Looking for a great stocking stuffer? Check out Dorchester's Stocking Stuffer Sale where you can get STOLEN FURY for $2.99!


And be sure to check out all the other great books on sale!

My dear, sweet pal Lisa sent me some pictures from the Powell's book signing on the 18th.

The first thing you'll notice are the signs. And the fact I don't have one. This was my first group signing and I was dwarfed by book covers everywhere. I'm surprised you can see my face! (*Note to self: get a sign*)

That's me in there somewhere. Behind one of those monster book covers...

Look! There I am! I knew I'd been there... (Those Stolen book covers do look awesome, though, don't they?!)

I may not have had a sign, but I did have a kick-ass hat. Compliments of the lovely Lisa (again). (And yes, you can call me Dr. Jones for short.)

One of these days I'll post this on time...

Today's Saturday Snippet is first paragraphs. So for fun I'm pasting in the first paragraphs from all three STOLEN books and the opening of MARKED, my new paranormal series. And you know what I discovered? I have a tendency to start in the heroine's POV. Who knew?

Enjoy!

Excerpted from STOLEN FURY
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (January 2009)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52793-6

The floor was still at least twenty feet below her.

Surrounded by utter blackness, Lisa Maxwell tipped her head so the cone light from her helmet could slide over the interior of the cave. Then wondered what the heck she’d gotten herself into.

***


Excerpted from STOLEN HEAT
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (August 2009)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52794-3

All things considered, she looked pretty good for a six year-old corpse.

Katherine Meyer checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror one last time and smoothed a few wild strands of hair back from her face. The black slacks and matching jacket were perfect, not one thing about them the slightest bit memorable. No one glancing her direction tonight would ever see anything other than the professional assistant she resembled, and that was precisely the way she wanted it. The less attention she drew, the safer everyone would be.

***


Excerpted from STOLEN SEDUCTION
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (January 2010)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505-52795-0

“You’re trying to get my ass kicked, aren’t you?”

Hailey Roarke smiled at the moody male voice echoing in her ear as she peered into the darkness. “Define trying,” she said into the mike attached to her turtleneck.

***




Excerpted from MARKED
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (May 2010)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 0-505-52822-3

Some nights, a woman just wanted to bash her brain against a wall to keep from screaming. For Casey Simopolous, this was one of those nights.

“Yo, sistah. My tongue’s not getting any wetter over here by itself.” The blond frat-wannabe at the other end of her section threw his arms out wide with a could-you-be-more-stupid? look on his face. “We gonna get those drinks or what?” The two idiots seated next to him at the small circular table laughed and slapped him on the shoulder in a you-da-man move that made Casey grind her teeth together.

***
Now check out these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!

Kelly Maher
Jody Wallace
Shelli Stevens
Michelle Pillow
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Jaci Burton
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Juliana Stone
Anya Bast
Lacey Savage
Shelley Munro
Sasha White
Ashley Ladd

A friend sent this to me earlier in the week:

An ancient treasure comprising three figurines of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, which was buried for over 1,500 years, was uncovered during recent excavations in Israel. The hidden figurines were discovered when the researchers exposed a shop in the southeastern corner of the forum district of Sussita, which is the central area of the Roman city that was built in the second century BC, existed through the Roman and Byzantine periods and destroyed in the great earthquake of 749 AD. According to the researchers, it was clear that the followers had wished to hide the figurines, as they were found complete.

To read the whole article follow this link.

Pretty cool, huh? And sounds vaguely familiar. I love reading about lost treasures and the people who find them. Always inspires story ideas in my head. The other night I got sucked into a History Channel 6 part series called Clash of the Gods, which is all about The Odyssey and whether Homer's epic classic is based on real-world events. They've actually found evidence of war inside the walls of Troy and a ship at the bottom of the sea that corresponds to the time Odysseus would have sailed through that region on his voyage home. The wood, the construction methods all mirror those described in The Odyssey. Fascinating.

Something else that's fascinating is that I'm the featured author this month at The Novel Blog! Since I'm the first romance author they've featured, I'm very flattered to have been chosen. And the header graphic they put together just looks awesome. Stop by and check it out!

Yesterday I found out that STOLEN FURY finaled in the Golden Leaf Contest for published authors! Not bad for the first published contest I've entered.

And today I'm blogging about vampires and werewolves at Nobody Writes It Better. Stop by and leave me a comment!

This is my favorite week of the year. Back-to-school week. One Gremlin started school today, the other two go back tomorrow. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love my Gremlins dearly, but after an entire summer at home with me, they are more than ready to get back to school and I am more than ready for them to go. This summer especially has been a rough one since I was so sick and didn't really start to feel human again until August. The poor Gremlins have had a loooong boring summer filled with too many of mom's doctor appts and forced "rest and recovery". In fact, as I was telling the DH last night, I don't even really feel like we HAD a summer.

To close out the summer we spent the holiday weekend with friends at their cabin in the woods. The Gremlins got to go fishing and swimming and just had a great time. I relaxed sans my laptop and enjoyed my last weekend of freedom. From here on out I'm on a tight schedule as I work to finish my 2nd paranormal book which is due in early December.

So before I take off for the day and dive back into writing, I thought I'd share some great emails I got this weekend. This came from a reader and really made my day:

"Wow. What a ride [STOLEN FURY] was for me. For years I have read Nora Roberts, Kathleen Woodwiss, Anne Stuart and had about given up finding something of great quality romance to read anymore. By accident, I bought Stolen Fury for a beach read and I am blown away. Only now to find out there are two more. I am in heaven. Thank you so much. I [am] now one of your biggest fans. Will be sharing this book with several people."

This one is from Christine, in a comment she left on the blog here. I'm highlighting it because the post is down a ways and it was such a great comment, I thought it needed to be repeated:

"LOVE the back cover art that Leah made for MARKED. It looks fantastic!

Even better is that amazing book quote from Angie Fox! Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the first paranormal romance authors that I fell in love with and Patricia Briggs is my favorite UF author (I just LOVE her Mercy Thompson series)---so Angie's describing something I'd absolutely love, I'm sure! Can't wait for May!"

Thanks so much, Christine. I'm so happy to hear you're looking forward to the Eternal Guardians Series. (BTW, I forwarded your comment to Angie and she was thrilled it resonated with you!)

And finally, this one came from Daniel Boucher, (www.thenovelblog.com) who wrote an article about me and my books that will be printed in the October edition of the Toronto Main Street Magazine. He wrote about his low expectations regarding romance, and how he felt after he read STOLEN FURY:

"When I finished, I can honestly say that I was taken aback by what I'd read. All my preconceived notions of what romance novels were about (I was thinking trashy) had been tossed out the window. Instead of "trash" what I read was a fast-paced-page-turner that held my attention throughout, with sex scenes that made even a grown man like me blush. The tension Elisabeth created with both the action and love scenes were hypnotizing to say the least."

When I have a link for the full article, I'll post it here, but in the meantime...isn't that a great quote? I just love it. Hearing from readers (and reviewers) has been a real high for me, and not something I thought I'd get so excited about. But it's very very cool when people contact you to tell you how much they love your characters, their world, and your books. So keep the comments coming! They definitely inspire me.

Okay...gotta get to work now. I've left my hero in a cold forest tracking the bad guys. How about the rest of you...are you loving this week as much as I am?

Oy! I'm only a little late in posting this. Sorry!!! In my defense, I was out late last night listening to...


OMG, awesome AWESOME concert. We had such fun. I had no voice, couldn't sing along, but I could dance. And it was a total blast. Nickelback didn't sing the one song I LOVE from the new Dark Horse Album, so I've posted it in below. But they DID sing all my other favs, in addition to Highway to Hell (WOW is all I can say) and Friends in Low Places (hilarious!). Even the DH was rocking out with me.



Okay, now on to the post at hand. Today's Saturday Snippet is supposed to be something humorous. This is taken from STOLEN FURY (in case you haven't read it). One of my favorite scenes in the book.

Enjoy!

***
Excerpted from STOLEN FURY
Copyright Elisabeth Naughton (2009)
Dorchester Love Spell
ISBN: 978-0-505--52793-6

"God, you scared me.” Lisa pressed a hand against her heart. “Don’t do that.”

Rafe turned when she pushed past him into the apartment and dropped an armful of shopping bags on the leather couch in the middle of the room. She shrugged out of a winter white suede coat with fur trim he didn’t remember her leaving the apartment in earlier and tossed the garment over the back of a chair.

“Where the hell have you been?”

She looked up from the shopping bag she’d already started picking through. “Close the door. You’re letting in cold air.”

He blinked twice, unable to process her words. “What?”

“The door, Sullivan.”

When he didn’t respond, she frowned and stepped past him, closing it herself. “Winter. Cold air. Chicago. Ring a bell, Slick?” Shaking her head like he was a complete moron, she moved back to the bag.

Good God. The woman was a piece of work. He glanced down at his watch, a mixture of relief and confusion pumping through him. “You’ve been gone for five hours. You said you were shopping. What the hell happened?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were worried about me.” She lifted a white garment bag.

Worried about her? Damn right he was worried about her. After what had happened last night, they had no idea who was out there watching them. He’d been utterly stupid to let her walk out of the apartment alone, when any number of things could have happened to her. He’d realized that shortly after she’d left, and he’d been stressing about it since then.

“Don’t worry, Slick.” Her smart-assed voice dragged at his consciousness. “I didn’t run off and go after Tisiphone on my own. I know that’s all you were worried about.” She walked out of the room.

Oh, shit. The blood drained from his cheeks. That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

He tossed his jacket across the couch and followed her into Shane’s bedroom. She still hadn’t explained where she’d been, and he wasn’t letting it go just yet. Not until he had some answers.

He stopped in the doorway, slipped his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and tried to settle the nerves still churning in his stomach before he laid into her again. His eyes took a careful sweep of the room. Her garment bag lay across Shane’s unmade bed. She stood at the closet pushing hangers and jackets aside, searching for God only knows what.

She’d changed. She wasn’t wearing the same ripped sweater and dirty jeans she’d left in that morning. A long-sleeved black-and-white horizontal-striped blouse highlighted her curves, dipped low at her cleavage and accentuated the swell of her breasts. Snug black slacks molded to her muscular legs, hugged her hips and perfect behind. Shiny black boots with thin heels covered her feet, and light-catching
silver drops hung from her ears.

She looked chic and stylish, and not a bit like the woman who’d walked out of here earlier, although that one had sent his blood soaring even before this little transformation. This one made his jeans grow tight. Even her hair seemed different, all tousled and wild from the wind, like she’d just rolled out of bed, like she’d just had a lover’s fingers run through her silky locks.

He straightened and coughed. Five hours. She’d been gone five freakin’ hours. She’d better not have been off with some other guy. Not when his insides were tied in knots because of her. Not when he’d spent the last hour going out of his mind because he didn’t know where she was.

“There it is,” she said, pulling a tux from the closet.

“Where have you been?”

She looked up at him, green eyes sparkling in the artificial light. Stepping forward, she held the jacket against his chest. “Should fit. You and Shane are about the same size.”

Fit? What the hell was she talking about? “What’s going on?”

She laid the jacket on the bed next to the white garment bag. “You and I are going to a party.”

“A what?”

She pushed past him, and he stood slack-jawed while she sashayed out to the living area, grabbed a couple of shopping bags and returned. “A party, Slick. As in, you and I both get dressed up and hobnob with the rich and famous.” She stopped in the doorway next to him, pinched his cheek. “I know it’ll be a stretch, but I think we can clean you up.”

She smelled like a sexy, exotic flower, looked like every man’s wet dream, and at the moment she was talking in complete riddles. He didn’t want to go to some party he couldn’t care less about. He didn’t want to do anything but discover what she’d been up to while she’d been gone. And tossing her onto that mussed bed so he could find something for that smart mouth of hers to do instead of flip sarcastic comments his way was sounding better and better by the minute. He turned away, rubbed a hand down his face and tried to refocus.

Holy hell, he was losing it. He needed to get a grip. Fast.

“You find anything on the Landau Gallery?”

Landau Gallery. Right. That’s where he was supposed to be focused. He tried to remember what he’d found earlier in his research, tried to get images of her writhing beneath him out of his mind and glanced back at her, where she stood next to the bed, pulling items from the bag. “Specializes in rare sculpture. High-end clients.” If he wasn’t going to get lucky, he might as well get serious. “Your brother mention the assistant who was murdered last week?”

She stiffened. “Yes. What else?”

It was clear she thought the murder might be related to their predicament. A thread of guilt slithered through him as he watched the color drain from her cheeks. Guilt for bringing her into this, for putting her life on the line, all for a few bucks. He raked a hand through his hair. “Not much. Doesn’t sound like they have many leads on the investigation. But the woman was definitely working on a new collection, and rumor has it she was more than his assistant.”

She glanced up. “His lover?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. He hasn’t admitted to it, but that’s the word going around.”

“Alan Landau’s unveiling that new collection tonight. I get the impression this little party is a way to get the public’s focus off her murder and back on his gallery. I think it’s our best chance to get close to him, find out what he’s up to. Get inside his place.”

“How do you plan to get into this little soiree?”

“I have connections.” A smile curled her sensuous lips, highlighting her sparkling teeth. “Had my assistant back in San Francisco arrange for two tickets.”

That explained the tux. And the men’s white dress shirt she pulled out of the bag. “I had to guess on your size. Hopefully it fits.”

Wonderful. Just what he wanted to do with his evening. He stepped forward with a frown and reached for the garment she handed him. His fingers slid over hers, and electricity zinged up his arm at the simple touch.

She wasn’t his type. Not by a long shot. He liked his women a lot more agreeable and a lot less mouthy. So how come every time she got close, he had trouble thinking straight? The woman had little use for him, had made that perfectly clear by ditching his ass all day and going off on her own. And the fact that that didn’t even seem to bother her only made him more frustrated and more determined to prove her wrong.

When she looked up, her eyes held his for a brief moment, shimmering gems that seemed to soften as he looked at her, as if they could read his thoughts, as if…as if they wanted him to prove her wrong. Eyes—to his utter surprise—that tugged on something deep in his chest and made the aggravation he was feeling slip away inch by
inch.

Yes. Keep looking at me like that, querida.

Warmth pooled in his stomach, and he felt the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms so he could find out if her skin was as soft as he imagined, so he could make her remember what it had been like between them in Italy.

She tugged her hand back and looked down before he was ready to break the contact. And just like that, whatever gentleness he’d seen flicker in her eyes faded behind her iron shield.

He glanced down and fingered the cold cotton in his hands. So much for that idea. He must have read her wrong. Just like every other time they’d been in the same room together.

She went back to pulling items from the bag. “I would have been back sooner, but I had to wait to pick up the invite. Then I had to find something to wear for tonight. It’s a zoo out there. Took longer than I thought it would.”

She picked up a bag at her feet and handed it to him—not, he noticed, in any way apologizing. “Here. I got you a few things while I was out. You can pay me back later.”

He opened the bag and peered inside. Disbelief knit his brow as he lifted a black thong and held it up by one finger. A paper tag hung from one side. His eyes narrowed on what was obviously not a piece of female lingerie. “This had better be for you.”

When she didn’t respond, his gaze snapped to her. Head down, she continued to paw through a shopping bag. “Lisa?”

She huffed and finally looked up. “I didn’t have a lot of time, and I didn’t feel like guessing about your style.” She pinned him with a look. “For heaven’s sake, it’s just underwear, Sullivan.”

“Real men don’t wear thongs. And I’m not wearing this.” He held it out to her. The scrap wouldn’t cover anything. Especially not anything he had. No doubt she’d bought it just to get under his skin. The woman wasn’t happy unless she was taking cheap shots at him.

“Fine.” She lifted one elegant brow. “Wear your day-old dirty Jockeys. Or go commando. Not my problem.”

“What the hell’s going on in here?”

Shane’s voice from the doorway made them both turn.

Great.

Tension worked its way back into Rafe’s shoulders. Lisa’s brother’s gaze darted from the thong in his hand to Lisa to the rumpled bed and back to Rafe, and there was no missing the back-off-mysister- you-sexual-predator warning in his dark eyes.

Fucking fantastic.

Rafe crumpled the thong and tossed it into the bag in front of him. This day was ranking up there as one of his finest.

“Sullivan’s going to borrow your tux,” Lisa said. “We’re headed to the Landau Gallery’s unveiling tonight.”

“No one’s going commando in my tux.” Shane’s scrutinizing gaze darted to Rafe again.
Lisa’s sarcastic smile followed.

Holy hell. Rafe pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a long breath. Walking into that damn auditorium in Italy had been the biggest mistake of his life.

***
Now don't miss out on these other fabulous Saturday Snippets!!

Jody Wallace
Lauren Dane
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
Victoria Janssen
Vivian Arend
Leah Braemel
TJ Michaels
Shelli Stevens
Mark Henry
Shelley Munro
Kelly Maher
Juliana Stone
Michelle Rowen
Ashley Ladd

Check it out...STOLEN SEDUCTION is available for preorder on Amazon, complete with cover image and everything!

Last night was the Powell's Cheeky Pages book club meeting. (Isn't that title just great!) They read STOLEN FURY for their August book and invited me to come up and be part of the discussion. I have to say, I was a little nervous - all those people having read the book! - but it was very fun. Of course, everyone loved it (how could they not?! LOL) and there were some very nice comments that ranged from "This was better than the Nora Roberts book we read last month," to "This needs to be made into a movie, to "You totally stumped me with the villain."

And thanks to all who gave me SWAG suggestions! Since the book club read STOLEN FURY, I put together goodie bags for everyone that included 1st chapter sample books of STOLEN HEAT, bookmarks and chocolate. During the meeting we had a trivia session where I handed out prizes to winners, and at the end I raffled off a treasure hunt gift basket. My good friend Lisa took pictures, so when I get them from her, I'll post them here for you to see.

I also got some great feedback that will help with my upcoming paranormal series...mainly, readers suggested a glossary for non-English terms would be helpful and that they want a teaser preview for what's coming up in the next book in the series. I will, of course, mention these to my publisher, but final say on adding items like this is up to them, not me.

On September 18th I'll be back up at Powell's for their Fall Romance Event where many Pacific Northwest romance authors gather to sign books and conduct a Q&A session. If you're in the area, you should stop by and check it out. It's a fun event.

And before I forget, I have to mention the book I'm reading now. THE MADNESS of LORD IAN MACKENZIE. I've never really been a huge fan of historicals, but the premise for this book - a hero with aspergers autism - really intrigued me. And I'm so glad I picked it up. I am LOVING this book! Jennifer Ashley writes a to-die-for hero. If you like historicals (or even if you've never read one before) you should definitely give this one a try.

Now I must get back to the kitchen. Tomorrow we're hosting a big bbq and there's still lots to do. I haven't cooked this much since...well, I can't remember when! But it should be fun. We're doing a Hawaiian Luau bbq with lots of yummy food. It's definitely putting me in the mood to travel to the islands.

Aloha for now!

I'm blogging today over at the new NOBODY WRITES IT BETTER blog about kick-ass heroines. Stop by and comment to be entered into a drawing for a copy of STOLEN FURY!

Today's topic? First Kiss. Ooh la la. I love the first kiss from STOLEN FURY. But you know what I realized when I went looking for this excerpt? This isn't the FIRST first kiss, however it is the one that matters. The other was a quick peck, which, I can't give away. You have to read the book to know what that one's about.

***

He glanced up at the sound of her husky voice. Gone were the black jacket and ice-pick heels. Barefoot and wearing only the slim black skirt and tight-fitting camisole that accentuated her curvy figure, she walked back toward him. Arousal punched through his gut again, shutting down his brain in the process.

“My feet were killing me,” she said.

And she was killing him. His mouth went dry.

She accepted the wine he handed her. “Thank you. What should we drink to?”

A night of mindless sex.

His eyes followed the glass as she lifted it to her lips. For a split second he contemplated knocking it out of her hand, before reality kicked him in the stomach.

“How about to unexpected encounters?” he responded in a voice that was steadier than he’d anticipated.

“To unexpected encounters.” A smile tugged at the corners of her tantalizing mouth as she tapped her glass against his, then took a long swallow.

Hell, there went the marathon sex. Hiding his disappointment, he lifted his own wine and sipped.

Her glass lowered. “So, tell me. Do you make a habit out of stalking visiting professors?”

Only when they had something he really wanted. “No.”

“Hmm.” She sent him a disbelieving look before walking into the living area, where she sat on the plush couch with her wine. He followed and sank next to her. “Are you married, Mr. Garcia?”

He set his glass on the wrought-iron coffee table. “No. You?”

She shook her head and took another long sip. “Girlfriend?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Hmm,” she said again, her gaze traveling the length of his body before returning to settle on his eyes. She set her half-empty glass next to his. “And how about this? Are one-night stands your thing?”

“I don’t have a thing. Are they yours?”

With a smile, she shook her head and leaned forward, slipping the glasses from his face. She folded the stems and put them on the table.

“Now that we have all the nice little lies out of the way, why don’t you kiss me like you did before?”

The scent of gardenias wafted over him. “Not like before,” he whispered when she got close.

She slid one delicate hand across his chest, the gentle touch stirring the coals in his gut, making his skin tingle with anticipation. Eyes heavy with desire, she brushed her lips across his, and he drew in a breath at the slight contact, his senses kicking into high gear at the soft and supple feel of her mouth.

Paradise. It was the only thought he had, the only one he could focus on as her lips skimmed his. Her tongue licked at the corner of his mouth, coaxing him to open, and those smoldering embers burst to life at the feel of her silky wetness. A need to taste her rushed through him like a wave. His lips parted, searching. Then her wet and teasing tongue dipped inside his mouth, caressing his with soft, demanding strokes.

This definitely wasn’t what he’d anticipated. He was supposed to be the one doing the seducing, not the other way around. For a moment, he wondered if she was taking him for a ride.

Like he cared. Just the heat from her body was enough to make him forget his own name.

***
*Sigh* I love these two.

Next week I'll pick something from STOLEN HEAT. In the meantime, check out these other awesome first kiss snippets!

Lauren Dane
Cynthia Eden
Vivi Anna
SJ Day
Moira Rogers
Mandy Roth
Anya Bast
Viv Arend
Juliana Stone
Beth Williamson
Michelle Pillow
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Sasha White
Victoria Janssen
Shelli Stevens
Maggie Robinson
Maura Anderson
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Kelly Maher

This one's too good NOT to post.

From Daniel Boucher's review of STOLEN FURY at The Novel Blog:

I believe when it comes to romance, most people have a preconceived notion of helpless, bored women who lie around waiting to be saved by some steel-jawed handsome hero that can do no wrong. I was one of these types. I wasn’t prepared for what Elisabeth gives the reader with her lead heroine, Lisa Maxwell. Lisa is a strong woman, smart, beautiful, and not afraid of her own sexuality. I also wasn’t prepared for the great plot and an enticing storyline that kept me turning the pages...

...Elisabeth has an amazing ability to write great scenes of tension, both sexual and suspenseful in nature. (I wasn’t kidding about the blushing) By the end she helped me realize two things: The first is strong women are HOT and the second is a different outlook on romance novels. If you’re looking for a fun read that will excite on different levels, then I highly recommend STOLEN FURY.

To read the full review, go to The Novel Blog.

I have New Book Excitement.

It's no big secret to anyone who knows how I work that I'm not a big fan of writing the opening scene. Sometimes the opening comes to me - bam! - and I know immediately how a book will start (as was the case with STOLEN FURY). Other times I seem to rewrite an opening 100 times or more before I find the one that works (as I did with STOLEN HEAT). (July 28, 2009) This time around, working on the 2nd paranormal (working title: DECEIVED), it's been one of those - bam! - in-your-face openings that has stuck with me, and off I went. I'm now in chapter four, past the "set-up" hurdle, and loving the book. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love where this is going. I love that I have that "this is totally going to work" feeling. Sure, I'll probably go back and revise some of that opening (I always do), but so far? *big grin* New Book Excitement.

I also have New Book Excitement for my CP. Yesterday I didn't get to write. I know, I know, if you're following me on Twitter or FB, you know that contradicts with my 100 day challenge, but don't worry, I'll make up the words today. Yesterday I was too busy critting my CPs new book, which she has a request for. And, oh my gosh, I LOVE THIS BOOK! Every time I sit to read a chapter (and my CP can't send them fast enough), I get that shiver feeling. You know the one...when you're reading something you KNOW is going sell. This book is amazing, and I can't wait to tell her, "I told you so," when it finally does sell.

And along those same "New Book Excitement" lines, one of my beta readers called yesterday to tell me she finished STOLEN SEDUCTION (January, 2010) and absolutely loved it. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I love all my heroes, but *sigh* there's something special about Shane. Maybe it's because I wanted to kill him so many times while writing that book, maybe it's because he was the first character I really didn't "get", and maybe it's because I was so blown over by his character arc. I have no idea why he's the one hero I still think about long after the book is over, but he is.

My beta reader had some great things to say about the book, and one constructive comment I am so SO happy she shared. It deals with one tiny section of a scene in the end of the book - or, rather, a tiny section I cut because I was already over on word count. But after listening to her, I'm pretty convinced that section needs to be there, and it's kinda nice to know my first instinct was correct. So...I'm probably going to add it back in and worry about cutting elsewhere later (...have I mentioned what a magician my editor is at editing my long-windedness?).

So yeah. New Book Excitement. All around.

How about you? Reading or writing anything right now that has you excited?

Hey all,

Today I'm being interviewed over at Lori Brighton's blog. Stop by and comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of STOLEN FURY.

And Dorchester recently added a cool feature to their website: The browse inside feature. Below you can get a peek at the first 10% or so of STOLEN FURY. (They don't have STOLEN HEAT up yet on the site.)

Good news on a Tuesday!

STOLEN FURY won 1st place in the Romantic Suspense category of the Judge A Book By Its Cover Contest!

Big kudos to the art department at Dorchester!!!

Also, I'm the guest over at Romance Writers on the Journey, and we're giving away three different prizes, one of which is an autographed copy of STOLEN FURY. Stop by and comment today to be entered in the drawing!

I just realized it's been over a week since I blogged. Where does the time go?

I've been swamped this week with this and that, but I have a few things to share:

1) Are you following Karin Tabke's 1st Line Contest? Two of my good friends are still in the running, Kendra Elliot and Karen Duvall. I'm cheering for you, ladies!!!

2) I was the guest speaker last Tuesday night at the Willamette Writers February Meeting. Attendance was great, my talk went well (I had no idea I'd be on a stage with a microphone!) and people seemed to get a lot out of it. (Topic was Stealing Time To Write). Big, big, BIG thanks to all the authors who participated in my survey and shared their experiences and words of wisdom. I used quotes from all of you and had your book covers on various slides. If nothing else, I totally plugged romance to a group of (primarily) non-romance writers.

The only bad part about the presentation is that I'd been nursing a cold the weekend before and it hit me hard Tuesday. About halfway through the presentation I went into a coughing jag and nothing I did could stop the coughs. My throat was bone dry, even water didn't help. (too much talking). Luckily, though, a man in the back of the room (ironically, his name was Angel) came running up with a cough drop and saved the day. If it weren't for Angel and his cough drop, I don't think I'd have been able to get through the rest of the talk. So, Angel, thank you!!!! My good friend, Lisa, took lots of pics, so hopefully I'll have some to post soon.

3) I finally got my website updated. I was having serious programming issues, but those are now resolved, and my website is all up to date with my new cover for STOLEN HEAT and other fun stuff.

4) If you're going to be in Washington DC this summer for the RWA National Convention, be sure to catch the workshop I'll be participating in - High Octane Kisses - which focuses on putting emotion into action scenes. I'll be on a panel with agent Laura Bradford and authors Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty.

and finally,

5) On my website I've now posted the Epilogue to Stolen Fury! If you've read the book, head over and check out the epilogue for a peek at what's to come in the next two books in the trilogy.

And just for fun...

This is the DH and I in Reno last weekend for the Super Bowl. We had a great time, but didn't win any money. ;)

I'm super excited to announce I have an official release date for the first book in my new paranormal series, currently titled MARKED. It will release March 2010, with the second book following closely behind. Today I'm over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog chatting about the series and taking title suggestions. Hop on over for a chance to win a free book!

Also, Beth Kery's interviewing me today at her blog. We're talking about STOLEN FURY, writing and my new series. Stop by for a peek. (And be sure to read Beth's steamy hot excerpt for WICKED BURN in the post just below my interview! Yowza. It's on fire!!!!)

And finally, don't forget there are only two days left to enter my Fortune & Glory Contest!!!

Have I complained about technology lately? No? Okay, here goes...

Technology is wonderful when it works. When it doesn't, I want to rip my eyebrows out one by one. I won't go into the nightmare that was my computer life most of December when I had computer issues. But I will tell you the simplest way to fix the darn thing was to wipe the hard drive. Irritating, okay, yeah, but not the horror it was the last time I had problems as I backed up all my work first this time. So I've been in the process of reloading programs over the last month and I have one program I need, which I can't get to load! I'm so frustrated with this darn thing. I've tried everything...downloading the sample from their website, uploading the CD I bought...nothing works! The darn thing keeps freezing up. Gah!

In addition to that, Blogger is driving me nuts. For some reason it keeps uploading pictures as, like, negative images. Not sure what I mean? Check out Much Cheaper than Therapy today where I'm a guest. I sent them my cover and it's uploaded the image as a negative. Blogger was doing this last week when I tried to post the new cover for STOLEN HEAT here. I ended up having to go through a separate hosting site to get the image right rather than simply uploading straight through Blogger, and it happened when I was guest blogging over at Something Wicked This Way Comes on release day last week.

In GOOD news, however, Barbara Vey over at the Beyond Her Book Blog on the Publisher's Weekly site blogged about STOLEN FURY today, so that was very cool. I love hearing that locations come alive in a book. Especially mine. ;) Hop over and check it out if you haven't already. And like I mentioned above, I'm at Much Cheaper Than Therapy today, and I'm giving away an autographed copy of STOLEN FURY, so go over and comment!

And if that isn't enough for you...the fabulous Ann Aguirre is also giving away a copy of STOLEN FURY on her blog. So stop by and see Ann as well!

How about you...any technology woes you want to lay out on the table this morning? Save my eyebrows and share you're frustrations.

Okay, first off I have to say, I have no voice left. Part of that is the fact I'm still recovering from a week of laryngitis, part of it is I think I talked more last night than I have in a month. Wow. What a night!

For those of you who couldn't make it to the launch of my debut, STOLEN FURY, I'll give a little recap:

The event was quite fun and a big success. The Blue Pepper is a really quaint little coffee house/internet cafe that also serves beer and wine. Antique old tables, brick walls, couches and generally just a comfy place to relax. When I got there I found a giant floral bouquet on the table from a friend of mine, Kristina McMorris, who couldn't make the event. I was so touched, and started the night with a big smile on my face because of her. The local Borders bookseller ordered the books and showed up last night to sell them for the launch. My hubby was quite impressed with the way she displayed all 100 books on her table. She had this cool pyramid-type thing going. She had told me - and a good friend of mine, on different occasions - that she was afraid she'd ordered too many books. At the end of the night I think there were only 8 books left, which she had me sign for her store, so she made good sales for the night. (This is in addition to the 10 she sold in her store yesterday before the event.) There was food - appetizers and coffee - and a friend who manages the bakeries for all the local Safeways in the area had a cake made out of my book cover. The Blue Pepper sold lots of beer and wine, and people hung around and chatted while the signing was going on, which is what I wanted to have happen.

I didn't read aloud from the book. The manager had called me before the event and asked if I needed a microphone. My gut reaction was, "What for?" For those of you who don't know me personally, let me just say, reading aloud from my own book is akin to my own personal version of hell. I have a hard time being in the same room as someone who's reading my book...can't imagine reading it aloud to anyone. Honestly though, I have no idea when we would have had time to read aloud as I started signing right at 6pm and didn't get out of the Blue Pepper until well after 9:30 and they close at 9pm.

I was thrilled and elated with how many people showed up. The place was packed. I was also very surprised with how many people came because they saw the article the local paper wrote about me. You can find that article here if you're interested. When I got there at 5:30 to set up, a woman was sitting at one of the tables drinking a glass of wine and reading my book. She was about 3/4 way through it, and from the "local author" sticker on the front, I knew she'd picked the book up at the other local Borders store. My hubby kept nudging me to go over and talk to her, and I did (eventually...it was a very strange moment for me...the first 'non-family/friend' I've met reading my book), and she was very nice. She'd seen the article in the paper, rushed over to Borders and got their last copy, then came to the signing. Turns out she lives near me and loves to support local authors. And the best part was that she said she was really enjoying the book, which was a plus.

There were lots of family and friends there, lots of people I'd never met before. One of the highlights, though, was seeing two girls I went to high school with. We were all on the rally squad our senior year together (yes, I was a cheerleader...basketball only) and I hadn't seen them in probably 18 yrs. I was so happy they came. They also saw the article in the paper, and one actually teaches English and mythology at our Alma mater. She asked if I'd come speak to her class sometime about being an author. Now that will be a strange moment...going back to my old high school (which I haven't stepped foot in since graduating) to talk about writing.

My hubby said people were congratulating him all night long. He laughed and told me later, "It was weird because I didn't do anything to deserve congrats...you did!" He played hostess-with-the-mostess and mingled because I couldn't. My dear, sweet friend Becky emailed me this morning and said I didn't look nervous at all, but rather content through the whole thing, and after thinking back, yeah, I guess I was. I wasn't nervous at all, which, for me, is a big deal. I thought I'd really hate the entire signing process, but it was actually very fun.

Below are some photos from the night:


Dan and I before the signing.

The books.

Signing

With my first readers - Rita & Tonia and Tonia's adorable baby, Hope. These gorgeous women have been reading my work since long before I got published. Rita even delayed her trip to Palm Springs so she could be with me on launch night.

With fellow MWV RWA member, Jane LaMunyon.

Afterwards...celebrating.

Today I'm back to a raspy voice, which is just fine with me now that the whole thing is over. Big thanks to everyone who came, who sent me congrats and well-wishes and those of you who've bought the book so far. I'm thrilled it seems to be doing so well.

Okay, off to drink tea to soothe my voice and clean up the pit that has become my house over the last week.

For those of you in the local area, tonight is my launch party!

Where: The Blue Pepper Cafe, 241 Commercial NE, Salem, OR
When: 6-9 PM
Who: Open to the public

Join me in celebration of the release of my debut romantic suspense, STOLEN FURY. Refreshments provided, beer & wine available for purchase. The local Borders bookseller will be there selling copies of STOLEN FURY and I'll be signing! Food, drinks and good books. What could possibly be better than that!


Also, I'm over on Cythnia Eden's blog today talking about...well, lots of stuff. Stop by and say hi!

Home Again, Home Again

Happy 2009 to everyone!

I'm home now from a week in the mountains with friends, celebrating the release of STOLEN FURY and the New Year Holiday. We had a great time hanging out, playing games, going sledding with the kids and overall just relaxing. I was able to blog in a few places to promote STOLEN FURY, but mainly it was good just to get away and unwind from the stress of the last month - kids home, holidays, book promo, etc. Unfortunately, I contracted some kind of weird cold virus last weekend, which I thought I was on my way to getting rid of when we left Tuesday, but somehow I managed to lose my voice while we were gone and today it's even worse than it was before. I literally HAVE no voice now. Physically I feel fine, I just can't talk. So it makes for an interesting time here. My hubby and kids are thrilled (I'm the yeller in the house). Me? Not so much. I'm just hoping my voice decides to return sometime before Wednesday and my big book launch party.

So in case you're interested in my happenings, I blogged today at Killer Fiction. I wasn't able to post about it until now because we just got home from the mountains, but the post is up if you're interested. Tomorrow the Statesman Journal is running the article about me and my book in their Sunday edition (I'm told it'll be on page D5 for those of you in the area), but for those of you outside Oregon, you can find it on their online page.

My launch party is all set for Wednesday night, 1.07.09. Aside from my voice not cooperating, everything else is good to go. I think we're going to have a HUGE turnout, too. Everyone I've talked to about it is coming, and I keep getting emails and comments from people telling me they're bringing friends and that their friends are bringing friends. I honestly had no idea people would be so excited about it, but they are. I'm a little worried the bookseller isn't going to have enough books, but I guess that's out of my hands. (She told me she was ordering at least 100, maybe more).

In good news, I've been hearing from people who are seeing my book all over, and places where it's already sold out. That's pretty cool to hear. And though I really wasn't stressing too much about where the book is at, a friend has fixed that for me. Here's a snippet of our conversation:

Him: "So people all over can buy your book? Like, all over the country?"

Me: "Well, actually, all over the English speaking world. I know from some emails I got that stores in Australia already have it. And it'll be sold in Canada soon if it isn't already."

Him (very shocked): "Wow. That's just...woooow. How do you sleep at night knowing it's EVERYWHERE?"

Me (suddenly very nervous): "Oh boy. I was sleeping fine because I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks for adding to my stress level!!!"

Tomorrow is a down day for us - packing up all the Christmas decorations, getting the kids ready for school on Monday (Hallelujah!!!!). I'm very much looking forward to the return of normal life. And I'm so itching to get back to writing. I miss it.

How was your New Year's Holiday? Do anything extra-special?