Thursday Progress

Last week I wrote how I "finished" my Prohibition story and was spending the next several weeks editing it.

I'm doing just that. Yup. Even with the cold (hey, it didn't snow this year! HAHAHAHA shall I show you my snow drifts?) and general craziness of the holidays. Editing.

No more gutting, no more re-writing, just editing. It's a lovely concept. Hoping to get through it before too long, but I don't want to rush; on submission is ever perfect, but I would like this one close. I'm really hoping the editor I'm sending it to accepts! :)

12 Days of Christmas with my Four Calling Birds story
Merry SeXmas with 2 stories: Memorable and Red Bow

Tis the Season

To be shopping. Or in my case, online shopping. There's nothing like doing it from the comfort of your own home and having it delivered to you. I don't mind the wrapping it's the crowds. You understand. :)

How are the holidays shaping up for everyone else? Or are you ignoring them this year?


Books are great gifts! Merry SEXmas! (Also available on audio.) Or even The 12 Hot Days of Christmas; those stories are also sold separately but it's $4.99 for 12 or $1.99 each. Four Calling Birds is part of an aborted series about 4 friends trying to navigate life, love, and the holidays.

Love Birds

Love is in the air! And it's FREE! My short story, Love Birds is free in time for Valentine's Day. It's the 2nd in my Birds stories, the first being the Christmas story, Four Calling Birds (I know it's not how the song goes, but just go with the title. *G*)

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 neighbor 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.

Four Calling Birds

This is my contribution to the 12 Days of Christmas series Ravenous put out last year. You can buy the stories you want individually, including my short Four Calling Birds, or you can buy them all in the anthology: The 12 Hot Days of Christmas.

Four Calling Birds:

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. This Christmas, they’re going to seduce the men in their lives - no matter what.

Lark has had the hots for her hunky professor since day one. Now that her Ph.D. program is over, there’s nothing standing in her way…or so she hopes.

Paige finally admits that her gorgeous neighbor has potential. Though he’s spent months pursuing her, she’s resisted. With the encouragement of her friends, she’s going to see if his chivalry is all a façade, or if he really is a knight in shining armor.

Megan has barely seen her husband in months. With their high-powered busy jobs, time together consists of a brief morning kiss goodbye and text messages that they’ll be late. Tonight, however, she’s going to show him who’s boss.

Eva is swamped with work and school and hasn’t had time to breathe, let alone see her longtime boyfriend. When he arrives home tonight, the scene is set - but who will be more surprised at the end of the night?

Now Available! Sex in the Springtime

An erotic Easter...er...epic? Actually just a short story but I was trying for alliteration. Didn't work. The only synonym for story that begins with an 'e' is epic. But I excurse...

Today my short story, Sex in the Springtime, is available from Ravenous. This is the next in my loosely-connected holiday stories about 4 friends and their trials and tribulations (there was no 'e' word for either of those, either) in love, work, and relationships. I hope you enjoy! I did, these 4 friends somehow became my favorite grouping. (Not like that! Sheesh, monds and gutter, people...*G*)
This follows Four Calling Birds (Christmas and apparently not available any longer) and Love Birds (Valentine's Day) but you don't have to read them in order, each short story stands on its own.

Blurb:

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. This Easter, they’re struggling to juggle professional lives with personal needs. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Despite Alex Parker’s talented fingers and mouth, Robin and he argue about seating arrangements for their wedding. Seating arrangements when she’s pushed against the door, half naked is not the discussion she planned to have. Will their petty differences put a permanent rift in their relationship?

Nightingale has no love of commitment. But as she and Adam Forrester detour to the side of the road for some pre-Easter dinner sex, she begins to wonder. She’s been with Adam for four exclusive months. Can she put aside her longstanding beliefs and forge a real relationship? Or is hot monkey sex the only thing between them?

Lark couldn’t think about relationships when her dream job at The World Bank keeps her so busy. Seth Turner would not be forgotten. She kept so many clothes at his place it looked like they lived together. But could they? Or would work tear them
apart?

Cardinal wanted Easter dinner with her closest friends to be a fun evening. It turned into a heart-to-heart over dishes. Though she’s sympathetic, she and her husband, Ethan, have their own issues. Thankfully, those issues take a back seat when he pins her to the wall and makes her forget everything but what he does to her body.

When it comes down to it, they each have to solve their own problems. Do any of them want to try?

Sex in the Springtime

The 3rd in my loose series of connected stories which follows 4 friends as they discover love, passion, and the difficulties of relationships in a modern world. It'll be available Friday April 10! This follows Four Calling Birds (Christmas and apparently not available any longer) and Love Birds (Valentine's Day) but you don't have to read them in order, each short story stands on its own.

I'll also be at Slip into Something Victorian blogging about e-marketing.


Blurb:

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. This Easter, they’re struggling to juggle professional lives with personal needs. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Despite Alex Parker’s talented fingers and mouth, Robin and he argue about seating arrangements for their wedding. Seating arrangements when she’s pushed against the door, half naked is not the discussion she planned to have. Will their petty differences put a permanent rift in their relationship?

Nightingale has no love of commitment. But as she and Adam Forrester detour to the side of the road for some pre-Easter dinner sex, she begins to wonder. She’s been with Adam for four exclusive months. Can she put aside her longstanding beliefs and forge a real relationship? Or is hot monkey sex the only thing between them?

Lark couldn’t think about relationships when her dream job at The World Bank keeps her so busy. Seth Turner would not be forgotten. She kept so many clothes at his place it looked like they lived together. But could they? Or would work tear them apart?

Cardinal wanted Easter dinner with her closest friends to be a fun evening. It turned into a heart-to-heart over dishes. Though she’s sympathetic, she and her husband, Ethan, have their own issues. Thankfully, those issues take a back seat when he pins her to the wall and makes her forget everything but what he does to her body.

When it comes down to it, they each have to solve their own problems. Do any of them want to try?

Love Birds

Today's Book of the Day at Ravenous is my Valentine's short story, Love Birds. This loose series follows a group of 4 women through the year as they discover that relationships are as hard to manage as work and the two together? It's enough to make one scream. Or run for the nearest bedroom.

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 neighbor 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.

The next in this series, Sex in the Springtime, will be available Friday April 10 just in time for Easter!

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.

Short Story Marathon

I've said here before how I (currently) love writing short stories. There's that race against word count to get everything into it, the plot, the development, the sex, the resolution. I'm in the midst of detailing each chapter of Dark Desire of the Druids III: Desert & Destiny and need a break. I love the story but the minutia before I even begin writing is driving me bonkers.

I think this weekend I'll take to finish my Wicked Seduction series. I have 1/4 of Starlet finished, just need to layer it with atmosphere, and hope to have it all finished by tonight. I'll edit it next week, after I let it simmer a bit.


So this weekend I'll do Passion for Fashion (1950s) and Cherrie on Top (present) then move onto the next in my Four Birds series.

More 2009 Goals

These aren't necessarily writing related but since they're pretty good goals for everyone, I thought I'd share them. I'm of the you never know what might happen mind-set and should therefore be ready for anything.

• See a lawyer about a will.
• Get that life insurance. My broker (and no he wasn't in that ridiculously high bailout that did nothing but line the pockets of the already ridiculously rich CEOs) recently suggested this savings-like life insurance. It's not term life where you lose that money if you don't die. You put the money into the policy like normal but if you happen not to die in 30 years (and I don't plan to) you get it back. With interest.
• Purge my closets of the old but not necessarily buy the new. I have enough clothes, shoes, purses, and yet more shoes without buying more.
• With that saved money I'll pay off my Macy's card and hopefully my Amex, too. With lots of luck and some restraint...
• Meditate. Yes there are stupid people in the world bound and determined to annoy but my 2009 goal is to breathe deeply and let it go without a snarky comment. Which will be the hardest.

And of course - TO WRITE!

Dark Desire of the Druids: Tryst
Dark Desire of the Druids I: Murder & Magick

Christmas:
Four Calling Birds
Merry Sexmas Anthology: with the short stories, Memorable & Red Bow

Presents

I'll be Christmas shopping today, and if you're one of those who suddenly realized Christmas tricked you and IS NEXT WEEK! stop by Ravenous Romance for some last minute presents. Love Christmas stories? Check out Four Calling Birds and Memorable and Red Bow in the Merry Sexmas Anthology.

Magick more your style? Try Dark Desire of the Druids: Tryst, the prequel to Dark Desire of the Druids I: Murder & Magick coming out December 24.

Happy Shopping! And Merry Christmas!

Tis the Season to be

BUSY! Why is it that just when you're supposed to be jolly you're busy instead? I've spent the last week racing around the east coast working, driving, listening to a cool book (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which I highly recommend!), Christmas shopping, and crashing early every night.

The good news: I met with my super nice, energetic, and knowledgeable agent, Emily Keyes of the Lori Perkins Agency, and Lori Perkins, of said agency, who is also a wonderful and funny person. AND I'm halfway finished my Valentine's Day story with my 4 songbirds, Lark, Nightingale, Cardinal, and Robin. Their Christmas story, Four Calling Birds is available from Ravenous Romance now. Just as well, that story's deadline is January 1...I'm working on it!

Christmastime

I love the season. The music especially but the lights and the cheer. It's strange but people (some) actually are friendlier this time of year. Not so fond of the crowds, but then I NEVER am. There are few things more Christmas-y than finding love. This year, I'm blessed with being published with Ravenous Romance, and having 2 contracts with The Wild Rose Press.

With Ravenous, I have 3 Christmas stories out, 2 of which are in an anthology I blogged about yesterday. A third is part of the 12 Days of Christmas series, Four Calling Birds. Sure, there's lots of sex in it, but there's also romance. That's the whole point, after all, of a romance!

I'm revisiting these 4 friends throughout the upcoming year on various holidays, so stay tuned for more romance (and sex) from them!

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. This Christmas they’re going to seduce the men in their lives no matter what.

Lark’s had the hots for her hunky professor since day one. Now that her Ph.D. program is over, there’s nothing standing in her way.

Paige finally admits that her gorgeous neighbor has potential. Though he’s spent months pursuing her, she’s resisted. With the encouragement of her friends, she’s going to see if his chivalry is all a façade or if he really is a knight in shinning armor.

Megan has barely seen her husband in months. Between both their high-powered jobs, time together consists of a brief morning kiss goodbye and text messages that they’ll be late. Tonight, however, she’s going to show him who’s boss.

Eva is swamped with work and school and hasn’t had time to breathe let alone see her longtime boyfriend. When he arrives home tonight, the scene is set but who’ll be more surprised at the end of the night?