You Little Gem! In which I read a perfectly lovely email and burst into tears...

I've always had very plausible reasons for not entering writing contests.  Excellent ones, in fact.  No time, my writing sucks a$$, kids are sick, I can't find my computer for all the paperwork on the desk, there's a hippo in my fridge I need to get rid of, etc.  I'm sure you know the drill.

So, I surprised myself by promising my fellow SARAs in November that I'd enter the RWA Little Gems Contest this year.

I surprised myself further by actually doing it.  At the very last chime of midnight (my entry was number 67 of 69).  Not having particularly high expectations, I didn't give it much thought thereafter.

Hence, when the very lovely Lis Hoorweg emailed to say that I'd finalled, the shock was so great, the waterworks kicked in.  Then I did the obligatory eight-or-nine-times read through of the email to check that they had the right person.

I still can't find a loophole *pinch, pinch*.

W.O.W.

Here's the RWA blog post announcing the winners.

Seriously.  I'm very, very excited--so much, I cried!--to be among the finalists.  Congrats to them all, particularly Jean and Patsy.

Huge thanks to Lis for her coordination of the Little Gems Contests and to the judges for volunteering their time.   Thanks also to my ever-patient critique partners, Anna Hackett and Rach.  xx

Here is Sheridan Kent's wining cover design (Sheridan also designed the very lovely cover from 2011):

Hot, like a sunrise...

It was very warm here yesterday.  That 'Oh, jeez, the car seat is toasty.  Hang on, no, the car seat is BURNING' kind of warm that one is glad only happens occasionally.

Here on the outskirts of crackle country (I'm sure y'all local recall Ash Wednesday, which had an anniversary recently.  I do.), we always have one eye on the Country Fire Service app on the ipads when there's a honkingly hot north wind.  Can't discount the possibility of something fiery and terrible happening.  My heart goes out to everyone affected by the thousands of fires experienced here in the driest state in the driest country every year.

Which is why I apologise in advance for this amusing and also titillating image my lovely CP Rach had on facebook recently.  Call it a silver lining. 

May all your gutters be free of leaf litter, your fire pumps working swimmingly and your firemen off-the-shizang built.  

The challenge is this...

I challenge you to read Soul Stealer, Anna Hackett's third and final installment of the Anomaly Trilogy and NOT DROOL LIKE HOOCH OVER THE HERO.

Try it if you dare.  ;)

The more courageous of you might also enter Anna's competition to win cool stuff!



The final action-packed novella of The Anomaly Trilogy.

She just wants her life back. After being kidnapped and forced to kill by a vicious crime lord, Cate Hartmann is now a killer with an addiction to stealing souls. On the island sanctuary of Haven, surrounded by other anomalies with secret abilities, she fights to recover. But only one man calms the dark storm inside and makes her believe she can be whole again…Dr. Gage Walker.

Scientist Gage Walker has spent a decade helping anomalies. But every day, he’s haunted by his previous job for the CIA—where he crossed far too many boundaries and hurt so many anomalies. Including his brother. He vows he won’t fail again and will do everything he can to heal Cate—including fighting his attraction to her.

But when the crime lord comes after Cate again, it’s a race against time to find out why he wants her. Amidst the danger, Gage and Cate drawn to each other, even as they fear that one wrong step will send her hurtling back into the depths of her soul stealing addiction.

Soul Stealer - paranormal/sci fi romance
Short Fiction: Novella - 24,000 words

The Anomaly Trilogy
Book 1: Time Thief
Book 2: Mind Raider
Book 3: Soul Stealer

Check these quick reviews:

"The elements of danger, suspense, romance and good vs evil were absolutely brilliantly depicted."
~ Desere - Romance Book Haven

"Rich with emotions, a fully developed plot and storyline and memorable characters, Soul Stealer was a fantastic read as well as a great addition & ending to the trilogy...Get on this series ASAP!"
~ Nina's Literary Xscape

"Read in one sitting, I loved the fast paced, pull no punches action that each page contained. Soul Stealer is full of twists and turns that I didnt see coming. My heart is still racing as I write this!"
~ Tash - Romance Book Haven

In which I cause mayhem...

...by hanging out at someone else's place and talk to, well...interrogate, myself.  It's pretty edgy.  Don't think those bar boys are ever going to be the same.  I think they thought writers were a quiet, thoughtful bunch.

I'm at fellow Darksider's & SARA's Eleni's Taverna, discussing (with me) about various things important to the universe.  Such as why Horatio Cane is so pasty, even though he lives in Florida.  I'm telling you, it's ballsy journalism at it's best.

You'd best go look at me make a larrakin of myself now, because there's every chance they're going to have me committed after this one.  :)

But until then,  me and mine wish you and yours:

Oh, to be in an alternate universe right now...

Romance + Sci Fi + Holidays = A GALACTIC HOLIDAY!

I'm donning my pimping pants to yell from the back dock of my space station:

A GALACTIC HOLIDAY is OUT NOW!

Are you like me?  I love Christmas with adoration bordering on pathological, but sometimes the crazy lead-up blows.  But I HAVE A CURE!

How about an alternate universe?  A few stolen hours getting festive, futuristic and SCHMEXY?

Lose a few blissful hours on A GALACTIC HOLIDAY.

Anna Hackett has teamed up with Stacy Gail and Sasha Summers to bring you her first sci-fi romance, Winter Fusion, in a brand-new anthology from Carina Press.

It's getting some great reviews:

"If you are a Science Fiction Romance reader A Galactic Holiday is a must read."
"I really enjoyed this collection of novellas and I would recommend it to any fans of romantic sci-fi in the mood for the holidays."

"A Galactic Holiday is a wonderful read for the holiday season. Part romance, part sci-fi, and part just plain fun."

Head over to Anna's blog for your chance to win some intergalactic swag.  I don't know what that is, but it sounds awesome.  

I'd like a lightsaber.  Or maybe Anna's hero in nothing but a wrist-sync and a smile.  

I do love me some new marvellous Aussie authors...

This recent discovery has made me very happy indeed.

I've enjoyed a number of steampunk romances lately.  I like them (if you've got a good romance, you've got me), but sometimes, the dirigibles and mechanical animals can feel a little heavy-handed.  Maybe its the science teacher in me, but I sometimes find myself drifting from the story to wrap my brain around how something works.  Oh no!

Not so with Bec McMaster's KISS OF STEEL (Sourcebooks).  It was cleverly done, a gorgeous blend of alternate old London, a seamless romance, well-drawn characters and a fabulous blend of steampunk/paranormal world building.

#IHeartBlade.

Sigh.  And how cute is that top hat?

Am eagerly awaiting HEART OF IRON, which is the next book.  Incidentally, #IAlsoHeartWill, maybe more so, so I am dying to read his story.

My word, the Aussies are really stepping up to the romance-writing plate!

More AH cover love!

Since school holidays have rendered me less-than-scintillating, I'm bobbing up to share the news of someone blindingly, marvellously, scintillating.

My ultra-productive critique partner, Anna Hackett, has a new cover.

This one is for Mind Raider, Book Two of the Anomaly trilogy.  Which, not surprisingly, follows on from Time Thief, Book One.  Both are novellas.  Both are completely wicked. 

I know, because I've read them.  ;)

So, above-mentioned cover love, coming out later this month:

While I'm spruiking (love that word!), check the reviews of Time Thief at Goodreads, where it's averaging 4.8 out of five stars at time of typing.  Completely fabulous.  

And I agree.  :)