With Lora Leigh and Sylvia Day update, look below for more details!

Team H&H's Heather Waters (@redline_) is over in Kansas City, Missouri at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention. The rest of the team is holding down the fort so we thought we'd share some news, gossip, and fun events from #RT13 for the rest of you who are to!:

• E.L. James made a surprise appearance in a New Adult Panel. All would have gone smoothly and no one would have likely known she was there until a panelist started to criticize the 50 Shades series. James then stood up to defend her books before dissolving back into the woodwork. Twitter had a lot of reactions but find out more from the Kansas City local news outlet about the incident.
• Heather listened to an Erotica panel with Sylvia Day, Maya Banks, Jaci Burton, Tiffany Reisz, and Lauren Dane. The consensus: write alpha heroes, not asshole heroes, it's all about the motivation. Misguided, maybe, but alpha heroes have good intentions.
• Tiffany Reisz's squick word is “cream.” Is it yours too?
• Reisz feels her Dominatrix Nora is like Nancy Drew, with one tiny difference: She solves sex problems!
• Ever wonder what it'd be like to be all tied up? Well audience members are at least getting a little look into it as different kinds of rope are being passed out at the All Tied Up panel so you have an idea of what it feels like. We can put it down to research, right? Ouch!
• Maya Banks loves tortured or weaker heroines that grow stronger over course of book, and loves reversing tropes (like Beauty and Beast).
• Avon Editor Erika Tsang brought Editor Trading Cards along with her Avon books!
• All 52 Georgette Heyer books are now in print!
• Jessica Shirvington's Embrace is in development for a show on the CW.
• Jill Shalvis starts with a couple that is wrong for each other and then goes from there. Do you see that in her romances?
• Are you a fan of Downton Abbey? Well fear not, more Edwardian romance is in the works! Also, be on the lookout for Elizabethan and medieval romance. What time period do you want to see in historical romance?
• Lora Leigh hinted that some secrets will be revealed in upcoming Breeds books and don't forget to check out a Breeds story in the upcoming anthology Enthralled (available July 2, 2013). 
• Sylvia Day allegedly confirmed that there will be FIVE books in the Crossfire series. See our full article for more detail!

We'll try to keep you up to date on the news, gossip and other fun events. What else have you heard from RT13? What authors do you want to hear about?

Last week we asked what summer movie you were most excited about but this week it seems to be all about movie adaptations. Earlier this week, we saw the first photo from the Divergent film set and found out that Kristin Cashore's Graceling series had been optioned for film. This got us to thinking, while some books are our favorites on the page, they may not translate well into screen adaptations.

Let us know in this week's poll which TV show or movie you think has the greatest cinematic potential and why! Did we (and Hollywood!) miss a great opportunity to adapt a book to a TV show or movie? Let us know in the comments!

Fifty Shades movie gossip alert!

Alex Pettyfer for Christian Grey? Not exactly. Entertainment news site The Wrap has reported that director Gus Van Sant, who would like to direct the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey and is bidding for the job along with others, shot test footage (directors are just auditioning for the job at this point, and nothing has been decided) with Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, Beastly) in the role of Christian Grey.

What does this mean? At the moment, not much, as, again, there are other directors in the running and test footage is just that: a test. Even if Van Sant gets the job, he may not cast Alex Pettyfer (remember, Pettyfer was also rumored to be closing in on the role of Four in Veronica Roth's Divergent, and that didn't end up happening).

But as competition—and gossip—heats up, we ARE becoming really curious about who might direct and star in Fifty Shades of Grey. Have you been following the news about this movie? Would Alex Pettyfer as Christian make you more or less excited about the movie?

In the latest publishing news, author E.L. James is all set to publish her newest book. Reportedly, the book is to have originally been a fan-fiction story based on the characters of her wildly popular novel Fifty Shades of Grey. No word as to plot yet, but rumor is that this will be less contemporary and have a more paranormal lean to it. James has been spotted around her native England LARP-ing in the hope of really gaining a perspective on paranormal culture and interviewing fellow Tie-hards (not to be confused with the Twi-hards of Stephenie Meyer's series).

The news coincides with the announcement of casting Michael Buble in the titular role of the infamous Christian Grey and Kathy Griffin as ingenue Anastasia Steele. The movie is set to come out June 9, 2015.

...And a very merry April Fool's Day to all!

I can still remember the day I heard that men, in the old days—I mean, really old days, would bite the ear lobe of their lovers whilst de-flowering them. Sounds...barbaric.

But, if you think about it, men often do things that take us out of our normal, or push us into a different mindset. Like when he said he likes short dresses, so you go out and buy ten new mini dresses. At times, it’s not even what he said, it’s more what he made you feel while doing a thing, and the slightest insinuation can make you want to try something new. I don’t mean in a bad way, like encouraging a mate to do something dangerous, but in a way that is adventurous and outside of the traditional manner of doing things.

Since art imitates life, it’s no wonder that as readers we find outselves drawn to heroes that push the envelope on their heroines' ‘normal’, and thereby awaken something inside of these women that makes them feel more desirable, more confident, more open to new experiences. And if we put this in terms of, say, ice cream, these heroines go from vanilla to rocky road or wild cherry.

The book at the very top of my list of case-in-points would have to be the first novel I read in 2013 that made me pull an all-nighter: Vanilla on Top by C.J. Ellisson. In the book, nice girl Heather is encouraged by her friends to attend a speed-dating event, where she meets Tony. He’s hot, of course, and she is kind of hot, but she's not awakened just yet. Kind of like a lot of us, right?

[And that's where Tony comes in...]

Yes, there WILL be another Fifty Shades of Grey book—but it's not what you might think: According to the Boston Herald, Author E.L. James will be releasing Fifty Shades of Grey: Inner Goddess (A Journal), which “combines professional advice from the million-selling author and lined pages for readers to set down their own ideas, or 'inner goddess.'”

Fifty Shades of Grey: Inner Goddess (A Journal) will be released May 1.

What do you think?

Today marks the time on the calendar for all of us to spring back an hour. Sure we lose an hour, but it marks the beginning of spring and a chance to brave the great outdoors once again with our favorites real-life and fantasy heroes. Before we can get to images of frolicking in the fields, we want to know: Out of all of the romance heroes you read or have read, which one would you be willing to give up an hour for? We have a few of our personal favorites and some favorites from the genre, but who would you choose?

Time image courtesy of nicolasnova via Flickr.

E.L. James won't be returning to the Red Room of Pain in her next release, she revealed at a recent event. 

Her next book, she says in a New York Post interview, “won’t be nearly so raunchy [as Fifty Shades of Grey] —and I will probably write it under another name.”

In an earlier interview with The Guardian, James said that she has no plans to continue the Fifty Shades' characters' story: “Never say never—but they're on the back burner at the moment, as I have a few other stories to tell first.”

Will you read her next book?

It seems readers (including me) have gone head over heels for the rich, sexy, sex-gods with tormented souls. Heroes such as Gideon Cross, Christian Grey, Ethan Blackstone and Gabriel Emerson want to change, to become better men, all because of the women who steal their hearts from the moment they meet. Who are these lucky ladies? Can they handle our intensely passionate heroes?

In Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Trilogy, the heroine is a spitfire. Eva Tramell is in a whirlwind of drama due to her tormented past and difficult relationships with family and friends. Her family is very overprotective and constantly worried about her safety. She moves to the Big City in search of her independence, but finds herself addicted to Gideon Cross. Both seem to find the other irresistible and their passion is quite explosive in a co-dependent kind of way.  Both of them harbor issues of abusive pasts, and even though Eva strives for control of her life and from the dependency that consumes her with Gideon, she repeatedly reverts to her destructive ways. She is too impulsive for her own good and her first instinct is to run whenever she feels insecure. All in all, Eva is a fighter, and definitely keeps Gideon wanting more.

[Right where she wants him...]

Restaurants have suggested wine pairings with their food—e.g. this beef dish goes best with a hearty red.

I’m thinking bookstores, or maybe even publishers, should pick up the habit. There’s the obvious: a dark merlot would match a vampire book.  Chicklit set in New York or London goes with something trendy and served in a pretty, silly glass. But what about picks based on specific authors?

I’d say Debbie Macomber calls for hot chocolate with a lot of sugar and loads of marshmallows. At the other end of the spectrum, I recently read Cherie Priest’s Bloodshot and even though it’s a vampire book, I think that would call for something dry and quirky. I’d pick sake for her if that drink wasn’t so based in Japanese culture.  

For Ilona Andrews’s books, whether they’re from the Edge or Kate Daniels series, you’ll need something home-brewed and quirky, like wine made from berries collected in dark woods. For the Kate books, maybe Russian tea served from a samovar. Sip the tea from a glass, with a filigree holder. Don’t forget to hold a sugar cube between your teeth, the way the Russians used to.

[What's next on the menu?...]

May old friends be forgot? We don't think so! We're celebrating our favorite reads with five days of the Best of 2012. We asked our bloggers for their favorite recommendations of 2012, with one stipulation, they had to be new to them and not necessarily new to 2012. We know we got a few recommendations to add to our to be read piles and it's a great way to feed those readers you hopefully got for Christmas!

Don't miss out on the shopping list for these great recommendations once you finish reading, and check out the recommendations from Day One, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, too! Click here to view the Day Two shopping list.

Rachel Hyland:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
If there is any facet of the Fantasy genre I have never understood the fascination with, it is dragons. (Also, King Arthur.) But Rachel Hartman’s debut YA novel gives us such very different dragons, all dwelling in such a wonderfully-imagined, fully-realized world, that even my level of perplexed disinterest is easily overcome by her sheer cleverness. Told with an enchanting combination of outcast angst and amiable wit by our first person, titular narrator, we are immersed in political machinations, societal tension, complex familial relationships and yes, romance, and from the very first page the story just does not let up, or let go. Highly, highly recommended.

[King Arthur, YA, what could be next!]

This year was an interesting one for romance novel readers. With the astronomical success of E.L. James's Fifty Shades trilogy, we suddenly found ourselves accused of reading “mommy porn” and advocating the “abuse of woman.” Romance had taken a drastic turn; BDSM and erotic romance became the “it” genres to read and the market was instantly flooded with clueless ingenue heroines and broody billionaires with dubious sexual histories. Covers became monochrome with a single object as the focal point rather than the customary hero and heroine portrayed in dishabille. I’m not dismissing the “revolution” but I’m ready for a change.

I’ve read phenomenal books, good books, average books, and some books I’d rather just forget about this year. I left no genre untouched, but found myself rather rather dismayed with romances overall. Again, Fifty Shades set the bar, a rather low bar, and we found ourselves at the mercy of angst-driven, emotionally draining trilogies. I’m not a fan of romantic trilogies. I see no reason to drag out a romance over three books unless there is a viable plot line that is completely separate from the romance.

So what am I looking for in 2013?

[Tell us!...]

For many of us, great romance is a combination of a strong hero and a loving heroine, perfect chemistry, and beautiful writing. But almost as essential, or certainly enhancing, are truly romantic and  powerful love scenes. Love scenes are almost as prolific as romance novels themselves, but through thousands of reads, these love scenes cross decades and all genres of romance, as some of the best.

One of the earlier romance novels, and arguably one of the most controversial, is Christine Monson's Stormfire. From my earliest days as a romance reader, I knew about Sean and Catherine and how extreme their story was, absolutely the very definition of “bodice ripper.” In fact, the buzz was so loud, it kept me from reading the book for some time. Once I did, I was struck by how utterly romantic it actually was. Don't be mistaken, there are some very difficult scenes, brutal in both action and honesty. And while I was eager to get past the beginning, filled with hatred and misunderstanding, when I got to the heart of the story, I realized that in coming so far, the payoff was greater than almost any other love I'd read in romance. I came to be convinced of and believe in Sean and Catherine's love, and along with the gorgeous writing, their love scenes transcended any I'd read before.

[Those don't come around very often!...]

When I worked as a writer and producer for a television station's website, I was great friends with the managing editor. We kept a file of crazy news stories that we called our “re-enactment files,” which we’d break out on slow or sad news days when we needed a good laugh. Nothing soothes the spirit better than bad office theatre. But this story crossed the wire about Boy George being arrested for keeping some guy as a sort of sex slave, and we were torn. On the one hand, it was disturbing to think about Boy George keeping someone cuffed to the bed, but in the end, we added it to the file.

It opened a whole new topic of conversation for us, though, because the craziness was partly discovered because of a hidden camera. We both agreed that while there days when being single sounded fun, ultimately we’d always have to look over our shoulders for the hidden camera in the bookshelf. But for some folks, the thrill of discovery can be quite titillating. Take, for example, sex in an elevator.

Quickies are not a new thing, nor is voyeurism, but there have been a string of steamy romances with couples getting a rise out of their lifts.

Anything He Wants by Sara Fawkes
I was pleasantly surprised by the scintillating story of temp worker Lucy Delacourt’s evolution at Hamilton Industries. Much like the movie Indecent Proposal, Lucy finds herself in an uncompromising, yet very sexy, position with the mystery businessman who rides the elevator with her every morning. She’s always aware of him, but takes precautions lest he notice her staring. One morning, though, the cobra snares her, crowding her against the door when the rest of the elevator clears out.

[Then the real fun begins...]

How many times has the suggestion “If you liked that, then you’ll love this” been targeted to the eager readers who devoured E. L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy in recent months?

Two novels out now have made major headway in book sales because of this very method of exposure: Bared to You by Sylvia Day and, more recently, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Having read each of the novels, there are some obvious commonalities, yet as a whole, each story is quite different from the others. With content ranging from youthful billionaires to BDSM to tattooed, underground boxing college students, it may appear that the three titles, in fact, share little besides the colors on their covers.

Initially, any similarities could be quickly dismissed between Beautiful Disaster and the other two novels because of its lack of a twenty-something, obnoxiously wealthy male lead. But all of these heroes have similar backstory: each of them has been through (many) relationships without one ever really sticking, until they meet the female lead, of course, and they are somehow persuaded to give up skirt-chasing forever. They also share other disturbing proclivities, including the need to possess said love interest, to the point of obsession and “co-dependency,” not to mention falling apart at the idea of losing the girl (which, in fact, they all do at some point or other). There is a fine line between a connection and an obsession, each of which Christian Grey, Gideon Cross, and Travis Maddox teeters on constantly.

[Walk the line...]

Feed the beast! Publisher Berkley has gotten the rights to publish Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel’s Inferno Series, which has already been a top release at several e-retailers. The digital release will be out immediately, with a print release to follow.

Like—very like—E.L. James, Reynard started writing Twilight fanfic, the result of which is this series.

Here is the blurb for the first book in the series, the titular Gabriel’s Inferno:

Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption.

When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, Gabriel’s Inferno is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man’s escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.

How long do you think this trend will continue?

Every summer my parents would pack up the family to set off on a family vacation. Each of these trips were preceded by several magical hours spent in the local Waldenbooks acquiring paperbacks to keep us quiet and entertained for the hours of interstate we’d have to endure. My mother would head for the suspense; my father would get lost wandering through the entire store while I was inevitably drawn to the back right hand corner where the science fiction/fantasy took up twelve feet of realms to explore.

My dad is the one who initially introduced me to science fiction. While I was still in elementary school, he handed me Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonsong. He wanted me to see strong female characters who could accomplish anything they put their minds to, and this seemed to occur over and over in science fiction. As I devoured these and started making other choices for myself, he stopped guiding me and started stealing from my collection of books. What drove me to wear out the binding on my copies of the books of Pern, Valdemar and Westeros was not just the amazing world building, but also the relationships within these worlds.

[Where’s the love?...]

The same day it was announced that the producers behind The Social Network, Mike DeLuca and Dana Brunetti, would produce the filmed version of E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey, the company has set up an official Facebook page for the movie—so that, presumably, fans can weigh in on who should play the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

Wonder how many aspiring actors will “like” the page so they can suggest themselves as Ana or Christian?

Many couples have “The List:” you know, the list of celebrities your significant other has given you a free pass to have sexual relations with them if you somehow run into them? Because chances are you will never run into said celebrity, so it’s okay to dream.

Today, we’re riffing on the idea of “The List,” asking H&H bloggers to offer the three heroes they’d want to play hide the kielbasa with. We got some wicked answers, and I may be fighting with my fellow bloggers over a few of these men.

I had no idea our bloggers loved so many heroes, so this will be split into two parts. (Already caught up on Part 1? Click here to go to The List Part 2!)

Natasha

Bronx (The Asylum Tales by Jocelynn Drake): I fell head over heels in love with Bronx, it was love at first sight. Bronx is a troll and no he’s not built that way, he’s a big old enforcer style troll who works as a tattoo artist. Swoon, free tats! Sadly, Bronx doesn’t date humans so I’m screwed, and not the good kinda screwed.

[But then there’s always...]