Manda Collins's Blog, page 6

I'm Baaa-aaaack! & Announcements

As you may, or may not, know, I traveled last week to that far away land where the big time book publishers live. Where editors and agents schmooze with one another in dimly lit bars, and where cover artists create images that can launch a thousand sales. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I went to New York City!

Wait, wait! Don't get a rope! I didn't make picante sauce or anything. I attended the Romance Writers of America convention, where I got to hob nob with friends and gawk at the famous writers whose books led me down this crazy path to publication.

My first notable moment came on Tuesday evening when I had drinks with my agent formidable, Holly Root, and my editor fantastique, Holly Blanck. Yes, they are both named Holly. And they are AWESOME. Like seriously awesome. We talked about the books, and we talked about what's up next. But mostly we just chatted about the business and about random stuff, like the Back Street Boys and the Beatles. And the joys of New York City.

After drinks, Holly B. and I headed back to the hotel, where people had been lining up since early that morning for the Literacy Signing which would feature everyone who is anyone signing books for charity. And OMG, that line was STILL THERE when I got back from drinks. And it had been going on for an hour already! Crazy sauce! I managed to sneak in and see a couple of authors like Christine Merrill (whose Regencies are to die for) and Liz Talley (who writes great stories for Harlequin SuperRomance) but then the crowd just overwhelmed me. I made it back to chat with Toni Blake for a while, and then I got the heck out. If you've never been to a signing like that it's hard to describe. Except to say that it is INTENSE.

The next day brought the PRO Retreat, where I was schedule to speak, along with Kieran Kramer, Renee Ryan and Vicki Lewis Thompson about waiting for the first sale. There were so many people there! I was kind of terrified, but my old college instructor genes kicked in so I was able to hold my own. Which was tough considering how much talent was on the panel with me. Hopefully I gave the PRO attendees some hope for the future, and some inspiration for them to hold onto until their first sale.

Thursday was the first full day of workshops, and as per my usual conference-going self, I slept through the early ones. I just am NOT a morning person at all. But I did make it to the workshop with Karen Rose and Stephanie Tyler talking about the Romantic Suspense market. Great workshop and both those ladies shared some great information about the market, what's selling (all kinds of RS) and how their own careers are going. I was very interested to hear that Karen Rose is marketed as a thriller writer everywhere but in the US where she is Romantic Suspense.

That night, I was lucky enough to attend my first EVER publisher party at RWA. I rode in a cab with my fellow St. Martin's Press authors Tiffany Clare, Christina Brooke, and Elizabeth Essex. I must say it was pretty effing exciting to exit the cab outside the world famous Flatiron Building. We got our name tags and rode up in the old fashioned, very fancy elevator, up to the offices on the 9th floor where we were greeted by other early party goers. Editor Holly greeted us and introduced us around. I distinguished myself by informing the legendary Jennifer Enderlin that she edits Jennifer Crusie. *headdesk* Only to follow that moment of social stupidity by telling Jennifer Crusie to her face that I loved her. She was a good sport and said "I love you too." But I feel sure she was only being polite. I mean really. She doesn't even *know* me!  After that, it was all downhill. But I had a fun time, and got to mix and mingle with all sorts of important people.

Friday came way faster than I could have expected. By that time I was kind of peopled out. Like many of my fellow writers I'm pretty introverted so that much chatter and constant schmoozing takes its toll. But I was still raring to go that night, when I was fortunate enough to take my friend Cynthia Eden's place as her stand-in for the RITA awards. She was nominated for Best Romantic Suspense for her book DEADLY FEAR. I shared a table with presenter Toni Blake, RITA Winner Jill Shalvis, RITA Nominee Sarah MacLean, both Jill and Sarah's editors, and mine and Toni's "dates", Lindsey Faber and Santa Byrnes. It was a fun ceremony, but nerve wracking since I spent the entire evening expecting to go up on stage to collect Cynthia's RITA, but Karen Rose ended up winning her category. I was pleased for Karen though, since I loved SILENT SCREAM. Plus I didn't have to get up in front of 2000 people, which was a pretty terrifying prospect. Here's a link to the Golden Heart and RITA Winners for 2011.

Saturday I flew back to coastal Alabama. After a few delays I made it home around 11 that evening. The kitties and the pup were glad to see me. And I was glad to see them. And no matter how great the hotel beds were in the Marriot, there's nothing like the feeling of your own bed and your own pillow. Heaven. Thank goodness for the 4th of July holiday, which gave me ample opportunity for naps.

Now for the announcements: 1, in case you haven't noticed, the extremely talented Frauke of CrocoDesigns has finished my web page! OMG is it not the prettiest thing you've ever seen??? I wand to climb into my monitor and live there. 2, In similar news, she has also finished my Facebook page, which again, is GORGEOUS! Like me there if you get a chance. Or just take a gander. It's all good.

I think that's all of my news for now. Since I'm back to the day job I guess I'll have to get back to doing the day job (heh).

But in the meantime, have you ever been to an awards ceremony? Did you have to present? Or go up on stage? Are you okay with crowds or not so much? Inquiring Minds want to know!

Cover Time

Just got official permission to share by GORGEOUS cover with all you fabulous folks. It is, if I say so myself, a scrumptious confection of a cover! I am utterly humbled and grateful for the wonderful cover artists at St. Martins for giving me such a squee-worthy image for my book. Love it!

In other fabulous news, quotes are coming in from some truly awe-inspiring authors who have read H2DWAD and the good news is that they do not say it sucks! Whew! In fact, they say things that make me giddy/humble.

First up, there's Vanessa Kelly, who says: "Manda Collins writes sexy and smart historical romance, with a big dash of fun.  Romance readers will adore How to Dance with a Duke!"

Then if that weren't blush-making enough, there's this quote from Keiran Kramer who writes: "Sexy, thrilling, and romantic—whether she's writing of the mysteries of the heart or of the shady underworld of  Egyptian relic smuggling, Manda Collins makes her Regency world a place any reader would want to dwell."

And finally, there's this one from Julie Anne Long, whose writing I have been touting since I read her first book these many moons ago: "Warmth, wit and delicious chemistry shine through every word of of Manda Collins's delightful debut. With a heroine to root for and a hero to die for, HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is a romance to remember."

I must retire to my boudoir now and succumb to the swoon that has threatened ever since all this fabulous news arrived. Then, it's champagne time!

Changes and A Cover!

First off, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted an update here. But I've been kind of busy. On May 2 I turned in the second book in my Ugly Ducklings' trilogy to my fabulous editor Holly Blanck. It was the first book I've ever written under contract. There is a HUGE difference between writing something on your own and writing something because someone has (gasp!) agreed to pay you for it! I can't explain how it differs, but it so does.

Next up, in HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE news, we have a cover!!! Unfortunately I can't show you just yet because it's not quite finished. But can I just say how AWESOME the art department at St. Martin's Press is? I mean, I was expecting something pretty because I've seen their covers in the past, but seriously, this cover is beyond my wildest imaginings. And I promise that as soon as I get the go-ahead I will post it here for all to see.

In other news, the lovely Frauke at Croco Designs is hard at work building a fabulous website which will soon be my home on the internets. I have no idea what it's going to look like, but I've given her some ideas. And having seen her work before on friends' sites, I have every faith that it's going to be brilliant.

Finally, I'm gearing up for the RWA National Conference at the end of June. I've been shopping and planning outfits and wishing I'd started a weight loss regimen earlier in the year. Ah well. I won't be signing anything at the Literacy signing this year since I don't even have the promise of an ARC yet. But there will be plenty of socializing and networking to do. Plus I get to go to my first ever publisher party! Also, the PASIC party is at the Algonquin which makes me feel faint every time I think of it. My inner Dorothy Parker is in alt.

Hope you and yours enjoy the Memorial Day holiday. I'll be thinking about the men and women who have given their lives so that you and I can be free.

We have a Date!!! (Sort of!)

I am pleased to announce that St. Martin's has set a tentative publication date of February 2012 for HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE. So, one year from now I'll be celebrating the publication of my first book! To say that it's surreal to even contemplate this, is a vast understatement. Even though it's been four months since I got the "call" I have a moment every day where I have to remind myself that I'm no longer just another unpublished author. Now I'm just another pre-published author, heh.

In other news, I'll be guest blogging with the fabulous Cynthia Eden for her Deadly Valentine Celebration on February 8th. Stop by and say hello!

On Disability Awareness and Romance

2010 has been a year of milestones for me.

August marked the 15th anniversary of the amputation of my left leg above the knee. And a little under two weeks ago, after years of hard work, I landed my first book deal with St. Martin's Press.

What do these two things have in common? Nothing on the surface. If you discount the fact that Regency Romance kept me sane during the aftermath of my amputation. That to this day when I think of certain books, I associate them with those months when I was struggling through the frustrations of learning to use a prosthesis properly. That my own desire to right sprang out of a desire to tell stories about women who struggle with hardship and come out the other side with their humor and perseverance intact.

While it's become common practice for romance authors to feature disabled heroes in their stories (after all, it makes for a much more powerful inner conflict to portray a big strong man dealing with the loss of control and autonomy that a disability can bring), disabled heroines have been fewer and more far between. Of course this is partly because men are more likely to take the sort of risks that lead to physical disability: they suffer the most war injuries, they like to drive fast and play hard. But there are disabled heroines, and they have been among my favorites in the genre.

Women like Henrietta Maclellan, from Eloisa James' wonderful novel FOOL FOR LOVE, who was born with a hip abnormality that she assumes will keep her from every marrying because it might prevent her from giving her husband an heir. Who ends up married to the delicious Simon Darby anyway, and having a healthy happy child.

Women like Lady Anne Peckworth, heroine of Jo Beverley's HAZARD, who has been jilted not once but twice, whose twisted foot keeps her from engaging in many of the societal past-times that most young ladies enjoy. Who ends up marrying the mysterious Race de Vere, who loves her for her strength.

Women like Lieutenant Magdalena Cruze, heroine of Raeanne Thayne's DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT, who returns home from the Iraq war with an amputated leg and a desire to be left alone. Who is pursued by Dr. Jake Dalton, who has always wanted her–something that doesn't change when he learns of her injury. 

It's often been said that we like to read about characters we can connect with. As a disabled woman, I am perfectly content to read about heroines who are able-bodied, so long as I can relate to them on a personal level. But there is something so…compelling for me about reading heroines who know what it is like to be looked at askance because you walk with a limp. Or to see strangers try to puzzle out what, precisely is "the problem" with your leg. Or simply to know what a pain it the neck it is to have your crutch make a loud clatter as it falls to the floor in the middle of a lecture. 

In my next book, I plan to write a heroine who will face these kinds of struggles. Not only because I think it will make for a compelling story, but because I think there is room in the genre for every sort of heroine. And if disabled authors don't write about disabled characters, then we get what we deserve when able-bodied authors gets it wrong or don't quite capture the reality of life with a disability.

This month, I challenge you to read a romance featuring a disabled hero or heroine. There's a less than comprehensive list of romances featuring Less Than Perfect heroes and heroines at AAR. And there's a list on the Eloisa James/Julia Quinn Bulletin Board called In Sickness and in Health that deals with both disability and illness in romance. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite books featuring disabled heroes and heroines? Inquiring minds want to know!

I got THE CALL!!!

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And I missed it!!!

Arrgh! I was brushing my teeth and didn't hear the phone ring until too late. And like a dummy I looked at the number and thought "hmm, wonder if that's Agent Holly?" (Because, I am that superstitious that I didn't program her number into my phone lest it would anger the publishing gods.)

Then in the hustle and bustle of getting myself dressed and out the door I forgot. Until I opened the door to go into my workplace. I thought, "hm, wonder if that was Agent Holly." Then I came in and booted up my computer.

And let me say, thank goodness for email! Because there in my inbox were two VERY IMPORTANT messages! 1. A Message from Agent Holly saying "Call Me!" and 2. A Message telling me that Holly Blanck, the editor at St. Martin's who had just asked for more reads on my MS, had friended me on Twitter.

Reader, I flipped the freak out! I called Agent Holly to learn that indeed, Editor Holly had offered me a three book deal for my regency historical HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE.

Since then, natch, I've been on cloud nine. I don't think it will go away any time soon. Or at least until I get my editorial notes. But even then I'll be pretty freaking excited.

I've waited a long time for this, readers. I started my first regency romance in 1994. Can you believe it? I finished my first novel in 2007. It didn't sell. HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is my second completed manuscript. And I've sold it.

For all of you out there who are struggling. Who are wondering if you should get out of the writing game? I'm here to tell you that persistence pays. My agent has this lovely rule: keep your eyes on your own paper. And she's so right. Everybody's journey is different. Everybody's deal is different. No two sales are the same. But if you hang in there. If you hone your craft. If you keep writing, even when that little voice in your head tells you you're crazy to try, something good will come of it. You will succeed.

It's been a long hard slog. And I know that more slogging is on it's way. But at least I can say that I've sold. I got the call.

Even if I did miss it the first time!

Want to Win a Great Friends to Lovers Romance?

Though I write Regency and Victorian, I am a sucker for contemporary romance. Heck, let's be honest. I'm a sucker for ANY romance.

Since I picked up a Silhouette Desire by Catherine Mann a few years ago (RICH MAN'S FAKE FIANCEE–brilliant!) I've blown through dozens of category romances, from Harlequin Blaze to Silhouette Special Edition to Harlequin Presents. One of my favorite authors in any line she chooses to write in, is Sarah Mayberry.

Whether she's writing a home and family style Harlequin Super Romance, like HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, about an Australian widower and the unconventional girl next door, or a sexy Blaze, like CAN'T GET ENOUGH, about two co-workers whose experience being trapped in an elevator changes their lives forever, Mayberry always creates real, likable, and vulnerable characters.

Her latest is the funny, warm and sexy HER BEST FRIEND, from Harlequin Super Romance. It's the story of Amy Parker, who has been in love with her best friend Quinn for years. But one fateful summer when they were fourteen he hooked up with their other friend, Lisa, whom he eventually married. Not wanting to upset the delicate balance of their friendship, Amy suppressed her feelings and stood by them both.

But now, Quinn and Lisa are divorcing, and when Quinn, now a successful attorney, comes to town to help Amy with some legal troubles, they find that there might be more to their friendship than they once thought.

HER BEST FRIEND is by turns funny, sexy, and heartwarming. There are very real obstacles to Quinn and Amy's romance–not the least of which is Lisa, Quinn's soon to be ex-wife, whom they both love and don't want to hurt. I liked that Lisa, though definitely in the wrong in the break-up of her marriage to Quinn, isn't an outright villain. And I liked that Quinn and Amy didn't just jump into a relationship without considering the consequences of their actions. These were two mature, caring, and responsible adults, who also happened to love each other.

How do you feel about friends-to-lovers romances? What are your favorites?  Would you like to read HER BEST FRIEND? I've got copies to give away to five lucky commenters! Contest ends on Sunday, September 19 at midnight!

Review: BREATHLESS by Anne Stuart

I'm not sure if it was because the Rohan in this book was a daughter, Miranda, and not a son (and therefore not quite as dreadful), or if it was perhaps the revenge theme, but I was not quite as enamored of BREATHLESS as I was of RUTHLESS and RECKLESS. There was also the squick factor that the hero engineered the heroine's ravishment by another man as part of his revenge plan–years before they even met, but still. And he didn't really ever show remorse about it–in fact more than once he reveled in the fact that she was no longer a virgin and therefore would not be such a drag to deflower. Don't get me wrong. I love me some jerky Anne Stuart heroines, but alas, Lucien was just a shade too jerky for my taste. Even so, BREATHLESS had a delicious Highborn Lady/Lowborn Gent secondary romance that was my favorite of this Rohan trilogy. And I loved Miranda's battles with the surly housekeeper at Lucien's Lake District estate. And when it comes down to it, I did enjoy the book. And Lucien, though a jerk for far too long, did redeem himself in the end. So, all in all, it was worth the read.