Pass the posting

  I hope you've been enjoying the Olympics. Or at least the best view the world's male swim teams have to offer...

This week I'm getting out and about a bit. Because I'm all the way downunder and international date lines do my head in, I thought I'd let you know where I'm going in advance. Hope that makes it easier and you enjoy popping over to various (fab) sites.


I'll be posting on The Naked Hero on the 31st of July doing my usual Luna Goddess spot,
With Jackie Ashenden on the 1st of August,
With Cassandre Dayne on the 2nd of August,
And back over at the Indulgence blog on the 2nd of August too.

There are a bunch of blogs I'll pop up on after that and I'll let you know where they all are!
Thanks.
xMichele

 Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Snippet Sundays

For a taste of what you fancy hop on over to the Indulgence blog. Snippets from current Indulgence titles and secret WIPs from a host of Indulgence authors.
http://entangledindulgence.wordpress.com/

Blonde or Redhead?

Ahhh the weekend. (Well here in New Zealand anyways) It means I have someone else at home to look after Mr. Eleven months. And because I had him at the end of last year I haven't done anything with my hair for...oooo too long. Today is haircut day.
This is me in this painting. And I think my hair is a pretty good approximation of what it looks like right now. Sigh.
The heroine Michaela in The Boss and Her Billionaire is a blonde. But in A Talon at her Throat which isnt out till September, Yasmin is a redhead. I think the redhead has more fun. More hot fun.
Maybe it's time for a change.
A change of heat levels for me. Blonde or redhead?
There is talk about the cliche that blondes have more fun and every now and then someone in the media will pop up with an experiment where they dye their hair and check out the reactions. But really? Does it make that much difference? For me as long as I feel hot, I pretty much look hot. To those that I care about anyway. Blonde or redhead isn't so much the point. It's the steam coming out of my ears :-)
But maybe that's just me. Do you colour your hair? Does it make you feel your hottest best? And what colour wins out on the steam stakes for your heroines?
xMichele

And P.S. Thanks for all the Amazon love! The Boss and Her Billionaire is moving up them rankings. Maybe blonde wins after all.

Happy dance - reviews, rankings, and raves.

Okay, so I was going to post something completely different but I woke to an email from Robyn Thomas telling me The Boss and Her Billionaire is at #99 on the Amazon Category Romance rankings. So I'll save my other thoughts till later and continue my happy dance here. Yeay.
For a first timer in the romance world, anything that gives you just a hint of what people are thinking of your book is great. Maybe it means that people out there in the real world are engaged with what you have to say. They're even taking time out to delve into your character's lives and loves.
Of course there is bound to come a time when I'm less enthusiastic about reviews and rankings as I will no doubt read everything, every word good or bad. But even a bad review is something to -- not exactly celebrate -- but something to take notice of. I figure if someone took the time to write a review when they didn't like the book, and especially if they really didn't like the book, then there must be something in it that is going in the right direction. Sounds very high and mighty doesnt it? I even cringe at myself. (And I know there are going to be the professional reviewers who arent exactly taking time out to slash and burn) But surely we write to get a reaction. In romance we want a blissed out escape, the faint glow of post-coital satisfaction, not angry disatisfaction. But a reaction is a reaction. Perhaps it means you put enough into your characters but not enough into the plot to make it satisfying. Or too much into the plot at the expense of your characters. And that's where, if I can take the emotion out of it, I hope the reviews will be helpful. It's all a learning experience.
But enough of all that. Today is about happy dancing. The knowledge that some of you, somewhere, are enjoying what I've written. Thanks!
What do you think? Am I being unbelievably naive? Or just optimistic? I'd love to hear your views.
xMichele

Newbietastic

That's me. Running. Soaking up the sun. Feeling pretty damn happy with myself that I'm starting, just starting to get into this whole romance writing world. I'm not at the romance writers conference in America (sigh) and I'm still in my PJs, but I've had a good pep talk from fabulous fellow Indulgence author Annie Seaton and the inestimable Bethany Halle. So here it is. My very first blog post.
I promise I'll share more than just my legs with you soon enough. But for now I'm just trying to keep up.
I hope to see you here soon.
Let me know what you love to see and hear on other blogs? Personal stories? Advice? Inspirational quotes? Glorious pix of heroes...?
Be back soon, thanks for stopping by.
xMichele