Meljean Brook

Bam made a podcast of THE RAKE AND THE VIRGIN NINJA … just in case you wanted to hear it out loud

Don’t forget I’m at Simply Romance Reviews today!  And today, probably, my Valenduckie post will go up at The Good, the Bad & the Unread.

No, no — this is not about the letter in RWR about how today’s heroines all talk and act like sluts (because that’s been done and discussed over and over and over and over and over.) But I do feel I should warn readers that a) my heroines aren’t likely to be virgins (although they could be), and b) they are going to be aware of their sexual needs, c) might not always have the healthiest sexual history, but they know it, and d) might say “fuck.”

What you won’t find in my books: a heroine who says, “What is that long, hard thing in your pants?” (Although, I guess Savi did say that to Colin, kind of.)

His hands enfolded one of hers, brought it down to his upper thigh. A hard, steel length lay beneath the fine wool of his trousers. “Not precisely what I’d like you to touch in that location, but it’s there if you want it.”

A gun. Either loaded with tranquilizer darts made with hellhound venom, or bullets laced with the same.

I miss Colin sometimes. Sigh.

So, anyway! This was about me getting around. And I am! I’m over at Bam’s blog, writing the Best! Story! Ever! (AKA, the kind of stuff that comes out of me at 1am, and the caffeine isn’t working anymore.)

I’ve also sent a post to The Good, the Bad, & the Unread for their ValenDuckie event. It should show up today or tomorrow — it’s all about non-romantic movies, and the romances in them.

And tomorrow, I’ll be guest blogging at Simply Romance Reviews.

…did I mention that all of these posts have prizes attached? Like, um, a certain new release? Go forth!

ETA: Okay, considering where I’ve taken the comments, obviously this did become about that letter. I mentioned over and over, and here are the places the discussion has gone on before (just in recent memory — there were a few others (I think at JMC’s blog, and I’ll link if I can track them down)): Jeaniene Frost’s livejournal, and at the Smart Bitches. But although I remembered (and applauded) Jeaniene’s response last month, I didn’t realize until I stumbled across it again that it was in response to the same letter, printed in both the January RWR issue and the February issue. WTF? Is it an oversight, someone in editorial hoping for a reaction, or someone in editorial agreeing with the letter-writer’s viewpoint so they’re publishing it again?

Excuse me while I die of happy.

I might actually warm up to Steve Trevor now.

ETA: Also, I’m still at the Book Binge. Today — I use graphs and charts. No, really. Check it out … and get a chance to win a copy of Demon Night.

Using random.org, one lucky winner was drawn from the comments … and that winner is:

Lorelei Kerns!

I think it would be fun to hang out with Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine Harris’s book series — she meets the most interesting beings. But to be with someone with no guilty feelings I would be torn between Quinn from Keri Arthur’s books or Eric from Charlaine Harris’ books — my current sexy vampires.

Congratulations, Lorelei, and thank you to everyone who entered! We had a great time, the turnout was amazing, and the answers were all fantastic. So many fascinating characters … so little time.

 Don’t forget to enter!

On February 5, Demon Night — the fifth book in my Guardian series, featuring Drifter, an outlaw from the Old West turned hero, and the woman he has to protect from vampires — is going to be in stores.

But I’m not the only one with a release this February 5th — Joey Hill has a fantastic follow-up to The Vampire Queen’s Servant; Jaci Burton has penned a freaking hot introduction to her Wild Riders series; Nalini Singh has written another fabulous entry to her amazing Psy-Changeling universe; and Dakota Cassidy offers a funny, sexy first installment in her sure-to-be-a-winner Accidental series.

So we all thought it would be fun to ask each other a few questions, give readers an opportunity to get to know us a little better, maybe find a new favorite, and win some fabulous prizes. And when five authors get together for a round robin of questions and answers, anything can happen … and readers will win.

I’ll be giving away signed copies of Demon Angel and Demon Moon (unless you already own them, and then we’ll see if there’s another book you’d like :-D) on this blog, and the other ladies are offering their own fabulous prizes, including books and gift certificates. Each of us has a question on our blog that each author has answered. Here, the question is:

If you could pick one character from your books and spend the day with him/her/it (with no spousal guilt, depending on the activity!) what would you do?

Jaci Burton, author of Riding Wild:

Mac from Riding Wild. He has a Harley. And a gun. And he’s damn sexy. I think we’d have to take a backroads journey into the hills, maybe to the lake. Rest a little. Maybe get lost. Heh.

Dakota Cassidy, author of The Accidental Werewolf:

Hands down it’d be Nina from Accidentally Dead. She’s has no filter from brain to mouth–she calls it as she sees it. Not to mention she uses the word “fucktard” liberally and without shame.

Joey Hill, author of The Mark of the Vampire Queen:

When I think about what I’d like heaven to be, after the obvious reunion with loved ones, I have this dream of being able to walk into my fiction worlds and hang out for the day with my characters whenever I wish. Very first thing, I’d probably go to Tyler and Marguerite’s BDSM carnival party and hope the rest of the Nature of Desire crowd were there so I could spend the day with all of them. Not just for the obvious exciting stuff. I imagine hanging out with them, the way they were hanging out in the wee hours of the morning after Marguerite and Tyler’s wedding. Just picking on each other and being relaxed in the company of friends. Mac would let me take a swig of his beer. Justin and I would talk about Wicca. I’d grill Sara, Mac and Violet on police stuff as research for my next book (hey, isn’t there a heaven library of yet-to-be-published-in-the-earthly-realm books?) I might be too shy to talk much to Marguerite and Tyler, but it would be wonderful to watch them interact with the others, and of course with each other.

Nalini Singh, author of Mine to Possess:

This is an incredibly hard question. I choose one, then I think, nooooo, I want that person, then the cycle repeats. So here’s my answer - I’d throw a party, invite all my characters, then climb a tree from where I could see everything. Can you imagine the fireworks?!

My partners in crime would be Julian and Roman, the twin leopard-changeling cubs first introduced in Slave to Sensation. Not only do they have a degree in mischief, they know how to steal the best cake and they have very big ears so I could totally listen in to all the conversations.

Meljean Brook, author of Demon Night:

Colin from Demon Moon. He’s wickedly funny, has a great sense of style, and droolingly gorgeous. I’d happily spend an entire day just looking at him, but I think we’d probably grab an old horror movie or two, then I’d watch him paint for a while, then I’d watch him slice a rogue vampire to ribbons with his swords, then ask him if he thought Byron was handsome just to prick his vanity. But I’d have to say no to anything in the bedroom, because then I’d forget all about my fabulous day (and because Savi would kick my ass).

Here’s what readers have to do to win: leave a comment by Sunday night (Feb 3) telling me which character from any book you’d love to spend the day with, and how you’d spend the time — and then don’t forget to visit Jaci Burton, Dakota Cassidy, Nalini Singh, and Joey Hill’s blogs for more questions, more answers, and more chances to win!

Find out here on February 1st at 1pm PST.
(Yes, there are prizes involved.)

And just because:

AAR’s Annual Poll is still ongoing (until mid-February). Apparently, voting is slowing down early — don’t forget to cast your vote for your favorite book of 2007 (but, uh, not just that favorite book, because you have to enter several categories, and straight-ticket ballots are deleted, I think.)

Okay, and this is interesting — it looks like angel/demon romances are no longer “paranormal” but “fantasy” according to their new genre guidelines. Does that make DEMON MOON, which is set in the world of angels/demons, but stars a vampire hero, a fantasy or a paranormal romance? I don’t know. I’m guessing it’s the SF/F category? (Okay, lol — yes — it’s there, even though DEMON ANGEL was apparently in the paranormal? I’m so confused.)

Anyway, don’t forget to vote!

Also, don’t forget about the DEMON NIGHT contest lisabea is having over at Nose In A Book. And she said some really wonderful things about Charlie that pretty much had me bawling.

There’s a special excerpt of DEMON NIGHT over at the Good, the Bad, and the Unread. And there might be another neat announcement going up at that site sometime today. I’m not sure what their posting schedule is, but as soon as it goes up, I’ll link and edit this post.

Holly from the Book Binge put up a review of DEMON NIGHT. Here’s what she said.

I hate this book.

Nah, I’m just kidding.

There were times whilst reading this when I truly felt like my heart would break. My palms got clammy and a knot formed in my stomach. Other times I was so emotionally overcome I felt tears welling in my eyes. It was…amazing.

I’m also Guest Authoring over at the Book Binge the first week of February.

Finally — the funniest, strangest, most WTFiest thing I’ve seen lately is at Gennita Low’s blog: probably NSFW.

Susan C.! You won a copy of Richelle Mead’s SUCCUBUS ON TOP! Congratulations — I hope you love it, and I’ll be sending you an e-mail in about…ten seconds.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

Lisabea’s having a contest at her wonderfully entertaining blog, Nose in a book! Details here.