From Rob Brezny:

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Lishui is a rapidly growing industrial city in
China. With the government’s help and blessing, developers have been
transforming rugged farmland into level parcels suitable for manufacturing
facilities. In recent years, engineers have used dynamite and dump trucks
to flatten 108 hills and mountains. The official motto that guides workers
is “Each person does the work of two; two days’ work is done in one.”
While I don’t normally recommend that you engage in such extreme
labors, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to make an exception.
You’ll have cosmic forces on your side if you do the work of two as you
carry out the equivalent of demolishing mountains.

Ha. Take that, book!

Miss Lonely Hearts rates 5 Klovers from the fabulous Jennifer at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques!

I love this warning:
“If you are already a fan of Charlene Teglia’s work, then Miss Lonely Hearts is definitely a must-read! If you are new to this talented author, then this book is a wonderful place to start. But be warned, you’ll want to purchase the rest of her backlist as soon as you finish!”

And 5 Klovers for Seasons of Seduction III! Jennifer says:
“Ellora’s Cave binds six hot little romances in a variety of genres together in one anthology that will keep you up way past your bedtime!… Never has Charlene Teglia’s fantastic wit been more evident than in her alien series! This talented author always manages to keep her stories simultaneously funny and sexy – a fact which this reviewer very much appreciates.”

It’s so fun to write funny. Thank you, Jennifer.

I went grocery shopping. And…they’re back. The gingerbread houses. Some assembly required…if you’ve been reading this blog since last year, you remember. I still have post-gingerbread house traumatic stress disorder. So, in (dis)honor of the season of gingerbread horror, I give you this spoof. Find more Monday poetry (and Rhian’s party) on the train!

First I was afraid, I was petrified
Thought holidays wouldn’t be right without your candied sides
But I spent so many nights
Remembering how badly it went wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
and so you’re back
taking up counter space
I just walked through the grocery store
and saw that smirk upon your face
I should have taken another aisle
I should have skipped the bakery
If I had known for just one second
you’d be back to torment me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
’cause you’re not welcome anymore
weren’t you the one who tried to lure me with gumdrop lies
you think I’d crumble
you think I’d lay down and buy
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as i know how to bake
My holidays will thrive
I’ve got fresh gingerbread to serve
I’ve got sugar cookie verve
and I’ll survive
I will survive

Last year it took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
kept trying hard to mend
the pieces of my broken ginger art
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
Now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I’m not that instruction-reading person
tryin’ to assemble you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect you could tempt me
now I’m saving all my icing
for cupcakes that are disaster free!

Night Rhythm has been moved up in the schedule to March 7. This meant I needed to do the blurb sheet for it. Since Samhain lets us make up our own “warnings” now, that was part of my blurb sheet. So here’s the blurb and warning statement for Night Rhythm:

Once, Valentine had everything; position, wealth, love and happiness. Then tragedy struck. Over the centuries, he has clung to the prophecy that he would find his love again, but he never considered what would happen when he finally found Lisette – but she’s no longer his wife, no longer his love, and she no longer remembers their life together.

Lisa didn’t expect a chance meeting with a stranger to affect her. But she can’t shake the lingering impression Valentine makes on her or the odd feelings he stirs. When Valentine seeks her out again, he gives her two gifts – a necklace and a dream of passion to awaken her memory. But how can she trust the memories of the love they once had, when she’s no longer the woman she once was – and Valentine is no longer human?

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.*

Warning: Hot, explicit sex with fangs, timeless romance, reincarnation, graphic monogamy, and use of a pearl necklace in manners not intended by the manufacturer.

*Night Rhythm was originally my contribution to PBW’s free ebook challenge, but I had so many emails from people who bought Night Music and wanted to know where to buy the sequel that I realized they weren’t finding it. So it’s moving to Samhain, where readers can find all their Sirens in one spot. I took the opportunity to expand the story while I was at it. And of course Evil Angie will crack her whip over it and find all the mistakes I missed, so it will be New and Improved.

Er. Now I guess I’d better create a page for this title on the site. See how these things snowball?

I’m at RTB talking about NaNo for non-NaNoers.

Does anybody out there know how to effectively filter or otherwise purify water to make it drinkable? Boil it for five minutes, add bleach, what? I think I’ll be making friends with Mr. Google to find out. Post-storm there seems to be a problem with our community well and until the problem’s tracked down and resolved we’ll be buying bottled water. Or boiling and bleaching. Or whatever. Meanwhile, it’s kind of like everybody here had an unplanned Mexico vacation…and drank the water. Fortunately, the small people drink bottled apple juice and milk so they’re not really affected.

In other news, Wild Wild West book discussion at the Cherry Forums. Ask me anything. I’ll pop in periodically to answer questions. After I go get some non-contaminated water.

Miss Lonely Hearts has been reviewed by Coffee Time Romance! 4 Cups, and reviewer Maura even liked the ugly dog.

“I really enjoyed this story. The author does not overload it with extra characters and makes each and every one of the quirky denizens of The Last Resort special, even the interchangeable and silent Lawrence twins…This is a warm and funny story that I will definitely read again and if we gave out half cups this would get 4 ½ cups for sure.”