There are many reasons why dogs are considered man’s best friend. Loyal, compassionate, and trustworthy come to mind; however, these are not their most virtuous trait. Without a doubt, it’s their innate ability to judge a person’s character that reigns supreme. If a dog senses evil, take heed and run in the opposite direction. This month’s Jen’s Jewels Linda Francis Lee agrees wholeheartedly with the power of a dog’s intuition in her latest release EMILY AND EINSTEIN. It’s the story of Sandy Portman and Emily Barlow who seem to have it all until an unfortunate accident leaves Sandy dead. When the truth behind her less-than-perfect marriage comes to light, it’s up to a lovable stray dog named Einstein to help Emily get right back on her feet. As part of this interview, St. Martin’s Press has generously donated five copies for you, my favorite readers, to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your reading adventure. Jen: A born Texan turned New Yorker, you have had the pleasure of living in two culturally diverse areas of the country. So that my…

Several years ago, someone in the blogosphere referred to me as a “veteran author” of romance fiction. This term caught me by surprise because even after a decade and a half as a published writer, I regarded myself as a newcomer, someone who still felt astonished to be doing this for a living and still a bit awed by her own favorite authors when she chanced to meet them at conferences. But when I began counting books and years, I realized (with some chagrin) that the moniker “veteran author” had become true. I’d been too busy writing to notice. Genre fiction is a relentless form of creative endeavor in the sense that the next book always looms on the horizon, whether you are ready to write it or not. Output is measured in pages per day, not pages per month. Books are counted, not by how many one can write during the course of a career, but how many one can write in a single year. For those of us with major publishers, genre fiction is also very specialized, with reader expectations and preferences always paramount, impelling the writer to weigh commercial considerations at least as heavily as creative ones….

July 2009 On Sale: June 23, 2009 Featuring: Buzz Aldrin 288 pages ISBN: 0307463451 EAN: 9780307463456 Hardcover $26.00  Add to Wish List Non-Fiction Memoir Buy at Amazon.com What does it really take to go into space? Magnificent Desolation by Buzz Aldrin The Long Journey Home From The Moon Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human, minutes after Neil Armstrong, to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind’s greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their Earth-centric perspective unalterably changed by the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon, the blackness of space behind him and his fellow explorer and the Eagle reflected in his visor. Describing the alien world he was walking upon, he uttered the words “magnificent desolation.” And as the astronauts later sat in the Eagle, waiting to begin their journey back home, knowing that they were doomed unless every system and part on board worked flawlessly, it was Aldrin who responded to Mission Control’s clearance to take off with the quip, “Roger. Understand. We’re number one on the…

March 2010 On Sale: March 23, 2010 Featuring: Makaiden Griggs; Devin Guthrie 433 pages ISBN: 055359219X EAN: 9780553592191 Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Science Fiction, Romance Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com Love finds a way in space Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair For these two renegades, falling in love is the ultimate rebellion It’s been two years since Devin Guthrie last saw Captain Makaiden Griggs. But time has done little to dampen his ardor for the beautiful take-charge pilot who used to fly yachts for his wealthy family. While Devin’s soul still burns for Kaidee, she isn’t the kind of woman a Guthrie is allowed to marry—especially in a time of intergalactic upheaval, with the family’s political position made precarious by Devin’s brother Philip, now in open revolt against the Empire. And when Devin’s nineteen-year-old nephew, Trip, inexplicably goes missing after his bodyguard is murdered, this most dutiful of Guthrie sons finds every ounce of family loyalty put to the test. Only by joining forces with Kaidee can Devin complete the mission to bring Trip back alive. And only by breaking every rule can these two renegades redeem the promise of a passion they were never permitted to explore….

It was a dark and stormy night… Beginnings. I know so many writers that love beginnings. They love them so much they have drawers (really files since most of us don’t keep our writing in actual drawers) full of story beginnings. It’s nothing for them to whip up a new proposal and send it off to their editor or agent. They love the excitement, the freshness, the limitless possibilities. Me? Not so much. And that’s really putting it mildly. I hate beginnings. It’s not that I don’t love all the possibilities, that’s great, wonderful, even. I mean that’s why brainstorming can get a bit addictive. I get the whole newness thing, I can see where they’re coming from, but I can’t feel it. Getting and shaping the idea is one thing, but when it comes to the actual writing, I’m a bundle of nerves. Well, I’m nervous and stressed pretty much the whole time I’m writing, but the beginning, especially. (And the ending, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog) The way I look at it, I’ve got a blank canvas with two people I don’t know at all (regardless of how many things I know about them, it’s way different…

December 2010 On Sale: November 30, 2010 Featuring: Athena Hera Sinistra 400 pages ISBN: 1439133980 EAN: 9781439133989 Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Science Fiction Buy at Amazon.com Space isn’t for the weak Darkship Thieves by Sarah A. Hoyt Athena Hera Sinistra never wanted to go to space. Never wanted see the eerie glow of the Powerpods. Never wanted to visit Circum Terra. Never had any interest in finding out the truth about the DarkShips. You always get what you don’t ask for. Which must have been why she woke up in the dark of shipnight, within the greater night of space in her father’s space cruiser, knowing that there was a stranger in her room. In a short time, after taking out the stranger—who turned out to be one of her father’s bodyguards up to no good, she was hurtling away from the ship in a lifeboat to get help. But what she got instead would be the adventure of a lifetime—if she managed to survive. . . . Previous Picks

Sirantha Jax #4 September 2010 On Sale: August 31, 2010 Featuring: Sirantha Jax 368 pages ISBN: 0441019412 EAN: 9780441019410 Mass Market Paperback $7.99  Add to Wish List Science Fiction Buy at Amazon.com And a kick-ass female in space Killbox by Ann Aguirre She Shoots First. And Never Asks Questions. TALK IS CHEAP WHEN LIVES ARE IN JEOPARDY Sirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. With no tolerance for political diplomacy, she quits her ambassador post so she can get back to saving the universe the way she does best—by mouthing off and kicking butt. And her tactics are needed more than ever. Flesh-eating aliens are attacking stations on the outskirts of space, and for many people, the Conglomerate’s forces are arriving too late to serve and protect them. Now, Jax must take matters into her own hands by recruiting a militia to defend the frontiers—out of the worst criminals, mercenaries, and raiders that ever traveled through grimspace… Sirantha and Marsh do battle with the Morgut Previous Picks

Twenty five years ago when I first started writing, my goal was to become a successful author.  I wanted to be able to quit my real estate job and write full time.  Fortunately, with my husband still working, I was able to make that happen fairly quickly. Still, when I finally I sold my first book after months of trying and numerous rejections, I earned the whopping sum of four thousand dollars–not much money for a year and a half of working ten hours a day!  But I never lost faith.  I thought, “I can do this.  I know I can.” I think one of the toughest things about being an author is continuing to believe in yourself.  Insecurities swamp you.  Is this book any good?  Is this book as good as the last one?  Will my readers like it?  Will the publisher renew my contract? After twenty five years, those questions remain.  It’s only sheer force of will that keeps a writer pounding the keyboard, sheer determination that keeps an author from quitting. So when I hit the New York Times printed list (as opposed to the extended list, which I had been on a number of times), it…