My Recent Comments

Hi, everyone!

So much going here since I checked in...

First, congrats to Lauren!!  A baby and a contact--nothing could be better...sorry we didn't get to talk more at RWA.  Hopefully in the future...

Victoria, I soo enjoyed meeting you in San Francisco; hopefully we can get together at a future conference.  I gave you (and Amanda McIntrye) a shout out today in my Harlequin Moment blog.  Check it out under the comments section.

If you all would like to see Susan at the Atlanta 2006 Erotica Panel, check out my Harlequin Moment today, Sunday.  I talk about video taping my "Harlequin Moment" when she talked about my book, The Blonde Geisha.

Thankz for listening...

Best,

Jina

Lorie, thankz for the "hello" a few posts back.  I was on a killer deadline for my 2009 Spice book and it took me awhile to re-group...

I'm putting together a bunch of video podcasts I made at the RWA 2007 Dallas convention and video promos for Spies.   Here's a video I put up over the weekend at an Italian restaurant and B&N in LA 

Take care and get better, Lorie!

Happy St. Patrick's to everyone.

Jina 

Tracy wrote: Jina-- picked up your newest yesterday and plan on digging into it this weekend.  Can't wait to read it.

I had to smile when I read this since Spies is about an archaeologist!  Believe me, there's plenty of "digging" in this story...

I hope you enjoy it!!  

Jina

Hey, everybody, 

I'm blogging today on the Harlequin site on "Why I believe in love."  I wrote the blog as Breezy Malone, the heroine in Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs. 

Breezy gives readers sexy spy tips they can use in their love lives.  I hope you enjoy it!

Thankz for letting me share.

Best,

Jina

Victoria, Lauren,

I will be at RWA, too.  I look forward to meeting both of you!!

Jina

Thank you, Lauren, for your wonderful comments about Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs!!  I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.

I've been out promoting Spies at various Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores.

 Here is a video of me talking about my book at the B&N at the Grove in Los Angeles next to CBS Studios.    I hope you enjoy it!

Best,

JIna

Lauren,

Thank you so much for picking up Spies!!  I hope you enjoy it.  Breezy Malone was so much fun to write because she's a "fish out outta" water -- an archaelogist turned sex agent.

Super news to hear all the Spice books were turned out.  All the covers are exceptional.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about Spies.

Thankz again,

Jina

Dee -- I agree re: a satisfying ending.  To me, an ending should be like your perfume lingering on his pillow -- the scent stays with him long after you're gone...

Megan -- all your stories are great!!  You have a wonderful sense of bringing both the emotion and the sex act together so they blend seamlessly.

Jina 

Susan and everybody,

Re: foreign editions, last summer I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with Alessandra Bazardi, who is the editorial director for Harlequin Italy.  She told me that Italian readers love sexy, sophisticated stories. 

The titles of our Spice books are rarely if ever directly translated.  For example re: my Spice books:

The Blonde Geisha -- Passioni di una Geisha (A Geisha's Passions)

Naughty Paris -- Trasgressione Scarlatta (Scarlett Transgressions: the reason is because a red velvet cloak figures prominently into the story.)

Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs -- Bionda Vendetta  (Blonde Revenge).

Also, when I was in Venice, I was amazed at how many bookstories I discovered on the small, winding streets.   Italians love to read!!

If you'd like to "meet" Alessandra Bazardi, check out my Venice, Italy video: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/857673/3498966

I want to say Hi! to Lorie!  And, Susan, you're most welcome. 

Best,

Jina

Hi, Lorie,

Re: your question on plotting --

I begin with a strong hook -- e.g., in my Brief, Tokyo Rendezvous, I wanted to show a couple exploring a love hotel in Japan.  Sex, sex, and more sex...

But to bring the reader along for the ride, a strong hook is only the beginning.  You have to have characters she can identify with (two Americans working in Japan) then build to the sex scene with sexual tension. 

I work on knowing my characters--for a Brief, you have to know as much as possible, but you'll probably use only a small portion of that knowledge in your story. 

Think of it this way: it's like picking out accessories to wear with your favorite little black dress.  You may have the cutest necklace, choker, pearls, pin, charm bracelet, anklet,, etc., but if you put it all on, you lose the effect. And no matter how many pairs of sexy shoes you own, you can only wear one pair at a time... 

Also, check your research.  For example, I had to go back and find out what was "new" in love hotels since I first became acquainted with them when I worked for Japanese companies. 

In an historical, you have to be more diligent with time and place.  If I may digress, for my next Spice, my heroine finds herself in Cairo in September 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany.  I had to plot the story while keeping that date in mind. 

Please ask me any questions you may have!

Best,

Jina