Snapshot Monday: Cruising the Rhine

Edited to Add: I'm also over at The Oddshots today :)


Here are some photos from a trip I took down the Rhine.

First up, a couple of the many castles you can see along the river.


I took most of these photos as it was heading into the late afternoon, so there was this really lovely warm sunlight over everything.


The next shot is of a train passing below the vineyard-covered hills.

I couldn't resist taking a shot of these grape shaped lights at the funky little restaurant we went for dinner.

And one more shot inside the restaurant for fun.

I'm not much of a wine drinker, but the ice-wine I tasted there was divine. It's a very sweet dessert wine made in the region.

Hope you're all enjoying the photos! More next week :-)

Friday Book Club

It's book club time! What're you reading and enjoying this week?

I'm really looking forward to starting Nora Roberts' Black Hills this weekend.

Website

I'm putting together website updates this week, so if you've noticed something on the site that's out of date, please leave a comment and I'll get it fixed up.

So, confess - who's started doing their Xmas shopping already?

Busyness

Winner: The random winner of the copy of Must Love Hellhounds is pattepoilue. An email is on the way to you. Congrats!

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I'm rushing around doing errands today, but it's struck me that it's only about two weeks until the release of BLAZE OF MEMORY! I can't wait to see what you all think of Dev and Katya's story. Some wonderful advance reviews have already come in - including a Top Pick from Romantic Times, and a 5 ribbon review from Romance Junkies!

To celebrate, I have something for you - a copy of Must Love Hellhounds :-)

To go into the draw, just leave a comment about whatever your heart desires by midday tomorrow, NZ time. (Also, please make sure there's some way for me to contact you if you win).

NZ/Aus Authors: Erica Hayes - Shadowfae

We're continuing the series of guest posts by authors from my part of the world today. Please welcome Erica Hayes to the blog everyone!

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Hi everyone, and big thanks to Nalini for inviting me on her blog. I attended Nalini's workshop on paranormal romance at RWNZ this year, asking all the silly questions like, "Is it okay if I kill my characters off after they've had their HEA?"

Wise woman Nalini assured me the answer was "Are you CRAZY? No way. Never. Not in a million years." Good advice, eh?

As a debut urban fantasy/romance author, I'm often asked: which idea came first, the characters or the world? In my case, it was the characters.

The first spark of an idea that eventually became SHADOWFAE came to me one night when I was faffing about on the internet (as you do) hunting for a cool paranormal creature to star in my newest steamy story. I was clicking through Monstropedia (what a fabulous time-waster… umm, I mean research site!) and I came across the entry for succubus: a female demon who seduces men and feeds off their energy when they have sex.

Awesome! I thought. A girl who eats souls. That's my heroine. But what if a succubus climbed in the window at midnight to steal a man's soul—and found him already dead? Who killed him, and why? Why did she want his soul in the first place? What if the killer's still there?

And though the story went through a dozen iterations since then, that's still what happens in the first few pages of SHADOWFAE. Jade, my heroine, is out on yet another sordid soul-drinking mission for her demon lord—gosh, don't get me started about the demon lord—and finds her potential victim already drained of his soul. And the killer is indeed still there: Rajah, a 400-year-old incubus with his own mysterious agenda.

But now I needed a world for Jade and Rajah to play in. Somewhere their nefarious deeds would go not only unpunished, but virtually unnoticed. A place where getting your soul sucked out was an occupational hazard. A city where demons rule, and succubi are paranormal assassins. Warring vampire gangs own the streets. Fairies on the train, trolls in the coffee shop, angels and imps fighting in the gutters.

Add a shimmer of toxic fae glamour, so that we ordinary helpless humans can't see any of it, and the Shadowfae world was born. If you don't watch out, you'll lose your soul.

Which brings me back to my demon lord, Kane. Hello, sultry black-eyed blond :) Kane is my favourite secondary character, and he features in all three Shadowfae books I've written so far. His fight for control of his territory—and the souls that dwell there—has become the background theme of my series. The stories each feature a different hero/heroine, and Kane's the one jumping up and down in the wings, demanding his own book one day. He's a very persuasive man. He is a demon, after all…

So tell me: who's your favourite secondary character from a romance or UF series? Who would you like to get their own book one day? Me, I'm hanging out for a book about Riley Jenson's brother Rhoan and his BF from Keri Arthur's series ;)

Blaze of Memory Spoiler Thread

This is the thread where you can freely discuss BLAZE OF MEMORY and the previous books in the Psy/Changeling series. *SPOILERS* allowed, so if you haven't read Blaze yet, click away! This link will take you back to the main blog.

So, if you're sure this is where you want to be....let the discussion begin!

Also, if you're looking for the Caressed By Ice Spoiler thread, Mine to Possess Spoiler thread, Hostage to Pleasure Spoiler thread, and the Branded By Fire Spoiler thread, follow the links.

For those of you who aren't bloggers, you can still comment - just choose the Anonymous option and sign off the comment with your name if you'd like folks to know who you are.

NB: This thread is for readers, so if you have a question specifically for me, email me at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com.

Snapshot Monday: Singapore & Germany

Updated to Add: Travel Memories post up at Oddshots as well! Involves nudity. Now you're interested aren't you? ;-)

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Woohoo, Monday - time to share some of my bazillion travel snapshots!

First up, here's a shot of this cool decoration/arrangement that they had at Singapore's Changi Airport. While taking the photo, I had a conversation with several Japanese schoolgirls who were on their way to New Zealand for a school trip - when I was studying Japanese, I never thought I'd be using it around the world!


This next shot is of the castle in Heidelberg, Germany. (Where, funnily enough, I also ended up using my Japanese with this really nice couple.) The castle is in ruins, but parts of it are still very well preserved - if you click on the photo, it'll enlarge it so you can see some of the statues along the wall better.


Looking up from the Heidelberg town, to the castle. (Imagine having a view of a castle from your back window!)


And isn't this chair so amazing? I saw it in Heidelberg Square and had to take a picture.

Hope you all enjoyed the photos! More next Monday :-)

Happy Diwali

Today is Diwali, the Festival of Lights. I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with light and joy! :-)

Friday Book Club

I'm back home via a couple of days in Hong Kong! I have so many pictures and so many cool facts to share that I've decided to inflict a few on you all every Snapshot Monday for a little while.

I did tons of reading while I was gone, including several books I've been saving up to read like Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle, Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs and Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James. All three were fantastic!

Now, your turn - what are your reading recs this week?

p.s. My in-box is overflowing, so apologies in advance for any late replies!

Demon Forged - Meljean Brook

Today, I visited the house that was used to depict Pemberley in the most recent Pride and Prejudice movie. Gorgeous, of course! But it was the grounds that absolutely took my breath away. They went on for miles, with lakes and sculptures and rock gardens...

More to come on that, but in thist post I want to talk about a fantastic book that's just been released!

Demon Forged is amazing. If you haven't read Meljean's Guardians, you're missing out! I think this book can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll enjoy it more if you've read the others in the series.

Lots of info and excerpts, including a primer on the series, on Meljean's site.

Here's the blurb for Demon Forged

Four centuries ago, Irena and Alejandro would have succumbed to the need smoldering between them — if a demon and a monstrous bargain hadn’t shattered the possibility of love. Torn apart by shame, Irena avoided Alejandro for centuries — until a vampire’s call for help throws her into his arms again.

Alejandro can control fire, but he’s never been able to control — or quench — the flames between him and Irena. And he knows Irena, hardened by her hatred for demonkind, will never accept that he now works at a demon’s behest. But even as he fights for a second chance, a shocking betrayal and a deadly prophecy shake the foundations of the Guardian universe, and all Hell threatens to break loose…

You'll love it. Trust me.

Book Tour: Deep Kiss of Winter - Gena Showalter & Kresley Cole

Breaking News: I have been in the U.K. for almost a month, and today was the first day I really encountered rain! Little riddle for you - a few hours ago, I had one foot in the East, one in the West. Where was I?

And, I've got a book tour for you from the fabulously talented Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. Check out the details below!

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DEEP KISS OF WINTER

Passion begins with a deep kiss…but who knows where it will end?

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole delivers the next seductive installment in the Immortals After Dark series: a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time and an ice queen aching to be touched.

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter delights with her newest Alien Huntress tale, a soul-shattering story of an iron-fisted warlord hungry for pleasure, and the one woman who would deny him…

Pick up your copy at Amazon

Or at Barnes and Noble

Or, preorder for a copy signed by both Cole and Showalter

Gena and Kresley have excerpts up on their websites, so follow the links at the top of the post to read.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Coffee in London on Sunday

I've had folks RSVP to the informal coffee this Sunday in London, but in case anyone else would like to come, here's the info. I'm happy to sign books, so feel free to bring them along.

Time: 11 a.m. Sunday 4th October
Location: Hammersmith Broadway Starbucks (near McDonalds) - where you catch District & Picadilly lines.

See some of you this Sunday!

Ilona Andrews - On the Edge

A quick detour from the travel updates.

I've read On The Edge and it's fantastic. It's out now, so check it out!

High-Tech Dispatch

This post comes to you courtesy of the wi-fi aboard the ferry currently traveling from Ireland to a port in Wales.

Ireland was gorgeous - I saw some amazing scenery, met some wonderful people, and had a taste of Irish culture (including a visit up to Blarney Castle).

The photos from Ireland are still in the camera, but here's a shot from Scotland - the stunning Eileen Donan Castle.

Mega Book Club!

This post is sticky. Scroll down for newer posts.

I've put on my traveling shoes and am off to see a little bit more of the world!

I'm hoping to post while I travel, but since my Internet access is likely to be sporadic over the coming weeks, I thought I'd pin a mega book club post to the top of the blog - just like Friday Book Club, except bigger and with even more books to add to your tbr pile ;-)

It's all about sharing the book love, so I hope you'll all have fun talking about the books you're enjoying at the moment. I'm hoping to make a dent in my own to-be-read pile during my trip, so I should have some recs for you when I return!

Luck of the Irish to you!

I've landed in Ireland - spent yesterday exploring Dublin until my feet ached. We came across a cathedral where they were filming The Tudors! I haven't downloaded the photos of the actors in costume yet, but I'll be sure to post them once I do - the velvet and gold looked very sumptuous.

Today, I'm a little way out of the city, and looking forward to going deeper into the country tomorrow.

Hope you're all having a fabulous week!

Highland Fling

I've just come down from the Scottish Highlands - and all I can say is that I'm in love with Scotland. I took hundreds of photos. Here's one!

p.s. My internet time is currently limited, so I'm severely behind on emails. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up soon!

Bonny Scotland

I'm currently in Edinburgh. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous day - bright sunshine, absolutely stunning. Today, we went and saw Rosslyn Chapel (Da Vinci Code) - what a fascinating building. I took lots of pictures, so I'll be posting them later.

For those of you who asked about meeting in London, I'm thinking of just an informal coffee get-together on Sunday the 4th of October. Drop me an email at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com if you're interested.

As promised - some photos from Germany!

This first one is of the greenhouses in the Palmengarten.

This is in Heidelberg, a pretty town with cobbled streets and a lovely atmosphere.


Cafe in Heidelberg - the image just struck me as very European :-)


Hope you're all having a great week!

Hellhounds & Auf Wiedersehen Germany

First, some super duper good news - MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS hit the New York Times short list!! Thank you everyone :-)

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I've just had two fantastic days in Frankfurt!

The day I arrived, I spent with (the absolutely wonderful) Cora, who occasionally posts on this blog. (Hi Cora!) We walked our feet to exhaustion exploring Frankfurt, and ended up at the gorgeous Palmengarten - pictures to come once I get a chance to resize them for easy loading.

We had so much fun and I could've gone on chatting with Cora for ages about books, but jet lag hit me like a runaway train and sent me to bed at 7pm. Next time, Cora, we'll go dancing at midnight ;-)

Yesterday, I went to Heidelberg and saw an amazing castle. So old I could feel the weight of history all around me. The little town at the foot of the castle was just gorgeous, with its cobblestone paths and grand church. I feel a book set in a castle coming on...

I definitely need to come back and explore Germany properly. But today, it was goodbye to Frankfurt and hello to London!

Dispatch from Singapore

Random thoughts.

Changi Airport is awesome! Free wi-fi, really nice helpful Info desk, pretty sculptures and even a live singer! Also, it's ginormous. I had to catch a sky-train to get between terminals then walk an hour (ok, maybe more like 10 minutes at an amble).

I adore my netbook. Adore.

Power-points at your seat in the plane - awesome! Especially if you're a writer revising your book. (Tip for travelers - make sure you bring your plug adapters - I've already used two different plugs today.)

I have now been awake for 20 hours and counting. Plan for next leg of trip - sleep, sleep, zzzzz...

ARC Winners & Catchup

The random winners of the Blaze of Memory ARC contest are Tammy (PA) & Leslie (MI). Congratulations!

Today, it's all running around doing errands for me. What're you all up to?

Gingerbread Men Return!

Remember the Gingerbread haka? Well, they're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I've put the new vid up at The Oddshots. Come see!

Also, the Blaze of Memory ARC contest is now closed. I'll be posting the name of the winner either tomorrow or Wed.

Hope you all had a fantabulous weekend!

Friday Book Club!

It's book club time, all about sharing the books you've read and loved this week. So comment away!!

Deleted Scene from Branded By Fire

I love this scene. It's a little bit naughty so be warned!

THE PARTY

Mercy felt so deliciously loose and relaxed after her encounter with Riley that she had the urge to turn leopard and just curl up somewhere. It was as well that she had a standing date with the women of the pack that night.

Showering and sprucing up after her return from the den, she made it to the gathering half an hour late. It was being held at Annie and Zach’s house this time around—though Zach had been kicked out for the duration. Attendance fluctuated depending on work-shifts and the general mood of the pack, and tonight, after Nash’s successful return, there were well over twenty-five women in the small house filled with the delicious smells of chocolate, cocktails and friendship.

“Mercy!” Anu all but dragged her to a seat on the sofa. “I have something for you. Show me your toes.”

Grinning, Mercy did as bid. Ten minutes later, her toenails had been painted a vivid silver-blue that glinted in the light. “I like it,” she said definitively. Anu was one of her favorite people, being so infectiously good-natured that it was impossible to be in a bad mood around her. “How’s the baby?”

“Gorgeous. See?” The proud mommy pulled out a phone with an array of new photos.

Genuinely interested, Mercy spent several minutes looking at them. “She’s growing fast. Feels like only last week I held her and she was the size of a tadpole.”

“Tell me about it.” Anu turned to put her phone back into her purse. “Make sure you take home the rest of the polish for touch-ups.”

“Thanks.” Admiring her toes and feeling distinctly feline in her pleasure, Mercy nudged Anu.

“Where’s Annie?”

“Here.” A margarita was put into her hand. “Anu?”

“Better not—breastfeeding. Gimme that pineapple juice.” Taking a glass, she picked up her bag of tricks. “Time for my next victim.”

Mercy glanced up at Annie as Anu arrowed her way toward Poppy. “You know how to throw a party.”

Annie grinned. “I think Zach’s having visions of coming home to find drunken naked women all over his lawn. Actually, I think he’s hoping for it. Except for his sisters, of course—I have strict instructions to save him from that trauma by warning him to stay the hell away.”

Laughing, Mercy took a sip of her margarita and watched as Annie moved to put the rest of the drinks on the low table a couple of feet away. The small brunette was immediately shanghaied by her sister-in-law, Jess, and Sascha, into a heated debate that pitted Mr. Darcy against Heathcliff. Mercy was leaning forward to listen to Annie’s take on things when Tammy waved to her from the other side of the room, where she was being offered something that had her red-faced and laughing. Curious, Mercy made her way over.

Her eyes almost crossed when she saw the array of objects on the table in front of the healer. “Tammy!”

“Hey, don’t blame me.” Tammy wiped tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes. “This is all Faith’s fault.”

The F-Psy looked incredibly demure when she answered the charge. “How was I to know what Lurrrve Motion produced? When they said they were sending me samples to help me tune my mind for forecasts, I said fine.” She glanced at long, green and very...flexible, Lurrrve Toy, her eyes dancing with laughter. “I never had to worry about things like this when I was working exclusively for Psy companies.”

Mercy was trying to figure out how another toy worked when it came buzzing to life in her hands, turning six different colors in as many seconds before bouncing out of her grasp and across the table to fall into Talin’s lap. Tally took one look at it and said, “Do you think Clay would know what this was if I took it home and gave it to him as a present?”

Seriously naughty suggestions came from all sides, and by the time it was over, Mercy was laughing so hard, her stomach muscles protested. This, she thought, was life, was joy. She couldn’t imagine a future in which her pack didn’t play an integral role. DarkRiver was part of her soul through her blood-bond to Lucas, but her packmates were part of the very fabric of her heart.

Must Love Hellhounds & The Oddshots

First - MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS is officially out!! Go forth and buy!! :-)

Now, onto to today's story:

Once upon a time, Nalini said she wasn't planning to join a group blog again. Then Meljean gave her an appletini, Ilona sidled up with a chocolate martini, Jill nudged over some chocolate mousse (to go with the martini), and Patrice whispered that there was more where that came from.

And the end result is: THE ODDSHOTS

Guest Author: Tracey O'Hara

Today we've got debut author Tracey O'Hara on the blog. I was lucky enough to read NIGHT'S COLD KISS before publication and thought it was deliciously dark and intriguing! Follow the link if you want to check out an excerpt. Tracey's website also has a book trailer.

Please welcome Tracey to the blog everyone!

To Read or Not to Read

I hear a lot of writers say they started writing while still in their cradles. Okay exaggeration there but you get the idea. They always wrote, they always wanted to be a writer and that is all they really wanted to do.

Well not me.

I hated English in school, with a passion. Mind you, I’ve always been a reader, but I hated technical construct that went into learning about sentence structure, verbs, adverbs, propositions and pronouns. I was a math and science geek from way back. Nothing was more torturous for me than having to write an essay. I’d sit there looking at the blank page having no idea what to write. So having failed English at school – how did I become a writer. Answer – my love of stories and books.

There have been a few books, and we all have them, that have not exactly changed my life but changed the way I viewed books. The first book that transitioned me from a child reader to reading more adult books was William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES. I was eleven or twelve at the time when I read it, my first year in High school. And OMG it blew me away. It wasn’t nice and the children didn’t go home for tea after a lovely trip to upside down land like they did in Enid Blyton’s ENCHANTED FARAWAY TREE series. No these boys turned wild, hunted pigs and even committed murder. I just couldn’t go back to childish books after that.

My father was an avid Wilbur Smith reader and we had a shelf of his books. So I picked up the first – MEN OF MEN. I was soon transported into the world of colonial Africa. I went to war with the Zulus, hunted elephant and went on many adventures with the rugged Sean Courtney – I think he was my first crush. I wanted to go to Africa so bad, still do, because of those books.

A couple of years later after I had devoured every single Wilbur Smith I could get my hands on, I saw a movie called Carrie. Apparently it was a book, and the book was better. So I picked up this book and soon found a new love -- Stephen King. He scared the living daylights out of me, and I loved it. Even now I can’t walk past a street drain without fear of some insane clown grabbing my ankle and dragging me down to my death. As with Wilbur Smith, I began to read everything I could.

Then I discovered fantasy. All my husband’s fault. He gave me THE MAGICIAN by Raymond E. Feist and again I couldn’t get enough of Midkemia or Kelewan through Janny Wurt’s DAUGHTER OF THE EMPIRE books. So I tended gravitate towards authors I guess as we all do. I read other things as well, sci-fi, classics, contemporaries, historical. I have read widely, but none of those books had as much an impact on me as the authors I’ve mentioned. Well Maybe Kurt Vonnegut.

Today there are so many to choose from, so many books. Nalini and Keri Arthur were such an inspiration to me as a writer. Not only did they write really great books, they were from downunder—Keri the Aussie and a Kiwi Nalini. In fact one of Keri’s earlier releases, the Ripple Creek werewolf series, was the first paranormal romance I read.

Then I discovered writing — caught the bug, so to speak. Unlike when I was in school, I found I actually liked putting words done on the page. I love learning how to structure the sentence to have the most impact. But the down side is I don’t have as much time to read as much as I used to. I really don’t think you can be a writer you must be a reader. When I am stuck, I read and that tends to bring back my muse.

Is there any one or more authors that have really influenced what you read or changed your approach to reading?

On Writerly Brain Near Deadline

Last night...

(At 8pm) - Hmm, why am I hungry?
(At 8.15pm) - No, really, why am I hungry?
(At 8.30pm) - Oh. I forgot to eat dinner.

Yes, true story.

Book Club!

It's book club time - all about sharing what books you've read and enjoyed recently! So comment and share the book love :-)

Also, a heads-up: I'm over at the DIK blog and there's a Scavenger Hunt going on!

Guest Author - Yasmine Galenorn

YASMINE'S WINNER: Yasmine has picked a winner, and it's Pam K. Congratulations! Please email Yasmine directly at this link to receive your prize :-)

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Today's guest is the talented Yasmine Galenorn, author of the bestselling Sisters of the Moon urban fantasy series. Her most recent release, Demon Mistress, hit #16 on the NYT! Woohoo! She's here talking about juggling life and work, and giving away an Amazon gift cert :-)

Please welcome Yasmine to the blog everyone!

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Life Juggling

I’m in the middle of projects. As usual. Writers, especially those of us working on several books a year, often have times when we’re juggling two or even three projects. For example, I’m currently revising Night Myst, the first book in my new Indigo Court urban fantasy series. I’m also writing fresh draft of Harvest Hunting—the eighth Otherworld book. And I just finished copyedits on both Bone Magic—book seven in the OW world, and Etched in Silver, a OW novella for the Inked anthology. My mind is running in a dozen directions at once and I have to hold the reins and make sure that all those directions get the due attention they need.

I am blessed with being prolific as a writer—I can write quick, and I can write tight. But even I only have two hands and (supposedly) one brain. So what do I do when I’ve got a dozen projects kicking my ass? I organize and prioritize. I do what needs to be done quickest, first, and get it out of the way. Then I go onto the next, then the next. Or—if I have a short project that will take me half a day but isn’t due until after a long project that will take 2 or 3 months, I due the short project first and get it out of the way and off my list.

I use every tool I can think of to keep myself on track. With three books and a novella to write this next year, and having been writing 2-3 books a year for many years, it only makes sense that I’ve developed my particular pattern that works for me. Can you say Day-Timer? Outlook? White Board? Post-It Notes? ~grins~ Good, I knew ya could. I keep a work journal, I create research bibles for each of my series, I keep color coded file folders, I even have a goal-notebook.

Now, it took me a number of years to develop this system, it didn’t just happen overnight. But now that I’m here, I’m grateful that I started in early so by the time I reached the point of writing three books a year, I had it in place.

I think this can transfer over to life, too. Now some people (like my husband) won’t touch a Day-Timer if I paid him too. But he loves his Outlook calendar. Others can’t live without their PDAs (and I’m not talking about necking in public here). Take away my friend’s Blackberry and she’d claw your eyes out. We all have tools that make our lives easier and more manageable.

I’ll be offering a $15 online Amazon.com gift certificate to one commenter who tells me what their favorite organizational crutches are, and why they love them so much.

Yasmine

New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy for Berkley: both the bestselling Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon Series for Berkley and the upcoming Indigo Court urban fantasy series. In the past, she wrote mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and nonfiction metaphysical books. Her books have hit the New York Times and USA Today extended bestseller lists numerous times.

Yasmine has been in the Craft for over 28 years, is a shamanic witch, and describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Bellevue WA with her husband Samwise and their cats.

Yasmine can be reached via her website at http://www.galenorn.com, via MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yasminegalenorn, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yasminegalenorn and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yasminegalenorn. She is also the co-founder of the Witchy Chicks blog (http://witchychicks.blogspot.com) and the Between Fire and Ice blog (http://fireandiceauthors.blogspot.com).

Kindle Book - Please Read

For those of you who use the Kindle - please be aware that though we appear to share the identical name I am not the author of a book titled The Girl Player.

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming :-)

RWNZ Conference Photos

First up, a couple of notices - I'm spoiling you all - we have another guest author tomorrow. Hmm, clue as to her identity: 3 sisters

Also, because of our lovely guest, we'll do the book club on Saturday, so keep a note of what you're reading this week :)

Now, onto the photos from last weekend's RWNZ Conference! I have bunches - I think I'll have to do another post next week with more pics!

This is a picture from of the Harlequin author dinner. Look at all those shiny glasses (they didn't stay empty long *g*).


Authors Sarah Mayberry & Frances Housden


Authors Trish Morey, Annie West & Daphne Clair

Me & Knight Agency agent Melissa Jeglinski at the cocktail party


Author Christina Phillips & my good friend Giovanna (highly commended in the Clendon Award!) Oh and there's our talented RWNZ Publicity maven Sue in the background.

Attacked by Darth Kylie (Griffin) at the A Touch of Fantasy Awards Dinner


Kylie claims another victim! This time, it's debut author Erica Hayes (look out for Shadowfae this October - all about succubi).


YA Author Amanda Ashby (go zombies!), and Harlequin's Cristina Lee


Authors Sara Hantz & Sandra Hyatt with you-know-who


The Emma Darcy finalists of 1999 - Yvonne Lindsay, Me & Trish Morey (Yvonne won). And Trish has got TWO R*BYs to her name. Go Class of '99!!


Wonderful bookseller Barbara Clendon with her gorgeous devil wings!


Author Annie West with Silhouette Executive Editor Mary-Theresa Hussey

Authors Abby Gaines (new RWNZ Prez!) & Susan Napier


John (Mary-Jo's husband), Mary-Jo Putney & some chick with a really ginormous smile *grin*

And I leave you with Wellington & Lambchop. I met Mary Jo and her husband in the lifts on the Sunday of the conference and ended up having breakfast with them - where I got to hear the sweet, sweet story Wellington and his lady. He came all the way from the U.S. to find his soul mate. When he saw Lambchop working as a shopgirl, it was love at first sight. Aw....

Legion - Angels!

I must see this movie. I must. (Thanks Katiebabs for the heads-up).



Also - all winners for contests run this week have been drawn, so make sure you check the relevant posts.

Guest Author: Gena Showalter - The Darkest Whisper

RANDOM WINNER: The lucky winner of the signed copy of The Darkest Night is Christine!

(I think there was only one Christine in the comments, but just to be safe, it's comment #98). Christine, please email me your mailing address at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com and I'll pass it on to Gena.

Congratulations!

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Today's guest is the wonderful Gena Showalter!! I've known Gena since the publication of her first book and can safely say she's full of all kinds of awesome :-)

Today, Gena's going to be talking about her latest release, The Darkest Whisper, and giving away a signed copy of The Darkest Night, the first book in her Lords of the Underworld series.

Leave a comment by noon tomorrow (New Zealand time) to be in to win.

And now, please welcome Gena to the blog everyone!!
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How do characters come to be?

With me, they introduce themselves in different ways. In The Darkest Whisper, Gwendolyn the Timid, a half-harpy, half-angel, first appeared to me in a dream. I saw her locked inside a glass cage. Dirty, hungry, scared. I saw that cage open, watched her disappear in a blink and return bloody. Only, it wasn’t her blood.When I woke up, I had so many questions. Mainly: whose blood was it? What had she done? How had she done it? Why was she locked away?

Slowly her story began to unravel in my mind. And I fell so in love with this woman, I had to write her story. But who would I pair her with? In the end, I knew only a Lord of the Underworld would do. She was Harpy. She needed someone strong. So, I began to introduce her to those deliciously savage warriors, testing reactions. First up? Paris. I knew immediately he wasn’t the one for her. He was too busy mourning his Sienna. Aeron – no again. I already had someone in mind for him. Strider – no, no, no. Gwen is a Harpy who hates to lose, and Strider is an immortal who always has to win. Or suffer. Eventually, they would have resented each other and that would have blown the happily-ever-after.

More introductions. More nos. No one fit. Until Sabin, keeper of the demon of Doubt, entered. Instant sparks. And, to be honest, that shocked the hell out of me. Sabin could destroy the strongest self-esteem in a snap. Past lovers had even killed themselves, they were so torn up inside. How was Gwen, who thinks of herself as self-esteem lite, supposed to survive a relationship with him?

I didn’t know the answer, but I decided to sit down and write their story anyway. They were that attracted to each other. They had to guide me every step of the way, but, oh, what a journey. I LOVED writing this book and have never had so much fun with characters. Sabin, who had always placed victory on the battlefield over relationships, was finally brought to his knees. And Gwen, my sweet Gwen, proved herself strong enough to do it -- and make him like it. (Yes, I’m smiling as I type that. And shivering.)

If you haven’t checked out the Lords of the Underworld, I hope you’ll give them a shot. And speaking of shots, my wonderful publisher is hosting a contest with a grand prize of $10,000 in honor of my other August 25th release, Intertwined. Just follow the link to find out how to enter! http://harlequin.promo.eprize.com/intertwinedsweepstakes/

I'm back - with presents!

Random winners & their prizes!

(Please email me your mailing addresses at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com)

Laurann Dohner - Melanie Milburne's His Inconvenient Wife & The Blackmail Pregnancy (signed)

Pam Frederick - Daphne Clair's Salzano's Captive Bride

Diane (comment #26) - Melanie Milburne's The Marciano Love-Child

Dani - Jennifer Taylor's The GP's Meant-To-Be Bride

Harlequin Vintage Art Bookmarks: Laura, Bonnie Ferguson, Himeko

Congratulations!

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The RWNZ conference was absolutely fantastic! Great speakers, wonderful friends, and a brilliant atmosphere. I have photos that I'll post a bit later on - after I catch up on some work!

But, I have pressies for you all. I have several books that I got at the conference that I won't be able to read for a while, so I thought rather than put them on my tbr pile, I'd give them away. I haven't had a chance to unpack properly, but I definitely have some brand-spanking-new category romances from the Presents line, so drop you name into the hat if you'd like one of those.

Also, I risked my life to get some extra copies of bookmarks with Harlequin's gorgeous vintage cover art on them that I'll give away to a couple of lucky folks.

I'll draw the winners tomorrow.

AND tomorrow, we have a super duper famous author guest who is so famous I'm going to have to be twisty with the clue as to her identity - she writes paranormal, contemporary and young adult. Who can it be?

True Romance & Friday Book Club

The RWNZ conference kicks off today - I'm so looking forward to catching up with all my writing friends from across New Zealand and over from Australia!

I'm hoping to log on over the weekend, but just in case I can't, don't forget to check out the Borders True Romance blog. My post will be featured on the 21st (U.S. time), and there are giveaways - including an advance copy of Blaze of Memory!

Onto the book club - all about your recommended reads this week. What've you been reading and enjoying? If you haven't had a chance to read this week, what're you looking forward to diving into?

NZ/Aus Guest Author: Nicola Marsh

Today, we continue the monthly series on guest authors from my part of the world. Everyone, please welcome Nicola Marsh to the blog!

Nicola's giving away a book to a random winner - leave a comment before 12 noon tomorrow, New Zealand time, to be in to win.

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THE ALLURE OF FOREIGN SHORES

I’m an avid reader. I devour books; have ever since I was a kid.
I read widely, across genres and could happily spend a day/week/month curled up with my nose in a book. For me, part of the appeal of reading is getting engrossed in another world, being so absorbed in the characters’ lives that I’m almost there alongside them, laughing and crying and feeling their pain.

It’s sheer pleasure to be swept up in the fantasy as I turn the pages, eager to reach the end yet reluctant to do so because I love the story so much.

So what helps sweep me along?

The setting.

I’m a sucker for an exotic setting, a place that brings the book alive.

How many of you have read a book set in Paris and can see the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde, Montmarte? A Roman book, with the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps? Venice with its charming waterways and gondolas?

Mention a city in the world and someone will have an instant mental image of what that place is like.
That’s what I hoped to evoke with my upcoming Harlequin Romance, A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON.
Set in India, I wove the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of this magical country through the book and by the reviews so far, readers are pleased with the results!

As I take readers on a journey through India, I also take them on a South Pacific cruise in TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE’S BED (Harlequin Presents.) Balmy breezes, isolated beaches, Fijian islands, endless ocean…you can picture it, right?
Do you have any favourite settings around the world?

Both these books will be released in September and I’m giving away a signed copy of TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE’S BED to a commenter chosen at random.

Want to know more about where I set my books? Visit my website at www.nicolamarsh.com

Happy armchair travels!

Nicola

(Thanks for having me, Nalini :-))

Of Sleep

I'm very sleepy. Max and his heroine kept me up till all hours of the night.

That is all.

Thai Release & Other Fun Things

For my Thai readers - Caressed By Ice will be out in Thai at the end of this week. Follow the link to read more.

The website has been updated, and there's a contest up to win an advanced reading copy (ARC) of Blaze of Memory.

The Borders True Romance blog has just launched and the lineup of guest authors this week includes Linda Howard, Julia Quinn, and someone whose name begins with N. ;) My post will be up on the 21st, and there will be a chance to win books and an ARC of Blaze of Memory!

And a question for those of you who live in Germany - anyone in Frankfurt? I'll be passing through on a flying visit later this year. Email me if if you'd like to do coffee :)

How is the week treating everyone so far?

Australian Humor

A friend sent me a forward with the note that these questions were posted on an Australian Tourism website, and that the responses are answers by the officials. Here are some of them!

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK )

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
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Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street?

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
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Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks?

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
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Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees.

A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
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Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia?

A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe .
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not....oh, forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
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Friday Book Club

Books, books, books! What are you reading and what are your recommendations this week?

Confession: I've been neck deep in edits, but I couldn't help myself - I placed a book order for when I go on holiday. It's an addiction (one I can live with *grin*).

Also, a heads-up: Ilona Andrews is giving away three copies of Must Love Hellhounds, Maya Banks is giving away ARCs of Sweet Seduction, and Jessica Andersen is giving away a book here. See, I help feed other people's addictions too ;-)

Now, let's talk books!

Fan Art: Archangel Raphael

Isn't this amazing?!! This is a piece of art created by a reader and inspired by Raphael from Angels' Blood. If you want to see a bigger version of the image, follow the link. The artist's name is NiAnluain. She also has a Myspace page.

I know some of you might like to use this as an avatar, but please, please ask her first as this is her work. I have her email if you can't get a hold of her using the links above and I'm happy to pass on any messages :-)

Now let's all just sit back and admire!

Paranormal Romances

I'm doing a workshop on Paranormal Romances at the RWNZ conference later this month, and I have some questions for everyone. I'll be collating the info and using it spark discussion in the workshop.

1. Who are some of your favorite paranormal authors and why? What makes you love that author/authors so much?
2. What makes a paranormal romance stand out for you?
3. Anything else you want to say? Here's your chance!

Answer any or all!

Guest Author: Erin Quinn - Haunting Beauty

Today, we've got Erin Quinn on the blog! Haunting Beauty just sounds like such a fascinating book that I asked Erin to tell us a bit more about it.

Please welcome Erin to the blog everyone!

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Nalini, thank you so much for inviting me to post on your blog! I’m a big fan and this is such an honor!

Haunting Beauty is the first in the Haunting Series and just released on August 4th. I’ve been thrilled with the response so far and started getting reader letters almost immediately. Since I love talking to readers, it’s all been very exciting.

Haunting Beauty is a book I simply had to write. I can remember when I started and the vivid image in my mind that later became the first chapter. I could see Sean Ballagh, Haunting Beauty’s hero, standing on the cliffs, looking out over the cold Irish sea and I knew, I knew, I had to tell his story. Even so, I was surprised at where Sean took me. Turns out, he shared my personal fascination with time and the idea that the past is not set in stone. Mistakes can be un-made, heartache can be transformed into triumph . . . but at what cost? If the past is an elaborate puzzle with interchangeable pieces, when one is altered, how do the others still fit? And how could you be sure that what changed didn’t make everything worse?

When Sean is sent by his grandmother to find Danni Smith and bring her home to the family she’s thought lost forever, he begins his search, but it’s not until he meets Danni that he comes to understand why he’s there.

He and Danni have a past and future that has become a tangled knot—a tether that binds them together while keeping them apart. They need one another whether they like it or not and Sean . . . he’s there for Danni, only for Danni.

Life has been hard on Danni, but she’s not the kind of woman who rolls over and takes it. She’s forged ahead and, with her little dog, Bean, has found contentment, if not happiness. She’s resigned herself to never knowing who she is, why she was abandoned as a child, or if she has family out there, somewhere. But when Sean appears at her door offering everything she ever wished for—the answers to the questions of her past and the ticket to find her family—Danni must follow him to Ireland, a land steeped with mystery and lore.

Sean delivers the goods—he reunites her with her people—but how could Danni have guessed that she would be meeting herself as a child? Reliving those fateful hours before her whole world was shattered? Learning the secrets that determined her fate? Who is this Sean Ballagh with his beautiful eyes and heartbreaking smile? And what does he want from Danni? He is more than a messenger, but even Sean doesn’t know the truth about himself.

What I loved about writing this story was the idea that Joe Nobody or Jane Unknown, people that look and act like everyone else, might actually have some hidden ability, some power that makes them extraordinary. I continue with this idea in book two of the Haunting series, Haunting Warrior, which releases in May 2010.

I’d love to know what you think . . . what is your favorite type of paranormal? Do you like reading about ordinary people doing extraordinary things or do you like your paranormal world more alien, filled with creatures or space travelers? What do you hope to find when you open the cover of that book?

Jayne Ann Krentz News & Guest Tomorrow

How cool is this? Jayne Ann Krentz is writing/publishing an Arcane Society story featuring Fallon Jones, via Twitter!

Even if you don't have a Twitter account, you can read it. Just go here: www.twitter.com/ArcaneSociety, then scroll down and push the "More" button. That'll open up the page and you can read everything she's posted to this point.

Also, we've got a guest blogger tomorrow, so make sure you come on over and say hi. Here's the clue as to her identity: _ r _ n / Q_ _ _ n

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Friday Book Club

It's book club time - all about sharing recent reads you've enjoyed. So comment and spread the book love :-)

This & That

I wrote a scene yesterday for Max's book featuring Lucas and Sascha. I really love that I get to continue to see characters grow over the course of this series. (In case anyone is wondering, Lucas is shirtless in the scene).

I've lined up some great guest bloggers for you over the next month - there'll be approximately one a week :-)

Gena is giving away copies of Intertwined and The Darkest Whisper here.

There's an interesting conversation taking place on Twitter with the #askromancewriter hashtag.

And it's a gorgeous sunny day outside!

Save the Contemporary

Dear Author and SBTB are running another Save the Contemporary campaign, and the giveaway books this time around are Kathleen O'Reilly's Hot Under Pressure, and my good friend Bronwyn Jameson's Magnate's Make Believe Mistress.

Follow the link for more info on how to win :)

Max's Book

Today, I'm going to print out Max's book so I can write all over the hard-copy manuscript. I just seem to see everything more clearly once it's all printed out - and this is the stage where I delete and add scenes, shift things around, make sure everything flows, all that good stuff. I really like this part of the process :-)

What're you all up to today?