A really good week...

Well, you all know the writing has been going great.  Which makes me uber happy.

 

Then I got a phone call from KD at Kensington on my next Brava (Ethan's story) and she said she loved it.  Thought it was a really smart book.  I'm so relieved, I can't begin to tell you.  While I was talking to her, my ed from Berkley called.  I had to call her back, but the good news is *she* loves my werewolf historical and the minor revisions she asked for are all going to make the book stronger and better.  Happiness abounds.

 

And then we got some great news on an issue we've been having with one of our kids. On top of that, the middle daugh got into the high school she wanted and we've transferred son to a different high school he wanted to attend as well.  Other daugh is set to graduate next year with honors (yes from yet another high school - talk about fragmented driving).  It's just all good!

 

As I said before, Mom is doing pretty okay...she even emailed me yesterday.  She hasn't emailed me since her stroke three years ago.  This was a huge breakthrough for us and she's started reading again.  It made me cry, but after three long years of working at it, she can now remember the words she reads and the story besides.  It's fabulous to have my mom reading my books again, but just reading.  It's such a joy for her!  Physically, she's still weak, but I think really better than she was a few weeks ago and that's all that matters.

 

I'm going to try to blog at least once more before we take off for some down time for the family at the beach this weekend.  I'm going to take my computer and finish my book, but dh REALLY needs to get away and so do the kids and once I send the book off (hopefully Sunday night if my pace remains consistent), I'll get two days off completely from EVERYTHING before I start a new book.

 

So, now you know my plans for the 4th...to relax with my family.  What are you going to do?  If you celebrat the 4th that is...if not, you can sure share weekend plans anyway, right?

 

Hugs,

Lucy

Salutations with Sunshine and Smiles

It's beautiful and sunny here today and I love it.  In fact, I'm getting ready to take my Dana to the back yard and write outside.  The writing life may take more hours than a lot of careers, but it has its perks for sure.  And sunshine is one of them.  Despite my sun allergy which dictates that writing will get done in the shade. LOL

 

I'm definitely smiling today because The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain is #1 on the Borders Group national bestseller's list.  That's three for three on this trilogy and it feels SO good.  For a number of reasons, but chief of which is that each book sold represents a reader connecting to my story and that is uber important to me. :)

 

Am thanking God because I am only a little over 50 pages from finishing my current WIP and that's really nothing short of a miracle.  LOL

 

How about you?  Enjoying any sunshine, the real Vitamin D producing stuff or the kind that lights our life with joy no matter what the weather?  Why are you smiling today?

 

Hugs,

Lucy

 

 

Whacky Wednesday...

Or should I say whacked Wednesday?  I dunno...all I do know is that this has been a strange day and uber challenging.  So, to get myself in a good mood, I'm going to share a newly discovered author with you.  JJ Massa.  She does very sexy, she does werewolves and she does Yaoi.  Not sure I spelled that right, but anyway...if you like super sexy and a great author voice, give her a try.

 

Another good bit of news is that despite the fact I have way too many pages to write between now and deadline, I am VERY MUCH enjoying writing Ellie and Sandor's book.  He's yummy and he's setting up for his big fall...the dumb man moment I love writing so much that leads to the groveling that my readers say *they* like so much. LOL  And it's all so emotional, well...it's best my family doesn't interrupt me at the computer at the moment. ;-)

 

Hope everyone is having a GREAT day!

 

Hugs,
Lucy

Most recent eBook buy...

Okay...I haven't read this yet, but it sounds really funny and fun besides.  So, I bought it and I can't wait to read it, but I've got to write, so the reading comes later.  But if I'm going to be tortured waiting, I thought I'd share the "joy" LOL and tell you all about it. :)

 

Betting Hearts

by Dee Tenorio

 

He's never lost a bet in his life but she's playing for keeps!

 

Cassandra Bishop’s boyfriend is back. Only problem is…she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Or his new fiancée. What the confirmed tomboy would like is to wring his neck. She might have done it, too, if he hadn’t filled her in on the embarrassing truth that he'd left her at the altar because she wasn’t woman enough to satisfy him. Her pride nearly settled for punching him in the nose…until she thought of something better—proving him wrong.
 
High on Burke Hallifax’s list of cataclysmic nightmares is having to look at his best friend as a real female. But when her ex-fiancé makes his wedding a personal vendetta against Cass, Burke has no choice but to bet everything on her ability to out hot-girl the competition. Unfortunately, the entire town is betting as well—on whether Burke and Cass can pull off the makeover of the century…without losing their hearts in the process.

Chat tonight...Wednesday, June 14

I've got a chat at Writerspace tonight and I sure hope I'll see some of you there. Officially, we are chatting about "His Royal Love-Child", but unofficially, I like to chat about anything and everything!

Visit my appearance page for my current chat schedule.


Hugs,
Lucy

Another website question...

You all know I'm a huge Christine Feehan fan, right? I love her Carpathians and her new Ghosthunter series. She's an uber talented author (who I re-read regularly) and a very nice person besides. So...when I went to her website and had to sign up for the "Members Only" section to get certain perks, I felt privileged to do so. You know, like I was getting a special "in" with one of my favorite authors. But then I went to another author's site who is a fairly new read for me and she has the same thing and I found it sort of annoying. Tell me, why?

And tell me...would you think there was something cool and special just for you if you were asked to sign up for a Members Only section on a website that had some neat stuff not available to regular site visitors?

I ask because this could be a really effective way to increase my email reader distribution list. But I wonder if it would irritate readers at the level I'm at because let's face it, I'm not CF...or anywhere close to it. Let me know what you think!

I really, really want your input on this and my previous blog regarding websites. And I'm willing to pay...sort of. :) I will be giving away a signed copy of "book of choice" to one winner chosen from those who comment on this blog post and "You Heard it Here First...". To be eligible, all you have to do is give me your opinion by commenting on the questions in one or both of these posts regarding websites. What could be easier???

If you already have all my books, I've got some great ones by other authors on my prize shelves too!

Remember...while you can post anonymously/don't have to be registered on my blog, please give your name in the comment so I can identify you if you are the winner.

The drawing will be held on Friday. :)

A very fun book...

I discovered Julie Kenner when she was writing her superhero series and immediately lost my reader's heart. :)  This woman writes funny, but manages to throw in a good dose of emotion and action into her stories as well.  I highly recommend this author for anyone who hasn't tried her and what better place to start than with her latest book?

 

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…

You heard it here first!!!

I'm launching a new website for my paranormal series.

Children of the Moon will go live later this summer and it's going to be a totally cool site with some ultra fun bennies for my readers. In my free time (um...well, something like that anyway), I'm working on a short story that will be a free online read. It's a prequel to the historical single title coming out in Feb '07 (Moon Awakening) and it's going to be illustrated by a new, but very talented Manga artist, ZJS. I'm his first commissioned work, but I have no doubt that once his work gets seen, he's going to build a fan following fast. Preliminary sketches are fab! I'm way excited about this. He has already created the tattoos my werewolves have to distinguish their ancestry. They're so perfectly what I was thinking when I wrote the book that I'm in awe.

But that's not even close to all...my second bit of super cool news is that I've just contracted with the CGI artist, Niekra, to create images for my main COM characters and maybe even illustrate some scenes from the books. You can see her work here. I'm totally thrilled that she's willing to work with me to give my readers something special. We are starting with my novella in Unleashed and I can't wait to see he images she comes up with. The uber talented Jet Mykles recommended her and I'm a very grateful girl.

There's going to be more, but that's enough to wet your appetite, isn't it?

And speaking of, what are the things you wish authors had on their websites or the things that you've found that you particularly liked?

Me? I want an up to date and long range "Upcoming Releases" schedule that's ultra easy to find and read. I have to admit that I visit author sites almost exclusively to find out what they've got coming so I can put it on my TBB calendar.

Can't wait to hear *your* thoughts!

Hugs,
Lucy

Yummy Suspense

Rebecca York, one of my favorite authors, and a HIGHLY talented lady, has a new book out.  This series is edgy, sexy and addictive.  Highly recommended for paranormal fans and even those who don't normally read the genre.  The woman knows how to write suspense!

 

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.

 

And I came across another new suspense on one of my group blogs...LUCKY BREAK by Jan Conwell.  It's published by Triskellion Publishing.  It sounds really good and just like the kind of book I need for my new eReader. LOL  Yes, I know you're thinking...she doesn't need any new books.  Or at least that's what my editor who would like to see me turn my current book in on time is thinking.  But I can always buy it for later, right?

 

I like what the author put on her website even better than the back cover copy...here's a little snippet: For those of you who haven't met her yet, I'd like you to meet Fiona Wright, the heroine of Lucky Break.  She's a flat-chested, bespectacled, optimistic hippy-chick, a journalism major who (because of a rat-bastard ex-boyfriend) lands a job teaching Aircraft Fuel Systems maintenance.  Really.  She's every military man's nightmare--imagine Carrot Top as a woman, and put her on an Air Force Base.

 

So, let's stick with the theme...
What kind of suspense do you like to read?

If you like to read suspense that is.

Do you like the intense suspense or something lighter?

Really cool openings...

We've all read books that hooked us from the first word.  Books that had such a cool opening, that after we read it, we had to either buy the book, or if it was already ours...keep reading until we found out what happened next.  Within the writing community, a lot of emphasis gets put on the opening line of a book and while some can be real doozies, if they aren't followed up with a scene and a chapter and ultimately a whole story that pulls you in, they don't count for much.  Know what I mean?

 

As readers, we want stories to engage us and keep us engaged, right?  So, what does that for you?

 

I'd love if you would share one of your favorite opening scenes from a book (not a movie...though after this last discussion, I know some are going to be tempted LOL) and what it was about that scene that caught you so hard.  If the author has an excerpt on the web, post the link so the rest of us can read it too if we want. :)

 

I've got a thousand, but one I read recently was the opening scene to Lora Leigh's "Elizabeth's Wolf".  You can read it here.  I'm immediately drawn in by Dash's character...who and what he is, the situation he is in.  His life is in danger, he's in a semi-coma and his commanding officer reads him a letter from a little girl.  That letter brings him back to the living.  He knows he has to fight to get better.  It's totally poignant, totally enthralling and only peripherally focused on the upcoming romance.  I love it!

 

Now it's your turn.  What's one of your favorite opening scenes and why?

Let's talk about movies...

I love them.  I'm not super fond of TV, but I watch a lot of movies.  Not as many as the ladies on Romance by the Blog, but a fair amount.  But no matter how good a movie is, it can never give me the same thrill I get from reading a REALLY good book.  Why is that?

 

I think it's because in a movie you don't get to see inside the character's heads, so you often have to guess at motives, backstory, even current circumstances.  (I watched Transporter II the other night and it was more than halfway through the movie before I realized the married couple were living separated and that he hadn't just been gone on a long business trip.)  I love books because they dig deeper into the emotion and you get to know the characters better.  At least most of the time.

 

I don't want to talk about the times you don't because that will start me on a rant and you know I'm not fond of those.  I prefer to keep my eye on the positive side of life.  ;-)

 

Back to movies...as much as I love to read, sometimes, I'm in the mood for visual input.  I like action-adventure and some romance (the lack of being able to see inside the character's heads can ruin some romance movies for me).  I adored "French Kiss."  Does anyone remember that one?  I've just started watching Vin Diesel...he's cool.  My hubby and I both like The Rock as an actor too.  I love Sandra Bullock, but not all of her movies.

 

So, what's your favorite movie?
And if you don't mind saying...why?

 

Hugs,

Lucy