The romance community is rallying around one of our own, L.A. Banks (Leslie Esdaile), author of the Vampire Huntress and Crimson Moon series, to name a few.

Leslie is batlling late stage adrenal cancer and her medical costs are escalating.

To help, folks have created an auction to raise funds and you can click on the button to the right of this post, or use this link - L.A.Banks Auction
 
The auction begins tomorrow, June 21st, and ends on July 1st.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of support and some fabulous items are available. Please consider participating.

The afternoon sun peeked around the edges of buildings and burnished every excited face with gold. Voices carried on the evening air, excitement and happiness evident even if the words were incomprehensible at this distance. The rhythmic pounding and clattering could only be enterprising boys drumming on plastic buckets to entertain the crowd. My husband and I strolled up to the Richmond Coliseum and I twined my fingers through his. This was my birthday present, three months and seven days late, but I didn't feel a bit of disappointment. I knew it was going to be worth every bit of the delay—I was going to see Josh Groban in concert!
 

Joe bought tickets as soon as they came available and asked the Ticketmaster person to get us the best seats he could. We were on the floor to the right side and a little past halfway back. I was delighted. Floor seats! When the usher showed us to our chairs, not only were we on the floor but we had the two central aisle seats on our row. A black curtained area took space behind and to our left, in the middle back of the floor area. It was only after the ladies in the center section to our left turned their seats to face the rear of the Coliseum that I gave the area a serious look.

A shiny upright piano, a stool, and several mics held price of place within the square and it dawned on me. We had "front row" seats for at least one part of the concert. Josh Groban would be singing and playing piano no more than ten feet from my seat!

In truth, he opened the concert by trotting in from the rear of the coliseum and up a set of steps to the small floor stage which was lifted to a height of about four feet to give better visibility! He sang and I could hear his voice, rich and dulcet, even before it passed into the microphone. And yeah, this is what it was like:
 

And when he finally left the small stage to make his way—through the crowd on the floor—he walked right past my chair and I got to exchange a "low five" (or whatever it would be called) as he passed.

YES! I got to touch Josh Groban! Not once but twice since he performed on the small raised stage a second time later in the concert. It was beyond my wildest, most optimistic anticipation.

He sang a mixture of music from his newest and older CD's, the songs rolled out of his mouth and soared over us. His range was every bit as marvelous as it is on the CD's and his control matched the training I'd heard he'd received. Here's one of the newest song videos on his youtube:  www.youtube.com/user/joshgroban

His enthusiasm for his music, for his audience, and for his crew gathered us all. His banter with the audience, his little stories about his life and his music created an intimacy I hadn't anticipated in such an enormous venue.

He came down onto the floor to sing Happy Birthday to a girl who was turning 18 last night. He had a couple who had just gotten engaged yesterday come up on stage and sang for them, a very romantic, though oddly chosen song about a broken relationship. He complimented our city and us, the "polite" audience, an audience who didn't crowd him too closely when he came down on the floor.

The stage was lovely, the light show amazing. "Machine" included a choreographed "dance" of the overhead stage lighting units, all burnished gun-metal grey, pivoting and tumbling to the chorus. I know I had my mouth open every time they were illuminated. The projections on the back wall and "broken" arch that extended diagonally over the stage accompanied the music to perfection. His crew of musicians performed with an elegance and enthusiasm that matched him note for note.

When it was over, I couldn't believe it'd had been two hours. While he didn't sing some of the songs I'd hope for, I couldn't have selected any better replacements than the ones he gave us. When Joe and I walked out of the Coliseum into the softening darkness of evening, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.

Thank you to my darling man and thank you, Josh Groban!

The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog is running a Flash Fiction challenge and provided us with the photo prompt below. I jumped in with both feet so to speak! Writing this short and tight is a new process for me and I wonder how close I got?

Currently Untitled:

We stood silent, everything said, nothing left. Birdsong and summer cicadas’ chirring filled the emptiness stretching between us. I wondered how they managed to survive the sinking, sucking draw of that chasm. I leaned backward just a little, away from him, as if I might fall forward and disappear.

He looked at me, his summer-streaked hair glinting gold in the sunlight. My fingers itched for one last chance to touch, to stroke. His eyes darkened with emotions echoed inside me, emotions I could not afford to show if I was going to get through this.

“So that’s it?” he asked.

Unable to watch the shifting tides of his gaze, I fiddled with the flag on the mailbox, wondering how many curious eyes watched us from curtained windows or between fence slats. Folks watching to see what “that girl” was doing talking to Danny Cameron—again. Wondering how he could see anything in Sarah Broome’s daughter, result of the town scandal of a generation ago.

I shoved the thoughts away. “Uh, yeah. That’s it.”

My own stark words cut me and I looked at him, begging with my eyes for him to understand, but knowing he couldn’t, wouldn’t. The metal edges of the flag stung my palm, kept me focused.

“I thought you were braver than this,” he muttered. “You always seemed so fearless, but here you are, caving to them.”

Stung, my honor--what was left of it--called into question, I lifted my chin. “I’m not caving to them. I’m making a choice.” I swallowed fast around the quaver I couldn’t afford, couldn’t give him.

Light brown brows drew down and pushed together over those dark eyes. “Looks like it to me.” He drew a breath and let it out, his expression softening. “Don’t do this. This is worth more than that. Than this.”

I couldn’t let him see how much I wanted to believe, how much I longed to take back the words, leap that chasm filled by class, wealth, status. I shook my head, lips pressed tight over words better left unsaid.

He shoved his hand in his pockets, trying for a nonchalant look. “Well, guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

I straightened and dropped my hand, sliding my other hand around my back to lock around the elbow. “Hope you have a good summer, Danny.”

“You too.”

I turned and walked away, my bare feet burning on the summer heated asphalt. A fire-walk penance for things beyond my control—for being too young, for not being born to the right family, for having no barriers against a pair of dark brown eyes above a crooked smile.

#

I welcome comments and title suggestions. Thanks.

Poor February. The shortest month of the year. Must be hard in the annual line-up to have to stand on tip toe and crane your neck to be seen. Of course, having Cupid fluttering around your head with his bow and arrow may not be all it's cracked up to be.

For myself, the month simply evaporated around me.

I did get some work done on my WIP's, managed to hold up my end on my critique groups, and did not freak out (too much) when my PC took a temporary leave of its senses.  Thankfully, the IT guys at edgeWorks got me back up and running in record time.

My computer issues actually gave me a good reason to try and chip away at my backlog of books "to be read." Most noteworthy is that I've almost caught up with Laura Anne Gilman's Retrievers series. Wren Valere is a Retriever, a thief, who specializes in "retrieving" items for her clients. In Laura's alternative world, magic called "current" equates (almost) to electricity, the folks who can work with current are called Talents, and the Fae live among us. Wren's ability to move through her world like a ghost has been her strong suit and with her partner, Sergei Didier, she makes a very good living. However, Wren's life has been growing more and more complicated, hauling, her, kicking and screaming into the limelight.  When my computer fritzed out without warning, I picked up the last 3 books in the series to date and have devoured them in rapid order.  Book 4, burning bridges, began to crank up the pressure, but Book 5, free fall, had me on the edge of my seat as Wren faced the ultimate enemy--herself--and learned about the importance of a support system. I'm midway through Book 6, Blood from Stone, and loving every minute.

Laura has also introduced a new series in the same world surrounding a secondary character from the Retrievers series--Bonnie Torres.  In this new series, Paranormal Scene Investigations, CSI turns paranormal with Talents learning to use their skills in a purely technical manner to help solve crimes. I actually bought the first two books of the series as ebooks on my Nook and then spun through Hard Magic, the first book, and the second book, Pack of Lies, like one of the storms that recently ripped through my area. I'm drumming my fingers waiting for the next book in the series.

New Year/Same Plan - write, Write, WRITE


Write another novella in The Festival of The Flowers series. I've been banging away at two stories, but it feels like I'm trying to force square pegs into round holes. They just won't gel for me. So, I think I'm going to stuff them both back into the cupboard and whip up something new. Still too early to reveal any details, but I'm hopeful that I ger something started this week-end.

Write short stories. I've been eyeing the short story market and seeing several interesting avenues to pursue. Writing short is hard and takes a level of skill that I'm not entirely sure I've mastered, but that's what it's all about, isn't? Mastering the craft?

Write a Random Bay story/novella. I want to return to that unique and mysterious fishing village by the Halderon Sea where selkies play in the waves, mermaids lurk in the depths, and sylphs dance in the off shore breezes. What interesting characters wander the windswept coastline under the light of a full moon?

So, I've got my work cut out for me. Ambitious much? Not exactly, just determined to do justice to this thing I call my writing life.
 

Goodbye 2010 and thanks for the memories!

Topmost was the realization of a lifelong dream - The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and The Scholar was published September 2010 by The Wild Rose Press.

The RWA National Conference in Orlando, Florida, was a fantastic experience and we got to see Disney World!

Sprinting became a serious part of my writing program thanks to a rotating group of ladies that include Lexi, Amanda, Norma, Angela, Pam, and Kelly, to name a few.

Being a first-time coordinator for the VRW Holt Medallion Contest opened my eyes to the diversity and productivity of my fellow romance writers.

James River Writers and JRW's Writers Wednesday kept me out there, mixing and mingling.

Virginia Romance Writers has been the heart in my romance writing career.

The challenges and thrills of promotion of THE FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS gave me the opportunity to participate in the Virginia Voice Fundraiser, speak at the Chesterfield Writers Workshop, and do several guest blogs/interviews.


Unlimited and heartfelt thanks to the talented folks in the three critique groups I harass--Rich Writers, Writers Endeavor, Roses Critique Group. They continue to help me sharpen my prose, tighten my dialogue, and motivate my muse!

Yep, 2010 was a wonderful year and I hope I can keep the good mojo moving into 2011.

I'm delighted to interview Gale Stanley on my blog today talking about her newest release, Mating Call, and her upcoming release, Silent Knight.  So, let's get started.

Denise - Congratulations on your newest release from Siren-Bookstrand - Mating Call.  Can you tell us a little about it?

Gale - MATING CALL is Book 2 in the Black Wolf Gorge series. It’s an erotic paranormal ménage a trois Romance. The heroine is a she-wolf living in the wild. She’s captured by two brothers who plan to study and breed her. But then feelings and emotions come into play and everything changes. The book was released by Siren on October 4^th and I’m thrilled it’s now # 6 on their top twenty.

Denise - That's absolutely awesome, Gale!  Congratulations.  So, how did the characters come to you?  Fully formed or sculpted as the story progressed (and I don' just mean those abs)?

Gale - I have to say this one came easy. The first book in the series took me three years to write. But during that time I was already forming a plot for book 2 in my head. Some of the characters in book 1 return and the new characters just fell into line.

Denise - This is the second book in the series, right?  How did this series evolve for you?  Do you have a third book plotted or begun?

Gale - Book 3 is submitted but I haven’t heard anything yet. I have my fingers crossed.

Denise - So let's have a little excerpt from Mating Call, shall we?

What right did this man have to take her from her home? She snarled to let him know he couldn't hold her forever.

A frown creased his face. He held a bat in one hand, and he lifted it in a threatening manner. "Don't give me an excuse to use this."

She curled her lips, displaying wicked incisors, and her hackles stood erect. Stupid, stupid man. She willed him to come closer. She'd slit him open and eat his entrails while he watched.

"Let me handle this." Another figure stepped forward.

She growled her displeasure. Two against one. If she wasn't restrained, she'd kill them both.

"Take it easy." He spoke in soothing tones. "I won't hurt you."

Bullshit. His Mr. Nice Guy act didn't fool her for a minute. He was human and not to be trusted.

He came closer but not so close that she could reach him.

Her eyes narrowed to slits.

"You must be hungry and thirsty." He smiled to let her know he was on her side. "Jude. Get some water."

The other man disappeared outside and came back with a bucket.

She licked her dry lips and wondered what she'd have to do for a drink. They played a dangerous game with her. If only she could get close, she'd claw that grin off his mouth. For now, she'd play along, learn what she could, and plan her escape.

Jude pushed the pail toward her with his bat.

She lapped thirstily until she drank her fill then sat back and watched them warily.

"I know you're hungry. Shift, and I'll get you whatever you want."

Shock made her hackles rise. They couldn't know. She'd been too careful to hide her existence.

"Don't play dumb," the surly one called Jude said, grunting at her. "I've already had the pleasure of seeing your other body."

She wanted to howl in frustration. How long had she been watched? She played dumb and sat as still as the wood sculptures her father used to carve.

"So you're only a wolf. I might as well kill you then." Jude pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her head.

Her heart stuttered like a jackhammer, but she held her ground.

He cocked the trigger, and fear turned her blood ice-cold.

She contemplated her options. She had none. Her enemy had the home advantage. She considered shifting.

Jude turned to his friend. "What do you want me to do?"          

"Are you sure about this, Jude?"

"I know what I saw. I'm not crazy."

"Put the gun away." He stared at her pensively. "As far as I'm concerned, the only good wolf is a dead one. If you're what my brother says you are, then you're of some use to me. If not..." He let the words trail off, his meaning clear. "Think about it. When I come back, we'll talk. Or not." They turned and walked out. The heavy door slammed shut, and the ominous warning hung in the air.

SirenBookstrand October 4 2010
MATING CALL is available at:
http://www.bookstrand.com/mating-call

Denise - Whew!  I hear wolves howling in the background.  Wonderful!  So, changing gears, what can you tell us about your next release - Silent Knights?

Gale - October 4^th is release day and I’m very excited about this one. It’s my first M/M erotic romance and I love the characters. Reese Dante did a fabulous cover and having yummy cover model Jimmy Thomas on it doesn’t hurt either.

Denise - Very nice cover indeed!  Jimmy Thomas makes plaid look yummy!

Denise - Now, bringing it back to you, what brought you to writing?

Gale - I was always a bookworm. I cut my teeth on Mickey Spillane novels and True Confessions Magazine, which probably inspired my love of romance. From there it was a short hop to writing my own stories. Unfortunately, real life got in the way and I ended up working as a surveyor and CAD manager.  Eventually I started reviewing for RT Book Reviews magazine and writing short stories for the Cup of Comfort Anthologies.

Denise - What do you read for pleasure?

Gale - I love romance in any form, sci-fi, paranormal, historical…But I also like horror, psychological thrillers, mysteries…What can I say? I read everything. It probably comes from doing book reviews for so many years and being exposed to so many genres.

Denise - You've certainly got a lot of irons in the fire and I wondered if you could you outline for us your writing process.  Do you have a daily word goal?  Do you plot or pants?

Gale - I’m a total pantser. If I try to outline anything I get writer’s block. I usually have the characters and a vague story idea in mind and I just run with it. The characters push me in the right direction.

Denise - Any advice you'd like to share with aspiring writers?

Gale - Stephen King’s “On Writing” is my favorite book on the craft. In it he says: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot."

It’s the best advice I’ve ever heard.

Thanks so much for having me, Denise. I enjoyed being here and I want to thank the readers for their support. I appreciate you all and I’d love to hear from you.

I'm delighted to have my first ever Guest Blog - Sapphire Phelan.

Sapphire a multi-published author and a long-time friend.  Writing, promoting, speaking, she does it all and is the first to offer suggestions and help to others on the writing path.  So, sit back and give a listen to what she has to say about her newest venture, Just Another Paranormal Halloween.  Oh, and don't miss the contest at the end!

Take it away, Sapphire!

Halloween is fast approaching. Ghouls, goblins, ghosts and witches are prevalent in our minds. Though great all year round, this is when reading paranormals books about vampires and werewolves are the coolest. And if a bit of romance and sex are added into those tales, well why not?

That’s what Just Another Paranormal Halloween anthology is all about. Romance and sex, with vampires, ghosts, zombies and other paranormal beings added to spice it all up. Each of the eight tales is set during Halloween--that time of year when the veil between the mortal world and the paranormal is the thinnest.

At the castle it's never Just Another Paranormal Halloween...

Stories and Authors:

The Man in the Long Black Coat by Susan Gabriel  

A-Mazing Grace by D. McEntire  

The Tiger's Masquerade by Savana Kougar 

A Pixie Holiday by Brigit Aine 

His Girl by Sapphire Phelan  

Samhain's Visitor by Kiki Howell
Darkest Knight by Ashley Blade  

Love, Lies & Zombie Cries by K.A. M'Lady

For His Girl by Sapphire Phelan -

My Girl was more than just a song for Evan McPhail and Aimee Saunders; it was the music of their love and passion for each other. For nothing could tear them apart, not even death.

Then Aimee vanished.  

She returns to Evan thirty years later, no longer human. To the tempo of their passion, they prove that doesn't matter.  

Excerpt from His Girl:

“Hello.”

A woman’s hand touched his left shoulder with a soft caress as the whispered greeting startled him. He turned to send her away, but blinked instead. Deep blue ones as familiar to him as his own were stared down at him. For a moment, he thought the ghost of his memories had become flesh, but the solid touch of her hand on his shoulder told him otherwise.

“Am I going mad?”

He didn’t move when she leaned over to press a soft kiss on his lips. The kiss felt so real—so recognizable. Déjà vu washed over him as the subtle perfume threatened to pull him back into the past. The woman smiled as she straightened. Laughter glittered in her eyes, making them more luminous. She was so like Aimee that it hurt to look at her. But it couldn’t be her. If she was alive, she’d aged by now.

“No, Sweet Thing, you’re not crazy. It’s really me. Your girl.”

Evan stumbled out of the booth and knocked over the glass, the beer spilling into a puddle on the table top. Breathing hard, he stared at the star of his dreams for the last thirty years, unchanged, and still looking eighteen.

Impossible, everyone ages. Am I going over the edge finally?

The light from the candle lent a glow to her features. Whereas her skin was suntanned, now it was pale and translucent. An aura of unnaturalness surrounded her like a hooded cloak, replacing that vivacity that had haunted him all these years. Oh, it was Aimee. He didn’t doubt it, as her familiar scent still teased him. Something about her had changed, and it went beyond the fact that she hadn’t aged a day since he’d last seen her. Shaking off the eerie sensation, it came to him what was different. She no longer looked . . . well, human. The sensuality and innocence was still there, but something else intertwined with it. Still, it was Aimee, his girl, his love, in everything that mattered.

BUY LINK: http://www.mojocastle.com/ParaHalloween.html
 

SO HERE'S THE CONTEST:  In honor of my vampire paranormal romance story, “His Girl,” I am giving away my first vampire paranormal I published, “Crimson Promise,” published by Phaze Books (http://Phaze.com ).  Besides a paranormal short story, it is also a science fiction, since set on another planet in the future. To be entered to win this download, all you have to do is leave a comment about what was the first novel or short story you read about vampires, plus your email, too (so I can send the winner their prize). You have from October 11^th through 14^th to leave your answer. On the 15^th, I will choose the winner and post it on Denise’s blog who won, plus contact the winner, too.

Blurb for Crimson Promise:

Victor, an undead vampire, has fled to another planet in the future to survive, for the Earth is now poison to his kind. Na'lesa has been alive for eons, the last of her race--drastically changed--now she lives a life as a living vampire.

One night they both run into each other over some prey. Two lonely people: they find love, sex, and blood, and not necessarily in that order.

Sapphire Phelan
http://www.SapphirePhelan.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SapphirePhelansParanormalNewsletter
http://SapphirePhelansPassionCorner.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/SapphirePhelan

If on FaceBook, become my fan there at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sapphire-Phelan/324399690647