Sunday, September 30, 2007

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.

Monday, September 24, 2007

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~

Sunday, September 23, 2007

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...

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

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!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

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...

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007

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!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

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.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

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...

Monday, September 3, 2007

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!