So I thought I’d use the day to play a little game

Answer as many of these questions as you’d like -for each answer, I’ll toss your name in the hat to win goodies from the conference (free books, doodahs from the goodie room, whatever I bring home).

*Name three books on your nightstand right now (if you don’t have books -first off, why not?- and secondly, go ahead and name three things instead)

*If you could ask any character you’ve ever read for advice, who would you ask and on what topic?

*What one character would you trade places with for 24 hours?

*Pick up the book you’re currently reading, turn to page 172 and share the third line on the page.

*What book in your TBR pile are you most looking forward to reading?

Hope you have a GREAT day. And if you’re in the Orlando area, stop by the RWA Literacy Signing this evening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort, Pacific Exhibit Hall

This is one of the most fun, and most exhausting, events of the year for many writers. And having never attended any other type of conference, I’m not sure if that’s the norm for conference fun or not.

What it does mean, though, is that the blog will be a little on the quiet side for the next week. With most of the authors computer-less and the editors busy with appointments and giving workshops, it’s likely to be a little quiet around here. But don’t worry – we’ll be back in full blogging mode by the beginning of August and everyone will have fun stories and tales to share.

In the meantime – what’s your conference experience? If you’re a writer, do you attend the RWA conference? Readers, would you come to the literacy signing if it was nearby? And have you ever attended a conference? What’d you think?

For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to plan my time at RWA. My appointments are scheduled and I know when the main events are. It was strange and wonderful to have someone book a hotel and flight for me. Usually I’m the one booking things for others.

Thursday night is packed! I’ll be going to the American Romance authors’ dinner, the National Readers’ Choice Awards, the PASIC reception and the eHarlequin pajama party. Friday morning I do my first appointments ever—nervous, who me? Friday afternoon I will of course be attending the Spotlight on Harlequin—I hope to see you all there. Friday night is the Harlequin party, which I’m told is a total blast. I can’t wait to party with the Blaze babes! Saturday I’ll be going to our Blaze authors’ lunch, PAN, and the RITA Awards ceremony. Plus, I’ll get to spend time with three of my authors: new American Romance author Leigh Duncan, fabulous Blaze author Kira Sinclair, and brand new Blaze author Meg Maguire. Trust me, you’re going to love her first book!

Do you have any advice for me on my first RWA conference? What are your favorite events? What workshops look good to you?

I’m very much looking forward to seeing those of you I’ve been emailing and talking to on the phone over the past four years. I hope you’re all as excited as I am about Florida.

Can’t wait to see you there!
Laura

I carried the paddles.

Hey, someone had to do it.

The lagoon is shielded, protected and very very quiet waters. After about two minutes of this, Alpha Man decided that the lagoon was for little girls, and he wanted to get out onto the open waters.

Actually, he didn’t say “little girls”, he said something else that I’m pretty sure I can’t type here. Then he flashed me the coaxing smile and tried to get me to agree to leave the lagoon. Which is a little bit like leaving a bathtub for the Nile. But because I’m a sucker, I followed.

Followed.

Because Alpha Man has to be in the lead, in charge and in control. Damn Alpha-ness.

I looked across the huge lake and took a big gulp. It was like a mile and it was deep and choppy and there were big boats and I didn’t wanna. I wanted to keep going along the quiet lagoon, you know, where it was SAFE.

So not a complete jerk, Alpha Man slowed down and gave me that charming smile and the “honey you can totally do this” when really he just wanted me to hurry the hell up so he could get his adrenaline rush and thrill.

So fine. I went. We were about a quarter of a mile across, with me going ”oh god oh god oh god I’m going to die” all the way and he’s trying to be all encouraging with the “you’re doing great, your paddle is backwards, you really are doing great” and ruining the whole thing by cracking his ass up every time I dropped my paddle.

And then he made it all worse by yelling back a vague sort of “last one across owes” and we all know what he meant by “owes”, just as we all know exactly who was going to be last one across. The guy is like a foot taller and had a hundred pounds on me.

I might have snapped. I might have yelled “just once I’d like it if you were sweet and sensitive and … and BETA!”

And he blinked, all surprised to find me a tad bit out of sorts. Men. Are. Clueless.

Oh and just so we’re clear, I did win, even if to secure the win I flat out cheated and there might have been flashing involved. Point is, he had to buy me Panda Express. Although if he happens by here today, I’m just kidding. I didn’t cheat at all and I owe nothing.

Hmph. Oh! And while I have you here, I’d love to hear what you’re reading … and if you’re looking for something, please feel free to go hit the Blazes this month. I’m in the anthology Born On The Fourth Of July, and also next month with in The Heat Is On … Click here: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-heat-is-on-2/ to read the first chapter … and here for the anthology’s first chapter: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/18/born-on-the-fourth-of-july/

Happy Reading! And hope to see you all on my daily blog, I love the company … Best, Jill

Lady Bea Lindsey confronts that very scenario in The Tutor my Victorian-set romance published with Harlequin’s super sexy Blaze line. At the opening of The Tutor, Bea has gotten herself engaged to a very nice but very dull gentleman.

Conventional wisdom counsels that a young woman on the cusp of twenty-one, in this case a young woman of noble birth, purse-poor dowry, and an impulsive nature, dare we say “wild streak” should settle down safely and quickly. But conventional wisdom is not always…wise. And Bea is very much a modern girl—modern in the context of the 1890’s. She may be willing to settle for a dry-as-toast husband at the dining table but when it comes to the boudoir, she is going to need a little jam.

Only a disastrous dry run of the wedding night (pun intended) has demonstrated that if she wants any pleasure in her marriage bed, she’ll have to take the lead. But first she needs to be taught. And who better to take on the role of tutor than the oh-so-sexy Ralph Sylvester, a former East London street rogue and her brother-in-law’s private secretary?

Never did Ralph imagine that the woman of his dreams, a lady born, would proposition him and on the very night her engagement to another gentleman is announced! But when Bea shows up at Ralph’s bedchamber door after midnight wearing a red velvet cape and nothing beneath, he knows she means business. Armed with a contraband copy of The Kama Sutra and nine months’ of shored up lust, he sets about tutoring her in the loving arts. It’s every man’s fantasy, until the pupil surpasses the teacher.

Along with The Tutor, I have another Scottish historical coming out this July. My Lord Jack, first published in 2002 with Berkley, is being reissued with Carina Press, Harlequin’s new exclusively digital publishing imprint, on July 12th. A Rogue’s Pleasure, my Regency-set romp, will release with Carina Press on August 16th.

Happy Summer and yes, Happy Reading,
Hope Tarr

Hope is offering a signed copy of her Scottish-set Blaze Historical, TWELVE NIGHTS to one lucky commenter today!!!

Hope Tarr is the award-winning author of thirteen historical and contemporary romance novels including THE TUTOR. “Tomorrow’s Destiny,” her first novella, will appear in a single-title Christmas anthology, A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL, with Betina Krahn and Jacquie D’Alessandro this November 10, 2010. Visit Hope at www.HopeTarr.com where you can read her blog and enter her regular contest.

Summer’s finally in full swing up here. Gardens are blooming, the beaches are packed…and Blaze is loaded with super sexy summer reads! You’re definitely going to need the air-conditioning this month. Because July is Blaze bestseller month!!!!

Look what we’ve got in store for you lucky readers…

First up is our Blazing summer read, Born on the 4th of July by USA Today bestseller Jill Shalvis, Rhonda Nelson and Karen Foley. It features super hot guys in uniform. Do you really need any more convincing?

New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson is up next with Ambushed!, the second book in her Sons of Chance miniseries. Little brother Gabe is about to meet one filly he can’t tame…but he’ll sure enjoy trying! That only leaves Jack – the last Chance. Don’t miss his fantastic story next month.

USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Raye continues her Love at First Bite miniseries this month with The Braddock Boys: Brent. A wonderfully romantic story with the kind of hero only Kim can write—a cowboy vampire!

Bestselling author Hope Tarr will delight readers this month with The Tutor, another exceptional Blaze Historical. It features a world-weary hero and the innocent miss who sends him into a sensual tailspin. For those of you who love historical romance, this is a must read.

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Warren delivers the Forbidden Fantasies title this month with My Fake Fiancée. There’s nothing like a make-believe engagement to give a girl fantasies of indulging in bedded bliss.

And finally, USA Today bestseller Donna Kauffman returns to Blaze with this month’s Wrong Bed book, Simon Says… The lucky heroine in this story never dreams that when she sneaks into the wrong hotel room, she’ll end up having the sexual adventure of a lifetime.

What a great month, eh? Yes, I’m a proud Canadian, and not ashamed to throw an ‘eh’ in now and then. In fact, I’m spending the Canada Day long weekend at the cottage (no computer, no cell phone service—in other words, paradise! ) so I won’t be able to add to the discussion until July 5. But I’ll be back, so be sure to add your comments.

And since it is a time to celebrate – Canada Day for us and The 4th of July for our friends south of the border– I’d like to offer everyone a chance to win ONE OF TWO sets of these great July books. Just add either ‘Happy Canada Day’ or ‘Happy 4th of July’ to the comment field to enter.

Happy hot summer reading,
Brenda Chin
Senior Editor, Harlequin Blaze

For me it was Little Women. I loved that book so much, I broke the binding reading it over and over. My mom still has my copy, held together with electrical tape (what can I say, I was a better reader than bookbinder at that age ) It’s something like first love, isn’t it? That rush of OMG WOW feeling when you discover the world of reading and all the delights and joys it brings.

How about the first series that hooked you so hard you had to read all of the books as fast as possible. Or if they weren’t all written yet, hooked you enough that you hit the store the day the next book was released, setting aside everything so you could read? For me, the former was David Edding’s The Belgariad series. I found those books in my teens and read all 5 in the series in one week. For my oldest daughter, it was the Harry Potter books, and for my youngest, its now Percy Jackson. I’ll admit, I’m always more excited to fall in love with a series after all the books are out, because then I can gobble them all up at once. But there’s something incredible about those midnight runs to the bookstore, isn’t there? (C’mon, how many of you did that with the Harry Potter series? And did you wear a cloak?)

And what about that author hook? Do you remember your first auto-buy author? The one who you just knew would make you so happy when you cracked open the pages that you didn’t even have to read the backcover copy first, you just grabbed and bought? Mine was Nora Roberts, swiftly followed by Vicki Lewis Thomson. I’ve added to that list over the years, but these are still names that I automatically grab.

How about you? Do you remember your firsts?

First, my regrets for Orlando! I’ll definitely miss seeing everyone. Sounds like you’ll have a fantastic time at the Harry Potter ride and display. Very jealous.

If you’re attending M&M at the beginning of October, be sure to let me know, I’ll be there, and am looking forward to a great conference.

Lately, I’ve been preoccupied with tackling the slush pile. It’s always an eye-opener, in the best sense. I love to read what authors find interesting in terms of premises and characters and the compelling romances that result.

I’ve also been editing Blaze novels that’ll be released in December. No matter how many I’ve done, it still seems really odd to me to be basking in high temperatures and sunny skies, but reading and working on romances that are all about wintery Christmas!

I promise to have better stuff with my next blog post in September! I have to confess that I’m consumed by the World Cup right now! Ole!