Leave a comment during the month for a chance to win a $25 Amazon.com e-mail gift card. Each comment gets you one entry and the winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Good Luck!
An almost daily blog about reading, writing and romance fiction
Every Saturday I share some questions I receive from readers, bloggers and writers. Today’s question is:
What is your favorite part of a book to write?
Coming up with the idea energizes me. I think brainstorming is the best part. My second favorite part is when something unexpected occurs in the story that fits so perfectly that you can’t understand how it happened.
This week Blaze is under the spotlight at Harlequin.com. Drop by and chat with the Blaze authors about Harlequin’s sexiest line. You can find the discussion here.
Every Saturday I share some questions I receive from readers, bloggers and writers. Today’s question is:
Who are your favorite literary hero and heroine?
Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. (Forget Romeo and Juliet. That’s just a train wreck. I prefer comedy with bite and a lot of witty dialogue.)
I also like Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series. It’s a sweet romance that gently develops. I didn’t think they would work as a couple, but they do.
Congratulations to the following readers! Their names were chosen using random.org and they received a signed copy of THE YEAR OF LIVING SHAMELESSLY. The winners have been contacted and I’m waiting to hear a reply on just a few. The books will be sent out this week. ~ Susanna
Amy W. of Michigan
Anne M. of Illinois
Annette L of Ohio
Bonnie C. of Florida
Cheryl E. of New York
Crystal B. of Kentucky
Deana C. of Iowa
Eleanor H. of Pennsylvania
Elizabeth P. of California
Janice C. of Pennsylvania
Jeannie M. of Florida
Jeri D. of Virginia
Joy I. of Arizona
Judy P. of Maryland
Kristy D.
Laurie G. of Florida
Linda R. of California
Lynn A. of Connecticut
Mary M. of South Carolina
Mary Sue R. of Oregon
Mary C. of Massachusetts
Melissa K. of Texas
Mildred M. of New York
Peggy C.
Peggy R.
Rosemary S.
Sandra S. of Connecticut
Sherry H. of Arkansas
Theresa N. of South Carolina
Wilma F. of Iowa
Like any writer, I have an odd collection of books. Most of them are used for research but there are a few I picked up because it sparked an idea. It adds up to an eclectic mix. Now when someone browses through my bookshelves, I get a few strange looks and hesitant questions.
The most commented upon book is this one:
Deadly Doses by Serita Deborah Stevens with Anne Klarner
It’s for research purposes only, I swear. A writer needs this kind of information. It’s right next to my THE AGATHA CHRISTIE WHO’S WHO reference book and her autobiography. And, sure, Christie relied on strychnine, but what if I need to turn a person blue? A fictional person, that is. I promise.
I also have a shelf reserved for baby names books. Boy, do I get a lot of sidelong looks from that. It reminds me of the time when I was a teenager at the library and checked out a baby name book for a story idea. It didn’t help that I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt at the time. That caused some rumors.
Anyway, I have a lot of baby name books. Some are the 10,000 names or 250,000 names versions, but I also have those that focus on Spanish, Arabic, French, Pacific Islanders, etc. Sure, I could browse online for a name, but sometimes I’m just not sure what I’m looking for. There is one baby name book I have that almost everyone has to flip through the pages:
The Complete Book of Magical Names by Phoenix McFarland
I haven’t really used it for the magical meaning since I don’t write paranormal, but I have found some good names out of this book.
My shelves are not organized at all and it probably says a lot about the way my mind works. I have books about symbols right next to the book on micro expressions. I have a bunch on mythology, legend and fairytales. Right next to my dog-eared copy of Edith Hamilton’s MYTHOLOGY that I used in college, I have this book:
Badass: The Birth of a Legend by Ben Thompson
And every hero needs a villain, right? I have handbooks on archetypes and psychology books on good girls, but this non-fiction work to help me figure out my villains:
Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley
So what is the one book that will always get a few raised eyebrows? This one:
The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema by Mark C. Glassy
Okay, I didn’t get this book for research. I was just curious. But, hey, it might come in handy one day!
Every Saturday I share some questions I receive from readers, bloggers and writers. Today’s question is:
Do you think that real-life romance is anything like romance in novels?
I once attended a conference for romance readers. During one of the discussions the women talked about certain books that mirrored what they were going through at the time. They continued to treasure these books even after they’d overcome the challenges in their own lives. I think that while romance novels tap into women’s fantasies and show an ideal example of romance, the reader can identify with the hopes, fears and obstacles the characters experience.
Congratulations to Maureen. She wins the $10 Amazon.com e-mail gift card I gave away at BlazeAuthors.com. Congratulations also to bn100 who received a $25 email gift card from Amazon for commenting on this blog during the month of April. Both Maureen and bn100′s names were chosen using random.org.
Prefer larger print books or do you like the feel of hardcover? The Larger Print hardback edition for HER SHAMEFUL SECRET is available this month in the UK and Australia.
Also, this month the French edition of THE TARNISHED JEWEL OF JAZAAR is out under the title UN MARIAGE DANS LE DESERT: 
Derrière le voile qui lui dissimule le visage, Zoe ne peut détourner le regard du profil aristocratique et sévère de Nadir, prince de Jazaar. Après l’avoir dépouillée de son héritage et traitée en esclave, son oncle la marie maintenant de force à ce cheikh qu’elle n’a jamais vu de sa vie. Une situation désespérée qui ranime pourtant en Zoe une lueur d’espoir. Et si elle tenait enfin une occasion de s’enfuir de ce royaume et de recouvrer sa liberté ? Surtout si, comme elle l’espère, Nadir l’emmène avec lui dans un de ses déplacements à l’étranger. Mais en attendant qu’une telle occasion se présente, elle doit endormir la méfiance de son époux et, comme l’exige la tradition, s’efforcer de satisfaire tous ses caprices…
COMING SOON
I just learned that my Christmas romance novella, “Hot for the Holidays” (originally published in the WICKED WONDERLAND anthology) will be re-released as a standalone story in digital format. It will be published in December.
Today I’m over at blazeauthors.com discussing my favorite tearjerker movie. Please drop by and join in the conversation!
Every Saturday I share some questions I receive from readers, bloggers and writers. Today’s question is:
What characteristics are important to you for a romance hero?
The number one trait I want is protective. I also want them to help out those who are in a weak position or in need. There are times when I put the hero in a situation where he pretends to be in a lower status. It offers some fun scenes and insights on what he’s really like, and it requires patience on his part.
Subscribe by email:
Home
Back to top