My cover fairy came through for me again…

She’s so very good to me.

We’ve got the cover for BROKEN and it works so very nicely with FRAGILE.

Be lazy with today’s post…

I’ve been lazy here for a while… sorry, guys!  Too much going on, too many things to do, and I’m an airhead.

So I’ll just share some links.

I’ve got a contest going on at my blog… a book giveaway for SJ Day’s latest.

I guest-blogged at literary escapism and there’s a contest.

I did some rewriting and revising and expanding on an old ebok of mine, Redemption-it was released from Triskelion.  It’s been out of circulation for a while and it’s been released from Samhain this July, and it’s a much cleaner read, has a beautiful cover.  You can read an excerpt here. Although it looks like I already mentioned it here…hmmm… oh well.

I’ve got an author page up on facebook-I’ll mostly just use this for updates and stuff, but there will be the occasional contest, so if you’re on facebook, you join the page here.

And here in the next few days, I’ll think I’ll be finishing up my next story for Samhain, a paranormal called Candy Houses.

The Redeeming…coming in July

A few months ago, I sent one of my out-of-print ebook titles to my editor at Samhain.  She wanted it so I did some revising and rewriting.  Also had to give it a new title.  It was called Redemption, but now it’s titled The Redeeming.  It’s going to be out in July and I wanted to share an excerpt.

“You want her to face her mother.” Jonah turned away, hoping to hide the fiery rage that built within, the need to howl. Not right…what they demanded wasn’t right. “Can’t you see how terrified she is?”

Jonah certainly could. Now he understood the fear he’d seen in her eyes.

Sansan sighed. “Indeed, we see it. But having a soul means you’re willing to sacrifice all for another. If she didn’t fear her mother, there would be no sacrifice.”

As Jonah turned, glaring, he found himself alone, in an empty room. Whirling, he grabbed a stained coffee cup from the desk and hurled it at the wall. “Damn it!” he shouted.

And then he collapsed onto the ground, looping his arms around his knees and bowing his head. “Damn it,” he whispered.

He was still trying to recover his ground when the knock came, a long time later. Wearily, he trudged to the door, opening it with dread. He knew who was on the other side.

A woman he had dreamed of.

A woman he hungered for.

A woman he barely knew.

A woman who had been born of a demon.

Staring into her eyes, Jonah thought, almost wildly, I don’t care…

Whatever she had been getting ready to say died as he reached out, pulling her against him. Lowering his head, he covered the rosebud mouth with his, groaning as the clean, pure taste of her flooded his senses. This is not a creature of evil…

He knew evil. She wasn’t it.

She was spring rain, summer warmth and the light of the sun in his arms. A startled squeak escaped her as he kissed her, surprise and hunger lighting those dark blue eyes.

As her hands slid up his chest, Jonah spun her around, pulling her inside the house and kicking the door closed. Backing her up against the wall, he groaned as he felt the bite of her nails at his neck. Her entire body was quivering, vibrating against his. A hungry little purr escaped her lips as he pressed hungry, biting kisses down her neck, to her collarbone as he slid the jacket from her shoulders.

“Jonah,” she gasped out as he jerked her shirt from the waist of her jeans, his hands seeking out the cool, silken feel of her skin.

He wanted to howl as she started to whimper in his arms, rocking against him, an almost feverish hunger in her midnight-blue eyes. “Lily,” he rumbled as he dipped his head and buried his face in the soft, sweet valley between her breasts.

An insidious little whisper of doubt started to creep in as he shoved up her shirt baring the full, silk-covered curves of her breasts. The dusky circles of her nipples were a shadow under the fragile silk. Urging her closer, he took the peak of one nipple in his mouth, drawing deep, shuddering at the hot, female taste of her skin.

As he feasted on the heated satin of her skin, a voice of doubt whispered in his mind. Do you really think this is helping your situation, Adamm?

Savagely, he shoved the voice out of his head. It felt…foreign. But not Sansan. Sansan hadn’t called him Adamm since they had shoved him into this body.

Wonderful way to save your soul, fornicating like the bastard you’ve always been…

He shot to his feet, lacing his fingers through her hair as he pressed his mouth back to hers, waiting for the heaven of her mouth, and the blood pounding in his head, to drown out that nasty little whisper.

Mating Game

I didn’t have anything scintillating to write about today (ha!) so I thought I’d post an excerpt from Mating Game… it will be out the first of July, and it’s a bit of departure for me. I call it light romantic suspense… nothing too gory or terrifying, but definitely a tale of mystery and danger.

I’ll pick one “poster” to receive an Advance Reading Copy of the book. And I’ll draw a name Tuesday night at around 9PM…

Janice

He nodded. “I’ll try to stay out of your way. I’ll do the outside stuff first, and save the indoor projects for rainy days.”
His words were prosaic, but Nola flashed unexpectedly to a vision of the two of them tangled in sweaty sheets, breathing heavily in the aftermath of amazing sex as rain beat gently on the large windows of her bedroom.
Her knees actually went weak. She told herself it was hunger.
He turned and headed for the foyer. “I’ll go home and pack up some tools and clothes and things. I’ll be back before dark.”
She rummaged in a drawer. “Here. You should have a key. I might not be here when you get back. I have to make a run for major groceries and cleaning supplies.”
Her stomach growled loudly, right on cue.
He grinned, the first full-fledged smile he’d given her. “You want me to order some pizza and pick it up before I go?”
Wow. He had her heart beating faster already, but when he unleashed a genuine smile, he made her want to throw off her clothes and say, Take me, you fool.
She shook her head, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity. “Thanks, but I’ll get something in town.”
She grabbed her keys and purse, followed him out of the house, and locked the front door. His dusty white pick up truck was parked beside her rental. Before he climbed into the cab, she put her hand on his arm for a quick second to stop him.
He lifted a quizzical eyebrow, jingling his keys in his right hand. “Changed your mind about that pizza?”
She shook her head, feeling herself blush again like a silly teenager. “No. I just wanted to say thank you. I’m embarrassed that I blubbered all over a perfect stranger.”
That high-wattage smile returned. “Aw shucks, Nola. I’m not perfect.” He chuckled out loud. The sound snuck inside her chest and made her heart race. Good Lord, this man was potent stuff.
He reached out and rubbed a thumb across her cheekbone.
Her eyes went wide, and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Just a little bit of mascara, Red. But you’re still one hell of a beautiful woman.”
The late afternoon sunshine bathed them in a soft glow. The sounds of mooing cows and singing birds and noisy lawnmowers faded into silence. The world stood still.
Tanner watched her, waiting for a sign, perhaps, that he hadn’t misread her mood.
She took a half step forward. Up close, he smelled of healthy male sweat and Irish Spring soap. Who knew such a combination would trigger all sorts of pheromones?
He made her feel dainty and feminine and wonderfully vulnerable in the best possible way. She took a deep breath and laid a hand on his chest. His heartbeat thundered beneath her fingertips. Strong, steady, dependable. He was warm and big and virile, and she knew in that instant that she had to add him to her list. Why the hell not.
She cleared her throat. “I don’t jump into bed with every man I meet.”
He must have heard the truculence in her voice, but he responded mildly. “I never thought you did.”
“And there’s no guarantee that I will with you.”
His eyes gleamed. “Duly noted.”
“You’re only here to fix my house.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The way he said it made her want to climb his bones right on the spot.
But she satisfied herself with a kiss. It was all up to her.
She went up on her tiptoes, barely reaching his chin. He didn’t say a word. He merely put his hands on her waist and lifted her with ease, setting her gently on the hood of his truck. That damn eyebrow of his went up again in a clear challenge.
She rested her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. Staring at his firm, full lips made her light headed. She wondered for a vague moment if Marc had turned her into a nymphomaniac.
But it was probably the urge to land a husband in less than three weeks that was making her fixate on erotic matters. Such a task was bound to drive a woman a little crazy.
She leaned into him, confident that he wouldn’t let her fall. Her lips found his and settled in to learn the contours of his sexy mouth. He tasted like butterscotch candy. That was oddly disarming. Feeling brave and more than a little turned on, she let her tongue slide between his lips and explore.
She’d awakened the tiger.
He made a noise deep in his throat and dragged her closer, one big hand supporting her head as he devoured her lips in a hungry kiss. It was heaven. In recent days she’d become accustomed to Marc’s smooth technique, his slow, teasing build to the big event.
But Tanner Nash skipped right from foreplay to total immersion. She whimpered when he nipped her bottom lip with his teeth, but she returned the favor. When bent his head to nibble the upper slope of her breasts, she tunneled her fingers in his hair and stroked his ears.. Sweat trickled down her cleavage, and she wasn’t sure if it was the Georgia heat and humidity, or the way Tanner surrounded her, enveloped her, dragged her into the fantasy of him and her… together, setting the woods on fire.
It might have been minutes or days before he released her. She rubbed a shaking hand across her mouth and adjusted her blouse. “Well, I…” Her words trailed off as her throat closed up.
Tanner kissed her forehead. “I’ve never kissed a redhead before. You pack quite a punch, Miss Nola Grainger.”
She was flattered in spite of the fact that he was probably feeding her a line he’d used a million times. A guy with his level of sexuality didn’t come by that expertise overnight. He knew women.
Again, she pondered the differences between Marc and Tanner Nash. They were both sexy, confident men. But that’s where the similarities ended. Marc thrived on the new and different. She was pretty sure Tanner was only interested in sex. His way. All day or all night.
It was a darned effective scheme to seduce a woman. Kama Sutra, be damned. Missionary sex with Tanner Nash might well be the most intense experience of her life. If she had the guts to go for it.

Contest!!!

I have two books coming out in a few days.  Close Encounters is being re-issued in mass market.  It was a fun book and has won a lot of awards.  It was also nominated for a reviewer’s choice award from Romantic Times and earned a 4 1/2 starred rating.  I have excerpts on my website if you’d like to read more.   The other book is How To Seduce A Texan.  Here’s my tagline.  You can also read more on my website.   Going country takes on a whole new meaning when big city reporter, Nikki Scott, goes undercover.  But football player in hiding, Cal Braxton discovers her deception.  Oh, yeah, he’ll make her earn every word when he introduces her to the old homestead, the outhouse from hell, and the crazy-assed rooster, but what goes on behind closed doors will make the most seasoned censor blush.   If you haven’t checked out my two brand new videos they’re on the opening page of my website.   I was raised on a small ranch so writing How To Seduce A Texan was a lot of fun.  Imagine taking a city girl and putting her in the country.  I’ve milked cows, dealt with crazy-assed roosters that I threatened to put in a stew pot, and put up with stupid cows.  Heck, I even seduced a Texan  *smile*.   Tell me what you think of the videos at www.authorkarenkelley.com and I’ll put your name in a drawing for a chance to win a book.  I’m giving away one of each, How To Seduce A Texan and Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind.  All the usual rules applies.  You must be at least 18 to enter, void where prohibited etc  The contest ends tonight at 10 pm central time.    Thanks so much! Karen Kelley   She needs a place to hide
He needs a ghost exterminator
What could possibly go wrong?
MY FAVORITE PHANTOM
JANUARY 2009
www.authorkarenkelley.com

Oldies

What’s in Your Attic…

I was watching Antiques Road Show and am always fascinated by the stuff people bring in, how they got the thing, the story behind it and the price! I love the stores. So many people find treasures at garage sales, charity thrift shops, relative’s attics etc.

And they are worth a flipping fortune! And the people had no idea, they just bring it in on a fluke. When a Native American blanket comes on I know that’s a ton of money, or a NA basket. Those are priceless and often museum quality.

And then there’s the Civil War Confederate ammo box or gun or sword. They’re always worth a bundle. Often these have letters from the soldier who was a relative. How exciting is that!

I have a painting my grandmother got for a wedding present that I love. Don’t know if it’s worth anything but I love it. And some cut glass and gold coins and grandmother’s china etc. I guess the item I prize most is my grandmother’s wedding ring that’s inscribed from FF to AK 4-25-13. And my grandfather’s citizenship papers. He came in through Ellis Island from Italy and became a citizen of the US. He framed the citizenship papers and it hung in the living room till he died.

So, chickies, what neat stuff is in your attic? Any treasures you cherish from relatives, garage sales, etc?
Any you found the worth of and nearly passes out? Any neat stories to share?

Hugs, Dianne
DianneCastell.com
DianneCastell@hotmail.com

found in grandma's barn

Keepers

We’ve all got keepers.  Movies, books, music.

Lately, I’ve been in the mood to revisit some faves-I’ve been re-reading some of my Sherrilyn Kenyon books, and not too long ago, I did the same with the Darkyn books by Lynn Viehl.  I’m also on a Buffy kick-stayed up until 2 am the other day watching the last part of season 5.

I don’t have a lot of ‘keeper’ TV shows, but Buffy is one of them.  Law and Order: SVU is another.  The old showtime series, Robin of Sherwood.   I already know the new Joss Whedon series, Dollhouse, is going to be a keeper.

Now I love House, Charmed and a few others, but I haven’t ever gotten to the point that I have to own them so I can watch them any time.  So they are loved, but not keepers.

Some keeper movies, Independence Day.  The Green Mile. The LOTR trilogy. The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

And then there’s my keeper shelf of books.  Which isn’t just a shelf now.  It’s an entire bookcase and it’s got double rows, one in front, another in the back and some of those are even double stacked now.  I have a lot more keeper books than movies or TV shows.  Of course, some of my fave authors (cough, cough Nora/JD cough, cough) writes almost as fast as a bunny reproduces-or so it seems.  So the Nora books take up a lot of space.  My SL Viehl/Lynn Viehl/Jessica Hall/Gena Hale books take up a lot of space.  My Mercedes Lackey books.

The list goes on…and on…and I plan on just adding more and more.  I love keepers.  Who do you have on your keeper shelf?

I love New York!

Well, at long last, I’m home and glad to be blogging again! I had a fabulous time in New York… my hubby was with me the first week, and then Dianne Castell came up for the second week. I’ve done touristy things and work-related things, and even started to feel like a native after I managed to ride the subway from the upper east side to Brooklyn for a party… and then made it back without getting lost.

Broadway was wonderful! One Saturday night managed to loiter at the stage door after the Noel Coward play, Blithe Spirit, and was lucky enough to get Rupert Everett’s autograph. We even exchanged a few words. Sigh…

Unfortunately, spring hadn’t found the Big Apple yet. My nicely painted toenails never saw the light of day. Windy and cool for most of the time.

The St. Paddy’s Day parade was fun – it’s huge!! Later in the week I loved the 3 hour boat ride around the entire island of Manhattan. The first Wednesday was actually semi warm and sunny, so dh and I walked from Greenwich Village to Battery Park.

The PASIC writer’s conference ran from Thursday afternoon through Saturday. I saw lots of old friends.

Hubby left on Sunday and Dianne flew in… we spent lots of time with her lovely and talented daughter Anne Marie.

Food is the order of the day in NYC… consumed many calories, but it was all worth it. I had meetings/meals with my editor and agent, more than once actually… and when Dianne was in town, we both shared a fun lunch with Kate Duffy.

I got home late on the 27th… worked all day on taxes on the 28th. Had to go out of town for a funeral on the 29th. More taxes on the 30th. Laundry, cleaning and packing again on the 31st. On April 1st headed off to Chattannooga to visit my mom and sisters and to attend my niece’s first birthday party on Saturday. Both of my daughters and families were able to make it as well, so we had a sort of mini family reunion.

Got back in today around noon. Will be good to sleep in my own bed!

I brought the kids t-shirts from New York. Two are my granddaughters and two are my sister’s girls.

I have an ARC of my July release, Mating Game to give away. Drop by and leave a comment about your favorite vacation destination in the USA and I’ll draw a name as a winner Wednesday the 8th at 6PM Eastern.

We’re supposed to get 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight! Where the heck is spring???

Janice Maynard

Happy April Fools Day

Unless you get pranked, that is. 

Not that he would do it now, but once Karl (that would be my hubby) hooked up something to his dad’s pickup when his little sister was first learning to drive.  They had a little bit of land and she was allowed to drive the pickup in the pasture.   Once she put the pickup in drive it started smoking and whistling.  She jumped out, the pickup started forward and Karl had to run to catch it before it went through the fence. 

So, are you the prankster or the person who gets pranked?  I think I’m a little of both   

BUT, this is no prank.  If you make a comment, I’ll put your name in a drawing to win a copy of The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy.

Have a fun day!

Karen

Oh puh-leeze

cross-posted at my blog(s)

So the reason ebooks are taking off so big is because us women can read our ’salacious’ content in private?

According to this guy…yep.  he says:

Well, once again it seems like porn is blazing a path to a new media format. Of the top 10 bestsellers under the “Multiformat” category, nine are tagged “erotica” amd the last is “dark fantasy”. from the ITworld.com blog

First off…we don’t like it when people call our erotic romance porn.  Most die-hard erotic romance readers will tell ya that if the romance isn’t any good, the book’s not worth reading, no matter how well written, how hot the sex scenes are.  Please note…romance doesn’t equate sex scenes.  Romance is that slow slide into love, or that crazy free fall.  It’s the development of a relationship-the sex is just a bonus, because we need that romance.

If all we needed was porn or salicious content, (and felt the need to hide it) we’d buy playgirl and claim we read it for the articles.

From a romance reader, from a romance writer, from an ebook author, here are some reasons why ebooks are taking off.

1. More and more people are becoming aware of them.  The gadget on that one little site…uh…oh, yeah, Amazon!  is making more and more readers aware of ebooks.  That Sony doo-dad that is in the Books a Million stores, Borders store, Target…many who were unaware of ebooks are now aware.  Once made aware, they are more likely to check things out, rather than when they didn’t know it existed.
2. Storage.  I’ve got three tall bookcases crammed full.  One is for research.  One case is for keepers.  One case is my yet to be read.  I can only get so many books on those cases.  And I have no room as of yet for more.  Different story with ebooks.  I can store as many as my heart desires.
3. Instant gratification.  Say I’m cruising an author site and a title catches my eye.  Now I’m impatient.  I could wait until the next day, the weekend, when I have time to go buy the book.  But if it’s in ebook, no need to wait.  Viola, it’s there.
4. It is a little more earth-friendly.  No paper.  That simple.
5. Bookaholics can tote a lot more books on an e-reader than they can in their suitcases.  Instead of taking 10 print books and hoping I don’t wish I had something else, I can take my reader, which has upwards of 75+ books on it at all times.
6. Availability.  Perhaps the guy that wrote the blog post isn’t aware that many ebooks aren’t available in print.  Books from the smaller independent epubs like Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Loose Id, Changeling, etc put the books out in ebook form only and the print format doesn’t come along until later.  I’m not inclined to wait for print, not if I really want to read it and it’s only in ebook format.

The only time salacious content comes into play for me is if the cover is so blatantly erotic, I can’t keep it on my shelves-not because I’m ‘embarassed’ or I need ‘privacy’.  I’m protecting my children.  I have three children.  Three young children.  They don’t need to see a book with some chick caught in a nekkid clinch with three guys. So if the cover of the book crosses my limit, but I want to read it, I will then see if it’s in ebook.  It has nothing to do with me needing:

the privacy they offer, both during purchase and when reading.

I’m an adult. I read what I choose. I don’t care what the opinions of others are when it comes to my reading material. I’m the one reading it…not them. If they don’t like my reading material, that’s fine…nobody is making them read it.

Have I gotten knocked for reading romance or erotic romance? Oh yes, but those knocks don’t leave me inclined to ‘hide’ my reading. It only irritates me or amuses me, and my response tends to be…well, what was the last romance you read? Most people can’t answer the question.

So there’s the opinion of a woman who has been reading and writing romance for years. I’ve been epubbed since 2003 (I think) and I’ve been reading ebooks since 2002 (I think). Shame or some need to hide my reading material didn’t figure into my purchasing choices then, and they certainly don’t now.