At the moment I’m contemplating planting my butt in the snowbank at the end of the driveway. Aside from giving my neighbors something to talk about, I’m thinking it might help lower my temperature. For the last week I’ve been up to my eyeballs in feverish kids (yup all three had it) and woke up today with my own inner sauna cranked on high. I’m the first to admit that I whine when I’m sick. A lot. I figure I deal with everyone else whining on a regular basis (Middle has mastered this) with little complaint, then when I feel like utter crap I should get to bitch and moan about it.
Not surprisingly the Stud has been keeping his distance. At least he had been until he was tossing Babygirl around tonight (not a bright idea when her fever just broke earlier today) and she spit up all over him. You’d swear the potential germs were deadlier than an Ebola breakout by how fast he stripped out of his shirt. Still makes me smile.
And since I was pretty much MIA last week, I need to strap on my promo ho heels for a minute and remind you guys that Primal Attraction released last week. Did I mention I adore the cover Kanaxa designed for it? You should see the print one for Primal Seduction (print antho of Primal Hunger and Primal Attraction). I’ll show it off just as soon as I hear that it’s been approved.
Back to bed for me. And if you happen to see a Saint Bernard bounding through the snow, point him in my direction, k?
I’m blogging about kicking my sugar habit over at Nine Naughty Novelists. Drop by and share your favorite healthy snacks. http://www.ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com/
Finally got both coats of paint on the walls in the bathroom. It would look great if the Stud hadn’t decided after all to redo the tub surround. We were going to wait since he didn’t want to completely gut the bathroom all at once. Naturally he changed his mind and now my nice arctic ice (which is actually a light green shade) is lost amid the ripped down walls around the tub.
And the pic, notice anything missing? A bathroom sink perhaps? Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to not have a bathroom sink or mirror? You’re feeling my pain, aren’t ya.
In other non-home renovation news, I noticed that Primal Hunger was nominated for a CAPA award from the Romance Studio. There are a ton of great books also nominated for Best Paranormal Erotic Romance, but very cool to be nominated. So big thanks to the reviewers over there who felt Primal Hunger deserved it.
And you guys haven’t forgotten that Primal Attraction releases in just over a week, right? 
And I’m having an ARC giveaway right now. Surf on over to my Website for all the details!
We’re having a pool party! Visit Nine Naughty Novelists and chat with us about the things you’d never tell your mother. Plus there are three ebooks up for grabs, including an ARC of my upcoming release, Primal Attraction.
A few of my memorable highlights from 2009…
The birth of my baby girl–without anything for the pain.
Watching Oldest teach himself to ride his bike.
Watching Middle fearlessly jump off the edge of the pool.
My new iPod Touch–my favorite xmas gift from the Stud this year.
Movies: The Proposal, The Hangover and Star Trek.
Books: Dreamfever – Karen Marie Moning, Flat Out Sexy – Erin McCarthy, Branded by Fire – Nalini Singh, Twilight series – Stephanie Meyer and Instant Attraction – Jill Shalvis. I’m sure there are more, but you know how it is.
What were your 2009 highlights?
I hope everyone had a great holiday and started the New Year off with a bang. The Stud and I cozied up on the couch with some wine and watched some stand-up comedy. So far we’re on par with our plan to stop being lazy and renovate the inside of the house. The bathroom is up first, though we’ll see how motivated I remain when I have to start stripping off the old wallpaper this week. Ug.
On the writing front, Dark Obsession has a release date of April 13th. Yay! And don’t forget Primal Attraction releases in two more weeks. I’ll be having a couple ARC contests and will post the details this week. Have to pry myself away from my new iPod Touch first. You have no idea how much I adore my new gadget.
Since last week I introduced the hero from Say You’re Mine, I figured this week I should post a little something about the heroine, Violet. More specifically, Reece’s reaction to her stumbling into his undercover assignment.
Reece stared at the woman sprawled across the busted fence boards at his feet. Who in the hell had he pissed off to deserve having to deal with the Calder family?
Violet gazed up at him like a deer caught in headlights.
Just fucking perfect.
Beside him, Strickland’s younger brother, known for his trigger-happy ways, reached for his gun.
Moving quick, and with what he hoped passed for concern, Reece crouched down. “Honey, I thought I told you to wait in the car.”
Violet blinked, those glossy lips of hers parted in confusion. Helping her to her feet, Reece kept his body strategically positioned between her and Strickland’s younger brother.
“You know her?” David Strickland kept his hand behind him. Suspicion tightened his face.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Reece decided and hauled her to his side even as she squirmed to put distance between them. Before the objection he read in her eyes made it to her mouth, he leaned in and nuzzled her neck.
Her surprised exhale whispered along his cheek.
“Play along,” he whispered. God, she smelled good. Like the scent of his grandparents’ peach orchard right before the sunset.
One tawny eyebrow arched as he pulled back. The wheels were all but spinning in her head, and she looked ready to out him any second.
He swallowed a sigh. She was a Calder. Of course she would have to make this difficult for him. Before she could say something and get them both shot, he tipped her head back, and slid his mouth over hers.
It took a second for her surprise to fade, then her eyes drifted shut and her lips parted. His intention of keeping the kiss for show only disintegrated the moment her warm tongue stroked his bottom lip. He’d been half expecting her to drive a knee between his legs for kissing her.
He sure as hell hadn’t actually believed she would respond to him. She could be just a really good actress, but his body didn’t care. It enjoyed the slow hum thickening his blood just the same.
Reece tightened his hold on her, tugging her more firmly to him. Heat rushed through his veins and straight to his groin. Hell, if he’d known she tasted this good, he would have told her brothers where to go and kissed her a long time ago.
Her fingers fisted in his shirt before she wrapped one arm around his neck, caging him to her.
Want to read more? Check out the first chapter posted on my Website! And visit Nine Naughty Novelists for more Meet the Heroine excerpts.
I’m still plugging away on my project for my readers, but if you’re looking for a quick holiday read, you can check out my free short story, A Demon Slayer for Christmas. Okay, so obviously it’s not just a Christmas story. Have to squeeze a little action in there somewhere. Dani and Connor’s story gives a little background on my Shadow Destroyer series for those who haven’t checked them out yet. But we won’t talk too long about demon slayers and the pain in the ass the fourth book in the series is being at the moment.
I’m blogging over at Samhain Publishing today about the great things about being a writer. Drop on over and tell me your favorite things about your job. Plus, I’m giving away a download of Primal Hunger to one lucky commenter.
Heroes are this week’s excerpt theme. Since I’m in the mood for a cop, how about a little something from Say You’re Mine that highlights just a few issues Violet has with Detective Reece Prescott. :)
“Evening, Ms. Calder.”
Violet tensed at the deep, unmistakable voice directly behind her. She slowly turned around, all too conscious of the thinning air in the room. “Good evening, Detective.”
Short, dark brown hair, a five o’clock shadow that suited him entirely too much, and bottomless brown eyes that sucked you right in when they weren’t slicing a person in two, all combined to make a package Leslie liked to refer to as “sex on a stick”. There was only one problem with him.
He was a serious pain in the ass.
“Your brother around?”
Violet crossed her arms. It helped to fill up the space between them. Detective
Reece Prescott had a habit of standing much too close. She figured it was an intimidation tactic. Having grown up with two overbearing older brothers, not to mention her three cousins, few men intimidated her. Unfortunately, Reece seemed to be in the minority. “Which one?”
“Dante.”
“Why do you need to speak with him? Or are you just planning on harassing him?”
Reece broke his usual stoic mask with a frown. “He hit me first.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, Violet shrugged. Why he always got his boxers in a bunch whenever she mentioned that, she’d never know. “Well, as much as I hate to disappoint you, Detective, he’s already gone for the night.”
He surveyed the lobby as though he didn’t believe her, and finally nodded. “Let him know I was looking for him.”
“Sure.”
He continued to stare at her.
“Was there something else?”
Instead of turning away, he took a step closer. His gaze tunneled into hers, warm and slow. “You don’t like me much, do you Ms. Calder?”
“I don’t dislike you, Detective.”
For a moment she could have sworn his eyes paused on her mouth.
“It’s Reece.” Without another word, he strode away.
But that didn’t stop her heart from continuing to thump against her ribs. She stared after him, wondering if she would’ve had enough guts to ask him out for a beer if he wasn’t a cop and she wasn’t a witch.
Be sure to follow the other Hero links over at Nine Naughty Novelists.
