A Thought, Here and There

My Forever Valentine

2012-02-14T06:00:00.003-06:00

Work- roughened

hands and ready smile,

his hazel eyes see right through me.

From boy to man before my eyes,

we've become compliments of each other.

What I never expected to last so long,

has become my life-long living dream.

Through numerous ups and downs,

now fewer obstacles between us.

With four beautiful little smiles to

prove you were my destiny.

My friend, my partner

and confidante,

my man and lover,

my husband.

My forever

Valentine.

Would you like to read another Valentine's Day blog post? Read Selena Robins' post here.

Who the Fuck are You?

2012-02-11T09:12:00.000-06:00

Have you ever run into someone from your past unexpectedly and their reaction to seeing you makes you stop to consider the person you used to be? That happened to me yesterday but it wasn't the first time. In fact, this would mark the third time I've run into this person from my high school days who basically turned away when he saw me. Huh. The way I remember it, he was a total fucktard in high school who acted as if maturity was a bad word. We never actually got along but I didn't consider it any great loss. So what does it matter now? Well, for the most part whenever I run into people I used to see on a daily basis they're friendly or at least cordial. The way this guy reacts to me is so completely unexpected it just threw me for a loop. I initially laughed it off, but the more I think about it the more I wonder. Was I that big of a bitch to him that all these (nearly twenty) years later, he would rather act is if I don't exist at all than neutrally acknowledge my existence?
The first two times I saw him were both at our neighborhood grocery store. Yeah, this guy lives in my neighborhood somewhere. Funny. Both times he glanced at me, then so obviously looked away and kept walking it made me laugh. Then yesterday I ran into him at the elementary school. We were both there to present at career day but I didn't catch what he does for a living. I walked into the room, saw him and smiled (I think I even mouthed "hi") and he immediately turned his head away. I had to fight the urge to laugh out loud. It wasn't really a big deal to me then, but now it kind of bothers me. I don't really care that I'm being ignored. I care that I might have been so horrible to him years ago that he just can't get over it.
Well, the truth is I'll probably never know one way or the other. Our former mutual friends no longer talk to him and I'm sure as hell not going to try. Ah well, no sense losing sleep over it.

Friday WTF?: Moms Pay Attention!

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

I wear many hats in life but first and foremost am a mother. So, when I see stories like the video of the little girl nearly being kidnapped in Walmart it really strikes a nerve. I'm not like many people who watched the news clip and thought, oh what a brave little girl. In fact, my initial reaction was, what a fucking stupid ass mom! The news anchor first said the mom was just a couple of aisles over, then later mentions the mom was shopping for fruit and left her seven-year old in the toy aisle. I've been to many Walmarts and can testify that the fruit is nowhere near the toy aisle. As a matter of fact, in most locations it's on the other side of the store since food and non-food items are separated. Now, when I was little it might have been okay to leave a seven year-old on one side of a big-ass store like Walmart all alone. But those days are gone and have been for some time. What mother doesn't know there are plenty of sick fucks in the world willing to victimize our children? So, I want to know if this woman is going to be charged with neglect, because leaving her daughter alone for any length of time in this situation was just plain stupid.

WWWW: It Makes Me Ill...

2012-02-08T06:00:00.002-06:00

There are many subjects I'm passionate about and willing to argue over with anyone. Sometimes I agree with the opposing opinion and can be swayed, sometimes not. However, there is one subject that is my major hot button. I will never agree that it is in any way okay or excusable to cheat. Infidelity is such a serious issue in my mind, it makes me ill to even read about it in fiction. Seriously, physically ill. So, this week's WWWW finding is one I could barely stomach. By now I'm sure ya'll have heard of the White House intern who fucked the president...oh I mean the newest one. According to Mimi Alford, she had an affair with JFK, starting with losing her virginity in (gag) his wife's bed! Honestly, I've never cared one way or the other about JFK. I haven't studied enough of his political history to know if the world would have been a better place without the infamous bullet that took off the back of his head. But now that this has come to light I definitely have a strong opinion of the man, and it isn't a good one.
Could she be lying? Of course, but why? After all these years surely there's another subject she could have written about if this wasn't true and all she wanted was a book deal. I would think just being an intern during JFK's reign would be enough. Does it really matter? Well, probably not to most of my generation. However, the ones who can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when news of his death hit them may be struck again by this news. He has become more than a political figure. He is the icon of a generation.
To me this news is devastating not because of who he was, but because of what he represents to the world. Here is yet another American politician who simply refused to hold to the sanctity of marriage. Yes, it's a personal issue that has nothing to do with their job as a politician, but what about their integrity? What about the trust we as the American public place in these bastards who can't even remember the sacred vows they made to the most important person in their lives? If the President of the United States is willing to overlook his promise to his wife, why the hell would he care about promises made to complete strangers?

My New Writing Cave...In There Somewhere

2012-02-05T18:47:00.000-06:00

If you're following me on Twitter or reading my Facebook posts, you may have already seen a couple of these shots. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my new writing cave! To say I'm excited would be a bit of an understatement. I'm fucking ecstatic!

It took a bit of work to get moved into our new house, but it's definitely worth it to have my own office space...finally! This was originally dubbed the sitting room to the master bedroom.

It took almost a full week to unpack my 20+ boxes of books because I also cataloged them into my Collectorz software at the same time. With reference books and religious tomes, I have over 900 books.

I was surprised to see Stephen King is not the only author who needed his own shelf. I also have acquired a lot of Lora Leigh, Clive Barker and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Not to mention I have full collections of Kerrelyn Sparks' and Lynsay Sands' vampire series.

I also found quite a few books I don't even remember buying, including many older than me. Now I have to figure out where I can put another shelf to prepare for the Houston Library system's annual book sale in April.
Believe it or not, there is a computer hidden in there somewhere. ;-)

Friday WTF?: A Prostitute by Any Other Name...

2012-02-03T13:14:00.000-06:00

And here's another attempt at me trying to do a weekly blog thing. So, every Friday I'll come up with something that completely boggles my mind for Friday WTF?
I have over a thousand followers on Twitter but they always come to me slowly. Because of that, I'm able to wade through them one at a time and check them out before deciding on whether to follow back. One of my most recent followers brought to light something I hadn't really thought about before. In this day and age do men really still have to pay for sex? I ask this because if even a quarter of the spam I receive is based in any type of reality, there are plenty of people out there willing to have sex with total strangers at a moment's notice...for free.
The follower I speak of lists herself as an International Escort and Elite Companion. Oookay. Now, I'm not knocking her gig. Hell, if I could charge the prices she has listed just for the initial meet and greet, I'd do it in a heartbeat. What gets me is, Why? Why would any man, obviously rich by her price lists, be willing to pay a woman for her time knowing it's nothing more than that? I mean, I can understand the whole business transaction - no emotional attachment aspect to a point, but come on. Today's women are a hell of a lot more in the know about sex, sexual freedom, and what men really want than we were a decade and more ago. In my opinion, it's easier for a businessman to meet a woman and be up front about wanting a sexually based relationship, that might go nowhere, today than it was in the past. Am I wrong? Am I being totally naive about how women think? I've been in a committed relationship for sixteen years. That means I was never a single "adult". My late teen years were lonesome but not much, so I've never really had to swim through the dating pool.
She also mentions men spending time away from their lives of things like being a husband to be with her. Really? Is an affair really worth thousands of dollars right out of the gate? That not only appalls but completely mystifies me. I'm thinking it would be cheaper to get a divorce and find the woman you actually want to have sex with rather than meet this chic, who is also meeting God knows how many others, from time to time. But that's just my female logical brain working here.

WWWW: Child Molesters Beware

2012-02-01T06:00:00.002-06:00

The above video was brought to my attention by an article about music genres. Now, I'll admit I'd never heard of Skrillex before, nor do I know how they should or want to be classified. But all that aside, what an awesome fucking video! I absolutely love this one and think it should be made into a full length movie. Yes, there is definitely a good horror novel in there somewhere.

Maureen O. Betita's Winner!

2012-01-25T07:53:00.000-06:00

And the winner of the soon to be released ebook, The Pirate Circus, is....
(drumroll)
.............................. Sorcha!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Look out for an email from Maureen. You'll receive your ebook as soon as it's released.
Thank you everyone for reading and leaving your comments for Maureen. Be sure to go buy the first two books in her series so you're ready when this one is released!

WWWW: A Sign of the Times?

2012-01-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

I've decided to try some semblance of a schedule on my blog. So, for now we're going to begin with World Wide Web Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I'll post something funny, crazy, or interesting I've found on the web. You've been warned.

Those of us who have lived in a large city our whole lives aren't necessarily surprised to learn of drug deals happening on busy street corners late at night. But, what if they're advertised? This sign, posted in the Houston Chronicle, almost looks like an ad right? I'm sure it is in fact an angry neighborhood resident sick of the lack of response from HPD about this known spot. Heck, I can drive around the city and point out where to buy drugs and pick up hookers too, but I don't think helping the uninformed is the way to go.

Meet Maureen O. Betita!

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

Today I have a special treat for you! One of my first writing buddies is a wonderful lady I met at the RT convention back in 2008. We were both aspiring back then and she has been such a font of encouragement for me throughout the whole journey. I'm absolutely delighted to let ya'll know about her book series dedicated to the pirate world she loves. Please welcome Maureen O. Betita! She's also generous enough to offer a prize to one lucky comment left on today's post. Good luck!
What is Your Impression Worth?

I really believe in friendship, for the characters I write and for all those around me. And I’ve been blessed to find some awesome people in my life the last few years. The type of friends who listen to my woes and come up with solutions. Who send me delightful little things in the mail and those who post on my Facebook page, sharing photos and so many things that simply make me laugh.

We all need to laugh more and FB is so good for that!

As are friends. I recently worked on a 3 minute video, introducing myself, for a project I’m hoping to be part of… I know nothing about recording video. I knew my Dell had a camera thingy, but had no idea how to use it. Friends to the rescue!

With instructions, encouragements and eventually…reviews…;-)

There is nothing like hearing how good you look, how your hair is fabulous and I did a fabulous job! And “my, how great you look since you lost weight!” Considering this impression was far different…

Impressions are tricky, especially first impressions. And I’m working on setting a good impression with my video…

In my new release, The Pirate Circus, a little boy arrives in Tortuga, open-hearted and ready for adventure. His father? Well, he’s ready for something, but is it adventure? Love? Certainly wasn’t a pirate! But you never know what you will get in The Kraken’s Caribbean! And first impressions or preconceptions? They aren’t worth much…

Blurb

Bosun Janey knows who and what she is. A pirate. And a damned good one at that. Living a life of excitement, adventure, and sailing the seas of the Kraken’s Caribbean is enough for her. But when the Quill is stuck in dry dock, Janey is left to search for distraction along Tortuga’s waterfront. How does a pirate occupy herself? Certainly not by making friends with a six-year-old boy or mooning after the boy’s father. That’s not how a pirate behaves!

Widower Benjamin Silvestri arrived in Tortuga seeking a fresh start. At first, the pirate haven doesn’t seem like a safe sanctuary for second chances, but life is full of surprises. The sun breathes life into his little boy, and new freedoms help his errant niece embrace her true nature. And then there's Janey. A pirate and most unconventional woman, she stirs feelings in Benjamin that are far from proper.

But who’s to say what is proper in Tortuga? Before he and Janey can explore the possibilities, Benjamin's son and niece disappear onto the high seas. Together, the couple set out to rescue them—because only a loving father and a cut-throat pirate stand a chance against the dangers of The Pirate Circus.

The Pirate Circus is the third book in my Kraken’s Caribbean series. A world where anything can happen, and usually does!

Impressions, first or third…are they to be trusted? Not to mention preconceptions!

Maureen O. Betita is an author living along the Monterey Coast. She has an interest in steampunk, pirates, scifi/fantasy, and, of course, kraken. You can find her and play with her, explore the Kraken’s Caribbean at her website, www.maureenobetita.com She’s also on FB at Maureen O. Betita Author, is on twitter as Maureen O. Betita and has a newsletter you can sign up for on her website.

The Pirate Circus is available on February 3^rd, from Decadent Publishing and other e-book outlets.

One lucky comment today will win a copy of The Pirate Circus!

Switching Heads

2012-01-19T23:40:00.001-06:00

I've decided to do something I've never done before, and to be honest I'm a little nervous. I'm writing the sequel to Day Shift (tentatively titled Blood Rush) from the hero's POV rather than the heroine. First person certainly isn't new for me but writing from a man's perspective is. I've considered it a few times, and written third person stories where part of the story is from the guy's frame of mind (Resignation), but writing totally in Greg's head is very...different. So far I'm just over 3,000 words in and I think it's going well. So, here's a little teaser. Let me know what you think.

Prologue

The sound of flesh striking flesh woke me before the stinging slap burned my cheek. I gasped in a lungful of air that made me cough it right back out. I was dying, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering. I’d had a good run, saved a few lives, pissed off a few people and left as little damage behind as possible. Collateral damage they called it, but complete and total fuckery is what it really amounted to. In my line of work, losing an innocent kid to the sick fucks currently beating the shit out of me had happened on occasion. I’d be damned if I let it happen again.

“You awake, sheep fucker?”

Oh yeah. It had happened again and now I was stuck with the assholes responsible.

“Fuck you,” I croaked back.

I didn’t even recognize my own broken voice. They’d starved and beaten me, left me without water or blood for days, then beat me again.

The vampire before me was a big, beefy fucker with meat-cleaver hands. They hurt like fuck when he hit me but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of flinching.

“No thanks. I heard you like to fuck sheep. No telling what I might catch.”

He thought that was not only clever, but fucking hilarious. I watched through swollen eyes as he laughed and reared back to swing again.

“Enough, Marco. We don’t wish him dead…at this time.”

The cultured voice that cut off Marco’s fun belonged to the biggest sick fuck of them all, the man I’d been sent in to watch. Some days I wished I wasn’t a cop so I could do more than watch men like him.

“Yes, sir,” Marco said before stepping back.

His boss, the leader of the Blood Martyr’s southern division, Jonathan Crosby, stepped forward into the ring of light given off by a single harsh bulb hanging from the ceiling.

“You have no idea what you have done, stepping into the hornet’s nest, Mr. Parsons.”

“Detective…Parsons…you sick…fuck.”

He smirked before throwing a glance over his shoulder at Marco.

“He does have a mouth on him. Perhaps it’s time we did something about that.”

Marco chuckled as Crosby stepped back into the shadows again. They had already whipped me, burned me, shocked me and tried to drown me. What the fuck could they possibly do next?

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when the most glorious scent filled my nostrils. Sweet and fresh, like newly baked bread, I inhaled greedily despite the pain n my chest.

“Ah yeah, lookit, boss. He’s getting hungry.”

I knew the joy in Marco’s voice couldn’t be a good thing, but I’d been too long without human food or blood to care. I was hungry, fucking starving to be honest, and whatever they had brought into the room smelled like heaven.

“We’ll see how long this hungry sheep-lover can resist a little human sustenance.”

And then I knew what they’d brought.

Marco moved back into the shadows with Crosby, pushing a bundle of cloth towards the chair I was strapped into. I looked down at the trembling blanket, inhaling its sweet scent no matter how hard I fought it. My fangs ached and my stomach growled, I wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. Crosby leaned forward and snatched back the cloth to reveal a pretty little human girl with bright red hair. Her face was puffy from crying and her eyes were tightly shut.

“There you are, Parsons,” Crosby said. “I know you’re hungry and I know you want to prove your loyalty to the Martyrs. Here’s your chance to satisfy both.”

Hunger crawled through my gut like a snake full of venom until all I could think about was how sweet the first drop of warm blood would taste. I shook my head and breathed through my mouth to escape her enticing scent.

She’s only four and her name is Libby.

I repeated her information in my mind like a mantra as I continued to shake my head back and forth.

“No? No?” Now Crosby was pissed. “How about we make a deal then, hmm? I’ll take this little sheep back to her parents and bring you a bigger catch. Oh, but there’s just one thing. The other treat I have in store isn’t human.”

He cackled like a B-movie villain as the door swung open again. A gasp sounded like a gunshot in the room, but even that brief sound had the hair rising on my arms.

“No. No! Motherfuckers! That better not be my sister, Crosby, or I’ll—“

“You’ll what, Parsons? Run back to the chief of police? Tell the media?” he laughed. “Don’t be an idiot. You’ll drink from one of these offerings to prove your loyalty or your sister dies. It’s that simple.”

I closed my eyes though they’d barely been open from the swelling of the numerous beatings over the past few days. My sister sniffed, the scent of her tears acrid in my nose. I had no choice. All I could really do was make it as quick and painless for the little human girl as possible. I straightened against the hardwood chair and looked up at Crosby.

“Give her to me.”

He smiled, showing dried blood on his teeth, and that image followed me into years of nightmares.

Changing of the WIPs

2012-01-12T13:38:00.001-06:00

So I got a response to the email I sent my editor that I hadn't told anyone about. To be honest, I was trying not to think about it too much myself over the past few days. But, unfortunately, the response means a change to my writing schedule and therefore requires an explanation to ya'll. In short, I asked if the sequel to They Call Me Death could still be submitted once I finished re-revising it. By the way, it's been re-titled from Much More Than Human to Releasing the Animal Within. While I was asking, I also mentioned my first Archangel story that I had previously submitted for an anthology call. The answer to both was a heartbreaking NO.
What does this mean exactly? Well, it means I had to decide on whether to finish these to manuscripts now, when I already have file upon file of other submittable work, or move on. To be honest, I need to move on...for now. I am in no way giving up on either Emily or Zerachial (my Archangel). However, I'm going to shelve both for a little while. I've decided I need to concentrate on books I can actually submit to one of my publishers so they might make it to your waiting hands. You may wonder, why not just try another publisher or self-publish? I am actually looking into a couple of other publishers where I think I can be happy. I'm VERY picky when it comes to publishers and to be honest, Samhain and EC have spoiled me for quite a few others.
As for the self-publishing thing, well...I keep going back and forth on that but for now am still not seriously considering it. So in short, I do plan to write my ass off every chance I get this year, but am moving on from what I've been working on for the past couple of months. If you were hoping for another shifter story don't worry. Next up is Kotori's book and it's going well. I haven't finished it yet but will post regular updates on my progress.

Where I'm at This Week

2012-01-08T19:22:00.000-06:00

In 2012 I hope to be better about posting writing updates on this blog. So here goes the first of the year. Right now I have four manuscripts actively in my WIP file that I go between when the writing mood strikes me. I was in the midst of Archangels when Emily Olavson (Andor's daughter from They Call Me Death) started talking to me again.

This isn't an odd occurrence for me. I often have to tell other characters to shut the hell up so I can get anything done. Anyway, Emily started talking and I know better than not to listen to her. I started reworking my MS and decided the title just didn't fit her story. After all, she is half human/half shifter, but this story is about her shifter side emerging. Therefore, I changed it from Much More Than Human to Releasing the Animal Within.

Of course, I couldn't let a good title go to waste. So now Kotori's story will be Much More than Human...because he is.
As I said, I was in the midst of my first Archangel story and I'm very happy with the changes so far. It was actually completed last year but then rejected by my chosen publisher.

I decided to give it another look to see what could be fixed/changed. I'm basically adding more sexual tension between the main characters and possibly more details about the secondary characters. We shall see. I'm hoping to sub it sometime in February but haven't settled on a publisher yet.

On the erotic romance front, I have one sub in with my editor and am waiting for word on whether she will accept it. Cross your fingers. If you enjoyed my first Ellora's Cave release, Two Week Trial, then hopefully you'll like this one too, as it is a sequel. It's Sean's story, in which his atrocious behavior is redeemed.

That's all for now folks. Outside of writing I'll be struggling to finish reading the final Harry Potter book and the Stephen King anthology I began last year. I'm also packing up my household and moving into a larger house where I'll get an office! WOOT!!

I am a Collector of...Things

2012-01-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

If there is one thing I've learned from moving over the years it's that I'm a pack-rat. I honestly can't help myself. I just seem to collect things without really trying. My infamous (to those who know me personally) clown collection is by far the largest. I own porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal and feather masks and figurines in all shapes and sizes. Basically anything clown, harlequin, circus, etc themed is in my collection. However, I also own a shitload of shot glasses. I honestly didn't realize how many until it was time to pack. They were the first thing I boxed up, after washing off about three years' worth of dust.
My only other overwhelming collection (purses and bags don't count because I'm female) would be my books. At last count I owned over 1,000 but I haven't updated the list in about a year. I've added and subtracted from the shelves in that time. Once I move and get my shelves put back together, I plan to redo the list I keep in my Collectorz.com database.
For now all my precious books are being packed into cardboard boxes. The clowns are lovingly wrapped in tissue and sitting in plastic totes. And the shot glasses are also wrapped and awaiting the move...well, all but the biggest ones.

Reading in 2011

2012-01-03T18:51:00.000-06:00

2011 was a good reading year for me. According to Goodreads, I read 113 books. In actuality it may have been closer to 120. I'm pretty sure there were a few that fell through the cracks of my laziness in adding them online. In fact, any of you who take a peek at my Shelfari page would be ashamed of me. They think I read 56 books since discovering their site in 2010. However, I am very proud of my reading accomplishments for 2011. I could have done better. I completed the 100 book challenge, but failed miserably at the Stephen King reading challenge. This kind of shocked me not only because I own almost all of his published work, but because I LOVE reading his books. In fact, if I had to choose one book read in 2011 as the one that stuck with me, that I liked the most and that really left an impression, it would be Blaze. You can read my full review here.

I also read a lot of series books last year. There were a few I've been reading for a couple of years but also some that I completed. Those were mostly trilogies or four-book series. If I had to choose one as the very best it would be The Rarest Blooms series by Madeline Hunter. If you like regency romance even a little bit, I can't say enough about this series. It has one of my now all-time favorite characters, Tristan, the Duke of Castleford, in it. The only bad thing was I had to wait until book four (the final book) to get his story. However, each installment was a sensual journey through a fascinating time in history. Even if you aren't a big fan of the period, I'd recommend this series to any romance lover.

In the new-to-me category, my favorite of 2011 has to go to Joe Hill. I discovered he was Stephen King's son some time ago but hadn't picked up any of his books yet. I happened upon Heart-Shaped box and was immediately taken in by the blurb. He is definitely a great voice in the genre and stands on his own as an author regardless of who his father is. If you enjoy horror or any type of thrill-ride while reading, this is a must-read.

Another new to me author that must be mentioned is Dakota Cassidy. Now, I've followed Dakota in online social networks for a while, but I'm sorry to day I didn't pick up any of her books throughout the year. It wasn't until I attended Readers n'ritas and sat at her table (where she gave us all a free book) that I picked up my copy of You Dropped a Blonde on Me. To say it rocked my socks off is a slight understatement. It totally blew me away. I honestly didn't know what to expect but from her online personality I knew it would be funny. It was funny, heartbreaking, entertaining and memorable. All around a great read for anyone interested in chick-lit, romance and a good heartfelt story where the underdog comes out fighting.

Most anticipated release that lived up to its name goes to River Marked by Patricia Briggs. For those of you who haven't yet started the Mercy Thompson series all I can say is, why in the hell not?! This is one that can appeal to almost any reader. It's urban fantasy with just enough romance to satisfy the most die-hard romantic. There's action, suspense and paranormal elements. However, its not graphic in any sense of the word. Patricia Briggs has one of the best storytelling voices I've ever read and I honestly can't say enough about her work.

In the much anticipated, over-hyped and pleasantly surprised category, Laurell K. Hamilton wins the trophy. I had pretty much broken-up with Anita Blake after Flirt. That was a waste of my hard-earned money and some damn good trees. However, Anita has this great buddy named Edward that I can't get enough of and LKH was smart enough to put him in Hit List from page one. You can read my full review here.

So, that was my reading in 2011 in a nutshell. I have high hopes for 2012 as I finish two started last year that I had anticipated reading for quite some time. I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Full Dark, No Stars. These are both great so far and the only reason I'm not done yet is because I'm limiting my reading time to get some writing done. After those two I'll be catching up on Lynsay Sands' Argeneau vampire series, finishing Lilith Saintcrow's Jill Kismet series and reading the next installment in Christine Feehan's Sisters of the Heart series. What will you be reading?

2011: the Good, the Bad and the Unexpected

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

My Year in a Nutshell
2011 was bittersweet for me in many ways. I had some ups and downs, each leveling out the other, to where I really can't say if it was a good year or bad. Some months were fabulous while others I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
She Has What?!

The beginning of the year marked a major change for my family when my then seven-year old was diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes. It was a shock to realize all those little symptoms I kept passing off as other things actually meant she has a major auto-immune disease. It was hard, but not impossible to deal with and we have made great progress.

On the writing front, I began the year with a new release and new blog group of authors offering free short stories. It was great while it lasted, but health issues and other commitments kept us from making it through the second round of free stories. The idea isn't dead yet and I may be able to rejoin at a later time but for now will be putting my energy elsewhere.

Hitting the Small Screen

February meant something entirely new for me when fellow author Delphine Dryden created my first ever book trailer for They Call Me Death. I was thrilled to see my story on screen in this new and intriguing way. There will be more to come as I finalize plans for a Day Shift book trailer as well.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

In March I had a great idea for a monthly blog post. Since there are already so many review blogs for books, I thought why not review characters instead? I took a book I'd read, chose a memorable character and gave my opinion on him/her. Then I gave the book away. The response was lackluster and honestly not worth my time. It only went on for six posts.
June rolled around and with it my Birthday Blog Tour. This was something I had in 2010 as well. However, this year's response wasn't nearly as big. I still had a great time celebrating my birthday month with my readers and hopping onto other blogs. I most likely will do it again in 2012.

Personally I received more disappointing news that wasn't exactly a shock. Being in a family of diabetics I know the signs. When I was diagnosed with Type 2, I wasn't too upset. My daughter was absolutely thrilled.

When it Rains, it Pours

My second EC release of the year happened on my birthday. That was a nice surprise and it did very well sales wise. However, the death of my grandfather in May still had a pall over my outlook on things. At that point it seemed I couldn't receive good news without getting bad in turn. I was almost afraid to answer the phone or read my emails.
The end of the summer brought major scheduling changes for my family and two books in the works.

In September I left my job of four years to be home for my daughters. This is something I'm still adjusting to though it has been wonderful. My fourth EC book came out in September with another great Jimmy Thomas cover. This novella was previously released through a different publisher. I was very happy with the changes and my readers appear to be too. Sales have been good.

And last but definitely not least came my vampire world. Reviews have been good for the most part with a couple of exceptions, but I'm happy with them overall. I love these characters and am already writing the sequel. This was a world I had considered for quite a while before finally giving into the voices demanding I make it real...on paper. Now I can sleep again.
So that was my year in a nutshell. A few ups, a few downs, a lot of in between. The holiday season has been wonderful and I have great expectations for 2012.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Week!!

2011-12-19T11:14:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Week! I don't know about you, but this is one of my favorite times of the year. It's true that it's often hectic and a bit stressful, but once all the shopping, baking and cleaning is done the end result is well worth it. I sincerely hope every one of you have a fabulous week and joyous weekend. May you find yourself surrounded by good company and lots of joy.
This week I'll be guest blogging on Buffy Christopher's website. If you leave a comment you may walk away with a one-of-a-kind Missy Jane coffee mug. Not a coffee drinker? That's okay. It's great for tea and hot cocoa too.

After that I plan to laze around the house and hop online as the mood strikes me. I'm currently trying to coax a few characters into giving up their stories so I can submit something the first week of 2012. As it stands, Sean and Megan, Greg and Zaria as well as Zerach and Isadora are all rumbling around in my head. We'll see who wins the race to have their story finished first.
If you catch me on Twitter, Facebook, in the Coffee Time Romance and More forums, or anywhere else, be sure to say hi. You never know when I might have some extra Christmas gits to hand out!

Book Fair, New York & Christmas Shopping

2011-12-10T14:46:00.001-06:00

This past week was one of the longest of the year. I volunteered at my daughters' elementary school to help with the book fair. I've never done it before (and may not ever again) and had no clue how much work goes into those things. By Friday I was exhausted and ready to just lie down and die. Luckily it's now over and I can go back to my regularly scheduled craziness. I didn't buy a single thing for myself, though there were a few good adult titles and the newest Shel Silverstein and Christopher Paolini. However, my daughters spent a good portion of this months' royalties on these titles: Dragonworld: Secrets of the Dragon Domain, Darth Paper Strikes Back, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats and The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. If I could have picked any one book for myself, I think I would've chosen A Bad Kitty Christmas. I was wonderfully surprised by this charming and memorable book, and will be buying it at the soonest opportunity to read aloud on Christmas Eve.

As those of you following my Twitter feed or watching my Facebook wall may know, my second oldest daughter went to New York City last week...without me! She is a student at one of the greatest schools in the world. Not because of their curriculum, teaching staff or location. This school takes their kids on "field experiences" having to do with their chosen field of study, and my daughter is a drama student.Not only did she get to see Wicked on Broadway, she also met one of the choreographers who instructed her class on a dance routine. How cool is that? She brought back tons of photos and key chains for everyone. She also only spent half of the money I sent her with. I couldn't ask for a better daughter, but I'm never letting her go that far away from me again!

Now that the week is over, that doesn't mean I get to rest. I've already been to three different stores this morning to pick up Christmas presents ordered online last week. I'll be grocery shopping at some point in time and sneaking out to find a present for my husband. This may be the happiest time of the year but it's also the busiest. However, I LOVE it! The hardest part for me is not telling my girls what exactly is hiding beneath all that wrapping paper. We'll see if I can make it until the 25th.

So, that was my week in a nutshell. What have ya'll been up to?

'Cause I'm a Luuzerrrrr...

2011-12-02T20:05:00.001-06:00

So another NaNoWriMo has come and gone and once again I DID NOT hit the 50,000 word goal. Le sigh. I'm disappointed in myself but realistic. Whenever I don't feel like writing, I simply can't make myself put words down. I tend to read as I write and edit along the way. I know that's not the point of NaNo, but it's how I write. I have to be in the zone, find my groove, feel my mojo working. Something. In November I had a gazillion things going on that had little to do with writing, plus a major release I did a piss-poor job of promoting. Somehow it still stayed on the publisher's top ten list for two weeks. (My readers rock!) But, to be completely honest, I was a terrible writer in November. At least, I had no discipline whatsoever in November. I'm going to try to be better this month, which won't take much, but with the holidays I don't have high hopes. My goal is to finish my NaNo project this month so I can submit it shortly after the first of the year. But honestly, it probably won't happen. I've also decided to be more realistic in my goals. I'm leaving that one because it's doable if I buckle down. Others are going to go by the wayside.

My hope for the rest of 2011 is to finish at least one MS. Hopefully it will be the sequel to Day Shift, but I have three I'm concentrating on. Other than that I'll be spending much needed quality time with my four girls and hardworking husband. If you don't see a lot of activity on this blog that will be why. However, if you keep seeing me on Twitter and Facebook, bitch at me to get back to writing. I'll need the ass-kicking at some point. ;-)

Let Your Voice be Heard!

2011-11-22T13:08:00.001-06:00

Are you an avid e-book reader? Have you just discovered they exist and are trying to navigate the complex world of e-readers? Whichever category you fall into, as a romance reader your opinion is highly prized by All Romance e-books. Help them out by clicking on the photo to the left and taking a quick survey.

2011 100 Book Reading Challenge

2011-11-19T20:25:00.001-06:00

Back in January I thought it would be fun to enroll in a couple of reading challenges. I'd never done one before and thought "What the hell?" 100 books in a year sounded like a lot to me back in January. Then I sat and considered my usual reading habits. Depending on the week, I can easily read a one standard paperback per day. In truth, a 200 book a year challenge may have been more feasible. But then I considered editing deadlines, holidays, vacations and NaNoWriMo, and knew 100 might be pushing it.

Well my blogger friends I am proud to say that this past week I did it! I reached and surpassed my goal of reading 100 books in 2011. In fact, I'm currently reading book number 102. I also have at least three more books lined up and one Stephen King book I've started but not finished.

So, you may be thinking "That's great, Missy. Maybe now you should stop reading and start writing." Umm, well you would be right. I'll admit my NaNoWriMo word count is a bit pitiful at the moment. However, there is one other thing I have to accomplish in 2011. You see, I also signed up for a Stephen King reading challenge and I'm sorely behind on that one...

Day Shift now Available!

2011-11-15T20:18:00.001-06:00

It's here!!!!!
This may be the new release I've been the most excited about ever. It took a few years for me to decide to write vampires. Mostly because they're very overdone, but also because I was leery of writing a type of character with so many preconceived characteristics. One of the first things I decided was that mine would be different. I didn't want them to be dead or evil, allergic to garlic or the sun. I also think it's silly to pretend a vampire's bite won't hurt. And orgasmic? Yeah right.

So, here it is finally. My vampire world is now available as the novella Day Shift. I hope you like it ;-)

Readers n'Ritas!

2011-11-07T19:25:00.001-06:00

This weekend, for the first time ever, I will be attending the Readers n'Ritas event in Allen, Texas. I'm SO excited! Not only will I be in the presence of greatness (Gena Showalter, Ann Aguirre, etc.) I'll get to meet some of my readers :-D

I'm really looking forward to it but there is one thing I'm really nervous about. Some of the readers paid to attend a meal with the authors where there will be one author per table with seven readers. I don't know if it's readers choice, first come first served, or some other system. My fear is that I will be dining alone. I know that's not likely but tell the butterflies in my stomach that!

The authors were asked to provide either one prize to give away to someone at our table, or seven smaller prizes to give to each. I don't want anyone walking away from my table empty-handed. So, I created seven little coffins to celebrate the upcoming release of my vampire novella, Day Shift.

I had an absolute blast making and filling them. My only regret is that I didn't think to buy extras to giveaway online. :-(

NaNoWriMo Take Six!

2011-11-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

If you're following even one writer on any of the social networking sites you most likely know what NaNoWriMo is by now. If not, here's the short version. November is National Novel Writing Month. So, to celebrate, people of all shapes and sizes attempt to complete a 50,000 word novel within the thirty days of November. Last year I decided against doing it because I hadn't "won" NaNo the five previous years I'd made the attempt. However, this year I have a definite story idea in mind and I'm giving it a go. It's actually just the incentive I need to get some words done. Lately I've concentrated on promo and playing online more than actually writing anything. Time to get back in the zone. So, if you're a NaNoer too, feel free to add me as a buddy. I'm listed as mjhmcginnis.
Good luck and Happy Writing!!

Diabetic Challenge Number...

2011-10-30T11:31:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Halloween, which has never been a problem before in my seventeen years of motherhood...until now. My youngest is a type one diabetic, and this will be our first Halloween since that diagnosis. She made it through Valentine's Day as well as numerous birthdays over the past year. Tomorrow should be a piece of cake, right?

Luckily, we've learned a lot the past few months and I've always rationed out the candy anyway. I'm going to have to be a little stricter than before but that will just make the candy last longer. Of course, I'm not certain that's a good thing.

Aside from that, another issue is my own candy-eating habit. I was diagnosed with diabetes this year too. That means I can't stuff my face with everyone's chocolates when their backs are turned. Damn it! Oh well, so long as I get some candy corn all will be right in my world.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Why I'm Walking

2011-10-25T18:37:00.000-05:00

Before January 11th of this year, I didn't know diddly squat about Juvenile (Type1) Diabetes. My mom has type 2 diabetes and I always suspected I would eventually be diagnosed with it as well (I was a few months ago), but Type 1 wasn't something I ever gave any thought to. I knew Nick Jonas has it, as well as a slew of other celebrities and a few sports figures. Imagine my surprise when my then seven year old was diagnosed as well.
My daughter Alice Jane has Juvenile Diabetes, and her diagnosis was a real eye-opener. Most moms will do anything to take away their children's aches and pains, but what do you do when you simply can't? The entire family has gotten much better at our eating habits. We ALL know how to read nutrition labels now. And, everyone does their part to ensure Alice takes her medicine every single day.
So, what else can we do? Not much really. There are still an amazing number of unknowns associated with this disease. And that brings me to the point of this blog. This weekend my family will be walking in the JDRF walk to raise funds for Type 1 diabetes research.
I know right now the economy sucks and extra money doesn't exactly exist. But, can you go one day this week without Starbucks? Can you not buy that e-book until next payday? (Even if it's mine?) All I'm asking for is one single dollar. Our team goal is only $500. I have almost that many Facebook friends and nearly double that followers on Twitter. So, the way I figured it is if everyone pitches in $1, meeting our goal should be no problem. What do you say? I really hope a cure is closer and this step helps.

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-TX/Chapter-HoustonGulfCoast4644?px=1770228&pg=personal&fr_id=1484

Writing Update

2011-10-03T14:54:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm home and have more time on my hands I expect to get a lot more writing done. Okay, it's been three weeks since I quit working and that hasn't exactly happened yet. However, now that I've rearranged my bedroom, cleaned out the linen closets, had a garage sale to get rid of the excess junk, and wrangled the laundry under control...well, I'm still not promising anything.

So what have I done as "Missy Jane" lately? I finished the second round of edits for Day Shift and I'm really excited about this book! It won't be out until November but that's okay. That will give me time to order new bookmarks and other promo items to celebrate the release.

Today I also finished a revision of my previously published short story, Love in Disguise. It was originally released by Sapphire Blue last November. I've subbed it elsewhere and will hopefully hear back on it soon.

Next, I have quite a few WIPs in the works. I've started Sean's story, from Two Week Trial, but that muse has taken a hiatus lately. From the two MS I just finished toying with I have other characters yelling at me too. A sequal to Day Shift is already floating around but not yet begun and a support character from Love in Disguise gets his own story too. I just have to lengthen it. If you liked my shape-shifters as much as I do (okay, really I LOVE them!) don't worry. Emily's and Lance's story is on hold for the moment, but Kotori's is still running through my head. His lady's name is Sanura and she is awesome!

That's it for now (isn't it enough?) but if you have any questions, comments, advice or complaints, feel free to shout 'em out below. :-)

Baking with My Daughter

2011-10-02T08:28:00.002-05:00

My oldest daughter is a high school culinary student who aspires to one day own her own restaurant in either New York or Paris (yeah, she dreams BIG). I do everything I can to encourage her mania by buying up whatever gadgets catch her fancy at William-Sonoma and taking her to events like the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show when they come to Houston. I also encourage her by cooking alongside her, trying out different recipes and ingredients. HEB is our very favorite grocery store because of their cooking station where we can sample new things to buy.
When it comes to baking, one of my favorite dishes to make (and eat!) is quiche. I LOVE pies. Basically any type of pie, with very few exceptions, makes me happy. So, what better way to start the day than with a breakfast pie? If you're unfamiliar with quiche, that's basically what it is, an egg based breakfast pie.

First, start with fresh ingredients. I LOVE vegetables, so I usually load my quiche with all of my favorites like mushrooms and bell pepper. It also makes a pretty pie if you use multi-colored veggies.

Second, have your pie crust ready. I normally use frozen deep-dish crusts. This time I made my daughter use her mad skills to make one from scratch, and it was YUMMY!

Third, load up your veggies and sprinkle with cheese. I use either shredded or crumbles cheese, depending on what I've got on-hand. Cutting chunks also works but if they're too big you'll have cheese pockets in your slices. (that's okay if you really like cheese)

You can get creative with your veggie placement too, just be sure to add cheese all throughout the pie.

Fourth, add your eggs in. I usually scramble up about ten eggs to start and go from there. Depending on how much you've put in the shell, you may need more or less eggs. Of course, you can use egg whites or whatever egg substitute you might need.

Then bake! For my oven, I've found about 45 minutes at 450 degrees works best.

Like most baked goods, you'll know it's done when a toothpick poked through the center comes out clean. However, be wary of poking it through a cheese chunk, that might leave a residue.

And that's it in a nutshell. Enjoy!

Resignation Available Today!!!

2011-09-21T04:00:00.000-05:00

It's here!! Today is the re-release day of my erotic novella, Resignation. Sol and Darina's story has a special place in my heart because it was the first erotic novella I ever had published. It's been re-edited with a couple new scenes that give more insight into the characters. And once again I have the delectable Jimmy Thomas on my cover. I hope ya'll like it!

BLURB:

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Lynn Graves has already cut her expenses to the bone. When an ad for a modeling job is brought to her attention, she simply can’t refuse the quick money. But once she meets the sexy photographer, it doesn’t seem so simple anymore.

Weston Myers is in a bind. Short on time, he’s looking for the perfect body since the face won’t matter. Now that he’s met Lynn, no one else will do, but breaking down her inhibitions will take patience. And when she gets under his skin, he’s desperate to have her luscious body under him… But he doesn’t have long to ready his artistic photo exhibit and convince Lynn she belongs in his bed. Hopefully in the end, she won’t be afraid of a few erotic images.

EXCERPT

BUY

Do You Know Vaughn R. Demont?

2011-09-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

House of Stone
Blurb:
A modern knight, a noble quest, and a magical sword. What could go wrong?
Welcome to the City, where gods run nightclubs, goblins hire out as mercs,
sorcerers work their magic, the Fae hold court over every neighborhood…and humanity is blissfully ignorant of it all. For minor Fae noble Richard Stone, life is going well. He has a decent fiefdom (okay, it’s a slum), a budding acting career (okay, so it’s porn), and one of only five magical swords in the City. An arranged
marriage is barely a blip on his worry meter—until his family blade loses its magic. The shame of it puts his noble standing in jeopardy. To regain his status, Richard needs help. Fortunately, his new bride is a sidhe knight and his servant Simaron has, er, his back. Together they embark on a quest to find the demon who slew his father, investigate a conspiracy that goes to the highest echelons of Fae nobility, and discover a secret family legacy that could ruin his House. All while keeping up appearances to a society that demands perfection. And they say a noble’s life is easy…
Warning: This book contains explicit gay sex, not-so-explicit gay sex, explicitly implied gay sex, routine breaking of the fourth wall, occasional bouts of Pearl Jam fanboy-ism, and plot. Side effects include confusion and headaches, and are best avoided by reading the pages therein in numerical order.

BUY IT HERE:
Amazon
Samhain

Coyote's Creed: Broken Mirrors Book 1
(PRE-ORDER ONLY. RELEASES 10/11/2011)

Blurb:
Always have an ace up your sleeve.

If con games were taught in high school, Spencer Crain would be on the honor roll. As it is, he’ll be riding the edge of failure to graduation next month. Then Spence gets the news that his long-gone father is not
only dead, but was a Coyote, one of three clans of tricksters in the City.

With a near-catatonic mother on his hands, Spence couldn’t care less about the Coyotes’ ongoing feud with the Phouka and the Kitsune—until it lands on his doorstep. Suddenly he’s thrown headfirst into a dangerous
world he knows next-to-nothing about. His only guide is Rourke, dashing King of the Phouka, plus a growing pack of half-siblings, a god, and Fate herself.

As Spence embarks on a journey to learn the Coyote’s creed, the truth about his heritage, and how to handle his growing attraction to Rourke, he wonders when his life turned from TV sitcom to real-life danger zone. And what price must he pay to survive the next roll of the dice…

Product WarningsContains PG-13 rated violence, R-rated language and X-rated hotel scenes.
Meta-humor, pop-culture humor, utter disregard for the 4th wall abound.

BUY IT HERE:
Amazon
Samhain

Vaughn R. Demont. Writer, gamer, waffle-addict.
Blog: http://vaughn-r-demont.livejournal.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/vaughndemont
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vaughndemont

Pet Peeves and Aggravations

2011-09-13T09:19:00.002-05:00

I'm not usually quick to anger. For the most part I consider myself pretty laid-back and patient when it comes to most things. However, as a reader and an author there are a few things that really tick me off because they can be so easily avoided or fixed. The following is a little bit of a rant that is general and not intended to call out anyone in particular. I'm just in one of those moods.

First off, as a reader I like to win things as much as the next person. I like to read blogs and am willing to jump through hoops to enter a contest if the prize is right. Why in the hell would anyone begin a contest, promotion, etc, right before a major life event? Moving, getting married, expecting a baby? How about you wait a few weeks and do all your promo stuff after? Not only does this make more sense in your schedule, your readers don't suffer the wait while you get your shit together. Now, I completely understand life happens and doesn't necessarily give a damn about anyone's schedule. However, when you already know big stuff is coming your way that will take all of your time and attention, don't start something where readers or authors will be waiting on you to finish.

Second, get the facts straight and update. While thinning out my bookshelves over the past couple of weeks I made a master list of the series I'm currently reading. I have quite a few auto-follow authors I love to read. In order to be sure of reading order and to know if I had all the books I visited many author's sites for confirmation. Boy was I shocked to realize not everyone keeps their site updated on a regular basis. Is it really that hard and time-consuming? Well yeah, it can be. But two years?! For one I had to go to the publisher's site to learn the two newest book release titles. Not only is that inconvenient for the reader, it makes no sense for an author to cripple her/himself that way. Trust me, if I can figure out how to keep my site updated weekly, anyone can do it. I'm so NOT tech savvy.

Third, and kind of related to the rant above, check your facts. It's really embarrassing and humiliating to have an author's name misspelled on a site. God forbid you do that on your own site, but I've seen it. If you expect an author to promote the event you've worked so hard on, take the time to triple check your spelling and links. Be sure your using the right name/pen name and book title(s) as well. This might seem common sense, but I've seen it.

And last, but certainly not least, authors and bloggers if you ask for feedback, don't ignore it. I can attest that blog comments are precious and appreciated, so why would you monitor all of them only to blatantly ignore any that aren't spam? If you don't think it fits the topic or is inappropriate, take a few seconds to respond to that person directly. No one likes to be ignored even for something so small and you may lose a reader for life.

Okay I'm done. Have a great day :-)

Back to Smut Celebration and Giveaway!

2011-09-04T11:38:00.003-05:00

This week I'm participating in the Sizzling Hot Book Reviews' Back to Smut celebration. The kids are back in school, so mommy and daddy can get back to reading the smut we love so much without curious little eyes in the way.
Leave a comment on my post about Erotic Images to win a copy!
http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2011/09/erotic-images-by-missy-jane.html

I Walk Away

2011-08-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

Back in 2006 I started writing a series of short stories as ideas and characters popped into my head. Most times it was a vague scene I had to flesh out on paper that finally turned into something readable. Below is one such snippet that I found while rearranging my office. I've edited it a bit but for the most part this is how I wrote at that time. Enjoy!

Each step I took away from his door was slow and deliberate, as if the sound of my footsteps might trigger within him a desire to keep me at all costs.

"This is it," he said.

The raw emotion in his voice announced the finality of that statement. We'd spent ten wonderful months together, but now it was completely over. I didn't bother arguing or asking any tearful questions. I already knew why and knew there would be no second chances. She had won and didn't matter what I did to or for him. He would always want her more.

I'd met Daniel at my sister's annual Fourth of July picnic and we spent the entire day flirting. I'd been single for over a year but he was newly separated from his wife of five years.

"We just couldn't work it out," he'd said.

I did my best not to pry into his past. I wanted him to forget about it, forget about her, and move on in my general direction.It has been a long time since a sexy guy like him had shown a genuine interest in what I had to offer. I was more than excited. I was lustful.

We kissed beneath the fireworks and he explored my body with a sense of apprehension. I felt the hesitation as his hands moved over me. I remember thinking, it's the memory of his wife. At the time I actually found it endearing. His face betrayed his guilt as he undressed me, but it didn't slow him down.Once I began peeling off his clothes all else faded away. It felt so good having a man inside me again, I didn't consider the consequences.Each thrust held an urgency in him that added to my pleasure, but almost seemed to cause him pain. He came quickly and collapsed on top of me in drunken exhaustion.

"Are you all right?" I asked, not particularly concerned with the answer.

He simply nodded, and I realized he was crying.

Thinking back on it, I realize his tears are what sealed my fate. I simply couldn't let him go with such a guilty heart. I held him for a while as the fireworks continued overhead. We remained hidden amongst the blooms within my sister's vast gardens. When the last sparkle faded from the sky and darkness finally returned, we dressed slowly and didn't face each other for long moments.

"I enjoyed that," he finally said.

"So did I, but perhaps we should try a bed next time," I said with a smile.

The relief on his face almost made me laugh. He agreed and followed me home in his own car.

The next two hours were spent in such pleasure, even thinking about it now gets me hot. His strong hands moved slowly over my sweat-dampened skin as I lay panting and begging for more.

"Please, please, don't stop," I said...more than once.

He complied by running his tongue up my stomach and between my breasts. I grabbed his hips in both hands, impatient for his erection as he playfully teased my throbbing lips with the tip.

"Please, please..."

I begged for it. I cried for it. Finally I screamed for it and he thrust into me almost violently. I climaxed instantly and he moaned.

"Oh, you are so fucking sexy."

It was the only time he ever called me that.

Sex was always so good with him. I'd never had an orgasm every time with any man before and probably never will again. Is that what I'll miss the most? Perhaps. Or maybe it'll be the way he would wake me by kissing the tip of my nose. Maybe it'll be the flowers he brought every time he came to my apartment. Perhaps it'll be his scent on my pillow. I don't know. Time has a funny way of twisting things sometimes so the memory of what I liked most turned into what I began to hate. He will always be there though, in the back of my mind, calling to my heart despite my efforts to silence him. No matter how quickly I walk away, or how far I go from his doorstep, I'll always want him. I will always know that for a brief time, I was the other woman.

I Walk Away

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not construed to be real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely incidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief excerpts or quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Editing this Weekend

2011-08-13T09:04:00.000-05:00

What are ya'll up to this weekend? Me? I'll be starting my first round of edits for the new version of Resignation. What do you think of the new cover? I LOVE it! To be honest I loved the first cover put on this novella by the previous publisher too, but something about this one just really pops. If you previously purchased Resignation when it was released by Sapphire Blue you may notice a few changes in the manuscript. All of the main parts are there, but I fleshed out a couple of scenes I hope help the chemistry between Sol and Darina feel even more natural than before. I don't have the blurb or release date yet, but as soon as I do you'll be the first to know ;-)

Introducing My Vampires

2011-08-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

I know I've been threatening for almost a year now, but the waiting is nearly over. I will soon begin edits on my first vampire novella, to be published through Samhain in the Fall. If you visit my site there is a little bit of info on the characters. I promise to post the blurb as soon as I get the go ahead to do so.

Here I Am!

2011-07-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

My apologies for staying offline the past couple of weeks. I've been checking in here and there, but nothing like my usual daily worship of the online social networks. With school right around the corner for my little ones, this probably won't change for a few more weeks. However, I have one guest post planned in late August over at the Mind Readers blog. I'll post more info as the date draws nearer.
Take care and talk to you again soon!

Great Reviews for Erotic Images!

2011-07-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

So far I've found three reviews for my newest release, Erotic Images, and they all had good things to say!
Jen at Romancing the Book rated it as a Rose in Bloom. Read her full review here.
Nissie at Riverina Romantics gave it a 4 hearts. Read her full review here.
And, Heather on Goodreads gave it 4 stars. Read her full review here.
Have you read Erotic Images? Let me know what you think, or link your review from Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever, in the comments below.

Review: The Civil Wars

2011-07-10T21:46:00.001-05:00

I've seen a lot of live performances in my lifetime: ballets, symphonies, musicals, rock concerts in everything from football stadiums to intimate nightclubs. I can now honestly say I've seen pure magic onstage. If you don't already know who The Civil Wars are, let this be your introduction to ~~one of the~~ the BEST musical duet I've ever seen in my life. I learned of them when walking through my living room one day as their video played on TV. My daughters were listening to it and told me I had to hear them. Well, they say that a lot and I don't always enjoy the music they feel I have to hear, but in this case I immediately agreed. A quick online search brought forth a few Youtube videos and a show date here in Houston. I simply couldn't resist and bought two tickets. That is the best fort bucks I've ever spent. It was obvious from the minute they hit stage that they enjoy performing together. As I said, pure magic. They had the audience laughing and singing along with them. Their cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' Disarm was beautifully done, even as different as it sounded. I could've sat and listened to them all night. The standing ovation they received at the end was very well deserved. My only regret was not being able to stay and have my poster autographed.

Normally, this would be the part where I spend a paragraph bitching about my husband bowing out of our date night because he just knew he wouldn't like the music. In fact, he admitted after the fact that he almost did. However, he didn't and off we went. The show was at a venue called McGonigel's Mucky Duck in the heart of Houston. I'd heard of it but never been there and was excited about visiting a new live music venue. It's been a while and I've seriously missed taking the time to sit and enjoy a live show. This was the first time we had dinner while watching the performance and the food was really good too. In fact, if I had to think of something to complain about it would be the forty-five minute drive to get there, but that's a whole other issue.

So, before The Civil Wars there was a single guy with his guitar. His name is Rayland Baxter and his voice reminded me of Paul Simon. He was really good. I bullied my husband into buying his CD as soon as his set ended, but was disappointed to discover at home that the song I enjoyed most isn't on it. That's okay, some cyber-stalking helped me find it on Youtube.

I realized as I was sitting listening to his soul-wrenching melodies that though I don't usually create a story soundtrack as other authors do, I could easily create one with his music. Once the Civil Wars hit stage what began as a seed in the back of my mind became a full-blown character, background and all, and I can hardly wait to introduce him to the world. Until then, please take my advice and have a listen to The Civil Wars. I promise it will be time well spent.

July is for Regrouping

2011-07-05T18:03:00.000-05:00

I can't believe summer is half through already. Where in the hell did it go? My Birthday Blog Tour was a huge success! By that I mean I had over 700 views on this blog alone, I met new readers and authors, I gave away a ton of prize packs and I just plain had fun. I hope everyone enjoyed it and will forgive me for not doing a July contest as originally planned. To be honest...I'm exhausted :-)

So, here's what's happening with me now:
I'm waiting on edits from my Samhain editor so we can get the vampire novella underway. It's titled Day Shift and will be out in the Fall. I have one submission in to Ellora's Cave already and am working on another (Sean's story from Two Week Trial). It's tentatively titled Two Dates Max, and I hope to have it done within the next couple of weeks.

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I'll update ya'll again soon!

...And the Winner Is...

2011-06-30T20:11:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I've had an absolute blast this year on my Birthday Blog Tour. I've made some new online acquaintances and hopefully gained new readers, and definitely had a great time giving out prizes!
So, now it's time for the last one. The GRAND PRIZE. First, I'd like to make it completely clear how I arrived at the winner. I created a database with a list of every blog post for the whole tour. I then added the names of each person who left a comment under the date for the post they commented on. A few minutes ago, I tallied up the comments and they reached 70. Can you believe it? 70 comments all month long! That's great :-)
Once I arrived at that total, I took a trip to random.org and let their auto number generator find my winner. And the winner is...
CHRISTLE GRAY!!!!!!! Whoohoo, congratulations!!!!!!
Thank you EVERYONE who joined me on my tour. I hope you had as much fun as I did, and will be joining me again next year :-D

An Interview with N.L. Gervasio

2011-06-24T06:00:00.006-05:00

When I first became serious about writing back in 2006, I hopped online and looked for resources and like-minded folks. There was a plethora of both, but one site caught my attention and lured me in. It was a community of aspiring writers who were willing to critique each others’ work. I immediately signed up and met some awesome people. One of those writers is N. L. Gervasio (known as Jinxie), a fabulous author and all-around awesome person. She’s hosted me on her sites a couple of times and now that she has a book being released I can finally return the favor. Her book is called Nemesis: A Kick-Ass Girls Club Novel, and is available through Running Ink Press. Would you like a taste? Following my enticing interview with Jinxie is a short synopsis.

Missy: Jinxie, keep in mind that you’re my first ever interview and don’t laugh at me (Technically I interviewed Jimmy Thomas second). Now, let’s see…um, tell us how you came up with the names Nemesis for your heroine and Clancy for your hero?

Jinxie: First ever interview, really? I'm so honored!

Well, I'm not sure you read this story as I posted it on that site where we met, but originally, the main character wouldn't tell me her damn name (I know, right?), so I had to substitute—and this will sound crazy—mine in its place (the Jinxie name, not the N.L.). I just couldn't even think of a name for her, but her story was unfolding fast (it took two and a half months to write), so I had to get it written down and I sure as hell wasn't going to call her Heroine (although, that would have been hilarious on the site). Then, my CP/editor/business partner Sharon put a stop to it real quick once things started heating up in the story because she didn't want to read about me, which had me falling over laughing because it wasn't really me. Finally, I just started looking at nicknames with a particular meaning, used a Thesaurus, and ta-da—Nemesis, Nemy for short.

I can't believe I just admitted all that. Only for you, Missy. Okay, I'd have done that for Sharon too, but that's it!

As for Clancy—I needed an Irish name and I love Clancy Brown. 'Nuff said. Sharon will really hate me now. She can't stand Clancy Brown.

Missy: Cool. Okay, so did you already know Nemesis was going to be a kick-ass kinda girl? Or did she begin as someone different and evolve into her finished character?

Jinxie: Is there such a thing as multi-polar, rather than just bi-polar? LOL She was all over the damn place, but she was still a kick-ass type of girl. She's always been that. Her emotions have just been off the charts. I'm still fixing some of that in the final edit as I answer your questions. It's been hell. I keep catching things and thinking, "how'd I miss that the last four runs?" Bear in mind that I finished this novel two weeks after my 7 ½-year engagement to the love of my life ended, so MY emotions were all over the place too. I'm still trying to figure out how I even finished it after that mess. I think Nemy kept me sane somehow.

I'd say the kick-ass part of her is about the only thing that's been a constant throughout the book as it's changed.

Missy: I know you’ve been working on this project for a while, and I know of a couple of other projects I’m (impatiently) waiting on. Can you tell us what’s next on your publishing agenda?

Jinxie: Oh crap, that's right. You want the werewolf book. And that "other" one that I won't discuss in public because there's nothing else like it on the market. =) The next one is Dusk of Death, the first of my Armageddon trilogy. I think you've read the original. It's not changing much. I also hope to finish my novella Tir na nOg before the end of the year, but I'm working on finishing my Bachelor's degree by December too, so we'll see. After that, the werewolf book, Native Moon, will be next.

I'll also edit and re-release The Vampyre Prophecy and Gemini soon because I've been working (sort of) on the third book in that series. You can read the first person POV blog called Gemini Rising, but the book itself will be third person and filled with a lot of things you won't see on the blog. Though it's still fun to write from my vampire Shawn's POV. He's probably one of my favorite characters.

Missy: Speaking of publishing, you have your hand in a few pies at the moment. How did the e-zine Forever Nocturne begin and what’s new with that project?

Jinxie: That is the understatement of the year. LOL Aside from my own writing, I'm a freelance editor, run Running Ink Press with Sharon Gerlach, designed the site and gear and write posts and attend conventions for Zombie Survival Crew, and as you mentioned, produce the free e-zine Forever Nocturne with Sharon.

FN actually began quite simply—Sharon and I carried on a conversation on each other's profiles on the site where we all met, and I think I said, "we should just start our own damn magazine." She agreed and the dialog continued along that vein until a friend, Tammy L Boehm, saw it and said, "DO IT!" And the rest is history. FN was put on hold for our March issue this year, but we are taking submissions for our October issue. We take short stories, poetry, and art, all of which can be submitted to forevernocturnezine (at) gmail (dot) com with the genre (short, poetry, art) in the Subject line. Attachments are only allowed for art images.

Missy: And lastly, as an author I know I put a little of myself into my heroines. Is there something of you in Nemesis? If not, is there some part of her you wish you had more of?

Jinxie: There's quite a bit of me in Nemy, and yet, she's evolved into her own person, which I'm in awe of, truly. The part of her I wish I had more of—aside from Clancy—is that she's much stronger than I am, even though I had her emotions all over the place. In certain situations, the girl just kicks ass, and I do that as well, but our circumstances that bring that ability about are completely different. I have to be backed into a corner. She doesn't at all. She'll put you in your place immediately. Ha!

Missy: Jinxie, thank you so much for visiting my blog today!

Since we’re both doing Birthday Blog Tours this month (because we’re both awesome Gemini gals) our readers get the gifts! Ms. Gervasio is giving away a copy of Nemesis to one lucky reader here, and I’m giving away a prize pack over on her blog. All you have to do to enter either/both is leave a comment: here answer the question, if you were written into a fantasy story, what is one trait the character would have to have to truly be you? The winners will be chosen tomorrow evening using random.org, and ALL comments on both blogs will be thrown into the pot for my Birthday Blog Tour grand prize. Good Luck!

Nemesis by N. L. Gervasio:

Prince Charming was a putz.
Prince Charming number two was even worse.
After the last prince ran off without any notice, breaking her heart and their engagement along the way, Nemesis Mussolini swore off men and passed the time kicking ass and slinging drinks, something her mafia father would never approve of. But, when her boss Clancy ups his flirtations, it’s difficult to remember she’s not interested, especially when he gets that delicious evil glint in his eye that has her melting. Just when Nemy starts to think all men might not be bad, she hears whispers about Clancy’s less than legal past, and wants to run like hell from the idea that he could be just like her father.
Great … Prince Charming number three may possibly be on FBI’s Most Wanted.
While Nemy and Clancy tumble down the romance road, hitting potholes every step of the way, Nemy discovers how much of her heart already belongs to Clancy, and how much of a Don’s daughter she really is. When Clancy’s daughter is kidnapped, they must work together to use every talent and connection they have to get her back, which means Nemy must learn to trust again. If they fail, Clancy could lose his daughter forever. Can Nemy surrender in time to get her happily ever after, or is she hell-bent on letting her past keep her from the one man who could be her true Prince Charming?

Bio:

N.L. "Jinxie" Gervasio was born on Friday the thirteenth. Her dad wanted to call her Jinx. Her mom said no. It took thirty-four years for her to discover the nickname, and she's grown quite attached to it. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with Umi (her mother) and Moon (her Alaskan malamute). She enjoys riding her beach cruiser "The Betty" around downtown Tempe, loves a good pub crawl, and has had the pleasure and the heartache of experiencing a love far greater than she could have ever imagined.

She welcomes you to her world.

Twitter │ Facebook

Links:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jinxie_G

Twitter Alternate: http://twitter.com/NLGervasio
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jinxi3G
Email: jinxieg13 (at) gmail (dot) com
Jinxie's World blog: http://jinxiesworld.wordpress.com

Unclouded Perspicacity blog: http://nlgervasio.wordpress.com

RIP: http://www.runninginkpress.com

Forever Nocturne: http://forevernocturne.wordpress.com

ZSC: http://zombiesurvivalcrew.com

Gemini Rising: http://delaurenttwins.wordpress.com

Shawn's Twitter: http://twitter.com/Shawn_II

For a preview taste of her new release, go here: http://nlgervasio.wordpress.com/projects/nemesis/nemesis-chapter-1/

Oops!

2011-06-21T17:11:00.001-05:00

Ahh, don't you just love schedules? They keep you on track, let you know where to be and when...and tell everyone when the train derails. So, obviously my Birthday Blog Schedule says there should be a review of They Call Me Death on Book Chick City today, but there isn't. In it's place for today's stop I'm posting this question here:
What are you currently reading? Me? I'm in the middle of two books, Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker and Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. After that I already have Lynsay Sands' newest Argeneau vampire novel calling my name ;-)
Comment away and don't forget to include your email address. Good luck!

Birthday Blog Tour Update #2

2011-06-17T19:56:00.000-05:00

Whew! This has been a hell of a week. I turned thirty-six, had a new release and ran around the web giving away prizes. We're halfway through my Birthday Blog Tour, so it's time for an update.
Congratulations to all of the winners so far. Tomorrow I plan to finally get my butt to the post office and put your packages into the system. I apologize for the delay. I'm sending everything regular USPS, first class, which generally takes about five business days. However, if you're outside of the US please give it extra time.

Also tomorrow, I'll be chatting all day at The Romance Reviews. This stop is not a part of my regular Birthday Blog Tour schedule, however, I'll still be giving one lucky reader a copy of my brand spankin' new ebook, Erotic Images. Check in at any time and leave your comment or question. I'll be checking in first thing in the morning and then all day as my schedule allows.

We still have five more stops to go, including a double on the 24th! Jinxie Gervasio will be here on my blog and I'll be guesting on hers. That will be two chances to win that day and double entries for the grand prize!
I hope ya'll are having as much fun as I am :-D

It's My Birthday!!

2011-06-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is my thirty-sixth birthday! And it's even more special because it's also the release day of my sixth e-book! Erotic Images is my newest erotic novella from Ellora's Cave Publishing, and they gave me a real treat this time by putting the delectable Jimmy Thomas on my cover. He is easily one of the most recognizable faces in the Romance world, as well as a super nice and all-around cool guy. Not only is he making my new book look great, he was also gracious enough to answer a few question for me to post on this special day. So here it is, my mini-interview of Romance cover model Jimmy Thomas:

Missy: If you even have time (just reading your bio wore me out!) do you ever read the books you're featured on? If not, do you prefer another genre, or read for fun at all?

Jimmy: I rarely have time to do anything other than work, so unfortunately, I haven't read any of the books I'm on. If I did, I wouldn't get new images shot and uploaded for all to use on their covers ;)

Missy: Your site romancenovelcovers.com is phenomenal and unlike anything I've ever seen. What made you decide to market yourself in this way?

Jimmy: Thanks :) I've been modeling for 13 years and have always shot "couples" images of romance, sensual and erotica, and I knew the romance industry needed a place to go to get exactly that, without extensive searching on random stock image websites that didn't have much of what they wanted/needed. And I've always been one to come up with marketing, network and advertising ideas that work well ;)

Missy: I've browsed the covers on your site and you seem to have every sub-genre of romance there. Historical, sensual, steamy, paranormal and even you in a kilt! (sigh) Do you have a favorite pose or type of cover? If so, why is it your favorite?

Jimmy: Not really. I love any style/genre, as long as I produce great images that I love within any genre during a shoot, I'm happy :) Of course those where I'm holding a half naked/naked beautiful woman doesn't hurt ;)

Lol, and don't we all wish we were that naked, beautiful woman? All right, readers, what do you think? Do you have a favorite Jimmy Thomas pose? Describe it, link it or name the book title in a comment below and you're entered into my Birthday Blog Tour giveaway!Please include your email address in your post. I'll choose a winner via random.org tomorrow evening. Good luck!
In case you were wondering, here are my faves:

Romantic Times Convention April 2008

Birthday Blog Tour Update

2011-06-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to buying up books for my Birthday Blog Tour prize packs. What do ya'll think of the selection to the left? Don't worry, there will be more as the month wears on. The pretty, purple baggies are also prize pack goodies that include some candy and Missy Jane magnets.

Congratulations to Christle and Ju for being my first two winners! Your next chance will be Sunday over at Victoria Gray's blog. The rest of the schedule is in the previous post and on my site. Good luck!

Birthday Blog Tour 2011!

2011-06-01T06:00:00.007-05:00

It's that time again! That's right, it's June, and with the first month of summer comes my birthday! Last year I decided to celebrate another year of life by giving away prizes to my readers at different stops around the web. It was awesome. I met new authors wonderful enough to allow me onto their blog, and I met their fabulous readers, gracious enough to read my rants. So, this year I decided to do it again even bigger!

Each day of my tour I'll select one comment to win the daily prize pack shown above. Then on June 30th ALL comments will be entered to win the grand prize box of goodies pictured to the right, which includes a signed print copy of They Call Me Death!

It all starts with this post so leave your comments to win, and don't forget to include your email address. Good Luck!

Here's the schedule:

June 1st: My blog

June 2nd: Kaily Hart

June 5th: Victoria Gray

June 8th: Stephanie Julian

June 10th: Tina Donohue

June 12th: Christine Bell

June 13th: Storywings

June 15th: My blog (birthday post!)

June 16th: Samhain Publishing

June 19th: The Speculative Salon

June 21st: Book Chick City (review of They Call Me Death)

My blog!

June 24th: My blog where I interview N.L. Gervasio!

June 28th: Texas Authors of Romance Fiction

June 30th: My blog (GRAND PRIZE winner announced!)

Another Fabulous Cover!

2011-05-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

I have to be one of the luckiest authors in existence! Not only have ALL of my book covers to date been beautiful, but this time I got Jimmy Thomas! If you're not familiar with his face maybe you've been too distracted by his body. He's been on over thirteen-hundred romance novel covers and now he's on mine too :-D

I'm currently in edits for this book but as soon as I know the release date I'll post it here.

Character Reviews

2011-05-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Monday and this is where you should be seeing another one of my weekly character reviews. They have been fun for me because I love discussing books and especially characters that leave an impression on me. However, the response has been lackluster and the whole process takes precious time. I've weighed the pros and cons and decided to put any more character reviews on hold for now. Don't worry, I'll be doing another Birthday Blog Tour this year during my birthday month of June. There will be plenty of chances for my readers to win prizes all month, including the cool coffee cup pictured to the left.
Until then, happy reading!

Character Review #6: Queen Adara

2011-05-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

First off, let me apologize for the tardiness of this post. Character Review #6 was supposed to run along the same schedule as the first five reviews. However, Mother's Day arrived and with it a day of decadent laziness highly encouraged by my hubby. So you see, it's his fault (don't tell him I said that). I do normally write the posts on Sunday (usually at the last minute) and schedule them to post first thing Monday morning for your viewing pleasure. Well, as I said, with Mother's Day falling on this past Sunday I did nothing but read all day long and by the time I was ready for bed there was no getting any writing out of me.

But alas, here I am, only a few days late and ready to tell you all about Queen Adara of Taagaria, the abandoned wife of Christian of Acre, in Kinley MacGregor's Return of the Warrior. First off, even if you've never read Kinley MacGregor you may have read her. She is the alter ego of Sherrilyn Kenyon, better known for paranormal romance than historical. One thing both authors have in common is hot, strong men and their equally strong women. That is something that draws me back to her work time and again. Off the top of my head I don't think I've ever read a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine in any of her work. Queen Adara absolutely doesn't fit into that category either. She is a queen after all. She is noble, beautiful, brave and strong...and has the balls to travel through hostile lands to find her husband.

In this installment of the Brotherhood of the Sword series, we meet Christian of Acre. He is a wounded hero wanting nothing more than to fulfill the moral obligations he placed on himself when imprisoned alongside other brave men. They formed the brotherhood to stay alive and aid each other, and now nothing and no one has his loyalty but them. Until he steps into a room to find a beautiful, naked woman claiming to be his wife. He refuses her but decides to help return her to her kingdom through harsh, dangerous lands. Adara is no fool. She quickly realizes she is in serious danger of not returning home in one piece. She also decides not to give up on the tormented warrior she married as a child. She shows strength of will as well as true courage and feminine stubbornness. She easily became one of my favorite female characters.
Though she is cunning and fighting for the strength to care for her people, she isn't an over-the-top, kick-ass heroine. She knows when to hold back and let the hero have his pride.

Do you prefer the kick-ass heroine that takes over from the start? Or is the more subtle femme fatale more to your reading taste? Tell me in a comment below or just recommend a female character that stayed with you long after the story ended. One reader will win a slightly used (but in VERY good condition) copy of Return of the Warrior. Be sure to include your email addy.

Ah Helll...

2011-05-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

So I obviously never got the post written that was supposed to be up yesterday. But, never fear! You can still win a book from me today! Go to JoJos Bookcorner, where I'm a guest blogger and read my post about Adrian Paul. Then leave a comment and you could win Men In Kilts by Katie MacAlister.
Good Luck!

Jotting a Quick Note...

2011-05-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

...and then I'm off to bed. I hope all of my mommy readers had a fabulous, relaxing day today. I did! In fact, it was so relaxing that I completely forgot I was supposed to be writing a blog post on my next character review. Oops! Therefore the contest will start a little bit later than usual, but I promise to have Character Review #6 posted tomorrow evening.
Here's hoping you had a wonderful Mother's Day, Sunday and entire weekend!

<~~~One of my gifts :-)

Character Review #5: Quinn O'Conor

2011-05-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my fifth character review where I discuss Keri Arthur's HOT vampire Quinn O'Conor. If you have no clue who he is, then you obviously haven't picked up any books in the Riley Jensen series. Riley herself is half vampire, half werewolf, and a sexy, female guardian that can kick ass with the best of them. In the very first book of her series, Full Moon Rising, we get to meet Quinn, a much older vampire that has all kinds of secrets.

I have to admit that once we got to know Quinn I didn't like him very much. He wasn't very nice to Riley and made it pretty damn obvious that he was using her. His reluctant desire for her just pissed me off and every time she gave in I wanted to take away her bad-ass chic card. However, losing her seemed to be the best thing for him (sorry for the spoiler). I haven't read the entire series. In fact the book I'm giving away is the last one I bought but never actually read. Why have I "broken up" with this series? I honestly don't know. My tastes as a reader have changed and at the moment I'm not curious enough about what happens next to read Deadly Desire. However, Keri Arthur is an awesome writer and I highly recommend her to every reader of paranormal romance and hot urban fantasy. Most likely I'll decide in a couple of months that I must know what happens and buy the last three books.

So, let's talk about Quinn. He is a standard vampire in that he drinks blood, avoids the sun and is centuries old. He is intelligent and cunning which can be frustrating when he uses Riley for what he believes to be a higher purpose. He has lots of money, lots of charm and he is HOT! As I stated earlier he does eventually redeem himself (well, as far as I read in the series) and treats Riley better. He turns from asshole to hero and is the character that stood out to me the most in this series. If you haven't met him yet, I recommend you pick up at least the first book to do so.

Has there been a character that made you mad at the beginning of a series, only to redeem him or herself later on? Comment below with your answer and include your email address. You may win a copy of Deadly Desire! I'll pick my winner on Tuesday evening. Good luck!

Bucket List: Authors I Need to Meet

2011-04-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

By now you've all probably heard of the "bucket list", the top however many things a person feels they should do before they die. Some wish to travel the world, some prefer to accomplish a task, others might already have an impressive list to add to. For me it's really quite simple. I want to meet all of the authors I admire before I die. I've always been an avid reader. Some of my earliest memories are of curling up with a good book. So when I first heard of the bucket list I immediately thought of who I'd like to meet before I die.

I've been very lucky in that I live near the fourth largest city in the nation. Houston is a hub for the entertainment world whether it be Arts, Music, Theater or even Literary. In 2007 the Romantic Times convention came to town and I was able to meet great authors like Nina Bangs, Gena Showalter and Shana Abe'. In 2008 I attended the convention in Pittsburgh and met Christine Feehan and Mary Janice Davidson, among others. Laurell K. Hamilton and Patricia Briggs have also come into town and one of my all-time favorites, Stephen Lawhead, made a stop in Austin earlier this year. With those wonderful authors my list is quickly filling up, but not exactly complete. I still have quite a few to go before I meet my end.

The top of my list at this time is Stephen King. I know he is one I most likely won't ever get the chance to meet. He lives and plays in Maine. It's very far away and not a place I'll travel to in the foreseeable future, but I can dream. His son, Joe Hill (another fabulous author), will be in Austin at the World Horror Con this weekend, but my plans to go were derailed early on. Next would be Clive Barker, another unlikely one. I honestly don't even know what country he lives in but I've never heard of him traveling in Texas. Such a shame. After those two there is Frank Beddor. From everything I've read about him online, he is actually a more feasible goal. He's been to conventions before in support of his Looking Glass Wars trilogy and Hatter M comics. Now I just have to make it to the conventions myself.

On to the romance genres. Lilith Saintcrow tops my list of paranormal/urban fantasy authors. I've already met Anne Aguirre (she is awesome!) who would naturally be second. Then there is Lynsay Sands and Emma Holly. I have to admit I would probably squeal like a fangirl if I ever got to meet theses ladies and embarrass the hell out of myself. Maybe stalking them on Twitter is best for now.

That's certainly not all and the list grows every time I read a new-to-me author. So, who is on your author bucket list? Have you already made plans to meet them soon? Share in the comments below and don't worry, I won't be mad if I'm not number one ;-)

Character Review #4: Lord Tynan, the Dark Chieftain of the Tuatha De' Dananns

2011-04-24T23:11:00.001-05:00

This week for character review #4, I've chosen to step into the world of the Fae by talking about Lord Tynan, the Dark Chieftan of the Tuatha De' Dananns, in R. Garland Gray's Predestined. Tynan is the hero in the first book of the Fairy Faith series and an interesting character. Aside from having an awesome cover, Tynan's book is a good fantasy read. There is romance, a struggle between good and evil, pissed off, spoiled Fae and an interesting garment made of webbing. What more could you ask for?

When it comes to the Fae I've read a few different versions. Some authors keep their characters mysterious and arrogant. Some make them playful and charming. Gray adds a little bit of everything in her main characters by making them descendants of Fae. They have attributes of the fair ones but don't stick to a strict set of features I've read of in other Faerie stories. I think Tynan is a good mix of leader, warrior and faerie liberator. His destiny is predetermined but he doesn't let it rule him. Once he meets Bryna, and his destiny is set in motion, he makes his own path through the obstacles they encounter to "set the land aright".

Overall, I really liked this character. He is strong physically and emotionally, he is intelligent and cunning. And best of all, he has long black hair and a well-muscled body. Two of my favorite features in a hero ;-)

This is book one and I was lucky enough to read book two as well. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good faerie tale. So, the question of today is how do you like your Fae? Do you prefer the silent, serious type ala JRR Tolkien and Laurell K Hamilton? Or, do you prefer the playful types that like to be a little bit naughty with their local humans? Recommend your favorite faerie read in a comment below and you're entered to win Predestined. Please include your email address.
Good Luck!

Giveaways, Contests & Prizes Update

2011-04-23T17:20:00.001-05:00

Call it what you want, I love giving out prizes to my readers. So in the spirit of doing it more often I've begun my character reviews where I critique another author's character and give that book to a reader. I think it's going well so far, though I haven't had a huge response, I'm happy with the new followers I have now (thank you!). However, I do need to make a couple of adjustments already.

First of all, I'd originally posted on Sunday and drew a name on Wednesday. I thought that would give everyone plenty of time to read the post and comment on it. Well that takes up half a week and cuts down on my posting. I prefer to post a couple times a week rather than have one on top of another. Therefore, the critiques will now be posted on Mondays and I'll draw the winner Tuesday evening. That's still over twenty-four hours for everyone to get their comments in, and I won't feel like I'm covering up the character critiques with other posts.

Second, even though I just got this thing off the ground in April, I will not be doing it in June. Don't worry, the characters for May have already been chosen and the full list is available on my site. However, in June I will once again be doing my Birthday Blog Tour. I'm setting up dates and already have quite a few. I will be giving prizes on every single stop and don't want to overload myself. I promise to have the full schedule listed here on the blog and on my site by the last week of May.

That being said, I'll need suggestions for July character reviews. So far I've only done romance genres but I am a very eclectic reader. I also have an extra copy of Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I hadn't put it on the schedule because both copies are used and I can't decide if either is good enough for a giveaway. Does anyone mind pages marked on the edge in marker where I crossed out a name? Plus I really love historical fiction. I don't have any giveaway copies yet, but I am an avid book buyer ;-)

That's everything for now. If you have any suggestions for character reviews, guest blog posts for my blog tour or anything else, feel free to comment below.

How's Your 2011 Reading Going?

2011-04-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the year I thought it would be fun to participate in a couple of reading challenges. You can find the icons with appropriate links at the bottom of my blog page. Since this was my first year I decided to keep it simple and go with two I knew I should be able to pull off with no trouble. One is simply based on the total books read in 2011. My goal this year is fifty books. So far I've read twelve and number thirteen will be devoured in the next couple of days. You can see the full list of what I've read on my Goodreads or Shelfari page, along with a review of each book.

The second challenge was a Stephen King reading challenge. I chose this one because I absolutely love his books, but I've been terribly remiss the past couple of years. The honest truth is that once I started reading paranormal romance I stopped reading horror. It wasn't a conscious decision, more of an accidental habit. I've continued to buy his books as they were released, but they've been gathering dust on my TBR pile. I started with Blaze and absolutely LOVED it! It did a good job of reminding me why Stephen King is one of my favorite authors.In honor of reverting back to my love of the horror genre, I also picked up a copy of Joe Hill's The Heart-Shaped Box. It was absolutely fabulous and I will be picking up his books as I see them now too.

So, how is your 2011 reading going? Are you gearing up for the inevitable summer reading programs? I sure am. I won a $50 Amazon gift card from my local library last summer! Plus there are so many great books coming out in the next few weeks I can barely contain my excitement. It'll be a wonder if I get anything written myself. One of my highly anticipated TBR is the latest release in Madeline Hunter's Rarest Blooms series. It comes out next week! If you see my door is closed then don't knock. I'll be reading...

Have any books you've loved so far this year? Share the recommendations below.

Character Review #3: Dora the Sentient Computer

2011-04-17T02:13:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my character review #3 where I will discuss a very unique character named Dora. No, she's not a little Hispanic girl with a cute black bob. The Dora I'm talking about is featured in The Dare by Susan Kearney and she is one of the most unique characters I've ever read. This is actually the second book in Susan Kearney's series about Rystani warriors, but like many paranormal romances can be read as a stand alone novel. It doesn't require reading the first book to understand the storyline.

So, let's discuss Dora. She is sassy, sexy and sarcastic, three things I love in a strong female character. What sets her apart? She began life as a computer and for three hundred years remained that way. However, Tessa, an earthling, finds and befriends Dora in book one (The Challenge) and Dora quickly adapts to her personality. Dora learns from Tessa and from watching Tessa's evolving relationship with a Rystani male named Kahn. As she learns, Dora evolves into more than just a sentient computer. She has emotions and reacts to situations much as a human would, albeit a human without a body. One of her reactions includes a very serious interest in a single Rystani male named Zical. He's strong, smart and fiercely loyal. She admires him and enjoys moving satellites out of orbit just to spy on him at will. Maybe she sounds a little obsessed, but even she doesn't understand the full scope of her feelings until she achieves the impossible. She grows a body and transmits her personality into it, becoming a full, real-life human woman.

I loved Dora because she uses her astounding intelligence and logic, mixed with a little imagination, to achieve the amazing goal of turning herself into a completely different entity. Numerous obstacles arise both in the learning process of becoming human and in her ultimate goal of gaining Zical's affections, but she never gives up. She sacrifices much and ultimately has high rewards, but her struggle was a fascinating journey. This is the kind of character that science fiction is all about and one that every true sci-fi fan should meet.

Would you like to win a copy of The Dare to judge for yourself? Comment below on what you would do if you could slip your mind into a computer mainframe for a day. Sounds strange, but nothing's impossible in paranormal romance! I'll choose a winner on Wednesday afternoon, please include your email address in your response.
Good luck!

Four Months In - Life Update

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's mid-April, which means it's officially been four months since my youngest was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. My family has learned how to read nutrition labels, count carbohydrates, inject insulin and take blood glucose readings. It's been quite an interesting four months and we've made it through with only a few bumps in the road.
Spring break came and went with our annual road trip up into the Hill Country. We bypassed the Blue Bell ice cream factory this year for a stop to see miniature ponies. Then we camped at Lake Summerville for a couple of days. It was great spending the week with my girls, even if I didn't get much writing done.

Professionally it has been a good year so far. I had an erotic release from Ellora's Cave in January and am currently revising another to submit soon. I joined other Texas Authors of Romance Fiction members at the Houston Indie Book Festival at the beginning of this month and had a great time. Plus, I began a new blog post of reviewing characters and then giving away their books to my readers. Response has been good. So, what's next?
I recently found out that I am able to submit the sequel to They Call me Death elsewhere. I'm disappointed that my publisher rejected it, but it happens. I've already changed Emily's story and don't feel comfortable doing so again. I want her story to stay true to what I've envisioned. It's currently under review from a friend of mine who's opinion I trust in letting me know if I really should change it up. Hopefully I'll have information about where/when it will be published in the next couple of months. I've also submitted a vampire novella to one of my publishers and hope to hear back on it by the end of the month. My current WIPs are: another book in my shifter world, Kotori's story, tentatively named Shifting Perceptions; a contemporary erotic novella about a photographer; and the sequel to Resignation about home-wrecker Heather, tentatively titled Redemption.

Anything new in your world? Feel free to let me know ;-)

Character Review #2: Dark Ones

2011-04-10T07:00:00.007-05:00

Welcome to my second character review. I hope you enjoyed last week's post about Carpathians. This week I'm talking about a different but similar type of character known as a Moravian Dark One. Who are these mysterious men that share blood-sucking tendencies with a plethora of other characters in fiction? They are Katie MacAlister's take on the vampire, and they are hot, hot, hot! For this giveaway I'm offering Zen and the Art of Vampires. It's not the first of the series, but it does start a story of it's own with human character Pia Thomason. As usual, it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

So, what do I like and dislike about the Dark Ones? Firstly, they're very close to the traditional ideal of a vampire: soulless, bloodsucking, night-roaming men searching for that one special woman who can redeem them. Okay...maybe not entirely. I've enjoyed Katie MacAlister's books for a few years now. Her historicals, contemporaries and other paranormal novels usually have me crying from laughing at the messes her quirky heroines always get stuck in. She keeps that same vein in the ladies of the Dark Ones novels. For the men, the actual vampires, she adds mystery and an alpha streak that is close to believable. Her Dark Ones are not chest-beating, male-chauvinistic characters (well...not all of them). They use logic and valid arguments to woo their "Beloveds", even the non-human ones. Overall, I've enjoyed all of the Dark Ones novels. I can't say they are my all -time favorite vampires, but they're definitely worth a read.

Have you read any of the Dark Ones novels? What did you think? Are they your ideal of a good, romantic vampire? Comment below and you'll be entered to win a copy of Zen and the Art of Vampires. Please include your email address. The winner will be posted on Wednesday. Good luck!

Character Review #1: Christine Feehan's Carpathians

2011-04-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

For my first character review (which will hopefully be an ongoing blog feature) I've decided to review a set of characters that all have very similar characteristics: Christine Feehan's Carpathian males. If you're not familiar with this ongoing series you can find out all about it here. At the moment it's a 21 book series that has a HUGE following, and rightly so. I honestly enjoyed the first dozen or so books of this series. Unfortunately I'm the type of reader that gets burnt out on a series of this size. I'm struggling to stay faithful to Anita Blake at the moment as well. So, I own about half of the Dark books, but have read more by borrowing from a friend and the library.

What do I think of the Carpathian males? Well, first and foremost, where can I get one?! These fiercely loyal men are HOT,HOT,HOT! Every one of them is a study in masculine perfection of the physical form (well, duh). They're tall and gorgeous, some dark, some light and ALL alpha male. To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind having a man who could toss a small car, with an overprotective streak ten miles long, wanting to pamper me and set me on a pedestal. My biggest beef with this series is how many of the female characters get angry at them for these inherent characteristics. I'm all for women's rights but can easily put them aside for a little pampering. I mean really, is it so hard to let the man take over where your life is being threatened? No. So, overall these men are strong, fight vampires and whatever else threatens their lifemates, friends and families, and are nigh indestructible. They can turn into mist, sleep in the healing earth of the Carpathian Mountains and prefer blood to beer. What's not to like?

The Carpathians are not exactly vampires because vampires are evil, former Carpathian males who resorted to killing their prey. Carpathians do drink blood but don't kill innocents. They exist in a muted world of black and white, with no emotions until they meet their lifemates for the first time. Once they meet their lifemates, they hate to be separated from them for any length of time, which really pisses off a lot of the women. Their female lifemates can be converted into Carpathians, however, reproduction is a problem that hadn't been solved by the time I stopped reading the series. They were working on it though. There are humans who know all about them and work with them in some way. They have enemies in both evil vampires and humans. They live all over the globe.

That is the Carpathians in a nutshell. I did enjoy most of the books, but became burnt out and found it hard to keep reading. I still have a couple on my TBR shelf. One of them, that I did in fact read, is Dark Possession (#18). It's a good story that can be read alone, though the information about will also explain a lot. The copy I'm giving away was read once and is in very good condition. Do you want it? Just post a comment below, either with your own opinion on the Carpathians or just to say hi, and you're entered to win. I'll draw a winner on Wednesday, April 6th.
Good luck!

New Monthly Blog Post

2011-03-27T08:52:00.000-05:00

I've decided I need to do more giveaways to my readers. Now I don't have a large backlist, so I think exposing my readers to my favorite authors is the way to go. But, how do I do that in a different way than everyone else? Book reviews are already all over the internet, which is a good thing. However, sometimes when I get into a good book it only takes one crappy character to ruin the whole experience. I wish there was a list of characters to look out for, good and bad, rather than just books.

Now there will be something akin to that on my blog. Once a month I'm going to do a character review rather than a book review. Then one lucky commenter will win that book. Easy as pie, right? So my first task is creating the book list. I read many different genres: horror, romance (ALL types), historical fiction and literature. However, since I'm a paranormal and erotic romance author, I think I'm going to start with one of those. Here's where you come in. Give me your wish list of books you want to know more about. I'd like to have my first post up n the next couple of days so I need some suggestions please.

Road Trip Soundtrack

2011-03-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I took a road trip with my girls and nephew to San Antonio. We headed along Interstate 10 listening to Houston's familiar radio stations until, somewhere around Schulenburg, they finally faded out. My wonderful hubby had installed a new radio in my Suburban a couple of months ago, but unfortunately none of the auxiliary options work. No CD player, no IPOD connection...nothing. So, short of having the kids sing the rest of the way (I wanted to make it there with my sanity intact) my only option was to hit seek until we found something suitable...and discovered there are a plethora of country and Spanish music stations in Texas.

Luckily we did in fact find a few tunes we could all tolerate and even some we could sing along with. That got me thinking about what the perfect soundtrack would be for a good road trip. Here is what I came up with, in no particular order:

Rollin' by Limp Bizkit
Waiting for the End by Linkin Park
Move Along by The All-American Rejects
Like a Stone by Audioslave
What the Hell by Avril Lavigne
I like It by Enrique Iglesias
Epic by Faith No More
Fully Alive by Flyleaf
Now I know that's not nearly all of them, just the ones I came up with off the top of my head. So, what do you think? Is there any particular song or artist you love to hear while driving? Post your thoughts to be entered into the Fool for Romance contest, as well as for one of my prize packs!

Free Erotic Short Story!

2011-03-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

My free erotic short story, Into the Ocean, is available today on the Truly, Madly, Deeply Romance Authors blog! Check it out here, and comment to win this prize:

Vote for Educating Macey this Weekend!

2011-03-05T15:05:00.000-06:00

Educating Macey was reviewed this week and is up for Best Book honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, March 5th through Sunday March 6th) on the Whipped Cream Reviews site. I would be thrilled to have this honor! Hint, hint.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/index.htm

Go ahead, make my week...and VOTE!

Where My Royalties Go

2011-02-27T15:37:00.000-06:00

My husband likes to tell people I'm his 401K plan. In his mind I will one day have a book (or two or three) on the New York Times best sellers list, a screenplay in the theaters and royalties rolling in faster than we can spend them. Yes, he does live in a dream world. That's okay, I let him. Why spoil his fun? The truth is I didn't get into writing, nor do I currently write, to make money. The royalties are nice and certainly help. However, my goal to become a published author was never about how much money I could make in doing so. I write because I enjoy sharing the craziness in my imagination with others. The voices in my head truly do make me write their stories.

Now, that being said, I do still enjoy receiving royalties for my published work and don't appreciate online pirates who choose to share that work without my permission. I also enjoy creating free stories that I share with readers in various spots around the web. One such place is a new blogging venture I've joined in with other published romance authors, known as the Truly, Madly, Deeply Romance blog. My contribution, a short story titled Into the Ocean, will be available on Saturday, March 19th. Readers who leave a comment will also have the chance to win a prize from me. And this is where my royalties come into play. I LOVE giving away prizes to readers. I honestly, truly do. However, I have to be realistic about my budget and can't give away as much as I would like. Therefore, I limit myself to spending ONLY royalties on reader prizes. So, if I sell a ton of books one month the prizes get better and there are more of them.

March is looking like a great month for my readers. I'll be adding to my prize pack pickings and hopping onto a couple of blogs as a guest. Each time I make an appearance around the web I plan to give away a prize. Also, I plan to do my Birthday Blog tour again this year in June (my birthday month). Hopefully it will be as much fun as last year's turned out to be. So, are there any prize ideas you've received or seen from other authors that you would like to suggest? I'm taking notes and adding to the pile.

Spring Break Planning

2011-02-18T21:31:00.000-06:00

February is speeding on by and Spring Break is right around the corner. What does that mean for the Missy Jane family? ROAD TRIP! My lovely little ladies and I absolutely love jumping into George (my suburban) and hitting the road for however many miles we can mosey in a day or two. We head up highway 290, stopping in Chappell Hill for lunch (mmm, sausage...) then on to Brenham to tour the Bluebell ice cream factory. We can probably all guide the tours by now, but the free scoop of ice cream at the end makes the history talk worth it. If it's just a day trip we head back (stopping at Chappell Hill again for dinner). If we have time then a walk through Washington-on-the-Brazos Sate Park is added to the agenda. We do this every year.

Right now I'm in the planning stages of our trip and trying to decide how much time to spend on the road. I'll be on vacation from work and the temptation to just sit somewhere and read will be overwhelming. Why don't I have auto-pilot in my SUV yet? Maybe I can convince my hubby to do all the driving this year...or not. Well, they don't make audio books for nothing.

This year I think we might take a few days and stay overnight in the hill country. There are just too many photo opportunities for me to pass up while at least two of my four lovely daughters are still willing to pose. But, don't worry my precious readers. While the girls are gallivanting through the wildflowers I'll be daydreaming of the next shape-shifter, vampire or hot-bodied hero to write up when I return.

I have a Book Trailer!!

2011-02-02T19:40:00.000-06:00

There is an awesome author here in the Houston area named Delphine Dryden who took the time to create a video trailer for my paranormal romance, They Call me death. Check it out!

As soon as my teenagers finish teaching me to use You Tube, it will appear there as well ;-)

My Newest Writing Venture

2011-01-29T16:15:00.000-06:00

Coming Soon! A new way to enjoy free reads from some excellent authors in all genres of romance, including me! Once a week a new author will post a free short story (1K-5K words) for your reading pleasure. All you have to do is visit the blog listed on the picture above. We would LOVE it if you also choose to follow the blog and post comments from time to time, however there is no obligation to do so. Everyone can access the blog and read the free short stories. So, mark your calendars and be sure to join us!

I'm Writing Vampires...

2011-01-28T08:10:00.000-06:00

It's kind of a new thing for me, writing vampire characters into a story. My current work in progress is actually set in a world where vamps are just another race of people, living alongside humans and having to deal with prejudices and fears. They're actually the ruling class and the entire world runs on a different clock where daylight hours are when everything shuts down. I've written in first person again, this time from the POV of Zaria Stonewell, a human trying to survive in the vamp run society. Here's a little taste:

I eyed my landlord warily, noting the coffee stains on his white tank top. His dark jeans were so full of holes it was a wonder he hadn’t been arrested for indecent exposure. A stranger would think he was homeless rather than the owner of several businesses.

“Yeah, Joe. You know I work day shift.”

He grunted and licked his teeth with a sound that grated on my nerves.

“I know, I know. Sucks to be you.”

I waited almost a full minute in silence as he seemed to be searching for something else to say. Finally the suspense was too much for me. “Did you need something?”

He seemed to think it over before raising one bony shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Just checking up on one of my favorite humans.”

I fought the urge to shiver in disgust and slam the door in his face.

“I’m cool, Joe. Just gotta finish getting ready for work.”

He straightened and for a second I thought he meant to take a step into my apartment. I was blocking the doorway but with his vampire strength he could easily force his way in. I tensed, fighting down my inherent fear. Joe’s nostrils flared and he tilted his head. The overhead light danced across his elongated pupils, causing the inhuman sheen to spark for a second. I never forgot for a single moment that he was a predator.

He smiled as if reading my thoughts and took a step back. “No problem, chica. Catch you later.”

He turned and was gone in a rustle of cloth, the smell of old cigarettes drifting lazily after him. I released a breath I hadn’t meant to hold and closed the door. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in a vain attempt to dispel goose bumps and returned to my toast.

“Fucking vampires.”

I'm at 43,089 words with a goal of 50K. Hopefully it will be done by this weekend for a final read through and submission. I'll keep ya'll posted.

I'm in the CTR Forums Today! Where Are You?

2011-01-27T08:05:00.001-06:00

Today I'll be posting in the Coffee Time Romance and More forums as a part of the Ellora's Cave authors day for their Bring in the New Year with Coffee Time Romance, Books and More celebration. I plan to give away one copy of my newest release, Educating Macey, an erotic short story now available through Ellora's Cave.
Join in the fun here: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/showthread.php?t=16623
Good Luck!

A Door has Shut, Where's the Window?

2011-01-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

This week has been interesting in many ways for me. More specifically, Tuesday of this week was bittersweet. My newest e-book, Educating Macey, was released from Ellora's Cave and my youngest daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The rest of the week is kind of a blur now, but I know I spent a little bit of time at work, a whole lot of time at the Texas Children's Hospital in downtown Houston, and not enough time with my other three daughters. I spent basically no time writing or reading for pleasure. I did read quite a bit, but it was the same thing over and over as I tried to understand what is and isn't happening in my child's pancreas.

My mother has diabetes as well as a co-worker and other people I know. I didn't panic when our pediatrician said we needed to head to the ER because my daughter's sugar level was way too high. I though, "Okay. Diabetes, I can handle. I know some basics and it's something we can deal with."
Hah! I was seriously fooling myself and didn't even know it. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon that I realized just how naive I was being. Type 1, also called Juvenile, diabetes is nothing like my mother's diabetes. It's a completely different ailment and I didn't even know it. Once I started reading and panic began to build, I realized we were in for the long haul. This is something we will monitor for the rest of her life. She's currently seven years old.

I think I've always done well about seeing the glass as half full in every obstacle that comes our way. On Tuesday one of the first things I said to my husband was, "All right, the whole family is now going on a diet." I was ready. I was willing to change the menus, throw out the junk and be stricter on the eating habits of all four children. That's not going to be enough. There has to be a schedule for meals and insulin injections. I had to learn to stick a needle in my child's body...multiple times a day! Thank god she's such a brave little thing because she's handling this better than I am. As I was ready to completely lose it on Thursday evening, I happened to talk to an acquaintance who's child has Lupus. That conversation reminded me that I'm not the only mother going through this. I'm not the first, nor will I be the last. I am one of many and it IS doable. A door has shut on one chapter of our lives, but the family is now ready to crash through a window and let the fresh air back in.

Educating Macey now Available!

2011-01-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

My newest release is an Ellora's Cave quickie titled Educating Macey. Here's a taste:
Sex has taken a backseat on my priorities list for a while now—being a single mother never allowed me the chance to dwell on it. But then my daughter grew up and Max moved in next door. Just seeing his sexy-as-hell body and hearing the way he growls my full name, Macey Lane, gets me all hot and bothered. I am not a woman of experience, but Max is more than willing to teach me. His lesson plans may be too delicious to pass on, but is hot sex worth the risk of becoming another of his conquests?
Want more?
Excerpt
Buy

-Missy Jane
*Make reading a guilty pleasure...*
www.msmissyjane.com

SK Reading Challenge 2011

2011-01-03T20:01:00.000-06:00

This year I've decided to enter my first ever reading challenge with one of my favorite authors of all time as the focus. It's the Book Chic City blog's Stephen King Reading Challenge, as you may have noticed from the button on my sidebar. Why am I doing this? Up until maybe five years ago, SK was the author I read the most. He was the one I lined up at midnight for, and not a single new release of his escaped my notice. I've seriously slacked off. I don't even own Under the Dome or Full Dar, No Stars yet. In fact, the past three books I've purchased have sat unread, collecting dust on my TBR shelf for literally years. What the hell happened?

Romance and erotica, that's what, and I fully blame my minion for introducing me to those genres. Actually, I can't really yell at her since reading them turned me to writing in those genres also ;-)
However, I've decided that my long lost love of SK's work must be rekindled this year. I've already lined up the books required to meet the challenge (minimum of six). They are as follows, in no particular order:

Everything Eventual. I think I've actually read this one but can't remember, so have decided to read it again.
Storm of the Century. I've seen the movie (who hasn't?) but have yet to read the book. I can't wait!
Lisey's Story. I remember buying this one and anticipating cracking open the cover. Don't ask me what happened, I have no clue.
Cell. I actually started this one and put it down when life happened. I think we then moved or something crazy and I never picked it up again. There may be a dusty bookmark still embedded within.
Blaze. This is a "Bachman Book". That's all I can remember off the top of my head.
Duma Key. Here's one I don't remember much about, not even the purchase. It may be the first I read though.
Just After Sunset. By the time this one was released I felt snowed under. I knew I was getting way behind on my SK but had too much else going on to fix it.
On Writing and Secret Windows. Ive put these two together because they are about the craft of writing and fall into that weird zone for me that borders non-fiction. I thoroughly enjoy living within my imagination as often as possible and therefore stay away from non-fiction for the most part. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a biography or philosophical treatise now and then (no, really). However, I go through genre phases and that one hasn't come back around lately.

So there it is, my list for the Stephen King writing challenge of 2011. As I said before the challenge is to read six and technically I've listed eight. I own all but one of them and may even decide to reread It...again. We'll see. Once I get rolling through SK I might tackle the whole shelf. I'll try to remember to post my progress here.
If you'd like to join me click on the button and follow the rules.
Good Luck!

SK Reading Challenge 2011

Top 5 Books I Wish I'd Read in 2010

2011-01-01T16:16:00.000-06:00

Throughout this past year I came across a lot of new authors and new series by authors already known to me. I was trying to cut down on the ridiculous number of works in progress I can't seem to contain and by September had decided enough was enough. I vowed to not read any new to me authors for the rest of the year, or start any new series. I only purchased books in any ongoing series I was already reading, and that still kept me busy for the past few months.
Regardless of that vow, I still noticed many new releases that intrigued me. I wanted to grab them and find a quiet place to hide, but couldn't ignore the promise to myself. So, rather than creating a top five list of favorites for 2010, I decided to list my top 5 regrets. These will also be the books I start out with for reading in 2011.

The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet SRL in Austin on his tour for this new release. He gave a short talk, read from the book and then signed copies while talking to his readers. I sat ever attentive in the front row, riveted by his eloquent speech and clear voice. I LOVE his work. I first happened upon SRL's writing when I picked up his The Song of Albion trilogy, starting with The Paradise War. His writing is so well researched and worded I felt as if I was there in the midst of the Celtic struggles with the onset of Christianity. From there I turned to other single titles and series of his and have never been disappointed. I began reading The Skin Map in September when I bought my copy, but life and writing happened (as well as NaNoWriMo) and I put it down. I plan to make it my first finished reading venture of 2011. It's a mix of sci-fi and historical fiction, two of my favorite genres. With SRL's excellent storytelling voice and talent for thorough research, I have very high hopes for this new series.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. I've been a SK fan for as far back as I can remember. Even as a young reader, I would huddle under the covers with one of his lengthy tomes and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. One of my bookshelves is almost completely dedicated to his work and I've entered my first ever reading challenge for his books in 2011. I haven't purchased this one yet and honestly don't know much about it, but SK books have never failed to intrigue me. I won't say I've loved every single one, but each has given me something to think about at the end. Love him or hate him, no one can argue that he isn't an intriguing storyteller. This will most likely be my first purchase of 2011.
A Preferred Blur by Henry Rollins. While this was actually released in 2009, I received it late in the year. HR released 1,000 autographed copies of the limited edition black cover, and I've got # 661. My introduction to HR came in 1995 with the release of the song "Liar" by the Henry Rollins band. I'd already heard of Black Flag and enjoyed their music but had no clue who the screaming front man was until this song. I started noticing him in movies and discovered his site and production company 2.13.61. From there I listened to his spoken word and read his views on everything from music to politics. I've seen him live as a singer and speaker and own four of his books. He is one of the most outspoken, inappropriate and politically incorrect people I've ever seen...and I'm madly in love with him. Yeah, my hubby knows.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. To be honest I should probably put the entire trilogy here, but this is the latest release. My oldest daughter fell in love with The Hunger Games at the beginning of the school year and has talked of little else since. For Christmas I bought her the trilogy and now she insists I MUST read them. The premise definitely interests me so I'll most likely have them read by February.
Ravishing in Red and Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter. I put both of these books together because they're book one and two of The Rarest Blooms series. I had the honor of eating lunch with MH during the Romantic Times convention of 2008. She is extremely intelligent and interesting and knows her work well. Her writing always sweeps me off my feet and I was shocked to realize I hadn't known about this series until book three! I've already read the third book, Sinful in Satin, because I simply couldn't wait to buy the other two. However, I plan to rectify that very, very soon.

That's my top five picks to start out the New Reading Year. What are yours?

I've Been Remiss...

2010-12-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

When I started this blog it was my intention to add a new post weekly. Anyone who has followed thus far knows that hasn't happened. I apologize to anyone who feels lacking in my weekly rants, but fear not. I'm on vacation this week and might find something to add later on. For now, feel free to use this link to read my latest free short story about one of my favorite shape shifters, Bjorn Berendsen.Enjoy!

Book Signing this Saturday!

2010-11-28T11:25:00.001-06:00

Looking for a unique gift? Why not wrap up a romance for the holidays from one of these local authors:

Missy Jane www.msmissyjane.com

Teri Thackston www.terithackston.com

Delphine Dryden www.delphinedryden.com

Robin Badillo www.robinbadillo.com

Elizabeth Pina www.elizabethpina.com

There’s something for everyone: vampires and shape-shifters, steamy love stories and sweet Christian romance. Join us at Puffabelly’s restaurant in Old Town Spring, 100 Main Street, Spring 77373, on Saturday, December 4^th from 12 to 3 pm. Each author will be signing books and/or giving out free promo items!

Mid-Nano Blues

2010-11-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the Ides of November and halfway through NaNoWriMo 2010. I confess I've already considered throwing in the towel a couple of times now, but I think I'll keep on going. I'm currently at 5,016 words on my official Nano manuscript, but I've actually written more than that in the past week. My problem is the other WIP that I have on my handy-dandy flash drive just won't leave me alone. I open my Nano MS and the other characters start screaming at me. Most vocal this past week have been Kotori and his woman Sanura. What can I say? I miss my shifters. The urge to get lost in that world has been nearly overwhelming lately, so I opened up my previously published short stories.
In case you've missed them on my site, there are free short stories set my shifter world, based on minor characters. One is about Scott, the human co-worker of Alexia Williams. The other is about Fleur and Philip, lion shapeshifters not mentioned in They Call Me Death. I feel I've neglected my other blogs lately and rectified that by posting the free stories to them today. The humans got Scott's story and the shifters got the lions. I hope to make this a regular thing, maybe monthly. As I said I miss my shifters.
So here's the run-down on my writing:

Nano MS: 5,016 words and drifting
Vampire MS: 27,548 and hopefull
Kotori's MS: 6,371 and full speed ahead

Of course, there are quite a few others in the works as well, but I refuse to open those for updates until at least one of these three is finished!

Updated Word Count and Book Signing

2010-11-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

So, I've been anticipating NaNoWriMo for the past few weeks with both excitement and dread. Excitement because I really like the story idea I'm going with, dread because I also really liked the WIP I've put on the back burner to start fresh for NaNo. However, I have yet to successfully complete Nano and that is the biggest motivator of all. I can do this! At the time of this posting my word count is sitting at 1,761. Hmm, maybe I can count this post too...

Aside from writing my tail off this month, I'm also going to be selling and signing print copies of They Call Me Death at the Vintage Park Harvest Festival. It's this coming Saturday, November 6th, from 10:30 AM until 6 PM, in Northwest Houston. It's a wine and arts festival, where another local romance author, Teri Thackston, will be joining me in the Wrap up Romance for the Holidays booth. We are offering free gift wrapping of any book purchase.

I will be giving away free CDs which include the prequel to They Call Me Death, as well as a few short stories set in my shifter world. No purchase is necessary to receive one. So, if you're in the Houston area this weekend, please stop by and see us!

EC Published Again!

2010-10-28T20:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you who may have missed my Twitter announcement, that also posted on Facebook, I will soon have another release through Ellora's Cave Publishing. To say I'm thrilled about this would be a vast understatement. I'm fucking ecstatic! Three years ago when I first started reading erotica, I recognized that EC was one of the bigwigs in that genre. Once I decided to get serious about my writing they became one of the houses I set my sights on and have worked to become a part of. In April that dream came true with the release of Two Week Trial. I was happy, content even, with knowing that my name is now on their website. However, in the past few months I've had a little story in the back of my mind that just wouldn't go away. I think my readers will enjoy meeting Macey Lane, a romance author with very little sexual experience, and Max Thornworth, her neighbor who's escapades more than make up for her naivete.

The contract was just signed this week and the editing process had not yet begun, so it will still be a while before I have a book cover or release date to share. However, be assured that as soon as I have them I will shout it from the rooftops.For now I'm working on a vampire novel with a definite twist (no not a slayer in love with a vamp) that I'm hoping to finish this weekend. As of Monday I will be in NaNoWriMo mode and working on a contemporary (sorta) novel that makes me laugh just thinking about it.
Have a Happy Halloween and see ya' in November!
-Missy

The Good News is, Uh...

2010-09-20T20:17:00.000-05:00

All right we'll start with the bad news: the sequel to They Call Me Death (Much More Than Human) has officially been rejected by my publisher. What does this mean? Well, I'm not entirely certain. I know I can't submit it to the same publisher again (for the third time). However, that doesn't mean I can't submit it elsewhere. I think. The truth is I need to comb through my contract to be sure I can take my characters elsewhere right now. It might be a waiting game. For those of you who have read TCMD, this was to be Emily's story. There is quite a bit revealed in her book about a few other characters as well, Lance chief among them. I hate having to sit on this story. I want everyone who has read TCMD to know what happens next. Unfortunately I have to check out a few things before moving on.
So, for now I will be concentrating on the myriad of other stories I have in progress. Arch angels, vampires and gargoyles are in the works, along with a few contemporary romances. There will be everything from short stories to full-length novels, with a novella or two in between. I hope all of my dear readers understand and don't give up on me or my world of shifters. There will be more to come I promise...I just don't know when.

I Remember...

2010-09-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

I was at a friend's house with my oldest daughter, the only one I had at the time. We were watching her play and talking of inconsequential things when the news flash came on and a horrible image of a building on fire. Actually it looked like only half a building and there were emergency crews and smoke. It took a while for me to understands what was going on, but later I realized some idiot placed a bomb in a truck in front of the federal building in Oklahoma and killed innocent children.

I was driving down the road on my way home from somewhere I can't remember now, when my phone rang and it was my mom in a panic. "There was a shooting at your cousin's school in Colorado and I can't get a hold of your aunt!" Later I found out my cousin was fine. By some divine intervention she wasn't even at Columbine that day. But those few minutes were some of the worst of my life.

I was asleep. I can't remember why I didn't go to school that day. But, I was home with my grandma and she told me to wake up so we could watch the shuttle take off. I sat groggily in front of the TV, barely paying attention until there was an explosion. All I could think of was a news interview with Christa McAuliffe where her young daughter kept saying she didn't want her mommy to go. I prayed that she was watching but knew the whole family had to be.

On September 11, 2001, I was home with my youngest at the time, daughter number three. My sister called frantic about a plane crashing somewhere up north. It was tragic but I didn't understand why she was so u[set about it until I turned on the news. I sat in absolute shock and watched the images all day. By the time my husband got home from work I was nearly sick from crying but I wouldn't let him turn it off. I tried to explain to my shildren what had happened and couldn't answer all of their questions. The hardest one was "Why?" I really don't know.

I vividly remember all of these and too many other tragic moments in American history. I remember that good, innocent people died right alongside the not so good or innocent. I remember that most of the time, these tragedies are brought on by fellow human beings, maybe not Americans, but humans just the same. And still I can't answer the hardest question... Why?

A Child is a Gift, Not a Right

2010-09-04T12:51:00.000-05:00

I'll start off with an apology and a warning: today's subject is serious and something I'm extremely passionate about. Children, especially mine, and how important they are to all of us. You may think, "Duh". I wish every parent felt the same. Unfortunately I hear and see disgusting things all the time that prove how unimportant some idiots think children are. This comes to mind because of a couple of things I've experienced since school started two weeks ago. I won't bore you with details, but let's just say I take my neighbor's daughter to school every morning after we drop the child's baby off at daycare. I realized she needed a ride after discovering she'd missed the first day of school. Why didn't her mother make plans for this? Hasn't she known all summer school would eventually start again? Argh! I don't mind being a taxi, really I don't. However, I'm furious that the girl missed the first day of school (and the third for some reason). What if I hadn't happened by?

The other issue is another neighbor's child. He eats dinner with us every night. Again, I don't mind. We have plenty to give. The issue is, they don't seem to care where he is at dinner time. I can't eat a meal without knowing my children have eaten too. I simply can't wrap my mind around this concept of parents caring more for themselves than they do for their children. It's completely foreign to me. I would sell my ass on the street corner if I had to so my children could eat, seriously. This has always been my attitude since the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. I was nineteen and unmarried, living in a dorm for my first semester of college. After that semester ended I moved back home, went to the community college and made plans for my baby. My entire world revolves around my children. The only thing I really do for myself is write, but they usually reap the benefits of my royalty checks :-)

So, can anyone explain this to me in a way that will make sense? How can a parent of children (not adult children of course) do more for themselves than their children? How can they justify this? I can't stand seeing children is trashy clothes when the parents are in designer duds. It pisses me off to see a parents walking through the store paying more attention to their cell phones than their wandering toddler. We have to take tests to drive and have our cars inspected. Why not test to become parents and require annual home inspections too? Our children are our most precious resource and we're sadly lacking in their care. It's sickening. It's ridiculous.

Just had to get that off my chest.

Nearing the End of SBP Contest!

2010-08-30T06:24:00.000-05:00

For those of you unaware of the happenings over at the Sapphire Blue Fan Yahoo loop, the August fan appreciation contest ends tomorrow! All of the details are here and it's simple. There are two separate prizes, one winner from the fan database and one from the comments. All you have to do is join the group and start chatting!
Good Luck!

Top 10 Reasons to be a Fan of SBP

2010-08-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of Sapphire Blue publishing? Neither had I until just over a year ago. From their website:

Sapphire Blue Publishing produces high quality eBooks that will induce conversations and addict you to a special experience. You'll lose yourself in a universe where the women kick ass, dark fantasy worlds become a reality, suspense sends chills up your spine, and more... In an economy where money counts, Sapphire Blue Publishing's books are priced fantastically!

Sapphire Blue Publishing is a new eBook publishing company managed by a close family group of highly respected, innovative, revolutionary entrepreneurs.
Sapphire Blue Publishing, LLC is a partnership owned by Maria Clayton and Tina Gerow--two very dynamic people bringing with them diverse strengths and backgrounds who are committed to making Sapphire Blue a publishing company where authors and publishers form a win/win partnership in an industry we love. We hope the end result of this new kind of partnership will be books that "enchant" our readers and bring them back time and time again.

So, why should you be a fan of SBP? Here are a few enticing reasons:

My erotic novella, Resignation, and erotic short story, Love in Disguise, are both available through SBP.
Their prices range from $1.50 to $6.50.
They offer many genres including: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Erotic, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Gay, Hot Shorts, Inspirational, Mainstream, Mystery/Suspense, Shapeshifters, Short Shorts, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal, Young Adult and Romance.
FREE e-book, Tail from the Goddess, a round robin story by some of the SBP authors.
Authors are available to chat on the Yahoo loop. Including me!
We're on twitter.
We're on myspace.
We're on Facebook.
For the month of August all fans of our Yahoo loop will be entered to win great prizes!
Also in August, look for character interviews on the fan loop.

Well, what are you waiting for? Click on all of the links and become a fan, friend and follower of SBP!

Seriously? Don't be Stupid

2010-07-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

Warning! The upcoming rant is a direct result of working with the public five days a week for over eight hours a day...
Someday I'll have enough disposable income to quit my day job and stay home to write. Until then, I work at a bank as a teller. It's not an overly difficult job. For the most part I enjoy what I do, but there are days when every idiot in creation walks through our double glass doors. Let me tell you, stupid people, we talk about you the second you're ass disappears from the building. We laugh, complain and generally degrade everything about you for a few minutes and then never think about you again. You know who you are. Come on, you have to know who you are. No? Here's a few clues in the form of my greatest customer pet peeves:

No, I don't know everyone in the world or even everyone who has ever entered my bank. If I don't know your favorite color or you mama's name then I don't know you well enough.
If you won't trust me enough to hand over your ID, why in the f@#* are you handing me your money?
Yes, everyone has to abide by the policies set forth by the bank. You're really not as special as you think you are.
The "Wait Here" sign isn't just witty decoration. It has meaning and the customer I'm currently helping doesn't want you breathing down his/her neck as I count out the thousands of dollars he/she asked for.
You have a negative balance? Oh, sure. Let me just give you more money to go spend foolishly.
Checking the ATM every hour on the hour isn't the same as actually balancing your checkbook. If items process in an order differently than you did them, that doesn't mean the bank is responsible for you being an idiot and spending more than you make.
Math is your friend. If not, use cash.

Really, I think the average person has the potential to be very smart. Unfortunately some days all I get are less than average customers. I always try to be the best customer I can possibly be, because I know the person taking care of me is only human too. My time and schedule aren't more important than anyone else's.

All right, end of rant. You can all now go back to your regularly scheduled programs.

Living Without the Internet and other Drama

2010-07-14T17:09:00.000-05:00

So, I finally got my internet back this morning, whippee! The past few days have been a little dull without it. However, I didn't shrivel up and die or anything even close so now I know life will go on. I caught up on some reading and have discovered a new love of western romances. My local library had on their "sale" shelves three books by Jodi Thomas with Texas in the titles. How could I possibly resist? I started with Texas Princess only to realize it is book two in a series of four. Since I didn't have book one, Texas Rain, I went ahead and read the three I had and later searched for book one. It's a wonderful series and any fan of historical romance would enjoy it.
Other than reading I did a little writing too...very little. New characters and plots keep popping into my head when I know damn well I have more than enough works in progress as it is. What can I say? There's just no arguing with some characters. I've finally begun the vampire story I keep threatening to write. And here is where the drama comes in: is now the best time for more vampires? Okay, not really drama, just doubt and confusion. I don't particularyl want to spend time on vamps right now but they won't leave me alone. I'm going to have to write them out to keep them quiet.
Some real-life personal drama is my hubby's upcoming birthday. My oldest is very excited about it and plans new things every other day to buy him. The problem: I didn't get diddly squat for my birthday. Can you believe a sixteen year old told me to "be the better person"? Well...I don't wanna. After over fourteen years of marriage he should know better. I didn't even get a card, damn it! Well, at least my readers made the entire month awesome for me anyway :-)
Speaking of which, I have finally sent off ALL of the prizes. As of today every single package has been shipped. US winners please allow a couple of weeks, international I have no clue. If you won and don't recieve a package from me within a reasonable time please email me.
All right, the vampires are calling...

Switching Worlds and Losing My Groove

2010-07-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

I recently finished a work in progress that spanned an entire year. Why did it take so long? I kept changing my mind on the direction the story should go. I'd submitted version one last year and it was rejected, but I was lucky enough to have an editor willing to give me a second chance. I wrote up version two and wasn't satisfied with my heroine at all. So, before starting version three I gave myself a stern talking to and went with my gut. I'm very happy and hopeful about the finished product. We'll see if my editor feels the same way.

Now the problem is what to work on next. I have way too many unfinished stories calling to me. My characters are begging me to listen to them and get it all out on paper, but who do I listen to? I decided to work on a sequel to my erotica, Resignation. However, I've been struggling to get in the groove. My fantasy characters are mad at me because I've been ignoring them for nearly a year. And to top it all off, my shifters are screaming to keep the attention they've gotten used to over the past few months. They're kind of like my children that way.

Speaking of children, I also promised my daughters I would write something they'd be allowed to read for once. Hmm, when will that get done? I think for now I'll open up a few documents and type here and there as the mood strikes me. Hopefully the dialogue won't get mixed up between projects since I've suddenly acquired a ten-second attention span. I blame twitter for my new found need to hop around and type just a little bit here and there. Maybe that's why I now have so many darn blogs...

I Tweet, Therefore I Am

2010-07-02T20:47:00.001-05:00

At one point in time in the not so distant past, Myspace was a novelty to me. I never considered it a waste of time or child’s play. I thought it was amusing and served a purpose, but not necessarily something I needed. Then an out-of-town friend told me I should create my profile so we could keep in touch on a daily basis. Ok, I was all right with that. He said everyone was on Myspace. Never one to let a little peer pressure pass me by, I caved and logged on. A few months later Facebook was all the rage and I thought I didn’t need it because I had Myspace. Again I was proven wrong by another friend who claimed everyone was on Facebook. Ok, fine.

I spend a lot of time online, writing, reading, playing around. Social networking is not exactly a chore for me. In reality I talk all day long at my “day job” so having conversation via text is not a problem. It’s actually a bit relaxing to be able to respond at my leisure, however when I heard of Twitter I’ll admit I was perplexed. I had to have whole conversations 140 characters at a time? I talk a lot in person and my emails and posts tend to drone on. 140 characters? Really? That’s not even limited to the alphabet. My spaces and commas had to fit into that restriction as well. I proofread my text messages before hitting send. How on earth could I leave good grammar behind and learn to write messages with numbers?

Amazingly no one called, emailed, or otherwise coerced me onto Twitter. I found it all by myself and discovered not everyone tweets. That’s all right because now I do. My first few attempts were nothing to brag about but I think I have it down now. I’ve learned abbreviating doesn’t hurt and how to cut my thoughts short. Like Wheel of Fortune I need my vowels and seeing messages without them is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. My hubby doesn’t get it, co-workers look at me funny and a friend said they’ve lost respect for me now. Because I tweet? Yup. Well, I told them what I thought of that ridiculous statement. And it took less than 140 characters.

Do you Twitter? Facebook? Myspace? I know there are many more out there, but there are only so many hours in a day I can dedicate to being online and only so many variations on my password I can think up. For now I’m happy with these venues.

-Missy Jane

*make reading a guilty pleasure…*