Australian Booksignings: 13 August - 16 August

I'm going to be in Sydney, Australia next weekend, and I'll be doing some booksignings in and around the area. I hope to see some of you there! Details below.

Friday 13th August 2010 @ 12-1pm

Angus & Robertson Castle Hill

Castle Towers
Shop 390
Old Castle Hill Rd

Friday 13th August 2010 @ 4:30-6pm
ARRA Signing - follow link for full details
Crowne Plaza Hotel
242 Arden St
Coogee Beach

Saturday 14th August 2010 @11:30-12:30pm

Borders Bondi Junction

Shop 4064-4066
500 Oxford St
Westfield
Bondi Junction

Sunday 15th August 2010 @2-3pm

Galaxy Books

143 York St
Sydney

Monday 16th August 2010 @1-2pm
Infinitas
Shop 22
Civic Arcade
48-50 George St
Parramatta

Friday Book Club

It's book club time! What've you been reading and loving this week?

I actually didn't do too much reading while I was traveling, but I did read the fantastic Beyond the Rain by Jess Granger. Jess is going to be guest-blogging with me very soon, so we'll chat more about the book then, but if you enjoy science fiction romance, check this one out.

Okay, your turn!

Burning Up is out!!

Burning up is out! My story is "Whisper of Sin" which features Lucas's admin assistant, Ria, and her wickedly sexy hero, Emmett.

It's an awesome anthology - but you don't have to take my word for it. There's a detailed review of it over at Dear Author if you'd like to have a read.

Also, I noticed a few emails in the inbox about the ebook edition of Burning Up - here's where the ebook edition is available so far (list blatantly stolen from Meljean's blog) and I expect it'll be up on all the usual sites within a few days: BN.com, the Sony ebook store, Diesel, Books on Board, and iBooks.

I landed in New Zealand early this morning, and am now in catchup mode. More later, after my head stops spinning!

Orlando

I'm in Orlando at moment, attending the RWA National Conference. The Literacy Signing was last night, and it went wonderfully. I loved meeting all of you that were able to come. Next year, it'll be in New York, so if that's close to you, make a note in your diary!

Today, I'm planning to attend the keynote speech by Nora Roberts, which should be fantastic.

Also, if you're at RWA, don't forget to come to the Berkley signing 3-4.30pm, Friday. Free books!

Hope you're all having a great week :-)

Friday Book Club

What's on your bookshelf this week?

Beautiful Tahoe

How are you all? I've still got my traveling shoes on - I took the above photo at Lake Tahoe yesterday. It was an absolutely stunning day.

Guest Author: Cory Daniells

I'm delighted to welcome fantasy author Cory Daniells to the blog today! Please give Cory a warm welcome everyone (and don't forget to enter her giveaway).

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Kissing Cousins, by Cory Daniells

(or why I think bookshops and publishers put too much emphasis on genre tags)

Did you know adventure fiction stories used to be called romances, because of the ‘romance’ of adventure?

Just as I don’t eat only salads, I don’t read only one genre. And from what I’ve seen most readers are like this. They pick their book according to their moods.

I read paranormal romances, dark urban fantasies, regency romances, traditional fantasies and science fiction, as well as children’s books -- I love a good children’s book -- and then there are all the factual books I devour because I’m just fascinated by the world. To be frank, if something looks interesting, I read it. The back of cereal packets, the back of people’s newspapers when they sit opposite me on the train … yes, I’m a sad case.

I’m the sort of person who goes into an independent bookstore and asks ‘Do you have anything obscure and interesting that pushes the boundaries of genre?’

Not that my new trilogy pushes the boundaries of genre. King Rolen’s Kin, is a traditional fantasy, with lashings of rivalry, magic and betrayal.

(Click on the image to see larger version)

I set out to write the kind of book that you curl up with as a reward to yourself after a tough week at work. It will sweep you away (at least I hope so). It certainly swept me away while I wrote it.

The genres I read across are all kissing cousins (even regency romance, which I’ve been hooked on since I discovered Georgette Heyer). The books are only one step removed from each other, with some the focus might be on the adventure rather than the romance, but human beings are motivated by love and there is nothing as powerful as this primal passion.

I’m guessing you are devoted readers (if not of cereal packets), so I’m doing a give-away of the first book of King Rolen’s Kin. To enter, leave a comment with your answer to this question:

What’s the name of the kingdom where the story takes place?

I’ll leave the competition open for 48 hours and announce the winner in the comments.

On that note, I’d like to thank Nalini for welcoming a ‘cousin’ onto her blog. Warning, Gushing Fan-girl Moment -- I have all Nalini’s books. Currently, I’m working my way through them for the second time. (I’ve read the one about Mercy and Riley three times).

My blog.
My website.

KRKhd from Daryl Lindquist on Vimeo.

Friday Book Club

Book club time! What've you been reading and loving this week?

Denver, Colorado

Breaking News: I just found out that Bonds of Justice is to be on the New York Times Bestseller list! Thanks to all of you for your support!

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It's been all go since I arrived in the U.S. I had a fantastic time at RomCon! I posted some photos from it over at Oddshots if you'd like to have a look - I plan to post up some more (likely when I'm back in NZ).

For today, I've got an image from the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park. It's an amazing, amazing place and I'm so glad I got the chance to visit.


Talking about amazing things - I've seen the cover for Archangel's Consort and it is wicked-awesome. I can't share it just yet as it's not quite final, but trust me, you will all love it!

Also, I wanted to post up a link - this week's Book Chat over at Bitten By Books is about the Psy/Changeling Series, so swing by and join in the discussion.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Guest Author - Tessa Adams

I'm delighted to welcome Tessa Adams to the blog today. I read Dark Embers as an ARC and thought Tessa's new world of dragon shifters was dark and sexy and intriguing. You can check out an excerpt on Tessa's website.

Please give Tessa a warm welcome everyone, and don't forget to enter her contest!
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Tessa Adams

Before I start, I have to have a fangirl moment here. Nalini is my absolutely favorite paranormal writer and has been since I read Slave to Sensation many, many moons ago. I am so thrilled that she invited me to post on her blog!

I spent a long time trying to decide what it is I wanted to write about for today and since my latest cover for Dark Embers has generated a lot of comments— and because Nalini has some of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen--I thought I’d spend a few minutes talking about how books get their covers.

To begin with, I have to say that I have been incredibly lucky at NAL— they have given me beautiful, sexy, provocative covers for all of my books and I could not be happier. In fact, I just got the cover for Hidden Embers, my second dragon book as Tessa Adams, and I am very excited about it.

Now, I can’t tell you about everyone’s experience with covers—as I think each publishing house does things a little differently—but at NAL, the cover art really is a collaboration—between the author, her editor, her agent, marketing, the artist, and the art director. Wow, when I lay it all out like that it sounds like a lot of work. But then again, that sounds about right. Trying to get a great cover is a lot of work.

Sometimes an author just gets lucky, as I did with my first book, Full Exposure. I had almost no input on that cover—I said I wanted something to reflect the heat (Louisiana bayou in the summertime and Kevin is an iron sculptor who welds his pieces together) and something that reflected Serena hiding away and Kevin slowly stripping her defenses from her. And voila, I got the absolutely GORGEOUS cover for Full Exposure (one of my favorite parts is Serena peering out from the spine of the book).

My Tie Me Down cover, however, took a lot more work. My editor wanted to shake things up a bit, and though one major theme in the book is Cole’s sexual domination of Genevieve, there is one scene where she turns the tables on him. My editor wanted to exploit that scene on the cover—to make the book really stand out from others of its kind (which is why Cole is the one tied up here). But when we first got the cover, the title was in huge white block letters, Cole (with his arms tied behind his back) was dead center and the whole background was dark shades of brown.

It was an interesting cover, but both my agent and I—and to some extent my editor—felt that it wasn’t really catering to the audience (in other words, it looked like M/M erotica and we were afraid that people who bought it and found out it that it wasn’t would be upset). Plus the whole cover just looked really harsh and forbidding and didn’t appeal to us as women at all (a problem since romance novels are geared toward women). So we took our concerns back to the artist, who came up with the present cover—he added a layer of cursive underneath the title, added blood to the white letters to signify the serial killings that are the book’s subplots, moved Cole to the left and put Genevieve in the upper right corner. Of course, now the cover looks like a fem dom book (which it definitely isn’t) and my Genevieve has blonde hair, not brown, but at least the overall cover is really striking and beautiful—and has a subtle feminine touch that I really, really like.

I think my Tease Me cover is absolutely beautiful. The color scheme is an interesting cross between Full Exposure and Tie Me Down, which I love. When my editor came to me, we had originally envisioned the first scene from the book, where the two main characters are on facing balconies in a beautiful New Orleans courtyard. But no matter what the art department did, they—and marketing—just weren’t happy with the finished look. So they went back to the drawing board and the very sexy cover for Tease Me was born. I love it and was glad to hear that readers do as well :-)

Which brings me to my Dark Embers cover, which was another one that was nearly perfect when we got it. When my editor asked what I wanted, I told her a desert scene (my dragons live in the modern day, in the caves under the New Mexico desert) and a hot guy with a dragon tattoo—and what I got was exactly that. But when the original version came back, both my editor and the marketing department were concerned that it wasn’t dragony enough, so she had the art department add the belt buckle and my Dark Embers cover was complete.

So in the spirit of my blog entry, I thought I’d ask what some of your favorite covers have been? Some of my recent favorites are Maya Banks’s cover for Sweet Temptation, Unspeakable by Laura Griffin, Larissa Ione’s for Sin Undone, Nalini’s for Archangel’s Kiss, and Lauren Dane’s Inside Out. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of my first Dragon’s Heat novel, Dark Embers.*

*Tessa will close the contest and announce the winner in the comments.

Friday Book Club

...coming to you on Saturday today.

It's time to talk books. What've you been reading and enjoying this week?

Guest Author: Shiloh Walker

I'm delighted to host the lovely Shiloh Walker on the blog today. Please give her a warm welcome everyone, and don't forget to enter her contest!

Stuck

Hello…and thanks to Nalini for letting me drop in on her blog!

Where do you get your ideas?

Writers get that question a lot. I can’t speak for other writers but my ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere in between—a documentary, a random conversation with my husband, a book. And sometimes, I just wake up and there an idea is—like it was waiting for me.

That’s what happened with my current release, The Missing.

Actually, it was more like there was a character stuck in my head. Just there, waiting for me.

The first character to come into my head wasn’t the hero or the heroine, though.

It was Jillian—the hero’s daughter.

I had this little girl’s image in my head, the entire scene, really.

She was sitting in an airport, drawing a picture. When she was done, she shows it to her dad.

She’s drawn three kids, one in each corner of the page. He asks her who they are, and she says, “I don’t know…they are the missing…”

That was the start of the idea. The whole idea emerged from that, and this is one of those ideas that kind of bubbled and brewed in the back of my head for a while before I even attempted to write it. I think it was a year or two.

By then, the characters for the hero, Cullen and the heroine, Taige, had also started to form in my head, too, and once they were there, the story came pretty easily.

But it all started with the germ of an idea—that scene with Jillian, and I don’t know really know where Jillian came from. Of course, Jillian likes to hang out in my head, because not long after that idea popped into my head, another one came.

And this one involves a story where Jillian is grown up. That one won’t be written for at least a few more years, I know—in my mind, she’s still just a kid and I can’t write her story until I stop seeing her as a kid. She’s still in my head, though, and it’s just a matter of time, I think, until I write her story.

And since I’ve got a book out and I should probably do the standard author promo bit…here it is… (and stay tuned, I’m giving away a prize…)

The Missing is now out in mass market…

LOVE LOST

As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand—except for Cullen Morgan, the boy her stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered—and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND

Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED

Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether—if they find his daughter in time—it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…

And now here’s the prize. I get characters stuck in my head. A lot. Sometimes they are mine…like Jillian. Sometimes they are belong to other authors…like SL Viehl’s Cherijo & Duncan from the Stardoc books, or Nalini’s Elena & Raphael, Jeaniene Frost’s Cat & Bones, or JD Robb’s Roarke & Eve. They get stuck in my head, and not just a particular story, but the characters themselves.

This ever happen to you? What characters get stuck in your head and why? Leave your answer in the comments and everybody who enters will get entered for a $15 GC to Amazon. I will draw a winner from the comments and post the name here in the comments sometime during the next week. Contest open across the globe!

Shiloh Walker

http://www.shilohwalker.com

Website Updated

The website's been updated - including with the first chapter excerpt from Play of Passion. Enjoy!

Bonds of Justice is out!!

To celebrate the release, here's an excerpt!

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Excerpt from Bonds of Justice

The door opened at that moment, revealing the woman at the center of his thoughts. She’d changed into jeans and a gray sweatshirt that covered those curves he was starting to obsess over. He could see the edge of a white T-shirt beneath the sweatshirt, while plain black sneakers peeked out from under the hem of her jeans.

“Is this appropriate?” she asked. “I assumed we might have time to go to the garage as well.”

He ran his gaze not over her clothing, but over the soft curls of her shoulder-length hair. A rich, charcoal black, those curls tempted a man to fist his hands in the softness, tug her close, and sink his teeth—deliciously carefully—into that full lower lip. “Yes.” It came out husky.

She hesitated, as if she’d caught the edge in his tone, but her words when they came were pragmatic. “I’ll e-mail the Councilor from the car, ensure the chief mechanic knows we’ll be coming.” Locking her door after picking up that little computronic gadget that seemed to be surgically attached to her hand, she fell into step beside him, her head not even reaching his shoulder.

“You’re short.” He could tuck her under his arm, and against his body, without any problem whatsoever.

Sophia almost halted. “That kind of observation is rude in all cultures.”

He shrugged, but he’d noted the jerky movement before she smoothed out her stride, considered the implications—Psy made it a point to react as little as possible, regardless of the provocation. And Max was very, very good at provocation when he was in the mood. “I didn’t say you didn’t look good short.”

“I am what is termed a ‘throwback’ to my great-great-grandmother,” Sophia said, her tone pure feminine frost. “She had the identical body type. I will never be slender.”

“From where I’m standing”—Max couldn’t help himself, the devil in him taking over—“slender is overrated.”

Ignoring him with a focus that made his lips curve into a slow, satisfied smile, Sophia pressed her finger to the touch pad for the elevator.

(c) Copyright 2010 by Nalini Singh

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I hope you all enjoy Max and Sophia's story!!

RomCon

I've got my traveling shoes on and am off to the RomCon conference in Denver! If you're attending, please come on over and say hi!

I'll only be posting sporadically during the next few weeks, but I've got several guest authors scheduled to post through that time, so keep an eye out for them!

Friday Book Club

Before we dive into the book club, I have some more linkage for you.

More great reviews are coming in for Bonds of Justice. Here's a snippet from a review by Leontine of Realms on Our Bookshelves.

There is an everlasting quality to the storytelling that makes Bonds Of Justice a one-sitting-read....BONDS OF JUSTICE gave all that is important to me as a reader along with two memorable characters I got to fall in love with.

Follow the link to read the full review. I'm getting so excited about the release!

I've also got an interview up at Kylie Griffin's blog, talking travel, books and dolls. (Curious? check out the interview!)

Kiwi author Helen Lowe has just joined The Supernatural Underground, so swing by and say hi.

And fellow authors Jaci Burton and Anya Bast are talking new releases and giving them away, including one you might recognize :)

Now, onto the book club! I've been reading this fascinating book called Play of Passion *grin* What've you been reading and loving this week?

Copy Edits and More

I'm working on copy edits for Play of Passion at the moment, so not online much, but I wanted to let you know about a few things.

Fiction Kingdom has a review and giveaway for Bonds of Justice. Here's a snippet from the review:

I was a little hesitant when I heard that the main couple was going to be a human/psy pairing, but Nalini makes it work beautifully.

Talking of giveaways, Jill Myles has an interview with Kasey Mackenzie over at Oddshots, and they're giving away Kasey's debut book - Red Hot Fury. I had a chance to read Red Hot Fury early and thought it was fantastic. If you're looking for an original new urban fantasy, check it out.


The fabulous Gena Showalter also has a new release - The Darkest Lie, the latest book in her Lords of the Underworld series.

I think the books in this series can be read as stand alones, but you'd probably enjoy them more if you started from book one (The Darkest Night).

And over at The Knight Agency, Diane Whiteside is giving away a copy of The Devil She knows.

Enjoy blog hopping! I'm off to dive back into Play of Passion!

International Covers: Thailand

Check out these awesome covers from my Thai publisher, Kaewkarn Publishing!

Mine to Possess

Secrets in the Marriage Bed

Bound By Marriage

Link: Meljean Brook - Demon Blood Giveaway

You all know how much I love Meljean's work - Demon Blood (out July) is no exception. It's rich and dark and lushly emotional. A beautiful read.

If you haven't tried this series, you definitely should. Meljean's giving you a chance to do just that by giving away 20 copies of Demon Blood over at Oddshots, so swing by and enter.

Plus, for those of you who've been following the series, she's just announced that she's been contracted for two more books - including Michael's! I can't wait to read it!

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books!

I read Lauren Dane's Laid Bare a while back, but realized I never mentioned it on the blog. It's a great book - erotic and deeply emotional at the same time, with a wonderful cast of characters.

I really enjoyed that we got to see the bonds of family in the book as well as, and alongside the romantic relationships. You can read more about Laid Bare on Lauren's website.

Your turn - what've you been reading and loving lately?

Bonds of Justice News & Reviews

I've had emails about whether Bonds of Justice would be available in Kindle format on release date (July 6). The answer is yes - for both the Kindle and for other ebook formats (no live links yet but keep an eye out).

Also, I wanted to share some great reviews for Bonds that have just gone live in the blogsphere.

Every time I read a Psy-Changeling novel, it feels like I'm coming home. Nalini's characters are like family to me....Bonds of Justice delivers a jammed packed, adrenaline rush of a story and an amazing couple with Max and Sophia.

Read the full review at Babbling About Books

I was lapping this book up like the best dessert ever. The kind with the good calories. I love this series and it’s so rare that I get to say that when we’re this many books in. I loved Max and Sophia’s hot romance and I am still just as excited about this series as I ever was back in its beginnings.

Read the full review at Lurv A La Mode

The chemistry is definitely hot between the two main characters , but they have to overcome tremendous odds to be together...It is a wonderful story...

Read the full review on the eHarlequin Community Boards

I'm getting so excited about the release date! I'll actually be in the U.S. around that time so I plan to lurk in bookstores ;-)

In truth, I'm going to be attending RomCon in Denver. It's a reader focused convention being held in Denver, Colorado, July 9-11th. If you're in the area, or close, do check it out. It looks like it's going to be a whole lot of fun!

Catchup

How's everyone's week going?

Writing

I've now got a (very) rough first draft of Hawke's book, and it's time to start the second draft. This is where I begin to smooth out the chapters, fill in any gaps, move scenes around, add and occasionally delete scenes, and more.

It's exciting to see the book taking shape. :)

Bonds of Justice Winner

I've run the random numbers for the giveaway of an early copy of Bonds of Justice and the winner is Cathy M! Congratulations. An email is on the way to you.

If you didn't win, it's not long now till the July 6th release date! I hope you all enjoy Max and Sophia's story.

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books!

I'm currently about two thirds of the way through Justin Cronin's The Passage, and finding it compelling reading. I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.

What're you reading this week?

Bookstore Story

Walk into bookstore.

Think - absolutely will not buy anything because to-be-read pile is now several piles.

Ten minutes and three books later...

Bonds of Justice

Contest Closed.

Winner: I've run the random numbers and the winner is Cathy M! Congratulations. An email is on the way to you.

If you didn't win, it's not long now till the July 6th release date! I hope you all enjoy Max and Sophia's story.

Guess what I have? An early finished copy of Bonds of Justice to give away!

To enter the draw, just leave a comment with your answer to this burning question:

If you could take home any character from the Psy/Changeling world, who would it be and why?

OR, if you haven't read the books yet:

What's caught your interest about the series?

Open to everyone*. Entries close 12 noon, Sunday June 20th 2010, New Zealand time. Please leave some way for me to contact you, or check the blog on Sunday night to see if you've won. If I don't hear from the winner within 72 hours of posting their name, I'll redraw. Good luck!

*Void where prohibited

Links

I'll have something special for you later today, but for now, a couple of links I though you might like.

Fellow NZ writer Helen Lowe is giving away an advanced copy of her fantasy novel, The Heir of Night, on her blog. Her publisher Eos, is also giving away copies.

And, it's Take Home Tuesday at the The Knight Agency - this week's giveaway is Jonathan Friesen's Rush.

Archangel's Kiss - Audiobook Cover

Check it out!!

Worldbuilding Interview

I recently did an interview with Raelene Gorlinsky of Ellora's Cave talking worldbuilding, and it's now up at Redlines and Deadlines!

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What've you been reading and loving this week?

More Awesome Fan Art

I'm getting some great fan art sent to me. Check out these! (I've got some more saved for next week).

This image was created by Laura/Arualy, inspired by the Guild Hunter series.


This one was created by Melanie Bradshaw, and inspired by the Psy/Changeling series. Melanie also has another piece at this link.

If you've done fan art, let me know, or leave a link in the comments :) And as always, if you'd like to use the artwork in any way, please contact the artist(s).

Also, the Q & A is still going on - you've got until Sunday to get your questions in.

(The Friday Book Club post will be up tonight.)

Berkley Giveaway - including "Bonds of Justice"

...over at Dear Author.

(I totally want some of those books!)

Q & A

I'm opening the floor for questions (both series). But, make sure you read the rules below before posting!

Rules

1. Before asking a question, check that it hasn't already been answered - either in the earlier comments on this post, on the website, or in either of the previous Q&A sessions.

2. No questions about Hawke, as I'm working on his book at present.

3. Please keep any "fine detail" questions to a minimum - ie. specific ages etc. It just takes me a little longer to answer these as I need to refer back to my notes.

4. If someone else asks a question and you know the answer, feel free to help me and answer! :-)

I'll keep this open through the weekend.

Ask away!

For all my librarian friends

Julia Quinn posted this on Facebook and I had to repost!

Friday Book Club

I'm currently reading Lois McMaster Bujold's Beguilement (Book 1 of the Sharing Knife series) and loving it! I stayed up way too late last night after telling myself I'd read just one more chapter. Ten chapters later...

Beguilement is a fantasy novel, but it's also deeply romantic - the two main characters are just wonderful. Totally recommended. If you'd like to read a detailed review, check out the one at Dear Author.

What are you reading and enjoying this week?

Ace/Roc Giveaway

...over at Dear Author.

Article & Fan Art

Check out this awesome article at Salon.com about "Your Guiltiest Summer Reading Pleasures" by Sarah Wendell. You might see a book that looks familiar. *grin*

~

Here's another cool piece of fan art! It's the artist's take on Dorian.

Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs

I've been catching up on my reading over the past couple of weeks, so I'm going to be doing some book posts this week.

First up, Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs. It was awesome. I just love the developing relationships both between the main, and the secondary characters, as well as how the world itself continues to deepen and grow.

Seeing more of Samuel was wonderful - I can't wait to see where Patricia Briggs takes this storyline.

I know a lot of you are fans of this series too - what do you love most about it?

p.s. If you haven't yet read this series, start with the first book, Moon Called.

Married By Morning - Lisa Kleypas

Talking about the new Hathaway book over at Oddshots!

Friday Book Club

Book club time!

Currently, I'm reading Demon Blood by Meljean Brook (out in July). I think Meljean's writing gets more beautiful with every book. The emotional intensity of the relationship between Rosalia and Deacon is so incredibly compelling - I stayed up way too late last night reading "just one more page."

If you haven't read Meljean's books before, she has lots of info over here.

Your turn! What've you been reading and loving this week?

Magic Bleeds, Interview & Writing

You all know how much I love Ilona's books, so it'll come as no surprise that I think this book is fantastic. Magic Bleeds is out now, so check it out! (And if you haven't read this series, start with book 1 - Magic Bites).

~

Last week, I had a radio interview with the lovely Helen Lowe. If you'd like to listen, go to this link.

~

I've started working on Hawke's book - wrote a great scene yesterday. I tend to write my way into a story, and often, some of the scenes aren't used in the final manuscript. However, I think this scene will definitely make it :-)

How is the week going for you all?

German Covers

Check out my gorgeous new German covers!

July 2010

October 2010

March 2011

Romantic Movies

Talking about romantic movies over at Oddshots.

For the Writers

Thanks to Anna Campbell for finding this video :-)

Friday Book Club

How's the reading going everyone?

Good News

I have two pieces of news to post today.

First, my updated release schedule!

Bonds of Justice ~ July 2010

"Whisper of Sin" in the Burning Up Anthology ~ August 2010

Play of Passion ~ November 2010

Archangel's Consort ~ March 2011

I'm also super excited to share that Branded By Fire, Angels' Blood, and Angels' Judgment (from the Must Love Hellhounds anthology), have all been nominated for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards in New Zealand!!

So, what's your good news? Share! :-)

Guild Hunter Fan Art

A Facebook friend, Rasit Ra, sent me a link to some artwork she created that was inspired by Raphael and Elena. Isn't it gorgeous?!

(Click on it to see a larger image).


As always, if you'd like to use this as an avatar, please ask the artist first.

Archangel's Consort

...is the title of the third Guild Hunter novel! I announced it this weekend at the Australian Romance Readers Association Awards Dinner.

Here's the announcement. :D

I had a wonderful time at the dinner. If you'd like to read about it and see more photos, follow this link to my post at Oddshots.

Talking of Archangel's Consort, I turned it in on Friday. It continues Elena and Raphael's story, and you find out a lot more about them both in the book. Elena's friends from the Guild return, and a number of the Seven play strong roles - you get to discover more about a couple of them in particular. Further info to come later in the year!

Today, I'm tidying my office, as I like to have a clean desk before I start the next project. :-) And, since I'm now moving from a Guild Hunter book to a Psy/Changeling book, this is the time when the Manhattan & New York maps come off the walls, and the San Francisco & California maps go up; the story bibles get swapped; and all the timelines, as well as random notes about the GH series on my desk and on the wall get collated and put away.

This process really works for me - Type A personality anyone? *grin*

I'm having this week off, but after that, I'll be beginning work on Psy/Changeling #10 which is Hawke's book. I won't be sharing much about this book until I get well into it, but with Bonds of Justice and Play of Passion releasing soon, there shall be much Psy/Changeling goodness.

I saw a few comments on yesterday's post mentioning that we haven't seen that much of the wolves to date. Well folks, that is about to change. Play of Passion takes you into the SnowDancer den, introducing you to all of the SD lieutenants, as well as other key members of the pack you haven't yet met.

And, to close, here are some more photos from the ARRA Awards dinner!

With Kat (above) and Larissa (below) from Book Thingo.

With author Erica Hayes.

This last shot is of a street artist I saw in Sydney while walking around with author Tracey O'Hara. Beautiful work, isn't it?

Bonds of Justice ARC Review

Becca, the winner of the "Bonds of Justice" ARC Contest has just posted her review!

This series is excellent, and this book more than makes the grade...I love the relationship that Max and Sophia build here, with the deep connections, the way they work together, the trust between them as two loners find someone to relax their guard with, combined with the heat, the humour and the touching sweetness. It’s a beautiful thing to read...

Full review: http://saiena.livejournal.com/159236.html

Friday Book Club

Book club time! How's the reading going everyone?

GH #3

Doing some final editing on GH #3. Thought you all might like another sneak peek.

___________

She raised her blades. “Once more through.”

“Go.”

The clash of steel, the slide of sweaty, slippery bodies, the wild life of it all, it exhilarated Raphael. He sparred with his Seven once in a while, but it had always been a practical exercise, to keep his physical skills sharp. Elena fought like it was part of her very self, and her joy in it infected him until it was a pulse beneath his skin.

Vampire Cat

I found this while I was looking for a picture for my Oddshots post today, and had to share!

ARRA Dinner

I'm speaking at the Australian Romance Readers Awards Dinner this Saturday the 15th in Sydney. Registration is still open, so if you'd like to come, don't forget to register!

Friday Book Club

I'm a huge fan of the Valdemar books and I didn't know Changing the World released last December. It was such a pleasure to come across it!

The collection is edited by Mercedes Lackey and the first story is by her. The other stories are written by a number of different authors, but feature the Valdemar world.

If you haven't read this series, I think you'd be fine starting with either the Magic, Wings or Arrows trilogies.

Your turn - what've you been reading and loving?

Brenda Novak Auction

The Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research is now up and running. Heaps of great stuff up for auction, including an ARC of Play of Passion, so check it out! :-)

Guest Author: Erin Quinn

WINNER: Thanks for all the great comments everyone. I've just run the random numbers and the winner of Erin's giveaway is Cait045. Congratulations!!

I'm delighted to welcome Erin Quinn back to the blog today! I was lucky enough to read Haunting Warrior a little while ago, and thought it was a wonderful book - full of passion and magic. It just swept me away to another time and place.

If you'd like to read an excerpt, you can find one on Erin's website. However, I'd suggest reading Haunting Beauty first, as I think the books build beautifully on each other.

Please welcome Erin on the blog everyone! (And don't forget to enter her giveaway.)

______________

Erin Quinn

Nalini, thank you so much for having me here at your blog. I’m a big fan and frequent visitor so it’s an honor to be a guest as well. You made my whole month when you contacted me to say you thought HAUNTING WARRIOR was awesome and you couldn’t put it down. I was at a writers conference and happy dancing all over the place. My roommate thought I was nuts . . . but then, she usually does think I’m nuts.

People have asked me what I loved about writing HAUNTING WARRIOR and my answer is simple. Rory. Rory is the amazing hunkus maximus you see on the cover and in my head when I was writing him—he was just as gorgeous. I fell in love with Rory almost from the first word. Readers met Rory when he was just a little boy in HAUNTING BEAUTY, but now he’s all grown up and he’s coping with a whole lot of trouble. He’s just traveled through time, following a woman he’s been dreaming of for weeks. Now he finds himself trapped in the body of another man—a man who could be his twin and who is about to marry Rory’s dream woman.

Saraid has agreed to marry a man she despises and fears because she is honor bound and prays the match will end the war on her people.

Here’s an excerpt from one of my favorite scenes when she first begins to realize that the man she’s wed is not who she thinks he is.

Saraid took a deep breath when he lowered his head to kiss her, feeling dizzy and sickened and something else she could not define. As if sensing the turmoil inside her, he caught her gaze and held it for a moment, his searching, probing. She felt as if he were trying to say something with those enigmatic eyes, and for a flashing instant she felt again that sense of another lurking behind the sky blue of them. What a frightening mystery this man was, she thought.

And then his mouth settled over hers and thought fled. His kiss was warm and soft when she’d expected cold and hard. The touch of his lips gentle and coaxing when she’d prepared for rough and invasive. The kiss was brief, and yet it felt that time stopped for the length of it, giving her the chance to feel every nuance, every unexpected instant. It seemed he tried to pull back and then hesitated, allowing just another moment of the contact that shocked her like a hot ember popping from a blazing fire to burn her. With their hands bound and trapped between their bodies, Saraid could do little more than allow it. She’d be allowing so much more later, when they were alone.

He pulled away, just enough so that he could look into her eyes again, and she saw something there that she did not understand. Confusion that matched her own. A need—but not the kind she’d expected. Not lust, but longing.

Thanks again for having me, Nalini! I’d love to give away an autographed copy of either ECHOES or WHISPERS (books by me, writing as Erin Grady) to someone who leaves a comment! Tell me, what do you love best about the heroes you read? (Contest now closed).

Erin's Website

Some Good News

I'm absolutely delighted to announce that Elena from Angels' Blood won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist. Go Elena!!

This is the UK/Aus/NZ cover if you haven't seen it before - in honor of the fact that AB has just released in New Zealand. I'm very excited about seeing it in the stores here :-)

In further good news, several of my books are to be translated into Spanish (the first two GH books, and the first three Psy/Changeling books). Woohoo!!

For the Kiwis, I did a Radio NZ interview this morning. I'm also in New Idea magazine this week, so have a look-see :)

Readingwise, I wanted to mention Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts which was released last week. It's a wonderful book. I'm really loving the Bride Quartet series - can't wait for Parker's story. I just know fireworks are going to fly there!

p.s. We have an awesome guest tomorrow, so don't forget to drop in.

Bonds of Justice ARC Winner

Thanks for all your entries in the ARC Contest! To pick the winner, I assigned all of you a number, whether your entry came in by blog comment or email, deleted any duplicate entries, then ran the random number generator.

And the winner is:

Saiena

Congratulations!! The ARC will be on its way to you soon as I have your mailing address (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com)

If you didn't win, don't worry - we'll have more contests later on in the year :-)