We’re going to do a little blog tour today because I want to share some pictures with you of my recent trip overseas. Take a look at the cool pics below from Dublin. Then visit www.tjmichaels.com where you’ll see some cool pics from England and then directed to www.ladiesoftheclub.blogspot.com to see some other neat pics.
Have fun!
TJ
Now, this is a really neat building. The architecture is awesome and you just don’t see this kind of building everyday. The picture underneath is a close up shot so you can see the handpainted people on the building.
This is the second pic… Is this a cool closeup or what?
Just to give you an idea of how freaking HUGE this gate is, this is me and my son standing in front of it…and he’s 6 feet tall!! Hey,. NO LAUGHING at my leggings. They match my shirt and sweater, dang it ;D
And this pic is from the front of the national museum. For a birds-eye view of the Hill of Tara, you have to visit www.tjmichaels.com…Heh heh ;D
I’m blogging over at The Danger Zone today about gorillas in Rwanda.
I’ve done something to my right arm. It’s painful when using the computer, so I’m off to rest and recover. It’s a sunny day today, so I’m thinking I’ll be lazy and sit in the sun for a while. I hope all mothers out there had a wonderful day.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mom’s out there. And if you’re a single dad (which means you have to be mom, too), Happy Mother’s Day to you, too.
I’m so happy to be home from traveling, I don’t know what to say. I could pass on seeing another airplane for many years to come. God, those flights from overseas were long. But me and the kids made it safe and sound.
Yesterday was my birthday! I turned the big 40 and my kids surprised me with cake and ice cream (which they KNOW I’m not supposed to eat ;D) and we enjoyed some peace and quiet. I’m relaxing today before getting back to life tomorrow - back to the office for work.
Also working on edits for Hatsept Heat. My editor is so cool - she makes awesome suggestions and comments but doesns’t get all bent out of shape if I want to go with my own ideas. Thankfully, she’s also a grammar goddess ’cause I have a problem with those damned danglies (dangling modifiers) !
Visit my website at www.tjmichaels.com for pictures of our trip to the EU and the UK. You’ll find them on The Scoop page by the end of this week. In the meantime, there are pics (finally!) of our booksigning last month.
I have a new interview up at Sensual. You can read it here.
And in writing news I’m delighted to announce I’ve sold a book to Samhain Publishing. Tea For Two is a hot contemporary set in London and is the story of a Hayley, a woman who reads tea leaves and finds love along the way. I’m really excited about joining the Samhain family. Actually, color me very excited!!
I’ve been reading a lot of m/m lately. I’m not sure why, but I’ve felt in the mood to read this genre. My favorite out of all my recent reads would have to be Josh Lanyon’sAdrien English series. Adrien owns a bookstore specializing in mysteries and has a habit of stumbling over dead bodies. His lover is a cop called Jake who is firmly in the closet and has no intention of coming out - ever. The books are not erotic and there aren’t many love scenes. They concentrate mainly on the solving the mystery and the relationship between the two. I’ve fallen in love with Adrien. Actually, I like Jake too. This is a seriously good series, and quite frankly, Josh needs to write faster because I’ve just about read all his books now. I highly recommend Josh’s books.
Check out the Danger Zone authors, a new group of authors I’ve joined who write adventure and action stories. The Danger Zone officically opens on 11 May.
Sorry I’ve been so absent of late. I’m in the writing cave finishing up my polish on No Reservations - mine and Megan’s next joint project. I should finish with it today in fact and then it’s on to Fallen, or what was Fallen but is not notFallen and we’re in the process of finding a new title.
notFallen is set in the same world as Undercover but isn’t a sequel. It’s a push/pull sort of story with major opposites so the scenes should be hella fun to write.
No Reservations takes up six months after Taking Care of Business and features the same two couples. Only this time Leah and Kate go to Las Vegas only to be followed by Brandon and Dix. Megan and I have been plotting the story and I think this one is going to be as fun as TCOB to write.
Anyway, I’ve got to get back to it. Plus, hello ANTS! They got in through a side wall, I’m not sure how, but I have to deal with them now. I cleaned up this morning (they love to invade when it’s not quite raining outside, gah!) And then back to Dix and Kate, currently in bed. heh.
Oh and I made my Sven target this weekend! This was the hardest challenge of the three for me but I did it so yay!
I’m hiding out in the writing cave today, determined to complete the last read through of my current work in progress, another Middlemarch book.
I’ve received a release date for Cat and Mouse, Middlemarch Mates, book five. Cat and Mouse will be out on 1 October from Ellora’s Cave. As soon as I get my new manuscript off to my editor, I’ll update my website with the blurb and an excerpt.
15 May is the opening date for a new group I’ve joined called Danger Zone Authors. We all write action adventure stories and are very excited about our new venture. I’ll post more details soon.
And finally, 3 May was the anniversary of the very first spam email. The message was sent in 1978 by a marketer for the DEC computer company to 400 people on the West Coast of the US. There was no ill intent meant by the email. How things have changed!
Now I thought driving in my hometown was crazy, but Dublin takes the cake. Luckily my family enjoys each other and even a stressful situation turned into great fun.
Basically, we got directions - printed, mapped out directions, mind you - to a place called Clontarf. The goal was to visit the Bram Stoker’s Dracula attraction. Why? Because Bram Stoker was born here in the 1800’s and I just love the adaptation of his book about Count Dragul. So anyway, we followed the directions to a tee and still ended up driving for hours with no success. There are no frickin’ street signs here, except every now and again.
The buildings have street names on them, but if you’re standing at a corner and look at the building across from you, it’ll have a different name on it than the one to your right, which has a different name than the one to your left, and so on. Add driving on the opposite side of the street, big double decker buses darting in and out of traffic as if they own it - actually, the DO own it ’cause nobody is dumb enough to challenge them (ROFL!), and the narrowest streets I’ve ever seen and you end up with a very lost TJ and family.
In the end, we laughed, made our way back to the hotel (still can’t figure out how we did that!) and hung out here.
Today, we’re going to try it again. We’re going to visit Glendalough and if we actually make it there, we’ll put up some pictures…if I can get my daughter to upload them. Do you know I’m still waiting for her to send me the pics from my book signing last month? Geesh! LOL!
This week has been crazy! I finished Cascadia Wolves: Fated last night! Wheeee! What Happens in Vegas has now released and has been sighted in stores and reviews are starting to show up online. Check my blog for a few contests!
Okay in the days following the release here are some reviews:
Four Stars - Romantic Times Magazine!
“Provocative and realistic, Stripped by Lauren Dane is a must-read. From the characters to the lights to the music, readers will be immersed in the sights and sounds of naughty Las Vegas.” Talia Ricci for Joyfully Reviewed
Christine at The Happily Ever After gives Stripped an A and says in part: “Stripped” is a hot and sexy and at the same time, a very romantic love story. The relationship between Dahlia and Nash developed at a believable rate and I really appreciated Dahlia’s reluctance at starting a dating or sexual relationship with Nash after his insulting proposition. Not only was Dahlia’s response realistic, but it forced the characters to get to know each other on personal and emotional levels, not just physical. This made the romantic element of their story ring true and their happily ever very sweet.
Chrissy Dionne gives WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS 5 blue ribbons: If you’re looking for a fun read by some of today’s talented authors then be sure to pick up a copy of WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS… it’s a book that will definitely satisfy your desire for a little something extra in your storyline.
Azteclady says of Stripped: I really liked the fact that, despite the short page count (just over a hundred) this story covered several months in the protagonists’ relationship. Since the hero and heroine meet on the first couple of pages, it made it that much easier for me to believe that they would be able to work on their issues enough that, by the end of the story, a future together was not only possible, but very much likely.
Aliquis over at the eharlequin book challenge boards says of Stripped in part: I really enjoyed this novella. Stripped draws you in from the start, and you can almost see Dahlia’s dance. (…) I loved how genuine this story was. The characters are very well written. Nash and Dahlia are very human, and had flaws that they work through. I liked how each could admit they were being silly or unreasonable, suck it up, and move on. I felt that I had a true grasp as to what made Dahlia and Nash tick, and could really believe that they were a couple who would make it work.
Danny at Loveromances and More gives WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS 5 Hearts: Ms. Dane tells a tale of two lovers who couldn’t come from more different worlds than Dahlia and Nash. First Nash has to fight to show Dahlia that he is seriously interested in her and then they have to fight against his family, because they don’t want to accept her. It’s a moving and very beautiful story.
Laura at Goodreads says in part: Anyway, lucky for me, there is a novella in it by Lauren Dane, which was awesome and turned out to be my fav of the collection. I’ve been wanting to read her “Chase Brothers” series, and after reading this novella I can see why Dane is so popular.
and Tez thought Stripped was too romancy and didn’t like my characters but she did like Kit and Anya’s story. (Yes, it is romance, fyi in case anyone wonders!)
I have a new interview up at The Romance Studio this month featuring my latest release Wanderlust.
What’s next for me? My next release is called Lovers at Last, and it’s a friends to lovers story, which is one of my favorite plots. Read an excerpt here. Lovers at Last is out on 4 June from Ellora’s Cave.
June 10 is also the release date for Midnight Treat anthology, featuring my story Curse of Brandon Lupinus. It’s already available for pre-order from Amazon and other online bookstores, including Fishpond (for NZ and Australian readers).
I’ll leave you with a video of The Feelers and their song Stand Up. The Feelers are a New Zealand band and their song is currently playing on my ipod. The video was shot in Downtown Auckland.
