It is time for my (very tardy) RT Booklovers’ Recap. 😉 (Sorry for the delay, I’ve been in edit-land!)

First, I just want to say what a pleasure it was to meet so many wonderful people. I had an amazing time with all of the readers, librarians, booksellers, and writers in Chicago.  The book love was running high.  It was great to be surrounded by people who love romance novels just as much as I do.  Thank you to everyone that I met! You made the event so enjoyable.

Some folks have asked me to recap my workshop/spotlight experiences, so here goes…

KENSINGTON SPOTLIGHT

I loved the Kensington spotlight (and not just b/c they are one of my publishers! Even if they weren’t my publisher, this spotlight still rocked). For their spotlight, Kensington demystified the book buying process–and when I say book buying, I’m talking about how their fantastic sales staff actually gets the books inside of the bookstores.  Some points that I learned in this spotlight:

-When a Kensington sales rep approaches the bookstores, she can often pitch/sell a 4 month period of book releases in a matter of hours.

-The rep uses the cover image to help sell books, she gives a strong pitch, and she includes the previous sales history (if any) of the author.

-The rep can ask for stronger distribution in stores that sell a particular sub-genre very well.  Shelf placement can also be asked for at this time (but that space is very sought after, so there’s no guarantee when it comes to the placement).

Then the question came up…What can authors do to help promote their book sales?

The answer…get your book in on time. The sales reps are working MONTHS in advance when they contact the stores. They are selling your book for a particular slot, so you have to get your book in on time. If you don’t, then the entire timeline will be thrown off.

The lovely folks at Kensington also pushed the importance of social media.  We all know how popular Twitter and Facebook are these days, so authors should be using these tools to both interact with their fans and to reach new readers.  An author’s digital presence is very important–that presence can lead to increased sales for an author as her/his audience base expands.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this workshop. It was different–I loved the inside look at the world of the very savvy Kensington sales rep. 😉 And, okay, maybe I am a *little* biased…

SAMHAIN SPOTLIGHT

I had another fun time at the Samhain spotlight. At Samhain, the following genre areas sell the best:

Contemporary (both erotic and non-erotic)

Paranormal Romance

Gay Romance

Contemporary Western Romance

At their spotlight, someone asked if they were gearing up for any big trends. The answer for Samhain?  Trends aren’t as important any longer.  They are dealing with books in the “now” because digital publishing moves so fast.  They feel like there will always be paranormal readers, always be historical readers, etc., and digital publishing allows those readers to easily find the books that they want.

HARLEQUIN SPOTLIGHT

(Yes, full disclosure–this is another one of my publishers.)

The Harlequin editorial team began by revealing some fun figures:

70% of North American women recognize the Harlequin brand.

Harlequin publishes in 150 International markets and their work is translated in 32 languages.

Harlequin sells 4.1 books every second. (In the length of time that it has taken you to read this post, how many books do you think Harlequin has sold?)

Some more info that I learned:

Harlequin is definitely on the look-out for new writers. They want fresh voices. One line that was specifically mentioned as actively looking to acquire–Love Inspired Historicals.

The Harlequin Super Romance line is increasing its word count to 85k.

If you want to write for one of the category lines, then the editorial staff suggested that you reads books in those different lines to see which ones you enjoyed the most. The line that resonates with you will probably be the line that you would enjoy writing.

As for their single titles…generally they have a word count around 100k.  They focus on commercial reads.  They want unpredictable stories from fresh voices.

***

And…that’s  a lot of information. So I think I’ll break my recap into two parts. I’ll be back with that second part tomorrow. 😉 In that recap, I’ll talk about “discoverability”–a big catch phrase from RT. I’ll also talk about hybrid authors (no, they aren’t like my hybrid shifters or hybrid demons, well, not really….) and self-publishing.

Update:  Time to announce the winners!! First up, the swag winners… Michelle M & Florence!  Congrats, ladies! And the winner of the Kindle digital copy is…Rachel.  Congrats!

While attending the Silken Sands Writers’ Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting author Mina Khan in person. Mina and I had chatted online frequently, but that visit was our first in-person meet.  😉  I was excited to learn about the release of Mina’s new book–a sexy paranormal romance called A TALE OF TWO DJINNS.  Not only does the book promise to be awesome, but Mina is donating 50% of the proceeds from the sales of this novella to UNICEF.  Come on, that’s just win-win! So, of course, I had to get her to come by the blog and talk a bit about her release.  Welcome, Mina!

(And…psst…there are prizes below! Contest, ahoy!)

***

Thank you so much for inviting me over Cynthia. I’m thrilled to share some of the inspiration that went into my new paranormal romance novella, A TALE OF TWO DJINNS.

My hero Akshay (Shay for short), prince of the earth djinns and a battle axe of a warrior, was inspired by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.

He’s so earthy & HAWT…and pairs so well with water J So of course, I had to match him with Maya, the princess of the water djinns, daughter of his enemy. My inspiration for Maya…

(yes, Angelina Jolie)

Here’s what Maya thinks about Shay:

Shay was dangerous. Not dangerous like a soldier armed to the teeth. That she could handle. Dangerous like a man who could seduce a woman with his warm sunshine scent and mischief-filled grin, rock hard abs and love for fairytales. She pulled in a deep, shuddering breath and let it out. Then she placed her hand in his. Warmth sparked at their touch and rolled through her essence as she climbed aboard the carpet. (yes, there is a flying carpet in the story!)

And here’s what Shay has to say about Maya:

“You have beautiful hair.”

“It’s straight and boring.”

The combing stopped. No, please don’t stop. Don’t stop.

“You really don’t see yourself, do you?”

Shagaard had mirrors, and she glanced in them at passing. “What do you see?”

“A beautiful woman.” Akshay wound her hair around one hand, pulled it to the side. He kissed her exposed nape. A soft sigh escaped her. “A woman with silky soft hair that shimmers blue black.”

Another kiss, this time on the side of her neck. Then he let her hair slide free of his grasp. “It’s like running my fingers through night in all her glory.”

 ***

What inspired me to bring Shay & Maya together, pit earth djinns against water djinns? Nature.

A TALE OF TWO DJINNS is a sexy paranormal Romeo & Juliet story with genies, feminists, kickass action & adult fun. A special note: 50% of the proceeds from the sale of A TALE OF TWO DJINNS are being donated to UNICEF. If you’re interested in knowing why, please check out my Karma post.

Amazon            B&N    Smashwords

So who are what inspires you? Two lucky commenters will be picked at random to receive fun swag: A signed post card featuring the cover of A Tale of Two Djinns, a shiny genie-lamp key chain & a packet of wildflower seeds. Leave a comment today with your e-mail please!

(And a quick note from Cynthia–I’ll send one commenter a Kindle copy of A TALE OF TWO DJINNS! Random winner.)

Best wishes,

Mina

Author 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. Her debut novella, THE DJINN’S DILEMMA was published November 2011. A second novella, A TALE OF TWO DJINNS, came out March 2012.

Next week, I will be attending the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago.  If you’re attending the event (or coming for one of the signings), I’d love to see you!

I’ll be presenting the following workshop at the convention:

Thursday, April 12th, 11:15-12:15:  HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO

Description: What’s a good love story without an unforgettable hero? Four bestselling authors discuss ways to craft a strong and memorable hero. It’s not just about the sex appeal — find out what characteristics make a hero great as you learn why readers truly fall in love with heroes. Discussion will also include the creation of antiheroes (Why do readers enjoy those bad boys?) and the comparison/contrast of heroes across subgenres.

Panelists: Cynthia Eden, Lisa Renee Jones, Elisabeth Naughton, Caridad Piñeiro

Right after my panel on Thursday, I’ll be heading over to the KENSINGTON BOOKS AND ALL THAT JAZZ SOCIAL.  This social is for convention attendees, and it is scheduled to begin at 12:20 (and end at 1:20). It’s a great time to chat with Kensington authors and to get some pretty sweet prizes.

I will also be participating in 2 booksigning events while at the convention:

E-BOOK EXPO AND GRAPHIC NOVEL FAIR (Thursday, April 12th, from 4 to 6 PM)

GIANT BOOK FAIR (Saturday April 14th, from 11 AM to 2 PM)

While I’m at the convention, I’ll have plenty of ANGEL BETRAYED buttons. So if you see me, and you want one, please just tell me. 😉 I’ll have them with me at the signings, at my workshop, and even with me when I’m just wandering around.

Thanks!! Enjoy your weekend!

I’m helping Simply Ali celebrate her birthday bash—and giving away an ARC of ANGEL BETRAYED. If you get a chance, come on over!

And, speaking of celebrating…Elisabeth Naughton is celebrating the release of her new book, ENRAPTURED, with an all-day release party at her blog. She’s got tons of prizes to give away (she’s posting all day with prizes), and one of those prizes is an ANGEL BETRAYED ARC. (So there are two chances for you to win today!)

Good luck! Have a great Tuesday.

Update:  Colleen & Brenda Hyde are the winners! Please contact me at katiereus@gmail.com to collect a copy of Protector’s Mate. Thank you everyone who stopped by!

And the guest author love continues! Today’s guest is my buddy Katie Reus (uber talented lady!). Katie writes in two of my absolute favorite romance subgenres: paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Katie, thanks so much for joining us today!

Thank you so much to Cynthia for having me here today! As always, I’m a huge fan of hers and love that she’s always so welcoming. To say thank you for her hospitality I’d like to offer digital copies of Protector’s Mate to two random commenters.

Yesterday I had a release from Harlequin Nocturne Cravings that I’m very excited about. If you read Destined Mate (October 2011), my current release is set in the same world. In Protector’s Mate the two main characters, Felicia and Alaric, get to know one another largely through email while she’s in Afghanistan working as a nurse. This all happens before the actual story starts but it sets the stage for how well they know each other when the story opens.

The idea for Protector’s Mate came to me out of personal experience, which is a rare thing in my writing. Years ago when my husband was in the military (we were engaged at the time) he was sent to Africa for about 5 1/2 months. Though we actually talked on the phone occasionally (a surprising thing) and definitely sent snail mail, we also emailed each other every chance we got, sometimes multiple times a day. Even though I was newly engaged and crazy in love with him, we still had a lot to learn about each other. Thanks to those emails we got to know each other faster than I think we would have had he not been living overseas. There’s a sort of freedom in being completely yourself when writing letters whether they’re typed or handwritten. I drew on that experience when I created the background for Felicia and Alaric so maybe that’s why this story is so special to me.

So…what is Protector’s Mate about?

After two years in a war zone, werewolf Felicia Serna has finally returned to find another pack has taken over her territory…and the new second-in-command is the very man who haunts her fantasies.

Alaric has wanted Felicia from the moment he laid eyes on her, and now he’s ready to claim her. When a threatening shifter begins stalking them, he’s determined to protect her…even if it means putting his seduction on hold. But even in the heat of danger, their red-hot passion cannot be denied.

Excerpt:

Felicia Serna wasn’t ready for the shock of cold air that hit her when she exited the sliding glass door of Huntsville International Airport. The chilly February air was a drastic change from the dry heat of Afghanistan.

The airport was bustling but no one would be there to pick her up. She’d kept her return home to Alabama a secret. Well, home was a relative word.  After the way she’d left two years ago, she didn’t think the Alpha of her pack would want to see her. And if he did, it would only be to punish her for defying him. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t belong to his pack anymore and hadn’t for a long time.

She was through with pack rules and through with being someone’s doormat. If she had to live as a lone wolf, so be it. She could take care of herself. Hell, she’d been doing fine on her own for years. The only reason she’d returned was because she had a few human friends here and had shipped most of her belongings back.

As she started to wave down a taxi, a dark SUV with even darker tinted windows pulled up to the curb, blocking her view. She grasped the handle of her suitcase and walked down a few feet so the taxi could see her. It was late and she didn’t want to risk having to wait an hour for another ride. Unlike in Kabul, at least here she didn’t have to worry about safe transportation.

When she raised her hand again, the SUV pulled up farther, effectively blocking her again.

An icy fist clasped around her heart and she tried to shake off the dread that welled up inside her. The driver couldn’t be following her. She was just being paranoid. No one knew she was back. How could they? Before she took another step, the driver’s side door opened and out stepped over six feet of pure muscle and sex appeal and the only shifter who’d ever made her panties dampen with just one look. Her mouth went dry when they made eye contact. What was he doing here? His Alpha’s territory didn’t extend this far north so there was no reason for Alaric to be here unless he was specifically checking up on her. Because she knew for a fact his Alpha had a private plane and he would have no need to be at the airport.

When Alaric, the five-hundred year old shifter who starred in all her fantasies, walked around the front of the vehicle she automatically took a step back. She inwardly cursed the sign of wariness, but if any werewolf intimidated her, it was definitely this one.

Dark hair, dark eyes, generally dark disposition. She’d never seen him in shifted form but, even as a human, the man had a way of putting others on edge in his presence. It was no wonder he was second in command to one of the strongest packs in the United States.

His espresso-colored eyes assessed her from head to foot in a slow sweep. Though she was sure the perusal was cursory, her cheeks heated just the same. She’d forgotten what his mere presence did to her nerves. Okay, maybe not forgotten exactly. Just buried the memory.

Somehow she found her voice and was surprised when it came out strong. “How…why are you here?”

“I’m picking you up.” He answered as if it should be obvious. The deep timbre of his gravelly voice sent a shock of awareness straight to her lower abdomen. She didn’t want to admit that it affected her but just hearing him… She fought off a shiver.

She hadn’t seen him in almost five years, then a few months ago he’d contacted her via email out of the blue. She’d been more shocked than anything that the sexy wolf even remembered her, since they’d only met once before that. When the last few emails had turned flirty, sexual even, it had freaked her out. At first she’d thought maybe she’d misread their tone, but then he’d gotten more blatant and she’d known there was no mistaking he was flirting with her. She’d begun to wonder if he’d maybe confused her with someone else from her old pack. It made no sense for Alaric to be interested in her. So she’d started limiting their contact.

How had he known I’d be at the airport? She wanted to ask but keeping her cool around this wolf was important. Bigger, stronger wolves pounced on any perceived weakness. She’d learned that lesson long ago. Even if Alaric seemed different, she wouldn’t forget the lessons she’d learned as a cub. Some memories went bone deep.

“Knox recently expanded and took over all of northern Alabama. That includes your old pack’s territory—now my Alpha’s territory.” There he went with that voice again.

How did he expect her to think when he talked like that? Wait, what did he just say? His Alpha had taken over? “What happened to Lamont?” Wilson Lamont. Her old Alpha. Even saying that wolf’s name left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Dead. From vampires.”

He didn’t sound too torn up about it either. Interesting.

Despite the acute relief that splintered through her at the news, she held back her frustration at his fairly vague answer. “When?”

He shrugged in a maddeningly pure male way. “A while ago.”

She resisted the urge to growl. That was most definitely something he should have told her in their email correspondence. At the moment, she was so tired even her eyelids ached. All she wanted was a straight answer. “So your Alpha took over his territory? What about the old members of the pack? And I still don’t understand why you’re here to pick me up.”

His dark gaze narrowed for a second. “Most shifters would say ‘my’ pack, not ‘the’ pack.”

She looked away under his intense scrutiny. When Lamont had demanded she submit to him, in addition to his first mate—as if she were some whore—no one had stepped up to defend her. Screw them. They weren’t her pack. They weren’t her anything. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a yellow cab pulling up to the curb. It didn’t look like anyone had claimed it and she didn’t want to miss her chance. She didn’t know why Alaric was here but she wasn’t going to put herself in a position to be at his mercy. “Thanks for coming to the airport, but I’m afraid you wasted your time.”

She turned away from him, but before she’d taken a step he plucked her suitcase and her carry-on from her hands and shoved them in the backseat of the SUV. She blinked once. The man moved lightning fast. Faster than any shifter she’d ever seen.

“What are you doing?” Panic laced her voice and she was unable to mask it.

“You’re coming with me, little wolf.” His voice softened slightly.

Why had his voice gone all husky like that? And why do I like it? Maybe she really was more tired than she realized. She mentally shook herself. It didn’t matter. “Why didn’t you tell me your Alpha had taken over this territory, Alaric? You’ve had plenty of opportunities.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Afghanistan?” Now there was no softness in his voice. Just anger and something that sounded a lot like…hurt.

She swallowed hard at the surge of guilt that erupted inside her. The thought of telling him had crossed her mind, but he’d have likely wanted to see her. And after those last few emails… She couldn’t deal with that now. Didn’t want to deal with anything. All she wanted to do was sleep in a soft bed. She shifted from foot to foot as she ran over her options. He had her bags and she certainly couldn’t overpower him. Not to mention, making a scene at the airport was stupid. His reputation was fearsome, but she’d never heard that he hurt females. Not much to go on, but her inner wolf didn’t fear him and that said a lot. She ignored his question and asked another one of her own. “Where are you taking me?”

“Where you belong,” he growled softly. Possessively.

***

Thanks again for having me here, Cynthia! And thank you to everyone who has stopped by!

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance from a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus