A Risqué Peek at Talson's Wait

This is the cover for Talson's Wait, releasing from Ellora's Cave March 2nd...this coming Wednesday!

Domineering, dangerous, and downright huge, Roarke Talson owns Jamie for the next three years. It’s 2109, and the government has found a way to deal with the national debt. Indentured service. She might have been duped into debt, but she’s not stupid. Jamie made sure to put a no-sex clause in her contract. There’s just one problem. She can’t stop thinking about her boss. Sexy and commanding, he’s the face of her ultimate fantasy, and a nightmare employer. She’s met every challenge he’s thrown at her and refuses to drop, no matter how hard he works her.

When Jamie does the wrong thing for the right reason, she assumes Talson will throw her in jail and not think twice. In an effort to escape, she ambushes him and flees, but not before taking a kiss and a bit more from the man.

She hadn’t counted on him getting free so quickly, that he might be half alien, or that he’d hunt her down with more than vengeance on his mind.

To read an excerpt, click here.

The Cover Question

I'm waiting on two cover nods before sharing. One I just received today, one I received a few days ago. I'm also waiting on two more covers, one of which I'd think I should be receiving in the next month or so. Nail-biting, I tell you. It's hard when I have expectations of one thing, then see the art expressed as something else. I have to take some time to wrap my mind around the changes. And then sometimes the artist nails exactly what I was hoping to see. It's a crap shoot, but it's fun all the same. I'm finally over my cold and working on new stuff. So on to the weekend, I say. Happy Friday!

The Talson's Are Back

Back when I was still a newbie, oh, around 2006 or so, I signed up with a publisher now out of business. At the time, I'd had a few releases out with another publisher but wanted to expand my reader base. The new publisher took really short stories. I loved futuristic romance (still do) so I wrote a six thousand word story called Talson's Wait. Roarke Talson, the hero, has three brothers, and I figured to write a story for the others as well. Each of my Talson stories was a best seller for the publisher, but unfortunately, the publisher went belly-up before I submitted the fourth book.

Readers have asked over the years about the Talsons, but I had other projects on the menu. However, after finding a spot with Ellora's Cave, I thought I'd found a good place to park the Talsons. I extensively revised the first book, expanding the story from six thousand words to over eighteen thousand words. The hero and heroine have more depth, there's a bit more world building, and wow, steamier scenes. And low and behold, my editor liked it! Thanks, Grace!

Talson's Wait will be out with Ellora's Cave March 2nd, just next week. Want to read more? Click here...

Hitting the Hot Spot

I'm at Hitting the Hot Spot today. Come on over and check out my awesome and ancient ereader, the eBookwise! And a big shout-out to Vicks and DayQuil. You guys rock.

Sick as a Dog

Somehow, my five year old brings home the crud, coughs a few times, and is over it. Yet I'm left with shivers, headaches, and bronchial spasms. Man. Not right. I spent all day yesterday in bed, and I slept in today as well. The husband was nice enough to take the kids fishing--yeah, it's in the seventies today--and I spent my time downing DayQuil, working on edits and a cover art request. My head still throbs, but it's much better than it was before the medicine. Now if only I could get rid of that kink in my neck...

Drumroll Please!

Yippee, wahoo, and yowza! I finished a big project after two weeks of INTENSE work. Now I have to put it aside and work on a few other items. It's funny, because normally when I finish I book I want to celebrate, but I feel like I have too much else going on.

A project for EC to edit, then a Loose Id book that needs some work. Lots to do... My big project will need a clear looksie and more work after that. But no matter.

I hereby celebrate my success with a sip of coffee and a nod and a wink to my handy dandy spiral notebook. I tried to use OneNote, really I did. And to be honest, I crafted the whole outline of plots, characters, and details using the software. But when it comes to jotting down notes during the actual writing of the story, it's just easier for me to use a spiral notebook. Pencil to paper. Yeah, call me old school. I'll transfer my notes to digital later.

I have more official good news to share, but I always wait until I have a contract in hand before getting mouthy. No sense in jinxing myself. But I will mention two letters as a hint. E. C.
Big smiles, and happy Wednesday.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday's Fringe

I'm not talking about the television show Fringe, which, I'm happy to say, has gotten much better this season. A few odds and ends about the writing biz this week, concerning me and others.
1. I just had a story accepted by Ellora's Cave. Once the contract is signed and in hand, I'll announce the good news in caps. Until then, know I have more great stuff planned for this year.
2. I'm rocking and rolling on a new story that is just a blast. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. And the story is --knock on wood-- STILL writing itself. I am a mere conduit for these wacky, sexy people. I just hope I'm giving them enough angst to muddle through their world.
3. Great news for ebooks. The prolific and wonderfully talented Maya Banks has hit the NYTimes and USA Today ebook bestseller lists for her electronic book, Colter's Daughter. I already bought and read it. Great stuff, but still not as good as Colter's Woman, which is one of my all-time favorite erotic romances. I love it when ebook authors make it big, and Maya Banks has been exploding all over the place with her ebook and print titles. A sincere congratulations to her, and if you haven't read a Maya Banks book yet, you're truly missing out.
4. And a big thanks to my friend Rena. You know what for. :) Good luck.

Grin and Bear It

Grin and Bear It is the name of my new coffee brew. I've tried all the other non-organic brands of Raven's Brew, and I just really like them. Not too acidic, and not burnt, the beans are smooth. So far Wicked Wolf is my favorite. And yeah, I'll admit it, I was first drawn to the coffee because of the handsome packaging. Since I drink a lot of coffee each day while writing, I have to have a decent java. Note: I'm not a spokesperson, I don't live in Alaska, and I'm not a paid advertisement. I buy my own beans and grind 'em myself. :)

I've had Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Kona, Dunkin' Donuts, Larry's Beans, Peet's, Godiva, Folgers, Maxwell House, and a dozen other assortments. So I know a good coffee when I taste one. My biggest problem with Starbucks is they really roast their beans. Their coffee always tastes kind of burnt to me, so I have to add a ton of cream to make it palatable.

Ah well. Enough of my musings. Time to grab another cup and type. So far so good (knock on wood) on meeting deadlines. And thank you to Raven's Brew for making quality coffee.

I'm Losing It

I'm Losing It...not my mind, but time. I would have sworn it was Monday all day today. Why? Because yesterday, a regular writing day, I spent my time with my son first at the dentist's office, then home while he recovered from a pulled tooth. A molar. Yowza. I got little done, because who knew, but the kid is very demanding. (Totally takes after his father, not me.) Yogurt, ice cream, soup, apple sauce. Kid eats like a horse and he's seven. Too young to be eating this much. I might have to soon pull a Fred Flintstone and put toothpicks under my eyes to stay awake writing, just to feed one of my boys. Ack.

But I did get a lot done today. I feel high on success. Like I just ran a marathon. Now I just have to keep track of the rest of this month and I'm good. We have a "winter break" on the 21st and 22nd, and the month ends on the 28th. But I'm still tracking to get a heck of a lot done between now and then.

Superbowl Champs! Yes!!

And the Green Bay Packers are now the Super Bowl XLV Champs! Great game, but wow, the Packers are on top once more! Woo Hoo!!

Go PACK!

Best Writing Day...Evah!

The weather is crappy. Wet and cold. A perfect day to nap. Or write. Today I knocked out an easy 11K words on a story that's writing itself. Ah, the blessed days loving the material. Not to say I don't love all my stories, but some days are better than others. And this new project I'm working on is really fleshed out. I feel like I can reach out and talk to my characters. They're alive in my head, or I'm just schizophrenic. Either way, they're talking to me.

So I had a great day. I'd still be writing if my kids hadn't come home from school. But after the third interruption, when my 7 yr old burst in to my office to show me how he licks his Oreos, I just gave up. Maybe I'll get some more quality time tomorrow morning. If not, I can always squeeze something in Sunday, and then, hurray, school is back and I'm busy.

New Release: THE LOST LOCKET

Another release day! Today, THE LOST LOCKET releases from Loose Id. It's the first in a loosely tied series, about a bunch of psychics who run into trouble, and love, working private investigations. This book is a m/m/f story, about two characters introduced in Gunnar's Game. (And note, there's a good bit of m/m before the m/f comes in.) Keegan Price and James Foreman are a fun pair who find love and a lot more when they set out to recover a lost locket.

BLURB=Ex-PWP agent Keegan Price likes beer, sex, and relaxing after a hard day’s work. He’s looking forward to exercising his telekinetic skills on a real case. Finding a lost locket seems almost too easy, but hey, it’s a job away from the civilian world. When James Foreman tags along, so much the better. Foreman’s a wiseass who loves a good time, and his ability to manipulate fire with a snap comes in handy. Keegan knows they’re overqualified for this simple retrieval, but he figures he and James have earned a working vacation after spending so many hours in that damned gym. Except the case turns out to be anything but simple. The locket’s a weapon, he and James can’t take their eyes off the woman wearing it, and their spiraling sexual attraction for each other and her makes for one hell of a ride.

To read more, click here.