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Discover Diane Escalera’s Dangerous Desire & Giveaway

Over ten years ago, Kensington Publishing launched the short-lived, but innovative, Encanto Latino romance line. The women who came together to write for that line formed the Encantadoras sisterhood. A sisterhood that has continued for many of us through the trials and tribulations of the publishing world.

That’s why it’s so exciting and joyful for me today to have with me Diane Escalera, one of my writing sisters. Diane is going to share with us her new release, DANGEROUS DESIRE, from Lyrical Press.

Please welcome Diane today! To help celebrate the release, I am offering up a $10 gift card and a copy of THE LOST to one lucky reader who leaves a comment by July 21, midnight PST (I want to give my California friends the time to post!)

About Diane Escalera

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, I relocated to South Florida, a sultry paradise I instantly fell in love with. Unlike most authors, I didn’t know I was destined to write. In fact, I worked in banking for many years, but deep down knew that it wasn’t my dream job.

At the young age of thirty-five, my sister died of an illness. I realized the same thing could happen to me. There are no guarantees. I couldn’t waste another moment doing something I didn’t love.

Writing was one of my greatest joys when I was growing up. While still working at the bank, I decided to enroll in an intensive course where I learned everything I could about the craft. It didn’t take long before I left the bank to pursue a writing career.

Still living in South Florida, I’m married, have two children and a super cute Dachshund I can’t get enough of. I feel truly blessed to be able to share my stories. I only wish I could have shared them with my sister.

Dangerous Desire will be available on July 18th at Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Digital Bookstores everywhere. The Print Edition comes out in October.

Please visit www.DianeEscalera.com to learn more about my sexy tales. I love to interact with readers! “Like” my fan page at www.Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial. Follow me on www.Twitter.com/DianeEscalera.

DANGEROUS DESIRE Excerpt

In full view, Cruz stripped off his sweaty black tee and Sienna nearly had a heart attack. Jesus Christ. The men at her gym would’ve despised him.

Her eyes slowly drank him in. Good God. He had the sexiest bod she’d ever seen. Taut and tan, his muscles were chiseled in a way that gave his dimensions beautiful symmetry. Tori would’ve been impressed. She’d always preached about the importance of muscle balance. Some men took it to the extreme. Not Cruz. He sported a tapered waist with shredded abs, V-shaped torso, and arms that made her drool because, if she had to pick a favorite body part, arms were it.

He used the dirty shirt to dry sweat off his gorgeous frame. Her eyes followed his movements, stopping at the bulldog tattoo etched on his sculpted pec, with the word Marines below. He’d been in the service, a kickass Marine. How hot!

He busted her checking him out.

She yanked her eyes away. Jeez. Her face probably looked as red as it felt.

Holding up a fresh shirt, he shook it out a few times. The sound of fabric caught her attention. Her gaze slid that way again. Okay. Sound had nothing to do with it. She just had to look one more time. He pulled the shirt over his head. Terrific. Now he wore a white muscle shirt tailor-made for his ripped physique. The thing should’ve been outlawed.

Wearing a sly smirk, he combed his fingers through his short, spiky hair. Running down the inside of his arm below his rock-hard biceps, he had another tattoo, this one with five small Chinese symbols. What a unique spot for a tattoo, and unbelievably sexy, like everything else about him.

Even his name sounded hot.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and snapped his door shut. He didn’t look at her, but then, he didn’t have to. She knew he knew what kind of effect that little display had on her. Oh yeah. He had it written all over that smug face. He might be a soaking-wet dream she didn’t mind entertaining on a nightly basis, but she didn’t have to be so obvious.

Sienna grabbed her seatbelt and tried to latch it.

“Damn,” Cruz mumbled, as he watched her struggle with the belt. He turned on the ignition and flipped the air conditioning to the highest setting.

She looked at his face instead of his sinewy arm. It took willpower, because those arms really did it for her. “Is there a trick?” The mechanism wouldn’t click into place.

“I keep forgetting to get that thing checked,” he said. “Don’t usually carry passengers except for Roman.” He looked back at his dog and grinned. Roman sat on the bench seat patiently waiting to go bye-bye.

“It doesn’t work at all?” She preferred to wear a seatbelt, and not just because of the law. South Florida had some loony drivers.

“It just takes a little maneuvering,” he replied. “Let me give it a try.” He turned all that magnificence toward her and reached across her chest.

Holy crap, he was totally in her face, his delicious body stretched across her lap. She held her breath and pressed her back into the seat, felt his weight, smelled his soap and baby shampoo. Her every cell fell under his spell. She tried to find her voice. “Any luck?” she squeaked out.

They were eye-to-eye, his mouth so close that if she puckered her lips, that would be it. His gaze traveled downward. He tilted his head like he wanted to kiss her. Uh-oh. She hadn’t made out in years. She probably sucked at it by now. A magnetic intensity pulled her to him, and she had a feeling she’d relearn pretty quickly. Her body buzzed with sexual urgency. Not once in her life had she felt this consumed, this desperate to feel a man’s lips on hers.

Whew, is it hot in here or what? I hope you enjoyed Diane’s visit. Feel free to leave questions and comments for Diane and the giveaway.

Also, if you feel like chatting, I’ll be at the Writerspace chat room tonight at 9 pm EST. Stop by for some fun and prizes!

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13 Places to Visit in New York City

With the Romance Writers Conference arriving in my hometown on June 28th, look for me to start offering up some tips on Eats, To dos and To Sees! Look for Countdown 2 #RWA11 starting on June 1 on Twitter and my Facebook Fan Page.

But today I’m sharing some other favorite places to visit in New York City. I work there every day and for the longest time really didn’t get to see this amazing city. Once I decided to become a “tourist”, I discovered lots of different little neighborhoods, restaurants and sights to see. It’s one of the reasons I set THE CALLING in Manhattan – to offer up views of all the unique neighborhoods.

So here goes!

When you think of New York you probably imagine there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the city that never sleeps. You’d be right, but tucked amongst all those skyscrapers are oases of green and calm. Here are some of my favorites.

    1. Tudor Greens
    2. Union Square Park
    3. Central Park
    4. Bryant Park

I’d list Gramercy Park in there, but unfortunately this park is open only to those who pay an annual fee and possess a key to enter. Ugh.

Next up – America’s story locations. Unless you’re a Native American, your ancestors came here from somewhere else and New York City is a vibrant part of that immigration story. So be sure to visit these locations to learn more about America’s famed melting pot and experience some of the flavor imparted on New York by its immigrant populations:

    5. Statue of Liberty
    6. Ellis Island
    7. Tenement Museum
    8. Museum at Eldridge Street
    9. Chinatown
    10. Little Italy

To experience the hustle and bustle, from both on the ground and above, these locations can’t be beat:

    11. Empire State Building
    12. Top of the Rock
    13. Times Square

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Thursday 13. If you’ve been to New York City, take a moment to share some of your favorite places to visit.

Tomorrow, look for the winners of the prizes from last week’s live video event, news on the next live video event and a chance to win an autographed copy of Margaret Mallory‘s THE GUARDIAN!

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The Thirteen Lies I Use To Protect My Heart

We’re still celebrating with my month long birthday bash and today I’m lucky to have with me Rachel Firasek whose latest release is PIPER’S FURY. Rachel had a chance to chat with Piper and since it’s Thursday 13, Piper is sharing with us the 13 lies she uses to protect her heart.

But first, Rachel is being kind enough to offer a copy of an e-book if you leave a comment and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or her website.

And now for a short blurb about PIPER’S FURY and Piper’s list for Thursday 13.

Blurb

It’s an empath thing…

Using your “powers” to help the Dark Hills Police Department hunt down serial killers doesn’t leave much time for dating. Not that Piper Anast is complaining. The last thing she needs is some guy brushing up against her and pumping his pornographic thoughts into her head.

When she meets Bennett Slade, a sexy, tormented vampire, Piper stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter. She can’t leave the kid to the evil surrounding her unwanted visions, nor can she resist her draw to Slade. He’s the first guy she’s been able to touch vision-free in, well, forever.

As she and Slade close in on the evil creature holding his daughter, Piper’s powers morph into a deadly fury. To save Slade’s daughter-and herself-Piper must face down demons she never knew she had and trust the one thing she keeps from everyone.

Her heart.

The Thirteen Lies I Use To Protect My Heart by Piper Anast

1. Slade is Ugly…no it’s a lie, it is. The man is gorgeous. His eyes reflect a storm above the mountain when he looks at me. Major hunk.

2. Slade’s mean. He’s mean to me. Nope, that’s a lie too. He’s really very nice. And polite. Too polite, it’s annoying!

3. He can’t cook. LIE! He cooks better than most women in America, he has years of practice. Hundreds of them.

4. Slade, is kind of cold-hearted. That’s not true either. He has a pure soul. He’s an open book until he tried to protect me from all the baddies in the world.

5. He’s a chauvinist. Well, other than keeping me away from death–dang, that’s not true either. He let’s me be a complete feminist.

6. He’s not sexy. If you like perfect muscles, tall and mysterious, I guess he would be considered sexy, but I don’t. *averts eyes from the crowd*

7. He doesn’t show any interest. Maybe he’s not into me as I’m into him. That’s not true. When he looks at me, when he kisses me, I know he more than just wants me.

8. He doesn’t take care of his kid. It’s true. She gets kidnapped when she’s a year old. I mean, who lets that happen? That’s mean, even for me. He adores this kid. It’s breaking his heart.

9. I tell myself that we wouldn’t be good for each other. Why would a gal with a temper need somebody kind and calm? It’s just not a good fit.

10. I’m not ready for a relationship. I mean, I’m only 24. I’ve never even dated. But, that’s because men are pigs. Well, except for Slade. He’s the first man I’ve ever met that hasn’t dirtied my mind with torrid visions.

11. I can’t move in with him. He lives in the mountains. Oh, who am I trying to kid. It’s the perfect place for an introvert like me.

12. If I were to get with Slade, I’d have to leave Mabel. She needs me. I mean who would drag her home from her many meetings, outings, and socializing?

13. I lie to myself. I lie to my friends. I lie to everyone because I don‘t have any feelings. Biggest lie yet. I love them all, but I can’t let them know that. You see, when you admit it, when you voice it and lose it, it hurts worse. I’ll just keep it locked inside and when they pass or leave, I’ll be able to keep a piece of them with me.

Thank you all for letting me share my chronic lying problem with you. Piper Anast, signing off!

Thank you Rachel and Piper for visiting with us today!

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B’Day Bash & Contest!




It’s my birthday and I want to celebrate with you by offering up a $25 bookstore gift card to one lucky visitor. Just leave a comment either here or on my Facebook Fan Page for a chance to win. If you haven’t already done a “Like” on the Facebook Fan Page, please do so. It’s another way to keep up with what’s happening.

I’ll be dropping by later since I’ll be off at the Philadelphia Flower Show with my sis and my daughter. I’ll have photos of the flowers for you later this week.

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Creating a Facebook Landing/Splash Page

Many thanks to fellow author Amy Atwell for providing her advice on how to setup a cool Facebook landing page. If you follow these steps, you will be able to provide new visitors with more information than what’s available on the regular Facebook wall (see below). This splash page will be visible to anyone who has not “Liked” you yet.

How do you create such a landing/splash page?

You will need to use Facebook’s FBML language, which is basically HTML code. If you’re not familiar with HMTL don’t worry. If you are using either WordPress or Blogger, you can use the regular editor to create a draft of the page that you want. When you’re done, disable rich text editing or the Visual editor and what you’ll see is the HTML code for what you just laid out.

Step 1: Search for FBML and you’ll find a user for that. “Like” them and add their “App” to your Fan page.

Step 2: Return to the Fan Page. At the top below your name you will see “Edit.” Click on “Edit.” You will see a list of items on the left hand side of the page. Click on “Apps.”

Step 3: This will bring up a list of added “Apps.” FBML should be down on the bottom. Click on “Go To App.” This will open up a blank page where you can either type your HTML if you know how to code or where you can cut and paste the HTML that you created with your blog program. Make sure to also give the page a title, like “Welcome!” Some things to remember:

    The page width is about 500.

    To get paragraph returns, use a < BR > (without the spaces).

    You can use tables and other more complicated coding, just keep the page width in mind.

    Keep the title short as there is not much space on the sidebar.

Step 4: Once you are done with the HMTL coding, click on “Save Changes” down at the bottom.

Step 5: Click on “View Page” and when you reach your Fan Page, look at the left hand side below your profile photo. You will see a list of available items. Click on the name for the FBML page you just created to view it. If it looks good, proceed to Step 6. If not, go back to Step 2 and repeat to tweak your code.

Step 6: To make this your “landing” page for people who have not yet “Liked” your Page, Go to “Manage Permissions.” This choice is located near the top of the items on the left hand side of the page. Down toward the middle of the page in the choices, you can choose which of your pages to make the “Default Landing Tab.” Choose the FBML page you just created.

Step 7: Logout and then go back to your Fan page so you can enter Facebook like someone who has not yet done the “Like.” This will let you see this new landing/splash page. Once you have done a “Like”, you will not see this landing/splash page again.

You can also use the FBML App to create additional pages with content for your readers! Visit my Fan Page to see what kinds of goodies are available.

Hope you found this useful! Feel free to share it with others.

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Increasing Backlinks to Increase Website Traffic

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts will tell you that one of the most important things you can do to increase website traffic and improve search engine listings is to increase the number of backlinks to your website.

What is a backlink? Backlinks are incoming links to a website. Backlinks are also one way that Google determines PageRank in order to assess the popularity of a website. (Did you know Page is actually the name of Larry Page, the inventor of the ranking algorithm?)

Wondering how your website ranks and how many backlinks there are to it? Click here for a nice backlink checker that also provides a ton of other info.

So how can you boost backlinks?

1. Exchange links to your website with others. List them on your links page in exchange for them linking to you. If you’ve got a book/author/writing related website to share, leave a comment with it and I’ll add you if you’ll add me!

2. Article submissions. Writing articles in your area of expertise or about topics of interest are a great way to create backlinks. E-zine Articles is a great way to do this. You can check out some of my articles by clicking here.

3. Social sites (Facebook, Twitter and Myspace) and social bookmarking are also great ways to create backlinks and it doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Applications like Hootsuite and sites like Ping.fm allow you to propogate multiple sites. Make sure to bookmark important pages on your site to Digg, Delicious and Stumbleupon, but also remember that “social” bookmarking is about being “social”. Share fun and interesting links as well via these sites.

4. Video submission sites are another manner in which to generate backlinks to your site and your uploaded videos.

5. Get listed at the various search directories like dmoz.org, Alexa, Google, Bing and Yahoo. This will assist in making sure that these search engines spider your site. This will help boost where you appear in their listings.

6. Guest blogs and comments on blogs also help create backlinks to your site. While every blog/website has a different method for leaving comments, try to use choose the method that allows you to leave your name and URL.

I will leave you with those tips for now, but I also invite you to drop by later today and visit with me at the Carina Press blog where I will be chatting about AZTEC GOLD and what inspired the story, including my own personal fear which influenced the herione’s character.

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