Coming into the light - Happy Birthday to EC!

Raelene Gorlinsky posted on the Ellora's Cave Author's list a reminder that EC is celebrating it's 8th birthday! Yaaay EC.

As I considered this announcement, I started remembering my history with EC. I found EC on the web in late 2001 or early 2002. I hadn't read a romance in years but I was still an advocate for romance as a VERY poor grad student in library science. I was writing a research paper on the genre and surfed the internet for research when I stumbled over the EC web site.

I didn't have a lot of money (hey I was hoarding my diet pepsi cans to turn in when money was especially tight) but I bought EC books when I could afford it. Reading Jaid Black, Cheyenne McCray, Lora Leigh, Ann Jacobs and other fabulous authors inspired me to revisit my own writing, so I started writing a book called Crime of Passion. After I graduated I had two very lean years of job hunting (and more pop can hoarding along with visiting the food bank when needed) and then was hired as a library professional. All the while, I kept writing (and reading books from EC). I sold a short erotic romance to another publisher always dreaming I'd get to play "the big time" by selling to EC.

I pitched my finished novel, Crime of Passion, to Raelene at RWA National in 2007 and it went through the submission process after she requested I send it for review. This April 2008 I received a contract offer and next January 7, 2009 it will be release as Protect and Defend. This company has meant a lot to me during some really hard times. I'm really proud to be published by EC and look forward to what I hope will be a long relationship with this company.

Floating in a happiness bubble!

Well, I was floating after Barack Obama's election as our new President-Elect. I was just starting to come down when I received my cover art and release date from Ellora's Cave. I am officially floating again - in fact it might take some serious work to get me to come down from the stratosphere! (I'm feeling kind of like Uncle Albert - tea party on the ceiling and all!)

Protect and Defend will be released on January 7, 2009.

And I'm unveiling it here...

My cover! The cover art is by Dar Albert and it is beeeeeuuuuutiful!

President-Elect Barack Obama

Democracy worked. The USA has a new President of the United States. Here is the speech President-Elect Barack Obama delivered on November 4, 2008 in Chicago, Illlinois.

If Everyone Cared...VOTE

VOTE on Tuesday - Some quotes on Democracy, liberty and freedom

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin:

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties. A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins.

Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.

Attributed to John F. Kennedy:

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.

The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity.

Opie is hotter than I thought!

Nine days until the election. Nine nail biters left. So whatever your choice on November 4th be sure to exercise your right to vote!

I heard about this video on Keith Olbermann and had to go see it for myself. It's a lot of fun...and Ron Howard is hotter than I thought!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Raven Scavenger Hunt

This October, I am participating in the Raven Scavenger Hunt which will take place for the full month of October and goes LIVE TODAY!!!

The hunt is hosted by Michelle Pillow and Mandy M. Roth on their Web site. So how do you play? First, visit the Web site to get started.

Once there, just follow these easy rules:

1. Copy entire list of questions provided on the site.

2. Search the author websites at the link provided.

3. *Send ALL Answers (please number them accordingly, it's not necessary to email the entire table), Name, Email and Mailing Address to:

michelle_pillow@yahoo.com Subject: Raven Scavenger Hunt

4. Contest open the Month of October 2008 All entries due by November 1, 2008 12 AM EST.

Prizes: Winners will be drawn at random and notified of which prize they won within the first few weeks of November. Watch the Raven Blog for the official winners list.

You'll notice when you look at the list there are MANY opportunities to win! One lucky winner will receive a print copy of my book, Paranaughty published by Draumr Publishing.

I'm #21. on the list. Here's another hint just for stopping at my blog:

My writer's mission statement is located on the Bio page of my Web site!

Happy hunting and thanks for visiting my blog and Web site!