FREE EBOOKS!!!

I'm so psyched that Harlequin is celebrating their 60 year anniversary by making 16 full ebooks available FREE!

Credit to Meaghan for posting about it otherwise I would have never known!




Minx

Eden Rivers' Nature's Pentacle is an EPPIE Finalist!

After a rocky November, December started out on a much more positive note. On the first day of the month, I got a wonderful little note in my in box announcing that Nature’s Pentacle is a finalist in the 2009 EPPIE Competition. I’m still doing a happy dance over that one!

Here’s the blurb for Nature’s Pentacle, my paranormal witch ménage, available now from Loose Id :

After someone exposes their role in a forbidden, sexual rite to heal the parched earth, Matt and Lena are forced to flee vigilantes and a rogue witch. Drawn to each other despite Matt's ties to Kenji, the man who rescued him from a troubled past, they're swept into a ménage, and the three witches exchange magical traits in an explosion of power and passion.

As Matt and Lena face another pentacle rite, a violent kidnapping, and a magical duel, their attachment deepens--and so does Kenji's resentment at losing Matt. The addition of another witch to the group eases Kenji's jealousy, and sparks fly when the foursome mingles sex and magic on the kitchen floor, carrying them finally, to the love they never imagined they'd find.

And here’s a PG-13 rated excerpt to introduce you to Lena, Matt, and Kenji and give you a little taste of the story:

Perhaps sensing her distress, Matt crossed the room and touched her shoulder. “Not your fault, little witch.” Returning to the table, he scooped his violet glow from the bowl of oil and gestured for her to retrieve hers.

“Why?”

“I’m going to show you what you’re feeling isn’t anything you can control. I feel like I’m caught in the sun’s gravitational field, and I couldn’t break free of you if my life depended on it.”

Curious, she reached out and called her light globe to her hand, cupping her palm to receive the slight weight. “I don’t see what you--”

“Something happened during the rite--a connection between us. I think our magic got scrambled, tied together, and I want to test my theory.” The streak of mud across Matt’s shoulder and his tangled curls didn’t do anything to diminish his beauty. When he smiled at her, his amber brown eyes glowed with warmth.

“Okay, I’ll play. What next?”

“Toss your glow sphere in the air. If I’m wrong, it’ll just float back to your palm.”

Realizing he had no more idea what would happen than she did, she bit back a cheeky, “And if you’re right?” Instead, she tossed her blue orb at the same time he launched his. When the spheres spun toward each other she let out a surprised yelp. The lights crashed together, setting loose waves of force, sound, and shimmering color.

“Get down!”

At his warning, she plastered herself flat on the rough wooden floorboards. But rather than harming her, whatever magic they’d set loose caressed her body like a warm stream. Sheets of emerald, sapphire, ruby, and turquoise arched over them like the aurora borealis.

Helpless in the wake of the unexpected discharge of power, she tensed as the door opened a crack. She staggered to her feet, attempting to gather a protective shield. “Matt?”

“‘S okay. No one can cross the wards but me and Kenji. This is his place, and the magic guarding it is unbreakable.”

As if on cue, Kenji--looking no less intimidating than when he anchored the rite last night--stepped into the room and gaped at the light show. “Every witch in the country is in danger, and the two of you decide to play bedroom games with your power?”

Ignoring the continuing display, he clicked the door shut, strode across the room to the table, and set down two grocery bags and his cell phone. Lena’s first impulse was to grab the phone and call Serena, but she had to get something straight first.

“What do you mean, no one can get past the wards?” Bedraggled and exhausted, she drew herself up to her full five feet five inches and cloaked herself in a curtain of power. “Given the time and inclination, I could smash those wards.” She fixed Kenji with a brittle stare. “And what you walked in on was an exercise to test our combined magic--not some kinky game.”

“My apologies.” Six feet of wiry grace wrapped in a package of soft leather shoes, tan chinos, and a plum-colored shirt, Kenji bowed. The formality that would have seemed ludicrous coming from Matt seemed natural, if slightly mocking, coming from Kenji.

Suddenly, the fact that this was one of the three witches who’d drawn molten power through her last night, bleeding her dry as she trembled and wept, hit her with the force of a blow. Kenji couldn’t be much older than she was, and yet he’d earned a spot as one of the three anchors--alongside Sorren, the most powerful witch in North America.

Sweet Brighid, what had she gotten herself into? Taking a step back, she studied the lines and angles of Kenji’s face. The cinnamon mocha warmth of his skin softened his sculpted features, and thick lashes shaded his deep brown eyes. Black curls fell to his shoulders, covered with a sprinkling of rain. But for all his heart-stopping beauty, every movement, every mannerism, reeked of power.

When outmatched, bluff. “I need to borrow your phone.” Feigning confidence, she crossed the room to the table.

Matt, not Kenji, intervened. “You can’t. It’s not safe.” Closing the distance between them, he covered her hand with his own as she grasped the phone. “Your sister needs to be able to say she hasn’t heard from you--with 100 percent honesty. That’s the only thing that will guarantee her safety--and your mother’s.”

Bloody Brilliant!

Okay, I am so in love with the folks at Google for going here right now, I had to share...

We all send e-mail we regret. I mean, I know I can't possibly be the only person who has come home from having a few beers with the girls one night, kicked off my dancin' shoes and instead of crawling into bed like I should, find myself logged onto the lappie, typing what I think are witty, nay - genius e-mails that are in actuality ones I will most likely regret in the morning.

Well, regret no more...Gmail has developed a breathalyzer for your e-mail called, (I love this name) Mail Goggles. hehehe Yes, enable the Mail Goggles add-on feature from Gmail labs in your settings and never worry about sending a late night "I have a great new idea" memo to your editor, an "I miss you, let's get back together" plea to your ex, or a flaming message to someone on your loops, ever again!

How does it work? Well, after you have set the days of the week and times you will most likely need the Mail Goggles feature, should you then try to send a message during those times, a window will pop up, asking if you really want to send this e-mail? Should you choose to continue down the path of folly, it then has you attempt to solve five math questions (you set the difficulty level when you're sober.) See the example:

Now, if you fail to answer the math problems correctly in the given time frame of 60 seconds or so, a phrase like "Water and bed for you" or "Try again" will pop up. I assume the idea being that you'll get bored, fed up or pass out before you can figure out the problems. Knowing me and math, the second the screen popped up, I'd groan, draft the e-mail and go to bed.

That said, this feature would be most useful for me to utilize early in the morning, say before I've swilled down my third cup of coffee. LOL! What can I say? I'm just not a morning person. *grins*

So, whether you tend to drink & mail, or are (like me) cranky at 5am and meaner than you could be, think of giving Mail Goggles a try.

And while the times I'd use this feature would be few and far between, I'd still like to step up and say Thank you, Team Google for having my back. You guys think of everything and totally rock the casbah!

Okay bloggers, your turn...weigh in and let me know how many of you are already downloading this feature as I type...

Until next time...

Fighting the Undertow Now Available!

I’m so excited it’s finally release day for Fighting the Undertow, now available from Loose Id! This book is an absolute favorite of mine. I loved every second of writing it! All through the writing process, I could hear Val and Ian’s voices in my head, and their sassy dialogue simply flowed onto the page.

I love the way their cheeky banter helps them face the darker elements of the story. I have a special spot in my heart for Ian’s brother’s ghost, and the way his story unfolds and affects those still living. And the ménages in this story--mmm yum. Like the dialogue between Val and Ian, those scenes poured out so fast they seemed to write themselves. I hope you enjoy reading Fighting the Undertow as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Blurb:

For Ian and Val, falling for each other is all too easy. But his sexy friends, her career goals, his writer's block, and a troubled spirit redefine the meaning of the words "complicated relationship." Val presses for information about Ian's brother’s ghost, but meets a wall of silence. When she discovers that Ian’s highly emotional, sexual connection with his friends was what held him together after his brother died, she's intrigued and frightened by the eroticism of their bond. Truly entering into his world will involve expanding her sexual experiences in ways she's never imagined.

For Ian, Val's willing to take that erotic journey. But when she uncovers secrets about his family, his brother's death, and the group's sexual history, she suspects she’s in way over her head. Confused by her new hungers, she’s overwhelmed by the searing passion of two emotionally charged ménages. Although the friends have become the family she always wanted, she's not sure whether she's ready to accept Ian's world of complex relationships and dark passions, or whether she and Ian have even a ghost of a chance at happiness.

R-rated Excerpt:

For Christ’s sake, he hadn’t been this nervous since his junior prom. As he lit the candles, Ian ran through a list of things that could go wrong. Maybe she’d ask what the hell was up with him and his friends, and since he was an honest guy, she’d run screaming from the house when he answered. There was always the chance for ordinary disasters, like dumping eggplant parmigiana in her lap while he served dinner. Or Abby and Tyler could get back early from their evening out and scare her off.

At least Jeremy and Nathan lived close enough to visit without sleeping over. Better yet, Abby and Tyler would be heading back to Boston when their vacation ended in a few days. After that, they’d just be around on weekends. Hell, he’d known Val one day, and already his loyalty to his friends was evaporating. These were the people who’d kept him sane when Lisa walked out, who’d been there for him when Kevin… He stopped that line of thought before it ended up somewhere dark and painful.

Before he could subject his attraction to Val to further scrutiny, he heard a confident rap on the door. “Come in.” He slipped a bottle of wine into the ice bucket, wiped his hands on a dish towel, and went to meet her.

“Hey. Something smells good.” Val gave him a quick hug.

“I hope you don’t mind eating here.” At her inquisitive glance toward the kitchen, he rushed to reassure her. “Tyler helped me with dinner, so it will be edible.”

He continued talking as he busied himself in the kitchen. “Tyler and Abby are out for the evening, and Nathan and Jeremy drove home a while ago.” Her shoulders relaxed. A good sign, she wanted to be alone with him. Or maybe a bad sign, she was wary of his friends.

Somehow, he managed to get dinner on the table without any disasters. Though entertaining a sexy woman felt sort of strange. He hadn’t cooked for anyone other than his friends since Lisa left. As they talked, he reminded himself of his priorities. Write the damn book. No new attachments until I can think about Lisa without my gut twisting into a knot.

As for his attraction to Val, that could be a pleasant distraction. Just because he wanted to reach out and touch her face when her cheek dimpled with laughter didn’t mean he had to get involved. She didn’t want that any more than he did.

All of that seemed rational, until they finished dessert. The next thing he knew, his arms were wrapped around her waist, though he wasn’t sure who’d initiated the embrace. As he explored her mouth with his tongue, sweet with dessert and tart with a hint of wine, the pounding of the ocean clouded his thoughts. He broke away long enough to close the windows. Then, before he could think of a good reason not to, he invited her upstairs.

“Ian, I…” If she’d been about to voice second thoughts, he drowned her words with another kiss. When they reached his room, she threw open the window, inviting in the crash of the waves.

Neither of them bothered to turn on a light. In the moonlight, she looked even sexier than she did with the waves playing at her skin.

“You’re sure you want this?” Damn it, Winters, what if she says no?

“Mmm hmm. Just a formality, but my roommate would kill me if I didn’t ask…”

“Yes, I’ve engaged in risky behaviors. Yes, I’ve always used a condom. Yes, I’ve been tested, and I’m fine.” He held his breath, waiting to see if she’d ask for specifics. He’d tell her, but he didn’t know if she was up to hearing the details yet.

“Me too. Well, except for the risky behaviors part.” Val tugged at the clip that held her hair back from her face. As thick curls spread across her shoulders, she found his lips and nipped hard enough to elicit a grunt of surprise.

When she moved toward the bed, Ian was relieved not to have to navigate that particular transition. “Miss Vee?”

“Yes, Mr. Winters?” Laughing at the feigned formality, she tugged him down beside her, sinking into the down comforter.

“I was wondering something yesterday, and maybe you could help me come up with an answer.” Teasing his hands over her shoulders and neck, he brought them to rest in the silky curls that spread out around her head on the pillow.

“Yes?”

“When we were walking on the beach, the wind blew your curls around your face and…” He paused to tug at a few tendrils of hair, shining reddish brown in the moonlight. “I wondered if you might be that wild, that free…”

“In bed?” Without embarrassment, she finished the question.

Ian nodded.

“With you, I think maybe I could be.”

That was all he needed to know. She wouldn’t run blushing if he forgot himself and took things too far. But she wasn’t Lisa, either. Lisa had used him for the sex, for his friends, for the excitement of the forbidden. But he’d been so in love, he’d been blind to her motives, expecting nothing less than the honesty he’d offered her.

As Val slipped her fingers under his shirt, he pushed aside the past and focused his attention on her. What frightened him wasn’t how much he wanted her -- though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hot and bothered for someone -- it was how much he wanted to be with her. To fall asleep with his head beside hers on the pillow, to see what those crazy, wonderful curls looked like in the morning…

“Ian?” She tugged his shirt over his head and paused with her fingers on the button above his fly.

Ian slid his hands under her shirt and unhooked her bra, and soon they sat naked in the moonlight. He leaned over and grabbed two silk scarves from a drawer in the bedside table. Val’s shoulders tensed under his hands, but as he trailed the silk over her skin, she relaxed.

“Okay?”

“Yes.” As the silk brushed across her nipples, she made a soft sound of approval.

His balls were making a concerted effort to crawl up under his skin, and he hadn’t ached for anyone like this since high school, but he forced himself to go slow. Seeing as he wanted to avoid attachments, he shouldn’t be so afraid of scaring her away. But he’d reason that out later. For now, their bodies told him what he needed to know. The way she arched into his embrace. The shivers of fire that raced across his skin when she touched him.

“No.” He moved her hand away from his cock and eased her down onto the mattress. Not that he objected to the heat that followed the path of her fingertips along his dick. But he wanted this to last until morning. God help him, he wanted to pull her close and watch her sleep as the sun rose.

Val flinched as he draped a scarf across her eyes, but when he left it loose, she settled back onto the pillow and explored his body with her fingers. She stroked his hair while he sucked one nipple, then the next, and when he tried to sit up, she locked her hands behind his neck and guided his mouth to hers.

He could tell by the way she nipped at his neck and jaw, by the way she tried to shift to her side when he rested his weight on her, that she wanted to take control. And he had no doubt she could. In fact, he looked forward to the night it would happen. But he wanted something else tonight. She protested when he knotted the scarf at the back of her head, but didn’t try to tug it away from her face.

“Okay?” A few heartbeats of silence greeted the question, and he soothed his hands along her arms as he waited.

“I think so.”

Not wanting to spook her, he waited to see what she’d do next. Reaching out to find his face, she shifted onto her side and pressed her mouth to his. The heat of her kisses, the probing insistence of her tongue in his mouth, nearly pushed him beyond the thin shred of control he had left.

What is it about her?

Red Hot Supernatural Reads

Hi,

Halloween is my favorite holiday, which is probably why my paranormal erotic romances are full of witches and ghosts galore. I love the potential for passion like no mortal could know it, the magic, and the spooky quality of the otherworld. Since Halloween is coming up fast, I wanted to share a little bit about each of my spooky, magical books. All of them are available at Loose Id.

Fighting the Undertow
Coming November 4 from Loose Id!!!

/p>

My most recent novel, Fighting the Undertow, is coming November 4th from Loose Id, so the spirit of Halloween doesn’t have to end right after the 31st! In Undertow, Val and Ian struggle to come to terms with a troubled ghost and the secrets of Ian’s past. Oh--and of course, Ian’s group of too-sexy-for-their-own-good friends complicate the romance in kinky and delightful ways.

Blurb: When the New England riptide sweeps Val into Ian’s path, she’s pulled into the vortex of passion he shares with his friends. But as Ian struggles with the ghosts of his past -- literally -- Val’s not sure there’s a place for her in his sexy, turbulent world.

Strange Sabbats
Available Now

A prequel to Nature’s Pentacle, this novella is set in the same world as my Pentacle Series, but stands alone. Because it takes place before the action in the other books in the series, the tone is lighter and more playful. These witches aren’t battling the forces of darkness; they’re struggling to sort out love lives vastly complicated by magic, power, and witches’ intense passion.

Blurb: For Aileen, Bryan, and Sylvie, three witches related by blood and common circumstances, finding the men of their dreams is a supernatural ride through love, jealousy, kink with a touch of magic, and fierce, red hot sex.

Nature’s Pentacle
Available Now

Nature’s Pentacle is the first book in my Pentacle Series, and you won’t want to miss the passionate magic these witches brew up! Lena and Matt meet at a forbidden sexual rite, and when crazed vigilantes and a vicious villain set them on a headlong path with disaster, they cling to each other for love and support. But Matt’s former love interest, Kenji, refuses to bow out of the picture.

Blurb: When witches use sexual energy in a rite to mend the shattered environment, the forces set in motion carry them into a vortex of loss, a sizzling ménage, and finally, to the love they never imagined they’d find.

Broken Pentacle
Available Now

Broken Pentacle is the second book in my Pentacle Series, and can be read as a stand-alone novel. This one is by far my darkest story, and the villain produces some hair-raising scenes for a truly supernatural Halloween season. Sky and Alec are two of my favorite characters because they’ve made mistakes, have been hurt horribly in the past, and they do a phenomenal amount of healing together. The magic they kick up with Zach, a no nonsense ex-cop who turns their twosome into a threesome, is both touching and deeply emotional--and wildly erotic.

Blurb: A brutal attack left Sky wounded body and spirit. Her body's recovered but her soul and her magic need healing before she can face her ex. The cure lies in sexual bonding with another witch. She's not expecting two.

Again, all of these are available at Loose Id, although you'll have to wait till November 4th for Fighting the Undertow. May your Halloween be full of chills, thrills, and red hot romance!


Eden
www.edenrivers.com

The Lure of the Anti-Hero

Our very own Michelle Lauren - American Title V Finalist - posted a great blog called "The Lure of the Anti-Hero" on the Love Conquers blog. Come check it out!

The Lure of the Anti-Hero by Michelle Lauren

We Naughty Girls sure seem to get around on the Internet don't we?

Minx

With or Without You

My new release is finally here!

With or Without You by KyAnn Waters

available today at Samhain Publishing!

To Purchase On Sale Today for $3.15

Blurb: The best mistake she ever made…
Tessa Brooks is dated. Not dated as in going out with men—having dinner and light conversation in poorly lit restaurants in hopes of finding someone with whom she can get naked. No, Tessa is dated. And the year she seems stuck in is 1988. The year her life changed.
With her twenty-year high school reunion coming up, Tessa’s daughter has surprised her with a makeover on the Jade Star television talk show. However, that’s not the only surprise. Enter Matt Toler, the best mistake she ever made. Tessa might not feel a ribbon of panic tightening around her neck if Matt had spoken to her again after their one-night sexual encounter…and if knew he had a daughter.

What's Your Pleasure?

I'm happy to announce I have a new release...Pleasure After The Pain has been released from Red Rose Publishing. Here is a little tease....

Pleasure After The Pain
Publication Date: September 11, 2008
Erotic/Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-60435-201-6
Cover Artist: Ash Arceneaux
Word Count: 8, 814
Price: $1.99

What is your wildest fantasy about getting a tattoo? A night out on the town with a friend ends up bringing Serene to a tattoo parlor. There she discovers a tattoo that takes a hold of her. Something about it calls to her. Body art can bring pleasure to its owner but this tattoo brings more pleasure then Serena ever imagined.
Will Serena’s tattoo give her more pleasure than she could imagine or will it be a fleeting moment of pleasure after the pain?

Now available at Red Rose Publishing
http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=225

Savannah

A Second Chance for Love

I’m doing the release day happy dance today, because Broken Pentacle, my multicultural witch paranormal ménage, is now available at Loose Id. This book continues my Pentacle Series, following Nature’s Pentacle, and can also be read as a stand alone.

Here’s the blurb: A brutal attack left Sky wounded, body and spirit. Her body's recovered but her soul and her magic need healing before she can face her ex. The cure lies in sexual bonding with another witch. She's not expecting two.

I’m pleased with how my book trailer turned out for Broken Pentacle, and I’d love for you to check it out! Click here. If you’re curious about my earlier Pentacle novel, here’s a link for the book trailer to Nature’s Pentacle. Click here.

Sky and Alec wrapped their way around my heart in a stranglehold because they’d been hurt, had made mistakes, and had such fierce determination to get things right this time. And Zach, oh wow, that sexy ex-cop, kick-ass-witch of a bodyguard with a hawk tattoo on his shoulder and attitude to spare brought so much passion to the triad of witches that he took my breath away.

Here’s a taste of what’s ahead when you pick up a copy of Broken Pentacle:

Alec moved from the chair to the end of the bed, careful not to crowd her but obviously seeking contact. With a shaky breath, Sky reached out and touched his hand. Although her shields held at full force, thoughts and images leaped across at the contact. Mostly she saw fragments from the time he’d spent convalescing in Sweden. Go figure. The senator managed to end up at a mountain resort, and she got a year with a bunch of goats in Mexico. Guess it was a fitting punishment.

When Alec winced, she knew he’d picked up that last bit. Whatever fragile connection stretched between them, her psychic abilities latched onto the link and refused to let go.

“Senator Kouklakis died -- I got a new identity to go with the Swedish vacation. Alec Brennan, eccentric drifter.”

“You miss it? Political life?” Images of him wheeling and dealing on the Senate floor flooded her head. Of course he missed it. “Hey, I’ve got my shields up a mile high. Stay out of my head.”

“Not trying to get in it. I’m shielded, too.” He hesitated, then reached up to push a mass of wavy brown hair away from his face. “And I miss politics less than I thought. What’s happening now, dealing with Jaimis, this is more important.”

Sky watched in fascination as he worried strands of hair between his thumb and forefinger. With his hair wild around his shoulders, he looked fierce and untamed. Golden skin stretched across lean, runner’s muscles, interrupted only by his jade green boxer shorts.

Those first few weeks they’d spent healing at Sorren’s estate, Alec had clung to the trappings of civilization, wrapping himself in designer suits, regardless of his raw back and battered psyche. But gone were the two-hundred-dollar haircut, blond highlights, and butter-soft shoes that probably cost more than her house. Strike that -- her former house, long since consigned to ashes by a bunch of anti-witch vigilantes.

“The wild man image suits you.” Despite herself, she inched closer, drawn by the musky male scent mingled with traces of soap and shampoo. She hesitated, then rested her palm over his wrist. A riot of heat rose from her belly and spread upward toward her breasts.

“I missed you, after Sorren moved us out of the country to safer ground.” Something about him plucked an emotional chord deep inside her.

The man was almost old enough to be her father -- never mind the deceptive youthfulness characteristic of witches. Hell, she was closer in age to his son, Matt, than she was to Alec. And yet, the pull between them was unmistakable.

Feeling vulnerable in the face of emotions she couldn’t understand, Sky wrapped the terrycloth robe tighter around her, a thin shield between her and disappointment. Alec regarded her, his clear, brown eyes flecked with amber, and when the silence stretched between them, she looked down at her legs crossed yoga-style on the blue bedspread.

“Your hair’s longer. I like it that way, like a black waterfall down your back.” Alec swallowed audibly. “You don’t wear it long to hide -- I mean, you don’t still have…”

The pain in his voice spurred her into action. “No. Here, see?” She untied the loosely knotted belt of her borrowed robe, let the folds of terrycloth drop around her waist, turned, and lifted her hair clear of her back. “The witch healers did their jobs well.”

Bending forward, she let him study the unmarred expanse of skin. She shivered when he trailed his fingers along her spine and explored smooth flesh where she knew he remembered a mess of healing lacerations. Relaxing under his gentle exploration, she let her face rest on her arms and enjoyed the liquid fire that followed his touch along her skin.

“Only one lash was too deep to erase the scar.” Never mind the million scars on the inside. She sat up and lifted the soft terrycloth clear of her left thigh, guiding Alec’s hand over the crescent moon-shaped scar no longer than her thumb.

“Mine’s here.” Alec eased the boxers down on his right side, revealing a jagged scar a hand span long across his hip. “The rest healed clean.”

Without thinking, Sky bent down and kissed the tip of the puckered flesh, then trailed a row of kisses along the length of the scar. Startled, she felt Alec claw his way into her head again, hungry and amazed at her casual acceptance of the ugly mark.

“What Jaimis did to us, the way he tied our fates together, it’s like he was some sort of dark artist…” Alec’s breath came in short gasps as Sky kissed her way along the length of the raised line of tissue again. “And after a point, he’d shed so much of our blood that it was like mixing paint, blending the colors until he left some of each of us with the other.”

Fuck. Damned if she’d let him see her cry. “Those six weeks when we were too sick to travel, you could always think of something to make me laugh through the pain.”

She left the rest unsaid. And you were the only one who could help me cry.

“That’s what you want? To cry? Or to laugh?” Alec helped her sit up beside him, cradling her chin in his palm, and she leaned forward, seeking a kiss, a caress, anything to ease the thirst she had for him. “Because whatever we do here tonight, I need to understand what you need.”

Happy reading!

Eden
www.edenrivers.com

A call, a sale and a blog!

Hey there, my naughty lovelies! *grins*

I haven't blogged here in awhile and actually was going to do another "Crazy crap people send me links to" post, much like my Rent-a-Dildo one a few months back. But, I have news so it will have to wait until next time. (Don't worry, I won't forget.)

Anyway, back to the blog and my news. I got "The Call" this week!! I sold my dark paranormal dragon-shifter story, DRAGON FIRE to Harlequin Silhouette Nocturne! Woot!!

Okay, I suppose I have to set up the steps before the call, so you can understand how the sale came to be.

June 2007 –
It’s conference weekend for our local WisRWA chapter and for the first time we have a silent auction. I noticed Tara - the senior editor's - name right away and instantly put my name down and something ludicrously cheap, like $8. Over the course of the day, I noticed I kept being outbid – by Lori Devoti - a Nocturne author! After a brief fight...err, polite discussion, she took her name out of the bidding and I ended up winning the first chapter critique for $25 (again, insanely cheap - I was shocked!)

I quickly polished up the chapter of my dragon-shifter romance I’d been fiddling with and sent it off, excited to finally have the opportunity for an New York editors comments and critique.

December 2007 –
Tara e-mailed me to let me know she had read the first chapter. and liked it. She said she didn't have dragons yet at Nocturne and was intrigued by the idea. So, instead of receiving a packet back in the mail with the pages all marked up and bloodied from her pen, she sent me a few things she wanted me to think about, perhaps change, asked me to write a prologue and to see a partial. That weekend, I wrote and trashed about six prologues before settling on one. I busted out a synopsis (I had hand written it in a notebook, but hadn’t typed it in submission ready form yet) and e-mailed it to her on Monday.

February 2008 –
When I saw an e-mail from her in my Inbox this time, I almost didn’t open it. I had to call my cp and have her talk me through it – no joke! I was so used to “thanks, but no thanks” I was sure I dropped the ball somewhere along the way , positive the synopsis had so many plot holes and clichéd storylines that a rejection was waiting for me.

Well, my cp was right all along (the supportive and smart wench that she is) – it was a good story and yes, Tara liked it too. She asked for a few tweaks off the synopsis and requested the full. This was the closest I’d ever been and I didn’t want to mess it up. So, I spent 6 weeks, finishing, tweaking, making her changes, editing and tweaking some more. My goal was to send her the full in March and I succeeded.

June 2008 –
Tara e-mailed to let me know she had the book with her and was going to read it asap and get back to me by the end of the week. Two weeks later...

July 2008 –
...It was 9:30-ish in the morning. I know because I had to leave work for a bit to pick my son up at Kindergarten summer program. After dropping him at home (where yes, he has someone watching him) I drove back to work. As I pulled into the parking lot of the gym, my cell phone rang. Seeing how it was a Monday, (a typically hectic Monday) and it had been two weeks of tensing at every phone call, I didn’t think anything as I picked it up. The caller ID said area code 212, which I knew from previous research was New York. Then I glanced up and the actual ID said “New York.” I took a deep breath and answered. Tara was on the line. Her voice was nothing like I expected - no NY accent, just smooth, eloquent and friendly. She immediately set me at ease and I think the first thing I said was "It's so nice to finally hear your voice!" I walked into the club and immediately pointed to the phone at my ear and mouthed "New York" to my boss.

Seeing how gyms are not the quietest place on earth, I went into the thankfully empty children’s playroom so I could hear her. We chatted for what felt like forever before she finally said, "I had a chance to read your book and I loved it. I would like to make an offer to buy it." I'm pretty sure I squealed, said OMG a couple times, thank you a dozen more. I wrote everything down and asked her a few questions. There are a lot of Harlequin authors in my local chapter, so I was pretty confident about saying yes to the offer over the phone. Actually, I think she had to ask me twice – something like, "So do you think the offer sounds good?" I laughed and said "Of course! I would be honored to accept it."

I sat down at the small kiddy drawing table (with my knees tucked to my chest) and we spoke for about a half hour about some revisions she wanted and following books in the series. When the call ended, I swore I could have bench pressed 500 pounds I was so excited! A few of our members who know I write, congratulated me and I spent the rest of my Monday with a huge smile on my face. :-) And the crazy thought that kept slipping through my mind was I basically bought a New York contract for $25. LOL! I mean, not really, but yeah...thank you Lori for not outbidding me! ;-)

If you'd like to learn more about Book 1 in this new series, friend and fellow Nocturne author, Lori Devoti interviewed me about DRAGON FIRE. It's posted over at Shape Shifter Romance.

Until next time...