Samhain Publishing

Whenever inspiration for a new book hits me it comes in many forms. Sometimes I'll hear a phrase and think it would make a good title, then I'm stuck trying to create a story to match. One thing I've noticed about titles is how they usually match their genres. I've actually stood in the bookstore laughing as I peruse the Romance shelves, and realize this may be why some poeple still snub the genre as a whole. I'm not saying they should and I certainly have no qualms about purchasing a book with Sex in the title, but I can see how others might. So as I was strolling through Samhain's virtual book aisles a few really jumped out at me.

Grill Me Baby by Sophia Knightly is a great title. It made me laugh out loud and I loved the cover, but I can see how accidentally coming across this book while looking for grilling tips might not be a good thing. Nailed to the Wall by Jayne Rylon certainly isn't a home improvement book, I don't think, but looks to be a hot read. Suck and Blow by Lexxie Couper…yeah, I got nothing. I would love to read it though. Ride to Ecstasy by Ann Cory. Is this one about horseback riding perhaps? Umm, no I don't think so. But it too has a great cover and is definitely on my to be read list.

Since so many poeple judge books by their covers, do you think they also judge by their titles? I do and have found that some people who look at my titles do too. At a recent book event, copies of They Call Me Death certainly grabbed more male attention than female. But then the guys saw the paranormal romance on my sign and quickly turned away. Le sigh. 

-Missy Jane

*Make reading a guilty pleasure…*

www.authormissyjane.com

The first time I wrote vampires, my heroine was a jealous, homicidal bitch with a score to settle. She was vindictive and violent and honestly gave me nightmares. She also has never been published. I shelved that book almost immediately after finishing it because everyone was writing vampires. Though that trend hasn't diminished much in the past few years, I found a new voice in my head that I simply couldn't ignore.

Zaria Stonewell is a human living in a vampire-run world. Greg Parsons is a vampire detective trying to figure out what Zaria's ex-husband, Ivan, is trying to pull. Humans are dying at the hands of a hungry vampire and it's all drawn out in vivid comicbook color.

Blurb:

There's a definite feeling of accomplishment when the final word is typed into a manuscript. Months, sometimes years, go into putting your heart and soul into a story and then it's done! But on the flip side there can be a sense of loss. I sit back, look at the closed file and think, now what? Depending on my muse I might open another file and try to finish a different story. I always have an unfinished manuscript at hand. But recently I've been feeling a little restless with what I have. I've been thinking of stepping out of my boundaries and exploring a bit. Maybe it's time to write something different.

What exactly do I meant by that? Hmm, well I can say I've broken down and created my own vampires. I've also got archangels and gargoyles waiting in the wings (no pun intended). But paranormal is kind of my thing so even those aren't really pushing the envelope for me. However, kinky sex just might do it. I'm a reader and witer of erotic fiction, but to be honest my reading is way steamier than my writing. Perhaps kink just isn't me, I mean, I've never had the urge to write it before. BDSM is definitely out of my norm, but is it out of the question? Nah. I already have characters in mind and their story is slowly taking shape. All I have to do is find my happy place and get to work.

What other worlds can I explore while I'm feeling adventurous? Historical? Nah I'm too lazy for the research. Mystery? Nah, I'm too impatient to be mysterious. I've considered horror as I'm an avid reader of the genre, and YA because my kids want to be able to read my books. Maybe I'll do a combination of the two and scare the heck out of my kids. Well, whatever I decide to try next I promise to make it interesting and keep my wonderful readers posted.

Missy Jane is the alter ego of a Texas mother of four who enjoys reading and writing paranormal and erotic romance. She can be found playing onine when she should be writing by using any of the links found on her site.

Like many authors, every now and again I fall into a writing slump that takes a while to get out of. I’ll often turn to poetry to get my creative juices flowing. Sometimes I’ll go to a writer’s site I’m fond of and review other writers’ work. My last resort is to stop writing all together and read. Why is that the last resort? Because once I start it’s very hard to stop. I have many authors I love to read, quite a few in my own genre and some not, and their books are hard to resist. It never fails that as soon as I start a new project the next book in a series I like is released and I’m torn.

Before being published, I participated in a beginning writer’s workshop by Judi McCoy and she gave us wonderful advice. She said she’d heard it from Nora Roberts who simply said, “Writers write.” Basically, if you call yourself a writer you need to have your butt in the chair doing just that. Wonderful advice and very true, but not so easy for the weak willed avid reader like me. Maybe if all of my favorite authors would take a few months off of releasing new books I’d get more done. Hmm, I wonder what the odds of that are?

Well, since it’s highly unlikely for me to go more than a day or two without seeing a book on the shelf that I can’t live without, I think I need better willpower. I’ve done an okay job of eating better and going to the gym this year. I’ve finally organized my filing cabinet and filed a year’s worth of paperwork. I’m hardly ever late to work anymore. Surely, putting a book down for a few weeks and completing one of my many works in progress can’t be that hard…right?

Sigh…someone should tell Lora Leigh to take a hiatus
-Missy Jane
Make reading a guilty pleasure…
www.msmissyjane.com

Ms. Missy Jane is the alter ego of a Texas mother of four who has been married to the same wonderful man for thirteen years. About five years ago Missy finished reading a book by Mercedes Lackey and thought “Now, what if…” and a monster was created. Missy now spends most of her time lost in worlds of her own making alternately loving and hating such creatures as vampires, shape-shifters and gargoyles (to name a few). When not writing, she spends her time reading, taking photos of her beautiful daughters and training her husband to believe she’s always right. Excerpts from Missy’s work can be found at www.msmissyjane.com.