June 30, 2007

When She Was Bad is on the shelves!

After two years and five months (but who is counting? ) my first book for Avon is on the shelves!! Yep, that’s right….I sold it in February of 2005 but it took me this long to get into the line-up. But the anticipation makes it all the more sweet.

One of my friends met me for lunch on the 26th (the actual day that it was released) and brought a copy for me to sign….she’d picked it up that morning at our local B. Dalton’s! I was so excited to learn that at least in one store it had gotten shelved.

I know I’ve talked about this book some before….and I know you’re aware that I have the first chapter on my website (www.cindykirk.com) as well as a book trailer that you can view….but if you would indulge me, I’d like to tell you a little bit about the story…

Did you ever have an imaginary friend when you were small? How about a made-up boyfriend during those dateless years?

Well, Jenny Carman took her need for something more in life a step further. She came up with an alter-ego, Jasmine Coret. The woman is everything she wishes she could be…sexy, brazen and a little bit naughty.

Jasmine gives Jenny the confidence to live out her fantasies. In the process Jenny learns that good things can happen when you dare to be…a little bit bad.

After reading When She Was Bad, I guarantee you’ll want to be a little bad yourself!

Here’s what some others have to say about the book.

WHEN SHE WAS BAD

…is pure fun. A passionate, humorous tale, it kept my attention from the first page ’til the last.
Romance Reader at Heart

…is a witty sensual story. It was hard to put this book down.
Romance Junkies

…is a breezy, enjoyable contemporary that fans of lighter romance will appreciate.
BookLoon Reviews

…is a very quick…read. For Jenny, being bad is actually good.
Fresh Fiction.

Here’s the specifics about the book:

When She Was Bad
by Cindy Kirk
Published by Avon Books
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
On-Sale Date: June 26, 2007
ISBN 978-0-06-084790-6
Price: $5.99

Thanks for letting me share my joy! And hey, if you’d like to pick up a copy or two, that’d be great!!!

June 29, 2007

Toot Toot

That’s me playing my own horn. You see reviews are starting to trickle in for my upcoming release, Tempted At Every Turn, and so far, so good. And I gotta say, I am so excited about this book that I just can’t wait for all of you to read it. Here’s what I’ve gotten so far.

“Tempted at Every Turn is a bravo good read! The superb dialogue between Willow and James keeps the reader fastened to each page. Once Willow and James get over the rough spots, they are a passionate couple with electric chemistry that weaves wonderfully into the storyline. The customs, and events of the time, really shine in the pages and Ms. DeHart allows the reader to share in the ambience of the complete surroundings. Secondary characters accentuate the story very well. This brilliant romantic story, with a great plot, has all the right elements, and is one rare and extraordinary read, from a talented author.” ~Coffee Time Romance

“TEMPTED AT EVERY TURN is a tender love story involving two polar opposites…fireworks go off between them. It is a whole lot of fun seeing these two people spar and banter and eventually find love with each other. James is a great hero! …wonderfully romantic love story…an easy read that has all the qualities that a good romance should have. It even has a place on my keeper shelf…” ~Romance Reader At Heart

“The whimsical, lively, smart and sassy Ladies’ Amateur Sleuth Society is back in DeHart’s delightfully sensual, humorous and action-packed story. Like Amanda Quick, DeHart has found the perfect duo to keep you up all night. ” ~Romantic Times Bookreviews, 4 1/2 star, Top Pick

Pardon me whilst I squeal a bit. SQUEALLLLLL!!!! It’s my first 4 1/2 stars and I never thought I’d get a Top Pick. Wow. Someone grab onto my shoe before I float too high off the ground. I’m sure more reviews are on their way and I can only hope they’re as positive.

June 28, 2007

Hot or Cold?

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that men and women cannot agree on temperature. Ultimate Sportsfan and I have never once agreed on the temperature inside the house. He likes it cold and I like it comfortable.

Okay, if you ask him, he’ll say that he likes it comfortable and I like it warm.

Who’s right? I don’t know. I just know that every time I walk past the thermostat, I inch the temperature higher. He comes after me and inches it back down. Sometimes I wear a jacket inside the house in the middle of the Houston summer! He walks around half naked—not that I mind that!

I know there have to be other things that men and women can’t seem to agree about: toilet seat up or down, how to squeeze the toothpaste, which way to put the toilet paper on the roll. Maybe it’s just anyone who shares a space is inclined to squabble about little things occasionally (like being freezing cold!)

So what about you? On which issues don’t you see eye-to-eye?

June 27, 2007

A Little Magic

I’ve written a few books with paranormal or magical elements, but A Warrior’s Taking (which came out yesterday!) is my first sorcerer book. It’s more of a “fantasy” than a “paranormal,” and there’s also a time travel element, but that’s a very small part of the story, even though it looms large on the back cover blurb. Mainly, the plot is about the hero’s quest for a powerful talisman (a special stone that was hidden away in the future by the ancient elders of his race). It’s also about the heroine’s struggle to find a home and a livelihood for herself and the two little girls in her care.

Their paths cross, of course, and the hero has been forbidden to use magic while he’s in her world. So it becomes more of a story of survival in 1813, a story about a man and a woman who have two very different purposes, and seem to be star-crossed. What he needs to do will exclude her. The way she must survive cannot include him. But there’s a HEA, and I’m not going to tell you how it works out … But I hope you find it a very satisfying ending.

June 26, 2007

Saturday Morning Nostalgia

Boy, Saturday mornings sure aren’t what they used to be.

On a recent overnight babysitting stint at my sister’s house, I awakened on Saturday morning and turned on the television with the intention of letting my niece watch cartoons while I fed my nephew his bottle. I was surprised when my niece informed me that she never watched T.V. on Saturday mornings because there wasn’t anything good on, just the local news and reruns of old Disney Channel live action shows like Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven. I was determined to prove her wrong, but imagine my total shock when I discovered that she was right! After flipping through several channels, I realized that the only one with brand new cartoons playing was our local CW/WB affiliate.

Whatever happened to the good old days? The days when unveiling each station’s new Saturday morning line-up every fall was as important as unveiling the rest of the new fall schedules? The days when my sister, brother, and I would awake at 6:30 or 7:00 on Saturdays and plant ourselves in front of the television until noon for what seemed like an endless supply of cartoons?

It got to me thinking about some of the Saturday morning shows that I used to love as a child. Of course, there were scads of them. They came and went through the years, and there were those I loved and those I didn’t care for. But there were a few favorites that I remember fondly even today:

1. The one cartooon that really sticks out in my mind from my earliest years is Josie and the Pussycats. Wow, was I crazy about that show! I can remember papering the closet in my bedroom with stickers of each of the show’s characters. Think of it as Scooby Doo meets the Partridge Family–only with an all-girl band and their friends. I loved the combination of girl power and mystery. (And believe it or not, while Josie got on my nerves, I adored scheming Alexandra. Hmmm. Wonder what that says about me?)

Honorable Mention goes to The Krofft Kids Super Power Hour, which had several different live action shows that included Sid and Marty Krofft’s puppetry. Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Electra Woman and Dynagirl, Bigfoot and Wildboy. I ate it up!

2. Later, I graduated to the misadventures of Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels. Think of it as Scooby Doo meets Charlie’s Angels, only with a caveman instead of a dog. (And once again with the girl power/mystery theme. Noticing a trend here?) To my family’s annoyance, I picked up a lot of Teen Angel Taffy’s sayings and started bursting out with expressions like Zowie! I think my sister finally threatened to glue my mouth shut one night when I was sleeping if I didn’t cut it out.

Honorable Mention goes to The ABC Weekend Special, which showcased a different live action show each week taken from a book for children. Some of my favorites through the years were The Haunted Mansion Mystery, Mayday!, The Ransom of Red Chief, and Zack and the Magic Factory.

3. My absolute favorite Saturday morning cartoon ever came along in my later grade school years. Dungeons and Dragons was about six kids who boarded the D&D ride at an amusement park and wound up getting zapped through a portal into the real thing. Amid zombies, orks, and other creatures from the game, the kids tried to survive and get back to their world with the help of the elfish Dungeon Master. The best part was that each kid got their own character designation and a cool weapon. Hank the Ranger had an energy bow, Sheila the Thief had an invisibility cloak, etc. I was devastated when they took it off after three seasons. So imagine my extreme happiness when the entire collection recently came out on DVD! (My niece and nephews love it!)

Honorable Mention goes to Pole Position, a cartoon about a brother and sister team with the Pole Position stunt riding show who drove race cars that talked. (Yes, it was based on the video game of the same name) Think of it as Scooby Doo meets Knight Rider. Didn’t last very long, but a way cool theme song.

There were others through the years. Whoofer and Whimper, Speedbuggy, Thundarr the Barbarian, Rubix. If I really thought about it, I could probably come up with a whole lot more. What about you? Do you have any fond Saturday morning memories? Any favorite shows you look back on with a sense of nostalgia?

And don’t forget to check out the winner of Margo’s contest below!

Another Winner

JPerryStone is the winner of the drawing from yesterday’s post. Congrats! Now, if you’ll email me your snail mail addy (to margo@margomaguire.com, I’ll send your copy of A Warrior’s Taking out to you today!

June 25, 2007

Research – the Nitty-Gritty

Angela recently asked about my research methods, and so I thought I’d give you some insight into the way I do the research for a book. And yes – my research often leads me to add situations to the story. Here’s what I’ve got for my next book so far …

The year is 1868, and the hero is Cullen MacPherson – a highlander who was banished by his father from his home at age twelve. He joined the Royal Navy and worked his way up to a lieutenant class, but returns home after he’s wounded in battle.

The heroine is Ginny Jones, a young Englishwoman who will inherit a lot of money once she reaches her 21st birthday. But there are bad guys out to get her, and she has to flee to a place where they will never find her – the highlands - Cullen’s highlands.

My methods:
I’ll start with my personal resources. I know a few people who have made in-depth studies of the history of the British Navy. I’ll get plenty of info from them, and they’ll be able to steer me toward some good resources (books and the internet).
I also know a few Scots in Scotland – people who have firsthand experience in the highlands. Once I come up with specific questions, I’ll ask them. (And I visited Scotland last year, so I’ve got my own memory to rely on, too).

Then I’ll go to the internet, but that’s tricky. You have to be careful about your internet sources, because some of them are dicey. They’re more pop-culture and hearsay rather than factual information. So I’ll usually go with university sites, or sites that have been vetted by my trusted author friends.

A few visits to the community library will be useful, and then I’ll probably go to the university library for particular detail. That’s basically it. One scenario will lead to questions, and I’ll start there. For example, Cullen was a navy officer. That leads to questions about the 19th century navy. What would his rank have been? If he joined up at age 12, what position did he have? How was he wounded? Since I know it happened during a pirate attack, who were the pirates, and where would the attack have occurred?

Then there’s Ginny - she’s going to inherit money when she reaches her majority. Is it age 21? Would she have been allowed to manage her money at that age? Would an older relative have control?

See how the questions come up? For my purposes, everything needs to be answered, so that the rest of the story rings true.

I know that many of you are writers … tell us how you get your research done. I’ll draw someone’s name tomorrow and send the winner a brand new, autographed copy of A Warrior’s Taking, which will be released Tuesday!

June 23, 2007

Winner!

Brownone is the winner of the signed copy of GOOD GROOM HUNTING. Thanks to everyone who posted. Brownone, email me at shana@shanagalen.com. I need to know how you want the book signed and what your address is.

Scroll down to read Cindy’s post on romance and country music.

What Romance & Country Music have in common

I’m spending this weekend at Country Stampede, an outdoor country music festival in Manhattan Kansas. My friend and I come down here every year. There will be over 40,000 people here this weekend.

There are a lot of people who like country music and a lot who despise it. It’s the same with romance novels. What I hate to see is country music artists or romance novelists try to act like that’s not what they do……like a country music artist who really wants to be a rock musician….or a romance author who is embarrassed that she writes romance.

We’re never going to be able please everyone…but I for one am proud of what I write. I like books that have a happy ending…that show a character growing and changing and being even stronger by the end.

And just like I’m not going to apologize for what I write…or for the kind of music I like to listen to….

June 22, 2007

Gone With the Wind

I was in Atlanta over the weekend and finally got to do something I’ve been wanting to do for years: visit the Margaret Mitchell house.

Margaret Mitchell House

I wanted to go last year when the RWA conference was in Atlanta, but I was never able to get out of the hotel—too busy! So when we had to travel to Atlanta again this year, I told Ultimate Sportsfan that we couldn’t miss our opportunity this time.

Of course, USF didn’t feel as though he’d missed his opportunity last time, but then, he’s not a big Gone With the Wind fan. In fact, not only has he not read the book, he’s never seen the movie.

Never even seen the movie!

Obviously I am a bad wife because I have yet to remedy that oversight, and I own the movie.

The Margaret Mitchell House was interesting but not overly impressive. When Mitchell lived in the house, it was divided into several small apartments. She lived on the basement level. The quarters were cramped, and I can’t imagine how she got much writing done in that space—much less a masterpiece like GWTW. So I guess that just goes to show us that we don’t need fancy chairs or big desks or computers to write a good book. We just need passion and persistence.

I’m in the mood to give something away, so comment on this blog–something about your favorite movie or book or museum or whatever. I’ll pick a winner first thing tomorrow morning and send that person a signed copy of GOOD GROOM HUNTING.