It’s been a big week for my second novel, RISK. You remember RISK, don’t you? It’s got a super-sexy bad boy who relentlessly pursues a slightly older woman, and the Kensington art department gave it a scorching cover that may well require an R rating with parental warning.

Anyway, the other day I was sitting in front of the computer, writing. Well, okay, maybe I wasn’t technically “writing,” but I was thinking about writing. Preparing to write. Yeah, that’s it. But before I could begin to write, I had to check TROUBLE’s rank on Amazon. And since that took only ten seconds and I STILL wasn’t prepared to actually get down to work and write, I decided to check and see whether RISK is available yet for pre-order. And guess what? It is!

So here comes the shameless self-promotion part of the post … Order RISK now! Order multiple copies! Order copies for all your holiday giving! Stock up!

One more thing. Karyn Langhorne, Harvard Law graduate, former law professor and author of A PERSONAL MATTER and DIARY OF AN UGLY DUCKLING, very graciously read an advance reading copy of RISK and gave me the following cover quote, for which I am eternally grateful:

“Ann Christopher weaves heartbreaking tragedy with the unfailing power of the bonds of love, in this unforgettable tale of family, forgiveness and true love. These are characters to laugh with and cry with as they struggle with loss and hope. You'll cherish their 'happily ever after' like it was your own!”

Ordered RISK yet? What’re you waiting for?

I am not, alas, talking about myself.

Even so, it’s thrilling to see the upward trajectory of an author’s career, to know that hard work and a great book can be rewarded, and to know that a fellow lawyer turned writer (like moi) can hit the big time.

In case you didn’t know, my new favorite book, J.R. Ward’s LOVER AWAKENED, sits at number 12 on the New York Times’ paperback bestseller list for the week of September 24. To J.R. Ward, I say this: You go, girl!

I don’t know why I’m so excited about the success of yet another book about vampires. It’s not MY book, nor do I know Ward, nor am I being paid by Ward to endorse the book, nor am I even getting an advance reading copy of her next novel—due in March–of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, LOVER REVEALED. Although, J.R., if you’re reading this and have any extra ARCs lying around the house—call me, okay?

Maybe I’m so excited because Ward really, really deserves this success. Like my other favorite author of mind-blowing paranormals, L.A. Banks of Vampire Huntress fame, Ward treats readers to a fully realized, vivid world full of over-the-top characters, overwhelming conflicts, explosive passions and, best of all, those AMAZING vampire heroes.

What more could a reader ask for?

To romance readers out there: if you haven’t picked up the book, you should. To J.R. Ward: enjoy the success. I’m popping the cyber-champagne on your behalf.

Well, I told you this would happen.

No blog this week because my mind has been thoroughly blown by J.R. Ward’s latest installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, LOVER AWAKENED. How anxious was I to read this book? Too anxious to wait until Tuesday, September 5, its official release date, to get my hands on it. So anxious that I looked for it all last weekend and checked out three bookstores near my house, all to no avail. So anxious that when I called Borders and realized they had it, I had to go get it. Right then. Even though it was last Sunday night at eight-thirty. Even though the Borders that had it is twenty minutes from my house. That’s a whole lot of effort for a book, especially considering the fact that I already have a stack of to-be-read books that’s about four feet high. But I happily hopped in my car and sped off to get my copy.

Guess what? LOVER AWAKENED was well worth all the extra effort.

The story of Zsadist, the tortured, tormented vampire warrior, and Bella, the vampire aristocrat who, you’ll recall, was kidnapped at the end of LOVER ETERNAL, is so powerful—so emotional—that I had to gush about it. At length. In a nutshell, J.R. Ward is a brilliant storyteller and world builder, and I just hope that one day I can write a story that’s half as good as LOVER AWAKENED.

Have you read it? If so, what’d you think?

Check out the bottom of my home page if you’d like to read my review. Here’s a link:

http://www.annchristopher.com

No blog from me this week.

You’re not surprised, are you? It’s been a rough few weeks for me and my blog. First, I put myself on sabbatical so I could come up with some fresh ideas said blog. Then I started to come back and blog, but couldn’t because I had to take time out from my busy schedule to read Sandra Brown’s RICOCHET. This week, I had to hustle and read J.R. Ward’s second novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, LOVER ETERNAL, before the third novel, LOVER AWAKENED, comes out this Tuesday.

Time well spent, if you ask me. Ward’s vampire warriors, with names like Wrath and Rhage, are alpha through and through, and each is damaged in a deliciously dark way. Wrath for instance, the hero in DARK LOVER, is blind and has a fairly bad attitude, while Rhage from LOVER ETERNAL, has stunning good looks—hence his nickname “Hollywood”—and gives new meaning to the phrase “the beast within.”

In LOVER ETERNAL, Rhage meets his match in Mary, a human female with a life-threatening issue to deal with. Mary can’t open up to Rhage, and Rhage fears she could never love him if she knew the WHOLE story, so this, along with the human/vampire thing, makes for a conflict-filled roller coaster ride of a book. Just to make the book even more fun, Ward adds in the beginnings of a romance between Zsadist, the seriously twisted warrior brother, and Bella, a beautiful vampire who somehow sees the beauty behind Zsadist’s beast.

Z’s and Bella’s story, as you no doubt know, will hit the stands on September 5. I’ve been frantically trying to get a copy of the book BEFORE Tuesday, but no go. My sister, meanwhile, pre-ordered her copy, has it in her hot little hands already, and has been only too happy to gloat about it. I’ll deal with her later.

In the meantime, why don’t I just go ahead and tell the truth? We’re all friends here. I’m not gonna blog next week, either. I’ll have my nose deep in LOVER AWAKENED, and I’ll be waaaaaay too busy with that to think up anything to say about the writing life. But, if you’re interested, stop by anyway and I’ll be happy to tell you what I think of J.R. Ward’s latest novel. I’m sure it’ll be brilliant, just like the others.