The Winner of ELisabeth Naughton's Giveaway!

Hi-Dee-oh!!

The Randomizer says Congrats go to lucky commenter: KAREN MICHELLE NUTT!!

Thanks to everyone for joining in the fun! :)

Karen, I'll be emailing you for the 'deets' on your snail mail addy.

Thanks again to Elisabeth for her wonderful post and most generous prize offering. Here's wishing her a ton of fun at RWA Natl's!! Wah-Hoo!

Be sure to swing by on Friday for a guest post from my good friend Debra Kayn! Va-va-vrroom!

All righty then! Back to finishing today's word count! Tally-HO!

The Lovestruck Novice Welcomes Elisabeth Naughton!!

Welcome back, TLN'ers!! Hope the weekend didn't roast you too bad. It sure is summer time and if you're in the need of a little pick-me-up, I've got just the gal to make your day bright!

Elisabeth Naughton was sweet enough to come on back to the TLN Hot Seat and this time she's giving us the gospel on staying focused and poised for success!

Crank up the A/C and snag a big ole glass of something cool. We're getting down to the good stuff!

Take it away, Elisabeth!

Thanks so much to Sarah for inviting me back to the Lovestruck Novice! Friday night I spoke at a book club meeting about my May 2010 release, MARKED, the first in my new Eternal Guardians series. Someone said to me after the meeting how amazing it is that next week, my 5th published novel, ENTWINED – book two in the Eternal Guardians series – hits store shelves. “Five books in a year and a half. How do you do it?” this woman asked.

I get asked all the time if I write like a wild woman. I must, right? The truth is I don’t. I’m actually a procrastinator and tend to skate through the early months of my deadlines then crunch at the end (ah, reminds me of college). I definitely wouldn’t recommend this writing schedule to anyone (it makes for some very stressful weeks near the end) but it works for me and I’ve learned over the years that I’m the type of writer who works well under pressure. However, one of the best things I did for myself before I was published was I forced myself to write to a deadline, and I finished books and moved on to new ones.

When you’re not under contract to finish a book, it can be really hard to sit down every day and write when there are other, more enticing things to do. Summer’s especially hard because kids are home, the sun is out and who doesn’t want to be outside when it’s nice? If you’re a writer who is committed to selling, however, I would advise you to find a balance. Don’t give up on your writing. Stick with it even when the weather is nice. Write every day (or every other day). Find time to work in a scene here and there. Stay fresh, keep writing, and when you finish a book, move on to another one.

Not only is this good training for the day you get “the call” but it also makes sense in the long run. Before I was published, I wrote mostly at night after my kids were in bed (still do a lot of the time). In the five years I wrote before I sold, I finished six manuscripts. Manuscript five (which became STOLEN FURY) is the book that landed me both my agent and my first publishing contract. Manuscript six (which became STOLEN HEAT) was accepted as the second book in that first contract. The day I got “the call”, I was also ¾ of the way through an entirely new book—which readers now know as MARKED—and decided to finish that before diving into the third book in my first publishing contract (book three in my stolen series – STOLEN SEDUCTION). So of the five books I now have on the shelf (as of next week!!), 2 ¾ were done before I sold a single thing.

This isn’t the norm. I realize that. Many times writers have prewritten manuscripts that don’t fit with their new writing style or series ideas that can’t or won’t be accepted as part of your first contract. But every book you write makes you a better writer, and continuing on from one manuscript to the next, in my opinion, isn’t just good practice, its good business. Write manuscripts that can stand on their own or be easily linked to other manuscripts you’ve already written. Take a break and write something new and different and see where it takes you. Whatever you do, just write. The only way you’ll ever reach your goal is to start thinking like a published author so that the day “the call” happens, you’re already ahead of the curve.

In honor of the release of ENTWINED, I’ve got a copy of the book to give away to one lucky commenter! Simply tell me what your writing schedule is like and what your plan is to keep moving forward.

And for those of you interested in ENTWINED, here’s a short blurb about book two in the Eternal Guardians Series, which is available everywhere on July 27, 2010:


ZANDER — The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability… somewhere.

Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…


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A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, heralded by Publisher’s Weekly as “A rock-solid debut,” was recently nominated for two prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America in the Best First Book category and the Best Romantic Suspense category. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her website at http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/.


You feeling geared up to go forth and achieve your dreams? Boy, oh, boy, I sure am! And how about those covers? Ain't they the smokin'?! Wowza! The Cover Gods sure shined the light down upon her, huh? *wink wink* I'd like to thank Elisabeth for taking the time to swing by and hang out with us today. I wish her tons of success and sales with her current release and many happy more! Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered to win!

THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! Here's a ditty straight from Elisabeth's play list, so please enjoy the super sexy BILLY CURRINGTON and MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT! Catch ya back on Wednesday!