No, it’s not Grimspace.
Rather, I should say Annie Dean has a book coming out tomorrow. While you don’t need to have read The Average Girl’s Guide to Getting Laid to enjoy My Valentine, you might find it helpful, if only to see the full dynamic between our hero and heroine, Darnell Valentine and Maya Hanoush. 
In My Valentine, you’ll find out where that unresolved tension comes from.
First, here’s the blurb:
Then…
Once upon a time, a lady named Beatrice loved a dissolute lord, who gave her a child and never knew. They shared a brief, magical affair that ended at sword point. And on Valentine’s Day, after watching the man she adored breathe his last, she died for their love.
Now…
Darnell Valentine used to be a geek. His life is pretty good these days, other than the odd déjà vu and the occasional sense he’s been there and done that. He has just one significant problem — he’s been in love with Maya Hanoush forever. And she won’t give him the time of day.
But he has a funny feeling time is running out, so this year, he’ll claim Maya as his own. He somehow sees the way things should be, instead of as they are. Can a beta go alpha and teach his woman she can trust him with her very soul this time around? Only if they put the past behind them for good.
Maya Hanoush has no trouble getting men, but she can’t keep them. For reasons she doesn’t even understand, she keeps Darnell at arm’s length. Though they’ve been friends since childhood, she always feared taking the next step with him.
Lately, she’s been having crazy dreams and flashes of things she shouldn’t remember, things that never happened. She might just be losing her mind.
Ancient secrets, treachery, longing and despair lie between them, unresolved, unseen, and unsung, adding to the weight of a secret shame Maya guards like a junkyard dog.
But if she doesn’t put the pieces together in time, she’ll lose him forever. Again.
***
Sound hot? If you’re in the mood for smoky, erotic interracial paranormal / reincarnation romance, you won’t want to miss it. This goes on sale tomorrow, but I feel like giving some lucky winner a sneak peek today. So I’m holding a quickie contest. That’s right: twelve hours, no more, no less. And the lucky person who makes the 50th comment wins a copy of My Valentine. It will take skill, timing, and a touch of luck, but it should be fun!
My comments count toward the total, but I won’t win, naturally. So let’s rack ‘em up.
(You can talk about anything you want in comments, as long as you’re posting five words or more. No spamming, no random links. We’re gonna have a conversation!)
February 4th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Congrats Ann on the release!
I was wondering when Maya and Darnell were going to have their story. Those two cracked me up in the first book.
Hugs, Danette
February 4th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Thanks, Danette.
This isn’t the book everyone was expecting. It’s dark in some ways, very intense.
Oh, and to make this more interesting, so everyone can play — if you haven’t read Guide and you want to — I’ll throw in a copy of Guide to go along with the sequel, My Valentine.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I am hooked, and I am greedy! And I so love me some reincarnation stories!
Anyone here read “Lake of Dreams” by Linda Howard? It’s part of an anthology–don’t remember the title right now–and was my introduction to the reincarnation theme. Loved it, and have been hooked since.
(And oh I certainly want!!!–can I play?)
I’m greedy! *waving at Ann*
February 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Absolutely. Anyone can play, no matter whether they’ve won stuff from me in the past.
Man, it’s a gorgeous day here. Pity I’m obligated to spend the day working!
It’s a holiday so my family is home, but I really can’t take Constitution Day off, much as I’d like to. They keep asking me about food related things, curse them! I told them, “I’m working, so you’re on your own until five or six.”
Silly family, thinking I’m gonna take the day off.
February 4th, 2008 at 11:54 am
We had the day off to but only because of an ice storm. THis book sounds awesome.. where did you come up with your idea for it? the cover is wonderful..
February 4th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Oh wow, an ice storm? Where do you live, Jolene?
The gorgeous cover is by the mega-talented April Martinez. I’ve been lucky enough to have her do all my ebook covers. I love the way she achieved the dual skin-tones, hinting at the interracial split between the stories two heroines. Just gorgeous.
As for the idea, well, this book is a sequel to Guide. I was telling Maya and Darnell’s story, but it wasn’t going well. I couldn’t figure out why they seemed to have so much baggage between them when their lives didn’t reflect any such tension.
Then it sort of clicked. What if they had unresolved issues from their past lives? What if those issues made it impossible for them to trust and get together in this life? Once I opened the door to this idea, the book practically wrote itself.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Ms Martinez is truly talented, those covers are beautiful! Evocative and sexy, while really classy, you know?
Me like.
On the past lives conflict–when done well, it’s very very powerful.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Agreed on Ms. Martinez.
Well, if you like reincarnation stories, you may well love this. I’m a little nervous because I haven’t had any reader feedback. I believe my editor is the only one who’s read MV.
But it’s dark (my editor said almost Gothic in tone sometimes –and she got shivers reading it), full of angst, heart-breaking passion, and forbidden longing.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I live in north Iowa..we have had some pretty miserable winter weather lately.. from blinding blizzards to ice and sleet the last week…
I havent read Guide.. ducking for cover but i would love to read them both.. it is a storyline that is very different from what ive been reading lately and sounds out of this world awesome…
February 4th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Ann, it’s all about the writing and the happy ending–son long as I know we’ll get there, I can enjoy the angst during the ride.
And forbidden longing? *wide smile* oh man, I’m all over that!
February 4th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
will you be taking this to a series level?
February 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Congratulations on the new release! It sounds awesome!
February 4th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
This sounds great, and the cover looks fantastic. Sadly I’m unlucky number 13 though.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
OMG, that story sounds awsome!!!
I want it, I want it, I want it!
February 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Congratulations on the new release, Ann. I love the cover- it really has the feel for “then” and “now” - well, mostly “then” - but I think the “scandalous” naked lady might go with “now” more.
Jolene - that’s too bad about your weather. I’m really crossing my fingers and hoping the worst of winter is over… of course just watch us get hit with a blizzard.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Congrats on the release, Ann!
February 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Hehe, I went to lunch — now I have a lot to answer!
Wow, Jolene, ice storms and snow? It’s been so long since I saw either one. Although it does hail here sometimes.
Azteclady, there’s definitely a happy ending, and I think it’s all the more powerful for all the angst leading up to it. I’d like to think it enriches the story because it’s purposeful, not just emo for its own sake.
Jolene, this is pretty much it — the two books together. I actually have no more Annie Dean books contracted at this time, so “she” will be on hiatus for a while.
Crystal, I hope you like it if you check it out. I could really use some reader feedback.
Zoe, you could win! Just time it right.
Stefanie, I’d love to send you a copy. Stay in the game, and I’ll hook you up.
JSL, I agree about the cover. I wanted to it to have that sort of split feel to it.
Thanks, Cindy. Like I said, I’m nervous about this one. Should I include an excerpt here in comments?
February 4th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
an excerpt? cool.. i say go for it.. id love a taste of this book..it sounds totally irresistable..
February 4th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Dark is good,it leaves room for mystery. Is there some humor in it too?
February 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
From Chapter Four:
He had never been ridiculed in such a way, not by a woman.
After half a minute, he decided he disliked it. More than he hated their greed.
His mouth tightened, but he did not wince at the throb of his swollen lips. “A mere ‘no’ would have sufficed,”he muttered, finding himself for once without verbal recourse.
He had been fleeing so long; he had forgotten the things he once took for granted: how to charm a woman and speak politely. That was for the best; he loathed the man he had been, and he despised this woman for making him remember.
It was better to be the nameless fugitive. Better just to run.
She composed herself, and it took longer than he liked. In the old days, he would never have offered her a second glance, but she carried herself with an assurance he found reluctantly intriguing now. Perhaps he had simply been alone too long, and her laughter served as a goad to competitive instincts that had been subsumed toward simple survival.
There was no logical reason why he continued to study her, for she was not particularly attractive. A plain face: oval shaped, no cheekbones to mention, a pointed chin, a wide mouth with lips that were a trifle too thin, and a long nose that was a little too broad. Her hair shone like a copper kettle, smoothly coiled at the nape of her neck, and the front swath shimmered silver. A witchlock, he vaguely remembered his nurse calling it.
Her eyes were narrow, almondine, and heavy lidded. One might almost expect to see such a gaze on an Oriental woman, not set in this face. Her gaze, the icy gray of a winter stream, held his steadily. Nothing about her looked right.
Perhaps that was what puzzled him. Her skin no longer held the glow of youth; there were crow’s feet beside her eyes, gentle lines framing her mouth that told him she knew what it was to suffer but also to smile, and yet her lips seemed soft, blushing pink as new rose petals. Her skin was freckled like a child, bare of powder or cosmetic; she wore her flaws nakedly, unashamed. There was something almost erotic about such self-acceptance.
The unwelcome thought startled him out of his contemplation of her.
He realized she was speaking as she unpacked the basket. “You did not rise when I entered, so I believe I can absolve you of being a gentleman,”she was saying as she set out various kettles and crocks and paper-wrapped goods. “As if your behavior had not already made that perfectly clear.â€
The aromas wafting to meet him made him salivate like an animal. It had been so long since he had eaten like this. In fact, he could not remember. He smelled roast chicken and good cheese, fresh bread, and strawberries. Other scents mingled until he could not separate them, making his hands tremble.
The reason he had not stood was that he feared falling before her, feared revealing further weakness. She was not feral now, but she might turn so if he showed her his throat. He knew he ought to feel insulted at her indictment of his character, but he could only watch her hands as she laid out a meal. At this moment, she was not wearing gloves, and he noted she had calluses on her thumbs and forefingers, both hands. If he was no gentleman, she was not entirely a lady, either.
He shrugged. “And yet you would feed and house me. What does that reveal of you, madam?â€
She paused and for a moment, he feared that his tone would change her mind about succoring him. Clearly he had lost his reason. He ought to be flattering and cajoling her, calling on every trick he had ever known to turn her sympathy toward him. He should have concocted a plausible tale by now, set upon by bandits nearby, perhaps — and yet he found himself unable to speak the lies that would make him comprehensible to her. It felt disastrously good…saying whatever came into his head without regard for how it would affect her, how she would react to his words. Or him.
“I am not sure,”she said finally. “Except perhaps that I am a woman who is overly kind to stray dogs.â€
Startled, he laughed.
Aggravated by his dry throat, the sound was rough and grating, a sound he had not made in over a year. Had not meant it as more than a polite acknowledgment in so much longer. He realized how he sounded and quickly silenced himself.
Now she regarded him with an expression that might be dismay, and he expected more ridicule, but she had moved past that. Kindness shimmered in her pale eyes. Their color really was uncanny.
“I’m sorry, I should have realized how parched you are.â€
She poured him a glass of sack before he could voice his need for something else. Milk, lemonade, tea — anything that wouldn’t make his hands shake worse than they already were, from weakness and malnutrition. And fear.
“Thank you.”Somehow he managed a sip, pretending his stomach wasn’t so empty it hurt. The wine was a lady’s beverage, but it held a bite, almost too strong after having taken his drinks from streams, troughs, and the occasional well bucket.
The woman offered a half smile along with a plate, and he took it, setting the wine aside. Chunks of roast chicken, white cheese, brown bread, sliced strawberries, and peaches — it was all he could do not to moan, all he could do not to lower his head and stuff the food into his slavering mouth with both hands. Instead he forced himself to take small, moderate bites, wanting to be sure he wouldn’t vomit all over her eccentrically furnished parlor.
He could only eat a fraction of what she’d given him. Although he wanted more, his body would not be able to tolerate it. So he reluctantly set the plate aside, having said nothing, having hardly noticed her existence from the moment she passed him the meal. Abruptly she shimmered back into his perception, more than a woman-shaped blot somewhere past his plate.
Oddly, he felt almost afraid to meet her pale eyes, as if her condemnation could somehow worsen his situation. That absurd thought bolstered him somewhat, and he turned, knowing how he must look to her: a starving beggar in an old maid’s house robe. Anything would have been better than the seamless compassion she gave back, having eaten her own lunch in silence.
“I hope you’re feeling somewhat better. I have some other things…something for the swelling in your face and a liniment for your leg. The groom uses it on the horses…â€
She rose with easy confidence, a woman seeming utterly at home with the situation. It was then he felt sure she must be quite mad. Nobody in her right mind would have gone so long without asking how he had wound up in such a state outside her door. Yet at the same time, he was glad she asked nothing, glad he did not have to lie to her. He did not want to, and it should not matter, because as soon as he laid hands on some decent clothing, he would be gone.
And wondered vaguely why triumph, his survival at such odds, rang oddly hollow.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
That sounded great!
And as Jolene said: this story is totally irresistable.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Danette, there is some humor along the lines of witty banter, but I wouldn’t call this one a romantic comedy by any means.
It’s dark. Gritty. Passionate. Heart-wrenching. This isn’t a beach read, I don’t think. This book will grab you by the throat and keep you breathless until the end.
But I can’t wait to hear from readers to see what they think!
February 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Passionate is good.
I love books that make you feel what the characters feel. When they’re sad you cry with them. When they do the opposit of what they should do, you want to crawl in the book and puch them until they do what they have to do.
I don’t get those feelings much when I read a book. But when I do, that is and will always be one of my favorites. So I absolutely don’t mind that your book isn’t a romantic comedy.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I hope you’ll have that kind of response to MY VALENTINE. It was difficult in some ways because there’s a lot of intensity, but I hope there at the end, the readers will heave a happy sigh at the ending.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
*ahem*
Thank you for the excerpt, it’s so good!
Angst is good–emo ain’t.
For me angst is an emotional obstacle that one has to overcome or, at the very least, learn to live with. Doing either of these equals growth as a person = attaining maturity in the real sense of the word. So angst in a hero or heroine works great for me as motivation for internal conflict.
Emo is in essence adolescent indulgence, and since I’m well past that stage myself (than you, God), but dealing with the kidlets’s (and grant me patience, I beseech Thee), I rather not have it in my fiction.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
this sounds like one book that will draw you in from page one and not leave you just amazed at the end.. i love a book that can totally suck me in and keep me there with my heart pounding.. this one definitely sounds like it fits the bill for that..
February 4th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
More, more, more? I can do that.
From Chapter Five:
Beatrice wondered, not for the first time, how she had managed to get herself into such a predicament. Her stomach rumbled almost painfully, and although she had not seen a clock anywhere, she felt fairly certain that she had been gone for hours. It was probably past Mattie’s bedtime by now, and her little girl would be wondering why her mother hadn’t arrived to bestow the usual kiss before tucking her in for the night.
Generally, Beatrice would tell her a story as well, or read a passage from a novel that Mattie selected. Often they would discuss what she read over tea the following day, a routine that Beatrice enjoyed.
She glanced around the dark room and sighed. Intending merely to unearth a change of clothes for her unwanted guest, the mission had not turned out precisely as she’d intended. Oh, locating the garments hadn’t proved difficult at all. Unlike most attics, the boxes and trunks were neatly labeled; Beatrice employed a housekeeper who ran the manor with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. It would have been surprising if there had been cobwebs and rats and spiders up here, or chaotic piles of junk.
Sinking into a rocking chair that had been banished from one of the guest sitting rooms, probably for some minute flaw it was too dim for her to see, she wondered what she was going to do. But she wasn’t given much longer to reflect on her predicament, as it turned out. Thankfully, the door began to open at last, admitting a faint ray of light, although what someone was doing in the attic at this hour she frankly had no idea. Perhaps one of the servants had been sent to retrieve something. It didn’t matter.
“Thank goodness.”She spoke into the gloom. “I was afraid…oh no! You mustn’t let the door –”
But it was too late. It had latched, and as Beatrice had already discovered, the latch was faulty. It wanted repairing badly, for it was impossible to open the door from this side, which was why she had been trapped here for several hours, a victim of her own good intentions.
“Well,”a masculine voice said. “Misery loves company, I suppose.â€
Beatrice knew a moment of disbelief as he came forward into the very weak moonlight that the small windows permitted. But it was unquestionably him, still clad in Aunt Gertrude’s purple robe. There was no point in berating him. If she hadn’t known about the broken latch — and it was her home — how could he?
“How did you find me?â€
“I wasn’t looking for you, precisely. I was looking for something to wear.â€
She frowned. “I told you I would return when I had something for you. I have a hard time crediting that my staff admitted you, looking as you do.”Her tone sounded cross and judgmental, even to herself, but she was tired and hungry and heartily sick of all the bother his arrival had created.
He is like a broken latch himself, she thought. So much inconvenience caused by something one could never have predicted.
“They didn’t. I hate to ask, but did you manage to find anything for me?â€
Clearly he wasn’t just saying so; he did hate asking her for help. And Beatrice supposed she couldn’t blame him. She had hardly been gracious. If he was a test of her Christian generosity, then she was surely failing it.
“Yes, there’s a suit on that chest over there. I believe it will fit, although you are considerably thinner than my late husband.â€
She sensed more than saw his shrug. “It will be fine. You have my gratitude.â€
“You’re annoyed with me.”Why she should care was utterly beyond her, but she found herself saying, “I’m sorry. I have been trapped here for hours. I missed my dinner, and I haven’t gotten to kiss my little girl good night. She may be worried about me.â€
He had slid out of sight, somewhere deeper in the shadows, getting dressed she presumed. “I had no right to be annoyed. You do not owe me anything, quite the contrary.â€
But she noticed he didn’t deny it, and she realized belatedly how he must feel, how she would hate to be at the mercy of someone who begrudged giving his aid. Perhaps he was roundly to blame for his own wretchedness but that did not relieve her of the obligation toward simple human kindness. He was a person, not a stray dog, no matter what she had said to the contrary.
“I owe you what I owe anyone…consideration and respect.â€
When he stepped into view again, he looked almost as if he were a different person. The gentleman’s clothes went a long way toward ameliorating his appearance, although the suit was assuredly baggy on him, not stylish at all.
“You hold yourself to a different standard than the rest of the world, madam.â€
She paused, considering. “I am not responsible for the rest of the world, and I do not have to listen to its conscience.â€
“I am fairly sure it does not have one, or it would not be in the state it is today.â€
What a perfectly absurd conversation to be having, trapped in an attic with a man who refused to reveal his name. And yet she found herself in agreement with him, which was decidedly odd, given that he was surely a rake and a libertine.
“That, I cannot deny. But I would think turning our thoughts to escape would be more profitable than bemoaning the decline of civilization.â€
“Not very productive, I’ll concede. But I presume you’ve already exhausted all avenues, or you would have returned to me before now.â€
Something in the way he spoke those last words sent a shiver down her spine. As if there were something between them, something –
“I would have, if I could,”she found herself saying. “The windows do open, but I was afraid. It’s such a long drop.â€
He limped across the open room, deftly avoiding the shadowed trunks and boxes. Beatrice wondered about his night vision, for after the sun went down, she’d paced her incidental prison and had barked her shins until she was sure they were bruised. Then she saw him more clearly, framed in the wan moonlight. Dressed in James’s suit, he ought to have made her feel melancholy. It should have pained her to see her husband’s clothing on him, but all she felt was restless, longing to be out of here. And, oh, so hungry.
She had expected to feel haunted up here, sorting through her husband’s things. Beatrice had left the packing away to someone else; she had not truly faced her bereavement. She had expected a much sharper sorrow, but instead, there was only pale regret, a shimmer of nostalgia. Sometimes it almost felt like the woman who had been James’s duchess was another woman entirely, someone she could faintly recall but not remember being.
“Leaping out of attic windows in order to help dress naked men who turn up unexpectedly does seem a rather specific skill set. I cannot fault you for not possessing it.”He wasn’t looking at her, but instead examined the window casement. Swinging it open, he then leaned out, peering down the side of the house. Despite herself, Beatrice left her chair and moved to stand beside him, following his gaze along the ivy that had rooted to the stone. “Do you think you can climb down?â€
“Oh, certainly,”she said dryly. “And as my second feat, I will pull a seven course meal from behind your ear. If I had felt confident enough to exit without breaking my neck, I would have done so before I missed my dinner, thank you.â€
“Don’t be pert, woman. A simple no would have sufficed.â€
Her mouth formed a surprised circle. Was she being pert? Suddenly, Beatrice felt very much afraid he was right, because the last day had begun to feel like something from an adventure novel, nothing that had a place in her own life. No wonder she was acting out of character, behaving as she would have years ago, left to her own devices.
“What is your suggestion then? I collect you are something of an expert at escaping through windows.â€
He gave her what she felt to be a dark look before replying. “Hop on my back then. I’ll do the best I can.â€
“Don’t be ridiculous,”she said, almost shocked to death. “I will not –â€
“Please yourself.”He shrugged and slid a leg over the windowsill. “You’ll be long a while here, I’m afraid.â€
“You cannot really mean to leave me after all I’ve done for you!”Beatrice hated that she’d actually said that. It sounded plaintive, even strident. She hated women who did things for others, not out of generosity, but to tally debt in order to bind people.
Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder at her. She thought he sighed faintly. “I don’t want to leave you up here, but I am not in the habit of forcing ladies to do things. If you expect me to overpower you and sweep you to safety, that is not going to happen. You are going to have to get on my back of your own free will and hold on tight.â€
“I’m afraid,”she whispered finally.
“So am I. But that is life, isn’t it? Doing things continually that make you afraid.â€
February 4th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Ann, you are killing me here!!!!!
“But that is life, isn’t it? Doing things continually that make you afraid.”
Holy hell, is it EVER!
Tell me more…!
No, wait, don’t.
*biting nails*
*pulling hair*
Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean.
*deep breath*
Okay, I’m better. Really. I am.
One way or another I’ll get both Guide and My Valentine, and that’s that.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
*grins* Now you have a matched set of excerpts from the past life hero / heroine’s POV. I think that’ll do.
There’s really some lovely writing in this book. Some passages actually make my chest hurt when I re-read — and I wrote them. Beatrice and Ren, then Maya and Darnell will tug at your heartstrings in a wonderful way. As my editor put it, “I got really attached to them!”
I’ll be interested in hearing how y’all think I did in layering the past life stuff into the present day part of the book.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Congratulations on your newest release, Ann! It sounds great.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Oh you temptress you! You are teh ebil! No wonder I like you! :p
February 4th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
February 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
This was new ground for me.
The first paranormal thing I ever wrote was Seven Days, the temptation novella. I can’t really say what put the bug in my ear to shift away from romantic comedies (except that I get tired of writing the same thing), but I’m glad I did. My Valentine is a different sort of book.
And maybe I’m a little evil. But it’s my job to make you want what I got.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Going by what I’ve seen so far, you are good at your job, woman.
You know, I was just talking with my SO earlier, and frankly, I prefer intense to light in my romance. I bond much more with the characters, and hence my enjoyment of the book is that much more, when there’s intensity to their story. Good characterization and believable internal conflict will get me much more often than comedy. I dunno, perhaps because I purge my own negative emotions through the characters’ growth? Catharsis therapy, as it were?
February 4th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
you are very good at your job Ann..
both the writing and the making us want more..
February 4th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
is there any other genres you have a secret desire to write? inquiring minds want to know..
February 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Jolene, I’m published in romance, SF (with romance), and as of ‘09, will be in urban fantasy (with romance). That pretty much covers it. But I’d like to get a pure, third-person POV romance out in NY someday too. But I’m all over the crossover stuff, and so far, I’m really happy.
In general, I’m with you, Azteclady, on the intensity. However, weirdly enough, with Guide, even though I meant for it to be a romantic comedy, it wasn’t light.
To see how this could even work, you might read this reader review: Damn her! Annie Dean Made Me Cry.
February 4th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I have to go now. It’s 12pm here in Belgium, so I should go to sleep. Have fun everybody!
And Anne, I’m really, really looking forward to reading your book. It just sounds so GREAT!!!!!!
February 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
do you find it hard to let go of a character once youve started a new book? i know when im reading a good book that truly draws me in, its so lifelike that i have to wait a few days to start a new book to let my mind recoup if you will otherwise i want to draw features of characters from one book to the next.. if someone would do or say something i would think..well so and so would never have done that..lol..
February 4th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Sometimes, Jolene. Certain characters can really burrow into my heart. It’s easier with my series books because I know I’ll see those people again.
Typically, I wait two weeks between projects. That gives me a chance to slack off, mess around, and rejuvenate. Plus, in a weird way, it’s also a mourning period, if I’ve finished a book where I won’t be writing about those characters again. Time to say good-bye, if you will.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
good to know im not just some sort of strange person.. when im in the throws of a good book, i just get so involved its like they are alive to me.. some times i secretly hope that the characters will come back in more books.. its about time for hubby to come home from work and fix supper..so good luck to whomever hits the lucky mark.. thanks Ann for sharing so much with us today..its been a blast..i will probably check back in a bit later..
February 4th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I’m definitely open to answering questions. Well, most questions.
And we’re almost there. I’m getting excited!
February 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Good byes suck, period.
On intensity vs light: Oh don’t get me wrong. Most anything that’s well written will work for me (well, except horror. Well written horror means that I don’t sleep well for weeks, which is bad, so… no horror for me, thank you.)
Where was I?
Ah yes, light vs intensity. I guess it’s all in the characterization, Ann. The intensity in the characters feelings doesn’t have to be due to a matter of life and death (or some heavy trauma–though I confess I lurve me some tortured heroes/heroines), but it has to be real for me, the reader. Family issues can be freakingly intense, health issues, cultural background differences… there are many apparently minor issues that, well handled, can become central to the story.
On the main, it’s tricky for the writer, I think, because that balance between believable conflict and random adolescent emoting is subtle, and also not universal. What will move me to tears may leave the next person completely nonplussed–and while that’s all good and well, the wider the appeal, the more successful the writing, correct?
February 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
probably going to sound stupid.. but are these ebooks? and if so will they be coming to print?
February 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Yes ma’am. These are ebooks. Loose Id might someday take them to print, but not in the immediate future.
Azteclady, you make some excellent points. I think you’re right in terms of wide appeal as opposed to subjective reading experience. I know there were readers who were not emotionally engaged by Guide at all, and some who wept. I think that’s the fascinating aspect of books in general.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Jolene, you can find them at Loose Id http://loose-id.net/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=304
February 4th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
thanks for the links.i will definitely be checking them both out soon.. they sound awesome.. i love to read a wide variety of genres. depends on my mood im in..these just sound like something alot different than what i have been reading..always fun to explore new genres
February 4th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Oooooooooooooooooh, we’re about to have a winner. This kind of stuff is so much fun for me.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
what is your favorite genre to read?
do you have a favorite character from your books? one that just hangs in your heart…
February 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Loving the excerpts for this book. Will definitely want to read the whole thing now.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
looks like Cathy wins.. congrats Cathy..
February 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
aaaahhhhhhhhh
*sob*
*rending of vestments*
*pulling of hair*
February 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
*sob*
Congratulations, Cathy
*sob*
*sniff*
February 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Haha, omg! Cathy M sneaks in with the steal! I would’ve guessed Jolene or Azteclady would get it for sure, but noo. Very clever timing, Cathy M! You are the winner!
Have you read Guide?
Jolene, I love anything with romance in it. I can read almost any genre, but if there’s not a romance subplot I feel like something is missing.
Favorite character? Hm. I’d have to say Jax, honestly.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
i feel your pain azteclady..
as my hubby always says.. close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades… lol…
February 4th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I bet Ann is laughing herself silly right now…
*chuckling* Hell, I’m laughing at myself.
Jolene, I hesitate to ask about the hand grenades now…
February 4th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I admit, I giggled a bit. I sooo thought one of you two would take it. But she just snuck right in and snatched it.
I pictured it as the two of you lined up for a fly ball, y’all were like, “I got it, I got it!” jostling for position.
And then here comes this hotshot shortstop out of nowhere and Cathy is like, “YOINK! No, I got it!”
February 4th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
“I admit it, I giggle a bit.”
Tell the truth, woman, your whop of laughter scared the entire household.
I know mine did…
February 4th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is a spin-off from “Guide”. “Guide” was so firmly grounded in reality, and Darnell and Maya were Ash’s friends/sidekicks. It just blows my mind that you took these two seemingly ordinary people and created a story that is the antithesis of “Guide”! Your mind is a weird and wondrous place, Annie.
BTW, do Ellie and Ash make an appearance in this one?
February 4th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Sorry, ladies, it was just luck that I checked in at the right time. And Ann, I did read Guide, so I am ready to go.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
But do you want to read it, Bev?
Yes, it was very firmly grounded in reality. I hope your mind is blown when you read it!
Ash makes a couple of appearances; Ellie does not, except via second-hand mention. In fact, I re-wrote a couple of scenes from Guide in Darnell and then Maya’s POV, which I thought was pretty cool.
Awesome, Cathy! I’ll hook you up with MV.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
well hubby and i met while we were both serving in the military.. hes still active duty national guard, has been in there for almost 24 years now.. hes gotten his alert notice to deploy back to Iraq sometime in the next 12 months.. they arent telling us when yet.. this will be his second time in Iraq.. and his third time there.. he was in desert storm too.. hoping you all have lots of good romance novels planned for 2009 and beyond .. i will have time to fill..
February 4th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Oh gosh, Jolene. I’ll send good thoughts. You must be really worried. It takes real strength of character to make it through what you have.
February 4th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Man, Jolene, that sucks large! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that things change for the (much) better before he has to go. *cyber hugs*
February 4th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
thanks to you both…i know i can do it again.. it does get hard on our 3 kids.. now 18,14 and 9 ..thanks for the good thoughts.. i pray daily this ends, and if he has to go again.. i pray for his and our friends safety..
during his last deployment we lost a friend.. oddly enough it was one year ago tomorrow that he was killed…his family buried him on valentines day.. he was 21 and had an awesome future ahead…
ok no more sob storys…sorry about that..
ann thanks so much for taking the time to chat today and your books sound absolutely wonderful.. i need to scoot my kids are thinkin they are starving..lol
February 4th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
And now I’m 66
February 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
ackk not one year ago.. 4 years ago.. my mind is blank with all this cold medicine.. i have the “crud” thats going around..
February 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
It’s been very nice chatting with you ladies through the day. And Cathy, as much as I wanted to win (cause I’m greedy like that), I’m sure you’ll have a great time with My Valentine.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I hope you feel better! My youngest has a bit of a cold, and I’m trying not to catch it.
Aw, sorry, Zoe. The contest was a quickie!
February 4th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Ann: vitamin C and lots of liquid.
Jolene: warm lemonade… Hope you feel better soonest.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Thanks Azteclady, I can’t wait to start it.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
That’s Cathy-code for:
“Mwahahahaha, in your face! She already emailed my copy!”
(Not really, I’m just playin’)
February 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Lucky Cathy (that’s aztec-code for, “RATS!!!!!”)
February 4th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Sweet! I’ll be picking this one up. I got my ARC of Grimspace on Saturday, Ann. Woot!
February 4th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Yay! Email me when you’ve read it, Marissa.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I love your category for this book:
’smoky, erotic interracial paranormal / reincarnation romance’
How can I not love that?
February 4th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
hehe It’s okay Ann. Eventually I’m going to win one of these things.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Wow - 6 hours and 60+ comments later… and to think, when I first saw this post I wondered if the 50 mark would be met. Congats Cathy!
February 4th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
HAhahaha -wooow. Congratulations, even.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Zoe, have you entered the contest over on my blog? It’s huge! Gi-normous, even. The prizes are pretty great, if I do say so myself.
Pfft, I say to you, JSL! You clearly don’t have enough faith in me.
In fact… *looks at the time* If we make 100 before midnight, I’ll give away another copy of MY VALENTINE to the 100th commenter. How ’bout them apples?
According to my time zone, we have an hour and 20 minutes, give or take. And it’s my time zone that counts!
February 5th, 2008 at 1:29 am
The excerpts had a little humor in them, thanks Ann.
Congrats Cathy!
Hugs, Danette
February 5th, 2008 at 5:47 am
You have the prettiest covers!!
Totally can’t wait for Grimspace. I’m getting so excited!
February 5th, 2008 at 7:52 am
*kicking self for going to bed at midnight in MY time zone*
February 5th, 2008 at 8:02 am
i want a purple heart for getting to the bottom of this reply post! geezzz but I had alot of fun reading excerpts on the way down down down here….. I will say announce contest and a bizzillion people post ( never me no no not me i would never be a contest junkie) (insert evil grin here)
okay before coffee this is the longest post I can do
February 5th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Wow, this is the little post that could.
I’ll still give away another copy of MV, if we make it to 100. Midnight was probably a too ambitious deadline, given that most folks had gone to bed.
Thanks, Anya. I love all my covers. I’ve been super lucky in that regard. And I’m pretty excited about Grimspace too. I really hope people like it!
I’m waiting eagerly for Witch Blood! I can’t wait to read about Thomas and Isabelle. But are you sure Stefan can’t be redeemed?
Whoa, check out my warning at Loose ID:
Sounds AWESOME, doesn’t it?
February 5th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Hi Ann,
You’re right- that does sound awesome ;-). Oh, comment 85. Too bad - its probably wrong to post 15 more comments in a row, huh? *angelface* Sad - I won’t have internet access from 1-5 pm, so I’ll probably miss it. Good luck everyone!
February 5th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Ann, you realize that you are inviting “contest junkies” (Tina Brunelle) like me to re start monologuing AGAIN?
Yeah, I thought you did
February 5th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Pfft, no need for that. I’m happy to converse. We can do more Q&A (although I can’t imagine what anyone would want to know about me).
February 5th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Oh you are sooooo wrong!!!
For example… when are you going to write that “tycoon’s son’s pregnant wife’s baby” story? *ahem*
February 5th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Ah, an excellent question. *innocent grin*
Typically, I have a “sweet” spot for writing a book, and that usually ends up being between 80-85K. In revisions, I’m (generally) asked to flesh this or that out, add such and such, so the final word count ends up being around 90K, which is just about perfect for my target market.
And therein lies in the rub. I’m not sure I could tell a complete, satisfying story in category word count. However, I do have one project in development, which, if it doesn’t suck, would be targeted at the Nocturne line, which can be 75K (close enough to my sweet spot that I could do it, I believe).
February 5th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Okay… how about you change the title to something a litle less “it really happened, people!” and write it as a single title.
I know I’d buy it!
(You do know how all that “sweet spot” talk comes across, right?}
February 5th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Haha - those comments! Sad how strict the limits on categories are - let me tell you, I would *not* mind a longer book!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am
See, Ann? See?
Should we start campaigning, JSL?
February 5th, 2008 at 9:21 am
JSL, I admire the authors who can tell a complete story in category length. Susan Mallery is particularly good at it.
*snickers* I hope nobody slinks in with a “yoink” today, although that cracked my shit up yesterday.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hi Ann, definitely! There are some authors whose category books I just wait for. Susan Mallery is an author I really like, but her books seem to be hit or miss for me. I either want them, love them, need to have them… or kinda regret buying them :-X. (It seems that way especially with her sheik books.) I also love Sarah Mayberry, and a lot of Lucy Monroe’s categories (and other books) - oh I could go on.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:25 am
*sad forlorn face* I can feel it coming, Ann… *sniff*
Kidding aside: I’ve noticed that I almost always want more when reading a category, even when it’s really well written. Not just because I crave more time with characters I care about, but because I want a lengthier exploration of what makes them tick and how they work towards a resolution of their internal conflict. A rushed story makes me doubt the validity of the happy for now, let alone the HEA.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Part of the issue for me is how fast I read. I devour even single-title novels in 2-3 hours, so a category is a light snack for me — an hour and I’m done.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:28 am
azteclady - I’m a bit sad I missed the drama yesterday. I commented (I think as #17?) and I felt it was pretty late in the day - obviously not, because when I came back late last night there were 74 comments! I also agree about the categories - oftentimes they seem rushed, with chunks missing.
How morbid.
Haha, I hope I win - I need something nice and sweet- right now I’m trying to find valuations for a wrongful death of a 2 yr old who drowned in a pool.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:30 am
JSL, how funny, I’m the same way with Susan Mallery. Some of them are keeper from the get go, but there’ve been a few that I’ve had trouble finishing–which sucks no end, let me tell you.
Ann, while I don’t read quite THAT fast, I still can finish a 350-400 book in an afternoon/evening, so frankly categories usually seem like too little meat to me. Unless I can read two in a series…
February 5th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Oh I agree - I have it timed almost perfectly - 2 horus for a category. It’s too bad b/c I’ll start reading @ 1 am. Bad!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:32 am
(I know I’ve lost–someone is going to come and post while I type. I just know it!!)
(Plus, I’ve been hogging the comments for two days–I deserve to lose
)
JSL, how awful!! *hug* May I ask what do you do?
February 5th, 2008 at 9:32 am
*giggling* and JSL for the win!!!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Or, hours even. Whoops. Azteclady - I also feel extreme guilt when I put down a book. Generally I read categories straight through. (Novels, I have a hard time putting down, but am ok with doing that for a few hours.) -although I’ve been finding myself reading up til 3-4 am the past few days. *cries*
I’d share if I could.
Woohoo! Azteclady
I’m a law student, and I have two clerking jobs. Right now I’m doing research for a PI lawyer (obviously very diligently *angelface*)
February 5th, 2008 at 9:37 am
No yoink today. Congrats, JSL!
Man, this was fun.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Well, I hate not finishing a book–my OCD tendencies start bugging me, see? In fact it took me until well into my 30s to forgive myself for not finishing a book that sucked (wherein “sucked” is obviously extremely subjective, of course).
Putting a good book down to do something else is sheer pain… torture, I tell you! I’ve been known to go out to walk the dogs while holding a book open, and reading a line or two here and there as they *ahem* “take care of business” as it were.
JSL, I am sure you are going to enjoy it! And after the little teasers Ann dropped yesterday, you must be dying to jump into it!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Thanks Ann!
And none of them read romance, so the best I can do is try to reminisce about books I read and loved as a kid.
It was - most of my friends don’t read.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I used to be that way about finishing books. If I liked it well enough to buy it, then by God, I’d read it! This all came to a crashing halt when I bought The Dark Shore. My first DNF. It was traumatic.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Oh isn’t it awful when you are the only one around who reads? That’s the great thing about the intrawebs–you get to talk with people who GET you.
Ann, traumatic just about describes… *wincing at the memory*