Beth Ciotta

The Month That Was

2012-02-01T18:40:00.003-05:00

Wow. I haven't posted for an entire month? Well, time flies when your juggling writing two new series! Let's see...

*Finished and submitted HER SKY COWBOY (book 1 of The Glorious Victorious Darcys)

*Finished and returned copy edits for FOOL FOR LOVE (book 1 of Cupcake Lovers)

*Wrote and submitted proposal for HIS CLOCKWORK CANARY (book 2 of The Glorious Victorious Darcys)

*Started and and working madly on THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE (book 2 of Cupcake Lovers)

I've been busy with a lot of other things, too.
*Registering for the Romantic Times Booklovers convention.
*Coordinating two workshops for same convention.
*Speaking at a book club.
*Deep cleaning my kitchen (which has nothing to do with writing but HAD to be done!)
*Coordinating promo. Speaking of....

I asked my sister Elle, of EJR Digital Art to design a postcard for me--a mash-up of steampunk and cupcakes. Something to work as a fun way to promote both new series. Check this out!

Is that creative, or what! I love it. Elle gave her a name too. Susie Steamcake. Love it. And did you notice the steampunk gun and egg whisk. A hoot!

Anyhoo that's what I've been up to for the last few weeks. How about you?

Joy!

2012-01-01T11:42:00.001-05:00

One of my new fave pics! Cheyenne and Nia settling in for NYE. A movie, champagne (for Steve and I, not them), and cuddling on the couch. JOY!

Happy 2012!

New Year Treat

2011-12-30T10:28:00.002-05:00

Quick reminder... Only two days left in the special promo for SCANDALOUS SPIRITS! Click here and download this humorous, sexy paranormal romance for FREE today and tomorrow. Don't own a Kindle? No worries. You can download a Kindle app to your computer or smart phone--also free! If you read, enjoyy, and crave more of the Van Buren ghosts, check out the sequel, KINDRED SPIRITS for the low price of $2.99!

In other news... For my writer friends. If you're looking for a cover artist for your new indie release, please check out Elle J Rossi at EJR Digital Art! She's fabulous and she's reasonably priced. Check out this sample of a historical cover.

For my reader friends... Same thing. Check out the above cover art. Happy New Year to me. I mean YOU!

Enjoy the eye candy.

Wishing you all good health and much joy in the coming year!

Post Holiday Treat!

2011-12-27T10:08:00.003-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!

One of my publishers just informed me of a special promo. From now until 12/31 Amazon is offering the e-book version of SCANDALOUS SPIRITS (my paranormal romance co-written with Cynthia Valero under CB Scott) for FREE! If you don't already own the humorous, sexy, ghostly tale, now's the time to snatch it up! Download to your Kindle or... via the (free) Kindle app, download to your computer or smart phone.

Share the news and spread the love. Click here for to read more about or to download now for FREE!

4 Stars, Romantic Times BOOKclub

Seasons Greetings!

2011-12-23T15:50:00.003-05:00

Imagine Cheyenne Singing "Silent Night" and Nia listening in wonder. Yeah. That's it.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Lida's Hot Milk Sponge Cake

2011-12-16T08:47:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday and behold a yummy cake (or cupcake) recipe submitted by our latest Honorary Cupcake Lover, Mary Stella! Mary (who is also a close friend and an amazing writer) said that this recipe was handed down to her by her mother (who got it from her mother, who got it from her mother!) Enjoy and spread the cupcakian love!

Lida's Hot Milk Sponge Cake

submitted by Mary Stella (Florida)

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (heated just to boiling)

1 Tbl butter

1 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs, then add sugar and beat well together. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture.

Heat milk to boiling, remove from heat and melt in butter,add vanilla. Beat liquid intoflour/sugar/egg mixture until blended. Do not overbeat.

Pour into prepared tube pan, two 8" layer pans or one9" X 13" pan. Bake at 350degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. (Do notlook to check cake before 30 minutes)

*NOTE: The above is for the 'cake' version. For 'cupcakes' use standard size cupcake tins and check for doneness a few minutes earlier than stated for the cake recipe.

Buttercream Frosting

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

3-4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients, beat at medium speed until creamy.

Last Call for Free Read!

2011-12-13T15:48:00.004-05:00

In case you missed it, only 2 days left to download JINXED for FREE!

Click here for Kindle

Click here for Nook

Also available for other E-readers!

FYI: For those who enjoyed, characters and story lines continue through CHARMED and SEDUCED.

Okay. End of promo. ;)

Chloe's Carrot Cupcakes!

2011-12-09T11:04:00.001-05:00

A huge welcome to one of our newest Honorary Cupcake Lovers, Gina Husta! I happen to work with Gina at my local library and know from sampling several of her delectable delights over the years that SHE is an amazing baker. Imagine my glee when she said she had whipped up a special cupcake recipe for Cupcake Lovers! And we named them after Chloe Madison, the heroine of the first CL book, FOOL FOR LOVE.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

Chloe's Carrot Cupcakes

(submitted by Gina Husta of New Jersey)

2 ¼ cups of flour

2 ½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
½ tsp. Allspice

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

2 ½ Cups shredded/ grated carrots

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup raisins (I prefer golden)

¾ chopped nuts

1 20oz. can crushed pineapple

1 cup coconut

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour cupcake pans or use cupcake liners.

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and allspice in a bowl.

Beat sugars, oil, eggs in a second bowl.

Stir in carrots, pineapple, and coconut.

Add flour mixture, add raisins, and nuts.

Fill each cupcake to half with filling baking for 25 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean) Cool before adding frosting.

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla until well blended. Gradually add sugar until creamy.

A Contest and a Reminder

2011-12-08T10:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday all!

I wanted to direct you to a fun contest. Special thanks to fellow SMP author, Allison Brennan, for including me in the game. Hope over and play a fun "Fact or Fiction" game with fellow St Martin's Press authors over Murder She Writes. Today only, and, bonus, there are prizes!

As a quick reminder that my novel, JINXED, the first book in my Friends and Lovers Collection, is free for download for Kindle, Nook, and various other ereaders now until Decmeber 15. Take advantage while you can and please help spread the word!

Until later.... Peace and joy!

New Web Design!

2011-12-05T11:52:00.001-05:00

On a super fierce deadline, so this will be short.

Check out my shiny new, fantastical, magical website--designed by the uber talented Rae Monet. Cruise the pages and let me know what you think. I love it! Especially the new book page. Plus now there's a printable book list. Yes!

Click here for the awesomeness!

Cupcake Lovers -- New Recipe!

2011-12-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

Celebrating the weekend by sharing a delicious and easy cupcake recipe submitted by our newest Honorary Cupcake Lover--Dawn Jones. I personally sampled one of Dawn's creative confections. One word--YUM. Enjoy!

Strawberry Delight Cupcakes

Submitted by Dawn A Jones (New Jersey)

AllIngredients

1 boxStrawberry Premium Cake Mix (Pudding in the Mix)

1 smalljar Strawberry Jam
1 can MilkChocolate Frosting

CakeDirections

1. Preheatoven according to cake mix.

2. Line amuffin pan with paper liners.
3. FollowDirections on box.
4. Pour orspoon batter into the prepared liners.
5. Bakeaccording to cake mix, Cake is done when it springs back to the touch or when acake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

CenterDirections

Using asteak knife cut out a plug (piece of cake) from the center of each cupcake andput it aside, then use a teaspoon and add a small amount of strawberry jam thenreplace the plug (piece of cake) and frost with milk chocolate frosting.

Makesabout 24 Cupcakes depending on cake mix.

For more recipies submitted by fellow CL cupcakians, click the tab above: Cupcake Lovers Recioes!

Free Read!

2011-12-01T08:57:00.001-05:00

Exciting news everyone! Starting today for one week only, JINXED, the first book in my Friends and Lovers Collection is FREE via Kindle, Nook, and other e-formats. Please take advantage of this free offer and enjoy a story that still brings me much joy. Romantic Comedy with a twist of suspense and a cast of loving, colorful characters.

Click here for Kindle.

Click here for Nook.

I'd love it if you'd help me spread the word. remember--one week only! Happy reading!

Got Title!

2011-11-29T19:24:00.001-05:00

Gotta love it when you're hard at work on a deadline book and you get interrupted with a piece of exciting news! Gives a body (my body specifically) a reason to step away from the computer and dance around!

This evening I received word from my editor at NAL that we have a confirmed title for the launch book in THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCY series. Ready?

HER SKY COWBOY

What do you think? Does that say romantic steampunk to you? The more I look at it, the more I like it. Can't wait to see the cover!

Anyhoo, mark your datebooks. Coming November 2012, a romantic steampunk adventure with gads of derring-do! (Just wanted to use that word. Love that word. Derring-do.)

The Glorious Victorious Darcys
HER SKY COWBOY

Woo-hoo!

Sunshine, Snippet, Freebie & Cupcakes

2011-11-27T10:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday, all! I'm enjoying an unseasonably warm day here in Jersey. Sun's beaming and the temp is 62! It's almost December. Amazing. Later today I hope to take Cheyenne and Nia on a long walk. They love it and it does me good to get my butt in gear after a long day at the computer.

"Are you done yet? Can we go?"

I've got a fierce deadline bearing down so I've got my nose to the laptop. Thrilled to report that I'm having a blast writing the launch book of the Glorious Victorious Darcys. Wanna peek? FYI: Tuck's our hero. Scene takes place aboard his airship: The Maverick. Our heroine, Amelia, is piloting the dirigible in crisis. Here's the snippet...

“Came out of nowhere.” Theflaps of Eli’s aviator cap whipped in the frigid wind as he leaned over the gunwalefor a better look. “What the devil is that thing?'

Axel whistled around the unlit cigar clamped between his teeth. “Quartbottle of whiskey says they bite the dust.”

Tuck focused his spyglass. Sureenough what looked like a cross between a motorized tandem bicycle, da Vinci’sglider, and an oversized kite, bucked and reared then took a fateful nosedive.

“Cut the blasterbeefs,” Tuck shouted to StarMan. “Bring to and hoistthe bally.” Trading his Stetson for afly cap, he turned to Eli. “Grab three packs.”

The person seated in the rear of the flimsy flying apparatus bailedand soon after a parachute opened and billowed. That harnessed sail wasn’t the only thingflapping in the wind. Skirts andpetticoats caught the men’s eyes. “Damn,” Axel said, squinting through his goggles. “That’s a woman.”

“Looks like the pilot’s going down with the ship,” Eli noted as thethree men buckled on steam and nitrogen powered Pogo Packs.

“Fighting to regain control,” Tuck said while adjusting his harnessand tank.

“Crazy as a loon,” Axel said, tugging on gloves and gripping the handcontrols.

Tuck disagreed. “Ballsy.”

Have I mentioned that I'm having a blast writing this story. Romance, adventure, gadgets and gizmos. Speaking of gadgets, click the GVD Gadget tab above and check out some of the cyber art that's proving as visual inspiration for this story.

In other news and regarding my other new series: Cupcake Lovers... We have three new members of the Cupcake Lovers Recipe club. Three new and delish recipes that I'll be sharing through this next week. Please check back. Your taste buds will thank you. Meanwhile, welcome to The Cupcake Lovers, Mary Stella, Gina Husta, and Dawn Jones!

Lastly, MARK YOUR CALENEDERS!! Starting Thursday, December 1, the first book in my Friends and Lovers Collection--JINXED will be available for FREE on Kindle, Nook and various other ereaders for one week only. What a way to kick of the holidays. Spread the word, spread the joy!

Speaking of holidays... Anyone start decorating yet?

Peace and joy-- Beth

Blessed Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:09:00.001-05:00

Counting my blessings this Thanksgiving.

My good health.

My loving husband.

My crazy dogs and cat.

My generous and kind family.

My generous and kind friends.

Having a roof over my head.

Having the coolest day job at the library.

Having the coolest dream gig as a writer.

Having the support of so many fun readers.

Thank you for being a part of my wondrous life.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving!

Peace and joy, Beth

Exciting Times!

2011-11-19T20:52:00.001-05:00

UPDATE 11/21: As of last night, got a peek at my new website template. One word. YOWZA!

***********************

It's been an interesting, make that, exciting couple of weeks! So much going on. Wow. My head is spinning, but (mostly) in a very good way.
Even though my launch books in the series: The Cupcake Lovers and Victorious Glorious Darcys aren't scheduled for release until the Fall of 2012, mega planning is in the works. Cover Art and official single titles, for one. I'm also updating short bios for both publishers, which goes hand in hand with providing an author headshot. I need updated headshots. Even though I love my present publicity photos they are, um, a few years old. Not that I've aged, well, crap, yes, I have. Although gloriously, of course (I assure myself). So there's that. Must make an appointment with a photographer. But I digress. Stay tuned for an offical announcement regarding the single titles in the GVD series and check back for a peek at some fantastic cover art for the launch books of both series. Thus far it has been an absolute delight working with St. Martins Press and NAL (Penguin). Somehow I landed with two dynamo editors. Counting my lucky stars!

In addition to all that, I've consulted with my web designer, the incredibly talented, Rae Monet, about a whole new look for my website, something that reflects all ofthe sub-genres I write in. She is, at this moment, in creation mode. Stay tuned.

In other news, although I am already active on Facebook, it was suggested to me that I switch over and concentrate my energy on a 'professional' page. I won't bore you with details, but personal profile pages, which is what I've had for the last few years, tap out at 5,000 friends. I'm nearing that point so... since I'm looking toward a bright future, I decided to take the plunge. If I'm going to try to convert my existing friend and readers to this new FB page, I figured I'd better make it enticing in some way. Make it spiffy looking at least. Since I'm a techno-goob and not all that visually artistic, I hired Elle of EJR Digital Art to personalize my 'professional' FB page.

Yeah, boy. Elle is officially my multi-media art designer!

I now have a cool banner across the top of my page, highlighting all the romantic sub-genres I write in (similar to the one she created at the top of this blog!). And, my fave, an uber cool collage for my profile picture that she's also incorporating into an official 'welcome' page. Each of these pictures represents different stories I've written or am in the process of writing. I think I need to make this a poster and hang in my writing room for inspiration!

Speaking of the FB 'welcome' page, as of last night Elle put the polishing touches on last night and uploaded this morning. Click here for a look see (so cool) and while you're there, please "Like" my page. For everyone who's connected on facebook, I'll be moving all my activity to this official page. As for the page, more perks will be coming. The cover art for GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS and the CUPCAKE LOVERS, excerpts and a page listing all my backlist titles. Like I said, a lot going on!

Also coming, more cupcake recipes! I'll list a yummy delight by honorary Cupcake Lover (and awesome author) Mary Stella, later this week.

And lastly... notice that new tab above--GVD Gadgets? That's where I'll be sharing the steampunk art that's been inspiring The Glorious Victorious Darcys. Fun stuff! Coming soon....

Meanwhile, I'm writing like a madwoman, working hard to complete book 1 (official title...coming soon) of GVD. Send me energy and positive thoughts. I could use it!

Peace and joy,

Beth

Evie in the UK!

2011-11-18T08:50:00.001-05:00

Nothing like getting a surprise in the mail. Last week I received a small brown box from Harlequin. inside were three copies of EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE, originally published by the HQN.

Only they looked a little different. Same cover art, still paperback, but the book was taller and leaner. I looked on the spine and also the back and saw that this was a reissue under the MIRA imprint. Still under the Harlequin umbrella, but a different line. Another difference.... this was a current release in the UK!

So exciting! Evie has arrived across the pond! Arch must be so thrilled to be available in his neck of the woods. Me? I'm hoping that this means a second life for Evie and the covert team of Chameleon. I think this calls for a trip to London so I can see Evie in the UK for myself. *g*

New Original CL Recipe!

2011-11-08T12:38:00.001-05:00

Okay, fellow cupcakians. Hold on to your spatulas! Honorary Cupcake Lover, Beth Bliss, has created an amazing recipe that's going to knock off your baker's hat. She created this delicious, delectable delight with a character concept in mind. One that's so awesome, I'm weaving this recipe and that concept into book 2--THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE (A Cupcake Lovers Novel). Thank you, Beth B! By the way, folks. I tasted these and thy were to die for! Enjoy!

Follows a visual journey and then the actual recipe. Behold...

HARVEST CHEATER CUPCAKES

HARVESTCHEATER CUPCAKES
submitted by Beth Bliss (New Jersey)

Thesecupcakes cheat in nearly every way: madefrom a mix, frosted from a can . . . Theonly thing honest about these cupcakes is the homemade whoopee pie cream hiddeninside.

Makes20 nicely-domed standard-size cupcakes – because I cheated and filled them ¾full instead of 2/3.

1box “moist” style yellow cake mix (15.25 oz. box)

1/3c. vegetable oil

1c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

½c. water

3eggs

1tsp. cinnamon

½tsp. allspice

½tsp. powdered ginger

¼tsp. cloves

¼tsp. nutmeg

Bakeat 350 for 20-24 minutes. Done when theyspring back to the touch, or when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in centercomes out clean.

SECRETCENTER (WHOOPEE PIE) FILLING

Alittle dab of these goes a long way; only about a teaspoon goes in, but thesweetness offsets the spices and pumpkin nicely.

1cup vegetable shortening, such as Crisco (butter-flavored shortening mightwork, too)

1cup powdered sugar

2cups (one 7-oz. container) marshmallow fluff (aka marshmallow crème; oftenfound near ice cream section of grocery store)

2tsp. vanilla extract (not “flavoring” – only extract will do!)

Smallpinch table salt

Blendin mixer until light and fluffy. Usinga paring knife or apple corer, cut out a plug from the center of each cupcake. Using a silicone spatula, shovel fillinginto a pastry bag with large-opening tip, or into a ziplock baggie and snip ahole in the corner. Pipe about ateaspoon into each cupcake. Don’t fretif it spurts out a little. That’s life.

KICK-IN-THE-PANTSFROSTING

1can milk or dark chocolate frosting

1tsp. cinnamon

¼tsp. chili powder (more, if you want a serious kick)

Mixusing hand-held or stand mixer until spices are incorporated.

Be an Honorary Cupcake Lover!

2011-11-01T09:30:00.003-04:00

In celebration of my upcoming series-- The Cupcake Lovers Novels, I'm thrilled to announce a new page on this site--Cupcake Lover's Recipes! See the tab up top and click to view the first in a budding collection of recipes from readers who also happen to bake!

Are you a Cupcake Lover? Do you have a personalized recipe you'd like to share with fellow cupcakians? Contact me at beth@bethciotta.com to join the fun and to become an honorary member of The Cupcake Lovers! In return you'll receive a Cupcake Lovers Collectible--(said collectible presently in the works)

Meanwhile, click over and enjoy the launch recipe submitted by Chris B. from Florida. A perfect cupcake for the fall. Hint...

Embracing my Diversity

2011-10-30T18:21:00.002-04:00

Every once in awhile I get an itch for change. More than anything, I change my hair color and the look of this blog. Two weeks ago I added blond highlights to my hair. Today--a blog makeover. I changed the background and colors and font, added character profiles to the GVD page.

My multi-talented sister, Elle J Rossi, created the new banner above. Cool, huh? More on that in a minute. Two weeks from now I have an appointment with my fabulous website designer, Rae Monet. We're going to discus a whole new look for my website. For once, it's not just because I have an "itch". It's because, although I love the present hip, adventure, contemporary look, it no longer reflects my upcoming body of work.

In 2012 I'm debuting two new series. THE CUPCAKE LOVERS--contemporary from St. Martin's Press. And THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS--steampunk romantic fiction from NAL (Penguin). In 2013, I'm participating in a Christmas anthology with authors, Heather Graham, Deborah LeBlanc, and Kathleen Pickering--paranormal romance from Harlequin Nocturne. In addition to that literary smorgasbord, my backlist also involves historical westerns, a subgenre I adore and could well venture back into at some point.

When writing in different sub-genres, some writers prefer to use different pennames. I didn't go that route. As I think toward the future and the ever popular concept of "author branding", it occurs to me that I should embrace my diversity. A website and a blog that highlight all my work--past, present, and future. I look forward to my web designer's next creation and will let you know as soon as it's live.

Regarding this blog... Gone are the days where I contribute a post on a daily or even weekly basis. Happily, I'm contracted for several books and the majority of my time and energy goes there. I thought it would be more truthful and advantageous to use this "space" for NEWS & EXTRAS. Since I want all readers to have one central place to check in, I'll be deleting the GVD Steamblog. All news regarding all sub-genres will be right here. Extras include character profiles for both new series. There's a page for The Cupcake Lovers and a page for The Darcys. See the tabs above. The Cupcake profile is still a work in progress, but you can peek in. The Darcys are fun. Check them out. More Extras forthcoming.

Since I'm reinventing myself in a way, I've decided to streamline my social networking, pouring time and energy into the ones that work best for me, where people are more interactive, and where I have the most fun. For doses of daily life, pics, musings, and fun questions and quotes join me on FACEBOOK! I'm there more than I should be. Such fun keeping up with everyone. I'm also active on TWITTER, although not nearly to the extent of FB. MySpace is history and Google+ is fast on its heels.

Before I go, I want to give a special nod and thanks to my sister, Elle J Rossi. She's not only an extremely talented singer and writer, but she's also a gifted photographer and digital artist. She created my new header banner that you see above--reflective of all my worlds. I love it!

So what do think? Do you like my new look? Do you read the works of other authors who write in multiple genres? If so, who?

New Look for E-Readers

2011-10-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

Every published author has a unique journey to share. Universally writers are not offered the same opportunities nor do they make the same choices. There is no right or wrong as long as you stay true to your artistic self and somehow, some way make your stories available to the world.

Although I started my journey alone, I soon teamed up with an amazing writer, Cynthia Valero, who became, and remains, one of my best friends. We co-wrote three paranormal romances under the pen name CB Scott, all three published by ImaJinn Books. It was an exciting time and remains a great source of pride.

A few years later, I had the opportunity to publish my first solo novel--JINXED--with a new independent publishing house--Medallion Press. It was the start of something fabulous, the launch of my career as a solo author, and the basis for several long lasting professional friendships. I wrote six novels for Medallion. Three connected contemporary romances and three connected historical westerns. I love them all! I had a blast writing each and every one and very much appreciated the creative freedom extended to me by Medallion as well as the fabulous covers and marketing efforts.

Why the walk down memory lane, you're wondering. It's because I'm thrilled to announce a new effort on Medallion's part to introduce three of my previous releases--JINXED, CHARMED, and SEDUCED to new readers, specifically e-readers. Starting November 15. 2011, The Friends and Lovers Collection will be available via Kindle, Nook, and various other e-readers! Not only that, but Jim Tampa and MP's fabulous art team designed new covers! Although I have always been a fan of the original cartoon art (Thank you, Adam Mock!), I am equally enamored with this new and edgy concept--all reflective of the individual stories.

I'm looking forward to reaching new readers with these e-versions. As such, I'll be sharing a bit more about these 'tales of my heart' in the coming weeks, but for now I just want to celebrate the art. Enjoy!

A New Twist

2011-09-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

Hi, gang!

Just a quick note to alert you of a new twist in my upcoming contemporary series for St. Martin's Press, formally known as The Cupcake Club. For marketing purposes the series is getting a new overall name. Personally, I really like it. Now each book in the series will be known as A Cupcake Lovers Novel

Yup. I like it.

More news as it comes in!

--Beth

Cupcake Lovers -- Titles and Dates!

2011-09-12T08:46:00.000-04:00

Last week I had one of those weeks. Not a stretch where everything went wrong, but day after day of good news. It just kept rolling in! This week will surely be dull in comparison. Instead of pummeling you with a barrage of info, I'll share bits through the week.

First of all, for those who've been wondering when my next book will be out I now have a set date! Actually I now have several dates. And official titles. Focusing today on THE CUPCAKE LOVERS, my upcoming romantic contemporary series for St. Martin's Press. Once the series launches, the books will be coming out six months apart. Grab a datebook and pencil me in, dear readers!

FOOL FOR LOVE

September 2012

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE

March 2013

ANYTHING BUT LOVE

September 2013

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

March 2014

I'm absolutely thrilled with these titles. Also thrilled that there'll be some sort of visual logo or icon to tie them all together. In addition, each book will be labeled as A CUPCAKE LOVERS NOVEL so you'll be able to find each book in the series easily. More news on the series coming soon. Meanwhile, let's celebrate with some yummy cupcakes.

RED HOT VELVET CUPCAKES

Click here for the recipe--courtesy Anthony Valerio, Cupcake Wars, 2011

Crossing Over

2011-08-14T09:06:00.003-04:00

Today's post (a rare thing indeed that I'm posting) is about crossing over. Over deadlines and into new worlds.

I'm thrilled to share that I turned in the first book in my new Cupcake Club series ON TIME! That may not sound like a big deal. I had an allotted time to write the book, right? But within that a allotted time other professional duties called and life happened. Some expected events. Some unexpected. That's how it always goes, but scrambling to stay on track and on schedule is always a challenge and more often than not stressful. You can bet I happy danced like a loon when I crossed the finish line and submitted that Cupcake manuscript ON TIME. Of course, that doesn't mean the book will be on shelves in the coming weeks. There are still several steps in the process--revisions, copy edits, galleys. More bridges to cross. I'm hoping I'll be able to share this books exact release date with you some time next week. Stay tuned.

With that deadline met, I crossed into a new world. The steampunk world of the Glorious Victorious Darcys. Fascinating research and worldbuilding. Challenging for me as a writer in a whole new way and I m loving every minute of it. For deeper insight into that story and series, please visit the GVD Steamblog. I'll post an update along with some pictures. Oh... I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but I do have a release date for the first GVD book. AMELIA's story will explode into the world November 2012!

As it happens when writing multiple series for multiple houses, one must juggle multiple deadlines that sometimes, well, cross. Although my head is deep in the Darcys, today I must break away in order to write the proposal for the 2nd book in the Cupcake Series, due Sept. 1. I'm hoping to accomplish this task within a week. A) So I can cross that finish line ON TIME. B) So I can promptly return to The Darcys--full manuscript due November 30, a short scary three months from now.

I recently made a chart laying out all my contracted deadlines, just some of the bridges and finish lines I need to cross in the next two years. It was, at once, intimidating and thrilling. In addition a new project just recently entered my hemisphere, something I'm ultra excited about and dying to share with you. As soon as it's slightly more official, I will shout the news loud and proud. Again... stay tuned!

Moving on to another new landscape, as some of you know, I've been involved the Mr. Romance Competition (featured at the RomanticTimes Booklovers Convention) for several year in capacity as writer, director or co-host. After many successful years, RT has decided to retire the competition. I will miss that aspect, although I didn't have much time to mourn the loss. I've been recruited as the workshop genre captain for Contemporary Romance. As such I'm coordinating two panels featuring industry professionals and top selling authors who'll speak out on two burning topics related to contemporary romance at the 2012 RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago. I've already enlisted a good many of my speakers. In an upcoming post, I'll share the workshops and panel speakers. Maybe I can entice you to join us in Chicago?

At the risk of rambling on about myself, I'm going to switch over and mention someone else who has recently crossed over a new threshold. My dear friend and writing pal, Cynthia Valero, has had her head deep in an intense writing project for a while now and recently decided to start a blog where she could share free writing 'shorts' that have nothing to do with her novel and everything to do with tapping into your imagination and creativity. 10 Minutes to The Universe is a unique blog, sure to entertain and inspire. Please hop over and indulge!

I'll wrap up by sharing a picture from my short trip to Philadelphia this past week to visit my sister Elle who flew in to the City of Brotherly Love to attend a paranormal writers' conference. She's been crossing over in to new lands with fierce dedication and determination. So proud! She'll be sharing her adventures at Loud Whispers.

As for me, I have some deadlines to cross so I best snap to it! Until next time... Peace, Joy, and Cupcakes!

Party Time!

2011-07-26T09:04:00.001-04:00

Today's my feature day over at Marie Treanor's Steampunk Theme Party! Please hop over and join the fun. Talking about my upcoming steampunk romances, THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS, plus steampunk movies, PLUS I'm giving a way a copy of the super cool book The Steampunk Bible!

See you there!

Time to Party Steampunk Style!

2011-07-24T18:28:00.000-04:00

Greetings all!

As most of you know I'm presently working on to very different series. The Cupake Club (Contemporary Romance--St. Martins Press) and The Glorious Victorious Darcys (Steampunk Romance--NAL).

A few weeks ago, author Marie Treanor invited me to participate in a Steampunk Theme Party on her blog. I was flattered and thrilled, because, hey, what a line up! This from Marie...

Look out your corsets and goggles, crank up the old steam-driven computer and get ready to join us for a fabulous week of steampunk romance with some of the genre's finest authors!

On Monday 25th, Meljean Brook is our guest of honour,
On Tuesday 26th, Beth Ciotta,
Wednesday 27th, Gail Carriger,
Thursday 28th, Kady Cross, and
Friday 29th, Theresa Meyers

Hope to see you on Monday and all next week! Steampunk chat, excerpts and prizes - REALLY looking forward to this party - it should be a blast!

If you love Steampunk, stop by each day. If you're curious about Steampunk... stop by each day. (Especially stop by Tuesday, my day!) Fun and prizes to be had! See you there!

Interview and Giveaway!

2011-07-09T07:38:00.000-04:00

Greetings all! Please join me over at Alyson Reuben's Blog. She interviewed me (fun!) ad we're giving away two of my books (more fun!) Click here and chime in for a chance to win!

Happy Saturday!

For the Wounded Writer

2011-07-03T09:59:00.000-04:00

Home from the RWA Conference and revved to write more than ever. Although the business side of publishing is more daunting than ever these days, creatively I am more inspired than ever. I'll be posting a bit about the conference, sharing some tips, stories, and photos sometime this week. Meanwhile I wanted to share a link to a blog article I read this morning.

As most writers, pubbed and yet-to-be-pubbed, know... the publishing business is extremely difficult just now. It can be especially depressing for published writers who once thrived, or who were building and who now, for various reasons are crashing. It's natural to think that one is alone in their suffering. That it's somehow our fault. Or maybe it's not our fault but the universe has conspired against us for whatever reason. One thing I learned at the conference is that I am not the only one who's suffered from disappointments in my career. I AM NOT ALONE. It's important that every writer understands that. Essential for the creative ego. Quoting from the blog article I read this morning...

"It’s not you. You’re fine. Your writing is as good as ever. The business is changing and you’re caught in the crossfire. It’s not personal, even though it feels personal. You are caught in the middle of a nightmare. The rules are changing, and no one knows where any of this is headed. Talk to other writers. You’ll see. It’s happening to all of us."

Now go and read this fabulous piece by Kristine Kathryn Rusch . . . The Business Rusch: You Are Not Alone ... and breathe.

NYC ad RWA... Here I Come!

2011-06-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

The bad news is: I got absolutely NO writing done the past two days.

The good news is: I cleaned the house, created a few promo postcards and business cards, decided on and printed out my conference agenda, bought a couple of special gifts, organized and packed all my promo and clothes (mostly). Just a couple of things to tie up and I am ready for the RWA National Conference! I leave tomorrow morning. Hello, NYC. Here I come! For more specifics on the conference and mega-honkin'-big book fair, see my previous post.

I'll try to post some pics and news from RWA, but things get darn hectic. Be sure to check my Facebook page. I can upload pics from my phone straight there!

Before I go, I want to share the two 'mock' covers made for me by my sister, Barb, aka Elle J Rossi. She's not only a fabulous writer, but quite the graphic artist.

These are the images I used to make up my 'coming soon' postcards.

For my new Steampunk Romance series from NAL: The Glorious Victorious Darcys

For my new contemporary romance series from St. Martin's Press: The Cupcake Club

It'll be quite sometime before the publishers' art departments create my actuall covers. (Can't wait!) But until then, these inspire me and help me to speread the word.... Coming Soon!

Thanks, Elle.

What's Now, What's Coming, What's Cool

2011-06-17T09:12:00.002-04:00

It's mid-June. Mid-June! How did that happen? Watch, I'll go to write a post tomorrow, or what seems like tomorrow and it will be OCTOBER! Remember when you were a kid and it seemed like the days slogged by. You felt like you were in school forever. Felt like you were thirteen. For. Ever. When would sixteen roll around? Better yet, eighteen? Now I blink and it's three months later. Now I think abut upcoming birthdays and wonder how to put on the brakes.

Forgive the ramble.

So here it is mid-June. The biggest news in my life is that as of this past Monday, after five years of working full time at my local library in addition to writing two books a year, I have gone part-time! Wahoo! More time to write. More time to live. Why not quit the library period, you ask? A couple of reasons. A) I still need the additional income. B) I wanted to keep my foot in the door should I ever need to go back full time. C) As you can imagine, working in a library is just about the coolest job ever (aside from writing books) so I was loathe to sever my ties completely. Working there a couple of days a week will keep me in touch with the latest books and local readers and give me a reason to get out of my house and keep my brain energized and fresh.

So here I am one week into my new part time position and loving it. Nose to the grind stone, I've averaged ten pages a day. I've made incredible progress on my WIP. Encouraging since a deadline looms on this one and I must also start a new project that's due in November. You know how that goes. Two blinks and it will be October.

Let's see, what else is new? Ah. At the end of this month, which is just a week away, I'll be attending the RWA National Conference in NYC. In addition to attending several business and craft workshops, I'll be meeting with my agent and editors, networking with other pub people at social affairs, and signing a huge book fair. The 'Readers For Life' Literacy Autographing takes place on Tuesday, June 28 from 5:30pm-7:30 at the Marriott Marquis. Over 400 romance authors (click above link to see list of authors) will be signing their latest novels. If you plan to attend, please stop by and say hello!

Speaking of latest novels, or novels period, for those who have emailed asking when my next book is coming out . . . I don't have specific release dates yet, but we're probably looking at late 2012. The good news is I'm contracted for two new series, six books total, so once they start coming there will be many. Please hang in there with me!

Coming soon, photos and profiles of the characters I'm writing about in THE CUPCAKE CLUB. Check back here in a few days and click on the CUPCAKE tab. Hopefully I'll have the content up. Something to--ahem-- whet your appetite. Also coming soon a new post for the GVD Steam Blog. Stay tuned.

Until then.... I've got a lot of writing to tackle, so off I go. Oh, one last thing if you like movies featuring a hot attraction, believable characters, and an imaginative, well written story, you have got to see THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. Hands down, the best 'romance' I've seen in quite some time. Have you seen it? Thoughts? Any more romantic movie recs?

Act Now and Make A Difference!

2011-05-23T11:19:00.001-04:00

I hopped over to Brenda Novak's Auction and realized that there are only eight days left before bidding closes! In case you're unaware--every year NYT Bestselling author Brenda Novak hosts an amazing and wondrous on-line auction in order to benefit diabetes research. Be sure to visit and browse the fantastic donations by authors, editors, agents, readers, and more!

Please check my upper right sidebar for the direct links to some items donated by me and also by me and my friend Olga. However, once there, be sure to browse all the categories and bid, bid, bid! Not only do you stand a chance of securing a fantastically wonderful item or service, but you're also helping a wonderful cause. Please spread the word. Every dollar makes a difference!

The Cupcake Craft

2011-05-22T09:21:00.002-04:00

My husband, tech wiz that he is, figured out whatever was wrong with my smart phone and finally I was able to email myself, attaching pics of the craft I attended last Wednesday night.

As most of you know, in addition to writing, I also work at my local library. One of the fun things we do for the community is to host occasional child and adult crafts. I've never attended a craft class since they're always on a Wednesday night and I'm usually home working hard on a manuscript. However this month's craft featured cupcakes! Making a cupcake stand and decorating a cupcake with fondant. Considering I'm writing a new series called--THE CUPCAKE CLUB--I couldn't resist joining in!

Our branch manager (and good friend), Beth B (who's an amazing baker) made the cupcakes and the fondant from scratch. Our task was to create our stands and to decorate our cupcake. I'm not very 'crafty' nor have I ever decorated a cupcake, especially with fondant. Behold my fun evening in this slide show!

I'm so glad I got out and attended this event. Even though I'm not particularly talented with crafts or decorating cupcakes (you should have seen some of the other ladies creations!) I had a blast trying. I also very much enjoyed the kinship with friends and library patrons. What abut you? Are you 'crafty'? Do you ever attend local craft/art workshops?

**If the slide show isn't working, just click your 'refresh' button. It's acting a little wonky. Sorry!

Cupcake Decorating 101. Sort of.

2011-05-18T21:52:00.000-04:00

So here's my story and I'm sticking to it because I swear it's true.

I attended the adult craft program (presented by my local library) tonight just as I said I would. They have adult craft nights every month, but I've never attended because I'm always cramped for time, and writing at night. However, tonight the theme was 'CUPCAKES'. Since my new series with St. Martin's Press is entitled THE CUPCAKE CLUB, how could I not participate?

So I went. I participated. I took several pictures with my smart phone--documentation of the craftt beginning to end. I emailed those photos from the phone to myself... only they haven't shown up yet.

*sigh*

So I can't share them yet.

*darn*

Stay tuned. I could simply write about the awesome event, but the pictures add so much color.

Story (with pics) coming soon (I hope).

News Flash!

2011-05-17T19:32:00.001-04:00

Just learned from one of my publishers that the price of two of my earlier novels (written with Cynthia Valero under the penname CB Scott) have been lowered to a more competitive price on Amazon. Just 2.99 Kindle lovers! Woot!

One of the books is KINDRED SPIRITS--the ghost romance sequel to SCANDALOUS SPIRITS. The other is KNIGHT OF MY DREAMS--a reincarnation romance that bounces between contemporary and medieval times. An emotional read infused with a bit of humor and a lot of mystery.

Click on the links and read the blurbs, see if either or both spark your interest. Great, affordable, romantic reads!

That concludes the promotional portion of this post. *g*

Tomorrow night I'm attending a craft class at the library. We're making cupcake holders and decorating a cupcake. I'll try not to embarrass myself. Photos to come!

Speaking of Social Networks...

2011-05-12T08:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I shared a link to a post talking about authors utilizing blogs and social networks... such as Facebook. Today I'm passing on a link regarding Facebook's policy on running 'contests'... something a lot of authors do. Something I've done in the past.

Apparently Facebook has updated and intensified their rules regarding running/announcing contests. Not targeted directly at authors, but it certainly affects us. Breaking the rules could result in FB deleting your page/profile! Author Ashley March broke down what this means for us on her blog. If you're an author and maintaining a presence at FB, be sure to check this out.

Flex Those Muscles, Hone That Craft!

2011-05-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

Today I stumbled across two posts of major interest to me as a writer. So much so that I want to share the links with you. For writers and for those simply interested in the writing process, here goes!

The first post addresses a question I've asked myself a few times over the last year or so. "Do you really need an author blog if you're on Facebook or Twitter?" I'm active on both of these social networks, though I confess I favor Facebook. In fact I post and interact there quite a bit. It's also where I keep up with friends, family, and fave authors. I see far more action on my FB page then on this blog, so I have wondered... are blogs passe? Reading Judy Dunn's post regarding this matter, I now have a whole new perspective. I highly recommend this read, fellow writers. You'll find this educational post at Writer Unboxed.

The next post was actually an article. One of several amazing and informative articles on Michael Hauge's newly renovated website--Story Mastery. For those who don't know, Michael Hauge is is a story and script consultant, author and lecturer who works with writers and filmmakers on their screenplays, novels, movies and television projects. His resume/bio is incredibly impressive and I had the pleasure of attending one of his two-hour workshops last month at at the RT Conference in LA. I was thrilled to see he'll be lecturing at RWA in NYC as well. I plan on attending both lectures. Educational and inspiring to say the very least. He now has a new website that features several helpful elements, including extensive 'how-to' articles. Not to be missed.! I'll link specifically to an article pertaining to the workshop I attended--Screenplay structure and how you can appy it to writing novels. Click here to read and learn, but be sure to skim the other articles as well.

Just one of the many exciting things about being a writer is stretching your wings, moving outside your comfort zone, challenging yourself, and forever honing your craft. Enjoy the links!

GVD Steamblog Alert

2011-05-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, all! Wanted to let you know that there's a new post up on my GVD Steamblog. If you're curious about my steampunk series or just wondering what the devil steampunk is... this one's for you! Click here to read.

New Adventures and Vintage Reads!

2011-05-07T10:36:00.002-04:00

Happy Saturday everyone! In spite of a difficult week, I find myself in semi-bright spirits today. I think it helps that the sun is shining like crazy (we've had months of cold, dismal grey) and the temps are actually in the mid 60s. Heavenly!

This morning I had two emails asking when my next book is coming out. I realized suddenly that it's been awhile since I've talked about my publishing schedule here. I've also been lax about sending updates to my newsletter subscribers. (Apologies!) Those two things immediately shot to the top of my 'To Do' list.

So here's the scoop regarding my upcoming books. Though I won't have any new releases in 2011, there are at least six new adventures coming in my/your future.

*I recently signed with St. Martins Press to write a new contemporary romance series--The Cupcake Club. Launch date 2012. I'll be sharing specific updates and fun features on that series on this blog from now until whenever! Check back often or subscribe for notices of when I post.

*I recently signed with NAL to write a new steampunk romance series--The Glorious Victorious Darcys. Launch date 2012. I'll be sharing specific updates and fun features on that series on the GVD Steamblog, a blog specifically designed for The Darcys and fans of everything steampunk. Hop over and subscribe for notices of when I post... or check in from time to time.

I apologize for what probably feels like eons for a new read from me, but I thank you for hanging in and promise it'll be worth the wait. Meanwhile, if you're interested and perhaps haven't read all my previous books, check out my backlist via my website. Excerpts and reviews are available there as well as buy links.

Good News!

Although some of my previous books are out of print, and others very hard to find in print, almost all of my backlist is now available in digital (e-book) format. Just search my name at Kindle or Nook or any one of several e-book stores.

More Good News!

Three paranormal romances that I wrote along with friend and awesome author CynthiaValero--under the name CB Scott--are now available on Kindle. Click here and check out my spooky, fun side!

If I don't post as frequently as you'd like, please know it's because I'm hard at work on those upcoming books. I tend to pop in quite a bit at Facebook so if you're not linked to me there, please send a request!

That's it for now. Any specific questions? About anything? I'm all ears! Ask away!

GVD Steamblog Alert

2011-05-05T08:49:00.001-04:00

For anyone interesting in learning more about my upcoming steampunk romance series--THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS, I created the GVD Steamblog where I feature character profiles, GVD music and (coming soon) gizmos and gadgets utilized in the Darcys world. Today a short post and a cool pic of a steampunk computer along with a link that shows how it was made! Click here for a looksee!

Ch...ch...changes!

2011-05-03T20:59:00.002-04:00

Hello all!

As you can see it looks a little different here. I'm in the process of overhauling this blog in celebration of my two new upcoming series: THE CUPCAKE CLUB and... THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS. Two very different series calling for exclusive blogs, but as you can see from the tabs up top, you can easily navigate back and forth. Please bear with me as I slowly make all my changes. Eventually I'll have a spanking new website that will feature both series. Until then this is how best to get the scoop.

More soon!
BC

Make a Difference!

2011-05-01T19:36:00.001-04:00

I have a lot on my mind and several things I'd like to blog about, but I've earmarked today to spread some special news. Every year NYT Bestselling author Brenda Novak hosts an amazing and wondrous on-line auction in order to benefit diabetes research. Rather than me blathering here, it's best if you hop over directly to the auction. You'll be stunned by all the fantastic donations by authors of my genres, editors, agents, readers, and more. STUNNED!

Please check my upper right sidebar for the direct links to some items donated by me and also by me and my friend Olga. However, once there, be sure to browse all the categories and bid, bid, bid! Not only do you stand a chance of winning a fantastically wonderful item or service, but you're also helping a wonderful cause. Oh, and please do help to spread the word. Every dollar makes a difference.

Blessing to all!

Exciting News!

2011-04-18T19:37:00.000-04:00

I signed on planning to share one of my RT Conference adventures with you, but that will have to wait because I just learned some exciting news that I must share. As of today, two out of the three paranormal romances that I wrote with Cyndi Valero under the penname CB Scott are now avail on KINDLE! I'm thrilled to know that these stories that I love so much may now find their way into new homes and hearts. Just now I'm highlighting the first of two connected books--SCANDALOUS SPIRITS!

A bit of trivia: Cyndi and I had a blast writing this story. Although set in contemporary times, the three featured ghosts (two brothers and a sister) are from the 1920s. Researching that period and utilizing the lingo, history, and styles was a hoot. In addition the story is based in Atlantic City (our backyard) and revolves around a real haunted mansion, originally built in the 1920s. Unfortunately that mansion has since been torn down, but Cyndi and I got pictures of the Spanish style mansion before the bulldozers hit. One of our photos was incorporated in the book's cover.

SCANDALOUS SPIRITS was an RWA Golden Heart finalist and our first published novel. We hope you'll indulge in our fantasy, available now on Kindle at the bargain price of .99! Click here for a look-see! Also if you're inclined, we'd love it if you'd help us spread the word. How awesome would it be if we hit the Kindle Best Seller list? Pretty darn awesome!

Marcus Van Buren's family has been a thorn in his backside since the day he was born. Now he's paying someone to get rid of them. Inexperienced ghostbuster Daisy Malone should be ecstatic the ultra-wealthy tabloid darling is paying her big bucks to conduct a sham of an investigation. The windfall will bail her family out of financial ruin. According to Marcus, all she has to do is tell the truth. Sign a document swearing Laguna Vista is 100% ghost-free. The only trouble is Daisy knows otherwise.

"CB Scott's imaginative and thought-provoking debut ghost story is very vividly concocted. The characters, yes, even the ghosts, come alive and jump right out of the pages and into your mind." -- 4 Stars, Romantic Times BOOKclub

"SCANDALOUS SPIRITS is sassy, spooky, sexy fun--a flat-out great read! You'll enjoy every spine-tingling page! --Stephanie Bond, author of Body Mover series, MIRA

To get you in the mood, here's an excerpt! Thank you for letting us share!

Prologue

"I’m dying of boredom."

"Keen trick, Izzy, considering you’ve been dead for the last seventy years."

Cigarette holder poised between two slender fingers, Isadora Van Buren-Valentine-Mueller-Tadmucker-Carr slicked her bobbed hair behind one diamond-studded ear, blew out a lazy stream of smoke, then snipped, "Go chase yourself, Jimmy."

"Vamp."

"Goof."

Jonas Van Buren shook his head as his cantankerous younger siblings launched into yet another verbal tussle. In confounding "hereafter limbo" since 1928 and they were still at it. Some things never changed. "Lay off, you two. Bickering won’t solve our plight. In fact, it’s what got us into this mess in the first place. Or have you forgotten?"

"If memory serves," Isadora drawled, flicking her ashes into an etched blue crystal bowl, "Jimmy’s lousy driving got us into this mess. He’s the one who steered the Pierce-Arrow off the bridge and into the drink."

"I was distracted," James snapped in self-defense, plunking down the deck of cards he’d been fanning and shuffling on the table before them. But when he palmed up the snap-brim of his brown felt fedora, guilt plagued his handsome, boyish features.

"I know you were, sweetie," Isadora quickly amended, her cupie-bowed lips drawing into a contrite frown. "I’m sorry." Suddenly morose, she added, "If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I’m the one who talked you and Jonas into staying late at the speak-easy."

"You didn’t talk us into anything, angel," Jonas said, sorry he’d introduced the subject of their physical demise in the first place. "It was a collective decision, remember? All for one and one for all."

James’ mouth slid into a lopsided grin upon hearing their childhood oath. "You said it!"

"And how!" Isadora exclaimed, her ruby red lips curving back into a smile.

Grateful for their easily restored humor, Jonas smiled as well. Smoothing the shawl collar of his double-breasted vest, he returned then to his usual post: the arched glass window of the secluded west tower of Laguna Vista, the infamous Van Buren Estate. Or as they’d come to refer to it as of late, the Van Buren Prison.

He braced his palms on either side of the sash and looked out in disgust over the unkempt grounds. Gnarled brambles and rampant sea grass thrived in place of sculptured hedges and exotic roses. The once immaculate lawn of the Spanish-style mansion was no longer green but brown, and littered with rocks and empty liquor bottles. Or as Isadora so colorfully referred to them, dead soldiers.

The former summer home of their parents, the powerful and wealthy department store tycoon Jonathan Bernard Van Buren and his socialite wife Ella, Laguna Vista had been the high-society playground for some of America’s most popular celebrities, not to mention occasional politicians and assorted European dignitaries.

Up until 1928, anyhow.

That tragic year James accidentally drove the family’s luxury automobile off a bridge, ending his fast-lane life along with that of his sister’s and brother’s. Of course it had been foggy and he’d been speeding, but as Isadora had said, the fact that they ended up in the bottom of the bay swimming with the fishes wasn't entirely their little brother’s fault. They’d all been blotto, hopped up on hooch compliments of Isadora’s favorite gin mill. And they’d been bickering. Not that that was unusual. The Van Buren siblings were famous for their caustic, though mostly harmless, tiffs. They loved each other dearly. They just didn’t happen to agree on everything. Strike that, Jonas thought with an amused grunt, they didn’t agree on a lot of things. Like who were the cat’s pajamas? The Yanks or the Dodgers?

The details revolving around the fatal crash and the moments thereafter remained a mystery to the three siblings. One moment they’d been arguing over who would take the World Series in ‘29. The next they were free-floating twenty feet over the murky water, looking on as a fleet of gumshoes fished the dented Pierce-Arrow out of the bay. Seeing their lifeless bodies being pulled from the car was a bit of a shock, to say the least. How could they be dead when they felt so alive? And if they were dead, shouldn’t they be in heaven or hell or . . . something?

"Maybe we’re hallucinating," James had offered. "That’s what we get for drinking coffin varnish."

"Don’t be a sap," Isadora snapped, watching as two meds hoisted her limp, slender form onto a gurney. Pointing a translucent finger at her raccoon-ring-eyed, lipstick-smeared face a short distance beyond, she said, "I’ve been corked on bootleg whiskey more times than I can count, and I’ve never looked as bad as that."

To which Jonas replied, "Says you."

Then it occurred to them. They weren’t kickin’ in the physical sense, but spiritually . . .

Jonas recalled Isadora and James launching into a heated debate over the subtle differences between ghosts and spirits, then lapsing into a fit of snorting laughter while plotting the swell tricks they’d get over on their cousins. He even remembered tossing in a few choice pranks of his own. But his most vivid recollection was the heart-wrenching moment they’d sobered up, simultaneously realizing the impact their deaths would have on those they’d left behind. It crushed their fanciful mindset and landed them within the grieving walls of Laguna Vista in the blink of a snake’s eye.

And here they’d been stuck ever since. A problem Jonas had spent the last seventy years trying to rectify. Ghostly limbo wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Unlike Isadora and James, he’d never reveled in the novelty of being a disembodied spirit. He’d merely tolerated their fate, as he seemed to have no choice. He longed to cross over, to join friends and family members in heaven, or at least to graduate to a higher non-physical plane. However, for reasons that eluded him, the Powers-That-Be turned a consistently deaf ear to his simple request. It was as if he was being punished, but for what? What?

Isadora watched as Jonas’ shoulders sagged in familiar defeat. He was mulling over their fate again. She hated when he did that. It tended to depress him, and she hated anything sad. Sighing dramatically, since it was one of her better talents, she snuffed out her fag after one last drag then rose from the settee to join him. The high spiked heels of her patent leather pumps clicked on the polished marble floor, filling the same silence that had worked her into a lather moments before.

Izzy Van Buren-Valentine-Mueller-Tadmucker-Carr, scandalous heiress-cum-flapper extraordinaire, detested silence—oh, and anything sad.

"You know," she cooed, sidling in beside him, "haunting Laguna Vista was fun for the first sixty years or so, but these last ten years, well, sheesh. I had more fun at my own wake."

"I know you’re bored, angel," Jonas replied without cracking the smile she’d hoped for. "Believe me, if I could figure a way to spring us from this joint, I would."

His brows cut down into a stern vee, the reason as clear as moonshine to Izzy. It baffled him that they could permeate every wall within the seventeen-room mansion like kites through a cloud, but they couldn’t pass through the outer walls to gain freedom to the outside world. She grinned, recalling the time James had tried to escape by jumping out a window while she shimmed up the chimney. Of course, stick-in-the-mud Jonas had taken the mortal route by trying to walk out the front door. All three had hit invisible barriers.

"This is the longest Laguna Vista has remained vacant," she thought aloud. "And for the death of me, I don’t understand why."

"No doubt because of us," Jonas replied, distracted by a late-seventies vehicle rolling to a stop just inside the front gate of the mansion.

"Yeah, Izzy," James taunted, coming up behind them. "You scared everyone away."

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Dry up, you two." Jonas snapped his fingers to gain their attention then motioned them to peer out the window. "Looks like we didn’t scare everyone away." Gazing past the bug-splattered windshield of the four-wheeled junker, he pinpointed the willowy broad sitting in the driver’s seat. The one with the pert-nose, freckled face, and long blond hair swept up in a playful, bobby-soxer ponytail. He let loose a soft, appreciative whistle. "Lordy, that blonde’s a looker."

"She’s sweet and all," James agreed, leering from his third-story vantage point, "but fix your blinkers on the tomato sitting next to her. The one in the short skirt." He snapped his suspenders and hooted. "Now that’s a choice bit of calico!"

"She’s also a choice bit of jailbait," Izzy noted. "I’m with Jonas. The blonde is definitely more interesting. Look at how she’s giving this place the once over. She’s moving in. I can feel it! Oh, I do hope she turns Laguna Vista back into a disco. I so loved the music." She broke into the "Hustle" with an imaginary partner while belting out the chorus of "I Will Survive."

James rolled his eyes before training them on the blonde. "Nah, she looks more like the bed-and-breakfast type to me. What do you think, Jonas?"

Jonas peered closer, noticing for the first time the logo emblazoned across the long-dented door of the ancient hippie-mobile. Society of Parapsychological Sleuths. An uneasy feeling wound through his gut, the same daunting feeling that tied him in knots whenever he’d had dealings with the IRS. Rocking back on his oxfords, he palmed his hand over his slicked-back hair and sighed. "I think we’re in big trouble."

A Tease and a Link

2011-04-17T09:39:00.001-04:00

Lest you think I've fallen off the planet, I've spent the last several weeks preparing for a conference as well as hunkering down big time on the first book in the CUPCAKE CLUB series. Between that and life, blogging and such fell by the wayside. Sorry about that! Even now, I'm just popping in to set you up for an actual upcoming post or four.

Last week I attended the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in LA. My first time in LA and the only exciting touristy thing I saw was the famous HOLLYWOOD sign... from a distance on the shuttle from airport to hotel.

That's the nature of attending writers conferences. Unless you tack on a extra day(s), you rarely see any of the hosting city. Ah, well. Another time. Overall the conference was a successful venture for me on several fronts. One thing I learned for certain, I do NOT have the skills or emotional armor to be a Hollywood screenwriter. Crossed that of my TO DO 'Wish List' after attending three workshops taught by pro screenwriters. However, I did pick up some fantastic writing tips. I'll do my best to post some photos from the conference as well as some stories andadvice over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, a reminder that if you enjoy daily banter, join me on Facebook. My posts are short but more frequent and I so love the back and forth with readers.

Now... for my fellow writers, here's an awesome link on promotion, something that's always on our minds, right? Not that we like to do it, but it seems to come with the territory these days. This article helped to put things in perspective for me. Something to ponder. The Business Rusch: Promotion.

Support the Arts... One Deserving Artist at a Time

2011-03-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

I've been mesmerized by the avalanche of publishing news this week.

Thriller writer, Barry Eisler walks away from a half-a-million deal with a major NYC publisher to fly solo. Read about it here.

After earning a million on her own, E-book wonderkid, Amanda Hocking signs a four book deal with St. Martin's Press for two million dollars. Read about it here.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Connie Brockway, rejects major NYC deal to 'go rogue'. Another indi author (although traditionally established) is born. Read about it here.

Although these stories captivated me, influenced me in some manner, none of them effected me like the 'author' news, Joe Konrath shared today on his blog. Read about it here.

Kiana Davenport. Major NYC published author. Winner of the O. Henry Awards, The Pushcart Prize, and The Best American Short Stories of 2000 (selected by E.L.Doctorow.) How, how in the world could the industry fail her so miserably. Frustrating. Yet because of her artistic spirit and passion... inspiring.

Whether you're a reader, writer, or both. Please reach out. Please treat yourself to an extremely affordable work of art. I'm not sure why I feel so deeply about this. Wait. Yes, I do. It's a chance to make a positive difference in a truly gifted artist's life. It takes so little yet we can do so much. Support the arts. Support a deserving artist. Support Kiana Davenport and feed your soul.

Artists are sensitive souls. I'm a sensitive soul. A passionate, driven soul. We all have our insecurities. Many of us have been disappointed in oh-so-many ways. I don't know about you, but for me, it took nothing for me to buy her indi-pubbed HOUSE OF SKIN.... yet meant the world.

Wanna Free Kindle?

2011-03-15T18:49:00.001-04:00

Even if you already have a Kindle, wouldn't it be nice to win one and to gift it to a friend or family member. As someone who owns and and loves her Kindle, just had to share this opportunity!

Imajinn Books (who published the three paranormal novels I wrote with Cynthia Valero under the name CB Scott) is sponsoring two Kindle giveaways via their website. There are several ways to enter. Click here for details and good luck!

Future Projects and a Vintage Feature

2011-03-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe it's mid-March. This year is flying by and I predict the upcoming months will also be one big honking blur. I'm writing like a madwoman. Working hard on the first book in my new series THE CUPCAKE CLUB, and simmering on the first book of my other new series THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS. Once I turn in CUPCAKE #1 (Title to be determined), I'll launch right into DARCY #1 (which I call AMELIA). Meanwhile, I'm still working a full time dayjob, so time is tight. Crammed in there somewhere, in April to be exact, is the Romantic Times Convention in LA and then in July, the Romance Writers of America Conference in NYC. Looking forward to attending both cons. More on those later.

Lately, I've received quite a few compliments regarding my two latest releases OUT OF EDEN and INTO THE WILD, followed by, "When's your next book coming out?" Unfortunately, I don't have a concrete answer. Although I just signed a new contract with St. Martin's Press for four books, and another contract with NAL for two books, I haven't been advised as of yet regarding official release dates for any of these. My best guess is sometime in 2012 for the first books of both series. Yup. 2012. If I'm lucky. That's one of the things about traditional publishing. The publication schedules are set a year or two in advance. As soon as I know specifics, I'll be sure to share. Meanwhile I ask that you please hang in with me. Maybe there's a book in my backlist that you haven't read? Click here to see what I've written to date--a mix of paranormal, historical westerns and contemporaries.

I recently saw the movie TRUE GRIT (so wonderful!) and find myself in the mood for the wild west and hunky cowboys. Hence...

My vintage Ciotta feature of the month: LASSO THE MOON

Order in print

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"Witty dialogue puts the story on a fast pace and will have you smiling if not laughing out loud. A great combination of romance, laughter, mystery and triumph." -- Five Stars! Affaire de Coeur

EXCERPTA queer sense of doom nagged Josh as he neared the cell. His out-of-sorts life was spinning toward the point of no return. Of course, he wasn’t in the best frame of mind. Mason’s death still dogged him. Mason’s will still irked him. And Paris had turned out to be more of a diversion than he’d bargained.

He unlocked the door and eased it open. Stepping inside, he pushed his Stetson further onto the back of his head, stroking a day’s growth of whiskers while he took in the unsettling sight.

Paris looked like a little girl, curled up, sound asleep on the jailhouse cot. Seeing her like this, all vulnerable like, no wonder Fedderman compared her to his shy and proper daughter. Thing was, judging from her behavior thus far, Paris was anything but shy and proper. Still and all, the old man was right. It wasn’t safe for a woman to travel unescorted across the desert. Especially when that woman had more sass than sense.

Kissing his peace and quiet goodbye, he crouched down and lightly touched her shoulder. “Paris.” She didn’t stir, so he gave her a little shake, frowning when she didn’t respond. Concerned she might be ill, he pressed his hand to her cheek. No fever. The intensity of his relief annoyed him.

He started to pull back, but she nuzzled her face deeper into his cupped palm. Dark strands of sawdust-sprinkled hair tickled her left cheek. Her lips curved into a bedeviling smile. Damn, she looked ornery even when she slept. She murmured, “Josh,” and that queer lump welled up again in his throat. He swallowed hard, wondering if he was catching cold. Then he focused on the fact that he’d invaded this girl’s dreams. He wasn’t sure whether to feel smug or worried. Unable to help himself, he smoothed her tangled hair from her pretty face. “Morning, kid.”

She shot up like a startled bobcat, smacking her head against the wall and knocking Josh on his backside.

Swearing under his breath, he righted himself then reached out to her to inspect the damage. “You all right?”

“Yes. No.” She nudged away his hands, massaged the base of her skull. “That smarted.”

“I’ll bet.” He stood and stared down at her, deciding she was not only loony but accident prone.

She blinked up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you that question.” He pointed to her bare feet. “Where in the devil are your shoes?”

“I forgot to put them on.”

He plucked his hat from his head and jammed his fingers through his hair for the second time this aggravating morning. “How does a body get dressed to go out and forget to put on her shoes?” It boggled his mind, adding to the pain stabbing at his temples. “Never mind.” Repositioning his hat, he got a whiff of stale beer. He leaned closer and sniffed. “Friendly tip, kid. Lay off the booze. You’re short on sense as is.”

She rose slowly, tilting her head up to meet his admonishing gaze. “I’m not drunk, and I’m not stupid. I knocked into a table of half-filled glasses.”

“Which wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t in the saloon in the first place. You’re lucky Fingers didn’t shoot first and ask questions later.”

“That hot-headed, unprofessional oaf! All I wanted was to play—”

“—the piano. I know.” Had she no regard for her safety? “One of these days your reckless behavior is going to get you into serious trouble.”

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. “You sound just like my . . . ”

“Your what?”

“Never mind.”

“Your husband? Fiancé?”

She wiggled the bare fingers of her left hand. “I don’t have a husband or a fiancé.”

He didn’t want to consider why that made him so all-fired glad. “Your pa?”

She shifted her gaze toward the barred window. “Papa’s dead.”

Josh winced at the hitch in her voice. Once upon a time he had worshiped his own father. But that was before the man had drunk himself to death. Shoving the ancient hurt aside, he cupped her chin demanding her attention. “Your brothers then?”

“You know my brothers?”

“I know they consider you an expert. Or so you told Fingers last night.” She’d floored them all with that racy tidbit though he’d quickly surmised she’d meant her abilities as a pianist.

“Oh. Right.” Looking almighty relieved, she knocked away his hand, and eyed the open door. “Can I go now?”

Maybe Fedderman was onto something. “Listen, kid, whatever you’re running from—”

“I’m not running—”

“Whatever they did—”

“Who?”

“Your brothers.”

She huffed an exasperated breath. “Am I free to go?”

“Did they mistreat you in some way?”

“No. Well . . . yes. Sort of.”

For the love of . . . “Stop beating around the bush, Paris. I want to know who or what you’re running from. You can trust me to—”

She snorted.

Josh dug deep, clutching the last of his patience. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why would I trust you? You lied to me.”

The muscles in his neck bunched. Fury burned its way up from his toes to the tips of his ears. She may as well have accused him of murder. He closed the distance between them, backing her flush against the cell wall. Bracing his hands against the stones on either side of her head, he caged her between his arms and glared. “Come again?”

“Well, not outright,” she explained, her voice climbing an octave. “More like by way of omission.”

“Spit it out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re a sheriff?”

“I’m not. Not anymore.” The fact still rankled. “I turned in my badge two days ago.”

She grinned ear to ear. “Really?”

“Why does this make you happy?”

“It doesn’t.” Her smile slipped. “I mean, why would it? I was just curious as to why you’d failed to mention it. Your occupation, that is. Not that it matters.”

He wanted to shake the living daylights out of her. “Are you among the willows?”

“What?”

“On the lam. Running from the law.”

“Of all the ridiculous . . . I am not a criminal.”

“Glad to hear it.” He leaned closer. “I’d hate to have to escort you to Florence in handcuffs.”

Her eyes widened like a trapped animal’s. “What are you talking about? I don’t need an escort.”

“There are those who believe otherwise.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Like hell.” To prove it he kissed her. He slanted his mouth over hers again and again. Hot, hungry, calculated kisses. He wanted to send her running. Because she aggravated him. Because she’d attacked his integrity. Because she was naïve and fearless. But mostly, because she made him burn. He’d never experienced such a fast and fierce attraction. It scared the hell out of him. He needed a wife, and she was not wife material. She was a pain in his neck. Literally.

Unfortunately, his plan backfired. She countered his assault by kissing him with a clumsy enthusiasm that stirred his blood, hiking his desire to a dangerous, irrational level. If he didn’t stop now, he’d end up taking her against the jailhouse wall. Next step, the altar.

Stunned, he held her at arm’s length like a stick of dynamite. Surely she was just as dangerous once you lit her fuse. Never in his life had he taken liberties with a stranger. A young woman on the run, for Christ’s sake. He’d kissed this one twice. And this time he was sober. What’s worse, she encouraged his disgraceful behavior. “Stop doing that,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Doing what?”

“Kissing me.”

Her glazed eyes cleared and sparked. “You kissed me first!” That doesn’t mean you have to like it.” The thought of her kissing another man with the same sweet abandon knotted his gut. Not that he was jealous. Hell, no. Just concerned another man might take advantage of her virginal curiosity, exhibiting even less restraint than himself.

“Of all the . . . ” She swung out and slapped his face with a force that rocked his head.

“That’s more like it,” he grumbled.

*********************************************
Hope you enjoyed the read. Check out my backlist page on my website for more excerpts. Enjoy the published works of my heart while I work hard to create new and wondrous adventures.

Cheers!
Beth

Smokin'!

2011-03-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Author Harlan Coben (who I love) just tweeted "sitting w Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. Pinch me." I had to laugh as it reminded me of my brush with Smokin' Joe. Many moons ago, in my other life (as a performer), I sang backup with two other women for Joe in an AC casino showroom. Yes, he headlined, sang... sort of. Our name? Smokin' Joe & The Knockouts! True!!

Oh, how I wish I had a picture of us. Instead, all I have is this pic of Joe and some other Knockouts.

Oh, and this proof that he actually did sing. Sort of.

While They Were Sleeping

2011-02-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

It's a lazy Sunday at the Ciotta house.

Nia holed up in her crate with her stuffed bear and fluffy blankets.

Cheyenne zonked out on her 'sofa' bed.

Sadie curled up on a chair with Mr. Moose.

Everyone's napping. Except for me. True, it is mid-afternoon and I'm still in my PJs. And I am relaxing on the sofa with my feet propped up. (No, picture. Sorry.) But I'm fully awake and engaged in the first book of my new series THE CUPCAKE CLUB. While the furkids are sleeping, I'm writing away and having a grand time! My characters keep surprising me left and right. Most recently, there was an arrest and a 'frisking' incident that's leading up to an ass-kicking... at some point. Also Dev and Chloe (the hero and heroine) just agreed on a tactic to snuff the burning attraction between them. Which of course won't work, but it will be fun watching them try . . . and fail. Heh.

I best get back to it but before I go, here's something to put some zing in my, I mean, your day. In a previous scene that took me by surprise, Dev ended up in the river, fully clothed (for reasons you'll have to wait and read in the book), but (also for reasons you'll have to wait and read) ended up losing his shirt. Visual inspiration was in order.

Celebrating Love, Celebrating The Darcys!

2011-02-14T18:17:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day, the day we celebrate love, struck me as the perfect time to share and yet some more good news regarding my future books. Books about, you guessed it--LOVE!

Long and very interesting story short, in addition to signing a new contract with St. Martin's Press to write a contemporary romance series entitled THE CUPCAKE CLUB... I have also very recently accepted an offer from NAL (Penguin) to write Victorian Steampunk-ish Romances--overall name: THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS!

This idea has been simmering in my brain for quite some time and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring these romantic adventures to life! Unsure as to what I mean by Victorian Steampunk-ish? Here's a blurb about the series...

In celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee (1887), an anonymous benefactor promises fame and fortune to the first man or woman who discovers and donates a technological ‘invention’ of historical significance to her majesty’s British Museum in honor of her beloved deceased husband, Prince Albert.

Lord Jules Darcy, Lord Simon Darcy, and unbeknownst to them, their sister, Lady Amelia Darcy set off in search of three different ‘lost’ legendary inventions. Whilst on their quest, all three fall prey to a sizzling romance and forever love. In the end, one sibling will bring glory to the British Empire, another scandal, while the third becomes an unwitting accomplice in a plot to assassinate the Queen. Will love or technology save the day? Will the Darcys prevail or perish? Passion and adventure abound in these humorous steampunk-ish tales.

The first book will focus on AMELIA. While googling for an image that would give you a visual, I happened upon this awesome photograph.

I hope you'll follow me into this new world. One thing's for sure, between the two series, hopefully I'll have something to offer for many varied tastes!

Exciting News!

2011-01-20T19:09:00.001-05:00

Fighting the flu (that's not the exciting part), but had to prop myself up at the computer in order to share some mega fantastic news.

For those of you following along, I spent the summer and fall writing multiple story proposals. A lot of hard work, but so worth it. A) I exercised my creativity and writing chops big time... B) I kept my name in the game and garnered some fabulous compliments about my style and voice... C) After clicking with one specific editor, I was afforded an opportunity that I jumped at, heart and soul, and it seems like all the stars and planets were shining on me because (and this is the exciting news)...

St Martin's Press offered me a four-book contract for a series called THE CUPCAKE CLUB! (picture me happy dancing) Sexy, romantic comedies that take place in the same small town, each featuring a new hero and heroine and all revolving around The Cupcake Club. I'm going to be working with the fabulous Monique Patterson who is an enthusiastic ball of energy just like my agent Amy Moore-Benson. Basking in the positive vibes and celebrating what promises to be a FUN series!

More details ahead, but for now please partake in my virtual celebratory cupcake! Cheers!

My Writing Agenda

2011-01-02T11:53:00.001-05:00

Two days into 2011 and I'm buzzing along! Of course it helps that I've had the last three days off from the day job. Nine extra hours a day to tackle personal projects. It will be interesting to see how I manage my new agenda when I go back to work on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, I launched a my new non-fiction project on the 31st and so far it's going great! If you're wanting to make positive changes in your life this year or if you just want to read along as I struggle to attain my goals, please join me at THE YEAR OF ME. I'm grateful and encouraged by those who are sharing their struggles and experiences as well. I've been touching on these 'changes' on my Facebook account and have had incredible feedback there. So many people sharing their insight. Now if I could only get those people to comment on my new lifestyle blog!

In other writing news, I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear back on two different fiction proposals--both contemporary romantic comedies. I try not to think about it and mostly I succeed, especially since I'm tackling other new projects. But sometimes it crosses my mind and I get a jolt of nervous anticipation. Hopefully, I'll hear something soon. Hopefully, I'll have reason to celebrate! I'll let you know.

Meanwhile, I need to finish the synopsis for my YA proposal. Once that's done my agent can send that one out into the world as well. I feel quite passionate about this project and deep down really hope it flies. Let's put it this way, I feel so passionate about the story that I'll make it fly one way or another. Stay tuned.

So tell me friends, what's on your reading or writing agenda?

Simplify and Purify

2010-12-31T11:43:00.001-05:00

Here we are. The last day of 2010. Let me be the first to say, "WOO-HOO!"

For me, 2010 will go down in history as the year of disappointment and loss. I got slammed personally and professionally. The personal blow, losing my brother, was the worst. I wonder if my heart will every fully heal. But the professional knocks also hurt, battering my pride and confidence. All I can say is, I'm still standing. Not only standing, but fighting.

I spent the last few months living life to the fullest because I truly know now that life is too short. I've also written four full proposals for four new stories. Some of them have already been rejected, some are still under consideration, one I still have to polish before sending out. The good news is that, even though these particular 'stories' may not have been right for the publishers, I've heard nothing but great things about my writing, my style and voice. Honestly, it doesn't get much better than that. It just means I have to hit the right editor with the right story. I've got oodles of stories inside of me. It's only a matter of time before I'll be celebrating a new contract. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Oh, the power of positive thinking!

Back to the New Year. I've decided not to make any resolutions, but I do have goals. SIMPLIFY and PURIFY.

By simplifying, I mean I'm going to de-clutter my house. I'm more calm when my house is in order, when rooms are sparse and neat. My husband and I are pack rats. Have you ever seen sparse and neat pack rats? Me, neither. But I am determined to box up and donate the mountains of clothes we never wear, the books we never read, the cds and tapes we never listen to. I'm going to recycle the multitudes of age-old magazines and shred oodles of outdated paperwork.

I CAN DO THIS.

Simplifying also means, honing down my responsibilities. Prioritizing. How is my time best used when it comes to promoting my work? It's a major time sucker. Time away from writing. Time away from my family. If I've learned nothing this year, it's that you can't get back the time you didn't share with friends and family.

I WILL AMEND THAT.

Which brings me to: PURIFYING. I hate to exercise. In the summer, I enjoyed a few power walks but then lost my mojo. When I made my living as a performer, I burned a lot of calories because I was always moving--dancing, acting, roller skating, twirling rifles... The list goes on. Now I'm a writer and a library assistant. I suppose I could dance down the aisle while shelving books, but I don't. The only thing that gets a major work out these days are my fingers and brain. They're in fine shape whereas my butt, hips and thighs . . . and let's not talk about my upper arms. I'd feel better and my clothes would look better if I lost 15-20 pounds, but I refuse to go on a diet. I never stick with them. They make me grumpy, as does the thought of going to a gym. Still, I need to focus more on my health and beauty . . . on me. Again, life is short and only shorter if you don't take proper care of yourself. Another lesson learned this past year.

I WANT TO ALTER MY LIFESTYLE.

One of the perks of working in the library is that I get to skim all the new books that come in. We get an awful lot of non-fiction books on health and beauty. Books focusing on all sorts of special diets and workouts. It's amazing really. I've skimmed many of them and always end up rolling my eyes. Like I'd stick to one of those diets or regimens. Who has the time? The willpower? Yesterday, I tripped upon a new 'health' book that actually caught my attention and kept it. Here's the chapter title that hooked me: CONQUERING YOUR EXERCISE AVERSION. Followed by this chapter: TRANSFORMING YOUR BODY IMAGE. And lastly this one: BEING HAPPY.

It helps that the authors writing style really calls to me. And it helps that he delves deeper, helping you to figure out what makes you tick, why you overeat or why you don't exercise. Why you don't devote more time to yourself. Even though I'm not obese, I am carrying some extra weight and I am out of shape. I also have an aversion to doctors. I don't take care of myself like I should. Why is that? I'm on a quest to find out via THE LIFE YOU WANT --Get Motivated, Lose Weight, Be Happy, by: Bob Greene

On a creative note, my urge to simplify and purify, to alter my lifestyle for the better, also prompted an idea for a non-fiction book. I've never attempted a non-fiction book, but inexperience has never stopped me before. I'm also working on a YA novel--another new-to-me genre.

Look out 2011. I'm coming in swinging!

**************
UPDATE!
I just launched a new Lifestyle blog -- THE YEAR OF ME
Please hop over and help me ring in the New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

I realize I haven't been posting very much, but it's been for the best of reasons. Aside from spending quality time with my husband and furkids this holiday season, I've been working very hard on several writing projects. I'm quite excited about these prospects and hope to have good news to share after the first of the year. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned!

For those of you scrambling to buy last minute presents, please consider giving the gift of hope by donating to a local or national charity. The three at the top of my list are The American Cancer Society, St Jude's Childrens Hospital, and Best Friends Animal Society However there are many, many more. Giving to those less fortunate or in dire health is good for the soul and so appreciated by the ones in need.

I'm unplugging for awhile and embracing the spirit of Christmas. But I'll be back! Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a healthy, happy New Year!

Over the River and Through the Woods

2010-11-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

Or more accurately.... Up the parkway and over the bridge.

Because of our jobs, my husband and I or at least one of us has always had to work on Thanksgiving. That's not to say that we don't fix a Thanksgiving meal, but it's always just the two of us. This year we're both off for not only Thanksgiving, but the day after! Hence we're treating ourselves and driving up to my in-laws. This involves driving through parts of NYC. The traffic will no doubt be horrendous, but it will be worth it.

This past year, I've truly learned how very short life is and how we must make special effort to spend time with those we love. I wish I had even more time off so I could whisk to Indiana to see my mom and sisters. Maybe next year. This year, I'm fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with my Mom and Dad C and my brother and sister in-law. And Steve. Oh, and Cheyenne and Nia! The doggies are coming with us, too. A full house, great food, and a fun time. Yay!

This Thanksgiving, I'm counting my blessings more than ever. I'm grateful for my loving family and friends and my good health. I am blessed.

What about you? What are your plans? What are you grateful for?

New Look, New Formats, Old Favorites!

2010-11-17T07:33:00.000-05:00

Here's some exciting news from Medallion Press! The Friends and Lovers trilogy that I love so much will be available for the first time in Kindle, Nook, and other e-formats in 2011. PLUS they'll have new covers! I can't wait to see what the awesome MP art department comes up with.

Here's the official announcement...

"In an effort to bring our readers new experiences and ways to enjoy their favorite Medallion books, we will be giving a few of our past releases a face-lift and rereleasing them next year.

Readers can look for a repackaging of Beth Ciotta’s award-winning Friends and Lovers trilogy available only in e-book format. These rereleases will feature new covers to enhance Ciotta’s already hilarious stories of romance and adventure. Look for Jinxed, Charmed, and Seduced to be available in late 2011. Be sure to get your copy of the original book before they are all gone!"

I'm hoping the new look and e-formats will hook and thrill readers... old and new. I love these stories and am eager to share them with fans of romantic fiction. Click here to see the cool banners featuring these three faves. Thanks for booster Medallion!

My Trip to Scotland - Part 1

2010-11-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

Don't worry. I'm not going to give you a play by play of my October birthday trip to Scotland, but I am going to share some pics over the next few days via a fun slide show. First up: Edinburgh Castle.... silent movie style!

Where's Beth Now?

2010-11-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

I'm not as famous a Waldo, but I do feel the need to have a poster featuring 'me' lost amidst a zillion pictures resembling my chaotic life. My sister, Elle, creates some pretty awesome mock covers. When she's tackled her Nano (National Novel Writing Month) goal, maybe I'll ask her to make me one. Until then, imagine me in Waldo's place.

I haven't posted here for an embarrassingly long time. Apologies to all who check in. Without dwelling in details, I suffered the loss of my brother, Bobby, last month. He battled cancer for over a year. Battled valiantly and lost. As you can imagine this was, and remains, crushing. I did manage to stay in touch with friends on Facebook throughout most of these past months and I thank all those who reached out with emails and cards. On my long list of things to 'catch up on' it's some more personal thank yous. Bear with me.

On to something happier, last I also celebrated a big birthday. Steve had planed a very special birthday holiday for me and, wanting to create some happy memories, we followed through with the trip. I'm so glad. It was a healing, inspiring and romantic time. Four days in Edinburgh, Scotland, three in London, England. Posted lots of pics on my FB account. Will try to create a slide show for this blog, but until then here's a couple of fave pics. Edinburgh Castle--after dark!

Since returning, I've been crazy busy at the library, plus catching up on bazillion 'life' things that have fallen through the cracks. I've also been hard at work on two new book proposals. Did I mention I'm inspired? One proposal is geared toward those who love my quirky romantic comedies. Lots of potential sexy fun here. The other explores my fascination with ghosts and otherwordly creatures, Edinburgh, Scotland . . . and young love. Remember when I mentioned above that my sister creates mock covers for fun? She created this one for me for inspiration.

Oh... Bailey Caine is the name I've chosen to write under to set apart my slightly darker YAs from my adult rom-coms. This is a new direction and exciting direction for me and I have no sales or releases to announce.... yet. I've only just begun. However, I feel so strongly about this new avenue that I've decided to share my new passion with the universe. See it, believe it, be it!

Meanwhile, I recently learned about this new review at Coffee Time Romance for INTO THE WILD. " ... an adventurous read with humor, passion, romance, and a hunky adventurer..." Read more here. I also wrote a blog feature for RT BOOKreviews on unique heroines. Click here to read From Quirky to Kick-butt

More news regarding my books and future projects coming soon. I'll try to post more frequently here, but I also encourage you to join me on Facebook where I interact almost daily. It's a fabulous way to keep up with friends, family, and reading buds. Otherwise, my heads down--imagination soaring, fingers flying!

My One and Only Love

2010-09-25T12:23:00.000-04:00

Today's my wedding anniversary! Steve and I have been together many wonderful years and as the card he gave me today says... The adventure continues!

Here's to love and laughter and neverending wonders of true love.

Tech Fun

2010-09-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

Working up a fun blog post, meanwhile... my husband and I got new phones for the first time in four years. We took the plunge, investing in new Android phones. I'm technically challenged but couldn't resist facing my fears and getting a super cool advanced phone. The same one as Steve. Buy one get one free special. Why not take advantage?

Anyhoo, this phone does everything! I'm afraid if I said, "Beam me up"... it would! I could go on and on but I need to work on a book proposal. I'll rave another time. For now, I have something to share. Steve is obssessed with adding 'apps' to his phone. One was a camera feature. I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Check me out. I've been Andy Warhol-lized.

I feel so 60s cool. *g*

Procrastination Payoff

2010-09-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

I'm one scene away from finishing a new proposal. A proposal I love. I woke up and headed straight for my computer. This particular scene needs to be sexy. Sexy before 8am? Uh, no. Couldn't do it. So I spent the last hour procrastinating. Coffee. Breakfast. Socializing via the Net. Checking my Amazon ratings and googling for reviews. You know. Normal writer obsessions.

While procrastinating I came across this! A friend/reader, Sherry Tew, posted this on Facebook. Have to share. Love the pic--Into the Wild faceout at a Borders in Florida--and Sherry's response to someone who asked about my books.

"Her books are wonderful and fun and exciting to read if you are a fan of romance/adventure novels. Her characters are well defined, multi-dimensional, human and easy to become entralled with."

Wow. Thanks, Sherry!

Now I don't feel to guilty about procratinating. The payoff was inspiration. Sexy scene, here I come!

Swingin' on a Vine!

2010-09-01T07:00:00.006-04:00

Even though my latest novel got a bit of a jump start via Amazon and a few book stores, TODAY is the OFFICIAL release day for INTO THE WILD!

Excuse me while I happy dance!

I'm super excited about this book. Can you tell? One of my fave quotes thus far . . .

"If you have a thing for Indiana Jones, and who doesn’t, then give this book a try." -- Jamie, The Season for Romance

You should be able to find copies of INTO THE WILD in your favorite book store. You can definitely order on-line from any of your favorite book sites. If you're a Kindle lover, click here! Prefer to listen to your tales? The audio version is coming soon. Stay tuned!

For an excerpt, click here. I'll share more reviews as they roll in. In the meantime, please join me today over at Loud Whispers for an Interview and another giveaway. Who better to help me celebrate release day than my fabulously talented (and beautiful) sister, Elle J. Rossi!

I'll leave you with just one of my favorite passages....

He studied her with an intensity that liquefied her bones. “When you’re in your hotel room, thinking about whether or not to track your dad, think on this.”

His gaze moved to her mouth and her heart stilled. She dreaded a kiss, ached for a kiss. But he shifted and spoke close to her ear. “There is no vaccination for gold fever. And take it from one who knows, Angel. It’s deadly.”

An Interview and a Giveaway!

2010-08-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

Popping in to let you know I'm being interviewed today at READING WITH TEQUILA. Oh, and there's a giveaway too! Hop over and check it out!

Pre-Release Giveaway #3

2010-08-27T17:52:00.000-04:00

Still celebrating the release of INTO THE WILD! Today I posted over at Sisters In Sync. Hop over to read my thoughts on self-promotion and to sign up for a chance to win a signed copy of my latest romantic adventure.

Meanwhile, Nia volunteered to be my spokesmodel if my sister ever tires of the job. What do you think? Would you trust a face like that?

Pre-release Giveaway #2

2010-08-26T08:49:00.001-04:00

Okay. It's not truly a 'pre-release' giveaway anymore because, even though the official release date for INTO THE WILD is September 1, friends have alerted me that it's available for shipping now on Amazon.com and it's also on the shelves in Borders. My sister, Barb, plucked a copy from the shelf and snapped this shot. Love it. Maybe she'll be my personal spokesperson/model? *g*

Anyway, if you want to purchase your own copy (or a gift for a friend), the book's out there. Any more sightings? Please let me know. So exciting!

Meanwhile my pre-celebration continues. Giveaway #2 takes place today on Facebook. Visit my profile page for a chance to win a signed copy of INTO THE WILD !

In other news, I have this guilty fascination with the celebrity website OMG even though half the time I don't know who the featured celebs are! How about you? Any guilty web pleasures?

And the Winners Are.....

2010-08-25T07:28:00.001-04:00

I want to thank everyone who chimed in with their favorite romantic adventure movies. I'm suddenly in the mood for a weekend movie marathon!

Thanks to a handy dandy random number generator, I'm pleased to announce today's lucky winners. Congratulations Jennie C and Mary H!! You've won a signed copy of my own romantic adventure, INTO THE WILD. Please email your full names and mailing addresses to beth@bethciotta.com so I can send you your books. If you enjoy the read, please do spread the word!

The fun's not over folks. Giveaway #2 will take place tomorrow (Thursday). Be on the lookout for another chance to win a copy of INTO THE WILD on my Facebook page!

Pre-Release Giveaway -#1

2010-08-23T17:51:00.000-04:00

In a few short days my September 1 release, INTO THE WILD, hits the shelves. To celebrate, I'm giving away a few copies over the next week via this blog, Facebook, and my newsletter. Today's giveaway takes place right HERE!

First, a blurb about the story....

This is one call she can’t resist…

When River Kane's fiancé abandons her at the altar for being too conventional, she's heartbroken. But everything changes when her estranged archaeologist father sends her his journal—filled with cryptic maps and a note indicating he's in mortal danger. Worried, River faces her greatest fears and flies to the Amazon to find him. But she needs a guide. Someone completely unlike danger-seeker Spenser McGraw.

A charismatic treasure hunter who thrives on risk, Spenser hosts the popular TV show Into the Wild, dedicated to locating lost treasures and mythical icons. But River's father's life depends on discretion, and too-sexy Spenser is all about publicity. Forced to team up, they embark on a jungle adventure ripe with temptation and danger…ultimately discovering a hidden treasure that could alter history—and a steamy love neither expected.

* * *

A short review...

"Reminiscent of Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones, Ciotta has an exciting story with humor, sex, romance, mystery and a to-die-for hero. Wonderful characters and a delightful adventure that readers can participate in without ever leaving home." -- 4 1/2 stars, TOP PICK!, Susan Mobley, RT BOOKreviews

* * *

And now the giveaway!

For a chance to win, simply post a comment mentioning your favorite romantic adventure movie! I'll randomly choose two winners on Wednesday morning. Be sure to check back. Good luck!!!

Gearing up for Adventure!

2010-08-19T09:28:00.001-04:00

Yikes. Where, oh, where does the time go? 12 days until the release of INTO THE WILD. That's right. In 12 days you'll be able to escape to South America for a romantic adventure starring celebrity tresure seeker, Spenser McGraw, and photographer (germaphobe), River Kane! Thus far, I've only seen one review, but it's a doozy! RT BookReviews voted Into the Wild a TOP PICK!!

"Reminiscent of Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones, Ciotta has an exciting story with humor, sex, romance, mystery and a to-die-for hero. Wonderful characters and a delightful adventure that readers can participate in without ever leaving home." -- 4 1/2 stars, Susan Mobley, RT BOOKreviews

Needless to say I am over the moon. Hopefully, after the read, you will be, too!

In other news... For those of you who prefer to listen to your tales, I recently received exciting that news that Into the the Wild will be available in audio format! I'll let you know as soon as I know the link.

And if you prefer ereads to print, no problem. Click here to preorder Into the Wild on your Kindle. Ereads will be available on Nook and various other ereaders in the near future.

Interested in a free signed copy of INTO THE WILD? Next week, I'll be giving away a few copies via Twitter, Facebook, this blog, and my newsletter. For optimum chances to win check in at all these places. If you're not already linked to me via these sites, use the links in the sidebar to join. Easy peasy!

Until next week...
Peace and joy!
Beth

40 Days and Counting!

2010-07-22T09:04:00.001-04:00

Apologies to all who faithfully stop by only to see I haven't posted anything new.... in quite some time. I have indeed been lax about blogging. I've been working extremely hard on several new projects. I hope to share some details about those soon, but in the meantime, I have a new book coming out in September! That's just 40 days from now! For those who like to preorder, you can do so by clicking here for Amazon or here for Barnes and Noble or here for Borders.

Behold my awesome new cover and a mini sneak-peek of INTO THE WILD...

Excerpt from Chapter Two

Cajamarca, Peru, South America

Altitude 8,900 ft.

“What do you mean they canceled the shoot?”

“An executive decision.” Spenser McGraw thumbed his cell to vibrate and placed it beside his empty beer bottle as Gordo Fish, his friend and professional sidekick, dropped into an opposing chair. The popular café buzzed with good cheer, offsetting the men’s grim expressions.

They’d flown from the Scottish Highlands to South America to film an episode for the popular cable show, Into the Wild. Spenser was the talent. Gordo was the one-man camera/audio crew. Now instead of exploring The Legend of El Dorado, instead of searching for a lost city of freaking gold, they’d been ordered to cool their heels in Cajamarca until the show’s new producer and a board of equally young turks hammered out the details of a new adrenaline-charged adventure. Spenser met his friend’s baffled stare. “They want to introduce an element of danger into the show.”

Gordo frowned. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“Something tells me Necktie Nate is behind this.”

The nickname they’d given to Nathan Crup, their new Armani-suited producer. “Probably.”

“Has that asshole watched even one episode from the past five seasons?” Gordo complained. “We’ve battled extreme elements and hostile people. Survived mudslides, cave-ins, avalanches, and assorted injuries.”

“None of them life-threatening.”

“Like hell. What about the time I got food poisoning in Cairo?”

Spenser found it amusing that a man who’d endured extreme temperatures, snake bites, and altitude sickness would label the time he’d hugged the porcelain goddess in a ritzy hotel room as a near death experience. “You weren’t even close to dying.”

“I ended up in the hospital.”

“Because you called an ambulance.”

“What I didn’t puke up shot out the other end. For three frickin’ hours. I’m telling you . . .” Gordo trailed off when he noticed the young woman standing next to them. “Sorry.” He squinted at her name tag. “Yara.”

Earlier, the sultry waitress had lingered at Spenser’s table, flirting outrageously as most women did, until he’d received the phone call from Los Angeles. Now she was back, and though she spared Gordo a glance, her focus was on Spenser. He winked, encouraging the infatuation. Yara’s pretty face and voluptuous curves were a welcome distraction from Necktie’s disappointing mandate.

Gordo cleared his throat. “Why, yes, I would like to order something. Thank you for asking, Yara.”

Spenser smiled at the woman then spoke in Spanish. “He’ll have what I’m having.”

“What are you having?” Gordo asked in English.

“Beer and tamales.”

“Forget the tamales.”

“They’re locally famous,” Spenser teased, knowing Gordo was still fixed on the Cairo incident and the ‘locally famous’ molokhiyya.

“Just a beer, please,” he said in Spanish. “Make that two. No, three. Two for me, one for him.”

Beaming at Spenser, Yara nodded and left.

Gordo rolled his eyes. “You’re hooking up with her later, aren’t you?”

Never one to screw and tell, Spenser just grinned.

“Why aren’t you more upset about the canceled shoot? You’ve been hot on exploring the possibility that El Dorado is located in Peru and not Columbia for months.”

Spenser shrugged. Granted, at first he’d been royally ticked. Not just because Nate had pulled the plug on El Dorado, but because that piss-ant had called his Indiana Jones’s schtick old hat, insinuating in the next breath that Spenser was over-the-hill.

A) He didn’t do schtick.

B) Since when was thirty-seven old?

Shaking off the insults, he now saw the hole in the producer’s new angle. “When the board reviews Necktie’s brilliant idea, they’ll squelch it.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because it’s been done.”

Gordo narrowed his eyes. “What does Necktie want us to do exactly?”

“To canoe down the Amazon, hack through the jungle, and to somehow connect with a fierce tribe—preferably cannibalistic.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Just about the cannibal part.”

* * *

Yes, I'm going to leave you hanging. Aren't I evil? *g*

Attention Writers!

2010-06-12T20:47:00.004-04:00

As a writer, I've never been one for outlining my stories in depth. Nor have I ever been big on character charts or character interviews. Or extensive time lines or lists or charts of any kind. Not in preparation. Not in depth. Instead of spending precious time digging deep and documenting details before I start writing a story, I prefer to brainstorm a brief synopsis, dive in, and learn as I go. It's exciting and inspiring.

At least in the beginning.

More often than not, I hit a wall and have to go back. Dig deep. Document details. Nothing too elaborate. Definitely not all that organized. Probably not the most time and energy efficient.

A few months ago my good friend and writing bud, Cynthia Valero, suggested I check out a writing program. She's writing a fantasy novel. Massive world building. Complicated characters. Tricky plotting. I'd yet to use the program to its fullest potential but found it invaluable for basics. For putting things in order and keeping them straight.

As a lover of all things shiny and new and related to writing and in dire need of organizing my thoughts and writing more efficiently, naturally, I bought the program.

That was several months ago. It wasn't until today that I actually committed to using it. My current project involves world building. The scope is quite large. Up until now I've been freewriting and jotting notes longhand. All great. But if my future plays out like I hope . . . I need to be more organized. More efficient. I need to dig deeper and to document the bazillion ideas crowding my mind. So tonight I opened the program and started using it in earnest.

Holy cow.

Why did I wait so long to take advantage? This program is effective and smart.... for ANY story. If you're a writer you must check this out. You can download a demo for free. Do it. Explore. I can almost bet you'll love it and purchase it. Bonus. It's extremely affordable. I will say no more. I'll just point you to the website.

Click here to explore Write It Now.

Let me know what you think.

A Beautiful Sign

2010-06-07T13:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we had a tornado warning. Odd for New Jersey. Instead we got a rainbow and a magnificent sky. It was really quite amazing. By the time I ran in and got my Flip, the rainbow had faded a bit and the sky muted to a dismal grey. But then I turned around and--Wow! In the opposite direction, another awesome vision. Click my Flip Vid to view 58 seconds of natural beauty.

I have to say, I was mesmerized. It was the first full arc rainbow I've seen since I was a kid. It arced from one end of the sky to the other. Then to turn and see the clouds on fire . . . How glorious! Somehow I took the magical event as a sign of wondrous things to come.

Along those lines, I've had an amazingly productive weekend. Not only did I tackle several domestic chores, but I wrote like a madwoman. I am so very pleased with the progress I made on my new story. I'm no longer fretting about being in between contracts. I'm writing with the same conviction and intensity as I did in the past. I'm loving the challenge and the excitement of my 'new world'. And ... I have high hopes. Rainbows promise a new beginning, right? As I stared at that wondrous sight, I couldn't help thinking . . . It's a sign.

Free and Not-So-Easy

2010-06-02T20:48:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before or not, but I am currently deadline free for the first time in, oh... eight or nine years. It feels a little strange not to be stressed out of my noggin. Although I write two books a year, I'm not a particularly fast writer, so it seemed like I was always cramming and sweating. Now I'm writing and musing at leisure. That was great for, oh . . . about a month.

For the past few days, I've had trouble focusing. I worked very hard on a story proposal and I'm waiting to hear about its fate. The longer the wait, the higher my anxiety. Doubts start creeping in.

Instead of pushing forward on Story #1, maybe I should write up a new and different proposal, just in case it doesn't fly.

Then ideas spark and flare. I come up with, not one, but two other premises. Not a bad thing except Story #2 and #3 are now distracting me from Story #1. Part of me says, stay the course. The other part says, prepare backup. As I type this, I'm torn. I'm going to sleep on it. Maybe I'll wake up with an epiphany. Or, hear some news that sways me one way or another.

Meanwhile, I've been reading for entertainment and inspiration. Except I can't seem to focus on that either. Mostly because I'm curious about so many books. Presently, I am part way through five different books. It's not the best way to enjoy a story, but it is a fabulous way to explore and study writing styles and voices. I freely admit that I am intimidated by more than a few of these authors. Which makes me self-conscious about my own word-spinning.

When I was on back-to-back relentless deadlines, I didn't have a lot of free time to read, hence I didn't compare my work to others. I simply trusted my gut. Deadlines were bad for my stress level, but good for my confidence. So, are deadlines heaven or hell? Presently, I am undecided.

Books I am currently reading...

Secrets of Summer by Lisa Kleypas
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Emma by Jane Austen
The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Peterson
and a re-read...
Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning

As a writer and/or reader what books have inspired or intimidated you?

A Moment of Silence, A Day of Gratitude

2010-05-31T10:10:00.000-04:00

To all who have served and to all who serve now . . .

Thank you.

My NYC and BEA Adventure

2010-05-28T18:06:00.000-04:00

For those of you who didn't see my post over at Sisters in Sync today, I'm posting it here, too! Here goes....

This past week was a whirlind spinning around Book Expo America in NYC. BEA is a humongous trade show featuring publishers big and small of every genre imaginable. It is immense and overwhelming. Mostly the trade show is attended by librarians and booksellers. Publishers give away a lot of books in hopes of generating interest. Numerous big name authors were aplenty, each signing their latest... if you didn't mind standing in super long lines for a super long time. In years past I've done just that, but this year I wanted to roam and take everything in.

My primary reason for attending BEA was to sign and give away copies of OUT OF EDEN. I was lucky enough to have two scheduled signings. On Wednesday I signed in the RWA booth--48 books in 30 minutes. Woo-hoo! I met some incredible librarians and booksellers who had some very nice things to say about my books. It was an amazing experience.

On Thursday I signed in the Harlequin booth. My editor, Keyren Gerlach, was at my side the entire time, helping me open books to sign--96 books in 45 minutes! I was stunned as I signed one after another book. So grateful for the opportunity to get my books into the hands of people who can help spread the word about my work.

Another perk was seeing many friendly faces! Friends and uber talented authors, librarian friends (Hi, Nina!), reader friends (waving to Elsie and Laurie). I also spent some quality time with my editor and agent (such great ladies!) Unfortunately, there were several friends that I didn't see. I was actually only at the trade show a day and a quarter. Not enough time to see everyone!

I had my Flip video cam with me. I wish I would have been more creative. If I would've been thinking smart, I would've snapped vid of some big names like James Patterson, Debbie Macomber, Lemony Snickett.... But I sort of spaced on that end, taking random show shots. My one goober moment was standing in line for an hour to meet Rick Springfield (yes, the pop rock star) who just wrote an autobiography. THAT I got on my Flip.

Overall it was a wonderful experience... though exhausting. Below are snippets of my adventure. Enjoy!

BookExpo America

2010-05-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

I spent last night packing for an upcoming trip to New York City. Part business/Part pleasure. The business side involves attending BookExpo America, also known as BEA. It's a huge tradeshow for publishers. Huge! I've attended a few times and I am always overwhelmed. In addition to signing copies of OUT OF EDEN and chatting with booksellers and librarians, I'll also have the opportunity to float around and to collect books from a few of my favorite authors.

While scanning the autographing list, I came across one name that surprised me. Rick Springfield. Yup. The pop rock star. It says he's signing a special CD. I don't care what it is. I just want to see him in person! I'll try not to squeal like a starry-eyed teeny bopper.

I'll also have the opportunity to visit with my agent. I alway enjoy a face-to-face with Amy. She's a hoot and she always energizes me!

On the pleasure side... my husband is coming with me. We haven't been away together in quite some time and NYC is one of our favorite places. Looking forward to a little sightseeing and a cuple of romantic dinners! We're also meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law for a spell. Bonus!

If per chance you are attending BEA, please do stop by to ay hello and to get a complimentary signed copy of OUT OF EDEN. Here's my signing schedule...

Wedensday, May 26
RWA Booth -- 4pm - 4:30pm

Thursday, May 27
Harlequin Booth -- 11am - 11:45am

Hope to see you there!

My Manic Process

2010-04-08T12:29:00.003-04:00

Want to know how I get my ideas and wrangle them into a novel-length story? I probably should've added the disclaimer: Don't try this at home. Heh.

Get the scoop by clicking here. Today I'm over at Rom Com!

Chatting Over Coffee

2010-04-07T07:15:00.003-04:00

Want to know more about me, personally and professionally? Hop over to Over Coffee. I'm being interviewed by the awesome Sia McKye! So much fun! Please join us. Today... all day!

Cheers!

Vote for Love and Laughter!

2010-04-03T10:49:00.003-04:00

Still uber-excited about the official release of OUT OF EDEN! Yesterday, I woke to an awesome review at Long and Short Reviews. I'm still happy dancing! Here's a snippet!

"Shake it up, turn it upside down, and make a bold statement. Sounds like some motivational speaker jargon, doesn’t it? It also summarizes Out of Eden pretty well, too.

Ms. Ciotta’s sleepy little town of Eden comes to life in this fun story. The characters draw you in and hold you to your seat until past the last page. The quirky twists and turns will keep you entranced and on the edge to see what will happen next. And when the loving starts? Whew! It’s hot stuff."

You can read the entire review here. As a bonus, this morning I received this email from Long and Short Reviews...

"Your story "Out of Eden" was reviewed by us this week and is up for Book of the Week honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, 4/3, through Sunday, 4/4)."

So... if you have time and like the review, please click here and vote for OUT OF EDEN.

Thank you and Happy Holiday Weekend!

OUT OF EDEN -- Out Now!

2010-04-01T08:43:00.003-04:00

As always, life is crazy busy! Because I have have my head down working on various writing projects, I tend to forget to socialize in real life and in cyber world. Hence my absence here. However, today is a special day and I simply had to pop in to say, "Woo-hoo! OUT OF EDEN is officially, well, OUT!

As of today, my latest romantic adventure is in bookstores as well as cyber-stores, and also available on KINDLE. What? You own a different e-reader? No problem. You can download various e-formats at eHarlequin!

Speaking of eHarlequin... look at this nifty widget they designed. You can click on and read an excerpt. Or click on and buy. Cool, huh?

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

As part of my release day celebration, I'm guest blogging at my uber-talented sister's site--Loud Whispers. Hop on over and see how OUT OF EDEN was born.

Have a great day, everyone. I know I am!

Smelling the Roses

2010-02-26T21:44:00.002-05:00

I'm not one to brag. Really, I'm not. But I can't help but ... beam... regarding the reviews rolling in for my April 1 release OUT OF EDEN. Even the two mixed reviews I've stumbled upon are good reviews in their own way.

Shhh. Don't tell anyone, but I had serious doubts that anyone aside from me was going to like this book. A book that tormented me in various stages. Seriously. I've been shaking in my boots. It's not just a matter of vanity--I swear!--it's a matter of pride. My goal is to entertain and provide escapism. If I accomplish that, even if only a little, I have succeeded!

Indulge me. Happy dance with me. Reviews on OUT OF EDEN thus far...

"When Ciotta throws these two well-drawn characters together, sparks fly. A widower with a secret past who helps Kylie change the store into an upscale “shoppe,” a Philadelphia mob boss who needs to right an old score, and the escapades of Jack's cheating brother-in-law turn this campy romance into a well-plotted raunchy adventure." -- Publishers Weekly

"With engaging characters who are easy to like, humor, a touch of mystery and emotionally charged scenes that ring true to life, Ciotta creates a fascinating town that readers will look forward to visiting again." 4 stars! -- HOT, Romantic Times Book reviews

"A cast of colorful characters surrounds lovely and sassy Kylie McGraw in Out of Eden. By his own admission, Jack likes to play the white knight, riding in and rescuing the damsel in distress. Kylie is capable and strong, but she needs a little saving too. Instead of the boy who cries wolf, Kylie is the girl who cries excitement! She gets herself into one amusing mess after another, seeking to shake up herself and Eden. Kylie’s brother Spencer, her best friend Faye, her unlikely champion in Travis, and a town filled with gossipy, nosy, well-meaning citizens make every page of Out of Eden fun and exciting. Jack is an all-around great guy and Out of Eden is an all-around great story with some sizzling sex, a bit of action, and a mystery or two to solve." -- Joyfully Reviewed

"Ciotta has done a really good job with the dialogue in this novel. She's been able to make the exchanges between Kylie and Jack feel so real and so intimate at the same time. The reader can almost feel their first kiss with their childhood crush while reading, and certainly can fee those emotions. Out of Eden is fun and kind of zany with a formulaic storyline and a weird twist. It certainly will entertain those looking for a piece of escape reading.." --Associated Content

I'm not bragging, I'm not. I'm . . . celebrating.

Head Down, Head In The Clouds

2010-02-19T20:55:00.005-05:00

Head down, concentrating on revisions (embellishments) for my September release INTO THE WILD. Meanwhile, I had some super news regarding my April release, OUT OF EDEN. I posted that news over at SIS today, but figure it's okay to steal from myself. Seems weird not to share the awesome news here, so.... like I said at SIS....

Head in the clouds....

I'll be the first one to advise any artist to take reviews of their work with a grain of salt. One person's opinion. Taste is subjective. However, even though I preach this and believe it, it's still hard not to feel the rush of a good review and the sting of the bad.

My method: Enjoy and celebrate the good reviews forever. Endure the sting of a bad review for a day then shrug it off.

You will never be every one's cup of tea. Even Nora Roberts, whose books appeal to millions of readers, including me, is not every one's cup of tea. I will remind myself of that the first time someone disses my upcoming release Out of Eden. But for now I am reveling in TWO super reviews!

Out of Eden comes out April 1st. But I have been googling for early reviews for a couple of weeks now. As always, it's a nail-biting time for me. I put a lot of sweat and heart into my stories and, dang it, I want people to enjoy them. Aside from a passionate creative outlet, my main motivation for writing is to entertain.

Wednesday morning I came across my first review of OOE. Holy cow. Publishers Weekly. The big kahuna. PW reviews all genres. They receive hundreds of books from publishers every day. It's tough to get a review there, especially for smaller names like moi. I've only been reviewed at PW one other time, years ago. Charmed received a lovely review. It's still a highpoint of my career. But how would I fare this time? I prepared myself for the worst and was pleasantly, wondrously surprised! It's a great review!

Okay, the word 'raunchy' raised my brow. Me? Raunchy? Seriously? But then I considered my secondary plot which consists of seedy elements that I didn't sugar coat. Hence the raunchy reference. I can live with that. Heck, I'm embracing it. This is a stinking awesome review. I'll put the really cool part in red.

-- Publishers Weekly, 2/15/2010
Out of Eden Beth Ciotta. HQN, $7.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-373-77443-2
On Kylie McGraw's 32nd birthday, she drinks too many cosmos and vows to shake up her life. While her brother, Spenser, is off being an Explorer Channel star, Kylie leads a predictable, boring, and sensible life running the family shoe store and dreaming of travel. Former NYPD detective Jack Reynolds, Spencer's best friend and Kylie's longtime crush, has returned to Eden, Ind., as the new police chief. He wants to reconnect with his roots, end a feud with his sister, and make peace with his soul. When Ciotta throws these two well-drawn characters together, sparks fly. A widower with a secret past who helps Kylie change the store into an upscale “shoppe,” a Philadelphia mob boss who needs to right an old score, and the escapades of Jack's cheating brother-in-law turn this campy romance into a well-plotted raunchy adventure. (Apr.)

Well-drawn characters? Sparks fly? Well-plotted adventure? Let's just say I'm dancing on air., head in the clouds As for the second super review, I'll share that next week. I have to spread out my joy. In the meantime, if I do get a bad review, this will sure ease the sting. Thanks for letting me share!

A Thrill and A Smile

2010-02-15T07:59:00.006-05:00

Friday I received a smile in the mail. Actually, it was a magazine that made me smile. A couple of months ago I was invited to write an article for Simply Books, a small but delicious magazine all about Harlequin books and authors. A magazine that goes to readers and booksellers. Since my upcoming release Out of Eden features a dog, and many of the subscribers are animal lovers, I was asked if I could focus on a 'dog' angle. No problem!

Since the novel's featured dog, Shy, is based on my dog, Cheyenne, I wrote an article that centered on pet adoption and the special role Cheyenne has played in our household--with humans and other animals. Of course, I was thrilled to be included in the magazine, to have a chance to promo Out of Eden, but my two goofiest thrills were:

1) Seeing my name on the cover wedged between NY Bestselling authors Susan Wiggs and Debbie Macomber... (talk about surreal!)

2) Seeing Cheyenne's pic (along with me) big as life next to the article. I showed her the pic, of course, telling her, "You're famous!"

I can't share the article here, but I can share that pic. Ooh, and maybe later I'll try to scan the cover where my name wedged between SW and DM. I'm so easily thrilled.

L-O-V-E

2010-02-14T08:02:00.005-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband and I started celebrating a little early. We had dinner and wine
at one of our favorite restaurants. Tonight it's movie and champagne at home.
For me, the best part about Valentine's Day is spending quality time with your
loved one. Um, and maybe the chocolates my husband always 'surprises' me with.

What about you? Any special plans?

TWO THINGS

2010-02-12T09:04:00.004-05:00

First of all... The synopsis I was writing, the one I mentioned yesterday, has come to a screeching halt. At least for a couple of weeks. Yesterday afternoon, my editor called with the revision notes for Into the Wild (my 9/10 release). The good news is I don't have to revise as much as embellish. Woo-hoo! Still, this requires creative thinking, energy, and time as I must write additional scenes/chapters so... don't expect to see me here for a bit.

Second.... It's my featured day at Sisters in Sync -- Creative Chaos. Please hop over and check out my post on The Published Juggler.

Until later..... Cheers!

New Worlds and Cool News

2010-02-11T08:11:00.004-05:00

There's a story that I'm dying to write, but it involves worldbuilding and that's a bit intimidating. So, even though I have the concept and a few chapters, I've been avoiding writing a synopsis. Because . . . in order to write the synopsis I have to know the story beginning to end and I don't. It's that pesky affliction I have--Pansters Syndrome. Meaning I write by the seat of my pants, fly into the mist, leap and the net appears, etc.

Except then I remembered, I just completed a synopsis last week, a synopsis I ended up loving, and didn't know that story beginning to end. It revealed itself as I researched and wrote. That's pretty much how it always goes with me. So why let a little bit of worldbuilding (read: fear of the new and unknown) stand in the way of developing a fun project?

“It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” --E. L. Doctorow

So, I switched on my headlights and drove. So far I've only got a long paragraph, but all the research I did to get me there is revealing more and more of the story. Today... the trip continues!

***

In other news: My cyber-friend, Amanda Roberts is guest-blogging at my sister's blog-- Loud Whispers. Hop over for a glimpse into this writer's hermit-like existence.

In other, other news: Attention Kindle lovers! My April release, OUT OF EDEN is now available for pre-order!

That's it for now. I'm off to tackle New Worlds! What's on your agenda today?

SLAMMED (the good, bad, and inspiring)

2010-02-10T11:05:00.004-05:00

Wow. First I got slammed by a computer virus (although that crisis is behind me) and then a blizzard (20" of snow!) and now less than a week later we're being slammed by another snow storm.

The good news is... we haven't lost power. Yet.

More good news... the county closed the library so I have an unexpected day off.

More good news.... starting tomorrow, due to President's Holidays and my normal weekend off, I now have six days off in a row. Yahoo!

I am using it to catch up on business, much of it related to my blog ventures. If you get a chance hop over to Animal Tales at Sisters in Sync and check out our new interest--Adopt-a-Pet!

Another goal is to catch up on posts over at Barking at Eden's Door. I (I mean Shy-the-Sensitive-Dog) has been meaning to introduce you to the cast of my (our) upcoming release OUT OF EDEN. She's (I'm) a little behind.

Since I'm sharing good news, hop over and congratulate my friend Stephanie Bond. Her Body Movers series (MIRA) has been optioned by Sony Pictures Television to be a TV series! Go, Steph!

Another MIRA author and fantastic lady, M.J. Rose also landed a TV series (on Fox) based on her Reincarnationist series. PAST LIFE premiered last night. I taped it for future viewing. Can't wait!

And another friend recently got some great news too. Congrats to historcial author Amanda McIntyre for breaking in with a contemporary with Spice Briefs!

Hmm. I feel a swift, but good kick in the pants. Now that I'm revved up, off I go to work on a new proposal. So... how do you feel about dimension-traveling Victorian assassins?

WHY

2010-02-03T20:47:00.002-05:00

Why I'm in a cranky mood.... My laptop got slammed by a horrible virus. Vicious! Haven't had access to my files in 4 days and it looks as though I'm going to lose most everything on my hard drive. I'll lose a lot of data pertaining to my professional life and many personal photos. Shame on the evil computer geek who created this malicious virus. Shame on me for not having everything backed up.

Why I'm glad I didn't pursue my dream to be a Hollywood actress... An insider's look at actors and auditions by the ever brilliant Emmy award winning writer, Ken Levine. Click here for a dose of show biz reality.

Why I'm excited.... After month's of researching e-readers, I finally decided on the Kindle. It'll be here any day!

Why I'm nervous.... Reviews for OUT OF EDEN, my April release from HQN, should start rolling in a few weeks.

Why I'm jazzed . . . I have not one, but four different story ideas for the immediate future. If I'm lucky, I'll get to pursue them all... at some point. Better to have too many ideas than none at all!

So... how are you feeling... and why?

A WORD OF ADVICE

2010-01-31T09:25:00.003-05:00

Dear Self-Publishing Company,

If you're going to spend the the money on stationary and postage to solicit me, you should probably spell my name correctly. Or at least come close. I have no idea who Beth Chybik is.

Oh, and you might want to spend two seconds googling the writers you're soliciting. Note: A writer who's currently writing for a major NYC publisher (and getting paid for it) probably isn't interested in your services. But thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Beth Ciotta

STILL ALIVE!

2010-01-27T20:19:00.002-05:00

I know. I know. I haven't blogged in forever. Well, at least not here. I'm pathetic. Well, not really. Just super busy and running in all directions.

Late notice, but I'm guest blogging at The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills. If you see this... hop over and join in the fun!

More soon. I swear.

Sort of.

Witchy Woman

2010-01-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

Popping in to direct you over to Sisters In Sync. We have a fabulous guest blogger today! Multi-published author, Linda Wisdom, is sharing insight on her Hex series. Hop over for a fun and fascinating peek into her witchy world!

Linda's post came at a perfect time for me. I'm currently developing a complex new series. Or at least trying to. Tough work, but fun. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T11:33:00.002-05:00

2010, huh? Wow. It sounds so... futuristic. Speaking of the future, I'm discussing mine over at SIS. New Year. . . New Attitude. Hop on over!

Also, if you're a writer in need of motivation (or an attitude adjustment) check out these posts by J.A. Konrath, Laura Caldwell, and Yasmine Galenorn

Wishing you all a fabulous New Year full of love, laughter, and contenment!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T08:08:00.004-05:00

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and yours joyous holidays! I'll be taking the next few days off to enjoy time with friends and family then I'll be back!

(Don't Nia and Cheyenne look cute? Not that they'd agree.)

New Website!

2009-12-10T08:09:00.004-05:00

I know. I know. I've been away for over a month now. Does anyone even stop here anymore? Starting in January 2010 I will be blogging more regularly. It's just been an insane year and I haven't been able to juggle as many balls as I'd like.

I'm popping in to share some exciting news. You may have noticed this blog has a new look. Snazzy, huh? It's a reflection of my new website. That's right. A whole spanking new, professionally designed website! A special thank you to Rae Monet of Rae Monet, Inc Design, Inc. She nailed my personality and writing style. I'm over the moon. Be sure to take a peek and let me know what you think!

Around the web: Attention writers and readers, my sister, Elle, has a fab post today on writer's block. Share her pain at Loud Whispers. Then hop over to Sisters in Sync for different perspectives on winter (brrrr). Be sure to share your chilly thoughts!

Meanwhile... I've got a book to finish. Back to it!

Exciting Updates!

2009-11-07T08:20:00.006-05:00

One of these days I'll get better about blogging on a more regular basis. Just not this month. *g*

Finished and turned in the gallies for Out of Eden. Yay! The official release date is April 1, 2010, but the promotional efforts are already in motion. This past week I was invited to write an article for the magazine Simply Books. Having stopped by this blog (goes to show I really should update more!) they noticed I'm an animal lover and since their readers are animal lovers and since Out of Eden co-stars a dog, they thought I might be interested in writing an article about animals. My answer? You bet! As a bonus, they're going to include a picture of the dog who inspired Out of Eden's fictional dog, Shy, my real-life dog, Cheyenne! I'm so excited!

Another reason to happy dance, Out of Eden is now available for pre-order! Be the first on your block to own your very own copy. Lots of quirky, fun characters. There's humor and thrills. A romance and a mystery. Oh! And a dog! Click here to pre-order. Cover and excerpt coming soon. Stay tuned!

In other news, tomorrow I'm heading up to NYC. I think I told you, in celebration of our wedding anniversary, my uber-wonderful husband bought us tickets to see A Steady Rain, the Broadway show starring... drum roll, please... Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman! Eighth row seats! Yes, sirree, tomorrow I will be up close and personal (sort of) with Craig and Jackman for almost three hours. Woo-hoo! Details forthcoming! In addition, I get to spend the entire day and night in NYC with my hunky husband. Talk about inspiration for my writing!

Speaking of, I best get back to it. Deadline on Into the Wild looms. Hard work, but what a fun story!

What's new and exciting in your neck of the woods?

When it Rains, It Pours... and other stuff

2009-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, I received the AAs (author alterations aka gallies) for OUT OF EDEN, my April 2010 release from HQN. For those who don't know, it's the last phase before the story goes to print. My last chance to check for typos. The deadline, the date HQN needs my changes back--November 16. The same day my draft of INTO THE WILD--my September 2010 release is due.

I had to laugh. It was that or cry. When it rains it pours.

In other news, even though I'm here sporadically, I'm always at Sisters in Sync. Today we're discussing scary movies in honor of Halloween, but skim all of our posts. They're fun!

Speaking of Halloween, I have to work at the library tomorrow. The staff is dressing up. I have two closets full of costumes, thanks to my previous life as a character actress. I spied one of four poodle skirts and thought it might be fun to be a bobby soxer... but then I'd have to look for my saddle oxfords and a matching sweater.

Ooh! I have an authentic 60s dress/suit and matching pill box hat. I could be one of the chicks from 'Madmen'. Although, I'm not sure everyone would get it. Dang.

Easiest costume... my Gothic gown. A sorceress. A vampire, witchy type woman. Cliche, but easy. Easy--when under a stressful deadline is good. Stay tuned for pics.

What about you? Are you dressing up for Halloween? Do share!

This and That

2009-10-24T17:49:00.003-04:00

You can find me over at SIS today chatting books and movies with my sisters and whoever chimes in.

In other news, I cooked today. No really. Okay. I used a crockpot, but I had to shop and then put all of the ingredients in the pot. It turned out really good. Some French low-fat recipe using Northern White Beans as the main ingredient. The end result reminded me just a tiny bit of the soup beans my mom used to make. Only I added escarole instead of ham. Oh, and sundried tomatoes and black olives. Also, it was creamier because of the two cheeses. Hmm. Actually, it was nothing like my mom's soup beans except for the beans and the fact that there was a lot of it. Did I mention it was delicious?

Working hard on the deadline book, but took a small break to upload a cute scene I caught with my new Flip. We should all get along like cats and dogs. At least this cat and dog. My fur-kids, Sadie and Nia.

P.S. Shut off the music on the 'slide' in the right column before watching my vid, otherwise you'll have clashing music!

Furry Angels

2009-10-08T08:18:00.003-04:00

I was down with the flu for the past two days. The first day I couldn't even get out of bed. Well, except to let the dogs out to do their thing and to make some hot tea and chicken soup for me. Other than that, I was in bed, sleeping mostly, for 24 hours. My dogs, Nia and Cheyenne stayed with me the entire time.

I was astonished.

Mostly, they cuddled beside me and slept too. Or they took turns laying on the floor next to the bed chewing on the bones/toys they'd dragged upstairs. But they never left the bedroom. Nor did they wrestle at any point like they usually do. It was as if they sensed I was sick and were there to comfort me. They did the same thing the second day. Today I'm feeling better and they're back to their mischievous selves.

Have you ever had anything like that happen? Do you think animals sense when their human isn't well?

A Girl Can Dream

2009-10-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

I want these clogs.

Bad.

Why-oh-why do they have to be $136.00?! I know they're hand painted and the artist should be compensated fairly for his or her work--but dang. I'm not cheap, I swear. Just . . . frugal. A woman who does the happy dance when she finds a cool pair of shoes for $25.

Maybe I'll write a letter to Santa. Or... I could give up coloring/highlighting my hair for a couple of months.

Yeah. Right.

That does it. Tomorrow, I'm buying a lottery ticket.

Kate Duffy -- One of a Kind

2009-09-29T08:14:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I learned a romance industry giant, a woman I called friend, passed away. Kate Duffy, Executive Editor at Kensington Publishing is no longer with us. I still can't believe it.

I'm not sure that I could write a fitting tribute, but other's have. I'll share posts that touched me most. Mary Stella spoke my heart. Kate was a mutual friend of ours. Sarah Wendell's lovely tribute prompted over 100 comments, many of them showing just how beloved Kate was. Lastly Squawk Radio re-ran an interview with Kate and boy does her one-of-a-kind personality shine through.

If you google, I'm sure you'll find mention of Kate Duffy all over the net today. That's how revered she was by the romance industry. I cherish every moment I shared with her.

Just one of many great times. A dinner party with friends, hosted by Kate. She's the one next to me (2nd from your right) Cheers, Kate!

Shedding Pounds and Gaining Momentum

2009-09-28T08:53:00.003-04:00

I need to lose some weight. When my stretchy pants and my too-baggy jeans don't fit quite right . . . when it takes effort to button the waistband . . . time to readjust my eating habits. I refuse to buy the next size up.

Re-adjusting my current eating habits means giving up my daily Peppermint Patty and Lipton Iced Tea. For weeks now that's been my mid-day treat. Now it has to be water and a piece of fruit.

It means giving up sausage, egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches and eating cereal or two hard boiled eggs and a glass of V8.

It means making recipes from my Weight Watcher cookbook instead of ordering Chinese Take-out. And if I do waver and order Chinese, instead of my favorite dishes I have to get the steamed chicken and veggie dish which wouldn't be so bad except it has NO FLAVOR!

It means making my own soup (a super duper low cal, no salt Weight Watcher's soup) from scratch instead of nuking my beloved Progresso soup.

All in all it means willpower plus extra time and effort on my part, but I did Weight Watchers last summer and I lost 16 pounds! I'd be pleased this time around if I just lost ten. Wish me luck.

In other news, I'm banging away at my current deadline book, Into the Wild, coming in September 2010 from HQN. As with all my stories, this one's evolving a bit differently than I'd first envisioned. I've learned not to fight change, to go with the flow. The writing is most alive, most real, when I allow my creative fires to burn unchecked. I'm gaining momentum as I resist my internal editor and give over to the inner creative maniac.

In other, other news, I hope to able to share the cover of my April 2010 release, Out of Eden, very soon! Just waiting for my editor to send the final tweaked version. I think it's a splendid cover. Can't wait to show you!

In did-we-really-need-to-know-that news... What's up with Mackenzie Phillips new tell-all book?

In how-cool-would-that-be news.... Apparently they're prepping James Cameron's Titanic for a new 3-D release!

What's 'news' with you?

Happy Anniversary to Me!

2009-09-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Seventeen years of wedded bliss to a truly amazing (and super funny) man.

1992

2009

I love you, Steve!