Happy Almost Halloween Weekend!

I'm participating at the Halloween Blog-a-Thon over at Paranormal Romantics. Each hours is filled with a guest post from a different author. I'm slotted for the 11pm blog spot, and you should all drop by and visit me! But you should also drop by and visit some of the other bloggers. Every individual blogger is hosting a giveaway and then the blog-a-thon hosts have a big giveaway. Grand prize will be winners choice: A Kindle Touch, or a Nook wifi, or $100 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Pretty huge! So don't miss out!

Here's the schedule of events:
Sat Oct 29^th
09 AM                     Ashlynn Monroe
10                           Alianne Donnelly
11                            Beth Caudill
12 PM                      Christa McHugh
1                              Debra Anatasia
2                              DL Jackson
3                              Felicia Rogers
4                              Heather Long
5                              LK Below
6                              Lisa Beth Darling
7                              Mima
8                              Monette Michaels/Rae Morgan
9                              Deena Remiel
10                           Rhonda Print
11                           Sondrae Bennett
12                           Robert C. Roman
Sunday Oct 30
9AM                       Danielle D. Smith
10                           Megan Hussey
11                           Lyric James
12PM                      Silke Juppenlatz
1                              Stephanie Beck
2                              Tarah Scott
3                              TC Archer
4                              Tricia Schneider
5                              Erika Scott
6                              Hailey Edwards
7                              Annie Nicholas
8                              Rebecca Royce
9                              Stacey Kennedy
10                           Sara Brookes
11                           J. Hali Steele
Midnight                 Closing comment

September Reads

September was the month of re-reads for me. While recommending reads on a forum, I pulled out a few titles I hadn't read in years and years and suddenly had a craving to read them again. Imagine my surprise when the month ends and I realized I didn't read anything new in the entire month! So, although I need to finish the last book in a series I reread this month, October is going to be a month of all new reads for me (minus the one book which I've already finished LOL)! So here were my reads for September:

Amber Beach by Elizabeth Lowell   5+/5. This is the first book in the series, and one of the best romantic suspense books I've ever read. Truth be told this whole series is really a home run. I highly highly recommend this book.








Jade Island by Elizabeth Lowell  5+/5. Probably my favorite in the entire series. This book really has it all, compelling characters, a fast paced plot that draws you in from the beginning, and everything in between.

 Pearl Cove by Elizabeth Lowell 5/5. Not quite as superb as the other books in the series, but well deserving of a five. An excellent addition to a great series.













Sea Swept, Rising Tides, and Inner Harbor By Nora Roberts. All three 5/5. One of Nora Roberts best in my opinion. Having already read the fourth one in the first few days of October, I can tell you that I did not want this series to end. I just wanted to continue seeing into their lives. An excellent example of everything a contemporary romance can be.



So those were my September reads. What were yours?

And We're Good!

Alright, it seems like most of the major tweaks have been fixed. There might still be a few minor ones needed in the upcoming days, but I think the design held up pretty well in the transfer. It's a bit more whimsical than the previous one. A bit softer. I also have a few tweaks planned for my website and when I finish with those, the blog and the website will feel more connected. Not the same, but the color scheme is similar.

What do you think of the new blog design?

Under Construction

I'm going to be uploading a customized template today to the blog. Since I've never done this before, I ask for patience if things look a bit...off today. Hopefully it will be easier than anticipated and up and running before we know it!

Exciting News!!!

I can't believe it's already the end of September! It doesn't seem real to me. Time has just flown by way too fast. But some exciting things have happened this month. The most exciting being...

drumroll please

 I contracted my fourth book!

Lyrical Press has offered me a contract for the fourth book in the Alpine Woods Shifters Series, Worth Fighting For. Right now, the release date is set for July 9th. And since I know some of you who read Arctic Winds have been requesting it, I think you'll be pleased to know this book is about the local fox Premier, Cody!

Here's the working blurb:

As leader of a fox skulk, Cody is used to feeling protective of his people. But when his best friend, Misty, gets attacked, the panic he feels has nothing to do with duty. Suddenly, he’s noticing Misty as a woman instead of the girl he grew up with. Is he willing to risk their friendship to pursue a relationship with her?

Misty has loved Cody for years, but he’s always viewed her as one of the guys. She’s tried everything to show him how perfect they would be together, without success. Now, he’s looking at her like she always dreamed he would. But every time she gets close, he pulls away.

Neither see the danger lurking in the background. Someone is plotting against the foxes, leaving them all in jeopardy…especially Misty. Can Cody overcome his fears in time to save the woman he loves? 

Already, I've started working on my pre-edits and I'm so excited. I think this story is going to be a really special addition to the series! To celebrate, I'm being taken out to a fancy restaurant tonight. It's been a long time since I was able to put on a fancy dress and go out, so I'm looking forward to it very much. 

I also just got back from a girls weekend to Universal Studios in Orlando (yes, I went to Hogwartz), but I'll save that story for another day. I'm hoping to get some of the pictures before I write about it so I can share with you all, but I wasn't the one with the camera and so far haven't gotten them. Soon hopefully! 

Until then, hope you all have a good last day of the month and a good upcoming weekend. Anyone have anything fun planned?

Dog Behavior

As many of you who've been following this blog or any of my other social networks know, I recently moved. Not only did we change location, but we also moved from a house in the suburbs to an apartment in the city. Needless to say, the amount of space we have was cut exponentially.

Now, this really wouldn't be a problem. It's actually quite nice if you ask me. But someone in the family seems to be less than pleased. At least, I'm assuming that's the cause of the most recent development.

One of our dogs, the youngest, has developed some new behavior issues. Not only has he started chewing on the furniture (so far we've caught him before he's ruined anything), but he's been stealing things. And shoes are the least of it. He did ruin a pair of slippers, but he's also danced around with a couple bras in his mouth, multiple pairs of socks, underwear, and plastic water bottles. Yep, water bottles. They don't even need to be empty. This morning, I must have left a cabinet or a door open, because every few minutes he'd have a new one in his mouth. Luckily, we got them away before he sprayed water all over the house.

The logical conclusion is that he's not getting enough exersize. But believe me, that cannot be the case. We're at the dog park or beach at least once a day, more often two, and boy do those dogs get run ragged. They end up sleeping half the day away. But as soon as he's up, he's back to his bad behavior.

So, that's what I've been dealing with. My biggest concern is not that he'll destroy something, but that he'll eat something and get sick. We've already had to deal with that when he ate a rock and needed surgery to get it out. Not the smartest dog in the world, hehe. At the moment, I don't have a good idea to stop the behavior. Right now, we've resorted to blocking him in the kitchen while we're away, and keeping a close eye on him when we're home.


Anyone else had to deal with this kind of thing? How did you take care of the problem?

What I Did on my Summer Vacation...

I feel like I should be writing a book report about what I did this summer since I've been MIA for the past few weeks. The truth is far less exciting than it sounds though. Truth is, even though summer is usually a good time for me to catch up on reading, I didn't even do a whole lot of that this year. I did spend a fun week with my friend at her summer cottage off of Lake Michigan, which was a lot of fun. And I moved across the country. Literally. I am now residing in Sunny California! It's beautiful here, but definitely an adjustment. I still feel like I'm on vacation, not that I'm in my new home.

But all in all, things are good! Chasing Paradise was released last month, and I've been hard at work preparing The Wolf Within for its November release date. I also completed Book Four in the series, Worth Fighting For. No release date for that yet. Next on my writing plate is the first book in a new series. Don't worry, I'm not through with the Alpine Woods Shifters yet, just throwing something new into the mix. :)

As for the books I've read this summer...

June:

 Her Commander (The Orion #2) by Cathryn Cade. 6/10. Not as charming as the first book, but still an enjoyable read.

 Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (IAD #3) by Kresley Cole. 10/10. I didn't think Ms. Cole could top No Rest for the Wicked, but she just might have here. I say might because I don't know that I could choose. Both are great books. If you haven't read this series and like Paranormal Romance, I highly recommend it.

Dark Needs at Night's Edge (IAD #4) by Kresley Cole. 8.5/10. Not as good as the last two but still a solid addition to the series. Another great read.



July:

 Never a Princess, Always a Frog by L.K. Below. 8/10. Very nicely done short story. There were a few points that were breezed over, but overall, a great read.

 Hidden Star by Nora Roberts (reread) 10/10. Just as good as I remembered. Loved this story and the characters.

 Dark Desires after Dusk (IAD #5) by Kresley Cole. 8/10. I really struggled with this one. It was good, don't get me wrong, but probably my least favorite in the series so far.

 Captive Star By Nora Roberts (reread) 6/10. I remember this was my least favorite when I first read these books years and years ago, and the same was true here. Had a hard time relating to the characters.

Anchor by Jorrie Spencer 7/10. I really liked the uniqueness of the story, and the main characters. The story really captured me and drew me in. The only reason this didn't receive a higher rating, was that there really wasn't any romance in this romance book. They kind of tacked it on at the end, but it didn't feel natural or complete.

August: (as you can see I went through a superhero romance phase)

 Doms of Dark Haven 2 (Western Nights). 7/10. HOWEVER: Two of the stories in here I loved loved loved. The only reason this didn't get full marks from me was because one story I hated. I couldn't even finish it. I bought the book specifically for the Cherise Sinclair story and although I wish it had been longer, she didn't disappoint.

 Screw Superman (AKA Screwing the Superhero) by Rebecca Royce. 10/10. I absolutely adored this book. One of the best books I've read this year. I highly recommend it.

 Banging the Superhero by Rebecca Royce. 8/10. Not as good as the first, but still a fantastic read. I will definitely be buying more from Ms. Royce.

 Who Wants to Date a Superhero by R.G. Alexander. 7/10. This was a fun read. I really liked the heroine and I love R.G. Alexanders use of reality tv in her books. Recommended for anyone who likes superhero romances.

 Bunny and the Bear by Eve Langlais 6/10. I really liked this book but there were a few things that tripped me up. I don't want to give anything away, but I wish she'd run with the idea of a bunny shifter instead of...well, if you read the book, I think you'll see what I mean. Also, the use of pie in reference to a woman's sex was a bit strange. And when both characters used it independent of the other, it threw me off. Overall, a cute read, and I will read more from Eve Langlais in the future, but there were a few things that threw me off about this one.

Okay, I think I'm caught up now! Whew, guess I read more than I thought (although still a bit short from usual).

What were your favorite summer reads?