I'm at Maria Zannini's blog today talking about summertime distractions and my August 1 release, Immortal Kiss. I'm offering up a copy of Book 1 in the series, My Immortal. Come join in our summer bbq, I'd love to see you!




My husband and son at our favorite lake in Algonquin Park, possibly one of the most beautiful and tranquil places on earth.

I'm still mostly MIA, but since I just got a new cover for Dark Immortal, I wanted to share...

DARK IMMORTAL

This intense third book in the Immortals Series features the norse warrior Alric and his wife; beautiful and strong and human Diana.

Their path has never been smooth, their love has always been tested. But now Alric and Diana will face the ultimate trial...

...And they might not come back from it.

How do you know the woman of your dreams would still love you if all the circumstances which brought you together no longer existed? How do you know she would still want you if the memory of your love were wiped away and the only thing left was fear and pain. How could you ask her to stay if all she could see was the monster inside of you, the monster that gets harder and harder to contain?

Check out my website soon for more details and an excerpt of Dark Immortal, being released by Linden Bay Romance in January, 2009.

And in the meantime, don't miss books 1 and 2: My Immortal and Immortal Kiss (Aug. 1/08). Get yours here and find out why these are Immortals to die for.

I'm in need of a little break. I hope you'll all keep in touch and I'll see you real soon (I'm betting I hold out a week). Hopefully I'll return with a new sense of karmic balance and a finished book!

Take care, and let me recommend some great reading material for you while I'm gone :)

Fox's Bride

Being married to a woman halfway around the world has its advantages — except when that woman is a pirate.

Lord William Foxton wants his wife and will do anything to protect her from those who want to see her hanged for piracy and those who want the plantation in Montego Bay and his wife for their own.

Lady Madeline Foxton, the Dread Pirate Captain Meg, will do anything to save as many slaves as she can, constantly putting her life at risk. She decides she's had enough, but the Commodore of the King's Navy decides Captain Meg will not be allowed to simply disappear. He will see Madeline Middleton hanged for piracy, no matter who he has to kill to get her there.

Breach of Trust

When a business secret is shared, can love survive?

When You Play With The Best…

For years, Anne James has played a dangerous game, secretly manipulating venture capitalist Philippe Lamont into financing her clients. She knew there would be a price to pay for her arrogance. That price, she thought, was three months of negotiated torture as his sexy Girl Friday.

…The Stakes Are High

Anne was wrong. In Philippe’s fast paced world of start up investing, the lines between business and personal blur. One misstep, one misplaced confidence, and Anne could lose her heart, her business, and her life.

Law of Averages

Megan Frost, an up-and-coming restaurateur, knows everything there is to know about the culinary arts, but when it comes to pop culture, she's been living under a rock. During a vacation to the sunny island of Bermuda, the yummiest dish she's ever laid eyes on rolls that rock right off her.

British musician Gabriel Law, the famous Dark Angel of Rock, regrets putting his songwriting on the back burner. Tired and creatively simmered out, he retreats to the peace and solitude of Bermuda in order to cook up some original sounds for his new album. But when he finds a naked girl in his holiday cottage, he happily exchanges solitude for a sizzling duet.

The ingredients for a sexy, scorching relationship are in place, but the mix isn't complete without a romantic legend, a mysterious taxi driver and a surprise symbol of destiny from the aquamarine sea…

My Immortal

Evil lurks in the darkest of shadows, but a band of warriors stands ready to defend humanity against hell’s own monsters—Immortal men hand-picked by destiny and taken out of time hold the fate of the world in their hands.

One of the oldest of his kind, Immortal warrior Rhys Morgan spends his nights on the streets of Chandler protecting the city’s innocents from the demons that hunt them. Unyielding in purpose and uncompromising in battle, Rhys thought he’d never meet his match, until he met Amy Bennett.

Rash and impetuous, Amy dashes into a fight, taking Rhys by surprise. He can’t decide whether she’s incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. But when the fight is over and Rhys is unable to get the beautiful human out of his head or his dreams, he knows his life is about to get complicated.

The barriers between the unlikely pair may be as thick and strong as the evil that threatens them, but some things can’t be denied…and dark, mysterious, sexy Rhys Morgan is one of them.

MY WRITER STORY

So what is this really? My friend Maria Zannini has challenged me to tell my story and I'm not quite sure what to say. I mean, I've always been a writer, from the first words I learned to shape with the pencil clutched awkwardly in my chubby little palm.

All right, realistically, I wasn't "a writer" when I was four, but the seed was there already, and instead of having my parents read me books at night before bed, I'd already been making my own tales up in my head and telling my parents bedtime stories instead of the other way around.

But I guess my first real writer story is from grade 10 English class. I wrote this short piece called "Martians in the Kitchen", which was really about an fm radio that turns on all by itself every day just in time for one of those old school serial radio shows a la "War of the Worlds". Really, the radio is possessed with the spirit of a young girl's high school sweetheart, a jealous dead boyfriend who doesn't like that Charlene has gotten herself a new guy. Needless to say I was a HUGE reader of Stephen King, and horror ensues in bloody, graphic detail for the rest of the story.

I won a contest with that one.

Now I'm challenging everyone else to tell me their writer stories, and if you're not a writer, tell me the story of how you came to do the thing that you love doing best (I know what you're thinking, and no sex stories)

In honor of the Canadian and US holidays, over at the Pleasure Gardens we thought we'd each share a little bit about the heroines from our works in progress and what makes them our first ladies of romance. Because, as they say, behind every good man is a great woman.

So stop by and share your own favourite romantic heroines, from your own work, a movie, or your favourite author.



And I hope you had a happy Canada Day, and will enjoy a wonderful Independence Day!

Sorry about the absenteeism this week. It's been very busy with this and that, and it's only getting worse for the next little while. So as cheap as it is on my part, I'm going to send you away to visit some way more interesting blogs:

My friend Maria Zannini has an interesting discussion about linking on her blog that you should definitely check out.

The Three Wicked Writers (Regina Carlysle, Kelley Nyrae and Anne Rainey) have put together a new spot that's worth visiting just because it's so pretty, but they're also chatting about great stuff.

Six Degrees of Sexy has a great interview up with author AJ Hampton, and she's talking about her new book Tempting Sin.

Shelley Munro also has an interview up, with author Selena Illyria (say that 3 times fast, lol) to talk about her book Tartan Surprise.

And the fabulous women at A Place for Originals have done a review of YA novel The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale.

So have a great weekend everyone, and if you're still here, let me leave you with a VIDEO to watch!

When Romance Writers Compete!

Music To Soothe The Savage Beast

I write in silence.

Sometimes I can have the television on in the background, but that’s rare, and only if it is something that I am utterly uninterested in watching. Even then, I’m usually distracted by flashy lights and Swiffer commercials.

I love music, and I’ve tried to write to music. I even went so far as to put together a wicked playlist of songs that I thought would speak to my muse, the inner bad ass Immortal warrior-a lot of Kanye and MIMS, and my fave, Fifty. But it turns out that I got distracted by the rap music as well. Too much singing, and not enough typing. And that of course, proved that I have no bad ass warrior in me. Because you truly don’t want the visual of me movin’ to the beat.

So then I thought maybe I should try something a little less booming, and a little more calming, something that would blend into the background and simply act as a way to relieve the stress and tension, and allow me to focus on the writing. I picked out some Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven; classical compositions that both moved me, and yet seemed soft and soothing. It didn’t really work either.

You see, I move to the beat of the music—doesn’t matter what kind (except maybe country; with country I just want to cry). Music penetrates to my soul and I’m lost in it. And that’s nice, I appreciate the gift that I’ve been given (especially since I don’t actually have the gift of making music of any kind—at least not that you would want to hear), but it doesn’t help me when what I need is to be lost in my story and my characters.

And so, I write in silence, listening only to the voices inside my head.

*creepy, huh?*

What is it you do to keep the ideas flowing? Are you helped or hindered by a rockin’ playlist?

BOOK ROAST

There's a new blog in the echoing halls of cyberdom, Book Roast, a fun new forum to showcase authors and their books. But they're doing it a little differently, and you'll never know quite what to expect--as is usually the case with a good old fashioned roast.

Stop by to check things out on June 23, 2008 for the Grand Opening.

Summer Movie List




Tell me what blockbusters you're looking forward to this summer, or maybe a smaller, lesser known movie you came across and can't wait to rave about.

The hubby and I have already seen Iron Man and we both really enjoyed it. And of course, I'm a child of the '80's, so I can't wait to see Indiana Jones.

But what of some of the newer ones that are only coming out now? Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of the first Hulk movie, but I love all the old-school comic book heroes, so I'll still be watching Hulk 2-if only for the nostalgic value.








My little guy is already over the moon for Kung Fu Panda. He's a You Tube freak (at 5 years old, his favourite thing to do is find old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spiderman cartoons online and watch them) So he's already seen every trailer out there, and he can't wait. He already has a favourite character, too. The Monkey (played by Jackie Chan). We're planning a mommy/son afternoon at the theatre this weekend to watch it-which won't be complete without a great big bag of popcorn and about three trips to the restrooms.











I think we'd also like to try and see Speed Racer because I'm a glutton for anything that goes real fast.

What kind of movie are you itching to head out to the theatre to see? What will make you brave crowds? Um, or maybe you'll go to something utterly forgettable just for a chance to make out in the dark with your special someone?

Oh yeah, that sounds like a plan...

Join me at the Manic Readers Yahoo Group June 17 for a day-long chat with the authors of Linden Bay Romance. You'll get a chance to meet some fabulous authors, writing in all genres (and me too!)

Plus, read excerpts from the best new and upcoming books, and win prizes. I'll be giving away a free copy of My Immortal, and I'll have a sneak peek into Book 2, Immortal Kiss.

In this writer's home lives a soccer fan, or two, or three. And what better time for soccer fans than a year which hosts a World or Euro Cup tournament! And yes, before you ask, this is an Italy household. What else? Azzurri all the way!

So, I've been to my fair share of soccer games, first as the girlfriend/wife of a man who plays, then as the mother/chauffer of a boy who plays. Now, I'm not going to say that there's no excitement along the grassy sidelines as I sit in my foldable lawnchair, but I will admit that I always have a book with me, and a large double/double. It takes skill, but after more than ten years, I have now mastered the ability to read and pay just enough attention to the game, so that I always know when my son or husband has the ball and is running in for a great shot on the net. Ah, but there's something different about a game that is played in a large open-air stadium with thousands of crazy, screaming fans surrounding you. (And that's not to diminish the enjoyment that I get from watching my son run around the field with that crazy smile on his face chasing the butterflies.)

We haven't been lucky enough (or crazy enough) to go to an actual tournament in Europe. We missed Germany in 2006 and we're definitely not in Switzerland now, or I wouldn't have bothered with this blog other than to say nana nana boo boo! But we did catch a few of the U20 World Cup games last year since they were held here in Canada. Toronto has a beautiful, beautiful new stadium and the one night we went to watch the game (U.S./Uruguay) the weather was clear and hot, and the stands were packed and overflowing with fans. I know it doesn't compare to any of the Euro games going on right now, but it was totally cool. I still brought my book, but I didn't read a word.

Anyway, the point of all this is really just to mention that the only thing which has me disappointed in this year's soccer games is the fact that England didn't make the cut. Italy fan or no, I would definitely be watching more soccer if my boy Beckham was playing.

I lurve Beckham...Oh, VIVA ITALIA!

I'm blogging with my fellow Vixens today about hot, sweaty, sexy Summer Love so stop by!

It's official! I have a new release coming in October. I love this book, and I can't wait!

Mild-mannered Sarah McInnes just wants to be left alone. She’s looking forward to finishing graduate school and then working a nice, normal nine-to-five job as an accountant. But when fate interferes with her carefully laid plans in the form of the mysterious and sexy Dorian, her life takes an unexpected detour.

Dorian is a take-no-prisoners kind of guy. For him, duty comes first. So when he intervenes one night to save Sarah from the murderous hands of a daemon and discovers she has the innate ability to fight them, he of course steps in and offers to train her. Daemons notwithstanding, the job would be much easier and their relationship less complicated if Dorian didn’t also happen to be the hottest thing this side of hell.

Now instead of spending her nights in the library Sarah spends them with Dorian, keeping the city safe from monsters and sending them back where they belong. Whether she wants to or not, Sarah has to face the facts: daemons exist, she possesses the power to kill them, and she may never make it to Calculus on time again.

That’s the Trouble with Destiny...

Excerpt:

Surprisingly enough, I had been completely naked for a full minute and Dorian still hadn’t touched me. I would have been worried, but I could tell that it was taking a lot of his willpower to refrain. His mouth was set in a grim, hard line and his hands were fisted at his sides. I should be cold, all the heat in my apartment came from a baseboard unit that only worked in July. But I wasn’t cold. Far from it.

“I want this, Dorian. I need this. Can you keep denying us both?”

“Sarah, you don’t know what you’re asking. You think you know me, but...” Even as he said the words, his eyes burned brighter. He lifted an arm, cupping my cheek with his hand, and I turned my head to kiss his palm.

“You think I don't know who and what you are? You think those bright eyes of yours don’t give it away? Or the awesome power you so carefully keep reigned in? You think I don’t notice the way daemons look at you with utter terror and run as fast as they can in the opposite direction?” I know. I’ve known right from the very beginning. It doesn’t matter. It just made me admire him that much more for the strength it must take to deny his heritage and do what was right. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“It should,” he said. Moving so fast I had no time to react, he pulled me into his arms. I could feel the bite of his belt buckle digging into my belly. My breasts were crushed against the hard planes of his chest. With one hand clutching my hair at the base of my scalp, he pulled my head back to gaze into my eyes. “But who am I to deny you anything?”

I made it myself!

I'm interviewed today over at Melanie Anderson's Blog. It's a fun interview that really has nothing to do with anything, so don't miss it!

I sometimes think back to what my life was like before I set along on this path... and wonder what the heck I signed up for.

I was happy then, I can’t say that I wasn’t. I definitely had more spare time, and I actually did things. Fun things. I went shopping more often (I so totally need a new handbag when before I had three or four to choose from). And I went to parties, and out for drinks after work with friends. My husband and I saw movies and took day trips on weekends to fun places like Niagara Falls.

We still do these kinds of things if we’ve planned them ahead of time and I have met my writing goals for the week. And sometimes I bring my laptop along for the ride. But admittedly the whimsical spontaneity of those carefree weekends and last minute get-togethers is absent from my life these days. Does that mean that I am missing out? Maybe. Things have changed, my life is different. But I wouldn’t change its direction.

I often compare this stage of my life to the time just after I realized that I was head over heels in love with the man who is now my husband. At that time, I knew I had passed a crossroads of sorts, that I could no longer go back to what I had been before him. From that moment forward, for better or worse, this man was going to be a part of my life forevermore.

No more would I be staying out dancing the nights away with my girls, or flirting with sexy-eyed strangers. There would be no more first kisses, and when I walked into a room wearing a knock-out dress, I knew that I would never again get an unsolicited compliment if a hockey game also happened to be playing on the television. Instead, I had destined myself to a future with a man who snored so loud he could wake the dead, who would never notice when I got my hair done. I was headed to a future with a man who would give me the best, most beautiful child ever born. Who would make me coffee every morning, and support my dreams even if it meant he fell asleep alone on the couch five nights out of seven.

This is why I look back on my more carefree past with fondness, but no real desire to reclaim that life. Because the last time my future took this kind of a turn, it ended up being the best thing to ever happen to me.

Please welcome New Zealand author Jane Beckenham!


Hello…can you hear me?

You see I’m a long, long way from where this is all meant to be happening. Not so, you say. This is the world of the internet, where distance means nothing. But stop, wait a minute and think about it.

You’re where you are, and I’m…well, I’m down under in New Zealand, a land known as Aotearoa, but heck that means nothing in this world of technology. I can google your house and check it out, watch what’s happening in any part of the world. And I confess I even googled Buckingham Palace, London once, just to see if the Queen was wandering about – true!

For the world of an author, you’d think that with electronic publishing, getting everything at the click of a send button, it would make the life of a writer far easier. And in some ways this is true… but the world really isn’t that small. You see, if I want to chat to you, what time is it there, are you awake, or as I (and author friends Melody Knight and Eve Summers) find out often, when you are chatting after a nice meal on EST, we’re only just waking up. And if you want to chat over lunch, then we’ve got to get up about 1 a.m. or…as in my case, stay up.

So time is a factor for any promotion we downunder authors undertake. Just to give you an example, a group of New Zealand authors hosted a chat yesterday on the Manic Readers yahoo group site. The official time was 9am –5pm EST – well for us down here that was 1am – 9a.m So we did it in shifts, with Eve doing from 1-2, Melody 2-4, me 4- - well about 8, coz I kept popping in and out and the other authors taking over from about 7-9. So with a little lateral thinking it can be done. I’ve two new books out from Red Rose Publishing. The Sheikh’s Proposal this May and now on 5th of June – No Sex Necessary. So I guess it’s going to be another round of late nights…or is that early mornings. Whatever!

Another thing that us downunder authors get asked to do quite a bit is add in local flavor to our settings. For example, Christmas of course is in our summer, which the Pohutukawa, known as New Zealand’s Christmas tree for its scarlet brush type flowers, in full bloom along our coat line, and then of course if you’ve seen Lord of the Rings, everyone asks about our mountains. In my book Always A Bridesmaid, I set it in what really is the deepest heartland of New Zealand’s North Island – in the Uruweras, full of tradition and Maori heritage and mysticism, where the moss on the trees grows because the air is ultra-clean. So you see, we may be disadvantaged by distance, but we can bring an awful lot to our books and to you the reader.

Happy reading everyone.
Jane Beckenham
Join her newsletter and read her blog on Myspace.

Please join me on Monday, June 2 for my special guest from "Down Under" fellow LBR author Jane Beckenham. Her book No Sex Necessary is available from Red Rose Publishing. Also available from Linden Bay Romance are He's The One and Hiring Cupid.

A little bit about Jane:

Author Jane Beckenham lives in New Zealand and first found literature as a teenager during the many months she spent in hospital. In books she discovered dreams, hopes, and stories that inspired a love of travel. Years later, after a blind date, Jane found her own true love and married eleven months later.

Life has been a series of "dreams" for Jane. She believes she can "just do it". Dreaming about walking again, dreaming of raising a family and adopting her girls from Russia, dreaming of writing.

With her family growing up, her life—apart from scraping every moment she can at the computer—is a round of playing Mum's taxi service, all the while wondering what her hero and heroine are up to behind her back! Writing is Jane's addiction…and it sure beats housework.

Well, I'm on a roll now. Here today is my friend and Chapter mate, Amy Ruttan! Hi Ho Matey, Arrghh!! *Aside: I'm practicing the pirate speak since one of Amy's TWO May releases is a fantastic pirate romance, but I have a feeling I may just have to leave that to the crew on board the Romance Writers' Revenge!

JK: I want to thank you so much for um..."offering" to be my special guest today. Try not to pull too much on that rope. You wouldn’t want to chafe your wrists.

Amy: He he he, well I do write for Ellora’s Cave. Thankfully, they teach us all about chaffing.

JK: So, let’s start with the most important question: Don’t you think my blog totally rocks? It’s just too bad nobody comes by to read it. I did mention that didn’t I? Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you actually wanted to get something useful out of this. But with that in mind, I guess you’ll want to mention your new book?

Amy: I love your blog. I visit! Aren’t I somebody? Ooh that’s pretty bad grammar, LOL. Sure, I can mention my books, since I have two releases this month. My first release this month was May 22nd at Ellora’s Cave and it’s titled Oh Yum! Love Thy Neighbour. The Oh Yum! Series is about older women and younger men. My second release this month is through Cerridwen Press and it’s titled Fox’s Bride. It’s a historical romance about a woman pirate and her aristocratic husband.

JK: Ok, enough about that. What really matters is that you promise to name your next character after me. What do you mean you don’t know my real name? I thought we were friends. Do you want me to have to keep that rope on all day? Oh wait, you’re not writing a historical are you? I don’t know if I want to be in a historical. I swear way too much for that kind of character. What is your next book about by the way? Details woman. Details.

Amy: LOL!! Ooh you really do crack a whip don’t you, and you always seem so shy and unassuming. I just finished a historical that is set in 1880 Scotland. I also just finished a book that I targeted at the Shomi Fiction line. Currently, though I’m working on a couple of stories for Ellora’s Cave and one for Harlequin.

JK: Wow, you’re pretty busy. I'm flattered that you made time for this interview, but now I feel kinda bad about the hundred emails I sent you. Um, anyway, moving right along, here’s a question I’ll bet you’ve never had before. What’s your favourite colour? Food? Place to visit?

Amy: Nope, never been asked that. Colour Pink. Food pasta and favourite place to visit, Northern Ontario. I love me some Muskokas.

JK: Are you bored yet?

Amy: Always. Just kidding I have no time to be bored.

JK: Oh, okay, I’ve got a good one. If you were magically transported through time via the awesome magic of television what character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would you most want to be? (Um, I wouldn’t pick the Inca Mummy girl...she dies)

Amy: I don’t watch Buffy. I’ve never seen Buffy. *shaking head in shame*, but I guess I would want to be a character that snogs James Marsters aka Spike. I do know who he is via Torchwood.

JK: Yeah, Spike is hot. But geez, you’ve never watched it? Even once? And you’re my friend? Something is wrong here.

Okay, was there anything else you wanted to tell my five readers? (*whisper* This is your only chance, better make it good)

Amy: PRESSURE!!! ACK!! I don’t think I can handle it. Well, don’t give up on your dreams. I always wanted to be a writer, and I just kept working and now my dreams are coming true. Umm, watch Torchwood. And if you sign up for my newsletter you have a chance to win some pretty cool prizes. I love having contests. Ok, that was pretty pathetic, but that whip crack hurt me back a bit. (Talking in a Welsh accent). LOL!

JK: Right, like I’m gonna watch Torchwood now that I found out you never saw one Buffy episode.

Great, I guess that about covers everything anyone would ever want to know about you. So why don’t we just put that gag back in...

Thanks so much for visiting!

Amy: Mmfank froo fro mraving ree.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT!

I want to let you know about a fabulous interview (if I do say so myself) that I did with author Amy Ruttan, who'll be visiting the blog on May 30, 2008 to celebrate the release of TWO books this month!

Love Thy Neighbor is out from Ellora's Cave as of May 22, 2008.

And Fox's Bride will be available from Cerridwen Press May 29, 2008. You don't want to miss these books, but more importantly, don't miss the interview on May 30!