On the Twelfth Day Of Christmas

My true love gave to me:

Twelve broken chew toys

Eleven piles of piddle

Ten kitty scratches (Sorry, Darren!)

Nine kibble dramas

Eight pissed off kitties (No, really. It's just two. Seems like more, though.)

Seven butts a'sniffed at

Six gnawed on rawhides

FIIIIVE PILES OF POOOOO!

Four yowling cats (I swear, it's just two)

Three trash can raids

Two tired parents

And a new puppy we named Amy!

Look at those paws. She's only eighteen weeks old. Now imagine how much more growing she has to do to fit into them.

And, to be fair, the rescue named her Amy. We just decided to keep it.

Thumper has been darting in and out of sniffing distance, fur raised and tail fluffy. Darren, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with Ms. Waggy Tail and would prefer to be left alone, thank you very much.

Precious is following Amy, and Amy is following Precious. Precious even let Amy take one of her bones, something even we humans aren't really allowed to do. We have no idea what breed is mixed in our new mutt, other than some kind ouf hound dog.

NEW RELEASE: Not Broken

Not Broken

True Destiny Book 5

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Menage (M/M/F)

Length: Novella

Three hearts are stronger than the sum of their scars.

Slade Saeter endured centuries of torture, longing for the day could claim Magnus Tate and Sylvia Grimm as mates. Now freedom is his, but nightmares still plague this son of Loki, and he fears his lovers will believe him too fragile to bond.

Always attracted to both sexes, Magnus never thought he could have the woman of his dreams, not when she was broken by his own father, her heart shattered by Thor's infidelities and their ultimate divorce. But Slade’s determination gives him a glimmer of hope.

Never one to let anything keep her down for long, Sylvia has long since healed from her ex-husband’s betrayals. But accepting her own stepson as a bonded mate? While it’s something she can wrap her body around, her heart is another story.

As three war-weary, damaged hearts slowly find balance among them, they form bonds of surprising strength. But with danger descending upon them with the fury of a Valkyrie, time is the one thing they may not have.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language and only two people who know for sure if Slade really is hung like a horse. (They aren't talking.)

This wasn’t the way things were supposed to happen. Sylvia had prayed that they’d let her in, that they’d see how desperately she wanted to get away from Frederica and her desire to destroy Logan Saeter and any who chose to side with him. Instead, Kir and Logan had sent her right back into the mouth of the dragon.

Not even chocolate chocolate-chip ice cream could fix this level of depression.

“Well?” Sigyn, who’d taken the mortal name Sydney Saeter, opened the door of their shared apartment with a hopeful expression.

Sylvia shook her head. “They want us to spy on Frigg and find out what she’s up to or they won’t let us join them.”

Sydney’s shoulders slumped. “Porcupine balls. That won’t be easy.”

Sylvia took Sydney’s hand and led her into the apartment, closing the door behind her. “We can do this, Syd. If we find out what Frederica is up to, they’ll accept us.”

“Sure. Easy peasy.” Sydney groaned as she dropped ungracefully into her office chair. “Why don’t they ask for the moon? It would be easier.”

“I know, right?” Sylvia settled on the sofa, the bright blue cheering her as it always did. “Logan looked good, by the way.”

“Good.” Sydney smiled softly. “After everything he’s been through he deserves some happiness.”

“He’s found it.” Sylvia was aware of Sydney’s lingering feelings for Logan, but there was little she could do about it. Logan had fallen in love with Kir long before he’d been tied to that mountain. Worse, he’d never loved Sydney. He’d married her in order to cement his position in the Aesir, and because it was expected of him.

Sydney had adored him from day one and had believed in him when no one else did. In return he’d left her behind, running with Kir and hiding from all of them for centuries.

It was the best thing he ever did for Sydney Saeter, and he probably knew that. He was far more intuitive than Frigg gave him credit for.

Sydney had been forced to stand up for herself, to face the accusations that she was the one who’d freed him. But Odin had used his powers on her, the truth spilling forth from her like the poison of the snake that had tortured Loki. She’d gone to empty the bowl of venom, as she did whenever it filled. As she’d poured it away, she’d realized Loki wasn’t crying out as he normally did. Without the bowl, the venom would land on his skin, burning him. He always cried out when she was forced to leave him in order to empty the bowl.

When she returned, he was free of his shackles, gone without a trace. And she had no idea who had done it.

Odin’s use of the apples of Idunn had saved Sydney from being killed by Vali, the Avenger. She was innocent, by Odin’s decree, but now she was terrified of Val Grimm. Whenever the large man entered the room Sydney would go still and quiet, afraid he would turn on her at any moment. He’d terrified her then, and still did. That he’d joined willingly with Kir and Logan only meant he was up to something, and Sydney was determined to find out what. She would not allow her ex-husband’s happiness to be ruined by a spy of Odin’s.

Too bad neither she nor Sydney had been aware of Odin’s murderous intentions until it was far too late to do anything about it. Perhaps they could have helped more, done more. Things might have turned out far differently. Maybe Sydney wouldn’t have this overwhelming fear of Val, because Sylvia had seen the way Sydney eyed Vali when she thought no one was looking.

Her friend had the hots for the Avenger, but was terrified of him at the same time. She denied it by believing Vali to be an enemy, one she had to harden her heart against.

It was a conundrum only time and proximity would cure. Sylvia planned on getting Sydney both.

Odin’s use of the apples had kept them all happy little lambs, doing his bidding without a qualm. The only one who hadn’t been affected was Logan, who hadn’t deserved half the ire he’d received over the years. Without the influence of the apples, the Aesir and Vanir were finally able to see Odin and his machinations for what they were: a desperate attempt to stave off Ragnarrok.

It was too late. Ragnarrok was coming and nothing could stop it. Already the prophecies were coming true in ways none of them could have predicted. Thor was dead by the serpent’s hand, but instead of Jörmungandr—the world serpent—being the murderer, it had been Odin—the betrayer—the true serpent in their midst. Loki had been killed by the Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall, but instead of it being the real Loki it had been Rina Sutherland, Odin’s mistress, wearing Loki’s face. She’d tried to trick the Guardian, but he hadn’t been fooled. He’d seen right through the facade to the heart of the jotun beneath, and had killed her. She’d returned to her original form upon death, but she’d died wearing Loki’s face.

It had all of them, Frederica included, looking at the prophecy with new eyes. What else had they gotten wrong all those years ago? If Fenrisúlfr wasn’t meant to kill Odin, then who was the wolf destined to take his life? Or could Fenris only kill him at a specific place and time, when Odin would be vulnerable? Was there something Fenris would have to obtain in order to gain the power to kill him? And if so, would Vali prove to be a traitor after all and wind up killing Fenris? Prophecy said he would kill the wolf that destroyed Odin, but if that were true he’d be killing Logan’s son.

Sylvia wasn’t certain he could do that, unless…

No. It wouldn’t do to start doubting now. She’d set her course and she would sail these seas no matter what.

“What do they want to know? Please tell me they didn’t send us in blind.”

Sylvia played with the white hair bracelet Slade had given her. “I’m not sure.” Sydney whined, but Sylvia ignored it. “They said they wanted to know what she’s up to, that she’s been far too quiet lately.”

“Huh. They’re right about that.” Sydney moved from the office chair and flopped down on the sofa. She pulled her feet up and wrapped her arms around her knees, a pose Sylvia had grown used to over the years. Sydney was scared, but her mind was racing. “She’s been closeting herself with Henry and Luther a lot.”

Sylvia grimaced. “I thought she was sleeping with them.”

Sydney shot her a grin. “Well, they’re doing that too, but I think they’re plotting as well.”

“Then we need to find out what in order to get what we want.”

“Freedom.” Sydney drawled the word with longing.

“Freedom.” Sylvia nodded. “So. How do we do this?”

“Bug their bedroom.”

Sylvia blinked. Sydney could be strangely abrupt, but her ideas usually had merit. Without Logan to protect her Sydney had been forced to come out of her shell. She was still a bit odd, but her intelligence could no longer be questioned. “Not a bad idea. We can record what we find out and hand it over to Kir and Logan.”

Sydney nodded. “How, though? They lock that room up tight.”

Sylvia plucked a golden hair from her head. “Leave that to me.”

“Then I’ll get the equipment we’ll need.” Sydney uncurled from the sofa. “Give me two days and I’ll have everything.”

“Excellent.” Sylvia stretched. Somehow working with Sydney always seemed to make things better. “Pizza tonight?”

“Ugh. So tired of pizza.” Sydney sat at their computer and began typing. “Chinese?”

“Thai?”

The women exchanged a glance. Sydney looked back at her screen with a grin. “Extra hot, and you’re on.” Sylvia picked up the phone as her best friend began cackling like a loon. Whatever was on the screen had made her a happy woman. “Come to mama, baby. You’re my little puppy now.”

Sylvia shook her head. Syd was certifiable, but at least she was fun. Too bad she didn’t let this side of her out when around other people. Instead she tended to revert to the meek and mild ex-wife of Loki.

Sometimes she wondered if Logan would have left if he’d seen this side of Sydney. Then again, if he hadn’t left she doubted anyone would have seen it.

Well. At least it would be fun to watch the two of them interacting. Perhaps Sydney would be herself around all of them when this was done. Sylvia would give a lot to see Logan deal with this side of his ex.

But in the meantime, she had a lock pick to make.

That's SO Wrong.

Dragon Age Inquisition came out yesterday, and as some of you know, my little geeky heart has been waiting for this game FOREVER. So I hopped onto the Origin bandwagon the moment I had my wordcount done, and created my first Inquisitor.

This? Is not her. I'll explain why I didn't post a picture of my Inquistor in a moment.

So I make my happy elven mage, skip her happy elven ass down Inquisition lane, and I'm playing...and I'm playing... and I'm wondering if I'm going to ride the Iron Bull or cast my big eyes toward seducing the ex-Templar, Cullen, when I realize something.

She looks exactly like my grown niece. Down to the cute-ass freckles.

So that means I've been picturing...and the humpty-hump images... and teh BULL...and she was my flower girl at my wedding. 

There go four hours of my life I will never get back.

I'll admit, I thought about keeping the character around. I mean, that's four hours of game play I'll have to do over again, not to mention the time I spent in the character creator.

But then I remembered that my brother was a sheriff's officer, owns a gun, and I have the attention span of a gnat. I will wind up posting pictures of my elven Inquisitor at some point, probably with the tag, "BOOYEAH! BAGGED THE BULL!"

Bye-bye, elven Inquisitor. I will miss you.

Trick or Treat!

So, it's that time of year again, when ghoulish, half-dead creatures appear in my kitchen and ask for food.

No, wait. That's my kids.

So, between Mommy being sick and busybusybusy, we didn't get any Halloween decorations up. However, R has decided to dress up to hand out the candy this year so Mom doesn't have to race for the door every five seconds. He saw me hurting two years ago and decided that, at fourteen, he was too old to do the candy walk with Dad and M. He did the duty last year, too.

He's a good kid. Here is last year's costume. He wanted to be faceless.

And the kids loved it. He'd sit in the chair, face down, and when a kid approached he'd lift his head and dip his hand in the candy bowl, handing them their candy. He scared the crap out of some of them.

Which is probably why he was so eager to do it again this year. He decided that for this Halloween he is going to wear a light-up "gas mask", a cave man wig and a straight jacket. He tried the outfit on, hid in the bathroom door and called for M.

I've never heard that kind of shriek come out of M before. It was pretty awesome.

M, of course, decided he too needed to be different (i.e., difficult). He's decided to be Scout from Team Fortress 2.

And it had to be "Red Scout, not Blue Scout, Mom." Sigh. At least most of the clothes needed for his costume can be worn as every-day clothes, so it worked out. And he was willilng to go with Scout's baseball bat instead of the scatter gun, which works out even better for Mom, as I'm about as crafty as your average rutabaga.

I can't exactly see R wearing his straight jacket to school. Although the teachers might appreciate it.

So, I have last round edits to finish on Not Broken, first round edits to finish on Figure of Speech, the montly newsletter to get out tomorrow, and the last little bit of the rough draft of Never More to do.

Thank god R decided to dole out candy, because I'm pretty sure I'm glued to my computer for the next twenty-four hours.

All right. I'm going to ditch the computer to check out all the cute little ghouls and goblins coming to my door. And maybe eat a fun size Snickers for every Elsa I see.

(Does this one count? I think it does!)


P.S.: For those starting National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) tomorrow, I wish you the best of luck. Happy writing!

NEW RELEASE: Of Shadows and Ash!

Of Shadows and Ash

Maggie's Grove Book 3

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

ISBN: 9-781-42689-913-3

Release Date: October 13, 2014

Overprotective dryad Ashton Ward is pissed off. His mate Selena has been tortured by humans who hunt supernaturals, and she’s flat-out refusing to let him near her as she heals. Her magic is so compromised that just being near her puts him in danger, but he’s sure he can help ease her pain if she’ll just let him.

To keep Ash safe, witch doctor Selena Giannone wants to handle the fallout from her nightmare alone. But she might be dealing with more than the agonizing loss of her powers—something’s haunting her house so badly the land itself is afraid. A demon so powerful nothing in Maggie’s grove can tame it alone.

Terrified, exhausted and out of options, Selena turns to Ash for help. The enemy needs two things to feed: Selena’s powers, yes, but also it needs her fear. And if there’s a magic that can save her, it lies with Ash—with his touch, and with their bond.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex and graphic language.

“I swear to the Goddess, if you don’t back off right this second I will rip your spleen out through your asshole.”

Ash winced, but didn’t back down. “You’re still healing.”

If Selena had to listen to that grim tone of voice for even one more second she really was going to maim him. The stubborn dryad just couldn’t seem to get it through his solid wood skull that Selena was capable of taking care of herself. “Why don’t you go hug a tree?”

He pointed back toward her house. “Go home, little witch.”

“Fuck you, Woody.” She tried to step around him, only to have him block her way. “Ashton.”

“Selena.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Either you go back on your feet or I carry you, but you’re going.”

“They need me.” Selena couldn’t seem to get Ash to understand. “I’m the witch doctor. I have to be there.”

For just a second his stubborn features softened. If there was one thing they both agreed on, it was that the people of Maggie’s Grove were their main concern. Ash was the guardian of the forest, and Selena was the one who dealt with magical ailments. Which made it all the more ironic that it was a magical ailment she was suffering from. “You’re still recovering from the effects of your kidnapping.”

Selena shuddered. The Van Helsings had taken her from her home, breaking in and overwhelming her before she could do a damn thing. They’d forced a drug down her throat that knocked her ass out, and when she came to she was in Ash’s arms, being carried out of a hell she could barely comprehend. They’d cut off her hair, done some sort of painful, flesh-cutting experiments on her, and pumped her full of gunk that left her sickly and weak. She’d barely been able to speak, couldn’t walk for days and her vision had been blurry. She’d never puked so much in her life, and the stuff that came out had given her nightmares. It was this black, swirly tar-like substance that tasted like rotten ass and smelled worse.

Gideon, the coven leader, had tried, but he hadn’t been unable to identify it. Both of them were certain it was the source of her magical issues, but until they could figure it out they were at an impasse. So while she was continuing to recover physically, her magic was still as fucked up as the day Ash carried her out of the Van Helsing compound three months ago. Every spell she attempted either fizzled, or went mostly the way she’d planned. For instance, she’d tried to cast an identification spell on the black gunk that she’d puked up.

She’d wound up identifying every black object in a five mile radius except for the black gunk.

No one knew the full extent of the evil the Van Helsings had done, not only to her but other members of the community. Which was why she was heading out. She needed to see and be seen, to show the people that their witch doctor was alive and relatively well. She might not be able to cast spells at the moment, but she could sure as hell walk into town and talk. She was Italian, after all. Talking was one of the things she did best. “I can handle it.”

Ashton held out his hand with a sweet smile that didn’t fool her for one second. “Come on, little witch. We can discuss this back home, on your comfy couch.”

She narrowed her eyes, well aware of what he was up to. She’d had enough of his sexy ass ordering her around. It was time she put her foot down and made him go home. “No.”

“Selena.” He took a step toward her, scowling when she backed up. “Don’t make me force you.”

As if he could. “You touch me and I’m calling Mina.”

For just a second, he looked wounded to the core. But then that stubborn, overprotective asshole simply picked her up and began striding with superhuman speed back toward her house. “I warned you.”

“So did I.” Selena pulled out her cell phone and called the Queen of the Forest. “Mina, order Ash home.”

“Selena?” Mina sounded stunned. “What’s happening?”

“He won’t let me leave my own house. I’m well enough to take care of myself, thank you, and he doesn’t live here.” She grunted as he tossed her onto her overstuffed couch. “And I’m tired of him invading my personal space.”

If looks could kill she’d be pushing up daisies. “Don’t you dare.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Get him outta here before I turn him into a turnip.”

Mina choked on a laugh. “Put him on the phone.”

Selena held out the phone, smiling triumphantly as Ash took it from her.

“Hello, my queen.” Ash winced at whatever Mina said to him. “Yes, but—” He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Apparently Mina was giving him an earful, because he barely got a word in edgewise. All Selena heard was a crapload of but, no, yes and maybe. Eventually Ash sighed and surrendered. “Yes, my queen. I’m on my way.” He handed Selena the phone back with a defeated look. “I hope you’re happy.”

She grinned, ignoring the odd, fluttering fear that started to seep into her. She was a big girl. She was going to be just fine on her own. “Yes I am.”

He shook his head, his tone cold. “I am under orders to not return to your home unless you call me.”

She blinked in shock. That was more than she’d expected Mina to do, but it would buy Selena some time. She knew eventually Ash would find a way to disobey that order. The attraction they felt for one another was far too volatile for him to stay away indefinitely.

But Selena would take the time Mina had given her and run with it. She needed to get her ass back on track before she could bring the dryad into her life on a permanent basis. She wanted her lingering feelings for Dragos to be put to bed, her magic back under control and the Van Helsings who’d fucked with her buried under a rock. And it didn’t have to be in that order.

But if she tried to explain that to him he’d dig his heels in and defy Mina, causing tension and a possible rift between two of the most powerful dryads in Maggie’s Grove. If that happened, it could spill over onto the wolf pack, the owl shifters, even the dragons who’d taken up residence in town since Prince Vasile Ibanescu had moved his clutch to be closer to his brother Dragos.

And not only would the shifters be affected, but the witches, who relied on the forest for their ties to the earth, would find themselves dealing with the backlash. The elementals would be unbalanced as well. All around, it would be a cluster fuck of major proportions.

So while Ash had to go, Selena had to make sure he didn’t fight Mina over it. She squared her shoulders and looked him right in the eye. “This is what I wanted, Ash. Mina is just making sure you obey my wishes.”

The expression on his face went cold and hard. “So be it.” He stormed to the front door and flung it open. Before he stepped through, he shot her a look so full of anger she couldn’t stop herself from flinching. “This is far from over, little witch. I’ll go, and I’ll stay away, at least for now. But if I hear even a sliver of a rumor that something’s wrong, all bets are off.”

Before she could respond he slammed out of her house. She jumped as the door into her bedroom also slammed shut—probably from the wind his leaving had caused.

Damn it. She felt bad now for throwing him out, but she knew deep down she was in the right. Ash needed to give her time and space to sort her shit out, and if he couldn’t give it to her willingly, she’d force the issue.

She just hoped she hadn’t irreparably damaged their relationship, because whether she liked it or not, the man belonged to her. Her magic, even in its fucked-up state, responded to him in a way it had never done before, marking him as hers as surely as if she’d stamped her name across his forehead.

P.S.: For anyone who hasn't read the first two books in the series, Blood of the Maple and Throne of Oak, you can buy them bundled together on your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple/iTunes or from Carina Press for $4.49.

A Little Quickie

I was sick all last week (hence, no blog post), so I've jumped right back into writing, trying to catch up to what I didn't get done on Never More.

Sorry, guys!

So an update: I won't be at the Dallas RT Convention, not because I don't love you guys (or RT), but because of financial stuff having to do with buying and selling a house.

We will miss you, old house. You were good to us. Now be good to the nice new owners.

The new house has an office for me and for Dusty, and a nice kitchen as well:

Erm. Ignore the dirty dishes. The Furry Teenage Human has to fill the dishwasher after his homework. He's a bit...squeamish... about the whole thing.

Let's just say he's less than enthusiastic about doing dirty dishes. His father offered him a trade: clean the kitty litter boxes, and Dad would take over the dishes.

FTH (Furry Teenage Human) declined the offer. Something about poo and coughing on pee dust.

Unfortunately, I couldn't work while I was sick, so I have some serious catching up to do. Never More will be moving forward again, and I should be back to my normal schedule. Once that's done, I start Greer and Mollie's story, Song of Midnight Embers. I'm already hearing them, but they need to wait their turn, damn it! I can feel their story creeping up on me, ready to kick Raven and Amanda to the curb.

So, yeah, that's been...going on.

Oh, and of course the ongoing medical issues. Those are...ongoing. I'm doing well today, and that's how I look at it. One day at a time, one spoon at a time.

And I totally did NOT spend last week watching Dragon Age:Inquisition videos and sobbing "NOVEMBER!" into my tissue box.

I still can't decide if I want to twirl Dorian's moustache with my male Inquisitor first...

...or scale the Blackwall with my female Human warrior...

...or dip into some Templar love with a female elven mage...

...or go girl on girl for the first time with Sera...

...or Josephine...

...or try something a little different with an elf whose magic is also...different.

But then Dusty pointed out that Solas looks like a Nosferatu, and now I can't unsee it.

Or that Romulan guy from Star Trek who blew up Vulcan.

Sorry, Solas. You're friendzoned.

Hell. Maybe I'll just ride the Bull with my female Qunari rogue.

Guess which one he is.

RELEASE DAY! Siren's Song, The Gray Court Book 5!

The Gray Court Book 5

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

ISBN: 978-1-61922-168-0

Release Date: September 16, 2014

A crescendo of evil could destroy their perfect harmony.

Oberon is well and truly lost, with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or where he’s going. One woman makes his palms sweat and his heart race, a woman with turquoise eyes and a beautiful voice. Instinct tells him she’s the only one who can save him.

Cassie knows the truth—he is the High King, her truebond, the one man born to be hers and hers alone. Restoring his memory and keeping him out of the Black Court’s clutches is her mission, though success means losing him. Yet to give the world back its High King, she will make that sacrifice.

As soon as Oberon’s memory comes crashing back through his mind’s closed door, he makes one vow. Though beset by enemies, chased and attacked, he will return to his rightful place with his Queen by his side.

Except when he makes good on his vow, all hell breaks loose. And when Cassie's life is threatened, the fae world will bow before the High King or pay the price in blood.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, fishy shenanigans and royal naughtiness.

Now Available From:

Samhain Publishing

Apple/iTunes

Kindle

Kobo

Nook

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog

How many blogs can a blogging blogger blog if a blogging blogger does her blogs?

(It's all about that blog, bout that blog, bout that blog (Not Tumblr)...)

Too...much...blogging. Brain...dying...

So I woke up this morning remembering that I had a blog post to write for Carina Press about my upcoming release, Of Shadows and Ash. So I settled at my computer and began to write that blog, and as I did so, I remembered I had to blog about my playlist for Of Shadows and Ash (a blog that might never go live, but hey! Music! So I wrote it.) And while I was listening to music, I remembered I needed to write a blog for the Harlequin website.

When I was done, I decided to blog about all the blogging.

So with all that blogging, my blogging brain just blogged down.So I decided when I was done that I needed to Google some stuff for the edits I planned to do after I was done blogging. Of course, I was Googling things for the playlist blog.

Argh. And now my eyes hurt. Some songs should not be made into videos. *shudder*

Now I know what happened to the Oompa Loompas once Charlie shut down the chocolate factory.

And, of course, in the back of your mind, there's this. Always, this:

But I am writing, beuatiful Thor man with the large...hammer. I'm just writing blog post after blog post.

(Wait. Did I finish that blog post?)

At least the first round of edits on Not Broken has been sent back to my editor, so I got something other than blogging done.

So the blog posts are sent in, and here I am...blogging. Ayup. Because the brain, she is stuck staring at memes, gifs, and trying to refresh my brain by watching Markiplier play Outlast.

Ah, video games. Thou art my salvation.

Just A Spoonful of Sugar...

Unless, of course, you're out of spoons. But hey! I'll take fewer spoons if they all taste like this:

Mmm. Chocolate...

Okay. For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you probably know most of this.  For those who don't, I'm sorry the blog has seemed to fall by the wayside. This year has been one hell of a roller coaster ride so far, and I don't see it ending any time soon.

For startes, Dusty and I closed on our new house in May, and we've finally sold the old one (knock on wood, because we close on the 30th). We've mostly gotten our acts together, if not our boxes completely unpacked. We know what we still need to purchase and what we don't, because our new house is larger than the old one. It's more handicap friendly, and allows Dusty and I to each have a workspace without having to take over the living or dining rooms. I love how my office is coming along; the curtains are hung, the TV is up, the fireplace works and there are spots for my furbabies.

I still need to paint and hang some pictures up, but the builders suggested we wait on that. In May they come back and fix any settlement cracks or nail pops.After that, I'll probably paint the walls a nice, neutral gray.Have I mentioned I HATE beige? Or Apartment White?

As far as my health goes, I've had my ups and downs, and a slew of new medicines. Some worked (Tramadol), and some did not (Amitriptyline). We're still messing with the cocktail I have to take on a daily basis as my symptoms get under control, only to show new ones. I'm also finding there's more wrong with me than we first thought, but it's all slowly coming out of the shadows and getting taken care of.

Unfortunately, changing meds means changing me, at least a little. The amitriptyline turned me into a serious zombie. Dusty would come into the bedroom, check if I was still breathing, and let me sleep. This went on for about two weeks before I put my foot down. The reaction to the medicine is rare, but I took myself off it with the doctor's permission, and now I'm only a third zombified.

Now, on to the stuff you really wanted to know: BOOKS!

First off, I've got a contract for Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters 4)!

FIGURE OF SPEECH

Halle Shifters Book 4

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

ISBN: ??

Release Date: ??

No words are needed when two hearts speak as one.

Chloe Williams has waited four very long years for her mate to acknowledge her. He has turned her away time and again for being too young for him, even when she was in the hospital recovering from a traumatic beating. Now that he's been turned into a Wolf, his mating instincts are kicking in big time. Chloe has to decide if it's worth risking her heart yet again.

Ten years older than Chloe and dealing with issues she knows nothing about, veterinarian James Woods is about ready to howl in frustration. He'd been drawn to Chloe since she was a radiant nineteen year old college student, but the age difference held him back from making a move on her. Now his Wolf wants what's his, and Jim is finally in a place where he can claim what is his.

Between meddling mothers, Hunter brothers and a mystery that threatens to end Chloe's life, will they finally be able to communicate to each other just how they feel, or will they find themselves separated by more than misunderstood words?

Warning: This book contains explicit sex, graphic language, and two people who finally get their damn act together.

Jim and Chloe will get their book in 2015. Once I have a firmer date than that I'll let you know. This will go to print, but it might not be until 2016 depending on the e-book release date. Also, be aware that the title may change to More Than Words; my editor and I are discussing it, at my instigation.

Next, Oberon and Cassie finally get together on September 16th in Siren's Song (Gray Court 5).

SIREN'S SONG

The Gray Court Book 5

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

ISBN: 978-1-61922-168-0

Release Date: September 16, 2014

A crescendo of evil could destroy their perfect harmony.

Oberon is well and truly lost, with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or where he’s going. One woman makes his palms sweat and his heart race, a woman with turquoise eyes and a beautiful voice. Instinct tells him she’s the only one who can save him.

Cassie knows the truth—he is the High King, her truebond, the one man born to be hers and hers alone. Restoring his memory and keeping him out of the Black Court’s clutches is her mission, though success means losing him. Yet to give the world back its High King, she will make that sacrifice.

As soon as Oberon’s memory comes crashing back through his mind’s closed door, he makes one vow. Though beset by enemies, chased and attacked, he will return to his rightful place with his Queen by his side.

Except when he makes good on his vow, all hell breaks loose. And when Cassie's life is threatened, the fae world will bow before the High King or pay the price in blood.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, fishy shenanigans and royal naughtiness.

It should be out in print late next year.

In Maggie's Grove, Ash finally gets his witch in Of Shadows and Ash (Maggie's Grove 3), coming October 13 with Carina Press.

OF SHADOWS AND ASH

Maggie's Grove Book 3

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novel

ISBN: 9-781-42689-913-3

Release Date: October 13, 2014

Overprotective dryad Ashton Ward is pissed off. His mate Selena has been tortured by humans who hunt supernaturals, and she’s flat-out refusing to let him near her as she heals. Her magic is so compromised that just being near her puts him in danger, but he’s sure he can help ease her pain if she’ll just let him.

To keep Ash safe, witch doctor Selena Giannone wants to handle the fallout from her nightmare alone. But she might be dealing with more than the agonizing loss of her powers—something’s haunting her house so badly the land itself is afraid. A demon so powerful nothing in Maggie’s grove can tame it alone. 

Terrified, exhausted and out of options, Selena turns to Ash for help. The enemy needs two things to feed: Selena’s powers, yes, but also it needs her fear. And if there’s a magic that can save her, it lies with Ash—with his touch, and with their bond. 

Warning: This title contains explicit sex and graphic language.

As Carina doesn't do much in the way of print, I expect this will remain e-book only, but if that changes I'll let you know.

Not Broken (True Destiny 5) will be out mid-December. The paperwork I have says the 16th; I'll let you know if that changes.

NOT BROKEN

True Destiny Book 5

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Menage (M/M/F)

Length: Novella

ISBN: 978-1-61922-387-5

Release Date: December 16, 2014

Three hearts are stronger than the sum of their scars.

Slade Saeter endured centuries of torture, longing for the day could claim Magnus Tate and Sylvia Grimm as mates. Now freedom is his, but nightmares still plague this son of Loki, and he fears his lovers will believe him too fragile to bond.

Always attracted to both sexes, Magnus never thought he could have the woman of his dreams, not when she was broken by his own father, her heart shattered by Thor's infidelities and their ultimate divorce. But Slade’s determination gives him a glimmer of hope.

Never one to let anything keep her down for long, Sylvia has long since healed from her ex-husband’s betrayals. But accepting her own stepson as a bonded mate? While it’s something she can wrap her body around, her heart is another story.

As three war-weary, damaged hearts slowly find balance among them, they form bonds of surprising strength. But with danger descending upon them with the fury of a Valkyrie, time is the one thing they may not have.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language and only two people who know for sure if Slade really is hung like a horse. (They aren't talking.)

I've seen a mock-up of the cover art, and I have to say it's gorgeous. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. I've also gotten the first round of edits for this one just yesterday, so I'll be working on those this weekend. I also know the above blurb will be changed slightly; my editor thinks, and I agree, that it would read better if we put Magnus first rather than Slade.

Now for the works in progress:

Work is going well on Raven and Amanda's book in the Gray Court, Never More. I realized during last week, when I wasn't feeling well and couldn't work much, that there were some issues that needed to be worked out before I could get to the next quarter of the book. I'm in the process of fixing those this week. This always happens at some point during the process, and I'd rather fix them as I catch them than keep going. It will just nag at me and nag at me and I'll wind up with writer's constipation until I fix it.

Let that image percolate in your brains for a while. Heh.

Finally, I already have a contract for the fourth Maggie's Grove Book, Song of Midnight Embers. It will be all about Greer and Mollie; I already have a rough outline of what needs to happen, but I need to do a more fleshy one before I start work on it. I need to turn it in by the end of December,so I'll need to get Raven's story done quickly. Luckily, he and Amanda are cooperating for the most part, so Greer and Mollie won't have to wait too long.

I know several of you have asked about the last Heart's desire book. Daniel and Kerry will get their story when I'm done Greer and Mollie's. The fourth Beckett brother's tentative book title is Wolf's Bane, but that might get changed if Samhain has a similar title.

And that's it! I'll try and be a better blogger, I promise! And if I'm not, threaten to take away the Magic Box of Chocolate hidden in my office. That usually motivates me.

Kitty's not telling where they are, so don't bother. (Unless you're packing nip, in which case he'll sing like a bird, slobber all over you, and pass out at your feet.)

I Put the Pro in Procrastination

Guess what I'm doing today?

Yes, that's right. I'm editing Of Shadows and Ash.

There are times when the edits are going well, and you feel...well, sort of like Maria. The book is alive with the sound of words, right? Nothing can stop you, and you're on top of the world.

And then there are days when edits make you feel...well...

So here I am, on the second round of edits for Shadows, the third Maggie's Grove book. It's a Sunday, and I spent Saturday running errands and, of course, editing. So today I wake up early, make my coffee, settle down in front of my computer, and by page ten I was holding a pillow over my face to muffle my screams.

All right. I'll be honest here. Part of it may be that it's a Sunday, and I'd much rather be playing video games. It could be that the stuff being edited was brand new material and needed to be gone over with a fine-tooth comb, meaning more work on a day I usually call Jammie Sunday. It could also be my new meds, which make me sleep like a zom-zom.

Or, it could be that I'd rather be playing video games.

Come to think of it, I could totally go for some pizza right now too.

Damn it. Is it lunch time already?

Ugh. I need to get myhead back in the game, right? So... hot guys?

I think my brain is trying to tell me something.

 No, brain! Not now. I... must... EDIT!

Sigh. Back to work.