STARSHIPS, SORCERERS, SEXY HEROES...oh my!

I'm on that panel at the RT convention, and have my dibs on the Sexy Heroes... as a topic, in theory, of course. I leave for Daytona very early on Weds morning.

Meanwhile, my latest newsletter is out www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter

I'm sorry this is a short posting.

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

A fun read -- that's a tad X-rated

A fun read [that’s a tad X-rated].
~KC Heath, yetanotherbookreview.com

Read the full review at http://yetanotherbookreview.com/forced_mate.htm

Normally, I'd save review snips for my newsletter, which can be found at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter (and there is a link on this blog) but someone else asked me for a convenient way to find links in a hurry, and this seemed the simplest answer since my next newsletter won't be out for a couple of weeks.

I've been blogging at Amazon Connect about questions readers have raised, such as:
"Why is FORCED MATE called a futuristic when it is set in 1994?"

"Why are there so many names beginning with Dj-- and how do you pronounce that, anyway?"

And "If FORCED MATE isn't a bodice ripper, what does the title mean?"
(It is a chess title.)

Best wishes,
Rowena

http://yetanotherbookreview.com/forced_mate.htm

Yet Another Book Review of Forced Mate

A fun read [that’s a tad X-rated].
~KC Heath, yetanotherbookreview.com

Read the full review at http://yetanotherbookreview.com/forced_mate.htm

Normally, I'd save review snips for my newsletter, which can be found at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter (and there is a link on this blog) but someone else asked me for a convenient way to find links in a hurry, and this seemed the simplest answer since my next newsletter won't be out for a couple of weeks.

I've been blogging at Amazon Connect about questions readers have raised, such as:
"Why is FORCED MATE called a futuristic when it is set in 1994?"

"Why are there so many names beginning with Dj-- and how do you pronounce that, anyway?"

And "If FORCED MATE isn't a bodice ripper, what does the title mean?"
(It is a chess title.)

Best wishes,
Rowena

MATING NET review by Aysel Arwen

Compact, but Very Complex...

... intrigue, tension and a surprising and tender ending.

~Aysel Arwen, author of A Pirate, A Secret And Rose

a steamy, sensual sci-fi read that will entertain!

~Kristi Ahlers, contributing author to No Law Against Love

Rowena Cherry chats on Blase Skip Radio

Rowena Cherry, aka Rowena Beaumont Cherry, answers eleven questions about her titles, about the logistics of going on a booktour with an allergic child, and about what she will be doing at the Romantic Times Bookclub conference in Daytona next month.

Download and listen to Rowena Cherry, author of the critically acclaimed alien djinn romances FORCED MATE and MATING NET.

Rowena's April 17th 2006 radio interview can be found at Blase Skip http://www.blaseskip.com/lb

I love to break rules

Perhaps I should qualify that! I like to break "rules" that other people make concerning what and how I should write.

I tend to be a bit of a contrarian if I make a "bet" on the stock market, too.

Otherwise, I am a law abiding citizen.

Talking of breaking the law.... One of the most interesting books I've ever read was Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves, which was in three parts. One of the parts involved breaking a so-called law of either Physics or Chemistry, which Asimov decided to make possible in another, parallel, dimension.

My books would never work if read aloud as books on tape. I know that. I have too many names that sound as if they start with a J.

You noticed? There's Djohn-Kronos, Djetthro-Jason (in fact, there are two Djetthro-Jasons), Django-Ra, Djerrold Vulcan... and many, many more.

I did it on purpose. The fact that a lot of my favorite male names begin with G or J had little to do with it.

Once I'd decided that my ruling race were going to be Djinn, it seemed logical to me that all members of the Djinn Royal Family should have at least one "Royal" name. Thus, the Dj- in a character's name is an intentional heads-up to my readers that this person is one of the Djinn.

Not all characters choose to use their Royal Djinn name, which may imply something about their personality or that of the parent who named them.

Tarrant-Arragon doesn't feel the need to use the "Djustin Djohn" in his royally long list of names. Helispeta Djinnifer never uses her Royal name. Djarrhett abbreviates his name to 'Rhett.

Adding to the complexity, some of my characters hyphenate their given names, and some don't.
Some of them started out on the original Family Tree with hyphens, but which, as the character developed, I realized weren't right for them ... like Djinni-Vera and Helis-Peta. That, however, is another story!

Best wishes,
Rowena

Alien villain of MATING NET checks out good women

The god-Emperor Djohn-Kronos hasn't had decent sex in a gestate and is looking for a good time, tonight, April 1st. His High and Mightiness will attend the Coffeetime chat at 9pm Eastern in hopes of meeting a few "good" women.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ctr_chat.htm

Poking around

I have some very bad internet habits. For instance, if I want to save something, I may forward it to myself. A year later, of course, I can't find it among all the Rowena to Rowena emails of forgotten, interesting stuff, unless by accident.

Poking around... actually looking for a Business Plan (yes, really!!!) I came across a list of questions that a readers' group leader had asked about FORCED MATE.

I don't have the answers, and I'm probably asking for trouble by stirring this up. Nevertheless, I thought this one was interesting and topical.

Q: What do you think will be your lasting impression of Forced Mate by Rowena Cherry? What will be your most vivid memories of it a year from now?

Do comment if you feel like it. Comments are moderated, so if a helpful gentleman happens to be selling a system to enhance the male anatomy, for instance, those recommendations will not show up, unless they are so cleverly worded to relate to my hero's needs that I cannot resist the wit.

Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry

FORCED MATE --EPPIE Award finalist

The self published, electronic version of FORCED MATE may not have won, but all the finalists in the Eppie Awards this year scored nine out of a possible ten points.

That's not at all bad for a science fiction romance with a chess title.

Best wishes,

Rowena

Hero search

INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL is the story of what happens to Djinn (pronounced jinn) Prince Djetthro-Jason after he loses the duel and has his face smashed by Tarrant-Arragon.

Now, I have to decide who will be my next hero in the alien djinn world which I've featured in MATING NET and FORCED MATE.

I'd love some ideas, if anyone would like to comment.

Thanks,
Rowena

Rowena Cherry

Insufficient Mating Material is on my editor's desk, on deadline --actually, a day early thanks to FedEx. For the last two months, I have been wrestling to remove 200 pages of scenes I thought were rather good, albeit a bit long winded, and to whittle Insufficient Mating Material down to a fast paced, cohesive page turner, where all the plot threads come together neatly.

Time will tell! Anyway, that is why I have been silent on this blog for so long.

On The Other Blog, www.outdamnedstory.com I agonized with my writing buddies about which scenes to cut, and which should be preserved. I may post some out takes here.... but not this week, nor next.

I'd like to thank everyone who took an interest in my successes in the PEARL award nominations. I was absolutely delighted that MATING NET was a finalist in the short story category. I was also astounded and thrilled that MATING NET came equal fourth in the short story (Romance) category of the Preditors and Editors poll.

My next newsletter will go live on the website www.rowenacherry.com as of March 15th. I've been busy correcting my own typos on a dummy page. Somehow, ones own mistakes don't show up half as well on a black and white page as they do fully illustrated and white on purple.

I hope March is going very well for everyone kind enough to drop in this blog.

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

Insufficient Mating Material and blog hopping

Did I mention that I sold INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL?
It's the sequel to FORCED MATE, and my deadline for getting the revised and complete manuscript to my editor is March 10th.

Therefore, I've been somewhat awol on the blogging, apart from popping in at www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
to post a few out takes. Comments are allowed at that site, and it is a lot of fun.

MATING NET "won" a cover award

Or so someone wrote on an authors' loop....

The truth is that the MATING NET cover came third,
and I am absolutely thrilled!

MATING NET also came equal fourth in the Preditors
and Editors readers poll, which is fabulous. A friend
emailed me with congratulations on coming eighth.

I couldn't believe my success, and immediately went to
the site to see how many other authors also came eighth.

To my disbelief and joy, I discovered that my friend had
been looking at an out of date tallying site.

I've also started my blog on Amazon Connect, and I am
blogging about manly masturbation and explaining the
trots to aliens on the authors' blog at
www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com

Thanks for looking in!
Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

Doggerel poem about Mating Net

I put out the challenge.
Now here's the result
(done in desperation by me
with a little help from my friend Jody)

Rowena writes about a race
Of alien Djinn from outer space.

Big, buff and ripped are these guys' bods
They strut around and claim they're gods

They're tall and big, and buff and ripped.
With predator senses, they're well equipped

But Earthling mates with psychic powers
Knock these Princes from their ivory towers

A mind reading wife's no easy thing
For a guy who's sexually inclined to swing

Who catches whom in a Mating Net?
There'll be a happy ending yet.
***
Rowena Cherry
www.rowenacherry.com

MATING NET poem challenge

Though this may sound like outrageous vanity,
I am absolutely serious about needing creative
help to compose a snappy little limerick.

The object of the exercise is to promote my short
story MATING NET --a chess term for a position
in which the King absolutely must be mated--
by crafting a few witty, sexy and attention-grabbing
words about my alien Djinn heroes and their high
handed ways with women.

Therefore, I've launched a little contest through my
newsletter, but since my deadline is January 25th,
I'm opening up the challenge to anyone.

Best wishes,
Rowena

MATING NET author chats with reigning Mr Romance

My January/February newsletter is "up" at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter.

Features include a lavishly illustrated interview with reigning Mr Romance, Andrei Claude; a love scene excerpt; an informative article on piracy by Eppie-finalist author Brenna Lyons; and an intriguing challenge for poets and limerick lovers.

My "occasional" newsletter comes out every second month, but I'm usually nearer to the ides of any given alternate month than to the first.

That is partly because I procrastinate. Actually, there is a great deal more I could get done if I did not put off doing That Which Must Be Done!

Procrastination includes sudden urges to scrub toilets or refill liquid soap dispensers. I don't know why this happens to authors, but several of my acquaintances report being overcome by the toilet-cleaning phenomenon, usually when they are under a deadline to produce a novel.

You wouldn't think Romance Authors would be so mundane, would you?

My newly released newsletter is basically a self-promotion vehicle, but I try to make it decorative and informative.

I invite you to go and look. The January/February newsletter is "up" at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter

I also have some new interactive jigsaws (of attractive gentlemanly anatomy) for general, mild enjoyment and fireworks at www.rowenacherry.com/puzzle.

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry
MATING NET--Helispeta wanted to marry well...but not THIS well.
SHORT story
ISBN 0976539713

CHESS TITLED ROMANCES

Mating Net cover

Wit don't come easy.

This is mostly a me-too posting.
I am sure half the blogging world is posting various greetings and good wishes for everyone to have a safe, joyous, and altogether propitious time tonight.

And I wish almost all the world the same.
I'm too late for my friends in Australia and Japan. They've already set off their glorious fireworks. I saw the pyrotechnics on CNN this morning.

I am so sorry to be late with my good wishes.
Happy New Year
In the Southern Hemisphere!

In truth, though, I am blogging today because of superstition.
Almost as powerful as the tradition about making life-changing resolutions at midnight is the idea that the way one spends New Year's Eve/New Year's Day dictates the pattern of ones days for the coming year.

So, I am being rude to everyone today!
Not intentionally, I'm doing a bit of everything in the hope of being more prolific in 2006.

I've written a chapter--quite a sexy one, actually; fixed the weekend Kedgeree for my husband; paid some bills; snail mailed a letter to a home-bound friend who does not have a computer, let alone the internet; done a sudoku--an easy one, I'm pushed for time; extended a subscription at the last minute; downloaded a contest entry form, so next I'll have to fund my Paypal account because that is the only way to pay the entry fee; signed up for another year with Coffee time Romance; line edited someone else's email to me (I did admit, it's not my day for diplomacy!); checked my yahoo groups account and discovered that I am soft bouncing.... or rather my mail is.

Soft bouncing makes me think of myself on a trampoline.

Now it is quarter past one in the afternoon. Past time I was preparing a light and healthy luncheon for my family.

There is, of course, another school of thought. The Jack of All Trades, Master of None one. Perhaps it is better to do one thing, take ones time, and do it well.

Nah! If I were to do that, it would only be propitious for that activity for the rest of 2006.

You can tell I'm decisive today.

Wit Don't Come Easy!
Whoever coined the phrase Quick Wit? When every word of ones romantic comedy has to be the "Right" word, writing can be a slow process, at least for me. Chosing words carefully is probably also a good idea when writing love scenes.... or blogs, or emails.

Here's to starting the year as I mean to go on, and to making a good start.

Happy New Year!

booksigning down the road

I've signed up to join a multi-author booksigning which will take place on February 11th between 1pm and 3pm at the Barnes and Noble booksellers in West Chester, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati.