Thursday, November 12, 2009

Another Aussie Author sells to Nocturne Bites - Mel Teshco!

Super news!

Aussie Author Mel Teshco has sold a vampire story to Nocturne Bites. Congrats, Mel!

Mel currently has STONE-COLD LOVER out for Ellora's Cave - here's a bit of a blurb:

Heiress Loretta Shaw is notorious for her loose morals and sexual needs. Trouble is, it’s taken her one too many one-night stands to realize that no man can extinguish the sexual fire she feels toward her guardian, Cray Diamond.

A long-ago curse made Cray immortal—a gargoyle, a guardian, who is impelled to protect a human chosen by the curse. He is imprisoned in stone during daylight hours but dusk returns him to flesh and bone to carry out his immortal duty.

That Cray can shift between human and living gargoyle at night bothers Loretta not one bit. She’s seen him naked many times and her desire for him—in any shape or form—knows no bounds. She’s tired of his resistance. He’s her gargoyle…and she wants him in her bed.


I've never had an opinion either way about gargoyles, but having seen that cover - I do now! I understand that Mel is currently working on ICE-COLD LOVER - a follow up.

I've just started reading STONE-COLD LOVER - and I love it. Well written, great characters and conflict, and my fave - inferno hot! Yay, Mel!

Here's a great interview Christina Phillips did with Mel back in September...

I was just saying to Anna and Rach that I get a HUGE buzz out of people I cyber-know, or Aussies, getting published - it's nearly as good as getting accepted myself!

Maybe. I'll let you know when it happens. :)

UPDATE EDIT: Mel's Bites, WT : BLOOD CHANCE (Love that title!), will be out in March 2010. You go, Mel!

Take care, E x



PS - I CAN'T BELIEVE I nearly forgot this pic - Di and I catch up - with about 500 hundred Diana Gabaldon fans at my local library - Diana's only SA stop. SO COOL! Eleni Konstantine was there, as was Elizabeth Rolls. And many more, I'm sure.
PPS - I'm the one who's not a world-famous author. The one with the fangirl shakes.


Saturday, November 7, 2009

Testing, testing...

I'm trying a new iPhone app that I can blog from. I enjoy blogging, but can't always afford the half hour to sit down and write it.

I'm being a good girl, and aside from two nights ago when Anna caught me relieving late-night brain wanderings with Twitter, I've been pretty controlled in the "wasting time online" department. :)

Now I can sit in the car while I'm waiting for Eldest to finish school and blog, or at the doctors. It's quite cool...

I've promised some reviews, haven't I? I haven't forgotten. We've (Rach and I) just been critiquing a fabulous ms for our Anna Hackett. It's a full, and it's excellent. Coming to a store near you, absolutely!

Rach is another one who is going places, she's published in non-fiction articles, but her fiction is truly beautiful to read. My CP girls are awesomesauce.

Hopefully, the same can be said for me... :)

Oh, Anna had an excellent post on her blog, Midnight Confessions, about how she revises her work. You should check it out and say hello...

Huh. Still working out how to insert links... And tags. But the rest is okay, nein?

Speaking of dependencies (which we weren't but, oh look, we are now...), my phone just refused to turn on yesterday. It was a horrible feeling, although I felt slightly embarassed about the "cannot function with the iPhone" thing. I managed to hold off until lunchtime, but then I ran as fast as I could to the phone shop to have my life re-started. iPhone, as Eleni Konstantine would say, = Spawn of Evil.

We're on the cusp of what is expected to be our first-ever (since records started) November heatwave here in Adelaide (That is, six consecutive days where the temp is 35degc or above. Or something like that). Yay, not. Thank God the pez have the pool up and running, because it's pretty damned early for a heatwave!

Given some nice rains we had in August and October, it also looks like our farmers (my PIL), will have their second-largest crop haul in history. Good news for them!

I apologise that I have to get this out of my system, but it also looks like being a bumper season for snakes (There have been two at Eldest's school - one in the library. Read, read, read, ouch!). My dad killed one in his strawberry patch, not far from the school. Yet to see any here on our Farmette. Hopefully we won't top our current five-in-one-season record.

Wonderfully, all of our snakes here are highly venomous, so they do not make good friends. We have the red bellied black, the brown, and a tiger snake or two here. *shudder* {EDIT: Oh, Joy. One I missed.}

{EDIT: as I put in the link post-postuously it is warming my heart to read that, "The brown snake is considered Dangerous [Dangerous with a capital D!] to man. Bites from this species of snake have caused death within minutes, rather than hours or days, with even a juvenile (new born) potentially delivering enough venom in a single bite - to kill 20 adults. Today, brown snakes are responsible for most of the fatalities from snakebite - per year." Smashing. Four of the five we had on the farm (one in my ENSUITE. I don't care if it was a baby!), were these delightful creatures.}

I hatez snakes. Well, they're fine, just don't come near me or mine... In fact, the first two lay eggs, I know, which is kinda cute...

Have a great weekend! Mine's great thus far, just posted in bed!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (aka Spawn of Evil), mainly just because I can...

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A new era...

of waiting. I've just subbed a new novella to Nocturne Bites. Called, at this stage, FIRESTARTER, after an R for EVIL'S INTENDED arrived in my email box in September.

Many, many thanks and big sloppy kisses to Anna and Rach for looking it over for me. It's sooo much better for it!

Speaking of those gorgeous girls, we've just been reading over a new full for Anna. Keep an eye out for it, peeps. it ROCKS!

Now, it's off to re-hash EI for submission, to Samhain, I think...

I also need to get DDB finished by the end of November - I promised my girls - and if they give me stuff and I don't have anything to give, I'll feel BAD!

Gotta go, back soon... E x

Friday, October 2, 2009

Anna Hackett's TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND (WindKeepers #2) is available now!

TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND by Anna Hackett

The deadly Tempest Winds have escaped. Now, four brothers gifted with the power of the winds must recapture the Venti Tempesta before they can unleash their evil on the world...

WindKeeper Dante Venti, Keeper of the South Wind, is in Rome on a mission to entrap the Southwest wind and its holder before it can infect humanity with the vice of pride. Dante already feels pride seducing him...but the real temptation is alluring assassin Samia Hassan.

Samia has been sent to kill Dante, but her body is irresistibly drawn to him, his power and presence enveloping her. And if she's not careful, she will be entrapped by Dante, body and soul...

TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND is now available at eharlequin.com and all major online booksellers.

http://www.annahackettbooks.com/

Don't forget to check the Elenifest!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Bring the Eleni-fest!


Fellow SA-er Eleni Konstantine is holding an online celebration of writing during the whole month of October.
Join Eleni who will be yakking about grants, writing, conferences & more. For details please go to elenikonstantine.com.
(“This project is proudly supported by the Richard Llewellyn Arts & Disability Trust” ( You go, Eleni!))
She'll be hosting authors such as:









Website prizes include copy of Heart & Craft by Valerie Parv,
and a copy of Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara.
Blog prizes include writer's packs.
(Em says, that's cool...)


Sounds like great fun. Check it out!

Friday, September 25, 2009

The big R...

On March 9th this year, I submitted my first ever Nocturne Bites ms. Then, the average wait for a Bites was 3 months.

At some point, the wait time increased to 6-8 months. Ooops.

I might have been one of the lucky ones, but I heard back after six and a half months.

It was a big R. Phooey.

But, now I know.

I have another that is with one of my gorgeous CP's - Rach - and I think it's nearly ready to go, well, unless Rach flays it. Then I will work on it some more, and send that baby on to NY.

The rejected one, I will re-write a little. Anna (Anna Hackett, the other of my gorgeous CP's) wondered if I could give it a bit more snazz. I think I can - I would certainly like to - make it a bit more me-ish... Then I ship it off to another epub. Got one lined up.

The best thing about this R was the support that I've received from Anna & Rach, the girls on the boards at eHQ, and my Twitterati buddies. You all are the rockingest. It's a beautiful thing. Kisses all round!

I know I'm getting some eagerly- awaited CP stuff to read soon, so I'd better get crackin'! To be honest, this current WIP was doing my head in a bit, so I'm glad for the distraction.

Take care, E x

PS - I read me some Gena Showalter and Alyssa Day recently. Yay! Will review soon...

Friday, September 11, 2009

And I've got a LIST! - Intrigue Nocturnes in Australia...

I got mail today:

Please find below the list of Nocturne stories so far as released by Mills and Boon in Australia,
11/2008 DEATH CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
11/2008 HAUNTED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
12/2008 PERSECUTED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
12/2008 DANGEROUS TEMPTATION Nocturne KATHLEEN KORBEL NOT AVAILABLE
01/2009 DAMNED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
01/2009 DEVOTION CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
02/2009 NEVERMORE Nocturne MAUREEN CHILD NOT AVAILABLE
02/2009 CRY OF THE WOLF Nocturne KAREN WHIDDON NOT AVAILABLE
03/2009 BLOOD SON Nocturne ERICA ORLOFF NOT AVAILABLE
03/2009 BLOOD CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
04/2009 TOUCH OF THE WOLF Nocturne KAREN WHIDDON NOT AVAILABLE
04/2009 BLOOD SECRETS Nocturne VIVI ANNA NOT AVAILABLE
05/2009 DARK TRUTH Nocturne LINDSAY MCKENNA NOT AVAILABLE
05/2009 UNBOUND Nocturne LORI DEVOTI NOT AVAILABLE
06/2009 THE DARK GATE Nocturne PAMELA PALMER NOT AVAILABLE
06/2009 FAMILIAR STRANGER Nocturne MICHELE HAUF NOT AVAILABLE
07/2009 RISING DARKNESS Nocturne CYNTHIA COOKE NOT AVAILABLE
07/2009 KISS ME DEADLY Nocturne MICHELE HAUF NOT AVAILABLE
08/2009 NIGHT MISCHIEF Nocturne NINA BRUHNS NOT AVAILABLE
08/2009 DARK LIES Nocturne VIVI ANNA NOT AVAILABLE
09/2009 SAVING DESTINY Nocturne PAT WHITE AVAILABLE NOW
09/2009 THE BEAST WITHIN Nocturne LISA RENEE JONES AVAILABLE NOW
10/2009 SCIONS; RESURECTION Nocturne PATRICE MICHELLE AVAILABLE NOW
10/2009 THE EMPATH Nocturne BONNIE VANAK AVAILABLE NOW
11/2009 GUARDIANS KEEP Nocturne LORI DEVOTI COMING SOON
11/2009 THE QUEST Nocturne LINDSAY MCKENNA COMING SOON


Due to limited warehouse storage facilities, and the fact we publish over 60 titles each month, we only store our books for 2 months, including the current publishing month. To try to locate any old titles, you may wish to contact the bookstore mentioned below. Doreen has a large range of rare and collectable romance titles that have been published throughout the years. We thoroughly recommend both her fast service and attention to all matters.
Doreen Watt4 Webb PlaceWeetangera ACT 2614Phone: (02) 62542793Fax: (02) 62545500E-mail: dmwatt@grapevine.com.au
Alternatively, you may wish to look on websites www.amazon.com or www.eBay.com.au If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards Lynda SkinnerCustomer Experience Representative Harlequin Direct Email lskinner@eHarlequin.com.au AustraliaPh 1300 659 500Fax (02) 8588 1201 New ZealandPh (09 837 1553Fax (09) 915 5291
Please visit www.millsandboon.com.au for the latest books, special offers, author news, and lots more!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A Review - "Wind Kissed, Fire Bound" - Anna Hackett, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, September 2009

It's no secret that I'm an Anna Hackett fan. I know, she's my writing buddy, but that don't mean I don't think she rocks.
Her stories are consistently well-written, the premises great and the tension between the characters is beautifully portrayed. In EVERY BOOK she has published, or slated therefore.
She's just the goods.
WIND KISSED, FIRE BOUND is no different.

THE BLURB:

As Keeper of the Winds, Livia Cavalli needed to focus her power on keeping the evil Tempest Winds trapped in their island prison. What she doesn't need is to be distracted by sexy horse trainer Rafe Donovan. Three hundred years ago, Livia became an immortal Keeper to numb her emotions, but Rafe arouses her in a way she hasn't felt for centuries. For Rafe, Livia is a challenge he longs to solveand take to bed. Once she's in his arms, their desire is overwhelming. But when his own powers reveal Livia's secret pain, he realizes taking her body isn't enough - he wants to heal her soul, too...

Emmeline's TAKE:

This is, I think, my favourite Hackett hero. Rafe is a sexy horse trainer (in my head, he was dressed in a well-stressed pair of long-legged Levis, but I don't think that was actually mentioned...). If you can see the cover from here - he looks EXACTLY like that! Bless you, cover gods.
Livia Cavalli is a strong, centered woman who takes her job very seriously - that being a Keeper of the malevolent Tempest Winds (I KNOW, cool storyline!). If she gets distracted, they bust out, wreaking their havoc on four corners of the earth. She is in control, a career woman if you will, without being the slightest bit sexless.
Of course, they sooo want to jump each other, but really shouldn't. For a few reasons, the least of which being that she's got a job to do.
With extra conflicts woven in, Hackett's story is a tight, compelling quick read. You WILL want more.
This is also the first book in the WindKeepers Series. Book 2, TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND is coming out in October from Silhouette Nocturne.
Although these are quite comfortable reads alone, reading this one first would set the stage.
Keep an eye out for more Anna Hackett...

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

REVIEW: "Wild, Tethered, Bound" Stephanie Draven, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, August 2009.

I really enjoyed Stephanie Draven's first Bites MIDNIGHT MEDUSA. So much so, that I made a comment (at the Silhouette Authors Blog) about Renata in that story being one of my favourite Nocturne heroines. Stephanie then asked me what I thought of her newest release, WILD, TETHERED, BOUND.



A lot of the comments that stand for this current story would also stick for MEDUSA, which is a testament to Draven's consistency.

From Stephanie's Goodreads Profile:

Lieutenant NICK LEANDROS is a battle-hardened American soldier who thinks he’s seen everything. But nothing prepared him for the horrors he encounters when he’s separated from his patrol in a dark Afghani forest. What he sees there fractures him–body and soul. Split into three separate men with three savage wills, he struggles to tame the cunning creatures and hold them inside. His only hope of salvation is DESSA, an ancient dryad who lost her Heart Tree on that war-ravaged day. Without a forest to guard, Dessa is bound to Nick by mystic forces and she alone understands the nature of the chimera that he’s become. She also knows that Nick is the only man who can give her the child she’s longed for and the only man who can ensure the future of her country. But the cruelest, most lustful, part of him demands her submission as the price for his help and with her powers waning every day, time is running out for Dessa to save the last forests of Afghanistan…and to heal the man she’s come to love.

This is the offical blurb:

While most dryads had abandoned their woods to live amongst mortals, Dessa continued to guard her forest in Afghanistan and waited for a man to eat the fruit of her heart-tree and become her mate. But when her tree is destroyed, Dessa tries to live in the mortal world--where she is reunited with Lt. Nick Leandros, the soldier who once ate the nuts from her tree and now struggles with the trauma that turned him into a Chimera with the ability to split into three different bodies.
Dessa longs to help Nick and save her lands--but to do so, she will need Nick to giver her a dryad child....


Emmeline's TAKE:

I enjoyed this book a lot. As with Draven's first Bites, MIDNIGHT MEDUSA, this is an intelligent and well-written story. It is refreshing to read Bites that stray from the norm of weres or vamps, and this one links current affairs that people are (or should be!) aware about with a challenging love story. I just love Draven's application of mythical creatures to things that are happenign in our time.
The conflicts and emotions were real and believable, the premise was clever and well-thought out. I enjoyed the characters, particularly the hero, Nick, although the heroine (Dessa) was also very appealing, earthy and deep.
I felt that the relationship between the tortured, resolute hero and the mythical, strong heroine could have been explored a little more, but I understand that these Bites don't allow much room for movement.
I'd love to see a full-length from this author, where the relationships could be more detailed and the build-up of sexual tension more developed, because the rest of her story rocked. :)

Thanks for the chance to read it, Stephanie!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

REVIEW: "The Highwayman", Michele Hauf, Silhouette Nocturne July 2009

WORKING ON: Desire Deep Blue, paranormal short. Very. Slow. Going.

READING: I've just popped a new Goodreads widget down there. I've decided to go with Goodreads. Their mobile site is far better than Shelfari's. If you're on Goodreads, hook up with me!

FEELING: Good. Sparky offered to take me out for dinner. I declined (kids are sick), but loved the notion.

LAST SONG: Freak Me, by Silk. I used to love that song. Now, I'm my thirties it makes me feel a bit grotty. Sigh. Middle-age me.



REVIEW:





A while back, on the eHQ boards, I made some wonderfully witty comment about the differing covers on the Nocturne novels (It went something like, "I like the American ones waaaayyy better..."), and Michele Hauf made a comment about the thinness of the Aussie Nocs and the weenyness of the writing. She'd seen one - she'd like to see more.

Me, being one of those people that jumps first and thinks later, offered to mail Kiss Me Deadly over to her when it came out. Deal.

In return, she'd mail me a new one of hers. Cool. Ditto deal.

When the package arrived in the post, with not one, but THREE Michele Hauf books - I plotzed. Right there at the post office. Embarassing, I realised later...

All signed, by Michele and in the case of Faeries Gone Wild, the other authors as well.

I tell ya. Ms Hauf is doing nothing to pour cold water on my author fan crush.

So, first I read The Highwayman because I have a thing for the cover. It's very yum.

Here's the Goodreads blurb:

Max Fitzroy, the legendary Highwayman, had slain scores of demons with a razorlike whip and a burning need for revenge. Now, to rid himself of the demon inside him—who'd cursed him with immortality and stolen all sensual pleasures—Max needed a witch's familiar, the one creature he'd made a career of killing.
But the Highwayman wasn't prepared for the familiar named Aby. The sleek and sexy conduit to the demon world saw past his swirling shadow as easily as he scaled the walls she'd erected to protect herself. Max needed Aby to grant him his freedom, and then he needed to slay her. But how could he destroy the only creature he'd desired in centuries?


Outside review I stole from Michele's website:

"With dangerous encounters, a myriad of paranormal beings and even some subtle humor, THE HIGHWAYMAN is an enchanting love story packed with riveting adventures." — Cataromance.com

And another one:

"Ms. Hauf shares a compelling tale of demons, witchcraft, and the strength of love. The Highwayman is a well-told and fast-moving adventure as romance unfolds between two strong, but lonely, adversaries. I’m so looking forward to Severo’s story in book two of the Wicked Games series. Moon Kissed is due to hit shelves on September 1, 2009." — Darque Reviews

Emmeline's TAKE:

Anyone who has read here knows I have a Hauf thing. And now I have a bigger thing.

I adored this story - The characters had depth, were true to form and completely likeable. Hauf has a wonderful way of linking characters, names, background, premise, conflict and storyline so that the story is a seamless read.

The backstory is complex, and if you've read some other Hauf stuff, you'll recognise it. Not that you need to read other stories to get this one.

It also has a few nice flashback scenes that are well-placed.

Character motivations are real, never forced and particularly in the case of Aby, refreshing.

I am also consistently in awe of Hauf's dialogue. It flows beautifully. We're of an age, so I wonder why mine sounds like a four year old talking to an imaginary friend. Heh... I imagine it's practice.
I read it in a sitting. Which, I think, is high praise for an author.

If you like a bit of action, paranormal fiends, tension and hot love, grab this one - I was quite happy to buy it just for the guy on the cover!

Thanks again to Michele for mailing it over - lucky for me, sometimes the jump firsts pay off... :)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

REVIEW: "Aequitas I: Betrayal" by acMason, Lyrical Press 2009 and where the hell have I been?

You might ask of me. I've been limiting my computer time, or spending it more wisely (or not).
It's going oookay...

WORKING ON: Desire Deep Blue, paranormal short.
READING: The Devil Wears Prada, on audio, ever. so. slowly. Just finished AEQUITAS I: Betrayal, by ac Mason. See below for the REVIEW.
FEELING: Torched, man. I worked yesterday (I know, most of you work EVERY day! Well, I'm crap at that...)
LAST SONG: Don't know what it's called - The Letter, mebbe? Hoobastank and Amorosi.
WALK COUNT: Last week was great, this week is um..., 1 of 4. Um. EDIT: Caught up quick, now 4/4. Yay me...



I read ac Mason's, AEQUITAS I: Betrayal. I won this, and promised I'd review it. It is planned as part of a trilogy, and currently Mason is working on part 2 - Punishment.

Here's Mason on Mason:
Facts about me Born: Dec 15 Where: New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada About me: I can’t live without hats, boots and coats.
At the age of nine, a.c.Mason made up a zombie story at summer camp. It scared the other kids so much that the camp counselor called her parents asking them to ensure she never did such a dreadful thing again. From this, she learned the power of storytelling, and the seed of the author was planted.
A youth filled with dichotomies and moving from place to place produced a young French brown woman with a curiosity to explore through writing the seedy side of our nature and desires. Add to that her fascination with theology, horror, and erotica and her love for politics and history and her unique voice surfaced.
She wrote off and on since her early teens as a hobby and for friends. Her work has always converged with other worldly ideas and creatures; ghosts, vampires, witches, warlocks and mystics of all kinds. She enjoys delving into the realms of the unknown and blurring the caution lines.
a.c.Mason is fluent in French and English. She’s an avid traveler, including most of Canada, both of the United States seaboards, England and Europe. Her studies were in the computer field. She advocates the preservation of our natural and cultural riches for future generations.
Take a journey with her characters and come face to face with what lays beneath their illusions. Emerge…on the other side changed.


AEQUITAS 1: Betrayal is Mason's debut, it came out with Lyrical Press in June. Mason calls it a paranormal thriller.

Here's the blurb:

The Aequitas, part angel and demon, have kept the balance between the forces of good and evil -- until now. When Etienne Grant is kidnapped and transformed into an Aequitas, marriage to Auria is the only thing that will save his soul. Auria is a beautiful but efficient Aequitas, a General who wants nothing to do with love. A former lover has plans to prevent any hope of happiness with her new husband, and after murdering his own best friend and forcing Auria to join his rebellion, the balance between good and evil spirals out of control. Can Etienne's tenderness melt Auria's cold heart and heal the pain of their secret pasts? Their very survival depends on it.


Emmeline's TAKE:

I must admit to a bit of trepidation as a write this. I am conscious that I have promised Mason a look! Being aware though, that everyone has a right to their opinions and authors know this, and that I need to write what is right for me, I plow on...

I thought that Mason's world building was great (if you've read here before, I'm a fan of a good world), the premise and concept behind the Aequitas - the angel/demons - was interesting and challenging. I enjoyed the opening, not dissimilar to your every day urban Nocturne setting. Then the hero takes the heroine's hand and it's bye-bye to things you know.

The sexual tension between Etienne and Auria (pretty names...), was excellent, if drawn out beyond my preference. It was complex, tightly written and I found few, if any I recall, errors or typos (being an anal type, they whisk me out of the story and make me remember my washing...).

I originally asked Mason if I could have the book in .pdf file, in order to read it on my laptop, but found I just wasn't picking it up. So, I transferred it to a pdf reader on the phone, which handles big files, but is clunky to use. I definitely think that this has also coloured my reading experience. I actually got a little lost. It got too complex for my wee brain. I find this if I read some of the Sherrilyn Kenyon's or a Mercedes Lackey tome, so maybe it's really a good thing for Mason's book. Heh.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the change (not saying no more than that!) in Etienne threw me. I couldn't pick up the thread again. It is a good book, and worth a read if you come across it, particularly if you like them cross-threaded and multi-faceted.

Having given that slightly-warmer-than-luke-warm-review, here's one that I came across. As I say, different person, different values, different opinion. It might work stunningly for you:

http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-aequitas-1-betrayal-by-ac-mason.html

It's also worth a look at Mason's webbie, and her recent comments on RWA.

Until next time.

Oooh, and check my Ecstasy Unveiled countdown doodad. Noice.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Invasion of the Time-Suckers...

WORKING ON: Final revisions for Firestarter, a prospective Nocturne Bites submission, plus a new wip kicks off tonight, currently called Desire Dark Blue, but that'll probably change.
READING: The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger (Audio). Different from my usual, but okay. Am a bit hard up for audio.
FEELING: Introspective, and a bit hot - it's ten degrees over normal winter temp here!
LAST SONG LISTENED TO: Beyonce's Naughty Girl.
WALK COUNT: 2/5

As we sat at the table post-kids in bed, hubby was telling me how his workmate thinks its a cracker that I write "porn" [NOTE: I don't, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's not even erotica. It's sensual paranormal romance. Get it right, dearest.]. After smacking him upside the head for the porn comment (he was being deliberately general, and was in the market for a smack), I asked him if it was a cracker as in, "Your wife must be good at the sex thing" nudge, nudge, or if it was actually something like envy that his own wife is a pregnant ex-baker [EDIT: Not that there's anything wrong with that, either. On re-reading, that sounded dicey. She is a very lovely person *slap hand*]. Hubster had to think, and decided it may have been envy.

"So, did you tell him what I write? You're not embarassed by it?"

Yes, he had (Good. I didn't remember doing it). No, Hubby said. He thought it was good that I was doing something that makes me feel happy and productive. [NOTE: Hubby is one of those people with a will of iron. If his pants get tight, he will run up and down the driveway for days after the kids are in bed, until the weight is gone, or he breaks a hamstring. Whichever comes first. He still has clothes from his teens that he still wears. Ewww. Actually, that's foul.]

"So, you don't think I'm an idiot?"

No, he liked that I how my reading and writing went together, and all in all, he thought I was kinda cool. I should make more time for writing. You know, work hard towards publication.

Oh. Well. That's nice. Sorry about the smack in the head, sweetie.

Hang on, what do you mean, make more time? I'm on the computer, like seven hours a day!

Yes, he said. You are. But are you writing?

"Not all of the time, no. *cough* I'm networking"

Ah, he said. That's different. He then went on to dangle a sodding big carrot, telling me that if I spent more time on the actual writing, and less on facebook, twitter, blogs and communities, he might agree about that new laptop I've been on about (it's red, dudes. I know! Red!). This current one has a dicey screen...

Man, he fights dirrrrty. Isn't it sweet, though, that he knows me well enough to realise that I'm open to bribery? That's where 14.5 years gets you. [Less for murder, he says. Ha ha. Shut up, dear...]

So. Well..., um. On the off chance (I mean, let's be serious here, what are the chances?), that he has a point, I've decided to take a look at what I do... (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER...)



  1. FACEBOOK - I have a personal facebook account, that was originally used for keeping in touch with friends, but now has quite a few authors from around the globe on it. Authors have personal sites as well as fan sites (I think a fan site works best for authors, btw), so I might be friends with or a fan of the one person twice (Michele Hauf is an example I can think of). I really just use it for contacting friends (oh, and there was that one time I did the quiz to find out what Hogwarts teacher I was. Er, and the one that said which 80's song I was. I didn't do the one that gives my boobs nicknames (I mean, really). I keep the Anna Hackett Fanpage, a) because I'm a fan and b) I believe in what goes around comes around and c) I want her to sell more books, because this will make her happy and a happy critique partner is a good one. It is easy, because I already have access to a load of writers on my personal page. VERDICT: I think FB is more useful than it is not. I keep in touch with people from school, university etc, that I would never keep in touch with otherwise. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? Yes. Maybe I could curb my quizzes, but they're not rampant...
  2. BLOG READING - I keep in touch with quite a few blogs, and the list gets added to all the time. It's mainly just reading what people are up to, releases, guests spots, pictures. I enter competitions sometimes, although many that I have entered from the start are getting busy now. I think I have streamlined the blogs - I subscribed to them through googlereader, and I read them on the iPhone. From time to time I might unsubscribe from one or two. VERDICT: Definitely a time suck, but if I want people to read my blog, I think it's important that I read theirs. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? I will, because at any point in time, I can flick through, mark all as read and it's like they were never there. Having them on the phone rocks... But I just need highlights, not the full web surfing experience.
  3. TWITTER - You know, I am in two minds about twitter. I have a few buddies that I correspond with, but when I log in, I might have one or two mentions and a direct message. But, you've got to work for those. Most are tweeps I am conversing with. To read through the unrelated stuff about coffee, shoes and dogs is time-consuming, but every now and then, you find a gem. I don't want to miss those gems! I have tweetdeck on the laptop. It buzzes when someone new tweets, and also pushes FB status updates through. It also have tweetdeck on the phone. VERDICT: Yers. Time Sucker. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? I will, but I need to go in once or twice a day, and not in everytime the damn thing buzzes (which I don't do, but the option is there). I need to go in, hit people up, then get the hell out. I like the idea of hashtags, and am tweeting my writing goals before I sit down to achieve them. This works well for me. I wonder if there's a weight loss one?
  4. COMMUNITY - I am at the eHarlequin community. I used to be there a lot, but have toned it down. I visit the Nocturne Bites thread, and the subcare group. VERDICT: Not so much time suck as before. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? I will, because I think it's an important way to keep track if what's happening with the line I'm targeting. I don't chat, though. That scares me.
  5. YAHOO GROUPS - I am a member at a number of yahoo groups, and although I like to go there and keep up to date, I can't help feeling that they're for readers more than writers. And rightly so. VERDICT: Yep. You guessed it. Sucker. WILL I KEEP DOING IT: Maybe not. I get the digest on email for most of them (I might be in 6 or 7, not all are very active).
  6. MY BLOG - Would you believe that writing this thing takes up time? I only really do it once a week. And it's not the best out there, but I do believe in building a presence. And I like it. I like having a record of what I do, I like recording what books I read. I like saying to authors, "Hey, check it out, I read your stuff!" It's gotta be nice - they might go look. The only downer is - you don't know if anyone is reading it. They might comment, but if they don't, you've no idea who has just read your intimate thoughts. It's kinda depressing... VERDICT: Once, a week, it does suck. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? I will, because later on I might have something very cool to say (or sell!) and I want a platform to shout it from. Also, I think I could get better at it. More efficient. Stop fiddling with how it looks. Yep, Em, do that.
  7. SHELFARI - or other library sites. God - Shelfari. I don't know. I used to keep hard lists and lists of books read, mainly to see which in the series I had or hadn't done. I hate it when I get all excited about a book I've brought home, only to discover I've already read it. I'm currently torn between keeping my Shelfari shelf up to date, or keeping a hard record on a phone app (which is hard to copy and share). Mmmm. I might feel happier if Shelfari had a better mobile page, or if they had a better FB box. VERDICT: Time waste, yes. Important to do? I think so. I like the record. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? Sigh. Yes. I suppose. I need to get a plan though...
  8. WEB SURFING. I would have said I don't do much of this. But I do. Not all of it is necessary. I mainly look at author pages, but sometimes, I'm just looking at clutch purses (I have a thing). VERDICT *insert sucky noise* WILL I KEEP DOING IT? No. I will stop. From now on, no more surfing. HAHAHA! Had you there! But I will be aware of what I'm looking at...
  9. iTUNES -I live in mortal fear that there is an iPhone app out there I REALLY need to be using, and haven't discovered yet. VERDICT: Sucks through a straw. WILL I KEEP DOING IT? No. The time I save with that perfect app was already wasted in the time I spent looking for it. STOP. IT. NOW.

My writing buddy, Anna Hackett is a writing machine. Our situations are different, I know. But it is discipline that gets her there, which I am slowly accumulating, but doesn't come to me naturally. But I also know she is very aware of the soul-sucking nature of some of these web things. It's not that she doesn't have a presence, it's just that she's off writing. Which is what we want to do. There is also not much point in building a profile - this wonderful platform - if you have nothing to say from it. I need to remember this.

See, now. There. That was cathartic. I will show this to the boy. This, the underside of my new leaf. You never know...

In other news, Rach (the other one of my writing buddies - she's working on Bites, but has had numerous articles published) and I are having a writeathon. We are to report to each other that we are doing the aforementioned amount (In my case, 1k on the new wip and finish the oldy this week), and report to each other Monday am. Starts today, ends October. Cool eh? I'm starting tonight!

Also, Michele Hauf has a new blog - Vampchix. Check the button, down there on the right. [EDIT: Actually, it is UP there on the right. Who'd have thought I would write for so long...]

Also, also. I am starting to walk again - five nights a week. The count is above - keep me honest, dudes! I am doing the lifestyle change again with the intention of losing weight and getting fitter. I'm not sure if I'm ready to share the details with the whole world just yet, though...

Right, gonna go chase up that errant sub that has been in NY for nearly four and a half months. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

PRK Eye Surgery - if you are a bit squeamish, or are just in it for the reviews, now would be be a good time to discover your toothbrush needs polish.

I had a MASSIVE post here - and the boy hit the delete key, when I had all selected. Then it autosaved a blank page. Crap. Now I'm too shitty to repost that which took me 90 minutes for me and my fuzzy eyes to write. Errrgh.

Lesson learned....

--LATER--

I've thought about it all day, and I've decided to give you the highlights in key words and phrases. Really, this could be an improvement. PRK Eye surgery has the capacity to be fairly revolting. So here goes:

- E forgot the drop-in-eye-for-the-week-beforehand eyedrops. Oopsie.
- Nice leather recliners in recovery room. Put these on personal shopping list. But not in white. What were they thinking? Don't they have children??
- More drugs in small bag. Five sleeping tablets. How much pain would I srsly need to endure?
- Everyone smiles in the surgery. Not much use, because they took glasses away and I haven't seen anything clearly since.
- Numbing eyedrops. Feels weird.
- Drugs, eyedrop form.
- Large machine I can't see because of lack of glasses. Could have been a wizard with a wand for all I knew.
- Doc says look at green light. I panic because green light has disappeared. I CAN'T SEE THE GREEN LIGHT!
- Eye speculum. Ewww. But comforting, because it makes blinking about as possible as walking on ceiling.
- Laser. Smells less like burning hair than I anticipated. More like burning human eyeball, I'd say.
- Green light has reappeared. Doc had his hand in front of it. Tool.
- Red laser light, green light, white light, repeated noise. Like a disco for your captive, immobile eyeball. Complete with drugs.
- Scraping off front of eyeball. Nicer than it sounds, due to drugs.
- Healing disc on eyeball. Repeat left eye.
- Back in gorgeous leather chairs. Will they notice if I pop one in my handbag?
- Ask where hubby is. Taking advantage of free biscuits, apparently. Will be in later.
- You paid how much? Biscuits looking less like freebie at this point...
- Take hubby to see doc post-op, in order to get drug regime into more heads. I just know I'll stuff it up.
- Blur.
- Fuzz.
- Weeping.
- Drugs.
- Hamilton's CERULEAN SINS on iPhone. Excellent. Will have to review when I can see keys better.
- Someone is pouring 98% salt saline into my eyes. No? Well, it feels like it.
- Can't keep eyes open, even though I want to.
- Sleep more than body likes.
- General discomfort.
- See doc next morning, all in order. Eyeball has not expoded or fallen out overnight. Cool.
- Hubby: He DID say it would get worse before it got better.
- Smack hubby.
- Hubby goes back to day job.
- Day 6 - still fuzzy, but healing lenses out now, so less prickly.
- Notice with improving vision that shower needs cleaning. Darn. Why'd I have to notice that first?
- Sleeping tablets still safe in little package. Yay, me!

See? You didn't need the full version anyhow.

I was hoping to go to SARA (South Australian Romance Authors) meeting tonight, but the double vision would make my driving even more suspect. And really, I just don't have the points to spare.

Hope everyone in DC is having a hoot!

Monday, July 6, 2009

A Review - "Savage Dragon" Anna Hackett - Silhouette Nocturne Bites 2009

The wait is over.

Anna Hackett's debut novella is SELLING NOW.

I think I was the second person, like, IN THE WORLD to buy this eBook presale. *Famous*

I read it and I loved it. And not just because Anna is my writing friend. The idea of a critique partner/group is to let you know if your work is sucky. It's our job. We will also tell you which parts of your work, well...work.

This latter part applies to all of SAVAGE DRAGON. I didn't read it before buying it - I have read Anna's work since. She submitted this one before we 'met'.

Here's the blurb:

Description
They call him the Savage Dragon: Rordan Sarkany, knight of the Order of the Dragon, charged with tracking and destroying those who let their dragon blood turn them into beasts. In the wilds of Hungary, Rordan hunts one such creature—along with fellow warrior Kira Bethlen.
Both Rordan and his inner dragon desire Kira...and she can't resist Rordan's dangerous allure. But even if she succumbs to their attraction, can she ever forgive him for slaying her beloved brother?


They say this at eHQN:

If you like this book, then you'll love...
The Vision by Heather Graham
Raintree by Linda Howard
Enchantment & Bridge of Dreams by Christina Skye


Not a bad list, eh? I know that Howard is one of Anna's faves. Must be a great feeling to be compared to one of your must-reads.

My take:

Rordan and Kira are tracking the same wild - a person with dragon blood who has turned, and lost most of their humanity. They are both Knights of the Order of the Dragon , and have a history, but ever since Rordan killed Kira's wild brother, she won't forgive him. So - the fight's on. And not only the fight to take down this new wild - but they're both fighting their rekindled attraction...

She'd thought her brother could be saved - Rordan knows he was too far gone. They agree to find the wild together - so long as they stay out of each other's way.

When they are trapped by the rogue dragon inside it's rockface lair, they both come to realise that they might have been wrong. Rordan starts to wonder if perhaps wilds can be saved, and Kira, hurt in the fight, realises that the wilds are not going to return to their original form.

Rordan is crushed under a rockfall, and... I'm stopping there!

Suffice it to say, there is some VHS (Very Hot Sex), while they are trapped alone in a cave.

Anna has a beautifully consistent writing style and voice - the temperate, even flow of her stories makes for strong, kick-ass heroines and equally appealing, self-aware men. There are no low-points, she carries the movement of the piece right through to the end.
Her world building is complex and well-researched, and she thinks of everything. Conflict, background, emotion - it's all there. Not once are we left wondering about character motivation.

So. You need to go out and get yourself this book.

Start a collection, because there WILL be more Hackett to come...

The first novella (one I have read... yay, me! I loved her hero in it) of her WindKeepers Series - WIND KISSED, FIRE BOUND, comes out in September for Nocturne Bites. The second WindKeeper story will be released in October and is called TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND, (Again, great hero, and excellent story) has recently been given the go-ahead. And the winds come from the four corners of the earth, so you'd imagine there's windy weather ahead.... :)

Here are the links you'll need to start your Hackett online shrine (like mine - hee):

Anna's website
Anna's Blog, Midnight Confessions
The link to eHarlequin, where you can buy SAVAGE DRAGON

Go on, get at the forefront of the wave for this exciting new paranormal romance author. If I run my hands over my crystal ball - I can see great things in the future of Anna Hackett...

E x

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Anna Hackett's debut SAVAGE DRAGON - Silhouette Nocturne Bites OUT NOW!

Read quickly, because you've got to go here (the eHarlequin eBook store - ePub, PDF, Mobi):


and get this:
Or you can go here (Amazon 4 ya Kindle) and get it too.
Can't stay. I've got mine and I'm gonna go read it. Come and tell me what you think...
Better still, go tell Anna...
Thanks, peeps! x

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A Review - PLEASURE UNBOUND Demonica, Book 1 - Larissa Ione (Hachette Forever 2008) Read and then go buy SAVAGE DRAGON. Thanks.

Larissa Ione can come sit at my place on my *I Love* shelf beside my effigies of Michele Hauf, Christine Feehan, and my shiny new one of Anna Hackett. :)

I love her stuff.

The Demonica Series is a Very Big Thing.

Check some of the comments I've found...

“Very dark, very sexy, and very creative. Ione’s Demonica series will have the most jaded paranormal fans perking up!” –Emma Holly, USA Today bestselling author of DEMON’S FIRE
“What a ride! Dark, sexy and very intriguing, this book gripped me from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!” –Nalini Singh, NYT bestselling author of MINE TO POSSESS
“A heroine with attitude and a hot-blooded demon make for a dangerously erotic, wonderfully satisfying read. Ione knows how to make your blood boil and your heart race as you devour each and every page.” —Cheyenne McCray, New York Times bestselling author of DARK MAGIC

Yep, I reckon so, too... Not too shabby, eh?

I was thinking about what makes a memorable, appealing hero in paranormal stories. One of the unpubbed pieces I judged recently had a yummy hero - but he was just too, ah..., nice.

I like bad boys, but I do like them to have some kind of conscience. Enter Eidolon, hero of PLEASURE UNBOUND. He's bad (check - he's a scorching hot Seminus demon, ), he's responsible (check - he runs Underworld General, demon hospital), but he's okay to break the rules (check - falling in love with the woman who wants to kill him and all of his demonic buddies).

Check this, from FB:

Emily just took the "Which Demonica Brother Is Yours?" quiz and the result is Eidolon.
Eidolon is logical, loyal, and highly intelligent. He's extremely patient, with a dry sense of humor and a cool, calm manner that is hard to ruffle. Once he's ruffled, however, he's lethal, with few regrets once he takes action. As a doctor, his work ethic borders on obsessive, and if he were an RPG character, he'd be Lawful Neutral. He loves rules, but is willing to bend them for those he loves. Once he has given his loyalty, it is for life. Don't cross him.


Eidolon's mine? Deal.

But I will share with Tayla Mancuso, Aegis demon-slayer. Mainly because she could kick my spongy a$$ from here to the outer reaches of space. Another excellent, strong Ione heroine.

I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again... Ione's world building is just fantastic. Her characters are complex, sexy and confronting and her storytelling is mesmerising.

There's a very titillating (always wanted to use that word...) hospital bed scene. You'll know it when you get to it :)

My writing buddy, Anna Hackett (whom one must mention because her Nocturne Silhouette Bites SAVAGE DRAGON is out in a matter of hours! Yippeedoo!), read this book, after hearing us talk about it at Embrace the Shadows (a great blog/yahoo group for PR readers/authors), and then promptly had to go and get the next two on her Kindle and read those. Put her 50K in 30 days in some jeopardy! But of course, because she has a will of steel, she will do it. :)

I'm yet to read Book 3, PASSION UNLEASHED, Wraith's story. He's an interesting character. More bad than good. I am dying to read it. Might follow Anna's example and get it eBook... This is how much I can't wait.

So here's the blurb for PLEASURE UNBOUND Demonica Series Book 1, by Larissa Ione:
Someone is killing demons–someone other than the Aegis demon slayers, anyway. Now Eidolon, a doctor at Underworld General as well as a demon whose instincts to mate are growing stronger, must pair up with a sexy Aegis Guardian named Tayla Mancuso to learn the truth behind the killings. But Tayla has her own agenda. Her assignment is to find a way to destroy Underworld General. When she falls for Eidolon, who has shown her erotic pleasures she’d never dreamed of, she must face the horrors of her past and choose between becoming one of the very creatures she’s hunted–or death.

Finished reading? Great. Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed. Now, hit the link up there and go get yourself some Anna Hackett...

PS - Went to the post office today and found a package of books that the gorgeous Michele Hauf had sent me. We did a trade - one Aussie KISS ME DEADLY for one of her choice. And she sent me three of her US releases. Three. All signed and cool stuff like that! *Bliss*. I <3 Michele Hauf. Will review after Anna's. And acMason's. Phew.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

On Presale@HQ - Anna Hackett's debut "Savage Dragon" - Silhouette Nocturne Bites

Excitement factor is hitting warp-speed here at the laptop.

Anna Hackett's Bites - 'Savage Dragon' is out on pre-sale.

I've read some of Anna's work - and it rocks.
She writes fabulous, solid stories in excellent worlds, with sexy, strong heroines and dead-yummy heroes to die for.

But I haven't read 'Savage Dragon' and I really want to. I've bought it pre-sale at the eHarlequin eBook store because I want to get it as soon as I can... Then I'll go buy it at eReader for the iphone. Chill, E. Only a few more sleeps... :)

Here's a taster...

They call him the Savage Dragon: Rordan Sarkany, knight of the Order of the Dragon, charged with tracking and destroying those who let their dragon blood turn them into beasts. In the wilds of Hungary, Rordan hunts one such creature—along with fellow warrior Kira Bethlen.
Both Rordan and his inner dragon desire Kira...and she can't resist Rordan's dangerous allure. But even if she succumbs to their attraction, can she ever forgive him for slaying her beloved brother?


Buy it here. Check Anna's webbie, or her blog. The blog is great - sometimes you see elove there!
Keep an eye out for Anna's 'WindKeeper' series - coming in September...

Friday, June 19, 2009

Harlequin/Silhouette (Intrigue) Nocturne on Australian Shelves...

Got a bit excited. After I got bummed - because I have heard on the eHarlequin Forums that LUNA won't be available in Australia in print any more. I looked LUNA up at eHarlequin.com.au and got this. As all good Aussies would say - Spewin'.


The excitement bit started when it also came to light that Harlequin is, however, bringing Nocturne to us! Yay! So, that did lessen the gut-wrenching disappointment. And hey, Nocturnes are cheaper. Double yay! AND it's what I'm writing. Triple YAY! Okay, time to sit down...

This might not be a new thing. But there are only a few titles available at eHarlequin Australia.


So, I went and bought one. I saw 'Hauf '- and I bought it. Familiar Stranger. The first LUNA I ever bought was Seraphim (loved that one!), so Michele Hauf, in the immortal words of Harry Connick Jnr, "It had to be yoooouuuu!"


Now, I am seriously in love with the Nocturne covers that one gets on one's eBooks when one downloads them. Both the Nocturnes and the Nocturne Bites are very pretty. Check this one for Familiar Stranger:
BUT, because Nocturnes are being brought out under the Intrigue banner in OZ, you get this:


What do you think? Not so pretty, eh? Smacks loudly of Intrigue. Well, duh, it says so, right up there...


But, speaking of pretty - check the UK version:


Ain't that lubbly? Still says 'Intrigue' but it's not so hard-line. You'll notice, too that the Oz one has the Harlequin Mills & Boon logo on it. I wonder if this is useful or not. Maybe to a newbie Nocturne reader, someone picking one up for the first time, but not if you're used to the other covers. I wonder what the covers look like elsewhere? EDIT: These are called "Super Nocturnes" in the UK. Stumbled across that nugget at the Nocturne thread...

Hey, and sorry about the dwindling sizes. I could fix it, but, meh...

I miss my curliques.

Just sayin'.

Yesterday, I won an a.c.Mason eBook - Aequitas I - Betrayal. I love winning books! I promised Mason I'd review it soon. I think that's a very fair trade. The cover is eyecatching - it's from Lyrical Press.

Another first for me week - I got plugged at a blog! I know, very cool!

And what made it cooler was that it was Anna Hackett, whose first Bite is coming out very soon. I haven't read this one, but I've read other pieces of Anna's and she is very, very good. A great story teller. So check out her blog, and her webbie. Then when you're done at her blog, you can click the link to me, and come back here! Do it all day long! ;)

I baked all day yesterday. I like to bake, but I was on a deadline which makes it way less fun. We had Devonshire Tea at a Kindy meeting (it was my idea *slaps forehead*) so I made 40 scones, then I had the greater part of my eldest child's class and their respective parents over TO MY HOUSE for 40 more scones, 60 mini pizzas and those fabulous things: Honey Joys. I love to recipe swap, so let me know if you'd like me to post these...

If you ever see me up the street with a rolling pin, take it away from me and crack me over the head with it. E: Never, ever, EVER bake 80 scones in one day again....

Thanks for dropping in. Have a fan-fairy-tastic week...

Scone, anyone?

Monday, June 15, 2009

I'll take it, but I really wish I could fly...




Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Fire



You are intense, internally driven, and passionate.

Your emotions are unpredictable - and they often get the better of you.

Both radiant and terrifying, people are drawn to you.

At your most powerful, you feel like the world belongs to you.



Why you would be a good superhero: You are obsessive enough to give it your all



Your biggest problem as a superhero: Your moodiness would make it difficult to control your powers

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A Review - 'Desire Unchained' Demonica Book 2 (Hatchette Livre, 2009) - Larissa Ione


I have to thank Nocturne Bites Author, Barbara J Hancock, for bringing this fabulous author to my attention. I would have got to her eventually, but I'm grateful to Barbara for hastening the process! I won this book off Barbara's blog when she first started it. And she mailed it all the way to Oz. Awww!


Loved it. Super premise, fabulous characters, complex plot, wonderful worldbuilding.
And my fave: Hot, Hot, HOT! They have to have sex, like, all the time... It's very nicely done heat, too. Demon love should probably rate fairly high in ick factor, but it soooo didn't.
This is actually Book 2, but it's okay, I read Book 1 later (yay, again!) and I'll review that soon-ish. If you're up for hot paranormal with smokin' hot men (aka demons) and some very tight conflict and worlds, get these books, asap.


Others in the series include: Pleasure Unbound (Book 1) and Passion Unleashed (Book 3).
The cover blurb:

Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .
Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.
A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever.
As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts-or succumb to a madman's evil plans.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I think there is something wrong with me...

It's like one of those movie openings where the heroine wakes up in a strange house, wearing old lady's clothes and not remembering anything of the last week. Obviously, she's had some kind of accident.

I have no such excuse.

My amnesia is more commonly called wireless broadband internet. (Also called Distraction 1).

After much confrontation (with Hubba Hubby, who does not use the computer and thought the dial-up was just bonza), the shop I got the hardware from, and the company I got the ADSL through, I am online. Permanently. My excitement knows no bounds.

Unfortunately, this took a week, and I am not ashamed to say, a little bit of blubbering to the poor people at the helpdesk.

Distraction 2: I have the iPhone. I have broadband. What do you get? A phone full of shite-loads of crap you may or may not ever use. And I can get it ALL over the house. Inside, outside, EVERYWHERE. OMG. You would not believe the insane things that pop into my head that I absolutely must google. Now.

Although, I'm already planning a story on the new mindmapping tool I got (as a teacher, I love to mind map!). I have goal setting apps, to do list apps, exercise counters, expense trackers, meal diaries, planetary movement trackers, weather, games, sticky notes and a little thing that is meant for bed time reading, where you put your child's name in the story and you can read it to them. The story is horrific. Not scary horrific. Just plain bad.

So, I lost a number of days again.

Anna Hackett spoke about goals in her blog last week. Then she asked me how my writing was going. Umm. Ergh. On reflection it became VERY obvious to me that I need to set some goals. Or hire someone to stand here and kick me in the arse every hour or two. I give new meaning to the word procrastinate. It ain't good.

So, I will do some new goals. As soon as I work out how to operate the goal setting app on the phone :O

Next time, I'm gonna review a hot, hot, HOT Larissa Ione book you've GOT to get your hands on...

E x

Monday, May 25, 2009

Where the bloody hell are you?

That was not me - that was from one of the 'Come to Australia' TV ads that aired in Britain, I think. Starring cricket's future first lady, model Lara Bingle. Caused a bit of a furore, as not everyone speaks like that, but if you've come here off the title - hey, it worked!

Now, where are you? If you haunt the eHarl boards, this one's for you.

At eHarlequin currently, they're giving you the chance to put yourself on the map - literally. Check it out and see who's where.

But remember, you need to log in with a google account to get the chance to edit...

http://community.eharlequin.com/content/community-map-project

Zoom in to put your flag down - some people are popping themselves in national parks, or worse, the Atlantic Ocean!

It's fun...

And this is all brought to you via my new WIRELESS INTERNET!

Yay, me.

E x

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A Review - "Midnight Cravings" - The first Bites Anthology



AUTHOR/S: Michele Hauf, Karen Whiddon, Lori Devoti, Anna Leonard (Laura Anne Gilman), Vivi Anna, Bonnie Vanak
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Books – Silhouette Nocturne
YEAR: 2009
Pp:297
A COLLECTION OF SIX SEXY BITES
Michele Hauf – RACING THE MOON
Karen Whiddon – MATE OF THE WOLF
Lori Devoti – CAPTURED
Anna Leonard – DREAMCATCHER
Vivi Anna – MAHINA’S STORM
Bonnie Vanak – BROKEN SOULS

Even though I’ve read all of these novellas as ebooks – I’ve made it my mission to buy every Nocturne Bites released thus far – I was delighted to read them again as the first ever Silhouette Nocturne Bites six-pack anthology. The ebook wave is something I’ve embraced with enthusiasm. I mean, what’s not to like? But I still think there’s something homey about holding a print book.

This collection of authors, I understand, are all published and well-known in the Silhouette Nocturne (full-length) books.

RACING THE MOON – Michele Hauf
Sunday, a tomboy motor mechanic and feline familiar, chances upon Dean Maverick and his broken-down truck just before a storm. The sexual attraction is immediate and rampant, on her part and his.

Dean, a werewolf, is keen to get home before the midnight and the full moon. But he’s also chuffed that fate has landed him with such a hot piece – at exactly the right time. He needs sex to keep the wolf at bay.
Sunday quite likes sex. Usually, so do her partners. It’s the thing that happens after that makes them run. Being a familiar, she forms a bridge for demons to enter the mortal realm. Ah, when she climaxes. Sometimes, the demons are just confused and want to go home. More often, they are malevolent and go on a killing spree.

So, while she is sorely tempted to take what Dean is offering, she can’t control what happens after – not having had enough sex to practice her skills.

I’ll try to not to spoil too much.

I adored Dean – I love most of Hauf’s characters – he’s fun, sexy, caring and solid. Sunday was cool – hot and self-assured.

I first read Hauf’s work when I bought Seraphim (LUNA), years ago. Nothing I have read of Hauf’s since has done anything to dull my girl-crush.

It’s a great read; fluid, consistent, seamless, real and fun

MATE OF THE WOLF – Karen Whiddon.
I haven’t read many full Nocturnes – something I intend to remedy – thus, I don’t know much about Whiddon’s Pack books.

Allison Berg, a werewolf, approached the hottest man she has ever seen, hoping to ‘dog’, that he is her blind date. She slips on a beer glass and wakes later in hospital.

Kane Webster, Englishman and vampire, wants the woman who has fallen at his feet more than he has wanted anyone for centuries.

Their mutual attraction is going well, until she works out he’s a vamp.

When Kane is pursued by a long-time bounty-hunter, will she turn him in or save him?

I liked this book. Liked it, sure. It was a fun story, about a party girl and a dependable, sexy vamp. I think I need to read the rest of them.

CAPTURED – Lori Devoti
This one was deep and emotional. I enjoyed it much more on the second read-through.

Gray Barsk, hellhound (forandre & shifter), wakes to find himself in a cell with a very irate female hound.

Leve will not lose another child to the market. So when the new male arrives – his job to impregnate her – she will kill him first.

But she underestimates this hound.

The Svartalfar (dark elves) who captured him, fill the cell with synthetic pheromones, in order to throw the pair together and precipitate the act that will provide the dark elves with the hound baby to sell.

Impressed by and attracted to each other, they form a plan to escape and take the other prisoners with them.

This one started with a very dark topic – the theft of babies – and initially I found it tough to jump from that to the consensual sex that follows soon after.

I did like the characters, though. Cool names…

A great premise that would have been better devoted to a longer novel, but it was still a good read. IMHO! I will look for more Devoti.

DREAM CATCHER – Anna Leonard (Laura Anne Gilman)

Speaking of deep, this one escaped me completely first time around.

I suspect I read too quickly.

Emma has convinced herself she has CFS. In truth, something is killing her from the inside.

A virtual invalid, her family hires her a nurse. Matthew. A very sexy, compassionate male nurse.

He seems to be healing her, but then also seems to be hurting her. She’s tired of people expecting things from her she can’t always give - will she find a way to save both herself and Matthew?

Will Emma give in, or will she fight? If she does fight, is she fighting him, or something else?

Anchored in Native American legend, this story had an ephemeral quality to it. I did enjoy it, but it lacks the pace of the other novellas. The sex is also toned down.

I did enjoy the twist in the conclusion, although it did make, for me, Matthew seem less manly.

It was well written, though.


MAHINA’S STORM – Vivi Anna

Lycan Mahina Garner is a captain of the Necropolis Police Department. Ren Calder is the detective she has worked with a number of times, and shared one drunken, but scorching kiss with.

Ren, also lycan, has wanted Mahina for years, but she’s never given him any indication that she hungers for anything but catching the bad guys.

This story is one of a number set in Anna’s world of Necropolis.

I liked the characterisation, but felt that the move from rock-hard police captain to smokin’ hot love machine was a bit of a jump. And it was hot.

I enjoyed Ren, though he had the capacity to be a bit love-lorn. I wondered why he held back from telling Mahina how he felt. Because she hadn’t given him any signals? I would like to think that the men I read about have enough gumption to overcome that.

I would read more Vivi Anna, because I did enjoy the story, it was well-written and engrossing.


BROKEN SOULS – Bonnie Vanak

This final story, again is one of many, I think. Vanak has created The Draicon, a race of werewolves. Their enemies are the Morphs, former Draicon who have gone bad.

Vanak says she once wondered about what happens to those Draicon whose lifemates have been murdered by the Morphs. So she wrote the story of Katia and Baylor, both of whom have suffered the loss of their destined lifemates . They are Broken Souls.

Baylor would like them to commit to each other, but Katia is unwilling until she knows the fate of her father, who disappeared after a Morph attack on their family home.

If her father is alive, she should return to his pack, not commit to another.

So, she weaves a blood/candle spell in order to find her father. A spell she is forbidden to cast. When her father arrives for her, Baylor is convinced he has turned Morph. Katia thinks that Baylor is just saying that so that she won’t go home to her father’s pack.

I felt like I jumped in the middle of this one – there were a lot of people living in the house where Katia and Baylor were, and they were all paired, or pairing off. There was history, and I missed it!

Katia was, for me, slightly annoying. If I was presented with a red-hot male – whom I loved by the way - saying, mate me now, I love you, I need you, I would not be answering with “Where’s my daddy?”. Na-uh. Give me smokin’ male over family dinners around the table any old day!

When Baylor is injured fighting her father – not that Katia believes it was daddy – Katia knows she needs to make a decision about her life.
While these were all great, short reads, Hauf was definitely my favourite, but I am pleased to have discovered more good authors. I intend to read more of these ladies’ full-length work.

All in all, me likey. I will absolutely be buying the next collection that comes out in October this year, with Bites from Lisa Renee Jones, Olivia Gates, Linda O Johnston, Barbara J Hancock (yay, Barbara!), Caridad Pineiro and Lydia Parks.


Monday, May 11, 2009

Oh, my aching sides... (1)


I promised to do a review of Midnight Cravings - it's coming. Here's some fun for the mean time...

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Why is it that the skinny parts of me are not parts people can SEE?

Just got back from my laser surgery eye apppointment thingo watsit.

Apparently, I am good for the surgery (ie my eyes are no longer deteriorating sight-wise), but I have a corneal thickness under the recommended threshhold.

That's what I said. What the??

In essence, I have skinny corneas. Which means they can't do the easy-squeezy, walk-in walk-out, leave and do bungee jumping version of the surgery. I get to do the can't see for four days, can't drive for ages version.

I had a flashback to when I was in hospital, erm ..., during the process that caused my third child, who was in utero, to come out. I vaguely remember a conversation between the midwives that reached my ears in lala land.

"Yes, she's had trouble with the other two as well."
"Oh, I see... Small interior pelvis measurement."

Huh?

If I had been able to relinquish my death hold on the birthing stool, I would have clobbered one of them. How come I was only just finding this out? With my third child! Who ended up getting stuck and there was shiny equipment rolled in to complete extraction. The child that weighed 9'13".... He looked like a raw meatball by the time he arrived. He's fine now. Really.

Egad, and all on our 8th Wedding Anniversary too.

So. I have some skinny bits. You just can't see them.

Writing front: Not much going on. Kids ill. I've been working. Had a gig to sing at a funeral, which caused my stress levels to hit the stratosphere.

Been to the doctor, boob lump, foot growth, weird facial rash. Got cream, mammogram, scalpeled. Not in that order.

Lit the fire for the first time this week, though. That was lubbly.

Anyhoo, am reading 'Twilight'. In front of the fire. It's calling me.

Next week, (I'm sooo excited) I might have my broadband on... Maybe.

I'll be reviewing the Nocturne Bites first ever collection novel "Midnight Cravings". I promised Michele Hauf. Cool.

Finally, I wanted to give a huge shout out to Anna Hackett, CP wonder woman, who has had her second novella picked up by Silhouette. Yay! Go girl! Her first, 'Savage Dragon', comes out in July....

See you. *Waving hand, which has skinny bones....* :P

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Nocturne Bites Pitch Contest Winners have been announced!

and I'm not among them...

I'm actually fine with it - it was a great experience, and a good opportunity to polish my skills.
And now, I have a little longer to play with my ms before I send it off to the NY slush pile...

Huuuge congrats to all of the winners, though. All seven of them (there were 60 entries).

And wow to Ann Leslie Tuttle for being so quick about chosing - must have been a mammoth task...

Monday, April 6, 2009

Didn't think I'd make it...

The last Bite I wrote took me over four months. It's in NY now...

The one I've just 'the end'ed took me a little over three weeks. Got a late start. Egad. Stressfest. But I had a lot of fun writing it.

I sent my pitch in yesterday.

Thanks to Anna for looking over the ms (love her work..), and good luck to everyone who is pitching.

Tired now. Can I go to sleep at two-thirty in the afternoon? Sure I can.

Oh wait, there are small children around who would love to fend for themselves, but probably shouldn't. There was a hair-cutting episode yesterday, that I could have stopped if I hadn't been busy pitching...

We await the finalists who will be announced on April 10th... In the meantime, revisions (and a corrective trip to the hairdresser....)

E x

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Whipping up the WIP...

I love Anna Hackett.

And not because she writes very excellent stories (I have read the draft of one, and it rockED. Y'all get to buy one in July - 'Savage Dragon' ).

But because she is a very excellent CP. I can feel a girl crush coming on... .

I had come to a standstill on my Bites WIP.

I hated something, lost enthusiasm and fell into a dirty great mud-filled rut with big spikes in the bottom, like a tiger pit.

Anna made a few suggestions based on my blurb and a shaky synopsis - saw things I didn't/forgot to/was ignoring. I bounced an idea or two off her - and voila! WIP back on track...

So, thanks Anna. You are a rock chick.

What are your experiences with CP's?

GTG and write... E x

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Happy Birthday to....

God, I am sooo juvenile.
But, I do love a birthday, particularly my own (or the kids').

And you should see me at Christmas!

Love my present; my iPhone - got all the latest Bites on it...

The other present (one I got myself) - aim to not cook a meal today. Meals one and two are dusted - kids got own brekky (mess city), and Mum got me lunch - super thick-cut sandwiches from our local Mexican - 'Sazon'. Meal three: Chinese takeaway tonight. Birthday present heaven...

Relatives usually get me books - got a very wide range this year...


WIP not whipping. Blurrk. Might if I had a chance to sit at the laptop and write it.

Am heartened by the fact that there are a few girls wtill working on their stories, according to eHarl...

gtg, E x

Friday, March 20, 2009

I was on a roll...

That should read - I was on a roll.

My roll has petered out (damn Peter, and the horse he rode in on).

There's been stuff on. It is times like these I wish I could get the "I have the ability and the opportunity to volunteer for that" part of my brain lasered out.

I wrote thousands of words in two nights last week. It was rockin'! A great feeling...

This week, I've spent three nights out doing non-writing related (which upsets me), non-paying (which upsets hubba hubby) activities.

For the children. God bless their grotty cotton socks and grimy faces.

I've done a blurb (many, many times over) for the Bites pitch. I'm gonna have to bite the .38 calibre and get someone to look at it for me. Yikes.

But things are looking up (and concede I am waaaaayy too old for this, but seem unable to stop the excitement)...

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK...

Crossing fingers I get an updated internet connection (or a frying pan...). Either would be wicked.

Completely unrelated to MY BIRTHDAY I tried to get into a chat on eHarl today. I logged in okay and found myself in Steeple Hill. Whoopsie. Gotta work out the whole international timing thingie...

But I was in, that's gotta be good. The last time I tried to chat, I couldn't find the room.

Ah, takes me back to university days...

Luck for everyone with their things! And did I mention? it's MY BIRTHDAY next week...

Tee hee, E x

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

elove whispers, "I sent it in."

OH MY GAWD!
Pour me a drink, I did it.
I send that manuscript in.
Egad, who ever would have thought it would take me such a long time. I have got to learn to do this better, because I can't spare the time not to.

Oh, and my poor little ms. I bludgeoned it. Not to death - in fact, it looks better - but I ripped the original piece limb from limb. Already, I think I'm a better writer for it. Lordy, I hope so.

I am sorry to my three CP's (Rach, Neoindra, Anna Hackett - "Savage Dragon' debut coming out for Nocturne Bites in July - yay!), who had to read the piffle that was my ms a few months ago. I resolve, here and now, to make it better for you next time *g*.

I cannot WAIT to get into project three - two is on the backburner, because I'm just too dang excited about three - I want to pitch this one online in a month.

Hubba hubby says I have to go to bed. Herbert Hooper the Party Pooper.

E x

((Neo)) - Don't. Keep at it...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

It's so, so sad ;)

I have maxxed out the 'net quota on my iPhone. Within 5 days. Ooopsie.

Dad and my BIL haven't killed theirs. And they WORK. :)

I shall have to wait for next month... WHEN I RECHARGE AND I CAN GO AGAIN!

Down, but not out...

Writing news: Have been through EI and ravished it. Am now back at over 16k, but will whittle. Want to get this baby off within a week (please).

Have a very cool concept in place for one to pitch....

Going to go stuff party bags - Pink Party Pants is turning six in a flurry of Bratz Dolls and LBD's

What are you doing? E x

Thursday, February 19, 2009

I looked away and 72 hours had passed...

Two words: new iPhone.

OMG. I am in love. Again (fickle, really). I adore this phone.

But it is a demanding master. I has held me captive for three days. Purrrr...

It started when my Dad said I should get one, because he loves his.

Okay. Done.

Then I spend the better part of the next week playing with the phone, adding apps, wrecking sofware, losing information off my PC, re-installing stuff, re-entering piles and piles of data and crying in short bursts, interspersed with giggling and screen-kissing .

I am going mad. Put it down, E. Step away from the phone.

Then, I couldn't get it to write the posts for my blog, and I plummetted back to earth. That, and I saw that eHarl is running a Bites pitch. Get to work, girlie!

I haven't done much in the way of writing. Will start work on the pitch tomorrow. Maybe I will write a new one and send in my current one the usual way. *Thinking* Yep, that works.

Going to do stuff...

PS - Fatalities from Victorian bushfires over 200. 201 was a firey who got hit by a falling tree while he was connecting a hose to his strike team's truck. He'd come from Canberra. Will it never end?

((Dee)).

Monday, February 9, 2009

A Nation in Tears

Today is a terrible day. There are over fifty uncontrolled fires burning around the country (and many, many more which are 'controlled' - 'controlled' to me means not burning...), the worst of which are in our neighbour, Victoria.

They are using words like 'fireball', 'firestorm', 'raging inferno', 'killer radiant heat'.

The death toll is currently 108. They are still counting.

The news is full of husbands looking for families, mothers looking for daughters, people looking for neighbours. And so many people crying. The newsreaders are crying. The Prime Minister is crying.

I am so sad for these people - we had a fire over the road last week, we live on the outskirts of a small town. I experienced a brief whiff of smoke and I could see that if the fire jumped the road, it would burn up our long driveway. I was scared, hubby was at work in the city. I got the kids into the car and left our property - with nothing - and came back to find that they had stopped the fire from crossing the road.

The kids and I left, but many don't. They stay and try to fight it, to save their homes, their animals, their livelihoods. Sometimes, they never meant to stay, it just came too quickly. Or it catches them in their cars as they are trying to leave. When you are dealing with hell's inferno, fueled by high winds and temperatures in the 40's, you may not have a hope in hell.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected - we have fires in Victoria and New South Wales, and floods in Queensland (3 dead). A nation is weeping. Pray for them.

I've stopped watching the news because the kids freak when I cry. I'm listening to the radio news instead.

Want to know how it is? Here's an account from "The Australian".

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25026912-2702,00.html

They are talking about the possibility that one or more of the fires was deliberately lit. Speaking of hell....

Edit, 9pm: The count is now 126, and climbing. They say it might pop 200. God, I hope not.
Keri Arthur, on her blog, had this. If you have any spare cash around, please consider supporting the 750 families who are now homeless, or worse.

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

E

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Gatdangit! Just when I was on a roll...

I was soooo cruisin' today. I's made a little list of Jobs To Do (things like move Mohammed's Mountain of washing, and bake a cake), and I was flying through it. I could see hours and hours of time to spend on my revisions tonight. Then it happened.

Visitors. The Unannounced kind.

The floor was still in the JTD list - we don't bother with plates, kids can't seem to keep their food on them anyhow - and I hadn't brushed my hair in over 24 hours. Blurk.

And it was old rellies who are ALWAYS neat and tidy. Who never leave the house with the breakfast dishes undone, or the lounge room floor looking like an underware sale at Target....

I was mortified. Then I thought, well, bugger ya. Next time, call... If you want to see me neat, warn me beforehand. I might be able to oblige.

Four hours later, no time for revisions. Dang.

What do you do? E x

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