Category: The Blog

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Vacation Reads Blog Tour

During the month of July I’m participating with several (30!) authors in a group blog tour called Seasonal Reading.  In July, we’ll be featuring sets of different books that will make great reads for the lazy days of summer.  Each weekend, we’ll offer great prizes, including copies of the featured titles, promotional items, and more! 

1. Each weekend, we will be offering great prizes, including copies of the featured titles, promotional items, and more!  To enter the drawing, please leave a comment on one of the blogs AND on the master site at Seasonal Reads.
 
2. BONUS DRAWING: If anyone features any of our titles on their blogs and send us the link (in the comments section), they will be eligible for a second drawing, to win more of our great prizes. 
 
Winners will be notified in early August. 

 
ALSO: If anyone features any of our titles on their blogs and e-mails us the link, they will be eligible for a second drawing, to win more of our great prizes.

Winners will be notified by e-mail.

* * *

ALIEN DREAMS, by John Rosenman
http://www.johnrosenman.com

Captain Eric Latimore leads a four-person crew to Lagos to investigate a previous team’s mysterious disappearance. Once there, he discovers that an ominous alien presence is invading their dreams. Each member of his crew has the same dream–huge, seductively beautiful “angels” speak to them telepathically.

The creatures strand his crew on the planet and only Latimore can free them–if he survives.

What is different about ALIEN DREAMS, John?

I think Alien Dreams stands out from other space operas because I tried to open myself to and expand the vast conceptual possibilities of the genre.  Captain Latimore faces a unique threat to his crew on the planet Lagos: beautiful but deadly angel-like aliens who invade their dreams.  To save his crew, he must not only change into a gigantic angel himself, but mate with their ravishing queen for thousands of subjective years.  I believe this erotic scene breaks new ground, as does the hero himself, who is not one but two: a silent  brother exists within his mind and ultimately tries to take over.  Finally, Latimore must travel across the universe and do battle with a cosmic Gatekeeper for control of the universe.  In such areas, I try not only to explore new dimensions but to illuminate what it truly means to be human.

* * *

UNSEELIE, by Meredith Holmes
http://www.meredithholmes.com

When Alfhild was a little girl, her grandmother called her a fairy princess and told her all of her favorite tales.

She’d never imagined they were real.

Anxious to avoid the swarming reporters and ghoulish souvenir hunters who won’t leave her alone when her brother Gulliver is tried and acquitted for multiple murders he almost certainly committed, a grown up Alfhild changes her name to Lorelei and flees Louisiana to the sanctuary she inherited from her grandmother, the ancestral home in England.

All is well until she wakes one morning to find a naked man in her rosebush.

And the games begin . . .

Can you tell about your book, Meredith?

I fell in love with urban fantasy by accident–one day I saw a card in a local metaphysical shop, one of those blank jobs that you fill out for random occasions, when you forgot a birthday or need to send a thank you note and don’t like what the mainstream card shops have to offer (you can only deal with so many dancing bunnies and softly flourished flowers, after all).  The card had a picture of a autumn-colored man clad in green velvet and wearing a crown of dark leaves.  A story sprang into my head about him and I called him Cadfael.  By that night, I had the first six chapters of Unseelie written (in their earliest, raw form); Alfhild, Cadfael and Du had taken off and were running away with my plot and the twists and turns of the Unseelie and Seelie Courts were just pouring out into the digital pages.  I blithely called it a romance but within a few more chapters, I realized no, it was urban fantasy, a genre I’d shunned as a fantasy purist… Well, fool me!  Now that is my genre of choice when I write and I’ve expanded from faeries to include demons, witches, and creatures of all sorts.

* * *

IVAN AND MARYA, by Anna Kashina
http://annakashina.com

Every Solstice, every year, a young girl dies to prolong the life of a madman.

Every Solstice a hero tries to stop them…and dies.

But this is Ivan’s year. Though his brothers plot his death, and the villagers
whose daughters are dying warn him not to interfere, Ivan the Fool is determined to stop the sacrifice.

With the help of the immortals, gotten by sympathy, force, or guile, Ivan
believes his love will save the beautiful Marya from herself.

Where did the idea for IVAN AND MARYA come from?

I felt that Russian fairy tales have not been explored enough in fiction, and
they have so much to offer to a writer and a reader.  I built on a most
classical one, but also did something different with it.  My story is told from
two points of view — Marya, who is on the side of ‘evil’, and Ivan, who is on
the side of ‘good’, and the contrast between the two creates shades of depth
that amazed me when I was working on the story.  It was a pleasure to write,
and I constantly had this feeling of revelation, as if I am not making this up
but uncovering yet another layer of a fascinating world.  I also did my best to
make it as authentic as possible, down to the details of the Russian Solstice
celebration, an ancient tradition that is very much practiced today.

* * *

CHOCOLATIER’S WIFE, Cindy Lynn Speer
http://www.apenandfire.com

Tasmin, William’s wife to be, was chosen by a spell, as all wives and husbands are chosen. It’s a nice, tidy way to find a reasonable mate for almost everyone. Unfortunately, Tasmin is from the North, a place of magic and strange ritual, and William is from the South, where people pride themselves on being above that kind of insanity.

William doesn’t seem in a hurry to send for Tasmin, for which none of his family blame him. After all, she’s a barbarian. She, on the other hand, would like to know what’s keeping him. When he’s framed for murdering his patron, Tasmin takes matters into her own hands. She’s gotten to know William from his letters. He’s not a murderer and she’s going to help him prove it.

Someone out there doesn’t like him and is beginning to dislike Tasmin almost as much, and that someone isn’t at all averse to making sure William and Tasmin aren’t around long enough to celebrate their wedding.

Tasmin, of course, has other plans.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

I am a part time writer… like everyone, I’m juggling a lot of delicate porcelain plates… one for writing, one for work, one for family, one for fencing.  It splits your focus… but it also gives you a lot of great ideas and experiences to pull from.  Would I like to be a full time writer?  For certain.  But I think that being forced to go out and talk to people every day, being exposed to life, enriches me and therefore will, hopefully, be reflected in my work.  So, in that way, it affects things positively… in the whole productivity issue, well… sometimes things are not so positive.

* * *

COMPOSING MAGIC, Elizabeth Barrette
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com

Composing Magic: How to Create Spells, Rituals, Blessings, Chants, and Prayers guides you through the exciting realm of magical and spiritual writing.  Explore the process of writing, its tools and techniques, individual types of composition, and ways of sharing your work with other people. Each type of writing includes its history and uses, covering diverse traditions; plus step-by-step instructions, finished compositions, and exercises.  Intended for alternative religions, but it can be generalized to others or used by fiction writers to create background tidbits.

Why did you write this book, Elizabeth?

I spotted a gap in previous material — I have a knack for doing that.  Pagan/magical books tell people to write their own rituals, spells, etc. but rarely give any guidance on doing it.  Writing books tell people how to write in general, but there were no specific guides for magical writing and not many for spiritual writing.  I’m good at figuring out how I do what I do and then explaining it to other folks so they can work through the steps.  It wasn’t until the reviews came in for _Composing Magic_ that I realized this is a rather rare skill — most of them mention how clear and doable the instructions are.  So now I’m trying to make more use of this skill.

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Carina Guest: Claire Robyns

Thanks for having me here, Joely.

I’m Claire Robyns and I’m very excited about my Carina Press release as this is my debut book. Betrayed is a medieval romance set in Scotland during the reign of King James I shortly after his release from England. This turbulent period fascinates me – think of the most outlandish plot, and you’ll probably find a documented occurrence of a border laird doing just that.

 Betrayed releases from Carina Press on 5th July.

  

Two Feuding Families

Amber Jardin has no taste for the bitter feud started before her father’s banishment. But now that he’s passed, she’s had to return to Scotland and his barbaric people. After her bloodthirsty uncle kidnaps one of the family’s rivals, Amber is in turn captured by Krayne Johnstone, the enemy laird. Despite their enmity, their attraction is immediate—and unfortunate, as Amber has sworn to escape.

One Lusty Temptation

Krayne is amazed at the wildcat’s repeated attempts to flee. He should steel himself against her beguiling ways—yet with time, he is driven more witless with lust. When the ransom exchange fails and Krayne is left with Amber, he finds he cannot tolerate the thought of her with another man—and she cannot tolerate the thought of returning to her uncle’s home.

Will passion and love win out over mistrust and betrayal in time to prevent an all-out war?

 ~ * ~

And now, a little more about me and Betrayed…

In real life, I love my men beta. My husband leans a little to the alpha side, but I’m quick to rein him in when he gets out of hand, lol.

In my fantasies, however, I want my men alpha, and you just don’t get it better than with a Scottish laird. 

Krayne Johnstone became laird of Wamphray at the age of 12. He’s a man shaped by the harsh land. His heart is for pumping blood to his sword arm and nothing else. Before he could even start to fall in love with Amber, I had to teach the poor man what love is. But he is honourable and noble, and he has excellent reasons for distrusting scheming women.

Amber Jardin has led a pampered life in England and is totally unprepared for the barbaric realities of Scotland. But she’s not one to simper and bemoan her fate. She’s determined to shape her future and use whatever means on hand to do it. In this case, it’s her body. Amber is not perfect, far from it, but then I’ve never liked my heroines flawless. I don’t necessarily approve of everything she does, but I admire her courage and determination.

Here’s a small snippet that, I think, defines the characters of the hero and heroine, and how they interact with each other in this story. These two have such different views on life (and a woman’s place) and they were never going to have an easy ride…

   Her gaze slid down the length of this mighty warrior, missing no detail along the way, and she had to take a step back for fear of punching that expression from his face. “You will stand there, all muscle and brawn, and attack my only means of defence?”

   Krayne growled at the argument, refusing to admit she made a valid point. “God himself surely had a reason for blessing man with strength and ours is not ta question.”

   Her hands settled on the flare of her hips as a spark lit her eyes. “And God surely had a reason for giving women pretty curves and the intellect to use them.”

You can read a longer excerpt here.   Well, it’s been fun and I’m delighted to have this opportunity to share a little about my new release.  

You can connect with Claire Robyns on her website and blog.

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And we’re back!

Sorry about the down-time this week.  At last, I’m entirely free of yahoo after they held my blog hostage and the fiasco last year when I thought I’d transferred my domain AND my hosting but had only taken care of the latter.  Since I’d cancelled my account with yahell, they were charging me the low low price of $38 a year (cough) for my domain.  I paid about that for two years with GoDaddy including the privacy stuff.

I owe some guest blog spots, which I’ll work on this weekend.  I’ve been struggling with heat-related headaches, so I’m a bit slow and droopy.  Hopefully I’ll be back up to speed by Monday.

The holiday novella is creeping toward 17K.  Sigh.  I was hopnig to finish by the end of the month to give me two weeks for revisions, but I may not make it.  We’ll see.  I don’t think I’m going to need heavy revision at this point but the more time I have, the better.

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Swelter

My beloved Sis once wrote a short story with this title.  I never thought *we* would be sweltering.

Our 2007-installed Trane AC compressor has never worked right.  When we moved in here last year, the previous tenants had never changed the filters and they had three cats —-> quilts over the air returns.  The unit froze up the first month we were here and we’ve had problems with the stupid thing ever since.  It works fine up to a certain point — so the three technicians we’ve had out couldn’t find anything wrong with it.  But as the daily temps creep higher, the unit runs and run and… runs…while the inside temp creeps higher too. 

My May electric bill was $300.  *dies*  Last week, the unit ran non-stop and the temp still reached 84 degrees in the house.  How much do you think my June bill is going to be?  *dies again*

On the bright side, the problem worsened enough that a tech finally identified the problem:  the compressor.  It’s not out completely, because the unit would still manage to cool the house over night, but by 11 am the next day, it would begin to overheat and shut off.  The unit is a Trane, supposedly one of the best in the biz, right?  Can’t stop a Trane.  *snort*  Well evidently you can’t FIX a Trane, either, because they can’t get a compressor until the week of July 21st.

*dies again*

And of course they told us to turn the unit completely off before the whole thing blew up.  So now we can’t even cool the house off at night.  Did I mention that both That Man and I work out of the house?  At least he’s gone half a day or so gathering information for his job, but I’m stuck here ALL DAY with no air.  Of course the heat index has been over 100 degrees this week with heat advisories.  We rented a window unit and bought another, but that’s only two rooms moderately cooled with three children and two adults needing sleeping and working space.   (Please don’t tell me how bad these two units are going to run up my bill even more.)

Oh, and my office is of course in the attic over the garage, the hottest part of the house. 

So I’m working at the kitchen table right now, dreading that sauna of an office.  I can do a lot of my work away from my desk but I have to have my laptop and I need quiet for my phone-call meetings.  Once That Man is home, we can’t both be in the same room because he’s on the phone a lot and it’s just too loud and distracting.  So I’m going to have to climb those stairs eventually.

And swelter.

I keep reminding myself that pioneers never had air conditioning.  Lynn Viehl wrote a book in a hurricane on a PDA.  Surely I can survive one month in MO with drippy humidity and 90+ degree temps while I write my little holiday novella.  Right?  Just don’t be surprised by all the ice, snow, and cold in the setting — that’s my wishful thinking for cool air!

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Carina Guest: Alice Gaines

 From Miss Foster’s Folly, by Alice Gaines (www.alicegaines.blogspot.com) available now from Carina Press (www.carinapress.com) 

      David Winslow, the Marquis of Derrington has arrived at the home of American heiress, Juliet Foster, to ask her to become his wife… 

      Miss Juliet Foster rose when he entered, but she hardly resembled the Juliet Foster he’d encountered before. Instead of a dress in mourning black, buttoned up nearly to her chin, she wore a ball gown in crimson silk. The bodice dipped low, scarcely covering more than the tips of her breasts. And what magnificent breasts they were. Not overly large as you sometimes saw among women who liked to wear low-cut dresses. Juliet’s were small pillows of flesh and sweetly rounded. Even from across the room, they looked powder soft.

      “Do you approve, Lord Derrington?” she said.

      He finally managed to move his gaze to her face. She wore an odd expression, more like steely resolve than anything else, with the uplifted chin and the determined set to her jaw.

      “‘Approve’ is inadequate to describe how I feel about how you look in that dress.”

      “I’m sure you can think of another one, then.”

      “I doubt it,” he said. “You’ve rendered me quite speechless, Miss Foster.”

      “It’s early yet,” she answered. “Whiskey?”

      “Now, I hardly know what to think.”

      “A man who has no opinion on spirits?” she said. “You’re not a teetotaler, I hope.”

      “Of course not.”

      “Good. Let’s have a drink.” She walked to a side table that held a silver tray with tumblers and several decanters. “Irish, Scotch, or American bourbon?”

      “Scotch, thank you.”

      She poured a generous amount from one of the decanters and then selected a second. From that, she splashed a tiny bit into a glass and drank it in one swallow. The look of determination returned to her features as she served herself a more substantial portion. Then, both glasses in hand, she approached him, and gave him his drink. “Please, sit down.”

      He took a seat on the settee, as that seemed the best place to launch a formal courtship. If she selected a separate chair, he’d have to figure a way to deal with the distance. She didn’t, though. She joined him, neither perching at the opposite end nor snuggling up next to him.

      “My dear Miss Foster, I believe you know I’ve come to admire you.”

      “Try the whiskey,” she said. “It’s very good.”

      Ah, yes. The whiskey. He might as well. He’d never launched a campaign to win a woman’s heart before. He’d always been strictly honest with his lovers, letting them expect a jolly good frigging and nothing more. A few had become friends, but he’d never lied to a woman about his intentions to gain access to her bed. He was exploring new territory here, and a little fortification might help.

      He took a swallow of his Scotch. Enough to burn the back of his throat and make him cough.

      Miss Foster slapped his back. “Are you all right?”

      “Quite.” He coughed once more and then cleared his throat. “It’s excellent Scotch.”

      “Good, then let’s talk for a while.”

      He took another sip of his drink, more carefully this time. “Miss Foster, you have me at a disadvantage.”

      She blinked. “I do?”

      “You don’t seem to realize how your presence affects me.”

      “Well, how could I if you don’t tell me about it?” she said.

      “It’s delicate to speak of.”

      “You don’t look very delicate to me, Lord Derrington.”

      Curse the woman. Why didn’t she play the game? Flutter her eyelashes at him. Swoon. At the very least, blush. That way he could watch a flush cover her breasts. Her small, firm breasts, now close enough that he only needed to reach out a hand to stroke them. He swallowed more of his Scotch.

      “It’s a matter of my heart,” he said. Surely, she couldn’t miss that message.

      “Oh, dear.” She pursed her lips for a moment. The same way she’d done the other night and made Priapus stand to attention. “That isn’t the organ I was interested in at all.”

      He gaped at her for a long second. “I beg your pardon.”

      “You see, there’s a favor I need.” She did blush, finally. And the flesh of her bosom did turn a delightful pink. And his body responded.

      “I’ve thought long and hard about this,” she said. “And I think you’re the right man.”

      “I certainly hope so,” he said.

      She took a big gulp of her whiskey and looked him in the eye. “I want you to take my virginity.”

      “What?” His drink fell to the floor, where the glass rolled around on the carpet, spilling what little Scotch was left in it. He pulled his handkerchief from his jacket and bent to blot up the liquid. Miss Foster appeared, kneeling over the spill. Now, he could look down directly at her bosom and the lovely rose color that covered it. She tugged at the handkerchief to take it from him and used it to pick up the last drop of whiskey.

      “Now, you see, if I’d served tea, that would have stained,” she said.

      “What did you say?”

      She looked up at him. “Hmm?”

      “A moment ago. What did you say?”

      “Oh, that.” She stared at his handkerchief for a moment. It was soaked with Scotch. She stuffed it into his glass, rose and took the whole to the table that held the decanters. “Would you like another drink?”

      “I’d like an explanation.”

      “I asked you to take my virginity. I assume you know what that means.”

      “My dear Miss Foster…”

      “Oh, please, don’t sound like that.” She came back and resumed her seat on the settee. “You can’t possibly be shocked.”

      “I’ve had women offer me the pleasures of their bodies, but none have ever done it so bluntly.”

      “I made my decision very rationally, Lord Derrington. Honestly, I should have lost my virginity years ago.”

      “And you chose me.”

      “You have quite a reputation,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job.”

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Organization

I’m making a conscious effort to get more organized, both in writing and my personal and business life (because they go hand in hand).  I cleaned up my Evil Day Job workarea this week, recycled all the old scribbles, and put all my current notes into one folder.  I’m also trying a new filing/organization system that I’ve been reading about at The Simple Dollar called Getting Things Done (the book should arrive today).  I don’t know that I’ll be able to devote a huge amount of time to make this massive switch (hello, it’s Father’s Day weekend and I have not one but two family dinners to prepare food for), but I’m hoping to use baby steps to figure out what works.

Why all this sudden interest in organization?  Because May and June have been freaking insane with blog posts, panels, writing, work, kids schedules, etc.  I missed more than one Coyote Con panel because I simply forgot when they were.  I couldn’t keep up with MayNoWriMo blog posts.  For Carina guest posts, I totally forgot poor Carrie Lofty until she reminded me, and then I had nothing prepared to send to her in exchange.

With Victor on the horizon in Oct., a possible holiday novella, and Maya#2 in the folds, it’s never going to get easier.

It’s the same story at work.  I have the last remnants of a massive multi-year project still lingering that Just. Won’t. End.  Plus a new high-priority project with dozens of to-dos that Must. Get. Done this summer.  Add to that other projects that are supposed to be “fillers”….when I have 5 or more meetings a week plus to-dos coming out of them.  I can’t remember who wants what and then I scribble notes on my stack of scrap paper and later I can’t remember what it’s for or when it’s due.

Don’t even ask about when school is in session and Friday morning Princess says, “Mom, I need my xyz paper signed” and I have no idea where it is and she has to have it TODAY.

My brain is STUFFED every day with all these things I have to do, until I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack because I just can’t remember everything. 

So I’ve started corraling all these little notes and to-dos into one folder (actually, I have one for writing, household, and EDJ) so at least I can find them.  Now I simply have to get used to reviewing them and tackling those to-dos to prioritize and move on.

What’s the best organization tip you’ve implemented at home or work?

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Blog Swap with Toni Anderson

Please welcome fellow Carina Press author Toni Anderson to my blog today, while I trade spots and blog over at her place.  

Toni’s novel, Sea of Suspicion, was released on 6/14! 

Thanks for letting me be on your blog today, Joely. 

JSB: From as early as I can remember, I loved books.  As a young reader, my favorite book–the first one I can remember reading myself over and over–was Heidi.  What’s the first book you can remember falling in love with?

TA: The Silver Brumby books by Elyne Mitchell.  I think I was about 12 when I discovered them and I read them over and over and could never get enough of them.  I was a horse-mad child who had to make do with the fantasy, plus they were set in Australia and even back then I needed to travel the world through other people’s words. 

JSB:  I love books that make me FEEL:  laugh out loud, cry like a baby, or even kick the hero (at least until he grovels enough).  Can you list a book or two that have made you emotional?

TA: Susan Elizabeth Phillips books do that for me.  Both Heaven, Texas and Kiss An Angel made me cry.  I also loved Elizabeth Vaughn’s Warprize books.  Sometimes you just fall in love with characters and what happens to them, happens to you!

JSB:  What popular book has everyone else loved but you just didn’t care for?  (I’ll tell you a little secret:  I refuse to read or watch the Twilight saga.)

TA: I haven’t read the Twilight saga either J and to my great sadness I can’t get into vampires in general.  There are a lot of literary novels I’ve tried and failed to read.  And to most people’s utter disgust I’m happy to watch the movie before reading the book. 

JSB:  Much has been made about the Maya “predicting” the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012.  (If–when!–our readers check out The Bloodgate Guardian, they”ll learn the truth about the Maya calendar cycle.)  If you knew the world really was going to end on that date, what’s the one thing you’d make sure you accomplished before then?

TA: There’s not I’ve put on the backburner as far as ‘things I want to do’ in terms of life experience.  My passion is travel and I have traveled—on a shoestring with kids in towJ. One thing I wish I could do is take care of my parents more.  I live so far away from my family that I don’t get the chance to do much for them.  So I’d lavish more time and money (and if the world’s ending Visa can help) on my family! 

Thank you, Toni!  See an excerpt of Sea of Suspicion below!

About Toni Anderson…

I write Romantic Suspense/Romantic Mystery and my latest book, SEA OF SUSPICION, was released by Carina Press this week and I’m so excited! It’s a moody atmospheric sexy romantic mystery set on the misty shores of contemporary Scotland. 

I’m a former marine biologist and conducted my Ph.D. at the Gatty Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland where SEA OF SUSPICION is set.  I worked there for 4 years and was lucky enough to meet my husband over the pH meter in my supervisor’s laboratory.  Now we live in Canada with our two children.  I set my stories in some of the stunning locations I’ve been lucky enough to live and work—the blustery east coast of Scotland, the remote isolated mining communities of Northern Labrador, the rugged landscapes of the U.S. and the Red Center of Australia.  I love to travel vicariously through reading other people’s experiences and hope readers feel the same way.  I think the most unique aspect of my writing is the use of so-called ‘foreign’ settings.

My first Romantic Suspense, HER SANCTUARY, was released in 2009 to some great reviews, but I was thrilled to be part of the Carina Press launch.  I found out I’d sold on Christmas Eve and it was the best Christmas present ever.  Although publishing is a team effort, writing that initial first draft is a solitary enterprise.  One of my favorite things is connecting with like-minded readers and writers online.  I write about my travels on my blog and give updates on Twitter.  Readers can sign up for my newsletter on my website, or friend me on Facebook.  I’ve also set up a fan page for SEA OF SUSPICION with location photographs and anecdotes.  Let me know what you think of it! 

SEA OF SUSPICION

Blurb…

Marine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn’t what she’s looking for. He’s the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night. 

Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife’s killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary suspect: her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie. 

When one of her boss’s students is murdered, Nick’s investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to catch a killer…and come out of this alive.

********************************************************************************

Excerpt…

   The kitchen door flew open, the wind smacking it against the inside wall with a crash. Susie dropped the colander in the sink, shock stealing the moisture from her mouth. There, filling the portal, having to dip his head beneath the lintel, was Lily’s boyfriend, the same guy who’d stared at her in the bar last night.

   If the devil was blond, he was standing ten feet away in Leanne’s kitchen.

   “Nick! I haven’t seen you in ages.” Leanne bounced toward the tall, sharp-featured man and threw her arms around him and gave him a noisy lip-smack. Susie’s stomach bottomed out.

   “Get your hands off my wife.” Dougie ducked through the door and shoved a case of beer into the guy’s side before grabbing Leanne and bending her over his arm for a passionate kiss.

   Susie averted her gaze and inadvertently caught Nick’s.

   It wasn’t just the packaging that made him attractive. It was the sharp features and intelligent eyes that emanated risk like the Big Bad Wolf checking out Little Red Riding Hood on that wooded trail.

   But no matter how tempting he looked, Susie did not want to get gobbled up.

   Heat rose in her cheeks as his eyes swept her bare feet, her tight jeans and the big Mickey Mouse transfer plastered to her T-shirt. She crossed her arms.

   Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes as he noted her response.

   “If you two lovebirds have finished, I’m waiting for an introduction to your guest.” His eyes pierced her. She’d thought nothing could be more unsettling than that soul-hunting gaze, but his voice… He wasn’t Scottish. English perhaps, some northern city with a regional accent she couldn’t place, but his voice. It was deep and smooth and strong, with the power of wind shaping granite and as warm as the summer sun sinking deep inside her like some magical spell that spun music into gold.

   “I bumped into Nick in the offy, gave him a ride out.” Dougie, six-foot-four of adorable dark-eyed male, crossed over to Susie and gave her a squeeze. “How’s my favorite bridesmaid?”

   She snorted. “Your only bridesmaid. What’s an offy?” She tensed as Nick came toward her, wondering how best to deal with the man. The guy was Lily’s boyfriend, but he made her intensely aware of every part of her body and every possible escape route.

   “What you’d call a liquor store.” Nick pushed aside the garlic bread, slid the box of beer and wine onto the counter next to Susie. Their shoulders brushed, but she didn’t flinch. She forced herself to remain still even though he was invading her personal space. He gifted her with a half smile when she didn’t flee.

   Dangerous and pushy.

   Leanne’s eyes sparkled. “Dr. Susie Cooper, meet Detective Inspector Nick Archer. Susie and I go way back. She just got a lectureship at the Gatty.”

   “You’re a cop?” Susie knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t believe Nick Archer was anything peaceable or law-abiding.

   His quick smile told her she’d made a common mistake. People must often figure him for a bad boy, a renegade, whereas apparently the opposite was true—he was a twenty-first century knight. Still, he emitted hazard like a pheromone, and instinct told her Nick Archer would be ruthless at getting what he wanted. Poor Lily.

   Yeah, right. Lily ate policemen for breakfast.

   He inclined his head. “At your service, Dr. Cooper.” His eyes drifted over Mickey Mouse’s ears, letting her know exactly the sort of service he had in mind.

   “How’s Lily?” she asked pointedly, conscious of the effort it took to hold his gaze. She wasn’t falling for the charm or pretending she didn’t know he already had a girlfriend.

   The kitchen suddenly felt as though it had been dropped into liquid nitrogen. Every particle of oxygen was sucked out of her lungs by the rapid chill.

   Leanne slapped herself on the forehead, at the same time rescuing the cheese sauce she’d made for the lobster thermidor. “I forgot you two had a connection.” Leanne wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to dynamics; she was now looking for a corkscrew. “You’re getting a taxi home, by the way, unless you want a sleepover.” She waved vaguely over at Susie, or it could have been Nick, or both.

   “A connection?” Susie frowned.

   “Lily is Nick’s sister-in-law, or I should say…” Leanne paused, looking uncomfortable, a rare thing for the self-confident girl who’d grown up dirt-poor and desperate. “Former sister-in-law?”

   Rays of light cut oblique angles through the old farmhouse window and highlighted tense skin around Nick’s mouth. When he spoke, there was an odd glint in his eyes that was more complex than sorrow. “Lily was the flower girl at our wedding.”

   “You’re divorced?”

   “My wife is dead.”

Download SEA OF SUSPICION at http://carinapress.com

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A Monsterless Week & Craft Update

Mark this week down in history:  the monsters are going to be gone this week.  They’ve spent a night or two away before, but never all three gone at the same time for this long. 

Princess is going to church camp Tuesday – Friday with her older cousin, over on Lake of the Ozarks by Grandma & Grandpa.  It’s close enough that Grandma plans to go see them at least once.  When she heard that Princess was going, she invited the other two monsters to come spent time with them at the lake too.

So we dropped Littlest and Middle off today.  Princess leaves Tuesday afternoon.  Then we’ll be childless through Friday afternoon when she comes home.  Grandma & Grandpa will bring the two youngest home on Sat. when they drive over for Father’s Day.

That Man and I are celebrating………by working.  *rolls eyes*  Actually, I’m taking Wednesday off so I can dedicate most of the day to writing and Writer Wednesday.

I’ve promised some craft pictures since all our fun classes this summer.  The monsters aren’t here to model their finger-weaving scarves, but I have completed several kitchen scrubbies, crocheted from nylon netting:

Supplies from the class: strips of nylon netting and size J crochet hook.  One yard is supposed to make about 3 scrubbies.

Two completed scrubbies made with one strip each of blue, red, and white (the class had an Independence Day theme).  They’re supposed to be great for cleaning glass stove tops without scratching — which I severely need.

Immediately after the class, Princess and I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought some more netting in various colors. 

Want one?  Comment here and I’ll draw a name.

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Bribery AKA My Biggest Giveaway Yet

8/5/2010 Update – it’s not too late to enter!

I’ve always tried to be pretty laid back about promoting myself.  e.g. I really want the work to speak for itself.  I do like to give away stuff here on the blog, and free books are almost always welcome, aren’t they?  If some kindly reader posts a review or rating somewhere, I’m incredibly thankful.

Let’s face it:  reviews and ratings matter.  The more ratings and reviews a book garners, the more attention will follow.  It’s a gradual snowball effect, especially when you’re a very small fish in the big world of millions of available books. 

Thanks to Kait Nolan, I found this article Why Your Review Matters on Amazon and I’m curious.  Really curious.  Will a high number of reviews help a new release like THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN?  Will more reviews help some of my older releases, especially the ones that so far haven’t won any ratings on Amazon at all?

But Amazon is only one piece of the puzzle.

So here’s the scoop (I’ll create a clean page for this contest, but here are the details):

1. Rate and/or review ANY of my releases on any book site, including but not limited to Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, B&N, Audible, etc.

2. Review any of my releases on your blog or website.

3. Advertise this contest on your blog, website, Facebook and/or Twitter.

4. Send me the links.  One link = one entry.

Prizes:  We’ll begin with two $50 gift certificates to ANY online book retailer of your choice. 

Optional Prizes:  If we hit 20 Amazon reviews or more on THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN before July 31st, I’ll throw in another $50 gift certificate to any online book retailer.  If we hit 20 Amazon reviews or more on any of my other releases before July 31st, I’ll throw in an additional $25 gift certificate for each book that breaks the 20-review threshold.

To Enter:  send an e-mail with subject BREAK 20 GIVEAWAY to joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com with your link(s) to each review and/or rating (or capture a screen shot of your Tweet).  You may enter as many times as you wish before July 31st, 2010 midnight CST.

Please do write HONEST reviews for my books that you’ve actually read.  The more real and thoughtful the review, the more impact it’ll have on future buyers.  Obviously I hope you love my books, but I don’t expect raving fangirl 5 star +++++ reviews.  Honest!

Please note:  the reviews and/or ratings can be old!  (e.g. previously submitted on any of my earlier releases)  Please do send me the links, even if I’ve blogged about your wonderful review before.  I simply don’t have the time to go searching across the ‘net because I’m writing a new book.  I definitely want to reward people who’ve already reviewed me in the past.

THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN is available for reviewers to download at NetGalley.  For any of my other releases, if you have a blog/website for which you’d like to review a book, drop me an e-mail and I’ll hook you up.

Any questions, comments, etc. that I should address before I write up the main contest page?