Tucson Festival of Books

It's coming this weekend! A gathering of over 350 authors and exhibitors, with panel discussions and opportunities to chat one-on-one with some fabulous people, including J.A. Jantz, Elmore Leonard, Diana Gabaldon, Vicki Lewis Thompson, and...

Me! LOL

I'll be part of a panel discussion on Saturday at 11:30, and will be giving away/signing copies of Daring the Moon Saturday afternoon and Sunday. For more information, go here.

Tipsy Tuesday

If you want your book to be a can't-put-it-down page-turner, one of the keys is vivid writing.

One way you can do this is to begin your sentences with the subject and verb--and keep them together. Make sure your sentence is active versus passive. For example, "Martha slammed down the phone and glared at her husband" is much better than "Martha was fuming and slammed down the phone as she glared at her husband." Use those strong action verbs and watch out for those -ing words (i.e., "slammed" versus "was fuming"). Collect verbs like a dragon hoards precious gems. Your writing will be the better for it.

This is not to say that every sentence should be this way or you should never use -ing words--you need to mix things up or your writing becomes too boring, and readers need to be able to take a pause from the action. Catch their breath so to speak. But you do need to make your writing as vivid as possible.

Man Meat Monday

Don't you just want to trace the line of his ribs, his obliques, his...?

New Release - ANGEL & THE DUKE OF SEX

Angelique Chadbourne had been trapped for 10 years in a loveless marriage while her wastrel husband chased after prostitutes in the East End of London. Now, in 1888--two years after his murder--she has ended her period of mourning and is ready to live life on her own terms. And a big part of that is learning what passion is all about. For that, she needs Harry Atherton, the Duke of Sexton or, as he is notoriously known in upper society, the Duke of Sex.

Harry has always had his eye on Angel, thinking her to be the perfect woman to be his wife. She's beautiful, gracious and intelligent--just the sort who would fit in his household and provide him with an impeccable hostess. To find out she also has hidden passions she wishes to pursue is the sugar in his tea. He's never been one to let an opportunity pass him by, and he's not about to start now.

Oral sex, anal sex and a menage e trois round out Angel's education, but there's evil threatening her. Jack the Ripper is in their midst and it's only a matter of time before he strikes again.

~ * ~

He stood in the shadows and watched a stylishly clad gentleman step down from the elegant brougham stopped in front of the Ten Bells, one of many pubs dotting the East End of London. The well-dressed man reached up and helped down a young woman—a woman more like an angel, with dark hair piled on top of her head, showing off her long, slender neck. Her fancy day dress drew his eyes to her curvaceous figure.

She was so different from the women in this world he’d chosen to inhabit. She was fresh and clean and pure. Not like these filthy whores who sold their bodies for tuppence or a glass or two of whiskey.

The older man bent over the angel solicitously, his expression wavering between concern and irritation. It was clear he didn’t want to be here in Whitechapel.

The watcher straightened and strained to hear the murmured conversation between the two. He caught a few words, “Freddie…husband…goodbye.” Then he heard her name.

“Angel,” the older man said, drawing her back toward the carriage, “Freddie is gone. Seeing where he died will serve no purpose other than to renew your pain.”

She shook her head, her chin tilted in challenge. Her response was in too soft a voice for the watcher to hear.

But that was all right. Her name was Angel. His angel.

Reaching down, he stroked his fingers idly over his erection, enjoying the slow rise of his flesh. It always began this way. He saw a woman, he wanted her. He stalked her, he fucked her.

He killed her.

He’d never had a woman like this before. Even though his upbringing was respectable and he moved about freely in Society’s upper crust, he’d never felt like he belonged.

He glanced around to make sure he continued to be unobserved, then looked again at the woman in the creamy yellow dress. His hand stroked a bit faster over the hard ridge of his cock. What would it be like to fuck her? To bury himself in the hot depths of her body, to plunder her at will?

Then get about his job, showing her the error of her ways?

“Oy, luv.” A woman’s voice with a lilting Irish accent interrupted his musings. “Don’t ya be lustin’ after the likes of that one. She’ll not give ya the time a day.”

He turned his head slowly to stare at the small woman standing to his left. Only a foot away from the doorway in which he stood, she leaned one shoulder against the brick wall. Her dark dress was frayed and torn in places. Her right shoe had a small hole in the tip.

He looked back up at her round face. The East End hadn’t yet dulled her vivacity; blue eyes holding a hint of life sparkled at him.

“And you would?” he asked.

“Wot? Give ya the time a day?” At his nod, she grinned, showing surprisingly white teeth, though they were a bit crooked. The cheerfulness in her expression made her appear even younger than she was. “Aye, luv. That I would. For a small price, o’ course.”

She twirled a strand of red hair around her index finger. A small black hat sat at a jaunty angle on her head atop a small fringe of hair at her forehead. She wasn’t an unattractive female, for a female of her sort.

“What’s your name, darling?” he asked, turning his attention fully upon her. The angel in yellow was a fantasy. This little pretty was reality. She was a whore, all right, and his job was ripping whores. It was time he got back to it.

“Mary.” She held out her hand and he took it, automatically bringing it to his lips to press a kiss upon her bare knuckles. She giggled like a schoolgirl, impressed with his manners, as he’d known she would be.

“Mary Kelly.” She gave another giggle and tapped him flirtatiously on the shoulder. “An’ just who might you be, sir?”

“You may call me…Jack.”

Copyright 2009 Sherrill Quinn. All Rights Reserved.

Angel & the Duke of Sex - available today at Ellora's Cave!

Tucson Festival of Books

It's coming--in just a little over a week! I'm excited.

And terrified.

The Tucson Festival of Books on March 14-15, sponsored by the Arizona Daily Star, presented by University Medical Center and hosted by the University of Arizona, has expectations of eventually being on par with the LA Times Festival of Books. Eventually?

This year, our first, we have 340 authors. That's only 110 less than the LA book fest. Mah knees are shakin'.

Why? Because Anastasia Rabiyah, Jill Knowles and I are holding a panel discussion on Saturday, May 14 on "Turning Up the Heat: The Spicier Side of Romance" in a room that holds 140 people. I have spoken in front of larger groups, but it was different. I wasn't talking to them about the difference between erotic romance, erotica and pornography.

But...I'll be ready. At least I'm not up there by myself.

So, if you're in the Tucson area next weekend, plan to come to the Tucson Festival of Books.

For more information, click here.

Tipsy Tuesday

I take advantage of as many freebies as I can, especially when it comes to learning more about writing. Some information I hear over and over, such as the following:

1. Put off editing - in other words, don't edit while you write. Work from the unconscious level of your brain, where powerful images and words are created. Do this, and you can shut down the inner editor part of your mind. That way you don't worry about spelling, grammar, finding the exact right word, etc.

Of course, spelling counts, as does good grammar. They support vibrant writing, but they do not create vibrant writing. There are a great many correctly written lifeless sentences. The best writing comes to life first, and later is refined just enough to make it crystal clear. But first you must give it life. Edit once it's all down.

2. Write what you know - Given the chance, what do you talk about endlessly? What drives you to seek out information? What are your passions? When you write what you know, you write with authority. People listen to you because you are one who knows. You are interesting because you are interested.

3. Research - No matter what you know about the subject, there is always more to learn. Make sure you have the latest information available on your subject. Once you write something, at least some of your readers are going to believe you. You owe them accuracy.


Now, there is value in all of this. I absolutely agree with #2 and #3. But...I can't follow #1. I've tried, and it blocks me more than helps to try not to spell correctly and have the correct grammar as I go. I need to find the exact word, though I have (rarely) put in the word that's in my head (the one I know I'm not using correctly or isn't the right one), highlight it and move on. But my writing process very much involves my inner editor along for the entire ride.

And you know what?

That's okay. This is the point I'm trying to make. Whatever information you come across regarding the writing process, you must remember this: No one way is the right way. There is no wrong way. There's only your way. And your way is most likely different than my way.

And that's all right.

Man Meat Monday

I have the day off today, but too much to do to sleep in. Although, if this guy were waiting for me...


I'd definitely still be in bed!