After leaving San Francisco, we headed to Yosemite National Park. We’ve visited before, but it’s so pretty we decided to go again. We’d heard about the fires they’d had and were concerned about visibility. We passed loads of fire engines and a huge camp where hundreds of firemen were camped, but they were all returning home and visibility was excellent at the park. We saw some sort of deer and some tiny chipmunks. No bears today, although we had wasps when we tried to have a picnic lunch. We have a Mazda rental car and it’s a little feisty. The petrol flap wouldn’t open until Mr. Munro used some Kiwi ingenuity and then, when we stopped to get out of the car inside the park, the alarm went off. Loudly. Insistently. That’s why we didn’t see any bears. They heard us coming!! After much cursing and swearing on Mr. Munro’s part, we finally managed to get the car alarm to stop shrieking. I think we have it sussed now, although only time will tell.

Here’s a photo of El Capitan. The huge mountain dominates the skyline. Isn’t it pretty?

Just had my first margarita since I didn’t get around to having one in San Francisco. Yum. I like them very much. We’re not big on cocktails in New Zealand, and they’re very expensive. I’m still hanging out for a cinnamon bun. Soon. Very soon! Oh, and I should mention the conference was lots of fun, although I’m very tired.

Oh, and Hatsept Heat is available for the Kindle! I’m so stoked! Also, the first two Vampire Council of Ethics books just appeared there. And they have this neat little ‘Free Sample’ thing where you can check out the book before you buy it. Now is that cool or what?

And now I’m hungry, but not sure what I want to eat, so I think this ‘What Food Are You’ quiz is perfect. I’m Sushi!

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you’re not always eaten raw.

Also, if you haven’t been to listen to the radio show I did with Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow, be sure to check it out. And if course I mentioned my girls, SHELLEY and LAUREN! Why? Cause they RAWK!

Got your attention? Well, if you own a Kindle reader and you’ve never read my books or you’ve wanted to try my Chase series and haven’t yet - here’s your chance to try me out for the grand total of FREEEEE! Giving Chase is the first in my Chase Brothers series - contemporary small town romance from Samhain.

Yes that’s right - from August 4 to 10th, readers can get a copy of GIVING CHASE for the kindle reader absolutely free at Amazon! Click the cover or the sentence above to go straight to the Amazon Kindle page.

Blurb: Some small towns grow really good looking men! This is the case with the four Chase brothers. The home grown hotties are on the wishlist of every single woman in town and Maggie Wright is no exception.

Maggie has finally had it with the men she’s been dating but a spilled plate of chili cheese fries drops Shane Chase right into her lap. The sheriff is hot stuff but was burned by a former fiance and is quite happy to play the field.

After Shane’s skittishness sends him out the door, Maggie realizes that Kyle Chase has had his eye on her from the start. Now that Shane has messed up, Kyle has no intention of letting anything stop him from wooing her right into his bed.

Despite Maggie’s happiness and growing love with Kyle, a dark shadow threatens everything. She’s got a stalker and he’s not happy at all. In the end, Maggie will need her wits, strength and the love of her man to get her out alive.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, and some violent situations.

I hope those of you who grab it let me know if you like it!

40,313 / 90,000 (44.8%)

OUTSHINED

I’m very happy with my progress! I hope to keep chipping away at that wordcount so the book is done by the end of August. We shall see.

In booktalk land - I read Patricia Briggs’ Cry Wolf this last week and I absolutely adored it. I think Patricia Briggs is one of the best world builders writing today and so I wasn’t surprised at all to discover just how much I loved Cry Wolf.

Some romance, some action, some suspense - all combined into a really quick, engrossing read.

Another winner from Briggs that has me excited to see what’s next for Charles and Anna. The little tidbit at the end of CW for the next Mercy book looks very good too.

And Emma Holly’s All You Can Eat now available in mass market. This was a solid 3 1/2 - 4 star read for me. Amusing, sexy, hot sex scenes. I think Personal Assets remains my favorite contemporary along with Velvet Glove and I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Jack’s “darker” sexual side but there’s something in All You Can Eat for just about all tastes!

OK, back to work for me!

I did spend some time talking about the release of Hatsept Heat (which came out on Tuesday. (To purchase, Visit Samhain Publishing ), but we spent more time cracking up and being bad than anything else. Geesh, no surprise there ;D

To listen to the show, click HERE –> BlogTalk Raven Radio.

Meanwhile, I’m at work sitting in a training class. I’ve been teaching all week and asked another staff member to come in and touch on a subject that she’s an expert at. So, I’m sitting here listening to her talk to my students while I write this blog. Class is over this afternoon - I have to give the students an exam first.

And when the day is over, I’m gonna count down to FRIDAY!!!!

I’ve been getting back to the next Vampire Council of Ethics story - it’s Alaina Bixler and Shale Krulm’s tale. But I just can’t think of a name for it. So, I’m just going to forget about it for now, and get on with the story. I’ve been jumping back and forth between working on the outline and actually writing. There’s this song by India.Arie called ‘Brown Skin’ that just makes me all hot and bothered. You can bet I’ll be listening to it as I write the steamy lovin’.

O, and in case you don’t remember, Shale Krulm almost got his butt kicked by Bix in Carinian’s Seeker when he spoke to Carin out of turn. But it’s years later and now…HE’S FREAKING HOT!!!

Talk later!

And don’t forget that HATSEPT HEAT came out on Tuesday! Woo!

TJ

To purchase, Visit Samhain Publishing

They chatted amicably but Kenoe didn’t miss the occasional frown whenever he let his guard down long enough for his anxiety, though slight, to creep down the bond. Bottom line—he had no desire to see the you’re-crazy-as-a-loon skepticism in her eyes when he told her what he was. God knew she wouldn’t believe him.

And he was less than enthusiastic about her reaction to the fact that he, Mr. Law Enforcement, as she called him, was investigating her closest relative for something that had nothing to do with honest vamps, and everything to do with Dr. Jekyll humans.

Not to mention the possibility of her flat-out rejecting him.

Ruthlessly squashing down all concern, he filled his mind with lighter thoughts. Actually just thinking on what a fabulous dinner she’d prepared for him, what a kind and considerate woman she was, a woman so sweet yet with an edge sharp enough to cut himself on. The perfect alpha. His perfect alpha.

And she’d prepared a dessert of strawberries covered with brown sugar syrup, laced with lemon zest. Oh yeah, she was a keeper. He only hoped she would feel the same when he told her…
When had she moved from her chair?

Shinju grinned and pushed his empty dishes off to the side. She held her hand out to him.

“What?”

“Up, handsome.”

Wondering what she was on about, he didn’t move but cocked his head to the side and waited instead.

“Naoru. Get. Up.” Her tone was stern, but not bitchy. He stood and allowed himself to be positioned to her liking. Mischief danced along their developing link and tickled the nerve endings at the base of his skull.

All of a piece, Shinju pushed her desires down the bond with such force they slammed into his brain and streaked clear down to his nuts. He reached to unbutton his shirt. A playful slap to his fingers caught him so off-guard, he froze for a second.

A snarled “mine” made it crystal clear that she was the only one getting to touch tonight. Or at least for the time being. Dropping his hands to his side, his spitfire female popped open each button slowly, deliberately, then peeled the garment off his shoulders. All the while she whispered what she wanted to do to him and let those wickedly talented fingers of hers run over the exposed skin, raising chill bumps along the way.

“God, Naoru, you’re so studly gorgeous.”

“Studly? Is that a typical Japanese word?”

“Remember I’m not a typical Japanese female. I’ve got a bit of sistah in me and I just have to let her out to play every now and then.” This was said as her fingernails scraped gently over the planes of his stomach and dipped into the hollows and ridges of his quaking abs. It made him tingle from the roots of his hair to his toes. Dayum!

“Amazing. I love your skin, so fair, smooth. Perfect. Like fresh cream. And that dusting of platinum silver hair on your chest. I missed that the last time I had you nearly naked. Is the hair around your cock the same beautiful shade?” she teased.

Holy shit! Kenoe balled his trembling hands into fists to keep from ripping her clothes off and taking her to the floor right then.

Instead, he said, “You’re being awfully naughty, but I’m all yours, lovely, so go ahead and find out.”

“I can’t wait to see what your fabulous cock looks like sliding into my pussy. I missed you so much. Dreamed about you each night until I was so hot and bothered. Kinda like I am now.”

“Shinju, you take too much longer to touch me and I’m going to have to do something about that. Sssss!” Her touch had moved down his chest, past his waist and down to the swelling ridge in his pants. Then she pushed him backwards until his ass hit the edge of the table.

In a blink the snap on his camo pants popped. He hissed at the sensual rasp of the fabric sliding down his thighs. When he stood there in his boxers, Shinju pushed against his chest again. Taking the hint, Kenoe hopped up on the table and waited.

With the sexiest, sauciest smile he’d ever seen on a woman, she commenced to stripping him down. First went his boots, followed by the pants that were down around his knees. Both joined his shirt in a pile on the floor.

“The staff?” he gasped when she stepped between his legs and pushed his knees apart.
“Sent them to bed after they served dessert.”

So she’d thought of everything, eh? He hoped so, because he had an urge to crawl underneath her skin and didn’t think he’d survive an interruption tonight.

The tip of his rigid cock poked out from underneath the waistband of his shorts, hard against his navel. Leaning over him, she ignored the glistening head and shaped her mouth over the silk-covered pipe of his rod, breathing in and out through her mouth. His flesh warmed and cooled underneath the fabric.

“Oooh, Shin. Yeah, baby. That’s good.” And it got even better when a waft of cool air caressed his flaming flesh. She’d eased down his silkies and proceeded to give a full lick from the base of his rod to the tip without quite touching the sensitive glans.

Kenoe found himself coaxed off the table and maneuvered into one of the high-backed dining chairs completely naked. And his woman was fully clothed, with the exception of the pair of flats she’d toed off and kicked under the table. How the hell had she pulled that off? The thought only lasted a second as Shinju revealed the ace up her sleeve. Shinju raised her little skirt inch by inch. God, her skin seemed to go on forever. When the clothing reached the vee of her thighs, he sucked in a wild breath at the sight—no underwear—just miles of luscious caramel…including a waxed mound. The puffy lips of her sex glistened with her own juices, holding his attention. Then she pounced.

One second she was preening her commando, underwear-less backside, the next she was straddling him in the chair to plunge her hot channel down over his stiff and ready cock in one stroke.

He yelled.

So how about an excerpt?

UNDERCOVER BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2008, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Penguin Group US
Releasing December 2

People scurried out of the way, keeping their eyes down as Sera Ayers stalked into the squat gray building on the outskirts of the city. Single-mindedly, she made her way through the myriad of nondescript hallways at the Federation United Forces. Anger coursed through her as she walked, her boots sounding a muffled thud, thud, thud on the laminate floors.

Halting at the sub-commander’s door, she slammed a fist into it several times. Her hand hurt but she felt a bit better for the small violence of it.

“Enter!”

She opened the door and went inside. Noting little more than the fact that two men were seated before Commander Yager’s desk, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Whoa! What’s so damned important that you nearly knocked my fucking door down?” Sub-Commander Yager bellowed before she could say anything.

“I just got your summons. You’ve reassigned me! That’s my problem! I’m the best you have out there. My team is good, damn it!” She shoved a hand through her hair, not caring that she probably looked like a curly porcupine.

“Sera,” Yager sighed, gesturing to the men in the chairs, “you have a new team. This is Commander Ash Walker and Para-Commander Brandt Pela.”

At the mention of the names, a roar of white noise filled her ears. In what felt like slow motion, Sera turned and looked into the face of a man she knew all too well many years before. “Ash.”

The palest blue eyes she’d ever seen gazed up at her. Eyes she’d given herself to as he was above her and below her. Eyes that had held her down as he’d bound and collared her to his will. Eyes that had haunted her for the last ten years.

It all crashed down on her, the world began to close in and she fought with iron will to hold back the impending breakdown. She fisted her hands to stop them from trembling.

“Sera, you’re looking well.” Ash smiled, his posture relaxed as if she’d been an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. It appeared he wasn’t affected at all by her presence. Prick.

“Ash?” Sera said sweetly.

He cocked his head. “Yes?”

“Fuck you,” she snarled, landing a solid right hook to his jaw.

It’s my nephew’s birthday today, and I spent the morning making cupcakes and updating my website. I have release dates for two Ellora’s Cave releases. Fringe Benefit will come out on 14 November and Cat Burglar is out on 31 December. That takes my total releases for the year to ten. Hard to believe I’ve done all these books, but I have worked hard this year. I’m ready for a six-week break.

There are blurbs and excerpts up for the two new books. Just follow the links from the coming soon page. I’ve also put up new articles- one for readers and one for writers. They’re under the extras tab.

I have several guest bloggers coming during August so don’t forget to pop over to my blog. Lorelei James, Nina Pierce, Josh Lanyon, JK Coi, Nancy Anderson and Laura Baumbach are all coming to visit while I’m away. If everything goes well I also hope to post some photos and a few snippets about our trip. You’ll be able to see what I’m up to over in the USA.

I’m off to do a final few things. Be good!

In HATSEPT HEAT, Vampire Council of Ethics Book 3 (coming this Tuesday, July 29th, by the way) our heroine happens to be a culinary whiz who keeps one of our favorite vampires in dessert heaven (and that’s both in and out of bed – woohoo!). Well, it got me to thinking about some of my own culinary experiences.

As most of you know, both my daughter and I are total geniuses in the kitchen. My speciality is…actually that’s hard ‘cause I’m pretty good at cooking just about anything. My daughter’s specialty is baking and Japanese food.

But I’m still at a total loss. I’m not the Dessert Diva or anything but this is beyond believable. SOMEONE ACTUALLY SCREWED UP BANANA PUDDING! How do you possibly mess up something so wonderfully delicious and simple as banana pudding?

Yes, people, it has happened to me. I went to a potluck and one of the dishes I looked forward to after the typical spaghetti, stringbean casserole and chili (you know, typical potluck food) was, you guessed it, the banana pudding.

Basically, you just take some vanilla pudding and layer it in a casserole dish with vanilla wafers, or savory ginger snaps if you’re so inclined. Top it off with some whipped cream and toss it in the fridge to chill. Tadaaa! Banana pudding at it’s finest.

So, I can’t figure out how this particular batch tasted like burned tires on a hot summer day layered over some freshly tarred blacktop. Gack! I won’t say who made it ‘cause if she reads this blog, she’ll kill me, especially since she thinks it tasted more like melted crayons with a bit of vanilla stirred in and she’ll be upset that I used my own analogy.

Then, there was the girl’s night out I held at my house one evening. A bowl of potato salad showed up…and it tasted like steamed cabbage without the steamed bit. Now, uh, since the only ingredients in potato salad is potatoes, spices and a bit of mayo, where the heck did the cabbage thing come from since there was no cabbage in it?

So, have you ever encountered a dish that you believed was impossible to get wrong? More nosily (I just can’t help it, I’ve gotta know ;D) have you personally done a dish that you knew how to really prepare well…only to have it come out like you’d made it in someone elses kitchen with a blindfold on?

I’ve gotta have feedback on this one! And feel free to provide recipes ;D

TJ

In the mean time I’m reading Judith Ivory’s The Proposition and really liking it.

I’m hitting a good spot in Outshined and really liking my characters a lot. Erin (used to be Grace) is revealing herself to me and I’m getting to know Todd better too. It’s a contemporary so the worldbuilding aspect I had with Relentless isn’t there. It’s a different sort of writing experience and I’m glad to switch it up a bit.

Oh, Fated has been pushed up a week for release to August 19 from the 12th. Not a big deal but I just thought I’d say so. I’ve adjusted my book page here to reflect that.

That’s about it really. I’m working this weekend, writing writing writing and doing some crit for Megan’s Spice book, Switch (wheee! neeener neener!)