Pot O' Gold Contest

It's contest time again. To celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the arrival of Spring, I'm giving away two e-books (your choice) to two lucky readers. You can choose from my romantic comedy series Studs for Hire: Woman on Top, or Studs for Hire Woman in Charge from Black Velvet Seductions! All you have to do is visit my website, www.sherryjames.com, and find the 3 pots of gold hidden around the site. Email me your answer and you'll be entered! That's it! Deadline to enter is March 31, 2008.
May the luck of the Irish be with you!
Sherry

I'm a Wanted Author!

Wow! What can I say? I'm a Wanted Author. No, I didn't commit any crime, unless you count writing as a crime, but I'm wanted because of my last name. Yep. The good 'ol name of James has gotten my face plastered on a Wanted Poster. Even though I'm not related to the infamous Jesse James, at least not that I know of, I am now a member of the Wanted Poster Club. Well, in a good way. Fellow romance author Marcia James came up with the cute idea of the James Gang. Each month she interviews fellow authors who have James in their names. I'm pleased to be her guest for the month of March. Check out the interview at her web site at http://www.marciajames.net/James_gang.html

Marcia is quite a lady. She is fun and dynamic. I had a blast sitting next to her at the Romantic Times BOOKlovers convention book fair last April in Houston, TX. I don't know how many pairs of thumb cuffs she gave away while signing copies of her book At Her Command from Cerridwen Press, but it was a bunch!

If you could be wanted for something, hopefully good ;-), what would be? A great mom? A good neighbor? A sex symbol? For me, it's a great mom/spouse/friend, a great writer, and a as a compassionate friend of animals. Let me hear from you! I'm always looking for great ideas for characters.

Sherry James

Chatting on Saturday

It's Friday! And that means I will be chatting off and on all day tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st, at Beth Wylde's e-mail group during the Black Velvet Seductions Publisher spotlight day. You do have to join the group to chat, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/ , but it'll be a fun day of Q & A, excerpts, and prizes. Be sure to check in and you just might win a free book!

I hope to see you there!
Sherry

5 Hearts for Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge

Golly. The reviews for my Studs for Hire books have been slow in coming but they certainly have been worth the wait. I’ve just received a review on Woman in Charge from the Romance Studio and I’m thrilled.

“Ms. Sherry James has written a marvelously entertaining, fast-paced book which was almost impossible to put down. I love her writing style—she introduces alpha males, but does not minimize the abilities and strengths of the women she pairs the men with. Her characters are dynamic and confident in their abilities to perform. The characters are believable and compliment the sub characters in her stories. . . . I loved this book and anxiously await the release of the third book. I highly recommend it to all.”---Brenda Talley, The Romance Studio

To read the complete review, visit http://theromancestudio.com:80/reviews/reviews/studsforhirejames.htm

I’m so happy Brenda commented that she felt Woman in Charge is a fast-paced book. I love to read fast-paced books and I love to write them, too. It’s nice to know that in her opinion I succeeded. Since writing a book can take weeks, or even months, it doesn’t always seem like the book is meeting that fast-paced goal. In fact, it can often seem like it’s slugging along at a snail’s pace. But, to me that is one positive sign that I am writing a good book. The harder to write, usually the better the book turns out to be.

Do you have any fast-paced favorites? Some of mine are Lois Grieman’s UN Mystery series: Unzipped, Unplugged, Unscrewed, and Unmanned. Julie Miller also does a good job of delivering a fast-paced read in all of her books. Janet Evanovich also delivers an awesome fast-paced read in her Stephanie Plum books.

So what are yours? Do mine make your list? Come on, share! I’m always on the look out for good books.

Sherry

Five Red Roses for Studs for Hire: Woman on Top!

Hey, everyone! I’ve just received another review on Studs for Hire: Woman on Top! I’m thrilled that Red Roses for Authors gave Woman on Top 5 Red Roses.

“Do not be mislead by the title! It is a clever pun. This is sassy, fun and sensual. I loved this romance by an author new to me.” Five Red Roses, Linda.

To read the complete review, go to http://redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com/2008/02/studs-for-hirewoman-on-top.html

Whew. I tell ya, writing a book is hard work. You pour out your heart and soul into every page, every paragraph, and even every word. It’s nice for us authors to be acknowledged by our peers and review sites to give our fragile egos a boost!

I’m curious. Do you use reviews to help you to decide to give a book a try or not? If so, do you only read 4 & 5 Star books, or do the 1 Star books pique your curiosity because you're dying to know what’s so wrong with it to warrant such a low rating? Have you ever read a book and totally disagreed with the rating it's been given?

Happy Hearts Day!
Sherry

Another Recommended Read

Another book I just recently read was Spirited Away by Cindy Miles. This was Cindy's first book, but it's just delightful! And very well written. I discovered this great book by receiving one of her bookmarks at a writers' retreat this past fall. Since I've always been a fan of ghost romances, this one instantly caught my eye. I'm so glad I got that bookmark! I was a big fan of author Angie Ray's when she was writing her ghost romances back in the 1990's. I've missed them. But Cindy is filling the void for me.

Spirited Away is a fun, tender romance that keeps you wondering if Andie Monroe, a forensic archaeologist, will ever be able to really touch her knight in shining armour, Tristan de Barre, who has been haunting the halls of his castle since 1292. The sexual tension in this novel just sizzles off the page. And Andi and Tristan are joined by some wonderful secondary characters--like Tristan's band of brave and ghostly knights, and Jameson, the staunch but tender-hearted butler.

I loved everything about this book. I couldn't put it down. Bravo, Cindy. I'm looking forward to reading Into Thin Air. Visit Cindy's web site at www.cindy-miles.com

Do you like romances with a ghostly character, either as one of the main characters, or a secondary character? If so, why? I've always thought it'd be cool to have a friendship with a ghost. Just think of the unique conversations you could have with someone who experienced history first hand?

Recommended Read

I just finished AT YOUR COMMAND by Harlequin author, Julie Miller. Wow! This is a great book. Julie not only delivers one yummy hero in Marine Zachariah Clark, but she gives the reader insight into what it's like to watch a loved one be deployed for military duty. AT YOUR COMMAND is hot, tender, action-packed and emotional. I loved the chemistry between Zach and Becky, plus the camaraderie and respect between Zach and the men serving under his command. Zachariah Clark is a true romance hero to steal your heart. AT YOUR COMMAND is a Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick, 4 1/2 Stars, and I can see why! And that's one sizzling cover! I wouldn't mind taking a turn at helping him with that pesky shirt!

Have you read AT YOUR COMMAND ? If so, what did you like about the book? Or do you have another Julie Miller book you'd recommend?