Christmas Eve Traditions

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about Christmas Eve traditions. Come share yours!

Hungry for romance?

Guess what's now on sale? That's right, The Perfect Dish, my latest contemporary paranormal romance!

Texas-born Kelly Spicer is not just one of Manhattan's hottest young chefs, he's also one of the city's most eligible bachelors. Desperate to help his grieving sister, Kelly uses the magic cookbook passed down through his family's generations to conjure up a recipe of chocolate-laced persuasion to enlist the aid of the only woman he thinks can reach his sister.

Psychologist Meredith Black has buried two husbands, an experience which has made her an expert in grief and pushed her to pen two books that landed her on the Oprah show and the best seller list. A cynic in matters of the heart, her success does nothing to ease her belief that she's a jinx. She vows never to love again and when she makes that sentiment public, dating Kelly becomes her best damage control.

For $2.99, you can grab a copy for your Kindle or Nook or find any other format at Smashwords. Or give it as a gift to anyone who might enjoy a sexy chef hero...

I hope you enjoy it!

A Christmas Caturday warning!

WARNING!

This year's batch of Christmas trees may be infected with a particularly silly species of gremlin - Caticus climbicus. Signs to watch for include the tree shaking when no one is touching it, strange branch rustling and ornaments being mysteriously dislodged. If you think you have a gremlin, try placing a handful of treats a few feet from the tree, then sit back and watch.

Should a gremlin appear, approach with caution. Sap in their fur can make them cranky!

Sugarcat

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about a new development in my life.

Happy Anniversary, Hotrod!

Eight years ago today (yes, on Pearl Harbor Day) Hotrod and I said our vows. It was a lovely day filled with friends and family and promises.

I love you, Hotrod. You're the best husband a girl could hope for.

Caturday!

My parent's cat, Callie. As you can see, tails do not, apparently, get cold.

Caturday!

Go away. Sleepin' off da turkeys.

Do you or don't you?

I'm over at the Fictionistas today talking Black Friday. Come on over and share your opinion!

Caturday!

An ottoman built for two.

Caturday!

Cheeseburger delivery truck look out. Day 1191. Still no sign.

Now where did I put that...

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about organization. Or my lack thereof. Stop by and tell me how you do it!

Toot! Toot!

Yes, that's me, tooting my own horn. Miss Bramble And The Leviathan got a great review yesterday so of course, I'm sharing! You can check out the review here. Fab, huh? Have you read it yet? You really, really should. Even my cats think you should, and they're never wrong.

Monday Update

Ever have that feeling like you have so much to do you don't know where to start? That's me. So instead of telling you the multitude of things on my To Do list, I'd rather hear what you've been up to. Have a book out? Participating in Nanowrimo (or whatever that's called)? Under deadline? Got an agent? Fill me in on what's happening in your world.

A Caturday Halloween!

Scooter works his double-stuff oreo costume to the fullest.

Monday News and Announcements

Here's what's new and interesting in my world:

* RT Book Reviews gave Miss Bramble and the Leviathan 4 1/2 stars! You can read the fabulous review here.

* Bad Blood, book 3 in my new gothic urban fantasy series for Orbit Books, is done and out with my beta readers.

* Speaking of those Orbit Books, cover art is underway for that series (out next year) - and can I just say, prepare to be wowed. It's going to be unlike anything you've seen on an urban fantasy before. Awesome!

* Speaking of covers, the next book I'll be releasing on Kindle/PubIt/Smashwords is The Perfect Dish. I plan to release it early December. Here's the fabulous cover, done by the talented Kim Killion:

What's new in your world?

Caturday!

What Sam thinks of a weekend filled with chores.

The Lists of Steampunk

Release week fun continues...

Ever wondered if you were "steampunk" or not? I've compiled a few fun and handy lists to help you figure it out. Stop by the Steamed blog and check out my guest post. Leave a comment and you could win a copy of Miss Bramble And The Leviathan!

Release Day!!!

Miss Bramble And The Leviathan is officially on sale!!! You can get your copy here. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend! Nothing says I care like steampunk. ;o)

If you like a chance to win a copy, stop by Meljean Brooks blog today and leave a comment.

Here's the book's blurb:

The last thing she planned to steal was his heart.

The Company. Military institution, protector of Praeton and the nation of Grand Isle. Dirty rotten thief.

When Pandora Bramble steps aboard the Company’s premiere airship Daedalus it’s not for the exclusive VIP tour. It’s to secure proof that the Company stole the regulator valve her father designed—even if it means tearing the engine apart. Foiled by the unexpected appearance of a handsome crew member, she despairs of ever getting another chance—until he kisses her.

Captain Theolonius Hatch, sentenced to engine room duty for refusing to take part in the Company’s fleet week activities, never dreamed a woman like Pandora existed. Her brains match her beauty, a combination that adds up to more trouble than he ever expected.

As Pandora allows Theolonius to sweep her into a whirlwind courtship, her wildest dreams come true. As do her greatest fears, leaving her to decide what matters most. Loyalty…or love.

The clock is ticking.

Warning: This book contains airships, mechanical owls, women who are good with tools, men in and out of uniform, steam generated by engines and people, and some hot carriage scenes.

Now go forth and purchase!

Tomorrow's the day, but today's still Monday

My steampunk romance, Miss Bramble And The Leviathan, comes out tomorrow from Samhain, which is very exciting, but that's tomorrow.

Today is all about work. Layering. Polishing. Tweaking. Revising. You know how it goes. Also, laundry. Ick.

What's on your plate today?

Caturday!

Snuggling: ur doin it rite.

The end is near

Come see what I'm talking about over at the Fictionistas today!

Caturday!

Little known cat super power: reading by osmosis

Nookalicious!

Heart Of Fire is now available for the Nook!

Check it out here. And ya know, feel free to snap up a copy or two. *wink wink*

Besides that, let's see what else is new...

I'm under deadline. Nope, not new.

My steampunk romance comes out from Samhain on the 19th. That's kinda new.

What's new with you?

Caturday!

What do you mean too small?

Remembering September

I'm over at the Fictionistas today remembering September. Come share your memories!

What A Real Man Does

A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never stand her up and never let her down.
He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear
and forget regret. He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to
her most intimate desires. He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most
beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy,
seductive, and invincible....

No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of wine.
That's what wine does...

Never mind.

Caturday!

Whut? It's Caturday.

Mmm, Butterbeer

Yesterday, Hotrod and I went to Universal and had a day of silly fun. It's the best kind really, riding rides, watching shows, eating stuff you're not supposed to, you know.

One of the things we got to do was visit the new Harry Potter section of Universal's Islands of Adventure. The Forbidden Journey ride, a 50 minute wait while the rest of the park's rides were 15 minutes tops, was worth it. (The wait was made especially interesting due to me pointing out to Hotrod that one of his socks was on inside out, and then his insistence on fixing it in the middle of the line. *sigh*) Once you get inside the building, you're entertained with talking portraits, giant statues (Hotrod asked me if Portugal was the natural habitat of griffins. I swear that man is losing his mind.) and 3-D holographic images of Harry, Hermoine, Ron and Dumbledore that look amazingly real. Also, it snowed on us. In the building. Awesome!

The ride itself, despite an over abundance of large, spitting spiders, was pretty good. I commend Universal for making the ride nice and long. It's a good payoff for the wait, IMO.

After that it was lunch time and we headed to the Three Broomsticks to eat. We had fish and chips (tasty!) and butterbeer. I had a frozen one and Hotrod had the non-frozen. It's completely non-alcoholic in case you're wondering.

Butterbeer, which I believe is only available at Universal, might be Hotrod's new favorite drink. It tastes like rootbeer made from shortbread cookies and butterscotch, minus the root. It was good, but very sweet and not that thirst-quenching on a hot day. And it's definitely better frozen. There was a table of kids next to us who had their picture taken with their butterbeer mustaches, something almost everyone drinking the stuff had because of the thick foamy almost ice cream like head on the stuff. Dessert in a cup, really.

We had a great day. I love Universal. No matter how many times we go - and we go often because we're season passholders - we always find something new to do or see and have a great time.

When's the last time you took a day off in the name of fun?

Holy cats, it's Monday

For some reason, more than ever, this weekend felt really, really short. Like we missed a day somehow.

As a result, I have so much to do today I'm afraid to look at my list. Because I have so much to do, this is short and sweet. Well, maybe not sweet. It's not like you get chocolate for answering.

Here are a few random questions for you...

Why is laundry never done?
Why can't men find the trashcan, dishwasher or hamper, even when it's 3 inches from the item they discarded?
Also, why do men think one sheet of toilet paper on the roll means they don't have to change it?
How do they make gummy cola bottles taste like cola?
Why hasn't someone come up with a healthy brownie that doesn't taste healthy?
Where is my assistant?
When does this ride stop?

Caturday!

The Claiming of the Ottoman

Like Balls In The Air

That's what writing my Blood Rights series feels like. I'm over at the Fictionistas today talking about it. Stop by and tell me what you're juggling.

Lookie!

You can now pre-order my steampunk romance, Miss Bramble and the Leviathan! How cool is that? And at $2.80, it might be the bargain of the year. (Unless you count Heart Of Fire, which can currently be had for $2.59.)

Seriously, who wouldn't want a little steampunk romance in their life? Go get it, kittens! And if you don't have a Kindle, try downloading Kindle for PC. It's free!

Why saggy pants could save your life

We've all seen the fools that parade around with their underwear hanging out, but it occurred to me last night that these nutjobs might actually save the rest of us in case of zombie apocalypse.

See, I figure since they can't run more than a few steps without tripping on their pants, they'll provide a great distraction to the approaching zombie hordes, allowing the rest of the population a chance to get away while the zombies nom them like potato chips.

Isn't it natural selection for the weak and slow to get culled anyway? The only downside is that since zombies eat brains, they may not find the slack-witted gray matter of these saggy pants-wearing individuals that satisfying if smarts equals taste. I guess we'll just have to make the most of the distraction they provide.

If you see someone exposing their underwear this way, thank them for being willing to die for you. It's a real sacrifice to live such a short life and look ridiculous.

Caturday - Video Edition

Poor Jack. He just wants a little alone time with the lizard. Is that too much to ask?

Happy Labor Day!

We're off to the church picnic today. I hope you all have a great day with family and friends!

Caturday!

That's it, that's the spot, right there...

Ghosts and giveaways!

I'm talking ghosts and giveaways over at Fictionistas today!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday. If you know my dad, you're a fortunate person. If you don't, well, at least you know me. People who know us both say I'm a lot like him. I take that as a compliment. (Except for the impatience part which admittedly, we both need to work on.)

My dad is the hardest working, most honest, straight-forward guy you'll ever meet. He's a man of few words, but unending support. He's one of those guys who can't go anywhere without running into someone he knows. These places include Times Square on New Year's Eve and a deserted beach in Antigua.

He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth (if anything it was tin and stolen from the neighbors) but he and my mom made a life for my brother and I that I wouldn't change for all the pasta in Italy.

He is a real life hero. I love you, dad. Happy Birthday!

Two Great Books You Need To Pick UP!

Today is the release day for the sequel to Gena Showalter's Intertwined and Louisa Edwards' Just One Taste!

Unraveled:

For once, sixteen-year-old Aden Stone has everything he’s ever wanted:

A home.

Friends.

The girl of his dreams.

Too bad he’s going to die…

Since coming to Crossroads, Oklahoma, former outcast Aden Stone has been living the good life. Never mind that one of his best friends is a werewolf, his girlfriend is a vampire princess who hungers for his blood, and he’s supposed to be crowned Vampire King – while still a human! Well, kind of.

With four – oops, three now -- human souls living inside his head, Aden has always been “different” himself. These souls can time travel, raise the dead, possess another’s mind, and, his least favorite these days, tell the future.

The forecast for Aden? A knife through the heart.

Because a war is brewing between the creatures of the dark, and Aden is somehow at the center of it all. But he isn’t about to lie down and accept his destiny without a fight. Not when his new friends have his back, not when Victoria has risked her own future to be with him, and not when he has a reason to live for the first time in his life…

Find out more here!

Just One Taste:

He has a hungry mind.

Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy dreads his final semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her Bunsen burner by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs . . .

She’s got love down to a science.

Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations leave her hot under the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious . . .

Find out more here!

Caturday!

No mor skery bedtime storries, plez.

Never Say Never

I've never been a runner. I always thought it seemed like a cool thing to do and a great way to burn calories and get in shape, but every time I tried it, I collapsed into a red-faced, heaving heap. I couldn't breathe and I felt like throwing up.

Not really incentive to keep going.

But I'm a determined soul and about 4 months ago, I started running on the treadmill. Two minutes was about the most I could do without passing out. But I kept at it, doing run/walk intervals. The first time I ran for five minutes without stopping, I felt like I could conquer the world. When I ran for eight, I was pretty sure I had conquered the world (or at least a small section of my neighborhood.)

Then at RWA's National Conference during the end of July, I ran my first mile. Twelve minutes! A whole mile! Did this achievement make me a runner? I wasn't sure, but it felt like I was on the verge of something. A point of no return. A precipice.

This week I ran 1.25 miles. Fifteen minutes without stopping. I'm pretty sure I'm officially a runner. And by the end of next month, I hope to be running 1.75 - 2 miles. When the weather cools, I'll be taking the show outside - something I'm really looking forward to.

I sure didn't start out running a mile, but now that I have, I feel like there's no holding me back. I've even briefly entertained looking into the possibility of doing a 5k. I know! Who am I?

Writing a book is a lot like learning to run. It takes time, desire and constant work. Stop writing for a week and see how easy it is to get back into your rhythm. It's not. Just like running. You've got to keep pushing forward. So go. Push. Run. Write. If I can do it, anyone can.

Caturday!

Dude, you might want to look into some pants.

A week of firsts

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about firsts. Come and share yours!

Monday Randomness

I have a truck-load of stuff to do today including going to the bank and post office, two things I hate to do only because it means leaving the house. I'm not agoraphobic or anything, but leaving the house means getting myself together and when I'm in the thick of writing a book, that's just time I don't have. Chances are good "getting myself together" today will mean a ball cap and sunglasses. Ah yes, the fashion friends of a writer on a deadline.

Besides those errands I have to work out, vacuum and write. All things I wish someone else could do for me. Don't get me wrong, I like my writer job. But I don't love the fresh writing. I like revising an already written page, not creating a fresh one. Some of you are nodding. Some of you are raising an eyebrow. Hey, it's a process. At least I already got the kitchen floor mopped. I thought it best to do that before I was really awake and could argue myself out of doing it.

Other things:

There's a new group blog in the neighborhood: Girlfriends Book Club. Check it out if you like women's fiction.

Have a great Monday! I'm still accepting applications for an unpaid intern. Just saying.

Caturday!

Cat and...wait for it...mouse!

Stuff I Learned at RWA Nationals - Part 2

Just some random observations about this year's RWA Nationals Conference:

* Pubbed authors want to learn as much as unpubbed authors
* The more published you get, the more your priorities change
* There's no way you'll get to see everyone you want to see or do everything you want to do. The sooner you figure that out and become okay with it, the faster you'll settle into the rhythm of the conference
* Don't be nervous about approaching a RITA winner on Saturday night and congratulating them. They always have time for that!
* There's a fine balance between dressing for a long day and looking like you don't care.
* Conference is not the place to test your alcohol tolerance. Do something stupid and people will talk.
* Some people really do have to work/write/edit while at conference. Let them.

Feel free to add your own observations in the comments!

Stuff I Learned at RWA Nationals 2010 - Part 1

There was much talk about promotion this year at RWA Nationals, as there is every year really, and it probably surprises no one that much of that talk focused on Twitter and Facebook. One of the most valuable workshops I attended was given by Louisa Edwards, Roxanne St. Claire and Teresa Medeiros. To be honest, I grabbed a seat in that audience at first because Louisa and Rocki just happened to be my suitemates, but the truth is it turned out to be a smart move because there was some great information to be had and it reaffirmed what I'm already doing. Not saying I'm ahead of the curve, but hello, I am SO not behind it either.

Facebook Fan Pages are The Thing. I have one (here), as do Roxanne St. Claire, Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter, just to name a few of my fav authors. Fan pages are a great way to stay in touch with not only the author themselves but other readers who love the same books. Once you establish a fan page, make sure you get a customized URL - the idea is that it reads like this: http://www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor instead of like this: http://www.facebook.com/38743897439879845784 - much easier to list on websites, business cards, etc.

Once you establish your page, start routing friend requests there. This is going to be much easier if you're a published author. Unpubbed writers may have a harder time convincing people to like them when they don't really have any work to like.

Your mission today is clear. Go out and set up your FB fan page. Right after you "like" mine. ;o) If you already have a FB fan page, feel free to post a link in the comments!

Caturday!

I haz a fort.

A Pirate By Any Other Name

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about piracy. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Conference Lag

I think that's what I'm suffering from. RWA Nationals were amazing, but I can't seem to get back into the swing of my normal routine. Today has to be better than yesterday. Plus I need to work out.

I met some great writers at conference and missed hanging out with a few, but the days go by so fast and every year my schedule holds more appointments. There's only so much time in the day!

I'm already excited about next year in New York City. If I could just recover from this year's...

Caturday!

You really think it's safe to be that close to me with that camera?

Caturday!

Dis ma sexy look.

Dude, it's Friday

I'm over at the Fictionistas today. Come celebrate the weekend!

Happy Birthday, Finny!

Finnegan is one year old today! As you can see, life hasn't always been kind to him, but he's in deep clover now that he lives with us. His turn-ons include eating bugs, chasing golf balls through the house, tromping on his brothers and sleeping on top of daddy. Turn-offs include excessive petting when he'd rather be playing, taking medicine and the vacuum cleaner.