Thursday Thirteen #8

Thirteen Magazines I've Read and Enjoyed! 1. Romantic Times (Every month) 2. Oprah (About four times a year) 3. Natural Health (When I can find it in the local bookstores) 4. Body and Soul (Every month) 5. Sage Woman (Several times) 6. Family Circle (Christmas issue) 7. Women’s Day (Christmas issue) 8. Writer’s Digest (On occasion) 9. Artist’s Sketchbook (Someone gave me a copy once.) 10. Complete Woman (Some great ideas in this magazine. LOL) 11. Realms of Fantasy (I had an ad in it!) 12. Positive Thinking (I think that’s the name. It’s a digest type magazine that I read several times. Very inspiring.) 13. Playboy (Yes, I read the articles. LOL At least some of them. They have some fascinating interviews as well.) What are your favorite magazines? Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Writer's Wednesday--Shapeshifters!

What is it that so attracts us to shapeshifters?

Wolves, panthers, dragons, bears and more. They all fascinate us. Or at least they fascinate me, and if the number of shapeshifter books on the shelf at the local bookstore and available on-line are any indication, I'm not the only one.

Romance is filled with alpha males, but shapeshifters offer us that and much more. They are not constrained by the laws of "civilization". That doesn't mean they don't have a moral code of their own. They do and it's usually quite strict, but it is different from the norm. With shapeshifters the law of the jungle reigns supreme!

Tough, exciting and dangerous, we are drawn to these alpha males. These men are often loners who exist outside of society. Or if they are part of a larger community, then that community is usually under some kind of threat from encroaching humans or another evil force. Either way, we can't resist them.

Many times they'll hide their better qualities under a gruff exterior, but the heroine knows just how to reach him. And that's one of the reasons we love the shapeshifter--macho male animal that he is, he's protective and loving once he's claimed a female as his own. And woe the person who keeps them apart or threatens his mate.

There is something exciting about that.

I dabbled with a shapeshifter in Drakon's Treasure and I absolutely loved doing it. The boundaries get pushed aside and you get a chance to discover the man beneath the beast. I definitely plan to do it again!

What do you think about shapeshifters? Do you have a favorite?

Michelle Pillow's Scavenger Hunt!

Only a few more days to enter the Scavenger Hunt! Check it out if you haven't already entered. There are tons of fabulous prizes being given away, including a download from my backlist!

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a day to remember and reflect.

To all of you marking today, I hope you spend time with your family and friends. Relax, have a barbeque and enjoy the day off from work.

To the rest of you, welcome to Monday!

PIRATES!

Okay, I'll admit that last week's movie (see Feature Friday from May 18th) was a disappointment. But this week, there were PIRATES!

If you are a fan of the first two movies in the Pirates of the Carribean series then AT WORLD'S END is a MUST SEE!

This was a fabulous movie from start to finish. It had everything a fan would want from the third movie in this series. Everyone was back for this one, along with a few new characters. Action, excitement, amazing special effects, and more. All the actors gave amazing performances. I won't say much because I wouldn't want to spoil the experience for anyone.

Go! Grab a friend, spouse, a significant other, or just head out on your own. Get your drink and your popcorn (or in my case M & M's), sit back and enjoy almost three hours of adventure on the high seas! It's well worth the price of admission.

I plan to go see it again in a month or so.

Thursday Thirteen #7

Thirteen First Lines from My Books! I saw another author do this and I thought it would be fun! Here are thirteen first lines from my books: 1. A vampire walked into a bar. (Stefan’s Salvation) 2. “I heard you were hot.” (Annabelle Lee) 3. “Men Suck.” (Christina’s Tapestry) 4. I must be out of my mind. (Jessamyn’s Christmas Gift) 5. “I hate Valentine’s Day,” Anastasia Style muttered as she contemplated the wisdom of kicking the flat tire she was glaring at. (Anastasia’s Style) 6. Run! (Lucian’s Delight) 7. He was early. (A Love Eternal—Ellora’s Cavemen: Legendary Tails IV) 8. It was the screams that woke him. (Craving Candy) 9. Erin Connors ran her index finger over the glossy magazine cover with the scantily clad cover model and underlined the article, “Seven Sex Positions That Will Drive You Both Wild!” (Erin’s Fancy) 10. “Don’t just stand there, man, push!” (Discovering Dani) 11. “This can’t be happening,” Johanna Harker muttered to herself as she limped off the gravel path to lean against a tree. (Harker’s Journey) 12. “So, will you marry me?” (The Way Home) 13. He sat in his massive chair at the head of the table. (Shadows Stir—Dreams of the Oasis Volume IV) Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Writer's Wednesday

Today I'm doing that thing that some authors love and others hate--editing!

Sometimes edits can be fairly straightforward and other times they can be very complex. This time it's the latter. But as the aim is to make the book even better, I'm more than ready to start.

So after spending yesterday doing additional research, I'm headed into the edits cave to work on an upcoming Ellora's Cave book. I'll be peeking out occassionally to check on you all. Hopefully this won't take more than a few days. :-)

Have a great Wednesday!

Only Human!

Blurb:

Workaholic Elaine Llewellyn’s enforced vacation leaves her at far too loose an end for her peace of mind. With all that time on her hands, memories and longings she’s been repressing threaten to break free. Her solution? Distract herself by playing tourist on a just-busy-enough road trip through Maine.

A storm and a blocked road send her to an unscheduled stop at Damon Thorne’s private retreat. Instead of the B&B she’s expecting, the man who’s world famous for his surreal paintings of psychic visions has been expecting her and all of her careful plans are washed away with the rain.

Trapped in the house while the storm rages outside, Damon sets out to break through Elaine’s barriers, physical, mental and emotional. When the storm ends, she’ll have to make a choice: go back to the life of denial she’s been living, or come to terms with her own psychic gifts, her passionate nature, and the second chance at love she’s been offered.

Releasing tomorrow from Ellora's Cave, ONLY HUMAN is the latest release from author, Charlene Teglia, and I have to say that it's another winner! The gothic undertones caught me from the first page and I kept reading until I'd read the final word.

A touch of the paranormal, mixed with intrigue, mystery, and passion, makes this book a fantastic read. The reader follows Elaine on her journey, which leads her to the one man who can understand her.

I highly recommend that you pop on over to Ellora's Cave tomorrow at http://www.ellorascave.com and check out Charlene's new book!

Manic Monday!

Good morning everyone and welcome to Monday!

It's been the usual busy Monday so far. I've done all the usual housework--vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathroom, etc...and I've also managed to write eleven pages on my WIP and work on my June newsletter.

I needed to catch up after this weekend. I did nothing!

Well, not nothing. I spent time with my husband and my brother, who I haven't seen in quite a while. I read a book...which I'll tell you all about tomorrow. *g* But the big excitement of the weekend was that I convinced hubby to buy a laptop!

Yes, after years of talking himself out of it, I convinced him that he needed one. I have my own desktop computer, but I don't want a laptop. I like to sit in my little corner and write. He, on the other hand, doesn't want to be chained to his desk when he works. Now, he doesn't have to be.

He's thrilled with it and is having a great time figuring out how everything works. Me, I'm technologically challenged and don't want to touch the darn thing until he has it all set up and things run exactly as I'm used to. LOL

Hope you all had a great weekend and have an even better week!

Feature Friday!

This is the day when I usually talk about the latest movie I've seen or book I've read. Today I'd planned to talk about the new Shrek movie.

But...

I just got back from the theatre and I think I'm going to leave it up to all of you. Maybe in a few weeks, after most everyone who wants to has seen it, I'll comment. For now, I'll let you all go and decide for yourselves.

The M & M's were delicious, as always, and spending a couple hours in the dark next to my hubby is never a hardship.

Enjoy the movies!

Raven Vampire Nightclub Readers' Bash

No Thursday Thirteen this week.

This afternoon, I'm over at Mandy Roth's and Michelle Pillow's Raven Vampire Nightclub Readers bash along with a bunch of other authors. There will be fabulous excerpts to enjoy and prizes to win.

So, if you've got a few minutes, pop on over to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Raven_Vampire_Nightclub/ and check out the action!

Writer's Wednesday

Lots of writerly news today!

I just signed a new contract with Ellora's Cave for Book 5 of the Awakening Desires series. For all of you who have been asking, that's Jackson's story! YAY! I'm very excited about this book!

Yesterday, I started a new project. I'm heading back to Summersville, home of Annabelle Lee and Heat Wave. This time it's Lily's turn. Lily was introduced in Heat Wave and I've been thinking about her for quite a while now.

This story should be more of a short, sexy romp. I've had enough long, serious books lately. LOL I need a change.

Manic Monday on Tuesday!

Okay, you already know it's going to be one of those weeks when you have to write the Manic Monday post on Tuesday. LOL

Actually, I was shopping with my mother yesterday. She was in town looking for a dress for a summer wedding. Shopping is exhausting...unless it's at a bookstore of course. She didn't find a dress and I came home and slept for two hours. I'm not kidding. I'm not fond of shopping...unless it's a bookstore. Did I mention that. *g*

I've had a few days off now, which I've enjoyed, and it's time to start my next book. I've been thinking about it for a few days now. We'll see how that goes.

Hope all of you are off to a good start this week. Have a great Tuesday!

Two Sighted and Family Jewels

I've read two books in the past week, so I thought I'd share them with you. They are both HOT reads, but very different in tone and subject matter.

Two Sighted by Annmarie McKenna

Even with her shaky past, Aislinn can’t help but to secretly want Kyle. When she witnesses his death in a vision, how can she tell him without giving away her secret or her lust?

Aislinn Campbell is a clairvoyant, the latest in a long line of first-born daughters to the previous first-born daughter. All of them have fiery red hair and a second sight. Hiding from her ex in the presence of a sexy ex-military millionaire seems the safest way to start over. Until she “sees” his death.

Kyle Turner III has been keeping a close eye on Aislinn. There’s nothing he doesn’t know about his personal assistant, including her secret and ugly past. He also wants her in his bed more than his next breath. When he receives an anonymous warning that something might happen at his annual Fourth of July bash, he doesn’t take it lightly. He knows exactly who sent the warning and he knows she’s being watched by her bastard of an ex.

After he’s injured in an accident, Kyle isn’t about to leave Aislinn unprotected for a second. He coaxes her into more than just tending to his wounds. Because making Aislinn believe in him and her together far outweighs anything her ex can dish out.

This book may only be a novella, but it packs quite a punch. Kyle and Aislinn come together quickly when she is threatened by her ex-husband. Author Annmarie McKenna has packed a lot of emotion and steamy love scenes into this shorter work. Fans of her books won't be disappointed! I'm hoping there will be a sequel!

Available at http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/two-sighted



Family Jewels By Rita Sable

Jewelry designer Cynthia Lyons knows what she wants from her career and she doesn't mind working long hours to get it. What she doesn't know is how to find a man who won't interfere with her goals. Is it too much to want a lover who can also satisfy her darker, more passionate side?

Interpol agent Trevor St. James has given up any hope for a long-term relationship. Driven by his thirst for adventure and excitement, he travels the world hunting down stolen gems and precious icons. It's a job he's very good at, so why doesn't it satisfy him anymore?

After one of her customers disappears, Cynthia is left with a rare five-carat white diamond. Torn from its rightful owners during the Nazi invasion of Russia, the diamond has kept a big secret for more than sixty years. But someone knows the secret this gem hides and they'll stop at nothing to have it. She's running for her life straight into Trevor's arms, only to find that the diamond isn't the only thing that blazes with white-hot fire. Trevor can keep her alive. But Cynthia's got to trust him first…with her life and her body.

Ellora's Cave newcomer, Rita Sable, packs a punch with her first book! Action, intrique and suspense fill every page of this novel. The passion heats up between Cyn and Trevor as they are learn to trust one another while they elude the people who want the knowledge that only Cyn has. This is one wild ride of a book!

Available at http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419909009

I Got Tagged...

by Nicole Austin yesterday, so here goes!

8 Things people don't know about me:

1. I make the bed as soon as I roll out of bed in the morning. I can't stand an unmade bed.

2. My hubby and I will be married for 20 years this summer, but when people ask us how long we've been together, they don't believe us because we still love to spend all our time together and hold hands when we're out walking or shopping.

3. I love the beach!

4. I used to collect antique Halloween postcards and have a small collection framed and hanging in my hallway.

5. I love learning, but I hated school even though I was a straight A student.

6. I don't like crowds. I'm actually a very solitary person.

7. I enjoy going to movie matinees with my hubby.

8. I won't forward chain letters or tag people for blogs. LOL

Here are the rules according to whomever likes to makeup rules :1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Thursday Thirteen #6

Thirteen Reasons Why I Like Being a Writer! 1. I don't have to take the bus to work. 2. I can sleep in if I want to. 3. I can go to work in my pajamas 4. I get to be creative and use my imagination. 5. Did I mention I get paid to daydream! 6. The satisfaction of creating something from nothing. 7. I can take a day off whenever I want to. 8. I can skip work to go to a movie matinee. 9. Because of my writing career, I've gotten more computer skills than I ever thought possible. I even have a website, newsletter and a blog. That still blows my mind. :-) 10. I've met tons of wonderful people. 11. Jotting ideas on restaurant napkins is considered working! 12. I actually love going to work every day! 13. Actually having something that I wrote be published into a book that people will read. It doesn't get any better than that. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Writer's Wednesday

Two of the most exciting things about being a writer are when you submit a book to an editor for possible publication and when you publish a book. Today, I've done both!

I finished my current WIP, did three rounds of rewrites, wrote a blurb and synopsis, and this morning, I submitted it to my publisher. It's exciting and nerve-wracking. Now I have to wait to see what my editor thinks of it. I love the feel of finishing a project and knowing that I'm ready to send it out there. Exhilarating!

If that wasn't enough, I have a book releasing from my other publisher today. THREE SWORDS, ONE HEART is now available over at Ellora's Cave publishing- http://www.ellorascave.com
if you want to check it out.

Seems like I've been waiting for this book to come out for forever. I finished the original draft of it over a year ago. That's the thing about the writing business--it's all hurry up and wait. LOL Now that it's been released, I'm wondering what people are going to think of it. Will they like it? That's a question every author asks even if they never say it out loud.

This is my 18th release with Ellora's Cave and each book launch is as exciting as the very first one. I don't think that will ever change.

So tonight I'll celebrate. Maybe I'll even take a few days off. But as sure as I'm sitting here, sometime in the next few days, I'll be starting to think about my next project. In fact, I've already had a few ideas...

Three Swords, One Heart!

Tomorrow, May 9th, my latest Ellora's Cave book, Three Swords, One Heart is being released!

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Torrid Tarot series and my book features the tarot card the Three of Swords!

Blurb:

Malik and Kalis are cursed to forever wander the world, searching for the one woman who can break the curse that has plagued their family for seven generations. An ancestor angered a sorceress with his greed and evil intentions and, since that time, in each generation of their family the firstborn are always twin boys who each bear the mark of the curse.

The woman destined to break the curse is a warrior woman, adept at hunting and battle—a woman who will give herself and her love freely to both men.

Upon the death of her father, Zarina is cast out of her desert tribe. Raised more as a male than female, she is more at home wielding a blade than tending a home. But she is a fighter, determined to survive.

When their paths collide, both men know they have found the right woman, but Zarina is mistrustful. Do they want her simply because they believe she can break the curse or does their attraction go deeper than that? But fate will not be denied and the three wounded souls must face their destiny together.

Manic Monday!

Monday sucks!

But in a good way. *g* I finally got a vacuum cleaner.

Today has been spent vacuuming, dusting and cleaning. Ah, the romantic life of a writer. Besides, housework, I've been working on my blurb and synopsis for my latest WIP. It is in the hands of my reader now and I hope to have it back in the next day or so to make the final changes on it before submitting it to my editor.

After that, I may actually take a break for a day or two before I contemplate my next project.

I also have a new book releasing from Ellora's Cave this week. I'm so excited about THREE SWORDS, ONE HEART. This book is part of the Torrid Tarot series that EC is releasing and features the tarot card the Three of Swords. More about that tomorrow!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

I know I will, if only because Monday sucks! *g*

Feature Friday!

Today hubby and I went to the movies. Like most folks who were at the theatre, we were there to see SPIDERMAN 3!

While I felt the movie could have been a bit shorter, I did enjoy it. The special effects are phenomenal and something to see on the big screen.

I also enjoyed the humor in this one, especially since it was a very dark storyline. All in all, I recommend it. It may not be the best of the three--each viewer will have to pick their favorite--it's a heck of a lot of fun on a Friday afternoon.

So grab your popcorn, or in our case, M & M's and enjoy. It's the start of the summer blockbuster season and this year that means sequels!

Only two weeks until Shrek 3!

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen Movies on my shelf! 1. Pirates of the Carribean (1 & 2) 2. The Mummy 3. Phantom of the Opera 4. Dracula 5. The Crow 6. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 7. Lost Boys 8. Underworld (1 & 2) 9. V for Vendetta 10. Nosferatu (That old black and white movie still scares the heck out of me) 11. Terminator (1 & 2) 12. Frequency 13. The Matrix Definite theme here. LOL Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

May Newsletter is here!

Happy May 1st!

I hope you're all having a wonderful day. The 8th issue of the Awakening Desires Newsletter is now out!

This month's issue contains a ton of news and contest information, as well as an interview with EC and Samhain author, Lauren Dane!

There is the usual "Feature Book", as well as an excerpt. And, as always, my hubby is there with the final word in his column, "Confessions of a Romance Author's Husband."

If your not a member of my yahoo newsletter group, you can join by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/

You can read the May issue and past newsletters directly from the yahoo site. If you mark your membership as "individual mail" next month's issue will be delivered straight to your in-box.

Congratulations to Neztep, this month's newsletter winner. Neztep has won a free download from my backlist!