Monday, November 30, 2009

Vivalook!



Okay, so today I want to share something special with you all. A new site called Vivalook. Some of you might know this already, but for those who don't, my oldest has been interested in graphic design for quite awhile now. And because art has always been something that fascinates me I decided to interview her for TWW.




Thanks for being here! First, I want to know how you became interested in this particular field?



Well, it all started because my dad had put photoshop on the family laptop, which I've sort of claimed. I began exploring it and editing
my pictures for Myspace, and some of my friends who'd seen my work.

Where did that lead you?

When Dad saw some of my pictures he told me that people would pay to get their pictures retouched, etc.. He also said that people can't always figure out how to use photoshop. This kind of shocked me. I'd just assumed everyone who had a book cover or banner or just a picture done had done it themselves or someone very professional did it for them. So, he helped me set up a website and helped me organize all the things I am going to be doing.

For some people, creating a banner or retouching a picture is a time consuming endeavour. What is it about this sort of work that you like?

I enjoy doing it so much because it's like another way of expressing yourself. Plus, I'm 16 and I need a car, lol.

Is there something specific you enjoy doing the most? Is it the retouching, like changing the eye color or hair color, or is it something else?

I like starting from scratch. Like when I make a banner I'm using photoshop more, I'm not getting help from other pictures. It's sort of like taking a blank canvas and making it into something unique.

And what part of graphic design do you want to learn to do better?

I'd like to get better at animation and flash. There are a lot more options with animation and flash. It's not as limiting.

Thanks for answering my questions. I can't wait to see all the things you create in the future!

Thanks for reading! I hope I hear from you! :)

You can see Vivalook's portfolio here Also, be sure to check the Vivalok site often as more pictures will be added daily!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving




We're taking a little break here at Three Wicked Writers, but before we go, we wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We're so thankful for everyone who follows our blog, visits our blog and comments on our blog. We appreciate you all so much. You’ve given us a great year! Here’s to lots more years filled with humor, love, romance and of course naughty mischief!

Happy Thanksgiving and we'll see you back here on Monday! In the meantime, what are you thankful for this year?

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Crazy Holiday Stuff


Okay, I'll confess...I'm getting hungry already! When I went out to scope out pics today, my eyes zeroed in on this dinner pic and I just couldn't resist.

Things at our house are pretty crazy right now and about to get a whole lot more so. I've been to the grocery store and bought my recipe stuff but, as happens EVERY DAMN YEAR, I've of course forgotten a couple of things. So yeah, back to the store for me today among taking the dog to the groomer, baking, cleaning house, etc. I've been in and out of my car like a dang jack-in-the-box all morning running piddly little errands.

It's always like this. Just nuts. Of course, this isn't as crazy as Christmas but tons of work goes into a meal that will be finished in about 20 minutes.

The good news is my daughter will be in from college tonight...YAY!!! She has already told me she's starving and can't wait for our feast on Thursday. She is also chomping at the bit to help me cook some things. My son has to work and won't be coming in until Friday so I'm boo-hooing a little about that. These things tend to happen when our kids become adults so I'm bracing myself for the day they'll be married and spreading their time between two households. Must admit I dread that so I'm trying not to think about it. sigh.

I remember the early years of our marriage, splitting everything up and I hated it. Let's face it. Two thanksgiving dinners with all the trimmings with two families. We needed to be carried home in a damn truck. As our families became more spread out and our parents grew older, it just made sense to have the dinner at our house. Much easier. At least for us.

This is my last post until after Thanksgiving, so please, have a good day with family and friends. Be safe if you're traveling. I'll end by saying that I'm thankful for so many things. My family, my friends, my home and my career. It's been a great year with many things for which to be thankful. Hugs and much love to you all.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Anyone feel like drooling??

I'm a little late posting today.
So, to apologize I decided to find something tasty for you all.

Sorta like offering brownies as a way of saying I'm sorry, I give you...beefcake.


First we have Crème Brûlée...a, nice hard layer, but with a rich creamy center



Chocolate Mousse...smooth, dark, and definitely decadent
Bundt Cake...perfectly sculpted and goes great with coffee



Last, but not least!
Cannoli...exotic, a bit of a guilty pleasure...but it's sure to be a treat to bite into!
am I forgiven? *grin*



Friday, November 20, 2009

And So It Begins...

Must confess I'm really in the mood for the holidays this year. Maybe it has something to do with missing my kids since they are both off in college and I don't get to see them nearly as much as I'd like. I don't know. I just signed a new contract and I'm currently buried deeply in another WIP but I finally shook loose the other day and hit the grocery store. Bought all my Thanksgiving stuff except for a few small items that must be last minute.

When I was little, we had this really big family. We'd meet up every Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's house and everyone would bring a 'dish'..you know, something to add to the giant mix that was Thanksgiving Dinner. The adults would sit at one big table with us kids relegated to 'small tables' somewhere else. I think my Grandma felt sorry for us being consigned to 'no man's land' and was continually popping up to see if we were okay, to ask if everything was 'good' and did we need anything. Such a sweetheart.

I was always one of those kids who liked to hang out and listen to the adults so being 'set apart' bugged the hell out of me. Back then, I promised myself I would never do that to my kids and I have to say, I never did. Granted we have a really small family now but my kids have always been in on the action. What they had to contribute to the conversation has always been just as important (and maybe even more so) than what the adults were talking about.

Ah, I digress, the wisdom of children is a topic for another day. These days my family is very small. Extended family lives miles and miles away. It's sad but a fact of life for us. I do all the cooking for Thanksgiving dinner and have for many years. Part of the reason is that I LOVE to cook. Love, love, love it. We have the exact same meal every year and it doesn't bother anyone. They are recipes that have been handed down to me from my grandmother and my mother and they are things...rich and fattening...that my family has come to expect. Every year we'll sit around, just before Thanksgiving and I'll always say....sooooo, what do YOU want for Thanksgiving dinner. The kids will begin by saying...oh THIS is my favorite or THAT is my favorite or Mom? Can you fix TWO of those this year? It's actually a pretty funny conversation because they already KNOW what I'll be cooking but they never fail to play along.

I have found over the years that my husband and I have developed our own traditions. He is in charge of the meat. He is a man after all, and men get into that. Every year, without fail, he smokes big turkey breasts and I do the rest. I'll bake pies the weekend before Thanksgiving (yes, you all now know what I'll be doing Sunday afternoon) and will fix up assorted things every day from then until dinner next Thursday.

Do you have certain traditions you observe for this holiday? I'll confess, it's my favorite. Nothing more wonderful than sitting with the family for a nice meal. No stress. No pressure. No gifts to buy...at least until Black Friday comes the very next day.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Rejections That Sting!


I don't think it'll come as a huge shock to anyone when I say that one of my favorite authors is the talented Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her stories are so unique, filled with excitement, danger, hot sex. She along with Christine Feehan, Amanda Ashley and a tiny handful of others were the first authors to write paranormal romance. With over seventeen million copies of Sherrilyn's books in print in over thirty countries, you'd think she has nothing to worry about when it comes to getting published, huh? I have this visual of the woman sitting on a throne, with all the publishers begging for her to write for them.

It's always a shock to me to learn that these great authors are people like you and me. They have kids, a spouse, bills to pay, errands to run, the works! And the biggest shock of all? They get rejected, just like us.

In Sherrilyn Kenyon's latest release, "Born of Fire", she shares a little of her own personal bumpy road to publication with her readers. After I finished reading it, my mouth was hanging open and I couldn't speak. I was simply shocked by her story. Again, she's so fabulous that I just assumed it'd been a simple matter of submitting and ta-da! She's published! Imagine my surprise to learn that's SO not how it happened!

I won't tell you the whole story, for that you'll need to buy the book and read the Author's Note. But I will share the rejection she got from one publishing house.

"No one at this publishing house will ever be interested in developing this author. Do not submit her work to us again."

Yeah, it blew me away too. At first I was flabbergasted that someone with so much talent would get a rejection letter this horrible. Then I realized something else. It didn't stop her. She wrote the books she wanted to write and she achieved success. That's what I call perseverance! And it's also what I call an 'in your face' moment! LOL!

Rejections sting. There's no two ways about it. It cuts a slice out of your self-esteem every damn time. But, hell, if Sherrilyn Kenyon can keep on truckin' after reading THAT, then what's stopping the rest of us, right?!

So, to sum it up...Sherrilyn Kenyon, you totally rock!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Bonding with other women




I did something a little crazy this past weekend. Believe me, I know it will sound crazy when I tell you. I know a lot of people will think I am crazy, but after the experience, I took something totally different away from it than I thought I would.

I think most of you know by now that I'm really into Twilight. Well this Monday was the red carpet premiere in Los Angeles. A friend of mine and I decided we wanted to go and try and get spots to get in which meant camping out on the sidewalk in LA. Yep, you heard me right. Late Saturday night we drove down to LA and started our little adventure. There were already tons of people there and we met another friend who drove down from Central California to go with us. I won't give all the details because that would take forever, but it was cold...it was long...but it was also amazing.

We ended up right in the first row at the barricades for the red carpet, got tons of pictures and autographs of the cast, were interviewed on TV stations etc. And the night before the premiere even started, some of the cast came down to the line to visit everyone who took the time to camp out and took pictures which I really thought was amazing.

Honestly, that wasn't even the best part. I can't even tell you how many wonderful women I met down there. We ended up in line by a couple of wonderful women whom we ended up exchanging phone numbers and emails with. There was about 750 women in one spot and we all had something in common, something to talk about, something that bonded us. Twilight led into conversations about our lives, our pasts, where we're from and you realize how many other things you have in common with someone. We spent two nights and three days surrounded by other women, not having to worry about our responsibilities. Just having fun and in my case, spending quality time with other women which doesn't happen much in my day to day life. It was empowering in a way. It was something for us and something we could share with so many other women. I've honestly never experienced anything like it. I talked to people who flew in from New York and Australia. Women with kids like me or someone who's going back to school later in life. There were so many different personalities out there, but we all felt close and just spent time enjoying the company of other women. There was no snarkiness, not competitiveness (is that a word. LOL). I don't think it is something I will ever forget.



After we got our confirmation tickets


One last picture at the end of the event


From the red carpet. This is a press picture and that is me behind Robert Pattinson.

Have you ever done something completely crazy like camp out all weekend for an event? Any experiences where were reminded just how precious our relationships with other women really are?

***** Edit***
My pictures are out of order. LOL. The first is the one from the red carpet. The second is the final picture after the weekend and the third is when we got our confirmation tickets.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ready for some Action?

Over the weekend my husband and I had 'date night'. We haven't done that in a long time but used to when the kids were little and we desperately needed a break and some real adult conversation. Anyway, we hit one of the first holiday movies to come out. 2012 was based on all the Doomsday Prophecies dealing with the end of the Mayan Calendar on December 21, 2012. Don't think I'm going to give away any spoilers with this one. From all the trailers, it's fairly clear this is primarily a 'special effects' movie. And boy oh boy were they EVER good special effects. I stayed on the edge of my seat through the the whole damn show.

The movie advances several different storylines that all converge in a way, toward the end. I wasn't so much taken in by the whole concept of the world ending. Only an idiot would sell his worldly goods, sell his home, and quit his job based on such a thing. The way I see it, if the end comes, it comes and there's not a whole hell of a lot we can do about it.

What I DID find interesting was the way certain characters behaved during critical moments. I've touched on this subject before and find it so interesting. So what happens when the world is falling apart? Do you risk your life for another or does survival of the fittest kick in leaving you ready to kick your fellow man to the curb? What lies buried deep in our hearts at moments like these? Is it worth surviving if you have to tromp over everyone else to get there?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Birthday fun!




So, tomorrow is my birthday. Yay! I turn 42 and I'm feeling very good about it! But, since it falls on a weekday my husband and kids decided to take me out yesterday to celebrate instead.

First we went to Abuelo's mexican restaurant. I had two margaritas and cheesecake for dessert. Yum! We had the best waiter ever too! He made my birthday meal quite wonderful. He got a big tip, of course! :)

Afterwards we headed to the IMAX theater and watched the new "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey. It was in 3-D and it ROCKED!!! OMG!! I loved this movie! It was the best way to celebrate my birthday. The kids and hubby and I had such a great time! I hope you all get a chance to see this movie. It really put me in the holiday spirit! I'm SO ready to put up the tree now!

This was the best way for me to celebrate my birthday. A good meal and a wonderful movie with my family. Awesome! (there was also a little mommy and daddy time later in the evening, but we won't go into those details. LOL)


So, tell me, are you all ready for the holidays??!! Do you shop all year long or are you a last minute sort of shopper? Do you put your tree up at a certain time every year? We usually do it Thanksgiving weekend. Then take it down after New Year's.
***

I also need to report that Lauranne Dohner is the winner of Laura Breck's 'goodie bag' and should contact her at Laura@LauraBreck.com to claim her prize. Congrats! :)





Friday, November 13, 2009

Secret Vegas Lives, Superstitions, and a Friday the 13th Contest



Note from the Three Wicked Writers...we are happy to welcome Red Rose Publishing author, Laura Breck to our blog today. And what a perfect time to talk about superstitions! Hang out, give her awesome excerpt a read and be sure to enter her contest! And watch out for those ladders and black cats!


Throughout the world, Friday the 13th of any month is considered an unlucky day, jokingly by some, deadly serious by others! But it’s only a number, isn’t it? How can it have properties of fortune and misfortune? When we’re talking Lady Luck, it doesn’t matter what the superstition is, as long as we believe in it unfailingly.

Las Vegas was lucky for me. I lived there three years, and I would say I did fairly well with gambling. I kept my limits low and left the casino if I wasn’t winning, and bought something tangible any time I won big. A new grill, a cover for the hot tub, tickets to a show, and one day I hit a royal flush on three slot machines, and walked out of the casino with thousands.

But my best piece of luck was stumbling onto the plot for my first novel, Secret Vegas Lives during a bachelorette party.

Antonio Daniato is a best-selling novelist, but he hides an addiction to a decadent nightlife. When he receives a letter demanding money in exchange for keeping his secret out of the tabloids, he sets a trap to catch the blackmailer, and is surprised when beautiful psychologist Valerie Kane falls into his arms.

Caught and terrified, Valerie swears she’s not the blackmailer, but Antonio threatens to expose her, publicly and humiliatingly, if she sends him another note. What she can’t tell him is that she is dropping off money for her cousin, a famous actress, who is also being blackmailed. She breaks free, but a week later, at a gala at Caesar’s Palace, Valerie is panic-stricken to see Antonio walking toward her across the crowded room - holding another blackmail note. Even to save her reputation, she will not reveal her secret. But Antonio already knows it, and he’s captivated by Valerie’s integrity, and shaken by the intensity of his desire for her.

Valerie’s sheltered life did not prepare her for a man like Antonio, and the gorgeous Italian charms his way into her life. When Antonio’s attraction to Valerie becomes something deeper, he fears her reaction to discovering his secret life. He uses his flashpoint anger as emotional armor to prevent Valerie from getting too close.

But Valerie’s already falling for him. Seeing him struggle to break free from his demons, she risks her reputation and her family’s approval to help him, but he will not open himself to her. When Valerie stumbles onto Antonio’s decadent secret, she must choose to let him go, or fight for him against an addiction whose hold on him may be stronger than their love.

Secret Vegas Lives was released in October from Red Rose Publishing, and in this excerpt, Antonio takes Valerie for a motorcycle ride on their first date. They end up at a casino, and it turns out to be an unlucky night for them both.

Antonio grabbed two spoons and a napkin. "Come on. I know a place where we can eat this." He led her to the elevators.

At the top level of the parking ramp, they had a view of The Strip and could see the planes landing and taking off at the airport. They sat on the ledge and shared the ice cream.

"It's so good." Valerie licked whipped cream off her lip. "Is this coffee ice cream?"

"Yup. And hot fudge, pecans and whipped cream, with Oreos on the side."

"You have good taste."

“I love nuts.”

She smiled. "So do I.”

“No. Tell me that's not psychologist humor.”

“No, I was thinking of you.”

“I’m nuts? Or that you love...” He stopped himself, realizing what he'd almost said.

She looked a little uncomfortable too. “I love eating Grey Thornton.”

He smiled seductively. “Wait until you get a bite of Antonio Daniato.”

She slowly licked her lip, and wicked desire glowed in her eyes when she purred, “I can’t wait.”

He hopped off the ledge and dumped the rest of the ice cream in a trash can, walked back to her, grabbed her waist and lifted her down.

Holding her against him, he looked down into her eyes. “We’re leaving.”

“Yes, please.”

His desire kicked up a notch hearing her breathy demand.

He took her hand and they rode the elevator to the casino, and walked toward the front doors. Half way through they ran into a group of women walking through the casino.

“Carlos!” one of the women said, pointing to Antonio. “Look, it’s Carlos!”

Antonio tried to go around them, but they swarmed in and blocked his way.

“Remember us?” a busty young woman asked.

“I’m sorry. You've mistaken me for someone else. My name is not Carlos.”

“You look just like him, doesn’t he Melissa?”

“He does. You know, you have an exact double working at--”

Antonio broke in, “Does every foreign man look the same to you? Doesn’t that seem racist?”

The women were clearly startled and apologized, but Antonio wanted to get Valerie out of there before the women revealed any more. He hauled her along by the wrist.

Those damn women almost gave his secret away. Carlos was his ‘other’ name. He hated to be rude, but he had no choice. If Valerie heard any more, she'd start piecing things together. He didn't want that. Ever.

They reached his Harley and he turned to gage her mood. She stared at him like she saw something repulsive.

This would not be pleasant. Antonio said, “I’m sorry, cara, I just snapped. Can you forgive me?”

Valerie's voice was quiet, but firm. “You were intentionally cruel to those women. Why would being mistaken for someone else be so offensive to you?”

He pulled his helmet on. “Can we talk about it at your place?”

“No. I would like to talk now. Your behavior was uncalled for.”

He sighed, looked down at the keys in his hand. “You’re right. I was anxious to get you home and I wasn’t thinking with my brain.” He looked at her expectantly and smiled, hoping the "all the blood rushed from my brain to my cock" excuse would work.

She shook her head. “You just turn into someone I don't recognize. Where does that come from?”

“Shit. My life is out of control some days, Valerie. I have a lot of stress. A lot of deadlines. I have anger management issues.” He put his hands on her arms. “Will you help me?”

She recoiled, and he released her. “The best help I can give you would be a referral to a therapist who can work through this with you.”

“No. I want your expertise. I want you to be my woman, Valerie. In every way, including emotional.”

“Antonio.” He heard censure in her voice, saw pain in her eyes.

There seemed to be a lot of people around all of a sudden, and he said, “Let’s go. We can finish this at your house.” He started the bike, she got on and in minutes they were in front of her home. He stopped, put his feet down and shut the bike off. She hugged him tightly from behind before throwing her leg over and standing.

When he leaned to put the kickstand down, she touched his arm. “Don’t get off. I need a little time to sort through this.”

His stomach clenched. “What are you saying?”

“I can’t get involved with you right now. The way you are.”

“The way I am.”

“When you're rude to me, I know it's just your way of getting my attention. And it worked. You’ve got me.” She blinked rapidly as she held back tears. “But your behavior tonight scared me. I don’t feel I can make a commitment to a relationship...until you get some help.”

He looked away, testing his raw emotions. She was right, they may have started out just wanting sex, but now she wanted more. Damned if he didn’t want more.

But no one had the right to tell him to get mental help. He squeezed the clutch hard, the pain in his wrist drew his attention away from the pain in his heart. His anger churned; he fought to hold it back, he grit his teeth to stop it, but out of his mouth shot, “You want someone safe, go screw the quarterback.” He started his bike and gunned the throttle, roaring out of her driveway.



Many people in Las Vegas are not lucky. That’s why I donate a portion of the proceeds from Secret Vegas Lives to The Shade Tree Shelter of Las Vegas. It’s a shelter for women, children and their pets. I love the fact that they include pets, and hope more domestic shelters will follow The Shade Tree’s example.

One randomly-drawn commenter today will be lucky as well, and will win a goodie bag of my promotional items. Please leave a comment, and if you have a story about luck - bad or good - I’d love to hear it!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

join us tonight!!

Tonight at 9pm EST at Blog Talk Radio, Kelley, Rita and I will be chatting live! Don't miss it!

Listen to Phoebe Jordan on Blog Talk Radio

Hunks anyone?

So, for today I wanna know...what's your preference?



Is it the motorcyle man? ...a little rough, dangerous, and so deliciously wild


or is it the badboy with the tattoo? the guy your mom warned you about!


the dark, mystery man who is sexy enough to want to lick from head to toe, but scary enough to wonder just what your getting yourself into...


the hot blonde in the yummy jeans that you desperately want to strip from his gorgeous bod

the hottie who makes you think...boy toy! *g*



or the hard as nails guy who makes you feel safe and protected, yet a little fearful of what he has plans for your body...


last but not least...the military man, as lethal as he is sexy!

I have a feeling the answer is:
all of the above
am I right? *g*





Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Going on a date!




Well technically it's not a date, it's a wedding, but my hubby and I so rarely get a chance to go out and do something just the two of us, that we're considering it a date! It's funny. We were talking about it last night and he said, "I can't wait to dance with my wife this weekend". As soon as the words left his mouth I realized two things. First of all, my hubby rocks and he always knows the best things to say without even trying and second, this will be the first time we've danced with each other since OUR wedding almost seven years ago. That is WAY too long to go without dancing with your spouse!

It's so hard to make the time to get away with jobs, responsibilities, kids. It seems like so much work some times that we just eventually gave up trying. Plus, we're picky about who we leave our kids with. They don't really stay with anyone besides my mom or my husbands mom and both our mothers are still working, his mom has two jobs so it makes it hard for them to have time to babysit. I mean, they've stayed with a friend of mine for a couple hours a couple of times, but that's always a day thing because she has children and a husband of her own. My nieces and nephew used to babysit, but now they're too into their own thing than to babysit on a Saturday night.

So, needless to say, we're really looking forward to this wedding on Saturday. Not only do we get to see my husband's cousin marry a great guy, but we get a date night out of it too! We vowed to try and start making this happen more often. Hopefully, we'll stick to it this time.

Do you have date nights with your spouse?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Would you go back?

Several months ago, me and six other authors, Tessie Bradford, Cindy Spencer Pape, Anny Cook, Taylor Tryst, Paris Brandon and Fran Lee, got together and wrote an erotic anthology for Resplendence Publishing. The Carnal Reunion anthology goes live at Resplendence sometime before noon today. The concept was simple. Seven housemates from college get together again at the house where they used to live to attend their ten-year college reunion. While there, they meet up with the guys whom they loved all those years ago.

It's interesting to think of what can happen to a person in the space of ten years, isn't it? In the case of my heroine, Chloe Wells, she was married, had a child and then was widowed. Lots of stuff. Lots of baggage. Now she's a struggling single mother who is looking for...something.

The whole idea of going back and redoing things is kind of scary to think about. In quiet moments, I'll confess, I often think back about high school and college and wonder if I should've or could've done things differently. Maybe stood up for myself more or made better decisions. I honestly don't know. Over the years we change and grow and become completely different people than we'd been "back then". I actually know people who continually re-live their high school years. Nothing wrong with that assuming they were good years but for me, high school was a misery. We were all a bunch of insecure, juvenile, dumbasses and the last thing I want to do is re-live any part of it. Every invitation to attend a reunion goes straight into the trash!

I remember having a conversation with my daughter about some of her high school experiences and the things some kids did to other kids. I told her...you know? She'll probably grow up and become a very nice woman! I know there is some truth to that. How many girls did you know who were totally shallow, hateful bitches who you meet, quite by accident, years later and you find they are the nicest people?

For me, college was a different ball of wax altogether. I found I thrived in this environment and I truly DID make friends with whom I'm still friends today. Recently I reconnected with sorority sisters whom I haven't talked with for years. Facebook is a wonder, isn't it? Anyway, it has been fun catching up and making plans to get together again.

Buy Smokin Ace HERE

Blurb:

A college reunion and seeing her best 'gal pals' is just the thing widow and single mom, Chloe Wells, needs to put a little oomph back into her boring and routine life. For her, those carefree years of friendship she made with six other women in the old Victorian were unforgettable and, hey, what's wrong with revisiting a past that was fun and full of laughter? But when she bumps into Michael "Ace" Banner other memories resurface. Memories of hot nights and rumpled bedsheets. Memories of the loss of one man who burned her to ash.

Former college tennis star, Ace Banner, now a reknowned sports photographer, has just one chance to regain the love of pretty, sweet, very sexy Chloe. Yeah, he blew it years ago by walking away but he's a man now and not about to let her get away again. Ace is prepared to pull out all the stops in reclaiming what he lost all those years ago. It'll take a slow hand and an easy touch but he's up for the challenge.





Monday, November 9, 2009

what's your remedy?

So, I've had a cold for about a week. It's just hanging on and driving me crazy! I've done the vitamin C thing, airborne, rest, yada yada. Still, I'm sniffling and basically just annoyed that it won't go away already!



What's your remedy? Do you have a special combination that helps you get over these things? Do you do something specific to keep from getting colds and flus?



***



Also, I wanted to share a picture of our new puppy. She's only about a week and a half old, so she's still with her mommy. We have another 5 weeks before we can bring her home. But, isn't she adorable?! We already got her some toys, her very own bowl and also a red puppy collar, complete with sparkling rhinestones. Yes, she has her very own bling. LOL We're not going to spoil her, clearly. hehe




***

...and before I forget. This Thursday at 9pm EST, Kelley, Regina and I will be on Blog Talk Radio chatting with Phoebe Jordan. You don't want to miss it! Who knows what sort of wicked things we'll say! LOL

Listen to Phoebe Jordan on Blog Talk Radio





Friday, November 6, 2009

Watching the Worm

Last weekend both my kids were home and though we don't like to do it when they are visiting, we put them to work. On Sunday, we worked at covering the backyard pool. We have a big tarp that we hook up after we've done the 'winterizing' thing and, frankly, it's just too much work for two people so the kids pitched in. Now I don't know where this big fat worm came from but after we'd finished I spotted it on the patio. It was a chubby little thing. Admittedly, I was a little pooped from the hard work and a nice person would have gathered it up and deposited it in the yard. Instead, I got a little bit fascinated by the thing.

A few hours later, I went back outside and saw that he'd progressed about an inch. Pretty slow moving. I've kept up with the worms slow progress over the past few days and I'm happy to announce that he has made it pretty far by just steadily plugging along.

So now you're wondering why I'm talking about worms, aren't you? Progress on Cactus Mackey's story (the fourth of my High Plains Shifters series) is moving along at about the same pace as that poor chubby worm. For some reason, I was inspired by him this week. I thought to myself...he's going for it. No matter how long it takes, he's going for it. Slow going but moving ahead. So while he's doing it a slow inch at a time, I've been hitting the writing a page at a time. I set a basically miniscule goal but always managed to far surpass it this week.

Now, I'm seeing the light at the end of this long tunnel. Figure I'll wrap the book up over the weekend and get it off to my editor when last week, I thought it would take me much longer. I would write steadily and then realize, quite surprised, that I'd progressed farther than I thought. So yes, I guess there are lessons to be learned from that slow moving worm. Continue on, forge ahead, and EVENTUALLY you'll get there.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

signed a new contract!



I've already shouted about this on Facebook, but I'm too excited not to say something about it here too.

I've signed a new contract with Samhain Publishing! Yay! This one is a short story. Erotic, of course. LOL (to be released Aug. '10)

Here's a blurb:



What She Wants

Summer just got a whole lot hotter…

Summer Chase has already loved and lost once and she has no intention of going through that pain again. But when a hunky Camaro driving P.I. shows up at her B & B looking for a room for the week, she sees something more than a hard-bodied guest. For the first time since her husband’s death, Summer’s sexual interest is awakening, and she’s not about to hit the snooze button!

Gage Knight is a P. I. in desperate need of a vacation. His impromptu trip to Cape May, New Jersey seems just what he needs to relax and unwind. But when he knocks on the door of Chase’s Bed & Breakfast and comes face to face with sexy owner, Summer Chase, relaxing drops to the bottom of his to-do list. Now all he wants is a tasty Summer treat, and he plans to take his time, savoring the curvaceous beauty one inch at a time.

Question is…can she watch Gage drive off into the sunset when the week comes to an end?

5 The things I love about this story:


  • The story takes place in Cape May, New Jersey. I used to visit there when I was a kid so it's special for me. I love the shore!


  • Gage, the hero, has a big dragon tattoo on his upper back. He's the first of my male characters to have a tattoo. It's very sexy!


  • Gage is also the first of my characters to be bald. Gage does bald VERY well. lol


  • Summer's drive to make her bed & breakfast a success. I admire women who push past the pain of life, determined to find happiness.


  • The sex scenes...LOL I haven't had a hot tub scene in any of my books since Haley's Cabin. I felt it was time to do another one! *wicked grin*


You can see my inspiration for Gage here
Excerpt coming soon!

***

Also, I wanted to share an update on that 15 year old girl who was gang raped. They've arrested a 7th suspect. A 21 year old. And I read where the girl who had called 911 spoke for the first time. You can read her statement here

And the victim spoke for the first time as well. Her pastor shares her statements with the press. A few of the things she wanted the public to know are:


"Violence is always the wrong choice... We realize people are angry about this," the statement said. "But let the anger cause change; change that is necessary to keep our children, our neighbors and our friends safe. We thank everyone for their love, support and ongoing prayers." more here


What a smart, strong young lady! She has my admiration AND my prayers!!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Saying goodbye to a series




I accomplished something really big lately. At least it felt big to me. I always feel really great about finishing a book, but when I finished this last one, there was something a little extra there. See, I struggled a lot with this one. I did a lot of reading it over, changing things, adding and taking away. I used the delete button WAY more on this book than I ever have before. It felt like it was plaguing me which made me sad because it was the last book in a three book series that I LOVED writing.

Finally, the last couple weeks everything just flowed. I wrote like crazy and things finally came together. Just a couple days ago I was able to write 'The End' and while one part of me jumped for joy because this book had felt like such a weight on my shoulders, the other part of me was a little sad. I had to say goodbye to these three girls: Kaylee, Tabby and Brianna who had become friends to me over the past couple years. They've pretty much been a part of my life since I started writing with the goal of publication. They were my first sale and now it's a little hard to say goodbye to that.

This series started because I wanted to do a series with a group of girlfriends who would do anything for each other. They were there when the other needed to cry, there to make them laugh, and there to tell each other to pull their heads out of their you know whats when need be. Through it all I felt like I was a part of their little Friday's at Luciano's group and now I'm kind of sad that is gone.

It's weird...feeling so excited about something and sad about it at the same time. I've never really experienced being sad to finish a book before. But, on the other hand, I breathed life into these characters and it was a joy to be a part of their lives (does that make me sound crazy? LOL). I enjoyed these three books and I hope readers will enjoy Bri's story as well.

As a reader or a writer, is it hard for you to say goodbye to a series?

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A New Toy!!!!

Just in time for the holidays another ebook device hits the market. The long awaited Barnes and Noble Nook looks pretty cool, to tell you the truth. It does everything the Kindle and others does for a fairly decent price. At $250 you get a wireless machine that stacks up and in some areas surpasses the Amazon Kindle. Personally, I like the clean look of it. Maybe it's just me but are there a gazillion buttons on the Kindle??? The Nook looks simple to use, it displays the book covers and simply by touching the pic, you can open your book. Looks pretty easy to me.

Probably the BEST thing about this new handy dandy machine is the fact that other readers will probably all go down in price. Now for ebook lovers a device like this can't come more highly recommended than by ME. I love my little ebookwise 1150 BUT I lately I find myself drooling over the new stuff that's hitting the market. Talked with someone at Romanticon who is trying out a Cool-Er reader and has no problems with it either. The bottom line is, readers have a bigger and better selection, it seems, almost every day.

The loops have been buzzing about the new Nook for the past week or so and lots of writers have discussed the 'sharing' feature involving B&Ns reader. If you own a Nook you can 'share' a book with friends. This, I must admit, is pretty damn disturbing but here's how I gather it works. If you have a Nook you can send a book to a friend for 14 days. This can be sent to their Nook, computer, I-phone, whatever. While that 'friend' has the book, you will be unable to read yours and it disappears from the friends computer, Nook, or Iphone in fourteen days. So it really is geared toward a 'loan' only. It's temporary and I imagine since it disappears after fourteen days, it wouldn't end up on a pirate site somewhere. Most Nook's titles will cost roughly $10 and that includes bestsellers and B&N will also offer lots of 'free reads' as well. My main gripe about many readers is they aren't available anywhere but in the US. What? Are there no readers in the rest of the world? I know there must be a reason these aren't available elsewhere. I don't know what it is exactly but I wish they'd change that. E-book readers should be made available to everyone.

As a writer who writes for the ebook market, I'm personally thrilled to find such a selection of readers on the market these days. Competition is a good thing and will drive the costs down, too. Lately, I've even seen commercial after commercial on television about the Sony, the Kindle, and I suspect we'll see plenty on the Nook, too. The main thing this tells me is that ebooks and ebook readers are coming into the mainstream. This can only mean good things for those of us who write and read ebooks.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dad's surgery!

I don't have much time, but I did want to ask you all to keep my Dad in your prayers this week. He's in the hospital for tests. On wednesday he'll have the surgery where they'll take care of of that clogged artery, which caused him to have two strokes recently.

Also, today is Mom's birthday. She gets to spend it in the hospital with my Dad. Not a load of fun, needless to say!

Anyway, I'm heading up there now. With luck this week will go smoothly and he'll be home, in his easy chair, sipping coffee by Friday!