Marcia James, Author of Hot, Humorous Romances

THE JAMES GANG

Each month I interview an author or publishing insider who has “James” in his/her name. My February James Gang interview is with All Romance eBooks’ CEO, Lori James. I’m thrilled to have a short story in All Romance eBooks’s 28 Days of Heart fundraiser this month.

1. Let’s get the most important question asked first: Why James?

I married into the James Gang! James is the last name of my husband.

2. For those who might not know about All Romance eBooks (ARe), can you tell us about your company?

Like almost everything that Barb Perfetti (Co-owner and CFO) and I do together, All Romance eBooks started with one of us calling the other one and uttering those four little words that honestly can make both of our husbands wince: “I’ve got an idea.” In this particular instance, it was the belief that Romance readers deserved their own on-line store, one place where they could find books by all of their favorite authors and publishers.

We started with what we knew best, Romance. Today at AllRomance.com we continue to work closely with readers, publishers, and authors. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve and we’re very invested in doing what we can to help grow the eBook market.

3. How is Omnilit different from All Romance?

AllRomance.com is our specialty store and it primarily caters to the romance and erotica markets. OmniLit.com is a general bookstore. Readers will find all types of fiction and non-fiction there, including all of the romance and erotica that we have at All Romance. Although they are branded differently, the two sites are integrated. Customers can access their account at either site using the same login and password and they share libraries.

4. In February, ARe is raising money for the American Heart Association (AHA) through your 28 Days of Heart campaign. Can you tell us about this unique fundraiser?

Absolutely! During the month of love, when everyone's attention is focused on matters of the heart, we at ARe will be raising awareness and money to help the AHA fight the number one killer of women, heart disease.

Step one is the release of our 28 Days of Heart series, twenty-eight novellas that will be offered exclusively on AllRomance.com and OmniLit.com as individual eBooks. The stories span romance genres, from Gay to Interracial, Paranormal to Historical, Contemporary to Sci Fi. They were generously donated by both best selling and up-and-coming authors who write for publishers such as Kensington, Berkley, Pocket, St. Martin’s Press, Ellora’s Cave, Cerridwen, Samhain, Total E Bound, Loose Id, Phaze, Liquid Silver, Torquere Press, Siren, Amber Quill and more.

Each story includes a foreword written by author New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris (of the “Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire” series, AKA True Blood fame) as a show of support for the charity the stories will benefit. Preorders have already began to pour in, allowing our Go Red for Women team to begin raising money immediately for the campaign.

We’re offering additional opportunities for those wishing to learn more or help with the effort. Besides purchasing the novellas, readers can enjoy special heart-healthy newsletters this month by subscribing to our free newsletter, Wildfire, or join ARe’s Go Red For Women team. No monetary donation is necessary. To join the Go Red for Women team, all one need do is pledge to dress in the color red on Friday, February 5, 2010 for National Wear Red Day and encourage others to do the same.

5. Why did ARe pick the American Heart Association to support?

Every year Barb and I like to do something for charity. We both believe very strongly in giving back. Last year we produced a gorgeous calendar celebrating the beauty of men, and we donated proceeds to Conservation International. This year we decided we wanted to focus our charity efforts around Valentines Day. The men and women who visit our All Romance site throughout the year look to us for hot, heart-felt romance year round. We thought it could be wonderful if this February we could provide them with something special that would also help raise awareness about their own health and contribute to the AHA efforts.

6. How can readers sign up for your Wildfire weekly e-newsletter to learn about your upcoming events and book releases, read author interviews, etc?

Readers can go to either AllRomance.com or OmniLit.com and register. Registered customers can then elect to opt in or out of the newsletter via their profile page.

7. Does ARe offer free story downloads so readers can sample new authors?

Yes. We have close to 200 available in all and offer both Romance/Erotica free reads and more general Fiction free reads.

8. Does ARe offer author chats?

We offer chats as well as many other promotional opportunities. We’re always looking for ways to better connect authors and readers. Our chat room is available for hosting of author chats and special events at no cost. Queries should be sent to info@allromanceebooks.com.

9. Tell us about your “What’s Hot in Romance” Blog Talk Radio show.

What’s Hot in Romance is hosted by our Manager of Media and Public Relations, Cat Johnson. The show airs Monday nights at 6:30 pm pacific time and consists of live interviews with best-selling and up-and-coming authors in the romance industry. Readers who are unable to listen live can catch the podcast after the interview on Blog Talk Radio or subscribe to it via iTunes.

10. Does ARe participate in social media sites, like MySpace?

We do! Reader and authors who are interested in following us on MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter can find us via the links below:

All Romance on Twitter
OmniLit on Twitter
All Romance on Facebook
OmniLit on Facebook
All Romance on MySpace
OmniLit on MySpace

Thanks, Lori! Next month, I’ll interview Berkley author, Julie James!

Jamie Hill Interview