Away at DragonCon!

Will be back next Saturday to fill you in on all the goodness of the fabulous DragonCon experience.

Eliza

I almost forgot it was Friday!!

As I grow older, I tend to forget more and more... Much of it is because I'm "multi-tasking" and not paying enough attention to what I'm doing. But I do find myself relying more and more on lists to make sure everything gets done.

The heroine in my upcoming release, Forget Me Not, has a much more understandable reason for losing her memory. She was bashed on the head by a chunk of concrete in the terror attacks of 9/11.

Her adventure will be released on 9/8/2008 from Total E-bound.


September 11, 2001 was a momentous day in history. It was also the day Letitia Davies lost her memory and began seeing ghosts. Despite the loving care of her husband, she never regained any memory of her past.

When he unexpectedly dies of cancer seven years later, Letitia travels back to Napa, California, to celebrate her birthday and plan out her future. There she encounters a sexy man who claims to be her real husband. Although her mind doesn’t remember him, her body does and his touch inflames passions she’d only dreamed of before.

In order to take her mind off her lust for the handsome stranger, Letitia investigates the death of a ghostly beauty. However, the series of clues she finds leads Letitia right back to her past and could either unlock her mind or destroy the only memories she has left.


Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com

Still in TWILIGHT

Last week I spoke about the book TWILIGHT, and just how much I loved it. Well, I enjoyed it so much that I've now read the next two books as well. Last night, I finished ECLIPSE before I'd even realised the end was so near. It took me by surprise, which is a very strange thing when you consider the size of the book. It's huge, yet, it didn't drag. Not once. It's like every moment I spend reading these books is filled with excitement and anticipation. I get so wrapped up in what's going on that I just have to read on and on, until I'm finished.

So, now I'm up to the last book in the series. It seems bizarre that only a few weeks ago I hadn't even read one of the books, and wondered what made this story so special that millions of people all over the world were waiting for BREAKING DAWN.

Well, now I know. And I'm no longer behind. Today, I intend to start the last book in the saga and can't wait to see how it all wraps up. I know Stephenie Meyer has plans to write more in this world, but this'll be the end of Bella's story. After riding along with her, I want to see what she does, who she chooses, and just what path her future takes.

I always find it amazing when a story can suck you in this much. To the point of becoming obsessed with it. And you know, it's made me realise that's exactly what happens to me when I'm writing a story. I get wrapped up in a fictional world, filled with characters I think about so much they feel real. It's why I love telling stories, and also love reading them.

I'll be spending the rest of the week in a new world of my own. I'm starting a new novel next week, and can't wait to throw myself into the middle of it.

Yolanda
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

A New Release

Like Cynthia, I'm always super nervous on a new release day. After sweating, fretting and obsessing over so many releases, I've determined that'll never change :) I torture myself, sitting in front of the computer all day, reading and rereading the blurb, the excerpt, checking ranking if it's available.

So, today, you know where I'll be. Refreshing the HOME PAGE on Samhain's site until my book appears, and then checking the MBAM home page and rankings until the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Those mega doses of caffeine don't help the jitters much :)

“Behind the Mask” by Tawny Taylor

Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Red Hots!, Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 1-60504-138-6
Length: Short Story
Price: 2.50
Publication Date: August 26, 2008
Cover art by Scott Carpenter

Three nights of uninhibited kink—and you’re invited.

Kelly Bennett is about to embark on a journey into a strange and foreign world, where men and women play erotic games of power and lust, hiding behind masks. A dark world of bondage, of domination and submission, of masters and slaves. The world of Masquerade Weekend.

But her journey is not a solitary one. She’s found a willing guide in Rogan Cayne, a man who knows his way around. A man with the strength to keep her safe as she indulges in some experimentation, and maybe a game or two of cat and mouse. As she lets Rogan slowly lure her with a touch, a look, and a few whispered words, she suddenly finds she’s a mouse with one very fierce cat on her tail.

Rogan isn’t about to let Kelly play it safe during this weekend of decadent, carnal exploration. In fact, before the weekend draws to a close, he intends to strip away her every defense and bring the luscious little submissive to her knees.

But is he willing to pay the price to discover what lies beneath her mask?

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, mild bondage and discipline, exhibitionism, BDSM themes, and a couple of naughty games.

Tomorrow is Release Day!

I'm always both excited and horribly nervous when one of my books releases. Tomorrow, EVERLASTING BAD BOYS will hit store shelves. So, yep, that means I'll spend the day alternating between the feelings of woo-hoo excitement and Oh-My-God nervousness. Such is the way of my world. :-)



But, since the release is so very close, I thought I'd talk a bit about the characters in "Spellbound'--my novella in EVERLASTING BAD BOYS.

The heroine of my story is Serena Tyme, a witch. And my hero, Luis D'Amil--well, he's the boogeyman. (Okay, technically I call him a soul hunter, but really, he's the boogeyman all of the Other fear.) I loved writing about these two characters. Both are strong paranormals with special powers. Although my hero's powers do tend to be very, very dark...

When I created the character of Luis, I knew that because of who I wanted him to be (the being that all the paranormals in my "world" feared), I would have to give him an unusual assortment of talents. So, I created the soul hunter myth. In my tale, a soul hunter is born from the mating of a witch and a demon--and there is no being more powerful. But, Luis does have a weakness...and her name is Serena.

Thanks for letting me talk about my characters. Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Summer's Winding Down

The kids went back to school two weeks ago. Two of my crew went...leaving me with the 4-year old. I'm not sure who is more anxious for preschool to start, him or me! I will admit that it's much easier to run errands with just one little one. The two boys are only 11 months apart, so they feed off each other on who can be the most mischievous.

On a bright point, I ran a few errands the other day (with just one little boy in tow) and we stopped by one of my favorite stores. Michaels. They had a huge display of Halloween things right in the middle of the aisle. Needless to say, Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. So, my little one and I had a blast setting off all the decorations - laughing tombstones, falling skulls, and this incredible floating woman.

That's when it hit me...the summer is finally winding down. Living in the high desert of California, the summer seems to last from March to October some years. We actually had a spring this year and I'm hoping we'll get some chilly weather in time for Halloween.

I can hardly wait to set up the cemetery in the front yard (complete now with a laughing tombstone) and in a few weeks we'll be shopping for Halloween costumes for the boys. I'm hoping for little skeletons or ghouls, but I have an inkling spiderman costumes are more to their taste. Sigh.

Happy Almost Friday!

Hey ya'll! I'm reading about dragons and my god they are HOT! And not just 'cause they blow fire either. It's part of the Shadow of the Dragon series by Tielle St. Clare. I'd read the other books in the series a year or two ago and they were absolutely fabulous. The characters in those stories were well written, along with the dragons who accompanied their charges. Talk about details! Tielle made me 'see' what the characters were seeing. Made me 'feel' what the characters and their dragons felt. I figured book four in the series, called Dragon's Prey, would be the same. And I was spot on!

I'm only on page 364 and I'm burning my poor eReader up! Now, I like sex in a book as well as the next person, but sex for the sake of sex is boring. Give me some plot. Give me some action. Give me some suspense. Give me a reason to care about the characters. Give me all that and I'll stick with you forever.

Well, Tielle, I'm with you forever, girlfriend 'cause the Shadow series RAWKS from beginning to the end!

Here's the blurby bit from Tielle's book, Dragon's Prey:
Shadow of the Dragon - Dragon's Prey By Tielle St Clare
Book 4 in the Shadow of the Dragon series.

Captured and put into slavery, it should be a simple thing for Kayla to escape, if only her dragon would cooperate. But the blasted beast — bored with the males at home — sees Kayla's captivity as the perfect opportunity to find her mate.

When her dragon finds the man for Kayla, he's all wrong. He's too strong, too aggressive and way too grouchy. He's the perfect mercenary but he'll make a rotten husband. Unfortunately, her body — and her dragon — don't care about any of that and while she wants to hate Captain Sixx, she finds herself unable to resist him.

For Sixx, getting the pretty little slave as a gift is more irritation than pleasure. What's he supposed to do with her? He's got enough troubles — including a curse and a snotty young warrior preparing to challenge him — now he's got her to deal with. Of course, having Kayla chained up in his bedchamber does have its benefits.

So now Kayla just has to figure out how to get home, keep Sixx safe from her father's wrath, oh, and tell her lover she's part dragon.

Wanna see what she's up to? Visit here at her website, www.tiellestclare.com

Love ya!

TJ
www.tjmichaels.com

TWILIGHT

Well, last night I finished reading TWILIGHT. I know, I'm a little behind. The rest of the world read this wonderful book years ago, but it doesn't matter to me. I believe this book was more than just a reading, it was an experience.

I read good books - no, great books - all the time, but for some reason, some hit you harder than others. This book, was one of those. It's happened to me plenty of times, this is just the latest.

Last week, I watched the upcoming Twilight movie trailer with my hubby. Then I found out that the last one in the series was being released. This is when I decided that it was time to give the book a go. I have no idea why I didn't read it sooner. It's just one of those things. I've done it with the Harry Potter series, the Stephanie Plum series, and even Sookie Stackhouse. I jump on the wagon a little late and then go nuts to get my hands on all of the available books in the series.

When we got this book last Friday, my husband mentioned that I should just buy all of them. He knew I would love it, so what was the point of waiting? I stuck to my guns and just got the first one. Monday night, I decided to read just the first chapter, as a reward for finishing the re-write I was working on. By Tuesday, I sat on the couch and spent most of the day (and night) reading. Yesterday was just about the same. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next to Bella and Edward, as well as everyone else who was affected.

Wow. *taking a deep breath* It was fantastic! Not just the way it's written and what happens in this story, there's another factor. There's something special about Twilight. :D The vulnerability, the subject matter, the love between these two characters... maybe it's just because there are vampires in the story. I LOVE vampires. Or maybe I feel so deeply about it because the first real story I ever wrote was about a teenage girl falling in love with a vampire. Who knows? I just feel it, and it's hard to explain.

Anyway, my husband came home with a surprise last night. Before going to work, he stopped by the store and picked up the remaining three for me. OMG! I now have all of them, and can't wait to get stuck into them. So, so awesome.

Now I can't wait to watch the movie.

So, have you read the Twilight Series? If you have, what did you think? But please, no spoilers. :D Isn't Edward Cullen one of those totally intoxicating characters that you miss when he's not on the page? At the end of my book (it's a special edition) there's an excerpt for an upcoming book called MIDNIGHT SUN, and apparently, it's from his POV. Yikes! ;)


Yolanda
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Do You Remember?

Where you were on August 16, 1977? I do.

Many of you may be too young to remember the significance of that date, but for my family it was a huge event.

I was 9 years old, just 12 days short of my 10th birthday and I had spent the day at the beach with my family when the news arrived that Elvis Presley had died. My mother and stepmother were huge fans of Elvis so I grew up with all things Elvis and I am proud to admit that I loved him a bit too. I even thought my daddy looked a lot like Elvis.

I watched all the Elvis movies with my mom and thought Blue Hawaii and Clambake were the best movies ever. *g* And i'm completely surprised that I didn't wear out my mothers 45 record of Hound Dog. For me it was just one of those songs that made you want to dance.

Now it's 31 years later and I have a teenage daughter who thinks Elvis was a beast. (a beast is a really good thing according to her) Because her grandmother's loved Elvis dearly she too was exposed to his music early and loved it as well. I think I have a picture of her when she was about 5 or 6 holding up a new Elvis poster she'd gotten as a present. If you go in her room today there is an Elvis poster along side her Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom posters. That's how enduring a presence he has had on our family.

A couple of years ago she even made a trip to Graceland with her father and came away even more fascinated than before. It's amazing to me what an effect an incredible celebrity can have on our lives.

Not everyone was old enough to remember the day Elvis died, but I bet they remember the day Diana did.

So in honor of Elvis and the impact he has had on my family, i'm listening to his music today as well as some tribute videos as I continue to write like a madwoman trying to make a deadline.





Have a good one!

Eliza

Real Life versus Fiction

It's been a tough week and it looks like it's going to get even more harried.

My two oldest children went back to school this week. My daughter started high school and one of my sons started kindergarten. Big and stressful steps for both of them. But, I want to know whose bright idea it was to have preschool start 3 weeks later! I have a four-year old pinging off the walls. All morning he can't wait until his big bro' comes home, then when he does, they fight. Grrr.

Plus, he's determined that MOMMY is supposed to be the replacement playmate. I'm trying, I really am. But I had forgotten how tough it is to be an only child (and I was one for, well, all my life! LOL), especially when you aren't used to it.

Then, my daughter had her final neurosurgeon consult. This is where they outlined the entire surgical procedure. It scared the socks off all of us, but we don't have a choice. A fixed aneurysm can't burst, and a burst aneurysm (especially one the size and location of my daughter's) would be fatal. So, looks like we're shooting for August 25th for surgery (assuming the health insurance referrals get submitted and approved in time). The time following the surgery is going to be an upheaval as well, as the hospital is at UCLA and we live 2 hours away. She will probably spend at least a week, possibly two, there. So, I'm lobbying for a hotel room and I think I've finally got hubby convinced that it's the way to go.

I'm up to my neck in edits, trying to write a spooky tryst, and trying not to stress about the surgery. Good luck to me! I'd love to just loose myself in the world's I create. They are so much easire than "real life". Heck, this upcoming surgery is scarier than a haunted house full of things that go bump. Believe me, at times like this, I'd take fiction over life every time. My heroines may go through hell, but I'm always guaranteed a happily ever after.

Too bad life isn't as predictable~

Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com

HELLBLAZE

As you can see to my left, my Dark Tarot novel will be available at the end of this week. Although, it's already available for pre-order, which is super exciting! I can't wait. :)

This is what I've been calling: One demon's struggle to get back to hell!

It's the story of a female demon who thinks she's been temporarily banished to suffer amongst the humans, when in fact it's intended to be a permanent gig. Of course, she doesn't know all the details at first but when she does find out, her adventure to get back home begins.

Along the way she finds out a lot about herself and the world around her. She's always despised humans, so to be forced to live by their rules in her now powerless body just about drives her insane. I have to admit, it was fun putting her through this ordeal, because in the end she realises a few things she might never have found out otherwise. Oh, and did I mention there's an incubus?

It was a lot of fun to write, and Blaze is full of snark. So I hope you'll check it out!

HELLBLAZE will also be available in print later this year. November to be precise. ;)

Anyway, I thought you might want to see the video I created it for it. Here it is:

Blaze Golden is a demon sent to the human world under false pretenses. Banished from her Hellish realm of Mon to the boring, monotonous realm of the humans, she’s stuck with no allies and a powerless body.

Now, her only way home is with the help of three humans. An almost impossible task since every portal has been closed in-and-out of Mon by the Hi-Off.

But if she doesn’t get back before her 666th Anniversary, she will forfeit the ancient prophecy of the Dark Goddess and will never return to hell.

Yolanda
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Fear of Rejection

I had an individual write to me the other day--she wants to pursue her dream of writing, but she was afraid of rejection. In her email, she asked me how I'd gotten over my fear of rejection.

Her note got me to thinking....you see, I've never gotten over my rejection fear. Every time that I finish another manuscript, I worry. Will my agent like my new proposal? Will my editor think my story is good enough? I never stop worrying, and, honestly, I don't think I ever will get over that fear.

I no longer haunt my mail box, looking for the dreaded rejection letters (because at this point, I communicate more via email and telephone than I do snail mail), but I easily remember those days--because they weren't that long ago!

I don't let the fear stop me from continuing my writing dream. I live with the fear. I deal with it, and I move on. Besides, I think a certain amount of fear is healthy. That fear, it keeps me on my toes. :-)

But what's your take on fear?

Eliza Is on Deadline

Shhhhh......

THE WEREWOLF WHISPERER WAS RELEASED FROM PHAZE ON MONDAY AUGUST 4th! And yep, I'm so excited I'm shouting about it!

This whole week has been BIG for me. On Monday, I had my first radio interview. I'm hoping I don't sound like a dork as I gibber mindlessly (Oh, I mean talk) about my writing. It should be available as a podcast at PIVR (http://www.internetvoicesradio.com/home.htm).

I was a guest blogger at Bitten by Books and am a featured author at the Whipped Cream site of Long and Short Reviews. I'm giving away a free download of The Vampire Oracle: Chalice and a lovely set of wine glasses.

Oh AND - I signed a contract for Phone Calls from the Dead from Cobblestone Press. It's the sequel to Postcards from the Dead and I'm hoping it will be edited and ready for Halloween. AND (wow, can this week get any better?)- Cover Art Christmas. Yep. I received a very hot cover for Breathless, my first M/M romance. Designed by Dan Skinner...all I can say is I think I'm in "lurve"...



But, back to whispering about my book. Last September, The Werewolf Whisperer was only available for two weeks before StarDust Press closed it's doors. So, I'm super excited that it's available again! It has a sexy cover (designed by Stella Price) and was totally re-edited, so there's a few new surprises tucked inside the cover.

The Werewolf Whisperer by Ericka Scott

The full moon peeked up over the horizon already lighting
the yard as if it were daytime.

Her shoe bumped something and it fell with a clatter. Shit!
She looked down to see what she’d stumbled over. Blessed God.
It was a shotgun! She hadn’t fired one in years, not since she and
her brothers had made soda cans quake in fear on the back fence.
But with a shotgun, she wouldn’t need perfect aim. Heck, when
they saw she had a gun, maybe they wouldn’t mess with her.
Okay, so she was fooling herself. But she couldn’t help a quick
rush of joy when she picked up the gun and saw that it was
loaded.

Surprisingly, no one had come running at the sound of the
clatter. Serena didn’t pause to wonder why. It only took her a
few more strides to reach the front of the house and peer around
the corner.

What she saw nearly made her drop the gun. Ben and the
man were bent over. Had they poisoned themselves? Then,
icicles of fear rushed through her veins. What was happening?
Ben’s form was suddenly covered in silver grey hair that
almost sparkled in the moonlight. His ears had elongated and his
face! She shuddered and stepped back, resisting the urge to run.
The whole frontal section of Ben’s face elongated into a muzzle.
Then, with shock, she realized the wolf’s savage gaze was
locked on her. She stifled a scream as the thing’s mouth split
open in a wolfish grin. Serena stepped back and pulled the gun
up.

The wolves crept closer. Didn’t they see she had a gun?
Perhaps they didn’t think she would use it. Well, they were
wrong, she would.

As she ran forward, she could hear their growls. This had
better work or she was dead—or worse than dead. Pulling the
trigger, there was a pause when time stood still. The blast nearly
deafened her. The wolves scattered.

One disappeared. She’d have to watch her back. One dashed
off around the house, possibly to leap on her from behind or cut
off her retreat. The other had been hit fully in the face and was
now pawing at his muzzle and whining.

She ran toward the car, expecting a heavy body to leap on
her at any moment. It wasn’t until she was sitting in the driver’s
seat with the keys in the ignition that she stopped to take a
breath. A roar at the window made her jump. The third wolf,
which was the largest, was launching himself against the
window. Again and again, it leapt at the door, its claws
screeching as they scratched against the glass.

She started the car and gunned the engine. The animal
didn’t even flinch. Fingering the can of mace in her pocket to
make sure it was still there, she backed out. The wolves followed
her, stalking the car.

The little Beetle couldn’t do more than twenty-five miles
per hour on the washboard road. Any faster and she’d knock the
whole bottom out of the car and then where would she be?

In eerie silence, the wolves ran alongside the car. Then, they
began howling. Ice cold panic filled her veins.
Suddenly, another figure came dashing along the car,
snapping and barking at the wolves. It was Tucker. The wolves
turned their attention away from the car and toward the
Labrador. Serena felt a surge of pity. The poor old dog would be
torn to shreds. She had to do something.

Rolling down her window an inch or two, she pulled the can
of mace out of her pocket. “Here doggie, doggie,” she called.
The wolves turned as one toward her. Faster than she’d
expected, they were almost through the window. Startled, she
pushed the button on the mace. It didn’t fire. Oh, my god. She
leaned back as snapping muzzles filled the opening and she
could feel their spittle sprinkling her face, neck, and arms. Then,
there was a loud hiss and the wolves were gone. They rolled in
the dirt, pawing at their muzzles while Tucker pranced around
them barking. She called to him, but although he came over to
the car, he refused to enter.

“Oh, well, buddy. Don’t say I didn’t try,” she told him then
rolled up the window and drove away. Tucker’s fierce barking
faded into the distance.

It was a momentary victory, but she pumped her fist in the
air anyway.

Now, to get into town and find Jackson. Something bad had
happened to him. But he was still alive. Ben and Doc Brown had
talked about sending someone back to the jail to question him.
The town was silent. There were no lights on in any of the
houses, no sounds of televisions playing behind closed curtains,
nothing but the roar of her car’s engine. Something really bad
was happening and she knew she couldn’t stop it.

And above all, she had to find Mike. Please, God, don’t let
him be dead. But he couldn’t be dead. Jackson had gone through
all the trouble of calling her out to this god-forsaken place to
help find him. No, she had to believe that Mike was still alive.
And Jackson was the key. He knew what happened to her
brother. He was the one who’d arranged the helicopter and set up
the fake hospital story. Damn it, she’d make him tell her where
Mike was. She grabbed the shotgun and left the car unlocked and
running, just in case.

Pushing open the station door at a run, Serena started
yelling his name. “Jackson, hey, Jackson.” Waiting a heartbeat in
between her calls, she listened for a reply, for any noise. She
pounded on the counter and rang the bell. Still nothing. Damn it.
He had to be here or at home. She started to turn around
when she spotted a door marked Staff Only. She ran around the
counter, slipping a little on the linoleum in her haste. Grabbing
the knob, she twisted, half expecting it to be locked. It opened
easily in her hand and she felt along the wall inside for the light
switch. She didn’t want to be surprised by any wolves in the
dark.

The overhead lights flickered on and she stared. It was an
old-fashioned jail, just like in the movies, complete with three
cells. The first two were empty, their doors standing wide open.
The third one had an occupant.

“Jackson?” she called, walking quickly forward. “You gotta
tell me where Mike is. Where are the keys? I’ll let…you…” The
words caught in her throat and she could only stare. It was a
wolf, large and black, with amber eyes. There were clothes
scattered on the floor of the cell, the same clothes Jackson had
been wearing the night before. So, either the wolf had eaten
Jackson and not left any blood or…

“Jackson?” Serena approached the cell.

Hackles rose on the wolf’s back and the creature growled.
Saliva dripped from his fangs and it snapped at her, pacing back
and forth from one end of the cell to the other. Serena felt her
eyes go wide and she backed up. “Alrighty then.” Maybe there
were notes or something in the files out front to tell her where
Mike was.

Damn it. Howling. Right outside. They had found her
already. Gripping the shotgun in her hand, she took another look
at the wolf. She’d never make it to her car now. And if the
wolves came pouring in, she’d be trapped. She looked around.
Trapped and safe.

She stepped into the cell next to the black wolf and pulled
the door closed behind her. It locked with a click and she had the
unnerving feeling that it was the sound of her fate sealing.
Serena cowered against the back wall. If the wolves could
open the door to the cell, she was a dead woman.

End of Excerpt

If you go out to the Phaze site, you can find a very hot excerpt of the book as well.

The Werewolf Whisperer - Phaze.com

Have a great Friday!

Ericka
www.erickascott.com

...from a reader!

This was in my e-mailbox on Sunday and it made my freaking day. I asked the reader if it was okay to put it up on the webiste, so here goes. Oh, by the way, this reader won my book from a contest hosted by the Erotic Romance Writers group. The RAWK!

"Date: Sun, August 03, 2008 2:27 pm
To: "TJ Michaels"

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I read Carinian's Seeker last night. I could not put it down until it was finished. OMG! This story is awesome. I have never read a story about an interracial couple and I have never read one where the heroine was at least 36 yers old. I reallllllly needed to broaden my horizons when it comes to my reading tastes and this story was the perfect start.

Bix is the ultimate alpha hero vampire and Carin was a smart, sassy, kick-ass heroine. I can't forget the scorching sex scenes. I almost forgot the reasons for my five year celibacy. (LOL) This is an amazing book and I will definitely order Serati's Flame and Hatsept Heat ASAP!

Have great week.

Tara "

The book she was talking about is the first book in the Vampire Council of Ethics. If you haven't read it yet, please do and be sure to let me know what you think. If you have read it, then pick up the latest book, HATSEPT HEAT. Woohoo! I just love it when someone likes my writing!

Novella Challenge & Robot Chicken

How's your week going? Mine's been pretty busy. And man, is it going fast! Yikes. I almost missed my day because I didn't realise it was here already. That's why I'm late.

This week, I'm taking part in another writing challenge. I know, I can't help myself. If there's a challenge, I find it very hard to resist. The aim of the game is to write a novella during the month of August. Since I've written several novels within that time-frame before, I'm attempting to write a 30k novella, but in much less time than a month. Personally, I would like to have it finished by tomorrow afternoon. It doesn't look like that's going to happen, but maybe by Monday/Tuesday, is a better goal.

Right now I'm sitting at 16,327, but I haven't added anything new today. Yet. Here's hoping I can cross the 20k mark tonight. Now that would be awesome. The way the ideas and everything's fitting together, if I had the time to just sit until it's finished, I would. :)

On a separate subject, does anyone watch Robot Chicken? OMG. The hubby and I just watched ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS and it was hilarious! These guys are so talented, coming up with these stories was awesome. I'm so glad we watched it, and I hope they make more. Bring us more. Seth Green totally rocks!

Yolanda
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

What ever happened to Paranormal Emma?

What ever happened to Paranormal Emma?

I've been wondering the same thing myself. The first story I completed was a contemporary. The second was a paranormal. The third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, ninth, etc all paranormals.

My most recent release? Contemporary. Is there a pattern here? Have I returned to my roots or are there just contemporary stories in me that need to get out. To be honest, I really don't know.

Master of the Game was a challenge to do something I hadn't done in a while. Write a contemp in 3rd person. And I accomplished that goal. So what's stopping me from writing another paranormal? Well, the follow-up book to MotG needs to written. And that of course is a contemp. So once that's done will I go back to my tried and true paranormals? Ummm...No, because I'm in the middle of yet another contemporary.

At first I was worried because I was no longer Emma, Paranormal girl. There were no more dragons, vampires, and werewolves. Just little old human beings with human being problem. Is it weird that that is scarier than all the werewolves, vampires and dragons I wrote? In some of my stories, I waved a wand and blamo problems solves, hero gets heroine, and they both got HEA.

But with contemps, for me, the rules are different. For example, in Master of the Game, Erin was truly embarrassed by her actions. Not only had she had sex with a stranger, she had sex with a stranger almost young enough to be her son. (Not that having sex with strangers is wrong or right. Whatever we chose as adults are what we choose and our business. Okay shut it, Emma and get back on track.) There was no magic wand to solve this chicks hang ups. She like me and you (maybe) have to work through our hang ups. And that was the most frightening part about getting caught up with contemps again. It's super easy to hide behind ghouls and vamps but it was so much harder to write things that could have or can happen to me.

So you'd think I'd be more than happy to get back to being Paranormal girl again? Yeah, well I'm learning fear is a strong motivator. I may be afraid of putting myself out there but I do it anyway.

What inspires you?

I must say that my first book was semi-inspired from a trip to San Francisco last year about this time. That book turned out to be a bestseller at Cobblestone Press and Fictionwise. Just last week I took another trip. One to Cancun and learned about the Myans... ask me am I inspired?

I bought books but nothing beats being there and seeing the history. There are some things you just can't read in a book. I think this picture is one that my five year old took while on a tour of Chichen Itza.

Cancun was a wonderful place to visit. It was full of history and stories. And I don't think I have ever been a place where everyone...and I do mean everyone had a tip jar! I took 100 ones and used all of them.

So look for a Myan or Aztec inspired story coming soon!

It's almost time

Tuesday is the big day and I can hardly wait.

ACHERON!

I'm still so surprised that we are getting Acheron's story in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon this year. Don't get me wrong i'm totally psyched by this, I just would have expected Acheron's story to be the last.

I still remember the first time I picked up a Dark Hunter book from the library and decided to check it out. It was about four years ago and it was Sieze The Night. Yes I didn't know anything about the series so I picked it up right in the middle. But that day I fell in love with Valerius and immediately looked up the series and started from the beginning.



Today Valerius is still my favorite Dark-Hunter. What can I say I love the really dark, silent and brooding type. He is a man with a commanding presence. He's just yummy. I think I might have to reread him today. lol

As for Tuesday, I will be at either Target or Wal-Mart first thing to pick up Acheron. I will probably shirk my work and writing that day to immerse myself once again into the Dark-Hunter world I love so much, to read Ash's story. Then at the end of August when I see Sherrilyn Kenyon again at Dragon Con i will be gushing like a crazy fan girl. But as usual SK will be so sweet and gracious.

So...Do you read the Dark-Hunter series? Have a favorite? Planning to run out and get Acheron on Tueday?

Have a good one,

Eliza

Today's the Day

If Fate hadn't thrown me a curve ball, I'd have been volunteering at the registration desk, pitching to an agent AND a publisher, and having a gay old time at the RWA national convention. Instead, I'll be sitting in a cold waiting room as my daughter has her angiogram.

For the first couple of days, I was really upset that I had to make the decision between my family and myself. Yeah, it was hands down my family but it was soooooo UNFAIR. However, there's always the convention next year and this procedure (and the surgery that will probably follow) will ensure that my daughter HAS a next year (and hopefully many, many more years to come).

In my novels, the heroes and heroines are often thrown into situations that are unfair to them, but they bite the bullet and do the right thing. They stand by their loved ones at great personal sacrifice and do much bigger things than just give up a weekend hob-nobbing with other authors and drinking fuzzy navels with La Nora.


For instance, in my upcoming release, The Werewolf Whisperer, coming from Phaze, this Monday (August 3rd) - Serena leaves the comfort of her life to help search for her brother in the desert surrounding his house near Eclipse, California, where the residents all share one really big secret. She's gonna have to face her fears and realize that not all dogs can be trained...especially when you fall in love with the biggest dog of them all...a werewolf.