(Click on cover for more info)
Shelli said it best - I'm the holiday writing whore. Let's see, I've written a Halloween one, two Christmas, a Valentine and now a Saint Patrick's Day themed-book. Crystal asked if Easter was next - I told her I didn't think so. Then she suggested Fourth of July. Not a bad idea...
Isn't this cover hawt? I got Andrei Claude, like that totally hot cover model who's everywhere! This is the sexiest cover I've had to date! Thanks Sable!
And I feel like crap. This has hit me really hard and all I can think about as I sit here and write this post is how I want to go back to bed. So I think I'm gonna.
The entire house is sick so it's a wonderful place to be. Help!
Tomorrow or Thursday I'll share my cover for So Lucky, a book coming out in March. It's hawt. Super hawt. Hee hee.
Sorry I haven't blogged in days. I've been busy. We made a grand purchase at Best Buy earlier this week (a big screen tv!) and we've been looking for an entertainment center.
I need to get my act together and organize something for my daughter's birthday. It's in two weeks - actually less than two weeks! Crap!
I sold something and I got a rejection. All within days of each other. Gotta love this business.
I'm in edits for TWO books. Aaaaaaahhhhhh...
I'm trying to write a synopsis and then submit it. OMG.
I need to write a proposal for a short story. And my brain is muddled cos I'm getting sick. A nice hacking cough. Yuck.
Going to register for Nationals today. Who all is joining me in the big "D" Dallas?
And I still haven't organized my new desk. Just a little tiny bit. Man...
Check out my cover for my book His Valentine which comes out February 10th at Silk's Vault Publishing.
Pretty sex-ay, don't you think?
Before I let you guys know about the Passionate Ink contest (which is a fantastic contest. The lovely Ms Shelli Stevens won last year and the lovely Ms Robin Rotham placed in it too) I just had to shout from the rooftops that freaking Marky Mark has been NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR.
I love it.
Mark how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
Erotic romance contest for pubbed/unpubbed
Stroke of Midnight
Sponsored by: Passionate Ink Chapter of RWA
Entry fee$15 PI members/$25 Non-PI members
Deadline: February 3rd, 2007
Make the first 35 pages of your novel so compelling that an editor has to have more!
Five Sizzling Finalists in Four Categories:
Contemporary - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a contemporary setting. Includes series and single-title length romances. Can also include elements of romantic suspense/intrigue.
Historical- novels with erotic elements that focus on the developingromantic relationship in a historical setting.
Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting in the future, an alternate world/reality, or another planet. Includes elements such as elves/faerie, sword and sorcery, aliens, etc.
Paranormal/Time Travel - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting that includes elements of time travel, angels, vampires, werewolves or other paranormal themes.
All entries must be at least 25,000 words in their completed form. No novellas accepted.
Judging and Prizes:
The top five finalists in each category will be ranked by the following industry professionals:
Contemporary: Sulay Hernandez, Kensington Historical: Allison Brandau, Berkley Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi: Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave Paranormal/Time Travel: Rose Hilliard, St. Martin’s Press
Rules for Entry Eligibility:
Contest is open to all authors with unpublished, uncontracted full-length erotic romance manuscripts (at least 25,000 words) in the category they wish to enter.
Entry Deadline and Mailing:
February 3, 2007.
Email questions to Marie at strokeofmidnight @ passionateink.org. (without spaces)Enter online via the Online Stroke of Midnight Entry Form.
For more information please visit the Passionate Ink Webiste.
Web site: http://www.passionateink.org
Passionate Plume
Sponsored by: Passionate Ink Chapter of RWA
Entry fee$15 PI members/$25 Non-PI members
Deadline: February 3rd, 2007
The only published, all erotic romance award in RWA!
Five Sizzling Finalists in Five Categories:: Contemporary - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a contemporary setting. Includes series and single-title length romances. Can also include elements of romantic suspense/intrigue.
Historical- Historical - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a historical setting.
Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting in the future, an alternate world/reality, or another planet. Includes elements such as elves/faerie, sword and sorcery, aliens, etc.
Paranormal/Time Travel - novels with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting that includes elements of time travel, angels, vampires, werewolves or other paranormal themes.
Novellas - novellas of 25,000 words or less with erotic elements that focus on the developing romantic relationship in any setting. All novels entered must be at least 25,000 words in length. Novellas are considered 12,000 to 25,000 words. All entries must be at least 25,000 words in their completed form. No novellas accepted.
Judging and Prizes:
Five finalists will be judged by multi-published authors and reviewers. The decisions of judges are final.
Email questions to Karen at Passionateplume @ passionateink. org.(without spaces)
Entries must be received by February 3rd, 2007.
For more information please visit the Passionate Ink Website.
Web site: http://www.passionateink.org
So as part of my new swear to get organized mantra, I bought a desk Saturday at Target and put it together all by myself. It's actually a modular desk. You buy separate cubes, a desk top and then you link it together. It looks great! Now I need to switch over all my stuff.
This is strictly my writing desk, all business. No one will be allowed to touch it. So there!
In other great news, I got my first review for Fairies & Wishes from Jennifer at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques - 4.5 Klovers! Here's my favorite part:
Fairies & Wishes by Karen Erickson is an absolutely delightful romantic tale! Although billed as a Christmas story, it can be enjoyed any time of the year, as far as I am concerned. Erickson spins a whimsical story of love and wishes come true that could not be more magical if she had sprinkled it with Fairy Dust!
Oh, yeah, I liked this part too -
Once I finished Fairies & Wishes, I went to look for more of Karen Erickson’s work. If her other stories are as entertaining as this one, she will soon be on my auto-buy list!
This review totally made my Sunday! You can read the rest of it here.
It's a flirtin' Friday kind of day. I'm talking about organizing my life. Exciting stuff.
For your enjoyment, a very sexy picture...
So I'm still a hermit. A hermit who was forced out of her shell on Sunday afternoon to go to the MALL. Oh good lord in heaven, save me now!
I promised my eldest I would take him. After all, I am the one who bought him a gift card to his favorite store for Christmas. So I loaded up the kids and off we went.
Well, as I'm sure many of you have heard in the news, it's freaking cold in CA. And people who don't want to hang out outside go to other places, like the MALL. It was so busy! Packed! I'm not one prone to anxiety but I swear to god I got anxious! Gimme out of there! Luckily enough, I survived but just barely.
I have good news. My Valentine story, His Valentine, will be released with Silk's Vault Publishing on February 10th, which so happens to be my birthday. Hurray! I used to always have a heart cake for my birthday and I loved them! Now I get a hot book release for my birthay - yahoo!
See that little guy? I feel like him right now - I've turned into a complete hermit.
All I want to do is stay home. Even taking a jaunt to my favorite spot in the whole wide world (Target anyone?) doesn't appeal. What's wrong with me?
I get this way sometimes. Don't want to deal with people, don't want to deal with taking the kids with me (a complete nightmare), don't want to deal with traffic. Just let me stay home with my kids and my cats and my internet and I'm fine, thank you very much.
I also believe this has something to do with Christmas after effects. All that shopping, all that running around wore me out, made me sick of it. I went to the grocery store yesterday - it was HELL. I told my oldest, "I just wanna go home!" I sounded like a little kid.
But I did find some super cool Valentine's coffee mugs at Starbucks (I have so many gift cards for there it's ridiculous) so that was good. Of course, our pipes are frozen and I don't have any water to make coffee so...waaaah.
You know I've lost my mind when I blog about man nipples. But I saw this pic when I was surfing for sexy pics (yeah, yeah, procrastinating, I know) and my first thought was, "Whoa, check out that man nipple!"
My second thought was, "Hey, I like her bra!"
See? I've lost my mind.
Heh, you thought it would be something cool, right? Like I did something wicked and just so perverse I had to declare to the world that I'm naughty.
Sorry to disappoint, I'm just a naughty blogger. Can't seem to blog, don't know what to blog about. Just super busy writing my little life away, or cleaning house, or chasing children, or doing laundry.
How boooooring.
But that's okay. The writing is coming along so great, I'm feeling good! I hope this writing sprint lingers for a while. I need it!
So in the meanwhile, here's a naughty pic just for all of you. Maybe it'll give you a flash of inspiration...
Okay, I've been called out by Jenna, wondering why I didn't make this announcement sooner.
I sold to Samhain Publishing a few days ago. My short story, Spontaneous, will appear in their "A Midsummer Night's Steam" anthology which will come out this summer.
I'm super excited by this. First of all, I love Samhain. Every book I've read from them I've enjoyed, and their covers rock, too. I'm also so glad this story is going to be published. The hero, Ian, is dead sexy. I lurrrved him when I was writing his and Sophie's story.
So there you go, my good news. My first week of 2007 has been fantastic. I hope this is an indicator of the entire year...
I'm over at the Word Flirts today. And there's a hunky man pic waiting for you over there, too.
Edited to add: Blogger won't let me post anything on Word Flirts. Grr...I'll try again this afternoon.
Edited again: It's up now! :)
Erickson's aptly named novella grips you from page one and never lets go. It combines well-developed characters with a modern and comedic plot. This speedy and light-hearted fireside read is sure to chase away the winter blues.
I knew this review was coming up and I was worried about it. What if they hated Release Me? After all, this is ROMANTIC TIMES. I've been reading this mag off and on for years. And lemme tell ya, I've read some scathing reviews in there. I would've died if they absolutely hated it.
But they didn't hate it. I was so excited by this review I had to share. Especially because this is my first book, the one that started it all.
Whew! Doesn't it feel like you just went through about two weeks or so of insanity? Like you lost all control of your "normal" life and you just now got it back?
That's how I feel. Well, we still haven't taken down the Christmas decorations. My hubby promised the kids we'd go to the park so we're waiting till this afternoon to take them down. Then I'll finally get my house back!
I'm also on a purge mission throughout the house. I've cleaned the office, set up a makeshift desk for my laptop. The dining room table just isn't cutting it anymore. I'm tossin' toys, tossin' clothes, cleaning out the pantry. I'm a whirlwind of cleaning.
Anybody make resolutions for 2007? I don't do them cos I always feel like I'm setting myself up to fail. But I do have some goals - keep up the writing, sell more books, etc. I'm going to start working on a full length in February. I want to do a lot - we'll see if I can accomplish it.
