On Tuesday, I got an email that many writer’s dread.

The copy department wants a synopsis.

This is particularly dire when you, the author, DID actually send in a (very) brief synopsis weeks ago. They want more.

This doesn’t surprise me because I only sent them one long paragraph that I wrote as if it were back cover copy, with a few more details. I know there are formulas that people use, and I can write a log line, and I can put together the premise and backstory very easily, but I have no idea until I’m in my character’s shoes what they are actually going to do.

From this synopsis the copy department will be writing the back cover copy. And while the author (usually) gets to review and edit the cover copy, if there are errors of story they sometimes end up being released. Sure, they’ll be fixed for print, but it can take weeks to have the correct cover copy replicate to all the online sites. Sometimes they never do. Some on-line e-tailers have the never approved, mistakening released cover for KILLING FEAR … or the original cover for THE PREY that was pulled six months before release date because booksellers wanted more movement on the cover.

While the cover issues weren’t really anyone’s fault–the covers needed to be changed for a variety of reasons–back cover copy seems to stay longer in cyberspace and is harder to change. Don’t ask me why!

So I REALLY need to get my synopsis in order because I only have a few dozen very rough pages for STALKED that I know aren’t going to make it past the next two weeks. The deeper I get into the story, the more I realize the opening is all wrong.

I put that aside to work on the synopsis and thinking about where the story was going, or rather, where I THINK the story is going.

To be honest, my rough drafts and my final drafts have little to no resemblance.

In the first draft of THE PREY–the one that Ballantine bought and my editor gave me notes on–FBI Agent Quinn Peterson dies in an explosion near the end of the book. After reading the notes, I resurrected him. Good thing, because he ended up being the hero of THE HUNT. And while the first 300 pages didn’t drastically change in that first book, the last 150 pages were totally rewritten. The ending was completely different.

SILENCED will be my 18th book. Instead of the ending changing–that, more or less, stayed the same–the first half of the book was drastically rewritten. The premise changed (somewhat.) In my editorial letter, my editor wisely pointed out that the story started in the wrong place. I kept referring back to a pivotal event that had happened one week before. Why not write that scene?

I did. It’s now chapter two.

That’s why I was terrified about writing the synopsis for STALKED. I know my first 100 pages are going to be rewritten. They may even be completely deleted. I’ve rewritten the openings of all my books multiple times, both in my drafts and after editorial notes. (I’m sure there’s some deep psychological reason for this, but for me, the first act is just damn hard to write. It takes me twice as long to write the first 150 pages as it does to write the last 300.)

But I wrote the expanded synopsis. It went from roughly 250 words to 1300. And when I got to the end, I realized that I had a little problem. While I didn’t know how the story unfolded, I THOUGHT I knew who the killer was.

I don’t. As I thought about the killer as I envisioned him, I “tracked” him down as Lucy would. And I realized … he’s innocent. Yes, the murder has everything–and nothing–to do with him, but he’s not a killer.

In the synopsis, I wrote:

Lucy pulls the files of the people she thinks are most likely to have a connection to this case, and the answer is immediately clear.

I really, really hope that when (if) this scene actually happens, that the answer is clear to Lucy, because I have no effing idea.

The synopsis for STALKED is truly dreadful. But one good thing came out of writing it: excitement. I’m truly excited to find out what happens after Lucy finds the dead body of her favorite instructor at Quantico.

I just ordered a case of LOVE ME TO DEATH to give away at an event. But I’m going to give away FIVE copies here. BETTER, I’m going to let YOU give the copies away. If you comment and win, you get to choose any book from my backlist for YOU, and I’ll also send a friend a copy of Lucy’s first book, LOVE ME TO DEATH–signed, giving you credit for the gift. AND if more than 100 people comment, I’ll give away TEN packages. (Yes, you can see that I’m being very competitive with Rocki and Lori who always get over 100 comments, so just once I’d love to beat them. Hahahaha.)

So let me ask you a question: which is more important, the cover or cover copy? Can you see why I begged to have the KILLING FEAR cover tweaked?

SILENCED is now up for pre-order! Visit my website for all the links, cover copy, and an excerpt.

ADDED 12.28: Whoops! the tinyurl in the TWITTER contest link comes here, when it should be going to a description of LOVE ME TO DEATH! Bad me. Here’s the correct link: http://tinyurl.com/2wel7a5

We usually take a break blogging over the Christmas season, so the MSW gals have graciously allowed me to pretty much take over the blog this week because my new book comes out tomorrow. And because it’s the first book of a series, it’s particularly important to spread the word. Even more so because this week is a heavy week in publishing–a lot of big books are coming out, and I’m small potatoes compared to most of these guys.

In the late 1980s/early 90s, romantic suspense was a thriving and growing genre. Then, in the mid-90s, the market fell out and only those authors who had reached some indefinable plateau survived and continued writing romantic suspense. (Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard.) Some of my other favorite authors, like Susan Andersen, turned to lighter contemporary romance, or historicals, or another genre. Susan writes “light” romantic suspense, heavy on the romance and fun. I love her new books, but still miss her romantic suspense. She wrote one of my favorite heroes of all time, Sheriff Elvis Donnelly in EXPOSURE (which is being re-issued this coming April with a new–and much better–cover.) In light of my blog last week, I thought I’d show you the two covers. The new one, twenty years later, is definitely more contemporary for what romantic suspense readers expect today.

New Cover

Old Cover

In the early 2000s, I was writing romantic suspense because it’s what I loved to read. I read THE SEARCH by Iris Johansen and THE THIRD VICTIM by Lisa Gardner, both published in 2001, while I was on maternity leave with my son. They were “first” books for me by those authors, and I glommed onto everything else they wrote. For Lisa, I because a life-long fan. (And was lucky enough to read her upcoming LOVE YOU MORE. All I can say is WOW. Two strong female characters and a race against time. I loved it.)

Something clicked with THE SEARCH and THE THIRD VICTIM–the books were dark and twisty and everything wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow, even though there was of course a happily-ever-after. But for me, they showed me that there were truly no limits in story and that I could write a suspense novel with a satisfying relationship. For me, that revelation was what I needed to give me permission to write—that and a swift kick in the butt. (By me—my theory is that before you sell, no one cares whether you write or sell a book, except you. YOU have to want it bad enough.)

My writing really took off. It took me awhile to discover my voice and hone my skill and learn (and I’m still learning!) but those two books and how the stories were told impacted me in a way that I could practically taste. I was excited about my writing, where it was going, and the ideas battling in my head.

When I joined RWA in early 2003, I was told by both published and unpublished writers that romantic suspense was “dead” or “difficult to sell” and I should target Harlequin because they published more books and had a romantic suspense line. Well-meaning people—many published authors—told me that all the great romantic suspense and suspense authors started in Harlequin: Nora Roberts, Lisa Jackson, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner—and more. The problem was, my voice wasn’t a category voice, nor did I have the gift of writing complete and satisfying stories in the shorter word count. Category writing isn’t easy, and I didn’t know how to modify my natural voice to fit the requirements. So I continued writing 100,000 word romantic thrillers and figured someday I would sell. (I mean, if I were a man would anyone tell me I had to start at Harlequin because they publish more books?)

I sold in March of 2004, but THE PREY wasn’t released until December 27, 2005. During that time, Mariah Stewart—who was kind enough to give my debut a fabulous blurb—had great success with a back-to-back trilogy, so our publisher decided to try me as a b2b2b debut author. I wasn’t the first b2b trilogy published—many came before me. But I believe I was the first debut author, so it was a risk for Ballantine, as well as me. It paid off when the books did well, partly (I believe) because of great covers, a strong marketing campaign by Ballantine, and the surge in romantic suspense sales. My books came at a time when there were only a few romantic suspense authors consistently publishing—after the fall of the genre in the mid 1990s, many authors reinvented themselves or stopped writing. So I filled a void—something that no one can plan for.

Today, there’s been a dip in romantic suspense. I think this is due to three primary factors. First, a glut in RS titles. Second, an increase in violence as authors are trying to one-up themselves. And finally, and perhaps more important, romantic suspense has blended into many of the other genres, most notably in paranormal. So many of the paranormal books, particularly urban fantasy, are really paranormal romantic suspense.

Romantic suspense has become it’s own genre, and is blended in with other genres. Even in contemporary romance books, there is often a mystery or a minor suspense element that is developed through the book. It may not be a suspense core, but it’s a subplot that gives readers their fix. Romantic suspense, as a genre, may be a little bit sick today, but it’s in no way dead or dying.

My brand romantic suspense tend to fall firmly on the suspense/thriller side of the equation, but I still need a happy (or happier) ending. I don’t need my hero and heroine to ride off into the sunset at the end of the book, but I need them to be in a better place. For Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan, each book will bring them to a different, and stronger, point in their relationship. The readers will know they love each other, but each book will build on that and they’ll have important and realistic issues to work through. One reason I love J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas and Roarke (other than their great characterization!) is that they have believable conflict but the reader still knows that they are in love. I hope to achieve that with Sean and Lucy.

Romantic suspense may have dipped, along with much of the book market across the board, but it’s very much alive. It’s still a genre that readers enjoy, and I suspect that any dip will be made up down the road as popular fiction sales are cyclical. Which is good, because I can’t imagine writing anything else.

And now, for an amazing contest that our own Toni is running for me!

A chance to win a FREE E-READER—EITHER A KINDLE OR A NOOK COLOR…

Here are the rules per Toni:

If you’re on Twitter, this one’s for you. Contest starts on December 28th and continues through midnight, January 3rd, central standard time. All you have to do is tweet or RT this exact tweet:

RT with #LMTD & b eligible to win ereader: Can’t wait to read @allison_brennan’s new thriller LOVE ME TO DEATH http://tinyurl.com/22kpem2

BE SURE the hashtag #LMTD is in there for me to see your entry.

One entry per twitter name per day makes you eligible to win either a Kindle or a Nook Color—whichever one you choose (see the links for the specific model) if your name is drawn in the random drawing. Plus, the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the ebook store their reader came from in order to help get a jump start on purchasing books for their new ereader!

If there are more than 1,000 entries (remember, one entry per person)—there will be TWO prizes given away, so spread the word, but let them know they have to tweet that exact tweet, okay?

Contest void where prohibited. Any winner who happens to be outside of the US may opt for the cash equivalent (via Paypal) of the Kindle ($189 USD) + the $50 cash (also via Paypal—for a total of $239 USD) if they cannot use the Kindle or the Nook in their country.

Winner(s) will be announced on my Facebook page, as well as on my blog on Monday, January 10th, by 5 p.m. (CST) and on Twitter—so follow me there if you want to see it there. (I’ll post it to Twitter first.)

You can read an interview I did with Toni yesterday at Murderati. She asked HARD questions! And tomorrow, right here to celebrate the release of LOVE ME TO DEATH, I’m posting exclusive excerpts from LOVE ME TO DEATH and KISS ME, KILL ME—insights on the characters Sean Rogan and Lucy Kincaid.

Now for the fun stuff. Tell me . . . did you get an e-reader for Christmas? If so, what’s the first book you downloaded? If not, did you give or get any books for Christmas? What were they?

I may get in trouble for this blog, but Random House is closed until January 3rd, so who would I ask? I’ll invoke the “forgiveness” doctrine–it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission

In five days, LOVE ME TO DEATH will be released. It’s also my anniversary as a published author. Five years ago to the day (almost) THE PREY was released. LOVE ME TO DEATH is my fifteenth novel. I’m as excited as I am nervous. The book market has changed dramatically between my last romantic suspense release (August 2009) and this book. More readers are buying e-books, more readers aren’t buying books at all, and romantic suspense as a genre has taken a bit of a dip. Which is sad because I love, love, love romantic suspense. I love all suspense. And I know that everything is cyclical–what’s hot today might not be hot tomorrow, but may be hot next week.

So because of all the ups and downs and sideways changes in this business, this release is doubly important. It’s been 17 months since my last romantic suspense was released. In between I published two supernatural thrillers and a short story, but I had never wanted so many months between books in my core genre. I’m truly hoping that my readers haven’t forgotten about me!

LOVE ME TO DEATH was a labor of love. It’s the first of a series starring Lucy Kincaid, one of my favorite characters from previous books. Lucy is the youngest sister of the Kincaid Family of San Diego. In FEAR NO EVIL (April 2007) she was kidnapped on her high school graduation and would have been killed live on the Internet if she hadn’t been rescued by her brother, Dr. Dillon Kincaid, and rogue FBI Agent Kate Donovan. Now, she’s nearly 25 and waiting to hear if she was accepted into the FBI Academy. (For long-time readers, I aged her quicker than the rest of the Kincaid’s, but only by a few years.)

In LOVE ME TO DEATH, Lucy volunteers for a victims rights group as well as interns at the Washington DC Medical Examiners Office. She lives with her brother Dillon and his now-wife Kate in Georgetown, Washington DC. Patrick Kincaid, her brother, has opened the east coast branch of Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid with Sean Rogan–the younger brother of Duke Rogan, who was the hero of CUTTING EDGE. Lucy goes undercover online to lure convicted sex offenders into violating their parole, believing that they are being arrested and sent back to prison. Except she soon learns that the men she’s setting up are being executed. Her dream of becoming an FBI Agent is in jeopardy as the cops turn to her as a suspect, and she needs Sean’s help to find out what’s really going on.

Usually, my heroes take longer to get to know than my heroines–not so with Sean. As soon as I stepped into his head, I knew him. He still has a lot of secrets, but I understand his character better than any other hero I’ve written.

LOVE ME TO DEATH had several covers. The basic design stayed the same, but the colors and fonts changed dramatically. Covers are so important–especially now. They have to look appealing both on the computer enlarged, and as thumbnails, and they have to pop from the shelves. They need to convey the tone and content of the book so that readers aren’t surprised by what’s in the pages. If the cover looks dark and suspenseful, but the book is a romantic comedy, readers will be upset. Covers are not always easy. I have loved some of my covers and not loved others.

This was the first cover Ballantine sent me:

I didn’t love it.

The colors were off, the white clashed, and the cover was too busy with the angles. I didn’t love the font for my name, either. But I just hated the the woman’s face. Too sharp and too much like a photograph. Not to mention that readers would assume that the woman was Lucy and Lucy has brown eyes, not blue eyes.

Overall, I felt it just didn’t work at all. I went back to them with a list of what I liked (which wasn’t much, I’ll admit) and what I didn’t like.

The second cover was better, but certainly not there.

I still didn’t like the colors, though they got rid of the photograph look. I didn’t like the slanted font with all the text from the teaser–way too busy. With the complex graphics and all the stuff going on on the cover, it looked . . . just not right.

And my name was too bold, it didn’t feel right on the book.

Okay, I know, that sounds funny, right? Something doesn’t “feel” right? But sometimes, that’s all I have. I look at a cover or any piece of art and it just doesn’t feel right to me. And that’s how I felt about my name, and the overall cover.

So they went back again. And I got:

Again, the colors–I just didn’t like the orange, though they gave it a wash which was better. I liked the positioning of the text much better, however. I asked them to go back again, and I suggested gold rather than orange.

Now, I’ll admit, I was getting nervous–it’s hard to go back to your publisher, even when you have a good relationship with them, and ask for changes. But I rested on the fact that I had opposed the orange from the very beginning. If they just changed that, I would be happy. (I hoped.)

THEN we had a winner:

The only difference is now I have an amazing quote from the generous and talented Lee Child: ” A world-class nail-biter . . . Brennan is in the groove with this one.” Which is doubly good because I hated the tag line they had on the book and they wouldn’t change it.

There was actually one version between the last two, but the changes were so subtle I won’t bore you with the art–basically, they fixed some coloring issues they had when they put on the gold/yellow wash, plus the spacing between the letters in my name. Though it looks more yellow on the screen, the flats show the gold well.

In the end, I am very happy with the final covers, and particularly grateful because I know how much work goes into cover design–and how many people are part of the process! Everyone wants to have the best cover for the book, so when I’m happy everyone knows–and they know! One reason it was so important is because LOVE ME TO DEATH launches a series and a series character–which means that branding is doubly important.

These work well and “brand” the Lucy Kincaid books. (I still think they are a little busy, but no one else agrees with me. I still love them!) LOVE ME TO DEATH, the e-novella LOVE IS MURDER, and Lucy #2, KISS ME, KILL ME. Lucy #3, IF I SHOULD DIE, is a September book and I should be seeing the cover soon!

Now for some fun stuff!

RT Book Reviews is having a contest. Test your Allison Brennan/Kincaid Family Trivia! Enter here.

I’ll be blogging at Borders True Romance on Sunday, January 2nd–I hope you can stop by and comment!

I’m donating $1 to Reading is Fundamental for every new follower who follows me on Twitter through December 31, 2010. #donaterif

What do you like or dislike about covers in general? Romantic suspense or suspense covers in particular?

I’m late posting today because I’m on vacation–of sorts. We took the kids to Lake Tahoe in the cabin I won through Brenda Novak’s auction. It’s a perfect place for kids. Though we ate out at least once a day, it’s fantastic to have a kitchen for breakfast and dinner when we’re worn out; the cabin is five-bedroom, two-bath house that sleeps everyone in my family–including my mom!–and it’s close enough to the beaches and casinos and main road that we can get anywhere we want pretty quick.

We didn’t stress about planning stuff 24/7. One day was a boat trip; the next an afternoon at Sand Harbor–a fantastic cove with shallow and deep swimming spots. One day we drove to Virginia City. My daughters babysat the little kids one night so my husband and I could go out for dinner and gambling; last night they watched the kids (they were ALL exhausted!) so I could take my mom out. We brought the Game Cube for mornings (so the older of us could sleep in!) and family movies for the evenings (we watched BEDTIME STORIES, which we’d enjoyed in the theater.)

Two mornings I went to Starbucks to write because honestly, writers don’t REALLY get a vacation. Especially when a deadline is coming up next week. But I didn’t stress about it because I have the next four days to spend 12 hours a day (or so) writing.

So this is our last morning, and I sort of forgot it was Thursday. Sorry! We cleaned the cabin this morning, and now we’re off to the arcade before we head out this afternoon.

I have some news . . . first, our own Toni McGee Causey made #40 on the Top 100 Bookscan Romance list–Yeah! Her third, all-new Bobbie Faye book WHEN A MAN LOVES A WEAPON is out now. My mom just finished it while here in Tahoe and said it was fantastic, a must-read.

Second, CUTTING EDGE is still on sale. I was very bad about this book–I didn’t send out a newsletter, I forgot to post to loops about the release date, and all-in-all, I was so wrapped up in writing ORIGINAL SIN that I just, well, forgot everything. So if you haven’t picked it up, it’s still out there!

Finally, I have my cover for ORIGINAL SIN. I love this cover It came from a concept my daughter and I came up with. I also have a temporary webpage for my Seven Deadly Sins series where you can sign up for my newsletter (if you haven’t already–it’s the same as my current list.) Check it out! And next month I’ll have a brand new Allison Brennan website. More soon

So I leave you with this–where is your favorite family vacation spot? Where’s your favorite “adult” vacation spot? I’ll check in tonight when I get home–I’m looking forward to your answers!

It’s that time of the year. Publishers start thinking about cover concepts 8-10 months out from publication. Though my second book of my FBI Trilogy was just released on Tuesday (FATAL SECRETS–an RT Book Review Top Pick!), and the next is still two months out, we’re talking about how to package my Seven Deadly Sins series.

Packaging is not easy. While there are lots of reasons why books sell (or not), packaging is certainly one of the most important.

What’s in a book “package?”

The obvious include the cover itself–arguably the most important part of the overall package–and the back cover copy (or inside flap for hardcovers.) The goal of the cover is for readers who don’t automatically buy your book because of your name to pick it up. It needs to intrigue them. The cover needs . . .

. . . to tell the reader what genre/type of story to expect. It sets the tone. This is the “same” part of the phrase “same but different.”

. . . to be visually interesting/eye-catching/intriguing . . . overall, attractive for the type of story inside. This is the “status quo.” No one intends to create an ugly cover, but there are often covers that seem to be blah or boring.

. . . to stand out as unique, not the same book you read last week. This is the “different” part of the phrase “same but different.” And the hardest to achieve. How do you create a totally unique cover while still positively conveying the type of story inside?

For my supernatural thriller series, I have two primary concerns. First, this isn’t a traditional paranormal romance, nor is it an urban fantasy. It’s a classic supernatural story–what some might have branded as “horror” in the past–but with a growing, multi-book relationship, an ensemble cast of characters, and an epic battle of good vs evil. If I was allowed to write a 1200 page novel ala Stephen King’s THE STAND, I could write this seven book series as one book (though certainly structured differently! They’d be battling the seven deadly sins simultaneously, building to an earth-shattering climax, rather than battling them individually book by book.) But each of these books will be about 450-500 pages and contain a complete story . . . while also continuing the multi-book story arc. So how do we convey this in the cover? I argued for a simple cover with a single focal point–an object that exposes the sin inside so that people would understand on a gut level, while also conveying that the book is paranormal. We’ll see what they do.

My second concern was how to show that this is a series with a returning cast of characters rather than what I traditionally write, which is a complete romantic suspense with an HEA. We’re going to have something like “Book One of the Seven Deadly Sins Series” or something similar as a tag line, which will hopefully help. But again, this is important information to convey to the reader and I want them to know what they are getting.

Titles are also important. Does the title tell you what the story is going to be? SUDDEN DEATH pretty much tells you that it’s a suspense novel, right?

One thing I learned early on is that, as far as publishers are concerned, titles don’t have to mean anything. They don’t have to reflect the story, or a cool plot twist. SUDDEN DEATH is fairly interchangeable with most suspense novels. It’s a great title (I picked it, so I’ll admit I’m pretty partial to it,) but it still is rather generic. THE HUNT was another of my own titles, and certainly reflects the story–the killer is “hunting” his prey in the Montana wilderness, and the heroine is “hunting” the killer. It has a dual meaning. KILLING FEAR, another of my own titles, has a double meaning as well. The heroine is fearful after walking in on her dead roommate in the dark six years before. She has to combat that fear–kill it–in order to survive by the end of the book. And it also relates to the villain who has no real emotions, including fear. CUTTING EDGE also has a double meaning, since the killer uses a knife and the first target is the scientist heading up a cutting edge technology company.

The titles for the first two Seven Deadly Sins books are: ORIGINAL SIN and CARNAL SIN. I am thrilled with the titles because they not only convey the sin involved (envy and lust respectively), but most people will have an instant, visceral reaction to the title. They will know what it means, they (hopefully) will be intrigued enough to pick it up.

ORIGINAL SIN works on multiple levels. One meaning of “original” is “first” and this is the first book in the series. “Original Sin” is when Adam and Eve fell from grace by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was lured into sin by the serpent, who represents jealousy as it’s suggested by many theologians that the serpent was jealous of humans because God appeared to favor them over all other of His creations. Envy itself is the one sin that has no personal gratification–in lust, one has physical satisfaction; in greed, one gains wealth and means; in gluttony, one enjoys good food and drink. But envy seeks to deny the object of the envy something that the envious can not have himself. It’s the only sin that derives pleasure from the destruction of another person.

Envy is the primary reason that the villain releases the Seven Deadly Sins from Hell. She is envious of the youth and beauty of others; envious of power. She wants it for herself, but the only way to get it is to destroy.

So you can see why I was thrilled with ORIGINAL SIN as a title.

Our own Toni McGee Causey has had a major re-packaging of her Bobbie Faye series, and for the better.

First, I do LOVE her original title BOBBIE FAYE’S VERY (very, very, very) BAD DAY. It fits the book brilliantly and tells the reader what to expect–the story of Bobbie Faye’s bad day, and because of the parenthesis, you know that it’s going to be humorous. But as we’ve learned, titles don’t mean much of anything, right? They need to go with the packaging. And the packaging needs to tell the reader what to expect.

The packaging for Toni’s book was all wrong for the story. And worse, she was shelved in fiction. That’s the curse of death for any book not written by Jodi Picoult or Toni Morrison. But with the packaging, the book didn’t say “mystery” or “thriller” or “romantic suspense” though it had elements of all three, none fit it right. Frankly, it’s out-of-genre, it transcends being pigeon-holed in a category. It’s funny, irreverent, fast-paced, quirky, and original. It’s Stephanie Plum, with a gun, on speed.

Does this cover tell you that?

Great title, poor packaging. What’s with the crustacean on the cover? And this is what just KILLS me. I stayed up ALL THE EFFING NIGHT READING THIS BOOK BECAUSE I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! Does that cover tell you that this is an unputdownable book?

Now, publishers may be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but they’re not stupid. And they knew they had an incredibly talented writer in Toni. As book three in the Bobbie Faye series was nearing press time, they decided to reissue the first two books in mass market–with new covers, new titles, new packaging. All to gear up for the third brand-spanking-new book that will be out this August.

So VERY BOBBIE FAYE became CHARMED AND DANGEROUS. A slightly more generic title, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to: it intrigues you. It’s witty and a pun, implying humor as well as suspense (going along with the next two titles, GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE GUNS and WHEN A MAN LOVES A WEAPON–and I’ll admit, the third title, and the third cover, is my absolute favorite.) This is NOT easy to do, especially with a title, but this time all three are winners. And there’s a tag line that rocks as well: “Love down South just got a whole lot deadlier.”

So how do you package such titles?

Just. Like. This.

Okay, I’m back. What, you didn’t know I was gone for the last two hours? Well . . . I pulled out my copy of BOBBIE FAYE, the one that’s being reissued on Tuesday June 2, to find a short little scene to give you a taste of Toni’s voice. Well, yep, though I’ve read this book (twice) I got sucked in. This scene . . . no, this one! . . . oh, no, I have to put in THIS scene, it’s perfect. Lo and behold, I’ve re-read most of the book. Finally, I just had to pick something or this post wouldn’t be up in time.

In a nutshell, Bobbie Faye is being chased by the police for (not) robbing a bank, bad guys, and sordid others as she tries to save her stupid-ass brother Roy who got himself kidnapped. She herself kidnapped Trevor, who became her getaway car after the not-quite-a-bank-robbery robbery. They’ve already had some tense moments, and have, oh, two minutes of downtime here in the shed of a gunrunner.

She looked down at the gun again, remembering what the hell she needed Trevor for, and cursed under her breath. She couldn’t ditch him just yet and get away from all those muscles and the abs and the crinkly eyes, holy geez. She had to focus until they safely found the geeky boys and the tiara.

He turned at that moment and saw her sitting on a crate, staring at him. “You okay?” he asked, squatting on his heels, bringing himself blue-crystal-eye level to her, looking sincerely worried.

The bastard.

“Yeah, I’m just having a little girl-time here, rethinking my choice in nail color,” she snapped, and instead of snapping back, he grinned. He fucking grinned at her, that big-cat-stalking-its-prey-sort of grin, making her very very nervous.

“Cut it out.” He only grinned bigger. “I thought we had an agreement going here. You hate all women, I hate you.”

“I think I’m making an exception in your case.”

“Well I’m not.”

He looked her up and down, and her skin flamed hot, and his smile grew more wicked.

“Oh, I think you are.”

She started to retort as he turned away, but there was an internal war going on, with Lust (which had not been out to play in a long, long time) beating the hell out of Common Sense, and she could feel certain body parts placing bets. She opted for ignoring him because she didn’t think “nuh uh” was a very convincing comeback.

Trevor opened the doorway a crack and watched a moment until he was satisfied it was clear to leave. They eased down the pier toward the boats tied at the end when the first scowling guard came out of the house. Bobbie Faye knew they were in plain sight, but the guy acted as if he didn’t see them, which was just phenomenally odd. As she was contemplating this, a second man walked around the corner of the house and the first guy seemed to be trying to wave away a mosquito or something. Or maybe he was trying to indicate they should get moving.

“Sonofabitch,” Trevor muttered. “Head for the white boat at the end.”

“You mean the Triton 5220?” she asked, which surprised him enough for him to turn to her with a blank, shocked expression. “What? Girls can know boats.”

He didn’t get a chance to answer. Bobbie Faye thought she heard a firecracker pop then bam, something hit the pier not far behind them, and they both looked in the direction of the house in time to see the two guards running in their direction, the second one definitely sporting a gun.

Bobbie Faye was pretty sure that if she’d read her horoscope that morning, it would have said something like, “Today the universe hates you. A lot. A whole freaking Grand Canyon lot of hate. Stay in bed. Better yet, dig a hole, hide.”

She hauled ass down the pier with Trevor right behind her. They passed a glassed-in Peg-Board set up where all the keys to the boats were stored, and Bobbie Faye jumped into the boat as Trevor slammed the butt of his SIG Sauer against the glass, shattering it, all the while trying to hide his frame behind the skinny wooden stand as the running guards shot at them.

“They’re not labeled,” he shouted, and then turned to her, shocked again when the engine revved. She’d hot-wired it.

“What is the deal with you being pokey? Get in!”

Want to read this book? Good! So do I . . . again. So I’m going to sign off and curl up with a damn good book. And one of you will get a FREE copy of the original, collectable, BOBBIE FAYE . . . all you have to do is comment by midnight tonight, Thursday, and the winner will be posted at 12:01 (ish) PST in the comment section by moi. You’ll get the book early next week, before everyone else . . . And if you don’t win the collectable copy, you can always order the new and improved packaging wrapped around the same fantastic book for yourself at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or an Indie.