Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Humpday! Whatever you may be celebrating today, I hope it is joyful and fun. I hope you're with someone you love, or at least like a whole lot, and I wish you peace and goodwill.

My Christmas morning began at 5:01 am (the girls said let me sleep in an extra minute) and ended about 7:30 am for a quick nap. I'm awake again now and will be crawling back into the editing cave for a bit. If I don't check in again before next week, then I wish everyone a Happy New Year's too!

Final NaNoWriMo update of 2013

Today is December 1st, which means NaNoWriMo has officially ended. Final word count: 35,016. So, no I didn't win again this year. But here is why I'm okay with that.

It's all about choices. I realized about a week ago that I still had a chance at winning NaNo if I really buckled down and got to writing. But what did that mean exactly? It meant doing almost nothing over my Thanksgiving Holiday break from work but writing. I'm a married mother of four. There's no such thing as doing nothing but writing in my life except in small hard-earned sprints. Sure, I could've been a real bitch and made it happen. I could've told my husband he had to make Thanksgiving dinner, and told my daughters there would be no shopping done until next weekend. There were plenty of opportunities for me to shove everyone who is important to me away and lock the door to my room so I could make the 50,000 word count by 11:59 pm last night. But no. That's not who I am.

Now, don't get me wrong. I wholeheartedly respect every single writer who made it. I could've been a lot better earlier in the month and not needed the crunch at the end. But honestly, that's just not how I write. I write when the mood strikes me at the same time I have a free moment. Yeah, that miracle combination doesn't always happen. So, I'll try again next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Who knows. One year it could happen. For now I'll take my 35, 016 word manuscript and keep adding to it until I'm satisfied it's a finished product. I'll also have fond memories of Thanksgiving week from Black Friday Shopping, Christmas tree hunting, cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and overall spending time with my family. 

NaNo Week Three Update

As of the writing of this post I'm waaaaayy behind on my NaNoWriMo word count. However, I do have today off of work, so I'm hoping to catch up a bit.

NaNo always happens at the worst time of year. With the Thanksgiving holiday comes a lot of responsibilities for me as a mom to four students. There are band events, school plays, book fairs, meetings, fall festivals, and so much more. I've had a lot of running around to do. Still, If I were to be completely honest with myself, I'd admit my word count would be higher if Facebook didn't exist. Of course, then I'd just find a different site to play around on.

Anyway, my current word count as of the end of today should be 36,673. I'm sitting at 14,670. Yeah. Over 22,000 words need to be written in the next twelve hours. My best is usually 2,000 per hour if I really go at it hard. So, the 22k isn't happening today. But I am hoping to hit 40,007 by the end of Sunday. That's about 8,445 words per day over the next three days. It could happen.

Want a little taste of what I'm working on? Here ya go:

(unedited excerpt from Crossing Death)

None of the men so much as blinked until another man walked up behind them. He wore black cargo pants and a black t-shirt that looked ready to pop from his bulging muscles. The blond hair on his head was cut military short. He came to an abrupt halt behind the armed men and used two fingers to give Rex a quick salute. ‘T-Rex. I see you got your package here safe and sound.”

“You doubted me, Mad Max?” Rex asked with obvious amusement.

Max didn’t even crack a smile. “Never, brother. Never.”

With that he spun on his heel and the other men lowered their weapons. Rex chuckled and motioned for Jana to follow Max. Doubts assailed her as to whether that was a good idea, but it did beat the alternative. She was safely tucked away underground behind a brick wall, chain-link fence, and amongst heavily armed men. Yeah, she’d go where Rex told her to go.

Max led them into what looked like the control room. Television screens lined one wall and appeared to show the entire perimeter of the prison. One view was from a guard tower. It was high enough to make her dizzy so she quickly looked away. Fluorescent bulbs that had long ago been outlawed in WH lit the room with a yellow tint. Max settled into a chair at a long, rectangular table. Rex sat in one of the other nine chairs and she sat beside him.

“So,” Max began. “What brings you to my neck of the woods, T-Rex? You only stop on your way to the big D if you run into trouble.” He blatantly eyed Jana up and down. “Have you?”

He was a good looking guy but something about him gave her the creeps. She fought the urge to move her chair closer to Rex. He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair, throwing his arm over the back of hers. “In a way. Jana was ejected from WH but we don’t know why. I was hoping you could help us figure it out.”

She fought the urge to look at him, though she wondered about his lie. They knew exactly why she’d been ejected, even if he swore it wasn’t the truth.

Max rubbed his chin and looked her over again. “Payment?”

“The usual.”

He shook his head. “I don’t need ammunition right now, my friend. In fact, I’m craving something…a little more delicate.”

Rex’s hand settled on her shoulder and he pulled her close to his side. She didn’t fight him. He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You know I don’t like to share.”

Max tensed and beneath the table Jana barely made out Rex slipping a pistol from his waistband. He settled it in his lap. She still gripped his knife in her hand and prayed she wouldn’t need to use it. Finally Max smiled and his shoulders dropped the slightest bit.

 “Yeah, you bastard, I remember.”

NaNo Week Two Update

Today marks week two of NaNoWriMo. My word count should be sitting somwhere around 25,004 by the end of the day. I'm too embarrassed to admit exactly what it is, but will say it's only a fraction of that count. Life, as usual, has gotten in the way of my writing. I'll admit I could be doing better with my time management skills. Hopefully the second half of the month will run more smoothly. We shall see.

And you? Are you writing like crazy this month too? If so, I wish you the best of luck with your word count.

Readers n'Ritas 2013

I'm not exactly an avid convention or conference attendee. To be honest, leaving home for more than twenty-four hours takes months of planning and logistical skills any engineer would be proud of. So, when something close to home pops up for a weekend and the hubby is okay with letting me loose, I run as fast as I can to get there.

This event is a small, intimate reader's convention with a cap of about 200 people. That means all weekend readers get to rub elbows with authors and spend some one-on-one time with many of them at different events. 

This year one of my all-time favorite authors attended, Sherrilyn Kenyon. I've met her before but she is always awesome. I simply couldn't resist going to see her.

Sherrilyn wasn't the only draw. I've also gotten to know some wonderful readers the past two times I attended and was very happy to see them again. Of course, the costume contest, pajama party, and bachelor auction were definite incentives as well.

  

Those were just a few things keeping me busy this past weekend. I met a lot of new, friendly faces and generally had a blast. I'm hoping to attend next year as well since by then I'll have three new releases. 

 

After all, where else can you find Ms. Frizzle doing the cupid shuffle? Or books by three of the most marvelous authors made out of cake?

 

Then there were all the great costumes at the masquerade ball. I didn't dress up this year. I wouldn't have been able to compare to the ones who did.

  
 

  

It's NaNo Time Again!

What time is it? It's NaNoWriMo time!!

What the hell am I talking about? Well, November is officially National Novel Writing Month. So, every year lots of crazies like me spend the entire month attempting to write a 50,000 word novel. There's a lot of inspiration, caffeine, frustrated tears, and social media hysterics along the way, but many of us accomplish the feat. Last year I missed it by two days. This is my year. I can feel it!

Will you attempt NaNo this year? Don't worry, anyone can do it. You don't have to be published or even think of yourself as a writer. Just commit to a certain word count every single day. Mine is 2,000 but to hit the goal you really only need to do 1,667 (aprox.). Every day you can add your word count to the tracker on the website and it will show how far you are from the goal. You can even add buddies to see how they're doing on their goals. Nothing like healthy competition to get the creative juices flowing. I've already written at least one novel during NaNo that eventually got published. There's no reason you can't too.

One thing to remember is November is just for WRITING. The editing happens in December, or whenever you can stand to look at your manuscript again. It's okay if it sits in a file for a couple of months. Just GET IT WRITTEN in November and you've won NaNo! I'll be posting updates to Twitter at least weekly, but hopefully more often than that. With my new work schedule this year's going to be a little tricky, but I'm determined. So, will you join me? There's really no good reason not to. Good luck!!

A Rare Thing

I got today off from work, which is rare during the week. I'm finding the perks of this new job faaaar outway the added commute and toll road fees. So far today I've taken two kids to the doctor for annual physicals (yeah very late, I know), made lunch for me and one kid who stayed home sick (damn allergies), read part of a book, and am updating my poorly neglected blog. I plan to do a final read through of the manuscript I finished yesterday so I can send it to my EC editor. This book is supposed to be a sequel to Eroitc Images, though they will be stand alones as well. 

After that, if there's daylight left I just might go for a walk. It's wonderfully cool outside and Houston's high humidity is a little less today. So far, I'm loving this rare day off!

Here I Am!

My wonderful, faithful readers, I owe you an apolgy for being MIA the past few months. I've played a little on FB and Twitter, but not nearly the norm of the past couple of years. 

I've changed jobs twice since July and rearranging my schedule has been a bit hectic. My daughters and I just (this morning) finished the JDRF Walk for a Cure, which has taken up a lot of my time as well. To those of you who donated to our team, THANK YOU! We sincerely appreciate it. I'll probably start planning for next year's walk in late spring so keep it in mind if you'd like to join us.

Next up: NaNo! November 1st marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month. Me, along with thousands of other masochists, attempt to write a 50,000 word novel within thirty days. It's funny, exhausting, eye-opening, and frustrating all at the same time. You should join in!

Along with NaNo, November marks my return to Allen, TX for Readers n'Ritas. This year one of my all-time favorite authors will be there, Sherrilyn Kenyon! I've had the honor of meeting her twice before but still look forward to seeing her again.

So, as you can see there's never a dull moment in my house. NaNo will also be my return to a regular writing schedule. After all, who needs sleep, right?

Spotlight on In Too Deep

From the author of Enslaved, Just Ink Press brings you R.C. Murphy's vampires in her latest book, In Too Deep, the second in her vampire trilogy. Watch out for those Council Elders! They're a pretty nasty bunch.

NOTE: In Too Deep is paranormal horror with a touch of romance and graphic details when it comes to the horror aspect.

Blurb:
Meghan Sterling—CIA agent.
For six months, she's been living in Central California under the name Clara Osbourne—and not by choice. The Cold War is over; however, she's still tasked with infiltrating a potential cell of Russian sympathizers, possibly ex-KGB operatives. The CIA has heard they've found a way to render the vast agricultural hub of Fresno, California useless, tainting the produce as well as beef, milk, and poultry produced in the county.

The problem is, the CIA has Meghan following the wrong group. She doesn't realize their mistake until she's already in too deep and working with Jarlan and his partner, Rich, in what she thinks is a security company guarding Emerald Produce. She'd never have guessed they were vampires. Until Jarlan forgets she's off the lunch menu and attacks.

Meghan helps Jarlan control his bloodlust, but she can't ignore her duty to her country. Someone in California wants to wreak havoc on the economy and food supply. If it isn't the vampires, then who is it?

EXCERPT:

February 1992

Fog in California’s Central Valley was a creature not to be trifled with. It swallowed up buildings, cars, and people without a second thought. The fog took more lives than automatic weapons. A trickster on par with Loki, it manipulated distances, making people believe they had plenty of time to slow down, when in actuality they were seconds from becoming intimate with the rear bumper of a semi truck. Surviving the fog was the most difficult part of life in the valley. Or so Meghan thought.

Meghan Sterling tugged the scarf around her neck tighter and tucked the ends into the too-big uniform jacket hanging off her shoulders. Cold crept in on the heels of the fog. The warehouse parking lot she patrolled was damp, freezing, and didn't make her job any easier. Whose brilliant idea was it to become a security guard? She cursed and shoved her gloved hands in her pockets. It was time to make another pass around the back quarter of the property. Whoop-dee-doo. More weeds and fog. And being forced to deal with the two men stuck working the graveyard shift with her.

Walking with her chin tucked into her scarf, Meghan made her way to the rear of the massive warehouse. Why farmers were so protective of a warehouse full of oranges, she had no clue. The money paid her expenses, but it wasn’t worth the frostbite and vampire-like work hours. She’d need a month-long vacation on the beach when the job was finished.

“Let’s grab a bite to eat,” a male voice said from around the corner of the warehouse.

Meghan stopped before she stepped into view, listening to her coworkers, despite the lack of movement, which made her colder. She had no desire to trade not-so-witty banter with them any time soon. They were okay on the eyes, actually possessed brains, but ran out of non-manly things to talk about after five seconds in her company. She couldn’t make herself pretend to be interested in the Superbowl.

“All you think about is your stomach, Jarlan. Give it a rest. We’re not done here. You can eat on the way home.”

“I’m tired of fast food. When’s the last time you sat down to a nice warm meal, Rich?”

“Too long to remember, but we agreed to this job. We can’t leave Clara to watch the place by herself.”

Jarlan laughed. “She’d piss herself watching shadows if she knew the truth.”

Meghan held her breath. Six months of lurking and waiting were about to pay off. She tucked in closer to the warehouse wall. The heel of her boot caught a pebble and ground it into the asphalt. The noise was deafening to her ears. This is why I’m not a ninja.

Cover blown, she plastered a smile on her face and stepped out to meet them near the back door, measuring her pace so it didn’t look like she’d been listening in. “Have the oranges turned into man-eating monsters yet?”

Rich shook his head and grinned. “No, not yet. All’s quiet here. What about the front, Clara?”

Meghan rolled her eyes, afraid for just a second they’d stick from the cold. “Not even a roach. What’s the point of babysitting produce at three in the morning?”

“Money.” Jarlan clapped Rich on the shoulder with one of his massive hands.

Could the guy be any bigger? He should be in the WWF, not in the middle of nowhere California. Then again, if he was who she thought he was, his size had a purpose. She needed to keep an eye on him.

“Money isn’t everything, friend.” Rich tucked a strand of his long brown hair into the knit cap pulled down over his ears. “We’re almost done for the night. Will you be okay by yourself until dawn?”

Nodding, Meghan waved them off. “Nothing ever happens out here. If something does, I’ll eat my boots.”

Jarlan’s hazel eyes fell to her feet. “Not much leather there. You’d have better luck getting a full meal out of a rat. They’re big enough out here, away from the city.”

Rats? Meghan had been trained to face a lot of things, but rats made her skin crawl with their naked tails and sharp teeth. Out in the sticks, they were the size of cats. She stole a look around the employee parking lot. Something skittered over the pavement near the eastern fence line. Her shoulders tensed. Please, don't let it be a rat. She'd much rather face anyone stupid enough to cut the fence with three security guards standing in eyeshot.

A leaf tumbled into the jaundiced light puddled on the asphalt. Meghan shook her head and rolled her shoulders to shake off the tension.

The big man laughed. “Try not to bludgeon any foliage to death while we’re gone. If something posing an actual threat does come along, use the phone in the guard’s office. Stay out of the warehouse. Without the code, you’ll send an alert to the police and I’ll be stuck doing enough paperwork to level a forest. Take care, Clara.”

About the Author

R.C. Murphy spends her nights writing urban fantasy novels and a slew of short stories for her blog, The Path of a Struggling Writer. By day she is a not so mild-mannered housewife, wrangling vampires, demons, and various other nasty creatures. R.C. has joined forces with fellow writers, artists, and actors to form the Zombie Survival Crew where she reviews movies, TV shows, as well as penning articles on important survival skills.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Zombie Survival Crew | Just Ink Press

Email: RC.Murphy5150 (at) gmail (dot) com

New Anthology Release!

It's release day! And for the first time I get to share it with three other authors. I'm in a new anthology out today from Just Ink Press called Into the Darkness. This is something kind of different from my other work, a short story that is more paranormal than anything else. There isn't exactly a romantic thread and definitely no hot sex in this one, but I hope y'all like it anyway. ;-)

Here's the blurb:

Ignorance is Bliss by Missy Jane

Discovering your boyfriend has been unfaithful is never easy, but for Natalie it’s a complete shocker. As if his confession of infidelity isn't bad enough, suddenly everyone she meets is telling her their deep, dark secrets. She soon realizes the trinket she bought at the flea market is more than a harmless lump of metal. Now she has to decide if always knowing the truth is worth the heartache or if ignorance is truly bliss.

There are also three other stories by three fabulous authors: Shannon Mayer, R.C. Murphy, and N. L. Gervasio.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and get your copy here!

A Child Died Today...

...he wasn't my child. I'll bet he didn't even consider himself a "child". But I considered him one of the many I interact with on a daily basis. I'm a server in the cafeteria line at a high school and today one of our students was killed. He was stabbed by another student who also stabbed three more. Now everyone wants to know WHY? Does it matter? I want to know HOW? How can this child have so little regard for human life, including his own? How can he reach his teens without learning all life is precious? How can he have not known or cared about the consequences for everyone involved? How can this keep happening in our schools, with our children?

The only thing that kept me sane through the entire ordeal was knowing none of my children were on that campus. They all attend other schools and I was the only one of us there. I was in the kitchen, in the back preparing lunch when it happened as breakfast was ending. Today will be a day I never forget no matter how hard I try. Many parents' knee-jerk reaction is to want to pull their kids from this school, but where would they go? Where is safe? Past incidents up north have proven even the smallest, quietest, most affluent communities can be attacked by a person intent on killing innocents. It sickens and infuriates me in equal measure.

So I'll hug my girls more tightly tonight. I've already reminded them to always run the other way when they see or sense a confrontation. I've warned them not to stop to take photos or videos. Their life isn't worth a damn twitter pic. There's no school the rest of the week but we'll be back to it on Monday and the memories will last my lifetime.

It's September!

September has arrived and with it almost nothing on my writing calendar. I don't have any signings, releases, guest posts, etc, scheduled so far this month. But that's probably a good thing since I'm still trying to get used to my new work schedule. I do plan to attend Kerrelyn Sparks' signing at Murder by the Book at the end of the month. I also will be preparing for the JDRF Walk for  Cure. So don't worry, I'm not going to be completely silent this month.

If you'd like to meet me, make plans to attend Readers n' Ritas in Allen, TX in November. I'm hoping to have a new book out by then but I don't have a release date for what's in edits right now yet. I'm working on some hot stuff for Ellora's Cave and just finished edits for my part of an anthology from Just Ink Press. The first release in my gargoyle trilogy is also in edits with Entangled. 

What do you have cooking in September?

And Yet Another Direction

From time to time I might talk about my personal schedule. The fact is I'm a mother of four, I work part-time, and I write as often as I'm able. Back when I first started writing seriously I was working full-time. I would write only on my one hour lunch breaks, and I was able to complete a few novellas that way. Now my schedule is about to change again. I got a new job.

It's nothing glamorous but will take up a good chunk of my day. I'll be working in the morning until early afternoon Monday through Friday. I'm still keeping my part-time job too since that one is only every other weekend. So, what does this mean for my writing? Well, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop. That's for certain. However, I'm going to have to get creative on when I get to write. I'll have the weekends I don't work and I should have late afternoons and evenings. The good thing is my husband works nights. The bad thing is I still have to make dinner for the kids every night.

Overall there shouldn't be a serious decline in how much novel writing I get done. I just have to rearrange my schedule. However, it might affect my online presence a bit. Evenings are when I'm usually playing on Twitter and Facebook. Though I probably still will while writing, I'll have to keep it to a minimum to get any real writing done. We shall see. I just wanted to warn y'all that I might seem to disappear for a few days at a time. Especially when I first start next week.

Sex Scene Championships

It's August! And with the new month comes a fun endeavor I'll be participating in for the first time: Scorching Book Reviews' Sex Scene Championships.

Basically two authors will be facing off in each round with one sex scene she picked from one of her books. This was pretty hard for me, not only because I had more than one book to choose from but also because the competition is so fierce! On top of that, we had to only choose an excerpt of about 600 words. I hadn't realized how long my sex scene run. Almost all of them are well over that 600 limit.

So, I'm in round 11, up against Cari Quinn. She's a fabulous author so I'm a little worried. As soon as the link is live for voting in my round I'll have it posted everywhere. For now, be sure to check out the first few rounds. Every time you vote you're entered to win some fabulous prizes!

Do You Know Shelley Munro? (contest)

Hi, my name is Shelley Munro and I’m a frustrated cat owner.
Let me explain. Cats love my husband and always make a beeline for him if he meets them at a friend’s house, but he doesn’t like them back. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the next door neighbor’s cat and my husband have an ongoing war about trespassing in the vegetable patch. Don’t tell my husband, but I think the cat is winning.
Luckily I’m an equal opportunity pet owner and I find a dog an acceptable alternative. We adopted our current dog Bella from the Humane Society. She’s a real bundle of energy and we both love her to bits.
But back to cats. I decided one day that if I couldn’t own a cat, there was nothing to stop me writing about the species. After pondering the matter and doing a little research, I settled on black leopards and wrote an entire series about them. Take that, Mr. Munro!
My choice of black leopards came after I read a story in the local paper about sightings of a large mystery cat in the South Island. The story fascinated me, and continues to interest me since there are still occasional sightings. Some people say there is a leopard living out in the wild while others scoff at the idea, because we don’t have big cats in New Zealand—not unless they’re in a zoo. I like to believe the stories, although I hope I never come face-to-face with one!

Leopards are interesting cats. Here are some facts about the big cats.

1. Leopards are solitary cats and usually only seek out other leopards in order to mate.
2. They hunt at night and sleep in trees during the day.
3. They’re excellent climbers and often haul their kills up into trees.
4. Leopards are found in many different habitats and countries.
5. Their spots make for excellent camouflage.
6. They are built for short bursts of speed, and their jaws and strong build help them take down big animals.
7. Black leopards are called panthers in some countries. They still have spots but they blend into the leopard’s coat.
Are you a cat or dog person? A feline shifter or a werewolf person?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ * ~

Leticia’s Lovers
Middlemarch Mates, Book Seven.Lion shifter Leticia Huntingdon has FIV, the feline version of AIDS. For months she’s been in remission, treated by Gavin Finley, the Middlemarch feline doctor. Now the disease has returned. Her feelings for Gavin can’t go anywhere because of the FIV, so it shouldn’t hurt when Gavin turns to Charlie, the new male cop.Gavin can’t believe how good sex is with Charlie, can’t believe he’s found a mate. The loving is amazing and hot, but Gavin can’t forget Leticia. He wants her in his life. He wants Charlie too. Confusion and jealousy create torrid undercurrents for the trio.Charlie McKenzie falls for Gavin quickly and can’t understand why he’s attracted to Leticia. A nightmare changes everything, drawing the three together and bringing new possibilities. A ménage a trois. Raw need and passion brings them closer. If only the disease threatening Leticia’s life didn’t loom on the horizon…

Ellora’s Cave http://www.ellorascave.com/leticia-s-lovers.html

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031LJ57Y

All Romance ebooks http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-leticia039slovers-452762-144.html

To read an excerpt: http://www.shelleymunro.com/books/leticias-lovers/

Also available in print.

~ * ~

Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her very own hero in New Zealand. She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at http://www.shelleymunro.com.

BLOG: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Munro/e/B001JOWGNK

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ShelleyMunroAuthor

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro 

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ShelleyMunro

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro

The Blahs

As I'm sitting at my computer fighting the temptation to log onto Facebook, it struck me that I should probably write a blog post. Piece of cake, right? I mean, I'm an author after all. Subjects to wax poetic on should spring into my head at the drop of a hat. Um, not so much.

I'm actually in a blah kind of mood. I feel like writing but don't know what I feel like writing. It's kind of like being hungry when nothing sounds appetizing. 

In case you're wondering, the photos were taken from atop the Ferris Wheel in downtown Houston at the Landry's Aquarium. That's where we spent yesterday to celebrate my oldest's nineteenth birthday. Yeah, that probably is a part of my blah mood too. My own birthday never make me feel old, but my daughters' definitely do.

Checking In

If you keep up with me on a regular basis you may have noticed I wasn't as active online the past week as usual. It's all preteen's fault. One day as she was lying on my office floor staring up at the six bookshelves around her, she decided they needed to be reorganized. I originally had them ordered by genre. I'll admit it wasn't the most organized arrangement. Romance and horror dominate my shelves and had begun to creep onto the literature and fantasy shelves as well. There was also the not so small problem of books that fit into more than one genre. I really don't know how anyone who works in a bookstore can handle it. So together we decided to redo my entire library alphabetically by the authors' last names, regardless of genre or anything else about the book. Did I mention I own 1,078 books?

So yeah, it took nearly the entire week to accomplish. Each day we tackled one shelf. We had to empty each one before adding the right books back onto it. My Stephen King collection took the longest. I own 64 of his books. Then, to make it more interesting, I started visiting author websites to determine the order of my series collections. I now have a ridiculously long to buy list to complete the series. But I have to admit the pain was worth the end result. I own a software program from Collectorz.com to keep track of my library. I hadn't been using it to its full potential before. Now my software can tell me which shelf the book is on, whether or not I've read it, and what rating I gave it. 

So that has been my past week or so. This week I'm working on edits for my archangel book contracted through Entangled publishing. I hope to finish those quickly so I can move on to writing the sequel. 

What is your week looking like?

July is Gonna Be Busy!

Happy Independence Day, America!!!! It's July and I've got a lot going on this month. No new releases unfortunately, but lots of promo. 

First up is the Summer Author Blitz. I'll be joining quite a few other authors in posting blogs and/or interviews, giving away prizes, and just trying to reach as many new readers as possible. My post will be over at Demons Do it Better on the 10th. I will be giving away a prize so be sure to stop by and say hi.

Next, all through the month of July All Romance ebooks is celebrating popular Romance novel tropes. Do you have a favorite? My books will be featured on three different days:

July 3rd: Enemies to Lovers - They Call Me Death

July 12th: Social Class Differences - Two-Week Trial

July 20th: Boss/Employee Romance - Heather's Redemption (with blog post)

And last, but most certainly not least, I'm also participating in the Digital First Read-a-Thon. My blog will be posted on The Book Reading Gals on the 27th. There will be a prize offered there too.

I also plan to participate in a chat with Cynthia Sax (date TBA), and of course you can always find me on Facebook and Twitter. 

Meet Me Tonight!

Come to my book signing tonight and you'll get a cookie! Who can possibly pass up a deal like that? That's right, I'm not above a little bribery to meet some new readers. You don't even have to buy one of my books. Though if you did that would be cool with me. I'll have the above awesome cookies, bookmarks, and business cards with some book info on them. Or if you don't want any of that, just stop by to say "hi". I'll be in the Half Price Books in Humble, TX from 6-8 pm. So after we chat you can look around for your next read. It's a win-win! ;-)

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No Religion Here, Politics? Umm...

One of the first things any author and/or blogger learns is there are certain hot topics that are best avoided if at all possible. Whether it's in your writing, or even when speaking to someone you meet at a convention, signing, etc. It's almost common sense not to bring up religion and politics. There are other hot topics that should probably be avoided as well, but those are the two most widely known.

Overall, I've heeded the advice and try not to wander down the lane of social media suicide by bringing up either topic. However, every now and again something happens where I can't keep quiet. Last night was one of those nights. I won't get into the whole issue of Texas Senate Bill #5, but look up #SB5 if you want to know the ins and outs. It was nuts. I was riveted and glued to my computer screen for about six hours as I watched the drama of a live filibuster unfold.

So, what is today's post about? It's an almost-but-not-quite apology I guess. I'm really hoping I didn't alienate any loyal readers last night. If I did, it wasn't my intention. I won't apologize for the passion I feel on certain subjects. But I will apologize if you felt overwhelmed by them. All I can say is it doesn't happen very often. Feel free to venture onto my Facebook page or Twitter feed again today. It's safe now. The regularly scheduled program of writing, reading, and kids is back in place.

I'm on a Boat!

Though writing is what I do with as much of my free time as possible, I also have a regularly paying job on most weekends. I pass out a local publication at various trade shows in the Houston area. This past weekend was the Houston Boat Show. 

This was my first time at a boat show, and it was definitely a learning experience. I never knew there were so many different types, shapes, and sizes. I have my future yacht all picked out. Now we just have to see which of my daughters becomes rich and famous enough to buy it for me.

While fantasizing about my leisurely life on the water, I realized a yacht could make a great setting for a romance. Can you imagine being seduced by a hunky hero on one of these babies?

I can!

Who wouldn't want to relax and let the waves rock them to sleep in this set-up? Now I just have to find the right characters to place here and decide on the situation that gets them here. Hmmm. I love when real life can spark an idea for a new book.