So...who wants Romance Trading Cards?

I went ahead and got Romance Trading Cards done for my first three books. They're a fun thing to have at conferences and just to hand out to people. Although a lot of authors do bookmarks, I can't help think that most people probably have no use for them anymore. You know, future generations probably won't even be able to relate to them at all! The trading cards were also really great fun to have made. I got to pick and choose the content and I loved coming up with the line of dialogue on each of them. Warning: one of them has a bad word, a very bad word LOL. I posted pictures of these (front and back) on a prior post and have them up on my albums on Facebook if you'd like to take a book, but I have one for each of Picture This, Pay Up and Play Me.

If you'd like one (or all), just send me an email letting me know at kaily at kailyhart dot com with your address and I'll send them out to you. Oh and indicate whether you'd like them signed or not :).

My First Print Book. Sigh...

It's funny. I'm an ebook pundit all the way, but when I heard Ellora's Cave were combining my first three ebooks (PICTURE THIS, PAY UP and PLAY ME) with them into a print anthology? Well, I went all giddy and mushy at the knees :). Seriously. There's just something about holding a book, something about that tangible proof that screams I did indeed write a book. Actually, it's a lot more than that one book now, but the physical manifestation of all that work will be so cool to actually see, hold.

When they asked me to come up with a title for it, I drew a blank for awhile. The stories are all quite different, the characters diverse, but there was a common thread. The heroes and heroines of the three stories all found love when it was the last thing they expected, but the thing they all needed the most. It wasn't hard after that and Perfectly Unexpected just seemed so fitting. I haven't seen it physically myself yet, but it's started to hit some of the outlets. It's already up at Barnes & Noble and the other book sellers will follow suite soon enough. I'll probably do some giveaways when I get some copies in my hot hands! And I'm digging the cover. How about you?

Know what I did last night?

I posted a little while ago that one of my books was selected by a small, local book club and that they had invited me to attend their meeting. Well, it was last night and OMG I had the best fun! I think there's something about the prospect of discussing a hot and steamy read that has inhibitions and tongues loosening LOL. At least for these ladies, unless they're like that all the time :). Of course, it could have also been the alcohol!

They had a theme for the food, which was aphrodisiacs. How appropriate. I can't tell you how elaborate and awesome the food was. I was simply blown away. Not the mention...cucumber martinis and...champagne. Champagne! I think I seriously need to get out more LOL.

Firstly, I wasn't sure which particular book had been selected for them all to read because most of them had read more than one! Yay!! One woman was happy to let me know she'd read PAY UP twice, just to make sure she didn't miss anything the first time :)!! Yay her!

I do think some might have thought that just because I write hot that made me an expert on sex and that I must watch porn. So not true LOL. I got some great comments and questions though and I thought I'd share a sample of my favorites:

• "You don't look anything like I expected you to look."
• "Is your husband good looking?"
• "Are your books your own fantasies?"
• "How do you do your research?"
• "How do you start writing?"
• "How do you come up with that stuff?"
• "Oh, there's a plot in the book?"
• "I was surprised that there was a happy ending in a book like this."
• "Do you think your books will be turned into movies one day?"

I had to stay on my toes to respond to and answer those and others. Overall, it was great to have the opportunity to talk to readers directly and in person, especially readers who might not have read in this genre otherwise. I hope I managed to change perceptions and squash myths, at least in a small way about erotic romance. Ladies, thank you so much for such a fun and interesting evening and the food was simply DIVINE!!

Ah...January? Where are you?

Did you blink and miss it? I must have. January just flew by for me. Perhaps it was because I took a spur of the moment vacation and the hope that I could settle into a routine again after the madness of the holidays just flew out the window. Anyway, it's a brand new month, I have no trips planned (that I know of yet :)) and I'm ready to sink my teeth into something new. I turned in my latest book yesterday. Sigh and yay!! It required me to lock myself in my writing cave to wrap it up. The waiting and nail biting begins, but what to work on now? There are so many characters vying for my attention. I could pick up Cole's story from PAY UP. When I started to write that book, I hadn't intended to leave an opening for another story, but Cole just became so real. And I have just the woman for him :)! I could go back to an idea I had in January. It did distract me from my book at the time and it's nicely laid out. It's got a hot military guy :). I could browse my ever bulging "ideas" file. There's some great stuff in there. OR I could run with a shiny, new, exciting idea that struck me this morning. Decisions, decisions... So much to write, so little time!

A gift...for you

So...it's that time of year again. Everyone has their holiday wishes out on the blogosphere, so I'll be brief with mine :). Enjoy the time with family and friends, stuff yourself with good food (I plan to) and look favorably towards the coming year--may it bring you good health and much happiness.

To celebrate, I'll be giving away either a copy of PICTURE THIS or PAY UP (winner's choice) to a random commenter on this post through Sunday 9:00 pm (EST). Tell me what you like about the holiday season (or don't) or what's the best (or worst) present you ever received!

And now...I'd like to leave you with a never before shared excerpt from PAY UP. Warning: it's hot and steamy and adult! Enjoy!!!

    Carly felt odd being in his bedroom. She’d been in his place before, but never this room. This was the room he dressed and undressed in, the room he slept in, the room he…fucked in. Well jeez, she assumed he didn’t always have sex up against the wall of his entry.
     What did he sleep in anyway? He didn’t seem the pajama type. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and opened and closed a couple of drawers until she found his underwear.
     Oh God.
     They were all black, snug boxer-style briefs. Every single pair. She laughed. Not a lot of imagination, but hey, he so didn’t need any window dressing. They had to look incredible on him, so why would he mess with perfection, right?
     She felt depraved as she fingered the soft fabric, imagining what the material cupped when he had them on. She’d never much gotten into going down on a guy but the urge she had to look at, touch and taste Rio almost made her tremble. She wanted to lick his length, suck on him, cup and lick his balls until he trembled against her. She wanted to kneel in front of him in submission, his hands in her hair, urging her on until she brought him to the brink. And then she’d start all over again. She’d never let a guy come in her mouth before either, but she knew she’d let Rio. God, she’d insist. Just the thought of it and she was hot, wet and aching with need. What would he say if she won that dumb bet and claimed her prize as a blowjob for him?

Latest News and...Wanna Win an eReader??

I was surprised to learn today that PAY UP is up for Book of the Month over at Happily Ever After Reviews. Woot! It's got some pretty stiff competition, but head on over and check out the awesome line up of books. You might see one you'd like to vote for ;).

I sent off my RWA Golden Heart entries this week. Yep, that's plural. Although I'm published, I'm still able to enter this year based on the eligibility criteria. It will be my last opportunity though, so I figured I'd go all out. I won't know anything until March, so I'll forget about it until then. Or try to :).

We're also having a fabulous contest over at Passionate Reads, the group blog I contribute to. There are daily opportunities to enter to win an ereader (winner's choice of either a Nook or Kindle) and we're giving away an ebook each day of the contest. Make sure you check out all the ways you can enter to maximize your number of entries and chances to win!!

Coming soon...

I've thought recently about what I could add to my blog to make it more interesting, more beneficial, more substantial. I've been turning an idea around in my head for awhile. Of course, I don't consider myself to be an absolute expert by any means, but I've learned a great deal on my journey to date about writing, becoming published and marketing, so...I thought I'd start a new blog feature called 'How I Write'. This is not meant to be cut and dried advice or instruction about the 'dos and don'ts' of writing. This is intended as a way for me to share some tips and tricks I've picked up and developed that have helped me write both novellas and full length novels. I also plan to include my thoughts around getting published and share what I've learned about marketing and promotion that I wish I'd known when I first started out. It will also simply provide an insight into one author's process end to end and how stories come about. Hopefully, it will be of interest and use to readers. If there are any suggestions for what to include or address, let me know. I plan to launch this in January!

Also, thanks so much to everyone who voted! PAY UP was voted book of the week at Whipped Cream!! Yay!!!

WOW!

PAY UP is up for book of the week at Long and Short reviews!! How awesome is that? The recognition around something I've created will never get old. It just won't. There are other great books up there as well. Go over and vote!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/index.htm

It just occured to me ::bangs head on desk::

I've yet to give away any copies of PAY UP. Sheesh, how did that happen? Anyway, in an effort to rectify it, I'll be giving away 3 copies of PAY UP through Sunday at 8:00 pm EST. Comment here and tell me the most memorable thing your significant other ever did for you and I'll select 3 people randomly and announce on Sunday night. It could be something sweet, sexy, funny, thoughtful, cool or maybe just plain weird. Anything as long as it was memorable LOL! If you comment more than once, I'll add an entry for each comment.

And here's some brief new excerpts from the book I haven't shared before.

*** The first is pretty self-explanatory.

    What did he sleep in anyway? He didn’t seem the pajama type. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and opened and closed a couple of drawers until she found his underwear.

     Oh God.
     They were all black, snug boxer-style briefs. Every single pair. She laughed. Not a lot of imagination, but hey, he so didn’t need any window dressing. They had to look incredible on him, so why would he mess with perfection, right?

*** This one features an exasperated Rio, trying to come to terms with his attraction for Carly. He's very much a guy--a guy who's been trying to ignore the thoughts and feelings he's had for Carly for a long time. And it's not working out so well for him anymore. ENJOY!

     He should be shot. Carly was his friend, for fuck’s sake. She trusted him and here he was…ogling her body, imagining what he’d like to do with it and generally acting like a damn pervert. Jesus, she had a boyfriend. The guy was a prick, but still, Carly was with someone else. Someone who had the right to touch her, sleep with her, do whatever the hell he wanted to her, whenever the hell he wanted. And that someone wasn’t him. That was just reality and he needed to get with the program, because now he was fucking women because he was horny and they were available rather than being generally interested in them, and that made him feel like an asshole. He’d never been like that. He didn’t know what he was going to do about this fixation he’d developed, but he knew he had to do something. And fast.

For a longer, more comprehensive excerpt, go here.

Got Trailer?

Another first...I made my very first book trailer! For PAY UP!! Well, I didn't personally make it, but you know what I mean LOL. Just like anything, it was an invaluable learning experience. I hope you like it!!

Pay Up by Kaily Hart

I'm up on Amazon and...a teaser excerpt from my WIP

I noticed over the weekend my latest book, PAY UP was up on Amazon! WOW. For me, it's the closest thing I can imagine it would be like to see my physical book sitting on a shelf at a book store (or at Target, whatever - I'm not fussy :)). I'm not exactly sure why I get so excited seeing my books out on these sites. Perhaps it's because they're sharing virtual shelf space with best selling authors, authors and books I read. Perhaps because I know it means it's that much more accessible to readers. Perhaps because it's just another form of validation on this path to becoming a successful author. Regardless of the specifics...it's just way cool! I'm on Amazon!

In between looking at my covers on 3rd party book sellers ;), I thought I'd provide an update on my WIP. PLAY ME is coming along nicely and should be finished any day now. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Gabe is an hot alpha hero, enough to make any society princess take notice, but things aren't always what they seem. It's a story about chance and what can happen when two people on completely different paths find themselves thrust together. Will they continue on as before or...just go for it? I thought I would share a snippet from the page I'm currently working on:

    “Show me your vibrator.”
    “What?”
    Lily was pretty sure she’d passed the point of being able to pretend any kind of worldly sophistication, but she thought she’d give it one more shot just the same.
    “Um…what makes you think I even have one?”
    He smiled. It was wicked and full of knowledge.
    Yeah, that was probably a fail.

RomantiCon, a Book Signing and a new Release, OH MY!

OK, I have a LOT to pack into this post. First off, I can now officially say I'm a multi-published author. PAY UP released today! Big sigh of relief. Of course, I'll be waiting for those first impressions of the book, so I'm still nervous, but I'm SO excited it's out there today.

The last week has just been a whirlwind of awesomeness. I attended RomantiCon 2010 in Ohio and had the BEST time. When I tried to think about why the event was so great, it's because it was just...so well rounded. There was something for everyone. It had amazing opportunities to meet authors and readers. I'm not much of a social butterfly or a mingler, but I met and talked to a LOT of people at this conference. Everyone was so friendly and approachable. I met Ellora's Cave founder and many of the staff who were wonderful and worked so hard organizing and managing this event. It had interesting and informative workshops. The social events were amazing and just SO MUCH FUN, I can't even tell you. There was a book signing, which was awesome. It was special because it was my first but it would have been exactly what I would have wished for if I could have scripted it out myself! And there were the Cavemen. OMG! Not only are these guys absolutely beautiful to look at, they're great guys. They attend most of the events, provide entertainment ::fanning myself remembering:: and mingled and danced with attendees. They really are such great sports. They posed for photo after photo without complaint.

SO, you wanna see some photos?

AWARDS

I got an award!! I was given a 2010 Rising Star award at the dinner on Saturday night. I was SO surprised and SO psyched 'cause it meant another photo op with all the Cavemen!

Nara Malone, me and Marilyn Campbell

Nara Malone, Marilyn Campbell and I all share an editor at Ellora's Cave and we all picked up an award that night!  How cool was THAT?

And of course, all the winners got to pose with the models. Sigh...

MY EDITOR

Me & Grace Bradley

One of the highlights for me was hanging out with my editor. It's amazing what you share with someone you've never met in person. I haven't figured out if getting to know her better will help with that or not, but she's not only talented, she's a really great person! Grace, I think the next drink was on me :).

AUTHORS

I lost count of the number of authors I already knew by reading their work or seeing them on the social network scene.

THE Jaid Black

I have to say I did have several 'fan-girl' moments at the conference. Not all are captured on film, but those that are, are pretty special!  I had an opportunity to meet THE Jaid Black. She started it all - Ellora's Cave, the erotic romance wave and a new book publishing model! 

Me & Desiree Holt

Desiree Holt! She went out of her way to send me a wonderful message when she read PICTURE THIS. I'm still blown away that she read and liked my book!

Helen Hardt & I

Helen Hardt! I've known Helen a long time from the internet. She's always been generous and friendly and she's even nicer in person. AND she looks so YOUNG! We sat next to each other at the author meet and greet as well.

BOOK SIGNING

I signed at my very first book signing and it couldn't have been a more positive experience. Well, I guess if I'd sold a hundred books, that might have topped it LOL. I sat between the fabulous Helen Hardt and Francesca Hawley. I signed and sold my books, I chatted to readers and even had people stop by who had already read my book. My very first autograph was so special, I took her picture. Thanks, Sheila. Hopefully, I didn't weird her out too much! You'll forever be my first!

THE CAVEMEN

What can I say? These guys are drop dead gorgeous and the nicest and most gracious guys you'll ever meet. It's a deadly combination, let me tell you! I watched them pose happily for photo after photo with attendees and dance up a storm with everyone on the dance floor. I had a chance to pose with them in costume for our Friday night Roaring 20s party

and snapped as many pics as I could get while we partied. They're not bad dancers either. In fact, they're awesome. I'll be thinking of them...fondly for months to come I have no doubt LOL!!

 Lorenzo!

Angelo!

Brooks!

ALL of them! Sigh... 

Oh yeah, I have a book out today! PAY UP released from Ellora's Cave and I can now refer to myself as a MULTI-published author. I'm so excited for this story because I really connected with the hero in this one. Rio (God, just the name is hot), is protective and respectful of women, but that doesn't detract from his mega-alphaness. Actually, it just amps it up even more.

BLURB

Neighbor. Friend. Lover.

At least that’s what Carly Wagner wanted Rio Reyes to be. She’d settled for two out of three for almost a year and it just wasn’t enough. Not anymore. When Rio proposes a shockingly sexual bet, she knows it’s out of character and he’s not really serious, yet she can’t resist. The pay off could be finally getting her hands on the gorgeous firefighter she’s drooled over since she moved in next door.

The timing had never seemed right for him and Carly, but that hadn’t stopped Rio from imagining wild and wicked things about her. It had been a joke—sort of, but Rio’s shocked when she takes him up on the dumbass bet. Now he’s in a world of hurt, because regardless of who wins, he might be crossing a line he never thought he would and jeopardize a friendship that means more to him than anything.

ENJOY!

I Got Cover...and a teaser excerpt

Hopefully, you've noticed by now, but I wanted to highlight the cover for my upcoming book, PAY UP. Man, those are some abs :). This is my first 'custom' cover as such and fits the hero, Rio so well. He's a hot, ripped firefighter with everything going on, you know? Sigh...  Below I've included the blurb and a short teaser excerpt from the book. ENJOY!

BLURB

Neighbor. Friend. Lover.

At least that’s what Carly Wagner wanted Rio Reyes to be. She’d settled for two out of three for almost a year and it just wasn’t enough. Not anymore. When Rio proposes a shockingly sexual bet, she knows it’s out of character and he’s not really serious, yet she can’t resist. The pay off could be finally getting her hands on the gorgeous firefighter she’s drooled over since she moved in next door.

The timing had never seemed right for him and Carly, but that hadn’t stopped Rio from imagining wild and wicked things about her. It had been a joke—sort of, but Rio’s shocked when she takes him up on the dumbass bet. Now he’s in a world of hurt, because regardless of who wins, he might be crossing a line he never thought he would and jeopardize a friendship that means more to him than anything.

EXCERPT
Warning; excerpt contains a very pissed off heroine :).

    Carly shoved the ice cream carton she still held in her hands back into the freezer and slammed the door, wincing when it opened slightly again before finally closing. No way. No way. She wouldn’t be a fucking stereotype, sitting home alone on a Friday night shoveling vanilla bean ice-cream down her throat and fantasizing about something that was completely out of her reach. So, she got dumped by her boyfriend today. Greg had actually dumped her. So what? It wasn’t even that she was hurt all that much, but the jerk hadn’t had the decency to give her an adequate reason. He hadn’t even had the decency to do it in person and she didn’t need an audible reminder that she didn’t have anyone to have wild monkey sex with. That the guy she did want to have sex with was giving it to someone else.

    So yeah, she was mad. Good and mad. Because she’d had doubts about Greg for weeks, maybe months and she should have been the one to end things. Because she’d never actually had any sex that would qualify as “wild monkey sex”. Ever. Instead, she’d let things slide with Greg, thinking perhaps a less than perfect boyfriend was better than being alone. Because then what would she do? Drool and fantasize about Rio, that’s what. And what do you know? It’d been less than four hours and she knew she’d been right. It sucked.

 
The book releases on October 15 and I'm so excited! I absolutely loved writing this book.

Got Edits?

Well, I finalized my edits and PAY UP is awaiting a cover, release date, official blurb and excerpt!! My second book will be out soon from Ellora's Cave and I couldn't be more thrilled. I'm so excited for this story because it's the first 'friends to lovers' story I've ever written. It's also the first firefighter hero I've done and Rio is one HOT man in uniform (or out of it)! This is quite a bit longer than PICTURE THIS and I enjoyed the luxury of having some more words to tell a bigger story. As soon as I have news I'll post more details, but thought I would post a teaser excerpt:
                                                                      *****

  “Yes, yes, Rio, yes…oh…God, yes…”
   Not again.
   Carly felt heat flare in her cheeks, not to mention the other parts of her body. It washed over and through her all at once, leaving her weak, her breathing unsteady and just plain…hot.
   What the hell did Rio do to get them to moan and scream and gasp that way? She’d never called out like that in the throes of passion or anywhere else for that matter. She was also pretty sure it wouldn’t have been with that sense of utter abandon or lack of regard for who might hear her. And let’s face it, she just wasn’t that great an actress.
   One of the reasons she’d bought her condo in this building was for its construction, specifically the interior concrete walls. It should have been impossible, but some freak design with the ventilation system meant…they had to be going at it up against the entry wall that backed directly onto hers. Why hadn’t that occurred to her? They’d barely made it past his front door, before…
   Whew.
   Carly inhaled quickly at the sharp pull low in her abdomen. She swore she could hear a faint rhythmic thumping and muffled groans too, but it could just as easily be her imagination taking over. It didn’t take much to have her picturing Rio’s big body and what he was doing with it to get that kind of response. God, he’d be hot and sweaty, his big body gleaming with exertion, his dark hair damp and sticking up where urgent hands had been buried in it, maybe holding on to him, urging him on. He’d have his shirt off, but maybe he’d been impatient, unfastening his pants just enough, having thrust them down roughly so he could—
   She took a deep, shaky breath. She really, really needed to get a life. Unfortunately, she’d heard the whispers and giggles for a long time about how awesome Rio was in bed. About how built he was…down there, and about how he knew his way around a woman’s body like few guys did. Hearing the evidence of it for the second time in a week didn’t help.

                                                                       *****

I also wouldn't be honest if I didn't say it's a nice to relief to know my first book wasn't a fluke LOL!

So, what's next? I'm putting the finishing touches on a third book. Gabe is burned out and used up until Lily provides a much needed breath of fresh air and a touch that he didn't know he was craving. It's been a great  and fun story to write. A couple, seemingly unmatched on the surface but perfect for each other. I hope to share it with you soon.

Where the heck is Kaily?

I've been AWOL. With the RWA conference, a date night that turned into a long weekend in NY and a family vacation to the land of the Mouse, it feels like I've barely been online. Probably because I haven't! School goes back next week and I'm counting down the hours, eager to get back to some sense of 'normal'. And I want to write and write and write!!

I did manage to accomplish something over the last few weeks. I still need to complete the formalities, but I've sold a second book to Ellora's Cave!!! I'm over the moon. Hopefully PAY UP will have a release date soon and I can post it. I'm excited about this book and I'm totally in love with my hero. I can't wait to share Rio and Carly's story!