Gee, I hope I haven’t blogged about this already. I’ve talked about it enough and it gets kind of blurry in my brain as to what I’ve gabbed over and what I’ve blogged over. So, here we go…

How soon is too soon for a sex scene? When you read a book do you like for the story and relationship to build up to the sex scenes with lots of conflict and sparing and stuff getting in the way and some of those almost sex scenes that never quite get there? Do you think there has to be more of the story unfold before the h and h do the deed?

Have you ever read a book that opens with a sex scene and thought…this would never happen in real life. Then you threw the book across the room.  Or you thought…you slut! Not a good way to present your heroine. And does the double standard apply in that when you see the hero too soon in bed you think of him as a male slut or just a guy doing what guys do. ‘Course this is before he connects with the heroine. Any hero that fools around on the heroine is not really a hero, is he?

I have two anthologies coming out and both of my stories open…or are very close to the opening…with a sex scene. In I’m Your Santa I wanted to see if I could pull it off and make it work as something new and a different way for me to open a book, and in The Morgue the Merrier it just kind of happened. And, surprise, surprise, I liked doing it.

But do you?

And then there’s the other extreme. How do you feel about the one big sex scene being the last scene? Can you wait that long for the h and h to get together? I’ve read books where this happens and I feel cheated. I want to know how the relationship progresses after they hit the sack. Okay, in historicals it’s sometimes different. I just saw Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time and the kiss at the end is very satisfying indeed!

So how do you weigh in on this? Opening sex scent too soon? End sex scene too late?

And if you join in the discussion I’ll pick a name from the participants and give away a tote with a copy of Star Quality, an anthology with Lori Foster, Lucy Monroe and me.

Hugs, Dianne Castell

PS—excerpts from I’m Your Santa and The Morgue the Merrier are on my website at DianneCastell.com

Vacation Time is Officially Here!

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. Yippeeeeeeee! With the winter we had in Cincy I wondered if we’d make it to summer. So now that we are here, are you going on vacation? Getting a chance to see something new, visit old friends, escape from work?

This year I’ll be hanging around Cincy but I have taken some great vacations. The whole family’s gone to Hilton Head and Maine and New York. My dh and I did Europe when we first got married. I wanted that instead of an engagement ring. Never regretted my choice. What a trip! Europe and in love…what could be better! 

And of course there are the books you take with you on vacation. What great reads are you planning to take with you? Anything you’ve been holding off reading till you pack your bags? Reading on vacation is the best. You don’t feel guilty because you’re supposed to be goofing off. You can stay up late and finish the darn book if you want and sleep in because you don’t have to get to work or fuss with getting kids off to school. I read Gone With the Wind on vacation. It was great! I could really enjoy reading a loooong book without feeling I should be doing something else. No-guild reads. You don’t get to do that very often. I always feel like I’m sneaking in the time.

Yep, no vacation is complete with one good book to polish off.
So, where are you going on vacation? What book do you have your eye on to take along? And if you can’t make it out of town this year what vacation was your very favorite?

Happy Summer Reading!
Dianne
DianneCastell.com

Or the tub isn’t just for getting clean!

Life’s so darn busy with stuff that’s got to get done right now or the world will explode, it’s hard to find time to do what we want to do…like read a good book! 

People hate the thought of flying or layovers in airports or the doctor or dentist keeping me waiting in his office but I love, love, love it! Fact is, I go with the airlines with the worse “on time” record. I go to the dentist in town with the worse waiting schedule. I don’t ask how good is he/she but how looong does he/she keep you waiting.

Honey, this is no-guilt reading! I can’t be cleaning the house or paying bills or writing that next book. It’s down time for me…and usually people even feel sorry for me. “Oh, gee, you got stuck in Atlanta airport for three hours? Poor you!”

Ha! I ate a cheeseburger, double fries and read! Sweet!

I know this is going to extremes but with everyone wanting something from me…and you…this works! But the trouble is I can’t be at these places all that much. The doc and dentist are once a year, flying the same.

Soooo, that means I have to find time and a place to squeeze in some reading. Late at night curled in a chair is good but I keep falling asleep or sometimes, with a really good read, not going to bed till the wee hours. The tub is good but I get pruney fast and my skin looks like elephant hide. We all have to make sacrifices.

But where do you read and when? I need some suggestions here. I’ll give away a The Morgue the Merrier (BRAVA 9/07) tote from the responses.

Happy reading…wherever you can find a place.

Hugs, Dianne
DianneCastell.com

Reading about prefect people is really boring. Characters that do everything right aren’t “real” and they get monotonous because they don’t change. They’re perfect to start with. So, that means we need not-perfect characters and that’s the problem. How not-perfect do we want them? Especially the hero! The hero has to be the hero from the get go, right? Yet, he can’t be totally a hero or there’s no place for him to grow.

Look at Darcy in P and P. The only thing that keeps him from being a total ass at the beginning of the book is his friendship with Bingley, a really nice guy. We figure that Darcy can’t be totally a jerk with a friend like that. ‘Course then Darcy changes into a really yummy hero at the end. We forgive him for being a total jerk at the beginning.

But when is the hero too big of a jerk to ever forgive him? In my opinion anytime a man ever lays a hand on a woman he falls into the forever unforgiven category. In the last episode of Sex In The City, “the Russian” accidentally slaps Carrie. Accident or no, that guy is totally off my hero list. ‘Course when Big goes after him to defend Carries honor he is forever on my hero list and I forgive him for being an ass for the last five years.

What exactly makes a hero anyway? Have you ever read a book where you thought… No way would I take his creep back? Is there anything you can’t forgive the hero? And have you ever read a book or seen a movie where the hero isn’t really a hero at all? The Farmer Astronaut was that way for me. He was all about fulfilling his dream, period. His rocket went up but is that really a hero?

What do you think makes a guy a real hero?

Howdy, everyone.

Lori Foster and I are having our third Reader/Writer Get-together this June in Cincy. This is really laidback event where readers get time to talk and hangout with their favorite authors. No workshops…unless you consider line dancing lessons a workshop. Dress is jeans, T-shirt, gym shoes.

Last year we had over 150 attendees and 40 authors and will have more this year. The cost for Fri and Sat is $35 to cover cost of food (Fri night dinner, Sat breakfast and Sat lunch). Lori and I pick up all other expenses as a way of saying thanks to our readers.

There are tons of baskets that we raffle off and a huge booksigning. All the profits go to the YWCA battered women’s shelter in Cincinnati. Last year we donated $2700! 

This year Cindy Hwang from Berkley and Rose Hilard from St. Martin Press are coming as are Roberta Brown (agent) and Jennifer N. Schober (agent). They are taking appointments if you are looking to publish or get representation. It’s first come on getting appointments. Even if you don’t do an appt there is a lot of time just to meet and chat.

I’ve attached a schedule so you can take a look. Lori and I would loooove to see you all there and the price is sure right! :-) Can’t eat at home for $35 and the Marriott is a fab hotel and the company is terrific!

If you have any questions just email me DianneCastell@hotmail.com
You can at LoriFoster.com

Can’t wait till June!

Hugs,
Dianne

Readers and Writers Get Together
Lori Foster, Dianne Castell, Linda Keller
Friday June 1 - Sunday June 3
A portion of the book fair proceeds will benefit the
YWCA BATTERED WOMEN’S SHELTER

– Meet your online reader friends face to face.
– Gab sessions, prizes, gift baskets, casual photo ops (bring your camera!), meet-the-author round-tables, pajama parties, used book trade, and more!
– Book Fair Get the newest releases signed by your favorite authors!
– For unpublished authors there will be opportunities to have your work critiqued by pubs, your questions answered, networking, etc…
Check www.lorifoster.com for updates!

ALL THIS FOR THE PRICE OF MEALS ( $35 )
AND YOUR ROOM ( $99 + tax ) if you stay overnight

ROOMS: Friday night and/or Saturday night — $99 per night plus tax
To get the $99 rate, tell them you’re with the LORI FOSTER READER AND WRITER GROUP

HOTEL RESERVATIONS: *must register by May 19th*
Call: 1-800-MARRIOTT or 513-874-7335 or Email: jerry.rigney@Marriott.com
Cincinnati Marriott North
(Just north of Cincinnati on I-75 at Union Center Blvd, exit 19)
West Chester, Ohio, 6189 Mulhauser Rd, West Chester, OH 45069-4842

Friday, June 1th Reception - open to all registered attendees.
6:00 to 11:00 pm register, agent and editor appointments; Reception in the Tri-County Room; refreshments & pizza party provided

Saturday, June 2th Events in the West Chester Ballroom III
8:00 am – donuts, bagels, coffee & tea
12:00 – 1:00 pm – lunch buffet
Barnes and Noble BOOK SIGNING (inside the hotel) 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Sunday, June 3th
“on your own” breakfast with friends or authors (sign up sheets available Fri & Sat)

PUBLISHED AUTHORS only attending the signing: contact Linda Keller directly at CRM2170@bn.com or call (513) 755 – 6193
Send letter (email) of intent by May 1st, ISBN and titles by May 11th

PUBLISHED AUTHORS attending the event: please register BEFORE contacting Linda. Send questions to Lori at lorifoster1@juno.com

I’ve been wondering about this. How many of you belong, or want to join up or even considered the idea? Or maybe never thought it was a good idea at all.

The upside of book clubs is you get your fav line delivered right to your doorstep usually ahead of the release date and for considerable savings. That makes it a pretty good deal right there.

Writing for Harlequin American I found out that those who subscribed to the Har Am book club got their books before I even got my author copies. Talk about fast delivery. 
And for the Brava book club the savings is good and the delivery timely and I love seeing that package at my doorstep every month. A prezzie just for me.

The down side is you get all the books of the line weather you like that author or not. I used to think this was a really big downside till I started “discovering” new authors. To me this is now the biggest advantage of all to joining a book club. I’ve read authors I never would have picked up off the shelf and many of these authors have become my favorites. And we’ve even got to be good friends on line when I contact them about how much I like their work. Now that’s a really big upside.

So, what is your take on book clubs? A believer or not? And if you do belong what do you like best?

Hugs and Happy Reading!
Dianne Castell
DianneCastell.com

Okay, my brain is oatmeal. I blogged on the wrong site! Gads, what a dope.
But I liked the topic I blogged on so much I thought I do it here too and see what you all thought!

In my books the sex scenes are usually any place but in a bed because the hero and heroine never quite make it there. In fact, of all the sex scenes I’ve written I think an actual bed was involved maybe two times. So now I’m doing something different in this next book, an actual Valentine Seduction scene. A real planned event with a bed!

Since this is virgin territory for me (sorry about that, couldn’t resist) I need some help. I need suggestions.

Do you think it’s better when the hero or the heroine plan a seduction?
What about a place? Where would be your ideal place to plan a seduction? Castle? Tent in the woods? Tree house?

What about accessories? Candlelight? Roving minstrels under the window? Wine? Beer? Grape juice? Propel (I’m addicted to that stuff)?

Attire? Should the hero or heroine dress for the scene? Something from Fredrick’s of Hollywood? A towel? A robe? A lacey hankie? Nothing?

What about fluffy blankets? Silk sheets?

Special food? I love ribs. Any way to figure ribs…as in the barbecue variety…into a seducion scene? And there’s my other favorite, whipped cream in a can. You can write directions and eat your words. :-)

Now’s the time to plan your perfect seduction scene…and share it with me.
All suggestions are most helpful and to show my appreciation for these great suggestions I’ll pick two names form the posts and give away copies of Texas Bad Boys.