Happy New Year!

Myspace Graphics at WishAFriend.com


And to start the whole year off with a 'boom', Opportunity Knocks releases from Dark Eden Press on 1 January 2008!

Unexpected Company

Well, I'm certainly not going to get much writing done between Christmas and New Years. We've had some unexpected but very welcome company arrive.

So, I plan on hitting the book heavily once they've gone.

Merry Christmas!

Blue Ribbon Review of Postcards from the Dead

5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies

"Hotshot Drew and sensitive Cassie are a great team and readers won’t be able to resist as they’re drawn into a love affair and a mystery in an excellent, spine-tingling story with strong, likeable characters and tender romance."
~Pat Cooper
You can read the entire review here.

Cover Art Christmas

He'll go to any lengths...to catch a Casanova.

This is my hot cover for an even hotter little novella. It's humorous, sexy, oh...and did I mention hot?

It'll be coming out from Total E-bound in February!

Opportunity Knocks

Coming from Dark Eden Press on 1 January 2008!

New Issue of Cobblestone Press Quarterly!

Download (free) the

Current Issue of

Cobblestone Press Quarterly

Making my list & checking it twice --

Have you been naughty or nice?

Tomorrow's when you'll find out! That's when I begin delivering twelve free e-books (one each day) to a lucky subscriber to my newsletter. Then, on Christmas day, Santa (after he's eaten his cookies and slurped his eggnog) will help me by pulling one lucky name to win either the entire 12 Days of Christmas set published by Cobblestone Press OR a free e-book a month for the next 12 months.

So, if you haven't signed up for my newsletter already, what are you waiting for?

The button is over there on the right. So, subscribe today (you know you want to!)

I'm supposed to be writing...

Instead, my kids were driving me nuts. They wanted to know what mommy "does". Well, typing didn't seem like enough entertainment. So...they sat at my feet and watched while I put this together.

My Christmas gift to you!

Myspace Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Despite that....you deserve a gift.

So, go to my website, www.erickascott.com and download a copy of Mail Order Mama, a historical Christmas short story.

Then, while you are there...check out my contest page and find out how to be entered to win either the entire set of 12 Days of Christmas releases from Cobblestone Press OR an e-book a month for the entire year!

A Fun Free Read

Only have a minute?

My "other" self has a piece of flash fiction appearing at LitBits this week (11/25-12/01)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Free Comments & Graphics Codes

Dear Santa

Myspace Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Santa and I are setting up the details of my Christmas contest. But I don't know what's on your list. So, between now and November 30th, stop by and vote for what you'd like to find under the tree this year from me!

If you're not a member of my mailing list (and would like to be)...There's a click to join Making Mischief button on the right sidebar.

Mojave Moon

Plodding away on my first time travel novella. TJ Killian invited me to write this story a few months ago. It will be part of THE VEIL series at Dark Eden Press.

Some say there are portals on this earth.
Strange places where the veil is thin between today and all the yesterdays in history.

Be forewarned, they open at any moment, the gossamer thin barrier shattered asunder.

Once you are through, there is no coming back.

Can you survive a step through The Veil?

Mojave Moon is a story from my heart...the original concept was written down in one of my notebooks in 1997! I'm intimately familiar with the place I'm writing about (I live less than 10 miles away). I originally wanted to use real people for this story, but decided THEIR stories were so much bigger than life that they'd overpower my little tale. So, although if you are looking closely enough, you can easily recognize some of the people, all the names have been changed to protect the guilty. ;-)

My heroine is on the search for her past...she never expected to fall right into it! But there she is...and, oh, the lies she's going to have to tell when it becomes obvious she isn't who everyone thinks she is! And mixed into the all the romance is my typical touch of paranormal -- and wouldn't you know it -- there's a killer on the loose too!

I grew up an Air Force brat, my dad was actually in the Army Air Corp before it became the US Air Force. As a result of us moving so often when I was a child, I was determined never to fall in love with anyone in the service.
But as I'm writing Mojave Moon, I'm finding myself falling in love with my hero, Jake Sands, an officer in the US Army Air Corps in 1943. Hopefully my readers will love him too!

Veterans Day Tribute

Buried at PhotoCasket.com
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

First Draft in 30 Days

Join Karen Wiesner on November 10, 2007 as she discusses her book First Draft in Thirty Days in the Cobblestone Main Street Community College. Karen will also participate in a Q & A session with forum members. Those participating in the discussion will be entered into a drawing to receive a free copy of First Draft in Thirty Days!

Karen will also hold a contest for an autographed copy of the book!

Community College URL:

http://www.cobblestone-mainstreet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=210

Hope to see you there!

Desperately Seeking...

A Title

Fellow author, Jackie Barbosa, is running a title contest. She has a blurb on her blog and the book needs a title. Now...I suck at titles...but perhaps you can do better.

Hop on over to her blog, read the blurb, and give her some title suggestions! Next Monday, from everyone who comments, she'll draw a random winner to win a $5 Cobblestone Press gift certificate.

Another Early Christmas Gift

Getting cover art for upcoming books is like getting gifts. I wait until the last possible moment to rip the paper off (open the e-mail).




This one is stunning. It was designed by Rene Lyons and it truly captures the whimsical nature of the story. I'm hoping to update my website a little later this week to all my new covers and excerpts.

Until there -- here's the blurb for Opportunity Knocks. It'll be coming to Dark Eden Press on 1 January 2008!

Opportunity Knocks by Ericka Scott

When all of faerie godmother Zuzanna’s guardianships go bust, the crown prince Foster threatens to exile her and strip her of her powers. Instead, she flees the kingdom to settle in a spot no one would ever look – Chicago, Illinois.

Single father Phillip Denton has a problem; he needs a nanny, and fast. His son, Jamie, isn’t a bad kid; he’s just got a mischievous streak as wide as Lake Michigan. Something his nannies seldom appreciate. Hiring Zuzanna seems like a stroke of luck. She’s cute, sexy, and even likes snakes.

Despite her intentions of learning to live life as a mortal, she didn’t count on all the hazards she’d encounter. How do mortals deal with traffic congestion, housework, and a pet snake named Gertie without using a little magick?

But the biggest temptation is Phillip himself. He awakens longings in her that she’s helpless to resist. But playing with magick is like playing with fire. And it leads Prince Foster straight to her.

Using a little magick of his own, Foster reveals Zuzanna’s true identity and demands she return to the Kingdom. That’s when she realizes Phillip and Jamie paid too high a price for a little faerie magick and she can’t ask them to give up any more for her. And now they know exactly what she is, she can never come back.

Or can she?

Fanlit...Forever!

I'm blogging over at Fanlit Forever on the Romance Roundtable in celebration of the one year anniversary!

Come visit, leave a comment, check out the forum boards , enter a contest, win prizes (today's prize is a $15 GC from Amazon for just commenting on the blog. I'm going to sweeten that deal and offer a $10 gift certificate for comment on my blog and or forum thread. I'll draw a winner at the end of the Anniversary celebration), and make some new friends.

4-Star Review of Postcards from the Dead

Here's what Karen Haas had to say:

Postcards from the Dead is a fun paranormal read, perfect for Halloween. The main characters Cassie and Drew as well as the secondary characters, such as Cassie's sister, Rosalie and her fiance Kyle, are very realistic and endearing. There is nothing like stepping into the paranormal realm to stress a person to their very limits and reveal their true metal...Don't miss this delightfully spooky read.

Thanks Karen!

To read the entire review...and the reviews of other GREAT romances, subscribe to Just Erotic Romance Reviews.

In Support of the Personal Rejection...

Well, lots of good news has to be tempered with a bit of bad news...right?

I got a rejection today for one of my tales. So, it's off in search of a new home. However, as rejections go, this has to be the nicest, most constructive rejection letter I've ever received. It didn't even feel like a rejection. Which made me think about the discussion a week or so ago on Romancing the Blog about form rejections versus personal rejections.

There are lots of cons for the personal rejection for the editor's POV --

It takes time to write them and a few minutes here and there do add up. Especially when dealing with a towering pile of submissions!

It also seems to bring out the worst in some writers who berate the editor for not viewing their manuscript as the masterpiece they think it is. Or who want to argue minutiae with the editor in hopes of changing their mind. It also seems to open the door for the writer stuck in the infinite loop of submitting. They change three words, and send it back in uninvited, two, three or more times!

Yep, I see lots of cons for the editor -- and I'm sure all editors out there could add more to this list!

But there are Pros to that personalized rejection letter. As a writer, I love them. In many cases, the editor has taken the time to tell me where I fell off the track (e.g., your hero/heroine is simply too stupid to live [TSTL], or there were too many spelling and grammar errors, or the writing was too dull and pedestrian, the plot was not well thought out, or the conflict not big enough to sustain the story, etc., etc...)


For me, a form letter is the worst. It takes hold and makes my imagination fly off into all sorts of directions. Especially the "politically correct" rejections. You know, the ones that adopt the "sorry it's not you, it's us" format. These form letters don't help me as a writer at all. I don't know if the story sucks, if the editor just bought the same plot line, or if the editor knows my ex-husband's ex-wife and just has a really low opinion of me. After receiving one of those (and I've had my fair share, believe me)...I'll simply proceed to torture other publications with the story until someone finally has the guts to tell me my hero is walking around with toilet paper stuck to his shoe and my heroine is TSTL.

As you can tell, I'm all in favor for personalized rejection letters -- however, as a writer, it leaves ME with the responsiblity of what I do next.

1. I do NOT write the editor and tell them they must have read the wrong book because they couldn't possibly be rejecting MINE!

2. I do analyze what the editor said and determine whether I, as the author, agree with their assessment. I can then choose to change the story or not.

3. I do NOT make the changes to the document and send it back to the editor without an invitation to do so.

4. I do NOT publically berate the editor or the publisher by name on my blog for all the world to see. Blogs are PUBLIC people -- and the words you type can last an eternity in cyberspace.

And my last responsibility is to look at this rejection as an opportunity to seek out new publications, editors, or agents to submit the work to. What's wrong for one may be oh-so-right for the next one.

"Sin" City

Did you miss me?


We went to Las Vegas with my husband on business last weekend and didn't get back until w-a-y late last night (yawn).

Since we went with the whole family, we stayed at Circus Circus and had a blast. The amusement park inside is small, but since it was during the week and not busy, the boys got to ride, and ride, and ride the little railroad rollarcoaster~

The sad part was that the wireless card for our laptop simply would not connect with the wireless service at the hotel. I felt a bit disconnected...but came back to some really great news.

I got new cover art for a 2008 release from Cobblestone Press titled Fool's Gold.


And it looks like I have a new home for The Werewolf Whisperer! I'll make a formal annoucement about it once the contract's been received and signed...but it's a relief to know it'll soon have a publisher. What it really means is I need to get cracking on writing the three sequels to it as well ~ LOL!

All the time without the internet meant I did a lot of writing. I have one final scene to write for The Vampire Oracle: Chalice and then I can type THE END on the first draft. I'm probably a little off target for hitting submit by 31 October, but it'll be close.

My next project is going to be a time travel...it's part of an idea I've been thinking about for years and all the details are finally beginning to gel. I have to have it written and submitted by the end of the year but am shooting for 15 December so that I can take a bit of a breather during the holidays and start thinking about what projects I need to tackle in 2008.

Anyway...that's what I've been up to. What about you? Have you met your goals for 2007? Are you even close?

Chasing the Vile Witch Contest & Scavenger Hunt

Buried at PhotoCasket.com

Take a moment because it is almost here.
The night when cyberspace shivers with fear.

A witch has escaped, she's stalking the net.
Where will she visit? What authors to be met?

She's vile and tricky, a withered old crone.
She'll be here and there leaving traces of sinew and bone.

Hope for a hero, someone to stop her cold.
Tell T.J. where to go, let the story unfold.

* * * * *

Join T.J. Killian and a long list of authors on October 20, 2007, as
she chases the vile witch across the internet. An interactive game
full of fun, some surprises, and of course, lots of prizes.

Immediately following the chase will be a scavenger hunt for the
grand prize of a 25.00 gift certificate to Dark Eden Press.

Who is invited? - everyone
When - promptly at 9 PM EST on October 20, 2007
Where - Love Romances Café Yahoo Group and Dark Eden Press Readers' Yahoo Group.

I'm giving away a Linda Biggs Fantasy Art Print as my prize. The other authors participating are also throwing in free e-books, candy and other great prizes!


Chase contest runs from Oct. 20, 2007 until Oct. 27, 2007.

Scavenger hunt runs from Oct. 22, 2007 until Nov. 10, 2007.

Twice the gaming, twice the fun.

I've been Tagged

Okay...I've been tagged by not one but three different people to do this...so I'd better comply!

Here’s how it works…

Players offer eight random habits/facts about themselves. If you’re tagged, you need to write your own blog about your eight things and post the rules. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to tag–and list their names. If you participate, don’t forget to leave your people a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

These will truly be 8 random facts...

1. My favorite holiday is Halloween (can you say CANDY!)

2. My favorite drink is Diet Pepsi. I don't drink coffee so I've got to get caffeinated somehow!

3. I love camping. My favorite spot to camp is Death Valley.

4. I also love the beach. Beach camping is one of my other favorite places to camp...

5. (geez, am I almost there yet?)...I love scary movies. In fact, An American Haunting is on tap for tonight.

6. I collect ghost stories...I have a whole shelf of paranormal research books that include local ghost story books from places I have visited.

7. I've had one paranormal encounter with a ghost. A little girl who sang her ABCs.

8. And last but not least, my mother would probably croak and turn into a ghost if she knew I wrote erotic romance...

I think everyone I know and lots of people I don't were tagged with this one. So, consider yourself tagged if you want to participate!

A few minutes of fame...

Hopefully this interview didn't use up my entire 15 minutes!



Click here to read the interview.

Octoberfest Week 2

You know what happens at parties, right? There are gifts and this party will be no exception. Stop by an author's blog during thier week and comment and you'll automatically be entered to win a copy of their Octoberfest title! Woot! And you'll be able to read excerpts, some that may not be seen anywhere else.

So let's get to the good stuff. We got off to an excellent start last week!

The winners of Octoberfest Week 1 were:

Shelli's Winner: Bluecat

Sable Grey's Winner: Iron Eyes

Ericka Scott's Winner: Renee Lynn Scott

So from today October 8th to Friday, October 12th stop by their blogs and leave them a comment. The winners will be announced here on the CP Blog and on each authors blog.

October 8th to October 12th, 2007:


Minx Malone's Blog
Prize: ebook copy of Hell Baby
Blurb:
All Helena plans for Halloween is to visit her father in Underworld. Instead she finds herself captured by the gatekeeper, Abaddon. He offers her a deal, her body for her freedom but can she convince Underworld's fiercest Enforcer they can have more than three nights? With luck, maybe even forever?


Anna Leigh Keaton's Blog
Prize: ebook copy of Chailali's Curse
Blurb:
Brought together by the guiding hand of a matchmaking ghost, Christy and Mike face their inner demons and find solace in each other as lust blazes and hearts unite. But love and passion aren't always enough to see them through the darkness of their pasts. They must find the courage to persevere.em>


Crystal Jordan's Blog
Prize: ebook copy of Season of Change: Open Season
Blurb:
Leigh Granger is on the run from her violent past when she takes a job at Still Waters resort. A drunken one night stand ends her up in bed with her commanding new boss, Aidan Lassiter...and they accidentally marked each other as mates. When her vengeful ex-fiancé tracks her down, she bolts. Will Aidan let the best mistake he ever made slip through his fingers?em>

Check back here for some surprises and updates. The blog party invites will go out every Monday and the next one is scheduled on Monday, October 15th!

And the Winner is....

Renee Lynn Scott

Please e-mail me at ericka_scott @ sbcglobal . net (minus the spaces) and let me know what format you need your e-book in.

Thanks for making a little mischief with me! I'll post next weeks invitation on Monday and you can blog surf for chances to win next week's new releases!

Cobblestone Press Octoberfest Trick-or-Treat!

It's October already and you know what that means...yes!

It's time for Cobblestone Press' 2nd Annual Octoberfest Celebration. Shifters, vampires, ghosts, and everything in between. Octoberfest is about celebrating all things paranormal and in celebration of their Octoberfest releases the authors of Cobblestone are having a MONTH long Blog Party.

You know what happens at parties, right? There are gifts and this party will be no exception. Stop by an author's blog during thier week and comment and you'll automatically be entered to win a copy of their Octoberfest title! Woot! And you'll be able to read excerpts, some that may not be seen anywhere else.So let's get to the good stuff.

Here's the schedule for the first week. Starting us off with releases this coming Friday, October 5th are Sable Grey, Ericka Scott and Shelli Stevens.

So from today October 1st to Friday, October 5th stop by their blogs and leave them a comment. The winners will be announced Friday, October 5th here on the CP Blog and on each authors blog.

October 1st to October 5th, 2007:

Sable Grey's Blog

Prize: ebook copy of Something Wild

Blurb: London is a city drowning in fear as a barrage of gruesome murders plague the streets in Whitechapel. Detective Baden Sikes is out to find the ripper but will his own secrets destroy him and those he loves most?

Ericka Scott's Blog (you are here!)

Prize: ebook copy of Postcards from the Dead

Blurb: The dead don’t speak to her; they send her postcards. When Cassandra Moore receives a cryptic postcard from her dead husband, Drew Brinkman offers to help her discover the meaning of the postcard. But she doesn’t know he’s an investigative reporter out to prove the ghostly postcards are fakes.

Shelli Steven's Blog

Prize: ANY ebook off of her backlist (Octoberfest release is titled: Primal Attraction)

Blurb: Old Centuron should have been a forgotten colony, but when Sarina arrives to do research, she confronts the brutal reality of how wrong she was. Now prisoner to a man who is both wolf and human, she faces a shocking truth and an undeniable passion.

Check back here for some surprises and updates. The blog party invites will go out every Monday and the next one is scheduled on Monday, October 8th!

Four Squared

I opened my e-mail today to find two tremendous reviews from Fallen Angels Reviews.

Four Angels for The Werewolf Whisperer ~ Donna writes:

"Ms. Scott's story puts another spin on werewolves that is fresh and exciting. There are elements to The Werewolf Whisperer that take the reader by surprise and show the range in which Ms. Scott shows how well her imagination can pull the reader into her world ... I for one want to read more about Eclipse and its residents."

To read the entire review click here!

AND

Four Angels for Crystal Clear ~ Tewanda writes:

"Ericka Scott's Crystal Clear is an exciting paranormal read that the reader will not want to put down. This story is the perfect blend of mystery, romance and undeniable sexual attraction....I enjoyed that while Parker and Sara were from very different backgrounds, they were able to come together and find love."

To read the entire review click here.

Those magic numbers...

glitter-graphics.com

I now understand the lure of the Amazon ratings -- I've been hooked by the Fictionwise ratings for The Werewolf Whisperer. I didn't even realize the book was offered through Fictionwise until one of my friends (the lovely Stephani Hecht, author of Angel Warriors, notified me that I'd taken her spot on the publisher's bestseller list - sorry Stephani!). At that point it was #3 for StarDust Press and #83 in the erotica category at Fictionwise.

Well, when I checked the Fictionwise list this morning, The Werewolf Whisperer was at #2 for StarDust Press and #47 for erotica! It's also got reader ratings, which is nice feedback!

~~~~UPDATED~~~9/25 This morning I checked Fictionwise (see, it's an addiction!) and I just took the #1 Bestseller slot for my publisher and #45 in Erotica!! Woot, woot!

9/26 -- crept up to #44 with 8 reader ratings!!

So, thanks to everyone who's bought a copy. And remember, it's available for only a short time longer~

Submitting is like Dating....

Last night was movie night in our household. I threw up the suggestion of Premonition with Sandra Bullock. Now, in retrospect, there were several plot holes that one could drive a truck through...but, while the movie was playing, it was lots of fun to put together the clues and try to guess the ending.

Which really doesn't have much to do with what I am going to blog about except tangentially.

Now that we have small children again, Movie night has replaced our weekly date night. I have to say, I like dating as part of a married couple. We always have fun and most times, at the end of the date, we get lucky (snicker)...

This is unlike dating as a single person.

There's the first meeting -- (true story, I was actually stood up for dinner at Red Lobster once...I figure the guy took one look and ran...however, I had a wonderful time flirting with the waiter instead)

There's the actual date -- was it something fun or....? ('nother true story, I once went to a movie on a first date. I wanted to see Titanic, he wanted to see the Blues Brothers...not that I have anything against Dan Ackroyd, but on a first date???)

The parting -- do you just wave? shake his hand? stand there with your lips puckered and hope his kisses you? or drag him inside and have your way with him?

Then comes the worst part -- THE WAIT.

"I'll call you"...were they famous last words? An assurance your phone will ring and he'll call to chat or schedule another date? Or do you call him?


Oh, you try to keep yourself busy...but you still find yourself circling the phone, turning the ringer up when you take a shower, checking your empty voicemail six or seven (or one hundred) times a day. Only time will tell...


You've done the research and found a publisher that you like. It's attractive, friendly, and other people have only good things to say about it. So...you submit your manuscript. You get an autoreply...thanks for the submission, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Then comes the worst part -- THE WAIT.

In the meanwhile, I'm keeping myself busy -- I'm writing the next novella and spending time with my family.

But still, submitting is like dating and I've got to go check my e-mail...again...

Sealed with a Kiss

Well, my little Valentine Tale is finished...all three drafts and submitted with a big smacking kiss. Now starts the waiting...I still can't quite bring myself to talk about this one...other than to say it's like nothing I've ever written before. It's straight contemporary...not a suspense or paranormal element evident. It's also in first person, which made it really up close and personal. And...my biggest deviation, it's got some hot m/m action in it. What's the oddest thing is I've been working on it day and night. My muse has been jumping up and down screaming at me to finish it!

Well Miss Muse...it's done.

I don't know about her, but I need a vacation complete with cabana boys and frou-frou drinks with tiny umbrellas in them.

In my copious free time (snicker) I've been reading Angela Knight's Passionate Ink ...lots of good tips and examples...I even got to use one of them in my latest little tale when I was having trouble with the motivation of one of my characters.

And, despite The Werewolf Whisperer being nearly homeless, it got it's first review. 4.5 hearts from The Romance Studio.

Here's what Maura had to say...

"Serena is very resilient and Jackson very compelling, and I found the community of Eclipse very interesting. There are some very exciting scenes and unusual twists that really make this story work. The author has an unusual and engrossing way of telling a tale."

You can read the entire review here

Maura also expressed an interest in my secondary characters, Jazmin and Mike...well, the good news is that if a new publisher picks up The Werewolf Whisperer, there's three more books planned for the series!

Breaking News -- StarDust Press Closing

Public announcement letter: permission granted to post


Dear authors and editors,

After much discussion and negotiation and evaluation, it is with regret that we announce StarDust Press is closing effective September 30, 2007. We are saddened that despite all our efforts, SDP is bleeding, and the investors have decided to cut their losses.

We know that you would all be concerned with this development, so we address all your concerns one by one below.

1. Authors and editors would be paid the royalties/editorial fees due them.

2. All books would be taken off the website and Fictionwise by September 30, 2007.

3. From September 30, 2007 onwards, all rights to the published books revert back to the author, and as such, you can submit them to other publication houses for publication.

4. For unpublished books, you may send to other publication houses as early as now.

5. For authors whose books are currently under edits, we would send you a personal email on the matter.

SDP was established to do legitimate business, however the environment wasn't conducive to its survival. And so, we have no choice but to take this step.

Thank you for all your support and we wish for the best for you all in your endeavors.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reply to this email. Your question may also be the question of the others.

Thanks.

Raine
For StarDust Press management



Looks like I'll be looking for a new home for The Werewolf Whisperer...

Postcards from the Dead Video Book Trailer

For your viewing pleasure...

Winning the Cover Art Lottery

I'm just going to post this beautiful cover. I think it speaks for itself!

Postcards from the Dead -- Coming from Cobblestone Press on October 5th!

Available Now -- The Werewolf Whisperer

The Werewolf Whisperer -- Available from StarDust Press!

The full moon hung low in the sky and lit the yard as if it were daytime.

Her shoe bumped something and it fell with a clatter. Shit! She looked down to see what she'd stumbled over. Blessed God. It was a shotgun! She hadn't fired one in years, not since she and her brothers had made soda cans quake in fear on the back fence. But with a shotgun, she wouldn't need perfect aim. Heck, when they saw she had a gun, maybe they wouldn't mess with her. Okay, so she was fooling herself. But she couldn't help a quick rush of joy when she picked up the gun and saw that it was loaded.

Surprisingly, no one had come running at the sound of the clatter. Serena didn't pause to wonder why. It only took her a few more strides to reach the front of the house and peer around the corner.

What she saw nearly made her drop the gun. Ben and the man were bent over. Had they poisoned themselves? Then, icicles of fear rushed through her veins. What was happening?

Ben's form was suddenly covered in silver grey hair that almost sparkled in the moonlight. His ears had elongated and his face! She shuddered and stepped back, resisting the urge to run. The whole frontal section of Ben's face elongated into a muzzle. Then, with shock, she realized the wolf's savage gaze was locked on her. She stifled a scream as the thing's mouth split open in a wolfish grin. Serena stepped back and pulled the gun up.

The wolves crept closer. Didn't they see she had a gun? Perhaps they didn't think she would use it. Well, they were wrong, she would.

As she ran forward, she could hear their growls. This had better work or she was dead—or worse than dead. Pulling the trigger, there was a pause when time stood still. The blast nearly deafened her. The wolves scattered.

One disappeared. She'd have to watch her back. One dashed off around the house, possibly to leap on her from behind or cut off her retreat. The other had been hit fully in the face and was now pawing at his muzzle and whining.

She ran toward the car, expecting a heavy body to leap on her at any moment. It wasn't until she was sitting in the driver's seat with the keys in the ignition that she stopped to take a breath. A roar at the window made her jump. The third wolf, which was the largest, was launching himself against the window. Again and again, it leapt at the door, its claws screeching as they scratched against the glass.

She started the car and gunned the engine. The animal didn't even flinch. Fingering the can of mace in her pocket to make sure it was still there, she backed out. The wolves followed her, stalking the car.

The little Beetle couldn't do more than twenty-five miles per hour on the washboard road. Any faster and she'd knock the whole bottom out of the car and then where would she be?

In eerie silence, the wolves ran alongside the car. Then, they began howling. Ice cold panic filled her veins.

Suddenly, another figure came dashing along the car, snapping and barking at the wolves. It was Tucker. The wolves turned their attention away from the car and toward the Labrador . Serena felt a surge of pity. The poor old dog would be torn to shreds. She had to do something.

Rolling down her window an inch or two, she pulled the can of mace out of her pocket. "Here doggie, doggie," she called.

The wolves turned as one toward her. Faster than she'd expected, they were almost through the window. Startled, she pushed the button on the mace. It didn't fire. Oh, my god. She leaned back as snapping muzzles filled the opening and she could feel their spittle sprinkling her face, neck, and arms. Then, there was a loud hiss and the wolves were gone. They rolled in the dirt, pawing at their muzzles while Tucker pranced around them barking. Her breath came in little pants as she rolled up the window and drove away. Tucker's fierce barking faded into the distance.

It was a momentary victory, but she pumped her fist in the air anyway.

Now, to get into town and find Jackson . Something bad had happened to him. But he was still alive. Ben and Doc Brown had talked about sending someone back to the jail to question him.

The town was silent. There were no lights on in any of the houses, no sounds of televisions playing behind closed curtains, nothing but the roar of her car's engine. Something really bad was happening and she knew she couldn't stop it.

And above all, she had to find Mike. Please, God, don't let him be dead. But he couldn't be dead. Jackson had gone through all the trouble of calling her out to this god-forsaken place to help find him. No, she had to believe that Mike was still alive. And Jackson was the key. He knew what happened to her brother. He was the one who'd arranged the helicopter and set up the fake hospital story. Damn it, she'd make him tell her where Mike was. She grabbed the shotgun and left the car unlocked and running, just in case.

Pushing open the station door at a run, Serena started yelling his name. " Jackson , hey, Jackson ." Waiting a heartbeat in between her calls, she listened for a reply, for any noise. She pounded on the counter and rang the bell. Still nothing. Damn it.

He had to be here or at home. She started to turn around when she spotted a door under the clock marked Staff Only.. She ran around the counter, slipping a little on the linoleum in her haste. Grabbing the knob, she twisted, half expecting it to be locked. It opened easily in her hand and she felt along the wall inside for the light switch. She didn't want to be surprised by any wolves in the dark.

The overhead lights flickered on and she stared. It was an old-fashioned jail, just like in the movies, complete with three cells. The first two were empty, their doors standing wide open. The third one had an occupant.

" Jackson ?" she called, walking quickly forward. "You gotta tell me where Mike is. Where are the keys? I'll let…you…" The words caught in her throat and she could only stare. It was a wolf, large and black, with amber eyes. There were clothes scattered on the floor of the cell, the same clothes Jackson had been wearing the night before. So, either the wolf had eaten Jackson and not left any blood or…

" Jackson ?" Serena approached the cell.

The story I wasn't going to write...

I love the special calls that go out from publishers for holiday-themed romances. So far, I've written one for Halloween and Christmas...but I just wasn't interested in working on a Valentine story. It's not that I don't love hearts, chocolates, and sexy lingerie. I do...but I really didn't think I could come up with a story that was different and yet romantic...and well, DIFFERENT.

Then, the other day, I'm in the shower. The muse loves the shower. I figure it must remind her of standing naked under waterfalls in Hawaii while watching cabana boys deliver towels and margaritas (sigh) and well, over the sound of the water, I suddenly hear her voice whisper "what about...." and she outlines the most freaking genius storyline in my ear. Luckily, that was on Thursday. So I was able to dedicate my writing time on Friday to outlining it. I'm 3000 words in and it's incredible.

I'm not going to share much about it...I don't want to jinx it. I'm even afraid to google the theme and find out that the whole plot/premise has been done to death. I just want to WRITE the book.

And this from the writer who was just saying last week that she didn't WANT to write a Valentine story...

The Vampire Oracle Video Trailer

Isn't this a wonderful video trailer for the upcoming Vampire Oracle books? Thank you Sable Grey for all the wonderful artwork!

Howl at the Moon

Calling all werewolf lovers!

In celebration of the upcoming release of The Werewolf Whisperer, I'm holding a contest.

It's easy to enter. Just send an e-mail between now and September 10th to werewolf_whispers@sbcglobal.net. To enter twice, sign up to receive my newsletter Making Mischief (and if you are already signed up for my newsletter, you're already entered once!). Names will be drawn at midnight on 10 September.

First prize is a $10 gift certificate to StarDust Press
Second prize is a free e-copy of The Werewolf Whisperer (if it doesn't release on the 10th, the copy will be sent as soon as it is available)
Third prize is a pewter wolf necklace

So enter soon!

THE WEREWOLF WHISPERER


The residents of Eclipse, California have a secret.

Celebrity dog trainer, Serena O’Toole, had the perfect life. She has a boyfriend, kind of, and a job she loves, well, she used to love it. And the audition for a national television spot could skyrocket her dog training show, “Woof”, to the stars…if it doesn’t bore her to death first. Then, when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, a sexy-voiced stranger calls to tell her that her brother, Michael, is missing. He’s hiding in the desert outside his new home in Eclipse, California. It only takes her a few minutes to pack her bags and head off to a town not marked on any map.

The last thing Jackson Hardy wanted to do was to involve another civilian. But, unless the horror writer, Michael O’Toole, was found in the next two days, he would die. But, from the moment Serena’s black VW Beetle rolls into town, Jackson knows he’s lost. He can’t keep his mind, or his hands, off her. She’s beautiful, talented, irresistible. Everyone in town notices her charms. . . Everyone. But Jackson knows to fall in love with her, and make love to her, would be a fatal mistake.

When Michael is found, Serena decides to stay and get to know Jackson better. When she looks in his eyes, she realizes he exudes a sex appeal she is helpless to deny. Nor does she want to. But for a man who can’t keep his hands off her, Jackson is sure in a surprising hurry for her to leave.

But someone in Eclipse is equally determined for her to stay…forever.

Girls' Night Out

Every year my friend Kathy and I troop off to the fair to eat junk food, drink a beer, see a concert, and then buy kettle corn and cinnamon rolls for the road.


This year, we wanted to see Charlie Daniels and Lonestar...but my daughter's soccer practice put a glitch in that. Instead, we saw Heart. Now, long, long ago, I saw Heart in concert in college (yeah, THAT long ago). I enjoyed the concert...but except for the addition of a couple of Ann Wilson's new songs from her upcoming solo album, they played the same music I heard on that far-away day. Ah....nostalgia.



I heated up the cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning and we'll snack on kettle corn tonight while watching television. We'll go to the fair as a family on Saturday, but the emphasis will be on the petting zoo areas and the rides and the only junk food anyone will want will be cotton candy.

I'm just hoping we don't get run down by a pig this year!

The big R...

I got my Spice Briefs rejection first thing this morning. Not fun to wake up to, but I really expected it. It's that "highly erotic" tag that I'm sure got my submission booted. Yeah...I have sex in my books described in graphic terms...but no real kink.

Not feeling too blue though...my hubby is *almost* done with Fool's Gold...so I'm going to make my self-imposed deadline of submitting by the end of August. And I've carved out another hour for writing a couple of times a week. My daughter's soccer practice on Mondays and Wednesdays. My husband drops her off, we gobble a picnic dinner at the park, then he takes the boys off to play on the equipment and I write. I got 307 words in yesterday, not much, but it was the first day...

Good things come in threes...

I always go through three drafts of a manuscript before submitting.


Boy am I glad I did that for Fool's Gold. After adding a scene and some dialogue to help cement the GMC, it's a much stronger work. AND it broke the 25K mark! Yeah! My husband is working his magic as my last reader and then as soon as I get his edits incorporated, I can submit it! And then keep my fingers crossed for an acceptance instead of the dreaded R.

Harry and I

Well...I finished reading Harry Potter last night. I think I went through almost a box of tissue there at the end. Sniffle. Then my husband and I laid in bed and discussed it. Needless to say, it was a late night! My daughter is on about page 306...so we can't say much while she is around.

Amazingly, with all the reading I've done in the last couple of days, I've also done some really good editing on the second draft of Fool's Gold. I'm on page 88/111 and will try to finish the second draft today. I find I add quite a bit of layers and details during this portion of the work...it's at 23K right now and may finish up closer to 24K by the time I'm done. Then I have to go and take out all the *thats* as well as the ands, buts, and thens, thens that I've started sentences with and in that process I'll probably remove 300 words! Ack! I'm hoping to have Fool's Gold submitted by the beginning of next week.

Fridays at the library are back!

My husband gave me babysitting for my birthday so that I could go to the library and write. At the end of the summer, Nati went on vacation for a month. But a couple of weeks ago, I got one last Friday...or so I thought. Since then, Nati has decided to do homeschool/independent study this semester so that she can graduate early. As a result, she has Friday afternoons free and would love to earn $!! So, from 2-5 I'll be at the library writing away. I'll have to hurry back to attend the Cobblstone Press chat and told my husband we'll have to go out to eat on Fridays (that's a win-win situation, huh?)

So, I'll be working on my Vampire Oracle story tomorrow!

The Vampire Oracle: Chalice

Since the official announcement came out on Main Street at Cobblestone Press, I've been leaping around doing the happy dance.

The Moon by Michelle Hasker
Birth by Diana Bold
Innoncence by Lia Morgan
Life by AL Debran
Hunger by Sophie Athens
Chalice by Ericka Scott
Power by Ava Rose Johnson
Battle by Lia Sebastian
Fever by Sapphire Blue
Lust by Jade James
Sin by Antonia Pearce
Sacrafice by Leila Brown
Love by L. Shannon
Harmony by MG Braden
Shadow by Karen Erickson
Sunlight by Moira Reid
Ashes by Contessica Ryans
Death by Yolanda Sfetsos
Sleep by Eugenia O'Neal
Tomb by Rebecca Goings
Awaken by Eliza Gayle
Rebirth by Lyric James
New Life by Emma Petersen
Wisdom by Sable Grey
Circle of Life by Deanna Lee

Congrats to the other authors!

Now, long ago and very far away, I was a member of the Double-barreled Tiger Cubs, a Sherlock Holmes society at the UofI in Urbana-Champaign. Although I've written my share of Holmes fan-lit none of it is worth publishing (yet...) I did, however, get the premise for the story from Holmes' older (and smarter) brother Mycroft.


When I get my cover art package, I'll be posting the gorgeous cover designed by Sable Grey. Until then, here's my blurb...

Reclusive vampire Sapphire McKenzie lives in her penthouse apartment with fortress-like security run by her AI computer, Buffi. She’s been hailed as the greatest armchair detective since Mycroft Holmes and has solved every case she’s ever been asked to investigate – and even some she hasn’t. Her ex-lover, Drake Chastain,
is a retired basketball star living off his fame and fortune until women he’s dated begin disappearing, then reappearing…dead.

With Drake framed for murder, Sapphire has to leave behind the safety of her home to save the man she loves…or die trying.

Shrek is Staying Dry!

Another non-writing related post to catch everyone up on my potty-training travails.

I know everyone has different ways of potty-training....I have to say that "neeked" is the way I had to go.

My oldest boy, 4, would always poop at nap. Even if we put undies on him. BUT if he went naked, he held it! So...he's been sleeping bottomless for a few weeks and staying dry. We'll start transitioning him to PJ bottoms in one more week.

As of yesterday, my "baby's" new Shrek undies stayed cleaned and dry. He, too, has been running neeked during the day to learn control...and doing wonderful. He picked out his new Shrek boxer briefs and we're on day two with no accidents so far! Yahoo!

As for the writing front...I finished the first round of edits for The Werewolf Whisperer on Wednesday. I also received and finished the first round of edits for Tinsel Time! And if you glance over to your right, you'll see the cover for The Werewolf Whisperer! Also, check out myspace, I've got a video trailer for The WWW posted there~

And I'm picking apart the first "book" I wrote (34000 words of sheer dreck) and extracting one character and the main plot. I think I can work it into it's own story by pitching all the ballast and writing a couple of new scenes.

Dog Trainer, Danger, and Werewolves...Oh, My

What Breed of Werewolf are You? (Images)

Demon Wolf: The creature made famous by myth and legend, you embody the terrible ferocities of the wolf, and eat sissypants shapeshifters for dinner.
Take this quiz!








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Lots of Endings...

Fool's Gold my BIAW (book-in-a-week) project that became a BIAM (book in a month) is finally done! The first draft anyway~ it took me a little longer than I had hoped because my best-laid plans for the weekend were waylaid by a garage sale. My "other" daughter, Lizzie, and her roomates have decided the trailer they rented off Lizzie's dad is too expensive (especially now that a roomate moved out). So, Lizzie's dad is going to sell it...the tricky part is that he's in Alabama and she's here in California. So it fell on her and her roomates to clean up the trailer and the shed.

Oh, MY! I don't think I realized that my friend Ellie, my other daughter's mom, was such a packrat~ it was very sad to go through all of her things this weekend with an eye to selling or giving them away. There were boxes and boxes of her precious sewing patterns, sheet music, fly fishing paraphanelia (Ellie used to tie flies for her brothers and those flies are incredible works of art), and her collected dolls and books....Lizzie can only keep so much of it, especially now that she has a life and a child of her own.

Now, I'm a pitcher. Even when editing, I've noticed I'm ruthless at cutting out parts that don't work for the story. And although I keep all those fragments until the book is published, I have no problem hitting the delete key.

As for the stuff around my house, if it's not been used for a year, tied down, or of enormous monetary or sentimental value, I'll throw it away with no remorse. My husband and my kids are the packrats of the family. And I must say that after going through all of the boxes this weekend, sorting what to keep, what to sell, what to give away, and what to throw away....My husband vowed to start going through all the boxes in the garage. Well, as soon as he has some shelves built for the stuff he needs to keep. Sigh.

So...are you a pitcher or a keeper??

Christmas in August???

Merry Christmas Comment Graphics


It certainly feels like it!

Tinsel Time was contracted by Cobblestone Press for the 12-days of Christmas series they are doing this year! Yeah! All my forms have been filled out and sent...Tinsel Time was a fun story to write ~ even the blurb was pretty easy!

And, I'm over halfway through my edits for The Werewolf Whisperer. When I first opened the file, I could feel the panic attack already. So much red!! But, once I got started, things started clicking. I figure with some dedicated time this weekend, I'll be able to send the first round back to my editor on Sunday.

I also managed to get 250 words written on Fool's Gold....and I have the final 3 scenes mapped out. I honestly think if I can escape to somewhere quiet for about 3 hours, I could almost finish the first draft.

Shutting the Door

I finished reading Stephen King's On Writing a few weeks ago. He talks about the importance of shutting the door when writing. Although he was speaking figuratively for the most part, it can also be taken literally.

For the past few weeks, life has been a bit rocky in our household. It started when my oldest daughter left to visit her biological father. He left our lives when she was two...and this is only the third summer that she's gone to spend time with him (she'd almost 14). So, in a way, it's like sending her off to stay with strangers for 3 weeks. I'm not as concerned about her this year as last year...but...

Then, one of my best friend's daughter is involved in a situation. Since my friend Ellie died two years ago and her husband moved out of state, we've sort-of adopted her daughter. She calls us for advice and help, which we dish out when needed. But (you saw that coming, didn't you)...there is a point where I can no longer help. The situation she is involved in is very similar to the one I went through when my husband left me and my child. So having this constant needle of reminder after ten years has really affected my state-of-mind. My wonderful husband gladly offered to handle the situation and I handed it over to him.

And I'm now being forced into a very uncomfortable situation. I have to shut the door on this. I don't want to avoid her calls or or visits. But I have my own life too. One that involves finishing writing Fool's Gold and working on the stack of edits that dropped in my inbox this morning.

So, I'm shutting the door...

In 300 words or less....

Well, I knew it was coming. I saved the form until the very last. Now, I have nothing else to fill out except for the dreaded "blurb" form. You know the one.

Describe the major conflict in 2-3 sentences. Okay, this one isn't so hard. But it's the next one that makes me cry. Condense a 7,000 (14,000, 32,000 or 100,000)-word novel into 300 words or less. Oh, and if that isn't good enough, it has to have spark, sizzle and sex appeal!

Sigh...I think writing the blurb is almost harder than writing the book!

Opportunity Knocks...

And if it doesn't, you just go right on ahead and bust the door down!

I just got notification that Dark Eden Press wants to contract Opportunity Knocks!

Yippeee, yahoo....now, back to your regularly scheduled writing!

Happy Harry Potter Day! (or the sacrifices we make for our kids)

Well, for all of you who picked up your copy of the last and final Harry Potter book, I say "happy reading".

I'm jealous.

I stood in line for hours last night (but I was smart and took my Alphasmart and worked on my WIP sitting on the sidewalk outside the bookstore) and purchased a copy.
It was oh-so-tempting to stay up all night and read it. But, I didn't.

Why? Well, because I had a 2-hour drive to get my daughter to the airport this morning. She had an 11:30 plane to catch to Florida to visit her bio dad for 3 weeks.
The kicker is...she took the book with her!!!

My daughter had better know how much I love her. Wah!

When life intervenes...

It's been a fruitless day for writing and life in general. I have two preschoolers and am in the throes of potty-training the youngest. He was doing sooooo well, only an accident every few days and really taking it on stride. Until two weeks ago...he fell off the wagon. Didn't want to go potty, didn't want to tell me when he had to go. We had to put him back in pull-ups and he was quite happy using them as a diaper.

So, this morning, we went back to remedial training. Every 15 minutes on the potty. Well...he pee'd through 4 pairs of undies and then proceeded to pee on the floor when I left him naked hoping that would help....

It also doesn't help that my 4-year old has only pooped on the potty twice in over a year. He waits until nap and then does his business in his pull-up. So...no pull-up for him today...and wet sheets and boyo after nap.

So, I'm very discouraged. .. my daughter was such a breeze to train that I don't even remember training her! I think she caught on and wore pull-ups for a few weeks, graduated to big girl panties and never looked back. I remember a couple of wet beds...but nothing like this!

Yeah, I know, this doesn't have a thing to do with writing...just life...

So, finding this quiz on the Divas of the Dark blog, I took it. I have to agree, fall is my favorite time of year. It's when the kids go back to school!!!!

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

The Inheritance

This is just a quick cross-promo for my other self.

I have a little story out in the summer issue of Spinetingler Magazine

It's called The Inheritance by .....Pam Skochinski

Fool's Gold Blurb

I snagged this from Yolanda's blog...she got it from glitter graphics. But it was a perfect bit of inspiration for the book I'm working on.

Fool's Gold

All her life, Rae Morgan tried to escape from Stallion Springs, a little town nestled in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains. She joined the Army and came back a changed woman. After losing her hand, all she wants to do is find a little peace while she puts her life back together. But peace is the last thing she finds while guiding tourists into the mountains. And along the way, she finds the treasure of the Superstitions isn't only gold.

Mica Hawke is only half-Apache. But when it comes to keeping a Native American treasure hidden deep within the mountains, he's all warrior. On the lookout a treasure map stolen fifty years ago, the last thing he expected to find was love.

I'm over at The Novelty Girls today talking about anticipation...waiting...and enjoying the journey!

(and not liking that I couldn't add a title to this post! What's up with that?)

Oh...and I may be very, very quiet this week as I'm participating in a book-in-a-week challenge...25K in one week. I did 12K....can I double it??? I'm gonna try!

Tinsel Time Blurb

Well -- my "final" reader (i.e., Mr. Scott) is reading and marking up Tinsel Time. I plan on hitting the submit button as soon as I've incorporated his changes.

So...here's a sneak peek. Enjoy!

How can an out-of work cop solve a cold case and keep the only living witness alive when he isn’t even sure she’s real?

Eighteen years ago, Tina “Tinsel” Christmas, escaped the clutches of a serial killer and was adopted by a most unlikely hero, Santa Claus. After Santa receives a death threat, Tinsel travels to New York to hire a sexy out-of-work cop as a body guard. Is it just a coincidence he is obsessed with the case? Or, can she learn to love and trust him…before it’s too late.

Noel Holiday’s been seeing things. Skeletons and witches on Halloween, werewolves at the full moon, pilgrims and Indians in Central Park on Thanksgiving. And now, a beautiful redhead driving a sleigh hires him to solve the notorious Santa Slayer killings. He’s on a collision course of love with this beautiful stranger while death lurks ever closer.

I've been Tagged

I was originally going to give you a sneak preview of my current WIP, Tinsel Time. But, instead, I get to bore you with eight things about me (bleh) ...

This weekend, I've also been thinking alot about story ideas for the BIAW challenge coming up July 9th. It's to be about "Ships that Pass in the Night". . . which then led to me thoughts of the Rascall Flatts song, Bless the Broken Road, which then led me to thoughts of how I got "here". Amazingly, I've had eight jobs (well, actually nine, but I dont' know if being a Kelly Girl counts) that led up to writing romantic suspense...

1) As soon as I was sixteen, I got a job working nights and weekends at Taco Gringo. It was an expanding chain in Illinois back in the late 70's and early 80's, but I think the only stores left are a few scattered around Southern Illinois. I'll just say I can roll a really mean burrito! The only writing-related duties I had was to replace the little push letters on the menu board!

2) While I was in college, I worked spring breaks and summer vacations at a warehouse place that assembled sandwiches to sell at 7/11 stores. I stood on an assembly line (kid you not) and plonked lunch meat, frozen patties, etc. onto bread for 8-9 hours a day in 55-degree temperatures while my classmates splashed at the pool and sunbathed. . .Nothing writing related here. . .except to note that there were LOTS of typos on those sandwich labels!

3) After college, I got a really glamourous job working for Frito-Lay. I examined corn kernels and tested grain for pesticides at a grain elevator out in the middle of nowhere. No free chips for us! However, I began writing up procedures for a test manual. Kind-of like cookbook chemistry. Take 1 cup corn...

4) After I got married, we needed money. But, I was in a new city and didn't know where to apply. So. . .I did the next best thing, I was a Kelly girl! I worked temporary jobs all over the city. I didn't make much money, but I learned my way around...fast! Now here, I got to type, enter data, and even worked for a paint company.

5) My next job gets really spicy. I worked at the University of Louisville KY Eye Research Lab. . .I was a lab tech in charge of doing vile things to bunnies' eyeballs. I did just a tiny bit of writing here. Mostly documenting all the vile things I'd done to the bunnies' eyeballs!

6) Still at the UofL, but at the Brown Cancer Center, I did cancer research trial data gathering. Still no dedicated writing, but I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about cancer, cancer treatments, and medical billing. Bleh.

7)Still at the Brown Cancer Center, my next job was in a laboratory working with rats. Step one, induce tumors. Step two, treat tumors. Step three, write up results. Yep, here I got my first REAL writing credit on a technical paper along with my boss and all the lab employees. I wrote the background and introduction!

8)I moved with my then-husband to California where I worked for a local Air Force contractor as a technical editor. I learned lots about the history of the area, how airplanes work, and learned to run a Docutech. If I needed to, I could work at Kinkos!

9) My last job before I decided to take up fiction writing full-time was as a technical writer. Now, I don't have an engineering degree. . . so, I would write a up template for the engineers to fill in. I'd use their test plans to write up everything except the results. Then. . .once they were done, I got to turn it over to the technical editor to polish.

So....that's the story of MY broken road that led me to where I am today.

What's yours?

Oh. . . and I'm tagging Lacey, Jacqueline, TJ, Debra, Lady Leigh, Lenora Bell, and Maggie, and CM.

Tinsel Time

....nope, it's not Christmas. At least not here in the high desert. In fact, we're sweltering in heat, wind, and fire warnings.

But, for the last week, it's been cold and snowy and Christmasy in New York. Which is where my contemporary romantic suspense, Tinsel Time, is set.

Now, when I started outlining and writing this story, it was supposed to be about the elves hiring a body guard for Santa, getting him to the North Pole, and then getting him in bed with my heroine, Tinsel. But, darn it all, no one cooperated. Not even Santa.

But, I'm really happy with the way the story turned out. Once I get it a bit more polished, I'll post some teasers.

It was one of my days to go to the library today. I got in over 2000 words and typed THE END to the first draft. I've also been making lots of notes over the last week, so I now know what tweaks I need to make to the story to get it to gel from beginning to end. The only thing, I think I need to add a bit more sex. . . so there might be an additional scene under the tree on Christmas day (oh, la, la!)

I hope to have it polished up and submitted in time to start the BIAW challenge on Main Street at Cobblestone Press. It's to be a story of ships passing in the night. . . then wham, bam, crash, boom. . . love. . .

And somewhere in there, I want to work in one more In The Cards proposal.

Hey Santa! I know what I want for Christmas this year~ 25 hours a day, or an extra day in the week, or a clone, or...

Romance and the ever popular. . . .Lust

Blame THE Deanna Lee for this one!




Oh, and I'm over at the Novelty Girls on Sunday talking about a room to write. Stop on by!

Tarnished Tinsel

Well. . .I've been struggling with a proposal for Cobblestone's tarot card call for submissions.

So, on my weekly foray to the library, I thought I would go ahead and outline the Christmas story I was planning on writing for the BIAW challenge starting July 9th. Well, I started outlining. . . then started writing. I managed to put 2500 words on paper (well, pixels on screen) and think I could probably almost finish the first draft by the end of the weekend!

But, then, darn it all. I'll have to come up with something else to write for the BIAW challenge. Sigh.

I'll sneak in the tag line for Tarnished Tinsel:

When Santa receives death threats, the elves hire a body guard. Too bad Noel Holiday doesn't believe in Santa, elves, or love.

Mrs. Giggles on Crystal Clear

Well -- Mrs. Giggles reviewed Crystal Clear. I'll just say that she was less than impressed with my tale. You can read her review here.

Update on Word Count

Well -- my two forays to the library netted me 4800 words! A big improvement over the 500 words a day I have been managing to put in for the last few months!

I went to work today. . .

This morning, I got up doing the happy dance. Why? Because at 9 am I was going to work.

Oh, not a job, per se. But for my birthday, my hubby gave me babysitting. I have four hours, two days a week, to leave the house, go somewhere, and write.

It was heavenly.

My first stop was the local coffee house to pick up a caramel frappachino. Yummy. I sipped it in the car as I drove to the beauty shop. I treated myself to a haircut and style. Now, I was ready! Next stop was the library. I returned the books I'd read, donated a couple from daughter's room from when she cleaned, and then made my way to a study carrol at the back.

It was wonderful, quiet. . .well, until two girls stopped at a nearby table and began to study Romeo and Juliet out loud (okay, they mostly talked about boys). Then some of my neighbors stopped by to admire our new lawn (we had rocks and some landscaping installed earlier this week). Then, when checking out (hey I found a couple of books I hadn't read yet), I ran into the "Storytime Crowd" who all wanted to know where the boys were, why I was there by myself, etc. Lots of questions from the under 5 year old crowd who just couldn't believe I was there 'working".

And now, the really great part. . . I get to go back tomorrow.

Found this on Crystal Jordan's Blog

It's incredibly hot today and I missed the ice cream truck. This was the best alternative. Sigh. . .

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Are you entered?

Samhain Publishing Best First Line Contest

Thanks to inspiration from the Romance Divas and author Karin Tabke,Samhain Publishing is going to be holding a Best First Line contest on our blog (http://www.samhainpublishing.com/blog).

Starting Monday, June 4th at 8am Eastern, authors are invited to leave the first line of a previously unpublished work (of 12,000 words or more) in the comments of the Best First Line blog post. The contest is open to published and unpublished authors not currently contracted with Samhain Publishing.

On Friday, June 8th at noon Eastern, we will close the comments and no more entrants will be admitted into the contest. Only those who enter by posting on our first line contest blog post between 8:00 a.m. EST, June 4th 2007 and 12:00 Noon EST, June 8th will be eligible to participate in the first line contest.

Samhain editors will choose a group of entrants for the next round and the "winning" first lines will be posted on Monday, June 11th.

There's more info/rules on the blog~ Good luck!

Crystal Clear Hits #5 On Cobblestone's Bestseller List for May!

It's not the NY Times Bestseller List. . . but I'm tickled PINK!

Also, today (June 3rd), Cobblestone Press is holding a Contest Parade on Main Street. Pop on by. . .there's author contests galore over there. And who knows, you,too, could win a copy of MY bestselling title. . . Crystal Clear!

And I won. . .

Nothing. . . nada. . . not a darn thing, darn it all anyway.

Brenda Novak's auction was a big success though! I donated a copy of Crystal Clear, a mousepad, and a crystal suncatcher. . . I hope the winner enjoys it!


However, I did come away with one thing. The determination to save money for NEXT year's auction!

MY FIRST REVIEW FOR CRYSTAL CLEAR

And yes, it deserved to be shouted.

Crystal Clear got 4.5 hearts from The Romance Studio!

Here's what Karen H. had to say. . .

"What a fun book! It is a fast-paced, quick read with suspenseful tension and sexual tension that will keep you on the edge of your seat and rocking...You get gratifying sex and a suspenseful murder mystery; it doesn’t get any better than that!"

To read the whole review, click here!

Books, and Excerpts, and Blogs. . . Oh My!

In honor of it's first anniversary, Cobblestone Press is being featured on Dark Ice Goddess' Musings.

Stop by, read some great excerpts, chat with the authors (including me), and watch that TBR pile grow!

A Heroic Effort. . .

Lots of great names for my hero. . . one stood out from all the rest. Delphi. . .it's unusual, has some mythological meaning, has a sexy short nickname (Del) and fits what I was looking for!

Thanks TessaD! I'll be contacting you about the gift certificate.

I'm a Novelite!

I'll be joining the novelty girls for an occasional Sunday post. I'm wracking my brains, as this Sunday is my Sunday, and I want to come up with some theme to tie all my blog posts together.

Name that Hero

Pick a name, any name.

I need a name for my hero in Wild Ghost Chase. He's tall (aren't all heroes?), with wavy blond hair, green eyes, and a devastating smile. And, he's nameless. Now is your chance to share your favorite heroic name.

The catch. . .his "real" name is Jason Newsome (see-- told you it would change). . . but he has recreated himself as a one-name psychic detective. . . so I need something catchy and unusual. Something that sums up mystery, sex, and the supernatural!

Just leave the name in the comments. I'm taking any and all suggestions up until Friday May 25th-- Oh, and if I pick yours, you'll win a $5 gift certificate from Cobblestone Press.

Today is THE DAY!

Well -- the day has finally arrived and so has a sense of calm (thank goodness)!

Crystal Clear is available from Cobblestone Press! BUY LINK

I've got an "adult" excerpt out on my website if anyone is interested!

______________________________

And on a disappointing note, I've been outbid on all but one item on Brenda Novack's auction site. . . so, no critique for me from Lori Handeland. . . sigh. However, I'm keeping all the money I saved in reserve for the one item I'm winning. Plus, there are some cool fire sales (one day auctions) coming up over the next couple of weeks. . . so I may try bidding on a couple of those too.

Oh, boy, I may just have to hide the checkbook from my husband!

So. . . what do you worry about?

Well. . . two more days until Crystal Clear is released and I'm a wreck!

I know, I'm supposed to be excited. . .and I am, with the same excitement you feel in that dream, you know the one where you're taking a final exam that day and you didn't even realize you'd enrolled for the course! I think I missed the class "How to be a Published Author"

Just to list what I'm worrying about:

1) What if no one buys the book?
2) What if the people who buy it, hate it?
3) What if I get horrible reviews?
4) What if, what if, what if. . .

And yes, ALL of those things are out of my control. I've tried worrying about the things I can control, and I've been "out there" promoting the book, getting my name out on lists, and blogging until everyone is simply sick of the name Ericka Scott. . .

I've heard it said that the best way to promo a book is to write another one. . .and I can't write because I'm worrying too much! Argh!

So. . . what do you worry about that is totally beyond your control?

Tag -- I'm IT

Okay, I've been tagged

Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

OK - 8 Random Facts/Habits About Me:


1. I'm an only child. It sucked then and it really sucks now. Thank goodness my husband has brothers and sisters!

2. My favorite movie is "Don't Tell Her it's Me" starring a very young Steve Guttenberg. It's about a romance novelist and her brother who's just recovering from cancer treatments. She remakes him into a total hottie to set him up with a woman he has a crush on. I used to watch it and think "Oh, I want to write a book like this one day. . ." and now I am. . .sooooo coool!

3. I have trouble saying "no" -- except to my kids. We have a game asking what sounds popular animals say. You know "what does a cat say? meow. What does a dog say? woof. What does Mommy say? ~ you guessed it "no"

4. When it comes to birthday cakes -- just give me the icing ~ and it has to be the rot-your-teeth, oh-so-sweet, buttercream frosting.

5. I have bid f-a-r too much money at Brenda Novak's auction site (shhhhh, don't tell my husband!) I set a limit and then doubled it (edited to add that I've now tripled it because I found something else super cool to bid on!). . . I found out Lori Handeland is donating a critique of the first three chapters of a manuscript!

6. I have three children and NONE of them are biologically related to my husband. . . and they all three have different mothers!

7. I'm very geeky. I love learning how to update my own website, make video trailers, and operate new software. The problem? I "just do it". . .and hate to read the manuals/help files.

8. And, my secret sin...well, lets just say that when I go grocery shopping for the family, I always buy something that never makes it home -- it's also Stephanie Plum's favorite comfort food -- you guessed it... a doughnut!

Since absolutely everyone I know has already been tagged for this. . . I haven't a clue who to tag. But, if I win Lori Handeland's critique, maybe I'll tag her!

Branding

I've been reading a lot recently about how important "branding" is to an author.

And, I really didn't have much more than a cute phrase "Making Mischief with Ericka Scott"

My original website was very erotic. . .but I don't write erotica, I write paranormal suspense with erotic elements. . . so, I started surfing the web last night. You know how that can be. I was looking for an image that I thought summed up "making mischief" and found lots of elf/pixie prints. Well, close, but not quite. Then I stumbled upon Enchanting Designs. The main picture took my breath away.

So, for many happy hours (instead of writing), I updated my website. I really like the look and feel of my new home(and the best part is it was a free template!).

Some of the pages (like the reviews where I have none, and the links) still need work. I've decided I want to do banner links if at all possible. So, over the next few weeks, I'll be scouting out banners and updating that page.

But, if you have a chance, take a peek, tell me what you think. Oh, and if you find a link that doesn't seem to work, let me know!

Newsletter Contest!

Hi, over there, on your right is a little box to subscribe to my newsletter. If you subscribe, I'll enter your name into the pot for a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com (or Barnes and Noble, your choice). Then, on May 18th, when Crystal Clear releases from Cobblestone Press, I'll draw a name out of the pot to win!

If you are already subscribed, you have a double chance of winning.

I'll never use your e-mail for anything except the newsletter (pinky promise). . .

So, go ahead, press that button. You know you want to!

Crystal Clear Video Trailer

Creating these things are just w-a-y too much fun! Hope you enjoy!

Going Once. . . going twice. . .

I'm sure by now you know about Brenda Novak's auction on her site to benefit Juvenile Diabetes.

Well, what you might not know is that this is YOUR opportunity to get an e-copy of Crystal Clear (on CD and I'll even sign the coverart on the jewelcase), a Crystal Clear mousepad, and a lovely crystal ball suncatcher. All you have to do is be the highest bidder at the end of May.

Brenda has a ton of other very cool donated items in her auction too. . . so, go check it out (just don't bid against me!! LOL)