She’s got the man—and the wedding—of her dreams. If only love were part of the fantasy.

Heather Tindall is forced to temp as a personal assistant until her dream job as an event planner comes along. Worse, her new boss has a penchant of running off new assistants before lunch. Heather’s not about to let her spotless employment record be ruined by a real estate mogul with an attitude problem, no matter how well he fills out a suit.

At first Curtis can’t believe the nerve of the woman who refuses his order to leave. Six months into their working relationship, her dedication still manages to surprise him. But her best efforts to protect his personal life can’t keep the press from seeing him as anything more than a playboy. Then it dawns on him that the perfect solution is right under his appointment book—Heather.

Swept off her kitten heels, Heather can’t help but accept the proposal of the man with whom she’s fallen in love. She hopes that in time he’ll come to feel something for her.

Curtis is determined not to feel anything, for anyone, ever. He’ll do anything Heather wants—but he’s not going to fall in love with her.

Except that will never do for a girl with a Cinderella Complex... Her Cinderella Complex is a sweet romance about a woman who is dreaming of happily ever after with a man who views their relationship as yet another business transaction. I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship.

—Gotta Write Network "The characters were splendid and jumped off the pages. The whole concept of the story was very intriguing and was enough to keep me glued to the pages until I finished the book. Would this happen in the real world? It would be very nice if it did and I was Heather. The sexual tension was exactly where it needed to be."

—The Good, The Bad, and the Unread "Her Cinderella Complex was a wonderfully sexy and fun book...Their sexual encounters were extremely erotic...Her Cinderella Complex is the first book that I have read by Ms. Bayley-Burke and it won't be the last."

How does a woman get past the shock of her fiancé leaving her at the altar -- for a man? For Kristen Carter, it involves throwing herself into her job as a journalist, and justifying that her life is much better without a man in it. Period. That is, until sexy and seductive construction worker Ayden McKenzie moves in next door. From the first moment she spies him naked through his bedroom window, she is instantly drawn to him like a moth to a flame. But Ayden’s been around the block—several times. Now he's craving the stability that a steady relationship can bring, and once he meets his next-door neighbor he feels he's finally met his equal. The problem lies in turning Kristen into a believer…even after an unexpected visitor turns their world upside down. Read An Excerpt Here and Here Book Length: Novella Click Here To Buy!

Well today I have a special treat for everyone of my faithful readers out there. I have recently been contact with an author that I've recently met online through the wonderfully free Romance Writers United organization. You can get their badge on the right sidebar for you blog if you want to support the organization get new members. Well back on topic Rae Lori saw that I did author interviews and book reviews which I'm guessing got her interested so she contacted me, which I'm honored. I hope to be getting a chance to review her first eBook novel, A Kiss of Ashen Twilight, in her new series called Ashen Twilight. She has a teaser trailer for the book up on her website but here is the direct link to Ashen Twilight trailer so you can enjoy. Keep on visiting the blog or sign up for the newsletter on the left or even visit the new official website to find out when the review will be posted. Below is my interview with romance author Rae Lori:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance?

Rae Lori: Hi Phoebe! Thanks for having me. I guess romance is something I sort of fell into. Growing up I read a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and suspense and the teen reads (like Sweet Valley High) were my romance. Recently I got into it because I loved reading IR (interracial) romance and it spiraled from there especially during the rise of paranormal romance. I LOVED Anne Rice growing up and seeing the return of vampires as heroes really brought some ideas in my head that I wanted to put onto paper. If anyone, I would probably attribute my desire to start writing romance with her and Sandra Kitt.

Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?

Rae: Oh yes. I knew I wanted to write IR romance but after a few tries at contemporary I wanted to explore with more genres. So I went back to writing sci-fi and fantasy again, then suspense and eventually paranormals because I love the external conflicts placed in the way of the hero and heroine. Makes the stories that much more exciting!

Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?

Rae: Hmm. You know the very first fan fiction I ever wrote was a short story fan fiction story I started when I was pretty young. I think it was a Selina Kyle/Catwoman story. My late grandfather bought me my very first computer which was an apple, green text and everything and I love that thing because it was where I got my first start at writing. I remember saving the story in progress on a big ole floppy, but I have no idea where that thing is now *laughs*. I’d love to find it to see how I wrote back then starting out.

Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?

Rae: I had to do a pretty good amount to make sure everything was correct and as real as I could get it. I went back and forth during the writing and after to make sure I got the village descriptions, time period setting and costumes correct as well as the events. Sometimes I would watch a movie to immerse myself in one perspective of the time period, like say Dahomey Africa in the 1600s or the Highland Scotland’s in the 14th century, but I would mostly buy books on history and learn the myths of the culture and the history. It was fascinating learning so much about the people, their beliefs and the world they lived in.

Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel, A Kiss of Ashen Twilight, which is the first in your new series?

Rae: I hadn’t come across a story between a fairy and a vampire as romantic interests before. Now I can name a few but at the time I started writing I thought it would be interesting to combine the two. I was curious to see if there were any fairies in African myths and I came upon the Aziza which is apart of the Dahomey people’s mythology. They were a benign group of fairies believed to exist in order to assist hunters. I thought that was perfect and offered so many possibilities in the lifestyle of a female Aziza. Plus vampires are known to be hunters. What if my Aziza heroine fell for a hunter who was completely against her beliefs? How would they both cope? What would it be like to combine the high fantasy of fairies with the dark fantasy of vampires? And thus the first in the series was born. It offered so much conflict and sexual tension at the same time that I had a blast writing it.

Phoebe: How many novels are you planning to write for this your new series called Ashen Twilight?

Rae: So far I have three books planned to finish out this continuing arc. The first deals with how the members of the Ashen Twilight House live under mortal eyes. Once they are discovered, how will humans treat them as outsiders? And how have they treated them in the past? Then I wanted to explore how exactly they would get to the point where they desire to live with one another at peace? What kind of laws would be in place for the immortals? Those questions offered a bunch of possibilities for storylines for the opening three books.

Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?

Rae: Usually if it’s in the process of a series I start the next book right after the other so I record my thoughts where I’d like to start the next time I get ready to write. If it’s the start of something completely new I usually let it swim around in my head for awhile until it needs to be written down. Sometimes I usually think of the world around me and wonder “what if such and such happened” or “what if I throw this type of character with this one” and then stories come to me that I write down right away.

Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?

Rae: Hmm. That’s a good question! I’d say series are a little harder because you have to sort of keep the momentum of each book at the same rate or raise the stakes much higher the next go ‘round. I had to do this with my Cimmerian Series as well but I do love revisiting the characters once again and seeing what other kinds of trouble they can get into. With standalones you have that one shot to do a story and then it’s over. But the characters still kind of stay in my mind and I’m a bit bummed that that’s it with their story. Beginning to end. I don’t think I like writing one better than the other but they both offer their advantages and disadvantages.

Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?

Rae: I was a strange case. My business partner and I had our own publishing company at the time. It was a micro press where we published some of our own work as well some great authors we got to know. My first book was Cimmerian City which is very close to my heart simply because it taught me a lot about how the industry works and it basically gave me my start. It was my longest book at the time (which I was very proud of back then!) and along with my illustrated novella it was the first works I released. After a while we decided to close and I entered e-publishing where my longest book after that was Before Dawn Breaks. It came after Uthiel’s Embrace (a short fantasy novella) and both were acquired by Freya’s Bower. I had shopped ‘Dawn’ around by a certain big romance publisher before then and it took a few months. I found the rejection feedback invaluable and applied what I thought was necessary to the rewrite then submitted it again and it was picked up. It doesn’t sound like it took long but it did take awhile!

Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?

Rae: With Cimmerian City I was immensely proud because it was truly a book I had put together myself. I did the cover art, the print layout, the promos, basically everything but the printing and editing which I had asked my editor at the time to proof before I sent it out to the public. After that I like to celebrate each novel published because I worked so hard on each of them before showing them to editors. Sometimes I forget and dive right back into the next project but I have to remind myself how far I’ve come with each step I make. Sometimes I can’t even believe it myself.

Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?

Rae: I’m still trying to figure out that one! Usually when I’m working on a novel it’s all I’m focused on and I have to cut outside things off for awhile until it’s done. My office looks a mess after each project so I have to take time to clean up everything, return phone calls and take breaks so friends and family still know I’m alive and well!

Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?

Rae: I either play Tomb Raider or Silent Hill video games since I want to rest my mind and just focus on something else entirely. Maybe watch a movie and try not to think about writing or promoting. But it’s a hard button to switch off! Usually I finally can catch up to my TBR pile so I’ll dive into a few books one after the other which keeps me pretty busy in between projects. Or I do art projects for myself or for fellow authors who are looking for graphic design work.

Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?

Rae: Oh yes. I’m still trying to teach myself how to play the guitar (it’s crazy). I love watching movies and losing myself in a great tale. Strangely enough, although I went to school to study art it’s sort of become my hobby when not freelancing and it helps to balance out the writing bug when I’m taking a break and need to flip my mind off for a bit.

Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Rae: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If there’s something you don’t understand by all means keep searching until you find out the answer. Know what steps you have to take to learn all you can about the business you’re entering. But at the same time don’t learn too much that you push out your creativity. Keep an open mind about everything and learn to forge your own path, make goals and try your best to attain them.

Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Rae: Probably that nothing or no one is too small to give your attention. Readers out there come in all shapes, sizes and backgrounds and you should treat each and every one of them, as you would want to be treated if you were in their place. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a reader in this industry. Promote to them as you would like to be promoted to. A lot of times readers are thought of as merely consumers but they are so much more than that. They are book lovers and adventurers as well. I once heard an author say that when a reader buys your book you are, in essence, opening a contract with that person. You promise to entertain them and give them a great reading experience within the pages of your book. You don’t want to let that person down because once they enjoy your work; they’ll be willing to check out more stories that you are eager to tell. And that’s an awesome experience for both authors and readers alike.

Phoebe: Now for a question that I have been meaning to ask an author. Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?

Rae: Oh, I’m a textually promiscuous book tramp (and have the badge to prove it on my website *laughs*). I love all different kinds of genres! Right now I’m heavily into the paranormal genre, which I love because it encompasses a mixture. You can have a fantasy romance or an urban fantasy mystery romance. It’s awesome! My favorite authors are Sandra Kitt, Aldous Huxley, Philip K. Dick, Dawn Thompson, Octavia Butler and Anne Rice. Some of these authors transcend genre to appeal to so many different kinds of readers out there. That’s what I hope to achieve with my writing.

Well today I have a special treat for everyone of my faithful readers out there. I have recently been contact with an author that I've recently met online through the wonderfully free Romance Writers United organization. You can get their badge on the right sidebar for you blog if you want to support the organization get new members. Well back on topic Terisa Wilcox saw that I did author interviews and book reviews which I'm guessing got her interested so she contacted me, which I'm honored. I hope to be getting a chance to review her first novel Timeless Mist, which is a time travel historical book to come out Fall 2009. Keep on visiting the blog or sign up for the newsletter on the left or even visit the new official website to find out when the review will be posted. Below is my interview with new romance author Terisa Wilcox:

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life?

Terisa Wilcox: In 2000. I was home schooling my three children and they had reached the point where they were learning more on their own. I needed something to fill my time in between lessons. I'd wanted to be an author since the fifth grade, I was an avid reader, especially of romances, always had a book going, sometimes two or three, and my husband always said I was an incurable romantic. The transition to writing romance was logical.

Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?

Terisa: I wasn't sure. I toyed with a couple of genres at first. I read historicals set in Ireland or England. After attempting a couple of those, I read A Dance Through Time by Lynn Kurland, and was hooked on time travels from then on. I decided that's what I really wanted to write.

Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?

Terisa: The first fiction I ever wrote was in the fifth grade. I don't even remember the name of it now, but I do remember that I won the contest my teacher had going and got to read my story to the kindergarten classes. That was very exciting for me. Unfortunately, I don't have it any more.

Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novel and did it take you a long time to gather that research?

Terisa: Research does take a long time. I don't think it ever stops. First, I had to research how to write. I know, that sounds funny, but it's true. When I started my first manuscript, I thought it would be easy. I figured I'd have it written in no time and ta-da, I'd be an author. Then, as I started reading articles about writing, I realized how wrong I was. There's an awful lot to learn about the writing process that most people don't even realize. Because my novel is a Time Travel, I also had to research the MacGregor Clan as well as the time period, the 17th century, the customs of the time etc. So, yes, research can be a very long process, but also very needful.

Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your first novel Timeless Mist?

Terisa: The concept for Timeless Mist was born when I began doing some genealogy research about my grandparents and that side of my family, which is the name I write under. I discovered that Wilcox was actually one of the names used by the MacGregor's during the proscription, when King James VI made it illegal for them to use their own name. The Campbell's encouraged this and pursued the MacGregor's the hardest after it was done. That led to wondering what would happen if a Campbell from the 21st century was whisked back in time to 1603, right after the King's edict, and ended up on MacGregor land. Hence, Timeless Mist was begun.

Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novel?

Terisa: For my first MS, I didn't really have a process at all. I started two MS’s before Timeless Mist, that are still stuck in a drawer waiting to be used as shelf paper, (LOL). I was recently informed by a couple of characters from my first MS that they didn't like being set aside and would like to have their stories written. For Timeless Mist, I got more a process down. I swore I was allergic to outlining, (grin), but I had to find some way to over come that or I'd be stuck forever on the middle of the book. I found an article about writing a synopsis. It listed ten questions to answer. Once I answered them, which was easier to do than I thought it would be, it was like a weight was lifted. I wrote the rest of Timeless Mist in a little over two months. The new novel I'm working on, Between Now and Then, is going much smoother. I answered those ten questions before I even started writing. So that's become my process. I get the idea, answer the questions and the story is off and running.

Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?

Terisa: I like writing a series best. That's what I love reading too. Timeless Mist is the beginning of the MacGregor series, although it and the rest will be stand alone books as well. There's no particular order to read them in, but characters from one book may show up in the others.

Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?

Terisa: I consider myself very blessed in this because Timeless Mist was accepted so quickly. I sent out my query letter to three agents first. I received rejections from them all. Then, on a whim, I decided what the heck, I'll send it to a publisher just to see what happens. I did some research on publishers, what they wanted, what kind of MS’s they were looking for, whether they were accepting new authors and how long it would take for them to read it and answer me, the whole long list. I decided to go for a small press publisher. They didn't take as long to answer as some of the bigger publishing houses and I just wanted to get my foot in the door so to speak. So, I got my synopsis, my query letter and my sample pages all polished and ready and sent them off to Lisa Rene Smith at L&L Dreamspell. A couple of days later, Lisa e-mailed me requesting the full MS. That itself was very exciting. Then I sat back and prayed a lot waiting for an answer. I started my next novel, and a couple of weeks later was offered a contract.

Phoebe: How did you feel knowing that your first novel will finally be published soon?

Terisa: Whoo Hoo!! (LOL) The feeling is indescribable. A mixture of excitement and anticipation as well as a bit of nervousness, praying it will do well when it's released.

Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?

Terisa: Who says I'm not insane? LOL. It's a balance and can be a juggling act at times. Last year my husband and I decided to move to Florida from Massachusetts. My oldest son and his wife had just had a baby and they decided to come with us. My other two children decided they were coming as well. We all live in the same house, which is wonderful, but can make for some creative scheduling at times. Especially as I am designated babysitter for my grandson, who's almost two. I have two to three days a week where I write for most of the day. I have an office and my husband is a great help in seeing I'm not disturbed when I'm writing. My children all know that my writing is my job and pretty much treat it that way. They've all known for quite some time that I wanted to write, to make being an author my career and a very supportive and respectful of my writing time. As I said, it can be a juggling act, where the kids all work outside the home and some days I only get in a few hours of writing, but we make it work.

Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?

Terisa: To relax I can usually be found reading by the pool or in the spa, (I love Florida, lol.) I like to spend time with my husband and my kids. Sitting still with nothing to occupy my hands and mind has never been easy for me. Even when I'm watching T.V., I have a book in my hand. I multi-task a lot. I find it relaxing to be physical after sitting and writing for a long period, so I will usually swim or play with my grandson. Anything to put my thoughts on something other than my writing for a short time. Although it's always there, I try to take time to unwind from it.

Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?

Terisa: I have so many hobbies, I don't know where to begin LOL. I like to crochet, read, I love to cook, even if I have to throw my husband out of the kitchen to do it, swim. My hobbies I do to relax.

Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Terisa: Don't give up and don't get discouraged. Whatever else happens, whether your novel gets published or not, finish it. Sometimes the process can take forever. You'll have days where you can't think of a single thing to write, you have no thoughts and your characters aren't cooperating. Don't stress over it, don't let it discourage you. Relax and do something else. Work on your synopsis or query letter, or do something completely different. Go for a walk, read a good book, anything. Don't feel guilty about taking a day off. It helps rejuvenate your thoughts. I once had my hero and heroine, Kristianna and Iain, take off on a picnic and refuse to come back for almost two weeks. When I stopped stressing over it and went on a cooking campaign, I went back and they were waiting for me. I know, it sounds crazy, but your characters come to life in a way. They each have their own personalities. You have to listen to them and if they aren't talking, you may need to take a bit of time to just relax. Then, when you come back to it, you may end up pleasantly surprised by how easy it comes together again.

Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Terisa: Write what you love. Fall in love with your characters and let them speak to you. And show, don't tell. If you find it difficult to do this, write in first person. You can change it later, but it's a great way to show instead of tell. Research everything. Not just things pertinent to your novel, but the process of writing as well. It's not as easy as most people think. As far as promotion and marketing tips, ask me after Timeless Mist is released. I may have an answer to that one then. LOL

SAVAGE THUNDER

Blade was married to a beautiful woman in his tribe but one day his wife tells him she doesn't love him and that she made love to his best friend Hunter. He left her to cool his anger and when he came back he found out that she drowned and was dead even though he was coming back to her and try to work things out. His tribe was so angry that he left her alone especially his wife's parents who wanted him to leave their people. His father who is the leader of the tribe tried to make them see reason but in the end Blade had to leave and be on his own forever. Two years later is when Denai's three brothers find and capture Blade so he can marry their sister who needs a husband after her fiancée was killed by a bear and was becoming a stress for her brothers. It was great reading about this time period and all the animals and I did have trouble with the words for yes and no that I couldn't pronounce but over all this was one amazing read that I recommend to everyone to get and read. I'm so grateful to Theresa who contacted me and gave me the chance to read and review this book and I now have an author to add to my favorites list. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:

Song of the Willow People O Denait

Now Available at Siren Publishing Sensuality Rating: SCORCHING Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance with elements of Ménage a Trois M/F/M and Ménage a Quatre M/F/M/F Length: 33,814 Words

Today is a special day because I have a very special interview with romance author Jessica Barksdale Inclán. I was very lucky enough for her to have found a link to my wonderful blog and saw that I was looking for any authors who would be interested in an interview and book review. She contacted me about an interview and a book review of her recent trilogy, which I told her I would be honored to do both. I will be reviewing her books Being with Him and Intimate Beings soon so look out for those two reviews in mid-December or the beginning of January. I had such funning interviewing and getting to know Jessica and I hope you have fun reading the interview below as much as I did.

Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life?

Jessica Barksdale Inclán: I'm not sure that writing romance is "the" thing I do with my life. In fact, it truly isn't. I have been writing poetry and short fiction since I was about twelve, and I wrote throughout high school and college. Because I had two children very young, I went right into my teaching career after graduate school. I teach English full-time at Diablo Valley College, and online novel writing classes for UCLA Extension. My first novel, Her Daughter's Eyes, is a literary/contemporary novel as are the next five that I wrote. But starting with When You Believe, I dipped my quill into the world of romance, and I've had a blast there! I find the romantic relationship to be enthralling and fun, and I'm happy to write stories about it.

Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?

Jessica: My agent suggested to me that I write something other than what I was writing because I write fast. He thought that I should have another creative outlet (and he's also the agent of Lisa Kleypas and Christina Dodd, so he knows that romance writing can be fun and lucrative!). So I set about learning about romance, reading 100 books in one summer, and I realized very soon that paranormals were fun. I liked the worlds that the writers created, and as I am a big fan of fantasy and speculative fiction, I knew I could put a romantic relationship into a world myself.

Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?

Jessica: I have some little pieces with me still, shot stories. But in high school, junior year, I wrote a very bad novel about a girl "coming of age" (I didn’t write far from home there) and yes, it is in a box upstairs in the garage.

Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?

Jessica: I have to research everything, no matter what I am writing. Even personal essays! I make sure that I keep things "true" even when I am writing lies (fiction). I usually write the novels, getting the plot down on the page, and then I go back and do my work. Google is my best friend. I live on Google! Thank goodness for Google! I also call people when I need to, friends with expertise. Or a cold call people in order to figure out what it is my characters are doing.

Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your Second Romance Trilogy? How is it different from your Believe Trilogy?

Jessica: The second trilogy is based on the concept of orphans. Of being left behind. Of being without their people. I saw in my mind these three blonde children hurtling away from home, scared and confused. And then I grew them up and put each of them in their own book. In those stories, they are looking for their families and they are looking for their parted twins, doubles, and the other person to complete them. They exist in a "magic" world, but it's a world far bigger than the one I created in the Believe Trilogy.

Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write one of your novels? And is it the same or different with each novel you write?

Jessica: Yes, I pretty much just get an idea and start to write. Sometimes, these ideas die out about page 75. But when the novel is a go, it's a go! I just push through to the end, and then I go about the hard business of revising and revising and revising. Then it is off to the readers and my mother, all of whom chime in. Then the novel goes to my agent or to my editor, both of whom will give me more suggestions! But I don't outline and my theory is to move forward and come back much, much later, when the novel has a shape and form and I know what is going to happen.

Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?

Jessica: I think I like both. The series are fun because I can keep working a story for a long time. My novels tend to come in under 300 pages manuscript form. That's just the way I write. But in a series, I have a chance to tie up some loose ends from the novel before, adding more material and scenes to secondary characters that I've grown fond of. In the second romance trilogy, I have become fond of a couple named Stephanie and Porter. Porter is a smart ass, a pain in the neck, and I was able to channel my pain in the neckness through him for over 900 pages! He was fun.

Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?

Jessica: I didn't sell my first novel until I was 38 years old, and the process of getting to that point involved many years of writing and taking classes and going to conferences. I sold the novel, and it came out when I was 40. The two years were the gearing up for that, and it seemed like a very long time indeed! But it was all the years of hard work before that that led up to the point of my being able to sell it.

Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out in print and how do you feel about your other novels being published?

Jessica: I feel that I was very naive when my first novel came out. I was thrilled, but I did not realize all the hard work that a writer has to do to get her book out in the world. Now I am very familiar with all the work a writer must do to be seen—blogging and interviews and book signings and movie trailers and web sites. It's a business, and when I first started, I thought being a writer was about art and words and expression. It is, but there is this whole other side to the writing life that isn't about writing at all!

Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?

Jessica: Who says I'm not insane :) Okay, I'm not, but how I keep myself on the good side of the line is to manage time. I write in the morning after doing my teaching work. I make sure to write at least 300 words a day, no matter what. My children are grown now, so it is much easier to managed my time, and my boyfriend doesn't always expect dinner (and most of the times, he'll make it for me!). So I just make sure to keep myself in order in terms of tasks, and I can always find the time to whip out a scene or two.

Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?

Jessica: I exercise every day, about 2 hours. That helps. I read. I walk with friends. I watch TV with my boyfriend, and we have a glass of wine. I garden. It seems to work fairly well, though the holidays ARE stressful.

Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?

Jessica: I think I just answered that in the question above! Well, what else? No, I think that's about it. Oh, bird watching. And I do like to clean my house. Sick and sad, but true.

Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Jessica: Really, it would be that your book won't sell itself. Get out and do what you can to promote your book. Blog, get on the romance sites, make sure you have a web site. Find ways to show people your books so that some little bit of word-of-mouth can start. But ultimately, it would be to write the stories you want to write. That keeps writers happy.

Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?

Jessica: Blogging has been the best for me. I blog on Red Room and the word-of-mouth has been very helpful. Also, networking—I will be teaching some classes through a RWA chapter online starting next year. The listing for those will be on the Yosemite Romance Writers site. Teaching through them also broadens my reader base. But again, it's all about how to get out in the world!

The last book dealt with creepy cancerous people who seems like evil demons which is something I don't completely understand how it happened, while in this novel it deals with something I've read about happening before in mystery novels and such. I also liked this book better because Gaby and Luther's relationship is developing quickly and things are really heating up between them, which I'm glad is finally happening. I also thought that it was great that Morth is in this novel as a more secure and manly man who now has a detective as a girlfriend. It was also great that Gaby has developed a sisterly relationship with the young girl she saved in the first novel whose name is Bliss. I liked the character Bliss because she also has a gifted power of seeing things that will happen or had happened and this is something that Gaby can relate to.

Well I'm not reviewing a book today but I will be reviewing the movie that was based on a very popular book. As you guessed it by reading the title of this post that I will be reviewing and talking about the now super popular movie Twilight. I finally went to see the Twilight movie last night with my mother. I was going to see it on last Saturday, the day after it premiered, but I knew it would be sold out and packed with so many Twilight fans that I decided waiting a week would calm things down a bit and give me more room. That was not the case because I went to the Manhattan theater AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street Times Square and I went to the 4:50 PM show and it was so packed that some people had to stand to watch the movie. It was a pretty small theater on the last floor of the movie theater so I guess it wasn't that much of a surprise but I didn't think there would be so many people especially teenagers (noise teenagers).

This is my first book by the author Lauren Dane and it is one amazing first book for me to read especially since it is a really large ARC of her first Berkley Heat December release. I was lucky enough to have won this ARC of Undercover and I knew it was going to be very different from any other books I've read because it is Futuristic, Erotic Romance, Menage and BDSM all rapped up in one very excitingly awesome novel. I've read futuristic books since I'm a fan of J.D. Robb's In Death series but I haven't read many erotic romances before especially with Menage and BDSM so this is going out of my realm of reading experience. I was warned by the author just in case because she didn't want me to feel uncomfortable reading and reviewing this novel and I told her not to worry because I love reading new things every chance I can get since I want to become a romance writer one day. First off I have to say I'm super glad that I won the contest because I was only one of a very long, long, long list of readers and authors who wanted to get their own ARC of Undercover. Now onto the very honest review of this book that I promised to deliever to the author Lauren Dane.

Sexy, pulse-pounding, arousingly erotic and another world with restrictive laws and a dangerous truce between the Federation and Imperialist. A world with a social cast like any other but one that can ruin the lives of those who love above or below their station in live. This is a fast past novel that I enjoyed from the start to the end because it had one strong woman and two very sexy and different men working together to save their way of life. The heroine, Sera Ayers isn't your typical woman since she lives in a very harsh society that looks down on her kind for being unranked and a woman. Sera's life isn't one filled with joy and blissful happiness not since her heart was broken by a ranked Family man who had held her heart in his hands but crushed it when he had to marry politically to save his family. To make it worse he even dared to ask her to be his mistress and so she left him as cruelly as he broke her tender heart.

Now 10 years later Ash Walker the man she had loved is back in her life along with Brandt Pela who are there to recruit her into their 3 man team to bring down Federation traitors. I had fun reading about Ash Walker and Sera Ayers past relationship because it gave them the personalities that they have in the present of the novel but also to understand what they were to one another was great to read. I had a bit of trouble with some of the new words that are used in this futuristic world but it didn't stop me from enjoying all the adventures that Ash, Sera and Brandt go through in the novel. There were a lot of very erotic sexual encounters between the three of them that I enjoyed to read especially since they feel such emotions that make their threesome relationship work so well for them all. It was nice to see that the men weren't jealous of one another because of their love for Sera and I liked that they all have an unexpected but much enjoyed Happily Ever After. I recommend this book to all Lauren Dane readers and to anyone who likes trying out different types of romances and isn't afraid of what people will think about your reading material because this is one novel you can't miss out on. I have this book on my wish list even though I have my Advance Readers Copy because I love the cover and the copy I have is a bit too large for me to carry around. Here is the description from the back of the book and picture: