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[Books] [Coming Soon] [Contests] [Free Stuff] [Links] [Meet Mary] [Newsletter] [New Releases] [Podcasts] [Home] |
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AppearancesCheck out my chat loop and publisher loops! Nothing "officially" scheduled. Other InfoBooks available from Changeling Press Books available from Ellora's Cave Books available from Samhain Publishing To subscribe to my monthly newsletter please send an email or visit my newsletter page for alternative methods of joining. To subscribe to my chat loop please send an email or visit the group site.
Reviews"The storyline was pure reading heaven..." - Talia Ricci, Joyfully Reviewed, for Riding Partner "This
novella is an erotic romance and delivers on both counts - it is quite romantic
and is full of some hot bed play." Marina, Cupid's Library Reviews for Revealing
Photos " UNDER HER SKIN is so much more than a wonderful romance, it’s
a lesson in love and acceptance. It is an experience not to be missed."
Recent Posts
Writing Wednesday: Scruff your inner editor Sexy Feet - Some Thoughts on Cover Art Writing Without Distractions Writing Wednesday: Is it really work? Marketing Monday: Code Everything You Send Finding Your Bliss...Bears? Writing Wednesday: Writer's Organizations Make A Difference Monday: Get out of the Box My March 2008 newsletter is out! New Release - Mission: Carnal (Live Action Hero 1)
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Join me on Saturday, April 22, for my first time as a "List Mom" on the EC Chat loop. Watch for lots of steaming excerpts provided by other Ellora's Cave authors including several from our own Night Whispers. There will be lots of fun, contests, and prizes.If you're not already a member of the Ellora's Cave chat list, then send a blank email to ellorascavechat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Hope to see you there!  
Spring is in the air. My tulips have buds. My lawn needs mowed, except that they came and did the spring weed & feed today, so my lawn got off lucky, while I traipsed off to the barn to spend some time with Fortune. And, I wake up with a stuffy nose. I spend the day with a stuffy nose, and I go to sleep with a stuffy nose. Alas, it's spring, and the start of the three seasons of the year in which Mother Nature decides she hates me and makes me sneeze. I don't mind. Because of ear infections and colds as a child, I remember the big, brown bottles of actifed the doctors poured down me. Because of that, anything pseudephedrine based -- my body laughs! And all the nifty replacements now because of it being illegal to sell pseudephedrine OTC anymore (in Iowa you have to go to the pharmacy to get things like Tylenol Sinus, which works occasionally), aren't really that good. My favorite drug of choice right now is Excedrin Sinus, mostly because the Excedrin makes me forget all about my sinus headaches. LOL!!! Still, I love the sight of flowers. My hostas have finally emerged from the ground, and I'm hoping to till up an herb bed and a flower bed this weekend for spring planting. Longer days mean I can spend more time at the barn with my horse, or simply sitting on my deck, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. (and talking to my kitties who sit in the window and look so forlorn) Spring means we've braved another winter. Made it through without succumbing to the ice and snow and bitter cold. Hooray for Spring!
So I haven't updated my blog in a while. Writing deadlines, revisions, projects, and severe weather has kept me hopping. Its one thing to hear about storms on the news. They're in some far-away place where you've never been, and while it's saddening to listen to the people talk about homes and lives and businesses lost, there's some distance between the news and you. Then a tornado outbreak hits your home town. I grew up in the Iowa City area. To me, Iowa City is the best damn city in Iowa. The college rocks (and what eye candy when school is in session, LOL!!!) with a fine writing program. Downtown boasts many wonderful shops, and there's always something to do. Thursday night, I glanced at the National Weather Service website and saw tornado warnings for Johnson, Linn, Washington, and Cedar counties. Ouch! But, I read the reports, and while it said that a storm was "capable of producing a tornado" that certainly isn't as severe as it's headed for your house NOW. So, imagine my shock when I call my mom as I'm leaving work and hear "Three tornados hit Iowa City!" Luckily grandma and all my relatives are just fine, and none sustained any more damage than having the bejesus scared out of them. Of course, imagine mom's shock who woke up (she slept through the storm) to hear the TV talking about a tornado near Tiffin. Yikes! I think her shock was greater than mine. So, with it being mom's birthday today (Happy birthday, Mom!), we went to Iowa City yesterday. The Diary Queen where mom and I used to get ice cream cones, and where the Jaycees set up to sell the best Christmas Trees -- GONE! The car dealership across the street where a Golden Corral restaurant used to be -- GONE! Trees toppled over as if someone dug around the roots and pushed them over. We didn't go downtown. I think I might have cried. Those who know me, know that I freak out over severe weather. I don't like situations I cannot control, and sitting in your mobile home wondering when the sirens are going to go off -- not good. It isn't like I can call the Mother Nature hotline and say "hey, could you avoid my house and those of my friends and loved ones" And if I could, would that really be fair to everyone else? It's springtime in Iowa. Tulips, lawn mowing, the sowing of fields...and thunderstorms. I just want to share some of my feelings on the recent tornado outbreak, and send my best thoughts and positive energies to those cleaning up after any natural disaster -- regardless of what state you're in. If you're interested, KCRG, has (IMO) the best coverage of the tornadoes and they can be found at http://www.kcrg.com/
I've decided to post reviews of books I've read, especially since I've been reading lots of interesting nonfiction lately, on this blog. :) I hope you enjoy this! Let me know what you think. Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic by Marla Cone The premise of Marla Cone's silent snow is simple: The toxins we place into the environment are drawn north and position the land and people of the Arctic. Considering that this land is some of the most remote and rugged on the planet, and that the people living in the Artic live a life as close to their ancestral culture and beliefs as any, it's a sad commentary on the western world that we've allowed this to happen. Ms. Cone presents her story, that of a woman researching the horrific truths behind what scientists are now discovering, in clear, easy-to-read prose. She passes no judgments, though our politicians and corporations have made it far too easy to do so, and she tells the story of the people. Not of statistics and studies, but of those whose lives are affected by this tragedy. Her evocative prose paints vivid pictures that made this a "cannot put down" book. Her compassionate voice gives all of us something to ponder, especially as we go about our chemical-fueled lives. Strong writing and a dire message combine to create a book that cannot be missed. The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug by Bennett Alan Weinberg & Bonnie K. Bealer Weinberg and Bealer's The World of Caffeine brings together history, science, culture, and medical studies into one large volume. What promised, according to the cover, to be a book on the science and culture of the world's most popular drug, ended up being a boring treatise on the history of caffeine. It was only towards the last 1/3 of the book, that it really started picking up, and even then, the medical information bogged down. The authors are careful to list all sides in the caffeine debate, from medical studies, to historical perspectives, never endorsing one side or the other. Because of this lack of a firm position on caffeine, the book read with a very dry, emotionless tone. I found the history interesting, but presented as it was here without any correlations and in strict, chronological order, it sounded more like a text book. Such circumstances, such as the rivalry between the British East India Tea Company and the Dutch East India Tea company might have made for more exciting reading, had they been explored further. As someone who has had an on again-off again relationship with caffeine, I expected more than this book delivered. I wanted a thoughtful, compelling look at caffeine, not dry facts. Still, the book is interesting, if you can slog your way through it. ~~~ So one definite winner, one okay book. Not bad. :) Hope you find this helpful! Happy reading!
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