Monday, September 30, 2013

"Book Confessions" - My Top 10 Ten Confessions...

Author Avery Olive has a new feature on her blog. Each Monday, she'll be featuring someone's "10 Book Confessions." Se introduced this new segment to readers last week, saying, "As readers, I think most of us have a few secrets that we may or may not be ashamed to admit and this is the place where we'll get to hear from readers as they confess them!"

And, somehow, she got me to sign up and confess! So today, I'm visiting her blog, dishing about my secret reading habits that I guess aren't so secret anymore, lol.

Come visit and say hi over at http://averyolive.blogspot.com/2013/09/10-book-confessions-author-katie.html 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

New Release: ENHANCED by Courtney Farrell

Today I'm excited to be part of the ENHANCED blog tour, celebrating the debut YA ficion by fellow Crescent Moon Press author, Courtney Farrell. A former scientist and science writer, this is Courtney's first foray into YA fiction at its dystopian best. Check out this cover and blurb - -

About the Book: 
Sixteen-year-old Michelle is a product of the Institute’s eugenics program, where people are bred like livestock. One doctor decides which kids get to grow up, and which disappear. Only Culls walk into the slum outside Institute walls, and they never come back.
Michelle has survived every purge, and she’s about to win a luxurious life as a breeder. Then the doctor banishes her brother Seth and her boyfriend Brian, and she risks everything to find them in the cutthroat slum. She’s in trouble until handsome Dillon stakes a claim to her. Michelle is mortified, because Norms are practically animals. But the doctor is using the missing boys in a twisted plan and she needs Dillon’s help to stop him. Michelle and her friends must find Seth and Brian, but a plague is spreading, the doctor is after her and Dillon isn’t thrilled to help her find her lost boyfriend.

Whew! Sounds like a fun ride, right? And Courtney has given us a long, teasing excerpt too! Oh goodie!


Excerpt From Enhanced:
A creaking sound came from outside, and Michelle realized that was the noise that woke her. She lay still, listening. Another creak raised goose bumps that tingled their way down her spine, and then a man’s heavy boots thudded slowly across the balcony. A shadow ghosted past the draperies. It’s a robbery. Some crazy Norm snuck over the wall, looking for valuables. Or worse, girls.
Michelle pushed off the covers and got out of bed as quietly as she could, suddenly aware of the ridiculously low cut neckline on her sheer thigh-length nightgown. Buying her first sexy nightie had seemed fun at the time. Now it was just another stupid thing to add to the list. Terror made her heart thud, but she forced her feet to carry her across her bedroom to the double doors that opened onto her private balcony.
 A spark of anger caught fire in her chest and burned there. Filthy Norm. How dare you? In the dark, her hands balled into fists. Three steps to the door. Two. The night breeze toyed with the hem of her gown, but she ignored it. One. Michelle reached for the latch, her body tense, ready to run or fight. The door suddenly flew open in her face and the intruder’s huge shoulders filled the doorway, blocking the faint moonlight. In her shock, Michelle forgot to scream.
“Michelle,” a deep voice hissed.
It took a heartbeat for her to recognize him. “Brian! What are you doing here?”
“Shhh." In a stride he closed the distance between them and placed a finger softly on her lips. His arm slid around her waist and pulled her to him. She felt tiny beside him. His big hand wrapped halfway around her waist. 
“Sorry I scared you. I…I just needed to talk to someone.”
“Someone.” Michelle repeated frostily. “At two in the morning.”
“You, I mean. You." Brian’s voice was hoarse with pain. “Things have been so awful lately…”
His agonized tone melted Michelle’s heart, so she reached up with both hands to touch his face. The stubble under her fingers made him feel like a stranger. Even his scent smelled musky and foreign, but it sent heat down her body to the core.
“Okay, but we have to be quiet so we don’t wake my father.” Michelle took Brian’s hand and pulled him outside onto the balcony, where two chairs and a little round table stood beside her cushioned recliner. Brian surprised her by taking her in his arms and lifting her a few inches off her toes. When he sat down on the recliner, he brought her with him, so she ended up straddling his lap in her white lace panties. Michelle flushed, completely distracted by the feeling of his body beneath her. With an effort, she put both hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “So, you came here to talk?”
“Yeah, but you look amazing,” Brian rumbled, pulling her into a kiss.
A moment later, he stood up, still holding her, and turned around to set her down lightly on the cushion. When he turned his back to stare into the darkened grounds of the estate, Michelle leaned back with a sigh. Damn. He really did come here to talk.
“What’s wrong, Brian?”
He flopped face down on the recliner beside her, nuzzling her neck lightly with his lips. “Nothing. Everything.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Michelle whispered.
Brian rolled over onto his back and pulled her head onto his shoulder. One of his hands twined with hers. “I wish we could connect like we did before.”
Michelle smiled. “I think you have to be born with the gene for that to work.”
Brian squeezed her hand a little harder before he gave up and ran his fingers down her bare arm instead. Michelle gasped a little when he pulled up the white nightgown to stroke her sleek flank.
“Sorry,” Brian murmured, taking his hand away. “I forget how young you are.”
“Don’t. I mean do, forget it, please.”
He kissed her again, but then stopped and stared into space. “You know, I fought so hard just to survive here.”
“Survive?” Michelle repeated apprehensively.
“You know. Beat the tests,” Brian said bitterly. His great chest heaved under her hand as he took a deep breath. “I made it, Michelle, and nothing changed. They didn’t even mark the event. You’d think they’d be like, hey, Brian, you made it to eighteen without getting culled, you can relax now. But we’re all still here, still being tested, still trying to hang on.” He buried his face in her curls. “When does it end?”
“I don’t know, Brian. I don’t know.” Michelle held him in her arms and stroked his back until he left her in the gray light of dawn.
* * * * *




Courtney Farrell was once a molecular biologist, but her habit of daydreaming destroyed far too many experiments. As it turned out, writing down the movies behind her eyes was a lot more fun than lab work. Courtney is the author of fourteen nonfiction books for young people, mostly on social and environmental topics. She lives with her family on a Colorado ranch where they support a barn full of freeloading animals, including a fat draft horse and a bunch of crazy chickens. Enhanced is her first novel.


Her social media links (a.k.a. places to stalk her) are:


And the Buy link for ENHANCED: 




Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Cover Reveal: DEMON MISTRESS by Jordan Rose

Today, I'm excited to be part of Jordan Rose's cover reveal blog tour for her newest book - DEMON MISTRESS! It's coming out in October, but I have a kind of sneak peak for you here today - and it sounds like fun...
Here's the blurb:

What’s a girl to do when she discovers her husband, who happens to be the Master Vampire for the New England Region, has been lying to her for, oh, say a hundred and eighty years?

Well, it all depends. If she’s accidentally released forty demons from some creepy old book, unintentionally announced the existence of vampires on The Internet, kidnapped a werewolf, enraged a lovesick vampire by stealing his approved mate, and attracted the attention of The High Commander for The Vampire Federation, not to mention gotten stoned and mastered the forbidden art of demon calling, she might be willing to call it even.

Or, she might plead her case at an Inquisition and hope like all hell, she isn’t staked before sunrise. Eh, a slightly busier night than usual, but nothing Eva Prim can’t handle.



Jordan loves vampires. But if you know anything about Jordan, you already knew that detail. What you didn’t know was it wasn’t long ago that she began writing about them.

A few years back Jordan received a copy of Twilight from her husband as part of her anniversary gift. By the end of that week she’d read the entire series and moved onto Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Eight weeks and eighteen vampire books later the idea for her first book, Perpetual Light came to her followed very quickly by Eva Prim.

In October of 2013 The Demon Mistress, the first Eva Prim Novel, will be available - along with four short stories. For continual updates on Eva please join the Snack Of The Week Club at www.evaprim.com.

AND Coming November 2013: Black Magic Rose, Book One of The Alliance Series. Join Jordan’s newsletter for updates. 

Jordan is a member of the national Romance Writers of America organization and several chapters.

When she’s not writing about one vampire or another Jordan enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken and their lovable Labrador, Dino on the beautiful beaches of New England. 

Stalk Find Jordan at:

Find Jordan on her website at www.jordankrose.com. 
Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose 
Follow her Pinterest boards at: http://pinterest.com/jordankrose/boards/

Monday, September 23, 2013

The dreaded Senior Portrait... or, "What I did with my Weekend..."

My oldest son is a senior in high school this year. On the one hand, it feels like just yesterday he was headed off to his first day of Kindergarten. On the other hand, it's been oh-so-many years of book reports and projects, spelling words and essays, class trips and school dances... time does fly.
It really doesn't seem so long ago that he was that little kid on the left there, with the mischievous smile.



And now... Senior Yearbook photos are due in a few short weeks. Hard to believe.

Being Cape Cod, many of the senior portraits are taken at local beaches.  He wanted his picture taken at our own beach, so he could look back at it and have tangible memories of the location. Which sounds fine in theory, but in practice it meant he and I alone together with a camera and dress clothes, trying to get him to smile "the right way" while his hair wasn't blowing the wrong way.

Think of taking your annual Christmas photo. You might get stressed, but the kids don't really care. Now imagine the kids being stressed over whether they look perfect.

Uh huh.

My husband suggested I put the camera on continuous shot and just take lots and lots of photos. We also tried out five separate locations along our beach. Out of the 800 I took on Saturday afternoon (no, really. 800.), there were lots of photos that didn't turn out at all. And some turned out hilarious. It took hours on Sunday morning to sort through them all.

In the end, maybe we found one we can all agree on. We'll have to wait and see how the boy feels about it in a day or two.

If you have a senior, you know what I mean.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Get Ready for Halloween: Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop is in the Works!

I know, I know, it's not even "officially" fall yet - well, not until Saturday at least. But it's never too early to plan ahead for one of my favorite holidays... Halloween!

This year, I'm hosting a Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop to celebrate - and you're all invited! You can join in with a post, a giveaway, or just by visiting participating blogs and commenting - there will be prizes to win, of course! Gotta have treats, right? I'm hoping for one big Rafflecopter giveaway too...

How about some details?

Blog Hop Dates: Wednesday, October 30th through Thursday, October 31st

Sign Up with LinkyTools starts October 2, when you can add the link to your blog.

Email me - Katie - if you want to get in on the Rafflecopter action by adding a prize. Reach me at katie.osullivan  @ yahoo (dot) com, but take out the spaces and add the dot, and well, you know the drill.

Schedule your Halloween Post on your blog - It can be about anything you want as long as it's all about Halloween... What's your all-time favorite scary movie? What's your fav Halloween tradition? Or blog about Halloween Hotties - why are werewolves hotter than vampires (and don't tell me cuz they're not dead, you know what I mean!!) But while we're on the subject of vampires, would you choose Erik or Bill? Edward or Jacob? What's your favorite Halloween treat? Is it candy or something stronger? The possibilities are endless...

I mean, you know you were going to blog about Halloween anyway. Now you have a cool graphic to go with it - and a great group to hop around the blogosphere and chat with!


List of participating authors SO FAR:

Cindy Young-Turner
Loni Lynne
Shawna Romkey
Constance Phillips
Lisa Pires
Courtney Farrell
Renee Reardon
Lindsey Loucks
Louann Carroll
Danielle DeVor
Jody Kessler
Maer Wilson
Sasha Summer
Michelle Clay

... will you be next? Make sure you stop back the first week in October to officially sign yourself up! Feel free to steal the button while you're here now, to remind yourself!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

New Release by Kate Evangelista! UNREAP MY HEART out today!

Confetti and champagne, please! Kate Evangelista has another new book out today in her Reapers series! I'm so excited - Here's the blurb:


Only a villain can save the day.

During his thousand year banishment in the Nethers, Balthazar thought of nothing but taking over the Crossroads from Death.

On the day he puts his plans into action, Balthazar finds the Crossroads on lockdown. Death has been stabbed by Brianne’s Bitterness, a blade that slowly leaches him of his powers. In order to challenge Death for his seat and prevent utter chaos, Balthazar is forced into a mission to find the Redeemer, the only being capable of pulling out the blade from Death’s chest. The only person who can identify the Redeemer is a human girl in the Crossroads whose soul is still attached to her body.

Meeting Arianne Wilson pushes Balthazar’s patience to the limit. In a deal he makes with Death, he must protect Arianne during their journey through the Underverse using all the resources available to him. He soon realizes the one he needs to protect is himself. For as much harm as it inflicts on Balthazar's body, trekking through the Underverse with Arianne is proving more dangerous for his heart and soul.

Can the villain remain a villain when love gets in the way?

You can find Kate and all her books and amazing whatnot online at http://www.kateevangelista.com/

And to celebrate her new release, she's got the first book in the series, REAPING ME SOFTLY, marked down to 99 cents! Check them out on Goodreads and catch yourself some great new books to cozy up with this fall.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Mermaids on Cape Cod - "Catch Them If you Can"

Have you noticed the new "truck" trend that's gotten really hot over the last few years?

It's not just ice cream trucks trolling the streets anymore. It's food trucks of all stripes. Mobile pet groomers that come to your door. There's even a cupcake bus here on Cape Cod. And now a few mobile "boutiques" have gotten in on the craze.

One of these mobile boutique is right up my alley - they carry all things MERMAID. And as of today, SON OF A MERMAID is one of those items on the bus!

Look for the big blue bus this weekend at the Bourne Scallop Festival, September 20th and 21st. Or check them out on Facebook to see their calendar and updates so you can "catch them."

Their tagline is "Catch us if you can!" - and trust me, you'll be glad you did! (ESPECIALLY if they still have one of the SIGNED COPIES I just delivered - there are only 6 on the bus right now, so hurry up and catch one!)


Friday, September 13, 2013

Puppy Tales: Three's Company

When Zoe came to live with us in June, Puppy wasn't too sure about her. She looked an awful lot like her nemesis, the Squirrel.
The techs at the vet's office thought they were a hysterical pair, and it certainly helped Puppy's veterinary anxieties to have this stoic little - but older and wiser - dog with her in the room. I mean, how silly would she feel having one of her panic attacks when Zoe was so calm, right? For me, it was the first vet visit in years without any drama.
Now all three of them get along as if Zoe had always been here. They walk, they play, they sniff the yard together. Zoe knows to watch out for Puppy's big clumsy paws. Puppy knows to guard her food or the little dog will zip in and take the crumbs. Our other dog has learned that no one gets breakfast until Zoe gets up - so she's stopped asking, and is at the ready by the bedroom door to watch for Zoe to emerge in the morning.

It's been an interesting summer watching the adjustments all three dogs have had to make. Us too. We've never had a dog this little - it's almost more like having a cat. Except she's a dog. And she thinks she's a big dog, at that.

Except when she cuddles up for a nap. Then she's definitely a little bundle.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Book Review: MIND: The Beginning, by Jenn Nixon


Book Review: MIND: The Beginning, by Jenn Nixon
Published September 2013 by Crescent Moon Press

About the book:
After Dina Ranger loses telepathic contact with her brother, she breaks into his apartment and stumbles onto a special government unit responsible for monitoring the psychic population. She's offered a job where she can use her psionic gifts to help people.

Stranded on earth over a hundred years ago, Liam of Shria is searching for a metal needed to repair his ship when he finds Dina, a telepathic investigator, and narrowly saves her from an exploding alien pod. Together, they uncover a plot to rebuild an ancient weapon and discover the truth behind Dina's abilities while unlocking dangerous secrets about the alien presence on earth.

Can they stop a powerful weapon meant to enslave the human race? Can their relationship survive the secrets of the past or will it tear them apart?

My Take:

Okay, so sci fi isn’t my usual genre or thing. I mean, I’ve read and enjoyed sci fi in the past, but most of that was YA. This isn’t. But this was pretty cool. And hot. And… well, read on.

The story’s main character, Dina Ranger, has psychic/psionic powers that seem to be off the charts, so she likes to keep below the radar. But when she loses contact with her twin brother, Duncan, she decides she needs to check up on him. And discovers that he’s the head of some new government agency that keeps an eye on people like Dina. Duncan offers her a job and she takes it, thinking maybe she can finally use her strange, supernatural powers for good.

When she first runs into Liam, she thinks he’s a bad guy. A hot baddie, but a bad guy nonetheless. After he saves her life the first time, they discover a mutual attraction, sparks fly, things between them heat up to scorching levels… and then he tells her secrets about her past that blow her mind. She wants to run away – a technique that’s always worked in the past – but she can’t. They need to work together – and with her brother and his fellow agents – in order to stop the real bad guys and save the planet.

At first some of the psi-babble put me off, but I got over it soon after Dina and Liam meet. The heat and tension between these two characters is enough to melt an alien spacecraft down into a puddle of molten metal. Hot with a capital H.

The story is told from several POVs: Dina, Duncan, Liam, and Duncan’s second in command, Bates. Having so many points of view made the juggling a little hard, but Ms. Nixon handled it all pretty deftly. She continued to ratchet up the tension throughout the story until the final showdown, and manages to leave plenty of doors (and windows) open for further stories with these characters.

I’d totally recommend this book to anyone looking for a hot sci fi romance. The science is hot, and the romance between Dina and Liam sizzles right off the page. I look forward to more stories from this author.
About the Author:
Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Poet Kim Baker and WORD SOUP: ending hunger one poem at a time

 write poems. end hunger.

The first issue of WORD SOUP is online now, and has raised $161 so far for the Rhode Island Food Bank and the Share Our Strength program.

This new online poetry journal has a simple mission: to end hunger one poem at a time. Poet Kim Baker started soliciting submissions in May of this year for the inaugural issue, and it grew from there.

The journal's online Mission Statement:

Word Soup wants to end hunger one poem at a time.  To that glorious end, we are an online poetry journal that solicits well-crafted poems on the theme of hunger.  Imagine "hunger" in all its possible meanings, from physical food deprivation to hunger for love, acceptance, actualization.  Be creative.  Then, send us three to five of your best poems.  The price of consideration is a minimum six dollar donation to a food bank.  But don't be afraid to donate more.  It won't get you better consideration, but it will endear you to our hearts and help many in need. 

Next Submission Period

Submissions for the next issue of WORD SOUP, online April 2014, are now open.  Submission period will close January 15, 2014. For submission details click HERE.

About Kim Baker
When she isn’t teaching the abundant virtues of the comma at Roger Williams University School of Law, writing poetry about big hair and Elvis, and doing the Cha Cha, Kim works to end hunger and to end violence against women.  
 
Her poems have been widely published online and in print and essays broadcast on NPR.  Three short plays have been stage-read at Culture*Park in New Bedford.  Kim’s first chapbook of poetry, Under the Influence:  Musings about Poems and Paintings, is available from Finishing Line Press at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=1606.  Kim is currently working on a book of ekphrasis poems about the stories and portrayals of women in the paintings of female artists.  Kim can be reached at bighairedpoet@gmail.com.
 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Puppy Tales: Back-to-School Version

Back-to-School time.

It's not like the kids spent the entire summer playing with the dogs. Yes, they took them for walks (when I asked) and had them in the pool area when they were swimming (if I walked them out there)... and my daughter was even away for a week at computer camp. The kids were in and out of the house, back and forth to work, to friends' homes, to the beach... and she didn't seem to care in the least. And besides, it's the little dog who gets to sleep in that bed at night, not the 150-pound Puppy.

But from the way Puppy seems to be pining for my daughter, you'd think they were side-by-side inseparable for the last few months. And the way she greeted the bus yesterday? Pure Joy.

I think she's just worried about them. The kids all go off for the day and she's not sure where. She sees the big yellow bus swallow my daughter before it's full light out and not disgorge her again for almost 8 hours. Where does she go? What does she do? Who's keeping her safe?

Back-to-School. It's an adjustment for everyone. Even Puppy.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

New Release: MIND: The Beginning, by Jenn Nixon


Today I'm excited to be part of a blog tour blitz for my friend and fellow author, Jenn Nixon! She's out and about in the blogosphere celebrating the release of her new novel - MIND: The Beginning. She's even given me a special excerpt to share with you all, but first, here's a little blurb about her story:

After Dina Ranger loses telepathic contact with her brother, she breaks into his apartment and stumbles onto a special government unit responsible for monitoring the psychic population. She’s offered a job where she can use her psionic gifts to help people.

Stranded on earth over a hundred years ago, Liam of Shria is searching for a metal needed to repair his ship when he finds Dina, a telepathic investigator, and narrowly saves her from an exploding alien pod. Together, they uncover a plot to rebuild an ancient weapon and discover the truth behind Dina’s abilities while unlocking dangerous secrets about the alien presence on earth.

Can they stop a powerful weapon meant to enslave the human race? Can their relationship survive the secrets of the past or will it tear them apart?
Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes, be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

MIND: The Beginning Purchase Link: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Mind.html

...And you can stalk find Jenn online in the following spots:
Past Release: Romantic Suspense, Lucky’s Charm

AND AND AND... she's giving away prizes!!!

One lucky commentor from each blog will win an ebook copy of Jenn’s Romantic Suspense E-Book Lucky’s Charm, one GRAND PRIZE WINNER will also receive an E-Book Copy of Lucky’s Charm and a $15 Gift Card to any online book retailer of their choice!

Virtual Blog Tour Dates & Locations:
September 2: myblog2point0.blogspot.com and cheriereich.blogspot.com
September 3: lesliestalley.blogspot.com
September 4: www.louanncarroll.com/blog.html and www.caridad.com/blog
September 5: katieosullivan.blogspot.com and /jodyakessler.com
September 6: dragontargeseries.blogspot.com
September 7: maerwilson.com
September 9: cindyyoungturner.com/blog
September 10: constancephillips.com/blog & chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
September 11: www.shawnaromkey.com
September 12: cmmichaels.blogspot.com
September 13: www.erindanzer.com/blog
September 16: danielledevor.wordpress.com and interviwingauthors.blogspot.com
September 17: territalleyventers.blogspot.com
September 18: nancysbrandt.com
September 19: www.hunterthehorrible.com
September 20: jennafern.blogspot.com


 And if you're still with me at this point... here's that special excerpt I promised you! It'll totally leave you wanting to read more...(see purchase link above, lol) Enjoy!

Excerpt from MIND: The Beginning, by Jenn Nixon

Being near Liam was having an effect on her. Several of them, actually. His odd look appealed to her, especially those gray eyes. When she’d caught him staring at her in the living room, his irises seemed to sparkle, different from what she’d seen under the moonlight, yet equally intriguing.
            Aside from his appearance, Liam pulsed with energy. She’d felt it in the Gut, even the dream. Now, with him so close, she couldn’t deny there was some force between them. If he didn’t understand it and had to run tests, there was no way in hell she’d figure it out.
            Liam tilted his face toward her. “How’s the tea?”
            “Good, thanks.” Shit. Dina huffed, realizing her thoughts were running rampant again. “So, Liam of…”
            “Shria,” he replied. His lips went tight, probably remembering when she’d almost forced it out of him the first night they met. She hadn’t meant to tick him off then or now, so she nodded and went back to drinking her tea. When the tips of his fingers brushed her wrist, she felt a jolt, that intense connection building again. Tiny electrical charges darting under her skin. A sharing of energy. Dina drew her hand back but he captured it again. His eyes shined. “That. I know you can feel it.”
            “I feel it,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze for more than a second.
            “After I teleported with you the first time, I felt it. Sitting in your car, I recuperated faster than normal when traveling such distances.” He brushed her hand and arm with his fingers. “When we are close…it’s stronger. Incredible.”
            “Why is it happening?”
            “I’m hoping those test will have some answers.”
            She finally looked at him. “And if they don’t?”
            Liam reached up, stroked the side of her face. “They will tell us something, perhaps not everything. There are aspects to my abilities with no explanation and probably some I’ve never unlocked.”
            “Doesn’t that scare you?” She leaned into his hand as if it were the most natural act. He was calming despite being distracting.
            “It did, when I was younger. Same for you.”
            “You’re reading me now.”
            “Impossible to ignore,” he said, taking her face in his hand, gazing into her eyes again. “Especially when I touch you.” He instantly broke contact and blinked. “Sorry.”
            Somewhat disappointed, she kept her mind clear, and finished the last of her tea. “Well, thanks for the tea. Um…which is the spare?”
            “Upstairs, third door down the hall.”
            She hopped off the stool. “Right, okay. Guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
            He nodded. “Sleep well, Dina.”
            “You too.”

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Writing Wednesday: Back to School Time!

My youngest heads back to school today - although I know many of you have already gone through the first day of school excitement/depression/stress with your own kids over the last few weeks. (One of my daughter's camp friends headed back to school two weeks ago!)

The boys don't start until tomorrow, although the first Varsity soccer game is tonight, on back-to-school eve, as it were. So things are moving. Going. Back to the "regular" routine.

Which means... carving out writing time.

How many of you took the summer "off" from your writing? Was it just me? Yes, I worked on and turned in all the edits for my next book, and I've been trying to promote like a madwoman since my release in May, but I haven't worked on a new book in.... months. I even have a revise and resubmit request that I pushed to one side - I just haven't been able to focus properly.

The house is still under construction, and I'm still setting up events for SON OF A MERMAID, but it's time to get back in the groove. Write. I can feel it - I would be happier if I was writing. Ever get that feeling? That you WANT to write - almost NEED to write... because that's what writers do. Writers write.

So. Here I am making my back-to-school resolution (even better than New Year's, in a different way - it is the start of a "new year" after all, even if the calendar doesn't agree.) 1. I promise to carve out time to write every week day while the kids are in school. 2. I promise to finish the redraft of my manuscript - the revise and resubmit request from early June - and resubmit it to see if the publisher is still interested. And 3. I promise to finish a first draft of the next mermaid book by Christmas.

What are your Back-to-School resolutions?

(my favorite Back to School shot of my kids, from 2005.)
(if only they were still so small...)




Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Cover Reveal! COUNCIL COURTSHIP by Constance Phillips


Today I'm thrilled to be part of a Cover Reveal blitz for my friend Constance Phillips! Her new upcoming novella is set in the same world as her debut novel, FAIRYPROOF (which I adored!) and has a cover by the awesomely talented Taria Reed!

Ready? Set? Drool! 


Eero might be gone, but does his revolution continue?

COUNCIL COURTSHIP, Coming Nov. 1, 2013


About the Book: 
 
Tristan Ipsly knows firsthand how Eero’s ideals have ripped houses apart. More than half of his family was prosecuted for supporting the revolution, the remaining fled to the otherworld, leaving him the lone member of his house, and one of two candidates for the recently vacated Council seat. As a healer who is seated on the Repopulation Project, he has real solutions to the problems that face them all, but fears he’s been branded a traitor, not worthy of the seat. How can he even think the head of the Vettore House would allow him to court Quinn?

Quinn Vettore knows that Fairykind is dying. Eero and his revolution have left them a people divided, but she believes tradition and the Canon’s writing are equally to blame. She wants to see the Council fill the recent vacancy with someone who will be the voice of change. The prime candidate in her mind is the same choice of her heart: Tristan.

Too bad her Grandfather is the one man who stands in the way of both.


On the one year anniversary of the release of Fairyproof, Constance Phillips unveils the cover to the novella follow up, Council Courtship. Follow Tristan and Quinn, along with some familiar faces, as they deal with the aftermath of Eero’s revolution…finding love in the ashes.

Also, please visit http://wwww.constancephillips.com/blog to participate in Fairyproof’s birthday party. And yes, there will be Prizes!!!

About the Author:
Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff. When she's not writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she's working side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring business.

Constance is actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA) and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club. When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops).

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Current Releases:
Resurrecting Harry: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | All Romance E-books