Winners!
The giveaway to celebrate the upcoming release of Eddie’s Prize is in full swing. Congrats to the winners of the 5th, 4th and 3rd prizes. They were:
Carrie – 5th prize
Tara B – 4th Prize
Rae G – 3rd Prize
It’s not too late to join in if you’d like to win a silver key on a 16″ chain or the grand prize of a hand crafted afghan, a coffee mug featuring all four of the Liquid Silver book covers. Both of these cme with an ARC of Eddie’s Prize. This giveaway is open only to those on my newseltter list. For a chance to win, sign up for my newsletter HERE.
And the Winner of the Fifth Prize Is …
Carrie!
Congrats, Carrie!
I have emailed Carrie and will send her the ARC of Eddie’s Prize. I will send the entry for Prize #4, another ARC of Eddie’s Prize. The winner will be selected by Random.org on Sunday night. Good luck!
Win an ARC of Eddie’s Prize! (plus other great prizes!)
It’s coming soon!
A drawing for wonderful prizes like …
*This sterling silver little key necklace!
*And a hand crocheted afghan made by yours truly!
*And a few of these mugs, featuring all four of my covers from Liquid Silver Books!
*And some Advanced Readers Copies of Eddie’s Prize!
Five great drawings!
March 8 is for the 5th prize=an ARC of Eddie’s Prize.
March 10 is for the 4th prize= an ARC of Eddie’s Prize.
March 12 is for the 3rd prize= an ARC of Eddie’s Prize + a coffee mug.
March 14th is for 2nd prize=an ARC of Eddie’s Prize + a coffee mug + the silver key necklace.
March 16th is for the Grand Prize=an ARC of Eddie’s Prize + a coffee mug w/coffee, tea and hot chocolate + the afghan.
The entry form will be available only to the folks who receive my newsletter. If you’d like a chance to enter, you can sign up here.
Eddie’s Prize Ready for Pre-Order
Eddie’s Prize will be released on March 18, 2013, for $5.99, but if you Pre-Order it from the publisher it will be 20% off. Go here and scroll down to Eddie’s Prize.
Tuesday Teaser Feb 19: Wolf’s Prize
Late as usual, but better late than never, right? Here is a snip from Ellie and Quill’s story.
After they ate, Quill spoke to the men in a low voice. A few glances were directed her way, accompanied by nods and smiles. In only a few minutes most of the men melted into the darkness, taking Tommy and Connor with them. Only Snake and Stone stayed to watch over Sara and Mel while they cleaned the dishes. Ellie moved to join them, but Quill stepped in front of her.
“Let’s walk for a few minutes before bed.”
Ellie swallowed and nodded. They were alone. It didn’t frighten her, exactly. She draped the blanket over her shoulders like a wrap against the chilly air of the evening and walked beside him out of their small camp. “Where did everyone go?”
He put an arm around her waist. “They’re not far. I asked them to give us a little time alone.”
Alone. In the dark. With Quill. Ellie tried to slow her breathing. “Why?”
He pulled her to a stop and lifted her hands to his mouth to kiss each palm.”You know why. You brought a blanket.”
Eddie’s Prize Cover Reveal!
At last I can show you the cover for Eddie’s Prize! The artist is Lyn Taylor, who also did the covers for the rest of the series. She is very talented. I really love this one! This will be relased on March 18, but I will be having a drawing for some prizes (including, of course, a couple of ARCs of Eddie’s Prize) during the second week of March. To learn more, join my newsletter.
Teaser Tuesday, Feb 12
Eddie’s Prize comes out in a little over a month. At last! I am hoping to be able to show off the cover art soon. I saw the first draft of it and I think it is beautiful.
Here is a snip from Eddie’s Prize. Christmas Eve 2064:
Eddie washed dishes as she tidied up the kitchen. Through the kitchen window Lisa could see snow falling through the dark night. It was a scene out of an old fashioned Christmas card.
“It’s pretty,” she said. At Eddie’s raised brow she elaborated. “The snow. We didn’t get snow in California. It makes it seem a little more like Christmas.”
He hung up the dish towel to dry. “It’s Christmas Eve. Our first Christmas together.” His kiss was gentle. “I know you were a little disappointed to not be able to go see your friend, but I wanted you to myself this time.”
Lisa’s hands framed his face. “Carla is a good friend, but Christmas is for families. You’re my family.”
“Come to bed,” he breathed.
She giggled when he swept her up and carried her to their bed. “I should brush my teeth before bed,” she mock protested.
“Tomorrow.” He peeled her clothes off her with careful haste.
She kicked her feet to rid her legs of the jeans still clinging. “I should wash my face,” she teased.
He made short work of his own clothing. “Tomorrow,” he repeated.
Why Romance?
Last Monday a gal at work who had just learned that I write asked me why I write romance. She didn’t sound uppity or holier-than-thou, but was genuinely curious. Usually when someone says “Why do you read romance?” they obviously think their choice of reading material is infinitely more classy than your trashy romance. I didn’t get that vibe from her. She said didn’t care for the romance genre. She found it a bit shallow and predictable, but she knew a lot of people who loved reading romance and wondered why. I stammered and said I liked it.
Brilliant answer, right?
Well, I think I know why now. Last Thursday and Friday I listened on CD to Jaycee Lee Dugard’s memoir, A Stolen Life. Miss Dugard was 11 years old when she was kidnapped and held captive for 18 years. It was painful to listen to her horrible experiences at the hands of her mentally disturbed captors. Today I watched a special about Jonestown, where over 900 people commited suicide and were murdered because of a mentally disturbed eogmaniac. After three days in a row of hearing and seeing such painful things I was feeling depressed. And then it came to me why I love romance.
Because there are happily ever afters. Because love heals all wounds. Because a romance story ends on a high note. Hope is realized in a romance story.
How about you? Why do you read romance?
A Weekend Present For My Readers
I am currently engaged in edits for Eddie’s Prize. They are pretty intense but I think it’s going very well. I am sometimes swamped in embarrassment when my editor gently points out the third (or tenth) time I have made the same poor word choice. Thank goodness for editors! Any author who thinks they don’t need one is an idiot.
To celebrate, here is another short teaser from Eddie’s Prize:
Eddie woke suddenly, shocked it was broad daylight. He flung the covers back and lunged up in bed. A voice said “Oof!” as his elbow landed in a soft stomach. What—? Lisa! He had been well and thoroughly loved last night by his bride. He had loved her thoroughly, too. Their first time together had been a blur of desperate urgency. The second time …What a delight it was to be married to such a beautiful and creative woman. This was their honeymoon. They had no chores to get up for, nothing to do but get to know each other. He grinned down at her startled expression and watched it melt into a satisfied smile. They could stay in bed all day with no one to complain over their laziness. The thought had its appeal. He kissed her flat tummy in apology, and let his lips travel gradually north.
“Good morning, Mrs. Edward Madison,” he murmured against her throat. “Can you think of any reason we need to get out of bed today?”
Lisa stretched and rubbed against him. “Why?” she teased. “Was there something you needed to do in bed today? Catch up on your sleep? Or—” She dissolved in giggles when he fluttered his fingertips over her ribs. “Hey! Stop! I’m ticklish!”
Tuesday Truth: Edits
I received my edits for Eddie’s Prize last night, so I’ll be busy editing rather than writing for the next week.
Some of my author friends tell me editing can be the hardest part of writing. A lot of writers dread doing edits. Personally, I love edits. Edits correct my punctuation and grammar. (Seems like no matter how hard I try, I always need a ton of corrections when it comes to punctuation) Edits help me see what I can improve. Edits make my story better.
That’s not to say that I don’t quail when I open the file and see all the red. And that’s not to say that I agree with every suggestion my editor makes. I suspect that most writers are a little sensitive when it comes to our “babies”. These stories are part of us, pieces of our hearts, so it’s natural to be defensive when an editor tells us that something needs to be changed. But before we get upset when we first open our edits, we need to step back and see the big picture. Editors are not enemies. They want our book to be as good as it can be. Trust them to do their job.
When working on edits I suggest doing to easy things first. Accept a comma insertion, delete a redundant word, re-phrase an awkward sentence, etc. Wait and really think about the things that you want to argue about. If you still feel strongly after honest consideration, then go ahead and email your editor. Tell him politely why you disagree with his suggested change. Try to work out an acceptable solution. A few authors I know on Romance Divas have had to ask for a change in editor. Sometimes an editor and author just don’t mesh. That should be a last resort.
So, I’m off to see what changes my editor has suggested to make Eddie’s Prize the best it can be. Happy Tuesday!
