Eppie Winners Interview

Wildfire would like to welcome you to a special EPPIE edition. Joining us this week are EPPIE winners Paty Jager, Jet Mykles, L.C. Monroe, Laura Baumbach, Liana Laverentz, Marie-Nicole Ryan, Angela Caperton, Bianca D'Arc, Mary Wine, Ciara Gold and Pam Champagne along with guest interviewer, Brenna Lyons, President of EPIC. EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, is a professional organization for published and contracted eBook and print authors. It was established to provide a strong voice for electronic publishing.

The EPPIE is the longest-standing and most-inclusive award of its type. eBooks released for sale, no matter whether self-published, from indie/e-publishers, or from New York publishers, are welcome to compete, and the EPPIE boasts twenty-two categories of books. For the last nine years, EPIC has awarded the EPPIE to award excellence in e-published books and the QUASAR to award excellence in their cover art. They are commonly held as the premiere awards in epublishing. It is our pleasure and honor to congratulate this year's winners.

Brenna: How did you find out you were nominated for an EPPIE? What went through your mind the instant you found out you'd won? Where is your EPPIE now?

Paty Jager: I found out I was nominated when I received an e-mail. When they walked up on the stage with two EPPIES I thought, "Wow I have a 50/50 chance of winning. Then they said my name and the person I tied with, who happened to be an author from my publishing house and I was ecstatic.  My EPPIE sits on my desk, so I can look at it as I work on another book.

Jet Mykles: Someone posted a congratulations email to Loose Id's Yahoo group. I read the names listed and kind of had to read it again to make sure I saw it right. I had to visit the EPIC site to make doubly sure before I let myself think it was true. But then it was and I remember thinking "oh very cool!" The EPPIE is currently sitting on an overcrowded desk in my bedroom, but that's only because we're remodeling. Once I get my new office, it'll get a special place on the shelves behind my desk. The SO is even planning on how to light it.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  A friend of mine emailed me to tell me that I'd been nominated.  I had to find the official list and check it to confirm my finalist status because I was so surprised.  I was even more astonished to realize I'd won.  I kind of thought the anthology nominated in my category would win.  I mean how could one story compete against a group of them? LOL My EPPIE is in my dining room on display until I'm sure everyone has seen it, then it will be moved to my office for inspiration. 

Laura Baumbach: I heard the finalist list was posted from an author group I belong to for one of my publishers. I had seen the list the day before and I wasn't on it, but this was a corrected list that had several more finalists for my category, GLBT, added. I couldn't believe I was on it since I'd already spent the last day consoling myself for not placing on the original list. <g>

What went through your mind the instant you found out you'd won? Honest? I gotta go to Portland! What's in Portland?

Where is your EPPIE now? On my desk beside me. I don't want the cat/kids/earthquakes to knock it over and break it.

Liana Laverentz: I found out via an email from Carol MacLeod.  I don't know where my EPPIE is now, as I was unable to attend the conference in Portland.  But I'm sure it's en route, and when it arrives, it will go front and center on the top shelf of my desk, right next to my Golden Leaf Award for Thin Ice, so that I can look up from the monitor and see it every day.  On those days when things might not be going so well, and it feels like I can't string a simple sentence together, the awards will be there to remind me, "Just have faith.  You've done it in the past, and you can do it again."

Marie-Nicole Ryan: I first heard I'd been nominated by e-mail from EPIC. As for what went through my mind when I found out I'd won was it was a mistake. I first heard it through the Samhain authors' loop. Delle Jacobs who lived in the Portland area actually attended the ceremony. She was the one who broke the news. I then heard it from a second source, but the EPIC web site hadn't been updated yet. It was several hours before it was official. As for where my EPPIE is now? I hope it's somewhere between Portland and Nashville. Due to the distance and my abject fear of flying, I wasn't able to attend the ceremony. Once it makes its way to my hands, it will have a place of honor, for sure.

Angela Caperton: I received a wonderful email from Carol MacLeod, the EPPIE Committee chair.  I was completely stunned.  I had not had a particularly good week as a writer and was questioning my sanity about my chosen vocation, so when I woke up that morning, opened my email and saw that Woman of the Mountain had been selected as a finalist, all those doubts and concerns flew out the window. 

Unable to attend the award ceremony in Portland, the morning after I woke to an email from my publisher telling me that Woman of the Mountain had won.  It's probably a good thing I don't have neighbors nearby, because the cry I let out was loud enough to set off car alarms!  The first thing that went through my mind was, "I did it!  It IS a good story!"

As yet, I don't have my EPPIE in my hands, but from what I'm told, it's on its way!  When it does arrive, we'll see if I can let it out of my hands within the first week.  I already have a pillow ready for it on my bed. <g> Seriously, it will go on my mantle.  I am very proud to have won the award and I want everyone to know!

Bianca D'Arc: I was watching the EPIC site for the announcement of finalists. I'd won an EPPIE last year for one of my dragon books – which was a stunner for me – and I was sort of cautiously optimistic that maybe I'd be able to Final again. When I saw my book's title up there I was thrilled! When I found out I won, I started happy dancing right then and there, and have been smiling ever since. I don't actually have this year's statue yet because I couldn't attend the conference, but when I get it, it will join the beautiful statue that sits in a place of honor next to my computer to cheer me when I'm feeling low.

Mary Wine: I confess that I was prowling my email account, waiting for the list of nominations to come through. This award was something that I had been working towards for some time.

Ciara Gold: I belong to several reader/writer loops, including Texas ARF (Authors of Romantic Fiction). So my first clue was the huge congratulations I received from member Linda Mooney. Naturally I was floored and ecstatic and literally jumping up and down and that was just the nomination for finalist. For the actual win, I opened my private e-mail Monday morning and the first thing that caught my eye was the subject line; you won the Eppie! That e-mail was from the Champagne reader, Kat Hall. I blinked and searched the other subject lines to find another from one of my crit partners, Ginger Simpson and it read; Standing Ovation. So I rush to open them both and screamed! Really. Right now, the EPPIE emblem is plastered on my website and myspace and even the Champagne title page.

Pam Champagne:  Hi Brenna!  I looked every day for a week on the EPIC website.  Had to sit down when I saw my name there.  I haven't received the Eppie yet, but when it arrives, I'll put it on a shelf above my writing area!

Brenna: How long have you been writing? How many other books/stories have you published?

Paty Jager: I've been writing to get published for about ten years. I have two other books published and one to be released in June.

Jet Mykles: I've been writing most of my life. I've only been published since 2005. I have 23 books/stories published as of right now, with about six more promised or contracted.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  I've been writing over 13 years now.  I published my first novel with Harlequin Presents in 2003 and have had more than three dozen books published by four different houses since.

Laura Baumbach: I've been published for about five years now. I have seven novels, eight anthologies and five short stories out. I write for six different publishers.

Liana Laverentz: I have been writing for twenty years, off and on.  I have two other novels published, Jake's Return, a contemporary romance with The Wild Rose Press, and Ashton's Secret, which was released many years ago, and will be re-released by The Wild Rose Press in late 2008. 

Marie-Nicole Ryan: I started my first novel back in 1999. It took eighteen months to write and was 142 thousand words in the first draft. It took a lot of (ahem) intestinal fortitude, but I trimmed it to 128 thousand words. Too Good To Be True was my fourth published book, my first with Samhain Publishing. I have three other books which were published by another publisher, Wings ePress. Two of them are still with Wings. Samhain has re-released one of them, Love On The Run.

Angela Caperton: I've been writing for years but for my own amusement and that of a few friends.  I made my first serious shot at publication a little over two years ago with Inspiration, an erotic story set in Renaissance Italy. I was pleasantly surprised when eXstasy accepted it for publication! Since then, they've published Woman of the Mountain and my newest book, The Passions of Pearl.

Bianca D'Arc: My first eBook came out on Valentine's Day of 2006. Since then, I've had five Dragon Knights books, two Resonance Mates books, three paranormals, two sci-fi, and one fey tale published, in addition to four others that are now out of print.

Mary Wine: I have a large backlist with Elloras Cave and Samhain. I've been writing for about five years now and it has been my privilege to find favor with my publishers. I just love what I do so much.

Ciara Gold: I've been writing seriously four about seven years, but I think the joy of writing has been with me since sixth grade. I used to write all sorts of poems when I was younger. At present I have five e-books published with one in print, but by the time this interview goes live, I will have two more published. Kaitlin's Silver Lining is the fourth in a related set of historical westerns and will release April 1 in 3-book form. Once Jilted will release prior to that one and is part of an anthology from Champagne books about heroines who all rode the orphan train together and make a pact to reunite ten years later. Once Jilted will be available in both e-book format and print. And, within the next few days, weeks, Champagne is putting A Noble Sacrifice in print with the Eppie emblem on the cover. I'm thrilled about that. A Noble Sacrifice is the first Eppie win for my publisher, so yep, it's been a party all week at Champagne.

Pam Champagne:  Discounting the few years I attempted to write romance novels back in the late 70's, I began writing in earnest in 2005 – the year I broke my ankle and needed three operations.  While recuperating, I read numerous books and decided to write one of my own.  Since that time, I have four full-length published stories, three novellas and a short story.

Brenna: How do you write? Are you a plotter or pantser? Do you have a plot-driven process or character-driven? Do you write linear or not? One project at a time or multiple?

Paty Jager: I'm a plantser! LOL I do a little bit of charts to get my characters clear in my head. And then I stew and brew the characters and the story in my head and when the perfect place to start the story comes to me, I start writing. Most of my stories are character driven, but once in a while a plot driven story will sneak into my repertoire. I'm pretty linear. I start at the beginning and work straight through to the end. I usually have one project I'm writing and a couple that are brewing in my head.

Jet Mykles: I am 100% character driven pantser. I have these people who show up in my brain and demand that I watch them then tell their story. They don't always tell me ALL of the story at the beginning—in fact, they rarely do. Sometimes they give me a bit of a hint of the end but that's only if they're feeling generous. I tend to write linear once I do get into it, though, since I'm watching the story unfold. And I tend to stick to one project at a time, although I have been known to overlap.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  I call myself the schizophrenic writer because sometimes I like to plot, but most of the time I write by the seat of my pants.  And sometimes I even combine the two approaches.  I write from beginning to end and can't imagine writing scenes out of sequence because for me every scene builds on the one before it, which is why even small revisions are usually a whole book process for me.  I prefer to concentrate on one new project at a time, though past ones pop up throughout the process in the form of copyedits, line edits, galleys, promotion, etc.

Laura Baumbach: Early morning and late at night usually, when the kids are asleep or at school. I like a dark room with a closed door and low noise so I can drop myself into the world I'm building with out distractions.

Are you a plotter or pantser? A bit of both. I write a synopsis out of the entire story but I leave it loose enough to let the characters take it in directions I didn't plan on.

Do you have a plot-driven process or character-driven? I start with a loose plot line but the characters make it happen. I decide where it is going but they decide how it gets there.

Do you write linear or not? Usually, but occasionally a scene will jump into my head and I have to write it then work it in to the story. It's something my characters want so I know it's important to add.

One project at a time or multiple? Again, most just one at a time. I find it hard to jump back and forward between worlds. It takes too much time to get back into the mindset of the characters for me. I lose too much re-submerging myself in the story/men for it to be an effective way to write.     

Liana Laverentz: My stories are most definitely character driven.  I like to make them as multi-dimensional and real as I possibly can.  I write linear, but in layers.  First I write the dialogue, straight through, until the book is done, so I know how it ends, where I am heading.  Then I go back and decide who has the most at stake in each scene, and write the scene from that character's point of view.  Then I add in the stage directions (who crossed the room, or gripped the glass too tightly, etc.).  Then I go back and make sure I have the five senses covered, then I go back and add in clues, or foreshadowing. 

Last, but not least, I go in and tighten the focus, cut out every word that doesn't need to be there, and pretty it all up.  I work on one project at a time.  I like to do what I call "holding the whole book in my head" for consistency's sake.  So during the final editing process, I will block off several days and practically live that book in my mind until it is done.  I still go about my daily routine, but my mind is elsewhere.  My son will come up to me and ask a question, and I'll say, "I'm not here right now," and he will say, "Okay, let me know when you get back."  It may seem odd, but that's the norm around here and it works for us J.

Marie-Nicole Ryan: I started out as a complete pantser, but now I'm a hybrid blend of the two styles. I'm becoming more and more linear as I write. My mystery/ suspense was the most linear of all, written start to finish in two months. Most of my work is character driven, and one project at a time please. I think I'd develop dissociative identity disorder if I worked on more than one project at a time.

Angela Caperton:  That really depends on what I'm writing. I've been writing a lot of short stories recently and those are usually driven by the main idea and I let the details emerge as I write. With a novel, I try to plot everything very carefully. It saves bad surprises that involve rewriting! Recently I've been juggling projects. I have a novel in the works but I'm also trying to write for anthologies as they open for submissions.  It's a good way to keep myself writing, and it is helping me to learn how to juggle projects.  The short stories are near-instant gratification and can sometimes distract from the novel, so I'm also learning how to better manage my writing time.

Bianca D'Arc: I'm a little of both. I start with a scene or two, then fill in a very brief sort of outline around the basic premise, but it's not fleshed out at all and it changes as I write the rest of the book. I like to think I'm more character-driven. The emotions are what draw me to a story, so I like to focus on that. I write multiple projects at the same time and not always linearly, though I find that's easier than hopping around in the storyline. Still, if I'm stuck or struck by inspiration, I will jump ahead to a later point in the story. It's a good tool to work around a block.

Mary Wine: I guess I'm a little of all these. Some books I plot out but others, well they take control of me and run me like a sled dog. I do sometimes begin new projects before finishing my work in process, I think I just don't want to let my characters go by finishing the book…so I draw it out.

Ciara Gold: Wow, lot's of questions. I am a confirmed pantser with minimal plotting. I let the characters take me on a road trip of sorts. It's more fun that way because you never know when they will throw you a loop. I guess I do write linear as I write as if it's happening. I can't write an ending scene and then insert it. Not my style. I do, however, work on more than one project at a time until the Muse makes up her mind which one should take precedence. At that point, I focus on one story, usually about the time that story is about half way complete. Right now, I'm ping ponging between three different stories.

Pam Champagne:  I grab my characters and plunge headfirst into the story.  At the end of each chapter, I wait a few days.  Let the characters decide their next move.  This is not to say, I don't have a "loose" idea of the plot.  It's just flexible.  I've attempted to outline and plot on paper before I begin a story, but have discovered this fences me in and restricts my creativeness.  I'm definitely not linear.  Whether I write it down or not, I do know the ending of my stories.  Sometimes, there's a scene buzzing around in my head so I'll write it and save it for later.  Whether I use it or not depends on my characters.  I keep telling myself to finish one book before starting another, but inevitably I have multiple projects in the works.

Brenna: Is the EPPIE your first award? If not, what other awards have you won?

Paty Jager: Yes, the EPPIE is my first award. I've finaled in a number of contests, but this is my first win. And it is a great feeling!

Jet Mykles: The EPPIE's not my first.  I've been nominated for Reviewer's Choice at eCataRomance. I've been nominated this year for a Fantasm Award. I got Best Paranormal Book from Love Romances Café. Spiritual Noelle also won book of the month last year from Sensual Reads and Reviews.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  I've won several Reviewers Choice awards from different venues and a couple of Reader's Choice awards as well.  Every single nomination and win is different and special.  I don't think an author can ever get too many confirmations that her work is enjoyed by others.  Especially not when she writes to touch the hearts of her readers – as I do.

Laura Baumbach: Working from the most recent back, I'll list them.

2008 EPPIE Awards for GLBT The Lost Temple of Karttikeya.
2007 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner at Ecataromance.com for Roughhousing.
2007 Love Romance Cafe - Best Book Overall 2007: Roughhousing
2006 Love Romance Café - Best Alternative Lifestyle: A Bit of Rough
2006 Love Romance Café - Best Erotica: A Bit of Rough Honorable Mention
2006 REC - Best M/M Author of 2006
2006 Preditors and Editors Readers Poll in the Sci-Fi novel category -Details of the Hunt has been placed in the top ten.
2006 Preditors and Editors Readers Poll for Romance novels - Out There in the Night.
2006 Preditors and Editors Readers Poll for Short Story – Horror - Enthralled
2006 EPPIE Awards -- Details of the Hunt --finalists in the GLBT category.
2005 Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll --Laura Baumbach in the Top Ten Favorite Authors
2005 MayReviews.com --A Bit of Rough awarded the OVER THE MOON AWARD 2005 Screwz Award for God's Work
2005 Details of the Hunt - winner of And the Fort Bend Writers Guild Screenplay writing Contest for Spring of 2005
2004 -- Absolute Silence-- winner 3rd place in the Short Story Category from the Inland Empire California Writers Club's 2004 Short Story, Non-Fiction and Poetry Contest.
Inland Empire California Writers Club

Liana Laverentz: In October 2007 Thin Ice won a New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Long Contemporary Romance.  In 1998 I won the Pennwriters Meritorious Service Award.  Thin Ice was also nominated for Best Print Long Romance of 2007 at Long and Short Reviews.

Marie-Nicole Ryan: It's definitely my first award by an independent organization. One of my earlier books, See You In My Dreams, was given a Golden Wings Award by my senior editor at Wings ePress. Those are in-house awards given twice a year by each line's senior editor.

Angela Caperton: The EPPIE is the only award I've won and I have to say, I love the feeling of winning!

Bianca D'Arc: I won an EPPIE last year for The Ice Dragon. I also just won a CAPA for Prince of Spies, an ARe Book of the Year for Hara's Legacy, and an ARe Author of the Year, a few Fantasm Awards, Rites of Romance Reviews Awards, Love Romances Café Awards, and some others including being named a Top 5 Sensual Author by readers at eCataromance. It's been a wild ride and I'm incredibly humbled by these awards and honors.

Mary Wine: Yes, it is and I'm still floating about a foot off the floor.

Ciara Gold: The EPPIE is my first BIG writing award. I have placed in several RWA chapter sponsored contests. In fact, the prequel to A Noble Sacrifice, Celestial Dragon placed in three different first chapter contests and taking first in two of those. But I also won the 2006 Best-selling Author of the Year award and Celestial Dragon won the 2006 Best-selling Book award from Champagne. This year I've been nominated for Champagne's Author of the Year, but you'll have to come to the Coffeetime Chat on April 1, 9:00 est to find out who wins.

Pam Champagne:  Yes, it is, although this same story placed 4^th in the Hearts of the West contest last year.

Brenna: What is your fondest memory of a comment or compliment someone has given you on your writing?

Paty Jager: I had an agent tell me, "Readers are going to love your books."  And she's right. I've had more people tell me they love my books, even editors of large publishing houses, but I'm not "unique" enough for them to take a chance on me. So I went e-pub and am building a fan base.

Jet Mykles: The best one still came from Angela Knight, who saw an early version of Dark Elves I and said that I should submit it for publishing.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  My two favorite compliments are that I grabbed the reader's emotions and that s/he could see my story like a movie running through his/her head.  Both tell me I've touched the reader on a visceral level and that's key to me.

Laura Baumbach: My favorite author gave me an unsolicited compliment that I hold in high regard and just recently another peer told me I make the words 'just sing' in a story. Both instances made a huge impact on my heart. 

Liana Laverentz: I walked into the post office, and the postmistress said, "I'm so mad at you, I didn't get anything done over the weekend because I couldn't put your book down.  When are you going to write another one?"  I like knowing people couldn't put it down—and that they want more.  Also, a close friend said, "When I was reading it, I kept forgetting it was YOU who wrote it."  That tells me she got into the story enough to set thinking aside and was able to simply enjoy the experience.

Marie-Nicole Ryan:  One of my friends at work told me she was "losing sleep" and "couldn't stop reading long enough to get ready for work". That remark was aimed at See You In My Dreams. Coming a close second was having my editor tell me my characters "jumped off the page."

Angela Caperton:  I think the fondest memory I have was when a reader told me that she was so caught up in one of the pinnacle moments of Woman of the Mountain, that she didn't want the story to end.  I was thrilled to hear this, and deeply moved. Comments like that really make me feel that this path I've chosen is the right one for me.  I love to write, and I love sharing what I've written.  There's no feeling in the world like knowing that someone else enjoys the stories I tell.  It is one of the highs that keeps me at my computer putting to words the worlds that swirl within my mind.

Bianca D'Arc: Early on, I had a reader write to me about my second dragon story, Border Lair. In the book, one of the main characters has a catharsis where he finally overcomes the death of his wife and is able to move on. The reader said something similar happened to her while reading my character's struggle. Because she'd lost her husband a few years before, the character and scene resonated enough with her enough to make her look up my address and let me know. I was incredibly touched by her letter. I keep it still, to remind me that I may never quite realize how my words affect certain readers.

Mary Wine: This is hard to put my finger on, every comment I receive is dear to me. Emails keep me going when a rejection letter has me in the mood to toss in the towel. I save them all.

Ciara Gold: My first memory of a very heady compliment on my writing was when one of my crit partners sent a message regarding one of my stories; OMG, OMG, This is the one! Prior, most of my attempts had been met with the usual friendly pat on the back and lots of red marks for things I needed to work on, but Celestial Dragon really got my crit partners excited which in turn got me excited.

Pam Champagne:  Out of the blue I received an e-mail from a fan praising Dead Heat and asking me when she could expect a sequel involving the secondary characters.  Her comment made me warm and fuzzy.

Brenna: If books weren't placed alphabetically in the store or on a virtual bookshelf, what books/authors would you like to find your books shelved between?

Paty Jager: Linda Lael Miller and LaVyrle Spencer

Jet Mykles: Morgan Hawke and Mercedes Lackey

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  What an awesome question with this huge long list as an answer. LOL But the first two authors that came to my mind were Lori Foster and Jayne Ann Krentz.  Two of my first autobuy authors ever.

Laura Baumbach: Hard one, there are so many great author out there. I'll pick my childhood favorite, Alistair MacLean, and my contemporary favorite, Josh Lanyon. Snuggled between action/adventure and mystery! 

Liana Laverentz: Barbara Delinsky and Eileen Dreyer.

Marie-Nicole Ryan: Oh, please, Santa, place my romantic suspense stories between the wonderful Linda Howard and Nora Roberts and my mystery between Anne Perry and Elizabeth Peters.

Angela Caperton: Hmm. The answer to that question would probably change from day to day. Right now, I'd have to say between Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's erotic graphic novel Lost Girls and the romance novel that inspired me to write – A Shield of Roses by Mary Pershall. Other volumes on that shelf might include novels by T.C. Boyle, The Devil in the White City and Erik Larsen's other books, plus Nora Roberts Born In series, and to satisfy the semi-reformed football nut in me, Grisham's Playing for Pizza, and of course, several different Erotica anthologies!

Bianca D'Arc: Gosh, that's a hard question! If we're talking pure fantasy, I'd want to be right up there with J.R.R. Tolkein. (Yeah, right.)

Mary Wine: Lora Leigh and Sylvia Day.

Ciara Gold: Hmm. That's a toughy as I can think of tons of great authors I'd like to be associated with. I think I would like to be shelved between Susan Carroll and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. That would be a fun mix.

Pam Champagne:  Hmmm…Karen Robbards and Lisa Jackson.

Brenna: What can we expect from you next?

Paty Jager: I have the second book of a five book historical western romance series coming out on June 6^th. Outlaw in Petticoats. 

Jet Mykles: At the moment I'm working on a shortie for Loose Id, then I'll be finishing up my Dark Elves series with books 5 and 6. I'm pretty sure I'll be starting on the Indigo Knights pretty soon after that. They'll be my follow up band to my Heaven Sent series.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  I've got monthly releases between now and September (almost all of which will be/are already available in electronic format).  Right now, Miss Fix-It an Inspirational romance from Samhain is new on the cyber-shelves.  Then I'll have Housekeeper to the Millionaire from Presents, Meagan's Chance (in print – already out as an eBook) from Samhain, The Power of Love anthology (not an eBook yet – but all author proceeds go to The Battered Women's Shelter of Cincinnati), Forbidden: the Billionaire's Virgin Princess & Hired: the Sheikh's Secretary Mistress both from Harlequin, and Annabelle's Courtship (in print – already out as an eBook) from Samhain.

Laura Baumbach: I'm writing a short story for a Hostage anthology I'm doing with Josh Lanyon and Sarah Black, then It's back to finishing the sequel to Details of the Hunt, my EPPIE finalist from last year. This one is titled Genetic Snare—stoic alien bounty hunter and displaced larcenous pirate. They're so much fun to write!

Liana Laverentz: In late 2008, The Wild Rose Press will re-release my first novel, a murder mystery romance titled Ashton's Secret.  Then I will be working on a romantic suspense titled Justice is a Lady.  I have also completed a narrative non-fiction manuscript titled Letters to Laura, which I am currently shopping around.  The opening to Letters to Laura can be found on my website, under the Friends tab.  It's different from anything I've ever written, and some of my best work. 

Marie-Nicole Ryan: I have two more books in this year's publication schedule at Samhain. The first is One Too Many, which releases May 27. It's a mystery/suspense sequel to Love On The Run, and I loved visiting those characters again and seeing what trouble Randi could find as a new bride. On July 15 Holding Her Own debuts; it's a very spicy romantic suspense set in New Orleans with two oil-and-water FBI agents undercover as a married couple. And she's in charge.

Currently I'm working on revisions for the first book in a six book series of romantic suspense novels set in Nashville. Music City Investigations is a PI agency run by a blended family of siblings, and each will have his or her own story.

Angela Caperton: I have a lot of short stories out for consideration by various anthologies, so I'm waiting to hear about those and I hope to have my new novel completed by summer. It's a paranormal fantasy that involves several different time periods, so it's been research-intensive.

Bianca D'Arc: More dragons in May! FireDrake comes out May 13^th, then I'll have another installment of my Resonance Mates series called Jaci's Experiment, coming out in August – both from Samhain Publishing. I'll also have a contemporary novella that's a little different for me, coming out soon from Tease Publishing.

Mary Wine: I have a new book coming from Samhain titled Still Mine. This will release in May. I have also just finished a historical that is not under contract but it's got a great Scot in it.

Ciara Gold: I have two new books coming out in the next few weeks, which I've already talked about and they plan to put A Noble Sacrifice in print. After that, I don't have anything contracted, which was my choice. I felt I needed time to regroup and write. I have three projects that I'm working on; a sequel to A Noble Sacrifice, a historical fantasy, and a Viking time-travel. All three are calling to me, so at present I don't know which I'll finish first. Gotta love a temperamental muse.

Pam Champagne:  I'm working on two RS stories.  One Arm Bandit set in Reno, NV involves gambling murder and mayhem plus a search for a missing map to the Lost Rhoads Mine. 

Alaskan Heat is a fast-paced novella.  The setting is the Alaskan/Canadian Highway and the hero and heroine battle a lot more than the bad guys as they push toward their final destination, Homer, Alaska.

Brenna: What do you think the #1 advantage to eBooks are, as an author?  What drew you to e-publishing?

Paty Jager: The #1 advantage to e-books is the accessibility for the publishing houses and editors. The above answer, an agent told me to go small press/e-book and build a fan base.

Jet Mykles: Probably sounds callous, but the royalties. The author gets a much bigger cut in epub. There's also the instant gratification, both for me and for readers. My most loyal fans will let me know how they liked my new book within the first week of its publication. They don't have to wait around for the print.

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  The number one advantage to original eBooks is undoubtedly the freedom.  Freedom of creative inspiration, freedom to try new and risky things, freedom from options clauses in the publisher's contracts, freedom to be paid monthly rather than bi-annually and with advances, freedom from many of the rules associated with traditional publishing.  It's all about freedom.  I was initially drawn to ePublishing because of that freedom.  But I'm also thrilled as can be that my bigger publishers are bringing my books out in electronic format as well.

Laura Baumbach: eBooks allow the author to see more of the return on their hard work. I went to eBooks because my genre of M/M erotic romance wasn't published by the existing print press at the time. In 2007 I opened my own M/M erotic romance press, ManLoveRomance Press (MLR Press) to help fill that niche market, but I stay in eBooks because I believe it is the future of books. I don't believe print will go away anytime soon, but there is a growing crossover audience between print and eBook. It's like wanting ice cream. Sometime you want chocolate and sometimes vanilla, but occasionally you want a twisty cone with both. <g> 

Liana Laverentz: I think it's the wave of the future, and I wanted to be a part of it.

Marie-Nicole Ryan: First and foremost, it's given me an opportunity to have my work read by a growing number of readers. Breaking into the New York publishing arena isn't easy for an impatient person like me. It took three years for a major publisher to reject a requested partial. E-publishing seemed the best fit for me at the time.

Angela Caperton: I love books, but I think e-publishing is the future. I also hate waiting and the acceptance process and time-to-publish are much faster with eBooks, so when I started writing for submission, it made sense to try e-publishers first.

Bianca D'Arc: The speed of response from the publishers. I'm an impatient person. I hate waiting months and months to find out if a publisher wants my book. I've been lucky in that the publishers I've dealt with have fast turnaround on submissions. It's (nearly) instant gratification for someone who hates to wait!

Mary Wine: I love to think 'Green' and I also love being able to store my two hundred books on one small item.

Ciara Gold: Impatience first drew me to e-publishing, but once there, I discovered a freedom that I don't think I would have had if I'd been contracted through traditional means. I basically get to write what I want to write without worrying about market trends. Being e-published is allowing me to learn the ropes of the publishing business without some of the pressures associated with traditional publishing. The percentage an author makes off of an eBook sale is much higher than that granted for a paperback sale. 

Pam Champagne:  I first heard of eBooks in a critique group.  Some of the authors were e-published, so I surfed the websites of different publishers.  For me, the number one advantage from an author's point of view is the fluidity of submissions, edits and the shorter wait time for publication.

Brenna: What do you think the #1 advantage to eBooks are, as a reader?

Paty Jager: Convenience. eBooks take up less

Jet Mykles: Like I said above, instant gratification. Also, eBooks are a lot easier to store than print books!

L.C. Monroe [aka Lucy Monroe]:  Storage space.  Absolutely and without a doubt.  I can store hundreds of eBooks on a memory stick and do.  For a voracious reader like myself, that is uber cool.

Laura Baumbach: eBooks give a huge variety of subject matter to readers along with instant gratification in receiving their book within seconds not days. There is nothing like finding a book you want from the comfort of your chair and getting it delivered to your desk or reader seconds later so you can enjoy it. Author/Reader Heaven will probably give out eBook readers with wings at the gate. 

Liana Laverentz: To me, books are like friends.  I always have one with me, and on longer trips, take several along.  This can get cumbersome and make for a heavy suitcase.  With eBooks you can take as many books/friends with you as you want to, wherever you go. 

Marie-Nicole Ryan: The advantages for the reader are many. There's the immediacy of being able to have the book now without having to trek to the store or wait for the mailman to deliver. The wide variety of genres, stories that are outside the box, and the ability to store a multitude of books on a single device are also the main advantages.

Angela Caperton: Can I have co-number 1's?  Convenience and variety! Whether on a laptop or an e-reader, once you become accustomed to reading an eBook, they are much easier to pick up and put down. I think most of us today lead pretty hectic lives that are increasingly fragmented into diverse activities, many of which center around display screens. E-readers are just another extension of that out into the world.  The other clear advantage is the huge variety of stories available as eBooks.  I think eBook publishers tend to be more willing to take chances on stories that perhaps don't fit the mold, and therefore there are some wonderfully original works available out there for our enjoyment – books that perhaps might not have found homes with a traditional paper publisher.

Bianca D'Arc: Portability and the fact that they don't take up much physical space. I have over 3,000 paperbacks. I have no more room for books! So I only buy eBooks now. I still get my reading fix, but now I don't have to buy a warehouse to shelve them all. I love it! Plus, when I can't sleep, I can go shopping in the middle of the night and buy, download and read my book in a matter of minutes. It's amazingly convenient.

Mary Wine: I love the diversity of the books I can buy in eBook.

Ciara Gold: Convenience would be my first response. You can store a ton of books on one reader, which is especially appealing to those who travel a lot. I think cost is another great incentive as eBooks are usually cheater than regular print books. Can't damage the book by earmarking pages. Just remember or jot down the page number you need to return to, so it saves on wear and tear. Storage is a big attraction as well. My DH built bookshelves all over our bedroom to house all the books I wanted to keep. I wouldn't have the storage problem if they were all in eBook form.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my views with the reading public. And a huge thank you to EPIC for hosting such a prestigious competition. I'm honored and blessed to have my work chosen over so many other fabulous entries.

Pam Champagne:  The ability to store so many books on an e-reader has got to be the #1 reason.  Running a close second is the large number of authors to be discovered.  There are so many genres and loads more books than New York puts on the shelves.  I used to get frustrated waiting for a new release from my favorite NY author.  This doesn't happen with e-publishing.

Thanks, Brenna for all your hard work.