STILL INTO YOU is out today! Three Days. No Rings. Will their marriage survive?

So hopefully y'all will forgive me for the blatant promotional post today in lieu of Boyfriend of the Week. But it's my book's birthday! Yay!

And don't despair, there is still a Boyfriend of the Week to be had. I'm over at Romancing Rakes For the Love of Romance with photos of the inspiration for Seth, the hero for STILL INTO YOU! 

Blurb (in case you missed it the hundred other times I posted it):

Three days, no rings...

Seth and Leila used to have trouble keeping their hands off each other. Passion, desire, love—it was all there. Yet, eight years after their whirlwind marriage and kids, they’ve settled into a life where choosing Letterman over Leno is considered a wild night.

Seth knows things need to change. But when he hears his wife call into a relationship radio show and admit she’s been tempted to cheat, he realizes how far off course they’ve gotten. He comes up with a dramatic plan. Three days. No rings. He’ll take Leila to The Ranch, a resort where any sexual fantasy can be had, and give her the freedom to have whatever or whomever she wants.

However, Seth doesn’t intend to simply stand by and watch other men fulfill Leila’s dark desires. He has a lot more bad boy in him than his wife suspects and he knows there’s only one man who can give her what she needs. Now he has to show her why that man is him.

Now here are your instructions:

1. Buy book in your preferred format (Kindle or Nook) because of any or all of the following reasons:

a) It's a kickass story and only $2.99

b) the cover will look pretty on your e-reader

c) you love me

d) you just want to see a little more of Jace from Crash Into You

e) you want to help fund my iced tea and fancy cheese addiction

2. Read the story.

-Keep a significant other readily available.

3. If you love it...

a) Tell everyone you know

b) Review it online

c) Lend it to a friend

4. If you hate it...

a) Uh, just send me a private email berating me. ;)

b) All right, I can take it, you can review it too.

5. Rinse. Repeat in July when MELT INTO YOU releases. (<--told you, I'm shameless.)

All right, now off with you, you've got important work to do today!

Love you guys! *hugs*

Readers Face the Slush Pile: A Few Hard Truths

Photo of Seattle's Elliot Bay bookstore by Nicola since 1972

I know the publishing industry has been in major flux over the last few years with e-readers and the advent of digital self-publishing. (Let's mark that as my most obvious statement of the year.)

And though change is always uncomfortable and stressful, I think it's also opened up a whole new world for writers. Like agent Deidre Knight posted about recently--No, no longer means never. If a book can't find an agent or a publishing home (or the author doesn't want to go that route at all), self-pubbing is there. Options are wonderful to have. It gives power to the author. Yay for that!

However, that also means that books now don't have to go through gatekeepers, so Amazon and online bookstores are open to anyone who wants to put words on a page (whether well-written or not). That means there is a tidal wave of slush filling up the market and it's up to the reader to decide if a book is worthy or not.

First novel attempts are out there (thank God this option wasn't around when I thought my first attempt at writing a book was made of awesome--it wasn't and would be an embarrassment to me now.) Rough drafts are out there. Total, breathtaking masterpieces are out there. But it's up to the consumer to sift through it and discover and applaud the ones worthy of it by posting great reviews and passing on word of mouth.

But here's the thing: lots of readers seem to be perfectly impressed by mediocre writing.

Now, I know books are a totally subjective experience. And who am I to judge what is good or bad writing. But there are also standard practices of writing, clichés to avoid, and just general solid story telling techniques that are around for a reason. And I realize that I'm a writer who is going to have a much more critical eye when it comes to craft, but still it's frustrating seeing a book with a nice cover, a good blurb, and great reviews/sales rank, getting excited, then opening up those sample pages and groaning with disappointment.

Yesterday, I had it happen twice. Two books that looked great and then didn't deliver in the sample pages. If they'd been read in the opening pages gong show I talked about last week, they would've been gonged by the agents, no doubt. But these authors are selling books and have an army of good reviews gracing Amazon, so either they're padding their reviews or most readers are satisfied with "decent" writing ability. 

Now, before anyone jumps my case, I'm not saying there aren't traditionally pubbed books that suck too. But at least they've been through a few editors, including not just a copy editor but a macro editor who is looking at the big picture stuff. Grammar and typos can be handled by a high school English student. Having an editor that can critically evaluate things like story structure, character arc, info dumps, plot holes, etc. is not quite as easy to find. That kind of editing is what is going to separate (whether traditional or indie) the good stories from the just alright.  

So here are some hard truths I've come to terms with regarding the new world of books...

#1 I can't trust reviews or sales ranking anymore unless the review comes from someone I know and trust or a professional book blogger/reviewer who I know gives honest opinions.

And I am looking more and more towards goodreads instead of amazon for reviews. I find that goodreads gives a more well-rounded picture. And I'm learning the book bloggers who tend to have taste similar to mine, so I trust their recommendations.

#2 For self-pubbed/indie books, I'm reading sample pages before I buy unless it's an author I already know/have read/trust.

No, it's not fair that I tend not to do this for traditionally pubbed books. Usually if the blurb and cover grab me, I'm buying. But I've been burned one too many times on the self-pubbed stuff, so I'm reading pages before purchase.

#3 Though the gates opening is a great thing, I think we're going to miss out on some really fantastic writing from authors who would've had to hone and refine their craft more if they'd faced the gates first.

If an author puts out a book that's "good enough" or "decent" and it sells well, there is no motivation for her to take the time to study craft and get better, to push herself. In fact, the only thing she'll probably feel pressure to do is write the next one as fast as she can to get more "shelf" space. So, she can continue to put out more of the same. That's great if she can make a living at it, but what kind of story may the world have gotten if she'd had to push a little further, dug a little deeper? (So if you are publishing, either self or traditionally, always remember to hone your craft. Study books/blogs on writing, read books from authors who are masters at their craft, and always strive to make the next book better. Never be happy with "good enough.")

#4 Being a writer means being a picky reader.

I'm almost jealous of those readers who can read a not so well-written book and enjoy it--not pick up on the clichés or the 20 million exclamation points, not worry that the character is looking at herself in the mirror and describing how she looks, not seeing the plot holes. Being a writer is like being a chef who tries to eat in someone else's restaurant and sees every flaw in the food.

#5 I now have an endless variety of stories to choose from.

This is a good one. I LOVE that books that may not have fit in the traditional mold and would've gotten put in a drawer are getting out there. Genre-crossers, niche stories, boundary-pushers, shorter works. That's fantastic. I just have to accept that the flip side of this benefit means the extra step of sifting through the slush.

So yes, I'm all for writers having the variety of publishing options. I haven't ruled out self-pubbing stuff in between my traditional stuff in the future (if I can learn to write faster and have some time in between deadlines, lol.) But the benefits don't come without some negatives. As a reader, I now have to work a little harder to find what I want. It's something I'm still getting used to.

So what are your thoughts? How do you make your book buying decisions? Have you been burned buying a book that had stellar reviews and sales? Do you read sample pages before purchasing? What are some indie books that really knocked your socks off? 

THE SIREN Takes Over Boyfriend of the Week

Today I have a special treat for you. Tiffany Reisz is back, giving us ALL the boyfriends from her debut novel THE SIREN . If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for? It's gorgeous and dark and beautifully written. Plus hello, it has all these delicious men in it. Really, this isn't because she's a friend, her book is amazing. This story convinced me I could enjoy erotica and not just erotic romance. (Yes, there's a difference.) 

THE SIREN has been early-released in ebook, so you can get it now. The paperback will be out in July.

Now over ot Tiffany and her men--oh, and fair warning if you're at work, Tiffany's excerpts are 18+.

Boyfriends of the Week - The Siren

Hi Friends and Fellow Man-Lovers! 

Once again Roni’s bad judgment has gotten the better of her and she’s allowing me to run roughshod all over her blog. I’m not here for the Boyfriend of the Week post. I’m here for the BoyfriendS of the Week.

That’s right. BoyfriendS. Plural. It’s the week of THE SIREN (my full-length erotic women’s fiction debut), and I brought all my men with me. 

At a recent writers’ conference, my agent described THE SIREN as a book with a hero, a heroine, another hero, another hero, another hero, and another heroine. Pretty accurate assessment. After all, THE SIREN is merely book one in an eight-book series called THE ORIGINAL SINNERS. I need a whole lot of sinners if I’m going to fill up eight books. 

THE SIREN is the story of Nora Sutherlin, a quirky and beautiful Dominatrix and her rich and powerful lovers and clients. She’s also an erotica writer on killer deadlines and the world’s sexiest editor is cracking the whip. On top of that, she’s got a nymphomaniac Frenchman for a boss, an all-American, virginal teenage boy for an intern, and you don’t even want to know who she’s sleeping with. 

Oh wait. Yes, you do.

Let’s meet our boys, shall we?

Hero #1

Zachary “Zach” Easton

Occupation: Uptight editor of literary fiction

Hobbies: Being British and mean to his writers

“You do realize that working with you could be bad for my career,” Zach said. “I do literary fiction, not-”

“Literary friction?” 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Zach shook his head.

Nora leaned in close to him. He was suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the long, bare curve of her neck. She smelled of hothouse flowers in bloom.

“I can.” She breathed the words into his ear.

Hero #2

Wesley “Wes” Railey

Occupation: Full-time College Student, Part-time Babysitter to a Writer

Hobbies: Horseback riding and trying to get Nora to behave for five whole minutes 

“It's okay,” he said a little breathlessly. He curled up around the pillow and pulled his legs into his chest. “It's just, you're, I’m…”

“Turned on? I know you are. You’re accent gets thicker when you get-”

“Nora, please.”

“You can tell me, Wes.”

“Yes,” he confessed. “Very. I'm sorry. Just give me a few minutes to think about my dead grandmother and I'll be okay.”

“Can I help you?”

“I don't think so. You never met my dead grandmother.”

Hero #3

Griffin Randolfe Fiske

Occupation: Trust Fund Baby

Hobbies: Causing trouble, getting tattoos, lifting weights, going to rehab, flirting with everyone.

“Blowjob on a British guy?” Griffin asked with some concern. “You're a braver bitch than I. No offense,” Griffin said turning to Zach. “I have a foreskin phobia.”

“Zach's Jewish,” Nora said.

Griffin nodded his approval. “Mazel tov.”

Hero? #4

Kingsley Edge (not his real last name)

Occupation: Clubowner and King of New York’s Underground BDSM Scene

Hobbies: Seducing women, seducing men, being French and attractive, shopping 

“Miss me?” Nora asked.

“I miss you. My bank account misses you.”

“Your bank account is bigger than the G.D.P. of Luxembourg, King.”

“Oui, Maîtresse.” He took a bigger swig of his drink. “But Luxembourg is such a small kingdom.”

Hero #5

Søren

Occupation: You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Hobbies: Playing piano and mindfucking anyone who tries to get in-between him and Nora

“You know her that well, do you?” Søren asked, turning to face him full on. “Before tonight she scared you, didn’t she? Her fearlessness, her brazenness, I’m sure it’s terrifying at first. Foreign to those who lead the proverbial life of quiet desperation as I imagine you do. She scared you with the sheer force of her life and being. But now you look around and think her courage is merely a byproduct of her damage. You imagine I abused her, changed her. And you would save her, as Wesley imagines he can? You would be her knight in shining armor? Yes, before you feared her and now you pity her. I assure you, Zachary, you were right the first time.”

---

 Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice. 

When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed). 

If she couldn’t write, she would die.

Thanks, Tiffany! Whew, alright, so which hero are you going for? I have a bit of a thing for Wesley, but Tiffany makes all her heroes interestiing so it's definitely a hard choice. :)

Made of Win Monday: Reading Binges

This is going to be a quick post since it's Memorial Day and I know many of you are out eating barbecue and hanging out by the pool. But yesterday I had a glorious day of doing nothing but reading. I read an entire novel and a novella. I binged. And it was lovely and totally made of win.

I knew RT Magazine's list of 50 books for 50 Shades alternatives was going to get me in trouble. :) (Here's the list if you're interested. Crash made it on there too!)

And in case you want to know what books had me glued to my Kindle, here you go. These were both new to me authors. Both were fab...

Sheltered by Charlotte Stein

Adored this story. Such a sweet hero and sexual tension that will melt your e-reader. Ignore the cover, that's not how the characters were described. 

Evie has lived her entire life under her abusive father’s thumb. He controls everything. Where she goes to college, who she sees, what she does. But when she meets Van—a punk who shows her how different life could be—she realizes how much she’s been missing.Van offers her excitement, protection, love…and most of all, sex—even if he’s at first reluctant to give her all the things she’s been craving. She wants to explore this new world of arousal and desire, but Van is only too aware of how fragile she is, how innocent…And how much is at stake, when their love is forbidden.

Willing Victim by Cara McKenna

For the past couple years Laurel’s been coasting, hiding in the backseat while her life drifts off course. Then one summer afternoon a tall, built bruiser named Flynn strides in and steers her straight into an infatuation she never saw coming.Flynn introduces Laurel to things she’s never imagined—to the violent but exciting realm of the underground boxing circuit, to rough sex and even rougher role-playing, and to an attraction she craves even as it intimidates her. As Flynn invites her deeper into his world and his life, Laurel has to make a choice—let fear keep her holed up where it’s safe, or take a chance and fight for the man who makes her feel more alive than she’d dreamed possible. Reader Advisory: Although all sex acts are 100-percent consensual, Willing Victim contains role-playing scenarios that may upset some readers who are sensitive about rape, even in a simulated capacity.

So here's to days where you get so lost in a book you can't stop...and don't have to!

Anyone have a book binge lately?

Can a Love of Reading Develop After the Formative Years?

Photo by Kate Hiscock (click pic for link)So, I'm sure this is the most obvious statement in the world, but I love reading, have always loved reading. I can think back through my childhood and mark time based on the books I was into during that stage--fantasy in elementary (The Wrinkle In Time series, The Never Ending Story) along with a bazillion Babysitter's Club books, gothic romance and YA horror in middle school, then adult horror, romantic suspense, and paranormal in high school. So books have always been a huge part of my life.

That came from having a mother who was and still is an avid reader. Books were always around the house and a trip to the library was as excitig as a trip to the mall. So on this upcoming Mother's Day, I need to not just thank my mom for being so supportive and fantastic, but also for giving me the foundation for this career. I never would've found my way to writing, if she wouldn't have role-modeled a love of books.

But here's where my question comes in. Most avid readers I know have similar stories to mine above. They found their way to books very early and were already avid readers by high school. But what about those who weren't "born" readers. Maybe because they didn't have parents who read for pleasure or maybe because there was more emphasis on other activities like sports or music, etc. This seems to happen a lot with boys--whether that's because boys are more drawn to other activities or we just don't encourage boys enough when it comes to reading for fun, I don't know.

But my husband is one of these people. He's intelligent, did well in school, absorbs information like a sponge, is introspective--has all the makings of a bookworm. But he's never been a reader. He can probably count the number of books he's read for pleasure in adulthood on two hands, maybe one hand if you take out non-fiction business books and books I've written.

And this makes me sad. Not because I need him to like the things I like, but because I feel like it's tragic to miss out on the magic of a book sweeping you away. He works hard, has a stressful job, travels a lot, is bombarded with cell phones and tvs and radios and computers all day long. Getting lost in a book could be such an escape. I feel compelled to drag him over to my side of the reader/non-reader fence.

He is open to it. I wanted to get him a Kindle Fire to see if that would make reading a viable option when he's traveling, but we ended up with an I-pad. Which is great, Ipads are fantastic. But they also offer a lot more distractions that can be more tempting (to a non-bookworm) than reading a book. So I don't know if that's going to make any significant change.

Part of me thinks that if he finds the right kind of story, he'll get hooked, realize he's been missing out all these years. But maybe not. Maybe avid readers are developed early and once people are adults, they're too set in their ways to get passionate about books. But I hope not.

So what do you think? Do you think it's hard to become an avid reader later in life? When did you fall in love with books?