Chatting Tonight!

Hey, Readers!
I just wanted to let you all know that I and my fellow Black Velvet Seductions authors will be chatting tonight at the Author Island Yahoo group. You will need to subscribe to the list to participate. The link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AuthorIslandChat/

But everyone, and I mean EVERYONE who stops by for the chat will receive a free e-book of their choice from my publisher, Black Velvet Seductions! How awesome is that?! It's a great way to add to your summer reading list.

So, stop on by for some fun. We'll be posting excerpts and answering all your burning questions, plus you'll get a FREE book of your choice! I hope to see you there.

Hero Qualities

I’m thrilled to say that I’ll have a novella, Eight Seconds, coming out next year in one of the Caveman anthologies, Flavors of Ecstasy, from Ellora’s Cave. I don’t know which volume yet, or what other EC authors I’ll be paired up with, but I’ll share as soon as I hear.

Eight Seconds is the story of rancher, romance writer Taylor Westfall, and professional bull rider Devlin McCord. I love cowboys! And I loved writing this story. It was great therapy for me after losing my mom, and it was nice to immerse myself in something positive and fun. Plus, I had a deadline to meet which is always great motivation.

Eight Seconds takes place one snowy weekend before Thanksgiving. I’ve always wanted to write a holiday connected story, and although this one only mentions Thanksgiving, the time of year and the snow reiterate her loneliness and the isolation she faces on her ranch. And, she’s in much need of some sexual inspiration for her writing. She’s bound and determined not to spend another harsh winter all by herself. Cowboy Devlin McCord is sexy, hot and just what she needs to get the creative juices flowing again! Hey, I wouldn’t mind spending more than eight seconds with this guy. Too bad I can’t make my fictional characters come to life in the flesh. Oops! Don’t tell my husband I said that!

Besides being good-looking and sexy, Devlin is honest, caring, and loyal to the bone. All qualities my heros must have, even if they don’t realize they have them. And yes, the hunk in the photo is George Strait, a true American cowboy who inspires this writer's work all the time! What are your favorite must-have hero qualities?

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

Off to See Stephanie Bond!

Hey, bloggers!

I'm sorry I've been absent for a few days, but my father has been ill and in the hospital. I am just now catching up on a few things and getting back to some normal "writer stuff"! I'm excited that this weekend I'm going to get the chance to attend a two day writer's retreat featuring author Stephanie Bond! I have heard Stephanie speak many times on tape from the RWA conferences, but I've never had the chance to hear her in person. She does some great talks on not only the craft of writing, but the business side as well. This Saturday she'll be talking about the difference between a good book and a great book, self-editing, and minding your writing business. Look out Stephanie! I have a few questions for you.

I'm also looking forward to a girl's night out with two of my writing pals, Margaret and Noelle. I'm sure we'll do a lot of brainstorming and share a ton of laughs. Ah, this means no cooking, and no wrangling the kids! Woo-hoo! But I'm sure very little sleep. ;-)

So, are you a Stephanie Bond fan? If so, tell me which books of hers are your favorites. I personally can't wait to get signed copies of her two Voodoo books---In Deep Voodoo, and Finding Your Mojo. Right now I'm in the process of reading Got Your Number!

And just a quick heads-up. I have a new contest coming to my website, http://www.sherryjames.com, in November. Be sure to check in to see how you can win a signed copy of Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge and other goodies!

Sherry

Office View

I think it's always kind of fun to discover where fellow writers create their amazing stories. Many love coffee shops, but since I'm not a coffee drinker that holds no appeal for me. I prefer the solitfude of my own home. These days I mainly write my books on my lap top so I can be portable. With small kids, being portable is very important! I need to be near where the action is. But when I can, I go to the quiet of my office, carting the lap top with me. This is where my desk top computer sits waiting for me, too. I handle the majority of the business side of writing on my desk top. I like keeping that precious lap top as clutter free as possible! Plus there's something mental about keeping the lap top for writing only. I try not to play there. That's reserved for my main computer. My desk top computer also handles all of the email I receive, is the holding cell for all the web sites I maintain, and dutifully stores all the photos I take, plus is the home of my book covers, pub photos and all that good stuff.

One of the things I love about my office is the view I have. Especially this time of the year. It might not be a mountain top dusted with snow, or a lake dotted with sparkling gems courtesy of the sun, but to me, it's just as beautiful. It's a corn field. Yes, that's right. A corn field. I get to look over a vast field of corn and watch its progress throughout the growing season. I get to witness the first sprouts of spring, the first touches of yellow as the tassels emerge, and watch the deep, rich green of the leaves transform to a sea of gold that puts me in the mood for scarecrows and pumpkins. I love to watch the late afternoon/evening sun highlight the west side of the trees and throw shadows to the east and across the road. On days the weather cooperates, I love to open the window and be serenaded by a chorus of crickets chirping. They are usually accompanied by a little wind rustling through those drying corn stalks, making a beautiful autumn song. An extra bonus is the feel of the cooler breezes sneaking in and wrapping around me. Add a little music, a favorite candle, and I'm ready to write my fingers to the bone!

Do you have a favorite view that inspires you?

The Fun of Book Trailers

Okay, I'm finally getting back to actually posting on my blog. I've spent the last week tweaking, searching for just the right look that reflects me. I think I've found it. Anyway, today I'm excited to talk about book trailers. They are the newest, hottest trend in promoting books. They are basically like a movie trailer and are designed to give you a brief, but exciting synopsis of the book that it will, hopefully, intrigue you so much you can't live unless you read that story!

Being the creative soul that I am, I couldn't resist the temptation to do my own book trailers. I've done one so far for my first Ellora's Cave release, Cowboy Fling. After a lot of trial and error, I (for the most part) figured out the software and managed to create a trailer that reflects the book really well. It's short, snappy and fun. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to convert the trailer to the proper file formats for the various sights like Google video, Yahoo video, and You Tube, which I still haven't mastered. I think my choice of software has something to do with my troubles with You Tube. But I'll keep hunting and pecking in my software and hopefully will find a way.

Now that I have a cover for my new Studs for Hire book, Woman in Charge, I'm going to be creating a trailer for the Stud series. Keep your eyes open! My challenge so far with that trailer is finding just the right music. I did find one, but sorry, I have a hard time paying sixty bucks for 30 seconds worth of music. Guess I didn't like the tune THAT much! So, it's back to searching.

So, tell me what you like about book trailers? Live action? Still photos? Dramatic or upbeat music? Do you have a favorite book trailer? If so, tell me about it. Inquiring minds want to know! And enjoy Cowboy Fling!

Sherry