Hmmm, I said I’d post this information on the first Thursday of each month, so I’ll have to beg forgiveness. I was lost in the writing process, putting an action packed and heart wrenching ending on my current novel and I really lost track of the days.

Now that that book is done, it’s time to poke my head up and see what’s been going on in the world.

As Nat said on the Reading Romances website in the latest February Challenge post, the January Challenge was easy enough. (If you want to see what I read in January and what I thought of it, see this post).

This month participants can choose from the following options:

In honor of Valentine’s day: Read a book that has a predominantly color “red” cover,  that has a kissing/embracing couple on its cover, or whose title has either the following words: kiss, heart or love.

OR - Read a book by an author you have given up.

OR - Read a novella, or an anthology.

OR - Read one of the oldest books added to your TBR shelf.

OR - Read a Historical Fiction (not limited to Historical Romance) – read a book that takes place in some notable period of history.

Those challenges gave me lots of options and I had a tough time narrowing it down this month…

I decided to go with the Historical Fiction and the red cover ideas. Which means I’ll be reading A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries which pretty much fulfills both of those requirements.

And even though it’s a short month, I’m going to add the novella with Your Magic Touch by Kathy Carmichael!

I hope you’ll consider joining this fun event!

Live the adventure!

While I’ve already read it,  The Bride Wore Scarlet by Liz Carlyle would also be an excellent choice for the red cover challenge and historical fiction challenge.

For the January Challenge at the Reading Romances blog, I chose to read Heist Society by Ally Carter!

This book probably wasn’t officially classified as romance, because the main plot is more of an adventure with a much bigger focus than a couple of teenagers falling in love, and yet I enjoyed the characters and the way they grew together despite the stress of the job put stress on the friendship and budding romance.

From the opening scene with Kat getting kicked out of a boarding school she conned her way into – because she was set up by the guy from her previous career as a thief, (the guy she’s crushing on) – you know you’re in for a great read.

Loved the research, the world building for this novel in all the various settings. And I loved the way the history was woven in – a part of the story without being obtrusive.

As for the primary relationship – this is a reading romances challenge – I thought it was well-crafted and appropriate.

If Kat isn’t an alpha female in training I’m not sure who would be. She’s decisive, brave and determined!

Both Kat and Hale are strong personalities and the push and pull of their friendship and the angst of caring for someone bent on putting themselves in risky situations meant turmoil and a bit of humor as they struggled through their feelings. The emotional tension was high and the stakes for each character even higher.

Without adding spoilers or giving it all away, I’ll just say that I zipped through this book. The characterization, the globe trotting setting, the money – the ART! It was a fascinating and delightful and exciting read.

Here’s a link so you can find your own copy of  Heist Society. 

Live the adventure!

Remember, you can join the Reading Romances challenge any time this year. It’s designed to be fun for readers and authors alike!

You might remember my announcement about signing up for the Reading Romances Challenge for 2012.  It should be a fun way for readers and authors to connect about books, and stretch our ‘reading horizons’.  I’ve decided to make the first Thursday of the month the day I post about the current challenge.

As a paranormal romance author, you might think that’s all I read. Unless you’re a frequent visitor, and then you’ll know that I consider historical romance my particular indulgence. Sure I read lots of paranormal romance novels, and I love the genre, but this reading challenge hosted by Nat is about trying new things too.

She gave us an easy January challenge to kick off 2012:

Read a book that is first of a series, by an author that is “new” to you or a debut novel by an author.

OR - Read a romance that has a teen as the protagonist.

OR - Read an Erotic Romance or Erotica.

Based on my daughter’s enthusiasm for a new-to-her author, Ally Carter, I chose Heist Society for my January Challenge. Here’s a quick overview from Gillian Engberg of Booklist at the Amazon page:

My daughter is already pestering me (in the best possible way) about how far I’ve read (page 1) and what I think (so far I like the writer’s voice, lol). When I’m done I’ll post a review here as a Book Feature and at Nat’s site, per the Reading Romances Challenge.

As the author of several paranormal romance novels, I have added book prizes to the Reading Romances that will come up during the year. I’ll be sure to let you know when (and what) will be ‘up for grabs’.

Remember, you can join the challenge any time this year. It’s designed to be fun for readers and authors both!

Live the adventure

When Nat invited me to the Reading Romances Challenge, I thought “perfect!” Not only do I primarily write paranormal romance novels, but I love to read romances across many genres. Years ago, I tried to write straight mystery/thrillers. But I just couldn’t leave out that romantic connection.

Depending on the series or genre, the romance in my novels might be of varying degrees, but I’m a sucker for a team effort on any adventure, so I’ve never really gotten completely away from the romantic elements. And looking at this team effort for reading – cool!

When I read Nat’s post that the “Reading Romances Challenge is not about the amount of books you read, but the variety of titles you’ll have read when the challenge is over!” I knew this was a great challenge for me. The primary goal is to read a bit of everything related to romance and test out genres we wouldn’t usually read.

Let’s broaden those reading horizons! If you’d like to join us on this challenge, here are the guidelines. It’s a fun thing, no pressure, but rather a great way to connect with other voracious readers.

Join the 2012 challenge

Challenge Guidelines:

1. The 2012 Reading Romances Challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to have a blog. Feel free to sign-up in the comments – you can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari etc).
3. I’ll post a list of romance sub-genres and a few cool themes for you to choose from each month (you can read all of them or just a couple).
4. You can list your books before reading them (by leaving a comment on the post with the topics for that month) or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, don’t feel obligated to read them, changes are welcomed!
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the Reading Romances Challenge. If you don’t have a blog, please link it to the page where you post your reviews (Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon etc).
6. You don’t have to participate every month, but please try to!
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

• I will never tell you to read one specific author, but I might suggest a few titles and authors to give you some ideas.
• You can read the same author more than once and the books can be old or new, but they must be read during the course of the challenge.
  
• Books used in this challenge may be used in other challenges.
• Books can be in any format – paper, audio, ebook.
• Post the button to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to this post and join in the fun!

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. If you forget, feel free to add your reviews in the following month. It can be something simple and short, please don’t worry about it!

There will also be random giveaways during the year for everyone who is actively participating on the challenge. There might be special giveaway by the end of the year for those who read all (or most of) the topics during each month.

I hope you’ll consider joining this great team of readers for a little fun and camaraderie in the reading world next year! (just click on the challenge image above to sign up)

Live the adventure!

As you probably know the Nurture Your Books Celebration to promote global literacy is still going strong! Bloggers and readers started hopping on November 14th and they can continue to join the fun, entering all the contests along the way until November 25th! This is wonderful news and I hope you’ve had a great time here and with the other blogs supporting this event.

I’ve listed FIVE separate giveaways for this event. (entry details below)

You can see the whole list of prizes in the 1st NYBCelebration post, but today I want to focus on the THRILLER prize package. This giveaway includes kindle editions of Tracking Shadows by Regan Black, Abducted by T.R. Ragan, and Obsession by Debra Webb.

When your past becomes your future, you’ll find yourself Tracking Shadows… This is the fourth book in the Shadows of Justice world: There’s a new bounty on the head of Chicago’s top smuggler and sparks fly when one of the assassins hired to eliminate him is a woman from his past. Together they must unravel the plot against him, or die trying.

“Tracking Shadows is a smart, sexy, and dangerous read that you won’t be able to put down!” — Crystal <3
“All the elements readers have come to expect from a 2096 novel– a kick-butt alpha female lead, an equally strong hero, and a gritty, fast-paced thriller.”
“I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves futuristic urban fantasy mixed in with some good old-fashioned mushy stuff. Way to go Ms. Regan, you deserve the elusive 5 stars from me.” –Penelope Adams 5/5 stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild

~*~

Theresa Ragan has been nominated six times in RWA’s Golden Heart Competition and delivered a stand out thriller with Abducted:  Elizabeth Gardner is seventeen years old when she tells her parents she’s going out with her girlfriends. Instead, she meets up with Jared Shayne, her boyfriend of two years. As she walks home beneath an inky black sky, her perfect night becomes her worst nightmare.

Fourteen years later, Lizzy is a licensed PI known as the “one who got away.” When she’s not searching for runaway teenagers, working on insurance scams, or talking to her therapist, she’s at the local high school teaching young girls to defend themselves. But her world is turned upside down for the second time after she receives a call from Jared Shayne. He’s an FBI special agent now and he needs her help. Lizzy has no plans to get involved. Not until Jared tells her the kidnapper left her a personalized note.

“Must read! This story is fast paced, thrilling and full of non-stop action.” 5 stars–Casey Dare
“Chilling tale… I shut my windows while reading the book and checked all doors and windows after as well…” 5 stars–Reader girl

~*~

And last but certainly not least in this THRILLER prize package: OBSESSION by Debra Webb

FBI Agent Jess Harris has studied the faces of evil for over a decade. In her efforts to stop a heinous serial killer she broke the rules and it cost her everything. Jess jumps at the chance to escape her current reality and to advise on a case that has Birmingham, Alabama’s top cops stumped. But, Jess must face all the reasons she put her hometown in her rearview mirror all those years ago.

“Just when you think Debra Webb can’t get any better, she does. OBSESSION is her best work yet.” –Cindy Gerard
“This gifted author turns the search for missing persons into a novel that is chilling, unusual, and impossible to put down.” – Peggy Webb
“a top-notch thriller that will keep you riveted to the page…” –Robert Browne

How can you be eligible for this prize and all the others?

It’s EASY to enter:

Step one:  You must leave a comment to be entered. Just tell me your favorite genre for escape reading. Be sure to include your email address so I can notify the winners.

Step two. For a bonus entry you can sign up for my Join the Adventure newsletter. (As always when a giveaway is hosted here at reganblack.com, current newsletter subscribers are already entered).

To clarify: If you are already part of “Join the Adventure” when you leave a comment you will have two entries for the prizes. If you are not already a subscriber, you have one entry when you leave a comment and will have a second entry for prizes if you choose to sign up for the newsletter.

Winners will be announced on November 26th and prizes will be distributed immediately.

So have a wonderful time on the blog hop and as always…

Live the adventure!

And don’t forget to visit the rest of the blogs on this hop: The full list is posted at Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™ blog!

As a writer, I’ve been working on one project or another most of my life. I would go so far as to claim the written word seems to be part of my genetic makeup.

There were the silly stories in school, the wealth of poetry (limericks count!), the angst filled letters among friends, and the lengthy essay explaining my utter brilliance in physiology as contrasted to my utter ineptitude in chemistry. That essay earned me a passing grade in the chemistry class, btw.

When I started writing with an eye on a career, it was many years ago. There were the published poems (talk about your validation!) followed by the multitude of rejection letters as I lurched my way into the fiction market – before I found my pace and my voice in action packed paranormal romance novels.

Apparently, I’ve had enough measure of success to date that people ask me about my publishing experience and what advice I might offer.

Well, if I were an author new to the publishing world, investigating my options, I’d definitely consider going indie. However, going indie will sometimes feel lonely. Heck, some days it feels like you’re standing in the middle of a writer’s conference consulting the hotel map, desparate to find your next workshop room, only to realize you’re stark naked!

Trust me this is the worst of the undressed and embarrassed type of dreams. Fortunately there are others who have paved the way, who’ve proved success as an indie author isn’t a pipe dream.

Based on my personal experience, I consistently tell the curious and bored alike, if a new author wanted to go indie with one work or an entire backlist, that author should look at the following resources for advice, guidance and motivation:

Give Joe Konrath’s blog a read sometime, if you want hard numbers and a tough-love message about a writing career. Love him or hate him, he knows what he’s talking about.

Authors from all walks of publishing can find resources, hope, and guidance along with excellent team spirit at the Indie Book Collective.

Bob Mayer and Jen Talty have created a fantastic site at Write It Forward that educates and motivates with a solid, comprehensive message for writers at every level of the publishing experience.

Mark Coker’s Smashwords site and blog also provide exceptional technical expertise for an indie-bound author. You can learn everything from how to format to how to market your book when it’s uploaded. He’s on the leading edge of what’s next in publishing and he’s an author advocate all the way.

I’ve learned (and continue to learn) from all of those sources during my transition from a traditionally published author to an indie author. Of course there are plenty more sites out there packed with advice.

Much like writing, going indie requires dedication to the research and development of your career.

Live the adventure!

This is a special post, on a special day, in honor of a very special occasion: MEMORIAL DAY! Welcome to the Blog Tour de Troops! Home base is the Indie Book Collective The blog stop before mine is George Sirois and the blog stop after mine is Brandy Hunt, but stay tuned here for a minute to win your free copy of Veil of Justice.

As a paranormal romance author who’s primary mission is to entertain, it’s a pleasure to be able to participate with this fantastic blog hop event. Blog Tour de Troops means readers can gather up all kinds of free books, but more importantly, they can share those books with our troops whose primary mission is to protect.

This event is just a small way to say thanks for all the years of training, sacrifice and dedication the men and women in service give to our country.  Most of us don’t get a chance to say a public thank you, to show our absolute gratitude for the safety and freedoms protected by their efforts.

Here on my blog I usually focus on the books and the greyhounds but today I’m thrilled to show my absolute gratitude for our TROOPS!

Being married (20 years and counting) to a soldier brings Memorial Day home on a whole new level for me.  I try to remember what matters most, not just on this special weekend, but in the little actions of every day, in my home and in my community.

It fills me with absolute gratitude to see others honor my husband and men and women like him with gestures big and small. He’s been out to lunch in uniform and had folks come up, offer thanks, and pick up his check. He’s been cheered on airplanes and thanked in airports while traveling in uniform.

Those small gestures mean the world to me as his wife and I know they touch his heart too, reinforcing his dedication to the cause of our nation.

Immediately after my husband returned from a tour in Iraq, we’d planned a family vacation in Disney World to celebrate. At our first dinner the waitress asked where we were from, what we were celebrating, and we told her. She thanked him right then and there for his service. I teared up.

Later, when she brought dessert, she had a special treat as a personal thanks from the chef. Setting the amazing creation in front of my husband, she called for the attention of everyone in the restaurant. I’ll never forget it:

“Ladies and gentlemen! This is my friend Mark,” she began, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “He just returned from Iraq. Please help me thank him and welcome him home!”

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched my husband react to the outpouring of absolute gratitude. He was overwhelmed, in a good way. And a little stunned.

Because the other diners didn’t just clap politely, they didn’t merely smile and return to the fabulous food and private conversations. They stood up and gave him a rousing ovation. Many of them even came over to shake his hand and thank him personally. Talk about a magical moment. His face was alight with pride. It’s a moment I can point to; the moment he realized he was home.

My husband is just one reason soldiers show up in so many of my books. And Veil of Justice, the giveaway for the Blog Tour de Troops, features one of my favorite characters, Nathan, who nearly lost it all on a mission to save his fellow soldiers in 2096.

The IndieBookCollective planned and organized this Blog Tour de Force, and I’m absolutely grateful to be included!

I’d like to add special thanks to the Paranormal Romance Guild and to Julie of A Tale of Many Reviews Both sites stepped up to support me as review sponsors for Veil of Justice. You can read the PRG’s review here (just scroll down the page) and A Tale of Many Reviews is presenting a fun video interview.

Live the adventure!

Be sure to leave a comment here for your free copy of Veil of Justice and to send one to the troops!

The amazing blog hop charity event: Blog Tour de Troops begins tomorrow. This is a great, fun opportunity for readers and authors to interact! Commenters receive free ebooks, an entry for the grand prize kindle, and even better…commenting means  giving a free ebook to the men and women who protect this country!

Join the fun this Memorial Day Weekend when we have a blast blog hopping to dozens of author sites where each is giving away not only an eBook to each commenter, but another one to a troop! When you visit a blog, you can designate a specific soldier you’d like the eBook to go to or allow Blog Tour de Troops to select the soldier.

Please help us make this Memorial Day weekend memorable! I’ve listed the schedule below for your convenience.  I’ll see you right here on Sunday (I’m giving away Veil of Justice)

Plus! On Sunday you can also visit me for a special interview and giveaway at Laurie’s place!

Live the adventure!

Friday the 27th…

In this final installment of my recent wanderings through the non-fiction ‘shelves’, I’ll wrap with a fascinating and amazing book about writing:

The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass.

This is hardly Maass’ first book on the craft of writing, but if you write fiction it’s definitely one you’ll want to add to your reference shelf. The Fire in Fiction is a fantastic book for writers who are dedicated to improving their craft. Maass, an agent with an outstanding record in the publishing industry delivers an informative book with wit, care, and thought provoking assessment and exercises.

The Fire in Fiction is worth every penny and it’s packed with tips for writing in any genre, even paranormal romance novels.

I first heard about this book during an eye-opening workshop presented by Maass at the RWA conference in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. On the way home from conference, I called my husband and asked him to have the book waiting for me. I dove into it as soon as I walked through the door.

Working my way through the chapters of The Fire in Fiction, I experienced the ups and downs of feeling like I could craft a great novel, to feeling like a hack. Then I’d get to the exercises and tips for writing at the end of each chapter. In tackling those exercises and applying the presented concepts to my manuscript, I’d feel absolutely empowered.

That’s a serious skill, to make a creature as insecure as a writer feel empowered about a work in progress and I’ll be forever thankful for Maass.

Using passages from outstanding authors, Maass illustrates the key elements that will resonate with readers of every genre from crime fiction to paranormal romance.

For awhile I blogged about The Fire in Fiction, ala Julie & Julia. I’ve since taken the site down, but it was such a great project and Maass’ tips for writing, his advice, and suggestions for evaluating everything from ‘once upon a time’ to ‘the end’ means this book stays on my reference shelf. I may even buy the kindle edition, as I frequently work on my alphasmart away from my main desk and my kindle is (obviously) portable.

The Fire in Fiction changed my attitude as well as my writing and revising habits. If you’re a writer and want to do one thing for your craft, the writing tips and advice Maass packs into The Fire in Fiction is one of the best options available today.

Live the adventure!

A few months ago, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks was recommended to me by my web team. Obediently (because they know more about this stuff than I do) I added it to my kindle, intending to poke at it in small bits while on the treadmill or waiting out hockey practices.

Once I opened the book that plan flew out the window. The Big Leap is a fascinating book! Much like Smart Self Publishing by Zoe Winters, this book is a fast and enjoyable read, even counting the required moments of introspection. I’ve put both of these books in my world-building category, not because they offer tips for world building in a paranormal romance novel, but because they offer tips for building up my real world: making it a place of strength and inspiration.

I suppose The Big Leap is classified as a self-help book, but it wasn’t just another collection of the trite, ‘you can do it’ cheerleading.  The Big Leap is well written and grounded in the experience and expertise of the author. It’s full of tangible insight and advice that I easily applied to my own circumstances.

In short, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks is all about accepting our strengths and accepting ourselves, while expanding ourselves to embrace all the good stuff life offers. Many people fall into the trap of fear that you can be successful, but only at the expense of your personal relationships. Or that you can have love and happiness, if you’re willing to sacrifice your career.

See, it is a world building book! But in this case not world building for a paranormal romance novel, it’s world building so the paranormal romance author can succeed and be happy about it!

We all have responsibilities and passions that require or call on our time, respectively. But Gay Hendricks assures his readers that a healthy, happy balance is within reach. In The Big Leap, Hendricks has compiled pointed questions to help you nail down what matters most to you and what may have been holding you back in the past.

Through plenty of real world examples, Hendricks makes his points clearly, with good humor and kindness. “Learning from the mistakes of others” isn’t quite the right adage, but the book is written so readers can sympathize and relate to the struggles and then celebrate the subsequent triumphs of others. The Big Leap really is world building for your life!

Live the adventure!

Stop by next Tuesday for the Non-fiction feature of The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass