Devil Without a Cause - First Review!

I know it's almost Halloween, and I am the last ghoul in the world to want to rush past it, but I find myself already looking forward to summer. Why? Because I have a brand-new series coming out, the Devil's Bargain series, with begins with the release of Devil Without a Cause on May 31st, 2011.  To my surprise (and very great pleasure!), I just got my very first comments about it from an author I really admire:

Devil Without a Cause is a smouldering blend of darkness and sensuality, with a villain so unique, he gave me nightmares AND fantasies. Erotic, alluring and edgy, I couldn't put this book down!"

-- Jeaniene Frost, NYT bestselling author

Pretty cool, huh?  For an avid "Bones" fangirl like me, that's quite an endorsement!  :-)

Those of you who are familiar with my past books might remember the character of Sammy (Satan) Divine.  Oh, that Sammy... he's got a story to tell, that one. And he's determined to tell it his own way, in his own time, with a wicked wink, a killer grin and a bad boy swagger. Once divine, now cast down, forever blamed for the seduction of Eve and the destruction of Paradise, the angel once known as Samael has his own version of mankind's fall from grace, believing he was the one tempted. Earthbound and damned, he's lurked in the shadows for centuries, tormenting the humans he felt were responsible for the loss of his wings.

Now he has a chance to do something about it by taking on the job for which he was originally created -- that of a guardian angel -- but will the lure of Darkness be too strong? John Milton said: 'Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven', and now Sammy has to decide the truth of that for himself.

Having always been fascinated by legends and stories surrounding Satan's Biblical fall from grace, I'm excited to be able to be able to do some of my own worldbuilding around the arrogant fallen angel whose lust for the flesh led him to defy his creator. Where does he go when he's not tempting or tormenting some poor hapless female? *wink* Who (and what) are the creatures that surround him in his Kingdom of Darkness?

Even more intriguing, how do they feel when their Dark Prince is the one being tempted?

The cover art has yet to be finalized, unfortunately, but Devil Without a Cause just went up on Amazon as available for pre-order. (Always a cool moment for an author!)   If you'd like to read more about Sammy Divine, pop over to my website and read an exclusive EXCERPT from Devil Without a Cause.  Stop by my Halloween contest page while you're at it - I'm giving away some awesome stuff this year in honor of the spooky season!  Good luck and Happy Halloween, everyone!

Got Some Time To Kill Before Halloween?

Read.

Roses to Die For: A Skull n' Roses Wreath!

Next up in my ghoulishly grand Halloween giveaways is this awesome Skull n' Roses wreath and garland.

(Drawing to be held October 15th, 2010)

(**PLEASE NOTE that this is not the exact same wreath and garland I'm giving away, but it's very, very close.)

I love this wreath! I gave one like this away a couple of years ago, and so many people wanted it that I found another, and decided to do it again!

Blood-red roses, blackened skulls, black foliage, and some glitter.

What's not to love? :-)

Throw in a couple of black candles and you have everything you need for some deliciously Gothic decorating!

Want to win it? Click the link*!:

PLEASE ENTER ME FOR THIS WREATH!

*Entering any of these contests will automatically add you to my quarterly newsletter list, to keep you informed of new releases.

Grover Takes On The Old Spice Guy

Given that it's close to Halloween, and that Grover is a monster, I think this qualifies as a Halloween funny. Made me laugh!

There's More to Life Than Monster Mash

Ever tried to find Halloween music that someone might actually want to hear?  The Halloween party CDs I see in the stores make me cringe - it's all "Monster Mash", "Werewolves of London", the theme from the Addams Family, or worse yet, exaggerated groaning and creaking from recordings that someone likely made back in the 50's.  Since I like to have music playing while scarfing down handing out candy to the local kidlets, I decided to make my OWN playlist of groovy, somewhat spookily themed music, all of which is easy on the ears (pointed or otherwise).  Here's a sample -- take a second to listen to Lullaby, by the Cure, as you read through the playlist:

Lullaby by The Cure
Devils by The 69 Eyes
Lucretia, My Reflection by Sisters of Mercy
Funhouse by P!nk
Put Your Lights On by Santana
Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo
Voodoo by Godsmack
Transylvania by Creature With the Atom Brain
My Last Breath by Evanescence
Creep by Radiohead
Dead Girls Are Easy by The 69 Eyes
She's Only Evil by Alien Ant Farm
She's My Ride Home by Blue October
Night Watch The 69 Eyes

If you haven't heard these songs, I'd urge you to do so. They have ambience that's perfectly suited to the spooky season, without being cliche'. I particularly recommend anything on this list by The 69 Eyes, She's Only Evil by Alien Ant Farm, and Transylvania by Creature With the Atom Brain (spookily trance-like, and very cool).  All available in video form on YouTube, and available for download.

Happy Halloween listening, ghoulfriends!

Happy Halloween from Me to You!

**WINNER ALERT**:  Congratulations to Elizabeth Mize of Raleigh, NC, who won the drawing on October 8th, 2010 for this cool Halloween Basket of Books!

Trick or treat, my pretties!!  My first ghoulish giveaway of the year is this Spooky Basket full of books and music, featuring some awesome paranormal reads and music by The 69 Eyes!  How to win?  Read on!

A Spooky Basket stuffed with books and other goodies!

(Drawing to be held October 8th, 2010)

Includes books:

DARK DAYS AND WICKED NIGHTS
(multi-author sampler)
A PASSION FOR THE PARANORMAL
(multi-author sampler)
DEMON NIGHT by Meljean Brook
DARK HUNGER by Christine Feehan
(anime version!)
THE BECOMING by Jean C. Stein
HEART OF THE WOLF by Terry Spear

Some awesome music:

BACK IN BLOOD by The 69 Eyes,
featuring my favorite song
"DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY"

And special goodies and candies:

Limited Edition beaded bookmark
Bat tombstone
Coffin tin full of mints
Marshmallow Vampire pop
Eyeball lollipop
Halloween Candy sticks
"What's up, ghoulfriend?" pin
"Raise a little hell with Nicki Styx" magnet

PLEASE ENTER ME FOR THIS BASKET!*

*Entering this contest automatically adds you to my mailing list.

How I Spent My September Vacation

I promised more pics of my recent trip to the English countryside, but got sidetracked with personal matters, including the passing of my elderly Siamese cat.  Maddie almost made it to the ripe old age of 20, but decided to take a well-earned rest instead.  RIP, Maddie girl.

Our first day in England was spent with friends, Anna and Keith Sugden, who were kind enough to pick us up at Gatwick airport, and whisked us off to their home in the village of Great Shelford, on the outskirts of Cambridge.  Here we were introduced to the slower, calmer pace of life in an English town. Tidy little homes and colorful, overflowing gardens; a semi-communal vegetable garden where the locals zealously tend their assigned plots, lots of walkers, runners, bikers, and its own charming pub. 

The next morning we drove from Cambridge to the tiny seaside town of Aldeburgh, overlooking the North Sea.  It was cold and brisk, covered with smooth stones that would one day be but tiny grains of sand. When we got too cold we wandered up to the very quaint and charmingly tiny High Street, where I had my first taste of fish and chips, made with fish caught fresh that morning.  Then it was back to Great Shelford, with a stop for tea and a visit to an absolutely beautiful church in the village of Whittlesford. Some of my favorite pictures of the trip were of the graveyard, but the memory chip containing those pictures seems to have been lost. (Waaah!)

The following day was all about Cambridge, which we explored both in our rental car and on foot.  A busy, bustling college town filled with incredibly impressive buildings dating to the fifth century, narrow cobblestone lanes, and lush, carefully tended grounds and gardens. (Those pictures were lost, too.  (Double waah!!)

Then we got in our rental car and went gallivanting off to the rural region of England known as the Cotswalds.  We spent the next three days relaxing at The Swan (shown on right), a gorgeous old inn that was once a 17th century coaching inn, on the banks of the River Coln.  And yes, there were swans at the Swan.  :-)


We hiked, visited a trout farm, stuffed ourselves with scones, tea and sandwiches, explored the countryside, and wound up in the absolutely charming little village of Cirencester, where we visited the beautiful St. John the Baptist Church, the Corinium Museum (Cirencester was the "Roman capital" of England during the 1st through 3rd centuries, complete with a working amphitheatre).  Parts of the ancient Roman wall surrounding the town still stand.

After a few days of this, it was back to our friend's home in Great Shelford, where we undertook the grand adventure of a train ride from Cambridge to London.

On a typically rainy English day, we arrived at St. Pancras station and walked across London, past red double decker buses and black cabs and perfectly groomed green squares and gardens, to the amazingly awesome British Library. 

There we saw original works by Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Lewis Carroll, viewed incredibly detailed and colorful illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages, and even saw the original Magna Carta.  Being a big fan of HBO's series, The Tudors, I think my favorite thing was seeing the well-worn prayer roll of King Henry the VIII, which he handled every single morning while doing his devotionals.  After chopping off a couple of his wive's heads, he obviously felt the need for a lot of prayer.  :-)

From there it was on to the much celebrated (and rightly so!) British Museum, where we saw mummies, artifacts and historical treasures spanning well over two thousand years worth of history. 

Here I am examining the remains of a man buried in a peat bog during the Iron Age. (Fascinating! That man had a story to tell, and the author in me would love to write it!) The mummies were pretty amazing as well, and so were the bits of gold, silver, pottery and sculpture left behind by Greeks, the Romans, the Vikings, the Celts, the Mesopotamians and the Etruscans, and various other ancient civilizations (too many to see in one day!)

The best part of the trip, though, was the company.  I got to spend time with my dear friend Anna (here we are soaking up some literary vibes in London):

And these two handsome blokes, who for some reason, followed us everywhere :-):



All in all, a truly wonderful time, some great memories, and worth those incredibly long 9 hour flights both ways.  Still recovering from the jet lag, though!  It was a long-awaited and much enjoyed vacation, but now it's time to get back to the real world... Book #2 in the Devil's Bargain series isn't finished yet, and Halloween is coming up!!

God Save The Queen, and Pass Me A Biscuit

I just flew in from London, and boy, are my arms tired.

(Aw, c'mon... so I felt the need for some corny American humor! The British version is very dry and often hard to understand!)

The reality is that I just got back from 10 beautiful, wonderful days on a pleasure trip to England. I was soothed by the beauty of the countryside, and amazed by the industrial bustle of cities like London and Cambridge.  I was awed by the history of it's cathedrals, cemeteries and museums, impressed by the order and the architecture, and happy to be coddled by afternoon tea.  I enjoyed the company of old friends, and was very pleased to make the acquaintance of new ones.  I ate far too much and slept far too little, and read a total of five different novels while traveling or just lazing about.

It was glorious, and as soon as I've got myself all sorted out, I'll post pictures.  :-)

Zombies: They're Not Just For Halloween Anymore

Zombies. They're everywhere these days, aren't they? From PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES to this annual "Thrill the World" event, where people all over the globe dress in zombie costumes and dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller", in an annual attempt to break the Guinness World Record for "largest simultaneous Thriller dance":



23,000 people danced last year, all while dressed as rotting, slavering, spastic dead people. (Looks like fun, but I don't really get the rotting, slavering part, because I am a big scaredy-cat weenie, and people who look like they want to eat my brains freak me out.) :-)

The modern day conception of zombies usually involves either some kind of deadly virus, or a post-apocalyptic disaster involving radiation (who hasn't seen 28 Days Later--great zombie movie!) but did you know that the true origin of the zombie mythos lies not with science, but with voodoo?

While I was writing my first novel, DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, I did a lot of research into the exact nature of the whole 'Night of the Living Dead' thing. Voodoo priests and priestesses (called houngans, or mambos) could supposedly re-animate the dead by forcing a a living person's spirit to enter a dead body. The reanimated body was called the cheval, or the "horse", as it was merely a vessel for the soul to "ride" as long as it remained in the physical world. The person whose soul had been stolen would then become a zombie of a sort as well, a mere shell of who they'd been before, susceptible to the will of the priest or priestess. Two zombies for the price of one: a dead, rotting re-animated corpse, and a healthy, soul-less slave to evil. Scary, huh? :-)

For the record, I don’t believe that corpses can be re-animated. But I do believe the spirit is eternal, and I do believe evil exists, so the concept of creating zombies through some kind of soul transfer makes a weird kind of sense, doesn't it?

Aw, c'mon... it's just as valid a concept as viruses or radiation!

Zombies. They're the new black, and they're not just for Halloween anymore.

Freedom Playground - Where Kids Are Free to Be

I am so proud of my friend Stefani Busansky that I just had to share this video clip with you (at right are Stefani's two children, Claire and Sarah).  Sarah (11), who is bright and sweet and very funny, was born with cerebral palsy. Stefani, like most moms, wanted nothing more than to see her laugh and play and be a kid, despite her mobility limitations.

So Stefani, instead of complaining about it, DID something about it, and founded the non-profit Freedom Playground Foundation, single-handedly raising $500,000 toward a brand-new "barrier-free" children's playground. That money was then matched by the city, and Freedom Playground was officially opened to the public two years ago. Stefani's fund-raising efforts didn't stop there, though, as she now works full time spawning an entire series of all-access playgrounds throughout the city.



This month, on behalf of LaVoy Exceptional Center, a public school that provides educational and life skills programs for students with disabilities, Stefani and Sarah will travel 1900 miles from Tampa to Minnesota in a fundraising "Wheel-A-Thon" to raise funds for a sensory garden and natural play area at LaVoy.

Since the trip will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities act, Stefani and Sarah will be visiting hotels, restaurants, attractions and recreational areas and reporting on accessibility—the good and the bad—on Facebook and Twitter.

They had a big kick-off party this morning at the playground, complete with pancakes, comedians and lots of laughing, smiling kids.  I'd never ask anyone to donate for anything I don't believe in with my whole heart, but if you'd like to help a few more kids laugh, consider making a donation yourself, by clicking on THIS LINK, or go visit the Freedom Playground Foundation for more info.

Thanks, and have a great Labor Day weekend!!

Win A "Come To The Dark Side, We Have Cookies" T-shirt!

You've signed up for my newsletter, right?

Because if you have, you're already eligible to win one of these cool t-shirts, the first of which I'm giving away on Sunday, August 15th (winner's choice of M or L).

What? You say you're not signed up for my newsletter, which I only send out 3 or 4 times a year, merely to keep readers informed of new releases, signings and appearances (with subscriber drawings for signed Advance Reader Copies, some Halloween madness, and other cool stuff thrown in)? 

Geez. Have you been living under a rock or something?

Anyway, if you want this cool t-shirt (and why wouldn't you?), or any of the fascinating, scintillating information listed above, or just want a chance to win stuff related to my books year round, go ahead and

I'll be giving away FOUR of these shirts over the next 6 months, the details which you can read about on my Contest Page (if you're so inclined), or just click the green button above and be done with it (if you're not).

Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated.  The dark side awaits...

Good luck, and have a ghoulishly great Friday the 13th!

From "Writer" to "Author": the FAQ's of My Writing Career

While I was in Orlando for the recent RWA conference, I did an interview with a reporter from local newspaper, the West Orange County Times.  It reinforced what I already knew, which is that people are often more interested in the story BEHIND how a writer becomes an author, and how we, as individuals, go about our process. So, just in case you're totally bored and have nothing to do this afternoon :), here's a list of the questions I get asked most frequently, and how I answer them:

How did you get started in the publishing business?

I decided back in 2001 that if I was truly going to succeed as a novelist, I needed to educate myself about the industry. I got on the Internet and discovered Romance Writers of America—they were having a conference in New Orleans that year, and it seemed like the perfect place to start. (The Garden District, the Cajun cuisine, Jackson Square… all of it dear to this Southern girl’s heart.) So, not knowing a soul, not knowing a query from a question mark, a synopsis from a synonym or “category” from cat food :), I registered, got on a plane and went to every workshop I possibly could, soaking it all up like a sponge.

I’ll be honest with you—it was baffling. It was overwhelming. It was more scary than the tour I took one afternoon of the local cemeteries and voodoo shops! :) So much to learn, so much to sift through. But it was also inspiring – I met so many women who were excited and enthused and interested in what they were doing. I remember seeing all the women in their beautiful dresses heading toward the RITA and Golden Heart Awards ceremony, and thinking how very special it must feel to be nominated for an award like that. It was truly a dream come true to be one of those women seven years later!

Lest you think I stopped there, forget it - that was just where the journey began.  I spent the next five years honing my craft, learning the hard way all the things I didn't know by sweating my way through four (as still unpublished) manuscripts, entering writing contests and learning from the feedback, submitting proposals to agents and editors and getting rejected, and in short, immersing myself in the CRAFT of writing bigger and better books.  Publishing isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're a writer, you write, you take your lumps and your disappointments, and then you write some more.

Any surprises? Biggest challenge so far?

I’d have to say that the biggest surprise for me was learning how little control an author has over the actual “marketing” of their book once it’s been sold. The cover, the title, the release date, the back cover copy—all the things that you envision as you’re writing it become subject to the decisions made by your publisher and their team of experts. My publisher, Avon HarperCollins, has been absolutely wonderful about allowing me input in all those areas, but the ultimate decisions are always up to them.

The biggest challenge? I’d say coming to the realization that once you’ve finished that book, you really need to get busy on the next one! We focus so hard on getting published—I think in order to truly succeed, you have to realize that as an author, your job is never really done. The book may be done, but your job as a storyteller isn’t. There are people out there who are clamoring for more stories!

What is the best part of being a novelist?

You mean besides hanging out with Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp? Fielding movie offers? Dodging the paparazzi? :-D The best part of being a novelist (besides making my own schedule and making up stories like the fairy tale above), is knowing that there are people out there who are reading and enjoying my work. The emails I get from readers, the fun I have knowing I’ve made people laugh and taken them out of their daily routine, if only for a little while, is by far the best part for me.

What’s the average day in the writer’s life look like for you? Are you scheduled and organized or are you more the “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” type?

I’m an “early-to-bed-early-to-rise” type who finds herself much more creative and productive in the morning than in the afternoon. I don’t have a set schedule, but after breakfast with my husband, I take a power walk with the dog and then sit down to work at my desk. I take a short break for lunch (usually reading while I eat), and then I’m back to work. I’m still there at 5:00, but I have a harder time focusing in the late afternoon, so lots of times I find myself blog surfing, answering emails or shopping online by then. (Don’t tell my editor!)

What are your inspirations for your stories? Any tips and tricks for someone who is stuck?

I get inspired by great settings or quirky things and/or people. I’m a big believer in the “real life is stranger than fiction” example. I find music is a great way to get my mind going, but I absolutely can’t have music playing while I write—I need quiet for that. Sometimes, to get the creative juices flowing, I do a very small collage at the start of each book, with pictures and phrases that represent what I’m “going for” in that particular story. I keep it by my monitor until the manuscript is finished.

Have you had a mentor, critique group or teacher that has helped you get where you are today? Have you been a mentor to someone else?

I’ve never had a mentor, but I’ve had a couple of really wonderful authors who encouraged me along the way, particularly NYT best-selling romantic suspense author Mariah Stewart. We were total strangers when we met at a conference in NJ, but she’d read my work in a contest. She took the time to sit down and give me some excellent career advice, which led (by a bit of a roundabout route) to me signing with my agent. I strongly believe that having a great literary agent is a necessity in this business.

The amazingly intelligent Madeline Hunter also took the time to do an in-depth written critique of one of my manuscripts, followed by a one-on-one career planning session when we happened to meet in person at a conference.  Her encouragement that I actually had the ability to succeed as a writer was key to me pushing forward until it became a reality.

As for critique partners, I've had some wonderful people who read my earlier work, and helped me make it better.  Since my editor is now the ultimate “critiquer” of my work, I don't have a "partner" per se, but I do have a dear friend I consider my "beta reader".  No scene by scene critiques - she'll read the finished novel and tell me if she sees any areas of weakness in the overall product. I’ve tried to “pay it forward” by acting as judge in writing contests, and try to be as encouraging and informative as possible to anyone who’s interested in writing.

What did it mean to you to be nominated for two different RITA awards? How did you feel when you got the call? And what do you think the RITA means for the romance novel genre?

Getting that phone call was one of the most exciting moments of my life—getting a second call fifteen minutes later was indescribable! I actually thought there’d been a mistake, and they’d notified me twice in error! It wasn’t until the very nice lady from RWA explained to me calmly that I’d finaled in two different categories (Best First Book and Best Paranormal Romance), that it sunk in. (Well, actually, it took another few minutes after I’d hung up to sink in… I think I was numb at that point!)

The RITA is the romance writing equivalent of the Oscar for actors, mainly because your work is judged and nominated by an anonymous jury of your peers.  Winning the RITA for Best First Book was incredibly humbling - a lot of good books come out every year, but somehow a book with a slightly scary cover and the odd title of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY managed to bring home the romance gold.  I'm grateful every day for the experience, and for the chance to share my stories with readers.

Bottom line, I love being a writer.  It's the greatest job on earth.

The 2010 Romance Writers of America Conference, or ..... "Why Are All These Women Smiling?"

This time last week I was packing for the biggest annual event in the romance writing industry, the 30th Romance Writers of America conference. Over 2000 women in attendance, members of a thriving organization of over 11,000 strong, talented women who write, or aspire to write, novels about true love and other disasters. :)

This year, the conference was held at the Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL. People complained about hot, painful reality of Florida in July, but the heat didn't bother me a bit; I never set foot outside until after dark! 

I really enjoyed laughing with old friends (the picture above is of some of my oldest and dearest pals from Writers At Play) and making new ones, like the uber-cool Juliana Stone (far left) and the amazingly awesome and energetic Joss Ware (far right).  Jules, Joss, Pam Palmer, Jocelynn Drake and I have joined collective paranormal/urban fantasy forces with like-minded authors from Avon, HarperTeen, William Morris and Eos, and formed a group blog and Facebook page called "The Supernatural Underground: Books That Go Bump In the Night".  If you like romantic reading material that includes vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, dragons, faeries, or the occasional post-apocalyptic hook-up, you should totally check us out.  :-) I'll be giving away a variety of hot and steamy paranormal reads autographed personally by these cool chicks in the week ahead!

At 5:30, we headed for the RWA Literacy booksigning, which was HUGE.  (Imagine a big, noisy room full of a thousand booklovers--readers, booksellers, fans, tourists--and over 500 authors, all talking at once.)  The proceeds from the book sales during that event are donated to literacy programs all over the country, designed to introduce others to the joy of reading. Over $55,000 was raised over the next two hours: a lot of books were signed, a lot of pictures were taken and a lot of friends were made!

The next day few days went by in a blur: a meeting with my agent, the lovely Christina Hogrebe; co-presenting a panel on the writing and cross-genre marketing of Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction Fantasy novels; discussing career plans and market trends with my writing friends; a publisher Open House signing where I literally signed and gave away 200 books; a publisher cocktail party at Epcot's Living Seas (which was awesome!); attended workshops on Bookseller Buying Habits with head buyers from Borders, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, as well as a Career Planning workshop headed by three of the industry's top literary agents.

To wrap it all up, I got to enjoy the incredible achievement of dear friend Beth Andrews, who walked away from the RITA award ceremony with her very own golden lady in the Series Contemporary category for her novel, A NOT-SO-PERFECT PAST, and the stellar achievements of Angi Morgan, who won a Golden Heart award for her soon to be published, SEE JANE RUN.  My friends and I celebrated into the night, taking pictures of us all glammed up, and knowing that as soon as we went to bed, our jam-packed fun would all be over.  We made sure to get our annual "leg shot", which pretty much guarantees writing success in the year to come (Hey, don't knock the tradition - it really seems to be paying off for me and my friends!).

I miss them already, and after a few good, solid nights worth of sleep, I'd be ready to do it all again!

Some Heartfelt Words For My iPad

Dear iPad,

I owe you an apology, complete with total honesty, much groveling, and a trail of sloppy wet kisses.

When I first heard of you, I scoffed (yes, scoffed!) at what your designers decided to call you.  I thought it was the silliest name for a product I'd ever heard (unless said product was for feminine protection), and considered it a marketing disaster.  Oh, how wrong I was, and how a-rose-by-any-other-name-is-still-as-sweet you turned out to be!

Our journey to find each other has been rife with mistakes and misconceptions, for which I take all the blame, and can only hope you'll forgive me. When I found myself on a plane, carrying two separate books so I wouldn't run out of reading material during the flight, and cursing the space they took up in my carry-on, I knew it was time to look into e-readers.  I flirted shamelessly with the Nook, and to my everlasting sorrow, even took up briefly with a *gasp - dare I say it?* Kindle.  I read one book on it, but please believe me when I tell you that it will NEVER happen again!  I was blinded by its popularity, much like that of a movie star who'd flashed a blindingly white electronic smile in my direction, but YOU... you, iPad, are the one for me.

The crystal clarity of your screen, the ability to change font styles, font sizing, screen brightness and direction... the exquisite sensitivity with which you respond to the touch of my finger as I flip the pages as though I were reading a real book instead of clicking a meaningless, annoying button... oh, iPad, how could I have been so wrong about you?  I even believed that stupid lie about how I'd have trouble reading you outside in the sunlight... can you ever forgive my gullible arrogance?

Instead of returning my callousness with cruelty, you gave me even more to love, meeting my needs in ways I'd only dreamt of having them met.  The ability to check my emails from anywhere - the airport, my car, the back seat of a cab... Facebook, Twitter, the Internet, all at my fingertips, in mere seconds!  That laptop that used to seem so wonderful has taken it's last road trip, replaced by your beautiful, streamlined simplicity.  Why, oh why, did I ever think I had to sign up for some expensive two-year cellular contract in order to have you for my own, when nothing could be further from the truth?  Yes, it's true that I paid more than I expected initially to in order to have that cellular convenience, but it wasn't your fault!  The ability to pay a small fee of $14.99 on a pay-as-I-go basis is completely and entirely worth it, and I know you won't be angry if I pay for it only when I travel.  The rest of the time you'll be perfectly content with me using free Wi-Fi, which is everywhere these days.

I love your flexibility, how you intuitively switch from landscape to portrait mode as I move, intuned, as it were, to my very thoughts.  I love how you're willing to flip yourself on your head for me if I wanted it, and how your buttons are exactly where they need to be for the convenience of my fingers.  I adore the rich depth of colors in your screen, and oh! the apps, my darling... the apps!  There is nothing I desire that you don't provide, including a slim outline and a light weight so that I can slip you into my purse and take you everywhere.  I'll never leave you alone again, dearest.

You had me at "Hello", iPad.  I only wish I hadn't taken so long to say it.

Readers and Writers at RomCon2010

I just returned from a fun, fabulous weekend in Denver, CO, attending the first annual RomCon Conference, hosted by Borders Books.  It was two days of non-stop talking, laughing, workshops, games and booksignings, and I enjoyed myself immensely, in large part because of the company I kept!

I kicked off the festivities on Friday by catching up with one of my favorite people, NYT bestselling author Anna Campbell.  Anna hails from the "land down under", and despite jet lag from her long trip from Australia, she was, as always, upbeat and full of giggles.  Anna and I discovered several years ago that we have a great deal in common, including a quirky sense of humor and a mutual love of fine red wine wine.  She was sweet enough to bring me a lovely bottle from her native land, which we made sure to find time to sample together!  (Thank you, Anna, and the next bottle's on me, luv!)

Right after that, I hooked up with fellow Avon author (and my personal favorite when it comes to tales of sexy vampires), NYT bestseller Jeaniene Frost.  If you haven't read any "Cat and Bones" books yet, you are missing out!  Spending time with Jeaniene was an absolute treat, as she is one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people you'll ever meet, and kept me in absolute stitches with her honesty and spontaneity (meaning you'll never know what's about to come out of her mouth!).  Despite numerous panels, workshops, meals and fan gatherings, she never lost her patience or her smile, and I came home feeling as though we'd been best buds for years.  (Miss you already, Jeaniene!) 

Here we are with our editor, Erika Tsang, who is the woman responsible for bringing you Jeaniene's Night Huntress series, as well as my Nicki Styx series.  Erika is also the one to thank for my upcoming Devil's Bargain series, featuring the character of Sammy (Satan) Divine, and many other great books you'll find on today's bookshelves  The woman knows her paranormals, and better yet, she knows how to take a good book and make the right editing suggestions to make it even better!
 

The three of us had a fabulous time hanging out together, particularly when we stumbled upon some life-size cutouts of a few "classic" romance novel poses, and took some ridiculous pictures of ourselves.  My favorite one is unfortunately on Jeaniene's camera (she owes me a copy of it, as it was TOO funny!), but this one on the left also cracked me up.  Do I look swept away by passion, or what?

Another fun event was the Masquerade Ball, during which people were invited to dress as they pleased.  Debut paranormal author Meagan Hatfield proved to be a ghoul after my own heart when she showed up in 19th century mourning clothes with her adorable baby, Zombie Zach.  (A puppet, incredibly lifelike and creepy!)

At any rate, I met so many readers and so many writers that I could go on for days, but I'm afraid I'd forget to mention someone, so I'll just say that it was fun, fabulous and exhausting.  I particularly enjoyed playing some of the reader participation games, including Monster Charades and Were-Squares, as well as coming home with more free books, bookmarks, candy and other goodies than were probably healthy for me (my suitcase was bursting at the seams, but it was hard to choose what to leave behind!). 

I'll leave you with this final picture, which is of some particularly interesting candy given away by a fellow author (and no, they're not rocket ships)!  We romance writers can be a naughty bunch, which is partly why reader/writer conferences like RomCon2010 are so much fun!

Hope you enjoyed this peek into my weekend, and don't forget - you can join in the fun next year at RomCon2011, which is open to anyone who loves a good book!

When In Vegas...

You should fall passionately in love with a completely unobtainable guy:

Enjoy fine wines:

Watch a volcano erupt:

See the Eiffel Tower:

Visit the canals of Venice:

Admire the Vegas Strip at night:

And see a comedy/juggling show like this one (watch it until the end - the guy's fabulous!):

Upcoming Signings and Events

The year's half over, and the busiest part of it lies ahead, at least for me.  I've got some conferences coming up, and if you're anywhere in the area while they're going on, please stop by and see me!

In July, I'll be in Denver for the RomCon Conference, a three-day readers/writers extravaganza hosted by Borders Books, which takes place July 9-11th.  I'll be signing books, chatting with readers, participate in reader roundtables and various Q&A sessions, plus taking part in various delightful silliness such as "Speed Date An Author".  Before the conference, I'll be spending a few days exploring the Rocky Mountains, hiking and white-water rafting (woohoo!).

Home for two weeks, then it's time for the annual Romance Writers of America Convention, being held  in Orlando, FL July 28-31st at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotel (yep, I'm going to Disney World!). This conference is the biggie of the industry: workshops, meetings, multiple booksignings, meetings with agents, editors and other industry professionals, and the ever-popular RITA and Golden Heart Awards. (Can't wait to see who wins this year!)

While I'm there, I'll be participating in a panel called "Why Be Normal When You Can Be Paranormal?: The Ongoing Appeal of Books That Go Bump In the Night" with best-selling paranormal romance/urban fantasy authors Jeaniene Frost, Kelley Armstrong, Joss Ware, Pamela Palmer and C.L. Wilson.

I'll also be signing books on Wednesday, July 28 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing, which is open to the public, and signing again on Friday, July 30 from 9:45 - 11:15pm at the Avon Book Signing.

In October, I'll be attending yet another conference, Necronomicon 2010, a science fiction, fantasy and horror convention being held in St. Petersburg, FL, Oct. 22 – 24th. I've never attended a conference like this one before, but it promises to be fun: panels, workshops, costume parties and ghoulishly themed get-togethers like the Eye Scream Social, a Scavenger Hunt, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog.  Sounds right up my spooky little alley, doesn't it?
 
Anyway, I'll be doing quick updates on Facebook and Twitter during all three conferences, so if you're in the area, give me a Tweet!

Join Me In The Supernatural Underground for Books That Go Bump In The Night!

Hear that creaking noise?  Is the door to an ancient crypt, or the slow opening of a coffin that's lain hidden for centuries? Shhh... that whisper... is it the wind, or the voices of lost and lonely souls, clamoring for your attention?

Nah, you guessed it... it's the gates to the Supernatural Underground, and I am SO excited to throw them open and let you all inside!

I've recently joined a group of best-selling HarperCollins authors, writing Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for adults and teens under the Avon, Eos, HarperTeen and William Morrow imprints, who've decided to band together to share our books and our love of the supernatural genre with like-minded readers.  After meeting each other at conference events, booksignings, cocktail parties and book tours, we discovered that not only did we actually like each other, we admired each other's work, and truly understood all the time and effort that goes into the writing life in a way perhaps no one else could.

Join us as we step from the shadows, ready to share our love of books that go bump in the night with you, the reader, in a series of individual author blogs in which we discuss our writing processes, our characters, our upcoming and past releases, our lives, our inspirations, our frustrations, hopes, plans, dreams... and maybe even our favorite brand of chocolate!  (Aw, c'mon... you knew there would be chocolate, right?)

We write about what we love, and for many of us, that love is rooted in our childhood...fairy tales, favorite books, horror movies, television. Take a second and think: what is it that first drew YOU toward the dark side?

Head on over to the Supernatural Underground, leave us a comment and let us know. We're kicking off the opening of the Supernatural Underground with a plethora of paranormal goodie giveaways starting with vampires, ghosts and post-apocalyptic romance:

An autographed set of Jeaniene Frost's NIGHT HUNTRESS series, complete with bookmarks!

An autographed set of Terri Garey's NICKI STYX series, complete with bookmarks!

An autographed set of the first three books in Joss Ware's ENVY CHRONICLES!

How do you enter?  It's easy, and there's tons of ways to earn extra chances at winning!  All the details can be found HERE.

Winners will be announced tomorrow, June 2nd, 2010, so get busy and spread the supernatural word! Open to US and International.

Stop by often throughout the month, as we'll be giving away more goodies on a daily basis than you can shake a gargoyle at, including books by Melissa Marr, Jocelynn Drake, Pamela Palmer, Vicki Petterson, Kerrelyn Sparks, Tracey O'hara, and many more!

Revise. Rinse. Repeat.

That's what I've been doing these days, revising. It's a normal part of the writing process, and in my humble opinion, it's what makes a book worth reading.

I know some writers who can whip through a manuscript from start to finish, and as soon as they write that last line, they're done. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), that is not me. :-)

I revise as I go along, deleting a sentence here, adding a sentence there, layering on emotion and thoughts and feelings, removing unnecessary details and striving for "less is more". Then, when I've polished it to the level I'm happy with, I send it to my editor, and guess what? She sends it back with suggestions on how to revise it even further. (This, as you might imagine, is both a blessing and a curse!) :-)

Thankfully-and I mean that sincerely-I almost always agree with her suggestions. Her main suggestion for my latest work, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE, was to add to the storyline of my favorite character, the Devil himself, Sammy Divine. "Oh, what a hardship!" I wailed gleefully, upon receiving the news.

So that's what I've been up to, and that's what I'll be up to through the month of May. In June, I'll be back online with a host of paranormal pals, when we kick off our new group blog, the Supernatural Underground: Books That Go Bump in The Night (see the post below for details, and click on the link for even more).

Happy May, and keep reading!

Books That Go Bump In the Night

One of the cool things about being a writer is getting to meet other writers, particularly when those other writers are the ones you truly love to read. Thanks to the initiative of the prolific and talented Pamela Palmer (who writes about feline shapeshifters for Avon, elves for Silhouette Nocturne, and time travel for Berkley), I'm about to embark on a joint blogging/Facebook adventure with some wicked cool paranormal/urban fantasy authors, which we're tentatively calling the "Supernatural Underground: Books That Go Bump In the Night".

Authors Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Dakota Banks, Colleen Gleason, Juliana Stone, Sharie Kohler, Tracey O'Hara, Merrie Destefano, Kimberly Derting, Pamela and I all write "books that go bump in the night" for our publisher, HarperCollins, under the Avon, Eos and HarperTeen imprints. Many are NYT best-selling, award-winning authors, and together, I honestly believe that we comprise the best of what the current paranormal/urban fantasy genre has to offer! (She says modestly.) :-) Demons, vampires, faeries, werewolves, shapeshifters... maybe even a zombie or two! We'll be blogging about what we're working on, what we're reading, holding contests and giveaways, and will hopefully soon be joined by occasional special guests like Lynsay Sands, Marjorie Liu, and Kerrelyn Sparks.

It's a supernatural smorgasbord! LOL

We're still working out the details, but are starting with a Facebook page, so click THIS LINK and join in the fun. You don't want to miss what we've got in store for our readers!