My recent reads

Hey all -

First let me tell you about a book I've hear rocks - VENUS ENVY by Shannon McKelden!!

Take one hunky firefighter, one stubborn "Cinderella," and one very reluctant fairy godmother and what do you get?

Rachel Greer wants no part of Venus's scheme to land Mr. March as her Prince Charming, but Venus is determined to do just that. She's only a few love-life fixes short of returning to her former goddess status, and she's not letting one mulish mortal stand in her way.

It appears the only way Rachel can get rid of the very un-Disney-like fairy godmother is to play along. So she follows Venus's plan to interview Luke Stanton's ex-girlfriends...which Venus believes will cure Rachel's relationship fears, but which Rachel knows will only prove her point that men are never what they appear to be.

But, when Venus's plan appears to work, and Rachel and Luke fall in love, does Rachel dare set aside her fears about happily ever? Or will betrayal send her back into relationship seclusion...this time forever?

And what happens when a goddess-turned-fairy godmother breaks the most important rule--protecting herself from human emotions?

~~~~~~~~~~

The next two books I've read and LOVED them both!

First, Christine Feehan's newest - CONSPIRACY GAME. I'm very glad that Feehan has gone back to writing stories I like. Her last couple didn't do it for me, but I really enjoyed this one. If you've given up on Feehan, as I know some of you have, this one is not only a great read but her craft has really smoothed and grown since she left Dorchester. Point of View is solid, the characters (which I've always thought she's done well) are great in this one. The plot is unbelievable but it's always unbelievable so check your internal nay-sayer at the door and enjoy this ride!!!







The second book I recommend is Roben Owen's HEART QUEST. More good fun in this alternate world full of magic and soul mates!!

Two new must reads!!

SLAVE TO SENSATION by Nalini Singh
(Berkley Sensation, September 5, 2006)

Dive into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind—and none of the heart…
In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”— the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was….
Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

Excerpt

****I have heard NOTHING but great stuff about this book!! I'm picking it up this weekend!

SEDUCED BY MAGIC by Cheyenne McCray
(St. Martin’s; October 3, 2006)

DESIRE
Copper Ashcroft is an accomplished D'Anu witch, but the magic she wields is a potent force—strong enough to hurl her into a mysterious Otherworld when a spell backfires. Before Copper can escape, another being is pulled into her realm—Tiernan, a powerfully virile Tuatha D'Danann warrior. Blond, blue-eyed, and shamelessly seductive, Tiernan could be Copper's savior…and his touch sets her body on fire.

DUTY
Like others of his kind, Tiernan stands alongside the D'Anu witches to battle the demons of the Underworld. Obligation to his cause and his people cautions against any entanglement with Copper, yet each second spent with this beautiful, uninhibited woman stirs an insatiable hunger. Desire explodes into carnal bliss, but the visions that haunt Copper's dreams are growing stronger, and they foretell a terrifying evil waiting to be unleashed…

DESTINY
Saving the city will take more than brute strength…more than witchcraft. Only together can Copper and Tiernan find a way to overcome the dark forces—and seize a passion that has bewitched them both..


Excerpt

Contest!!

HIDE AND GO SEEK GAME

To celebrate the upcoming paperback release of Night Whispers, Volume I, a spicy combination of four hot novellas, we want to play a little hide and go seek with you beginning August 15th and ending September 15th.

The rules are simple: We've placed a small image of the upcoming Night Whispers anthology on each of the websites listed below. Search the websites, write down the page where you found the image, and enter using the form below. You have a chance to win some great prizes! It's that simple.

Here are the participating

websites:
www.whispershome.com
www.way2kool.us
www.devilishdots.com
www.delilahdevlin.com
www.mylajackson.com
www.leighwyndfield.com
www.vivianna.net
www.moongladedesigns.com
www.crocodesigns.com

What you could win:
$10 gift certificate to Devilish Dots
$25 gift certificate to Victoria's Secret
Paperback copy of Night Whispers Premiere Edition, Volume I
Massage oil
Erotic novels
Lovers games
Candles
Movies that will steam up the windows
$10 gift certificate to Amazon
$10 gift certificate to Bath and Body Works
Customized mouse pad
Bombshell Lettle Box of Beauty from Shirley of Hollywood (this is a feather-trimmed gift box and includes hyacinth and lily scented 60ml bottles of Body Lotion, Shower Gel, Bath Crystals, a pouf and an inflatable bath pillow.
Two memberships to Moonglade Designs Greetings

Restrictions:
Absolutely no one under the age of 18 can participate.
No employee, whether contract or salaried, of the above referenced websites may participate, including webmasters/webmistresses.
You may only enter one time.

Winners will be drawn on or about September 30, 2006.

To enter, log on to http://noveltalk.com/whisperscontest.asp

New Releases

YOUR PLANET OR MINE by Susan Grant
(HQN Books, July 25, 2006)

Think the grocery store is a great place to meet men? Hunky interstellar fugitive, aisle 5.

With outrageously false accusations piling up against her famous political family and an ex-fiancé in hot water determined to take her down with him, the last thing Jana Jasper needs is more trouble--especially man trouble. But when she heads to the grocery store for an ice cream fix, not only does the muscled hunk in the frozen foods section ranting about spaceships and invasions look crazy, he looks... familiar.

Cavin of Far Star has never forgotten the girl he met during his weeks spent on that quaint little world, planet Earth, the girl who didn't believe he was real. And now he'll risk his future to save her. All she has to do is take him to her leader. Simple enough plan--although Jana isn't so easily convinced. Hell-bent on charming his way past her defenses, he's determined to stay one step ahead of the galaxy's most feared assassin--and may just capture his favorite Earthling's heart in the process.

Excerpt Here!

ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE by Michelle Rowen
(Warner Forever, July 2006)

When you're hot for a demon, you might as well kiss your halo good-bye...

Falling naked into the killer whale tank at MarineLand is always bad news, but it's a real bummer when you've just been kicked out of Heaven. Former angel Valerie Grace is determined to reverse her banishment-Earth's just no fun.

Her best friend is a slightly perverted human-turned-rat, and she's being tailed by a sexy Tempter Demon named Nathaniel, who's trying to lure her to hell with kisses that are almost worth the trip. With the talking rodent sneaking peeks down her shirt and Nathaniel getting more irresistible every minute, this ex-angel has only one hope: find the stolen Key to Heaven and go home.

Then the oddest thing happens-Nathaniel starts to show signs of loyalty and love. And soon Val is asking herself if it is such a bad thing to have the hots for a demon.


Excerpt Here!


WHAT, NO ROSES? by Marianne Mancusi
(Love Spell, July 4, 2006)


And you thought your Valentine's Day was bad?
AND ALL THAT JAZZUnless Dora Duncan can stop it, it's going to be another St. Valentine's Day Massacre. A year ago, her (now ex) boyfriend Nick stood her up at the worst possible moment. That was when she gave up important TV reporting for stories like "Too Stressed for Sex." And though such clips have a certain relevance, things have been a whole lot quieter. Too quiet. Until now.

Now she's gotta go back in time (don't ask!) and stop that very same Nick from messing up the time-space continuum. She has to travel back to a place where everybody speaks easy and cuts a rug-and this Chicago ain't no musical. Here, there are tommy guns and torpedoes, guys and dolls, gin joints, flappers, stoolies, rats and a whole lot more; and prohibition means anything but no.

It's the 1920s. Time for Dora to roar.


Excerpt Here!

New Books! Woohoo!

CALIFORNIA DEMON: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
(Berkley Trade, June 2006)

What's a mother to do, when there are only so many hours in the day, and the fate of the world is in her hands?

Kate Connor was a retired demon hunter. Now, after fourteen years busting her tail as a suburban housewife, raising two kids, and supporting her husband's political ambitions, she's rejoined the workforce-and except for a few minions of evil, no one has a clue. She tries hard to keep her home and work lives separate-a good idea when your job involves random slaughter.

Between fending off demon attacks, trying to figure out why the mysterious new teacher at the high school seems so strangely familiar, and keeping a watchful eye on her daughter's growing infatuation with a surfer dude, Kate is the busiest-and most dangerous-soccer mom on the block…


SHADOW OF THE MOON by Rebecca York
(Berkley, June 6, 2006)

Lance Marshall has a nose for great news stories-not surprising, since he's aided by his werewolf abilities. Now he's prowling outside an ultra-exclusive Washington, D.C. nightclub-"The Castle." But he is not alone. Savannah Carpenter wants to know how her sister ended up in a coma, and she knows that The Castle has something to do with it. But when Lance and Savannah pretend to be lovers to gain entrance, they learn that deception and unbridled lust can be a dangerous combination.


OUT OF THE DARKNESS by Jaci Burton and C. J. Burton
(Ellora’s Cave)

Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable story-that she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans.

She doesn't believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans. She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul.

The vampire Adrian's and the lycan Duncan's goals are entirely different-to mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity.

But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival.

MIDNIGHT SECRETS by Jennifer St. Giles
(Berkeley, May 2, 2006)

"When two are born together, one will die by the other's hand..." This is the Dragon's Curse that has plagued the Killdarens for generations and continues on in this tale set on the Cornish Coast of 1879 England. Sean and Alex thought they'd escaped the Dragon's curse until in a rage of suspicion and accusation the twins come close to killing each other the night the woman they both loved was murdered. Eight years later, the only thing they agree on is to remain unwed and childless, to never pass on the Dragon's Curse. Then another woman disappears. This time from Sean Killdaren's castle and his reclusive world is shattered when Cassie Andrews, a journalist, goes undercover as a downstairs maid. He can no more ignore her than he can ignore the murderer hiding behind the secrets of Killdaren Castle's stone walls.

ONCE UPON STILETTOS by Shanna Swendson
(Ballantine Books, April 25, 2006)

When we left Katie Chandler at the end of Enchanted, Inc., she had helped her new employers, Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. defeat Phelan Idris, a rogue wizard intent on stealing spells. By her side, and leading the battle, was hunky wizard Owen. Katie and Owen are still fighting their attraction to each other in Shanna Swendson’s hilarious and charming sequel Once Upon Stilettos, but first they have to track down a corporate spy before the company dissolves into paranoia. Then at the worst possible time, Katie's immunity to magic goes on the blink. At least she's having better luck in her social life, with men falling at her feet everywhere she goes. Has she really become that irresistible, or is it the new red shoes she felt compelled to buy? Polish your fairy wings, put on your magic shoes, click your heels three times, and join Shanna Swendson for a romantic romp amidst fairies, goblins, wizards and gargoyles.

New Books Coming Out Left and Right!

Woohoo! More fine reading!


CALIFORNIA DEMON: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
(Berkley Trade, June 2006)

What's a mother to do, when there are only so many hours in the day, and the fate of the world is in her hands?

Kate Connor was a retired demon hunter. Now, after fourteen years busting her tail as a suburban housewife, raising two kids, and supporting her husband's political ambitions, she's rejoined the workforce-and except for a few minions of evil, no one has a clue. She tries hard to keep her home and work lives separate-a good idea when your job involves random slaughter.

Between fending off demon attacks, trying to figure out why the mysterious new teacher at the high school seems so strangely familiar, and keeping a watchful eye on her daughter's growing infatuation with a surfer dude, Kate is the busiest-and most dangerous-soccer mom on the block…



SHADOW OF THE MOON by Rebecca York
(Berkley, June 6, 2006)

Lance Marshall has a nose for great news stories-not surprising, since he's aided by his werewolf abilities. Now he's prowling outside an ultra-exclusive Washington, D.C. nightclub-"The Castle." But he is not alone. Savannah Carpenter wants to know how her sister ended up in a coma, and she knows that The Castle has something to do with it. But when Lance and Savannah pretend to be lovers to gain entrance, they learn that deception and unbridled lust can be a dangerous combination.




OUT OF THE DARKNESS by Jaci Burton and C. J. Burton
(Ellora’s Cave)

Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable story-that she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans.

She doesn't believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans. She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul.

The vampire Adrian's and the lycan Duncan's goals are entirely different-to mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity.

But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival.'

MIDNIGHT SECRETS by Jennifer St. Giles
(Berkeley, May 2, 2006)

"When two are born together, one will die by the other's hand..." This is the Dragon's Curse that has plagued the Killdarens for generations and continues on in this tale set on the Cornish Coast of 1879 England. Sean and Alex thought they'd escaped the Dragon's curse until in a rage of suspicion and accusation the twins come close to killing each other the night the woman they both loved was murdered. Eight years later, the only thing they agree on is to remain unwed and childless, to never pass on the Dragon's Curse. Then another woman disappears. This time from Sean Killdaren's castle and his reclusive world is shattered when Cassie Andrews, a journalist, goes undercover as a downstairs maid. He can no more ignore her than he can ignore the murderer hiding behind the secrets of Killdaren Castle's stone walls.

READ EXCERPT HERE!

ONCE UPON STILETTOS by Shanna Swendson
(Ballantine Books, April 25, 2006)

When we left Katie Chandler at the end of Enchanted, Inc., she had helped her new employers, Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. defeat Phelan Idris, a rogue wizard intent on stealing spells. By her side, and leading the battle, was hunky wizard Owen. Katie and Owen are still fighting their attraction to each other in Shanna Swendson’s hilarious and charming sequel Once Upon Stilettos, but first they have to track down a corporate spy before the company dissolves into paranoia. Then at the worst possible time, Katie's immunity to magic goes on the blink. At least she's having better luck in her social life, with men falling at her feet everywhere she goes. Has she really become that irresistible, or is it the new red shoes she felt compelled to buy? Polish your fairy wings, put on your magic shoes, click your heels three times, and join Shanna Swendson for a romantic romp amidst fairies, goblins, wizards and gargoyles.

READ EXCERPT HERE!

Angela Knight has a new book out

Look here all!! Angela's MASTER OF WOLVES is now in bookstores!

MASTER OF WOLVES by Angela Knight
(Berkeley Sensation, April 4, 2006)

When Jim London's best friend is murdered, Jim vows to catch the killer. Leaving it for the local police to solve is out of the question, because he suspects they are involved.
Jim is more than capable of taking action if they are -- he's a werewolf. Realizing the only way to investigate the department is from the inside, he decides to go undercover -- as a police K-9.
His "handler" is lovely Faith Weston, the only person on the Clarkston Police Department who isn't up to her neck in murder. But Faith has no idea her "dog" Rambo is a werewolf, or that the department she serves is rotten with corruption.
But it doesn't take her long to figure it out.

Read an excerpt here!

Big Love

I don't know if you guys are watching this new HBO series, BIG LOVE, about a polygamous family in Utah... but I think I'm hooked! And it may not be for the reason everyone else is.

The story line, if you haven't seen it, is about this guy, his three wives and their seven kids. They live in three houses side by side, sharing a back yard, trying to hide the fact they're all married and fake out the neighbors that they're really normal people.

What captures my attention is the man in all this. Here is every guy's wet dream - three sexy women all wanting sex on their night (they rotate, working out a complex system, trading nights around to the point that the husband ends up in the wrong bed half the time). But the husband, who is a successful business man being threatened by this evil "prophet" guy who runs the church they've tried to escape from, is constantly overwhelmed by his three wives, to the point that he's having performance problems in the sack.

Viagra took care of that, but this family is so embroiled in secrets and lies, with everyone trying to handle their problems on their own, it makes a viewer’s head spin.

I guess what I like so much about this series is that the problems they're dealing with are all so real. The second wife wracks up credit card debt, for example. Of course she's $58,000 in the hole, but it's still something that could happen. The third wife is so needy for love and a family, we believe her motivations for joining this nutty family. The first wife struggles to keep everyone together and functioning, while things constantly try to pull them apart at the seams. I keep waiting for everything to blow at any moment.

I can't imagine having three husbands. No seriously!! Think about it! Yes, you'd get all the good stuff times three, but you'd get all the bad as well. As much as guys say they're easy to deal with, they're humans and humans need emotional upkeep and tending. And while I write erotic romance, having sex every single night of the week, without ever seeing a break in sight, would be, um, too much. I think I'd panic. LOL. I'd end up cowering in the corner, with a pint of Ben and Jerry's to keep me company.

I don't know why I decided to blog about this - I guess it's just the "What if this happened to me" scenario that keeps circling in my mind... I've spent hours playing with the concept. There is a book there somewhere. I can feel it lurking on the outskirts of my mind. And I thought I'd share so you, too, can find yourself standing in line at the grocery store, thinking "Yes, but if I had three husbands, the lawn would for sure get mowed and I could finally have that sprayer thingy on the kitchen sink fixed!" But by the time you swipe your credit card, you’ll have talked yourself out of it, since all those men would gang up on you and force you to accept the toilet seat staying in the upright position…

New Book!!

Hey! My agent's book is out!!! Wow!!

PARALLEL ATTRACTION by Deidre Knight
(Signet Eclipse, April 4, 2006)

It has been years since exiled alien king Jared Bennett thought of anything other than his people's fight for freedom. Now his rebel force has the one weapon that can turn the tide against their enemy: the key to the secrets of time. Victory has never been closer-but one woman has the power to change everything.Kelsey Wells can't deny that there is something unearthly about her fierce attraction to Jared Bennett. His revelations about alien wars and time travel can't possibly be fact-yet with every seductive touch, every searing kiss, Kelsey circles closer to the truth: that although Jared is exactly what he says, he hasn't told her everything. And when the future crashes into the present, Kelsey must decide if his deception will cost them the love that should have been their destiny.

Last Book In Crimson City!

Looks like it has arrrived!!

CRIMSON ROGUE by Liz Maverick
(Dorchester, April 2006)
From the four strata of Crimson City come rogues: vampire, werewolf, human, demon. These rebels, rakes and unsung heroes have turned their backs on the extravagant vampire skyway, the gritty werewolf underground, the iron-fisted human stronghold and the fiery power of the demon underworld. Walking a thin line between heaven and hell, they make their own rules and follow their own destinies. Ironically, they will be the ones to determine if the City flourishes or fails. Cydney Brighton knows them well, for she too is now rogue. Having escaped hell, she’s discovered that the City is not what it once was—and neither is she. Only one man understands her, understands what it means to be someone or something beyond control. He’s ready to come out of the darkness; and part-man, part-machine, he’s willing to sacrifice almost anything to make himself whole.

DARK HEAT is Out!

What would you do in the dark heat of a dungeon when a man offers his protection in exchange for passion you’d never dreamed possible?

When healer Caelan angers her King, she’s thrown into prison where she bargains her body to a warrior awaiting execution for a crime he didn’t commit. Garron’s very name means protector, and he’s willing to trade protection to get his hands on a woman who smells like freedom and tastes like passion.

But their special powers unite, turning lust into something unforeseen. Soon they are forced to choose between freedom and their growing love in the dark heat of the night.

Buy the book or read an excerpt here!

Getting Older

Recently, I've noticed my taste in men has changed. When it happened I'm not sure. I'm not one of those women who sees a guy and thinks he's hot. In fact, I rarely notice men that way - I guess I'm just not hardwired like that.

But the other night in a bar with a girlfriend (a very rare occurrence these days), she said this guy was hot. I looked over and my first thought was, "Is he old enough to drink that beer?! They're going to lose their liquor license if they're not careful." (I'm very practical - lol)

And it was then I realized that not only was he old enough to drink legally, but somewhere along the way, when I wasn't looking, I got older. I don't feel older (that's a whole 'nother blog), but my taste in men has seriously shifted to the 30-40 year old men set. You'd think it would make sense, but other women seem to think men in their 20's are sexy. I just think they look young and there is not a cell in my body that thinks young is sexy. It's the truth (yes, yes, I know last RWA Conference I said that young and uncomplicated sounded good to me, but that was just to make all of you laugh). I realized that men without lines in their face and maybe a splash of gray in their hair look kind of feminine and uninteresting to me.

So that started me thinking about it. Then yesterday, I'm reading my new favorite magazine (Esquire), and I'm looking through this huge spread on men's clothes (I need to update my husband's wardrobe - sigh) where they have real men wearing clothes real men wear -- although I'm thinking the lobsterman with the $1000 jacket on isn't all that realistic, even if the jacket is pretty rugged. And I'm flipping through and I stop on this one guy and I'm thinking, "see? Now I think he's hot, but of course he's older. God, when did I get so old this guy looks sexy to me?!" Then I realize it's Viggo Mortensen - BWAHAHAHAHA. Erm, okay, well, I'm thinking just about every woman thinks he's hot. Or maybe I'm wrong? Thoughts on this subject? Please tell me I'm not the only one making this shift!!

Rejections -- And Worse

Howdy ho all!!!!

I've been pretty quiet lately, but it's because I've been thinking.

"Thinking about what, Leigh?" you ask.

Thinking about things that are worse than rejection.

"What?! What's worse than rejection?" you wonder.

Well, a couple things have been worse than just having someone say no to one of my manuscripts. Take the following anecdotal stories from the last few months:

-----Example Number One----

I had an editor reject one of my previously ebook published stories because he said my writing left him cold. Um. Never ever heard that one before. A national magazine said -- "Engrossing, enthralling and entrancing, In Ice is certainly not one to be missed." and nominated it as one of the best erotic romances of 2005. Obviously it wasn't that cold. Right?? RIGHT?! ARG!!! I was pulling my hair out, second guessing myself. I wrote that story to practice writing emotion, choosing a scarred hero and an emotionally damaged heroine. I ghosted around my house, debating it, wondering. I called all my writing friends, spending hours discussing it. I tortured my agent with vulnerable dribblings.

Two weeks later, on an author-only email loop, and a friend of mine cut and pastes her rejection letter from this same editor into the email. Holy Smackers!!! She'd gotten the same exact wording, with only our names changed!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god. This editor was using that cruel, harsh, evil rejection letter as his stock rejection (no wonder he asked to see more of my work!! I had been thinking, "you want more COLD writing, do you?!?"). What a complete asshole! LOL! I'm sorry, but he is. (If you're reading this blog, Mr. Editor, you're an asshole.)

---- Example Number 2 ----

I've been writing for Red Sage's Secrets Anthologies. I love Red Sage and had been pretty sure that Red Sage loved me. Only I hadn't heard anything about my latests submission - for like EIGHT MONTHS!!! Um. I sent emails asking submission status, heard back about 3 months in that I should be receiving an edit letter, then nothing.... Silence. No other emails were answered.
Now most of you know I hurt my back, and that was smack dab in the middle of this. I had thoughts like, "even Red Sage doesn't like my writing any more" - WAHHHHH!

Then two weeks ago, I got an email from the owner of Red Sage, saying my editor had health problems and had retired. I emailed her back and basically was told I'd been lost --- LOST. They didn't hate me, they'd lost my manuscript! Within two hours, I had someone reading it. Within days, they called to buy it.

----Conclusion ----

Well, obviously this business is tough and ego-bashing. Yadda yadda yadda - and all that jazz authors always moan about.

But what I think I finally learned is that things happen that have nothing to do with me, but feel very personal from where I'm standing. An editor has a stock rejection letter that guts me. Another editor becomes ill and loses my manuscript. All that has nothing to do with me, but I took it so personally, they were padding a room with my name on it at the state mental institution. I guess it just finally struck me that I've got to have some distance between me and the people commenting on my work. That doesn't take away all of the pain -- lord, I'm not Superwoman and you'd have to be to withstand all this with a stiff upper lip. But I can remind myself that there are forces at work here that go beyond me and, although they feel very painful, they are things I shouldn't be wasting time and energy worrying about.

Remind me I said this next week when I fly off the handle about my latest round of rejection, would you?

Reality

PC Cast has another one out!!

GODDESS OF THE ROSE by PC Cast
(Berkeley, February 7, 2006)

GODDESS OF THE ROSE is a magical, sensuous retelling of Beauty and the Beast – with a modern slant. Our Beauty, Micki (named after the Mikado Rose), and all the women in her family have a special affinity for roses – their blood, diluted in water and applied during the night of a new moon, makes roses grow spectacularly. What the women don’t know is that they have this ability because they are descendants of a High Priestess of the Goddess Hecate. Hecate is Goddess of Night, Magick, the Crossroads of Man, and of Beasts. She is also the proctrectess of The Realm of the Rose – the place wherein all dreams and magick originate. This realm is guarded diligently by The Guardian, a creature on which the myth of the Minotaur was based. The Guardian swore himself into Hecate’s service for eternity, and in return the Goddess gifted him with the heart and soul of a man, even though he has the body of a beast. But all is not well in The Realm of the Rose. The Guardian made a terrible mistake, arousing the Goddess’s wrath to such an extent that she bespelled him and the realm, and Hecate swore that they would sleep eternally unless the Beast was awakened by a woman who carried the magickal blood of Hecate’s priestess, and was wise enough to see the truth, and compassionate enough to act upon it.Micki does awaken the Guardian and he abducts her to The Realm of the Rose, thinking that she would automatically break the curse placed on the realm and set things to right, but modern woman Micki is a very unexpected kind of High Priestess, and there are forces at work within the realm, both of love and of hatred that might change the shape of dreams and magick for all of eternity unless Micki is brave enough to make the ultimate sacrifice…

Capa Nominations

Good news!!

It looks like two of my stories have been nominated for Capas!

Secrets Volume 12 is nominated in the Erotic Anthology Category.

True Seeing is nominated for a Psyche Award for Best Overlooked Work (has not received a CAPA previously, any genre or time frame).

Wow!! I'm so excited!

Gena Showalter Has Another Out!!

JEWEL OF ATLANTIS by Gena Showalter
(HQN Books, February 1, 2006)

Enter a mythical world populated with vampires, dragons, demons and Nymphs…enter a world of dark seduction and powerful magic…enter Atlantis…..

All Atlantis seeks the Jewel of Dunamis, which legend claims can overcome any enemy. Grayson James, human agent for the ultra-secret Otherworld Bureau of Investigation, has orders to keep it from the wrong hands – or destroy it. What he doesn’t know is that Jewel is a woman, not a stone! But once he meets this precious gem, destroying her is the last thing on his mind…Jewel, part goddess, part prophet, is a pawn in Atlantis’s constant power struggles. She needs Gray’s help to win freedom and uncover the secrets of her mysterious origins. Gray needs her wisdom to navigate monster-ridden Atlantis. But need blossoms into passionate love as they fight demons, dragons, vampires – and a prophecy that says the bond between them could destroy them both.

Read an excerpt here!!

Things You Don't Know About Women

I am married to a man who has a very strange passion -- collecting airline miles. Everything we do revolves around it in some way, shape or form (yes, I know those of you who've met him find this hard to believe, but sometime when I'm NOT around, ask him about it. Make sure you have an hour or two to listen to the answer - you're going to need it). We have two credit cards and I'm told when to use each and where, since it turns out that the cards give you double miles at various points, such as when you buy things during the month of May in grocery stores. I find this annoying and silly, since somewhere deep inside I do not find fulfillment and joy from airline mile accruement, but it keeps him off the streets and makes him happy. We all sacrifice for love!!

This means, though, that I have small amounts of airline miles on carriers we never use. It was very important that I get these miles. We had more moments than I can count where at 6am, some poor overworked, grumpy airline counter-person had to look up my number and sit there while I filled out the form to change my maiden to my married name.

But recently, I've had miles expire -- gasp! It's heart breaking for him.

One of the things American will let you do with expiring miles is exchange them for magazines. Now I need more magazines like I need a hole in the head, but I found myself taking my pool of miles and getting as many as I possibly could. Seven of them to be exact. And my choices were limited to guy kind of subjects. I got Field and Stream, for example. I just received my first issue and laughed for a solid hour reading through it - just the picture alone of men in orange and camouflage drinking beer while ice fishing while the sun comes up was priceless. But the magazine which has amused me most to my great surprise is Esquire. They sent me two issues at once, December and January, and I read them both cover to cover. You have no idea how absolutely fascinating this guy periodical is!! Check out an issue.

They have an article each month with the title of this blog entry. This month I'm about to quote is from Desperate Housewives Felicity Huffman. Anyway, here is a couple of my favorites from the 13 bits of advice she gives men:

1. Women also fantasize during sex.
2. If you want to see us naked more often, turn up the damn thermostat.
3. We can't hear a word you're saying if there are hairs coming out of your nose.
4. If you would just listen to us, we'd shut up.
5. Want sex? Fix something.
6. Women want empathy, not advice.
7. You would be crazy, too, if your insides fell out every twenty-eight days.
8. Some handy translations for men:

"You're working too hard." = "You're not spending enough time with me."

"What are you thinking about?" = "Do you still love me."

"Do you want to talk about it?" = "I want to talk about it."

"Fuck you. I can't stand you." = "Fuck you. I can't stand you."

*Heehee - hope you enjoyed those as much as I did.

SORCERESS OF FAITH

Oh wow! Look what Robin Owens has coming out this month!!
SORCERESS OF FAITH by Robin D. Owens
(Luna, February 1, 2006)

With the world of Llandrana threatened by encroaching evil, the Sorcerers must do the unthinkable—Summon an outsider to stop the insidious Darkness slowly taking control of their land and poisoning the Sorcerers themselves.
Arriving in Lladrana, grad student Marian Harasta is stunned to find herself the center of a dispute among Sorcerers who want to augment their Power with her own. She must quickly learn her new magical Powers – and decide who she can trust in this strange land. She has prayed for a miracle to save her brother – could Lladrana offer that knowledge, and can she somehow return to Earth with it?
She knows she must offer the Sorcerers something in exchange, and ridding them of the Evil Sorcerer is what they want, but how will she fare in her first magical duel?
With unexpected help – and unexpected betrayal – Marian must determine where her true fate lies.

Read an excerpt here!

Blog Re-Start

Okay guys, I'm restarting my blog after a lengthy hiatus. Sorry about that!

I'm happy to report I just as of today got a clean bill of health from my Physical Therapist. Yippee! I had been going four days a week and ended up letting some things slide. But my back is on the mend and I've got things to rant about!!

Hope everyone is enjoying 2006 and getting ready for Valentines!