Guest Interview: Carol Ericson

Today our special guest is a fabulous former member of Fierce Romance, Carol Ericson!

Welcome, Carol! Please tell us about your latest release.

My September Harlequin Intrigue, The McClintock Proposal, is the third book in the McClintock Brothers series, which includes Circumstantial Memories, The Sheriff of Silverhill, and the 4th book, A Silverhill Christmas, which will be available in December.

Here is the back cover blurb for The McClintock Proposal: The moment Rod McClintock spots the disheveled bride on the side of the road, he knows life is about to become a lot more complicated. Callie Price is on the run and in need of his protection. She's also the answer to his financial woes, if they're both willing to say "I do."

A marriage of convenience is Callie's sole shot at inheriting the ranch that'll help her rebuild her life. All she needs is a husband in name only. Her smoldering cowboy rescuer fits the role perfectly. Too perfectly. As they struggle to escape a killer's obsession, peril and passion tie them together. And before long, someone is putting "till death do us part" to the ultimate test.…

Sounds wonderful! I love marriage of convenience stories! How are the books in this series connected and do they need to be read in order?

The books in this series are connected through the four McClintock brothers. The fourth brother, Rio McClintock in A Silverhill Christmas is illegitimate and didn't grow up with his brothers, which is a source of much bitterness for him. The books themselves aren't connected by an overarching story and can be read out of order, although the various brothers make appearances in each other's books and they all come together in the fourth book.

What do you like best about writing a series?

The best part about writing series is visiting old friends! We meet some of the same characters across the books, and if you've read the other books there are some inside jokes about those characters and shared history. Also, series give you a chance to check in on the heroes and heroines of the previous books to see how they're doing. :) That's my favorite part about reading series as well.

For me too! What is hardest about writing a series of this type?

The hardest aspect to writing a series is keeping elements of the characters or the setting straight. At least a portion of each book is set in Silverhill Colorado and when writing subsequent books in the series, I had to check back through the previous books to make sure I had the right name for a particular cafe or street. It keeps you on your toes! And with a series that's connected by an overarching story, you have to keep the elements of that story alive and progressing through each book.

Absolutely! For an unpublished author who would like to write for Intrigue, what advice would you give?

Advice I would give to an unpublished (or published!) author targeting Intrigue would be to use hooks. In category romance, hooks are very important, elements like secret babies, amnesia, women in peril, marriage of convenience, cowboys, brides--these are all very common and desired hooks for category romance. Also, for Intrigue you need to pack a lot of action into a little book. This means almost every chapter must end with....a cliffhanger! Finally, reading a lot of Intrigues will give you an idea of the types of story lines, heat level, and ratio of romance to suspense that the line is looking for. Before I sold my first Intrigue, I read a lot of Intrigues, which was enjoyable as well as educational!

Super advice! What is your writing process like?

I like to plot out somewhat before I start writing, except for the beginning of the book. Usually the opening scene of a book just comes to me and I'll sit down and write out the first few chapters, just letting the ideas from that initial spark flow onto the page. Then I sit back, look at what I have, and start sketching out a plot. I like to use the method in Discovering Story Magic, which focuses on character development to move your story along.

What's next for you?

Next up for me is the 4th book in the McClintock Brothers series, A Silverhill Christmas, which is coming out in December. Then for 2011, it's another 4-book series for Intrigue called Brothers in Arms and it's about three ex-military covert ops team members who are pulled back into their jobs to disrupt a drugs for arms deal that involves one of their missing team members. This series is connected by one major story, the missing covert ops member, who gets the fourth and final book all to himself. The first book in the series, Navy SEAL Security, will be out in March '11 and the second book, Mountain Ranger Recon, will follow in April '11. The other two books will be out later in the year.

In addition to my upcoming releases, I'm running a contest in September. To celebrate the release of my September Intrigue, The McClintock Proposal and to launch my revamped website at www.carolericson.com, I’m having a contest! The prize or I guess the prizes are the first three books of the McClintock Brothers series, Circumstantial Memories, The Sheriff of Silverhill, and The McClintock Proposal. And all you have to do to enter is answer some fun questions from my website. I will pose the questions on the Intrigue Authors Blog at eHarlequin on Wednesday, September 1st. So drop by the blog for the questions, and then check out my revitalized website for the answers. The first person to email me all of the correct answers at carol@carolericson.com wins the three books! I will be posting the winner on the Intrigue Authors Blog on Tuesday, September 7th.

Thanks for having me back at Fierce Romance. Hope to see some new visitors at the Intrigue Authors blog for a chance to win the first three books in the McClintock Brothers series.

Carol, congratulations on your latest release and newest sales! Thank you for coming back for a visit!

There's still time to register for Turn Up the Heat!

Workshop: Turn up the Heat! Heightening Sexual Tension and Sensuality in Your Manuscript

Presenter: Nicole North

Date: Sept. 6 - 30, 2010

Description: Editors want to buy spicy-hot romance stories now more than ever before. How do you do it? In this class we will discuss all aspects of sexual tension and sensuality and how they relate to the developing romance in your story. You'll learn tips for successfully building sexual tension over the course of the hero and heroine's relationship from first glance, through climax, to happily ever after. Several examples will be used to illustrate different nuances of hot romantic chemistry and how to employ them in your own story. Learn how to avoid clichés and use sexiness in fresh new ways. Strengthening sexual tension will take your story from ho-hum to so hot and delicious your reader can't put it down. We'll do exercises for hands-on learning. (Please be aware this course contains explicit and frank discussions of sexuality.) This class covers a range of heat from mild romance to erotic romance.

**Topics covered**
Using the five senses more effectively
Sexy talk
Word choice
Meeting
First kiss
Foreplay
First love scene
How to rebuild sexual tension after sex
Why point of view is important
Hot characters
Combining physical attraction and emotion
Body language
Differences between romance and erotic romance
Revising to make a sensual romance manuscript spicy or erotic

Fun Extras
Visual inspiration
Multimedia examples and exercises

To learn more or register please visit the workshop page.

About the presenter: Nicole North writes sensual and erotic romance novels and novellas. She is the author of paranormal erotic romance novellas Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Volume 27 Untamed Pleasures, July 2009; Kilted Lover, Nov. 2009; and Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Volume 29, July 2010. She has finaled in over a dozen writing competitions and won several awards. She admits sexual tension and delicious love scenes are her favorite elements of romance and sprinkles them liberally through her stories. What others have said about her works: "This author handles sexual tension very well. Her characters are completely drawn to each other..." and "Wow! Talk about sexual chemistry. This story has it in spades. You're a natural in the romantic chemistry department." She has a BA degree in psychology. Please visit her website to learn more and read past student testimonials: http://www.nicolenorth.com/

Cost: $25

To register please visit: http://www.nicolenorth.com/ and click on "workshops" on the menu.

Thank you!
Nicole

PS There's also still time to enter my Under the Kilt contest.

At The Water's Edge

I never knew how deeply I was drawn to the water until we took a vacation to the Outer Banks. Something about the rolling surf and rugged beauty struck a chord deep inside me. How deep? We try to make it to the ocean at least once a year and we sold our house in the country and bought a house a half block from a lake, with a view out the back.

A few years ago, we took a trip to Maine. During a boat ride, we took this picture of a lighthouse on a rocky cliff.



I have this picture on my desk in my office. If I can't be drinking my coffee at the beach, I can look at this picture and remember how it feels.



This is a picture of our campsite one year on the Outer Banks. We stayed on the sound side, right on the water's edge.



And even if we don't make it the fifteen or so hours to the Maine or North Carolina shore, we've been able to find campsites at the water's edge. I make it a point to do it as often as possible.



Is there a certain place you return to time and time again?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Smoke and Mirrors

Once in a while it's fun to revisit one of my favorite stories that's been out for a while. Since this week's theme was magic, I thought I'd share the cover and blurb - ok, and maybe a short excerpt, from my Ellora's Cave novella, Smoke and Mirrors. The story of Alex, a magician, and Gabriella has always been one I loved, reunited lovers with a secret or two between them.

Love is nothing but an illusion.

Heiress Gabriella Winslow learned that lesson years ago when her magician boyfriend abandoned her, sick and alone, hundreds of miles from home. In the years that followed, she’s tried to forget him and the erotic bondage games they used to play. But the life she’s made for herself since then still leaves her restless and yearning for something more.

Now a successful illusionist, Alexander Black has returned to settle an old score. And to seduce Gabriella. With a blindfold and handcuffs and blood red roses, he entices his former lover and magician’s assistant back to his Las Vegas penthouse. Alex is an expert at smoke and mirrors. If all goes according to plan, she’ll never even know she’s his prisoner.

"...Ms. Moore creates scenes that are as spine-tinglingly erotic as they are romantic, and I definitely felt the heat level rise in the room as I read. I Joyfully Recommend Smoke and Mirrors. It’s an enchanting, entertaining reunion romance filled with lust, love, and inventive uses for scarves. Simply magic!"
--- Shayna, Joyfully Reviewed

"...Smoke and Mirrors is an erotic foray into obsession, bondage and exhibitionism. The setting, a limo and a magician's lair, along and the rags-to-riches premise are interesting backdrops for this quick erotic adventure."
--- Vee, Night Owl Reviews

Excerpt:
Alex absently rubbed Gabriella’s tiny feet and pondered his next move. He’d always prided himself on his ability to seduce the audience. But this was Gabriella. And he wasn’t sure how to proceed. This might be his only chance.

If he made the wrong move, she’d slip through his fingers like an illusion gone terribly wrong.

He was sorry he’d scared her tonight, but his body hardened again as he pictured the panic that had overtaken her earlier, the way her body had strained against her bonds. Her chest had heaved as she twisted and turned, her breasts nearly spilling out of that tiny excuse for a dress. And when her skirt had ridden up her shapely thighs, giving him a peek at her lacy panties, he’d almost come in his trousers right then.

Those had been his favorite illusions. The ones where Gabriella would be bound and perhaps blindfolded or gagged as well. And then she would struggle for the appropriate amount of time before they’d play out the rest of the illusion. Most men attended the performances just to see Gabriella struggle. Oh, they’d never admit it out loud, but Alex knew it was true. A few more months and they would have hit it big, he was certain of that. They’d been a dynamite combination.

And he’d been just as certain his career would take a nosedive without her. But Gabriella had taught him his trademark seductive moves during their time together. The sexually stimulating moves on stage that drew the women in. That still drew them in. And they brought their spouses or boyfriends. More and more each year.

And now he was about to open his own theater in Las Vegas. He was going to stop traveling and settle down. At least, that had been his plan.

Gabriella stirred beside him. “Remember curling up like this in the van?” she asked sleepily.

Alex’s fingers froze and he dropped her foot into his lap. “The van?” Rusty and noisy and leaking oil like a sieve. Alex stared at Gabriella. Was that actually a smile on her face?

She nodded. “I’d wrap up in a blanket and stretch out in the back just like this and you’d rub my feet. It was like we were the only two people in the world. Remember?”

“I remember.” Bitterness churned in his stomach. He’d like to forget they’d ever been so poor that they’d sometimes had to sleep in his old beat up van. Like to forget there was a time he hadn’t even been able to bring in enough money to pay for a burger and fries. He’d vowed a long time ago that he’d never be in a situation like that again.

“It felt like this. Warm and cozy.” Her voice was so soft now he could barely hear it. She was nearly asleep. “And when I breathed in the air, it smelled like you.”

“No,” he whispered after a moment, when her breathing had become slow and regular. “It smelled like you.”

Smoke and Mirrors is still available if you'd like to enjoy a sexy story of reunited lovers and the magic they make together.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

End of Summer Motivation

So... it's Friday, and it's the end of August. I've been telling myself all summer long that once the kids go back to school, I'll jump full-force back into my WIP.

I'm not going to lie... that really didn't happen this week.

Why, you ask? I'm trying to figure that out myself! I've had such a great summer, I guess I just don't want it to end. But, my WIP -- or my characters -- won't wait around forever. I hear them in the back of my head, little whispers telling me it's time to get back to work. I'm listening, I really am, but I need MOTIVATION!







Kristin

www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

Magical Things

I'm a rational person most of the time. Well, at least twenty-one days out of the month. :) However, there are just some things in life that are simply magical, and no matter how hard you try, they still defy human attempts to explain their allure.

In honor of this week's theme, I've made a list of stuff, for lack of a better word, I find magical that I'd like to share. I haven't put the items on the list in any particular order of importance. I just sat down on my front porch swing and started typing a list while listening to my wind chimes. Here it is...

1. Wind chimes--I love the sound of these tinkling voices of the air currents. They're soothing and cheerful, and their calming presence always grounds me.

2. Illusionists--Oh, the irony. Magicians aren't called magicians much anymore because by now everyone knows they don't possess any magic powers at all, just the knowledge and skills to perform sleight of hand maneuvers to the Nth degree to the delight of their audiences. They're called illusionists, because that's more descriptive of what they do. Still, I find their ability to captive me with some of their illusions entertaining and fun and magical because I certainly can't do it.

3. Kissing--Of course! I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating. Kissing is an amazing activity because it can take so many forms and communicate so much or so little. While one's first kiss or her wedding kiss is often magical, any time Hubby pulls me in for a liplock, I feel that special sizzle.

4. Dancing--Whether slow or fast, ballroom or in a line, dancing is pure magic. Moving to the rhythm, becoming one with the music. Sharing that rhythm with other people. There's nothing like it!

5. Music--Music can heal. Music can send a message. Music brings people together in joyous celebration or at a time of sorrow. It's there when we're happy or sad and doesn't judge us or ask for anything in return except that we listen to it and enjoy the harmony and melody.

6. Critters--Dogs, cats, horses, etc. Unconditional trust and unconditional love, the elements of great friendship, are two of the most magical energies enjoyed by living creatures. We often share these with other animals who accept us as we are and seek only to be a part of our world. How these connections happen is a mystery, and when a rapport does form, it's pure magic.

7. The Look--You know what I'm talking about. The Look. The way a man takes you in with his eyes that let's you know he wants to get to know you. There's nothing like The Look to make a girl feel special, and it can turn a bad evening into a great one in an instant.

8. Peace and Contentment--There's a moment, usually in the middle of the night, when you wake up and realize everyone and everything you love is in its rightful place, either snoozing away soundly or counting down on a timer to brew your morning cup of coffee. That moment when all is right with the world is quietly magical and one hit of it can keep me going for days.

9. Celestial Bodies, a.k.a. the Sun and Moon and Stars--Yeah, I know these can all be defined and explained through science, but I don't care. They have always been and will always be the inspiration for many of man's more imaginative musings, and the fact that people see them for years, day after day and night after night, and still find them captivating means I can put my stamp of approval on them without a doubt. Magical!

10. A Loving Touch--Like #5 and #9, a loving touch can heal or inspire, but mostly it makes us feel connected. Anything that can connect two or more people with all our differences and dislikes is magical...and sometimes a miracle. lol

I have more items to list, but I'd like to see some of your ideas. Please share. It's magical!

What is Magic?

Magic is, to me, a word used to explain things we don't understand. The opposite of magic is science, a discipline which tries to explain precisely why things are the way they are. Think of a shaman trying to make the magic of rain appear, when we know exactly how rain happens. Is the rain the result of magic, or of science? Once you know the facts, it's hard to believe in magic as the answer.

But, as much as I believe in science, I don't think it will ever explain everything. Will it ever be able to dissect love? We now know why stars twinkle, but can a scientist tell me why we still find stars in the sky beautiful? Why do humans laugh?

All writers perform magic when they bring characters who aren't real to life in the reader's mind. The more you bring them to life, the greater the magic. Is the magic of creating The Wizard of Oz greater than the magic of writing the weather report? I think it is, though both documents are written.

Though I do write contemporaries (love is magic, right?), I also love to write futuristics and fairy tales in which I strive to combine both magic and science. So I have things in my stories that might seem magical today, but they have to be grounded enough in science that they may be real one day in the future.

For example, in The Star Necklace, I use the science of invisibility (bending light around a fixed object) to give my H/h a way to be invisible when they want privacy in a crowded area. Though it seems magical to the heroine, it is possible, based on scientific principles.

It's been said that readers will allow the author one leap of faith into what may be considered magic (for example, that humans can shapeshift). But after that, everything must have a rational basis. A man can turn into a wolf, but he then must behave like wolves do.

There are many forms of illusion besides the written word. There's music, dance, theater and art, all disciplines that can draw out ideas and emotions that aren't concretely expressed.
What is your favorite form of magic?