Live to Love on the Edge Blog

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13 Things That I’ve Learned About Myself

Every now and then I take stock of myself in the hopes of improving who I am. I sat down last night and considered what things I had learned (or relearned) about myself so here goes:

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?

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Traditions, Navajo Mythology, and Raven #giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of having with me my dear friends and fellow authors Aimee and David Thurlo who are here to share with us the inspiration for their latest Harlequin Intrigue, POWER OF THE RAVEN. Please welcome Aimee and David and also, check out the cool giveaway they have going on to celebrate their new release. For more information, you can visit David and Aimee at www.aimeeanddavidthurlo.com.

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.

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Breakfast #giveaway at LSF Writers Create Magical Conference

Just a reminder that I’m still accepting entries to the win breakfast with me at the Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference.

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!

Create Something Magical Conference

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#ManCandyMonday Inspiration for THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE #suspense

Working hard on final touches to my June Nocturne Cravings, NIGHT OF THE COUGAR, but also hard at work on THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE which is my upcoming romantic suspense from ENTANGLED PUBLISHING. THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE will be part of their new DEAD SEXY line and I’m really excited about it.

The story is filled with glamour at a themed Atlantic City casino and also adventure as the sexy casino owner, Prince Alexander Ivanov, and determined FBI Agent Samantha Martinez try to discover if money laundering is going on at the casino and battle their attraction to one another.

I thought I’d share some visual inspiration for the two (who also kind of remind me of Jesus and Michaela from HONOR CALLS!)

Love that very alpha look on Alexander’s face. Also love that Samantha will surely wipe it off as their romance develops during the story!

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I am sooooo Shameless Blog Hop & #Giveaway

Many thanks to Jen at Red Hot Books, Brie at Romance Around the Corner & Michelle at Michelle’s Book Blog for starting up this blog hop for those of us with more mature subject matter. I am so looking forward to visiting with everyone to check out their fabulous offerings!

If this is your first time at my blog a big WELCOME to you! I write paranormal suspense and romantic suspense and have now dipped my toes into the waters of erotic paranormal romance. In fact, my first erotic paranormal novella, AMAZON AWAKENING, hit the stands in December and my second, NOCTURNAL WHISPERS, hits the digital shelves on February 1. Come back on Feb 1 for the start of my release party.

But for now, welcome to the Shameless Blog Hop which wouldn’t be complete without some delicious Man Candy!

For those of you visiting on the Blog Hop, please put SHAMELESS ANSWERS as the subject and send an e-mail to cpsromance at att dot net with the answers to the following questions:

What is the name of the hero in AMAZON AWAKENING?
What is the name of the heroine in NOCTURNAL WHISPERS?

I will pick a winner from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $10 Itunes Gift Card as well as an ARC for THE CLAIMED (Book 2 in the SIN HUNTER series, coming out in May 2012).

If you cannot see the list of participating blogs below, you can click here for the complete list.



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Thursday 13 with Melinda Leigh and Rayna Vause

AMAZON HEATThank you, Caridad, for letting us take over your blog today and share some information about our new release, Amazon Heat.  Since it’s Thursday Thirteen here on Caridad’s blog, we thought we’d stay on topic and share thirteen lines that were edited out of our story. While there were a few lines that Melinda and I really loved, in the end it created a strong book to either remove or revamp the text.

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 9th 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

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Jenn Nixon’s Trust Me, Tell Me & a #giveaway

Jenn NixonIt’s always great for me to share my friends and fellow writers with you and today it is my pleasure to have with us Jenn Nixon! Jenn Nixon is one of my wonderful friends at the Liberty States Fiction Writers and she is here today to tell us about her latest release, TRUST ME, TELL ME. Jenn is also offering up a copy of one her e-books to one lucky person who leaves a comment on this blog by midnight PST on Thursday, January 19. Without further ado, here is a little teaser for Jenn’s book.

Mason Storm is set to marry Veronica Chance in seven days. When he receives a mysterious text message he immediately packs and leaves without saying a word to anyone. After meeting with his former boss, Mason knows his past has finally caught up with him. In order to clear his name of false charges he returns home to Boston ready to put the issues to bed. Veronica, however, isn’t making it easy. She’s determined to help despite his claims of being the only one to make things right. As the investigation intensifies, Mason is captured and Veronica holds the key to his release. Will she make it there in time to save him and their wedding or will everything fall apart?


Excerpt

Mason sat on the edge of the bed, pulled out the pre-paid, and stared at it for a few minutes, trying to think of the right words to say so he wouldn’t outright piss Veronica off. Eventually he tapped her number into the phone and hit call. He didn’t even hear it ring on his end.

“Storm?”

“Yeah, Veronica, it’s me.” He shut his eyes, picturing her face, keeping him calm.

“Good thing you called, I was checking flights,” she said. He smiled, imagining the cute way her brow furrowed when she was ticked. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay.”

“Are you safe?”

“Yes, I’m safe…making headway.”

“I found something.”

“What?” His eyes popped open, body leaned forward and tensed. Paper rustled in the background.

“This Todd Jackson guy is on the evidence logs from the Masterson case—”

“I know.”

“Did you know he and Ben Carter worked together during your case?”

“A passing memory of it, but that’s not important.”

She huffed. “Well did you know there are only three business cards logged in from her purse?”

“Three?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck.” Mason knew every single piece of evidence tied to the Masterson case. They accused him of stealing her clothing, the actual police reports, and the lipstick from her purse. The business cards weren’t even mentioned during his trial. More proof his gut was right. Someone was covering up Tiffanie’s murder.

“Yeah,” she replied, snarky. “Still don’t want my help?”

“I appreciate it, but no. I don’t. I’ve got everything under—”

“So you know the other piece of evidence that’s really missing that’s not in your case file?”

Mason sighed. She wasn’t giving up. Deep down he loved her more for it but wished she’d let it go. He’d never forgive himself if she became a target. “No, I haven’t even touched the Masterson file, Veronica. Tell me.”

“The first time we talked about it you said you sent a piece of her skirt with a blood stain to the lab. Well it’s not in the evidence logs or the final lab report. It never got processed.”

“Son of a bitch,” he spat, ran his hand over his skull. He was so screwed. “Anything else?”

“Not much else I can do from here.”

“It’s more than enough already. Thanks.”

“Don’t shut me out, Storm. You know I can help.”

“I’ve already got too much on my mind…you gotta let me do this my way. Give me a little more time—twenty four hours. If I’m not closer to figuring this out you’ll be the first person I call.”

“I don’t believe you,” she said. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me, Storm. I’ve never pried because I didn’t want to be that girl, but you’re not making this easy for me.”

“Please, Veronica, you have to trust me. I need to stay focused.”

“I won’t get in your way, Storm…be careful,” she replied, sniffled.

His gut twisted, but didn’t change his tune. “I will. And I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay.”

“Hey. I love you.”

“Me too,” she said then ended the call.

The pit in his stomach increased, a frown creasing his mouth as he stared at the phone. Her attitude toward him was already changing, and not for the better. He had little time to resolve this and get back to his life before the rift ripped them apart.

Mason refused to let that happen.

About Jenn Nixon

Jenn Nixon resides in New Jersey. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Liberty State Fiction Writers. Her love for thrillers and suspense often finds its way into her novels whether they are Science Fiction or Romance. When not writing, Jenn spends her free time reading, absorbing pop culture and current events, and social networking online.
Website: www.jennnixon.com
Blog: http://jennafern.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor
Purchase at Amazon: Purchase TRUST ME, TELL ME at Amazon
Twitter: @jennnixon

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