Winner of Emmie's giveaway

Last week Emmie offered copies of Cassie's Grand Plan and In His Eyes for one lucky commenter.

           

And the winner is: 

Marybelle! 

Congratulations Marybelle! Send your mailing details to emmie(at)emmiedark.com to claim your prize!

A month of celebration

This is me with my Blush version
of Cassie's Grand Plan in Big W!

July has been a big month for me! Please excuse me taking a moment to review all the amazing things that have been going on, but I feel like celebrating! And to help make the celebrations even better, I've got a book giveaway too -- so read on!

1. The first exciting thing for July was that my first SuperRomance, "Cassie's Grand Plan" came out this month in Australia under the "Blush" imprint.

It first appeared in North America in March, and I was lucky enough to be in the US then and I got to see my book on the shelves there. But there's something quite special about seeing your book on the shelves in your home town. I can't explain what the difference is. Maybe it's not a different feeling at all, just a new kind of excitement at seeing your book is really real.

2. I received the advance author copies of my second SuperRomance "In His Eyes" which is out in North America in August and Australia in September. (And having just gone to Amazon to find that link, I've just discovered it's number 5 on the SuperRomance best sellers list -- yippee!) I am absolutely in love with this cover -- it's so atmospheric and dramatic.

I worked so hard on this book and I can't even tell you how many boxes of tissues I went through when I was writing it. I'm hoping that effort and emotional energy comes through to readers. I've already had someone "complain" about me making them cry! I guess authors are kind of unique in taking that sort of thing as a compliment...

The book has obviously been blessed by the cover fairies, because I've also received the cover of the Blush release of "In His Eyes" when it comes out in September -- isn't it gorgeous? I'm thinking the art department at Mills and Boon Australia decided to take the title of the book literally and went to find a cover model with the most amazing eyes ever. I think they succeeded!

3. Last, but certainly not least, I sold book number three to SuperRomance! It's untitled as yet, but for the moment it's going by the name of "Dean and Jess's story". I can give you a very sneaky previeiw and say that it involves weddings, dogs, vampires, Twitter, muscle cars and comic books. Intrigued? I hope so.

The rest of my July is going to be filled with writing as I get stuck into Dean and Jess and get their story ready to submit. It's exciting to have a deadline. I wonder if authors are unique in liking deadlines, too?

I hope July has been an exciting month for you. Please leave me a comment to let me know about anything fun or exciting that's happened for you this month. I'll choose a commenter at random to receive signed copies of both the Blush version of Cassie's Grand Plan and an advance copy of In His Eyes.

Winner of Emmie's "Blush" giveaway

The winner of the copy of the Blush edition of "Cassie's Grand Plan" is bn100! Congratulations bn, you'll be receiving an email shortly to get your details. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories about their favourite firsts!

When does a newbie stop being a newbie?

by Emmie Dark

I've been considering this question this week, because I've just received the author copies of my second Harlequin SuperRomance, In His Eyes. (In His Eyes is out in August in North America.)

I have to say, opening this box was just as fantastic an experience as the first time around. But it also wasn't quite the same. I knew what to expect. I knew what it would look like when I slit open the tape and pulled back the cardboard flaps of the box. Which is not to say it wasn't exciting -- just that there was that element of "firstness" that wasn't there.

I've also just recently seen the Australian cover of Cassie's Grand Plan - my first international version. It's on sale in Australia next week (July)!

I've seen authors' photos of translations of their Harlequin books (even into manga) and I think it must be wonderful to see your work in a different language, reaching a whole new range of readers. I can't wait to see my first (assuming it happens!).

There's something about "firstness", isn't there? I mean, our first kiss, for example, isn't necessarily the best kissing experience of our lives. But we remember it, don't we? (And we can say the same thing for other more "grown up" firsts!)

And so, to get back to my original point, I've been wondering. If, now that I have a second book about to hit the shelves and my first book issued under a different imprint (two important author "firsts"), I can still call myself a newbie author. I still definitely feel like one -- I'm still so dependent on the wisdom of other authors and my editor to help when strange questions crop up or something unexpected happens.

I think there needs to be a new term invented. If I'm no longer an L-plater, then what's the authorly version of a P-plater?

In-keeping with my theme of "firsts", I'm going to make this post my first-ever Blush giveaway. Tell me about your favourite "first" (keep it ladylike!) and I'll send a copy of Cassie's Grand Plan (the Aussie Blush imprint) to the story I like best.

Judging a book by its cover

by Emmie Dark

I recently bought a book absolutely wholly and solely because of the cover. In my defence, it was very pretty. I went to an online cover competition to vote for a friend's book and saw it there. The cover just called to me, and a minute later I was looking it up online. All I found out was that it was a paranormal YA romance -- not at all my usual thing -- and before I knew it, I placed an order with Book Depository.

I wanted to own it, just based on the cover. I've received it and read it now, and I'm pleased to say that the words inside actually did live up to the cover! It was a great story and I'm glad I'd bought it.

Amazon

I suppose I should share it. Here you go, this is Die for Me, by Amy Plum. It's a fantastic book for older YA readers (or grown ups!).

It doesn't take much to make me buy a book (as my credit card statements will attest!) but it's not usual for me to buy something just based on the cover. In fact I buy a lot of e-books, and books that I've read reviews for, or just heard about by word of mouth on Facebook or similar, and for many of them I don't think I've even looked at the cover! So what was it about this one that intrigued me?

It's a few things. Paris, for one. One of my favourite cities. I have a little Eiffel Tower sitting next to me on my desk right now, and a calendar of vintage French travel posters on the wall. Set something in Paris, and you've already half-won me over.

The red dress, for another. I love the idea of a glamorous red dress like that. One day I will have to attend the Oscars so I can wear one! It speaks of power and fun and adventure and fairy tales. (As a side note, have you heard about "The Travelling Red Dress" project by The Bloggess? It's amazing. And it's all about not waiting for an invitation to the Oscars in order to wear a dress like that.)

And the black squiggly things. I don't know why I like them but I do. I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to get a tattoo in real life, but I'm always intrigued by other people's, especially when they're beautifully drawn black lines. And if I ever did, then it would be something like those pretty swirls and winding vines and leaves. In fact, when I draw doodles in the margins of notebooks, they tend to look something like that (although not nearly as pretty).

So for me, the reasons I like that cover are all incredibly personal. There will be plenty of people out there who don't like it, who have an objection to red dresses for some reason, who encountered a rude Frenchman on their trip to Paris and have less than fond memories of the city. For those people, this book won't be appealing on any of the same grounds as it was for me.

Covers are so subjective. Like any kind of art, I suppose -- beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. And in these days of ebooks, I wonder if covers are as important as they used to be? We've heard about the demise of album art in music now -- I wonder if book covers will go a similar way?

Pre-order at Amazon

While on the subject of covers, I can't finish without a shameless self-promotional plug for "In His Eyes" my new SuperRomance, which comes out in August in North America. I just received a copy of the cover for it a couple of weeks ago -- and how gorgeous is it??

I feel I have been blessed by the cover fairies (or just the Art Department at Harlequin -- thanks guys!). My cover for Cassie's Grand Plan was beautiful, and when I got to see it on the shelves in the US, the bright ocean and blue, blue sky made it stand out and it really drew the eye. (It wasn't just me -- other people said the same thing!) In His Eyes is set in a fictional winery area outside of Melbourne and my hero and heroine have competing vineyards and a complicated history. I just love the dark tones and sense of drama in this cover -- it's totally appropriate to the story. I hope you'll agree when you get a chance to read it. :)

Do you think book covers are less important these days? Have you ever bought a book just because of its cover?

Good morning (from) America!

A big LoveCats hello to you from the bright lights of Las Vegas! I'm in the US of A right now -- I had to come over for some (non-writing) work, and so I decided to add a week of vacation time on to the end and see a little more of this glorious country. I also thought it would be the perfect opportunity to come and actually see my book on the shelves in stores -- and what better blog post to bring you than a photo of my brand new book on shelves!

Unfortunately it wasn't that easy. In San Francisco, my first stop, there wasn't a book store to be found in the downtown area that stocked Harlequin books. (Please feel free to comment and let me know if I'm wrong about that -- although also understand that I'll have to throw a little tantrum about the lost time I spent searching if that is the case!)

After the work was done and the fruitless book search abandoned, we left San Francisco and headed for Lake Tahoe. Along the way we passed many places that probably would have had it in stock (Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble) except that we were racing to beat an incoming snow storm and with a compact rental car and no snow chains, we couldn't afford to stop.

So I decided, in the end, that I'd make do with posting you some photos of my book in some ridiculous places. (You might know I'm running a competition on my blog to win prizes for photos of my book in glam, bizarre and exotic places, so I figured I could put up a few entries myself!)

First off -- International House of Pancakes. IHOP. To US folks it's a pretty ordinary chain restaurant, to two Aussies on vacation it is a place full of Pancakes! Eggs! Bacon! Hasbrowns! Maple syrup! And some genuinely friendly service -- in the South Lake Tahoe spot we visited, anyway.

Check out the snow outside! It was chilly!

Then our tour took us south to the desert (well, mostly -- we had to go round some mountains and drive through a bit more snow first). I had been warned that driving through Death Valley would be boring. I don't know what those people were thinking! It's absolutely breathtaking. The contrast of scenery from snow-topped peaks to ragged bare rock within a few hours driving is astonishing. The colors in the desert are like something from one of those old layered-sand bottles. And there are tumbleweeds -- they really do exist outside old Westerns. :)

Because it's such a huge open space, I felt like I needed to make a
grand gesture. And although we went past many, many secret US
bunkers and missile silos, my t-shirt is just a coincidence. ;)

So I thought these were going to be the only photos I was going to be able to share with you. But then as we reached the city limits of Las Vegas, my co-pilot mentioned that it was a pity we weren't 30 minutes later, because the sun was only just beginning to set and the famous lights of the city weren't yet illuminated. Oh well, thought I. And then I spotted it: a Walmart Supercentre!! "How about we fix two problems in one go?" I suggested.

And we went to Walmart. And we found treasure.

All the SuperRomances look so pretty! 

Bottom shelf, but only two left! And it was almost better than winning a jackpot at the casino. (I said almost!)

Before I go, there's one more photo I wanted to share. This is from a famous San Francisco icon called Brenda's French Soul Food. I went for breakfast and it was, indeed, divine. But the staff uniforms cracked me up. I almost asked if I could buy one!

Now there's a title for my next book...

I'm spending the next few nights in Las Vegas and then after that we need to look at a map and decide where to next! Arizona is on the list of possibilities, so you may see more Cassie-in-the-desert pics -- should I ever decide to come home!

Winner - "Cassie's Grand Plan"

And the winner of their very own copy of Cassie's Grand Plan is Scarlet Wilson, for being courageous enough to admit her teen crush on Spandau Ballet. :) Don't worry, Scarlet, I was right there with you! Email me at Emmie @ emmiedark.com (without the spaces) with your mailing address details and a copy of my debut will be winging its way to you shortly!

No love is ever quite the same...

...as the first musician, movie star, or celebrity that you fall in love with as a teenager. Wouldn't you agree? There's nothing quite like it -- the obsessing and squealing and crying. Oh goodness, the crying.

Those saucy Norwegians - a-ha

What is it that makes thoses crushes so affecting? I recall feeling literally as if my life would end if I couldn't see my favourite band live in concert when I was fourteen. (For the record, no, my parents didn't let me go, and yes, I did survive!)

Who featured in the posters you plastered on your bedroom walls? I'm going to confess right now: I had a wall devoted to a-ha -- the largest wall space, actually. A slightly smaller wall for Duran Duran. And the smallest wall for other bands that came and went in my fickle world: Thompson Twins, Adam Ant, Culture Club, Wham!.

Duran Duran
I wanted their hair.

I've totally given away my age with that list!

I kind of feel sorry for today's teens that their pop stars don't seem to make quite as much of an effort with their appearances -- Lady Gaga notwithstanding. Just take a look at the Duran boys on the left there! Style AND substance, if you ask me.

Both a-ha and Duran Duran have been in my mind recently because, in case you didn't know -- both of them are still going strong (in one guise or another). D2 (as we used to call them) are touring Australia next month. I've seen them the last couple of times they've been here, and I have to say that they are an awesome live band. Simon le Bon might be in his fifties, but he's still got the voice and the moves!

Morten - still dreamy.

Unfortunately a-ha are no more. They played a farewell tour in 2010 titled "Ending on a High Note" (and anyone who remembers their hit "Take On Me" will see the double meaning there!). I fulfilled the dreams of my fourteen-year-old self by attending their final show at Wembley Arena in London. But lead singer Morten Harket is about to embark on a solo tour in April, and he has a new single out as well. He's also in his fifties, but still has that amazingly distinctive voice and, I have to say, is still looking quite worthy of bedroom-wall-poster-status. (I will admit I am not objective when it comes to this!)

It's probably embarrassing to admit, but when I've been to see both Duran Duran and a-ha live in concert, the little fourteen-year-old girl inside me has come back to life. I've had the racing heart, the shaking hands, the overwhelming joy and excitement that nothing else approaches.

I guess it's the ultimate romance, a teenage girl and a poster-boy. A perfect love -- in your imagination anyway. :)

Who was your teen-dream love? Have you encountered them again as an adult? What was the experience like? I'm going to send the best story a copy of my debut SuperRomance, "Cassie's Grand Plan". And I think I might just go and listen to "Hunting High and Low". It's been a while since I've visited there.

Getting "The Call"

by Emmie Dark, brand-new LoveCat

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked since I got “the call,” apart from “where do you get your ideas” (C’mon, seriously? I thought authors were joking when they warned me about that.) is “tell us about your call.”

In romance writing circles, “the call” is talked about in awed, hushed tones usually reserved for religious conversion. And perhaps the two things do have something in common. It’s true that as a writer, “the call” will change your life forever.

So, my call story? I’m glad you asked...! But let me take this opportunity to also provide a few handy hints for those of you still waiting for the call—now that you know how important this story will become for you in your writing life.

My first handy hint is as simple as this:

ANSWER YOUR PHONE.

Whatever time of day (or night).
Whatever you are doing at the time (with certain, obvious, exceptions).
Whatever the caller ID says.

Because I so nearly didn’t.

It was early. Well, 7.30am is early for me. And the phone said “Blocked number”. For me that’s usually a no-brainer—let it go through to the keeper.

But some kind fairy somewhere was looking out for me, because some unknown instinct made me pick up the phone and take the call. And there was a little crackle of static on the line. Just enough to make me realise it was a international call. A part of me—the more pragmatic part—said, “Great another telemarketer, just what you need before you’ve even had a cuppa.” Another part of me—the more sublimely hopeful part—said, “You never know, this might just be it!” And then giggled, because that’s what sublimely hopeful parts of you do.

The silently giggling part of me choked when my caller introduced herself and said she was calling from Harlequin.

The rest of me made a gurgling noise that eventually resolved itself into some kind of greeting and confirmation that I was, in fact, me.

My second handy hint: have a pen and paper nearby and take notes. Because there is not a chance in hell that you’ll remember any of the important information from that call. And there is quite a bit of important stuff that will get talked about. Things like revisions, deadlines, contracts and the like. You need a pen and paper handy and you need to write it all down—trust me.

My third and final handy hint: work out how you're going to celebrate, taking into account various times of day that YOUR call might arrive. Had it been 7.30pm there's no doubt champagne corks would have popped at my house. But at 7.30am? With a day's work ahead? That made celebrating a little more difficult. I wished I'd thought that through in advance and bought some celebratory chocolate chip muesli and hidden it in the cupboard.

It’s funny, when I used to imagine being a published author, I didn’t imagine book covers, or seeing my name on Amazon, or a cheque arriving in the mail. I imagined that phone call. I imagined hearing the words “we want to buy your book”—that was the little visualisation that helped encourage me.

Now that it’s happened, I have no idea if they were the words that were used. It was something to that effect, anyway. And it was just as awesome as I’d always imagined. There’s a reason “the call” is so revered in writing circles—because it’s totally as splendid, awe-inspiring, breath-taking and amazing as you think it will be.

My first book, a SuperRomance titled Cassie's Grand Plan will be out in March. Are you waiting for “the call”? What celebrations do you have planned? Or if you've already had the call, how did you celebrate?