Today is the release date for Christie Craig’s WEDDINGS CAN BE MURDER.
Christie is one of the rare people who can make me laugh until Diet Coke (or Amontillado) spurts out my nose. She’s a joy to know, and needless to say, I highly recommend ANYTHING she writes. If you’re ever at a conference where she’s speaking, grab a seat at her workshop because you might be lucky enough to hear the story about the mattress and the cowboy.
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Who knew getting married could get you murdered?
What happens when you realize you’re about to marry a man you don’t love—a man who doesn’t love you? When accidentally flushing her $8,000 engagement ring down the toilet isn’t enough of a sign for Katie Ray to call off the big day, fate gets busy. Will seeing her wedding planner murdered and getting herself locked in the dark with a sexy PI do the trick?
Hired by Houston’s elite wedding planner to investigate some missing brides, the last thing bad-boy Carl Hades wants is to be shackled with another man’s soon-to-be wife. Especially when the gorgeous redhead stirred emotions he’d avoided for years. Now, avoiding her sounds like a genius plan, especially when her future wedding goes the same the way as her engagement ring—down the toilet—making Katie available. . . and a hell of a lot more tempting. But when the missing brides come up dead, Carl suspects that Katie might be next, which makes avoiding her impossible and improbably, especially when being with her is a whole lot of fun.
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Christie is blogging about her release today at Killer Fiction. If you get on over there, you might be able to win one of her contests — like her Pamper Me Like a Bride gift basket!
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl Cemetery, Honolulu Hawaii:
The inscription at the base of Lady Columbia’s feet:
“The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of freedom.”
– A quote from Abraham Lincoln.
My husband I are both Army brats. We both come from families who have served (and still serve) in the Armed Forces. So last year when we vacationed in Hawaii, it seemed only natural that we visit several locations of significance. Over the next couple of days I’ll be sharing some pictures in honor and in memoriam of those who have served.
Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial. My first glimpse of the Arizona was from the air, as our plane landed in Honolulu. From the air, you can see the outline of the ship under water.
— the names of those who lost their lives on December 7th, 1941. There is a section of names added on, over time, of men who survived, but in later years when they passed away, gave instructions that they not be buried in a cemetery. Instead it was their wish to be interred below, on the ship, with their fellow sailors. And so, since 1941, there have been a number of interments at the Memorial.
When I was a kid, I used to spend hours every summer watching those old 1960′s Vincent Price movies on TV. My favorites were the Edgar Allen Poe stories. Like HOUSE OF USHER and MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. EEEK! Not only were they spooky (and set in strange techni-color castles), but all the ladies had great hair and makeup, and they wore all those filmy gowns. OOoooooOooOoH!
I also liked to read Edgar Allen Poe stories, like THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO. Remember that one? Where the guy takes his drunken enemy down into the catacombs and walls him up alive over some (never explained) slight?
Hey, convenient segueway … Sophie missed the litter box this morning and I’ve had it!! So this morning (around 7:30 a.m.) I spiked her water bowl with Amontillado and now it’s time for her to pay. Look at her. She is in a helpless stupor — she can’t so much as pop a claw!
Soon she’ll be buried behind layers of papers, books, notes. Bwahahaha!! (Vincent Price laughter! For those of you who never watched his movies, remember the evil laughter part in Thriller by Michael Jackson).
Okay, you’re right. I’m not going to off Sophie. My office is just outrageously messy. I
can’t think!! Bleah! So I’m going to spend a bit this morning getting myself straightened out, and squirt some Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day all over everything (my favorite scent is BASIL).
I didn’t get any pages written yesterday, so I’ve got to make up for lost word count today!
Hey all! I thought I’d share a picture from my garden with you. How is everyone doing today? I’ve just gotten through with some volunteer responsibilities, and have just a few more things to tackle before I work on my “day job”. I’m hoping after lunch I’ll have a few good hours of writing time.
I’ve been nursing my cafe mocha, wishing it would last forever. Alas, it is almost gone. I’ve been allowing myself ONE a week. Yikes, the sugar content.
I gained at least ten pounds while writing NIGHT FALLS DARKLY, because my deadline diet pretty much consisted of cafe mochas and Cheez-Its. I’m determined to do better this time. So … in a bit I’ll move onto either my Organic Morroccan Mint Green Tea or my Mango Herbal …
Here’s a pic of my most absolutely gorgeous cover flats. I can’t wait to see this cover on my book.
I’m sad because I read in Publisher’s Weekly a few weeks back that the gentleman who designed my cover (sob!) has left my publisher for a new position elsewhere. Even so, I’ve got every confidence that the cover for SO STILL THE NIGHT (May 2009) will be just as fantastic!
Also, OH MY GOSH HURRY (how’s that for dramatic urgency?) — anyone swinging by my blog has only THIS AFTERNOON to enter Cindy Miles’ May contest giveaway for her June release, HIGHLAND KNIGHT!
Here are the instructions:
If you’ve signed up for Cindy’s newsletter you are auto-entered for her May contest: THREE winners will recieve a signed copy of Highland Knight, a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble, along with promo material (bookmarks, etc). If you’re a new reader, you can enter by sending an email with your name to hauntedromances@yahoo.com and in the subject line, HIGHLAND KNIGHT. Three winners will be announced May 20th!
It’s May, but yeesh, right about now it feels like July outside! But with the heat comes … berries! Here’s a picture of my tree. I’ve got scratches all over my arms as we speak.
It’s time for a cobbler. Yum!
I spent the morning writing with a friend, and I actually got a good number of pages accomplished. I came home to a little package on my doorstep. Packages from the publisher are always exciting, and I wasn’t expecting this one, so it was fun to find some cover flats (gorgeous!) for NIGHT FALLS DARKLY inside. I’ll give away one as a prize at some point prior to the book’s October 7th release!
Michelle Pillow and Mandy M. Roth have started a fantastic program, Raven Radio, a weekly online radio podcast focusing on the paranormal romance genre.
Tune in Wed, May 14th, (That’s today!) as Bestselling author Gena Showalter joins Raven Radio, LIVE to talk about her new Lords of the Underworld series.
Listen LIVE 11AM-12PM EST
Listener dial-in number during LIVE shows
(646) 595-3998 (New York number, long distance charges apply)There is also a LIVE chat during the shows.
Follow the link below and look for CHAT LIVE buttons! You can type your questions or comments in there during the chat and we’ll ask/answer them on air!
http://www. blogtalkradio. com/ravenradio
Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.
Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean.
~~~~ CONTEST~~~~~
Call in to talk to Gena LIVE or show up in the LIVE chat to talk with her (ask questions, give a shout out to her) and be entered to win a paperback copy of The Darkest Night! Raven Radio will send one lucky winner a copy!
A big THANK YOU to the creative writing class at CCHS, who invited me to talk yesterday morning about writing for publication!
I had a great time, and enjoyed your questions and enthusiasm!
Thank you so much for the invitation.
I promise to submit readers to my “causes” only rarely, but …
If you haven’t heard on the news, or seen the Haagen-Dazs commercial about the troubling loss of our bee colonies, read this article.
Also, see Help the Honey Bees.
Red Rover, Red Rover, let Kim Lenox come over!!
I’ve been tagged by Tera Lynn Childs with a cool (and easy!) meme.
Here, dear readers, is my quest:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you’ve posted your three sentences.
Tera Lynn did this with Bennett Madison’s LULU DARK CAN SEE THROUGH WALLS. Love that title. Me, hmmmm, my nearest book is THE SYNONYM FINDER by J. I. Rodale, which I don’t think would be very fun, and besides, there are no “sentences”, so we’re going to the next closest book. I haven’t gotten to read this book yet, but I’ve been ogling it for over a month, and carrying it around in my take-everywhere bag.
Here we go!
MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH
[Taken from the Penguin website:] A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction …
In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town’s Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle fortress. King Henry I is no friend of the Jews-or anyone, really-but he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily-whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe-and asks for his finest “master of the art of death,” an early version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is Adelia-the king has been sent a mistress of the art of death.
Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor-travel to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, one of the king’s tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia’s investigation takes her into Cambridge’s shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again.
And here’s our meme, p. 123, fifth sentence in:
I’ll be back to supplement with the names of my tag victims later today!