Whoa, that was a mouthful! I know it’s hard to believe, but all that can be yours for $40 at the Create Something Magical Conference on March 17 in Woodbridge, New Jersey. The conference is being run by my home writing group, the Liberty States Fiction Writers!

If you’re a writer, you get all of the above as well as an assortment of workshops on the craft and business of writing, plus your choice of appointments with over 20 editors and/or agents. Yep, 20 editors and/or agents waiting to hear your pitch in a variety of fiction genres.

But first, please take a moment to visit with me at the Fantasy Pages Blogspot of Author Denyse Bridger where I am chatting about some of my latest books and my NOCTURNAL WHISPERS Release Party!

Many thanks to those of you who have already downloaded NOCTURNAL WHISPERS and those who have agreed to review it!

To celebrate the release, we’re going to be having a month long release contest. To be eligible to win a $25 Gift card, copies of AZTEC GOLD and THE FIFTH KINGDOM plus a LOST T-shirt and an awesome tote bag, just login to the contest form below and click on each of the links to earn a total of 8 points! I’ll be picking the winners on March 1.

If you can’t see the contest form below, please visit http://www.caridad.com/2012/02/01/nocturnal-whispers-release-party/.

I totally respect your privacy and any and all information gathered for entry into the contest will not be shared or divulged to any third party. You will not be automatically added to my newsletter signup by entering this contest. If you do wish to receive my newsletter, you can sign up here:

I’ll be picking 5 lucky readers to have breakfast with me on March 17 as part of the Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference. How can you enter? just e-mail your registration confirmation with the subject BKFST WITH CARIDAD to cpsromance at att dot net before February 1.

As for #giveaways, I’ve picked a winner for the SHAMELESS BLOG HOP! Congrats to THROUGHTHEHAZE who has won a $10 Itunes card as well as an ARC for THE CLAIMED (Book 2 in the SIN HUNTER series, coming out in May 2012).

Now it’s time for today’s Tuesday Tip, something I haven’t done in a while. Today’s Tips are actually for readers because I hear so often, “How can we help you?”

Well, I think most authors should understand that with today’s economy, a lot of people can’t run out and buy your book right away. But there are lots of ways that readers can support authors that they like and here’s how:

1. Drop them a note and let them know. I absolutely love hearing from you guys and chatting with you is one of the best things that’s happened to me.

2. If an author has a release out, let your friends know by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. If you have read the book, leave a review on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads or any of the other sites which permit reviews.

4. Blog tours are lots of fun, but they’re even more fun when people take a moment to leave comments. I really appreciate all of you who take the time to visit with me and do that!

5. If you get a newsletter and think you have a friend who would like it, forward it to them.

So there you go, five easy things you can do to help with the care and feeding of your friendly neighborhood author.

The three of us shared the soup plus a huge corned beef sandwich. Took half the sandwich home for the next day’s lunch!

Hope you’re doing something fun this weekend! Remember that today is the last day to get your entries in for the Shameless Blog Hop.

See you all on Monday with another piece of Man Candy!

1. I like helping people because I like people, not because I expect to get something in return.

2. I’m tired of visiting New York as a commuter instead of a visitor.

3. When I see someone who is more successful than I am, I ask myself what I can do to try and be as successful and fight back the green monster of envy. Envy and coveting what others have is never good.

4. I believe success is the reward of hard work.

5. I love writing novellas.

6. I am trying hard not to plan my spontaneity.

7. I am loyal and some people take advantage of that at times, especially at work.

8. I need to learn to be more assertive.

9. I let disappointment interfere with my creative process more than I should.

10. I still hope that one day I can be a full-time writer.

11. I understand that I still have a lot to learn about writing.

12. I wish I knew more about what kind of promotion and publicity works.

13. I’d like to try something radically different this year. Something I have never done before (besides writing erotica, which I’ve discovered is lots and lots of fun!)

What about you? Are there any things you’ve discovered about yourself lately that you’ve been surprised about, upset over or liked?

POWER OF THE RAVEN

When you write stories that focus on places and the people who live in them, as we do with our novels about the southwest, people often want to know how we get ideas for the next book.

Our February release for Harlequin Intrigue, “Power of the Raven,” is a story that came to us when we were walking around Old Town in Albuquerque and saw a small, beautifully carved fetish in a storefront window and stopped to admire it. According to tradition, a fetish is more than just a carving. It’s a symbol that is said to capture the essence of the animal and impart those qualities to its owner.

Out of that moment came a storyline about a hataalii, a Navajo medicine man, Hosteen (mister) Silver, who fosters troubled Navajo boys, giving them a new life and future. On their sixteen birthday, each of the boys receives a gift – a special fetish carved for them. Gene Redhouse, the hero of Power of the Raven, carries a bear fetish. A bear fits Gene because bear’s power is made strong in solitude. Though Bear has a dark side, he also stands for confidence and inner stillness.

“Power of the Raven” centers around Gene, now a man, on a path that will test the limits of his courage.

I’ve always had a special affinity for animals, and the lore that surrounds each fetish is something I find particularly fascinating. One of my favorites is Raven.

Raven’s magic brings the power needed to take your dreams, give them time to form, then make them a reality. Raven belongs to the inner world, that place where we protect the part of us that’s often injured by the sting of rejection. Raven becomes a powerful ally who encourages us to embrace the shadows because they’re also part of who we are.

I find that especially beautiful, because as authors we have to dig into memories of pain as well as triumphs to make our characters come alive. The process can be difficult and leaves you feeling vulnerable at a time when you most need to protect yourself. Not everyone will see what you want to do in the story you create and the words you use to do it. There will be harsh comments, and judgments. You have to be able to take the blows, smile, and keep going. It can hurt – badly – but like a famous teacher once said, ‘It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down – only how many times you get back up.”

Each of the Copper Canyon stories will feature a hero and heroine who has, or will receive, a very special fetish in the course of the book. As the characters learn about their new spiritual brother, the reader will go on their journey with them, and maybe some will find their own fetish – an animal carving that will remind you of your own uniqueness, and the power that resides in each of us.

To celebrate its publicaton we’re having a very special giveaway – a handcarved raven fetish signed by the artist, Amos Pooacha. Mr. Pooacha is confined to a wheelchair and makes his living carving these very special fetishes.

Please write me at ADThurlo at aol dot com, specify you want to enter our drawing, then Feb. 29th we’ll announce the winner on our web page, and of course, that person will immediately notified via e-mail.

I’ll be picking 5 lucky readers to have breakfast with me on March 17 as part of the conference. How can you enter? just e-mail your registration confirmation with the subject BKFST WITH CARIDAD to cpsromance at att dot net before February 1.

But wait there’s more good things happening at this conference for readers! If you register before February 1, you are automatically entered for a chance to win a Sony E-reader. In addition, Secret Cravings Publishing is donating a gift basket with a Kindle and assorted offerings from their publishing house. All registrants receive free raffle tickets for an assortment of gift baskets.

But wait, there is more! We have free books for all attendees from Avon, Grand Central Publishing and others. Plus, readers can take part in a number of genre panel discussions with bestselling authors such as Larissa Ione, Jonathan Maberry, and Virginia Kantra just to name a few and attend a wonderful welcome dessert reception at a very special Lady Jane’s Salon as well as a book fair and hot hors d’oeuvre and dancing at the end of conference party.

You must be thinking, what will all that cost me? How about $40? Yep, $40 for a fabulous one day reader’s event. If you’re a writer, take advantage of all of the above plus a wealth of writer-oriented panels and a luncheon with keynote speaker Larissa Ione. Cost for writers is $120 for non-members.

To register for the conference or get more details, please click here!

1.)                She wasn’t here. He should be glad. In his head he knew the odds that Elizabeth was still alive were astronomical. But his heart couldn’t let her go.  His motives were entirely selfish.

2.)                Was Elizabeth was out there, somewhere? Alone. If she was he’d find her body and he’d bring her home if he had to spend the rest of his life digging in muddy holes like this one.

3.)                Half a dozen towering women, clad in warriors’ leather tunics, surrounded a gurney. Bows, quivers and spears draped muscular torsos. Despite the coolness of the cave, their bare limbs glistened with sweat. A hunting party, recently returned.

4.)                Areta, the Queen’s lieutenant, stepped out of the corridor. Her muscular six-foot frame was dressed in the simple leather tunic of a warrior, her jet hair pulled back in a thick braid.

5.)                Amazon Queens rose through military ranks. As befitting a former warrior, Phoebe did not tolerant insubordination.

6.)                Her independence, contrary to Amazon culture, set her apart from the rest of her clan.

7.)                What did Sherlock Holmes say? When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth… But all this brought new meaning to the word improbable.

8.)                Despite the very real fear the Amazons would hunt her down and kill her, she’d covertly searched for an exit with no success. Even if she did find the corridor, she wasn’t an Amazon. How would she get it to open? She simply had to find a way. She couldn’t let them do this to Logan. What they were planning was nothing less than imprisonment and rape.

9.)                He cannot be set free, but we have learned that caging such a brute for the long term presents difficulties. He looks to be intelligent.

10.)             He may have been unconscious, but he knew he’d been on death’s doorstep oh, say about an hour ago.

11.)             One dunk in the Sunny D and he was perfect, no rebuilding necessary. Steve Austin would be jealous as hell.

12.)             Logan licked his lips. Heaven tasted like Sunny D.

13.)             The queen’s betrayal firmly slotted Elizabeth into her outsider role. The whole time they’d been calmly discussing Logan’s future, Phoebe neglected to mention she’d ordered him to be moved.

There were a variety of reasons these lines or portions of lines were deleted. Some were too telling, and we needed to rewrite the text to show the events more effectively.  Others were repetition of something else we already said. Several times our editor simply opted to not use a particular pop culture/literary reference.

We’ve had a blast writing and editing this book together. Now let me tell you a little about what you will find in the book.

AMAZON HEAT released January 9^th from Carina Press.

Two years ago, ethnobotanist Dr. Elizabeth DeMarco, driven by grief to find a cure for cancer, left her lover mid-proposal to accept a position on a research expedition to the Amazon Rainforest. Kidnapped by guerrillas, she was saved by warriors from the secret all-female civilization of the ancient Amazons. She has been kept prisoner since in the Amazon’s supernaturally hidden valley.


Despite Elizabeth’s rejection, anthropologist Logan Spencer never stopped searching for her.  While consulting on a mass grave uncovered in the remote Brazilian interior near the place Elizabeth was kidnapped, Logan falls from a cliff.  On the brink of death, he is collected by the Amazons and magically healed. When Logan wakes, the first person he sees is his beloved Elizabeth.  Unfortunately, their reunion is less than joyful. The mystical medicine is changing Logan.  But there’s no time to study the side-effects. The Amazons plan to steal Logan’s DNA, then kill him.  Logan and Elizabeth must escape before dawn or Logan is doomed.  Getting him out of the hidden valley won’t be easy.  The Amazon’s supernatural powers make the task all but impossible.

Buy it at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance EBooks

Melinda Leigh is a mom, a dog lover, and a second degree black belt in kenpo karate. In addition to writing paranormal romance for Carina Press, she is also the author of She Can Run, a kindle bestselling romantic suspense released in November 2011 from Montlake Romance. Find out more Melinda: website / facebook / twitter

Rayna Vause is fascinated by the paranormal and she loves a good romance as well, which probably explains why these two elements perpetually crop up in her writing. When she takes off her writer hat she is a martial artist, video game lover, Disney enthusiast, and a Pop Tart aficionado.  Find out more about Rayna:  website / facebook / twitter

Melinda and Rayna blog together at http://AttackingThePage.com

Do I believe? Yes.

Have I ever seen a ghost? No.

Do I want to? Heck no!

Well, let me rephrase, if the ghost was Kipp McGowen—a sexy cop who wanted to seduce me—then maybe.

Truth be told, I’m a total scaredy-cat when it comes to things that go bump in the night. I find the idea of ghosts thrilling and interesting, but I prefer to enjoy ghosts by sitting on my couch and watching others walk around in the dark calling to spirits.

I’m completely addicted to the television shows, Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State. I’ll tell you this, though, no amount of money could lure me to walk into a graveyard or an old building to invite ghosts to talk to me.

Now just the other day I saw a movie trailer for Paranormal Activity. Needless to say, I shut my eyes and covered my head with the blanket. Amusing, right? I write about ghosts so why am I afraid? Well, I don’t write about those ghosts. I like to believe that ghosts are friendly, happy people looking for help to crossover.

Isn’t that what’s great about being a fantasy author? I can choose which type of ghosts I get my characters involved with. They’re definitely not the scary ones who will force poor Tess to need an exorcism. I’ll leave those terrifying spirits to the experts that are crazy enough to want to find them.

So tell me, are you a natural born ghost hunter? Would you be out in that graveyard, or would you be like me hiding in the car?

In thanks for stopping by and chatting today, I’m offering up one copy of the ebook Supernaturally Kissed (international). Leave your email address with your comment to be entered. Don’t forget to come find me on Facebook and Twitter. I love to chat!!

Kipp McGowen, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, will stop at nothing to gain her help, including using his ghostly charms to seduce her.

Tess must help solve the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid, because solving the case will save Kipp. But a bigger problem presents itself. Tess is falling in love with a ghost. Now she must decide. Keep Kipp forever or find the killer…

EXCERPT

An icy wisp of air swept in behind me, causing my heel to twist as I stumbled. To the other pedestrians striding along the downtown Memphis street, the sensation would be brushed off as a cold breeze.

They were wrong. A spirit lingered here.

“Can you hear me?”

From the intrigue rolling in his voice, he hadn’t expected me to acknowledge him. Shit! I’d already given myself away. A mistake I’d rectify.

Without hesitation, I righted my stance and strode forward with purpose, forcing myself to remain deaf to the voice. If I ignored ghosts long enough, they moved on and searched out someone else who held the same irritating ability, whom I had yet to meet.

Much to my annoyance, the ghost stayed right on my heels and his presence remained strong behind me. The cold air at my back remained a contrast to the warm morning air in front of me. Every hair on my neck stood up and goose bumps pimpled a trail along my skin. If only I could rub them away, but I didn’t dare. Ignoring him would make him go away.

“You can hear me, can’t you?” the ghost asked again.

Spirits were typically harmless, but annoying. I’m dead, what’s going on, why am I a ghost—yada, yada, yada. I quickened my steps and made my way down Peabody Place in hopes he’d leave me alone.

“Wait.”

He sounded desperate, which meant a big headache for me. If I hadn’t worn my damn slingbacks, I would’ve tried to run and hide. But the three-inch Manolos and the tight, tailored gray skirt restrained my movements.

I passed Miss Polly’s Soul Food Café, and the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs drifted along the air. My empty stomach complained. My only thought after I woke had been caffeine. Now I wished I’d grabbed a muffin with my latté at Starbucks. With ten minutes to get to my desk, I couldn’t worry about such things.

My boss, Event Manager Dylan Cobb, would hand me my ass if I stepped into the office a minute late. Sadly, there’d never been a day I didn’t cater to his every need.

I approached Beale Street and sighed in relief, relishing the warmth surrounding me. Not only from the sun above—the spirit’s cold presence at my back had vanished. Pleased my dodge of him had worked, I took a sip of my energy in a cup and smiled. Coffee’s fantastic, the ghost is gone—life is good.

Another block passed under my heels before I reached the historical red-brick building. Randall Marketing, written in black block letters, decorated the striped green-and-white awning.

I opened the door to the office and strode in, greeted by a bubbly voice. “Good morning, Tess.”

“Mornin’.”

“Give me a moment here.” Doris shuffled paperwork around her desk, her auburn curls bouncing on her shoulders. The receptionist had always been messy, yet somehow organized. “There were a few messages on the voicemail for you.” She raised her head and held out the pink slips of paper. “A lovely day today, is it not?”

“Sure is.” So I lied. The ghost hadn’t kicked off my day on a high note. Not as if I’d tell her about my interaction with spirits. My ability to converse with spirits remained on a need-to-know basis, and as far as it concerned me, no one needed to know. I grabbed the messages from her hand. “Did your weekend treat you good?”

“I spent the entire weekend knee-deep in my garden.” Her cocoa-colored eyes lit up. “My best year ever, I’m hoping. You’ll have to come out and have a look-see.”

“I’d love to.” Doris treasured her gardens, so I tried to appear interested, even though my green thumb looked black.

Her smile brightened, but when the phone rang, she waved a goodbye and answered the call. “It’s another beautiful day here at Randall Marketing, how may I direct your call?”

Leaving her behind, I strode down the hall toward my office and sipped my coffee. The warmth slid down my throat and provided an immediate rush to my energy levels. At the third door on the right, I entered my bleak workspace with its pale-blue walls, closed the door behind me and approached the desk. I dropped down into the black leather chair and flipped through the messages. None were urgent enough to worry about now.

I powered up my computer, but a knock at the door had me glancing up. Before I got a word out, the door swished open and I cringed, fully aware of the looming trouble.

Caley, the officer manager and my best friend since the age of four, looked like a typical Barbie. Perfect skin, long flowing blonde hair and a body men drooled over. I might have been jealous of her perfection since I couldn’t pull off her looks even with a makeover—so maybe a little envious—but her appearance had always been a front. She was the devil in disguise.

She scowled, shutting the door behind her with a slam. “Do you mind explaining where you were all weekend?”

“At home.” I batted my lashes. “Why? Did you try to call me?”

She pointed her finger, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t you try that shit on me. I called you all weekend and your phone went straight to voicemail.”

“Hmm…” I pretended to ponder. “The battery must have died.” She had enough gall to just come over, but the little hint had been a subtle way of telling Caley to leave me alone.

“Liar.” She plopped down in the seat across from my desk. “Where were you? I wanted to go out.”

“Nowhere. Honestly, I vegged on the couch.”

Caley snorted. “You lead such an exciting life.”

My mouth parted to offer a snappy retort, but a cold wisp of air brushed across my skin, causing my lips to snap shut. Damn! I thought I’d got rid of him.

“Hello.” Caley snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Leave the aliens behind and return to Mother Earth.”

I blinked, trying to force my attention back to her, yet failing. The ghost knelt right beside Caley—not kneeling, of course; more like floating, since ghosts were never able to obtain physical contact with the world around them—and my focus held strong on him, unable to stop myself from ogling. He stared intently, with one crystal-blue eye, while the other was a chocolate color. His strong jaw, the muscles clenching along his cheeks, all spoke of power. But as he ran his hand through his untidy sandy-colored hair, his expression showed playfulness. His black tank top left his arms exposed and muscles upon muscles layered those arms.

“Anyways,” she said, dragging my gaze back to her. “I had to go out with Susanne because you left me high and dry.”

I laughed. Caley’s horny, twenty-year-old stepsister had the body that men chased after. “You did have the option to stay home, you know.”

Her eyes widened. “On a Saturday night?”

“Yeah, you know, get some popcorn, watch a movie and relax.”

She frowned. “If you don’t stop your grandma behavior, your va-jay-jay is going to shrivel up and die.”

The ghost chuckled.

His smooth laugh hit me like a cup of warm cocoa, causing my insides to melt. Nothing amused me. First off, Caley had been so wrong—maybe a little right—but I’d never admit to her accuracy aloud. Second, reacting in such a heated way to a ghost definitely didn’t hit my to-do list today.

“Excuse me.” I spoke not only to Caley, but also to the irritating ghost. “My va-jay-jay is just fine.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’ve still got some spunk.” She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Because we’ve got a double date tonight.”

“A what?” Dear God!

She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, my dearest Grammy, we’re going out.”

“With who?”

“Two guys I met on Saturday night. You’re coming with me, either willingly or unwillingly, so suck up your hesitations, babe, because saying no isn’t an option.”

“But it’s a Monday night.” Not saying a date didn’t sound like fun. A month had passed since my last attempt at dating—which failed miserably—but a man Caley chose while drunk? No thanks. My sex life might have been as dead as the sexy ghost in front of me, but I’d still search for a way out. “I have to work tomorrow.”

She wagged her finger in classic Caley fashion. “You’re a grandma.”

Most times, I respected her persistent personality. She never backed down, always dreamed big and went for the gold, but her grit hadn’t been all rays of sunshine. Her determination made her annoyingly tenacious. I had to agree or she’d never give up, and getting her out of my office sounded all too good. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, stop looking so pissy. We’ll have fun. Promise. I’ll come to your place at eight.” She opened the door, glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Leave the granny panties at home.”

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart-squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and they even give you a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll also find fast-paced action, life-threatening moments and a big bad villain who needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance eBooks bestseller lists.