I posted another RISK excerpt, this time in my blog - or is it plog? - over at Amazon. Check it out if you have time.
Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/Risk-Ann-Christopher/dp/0758214340/sr=8-1/qid=1161218612/ref=sr_1_1/103-1936886-2307848?ie=UTF8&s=books

This week I had the thrill of seeing one of my favorite new authors, J.R. Ward, speak and sign books at Borders. You’ve heard me mention Ward before. She’s the former corporate attorney-turned New York Times bestselling author of a series of books called The Black Dagger Brotherhood, the latest of which is LOVER AWAKENED. Ward turned up in high heels and a black pantsuit with a long jacket that wasn’t quite a duster but was still way cool. The black was the perfect touch; I’d ‘ve been unspeakably disappointed if the creator of all those attitudinally-challenged, super-sexy bad boy vampires had turned up in a flowered dress and Crocs. Anyway, Ward is as hip, edgy, and energetic as her books. She talks enthusiastically and lovingly about ‘the Brothers’, who, she says, just turned up one day in her head, and says she sees the books as vividly as she’d watch a movie. She also stresses how hard the novels are to write, how complex the plotting, and how long the hours, which was a tremendous relief to me and, I’m sure, writers everywhere. I can, and do, work really hard, just like she does. Now if only I could think up a brilliant idea like the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Best of all, she promises big surprises and satisfying stories in the books to come - sorry, she wouldn’t get into specifics and, BELIEVE ME, I asked her - and says she wants to write these books for the next thirty years. That’s great news for me, because I’ll certainly be reading about the brothers for as long as she’s writing them.

Guess what I did today? Placed an order for an ad for my February book, RISK, in Romantic Times BOOKReviews magazine. Guess what else? It weren’t cheap. In point of fact, it was pretty expensive. If you’ve read my blog with any regularity, you probably know that I don’t really like spending my advance money. Actually, it’s worse than that. I get testy when I spend advance money, especially large chunks of it. Next week, I’ll be sending Romance Sells, the catalogue of upcoming books for bookstores and librarians, their portion of my advance money for another ad for RISK. No doubt I’ll be testy about that, too. After that, I’ll be ordering bookmarks for RISK, so I can mail them out to bookstores and reading groups so they’ll know RISK exists. Once they know the book exists, I’m hoping they’ll decide they can’t live another day without ordering hundreds of copies for their respective readers. Bookmarks, in case you didn’t know, and postage for mailing bookmarks, are also very expensive. Are you noticing any patterns here? Why am I spending all this money on stuff for RISK? Good question. It’s because I need to market the book if I want readers to know about and buy it. Sounds like a logical plan, right? Here’s the rub: I’ve got no idea which, if any, of these marketing strategies work. None whatsoever. None of us authors do. It’s true. We all huddle together in worried little groups when we get together and pick each other’s brains, desperate for that magic pill. But the tragic thing is there is no magic pill. I’ve got a friend who, after years of trying it all, has sworn off marketing and decided only to do a newsletter to targeted bookstores. I’ve got a friend who buys HUGE ads and swears they bring her HUGE sales. I’ve got a friend who sends out dozens of advance reading copies. I’ve got a friend who orders coffee mugs with the book’s logo and gives them to booksellers. I’ve got friends who consider blogging a marketing tool, and friends who refuse to blog. Friends who - well, you get the idea. Does any of this work? Who the hell knows? Have any of you authors out there discovered anything that works? What about you, readers? Which marketing tricks grab your attention and send you right to the bookstore to buy the book? Someone please tell me SOMETHING. I’d really like to know.

I’ve posted an excerpt from my February Kensington/Dafina book, RISK, on my site. Check it out if you have time. The hero is Justus Robinson. What can I say about Justus? Well, I love him, of course. He?s tall, dark and handsome, sort of a combination Henry Simmons and Michael Jordan. Wickedly funny and a little wicked. He doesn’t put up with a lot of nonsense. Oh, and he’s not afraid to go after what he wants, and if a little manipulation is involved, then so be it. Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Justus wants Angela, and if you’d like to read about her reaction to his declaration of intent, here’s a link:
http://www.annchristopher.com/books/risk.htm

Can’t talk long - The Cincinnati Bengals, who are currently 3-0, will try to make it 4-0 in a little while, and I need to watch the game. Just as soon as I learn who the Bengals are playing this week. True, I know next to nothing about football, but Cincinnati is a rabid football town right now and it’s no longer safe to admit my ignorance. Anyway, as you may have noticed, I like to tinker with my web site every now and then. Snip a little something here, add a little something there, and the result was a hopelessly cluttered and overloaded home page. So I’ve had a little work done, and I have to say I think the site looks thirty pounds lighter, and also feels younger and fresher. Sort of like it’s had Botox and liposuction. If you have time, stop by and see what you think.
Here’s a link: http://www.annchristopher.com
In the meantime, GO BENGALS!

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.

Okay, see … here’s what happened.

The other week I put myself on sabbatical and promised I’d come back refreshed, revitalized, and ready to blog. And that’s what I’d planned to do. I was going to be entertaining, funny, and interesting, and my re-energized blog was going to blow your socks off in a big way. I was all set. But then something BIG happened.

Sandra Brown’s latest book, RICOCHET, came out.

You know what that means, right? Rule number 9 from my RULES OF THE ROAD entry, wherein I outline the terms and conditions under which I can be expected to post an entertaining blog, clearly states:

I cannot be expected to blog when a new Sandra Brown or Karen Robards book hits the stands.

So there it is. Sorry.

Can you blame me for taking time off from blogging to read one of Brown’s romantic suspense novels? Have YOU read one? You should. Look at the intriguing premise for RICOCHET. Strait-laced detective Duncan Hatcher falls hard for the judge’s wife, whose self defense excuse for shooting an intruder has more holes in it than thirty pounds of Swiss cheese. Is beautiful Elise good or bad? Duncan spends most of the book struggling with this question, his conscience, and his lust. Will lust win? Gotta pick up the book to find out. As usual, Brown does a fantastic job with her alpha-male hero, and the crackling chemistry between him and the object of his desire.

So, really, I HAD to take time off to read the book. REALLY. HAD to.

Anyway, I’ve read RICOCHET, and now it’s back to business for me. Next time, I’ll be blogging about the fascinating and shattering concept of…

Wha–?

What’s that you say?

J.R. Ward’s next BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD book, LOVER AWAKENED, is coming out on September 5? But I haven’t read LOVER ETERNAL yet!!!

Wow. Well, okay. No problem. I can read LOVER ETERNAL and, uh, you know … blog too. No sweat. I can just, uh, juggle a couple of responsibilities and, uh…

Gotta go!