I had an absolutely wonderful time talking with the wonderful ladies from the bookclub at Michigan’s Paperbacks N’ Things on Saturday.  🙂  These lovely ladies had selected HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT as their bookclub selection for June.  We talked about Emily, Colin, bad boy Niol–and even some characters from WHEN HE WAS BAD (ah, Sullivan!).  Thank you, ladies, for giving me a great Saturday afternoon!

And if you happen to be in the Westland, MI, area, do stop by Paperbacks N’Things:

Paperbacks N’Things
Melissa Bliss, Owner
8044 N. Wayne Rd.
Westland, MI 48185

If I’m up that way in the future, you can bet I’ll be stopping by to visit Melissa and the ladies for a visit!

Woo-hoo! It’s my birthday! 🙂 Ah, a day filled with cake, presents, and slot machines. What more could a girl want?

I’ve already gotten my first present: HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT has been selected as the “Fresh Pick” today over at Fresh Fiction. A seriously sweet present for me. The husband will have to work hard to top that one!

I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Be sure to check in next week–each day, I’m going to post a “writing craft” entry on the blog. I thought it was time I did some craft work.

Today is the day I get to announce the winners of my latest newsletter contest. (What?  You didn’t know there was a newsletter contest going on?  Well, be sure to sign up for my newsletter—hint, hint–and you’ll be in the know next time!)

Now, on to the winners…

I was blown away by the response to this contest, so, instead of just giving away 2 autographed Advanced Reader Copies of EVERLASTING BAD BOYS, I’ve decided to give away 5.  And the winners are (in no particular order–and with thanks to my random winner generator AKA my son Jack):

Judie S.

Jennifer Y

Katie D.

April H.

Danny

If you’re a winner, you will be receiving an email from me very soon (so I can get mailing info from you).  Congrats to my five winners!  And thank you to everyone who entered this contest.  🙂

Don’t worry if you didn’t win, there will be more prizes coming soon.

Hey, speaking of prizes, I’m running a contest over at Fresh Fiction right now–I’m giving away autographed books (and another ARC!) and an Amazon gift certificate.  Be sure to enter for your chance to win!

I wanted to send out a big thank you to all of the wonderful people who have written to me about HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT. I am so glad that folks are enjoying my story–I sure had an absolutely fabulous time writing this book. And every time I open my email and I find a note about Colin and Emily, it makes me smile. So–thank you!

There are a certain questions I’ve been asked that I thought I might mention here:

1. Will Colin and Emily appear in later books?

Yes, they will! Colin and Emily will pop up again in other books as important secondary characters. They won’t just disappear into the sunset–you’ll see them again.

2. Are you going to write Niol’s story?

Done! I turned the manuscript in to my editor on Monday. 🙂

3. Who is Smith going to wind up with?

Ah, now I’m afraid I can’t reveal that information yet–but her love interest will be revealed in MIDNIGHT SINS.

4. If Colin and Emily had a baby, what kind of powers would the baby have?

Now this is a question that I even had a friend call asking–she’d picked up the book at my signing and when she finished, she called and wanted to know about the possibility of a baby. Well, ahem, there isn’t a baby yet, but, should a baby appear in Emily and Colin’s future…I’d say the baby would be a hybrid, with wolf shifter abilities and with his/her mother’s psychic gift.

5. Who is really stronger–Colin or Niol?

I suppose it depends on who you ask. Colin would say he could kick demon ass any day of the week. As for Niol…I don’t know if he’d bother to answer. He just might commence to kicking shifter ass.

* * *

I’m working on a trailer for MIDNIGHT SINS. I should be able to post that soon–I love making trailers. But I do spend way too much time looking at the stock images. I feel like I fall into some kind of stock image vortex and I look up–and an hour has passed. Sigh.

Have a great Wednesday!

Some writers start their books because they think of a fabulous, wonderful, awe-inspiring title that stimulates their minds. Some writers get this gem of a title idea–and they can create entire books just from the whispers of their titles.

I am not such a writer. In fact, when it comes to titles, I blank.

Titles are hard for me. Really hard. I have a particularly hard time coming up with novel titles. Now, for some reason, novella titles come easier to me–please don’t ask why. That “some reason” I mentioned–I don’t know what it is. And, of the eight novellas that I have sold (two will be released later this year), I’ve been able to keep all of the original titles for those stories. Notice that I’m talking about novella titles–not the anthology titles. The editors generally come up with those. I think that perhaps, since the editors do create the overall anthology name, authors are given a bit more freedom in selecting the titles for their novellas. (That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it!)

But names for single-title books…ah, those do cause me to stress. Because titles–they’re so dang important. So many times, I’ve been in a book store and I pick up a book because the title amuses me or intrigues me. Sure, the covers are VERY important to me, but I’m a sucker for a title. I think the title is one of the absolute most important means of marketing a book.

I’ve seen some wonderful titles in my time. And some not-so-wonderful ones. I absolutely LOVE Kim Harrison’s titles: For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, Dead Witch Walking–I think these are brilliant! The first time I saw one of these in the store, I froze–then immediately snagged up the book. Great titles.

What’s the best book title you’ve come across? Come on, share–the title might make me go and purchase the book!

(And, yay–I’m feeling better today!!)