Shana Galen: Definitely A Diamond Of The First Water!

If your week has got you down, you've clicked over to the 'write' spot!!

The delightful SHANA GALEN is hanging out with us today!!

Besides being an incredibly talented writer and totally doted upon by the Cover Gods, Shana is a truly wonderful person. I just love her books and have enjoyed following her career. If you've yet to traipse the life fantastic with one of Shana's books, it's your lucky day . . . WHEN YOU GIVE A DUKE A DIAMOND released this week and is sure to be gracing Keeper Shelves the world over!


 

THE FIRST FIVE

By: Shana Galen

 



First of all, I want to thank Sarah for inviting me to blog. We’ve been buddies on Facebook and Twitter for a while, and I finally got to meet her IRL at a book signing in Anaheim during the Romance writers of America conference. I’m really excited to be here today, chatting about my new book When You Give a Duke a Diamond.

 Everyone who comments has a chance to win a copy of the book, but since only one of you can win it, and I’m hoping a few more of you will be tempted to buy it, I thought I might whet your appetite a bit by giving you a quote from each of the first five chapters.

 Chapter One

“You know my rule,” Pelham told him.

 “Ah, yes, Pelham’s Cardinal Rule. Never fall in love. It’s complete rubbish.”

 Chapter Two

She shouldn’t have come back; only a fool would return. But she didn’t know how else to stop the shaking. She didn’t know how else to staunch the gnawing hunger inside her. Neither food nor drink could satisfy it.

Only the game.

 Chapter Three

 “Why don’t I call you Juliette? It seems fitting, as we are going to be good friends, Juliette.”

Her throat tightened. She had to get out of here. “And what should I call you?” she asked coolly.

“Lucifer, of course.”

Chapter Four

It took Pelham no more than a second to appraise two of The Three Diamonds, but when his gaze landed on the Diamond in the center, he found he could not dismiss her quite so easily. His heart actually thumped harder when it appeared her gaze met with his. But her ice-blue eyes slid away, and he realized he must have been imagining the connection.

 Chapter Five

 “I would rather be a well-paid whore, sir, than an insufferable ass.”

 He jerked to a halt and spun around. His fists were clenched and his face red with what looked like fury.

 "One is a choice and can be changed,” she continued, raising her voice so it would carry. “Whereas the other is a permanent trait of the personality. Not that you have much of one.”

 

Did any of the quotes from the first five chapters intrigue you? Which ones and why?

Shana Galen is the national bestselling author of numerous fast-paced, adventurous Regency historical romances, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne's Bride. Her books are published all over the world and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city.

Now she writes full time. She’s happily married to an incredibly supportive man she calls Ultimate Sportsfan, and she has a beautiful little girl she calls Little Galen.

I'd like to thank Shana for visiting with us today!! Here's wishing her tons of success with WHEN YOU GIVE A DUKE A DIAMOND!! If you'd like to know more about Shana Galen, please visit her website: www.shanagalen.com 


I went to Nationals equipped with a "must-see" list and Shana was at the tip-top! Meeting her was awesome! Total fan-girl moment for sure. I was lucky to remember my darn name, let alone how to talk coherently! I've got a spot picked out for this one on my wall. Love it!

 

 

THANK YOU, TLN'ers for swinging by and joining the party! Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of WYGADAD. I'll announce the winner tomorrow! Good Luck and Happy Reading!~Sarah

How I Survived Pitching . . . And Other Sordid Conference Tales

Well, Hey-Howdy-Hey, TLN'ers!

I simply can't believe it's been a month since Nationals and I've yet to post about my fantastic voyage!! How very rude of me and now all my fun is past-news-worthy, but here it is anyways . . .

The five hour drive down to Anaheim was a blast. There is nothing like traveling with your writerly peeps and chatting about every aspect of writerly life. While The Dashing Mr. Simas is ever the engaging conversationalist, his eyes do tend to glass-over a bit, especially when I wax on and on about the latest writing on-dits. Thanks, June Rodriguez and Sheri Humphreys for the chatter!!

We practiced and honed our pitches, which paid off in spades. I was completely prepared for The Big Day! Of course, once we hit LA traffic, this country mouse clammed up and white-knuckled it clear to the hotel. I could've have kissed the parking valet I was so happy to be off the freeway! To make matters worse, everyone was saying the traffic was great. Potato, Po-ta-to, I guess. ;)



A patio full of finalists, well, except for those us who were 'arm candy'. lol

One of my travel companions, Sheri Humphrey's, was a GH finalist and she was sweet enough to let my roommate, June, and I tag along to dinner with several of the other finalists. What fun! I swear the excitement level jumped by 95% upon walking into PF Chang's quaint little patio dining area.

I left completely enchanted by Wendi La Capra and Nicki Salcedo. They were such fun to sit with and kept me laughing all through dinner! I even got to meet Kieran Kramer. Definitely a memorable night.

The next morning was my foray into the Beau Monde's mini-conference. I stapled myself to Sharon Lathan's side and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time together. She's also a chaptermate and I just love her wit and zest for writing. The BM conference was a hoot, especially Isobel Carr's two hour talk on Regency Era unmentionables. Quite scandalous--and let me just say I'm so glad we don't have wear busks. No thank you! I met Delilah Marvelle and fell instantly in love. She's such a sweet lady and a fabulous speaker.



Anne Barton and some crazy lady ;)

I really enjoyed all the workshops I attended-both BM and RWA. The presenters were so knowledgeable and generous with their time. My "old-school" tablet--a.k.a trusty spiral bound notebook--is full of awesome tips and tricks for honing my craft. I met Anne Barton and had a devil of time restraining my giddy need to hop up and down! I adore her (and her debut WHEN SHE WAS WICKED is deeee-vine!! I scored an ARC--be jealous, be very jealous!) I also met Katharine Bone and Crystal Eliot. At the soiree, I got to meet Valerie Bowman and hang out some more with Sharon Lathan. Fun times!

Finally, the Pitch Day arrived and I spent two hours practicing in front of my mirror (thank you, John Conway for the tip), which made walking into my first-ever pitch session a lot less stressful. I didn't puke on any one or end up gasping into a paper bag. lol The first agent I pitched to gave me a high-five and requested 100 pages! Talk about being blown away!!

After the first pitch, I sailed through my other appointments and managed to navigate the Chum Bucket (or rather the pitch room waiting section) and "shark" a few extra appointments. I met some lovely ladies: Vivian Mere, Roxanne Price, and Deborah Grace Staley. They all kept me cool as a frappachino during the wait. Thanks, ladies!!

All in all, I got FIVE appointments: three agents and two editors, which led to four requests for either material or queries. It was an experience I'll never forget. I can safely say I'M A SURVIVOR! *wink wink*

Another highlight was getting to meet one of my former Mama Writer blogging buddies, Jeannie Ruesch. She walked me through the Literacy Signing, which was a blessing because I felt over-whelmed! We ate lunch together and I truly enjoyed her company. Thanks, Jeannie!



My YRW Peeps and I lunch

I also had the chance to get to know my fellow Yosemite Romance Writers better. It was a blast hanging out with Sheri Humphreys, June Rodriguez, John Conway, Elsa Bayley, Sharon Lathan, and Kris Lynn. Thanks guys!!

Fan-Girl moments: Alas, I had several. ;)

*Vicki Dreiling in the elevator:
Me: *gasp* "You're Vickie Dreiling!" (I'm sure Ms. Dreiling already knew that. lol)

*Fan-girl waved at Valerie Bowman (one of my favorite Tweeters) in the hallway like she should totally know who I am! (Can't wait to read her debut and totally loved her swag--she mailed it to me! What a gal!)



Shana Galen and one giddy me!

*Couldn't hardly talk when I met Shana Galen. Good thing she's so sweet! ;)

*Sounded like a complete stalker to Erin Knightley (another fabulous debut author!) when I raved about her website and all the fun things she's loaded the site with--namely the how to pack for nationals video.

*Saw Julia Quinn at the Avon signing and gushed on about her backlist and how a current radio song "Brighter Than The Sun" reminds me of my favorite book of hers with the same title. DOH!


Monica McCarty and Me

There were countless more, but suffice it to say, I've shared with you classic a la Sarah moments. lol I did score hugs from Monica McCarty and Tawny Webber, which totally made my day!

Experiencing the awards show was like watching the Oscars LIVE! Such beautiful gowns and shoes. OMG--the shoes. I'd break my neck, for sure! RWA 2012 was definitely a memorable moment in my life! I'm thankful I had the chance to go. I owe my mom, mother-n-law, and hubby big time for watching the kiddos.

It's gonna be hard to miss a year here and there. I'm definitely addicted!

ROAD TRIP: RWA 2012 Or Bust!

Greetings and high-fives all around, TLN'ers!

This is the week a lot of us have been waiting for . . . it's time for RWA 2012!!!

*I'll pause here to allow for squeals of delight and peals of giddy laughter*

The emotions I'm feeling are hard to describe. It's such a wild range of excitement, anxiety, and awe that I'm almost reminded of how I felt right before my wedding. Strange, eh?

I know I'm ready. I've practiced my pitch three ways from Sunday! I've got a smashing wardrobe picked out for the week and not a single pair of yoga pants made my pack-list. (I only hope I don't suffer from withdrawals.)

My new cards came in the mail two weeks ago and they look fabulous! Camera, mini PC, and phone have all been charged and sit waiting to be packed.

Everything is falling into place and yet . . . I'm still experiencing jitters. Maybe it's because I don't know what to expect. Or maybe, I'm nervous to be taking such a huge step in my writer's journey--you know, the whole putting-yourself-out-there feelings of angst.

I know I'll have a wonderful time. How could I not being surrounded by so many other writers?! Talk about being given a gift of a lifetime! A week full of writerly talk and workshops is like a dream come true!

I'm definitely looking forward to the road trip down there. I'm riding with two of my YRW chaptermates, June and Sheri (Sheri is a GH finalist in Historical!) We've got five hours of driving ahead of us and we're planning on practing our pitches. So exciting!!

One fascinating tidbit, I'm packing my mini-espresso machine. I've become quite attached to the little guy. (In truth, I didn't want to have get up and dressed to wait in line for my caramel macchiato in the morning. lol)

I'll be sure to post some pictures and tasty tidbits of the conference experience for those you staying home this year! So, swing by sometime next week to get all the on-dits of my trip.

What's YOUR favorite conference on-dit? (feel free to change the names to protect the innocent. lol)

Safe and Happy travels to all heading out in the next day or so!! Hope to meet some you!

Smile!,
Sarah

Confessions of Conference Virgin



(Definitely not me. She doesn't have a ponytail or yoga pants.)

Tick, tock, the clock don't stop!!

RWA 2012 begins in less than THREE weeks! I can't believe how quickly last month flew by. (Most likely, that's due to having three bored kids home all day, but hey, that's just my hypothesis.) To say I'm feeling over-whelmed with everything would be a blatant understatement.

I've been a stay-at-home mama now for almost seven years. Yoga pants, ponytails, and flip flops are how I roll. The last time I could actually do my hair, the Jennifer Aniston shag cut was en Vogue. My wardrobe consists mainly of cast-offs from my maternity days. (Don't judge. Elastic waist bands are all the rage . . . with the slightly-plump-haven't-lost-the-baby-weight set.)

Shoes. *sigh* Don't even get me started. I want something snazzy, but know I need something practical, and in this case, my usual Target special cheapo flops aren't going to cut it. And high heels? Ha! Ha! I'd spend more time on the floor than I would anything else. (I'm not a great tanner, so there would be a whole lot of white meat on display, my friends!)

As for the business side of things, I've still got to hone my pitch to perfection. (NO easy task, let me tell you!) I've got the ground work, now I just have to work on presentation. My RWA Chapter, YOSEMITE ROMANCE WRITERS, held a "Practice Pitch Session" for members at last month's meeting. There was an editor, two fabulous authors, and a couple PRO's listening to pitches and offering advice.

Here are a couple of suggestions for areas I needed to work on:

1. RELAX!!
2. And Relax! (did I mention relax already? lol)
3. Take a deep breath and just converse. (My pitch sounded memorized. Oops! (shh, it was.)
4. Come prepared to answer ANY question. (Wouldn't you know the one question I floundered was the one I thought I had under control.) For all the nosy rosies: I totally botched the "What is your book's Black Moment?" Ha! I'm sure I had a "Oh, holy crap!"  look on my face when asked that Q. Yep. My 'off the cuff' talk is a little rusty--to say the least.

The raves were:

1. Loved my High Concept line
2. My writing voice shined
3. Excellent poise and eye contact (Thank you FFA!)
4. The pitch sparked their interest. (YAY!)

So! There is my report card thus far. My To-Do list this week entails:

1. Book a hair appoint. (I haven't had my hair cut since *groan* November, hence my love of ponytails.)
2. Order my business cards.
3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE my pitch!
4. Continue writing! With a little luck and a whole lot of grit, I should be writing "THE END" soon.

For those of you going to RWA 2012: What do YOU need to get done before leaving? For those housebound this go-round, what's your favorite part of gearing up to go to a conference?

Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!
~Sarah~

RWA 2012 Prep: It's Almost Here!!

Well, this isn't the RWA 2012 Anaheim Marriot, it's the Marriot I stayed at in O'ahu. I wish I was back there--right now.

Heya Writerly Peeps!!

Is anyone else excited about RWA 2012?!! Good gracious! I can barely contain myself!

This will be my first time attending. YAY! For so long, I've been Cinderella--always viewing the fun via FB and Twitter. After years of being pea green, I finally get to go! *Can I get an Amen?!*

I've gotten tons of fabulous tips on packing. (I'm horrible at it! I always over pack.) Should you fall in the same category of packing-challenged, here is the link to debut author Erin Knightley's website. She has a fabulous video on packing for conferences on her "Extras" page. Love it! Her site is gorgeous and full of fun stuff.

I don't know how she managed all those outfit parings. Sheesh! As of right now, my suitcase would have yoga pants as the staple clothing item. *no fashion sense. zero. zip. zilch!* Heels? Only if I can find a stylish helmet . . . 

Got a room-mate, am hitching a ride, my fashionista sis-n-law is taking me clothes shopping, and I sweetly asked both moms to watch the gremlins during the day until Hero-Hubby gets home . . . and now, all I have to do is WAIT!! Sheesh. It really is the hardest part!

I've got my agent/editor appointments set up. I'm refusing to acknowledge the gut-clenching anxiety I'm experiencing over pitching for the first time. Ha! Little do my family and friends know, but they will be my victims for 'pitch practice! *insert evil laugh*

In the meantime, I've been typing away like crazy! We're talking up with the chickens and hanging out with the owls. All I can say is: thank goodness for expresso. *and cat naps!* I'm a little less zombie-ish after a few sips.

So, what's YOUR conference prep-routine? Any tips for this newbie?

Lovestruck Novice Welcomes JILL SHAVIS!!!

It's our LUCKY day, TLN'ers!!!

The fabulous JILL SHAVIS is visiting today as part of her Blog Tour for her new release, LUCKY IN LOVE!

I became a fan of Jill via her 'Man Wars' on face book. A writer friend of mine clued me in on the on-going saga and I wasn't about to be left out! While the hot guys were definitely worth the "LIKE", it was Jill's witty sense of humor that won me over. I'll be making room for her books on my Keeper Shelf!!

Despite the craze of release week, Jill was sweet enough to answer my favorite interview Q's.

1) If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

Warning: Fun, not to be missed, and maybe slightly kinda crazy.

2) Using three words, describe your voice.

Fun, sexy, warm …

3) In your opinion, what are the key elements a romance novel needs to possess in order to survive in today's market?

Strong, evolving characters, conflict, and a happy ever after.


It like to say a big a THANK YOU to Jill Shavis for allowing The Lovestruck Novice to be apart of her LUCKY IN LOVE blog tour. Here's wishing her all the best in sales! If you'd like to learn more about Jill Shavis, please click on over to her website! http://jillshalvis.com/ 

THANK YOU, TLN'ers! I hope your weekend is good to you! Stay productive! I'll be back next week with the first round of blogs geared toward prepping for my first trip to RWA Nationals! Road trip- Romance Writer Style!

WINNER of the Stefanie Sloane Giveaway!!

The winner of the Stefanie Sloane giveaway is . . . . . .



AMBER OLIVEIRA!!!!

Thank you to everyone who joined the party and helped celebrate Stefanie's release of THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART!!

A BIG THANK YOU to Stefanie for a most generous prize offering!