Paranormal romance

  • · · ·

    Guest blog: Edie Ramer on Yum-yum love …

    20 Comments

    Today, I’m please to welcome Edie Ramer to my blog. Edie is one of my author friends. She’s the author of Stardust Miracle, Dead People, and other books. Take it away, Edie:

    YUM-YUM LOVE

    Edie RamerOne of the things Jennifer and I have in common is a love of cheese. A few years ago, she recommended a favorite cheese brand to me, unaware that the cheese factory is located in a tiny “unincorporated community” not far from my house. If I remember correctly, the only other business in the area is a bar.

    The village of Miracle, Wisconsin, in my Miracle Interrupted series is a bit bigger, with a population of 629, but the place that employs the most people is still a cheese factory. There’s also a small grocery store, a beauty salon, a bar/restaurant, and a fine Italian dining restaurant. In my novel-in-progress, Miracle Pie, the heroine makes pies and delivers her pies to area businesses and residences.

    I love Italian food, I love pies, I love cheese, I love my cat, I love my dogs. And miracles. I really love miracles. So why not put what I love in my books? In Jennifer’s second Bigtime book, Hot Mama, the fiery superhero Fiera can eat enough to feed a dozen people and she never gains weight. I can imagine what fun Jennifer had writing that character. (Fiera shows up in Jennifer’s latest Bigtime book, Nightingale, which I thoroughly enjoyed.)

    Miracle LaneI also love men that love women and vice versa. A few years ago, a friend blogged about yum-yum love in books, comparing to antagonistic love. A heroine and hero who actually like each other, compared to a heroine and hero who dislike each other but can’t fight their wild attraction. That stuck with me, because unless the author is skillful, I don’t always believe in the antagonistic romance plot.

    So far, most of the books I’ve written have the yum-yum love. Probably my least yum-yum couple is in Dead People, my second published book. And they aren’t antagonistic as much as two people with prickly personalities. When you read my stories, you know that after The End, when the heroine is PMSing and grouchy and bloated, the boyfriend/husband is still going to love her. And when he does something stupid (which is bound to happen, because he is a man), she’ll love him, too.

    Like Jennifer with her Bigtime series, the main characters from one Miracle Interrupted story will show up in future stories, which is fun for me and I hope for readers. The third book, Miracle Lane, is just released! I’m excited about it. Here’s the description:

    She forgot how to hate, and now she’s learning how to love …

    Brain-damaged Nia Beaudine can’t remember her life before The Accident. Someone intentionally ran over her and left her for dead. Now she’s living in the ‘witch’s house’ she inherited in the village of Miracle, relearning how to live on her own. Well, almost on her own – the talking cat helping her cope is a bonus. But when a hate-filled family member shows up with a gun, Nia knows she needs real help.

    Former Army Sergeant and PTSD sufferer Rob Ackerman regularly covers for his identical twin, the village constable, and answers Nia’s emergency call. This strange young woman immediately sees he’s not his brother. In return, he sees that the only way she can fully live in her new life is to find out why someone in her old life tried to kill her … and might try again.

    As they dig up Nia’s past, the attraction between them grows. Their brains may be damaged, but their bodies and hearts are working just fine.

    GIVEAWAY TIME

    Stardust MiracleEdie is generously offering an e-copy of Stardust Miracle for giveaway. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What kind of yum-yum love would you put in a book?

    The giveaway is open to those 18 and older and will run through midnight EST, Wednesday, Oct. 24. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the blog on Friday, Oct. 26.

    ALL ABOUT EDIE

    You can find Edie at her website, Facebook, and Twitter. She’s very proud of being a co-editor of Entangled, a Paranormal Anthology, with all proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There are 11 authors, and three are New York Times bestselling authors – including Jennifer! The e-book is only $2.99. Buy it, enjoy it, and help find a cure for breast cancer.

    In addition to her paranormal and sci fi romances, Edie is enjoying writing her new Miracle Interrupted magical realism series. The novella Must Worship Cats is the first book. If you love cats, that’s the book for you. The next two novels are Stardust Miracle and Miracle Lane. For the pie lovers, Miracle Pie will be available in December.

    Thanks so much for being here today, Edie.

  • · ·

    Guest blog: Kristen Callihan on First Loves …

    42 Comments

    Kristen CallihanToday, I’m pleased to welcome Kristen Callihan to my blog. She’s the author of the Darkest London historical paranormal romance/urban fantasy series. I met Kristen this year at RWA, and she was nice enough to agree to do a guest blog for me. Take it away, Kristen:

    FIRST LOVES

    We all remember our first love. Especially when it comes to books.

    For me, it was Anne Rice. Since the age of ten, I’d devour any book I could get my hands on. However, my choice of reading material was limited to what was in my house. Thus, I was reading an odd selection of my dad’s Robert Ludlum and mom’s Danielle Steele. But when I was seventeen, while spending the summer at the beach, I came across a dog-eared copy of Interview with the Vampire. And, OMG, it was like a new world had opened up for me.

    FirelightDark and angsty, sensual and rich, the story was at once a fairytale and a nightmare. I loved the idea of immortals who suffered for their supposed gifts. And I loved the fact that their physical strength made them capable of having over-the-top adventures.

    After devouring Anne Rice, I found another love: historical murder mysteries. They captured my fascination because, often, the detective had nothing more to go on than his (or her) wits. Anne Perry, Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, Elizabeth Peters, provided my reading entertainment for years – actually, they still do!

    Is it any wonder that when the time came to write my own books, I incorporated those elements that I found in my first loves?

    The Darkest London series revolves around cursed lords, lonely immortals, and heroines that have incredible powers of their own. Murder and mystery abounds. And lets not forget the sensuality. Because, really, what makes all that angst worth it if not love? And, ahem, great sex.

    Many times, I’ve been asked if I prefer paranormal romance or urban fantasy. And how to answer? I’m always a sucker for romance. I love watching a courtship unfold and seeing to people fall for each other. And I love a good, dark story with strong heroines who know their mind and don’t need a man to save them. I love a good mystery, and not knowing who to trust or where the story will take me. So in truth, I love both. Which is why my stories walk the line between both genres.

    FIRELIGHT AND MOONGLOW GIVEAWAY

    MoonglowSo what about you? Who was your first reading love? What is it about your favorite genres that draw you in and keeps you coming back for more? Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win both Firelight and Moonglow. Two sets of books will be given away. 

    The giveaway is open worldwide and will be open through midnight, EST, Wednesday, Sept. 19. The winners will be announced here on the blog on Friday, Sept. 21.

    You can find Kristen online at her Web site, Facebook, and on Twitter.

    Thanks so much for being here, Kristen.

  • Guest review: The Sevenfold Spell

    8 Comments

    I recently hosted author Tia Nevitt on my blog, and she gave away an e-copy of her book, The Sevenfold Spell, to a commentator. The person who won the book was Laurel, and she was nice enough to offer up a review:

    Since I’ve got my blog-won copy of The Sevenfold Spell here, I thought it might be nice to offer a public thank you to Jennifer and Tia for the very enjoyable read!

    You know how fairy tales used to be grimmer and a bit naughty before the Victorian era scrubbed them into stories for children? Well, The Sevenfold Spell is a throwback to the older tradition and all the richer for it.

    Talia is our heroine. But not the princess. She’s not even pretty. If you asked her mama, she’d tell you the same thing. Talia and her mother scrape out their living as spinsters and Talia manages to accrue enough for a dowry. She’s even got herself a fella, Willard, who is just as plain as she is.  Then the evil fairy casts the fateful curse and everything comes undone. Talia’s livelihood is destroyed on orders from the Crown and her marriage prospects unraveled by Willard’s father, who ships him off to the monastery. Nobody wants an ugly girl with no money. Chaos and ruination come to the peasants for the sake of a princess they’ve never seen. And thus the story begins.

    There were so many things to like about this book. Talia is fully developed and relatable, a practical sort who picks her way through a life distorted by the edges of the curse. The way she grows and changes through the story is organic, not forced, although the circumstances dictate a lot of her choices.

    The author isn’t afraid to let things get a bit salty, but there is no superfluous or particularly graphic sex. It reads as part of the story instead of “insert erotica scene here”. And my very favorite thing: nobody has an out-of-body experience on their first trip to the rodeo.

    All the usual suspects are there but not in the way you’d expect. An idiot-savant princess, a handsome prince who is helpless to rescue anyone, the spinster crone who takes on a fairy, and a very satisfactory ending that takes into account the entire scope of the story. The finish is romantic but not so sweet you need an insulin pump when you put it down.

    The Sevenfold Spell is a short read but very intricate. It’s an artful combination of a nod and a sly wink to the fairy tale trope in general. I liked it so much that I already called my sister and told her to put on her Nook at the first opportunity. Congrats to Tia!

    Thanks to Laurel for the review. 😉

  • ·

    And the winner is …

    4 Comments

    Laurel is the winner of the e-copy of The Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt. Congrats, Laurel! Please e-mail Tia at tia@tianevitt.com for details on how to get your e-book.

    Thanks to everyone who left a comment and to Tia for dropping by to guest blog. Everyone seemed to enjoy the post and discussion (I know I did), and hopefully, I’ll be hosting some more authors on my blog this year as my time and schedule permits.