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I have just discovered that is OUT OF STOCK! (For now, anyway!)

What this means is that the copies you can grab at your local bookstore or online are the only copies left in the wooorrrrlllld!

UNLESS� you happen to be on the , because even after all the shiny new first editions are gone from the stores, I will continue giving away the dozen or so copies I have in my personal collection until I run out, too!

Don't wait� !!! =)

Once I think a story is polished to perfection, I seek the opinions of my critique partners and follow their suggestions for improvement. Once they too believe the story is polished to perfection, I send it to my agent, who then offers her feedback. Once she too agrees that that my manuscript is as sparkly as it can be, it's time to find an editor who feels the same way!

I was sooo thrilled to get The Call letting me know I'd sold (and my upcoming release, TOO SINFUL TO DENY) into the debut author program at ! I was deliriously happy for weeks on end� and in fact, I continue to be deliriously happy, because things just keep getting better!

This week, I asked my editor, the wonderful John Scognamiglio, just what he saw in my manuscript that made him decide to give a chance to a brand new author like me. This is what he had to say:

As an editor, I'm always looking for novels that have a new take on a "classic" theme. While Erica Ridley's had a solid love story, what drew me to the novel was its "dark" elements. I've always been a fan of murder mysteries…film noir…gothic novels. had all those "dark story night" elements that I love so much, but set against the backdrop of Regency England, which has always been is a favorite setting of mine. Not only that, but there was also a hint of paranormal. The end result was a fresh, inventive romance that had me eagerly turning the pages.

How awesome is THAT!?

I'd been so terrified that by blurring genre lines, I would blur myself right out of the running� and in the end, it turned out that he and I share a lot of the same favorites! Perfect!!!

How about you? Do you have someone who shares the same taste you do? Do you swap books with friends or family? Or do you and your sister/best friend/whomever share the exact opposite likes when it comes to books, movies, etc?

For many writers, landing a literary agent is a major step along the path to becoming a published author. I was lucky enough to get the attention of the fabulous Lauren Abramo of the literary agency with my manuscript� a contemporary romantic comedy.

You'd be right to imagine that I was more than a little nervous when I followed that up by emailing her my next manuscript: a ! Would she still be interested? Would she even like the story? Was my genre bait-and-switch going to ruin everything I'd worked so hard toward? Ohhh, the angst!!! (Believe me, I lost plenty of sleep over this.)

As it turns out� well, I'll let her tell you herself! I emailed her earlier this week and asked her what her initial reaction was to . This is what she had to say:

I was already a huge fan of Erica as a writer when she sent me the manuscript, but I wasn't sure what to expect because Too Wicked to Kiss was so completely different from what else I'd read of hers. I was really floored by how easily she had transitioned to a totally different tone and voice for this book. I knew for sure I could sell it when, for the second day in a row, I walked home in the rain from one subway stop past my own, having been so engrossed in reading that I hadn't realized I was home. The only part of it that bothered me was that the longer walk meant a longer wait to get back to reading. If it hadn't been raining, I'm pretty sure I'd have been reading on the way!

I told you she was fabulous!! Very Happy I truly believe that a writer's literary agent has to be the author's number one fan, to love what she writes, to really believe in each story being told and in the author herself. And I am so, so lucky to have found that and more in Lauren!!

How about you? What have you read recently that made you forget (willfully or otherwise, hehe) the laundry, the dishes, the bus stop, the spaghetti water boiling over on the stove� Please share your story!

No woman is an island, although if I were, I'd kinda like to be Sicily. Very Happy My gelato/canoli addictions aside, I knew when I sat down to write , if I wanted to create the best manuscript I was capable of writing, I would need to call a lifeline–my critique partners.

Not all writers have critique partners (CPs) for various reasons, but I find mine to be invaluable. They support me in a myriad of ways, from encouraging me when things get frustrating to telling me things like "This ending sucks� Write a new one." They are friends and professionals, and I respect their opinions completely.

I asked my CP (who has read countless iterations of ) how she knew that it was a story worth telling and a manuscript that would sell, and this is what she had to say:

Too Wicked to Kiss fills a subgenre as a truly gothic Regency. I'd never read anything like it–a classic whodunnit set in my favorite historical romance world. A delicious hero and strong heroine lead a fabulous cast of characters that made me laugh, swear, and either root or boo for. As a critique partner, you sometimes feel a sense of jealousy over your CP's writing and this was definitely a book I started reading and said, "man, I wish I'd written this!"

See why she's so awesome??? [image error]

How about you? Whether you write or not, who are your go-to people in your support network? For those of you who are writers, (aspiring or otherwise,) do you have a critique partner, or someone you run pages or ideas by?

I mentioned to Eve Silver that I'd like to do a "Kensington Authors: Where are they now?" style series on my blog, and she was awesome enough to agree to be my first guest! Without further ado, I present the incomparable Eve Silver:

What was your Kensington debut book?

The historical gothic romance, DARK DESIRES (November 2005). As a madman stalks the streets of Whitechapel in 1800s London, a handsome doctor with dark secrets instills passionate longing and fear in the woman who works by his side.

What is your current Kensington release?

A historical romantic suspense with gothic tones, SEDUCED BY A STRANGER (September 2009).

Excerpt from SEDUCED BY A STRANGER:

He kissed her. There was no preamble, no sweet and tentative approach. There was only the heat of his body and the strength of his hands on her arms, holding her as his mouth pressed to hers, hard, hungry. For an instant, she responded. The silk of his tongue in her mouth, the mingling of breath, the scent of his skin, faintly citrus, filled her. There was pleasure here. Primitive, savage pleasure.

Oh, God, how long since she had felt this?

Never.The truth of that was irrefutable.

Whatever stirrings of passion she had felt in her past, it was a mere prelude to the sensations that drowned her now. She had never been kissed so thoroughly, so savagely. So beautifully.

With only a kiss he had found the part of her she thought she had killed. She had been wrong. Her passion was not dead, only sleeping.

Under the press of his lips and the stroke of his tongue she unfurled, the air around them so still it quivered, the storm inside her building until she kissed him back, open-mouthed and hungry. Her fingers twisted in his hair, tugging him down to her as she fed on his strength, his passion, the physical comfort of his hard body and sheltering embrace.

He protected what was his. Coldly. Ruthlessly. She had witnessed that with her own eyes. He would protect her if she were his.

And it was that realization that chilled her, drowning the sharp flare of her passion as quickly as it had come.

She would not do this. Would not put herself in this place. Would never again be any man's possession. His property.

With a gasp, she turned her face away and pressed hard against his chest.

"Catherine," he murmured, his voice low and rough, his lips moving against her throat. "I want you."

What is your upcoming release?

I have a dark urban fantasy/paranormal romance trilogy coming from HQN in summer/fall 2010. SINS OF THE HEART (Aug) is first, then SINS OF THE SOUL (Sept), then SINS OF THE FLESH (Oct). I'll be posting info, covers and excerpts on my soon.

UPDATE: I have added a Facebook "LIKE" button to the top right corner of all the primary website pages!

If you're a member of Facebook, please click around the site and try to "like" pages that you, well, like, and please let me know if you run into any problem using the new button.



Whether you're on Facebook or not, don't forget you can come visit me at:

I hope you "like" me there, too! [image error]

YOUR TURN: Do you use Facebook? Why or why not? What are your favorite social media sites? Are we there yet?

This month, I'm giving a workshop entitled:

over at the Romance Divas–Please come join the fun!

Syllabus:

Monday, March 15 � INTRODUCTION

Tuesday, March 16 � THE NITTY GRITTY

Wednesday, March 17 � MESSAGE AND IMAGE

Thursday, March 18 � AUDIENCE & INFLUENCE

Friday, March 19 � ACTION & INTERACTION

Saturday, March 20 � AESTHETICS

Sunday, March 21 � CONTENT & HOOKS

Monday, March 22 � BELLS & WHISTLES

Tuesday, March 23 � BEHIND THE SCENES

Wednesday, March 24 � INTEGRATED MARKETING

Thursday, March 25 � MEASURING SUCCESS

Friday, March 26 � Q&A

It's release day!!! Want to win an autographed copy of

TOO WICKED TO KISS?

I'm giving away a book a day until launch day�7 days of fun!! All you have to do to be eligible is answer the Daily Kiss question.

3 ways to win:

1) Tweet/RT on (to @ericaridley with hashtag #2w2k)

2) Post to the Facebook wall:

3) Comment on this post with the answer to today's question!

And today's Daily Kiss question is:

Describe the best stolen/secret kiss (real or fiction)!

Good luck!!!

Yesterday's Daily Kiss Challenge:

Describe the worst kiss in 7 words or less!

Yesterday's Entries:



Teeth scraping my face; 'chin hickey' aftermath

11th grade, truth-or-dare, spelunking tongue.

Those I wanted and never had.

Too much garlic!!

15th Birthday, roses, male friend,slimey, GROSS!

No skill, no spark, boring.

Did you just fart?

wet and sloppy

my first kiss!

Big slurp in mouth from my dog!!

Him- diving in, mouth open, tongue extended.

it was ewwwwwwww!!!

Tangled and wet�..not from an animal�

Comment to win today's challenge:

Describe the best stolen/secret kiss (real or fiction)!