Hi all!  It looks like Hunted is up for a Reader’s Choice award, and I’m up for a favorite author award over at Grave Tells.  Voting ends May 30th at midnight.  I’m neck and neck with a couple of my friends.    If you get the chance, CLICK HERE TO VOTE.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Here in the states we celebrated Memorial Weekend.  I celebrated, wrote a bit, and watched some movies.  ‘One for the Money’ and “This Means War’ kept me more than entertained! 

Finally…later this week we’ll have a character interview with Moira Dunne  – the witch from Hunted.  And…chapter 1 from Consumed should be posted soon on my FB page – so keep an eye out!

Hi all!  Well, I hit 2000 likes on my FaceBook page yesterday, and had to celebrate!  We celebrated by revealing the cover for CONSUMED (Book 4 of the Dark Protectors) about a month earlier than planned. 

Consumed is Katie and Jordan’s story–those western cougars are wild and fun!  I believe the release date is July and hope to have a confirmation of that very soon. 

For now, enjoy the cover.  It’s a bit different than the other covers–Kensington is shaking things up a little bit!

Hi all!  Today is release day for Hunted!  YAY!  And Tempted is still a free download from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ITunes, etc., so get yours while you can!  Even if you don’t have an e-reader, get the free “Kindle for PC” program from Amazon–I use mine all the time.  So, readers have sent in a couple questions that I thought I’d answer about Hunted:

1)  How do you think the average reader will relate to Moira, who’s a witch?  Well, I relate to her, and I’m not a witch.    Basically, Moira is in a situation that we all find ourselves in at some point (or at many points) in that several different paths are spreading out before her, and she needs to choose one.  Her people expect her to lead, her mate expects her to join him, and she wants to be an enforcer.  The cool thing about Moira is that she has the ability to find a way to do all three.

2)  Is Conn as over the top Alpha as the rest of the vampires?  Yes.    But Conn has a surprisingly sweet side that I think made for some cool scenes.  And as the ultimate soldier, he really doesn’t need to throw his weight around.  He’s smart, and he’s a good guy, and most importantly, he’s in love with Moira.

3)  What’s your favorite line from the book?  Well, it’s out of context here, and I can’t give you context or it’ll ruin some surprises.  But my favorite line is:  With a flash of speed and the shattering of glass, Connlan Kayrs leaped through the window.

4)  What’s your favorite short blurb?  This is a tough one, but I’ve always liked the following:

Conn tugged Moira to straddle him.  His lids half closed.  “No,” he murmured very softly.  “I want all of you, Moira.”  A deep breath lifted her to settle back in place.  “For now, your neck would be enjoyable.”  Twin fangs dropped low.

A guttural growl escaped him and she shivered.  Fighting the urge to clear her throat, fighting the need to run, she gingerly set her hands on either side of his wide shoulders and leaned down.  He threaded his free hand through her hair, tightening his hold and turning her head to the side.

Something natural, something feminine in her sighed, relaxing.  He had her.  And deep down, where certainty lived, she knew he wasn’t letting go.

Okay – I’m off to get ready for the book launching party today.  If you’re in the Cd’A area, stop by Gourmet Way between 5:00 and 7:00 tonight to say hi!

PURCHASE HUNTED

The Free Read is now over – congrats to everyone who got a free copy.  If you missed the window…the price is still discounted, but not free.

Hi all!  One of my facebook pals just let me know that TEMPTED is a free download today over on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ITunes, etc.  (Click on the link).  My publisher is celebrating the release of HUNTED, which is tomorrow.  I didn’t know it was going to happen.  I’m sure the novella won’t be free for long.  If you don’t have a copy, swing on over and grab one.  Even if you don’t have an e-reader, you can read on your computer. 

My name is Izzy and I interview book characters.  Many people say I’m a character, myself.  *Snort*.  That’s nice of them.  I’m hoping Rebecca lets me interview a bunch of her characters–I can’t wait to be in the same room with all of those hot vampires.  MEOW.

So, I’ve been wanted to interview Max and Sarah ever since TEMPTED came out, and I finally got a chance to sit down with them at a brand new coffee shop in my town.  If you’ve read my earlier interviews, you know why I had to find a new coffee shop.  Max arrived early and we got started.  Here’s the transcript of the interview, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in:

ME:  Thank you so much for meeting me here!  I know how busy you are.  Where’s Sarah?

MAX:  Ah, Sarah’s on her own time schedule.  She had some stuff planned with the queen and said she’d be here on time.  But ‘on time’ for Sarah means about five to ten minutes late.

At this point I should probably tell you a bit about Max if you haven’t met him yet.  He’s huge with a very slight Russian accent.  A bodyguard to the king and then to Janie, Max is pretty formidable.  Brown eyes, dark hair, and he has that tough guy look that makes people not bump into his chair in a coffee shop.

ME:  Okay, that’s fine.  So, you finally found your mate, huh?

Max blushed.  I mean, he really blushed.  Suddenly he went from looking like a hot killer to a sweet guy.  I wanted to punch him in the arm or give him a noogy.  I think I’m in love.  (Yeah, I know he has a mate.  But give me a second for a fantasy here.)

MAX:  Yes.  Sarah was being chased by some Kurjans, and I went after her to help.  Well, there are a few more details involved there, but it’s Realm business and I can’t really talk about it.  Um, is it hot in here?

ME:  You know your story is in a book, right?

MAX:  Aren’t you funny?  There’s no book.

So Max doesn’t know about TEMPTED?  What’s up with that?  Then he stiffened and glanced toward the door.  A curvy brunette skirted several tables to find her way to us.  Max instantly held out a chair and she sat.  Max introduced me to Sarah.

ME:  Hi Sarah, thanks for coming.  Max says you’re always late.

SARAH:  (After elbowing Max in the gut).  Not true.  What did I miss?

ME:  Not much.  Max was just telling me about you running from Kurjans.

SARAH:  (After giving a huge shiver).  Yeah, I saw one, nobody believed me, and I was sent to an asylum.  I escaped, and well…everyone came looking for me.

ME:  I’ve heard the Kurjans are still a big threat and that they’ve upped their attempts to get to Janie Kayrs.

The air seemed to change around us.  Max lost the charming look, his eyes glinting.  Finally, I could see the Russian hunter Dage had trained to kill and defend.  No way did I want to give the guy a noogy now.  I shivered.

MAX:  The Kurjans won’t get Janie.  Ever.

SARAH:  We have excellent security…there’s no way the Kurjans will come close.  Max, stop scaring the nice reporter.  Though, those Kurjans are creepy.

She shivered again.  Max frowned and asked Sarah if she was cold.  She said kind of.  So Max offered to go tell the coffee shop people to turn up the heat.  (Keep in mind, it was about 70 degrees in there).  Sarah said no.  So Max scanned the entire shop, decided it was safe, and headed off to get both Sarah and me some warm coffee.

ME:  Wow.

SARAH:  Yeah, I know.  The war makes them all tense.  But underneath the big, bad, tough-guy killer exteriors, the vampires are nice guys.  Well, most of the time.  Well, sometimes.  Well, ALL the time with their mates.

ME:  That’s nice for their mates.  You’ve read Tempted.  What’s your favorite line from the novella?

SARAH:  That’s a great question!  Well, we’d just met and he saved me from several scary Kurjans.  Then he tracked me through the woods where it had been raining, and I was freezing when we found shelter.  And, don’t tell him, but I was kind of scared of him.  You should see him fight.  Well, here’s the line:

Two strides and he shoved her over.  “Don’t panic here, darlin’.  But we’re about to snuggle.” Quick movements had him under the blanket, turning her to spoon against him.

SARAH:  The idea of the big guy using the word ‘snuggle’ just threw me.  He was so dangerous and so sweet at the same time.

ME:  Okay, that is really sweet.  So how is life at Realm Headquarters?  You’re a teacher, right?

SARAH:  Yes.  Oh my goodness.  I love teaching there.  But I have to tell you, going from teaching a bunch of young kindergarteners to teaching humans and a bunch of young shifters is a huge leap.  The shifters will shift right in the middle of class.  I’m having so much fun!

Her eyes sparkled and her entire face lit up–and I could totally see why Max adored her.  Yeah, they belong together for sure.  Then Max returned and gave us both coffee, once again scanning the coffe shop for threats.

ME:  What are you looking for?

MAX:  Talen told me that trouble seems to follow you, and I’m looking for problems.

I started sputtering.  I mean, really sputtering.  The only trouble I’d ever had was caused by Talen causing problems.

SARAH:  Don’t worry, Izzy.  We all know that reporters have dangerous jobs.

Even the Realm women were in the dark?  Then I noticed the amusement in her eyes.  Oh.  Yeah, she got it.  So I shared a smile with her and nodded.

MAX:  We have to get going in a minute because Conn’s heading over to Ireland to fetch his mate, and I’d like to say goodbye.  Though I’m sure Conn will be home with her soon so we can keep her safe.

ME:  Isn’t she a witch?

SARAH:  Moira is a very powerful witch…and I don’t think she’s the type to be ‘fetched.’  Something tells me their meeting is going to have some powerful fireworks involved.

MAX:  (After shrugging).  Doesn’t matter, sweetheart.  Love always wins…you know that.

At this point Max got a call and said they had to go.  But that was all right with me…I’m heading out to pick up my copy of HUNTED.  I SO want to see those fireworks.  See you next time!

I’ve been so busy finishing book 5 and promoting Hunted that I’ve ignored my blog a little bit.  I apologize and will try to do better.  There will be some character interviews coming up that I think might be fun.  Lately I’ve had a few readers write to ask about the writing process, so I thought I’d give a quick lowdown to people who are just starting to write, or who are curious of one process.  (Keep in mind that everyone is different).  So for me, it goes like this:

1)  I sit down and have a fun idea for a scene to write.  It’s usually the first scene of the book, of how a hero and heroine meet, so I just write it.  Yes, I have about 10 first scenes written right now that I’d love to turn into full length books at some point.

2)  Then…I have to figure out who the heck these people are, what they want, and what’s going to stop them from getting what they want.

3)  I write the book.  Beginning to end.  The first 25,000 words, I love the book.  The second 25,000 words, I hate the book.  The remaining 40,000 words, I just want to get the book finished. 

4)  After that first draft, I go back and add anything I’ve missed.  Then I go through and clean up/edit the book.  Then I print it out and do a hard copy edit–then go make those changes.

5)  The book is mailed in hard copy to my amazing agent.  She writes all over it (sometimes phone numbers or grocery lists) – once in a while there’s crayon or sports stickers from her kids.  (I love those).  She also sends editorial notes…like, expand this idea, or bring this out more…stuff like that.

6)  I make those changes and email the manuscript to my wonderful Editor.  She reads it, accepts it, and then emails some editorial suggestions, which I make.  Then if we don’t have a title chosen, we choose one.

7)  Months later, copy edits arrive.  Copy edits are commas, punctuation, misused words…(did you know that pistoning is not a verb?  Yeah?  Well, I didn’t.  Now I do.)  Copy editors are amazing and catch stuff most of use would never catch.  I love copy edits.  So, I go through and either agree or disagree…and then those go back usually within 7-10 days.

8)  Then, usually, we have a cover.  YAY!  This is always fun.  Then coverflats arrive!  Months later, usually ARCs arrive.  (Advanced Reader Copies).  These are the book without corrections and are sent to reviewers and used in contests.

9)  A few weeks after that, page proofs arrive.  Page proofs are a stack of papers that show what the book will actually look like on the page.  These have been typeset in, so there are some mistakes.  I go through it, and about 4 other people at the publisher go through it to catch any mistakes.  These are due back within 7-10 days.

10)  Finally,  my awesome editor sends me early promo copies of the actual book–usually around 6 weeks before release day.  (I also get author copies according to contract, but those come closer to release day).  Then…RELEASE DAY.

So, that’s a snippet of the publishing process.  At least, it’s a snippet of the process so far for me.  I hope that clears up the questions anybody sent.  Have a great weekend!  And remember, HUNTED releases NEXT TUESDAY! 

She jumped up.  The bedroom door probably held a lock.  “Yes.”

The plane rocked when he slid to his feet, blocking her path to the bedroom.  “Then apparently I’ve ignored my responsibilities long enough.”

He loomed over her.  She had two choices – either knock him aside or take a step back – and only a split second to decide which one to make.  The rational decision was to step back and reason with him.

F*!* reason.

Now, I think I need to tag some folks.  So I’m going to tag Sayde Grace, Bonnie Paulson, and Lynn Rush.

Happy Friday!  I’m so glad the weekend is here – well, almost.  I’ve been working hard on Consumed page proofs as well as finishing up book 5 (Kane’s story)…and suddenly, April is upon us.  Guess what happens this month? 

Yep.  Hunted releases.  So, to celebrate Hunted’s release and update everyone on where the heck I’ve been the last month, I’m giving away a copy of either Fated or Claimed over on the Brava blog today.  Now, you have to leave a comment on the Brava blog for a chance to win.  The contest is open world-wide, and I’ll leave it open all weekend.

So…head over there and say hi.  Thanks! 

The first chapter is actually a prologue where it shows the first time Max met little Janie and agreed to be her bodyguard.  This was entirely off the path he’d chosen to go hunt Kurjans.

Then the book starts with Max having to hunt down feisty Sarah Pringle, a teacher who’d been unfairly sent to an insane hospital because she saw a Kurjan and nobody would believe her.  Of course, Max may have an ulterior motive for seeking out Sarah…

Here are the ‘buy links’ in case you’re interested.  Tempted is an e-novella (Currently priced at $2.99) that you can download to any of your e-readers OR your computer.  I hope you enjoy!

• Amazon
• Barns & Noble
• iTunes
• BAM

Hi all!  It’s spring break and I’m in Maui.  No, I don’t feel bad telling the world that I’m not at home.  We have a buddy (ex-soldier) house sitting and watching our two dogs (Dobermen).  So…anyone wanting to steal my very cool Krups coffee maker will be in a world of hurt if they try. 

We’ve had a wonderful time so far–even went to dinner the first night and saw about five whales jumping and playing in the ocean.  It was amazing.  So I thought I’d share five things I’ve wanted to say but haven’t so far:

1)  Dude. If your speedo is so tight it disappears in rolls, you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep wearing it.  (A.K.A.  My eyes!  My eyes…)

2)  Lady.  If you’re so intoxicated you can barely walk…don’t walk by the pool.  I mean, splash.

3)  Yes, honey.  Sand can get caught in all sorts of places.  But isn’t body surfing fun?

4)  To my sister who went running on the beach at 4:00am yesterday:  You’re freakin crazy.

5)  Hey buddy.  My eyes are up here.

This leads me to illustrate how cool my husband is.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I tore the tendons in my foot and have been in a boot since January.  Well, I took it off last week.  Keep in mind that January was months ago and I haven’t run, walked, or worked out in any way.  And now…I’m in bikini land.

I tried on one pieces and tankinis…and they don’t work for me.  Don’t know why, just wrong body type.  So I went with the bikinis…eesh.  Yesterday we sun-bathed out at the pool, and I yanked on shorts to go up to the little bar.  (Most of us always yank on shorts and don’t walk around in a full bikini, ya know).  Well, I passed several people, got my drink, and returned sighing about my not-worked-out-in-too-long thighs.

Tony lifted an eyebrow and said, “Honey, believe me, I was watching and nobody was looking at your legs.”

Oh yeah!  The benefits of a bikini.  HA!

I’ve been leaving a quick blurb from Tempted on my facebook page every day…as well as talking about the trip.  Drop on over there and ‘like’ to keep updated.  Have a good weekend.