Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing.
A: I love having my books published by Samhain. I’ve had a variety of experiences with several different publishers, from the worst to the best. Samhain, I can truthfully say, is one of the best. The owner, the staff as well as my fellow authors are all great. They’re professional, courteous and have never let me down.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I like to use a tracking tool to see which online promotional sites drive traffic to my site. Additionally, I actively promote my books on Yahoo, Twitter and Facebook, among other venues.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Steady as you go! So many new authors think they’re going write one book, have a publisher love it and then rake in the money. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it happens in most cases. Take time to learn the craft. Take your time to learn where to submit. Everyone has to pay their dues. So start paying!

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: I have several releases coming out in 2012. The two next releases from Samhain are Sex with a Hex (Magical Sisters, book 2 – releasing Jan. 24th) and Betting the Moon (Cannon Pack, book 4 – April 24th).
Sex with a Hex continues the series about the Tristan sisters, each of whom have a special power. Allie is a succubus, Meg is a witch and Hilly is a shape-shifter.

Betting the Moon takes a character, Tucker Manning, from one of the previous Cannon Pack books and tells his story. He and a witch battle a vampire in a high stakes poker championship. But more is at stake than just winning the money!

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?
I am writing my next book for the Cannon Pack series along with a new book for a different publisher. I’ll just mum about them for now. Why spoil the surprise?

Q: How did you get into writing?
A: As with most good things in my life, I happened to just fall into it. Just for fun, I took an online writing course with an editor running the show. I pitched a book idea to her, she loved it and asked me to send it to her. Of course, I didn’t tell her that I hadn’t written the first page yet! Within a month, however, I emailed her the book and she contracted it.

Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: I’m a very lucky woman. My husband has supported my writing, even when I didn’t make a dime. Thanks to him, I’ve always been a stay-at-home mom who could write whenever I wanted.

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Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Robyn Bachar

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing.

A: I love working with Mr. Sam Hain. I was fortunate enough to tour the new office in Cincinnati last year, and they really do have a gorgeous space. I’ve been blessed with awesome editors and fabulous covers, so I’m very happy.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: Don’t leave home without promo in your purse. I always carry my rack cards in my bag in case my book comes up in conversation. I try not to be pushy about telling people about my book, because that can turn them off, but it’s always best to be prepared. Oh, and I have also learned that a little free chocolate goes a long way at a book signing.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: When my first book came out I asked another author for advice on marketing, and she told me that one of the best things you can do is to build your backlist. Keep writing. The more books you have available, the better chance you have for building a loyal readership.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered is part of my Bad Witch series. It’s a sequel to Blood, Smoke and Mirrors, and it shares the continuing adventures of Cat Duquesne as she tries to balance her new job as Titania with her relationship with her soul mate (and with the vampire who wants to steal her and make her his evil queen).

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIPs?

A: At the moment I’m working on more Bad Witch books. I have a novella featuring a character introduced in Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered, and I’m also working on a sequel to The Importance of Being Emily. I’ve been playing around with a space opera series and a fantasy series, so I’m always busy writing or editing something.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I’ve always loved writing. I started my first novel in 8th grade. It was really terrible, but I was encouraged by one of my favorite English teachers to keep writing, and that stuck with me and kept me going. My next serious attempt at a novel came with my first year doing National Novel Writing Month, which resulted in Blood, Smoke and Mirrors.

Q: How do you balance family and writing?

A: After a series of unfortunate events, I’m a free woman again, and it’s just me and my cat. The cat doesn’t mind my writing time as long as he’s allowed to curl up next to me (though he thinks there is room for both him and the laptop on my lap, and he is mistaken).

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Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Carina Press.

A: Carina Press and more specifically, Charlotte Herscher, have been a joy to work with. They’re very positive and very open to suggestions. I just love the energy they bring to my work.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I use a lot of social media like Facebook, Twitter and guest blogging, to get the word out. I consider marketing and promoting a year round effort, whether I have a new release or not. I think in this day and age, it’s important for an author to be out there all the time. Plus, I’m a social media addict. I LOVE talking to everyone on Twitter and Facebook. The other day I posted a funny picture on my Facebook that said, “I love my computer. All my friends live in there.” LOL. That’s exactly how I feel. So while I’m promoting and marketing, I don’t FEEL like I’m promoting and marketing.

On the other hand, I think any author needs to strike a good balance. You don’t want to inundate your followers with “buy my book” tweets and posts. That just turns people away. So occasionally I will slip a “buy my book” tweet or post in there but not often.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Never, never, never give up. Keep writing, keep reading. As long as you have an open mind, are willing to learn and can handle critiques of your work, you WILL succeed. But you have to be willing to work hard. Writing isn’t easy, as much as some of my non-writing friends like to believe. Its hard and you have to be willing to put the blood, sweat and tears (lots of tears) into it.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Her Dark Knight is a cross-genre romance. A little paranormal. A little historical, a little contemporary. It’s about Christien Chevalier, a Knight Templar given the job of protecting the Holy Grail and about Madelaine Alexander, his love from seven hundred years ago who has been reincarnated. Here’s a blurb:

Madelaine Alexander is on a mission. When her boss sends her to the hottest nightclub in town to meet with the owner, she won’t be deterred, even if that means standing in line for fifty-eight minutes in torturous heels while she’d rather be home in her pj’s with a bowl of popcorn.

A Knight of the Templar, Christien Chevalier was given immortality along with the responsibility of protecting the treasure of the Templars. He’s been unwavering in his task for centuries until his one true love—who died seven hundred years ago—shows up in his club, demanding his attention.

Christien couldn’t protect Madelaine when they first fell in love. She was married to a lord and he was simply a knight. Now, through some unknown miracle, she stands before him again and they have a second chance. But Christien fears that Madelaine is being used as a pawn in a dangerous game, a game of good versus evil that could affect all of mankind…

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I’m working on the second Knight Templar story. I’m also working on a romantic suspense, and the plot for my next historical is swirling around in my mind. It’s very crowded in my brain at the moment.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I started writing when I was ten years old. I’d read YA and, not liking the ending, would rewrite the entire story. Later, I joined my high school newspaper and knew I wanted writing to be a large part of my life. I graduated with a degree in journalism from Ohio University but writing jobs are hard to find. I worked several different jobs in several different areas. Then kids came along and, well, we all know how much time kids take. But ironically, it was when I was a stay-at-home mom that I had a little come-to-Jesus with myself. If I wanted to see my dream of writing a novel come true, then I had to start right then. That was eleven years ago and I haven’t looked back. I’m having the time of my life!

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: Now that the kids are older it’s much easier. I have two teenagers and a tween. They aren’t nearly as needy as they used to be and tend to disappear in the evenings. I write while they’re in school, then take a few hours off when they get home from school. After dinner I’ll sit on the couch with the laptop and write some more while my husband reads or watches TV beside me.

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Marketing with Mandy Spotlight on Self-Publishing: T. M. Hunter

Q: Please take a minute to tell us a little about yourself.

A: Not much to say. I’ve had short stories and novels published for the past four years (give or take), and started into self-publishing for just over the past year or so. I mainly stick to space opera, featuring my space pirate Aston West and the various characters of his universe. Even my latest sci-fi thriller The Cure blends into his universe later in life (shhhh, don’t tell!). I have had some success with small press titles, including my first two Aston West novels Heroes Die Young and Friends in Deed. My short stories have been published all over the web, including over at Ray Gun Revival, Residential Aliens, Golden Visions Magazine and Lorelei Signal. And as mentioned, over this past year-plus, I’ve been self-publishing various titles, including my novella Seeker, The Cure, and the first in a series of three-story bundles (Aston West Triple-Shots) featuring my new story “Dead Man’s Forge” and others.

Q: What prompted you to self-publish your book(s)?

A: Like many, I’ve followed several blogs where the idea of self-publishing books has been bantered about as a viable option for all authors. I’d had a poor experience with one publisher around a decade ago, which soured me on all publishers (and writing) for some time. I finally came around, got back into writing Aston’s tales, and ended up with small press Champagne Books publishing two of my Aston West novels, and another (ResAliens Press) who contacted me about putting together a short story collection (Dead or Alive). Self-publishing started becoming something of a “cool” thing to do around that time, and I started pondering the idea. I’d actually been sitting on an Aston West novella called Seeker, not knowing where to send it after an anthology call (which had been the catalyst for me writing the story) fell apart. I decided to dip my toes in the pool and self-published Seeker over on Smashwords and Amazon. I’d originally thought about submitting my next novel (The Cure) to agents, but after noticing that sales for Seeker were running about the same as with my small press titles, went ahead and self-published it as well. I’d been bitten by the bug now, and decided to conduct an experiment, bundling up three short stories (referred to as Aston West Triple-Shots) every quarter or so. All in all, I’d say I’m hooked.

Q: How has the experience been to date?

A: So far, I haven’t seen the stellar success some folks online have apparently had (no $100,000 months for me). I do have to say that sales have still been about on par with the sales from my small press titles. I’ve found quite a number of benefits through this brief stint in self-publishing. I earn more by doing it alone. I can get (almost) immediate indication of sales, and can match it up to promotional efforts I do. I get full control over things like editing, cover art, and pricing (if I want to drop the price of my titles to 99 cents, like I have, I can do it at will). It’s been a great experience, even if I’m not close to making enough to give up the day job. And of course, I have two more Aston novels in the pipeline, and unless circumstances somehow change, I’m more than likely going to bring out the next one on my own as well.

Q: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you started?

A: I’d highly recommend getting an e-reader, and also finding honest friends who own a variety of e-readers (and let you buy them free copies to test out). Trying out the files from Amazon, B&N.com and Smashwords has been an eye-opening experience on what the end-user is getting. Sometimes you end up scratching your head over how the converters ended up doing what they did.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I use most of the standard fare, promoting through my social networks (Twitter and Facebook, mostly) various online forums, and my website and blog. But as far as “tricks” I think the biggest promotional effort out there has to be pricing. All of my self-published titles are currently at 99 cents. My small press titles are around $2.99-$4.99, depending on title and location. “Bestseller” titles are running with inflated prices, to the point of being absolutely insane. I recently checked out the first in Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series, and was astonished that the e-book (for Nook) was $9.99 while the paperback version was also $9.99 (this book has been out for well over a decade, and possibly around fifteen years now). Marketing is all about taking advantage of, and sharing your benefits. If the idea that you can buy all of my self-published novels for a third of what a “bestseller” costs doesn’t get people excited, then…

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: (Assuming they want to start self-publishing) I’d recommend doing an honest evaluation of your own writing skills, including spelling, grammar, character development and plotting. This doesn’t mean asking your friends and family what they think, but hinges on whether your writing is getting accepted in the marketplace on its own merits. I’ve been getting short stories published online for years, as well as the small press titles I mentioned, all before I ventured into self-publishing. All of that was an indicator that my writing had what it takes.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: The Cure is my latest novel. In a nutshell, scientist Mila Groso has lost her husband and daughter, and in her unbearable grief, she’s decided to bring them back, so researches a cure for death. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one who wants to get her hands on such a miracle drug. Religious agents threaten her, trying to stop her work from negating their belief in an afterlife. The government sends a mercenary in, trying to acquire the technology for their own nefarious purposes. Fighting to stay alive, Mila discovers her cure may end up being a greater curse than she ever imagined.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s (works in progress)?

A: Well, other than trying to figure out the next three stories to go into another installment of the Aston West Triple-Shots, I’m also working on the third and fourth novels in the Aston West universe. Death Brings the Victory is currently in final (hopefully) edits, and features Aston returning to a war zone to escape his past, only to discover how far bloodlust will take him and those he loves.

Resurrection is still in first draft form, but the plot is set and it’s going to be a great one as well. Aston is presented with a unique opportunity to reverse the past mistakes he’s made, but to do so means going against everything that’s good and decent in his life.

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Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing and Ellora’s Cave.

A: My first ebook was released back in October of 2004 and, since that time, I’ve had 56 books published and have more under contract. My experience has been an incredible one. I’ve worked with many different editors, all whom have all made me a much better writer. The production staff at both companies has been extremely professional and wonderful to work with. The authors I’ve met and worked are the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known. I’ve seen my readership grow and I am very grateful to all the people who have paid their hard-earned money to purchase my books. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel as though I’m only getting started.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I’m not very comfortable with technology and I’ve had to step way beyond my comfort zone the past six years or so, learning skills I never dreamed I’d need. Time is precious to a writer, so I try to focus on venues where I know readers will be. Social media has opened up many new opportunities for writers and I enjoy chatting to readers at Yahoo groups and on Facebook. Blogging is fun too and I also have a newsletter. There are always lots of opportunities for networking with other authors or with romance review websites. I’ve done interviews, guest blogs and been part of group contests as well.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Don’t be afraid if you aren’t the most techno savvy person out there. It can be very overwhelming, believe me I do understand. Start simple with a website and blog. When I started you had to pay someone to build your website for you unless you were a computer geek. Now there are many sites that offer easy website building software as part of the packages they offer. They’re easy for you to use and update. I know this only because my hubby recently got his own website. I’ve taught myself to update my original website and have made some changes over the years.

And Blogger is great place for a beginner. If I can build my own blog there, so can you!
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: My latest book is Quinn’s Quest (February 21, 2012) and it’s part of my Legacy werewolf series being released by Samhain Publishing.
BLURB:
Kidnapped and held in a crazy doctor’s underground laboratory, Bethany Morris only manages to escape because Chrissten, one of her fellow abductees, creates an opportunity—by shifting into a werewolf.

Bethany’s desperate for help, but who’ll believe her story? The police? That’ll just buy her a one-way ticket to a padded room—because here’s the kicker: she’s discovered she’s a half-breed werewolf. Her only hope is to find Chrissten’s brother.

Quinn Lawton’s long, grinding search for his missing twin has turned up nothing…until Bethany rekindles his hope. Something else catches flame too—her heat cycle and a searing attraction branded with the word mate. Yet with so much blood on his hands, any future he might offer is already tainted beyond redemption.

Desperate for Quinn’s touch alone, Bethany has no choice but to take Quinn up on his offer to quell her terrifying need, no strings attached. And hope that as the search for Chrissten intensifies, the battle with their personal demons doesn’t destroy their razor-thin chance at forever.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I’m currently working on another Awakening Desires book for Ellora’s Cave. This one features one of the remaining Jewel sisters that readers met in Jackson’s Jewel, an earlier book in the series. Take one hunky bodyguard, one very independent woman and put them in a secluded cabin for two days and what you get is a whole lot of sexual tension that eventually boils over.
After this book I’ll be working on a brand new paranormal quartet, which I’m very excited about. But don’t worry Legacy fans, the next two books in the series have already been written and contracted.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: Like many writers, I was a reader first. Back in the mid-nineties, I had some time off and, with my husband’s encouragement, decided to try my hand at writing my own book. Of course, it was a romance. That’s what I read.
That original manuscript was turned down by an early epublisher, but the editor took the time to give me some good advice. Many, many rewrites later, that book became my very first Samhain Publishing release—Discovering Dani—which came out in 2006, more than ten years after I first wrote it. It’s amazing how much I’ve changed as a writer since that first book, but I still love that story!
Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: That’s a trick question and one I struggle to find the answer to almost daily. I honestly don’t know how women with kids manage to balance everything. I find it difficult enough with my husband and the rest of my family.
I love writing but there is no nine-to-five as there used to be with set days off. I write in the mornings because that’s what works best for me. The afternoons are reserved for the myriad other tasks that come with being a published writer. I try to take weekends off but even then I check my emails, Facebook and various groups I belong to. But if I have edits from my editor then I’m working weekends too.
I think this is something most writers struggle with. When you love what you do the tendency is to always be doing it. That’s the way it’s been for me the past seven years. My goals this year are to develop some other interests away from reading and writing and to focus on my health.
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Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Debra Mullins

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Avon, Tor and/or Samhain Publishing.

A: I wrote 14 historical romances for Avon Books. They were my very first publisher, and they really know what they are doing as far as publishing and marketing historical romance. I recently switched over to contemporary paranormal romances and have a trilogy I am working on for Tor involving the descendents of the survivors of Atlantis and their various cool powers. Most recently, I have been working with Samhain Publishing on the digital release of some of my backlist titles. Working with an electronic publisher is very different than a print publisher, but in good ways. Everything is done electronically, from the contracts to the communication with people at the house to payment of royalties. Print publishers still tend to do things in hard copy, which takes longer.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I’m not great a promotion, but I am very good at talking! I am very active on Twitter, and I try to do some guest blogging around the time of every release. I go to a lot of conferences. Sometimes I am a speaker and sometimes I just attend and sign at the bookfair. I almost always manage to get to RWA’s big conference every year. I really like meeting and interacting with readers. In the end, I’m a reader, too, so we all have something in common.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Don’t get so caught up in the business of publishing that you forget the joy of writing. If you follow the joy, success will follow.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: My most recent releases are the first time ever digital publishing of three of my back list titles: ONCE A MISTRESS, DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. All of these were first published by Avon Books, and ONCE A MISTRESS was the very first book I ever wrote. It was an RWA Golden Heart nominee back in its day, and then Avon bought it. DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER are related books. They’re historical westerns, and DONOVAN’S BED was an RWA RITA nominee back in 2001. I’m very excited to have these titles coming out again, and Samhain has been really great to work with. ONCE A MISTRESS, a pirate swashbuckler, is already available (Dec. 2011 release). DONOVAN’S BED is coming out in February 2012, and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER comes out April 16, 2012. I’m especially excited about DONOVAN’S BED, since it’s one of my personal favorites. Here’s the premise: A mysterious man moves to a small Wyoming town and buys himself a ranch and a huge bed to go with it. The heroine is the editor of the town newspaper and is determined to find out all his secrets. But Donovan and Sarah are like oil and water, and when he insults her, she publishes a provocative article about his search for a wife in the paper. The article has unforeseen consequences, as every unmarried female in the area descends on the town, determined to be the woman in Donovan’s bed. Watch for the sequel, THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER, due out April 14, 2012.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I just finished the first book of my paranormal trilogy. It’s in the revision/editing phase with my editor now. The hero is Rafe Montana, a bounty hunter from Vegas who is descended from one of the survivors of Atlantis. He’s a Seer, and his powers include the ability to see if someone is telling the truth (which all Seers have) and the ability to find anyone, anywhere. The heroine, Cara McGaffigan, is a woman who has come to Vegas to find her missing stepbrother. There are other parties chasing the stepbrother as well, and Cara joins forces with Rafe to both escape the bad guys and find her stepbrother before anyone else can. I’m very excited about this series, as I’ve wanted to write paranormals for a very long time.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: In junior high, a friend of mine started writing fan fiction about Battlestar Galactica (the original), starring me and her as the girlfriends of Starbuck and Apollo. This was before the internet and before everyone had a personal computer in the house, so the stories were written in spiral notebooks by hand. Periodically she would hand me the notebook and tell me to write some. I was afraid at first. What did I know about writing? But apparently I had a knack, because she started handing me the notebook more and more, and all our friends loved what I wrote. As we got older, I started writing my own stuff, one of which was the story that eventually became ONCE A MISTRESS, my first published work. I wrote that story in seventh grade English class, and years later when I was married and home all day with a baby, I decided to try and flesh out the story into a viable romance novel. The rest is history. J

Q: How do you balance family and writing?

A: For me it is a three way balance because I still have a very demanding day job. So the question is, how do I balance family, my day job and writing? The answer: by juggling as fast as I can. I met my current husband at my day job, so we still work in the same building and we ride back and forth to work together. He’s very supportive of my writing, as he has his own creative outlet in music. He sees my writing as a job, and therefore when I am on a deadline, he understands if I have to lock myself in my office for hours at a time at night and on the weekends. My children are now both college age, but I have always been writing and publishing ever since they can remember. When they were little I would write at night after they went to bed and whenever I could on the weekends when they were off with their friends. I was a single mom for a few years before meeting my current husband, but the kids’ father was great about spending time with them. Every other weekend I would be completely free to write since they would be off with their dad. As far as my day job, I would often get up an hour early to get in some pages before work and then write longhand on my lunch hour. I got many a book done this way.

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Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Candice Gilmer

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Lyrical Press and Samhain Publishing.

A: Both companies really are a pleasure to work for. I’ve been fortunate enough to release four books with Lyrical Press, and two with Samhain, with more coming.

But, it is a job, and it is work. Just because you sell a book doesn’t mean the work stops. That’s actually when it begins, where your terrible habits as a writer get revealed. Me and homophones do not get along at all. Not to mention the “comma addiction” I seem to have.

And while I will admit a certain amount of protectiveness over my stories (read “babies”) I have found that editors really do have the best intentions with books, and they want to see the books do well, almost as much as I do. Fortunately, I have had pretty good luck with all my editors, and they have been as passionate about my stories as I have, and that always helps.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I do whatever I’m told, lol. No, seriously, though, I use Twitter and Facebook quite a bit, trying to post regularly from my Facebook Fan page, letting people know what I have coming out and when. I keep all my book covers and blurbs available there, as well as on my website www.candicegilmer.com.

Also, I try to do signings when and where I can—Michelle Pillow makes me, she’s so bossy. J I’ve also done some promotions in conjunction with review sites like Bitten By Books, because they’re incredibly author friendly, and are terrific about working with you to do a great release on a book.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Write every day. Every day. Every single day. Selling is hard work, promotion is hard work, and editing is hard work. Writing is the happy, joyous part of being in the business. Savor that.

Also, I would remind them that publishing is the SLOWEST business in the world. Even with email, it still takes forever to hear from agents and publishers. It’s a hurry, hurry, hurry, wait game.

So write. Write as much as you can, every day. Set a word count or page count goal. And hit it, every day. Don’t take days off. The story will just go stale if you do. Just keep at it.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: My latest release, Rescuing Rapunzel, April of 2012 from Lyrical Press, started, actually, as a request from my 9 year old daughter. We had been reading the original Grimm’s fairy tales, and when we finished reading the original Rapunzel, my daughter turned and looked at me and said “Mom, you can write a better story than that.” So I did. It was supposed to be a short, ten page story about Rapunzel, but it wound up stretching far bigger in scope, because I wanted to know what happened to Rapunzel when she got out of the tower. There was so much more story that needed to be told.

As I worked on the story, I found that my hero, Nick, had two best friends, Penn and Bryan, and each one of them wanted their own story as well, and poof, The Charming Nobles series was born.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: Right now, I’m deep in my Charming Nobles series, working on both the second book, Catching Cinderella, and the sequel, Finding the Frog Prince.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I’ve always told stories. It’s like a requirement in my family. Everyone tells stories. There’s no short, one-liners in my family. Writing became a natural extension of that. Also, in school, I had a lot of bad grades, and I would be grounded from everything—tv, radio, books, my car, the phone, anything I enjoyed doing. So I would write my own stories to pass the time.

As I got older, I wrote fan fiction, trying to learn how to really craft a story and write dialog. Eventually, I started writing my own stories, focusing on the relationship between my hero and heroines, and a romance writer, I became.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: I have a really supportive family. Granted, I heard the “you better not quit your day job” a LOT before I got published, and still do, to be honest, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without their understanding. Even my little three-year-old understands that “Mommy’s working now.” We put up the “force field” in the kitchen, blocking him access to Mommy, and that works. For now.

Also, I have probably the most awesome husband ever. He’s my biggest cheerleader, and my best supporter. He’s incredibly understanding when I have to work, and watches the kids when I need to hunker down and get my job done.

I wouldn’t be able to do this without his amazing support. And the fact that he goes ghost hunting almost every weekend, giving me the house to myself. That’s always a plus.

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Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Ellora’s Cave.

A:I was lucky enough to get the fabulous Raelene Gorlinski as my editor. I like her no nonsense style and hard hitting edits.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I have always been a Facebook user and I’ve found a new love for Twitter and do my best to stay active on both of those. I’ve also done a small blog tour. With two little boys destroying the house every minute I spend online I really have to limit the amount of promoting I do.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Have several books finished and ready because things move fast once you’re published. It’s tough to find writing time between promoting and revisions and edits and everything else that is suddenly required.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Going All In is a sexy short story set in Vegas. It’s a reunion story that starts off with a bang…literally.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I have a plane crash on a tropical island ending in a ménage with my editor right now, and am working on a futuristic space travel series that I’m very excited about.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I never thought of myself as a writer, barely even kept a journal as a teenager, but my ten year class reunion was coming up and I wanted to have something cool to brag about, so why not write a book? I had no idea the time it took or the difficulty in getting an editor to even look at your work. I went into it completely naive, and five years and six manuscripts later my first books came out.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: That’s a tricky one, with two rambunctious little boys it’s tough to find a quiet moment. I get as much writing done as I can when the little guy is in preschool and do my editing while I’m on the stationary bike at the gym or they’re in bed for the night.

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Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Allie Boniface

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing.

A: I’ve published four contemporary romance novels with Samhain, my first in 2007. I’ve had really positive experiences with them, from the editors to the cover artists to the owner, the author liaison, the business personnel and everyone in-between. They are a very professional organization and they treat their authors well. I was a brand new author coming to them, and I definitely learned my way around the publishing business thanks to Samhain.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I try to maintain a regular online presence (Facebook, Goodreads, publishing my own blog, guest blogging, giving interviews at romance websites, donating giveaways to various online contests) and I try to combine that with participating in events that will draw readers as well. I do in-person author events when I can (bookstore signings, craft and/or book fairs, readings, conference presentations) and publish online articles or give online workshops when the opportunity presents itself.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: If you’re in it for the long haul, be prepared to grow a thick skin and devote a lot of your own time to promoting yourself. Writing for publication is not easy; not everyone will like your work, and trends and publishers will change. Be prepared to change with them while remaining true to your own vision. Be your own biggest advocate; believe in yourself and your work. Don’t let the negative experiences bring you down.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: Summer’s Song is a sensual contemporary romance set in a small town in upstate New York. The heroine, Summer Thompson, returns to her hometown after her father dies to put his affairs in order – but then she meets super-hunky handyman Damian Knight, who’s been hired to work on her newly inherited estate. That’s not her central problem, though: Summer begins having flashbacks about the night her brother died – a night she has no memory of and no explanation for.

Meanwhile, Damian is in town to protect his mother and little sister from a crazed ex-husband, so falling for a woman who’s only there temporarily poses more than a few complications. And when said ex-husband tracks the family down, the crazy man will stop at nothing to seek revenge.

Ultimately, both Summer and Damian have to deal with their past demons before they can find happiness together. Several readers have called Summer’s Song “inspiring” and “touching” because it really deals with finding peace with the past so you can move on and find new love in the future.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: I’m currently working on another small town contemporary romance (they’re my favorite!) as well as a series of novellas. I have three of my print books releasing in audio book this summer as well, and I have a YA novel on the back burner, needing attention before too long!

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I’ve always loved to write. I’m a full-time English teacher by day, so reading and writing is in my blood!

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: I do most of my writing on the weekends and sometimes in the evenings. I also try to do big chunks of writing during the summer, when I’m not teaching. It’s tough, no doubt, but I’ve found that doing something related to my writing every day (whether it’s actual writing or promoting my books) helps keep me focused and motivated.

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Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Cynthia D’Alba

Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing

A: Texas Two Step my debut book. I feel so fortunate to be with Samhain Publishing. Solid reputation in the industry, wonderful comments from their authors. My editor is Heidi Moore. She has been a dream to work with. Smart. Clever. Supportive. Could not have asked for better. And my cover? OMG! What a dream cover by Scott Carpenter. My experience has been what I wish for every new author.

Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?

A: I wish I had a fountain of promotional tricks that I knew worked. I’ve put a lot of time getting ready for my debut blog tour; although I’m told they rarely sell books. I’m trying something I hope stimulates interest in the tour and the book. I have quite a few friends who donated books for my tour (so I could give them away since I don’t have a backlist), jewelry to give away, gift certificates, etc. Also, I’m writing a prequel to Texas Two Step that will be blogged in segments as I go through the tour. I’m hoping the prequel will made people want to read more about my couple.

Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?

A: Make sure you really want to do this! If so, grow rhino hide as this business can be tough. Contest judges, critique partners, book reviewers, reader reviews. Not everybody will love your characters as much as you do. And write what you love to read!

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

A: It’s book one of a proposed trilogy – Texas Montgomery Mavericks

Book 1 is Texas Two Step, which comes out on Feb. 28, 2012.

Here’s the book blurb: After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landry is ready to admit he was wrong. He’d loved Olivia Montgomery but commitment wasn’t high on his list back then. That was his first mistake. He’s just divorced his second, and he’s set to do whatever it takes to convince Olivia to give him another try.

Through hard work, determination and more than a few tears, Olivia survived the break-up with Mitch. She’s rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves more than life itself. She’s not proud of the mistakes she’s made—particularly the secrets she’s kept—but when life hands you manure, you use it to make something better of yourself…lest you get stuck in it.

At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect. Olivia’s first instinct is to play it cool, but after one devastating kiss things flare out of control, real fast. Maybe a quick roll in the hay will get him out of her system once and for all. Funny thing about hay though, once it’s tangled in your hair, getting it out risks revealing things that were never meant to see the light of day.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?

A: Working on Book Two of Texas Montgomery Mavericks. The working title is Texas Tango Tangle. (Kind of a tongue twister, isn’t it!)
Here is the quick blurb: Travis Montgomery thinks Caroline Graham’s idea to stage a fake wedding to appease her dying grandmother is nuts. But Caroline holds the deed to a piece of land Travis has coveted for years. The only way to get his hands on the land is to go along with this crazy plan. After all, Caroline will only be in town another six months and she’s promised to quick claim the land to him when she leaves.
Neither of them is expecting to be attracted to the other. Caroline doesn’t want to put down roots and Travis doesn’t want another wife. Unfortunately, an obscure state law throws their perfect plan out the window. Can they confess their love before it’s too late?

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: I retired in 2003. I read over 1000 romances that year. My husband said he was tired of watching me read. He suggested I try my hand at writing. I thought, why not! How hard could it be? Yes, I can hear all the authors reading this laughing! SO FREAKING hard. So much tougher than I ever dreamed.

Q: How do balance family and writing?

A: I have no children so I don’t have to balance that aspect of family. I am lucky to have a husband who fully supports me in my writing. And my dogs? I boot them into the backyard when they become too pesky. But don’t feel too sorry for them. We have a huge fenced yard and live on a lake. They have it good.

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