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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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So a few weeks ago I meant to write about writing when you're sick. How about I hammered through 2000 words each day of my NaNoWriMo project even though I couldn't breathe and my head was stuffed up. Then, I dealt with my mom's move. Don't get me wrong, I'm very, VERY happy mom has made the move to be with me. A new job, a new city, it's pretty exciting for her. But, as her beloved daughter and only child, I've been handling (okay taking charge) of everything. Phone calls, driving back and forth, helping her pack. I don't begrudge a moment of it, but it's made the writing schedule hectic to say the least. For me, and I suspect for many other writers, writing is more than a job. Yeah, it's something I do because face it, I like the fact that I get paid for it. But it's a calling. I think, even if I didn't get paid, I'd still be writing. Perhaps maybe devising some way to make an income, but I'd still write. No doubt about it. So as I wheel into December with another newsletter due this weekend, a month full of a big new contest I can't wait to unveil and more holidays and travel time... I remember. Writing is my calling. It's what keeps me sane in the middle of this. And the fact that I can reach out and touch people with my words, well, that just humbles me. It's more than a job for me to create your written escapes! I hope you enjoy them! And yes, I did finish my NaNoWriMo project on Saturday the 24th. Hooray!!!!  
 I don't normally do the charity thing. I know my readers work hard and play hard too. With families and other obligations, I know as much as anyone how hard it is to give money to all the worthy causes out there. So I don't take this lightly, and I wouldn't be bringing this to you if I didn't think it was a good cause. Can you help me raise money for the Johnson County Iowa chapter of Girls on the Run? Not only am I doing the charity 5K on December 1 (brr!!!) for this chapter, but I also decided to join Team Tiara. What's Team Tiara? We're individuals who believe so much in Girls on the Run that we've decided to raise $265.00 for the organization on or at least 30 days after the 5K of our choice. That's ten dollars for every mile of a marathon (since at this time all official Team Tiara events are a marathon). It's not very much, and thanks to generous people, I'm almost halfway there. Can you help bring me home? If you can, please click on the link above and donate to Team Tiara. Your funds will go to help Eastern Iowa girls learn precious life skills through training to run a 5K. I sure wish someone had taught me about the joys of running when I was in elementary school. Don't you? Team Tiara is the charity running leg of Girls on the Run (GOTR). GOTR is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. Our mission is to educate and prepare girls for a life time of self-respect and healthy living. Please check out our website at www.girlsontherun.org.
 It had to happen sooner or later. With the weather swinging from balmy late summer to winter with no fall in between the cold and flu season arrived with a vengeance. Just because I work from home doesn't render me immune to such things. In fact, I returned from a convention with what I thought was a scratchy throat due to manning (err. womaning) my table full of incense and talking all weekend. (Me, talk all weekend? Surely you jest! Um, no! LOL!!!!). But, by Monday I knew I'd been hit and hit hard. There's just one problem. I still had to work and I still had to write. Well, I didn't HAVE to write, but anyone who is an author knows those pages don't write themselves and since I'm doing NaNo this month, well those 2K a day had to be done. If they hadn't I would have fallen farther and farther behind and my Type A self just simply wouldn't have allowed that. So write I did. However, I discovered something (well rediscovered it). When my nose is stuffed up my muse is stuffed up. When the head is foggy my characters are off moaning and groaning, wishing for some more Nyquil or herbal tea. They don't want to come out and play. I'm sure I'm not the first writer with wussy characters. I am, however, an only child, and so I may require a bit more sympathy (or sympafy as we call in our house to distinguish between the real kind of sympathy and the "poor me" that the kitties seem to project so well) than most. Maybe that's why my characters are all "I don't want to work today." "Just go away." Writing may be fun. But it's also a job. Sick or well. Happy or sad. We must write. Or at least I do. Now where'd I leave my whip? I feel my muse is still wanting to take a vacation. Achoo!
 Ghost Touch by Mary Winter (Dangerous Spirits Book 1) Line: Twilight Book Length: 294 pages Book Type: Trade Paperback Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing ISBN: 9781419954009 In Stock: YES Price: $13.99 A dead FBI agent with a mission.Special Agent Sage Kaimoon has spent the four years since his death tracking French traitor, Lu-Marc. He's hot on Lu-Marc's trail, ready to bring him down, when an unexpected encounter with a powerful spirit sets him on a path that will change his…death.A witch looking for her spirit guide.Teri Mallory follows her grandmother's dying wish and works a spell to bring her a spirit guide. Teri expects an elderly spirit with the wisdom of the world to help her find her way. What she gets is a scorchingly sexy ghost bound for vengeance who turns her life and her heart inside out.Passion unites them. Death separates them. But she can't live without his ghost touch… Buy Now IN PRINT: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-3807-ghost-touch.aspx
 Okay, today's Make a Difference is more like Make Someone Smile. *big grin* I happened to read author Lyn Cash's blog yesterday (http://authorlyncash.blogspot.com/) and back on 10/21 she posted a recipe called "catshit." Well, in a house full of five cats and yesterday was my day to scoop the litter boxes, how can I resist a recipe called catshit? LOL!!! So, since they were no bake cookies reminiscent of the ones I had as a child, and I was PMSing so lots of chocolate sounded good. I made them. They turned out pretty well. Didn't quite set up as hard as I'd like (okay so it's way too early in the morning to take that into the gutter, ooops... LOL!), but I put them in the fridge and they're still pretty good. Plus, as the cookies were cooling, Daphne, queen kitty of the house tried to step onto the table. And, I got to yell at her, "Daphne, no! That's my cat shit!" To which she looked at me like "WTF????" And got down. :) (but not before dipping her paw into one and licking off the chocolate goodness. Oops!) So there you go. Make a Difference. Make someone Smile. Share a Recipe. It certainly made for an entertaining Sunday afternoon at my house. (That's Druscilla, Daphne's sister, in the picture, keeping watch) (And yes, I'm all decorated for Christmas. I thought I was going to have to work Thanksgiving, so I skipped it and went straight to Yule.)
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve completed my November newsletter and it’s now posted on my website at http://www.marywinter.com/newsletter.htm. You can also subscribe via my yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marywinternews or by sending a blank email to newsletter-subscribe@marywinter.com This month I have an interview with the fabulous author, Cris Anson. I also have an excerpt from my most recent release, Au Naturel, excellent reviews of my work, information about my two new print books, Ghost Touch and Feral Fixation (Revealing Photos), and if that isn’t enough, I’m giving away a box of Mrs. Fields cookies to one lucky newsletter subscriber in November. So what are you waiting for? Come on over!
 Au Naturel by Mary WinterContemporary Erotic Romance available now from Ellora’s Cave http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419913006 $5.95 Reba Dailey thought she had everything she wanted…until a heart attack brought her face-to-face with death. No longer able to continue her high-powered, high-stress job as an advertising executive, her weakened body and near-empty bank account challenge her to discover what — and who — she really wants. Disappointed more than once by modern medicine, Todd Thorpe owns Healing Hands, a natural healing center where he helps people make the most of their natural energy. People like Reba Dailey. One heated kiss a few years ago told him they'd be explosive together. And he's hungered for her ever since.Now she's returned, and Todd aims to prove love and happiness are far more fulfilling than money and success. He also plans to teach her how good natural healing can make her feel. One carnal night at a time. Look for an excerpt on my site soon. Or visit my TRS Blue Feature here: http://www.theromancestudio.com/blue/who3.php
The Writer's Guild Strike and Authors It's too late for Writing Wednesday, but blame that on this silly cold I've had. I wanted to take a moment, especially after viewing this excellent video from the WGA to talk about the strike. (link to the video is here in case the embed doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk) As an electronically published erotic romance author, I am honored to have not only other authors, but also readers, who notify my publisher (and others) about piracy sites. Because when someone downloads a book from an unauthorized source it isn't just my publisher that gets hurt. It's the author (me!!!!) and if I'm in an anthology other authors as well. I can choose to give a copy of a print anthology to my mother, or my aunt. No one gets any royalties on those copies, either. But it's MY choice to give the book away, and I highly doubt any of my fellow authors would begrudge me a couple of copies to family members, just as I don't care if they do likewise. Because again, it's a choice. However, what's happening in the world of script writing isn't a choice made by the writers. It's a choice made by a large company hell-bent on getting as much money for themselves as possible. Let's face it, most of the shows I watch are on NBC. They make a big deal about being able to stream their TV shows online. They wouldn't do it if it didn't make them money. So why, if they're using a writer's work, why wouldn't they pay the writer the residuals that he or she is due? If they don't, then I'm sorry, but they're no better than the pirates who think it's okay to download gazillions of books. There's the impression that the internet is free. No, it isn't. Somewhere, someone is paying for the servers to host the information, the data connections to bring you the information, and the content to send to a viewer. If a company, like YouTube, has been able to do that without charging the end user. That's great. But somewhere, someone, is paying for all the videos we watch. It's usually the advertisers. No one knows where technology will take us. TV watching habits are changing dramatically, just as reading habits (move to electronic books), music listening habits (itunes or other like-services vs. cd purchases) are changing. Media is changing, and the companies not only have to keep up with that, but they need to pay their content providers. Otherwise, eventually, there won't be any content providers. No one likes to work for free. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this subject. Do you think the WGA is right? wrong? What do you think? And please, spread this video. It really does help explain things. :)
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