!"

The crowd visibly relaxes as they realize I'm only speaking to my wife, who hurries over with a grin on her face.

I remember that my wife is brilliant, generous and frugal. There are very few items that she will just buy at first glance.

As she comes into view I start, "Honey, this kilt is kind of expensive, it cos-"

"I'll buy it!"

"Huh?"

"Great!" The salesman smiles, "another happy customer!"

The wife holds out the shopping bag. "Now just drop your pants into here, and we can go."

Ulp.

But, if you're going to go kilting, best way is at an event where everyone has one. As we walk along, I note the advantages: It doesn't bind, it does hang low to the knees like my shorts, and it does have plenty of pockets. And my belt fits, another plus. Best one: it is breezy, so I cool off like 10 degrees just wearing it.

I had to learn on-the-fly (or lack of one) some stuff. Like how to go to the restroom. I had to observe another person at the urinals on the "flip and let it fly" method versus the old "unzip and let it fly". But not observe too closely, or else they would glare at me and I would have to improvise with, "Sorry, you seem to be a pro at this," or "You seem to have a handle on this junk." Leading to more awkward conversation, or possibly a good-old-fashioned beating.

You women with dresses and skirts, I salute you. We men are not tidy creatures, so trying to keep your kilt out of the way during these activities seems nothing short of miraculous; I can't even imagine how you folks do it…

We watch the rest of the events (only once did someone below on the bleachers advised me to cross my legs; appreciate that) and had a blast. On the way home, my wife asks if I'll wear this on the weekends (she won't push to have me wear it work, for example). I, willing to try new things that I unwittingly step into, agree to do that. After all, it IS comfortable.

I was curious throughout the rest of the weekend as we went shopping, what people's reactions would be: surprisingly, they are very accepting of my new look. No one stares, and even out of the corner of my eye, no raised eyebrows or gestures. Only once in a store, did I notice a child staring wide-eyed at me before his dad yanked him into the next aisle. And, I HAVE seen these around. So I think they're slowly gaining acceptance. One tip: when showing off your kilt, do NOT pirouette; it sends the wrong message, and you're forced to discard phone numbers you're offered.

I'll continue the grand experiment; it's something new for me, and it does increase the time my wife and I spend together (mostly because she gazes admiringly from below as I go up and down the stairs, and she seems to drop stuff more often near her, asking me to pick them up). And I've already thought of ways to upgrade. Like installing Ground FX Under-The-Skirt LED glow mood lighting, or gas kilt-lift shocks.

Anything in the name of Research….now if you'll excuse me, I need to get manly, and take my kilt out of the dryer and straighten the pleats…

Breezily,

Hubcap