Man Meat Monday

I just love all the...curves. Yeah, that's it, he's curvy. LOL

Friday Funny

A boy comes down to breakfast. Since his family lives on a farm, his mother asks if he has done his chores.

"Not yet, Momma," said the little boy.

His mother tells him no breakfast until he does his chores. Well, he’s a little pissed, so he goes to feed the chickens, and he kicks a chicken.

He goes to feed the cows, and he kicks a cow. He goes to feed the pigs, and he kicks a pig. He goes back in for breakfast and his mother gives him a bowl of dry cereal.

"How come I don’t get any eggs and bacon? Why don’t I have any milk in my cereal?" he asks.

"Well," his mother says, "I saw you kick a chicken, so you don’t get any eggs for a week. I saw you kick the pig, so you don’t get any bacon for a week either. I also saw you kick the cow, so for a week you aren’t getting any milk."

Just then, his father comes down for breakfast and kicks the cat halfway across the kitchen. The boy looks up at his mother with a smile, and says: "Are you going to tell him, or should I?"


(Thanks, Colleen!)

A Rose By Any Other Name...

I'm having a devil of a time landing on just the right name for the hero of my current work in progress. I've been calling him Tobias, which seemed all right, but with a secondary character named Dante...well, "Dante" is just more of a hero's name than "Tobias". (Plus "Tobias" is the name of the FBI guy on NCIS, and...yeah, no. Not what I have in mind for the vampire hero of my book. LOL)

I find I have a hard time moving my writing forward when I don't have a name that works. Because I don't have a good handle on the character if I don't have the right name. (In Daring the Moon, for example, Ryder actually started out as Damon Tarleton. I like Ryder Merrick much better!)

So I'm perusing my Character Naming Sourcebook last night, writing down names that I like and that sound good with the last name I've chosen (which I don't want to change). I think I've settled on one, and to explain why it's not exactly a name that would have been used (probably) in the South in around 1830 or so, the name is a family name (most likely his mother's maiden name).

I think that'll work.

Oh, and the name? Rafferty. Last name's a secret. LOL

Available Now! BELONG TO THE NIGHT

Wanna know where the real wild things are…and what they like to do there?

Belong To The Night



City Of The Dead by Sherrill Quinn

Dori Falcon is a witch with a plan: get to New Orleans, locate her missing brother, and recover the Eye of Bastet, a mysterious and powerful amulet. Her plan never included falling for sexy Cajun cop Jake Boudreau; but without his help, she may never find the demon who has her brother, and the key to her family’s survival.

The Wolf, The Witch, And Her Lack Of Wardrobe by Shelly Laurenston

Jamie Meacham has enough trouble controlling her supernatural abilities. There’s no time for lust, or for Tully Smith, even with his smoldering amber eyes. But Tully’s grappling with his own animal instincts as a powerful shifter-wolf, trying to protect all his territory—including a certain sassy witch—from vicious rivals.

In The Dark by Cynthia Eden

FBI agent and leopard shifter Sadie James’ undead ex, Liam, still arouses her deepest desires, distracting her from tracking the brutal rogue shifter who is terrorizing Miami. By teaming up with Liam, Sadie has a better chance of solving the case, but as passion consumes them, she stands to lose more than just her heart.


RECOMMENDED READ from TwoLips Reviews: "In Sherrill Quinn’s City of the Dead you meet Jake and Dori. They are two steamy lovers you have to meet, they are special and in search of a demon. When love and demon hunting combine you get chemistry off the charts!

The three stories of Belong to the Night are all very powerful compelling reads... When you want action adventure, love lost and love found you want Belong to the Night. This novel will make you want more of the creatures that go bump in the night and the mates that love them."


And the Romantic Times gives Belong to the Night 4 Stars: "Laurenston's story is humorous and has a mix of entertaining characters. Eden's and Quinn's tales are the real winners, with great character development and well thought-out paranormal aspects -- in addition to featuring second chances at love, and hot sex. Overall, this is a really great read."


Available now at Kensington Books.

Tipsy Tuesday

I'm departing from writing tips today to leave you a refreshing drink tip. It's very refreshing, and very simple.

Pour yourself a glass of 7-Up (or Diet 7-Up if you prefer), add Bacardi Watermelon Rum (amount depends on your taste), sit back, sip and enjoy.

Have a great Tuesday!

Man Meat Monday

Love a cowboy with chaps and a big...belt buckle...

Friday Funny

LOL!

Romance Lit Statistics

Romance Writers of America lists these interesting stats on their website, from a survey done in May of this year, reflecting numbers from 2008:

74.8 million people read at least one romance novel.

There are 29 million regular readers of romance.

24.6 percent of all Americans read a romance novel last year, versus 21.8 percent in 2005.

Women make up 90.5 percent of the romance readership; men make up 9.5 percent.

The average reader is aged 31-49 and is in a romantic relationship.

91 percent are likely to seek out an author's previously published titles after reading a novel from an author they like.

45.1 percent were not aware that authors receive no royalty payment for the purchase of used books.

Tipsy Tuesday

Before you let the excitement of being published carry you away, think long and hard before you sign a contract to self-publish, and know exactly what you're getting into. Self-pubbed authors have no publisher backing (i.e., no promotion at all), and many booksellers won't order copies of the books because they can't be returned under the normal system where they strip the covers and send unsold books back to the publisher for a credit. Sometimes self-publishing may be the way to go, but if you're looking to build a writing career, which includes building solid sales numbers, think twice.

Man Meat Monday

Another of my favs:




Got milk?

Friday Funny

Cash for Clunkers?


If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish, and my paint job is getting a little dull. But that's not the worst of it. My headlights are out of focus, and it's especially hard to see things up close.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins. It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.


But here's the worst of it --

Almost every time I sneeze, cough or laugh, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.

CASH FOR CLUNKERS..........I QUALIFY - How about You?

New Review for BELONG TO THE NIGHT

4 Stars from Romantic Times: "Laurenston's story is humorous and has a mix of entertaining characters. Eden's and Quinn's tales are the real winners, with great character development and well thought-out paranormal aspects--in addition to featuring second chances at love, and hot sex. Overall, this is a really great read."


Available for pre-order at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders and Amazon.

Tipsy Tuesday

Be true to your point of view.

What do I mean? Let's look at the opening paragraph in the new Nikki Heat novel, penned by a ghost author writing as Richard Castle. (This is a novel that's tied to Nathan Fillion's show, Castle--which, by the way, I really enjoy!)

It was always the same for her when she arrived to meet the body. After she unbuckled her seat belt, after she pulled a stick pen from the rubber band on the sun visor, after her long fingers brushed her hip to feel the comfort of her service piece, what she always did was pause. Not long. Just the length of a slow deep breath. That's all it took for her to remember the one thing she will never forget. Another body waited. She drew the breath. And when she could feel the raw edges of the hole that had been blown in her life, Detective Nikki Heat was ready. She opened the car door and went to work.

First, let me say I think this is a great opening paragraph. My nitpick comes in just one area. "...after her long fingers brushed her hip..."

Because we're in Nikki's point of view, personal descriptors are out of place, in my opinion. If you take this and flip it into first person, would Nikki think/say "...after my long fingers brushed my hip..."? I think she'd just think/say "...after my fingers brushed my hip..." Descriptors of Nikki would come from either another character while we're in his/her point of view or, if the entire book is in her point of view, given in another way. But, having said that, do we need to know her fingers are long?

What do you think?

Man Meat Monday

Growwwwwwf!

Friday Funny

Facts About Old Men and Women

Q: Where can guys over 65 find youthful, pretty women who are interested in dating them?
A: Look in the library--under Romantic Fiction.

Q: How can a guy cope during his wife's menopause?
A: By staying busy. If you're mechanically inclined, you can remodel the garage. When you are finished you will have a flat in which to live.

Q: How can a woman raise the heart rate of her 65+ year old spouse?
A: She should tell him she's with child.

Q: What can an older woman do for the wrinkles on her neck?
A: Don't wear a brassiere. The additional hanging "weights" will take out the wrinkles.

Q: How can older people remember where they parked their cars?
A: Use the Valet service. They have to remember where your car is.

Q: Do older people have problems storing their short term memories?
A: No, they have problems retrieving the memories from storage.

Q: Do older people have deeper sleep?
A: They do, but normally their deep sleep happens in the afternoon

Q: Where can older people find prescription eye glasses?
A: On top of their heads.

Q: What is the most often used sentence uttered by older people when they visit antique shops?
A: "Gee, I have one of these."


These would be a lot funnier if they weren't true...and if I wasn't experiencing some of it... LOL

Mass Market Release of DARING THE MOON

I received the cover flats yesterday for the mass market release of DARING THE MOON, scheduled for February. Check it out:


I love it! :)

Tipsy Tuesday

For the serious writer:

• Writing is about learning from every book you write what you could have done better so that the next time you do it differently
• You have to be serious about your writing before you can expect anyone else to be.
• The first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Get something down, and then you can fix it.
• Publishers, especially in this economy, are not going to give you an advance for a book you haven't written.
• Keep writing. While you're waiting for your book to find a home, start the next one.
• You have to write something that you feel passionate about.

Happy writing!

Man Meat Monday

Lookie what I caught! LOL