Cheryl Harper's Blog, page 16

Compulsive writer-ing

There shall be no Elvis in today’s post. I have decreed it and it shall be so.

Instead, I thought I’d show a little (more) of my crazy. Before I had a book contract, I spent some time thinking about what it would be like when I had one. Then I compulsively checked my email for responses from this editor, the other editor, and the one behind that. Sure, most of them were polite rejections but the waiting is the hardest part. Not the writing, not the submitting, not even the picking myself back up again…the waiting is killer for me. So I checked, checked, and re-checked.

I did not count on how many more compulsions I might pick up when I finally had a story out there in the wide world. And right here and right now, I need to just say I believe this happened in the perfect time and in the perfect way. Codi and Jaclyn are talented. I’m so happy to have been included.

Email is still right at the top of the list. I’m still submitting but I also have edits coming and going, marketing stuffs, training stuffs, encouraging words, and general inbox mayhem. This is a Very Good Thing. I love it. I still thrill to see an email waiting for me.

Then there’s my really bad problem with Twitter. I am a lurker. Always have been, probably always will be. Here I can read editor pet peeves (laughing until you cry was all me, but now…that will totally be handled) and conversations between the cool (multi-published, big list hitters) kids.

And Goodreads…oh, dear. Ever since the first review popped up, I’ve been checking. More. MORE. I NEED MORE! And I don’t even really understand WHY! But I want them! Probably just to know there’s someone out there.

And Facebook. And Amazon. And Barnes and Noble. Oh, and the Avon site…because I have a fancy new cover for Stuck on You that nearly killed me dead when I opened it…but I have to wait for it be all public and stuff.

I can’t write! I’m too busy checking things. Be right back…pretty sure my iPhone just dinged to let me know I have an email.

Elvis, Kismet, and Tunes

Everyone has a story about how they started out. I started like most people. I collected form letter rejections. Then there was a call for submissions. A novella? Easy enough. And I had the germ of an idea that involved a snowstorm and being stranded in Memphis.

Then the King took over. I dreamed up a hotel. I wrote the story. And it was accepted.

Then in an amazing stroke of luck, my editor asked if I had any other stories set there.

I did not. But over a weekend, I built three of the strongest ideas I could. I emailed them, they were accepted and I was up against my very first deadline. That story, Stuck on You, will be out in April.

It really does not get any better than that.

Along the way, I’ve had some real Elvis immersion. I found this great video for Stuck on You. And I watch it now and then because it totally gives me the whole Elvis hot burnin’ thing. I think I was driving home on Thanksgiving and listening to the Elvis channel on XM radio (free on that weekend, yay!) broadcasting directly from Graceland itself and I heard this song. And I cannot get it out of my mind now. I sing with this video (but the photos make me think how rough the 70s were on most people. I was born in the 70s but quickly transitioned to PacMan shirts, two pairs of socks, and high-top Reeboks…the style choices weren’t really that much kinder in the 80s, were they?)

Please enjoy “It’s Your Baby, You Rock It” from Elvis’ country phase. And if this one doesn’t stick with you, try “Stuck on You”. It makes me want to pull my hair and scream and cry and possibly faint. Not really. But if you’d seen me when the New Kids on the Block were hot, you’d believe me.

I’m thinking of putting an excerpt up from the first chapter of Stuck on You on Friday. Come back!

Tagged: Elvis, Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Stuck On You, Valentine's Day

Excerpt 3 from Love Me Tender

Chapter Three

Heartbreak Hotel

 

When he nudged her, Julie stumbled to a stop. If she didn’t get to a bed soon, she’d fall asleep on her feet somewhere, but there was something she was trying to remember, a reason this was a really bad idea. She grabbed his arm to pull him up beside her and then leaned against him as they walked to the elevator. He sighed as he reached over to push the button.

“No staring at my ass,” she said. “It’s been a long day and I don’t have it in me to control all the jiggle and bounce, you know?”

He shook his head as he watched the numbers over the elevator. “If it’s not me staring at your ass, it’s someone else. Does that make it better?”

She yawned widely and rested her forehead on his shoulder. “As long as he keeps his mouth shut about it, it’s better.”

“I stand by my earlier judgment. Never change that ass, okay? If you think you might, call me so I can talk you out of it.”

Julie knew her mouth was hanging open but there was absolutely nothing to say to that. Her teeth clicked as she snapped it shut.

“You know, Luke, I like you, but it’s okay to let the flirting go.”

He wrapped an arm around her to urge her onto the waiting elevator. “Thanks. I appreciate your kindness. I like you too. I like your ass. I wouldn’t mind taking either or both out on a date but you’ve got your reasons.”

She ignored his added, “Wish I knew what they were,” and watched the doors close. Before they shut, she saw the long line at the reception desk and was glad she’d hooked up with a sprinter instead of a distance runner. His speed was going to get her into bed sooner rather than later.

At that thought, she snorted.

He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. If she made it through this night without losing her mind, it was going to be a damn miracle. When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out on the top floor. It had to be the luxury floor because the carpet and walls were all covered in leopard-skin print. With a sinking feeling, she followed Luke down the hall. When he paused in front of a set of double doors, she took the handle of her suitcase from him and leaned against the wall.

Luke whistled as he stepped inside, and she tried to take a fortifying breath but it whooshed out as she stepped into a room decorated exclusively in white and purple. The walls were white. So was the carpet. The chair and love seat in front of a large television were purple. So were the bedspread, the lamp, the curtains, and even the telephone. The bright neon of the Elvis alarm clock and the movie posters on the walls were nice additions.

As he flipped on the light in the small bathroom beside the door, Luke whistled again. Biting her lip, Julie took a deep breath and peered into the room. It was pink. Every bit of it. Tiles, toilet, sink, shower curtain … all in pink.

“I hate pink!” she moaned as she dropped the handle of her suitcase, which toppled over and landed with a thump. Completely understanding the sentiment, she collapsed against the purple velvet sofa and started to laugh.

Tagged: Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Rock'n'Rolla Hotel, Valentine's Day

Welcome to the Rock’n'Rolla Hotel, a place fit for THE KING

I’ve never been invited to play on a blog tour before. I had to think, think, think about what to write. I did have one flash of inspiration but I was afraid the cool kids might sniff disdainfully and tell the noob to chill. So I pretended to be cool when I was visiting other people’s homes this week (yes, that’s COOL for me. Okay?)

But here…well, look what I did. What should I have been doing? Never mind that. I’ll never be a graphic artist. Or a photographer. Or a cruise ship towel folder (but did you know you can find everything on YouTube? Holy How-to, Batman! This was as close as I could get to a hound dog. You’ll probably get another chance or seven to enjoy. I worked hard on this.)

This time tomorrow, you could be reading “Love Me Tender” in Kiss Me…come on, you know you’re curious now! (Amazon, Barnes & Noble). The Rock’n'Rolla’s the setting for this novella and three more books!

Tagged: Elvis, Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Rock'n'Rolla, Rock'n'Rolla Hotel, Stuck On You

You never forget your first: the KISS ME blog tour, y’all!

Here’s the thing…I’m so excited. I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and there’s not much I can do about it, you know? Codi, Jaclyn and I had a great opportunity to write some blog posts for next week.

I don’t know if I’ve told you this but…we have a Valentine’s Day anthology coming out. Yeah, it’ll be on sale on February 5. Surely there’s a link or twelve around here to take you to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (check the Books page. Please? Come on. You know you need a Valentine’s Day bon bon or three).

Here’s the wheres, the whens and the whos. You know the whys.

Books and Kisses - Codi, Feb 4 (MONDAY)

United by Books - Cheryl, Feb 5 (TUESDAY, RELEASE DAY!!!!)

Romanceaholic - Jacyln, Feb 6 (WEDNESDAY)

Ex Libris - Codi, Feb 7 (THURSDAY)

Cocktails and Books - Cheryl, Feb 8 (FRIDAY)

Novel Reflections - Jaclyn, Feb 11 (MONDAY)

Tagged: blog tour, Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Valentine's Day

Excerpt 2 from Love Me Tender, Ch 1

She wanted to smile back. So badly. Instead she cleared her throat. “Was I saying that out loud?”

“No, but I think every person who flies has probably prayed, ‘Please let that kid sleep all the way through, let the toilets work, let the flight be smooth and my connection on time, and don’t let that guy sit next to me.’ ” He wiggled his arms a bit, each shift rubbing across her right arm and thigh. “These seats get any smaller and we’re actually going to have to get a butt cheek removed to get in.”

Julie’s lips twitched but she wasn’t going to laugh. He made that difficult. “Listen, maybe we should try to get someone to switch with one of us. We’d probably both be happier.”

He waved his hand. “I am in no way complaining about being wedged in with you. Besides, I don’t think the right combination exists to fit us into a spot like this comfortably.”

As the flight attendant closed the door, he added, “I just think that’s the next machine that ought to go up at security. Maybe they could call it the Ass Minimizer 2000 or something.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Let’s get to work on that. An invention like that would make us a buck or two.”

Her smile fought its way to the surface before she snorted. “Believe me, I’ve been trying to lose some portion of my”—she licked her lips—“rear end for most of my life. If I could have invented something like that, I’d have already done it.”

And then she wanted to smack her forehead. Or maybe die. Calling attention to the size of her rear was never a good idea.

When a wicked smile spread across his face and his eyes heated, she knew that a mental smack to the head would never be enough.

“I think that might be a shame, darlin’. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Tagged: Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Valentine's Day

Excerpt 1 from Love Me Tender, Ch 1

Chapter One
Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Julie Dillon prayed under her breath while she did a particularly active form of airplane yoga. She contorted her nearly six-foot frame into this position and that to wrangle the seat belt and buckle out of the seat before cramming her twenty inches of hip into a seventeen-inch seat.

“Please don’t let anyone sit next to me. Please, God, let’s leave this one seat empty, okay?”

This had been the day from hell, if hell was a frozen wasteland that sent freezing precipitation across half the country. So far she’d gone from Atlanta to Chicago to Charlotte and right back to where she started before dawn. After a quick race through the airport, she’d been one of the last people to board the final flight of the day. It would take a miracle for her to make it to Dallas tonight but she wanted to get home. She was staring Valentine’s Day in the face, and if she didn’t make it home tonight, she’d be at the mercy of the world’s romantics tomorrow. Maybe the good luck that had gotten her to the gate on time would hold and that seat would be vacant for the hour and a half it would take to fly from Atlanta to Dallas.

As Julie leaned back to take a deep, calming breath, she kept an anxious eye on the front of the cabin and the still-open door. Really wish I’d taken this jacket off before I buckled in. With her knees crammed up against the seat pocket in front of her, she decided there was no way she’d ever be comfortable on this flight, jacket or no jacket, and besides, she didn’t have enough energy to repeat the process and take it off. Instead, she waved her hand limply around her glowing face and decided to cool herself by sheer force of will. She closed her eyes to concentrate and kept whispering “Please let it be empty” under her breath.

“Sorry, darlin’, but that prayer isn’t going to be answered.”

At the deep, soothing voice, Julie’s eyes snapped open and she swallowed a groan. She didn’t want anyone in that seat, but she sure as heck would have picked just about anyone else besides Luke Pearce.

Tagged: Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Valentine's Day

It Happened On Valentine’s Day

There have been a few things I was unprepared for in this journey to my first on-sale date. Seeing the first rating up on Goodreads was one of them. First I flipped, then I tried to imagine how it was possible as the book’s not out yet, then I told myself to just calm the hell down. This is a marathon, not a sprint after all. People with writing careers need to learn to pace themselves. And that’s the goal: a career.

And then, when I should have been writing or working on the day job, I was watching television and googling. I made sure my Google alerts were set. Yep. Then I went over to Amazon to see if anything was happening.

Searched my name and the first result on the list was something I’ve never seen before. It was from Avon. But the first name on it was Eloisa James. So somebody made a mistake. But I was curious because it was Valentine’s Day related, just like Kiss Me. I read the list of names under it and there was Cheryl Harper. Since I didn’t know anything about it, I was still pretty sure it was a mistake somehow. Then I embiggened the cover and Cheryl Harper is on it. Right next to Rachel Gibson. I gasped. Audibly. I think I scared the dog. Then I fired off an email to editor Chelsey that went something like “Wha?” And also “Wha?” And then maybe a “squeeOMGthatcan’tbemecanit”.

And it is. This is a free sampler, a collection of excerpts from some of your favorites. And me. Oh holy night. February 22, you can get it for free. I’m hoping you’ll already have Kiss Me, have laughed heartily and rated it all 5 stars in every rating location you can find. But if not, maybe you’ll try this.

I will be cowering under by bed by the time this one’s out so somebody call me to tell me how it goes, okay?

Tagged: Avon, Avon Impulse, Eloisa James, Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Rachel Gibson, Valentine's Day, writing

Elvis, Stuck on You, and titles

Thanks to the quest to put an Elvis flavor on the stories I’m writing, I’ve become a little bit of an Elvis scholar lately. Well, maybe that’s the wrong word. An Elvis dabbler. When I found out I had to change the title to ALL SHOOK UP, I was bummed. In a major way. I still am to tell the truth, but I love the story. And I soooo get the power of the Elvis, maybe even better now.

I watched half a zillion YouTube videos to pick the first three titles. This week, I’ve watched the other half. And the new title is STUCK ON YOU. Don’t know the song? Me either. It was Elvis’ first hit after he returned from the Army, and it was published by Gladys Music, his music company (named after his mother but you probably knew that). And I picked this one because it’s young and fun and the Elvis I think about when I was Elvis.

My story is…well, not all that young, but it’s fun and sweet. And no matter the power of Elvis’ hips, I get sweet from Stuck on You.

If I’d been a teenager in 1960, I would have been one of those that passed out, pulled at my hair, and generally had a melt down over Elvis Presley. I can see that now…from this video. Watch it. Enjoy it. Eventually I’ll get around to changing all my book information and Avon will too.

Tagged: All Shook Up, Elvis, Stuck On You

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

So yesterday I got an invitation from Codi Gary, fellow Avon Impulse Kiss Me anthology author, to join the Next Big Thing blog hop. Since I am a joiner by nature, I was so up for that! The Rules: Answer 10 questions and invite up to 4 writing friends along. (Note to self: find some writing friends, invite them along.)

CLICK HERE to see Codi’s answers. To find out more about Codi’s novella, “The Trouble with Sexy” (such a great name!) in the KISS ME anthology (available 2/5/13…you didn’t forget, did you? No worries. I’ll remind you because I’m cool like that), CLICK HERE.

Q. What is the title of your book?

ALL SHOOK UP is  coming in April. It’s the next in my Rock’n'Rolla Hotel series. The first? Yeah, I have this novella called “Love Me Tender” in the KISS ME anthology (*cough* available February 5 *cough*)

Q. Where did the idea for the book come from?

The novella came from a couple places: Valentine’s Day + snow storm = rerouted flight + co-workers = true love. How I got to Memphis and created an Elvis-themed motel…yeah, that’s murkier. Laura, the modest showgirl waitress in the first book, was in the novella. In ALL SHOOK UP she encounters child star KT Masters who’s in town to tape the celebrity impersonator contest at the Rock’n'Rolla.

Q. What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary romance

Q. Which actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie?

For All Shook Up, I actually started with characters in mind. KT Masters is all Nathan Fillion as Castle, charm charm charm. And Laura is a modest showgirl who looks like Kelly Monaco because I have a real Dancing With The Stars problem.

Q. What is the one sentence synopsis for your book?

Oof. This is hard.

A modest showgirl waitress and a child star with a wild streak find true love surrounded by faux celebrities in a hotel fit for The King.

Q. Will your book be self published or by an agency?

It will be published by Avon Impulse, on sale in April.

Q. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Two and a half weeks? I think that’s right. Then I had about that long to edit it. It was my first attempt at working with a deadline. I was skeered.

Q. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmmm. I’m not sure. I’m a fan of romances with plenty of humor, like Jennifer Crusie’s. Some of hers are set in crazy places. But I’d never compare my story to any of hers! Maybe someday…

My goal: I want you to smile as you read.

Q. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I was unpublished and I wanted to try my hand at Avon’s call for submissions. It seemed like a great chance with very little risk. I liked those odds. I started the novella “Love Me Tender” with one scene in my head. Everything else I created to make it work. The hotel was part of that but as I worked I could totally see it in my head. Then my editor asked if I had any other stories set there, and I so did. In ALL SHOOK UP, we meet the hotel owner, Miss Willodean Jackson, and her dog Misty. We also meet the hero of the next book and have a hint about the third book.

Q. What else about your book might interest the reader?

If you love a good Elvis song or movie or Graceland, you could like these.

If you like lighthearted romance with plenty of laughter and a little steam, you could like these.

If you like a series with connected characters who make their own family, you could like these.

Mini Excerpt-ALL SHOOK UP

Laura made it back out in time to hear the rustle of whispers as every diner in the bar turned to watch KT Masters sweep in with Willodean Jackson, owner of the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel and Laura’s personal guardian angel, on one arm. She couldn’t blame the crowd. KT Masters should be talked about in hushed tones. At first glance, he seemed handsome but only in a slightly above average kind of way. He was tall, with broad shoulders, brown hair cut in what was probably a very expensive style but it wasn’t trendy, and his brown eyes honestly sparkled with good humor. The long sleeves of his button-down were rolled up to reveal truly top notch forearms. Distressed denim covered long legs and he wore…running shoes. That wasn’t really what she expected, but overall he looked healthy. And fit. She liked the look. A lot. He might just be classically handsome, not the sexiest man alive, but charm oozed from him. His star power competed with the lights of the bar.

Laura watched him pat Willodean’s hand and both preened under all the attention before she loaded up a tray for the strange combination of another Justin Bieber, David Copperfield, and two Marilyn Monroes. Glad to have an easier table, Laura laughed at one of the Marilyn’s jokes, made a quick delivery, and managed to slip out of the way of the Hollywood entourage just in time.

The big man in charge paid her no attention but Willodean winked once. She’d clearly dressed carefully for the occasion because it was a big deal for the hotel. This talent show had been going on almost since the hotel opened and had grown in popularity. But there had never been camera crews or real, live, actual Hollywood talent. Not that she hadn’t tried to get them here. Willodean was a natural hype woman, a product of the old school hustle. The rumors were that her first husband had been one of the Memphis Mafia and that’s where all the hotel’s memorabilia came from. Laura privately thought that was exactly the kind of story Willodean would invent and circulate.

Tagged: All Shook Up, Codi Gary, Elvis, Kiss Me, Love Me Tender, Next Big Thing Blog Hop, Rock'n'Rolla Hotel