I’m here in Huntington, West Virginia, a day ahead of the official start of the conference. The flight was uneventful and a helluva lot shorter than the one to Seattle earlier this month.

I almost didn’t make the trip. Restless me decided yesterday would be my “girlie” day. There was my first mistake. I don’t do girlie very well. Still, I suffered through a pedicure where I nearly kicked the “nail technician” into impotency (I’m very ticklish). I was so thrilled with my pretty toes (he painted flowers on both big hammers), that when I got home, I decided to give myself a facial.

I’m still wondering what the hell got into me. I found an ancient tube of a natural masque, applied it to my face then settled down to watch TV while it dried. I didn’t last a minute. My skin burned and itched and I ran to the bathroom to wash it off—but the damage was already done. At midnight last night, my face looked like a dimpled purplish raspberry.

When I got up to start getting ready, most of the welts had deflated. I still have bumps that look like a normal-ish skin rash and my face burns, but dammit, I’m gonna have a good time.

When I deplaned in Huntington, I met paranormal mystery author, Shirley Damsgard in the airport. We shared the shuttle ride to the hotel, then decided to go to lunch together. She’s lovely, funny and smart. I hope we keep in touch.

Since I have Internet access, I’ll try to let you guys know what’s happening here at Lora Leigh’s RAW!

Later! Need to head back down and see if I recognize anyone.

I’ll post yesterday’s winner later. I pre-posted this blog because at four AM I’ll be heading to the airport! Squee!

All right, soooo not excited about the early wakeup call, but I love Lora Leigh’s Readers Appreciation Weekend. If you’ve never attended one, you must. If you love talking to other readers about the books you love and meeting the writers who write those books—this is the conference for you.

And it’s so laid back. No rushing around for meetings. Just lazing by the pool or in the hotel lobby. Lots and lots of conversation. Maybe a crazy party or two—depends on if anyone brings any booze in!

And there’s a booksigning on Sunday! So if you are in the Huntington area and want to drop by the Pullman in the afternoon, come on down!

Be sure to post a comment today to be in the running for a download of this book!

Originally released in April 2005, Uncovering Navarro was the fifth in the My Immortal Knight series. Enjoy!

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5 Drops of Blood from Vampire-Erotica.net: “UNCOVERING NAVARRO is an action packed, fast paced, scorching, erotic thriller. With delicious love scenes, wry humor and non-stop thrills, UNCOVERING NAVARRO is a guaranteed page turner that’ll delight the reader.”

5 Cups from Coffee Time Romance: ”I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of vampires and things that go bump in the night. UNCOVERING NAVARRO is an extraordinary read by an extraordinary author.”

Sidney Coffey, Seattle’s “News at Nine” girl, uncovers the scoop of a lifetime and her ticket into serious journalism. The only problem is—without proof, no one’s going to believe the victims of recent gang killings are in fact undead and vampires! With her gut telling her there’s an even bigger story lurking beneath the surface, she decides to beard a reclusive vampire master in his den for an interview. But meeting the master only complicates things. For a woman with a voracious sexual appetite, the tall, dark and gloomy vamp proves an irresistible challenge.

When a reporter trespasses on his estate, Navarro is at first amused, then annoyed that the little baggage is close to putting together the pieces of a dangerous plot involving an old enemy and a group of murdered geneticists. To keep her safe, Navarro issues an erotic invitation he won’t let her refuse.

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“Who the fuck does he think he is? Keep me prisoner, will he?”

Navarro raised a brow at the loud mutterings of his houseguest as she paced the length of her room. Inigo had given her the guest bedroom with the hidden cameras and listening devices.

Although the sun would soon rise, Navarro felt no fatigue. The woman had invigorated his blood as no one else had in quite a long while—perhaps in the last century.

“I don’t take another man’s leavings,” she mimicked, her mouth curling in disgust. “Well, I don’t take cold leftovers—that’s what you are, Navarro!” she shouted through the locked door of her bedroom.

Still naked, she flounced onto the bed, beating her heels and hands against the mattress.

Navarro studied her attributes. Alone, each was unremarkable. Her bottom was rounded, firm. Her breasts a scant mouthful, tipped with small cherry nipples. Her body was trim, athletic, but not overly so.

No, her curves and pretty face weren’t what held his interest. It was her courage, the surprising twists her mind took, and the sensuality that plumped her lips and kept her nipples tight and hard, even now when only anger fired her passion.

No one had stirred his cock into any semblance of an erection in too many years to count. But here he was, his flesh pressing against the placket of his trousers while she threw endless insults at his head. Delightful!
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My old website had a special feature for every story—a look behind the book at what I was thinking when I wrote it. Uncovering Navarro is old enough that it appeared on that old website. This is the book I’ll feature on tomorrow’s “Flashback”. You’ll get a chance to win a free download of this story. In the meantime, here’s what went through my mind when Navarro was conceived.

I’ve wanted to write Navarro’s story for a long time—well, since he first appeared in All Hallows Heartbreaker. I had a sense he was very reserved, but craved…connection. He was also very jaded.

The problem was finding just the right heroine. If I could have planned the story, I would have thought his would be very dark with Navarro facing an old adversary—perhaps the woman who turned him hundreds of years ago. But that decision wasn’t mine to make. Okay, now you get yet another hint I’m not wrapped too tight!

I don’t just decide to write a book about…something. I wait for the first scene to come to me. After several months without working on a MIK, I really wondered whether the adventure was over. But then there was this pesky reporter—not the brightest watt—but so stubborn she’d make Simon Cowell look indecisive. And she was trying to break into a vampire’s den. The first scene with her falling from the brick wall all the way to her “wardrobe malfunction” rolled through my head like an old movie reel in a theater.

It shot the hell out of my dark prince story.

Once the scene presented itself, I was faced with a dilemma. I’m writing erotic romance, but Navarro isn’t a man who’s led by his manparts. So how could I add the sensual intensity (or rather quantity) that my genre requires?

If Navarro was reserved, my heroine had to be a very busy girl. She also wouldn’t be the kind of girl waiting to find her prince. She’d be out there doing lots of test runs! So number one, I needed to show how fast and loose she played it. I also felt like this story would be more closely tied to the first book in the series than any other, so I placed my heroine, Sidney Coffey, at the first scene of my first book—but in Uncovering Navarro you are seeing that first scene from a whole new perspective. I really liked how that all worked out, and I can’t claim responsibility for any cleverness—Moses Brown came knocking at my door.

Who the hell is Moses might you ask? Well his name came from a boyfriend in college who had a penchant for making love on the edge of cliffs. I’m not at all sure that was his real name—it probably had to do with his long, curly blonde hair and beard and the peasant shirts and sandals he always wore. He looked very “biblical”.

But while I liked the name, another face wore it. Between the buff, bald model Rodney (who is on the cover of the Tales from the Temple III anthology) and Ving Rhames, well there you have Moses. A big, tough, sexy guy who has an innate tenderness he rarely lets anyone see. Moses is already calling me to write his story.

If you’ve followed this blog for long, you know I’m always experimenting/studying alternative metaphysical and spiritual traditions. My friend Shada Royce gave a presentation at the Diamond State Romance Authors meeting on Saturday, which included something about animal totems. She sent me to Lin’s Domain to learn more. The following are the the very interesting results of my totem reading, which I did under my real name. Lin chose nine animal totems for my spirit guides, each having significance for the “directions” they guide me. There are a ton of animals she could have chosen, but look at which ones popped up.

The East totem guides you through spiritual challenges. Your East totem is:

Frog: Transformation
The frog is the totem of metamorphosis. It symbolizes coming into your personal power. It reminds us not to become bogged down with day-to-day living. It is the totem of water. Its voice calls forth the rains. Emotions are associated with water and a frog totem may be telling you to get in touch with your feelings. People with frog medicine give support and energy where it is needed. They can cleanse the negativity from an environment.

How wierd is that? You all know how much I love water—my pool, rainstorms. How many times have I chased frogs around my pool to rescue them when they can’t escape? I love to hold them, love the look of them, have froggie earrings and pins. Huh

The South totem protects the child within and reminds you when to be humble and when to trust. Your South totem is:

Coyote: Wisdom, Folly
The Coyote teaches you how wisdom and folly go hand-in-hand. In the folly of others, we see our own foolishness and we learn from their mistakes. Coyote energy is tied to simplicity and trust. It stimulates and renews innocence and reawakens a childlike wisdom in the world. A Coyote’s howl touches your soul, reminding us of our primal connections. Coyote people are very adaptive to new situations and have close-knit families, especially when children are involved.

Before I received my reading, I thought about what animals might be my spirit guides. The first that popped into my mind was the frog. The second was a dog/wolf—so coyote feels right to me! And since I’m both smart and ditzy, the wisdom/folly thing really fits.

The West totem leads on your path to personal truths and inner answers. It shows you the path to your goals. Your West totem is:

Crocodile & Alligator: Primal Energies
The Crocodile or Alligator totem contains the unbridled creative forces of the world, the fury and ferocity of Primal Energies. It is the symbol of creation and destruction. The Crocodile or Alligator is the keeper and protector of all knowledge. She is the primal mother in whom all knowledge rests and waits to be born. People with a Crocodile or Alligator totem have the opportunity to develop new wisdom but they must be careful not to be consumed by this wisdom. Study each bit of knowledge carefully before going on to the next. Care of the eyes is important for Crocodile or Alligator people. Also beneficial are breathing techniques like those practiced in Yoga. When a Crocodile or Alligator shows up look for an opportunity to touch very primal energies. There will be an opportunity for new knowledge and wisdom.

Unbridled creative forces? Primal energy? Sounds like what I write, right? Care for the eyes? Let’s see, I wear glasses, have Graves disease and have to worry about developing the accompanying eye disease. I also was recently diagonosed with a mini-stroke that blotted out part of my vision—not that I knew it!
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First, I know I said I wouldn’t share any more pictures of my obsession, but with all the rain we’ve had in recent days, these beauties popped up. They sat at the base of the huge oak tree in my backyard. Love the colors against the dark moss and bright green ivy. And don’t they look like cinnamon rolls? They’re just about as big. Oh, and they’re mushrooms if you hadn’t already guessed.

It’s out of my system. Now onto the progress report.

Good news—the releases of Frannie ‘n’ the Private Dick on Monday, then Altered States on Wednesday.

Not much accomplished on the writing front, I’m afraid. I finished a chapter and half on one project. Mostly, I researched castles, Medieval clothing and maps.

I’ve been looking at my plans and trying to figure out where my effort would be best spent. It’s a tough time in the publishing business and contracts are harder to come by. Trying to figure out what will hit next is like reading a cloudy crystal ball—so I ordered a new set of Tarot cards.
🙄

I’ll be in Little Rock today meeting with the Diamond State Romance Authors. After that, I’m housesitting for the night at a lake house in Hot Springs. What can I say? I love the water.

Here’s a question to keep you thinking…

If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want people to remember you for most of all?