Rebecca Zanetti's Blog, page 24

11-11-11

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Filed under: Random thoughts Tagged: 11-11-11, Veterans Day

Who is your favorite hero (plus giveaway)

Hi all!  I'm over dishing the dish with Brooke Moss today and we're talking about ten very hot, sexy heroes.  Yeah, there are pictures.  Drop by and let us know which one is your favorite for a chance to win a signed copy of either Fated or Claimed. 

GO TO BROOKE'S BLOG

Filed under: Guest blogging elsewhere Tagged: Angel, Booth, Brooke Moss, Casablanca, Good Will Hunting, Harrison Ford, heroes, Malcom Reynolds, Ranger, Rick Blaine, Roarke, Seeley Booth, sexy heroes

Brooke Moss Lists the Top Ten Things She's Learned Since Getting Published

Hi everyone!  Brooke Moss, whose book THE 'WHAT IF' GUY, was just released by Entangled Publishing , agreed to drop by today with some information and a GIVEAWAY!  So, here's Brooke….

First off, I have to say, thanks for having me, Rebecca! I am honored to be a part of your blog, and quickly becoming a fan of your Dark Protectors series. I decided to share the top ten things I've learned since becoming a published author. Believe me, I've learned a lot. Talk about a baptism by fire…

1.) People will not take you more seriously, or give you more respect, just because you're a published author. In fact, I've found that some friends and family members give me more grief because I am now a published author. I've come back to the advice my mother gave me in high school: "If you are a good, honest person, the right people will like you and treat you with respect. If you act like a moron, people will treat you like one." Thanks, Mom. Right again.

2.) Your work is never done. Once your book is finished, the work will not only continue, but double in size. Blogs, contests, tweeting—oh how I loathe thee, Twitter—your work isn't done once you've sold your book. Oh, and lest we not forget the pressure a writer feels to continue writing good books, to keep their career going. Oy vey. So keep writing…even if you feel like taking a month—or seven—off. If you want your career to keep going, the work won't stop anytime soon. And if you want to be a career writer, you'll be okay with that.

3.) No matter how much you polish it to a gleaming shine…backstory will always be a problem. Nobody wants to know that your heroine broke her arm playing badminton in the seventh grade. Your reader will almost always skip over the part in your book where you describe the night the hero decided that going into medicine was the right path for him to take in life. What do they want to read? The hero and heroine fighting, laughing, making out, or—even better—getting their freak on. Period. The other stuff is moot. My advice? Cut the fat. Keep your backstory to a minimum, and don't fight your editor when he/she asks you to scale back.

4.) Nobody will publish a dialogue tag whore. No, really. Get on the computer, and Google the term "dialogue tag abuse". Read everything you can. Take notes if you need too. He said, she said, he said, she said, he said, she said…YAWN. Find new and exciting ways to explain what the characters are doing during their conversation.

5.) Bloggers are an author's best friend. Okay, so here's another misconception I diluted myself with before getting published: Once your book comes out, that's it. Your work is done, and you get to move on to bigger and better projects. Um….no. Not a chance. Sitting around waiting for readers to come to you is like shooting yourself in the foot. As an author, you have a responsibility to get your books out there for public consumption. And if you can't manage it by yourself, then hire a publicist to help. (My publicist is AH-Mazing. Literally couldn't live without her.) You need to get your book out to as many book bloggers with broad audiences as possible. Offer them free copies of your book (I know, it's painful sometimes. Take a breath, it will be worth it, I promise.) in exchange for an honest review. And if you don't get a stellar review, try not to throw a hissy fit, and plan revenge. (this actually didn't come naturally to me—but again, my publicist is not only talented at setting up reviews, but at talking me off of the proverbial ledge.) And never, ever run your mouth. Every blogger is entitled to their opinion, good or bad. Bloggers are often times who will bring readers to your book. Treat them nicely. Always.

6.) You are not the only talented author out there. Unfortunately, I discovered that it won't always be the "Brooke Moss Show". This was a painful pill to swallow, because I was really keen on being the coolest, most talented writer in America. But it took a writer's conference or two, as well as becoming part of the talented team of writers working for Entangled Publishing, to teach me that I am amongst good company. There are writers who are every bit as talented as me, if not better by leaps and bounds. I should be thanking them for associating with me. A fat slice of humble pie will do every new author on the block good.

7.) Your political views are no longer a good topic for Facebook statuses and blog post topics. Ah, yes…this was a tough one for me. Most people who know me are aware that I tend to be a bit of a *ahem* political firecracker. I was the queen of posting my views on Facebook or my blog, in the hopes that I would wind up in a heated political debate. I loved it! However, shortly after I got my contract, I asked Kristan Higgins (my personal hero) for some advice on managing my online presence, and she said that she keeps personal subjects (religion, politics, etc.) off of her public forums. After I kicked the wall and pouted for a day or two, I realized that she was totally right. I don't want to ostracize a reader, no matter what their political affiliation is. That is a book sale lost. And so…..I refrain. Even when it might kill me.

8.) The publishing game is all about waiting. The managing editor at Entangled Publishing told me something about a week after I was contracted that has stuck with me. In the world of publishing, there is a serious amount of waiting. You send an email, you wait for a response. You leave a voicemail, you wait for a return call. You send your edits to your editor, you wait for the next round. You send a full to your publisher to consider, you wait for a response. Period. The waiting is the same for everyone, and it give everyone a belly ache. (Well, unless your name is Nora Roberts. Then I think the turn around time is quick. Frankly, my name isn't Nora, and so I wait.) The sooner you accept this, and learn to open a new document and start a new story while you're waiting, the better off you'll be. And your stomach will be. Ugh.

9.) An author needs to keep strengthening their craft. Never assume that you are as good as you're going to get. If you think you are, please go become a dental hygienist. Authors need to continually work on perfecting their craft. I wish I'd known before becoming published how important it is to budget for conferences. There is something about the camaraderie between fellow authors and the energy of a conference that can really ignite one's muse, and teach new concepts, or introduce new characters. Let your skills grow, and do everything you can do cultivate it. Set aside some of your royalties to make these necessary trips happen. Your fans will thank you, as will your characters.

10.) You can do it. I can't begin to tell you how many times I was told that I wouldn't succeed. That I would never get published, or that I should forfeit my dreams for something more attainable. And in all honesty…I let the naysaying drive me. Turn someone else's doubt into the gasoline filling your tank. You can do it!

Thanks for having me here on your blog, Rebecca. I had a lot of fun! I would love to offer a signed copy of my debut novel, The What If Guy, to a lucky reader. Leave a comment, and tell me what you've learned since entering this crazy world of publishing, either as an aspiring or a published author. I can't wait to share my book with everyone. Find me elsewhere on the web, at my website, blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Filed under: Guest Blogger Tagged: Brooke Moss, Entangled Publishing, help for writers, lessons, publishing, The What If Guy, Writing

Come to the CLAIMED launching party!

Just a quick reminder (yes, it's on the Latest News page, too).  If you're in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Filed under: CLAIMED, DARK PROTECTORS, Random thoughts Tagged: book signing, Brava, CLAIMED, Dark Protectors, Fated, giveaways, Gourmet Way, Hayden, Kensington, Launching party, party, wine

I'm on the Brava Blog GIVING AWAY BOOKS.

Happy Friday everyone.  I just wanted to drop by and say I'm giving away copies of Fated and/or Claimed over on the Brava blog today.  I'm also talking about my most recent embarassing moment and hot army guys…

Head on over and leave a comment for a chance to win.  

Filed under: Random thoughts

Reviews for Claimed are pouring in

Hi all! First, thanks for the incredible support during the first week of CLAIMED's release!  If you get the chance to read the book, drop me a line and let me know what you think.  I just (about ten seconds ago) sent the copy edits of TEMPTED to Megan at Kensington.  This is the first time we've had electronic copy edits instead of hard copies, but I think I got the hang of it.

If any of you are anywhere near Cd'A Idaho next Wednesday, (Nov. 9th, 4:00pm to 7:00pm) we're having a signing party for CLAIMED at Gourmet Way in Hayden.  There will be wine, yummies, and books…as well as some door prizes.  I've found if you ply people with wine, they buy even more books.  Who knew. 

So, I've been getting google alerts from different reviews for CLAIMED, and thought I'd share a few.  Click on the review name for the entire review.  Here they are:

Good Choice Reading:    I consider myself a HUGE fan of Rebecca Zanetti's "Dark Protector's" series. Which is Fated now Claimed. Before I started blogging, I wasn't a paranormal fan. And now I'm hooked. Not only am I hooked but I'm hooked on this series. Rebecca's books have a little bit of everything. It has Action, Science, Romance and my favorite it's sexy! It's so sexy it's steamy. Though it has sexy and steamy scenes, it's written very tastefully. I love her writing. PERIOD. This series has become one of my favorite series.

Hanging with Bell's Review: This series is different and I just so happen to love different so this series is a win/win for me. The men in the story are sexy and so alpha that they will have you falling hard and fast. The story sucks you in from page one and just keeps on going. Not only is there action and heat but the sexual energy will capture you from page to page.

Reviewer Nikki Brandyberry:  Emma and Dage burn through each and every page! His push and her pull creating an incredible friction that lights the page on fire! Rebecca Zanetti combines excellent story telling and incredible world building to give readers a sexy thrill ride wrought with action they won't forget!  I give Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti 5 stars!

EBook Obsessed: 5 stars.  The science introduced in the changing DNA and the effects and development of the virus add a unique and very interesting aspect to this series which keeps it from being just another vampire story.  Add to that the impending war between the Vampires and the Kurjans.  This all makes for a very exciting series.

Lynn Rush:  5 out of 5 stars. I really love Rebecca Zanetti's writing. So visual and engrossing, I can't put her books down until I've read just one more chapter (and lost hours of sleep!)

Anyway, those are a few of the recent reviews I've found.  Thought I'd share. 

Filed under: CLAIMED, DARK PROTECTORS Tagged: book signing, CLAIMED, Dark Protectors, EBook Obsessed, Good Choice Reading, Gourmet Way, Hanging with Bell's, Kensington, Lynn Rush, Megan Records, Nikki Brandyberry, reviews, Tempted, Wanda [image error]

Halloween Blog Hop: A stripper, a demon, and a serial killer walk into a cave…

Welcome to the Halloween blog hop where you could win a Kindle–or a bunch of other prizes!  Click on the banner to get back on the hop!  We used a scene generator and my characters are: a serial murderer, a demon, and a stripper.  My adjectives are: undead, driven, and hungry.  Finally, the scene takes place in: a cave.

He may be a demon, but Brodey had the body of a God.

Andrea struggled against her chains, her gaze on the demon who'd stolen her heart months ago. Sure, it was the same old story. Stripper fell in love with demon, they had some amazing times, he left to fulfill his job of taking evil souls out of the world. It probably happened every day.

The chains rattled against each other, set so securely into the hard rock of the cave walls. She was a strong, driven woman, and again tried again to spit out the gag, to yell at Brodey for walking into what was so obviously a trap. Walking? Hell. The demon had sauntered.

He lifted an eyebrow. Arrogance cut hard lines in his face, an arrogance not diminished one whit by the fact that he faced her, naked to the waist, chained to the opposite wall. His legs were occupied by squeezing the life out of the man writhing on the floor. "You're positively spitting mad, darlin."

Low and deep, that voice cut through her memories as certainly as it cut through her heart. The scents of raw earth and powerful male comingled in the small space. She shoved out the gag. "You stupid son of a bitch."

His smile failed to quench or even reach the fire swirling in his dark eyes. Real fire. The guy was a demon, after all. "At the very least, you might say thank you."

Fury ripped through her so quickly her head might as well blow off. "Thank you? For what? For walking into an obvious trap and condemning us both to death?"

"I heard Marcel had you…the undead bastard." The fire in Brodey's eyes wandered a red flush down his torso—now he was getting irritated. "As I've already taken out the rest of his crew, as I promised you I'd do, I'm here for the last serial murderer in that gang." Brodey twisted his knees, snapping Marcel's neck. The body dropped to the ground. One more serial murderer taken out of the world. "I'm also here…for you."

"We're tied up, and you just killed the only guy who can get us out of here." Sure, Marcel had planned to torture and kill her slowly, so his being dead set all right with her. But she hadn't wanted to die in chains.

Brodey shrugged, the movement rippling solid muscles through his chest. A chest she'd spent hours resting on so many months ago. Amusement lifted his upper lip. "I remember our time fondly as well."

"Stay out of my head." All demons could read minds, a fact she'd learned the hard way. Why the heck wasn't he more concerned? If anything, the demon looked hungry. For her.

"I am hungry." He'd said he'd return after taking them all out.

She hadn't believed him.

"You should've believed me." He growled low, and yanked one arm free. The chain swept out. Rocks sprayed. His other arm followed suit. He was free. Two steps forward and he stood before her. Tall, strong, and male.

Relief made her shoulders sag. "Excellent. Now get me free."

His slow smile warmed her head to toes…and everywhere in between. "Not quite yet, darlin. Let's, er, talk first."

Thanks for dropping by my blog on the hop today!  If you need to get back on the blog hop, here's the link:  HALLOWEEN BLOG HOP.  Besides giving away a copy of CLAIMED on the big hop, I'm giving away a copy from my blog here to one commenter.  So…do you have any halloween plans?

Filed under: Blog Hop Tagged: Blog Hop, demon, free read, Halloween, halloween blog hop, paranormal, paranormal romances, story, win a kindle [image error] [image error] [image error]

Capture CLAIMED and WIN the First ARC of HUNTED

Hi all!  First, CLAIMED is out in the wild today!  Emma and Dage's story is available in bookstores starting today…go out and hunt it down!  I thought I'd run a fun contest since CLAIMED is out there, and the winner will be sent the first ARC of HUNTED, which is book 3 in the Dark Protector Series.  All you have to do is find a copy of CLAIMED in a store, take a picture, and email it as an attachment to:

Claimed_darkprotectors@yahoo.com

You have until I receive the ARCs of HUNTED for me to draw a name.  HUNTED will be released on May 1, 2012, so I should have ARCs several months before that.  I'll also feature pictures with photo credit on my blog once in a while. 

The e-format of CLAIMED should be downloadable starting NOW next Tuesday, November 1st for your computer or e-reader.  (Mine just downloaded to my kindle).

Here's the blurb for CLAIMED:

While geneticist Emma Paulsen appreciates vampire king Dage Kayrs rescuing her from the evil, pasty, creepy Kurjan leader who wanted to mate with her, she wouldn't have needed rescuing had the vampires not gone to war.  And while she's willing to spend one night fulfilling her fantasies with Dage, no way does she plan to stick around for good.  Whether the king happened to brand her flesh or not.

That is until her pregnant sister, Cara, contracts a Kurjan virus that will not only destroy the baby but strip Cara's chromosomal pairs until she's possibly less than human.  A virus that turns shifters into werewolves.  A bug that requires science, magic and physics to be quashed.  Emma will have to suspend her every belief in science and to trust the vampires in order to save her sister.

Dage Kayrs has waited three centuries to find his mate.  As King of the Realm, he's accustomed to diplomacy and design, although he'd rather rip his enemy's head off than negotiate.  He's tired of hiding his true nature.  He's tired of being alone.  But the greatest challenge of his long life will be in learning to compromise enough to keep Emma, his learning to bend during a time of war when his oldest friends might become his greatest enemies.

If you read CLAIMED, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.  Also, feel free to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, Etc.  Thanks!

Filed under: CLAIMED, DARK PROTECTORS Tagged: ARC, ARC contest, Arcs, bookstores, Brava, CLAIMED, contest, Dark Protectors, e-book, HUNTED, Kensington, Kensington Brava, pictures, release day

A Spicy Nocturne Cravings Novella from Mina Khan!

Happy Wednesday to you all!  I talked my good friend Mina into guest blogging for me today and talking about her amazing novella, THE DJINN'S DILEMMA.  Yeah, I've read it!  And it rocks!

Hi everyone! Thanks Rebecca, for inviting me to your blog! It's such an honor to be here.  Rebecca was a beta reader for my paranormal erotic novella, THE DJINN'S DILEMMA (coming out Nov. 1 — WooHoo!), and helped me make my story the best it could be.

 

We all have different definitions of what makes a good story. To me a successful story comes from the writer's heart and touches readers' hearts. A good story communicates and transforms, creates an invisible, but real bond.

 

When I go through my keeper shelf and look at my favorite books, the ones I have read and re-read over and over – they all tell a good story. They make me laugh and cry. They have broken my heart, and made me believe love triumphs all.

 

My hero, the half-djinn/half-human assassin, Rukh O' Shay was amazing to write. He is mysterious and sinfully seductive, with a dark past and a wry sense of humor. He's literally made me laugh out loud, sigh and swoon, and even cry as I have typed his story onto the pages. I hope readers love him as much as I do.

 

He falls desperately in love with his human target, a dedicated journalist and down-to-earth Texas gal, Sarah Jasmine White. While she's dogged when it comes to her stories, she flounders when dealing with Rukh. What I love about her: she faces her fears, and chooses to be brave.

 

I hope THE DJINN'S DILEMMA is a keeper story. 

 

[image error]Blurb: Rukh O'Shay, half-djinn and assassin, is used to taking out the bad guys. But his latest assignment, Texas Journalist Sarah White, is nothing like he expected. A glimpse of her bright aura reveals her gentle spirit, while her beauty makes him long for only one thing—to taste her.

Sarah shares the raw desire to connect with Rukh. He can turn her on with a glance, and satisfies needs she didn't even know she had.

 

But Rukh had been hired to kill her—and the only way to save her is to find out who wants her dead before someone else finishes the job….

 

If you read THE DJINN'S DILEMMA, please let me know what you think. You can reach me at:

www.facebook.com/Mina.Khan.Author

http://minakhan.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/SpiceBites

 

My Keeper Shelf includes: Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu, Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig, Savvy by Ingrid Law, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What's on your shelf?

Bio: Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.

She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction.

Filed under: Guest Blogger Tagged: erotic novella, HQN, Mina Khan, Nocturne Cravings, novella, spice Bites, Texas, The Djinn's Dilemma [image error]

The Description for CLAIMED is Wrong on IBooks

Hi all!  Steph called me last night and was like, um, well, what is CLAIMED about?  She was kind of joking since she's already read the book.  But she was trying to pre-order a copy for her fancy new IPad2, and the description is wrong.  My name, publisher, release date, title and picture of CLAIMED are all correct.  But here's the description: 

by Rebecca Zanetti

View More By This Author

This book is available for download on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and on your computer with iTunes.

Description

He wants her. She needs him.

Total Submission

Private Investigator Mandy Thompson knows how to dig beneath the surface and uncover secrets about other people. But the tables are turned when she enters the erotic lair of Master Zane and finds herself revealing her most intimate sexual fantasies. Within this world of dark and dangerous passion, she gives in to her desire for extreme pleasure. She is no longer in control. Her body craves the sensual ecstasy only one man can give her. All she can do is surrender to her master. . .

So, I've notified the Magnificent Megan at Kensington and I'm sure it'll be fixed in no time.  I assume stuff like this happens once in a while, and it's no big deal, but I wanted to make sure those of you checking out books for your IPAD knew that CLAIMED is about Emma and Dage's story.  Well, and vampires. 

On a side note, I'm over at Brooklyn Ann's talking about S.E.X. today.  Drop by and say hi!

Filed under: Random thoughts Tagged: wrong description on ibooks [image error]