Hurricane help and a hunk

For the full scoop on how you can help Larissa, go here. There’s an auction and lots of other ways to help. You can donate a critique or PayPal money, many options.

EC Chat Moderator Patti is also homeless from Katrina, but has reported in safe and sound. Jaci Burton has organized a donation center for Patti; visit Paradise for details.

There’s a link at the top of Romancing The Blog to help hurricane victims. And as Paperback Writer pointed out in her blog, the number one thing we can all do to help is donate blood for the many casualties. She’s got other hurricane help info, too.

wolfI needed some inspiration for the hero of A Wolf In Cheap Clothing, and then I spotted this Seiko ad and I knew I had my man. Wolf. Whatever, he’s inspiring!

Housekeeping!

Yesterday was the day for some long overdue housekeeping. No, not like dusting, be serious. I mean on my website. Now that I’ve got the newsletter written, I had to put together all the updates for the website and there were a LOT of them. Little things, like my bio page says I have one daughter and now I have two. *eye roll* The most major change is that I’m replacing the excerpt on Love Spell with The Infamous Restaurant Scene. But pretty much every page on the site needed updating and some, like the front page, needed a bunch.

Mockup Cover This was such a long and tedious task that I’ve scheduled one day a month in future for website housekeeping when I will sit down and take care of that little chore before it gets out of hand. Along with all the site updates, I sent my design guru husband a list of design requests. He’s already made one design for me, a dummy cover for Only Human to use as a visualization tool. Very cool and really gorgeous. So I’ve got that and a picture of the hero from A Wolf In Cheap Clothing to look at while I work. Mmmm. I’m feeling inspired!

In other news, I signed up for the bookfair at the Emerald City Conference in Bellevue, Oct. 8. It looks like I’ll be able to sign all three of my paperbacks, but I’m waiting to hear back from the coordinator for more details and confirmation and so on.

Katrina: sometimes there are no words. Today I’m really grateful to have a roof over my head, and that it isn’t under water. Larissa Ione’s house is under water and there’s something in the works to help her out. Alison, Emma and Steph will have details.

Writingwritingwriting

Writing up a storm and I have more projects lined up and ready to roll as soon as this one’s finished. I’m all prepared for Book In A Month! Also, the latest edition of the Teglia Tattler is going out this week. If you’re not on the list, you can subscribe from the Newsletter link if you don’t want to miss it. Alien abductions, an amazing new diet plan, real hard-hitting journalism!

Love and Rockets is officially in print now and can be ordered from your local bookstores. It should be on the shelves very shortly.

I hope all those in the path of Katrina are not reading this because they’ve evacuated. Be safe out there.

The blogs are alive with the sound of good news

One of my favorite things about the world of blogging? Getting to hear about all the good news out there. From knowing that Stephanie Tyler’s preschooler came through her last round of surgery in good shape to hearing about Ellora’s Cave author Jaci Burton’s two-book deal with Bantam, from Paperback Writer’s commitment to keep on to Beth Ciotta’s astounding 3 book deal with HQN and her sale of two more westerns to Medallion, the blogs are alive with good news!

Good news can be huge (that first major sale) or the stepping stones on the way (finished the chapter, sent the proposal), but it’s all positive and I love that. I quit listening to news, reading papers and watching it on TV because it was so full of negatives. Sure, here in the blogosphere there’s the occasional RWA uproar or disappointment or even a heavy blow, but through it all runs the thread of progress, of forward momentum. You guys inspire me. Thank you for continuing to share all your good news.

Reviewing my recent reads

I’ve finished several books without reviewing them recently, so it’s time to catch up!

First off, Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich, re-released from the original Loveswept. Very funny, sweet romantic comedy with zingers and offbeat characters and a plot that thickens. For a good time, read this one!

Next, The Honeymoon Man by Suzanne Dye (AKA Suzanne McMinn). Also a very fun romantic comedy (yes, you’re seeing a pattern here; I just had a baby, I wanted funny!) with characters who had a lot of depth considering the length of the book. This was my tide-me-over read while waiting impatiently to get my hands on The Beast Within (Amazon says it’s coming Real Soon Now TM) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Never Love a Stranger by Ellen Fisher had me hooked from the first paragraph. “This is how to hook a reader,” I told my husband. “Some writers pussyfoot around getting started, but Ellen just goes out and puts a NAKED MAN in the kitchen, first thing!” Since I’ve never found a naked man in MY kitchen while rifling for leftovers, I immediately envied the heroine and read on. This is a Good Book, especially for those of us who’d like to find something better for the waistline than pasta on the next trip to the fridge.

The Best of Jaid Black by Jaid Black. Three novellas I’ve wanted to read for some time, and having them all in one place, rrrowrrr. I’m still trying to decide which is my favorite. Maybe I need to go read it again. Right now.

Currently reading The Fifth Favor by Shelby Reed (sigh), Night Moves by Julie Kenner, Blaze and The Morning After by Dorie Graham, Blaze, and Tripping Through the Universe, anthology. After which I’ve got some Sherrilyn Kenyon catchup to do on the Dark Hunter series and by then The Beast Within had BETTER by on my doorstep!

What about you, read any good books lately?