January/February, 2010 Affaire De Coeur
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
January/February, 2010 Affaire de Coeur Affaire de Coeur January/February, 2010 Reviews and Previews for Readers and Writers January/February, 2010 Features Julie Kenner – January Author of the Month 2 Bonnet Books 6 Interracial Romance — Dyanne Davis 8 Movies of Your Mind — Bennet Pomerantz 10 Fun & Games 12 Black History Month Quiz 31 Previews 32 Valentine’s Day Quiz 42 Departments and Columns Contemporary Romance Reviews 13 Historical Romance Reviews 20 Paranormal Romance Reviews 26 Steamy Romance Reviews 33 Mystery & Suspense Romance Reviews 35 Booty from the Other Genres 38 Audio Recordings 43 Publisher/Editor in Chief — Louise B. Snead Copy Editor — Lanelle Brent Copy Editor — Nancy Lepri Book Review Editor — Judith Hill Vice President of Advertising — Bonny Kirby Art Director — Adrian Powell ROM-CON — Barbara N. Keenan Audio Reviewer — Bennet Pomerantz Foreign Correspondent — Janine D. Snead Literary Reviewers Monique Bruner • Mildred Burkett • Emily Carty • Lauren Caulder • Marilyn Anita Dalrymple • Inez Daylong • Letettia Elsasser • Heather Nordahl Files • Sheila Griffin • Catherine Heller • Lani Roberts • Tiffany Viale • Dera Williams • Paul Zunino Affaire de Coeur is published bi-monthly at 3976 Oak Hill Road Oakland, California 94605-4931 Telephone: (510) 569-5675 FAX: (510) 632-8868 E-Mail address: [email protected] Affaire de Coeur , Inc. ISSN # 0739-3881. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. All books and material reviewed by this publication have been read by the reviewer, and the opinions expressed are those of the reader. Release dates and prices are subject to possible change by the publisher without notice. Subscription rates for the U.S.A. is $38.00 for 12 issues first class. Third Class subscription is $30.00. Canadian subscription is $65.00 for one year. Other foreign countries' rates are dependent upon the cost of mailing. Single copy price is $6.00. www. affairedecoeur.com January/February, 2010 Affaire de Coeur Julie Kenner AdC’s Author of the Month “We’re really excited to be doing Julie's terrific new urban fantasy trilogy three months in a row. It’s the first time Ace has published an author in this way. But we’ve seen how well it works on the Sensation list, and some of other sf/f imprints have had success with such scheduling, so we were looking for just the right books to give it a try ourselves. The Blood Lily Chronicles are, we think, the perfect choice. Though each stands alone, together they tell a compelling story of a young woman’s decent into darkness—and rise back to the light. It’s powerful material—and the impact is only increased when the reader doesn’t have to wait several months for “what comes next.” Meeting the deadlines for this program was challenging, but Julie more than rose to it. The Ace art direc- tor came thru with a set of striking covers. Our sale forces backed the project enthusiastically. Now, as the trilogy goes on sale, we all hope that Lily Carlyle will soon find a place among the memorable heroines of today’s hottest genre!” — Ginjer Buchanan, Ace Books 2 Affaire de Coeur January/February, 2010 AdC: Wow, a trilogy in three consecutive switched to film and considered writing even manage to write or plot a bit. months! Tell me how that came about. screenplays (clearly not paying attention Lunch. Got a phone call from Harlequin editor JK: I'm totally excited about that, because to that "steady paycheck" voice). I gradu- during lunch re: novella; called critique part- it fits the story so well. But the fact is, I ated very young, though, and was too ner with whom I wrote anthology to clarify think it was more a publishing decision chicken to move to LA, so I bummed point raised by editor. Kids get a school break than a story decision. More and more around doing some media related jobs, (straighten room, then play); I write. More publishers seem to be doing that lately. then took the LSAT because, hey, it school. (Today was history and grammar after As a reader, I think it’s awesome...except, seemed like the thing to do (for someone lunch for the oldest; reading for the young- of course, after book three you have to as Type A as I can be, looking back I de- est). Gymnastics class for the girls. Talked start waiting again, and I’m impatient! The tect a serious lack of focus!). I had a knack through story issues (hers and mine) in a idea is to build excitement and let readers for the law, loved the research and writing phone call at the gymnastics place. Worked have a chance to really get a feel for the component, and ended up clerking on the on answering these questions after the phone series. I hope readers are happy to spend Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. That was a call! Dentist appointment for my oldest; an- three months with Lily! two-year gig, and I interviewed with LA swered more emails in the waiting room. Er- AdC: How did you get the inspiration for firms and ended up moving to California, rands. (Today bought tennis balls from Tar- this series? figuring I’d practice entertainment law, get and reams of paper from Office Depot.) JK: I actually can't answer that without which I did to a certain extent. Home. I wrote and the girls played outside spoilers, because something key in the But, I also got bit by the creative bug all (mostly tennis against the garage door) until first book (Tainted) was the kernel of my over again. I met a guy also interested in their dad came home. original idea. (I've been thrilled so far that writing, and he and I wrote two screen- Out to dinner with family. Oldest took history the reviewers are keeping tight-lipped!) plays, one that sucked, and the other, test (we didn't have time before gymnastics), It started, though, because I wanted to which got some interest in Hollywood, but then played with her sister. I finished up this write a story about an assassin. That idea was never optioned. blog entry, wrote pages of manuscript in buzzed around in my brain, and at some After I got married and moved to Or- progress, and reviewed notes for a talk I'm point it jelled as a paranormal story, with ange County, it was too hard to continue giving at the University tomorrow. Rest of the demons being the intended victims for my writing together in those early Internet evening: writing, with breaks to hang with tough chick heroine. Honestly, it was a days, so I started thinking about writing husband. Depending on the page count I need very amorphous process, unlike the inspi- novels again. I discovered category ro- to hit, bedtime can be anywhere from 12-2. ration for my demon-hunting soccer mom, mances and thought that with my insane (Probably on the later end tonight, since to- which was a Boom! moment. (I was try- lawyer schedule, I should focus on that, day was a heavy errand/out-of-the-house ing to think of a romance to pitch, and as the books have a shorter page count. I day.) thought of alpha male demon hunters; at wrote one, got decent feedback, and dis- And there you go. Tomorrow will be entirely the same time, I wanted to pitch chick lit, covered RWA. I was fortunate to sell my different! but not the typical 20-something, as I was second manuscript to Harlequin Tempta- AdC: You put out a lot of books, as well as a new mom. The ideas bumped up to- tion, along with my third, a full length par- have a family and pets. How do you manage gether, and paranormal mommy lit was anormal called The Cat's Fancy, both as all of it? born! the result of RWA contests. JK: Lots and lots of post-its and lists! Seri- AdC: You write across several genres of AdC: What is a typical day like in the life ously, I make a list the night before of the books. Tell me about that. of Julie Kenner? school schedule for the next day, and I have JK: Honestly, it's just my wacky imagina- JK: There really isn't a “typical” day, so an on-going spreadsheet of how many pages tion. I read across genres, so writing I'll just go with today: I want to get through in order to stay on track across them made sense. But you're right Wake up, hit snooze alarm six billion times. with various deadlines. When life is espe- – I've done a lot, from chick lit suspense Crawl out of bed. Drink coffee. Write. Kids cially crazy, I tend to stay up very late and to category romance to funny paranormal wake up. Feed kids and give them X work on weekends. Fortunately, I'm a night romance (with superheroes!) to urban fan- amount of time to play and wake up (usu- owl anyway! tasy, both dark and light. And YA, too! ally 30-45 minutes). Read emails. Upload As for page count tips, I put post-its on my AdC: Tell me how you got into writing. podcast. (Not an everyday thing, but I did wall representing X number of words (usually JK: I've wanted to be a writer for as long have to do it today, as I couldn't get it to 500 or 1000) and when I hit that number, I get as I can remember! I wrote short stories upload yesterday evening).