Day 3 – mid week - Wednesday...

…there is light at the end of the tunnel. The weekend can be glimpsed. Yay. One thing - thanks to everyone who is emailing me with answers to the contest. I can see chocolate and hot romance books are a huge turn on. Only problem is, bless your cottons socks, the contest does not start until Friday July 18 so while the answers you have given are very imaginative and possibly difficult to perform without a trampoline - they are not correct. Do you know why? Because Anny and I will put the answers on our websites on July 18th. So hold fire until then.

The things I did today…

- drank way, way too much coffee.
- discussed with a sales rep at work what you would spend lotto winnings on. They weren’t sure. I rattled off a list. "You have given this some thought." Oh hell yeah, baby.
- I called my health insurance provider to make sure I was covered for a day admission to the local hospital - nothing exciting. Anyway the guy said is it liposuction? Did I sound like I needed liposuction? Do I sound fat over the phone? Were my things rubbing noisily together? He said he had spent all day explaining to people liposuction was not covered. Seriously? All day? Yes. He apologized for jumping to that conclusion. I told him I had watched an X-Files episode years ago that cured me of ever wanting my fat sucked out of my thighs by a long tube. He said he wished that there were more people like me…scary thought that.
-bought groceries on the way home. I could only think of milk and soda water (I don’t like sweet drinks. I’m sweet enough…don’t do the eye roll thing) to buy. I am sure there is something else…oh well…maybe food…hhmmmm…
- discussed with best friend Ethel how to get the lid off a ten litre can of paint - it's one of the new-fangled lids paint manufacturers are using to torture us with. She in turn discussed with her husband and he in turn gave a male answer neither of us could understand so I have decided to apply female logic and an axe to the paint can.
- chatted with writers about covers and what makes one crap. Is naked good? Does it sell? Should you screw yourself up with angst over a cover? How long is a piece of string?
- trash-talked with ex-colleague at Promptel via email – always fun. I make a point of asking if Pee Wee, the manager there, is still short and obnoxious. Why? Because he was and is an arrogant prick to the battery hens who answer the phones in the call centre and I hope he reads the emails.
- oh, and yeah…did some work to keep my hand in.

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Okay, I have a problem…"my name is Amarinda and I am hooked on Vista Print."
Hello Amarinda…
I swear I have become a Vista Print junkie. I love the free stuff - and yeah, I know nothing is free but when I gazinter in the shipping costs for the free stuff it is excellent value. What is ‘gazinter’? Did you never watch The Beverley Hillbillies on TV? Jethro called adding anything up ‘gazintering’ - this goes into that. And yes of course, Vista Print knows I am hooked as they keep sending me free stuff emails and my hand shakes as I open them because I know what’s inside and I need the hit man. Sure, I know someone is now going to tell me a horror story about Vista Print. Bring it on. Try and make me go cold turkey but it would have to be good to knock back their free t-shirts which are fantabulous for advertising www.amarinda.com.

I have the itchiest feet at the moment. I have the overwhelming urge to change jobs. What would that be? Job 30? It has more to do with me than the job. It's average, it's boring and frankly I am not.
Yes, I am terribly modest but one must champion oneself. I can do the job in half a day when it took the previous person 2 days to do stuff. I'm bored and boredom turns to other thoughts. I keep saying to myself what the hell do you want? My answer to me is shut up and go away and stop asking deep and meaningful questions because I don’t know, you big drama queen. Yes, I talk to myself quite a bit. Generally I find myself incredibly logical. Do you do that or are you more sensible? And more importantly when you chat to yourself, do you get the right answers?

A Knock Three Times moment…released August 18th through Ellora’s Cave

Montie made it to the bathroom and slammed the door and locked it. The slide bolt was flimsy and she knew it would take only a minute for him to kick it in if the front door was anything to go by. She scrambled over the sink and grabbed a can of Adam’s deodorant. Non-allergenic? Fuck that. Montie chucked that one and picked up one of her own. All day protection. Yep, that’s what she needed right now. She also picked up her fingernail scissors. They were small but sharp. Just like her.

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The Amarinda and Anny Contest

What could be better than kicking back with a good book? Winning two books - one from Amarinda Jones – Knock Three Times and one from Anny Cook – Kama Sutra Lovers. Fantastic. You want more? Be the envy of all with two hand made hair piks to adorn your locks. But wait – there’s even more! How about munching on a delicious care pack of Aussie treats? One lucky reader will win all of this. How do you win this fantastic prize? Go to www.annycook.com and www.amarindajones.com and answer an easy question -

If trapped on a deserted island what two things could Anny and Amarinda not live without? The answers can be found on the websites. As soon as you have them email
amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au with your answers – there will be 4 in all.

The contest starts 18th July and closes midnight 23rd July 2008 (USA EST). The first correct entry drawn at random will win the prize. Good luck.

www.amarindajones.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmarindaJonesNewsletter/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

The Wednesday Interview

This week’s brilliant author is Brynn Paulin with her brand new release All Chained Up. So read the interview then go immediately to Ellora’s Cave and buy the book – and if you see a couple by the Jones girl please consider buying them to keep me in Tim Tam money...thank you. Next week Bronwyn Green author of Ronan’s Grail will grace us with her presence.

All Chained Up – The Blurb

On the run from a stalker, Keera has carefully hidden her attraction to Theo, knowing surrendering to her lust isn’t an option. She can’t put him in danger.

Theo, however, is determined to take the choice from her hands. For months, he’s studied her and he has a few secrets of his own. The biggest is his D/s lifestyle. He’s a Dom without a submissive, but he’s not interested in anyone but Keera.

After a surprise night of passion, she consents to be his. But one minute she’s there, the next she’s gone and on the run again. Theo is determined to bring her back to his side where he can protect her. Then he’ll keep her there forever, wrapped in the chains of his love.

The Interview

1. You have some sizzling sex scenes in your book. How hard is it to write sex and make it convincing?

I do find sex scenes harder to write than regular scenes. You have to be in the right mood or they read like sex manuals. However, once I get going, whew! Sometimes I have to rein it in. If I continue to have trouble with a scene, it’s because the characters don’t have a strong enough connection yet. If there’s no connection, the scene won’t be convincing no matter how hot or kinky the sex.

2. Romance and the condom. How hard do you find to slip it in or on when the action is hot between characters?

I have trouble remembering to put it on. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl. Maybe it’s because there haven’t been condoms in my house for eleven years. I usually have to go back and rewrite them in unless I consciously think…“okay, today, hero X puts on condom and gets down to business.” But I have to be at that part of the scene. Usually, I’m three scenes down the line and suddenly swear because I realize I have to go back and slip the thing on him. How he puts on the condom is directly related to my frame of mind. If he jerks on the condom, I’m pretty pissed.

3. Do you think romance just happens or do you make your characters work for it?

For the most part, they work for it. I think everyone works for it and I try to relate some element of that reality into my writing—even the fantasy books. Lust pops up out of the blue sometimes. Romance, however does not. That takes a conscious effort.

4. What is it about your hero that makes him irresistible to women?

He’s hot. He’s successful. He’s dominant. And he cares enough about his woman to put his life on the line. Most women are pretty taken with a man who’s a bit possessive and dominates without being a jerk.

5. Do you think readers want to escape or do they want to identify with a character?

Both! Reading is about escape. We have enough junk in our lives without being bombarded with it in fiction. We need our happy endings. However, I think a reader needs to identify with the character and how they deal with problems and succeed. It gives hope and relief from the everyday pressures of life.

6. What do you think is the most important thing to remember when writing romance?

That it’s a romance. It’s easy to get caught up in the sex or the world building or the action and adventure. In the end, though, you’re writing about two people discovering one another and falling in love. You’re writing about two people who your readers should believe can exist in the real world. It’s imperative that they have believable emotions and reactions to what’s going on around them. I like to put my characters through the emotional wringer.

7. What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on a mid-length fantasy for Ellora’s Cave and two novella for Total-e-bound.

**Click on the Cover and buy the book**

The blog serial continues on www.annycook.blogspot.com and as you can tell Anny has quite the imagination. Kelly is talking about kissing or kiting…or maybe it's knitting - something like that on www.kkirch.blogspot.com. And please take a squiz at the blogs to the left and see what writers get up to in their spare time….they are a creative, yet scary bunch...not me of course, I am completely normal-ish.

www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?