I have also been neglecting all of my lovely chickies. Let’s catch up and remember that though I’m the one typing these words, the other ladies here are VASTLY talented and need some of your love!

Neith – http://scorchedsheets.com/elise-logan/
‘Nez – http://inezkelley.com/
Kate – http://www.mystickat.com/

Go check them out and find out what they are up to in the world of writing. And buy something, won’t'cha?

Me? I have a little book coming out in THREE DAYS called “Coin Operated”!

Here’s the blurb:

When Elijah Elliot leaves a cushy job at a prestigious Atlanta advertising firm to strike out on his own, he recruits co-worker Beatrix London as his business partner. She’s smart, capable and, turns out, mouth-wateringly tempting. Now Eli has to keep his hands to himself, despite the very vivid daydreams he has involving his deliciously attentive associate. Daydreams that involve less administrative duties and more “yes, sirs” – less clothing and much more personal “activity reports”.

Bea’s attention to detail has only part to do with her work ethic. From the moment she first laid eyes on Elijah, Bea has had some pretty lathered-up fantasies about her brooding coworker. When a racy new advertising campaign sparks a test of their boundaries, Bea pushes Eli to cross the line he’s drawn between them – the one that keeps him from doing all the hot, sinful things she imagines he’s capable of.

A kiss that could ignite a cubicle’s carpet leaves Bea wanting more than Eli is willing to give. Eli’s reticence isn’t strictly an objection to a little office hanky-panky; his desire for Bea runs to the darker side of vanilla, and the gentleman in him just can’t seem to embrace the inner beast. But during a sexy showdown in a laundry room, everything comes out in the wash– hot, steamy and coin operated!

Carina launch is just around the corner. I will be appearing all over hell for interviews, I have several reviews out or upcoming and while you’re at my website, why don’t you enjoy a top-secret, super-hidden excerpt from Coin Operated?

No, not a secret baby, don’t start rumors.

Even better news, the cover for the second installment in the “Dirty Laundry” series,”Talk Dirty To Me”, cowritten by myself and the fanfreakingtastic Inez Kelley, will be out in July! Want to see the cover? Of course you do!

The blurb, you ask? I shall provide:

“Tell me what you want. Talk dirty to me.”

If not, here are the details:

Author vs. Author: Name that Hero!

Are you dying to know the outcome? (Drumroll please…!)
Out of 229 votes, JARED won out over JACKSON!

The breakdown was:
Jared: 121 votes
Jackson: 108 votes

So Inez won. Sort of. After much cat fighting, stiletto swinging and a bout of near-epic jello wrestling in a kiddie pool, we settled on “Jarod” as the spelling for our hero’s new name.

What do you think? Love? Hate? Indifferent?

Even though Inez was clearly the victor here (because let’s face it, she’s just plain awesome), we are both excited as heck for our upcoming Carina releases and can’t wait for you to meet Professor Jarod Reed in one of the first (among many to come!) of the Carina Press “Dirty Laundry” stories.  Stay tuned, because there will be more fun stuff as release day approaches!

This weekend, we attended the Tucson Festival of Books.  The festival is a weekend event that overruns a college campus with tents full of a geek girl’s dreams – publishers, authors and workshops galore! There are hundreds of authors over the festival’s two days that either speak, sign or offer free workshops. This is the first year I’ve been and it was AMAZING!

J.A. Jance was there, Vicki Lewis Thompson (squee!) was there, Julia Quinn (squee!) was there, among lots of others. Both Vicki Lewis Thompson and Julia Quinn taught free workshops – Vicki on writing comedy that sells and Julia on correct dialogue formatting. I took both of these workshops.

Both women were warm, funny, informative and yep, I was a little starstruck. Did you know that Vicki has written over a HUNDRED books? Wow. Just wow. And Julia Quinn is perky, adorable and swears in her workshops (after making sure it’s not being taped – lol!)

I had a blast even though I was too chicken to get either Vicki or Julia to sign any of my books, and apologies for not having pictures!

You can check out festival details here – http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/

Be it shoes, clothes, video games, comic books or ceramic ducks. Every woman (*or man!) has something that they obsess over and collect dozens of multiples of.

That little something is your guilty pleasure. It’s that thing that you are always on the lookout for when you go shopping, when you travel, when you want a pick-me-up, whenever.

I’m not a huge makeup wearer (I do wear some), but my guilty pleasure is lip gloss. I love it. Not lipstick, not lip balm, but lip GLOSS.  It could come in a pot, a tube, whatever. The more creative the packaging, actually, the more apt I am to buy it.  I am drawn to shiny, glittery shades of red with with names like “Just Bitten” and “Seducing Nathan Fillion” and “Brick House”.  If it has a rhinestone on the lid, a very tiny brush to apply or smells like cupcakes, baby, I am there.

I walk around the grown-up job feeling like I have Steven Tyler lips (I look nothing like him, in case you were wondering.)

I find myself at last count with something like thirty lip glosses. I hunt them in the grocery store. I browse them online. I steal them from girlfriends who “bought this, but just wouldn’t dare wear this color!” I even considered buying a lot of 50+ cosmetic store deadstock on Ebay.

So, what’s your guilty pleasure? What’s the one thing that you will always buy, that never fails to cheer you up, even if you have eleventy-billion already?

(Everybody wave to Ginny)

She will be titillating your senses every Friday from here on out. Ginny just contracted her first one and a half stories with Carina Press. Her first is titled Coin-Operated and I will let her tell you about it. The other half was a co-write with me titled Talk Dirty to Me. More on that later, too.

If you have read my freebie stories following Jace and Dayna, then you have seen the awesomely fun covers Wordsugar Design did for me. That’s her baby, too. Multi-talented is our chick.

And stay tuned! Chicks-n-Scratchin’ is getting a new look (retro vintage) and a new vibe(not that KIND!!), coming soon!