Friday Feature - Moi

It was bound to happen, right? I'm horrible about giving updates on myself. So, here's the skinny...

My Sybarite Seductions titles (along with the romance titles from Twenty or Less Press and all the other Sybarite Seductions titles priced higher than $0.99) are on sale at All Romance eBooks for 25% off. (Today's the last day. I know, late news.) Click here to go to a page of my titles.

Also, if you send an email to readers@sybariteseductions.com with your preferred format, you can get a FREE copy of Tempting Terms through May 15th. 

Sabrina MacKenzie needs someone ruthless to help her maintain control of her father's company. Who better for the job than self-made millionaire William Fitzpatrick. Too bad she left him without a word five years ago.

But to gain William's assistance, Sabrina is willing to do anything-even if it means playing the submissive. Will William be tempted by her terms?

As for what I'm working on...

There are multiple projects in the works. Slotted for release this month is a Shameless title: Lord Atherby's Parlor Games: A Servant's Tale. Also, I'm finishing up a full-length erotic romance, one Victorian historical novella, one contemporary novella, and then I'm moving on to a bunch of other projects featuring a single theme. Stay tuned for more information on that.

Thursday Timeout - Avoiding Adversarial Relationships

So on Tuesday, I talked about building a relationship with publishers by only entering into relationships with publishers you want to work with, but what do you do if you've signed with a publisher and every time you have to deal with them you see red?

First, take a deep breath and don't type off a scathing retort and hit Send.

If this is a conflict over edits, read your contract. Chances are there's a clause in there giving the publisher final editorial say. (Probably not going to like that answer, but there it is.) However, if you truly think the request is that important to the story (and it doesn't violate the publisher's guidelines to keep it in, in which case, you're probably out of luck) then explain (calmly) to the editor why you think it's crucial to the story. If that doesn't work, you can send an email to the editor in chief or senior editor of the line and copy your editor. (I'll tell you this probably won't make you any friends so make sure you feel strongly about it.) (And for anyone who read the Tuesday post, this is where I'm going to remind you this is why it's crucial to research a publisher before submitting to them.)

However, you should always keep in mind, that the editor's job is to 1) make your story the best he/she thinks it can possibly be (and if you think you write gold without edits, I'll say you probably shouldn't be reading this post), and 2) make sure the story fits within the publisher's guidelines. Do NOT yell at an editor for doing his/her job, especially if you want to publish with that house again.

If this is a conflict over cover art, then explain your concerns to your editor. Your editor should be your advocate at the publisher. Now, this may or may not get you a new cover, but it will tell you whether you can express your concerns at that publisher.

Do you see a trend here? Communication is key. You want an editor you can talk to and who understands your style. If this is not what you're getting at your publisher, think about asking for a new editor. (If your publisher allows you to do this.) Or submit to a house that you think will listen to you. (See Tuesday's post.)

It's all a trade off. Know what you're willing to give on.

Spring Cleaning and Summer Dreaming with Rhonda Lee Carver

Do you prefer spring or summer? I love the summer. I don’t dislike spring because there’s nothing greater than flowers and trees blooming. There’s nothing quite like the bright sun and steamy days.

Share your favorite things about your preferred season. Shorts, tank tops, tanned legs, lemonade, and bonfires.

Would you rather engage in spring cleaning or summer dreaming? Coming from a writer, this is easy—summer dreaming. I have such wonderful fantasies during the warm months…

Where do you like to write during the warmer seasons? On my back porch. I love to crawl out of bed, grab my laptop, stop at the kitchen for coffee, and head out. Nature is the best motivation.

Any fun trips planned for spring or summer? I’m heading to Georgia this summer. Nothing sweeter than a Georgia peach.

BIO:

Suffering from years of hopeless romantic notions with sexy, sassy heroines and bad-ass heroes taking residence in her mind, Rhonda decided to write, bringing the stories alive. With baby on hip and laptop on the other, and a couple of years later, Rhonda has published six eBooks with a handful of spicy love stories waiting for the final touches.

When Rhonda isn’t crafting edge-of-your-seat, sizzling novels, you will find her with her children, watching soccer, watching a breathtaking movie, traveling to exotic places, doing (or trying) yoga, and finding new ways to keep her smile bright.

Rhonda thrives on making her readers happy. She believes life can be a challenge, but reading is a place where one goes to get away. Everyone deserves romance—one page at a time…

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rhondalee.carver

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhonda-Lee-Carver-Author

Website: www.rhondaleecarver.com

Blogger: http://rhondaleecarver-author.blogspot.com

Buy link: Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_31&products_id=521

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Ivy-ebook/dp/B0083V4R2U/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359926119&sr=1-3&keywords=rhonda+lee+carver

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dreaming-ivy/id527877080?mt=11

ARE: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dreamingivy-793842-140.html

Friends With Benefits by Rhonda Lee Carver

Cassie’s admirer hides behind a blindfold…could he be somebody she knows?

Cassandra and Sebastian have been friends since college. They know everything about each other, and even own a restaurant together. Now she has a secret admirer—one who asks her to meet him wearing a blindfold…and nothing else. She complies, mostly, and must rely on how he smells, feels, and sounds when they meet. He seems familiar.

Familiar enough to be Sebastian? Surely not. Maybe she’s hoping her admirer is Sebastian. Maybe…

Sebastian has a secret Cassie knows nothing of: He’s in love with her. But telling her could destroy their friendship. So he’s got to sit back and watch as she swoons for this secret admirer who uses all the right romantic words to win her heart.

Can Sebastian step forward and reveal himself? Supposing he dares to let Cassie know he loves her, can their friendship survive if she doesn’t feel the same for him?

CONTENT WARNING: strong language, graphic sex

She no longer heard his footsteps. Her breath caught. The presence of her lover changed the aura of her bedroom. The warmth of the room skyrocketed and a faint scent of cologne reached her nostrils. She frantically searched her mind for the fragrance. She knew the smell, but had no time to process the thought. All logical thinking faded when a deep, raspy growl penetrated the air. A lover’s sound of appreciation.

Knowing he was turned on charged her every nerve. Her breasts became tight. Her insides shuddered. She resisted the overwhelming urge to tear off her mask. Would he run away if she did?

A sliver of vulnerability targeted her senses. Yet, she was excited.

Cassie couldn’t be referred to as innocent. She’d had lovers in the past, but nothing like this. All experience floated out the window as she pondered what she should say, if she said anything at all.

The soft thumping of his shoes echoed off the walls as he moved across her hardwood floor. Sounded like he wore boots. Not cowboy boots, but work boots with rubber soles. Was he a construction worker? Her mind conjured up images of tight T-shirt clinging to a sweaty, toned upper body. Worn jeans cradling tight ass and muscular legs.

The apex of her thighs moistened. She had it bad. How could one man, a stranger at that, fan her thoughts into flaming desire?

With use of her sight off limits, her hearing became overly sensitive. She listened to every sound. The rustling of his clothes and a long, drawn-out sigh, then scuffling as he moved to the side of the bed. She pushed herself higher against the headboard, anticipation growing heavy.

He didn’t touch her. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Hello?” She wished she could have hidden the eagerness in her voice. She didn’t want to come off as desperate; however, her body throbbed in yearning.

Silence.

She started to speak again, but the mattress lowered under his weight. Her body slid a few inches toward him across the slick material of the cover. She pushed herself back up, regaining her pose on the bed. Her breathing grew heavy in her ears. Her heart raced. Could he hear it?

Although she knew it was coming, she jerked when his fingers touched her ankle. She laughed at her involuntary reaction, but it fizzled. His touch seemed like a laser, sending rivulets of heated awareness up her leg and exploding like shards of glass into her loins.

A sigh fell from her lips before she could snatch it back. “Yes.” She clenched her hands at her sides.

Slowly, deftly, his palm trailed a frenzied path upward past her knee, and settled against her inner thigh. A shiver of need gripped her muscles.

The tip of her tongue slid out and moistened her lips on its own accord. She didn’t care that desire plagued her with physical signs of longing. All she knew was she wanted this man. Apprehension disappeared.

“Please,” she pleaded.

His hand, warm and large, relaxed against her stomach.

She squirmed, started to reach out to touch him, but he clutched her wrists with one hand and held them securely. She moaned. “I want to touch you.”

“No.” His voice came as a gruff whisper.

Tuesday Terms - Relationships with Your Publisher

I asked what authors would like to see me talk about next, and this was one of the topics, though maybe not the way it was envisioned. (If you want me to expound on something be sure and let me know.)

So, you've finished your baby. (This is how I think of my work. I'm sure others also think of their work this way as well, so... ) And, presumably, it's critiqued and polished and you're super psyched about getting it into the world. (If you haven't done this step yet, take a minute and ask yourself why.) And since it's your baby, you of course think it's going to sell and sell big so why not shoot for the stars. (For argument's sake, we'll call the New York publishers the stars because of the mass market aspect, but let's all remember plenty of authors have sold well with Indie houses and self-publishing.)

No matter where you're thinking about submitting, before you hit Send, take a moment and think about what kind of relationship you want with your publisher. Are you looking for a comma edit? (This would be where the manuscript is perfectly polished in your opinion and ready to have a cover slapped on it and sent out the door. I'll tell you right now, if this is where you think you're at in your career, you probably shouldn't be reading this post.) Are you looking for deep edits? (You know the ones that make you want to cry and scream and tear your hair out, but in the end, make you feel like you've put the best piece possible out there.) Are you willing to make changes to your story to fit a publisher's style? (Did you even know publisher's have a style?)

The best way to have a good relationship with your publisher is to know how much work that publisher is going to expect you to put into a manuscript and whether you're willing to do that work. The best way to find this out is do your research. Too many times, authors sign with publishers because they want their story out there without asking the hard questions. Now, to be sure, many publishers won't come out and say, 1) we suck at editing, 2) we don't pay on time, 3) we give preferential treatment to our best sellers, 4) we're going to demand your next book in 3 months whether you want to write it or not, 5) we're going to insist you cut scenes you love so that the piece will fit into our formula, etc. However, this is where the research comes in.

Instead of visiting the publisher's website, go hit Amazon or All Romance or one of the other distributors. Search by publisher name. Find authors who are both with the publisher now as well as ones who may have left. Do authors have multiple titles with the house? (This could be a good sign.) Or are there a bunch of one titles only? If so, do the one title authors publish with another house? Why you ask? There are tons of reasons an author would publish only once with a house. Dig until you are happy with the answers you find.

Talk to the authors you know who are at the publisher. Don't know any of them? Introduce yourself and ask questions. I'll tell you that many professional authors will never publicly talk bad about a company, but there are clues in what they don't say. I'll also say if you find an author who has been badly burned by a publisher and express your concerns, they might be more inclined to tell you at the very least if those concerns are valid. (I am not an advocate of many of the forums for writers because I've seen good publishers made to look bad on these sites. However, if a publisher has a lot of complaints, not just this looks fishy or my gut says don't pub with them, then consider them possibly valid.)

Pick up some of the publisher's titles. It's not enough that they're in the market you're targeting or have a best seller in that category. Those books have styles. Does your book fit in? Do you want to make your book fit in? Think length, tone, characters, and plot. (Seriously, some of these pubs like their formulas. Read enough of their titles and you'll start to see it.)

In summary, the best way to have a good relationship with your publishers is to only work with those publishers whose style (and this includes business as well as editing) you like because the chances of changing the way a company does business or getting exceptions for your work are pretty close to slim to none.