Today I’ve answered interview questions over at Elisabeth Naughton’s blog. Come on by for a chance to win an autographed copy of MIDNIGHT’S MASTER!  And, while you’re there, check out Elisabeth’s great contest:

Today’s snippet focuses on the opening of a book. So, for your reading fun, I’ve posted the first few paragraphs from MIDNIGHT’S MASTER. Hope you enjoy the excerpt!

***

Having a breakdown in the middle of a live broadcast was really not a very good thing for a reporter’s career.

Holly Storm’s fingers tightened their already white-knuckled grip around the microphone.  Her breath came, too hard and way too fast, as she fought to hold onto her control.

“Holly…”  The reed-thin voice of her producer.

Shit.  Her career was about to hit the toilet.  She dragged her gaze away from the body—away from the body that she knew didn’t belong to a human, and glanced back toward the round lens of the camera.  “Uh…I’m…H-Holly Storm, reporting to you live from the scene of—” A freaking slaughter. “A brutal…murder.”  Yeah, brutal was a good word choice considering the way the poor guy had been sliced to ribbons.

Get a grip, girl.  She couldn’t afford a meltdown right now.

After a hard swallow, she finally managed to suck in a full breath.  Holly cleared her throat, then spoke in that calm, cool voice she’d perfected back in her college communication classes so long ago. “Police aren’t talking…”  At least not to her.  But then, the two detectives on the scene—Colin Gyth and Todd Brooks—weren’t exactly on her “friends” list.

“But this reporter can’t help but wonder just what sort of monster is loose on our Atlanta streets.”

And if you’d like to read more openings, check out these participating authors:

Beth Williamson
Elisabeth Naughton
Eliza Gayle
Jaci Burton
Jody Wallace
Kelly Maher
Lacey Savage
Lauren Dane
Marissa Scott
McKenna Jeffries
Michelle Pillow
Moira Rogers
Sasha White
Shelley Munro
Sylvia Day
Taige Crenshaw
TJ Michaels
Victoria Janssen
Vivian Arend
Shelli Stevens

Have a great Saturday!

Today I’m guest blogging over at Pop Syndicate (Book Addict with Angela Wilson). I”m talking about writing on the darker side. If you get a chance, come on over!

As I was going through my emails (Woo-hoo! Almost have that In-Box under control), I found some great reviews waiting for me.  My September anthology, BELONG TO THE NIGHT, was reviewed in Publishers Weekly.  Here’s a snippet from the review:

“Tough women and hot men populate this deliciously sensual anthology…. Each compulsively readable story is well-paced and filled with steamy, graphic sex. Laurenston’s characters shine with wit and depth, and Eden and Quinn deliver nonstop action. (Sept.)”

BELONG TO THE NIGHT was also selected as a Recommended Read by Tina at Two Lips Reviews (thank you, Tina!).  Tina noted, “When you want action adventure, love lost and love found you want Belong to the Night. This novel will make you want more of the creatures that go bump in the night and the mates that love them.”

You can read the full review here.

And, one last bit of good news…MIDNIGHT’S MASTER has been named a PNR Recommended Read!

Ah, now for more of my RWA update!

I attended the librarian panel and came away with some interesting info on romance books in libraries.

I found out that:

When determining which books to order, 96% of libraries use reviews in trade journals, 89% use customer requests, and 65% use publisher catalogs.

The 3 main review lists for libraries are: Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. However, many libraries also use the Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur when determining their orders.

And while we may not be seeing as many chick lit stories on bookstore shelves, that continues to be a genre favorite with library patrons.  Mystery/suspense is also another popular genre area.

I realized that it would probably be easier for me to post a few small updates instead of one long recap (due to some time constraints right now), so, here goes!

What would editors and agents like to see?  Well, the general consensus was that paranormals were hot–hot and expected to continue to be good sellers.  Historicals are proving to be in high demand–so if that’s your area, this is good news for you!  Sweet romances are also a good market (according to the booksellers there).  The erotic romance market is tightening up–still selling, but harder to break into this area. Of course, folks were advised not to just follow market trends, but instead to focus on writing the best possible book. But, isn’t that what writers do anyway?  I’m always a bit thrown when I hear a statement like that b/c I think, well, not like anyone sets out to write the worst possible book, right? (Sorry, got on a tangent there!)

More info to come!

I drove 16 hours yesterday (Red Bull is amazing), and I made it home from D.C. in one piece.  🙂  I had a great time chatting with all the writers and editors (and my lovely agent)–and touring the city was just a blast.  (Thank you, Shelli!  You are my sight-seeing sister!)

The FF&P Party on Thursday was wonderful–congrats to all the PRISM winners. Such a good time–and such a fabulous group!  I sat next to Jeri Smith-Ready (an awesome lady) just like I did the very first time I attended an FF&P party.  Jeri is awesome–no other word for her.  A classy lady and one amazingly talented writer.  And speaking of class…the FF&P President, Jeffe Kennedy, sure knows how to put on one great event!

There are so many wonderful folks in the FF&P Chapter–I think about them and I smile.  About 15 of us got together and took a haunted walk in D.C.–ghosts and writers are a perfect mix.  So thanks to my haunted fun buddies!!

And Leanna…I’m counting down the release for Strangely Beautiful!  Can’t wait!

I do have industry news and RWA highlights to share–I’ll try to get that info up soon.  But, again, I’ll just use my 16 hours of driving yesterday and wave that as an excuse. You see, my mind is a little tired today so I’m giving it a rest period.  So, I plan to finish reading my 1200 emails tonight and hopefully get back on track tomorrow.

Night!!