Bloggin' in Style!

I've been given a Stylish Blogger Award by Cora Zane!

These are the rules for accepting this award:




* Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award. Thanks, Cora!
* Share 7 things about yourself.
* Award up to 10 great bloggers and contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.
 
Seven things about me:
 
1. I'm a hopeless fan of British sci-fi. The cheesier the better. Ask me about The Tomorrow People and Blake's 7. [On second thought, don't].
 
2. 2nd to romance, I like reading adventure stories. If someone is exploring something and bound to find something scary and/or weird, I'm in.
 
3. My favorite color has been and probably always will be purple or any shade thereof.
 
4. My favorite flower/scent is lilac.
 
5. I've been known to hug trees.
 
6. I will fly [in a plane] but I despise it.
 
7. If I surf onto a website that has music, I immediately surf away, because sound from my computer always attracts people at home to look over my shoulder which I can't stand.
 
Awesome bloggers:
 
Kristen Painter
LK Campbell
JB Lynn's Confessions of a Crime Writer
Hyperbole and a Half

Excerpt Friday

I'm filling in for Joann today at Killer Chicks - come read an excerpt of UNCROSS MY HEART.

The Writer's Workout

Today I'm over at Killer Chicks talking about how to stay in shape while keeping your Butt in the Chair.

Come on over and do a few reps with me.

New release day! [Yes, again]

Available today from Liquid Silver Books

The only full-blooded human member of the winged population on Icarus, Laramee Faulkner has longed to be accepted as one of the tribe. Since childhood, Jaran, the adopted son of the Icarian leaders, has never let Lara forget that she’s different. As a boy, he teased and taunted her. As a man, he has the power to give her everything she’s always desired, or tear her away from the world she loves.


When Jaran chooses Lara as his mate, she’s certain his plan is only to humiliate her, but his passionate kisses and sensual commands ignite her long-suppressed desires. Will she be able to resist the erotic temptation and make him pay for all the years he tormented her, or will she give in and claim her birthright as a member of the Icarian race even if it means giving herself to the man who made her feel like an outcast?


For more information on ICARUS UNBOUND and to read an excerpt visit Liquid Silver Books today!

Uncross My Heart

Now available!

Magick made him human. Only love can keep him that way.


After a century of living Magick made him human. Only love can keep him that way.


After a century of living la vida muerta, Julian Devlin’s closest ally casts a de-vamping spell that leaves him defanged and demoted from his hard-won place in Baltimore’s vampire hierarchy. Disoriented by his transformation, he can’t even find his way home.

The indignities don’t end there. Before he can explain to the quirky consignment shop owner why he’s hiding in her basement, she’s punched the newly re-acquired breath out of him and smacked him upside the head with her knock-off purse.


Zoe Boyd’s scream could have peeled paint from the walls—if she could get her heart out of her throat. Common thugs aren’t supposed to have a smile so panty-melting that she finds herself apologizing for scaring him.

She’s also too busy managing her friends’ love lives to take on an ex-vampire with revamping and revenge on his mind. Until she guides him home and ends up neck deep in his world of trouble.

As Zoe risks her life to give him back his death, she warms the soul Julian never thought he’d own again. And when he tracks down a devilish witch who can reverse the spell, immortality without Zoe suddenly seems like cold comfort…

Warning: This novel contains sensual love scenes between a fashion-forward hero and a fashion-unconscious heroine, abuse of Italian loafers, and a few love bites. Don’t worry, freshly sharpened fangs don’t hurt. Much…

For more info visit Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com or your favorite ebook retailer.

PS: I'm also over at Killer Chicks today, talking about my hero, Julian Devlin.

Wide or narrow reading?

What kind of reader are you? Tell us about it over at Killer Chicks today where JB Lynn is asking about how you read.

I'll be over at KC on Wednesday giving some pointers on a Writer's Workout and how to stay in shape while your Butt is in the Chair.

In the meantime, I'm on cleanout duty at my old house - yep, we're FINALLY selling it. So this week I'll be running around doing real estate related errands while I attempt to work on a new novella.

The number to beat

is 72.


I read 72 books in 2010. That does include books I've edited and does not include mulitple reads of the same book.


For Christmas I got a Kindle - and I love it! I've read three books on it already [including the instruction manual, though I don't think I'll add that to my Books Read list for 2011.] I'm looking forward to seeing if I'll read more books or less in 2011 because of that. I can already tell I will probably spend more money on books this year, because it's so easy to buy Kindle books. As a consumer - I have to worry a bit, because whenever it's too easy to spend money, well, that's what we consumers do, but as an author I'm thrilled.
Making books easier to buy and easier to read can only help authors everywhere - so maybe the publishing industry, which has suffered just as much as any other industry in our dismal economy, will actually have a bright future.


How many books have you read in 2010?


Were most of them print or digital?

If you get a chance hop over to Killer Chicks for Joann Swanson's post about scary things. What scares you? I'm always afraid of running out of books!

I'm a Killer Chick!

On Wednesdays from now on you can find me over at Killer Chicks where I'll be blogging with fellow authors JB Lynn and Joann Swanson. Today I'm talking about me - come find out stuff I bet you never knew.

Move over Christmas...

It's time for someone else to take center stage.

Happy New Year Everyone! See you in 2011!

My apologies to the weather guys

I'm sorry. I take back everything I said early yesterday about how wrong you always are and how much you exaggerate snow storms in order to make people panic and force them out to the stores to boost the economy.

This time you were right.

Here's the upstairs deck - there's more than 15 inches of snow piled up against the door and it gets deeper after that. Nobody was kidding when they said this storm was going to be a bad one.

We're still waiting for the plows to come and plow us back in and so we can dig ourselves out again. I'm so glad nobody has to go anywhere today.

I really hate it when the weather guys are right about stuff like this.

Merry Christmas!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa brought you all you asked for. I'll be relaxing on the couch today with my new Kindle.

What did Santa bring you?

New in Print!

Rihana has seen a lot in five years working as a psychic for the NYPD, but the murder of a freelance reporter makes her question if she really wants to continue her law enforcement career.


The dark vibe she gets from this case is nothing new, but the main suspect, sexy, enigmatic tattoo artist Heath, leaves her heightened senses burning. She can read him like a book—and she can see his innocence but she can’t prove it. His feral sexual thoughts make her insane with need and her desire for him jeopardizes her job and the investigation.

When she learns the truth about the man who can strip her soul bare with a glance, will she give up everything she knows to flee with him to a safer world? Or will she become a psychic killer in order to destroy a ruthless assassin and put an end to her lover’s exile?



 
SLITHER is now available in print - visit Ellora's Cave for more details!

The No-Brainer

One of the hazards of raising kids is having to answer all the tough questions they pose. If you've been on the receiving end of any of the golden classics like 'Where do babies come from?' or 'Why is the sky blue?' you know what I mean.

Kids are always putting us parents on the spot, so it's especially refreshing to be asked a question with an easy answer.

My son won the No-Brainer award tonight when he asked me this as we were in the car on the way to pick up my daughter from an after school club:

"Mom, if there was actually, physically, a zombie apocalypse, would you allow me to have a weapon and to kill zombies?"

Gotta love those easy ones.

"Of course," I said. "Not only would I allow it, I'd very likely insist upon it."

DS: "Good."

It's nice that he's thinking ahead. Getting all those pesky permission issues out of the way before the actual, physical zombie apocalypse hits. I'd hate to have to worry about it then.

Beat the rush!

Get it while it's hot - or maybe before... I was just browsing around over at Amazon.com and noticed that my January release from Samhain is available for PRE-ORDER!

I've never been available for pre-order before. It's so cool.

I asked Santa for a Kindle for Christmas, so if he brings it, I'll think I'll order Uncross my Heart ahead of time, just because I can!

Interview with a Gargoyle

Do you have any questions for the gargoyle?

I do, but they'll have to wait a while. I just signed a contract with Samhain for my full-length paranormal romance, Interview with a Gargoyle.*

Here's the blurb:

Darkness has ruled the life of Blake DeWitt for over a decade. Cursed to spend each day from dawn until dusk encased in the hideous form of a stone gargoyle, he’s reached a new level of desperation. A chance encounter with a dying demon puts cake decorator Melodie McConnell in possession of the key to Blake’s freedom, but only her death will break the curse. How far into darkness will he go to reclaim the light?

*Yes, the title is a play on Interview with a Vampire. And no, actually there's not really an interview involved in the story, but nevertheless, if you have anything you'd like to ask a hunky hero who turns into a gargoyle by day, just let me know and I'll pass it along.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a happy Turkey Day everyone. I'm off to the kitchen to start cooking. This year the feast is at my house, so I've got a lot to do. I may try to squeeze in some work on a new story later tonight, once I convince the kids that clean up is THEIR job.

This year, despite the economic downturn, I still have a lot to be thankful for. Good friends, family around me, a new home where I'm comfortable and secure, good health and moderate professional success.

May your day be full of love and good food and may all your holidays be happy ones.

Art shot

A peek through the trees at the Easton Tower in Paramus at Saddle River Park. This is from my two-hour walk last week. If I didn't have a massive head cold, I'd be walking today too. [Even though I should be writing]. I thought this picture would make a good 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Is it just me...

...or do you think it's a bad idea for scientists to be teaching e. ecoli bacteria how to solve math puzzles?

This article caught my attention and scared a little bit of the crap out of me also. Apparently researchers can train e. coli [yeah, the really bad bacteria that you don't want to find in your hamburger or your spinach salad] to solve sudoku puzzles.

So as if it's not bad enough that e. coli is smart enough to get into food, now those of us who have trouble solving sudoku puzzles can feel inferior to a bacteria.

I'm on somebody's list

Amazon's list - that is - as of 7:25 PM EST today here is the Amazon Kindle Top 100 Paid Bestseller list, Romance Category:

1. Happily Ever After by Nora Roberts
2. Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
3. Cowgirls Don't Cry by Lorelei James
**4. The Matchmakers by Jennifer Colgan
5. Disintegration by Scott Nicholson
6.Whatever You Like by Maureen Smith
7. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
8. Maggie's Mates by Bronwyn Green
9. Vampire Moon by J. R. Rain
10. The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber
11. Trust Me on This by Jennifer Cruisie
12. Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Somebody pinch me. I'm on a list with La Nora, Jennifer Cruisie and Janet Evanovich? I must be dreamin'.

**Updated to note: The Matchmakers is holding steady at #2 on the Romance list now.
**And it was just kicked out of #2 by Disintegration by Scott Nicholson, I'm now at #3

Auspicious beginnings

When is a good day to start something new?

I ask because because I realized this weekend as I was gearing up to begin two new projects that I might have been putting off starting on them in order to wait for the 'right time'. You know how a lot of diets start on January 1st or on any given Monday? Some people wait for a full moon, or a new season to embark on a new path in life or an important journey and some people just jump in when the mood strikes.

Which one are you?

I tend to feel like the start of something new should coincide with something. I find I put thing off until other things occur. Usually it's a wait and see thing - let me see how Y goes before I start X. The day after this, I'll do that.

I'm not sure it's a good thing or a bad thing. Does giving a project or a life change or a journey of some kind an auspicious start help it along or is it just an excuse to put off until tomorrow [or a month from now or until the next new millenia] what you can and should be doing today?

I decided this time, I would toss the auspicious beginning out the window and just jump into a new project. So we'll see how it goes.

What about you?