RUSHING AMY, the second book in my Love and Football series, will be published February 11, 2014!
I love this cover, but I really love this book. Amy Hamilton meets the love of her life, Matt Stephens, an hour after her older sister’s wedding. Needless to say, hilarity (and some really good tequila) ensues.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading Matt and Amy’s story as much as I loved writing it!
I spent the past weekend at Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America’s annual conference, otherwise known as the Emerald City Writers’ Conference. I had a wonderful time networking, going to writing and business workshops, and hearing some truly inspiring speakers. Karen Rose gave a speech yesterday afternoon that had the entire ballroom in tears. I also had a great time catching up with many, many author friends. I’m excited to say there were lots of people talking about the cover image I sent out on Twitter and Facebook earlier that morning.
One of the biggest thrills for a debut author is seeing the cover of your book for the first time. I e-mailed descriptions of my characters, a few photos, a short synopsis of my story, and a group of people went to work!
To say I’m excited to unveil their finished product is an understatement. I hope you’ll love it, too. Thanks to all at Avon Romance, especially my editor, Amanda Bergeron, and my agent, Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
BLITZING EMILY will be available on January 7, 2014!
It’s been a jam-packed summer. While everyone else was at the beach or enjoying the sunshine, I’ve been welded to a desk chair. By choice. I’m working on the three books that will be out in January, February, and April of next year. Here’s what happened.
One of the things a debut author learns is how little you’ve been clued in on what happens right after your agent sells your work. It’s not the agent’s fault. I think there’s some password-protected meeting I didn’t know about, maybe. I have learned many, many things about the process of what happens when a book gets published over the past few months, which I may be blogging about soon. (The short version: Finishing the book and sending it in is just the beginning.)
While I’m musing on all the things I’ve learned this summer, I’m burying the lede. Not only are my books currently available for pre-sale (wheeeee!), there are some new titles, and a brand-new series title, too. You might be wondering how this might have happened. Let’s see if I can describe the past couple of weeks, shall we?
Three weeks or so ago, my agent and editor asked if I could please send them an e-mail with a few ideas on what I’d like my book covers to look like. Considering the fact most authors have little to no control over what their covers look like, I was very happy about this. I wrote an e-mail approaching the word count of War and Peace (with .jpg photos of covers I’ve admired) containing stuff like what my hero and heroine look like — hair color, eye color, height, photos of celebrities that resemble them in my mind, what time of year the books are set in, and sent it off. This was in preparation for the cover conference, which was held at my publisher’s offices in beautiful New York City. Angels sang, there were puppies and rainbows and hopefully a cronut or two, and my editor wrote me back and said it was very successful. And, oh, by the way, we’d like to change the titles on two of your books.
WHAT?
I’m sure it comes as no surprise to anyone when I say that authors are very protective of their work. You go into a dark, silent room with nothing but a keyboard and your imagination (that’s a lie; I’ve had food and drink in here before) and emerge later with a 100,000 word book. Let’s face it, authors make the mama bear on the webcam from Brooks Falls, AK look lax. (Side note to Amanda: I hardly ever watch that. Really.) This protectiveness extends to the title you came up with after musing on it for most of the time the book was in the process of being written.
I lucked out with BLITZING EMILY. A very generous woman named Gari suggested it. I loved it. Hopefully, she will see this and I can send her a copy of the finished product. The marketing and sales department at Avon Impulse loved it, too, which I’m happy about. The other two titles I had, though, weren’t a big hit. My books are funny contemporary romances with pro football heroes. The titles should say something about football, shouldn’t they?
“How about RUSHING AMY?” Amanda e-mailed. I had to give this some thought. In the meantime, there was a flurry of e-mail back and forth with my agent, Sarah. Sarah takes care of the professional stuff. She’s also great at soothing and reassuring authors, who need A LOT of it. (Another blog post. I should be taking notes on this.) I made a list of football-related terms, we had a short e-mailed discussion, and Sarah suggested, “How about CATCHING CAMERON for the third book?” I wrote back and said that I liked the two titles, and we should suggest them to Amanda. One more thing: I would like to retain the LOVE AND FOOTBALL title from my second book in some manner. Would this be possible?
Amanda wrote me back in a big hurry. The marketing and sales group loved the titles, and my series will be known as “A Love and Football Novel”.
Phew. My books have wonderful titles and a terrific series title. Now on to the good stuff!
I’d love to say I had a lot of advance notification of this, but one Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago, I pulled up Amazon.com to look for something else. I put my pen name into the “search” function for fun.
MY BOOKS WERE THERE.
If I could make this light up and vibrate, I would. For a debut author, it’s an amazing moment. After all, it’s tangible. There’s three books available for pre-sale, and they’re mine! I made an author page as quickly as possible, too. The descriptive blurbs are still in the process of being added to my book listings, but you can go and check out one author’s work if you’d like. (Pre-orders are encouraged, too.)
http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Brannagh/e/B00EHN21US
I’ll add pre-order information to my website as well. Right now, though, celebrate with me, won’t you?
I’m thrilled that Sarah of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books published my review of Jill Shalvis’ FOREVER AND A DAY this afternoon. I loved Jill’s book. I hope you will, too!
I wrote a series about a fictitious NFL team based in Seattle, and the women they fall in love with. My Seattle Sharks make their debut in January of 2014! If you’d like to read more, please click on Books above.
Thank you so much for visiting, and thank you again to Sarah for publishing my book review!
I write sports romance. My books feature the Seattle Sharks, a fictional NFL team. The Sharks play in an open-air stadium. Of course, my Seattle Sharks compete under a brilliant blue Seattle sky, dotted with cotton-candy clouds. No freezing temps or torrential rains allowed. When I’m not writing about my team and their romantic adventures, I’m checking out what’s happening in the NFL daily. It’s part research, part sheer adoration. Plus, there’s no such thing as the offseason anymore.
The 24-hour news cycle ensures a constant stream of information for football fans everywhere. For instance, OTA’s (organized team activities, otherwise known as physicals, practices, and meetings with coaches) end today around the league. The next six weeks will either be quiet while players, coaches and front office personnel around the league take a deep breath (otherwise known as vacation) in advance of training camp, or a hotbed of discussion as the NFL introduces new policies to the league and to fans. They’ve kicked off the “quiet period” with the following.
A new league-wide stadium policy was introduced earlier today that is already causing a furor among NFL fans. A long list of items will no longer be allowed in NFL stadiums. The only bags allowed will be clear plastic and smaller than 12″x6″x12″. Shorter version: No ladies’ purses, backpacks, or camera cases. No diaper bags. No briefcases or computer cases. No seat cushions. If you’d like to read up on the new policy, please go to http://www.seahawks.com/news/press/article-1/Public-Safety-and-Stadium-Access-Policy-FAQ/23607810-35f3-410b-830a-5eb45606313c. The league claims the new regulations are for “fan safety”. I beg to differ.
The biggest threat to any football fan’s safety is not that woman sitting in the row behind you with a Louis Vuitton satchel. It’s not the guy who brought his backpack full of extra cold weather gear to sit for four hours in a freezing cold Lambeau Field. It’s not a young mom who loves pro football and packed a diaper bag that can meet her baby’s every need through double OT (or a trip across Africa). The biggest threat to any NFL fan’s safety is the knucklehead who drinks as much beer as he can get his hands on, and starts a fight with someone else in the stands. Right after that, he’s kicked out of the stadium, so he gets behind the wheel of his car to drive home.
There have been multiple incidents in stadiums all over the league involving drunken fans before, during and after NFL games. The league seems to believe that they can eliminate threats by controlling the bags allowed inside a stadium? How about random sobriety checks on fans entering and leaving the building instead, and halting the sale of alcohol as well?
The NFL has tried to court female fans for the past several years. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said publicly on many occasions that women fans are the future of the league. Forty-eight percent of females between 19-48 years old identify as NFL fans. Women are also the financial decision-makers for their households, so he’s actually onto something here. We’re not season ticket holders, but I make sure we spend a little more money each month during football season to get NFL Red Zone. (It’s the crack of sports TV.) I buy the team merchandise, make out the grocery list for the upcoming game, make sure there’s adult beverages in the house… and our financial commitment is small in comparison to those who have season tickets and spend $500 per game or more on tickets, parking, food and souvenirs for the “stadium experience”.
News flash to Roger Goodell: If I can’t bring a reasonably-sized opaque handbag into your stadium, I’m not going, and neither will many other women. Wallets and car keys are not the only things in a woman’s handbag. I don’t care to have everyone in the stadium eyeballing feminine products or necessary medications. Even more, here’s the real issue.
The NFL has just served notice on their fans that they are unable to guarantee those fans’ safety.
There is no other reason why such a draconian and laughable policy has been implemented. Instead of addressing the real problem — sales of alcohol inside NFL stadiums — they chose to boost profitability instead. After all, banning sales of alcohol would hit them in the wallet, considering the fact the NFL makes a huge amount of money each season from alcohol sales and advertising during televised games.
Ensuring that fans are unable to bring additional cold weather or rain gear (hand and feet warmers come to mind, among other items) and/or stadium blankets is a profit center, too. They’ll sell more food because the woman with the LV satchel can’t buy a package of Red Vines on the way into the stadium anymore. The guy with the backpack is going to be spending $50-100 for a blanket with the team’s logo on it.
Melissa of The Football Girl Tweeted a little over an hour ago that there are currently 998 bags for sale on the nfl.com website that are now not allowed in any stadium in the league. She also mentioned in her great blog post that this will eliminate any child in diapers from attending a game.
So, NFL, I’m a bit confused. Wasn’t your commissioner complaining a month or so ago that he needed to “enhance the stadium experience”? Please explain to me how spending even more money to see a game in person will benefit your fan base.
“Quiet period”, hm? I wonder what you’ll come up with next.
One of the more fun things that happens to any romance author is getting recognized by a reader while out in public. Most books have the author’s photo on the inside back cover, so it’s not a mystery what we look like. (I considered either drawing a stick figure of myself, or asking Erin Andrews to pose for my author photo. I’m a little introverted.) My friends also get wonderful e-mails from readers who love their books. We all have to go to the grocery store, the DMV, the doctor’s office, so sometimes we hear stories like the following.
Susan Mallery (NYT/USA Today bestselling author) was at the doctor’s office for her yearly physical the other day. She got recognized by a fan! She says she brings books for the staff when she’s there, but I know she’s just being modest. You see, I have inside information…
Romance Writers of America’s annual conference was in San Francisco a few years back. Susan and I were at a local restaurant one afternoon for lunch with Kristan Higgins and her friend, Dee. Kristan was talking about running into some fans of her work on an errand one day, and Susan said, “I wish that would happen to me. Nobody ever recognizes me.” Everyone at the table reassured her it would happen.
Just a few minutes later, one of the chefs came out of the kitchen and approached our table. “Excuse me,” she said. “Are you Susan Mallery?” The chef was so sweet, and obviously overcome with happiness to find Susan having lunch in her restaurant. They chatted for a few minutes. Susan signed a menu for her, and asked for her contact information so she could send the chef some additional goodies. The chef sent out an amazing dessert she concocted just for our table. It was a really wonderful experience to watch something so great happen to someone I know is so deserving of it!
Romance authors sometimes act like fangirls, too. I haven’t met Loretta Chase yet. I’m a little afraid to. I love her work so much I know I’ll gush over her like I’m in junior high. Jennifer Crusie was completely gracious to me when we met, and probably went back to her hotel room to hide after our conversation… There are so many authors whose work I love and wait to read like a kid waits for Christmas morning, and meeting them is an extra-special thrill.
My point, and I do have one: If you see your favorite author in public, don’t be afraid to say “hi”. If you tell her you love her work, she’ll treasure that few minutes. She’ll remember it (and you!) when she’s sitting in front of that empty page each day.
Plus, you might get some swag. One never knows.
For those keeping track, I’ve surfaced from BLITZING EMILY’s revisions. They went to Amanda via e-mail on April 1st. Hopefully, she’s pleased with what I did. If she’s not, I’ll be rewriting until she is. I hoped to have some transcendental wisdom at the end of my first bout with a deadline and revisions. Right now, it’s the following.
While I am panicking working hard on LOVE AND FOOTBALL, I have some book recommendations. Most writers are voracious readers. When I’m in the midst of my work, it’s helpful (and relaxing!) to read someone else’s book when I’m taking a break. The Cupcake Crew has two books out now. I recommend them both!
Jessica Gage’s WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER features a pregnant-and-alone heroine, Melanie, who finds herself in 15th century Scotland after making an ill-advised wish to an antique wooden box. She’s rescued from a skirmish by Big Darcy, a guy who thinks he has a little too much under his kilt for the women in his clan.
Will Melanie get back to her quiet life in America? Will Big Darcy figure out he’s met his match in the sweet but strong-willed Melanie? How does one get bloodstains out of cashmere? All these questions (and more!) are answered in the charming and unforgettable WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER. Click here to order a copy of your own! I loved the book. I think you’ll love it, too!
Amy Raby’s ASSASSIN’S GAMBIT came out last week. The critique group read Amy’s book during our weekly meetings, but there was content we’d never seen after editing in the finished product. If you love GAME OF THRONES, Amy’s book will appeal to you. Vitala Salonius (the heroine,) is a trained assassin tasked with killing Lucien, Emperor of Kjall, creating a succession crisis and destabilizing an entire region. Vitala is a championship-winning Caturanga player, the chess-like game Lucien enjoys when he’s not running his country. Lucien invites Vitala to his palace to play Caturanga with him.
Vitala finds herself strongly attracted to the handsome, charismatic and brilliant Lucien. If she fails to carry out her mission, however, she will pay with her life. Lucien wants the beautiful Vitala as well. Exterior forces seem determined to keep them apart, however.
An opulently detailed fantasy world filled with action, adventure, and two people who will overcome any obstacle to stay together: What’s not to love? Get your copy of ASSASSIN’S GAMBIT here!
Congratulations to Jessi and Amy, and I’ll be back soon with more information on my upcoming books!
The whole idea of blogging is that one should do so more than once a month. In my case, it’s once every two months. As usual, I have a good reason for my absence. My editorial letter (and accompanying revisions) arrived on February 25th. I have been working every day since.
Considering the fact that the amazing Sherry Thomas allegedly received a seventeen-page editorial letter with her first book, I felt pretty lucky. My revisions letter was fairly short in comparison. Revisions seem like a snap until you start doing them, and then it’s all white-knuckle panic, at least for me.
I have a wonderful editor, Amanda, and an equally wonderful agent, Sarah. I try my best to not drive them insane with eleventy-hundred e-mails daily. Let’s face it, I want them to love what I’ve come up with, so I work hard to make that happen.
The only words of wisdom I have so far about the revisions process are as follows.
I’ll see you at the end of the month with hopefully, a revised manuscript and more words of wisdom about surviving (and thriving!) during revisions. Happy Spring!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEP_dPN3Haw
Gregg Allman’s I’m No Angel, otherwise known as Matt’s song
Most people love music. Music spurs creativity for an author, for some unknown reason. I listen to a lot of classical music while I work, but the lyrics of songs I’ve listened to over and over make me think and dream, too.
I’ve been listening to the above song for years now. Gregg Allman recorded it. His ex-wife Cher recorded it, too. Even more, I have a terrific mental picture of the guy singing the song, and he looks nothing like the songwriter. He looks like Matt, the hero of LOVE AND FOOTBALL.
Matt grew up in a small apartment in Houston, Texas. His mom was a waitress with a high school education. His dad left when Matt was two. Matt spent most of his childhood being the “man of the house” and thinking about how he could find a career that paid enough to support him and his mom. His mother managed to squeeze enough money out of the household budget to pay Matt’s registration fees to play Pee-Wee football. Matt had mad football skillz, as his pre-teen daughter Samantha might say. His mother wasn’t surprised by this, but everyone else was.
Matt played well enough to earn a full scholarship to Notre Dame. He was drafted into the NFL when his college career was over. He achieved his biggest life goal that day: He came home and told his mother she’d never have to work again.
I wanted to write a hero who was a supremely self-confident badass, but a funny, thoughtful and steadfast lover and friend to my (independent and no-nonsense) heroine, Amy. When I imagined the song Matt might think of when she’s not around, he’s hearing the following.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEU_iiXcyPc
Vonda Shepard’s beautiful version of You Belong To Me
Matt and Amy’s love story will be out sometime in early 2014. In the meantime, do you hear a song in your mind when you think of a friend or a loved one? What might it be? I’d love to know!
Once upon a time (actually, seven years ago,) a woman read a really good romance novel. The second was disappointing. She muttered to herself, “I could write one of these.”
She wrote her first book, which is the worst manuscript known to mankind. Maybe she should plug in the thumb drive it was exiled to and take a look. Maybe she needs to destroy the thumb drive instead. Needless to say, she joined Romance Writers of America. She wrote three more books over the next three years. She knew little to nothing about craft, editing, or the publishing business. It was a blessing in disguise. After all, the only way to achieve any goal is to move towards it one step at a time.
Our author spent the next several years learning how to write and edit a manuscript that anyone but her family members might enjoy. She learned about the publishing business. Mostly, she learned about persistence. She started submitting her work to agents (and a couple of editors she met at writing conferences). She took the advice she received in rejection letters and from colleagues on improving her work. She searched for a critique group. She made preliminary notes on ideas for future projects. She watched a lot of her friends sell their work, and did her best to be supportive.
All that hard work paid off in 2012. She received a revise and resubmit letter from an agent who subsequently signed her in August. A few months later, that same agent sent our author’s three-book series out on submission. She received multiple offers, one of which was from the publishing house she dreamed of writing for. She still can’t believe they want her work. After all, most of the greatest authors in romance write for that house. The agent accepted their offer on her behalf.
I’m proud to announce my work has been acquired by Avon, who will publish my three-book contemporary single title series starting in January, 2014. Thank you so much to my wonderful agent, Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency, for believing in me and my work. Thank you to everyone who offered advice, expertise, and critique over the years, especially the best critique group on the planet: Amy Raby and Jessi Gage. Last but not least, thank you to my terrific husband, Eric, who’s given up a lot so I could go after the thing I wanted most in life.
Happy New Year. I hope you will follow your dreams in 2013, too.
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Julie Brannagh 