Desert Dreams Wrap Up

Apache Leap Mountain, Superior Arizona

Thought I'd post my thoughts on the Desert Dreams conference I attended this past week in Arizona. Technically the conference was only from Friday through Sunday, but I took a few extra days to see friends and gather research for future books.

The conference was very well run. The people were more than friendly, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The hotel, the Chapparal Suites, boasts rooms with a bedroom and suite portion, and I like that. My only complaint with the hotel was a lack of hot water when I showered after that first day. I wasn't pleasant after a lukewarm shower, but I was awake for the day.

Back to the conference... I attended some nice classes. Erin Quinn did a standup job on perfecting pitches. She helped quite a few folks tighten up their blurbs to pitch to editors and agents. I also liked the agent/editor panel, because I learned what the agents/editors wanted. My pitch to Blaze went well. I found Brenda Chin to be pleasant, personable, and very smart about books and her industry. My pitch to St. Martins didn't go as well, but I don't write inside the box. I also don't write within the bounds of one genre, and that's sometimes hard to sell to higher ups who don't want to take a chance on something new. Their loss. :)

My only issue with the conference, besides the food that I didn't much care for, was that I'd sent goodies that didn't make it into the large goodie bag we were all given. Not sure why that happened, but I did find an avenue to send those business cards and chocolate kisses, so all ends well. And since that's the only fault I could find with it, that's saying it's a great conference. I plan to attend again in 2014, when the next one's held.

During the book signing, I sat next to Elizabeth Hoyt--a funny, nice, down to earth NY Times bestselling author of historical romance. She had quite a few readers stop by. I've heard her give a class before, but I never had the chance to speak with her. I also bought and had her sign a copy of Wicked Intentions for me. I'll dive into that one when I finish a few projects on my plate. All in all, I was surprised to have enjoyed the book signing. Book signings can be ugly if you're next to someone not that friendly or sitting by yourself. And I sold a few books, so not bad at all.

I had a ton of fun with friends, and I'd like to thank them for such a wonderful time. Cat, Teri, Isabella, Jordan (great talking with you), and especially thanks to Cat and Todd for letting me crash at their place. A nod to Trouble as well, because I know that dog secretly likes me, despite her growls and killer stares.

And now I'm back on track and writing my fingers to the bone once again. Also, don't forget, today's the last day for Ayla Ruse's The Fires of Beltane contest. Ayla is picking a winner from those who comment on her blog post here. She'll be picking a winner later today, and she's East Coast, so if you haven't commented yet, you still have time.

Contest is Good Through Monday

FYI, Ayla's contest is running through this weekend. Good luck, and feel free to comment on her post to be entered to win a copy of her book, The Fires of Beltane. And on another note, getting up this morning after last night was reallllly rough. And yet, I think martinis and cosmos will again be on the menu tonight. Writing conferences can be tough on your nerves. At least, that's the excuse I'm using. :)

Dipping My Toes: Guest Post by Ayla Ruse

The Fires of Beltane ~ What was supposed to be a celebration of life turns into a festival of fear…

Natalie and William meet at an annual springtime festival, where, unknown to the participants, there is someone using the festival to exploit its darker history. This night will test Natalie and William's attraction, but could it also cost them their lives? 

Dipping my toes…where they belong?    

Most writers I know like to explore. Like the curious cat, we try to see how the story will flow if it goes one way as opposed to another. Sometimes, the story will take us in a direction we never saw coming, but it’ll work.

This was the case for me when I wrote The Fires of Beltane, my newest release with Total E-Bound. My curiosity got the better of me in many ways. One, this is an erotic horror story. I love horror and am thrilled because of this alone. And before you ask, yes, erotic and horror go very well together. Think about it: the next time you’re at a horror flick. Would you rather sit and huddle to your lonesome self, or have some handsome guy by your side to help distract you from the more gruesome parts? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

As I wrote The Fires of Beltane, the big curiosity leap for me came in the form of a short f/f scene and a couple, lengthier m/m scenes. I’m not opposed to either (obviously, I wrote ‘em), but this story is the first time I’ve had either published. You know what? I had a great time writing these scenes. Yes, the story is predominately m/f, but let’s face it, the setting is the festival of Beltane. A celebration of fertility, sex, being naked together. In short, a great big orgy.

Did I know I would write same-sex scenes when I started the story? Honestly, no. When my fingers were tapping away at the keyboard, the relationships, the backgrounds, the reasons and whys and why not’s started taking over, and before I knew it, I was inside my hero’s head and he was hot and heavy inside his best friend. It was wild!

But I’d rather give you a taste for yourself. Marie’s warned me not to get too explicit here, so I’ll tease you a little from my website, here.

If you want your own copy, you can pick yours up at Total E-Bound . You can also comment on this post today for a chance to win a PDF copy of this story from me! 

Ayla Ruse

www.aylaruse.com

Desert Dreams

I'm in Arizona and having a blast. And the conference hasn't started yet. Here are a few pictures...

The agave plant. I use agave (natural sweetener) with my coffee every day.

 

 My buds Teri and Cat at our hotel

 The hotel grounds. How pretty!

A spot for hummingbirds at the Arboretum in Superior, AZ

I Wrote That?

Wait...What? 

My new catch phrase. I just finished doing my final line edits for my next Cougar Falls book, A Matter of Pride. I can't believe I'm up to five already in this series, and I still have so many Shifters I'd like to write about.  But what really struck me about my edits... I had written the story. 

Sounds bizarre, but writers write a lot. I work on many different projects throughout the course of a year. Slower paced writers write and delete and write some more. Rereading what you've written is like looking at a baby that came from your  genes. "I mean, really? That's mine?" you might think.

It was funny reading the story again, because I've already read it a few times since it's been finished. And I keep liking it more and more. This doesn't always happen with my work. Sometimes the first read through is enough to make me want to pull my hair out, and the thought of editing the same thing over and over makes me nauseous. But this particular story has been a trip from start to finish.

And it made me appreciate some of my earlier work. Every now and then when I'm in a rut or I'm just plain bored, I'll reread my earlier stories to see about style, content, or hell, just for the sake of the story. I find that I really like some of my ideas. For example, I'm still gaga over the Circs. Sure, everyone and their mother has jumped on the government conspiracy bandwagon, but my Circs had a camaraderie I really enjoyed, and it made telling their stories cohesive and exciting and sexy. 

I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I look back on some of what I've written, and it's like reading someone else's work. I wonder if other writers go through that. Or if I'm a wacko for rereading my own stuff. I don't know. I only know it's fun to rediscover myself, and in some ways I grow from seeing the mistakes I used to make and also the things I did right that I might not do as much any more. 

In any case, I'm happy to say my next Cougar Falls book is a winner, hands down. And I'm not just saying that as a writer, but as a reader too. :)  I can't wait to share the cover. It's stellar, I must say. Soon as I get my cue, I'll share. 

A Matter of Pride releases July 24. And that's not so far away, not with May around the corner!  

And now, I'm off to Arizona for fun, sand, and mojitos... I mean, for an educational conference where I'll learn more about writing. Which I will. Totally. With mojitos.  

Enjoy your Tuesday and read a book.

Getting Ready for Desert Dreams

Whoa! Not sure if I like this new Blogger format or not. I'm fine with change, but sometimes it takes me a little while to comfortably adjust. :)  Getting ready to head to Arizona for my big Desert Dreams conference. I really look forward to writer conferences, because it's not often I get to talk to other writers in a large forum. Mostly my characters talk to me, and if I talk back, well, that just looks odd.

I'm planning on taking many pictures and hope to share them. So bear with me this week.

On another note, Carrie Ann Ryan and Lia Davis and I all have new releases coming out May 1st. So we're going to do some blog hopping and sharing a giveaway or two. Sounds fun, and something to look for next week. And my buddy Ayla Ruse has some new release news too. Maybe I can convince her to give something away. I'm all about the "free" in freebie. :)

That's my Monday in a nutshell. Now back to the work in progress...

Funny Story...

My 61 year old mother is dating again. After her jerk of an ex broke up with her, she's dipping her toe into the pool. It's tough, because I'm also dipping my toe into the dating pool, and I definitely don't want to be swimming with my mother. But that's a whole different story.

So she's creating a profile, and I helped her, because man, she types SO SLOWLY. It was killing me to watch. And her spelling is atrocious.

I wrote what she said. Blah blah, blah seeking nice man. Organic foods, hiking. Outdoors, dogs. Typical Central Oregon active person profile. Except I then added things like, Must know how to use your equipment. Hotties only need apply. Six inches is a waste. Gimme the foot-long. And then the pièce de résistance. (Last year someone hacked her Facebook account and wrote under her lovely profile pic, "I like big c*ck."Which is hilarious, because this older, attractive woman with a bright smile is lingering over "big c*ck." When I let her know this, she didn't think it was funny at all. I couldn't stop laughing.) So of course, I added that nugget of gold to her profile.

She hadn't been paying attention, so when I asked her to read over what I'd added, her face turned red and she sputtered with laughter and horror. Needless to say she deleted all the fun stuff and is back to looking for boring men.

Such a shame, really.

Happy Friday.

Magical Today

I'm at Here Be Magic today, where Grady's talking about Shifters making better lovers. But then, he's biased.

The Cabin in the Woods: A Movie Review

I give The Cabin in the Woods a solid A.

I won't spoil the movie or give you a detailed plot. All you need to know is that five college-age people travel together to an isolated cabin intending on a fun-filled weekend. Chaos ensues. But there's so much more to the story, as trailers for the movie have probably indicated.

Though labeled horror, this movie isn't scary. It's gory, smart, and spooky. Mostly it's a mystery, and you spend the first three quarters of it trying figure out what the heck is really going on.

Any horror buff will get a thrill out of the genre conventions touched on in this film. Nods to Romero, Poe, especially to HP Lovecraft, and other great horror aficionados are evident. (Loved the wink at Clive Barker.)

It's not a movie for kids. The gore is, well, gory. But it totally fits. This is not torture porn. It's not a slasher flick. It's a well thought out movie for people who like horror and what horror is really about, delving into the human psyche. Okay, that sounded deep, and the movie isn't that intense. It's fun, laugh-out-loud funny, and clever without being pretentious.

I loved it. And I can't help giving it anything less than an A.

B*tch, Please.

This is too funny, even for a Monday. Bitch, please. haha I'm still laughing.

I have a few odds and ends to share, so I'll get right to it.

1. My friend's website is brand new and awesome. Check out author Ayla Ruse and be amazed.
2. I read Cherise Sinclair's The Wild Hunt Legacy2: Winter of the Wolf. This was the second in the series but reads as a stand-alone. And it was friggin' awesome. I am SO glad I can now go back and read the first book with a smile on my face. Loved the story, and it's a lot of story for not a lot of price.
3. I'm finishing edits for A Matter of Pride (Dean Chastell's story--Cougar Falls) for my editor.
4. Then I'm hard at work finishing up Silver Tongue for my editor at Loose Id. I have to finish early because next week I'm going to Arizona for a romance conference.
5. And yes, next week I'll be at the Desert Dreams conference in Phoenix. Can't wait!

So my Monday is quite full. Hope yours is as well. And don't listen to Snoopy. Bring sexy back. The world needs it.

Just In!

Just got my brand new print copy of Storming His Heart. Wow! Looks awesome. It's the second book in my Westlake Enterprises series, a psychic investigations book. Now I have to write book three. Man, I need more time in the day. Storming His Heart (in print) releases May 1st.

Street Team

So I'm putting the word out. I'm looking for some folks to help me promote my books, so I can spend more time writing and less time promoting. Okay, less time worrying about promoting. I hate PR stuff, especially because it detracts from my creative time.

Bottom line, I'm looking for anyone interested in: free books, promotional goodies, sneak peeks.
In return for the perks, you: post reviews on Amazon, B&N, All Romance Ebooks and Goodreads. You share my news through Facebook, blogging, and Twitter.

If you're interested, send me an email with the subject, Street Team, and I'll give you the details.
marie_harte(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

And just as an example, I have the cover art for my newest Cougar Falls book I can't share with the general public, but with my team... And my newest book, Tip of the Spear, which has yet to be released, could very well be in your hands.

Thanks!!