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Spring Contest 2010

Stephanie Draven — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:02:38 +0000

After the Snowpocalypse of 2010, I'm looking forward to a springtime filled with flowers, fun and fantastic books! I'm gearing up to write another installment to my Mythica series for HQN's Silhouette Nocturne, which I like to think of as "Percy Jackson for Grown Up Girls!" I love re-imagining Greek myths for modern times with kick-butt heroines and this time, my story will feature a sexy siren and the one man who won't fall easy prey to her charms...or will he? In celebration, and for the purpose of this contest, I'm going to be giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a free ARC of MIDNIGHT MEDUSA to one lucky winner. TO ENTER:

1. Join my Newsletter, or 2. If you've already joined my newsletter, spread the word about this contest by posting it in your blog or on twitter or even Facebook if it's a publicly accessible link (which you should post in this thread)

(Note: By entering the contest, you agree to let Stephanie Draven use your name on this website and her blog if you win. Your email address will never be sold or transferred to any third party. Stephanie might, however, contact you with the very occasional update on her writing and career. At your request, however, you’ll be promptly deleted from her mailing list.)

Hello Ladies…

Stephanie Draven — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:54:16 +0000

Okay, there are days when I absolutely adore the cheesiness of the Romance Genre, and this hysterical commercial is exactly why:

Inspiring Art

Stephanie Draven — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:35:07 +0000

Since becoming a published author, I'm far more aware of imagery than I used to be. I'm always looking at things and wondering if they would make a good cover. Using Stumble-Upon today I fell over these photographs which blew me away and I thought I'd share. I love everything about these photos. They are staged so beautifully, and everything about them reads like the story of some fabulously interesting ancient woman. My brother-in-law is trying to convince me that my next historical novel should be about empress Theodora and I imagine that these photos could be very inspiring to a cover artist.

New Romantica Trends

Stephanie Draven — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:18:37 +0000

I've been saying for a while that I think the more inventive and creative writing in the industry is happening on the erotica end of the scale. Megan Hart, one of the most literary writers in th genre, has been pushing that envelope with deep and thoughtful novels that happen to center around sexual topics. My editor at Berkley is quoted in this very interesting article in Publisher's Weekly:

Relationship-centered erotica is very important at Berkley, where executive editor Cindy Hwang notes that although the imprint has only been publishing its Heat line since 2005, “In that short period of time, we’ve really seen the erotic romance take off. This isn’t to say these books aren’t as sexy as other erotica—just that there’s an emphasis on the character development and emotional connection between the characters.” Hwang cites Emma Holly’s September Fairyville as a great example of a book that combines intense emotional connections with “envelope-pushing sexuality.”

Baby Elephants!

Stephanie Draven — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:21:54 +0000

What, might you ask, does a baby elephant have to do with my work as an author? Well, I'm so glad you asked. As it turns out, elephants figure into some of the research I'm doing for my sequel to LILY OF THE NILE (my forthcoming book from Berkley about Cleopatra's Daughter, Selene, to be released January 2011). The guy pictured above is an Indian elephant, which is a smaller breed than the more well-known Ethiopian Elephant (now known as the African Elephant). There used to be a third kind. The elephants that Hannibal took over the Alps were North African elephants, now extinct, but Cleopatra Selene's husband Juba wrote extensively about the species and described it as having an uncanny intelligence. Okay, so that gave me my excuse to post an adorable baby animal picture!

Shiloh Walker’s New Book

Stephanie Draven — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:23:17 +0000

Shattered

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate

Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…

But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

EXCERPT

He opened the door— And stopped dead in his tracks as somebody all but fell into his arms. Somebody…a woman. And not Theresa. He caught her just above her elbows, automatically steadying her. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and low. Then she lifted her face and Quinn found himself gazing into the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Feeling a little dazed, he studied her face while she stammered out another apology. Quinn barely heard it. He was too busy staring at her mouth. A very pretty mouth, a cupid’s bow mouth slicked with deep, vibrant red. Under his hands, he could feel silken smooth skin and unable to resist, he stroked a thumb along her inner arm. Her skin was soft, soft and warm. He was also pretty sure she had the creamiest, most flawless skin imaginable. Her shoulder-length hair was a shade caught between blonde and brown, nondescript, but for some reason, he found himself thinking about tangling his fingers in that hair and holding her head still while he kissed that red-slicked mouth. Well, hello…

read more…

Why Are Angels the New Trend in Spec Fic?

Stephanie Draven — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:00:02 +0000

I suspect Supernatural might have something to do with this, but it looks like the new trend is going to be angels. I personally find them more fascinating than vampires, but maybe that's just because of a certain angel in a trench coat. What interests me most about this is the socio-political implications:

"As we understand it, angel books are appealing to the same people who were reading so-called misery memoirs," says Michelle Pilley, MD and publisher of Hay House, which publishes angelic bestsellers by Jacky Newcomb and Doreen Virtue. Tales of tragic childhoods were big sellers in recent years, but since the recession sales of the genre have dropped dramatically. According to supermarkets, where misery memoirs have always sold strongly, the same readers have turned to angels instead. These angel books particularly appeal to people who do not feel a connection to traditional religion. "I think people find (angels) very approachable," says Pilley. "They're very accessible. People study the different archangels and their different attributes, and they feel they can have a direct personal connection to these angels in a way they may not be able to do with a God. You have personal (guardian) angels, who are (devoted to) you as an individual, and people without strong religious faith may not feel God has such a personal interest."

In Search of Bad Girls

Stephanie Draven — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:05:30 +0000

I’m putting together a workshop on Bad Girls in Fiction. If you don’t see your favorite bad girl here, suggest one to me and I’ll add her to the list! Also, if you want to explain why you like a particular bad girl, I’d love to hear your comments! Also, I’d like to know what [...]

Military Lives, Real Love Stories: Interview with Navy Wife, Lauren Gueret

Stephanie Draven — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:48:25 +0000

Today I'm happy to continue my blog series, Military Lives, Real Love Stories. My guest is Lauren Gueret, a Navy wife and aspiring author. Me: First, tell me a little bit about yourself and your writing. Lauren: My mother had a son who died in 1998 and my father wrote and published a novella (Twenty Minutes in Eternity) about the experience. I was only 8 at the time, but I was so proud of my father doing that and wanted to do the same. I have been writing faithfully since I was twelve, trying to follow in my father's footsteps. I focus primarily in the paranormal romance genre, my favorite authors being Christine Feehan, Keri Arthur, and Kresley Cole, among numerous others. I am, however, currently putting a compilation together of military short-stories inspired by my own situations, friends', and injured war veterans' at the VA hospital here in Hampton Roads. Me: How long have you been married and how did you meet your husband? Lauren: My husband, Jonathan, and I will be married for a year as of March 20. We actually met online while I was at UVA, through a dating site called True. I had a profile as a past-time away from school work. I was not looking for anybody, just to have fun looking at the guys who tried to contact me. My husband-to-be contacted me, and I thought, "What the heck" and wrote him back. We became friends, though I didn't want a relationship because I was interested in another guy. Despite everything, Jonathan would not stop pursuing me, and helped me through a very traumatic experience. We obviously ended up together after that. =) Me: The old adage is that opposites attract, but in my novels, my heroes and heroines are usually drawn together because they find that they share some common experience of loss. For example, in my forthcoming novel POISONED KISSES, my hero and heroine both lost their mothers to mental illness. What pain or loss or maybe even joyful past experiences did you and your husband have in common?

Five Great Sites for Romance Writers

Stephanie Draven — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:11:32 +0000

It's a brave new world out there and there are more resources and opportunities for romance writers than ever before. Here are five great sites you may not have known about, but which could help launch your career:

Romance Divas. This website is command central for many romance writers. Founded and frequented by many published authors, Romance Divas offers free workshops, a very active forum, and a chat room in which writing challenges are the order of the day. (I confess that without this chat room and the writers there who egged me on, I might not have finished my last novel for HQN's Silhouette Nocturne line.) While a popular hangout for published authors, it's also a very welcoming place for the aspiring author and readers too. Just this month, several Romance Divas (including yours truly) offered up a virtual anthology of free stories in honor of Valentine's Day.
Dear Author This review site can be funny enough to make you spit-take, but it also strives to be fair to the romance community. Thoughtful discussions on the future of the industry take place regularly here and the cross-section of opinions from readers and authors alike is valuable for the professional writer.
eHarlequin.com. It may seem a little dodgy for me to recommend my own publisher's website, but in spite of the recent self-publishing debacle, eHarlequin remains one of the most active romance communities on the net. Readers not only buy books there and subscribe to category lines, but they also hang out and chat with authors. I've had more than a few readers tell me that they've picked up my books simply because I participate in the forums.What's more, there are many resources for the aspiring writer--including virtual pitch sessions with editors.
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Sometimes the snark factor at "The Bitchery" can be a little much, but the site is a wonderful hodgepodge of all things Romance, great and small. Sometimes it's a quest to expose plagiarism, other times it's a quest to find the title of a book that a reader once read but can't remember. What's more? Nora Roberts shows up in the comments section all the time, as if she were a mere mortal.
Romance Wiki. I didn't even know this site existed until a fan wrote to me to ask me for a list of every Silhouette Nocturne ever written. I had no idea, but Romance Wiki came to the rescue. The resource page alone is worth its weight in gold.
Romance in the Backseat. I had the pleasure of meeting Terry Kate at RWA Nationals last year. She was the first friendly face I saw, and she carries her enthusiasm to her website where she offers interviews and promotional opportunities for authors. She even sponsors virtual writing conventions!

Okay, so that's really six great sites for romance writers, not five. But instead of contemplating my abysmal math skills, get online and make the most of the opportunities available!

Excerpt Monday: Rites of Passage Part II

Stephanie Draven — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:33:03 +0000

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don't have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you'd like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

Last Excerpt Monday I baffled, weirded out, and possibly tantalized readers with my creepy prologue to one of my many novels-in-progress. A fantasy novel with romantic elements, this story is founded on ancient medallion magic and features a young heroine who is married to a foreign lord against her will and learns that her worst enemy may be the one man she can trust. (Or something like that. I've still not mastered the logline to this story.)

CHAPTER ONE

As the shamans chanted, Taria tried not to choke on the stench of burning flesh. The flames beckoned with a promise of warmth, but these fires offered no comfort against the cold. They were funeral pyres, so Taria shied away so the spirits of the Ticanee dead could escape to a better place. A much better place.

She watched her tribesmen sway in grief beneath the totem poles, closing their eyes against every gust of frigid wind. But Taria’s eyes remained open, her blue gaze following the pillar of soot up into the winter sky. Overhead, Republic pilots held their griffon mounts in tight military formation on the wind. From so far away, the wings of the great creatures looked tattered and frayed, and she could barely see the men that rode them. She could not imagine the courage it would take to climb upon such a beast’s back and take to the skies, especially since, in Taria’s experience, nothing good ever came from above...

Valentine’s Day Free Read

Stephanie Draven — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:47:12 +0000

THE VIRTUOUS BRIDE is my contribution to Romance Divas Fourth Annual E-Book Challenge. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the many FREE stories posted by forum members on their sites and blogs. This story is an experiment in transgressive erotic fiction, something that's altogether different than what I write for HQN's Silhouette Nocturne, and probably completely unmarketable. It makes me really uncomfortable, and that's usually a sign that I'm stretching myself as an artist. But if this is my mom reading this, this is NOT FOR YOU! (Click on the cover art to read it now! A PDF is also available upon request. If you enjoyed this story, please visit Romance Divas for MORE Free Stories!)

Does the Sword & Sandal Genre Have Staying Power?

Stephanie Draven — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:42:42 +0000

I hope the Clash of the Titans people aren't getting ahead of themselves in chatting up "trilogy potential" for their new movie. I have to say that as the author of MIDNIGHT MEDUSA I am predisposed not to like Perseus very much--especially in this picture! The director said:

It's like James Cameron with 'Avatar,' he can explore different planets. Well, I can explore Greek mythology. You've got so many creatures, so many heroes, so many gods. You have Daedalus, Icarus, Percivel. Amazing stuff. You've got several worlds. I could spend the rest of my life directing Greek mythology movies and I would still not finish everything." "If 'Clash' does well and we're lucky enough to make it into a franchise, that's what I'd love to do," he said. He even offered some hints as to where things could go next! "Before the gods, there were the titans, there were even bigger creatures and monsters. That could be something. It's ancient superheroes."

Secrets of the Sphinx

Stephanie Draven — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:13:36 +0000

Isn't that a great title? I totally want to nab it as the title of any follow-up novel I write to my forthcoming book, which we're tentatively calling CARNAL CREATURES. It's about a modern day sphinx and a modern day minotaur caught in a desperate struggle for survival, but enough about that...let's talk about the sphinx in Egypt. Thanks to Michelle Moran's tip, I found this article in the Smithsonian and it's fascinating. Amongst the many interesting tidbits contained in the article is...

Proof of Ancient Egyptian Civilization Far Into Sudan

Stephanie Draven — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:22:59 +0000

A massive pharaoh's statue was discovered in the Sudan. The article reads in part:

About a week back Heritage Key published a story about the discovery of a massive, one ton, statue of Taharqa that was found deep in Sudan. Taharqa was a pharaoh of the 25th dynasty of Egypt and came to power ca. 690 BC. The pharaohs of this dynasty were from Nubia – a territory located in modern day Sudan and southern Egypt. When Taharqa came to power, he controlled an empire stretching from Sudan to the Levant. The Nubian pharaohs tried to incorporate Egyptian culture into their own. They built pyramids in Sudan – even though pyramid building in Egypt hadn’t been practiced in nearly 800 years. Taharqa’s rule was a high water mark for the 25th dynasty. By the end of his reign a conflict with the Assyrians had forced him to retreat south, back into Nubia – where he died in 664 BC. Egypt became an Assyrian vassal – eventually gaining independence during the 26th dynasty. Taharqa’s successors were never able to retake Egypt.

Grepolis: Online Strategy Game With Gods of the Greek Mythology

Stephanie Draven — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:39:38 +0000

Okay, so this game looks pretty neat. It appears to be a free browser game in which you can play against the backdrop of Greek mythology. If only I had the time to play...

The NYT on the new Spartacus series

Stephanie Draven — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:42:53 +0000

The New York times has an interesting story on the upcoming Starz Television Show, Spartacus. They seem to imply that it's going to be all sex and gore. Maybe that's not a bad thing. I'm sure there are other lessons that the writers could have taken from HBO's Rome, but this is what they zeroed in on:

The show’s creators were also fans of “Rome,” and they say they learned two important lessons from that series. One was not to spend a fortune on building sets. (“Spartacus” relies instead on green-screen technology and C.G.I.) And the other was that their story line needed, like that of “Rome” to be character driven.

Greek Myth Humor and The Princess Planet

Stephanie Draven — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:17:52 +0000

Okay, given that my last book in the modern mythology series for Nocturne is going to feature a Minotaur and a Sphinx, I've gotta love this comic series: I am now a fangirl of Brian Mclachlan, who has envisioned entirely new myth-inspired monstrosity, like the Mino-con (Unicorn mixed with a Minotaur. You have to see the drawing...)

Getting Ridiculously Excited to See Percy Jackson & The Olympians

Stephanie Draven — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:58:34 +0000

I know Clash of the Titans is a film from my youth. It should be the odds-on-favorite to win my heart in the upcoming battle of Sword & Sandal epics this year. But Clash of the Titans was always a bit cartoony and Percy Jackson is looking to be remarkably mature for a kid's film. This article talks about the match-up between the two movies and it has me squirming with anticipation. Plus, okay, come on. Not only Kevin McKidd but Pierce Brosnan. That kinda seals the deal for me.

Did Alexander the Great Wear Linen Armor?

Stephanie Draven — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:35:08 +0000

Laminated Linen Protected Alexander the Great : Discovery News.