Good Years

My first book published in 2007. Well, technically, Secrets Volume 18 was a December 31st, 2006 release, but since it wasn't available in stores or shipping until January, I consider it a 2007 release. In 2007, my ebook, Snowbound, also released, followed by my first NY book, Riding The Storm, by Sydney Croft, and then in December, Secrets Volume 21.

That was an exciting year for me. 4 releases!

But 2008 was even more special. It saw the release of three Sydney Croft books -- Unleashing The Storm, Hot Nights Dark Desires, and Seduced By The Storm. In addition, the print version of Snowbound was released. And the cherry on top was the release of my very first mass-market book under my own name, Pleasure Unbound.

I didn't think things could get better!

But just yesterday, Pleasure Unbound was chosen Best Paranormal Romance of 2008 in the First Annual Reviewer's Choice Awards at Romance Novel TV! And a couple of weeks ago, Michelle Buonfiglio of MyLifetime.com selected Unleashing The Storm as the best Erotic Paranormal Romance of 2008! How cool is that?

It has been a very good year.

But all the good luck makes me remember that it wasn't long ago that I was unpublished, submitting to editors and taking rejections -- just like so many writers. It's hard to look at the year in review and wonder if the next year is going to be THE year for you.

So I'm going to share my old ritual for everyone who is trying to get published. It's a small thing, and fun.

Every year, on January 1st (or 2nd -- somewhere early in January!) I bought a bottle of champagne. It was my "Call Bottle." I put it away, and this would be the bottle I opened when/if I got the call that year. If the year went by without getting The Call, then it became my New Year's Eve bottle. I drank that sucker at midnight, kissing the old year and no Call goodbye.

And then the next day, I'd go buy another Call Bottle.

So if you're hoping this next year will be YOUR year, this might be something fun to try. (And the Call Bottle of champagne on New Year's Eve really does help to cut the sting and give you a sense that yes, next year WILL be your year!)

Happy New Year, everyone!

New Year, New You?

Sorry I missed my post on Christmas Day, it's been a little hectic around here. With the kids out of school and the husband underfoot as well i'm a little stressed out.

As December rushes by and the New Year is almost here I am trying to ignore the automatic desire to start planning and making goals for next year. I made some goals for December that I am still trying to meet so 2009 can start fresh. For weeks people around me have been talking about their New Years goals and i've been doing my best to ignore it. Can you picture it? I've got my fingers in my ears walking around going la la la la la

But the compulsion to plan for a New Year will not die. In the back of my head little things are forming despite my good intentions and I guarantee before that clock strikes 12 on New Years Eve, I will have goals for 2009. Ack I just can't seem to resist the temptation.

How about you? Do you make New Year's resolutions or goals every year. Do you start creating new goals before the old ones are completed?

On a different subject...I had a new free read come out last week that is available at both Linden Bay Romance and All Romance eBooks. It's a short, HOT story to introduce readers to my new shapeshifter series coming out next month at Linden Bay Romance.



Restless and alone on Christmas Eve, Niki decides it’s time to scratch the itch and heads into a nearby town for some action. Once there, it isn’t sex she finds, but a fight instead, that is until tall, dark and handsome intervenes...

Dean recognizes the stunning but surly Cougar for what she is the minute she gets close. Now it’s up to him to show her just how far a night of passion can go.

Enjoy and see you next year!

Eliza

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Oy, I’ve been iced in for two days. Bleck. Yesterday we went without electricity for most of day and the roads are a mess. So, I’ve been trapped with my husband and two teenage sons without anything to distract us…I keep imagining Thunderdome…four people went in… Okay, it’s not that bad, yet.

On a much happier note, it’s time for the holiday festivities, and just as importantly the holiday movies to hit the theatres. Are there any flicks you intend to see over the next few weeks? I haven’t been paying enough attention to know what is even coming beyond The Spirit which I intend to see with my sons (it’s one of our crazy xmas traditions to see a violent, bloody movie together).

Beyond that I haven’t decided. Let me know if there’s something I just can’t miss!

I wish you all a happy, safe and blessed holiday season…may it be filled with joy, peace, and great books!

Alex

Happy Holidays & New Print Release from Bianca

As the old year draws to an end, we enter one of my favorite times of the year. Lots going on, to be sure, including a print release this month (Davin's Quest) and a lot of writing. I'm scheduled to finish my next paranormal novel by Christmas and then do a quick polish on my next futuristic novel (Grady's Awakening) before I turn it in to my editor for her opinion. I expect to have both of those projects mostly complete by the New Year.

Then I plan to write the sequel to an as-yet unpublished cat shifter urban fantasy that is currently under consideration by a publisher I haven't worked with before. I'm hoping I'll have something to report on that front the next time I check in with you all, but these things take time. The part I hate the most about my relatively new writing career is the waiting. I'm not a patient soul, which is why epublishing appealed to me. Fast responses, fast turnaround - I'm spoiled by my early experiences with small press publishers. But if I want to reach a larger audience, I have to play the waiting game and believe me, it's the pits.

However, I'm putting a lot of stock in the old addage: "good things come to those who wait." Hopefully that will prove true in this case.

I should probably tell you a bit about my new print release this month, so here goes:

Which man will Callie choose, the alien or the warrior? Or can she have both?

For each Alvian, there is one perfect match -- a Resonance Mate whose soul blends in perfect harmony. Unlike the rest of his race, Davin has emotions and suffers for it. Without a mate, he is doomed to go mad. Searching for answers and understanding, he seeks out Callie O'Hara, a human woman with strong empathic gifts. Could this fragile human be his Resonance Mate?

Rick St. John is a tough-as-nails survivor of the Alvian occupation of Earth. He doesn't believe in much, but when he sees Callie for the first time, he starts to believe in love at first sight. The Governing Council is gunning for Davin, the upstart who dares to defy them. And they'll kill anyone who gets in their way. Davin and Rick must come to terms with their feelings for Callie in order to keep her safe, while she has to find a way to save them both with her love.

Order Now from Amazon

This book is a mixture of futuristic with psychic phenomena and really hot romance with multiple partners. Not your run of the mill romance novel, but it is definitely a romance. Even when I'm writing erotic romance, my emphasis is still on the romance and the committed love relationship between the partners.

So I guess that's it from me until next time, which will be next year. In the meantime...

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a

Happy and Healthy New Year!

Bianca

http://www.biancadarc.com/

Contests, progress and lots to do before 2009

As usual... my post is going to be rife with information for you lucky lucky readers! December is already here, and Im super surprised this year flew by so damn fast! Im hoping 2009 is going to kick major ass though. This year was kinda blah for us writing (what with the wedding and me going to scotland for 21 days) so im hopeful for the future.

So, Shall I start with all the awesome news? Thought so! First, Im proud to announce that our were-snake novella's have found a home with Total E Bound! Starting in April 2009, we will have three highly erotic stories about the three bachelors from the Knossos West Were-snake compound tipping a hand to fate and finding their mates! The first twot you guys will get the nerve up t try them. Trust me, scales are the new fur!

Ok so on to my winner of last months contest. Since its the holidays, I figured I would give two gifties. The first is for the contest, a piece from my Stella by Starlight shop, Worth up to 35$. The winner is D. Durance. Congrats! (And for those who wanna know, the Stella by Starlight shop is offering free shipping and a free gift certificate for up to 20% at the shop when you order before the holidays!)

The second winner, is for a special piece from the Sanser & Piggle Collection, which just opened this past monday! This will be either a ring, or hair clips of my choice. The winner is A.J. O'Donovan.

Both winners, please email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com and send me your choice and/or address.

And just so you guys know Sanser & Piggle IS open, and taking orders for the girlie sugary glittery jewelry you loved in your teens, thats sure to get noticed now! Buy for you, or your loved ones, almost all the pieces are one of a kind!


So now that thats done. Audra and I have donated to the For Jo Leigh fund. We have a full set of our backlist in print, along with some awesome extra goodies, up for auction and I personally have a Graphics package up for auction as well. its for a great cause, and many other authors (some from this blog even) have dontated. Please show your support for the Romance community and bid!

So Audra and I have been multitasking recently, writing 4 scenes for 4 different books at the same time. its getting interesting, and Im hoping we finish this soon. Im eager to get to the villians side of everything for the main WIP. On the rest of the writing side, we have edits that need to be done (which is todays chore) and will have a new book out by January I think called London for the Holidays. The print version of the book will feature a short story, a kind of continuance of GIFTS for those who cant get enough of Marsh and Janey. Oh and its non- erotic. Whats the story about? a Conversation with the Devil called, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. its fun to let Lucifer out to play once in a while, and since hes in the next book, hint hint...

Anyway, my end of year contest is your opinion on the subject of were-snakes. We know a lot of people are scared of snakes (irrational fear btw... a werewolf would rip your throat out quicker then a snake could hurt you) and how do you feel about them used as a were-species? Audra and I have a firm opinion that snakes are sexy. Every culture has them in their religious rights, and every old culture uses them in their sexual rites and practices. Hell a penis has been called a snake from time to time, and a lot of you aren't scared of them *Wink*. So would you read a story about a were-snake? Have you read us before? Let us know. A winner picked at random will receive a piece from Sanser & Piggle in 2009, and possibly a free book...

So post away, and Happy Holidays!

I'm in Hell

A lot has gone on since the last time I blogged. The main focus of my life at the moment is food...or rather a lack thereof. And I don't think it's a situation that's going to change any time soon. I am currently on a liquid diet in preparation for my bariatric surgery. Today is day three and believe me, be very glad you don't live with me because boy howdy I am a bitch! Cranky as the day is long drinking these diet shakes and going postal if something so much as blinks at me the wrong way. I feel bad for my cats because they are the only critters around here at bitch central.

On the business end of things, ECSTASY is slated to hit the shelves December 30th. It's book one in my new series and I think you are going to enjoy it. And I am going to announce something here and now just to all of you all. I decided to wrap up things a little better in the Nightwalker series and am 1/3 of the way through book six. I wanted to stop at book five and deal with Ruth much later down the line, but the feedback from you all, my adoring readers, made me change my mind. Besides, I got this great idea! And, of course, we needed to give one last person a romance...just to teach her smart ass a lesson. Can you guess who it is?

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! Noah has been nominated for the Romantic Times Best Contemporary Paranormal!! Yay NOAH!!

I am in negotiations for a new contract, I am selling a series that has nothing to do with the Nightwalker world and a couple of novellas to boot. You won't see any of these for a year yet, but I thought you might want to know.

Back on the home front, one of my kitties had a seizure. It was awful. I have never seen anything like it. I was a total wreck! I've seen adults have seizures, and to me it was no big thing because I know it's temporary and it's not hurting them and all that other medical logic, but the minute it was one of my babies I was utterly hysterical. His blood work was basically normal when I took him to the vet the next day and now I have to bring him to a specialist just to check and make sure there's nothing else going on. Needless to say, I am a very overprotective mommy these days. Plus, I'm finding it hard to kick him off when he's up in my face and being a mooch for attention, even if I am working.

I am not getting much work done. I've discovered the World of Warcraft. Which is good, believe me. I need something to distract me from the hell of starving to death. And it's only going to get worse after the surgery! At least I get one sensible meal right now. After surgery its nothing but clear liquids for at least three weeks. You may ask why I am doing this to myself...the answer is simple. I want to live. In every sense of the word. Longevity wise and quality of life as well. I can barely walk across a store the way I am now and it's only getting worse. My joints have had it. Goddess only knows what I am doing to my heart. But even though I have my mind and heart and body set on this course, it doesn't preclude me being grumpy about it. But I'll hang in there. Just you wait and see.

Meanwhile, how are you all doing? Leave me a little feedback. I am expecting ARCs of RAPTURE, book 2 in the Shadowdwellers series, in a couple of weeks. Maybe I'll give something away to a commentor!

Hugs and kitties
Jacki

Just In Time For Christmas

As many of you may know, author Jo Leigh lost her husband this year to cancer. Theirs was a story of reunited lovers worthy of a romance novel. The loss of her husband hit her hard, both emotionally and financially. (authors are self-employed, so often have no medical insurance.)

In an effort to raise money to help her pay off those medical debts, the romance community has once again banded together and an auction is being held. Check out all the wonderful items here: http://www.forjoleigh.com
Just imagine what great Christmas presents these items would make!

There are autographed books, fun items, and lots of critiques being offered by published authors, agents, and editors, including some of the authors here at Authors After Dark! :)

So check out the auction and be sure to spread the word to any loops, groups, or blogs you might be on.

Now, go forth and bid! *g*

Happy Thanksgiving and Squeeeee!

I had this wonderful post all planned out about sex and paranormal romance and then the mailman delivered a box and all I can do is Squeeeee!

You see my print copies of Pentacles of Magick arrived in the mail, which I thought would be no big deal. I was wrong. While I have had a few print anthologies come out this is my first all ME book. LOL



I've got one here on my desk and I can't stop looking at it. I've been so anxious for them to get here since I have a book signing the first Saturday in December that I didn't even take the time how it would feel to finally have them in my hands. It was a tearful moment.

Honestly November has been so busy, I haven't thought about hardly a thing except the book i'm writing. I'm doing NaNo, which is National Novel writing month that challenges writers to write 50,000 words in one month. I'm at 40k with 4 days to go and i'm still trying to make it. Or more importantly I am trying to finish Book 2 in my catshifter series that will debut in January. My editor threw me a curve ball this week by sending me some copy edits on Book 1 that are due back in just a few days but I am still determined to win NaNo, finish my book and turn in my copy edits on time.

Here is a peek at the January book with cover and blurb.



***

Kira MacDonald is in trouble. Plagued by false visions and erotic dreams of a man she’s never met, she fears losing both her psychic powers and her sanity. The cure? Finding and bonding with her mate. The stubborn red-haired warrior might not want one, but fate has other plans, plans that include her rescuing Lucas Gunn.

As the Guardian of his shape-shifting clan, Lucas Gunn lived a quiet, solitary life. Until he was kidnapped, examined, and tortured. Now imprisoned, his only tie to the outside world is the memory of his dreams and the passionate woman who appears in them. He thought she was nothing more than a vision. Then she came for him.

An uneasy alliance, a mating call that won’t be denied, rituals that must be honored, and unrelenting enemies who will stop at nothing to get what they want. It all comes together in the first of Eliza Gayle’s sensational Black Cougar Series. Passion and pride. Duty and danger. In the end, there’s really only one choice…for Lucas.

***

2009 is shaping up to be a pretty exciting year but today I am thinking about 2008 and all that I am thankful for. It is Thanksgiving after all. I've got the turkey in the oven and i'm writing in between cooking. It feels good to be alive and surrounded by my family who supports me during these crazy times of intense writing and deadlines.

I truly hope wherever you are and whatever your circumstances that you have a wonderful holiday and take a few moments out of the busy day to be thankful for the good things in life no matter how dark things may seem.

Have a good one!

Eliza

Winners

Okay, I have the winners of the bookmarks:
Anna and Picky!!

If you'll send your snail mail to alexandraivy@yahoo.com I'll get those in the mail. And for anyone interested I'm running another Darkness Revealed ARC contest at my web site www.alexandraivy.com Just go to the blog and the directions are there!

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Alex

Bookmarks!

Good morning to all! I hope that everything is well with you and that you are currently looking forward to Thanksgiving. I love the holidays and getting together with family, although I have to admit there are times when there’s a little too much together time J We usually have at least three Thanksgiving meals spread over the week as well as the unexpected visitors that drop in…not always a pleasant surprise when my house is a mess!

On the writing front, I’ve sent off the outline for the sixth book in the Guardian series. This one is Salvatore’s story, so I hope to hear back soon on whether it’s a go! Until then, I’m finishing up my latest historical I write under the name of Deborah Raleigh. It’s a Christmas story so it’s helping put me in the mood.

To help put you in the mood, I’m offering a bookmark to two of you who tell me what your favorite (or least favorite) part of Thanksgiving is!

Blessings to all,
Alex

FREE eBook & Other News

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. First and foremost, if you haven't read my first dragon book, Maiden Flight, go to Amazon NOW - while it's still free - and download it! It'll be free until this Sunday as part of a special promotion, so check it out fast!

Second, my vampire novella, One & Only just released in ebook formats. It will be in print sometime late next year, along with two other stories, Rare Vintage and Phantom Desires. Check it out if you like hot men with killer smiles. ;-)

In related news, my latest print book is doing very well. Sweeter Than Wine is a paranormal tale about a vampire, his new mate and their close friend who just happens to be a werecougar. It's in bookstores now. My next print release will be in late December - Book 2 of my futuristic, highly erotic, Resonance Mates series - Davin's Quest.

Aside from all that, I've been writing, writing, writing. Working hard on finishing up a few projects. I'm working on edits for Rare Vintage, finishing book 4 of Resonance Mates (Grady's Awakening is the title of that one) and expanding Phantom Desires to double its original size. Lots going on here!

Its November already!?

Well Hey and Hi ho everyone!

October was a wild ass month, and November wont be any different it seems. I have started two new business ventures, one solo, one with my cousin, and have finally finished a solo project. Audra and I are still hard at work on the novel that we have been working on since September, so I'm hopeful we will be finished soon with it and send it off to the Beta so we can bulk the Satyrs to send out too.

So lemme get to this craziness. First, the winner of my contest for October is Raonaid Luckwell
So congrats to you hun and email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com. you will get your e book and the print book will come in the mail. Congrats!


Second, I have opened a ETSY shop called Stella by Starlight. I sell one of a kind steampunk jewelry, acessories and costumes. And did I mention Im cheap? Yep totally. So pop by and Take a lookie. If you do, and mention this blog post, I will forgo the shipping. Just convo me there and I can make you a new listing. Perfect for those kinda people that LOVE odd jewelry.


Third, Coming in December, my cousin and I have started a Jewelry store on Etsy called SANSER & PIGGLE. Its going to be all that cutesy jewelry you see in Metropark, Sanrio and other pop art jewelry companies, at a fraction of the cost. Rings, bracelets, pendants, brooches... lots of goodness to be had so I will be posting about it when we open.

And guess what? Im part of a cool little scavenger hunt with 14 other authors! It starts on the 15th, and you can get your info here. we are giving away two print books and a load of promo goodies.



I have finished my first short story alone. It's called Becoming Persephone, and will be in the Tease Publishing Gods anthology called Pantheon in Feb. And Ill be writing under Dagmar Avery. I hope you guys will be picking it up, it has some great authors in it (Tilly Greene, Cat Johnson, Selena Illyria, Kayleigh Jamison, Diana DeRicci, and Eliza Gayle) and will be in print a little before Valentine's day. and isnt the cover just SEXY!? LOL.

Those of you that didnt do it last month, please send me your snail mail addy and favorite book or character we have written and youll be put on our holiday mailing list! Email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com and you are all set!

So my contest for this month... has to do with my new business venture. Yes! How would you like to win a piece from my store? Or maybe something a little more custom? Well this is your lucky day! Simply go and check out the store, and comment here about what you like, what you dont like, what you would like to see more of... and you will be entered! Winner will have choice of anything in the store OR the choice of having something created simply for them *using selected metals, and findings* A winner will be chosen at random and listed here December 10th and will be sent to you in time for Christmas in a swank gift box with all the trimmings! Good Luck.

Now Im back to writing. Audra and I need to finish this book soon, and I got another flash of inspiration! Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving, and I'll see you all next month!

Debut For You

So I've had this for a while now but I realized I hadn't shared with all of you :) So her goes.
This is the gorgeous new cover of the next book after Ecstacy. The first image is the actual cover itself,
the second image it the stepback image after you open the first cover.

How totally cool is this? All that orangey gold on the cover is actually going to be copper foil. It's going to be so beautiful!

I'm very please with these. So tell me, what do you think of them? I'll give something special, like maybe a deck of Nightwalker cards, to one of my commentators, so don't be shy!

Happy Halloween!

Or, as my son's school calls it, "Fall Harvest."

Yeah, I'm a day early, but I'm going to be pretty busy tomorrow, so I figured I'd get my post in now.

Tomorrow is my anniversary, so while my son is at school, my husband and I will go out to celebrate. What's funny is that we got married on Halloween thinking how fun they'd be later -- we could dress up as bride and groom! (We're dorks.)

What we didn't think about was kids, and how, once we had them, we'd spend the next twelve years or so taking them out trick-or-treating, and we'd spend the rest of our lives with kids ringing our doorbell for hours on our anniversary.

Yeah...poor planning on our part! *g*

Still, I enjoy Halloween, and even before I started reading paranormal romance, I always read something scary or paranormal around this time of year. Usually I went with Stephen King, but since I found paranormal romance, I've been reading various authors and their takes on vampires, demons, and shapeshifters.

I've just finished Lara Adrian's Veil of Midnight, and I'm about to start Jaci Burton's The Darkest Touch.

What about you -- what are you reading right now? Something in the spirit of Halloween?

Vampires, Witches, Demons and More!

October has been a crazy crazy month so far with all kinds of goody goodness! It's hard to believe that Halloween is less than a week away though.

I have been celebrating two new releases in ebook and a new print book this month over at my annual DAMM blog on MySpace.



We have had vampire week, witch week and are just finishing up shapeshifter week. The last week is going to be devoted to Demons and we will continue to give away prizes until halloween.

The final chapter in the Pentacles of Magick, The Revealing is now available. Also now available is my first vampire book, Awaken which is part of the Vampire Oracle series at Cobblestone Press.

And in print news...Pentacles of Magick, the series collection is now available for pre order at www.phaze.com

Please visit my website at http://www.elizagayle.net to learn more and to link to the DAMM blog for lots of fun and prizes.



I've also been gearing up for the November NANO writing marathon that begins on November 1st. I recently wrapped up a short story so I could concentrate on plotting for the next shapeshifter book. 50K in one month is a huge goal for me but i'm really psyched up and anxious to give it a try.

I am also working on an appearance schedule for 2009 but I do have one last day for 2008. If you happen to be anywhere near Charlotte, NC, I will be signing on November 1st from 4-6 pm with authors Angela Knight, Leigh Greenwood, Sabrina Luna, and Kalayna Price at the Northlake Borders in North Charlotte.

Don't forget to head over to the DAMM blog and leave some comments on any of the fun posts as I have lots and lots of books to giveaway still.

Have a good one!

Eliza

Ta Da!!

A huge thanks to everyone who responded. I had a fabulous time reading about your costumes and I'm delighted to discover that I'm not the only Halloween lover around!

I had my husband pick a random number and the winner is......(drum roll)
Pierced Freak!! Love the name :) If you'll send your snail mail to:

alexandraivy@yahoo.com I'll get your ARC in the mail!! For everyone else I hope you'll check out my web site, I intend to have more contests before Darkness Revealed hits the shelves.

Thanks again,
Alex

Happy Holloween!!

I love, love, love October...not because it's autumn (I'm a huge sun and fun kind of gal) and I detest the thought of the coming winter...but, what could be better than Halloween??? I remember when I was young getting to dress up in my favorite costume and spend the whole night as someone else? I've always blamed my love for Halloween for my decision to major in acting while I was in college :) Even when I married and had children and was supposedly an upright citizen (cough) I use to spend the entire day putting the most gruesome make-up on the boys for Trick or Treating. Poor things, all they wanted was a Ninja Turtle costume and I would make them into rotting zombies or metalic spacemen!

So, I hope to get you all in the mood for the festivities with an ARC for my next Guardian novel DARKNESS REVEALED. This is Cezar's story so I hope you'll enjoy!

To win, just tell me your very favorite Halloween costume when you were a child (or adult!) and I'll chose a random number to pick the winner! Oh, and in fairness, I'll reveal that my very favorite costume was when my husband and I went to a party and I made him into Jack the Ripper and I was one of his victims! Strange, I never wanted to be a princess or playgirl...give me something that just crawled from the grave any day :)

The very best to all of you!
Alex

Busy, Busy Bianca

This is a great time of year and things have been going very well, indeed! I got to hang with Jacki and a bunch of other great writers at Lora Leigh's RAW a few weeks ago, I just got back from a fantastic sci fi con and I'm looking forward to a new release in just a few weeks.

Oh! And Sweeter Than Wine comes out in print at the end of the month! It's a sexy paranormal where my cat-shifters and vamps meet. Here's a little bit about it:

Sweeter Than Wine by Bianca D'Arc

ISBN: 978-1-59998-981-5

Length: 232 Pages

Price: 12.50

Publication Date: October 28, 2008

An abused woman has the power to unite werefolk, fey and vampire against an evil that would see them all dead—if she can learn to love again.

Christy lies near death after a brutal beating by her estranged husband. Her preternatural friends reach a desperate conclusion: The only way to save her is to turn her. Sebastian steps forward to take on the burden of being her Maker.

For him it’s no burden at all. She draws him as no other woman has for centuries. With the help of a werecougar friend, Sebastian teaches Christy about her new life and abilities, making certain she is as strong as he can make her. Only then can she face her abusive ex-husband and put her old life behind her. But Christy’s ex-husband is involved in something more dangerous than any of them had guessed.

Vampire, were, and even a fey knight must work together to put an end to the threatening evil. To overcome her past, help keep the darkness at bay, and fight for a new life with Sebastian, Christy must draw on all of her new-found strength.

Will it be enough?

Warning, this title contains explicit sex, graphic language, ménage a trois, hot neck biting and werecougar stroking.

Read An Excerpt Online

You can get more information about this book on the Samhain site, HERE, or you can even pre-order it from Amazon, HERE. In fact, all three of my upcoming print releases are already available for pre-order on Amazon. October is Sweeter Than Wine, December is Davin's Quest (Book 2 of my futuristic Resonance Mates series), and next March is FireDrake, my next Dragon Knights novel.

In keeping with the paranormal theme of the season, my next ebook release is a vampire story called One & Only. It'll be out in ebook formats on November 7th and is the first in a series of three vamp novellas that will be put together into a single print volume sometime next year. I'm very excited to see these coming out again. (They were previously released in much shorter versions by a publisher that is now out of business.) These new versions of the stories are much longer and more intense. I think (hope!) you'll like them!

For now, you can get more information on the Samhain site, HERE, but that URL will change once the book is released, so check it while it's hot! LOL. Of course, you can always find it on my site, HERE. And just to whet your appetite, here's a little bit about it:

ISBN: 978-1-60504-264-0
Length: Novella
Price: 3.50
Publication Date: November 7, 2008

A deadly crash changes the fate of one lonely vampire.

Vampire enforcer Atticus Maxwell stands at the edge of his own oblivion…until the faint heartbeat of a desperately wounded mortal woman calls him back. The terrible crash that almost took both their lives has brought him a charming, intriguing woman who just might give him a reason to live again.

Lissa was headed for a conference at a resort in a last-ditch attempt to find a job. Instead, on a rain-slick mountain road that almost killed her, she finds the love of her life. A love with the most eligible, reclusive vineyard owner in Napa Valley—one that isn’t quite human.

No barrier—not even breaking the news to Lissa’s friends—seems too great to hold back their blossoming love. Until they learn the accident that brought them together wasn’t an accident at all, but a murder attempt by an unknown enemy.

Atticus saved Lissa once. Can he keep her that way in the face of a renewed threat?

Warning: This book contains graphic language, hot neck biting, outdoor loving and a dangerous man with a killer smile.

The second of these stories, Rare Vintage, will be released in February and the third, called Phantom Desires, will come out sometime later in 2009. All three together make up the Brotherhood of Blood and will probably go into print under that title.

Now aside from that little commercial, I've been writing up a storm. I finished a cat-shifter urban fantasy novel for which I'm trying to find a home, and have nearly finished my next Resonance Mates book, called Grady's Awakening. It's been a busy time, but very productive. Now I'm looking forward to Halloween, how about you? ;-)

October and Me are good good freinds...

Hey everyone! Today is my day, and I have a lot to do aside from blogging. I need to get ready to leave to drive up to Albany for AlbaCON! I'm on a bunch of panels and get to hangout with Bianca D'Arc all weekend. Not bad for my last big event of the season. If your in the Albany area, I will be signing at noon on saturday, and Bianca at 4pm saturday. So come and see us, we have cookies.
Ok not really, but we have goodies.

Its October, and my favorite month of the year. Forget the awesome programing on SCIFI channel, forget the fact that MAX PAYNE is out this month in the theaters. Or that I get to start making apple pie and go apple picking. The leaves in NY changing rapidly? Nope guess again. Give up? Well poo!

No I'm a halloweenie through and through, and this is the first year im not going out trick or treating. Yes, I still do trick or treat. Why? because I can get away with it. I dont look like I'm going to be 30 next May, So I can get away with it. Will probably be able to get away till I'm 40. Hows that for slick? Anyways, this year Im giving out candy at Joe's parents house, which should be fun, then hitting a costume party later on. Nothing as fantastic as the ones Audra hits in Scotland, but its a chance to be social. I think Im going to be my old standby this yeat, Pirate Stella. Heh. I have enough Pirate gear around to start my own crew. Arrgh be darr.

So lets see, whats new in the Eververse... Well Audra and I have been hard at work on a new book, new series, new world. We decided to step away from the Eververse for a while, get this story out that is begging to be written, and its been very prosterous. In a week we have almost hit 45k, and have outlined the other stories in the series. I'm super excited about this book, and it's keeping us writing after a very unhelpful progress slump.

OOh and I'm happy to announce that Romantic Times gave The Soft Edge of Midnight 4STARS in their November issue! This is what RT has to say:

Once again the Price sisters come up with a darkly original tale set in their Eververse world. With an assortment of shapeshifters, witches, demons and the fallen, it's a feast of supernatural characters. The romantic leads are an interesting pair of unicorn-shifters, but the demons take center stage with more personality, more plotlines and more sex.

So excited! That review as a year coming, and we are super glad it finally came out. Very awesome!

So its getting to Holiday time isnt it? Im SO not ready, and this year everyone is getting gift cards cuz I have too much on my plate. But, its about time i start getting my Holiday card list ready to go. So if you would like a card from the Eververse this year, email me your snail mail address at stella@stellaandaudra.com and Ill add your name to the list. Also, if you have read the books, lemme know which character was your favorite, and I can see about sending your name to their place for their Holiday card list. And be on the look out for the November Contest. That one is a great big prize you will just love.

So our contest winner from last month is MYA. Congratulations. Please email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com and tell me which print book you want so I can get it in the mail lickity split.

So this month, in the spirit of our RT review, Im giving away a e copy of The Soft Edge of Midnight and a print copy choice of another of our books. I wanna know What your favorite halloween candy is. Personally, I LOVE me some of the Taffy b-b-b-bats, either the strawberry or the chocolate and I love anything Wonka, Bottlecaps most of all. Yeah I get my sugar on when I go a-treating. It's how I do.

So comment here, and maybe win a print book and a cool e book. Also, I'll be choosing two other winners for a Halloween prize pack from me, filled with some cool promo, and a I DO IT DEMONSTYLE bumpersticker for your car.

So thanks for stopping by to see what I have to say this month, and If your interested in keeping tabs on the progress of our new book, check out our personal blog for all the updates! Im going to leave you with the video we did recently for Frost and Flame, the third in the Eververse series. You can see the rest of our videos at our YOU TUBE page. Masquerade will be out early 2009.

OOH. and for those who dont know, Frost and Flame, along with all the other Eververse books and the Paranormal genre books from our publisher, Tease Publishing, are 20% off for the next week at ARe. Stop by if your curious and or pick up the books your missing!

New York Times Diva!

WOOHOO!!

NOAH had the most incredible run on the NYT mass market list! I went as high as number 11 this time, my highest number yet! NOAH stayed on the lists for a full three weeks. It was totally awesome. And I know I owe it all to you guys. Thanks so much for reading me and for running out to buy me on release day. You rock!!

Now, that being said, guess what I got? ARCs of Ecstasy!! Yes, they are here, advanced copies on the first book in my new series, the Shadowdwellers. OoOoooo. And I gave a whole bunch away at Lora Leigh's RAW weekend at a little private after party I held in my suite. Heh. We had a really great time. I have pictures around here somewhere...



this is me bartending in my room



















These are the ecstasy ARC winners

















this is me and Nalini Singh! She was so darn sweet!!














These are my forum girls! Stacy L Tracy and Westcoast girl. All the Nightwalker chicks together!!













This is my friend Anni. She mooned me outside of the costumed ball. I threw my back out and couldn't go :( but that's okay there's always next year!
















This is me getting writer's cramp :P

















two winnners of Ecstasy goodies, one hat and one tshirt :) It pays to come to my private party. Hehehe.











Ah! All my Nightwalker girls.
Anni, Rena, Susan, Tracy and Stacy!
That's Nalini in the corner lol.













Two Nightwalker...erm...boobs.













And that's that. :) Looks like fun huh? How do you like my kitty cat jammies? Too cool huh? Next year I'm wearing the slippers I won at Lori Foster's weekend. And you should know that I am trying to put together a weekend very much like this one together for all you guys. :) Won't that be fun?!?! We, meaning the Authors After Dark, are in the process of lining up the authors right now. You'll hear more as we go. It'll be in NY. It'll be awesome.

Anyway, I will try to blog more often. I've been writing like a madwoman though. I get very cavelike when that happens.

Oh! I almost forgot the best part!! I want to give away and Ecstacy ARC! Oh you know you want it! All you have to do is comment here today on this post and you're entered in to win. I will post the winner on my home blog tomorrow. Good luck!!

Hugs and Kitties
Jacki

My Very First Post!

Hi everyone!

Well, this is my very first post, and I have to say, I'm excited to be here! (I'm a little starstruck, too.) I've been a fan of every author here for quite a while, so when I was asked to join the blog, I was all wiggly and squealy and, "Was there really a doubt as to my answer?"

So anyway, I'm here, and I'm Larissa Ione (I also write as Sydney Croft with partner Stephanie Tyler,) and I'm a readerholic. I read pretty much anything, but my favorite genres are horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal romance. When it comes to all genres, the darker the better.

And when it comes to writing…well, I definitely let my dark side reign. Even my sense of humor runs to the dark side, often going as black as 'gallows humor.'

Still, as dark as I can get, I do love lighter books as well.

So basically, I like almost everything. I read mostly romance, but my favorite non-romance authors include Robert Jordan, Sharon Kay Penman, and Stephen King.

What about you? Do you gravitate toward the dark side, or do you have a lighter heart? Mix of both?

Thanks again, ladies, for having me! I look forward to getting to know everyone!

I'm Baaaack!

So sorry the blog is late, but I just returned last night from my Levy Book Tour! What a fabulous time. The Levy people were fantastic and treated us like celebrities. To be honest my head swelled to dangerous proportions and when I returned home I tried to convince my husband and sons that "I'm a kind of a Big Deal". Unfortunately, they didn't really agree and all the fetching and waiting upon me that I had been expecting was sadly absent. In fact, there wasn't even one fetch or wait to be found. Ah well. There's nothing like family to keep you humble :) I really did have a great time and met some of absolute idols in the writing world. Shockingly they're completely wonderful and went out of their way to make a 'newbie' like me feel completely welcome. We traveled through Michigan for three days, doing three signings each day at different stores. The crowds were so much fun and I had the pleasure of actually meeting some of my fans face to face, which I love to do. Sometimes when I'm in my 'troll hole' I feel like I'm writing in a vacuum and to be able to get out and talk with readers is something I truly treasure. At some point I'll try and get a few pictures up, (I'm such a tech dunce) and you can see the terrific writers that shared the trip. Once you see them you'll wonder what the heck I was doing there...but, I slipped in and no one threw me out so it's all good :)

On an even brighter side my *&^&*&&% sewer is finally, finally fixed. I warned my husband I wasn't coming home if the dang thing was still backing up :)

Hope all is well with you,
Alex

Will I Be in Your Town?

Had a great book signing with Stella and the girls upstate New York on Saturday and am looking forward a to spending some time with Jacki and others at Lora Leigh's Reader Appreciation Weekend (RAW) this coming weekend in West Virginia. If you're near Huntington, please come see us!

I'm doing a number of appearances in October and November, including Albacon in Albany, NY, and the NJ RWA Conference. We're also returning (triumphant?) to the Middletown Borders on November 1st for a signing. It's always fun to hang with other authors, talk shop and gossip like madwomen!

After seeing Stella's post, I'm trying to figure out how to embed a video in Blogger. Of course, I'm too mind-numb to figure out how to embed anything today, so check out my You Tube Channel if you feel so inclined. I have two videos up there right now - one for Sweeter Than Wine (in print October 30th!) and one for FireDrake, for which I did three art compositions that are featured in the video.

Other than scrambling to make appearances, I'm sitting tight, writing a lot and looking forward to my Fall releases. I have one every month starting in October until the end of the year - two print releases (Sweeter Than Wine and Davin's Quest) and an ebook called One & Only. (Check out the yummy new cover!) Hmm... that's two paranormals and a futuristic. (What? No dragons? Boo.)

So now I'm sure you're asking yourself, "Will Bianca be in my town?" If you're in the Northeast, chances are good that I'll be nearby at some point. If so, please come down and say hello! You can always find out where I am or where I'm going by checking my website events page, my personal blog, or by signing up for my monthly newsletter.

See ya soon, I hope!
Bianca
http://www.biancadarc.com/

Outlines, deadlines, and far too much on my plate.

So I'm back! Yes its my turn once again to come and play with you lucky lucky people! Its been a wild month since i was here last, more submissions going out, a new series outlined and still on deadline for three books at the very least. Yes, my work is never done.

So we have a new video. Yep. I broke down and did another one, this for the book Deep Water. Here it is. LOL.

Yes. I'm happy with it. It was fun to make, and maybe it will get some attention for the book.

So Audra and I are still looking for an agent to rep the Weresnakes. Its been a long hard road, especially because of the fact that the majority of the agents who have rejected us feel that it is a "hard sell" and a "risk" project for a first time author. I disagree. I think the market is ready for this kinda work, and this idea, giving the reading public a choice and something new and fresh to sink their teeth into. Still, apparently what I think doesnt matter. It's daunting, and discouraging because its a damn good book and the fact that its snakes is what is pushing people off right off the bat. I knew this was going to be a complete uphill battle but this is much more then I expected. But everyone keeps telling me that nothing worth anything comes easy. I get that, and I agree, but this is insane. We are hopeful, and Audra and I dont ever give up on anything we really want so... im grabbing my force lance and Im scaling the hill.

I have signings up the wazoo for the next 5 weeks in a row. Two conventions, a bunch of in store appearances and the Collingswood Book festival. Yeah. I'm not near ready for ANY of it. But thats how it gets when I get stressed. If you are popping out to any of the signings, lemme know you saw this blog and you'll get some cool special goodies. Yeah Im all about giving cool stuff away.

Speaking of which, my winner for this month is DREA. Congrats. email me your address at stella@stellaandaudra.com and lemme know what book you would like. I'll send it asap.

This months contest is about videos. What are your favorite book videos out there? Heres my You tube page, where we have almost all ours, and you dont have to pick ours, but I thought you should see. So what do you think makes a good video? Do videos on the whole make you wanna buy a book? Do you prefer videos to other kinds of promo?

So post your opinions, and winner will get choice of Print book of a book we have a video for. That would be either Fire in His Eyes, Deep Water, Wishbound, Gifts, Sugar and Sin. Good luck and enjoy the videos!

Ill be back next month... OOh and guess what? we have a mew AAD member: Larissa Ione! She will be posting on the 30th of each month starting this month so be sure you pop by and say hi!

The King Has Come!

Noah has arrived in bookstores everywhere!

The gloriously hot Demon King and his equally hot new mate are now on the shelf of your local bookstore. If it isn't, yell at the managers because it should be! Noah had already hit the lists at number 19 on the New York Times and number 45 on the USA Today. This thing is cooking with gas!

Then again, with Noah at the helm, no gas is necessary.

To celebrate, I would love to give away a free copy of Noah to one lucky person who comments here today and tells me who their favorite Nightwalker is and why. I'll pick out my favorite response by the end of next week and will send out a signed copy to the winner. :)


I don't want you to forget that I am going to be at Lora Leigh's RAW the weekend of Sept. 19th-21st with the book signing event on Sunday the 21st.



And now that Noah is safely in your nests, it's already time to start looking forward to January when my new series will begin! The first book in the series will be Ecstasy, and this is the cover over on the left. It is book one in the new Shadowdwellers series. I think everyone is going to really like this mysteriously dark culture and the journey I am going to take you on through it. So far there are three books in the series. I am considering a fourth. We shall see.

WEll, that's about all the news that's fit to print at the moment. I look forward to reading your comments :)

Hugs and Kitties
Jacki

Night Bites

I have been a very bad blogger lately but I hope to rectify that now and plan to blog every month like I am supposed too.

This weekend I am at Dragon Con, actually today is Day 1 of the four day weekend of festivities. Day one consisted of hitting the dealer rooms first thing cause we were on a mission looking for fairy wings and horns. LOL Found the wings, not the horns yet but will look again tomorrow. I only made it about half way through the vendors before I had to run off to make it to a Farscape panel.

After that one, we went straight to the Night Bites workshop with both Sherrilyn Kenyon and Laurell K Hamilton. It was a panel full of readers and fans who came to discuss why vampires are so beloved. Which is a really good question since I am about to embark on a Southern vampire series.

For the panelists they felt it boils down to the immortality aspect of them. The escaping of death. It was a lively and interesting discussion about why we love our sexy vamps. It gave me even more to think about before I start writing the southern vampire series I have been planning.

For now I am off to buy some custom made vampire teeth and then the Abney Park concert tonight.

A couple of weeks ago I had a new release. The third book in my Pentacles of Magick series. (The fourth I turned in not too long ago and it will be coming out in October)



Dennison Scott is destined to succumb to his dark magick unless he
finds and takes his empathic mate, a female born into the prophecy.
But this earth witch has already forged a bond with his current lover,
Jake that he has no intention of breaking. Curse or no curse.

When both Denn and Jake begin to fantasize about a dark-haired witch,
the real trouble begins.

Raven is a witch and a bounty hunter willing to sell her power to the
highest bidder, even the enemy. Until she tried to kill one of the
Scott twins which left her on the brink of death. Now with her magick
bound and captive to two men, she is more vulnerable than ever and she
has to decide whether to trust in the impossible or fight for the life
she thought she was destined for.

Read an Excerpt HERE

For information and to see the new series video, visit my website at http://www.elizagayle.com

Have a good one, and i'll post some DragonCon pics next month when i'm back for blogging.

Eliza

Tis the Season!!

I LOVE this time of year!! The boys go back to college (although they both still live at home...sigh) and my husband goes back to work (he's a teacher) so after a summer of constant men underfoot I at last have a few blessed hours to myself...huzzah :) Just as importantly, the new TV season is about to get underway :) I can't wait for True Blood to start, in fact, I signed up for HBO just so I could watch it! I also have a strange love for Chuck...I actually like a bumbling good guy as an occasional break from all the alphas. I haven't really had a chance to figure out all the new shows, I've been too caught up in the Olympics :) so I'd love some input from all of you on the spanking new, upcoming shows that I've probably overlooked! Oh, and as a brief update, I've turned in book five of the Guardian series (Jagr's Book) and preparing to write book six (which I'm planning for Salvatore). After that...well, I'm kinda up in the air. I love the Guardian series, but I'm a little afraid of driving it into the ground, so I've been considering a few other story lines. Ah well, it's all still up in the air, especially since I have to sell any new idea (including the continuation of the Guardians) to my publisher!! To each day...

Hope your summer is filled with joy!
Alex

B is Bizzy, bizzy, BIZZY!

It's been a busy Summer on The D'Arc Side. I had a new ebook release about a week and a half ago - the 2nd in my futuristic Resonance Mates series, Jaci's Experiment. After that, I thought I'd have a little time to myself, but I was wrong.

I'm in the middle of edits for my November 7th novella release, the re-issue of a totally 'revamped' vampire novella I first wrote a few years ago. It's called One & Only and it started life as a very short story at a measily 3,500 words with a now-defunct publisher. It's now about 25,000 words and will be the first of three rewritten and expanded novellas that are being reissued by Samhain Publishing. When all three are finally out as ebooks, the plan is to collect them together into a print anthology and I'm excited they'll finally be available again - in much expanded and better form.

Monkeying with my website is also a favorite activity, so I've added some new "splash" pages to some of the sections including Paranormal Tales, Dragon Knights, and Resonance Mates. The designs I used echo designs for some new promotional materials I'll be giving out at appearances and cons in the Fall. Speaking of which, Albacon has been added to my schedule! I'm totally psyched about it because the guest of honor is Anne McCaffrey. I read her books when I was about 15 and remember loving them! (I dare not reread them now because my dragons are quite different than hers and need to stay that way. LOL) Stella Price is also going to Albacon, so you know we're going to throw a party! If you're anywhere near Albany, NY, think about coming to see us. The con is the weekend of October 10-12.

In addition to all that, I've got to finish a book to send to an editor who liked the proposal and now wants to see the whole thing. So aside from checking email a few times each day, I'm trying to limit my online time. I'm in lock down! Self-imposed exile while I try to finish this sucker and get it off my desk.

So my supposed "lull" between books is really non-existant this time. I'm not upset though because it could mean even better things are coming! Wish me luck. :)

Winners, Summer and Work.

Well its my time on the bloggy yet again! I wish I had great news for you guys, but Alas, not yet. Audra and I are still writing London for the Holidays. Pray we finish it and get it to our editor this week. Im looking forward to see it finished and off our list of things to do.

And Ooh Aud and I have been researching a new series, and outlining a new story for the series. Its So different from what we have been doing, but if it gets going as we want it to, its going to rock hard. Wish us luck. Im eager to get to work on this. Too bad the work keeps piling up.

So our winner for the last post is DEB! Congrats Deb, and email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com with your print book choice, and your address. I hope you enjoy what you choose!

So we finally got GIFTS in print. it looks good, and its thick, and Im happy for it. I have so much promo for the book that Im really excited that its available now. I have SO MUCH i have to send out!

Ooh, and for those of you going to RT 2009, Ill have a special goody for it. More on that once i get more info. Heh. Your going to love it.

So the summer is starting to wind down. I have family about a lot. its good. I wish Aud was around, but its cool. I get to see our cousins a lot these days, which is a long time coming, considering that the last time we were all together is about 8 years ago. Its good to reconnect. I forget why i love my cousins so much. They are really lunatics.

So today, My contest is for another choice print book, along with CD and goodies galore. How to win? I wanna know who your the closest to in your family, and whats your most hillarous memories. Mine? Glad you asked.

My cousins Andrea and Michelle are bad 80's and 90's music freaks. And during our time growing up, They got me into it too. Now being that my family are a bunch of nutters for music (my grandpa is a big deal spanish singer), we all have some sort of signing ability. Except when we get rip roaring drunk. Yes, we sound like a bunch of cats in heat. its not good i tell you.

So anyway, we were sitting here signing I remember You by Skidrow. My cousin Andrea hits the high note, falls off her chair and drops her beer into her lap. So she is laughing, choking and looks like she pissed herself. Yeah. Shitty story I know. You might have had to be there, LOL.

Anyway. Enter the contest. Win a book. Good luck and see you next month!

Workin' For A Livin'!

Boy, am I swamped. First of all, you all know that NOAH is coming out Sept. 2nd, right? I think that's fairly common knowledge. I am so very excited about this book! It is a culmination of a series I have loved with all of my heart and my soul. This series gave birth to me as an author in as much as I gave birth to it. Also, I know everyone has been waiting very eagerly for the subject matter in this novel. Noah, the Demon King, finally goes on the journey he needs to take to try and win his forever mate. But I promise you, I did not make it easy for him. You wouldn't want that now would ya? Nah. See. i knew you wouldn't. You all are going to love Kestra. His heroine has that spitfire kind of soul that goes very well with a Fire Demon...we hope!






And right now I am working on the final edit for ECSTASY. Say, no one has seen the cover yet!! Lemme share :)

Isn't this exciting. Plus it's a stepback cover which means there's another picture inside. I admit, I have issues with the inside cover picture...or any cover, for that matter, that poorly represents the couple in the book. But my publisher has its reasons for doing their thing and honestly, as long as the story comes to all of you intact and does it's job of helping you escape into the Nightwalker world, then I could care less about the packaging.

But this part of the cover is totally awesome! Pure flippin' genius! I am very very lucky.

Anyway, back to work...I am doing the final draft of the second book in the series, RAPTURE. OMG...I don't mean to toot my own kazoo or anything, but this story is by far my all time best work ever. I honestly feel like I am getting better at this with each and every book I write. Which, to tell the truth, puts a bit of pressure on me! I also started writing the next book in the series (I told you I was swamped!!) and I am biting my nails terrified my editor is going to utterly hate it. But honestly, that's just me being a drama queen arteest. I hope. It just goes to show no matter how many times I end up on the bestseller lists, I'm still going to doubt myself at each new turn. Perhaps that is a good thing (unless you're my ulcer) and it will keep me sharp...keep me from getting lazy and writing rote crap that merely mirrors the work I have done before. I have seen it happen in some series. I don't want to be like that. Not ever!

So I had to swing by and give you all an update. I hope it wasn't too brief, but I have got to get back to work!!

See ya soon!

Hugs and Kitties
Jacki Frank

Summer Slam

Oy, what a crazy life! For those of you familiar with me know that my house has been torn apart for what is laughingly called remodeling...ha, I'm overrun with teenage boys, and coming back from a brief vacation I discovered not one, but TWO sets of copy edits waiting for me...sigh. In an effort to apologize to my wonderful, intelligent, incredibly understanding readers (yes, I'm a suck-up) for my lack of a remotely coherent blog :) I've instead decided to cut to the chase and offer a free book...yeah!! As a twist, I've decided to offer one of my first paranormals, (written under the name Debbie Raleigh) My Lord Eternity. Just as a heads up I'll warn you that it's set during the regency era.

Any one interested in winning My Lord Eternity just needs to tell me which of your favorite books you'd like to see made into a movie...mine would be Janet Evanovich's Plum series. As always I'll chose a number at random!

Best,
Alex

New Sale, Upcoming Releases & Pre-Orders Galore!

The big news this week for me is that I've sold One & Only to Samhain Publishing! One & Only, for those of you who don't know, was the first vampire story I ever wrote. It was also the first story I ever sold to a publisher - albeit a very small publisher. The story won a contest and was offered a publication spot, which I jumped at. I was hooked! A few weeks later, my first dragon book sold to a slightly larger publisher and that one actually ended up coming out first, but I doubt one would have happened without the other to spur on my confidence.

One & Only story started life as a very short 3,500 word piece about Atticus, an ancient vampire, and the woman who unexpectedly came into his life to make his endless years worthwhile once more. Her name was Lissa. The story was so short back then, they didn't even have last names. LOL.

Well, the story has been turned inside out and upside down, rewritten to over six times its original size and now they even have room for last names! The newly re-"vamped" story (sorry, I couldn't help myself) will be out from Samhain later this year. In all likelihood, the next two stories in the now out-of-print series will follow in the coming months. There was some talk of gathering the three re-written novellas (One & Only, Rare Vintage & Phantom Desires) together in a print anthology that would probably be out sometime in 2009 or 2010, but the details haven't been nailed down yet, so stay tuned on that.

In other news, the third book in my EPPIE Award Winning Resonance Mates series is coming out in ebook formats on August 5th. It's called Jaci's Experiment and it's my favorite book in the series to date! Lots of interesting secondary characters popped up in this book and they'll most likely get books of their own now, though it wasn't in the original plan. Hey, things change, you know? LOL.

If you're an ebook fan, look for Jaci's Experiment on August 5th. If you're a print-only reader, you'll have to wait until next year for Jaci, but Book 2 in the series, Davin's Quest, will be out in December and is already on pre-order from Amazon, along with two of my other forthcoming titles.

My October print release, Sweeter Than Wine, is already up for pre-order as is Davin's Quest and next March's FireDrake. All on sale! Stay tuned to my website for more information, as it becomes available.

Bianca D'Arc
Blog - Website - Group

Im late a day but I do have good reason...

Well Yesterday was pure hell for me. the damn cable wasn't working most of the day so neither was my phone or TV. I was the unfortunate victim of cabin fever. Thankfully I wasn't picked up for manslaughter or dogslaughter as i did get some editing work done on a piece Audra and I will be sending out for submissions in a short while. So it wasnt a total loss. So lemme get down to business.

The Winner of the GIFTS print is CHERYL. Congrats. As soon as the damn book gets to me *pubby hasn't sent copies yet but they will soon* Ill send you a copy, signed, with Duvall Inc. goodies like a signed poster, magnet, bookmarks and other fun stuff. I hope you enjoy it. Email me at stella@stellaandaudra.com and send me your snail mail addy.

So even though I'm home, my relaxation is short lived. Come Monday I will be running around yet again like a chicken without a head. Why? because I'm driving down to NC for the Tease Publishing event in Jacksonville, on the 17th. So Ill be spending some time with my EIC and Publisher which will be cool, and Joe and I will spend his birthday on the beach. So its kinda relaxing.

The 26th I have another signing I have been getting ready for for about three months. Thankfully its just up the road so its not too bad actually. Then Im off the signing hook so to speak till the end of August, then it starts all over again.

And Audra doesn't make her way home from the Dominican Republic till the 14th. So we wont start writing again till the 20th. I'm looking forward to this SO much. We have a lot that needs to be finished, and I cant wait to get some new work out there to everyone.

And, I figured I would mention, that I have started writing on my own, under the name of Dagmar Avery. Ill only be working on novella's and short stories with this name, so stay tuned, I'm hoping for good good things coming out of this camp.

So anyways, now that my updates are done, I figured I should start my actual blog post eh? Sad to say I dont have much to talk about thats witty. Coming home from Scotland was great, and i would visit again, and will, but i couldnt live there. Food is way too weird. But the wedding was fantastic, and Audra looked SO beautiful, and the wedding was a lot of fun. I miss being with my sister, but I know Ill see her soon. And Ill get something cool from the DR, HEH. If your interested in seeing piccys and video from my trip you can do so HERE
I hope that you enjoy them. And now, on to my contest for the month....

Im giving away a really nice 24k gold plated bookmark from Scotland, as well as winners CHOICE of our print backlist, and a CD of music that inspired the book they choose. *and yes, I do have playlists for every book we write, it helps with the creative process of getting into the characters head* .

How do you win? Simple!

Go to the link, and post here your thoughts on the pictures and videos from my trip, and pick your favorite video. Ill be choosing a winner and posting on August 10th. So you have about 1 month to enter and win. good luck and thanks for reading! See you next month, bearing unforeseen circumstances!