This past week, I stumbled upon the recipe below on a fave blog. It looked yummy. It looked simple enough (which is important–I’m no Betty Crocker). So I gave it a shot yesterday.

The results?

This soup is To Die For delicious! Seriously.

The recipe can be found HERE.

Now, I will admit, I tweaked it a little. I added more garlic than the recipe called for, and I skipped the parsley. I also skipped the thickening. The soup was as thick as it needed to be. I also added some shredded sharp cheddar to the top of each bowl. Insanely good. If you’re a potato soup fan, you must try it.

• Looking into my crystal ball What will the future of publishing look like? Some folks have theorized that the end of an era is upon us. There’s talk of publishing’s evolution, from a world dominated by a handful of large publishing houses to one in which smaller houses are able to compete. Much of the......
• Writing Conference: NJRW Put Your Heart in a Book Join us at the 2010 NJRW Put Your Heart In A Book Conference! Boost your Creativity and your Career! October 22-23, 2010 Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, NJ Registration begins June 15th! Sharon Sala: Keynote Speaker Robyn Carr: Luncheon Speaker Leanne Banks: Special Presentation (* For first 100 registrants) Bob Mayer:......
• Blurby goodness It took me all day yesterday, but I have FINALLY come up with a blurb for Lust's Temptation that I'm happy with. I'm hoping the folks at Ellora's Cave, and, more importantly, my readers agree! Lust’s Temptation Tawny Taylor Book Two in the Masters of Sin series. Troi and Amun—one......
• Excerpt: Girl Enslaved [/caption] Jamie Purdue has her vacation all planned out. She’s going to watch movies on Lifetime and do a few odd jobs around her parents’ place. Little does she know that Brad and Logan, two gorgeous acquaintances with to-die-for bodies, have other plans for her. And none of those plans......
• Cover Pretty! I just received a very pleasant surprise in my mailbox yesterday.  A bundle of cover flats for Blood of Eden. First, can I just say...SQUEEEEEEEE!!! Okay, not that I have that out of my system, I'll post a copy. Note: the typeface is gold foil. It's not scanning very well.......

• Roast Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe With the Holidays coming up a good mashed potato recipe is priceless. You have to allow a little extra time for this Roast Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe due to the time it takes to roast the garlic. I roasted the garlic ahead of time because I had to use......
• Lazy Man's Healthy Tomato Sauce Are you the type of person who goes to the store and grabs a jar of Ragu and puts it in your cart? I used to do that. Week after week, I would grab whatever cheapest without regard to the nutritional label. What can I say, I'm Lazy? One day,......
• Spaghetti Ala Oglio: Yummy Pasta Recipe This is a very simple recipe called Spaghetti Ala Oglio. Oglio is Italian garlic infused oil that is used to dress spaghetti or spaghettini.  This is a very simple alternative to the usual tomato sauce or creamy sauce.  The base of this sauce is olive oil. Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive......
• Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup Recipe   It has been a long time since I cooked anything with barley in it. This Beef Barley Soup Recipe caught my eye, it sounded really good, and with the cold temperatures we’ve been having here in upper Michigan this week. I have had a very busy schedule and......
• Cheesy Pineapple Salad This pineapple cheese salad is a tasty alternative to the boring salad that we often eat. It is very easy to prepare and will not require much ingredients too. Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Sugar 1 Tbs. Flour 2 Eggs 1 Large Can Pineapple Chunks 1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese 1 Cup......

1. The Stir Daily Ten (a daily newsletter featuring ten general interest articles) The Stir Daily Ten [thestiremail@cafemom.com]

2. Decorating – BHG.com (a weekly newsletter featuring short home decorating/interior design articles) Decorating – BHG.com [decorate@email.bhg.com]

3. Kristen Lamb’s blog (a daily newsletter for writers, featuring short articles about writing/publishing) http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/

4. Metro Parent Publishing (a weekly newsletter featuring a calendar of events/activities for families with children. Metro Parent Publishing [metroparent@metroparent.ccsend.com]

5. HGTV Inspiration (a weekly newsletter featuring short, useful home decorating/interior design tips. HGTV Inspiration [inspiration@newsletters.hgtv.com]

• Sharing some info: Grant for young unpublished writers Grant For Talented Youth We would like to announce the official launch of the C.A.Milson Award For Talented Youth. The first Grant by C.A.Milson will see three talented youth receive funding which can be used to help with research costs, purchase equipment or help with financial aid. "I see people......
• Call for Submissions: Cleis Press http://kristinawrigh...c-romance-2012/ Best Erotic Romance 2012 Editor: Kristina Wright Publisher: Cleis Press Publication Date: Winter 2012 Submission Deadline: April 15 (earlier submissions preferred!) Payment: $100 per story and 2 copies of the book, on publication E-mail: besteroticromance2012@gmail.com I am thrilled to announce I am editing the first annual Best Erotic Romance......
• 5 Reasons why I wish I could be HGTV’d by Robert and Courtney Novogratz http://www.thenovogratz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/about_pic-500x750.jpg   First, a confession: I am an HGTV addict. That channel is always playing in my office/den. Practically 24/7. But there is one show that I eagerly await every week--Home by Novogratz. I am just floored by the designs showcased in that show. If only I could by HGTV'd......
• Hot Short Read--The Efficiency Expert by Portia Da Costa Still stinging from a stringent management review at her workplace, office girl Susie encounters the very last man she wants to meet when she hits her favorite bar to relax and unwind. Gorgeous Noah Stevens is the ruthless company troubleshooter who's been making her life hell for the past......
• Guest Blogger: Wynter Daniels talks about the Creativity Well The Creativity Well Where do ideas come from? For many creative people, they do their best work when under tremendous stress. Misery breeds brilliance for some. For me, I work best in times peace and calm in my life. But that is not to say that in times of......

• Barry Fail- All the Obama News That You Need: Check This Out! [/caption] With the constant flow of news all day every day, it's hard to keep track of every breaking story and blog article that you'd like to read.  Thankfully, all this confusion is made easier by BarryFail, a website that organzies the best blogs and articles about politics all in......
• Jero singing Enko part 2 More from Gordon: Jerome interviewed by Kyung Lah of CNN/TalkAsia. She lives there too. This reporter is so into this interview. She gets it too, in her way. Jero: American Enka Singer 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3gdVIc2x4Y&feature=related Jero: American Enka Singer 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W7walkSeE8&feature=related Jero: American Enka Singer 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nZpm8TcIhI&feature=related http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/lah.kyung.html 'Anchors & Reporters--......
• My Favorite Blog Articles of the Week So fantasy baseball is starting up again. Both Yahoo and espn have opened their sites for fantasy baseball 2009! If you couldn't tell from my article comparing the stock market to fantasy baseball, I love fantasy baseball. I usually join at least 8 leagues, some of which are with friends......
• Learn How to Get Traffic to Blog When it comes to writing in a blog, simply writing and assuming that traffic will come is not exactly the right way to go about things. If you want to learn how to get traffic to blog, then you need to be willing to take some extra steps to make......
• The Top Tips For The Inexperienced Blog Writer Writing a blog is an excellent hobby and it can also be used with the intention to commence your individuality on the internet. Writing a blog is easier to begin compared to a web page, and it is a lot easier to maintain than a website. There are good quality......

First, a confession: I am an HGTV addict. That channel is always playing in my office/den. Practically 24/7. But there is one show that I eagerly await every week–Home by Novogratz. I am just floored by the designs showcased in that show. If only I could by HGTV’d by them. What a dream that would be!

What is it about this show in particular that makes me eagerly await the next episode?

1. The crisp, fresh color schemes

When I look at their rooms, I see a lot of bright colors teamed with clean, pure white. Orange. Green. Blue. Pink. At the moment, with the many stresses our family is currently facing, those are the combinations I crave. They make me feel light and carefree and happy. I need that right now.

2. Their use of huge, bold graphics

Many of the Novogratz’s rooms feature huge, oversized murals, bold geometric wallpapers, and/or interesting, achievable wall treatments. There’s always a WOW moment. In particular, I love their use of family photos in either wallpapers or murals. What a way to make a space personal.

3. Their keen ability to mix old with new and make it work

Their rooms don’t look like all the pieces were purchased at the same store, at the same time. And yet, they all share a common feature that makes them fit within the overall design. I try to do this, out of necessity. Am I as successful? No way! But I keep trying.

4. Their cheap chic, anyone can do this approach to design

Taping off sections of a wall, painting stripes and then using stencils to write out a simple message…the average do-it-yourselfer like me can handle that.

5. Their willingness to take risks–such as building an inside slide in a client’s basement or painting a bedroom’s ceiling with chalkboard paint and then paying an artist to draw a gorgeous winged deer over the bed. Again, WOW.

When I watch do-it-yourself shows on TV, I want to be inspired. I want to see something I haven’t seen somewhere else. I always get that when I watch their show (and no, I’m NOT being paid to endorse their HGTV program). HGTV, if you happen to stumble upon this little blog, please keep shows like this one coming!

• Excerpt: Girl Enslaved [/caption] Jamie Purdue has her vacation all planned out. She’s going to watch movies on Lifetime and do a few odd jobs around her parents’ place. Little does she know that Brad and Logan, two gorgeous acquaintances with to-die-for bodies, have other plans for her. And none of those plans......
• Now reading... Big Girls Don't Die by Crystal Jordan. Blurb: “I will always love you.” Not just a figure of speech when you’re undead. In the Heat of the Night, Book Two Six months ago, Andre St. James committed the ultimate one-night-stand party foul by turning Cynthiana into the spawn of Satan…also......
• #SampleSunday! Sweet as Sin Inez Kelley EXCERPT: “Two for play?” One brow arched as he stared at the seemingly innocent mini cupcakes. An idea sparked. It was so out of character for her, totally irresponsible and spur of the minute, that at first she rejected it. But it clung to her......
• From The Wall Street Journal: Ebooks Rewrite Bookselling On Friday, May 21, the Wall Street Journal published this fascinating article, talking about Barnes and Noble's attempts at adjusting its business model to help it survive a future where ebooks comprise a large fraction of book sales. Personally, as a Nook owner (and lover), I'm hoping they are successful......
• The Cheapskate's Guide to Promoting Ebooks Recently, a newly published author posted a question about  promoting her ebook on one of my fave writing forums, Romance Divas. I could tell from her post that she was completely overwhelmed and intimidated by the prospect of promoting her upcoming release. Making matters worse, her publisher asked her to......

• Weve Observed A Lot Of Extremely Bright People, Thinking They Could Make A Killing By Getting Smart And For Sure, Ones Own Methods Have A Lot Of Efforts Put In Them Yet They Lose. Invest your forex pair with all tendency and not in opposition to it. Bear in mind that forex currency trading or perhaps a is definitely high-risk as usually you cant only win without making losses. There is various education and learning on basic trading approaches offered on the internet, start......
• This One's for Realtors® - Or the Ups and Downs of Selling Your Home As most of you know, I put my house on the market a few weeks ago. I have lived here for almost 12 years, so this is a happy/sad occasion. Happy: I can downsize to something that suits my needs better, now that my daughters are starting to move away.......
• Save Heaps at Home Saving money on energy bills is something that appeals to everybody, young or old, single or married, rich or poor. Whatever your circumstances, you can benefit from the facilities available online to help you find cheaper energy deals. For example, if you compare energy prices at moneysupermarket, you could......
• Bridging Generational Gaps: T. Boone Pickens Getting Jon Stewart's Younger Viewer Vote. A few days ago, T. Boone Pickens paid a visit to Jon Stewart's Daily Show.  The resulting interview was one I found immensely intriguing. Not because The Pickens Plan mission is to "Rid Our Dependence on Foreign Oil" is news to me (I've been a supporter since day one), but......
• The Past Wasn’t As Good As You Remember it So Get Over It While I am not sure if I am included in the statement anymore (since I am old)  but I hate when people talk about how “this” generation is the worst one ever.  A quote that brings a smile to my face whenever I come across it is, The Children......

…for this sweet kitten, sealed in a bag and left to die on the banks of the Rouge River in Detroit.

The kitten, only 4 weeks old, is having problems eating due to its young age. The Michigan Humane Society is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible:

This incident is currently being investigated by the Michigan Humane Society Cruelty Investigation Department. A $2,500 reward is offered for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Michigan Humane Society’s Cruelty Investigation Hotline at (313) 872-3401. Callers may remain anonymous.

My hope is that River’s future is much brighter than his past, and that he has the chance to experience the more honorable side of humankind–the loving, caring, self-sacrificing parts of people that make them human.

• Announcing...The Some Like it Hot Writing Contest (2)! ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest (2) Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes? Read on! All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted, including: ~Contemporary~Fantasy~Futuristic~ Shapeshifter/Vampire~BDSM~ *You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories......
• Borders' new ebook store For those who aren't on a Borders email mailing list, Borders just opened their new ebook store and they're offering a free ebook to those who register and open a new account. Among the apps they are offering: iPhone/iPod Touch, PC/mac, Android and Blackberry. You can download them HERE. For......
• Only Two More Days! I haven't had a new ebook release in ages. So I am extremely excited about the release of Lust's Temptation this week. This book took me months to write, and I feel it is as romantic as it is erotic. I hope you all agree! You can get a little......
• Call for Submissions: Cleis Press http://kristinawrigh...c-romance-2012/ Best Erotic Romance 2012 Editor: Kristina Wright Publisher: Cleis Press Publication Date: Winter 2012 Submission Deadline: April 15 (earlier submissions preferred!) Payment: $100 per story and 2 copies of the book, on publication E-mail: besteroticromance2012@gmail.com I am thrilled to announce I am editing the first annual Best Erotic Romance......
• Announcing the second Some Like it Hot Writing Contest ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest (2) Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes? Read on! All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted, including: ~Contemporary~Fantasy~Futuristic~ Shapeshifter/Vampire~BDSM~ *You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories......

• A story of remission/healing I was telling a friend about another's diagnosis and how it is known to sometimes go into remission, even permanently. Here's what she wrote in reply: It really struck me what you said on the phone - when they said [ ] could go into remission and that you considered......
• Who is Better at Stock Market Trading - Humans or Robots, Part 2 Thank you all for taking the poll in the my last blog post (see the post immediately before this one). At this time over 2,000 people answered each question! That's amazing and thank you for participating. The results are clear - about 2/3 of the voters think humans are better......
• Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days- whether your at the grocery store, or......
• Multilevel Marketing Fuel Additive A few months ago my neighbor and his dad came over to talk to me for a few minutes. They told me about a great new product to help improve gas mileage. They showed me a small 2-oz. bottle of a product called EnviroMax Plus, which I thought was a......
• Who wrote Habakkuk? Who wrote Habakkuk: Very little is known about Habakkuk. According to Jewish tradition, Habakkuk was a Levitical Priest when he wrote the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk's ministry served as a warning to Judah that God would use the Babylonian Empire to exact judgment upon Judah for their unfaithfulness. Based upon......

Did you know there’s a LEGAL way to swap, borrow and/or lend ebooks? Check out this site: http://ebookfling.com. It’s free to join.

But...(important service announcement here)…it ISN’T always free to borrow a book. (You did know there would be a but in there somewhere, right?)

How it works (from the ebookfling.com website):

With 14-day lending now available on tens of thousands of Nook and Kindle books, eBook Fling makes it possible for readers across America to borrow and share their ebooks. Lend an ebook, earn a credit, and borrow any other for free! It’s 100% safe with the book returned in 14 days guaranteed. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: LIST. Got ebooks? List them up for grabs.

Any Kindle or Nook books you own can be listed. Your collection is what makes up our collection.

Step 2: LEND. Email your book if requested.

Send your book along to the requesting borrower and earn credits for each successful fling. But don’t send your e-reader!

Step 3: BORROW. Snatch up any ebook you’d like!

Spend 1 credit and choose any ebook from thousands to borrow. No credits? It’s just $2.99 to borrow. Cheap, right? We prefer thrifty.

Step 4: READ. Enjoy a 14-day fling with your book!

Download to your Mac or PC, KindleTM or NookTM device, or your iPad&tm;, iPhone&tm;, Blackberry&tm;, or Android&tm; smartphone. Afterward, the book disappears and is automatically returned to the original owner. Simple.

My thoughts: If you’re the kind who buys books written by NYT and/or USA Today bestselling authors, and aren’t all that fond of their books’ price tags, that $2.99 price looks mighty good. However, there are many thousands of books available on Kindle and Nook that are priced below that. I’ve bought and read a great many of them. And I have yet to be disappointed.

A few questions you may wish to explore before joining a lending/sharing type of service like this:

1. Isn’t lending limited to once per owner, for a period of 14 days?

2. How many books are included in the Nook/Kindle lending programs?

3. At one point, it was necessary for the borrower to have the owner’s credit card number to open a shared Nook book. I’m going to assume that issue has been resolved.

4. How does this lending/sharing service compare to others?

It’s your choice. Borrow a $9.99 ebook by a NYT bestseller.  Or buy a $.99 novel by an unknown. But at least with eBook Fling, you know have a new option.

• Sasha White's Show Me The Money If you aren't aware, there are a couple authors over on the GenReality blog who are foolish brave enough to share their actual sales figures for their books. Despite my seeming little dig, which is more an indication of how I think publishing folks will respond to this practice than......
• The Hot Topic of The Day: The Erosion of eBook Prices You can't go on the Kindle Boards or read some of Publishing's most influential blogs lately without running across an article about the falling prices of ebooks. Nathan Bransford, the former literary agent, gives his take on pricing: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/03/amanda-hocking-and-99-cent-kindle.html On BoingBoing, the question is asked, Will all digital books eventually......
• News Release: Barnes and Noble announces PubIt! self-publishing platform NEW YORK, May 19, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Barnes & Noble, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!bks/quotes/nls/bks (BKS 19.77, +0.27, +1.38%) , the world's largest bookseller, is extending its deep and longstanding tradition of supporting authors and publishers with PubIt! by Barnes & Noble, an easy and lucrative way for independent publishers and self-publishing......
• Oprah's Summer Reading List...what it's missing. I was checking out Oprah's recommendations for summer reading today and thought she had missed the mark. Totally. In the summer, I want hot, sexy, trashy books. (And yes, in the winter, too *g*) My summer reading list for all the girls who want to read naughty smut as they......
• Unique Book Promotion Ideas While reading one of my fave blogs, I stumbled upon a link to This Article on www.nypost.com. An author named Jennifer Belle hired 40 actresses to sit in public places (within NYC)  and laugh out loud while reading her book. It's a very creative idea, and in at least one......

• Good news for ebooks The times they are a' changing... Ebook blog I subscribe to a blog about ebooks and ebook readers. The writer is prolific with long posts sometimes several times a day. I let him do the research for me, once I got to the decision to buy a Kindle for my......
• 7 Steps To Transform Your Business Into Success Online Everyone wants to build a successful business online in terms of making profits and in gaining authority in the market. However, not every business reaches that level of success. It is highly dependent on the strategies that you employ towards business growth. When it comes to online based business promotion,......
• 3 Tips to Finding Good Coin Books Purchasing coins is all about knowing what you are doing. You need to know what the coins you want to buy look like. You also need to know what things to look for in case there are a lot of counterfeits of a coin out there. There are a few......
• Who wrote 1 Kings? Who wrote 1 Kings: Originally 1 and 2 Kings were one book titled Kings. When the book was translated from Hebrew (a language using almost no vowels) to Greek (a language using vowels) the length of the translation could not fit on a single scroll. The book of Kings was divided into......
• Book Review: Cello Playing for Music Lovers Cello Playing for Music Lovers is geared toward adult beginner musicians aspiring to learn the cello. The easy-to-understand written instructions are combined with examples that demonstrate each musical concept. Many of these samples are songs that are well-known by everyone, musician or non-musician alike, so they will sound familiar when......

Am I the only one who remembers them? Fabulous reads. And they’re back, though not quite the same. You won’t be buying them at your local grocery story.

From the AP (New York):

A romance imprint that helped started the careers of such writers as Janet Evanovich and Tami Hoag is being revived.

The Random House Publishing Group announced Wednesday that Loveswept will be back in business this summer as a digital-only imprint after a 12-year hiatus.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

• Announcing...The Some Like it Hot Writing Contest (2)! ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest (2) Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes? Read on! All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted, including: ~Contemporary~Fantasy~Futuristic~ Shapeshifter/Vampire~BDSM~ *You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories......
• About Rejection The day I received The Call about the sale of Blood of Eden, I opened a SASE and read a generic Dear Author rejection. The timing couldn't have been better. I got a good laugh out of it. Is this the first time it's happened to me? Nope. Will it......
• Looking into my crystal ball What will the future of publishing look like? Some folks have theorized that the end of an era is upon us. There’s talk of publishing’s evolution, from a world dominated by a handful of large publishing houses to one in which smaller houses are able to compete. Much of the......
• Sharing some info: Reveal Your Inner Vixen Writing Contest, Deadline June 1 2010 REVEAL YOUR INNER VIXEN CONTEST From Maryland Romance Writers Attention romance writers: show us the chemistry! Maryland Romance Writers is proud to announce the 2010 "Reveal Your Inner Vixen" Contest for writers of romantic fiction. Send us your most sizzling scene showcasing sensual tension between your hero and heroine.......
• Avon Romance's New EPublishing Imprint The cyber world is all a-buzz with news of Avon Romance's newest project--an ebook/POD publishing imprint, Impulse. From Impulse's page on avonromance.com: Welcome to Avon Impulse Romance readers know what's hot...in books, in technology, in trends. Among the first to embrace books digitally, they have encouraged publishers to push the......

• 50 Tips For Marketing Your Online Business - Experts Advice Just we thought of collecting some of the greatest articles about online business marketing. We hope this page will be a resource center which contains the best articles in the Internet. Business Marketing Tips - This is an index of marketing tips, ideas and more resources related to business marketing......
• Barbie Dream House Dolls-and-Bears -> Barbie-Vintage-Pre-1973 -> Structures-and-Furniture The first Barbie Dream House was introduced in 1960, and could fold up into a small box that was easily carried around by a little girl. Ponytail Barbie, the Barbie whose hair was pulled back into a ponytail with short bangs in front, wanted nothing......
• Player Profile for Double Bassist Mike Milligan While few people can name a double bass player (though many can name a bass guitar player) some bassists actually break out and perform solo bass. Some even go on to record an entire album of solo bass, like double bassist Mike Milligan. When many people think of a bass,......
• If you like to read... Peer to peer book reviews sounds like an interesting website. I like reading online reviews anyway. The computer makes possible in an instant what would have been laborious or impossible before. At the same time, publishers are facing a public that's spending less time with books. In 1999, the average......
• Great Time to Buy a House If you've been renting for the past few years or a first time home buyer, that's great.  You've saved yourself a hundred grand!  Now's your chance to jump into the market and buy a house.  Here's how I look at it.  A house that was $250,000 a year ago might......

Do you love hot erotic books? How does three books for the price of one sound?

Check this out:

Three bestselling erotica authors join together to bring you a trio of hot stories in a sizzling anthology of sex! Selena Kitt’s “The Real Mother Goose” takes you on a wild fantasy ride of delicious BDSM pleasure in a setting that defies the imagination. In Carl East’s “Hell’s Gate,” Courtney’s psychic cleansing of an old house awakens not just a demon, but her own sexual appetite as well. And finally, Tawny Taylor’s “Claim Me” is a thrill ride of passion, intrigue, romance and dark, erotic hunger. This triad of tales is sure to bring you hours of reading pleasure, because these three authors play very well together!

Click for Nook Sample

Click for Kindle Sample

• Reminder: The Some Like It Hot Writing Contest Reminder: week 1 of my free writing contest is just around the corner! I'm offering some great prizes. Scroll down for details. ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes?......
• Unique Book Promotion Ideas While reading one of my fave blogs, I stumbled upon a link to This Article on www.nypost.com. An author named Jennifer Belle hired 40 actresses to sit in public places (within NYC)  and laugh out loud while reading her book. It's a very creative idea, and in at least one......
• Writing Contests: The Golden Claddagh (romance fiction) Forwarded with permission: Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh! Don't let our chapter name dissuade you, your entry does not have to be Celtic based to enter, unless you enter our Celtic Category. We have six categories, Historical, FF & P, Romantic Suspense, Celtic, Contemporary &......
• Parents, do you want to encourage your kids to read? Have them take the Borders Double-Dog Dare. They could get a free book. From the Borders Site: Read 10 books, get one free! WE DOUBLE-DOG DARE YOU! If you’re 12 or under, you’re in! • read 10 books—any ones you like* • list the books on this form • bring......
• Announcing the second Some Like it Hot Writing Contest ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest (2) Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes? Read on! All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted, including: ~Contemporary~Fantasy~Futuristic~ Shapeshifter/Vampire~BDSM~ *You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories......

• Have You Decided To Be Rich? Last week while on an airplane, I finally caught up on some reading. I brought three books with me... Millionaire By Thirty, You're Broke Because You Want To Be, and 422 Tax Deductions for Businesses and Self Employed Individuals. While reading You're Broke Because You Want To Be, Larry Winget......
• Getting to the Goals I am reading the book Joe Robert's wrote, and gave to me. It's a great book titled "7 ways to overcome adversity." Joe went from living under a bridge to CEO of a multimedia company making over a million dollars when he was 35. He is a motivational speaker and......
• Review Physik by Angie Sage (Septimus Heap Book 3) I read these books out of order, because I was told someone else didn't like this book as much as the others and suggested I not read it at all. By contrast, I liked it better than Book 4, but it might be because I was more filled in on......
• Who Is Jim Rohn and Why Should You Care? Who Should You Care Who Jim Rohn is?  He Was a Great Teacher... One of my colleagues contacted me yesterday to share the sad news that Jim Rohn, a personal development speaker and educator, had recently passed away, and she asked how I felt about that?  You can read a tribute......
• Book Review: The Whole Grain Diet Miracle By Dr. Lisa Hark and Dr. Darwin Deen Even though carbs get a bad rap, it’s commonly accepted that if you do have to eat them, whole grains are the way to go. There are many benefits to having a diet rich in whole grains, and this book from Drs. Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen offers a plan......

I just received a very pleasant surprise in my mailbox yesterday.  A bundle of cover flats for Blood of Eden.

First, can I just say…SQUEEEEEEEE!!!

Okay, not that I have that out of my system, I’ll post a copy. Note: the typeface is gold foil. It’s not scanning very well. It looks FABULOUS in real life.

Now, before I post the back cover copy…if you had to guess what genre this book is, what would you say?

Ready to find out if you’re right?

This mind-blowing new series introduces Sloan Skye, an ambitious intern at the FBI’s paranormal unit, where the usual rules of crime fighting don’t apply…

Sloan has a sky-high IQ, a chaotic personal life, and a dream: to work for the FBI. Her goal is within reach until an error lands her with the FBI’s ugly stepchild: the new Paranormal Behavioral Analysis Unit. She’ll get to profile criminals, but the pool of suspects is a little more…diverse. Yet even as Sloan tackles her first case–a string of victims, all with puncture wounds to the neck–she can’t silence her inner para-skeptic.

To catch the killer she’ll have to think like one. That means casting aside her doubts, and dealing with the bizarre nightmares that started with the job. But the strangeness is only beginning, as Sloan pieces together the shocking truth about a case that’s more personal than she ever would have guessed.

How did the cover do? Does it quickly, clearly identify the book’s genre and tone? I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback. Now, keep in mind, this is a cover for a PAPERBACK, not an ebook. The rules are a little different, as I’ve come to find out.

• Claim Me gets a facelift I began my self publishing journey almost six months ago. In that time, I've already learned a lot about marketing an ebook on Nook/Kindle. Which led me to the conclusion that Claim Me's cover was not doing its job. It's a fabulous book. It's hot and sexy AND it has......
• Sasha White's Show Me The Money If you aren't aware, there are a couple authors over on the GenReality blog who are foolish brave enough to share their actual sales figures for their books. Despite my seeming little dig, which is more an indication of how I think publishing folks will respond to this practice than......
• Available Now! I'm bringing to life to my popular Passion Unbound series by publishing them via Kindle/Nook/Smashwords. At this point, the first book, Wild Knights, is available at Smashwords only. Kindle and Nook are coming in the next few days. Check out the cover! Isn't it gorgeous? Blurb: Secretary Maggie Dunning loves......
• BIG week! Yes, I have been woefully neglectful of this blog. But there is a good reason for it. This is how it always goes. I have a book due October 1st (Blood of Eden). So, of course my publisher has also sent copy edits for my next release, Darkest Fire, also......
• Q&A with Megan Records, Editor Once a month, over on the Brava Author's blog, editor Megan Records is being kind enough to take questions from readers. And she's willing to answer just about any question you have. This month, the questions (posted in comments) included what types of books her authors write, what her thoughts......

• Book of Perfume by Elisabeth Barille and Catherine Laroze Review The The Book of Perfume is a book by Elisabeth Barille as well as Catherine Laroze. Original Title was Le Livre de Parfum. Translation was completed by Tamara Blondel. Publisher was Paris and New York Flammarion in 1995. ISBN Number is 2-08013-590-2 Book's Format is Hardcover, with 224 pages.......
• Book Review: The Automatic Millionaire If you're just hearing about this book for the first time, it probably won't surprise you to know that it was a #1  New York Times best seller.  "Well, duh," you would say, "It has the word millionaire right in the title, next to the word automatic, and a subtitle......
• Blogging – You’re Doing it WRONG! (Pt 1) That’s right, I said it. You’re not blogging correctly. This two part article series will expand on my previous post, 4 Things Bloggers Do WRONG! There are a ton of blogs that are already established and a ton of new blogs getting started every single day. You won’t stand out......
• Simplifying a Financial Life First, this post is not about Paris Hilton or any other "air where the brain should be" simpleton venturing into the Simple Life. Second, this post is not about New Year's resolutions.  Mr. ToughMoneyLove sort of abandoned that whole concept a while back.  Why?  Because like so many others, I used it......
• Review: The Teen's Guide to Personal Finance: Basic concepts in personal finance that every teen should know. Time is a resource that many teenagers don't realize is their greatest resource for finacial independence. "The Teen's Guide to Personal Finance" is a tome that will provide teenagers with important financial lessons, in a manner which will pull their interest and convey itself effectively in its intended task. The......

How would you like to receive a free e-newsletter featuring fab ebooks priced under $3.00? Interested? If you are, check out this site. Registering is free, quick and painless. http://www.doubleedgepress.com/Endependent-Publishers-Coalition.html

I’m curious to see how this goes. I know I receive dozens of marketing emails a day. I tend to delete without reading these days. What about you?

• News Release: Barnes and Noble announces PubIt! self-publishing platform NEW YORK, May 19, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Barnes & Noble, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!bks/quotes/nls/bks (BKS 19.77, +0.27, +1.38%) , the world's largest bookseller, is extending its deep and longstanding tradition of supporting authors and publishers with PubIt! by Barnes & Noble, an easy and lucrative way for independent publishers and self-publishing......
• Parents, do you want to encourage your kids to read? Have them take the Borders Double-Dog Dare. They could get a free book. From the Borders Site: Read 10 books, get one free! WE DOUBLE-DOG DARE YOU! If you’re 12 or under, you’re in! • read 10 books—any ones you like* • list the books on this form • bring......
• Announcing...The Some Like it Hot Writing Contest (2)! ~Some Like It Hot~ Writing Contest (2) Starting October 25th, 2010, I will be hosting a writing contest! The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave. The Prizes? Read on! All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted, including: ~Contemporary~Fantasy~Futuristic~ Shapeshifter/Vampire~BDSM~ *You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories......
• A Question... After reading a blog rant about a certain author's book cover, I thought I'd take a little informal poll. Are you bothered by historical anachronisms/errors on romance novel covers? Can you cite a book cover that has a historical anachronism/error? Thanks in advance. For those who are curious, THIS is......
• A question about author blurbs At the moment, I'm in the process of requesting author blurbs for my upcoming Aphrodisia release, DARKEST FIRE--at the request of my editor. Clearly, the folks at Kensington believe blurbs by authors help a book sell. To clarify, when I say "blurb" I"m talking about those short, punchy promo-ish, "Hot,......

• Creating Your Initial Website - What Do I Do Now! Creating Your Initial Website - What Do I Do Now! Original post by BlueFish Hosting Constructing your very first website really depends just how much your time is worth for you. Building a great 1st website that's relevant to your niche is no straightforward job. You might discover your time......
• Trophy Catch Volume I Update Got a trophy catch? Get paid for your fish stories.  This post is updating the stats for Trophy Catch I.  The winner of the Trophy Catch receives a $100 Amazon Gift Card.  Winner determined by number of unique visitors to the individual Trophy Catch. There are currently 2 entries in Trophy Catch......
• Six Terrific And Powerful Steps To Magnify Your Ebook Writing Would you like to make money online? Paid survey training can help get you earning money that way. Article marketing can help you advertise affiliate products all over the internet. [ad#adstext1] Writing is another terrific way to make money. How about writing an ebook? Ebooks are taking the internet by......
• eBook Fishing in California The Complete Guide to California Fishing Download Your 32 Page FREE eBook Are you planning a vacation to California? Looking for a better way to fish the more than 1000 lakes throughout this state? You'll find everything you need to know inside The Complete Guide to California Fishing! We've......
• Free Email Marketing Software Every once in a while I come across something brilliant online and today is one of those days. I found this free email marketing software by Atlantic Software called Email Marketing Pro 2011, which is perfect for small businesses who don't have a website with email marketing software built in,......

The Creativity Well

Where do ideas come from? For many creative people, they do their best work when under tremendous stress. Misery breeds brilliance for some. For me, I work best in times peace and calm in my life. But that is not to say that in times of trouble, I haven’t done work I am proud of—I have.

Like many writers, I have periods when the ideas just refuse to flow. That’s when I turn to creativity crutches—books and other sources that spark ideas. Is that cheating? Not at all. I’m not stealing someone else’s premise or characters. These creativity aids merely stimulate my imagination.

My first go-to book when the words aren’t flowing is Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict. This must have book for fiction writers usually help me focus more on my characters and that helps with developing their stories.

Next on my list is Stephen King’s On Writing. I like to reread parts of this book as inspiration. Learning about Stephen King’s journey is always thought-provoking.

Although the binding is cracking and many of the pages are dog-eared, I still turn to Please Understand Me – Character and Temperament Types by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates for inspiration on creating believable characters.

Another great source to stimulate the creative juices is back issues of Romance Writer’s Report, the magazine of the Romance Writers of America. Numerous articles on plotting and creativity can be found in the pages. I always save my old RWRs and when that spring cleaning bug bites me, I go through each issue and tear out any articles I like. I save them in a file box for later use.

Last but not least, the media provides great fodder to get me thinking about new plots. All I have to do is pick up a newspaper or an issue of People Magazine and read about hard luck stories or heroic tales. I never know which article will do it for me, but invariably, one will.

For my romantic suspense, Protective Custody, the thing that stoked my imagination was merely a holiday. It was Halloween and I was setting up our annual creepy display. I glanced across the street to a neighbor’s house. They always do a haunted house theme, like we do. The husband had dressed up as the grim reaper and he swung his plastic axe at his wife’s head. If I didn’t know his axe was fake, I’d have thought he’d really intended to behead her.

That got me thinking about the James Stewart, Grace Kelly movie, Rear Window. How frustrating would it be to witness a crime from a distance then have no one believe you? That kernel led to a novel.

Protective Custody – Available from Carina Press

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

Wynter Daniels lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She writes for several publishers including Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Loose Id. Join her Facebook fan page HERE and her Yahoo! Group HERE. She loves to hear from readers, but only if it’s good.

Find Wynter on the web at http://www.wynterdaniels.com/

Visit her blog at http://wynterdaniels.blogspot.com/

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels

Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

• Available Now! I'm bringing to life to my popular Passion Unbound series by publishing them via Kindle/Nook/Smashwords. At this point, the first book, Wild Knights, is available at Smashwords only. Kindle and Nook are coming in the next few days. Check out the cover! Isn't it gorgeous? Blurb: Secretary Maggie Dunning loves......
• Lust's Temptation Cover One thing I appreciate, as both a reader and writer, is when a publisher's art department creates the covers of books in series with some kind of cohesive theme (color/font/subject) in mind. And so, I was pleased when I saw the cover for Lust's Temptation for the first time. However,......
• Unique Book Promotion Ideas While reading one of my fave blogs, I stumbled upon a link to This Article on www.nypost.com. An author named Jennifer Belle hired 40 actresses to sit in public places (within NYC)  and laugh out loud while reading her book. It's a very creative idea, and in at least one......
• Lust's Temptation Available Today! At last, the second book in my Masters of Sin series is out. Lust's Temptation is erotic and romantic, both. I hope you enjoy Amun and Troi's story as much as I enjoyed writing it! It was truly a book of my heart. Troi and Amun—one dominant, the other submissive,......
• Avon Romance's New EPublishing Imprint The cyber world is all a-buzz with news of Avon Romance's newest project--an ebook/POD publishing imprint, Impulse. From Impulse's page on avonromance.com: Welcome to Avon Impulse Romance readers know what's hot...in books, in technology, in trends. Among the first to embrace books digitally, they have encouraged publishers to push the......

• Eating for Life By Bill Phillips This book made Bob Phillips a household name and we thought it was a good idea to revisit this book and see how it compares to the latest diet books on the market. While we are deluged with new titles every month, it’s always nice to go back to an......
• Review On Thin Ice by Cherry Adair Book 6 On thin ice takes us to the Alaskan wilderness in the 6th book of the T-Flac series. This is the first hard cover book in Cherry Adair's repertoire. It is also available for $5.59 for Kindle. Once again we learn another facet of the Wright brothers. This time it is......
• Review Hide and Seek by Cherry Adair (Book 3) Hide and Seek is the third book in the T-FLAC series. This book concerns Kyle Wright, the second of the Wright sibs. He is a medical doctor, but like all the Wright brothers, not what he seems. Be warned This book is considerably darker than Kiss and Tell. Personally, I......
• You Don't Need a Big Budget to do Great Things This article was written by Andreas Nicolaides, a personal finance and money saving author for MoneySupermarket.com. The famous saying “you need money to make money” is believed by many. However, I’m a firm believer that you can do great things without having a big budget; it just takes hard work,......
• Review Daisies Never Lie by Lynn Byer Daisies Never Lie is the second book that I've read by Lynn Byer. I was given an ebook, but it was my choice to review it. Her first was Trouble in Paradise. Both books are self-published, which we may begin to find is the newer 'publishing' model -- after all......