The random—and not so random—musings of a quirky Regency romance writer.
No one with that many people in her head can possibly be normal...

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Heaven on Earth

Every year, we stay at the Dune Shores Resort in St Ignace, Michigan. 


Dune Shores is a quaint, family owned and operated motel on US-2, along the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. 



The homey atmosphere and excellent customer service are two reasons we can't stay away. 


Then there is the glorious view. 



Contact info: 
Dune Shores Resort, 3318 US-2 West, St. Ignace, MI 49781. Summer phone: 906-643-7693

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Please Stay Tuned (bad pun intended)

I'll be gone this weekend. We leave tomorrow and return Monday. I will have no internet while I'm gone and so you will hear nothing from me on the various social networking sites I frequent until I return. We're headed to the Corvette Crossroads Auto Show in Mackinaw City, MI. 

Corvette Crossroads Auto Show
Mackinaw City, MI
August 2009 
We go every year and while we don't enter our corvette (it's an old clunker), we enjoy walking around and looking at all the other cars as well as participating in the annual bridge crossing and parade. I did a blog post about our experiences at last year's show, from which I stole the above pic. 

For more details about the Corvette show itself, visit the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce website.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Not for the Faint of Heart

You know what's really, really gross? Grosser than maggots or squashed frogs? Cuterebra.

*gag* 
*chills* 
*more gagging* 

Cuterebra are parasitic larva that take up residence under the skin of rabbits, other rodents, cats, dogs, and sometimes humans. They don't stay until becoming a fly. Oh no. They ooze out as grubs, up to 1/2" long. 

A few days ago, my husband brought in a kitten, one who'd been hanging out around our house for a day or two. The wee thing was wrapped in a towel, his little eyes blinking with sleepy contentment. Hubby said he was sick but he didn't know with what. As a precaution, we put the kitten in the cat carrier with a toasty blanket and some food and water, to keep him away from the children and our other cat. Who knew what he had and if it could spread. 

Examining him, we saw two strange "wounds" in the back of his head. And I mean strange. Creepy, even. I still get chills thinking of it. (And yes, the ghoul that I am at times, I took pictures of one of the "wounds.") 

At one point, staring at one of these icky holes, I asked my husband, "Is that brain?"

He said, "No, it's just muscle, because he's injured."

We were both wrong. What we were seeing, moving in the "wound" was the head of the larva. I read several articles and forum discussions about these creatures, stared in horror at many, many disgusting pictures, then cried when I checked on the kitty and realized he was indeed the victim of a cuterebra infestation. 

Long, disgusting story short, the poor kitty succumbed to his "injuries," passing quietly in his sleep.

For those of you who are insatiably curious (or just irreparably warped), click here. DO NOT CLICK IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH. Seriously.

That concludes today's disgusting bit of real-life. You may go back to your regularly scheduled fiction. 

Thursday, August 19, 2010

"Sweet" Romance Giveaway on Goodreads~19 Prizes Up for Grabs


Every hundred members or so, we hold a giveaway in our Clean Romances group on Goodreads. We've reached the 400 member mark (413 at the time of this post) and are celebrating by giving away books. Many group members generously offered prizes for this event, bringing the total number of prizes to 19. As of this moment, 52 have already entered and the contest entry thread has only been open for about 36 hours. The thread will be open for two weeks.

So how do you enter?

First, you have to join Goodreads. It's fun and free. If you are already a member of goodreads, you're halfway there! Then, you have to join the Clean Romances group. Also free. There is a sign-up thread in the group under Contests & Giveaways. Throw your name in the hat and you're all set. Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM (PST), August 31. Winners will be announced September 1st.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Unlocked: Games and Giveaways

For those of you who LOVE eBooks, multi-genre anthologies, or just plain reading, there's a new eBook available for FREE download. Unlocked was released yesterday to much fanfare and excitement. Well, those of us in the anthology were pretty excited. 

Unlocked is ten tales by nine authors; the only thing that binds them is a "key."

Back cover blurb:

Treachery in old London, a crop circle mystery, and a cyborg punished for gazing at the night sky open this collection of new stories that will intrigue teens and adults alike.

Fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and fanciful versions of school life--the motif they share is a key. Which key will unlock a mystery, free the trapped, comfort the rejected, or bring new resolve to a boy who has taken a wrong path? What treasures can we discover if we only find the right key?

Assassin's Keeper by Jaimey Grant
Crop Circles by Wendy Swore
Symbiote by Rita J. Webb
Where They Belong by Paige Ray
Survival by Jaimey Grant
Unlocking William by Jeanne Voelker
Shoshanna by K.G. Borland
The Key to a Good Education by Gwendolyn McIntyre
The Bookseller by Katrina Monroe
Her Father's Eyes by S.M. Carrière

To download, visit www.unlockedproject.com and click the "download" button.

For some fun games, "ask the author" discussions, giveaways, and more, join the Goodreads group dedicated to Unlocked. You must be a member of Goodreads to join but membership is free. 

There is still time to enter Wendy Swore's paperback giveaway. She's giving away three copies of Unlocked. Check out her contest on Goddess of the Corn.

I will be hosting my own paperback giveaway, probably in September. To go with the paperback will be a charm bracelet, featuring a replica of the key Sable had (the main character from my story Assassin's Keeper). The bracelet will, of course, be made by my brother, the owner of JaysDesign Jewelry.

AN UPDATE: The reviewer mentioned in the post "I Made a Mistake. I'm Sorry" hit upon a solution to the confusion issue regarding my books. If each book included a chronological booklist, there would be far less in the way of confusion. As far as current titles go, it will be some time before this list can be added. For upcoming titles, there will be a list at the beginning of each. (I seriously don't know why I never thought of this before. *doh*)

That's it for my news today. What's new in your neck of the woods?

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I Made a Mistake. I'm Sorry.

With the receipt of a less than glowing 3-star review, I have come to the realization that I may have made a tactical error. In releasing my books out of order, I have caused preventable confusion. In failing to market them as a series, I have caused even more. This was nearsighted of me and I apologize for it. 

Since I can't undo the damage I've done, here's a list of my currently released titles in the order they *should* be read: 
  1. Betrayal (1816-1817)
  2. Deception (1818)
  3. Spellbound (early 1820)
  4. Heartless (late 1820)
  5. Redemption (1821)
It seems, however, that I've made the mistake of setting myself into a course that I can't alter. The next book up for release is Honor, a story that takes place a year or so before Betrayal. Part of me never wanted to release Honor but readers have demanded Connor's story. He is an intriguing secondary character and probably deserves his turn in the limelight. It will be taking another step back in time, however, to make his story available. You see my dilemma. 

In conclusion, I apologize for this error. I pray my readers are not too upset with me for overlooking the possibility of this result. 

Friday, August 6, 2010

An Unlocked Giveaway

UNLOCKED
A young adult anthology
10 stories by 9 authors
All that connects them is a key.
Unlocked is slated for release in ONE WEEK! One of the editors, the lovely and talented Wendy Swore (author of Crop Circles), is hosting a giveaway on her blog, Goddess of the Corn. She is giving away three physical copies of the book and entering is easy. Click on over to check it out!

Did I mention her blog post includes the book trailer? Wendy did a great job! :o)

Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Final Winner & Regency Wednesday

Deception's release was accompanied by giveaways and the final one just ended August 1. Paige Ray won the lovely pearl and turquoise daisy pendant, a replica of the pearl daisy Levi gives Aurora in the story. Paige knew she was the winner before I knew and her excitement was palpable. Now, she's patiently waiting for me to get off my writerly butt and get it in the mail.

Joseph Grimaldi as Clown "Joey"
c.1820
Regency Wednesday has been conspicuously absent from my "mindless blog" (as I call it) and some of you may be wondering why. Honestly, I'm just busy. I did post a brief bio of Joseph Grimaldi, the Regency clown, on Deception's blog. Pop on over if you need a Regency "fix."

On the writing front, I recently added about 3500 words to a novel I haven't looked at in almost a year, a novel closely connected to Spellbound. A scene popped into my head and I ran with it, writing it out longhand since I'd made the computer off limits during daylight hours. The scene was not consecutive, rather an important bit that happens later in the story. It is definitely a story that I want to finish and share.

As for editing, I've been working on Honor all morning, eager to get it done and submitted to a few beta readers for some harsh criticism. (How will I get better if I don't know my weaknesses?) After that, I'll submit it to TreasureLine and await their verdict.

So that's what's going on in my little corner of the world. What's happening in yours?

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