Interview at Love Romances and More

A big thanks to Dawn and Love Romances. In case you're new to LR, they're a great review site with a Yahoo group as well, and I have a new interview over there. Take a peek...Love Romances and More.

Guilt

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone out there! My topic today isn’t exactly a fun one, but one I find both humorous and fascinating all the same. It’s called guilt. And specifically, I’m talking writer’s guilt, though you could easily substitute reader’s guilt here as well. (I suffer from both.)

With the holidays bubbling, a major Christmas party to prepare for, and the odds and ends of shopping and wrapping and stocking stuffing going on, the logical side of me insisted on a break from the computer. At first it was tough. I think I even had the shakes. And then after two days I thought I’d survive. And then an opportunity arose. My kids were napping, my husband had gone out for some shopping, whether it be for car parts of gifts I didn’t much care. The computer beckoned. And I responded…

Yep. I sat at my keyboard and edited a manuscript I’d let sit for a while. By the time my husband had returned, I’d convinced both him and myself that there wasn’t that much to clean after all, and that the presents would be wrapped and tucked under the tree Christmas Eve. And then it got easier. Husband and kids outside playing, working on home projects. Computer. More naps. Computer. Last minute grocery shopping. “Honey, pleased take the boys. Do them good to get out.” Computer.

What can I say? I had work needing done, and my creative juices were screaming at me to jot down new ideas. So I did. And I’m not sorry. Really, I’m not. But I do feel a bit guilty that I had to sneak in my writing time. And don’t get me started on the new books I got for Christmas, the first of which I stayed awake last night until two a.m. reading.

Did I forego the party? Slack on my kids and husband? No. I just used some ingenuity to find the opportunity to write. And wow, but it made me feel pretty darned good. The kids still unwrapped a bazillion presents. The husband still received his traditional, annual decorative duck decoy, some tools clothes, and a night he’ll not soon forget. wink wink Heck, I even went to church with the family—an interesting story in itself best kept for another day. So all in all, what did I sacrifice to indulge in my guilty pleasure? Some sleep time, stress and last minute cleaning, and the knowledge that yes, I do have a problem. I’m addicted to writing.

Happy 2007, and here’s to 2008!

Time Flies

Wow. How the time does fly! Hope you all had a nice holiday and Merry Christmas. And we've still got one major event to celebrate...New Years! I actually got some work done during the holiday, though it's more difficult now because my monsters, I mean, small boys, are out of school and underfoot until after the New Year.

Good news. I've finished Satyr's Myst and turned it in to my editor, and am waiting on pins and needles to see how my last Storm Lords fares. In the meantime, I'm starting my new futuristic romance about Rafe of Mardu. [If you've read my earlier work, you met Rafe's younger brother, Catam, in The Thief of Mardu, and his older brother, Sernal, in Winner Takes All.] I had ideas for Rafe a few years ago, and now I'm trying to blend new thoughts and my old ones to make his story work. I like Rafe. He's a peacemaker--lawman--but is a lot less rigid in keeping the rules than his older brother. Rafe likes to go with the flow, loves women, and is one hell of a warrior. But he's not looking for love or permanence. Especially after seeing how it devastated his brother Gar. So you just know love's going to knock him on his sorry butt. :)

Hope you all enjoy the holidays. Just a few more days 'til 2008, resolutions to lose weight, work harder, and become that better person I just couldn't find in 2007. sigh Let's hope this year at least the weight resolution works itself out.

December Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Tamara B., tamben7996@... for winning the December Drawing contest.
106 people eventually entered. Awesome!

Have a great holiday, everyone. And thanks for participating in the contest.

Contest Extended...

Due to a friend's birthday dinner, planned spur of the moment around kids and family commitments, I'm extending the contest a few hours more. So all you last minute folks, jump on in! As soon as I get back from dinner, I'm posting the winner. So far, 105 entrants...

Stand by... Marie

Entrants so far...

Wow! What a great turn-out so far for my December Drawing. That Barnes & Noble gift certificate is a great lure, I admit. I'm a sucker for book cards. You can get what you want, and for a book lover like me, it's the gift that just keeps on giving!

So far 99 people have entered the drawing. I'll be choosing the winner randomly Thursday night. And in case you were curious, this is how it goes... I'll check the number of entrants. So if no one else enters between now and tomorrow (or should I say later today?) at 8pm EST, that would be 99. Then I'll ask my daughter to choose a number between 1 and 99. Say she chooses 42. I count down to my 42nd entrant, and that's the winner!

So good luck to all who entered. And talk at ya later!

New Review for Enjoying the Show

New Review for Enjoying the Show

Never has blackmail looked so dang good! Marie Harte’s newest release with Samhain Publishing, Enjoying the Show leaves me wondering if I should take up voyeurism as a hobby myself! And if I had a neighbor like Gage Warren, I think I just might...Every time I read another Marie Harte story, I become a bigger fan of this talented author. After the holidays are over, I am sure I will be splurging on her backlist! Enjoying the Show is a great addition to your erotic romance library, and is certain to leave you keeping an eye out for your own hunk with a view…

Reviewed by: Jennifer

News

I just wanted to announce to one and all that I am D O N E Chrismas shopping. YIPPEE!
Sorry, I just had to get that out. No last minute rush for me. So with that done, I can once more focus on writing.

• Enjoying the Show continues to do well. It's not only on the MBaM top ten bestseller's list, but it just hit All Romance Ebooks' list as well for top ten sellers. Makes a great Christmas/holiday gift...hint hint.
• I re-read my old futuristics (from NCP) for inspiration and have come up with some interesting new ideas for Rafe of Mardu, the hero in my next book. So stay tuned for updates and excerpts.
• Satyr's Myst is flowing nicely. I'm going to try to wrap it up by the end of the week. Might be a little aggressive, but I'm known for being pushy, ah, I mean assertive.
• I'll be guest blogging at Michelle Cary's blog in a few days. And I have an interview coming up at Love Romances and More. Details coming soon.
  

Happy Holidays!

Emergence: New Cover!

Check out this awesome new cover for my upcoming release, EMERGENCE, coming from Amber Quill/Amber Heat in January 2008.

Since humanity accepted the existence of vampires in their midst, life has become impossibly more difficult for Deacon Cain, former Marksdale police officer and current member of the Nox Squad. Nox Liberi, latin for Night Children—the politically correct term for vamps—are running amok in the city turning humans into mindless addicts. Vamps have turned their alluring pheromones into a profitable enterprise, a rising street drug known as vamp venom. And for an ex-cop like Deacon, the existence of vamp venom is one he can’t and won’t tolerate. Joining Perimore Corporation to fight in the Nox Squad, Deacon spends his time putting rogue vamps behind Perimore’s bars and ridding the streets of venom. But a mission gone wrong leads Deacon to Hope Bradley, a Nox with secrets that might be Perimore’s downfall. Because Hope is Deacon’s future, and she’ll lead him on the path to a truth that will change his life and his world forever.

To read an excerpt, click here

December Contest!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! To celebrate the season, I collaborated with Santa... This month I'm offering a Barnes and Nobles Gift Certificate worth $20.00 to one lucky winner. Simply email me at marie_harte@yahoo.com with the subject line DECEMBER DRAWING to be entered to win. Contest ends Dec 20th at 8pm EST. Winner will be posted on my website and blog. Good luck!

Saturnalia: The Lord of Misrule -- New Release!!

SATURNALIA: The Lord of Misrule
now available from Loose Id

Each year, Saturn requires special tribute, and he prefers abundance in sexual favor, suitable "sacrifice" for the god of nature and the harvest.

Matteo Silvano and Renato Fortuna are up to the task, both charged with continuing their town's prosperity. Used to sharing women, the two are drawn toward something deeper than friendship with the addition of uniquely lovely Allegra Valente.

And when the proper tribute is paid, Saturn will reward not only the town, but Matt, Renato, and Allegra with a very special gift that will last an eternity.

For an excerpt, click here.

New Review for Enjoying the Show

New Review for Enjoying the Show from Romance Junkies. Read what Nickie Langdon, of RJ, had to say...

Hailey and her friends have gathered on Friday nights for quite some time. One particular Friday night they spy the man in the apartment directly across the courtyard from them. The urge to watch is not ignored.

Thus begins the Friday night watching of Mr. Tool, as they’ve named him. He’s become bolder and bolder in his appearance, actions and the television programs he watches.

Hailey is an intelligent blonde whose appearance makes men drool. Unfortunately, her shyness and awkwardness gives the impression that she’s an Iceprincess. She hears the comments from some of her male co-workers. Her track record with men isn’t good at all.

On a particular Friday night, Mr. Tool looks directly across the courtyard back at the women. When they realize he knows they’ve been watching him, they fall to the floor. Hailey, unfortunately – she thinks – is the last one to fall.

The party disburses and Hailey heads for her vehicle. Her quick getaway is thwarted by the man of her dreams. Gage, known as Mr. Tool, demands that she either go with him to his apartment. Once inside he tells her that he knows she and her friends have been watching him. He gives her a choice. Either she takes him to dinner or he turns her and her friends into the police for peeping.

Marie Harte’s ENJOYING THE SHOW is both fulfilled and bittersweet. Hailey is shy and unsure of herself where men are concerned. Her track record with them leaves her hesitant to trust. Gage fell in love with her the first time he saw her. While he tried to figure out a good way to meet her without coming off as a real jerk she moved. He finally found her again and watched from a distance.

Their coming together is sweet and loving. Gage will do anything to prove his love, even propose abstinence so she’ll believe his feelings are real. To him they’re permanent but he doesn’t want to scare her away.

She’s afraid that the wonderful turn of events is headed for a downfall and has trouble admitting her true feelings.

Then there’s his family. They’re the typical All-American family with a mom who loves her three sons dearly. She longs for her boys to find someone to love and make her a grandmother.

ENJOYING THE SHOW is witty, it’s sad and it has some heart pounding lovemaking going on. You don’t want to miss it.

Parades and Santa and Writing, oh my

The season is upon us, or at least upon me. Took the little ones to see Santa this morning and then on to a local parade, where my older kids march in the band. It was nice... and warm. Ah well, such is life in the south.

Been writing at a leisurely pace. Scrapped the second chapter in Satyr's Myst, my next contemporary geared for Loose Id. My heroine was a little too, er, loose to suit the story. I've since rewritten her actions and she's doing much better.

I'm also working up a new futuristic for a publisher that's caught my eye. Total E-bound seems to be an up and comer with great stories and covers. Their authors hit bestseller lists at Fictionwise and they have a solid reputation, far as I can tell, with readers and writers alike.

A few years ago I wrote several futuristics that had ties in the same universe, my first futuristics actually. They did very well and were fun to write. I even created a group of brothers, the Mardu brothers, who never did get all their stories told. Catam was introduced in Lurin's Surrender and had his story in The Thief of Mardu. Rafe and Sernal, his brothers, were introduced in that story and in Winner Takes All, but their stories didn't materialize when I was overtaken with other projects. So I plan to give them new life. And there's one other brother briefly mentioned, Gar, who suffered great tragedy and never quite got over it. I always wanted to write about him, and look forward to doing so.

Now if only I could clone myself to finish all the other stuff I still have on board to write... On to the weekend, and more later.

An MBam Bestseller!

Wow. Who knew the book would take off like it has? It may not last, but heck, it's fun while I'm in the midst of it. I'm talking about Enjoying the Show, which, after only its second day in release, has nabbed the #2 bestseller slot on Samhain's My Books and More (MBam) bookseller's list. I'm in great company. Joely Skye's Marked and Jaci Burton's Unwrapped, both books also released yesterday, have hit the list as well. So congrats to all and here's hoping the books continue to do well.

Big Smiles, Marie

New Release: ENJOYING THE SHOW

Finally! I've been waiting a long time for this... ENJOYING THE SHOW releases today from Samhain Publishing. This is my first submitted release to Samhain, the title that got my "foot in the door" but took a while to get published due to scheduling concerns. But it's here now, or will be later in the day, and I couldn't be happier! Take a look at the blurb and grab a sneak peek:

It’s “Look, but don’t touch.” Until the object of Hailey’s fantasies catches her looking and demands she touch him. Everywhere.

Hailey Jennison is smart, funny and, unfortunately, stacked like a blonde brick house. She’s well aware the impact her looks have on the male gender, and she hates it. Socially awkward, she keeps to a safe, boring routine, meeting friends once a week for dinner, some laughs, and entertainment. Entertainment comes in the form of a little harmless voyeurism, watching the living, breathing sex god across the quad parade around his apartment half-naked. Hailey watches and yearns, indulging in this weekly fantasy that almost—but not quite—satisfies her every desire. When Gage catches Hailey in the act of ogling him, he gives her a choice—go out with him, or he’ll call the cops. But he has no intention of calling the law down on every man’s wet dream. For he’s been watching her, as well. And he has plans to fulfill her naughty fantasies.

To read an excerpt, click here... And enjoy Enjoying the Show!

Merry Monday

Good Morning, or should I say good afternoon? I've been updating my website and just added a new excerpt for my novella, Emergence, coming from Amber Heat in January 2008. This morning I spent my time working on odds and ends, and sent art requests and blurb sheets for for Emergence and Rachel's Totem, coming in the spring of 2008 from Samhain.

Most publishers want their author's inputs on covers and on the fateful blurb, that grouping of words (normally found on the back of a print book) that's there to hook the reader into taking a chance on peaking at the story or, God-willing, buying the book.

I'm going to round out my day with edits on Guardian's Redemption. Tomorrow Enjoying the Show releases from Samhain. I'll be blogging here, of course, and at The Romance Studio. Looking forward to some downtime once my edits are done. I'm always excited to start a new project. Satyr's Myst and my last Firebreather book for Amber Heat are next on the horizon. Happy Monday and enjoy your week.