Hunter’s Moon is now available!

Gia Roberts is part of a secret organization of humans who hunt rogue shifters. When her group forms a tentative alliance with the werewolf Hunters her boss pairs her up with the Anthony. Working with him is torture. He’s irritating. He gets on her last nerve. While setting her body on fire.

Gia tries desperately to ignore the wolf, but he gets harder to resist with each passing week. When her secret past comes back, will he be able to convince her he can keep her safe? Or will she run back to the safety of her world?

Have you been wondering where we are? Well, there’s been a lot going on in our little group. We’ve been busy little bees.
First of all, “Eye of the Storm” has a review from Bella at Fallen Angel Reviews.
Jennifer McKenzie has written a fabulously pulse-pounding story of sexual tension, suspense and intrigue. Magda’s dogged determination and pluck is just the right combination for Kevin’s hardened heart. The explosive heat between Magda and Kevin is deliciously arousing. Fierce and intense, theirs is no timid mating.

Click here to see the whole review.

Also, I’m having a contest over at MY BLOG where you can win free ebooks and gift certificates and all kinds of goodies.
Come on over and check it out until August 9th to win great stuff.

Last week, while the others were at the RWA conference, I was coordinating the Not Going To Conference Conference. And I learned some very important things.
I learned I still have a lot to learn.
I learned I’ve come a long way.
The best thing that happened for me was in the Deep POV workshop with Linnea Sinclair. She asked us to post a paragraph using some of the things she was teaching us. My paragraph got a “Love it!” from Ms. Sinclair. I was pretty stoked.
There were so many nuggets to take away. Much discussion about what the market is doing and what’s the best way to respond to it. “Write what you love” was reiterated.
Every single author had something to say that encouraged me, inspired me.
I loved it!
How about you all? How was your week?

I went to my first RWA National conference last week. It was insane.

I had a blast, met a lot of people, and learned a lot of things. Of course, most of them weren’t about the craft of writing, or about the business of writing. I learned about myself.

I learned that I like having an itinerary (thank you, Crystal).
I learned that, all my talk aside, I actually kinda like people.
I learned that  I actually am really good at networking.
I learned that getting away from my life for one week can do really great things for my perspective on said life…

Who knew?

I went to DC expecting to come home with “omg I met so-and-so” stories. (and I have a few…and one really GOOD one, in fact).

But I really came back with a newer  perspective and a fresh outlook. I feel different, and that was not what I expected. I feel like I grew up a little, and considering how old I am, I never really expected to feel that again.

Anyway, as you can see, I’m still a little addled. I had a lot of fun, got to meet some of my fellow TNG-ers, and stayed up WAY too late way too many nights in a row.

But I feel like my career is at a new level, now…like I made some connections at that conference which might lead to Things down the road.

And I also sold a book to LooseId while I was there, so that’s GOT to be a good thing 

I’ve been writing Erotic Sci Fi lately and that means tough times when trying to find movies to inspire me. But I have a few favorites that get me in the right mood.
I’m not sure why, but “Pitch Black” and “The Chronicles of Riddick” do it for me. Also, “Tomb Raider” with Lara Croft also gets me inspired.

Here’s the movie trailer for “The Chronicles of Riddick”.

The last work in progress (turned it in last week. Woot!) is going to have a movie list that bleeds into the next one. Both are paranormal with shapeshifters, and the next one has vampire, witches, warlocks, etc. So, what movies get me in the mood to write? I often

First up, Underworld.

A little witch action with Practical Magic.

And, for reasons completely unknown to me, we close up with The Mummy.

Our family loves holidays and this year is no exception. We packed up a cooler and the kids, drove an hour an a half to our secret place on the river and spent five hours swimming and chatting.
Then, we hauled our butts home, changed and went to Grandma’s house for steak and pasta salad and cherry pie.
Quel Bliss.
Fireworks, a few bottles of beer and wine and a lot of laughter make the night worth it.
We got home around Midnight and collapsed into bed.
It was a blast and I can’t wait to do it all again next year.
How was your Fourth?

For my family it is a typical American holiday. We sleep in…of course.

The hubby had to work today unfortunately, but it goes with the territory for his profession. There’s no such thing as a holiday. So, the kids and I had a hot breakfast of French toast and bacon…yum yum! Taught my 12 year old how to cook the French toast…she did pretty good.

I didn’t prepare early and grocery shop during the week, so we made a mad dash to the grocery store. By the time we got back, the hubby was home ready to grill. After hamburgers and hot dogs, we watched Independence Day…one of our traditions, and played games on the Wii. Then, watched more movies and played outside.

After that comes fireworks and a trip downtown to the firework show that’s sure to be a blast as it always is.

I hope you had a great holiday!

Our holiday here in Canuckyland doesn’t happen on the fourth. It happens on the first. Of course, it’s a lot like the fourth – barbeques and fireworks and a plethora of flags. Of course, we’re all about the Red and White, no blue, but we show our pride the same ways: Tshirts, hats, shorts, socks…even shoes and underwear with the familiar red maple leaf symbol on a background of white. (don’t ask me how having maple leaves on your undies screams patriotism; I’m just saying.)

I have to say, we’re not all that manic about it. I mean, I live in a college town, but July is during summer break, so although there are still a few inebriated twenty-somethings who run around red-faced raising their beer and screaming “WOOT”…for the most part it’s a family-oriented holiday.

A small town nearby (er…larger than the one I actually live in, but smaller than the nearby town that shows up on the map)…has a festival. People selling things at little impromptu stalls, face painting, meat-on-a-stick…typical ‘fair’ type…fare. Despite the fact that it’s a small town…it gets really busy.

So…what did we do this year? Not much. One of the kids has been ordered to avoid sunlight for a week or two for an illness that’s left his skin sensitive to sun. That…hasn’t been much of a problem, though, since it’s pretty much been raining the entire month of June, and July isn’t showing any signs of letting up.

We did, however, spend it together as a family, and it was a really nice day, even if it wasn’t entirely filled with why we love the place we live, and how we’d probably choose to live here again, even if we could move anywhere in the world.

We’re chatting about Independence Day traditions this week, since it’s time to break out the sparklers this weekend. Guest starring today is Patti O’Shea to talk about her traditions and to give away a little midsummer holiday goody for you!

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Hi everyone!

Thanks for stopping in! I was asked to talk about my Fourth of July traditions, but aside from going to see fireworks when I was a kid, my family didn’t really have any. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to turn the blog over to Logan. He’s the hero of EDGE OF DAWN, my latest paranormal action/adventure romance, and his family does have Independence Day traditions.

To give you a little introduction, Logan is a troubleshooter for the Gineal–they’re a society of magic users who work covertly to protect humans from demons and other evil beings. He’s the second of five kids, although his brother is only a few minutes older, and he has three younger sisters. He grew up in a suburb of Chicago and now lives in Seattle, Washington.

***

Independence Day for the Andrews clan means a trip to the cabin. When I was a kid and living at home, my parents packed us up in the minivan and we rode three hours plus from Naperville to Wisconsin.

Yeah, even though we can open a transit and walk through it from our house to the cabin, my folks still insisted on driving. Staying hidden means looking like everyone else. Everyone human. The plus part of the drive came because of my little sisters. We had to stop constantly for them.

The trek became more anticipated and less of a chore after I left home. Troubleshooter training starts at twelve and it was one of the few times of the year that I saw my family for more than a few hours at a time. Of course, it helped that I could open a transit from my mentor’s home to the cabin and didn’t have the endurance test known as the family car trip.

Let me tell you about the cabin. It’s located miles from this small town called Woodford–four buildings along a two-lane road and the tavern doubled as the general store. When I was young, the roads off the main drag were gravel and Dad would drive the van slowly. Real slowly. They’re paved now, but the entrance track to the cabin is still dirt and it’s steep and rutted.

Turning in, we’d always stop before going down to the house itself. From the top of the hill, we could see the lake with its island in the center, the cabin with its weathered cedar siding, and the rolling green surrounding the area. This was our property, including the man-made lake, and here we could use our magic when we played.

There are only two bedrooms. My folks take the bigger one, my three sisters get the other, and Kel and I get stuck with two fold-out beds in the great room. It isn’t too bad in the winter when the fire is going, but it’s not so terrific during the Fourth of July stay because there’s no sleeping in, not when the kitchen is only feet away.

Since the lake’s small, we couldn’t water ski, but we canoed, swam, and hiked around the perimeter. There were barbecues, and at night, we’d build bonfires in the pit and roast marshmallows. If my parents were feeling hokey, we’d sing. At least until we reached our teens.

And yeah, there were fireworks. We didn’t go to any formal display. My dad would buy a bunch and set them off on the dirt track out in front of the cabin. As kids, we all had to stay on the deck and watch from there, but when Kel and I were old enough, we were allowed to help.

Although there was one time our help wasn’t appreciated. You know the kind of fireworks they sell in the stores are a far cry from the really great stuff the pros shoot at the major shows. Well, Kel and I decided that a little magic would fix that. Hey, we were around thirteen–it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Dad shot off this bottle rocket and Kel and I directed our powers to it to make it explode in an enormous burst of colors. It was even bigger and more vibrant than what they shoot off at Navy Pier. We were out in what seemed like the middle of nowhere to a couple of suburban kids, but while the cabin and lake are private and safe, the neighbors were close enough to see what we shot into the sky. Yeah. Dad had a discussion with us. It wasn’t the first talk about our misuse of magic. Or the last.

Now, as adults, the time we spend together at the cabin is shorter, more rushed. Kel, Tris, and I all work as troubleshooters and we’re on call to handle problems even on the Fourth of July. It’s funny, though, how those miserable car trips with the arguing and the crying have become memories we laugh over now. It helps a lot not to be stuck in the minivan with my sisters for hours on end.

***

To celebrate the June 30th release of Logan’s story, EDGE OF DAWN, I’m giving away a copy of IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR. Just comment on the post and tell me your favorite family vacation memory or your worst. I remember car trips in the station wagon where my brother and I were roasting in the back, but my mom had a blanket over her legs in the front seat because she was freezing. Do I have to tell you that we didn’t get the air turned up any higher? So what tortures did you go through in the name of family fun?