Photographer Rachel Copeland has spent the past year learning about obsessions. She had only begun to make a name for herself in Philadelphia, still supporting her small studio by teaching at the university, when a nineteen-year-old student’s obsessive attraction changed her life forever. An obsession that Kyle Underwood reinforced with lies and doctored porn shots of her on the Internet. An obsession that culminated the night she awakened to find him standing naked over her bed, reaching for her.

The night she shot and killed a young man to save herself. Then came the press’s obsession with the gory details of the trial that ruined her life, although she was proven innocent of anything but self-defense. Not to mention the obsession of the boy’s mother for revenge. Now she has returned to her remote hometown of Marfa, Texas, hoping to find peace and put her life back together. To her father who loves her more than anything, and who stretched his financial reserves to bail her out this past year, and to the disapproval of her step-mother, whose relationship with Rachel has never been an easy one.

Zeke Pike has an obsession, too. An obsession to protect the secret of his past, a past he buried twenty years before, a past that could destroy his life, take his freedom, and cause him to forsake the promise he made to his mother. His self imposed hermitage for the past fourteen years, hand-crafting furniture from desert wood, closed-mouthed and closed hearted, is a testament to the strength of his resolve to allow nothing or no one to threaten that secret. Until Rachel’s spunky attitude and sense of humor draws him from his shell. Only for both of them to find that true obsessions follow until dealt with, through the miles, through the years.

What follows is a skillful tale of suspense; one whose characters are so – human – the reader roots for them from the very first page. The relationship that develops between Rachel and Zeke is loving and sweet and sexy, a perfect counter-balance to the darkness that tracks them. The secondary character of Rachel’s stepmother Patsy, and their uneasy connection are brilliantly written. The mystery is intense and intricately woven, laid down as surely as a treasure map, which leads to its exciting conclusion. This story will keep one turning the pages, to find if these two artistic and caring souls can survive TRIPLE EXPOSURE.

~ Reviewed by Jo Anne Banker

Oh, off and on since I was a teenager. So I guess about twenty years. Although I never completed a book until college.

Q:How long did it take you to publish?

Just shy of two years.

Q:How many manuscripts do you have hidden away/under the bed/in storage?

Er, don’t throw eggs at me, but I only have the one that I wrote in freshman year college stowed away somewhere. It’s a godawful book set in the post Civil War South that doesn’t know if it’s a romance or a coming of age novel : mostly because (at nineteen) I was still embarrassed to admit I read and wanted to write romance. I think I titled it SOUTHERN REMNANTS and thought it was the best title ever! Snort.

Q: Do you have a writing schedule and if so, what is it?

I write most every day, but the page count varies. Basically I know when the book is due and I figure how much I need to write as each month looms before me. Sometimes it’s 80 pages a month (fairly easy) or a crushing 200 pages a month (a bit trickier).

Q: Do you have a critique group? If yes, how many are in the group?

I have people I brainstorm with: four super-smart-findplot- holes-in-the-dark-ladies (Big wave to Tera, Ane, Robyn and Christy!), any of which will look at pages for me. But my writing schedule is so tight that I push straight through a book, revising very little as I go. That being the case, I don’t think it’s very productive for others to critique material that I already know needs drastic changes anyway. By the time I finish the book and finally know my characters and plot, I know where changes need to be made, and quickly make them: because the book is usually due that week or the next, leaving me no time for anyone else to read through it.

Q: How many other critique groups have you participated in?

I’ve been with some of these ladies from the start - or near start, anyway. I’ve drifted apart from a few other cps, but that’s the reality of life. We all change, grow, evolve : and choose different paths in life. Writing is a tough business. It’s a huge investment of time, work, etc. And it does not always come with a paycheck at the end of the day. That said, I begrudge no one from deciding to prioritize other areas of their life.

Q: When developing an idea for a new story, which comes first – the plot or the title or the characters?

Ha, NEVER the title. My new release, SURRENDER TO ME, is the first title I ever got to keep. The plot always comes first, or at least some slice of it. Sometimes I just have a scene in my head, a single event, which I then build an entire plot around.

Q: How do you handle new story ideas that pop up when you’re in the middle of a project? (ex: notebook by the bed/separate word file, etc?)

I’ve filed naughty little intrusive ideas away, but I’m usually so focused on my current project and making deadline that those kinds of distraction don’t happen. As I near the end of the book, I start thinking of the next book and that enthusiasm helps me finish the current book.

Q: Have you ever gotten to the middle of a project and got bored or lost your momentum? If so, how did you handle it?

Well, that does happen, and that’s usually when I take a step back and say to myself, “This is boring!”. I then decide to make something BIG happen. I think of Donald Maass’s “tension on every page” adage and do what I can to make that happen.

Q: Finish this sentence: If I could write anything I wanted and knew it would sell, it would be:.

the book I’m writing right now. While it is certainly savvy to write what’s marketable, if you don’t love what you’re writing, then it’s just not going to be that great. So why bother? I firmly believe you can write something “saleable” while also writing to your heart.

Q: What is the best advice you ever received?

Hmm. Tough question. There is a lot of good advice out there, but I’ve learned it does not apply to everyone. Just when you hear one “rule of thumb”, you hear a scenario of someone breaking it and succeeding. That said, I suppose the “have a good agent” is pretty standard, but true. I credit my agent with a lot of my success. She’s tenacious and fights me.

Q: What is the worst?

“You don’t really need an agent”.

But I also hear about people who stick with an agent through thick and thin when maybe they should have gotten out while things were “thin”. So make sure you have an agent who a) knows what the heck they’re doing, and b) really is looking out for YOU.

Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Writing the last fifty pages when I finally “get” my book and know the characters and where it’s all going : and I can finally REVISE the sucker! I love, love, love revising the book. It’s a time of high hopes for me, when I see everything fairly objectively and suddenly believe the book may not be horrible, but actually pretty good!

Q: What is your least favorite?

The first 100 pages. Groan. Confession time. The way I’m contracted, I basically need to write a book in four months. Get this: I use 3 months to write the first 100 pages. I know, so unrealistic for me! That means I get a month to finish the rest of the book!

Q: Which came first for you – the editor or the agent?

Agent!

Q: How many contests did you enter before you sold? How many did you final in?

Sheesh! I probably averaged 2 contests a month for 18 months. I did not start finaling until the last year though.

Q: How do your promote your books?

I usually try something different with each book, other than the standard website, bookmarks, arc distribution, and blog “tour” at the time of release. I also buy extra copies of my books, as much as I can afford, and give them away. I believe the book itself is the most powerful tool at an author’s disposal (assuming it’s good, of course!). The more people you can hook, the more people who will remember to buy the next one.

Q: Free form - your chance to tell us anything you’d like - tidbits, advice, funny stories, pet peeves, hopes, dreams, etc.

I guess, my biggest realization upon selling was that I felt different, changed, and I was — but no one alerted the rest of the world. I’m still a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend who now annoys her friends when she doesn’t call as often as before.

And that’s why being a part of a writing community is so important — to have people in my life that GET me. That said, thank you to WHRWA for all you’ve given me : and for “getting” me. I’m lucky to belong to such a wonderful group.

The panel: Gerry Bartlett, Berkley; Kristi Gold; Harlequin; Sharie Kohler, Pocket; Kerrelyn Sparks, Avon; Colleen Thompson, Dorchester; Kimberly Ungar, NAL; Moderator- Lark Howard

Join us as WHRWA authors give us the low-down on their publishers in a lively panel discussion that will give you an inside’s peek at what really goes on in the world of print publishing.

What kind of books do their imprints put out? What kinds of books are their publishers looking for? What’s it like to work with their editors? How did they get to their houses? The panel will address these questions and many more. Whether you’re looking for a publisher or perhaps thinking about moving houses, this is your chance to learn from first hand experience. Don’t miss it!

When I learned that the heroine of Surrender to Me was the same Lady Astrid Derring who was a villainess in Too Wicked to Tame (one of my very favorite historicals), I wondered if Sophie Jordan had lost her mind. Okay, at least made a bit of a mistake. I should have had faith. She pulled Lady Astrid’s transformation off brilliantly.

The lady in question was left penniless and shamed when her no-good duke of a husband fled to the continent one step ahead of the noose. For years she’s struggled to survive only to learn her husband has assumed a new identity and is about to marry a rich Scottish noblewoman. Determined not to let him ruin another woman’s life, she heads to Scotland to stop the marriage. On the way, her coach is waylaid by highwaymen bent on rape and pillage until Griffin Shaw, a sinfully handsome American, appears and saves her. She’s resisted lots of men in the past few years and guarded the only thing she has left—her honor—but when she’s forced to accept Griffin’s protection, she’s irresistibly attracted to him and torn between the conventions of her world and the freedom his offers. Griffin has his own ghosts and a personal mission to complete before he can return to Texas. The last thing he needs is to fall in love with a haughty Englishwoman who reminds him of his biggest shame.

One of the things I respect about Ms. Jordan’s work is her characters always remain within the social conventions of the time. Astrid doesn’t have the option of divorce, getting a job or taking a lover if she’s going to maintain her respectability. Her choices are restricted to those available to women of her day and class and therein lies her predicament and her conflict. Griffin has his own baggage, also a product of his world. And they are both strangers in a strange land— Scotland. The plot is both original and believable. I cheered these two people through insurmountable problems to a very satisfying and heartwarming conclusion. Once again Sophie Jordan has given us a story you won’t be able to put down until the very last page!

~ Reviewed by Lark Howard

In upcoming releases, Kim Lenox is excited to share that the Doubleday and Rhapsody Bookclubs will carry her October Signet Eclipse release, NIGHT FALLS DARKLY, as an upcoming featured alternate selection.

Also, look for Teri Thackston’s second paranormal romance, which will be released in ebook form, August 21. SCENT OF LAVENDER is another spooky ghost story from Cerridwen Press.

A round of applause is in order for two WHRWA members who have made recent sales. PJ Mellor’s next four new works of erotic romance have been bought by John Scognamiglio for Kensington Aphrodisia. Jennifer Schober at Spencerhill Associates (world) handled the sale.

Joan Reeves has contracted an essay that will be in SOUTHERN INSPIRATIONS, an anthology about the South to be published by Blue Mountain Arts. Joan’s essay is entitled “Your People.” Booksigning frenzy!

Patty Henderson will be speaking at the Katy Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting on August 20 at 6:45 a.m. on “How I Write a Novel and Market It” and will have a book signing afterwards. At her first booksigning in her hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas on June 20th, she was made an Honorary Alumni of the University of Arkansas. Patty will also have a booksigning at Katy Budget Books on September 13th, 2:00-4:00 pm.

Finally, I’d like to give a big thank you to Tera Lynn Childs who made my daughter’s day by sending her an autographed copy of OH. MY. GODS. to my daughter at camp. You have a lifelong fan.

Don’t forget to send me your news for next month by August 20. Please send it to me at micheledunawaybooks@earthlink.net or whosinthenews@whrwa.com

-Michele Dunaway

It takes a lot of courage to set aside well-loved characters and a writing style that launched you onto the Bestseller lists but Nina Bangs has done just that- with amazing success!

Eternal Pleasure is the first of eleven ‘Gods of the Night’ series. Delving into the dark and serious side of paranormal, Nina has created an incredible new world full of original plot points and surprising twists-so much so, I am unable to summarize without ruining the story for you. Hint: She pairs a predator alpha-male with a perfectly normal human female, throws them in life-endangering situations with breathtaking frequency and- uh yeah- it’s Nina; LOTS of sexual tension! Will they save humanity in time? I’m not telling, buy the book.

Suffice it to say this is a can’t-put-down page turner (warning: if you’re reading it pool-side, be prepared for a seconddegree sunburn!) Congratulations Nina!

~ Reviewed by Sarah Andre

Drawing from her experience as a seasoned contest judge, a student in the University of Houston Graduate Creative Writing Program, and a published author, Sandra describes story symptoms, shows where they’re likely to arise in a manuscript, and provides suggestions for correcting the problems. Her March 2008 release, WITHOUT A TRACE, earned 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times Book Review. In her “other life,” Sandra is a Product Manager for a Fortune 500 company.

Curvy vampire Glory St. Clair arrives home and smells trouble - Type B kind of trouble. When Glory realizes the human woman with her throat torn open is near death’s door, she speed dials the man she begged to turn her into a vamp centuries ago – Jeremy Blade, her on-again, off-again lover, friend, and in this crisis, her only hope of help. Having never made a vampire, Glory is reluctant to bestow eternal undead bliss upon the mortal, but she can’t let her die. The woman she makes is Lucky Carver, a surgically enhanced loan shark enforcer and a loose cannon when it comes to vampire rules of discretion.

Glory is feeling anything but lucky when she receives blackmail threats from an unknown fiend who made a video of her changing Ms. Carver. That is until she speaks to Lucky’s grateful, mobster daddy who promises her a cool million if she finds his daughter’s attacker. She needs the devil’s own luck, however, as multiple suspects emerge among the live and the undead.

Gerry Bartlett’s third installment of her Real Vampire series is loaded with laughter, suspense, and some hot chemistry between the sassy Glory and her Highlander Hunk. Ms. Bartlett weaves the newest tale so well new readers to the series will never miss a beat. For those who have not read the 1st two books, I highly recommend taking a bite out of Real Vampires Have Curves and Real Vampires Live Large as well. All three are Fangtastic!

~Reviewed by Vicky Dreiling

What a thrill for Tera Lynn Childs! Publishers Weekly gave OH. MY. GODS. a starred review, calling the novel “an an effervescent, fast-paced read”.

Deeanne Gist won the Anne-Bonney Award for Most Emotional Romance for THE MEASURE OF A LADY. Her latest release, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TROUBLE, was a “June Top Pick” in RT and received a 4-1/2 star review.

June has been an exciting month for Laura Gompertz! Not only does her newest book, SOUL BONDS release from Loose ID, but she received her PAN approval from RWA National. Congratulations in reaching that exciting career milestone, Laura!

Christy Janisse is thrilled about a 4 ribbon review of her first book, MISTAKEN, written under her pseudonym of Brandy Jordan. Romance Junkies posted a wonderful review on their site at: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/suspense/Mistaken.shtml.

Kerrelyn Sparks is happy to announce that BE STILL MY VAMPIRE HEART is a finalist in the published Laurie contest, sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers. BE STILL is the third book in the Love at Stake series. Book number five, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A VAMPIRE, will be released as an Avon Superlead at the end of October 2008. For more information and fun vampire games, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com

Congratulations are in order! Colleen Thompson shares that she received notification that HEAD ON (Love Spell Romantic Suspense, 7.07) is a finalist in the Daphe du Maurier contest sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter, in the Single Title division.

Kristi Gold announces that her next Special Edition, THE MOMMY MAKEOVER, will be a February ‘09 release. This is the fourth book in the O’Brien series that began in Desire.

Patty Henderson announces the print release of her romantic suspense novel, GIFT OF DECEPTION, from Wild Rose Press. She recently held a booksigning in her home town of Fort Smith, Arkansas, on June 20th. Congratulations, Patty!

~ Note from Kim…

I’ve had a wonderful time receiving and writing about your news over the past year, but this is my last time writing the Who’s In the News article.

Michele Dunaway has graciously agreed to take over, so make a note of her contact info. You can let her know about your news by the 20th of each month at micheledunawaybooks@earthlink.net or whosinthenews@whrwa.com

“Some secrets are never meant to be discovered…” Lucy Gunter is a computer guru, a math wiz, and a NASCAR fan. She’s also hurting after breaking up with a race driver who she’d hoped was the one. She tries to swear off everything surrounding the sport, but somethings are easier said than done.

When Sawyer Branch asks her to lunch she willingly accepts – after all, he’s volunteered at the hospital where she works, and though his family is part of NASCAR, Sawyer is a math geek working on his PhD – a polar end of the racing world.

But Sawyer has a secret – one that goes deeper than just working on a friend’s thesis on counting cards in blackjack and using the money to pay off a loan – a loan that if left unpaid would only exacerbate the scandal around his family. A secret that will jeopardize his future with the lovely Lucy.

Lucy is falling for Sawyer – he’s everything and more. But when her friend asks her to use her computer skills to track down an email blackmailer, doubts start to surface. She doesn’t want to believe he could have anything to do with the horrible threats. But like most secrets, they never stay quiet. Can Lucy open her eyes and keep her heart in tack? Can Sawyer resolve the problems with gambling and save his future without loosing the one person who completes him?

Read Michele Dunaway’s fast paced, thrilling ride around the track of love, loss and redemption!

~ Reviewed by Christy Janisse