Kim Lenox - Blog

It’s Monday!! I had a great weekend with my family, but I’ve got a lot of work to do today — how about you?

Plus, my lap top is kaput. (Sob!) I’ve been really fortunate over the years, and haven’t ever had to take a computer in for repairs. I don’t use the laptop for the internet, so I know it’s not a virus or anything like that. I’ve got a conference this weekend, and I’d really like to have my laptop with me so I can squeeze in some writing, so today I’ve got to find a good repair place, and hopefully they can fix it. Thankfully, I’ve been working on my desktop for weeks, so I haven’t lost any pages.

And there’s some exciting news! At least it’s exciting for me:

NIGHT FALLS DARKLY is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Borders.

Books books! I bought some books!

I’d fallen off the reading wagon last year when I slid into deadline mode, so I’ve made it a point to read at least a chapter or two of something new each night before bed.

I went a little crazy, I guess because I haven’t been to my local bookstore since November. I usually buy through Katy Budget Books, but it’s quite a drive for me.

Barnes & Nobles is closer, and that’s where I went. They used to be in a strip center, and the parking was excellent. Last year they moved over into the shiny new outdoor mall based upon the sleek and contemporary open air concept where you can walk from store to store, and sit on benches outside and listen to music (or get rained on), etc.

I like the store once I get inside, but the parking situation is very inconvenient, and so I tend to avoid going there.

BUT … the books!

I got Lara Adrian’s latest, and also Deanna Raybourn’s SILENT IN THE GRAVE. How can you pass by a book that opens:

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

How dark and clever! I love it.

I also picked up Michael Cox’s THE MEANING OF NIGHT: A CONFESSION

This is one where the cover grabbed me, as well as the cover endorsement from the NYT Book Review. It said, “As beguiling as it is intelligent, full of great country houses, epic loves, fierce anger and vicious habits.”

Sounds good to me!

I also snagged a copy of Shana Abe’s QUEEN OF DRAGONS. I’ve read all of Ms. Abe’s books, including those in her drakon series. Ms. Abe has a beautiful voice and writes addictive, emotionally-complex stories.

I actually got a jump start on reading this particular novel (the third in the series) through the Romance Designs service where you can sign up to have “A Week of Romance” — teaser chapters sent to your e-mail inbox.

Have any of you read any good books lately?

So I mentioned in yesterday’s post that (in my opinion) a well written book is the best promo, and I say that because that’s what works on me.

The subject is also at the forefront of my mind because I’ve got a few conferences and events coming up, so I’ve ordered some promo materials for NIGHT FALLS DARKLY. We authors are susceptible to a mental disease known as Book Promo Madness (BPM), and I’m trying not to succumb. I’ve ordered some cool, glossy postcards, and some pens. I’ll also order bookmarks.

I’ve never bought a book because an author gave me a pen. But I love pens. So I ordered some imprinted with my website and logo. They are silver and purple.

Oops! That may be the first signs of BPM!

I just received my copy edits for NIGHT FALLS DARKLY this morning!

That’s where a copy editor goes through every space, character, word and line of your manuscript and scrutinizes everything on multiple levels. I paged through, and it’s all good! Thank you copy editor!

So … besides dealing with these final details for NIGHT FALLS DARKLY, and working on the second book in the Shadow Guard series, I’ve been trying to read more.

I finished Amanda Stevens’ book. Fantastic writing. Now I’m compelled to buy her prior book, THE DOLLMAKER. See, a well written book IS the best promo!

Also on my list is Lara Adrian’s MIDNIGHT RISING, which releases TO-DAY. If you’ve read her previous books — this is Rio’s story!! Woo hoo! Lara writes the best tortured heroes.

From the back cover:

IN A WORLD OF SHADOWS AND DARK, CONSUMING HUNGERS, DESIRE IS THE DEADLIEST WEAPON. . . .

Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way–least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. But now an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise.

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb. Suddenly she is at the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to plunge her into his world of dark desire and endless night. Here she is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. Now Dylan must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart.

My chica, Cindy Miles, has an upcoming May release titled HIGHLAND KNIGHT!

Now’s the perfect time to enter her April contest! To win a signed copy of HIGHLAND KNIGHT, send an e-mail with the Subject: HIGHLAND KNIGHT, to hauntedromances@yahoo.com

A new winner will be announced on April 15th!!

Good luck!

I started MIRA author, Amanda Steven’s THE DEVIL’S FOOTPRINTS last night, and the story kept me riveted until after midnight. I love the story. Excellent characterization and tight plotting. If you like some serious SPOOKY with your romance, I highly recommend it.

Here’s the blurb:

THE DEVIL’S FOOTPRINTS:
Available March, 2008

A killer is on the prowl in New Orleans, leaving in his bloody wake tattooed victims and crime scenes desecrated by strange symbols and cloven footprints. When local ‘ink-slinger’ Sarah DeLaune is called in to look at the tattoos, she soon realizes that clues hidden within the intricate designs reveal the identity of the murderer, a man who has haunted her dreams since her sister’s violent death fourteen years ago. But is this man real…or has he been summoned by her imagination to carry out her darkest wishes?

I’ve met Amanda, and she seemed to be such a sweet, delightful person. Who knew these dark thoughts were lurking in her head …

She’s also got a fantastic trailer available for viewing on her website.

Check it out!

One of my favorite places to visit on the net is Barbara Vey’s Beyond The Book Blog at Publisher’s Weekly Online.

I met Barbara in Dallas last summer, and she’s just a lot of fun — her blog is always fun (and sometimes hysterical) to read too. Lots of stories, lots of reviews, and lots of news.

Tomorrow (March 14th) is the one year anniversary of Barbara writing the Beyond The Book blog/column. Barbara’s planning an online party to include a load of giveaways.

Post a comment tomorrow, and who knows what you might win!

Well, it happened. I’m proud of the fact I’m rarely sick. I get headaches sometimes, but germs!? Pah!

So yes, it’s been days since you’ve heard a peep from me because the Plague descended upon the Lenox household.

I’ll be rollin’ again tomorrow. We’ll talk then.

Jenna Peterson, that lucky girl! She’s heading to China in a few days.

I’d love to travel more. If I had to pick ONE place I’d really like to see, I’d like to visit the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan! Who could resist a place called, “Land of the Thunder Dragon”?

Photo from trekearth.com

I didn’t know much about Bhutan until I watched Matt Lauer’s piece about the country. Bhutanians (I believe I just made that word up) have the highest gross national happiness factor in the world.

A few months back, I tried to think of a way to work Bhutan into SO STILL THE NIGHT, but it’s not going to work out. Perhaps for a future book.

It’s a gray, rainy day outside my window. Perfect for writing. I spent a lot of time online yesterday afternoon, doing some preliminary research for my May 2009 release, SO STILL THE NIGHT. I’m “interviewing candidates” for a few scene locations.

One fun site I came across was Shady Old Lady (”The Intrepid Knowledge-Hoarding Scavanger-Octogenarian”), where I visited the Camden Catacombs …