You have your e-reader, and now you’re looking for good books to download. How do you choose something you know is going to be well-crafted, well-edited and reliable? You can always download the Jaunty Quills’ (and other favorite authors’) mainstream books. You know they’re going to be formatted correctly. There won’t be a bunch of typos or spelling errors.

But what if you knew of an author collective that was committed to producing only top quality work? An independent group of authors whose goals were to meet or even exceed NY standards? I am part of a group exactly like this, and we call our collective Rock*It Reads. You might already know some of the authors: Mia Marlowe, Vanessa Kelly (VK Sykes), Monica Burns, Joan Swan, Elisabeth Naughton, Pamela Clare, Sharon Page, Lila DiPasqua, Cheryl Holt, Kris Kennedy and me. You can visit our website http://www.rockitreads.com/ and see what books and novellas we have to offer, often at lower prices than your typical NY pricing.

Our website is a portal for readers to find really great romance reads without having to wade through hundreds of pages at the electronic booksellers’ sites. And the Rock*It Reads authors are going to help you find even more great independently published books – books written by authors who are not part of RiR - through our bi-weekly column at Barnes & Noble. The column is called Love Rocks and you can find us here.

We’re pretty new, having launched our brand only this month. Rock*It Reads is not a publisher – all of our books are self-published, and each of us is responsible for our own work. But we’ve got a logo – seen here on the right. And when you see that logo on a book cover, you’ll know the book has met our high standards. It wouldn’t be a part of Rock*It Reads otherwise.

So go on over to our website and bookmark it. Check out what we’ve got to offer. Tell me what you like best about the website, and which of the books look interesting to you, and I’ll draw 10 names to win a free download of a RiR book. Bear in mind that we’ll be adding more books to our brand as we go along. And we plan to add more authors, too.  How does that old song go… We’ve Only Just Begun…

Come on – tell me what you think!

In the 7th grade, I remember we had an assignment to collect pictures from magazines and create a collage of our “dream home.” Of course, me being the little ol’ overachiever I am <g> I created collages of multiple homes, imagining that one day I would own a house in every country. Now that I’m an adult with two young children and one house that I can barely manage to keep clean, that idea makes me shudder…a lot. =) But I do still think about my dream home… You know, the one you’ll have after you win the lottery, the one that is passed down through generations that becomes a symbol to your family of love and tradition, a place for holidays and get-togethers and a retreat from the rest of the world.

Today I thought I’d share with you ideas of what my dream house would look like…

DREAM KITCHEN

The kitchen is probably the most important room in my dream house–not because I’m a gourmet chef or love to cook 100% of the time (in fact, my dream house actually comes with a dream chef , but because I’ve always WANTED to love to cook. My cookbook collection is ridiculously huge. =) I’d want a large space, for preparation and in case more than one person is cooking at a time, and a counter where friends/family can sit on a barstool and laugh/chat while the cooking is going on. Oh, and lots of windows nearby to give light. Apparently, windows are a big thing in my dream home. =) Here’s an idea for my dream kitchen…

DREAM LIBRARY

Okay, so sometimes the library is even more important than the kitchen in my imaginings, but I’ve realized that I’d probably have to get the house built in order to have the specific one I want rather than just buying a house. My dream library would be a circular, two-story room with bookshelves covering as much space as possible. There would be a spiral staircase leading up to the second story with more books and windowseats built in. And oh yeah, a fireplace on the bottom level where I can while away a rainy day (read: hide from the kids) cozied up on my chaise longue. =) My library might look something like this, in fact…

DREAM MASTER BEDROOM

A large, comfortable space that feels like more of a retreat. With windows and a fireplace (although you can’t see one in this picture…)

DREAM MASTER BEDROOM CLOSET

Come on, you know you’ve dreamed about this, too! I don’t think I’d even own enough clothes/shoes to justify it, but still… =) (And remember the revolving closet from the 90s movie, Clueless? *always* wanted one of those…)

DREAM MASTER BATHROOM

My main requirement for this would be a HUGE bathtub where it would be extremely comfortable for me to read there as long as I want… <g> But double vanities, a separate shower, etc. would be nice, too. =)DREAM OFFICE

Did you ever watch that MTV show where they go inside the celebrity houses and when the guys lead the camera crew to the master bedroom and the lens zooms in on the bed, the guys always said “this is where the magic happens”? (*shakes head* Guys.) Well, this would be where the book magic happens–just imagine my desk in front of those gorgeous windows…

And since this is my dream house and I’m feeling giddy, I think we’ll throw in a dream room for hubby, too… =)

DREAM MOVIE ROOM

And that’s just the start. We haven’t even covered the girls’ rooms and playroom yet, or the dining room and living room with the huge windows and fireplace and overlooking balcony where the tree on Christmas morning would just look *perfect*. Hope you enjoyed this mini-tour through my dreams. =) And just in case you were wondering, the houses where these pictures came from? Yeah, 6 million plus.

Do you enjoy imagining your dream house, too? What are the rooms you dream about the most? Where would your dream house be located?

I’ve been working on an article about revision.  It’s for writers and focuses on how to deal with editorial revisions. Editorial revisions are the notes and suggestions an editor makes to an author after the author has turned in the book but before she gets paid the rest of the advance money for the book.

I decided to write the article because even though I like revising, I have a huge, huge fear of receiving editorial revisions. I used to get them in the mail. I would see that manila envelope, and my heart would start pounding. I would have to brace myself to open it, and I’d usually have to wait until I had mentally prepared myself. Now I get a revision phone call. Starting about three weeks after I turn in a book, I jump every time the phone rings. Is it my editor? Is she calling with revisions? No, no no!

I don’t know why I worry about the revisions so much. They’re never that bad–well, okay, sometimes they have been bad. More than once I have had to cut upwards of 150 pages from a book. More than once I have had to rework a timeline that didn’t work (i.e. chronologically, the story could not have happened as I wrote it). But those were all with books I wrote early in my career. I’m waiting for revisions on my 13th book, and if this book is like the last few, the revisions will be pretty minimal.

So why do I have such a visceral, fear-filled reaction when I know my editor is calling with revisions? All the authors I interviewed for my article–veterans and newbies alike–seemed to have these really positive views about revisions. The editor wants the book to be great. The revision suggestions often give the writer a great idea for the story.

This has happened for me too, but you know what else has happened? An editor has suggested I make X, Y, or Z change, and I didn’t know how to do it. I didn’t think I could do it. And if I can’t do it, then what does that say about me as a writer? Will everyone finally figure out that I’m a complete fraud without minimal writing ability at best?

At the core of my anxiety is fear of failure–fear that I cannot produce. I’m no genius. I don’t even consider myself very creative. It’s hard for me to step outside my comfort zone. An editor’s job is to challenge a writer to push the envelope, to write something better than the last book, to grow in the craft of writing. But what if I’ve reached the end of my potential? What if I can’t grow any farther?

But, as I said, I enjoy revisions.  Why? Because once I get past the fear and dive in, I realize I can do it. I realize the book is going to be way better with the changes than it was without. I realize there is nothing to fear.

Is there anything in your life like this–something you fear or that intimidates you? For Baby Galen, it’s the Dora the Explorer 4-D show at the zoo. It’s a 12-minute 3-D film with added effects (like a mist of water or wiggling seats). She really, really wants to watch that show, and every 4 or 5 months, I believe her enough to buy the tickets. But once we get in the theater, she gets scared and we have to leave. But I know if she just stayed for the show, she’d find out it’s really fun.

If you’ve been reading my books for any length of time (especially my most recent titles) you probably know that I love my historical romance with a little bit of mystery, adventure and suspense thrown in. I don’t think I started out intending to write books like that, per se, I think it just kind of happened. Partly because I like to read books that have a lot going on in the background. I think it’s probably because I cut my teeth on Amanda Quick and Johanna Lindsey and they have lots of adventure/mystery type subplots going on while the hero and heroine fall in love. Amanda Quick’s step back covers even made it perfectly clear you were in for more than a “simple” romance as they had pictures of several scenes from the book, sword fights, embraces, etc. I loved them.

That being said I also really love just a good solid romance where you’ve mostly got the hero and heroine, maybe some secondary characters, but mostly it’s just them falling in love. There’s something so comforting about settling in with a book and falling in love right along with the characters.

The book I finished not too long ago (that I’m currently shopping) is the first in a trilogy that’s an historical romantic suspense series. It’s dark and gritty and packed full of danger and passion. It was exhausting to write and a huge challenge, but I’m really hoping it finds a home because I think it’s quite likely the best thing I’ve ever written. BUT two weeks ago I started working on a new book. It’s still a historical, but it’s a little shorter than my other books and there aren’t any dangerous subplots, no adventures, no mysteries, no quests, its just the hero and heroine, characters around them, but mostly just them. And you know what, I’m having a ball. Literally, at times, because there are ball scenes with dancing and loads of snappy dialogue. It’s so refreshing to write something without worrying where the villain is and whether or not I need to be setting a booby trap.

So how about you? How do you like your romance? Straight up or with a side of mystery or suspense or even some paranormal woo-woo?

*side note* I’m on round 2 of antibiotics with some steroids and my brain is really fuzzy so if this blog doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, I blame it on the drugs.

Congratulations, Kayla! You’ve won a copy of MY ONE AND ONLY. Email me at k.higgins@snet.net. And thanks to everyone who commented! Hope you like the new book!

Covers are the bane of any author’s existence. .  and the bliss, too, when done well. Nothing gives an author more reasons for angst (well, other than titles, reviews, editing, synopsis-writing, and so on) than waiting to see how their publisher’s art, marketing and editorial departments envisioned their story. Did they pick up on the conflict? Do the hero and heroine actually LOOK like they’re supposed to? Hair color? Age? Body type?  Sometimes they’re spot on and sometimes, well, they’re not at all.

Last year, I put together a presentation for an event about the mysteries and possibilities of romance novel coverart and I collected examples of many — some beautiful, some questionable and some downright horrendous covers to show to my audience. I talked about author branding, marketing concepts, reader/story expectations and the one thing that the attendees could simply not believe was that authors have little or no control over covers.  It’s true but after having input on the four covers of my recently republished books, I can say that I think I’m grateful for not having been involved in all those others! LOL!

Actually, that’s not completely true — working with the cover artist/graphic designer on my covers forced me (FORCED!) to sift through dozens and dozens possibly hundreds of photos of gorgeous young men. It was a terrible experience, comparing their eyes and faces and . . . other bits, trying to find the perfect representation for my heroes. As I explained to my husband who was wondering why I was looking at gorgeous young men for hours and hours, it was my responsibility to find the right one from among all the wrong ones.

So, back to the other covers — the ones designed and created by my publishers. I have been blessed with mostly fabulous covers over the years. Lovely ones, gorgeous ones for the most part, across time periods, with hunky Highlanders, Saxon maidens, Regency duchesses and earls, and a few headless women, too. More than a few headless people–LOL!  To capitalize on the trend for my books to feature headless heroines (THE COUNTESS BRIDE, MAID OF LORN, THE BETROTHAL, THE CONQUEROR’S LADY, and all of my Bravas) then headless heroes (THE NORMAN’S BRIDE, TAMING THE HIGHLANDER, SURRENDER TO THE HIGHLANDER, etc), I even held a website contest to guess what the next cover would be!

Well, today I got the first peek at my next Harlequin Historical’s cover and I am blown away by it! I think it’s the best one yet — but I may be biased. What do you think?

When you look for a romance novel, in stores or online, what do you like on the cover? Are you partial to clinches? Hero-only? Heroine-only? Naked manly chests? Images not people?  And which of mine (found here ) do you think is the best? This new one or one of the others? Post a comment and I’m going to choose two people who will each receive a signed book (from this weekend’s Desert Dreams Conference in Phoenix AZ).

Terri is on her way to the Desert Dreams conference this weekend where she’ll be presenting a workshop and signing at the conference bookfair. The bookfair on Saturday is open to the public.  Stop by if you’re in the area!

 

 

Congratulations to Lorelei and Laurie G! You are the winners of autographed copies of Judy Duarte’s MENDOZA’S MIRACLE! Please email her at  judyduarte@aol.com with your snail mail address so she can send you your book.

JPQ: Higgins, you’re back, I see. Turning up like a bad penny…

KH: Yes, Jaunty, and thank you for having me! Always lovely to see you.

JPQ: So SOMEBODY TO LOVE is the story of a quietly heroic porcupine who has loved a certain hedgehog all his life and finally gets his chance when she loses everything and needs someone—namely me—to charge up on a white horse and save her. Correct?

KH: Well…

JPQ: Finally! Porcupine romance—Po-Ro, as I like to call it—is so underrated! It’s about time—

KH: Actually, the book is more about humans, Jaunty. Parker Welles has it all: great kid, beautiful home, interesting career, plenty of money. That is, until her career comes to a grinding halt, her father bankrupts her and she has to move. The only thing left she has is a decrepit house on the northern coast of Maine and a few weeks without her son to flip it. When her dad’s wingman comes up to help, she can’t turn away his help, as much as she’d like to. James Cahill has nursed a crush on Parker for years, but given his relationship with her dad, it’s no wonder she’s suspicious of him. He’s got a few weeks to change her mind, and he’s determined to make the best of it.

JPQ: So it’s not about porcupines?

KH: Well, no. But please note that the word “porcupine” is used on page 237 of my book. That’s you, babe.

JPQ: In what context? As handsome as a porcupine? As brave? As heroic? As—

KH: Actually, the quote is something like “James stared at her, his hands jammed in his pockets, from the back porch, irritable as a hungover porcupine.”

JPQ: (a long silence). Really?

KH: Yep.

JPQ: You said that?

KH: Yes.

JPQ: Oh, Kristan! Thank you!

KH: You’re welcome! This is the third time you’ve come up in a book, Jaunty. Can’t say that porcupine references are raining down from my sister Quills, can you? Anyway, I love a lot of things about this book, especially the challenge Parker has in front of her. She’s from a wealthy family, so when she’s reminded that she owns the house in Maine, she naturally expects something on the posh side. What she gets is much different. If I may, Jaunty…

JPQ: Sure. Why not? Since you put me in the book and all.

 

97 Shoreline Drive was on the ocean side of the road; the hill was steep as it rose from the harbor, and it was clear why there weren’t many other houses around—most of them had probably fallen victim to storms over the years.

The shack sat on cement pilings, a two-foot gap between the earth and the house. No basement, clearly. She walked around the house slowly, the grass up to her knees. Were there mice in there? Probably. She shuddered. She hated mice. Her father liked to dangle them over Apollo’s cage before dropping them to their doom.

Upon further inspection, she saw that the shack was—or had once been—an actual house, like something Nicky would draw–a square box with a triangle on top. The gray shingles had warped, pulling away from the side of the house like eyelashes, and great shards of paint peeled from the once-white trim. The roof was patchy and battered, complete with crumbling chimney, but at least there was some form of heating, she guessed. All the windows were boarded, and the aluminum screen door was off its hinges, leaning against a rusting front door. Clearly, people had tried to break in over the years—there were dents all around the door handle, and the small window pane was broken.  

“Bite the bullet,” she said aloud. “Time to go inside and view your inheritance.”

The key Thing One had supplied fit fine. Had he known this was her house? Had Harry? Think they might’ve given her a hint at what lay ahead?

Parker turned the lock, which slid open after some wiggling. The door was warped, however and stuck fast, so she shoved harder, using her shoulder. Once, twice, three times, and bam, it opened.

Pitch dark inside. She groped on the wall for a light switch and got lucky. Someone had turned on the electricity (or it had never been turned off), and a harsh yellow light momentarily blinded her.

Permanently blinded might’ve been better.

Parker closed her mouth, then opened it to swear, then realized that she didn’t know a word bad enough.

Aunt Julia had been a hoarder.

 

KH: So Parker’s got her work cut out for her! And I admit—I love this type of book, when a person goes to a strange town and takes on a big project. The help of a handsome, shirtless hottie never hurts. Thanks for letting me talk about my book, Jaunty!

SOMEBODY TO LOVE has already accrued some lovely reviews and honors, including a starred review in The Library Journal. It’s been called “quite possibly the perfect romance novel,” by reviewer Kat Latham, and Romance Junkies deemed the book “Kristan Higgins at her finest…charming and heartbreaking…utterly lovely from start to finish.”

A PORTION OF THE FIRST WEEK’S SALES (April 24-May 1, 2012, and that includes pre-orders) will go to Save the Children, a charity near and dear to Parker’s heart (and the author’s)! To order the book, please click whichever link you prefer.

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Somebody-Love-Kristan-Higgins/dp/0373776586

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/somebody-to-love-kristan-higgins/1106936650

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373776580

BOOKS A MILLION: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Somebody-Love/Kristan-Higgins/9780373776580?id=5319306613459

 

For the most part, I have a dream job.  I spend my workdays creating stories to touch a reader’s heart.  And better yet, I get to do that in the privacy of my own home.

While most people fight rush hour traffic on their way to and from work, I pour myself a second cup of coffee and remain in my jammies or a comfy pair of sweats.

But there are times when writing can be a lonely profession, especially when my family or friends are heading to the mall, the movies, or my favorite restaurant for dinner, and I can’t go with them because I’m struggling to make a deadline.  That’s when my office becomes a dark, dank writing cave.  And I have to admit, it’s not fun to be chained to my desk when I’m struggling with stubborn characters or plot holes.

However, that’s not the case when working on a continuity series, especially the Fortunes of Texas.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the process, I’ll tell you know how it works.

Suddenly, out of the blue, my agent calls and tells me that I’ve been invited to take part in a new series.  And I’m thrilled.  I’ll even shuffle other deadlines, just so I can take part.

 

Next the continuity bible, a detailed account of the series, arrives via email.  There’s an overview of the series and the continuity plot that begins in book one and builds until the wrap up in book six.   A brief synopsis of each book in the story, is included, including a cast of characters, certain locations, and other details.

Last comes the list of participating authors, their contact information, and their assigned books.   The authors then contact each other and work together to create six solid romances in a successful series.

 

Some authors don’t like the constraints of following the plot details created in the series bible, but I’m not one of them.  I love looking over my story assignment and making those characters my own.  I also enjoy hammering out plot or character issues with the other authors.

 

My most recent participation in a continuity series was the Fortunes of Texas:  Whirlwind Romance.  My book, MENDOZA’S MIRACLE, was the third of six books. 

In book one, FORTUNE’S CINDERELLA by Karen Templeton, a tornado strikes Red Rock and affects the lives of all the characters.  My hero, Javier Mendoza, was critically injured in the tragic event.  And it’s not until book two that his family and friends learn that he’s going to live.

So what happens in my story?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

From the Desk of Leah Roberts

Review of Patient Case

Name: Javier Mendoza

Age: 31

Condition: Injured in Red Rock tornado—still hospitalized. Recovering nicely. Too handsome for a hospital bed. Too sexy for his own good.

Prognosis: Likely to cause racing pulse, sleepless nights and hospital gossip.

Course of treatment: Walk away, STAT!

The Fortunes and the Mendozas had been anxiously awaiting Javier’s recovery. Finally he was on the mend, and no one was happier than his nurse, Leah Roberts. She’d been his rock during the ordeal, but now she was having thoughts that were most unprofessional. She was losing her heart to her flirty, sweet-talking patient.

But did Javier also have a case of true love?

When the Jaunty Quills asked me to blog, I thought it might be fun to discuss continuities, especially the Fortunes of Texas, and their appeal to readers.

So if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, I’d love to hear them.  In fact, I’ll be giving away autographed copies of MENDOZA’S MIRACLE to two lucky commenters.

***************************************************************************************

Be sure to check out all six books in the newest Fortunes of Texas: Whirlwind Romance series

Available now:

FORTUNE’S CINDERELLA – by Karen Templeton

FORTUNE’S VALENTINE BRIDE – by Marie Ferrarella

MENDOZA’S MIRACLE – by Judy Duarte

FORTUNE’S HERO – by Susan Crosby

 

Coming in May and June 2012

FORTUNE’S UNEXPECTED GROOM – by Nancy Robards Thompson

FORTUNE’S PERFECT MATCH – by Allison Leigh

 

 

 

I thought it might be fun for you to see where I write.  Okay, so I had an ulterior motive.  Taking pictures of my work area forced me to do some much needed “Spring” cleaning. 

Just to be clear, my work area isn’t always messy, but it can get that way fast when I’m approaching a deadline.  This might be a good chance to show you how I keep track of my deadlines.   Yeah, a white board.  I’m real high tech.

A little history first.  I started writing in 1996 and sold my first book in 1999.  For those first few years, my “office” was a corner in the bedroom. The computer was on a lower shelf (not a desk) and on the shelf above it was a dot matrix printer.  When the paper came out of the printer, it would either A) fall on the floor, B) fall on my head or C) I would catch each sheet.  Ahhhh, the good old days.

Shortly around the time that I sold, we did some home remodeling and what should have been a spare bedroom became my office. I’ve included several pictures for your viewing pleasure.  The first is my computer.   You’ll notice the laser printer to one side.  It prints SEVENTEEN pages per minute and NONE of those pages fall on my head.  I consider this exceptional progress.

When I moved from the corner to the spare bedroom-turned-office, I decided my book covers would be my office art.    Thankfully I continued to sell (30 sales and counting) or my walls would have been pretty bare.  I also keep a copy of all my books, including all the foreign editions in a bookcase in my office.  If you have eagle eyes and notice all the children’s books…yes, I have a collection of books from my childhood.  They never fail to make me smile when I see them.  So many good memories.

I’ve got a good amount of desk space when it’s not cluttered with papers and post-it notes that I write to myself to remind me of different points in my current work-in-progress.

 Unfortunately some of my desk space is taken up by my office cat, Oreo.     I wish I could say she’s a big help, but she’s really more of a hindrance.  She sits in front of my monitor, sprawls on my papers and kicks my notes off the desktop.  But I love her anyway.

What I really like about my office space is it feels like home to me.  I can sit down at any of the day or night and do what I love to do best…write.  It doesn’t get any better!

I’m curious.  Do you have an office area at home?  Or a special place you like to read?