Archive for the 'Leslie' Category

Sunday Winner And Eye-Candy

Sunday, June 15th, 2008
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The winner of this week’s Jungle Madness Friday is…

ERIN McG Message # 103!

Congratulations Erin! Please write to me at: author at lesliekelly.com so I can get your prize right to you.

Also, the three randomly picked winners (picked by my daughters) of Janelle’s “Lots of Books” giveaway from Thursday are:

THEBOOKGIRL Comment #46
PAT COCHRAN Comment #81
LAURIE Comment #90

Congratulations to all three of you. Please email at janelledenison @ sbcglobal.net with your full name and mailing address and I’ll get those books out in the mail to you!

Now, instead of a funny this week, I thought we could all spend a moment thinking of Julie, who’s still in the hospital. We’re all sending out positive, warm, healing wishes to her. But I also wanted to send her these very special nurses to take care of her every little need…

First off, from her favorite show, HEROES, how about a super-hero, flying nurse. Fictional, I know, but oh, my, I bet he’d do a fiiiiiiiine job of caring for Jules.

The rest of these guys ain’t too bad, either! Enjoy!

PS: Who’s your fave?

Leslie’s Jungle Madness Friday!

Friday, June 13th, 2008
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It’s Friday!

I got an email notice informing me of the “split” between Borders.com and Amazon (who used to handle all of Borders online business.) Because I like Borders and want to support it, I figured I’d offer a $25 gift card from them so you can choose something good to read for this beachy summer season.

And since I have two books available right now, plus Janelle has one, and Carly has one next week, and Julie’s Phantom book is still around, if you’re looking for suggestions, just let us know…

You know what to do–just comment and you’re entered!

A note from Julie: Hi, jungle dwellers! I wanted to pop in and let you all know that I won’t be around for a couple of weeks. I’m having surgery right now as you read this (if you’re reading first thing in the AM) for a long-time health issue. Leslie, Carly & Janelle are, of course, in contact with my husband (and as soon as the drugs wear off, me!)…I didn’t know whether or not to post now or next week, but I decided on now so you all could take a minute (please!) to send some positive healing energy my way…prayers, thoughts…whatever you can spare. I love you all and hope to be back to blogging very soon…in the meantime, I have some spectacular writers lined up to guest blog for me, starting with Vicki Lewis Thompson day before yesterday…but Toni Blake and Diana Peterfreund are coming up! See you all soon!

An Exclusive Plotmonkeys Excerpt!

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
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****NEWS FLASH****

Just wanted to update those who’ve mentioned it in the comments: The Soapbox Queens are having problems with their website server. They are working on it and hope to be back up and running soon.

In the meantime, if you want your Queen fix, be sure to come back here to Plotmonkeys tomorrow where the fabulous and amazing Vicki Lewis Thompson will be our guest-blogger! Can’t wait!!

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Forgive me, it’s the last week of school, I’m making some kind of Libyan potato dish for a “world cultures” day for my daughter for tomorrow (smells YUMMMMMMY) and I have to work the party.

I just zoned on writing something for today’s blog!

So, since my next Blaze HEATED RUSH is actually available NOW on eHarlequin, I figured I’d give you guys a sneak-peek excerpt never before seen anywhere.

This is the 2nd book in my The Wrong Bed: Again And Again! miniseries and features day care center owner Annie Davis. She has to bring a guy back home to the farm for her parents 30th anniversary party. So she bids on a guy at a charity auction…a guy she thinks is a blue collar, all-American paramedic.

Boy is she wrong!

By the way, for those of you who’ve been saying (or thinking) oh, no WAY will she really have a hero who did THAT.

Uh, yes. I did. And he’s quite to-die-for.

Enjoy!

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Sean wasn’t dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt tonight, or a ridiculously expensive-looking suit like he’d worn to dinner. Instead, he wore tailored black trousers and a tight, short-sleeved gray shirt, cut like a T-shirt but made of some shimmering fabric that said it hadn’t come out of a plastic bag marked Jockey.

And she was in the usual khaki pants and a blue, spit-up stained Baby Daze golf shirt. Well, she had to give herself a bit of a break. It wasn’t spit-up stained now. If she had to guess, she’d have to say that was ketchup on her right shoulder. Not spit-up.

Who said they didn’t look just like a matched pair?

Who cares? It’s one weekend!

“It’s obvious just by looking around that you’ve made a success of it,” he finally said as he glanced around the office, noting the framed certificates and licenses on the wall. “Your family must concede that much.”

“You’d think.”

“Well, then, we’ll just have to convince them that you’ve at least done well with your choices in men.”

That caused her to snort out loud.

He leaned back in the chair, kicking his long legs out in front of him, and crossed his big arms over his chest. “Speaking of which, what do I do for a living?”

“I didn’t say.”

He nodded, thinking about it. “How about…mechanic?” His eyes twinkled, and she remembered their first conversation.

Her head tilted back in challenge. “Know what a socket wrench looks like?”

“Good point. Uh…pediatrician?”

She smirked. “I saw the way you looked at the kids.”

“I like children,” he protested, sounding indignant…but not terribly honest.

“En brochette?”

His deep, throaty laugh sent a tingle of sensation racing through her. She liked the man’s laugh. And his smile. And the way those eyes lit up when he was amused.

“Busted. Is that the word? I suppose I did see the little monsters and immediately wonder if I needed to don protective gear to come in and rescue you.”

She frowned. “They’re adorable.”

“They’re sticky.”

“They’re loving,” she insisted.

“They’re loud.”

“They’re loyal.”

“They’re short.”

“Oh, all right,” she said, grinning too much to keep up the ridiculous game of one-upsmanship. “They’re all of the above. But I love them just the same.”

“I saw that,” he murmured, eyeing her intently, his expression almost–tender–if that made any sense. Especially given his obvious disinterest in children. Then that strong chin went up and he said, “Of course, that’s everyone else’s children. I don’t imagine my own–if I ever get around to having any, which I sincerely doubt–would be sticky, loud, or short.”

At that, Annie leaned back in her chair and chortled. “You’re a pompous one, aren’t you?”

Shock unhinged his jaw. “I’m no such thing.”

“A little pompous,” she clarified. “And spoiled.”

“Maybe once,” he admitted. “Not anymore.”

Their stares locked across her desk, and she sensed the intensity in the man. He hadn’t wanted to talk about his past, beyond mentioning that he’d been raised in Ireland. There was a story there–most definitely. But he’d put up walls around himself, using his easy charm and amazing good-looks to keep anyone from surmounting them.

What, she wondered, would await a woman who managed to get to the other side?

“We still haven’t settled on my occupation,” he said, clearing his throat and breaking their intense visual connection. As if he knew she’d been trying to figure him out and was uncomfortable about it. “Hmm…stunt man? Body double for Brad Pitt?”

She snorted. “He wishes people believed he had that body.”

Then she got serious, knowing they really had to nail this down, if only so she could hammer the details into her own head tonight. The last thing she needed was to get caught in a lie by her family, who’d be all over any prevarication like Dylan McFee had been all over Jessie Sims to get that toy.

“Let’s keep it simple. You’re a businessman.” That, according to his correct bio, was true. She hated to draw him much farther into her lies, though the mischief in his expression said he was having fun with the whole charade. “The closer we stick to the truth, the better. And that is the truth, right?”

He shifted in the uncomfortable chair. “More or less. I’m a consultant. But businessman will do.”

Moving on, he asked, “Where did we meet?”

Annie’s hands clenched into fists beneath the desk, and she willed her jaw not to clench in instinctive anger as well. So much for sticking close to the truth. She didn’t even want to pretend to have met this man the way she’d met the real Blake–here, at work, where she so should have known better.

“Dating service?”

He rolled his eyes. “Pathetic. How about a blind date?”

“And that’s not pathetic?”

He frowned, thinking it over. “Party?”

“Fine.”

She felt like they were negotiating a contract, rather than establishing a relationship. And suddenly saw that he probably would be a very good businessman.

He confirmed it by running down a list of questions she never even would have thought to ask. Her favorite color, flower, movie and musician. Her political leanings, ambitions, where she went to school. How she took her coffee, her favorite ice cream. Ticklish spots.

She told him one. But she left the other out altogether. He’d come close to discovering it on her couch yesterday evening. Close…but not quite. And if he ever did discover that one, they’d be a whole lot more involved than two people planning to pull a little scam on her family this weekend.

All the details he wanted to know were minor, but certainly things a couple would know about each other. Cake or pie? Chocolate or vanilla? He filed each detail away, occasionally volunteering an opinion on her preferences–how can you prefer apple pie over Crème Brûlée?–but quickly moving along.

These were all details they could have talked about over dinner last night, in the typical, second date, get-to-know-you manner. Instead, they’d laughed over the program mixup, speculating on the wealthy woman’s reaction to getting Jake the paramedic rather than the international businessman. He’d harassed her into tasting caviar, though not escargot, and she’d intentionally asked for a doggie bag, just to see how he’d react.

She should have known. Sean had at first grinned, then raised an arrogant brow and barked at the waiter when he’d been snitty about it.

Through all that, they’d somehow skipped over all the basic chit-chat, as if already so comfortable with one another, none of it had mattered. Until now, when they realized it did, at least as far as her family was concerned.

The conversation continued in that vein for a few minutes, until he matter-of-factly asked, “Do you sleep in the nude?”

“What?”

“It’s a fair question.”

“No, it isn’t,” she said, part of her dying to tell him and part of her knowing she’d rather show him, instead. “My family is not going to ask you what I wear to bed, because my father would probably toss you out of the house if you answered.”

“Old fashioned.”

“Very.”

“We have a lot in common.”

“Next question?”

“You didn’t answer the last one.”

She waved a hand and glared. “Next question.”

“What size is your bed? I didn’t even get a peek into your room yesterday.”

Groaning as she realized the serious part of their conversation was over, she leaned over her desk and badly answered him. “It’s big. Queen size.”

And usually empty other than Annie and Wally, who generally slept sprawled out, taking up three-fourths of it, leaving Annie clinging to the edge.

“I probably should see it,” he said, sounding entirely innocent for a man trying to maneuver his way into her bedroom.

Maneuver? So not necessary. Given how she’d been feeling about him–hot and attracted the first night, frankly interested the next, and comfortable and amused now–all he’d probably have to do is ask.

They’d spent more than an hour together, talking, laughing, flirting. This so counted as a date.

“Don’t you agree that I should at least…take a peek?”

Inside her chest, her heart did that funny fluttering thing again. And her thighs clenched. “Why?”

“Well, we’re dating, aren’t we? I’m a gentleman, and I escort you to your door, so it’s likely I’d have at least gotten a glimpse at your bedroom.”

“You get along with Wally. That’s proof that you’re in my life.”

“Back to the previous question then. What do you wear when you crawl into that big bed with just your cat for company?”

Unable to resist, she told him in a throaty whisper, “A red silk nightie.”

Lie, lie, lie. She usually wore a long T-shirt to bed. But she at least had a red nightie. She’d bought it at an after-Valentine’s Day sale last winter, determined to have worn it for somebody before the next time the fat baby with the arrows flew around.

Maybe it’ll actually happen. Now. Tonight.

A muscle flexed in Sean’s jaw, and his eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. That, and the almost inaudible hiss of his indrawn breath, was his only reaction. “Long or short?”

Mmm…she suspected he was very long. He certainly had felt that way pressed against her yesterday. And he most definitely had been in her erotic dreams of the night before.

Annie’s breaths merged together, tripping over each other as they rushed from her lungs. She’d forgotten about the dreams until this minute. Now they were replaying in full, glorious Technicolor, reminding her that she’d awakened at four a.m., her body quivering as an intense orgasm shook her from her sleep.

Annie swallowed, trying to force the images away. At least long enough to answer the question he had really been asking.

The shadow of a smile on his lips told her he knew what had been going through her mind. “I meant the gown.”

“I knew that,” she insisted, sounding about as convincing as one of the kids trying to talk his way into another cookie.

“Of course you did.”

“It’s…” she tried to remember. The thing had been hanging on a padded silk hanger in her closet since the day she’d bought it. “Long!” Definitely long. She thought.

“What shade?”

“Shade?”

“Ruby red?” he asked, the voice so silky, the eyes intense. “Scarlet? Garnet? Is it the soft blush of a rosebud, or the wickedness of a fierce explosion of fire?”

Oh, God. The man painted pictures with his words. Pictures that formed entire scenarios in her brain.

Annie’s entire body quivered as her body raced to process the sensations battering every inch of her. Breasts tingling and heavy against her shirt, nipples hard and jutting out in demand, arms shaking with the need to twine them around his neck and draw him to her. Every inch of her was affected.

Beneath the desk, her thighs quivered. The fierce explosion of fire he mentioned had erupted between them and it clawed at her, demanding attention. She was aroused and wet, her sex as aware and ready as if she’d been touched by his hands, rather than only his voice. As crazy as it sounded, if he kept on talking like that, her body was going to explode as unexpectedly as it had during her dreams the night before, just from the sultry sound of his whisper.

“Sean…”

He stared at her, certainty of her reaction washing off him, and for the briefest moment, she thought he was going to act on that certainty. To end the waiting, reach out, take her hand, and tug her across the desk. He’d tear her clothes off, set her on the edge of the desk and step between her shaking thighs. He’d fill her as she hadn’t been filled in forever. And then, maybe, they’d both be able to think again.

Instead, he did something even more shocking. He slowly rose from his chair and cleared his throat. “Well, I guess I have all I need.”

To do what? The closet romance novel reader inside her supplied a sudden, hopeful answer: to ravish me? Right here? Right now?
He didn’t say that. Instead, with a few simple words, he deflated her, confused her.

And completely infuriated her.

“So I suppose we should say goodnight.”

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Like it? It’s available today from eHarlequin! Otherwise, watch for it in stores later this month!

Heated Rush

Heated Rush

Harlequin Blaze


Reviews…Worth Worrying About?

Monday, June 2nd, 2008
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I’m curious about something…

How do you all, as readers and writers, feel about reviews? Do you read them? Do they influence your buying decisions? I know you’re all wonderfully loyal to us, and we all appreciate that, so I won’t put you on the spot and ask, “Have you ever not bought one of OUR books because of a crappy review?”

Seriously, though, have reviews kept you from buying a book or reading a particular author? I speak in particular about the “blogger-reviewers” like Dear Author, Mrs. Giggles, Smart Bitches Trashy Books, or even more traditional sites like All About Romance. Exactly how much influence do they have over your purchasing habits?

My impression is: not much. Yes, they’re very entertaining, and can often provide really great industry information. I read them almost daily. But as for the reviews? Well, if they rave about a book, I might be on the lookout for it. If they shred one, though, it definitely doesn’t make me say “Oh, I’d never want to read that then!” I simply say, “Well, Jane or Mrs. G or Sarah didn’t like it, but so what, they didn’t like X book, either, which I loved.” And I buy what I want.

Their reviews are…just reviews. No better or worse than any other review outlet like RT or Publishers Weekly or whatever. So why these particular reviewers are targeted with such spite a lot of the time is simply beyond me.

Personally, I like all those sites. Every one of them has given my books less-than-fabulous reviews (oy, Mrs. G has shredded me, and I have the distinction of receiving an F from AAR!) But I still really enjoy reading them. In fact, most of my books that Mrs G and AAR have reviewed have been ones I’ve sent them. If I had thinner skin, I would have quit while I was ahead! But I took them with the grain of salt with which I take all reviews and continued to visit regularly and participate on occasion.

There have been so many explosions on some of the popular blogs, and yes, I’ve gotten involved, as has Julie. For the most part, I keep my head down and write (God knows, I can’t afford the distraction with my deadlines this year…one NAL thriller down two to go! WAHOO!) But every once in a while something so stupid or offensive or just wrong catches my attention and I comment and find myself tangled up in some huge blog mess that I really don’t have time to devote time and emotional energy to.

The emotional energy is what I find the most draining. I might not be commenting all the time but you can bet I’m reading. And quietly stewing. My thoughts and emotions go haywire and my creativity drops to zero.

One such event happened last week. It didn’t become a flame war, at least not with me, but it bothered me so much that I’m still thinking about it. A popular reader-blogger I read has a very sharp tongue and sarcastic style and she tells it like it is. She’s not for everyone, though I have always enjoyed her, even while recognizing that once in a while she may go a bit too far. C’est la vie.

But she happens to have caught the attention of some authors who, for some reason, have decided that she has some kind of power to make or break careers and “destroy authors.” So they have waged this incredibly horrid campaign against her. I’m not going to go into details…but trust me when I say it crossed the line so far you can’t even see the line anymore.

It bothered me. A lot.

Now, I don’t want to drag any of that ugly stuff over here…we just don’t do that. Julie and I both made our positions clear on it, I don’t see any need to mention the who’s, where’s, etc. But I do want to talk about the basic issue of reviews.

It just keeps coming back and boggling my mind that some authors would go to such lengths because they seriously think reviewers are career-killers. I firmly disagree and wonder why any author trying to pursue a writing career would waste the time, energy, emotion…and bad karma…on pursuits such as this.

I want to know if I’m right in that. So we arrive back to my point. Reviews. Do you read them? Do you pay attention to them? Do you seriously think online reviews/blogs can affect an author’s bottom line?

I’d really like to hear what you think….because I already have a feeling I know what the answer is.

PS: Have you picked up SLOW HANDS yet? If so…that dedication? SO meant it!

A Canine Garbage Disposal

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
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Dulcie is seven months old. She’s absolutely adorable and despite still having accidents on occasion, is a good little dog. (Check this out…I love how she tilts her little head to the side and looks up at me like she’s just a bit confused by the crazy human!)

There’s one problem with her…she eats EVERYTHING.

I am serious. I’ve dug mulch, stones, pieces of plastic, clumps of hair, bits of paper, leaves, the odd vegetable peeling…anything you can think of…out of her mouth. Now, I know dogs like to scavenge, but this is bad. She’s now eaten the corners of my windowsills! Literally chewed them down to bare wood (which I have then pulled out of her mouth.)

We have barricaded one of the big houseplants because she kept getting at it. Then she moved on to the herbs in my windowsills. Heck, at least they’re edible. She obviously likes Basil…one plant is entirely stripped.

I’ve tried saying no, sharply yelling at her, pulling her away, giving treats to come away. I even resorted to pepper! Sprinkled a tiny bit on the windowsills.

I really must take her out for Mexican…she obviously likes the spicy stuff.

I have a feeling I know what’s behind it–she was the runt and when we first brought her home, she would run to her bowl, “sneak” a piece of food and run away to a corner to eat it. Took her forever to eat a whole bowl. So I think she’s in fear of starvation, despite being very well fed. .

Anybody have any suggestions? Ever dealt with this before? All advice is appreciated!

At The Movies!

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
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It’s coming…it’s only two days away…it’s…it’s…

The Start Of The Summer Blockbuster Season!

And it all starts with Indy.
I was such an Indiana Jones girl. Saw the first one in the theater several times, and have seen it on video & DVD MANY times since. 2nd one…saw it once. Period. Third…over and over. So despite the fact that so many “even” numbered movies in a franchise don’t live up to the “odd” numbered ones, (I pretend Back to the Future 2 was never made!) you can bet I’ll be one of the crazies lined up to see Indy on the opening day.

I’m a little leery about the subject as I’ve heard George Lucas’s original title was (kid you not): Indiana Jones And The Saucer Men From Mars. Okey dokey. Indy meets Han Solo? Idontthinkso. But still, I’m a fan of the character (not so big on Harrison Ford, but I do love Indy!) And I’m thrilled that Marion is back. Throw in a “secret baby” sub-plot in the way of Shia LeBoeuf and I am SO there!

Come to think about it, I guess there has already been one summer blockbuster–Iron Man. I saw it and loved it. I’ve always been a big fan of Robert Downey, Jr. I’ve really rooted for him to get his act together because he had such talent and such potential. And in this movie, he absolutely nails it. He MAKES the movie–not the special effects or the cool suit or the story. His acting makes it entirely worth seeing.

The 2nd Chronicles of Narnia movie is already out, too. Haven’t seen it, but I’m sure I will. Given movie ticket prices, and the cost of gas to drive to the nearest theater, I might put that one on my “wait for the DVD” list.

One I won’t wait for the DVD on: The Happening. I love M. Night Shymalan movies. Yes, I know they’re schlocky and he’s trying for the “big surprise” which I’ve gotten in the first few minutes of all his films. But they’re also eerily entertaining, extremely well-paced, and, best of all, different from the rest of what’s out there!

Another biggie that I probably won’t watch at all, theater or DVD: The Incredible Hulk. I NEVER liked that guy. Not since the TV version. Just too depressing watching that cute Dad from The Courtship of Eddie’s Father having to leave place after place because Lou Ferigno got loose. And I have never had any interest in any of the movies.

The Dark Knight–another one I’m really looking forward to.
I really like the Batman movies and think Christian Bale is a splendid Bruce Wayne. Being such a big fan of Heath Ledger, I know it will be sad to see him in this, his final role, but the previews look marvelous. I was never a big fan of Jack Nicholson’s incredibly campy The Joker. But Heath looks tons more menacing!

Mamma Mia! Can’t wait! You all know I love musicals. Not only does this one have Meryl Streetp, and Abba music, and Pierce Brosnan, but it’s also one we Plotmonkeys went to see together on Broadway a few years back. Definitely a theater experience on this one, though I won’t be breaking records to get there the minute it’s out.

Get Smart. I’ll wait and see what the reviews have to say. I loved the TV show and I really like Steve Carrell and how fabulous a choice is Anne Hathaway as Agent 99? But it has the potential to be really stupid. So I will be looking for some recommendations!

The X Files. Oh, yeah. Opening day. I am a HUGE fan. And even my kids are into it thanks to my DVD collection. I did not like the first movie, because I never liked the whole over-riding “alien conspiracy” storyline, but I hear this movie doesn’t include any of that stuff and is more like a stand-alone X Files episode. Cool!

There are a few others I’ve seen previews for or heard mentioned, none of which have me wanting to head for the theaters. Adam Sandler’s new Zohan one looks incredibly dumb. Will Farrell looks to be delivering more of the same in Step Brothers, and while I think his movies are also dumb, I still found myself laughing in Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Brendan Frasier, who I’ve always really liked, has two new movies out this summer–The Mummy 3 (2nd one was pretty lame with the “cute kid sidekick” — one of the things I hated about Indy 2!) And Rachel Weis isn’t in it. But Brendan is such a cutie pie, so I’m sure I’ll watch it if I’m flipping by and see it on HBO. His other flick, Journey To The Center of the Earth is a great story, but it looks really ridiculous with the 3-D stuff. So again, maybe an HBO night in a year or so.

How about you? Have you heard any buzz, or are you really looking forward to any of the above? Anybody else on the Indy countdown with me?

Special Guest Blogger…BRENDA NOVAK!

Saturday, May 17th, 2008
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We are so excited to have the fabulous Brenda Novak in the jungle today!

Tireless, enthusiastic and incredibly talented, Brenda is a great writer who has been a fabulous friend to all the Plotmonkeys.

Brenda is the national bestselling author of 25 novels, which have been honored with numerous awards. From heartwarming to heart-stopping, her books are always a delight.

Summer 2008 will see the release of her next three romantic suspense stories—TRUST ME, STOP ME, and WATCH ME, coming from Mira Books. Visit her Web site at www.brendanovak.com to learn more about her and her work, or to enter her “That’s What Friends are For Contest,” where you could win a Caribbean Cruise for Two.

And don’t forget to check out Brenda’s fabulous AUCTION to fund Diabetes Research. Carly and Leslie both have special prizes up for auction and there are tons of other fabulous items to bid on.

Now, to talk a little about Author Branding…please welcome BRENDA NOVAK!

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There’s a buzzword in the industry that makes almost any author sit up and take notice: branding. Everyone’s talking about it; everyone wants to be effective at it. But…what is it, exactly? And how important is it that we learn to market in this way?

An author brand is like any other kind of brand—Coke, Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Andersen Doors. The most familiar brands evoke immediate recognition and association with particular products or even a level of quality in a certain product. Basically, branding translates into a sort of shorthand. I see a Nora book, I automatically know what kind of experience I can expect by reading it, so I pick it up without having to think twice or do any research. Branding is having a reputation and a loyal following and helps with all those impulse buys that are so critical in the book business.

Branding is important because it enables the author’s name in and of itself to become a marketable commodity. James Patterson is now using his brand to sell stories co-authored by other people. He’s even expanding his brand to include many different types of stories. Now that he’s so strongly associated with a good story, he can do that.

How did he build such a strong brand? By writing consistently great stories. That always has to be first. But there’s more to it than that. Branding is an on-going process and doesn’t generally happen overnight. It’s most difficult in the start-up phase. As well known as they are, Coke and Pepsi are still out there, advertising and building name recognition. It’s like pushing a ball uphill. If you stop pushing, it rolls right back to the bottom—something else encroaches and takes the attention of those you’re hoping to reach.

Specifically, an author brands herself by developing something that is consistent and unique in her writing. I do that by making sure every book I create delivers a deeply emotional, evocative story. How is my brand different from other authors who write in the same genre? My books are known for their deep characterization in a genre that is often more plot-driven (as you drift toward the suspense side). Once you know what you want your brand to be, you establish it through your writing style and “voice,” as well as your promotional efforts, until it becomes recognizable to others.


Some tools an author can use to build her brand are:

Paid Advertising
An interesting and constantly updated Web site
Strategic Contests
Blogs and chats (See? I’m building my brand right here )
Newsletters
Charity/Volunteer work
Networking
Joint-promotion with other authors and businesses
Speaking
Writing articles
Press releases/media attention
Author response to fan letters/e-mails
Mailers to booksellers/fans
Samplers

Your brand is your promise to your readers. When my readers buy my books they want to be able to count on a certain type of read. Therefore, I make sure I deliver that kind of read. Everything I do professionally is geared around building my brand and my career, so my Web site reflects that brand, my promotional materials reflect it, my charity auction reflects it, and my workshops/blogs reflect it.

Think about how solicitors make you feel. Because we are approached by so many who are trying to sell us something, the melee is deafening. We learn to filter and filter quickly, which means, in order to be effective in today’s marketplace, we have to be creative marketers. So my question to you is: How can you reach people who are already tired of the signals that are constantly bombarding them via the telephone, TV, computer, etc? How can you set yourself apart?

Throw out some ideas, and I’ll be happy to contribute. J

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PS: One more thing!

Carly hasn’t heard from last weekend’s winner:
The winner of Carly’s Jungle Madness is:

# 123, Leslie Thompson

Leslie, please email carly at: carlyphillips @ mac. com (no spaces) with your snail mail and email address to receive your prize!

How Do You Know?

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
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I am in a deeeeep writing dive, but I had a little something to share.

Have you seen the Disney movie Enchanted? There’s this very cute song in it called “How Do You Know” and it’s all about how a woman knows a man loves her. And that, basically, it’s the little things he does that prove it much more than the sweeping gestures.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. I made my dinner request–grilled steaks & grilled veggies. Yummm. Since my hubby refuses to use a gas grill, and sticks to charcoal, the outdoor cooking is his purview and he’s darn good at it.

Only, it POURED all weekend. We’re talking deluge time. But Bruce knows I just don’t like steaks cooked inside, and so…

Yes, he risked life and limb and lightning and chills to grill me my steak & veggies.

Isn’t he cute in his cowboy stuff?

When people tell me how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband, they’re usually talking about things like this. It’s not grand gestures or showering of jewels or huge romantic moments (though he’s good at all that, too!) it’s the small, incredibly thoughtful, loving things like this that let me know he loves me.

Yikes. How on earth can I top this for Father’s Day next month?!?

How about you, can you relate? What small, lovely gesture told you how much you were loved?

An Exclusive Plotmonkeys Excerpt

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
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I’m still in Florida, so I thought I’d leave you guys with an exclusive, Plotmonkeys-only excerpt of my new book SLOW HANDS.

The reviews have been great so far:

4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times
“Filled with humor and heart, Slow Hands (4.5), by Leslie Kelly, is a complete delight…. The cross-purpose conversations and situations that result are laugh-out-loud funny. The romantic entanglements are highly emotional, and the large cast is expertly handled.”

5 Stars and a “Recommended Read” from Missy at Fallen Angels Reviews
“Leslie Kelly…is a masterful storyteller and this book is one of her very best….. It’s so good to see Ms. Kelly writing Blazes again because this book is one of her hottest books to date. Jake is as sexy as sin and one that I wouldn’t mind running into one day soon, but also the most gentlemanly man I’ve read about in a while. I’m very anxious to see what this author can do with the next book in this series because the hero will have to be a very special guy to outshine Jake.”

I think you’ll like this one. Sure hope so!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A bit of background…
Rich girl Madeline Turner has purchased a guy she thinks is a gigolo, to prevent her stepmother from cheating on her father. Determined to resist him, she’s soon worn down by his charm.

Paramedic Jake Wallace has no idea this sexy woman who bought him thinks he’s selling more than a single date. And by the time he figures it out…it’s far too late to get Maddy out of his heart. And his bed.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Her place was unbelievably elegant. Dripping with expensive furnishings. Beautiful. Rich-looking.

And about as cold a room as he’d ever seen.

It was entirely suitable for the ice princess of the financial district. But not for the woman who’d grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him up against the wall of that pub to kiss the lips right off his face.

Maddy was watching him, having stepped inside ahead of him to punch a few buttons on a security alarm panel. There was a glimmer of hesitation in her expression, as if she really cared what he thought about her home. Why she’d care about the opinion of a blue-collar rescue worker, whose single piece of art in his apartment was a an eight-by-ten framed picture of a Dalmatian on a fire truck, he had no idea.

“Well?”

“Wow.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist and stared around the room, obviously noting his unenthusiastic response. “My sister decorated it for me,” she whispered. “I just don’t have the knack for that sort of thing. Or the vision.”

That figured. From what he’d heard so far, he had absolutely no interest in ever meeting the sister. Especially not if she envisioned this when she looked at Maddy, who she obviously did not really know at all.

“Great view,” he mumbled, meaning that. She did have an amazing view of the magnificently lit Chicago skyline. One entire wall of windows ran the width of the living room, laying out the city below as if he was looking at a galaxy of stars from above.

She perked up, smiling broadly. “Isn’t it? That’s why I bought it. Well, that and the bathroom.”

Bought it. She owned this icy masterpiece. Not her father, not her family. She didn’t just rent it. The woman he’d taken out for wings and beer had enough money to actually purchase a place like this.

He’d known that. Logically, he’d known. Still, the meaning of it had at last completely sunk in.

His feet suddenly felt leaden. For the first time since the moment they’d met, Jake felt the slightest bit intimidated. Uneasy at the stark, irrefutable evidence of how different they were.

There was no way he could keep up with this. Nor would he ever even want to try.

“What’s wrong?”

He threw off the momentary unease. Tomorrow maybe he’d think about how unsuited they were for one another. Tonight, well, they were perfectly suited in the only way that really mattered. He’d could definitely keep up with her in other ways.

Starting in her bedroom.

“Nothing.” He gave her a wolfish smile. “So where is this three-man bathtub?”

“Hey, none of that kinky stuff,” she reminded him with a saucy wink. Then she turned and sashayed down the hall, kicking her cute, strappy sandals off her feet mid-stride, as if not wanting to waste time once they reached the bed.

He followed, not in any hurry, because they had all night. But still unable to stop himself from lifting his shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor with her shoes.

She led him into a darkened room, flipped on the light, and spun around to gauge his reaction. But when she saw him standing there in just his soft, low-slung jeans, she froze as if she’d never seen a man’s body before.

“Oh, my God.”

The sexy woman actually licked her lips while her gaze greedily roamed over his bare chest and shoulders. She looked even hungrier than she had when their waitress had deposited a pile of nachos in front of her tonight.

“I never imagined,” she whispered, lifting her hand toward him. She didn’t step closer, merely scraping the tip of one finger down his throat, until reaching the hollow of his throat. There it remained, connected by the tiniest strand of static-charged air to his raging pulse. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful man.”

Jake half-groaned and half-laughed.

“I mean it. You’re beautiful. You should be on display somewhere, dipped in bronze. You’re so hard, so strong.” She ran her hand down his chest, letting her pink-tinged nails rake lightly across his abs. She didn’t pause, caressing him until she reached the waistband of his jeans, which hung low on his hips. Visibly swallowing, she added, “Yet so lean too.”

“You’re killing me. You know this, right?”

She ignored him. “I’d pictured…when I went to the auction, I’d figured you’d be skinny. Elegant. Not…not like this.”

He barked a harsh laugh. Skinny he was not. And elegant he’d never even tried to be. “I work out sometimes. Not out of vanity, out of necessity.” There was no way Jake would put somebody’s life at risk by letting himself get too out of shape to do his job. He lifted gurneys–usually with heavy bodies on them–every single day. He squeezed into small spaces in collapsed buildings, he often hauled around some back-breakingly heavy equipment. Those things mattered–possibly mattered enough to be the difference between life and death to an injured person. Staying in top physical condition was an absolute requirement for his own safety and for his patients.

“Is it a necessity that your shoulders are as broad as my legs are long?”

He chuckled, glancing down at those delicate, sexy legs, in such perfect proportion to the rest of her, despite her claim that they were too short. “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.” Then he reached for her hips, cupped them and drew her close. “But I’m willing to examine them, up close and personal, just to make sure.”

“I’d hate to ask such a sacrifice of you.”

“What can I say? I’m a nice guy.”

Maddy, who’d been inching closer as they engaged in the light, verbal foreplay, tilted her head back and watch him intently. “You are, aren’t you.”

“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”

She shook her head. “You’re a contradiction, that’s all. I don’t know that I understand you.”

“Understand this.” He said nothing more, bending down to cover her mouth with his. Slipping his hands into her hair to cup her head, he licked her lips, demanding access.

Maddy opened for him, her tongue meeting with his in a warm, slow exploration. Different from the crazy-hot kiss outside the pub. Different…but just as good.

Their bodies melted together in fluid grace, rather than heated, crazed grinding. Her softness cradled every hard place on him, molding to his chest, his groin, his thighs. Every delicate curve offered warmth and welcome and pure feminine invitation.

“Jake…” she whispered against his mouth, though he knew she had nothing to say. Nothing that really needed to be said.

They’d talked a lot since they’d met. Now it was time for their bodies to do all the communicating.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This book won’t be in stores or at online retailers like Amazon until later this month, but if you just can’t wait and want it NOW you can get it right this minute from eHarlequin–at a discount! (And, like Amazon, they offer free shipping of orders over $25.)

And if you click the link below, it will take you to the eHq page where you can read an additional excerpt and “glance inside the book” a very cool new eHq feature.

Slow Hands

Slow Hands

Harlequin Blaze


Sunday Winner And Wicked Disney Fun

Sunday, May 4th, 2008
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The winner of Leslie’s Disney Jungle Madness Friday is…

TAMMY! Message # 27!

Congratulations!!! Please drop me a note at author@lesliekelly.com and give me your snail mail addy and let me know which book you’d like so I can get your prizes out to you.

And now, since the theme of this week’s contest is Disney, here are a few naughty Disney treats.

First, a link: WARNING: This is not kid safe. Not work safe. But oh, man, is Aladdin HOT or what?!? (And I love Prince Erik’s tattoo!)

When you’re finished drooling, feel free to come back for a completely irreverent list of what happened AFTER the happily ever after… (I’d love to credit this, but don’t know who wrote it!)

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THOSE DISNEY CHARACTERS?

We have all grown up knowing and loving the characters produced by Walt Disney and his successors at the Disney company. From Mickey Mouse to Aladdin, Disney has always given us something to laugh at, someone to cry for, something to hope for and a star to wish upon.

Now, however, is has been revealed that the stars of these memorable cartoons may not have been the paragons of hope and happiness we always thought they were. Here, for the first time ever, are the fates to have befallen many of your favorite Disney characters.

MICKEY MOUSE - died of venereal disease after visiting multiple prostitutes because Minnie said “No” for 50 years.

DONALD DUCK - served as a main course at Epcot’s China Pavilion.

PLUTO - caught by dogcatchers, put to sleep after he was never claimed.

GOOFY - assassinated during first term as President of the United States.

SCROOGE MCDUCK - died in extreme poverty after being audited by the IRS.

HUEY, DEWEY & LOUIE - involved in an underground child pornography ring.

SNOW WHITE - fell for the “apple trick” again.

DOPEY - ’nuff said.

SNEEZY - died of pneumonia with Jim Henson.

GRUMPY - executed after gunning down 15 people in a local McDonalds.

HAPPY - killed by insane gunman at a local McDonalds.

DOC - was sued for malpractice, lived the rest of his life living under bridges and eating out of used cat food cans.

SLEEPY - never woke up.

BASHFUL - now a stripper with the Chippendales.

MARY POPPINS - shot down over Iraqi airspace.

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN - male prostitute, died of a heroin overdose.

WINNIE THE POOH - had a heart attack caused by a cholesterol level of 570.

PIGLET - gunned down in a Mafia hit.

RABBIT - died of an aneurysm while watching over his garden.

EEYORE - committed suicide.

ROO - smothered to death by Kanga.

KANGA - put to death by the state.

TIGGER - accidentally bounced off the edge of a cliff.

ALICE (OF WONDERLAND) - institutionalized for life.

THE MAD HATTER - died of mercury poisoning.

DORMOUSE - drowned in a teapot.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS - guillotined during the revolution.

TWEEDLEDEE & TWEEDLEDUM - died of excessive weight loss at a fat farm.

SLEEPING BEAUTY - slept until 1986, contracted AIDS from “Prince Charming.”

CINDERELLA - killed by stepsisters and stepmother in a jealous rage.

PINOCCHIO - is now a very comfortable Ottoman.

JIMINY CRICKET - died after impacting a windshield at high Speeds.

FIGARO - strung tightly on a Les Paul guitar.

DUMBO - sucked into the engine of a 747.

PETER PAN - Christopher Robin’s lover, committed suicide in despair.

TINKERBELL - caught by some kid who forgot to punch holes in the lid.

BAMBI - shot by NRA member with an AK-47. His body was never found.

BALOO - is now decorating the floor in front of a fireplace.

LADY & THE TRAMP - sold to a Cantonese restaurant.

101 DALMATIANS - sold to the Ringling Bros. Circus, were eaten by lions.

THE RESCUERS - involved in cancer research.

TRON - someone pulled the plug out by accident.

CAPTAIN EO - had a leak in his spacesuit.

JESSICA RABBIT - backup singer for Guns ‘N Roses.

THE LITTLE MERMAID - caught by Mrs. Paul’s Inc.

ALADDIN - was caught stealing one too many times, is now being traded nightly at Leavenworth for a pack of menthols.