Please welcome my guest, author Lori Devoti.

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About Nocturne

As soon as I heard about Harlequin’s new dark paranormal line, I knew I wanted to write for it. At the time I was writing (though not published in) paranormal, but it was all light. Writing a Nocturne was quite a departure for me, but almost all of my reading at the time was dark, so I thought “Why not give it a try?”

That try was my June 2007 release, Unbound.

I didn’t, by the way, have any inside information on how to write a book Nocturne would buy. I just went to eHarlequin and checked out the writing guidelines. They wanted/want alpha heroes with strong heroines and dark, sexy action-oriented plots. That is what I tried to give them. Apparently it worked.

As a reader, that’s what you can expect from Nocturnes–number one a strong male lead, no weak willies here.

Action, action, action. No sipping tea scenes.

A major paranormal element–not just a ghost that might or might not be real living in someone’s attic.

Sexy–most of my full length books have three fully completed sex scenes. And a lot of tension on top of that.

A heroine who can hold her own. This doesn’t mean she has to be kick ass or a bitch. She just has to be strong in her own ways, or find her strength as the book progresses.

And dark. You might get an occasional smile or even a chuckle from a Nocturne, but there will also be plenty of tension and the feeling that something really bad could happen at any moment. Nocturne heroes and heroines aren’t flying kites in the park or shopping for shoes…not unless there are some scary beasts ripping those kites to shreds and those shoes have some steel-toes for smashing through crypt-hiding walls.

So, add that all together and you get a fast-paced sexy read that is affordable, too. $5.25 in the U.S. Oh, and they aren’t short. Nocturnes weigh in at 70,000 words computer count. To give you a point of reference other category lines can be 50,000 words and my single title novels have been between 85,000 and 93,000. So, a nice happy medium for a low price. I think of them as a single title book just boiled down a bit, which just makes them all that more action-packed and fun to read.
If you haven’t tried them yet, you should!

Lori Devoti, totally unbiased Silhouette Nocturne author.

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Thanks, Lori! By the way, I really enjoyed her new urban fantasy, Amazon Ink.

Stop by tomorrow for Wendy the Super Librarian’s Category Keepers.

Please welcome my guest, Mira Lyn Kelly!

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All about “The Call”

If you’re an aspiring author, you’ll know what I mean when I say we all have fantasies about “The Call.” Some may be vague and general, others elaborate and detailed. Mine were definitely of the latter variety, and usually followed by self-directed mental disclaimers about realistic expectations and directives to spend my creative energy on more productive endeavors…Like actually writing the stories that might result in such success.

I’m Mira Lyn Kelly and on August 28th, 2009 I got “The Call.” And it was even better than I’d dreamed it would be. Here’s how it happened.

I love reading and my bookshelves are overflowing with romances of every genre and variety. Thrillers, Suspense, Regency, Paranormal, Smokin’ Hot, you name it–if it’s on my shelf there’s a romance worked in. And Category is one of my favorites. For me, they’re one-day-reads. Intense love stories packed into concise packages where every page promises spectacular interaction between your hero and heroine, fast ramping conflicts and leave-me-sighing-with-pleasure Happily Ever Afters.

These were the stories I wanted to write. So when Harlequin Presents/Modern Heat announced their Instant Seduction Contest (back in February 2008), I saw it for the don’t-miss opportunity it was. Editors for the line were going to be evaluating the entries and 1st place won an editor for a year! Wow. Great way to skip the slush pile, right? Yes!

So I started by making sure I was familiar with the line and read pretty much everything they had available…Such hard work, lol. I know! I also took advantage of all the tips and tools Harlequin provides on their website and through posts in the iheartpresents blog. I picked an idea that fit the line and went to work.

Proofed and polished, in my entry went.

When the contest winners were announced, I was not among them. Disappointing, but I’d learned a lot from the process and wasn’t about to give up. I read the winners’ entries and what the editors had to say about them, trying to take away as much information as possible. I had a million ideas and was ready to get back on the horse.

And then I got a letter. A request for the full manuscript from my entry! Though I hadn’t placed in the contest itself, the editors liked my voice and wanted to see the rest of the story.

When I sent in my manuscript, “the Call” fantasies really kicked into high gear. But when the first call came in, it wasn’t to offer a contract. It was actually better than that. It was direction. An editor taking the time to discuss my manuscript, my writing style, what worked and what did not. It was eye opening and informative and an incredible opportunity to improve my work. One I was most definitely interested in taking advantage of. Even though it meant basically rewriting the second half of my book. Ouch.

The revisions were tough, but in the end I was thrilled with the changes. The characters were more believable. The conflict more intense. The story more engaging. I hoped it was enough. I sent it back in and waited. And waited. Checking my email every day to see if my editor (I’d begun to think of her as mine already!) would schedule another call.

Then a few weeks ago, the phone rang out of the blue. There was that lovely English accent coming through the line, saying everything I’d ever hoped to hear. My heart went into overdrive, the tears came. and I made some rather unprofessional and loud squealing noises that hopefully didn’t result in any permanent hearing loss for my editor. This was “the Call.” A two book deal with the first releasing May 2010 in the UK. Yay!!

What’s wonderful about Harlequin is that the opportunities just keep coming. There’s another writing contest going on now, so if Presents/Modern Heat is a line you’re interested in, take advantage. Here’s the link to the contest for 2009 and good luck!

Thank you so much, Victoria, for including me in your lovely blog. It’s been an exciting ride and I’m thrilled to have the chance to share the details.

Mira Lyn Kelly

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Thanks, Mira! I’m looking forward to reading your book in May!

Stop by tomorrow for a guest post from Silhouette Nocturne author Lori Devoti.

Please welcome my guest, Elle Kennedy.

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Romantic Suspense: Finding a Balance

When I first started submitting to Silhouette, I have to admit, I had no idea what I was doing. I read Intimate Moments (now Silhouette Romantic Suspense), and I thought, I could write these. But after several rejections, I realized that reading romantic suspense is a lot easier than writing it. So before I submitted again, I sat down and decided to really nail down that balance of romance and suspense.

My biggest problem is focusing on one and not the other. I tend to get caught up in the romance and then have chapters and chapters without advancing the suspense aspect, or vice versa. Even after I sold my first SRS, Silent Watch, this problem was still evident. In her edits, my editor would say, “Hey, what’s going on with the serial killer? We haven’t seen or heard from him in 3 chapters.”

It was these edits that made me see writing category romantic suspense requires a different approach than if I were writing a longer, single title. The short length of SRS means I can’t take my time and draw out things slowly. I tried that in my first draft, only to wind up with a rushed ending in order not to go over the word count. In my revisions, I learned to speed up the pace, keep both the romance and suspense in the reader’s mind for every chapter, and make each element have an impact on the other.

In Silent Watch, the threat of the villain causes the heroine to become stronger, which in turn makes her realize that time is short, and she can’t close her heart up to men forever. For the hero, the romance, falling for the heroine, make him more determined to catch the killer, in turn advancing the suspense plot.

After Silent Watch, I thought I nailed the balance…and then I wrote Deadly Reunion, a daily online read at eHarlequin. Again, my first draft was a disaster, and my critique partner came back saying, “What’s happening with the villain? I forgot he was even around!” So I had to go back, and find the darn balance again.

Now, as I’m working on my second SRS, I’ve developed a new system. Before I write each chapter, I jot down the romance elements I need to have in there, as well as the suspense factors. In SRS, the romance is usually a bit more prominent, but it can’t take over the entire story either. The danger needs to be an ever present part of the story, an underlying threat that raises the tension and as a result, heightens the romance.

I think I’ve got it this time, though. My new system of planning ahead, and not flying by the seat of my pants, is definitely helping. Let’s just hope I keep it up for the rest of this book!

Elle

Online read link.

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Thanks, Elle!