RWA Workshop on YA continued...

(Thought y'all would like to see to whom you're addressing your questions. So behold Chicken!)

For those of you who attended my Thursday morning workshop in Atlanta on "How to Create Believable YA Characters" I say a big THANK YOU for being such a fabulous audience! My wonderfully talented daughter and co-author of our paranormal YA series for St. Martin's Press, THE HOUSE OF NIGHT, could not make the w/s in Atlanta (she's working ridiculous 12 hour shifts, as well as taking 6 hours of class this summer at NSU). So the deal is that we'll post questions for Kristin here on my blog, and she will blog in and answer them for you. Some of you wrote questions on notecards during the w/s. Okay. I had the notecards. I promise. Really. (KRISTIN - REALLY, MAMA HAD THE NOTECARDS!) I unpacked this morning and could NOT find them. Sigh.

BUT I read the questions and I do remember several of them. I'll post them below. Kristin will respond, and the rest of y'all please feel free to chime in with any question you'd like to ask Kristin (who is 19) about YA, teenagers, writing in general, etc.

Questions for Kristin:

1. Do you think it matters if you're living in one part of the country and writing about teenagers in another part of the country? Like I'm living in D.C. and I'm setting my book in L.A. Or should I worry about making my teenagers more generic, so they'll appeal to a wide audience? For instance, I know that some of the stuff you (and your mom) are writing about is specific to Oklahoma teens. Do you worry about the rest of the country not getting it? And if so, what do you do about that?

2. There's a big debate going on over how much sex to put in YA books. What's your opinion? And have you and your mom had any issues between the two of you about the sex level of your series?

3. Do all teens cuss? What if I have a futuristic or fantasy setting?

4. What is the most common mistake adult authors make when writing for teenagers?


Okay KRISTIN FRANCES CAST (KFC, or as we like to call her, Chicken - hee hee) answer away mama's precious!

Atlanta Bound!

Well, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to start the drive to Atlanta. I'm going through Nashville, where I'll spend the night, and then on to Hotlanta. I'm looking forward to seeing all my author friends, fans from around the country, and my Luna and Berkley editors. Not to mention the great parties and seeing if Brighid's Quest won the Bookseller's Best or the Daphne de Maurier!

Don't forget to check out the MYSTERIA signing at the Atlanta Buckhead Borders, Thursday the 27th from 7:00-9:00.

I'm teaching a workshop on Thursday, too, on how to create believable teenage characters (as if there is such a creature!). My fabulous daughter and co-author of our YA series for St. Martin's can't make it to Atlanta, so I'll be taking questions from w/s attendees, posting them here, and Kristin will be blogging responses. So stay tuned (and save up your YA questions for a real YA).

Later!

Check out Sue's new book!

I'm excited about my friend Sue Grant's new book! I haven't read it yet, but I'm going to grab a copy in Atlanta and have Sue sign it for me - then I'm going to stick my nose in it. I can tell you that I got sneak peeks whilst Sue was writing it, and loved what I read! Here are the details:

YOUR PLANET OR MINE by Susan Grant
(HQN Books, July 25, 2006)

Think the grocery store is a great place to meet men?

Hunky interstellar fugitive, aisle 5.

With outrageously false accusations piling up against her famous political family and an ex-fiancé in hot water determined to take her down with him, the last thing Jana Jasper needs is more trouble--especially man trouble. But when she heads to the grocery store for an ice cream fix, not only does the muscled hunk in the frozen foods section ranting about spaceships and invasions look crazy, he looks... familiar.

Cavin of Far Star has never forgotten the girl he met during his weeks spent on that quaint little world, planet Earth, the girl who didn't believe he was real. And now he'll risk his future to save her. All she has to do is take him to her leader. Simple enough plan--although Jana isn't so easily convinced. Hell-bent on charming his way past her defenses, he's determined to stay one step ahead of the galaxy's most feared assassin--and may just capture his favorite Earthling's heart in the process.



ABOUT SUSAN GRANT
One of the first women in history to attend the US Air Force Academy, a former Air Force instructor pilot, and currently a 747 jumbo jet pilot for United Airlines, New York Times best-seller and RITA winner Susan Grant loves writing about what she knows -- flying, adventure, and the delicious interaction between men and women.

REVIEWS
"...one of the best books of the year!" - Mary Janice Davidson, New York Times bestselling author
“...a cute, quirky otherworldly romance that’s totally delightful to read!” -- Tanzey Cutter
“Veers uncomfortably close to our actual plans to invade your pitiful little planet. Pull this book from the shelves immediately or I shall have it vaporized!” -- General Neppal, Supreme Commander of the Coalition fleet

For more info, go to Sue's website, http://www.susangrant.com

First Man Titty Cover AND First Hardback!

I am THRILLED that my July anthology, MYSTERIA (Berkley), is doing so well! We're making some lovely lists and getting excellent reviews. Even scary Publisher's Weekly liked us. Amazing. And it was exciting to find out that MYSTERIA is available in a hardback version for the Doubleday and Rhapsody book clubs. We're already hearing rumblings from Berkley about wanting a MYSTERIA II. Well done us!

Don't forget that next week, July 27th, at the Buckhead Borders in Atlanta, 7:00-9:00, all four of us, MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter, and moi will be signing copies of Mysteria, giving away door prizes, and generally making merry! Please come by and see us if you're in the area

F'd up blog and sci-fi

Well, I totally messed up my blog and I'm clueless about how to fix it. Those of you who don't have a MAC know that the damn thing has been smooshed over to the left for like two weeks. It was driving me crazy. So I called in the servies of my Web Goddess, Shawn Wilson, who designs and maintains my fab website, and she couldn't find my mistake. Sigh. I was going to post a question to the blog help thingie, but I lost what little patience I have and decided to just choose another template and maybe that would fix it. It did. It also lost all of my links, etc. Shit. And I didn't like the new look. So I went back to this one and now I have to figure out how to add my links back in. I am truly the computer impaired. But I should be writing and it's excellent procrastination.

Anyway, last weekend the fabulous Gena Showalter and I were in Oklahoma City at SoonerCon (sci-fi/fantasy con). Now, God(dess) knows I wouldn't tell stories on a girlfriend, BUT GENA DRANK TOO MUCH. Okay, those of you who know me know that I, too, have a tendency to be "over served." But not when I'm dancing and in general out in public mixing with groups of people, etc. I change to soda water. Gena, God(dess) bless her, is young young young, so she hasn't learned the soda water trick yet. And the girl does NOT like to speak in public. I swung by her house and picked her up. She had cute little bottles (chilled) of a very attractive looking blue liquid. I can't remember what the damn thing was called, but she got it at a Harlequin party, which is a sure sign of trouble. So like naughty high school girls we're in the bathroom before our panel and Gena is slamming down this blue booze. Naturally I couldn't allow her to drink alone. I've been raised better. So I tried some. Okay, it is some VILE shit. Oh. My. God. It was awful. Truly wretched. Oh, wait! I think it's call Hypnotic. Hello. Barfnotic would be a better name. I won't go into details about our panels except to briefly mention that Gena-Gena actually mixed the Barfnotic with lemonade and was drinking it during the damn panels. Let's just say Gena-Gena was very entertaining. That evening her husband, who she calls Love Bunny, picked us up and we went down to Bricktown to a fun club for dancing. Hence, my cessation of drinking and Gena's nasty hangover the next day.

Speaking of the next day. Gena and I hung out with totally, ridiculously handsome Richard Cox. (He's engaged to a friend of mine, Fox News anchor Chera Kimiko, who is equally as gorgeous. I'm telling you - they're going to make some beautiful babies!) His current release is THE GOD PARTICLE. PW says it's a thriller (my dad grabbed it from me, so I haven't read it yet), and from what delicious Richard says it sounds kinda sci-fi-ish. So check it out if you have a taste for science thrillers. His website is http://www.richardcox.net. MORE IMPORTANTLY, Gena and I are trying to talk him into trying his hand at romance. Okay, this is a purely selfish attempt to lure him into our genre so that he'll be at our romance conventions, which are totally lacking in the Cute Male Author category. Updates to come...hee hee...

1920s Time Travel? Love it!

Check out Marianne's new book. I love the roaring 20s, so I can't wait to read this one!
WHAT, NO ROSES? by Marianne Mancusi
(Love Spell, July 4, 2006)


And you thought your Valentine's Day was bad?


AND ALL THAT JAZZ
Unless Dora Duncan can stop it, it's going to be another St. Valentine's Day Massacre. A year ago, her (now ex) boyfriend Nick stood her up at the worst possible moment. That was when she gave up important TV reporting for stories like "Too Stressed for Sex." And though such clips have a certain relevance, things have been a whole lot quieter. Too quiet. Until now.

Now she's gotta go back in time (don't ask!) and stop that very same Nick from messing up the time-space continuum. She has to travel back to a place where everybody speaks easy and cuts a rug-and this Chicago ain't no musical. Here, there are tommy guns and torpedoes, guys and dolls, gin joints, flappers, stoolies, rats and a whole lot more; and prohibition means anything but no.

It's the 1920s. Time for Dora to roar.


Excerpt
Cover

ABOUT MARIANNE MANCUSI

When not out exposing scams and righting wrongs, Emmy award–winning TV news producer Marianne Mancusi is probably writing.
Her first chick lit novel, "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court" was called "a sparkling debut" by Publisher's Weekly. And Romantic Times magazine awarded four Stars to her upcoming 1920s time travel "What, No Roses?", pronouncing it "fast, funny and as bubbly as bathtub champagne."
In addition, Marianne has six other adult and teen books under contract, including a teen comedy vampire series from Berkley called "Boys that Bite."
She lives in Boston's historic North End.


REVIEWS

Mancusi’s witty, tongue-in-cheek remarks and sprightly dialogue make for a joy ride of a read with an ending that’s as surprising as it is original. 4 stars – Romantic Times

Ms. Mancusi’s sense of comedic and dramatic timing is dead on... She masterfully blends a time in our history with an idea from her incredible imagination. – Once Upon a Romance


Website: http://www.mariannemancusi.com

Help needed!

Y'all remember a while ago when the big ARC selling thing went on? I posted about it, as did several other authors/blogs. Well, the lovely June Portnoy is writing an article about the sale of ARC debate for RWR (Romance Writers Report). She'd love to get your input. I know several of you made excellent points on my blog - several of you emailed me privately. June would like to hear from you. (She's great to talk with - don't be scared!) So if you'd like, please shoot her an email at juneportnoy@aol.com.

Well done you guys!

DEE-LISH-US!!!

So last night my daughter and I went to the opening of SUPERMAN RETURNS. Yes, we were wearing matching pink tee-shirts with the massive Superman S in pink sequins across our bosoms. Uh, no. We weren't the only ones "dressed up." Please. It was opening night. We saw capes. (hee hee) Actually, we loved the dorky audience who cheered and cried and generally made merry.

Okay - let me just be very clear. THE NEW SUPERMAN IS FABULOUS!! The guy is hawt hawt hawt. Yes, he did remind me freakishly of Chris Reeve, but it felt like a good thing. A tribute. Yet scrumptious Brandon Routh gave us just enough of his own Superman to have his role be unique. Man, talk about an angsty hero. (romantic sigh) The only thing that can knock the shit outta him worse than Kryptonite (sp??) is Lois Lane. The sexual tension between them was lovely, though I would have liked to have had this played up more. Clearly they need a good romance author on staff...(HELL YES I VOLUNTEER!) Anyway, it's set up for a sequel. I'll be there on opening night again. Promise.

Oh, the violence level might be too much for kids under 10 or so. I'd leave the kiddies at home.

Let me know what y'all think after you see it!

Sushi and vampires?

Okay, two things. First, I am reading a really excellent book, TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyer. It's a vampire YA, and the (young) author's first book. I bought it in hardback because several of my high school students recommended it and I wanted to see what the buzz was about. Plus, you know my daughter and I are writing a YA vamp series for St. Martin's. So naturally I was curious. Kristin and I just finished the rewrites on the 1st book, so I decided to start TWILIGHT. I absolutely can not keep my face out of the book! The setting is multi-layered - the characters are well drawn - and Meyer's take on vampires is interesting.

So I take TWILIGHT to dinner with me last night (because my sissy brother refuses to eat sushi and my girlfriends were all busy), and I have to admit it - I pigged out totally on sushi and drank two orders of fabulous Pearl sake because I could not stop reading that damn book! I just kept ordering and ordering and eating and drinking and reading. Jeesh.

So I say buy this book - but it should come with a food and drink warning...

Yes, I'm a dork...

Yes. I'm going to totally admit it. I'm dorkishly in love with Superman. Have been since I read my way through the mounds of comics in our next door neighbor's rec room in like 1970 (Explanation: I have 2 younger brothers. Tragically, we lived in the country where the only acceptable neighbor within walking distance had 4 more boys and 1 girl. The girl and I were sadly out numbered - although to this day I still have the hots for Sean Freeman Georges who was my favorite of the brothers. Damn, he grew up to be hawt! But that's another topic...) Anyway, they had piles of "guy" comics, which I adored. Superman, Batman, Thor, Swamp Thing, The Fantastic Four...the list goes on and on. So I started my love affair with Superman (about the same time I started my adoration for Sexy Sean) when I was 10-ish. Chris Reeve was The Perfect Superman, both on and off screen. He's going to be a hard act to follow. But I'm willing to give this new guy a chance.

What do y'all think??

Check it out:

The idea for Julie's Demon books is hilarious. Check out her new release:

CALIFORNIA DEMON: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
(Berkley Trade, June 2006)

What's a mother to do, when there are only so many hours in the day, and the fate of the world is in her hands?

Kate Connor was a retired demon hunter. Now, after fourteen years busting her tail as a suburban housewife, raising two kids, and supporting her husband's political ambitions, she's rejoined the workforce-and except for a few minions of evil, no one has a clue. She tries hard to keep her home and work lives separate-a good idea when your job involves random slaughter.

Between fending off demon attacks, trying to figure out why the mysterious new teacher at the high school seems so strangely familiar, and keeping a watchful eye on her daughter's growing infatuation with a surfer dude, Kate is the busiest-and most dangerous-soccer mom on the block…

FROM THE DESK OF KATE CONNOR…

• Groceries
• Pay bills
• Gas up the minivan
• Pick Allie up from cheerleader practice
• Clean out nest of evil, blood-thirsty preternatural creatures with a few wooden stakes, some holy water, and a can of Diet Coke
• Self-defense class
• Volunteer at nursing home
• Battle determined demon while making meal
• Put Timmy to bed
• Clean up dishes
• Dispose of demon carcass
• Iron Stuart’s shirt
• Write tomorrow’s to-do list


Excerpt
Cover

ABOUT JULIE KENNERNational bestselling author Julie Kenner's first book hit the stores in February of 2000, and she's been on the go ever since. Her books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine. Julie is also a former RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, and the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004. She writes a range of stories from sexy and quirky romances to chick lit suspense to paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, was selected as a Booksense Summer Paperback Pick for




ABOUT JULIE KENNERNational bestselling author Julie Kenner's first book hit the stores in February of 2000, and she's been on the go ever since. Her books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine. Julie is also a former RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, and the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004. She writes a range of stories from sexy and quirky romances to chick lit suspense to paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, was selected as a Booksense Summer Paperback Pick for

Werewolf lurve!

Check out my fellow Berkley author's newest werewolf novel! Sounds delicious...

SHADOW OF THE MOON by Rebecca York
(Berkley, June 6, 2006)

Lance Marshall has a nose for great news stories-not surprising, since he's aided by his werewolf abilities. Now he's prowling outside an ultra-exclusive Washington, D.C. nightclub-"The Castle." But he is not alone. Savannah Carpenter wants to know how her sister ended up in a coma, and she knows that The Castle has something to do with it. But when Lance and Savannah pretend to be lovers to gain entrance, they learn that deception and unbridled lust can be a dangerous combination.

Excerpt:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/glick/sneak-p24.htm

Cover:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/042520961X.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg



ABOUT REBECCA YORK
Ever since she can remember, Ruth Glick has loved making up stories full of adventure, romance and suspense. As a child she corralled her friends into adventure games or acted out romantic suspense stories with a cast of dolls. But she never assumed she could be an author, because she couldn't spell. Her life changed, however, with the invention of the word processor and spelling checker--and the help of her husband, Norman Glick, who spots spelling errors from fifty paces away. Writing as Rebecca York, she has authored or co-authored over 45 romantic suspense novels, many for Harlequin Intrigue's very popular 43 Light Street series, set in Baltimore, and many with paranormal elements.


REVIEWS

The York werewolf moon novels contains several excellent paranormal romantic suspense tales (see CRIMSON MOON), but SHADOW OF THE MOON may be the best of the series so far. The action-packed story line is fast-paced and filled with sexual tension accentuated by the danger that the audience will taste as if we have the enhanced sense of a werewolf. The lead couple is a delightful pairing as they investigate the goings on at the club, what happened to Charlotte, and the attraction between them in a gripping thriller. – Harriet Klausner

Fans get to meet yet another Marshall boy in Rebecca York’s latest novel about the werewolf clan, SHADOW OF THE MOON.This time it's freelance reporter Lance Marshall and he's scented out a story on an very exclusive D.C. establishment that he's heard rumors about, the Eighteen Club.. . .
As if werewolves, psychic abilities and lifemates aren't enough, York adds yet another element to her werewolf series in SHADOW OF THE MOON. It makes for excellent reading. -- http://fromthestacksmacon.blogspot.com

York’s highly popular werewolf tales take an even more intriguing turn in this new story. The sexual tension is taut and the story crisp, which keeps up the momentum. The small side plot is an engrossing teaser for the next chapter in this quite compelling saga. 4 ½ stars – Romantic Times


Website: http://www.rebeccayork.com

Romance Divas!

Come join me in an informal paranormal workshop at Romance Divas! I'll be there all of today (June 9th) and in and out the 10th and 11th. Here's the info:

World Building Q & A with: Kelly Armstrong, Moi, Karen Chance, CJ Barry, Deidre Knight, Robin Owens, Shanna Swendson, Gena Showlater, Lynn Viehl, JR Ward

Just to go the Romance Diva's website, register, and post a question! http://www.romancedivas.com

Okie Lurve!

Hat's off to my fellow Okie, Jaci Burton! Let's show some lurve for OUT OF THE DARKNESS! Check it out:

OUT OF THE DARKNESS by Jaci Burton and C. J. Burton
(Ellora’s Cave)

Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable story-that she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans.

She doesn't believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans. She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul.

The vampire Adrian's and the lycan Duncan's goals are entirely different-to mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity.

But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival.

Excerpt:
http://www.jaciburton.com/outofdark.html

Cover:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1419954180.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_V52651030_.jpg


ABOUT JACI BURTON
Jaci Burton was born and raised in Missouri but now lives on an acre-and-a-half in Oklahoma with her husband Charlie. Jaci loves to write about passionate relationships with sometimes stormy outcomes but always a happily ever after. She’s a sucker for romance and a happy ending!

REVIEWS

Out of the Darkness is fabulous! This vivid glimpse of a world filled with vampires and lycans, secret plots and erotic sexual encounters will leave you clamoring for more. – eCataRomance Reviews

Out Of The Darkness is an incredible tale of one woman’s struggle with her past and what her future may become. – Romance Junkies



Website: http://www.jaciburton.com

FABULOUS NEWS!

I am honored and excited to report that BRIGHID'S QUEST is a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier award! I couldn't be happier about this! Thank you so much to the RWA's Kiss of Death Chapter - a very talented group of women. Yea!!

Gothic delish

Another fellow Berkley author, Jennifer St. Giles, has a new book out. It sounds like a delicious mixture of Gothic and paranormal. Check it out:

MIDNIGHT SECRETS by Jennifer St. Giles
(Berkeley, May 2, 2006)

"When two are born together, one will die by the other's hand..." This is the Dragon's Curse that has plagued the Killdarens for generations and continues on in this tale set on the Cornish Coast of 1879 England. Sean and Alex thought they'd escaped the Dragon's curse until in a rage of suspicion and accusation the twins come close to killing each other the night the woman they both loved was murdered. Eight years later, the only thing they agree on is to remain unwed and childless, to never pass on the Dragon's Curse. Then another woman disappears. This time from Sean Killdaren's castle and his reclusive world is shattered when Cassie Andrews, a journalist, goes undercover as a downstairs maid. He can no more ignore her than he can ignore the murderer hiding behind the secrets of Killdaren Castle's stone walls.

Excerpt:
http://www.jenniferstgiles.com/midnightsecrets.shtml


Cover:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0425209628.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg



ABOUT JENNIFER ST. GILES
Following the birth of her third child, Jennifer St. Giles quit her job as a nurse and became a home educator to her three children and pursued her life long dream of writing in her "spare time". Jenni lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of twenty-three years, her three children, two cats, one dog, and a two-handfuls of neighborhood kids who make the household the wildest most wonderful Grand Central Station in existence.


REVIEWS

St. Giles brings the classic Gothic to a new sensual level. . .combining dark atmosphere and the twisted plot of great mystery. Four Stars - RT BOOKClub ...a terrific Victorian romantic suspense that grips the reader and the paranormal elements blend in completely... Harriet Klausner Midnight Secrets incorporates classic Gothic themes with its brooding atmosphere... filled with tragedies and secrets. Susan Wilson


Website: http://www.jenniferstgiles.com

Great title!

Check out Shanna's new book. The title alone would make me buy it...
ONCE UPON STILETTOS by Shanna Swendson
(Ballantine Books, April 25, 2006)

When we left Katie Chandler at the end of Enchanted, Inc., she had helped her new employers, Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. defeat Phelan Idris, a rogue wizard intent on stealing spells. By her side, and leading the battle, was hunky wizard Owen. Katie and Owen are still fighting their attraction to each other in Shanna Swendson’s hilarious and charming sequel Once Upon Stilettos, but first they have to track down a corporate spy before the company dissolves into paranoia. Then at the worst possible time, Katie's immunity to magic goes on the blink. At least she's having better luck in her social life, with men falling at her feet everywhere she goes. Has she really become that irresistible, or is it the new red shoes she felt compelled to buy? Polish your fairy wings, put on your magic shoes, click your heels three times, and join Shanna Swendson for a romantic romp amidst fairies, goblins, wizards and gargoyles.

Excerpt:
http://www.shannaswendson.com/stilettos.html

Cover:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0345481275.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


ABOUT SHANNA SWENDSON
In addition to writing fiction, Shanna Swendson is a freelance marketing consultant and writer specializing in technology and telecommunications. She is single and lives in Irving, Texas, with her many pet plants, including a vicious attack bougainvillea and a Christmas cactus that has outlasted three homes, three jobs and three boyfriends, yet still faithfully blooms every Christmas and Easter. She’s looking for a man that reliable.


REVIEWS

"Once Upon Stilettos is not to be missed if you're in the mood for a fast and funny read where chicklit meets urban fantasy." -- Mary Jo Putney, author of A Kiss of Fate
"A princely wizard, Cinderella red stilettos, and a megalomaniac--what more could a girl ask for? ONCE UPON STILETTOS is a delightful urban fairytale with a dreamy hero and a country-wise Texas heroine who use their magical and non-magical charms to seek justice and unmask the villain. Just a few weeks in the life of a simple single girl..." -- bestselling author Patricia Rice
Once again Swendson gives her readers a hilarious and delightful romp through the world of magic with a dash of romance thrown in to titillate and make us laugh. -- Andrea Sisco, Armchair Interviews

Website: http://www.shannaswendson.com

Sex and YA

I'm curious about your response to this. The following is an article from Newsday on the new trend to up the sexual content in YA - specifically targeted at girls. I think it's a destructive trend and to discount is as harmless and just entertainment is very shortsighted. I'm interested in this not just because I'm a thinking woman who has opinions of her own, and because I've taught teenagers for fifteen years and I hate seeing this teenage generation's outward attitude of "hey, it's just a blow job," and then watch the silent desperation of girls who let themselves be exploited, but also because I'm the mother of a 19 year old, and author of a YA series. And, yes, the sexual content of my series has been a point of dissention between my editor and me. Here's the article:

Sex and the Teenage Girl
What goes on between the covers is now what goes on between the covers of new fiction aimed at young adults
BY TANIA PADGETTNewsday Staff WriterApril 4, 2006

She had the type of body that looked even better naked than in clothes. Soft without being fat, and more delicate than her usual costumes of preppy, neatly creased jeans and cashmere cardigans or short, tight little black dresses let on. She was still a pain in his ass, but they'd been in and out of love pretty much since they were 11 years old and he wanted to get naked with her for even longer.
Sound like a passage from a sex-soaked Danielle Steel novel? It isn't. And the audience isn't the typical adult female romance reader.This book, "Nobody Does It Better" (Little Brown, $9.99), is aimed at girls, ages 14 to 18. It's the latest (2005) in the bestselling "Gossip Girl" series by Cecily von Ziegesar.And that was just page one.Young-adult fiction has come a long way from Nancy Drew, the 16-year-old sleuth whose most intimate encounter with a guy was probably a batting of eyelashes at boyfriend Ned Nickerson.But today's teenage fiction, with its slick covers, eye-riveting blurbs and steamy plots, is exploding off bookstore shelves, fattening anemic publishers' profits and attracting millions of television-worshiping teens. The market has become so lucrative that non-book publishing companies, like MTV, are elbowing into the increasingly crowded niche.But the books' popularity has also given rise to a small chorus of detractors who worry that the content is too racy. In many of the books, teens have sex, do drugs, use profanity, and plot and scheme against each other with glinting treachery.

Naomi Wolf, whose feminist work, "The Beauty Myth," launched her to fame, argued in an essay for the Sunday New York Times last month that today's books for teens "package corruption with a cute overlay."

"The problem is a value system in which meanness rules, parents check out, conformity is everything and stressed-out adult values are presumed to be meaningful to teenagers," she wrote.

In the past year alone, the biggest sellers in the young-adult market have been series, including "Gossip Girl," "The Clique" by Lisi Harrison and "The A-List" by Zoey Dean. And sales are showing no signs of slowing down. Plots are fast-moving and dramatic, but also formulaic: party-hopping girls with runway-model looks, who often leave skid marks racing from one reckless rich and famous adventure to another.Many girls, some as young as 13, gobble these books up, vaulting titles to the top of The New York Times bestseller list and emboldening publishers to start developing movies or television series from their content. Meanwhile, producers of popular teen TV shows, such as Fox's "The OC" and MTV's "Laguna Beach," plan to roll out books based on those series as they try to capitalize on this literary bonanza.

"Books are catching up with the rest of entertainment and becoming much more attractive to the young teen audience," said Leslie Morgenstein, president of Alloy Entertainment in Manhattan, which developed the "Gossip Girl" books. "And the content is no worse than what girls are already seeing on television."

A potent brew. Brisk sales of these books are not surprising. Mix a recipe of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, or hip-hop, and you've created a potent brew that is sure to at least pique teenage interest.It wasn't that long ago when the young-adult fiction market was much like the geeky girl or guy at the high-school dance: around but largely ignored. Ten years ago, the classics, fantasy books and innocuous series such as "Sweet Valley High" dominated sales. But demand for teen books with more adult themes began to coincide with the advent of edgier content on cable television and the boomlet in U.S. teenagers.Between 1990 and 2000, the number of youths between ages 12 and 19 climbed to 32.4 million in the United States, an increase of 4.5 million, according to a survey by Media Mark Research last year using U.S. Census data.That increase also brought a tidal wave of teenager spending income (about $115 million in 2003), which was not lost on the book industry. From 1995 to 2004, book sales in the young-adult market surged 86.9 percent to $444.4 million, according to statistics compiled by Albert Greco, a marketing professor at Fordham University in the Bronx.Joe Monti, a book buyer at Barnes & Noble, said the release in the late 1990s of "Smack," by Melvin Burgess, about British teens on heroin, and "Holes," by Louis Sachar, about a teen sent to summer detention camp, helped change the face of the young-adult market.

"Unlike other books, these tackled tough issues that teenagers face," Monti said. "The sales were incredible." During a recent visit to the B. Dalton Booksellers store in Roosevelt Field, a group of Division Avenue High School students from Levittown were found eyeing the young-adult selections. Katie Duggan, 17; Danielle Yarsinske, 18; Diana Hajjar, 18, and Allison O'Rourke, 17, acknowledged that many of the books are "mindless entertainment," but that hasn't stopped them from snapping up the latest popular titles."I've read all the ['Gossip Girl'] books," said Duggan, a senior. "The characters are rich and live such dramatic lives. And their parents never tell them anything. I sometimes wish my parents were like that."

Hajjar said, "It's like 'Sex and the City' for teens."

"I wasn't a big reader before," Yarsinske added. "But I really enjoy the books."

O'Rourke, who would prefer burying her nose in Shakespeare and other classics, said she doesn't have "a problem with teens reading them."Nor do a handful of parents and librarians who specialize in young-adult fiction and agreed to talk to Newsday. The adult content in these books does not wreck teenagers values, said Barbara Paulinski at Floral Park Memorial High in Floral Park. "I'd like to think [the books] present a teaching moment for parents," she said. Besides "I don't think you get your basic core values from what you read or what you hear. You get them from your home."

"I don't think many of the young adult books are done irresponsibly," said Teri Germano, a librarian at Masters Moriches Shirley Library, in Shirley. "Many are done with reason and sensitivity."That, of course, has only whetted publishers' appetite. But their stampede to snap up young-adult dollars and market share did yield at least one public major misstep. Simon & Schuster's release last year of "Rainbow Party," an unflinching tale by Paul Ruditis of teen oral sex, sparked heated discussion and a slew of newspaper articles about the salacious nature of teen literature. The novel's front cover boasted a photo of opened colored lipsticks; its back cover was filled with provocative blurbs. Many stores refused to stock the title and the much-promised sales never materialized.Barnes & Noble's Monti said he chose not to stock "Rainbow Party" because it was competing with other young-adult fiction that was better written.Bethany Buck, vice president and editorial director of the division that published "Rainbow Party," said the dustup created by the book was "because adults don't want to believe that teens are having sex." She said the company plans to continue publishing books aimed at teens.Morgenstein, of Alloy Entertainment, described the "Rainbow Party" failure as more of an aberration than a controversy. "This company is in the business of creating mass entertainment," Morgenstein said. "At the end of the day, the market draws a line at what is too edgy."Alloy has been at the helm of bestselling teen fiction, he said, helping to produce 40 books last year, 17 of which were national bestsellers, including "The A-List" and "The Clique."TV and movie projectsMorgenstein said the company is in talks with Warner Bros., The WB and Universal to develop "Gossip Girl"; "The Au Pairs," another bestselling series by Melissa de La Cruz, and "The A-List" into television and movie projects.MTV has announced plans to follow suit. Louise Burke, the young-adult book president for the music video network, said it plans to release this month the first installment of four different book series.The books are colorful, well written and move with the same breathtaking pace as an MTV video. "'Gossip Girl' set the bar," Burke said, "but nobody knows teenagers better than MTV. We're planning to take the market down."And that, according to the detractors, is the exact direction where teenage values are heading. Wolf, the author, said she believes pornography is surreptitiously being slipped into the milieu of teens without their parents' knowledge.As a result, "young girls are becoming numb to the sexual experience," said Wolf, who suggested putting rating labels on the books. "They do it with movies. I don't see why they can't do it with books."
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

Fellow Berkley Sensation author Angela Knight

Here's a nod to my sister Berkley Sensation author, Angela Knight, and her delicious new werewolf novel, MASTER OF WOLVES. Here's the info:

MASTER OF WOLVES by Angela Knight
(Berkeley Sensation, April 4, 2006)

When Jim London's best friend is murdered, Jim vows to catch the killer. Leaving it for the local police to solve is out of the question, because he suspects they are involved.
Jim is more than capable of taking action if they are -- he's a werewolf. Realizing the only way to investigate the department is from the inside, he decides to go undercover -- as a police K-9.
His "handler" is lovely Faith Weston, the only person on the Clarkston Police Department who isn't up to her neck in murder. But Faith has no idea her "dog" Rambo is a werewolf, or that the department she serves is rotten with corruption.
But it doesn't take her long to figure it out.


Excerpt:
http://www.angelasknights.com/masterofwolves.htm

Cover:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0425207439.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg



ABOUT ANGELA KNIGHT
Angela Knight's first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. But her mother was enthralled, and Angela was hooked.
In the years that followed, Angela managed to figure out a way to make a living -- more or less -- at what she loved best: writing. After a short career as a comic book writer, she became a newspaper reporter, covering everything from school board meetings to murders. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name. For more of Angela’s interesting bio, visit her website: http://angelasknights.com/bio.htm


Website: http://www.angelasknights.com

Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors I'm a finalist!!

The fabulous, witty, and hilarious Smart Bitches at http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com have begun the first annual BWAHA Awards - Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors, and I am honored to report that BRIGHID'S QUEST is a finalist in the Best Paranormal: Fantasy/SF/Other Worlds Romance category!! Okay, seriously, I would LURVE to win this wicked cool award, so I would definitely appreciate your votes. Just follow the link to Smart Bitches and scroll down till you find the "And the nominees are..." entry, then send your vote to Sarah or Candy. Here are all the very talented nominees for all the categories:

Best Contemporary:
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Hot Tamara by Mary Castillo
Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann
Black Ice by Anne Stuart
Wedding Survivor by Julia London
Ex and the Single Girl by Lani Diane Rich
Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy

Best Historical:
Smuggler’s Bride by Darlene Marshall
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Siren by Cheryl Sawyer
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation Lauren Willig
The Veil of the Night by Lydia Joyce

Best Series/Contemporary:
Ultra Violet by Ellen Henderson
Her Body of Work by Marie Donovan
The Orchid Hunter by Sandra K. Moore

Best Series/Historical:
Lady Silence by Blair Bancroft
Dedication by Janet Mullany

Best Romantica/Erotic Romance:
“Skin Deep” by Jasmine Haynes, from Twin Peaks
Take Me by Bella Andre
Dragon’s Fire by Tielle St. Clare
Promises Prevail by Sarah McCarty
Off the Record by Matthew Haldeman-Time
Bound to Trust by Jaci Burton
Best Erotica Mercenaries by Angela Knight
24/7 by Susan DiPlacido
Crossing the Line by Stephanie Vaughan

Best Paranormal: Vampires, Werewolves and the Supernatural:
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong
Dark Lover by JR Ward
Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson
Erotique by Alessia Brio
Waxing by Megan Powell

Best Paranormal: Fantasy/SF/Other Worlds Romance:
The Compass Rose Gail Dayton
Heart Choice by Robin D. Owens
Poison Study Maria V. Snyder
Brighid’s Quest by PC Cast
Unmasked by CJ Barry