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These Books Need a Home

Updated:  the books promised or already sent have been removed from the list.  I also added a few new ones!

I’m cleaning out my bookshelves, and as most bibliophiles, I’ve realized I have way more books than I will ever read (or read again).  I thought who better to offer these books to than my friends and blog readers! 

These books are all either new or gently used.  Media mail postage is pretty cheap in the US, so my postage budget will go pretty far.  If my international friends see some they’d like, I ask that you bundle a few together and I’ll get prices to ship them.  If it’s extremely expensive, I may have to hold off a while before sending them.

I’ll keep adding books to this post and cross off the ones that are taken.  You can drop me an e-mail (joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com) or comment here if any book strikes your fancy.

In no particular order:

Beyond the Edge, Susan Kearney, Extreme Blaze

The Lost City of Z, David Grann, hardcover, Double Day

The Stepsister Scheme, Jim C, Hines, DAW

The Satin Sash, Red Garnier, Penquin Heat (trade)

Close Encounters and Close Contact, Katherine Allred, EOS

Moonstruck, Susan Grant, HQN

On Basilisk Station, David Weber, Baen

Melusine, Sarah Monette, Ace

Dark Legacy, Anna DeStefano, Love Spell

Amazonia, James Rollins, Avon

The Prince of Midnight, The Hidden Heart, The Shadow & the Star, Laura Kinsale, Avon

Scandal, Ravished, Surrender, Seduction, Mistress, Rendezvous, Deception, Affair, Mischief, Dangerous, Amanda Quick, Bantam

The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, Terry Brooks, Del Rey

Feast of Souls, CS Friedman, Daw

Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay, Roc

The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris, St. Martin’s

Working for the Devil, Lilith Saintcrow, Warner

The Lion’s Lady, Julie Garwood, Pocket

By the Sword, Winds of Fate, Winds of Fury, Mercedes Lackey, Daw

Rules of Attraction, A Well Pleasured Lady, Christina Dodd, Avon

Talyn, Holly Lisle, Tor

Lord of the Dead, Tom Holland, Pocket

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Review: Hurt Me So Good

Sherri Meyer writes a lovely review for Victor:

Joely Sue Burkhart is a master, and I do mean MASTER, at character development. I always feel like I might be able to meet one of her characters in real life. They have hopes and dreams, fears and worries, had highs and lows. They are human. I love a great character.

In a nice twist for a romance this really is Victor’s story because he has the most to lose. I loved watching him struggle with who he is. On the surface Victor is powerful, seemingly on top of the world. But he has flaws both real and imagined. Shiloh knows what she wants, sets out to get it, and knocks poor Victor’s world on its axis.

I have to give Sherri full credit for helping me tie up a subplot so neatly and wonderfully that it has become a favorite of several people who’ve read it since and loved it.  The acknowledgements say it all:

Sherri, Brandon is forever in your debt.

Thank you so much, Sherri!

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Dark & Early

I’m ever so slowly getting back in the groove of Dark & Early writing.  It’s hard, don’t get me wrong, and it never gets easier.  But the only sure way to guarantee I can get at least 500-1000 words a day is to get them BEFORE anyone else is up and demanding my time.

There are a few key things I have to remind myself each and every day to make that precious hour productive.

1. Roll out of bed WITH the alarm, instead of turning it off and staying in bed “just a few more minutes.”  Because pretty soon I’ll have convinced myself that I’m too tired to get up and I’ll let my backup alarm (when everyone else needs to get up) take effect.  No thinking.  Just get UP.

2. Set up the coffee pot the night before, so all I have to do is hit the button.  I’ll take the dogs out and come back to fresh hot coffee.  (I don’t use the timer just in case I do go back to sleep — no sense in wasting my good Caribou coffee!)

3. Check in with my accountability partner, Jenna.  Usually she’s up before me, but every once in a while I beat her to the punch.  We e-mail each other every day.  “I’m up and I’m going to work on Vicki today.”  Or “Man, it sucks, I got a rejection yesterday, but I’m going to write anyway.”  “Or damn, I overslept!  Sorry!”  Those suck but happen.  Knowing that she’s waiting for my morning e-mail definitely encourages me to get up when that alarm goes off the first time and not the “normal” alarm.

4. Other than e-mailing my friend, no other e-mail, Google Reader, or Lord forbid, Twitter.  It’s way too easy to get sucked in.  There’s absolutely nothing worse than sacrificing an hour of precious sleep, only to realize you’ve wasted it online instead of writing.

Why all this push?  A couple of reasons.  I’m in the final third of Vicki.  Maybe the final fourth (first draft).  I have momentum and I’m not going to let her stall on me again, no matter how tough and emotional these scenes get.  Finish. The. Damned. Book.

NaNoWriMo is just around the corner.  I need Vicki done so I can start the next project, and I still need to decide which one, finish plotting, etc.  Getting up D&E is the only way I’ll be able to win NaNoWriMo unless I take all my remaining vacation.  Christmas?  Who needs days off at the holidays when I’m behind on word count?

After a week or two, I’m hoping the routine will be solidified and I can double up on projects.  I’ll get new words in the morning, and worldbuild/plot at night.  In a perfect world, I’ll finish an erotic novella in October and work on the post-apoc in November, but I have a feeling I might be doing both in Nov.  Or something else entirely, since I don’t have either of them fully plotted! 

(A side effect of this productivity:  my blogging mojo is slowly coming back too!)

Do you have any routines that help you set aside dedicated writing time?

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Guest Post and First Victor Review

I’m at Kait Nolan’s today blogging about When the Well Runs Dry.  Comment on the post to win an early copy of HURT ME SO GOOD, which doesn’t release until 10/5!

Soleil of Black Sun Reviews is the first to review Victor:

Nobody makes my reader’s heart sting like Joely Sue Burkhart. I’m not usually one to enjoy contemporaries but with Joely’s quirky sense of humor and passion for the forbidden or the politically incorrect, I get lost in the magic every time.

Hurt Me So Good is a sweltering hot read even without the mention of crops, whips and collars. The passion between Shiloh and Victor is addictive and I do believe I’m going to miss reading about a heroine who isn’t afraid to talk dirty. She’s not a doormat. She’s not a shrinking violet or the epitome of fragility. She’s a damned proud Submissive and she totally won my heart.

Soleil also mentions Mal (Malinda Kannes, Mistress of Dallas) and I’m happy to say she will definitely get her own story, tentatively titled MINE TO BREAK.  I already know who her hero is, too, and he makes a brief appearance in Vicki’s YOURS TO TAKE.

Thank you so much, Soleil!

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General Updates & Apple Escapades

First up, let me cover the business.  The free read prequel that I posted as Friday Snippets is now ready to be downloaded in a pdf:  Lie to You.  I have an epub version but WordPress isn’t liking it — and I can’t find where to change the security rules to allow it to be updated.  If you’d rather have epub, just drop me a note and I’ll e-mail it to you.

I’ve also posted Chapter One of HURT ME SO GOOD.  As we get closer to release date, I’ll probably post a few more teaser excerpts, so stay tuned!

Now for apple escapades:  we drove up to my mom’s (Granny’s) this weekend to pick apples and celebrate her birthday.  She has two apple trees in their yard, one a cooking apple of some sort (I can’t remember–all those apples were gone) and a Red Delicious tree.  We picked up at least 3 bags of apples and the kids had a ball.

The best part of the trip, though, was the canning lesson Mom gave me.  I learned how to can applesauce (and brought home the pints we canned).  When I was a kid, she had a pressure canner that always scared the crap out of me, but she showed me a different way to do it.  She calls it “cold press” which makes no sense to me since we still boil it, but no hissing pressure build-up to freak me out.  I bought a canner last year but was too scared to use it (and I couldn’t find any jars that late in the season).  This week my goal will be to try some applesauce, and then I want to hit our local orchard and buy some cooking apples for apple butter.

If we have any of these apples left, that is.  I made fresh juice this morning (which took about 12 apples), and then I made a “Puffy Apple Pancake” in my iron skillet that was pretty good.  Of course the kids keep snatching them and munching away, too.  They’re just too good and sweet to resist!

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Friday Snippet: Mama Connagher

I’m going to finish Vicki if she kills me! 

I’m finally, almost, at LAST!!  Ready to break 40K.  I’ve been stuck in the 30Ks for months.  Ugh.  But this morning Dark & Early, I finally hit the emotional candy bar scene that I’d been dreading and looking forward to.  Mama and Vicki on the same page.  Here’s just a tiny snippet, first draft only.

“Vicki.”  Mama smiled and held out her arms.  Her face felt frozen and brittle, but Vicki hugged her and gave her a dutiful peck on the cheek.  “How’s my girl?”

“Fine, Mama.”  She knew Mama wanted an introduction or at least an excuse about what was going on, but Vicki refused to give an inch.  Make her ask.  That keeps the advantage with me.

It worked at least a little, because Mama’s jaws tightened and her eyes narrowed.  She turned to Elias and held out her hand.  “Lt. Reyes.”

“Ma’am.”

“I thought you were out of the picture.”

Elias’s neck turned red, which was almost enough to make Vicki laugh out loud and relax.  Almost, but not quite, because she was more worried about the other man standing on her right. 

“I’m Jesse Inglemarre, ma’am.”

Mama took his hand, squeezing hard, evidently, because Vicki noted the way his face tensed a moment before melting away.  His shoulders relaxed, easing into the fierce grip like he did when she touched him, and she was suddenly so pissed, so mindless with jealousy and fury, that she couldn’t breathe.  Couldn’t move.  She wanted to strike out with violence, even against her mother.

“Ah,” Mama breathed out and released him.  “So the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all.  When you picked Reyes, I honestly started to wonder.  I thought maybe I’d been wrong.”

“You’re never wrong, Mama.”  Vicki didn’t even try to keep the bitterness out of her voice.  At least that was better than violence.  “I learned that a long time ago.  Just another way I’ve let you down, right?”

“Is that what you think?”

Unperturbed by Mama’s unusually quiet voice, Vicki wrapped her arm around Jesse’s waist and pulled him against her.  With Elias on her other side, she felt shielded from the fiery darts Mama would lob at her.  “I know it.  First I quit my job at the firm after years of grad school and grueling overtime to make partner on a lark—to start my own clothing line.  Now I’m dating two men at the same time.  You’ve despaired of me ever getting married and settling down.”

“Quitting that law firm was the best thing you’ve ever done.”

Braced for an I-told-you-so tirade, it took Vicki several moments to realize that was actually a compliment.  Stunned, she could only stare at Mama, searching those dark eyes so like her own for the truth.  What she saw horrified her.

A tear streaked down her mother’s face.  “So that could only be your self-doubt, honey, if you think I’m disappointed in you.  Same with Reyes.  I knew you two were fire and oil, too explosive together.  You’d kill each other before you’d ever work out enough of a truce for marriage, but that’s exactly what you wanted.  In a way, you were punishing me by picking an upstanding man I had to like but you never intended marriage.  Don’t look at me like that, Beulah Virginia.”

Gaping, Vicki flinched at both the use of her real name and the sharper tone of voice, even while Mama dashed her tears away impatiently.

“Don’t stand there so innocently shocked.  I didn’t raise a wallflower or a doormat.  If you’d really wanted Reyes, then you would have demanded he marry you or get the hell out.  Forget this polite ‘dating’ and sometimes sleeping together crap.  Either you love him or you don’t.  Make up your damned mind and quit punishing me.”

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Possible Victor prizes

Taking the idea of personalized charm for necklaces or bracelets, I wandered over to Etsy and found these wax seal silver stamps on a charm bracelet.   Is that something any of you would like to win from Victor?  Edited to add:  I also like this pendant.

I’m also thinking about ordering ink pens instead of bookmarks this time.  According to some survey I read a while ago, readers go to conferences and get tons of bookmarks, and they really prefer ink pens, mirrors, etc.   Useable things.  If any of you have ordered promo pens and can recommend a good company, please pass along your recs.

Otherwise, 10/5 is not far away.  *gnaws fingers to nubs*

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Review: The Road to Shanhasson

Susi from The Geeky Bookworm says:

The Road to Shanhasson is a wonderful Fantasy Romance which does everything right. I loved the story, the characters and the wonderful narration. This book broke my heart and put the pieces back together and left me with a warm feeling deep inside. I can’t say often enough how wonderful Joely’s books are and again I’m sitting here craving more. Highly recommended to all romance readers.

The Road to Shanhasson is a wonderful and unique Fantasy Romance with wicked warriors, a heartbreaking lovestory and an engaging plot.

Read the whole review here.  Thank you so much, Susi!  Plans for the print release of Road are in the works now, and Return to Shanhasson (the final book in Shannari’s trilogy) will release in electronic format this fall!

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Pedigree: Adopt a Dog

Both of our dogs were adopted, one from a vet clinic and the other from a shelter and I can’t imagine life without either of them.

We’ve had Pepper the longest.  My SIL used to work at a vet clinic, and she called us one day because a dog had come in that was going to be put down if they couldn’t find a home for him.  His elderly owner had passed away and the family couldn’t take care of him.  He’s such a sweet, tolerant dog.  As soon as I sit down in my chair, he jumps up in my lap.  It’s always fun trying to juggle the laptop and the lapdog, especially when KC decides to join us.

KC (named after the Kansas City Chiefs) is our newest dog – we’ll have her a year this Thanksgiving.  On a whim, we stopped at a newer animal shelter.  I know the volunteers absolutely love pets and do the best for them, but there were SO MANY dogs.  There were at least 30 dogs in an open cage in the center of the shelter, with walls of small kennels around the outer room.  The noise was unbelievable (not to mention the smell).  We were getting ready to leave without getting attached to any of the dogs, when I heard this low, soft whine.  How I heard it over the din of barking, frantic dogs, I have no idea, but I turned around and saw her.  She was so sweet, licked my fingers, whining and crying. 

We went home without a dog — it’d been a whim after all.  However, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  I kept hearing her cry.  I just knew we had to go back and get her.

KC is a bundle of energy.  The kids adore playing with her.  She’s a hunter — no bug escapes unharmed (she rescued us from a praying mantis just last week).  She runs and plays until the kids and her all drop and sleep in a cute little pile.

So what’s all this about?  Pedigree is donating dog food for every blog post about adopting dogs.  They have some nice information here if you’re interested in adopting from a shelter.  If you can’t adopt but have a blog, take a few minutes and blog about dog adoption, then link back to this site & add your blog.

 KC, our adopted dog, and Littlest Monster, sound asleep

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Planning Promo

With Victor unleashed on unsuspecting readers next month, I’ve been thinking about promotion efforts.  To be honest, I’m a bit burned out on blog tours — I can’t even keep MY blog up to date and interesting right now.  I love giving away stuff, so if anyone’s got brilliant ideas you’d like to see, let me know.  I do plan to give several copies of HURT ME SO GOOD away, but what else do you want to see? 

Exclusive smokin’ hot excerpts?  I can do that. 

A few behind the scene sort of posts?  I can do that too.  I just don’t want to get into wide spread “today I’m here and tomorrow I’m over there, and next week I’m here and there and everywhere.”

Gift certificates haven’t really seemed that exciting as giveaways.  I’d love to giveaway an e-reader but I don’t know if I can swing it, especially since I don’t have a dedicated reader other than my iPhone.  Which I really probably need to stop reading on — I keep getting eye strain headaches.  Probably thanks to Stacia Kane because I read the Downside Ghosts trilogy in a matter of days all on my phone.

If you have any brilliant exciting things you’d like a chance to win, let me know.  Otherwise, I’ll keep brainstorming.

I still owe an interview to Kait on The Bloodgate Guardian.  See how behind I am?  Sigh.