Welcome to my pity party: I did NOT win the $640 million Mega Millions Lotto.

If you hold the lucky ticket, you can now consider me your new bestest pal in the whole wide world, so, yeah for sure, give me a call!

And hey, don’t worry: I won’t ask for a loan.

I won’t turn down a weekly stipend, either. I mean, what are friends for?

Another kind of lottery took place this week, and no, I didn’t win that one, either. E.L. James, author  of the best-selling originally self-published erotica book, 50 Shades of Grey, just signed a multi-million-dollar film deal for the book franchise (the series will be a trilogy) after being wooed by ten movie studios.

I tip my hat to the author on her successes, which also include a seven-figure book deal with Vintage.

I’m glad to hear (from Karin Tabke, one of the severest critics I know) that the book merits its raves, so I’ll take her word for it. (If not, I’d be afraid that she’d take a cat-o-nine-tails to me. I swear, ’cause that gal knows what hurts–on the page, anyway.)

In the profession of writing, where authors encounter many valleys and a just a few peaks, I’d say Ms. James has reached quite a pinnacle. Like J.K. Rowling, Jackie Collins, Stephen King, Danielle Steel, John Le Carre, Ken Follett, Nora Roberts, Lisa Gardner, and Kristin Hannah (to name few), she will soon be among the 1% of novelists who not only have made the New York Times Bestsellers list, but have also seen their works translated into film.

Indubitably you’ll find great sex in Ms. Collins’ steamy glam lit, as well as Ms. Steel’s socialites-behaving-badly tomes and Ms. Roberts’ unforgettable romances. But none of these can be classified as “erotica,” let alone “erotic romance.” So kudos to Ms. James for moving the genre of erotica out of bedroom and into the boardroom.

I use the term “boardroom” because I’ve no doubt that erotica be the new publishing gold rush–and that’s okay by me. Hey, anything that takes any and all women’s fiction out of publishing’s pink ghetto of  small advances/throw-it-on-the-shelf/get it no bookseller co-op or promotion is fine by me.

In a survey of 1,371 romance readers released this year by the Romance Writers of America–the trade organization which nurtures the profession of romance writing–erotic romance was a popular choice of 20% of all romance readers. If RWA does the same survey in two years, my guess is that this subgenre’s popularity among respondents will have doubled.

Today, if you put in the term “erotic romance” in Amazon.com’s search bar, you’ll see that the site is selling 4,963 paperback books under that genre, another 337 in hard cover, and a whopping 10,964 as- digital eBooks.

As for the search term “erotica,” 19,081 paperbacks pop up (pardon my pun), along with 2,216 hard cover books, and almost 50,000 hot and spicy digital eBooks.

Sounds like a helluva lot of hanky-panky, doesn’t it?

I’m guessing these numbers will grow by double digits as well.

I have many friends who write erotica. This isn’t just a high-five for E.L. James, but a thumbs-up for them as well.  Why? Because in the eyes of readers and booksellers, the publicity surrounding the book will reignite this subgenre of romance.

The published books they’ve written may now get a second look from readers who were turned on (literally) by Ms. James’ book. And no doubt they and their agents will be fielding calls from editors who never before acquired erotica (let alone erotic romance) but have fallen in love with their backlist, and want to publish their next hot-and-bothered books.

And yes, I’d be the first to applaud them, if that happens. As a professional writer, I can’t afford to be jealous of others’ successes. It’s a waste of my time and energy–which is better spent writing my own stories.

Besides, it’s just bad karma –

Which, in this case, is doe-eyed heroine: naked, submissive, and wearing four-inch stilettos.

Color me blush pink,

– Josie

Do you read erotica? If so, what is your favorite erotica book? Do you think it would translate into film? I wanna know, so comment below!

Hey, and since it turns out that K-Tab didn’t win the Mega Millions either, if you do comment I’ll enter you for a chance to win a copy of my dollface gal pal Karin Tabke’s soon-to-be-released novel, BLOODRIGHT, Book #2 of the BLOOD MOON Trilogy! (I’ve linked to her red hot excerpt, so enjoy!)

5 BONUS POINTS for reading this excerpt from my novel, THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN’S HANDBOOK, and emailing me at MailFromJosie@gmail.com, with the answer to this question:

What does the skinhead take as a trophy?

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Guess what we have for our readers?

Ladies and gentlemen, we are thrilled to announce the first ever Murder She Writes anthology, Guns and Roses…a collection of ten never-before published short stories and novellas, each penned by one of the Murder She Writes authors.

Guns and Roses will be available in digital format at all e-retailers next week, a rocking 150,000 word collection for just $4.99!

Fire up your Kindles and Nooks, ereaders and iPads, because you are going to love this one. This project has been months in the making, inspired by our shared love of suspense and romance, our desire to work together on something completely unique, and our excitement about the magical synergy we’ve discovered as co-bloggers and great friends.

Guns and Roses wasn’t always easy; we all have deadlines, contracts, and, of course, our blog posts to write.  It wasn’t always smooth; there have been no less the four quadrillion emails exchanged.  And, heaven knows, it wasn’t always painless…can you imagine ten, count ‘em ten, opinions on one cover?  But creating this collection was always fun! We’ve had a blast putting together what we hope is the first of many anthologies that showcase our characters and series and give our loyal community a chance to discover all of our voices in one place.  We don’t think any other group blog has ever done a project like this, so we’re extra proud to be first out of the gate with this type of collection.

Guns and Roses promises thrills, chills, romance, intrigue, passion, danger, murder, and a whole lotta love.  Some of the stories connect to our most popular series (Rough Riders! Housewife Assassin! Bullet Catchers!), and others will introduce you to an entirely new and unforgettable cast of characters.  Ranging in length from 10,000 to 25,000 words each, the stories run the gamut from deeply dark and intense to, well, there’s a Bobbie Faye novella!  Laugh-line alert.  We’ve also included a Lorelei James short story, so you know it’s gonna get hawt in here, and Allison Brennan makes sure you sleep with the lights on.  And rumor has it Bullet Catcher boss Lucy Sharpe makes an appearance…with her baby.

These short stories and novellas are not samplers or excerpts; each is a complete tale of suspense and romance.  Nor are they reissues: every one has been written exclusively for this collection.  Our only criteria — other than a fabulous romantic suspense — is that each story mention a gun (natch!) and a rose (love!).  Here’s what you can look forward to reading in Guns and Roses:

Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong

Cynical, bad girl PI Julie Collins isn’t the hearts and flowers type, especially not after she’s spent the last few weeks spying on cheating spouses. So when Julie suspects her man, Martinez, may be stepping out on her, she sees red and decides to take matters into her own hands. Let’s just hope Cupid’s Bow gets to Martinez  before Julie does.

Above Reproach by Allison Brennan

Sex crimes detective Selena Black knows high-powered government attorney Greg Keller is the River City Rapist; proving it is another matter. Keller enjoys the cat and mouse game with the blonde detective, and makes sure she knows she’s exactly his type. As every possible avenue of investigation is shut down by the courts or her boss, Selena realizes that if someone doesn’t do something to stop Keller, more women will suffer–and she may be next.

The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown

What is CIA contract assassin Donna Stone’s idea of a Valentine’s Day getaway? Certainly not orchestrating a jailbreak out of a Mexican prison for a notorious drug lord. But because he has intel as to the whereabouts of an international terrorist organization planning a Valentine’s massacre, there will be no intimate dinner for two or couples massage for Donna and her ops leader, Jack Craig. Just plenty of sun, surf, submarines, sharks… oh yeah, and sex.

Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey

Bobbie Faye Sumrall, Cajun Contraband Days Queen, gun expert, and ultimate professional in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, absolutely positively does not want to go through with the ridiculous wedding that Trevor’s forcing her to agree to, but she soon finds out she has more important things to worry about–like surviving the plot to make her disappear when she’s set up as a fall guy for the theft of a priceless religious icon. And that’s the good news.

Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day

When insurance investigator Anastasia Miller sets out to retrieve the rose-hued pink diamonds stolen in a recent heist, she finds herself working alongside former flame, deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Monroe — the man she loved enough to leave behind.

Nightfall by Laura Griffin

Stranded on an icy road as darkness falls, Holly Henriksen knows she is in trouble. A charming stranger stops to help and Holly decides to trust him, but soon finds out he is harboring a deadly secret.

King of Hearts (A Rough Rider Short Story) by Lorelei James

Deputy Cam McKay is devastated after dealing with a Valentine’s Day murder/suicide in his small county. Will allowing his family to see the dark past that haunts him, help heal him?

A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield

Detective Joe Bashir returns to his alma mater to investigate the stabbing death of a male college student. Rumors of date rape and fraternity hazing complicate a sensitive case as Joe tries to balance the demands of the investigation with caring for his elderly father. Help – and possibly romance – come from an unexpected source.

Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire

Benjamin Youngblood’s only chance to prove he’s worthy of being a Bullet Catcher is to find and stop an assassin.  On probation from the elite security force, Ben has to rely on instinct and brains…and one feisty flower farmer.  When Callie Parrish discovers her entire crop of rare black roses has been stolen, she’d partner with the devil himself to recoup her loss.  It doesn’t take her long to realize she’s done just that…and the road to hell is paved with poisonous petals and deadly kisses.

Rebel Rose  by Karin Tabke

For Detective Cash Cantrell, hunting down a University serial killer is as routine as strapping on his gun each morning.  Until he comes face to face with meddlesome coed, Rebel Yell Culpepper. He doesn’t know if he should arrest her or kiss her, but one thing Cash knows for sure, Rebel is key to finding the murderer, and the killer knows it too…

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FROM US TO YOU!  Stay tuned over the next week or so for excerpts and highlights.   Guns and Roses will be live and available for purchase next week!  In the meantime, leave a comment and FIVE LUCKY WINNERS will receive a copy of our new e-book on release day!

I’m so delighted to welcome one of my all time favorite writers to the blog today, the inimitable and remarkable Julie Leto,  in celebration of the (re?)release of two of my all time favorite books.  Jules (as I like to call her) is a multi-multi published New York Times bestselling author.  We go way back, sharing a state, a few RWA chapters, many friends, some publishers, one fabulously successful Christmas anthology (back on shelves this month, called I’ll Be Home For Christmas), and daughters the same age.  Well, we don’t share the girls, but we commiserate over each new phase in their lives. (We’re at teenage hormones right now, so be gentle on both of us.)

As if a 14 year-old wasn’t challenge enough, Julie is braving the wild waters of self-publishing with the release of two books that were originally published in 2005/6. I’ve invited her to talk to us about the new releases and the singular challenge of “labeling” a book.  Do it right, and your book can be a blockbuster. Give it the wrong “category” and you could be lost forever.  Julie and I share lots of war stories, but one of them is the joy (where is the sarcasm font when you need it?) of having a book shelved in fiction instead of romance.  One of my books met the fate of fiction-shelving a few years before Julie’s.  Ah, there was my funny, poignant, contemporary chick lit stuck right next to John Steinbeck.  Let’s see Grapes of Wrath or Hit Reply?  Were you one of the nine people that read my amazing, breakthrough book?  No, I didn’t think so. Once upon a time, there was no coming back from a disaster like that…but that time has changed. Enter the world of independent publishing and new life for books that really can’t be “labeled.”

Please welcome my dear friend, Julie Leto, who defies labeling….

First, I want to thank Roxanne and all the amazing authors at Murder She Writes for allowing me to hijack the blog for the day!  I’m thrilled to be here to introduce you to a…well, see, here’s where I run into a problem.

I have a new series of books out.  Only the books aren’t really new.  The first, Dirty Little Secrets, was originally published in 2005 by Simon & Schuster as part of their Bad Girls of Downtown Press promotion.  The second book in the series, Dirty Little Lies, came out in 2006.

But at the beginning of this year, I successfully regained the publication rights to these two books and set out immediately to have them digitized, repackaged and re-released.  The inside stories are pretty much the same (with some editing corrections made that slipped through in the previous print versions) but they are bright and shiny and new everywhere else. And I’m really excited about how the books came out!

The first time the Dirty books came out, they did not sell well.  (That’s hard for an author to admit, but I’m not the kind of person who blows smoke up people’s posteriors, you know?)  Why didn’t they sell well?  Did the books suck?

On that, I can tell you that NO, they didn’t suck.  I can honestly say that the Dirty stories are some of my best work.  The problem, as I see it, is that a) the books are hard to label and therefore, b) readers couldn’t find them.

A book that is hard to label isn’t necessarily a bad book!  I wrote the Dirty books the way I felt they needed to be written, without paying excessive amounts of attention to where they’d be shelved in the bookstore.  This is not something I normally do, but sometimes, I just have to be me.  So are they romantic suspense?  Well, yes, they are.  And if they weren’t, I would be here at MURDER SHE WRITES to tell you about them!  There are secrets and lies (hence the titles!) and villains and ulterior motives and characters who are both more and less than what they seem.  There are red herrings and questions that my characters have to answer before they can achieve their goal and save the world…so to speak.  These aren’t James Bond books.

Or are they?  There are cool gadgets and explosions and gun fights and hand-to-hand combat.  The books have handsome men and sexy women—but the sexy women are the main focus and they, namely my main character, Marisela Morales, has the most at stake.  The pace is fast and the dialogue is faster.  By the time you shut off your Kindle, Nook, Sony or other e-reading device, bodies will have littered your screen…in more ways than one.

The books are not strictly romance, though Marisela does has a very hot, very conflicted relationship going on with her ex-boyfriend, Frankie Vega, who was once her partner in crime.  Only they aren’t criminals anymore.  Or are they?  They don’t work for the cops.  They don’t follow laws.  They do, however, work for a group called Titan International.  They are the people the CIA calls in when they don’t want to get their hands dirty.  Or they are hired by the rich and powerful who need something done without anyone knowing about it.  And it’s not always bad things…in Dirty Little Secrets, they are hired to save a kidnapped child.  In Dirty Little Lies, they are protecting a man who has an assassin after him.

But though Marisela is only sleeping with Frankie, he represents her very checkered past.  She can’t help but grapple with what’s she’s going to do about the new men in her life—men who symbolize her promising future, like her boss, Ian Blake or his mysterious majordomo, Max.

And then there is Marisela.  She’s usually defined as a “sexy Latina” and she is that.  But she isn’t  just that.  She’s resourceful, smart and confident.  Those sound like good things—and sometimes, they are.  But her resourcefulness, smarts and confidence sometimes get her into more trouble than she knows exactly what to do with—and these books are about her figuring out what she wants to do with her life, both professionally and personally.  These are hard questions…but then, Marisela isn’t usually interested in things that are easy.

Whew!  I’ve told you quite a bit about my series…which right now consists of the two reprints, but will, in the new year, include new adventures for my saucy private detective and her band of questionable cohorts.  The books are meant to be fun, exciting, sexy, intriguing and tense.  They’re suspenseful, adventurous, romantic romps that are dark, gritty and no-holds-barred.

How’s that for a label?!

You can go here to read an excerpt of the first book, then link over to read excerpts of the second or to Amazon and Barnes & Noble to buy.  The books are for sale digitally for only $3.99!

So how to do you feel about labels for books?  Are they helpful to a reader or do they sometimes mislead you?  Or are you, like me, often pleasantly surprised to find more to a book than the label slapped on it by the publisher?  One commenter will win a $20 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  Buy something that defies labeling!

And big PS.  If you subscribe to Julie’s Mailing List/Newsletter via herwebsite, you’ll be entered to win a brand new Kindle!  And if you sign up before December 10^th, you will learn how to be entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet!  Go…here now!

I love the Romantic Times Conference for all the reasons Sylvia named — and about 2 billion more

I am exhausted and under deadline and having a helluva time keeping my head above water as I try to play catch up. So I will hit the high points for me:

The Western Reader Round Up event (as Lorelei James) with these wonderful ladies: Beth Williamson, Cat Johnson, C. H. Admirand, Janette Kenny, Cindy Holby, Margaret Brownley — line dancing, book giveaway, all sorts of fun stuff! Ooh, and we all wore boots! This pic is courtesy of Cat Johnson:

The Mystery Chix and Dix morning mixer (as Lori Armstrong) where I was privileged to meet the one and only William Link, the creator of such shows as Columbo, Murder She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder. Here’s some of the rest of the Chix and Dix – Rhys Bowen, me, Lee Goldberg, Brett Battles, Allison, DP Lyle and Robert Browne

The RT Awards ceremony where my Lorelei James book BRANDED AS TROUBLE, won the Independent Publisher Award for Best Erotic Romance! The glass award is beautiful. Ah, sorry, no pics. I sort of suck in the pic taking dept.

I loved hanging out with the posse from my publishing house, my editor, my writer friends, my readers, my fab friends here from MSW, and meeting new readers and writers and bloggers…the list goes on and on, and I know I’m leaving people out, which is why I don’t normally do a wrap up post. No, I didn’t dress in costume, but I did have people taking pics of the different pairs of boots I wore every day Sarah from Smart Bitches Trashy Books was on a mission to photograph my boots — this was Saturday’s pair

I have extra books I brought home just to give away to you all — so answer the one simple question we posed during our hunky cowboys panel: What is your favorite western?

A Reminder: During the holidays, Murder She Writes will be bringing you our favorite blogs from the past. Then on Monday, January 4th, 2010, we’ll begin a new year with new blogs! This was one of my first blogs and remains one of my favorites. As an update, Hannah and Anthony have celebrated their one year anniversary, are living out their happily ever after in a dollhouse of a condo in Savannah, Georgia and have adopted a rescue dog named Scarlett.

Sometimes, I think I write romance because that’s what I love to read. Sometimes, I think I write romance because I’m in love with love and this is my way of falling into it over and over and over again. Sometimes, I don’t even think about why I write romance, the way I don’t think about breathing. Because I just do.

And then something happens to make me remember why. This past weekend, I went to a wedding. A wonderful place to renew one’s firm belief in Happily Ever Afters, right? The perfect setting to clasp your hands, blink your tears, and say “Ahhhh. This makes me feel so good.” The ideal atmosphere to soak up the hope for the future and the joy of lifelong commitment.

And while all of that was palpable in the air in a small north Florida town where my whole family and a few hundred others gathered to celebrate the marriage of Captain Anthony Roffino and Miss Hannah Tedder, it was not the “I do” or the first dance or the best man’s toast that made me remember why I write romance.

It was another moment I experienced that day.

Like most people, I usually turn to the back of the church when “that” music starts. After all, this is the bride’s magical day, her moment of true glory, the walk in white, the float down the aisle on Daddy’s arm, the glorious Cinderella moment that little girls fantasize about and big girls remember fondly. But this time, since it was my dear, darling, sweet, gorgeous nephew getting married and I was on the “groom’s” side, I turned the other way, and I watched Anthony instead.

While the rest of the church let out a collective sigh as the doors opened for the bride, Anthony did just the opposite. His chest, broad from Army Ranger training and decorated with an array of medals, including the Bronze Star he earned in Iraq last year, literally puffed as he sucked in a breath. His eyes glistened with joy, his smile was tentative at first, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he saw, then blinding as the truth hit him. I watched him mouth “Oh my God” to himself and saw him clench his hands as though the thrill that shot through him couldn’t quite be contained.

That look, that moment, that path that took him across the world and through the dangerous streets of Baghdad where he fought for fifteen months in the infantry, all the time dreaming of the day he would be home — whole and healthy — to marry Hannah — that is why I write romance.

As some icing on the wedding cake, it was a military wedding, so Anthony’s groomsmen, an array of the most breathtaking heroes you’d ever want to write about, formed the canopy of swords as the bride and groom exited the church, each man more scorchingly handsome than the next.

They would be another reason I write romance.

That night, we danced and toasted and feted the young couple for many hours under the stars. We clinked for kisses and captured them on camera, we laughed with our loved ones and teased the teenagers into slow dancing to a few Sinatra tunes. We waved hundreds of sparklers to send the newlyweds through a tunnel of light and off to their honeymoon, and then we sipped cabernet into the late hours, marveling that the little boy who once freaked out his mother when she found him in the yard swinging a dead rat by the tail and singing “Born In the USA!” had made it through war and to his own HEA. One young man at the wedding, a heartbreaker named Captain Clay Chase, told us that he and Anthony had spent many, many nights in a tent in Baghdad, planning and praying for this wedding to really take place. I’m certain there were nights when neither one of them was entirely sure it would.

When the evening finally ended and I closed my eyes to go to sleep, the only thing I could see was the look on Anthony’s face when he realized his dreams had come true. That time-standing-still moment when a hero is hit not by a bullet, but by the power of love, awash with the realization that no matter what battles he has to fight in life, he will not face them alone.

That is the reason I write, and read, romance.

How about you?