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Nikki Grin
 
Click here for
an excerpt of
TIME AND TIME AGAIN .
Click here for
and excerpt of
SO CLOSE, SO FAR.
The
State of Romance
by Nikki Grin
(c)copyright Nikki Grin
http://dimples.0catch.com
There was a time when I thought
that romance died, or at least, that it has where I live. You see, my
name is Nikki Grin and I live in Israel, away from the glamour and the
flashing spotlights that we perceive America to be. I'm also a
romance author and I think that may be the catalyst to my perception;
the source to my problem, if you prefer. Romance hasn't died, it simply
moved...Far away. The fact that I write romance novels has only managed to
enhance the feelings of loss. Not to get me wrong though, I believe it
is the same everywhere, not just here, not just with me. Men simply
believe that bringing flowers should either happen on one's birthday, or
when a huge fight prevents him from coming home barehanded. I may be a
little old fashioned in that view, but I believe that many if not most
women are like that as well. It is not that we want to be romanced just
because it is considered conventional, or simply because that's how it's
supposed to be, we want it because we want to be shown we're cared
about. It's the simple things in life that make a difference. No one
needs a monumental token to make a woman feel giddy, a simple flower or
a note would do twice as much (though I'm sure an obscenely large
diamond ring would do the trick as well).
While in the past, men could take
lessons on being gentlemen from the old movies, the ones we love
watching over and over again; just to feel that flutter deep down.
Today, even movies have regressed. It seems that for a man to be
romantic in this day and age, he would have to either be a long dead
aristocrat that found a loophole and traveled in time, or a thousand
year old vampire that has recently awoken.
Other than those simple facts,
there's another problem that comes to mind. Women's independence.
However, one doesn't contradict the other. Romantic gestures would never
detract from a woman's independence, it would only add to it. A woman
nowadays must have a career, must be at the top of her game, must earn a
more than decent living. Romantic gestures help keep that money where it
belongs - inside her purse. We must pass our knowledge to the rest of
the world that has been kept in the dark for far too long. There is
absolutely nothing wrong in pulling a woman's chair out, opening doors
(instead of pushing through first), bringing flowers (even if it's not
her birthday or another special occasion. Every meeting is special in
and of itself), calling her the next day (no SMS allowed and let's not
be cheapskates; calling more than once hasn't made anyone go
bankrupt...yet).
But to end on a lighter note,
there is some hope yet. Chivalry is not yet dead and romance novels will
live forever. As long as readers, writers and lovers of romance keep the
flame alive around the world, it will never die out, but burn brighter
and lovelier than ever. And in this time of holiday, when we all rejoice
in happiness and love, with our family and friends, all else is but
forgotten. When everything melts away with the blankets of pure white
snow covering the empty streets, the only thing that remains to behold
is what is truly important; our loved ones, their safety and the warmth
of them surrounding us. Many happy holidays,
In reading
Nikki's article, my mind was triggered with questions. Why do we read
romance? For me it rekindles that euphoric feeling of being in love
over and over again, even though I have a very romantic husband. So, my
question to you as readers of this newsletter is: What was the most
romantic moment in your life or what was the most romantic thing someone
has done for you? Send your answers to
rjnewsletter@romancejunkies.com and your comments or story may
appear in our next WHAT'S ROCKIN' AT RJ newsletter, just in time for
Valentines Day! Readers and authors are all encouraged to participate
in this question. Just let us know the name you'd like us to list with
your comment if we use it (it can be your real name, first name only,
nickname, pubbed name etc...)
Dorine
http://www.millenniumpromotion.com
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Believe
by Mary Eason
(c)copyright Mary Eason
http://www.maryeason.bravehost.com
High up on the mountain, the snow was falling harder. Strong gusts of
wind, drove the flakes in first one direction and then another. The
fierceness of the storm made it impossible to see or hear a single
thing. Trees shivered against the cold wind, branches trembled.
And then there was a
silence like none other. Like the silence before some life altering
event. Even the angels were silent...waiting.
Every living thing
waited for this moment.
The small compact car
skidded on the frozen, two-lane mountain road.
Click
Here to continue.
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Holiday Schedule
Readers - Romance
Junkies' will be closed for the following times:
Winter break
- Romance Junkies' staff
will be going on vacation from December 17th thru January 4th. No chats
are scheduled during the break. New reviews will be going up on January
10th.
Authors: Romance
Junkies' staff will not be answering emails during break and no chats are
scheduled during this time. If you have a book you would like reviewed in
December and January we ask that you try and get it into us as early as
you can. During the breaks you can email
Chaoscat@romancejunkies.com,
I will be checking my mail now and again.
;-) -
Chaoscat
The Chance Romance
by Karen Rose Smith
(c)copyright Karen Rose
Smith
http://www.karenrosesmith.com
Even
the grocery store was decorated for Christmas with garlands draped above
end shelves and large decorative balls hanging from the ceiling. But
Kim's mind wasn't on the decorations. She spotted Seth at the
cantaloupe counter. He was dressed in a red down jacket tonight with
blue jeans, and looked sexier than any man Kim had ever seen.
She "accidentally" bumped her cart into his. "I'm sorry," she
apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
Kim was nervous about the "accidental" encounter. Seth's Aunt Iris, whom
Kim had met when she began volunteering at the senior center, had tried
to match her nephew with the "right" woman before. Now he wanted Iris to
stop meddling in his dating life. He would find his soulmate on his own,
he'd told Iris. But his aunt didn't believe him. She insisted he worked
too hard running his accounting firm and wouldn't take time to fall in
love unless she intervened.
Click Here
to continue
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 Carolyn
Russell
Click Here
for an excerpt of
HOLE IN HER HEART.
Click Here
for an excerpt of BEYOND THE LIES.
Carolyn is giving
away 2 Christmas ornaments.
Trivia Question:
Carolyn Russell is my pen name, What is my real name?
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 Diane
Perkins
Click
Here for an excerpt of
THE IMPROPER WIFE.
Diane is giving away a $10 gift
certificate to Waldenbooks and a Christmas Pin.
Trivia Question: What is
the name of the friend Gray thinks about in the excerpt?
Do you have a holiday
gift you are hoping to receive or a New Years resolution you would like to
share?
I am lucky enough to have everything I want -- when I sold my first book my
dreams came true! My New Year's Resolution is to set up a writing schedule
and stick to it!
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 Sandra
Madden
Click Here
for an excerpt of KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS.
Sandra is giving
away 2 prizes consisting of her first two books of the Men of
Annapolis series. The Admiral's Daughter, and The Lieutenant's Woman.
Trivia
Question: Where is Clementine Calhoun
from?
Do you have a
holiday gift you are hoping to receive or a New Years resolution you
would like to share?
I review my goals several times during the course of each year - so I
don't really make one big New Year's resolution.
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The Forever Gift
by CJ Barry
(c)copyright CJ Barry
http://www.cjbarry.com
I was only six, but I remember
it to this day.
You never forget the sound of
Santa's boots on your roof.
Stomp, stomp, stomp and a
booming ho-ho-ho.
Click
Here to continue.
 Mary
Eason
Click
Here for an excerpt of
EVERLASTING
LOVE.
Mary is giving away a PDF
formatted copy of Everlasting Love.
Trivia
Question: What is the full name of
Jessie's best friend?
Do you have a
holiday gift you are hoping to receive or a New Years resolution you
would like to share?
New Year's resolution...finish all those manuscripts I've started in
2004.
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Lord Save Me From
Critique Groups!
by: Dianne Castell
(c)copyright Dianne
Castell
http://www.diannecastell.com
The thought of someone messing
with my plot, poking and prodding my characters, rolling their eyes at
my voice sends chills up my spine. How can I write a story that's new
and exciting and make my characters unique and interesting with a
group of people passing judgment on my work and - this is the worse
part - telling me to change things to suit them!
It's not their story!
"But my critique group has
really, really good ideas,"you say. And that's great! It's the best
part of the group, the part worth keeping. Get rid of the critiquing
part and go for the idea part, the brainstorming part. Brainstorming
builds and creates and unites; critiquing destroys and frustrates and
separates. Why do it?
There are boatloads of how-to
books out there on the basics of writing and lists of workshops that
can hone skills, but when it comes to writing my story, it must be
one-hundred percent my idea told in my voice. If I let a critique
group at my story I get book-by-committee. It's sliced and diced and
put back together to suit them. Nothing fresh and new because someone
would probably not like the something fresh and new I put in and tell
me to take it out. Kiss my voice good-by.
Brainstorming doesn't tamper
with voice and my voice is what sells my books. Brainstorming starts
before the writing. It is the collecting of ideas to add to the ideas
I already have. No one tells me how to put the ideas together or even
which ones to use. That's my choice.
Critiquing is like throwing a
rock through a window. The original work is shattered. Brainstorming
is like throwing a rock in a pond. It lands and the ripples start
building from small circles to every widening ones that seem to go on
forever. The brainstorming group forms a pool of creative energy where
great ideas feed off other great ideas. Goals, motivation and conflict
of the story are explored in ways I never even thought about.
Brainstorming an entire story
doesn't mean someone else writes my book. It means I have the basic
premise, characters, maybe a beginning and end and some turning
points. I bring these ideas to the group, ply them with chocolate-chip
cookies then write down their ideas as they suggest ways to fill in
the rest of the story I don't have. We do this in three stages--the
opening and beginning, the middle action and turning point, the
climax, black moment and epiphany. We also discuss what makes the
story unique, what hooks fit and how to best pitch the story to an
editor.
I take notes, but a tape
recorder is better. I write down all the ideas, even ones I think
would never work. What sounds crazy now may very well be what works
the best when I'm actually writing the story. Or, often a suggested
idea will spark another idea that I'd never have thought of on my own.
In brainstorming, the most important things to remember are...there
are no wrong ideas, no one insists their idea is best, and pass the
cookies.
Brainstorming doesn't have to be
for an entire book. Maybe it the beginning or end or a scene that
needs help. Or perhaps a character's gotten himself into a mess and I
don't know how to get him out of it.
A fun and incredibly productive
way to brainstorm is a brainstorming weekend. This is not a vacation;
this is work. In fact, when you get back you'll need a vacation. I did
this with four other authors--Leigh Riker, Kristi Gold, Belinda Barns
and Gail Dayton. We met in Louisiana and at the end of three days we'd
brainstormed three books for each of us to take home.
This was great. Not only did I
have new books to write, I learned how to smoke a cigar. Hey, what are
friends for! Being with other authors let me see how they plot and
create wonderful intriguing characters that bring their stories to
life. Before that weekend I never considered the idea of making a book
saleable...I didn't even know what it meant. I do now!
Brainstorming is far better than
critiquing. It's a positive experience, not negative in any way.
Editors say, write the book of your heart - not hearts. It has to be
your story told your way in your voice.
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 Sari
Robins
Click Here
for an excerpt of
ONE WICKED NIGHT.
Sari is giving
away an autographed copy of Teresa Medeiros's ONE NIGHT OF SCANDAL.
Trivia Question:
What are the names of the hero and heroine from ONE WICKED NIGHT?
Do you have a
holiday gift you are hoping to receive or a New Years resolution you
would like to share?
Holiday gift: a mixer. I love
baking, especially anything with chocolate.
 Diane
Tyrrel
Click Here for an
excerpt of ON THE EDGE OF
THE WOODS.
Diane is giving
away 2 copies of ON THE EDGE OF THE WOODS.
Trivia Question:
When Stacy encounters the mysterious stranger in the woods, what
instrument does he use to get a better look at her?
Do you have a holiday gift you are hoping to
receive or a New Years resolution you would like to share?
Peace on Earth.
Christmas In A Romance
Novel
by: Dianne Tyrell
(c)copyright Diane
Tyrell
http://www.dianetyrrel.com
All of us who write owe a debt
to those books and the writers who have come before.
When I was a young girl in sixth
or seventh grade and discovered the old Gothic romances, I had no idea
they would contribute to the style of writing I would eventually
embrace. Victoria Holt's Mistress of Mellyn was one of my favorites,
and even now I'll pick up one of her early Gothics and slip back into
that pleasurable combination of suspense and romance. Maybe it was her
books that sparked the association of the holidays and romance for me,
a theme that seems to have found its way into my stories. I loved the
way Holt described Christmas in Cornwall, usually from the perspective
of the outsider. The music, the food and drink, the decorations in
those huge old stone houses, all the traditions that hold families
together for generations--and of course the gifts.
What meaning can be conveyed by
the simple exchange of holiday presents! The tangled emotions raised
by the choice of gift. Too much, too little. . . either can cause
problems. In Mistress of Mellyn, when Connan TreMellyn gives his
daughter's governess a valuable diamond brooch as a Christmas gift,
Martha Leigh is embarrassed and upset by the unsuitability of the
object. "If it had been some small token I should have been so happy.
. ." She tries to return the brooch, which she feels she cannot
possibly accept, until Connan explains it belonged to his dead wife,
the mother of the child our heroine is caring for, and was given in
the spirit of appreciation for a mother's love. Of course we
understand there is something else behind the gesture as well!
A satisfying romance explores
the loneliness in love. And for many the loneliness, as well as the
love, is felt even more acutely during the holidays. Christmas romance
is done so often it has become a genre of its own. Thinking about
this, it occurred to me that both my novels, On the Edge of the Woods,
and On Winding Hill Road, coming in April 2005, incorporate scenes of
Christmas. Many cultures celebrate the time of the winter solstice,
when the nights are longest, and the promise of the lengthening days
ahead is realized. No wonder it is a spiritual time for so many of us.
And what a fertile ground for creating dramatic scenes between
passionate characters. Wishing you holidays filled with love.
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 Dianne
Castell
Click Here
for an excerpt of A
COWBOY AND A KISS.
Dianne is giving
away 2 signed copies of A COWBOY AND A KISS and a crystal candy kiss
necklace and matching earrings.
Trivia Question:
What is on the bar on
A COWBOY AND A
KISS
bookcover?
Do you have a holiday
gift you are hoping to receive or a New Years resolution you would like to
share?
Gift: My dh under the Christmas tree wearing a bow and nothing else!
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 Kate
Hardy
Click Here for
an excerpt of
THE REGISTRAR'S CONVENIENT WIFE.
Kate is giving
away 2 copies of THE REGISTRAR'S CONVENIENT WIFE.
Trivia Question:
Which hospital is the book set
in?
Do you have a holiday gift you are hoping to
receive or a New Years resolution you would like to share?
NY resolution - this year I'm going to get fit and not use my
treadmill as a clothes rack (vbg).
 Judy
Leigh Peters
Click Here
for an excerpt of
A FATHER'S HOPE.
Judy is giving
away an autographed copy of A FATHER'S HOPE and a beautiful glass
hanging butterfly with the words Believe in Miracles.
Trivia Question:
What was the only choice Gabe thought they had.
Do you have a holiday gift you are hoping to
receive or a New Years resolution you would like to share?
My New Years
Resolution is to finish the last two books in my forties series.
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 Lorie
O'Clare
Click Here
for an over 18 excerpt of FALLEN GODS: JADED PREY (coming Dec 22 2004)
Lorie is giving
away a signed print copy (winner's choice) of PRIMAL HEAT, IN HER
BLOOD, or
MAN OF HER DREAMS.
Trivia Question:
What are the color of Naomi's eyes?
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 Kat
Martin
Click Here
for an excerpt of
THE BRIDE'S NECKLACE.
Kat is giving
away an autographed copy of one of her books to 3 winners.
Trivia Question:
From THE BRIDE'S NECKLACE
excerpt -- who
did Cord expect to come to his room?
 Barri
Bryan
Click
Here for an excerpt of
A WORLD
APART.
Barri is giving
away a download of A WORLD APART and a twelve inch Cuddle me teddy
bear holding an autographed disk copy of Barri Bryan's novel, A SINGLE
THREAD.
Trivia Question:
What year did Billie and Herb
begin to write
as a team?
One Last Gift
by Judy Leigh Peters
(c)copyright Judy Leigh
Peters
http://www.judyleighpeters.com
My mother was a very special woman. Through
her I learned the importance of reading and the wonder of books. She
helped me to realize that books could take me to new worlds and
beyond. When she became ill with Leukemia she still clung to her
books. They helped her forget for a while her pain and fear. We had
long talks before she entered the hospital for the last time. I
learned so many special things about her that I didn't know before. I
also learned how courageous she was. And her unselfishness in letting
them experiment with her dosage of chemo so it might one day help
someone else even her daughters. After she died my thoughts were on
that last talk and that's when I came up with the idea for One Last
Gift, a mother's precious gift that her daughter's life would go on
with a love of her own. This one is for you, mom.
Click
Here to read Judy's story
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We appreciate your comments on the
newsletter. How are we doing? Have anything you'd like to see that
we're not doing? We look forward to hearing from you!
rjnewsletter@romancejunkies.com (do not use this email to
send in your entries for the contest - see above for the email
information)
Authors: Interested in having your own
newsletter? Contact us for a quote and more samples.
promote@millenniumpromotion.com
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The Romance Junkies
Newsletter will be produced 4-5 times a year. It is prime space for
authors to promote themselves. We want to continue in our venue of
offering this as another one of our FREE services, but this is not a
part of the site that is run by volunteers - instead Millennium
Promotion produces it. There are limited spaces available on the
newsletter, so we will be choosing the biggest prizes for a feature
spot in our newsletter, along with special consideration for the
authors who contribute articles and stories to us, which makes our
newsletter unique. Any authors wishing to participate in the
newsletter and are not chosen, will have the option of being featured
on our contest page or in our book club.
Authors: Have some extra copies
of your books that you'd like to see go to readers with some
promotion? We are always looking for books, bookmarks, and
promotional materials to send to our readers. We do giveaways in our
book club and in chats and will put them to good use! We also put
bookmarks and promo material in every package that we send out, as
well as readers being able to send an SASE for promotional goodies.
Send them to:
If you're a reader and would
like to receive some promotional goodies from authors - just send us a
SASE and we'll stuff it and send it to you.
Authors: Would you like your
Book reviewed?
Paper Book: Contact us and we
will match your book with one of our reviewers. We will then supply
you with the name and address of the reviewer so you can send it
directly to them. Contact:
reviews@romancejunkies.com
Electronic Format or Ebooks: you can send your
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name and title in subject line.
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