I went to Charlaine Harris’s site yesterday and read the first chapter of her new Sookie Stackhouse book, DEFINITELY DEAD. It won’t be out until May. Ack! How can I wait? It seems like everyone has a book out in May. I belong to the West Houston RWA chapter, and six members have May books. Hmm, does that have some deep cosmic meaning?

I haven’t been doing much reading lately because of deadlines, but I just finished DARK LOVER by J. R. Ward and loved it. I know some people say the market is getting glutted with vampire romances, but I don’t see it. Considering how many romances are published each month, vampire romances make up a very small percentage of the whole. I’d love to see a lot more on the shelves, but that’s just me.

A little more about my trip to New Jersey (I’ll sprinkle in a few tidbits with each post). Barbara and I talked for hours about the good old days in Ireland. We only lived there for a few years, but it was hands down the most exciting years of my life. She’d put the music we’d taped in the Dublin folk clubs on CDs, and we listened to those over and over. I really want to get back to the music. I’ve been promising myself that I’d sign up for guitar lessons because I haven’t touched a guitar in so many years. Well, I’m really going to do it. I’ve missed the music, but life just got in the way.

Oh, and I went in search of the Jersey Devil while I was in Jersey. Since I’ll be doing a few more books set at the Woo Woo Inn, I decided I needed to refresh my memory of what the Pine Barrens looked like. Barbara drove me to Leeds Point, but I was really disappointed to find that the Leeds house (legendary birthplace of the Jersey Devil) was in the woods somewhere. There were no historical markers, no guided nightly tours of the woods, and no crass commercialism. I didn’t find one Jersey Devil postcard or cheesy souvenir. What a letdown. I did have Barbara take my picture standing under the Leeds Point sign. And the lady in the small post office there gave me the name and phone number of a local man who’s done years of research on the Devil. So if I decide to bring the Devil back in a future book, I won’t have to do any research.

Guess I’ll shut it down for the night because Abby is trying to dig her way into the room. Yes, she loves digging in the carpet. Grr. At first I thought she wanted to reach me, but now I think she just smells fresh unchewed phone cords (see yesterday’s post).

Did everyone have a great Thanksgiving? I sure hope so. Now it’s on to the rest of the winter holidays. And no, I don’t have any shopping done, and no, I won’t be doing it next week. Next week I have jury duty. Oh, the joy of it.

Abby, better known as Wicked Kitty, is doing well. She survived ten days in boarding while I went to New Jersey. Or maybe I should say that they survived her. I’ve been trying to break her of chewing cords. I was surprised to find that the boarding facility still had phone service. Abby favors phone cords. They’re thin and she can chomp right through them. I’m now wrapping all cords in two different kinds of electrical tape and then coating them with Tabasco sauce. Yummy. If that doesn’t work, I bought some flexible tubing to protect my phone cords. Overkill, you say? Ha, you haven’t seen my cords. Only the fact that she’s a real sweetheart has saved her. Someone said that she was bored and that I should either get another cat to keep her company or buy lots of kitty toys. I went shopping and cleaned Petsmart out of kitty toys. We’ll see.

Yes, I know, I know, I have to update my site. I’ll try to get to that next week. Oh by the way, my server ate some of the e-mail messages I was keeping current until I could answer them. If you don’t hear from me in another two weeks, please write again. I apologize. I should have a better system for answering e-mail.

Hmm, I just realized that I’ve done nothing but whine. Okay, so here is something positive. I had a wonderful time in New Jersey. If you remember, I was going to my class reunion. Well, it was quite an eye-opener. I’ll tell you about it next time. I stayed with my friend Barbara. We met in freshman year of high school and have been friends ever since then. I haven’t seen her in twenty years. We had a great time talking about old times. Sigh. More about my New Jersey trip later.

I hope everyone has been keeping busy. What’s been going on in your life?

I’ll try to get back in the saddle by writing a few short paragraphs each day. Hope it works.

What’s been happening? I have three days to finish a book. Hmm. On to the next subject. I had to evacuate for Rita. Hated it, hated it, hated it. A three and a half hour drive took twelve hours. Twelve hours without a restroom break, I might add. The good part was that I live on the water near Galveston, and we missed Rita’s wrath. I feel badly for all those devastated by Rita and Katrina. What an awful hurricane season.

I’ll be in New Jersey from November 3 to 13. High school reunion and a visit with a best friend. I can’t do much about the body, but I will have good hair and makeup. That should count for something. I’ve been away for almost twenty-five years, so I’ll have fun visiting all my old haunts. I love nostalgic trips.

I promised Michele many many weeks ago that I’d talk about my critique group. There are four of us who’ve been together for almost fifteen years. When we started, only one was published. Now all of us have sold books. Kimberly Groff writes as Kimberly Raye. She moved to the Texas Hill Country, but we still talk every day about writing. Kim just sold a funny vampire series to Ballantine. Gerry Bartlett, who wrote under a pseudonym for Dorchester and Kensington, will use her own name for a funny vampire series she just sold to Berkley. Do we see a pattern forming here? Donna Maloy wrote for Kensington and Harlequin.

Several other members of the group have come and gone. We’ve learned that it helps if all the members of the group are close to each other in writing experience. When we first started, we spent a lot of time marking grammar and spelling mistakes. Words like “was” were viciously stricken from each others’ manuscripts. As we matured as writers, we spent most of our time discussing things like overall feelings, pacing, conflict, and motivation. We were never easy on each other. I remember coming home in tears because the group hadn’t loved my “baby.” But tough love got us all published. And we’ve been an incredible support system for each other. A critique group is wonderful with the right mix of people. And you have to be willing to accept criticism of your work and grow as a writer. You also must not allow yourself to be gobbled up by the group. Even today, I’ll look at the group’s suggestions and decide if they work for me. Most of the time they’re on target, but once in a while I choose to ignore them.

We still try to meet once a week at a restaurant. We exchange chapters, take them home, read and critique them, and then discuss them at the next meeting. We’ve become close friends over the years. I don’t know if I’d have hung in through all the years of trying to sell my first book without them. For me, joining the critique group was one of the best decisions of my life.

If anyone has questions about the group, please ask.

Even the undead celebrate Christmas, and Betsy is in heaven shopping for gifts.

But all is not merry in the mansion. It?s become infested with ghosts?really needy ones who have no qualms asking Betsy to run errands for them to rectify their pasts. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose, and, being tall and blonde, Betsy perfectly fits his type.

They say Christmas is a time for friends and family. But with a half-sister who?s the devil?s daughter, an evil stepmother, a fiend living in her basement, and assorted spirits and killers running amok, Betsy is not sure she?ll survive the holidays. Oh, right. She?s already dead?

Excerpt:
http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net/Undead%20and%20Unreturnable.htm

Cover:
http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net/new%20re3.jpg

ABOUT MARYJANICE DAVIDSON
MaryJanice Davidson is the best-selling author of several romance novels, including UNDEAD AND UNWED and HELLO GORGEOUS. Her books have been on the USA Today best seller list, as well as the New York Times list. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, two children, and dog, and is secretly addicted to Peanut Buster Parfaits.

REVIEWS
?This is one of the funniest, most satisfying series to come along lately. If you?re fans of Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake, don?t miss Betsy Taylor. She rocks.??The Best Reviews

?Mary Janice Davidson is a refreshing voice to both the romance and vampire world of writing?I cannot recommend her enough!??ParaNormal Romance Reviews

Website: http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net

MY COMMENTS: I love any book that has Betsy in it. And yes, I do know that I’m exactly one week behind with my spotlights, but then I’m exactly one week behind in my life, too.

Welcome to Brokenoggin Falls, where the housewives are not only desperate, they?re Witches! (And one of them might be a Harpy) The spells cast by moonlight frequently go awry. And there are times when toads and Chihuahuas seem abundant as black flies in the summer, the dragons are a little touchy, the Forest Trolls are in danger of extinction from teeny-boppers, the Gryphons need help conceiving and…the scientist are crunchy and good with ketchup…

All proceeds from the sales of this book will go to the International Red Cross.

When Pastor Harmony Faithfull unknowingly hires a tall, dark, and sexy demon to be the new church groundskeeper, all hell breaks loose.

Be on the lookout for MYSTERIA, an anthology expanding on the episode and characters Susan created in BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEVAMPYRED. MYSTERIA (Berkley) hits shelves in August 2006!

Cover:
http://www.triskelionpublishing.com/images/Bewitchedthm.jpg

ABOUT SUSAN GRANT
One of the first women to graduate from the US Air Force Academy, award-winning author Susan Grant piloted jets in the USAF before joining United Airlines. She currently flies 747s around the world.

WEBSITE: http://www.susangrant.com

MY COMMENT: I’m so behind on the spotlights. I’ll try to catch up. Anyway, Sue’s stories are always wonderful, and I’m sure this one is no different.

Welcome to Brokenoggin Falls, where the housewives are not only desperate, they?re Witches! (And one of them might be a Harpy) The spells cast by moonlight frequently go awry. And there are times when toads and Chihuahuas seem abundant as black flies in the summer, the dragons are a little touchy, the Forest Trolls are in danger of extinction from teeny-boppers, the Gryphons need help conceiving and…the scientist are crunchy and good with ketchup…

All proceeds from the sales of this book will go to the International Red Cross.

Godiva Tawdry casts a spell and burned-out school teacher Candy Cox finds the sexy young were-lover of her dreams. But when she finds out he?s really the pack slut, she sets out to ?teach? him a life lesson. It?s never smart to piss off a woman who makes a career of disciplining teenagers?

Be on the lookout for MYSTERIA, an anthology expanding on the episode and characters PC created in BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEVAMPYRED. MYSTERIA (Berkley) hits shelves in August 2006!

Cover:
http://www.triskelionpublishing.com/images/Bewitchedthm.jpg

ABOUT PC CAST
Award-winning author PC Cast is a dynamic, entertaining orator and an extraordinary teacher. Currently, her realm is in Oklahoma, where she resides with her daughter and spoiled cat.

WEBSITE http://www.pccast.net

MY COMMENT: I’ve read PC Cast’s books before and enjoyed them.

In an embattled, sexually-charged new world of the future, the adventure begins…

Beautiful Trinity Yeager’s mission: join Nathan August’s star-hopping team of mercenary soldiers. With one condition: Trinity must prove her resilience as a lover for him and his first officer, Sebastian Cole.

Trinity not only sees Nathan’s bet. She raises it…

Now, from galactic dens of depravity to far-reaching planets of dominant females and strapping male slaves, Trinity, Sebastian, and Nathan join forces, risk flesh and blood, and push the boundaries of erotic adventure in order to protect, honor, and service.

Excerpt:
http://www.angelasknights.com/mercenaries.htm

Cover:
http://www.angelasknights.com/images/bmercenariescover.jpg

ABOUT ANGELA KNIGHT
Angela Knight’s first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. But her mother was enthralled, and Angela was hooked.
In the years that followed, Angela managed to figure out a way to make a living — more or less — at what she loved best: writing. After a short career as a comic book writer, she became a newspaper reporter, covering everything from school board meetings to murders. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name. For more of Angela?s interesting bio, visit her website: http://angelasknights.com/bio.htm

REVIEWS
“Ms. Knight has combined the erotic with the romantic and made a classic tale of two lovers who awaken to each other needs. ” — Susan Holly, Just Erotic Romance Reviews, which gave Mercenaries II a Gold Star rating.
“Nathan and Trin make magic together.? Denise Powers, Sensual Romance

Website: http://www.angelasknights.com

MY COMMENTS: I love Angela’s books. If I ever climb out of deadline hell, I’ll have a lot of reading to catch up on.

They’re sexy. They’re smart. And they aren’t afraid of a little danger-not even when it comes to matters of the heart…

Four of today’s hottest authors present a quartet of stories about bold women who take no prisoners-either in a fight or in love. Whether it’s in the bedroom, in the outer limits of the galaxy, or out on the mean streets, they kick heart-stopping action to the next level. These are women who can hold their own and aren’t to be trifled with. The men in their lives know that-and they love it…

A tale of a woman who knows how to save the day - and enjoy the rewards at night.
?The Incredible Misadventures of Boo and the Boy Blunder? by MaryJanice Davidson. Former police officer Gregory wonders how life can be so unfair. Recently, he was turned into a vampire and to make matters worse, he has met his soulmate (that is, if he had a soul). The problem is his beloved wants to kill him as Boo is a bona fide vampire hunter.

Excerpt:
http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net/KickAss%20Chapter.htm

Cover:
http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/05052316011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/9700000/9702750.jpg

ABOUT MARYJANICE DAVIDSON
MaryJanice Davidson is the best-selling author of several romance novels, including UNDEAD AND UNWED and HELLO GORGEOUS. Her books have been on the USA Today best seller list, as well as the New York Times list. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, two children, and dog, and is secretly addicted to Peanut Buster Parfaits.

REVIEWS

These four women live up to the title so anyone who enjoys strong women kicking butt and hog tying their beloved will enjoy this fun often amusing but always exciting anthology — Harriet Klausner

Website: http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net

MY COMMENTS: I want to apologize for getting this up so late. I had to evacuate for Rita and my schedule is completely blown. I love MaryJanice’s humor, so I know that this will be more great fun.

They’re sexy. They’re smart. And they aren’t afraid of a little danger-not even when it comes to matters of the heart…

Four of today’s hottest authors present a quartet of stories about bold women who take no prisoners-either in a fight or in love. Whether it’s in the bedroom, in the outer limits of the galaxy, or out on the mean streets, they kick heart-stopping action to the next level. These are women who can hold their own and aren’t to be trifled with. The men in their lives know that-and they love it…

In ?Warfem,? Alina Kasi reunites with her lover Baird Arvid after two decades apart. Passion instantly blazes between the two superhuman warriors, but old enemies and new lies may tear them apart. And Alina dreads what Baird will do when he finds out about the secret she?s been keeping for the past twenty years. But she soon discovers she?s not the only one keeping secrets.

Excerpt:
http://www.angelasknights.com/warfem.htm

Cover:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0425205649/ref=dp_image_0/002-3514918-5875253?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

ABOUT ANGELA KNIGHT
Angela Knight’s first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. But her mother was enthralled, and Angela was hooked.

In the years that followed, Angela managed to figure out a way to make a living — more or less — at what she loved best: writing. After a short career as a comic book writer, she became a newspaper reporter, covering everything from school board meetings to murders. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name. For more of Angela?s interesting bio, visit her website: http://angelasknights.com/bio.htm

REVIEWS
WARFEM got 4 ? stars from Romantic Times, which said, ?Passion and intrigue are plentiful in Knight?s ?Warfem.?

Speaking of the whole anthology, Jill Smith wrote, ?It would be hard to find a more exciting way to spend a few hours. Settle in for tons of fun and enjoyment.?

In Warfem, Angela Knight gives us a fantastic story of a love that never died and another look at those yummy Warlords! ? Pam L at A Romance Review. Four and a half Roses

http://www.aromancereview.com/reviews/index.php?app_state=show_event&bookid=6065
These four women live up to the title so anyone who enjoys strong women kicking butt and hog tying their beloved will enjoy this fun often amusing but always exciting anthology — Harriet Klausner

Website: http://www.angelasknights.com

MY COMMENTS: I love everything that Angela Knight writes, so this will be added to my TBR pile.

He?ll make you burn?
He is a Dragon, a rare breed of warriors able to transform into the legendary creature at will. Though the mighty warlord breathes fear into the minds of his enemies and fire into the blood of his women, no one has ever stirred his heart — until he encounters Grace Carlyle of modern day Earth. He burns to possess this proud, alluring beauty . . . but he has sworn to kill her.

Journey to the mythical world of Atlantis, where the gods? hid their greatest mistakes ? the vampires, demons, dragons, and other creatures of legend ? and experience white-hot passion, exciting adventure, and a love that defies the boundaries of time and magic.

Excerpt:
http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/excerpt.htm

Cover:
http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/images/dragoncoversm.gif

ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER
Gena Showalter holds a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics (lie), is an expert in Krav Maga (bigger lie), and once worked as a body guard for the stars (the biggest lie of all). Actually, Gena Showalter is just your everyday, average girl who enjoys creating sizzling paranormal tales of kick ass women and the men who can’t resist them.

REVIEWS

“Sexy, funny and downright magical!” — USA Today bestselling author Katie McAllister

This romantic fantasy is a magical work where dragons take on human form and have different values than the surface dwellers. Atlantis is an exotic city populated by dragons, vampires, centaurs, and other beings of myth and legend. There is plenty of action as well as romance in the storyline as the book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Gena Showalter has the magic touch to make readers believe in what she writes. — Harriet Klausner

(In Heart of the Dragon) Showalter pens a bold and exciting new vision of both Atlantis and dragons. Lots of danger and sexy passion give lucky readers a spicy taste of adventure and romance. ? RT

Bold and witty, sexy and provocative, Gena Showalter’s star is rising fast! — Carly Phillips, New York Times Bestselling Author

Heart of the Dragon is a bang-up twist to the old fairy tail with its dragon hero. Grace’s character brings a refreshing change to the damsel in distress with her full steam ahead attitude and persistence. Ms. Showalter leads the reader on a thrilling adventure that even the coldest heart will acknowledge and love. ? The Romance Reader?s Connection

Website: http://www.genashowalter.com

MY COMMENT: Uh-oh. My TBR pile is getting taller, and taller, and taller. Someday it’ll fall over and bury me.