It’s good to know that my son knows I don’t carry homicidal tendencies—outside of the fictional world, that is. Then he sat down and together we figured out how the victim in my 3^rd NovelTea series book would die and how the leads of the story would figure it out.

Romantic Suspense really is a fun genre to both read and write, especially when it comes to the villain as he contemplates murder, deceptions…even treason. I’ve found the exercise of getting into the head of a psychopath completely freeing and exciting. Why is that? Why is it so fun to be bad? I know my latest villain was just deliciously evil. But I wasn’t sure if I was ready to kill him off because his whole past hadn’t come to the fore just yet. It is a series after all.

To write a really good villain, you have to understand why he does what he does. You don’t just wake up one day and decide to rob a bank or commit murder. You aren’t just evil to be evil. Something pushes us to that point. If an author can show you that path, it makes the villain that much more believable and real to life and the story becomes that much more engaging.

Think of some famous literary villains like Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes, Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello, Javert in Les Miserables, the Sherriff in the Robin Hood tales and ballads or even Voldemort in Harry Potter. Many times, the villain is the driving force of the story and your hero doesn’t shine as brightly without the reflection of that dark villain off in the shadows.

So, tell me, do you love to hate the villain? Isn’t there just something exciting in reading and writing a good villain? Why do you think that is?

To experience more of the villain in my NovelTea Series come by my website and read the Prologue from the villain’s POV. You can purchase A Night of NovelTea or NovelTea Next Door at The Wild Rose Press. The third NovelTea book, NovelTea Takes a Holiday, is coming soon.

******

Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Previously a middle school English & History teacher, she now homeschools her own children and writes in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, Fantasy, Suspense and Historical romance. Find out more about Cindy and her books at www.cindykgreen.com.

The November full moon will arrive November 13, 2008, when the astrological calendar is in Taurus. The full Snow Moon is also called Frost Moon or Fog Moon, due to the month’s predominant weather pattern, and Beaver Moon in American backwoods tradition. I like the sound of Snow Moon best, because its name is the most romantic.

The Joshua Tree is the symbol of the Mojave Desert; the only American desert where these trees will grow. The full moon is a symbol of love. The Celts called November the time of beginnings and endings, and I think Marybeth and Jake would agree. Their love began in the Mojave Desert, where DESERT FEVER is set; the place Marybeth found Jake after his motorcycle became disabled.

What about the hero and heroine’s ending? In romance, there can be only one.

Happily-Ever-After, of course.

http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419919060

Adele Dubois will be joining us on November 13th to promote her new book, Desert Fever

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is my favorite time of year. From Thanksgiving until Christmas, there is so much to do I get nervous just thinking about it. J But it’s a good nervous. I tend to not get much writing done, but it’s a wonderful time for my son, who’s five. He loves all the cooking and baking, not to mention the toys on Christmas. I think my holiday spirit is contagious.

I’m not big on decorating, though my son loves the tree if it has lots of lights. He could care less about anything else. Naturally, I cram as many lights as my little four-foot tree will hold, and rig up more extension cords than I should, but hey! Ya gots ta have da lights at Christmas.

My mother gave my son a “cooking pumpkin” this year instead of a “carving pumpkin.” It was fun gutting and pealing the thing. *rolling eyes* But it tasted out of this world when I made the pie! I’ve frozen what was left to make for Thanksgiving. Should be fun.

I’ve already got the turkey and will defrost it the week of Thanksgiving. I could have gotten a ham, but after doing that the year before last, we decided it was worth the extra money for the turkey. Cause, it’s just not Thanksgiving without a turkey. Ok, at least that’s what my husband said. Personally, I was good and the little one didn’t care. He’s like a human garbage disposal at this point. He eats anything not nailed down to the table.

So, while all that stuff is cooking, while I have my husband and son untangling miles of Christmas lights. I’ll be plotting. Thinking. Devising all kinds of sexy things I’m going to do to Santa while everyone sleeps.

Hum. Wonder if I should put it in a book?

*evil grin*

Teeka
www.marteekakarland.com

But I’m not here to talk about my vender experience.

What I do want to talk about is books, specifically whether you’re reading, and consequently buying, more or fewer books than you once did.

On our table at the expo we had an attractive display of books, all gay fiction, all discounted for sale at the event, and they got quite a bit of attention. People would come up to the table, pick up one or another book, admire the cover, a few even engaged us in lively and interesting conversation about reading.

But do you know how many books we sold?

None.

That’s right, not one book was sold at that event.

In talking with other venders I learned that it wasn’t just us. The author in the booth next to ours sold one book, a volume on meditation that he had included as a last-minute throw-in with his cash of fiction titles and never in a million years expected to sell.

When I asked him and others what they thought the problem was, the answer was always the same. It’s the economy.

“People just aren’t buying books,” one vender told me. “They’re saving their pennies for stuff like food.”

She followed this statement with a laugh, but I don’t think either of us thought it was particularly funny.

The fact that you’re reading this blog leads me to believe that you are, if not a writer, then certainly a reader, a person who loves books. As both a writer and lifelong reader myself, I can’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t want — or need — to read. Even in my poverty-stricken student days, when books bought and read for pleasure frequently took a backseat to textbooks, I was a fixture at the local library. That is to say that all my life, books have ranked up there with food and shelter as necessities. So it’s hard, well near impossible, for me to believe that the economy is really to blame for people’s unwillingness to shell out ten dollars for a book.

But what if not the economy, then what?

As readers and writers, do you find that the economy has impacted your reading habits? Are you buying fewer books? Reading less? Or are you getting your reading fix in other ways by borrowing books from friends or from the library?

In short, is reading truly fundamental? For me it certainly is. What about you?

While my writing keeps me pretty busy, I devote a portion of very day to the M/M authors co-op group I formed to venture out into more expensive advertising venues called Manloveromance.com. We run ads in places like gay.com, advocate.com, romance sites, and do public booths and appearances at big ticket events such as Book expo America, Yaoi Con, and GEE to reach our target audiences of straight women and gay men.

Between writing and promoting M/M romance, I own and operate ManLoveRomance Press, LLC, aka MLR Press, a small print press exclusively for M/M erotic romance and fiction. The back bone of my world is my husband, sons and my now part-time career as an emergency trauma nurse.

I started writing five years ago in the world of fanfiction. My first books were print published collections of these works published by a small press in CA. Surprisingly, my writing found an audience and wrote 4 books with this publisher. Flush with amazement, I wandered into epublishing world, found more houses looking for my brand of work and I’ve never looked back. I now have seven novels out in a whole variety of genres from vampires to cops, one single author collection of short stories and short stories in five anthologies. I’ve written for BUST and MEN magazines, Alyson Press, and at least six different epublishers.

My latest release is the first in a new romantic crime series titled Mexican Heat. I’m co-authoring the Crimes & Cocktails series with award winning master of prose Josh Lanyon, author of the acclaimed Adrien English Mystery series. Mexican Heat releases in a few weeks. This is the first time I’ve advertised a book in Romance Sells and I’m anxious to see how effective that turns out to be. As an added kick to the promotions I’ve placed ads in two more print magazine as well. New territory for me to explore!

I’m finding the genre of M/M has a marvelous audience and the best readers imaginable. Even though my writing skills are still developing, I’m more of a story teller than author, I’ve been stunned and amazed at the support and loyalty of M/M readers. They are the BEST. Without the supportive feedback, delightful reviews and unfailing loyalty I know I wouldn’t be writing today. It reader comments that fuel the fires of my writing.

A lot of author write for themselves but I write for readers, plain and simple. I work a high stress job that forces me to see the worst of people on a regular basis. I want pure enjoyment when I sit down to read. So I write romance. I want to see love, life and happily ever afters for my heroes. When people stop reading my work or stop letting me know I bring them a few hours of enjoyent, I’ll stop writing.

But until hat time, I’ll be throwing two gorgeous, conflicted men together to fight, survive and fall in love in everyone of my emotional and hot-hot-hot stories. Oh, did I mention I like to write the sex scenes the most?

The best thing my parents taught me was to read. The best thing my first husband taught me was to travel. What a combination! As an adult I discovered reading on vacation was the epitome of self-indulgence. My favorite reads were and still are fiction. Escaping into an author’s dream world forced my then mundane life into the background.

As with everything else in my life, writing just sort of happened. It wasn’t planned on or even thought of it as a career option. One day my insides simmered and then boiled into a story that had to be told. The words finally cooked up into a novel not fit for category romance. The Silhouette editor told me it was too mainstream, too explicit. Explicit? thinks I. Okay, so maybe there weren’t any shafts of hot steel or womanly cores, but come on, who the hell really has those?

Like every other writer, I was sure if I hadn’t at least written the Great American Novel it was in the top two. Shocked, but not disillusioned I turned to my mentor, mystery writer Beth Anderson. She took me by the hand and taught me the technicals of writing and how to bring out my voice, loud and clear. Plus, she’s got this two by four with lots of rough edges and has no problem wielding it across my bony backside. Hmm, sounds like the start of a new novel.

We were soon joined by Yasmine Phoenix who can spot a scene that needs more sexual tension and how to do it faster than I can reach for another Fanny May. She also tortured me to take an online class with Jan Springer, the Queen of Hot, who encouraged me to be more serious about a God given gift. Erotica here I come, no pun intended.

My stories are set in Europe where the men are all male and the North American women they encounter are both feminine and strong. As a true romantic, my women bring more than lust to their men’s lives.

I was born and raised in Chicago. Studly, my non-husband and mate for life, and I split our time between a home in Illinois and a weekend cottage on the back roads of Indiana…or you can catch up with me as I travel though Europe, researching new material.

I’ll be back in October with plenty of shameless promotion! Until then, please check out my website, www.sloanetaylor.com, for more on my life and a variety of delicious recipes to ever tempt your taste buds.

Have a beautiful day,

Sloane Taylor

Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell

TEDDI TURNS ON www.aspenmountainpress.com

FRENCH TWIST www.eternalpress.ca

www.sloanetaylor.com www.myspace.com/sloanetaylor

There’s nothing more relaxing than simply lying in the sun. In this day of deteriorating ozone layers and skin cancer and healthy everything, perhaps it’s not the most politically correct thing to do, but oh man! It sure relaxes one’s troubles away.

Poolside. Wet. The sun beating down on a clear day. The sky the clearest, most beautiful blue you can imagine. Now. Towel down. Chair sitting up, reclining only slightly. The sun kisses your skin like a gentle lover and you can’t help but smile. You can watch the kids and still relax. No “Mommy? Are you kissing Daddy?” this time. You may not get a screaming orgasm, but aaahhhhh…. It feels so good.

Sunscreen is still a must, but by the end of the day, you’ve still got a decent tan. Me? I like to live dangerously. By the end of this summer, the sunscreen had gone out the window. (For me anyway. I soused down the little one liberally every hour or so.) And for the first time in probably ten years, I’ve got this glowing tan that just makes me look radiant.

Well, that and some rather dry skin, but hey! That’s what Bath and Body Works is for!

My wonderful tan won’t last very long — a month or so at most — but by the end of the winter, I’ll remember. I’ll have the worst case of spring fever there ever was. J

On those bitter cold winter days, I’ll look outside and smile. I know summer is only around the corner, and so are the days I’ll soak up the sun. If only for a little while.