Say the words “ovarian cancer” to a group of women and they will fall silent–for good reason. Most of them probably know someone–a dear friend, their own mother, a neighbor–who was lost to this “Silent Killer.” Silence is what kills us, and it is about time we upped the chatter. My publisher, Avon Books has teamed up with the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and designated six of their September titles as Kiss & Teal books to help get the word out. But more about them in a moment.

As I said, it seems like every woman knows (or will know) … Read more »

I adore Katharine Ashe because she’s the sort of hip, cool chick who writes her own rules. And she is as much a smart aleck as I am–maybe more so. Love that in a person. Hope you get to like her as well! Here are Five Things about Katharine Ashe:

1) Favorite indulgence: Champagne. Admittedly, this may not come as a surprise to many.

2) Favorite dessert: Hands down, Toll House cookies. I tend to eat them for breakfast and snacks too. So… dessert all day long!

EB: See what I mean? Her cookie obsession is legendary and fills her … Read more »

Of course you don’t go to Alaska just for the brothel tour, you actually go for the vistas and wildlife. And being a big state they have tons–though the only thing I saw of wildlife was a moose’s behind–and then it was from the train. But here is a better shot from the train:

And if you want to see amazing, there are the glaciers in Glacier Bay:

Or up on a glacier:

Then the view from a dog sled is amazing:

From the top of Juneau:

And all points in between:

Up close:

Truly a gorgeous place. I keep … Read more »

It seems truly appropriate that my Brothel blog is followed by Delilah Marvelle. She loves writing about sex and madames and the madcap adventures of Regency rakes. Much more romantic than my Skagway adventures, and great reading to boot.

Delilah is a funny, earnest, wonderful person who loves writing–truly loves telling stories and that is why I admire her.  She worked so hard to get published and hasn’t let up even after she’s published. So if you haven’t tried one of her books, I would suggest you do, especially if you like your heroines adventurous and your heroes seriously wicked.… Read more »

Yes, I was on vacation. I spent 10 days in Alaska, seeing the sights, cruising, traveling via: plane, bus, train, ship, bus, helicopter, bus, zipline, and bus.

One would expect me to go on and on about the mountains and vistas and the fab buffet on the ship and all the sights. No, I want to tell you about one of my highlights: I went to a brothel. Well, a Brothel Museum. Out of the twenty people I was traveling with, I was one of the first to sign up for the Brothel Museum tour. Go figure.

Yes, I was … Read more »

If you haven’t read a Regency romance by the skilled and talented Candice Hern, you are missing out. Not only is Candice a great writer, but her knowledge of the period is exceptional. Once you get done meeting Candice, make sure you wander over to her website and view her collections–Regency prints, fans, and alike and an ever-expanding Regency Glossary that every reader should have bookmarked. But best of all, I am thrilled to call her one of my dear friends. Now I hope to extend that privilege to you as well as you discover Five Things About Candice Hern:… Read more »

So to keep up with your questions, (which I should tell you, there were 6 pages worth!!!) today I am going to answer the ones posited by Ebony Morton. I thought they were particularly perfect for right now as I struggle through finishing a book and wonder what the heck I am doing.

My husband says I always do this, and I wish he wouldn’t always remind me. I prefer my short term memory when it comes to deadlines.

So here are Ebony’s excellent questions:

Do you have all your stories planned out before you write them or do they … Read more »

I have known Marcella Burnard for eons. We met when we both worked for a large software company and discovered we both were aspiring writers. We’d get together at lunch and talk writing and dream about the days when we could chuck corporate life and write full time. So fast forward to now and we both have writing careers and years of friendship between us. I was totally thrilled this spring when her first book, Enemy Within, was nominated for the RITA award in two categories: Best First Book and Best Paranormal. Tres Cool! I have to admit, I … Read more »

Today’s Facebook questions come from Adelaide Hsu, who asked the following:

What inspires you?

Everything and anything. I am constantly amazed at what offers inspiration. The street names on a freeway sign. A particular reading at mass. A photo in a magazine. An overheard conversation in Starbucks. The characters themselves. I’ve always been the sort of person who can’t stop with one question–I tend to take that kernel of inspiration and start pondering a thousand and one questions about it until a more fully formed story grows around it. Sometimes that turns into a book and other times, the idea … Read more »