What Women Want - A Special Guest & A Giveaway!!

I have a special guest on my blog today, Keri Ford. Keri writes sexy, country, contemporary romances and is celebrating her latest release, Rough Ride. Take it away, Keri!.

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Thank you Kaily so much for inviting me here today for a stop on my Roughneck Blog Tour!

I’m dishing on things women want. And not the movie. But in general. What do we want?

Me? With a husband, toddler and a dog—I want a maid! Have someone in to wash my clothes, clean my house, bathe my dog. Now that’s the stuff. Practical stuff. Either that or I’m just lazy.

We’ll stick with practical.

Gretchen Jones, heroine of Rough Ride isn’t so much into material needs like I am. She just wants someone to fill that empty space in the bed next to her. Lightly snore during the middle of the night to have something else to listen to besides the whine of the air conditioner and hum of the refrigerator. Feel a heartbeat against her back. His breath on her shoulder. Someone to beat the loneliness.

Not just any man will do. She wants Lane Iverson. And to get him, she’s going to have to work for it. In her own way, on her own terms. Terms Lane isn’t sure he can resist!

Leave me a comment! Let me know what YOU want! Today’s winner gets an ecopy of And She Liked It by Voirey Linger. Thanks so much Voirey for donating your book to my tour! Learn more about Voirey at her website, twitter and Facebook!

Blurb

You do for family, no matter what. Lane Iverson knows that better than anyone. Harboring a secret about his mother’s death, Lane is counting the days until he finishes helping his brothers with some work and can head back to his hiding hole hours away. As long as he doesn’t have to face his three brothers every day, the guilt is easier to carry.

There is only one thing that can risk his plan. All of five foot tall with these deep eyes and a voice that shudders through him. The completely addicting, Gretchen Jones. She’s been watching him the entire time he’s been in town. With courage from her friends behind her, she confronts what she wants. To her surprise, that’s the easy part. Keeping her heart protected when she knows he’ll be leaving? Not so easy, but her only choice.

Links

Read Chapter One http://bit.ly/H0azIz

Amazon http://amzn.to/IQiTz8

Barnes & Nobel http://bit.ly/J9Rzth

AllRomance Ebooks http://bit.ly/JN35rh

TMP http://bit.ly/JrZkK1

Goodreads http://bit.ly/KgZbaL

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Well, now know what I want! I want to read that book :). Check out Keri's website for more information about her books and The Roughnecks Blog Tour with all the giveaway, sneak peeks and blog stops: http://bit.ly/Hb1hwS

You can also connect with Keri:

Website http://bit.ly/Heo4Vr

Twitter http://bit.ly/HRgGgu

Facebook http://on.fb.me/HenzL0

I Got Blurb

Yay!! I have the blurb for Rise of Hope, book 1 in my Fabric of Fate paranormal romance series. Whew! That's a mouthful. I can't tell you how excited I am for this book. It's the first in a 5-book series about a secret race of humans. They can do really special things and are fighting against an enemy they barely understand. Oh, and there's kissing and stuff. Maybe even more than kissing ;). I can't give too much away, but I can share the blurb. It might be tweaked a little from here, but this is pretty much it:

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A secret ancient race of humans with fantastical abilities, the Vadïm are on the brink of extinction. Many of their women are imprisoned by an organization known as The Assembly, their history all but lost . . .

Devon Monroe has been a prisoner her entire life. She’s determined to make sense of the strange markings on her body, to learn why no one may touch her, to find where she belongs. That means escaping into the unknown, where she has no choice but to trust her self-appointed protector.

Soldier for hire Seth Eastman has a job to do: deliver Devon to safety. When Seth discovers the markings on Devon’s body, he’s stunned at what it means. And at how she awakens his long-suppressed needs. As they struggle to escape detection and search for the truth of the Vadïm, can he ever hope to claim her for his own?

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Below is just one of the many pictures I used as inspiration for Seth. I'll share some of the others over the next couple months. Some of the hotter ones ;).

Wanna Score Some Great Stuff?

Most of those in the writing community know about the Brenda Novak Auction for the Cure of Diabetes 2012! It's been going now for several years and it's purpose is to raise money towards diabetes research. It's such a wonderful cause and the items available are just fabulous. Seriously. Fabulous! There are items for readers and writers alike and everyone in between. The auction runs through the end of May with some items up for bid throughout the entire period, others come up for a specific day, so it pays to keep a close eye on it.

I have my own personal connection to diabetes. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my last pregnancy (twins!) where prior I had no issues. Although I'm now fully recovered, I was able to experience for that peroid of time, in a small way, what it's like to be diabetic. And it aint fun, let me tell you. For a needle phobic? Having to test blood 4 times a day? Torture LOL. Just like a lot of people, there is diabetes in my family as well. It probably affects most people at some stage either directly or indirectly, right?

I'm fortunate now that I'm in a position to contribute myself to this wonderful auction. I have 3 items out there for bid:

I was one of a group of Carina Press authors who donated 2 Kindles to the auction. They're also loaded with a BUNCH of ebooks!
Amazon Kindle 3G
Amazon Kindle Fire/with Cover

I also donated my time for a first chapter/30 page critique!

AND I donated an awesome and amazing Steampunk 8GB USB drive! It also doubles as a pendant.

What are you waiting for? GO! Because it's such a wonderful cause, I'd appreciate it if you'd spread the word :).

Just Published - Taryn Elliot

Okay, I know. I haven't done one of these for awhile, but it's time to get the ball rolling on them again. I just LOVE to hear about newly published authors, their journey so far and how they've felt about their experiences along the way. I think it's incredibly uplifting for aspiring authors and just plain inspirational for any writer. This week I have the fabulous Taryn Elliot. Taryn just published her first book and I'm so excited for her!! Let's look at the specifics of the first book:

Title: Uncross Your Heart
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Words: 78,000
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Date Published:  March 23, 2012

Blurb:

Sometimes starting over means facing your greatest fears…

Miranda Lyons is adept at pretending to be someone else, someone without a past. She’s able to forget for chunks of time that she comes from a very wealthy, notorious family. She’s given up most of the party-girl vices from her old life, including sex. But that’s before Nathan Cross barges into her life.

To all appearances, Nathan Cross is a simple man—devoted to family and friends, committed to his work. But nothing is simple about Nate’s feelings for Miranda. Fascination quickly blooms to outright lust, and not just for her body. He wants all of her, even the parts she hides from the world. But Miranda’s secrets threaten to drive away the one man capable of both helping her come to terms with her past, and supporting a future with a love that’s all about truth.

You can read an excerpt here!

So, let's get started with the specifics! How would you describe what you write? 
I write contemporary stories showing that the sexy and dramatic can go hand in hand. That love and loss are two sides of the same coin, and that no matter bad things get laughter and strength will always get you through.

Sounds like a great 'core story' concept. What’s your writing process in a nutshell?
Me and a notebook--usually a separate notebook for each story--settle into my bed with my 138 pillows. (only a slight exaggeration) And I free write ideas that come to me. Usually in a list kind of thing that only I can figure out. I scribble in there...a lot. I don't really plot too much, but I usually try to do my Goal, Motivation, Conflict at the very least. Then it's onto the internet. Pinterest is my new playground for finding settings. I'm very visual. Even if the final version doesn't exactly go with a particular picture, it gets my brain humming. Then I set things up in Scrivener--it's a writing program--and as I'm doing that I go through music. Every book has its own playlist. Then it's off I go. I write with friends at coffee shops, by myself into the middle of the wee hours of the morning, and first thing as I wake up. (and then I cry to my CP. LOL Good thing she loves me.) We usually trade work every Friday during our weekly chats. It helps to hold me accountable. Then I try to put the story away for a bit before I revise.

What has your submission history looked like? Rejections? Manuscripts written? Number of years ‘seriously writing’, etc?
I waited a looong damn time to submit. I started writing with publishing as a goal around 2007. That's when I found Cari Quinn, my CP. My first submission was with Kelli Collins - head editor over at Ellora's Cave. It was a Twitter Contest back in September 2010. Unfortunately I wasn't chosen on that story, but she gave me a lot of awesome feedback. A lot of fear got in the way with a HEAVY dose of real-life that dereailed me for a little while. I got lucky with my 2nd submission about 10mos later. I have about 8-10 semi-finished stories in my 'junk-drawer' before I finally got this one right.

Don't we all ;)? How did you pick your publisher?
I decided to go with Ellora's Cave. It helps that my CP has been subbing to them for awhile, so she gave me some pointers. I did my research and based my submission on the house that I read the most at the time. I enjoy a lot of the stories that come out of EC. And I've met a lot of amazing authors through them as well which also swayed me their way. (Kaily, yes I'm talking about you!)

Aw, now I'm blushing LOL. What’s your ‘call’ story?
I was at work when I got the email. STILL have the email. I was hopping around like a lunatic. LOL Luckily my supervisor loved me and let me go squeal in a separate room and make my phone calls. LOL

I still have my first acceptance email as well. never gets old looking at it :). Did you have an agent when you sold? Now?
No, I don't think I need an agent quite yet. I have great resources in the RWA (Romance Writers of America) and my local chapter.

What’s it like working with a publisher and editor? Are revisions really as bad as you hear? 
I got really lucky with my editors. (Yes, that's 2 now.) I'm actually harder on myself for revisions than my editor was. I'll tell you one thing...Misplaced modifiers are the bane of my existance!! I'm better now thanks to Jilly. I'm just getting started with my second editor with another publishing house. He's a real trip. I think we're going to have a lot of fun.

Oh, your editor is Jilly? I LOVE her. How did you feel the first time you saw your cover? How much input did you have?
I had to fill out an 'art sheet' and give the specs on my people and the story. From my experience if you let the cover artist have a few vague parameters and trust them to make it amazing, you'll get your wish. I asked for my couple to be back to front and see some of San Francisco in the cover and voila! I got a great cover. OH and yes...another happy squeal when I got my cover. AGAIN at work. I had everyone at my desk. *blush*

But that's pretty cool. What was release day like?
Insanity!! I didn't think it would be as crazy as it was. There was no sleep, massive emailing and FB and Twitter. Everyone's been so freaking awesome. It was the best and most exhausting day.

LOL. I'm so glad it was memorable! How did you market your book?
I've been pretty lucky with people willing to help out. (case in point, you've been so supportive). And my CP, Cari Quinn has given me a lot of pointers. I've sent it out to a few reviewers and will be doing a few interviews. I haven't bought any ad space as of yet. I'm weighing the pros and cons of that at the moment. 

Aw, thanks :). What’s the most surprising thing you learned during the publishing process?
It takes time. It takes soooo long to get from contract to release date when you're starting out. At least it feels like forever. I've been told to be patient. Not my strong suit. LOL I've learned that I have to let the book go and focus on the next one until edits roll through or you can make yourself insane.

And epubbing is SO much faster than traditional for the most part! What do you think were the factors that got you published?
That I was ready. A lot of personal stuff happened at the end of 2009 into 2010. I learned that life is way too short not to go after what you want. Doubts and fears aren't going to get in the way of dreams if you have a really great bunch of people in your corner. That and Cari is a bulldog. She keeps me fighting through the doubt.

I agree a support network is a key factor. What’s your 5 year plan look like?
5 years ago I had a sure and solid game plan, but the publishing waters are a little murky these days. The big 6 are looking less of a sure thing and smaller houses are climbing the best seller lists because they are willing to take risks on new authors that are hungry to get their work out there. Right now, I just want to keep getting contracts and strengthen my readership as well as my craft. I think I'm going to try my hand at Romantic Suspense and possibly some paranormal. 

Good for you and yeah...publishing is certainly changing. So, what’s next for you? 
I've started working with Entangled Publishing. As a New Year's present I got another SQUEE worthy email from them for ASHES AND WINE which will be coming out in April from their Ever After line with a second book in the works thanks to a great supporting character that needs her story told too. I'm also working on book two for Ellora's Cave. Nate's brother, Matt, will have his story out later this year.

Congrats!! I've heard some good things about them so far. What’s the best advice you can impart to writers aspiring to be published?
WRITE. Write the story that moves you. Chasing trends will make you crazy, but if you write stories about characters you love and a story you can't wait to work on then I bet you'll find magic. And find people that believe in you. I definitely wouldn't have gotten this far without my family and friends. Lastly, you need to read. All too often when you get into the writing zone you think you don't have the time to read. You need to read. Not just to know what's going on in the publishing world, but it keeps you sharp. Sometimes it's just to see and absorb the storytelling side of things...plotting, character arc, etc...but also to see what NOT to do.

It's amazing how often this advice is similar. Now for some fun! If you were stranded on a desert island but could only take 1 thing from each of the following categories, what would it be & why:

Person: Cari Quinn, my CP. We'd never be bored. We'd tell each other stories all day long.

Animal: Stu, my dog. He's totally a mama's boy lately. He's technically my brother's dog but he sits next to me as I write all night long.

Food: Mac and Cheese, but since there's no stoves on a desert island...I'll go with Pineapple. ;)

Book: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts - I've read this book umpteen times. Maggie and Rogan are my happy place. Nora is why I'm a writer.

Music: Matt Nathanson's catalogue - He's my fave musician. He's a poet and absolutely enamored with music. All that passion comes through. And he's the sweetest guy ever. (I've met him.)

Personal Item: My Dad's wedding ring. I've been wearing it since he passed away.

Aw, that's so sweet. Taryn, I've really enjoyed learning more about you considering we've 'chatted' off and on online for awhile now! Thanks so much for being on Just Published and I'm so glad I've been able to cheer you on!! Good luck with the upcoming release!!

If anyone would like to learn more about Taryn or her books, particularly to find out what's coming up, you can find her here:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

My RT Loot!

I'll be attending RT (Romantic Times Booklovers Convention) in Chicago this coming week and I can't wait. While I'm there, I'll be signing at the 2 book fair and giving stuff away. I'll have pens and trading cards. The boring, run of the mill stuff ALTHOUGH the pens are a nice, bright pink LOL! As always, if you'd like trading cards, all you have to do is send me an email request and I'll mail them out to you!

I'll also have what I think are pretty cool buttons. If you won't be in attendance and you'd like one, shoot me an email and I'll send you one :).

AND this guy. He's cute, right? He's a tiny puppy about 3 inches high with a  "Kaily" shirt and he's actually a magnet for holding papers on a magnetic board!! I thought this was SO cool. I've never seen a notice board holder like this before. I'll be giving him away at the book signings, so make sure if you're there, you stop by and say "Hi"!!