Go Green! Read an eBook!

I'm all about recycling. I believe it's up to us to protect the planet and up to us to educate everyone else on how to, too. But this isn't a blog about how reducing-reusing-recycling are important.

This is about buying a ebook! Don't get me wrong, I love books - paperback, hardcover, ebooks, audiobooks, it's the story I love, the characters, the plot, the piece itself. I listen to audios, read off my computer, buy paperbacks, and enjoy each incarnation of the book.

Buy an ebook - download it to your computer or iPod or MP3 player. Read it on your Sony Reader or Kindle. All Romance eBooks began a campaign "to increase the public's awareness about eBooks!"

Palm Harbor, Florida (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 - The folks at All
Romance eBooks, an on-line bookstore that specializes in the sale of romance
eBooks, announced a new endeavor today, the Go Green/Read e campaign.

"The idea is to promote ebooks in general, not any specific author,
publisher, eReader, or bookstore. The campaign will focus on eBooks as a more
environmentally friendly alternative to print. On-line advertising will be
comprised of banner and video advertising, Yahoo and Google Search Ads, MySpace
Ads, the What's Hot in Romance radio show,
the Wildfire newsletter, a variety of blogs and the newly unveiled Go
Green/Read e website," explained Lori James, COO for All Romance eBooks.

The project is supported by a generous donation from All Romance
eBooks, and a team of enthusiastic volunteers. The website, www.gogreenreade.com, contains information
about the environmental impact of eBooks v print books, as well as an array of
relevant links, industry news, and several forums where issues around eBooks,
eReaders, and ePublishing can be discussed.

"We chose to do this because the idea that nature should be preserved
is important to us. It is a core value and one of the reasons that we adore
eBooks," explained All Romance eBooks CFO, Barbara Perfetti. "We care about our
carbon footprint, the world we live in, and the world that we're leaving to
future generantions."

All Romance eBooks, LLC (www.allromanceebooks.com) sells romance
eBooks for hundreds of publishers and their imprints. Founded in 2006 and
privately held in partnership, All Romance eBooks is headquartered in Palm
Harbor, Florida.

Ravenous is promoting their own Stimulus Package: "To help our readers escape to ecstasy during the recession, we're offering a buy 1, get 1 free gift certificate promotion. For every gift certificate you buy, we'll send you one for an equal amount absolutely FREE! Double your pleasure and buy one for yourself!"
All Romance eBooks
Ravenous Romance

Professionalism

Among other things, I have a Facebook account with friends and then writing friends. A couple fellow-writers and I were recently discussing professionalism on these types of social networking sites. Is throwing snow balls, creating a farm, zoo, dog yard, etc. professional? Sure it's FUN but I don't send those requests to my writing only friends (acquaintances).

Why because it's not writing related. As a writer, my networking sites should be writing related. RIght?

What are your opinions on this? It's nearly impossible to keep up with the ver many sites out there desgined to promote but other than the hit & run (a topic for another blog) does that sort of unprofessionalism bother you? Or is it all part of our society now?

Slip into Something Victorian

I am (or will be once I post it) blogging at Slip into Something Victorian today. Join me there!

Fastnacht

Otherwise known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras or Carnival. The day before Ash Wednesday when you eat lots of 'fat' to clean out the larder for Lent when you're supposed to fast. I haven't decided what to give up for Lent. It's hard to stick with it, though I suppose that's the point. I gave up cursing one year...that wasn't just hard, but darn near impossible! Chocolate, I suppose, but I might end up insane.

If you've ever gone to New Orleans for Mardi Gras you know there's all sorts of indulgence there during that week. I firmly believe, having survived Mardi Gras, that the reason people do fast on Ash Wednesday is because they're too hung over to bother otherwise. And no, I won't be posting pictures here.

Still, despite the media-played up extravagance of the term, in Binche, Belgium the Mardi Gras is the most important day of the year. At the Carnival of Binche, about 1000 Gilles (participants) dance throughout the city from in the morning until well past dark whilst traditional carnival songs play. In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was proclaimed one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Writing a novel

Feeling better today, more energy and food in me I suppose. :) Took lots of vitamins to make up for the past week, too.

Received this quote today and had to share:

There are three rules for writing a novel; unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
~W. Somerset Maughan

Yes, he's the author of Of Human Bondage, yes I've read it. No, don't ask why... And let me tell you, it was depressing! Good and all, but man, depressing. Still, if you want to read a classic, try it.

Motivation

I have none. I'm 1/3 of the way through Arabelle and Gareth's story and am so tired. Had that nasty stomach bug last week and it got me but good. I'm eating again, but all I want to do is sleep, sleep, sleep. Did Tuesday, ah that was lovely. The worst part is knowing I should be writing and really just wanting to curl up on the couch.

Anyone know a good way to get my energy back? I'll take anything at this point.

Sex & Subterfuge

Dark Desire of the Druids 2: Sex & Subterfuge is now out!

A master magicker, Morgana Blackthorne has a tenuous hold on her following. When a strange Englishman arrives on her doorstep with news of other druidic magickers, and magicker problems, she's intrigued but suspicious. There hasn't been contact between the American and European druids in over a hundred years. Plus she has her own worries and doesn't need the handsome earl adding to them.

Lucien, Earl of Granville, left England to seek out the Blackthorne Druid line and discover what they've been up to since contact was lost. Once he and Morgana meet, their mutual attraction distracts him from his puropse. Embroiled in her problems, he finds himself more concerned with her welfare than is practical for a passing affair.

When I invited you into my bed, it never occurred to me I wouldn't want you to leave.

There are darker forces at work and the hunger of a weak magicker desperate for power. Will Lucien convince Morgana of his true feelings before things spiral out of control? Or will the surrounding subterfuge tear them apart?

Sick & Dying

It got me. The stomach bug that's going around? Hunted me down and attacked. I can barely sit up and desperately wish I stocked up on Gatorade when I had the chance.


Maybe tomorrow will be a brighter day but today sure isn't.

Catching up

You wouldn't think being gone for 3 whole days was a long long time but it really does seem that way when you spend the first quarter of your day catching up. Email, blogs, updates, the über time sucks of Facebook and Myspace. I'm just now getting to update my blog, which is probably the first thing I should've done. It's easier not to think in dawn's early light but to read other people's words instead.

Love Birds, my Valentine's Day story from Ravenous is now available. It was actually released Saturday on Valentine's Day, but as I was away, I couldn't update my blog.

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. To spend Valentine's Day with the men in their lives no matter what the day throws at them.

Lark has been in lust with her professor since she started her Ph.D. program. Now that she has her degree, she also has Professor Seth Turner as her lover. Unfortunately, he has to work on Valentine's Day leaving her alone. Or is that part of the surprise?

Nightingale seduced her downstairs neighbour right before Christmas, and now finds herself in what others might consider a relationship. She's not sure but when Adam Forrester surprises her on Valentine's Day, she's forced to admit there's more to their relationship than sex.

Cardinal's husband is full of surprises. In the past months, they've rekindled their sex life and have grown closer despite their super busy jobs. Ethan has planned a surprise weekend for her and she must follow the trail he's carefully laid out.

Robin's fiancé whisks her out of town to historic Gettysburg. Despite the coldness of the day, the antique show they attend is just what she loves. But it's later when she shows Alex just how much she enjoyed her weekend.

While technically speaking this is the second in my Birds Series, all the stories are stand alone. Four Calling Birds takes place during the Christmas season.

Weekend Plans

I'm starting my weekend early this week. Tonight after work I'm heading up to my family's house in the Poconos for relaxation and snow. Even though I've heard they were in the 40s this week, they've been in the 20s at night, and I have great faith in the mountains ability to snow me in in February. Wouldn't be the first time.

That said, I have a Valentine's Day book coming out from Ravenous. A stand alone in it own right, it does follow the same 4 friends from my Christmas short, Four Calling Birds. Lark, Nightingale, Cardinal, and Robin are with their respective men during Valentine's Day but that doesn't mean their love lives are smooth. You don't have to read Four Calling Birds to follow Love Birds.

On a related note, this from Ravenous' homepage:

Ravenous Romance Wants to Give You a Valentine!
In celebration of Valentine's Day, Ravenous Romance will give every customer who purchases a full-length ebook or audiobook from February 8th through February 14th a FREE $5 gift certificate! One per customer.

Blogging at Slip into Something Victorian

Today I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian talking about myself. No, nothing scary or TMI, jsut something I often rediscover about myself and how it affects me.

Burger King got my meal wrong & 911

Now I know there are a lot of them out there. Don't try to be nice, you know it, too. Sometimes it's a moment, sometimes it's that d'oh, but this? This takes it all. From The Smoking Gun:

Man Calls 911 In Burger Beef

Florida patron dials cops over lemonade-less combo meal

FEBRUARY 9--"You cannot dial 911 'cause you're unhappy with your burger." That's what a police operator told a Florida man early Saturday morning when he called 911 to complain about his order at a Burger King in Boynton Beach. As can be heard on the below police recording, Jean Fortune, 66, called 911 when a Burger King employee told him that they did not have lemonade. Fortune told cops that he had placed an order for a #7 combo meal (chicken fries, French fries, and a soda for $4.49) while in the drive-thru line. But when he got to the window, Fortune was told the fast food outlet did not have lemonade. He was offered Coke, but Fortune decided instead to call police. "Sir, come on. I know you don't seriously think that the police need to make Burger King give you food faster. I cannot believe that," said an exasperated 911 operator. She also noted, "Customer service is not a reason to call 911. 911 is if you're dying. Do you understand that?" Fortune was charged with abuse of 911 communications, according the below Boynton Beach Police Department report.

AUDIO: Click here to listen to Fortune's 911 call.

Unusual Historicals

Today I'm blogging about humans in nature, specifically humans at (and on) Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Check out Unusual Historicals!

Best blog ever

No, not mine. *G* The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks. I discovered this sometime this week from a msnbc.com article on stress and grammar. (When we're stressed we're less forgiving with bad punctuation & grammar. Could be me, but I'm always tough on bad punctuation and grammar.)

It's the funniest, yet saddest, blog I've ever come across. Read through it, laugh out loud, share it with your friends and co-workers. And trust me when I say you'll start seeing unnecessary quotation usage all over.

Upcoming Regency Research

An unusual Regency historical, that is. I'm looking forward to researching this since it's outside my comfort zone. I've been thinking about this for a while and no I don't mean the period itself! Outside the box. Outside the comfort zone.

Watched The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake last night on the SciFi channel (one of their better movies) and had this idea. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the movie or even Adian Paul and yet there you have it.

The time frame itself is easy enough, late 1700s very early 1800s but I know very little about India and the Napoleonic Wars fought there. We'll see how it progresses. After Gareth and Arabella's story that is, which I'm working on today. I plan to get a good chunk of that story finished...as soon as I stop goofing off on the computer!

Vacation Planning

I spent a good chunk of yesterday enjoying the snow. OK not the digging out part but the other parts of it. And if I had anyone to have a snowball fight with, I'd have done that, too. I really do love the snow, just not the cold.

So I also spent yesterday planning a vacation. I'm a fan of the long weekends. Thursday-Sunday or Monday, taking Friday off to enjoy a beach day or going to a friend's house to simply hang out.

In March I'm heading on m yearly visit to Puerto Rico. No, I don't do much there, sun, pool, beach, some Old San Juan, a delicious bakery Kasalta which I probably spelled wrong. There's a rain forest I like to hike through - El Yunque. Mostly it's the view, and I'll post some picts this year to my facebook and website. Yes, I'm sorry...you'll be jealous.

In April I'm going to Disney for a short 4 day weekend, then in May I'm off to Colonial Williamsburg for another 4 day weekend. I haven't been to Williamsburg in years, since I was a teen at least. I can't wait to go!

During this time I plan to recharge, relax, and most definitely do some writing. Where are your favorite vacation places?

Hunkering down

Or snuggling as the case may be. The snow didn't hit us that bad. Of course inches is doable on the North East Coast. Unlike London where everything came to a standstill. I have a friend there now who is furious she traded Denver for London. (It will pass, Christina!)

What am I going to do today? Shovel, shovel, shovel. I'm going out in a moment. As soon as I bundle up. I do hate the cold even if I love the snow itself. After shoveling, food, tea or hot chocolate depending on the mood, I'm going to open my curtains wide onto the pond behind my place and write. There's nothing better than a gorgeous winter scene (unless it's the ocean on a hot summer day) to get the muse working. Snow makes everything quieter and for a couple hours, before it melts, gets plowed, exhaust dirties it, etc.) it's utterly beautiful.

Does anyone else feel that way? That a winter landscape is relaxing and soothing?

The joys & pitfalls of writing

If you're a writer you already know this. If you're not but know a writer you've probably tuned out over some of the venting that comes with being friends with a writer. I try to limit that kind of interaction with non-writing friends. They don't get it. Or think I'm crazy. Probably both. In the end, we're all ok with that, and let it slide. I am crazy, but then so are they.

I love writing - plotting, characterization, breaking the story, fixing the holes. What I don't love, and what is obvious to even non-writers is being stuck. Last night I spent several hours doing nothing but playing Sid Meier's Pirates. I love that game. it's highly addicting and even though I have stories to write, edit, polish, and send off, I spent the night attacking ships and plundering towns.

Because I was stuck. Trapped. Couldn't write a thing and didn't really want to. I needed a break. Not a crash, like what happened immediately after Christmas when I spent 4 days watching 14 Richard Sharpe movies. Sean Bean...yum...

Today's a new day but I still don't feel like writing. It's gray and cold out with snow predicted. I should at least open a file. And probably will. After breakfast. Usually once I putter a bit around the house things start to flow again. So laundry here I come. Then Gareth & Arabella in Book 3: Desert & Destiny.

Dark Desire of the Druids I: Murder & Magick available now from Ravenous Romance

Social Gatherings

Yesterday's Superbowl parties got me thinking on social gatherings. How it's not so much the game as the atmosphere. Sure, for those in the know, Steelers vs Cardinals was a better game than expected. But did I go to a party to seriously watch the game? Well, ok yes but it was also for the friend and family. And food & drinks.

A friend of mine went to a Superbowl Party. She hates football. Apparently, so did everyone else there and blitzed as they were, thought the Mets were winning. After rolling my eyes and scoffing, I realized yup. It's more the social atmosphere (Paaarrrtaaay!) than the game. I don't know if they bet or not, but I'm sure they had a great time.

Humans really are social people, even those who claim otherwise. We need that interaction, that bonding if only for a couple hours over a game only some of us watch. It's all about interacting.

Dark Desire of the Druids I: Murder & Magick available now from Ravenous Romance

Go Steelers!

I admit, I'm not really a Steelers' fan. I'm not going to tell you which team I follow, it's all too embarrassing, but today, for the 43rd Superbowl, I'm rooting for the Steelers. Why? Because they're good, they're from Pennsylvania, and they're certainly not the Arizona Cardinals. I mean come on, the Cardinals haven't been to the Superbowl since...since...the 40s or so. I heard it when they won a couple weeks back against the Eagles.

So later today, full of food and good company, I'll be watching the game. Gooooooooo Steelers!