Regina Carlysle

I know how tempting it is to check review sites after the release of a new book, especially when you’re a brand new writer. Reviews can either make your day or send you into a HUGE funk, wanting to do nothing but cuss, cry, or bury your head until the feelings of dejection pass.

Sad fact is, we can’t please everyone. A book that might just rock a readers world, hits the wall with a loud smack with other readers. It’s something, as writers, that we must get used to. I talk with lots of newbie writers who just freak out over them and I always say the same thing…don’t put a lot of stock in reviews. Chatting with a reviewer one day not long ago, I mentioned something about 3′s being considered by writers as not being all that good. She was shocked. Three means GOOD usually so why would we be upset? she said. I think maybe that’s because we hope for the 4 or 5 that tells us the reviewer just “LOVED” the book and we don’t really like settling for less than that. No one likes hearing their book is only so-so and though she liked it, didn’t necessarily want it on her ‘keeper shelf’. Maybe we writers just need to get over ourselves. There isn’t a damn thing wrong with GOOD. If we provide a few hours of enjoyment, then we should be happy with that.

This being said, I’ll say too that most of my reviews have been great. No complaints but believe me, there have been some that weren’t so good too. I’ve been slammed because my story is too short. I’m been grilled over a ‘too whiny heroine’ or ‘too ansty’ hero. One reviewer who prefaced his review by saying he hadn’t read the other books in my series, believed I had not advanced the series story line and thought my Texas characters had simplistic dialogue. I think the real kicker was the bad review I got for a menage story because the heroine served lasagne to the two heroes. See, the reviewer just HATES lasagne and couldn’t get that damn lasagne off her mind while reading the story. Yuk. Lasagne. Yes, I probably deserved to be slammed over that. I mean, that’s fair, right? Basically, we all have review horror stories. Best thing to do is read them, forget them (good or bad) and move on.

In other news: Drilled has a release date. My contribution to the Cougar Challenge series releases at Ellora’s Cave on April 14th. YAY

I’ve had several notes from readers lately about when they can expect the fifth book from the High Plains Shifters series. Gabe and Katalin’s story is coming soon. I don’t know the exact date yet but I promise to keep everyone posted. I am hoping it’ll come out sometime this summer with two more stories to follow. I’m writing as fast as I can so please bear with me. And thanks to all of you for asking.

Have you ever started reading something and you think…hey, great book and THEN you read what the heroine is wearing and it takes you back to your youth and the days your mom wore a paisley caftan around the house? And that hero with the mullett…oh boy…blast from the past huh? Funny thing though. You aren’t reading a book from the 1970′s or 1980′s are you? You are reading a new release. I constantly have those WTF moments when reading something and it totally takes me out of the story. It is one of my biggie pet peeves. Nothing ages an author more than not doing her homework when setting the scene in a book.

It doesn’t have to be hair styles or fashions either. It can be the way the entire scene is set. Lava lamps and little touches are a-okay if the apartment you are describing belongs to a character who loves quirky little things here and there. Not a biggie. But when his/her ‘pad’ has Austin Powers place stamped all over it, you know you are reading something by an author who has her head stuck in the past. Imagine this, the hero brings the heroine to his place for a romantic dinner and a little seduction. In his pov he thinks, damn, she is so hot, so sexy, she looks like a rocker chick from an 80′s girl power band.
Or better yet, he thinks…I can’t want to get her out of smokin’ hot dress with the white pilgrim collar and the big cabbage roses all over it. Ummm Hmmmm what a smoldering hot temptress. I’m going to carry her across my shag carpet to my black satin-covered heart-shaped bed and screw the perm right out of her hair. She will run her fingers through that big wad of hair on the back of my head, too. It gets me hot just thinking out it.

This is one of my big writing/reading pet peeves. Everyone has them so it’s okay to bitch and whine about it here. I do it all the time. Let’s face it, we all have our pet peeves, those little detail things that take us right out of a story. What are some of yours?

Not much going on today but a lot of writing. Currently I’m trying to finish up the third book in a trilogy I’m doing with Desiree Holt and Cindy Spencer Pape. Almost there! YAY! I figure I’ll finish it up by the end of the weekend. Crossing fingers!

In the meantime, let me share two new reviews for two different books!

Running is what Sara and her sister have become good at to survive- only someone should have told that to the outlaw wolves who managed to capture them. But now she has to deal with the fact that her heart doesn’t want to run from the big, hunky Texas shifter who helped to rescue them and it appears Cactus may not let her.

From the moment he first laid a finger on the delectable Sara , Cactus knew he was a goner,but he didn’t really care because it wasn’t every day a wolf found his One. Only Sara had been sorely mistreated and if it took everything he had, he was going to make sure she wasn’t running before he got a chance to make her realize they belonged together.

Cowboy White Knight, strong female with a secret, lots of intrigue and hot, scorching sex all combined with that Carlysle touch of humor and style that just grabs and makes you read. I loved Sara’s strength and Cactus’s knightly ways which are something long gone in our current days. While I love my wolves, Ms. Carlysle just has a way of making those cowboys a bit larger than life, thus suiting Texans to a T (I know cause I married one…lol).

Title: Jaguar Hunger
Author: Regina Carlysle
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Reviewer: Jennifer Leigh
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Heat Level: O

Noah Littlehawk and Aaron O’Malley are jaguar shifters on the search for their mate. Their private investigation company has been hired to keep an eye on a man’s mistress. Violet Carson is actually just an employee that he has been stalking and trying to push into a relationship. She is terrified of him and desperately wants out of his employ. She has come to the vacation house because she believes she is going to die. A jaguar shifter going through estrus without her mates rarely survives the transition. The two men are instantly attracted to her, not realizing that she is their long-awaited mate.

This was a genuinely good read. There was nothing about the main characters not to like. The men have known each other since they were cubs and have built a strong friendship between themselves. They are hot, sensitive, and passionate. The perfect combination! Violet is so sweet and scared that you just want to give her a hug and tell her not to worry, everything will be just fine. The attraction between the three of them was sizzling, and the sex scenes were scorching! There is a lot of sex, all ménage, but it was well-written and integral to the storyline. You get the sense early on that the three truly care about each other, and their relationship will be strong enough together to face the coming danger. It was simply a good, solid story. It was very enjoyable and I would love to read more about the jaguar shifters. That being said, those who enjoy shifter stories are sure to love Jaguar Hunger. Highly recommended.

Now I don’t want to serious ‘date’ myself here but back when I first started reading romances there wasn’t a huge selection out there. The average romance reader had basically two genre choices. Contemporary and historical. Really. It’s true. I know that might be hard to believe considering the selections out there these days. You know, it’s kind of like driving around and trying to figure out where you want to eat. Do you want Italian, Tex-Mex, Seafood? Or do you want to hit one of those all you can eat buffet places where there is a ginormous selection all under one roof? That’s the way the romance world works these days. Back in the day, I just didn’t know what I was missing because there were really only two options if you loved romance. These days we have everything. If you want love and a happily ever after there are plenty of non sex or sex lite books. There is the inspy genre and erotic, two opposite ends of the spectrum. Good. More choice for everyone and that’s a good thing.

Whether you are a reader or a writer or both, the choices in material is downright amazing. Paranormal got hotter than hot several years back beginning with vamps and shifters. Now they have evolved into specialized vamps (even some that sparkle) and wolves aren’t the only shifters available. These days we read about jaguars, panthers, tigers, lions and bears. Well shoot…just about any animal you can think of. We have demons, dragons and all manner of paranormal creature who is only looking for love and acceptance and the chance to find that perfect mate. We have menage featuring every kind of ‘mix’, romantic comedy, ghost stories, sci-fi. Hell guys, the list is endless.

During the Romanticon booksigning last year, a reader came up and asked me if I had books without any “funny stuff”. It took me a second to realize she wanted straight m/f stories without all the other stuff. Fortunately I had some of those to offer and pointed them out but I also write some menage and paranormal. Since that wasn’t on her ‘to buy’ list, I was simply happy that I write in several different genres. Personally, my tastes veer all over the place depending on my mood. Some days I want dark and intense, sometimes I want to be transported to another time and place, and then, there are those moments when I need to laugh. Lucky for me, there is availability in books to suit my mood.

What are your favorite genres? What would you like to see more of? Are there any genres you find yourself getting tired of?

Yup. I’m a baaaad baaaaad girl. I write erotic romance. And if there’s a 12-step program for that just keep it to yourself because I’m not interested. Writing erotic romance isn’t something I set out to do. It just evolved. Yes, I’ve always written HOT but eventually I crossed over to the dark side and I’ve never looked back. Not only are erotic writers the most fun people to be found anywhere, they are kind, accepting, non-judgmental and possess a great sense of humor. Who wouldn’t want to write in this genre and be around such cool people?

The other day an erotic romance writer was wondering how to respond to snarky comments from others about the kinds of books she writes. Being the generous women they are, a number of writers replied offering their experiences and some very cool responses. Many years ago, I was with a group of local women, only about five or six, and we all knew each other since our daughters were friends. At this time I wrote romance and hadn’t yet begun my little voyage toward the naughtier stuff. Now, I live in a really bible-belty area in Texas. Very conservative. I seldom bring up the subject of my writing. Sometimes that is safer. Anyway, one of the ladies goes….hey, are you still writing? I smile and say…yes, I am. I’m having lots of fun with it. Nope, didn’t make a big deal and that’s my standard response to this stuff. Often the subject will drop right then and other times…no. This time however the questions came at me fast and furious. Surely I wrote childrens books or something, one said. I laughed and said, no, I write romances. One of the women who had been very quiet through the discourse kind of lifted her nose and smirked a little (I’ll NEVER forget that smirk) and said….sometimes I like to read trash but not usually.

I swear.

A gasp went up among the other women and I honestly didn’t know what to say. They quickly came to my defense saying things like…I loooooove romances. How fun! What a great thing to write! Blah blah. I swore then and there I would never be caught ‘flat footed’ again. I learned that day that I have a rebellious streak. It had been well hidden but she was born kicking and screaming that day. Now, when someone gives me this ‘raised eyebrow’ look, I am prepared.

My standard response (always delivered with a smile and using my sweetest voice)? Why yes, I DO write romances and not only that, but I write erotic romance. That usually shuts em up immediately. Sometimes they sniff and look like they’ve sucked on lemons and I’ll laugh. Sometimes I’ll laugh AND shake my head a little. That totally throws them off. Other times, I’m completely surprised by a reaction. I’ve been literally grabbed by the shoulders, shaken, and had someone yell in my face….OMG OMG, where can I get your books? Lately I’ve learned that erotic romance readers are EVERYWHERE. We have an active underground in these parts and that surprised me…pleasantly.

Do you have a standard response to genre snobbery? I’d love to hear it.

Read something the other day about a writer who’d posted an excerpt of one of her books and she got an email from some ‘concerned person’ that the names of her characters were the same as characters in a television show. The implication was that she had ‘copied’ those names and used them in her book. The male character (the hero) had an unusual name but it is ‘out there’ and has been for a very very long time. The woman’s name? Ordinary in every way. We’ve all known someone by this name and have read it a gazillion times in a million books. AND she wasn’t a central character in this author’s story.

Let me just say this. There are no new plots or new names. Everything has been used before in some way, shape or form. What makes each story different is the individual author’s voice. An author who uses the pen name Nora isn’t guilty of stealing from the other very famous Nora. If you have a character named Mary are you ‘stealing’ from the other authors who have heroines named Mary? Get my drift? Yes, there are real issues involving plagarizm out there but this involves someone writing the exact thing with no variation of plot twists and lifting exact passages from another book. I’m not an expert on this issue by any means. I’ve never been accused of it nor known anyone who has but most authors read about this stuff.

We all want to be original, to write something different and unique but the simple fact is this, there will always be something in our story that has been done before. I honestly believe we must just relax, write the story of our heart in our own way and not worry about the rest. Make sense?

Those cupids are pesky little devils! They are flyin’ around all over the place with Valentine’s Day only a few day away. Admittedly, when I was much younger, I got all mooshy and gooey over this particular holiday but these days? Not so much. Maybe when you’ve been married 27 yrs. it all becomes rather ‘old hat’. Or maybe it’s just US. Ha. Who knows? Mr. Regina tends to be a practical, rather than romantic, guy. His idea of showing he loves me is to wash and wax my car,get it filled up and put ‘shiny stuff’ on the tires. Mr. Romance. Ah but you’ve gotta love that and, in a way, respect it. During the early years of our marriage he would call me up, sigh loudly and say…ooooookay what kind of perfume do you want? I’ve always laughed about stuff like that but, hey, that’s probably why our marriage works.

I’ve come to realize over the years that some guys are talkers and some are doers. I’ll take a doer over a talker any day. He is dependable, tough, and the guy everyone goes to in a crisis. A few days ago he called and said…damn, honey, those roses are getting more expensive every year. I’m thinkin’…hmmmm. He’s thinking about Valentine’s Day here and this is a verrrry broad hint. So I say…wellll, I don’t think a guy HAS to go with roses, ya know. Those big, splashy gerber daisies are wonderful. He says…splashy huh? So I laugh. I say…yeah, SPLASHY. A few minutes later he calls to ask if our daughter’s apartment office will call her to pick up flowers or will they just deliver them directly and then calls to for my mother’s exact house number.

No wonder he didn’t want to do roses. He’s getting flowers for all of us! My daughter, my mom, his mom, and me. Now WHO SAYS he isn’t just a little bit romantic and very thoughtful. I’m not all that worried about the surprise being blown to hell and back. After all, Mr. Regina is about as subtle as a Mack truck. Gotta love that.

I believe the best Valentine’s Day thing he has EVER done was in 1986. I was eight months pregnant and feeling big as a damn cow or errrr….elephant. My Valentine was big, red, and featured a comical Elephant on it. After I laughed and smacked him with the card, he gave me a beautiful pair of pearl studs. An awwww moment. Gotta love that…laughter and a few happy tears.

January is almost over…thank GOD. Don’t know what it is about this month that bums me out so much. Maybe it’s the whole “after holiday letdown” thing or the dreary weather. I’ve been in a wicked funk but think I’ve finally turned the corner on that bit o blues. Weather in Texas is pretty darn sun-shiny now so I’m ready to get my HAPPY on.

Just signed on to do a multi author series for Ellora’s Cave with Desiree Holt and Ciana Stone and I’m psyched! This is a Texas-themed series and you KNOW I love to write those. Think hot cowboys and such! Still working on my story for EC’s Cougar Challenge along with another series story that I’m doing with Desiree Holt and Cindy Spencer Pape so I’m busy busy. No room for the blues here because there’s just too much going on.

Friday I’m meeting up for a mini reunion with sorority sisters. YAY. We recently re-connected on facebook and I haven’t seen these ladies in years. Really looking forward to it.

In other news, I just got a very nice review from Coffeetime Romance for Smokin’ Ace (Resplendence Publishing). Here’s an eensy bit.
Smokin Ace is full of passion, but the love between Chloe and Ace is what truly stands out. Regina Carlysle has taken a passionate love and enveloped it in sizzling hot sex. I found the story an exciting read that I was unable to walk away from until the end. I recommend Smokin Ace for a lovely interlude in life.

Smokin’ Ace is just one of the delicious tales in the Carnal Reunion series. It’s available now at Fictionwise or from Resplendence Publishing. Also just got word the entire anthology will soon be available in print. So YAY! Will let you know about the date and such.

Aw well, the kids have all gone back to college now and I feel like an empty nester all over again. Just when I was getting used to the quiet house, they come back, leave again and now I have to re-adjust once more. A continuing cycle. Spent yesterday kind of getting my house back in order and I’m looking at TODAY as if it’s the first real day of the New Year. I’d kind of hit a little snag in the story I’m writing for Ellora’s Caves Cougar Challenge. Working title for this one is DRILLED. Ha. Yeah, the hero is an oil field driller working in west Texas, hence the title. Anyway, I was on the road for five hours on Saturday…driving ALONE. The south plains of Texas are fairly desolate so it was just me and my music and miles and miles of nothing. My brain chose the long tedious drive to become overly active. Love when that happens! So I found a way past my little plotting hitch and the dang book just unfolded in my mind. Today I’m ready to kick off MY official new year and continue on. Sometimes brainstorming with friends helps but it’s also nice being creative all by your lonesome.

In other news, I got my first review of Edge of Nowhere, Book 4 in the High Plains Shifters series (EC). Two Lips gave it a FIVE. YAY! Here’s a link to read the review and while you are there, make sure to read my Author Interview for details about entering my month long contest at Two Lips Review.
http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4742&Itemid=36