San Francisco!!

It's almost conference time!

If you live in or near San Francisco, don't forget the book signing on Wednesday July 31st from 5.30 to 7.30pm at the San Francisco Marriott. This is open to anyone.

I'll also be at the Berkley signing on Friday 1 August from 3.00 to 4.30pm (open to conference attendees).

My next post will most likely be Wednesday of next week (hopefully including conference photos), so see you then. :)

Stormy Saturday

It's all rainy and story outside. I should be packing for the RWA Conference, but instead I'm blissfully reading. :)

Jane's Warlord - Angela Knight

I picked up Jane's Warlord after seeing a review of Warrior and realizing they were set in the same world. I can't believe I waited this long to read this book! It's got so many of the elements I love - cool futuristic stuff, a likeable heroine, a villain who's scary enough to make things interesting, and of course, a hot hero!

Here's the blurb (from the author's website):

Reporter Jane Colby has seen a lot covering crime for the local paper, but the most recent murder is so brutal, it leaves even the most hardened detectives shaken.

Jane and the cops don't know it, but the killer is none other than Jack the Ripper. Turns out all the theories about those Victorian murders were wrong: Jack is actually a time-traveling cyborg psychopath named Kalig Druas. Now he's in Tayanita County - and he's set his sights on Jane.

Luckily, so has Baran Arvid, a genetically engineered warrior from the future. Baran and his talking wolf sidekick have been sent to protect her - and use her as bait to trap the killer.

None of this is good news to Jane, but she finds having a handsome bodyguard does have deliciously erotic benefits. Besides, Frieka the wolf is a scream.

Unfortunately, so is Jack.

I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on Warrior to see where Angela Knight takes this series. Happily, according to this video interview with the author, there's going to be a follow-up to Warrior next year, titled The Guardian.

So what are you reading at the moment?

Winners :)

There were a huge number of entries in the Hostage to Pleasure ARC Contest. Thanks to everyone who entered! Here are the winners. (This list is just for your information - the official notification was via email.)

Kenda
Erika
Kendra
Katie S.
Nicola O.
Blanche
Jessica C.
Maddalena
Ana
Cindy S.
Beth S.
Lynnette
Liz T.
Anji
Marilyn M.
Kathy A.
Sio-so
Olga V.
Megan T.
Marinette
Dawn D.
Azteclady
Heather K.
Bel
Heather S.
Helen G.
Nath
Ericka
Melissa A.
Kyesha

Congratulations :)

Contest Winners Notified

Okey dokes, all the emails to the HtP ARC Contest winners have now gone out. If you're a winner, feel free to out yourself here. Otherwise, I'll have a post with the names tomorrow. :)

Update & Catchup

First up - I know everyone's waiting for the results of the HtP ARC contest. The emails will be going out sometime this weekend or early next week, and I should have a post with the winners names for you early/mid next week.

So, what's everyone been up to? Plans for the weekend? Aside from sending out the emails, I'm going to spend some time organizing my research files - while I'm working on a project, I tend to pile up photocopies, notes from books, internet printouts etc. It's very soothing to put them all in order :)

Links

The Playground Monitor talks about Losing your (Conference) Virginity.

Meljean Brook chats about ways to get to the RWA Conference Hotel from SF Airport.

Author Lynn Viehl will be holding a Left Behind and Loving it virtual workshop from July 28 to August 3.

Author Shelley Munro discusses packing for travel.

The Diamonds Down Under authors are giving away a diamond pendant. Closes 20 July.

There's a new free serial going on at Dionne Galace.

And for all your aspiring authors, here's a wonderful post by my agent Nephele Tempest about listening to your gut.

Must Haves

Thanks for all the book recs everyone - I have a feeling that's a thread I'll keep coming back to pick up more reads :)

How about we talk about future releases today?

Here's another book I'm adding to my "can't wait" list - the new Ghost Hunter book! Comes out August 26!

I love this series.

The blurb:

Everything is different underground. Just ask the residents of Harmony, a futuristic world where alien catacombs can lead you astray—and where psychic senses spark out-of-this-world passion...

Reporter Sierra McIntyre's stories on Crystal City's ghost hunters—and their mysterious guild—have earned her tabloid a bit of respect. And they've allowed her to clothe her dust bunny companion Elvis in rock-and-roll style. It helps that she has mega-rez intuition to fall back on...

Especially when she interviews Ghost Hunter Guild Boss John Fontana about the disappearances of retired, homeless hunters. She doesn't want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man, but her senses—and Elvis—give her the green light. To uncover the conspiracy within his own organization, Fontana proposes...marriage. And though it's purely a business arrangement, there is nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them...

And just for fun, a few more books I'm wanting to get my paws on (no pun intended *g*).



And that's just for starters! I've also got a couple of fabulous ARCs that I'll be chatting about later. But now, tell me - what's on your "must have" list? :)

Book-Buying

I got sent a bookstore coupon. Since it would be a crime not to use it *g*, I'm now working out what to order. Any recent (say, released in the past two months) books you'd recommend?

Hostage to Pleasure ARC Contest

Contest now closed.

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this, so without further delay, here are the rules/details of the Hostage to Pleasure ARC Contest.

1. One entry per household.

2. Since the purpose of an ARC is to get the word out about a book prior to its release, if you win an ARC, please review / talk about / discuss Hostage to Pleasure somewhere during August. You can review it online, talk about it to your bookgroup, tell your friends…the field’s wide open. What you say is, of course, totally up to you!

3. By entering, you give me permission to announce your name in my newsletter and on my blogs should you win. (I usually stick to first names and initials).

Details on how to Enter

4. Email me at nalinisinghwrites @ gmail.com (without the spaces) by July 10, 2008 (Midnight, PST), with:

a. HTP ARC Contest in the Subject line
b. Your name and postal address
c. The place(s) where you intend to talk about / review / discuss the book etc

5. Winners will be notified by email (so please make sure my email is on your “safe” list).

Good luck!!

Barnes & Noble Romantic Reads Book Club

I'm very excited to be a guest of the Barnes & Noble Romantic Reads Book Club - come say hi, keep me company, ask questions! :)

Manga!

Check it out! Craving Beauty in manga (comic) format!!

Weekly Catchup

I had a great meeting with my local writing group today - the turnout was small because of the freezing weather (it hailed on the way home! I could see little bits of ice flicking off the windshield), but we had an excellent time nonetheless. Lots of information shared, and as always, I came home feeling inspired.

So, what're you all up to?

Reader Interview: Jaime

Today's reader interview is with Jaime, fellow book hoarder! :)

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am 31 (32 on Sat, gasp!), mother of 3, an avid reader who happens to be a family practice physician to support her book habit!!! I am originally from Louisiana, but my husband and I moved to texas to open up my practice there.

2. Are you a hoarder or do you give your books away?

Oooh, definitely a hoarder. I can't even manage to let people borrow my books.

3. What author might tempt you into turning stalker?

I don't really want to stalk a particular author as much as I want to stalk some of my favorite characters... particularly the really hot ones! :) But if I were to stalk it would probably be someone like Stephen King because I've always wondered "how did they come up with that???"

4. How susceptible are you to chocolate?

Not at all unless pregnant. In fact, my husband found me baking a pan of fudge brownies while pregnant with the twins and said "Now I KNOW you're pregnant!"

5. Favorite book? Why?

I don't have a favorite single book, I'm afraid I'm more of a series gal. My top favorites would be Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar, JRR Tolkien, Nalini's Psy/Changeling series, JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, and Tad Williams Dragonbone Chair series. I really like stories/series 1)where an ordinary person manages to do extraordinary things or 2) with a really well crafted or unusual alternate reality (the what if the world worked this way, type of book)

6. If you knew you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?

My husband (wink, wink), my library (so I have something to do while he fishes) and sunscreen (so I don't fry!!!). I would love to say my kids but as we're all redheads that would just be cruel so I'll have to settle for a short stay on Paradise Island... :)

7. What did you eat for breakfast?

Toast and jelly. Cold as I had to stop and feed the baby.

8. How many books in your current to-be-read pile?

At the moment, very few as I just got off maternity leave and managed to read them all. Normally it goes in spurts and I'll buy up 15 - 30 and then whittle them down.

9. Describe your idea of a perfect hero.

Smart, funny, intelligent, good with kids, interesting, good sense of humor. He should also have the 3 H factors (hot, hard and hairy) and have good bedside manner! (wink, wink). Oh, wait, I think I married that one...

Extra reader submitted question(s)! Answer at will :)

* Which character in a book do you relate most with?

Haven't found one yet. I see bits of myself in lots of different characters, which is kind of fun.

* Where do you live?

A small, strange little town in Texas

* If you were in the Psy/Changeling World, what side would you be in?

Human. I don't believe you have to be superhuman or have a special gift to be a hero or make a difference. Look at Frodo.

* Seen any good movies lately?

Is there such a thing?? :>

Space Weddings!

"A Japanese firm is accepting reservations for couples who want to exchange their wedding vows in space."

~ NZ Herald

I'm fascinated. Imagine your wedding pictures! Everything floating around in zero gravity!