They LIKE me! They REALLY LIKE me! DARK ANGEL a RITA nominee

My gothic fairy tale, DARK ANGEL, received a nomination in the Romance Writers of America RITA tm (I'd insert the trademark thingy here, but I can't find it on my keyboard right now, so the little tm will have to do) awards' historical romance category for 2014. I'm jazzed and thrilled and amazed, all at once. Thank you to all the judges who voted for my efforts and put it up there with some of my favorite historical authors to root for. Being in such an incredible category with 16 (!) other fine writers is a dream. I saw so many other names on that list that I would vote for, LOL! The judges will have a tough time deciding. Glad I'm not one of them.

Thank you to RWA and to my editors at Entangled Publishing, Liz Pelletier, Shannon Godwin, and Robin Haseltine; to my fabulous agent, Lucienne Diver, at The Knight Agency; to my critique group, The Midwives; and to my family, especially my sister Tai Shan, who encouraged me and kept believing in my book and my writing even when I had stopped.

Although the odds are 1/17 that I'll be a winner on awards night, I already feel like one now. Thank-y!

TJB

$20 gift certificate winner of my blog followers contest!

And the winner of my blog followers contest is...kp_kazamei! You have won a $20 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, your choice.

If that is you, I've sent an email to you through Google Friend Connect. Look for it and be sure to respond to receive your prize.

If I don't hear from you by Friday, November 22, 2013, I will pick another winner, so don't delay!

Congratulations kp_kazamei!

TJB

Montgomery County Book Festival Fundraiser Nov 16, 2013

Just wanted to let everyone know I will be a panelist at the Nov 16 fundraising event for the Montgomery County Book Festival Featureing C.C. Hunter, Miranda James, and Lori Wilde. Details can be found here or see below.

If you've ever wanted to be published, these are good people to take advice from. In addition to the keynote speakers, there will be a panel on Self-Publishing, and one on Editors & Authors of the Small Press Industry (that's the one I am on).

Who's your MBTI Star Wars character?

If you are a fan of Star Wars or the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which I happen to be of both, you will get a kick out of this chart. I teach MBTI characterization for writers from time to time, so this really made me smile. The only one I would argue with is Jar Jar Binks being an ESFJ. ESFJs are loved by all. Jar Jar Binks is...not so much.

ESFJs are also known as "The Perfect Host." Any suggestions out there of which character that could be OTHER than Jar Jar? It's been a while since I've seen the flicks (and I boycotted seeing the last three more than once--I try to pretend they never happened), so I'm drawing a blank.

I'm an ISTJ by the way. I had to ask my husband, who sent me this, "Who the heck is Owen Lars?" He was Luke's uncle who wound up as a crispy critter in the first half hour of the original film. Sigghhh. Figures.

Which Star Wars MBTI type are you?

Click on the image and then click again to enlarge it so you can read the chart, or visit www.geekinheels.com, who created the chart. Great job!

~TJB

Stalk me! And two giveaways left...

I just wanted to remind you, that as a reward to the followers of my blog here at IMHO, at the end of my book tour I'm giving away another $20 gift certificate for Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble exclusively for followers of IMHO. If you'd like to be a part of my posse, please sign up on my followers link to the bottom right of this column for a chance to win.

Remember also that I'm still on my Dark Angel book blog tour. Today I'm being interviewed at Books n Kisses, so be sure to stop in and find out who the one author is I'd like to meet. Tomorrow, I will be interviewed at Becky on Books.

Oh, and remember to sign up for the giveaway (hosted by rafflecopter) featured at some of the blog stops because at the end of the book blog tour I'm giving away a unique cameo necklace and a $20 gift certificate for either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, your choice. The only way to win it is through completing the rafflecopter entries at each of the stops that features it. Check my previous posts if you'd like to go back and enter at other stops on the tour.

Here's a picture of the necklace being given away for the book blog tour:

I already gave away a $20 gift certificate and cameo necklace to my winner in the Entangled Halloween Hop on October 31. Why am I giving away a cameo necklace? Because a cameo necklace is a cherished possession of my heroine, Catherine Briton--and the only thing she brings with her to the Dark Island of Ynys Nos when she is washed ashore after a violent shipwreck.

Here are the remaining dates for the rest of the tour:

11/5:  Interview - Books n Kisses - http://books-n-kisses.com

11/6:  Interview - Becky on Books http://beckymmoe.com

11/6:  2nd stop - Spotlight - http://www.myeroticnotions.blogspot.com/ 

11/7:  Spotlight - Le Book  Squirrel -  http://lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com/

11/8:  Interview - You Gotta Read Reviews - http://yougottaread.com

Be there!
~TJ Bennett

Happy Halloween!

Okay, so this is the morbid sense of humor I have, heh heh. Just in time for Halloween. Don't eat too much candy if the Trick 'o Treaters can't make it to your door. With all the rain predicted today for where I live, I think it might scare away the kiddies and we'll have a bunch of candy left over, but with the teenage boys in the house, I have a feeling I won't get much of it!

Remember the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop ends today, so come back tomorrow to find out who is the winner of the cameo necklace and the $20 Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble gift certificate.

Happy Halloween!

~TJB

Still three chances to win a prize!

So much going on! I just wanted to remind you that I'm still on my Dark Angel book blog tour. Please be sure to visit the generous bloggers who are giving me their space for a day. Oh, and remember to sign up for the giveaways (hosted by rafflecopter) featured at some of the blog stops! For the rafflecopter giveaway, at the end of the book blog tour I'm giving away a unique cameo necklace and a $20 gift certificate for either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, your choice. Here's a picture of the necklace being given away for the blog tour.

I'm also still on the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop, featuring over 50 Entangled Publishing authors, scheduled to end (you guessed it) on Halloween. Be sure to check out each author's hop since we are all giving away prizes! Mine is another cameo necklace and $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cameo Necklace for All Entangled Eve Halloween Blog HOP! 

Why am I giving away cameo necklaces? Because a cameo necklace is a cherished possession of my heroine, Catherine Briton--and the only thing she brings with her to the Dark Island of Ynys Nos when she is washed ashore after a violent shipwreck.

And finally, as a reward to the followers of my blog here at IMHO, I'm giving away yet another $20 gift certificate for Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble exclusively for followers of IMHO. If you'd like to be a part of my posse, please sign up on my followers link to the bottom right of this column for a chance to win. 

Here are the remaining dates for the rest of the tour:

10/27:  Tens list or interview - Laurie's Thoughts http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com/

10/28:  Guest post - Mark of the Stars http://markofthestars.com/

10/29:  Guest post - Books to Get Lost In - http://bookstogetlostin.blogspot.com/

10/30:  Spotlight - Deal Sharing Aunt - http://dealsharingaunt.com

11/1:  Spotlight - In Shadows - http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com

11/3:  Interview - Romance with Flavor - http://www.romancewithflavor.com

11/4:  Spotlight - Must Read Faster - http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com

11/5:  Interview - Books n Kisses - http://books-n-kisses.com

11/6:  Interview - Becky on Books http://beckymmoe.com

11/6:  2nd stop - Spotlight - http://www.myeroticnotions.blogspot.com/ 

11/7:  Spotlight - Le Book  Squirrel -  http://lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com/

11/8:  Interview - You Gotta Read Reviews - http://yougottaread.com

Hope to visit with you soon!
~TJ Bennett

Should Christians read R-rated books?

Caveat: I'm doing what I said I would never do: talk about religion in my blog. Bear with me, please. Nothing I say below is intended to offend or provoke anyone. Nor am I trying to proselytize. I'm actually speaking to believers with the blog below, so if you aren't one, feel free to skip this post and go onto the next (which features a picture of a very handsome man).

Okay, now that it's just the two of us, let me be clear: I do not write Christian or inspirational novels. But my faith is a part of everything I do and everything I am. My stories reflect the deeply flawed choices that deeply flawed humans make. As a writer who is also a believer and follower of Christ, I have struggled with this question for a long time: should I write R-rated? Should I read it?

I write very frankly about relationships between men and women in a real world way. I have been criticized by Christians for the portrayal of sensuality in my books; one reader on a review website even called my books "porn," which quite frankly took me aback. Porn is degrading to women and anathema to building relationships. That is definitely not what my stories are about. I think what they count as porn was simply the frank depiction of human sensuality. In that case, Song of Solomon in the Old Testament would have to be considered porn.

Ultimately, as Dr. Jerram Barrs explains in this video in which he discusses whether Christians should watch R-rated films, it is the context of these portrayals which must be taken into consideration. Are the portrayals intended to uplift or degrade?

I think a lot of what he states is right on target and can be applied to novels as well as films. I have struggled for a long time with how to address this very question to those Christians who ask me why I write (or read) these sorts of books.

So here I am, trying to explain.

I have an interest in the ways men and women relate to one another, both good and bad, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong, and my choices reflect that. While my stories aren't true, they are, I hope, real, and readers identify with that reality. I'm like them, they think. I want to be loved unconditionally. I want to experience the sort of physical union that comes as a result of the union of two souls committed to one another unto death. The yearning to be loved unconditionally, which is often reflected in romance novels, is one that I believe is an echo of the yearning we have toward God--the only one who can truly love us unconditionally.

So, if you are a believer, and you want to explore those questions along with me, understand that there may be sex. There may be swearing. There may be bad choices. But, ultimately, there will be life, love, an uplifting union, and a happily ever after. Because in God's book, the good guys win; in mine, they do too.

That's not to say that every romance novel fits the criteria of being uplifting. And some, quite frankly, degrade the very people they are intended to entertain. I don't read those. That's my choice. You'll have to make yours.

If you are uncomfortable with the frank depiction of sexuality between men and women, I wouldn't recommend reading my books. There are many lovely, wonderful books out there that close the bedroom door before the couple climbs into bed, and I can suggest several that I myself have enjoyed. As I get older, in fact, I find I enjoy seeing less of the physical side of relationships in books and more of the emotional side, and my own work is beginning to reflect that. I'm at a different place in my life and asking different questions as a result.

I also don't recommend my books for young readers--I don't allow my own underage teenage boys to read them, although they are well aware of what I write. I suggest to them that they wait until they are mature enough to handle the material, just as my husband and I have monitored which movies they watch and allow them more leniency as they mature and are better able to handle what they see.

My first published book, The Legacy, written about 13 years ago, was pretty frank, and yet I still managed to explore God's love in that one as I have in each successive book. My writing has gotten stronger and I'm able to do more with less, to write tighter, to get more impact with fewer words. Still, please don't be shocked if you pick up one of my books and read a love scene (I've always said I don't write sex scenes, only love scenes) that makes you uncomfortable. If it's not to your taste, find a book that is. There are plenty of other choices out there, and plenty of authors who would love your support. One of the things I love about being a Christian is the freedom it brings to make my own choices while understanding the consequences those choices have, both for me and for those around me. I never want what I write to cause my brother (or sister) to stumble, so if you feel my work might do that for you, feel free to make a different choice.

Thanks for letting me explore this topic with you. I've wanted to for a long time, but never really knew how to say it until now. Yep, even writers have trouble with words sometimes when it counts most.

~TJ Bennett

A glimpse into my writing process

Well, now that I've got your attention...

One of the questions I get asked a lot by aspiring writers is how do I decide what my characters look like? For every writer it is different, of course, but for me it often begins when I spy a picture in a magazine or think about a favorite actor.

The picture above is one I shamelessly ripped out of a magazine at a doctor's office (I think) and took home with me in my purse (hence the fold marks). I had already begun writing Dark Angel and had named my hero Gerard because there were certain qualities about the actor Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera that inspired me. However, when I saw this model in a cologne ad, I knew I had found my true Gerard. Read the description I had written before I ever saw this picture:
   
The gray mist of his gaze enveloped mine and blocked all else from the periphery of my vision. The untamed beauty of his face struck me even in my half-conscious state.

   Another woman might have found his high cheekbones and exotic eyes excessively proud or the swarthy hue of his skin too foreign or the black slash of his eyebrows too authoritarian. Nevertheless, to me, he was beautiful like a wild thing was beautiful, some creature of the forest and the fields.

Eerie, right? Even down to the color of his eyes. I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my writing process! 
~TJ Bennett

Blog Tour Schedule Reminder

Hello, fans and friends,

Just a quick reminder that today I kick off my blog tour for Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale. Please show some love to the generous bloggers who are giving me the floor for the day by dropping by and showing them some love! There will be prizes!

Here's the schedule for the next few days:

10/22: Spotlight - http://www.authormaryhcollins.com/blog.html

10/23:  Guest post - Bea's Book Nook  http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/

10/24:  Guest Blog - Romantic Reads and Such - http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/

10/25: Spotlight/Review - Lusty Penguin Reviews - www.lustypenguin.com

10/26:  Spotlight - Indie Authors Books & More - http://indieauthorsbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

 TJB