September Newsletter Now Available!

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 September 2009 issue is now available!

Check out the this month’s author interview with Christine d’Abo.

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.

Monday, Monday!

If it's Monday, why does it feel like Friday?

I spent the morning getting a bunch of errands run and managed to work in about an hour and a half at my writing as well. I'm working on a project that's just for me. No publisher is waiting for it. I want to give myself a few weeks to tinker with the idea and see what comes from it.

The weekend was quiet. Unless, of course, you count the moose running around in the courtyard outside my apartment building on Sunday morning. I happened to look out the window after breakfast and saw several cop cars, one of which was one the lawn. I took a better look and saw the moose calmly standing in front of the building right across from mine. My camera isn't the best so I didn't get any good pictures. I'll double check later and post some if they're any good.

That's it for me today. I've got to run. I just got a call from a delivery company saying they have a package for me. I think it might be my print books from Samhain. *fingers crossed* I'll let you know.

Have a great day.

New Review for Endless Chase

Endless Chase just received a great review from Alternative-Read.com. Here's a snippet of what the reviewer had to say:

"This one was a bit different from the norm in only the best of ways (and nope I am not telling how- spoiler, spoiler), and I enjoyed immensely the fact that it was done with intellect, wit, style and a delicate trace of humor to make this one a "sit back and enjoy" read that can be savored. I will say that there are unexpected turns and shifts that catch you a bit off guard, but this just makes it more fun to read."

~WitchGiggles, Alternative-Read.com

Catch the entire review at: http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com/2009/08/review-endless-chase-dalakis-passion.html

New Ellora's Cave Contest!

In preparation for our 10 year anniversary in 2010, we are launching a huge, fun contest today with fantastic prizes!

For details, check out our video on You Tube.

Or our website contest page.


Win a Sony or Asus netbook computer

Just answer this question to enter our contest to win a netbook computer:
How has Ellora’s Cave erotic romance improved your sex life?


Prying minds want to know: Have EC books taught you new positions or bedroom games? Given you a new lease on your love life—with yourself or your lover? Taught him or her how to please you better? Given you permission to go for more O’s? Tell us all about it. We’re dying for details…


Three ways to enter:

Via You Tube (for video entries):
Post your video answer to your YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) page with this title: How Ellora’s Cave Improved My Sex Life: Your Name
Email a link to your video to EllorasContest@gmail.com

2 Grand Prizes (1 for readers’ choice and 1 for judges’ choice): Sony netbook computer
Semi-finalist Prizes: Free download from Ellora’s Cave

Via Email (for written entries):
Email your written answer to EllorasContest@gmail.com
Put “EC Contest” in the subject line

2 Grand Prizes (1 for readers’ choice and 1 for judges’ choice): Asus netbook computer
Semi-finalist Prizes: Free download from Ellora’s Cave

Via Twitter:
Tweet your written answer on Twitter: Use this hashtag: #ECsex
Grand Prize: $100 Ellora’s Cave gift certificate


The rules:
1. Deadline: Midnight, December 31, 2009
2. All Twitter entries must use this hashtag: #ECsex
3. All emailed written entries must have this in subject line: EC Contest
4. All YouTube entries must have this title on the video: How Ellora’s Cave Improved My Sex Life: Your Name.
5. Ellora’s Cave staff may not enter the contest
6. Ellora’s Cave author entries will be judged separately and winners will receive free ads. Author entries must identify author by pen name in the email.
7. Entries will be posted on http://sextalkforwickedwomen.blogspot.com/ in batches for voting. Winner of each batch will become a semi-finalist. All semi-finalists will go into final Grand Prize voting round.

The above video was shot at the 2009 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Orlando. The winner of this first round was Susan Clarke, who won an Apple gift certificate.
Others appearing in this video are, in order of appearance
Ashlyn Chase
Mari Freeman and her bf Mike
Renee Myer
Susan Clarke
Tea Trelawny
The video was shot by Will Duke, edited by Syneca Featherstone and produced by Susan Edwards.

Another New Cover!

Check out this amazing cover!

Alexandra's Legacy is up on the Coming Soon pages of Samhain Publishing! This is the first book in my new werewolf series releasing on October 13th!

BLURB:

Alexandra Riley’s day starts out like any other in her normal, predictable world. Then a tall, dark stranger bursts into her father’s garage and shatters the illusion. In one shocking moment, she discovers why she’s been feeling hot, restless—she’s the half-breed daughter of a legendary werewolf and is a much-sought-after prize.

Joshua Striker, enforcer in charge of protecting the alphas of the Wolf Creek pack, has come to take Alex home. Nothing more, nothing less. From the first moment he sees her, she becomes the one thing he can’t afford—a distraction from his duty. A weakness he doesn’t want—but can’t resist needing.

If only keeping her safe was as simple as fending off males on the hunt for a mate. Through city streets to the mountains of North Carolina, Alex and Joshua have to evade those who don’t want their pure bloodlines tainted with human DNA, as well as bounty hunters who think the only good werewolf is a dead one.

What Joshua and Alex can’t outrun is the passion that flares between them—or the choice Alex must eventually face. Whether to claim her inner wolf, or forfeit her chance to claim Joshua as her own.

The Week In Review

The last seven days have been strange in many ways. As some of you know, our main computer crashed and burned last week. We found out that they don't make motherboards like the one in ours anymore...how old is that?....LOL...so we had to buy a new computer. Well, not exactly a new one. We bought a lease return and they reused some of the parts from our old computer. It was cheap and is much better than our old one. The tech guy saved all our files, but there is still a lot of work loading programs and setting up things the way we like them. Lost all my bookmarks in my favorites. Oh well.

Could have been much worse.

In amongst the computer debacle, I had a new book release. I'm excited about the release of Embracing Silence. It's book one of the Project Alpha trilogy. This will be the first time I've ever had a series come out one book after the other. Have Mercy, book two, is releasing on October 7th.

I'm crossing my fingers that this will be a quiet, normal week. But then I ask myself: What is normal? In my home, that covers just about anything.

Have a great week!

New Cover!

check out the cover for my next Ellora's Cave Publishing release.

Have Mercy, is the next book in the Project Alpha series and is due out on October 7th!

Embracing Silence Available Today!

The Alphas have arrived!

Embracing Silence, the first book in the Project Alpha trilogy, is available today from Ellora's Cave Publishing.

BLURB: Embracing Silence

Earth 2133

Tienan is an Alpha—an assassin who has been genetically and computer enhanced. He has escaped from the lab that created him and the Ruling Council that controlled him. He is now outside the Gate—a high-tech shield that protects the enclosed city from the contaminated and lawless land outside. Tienan must constantly evade security forces sent to eliminate him, his only goal to destroy his former masters.

Silence is a tracker with the Resistance on the trail of a dangerous stranger. The hunter becomes the hunted and when Tienan kidnaps her, she thinks her life is over. But both captor and captive are enthralled with one another. Desire and need ignite each time they touch. Enemies become lovers.

Treachery and mistrust drive them apart. But nothing can diminish the sexual heat smoldering between them. With enemies all around, they must confront each other one final time. With time running out, sexual longing and trust battle with betrayal for supremacy.

Quote of the Week!

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip."

~Elmore Leonard

This quote made me laugh. It's also a very good reminder to all writers.

I'm currently working on rewrites for my latest book, trying to get it into top shape to submit to my editor. The trick is to step back from your writing and be brutal with it. You have to ask yourself that question: "Will people skip this part?" If the answer is yes, you have two choices. You can rewrite it and make it into something people want to read. Or you can cut it. That's the choice you have to make as a writer. The worst thing you can do is leave it in just because you happen to be attached to it. It doesn't matter how brilliant the prose is if it doesn't help advance the story.

Contest Reminder!

To celebrate the August 21st release of Embracing Silence from Ellora's Cave Publishing, I'm holding a contest and giving away a download copy.

For details on how to enter, just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page.

Flashback Friday

Here's a look back at Lucian’s Delight, the second book in the Dalakis Passion series. In this book you meet the second Dalakis brother--Lucian--and the woman that will change his life.


BLURB: Lucian's Delight

Book 2 in the Dalakis Passion series

At twenty-eight, Delight Deveraux enjoys her family, work and independence. But all that changes when she witnesses her boss being murdered. Suddenly, she is running for her life, pursued by the murderers who now wish to silence her. She is saved by a mysterious stranger whom she met only once before in her dreams.

Dalakis men love only once in their life, so for hundreds of years, Lucian Dalakis has searched for his mate. He is shocked when she turns up unexpectedly in his dreams. Now that he knows she exists, he will stop at nothing to find her and bind her to him.

The explosive sexual chemistry between them sends Delight reeling. Not only does she have to deal with the fact that she is still being pursued by criminals, but the man she is falling in love with is a vampire!

Delight struggles with her growing attraction to Lucian, even as she tries to protect him from the scrutiny of the police detectives investigating the murder. But the threat to her still exists and when her brother is kidnapped, Lucian takes matters into his own hands.

Read an Excerpt

Purchase book

Quote of the Week!

"If we are facing in the right direction,
all we have to do is keep on walking."

~Buddhist proverb

Sometimes I might not always know what I'm doing, but I tell myself that I'm going in the right direction and that's all that matters.

Monday, Monday...

Good morning and welcome to Monday. Thanks to everyone who voted for Past Promises at the Long and Short Book of the Week contest. It didn't win, but that's okay, I'm still thrilled it received a 5-book review.

This weekend was interesting to say the least. Friday evening, I developed a mysterious food allergy that caused me to break out in hives. Not pretty, but not life-threatening. No sign of breathing problems or anything like that.

Thankfully, hubby went out to the pharmacy and brought home something that cleared them up. The problem: I hadn't eaten anything I hadn't eaten a thousand times before. No new food that I could pinpoint and say "Ah ha!"

It happened twice on Saturday and again on Sunday after breakfast. Sunday lunch and supper was all fruit and vegetables, which I'm happy to report, are all okay. This morning, I'm trying multi-grain oatmeal. I want to see if it might be a wheat problem. If that's okay, I'll tackle dairy next.

I've been keeping a food diary of everything I've eaten, but there is absolutely nothing new. I have no idea where this new allergy came from. I guess I'll have to make a doctor's appointment at some point.

It's strange when your body suddenly rebels and does something totally unexpected. Thankfully, I feel totally healthy other than the hives. It could be worse.

I'll keep you updated on the search for the mystery food.

Have a great Monday!

Past Promises--Please Vote

My Samhain book, PAST PROMISES is up for Book Of The Week at Long and Short Reviews.

If you enjoyed my book, please click the link above and add your vote. :-)

Flashback Friday

Here's a look back at Harker’s Journey, my very first vampire book. I had so much fun writing this one. It started when I was looking at Bram Stoker's Dracula and wondered--what if Jonathan Harker was real...what if he had descendants who had to travel to Transylvania to deal with a mysterious, but wealthy, client. What if that descendant was a woman named Johanna Harker.

Thus, Harker's Journey was born.



BLURB: Harker’s Journey

Book 1 Dalakis Passion

Johanna Harker’s life changed drastically on her eighteenth birthday—she received a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, discovered her fascination with vampires, and experienced her first of many hot, erotic dreams, featuring a tall, dark and mysterious man.

For the next thirteen years, on the full moon, Johanna’s dream lover appeared. Sometimes his lovemaking was playful and tender, and on others he proved passionate and raw.

When no flesh and blood man can compete with her dream lover, Johanna puts all her energy into her job as an investment consultant and studying vampires. Her life is very quiet until she is sent to the fabled Carpathian mountains of Transylvania to meet her company’s largest client, the mysterious and demanding Cristofor Dalakis. And once again Johanna’s life takes a strange twist.

Cristofor, the enigmatic and formidable patriarch of the Dalakis family, believes that the men of his family are fated to love only once in their lifetime, and Cristofor has determined that the alluring Johanna is the one true mate for him. Ruthless and powerful, he plans to use his every skill to seduce and possess her.

But Cristofor is harboring a dark family secret that will challenge all that Johanna has known and believed.

Read an Excerpt

Purchase book

Research is Fun!

Research is fun! You never know what you might find that will spark an idea or two.

I'm discussing the research for my latest Ellora's Cave release, Amethyst Dreams, and the original "amethyst" book, Amethyst Moon. Stop by The Romance Studio Blog today and check it out!

Publisher's Weekly Mention...

There's an article in Publisher’s Weekly titled: Selling Sex in a Recession: Erotica.

It mentions that the Ellora's Cave Presents line published by Pocket Books will be releasing several anthologies this fall, including Trick or Treat, featuring work by N.J. Walters, Jan Springer, Charlene Teglia and Tawny Taylor, which is due out in October.

I'm thrilled about the mention. The funny thing is they're mostly talking about paranormal books at the time. The Trick or Treat anthology will feature my EC Quickie, Unmasking Kelly, which is a halloween story, but not a paranormal one. I do have a bunch of paranormal books, but this isn't one of them. Still, the article is about erotic romance, and Unmasking Kelly is certainly that.

I can't wait for October!

Vote for Endless Chase

Endless Chase is up for the favorite 5 Hearts Review Book of the Week from The Romance Studio. Vote today for your favorite book...maybe it might even be Endless Chase. :-)

VOTE HERE

August Newsletter Now Available!

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 August 2009 issue is now available!

Check out the this month’s author interview with Claire Thompson.

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.