Megan Hart

Fuhrealzies, babe!

So a while ago, I got the most awesome fan letter, written by hand on pretty stationary with a fancy pen, in homage to my January 2010 release, SWITCH. (The heroine, for those who don’t know, loooooooves stationary. Me too!) I was so touched by that letter, it was so great to get not just a hand written note — but one that was hand written simply because of something I’d written! I loved it!

Then…just a few days ago…I got this:

Pretty ridiculously rad, amirite?

Not only was it hand written, but it came on a funky Patrick Bateman themed notecard!!! YESSSSSSS! And the letter part of it? SWEET. Referencing face rides and whatnot. LOVED IT.

So, here’s the thing.

I want to start spreading the love.

If you send ME a letter or a little package of something — doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I love the Dollar Tree! Or it could just be a note, a hand drawn photo, etc. A sticker! (No food, though, because I wouldn’t eat strange food that comes in the mail!)

You send something to me, and I’ll send you something back! It might be some bookmarks, a postcard, a funky set of stickers, a zany band…who knows? It could just be a hand drawn picture.

I draw the line at poetry written in blood on paper woven from your hair, and please please PLEASE…no photos of yourself without clothes on…I mean, people, let’s honestly be classy here.

You send something to me, I’ll send something to you. How fun is that?!

My address: Megan Hart

P.O. Box 4

Cornwall, PA 17016

There you go! Have at it! I make no promises on the amount of time for a reply or the contents of your envelope. Be creative! Have fun!

Hope to hear from you soon,

LYLAS,

M

I actually had an entirely different topic to write about today, but got derailed after receiving a rejection from my agent. Via my agent, I should say, as it wasn’t my agent rejecting me but an editor who’d sent an email to my agent. The editor said the project was “incredibly compelling and creepy and very well written” and also “gritty and horrific” — which hello, awesome, right?

Not so awesome when accompanied by “I’m going to pass” — because it was, apparently, TOO gritty and horrific.

Well, I was going for gritty, horrific, creepy and compelling. The well written I could only hope for. And to learn that someone actually thought it *was* all those things I tried for is very pleasing and satisfying and gratifying, because it means that at least I was judged, this work was judged, on what it IS and what it was MEANT TO BE…

Ultimately, it sucks hard and mightily that the editor passed on the book, because um, yes, I don’t write just for the praise. I do like to actually earn a living this way, which has to mean sales. So the rejection stung, as they nearly always do, just the way bad reviews do and which is why I try hard not to read them.

All in all, what are you gonna do? It’s not true that once you’re published you can just sell everything. People express surprise to me that I get rejected, and let me tell you, my lovelies, I not only get rejected, I get refused, declined and passed by also. It’s part of the job. The sucktastic part of the job (unlike the way cool parts like being able to stay home listening to Christian Bale singing the soundtrack from Newsies while I blog…I keep telling him to keep it down, but he’s saucy, that guy).

My work was called gritty and horrific, which is what I wanted it to be. It made someone shudder (presumably, or at least maybe gave her a small lip curl.) I’m really proud that something I did, words I wrote, caused a reaction. I always am. If you cry or laugh or get angry at reading one of my books, hey, that’s good. It means I’m doing something right.

Doesn’t mean I’m not upset by the rejection, but a Coke Zero and a Peanutty Bar (SO did not need that…gawd) and I’m back to work. Writing something that is ALSO going to be gritty, perhaps horrific, definitely disturbing if I can do it right. And it may also never get purchased, either. But I’m going to write it anyway.

Sometimes you just gotta do what needs doing.

M

Most of you didn’t even know I was gone, but I was! And for a long time, too! First to the Supernatural convention in Parsippany, then off to the beach for a nice long vacation. Not long enough, but hey, leave while you’re having fun, right? I’m glad to be back home and back at my desk, which, despite my having been gone, looks like a tornado tore through it. Where did all this mail come from?! All these bills?!

Anyway, the Supernatural convention was super fun. I have to say, I wasn’t that jazzed about it, because once again…neither J was there. It’s pretty much the height of lame to have a fan convention without the two lead stars, isn’t it? The Js carry that show. That’s why I watch it. That’s who I’d like to see. But really, we all know I’d explode in the presence of Jensen Ackles, which wouldn’t be pretty and would possibly scar him for life, rendering him incapable of attending a fan convention ever again. So I guess it’s a good thing neither of them were there.

I wasn’t jazzed about going until the day before, when they announced Matt Cohen (aka Baby John Winchester) would be attending, presumably to help take the place of a couple guests who dropped out. We also got the bonus of Fred Lehne, aka the Yellow Eyed Demon. He was fantastic! Funny, personable, just an all around interesting guest. And Baby John? What can I say about him? If you’ve done any following of the con at all (and I’ll admit it, I never pay attention to con updates for cons I haven’t been to) he gave FREE HUGS. Umm….

Okay. I don’t like hugs. I mean, I’m not morally opposed to them or anything, I just don’t like to give or receive them, especially from strangers. Even really hot strangers. But what could I do? When Matt Cohen opens his arms and says “free hugs” what sane person turns that down? I think I got five hugs, total. That’s a lot of up close and personal full frontal body contact with a stranger for me. But I survived it! (And yes, he is really super cute, but also super funny, VERY sweet and quite entertaining.)

By the way, we all loved Matt so much we opted to go back and get a SECOND photo op with him and the four of us. Because he was just that fabulous.

Misha Collins. What can you say about him? I was there last year in NJ when he had his first con experience, and let’s just say he seems to have quite taken to it. He’s hilarious, not at all like Castiel (which um, makes sense, doesn’t it?) and he’s deliciously irreverent. I say delicious because that’s kind of a perfect word to describe him. DELICIOUS.  Mishalicious? I wasn’t going to get a photo opp with him because I got one last year, and had said, (stupidly) –why do I need another one? Umm…DUH. Because. I wanted one. So, I got one. It was the standard three seconds long. No big deal. I’d already spoken to him, albeit briefly, at the dessert party the night before. He sat right next to me, and I could’ve moved my leg away, but I did not. (Would you?)I’d already fondled the pie he left behind. I’d already asked him a question during the Q and A. And really, I don’t have a *crush* on him — love him on the show, think he’s a fantastic guest, but I don’t really have a crush.

Strike that.

Didn’t have a crush.

So I get up there, it’s time for my photo, it’s not a big deal. Really. You don’t have time to blink, much less have a conversation, or even be nervous. You’re cattle-shooted through the line, take your picture, you’re out of there. So I get up there, I get the instructions from the line monitor: “Go to Misha’s left side, then exit around the back.” No problem. To do this, you have to cross in front of him. So, I do. I say to him, “go to the left and then behind. I can manage that.” Yes, it sounded dirty, a little, but I didn’t mean it to. Pose at his left side. The flash goes. (This is literally 3-5 seconds, I’m not kidding) — I turn to him to say “thank you” — he looks at me. I look at him.

I am not even kidding you when I say I was utterly starstruck. Struck dumb. I think I mumbled thank you, I’m sure my mouth opened. I looked at him and was like…duhhhhhhhrrrrrmmmmmm…

I’m sure he gets that a lot. I’m sure to him I was just one more random, dumbstruck idjit. It was the longest 2 seconds of my life, staring into Misha Collins’ face.

(Misha, you’re awesome.)

The other guests, Aldis Hodge, Alona Tal, Rob Benedict, Katherine Boecher, Samantha Smith…also incredibly entertaining and interesting. There was so much that happened, I’m not sure I can even do any of it justice.

This was my second fan convention. The second without either of the Js. I had an even better time this year than I did last year, which was pretty stellar. But would I go again? I dunno. It’s a lot of money to spend without the Js there. (Though I guess I’d spend more if they were.) It’s fun and I go with friends and I have a great time, but…will I go again next year? I didn’t buy my seats in advance, so I’m risking not having as good of seats if I do decide to go. I can’t really decide until they at least put up the guest list. Misha makes it worth it, and so do the other guests, totally. But a Supernatural con without either Jensen or Jared just doesn’t seem quite right. So I might not. I had a really great time, I don’t regret it. But…not sure I’ll go again.

Now, though, I have to finish clearing off my desk, paying some bills, and get to writing!

M

Hey, everyone. Come on out And see me at Atlantic Books, Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, Delaware! I’ll be signing copies of my books including Deeper ( which takes place in BB) and others. I’ll be there from 5-? According to the sign out front, but I’m guessing that means until About 9 pm so long as they don’t kick me out.

I am bronzed an blonde (or at least freckled and faded) so c’mon over and meet me.

M

Ps that would be July 17th, Saturday. Helps to put the date!

Wow.

I still get excited about the release of every new book, but by now, often the book release is buried in mundane life things like laundry and bill paying, or edits on another book. Lots of whatnot. I love when new book comes out, and I’m always excited and happy — but I sometimes…well…I sometimes *forget.* I don’t forget about the book, it’s just that by the time the book comes out, I’ve spent so much time with it, it’s on a TO DO list for me, it’s part of the job. It’s fun and exciting, yeah, but it’s not quite like the first time.

Then there’s EXIT LIGHT. Because it’s not just a book that I loved writing and wrote quite some time ago and never thought would see the light of day, or because it’s a venture into a genre I really adore (and in fact, really started in before being fortunate enough to get published with a different type of work) so it’s special to me for that reason. It’s not even because it’s a new release from a brand-new publisher that’s well on its way to making digital publishing more mainstream than ever before.

It’s because it’s a LAUNCH BOOK.

I don’t think I’ve ever been a launch book before! I AM EXCITE!

So, if you like paranormal fiction (that’s not erotic or a romance!) please take a few minutes today to check out EXIT LIGHT, releasing today from Carina Press.

You can find it at Amazon.com

and Barnes and Noble.com, too! (And right now, if you buy Barnes and Noble’s Nook, you get a $50 gift card! How sweet is that?”

Hooray!

M

May the 4th be with you!

Also, check me out at Carina Press’s blog today…there are giveaways to be had!

Wednesday: up at 3:15, on the road by 4 am, got the train at 5:10 am.  Got to Philly by 7 am (ish, it’s a blur at this point). Caught my first flight to Chicago at 10:30 am. Layover. Flight to Columbus arrived on time at 2:55.

Met up with my friend Jen and much laughing did commence! Delicious Greek food, picture taking, tweeting at celebrities who never answer back.

Also met up with Lauren Dane and Ann Aguirre who were kind enough to let me share their room, but then I ended up getting a rollaway in Laura Bradford’s room. Which was really for the best, since LD would’ve insisted I spoon her and really, I was just too tired.

Though there was that very tall, fit, baseball player who accosted me at the elevator and quizzed me about being a “romance novelist.” He also told me “You are really beautiful.”

0.0

You know what the best response is when some 6’6′ athletic looking, totally trashed young fella tells you you’re beautiful?

“Why yes, yes I am.”

THURSDAY:

Slept “in” — not late enough but better than nothing. Breakfast. Shortly after that, lunch. Then a while after that, dinner! Oh, and I accepted the RT Reviewer’s Choice award for Best Erotic Fiction for Deeper in there, too. Awesome. Felt like a rock star to be asked for autographs and be  chatted up by people. After dinner changed clothes and headed to the fairy ball for dancing and fun — and later, in the bar some dude tried to offer me a seat but I didn’t want to sit at the bar, I just wanted water.

Him: “How are you?”

Me: “I’m fine.”

Him: “You ARE fine.”

0.0

You know what’s the best response to some drunk, confused man in a bar surrounded by women in costumes and drinking heavily when he says you’re fine?

“Yes, yes I AM.”

Friday: up for breakfast, not too early thank God. Then off to the airport for another round of flights to Ft. Lauderdale, where I picked up Superman and the spawn in the rental car and we zipped down to Miami for the mother of all parties. Let me tell you, this party was so insane it wasn’t off the hook — it was never even ON the hook. Or the chain. Apparently DJ Laz is a big deal, and I didn’t even know! Then up on Sunday, another drive to the airport, another flight home.

Today:

Exhausted. I have to catch up on laundry, finish edits, clean off my desk, which…was clean before I left, wtf? Where did all this stuff come from? Srsly, that’s not cool. It’s not nice to leave and come home to a stack of bills and stuff that weren’t there when I left. Much better to come home to a check or two. Maybe today in the mail, whatcha think? Wouldn’t that be great?

Anyway, I’m going to clear off my desk, clean up the cat puke that also greeted me upon my arrival home, edit my novella because it’s the first due AND the easiest! Hooray! Gonna drink some Coke Zero, too, and drink some water or maybe some coffee and admire my pretty award. I’d post pics but damn if my camera didn’t get absconded with by my female spawn when hers ran out of room. I’ll have to get my sim card back from her at some point and show the world the madness that is RT.

M

OH and I forgot about this:

So, today is the release day for Passion Model! Hooray!

Protect and Serve just took on a whole new meaning.

For Recreational Intercourse Operative Gemma, patrolling Newcity’s Lovehuts and Pleasurebots isn’t much of a pleasure. But it’s work she clings to after an accident destroyed her marriage and left her with half her body made of replacement parts.

She keeps her head down and her mind on her job, waiting for the proverbial hammer to fall. The head of the ruling council is out to make those like her illegal. If anyone finds out she’s mecho, she’s toast.

A routine inspection of a Pleasurebot turns into a strictly forbidden—and mind-blowing—sexual encounter. Then she realizes it isn’t an “it” at all. He’s human, and despite the sweet-hot climaxes he gives her, she buries her report to save them both from the consequences.

Except he can’t seem to stay away from her, and for a time life seems almost…normal. Until Gemma uncovers Declan’s own deep, dark secret. A secret that could get her fired from RIO. Or both of them killed.

**This book has been previously published.

Warning: This book contains graphic depictions of sex with men, women, aliens and robots.

Keywords: robots, space, dystopian, cops, aliens, sexbots, erotic romance, erotica, science fiction

Check out more here!

********

So, my Tivo broke and I had to get a new one. Now I have a shiny new Tivo and it actually recorded AND played back the new Dr. Who and Supernatural, so I’m all caught up! Hooray!

I think “you are a big bag of dicks” is gonna be my insult from now on. And wow. Richard Speight, Jr. Could he BE any more FABULOUS? I don’t think so. He’s pretty freaking fabulous. I loved him as the Trickster, but as Gabriel…wow. Just…love that guy.

And I don’t know who who the guy who played Balder is, but…mmm, where’s mah spoon, cuz I’d like a big bowl of that.

So tomorrow I leave in the early wee hours of the morning for RT. This is exciting for several reasons. One, because I didn’t think I could go at all due to other family obligations. Two, because I’ll be accepting the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Erotica Fiction for Deeper! Hooray! And three, because I get to actually meet my friend Jen in real life after many moons of swooning over Jared Padalecki via Instant Message. It’s gonna be super exciting! Aside from the part where I have to get up at three in the morning to get on a train to catch a plane…

So today I am celebrating my newest release by cleaning, packing, doing laundry, running last minute errands (oh, and talking tonight at a book club, that’s pretty cool.) I’m pretty sure some of those things will remain undone but I shall do what I can.

Oh, and I finished my Heat novella, which will be in an antho with Emma Holly, Lauren Dane and Beth Kery! Finished meaning first draft, but now when I get back from my adventures I will dive into the edits of Collide, then on to the last Handmaiden book and then back to this novella, all to be finished before my kids get out of school in June…Oy!

So that’s it for now. If you’re coming to RT, I will be getting in pretty late on Wednesday, though I don’t know what time. I might be hanging in the lobby sometime Wed. night. Or not. I don’t know. Thursday I shall be around in various places ALL DAY LONG so if you want to chat, grab me. I don’t bite. Hard. Or often. I will not be wearing a flower in my lapel but I do have purple hair that might just look dark.

Later, Gators.

M

So last night, I went to see Hoots and Hellmouth play instead of watching Supernatural, which yannow, wouldn’t be a big deal if I were going to be home tonight, but I’m going to see Jason Manns tonight and therefore, will have to miss SPN until tomorrow!!! AIEIEIIEIEIEIEIE I can hardly stand it. So don’t spoil me!

In other news, I had birthday cake for breakfast.

I don’t think I’ll be doing much writing today, I’ll be lucky if I get the cleaning done that has to happen and the other stuff I need to do. But I pretty much finished the book all but for the very very end, which is still up in the air, so I’m not sure I want to write it all out if it might change in revisions.

Monday is Passover. Oy. I’ll be cooking a turkey and making some desserts and HOPEFULLY working on revisions for Precious and Fragile Things, which is what used to be called Three Months.

Oh, and I have a novella to write for this Heat anthology that is gonna be….mmm, HOT. I think. I hope!

Oh, and I have to revise and edit and polish and submit COLLIDE (can’t wait to get back into that one, mmmm!) And this one I’m working on now which is called By Its Thorns but I think that title will change cuz I don’t like it that much.

Last night I had a steak so good it made me literally say WOW. Like, I bit into it and just…WOW. It was amazing. So delish. But the thing about food is, no matter how good it is, you’re always hungry again at some point. Like now. More cake? Possibly…

have a great weekend, all! I’m gonna.

M

I didn’t know you when you started.

Oh, I saw the articles in Entertainment Weekly, heard the buzz. But you came on in a time when I didn’t watch television, had no Tivo to help me. I didn’t care much about you, in the beginning.

And then…Netflix came into my life. That saucy whore. Teasing me, tempting me with unlimited rentals of programs I’d heard about but had never watched.

Like you.

So…yeah, I rented you at first. Just one disc. I said, “hey, if I don’t like you, I don’t ask you out again.” I didn’t know when I slipped you into the DVD player, slowly, carefully, that you’d turn out to be so. Damn. Beautiful. That first season murdered me. Tore me up, slit me open and sewed me up again. I screamed, I cried, I writhed.

I fell. Hard. Fast and deep. All the way.

Dr. Troy? Yes, please. Over and over again, and then one more time? Break my heart, please, because it yearns to be broken by the likes of you.

That first season was some of the most balls-to-the-wall, over-the-top, outrageous, horrifying, tantalizing, scintillating and sometimes disgusting television I’d ever seen. Oh, sure, you were too much to believe. Sure, you took everything that was good in anyone and turned it bad. I knew I could count on your characters to always make the wrong choices, no matter what.

You have no redeemeable qualities, Nip/Tuck. You know that? You know you’re filthy and unrepentant, don’t you? Just like you know you have me begging for more every single time you’re on.

Season two was next, and I ate that season. Oh, I didn’t rent any more. I had to OWN YOU. Yes, Nip/Tuck, you’re my filthy, nasty habit. I could watch you over again…and here’s a secret…oh, yes. Yes, I did. Snuck peeks at you during the day when I was supposed to be writing. “Research,” I called it. But we both know I lied. That’s what you do to me, Nip/Tuck, you turn me into your dirty, lying whore, and I LOVE IT.

Got caught up just in time for Season Three on broadcast, and with the help of some strange gadget called a DVD recorder (NOT A DVR, no, baby, this thing actually used RECORDABLE DISCS) I was able to keep up with you every week. Oh, sure, the dvds never recorded right and the timer was always off. Sure, I had to scream myself hoarse with frustration when I missed you. Thank God FX played you so many times I could always catch up.

This is it, Nip/Tuck. I wasn’t with you from the start, but I’ve been with you a damn long time. I’ve cried. I’ve laughed. I’ve cringed. I’ve stayed with you through every single unbelievable, repulsive story twist and plot line. I kept up with you even when Sean and Christian moved to L.A. because…how fucking ridic was that? But I was there with you. Loving you. Yearning for you. Aching to be filled with your weekly dose of OMG WTF.

And now…

Now, we say goodbye.

There’s only one episode left. And I can’t watch it. I can’t. I cannot bear to watch you end.

Christian, Sean, Liz, Julia, Matt, Connor, Annie, Kimber…none of you could ever get your heads out of your asses, and with one more episode to go, I don’t see as how you possibly CAN. But I guess that’s okay, because it would be unfair to expect any of you to get it straight after so long.

And after all, isn’t it what I so loved about you? Your constant flaws? Your never-changing lack of common sense?

Oh, Nip/Tuck, my dear Nip/Tuck…my beloved Nip/Tuck. I weep in advance at the thought of losing you. You were the one show I cheated on Supernatural with. The one I have to watch. Must see. Can’t be without.

I’m going to miss you.

<3,

M