Join me Today at The Chatelaines

Happy Friday! I'm blogging over at The Chatelaines today. I'm kicking off a theme of "What's next?" Be sure to pop by often to see what's up with Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, CL Wilson, Gerri Russell, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak and me.

Hope for Haiti

When terrible things happen, our natural instinct is to want to help. But unfortunately, there are scam artists out there willing to take advantage of the misfortune of others. However, when it comes to the Haitian earthquake, I know a legitimate organization to which I can donate.

Because of Bonnie Vanak.

Bonnie is a Leisure Book/Nocturne author, my friend and fellow Chatelaine and for her day job, she frequently travels to third world counties (and was scheduled to go to Haiti in a couple weeks) with Food for the Poor. Here's what Bonnie had to say in a recent email to The Chatelaines:

__________
from Bonnie Vanak...

Yes, I'm telling people to donate to my organization, Food For The Poor. We have offices and a huge warehouse in Haiti and a feeding program and orphanages and elderly home. We are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and here is the link to the FAQ page about us for those who want to know about what we do and who endorses us. http://www.foodfort hepoor.org/ about/faq/


The big concern with organizations right now will be those who are legit and those who are not. For those wanting to donate to other organizations, here is a link to Charity Navigator, which rates charities and you can check out if the charity is "official" or a scam and where they deliver aid.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

Charity Navigator said about us, "We are proud to announce that Food For The Poor has earned our eighth consecutive four-star rating for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Less than 1% of the charities we rate have received at least 8 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Food For The Poor consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America.”

CARE, UNICEF, World vision, Doctors without borders (love that one, they are out there doing triage and they lost their three centers) and Partners in Health (Paul Farmer) are all very good as well, just a few I can think of. (Emily popping in here! I would add the Red Cross to this list.)

We just heard from our team on the ground in Haiti. It's "chaos" there with tens of thousands of people camping out in the parks because of the aftershocks. People are afraid to go back inside, even if their homes are intact. Even our team slept at a staff member's house out in the hallway b/c of the fear of aftershocks.

I'm posting news as I can get it on my blog, www.bonnievanak.blogspot.com but I'm at work and buried in trying to deal with the fundraising and information arm of the operation.

And please, ask people to think good thoughts for Haiti and send prayers. They need all the positive mental energy they can get.

Thanks,

Bonnie

___________________________________

Thank you, Bonnie for being our hands and feet in a desperate place. As a side note, two of Bonnie's friends and co-workers who were in Haiti have finally been located and are safe.

The Rhys Rumble

Gore Vidal said, “Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. As you get older, you get more skillful at casting them.”

The first step for me in peopling my story with interesting characters is deciding on their names. Before THE CHATELAINES (the group blog I share with CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak and Cindy Holby) got up and running, the whole gang had some group email discussions about the relative hotness of certain male names. Face it, it’s hard to get excited about a hero named Murgatroyd or Icabod. One name we all agreed had a high hotness quotient was Rhys (pronounced Reece).

I was surprised to learn that several of us had already used, or intended to use, the name. In fact, Rhys is the name of Joy Nash's current hero in SILVER SILENCE. If you love retellings of the Arthurian legend, you have to try Joy's vivid re-imagining of Camelot.

Rhys is also the name of my hero’s father in PLEASURING THE PIRATE. Of course, my Rhys is already dead when the story starts, but that doesn’t diminish his influence over Gabriel. Rhys Drake was a hard man, a driven man, one who demanded much from himself and those around him. His indomitable spirit motivates his son Gabriel to leave a life of piracy and try to reclaim his place as a gentleman.

Would Rhys Drake have ultimately approved? Gabriel will never know. And it maybe wouldn’t matter in the end. Pirates have a tendency to take what they want, devil take the hindermost. Gabriel might not have a swaying deck beneath his feet, but he’s still a pirate at heart.

So that’s the story of my Rhys. Have you read a book with a Rhys in it lately?

What guy names rate high on your hot-o-meter?

PS. Still a few weeks before the drawing for the $100 gift card in my MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL contest! If you haven't done so, be sure to enter!

Friday Freebies!

As you know, I'm running a MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST from now till Dec. 1st. (The prize is $100 B&N gift card and who couldn't use that just before Christmas?) Turns out, several of my writing buddies are running some great contests too! So I thought I'd share them with you.

Preparing for the holidays can leave you with little time for yourself. My friend Gerri Russell's contest will take care of that!


Just in time for the holidays... Win One, Give One As a Gift! One lucky winner will receive two Warrior’s Bride “Relax in the Bath” gift baskets. Each gift basket includes an autographed copy of Warrior’s Bride, a bath pillow, a bath sponge, and bubble bath, one for the winner and one to give to a friend. The contest runs until December 1st. Enter HERE!


This one is not exactly a contest, but it is a FREEBIE! My friend Bonnie Vanak has a free online read at eHarlequin starting Monday, Oct. 19! It's called Seducing the Vampire and it's about a half-vampire, half-werewolf who teams with his former love, a sexy vampress, to save a magick amulet from falling into the wrong hands. Each Monday for eight weeks will feature a new chapter.

What a great way to try out a new author! Be sure to check out Bonnie's latest release Immortal Wolf, which is out this month from Silhouette Nocturne. And say a little prayer for Bonnie herself. Her day job takes her into some rather dicey 3rd world countries. It's taking her to Haiti on Monday. I admire her so much for the way she helps others. You can read a bit more about that in her latest post at THE CHATELAINES.

You may remember Caroline Fyffe. She was here blogging about her debut release a few months ago and now she has a killer contest that gives you a chance to unleash your creativity. I know lots of my readers are also writers, so be sure to enter:


Caroline Fyffe's Under A Western Sky Contest
Don’t miss your chance to win a night’s stay at Slide Mountain Ranch in beautiful Tuolumne, CA. All you have to do is watch a 2 minute book trailer and write your version of the last line of the story. Here's your chance to write a happily-ever-after.....



If you haven't started the Tairen Soul series you have some serious catch up reading to do! From now until October 27, my friend C.L. Wilson is hosting a daily “countdown” blog on her website’s blog. Visitors who post a response to the Question of the Day are eligible to enter a weekly drawing for an autographed copy of QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS (book 4 in the Tairen Soul quintet) and other great prizes. I love these books! So join the fun!

Hope you enjoy visiting my friends' websites and good luck in all the contests! This weekend my DH and I hope to attend an artshow. What are your plans?

PS. Today is my regular day to post at The Chatelaines. I'm talking about "saving the ta-ta's," starting with your own!

A Christmas Kiss!

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is at The Romance Studio today. And we're sharing exclusive excerpts from each of our novellas featuring a Christmas kiss!

Please pop over to join us and leave a comment. You just might win a freebie!

Also, Fridays are my regular posting days at The Chatelaines, a group blog I share with CL Wilson, Joy Nash, Jennifer Ashley, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak and Cindy Holby. I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a rant today, but I'd enjoy hearing from you there, too!

Have a great weekend!

Hot Dish Friday!

In Northern Iowa, hot dish is what you have when you take all your left-overs, mix them in a caserole pan, pour a can of cream of mushroom soup over it and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I'm sort of doing that with my blog today. Sorry.

Fridays are my usual day to post at The Chatelaines. If you haven't given this group blog a try I urge you to pop over. It features CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak, Cindy Holby and moi. Today I'm talking a little about my novella in A CHRISTMAS BALL. I've been so heads down working on STROKE OF GENIUS, this release has snuck up on me. As you can see, it's coming fast. (And as you can also see, you can click on the corner of this countdown widget and grab the code for it. If you decide post it on your blog, you will have my undying gratitude! Let me know you did and I'll build a link to your site!) You can pre-order your copy on Amazon!

Writing a novella was a different experience for me. 30K words seems so short when you're used to luxuriating in 90K. That meant things had to pop. It was a little like writing a romance haiku. Every syllable counts.

Now I'm writing at a 10 page a day pace. For A CHRISTMAS BALL, my recovery from cancer surgery slowed me to 2 pages a day. But this is a special story for me because while I was dealing with uncertainty and a good deal of pain, slipping into the world of A CHRISTMAS BALL was a respite. An affirmation that joy and beauty and love was stronger than what I was going through at the time.

And paradoxically enough, my editor says it's the funniest thing I've ever written.(No, it wasn't drugs! I was off pain meds by then.)

Last Monday, Tessa Dare came to visit and those of you who left a comment had a chance to win a copy of her book. I'm pleased to announce that Booklover1335 is her winner! Congratulations. Please contact me through my website with your mailing info and I'll see that Tessa gets it!

And while we're on the subject of contests, my CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST is still running. Please drop by and enter for your chance to win your choice of my backlist.

So that's all in the blog frig for now. The DH and I don't have plans to explore any more harbor islands this weekend (No need to make a "Spectacle" of ourselves again any time soon!) We're going (involuntary shudder) shopping. But we're shopping for him, so it's all good. (I know, I know, I need to overcome my shopping anxiety. I'm working on it!)

Have a lovely day and a weekend filled with everything that pleases you. (And if you care to share what things that might be, please feel free!)

Home Again!

RWA in DC was a great time, but it's grand to be home in Boston! I'm sorry I didn't post while I was there. The Marriott charged $12.95 a day for an internet connection, even for its wifi in the lobby and it was a matter of principle not to pay for something Holiday Inn Express includes for free. (Especially when you consider the ridiculous room rate we were charged by the Marriott! And I talked to a couple authors who paid the $12.95 for a connection but dropped it after one day because it was so spotty.)Anyway, I'll give you the rundown now.

I had countless fangirl moments--rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sherry Thomas, Tessa Dare, Madeline Hunter, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverley--all my favorites! I'm hoping to have several of them on as blog guests soon.

Meeting my new agent (Natasha Kern) and her assistant Becky was a real treat. Natasha is a real dynamo and I think we'll work well together.

I spent some time with the Lollies (Ladies of Leisure!) CL Wilson, Christie Craig, Jade Lee, Colleen Thompson (who was up for a RITA in a field crowded with all the big names in the romantic suspense genre and she fit right in with them!) Angie Fox, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak, Natale Stenzel, Anna DeStefano, and newcomer Caroline Fyffe. I also had a lovely, tear-inducing chat with Diane Stacy (VP of Direct Sales for Dorchester) about life, love, books and everything in general. She remains one of my favorite people of all those I've met since I first published.

My humor workshop went off well. It really helped that my mom gave me something to start with. I was talking to her before I left and confessed that I was a little worried about giving the workshop because comedy is hard and I've seen humor workshops really fall flat. She said, "Nonsense! You have so much to share. Just go down there and elude confidence!" My workshop attendees thought that was a real hoot, typical motherly advice and a wonderful example of malapropism all at the same time! Thanks, Mom.

A big part of what made my conference special was getting to know my roommate, May Boonpitak. May is from Thailand and we first met a few years ago when MAIDENSONG (my debut Diana Groe title) came out. She'd read it and made a point of finding me at RT to tell me she loved it. She's a delightful person and it was fascinating to learn more about how people live in her country (She thinks Americans are mean to kick their kids out of the house when they reach adulthood. She shares a home with her parents, sister and nephew. No one ever has to live alone.) Anyway, I loved sharing my 'down time' with her.

And now I can't wait to start doing what my agent says is my Prime Directive. WRITE MY FINGERS OFF!

P.S.--Voting is still open for my STROKE OF GENIUS Name a Character Contest. Everyone who votes is entered into a drawing to win a WHOLE BOX OF BOOKS! Please help me name an important character in my current WIP by casting your vote today!

Now That's Funny!

Put your coffee down. Push your computer screen back to a safe distance. This is a seriously funny repost from my friend Bonnie Vanak. Most of the time she's writing steamy historicals for Leisure Books or hot Nocturnes, but the other day, she decided to noodle away in jest and came up with one of the worst story premises I've ever seen.

So without further ado, I give you:

The Billionaire Werewolf's Virgin Vampire

"Hairy Pause brooded as he stepped out of his black stretch limo and gazed wearily at the glittering parade of black-tie attendees at the Annual Wealthy Werecreatures Only Gala. Suddenly, she caught his eye (and flung it back at him). It was HER. Vanessa Vixen, the beautiful, sensual virgin widow vampire. Weres had coveted her, but none had claimed her. Yet. Hairy was determined to be her first...

Vanessa Vixen sighed with trepidation as she swept into the ballroom of the Wolfdorf Asstoryia. Vampires, werewolves, demons (and one gnome that had struck it rich by advising his wereclients to sell their GM stock three years ago) drifted past with an air of bored lassitude. She tossed back her floor-length silky red curls. If caught, she’d be humiliated. But she had no choice. The ball was the only place where she could get her hands on Hairy Pause.

Her elderly Egyptian mother was confined to Ye Ole Old REALLY OLD People’s Home and dying from a computer virus. Mama Vixen desperately needed a transfusion of the Magic Windows 404 Vista Fixer. Billionaire, handsome Hairy held the only known copy. Vanessa had to get a copy to save her ailing, wailing mummy. It was the 5th ball she’d attended that week in hopes of catching the mysterious, elusive werewolf with the well-chiseled chin.

She’d do anything. Even seduce Hairy, if she could grab him at the balls."

Ok, once you've wiped away your tears of mirth, check out Bonnie's serious writing at http://www.bonnievanak.com/. Trust me, she's worth a click!

Never Underestimate the Value of a Good Haircut!

This is Susie, my 16 year old "papi-oodle-huahua." As nearly as we can figure, she's a poodle-papillion-chihuahua mix. After adopting her from the pound in Sheridan, WY, we've had her 11 years. The people who dropped her off claimed she was 5 at the time, but when we took her to the vet, he said she was likely older. So know one knows how old Susie really is and she's not telling.

But her arthritic little bones are dropping hints. Some days, she cripples around on three legs and even though I slip her a daily "mickey" to ease her aches, I worry that she may be in pain. My friend Bonnie Vanak had to put down her beloved "Tig" recently and her grief reminded me that my days with Susie may be winding down.

Even so, when the weather finally warmed up enough in New England, it was time for Susie's summer cut. During the winter, she turns into a powder puff with feet. (I really should have taken a "before" pic, but unlike Mack, our hammy Jack Russell, Susie doesn't like having her pic taken. She was hiding under the coffee table in the one above.) So yesterday, she got a sleek shave and amazingly enough, she knows she looks better. She felt so good about it, she actually stretched out and ran down the hall to our condo. She's been prancing around ever since.

As a full-time writer, I'm more likely to "plath around in my sluvvies" than most people. After all, I don't go to an office. Sometimes, the only reason I poke my nose out of doors is to walk Susie and Mack. I'm just as productive in my jammies, but perhaps I need to start treating myself to a little make-up on regular days, not just when I'm at a writer's conference.

What do you think? Does how you look effect how you feel?

Confessions of The Anti-Shopper

Fridays are my regular days to blog at The Chatelaines--a group blog I share with Jennifer Ashley, CL Wilson, Joy Nash, Bonnie Vanak, Gerri Russell and Cindy Holby. Usually, I try to have two different posts--one here and one there, but getting ready for RT next week is compressing my time. Please join me today at The Chatelaines. I reveal the depths of my anti-shopping bias and how a transcendant shopping experience can convert even a jaded non-shopper like me.

Hope to see you in Orlando!

Tingles of Magic at THE CHATELAINES

Have you ever been someplace that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end for no discernable reason? I'm blogging about the experience at THE CHATELAINES. You'll want to bookmark this fabulous blogsite. It features CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Bonnie Vanak, Cindy Holby and (blush) me!

I'm giving away a FREE copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave a comment or question.

PS. I had a great time at the Romance and Chocolate Group Signing in Farmington, CT. (You can find signed copies of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS and PLEASURING THE PIRATE at the Borders at 1600 Southeast Road!) Special thanks to Rachel, one of my blog "touristas", for making the trip and bringing her mother to the event! :)

Scene Stealers

Nocturne and Dorchester historical author Bonnie Vanak is hosting my blog tour today. We're talking about secondary characters who refuse to stay in the background. I spotlight Isabella Wren--a former courtesan and now Lady Wexford. Bonnie has also posted a picture of me in my opera singing days (No, that gorgeous creature in the mask is not me.) But I played lots of courtesans on the stage--opera is filled with these soiled doves who, despite their good hearts and high C's, meet a tragic end.

Sure am glad I write romance now. I do so love happy endings.

I'll be giving away another copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT to someone who comments. Hope to see you at Bonnie Vanak's Blog.

The Chatelaines go LIVE!

Take a New York Times Bestseller, two USA Today Bestsellers, an American Title winner, and three award winning, multi-published authors, scramble them all together and what do you get? THE CHATELAINES! http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com/ ! It's the hottest new Historical authors group blog featuring CL Wilson, Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, Gerri Russell, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak and . . . moi (blush!) Emily Bryan.

We'll be sharing about what's next for our writing, what's happening in our lives and any crazy thing that pops into our heads! Be sure to bookmark us so you'll never miss a moment!