Newsletter and Contest Winner!

If you’re not already receiving Awakening Desires—the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters—then you’re missing out on all the latest news, author interviews, excerpts and tons more! You’re also missing out on a chance to win every month!

The November 2008 issue is now available!

Check out the this month’s author interview with the talented Gail Faulkner.

As well, each month, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win next month is to go to Awakening Desires Newsletter to join and read back issues.

My October Anniversary Contest is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered. The final prize--a print copy of Tapesty Dreams--was won by Sara Hurt. Congratulations, Sara.

Keep watching my website for a new contest coming soon.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you all!

Have a safe and happy day!

Final Contest Reminder!

The third winner in my month-long anniversary contest was...Susan Bussey!

Susan won a print copy of Candy Caresses, which contains my Ellora’s Cave Publishing Quickie, Anastasia’s Style.

There are still one more print book to be won!

Tapestry Dreams is a 2-book print anthology containing Christina's Tapestry and Bakra Bride, the first two books in the Tapestries series.

This is the last full day to enter. Final drawing takes place tomorrow, October 31st, at 12 noon EST.

To enter for your chance to win, just go to my website and click on the "Contests" page for details.

Check out the details for the Kate Hill Halloween Contest and the Raven Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Both are drawing to a close, but there is still a chance to win prizes!

Guest Blogging at the Hussies Blog

Do Opposites Attract?

I'm guest blogging about this very topic over at The Hussies Blog. Stop by and check it out!

New Cover!

Isn't it gorgeous!

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The amazingly talented Syneca has created this gorgeous cover for Beyond Shadows, a paranormal/erotic romance due out on November 21st from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

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BLURB:

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Warriors of the Shadow Realm are facing their own demise, becoming lost in the shadows that were once their salvation. The Shadow Lord, hoping to stave off their destruction, sends Blade, one of his fiercest warriors, to protect a woman who holds one of the keys to their survival.

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Jac Harris is an accountant, not a risk taker, preferring to live her life quietly. That all changes when she is sent on an accounting job by mistake and stumbles onto a crime ring. Now the bad guys are chasing her and she doesn’t know where to run.

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A mysterious man shows up at her family’s beach house swearing to protect her at all costs. But Jac doesn’t quite know what to believe. With an arsenal of knives strapped to his body, and clothed from head to toe in black leather, he resembles the assassin she fears he is. Blade becomes her protector and lover in this deadly game, but it’s up to her to save him from the shadows that haunt him.

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If you want to check out an excerpt, just go to my website and click on the cover on the "News" page.

Raven Halloween Bash

I'm over at the Raven Halloween Bash this afternoon along with a group of other authors. Check out the great excerpts and maybe win a prize.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Raven_Vampire_Nightclub/

Quote of the Week!

"Painting is poetry which is seen and not heard, and poetry is a painting which is heard but not seen."

~Leonardo da Vinci

I thought this was a beautiful quote so I wanted to share it!

Chilly...I mean Chili Anyone?

The days have certainly turned colder. We had our first frost this week. Brrrrr!

So, I decided it was time to make a great big pot of vegetarian chili. Or as I like to call it, vitamins in a pot. LOL Chili is soooo good, but it's also very good for you.

Think about it--olive oil, garlic, green onions, celery, carrots, sweet peppers, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, chilli powder, molasses, and mushrooms, all topped with grated cheese. YUM!

The nice thing about chilli is that you can make a huge pot of the stuff, enjoy a meal, and freeze the rest. I now have three meals of chili in the freezer.

What are some of your favorite cold-weather meals?

Monday, Monday!

Welcome to Monday.

Hubby and I have already been out for our 40 minute walk around the pond. It was beautiful this morning with the mist rising off the water, the colors of the leaves painting the trees and shrubs, and the invigorating crisp air wafting all about.

I promised myself when I started on my health kick that I would only weigh and measure myself once a month, and I've stuck to that promise. I've got 12 days until November 1st. My exercise has gone pretty good so far. My problem is that I eat my biggest meal in the evening. I'm not a night-time snacker, but I eat too much for supper. That's the next challenge. I'm going to cut back on the supper portions and see what happens.

Have a wonderful week.

Second Winner!

The second winner in my month-long anniversary contest is...

Marie Romero

Congratulations! Marie has won a print copy of Feral Fixation, which contains my Ellora’s Cave Publishing Quickie--Drakon’s Treasure.

There are still two more print books to be won between now and October 31st! To enter for your chance to win, just go to my website and click on the "Contests" page for details.

What Season is it Anyway?

I was out shopping with my hubby this morning and noticed that the Halloween candy, costumes and decorations are now vying for space with Christmas stuff. I've noticed bits and pieces of Christmas decorations popping up in stores here and there, but this was full out Christmas. Walmart had several empty aisles lined with boxes and employees stacking boxes of lights and hanging ornaments on hooks.

Now, I love Christmas. Heck, I even bought a pack of Christmas cards this morning. Why? Because if you wait there won't be any left. Stores are getting earlier and earlier with the seasonal stuff. By the time Halloween arrives, there won't be any Halloween left in the stores. It will all be Christmas.

Don't get me wrong. I was in retail for 20 years, so I understand marketing. But, where I worked, we waited until November 1st to put up the Christmas decorations.

I wonder how we all survived years ago when stores actually waited for one season to be over before changing their displays. I miss it. Today's society is geared to always be looking ahead rather than to be enjoying where we are.

By the time Christmas arrives the Valentines will be on the shelves!

I've packed away the Christmas cards and plan on enjoying the fall/Halloween season to the fullest for the next two weeks. I only hope I'll remember where I put the Christmas cards when I need them.

Quote of the Week!

I thougth this was a great quote!

"Every smile makes you a day younger;
every sigh a day older."

~Chinese proverb

So rather than spend a fortune at the drugstore on creams and potions, just smile more. You'll feel better. Even if you don't look younger, you'll feel younger. Either way, I figure it can't hurt.

Have a wonderful day!

Interview!

Check out my guest interview over at Alyssa Brook's website.

Blade, the character from my upcoming Ellora’s Cave Publishing release, BEYOND SHADOWS, is featured in the Slip Between the Sheets feature.

This is actually the second story featuring the immortal Shadow Ryders. The first one was "Shadows Stir" in the Ellora’s Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis IV Anthology. Each is a stand alone book, but they are connected.

Monday, Monday!

Since yesterday was a holiday for me, my Monday update is happening on Tuesday. LOL

It was a fairly busy week last week. I did edits for a quickie for Ellora's Cave that should be out sometime next year. I'm making slow, but steady progress on my work-in-progress. I'm refusing to give up on it.

Still pushing with the exercise even though I'm not seeing any results. I'm going to have to cut back on the food. My problem is I eat too much for supper. I'm not an evening snacker, but my biggest meal of the day is usually around 6 pm. I'm going to start trying to cut some portions there, keep up the exercise and see what happens.

Have a fabulous week!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day.

I'm thankful for all the wonderful people in my life and I'm constantly grateful for all the blessings that come my way every single day.

First Winner!

The first winner in my month-long ANNIVERSARY PARTY is...

Angel Durham!

Congratulations! Angel has won a print copy of Over Time, Under Him, which features my Ellora's Cave Quickie, Unmasking Kelly.

There are still 3 more print books to be won. The next drawing is on October 17th!

Just go to my website and click on the "Contests" page for details on how to enter.

Unmasking Kelly over at Erotic Romance Writers

An excerpt from Unmasking Kelly is the Feature Excerpt over at
Erotic Romance Writers today!

Unmasking Kelly is a contemporary romance from Ellora’s Cave Publishing. It's also a seasonal story, as it takes place during a Halloween party!

Check it out!

Monday, Monday!

It's been about a month since I started my new plan to find some balance in my life, the first step of which was getting more exercise.

So far, so good.

I'm getting in 5 or 6 walks a week and doing a half hour of yoga about 5 times a week. Slacked off on the pushups and sit ups and such, so I need to get back to doing those. I feel better. I have more energy, especially in the afternoons, which is my downtime.

Now if only the scales would shift in a downward direction.

I weighed in for the first time in a month and was barely down at all. It was discouraging for a few minutes, but I reminded myself that it had to be doing my health some good. I'm going to keep at it and hope for the best on November 1st when I weigh in again.

Welcome to Monday and another work week.

Hope it's a good one.

Yummy Recipes!

I'm participating in the Night Owl Romance Author Recipe Celebration. There are tons of yummy recipes for Thanksgiving, Christmas and every day!

Check them out!

Cinderella

Last night hubby and I took in a local theatre production of Cinderella. Not quite the disney version, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

I love watching the kids in the audience--the little ones, not the big ones like me. There were two little girls sitting not far from us and they were totally enthralled. One of them even had a three-foot plush Cinderella doll, which she sat in the chair next to her.

What is it about this story we all love?



Is it the castle? The magic? The hope? The happily Ever After?
Does it really matter?

The story is a timeless one where the wicked are punished and the good guys win. It is also a love story, probably one of the earliest ones many of us were exposed to as children.

Yes, I have problems with certain parts of the storyline, but that's neither here nor there.

What is important is that last night I sat in a dark theatre with a group of adults and children and allowed myself to be swept away by the magic. Sure there were some technical difficulties in the show, but the performances were wonderful.

All in all, it was a great way to spend an evening.

October Newsletter and Contests!

If you’re not already receiving Awakening Desires—the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters—then you’re missing out on all the latest news, author interviews, excerpts and tons more! You’re also missing out on a chance to win every month!

The October 2008 issue is now available!

Check out the this month’s author interview with the talented Shelley Munro.

As well, each month, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win next month is to go to Awakening Desires Newsletter to join and read back issues.

October Contests!

October marks my 4th Anniversary as a published author. To celebrate, I’m having a special Anniversary Contest. I’ll be giving away 4 print books during the month of October—1 a week. If you’d like a chance to win, check out my website and click on the “Contests” page for details.

I’m also participating in The Raven Halloween Scavenger Hunt. There are lots of great prizes to be won, so be sure and check it out.



I’ll also be participating in the Kate Hill’s Halloween Page and Halloween Countdown Contest. Check it out!