Read an e-Book Week - Read Mine Free

In conjunction with Read an eBook week, which runs from March 6-12, I'm offering WHEN DANGER CALLS for FREE at Smashwords. Use coupon code RE100.

And don't forget to check out my March contest--an ARC of WHERE DANGER HIDES, the sequel to WHEN DANGER CALLS, could be yours.

NOOKcolor: Extras. And another gift

My gift to you today: A first look at a new entry into the "Cutting Room Floor" files of my website. The 'false start' to When Danger Calls. Read it here.

Yesterday was busy with our family holiday celebration. I baked the rugelach, made potato latkes and ricotta pancakes.Latke recipes are pretty much basic. Mine isn't much different from the standard: 4 potatoes, 1 onion, an egg, salt, and flour (or matzo meal). One variation I learned from my daughters' pre-school teacher was to take about 1/3 of the combined ingredients and give it some time in the food processor, making a kind of batter to bind the rest of the potatoes together.

We're traditionalists in that we serve the latkes with applesauce and/or sour cream. They're about the only thing I cook 'last minute' but this year, with our new open concept floor plan, I won't be alone in the kitchen (although sometimes I think that's a good thing.)

More of my NOOKcolore reports:

(You should be able to click on the NOOKcolor images to enlarge them for a bit more clarity.)

NaNo? Not for Everyone

Thanks to J.E. for sharing her thoughts yesterday. Nobody likes rejection, but dealing with it is part of the job.

First things first - an exclusive for my faithful blog readers. I was going to wait until I hit 250 followers, but 249 is close enough. For ONE WEEK (ends Nov. 16th), I have a coupon offer at Smashwords for A Summer's Eve. The story costs 99 cents and the coupon is for 99 cents off, so do the math. For this week, it's a Free Read. And it's short enough so you don't really need a dedicated e-reader. It's available in almost every possible format, so I hope one will work for you. Just enter Coupon Code BL83R at checkout. (And if you want to use your savings to buy either of my other two titles there, I won't complain.)

Yesterday, we signed the contract with the contractor for our basement remodel. He left, certified plans in hand, to begin the process, which starts with getting the necessary permits. He's estimating two weeks before they're approved, and so we have that long to get everything moved out of the workspace. He's promised that once they start, they'll work "straight through" but with the weather and the holidays, I'm sure there will be delays. But it's exciting to know that in a few months, we'll have a 'complete' house.

The month of November for many writers is the annual National Novel Writing Month, where people vow to write 50,000 words in thirty days. Do I participate? Nope. Why?

Counting Down to Hidden Fire Day 5

The countdown continues with part 3 of the short "non-story". I posted Parts 1 and 2 in the "free reads" section of my website yesterday, and if you haven't read it, you'll need to start there. Actually, even if you have read it, you'll need to start there, because there's no link to the last part, which won't make much sense without the first two. Just scroll to the bottom and click the links.

The direct link to the Free Reads page is here.

Please note: There's some sexual content in the last section, so consider yourself advised.

And remember -- a comment on any countdown post gives you a chance for a free download

The Countdown Continues -- Meet Graham Harrigan

There's a new free read on my website.

Here's a taste:

I tap on the door.

"Come in," says a female voice.

I enter and see a cluttered desk in an equally cluttered office. The woman seated behind the clutter looks up. Her eyes roam up and down my body, and she gestures to a chair with a well-manicured hand. "Sit. Relax. It's not painful, I promise."

I guess it's obvious I'm not sure what I'm doing here. I sit in the chair she indicated. "Um…Terry Odell said you're expecting me?"

"That's right." She clears a spot on her paper-covered desk and sets a tape-recorder in the middle. "All right if I record the interview? Less chance of me getting something wrong."

Now I know why I feel so strange. I'm the cop. I usually conduct the interviews. Being on the other side is awkward. "No problem, as long as I get a copy."

She nods, her mouth curving upward. "I can do that. Or would you like to use your own machine?"

I don't tell her my recorder's been running since I hit her receptionist's office. Old habits die hard. Instead, I pull it out of my sport coat's pocket and make a show about fiddling with the buttons. "Might save time," I say.

She gives me another smile. Broader. White teeth flash. Definitely some interest there. I look a little closer. Light brown hair with gold highlights. Blue eyes, small nose. Slender figure, nice breasts.

I give her a polite smile back, not wanting to get into that game. Terry explained Desmond Morris' Twelve Steps to Intimacy while we were working on the book, and this interview isn't going past step three, so when she makes room for my recorder, I'm damn careful not to touch her hand when I set mine next to hers.

It hits me, then, like the baton I carried when I was a patrol cop. Terry's ruined other women for me since the Starting Over gig with Colleen.

You can read the rest on my site.

The Countdown Continues ... a new free read

What I'm Reading: Rusty Nail by J.A. Konrath

What I'm writing: Chapter 8

Starting Over's prologue was one that almost didn't happen. It was cut and replaced so many times, I'm amazed I could find the file. Writing a book in a series poses challenges. You want readers to enjoy the book without scratching their heads and wondering what they've missed. (Of course, when I realize a book I'm reading isn't the first in a series, I'll usually stop and go read the others first. )

I'm also not a big fan of prologues. They're usually nothing but back story or full of characters who aren't even in the book itself.

The book itself has to stand on its own merit. Starting Over was the second book I wrote, and for a while, it looked like it wasn't going to have Finding Sarah behind it. I debated whether to keep the prologue, call it Chapter 1, or ditch it altogether and try to weave in the back story.

However, once Finding Sarah was accepted, my editor urged me to include the prologue, as it would tie the book to Sarah's.

I've posted it on my website as a sneak preview. (Check the Free Reads section in the LINKS column.)

Next time: I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Debra Dixon this weekend. I'll post some of the highlights later. Please check back.

Counting Down to Starting Over

Less than two weeks until the August 16th release of Starting Over.

Although it's my third release with Cerridwen Press, it's the second book I wrote. Colleen McDonald, a character in Finding Sarah, insisted on more page time. I felt bad since I'd cut so many of her scenes out of Finding Sarah that I gave her a book of her own. I'll be posting bits of interest on my website and here as the release date gets closer.


If you haven't read Finding Sarah, there's plenty of time before the 16th! If you have read it, drop me a line (honor system) and I'll send you a quick, whimsical short-short. My email address is to the right of this page, and there's a link on my site. There are two free reads with Colleen on my site. You can get there via the Links column on the home page.

Happy July 4th

What I'm reading: Taking the Fifth by J.A. Jance

What I'm writing: Revised opening scene and Chapter 2

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July. We usually have a quiet day. It's too hot to spend time outside, and besides, we can step into our driveway and watch theme park firework displays for free. In honor of the holiday, I've posted a short story about a special birthday party on my Free Reads section of my website. It's written from a child's point of view, something different for me. There's a new contest for July, too.

Speaking of point of view, after re-evaluating my opening scene for my next book, I decided (ok, both my critique partners suggested and my editor agreed) it needed to be written from Sarah's point of view, since she's the character with more at stake in the scene. Randy just wants to get laid. That meant the second scene wasn't needed, so it was one of those days where you write and end up 100 words behind where you were the day before.