I hope you guys will excuse me for being missing in action, but I’ve really been clobbered with deadlines at work, writing deadlines and something very exciting: My daughter is opening her own business!

As you can imagine, life in my household has been topsy turvy. So I’m going to be taking off for the rest of the week to deal with all that craziness. I’ll be back on Monday with more and some info about my daughter’s exciting new venture.

It’s a busy year for me and my vampires. THE CALLING/REBORN returns on October 15 with KISSED BY A VAMPIRE! I’m so excited, especially after seeing the sexy cover and how they’ve worked in the South Beach setting for this book!

Be ready to BE REBORN because after this THE CALLING returns with a vengeance with books in February, May and July 2013.

But first, I’ve got a little free read for you from HER VAMPIRE LOVER, my October Nocturne Cravings erotic paranormal romance novella. I just loved this story because it was more about the seduction than the sex. I also fell in love with Gregori, a true hero in every sense even though he was a vampire. Something about him just called to me to give him a really happily-ever-after ending and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here.

Her Vampire Lover Erotic Paranormal Romance Excerpt

There is Man Candy and then there is a real man. One who despite incredible odds, manages to achieve his dreams. That man is Oscar Pistorius. Handsome, courteous, daring and determined, he is the epitome of the Olympic spirit that has been lost to the participation of professional athletes and those who are legends in their own minds.

Oscar, you didn’t make the finals, but you will always be a winner to me! God bless.

If you can’t see the video below, you can click here to watch it.

For more great photos of Oscar, you can click here to visit his Facebook page.

What the hell is a meme? According to Wikipedia it’s an “idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”

Translated into English, it’s those damn funny photos that people have altered to give us all a little laugh.

While my daughter and I were watching the Olympics this week, we took some time to cruise a Facebook page just chock full of some funny Olympic meme moments.

Warning, some of these may contain spoilers, but I hope the others will bring a laugh or two!

Have a great weekend!

We are so lucky to have with us today my friend and fellow author Jenn Nixon! Jenn is here to share with us her latest release, LUCKY’S CHARM.

Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state ofNew Jersey.

You can find out more about Jenn at www.jennnixon.com, www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor, and on Twitter @jennnixon.

Teaser

To protect her family and find a killer, Felicia “Lucky” Fascino assumed her adoptive father’s identity and joined the network an organization of moral assassins to finish the job he began. Eliminating the man responsible for murdering her mother has consumed her for the last five years. While keeping her Uncle Stephen and cousin Elizabeth at arm’s length, Lucky begins to feel the weight of her career choice and reclusive lifestyle. Then a chance encounter with an enigmatic hit man, during one of her jobs, turns into a provocative and dangerous affair. Distracted by the secret trysts with Kenji Zinn and mounting tension within her family, Lucky makes reckless mistakes that threaten her livelihood and almost claim her life.

Excerpt:

Things get complicated for Lucky as her feelings for Kenji bubble to the surface…

“I’m not…good at this anymore.” Lucky puffed out a heavy breath and clutched the phone. “I can’t wrap my mind around it. I’ve really tried to forget you.”

“Why?”

“Because, I can’t want…this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Be with someone while doing what I do. Sharing my life… I haven’t for a long time. I don’t see how I can do it with—”

“Another killer?”

That stopped her cold. Lucky shut her eyes and banged her head against the wall. Not only was it the oddest conversation she’d ever have, it frightened her because he was dead on.

“Why add to the torment?” she snapped.

“Being with you was far from torture.” His reply was husky and saturated with innuendo. Lucky ignored the ripples of electricity on her skin.

“We’re not good people, Kenji. I’ve already accepted that, but I think you’ve still got blinders on.”

“No, I have a sense we are more alike than you realize. I know why you eliminated McKowen. He was a vile man.”

“Yeah… We might be the bad guys, but we’re never the villains.” Lucky softened her tone. “We’re not heroes either, just stuck in the middle somewhere.”

“This is what we do, not who we are. It does not change what happened between us. We should not ignore this.”

“I don’t know….” The contact with him did something to her, but finding the words to explain it seemed impossible. Lucky did want to see him again, though, not for all the right reasons. “Where are you, right now?”

“Miami,” he said immediately. “Let me come to you, wherever you wish.”

“I….” The confusion twisted through her. He was determined without being forceful.

“The choice is yours. Call me after you complete your task,” he said without demand.

“Okay.”

Check out the book trailer for LUCKY’S CHARM!

I hope you’ll excuse the lack of Man Candy this morning, but I got in late last night and there are so many exciting things to share!

The RWA National Conference was such fun! Thanks to all of you for your support at this nerve-racking and exciting time as I waited to find out if THE LOST would be the winner in the paranormal category. It wasn’t unfortunately, but the crowd support at the awards and all your support over these many months has been wonderful. I truly appreciate all the kind words and encouragement.

My friends and publisher sent me some lovely flowers to commemorate the big RITA moment! Here’s Spottie with them in our hotel room.

Congrats to all the other RITA nominees and to Thea Harrison for the RITA paranormal winner, DRAGON BOUND. For a full list of winners, you can click here.

Like I said, I had a blast at the conference. The Literacy Signing went great and the Convention Center was full of readers meeting the many authors who were there. Here is a picture of me with two of my buddies, Cathy Tulley and K.M. Fawcett.

The rest of the conference just flew by in a whirl. There were lots of meetings and workshops, hanging with my awesome California buddies, dinners and lots of fun things.

I have some photos for you and will be loading more as I get them from friends! You can click here to check them out.

Again, thanks for your support and many words of encouragement. It is truly appreciated. If you attended the conference, I’d love to hear about your adventures.