Hey, guys! Silver and I had an awesome time in New Orleans. The vampire tour? Oh, yeah! Lots of fodder for the imagination there! The architecture, the street car ride and pretending to know what’s going on behind the doors of those big ol’ houses or the façades of the buildings huddled together in the French Quarter? I had to leave my scissors at home, but dang! Oh, yeah. Silver and I are going to be busy!!! In the meantime, though, FAERIE FIRE has been sighted at Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, and B&N.com in the print version. And today, we are very lucky to have a visit from Moira O’Connor, the heroine.

Oh, please. The heroine? That sounds like such a cliché in some way. I’m lucky enough Silver wanted to tell stories and that one of them happened to be about Duncan and me.

You work for your father, right?

I do yes. I’m his chief of staff. I write his speeches, deal with constituents, run interference…things like that. Da is a good man with a good heart. He stands up for what he believes in and sometimes, he has to make hard decisions.

Do you date anyone on The Hill?

Hardly. I spend my time dealing with one crisis after another. Aunt Margaret keeps trying to fix me up, though. Or did. I don’t think she expected Duncan and I to…get together.

What about Agent Yazkowski?

*laughter* Ski? I’m not sure I would have considered us much more than friends and more likely acquaintances. *frowns* As it turned out, I couldn’t trust him.

What about your childhood?

*shakes head* I’d rather not go there. Everyone has issues. Mine are there.

Does that mean talking about your Gift is off limits? And will you explain how it works?

Gift? I’m not sure I would classify it as a gift. It sometimes comes in handy, but it most often leads to disappointment. I’m not psychic or anything. Sometimes, I get a sense about a person. I know whether or not they are lying, if they are sincere, if they have…a good heart or a black one.

What about Duncan?

*gentle smile* Duncan. Duncan set off fireworks in my head the first time our hands met. And in my heart, as well.

I hope you’ll get your happy ever after with him, Moira. If anyone has questions, Moira will check in periodically. In the meantime, here’s the first moment they met from Moira’s POV.

Thank you for having me, Iffy.

Still in the senator’s shadow, Moira watched, her attention focused on the by-play. Bradford Williams did not like this man, and in Moira’s book, that counted as a plus on stranger’s side. She stared at Duncan, deciding she liked the way the short hairs at the nape of his neck curled away from his ponytail. Were they as soft as they looked? What am I thinking? She shook such thoughts out of her head.

When Duncan blatantly ignored Deirdre’s play for his attention, Moira relished her sister’s discomfiture. Was it possible there actually lived a man immune to Deirdre’s charms? Moira looked up. He stared at her and she was pulled into his warm gaze. Some small part of her brain, the only part that seemed to be working on autopilot, noted his amber eyes were flecked with gold.

“Duncan Ross,” he said, extending his hand to her.

The sound of his voice broke the spell. He was just being kind to the plain sister in order to tweak the beauty. Moira understood this game. She’d been recruited to play it often enough growing up. At some point, the Celtic Connection had resumed playing, the music a soft hum in the background. The melody was sad and haunting, and eerily discordant. One part of her mind recognized the sounds of the bowed psaltery and the Uillean pipes. With some reluctance, she took Duncan’s hand.

Yay! It’s Wednesday again. All day! And I get to be in charge!!!! First, though, while we’re waiting for Mr. O’Roarke to show up, Silver asked me to let you guys know that she has a special announcement to make tomorrow so be sure to come back! And if you are here for the Anniversary Party, the Nook icon is hidden so look around. If you want to learn about winning the Nook from The Long and Short of It, click on that blue button over there on the side bar. This commercial announcement was brought to you by the makers of…books!

And here’s our special guest fianally arriving. Hi, Seamus. C’mon in and have a seat. Shadow peeps, this is Seamus O’Roarke. Say hi to the folks.

*grumble* There’s places I’ve to be, girlie, so let’s be gettin’ this show on the road.

You’re from Ireland, right?

I am. Dublin, in fact. What’s it to ya?

Back up there, Seamus. The readers just want to get a sense of your personality and background. In FAERIE FIRE, you’re described as being black Irish. Want to tell us what that means?

And what do ya think it means? I’ve the colorin’–black hair and blue eyes that link me to the very Tuatha de Danaan themselves.

*glances over her shoulder at Abhean and rolls her eyes* Oh? Rly? Let’s move on. You have an antiques shop in Bethesda, right?

In fact I do, though I doubt such as yerself could ever afford m’wares.

I’ve heard rumors you run other things back and forth to Ireland, too.

Is that a question then? Neither you nor the effing be eye can be provin’ it.

Don’t like the FBI much, huh? So tell us about Bradford Williams?

What about the man? He collects antiques. I sell them. There’s nothing more to tell.

Why do you have it in for Moira O’Connor?

Bloody, effing bitseach. Thinks she to the manor born what with her holier than thou airs. She’ll get hers. And get it the hard way she will. That’s a promise.

Oh? You don’t think Duncan Ross will have something to say about that?

*spits on the floor* Yeah. Well, Duncan bloody Ross will get his, too. And that’s all I’ll be sayin’ about it.

Ewwww! Gross, dude! Go on. Get out of here. Especially since I have a juicy bit of excerpt to share! FYI, Moira and her father, the senator, are attending a St. Patrick’s Day celebration where the senator is the guest of honor. Michael Shannahan is a dapper little fella who teaches Irish Literature and he is their escort for the evening. Dinner’s over and the band is playing jigs.

Looking determined, Michael appeared at Moira’s side. “May I have a dance with the loveliest cailín in the room?” he asked, complete with a gallant bow.

Moira studied him for a moment. A slight man in his forties, he stood only an inch or two taller. Ruddy cheeks complimented his curly brown hair while clear, blue eyes met her own with a steady gaze. She stood up and offered her hand to the little scholar. “And when did you last kiss the Blarney Stone, Professor?” she teased.

On the dance floor, Michael, quite nimble on his feet, led her through the intricate steps of a traditional Irish jig. She had no trouble keeping up with him. He looked both surprised and impressed. The jig ended and the band began a more sedate tune. Michael never missed a beat as he continued dancing with her. He twirled her away, but before he could reclaim her, a new pair of hands grabbed her shoulders.

“Time yee danced with a real man, m’darlin’,” a husky voice growled in her ear.

Moira crinkled her nose at the smell of stale whiskey on the man’s breath. Before she could pull away, he grabbed her around the waist, his strong fingers brutally biting into the soft flesh of her sides. She couldn’t stifle the shudder running through her as the man whisked her away between other dancers. Her new partner led her in a dizzying dance across the floor, and she quickly lost sight of Michael. She stumbled and the brute pulled her up against him, molding his fleshy body to hers. Fear stabbed through her middle and she gagged.

“Let me go,” Moira demanded through clenched teeth.

“What? An’ let the prize of the evenin’ slip through me fingers?” the man growled. “Yer daft, girl, if yee think I’m lettin’ yee get away.”

She glared up at him, assessing her opponent. The man had to be over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. His body was thick and she guessed he weighed more than two hundred and fifty pounds. Some women might have considered him handsome, with his jet-black hair and blazing blue eyes. Black Irish and in more ways than one.

Enough was enough. She pressed her palms against his chest, and leveraged as much distance between them as his rough grip on her waist would allow. With a little room to maneuver now, she brought the spike of her left shoe down sharply on the man’s right instep. His eyes widened with the sudden pain, but before he could react further, Moira shoved her left knee high between the man’s legs. He immediately released his hold on her waist, and she stumbled back, as much from the malevolence radiating from him as from her sudden freedom.

Michael caught up to her seconds later. “Are you all right?” Panting from his mad dash through the other dancers, he could barely get the words out.

“Who is that man?”

“Seamus O’Rourke.” Michael almost spat the name out as he steered her across the floor away from the other man.

She glanced over her shoulder. O’Rourke hobbled over to a chair on the edge of the dance floor. Turning back to Michael, she asked, “What do you know about him?” She glared at the little Irishman in front of her.

Michael shrugged. “Not much. He came over from Belfast about six months ago.”

“IRA?”

Her question caught Michael off guard and he answered without thinking, “We can’t prove it for sure.”

Moira flashed him a knowing smile. “There’s definitely more to you than meets the eye, Michael Shanahan.” She kept her voice low and touched him on the arm. “Thank you for the dance.”

So…what do you guys think? If you have any questions for Seamus, I’ll email him.

Hi-hi! Iffy here. I have Silver chained BICHOK for SOTW so I’m hosting today’s blog, which is an interview. She promised the chance for y’all to meet the characters (at least some of them) in FAERIE FIRE between now and September 17th. I’ll start with the secondary characters and work up to Duncan and Moira.

Today, I’d like to introduce Margaret Steele to you. Most of the action occurs at her country home, Faerie Glen Farm, just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Margaret has been married to Allen Steele for most of her life. Really. A child bride! They get along really well and they’re Patrick O’Connor’s oldest friends and god parents to Moira and Deidre. *Pssst* Don’t tell, but Margaret comes across as a social butterfly and consummate hostess but she might just surprise you when it’s all over. So, without further adieu, heeeeere’s Margaret!

So, Miss Margie, if Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your life, what would the theme of that show be? Oh, good heavens! I…I’m speechless. Frankly, I would never appear on that woman’s show. Daytime television? I mean really now… And please. You may call me Mrs. Steele or Margaret, Iphigenia. No one calls me Miss Margie.

Ow! I don’t even want to know how you know my real name. Silver and I are going to have a serious discussion when I unchain her. But, back to you, Margi…Margaret. Tell us what was your most fun scene in the book? Well, I mustn’t give away the plot so suffice it to say, the look on the face of that FBI agent was almost worth the terrible things going on at that moment.

The most difficult? This question is a bit easier to answer–when we were all trapped in Allen’s study. I truly believed we all might die.

What is your favorite color? Did you truly just ask me that? I suppose you plan to ask me what my astrological sign is, as well? Red. I love bright, fire engine red.

Where did you grow up? Boston. I’m a Back Bay Baby, I fear. My parents were patrons of the Pops, though. We weren’t completely couth. And I did run off to London in my youth. Should I mention that I am a huge Patriots fan but I fear I can’t abide the Red Sox. Allen is far more tolerant of baseball than I.

Describe your personality with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud. Sanguine, pragmatic, droll, staunch, and astute.

What is your favorite food and drink? Oh my. This is quite difficult. I have so many foods I enjoy, though I’m not much of a gormund. Lobster is always delightful, in any form. Cook’s cinnamon rolls are to die for–isn’t that how young people express themselves these days? For drink, starting the morning with a cup of Irish Breakfast tea is the only way to face the day but I would never decline a glass of Dom Perignon, so long as the bottle is an acceptable vintage.

And our last question, why should people read FAERIE FIRE? As my friend, Roxanne St. Claire, mentioned some time ago, this “is an expert blend of edgy romantic suspense and captivating magic. Silver spins a tale that places the mystical heart of a paranormal into the rock-hard torso of a suspense!” You know Rocki is a best-selling author, yes? I enjoy her books so much, but discovered, after the incident at the farm with that horrid Irish terrorist, that the fiction is far more enjoyable that the reality.

Okay. I have to admit it. I’m not a big fan of demons. Not even Julian McMahon as Cole on Charmed could twist me to the dark side. He came close, but….you know…demon!

I’m slowly working my way through my TBR pile. I was looking for something light, funny and entertaining. I pulled out Maureen Child’s A FIEND IN NEED. I loved her book, BEDEVILED and have its sequel BEGUILED on the Kindle. (I have this thing about reading a paper book in-between Kindle books so I can whittle down the pile.) If any of you have read Maureen’s paranormals, you know how clever she is! If you haven’t, you are missing a real treat.

From Amazon:

It’s only been a month since single mom Cassie Burke unexpectedly became the hottest demon killer in town-and already there’s a price on her head and a website calling for her murder.

Then a sizzling hunk of a faery shows up on her porch in need of protection. Cassie’s happy to help because, after all, he is an expert love slave. Plus, he gets along great with her teenage daughter-a heroic feat in itself.

After a few not-quite-chaste nights, Cassie knows why Queen Vanessa wants him back so badly-and why she’s planning an all-out attack on her. Suddenly Cassie’s wondering if she can fend off an entire city of demons-and if a little faery tail is even worth it…

Brady, the fae, is also a gourmet cook. And there’s Devlin Cole, the demon owner of Magic Nights, the local sex club, and Cassie’s lover from the previous book MORE THAN FIENDS. Who knew there were so many demons and half demons in Cassie’s home town, La Sombra (which translates as The Shadow, fyi!). And we shouldn’t forget the hunky human cop, Logan–Cassie’s ex and father of her daughter. Oh, yeah. It’s complicated. And funny. Written in first person POV (not a favorite for me), I nonetheless zipped through this book, giggling along the way. You can’t help but identify with Cassie.

Yes, this one stays on the keeper shelf. And I’ll need to grab the first book one of these days, too!

About the Author
Maureen Child is the author of more than 75 books. She lives in Southern California with her family. Author website: www.maureenchild.com.

See larger image A Fiend In Need (Paperback) By (author) Maureen Child List Price: $14.00 USD New From: $2.72 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

Do you remember the game of tag from when we were kids? The past few days, I’ve been involved in the writer’s version. How many of you know what tags are on Amazon? If you scroll down the page for a book, you’ll see the product details, then the percentage of people who bought the book after viewing the page (which is low because I check that page all the time-LOL!), and then there’s a section titled: Tags Customers Associate with this Book. And a list of tags (search terms) with places to check off what works. Click HERE to see what I’m talking about if you are unfamiliar.

The other day, someone came on the writers’ loop for Wild Rose and suggested that anyone who was interested post the Amazon link to their Kindle version and the rest of us would go tag. I’ve been watching my Amazon sales numbers because I’m a glutton for punishment. A book from a small press with advertising coming strictly from me is never going to be a best seller. I know this. And it’s okay. My sales, paperback and Kindle, have been respectable. Nothing to shout about, but I’ve never dropped into the 7 figure bracket in the paper version. I’ve hovered between approximately 155K and 500K. In the Kindle version, I pegged in around 60-66K. Most of my readers go for the paper version. At one point in this tagging process, I was down in the 16K level on the Kindle and ranked #75 on the romance/time travel list. DUDE! I broke the top 100 in that category for at least an hour or so.

I won’t have any idea of actual sales until July when I get my first royalty statement. And I may have no clue of the Amazon sales then, anyway. I’ve heard that Amazon is notorious for being slow to pay. But the point is, tagging and reviews help. More so than I ever anticipated they would. I’m not one for resolutions and never make them for New Year’s but I’m making one now. When I read a book, I’m going to leave a review at other places and I’m going to rate and tag and use word of mouth to let people know about the authors and books I love. Over the next few weeks, I’m going through my keeper shelf and I’ll let Amazon, and B&N, Borders, All About Romance (for those books in e-editions) and other places know what I think.

One last thing before I hit the ground running…or the internet tagging (as the case may be ) — I have an Author Page at Amazon now. You can see it HERE.

So…It’s Hump Day. Anyone have anything fun they’re looking forward to at the end of the week?

Yesterday’s blog “block” led to today’s thoughts. How much sex is too much? Or not enough? Is there a preconceived notion of the amounts and types of sex based on the subgenre or line of romance? Weigh in here with your thoughts, folks!

As an example, my sister-in-law volunteered as an emergency reader for the National Readers Choice Awards. One of the categories was traditional (think Harlequin categories) and one was novellas. In the group of novellas, she had a Blaze, a Regency, a contemporary, a paranormal, and an erotic. I had to explain that novellas could be any subgenre because she was having a hard time comparing. The Blaze started off with a “bang”, so to speak, but then had a story. The Regency had lots of sexual tension but not much consummation until the end. The contemporary had a sprinkling of foreplay and then the big bang at the end. The paranormal had sex in the middle of action, and the erotic…well, the subgenre pretty much speaks for itself.

Is there a push in publishing today to “sexxor” up romance books? Well, beyond traditional categories and inspirationals, I mean. Do readers expect a certain amount of “blue” when reading certain genres? Is sex in an Urban Fantasy always raw? Is sex in a paranormal always…prolific? Is Regency sex demur?

One of the things I like about J.D. Robb books is the almost…glossing over of the sex scenes between Dallas and Roarke. Now don’t get me wrong. Considering I have a case of mad lust for Roarke, more is better! But for Robb, it’s all about the emotional and less about the physical. I find that satisfying but am I in the minority? I’m actually rethinking my plans on upping the heat level between Sade and Sinjen. Perhaps I’ll simply leave things well enough alone. I know I can write hotter. *points to FATE and FIRE* I can always add. That’s easier than subtracting! Trust me. I know this intimately.

So…I’m writing again today, then off with The Only for a follow-up appointment with her plastic surgeon this afternoon. I’ll check in betwixt and between. Feel free to talk among yourselves and express your views!

I promise I’ll get over myself some time soon. No. Really I will. In the meantime, I hope y’all will indulge me. I promise to stand on the sidelines, wave pompoms, and cheer loudly whenever any of you get published. And for you who read, I’m there for every twist and turn in your lives. Promise!

At the moment, though, I am on an amazing roller coaster ride. I’m a published author. I have a book out. It’s on Amazon. And B&N. AllRomance.com. Fictionwise.com. And places I probably haven’t even thought to check yet! Oh, wait! I did find a place in India selling FAERIE FATE! The American version. No foreign rights sold–darn it. My point is…I am gobsmacked and thrilled and quaking in my boots at the same time. I try not to check all the sites to see if anyone has reviewed FATE, or rated it, or…heck…anything with it! That people read it and enjoy it is…wow! I want to laugh and cry at the same time. I’m…blessed by this whole whirlwind trip.

In June, OKRWA is presenting their Summer Heat Mini Conference. SHMC consists of a meet and greet on Friday night with the editor and agent coming. On Saturday, we have a continental breakfast, a presentation by our guests followed by a Q&A session. We break for lunch and then there’s a series of pitch appointments while several of our long-time published members talk about the biz to folks before and after their pitch. On Sunday June 6th, four of us are doing a book signing at the Barnes and Noble store, 6100 N. May, in Oklahoma City.

Yesterday, I received an email from B&N (I get them almost daily, like I do from Borders and Amazon) since I’m a “preferred member. Down at the bottom of the email is a link to the “Local Buzz”–events at *my* store. I clicked on it. And there were listings for May and June. When you scroll down, right there on June 6th is SUMMER LOVIN’. With FAERIE FATE in big letters! And the book cover next to Amanda McCabe’s new historical romance coming out in June. How freakin’ cool is that?!?!?? Lucienne Diver and Alicia Dean are also signing. There will be posters of us. And fun stuff! I shall take pictures and tweet them (which will feed over to Facebook, of course!) If any of you happen to be in the OKC area on June 6th, stop by starting at 1 p.m. and going until…? I guess until we run out of books.

I feel brain dead. Stop laughing. I know y’all are snickering and asking, “So what else is new?” I started back in on SOTW yesterday, made it into the first scene I was writing and…blanked. I totally forgot where I was going in the overall scheme of things. I sort of kind of maybe remembered there was a bit of backstory I wanted to touch on in this phone conversation but then I couldn’t remember if I’d already relayed that bit of information. Alas! What to do? Do I turn Iffy loose and let the scene go down whatever path it chooses and see how it all works once I read the whole MS in toto? Or should I break off the writing, sit down and reread the revisions from the beginning to figure out where the heck I am in the landscape?

Decisions. Decisions. Maybe I’ll just go clean house. We have guests coming for the weekend. The Only graduates cum laude on Saturday. While we plan on eating out after, I still need to de-clutter and at least clean bathrooms. What does that say, eh? I’d rather clean toilets than figure out the WIP? LOLOL Naw. I think I’ll do a FIND/REPLACE function, zip through to see if I actually inserted that bit and figure out Plan B from there. Anything is better than cleaning toilets, right? Besides, I’m going to win the lottery today and then I can hire a housekeeper. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Confession time, y’all. What task in your life makes you consider cleaning toilets instead?

No? Then how ’bout fuzzy critters and kids? What’s a better way to make it over the middle of the week and start that wonderful downhill slide to the weekend?

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready for a nap! Have a great Wednesday.

Go kiss a toad today. Or a frog. (Though they aren’t really interchangeable, technically speaking.) Take a chance. Do something out of character. Write a query and send it off. Deviate from the outline of your book and see where the less-travelled road leads. Read a book in a whole new genre. Have lunch in that little out of the way place that’s always intrigued you but the type of food seemed too…foreign. Do something different with your hair. Dress up. Or dress down. Run, don’t walk. Skip and jump. Whistle a happy tune. Stop and smell the roses. (Or pick some and run like the dickens before you get caught!)

Step out of your comfort zone today. Just once. See what it feels like. And then report back here tomorrow. That is all.