Holiday Blog Hop Winner

Time to announce the winner. The winner for my portion of the hop is Roberta. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy whichever book you choose.

I want to thank everyone who dropped by for the hop. And I wish you all good luck in winning the iPad2!

Evernight Holiday Blog Hop

Welcome to the Evernight Holiday Blog Hop!

We love the holidays, we love making our readers happy and we love giving away swag. What better way to do that than to hold a blog hop?

Here's how it works... the more blogs you hop to (shown below) the more chance you have of winning prizes. Each site on the hop is offering a prize and Evernight is offering an iPad 2 as the grand prize! To be in with a chance of winning the site prize simply follow the blog you're visiting and leave a comment which includes your email address. Each entry on each blog is then counted towards the grand prize draw. The more entries you have, the better your chance of winning that iPad 2! You also get extra points for liking the Evernight Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/evernightpublishing. Just make sure you let us know in the comments that you've done so.
  
Happy hopping!

This is like Christmas come early! For my part, I am giving away a copy of one of my Evernight publications to one lucky winner. Those include Whimsy, Acting Witchy, and Just Vamps. I'll leave the choice up to the winner. For information on those books, visit my Books tab. Thank you for dropping by! Good luck and don't forget to leave your e-mail address!

Evernight Holiday Blog Hop

Computer Viruses Make You Paranoid - Or At Least They Make ME Paranoid

Well, I received a delightful unwanted gift before heading off to spend Thanksgiving with the family last week. I was wrapping up a few things on the internet when all of a sudden my laptop was telling me that it was in danger and that I should download a specific software to fix it. Of course, I recognized this for the virus that it was and ignored this message. But after this, I couldn't get on the internet at all. It was virtually holding my computer hostage.

I did a search for the specific virus and found a few sites to help me fix the issue. And then I went into download mode. I downloaded Spyware Blaster, Spybot Search & Destroy, and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. I got my hands on Norton 360, replacing my free anti-virus software. Then even though I never downloaded the software the virus recommended, I used my desktop to change my passwords. I took advantage of that neat little feature at Gmail to have them text me whenever another computer attempts to log into my account.

The worst part is the mystery of this virus's origins. I don't visit suspicious websites. I hadn't downloaded any attachments. I had three websites open: Gmail, Facebook, and a survey site that I've been a member of for about seven years. I'd just left Yahoo! I still don't know where I picked up this virus.

It's been a week and everything seems fine. But now my laptop is that cheating boyfriend that you can't quite bring yourself to trust again. I've backed up all my work. I've run scans through all of the above mentioned protections. But I'm still on the lookout for any unusual behavior....

Thanksgiving

Well, I'll be off to spend the week with family. Hopefully, I will get some writing done here and there, but I can't make any promises. I come from a big family. I am the youngest of seven children. So, yes, I'm spoiled. We're planning on getting together this year and everyone brings a dish. One of my sisters usually assigns who brings what. As the youngest, I never get this responsibility. But, thankfully, I also never get assigned the turkey.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday.

Reviews

I know I shouldn't read them, but I admit I do. It can sometimes be painful, but sometimes, it gives me an insight into what readers want. Of course, you can't please everyone. I have seen some contradictory reviews. What one reader likes, another may hate.

It's funny in a way. I've seen reviews that comment on the covers of novels. For instance, I saw a comment where one reader said they didn't purchase a book because the cover featured a model with one color hair and in the sample it said his hair was another color. This brought to mind a review that someone wrote for one of my books that said they didn't feel that the cover model looked like the character. As authors, we are asked to fill out a form to help cover artists create a cover. (This may be a different story if a book is independently published.) I haven't created the cover for any of my books. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into creating covers and I thank everyone who has ever worked on one for me.

The other day I read a review where the reviewer overall enjoyed my book but felt that it had one too many F bombs. I actually thought this was funny and I've tried to tone it down in my books. Why did I think it was funny? In my everyday life, I almost never curse. Not even the four letter words that are condoned on television. It was a comment from an older sister of mine at a formative age. She said it wasn't ladylike. So I never developed the habit.

Anyway, keep the reviews coming. You never know when a comment might shape a future novel.

Just Vamps Blog Hop Winner

Congratulations to Cassandra for winning the blog hop. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Just Vamps Release Party/Blog Hop

Just Vamps is available for purchase! As part of a blog hop, each of the authors is giving away a FREE copy to one lucky person! The hop ends Oct. 21 so don't procrastinate! All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. (Don't forget to leave your e-mail address so I can send your prize if you're the lucky winner!) Good luck and happy hopping!

Here's an excerpt from my story Chatting with a Vampire:


“Hello?”
Alaya gulped. His voice was deep, dark and smooth. She thought she detected a hint of an accent. Possibly British? Her eyes fluttered closed. One word and he had her on the verge of swooning.
“Alaya, are you there?”
“Yes,” she squeaked. She cleared her throat. “Sorry. Is this Alexander?”
“Yes. Please call me, Alex.”
“Alex, um, as I was saying, that message was intended for my eyes only. It was never meant as a proposition.”
He chuckled. “So I gathered. Yet I was captivated and felt compelled to offer my assistance.”
“Yes, well, you’re a man. I suppose you were,” she stated in a dry tone. “Anyway, I added the ‘get laid’ part as a joke to myself. I wasn’t serious.” Alaya wiggled her mouse and waited as her screen brightened. She opened a browser window and went to a news website. This was where he made an offensive sexual overture. Attempting to cut him off, she continued, “I’m sorry you were inconvenienced—”
“No, don’t apologize to me again. Your e-mail is the most interesting thing to happen to me in … some time.”
Good grief, she thought. How sad. That list had been deadly dull with the exception of the “Get laid!” joke she’d added for her own benefit. Lord knows her social life was nonexistent, but if she’d received an unexpected e-mail from a stranger, she would have marked it as spam and never given it another thought.
He laughed. “You think that’s pathetic, don’t you? While I admit my days have been a bit dull and filled with the mundane, you intrigued me. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a financial advisor.”
“You must love your job.”
“I do. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m retired. I manage my own investments. I guess you could say that I’m in a similar line of work.”
Retired? “How old are you?”
“Thirty-five. Dare I ask how old you are?”
“Twenty-seven. How long have you been retired? What did you do to retire so young?”
“I started my own company and sold it. Boring stuff really.”
“Not to me. Maybe I’ve heard of it. What was the name of your company?”
“How about we discuss this over drinks?”
She was curious, but she wasn’t crazy. Alex was a stranger. Charm and an appealing accent couldn’t change that. She’d enjoyed their conversation, but that was as far as it would go. “No, thank you.”
He chuckled. It was a sexy, low-pitched sound. “We could meet at the destination of your choice. I will e-mail you my photo and my address here in Charlotte. Once you verify it, you could send it on to a friend. And you can bring a friend to meet me before we begin our date.”
Alaya bit her lip. He was persuasive. She couldn’t believe she was actually considering it. “No. Listen, you don’t even know what I look like. Why do you want to meet me other than the fact that you think I’ll easy to get into bed?”
“We’ve talked. I want to get to know you better. As for bedding you, will I turn you down? Not if you ask nicely.”
She laughed. “All right. Drinks. Tomorrow night. I’ll send you the details.”

Backlist Bash

I dropped by Siobhan Kinkade's blog for her Backlist Bash! Drop by and check it out!

Blog Hop Winner

Thanks to everyone who dropped by and commented or followed my blog. As for finding my winner, I went old school and put everyone's name on a piece of paper in a bowl and had my daughter draw it out. The winner for my blog is flikchick! Congratulations and good luck to all of you!

Evernight Publishing Birthday Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Evernight Publishing birthday blog hop!

Evernight Publishing opened its doors two years ago. In those two years we’ve signed over one hundred and sixty authors and published over three hundred books. From paranormal to contemporary, we’ve had more best sellers than we can count and made thousands of people smile, sigh and gasp. So, as a thank you to all our readers and everyone who has supported us, we’re holding this blog hop and we have a whole lot of prizes to offer you.

Here's how it works... the more blogs you hop to (shown below) the more chance you have of winning prizes. Each author on the hop is offering a prize and Evernight is offering the following grand prizes, a Kindle, a $100 Amazon gift certificate, two Evernight swag bags (which includes a tote, a tee, vouchers, a mug and other coolness) and a personalized Facebook banner. To be in with a chance of winning the author prize simply follow the blog you're visiting and leave a comment which includes your email address. Each entry on each blog is then counted towards the grand prize draw. The more entries you have, the better your chance of winning a grand prize! You also get extra points for liking the Evernight Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/evernightpublishing. Just make sure you let us know in the comments that you've done so.

Good luck and happy hopping!

Man, I wish I could enter! My name is Thayer. If this is your first time visiting my blog, I'd like to say welcome and please come again. I'm giving away free copies of Whimsy and Acting Witchy. You can find cover photos and blurbs on my books tab. Thanks for dropping by.

99 Cent Books

Have you bought any of the 99 cent books from Evernight? I have. To make it easier on you, Evernight sent me this list with links to all the books. Also, all Evernight books are on sale at 50 percent off at All Romance Ebooks.


Links for 99 cent books:

•Romance on the Go - Moon Eyes by Marie Medina
•Naughty Fairy Tales - Jackie and Her Loose Talk by Jorja Lovett
•Cupid's Conquests - GunShy by Seleste deLaney
•African American - Most Eligible Bachelor by Empi Baryeh
•Alternative - Hero by K. Williams
•Anthologies - Master of Mine by Laura Gallagher, Jenika Snow, Alexandra O'Hurley, Rachel Clarke, Ashlynn Monroe, London St James, Melissa Hosack and Angelina Rain
•BDSM - The Diary of Anna's Submission by Jenika Snow
•Contemporary - Forever Men by Lace Daltyn
•Erotic - Paying Her Debt by Emma Shortt
•Fantasy - Chasing Earth and Flame by Adonis Devereux
•Futuristic - Whimsy by Thayer King
•Historical - The Ever Knight by Georgia Fox
•Humor - Prometheus Unstitched by Lila Shaw
•Interracial - Riding the Storm by Delilah Hunt
•May/December - The Bad Boys' Virgin Temptress by Sam Crescent
•Menage - Claiming Their Mate by Stacey Espino
•Multiple Partners - Riding Her Tiger by Doris O'Connor
•Paranormal - Black Lust by Karyn Gerrard
•Rubenesque - Three for the Road by Berengaria Brown
•Sci-Fi - Star Fallen Lover by Lynde Lakes
•Seasonal - Deception by Yolanda Sfetsos
•Shifters/Vampires - Irresistible Nemesis by Annalynne Russo
•Steampunk - The Promise of Silk by Lilith Duvalier
•Suspense - Last First Kiss by Vanessa Devereaux
•Urban fantasy - Losing his Religion by Alex Bowman
•Time Travel Time Travel - The Curse of the Scarab King by Wend Petzler
•Western - Wild West Weekend by R.M. Sotera and C.R. Moss

Evernight Amazon Sale!

Evernight is having an Amazon Sale. They've picked books from various categories and have put them on sale for 99 cents. Now that's what I call a sale! I can't resist a book for 99 cents. (I've already purchased one and will probably go back for more.) I was honored to have them ask me to include Whimsy as part of that sale. So if you haven't bought it, but you were wondering what it was all about, now is the perfect time.

For the full list of books on sale, visit the Evernight blog.

Six Sentence Sunday

It's time for Six Sentence Sunday. This is another six from my short story "Chatting with a Vampire" from the anthology Just Vamps.

The heroine Alaya Hendricks sent off an e-mail of reminders to herself only she never receives her message. Due to a typo, Alexander Hennessey, gets her message and can't help but be intrigued by it.

Here's my six:


“No, don’t apologize to me again. Your e-mail is the most interesting thing to happen to me in … some time.”
Good grief, she thought. That list had been deadly dull with the exception of the “Get laid!” joke she’d added for her own benefit. Lord knows her social life was nonexistent, but if she’d received an unexpected e-mail from a stranger, she would have marked it as spam and never given it another thought.
“You think that’s pathetic, don’t you?

For other samples, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday

Time for a Sunday treat. It's Six Sentence Sunday. This week I pulled sentences from my short story Chatting with a Vampire that will be a part of the Just Vamps anthology.

The hero's name is Alexander and he is a vampire. In this scene, he's out for a snack. Enjoy

Alex launched himself from the tree and onto the railing. Her large brown eyes doubled in size and her pale skin went white with fear. She was quite lovely. A decade or so earlier, he might have taken her for himself. Tonight, he had only one interest. Her blood.

Have a great Sunday. For more sixes, visit the Six Sentence Sunday site.

Just Vamps Release Date

I just got word that the Just Vamps will be released Oct. 17. I've added the blurb and cover to the books tab. October is shaping up to be an exciting month. I'll tell you more about that later. Be sure to check back for details.

Here's the blurb for Just Vamps:


Blood, sex, and love. You shouldn’t always run away from things that go bump in the night…

Evernight presents thirteen erotic vampire tales to sink your teeth into. Follow the moon’s glow through the shadows and let these delicious immortal alphas show you just how satisfying eternal life can be.

Six Sentence Sunday

It's Six Sentence Sunday again! I almost forgot that I'd signed up.

This week, we'll continue where we left off with The Matchmaker. Next week, I'll put up six from the upcoming vampire anthology.


She moaned and gripped his shoulders. It was then that she realized that while she was naked with the exception of her shoes, he hadn’t removed any of his clothes. He forced her hips to do a little shimmy which caused her breasts to sway, the tips passing over his dress shirt. She gasped. Aric’s lips curled into a smile against hers even as he deepened the kiss and backed her into the wall.
Once there, he captured her hands in his and held them out to her sides.

Hope you enjoyed this snippet. For more sixes, visit the Six Sentence Sunday blog.

Facebook

I have just set up my Facebook page. I've been hesitating to do so because someone else there already has the same name. So I set it up as a "celebrity" page to avoid confusion. (As if. I don't feel like a celebrity.) I only added photos so far but will try to keep it updated as well. I almost wonder if with the Twitter account and the Pinterest page that this isn't overkill, but I know everyone has their preferred medium for finding information. If you get the chance, head over and check out my page.

Six Sentence Sunday

I've been out of town the last few weekends so I've skipped doing Six Sentence Sunday. This week I'm going to pull from my last release The Matchmaker.

Here's my six:

     Kissing her knees, he slowly stood. “Bliss, when it’s right, it’s right.”

     She frowned, not sure what to make of the vague answer. “Aric—” He covered her mouth with his. His tongue swept inside her mouth, wild and addictive. 

I hope you enjoyed my six. For more sixes, visit Six Sentence Sunday

Just Vamps

I received the cover art for the Just Vamps this weekend. I'll be starting edits to my story, but thought I'd share the cover.

The Matchmaker Release

The Matchmaker is now available at Amazon and All Romance Ebooks! And, of course, Sugar and Spice.

Six Sentence Sunday

My six this week are from my latest release The Matchmaker.

The hunger in his voice and in his gaze had her nipples tightening. But she was confused. “I-I don’t understand.” His hands slid down her arms and around her back before coming up to cup her breasts. His thumbs tweaked her aroused nipples. She gasped.

For more sixes or to learn how to post your own, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

The Matchmaker Excerpt

Wow, Friday got here fast. I've posted the picture and blurb for The Matchmaker on my Books tab. It will be available for purchase tomorrow at Sugar and Spice.

In this excerpt, the heroine Bliss is meeting the hero Aric for the first time:


     I really should have asked for a better description of him, Bliss thought as she stood at the entrance to Ruth’s Chris Steak House trying not to totter in four-inch heels. Handsome and in a blue suit wasn’t proving to be adequate. A good-looking man with light brown skin and a beard approached. In the dark it was difficult to tell the color of his suit. She stepped forward. “Aric?”
     “Sorry, no.” His eyes swept her appreciatively and Bliss blushed.
     “Bliss Barnes,” said a deep voice behind her. She pivoted and promptly lost her balance. She was quickly caught up against a hard chest cloaked in dark blue. Tipping her head back, her eyes locked with icy blue ones fringed by thick platinum lashes. Full lips curled up in a sexy smile revealing perfect white teeth. “Hi, I’m Aric Ericson. Are you Bliss?”
     She gulped and found her footing. She scanned him from his shock of white-blond curls to his sensual lips. His face was handsome and lean. He was not clean shaven; a day’s worth of sexy stubble giving him a sexy edge and keeping him from being too pretty. She was momentarily stunned. She’d never dated a white man before. Why hadn’t Penny mentioned that he was white? “Um, yes, I’m Bliss.”
     “It’s a delight to meet you. Shall we go in?”
     “Oh, yes, of course.” He held his hand out for hers and she placed her palm in his. She followed him inside. He’d called in a reservation for them. As she watched him from the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d seen him somewhere. But that was odd. His coloring was so extraordinary, she’d recall if they’d ever met.
     They were seated after a brief wait. A server took their drink order. She wasn’t much of a drinker and she had to drive home so she requested tea. Aric requested the same. “So Aric is an unusual name.” She was too embarrassed to admit that the uniqueness of his name was one of the reasons she never suspected he might be white.
     “It’s Norse. My family originated in Sweden.”
     “Ah.” She fell silent and Aric laughed. The sound was deep and melodic. It was a sexy laugh and it did not go unnoticed by a group of women at a nearby table. She felt her nipples tighten and heat unfurled in her lower belly. She couldn’t believe the sound of his laughter was making her aroused.
     “Penny didn’t tell you I was white.”
     Her face grew hot with embarrassment. “No, she didn’t. Did she, um, mention… What did she say about me?”
     “That you were beautiful.” He leaned forward. “She didn’t do you justice.”

Next Release

I just recalled that The Matchmaker will be released next weekend. I added the picture and the blurb to my Books tab. I forgot to sign up for Six Sentence Sunday, but I'll post an excerpt before the release date of Aug. 11.

Six Sentence Sunday

I almost forgot what day of the week it was. Well, to wrap of Whimsy, I'm offering an altered six sentences. I cut out a few sentences but the essential feel is still there.

     His cold eyes met hers over the pendant. “If I would do this to my home world, what do you think I will do to yours?”

     She shivered. He was basically only a boy.  “I-I won’t let you kill anyone.”

     “Can you stop me?”

Want more snippets? Visit Six Sentence Sunday for more. 

Six Sentence Sunday

Time for Six Sentence Sunday! To recap, last week Dark had pulled out a necklace to show Whimsy. For those who haven't read Whimsy, we learn pretty early on that Dark is the only survivor of the destroyed planet Dark Sphere.

The pendant was faintly oblong and flat. It appeared to be made of gold. The surface was etched with cloud shapes. As she watched, the clouds scudded over the oval. She swallowed as she realized what she was looking at. This was what was left of Dark Sphere.

To check out more authors, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday

Time for the next six sentences from Whimsy. Dark is telling Whimsy about his childhood.

Perhaps he was quite right.” Dark shrugged. “In any event, in his rage the young prince cursed his home world. And overnight, it disappeared.”

     Whimsy gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. 

     Dark reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. 

For more author snippets, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

Chatting with a Vampire

I decided to submit a short story for Evernight's Halloween anthology and it was accepted. It will be my first published vampire story. (I wrote one a long time ago, didn't like it, and tossed it.) I'm very excited about being included in the anthology. I'll post the blurb when it gets closer to the release date.

Six Sentence Sunday

I took a Sunday off. So let's pick up where we left off with Whimsy.

And so they slaughtered the king, the queen, Prince Parker and even little Princess Symphony.

     “Only Prince Raven was spared as he was unreachable. They sent an envoy to capture the boy, but he was protected by the warriors. When word reached the boy, his pain and anger were immeasurable. 

     “Never mentioned before was the fact that Prince Raven was…very talented. The king feared it would only make matters worse. 

Liked this blurb? Check out Six Sentence Sunday for more blurbs by other authors.

Six Sentence Sunday

Time for Six Sentence Sunday again! Here's my six from Whimsy. This continues from last time.

This offended the fortune teller and she spread her tale far and wide. 

     “Those who would have sought to take the place of the royal family pounced upon this chance to overtake the crown. The king thought to protect his son and sent him away to another planet where he could be raised as a warrior. He thought this would end the matter.

     “He was wrong. The people were terrified that one day the prediction would come true. 

For more snippets from other authors, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

The Matchmaker Release Date

The Matchmaker will be released Aug. 11. Check out the blurb at Sugar & Spice.

Six Sentence Sunday

Time for six more sentences. I thought I'd take up where I left off in Whimsy.


The oldest boy was called Parker, the middle son was Raven, and the youngest, the girl, was Symphony. The night Raven was born there was a horrible storm and the fortune teller almost died in her attempt to make it to the palace for the birth.
     “But make it she did. Her prediction, when it came, was not the usual benign affair about fortune and love. She said that Prince Raven would one day bring about the ruin of Dark Sphere. Well, of course, the king and queen did not care for her prediction and had her thrown out of the palace.


Check out more snippets at Six Sentence Sunday.

Six Sentence Sunday

It's time for Six Sentence Sunday. The last three times, I've put in excerpts from The Matchmaker, my upcoming publication. This time, I'd like to take a step backward and pull something from Whimsy.

In this scene, Dark is revealing his past to Whimsy.

He continued as if she had not interrupted. “The ruling family has long been the Dark family, thus the name Dark Sphere. Many of this planet’s inhabitants are known to have special talents. Some can tell the future. At the birth of any child into the royal family, a fortune teller is brought in to read their aura and foretell their future. The last family, before the planet…disappeared, had two sons and a daughter. 

For more snippets from other authors, visit Six Sentence Sunday.

Sigh...

As an interracial romance writer, I think it's a given that I have an interest in romance, interracial romance in particular. Last night I was watching The Daily Show. His guest was Michael Fassbender. I admit to having developed a minor crush on him the first time I saw him in X-Men: First Class. He's gorgeous and his character in the movie was a interesting blend of vulnerability and power. It also didn't hurt that my jaw dropped when I saw him in sweat pants. (I haven't seen him in Shame, where he does full frontal nudity. I have a subscription to EW and they keep obsessively bringing up his ... ahem, attributes.) It only makes me like him more that he seems to prefer women of color. Learning that made him infinitely more sexy to me. It's nice to be appreciated. Don't you agree?

Six Sentence Sunday

Sunday again. Here's my six from The Matchmaker:

Their eyes locked. He found his gaze drifting to her full lips. Longing to feel them against his own, he leaned forward unconsciously. Bliss blinked rapidly and turned her head. He could have sworn she had been leaning forward also. Suppressing his disappointment, he returned his attention to his vegetables.


For more author snippets, visit Six Sentence Sunday. 

The Matchmaker Cover Art

This is cover for The Matchmaker. Just had to share...

Six Sentence Sunday

It's Six Sentence Sunday again. For more snippets from other authors, visit Six Sentence Sunday

Here's my six. It's later in The Matchmaker. The heroine Bliss is meeting the hero for the first time.

She pivoted and promptly lost her balance. She was quickly caught up against a hard chest cloaked in dark blue. Tipping her head back, her eyes locked with icy blue ones fringed by thick platinum lashes. Full lips curled up in a sexy smile revealing perfect white teeth. “Hi, I’m Aric Ericson. Are you Bliss?”

Six Sentence Sunday

Six Sentence Sunday is this blog I came across after seeing it mentioned on the blogs of several other authors. Basically, on Sundays, authors post six sentences of any of their works (published or unpublished). This is my first time participating. For more information, visit their blog at Six Sentence Sunday.

So here are my six sentences. They're from my next book The Matchmaker.

     Bliss Barnes took another bite of her dulce de leche cheesecake. She was blowing her diet with this dinner but she might as well receive some pleasure from this torturous evening. Darius was gulping down his second glass of wine. She supposed she shouldn’t feel so resentful towards him, but she couldn’t escape the swamping feeling of disappointment. They’d been exchanging e-mails for three months before scheduling this date.

     She’d been anticipating meeting him from his second message. 

I'm A Reader, Too

I consider myself to be a reader as much as a writer. I'm constantly on the lookout for a good book. (Buying a Kindle has only made this worse.) Before purchasing, I like to read excerpts and reviews. So, of course, I come across reviews for my own books. Today, I saw the review for Acting Witchy at Interracial Romance Book Reviews. I've bought quite a few books based on Theodora Taylor's reviews.

I appreciated that she complimented me on the the love scenes. Know whose love scenes I love? I'm really into Evangeline Anderson and Yvette Hines novels. I hope to be that good someday.

To Aspiring Writers

To all the aspiring writers out there, I wanted to mention a tool that of late has become invaluable to me. It used to be that I would come up with an idea and write it down on a scrap of paper. After that I would either lose the paper or it'd get sick of the shifting pile of junk gathering on my desk. Finally, my husband mentioned Microsoft OneNote to me. I create tabs and keep all kinds of notes about each of my novels. I keep names, outlines, and research info there. So if I forget names or plot ideas, it's all there together. I love the convenience of it. And when I'm all done, it's fun to go back and look at the ideas and see what did and didn't make it into the story.

Editing Again

The Matchmaker was accepted at Sugar and Spice. I'll begin the first round of editing tonight.

Finished

I finished The Matchmaker this morning. Guess I'll take a bit of a breather before delving into some sequels. This chair has got to be tired of my bottom.

Inspiration

I am very close to finishing my next novella. Honestly, I thought I'd be finished a couple of weeks back. I have this issue that when I am close to finishing one work, my mind suddenly becomes consumed with the idea for another story. So I have to take time out and get the other idea at least partially saved. At the moment, I have three or four distracting ideas bouncing around in my head. (Sequels to Acting Witchy, Whimsy, and a few other random thoughts that keep popping up.) These ideas come from other books that I read or movies and television. I often think, "But what if it had happened this way instead?" or "What if this had happened?" Then I have to think of a reason as to why it would have happened that way. 

My next novella will be entitled The Matchmaker. I can't recall the inspiration for this particular story. It's the combination of several ideas. When next I update, I hope to be able to say that it's complete and that I've submitted it for publication.

Excerpt from Acting Witchy

The following is an except from Acting Witchy. It's between the main characters Mystique Gray and Sean Savage. This is a different and longer excerpt from the one posted elsewhere. Enjoy.

     They ate in silence for a while. Finally, he asked, “Why don’t you like me?”

     Her lovely eyes narrowed. They were so dark and contrasted sharply with her pale creamy skin. “Are we in kindergarten?” She drank from her water bottle, leaving an appealing sheen of moisture on her full lips. His cock jumped. He’d been hard since he walked through the door. Never had a woman done so little and made him so horny.

     “Come on. It’s killing me.”

     She shrugged, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Sometimes personalities just don’t click.”

     “That’s bullshit. You didn’t like me before we met. And it’s frustrating as hell since I like you.”

     She inhaled sharply. “You don’t know me. You just want to…”

     He grinned. “I want to what?”

     “Let’s not play games, Sean. It’s obvious you’re pursuing me for sex. I’ve done what you wanted. I’m in your film. It stops there.”

     She stood. He caught her hand when she would have walked away. “I could let it go at that if I didn’t know you wanted me as much as I want you.”

     “You’re delusional. I feel nothing for you.”

     “God, your mouth is so sexy. Even when it’s spewing lies.”

     She wet her lips and he groaned. “Let me go.”

     Ignoring her, he tugged until she was on her knees before him. His eyes dropped to the exposed curves of her breast. He couldn’t help it. “Prove it to me,” he challenged, his gaze meeting hers. “Prove you don’t want me.”

     “No thanks. I have nothing to prove to you.”

     “Then I guess you’ll have to deal with me asking you out every chance I get.”

     “The answer will always be no.”

     He arched a brow. “You didn’t let me finish. I’ll keep hounding you to do movies with me, spend time with me, and more.” He looked at her breasts again, this time letting his gaze linger. “Hitting on you. And all the while, I’ll believe that it’s what you want since you can’t or won’t prove otherwise.”

     “Fine! How do I prove to you the level of apathy I feel for you?”

     “Let me kiss you.”

     “No.”

     “You can’t handle one kiss?”

     “What will one kiss prove?”

     “That you’re unmoved by me. If my kiss has no effect on you, then I’ll know.”

     “Are you forgetting that we’ve kissed before?”

     “No. And I’m betting you haven’t forgotten either. That kiss has haunted me,” he said truthfully. The remembrance of her lips beneath his had fueled many fantasies. But that was over a month ago. He needed more.

     “How will you tell if it’s affected me?”

     “You’ll tell me.” She was going to agree. His heart thumped with the possibility. “So what do you say?”

     “I can’t believe this,” she muttered. “All right. One kiss. That’s it. You keep your hands to yourself.”

     “I can’t kiss you if I can’t hold you.” He thought quickly. “Sit on my lap. I’ll keep my hands on the floor.”

     Her irritation was palatable. “Fine. Let’s just get it over with.” She waited for him to press his hands palm down onto the floor before straddling him. She shot him a glare as she came into contact with the thick bar of his erection. She adjusted herself so that she was no longer covering his cock.

     “Sorry. Damn, no I’m not. You affect me that way.” He lifted his mouth to hers. She didn’t pull away but made no attempt to meet him halfway. “By the way,” he whispered, “I plan to use my tongue.” His lips touched hers and as with the last time, he felt an immediate electric connection with her. He tilted his head and painted the seam of her lips with his tongue. She denied him entry. He increased his pressure and tried again. He groaned as she continued to resist. “God, Myst, open to me,” he muttered against her lips. It was a demand, not a plea. His voice was thick with lust and he couldn’t control it. She brought out the predator in him.

     She obeyed and he thrust his tongue inside to taste her. She moaned and fitted her mouth more closely with his. The sound of her pleasure made him want to come in his pants. He arched his hips and she slid forward, slamming into contact with his throbbing dick. He swallowed her cry. He hoped it was pleasure and not shock that caused her to make that sound.

     His tongue was wild in her mouth. He wanted to taste every inch of her. He wanted to strip her bare, suck her nipples, lick her sweet pussy. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she moved on him, dry humping him. God, he wanted to fuck her, drive his cock as deep into her tight pussy as possible.

     He dug his hands into the carpeting to keep his promise not to touch her. The kiss went on and on. The room was filled with the sounds of their heightened breathing and their moans. He knew he had to call a stop to this soon. He was going to come in his pants. He pulled back and she followed him, her hands cupping his cheeks.

     Finally, he ripped his mouth away. “Shit,” he growled. “Let me fuck you.”

1 Day Until Acting Witchy

Acting Witchy is released tomorrow but is currently available for purchase at Evernight Publishing. I'm always nervous whenever a new book is released. To keep busy, I'm trying to work on my next project. Since AW is a paranormal romance, I'm working on a normal contemporary romance for my next novel. Never fear, I haven't forgotten about a Whimsy sequel.

Release Date

The release date for Acting Witchy is April 3! I just got the release date today. Edits were few but I was pleasantly surprised that it could be out so soon.

Acting Witchy

I've always been honest and can barely keep a secret because I like to share. So here's the new cover art for Acting Witchy followed by its blurb.

Actor Sean Savage can’t take his mind off of fellow movie star Mystique Gray. He won’t give up until she agrees to work with him.  Sean soon realizes she’s the woman for him. Unfortunately, she hates him and he can’t understand why.

Mystique Gray is an up and coming actress. She’s never met the handsome heartthrob Sean Savage, but she knows a secret about the famous actor that no one else knows: Sean Savage is a witch. She gives in to his request to do his movie, but she’s determined to keep their relationship strictly professional. Letting him close could be dangerous for her heart-and his safety. 

Acting Witchy

Ever since I read The Changeover by Margaret Mahy in middle school, I've been fascinated with witches. So in my next book I decided to create my own tale about witches. It's called Acting Witchy. It's been accepted by Evernight. I'll update with a blurb when the publication date nears.

Behind Every Story is a Story

Since Tanner Bride Tales is just out, I thought I’d tell a bit about the creative process behind my books. Some of you may find this completely boring. Hopefully not. If you do, the pain will be blissfully short since I only have three books out. I’ll try to keep it brief. I promise once I get this out of my system, I’ll do a post about the next book I’m writing.

I actually began writing Friends about six years ago. I know that’s a long time. I tend to write in segments of what interests me so the first part I ever wrote was the morning after scene where Kayla and Josh are arguing at his house after he catches her attempting to sneak out. I went back later and wrote the beginning. The end scene with Josh’s ex came shortly after. And then I stopped working on it for five years. I had a baby and started working full time. I eventually found the motivation to finish it and submitted it. And was turned down. So I submitted it to another publisher and was over the moon when Sugar & Spice accepted it for publication. At the suggestion of my editor Brieanna, I extended the ending. I happened to be listening to Sigur Ros at the time to put me in that romantic mood and out of it came Josh and Kayla’s wedding. I first heard “Hoppipola” at the end of the romantic comedy Penelope with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy and fell in love with it instantly. I use it as my ringtone. It’s a great movie and a great song. If you like fairy tales, you’ll love it. It was the kind of happy ending I wanted for Josh and Kayla.

I began Winning Dawn shortly after submitting Friends last January. I wanted to create an attraction between Dawn and Evan without her cheating on her boyfriend. For the most part, I wrote the story straight through with little deviation. The part where Dawn begins to suspect that she’s pregnant after becoming nauseous at the smell of coffee was inspired by my own pregnancy. Though I wasn’t fortunate enough to have another pregnant woman around to tell me why the smell of coffee was making me sick. I was so worried after completing it that readers would not like it.

Whimsy began about six years ago. I was excited about writing a story that had a full figured African American princess being the desire of a King. I finished about a third of it before I hit the wall and couldn’t seem to add anything to the story that I wanted to keep. So, like Friends, it sat unfinished for five years.  I finished it shortly after completing Winning Dawn. I was shocked at how quickly Evernight Publishing accepted it. I expected to wait for weeks.

Getting published has been a dream come true for me. I’ve been writing since high school. Until now, it’s just been for me. This is going to sound strange, but I can write a story and completely forget it. I can read older stories of mine as though someone else wrote it. I’ll think, “Wow, I wonder where this is going.” So I’d like to say thank you to all the readers who gave me someone to share my stories with. Thank you!

Received My Copies!

I received my copies of Tanner Bride Tales today! They're so glossy and pretty.

Book Available

So I was over at Amazon.com again. It's a daily visit. I've loved their site for years. Tanner Bride Tales is available for $12.99. Just a reminder, this is the print version of Friends and Winning Dawn.

Here's the blurb:

     Brothers Joshua and Evan Tanner have problems. They’re in love with cousins Kayla Lawrence and Dawn Smith.

     When Kayla Lawrence wakes up in her best friend’s arms after a night of hot sex, she wants to pretend that it never happened. Joshua has wanted Kayla since the moment they met. Now he just has to convince Kayla that he’s relationship material.
     Dawn Smith has recently broken up with her long-time boyfriend. The last man she’s interested in is Evan Tanner, her cousin’s rude and annoying brother-in-law. Evan Tanner was burned by a bad marriage and is no longer interested in commitment. While his mind keeps telling him to walk away, the hunger he feels for Dawn cannot be ignored. But winning Dawn will be anything but easy. 

Tanner Bride Tales

My editor at Sugar and Spice tells me that I'll be receiving my copies of Tanner Bride Tales soon. I checked over at Amazon.com and you can request to be e-mailed when it becomes available for purchase. I found it by searching "Tanner Bride Tales" though it is listed as "The Tanner Brides Tales." Not sure why.

My hubby asked if I was going to sign my copies. I've always had problems writing in books. It just seems wrong.

Whimsy is Everywhere!

Wow, Evernight is fantastic. Whimsy is everywhere! I've seen it at amazon.com and at allromanceebooks.com. If you buy it from the Evernight Publishing site you get a bit of a discount. Happy reading!

Whimsy

Whimsy is available for purchase at Evernight Publishing. I love their site. Check it out for an excerpt.

Tanner Bride Tales Cover

Here's the cover for Tanner Bride Tales, the print copy of Friends and Winning Dawn.

Cover Proof

I received the proof for the cover of Tanner Bride Tales today. It's the print copy of Friends and Winning Dawn combined. Can't wait to get my copy. Aside from my husband, no one in my immediate family has actually read any of my books because they don't own Kindles or Nooks. My sister is afraid of her computer and only my nephew uses it.

I'll update when I receive a release date.

Slacking Off

I've been slacking off this week. I totally blame Eve Langlais. I've read four of her books back to back in the last few days and have gotten almost no work done. It started with His Teddy Bear and The Geek Job and moved on from there. Sigh...