Okay. I Get It.

Everytime I turn around, someone is talking about Jared Leto. I wondered, what's so great about him? So I looked him up. Okay. I get it. Yum.

Click here to see.

Is It A Fact?

We've all heard the theory about measuring a man's feet, nose, hands, or etc. to guess at their penis length. Well, some gutsy and funny person made up a chart. Check it out.  No. I wasn't trying to figure it out. I only needed the average foot size for a man in the U.S. (10.5) and came across the chart.  So funny.

Romance Writing Syndromes

I wrote this originally for Just Romantic Suspense.  Be sure to check out the website. It has great info, lots of author interviews and plenty of giveaways!

In books, I’ve found the ones I enjoy the most have family in it. Most romances have what I’ve heard called the Dead Parent Syndrome. You’ve never seen so many orphans than you do in Romance. And don’t get me started on the Only Child Syndrome. You sort of expect DPS to show up in historical romance. Between all of the diseases and the nasty childbirth practices back then, chances were good that the main characters were raised by an aunt or uncle. But the phenomenon spilled over to contemporary many years ago. As an author, I know how tempting it is to kill off all of the family. Just think of the angst and damage the person would be going through all alone. Plus the character can behave any way they want without worrying about how mom would react.

Why do I like having parents and siblings even in the type of romantic suspense I write? First, let me explain what I write. I love edgy, hot stories of a man and woman who try to do right but screw up along the way. (Pun intended.) My current book, Circle of Desire, is so much like that and the strange thing is in this book the two main characters have DPS. But siblings pop up everywhere and that trend continues in my book due out June 5, Circle of Danger. But in the third book, Circle of Deception (tentatively titled), someone’s parents will finally show up, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

So now I’ll answer the question above. I believe readers can only handle so much angst and damage. A favorite author of mine loves to torment her characters and one book of hers in particular I had to put down a time or two because of all the pain and suffering. All I could think of is, “Give the guy a break!” Hey, when you like the hero, you want his life to improve, especially after meeting the heroine (and vice-versa). Besides, we like believing there are parents who are alive and their children have grown up to become awesome heroes/heroines. Some of us had parents who did a decent job of parenting. If we’re messed up, it’s because of actions by other people, not in our nuclear family, that have touched us in a negative or positive way or maybe all it is, is us being human.

Great New-to-me Website

I'm loving the ASKMEN.com website. Check this out about sex positions. How refreshing to see it worded so well. Thi sis all part of my research for my current book.  LOL!

Many Men's Challenge

Check out this article titled, "What is The Most Challenging Skill For Men To Learn?" The answer to their biggest challenge is not to dress like this...  Click here.

For the worst dressed cities, you can check out another article here.  What to do to get your husband/boyfriend to dress better? Check out this article. I agree wholeheartedly.

I FINISHED BOOK #3!

April Fools!  Surely, you didn't get taken in by that?  I'm nowhere finished. But it's moving along.  Please be sure to sign up for  my newsletter. I plan next week to send out an excerpt of Book #3 (tentatively titled CIRCLE OF DECEPTION). It's the opening scene of the book actually and I think you'll love it. I do. But I love all of my books equally. They are like my children - a part of me.

First, Happy Birthday to my sister. Love ya, sis!

Second, come over to Just Romantic Suspense and comment on my post titled "Romance Writing Syndromes." You might find it interesting.  Plus you could win a copy of CIRCLE OF DESIRE (paperback or e-format) and CIRCLE OF DANGER (e-format), one of each title. One per winner. 

Hope to see you there. In the meanwhile, I'm back writing on Book #3.

Where's Waldo ... uh ... Carla?

As a new published author in today’s world, we're expected to do a lot of advertising of our own book. The publisher will provide some … well, a minimum for a newbie. The ones that are already selling like popsicles in 100 degree weather, they get the larger and more frequent ads.

Okay. I understand that. Publishing is a business and I’ve been in construction sales for over 30 years. If anyone understands that, I do and don’t have a problem with it. Technically. But I'm human with all the flaws included and have to remind myself about this.

Anyway, think of it like this, if you own a shoe business and you have a choice between Jennifer Anniston wearing your shoes on the red carpet during the Oscars and me wearing them to a local book signing, who would you chose? Be truthful. Right! Me! NO, no no!! I’m kidding. Jennifer. She’ll get you more sales.

So what do I do to get the word out there about my books?  I get on my website, (www.carlaswafford.com), Twitter (@carlaswafford), Facebook (Carla Swafford, Author), Goodreads (Carla Swafford – do you see a theme yet on how ot find me?) and blog (here and http: romancemagician.blogspot.com) and anybody else’s blog. I post, ‘book, and tweet funny comments, provocative ditties, hot excerpts along with chatting on-line with anyone who’s willing to show me the least bit of attention. I can tell you I’m thrilled, even if it is someone I don't know.

My day job funds have been cut nearly by a third but I spent a couple thousand dollars last year on trying to get the word out there by giveaways, entering contests and advertising. Thank goodness, they’re tax deductible as my last child is out of college and we can no longer deduct her. This year, I’ll include two conferences and more of the same. That amount will double.  Obviously, the money wasn’t well spent as my first book sales were just okay as I have learned.

Now I’m not telling you all this so you will feel sorry for me. I’m not the only one in this same speeding car heading for a cliff with money fluttering out of the sunroof. Several newbie and experience authors are suffering the same fate right along with me.

But you know, I’ve wondered if I disappeared for a few weeks and asked my friends to send out messages like “Where’s Carla?” would that create enough of a stir that thousands of dollars didn’t? Truthfully, I’m afraid to find out. What if I heard “Who’s Carla?” or "What's a Carla?" 

Or worse, “Who cares!”

Ghosts of The Past

The other day for the heck of it, I decided to look up on MapQuest the place on Smith Lake my mom and dad use to own when I was a kid. I spent a many summer at the lake.  We would stay during the summer there and Dad would go into Birmingham to work, returning on the weekends to hang out with us.

Well, the area has changed a lot in the 45 years I've been gone. Wow, 45 years.  I guess it makes sense. Anyway, it made me a little sad because the people who now own the land (our two bedroom trailer was long gone) and built their house on it, wouldn't know about all the good times we had: the bonfires, the watermelon fights, and the running around screaming and jumping in the water fun. There was a house for sale next to the property. Sure wish I could buy it though I prefer the old property instead.

MapQuest is neat. Gave me a chance to see the place without leaving my chair.

Kicking Butt

Still writing on Book #3. It's more emotional than the other two books, but just as hot. No worries there. I love writing steamy, squeeze-your-thighs-together stories.
It appears that everyone enjoyed the excerpt from CIRCLE OF DESIRE the other day. so I thought I would share a little of CIRCLE OF DANGER coming out 6/5/12.
              

           Marie knocked on the apartment door marked C13 and waited for an answer. Ryker hated it when she spent time with Charlie. Who did he think he was? Charlie wouldn’t get her in any more trouble than anyone else in the organization.

            A woman with soft brown curls around her face peeked through the crack in the door as she opened it as far as the chain allowed. There was no crime in The Circle facility — who in their right mind would dare — but Charlie had grown up in the slums of Atlanta and refused to leave her safety up to chance.

           “F*ck, Marie. You have some crazy timing.” Charlie, known as a wild woman, went through men as fast as gas through a four-fifty-four engine in a muscle car. Marie knew for sure that she had a heart of gold and was the bestest of friends.

            “I can come back later.”

            “Sh*t, no. I forgot the time. Give me a second.” She slammed the door.

            Marie grinned. Not offended by her friend’s behavior or language, she patiently waited. The deserted hallway was unusual. On most days the underground barracks for single Circle operatives were jam-packed with people coming from or going to their shifts. The same barracks she’d lived in until Ryker decided she needed to sleep near him. With that thought her skin prickled. She leaned against the wall and pressed a hot cheek to the cool sheetrock.

            Then she heard voices inside Charlie’s rooms. One voice was much deeper than the other.

            The door opened and a half clothed male stumbled into the hallway.

            “Ah, damn, Charlie. I hoped to have another round of fun.” The man dropped his shoes and jabbed his arms into the sleeves of his shirt. With his tousled chestnut hair in his eyes and well-defined abs, Marie remembered seeing him working out in the gym. He was one of the pilots for The Circle’s helicopters.

               “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Later, Tom. I’ll make it up to ya.” Charlie slid her hand down the man’s bare chest and grabbed the waistband of his jeans and jerked. “You better be ready to keep up.”

            The man hissed. “Be careful. I’ll keep up all night, baby. You tell me when.”

            She kissed him hard and then shoved him in the chest toward the stairwell.

            Charlie turned toward Marie. “You look like crap. Come in and I’ll fix you a margarita.”  

           Marie watched Tom stagger away. Then she followed Charlie into her rooms.

I hope you enjoyed the little scene.  My plans were to have a novella for Charlie and her sweetie (not Tom). We'll see.

In the next couple weeks, I plan to send out a newsletter (I promise) and it will have the first scene from Book #3. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter.  Click here.

And yes, they told me recently they are planning to publish the third book in the series.  No word yet about any other books after that. 

If you're enjoying the series, I suggest you tell others to buy my books (e-format or paperback). The more people who buy, the better chance they will want more. If you just share and let others illegally download the e-format, my publisher won't know and they will decide the series isn't doing well and not buy the others.  And unlike other authors, I prefer they be edited and distributed through a publisher.   

Good Grief!

Today has been the day from hell. Actually, it started to trickle in on Friday and worked it's way into a hell raising storm today. No, I'm not talking about weather, just a lot has gone wrong. But I'll keep my quivering chin up and watery eyes looking forward. I have plans and alternate plans. I'll fight all the way down if needed. Maybe in a week or two I'll talk about it, but for now I'm drowning my sorrows in my writing. Maybe I'll go ahead and write the heartbreaking scene now. I'm only on page 41, but heck I can write out of sequence if I want to. I can do anything I damn well please.