It’s sweeeeeeet! Scott Carpenter is my bestest pal. I luv his cover art.

This is the cover for Marlene’s Man, book 3 in the Perfect Score Series releasing on September 26. Oh yeah, isn’t it just gorgeous?

The Loose Id authors will be hanging out today at the Love Romances Cafe yahoo loop. Throughout the day, we’ll be dropping by and posting excerpts, hanging out, and generally causing loose mayhem.
I’ll be on after 3 pm EST. Hope y’all drop by!

Sasha encouraged me to blog about this cool review from her writing cave so here goes…

Romance and erotic romance have long been dominated by women. Writing, reading, reviewing, and everything in between. However, there are some men out there that have braved the female infested waters to write romance and I’ve applauded them. In fact, one of my favorite western romance writers, Leigh Greenwood, is a man. At the RWA conference in Atlanta, I met more than one man who was an aspiring or published author.

So now I’ve found that men are dipping their toe in the reviewers pool too. Hooyah! I’m excited to see this, as much as I am by women driving race cars – knock the damn door down if you have to, but get yourself in there.

At the TCM review site, a man by the name of Peter Rosier reviewed Widow’s Weeds. How cool is that? Let me first say thank you to Peter for taking the time to read and review my book. In looking at his website, I see that Peter is an author of short stories

In reading the review, I was very impressed by the fact that he got it. Ya know, he understood the story and its underlying theme. Not only that, but his review is well-written and not full of exclamation points (I have a serious addiction to them – ask my editor at Samhain).

He says: “An enjoyable, comforting but also thought provoking read for anyone who likes a romance with twists and turns but with its heart in the right place.”

Yep, that’s it exactly! Likely the hardest thing I’ve ever written, Widow’s Weeds is supposed to make readers step back a pace to think, and come away with a good feeling inside.

Thanks to everyone that posted on my blog and was entered in the contest to celebrate my new duds!

I thought I’d brighten Monday morning by announcing the winner…. drum roll puh-lease…

Loretta!

Congrats Loretta – you’ve won a set of my bookmarks and your choice of download from my backlist. Send me your snail mail addy for the bookmarks and let me know which book you’d like and what format.

Only four more days left for the August contest for Sexy Spurs! If you haven’t entered yet, get your e-mails in before midnight on Thursday, 8/31. The prize is a goody basket of stuff from RWA! If you’re not a subscriber, sign up today!

Hope y’all have a fantabulous Monday!

I am a Warrioress! Hear me roar!

Which Ultimate Beautiful Woman are You?

You are the Figher Femme
Take this quiz!

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Our first chat.

Join the Writers Across Time today at the Love Romances Cafe Yahoo loop!

From 2PM EST on…

Participants:

Vicki Gaia – It’s a Woman’s World ~ In Any Era : Author of modern historical romances
Ingela Hyatt – Where true love, sensuous pleasure, and happily-ever-afters prevail…”
Anne Whitfield – Author of Victorian historical mainstream
Meg Allison – From Ireland to the Old West ~~ fall in love with the past.
Beth Williamson – Experience the best in erotic westerns and the hardest of cowboys.
Silvia Violet – Author of Erotic Regencies
Denise Patrick – Author of Regencies and Victorians
Rebecca Goings – Ride Off Into the Sunset. Author of historical Westerns.

Yesterday on the Samhain Cafe Yahoo loop, people were recommending books and Silvia Violet recommended The Bounty. Yay!
Then it got even better. Elaine M a reader said she saw The Bounty at a Waldenbooks store and snatched it up.
Yep, then it got so cooool! Here’s what she said:

“It fact, want to hear something even better? Judy, the associate that I see the most took me over to the books and asked if I had seen The Bounty yet? She knows how much I love Sara McCarty’s Promise series so she thought I might like this one! LOL! I said yep, snatched it off the shelf and got it. Told her I had already read it in e-book. She had also gotten a copy to read. There were only two copies left there..”
This is me after I read that. 
I was completely jumping around like a lunatic (after I picked up the pieces.)
Man, that is sooooo coool!!!! A book store recommending my book to a reader! 

Okay, this was sent by Barbara Karmazin, another Loose Id author. OMG – I’m still laughing and I’ve read this four times!

Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. This was submitted by a guy who purchased his lovely wife a “pocket Taser” for their anniversary.

Last weekend I saw something at Larry’s Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 22nd anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Toni. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were suppose to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety…. WAY TOO COOL!

Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I’d get the blue arch of electricity darting ! back and forth between the prongs. Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn’t be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries,. right?!!!

There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand! , taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.

All the while I’m looking at this little device measuring about 5″ long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-a batteries) thinking to myself, “no possible way!”

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I’ll do my best…..I’m sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, “don’t do it master,” reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn’t hurt all that bad.. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY MOTHER, ! WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION@!@$$!%!@*!!!

I’m pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, “do it again, do it again!”

Note: If you ever feel compelled to “mug” yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative.

SON-OF-A-.. that hurt like hell!!! A minute or so later (I can’t be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I’m still looking for my testicles? I’m offering a significant reward for their safe return.

Still in shock,
Tommy

Check it out y’all! I have a brand, spanking new website/blog design.

Thank you to my amazingly talented web designer, Frauke at Croco Designs. I absolutely adore this design!

Anyhoo, to celebrate the grand reopening, I’m having a special contest! Yep, that’s right. I’m so excited that I want to share some goodies with y’all. All you need to do is post a comment on my blog by Sunday evening (August 27) and you’re entered in the contest.

So what do you win? Why, choice of a download from my backlist AND a set of my beautiful bookmarks which just came in from the printer today.

Good luck!

My Bookstore and More is back up and running everyone! And they’re doing a special promotion… lookee…

FABULOUS SALE & CONTEST AT MBAM!

Lots of prizes this week – all you do is make a purchase to be entered! Winners will be chosen to win a variety of print books!

ALSO, from now until September 30, 2006, every purchase will count toward a drawing for an ebook reader! The winner may choose between an eBookwise, a Palm Tungsten E2, or an HP IPAQ rx1950!

PLUS, you can enter the drawing without making a purchase by sending a postcard with your name, address, phone number, email address, and how you heard about MBaM to this address:

My Bookstore and More
2932 Ross Clark Circle #384
Dothan AL 36301

All postcards must be received by October 31st, winner will be announced on November 1st, 2006

Come see our SALE PRICES on ebooks! http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/

All Trade PRINT books are ON SALE too! 10% off cover price plus FREE Shipping!