Robyn Bachar's Blog, page 16

June 16, 2014

What I've Been Reading Lately: EIKAL Edition

According to Goodreads I'm 19 books ahead of schedule for my 2014 reading challenge. :-o I've read 42 books so far this year. w00t!

As I mentioned in my Spring Fling post, Sarah Wendell was signing books and Diana and I got our copies of Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels (or EIKAL) signed. Because I am a huge Sarah Wendell fangirl, I decided to read the books on the shopping list included in EIKAL. And yay, several of them already lived on my TBR bookcase. :)

So here's where I am so far in reading the EIKAL list:

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie: This is usually mentioned as the go-to book for people who want to give contemporary romance a try. In general, I don't read straight contemporaries because if there are no aliens, vampires, or murderers in it then I get bored. There were many things about Bet Me that I enjoyed. This book is fun like a summer romantic comedy. The banter is very good, and I LOVED the hero encouraging the heroine to eat and worshiping her for her voluptuous body. I'm still craving bread, butter and chicken marsala. And also Krispy Kreme donuts.Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins: Kristan Higgins was one of the speakers at this year's Spring Fling, and she was awesome (though some of my enjoyment of her fabulous speech was soured by the comedian who'd "entertained" before dinner.) Next time, please let Kristan Higgins do the comedy, because this book had some serious lol scenes. I have another book by her on by TBR shelf now, and I'm looking forward to it. I really identified in several ways with the heroine in Just One of the Guys (Dear World, please write more 6 feet tall heroines). She loves Lord of the Rings and comfortable shoes. Win! I was a little weirded out by how little time the heroine and hero spend together. We see her interacting more with semi-slimy rich doctor guy than we do with Trevor. There were a few problematic things for me, but otherwise it was a fun read.Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis: This one felt almost romantic suspense to me, because of the mountain location and the weather occasionally trying to kill people with snow. Out of the three contemporaries I read, I enjoyed this one the most. There's a lot of emotional angst going on internally with the heroine and hero, and in their relationship with each other. Random note: What is up with heroines in contemporaries rescuing stray cats? Bet Me had one too.Paranormal Romance
Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole: Dark Needs is book 5 in the Immortals After Dark series, so I'm going to read my way toward it. I started with the second book, A Hunger Like No Other , because I had difficulty finding the first book. Now, I love me some paranormal romance. I read it, I write it, it's my preciousssss. The hero in A Hunger Like No Other was way too alpha for my tastes. He's sort of the stereotypical paranormal alphole who's all "You belong to me because reasons I'm not going to tell you. Deal with it. Also because reasons." My internal monologue for at least the first 100 pages was "KICK HIM IN THE NARDS! WOLFMAN'S GOT NARDS!"
But I enjoyed the heroine's development throughout the book. She starts off very passive, but by the end she's all "I WILL KILL EVERY MOTHER****** IN THE ROOM!" You go, girl. I particularly enjoyed the world building, because it's standard vampires/werewolves/etc. but with enough of a twist that I wanted to hear more.Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts: This is the only book on the EIKAL list that I've read before. More than once, in fact, because it's the second book of the Three Sisters Island trilogy, which is my favorite thing in the history of ever and I've reread it a few times. The first book, Dance Upon the Air, was the book that brought me back to romance reading and introduced me to Nora Roberts, who is the Original Gangsta of romance novels. Of the three, though, Heaven and Earth is my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's good. I just love Nell the most, and Mia second.Historical Romance
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: You can measure how much I'm enjoying a book by the amount of times I say "DUDE!" to BFF Diana. It happened a lot during this book. Because dude, this book. THIS SERIES, PEOPLE! OMG! Devil in Winter is book 3 in the Wallflowers series, so I started with book 1 (I'm currently reading the prequel, I'll have more to say about it when I'm finished) and I read the entire series. First of all, I loved the premise of a group of wallflowers banding together to find husbands. The first book, Secrets of a Summer Night was SO GOOD. Five stars good. It's my favorite. I suspect that Devil in Winter will be BFF Diana's favorite, and I can't wait for her to read it.Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase: Just as Bet Me is often mentioned at the "start here" book for trying contemporary romance, Lord of Scoundrels is the "dude, seriously, this book" of historical romances. Having heard this for years, I had a copy living on my TBR shelf, but as I have an entire TBR bookcase it was one of my "I'll get to it eventually" books.

You guys. I was so wrong. I should've read it the moment I first had it in my hands, because Jessica Trent. I may have to devote an entire post to this book, because lo, it is a book of Biblically awesome proportions. Jessica Trent enters this book, puts her feet up and basically says,
As the book went on, in my head Jessica Trent became Nick Fury and Dain became Tony Stark. It works amazingly well. Jessica Trent/Nick Fury, all, "I'm trying to save the world here" while Lord Dain/Tony Stark is all "Woo, Imma drink all the booze and debauch all the womens!" And Jessica/Nick is all rolling eyes and heavy, put-upon sighs. Like this,
Really?I'll stop now. But seriously, people. This book should be mandatory romance novel reading.Okay. So that's where I am on the EIKAL list. Thoughts? :)
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Published on June 16, 2014 00:00

June 13, 2014

Poison in the Blood VBT: Week 2 Recap


In case you missed it, this week on the Poison in the Blood virtual book tour I was spotlighted at Penny for Them, Sapphyria's Book Reviews, Lisa's World of Books, and For Your Literary Pleasure.

I was a guest at Roxanne's Realm, and I talked about "Goblin Market" the poem that inspired Poison in the Blood.

I was interviewed by Pembroke Sinclair.

And I was a guest at Jill Archer's blog, and I took the opportunity to interview Emily. (Emily is appalled that I don't drink tea.)
Remember, there is still time to enter the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And also the Goodreads giveaway!


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Goodreads Book Giveaway Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Giveaway ends July 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
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Published on June 13, 2014 23:00

June 11, 2014

Author Thursday: Interview with R. T. Wolfe

One of the things I love most about being an RWA member is the opportunity to meet and chat with other authors, and they are always friendly, awesome people. R. T. Wolfe is an excellent example of that--she's one of the nicest people you could ever meet. And she has a golden retriever. (I love goldens.) :) If you enjoy romantic suspense, you should definitely check her books out.

1. What flavor is your writing? (Contemporary? Spicy? Action? Space odyssey? Ninjas? All of the above?)

My writing is definitely contemporary. It’s been called spicy, but that seems to be subjective. I often describe the romance as PG-13. My books often incorporate secondary characters, family, and some kind of mystery.
2. Where do you get your inspiration?

I’m asked that often and I truly don’t know. Sometimes when I’m editing a work in progress I ask myself, “Where did I come up with this stuff?”

3. What drew you to write romantic suspense?

I love to read romantic suspense that is warm, intelligent, and saucy. I can only hope that is what I bring to my readers.

What is your favorite part of writing it? Honestly, I enjoy each part of the writing process. The research, the outlining, writing that first line, the re-outlining, the editing … it’s all like a drug for me.

4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?

I just finished reading an Advanced Reading Copy of Genevieve Jack’s third installment in her Nightshade Series. Excellent book.

5. What are you working on now?

Savage Rendezvous, book #2 in my Nickie Savage Series, comes out next month. In the short story prequel and book #1, Detective Savage solves her cases as she searches for the perpetrators who abducted her into child trafficking as a young teen. With the help of Duncan Reed and his photographic memory, they get closer with each book. Right now, I’m working on book #3 in the series. Nickie is great fun to write. She sassy, uses her sexuality when it suits her and holds her own in a bar fight.

You can find out more about R.T. Wolfe at these links:
Website: www.rtwolfe.com Twitter: @RT_Wolfe Facebook: www.facebook.com/RTWolfe2012 Amazon purchase links: http://amzn.to/1i3rGuO Barnes and Noble purchase links: http://bit.ly/1cLCrhp Savage Deception Blurb:

Busy juggling loan sharks and Amber Alerts, Detective Nickie Savage makes time when the FBI seeks her expertise with a child trafficking ring. But when Nickie discovers that the men running the ring are the same ones who abducted her as a young teen, the case gets personal.

Risking her badge, Nickie goes rogue. Luckily, she has Duncan Reed, along with his wire tapping and surveillance expertise. But Duncan also wants to take their relationship to the next level.

Now, Nickie must choose: break her own rules and risk her heart or forge ahead alone.

Savage Deception Excerpt:

“This is our hotel.” Those were the only four words Nickie had spoken since Duncan picked her up at Vegas Metro. He’d expected her to be shaken after the day she’d had. He didn’t expect her to be shaking.

Heading for the elevator, he realized they were retiring to their room as the rest of the town was beginning their evenings. He heard them before the elevator arrived. Loud, drunk and male. The doors slid open to a small group of young men. They reeked of marijuana and alcohol. One did a double take at Nickie.

“The cop stripper!” he slurred. “I got your card in here somewhere.” He patted his pockets.

Nickie wore what she usually did. Button-down blouse, this one raspberry-pink, and black slacks … both tighter than most wear. She was never afraid to use her sexuality when it suited her. Her black boots had heels. Her gun was secured on her belt, along with her badge and cuffs.

Duncan saw it all through an angry haze of red.

The one patting his pockets took out some cash. The others whistled as they pulled out more bills.

Duncan stepped in front of Nickie.

“Come on, dude. Share!” they boy said to Duncan.

He wasn’t sure whose arm it was, but before he knew it a hand cupped her breast. As quickly as the arm reached her, Nickie twisted and had it wrenched behind the man’s back. “That’s assaulting a police officer you stupid piece of shit.” Her voice was eerily calm.

“Hey!” another one defended, landing a hand on her shoulder. Duncan took it, bending it back until he heard a crack. The boy bellowed in pain as his friends stepped in to help.

Fists flew and heads bobbed. They were drunk and young. That excuse wasn’t going to help them. Duncan ducked easily taking two down with solid hooks as he heard the soft heels of the security officer running toward them.
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Published on June 11, 2014 22:30

June 8, 2014

My Writing Process--Blog Tour

Today I'm taking part in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. (Really it's more of a hop than a tour.) Anyway, as you may have guessed from the title, this blog tour focuses on authors answering questions about their writing process. My friend and RWA chapter member Rena Koontz posted her entry last week. You can check it out here: http://www.renakoontz.wordpress.com/renas-ramblings.
1. What am I working on?

At the moment I'm finishing up my March 2015 release, Bite Me. It's my first stand-alone novel. (I swear, it's not a series this time!) It's a F/F/M menage romance set in post-zombie-apocalypse Chicago. It's got a snarky heroine, a tough-cop heroine, and a pretty, angsty vampire hero. With lots of humor, action, steamy sex scenes, and epic battles against zombies, evil vampires, and helicopters.

I am also working on a super-secret project with BFF Diana. I can't tell you about it, because it's super secret.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

It doesn't? I'm known for my humor, but I write in my sub-genres because I love working with the tropes in those genres. Rough-and-tumble werewolves, snarky witches, angsty vampires, tough-as-nails spaceship captains, scarred veteran space marines. Yup. I love all these things, plus swords, magic, and laser guns. :-)

3. Why do I write what I do?

Because the voices in my head don't leave me alone until I get them down onto the page. My heroine Patience in Fire in the Blood was like that. She showed up in my mind while I was taking a shower and announced, "Good. Bad. I'm the girl with the demon." And then she refused to leave until I had her story plotted out.

4. How does your writing process work?

It starts with an idea--a line like Patience's above, or a single scene. Blood, Smoke and Mirrors started with the scene of Cat showing up at the cafe to get bad news from her boss, but I had no idea what that news was at first, only that someone was dead. As I wrote it, I figured out who had died, why, and how it affected Cat.

After a few years of doing NaNoWriMo I started outlining my books beforehand, because knowing what comes next helps me to move forward when I'm stuck on a scene. I'll leave the part I'm stuck on in brackets, like [fight scene here], and come back to it when I'm ready to write it.

Next week the tour continues with:

Yolanda Sfetsos. Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse. Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat. You can visit her website or chat to her on Twitter.

Keith Melton. Keith Melton is a fantasy writer and part time were-sloth.
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Published on June 08, 2014 23:00

June 6, 2014

Poison in the Blood VBT: Week 1 Recap


Poison in the Blood is now available in print and ebook, yay! Remember, you can order it here:
AmazonBarnes and NobleBooks-A-Million Samhain Publishing (You can got 50% off the print book at the Samhain store when you use the code PAPERBACK50 at checkout, valid for a limited time only.)(Prefer ebooks? You can get 30% off the ebook at the Samhain store when you use the coupon code POISON14, valid until 01-01-15.)In case you missed it, this week I was spotlighted at Deal Sharing Aunt, 3 Partners in Shopping, and Cassandra M's Place.

I have a letter to the readers at Night Owl Reviews, where I ask the question: Would you marry a vampire? And I discussed the question further as a guest at Fang-tastic Books.

Next week there will be more guest pots, more spotlights, and more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Goodreads Book Giveaway Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Giveaway ends July 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
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Published on June 06, 2014 22:30

June 4, 2014

Author Thursday: Interview with Cora Cade

Cora Cade is made of awesome. Seriously, people. She has a dog named Hans Gruber, and if that doesn't win the Internet I don't know what does. I'm beginning to suspect that she was cloned from the same alien pod as me and BFF Diana. :-o

That said, I'm super excited to have her as my guest today. :-) (She also uses the magic words: Chris Hemsworth.) (And also sexy bearded men.)

1. What flavor is your writing? (Contemporary? Spicy? Action? Space odyssey? Ninjas? All of the above?)

Well, I write Contemporary. The sweet and steamy kind. Currently I'm writing a series focused around a little lake in North Carolina. There may or may not be a ridiculously hot wounded Army Ranger fashioned after Chris Hemsworth in book one.

But I read across all genres. Crazy Harry Dresden fan girl? Right here. Love a sweet and quirky Julia Quinn historical? I own them all. Tattooed hot guy on the cover? Oh, yeah. And if there's a ninja somewhere, then I'm down with that too.
2. What drew you to writing about Army Rangers?

When I sat down with my main characters for MORNING LIGHT (book one in the series) I knew Noah, our hero, would be a tough as nails soldier coming home from active duty. And I have a deep and abiding love for history. Specifically World War II, as my grandfather was a veteran of the war. And if you've ever read BAND OF BROTHERS by Stephen Ambrose or even caught the HBO mini-series, then you'll completely understand why Noah was an Army Ranger, no questions asked. And if are (unfortunately) not familiar with the historical aspect of the Rangers, then you just need to know these men volunteer to jump out of airplanes for a living and are total BAMF.

Book two in the series is releasing July 29 and in TWO IN THE AFTERNOON we'll meet Callum Eversman, another Army Ranger, that steps in to protect our feisty heroine. And he makes me swoon!

3. You have a music page on your website (which is awesome). How does music inspire your writing?

I love that you looked at my music page! There is no way I could write a book in silence. Typically there's a song already in my playlist that helps build the mood I want to create. Music is constantly in the background of my life, so there's never a lack of options. But I definitely have my favorite artists. I wrote the entirety of MORNING LIGHT listening to one song. On repeat. For months. And I still get the warm fuzzies when I hear it, because it takes me back to the magic of writing my debut release.

Music not only sets the mood when I write, but it also helps me get into a character's head. On the website I break down the song I used for the overall inspiration and tone of the book and then the individual songs I used for the hero and heroine.

Also, Ben Howard is my music boyfriend. He could totally be yours too! Or I'd share my other music boyfriend Joe Purdy. But only if you love sexy bearded men.

4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?

When I'm working on a project I tend to read off genre, away from what I write. I've been rereading some of my favorites so I can focus on my current WIP. And Jim Butcher has a new Dresden Files coming out soon, so I must be prepared and reread the older books so everything is fresh! Since Dresden is Urban Fantasy it doesn't distract me from my current project.

5. What are you working on now?

My first priority is finishing up book 3 in The Day of Pleasure series. I'm having a great time bringing Noah's brother Chris to his knees as he falls in love with our heroine.

Beyond that I'm fleshing out a Delta Force soldier's story that we briefly meet in TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. Gabe's story is loosely based on war veteran Alex Minsky's story. (Google that man! You will not be disappointed.) We'll be focusing on his war wounds and the loss of a leg, all while he meets the woman he didn't know was missing from his life. I'm so excited for this story that I'm practically bouncing up and down just thinking about it!

You can find out more about Cora Cade at these links:
Website: www.coracade.com Twitter: @CoraCade Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoraCade Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/coracade/ Morning Light
A Day of Pleasure, Book 1

His toughest battle is ahead—the battle for one woman’s heart.

During Noah Harper’s ten years as an Army Ranger, Tennyson Sharpe’s letters were his lifeline. With each mail call, the bright and vibrant girl of his youth slowly became the woman of his dreams. Now he’s home—and he’s in hell. The problem? Tenn is his little brother’s best friend. Claiming her risks all kinds of collateral damage.

Tenn is getting nervous. Since Noah came home, they’ve been circling each other, neither willing to risk the status quo. It’s time to kick things up a notch and make a play for the man she’s loved since she was sixteen—before someone else does.

Dressing to impress works better than she could have dreamed. After a scorching interlude leads to a steamy morning wrapped in each other’s arms, reality comes crashing down. Shining a devastating light on Tenn’s deepest fears…and forcing Noah into scramble mode to convince her forever was always on his mind.

Warning: This book contains some serious foreplay in the great outdoors; stand-up sex with a hot, stand-up guy; and a wounded Army Ranger who’s determined to leave no heart behind—especially the one belonging to the girl of his dreams.
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Published on June 04, 2014 22:30

June 2, 2014

Poison in the Blood Print Release Day!


Poison in the Blood is now available in print! And the print edition includes the novella The Importance of Being Emily, so it's two books in one! You can pick up a copy here:
AmazonBarnes and NobleBooks-A-Million Samhain Publishing (you can got 50% off the print book at the Samhain store when you use the code PAPERBACK50 at checkout, valid for a limited time only)I'll be sharing excerpts from Poison in the Blood on the Samhain Cafe list, but here's a special snippet for fans of Simon St. Jerome:
Robert and I retired to the library to await the arrival of Michael and Simon. When the chroniclers entered I was reading to the baby, because even an infant librarian abandoned his temper when presented with a book.

“Why is the baby here?” Simon asked without preamble.

“Because he is an ill-tempered creature of the night, just like his Uncle Simon,” I replied dryly.

Michael smiled at Robert. “Good Lord, he’s gotten big.”

“He has, but he’s still small for his age. He has quite a way to go to catch up to Jasper and Theodore. How long have you been in London?”

“Three days. I feel terrible that we didn’t send word, but—”

“Why are you here?” I interrupted.

Simon took a seat across from me and folded his hands in his lap. “As I said, we are conducting an investigation for the Order.”

“Yes, but why are you here? It is my husband’s place to lecture me, not yours.”

Simon scowled. “Michael has not mastered his hunger yet. You are not to be in the same room without supervision, and you are most certainly not to touch each other again without permission.”

“Permission? Now I need your permission to touch my husband?” I repeated, incredulous.

“I would never hurt her.” Michael took a step forward, and Simon pointed a bony finger at him in warning.

“You are not yourself,” Simon said.

Michael sighed. “This is ridiculous. There was no harm done, and I was not about to let Emily fall and hurt herself.”

“And you could have lost control, bitten her and torn her throat out. You aren’t ready yet.”

My throat tightened with too much emotion as I studied my husband. He hadn’t completely changed. Michael’s dark eyes were as expressive as always—filled with heartbreak at the moment—and his black hair was tousled despite his attempts to tame it. He always appeared a bit rumpled, and now I supposed he would continue to do so for all eternity.

Poison in the Blood got a 4-Star review from RT Book Reviews:
The second installment of the Emily Chronicles brings fans right back into the dark, imaginative world of a London filled with magic and the fascinating creatures who control it. Emily Black is a strong, courageous heroine, with a moral compass that serves her well as loyalties begin to shift around her and her marriage evolves in ways she never could have imagined. Bachar keeps the plot moving along nicely, and her inventiveness makes the world of this story come to life.


And RT gave The Importance of Being Emily (included as a bonus in the PitB print edition) a 4.5-Star review!
If Agatha Christie included paranormal elements in her house party murder mysteries, the results would have probably been something similar to Bachar’s short story. The Importance of Being Emily has all of the hallmarks of a traditional historical romance, including very conservative beliefs about a woman’s “place”. However, the story is absolutely doused in occult magic, vampires, mind readers and other sorts of magic. This is a wonderfully imaginative tale that begs a re-read just so that every detail and nuance can be savored.

To celebrate the print release I'll be doing a month-long Virtual Book Tour through Bewitching Book Tours, and the stops are listed here. Each stop gives you the opportunity to enter the giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of PitB and a $25 Amazon gift card. You can enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But wait, there's MORE! You can also enter to win a signed copy from the Goodreads giveaway!


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Goodreads Book Giveaway Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar Giveaway ends July 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
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Published on June 02, 2014 22:01

May 28, 2014

Author Thursday: Interview with Katharine Tree

Today's guest is debut author Katharine Tree, and she's talking about her novel Dark and Deep . BFF Diana and I have known her for years (many years, for Diana)(I believe the words "summer camp" may be involved). She's very cool, and I wish her many book sales. ;)

1. What flavor is your writing? (Spicy? Action? Space odyssey? Ninjas? All of the above?)

It’s homesteading adventure with what I’ve heard called “strong romantic elements”. The characters are contemporary people, but they’ve thrown themselves into an Iron Age micro-society. The adjustment is jarring and brings out the... hrm… interesting aspects of their personalities. The narrator’s relationship with the hero is at the core of the story, and there are several spicy scenes, but they’re diagnostic of what is happening with the rest of the characters’ lives and with the settlement as a whole. The hero is Scottish and there are limited amounts of kilt-wearing and Gaelic-speaking, so I suppose it qualifies as Scotsploitation too.
2. Congrats on your first book! Where did you get your inspiration for Dark and Deep?

The single biggest influence on Dark and Deep was the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Outlander was the first modern romance I had ever read, and I am now obsessed. I had just gone through all seven books twice, and couldn’t find anything else that interested me after them, so I started to write my own book instead. Dark and Deep has a similar flavor and similar themes: you watch the hero through his wife’s eyes while they and the people around them deal with love, death, war, violence, sex, illness, family, and allegiance. Whether or not Dark and Deep also involves time travel is left for the reader to decide.

3. I hear you had a lot of fun researching this book. What was your favorite part?

Is it a spoiler to say that somebody gets a hole in his head? There is a primitive trephination scene in the book, and researching that was gruesome fun. I have a childhood friend who is now an M.D., and she very kindly sent me a lot of scholarly papers about traumatic head injury. She even found a pamphlet about how to perform an emergency trephination in the field. With photographs. To make the story work, I had to choose the “best possible outcome” scenario for almost all aspects of this part of the story, but at least I knew what the possible outcomes were.

4. What are you reading now, or what books do you have in your TBR pile?

I am in the middle of The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond, which is about the inner workings of small-scale societies. When one isn’t living in a modern state society, a lot of assumptions and priorities change, and Diamond does a great job of explaining how. I also need to re-read the seventh Outlander book in preparation for the release of the eighth one next month.

5. What are you working on now?

I am partway through the sequel to Dark and Deep ; I have the story mapped out as a trilogy. I’ve also gotten side-tracked by a short prequel, which is teaching me all kinds of things about the hero, and which will give the reader a bit more traction at the beginning of Dark and Deep. I plan to distribute [the prequel] for free, when it’s finished.

You can find out more about Katharine at these links:
Website: http://katharinetree.wordpress.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerktree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katharinetree
Dark and Deep , by Katharine Tree

Anna Woods has left the modern world behind to forge a homestead in the wilderness with twenty-three strangers. They have animals, tools, and enough food and dry goods to last a year, maybe two before they must produce everything they need for themselves, find neighbors to help them, or learn to do without.

While the material hardship of their new lives is real, the social and emotional ramifications of their situation are the hardest things to bear. Anna soon falls in love with Alexander Smith, the settlement's metalworker, and together they find solace from the disconnection of the old world and the loneliness of the new. Alex's twin Arthur, however, has come to the settlement with his own ideas of how he will function without laws, police, or a known past to stop him. When he nearly kills Alex he tears the three of them, and the settlement as a whole, away from the comfortable illusion of civilized order and into the deepest and darkest dangers--those that come from within.

Dark and Deep is an adventure/romance with elements of homesteading, going native, predestination, folklore, cultural reconstructionism, the politics and economics of small-scale societies, linguistics, primitive medicine, primitive warfare, biological psychology, and naturalism.
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Published on May 28, 2014 23:00

May 26, 2014

Gamify your life. Slay your word count.

I'm always looking for new ways to motive me to get my butt into the chair and write. Because lo, the Internet doth beckon, and too often I answer its call. ("Just one more page of lolcats and then I'll write. Honest!") I don't seem to have a problem making my word count during National Novel Writing Month, because I'm motivated to win, even when winning means I get a few winner icons and a T-shirt.

I come from a family of athletes, so wanting to win is in my DNA. I have zero athletic ability, so this desire generally manifests in my love of rpgs. I want to slay the dragon. ALL THE DRAGONS! I want to kill every dragon in the dungeon and walk out with a pack full of magic items and buckets of coin. BEHOLD MY PIXELATED GLORY!

As such, HabitRPG is my new favorite thing.
I first found out about HabitRPG from Jim C. Hines' blog. (Have I mentioned lately how awesome he is? Because he is.) HabitRPG is a habit building app that allows you to treat your life like a role playing game. OMG, you guys. You get experience points (XP), coin, and loot drops for doing your daily stuff. Take out the garbage? XP! Do the dishes? XP! Achieve your daily word count? XP, people!

And it's free.

So this is me:


As you can see, I'm level 9 and I have a pink bear cub pet. Doesn't he look menacing and adorable? My dailies are set up so that I get points for doing writing-related work (so that editing and proofreading count when I'm not working on a new manuscript). I get points when I do an hour of book promotion. I get points for writing a blog post. I have a To Do list with things like "finish this [work in progress]" and "start a newsletter".

It's pretty great. BFF Diana joined, and we formed a party to quest together. (She's currently kicking my butt XP-wise.) I expanded my dailies to encompass chores around the house, and also diet-related activities. Because I am not motivated to exercise, but if I get XP and loot for it, then heck yeah I'll ride the bike that goes nowhere!

In conclusion, HabitRPG is awesome, and you should give it a try.
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Published on May 26, 2014 23:30

May 21, 2014

Author Thursday: Interview with Delilah Devlin

My guest today is USA Today best-selling author Delilah Devlin, who has a new book out this week in her Delta Heat series with Samhain. She has quite possibly my favorite answer to the "what flavor is your writing?" question, so I think you're all going to enjoy this interview. :)

1. What flavor is your writing? (Spicy? Action? Space odyssey? Ninjas? All of the above?)

Not that I’m all that self-aware (friends call my completely oblivious!), but I’d guess I’m on the extremely spicy side. Like Serrano peppers vs. jalapenos. And even when I write dark and edgy, there has to be humor intermixed with the action, otherwise I’d be bored.
2. Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere. Simple as that. People I know. Snippets of conversations I overhear. Movies, TV, music. Dreams. Some of my best, creepiest, sexiest stuff comes from dreams.

3. Once is Never Enough is the fifth Delta Heat book. What is your favorite part of working on this series?

The best part was imagining this group of hot, alpha guys who were already close, but who stepped up to help a buddy out (in the first book), and discovered they really could be involved, in an intimate way, with their best friends and their significant others and rewrite their boundaries.

4. What are you reading now, or what books do you have in your TBR pile?

Most of what I’ve been reading lately is research material. Spellbooks, magic books, demonology and mythology. When I do find free time to read for pleasure, it’s generally short story collections because I don’t have a lot of time to invest in longer fiction.

5. What are you working on now?

This week, I’ve been jotting down notes for my offshoot series to Delta Heat, which follows the boys at Firehouse 69 in Memphis. I’m also doing research for the next Beaux Rêve Coven book set in southern Louisiana. The first one of those comes out in July with Samhain (Once in a Blue Moon), and I’m hoping to complete five stories in that series.

You can find out more about Delilah at these inks:
Website: http://www.delilahdevlin.comTwitter: @DelilahDevlin Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DelilahDevlinFanPage Once is Never Enough
Delta Heat, Book 5

It’s time for this Dom to learn he may not always know what’s best.

When his four Memphis PD friends needed to let off steam, Mondo helped them all navigate the BDSM world—his world—and find the women of their dreams. Now the vice cop and La Forge Master/Dom is the last single man standing. And he’s feeling a little like the odd man out.

He’s been waiting a long time for the right woman, one strong enough to match his dark passions. A timid grade school teacher definitely doesn’t make the short list.

Sunny Boudreau was content with her rather prosaic life until a trio of lovers moves in next door. But as she gets to know them and all their friends, she’s drawn to the edge of their ménage/BDSM play. She’s tempted to take the plunge—except Mondo warns her off.

Her first taste of the club only whets her appetite and ignites her desire to prove she’s exactly the woman Mondo’s been hungering for.

Warning: BDSM play at your favorite kinky club, group play at home, some fun BDSM, girl-on-girl kissing, an orgy…the usual for our boys in blue.
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Published on May 21, 2014 23:30

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