For the next three days I’m blogging at the Desert Island Keepers blog. Today is eBooks. Tomorrow is audiobooks. Saturday? Who knows. But stop by and say hi. 
http://dikladiesrule.blogspot.com/
Visit the Desert Island Keeper Blog today for my rambling love letter to anti-heroes. Karen Marie Moning writes the best ones, though I love Ilona Andrews’ Curran too. Maybe I should have just written a love letter to Adam Black, Jerricho Barrons, and Curran the Beast Lord. Ah, well…there is always tomorrow.
My manuscript won First Place in the 2009 Golden Gateway writing contest, sponsored by From The Heart Romance Writers! I am, to say the least, thrilled. The first fifty pages and synopses were judged. September 1st I found out I was a finalist, and last night I found out I won first place. The final judge editor requested to read the full manuscript!! I’ve got it finished and ready to send out, so as soon as the Emerald City Writers’ Conference this weekend is done I’ll print it and send it off. Wish me luck!
HEARTS OF DARKNESS is a completed 101,000 word, apocalyptic paranormal romance set in a grisly Seattle where betrayal will unleash the demons of hell and only love can save the world from annihilation.
Please join me at the Desert Island Keeper blog today, where Seattle author Shelli Stevens is interviewed about shapeshifter heroes in all their furry glory. Click here to read more.
TAKE ME
After years as a slave to the pleasures of the powerful, Talia knows how to make a man mad with lust. But her pleasure counts for nothing—until a handsome, ruthless stranger appears. Ryder dares to look at her… to touch her… to awake in her a desire she’s never imagined. When he kidnaps her to learn her secrets, Talia vows not to let her passion take control. But soon she discovers that her captor’s intense gaze and searching hands can perform their own kind of interrogation, a sweet torture she finds impossible to resist…
This year the Romance Writers of America National Conference is in Washington DC. The literacy signing is this Wednesday and the conference runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Last year I had a lovely time at the conference in San Francisco. This year I will not be attending, as I have a family wedding the same weekend. For those of you who are lucky enough to go–TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!!! I want to hear all about it.
If you go to the literacy signing, please say hi to Greater Seattle RWA authors–especially Shelli Stevens and Deliliah Marvelle–and fabulous regency authors Joanna Bourne and Meredith Duran (and buy their books!). I will be rooting for Washington State authors at the award ceremony: Yasmine Galenorn, Susan Mallery, Anthea Lawson, Vivi Andrews, Cherry Adair, Julia Quinn, Susan Wiggs, Janice Kay Johnson, Debbie Malcomer and Lisa Kleypas.
Happy Norwegian Constitution Day from Ballard, little capital of Scandinavia. The founder of the day was “a Dane, but an ardent Norwegian in his heart and mind.” This pretty much sums up residents of Ballard, who might be American, but pretty much believe we are citizens of the 6th Scandinavian country. We’ve celebrated Syttende Mai since 1889, when we were only a little territory. Every year we celebrate with a parade down Market Street, lunch with the consulate, traditional music and dancing, pickled herring, lutfisk, glogg, cardamon rolls… really, anything you might desire from Scandinavia can be found here. If you can’t find it in Ballard, you don’t need it. I’m in Portland right now, but if I were home I’d be at the parade.
Find out more here.
There is still time to enter your bracket in the 2nd Annual DA BWAHA, Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors. 64 books published in 2008 are in the running. Pick which ones you think will win out of the 8 categories. Brackets must be completed by 11:00 pm EST on March 18, 2009. Voting will start March 19, 2009.
PRIZES!!! Brackets that most closely resemble the winners after each round get prizes:
The Contestants I love and will have a hard time picking from:
How many of the Contestants have you read?
Larissa Ione‘s second Demonica novel, DESIRE UNCHAINED, debuts TODAY. Book one, PLEASURE UNBOUND, was so good, I can’t wait to read book two. I fully expect Shade’s story to be even better. If you like paranormal romance, this series is not to be missed.
Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .
Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn’t resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.
A Seminus demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he’d seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever. As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts—or succumb to a madman’s evil plans.
Cayenne was born in 1992 in Ballard to my friend Celeste’s cat. I was in fifth grade. It was love at first sight – on my side at least. When I first saw her she was still a blind newborn, an adorable tiny ball of fluff. Her beautiful cream-color fur set her apart from her four orange litter-mates. I was very impatient to take her home with me, and every day I had to wait for her to be weaned felt like an eternity!
Cayenne lived with my parents and her younger sister Mittens until May of last year, when she came to complete our little family after the loss of our beloved Shadow-Bear in April. She enjoyed family cuddles and would sit on my lap while I read. She was quite active, even with arthritis, and no ball of string was safe from her lightening-fast paws. When her daddy and I were out of town she had sleep-over visits with Mittens, with whom she took a nap every morning in the sun on her uncle Oliver’s bed.
Losing two babies within a year has been incredibly painful. I imagine them curled up together on a soft puffy cloud taking catnaps in the sun, just like they did when we were growing up. I miss both of them so much.
