Like any writer, I love to read. I was a reader way before I was a writer, but I didn’t come to romance until I was out of college. And then I couldn’t get enough. I started with historicals, buying them at the grocery store and Target and Walmart. Then I discovered used book stores and started stockpiling books. I ALWAYS had bags of books to trade in, and by the time the store closed, I had credit like crazy.

Then I discovered Paperback Swap, a website where you can request books, in exchange for sending off books of your own. There were wrappers to print, and I probably spent a billionty dollars in stamps and the mailman hated me because I was always sending or receiving books (and my mailman has to walk!)

Next I discovered Amazon and its one-click evil. Now the UPS guy hated me, but I was able to preorder the books I wanted.

And then I got my first iPhone. I was so excited because even though I was an ebook author, I didn’t have a way to read ebooks! Now I could order Kindle books or Nook books. I discovered Fictionwise and its wonderful, wonderful discounts. I still have books from them that I haven’t read, lol!

But one of the joys I found with ebooks was novellas! My grandmother would always get  those collections, you know, the anthologies that come out at Christmas? That seemed to be the only time you could get novellas in print form. One author–I think it was Julie Garwood?–released 4 tiny print books, then a novel. They made a movie about the series. Brothers and an adopted sister. Anyone remember that?

ANYWAY, back to novellas. I LOVED reading novellas. Most of the time they just focus on the romance, which is, after all, while I read romance. I mean, I love a meaty historical, and a twisty romantic suspense (not too gritty, please), but sometimes I just want a quick happy ending.

I love writing novellas for the same reason—I focus on the romance and can get my characters to a happy ending all the faster.

I’m writing a series now about a group of hot shot firefighters, starting with the by-the-book crew chief who falls for a rookie on his crew in All on the Line, available at Amazon  and BN.com.

Jaci Nichols thinks nothing can make her feel as alive as fighting wildfires–man against nature, standing up to danger every day.

Until her crew chief, Cal Sinclair, kisses her after a close call on the fire line.

Wow.

Now she’s craving more, but he wants to keep his distance.

Cal Sinclair doesn’t want to screw up his first year as crew chief, so he keeps his distance from the members of his hot shot crew. Hard to do when the sexy rookie gets under his skin. Something about her draws him, and makes him want to put it All on the Line.

The second book came out the weekend the Granite Mountain Hotshots died. Standing on the Line is also available, and Crossing the Line will be out this fall.

Do you like novellas, or do you prefer more meaty stories? What kind of novellas do you like to read?

The power was out last night. A storm thundered through. The lights blinked out, but my UPS kept my PC going for another half hour. Eventually, I had to power off and join the rest of the unconnected world. The outage started at around 9 PM and didn’t end until 6:25 this morning. After which it popped on for about 5 minutes—long enough for me to surface and send a message that yes, I’m alive, before it winked out again. I spoke to soon. 😐

I’m comfy again with the AC running. I don’t like to sweat for no good reason, so I’m grumpy today. I have tons of catchin’ up, but thought I’d pop in and tell you about two blogs you don’t want to miss today.

If you’re not following the Smokin’ Hot Firemen and High Octane Heroes blogs, you’re missing out!

Today on Smokin Hot Firemen, my sister Elle James is talking about smokejumpers and offering a very nice prize package to one lucky winner! All you have to do is drop by and comment!

At High Octane Heroes, Leah Ridgewood is talking about her beloved San Francisco—and giving away three books to EVERYONE! You know you don’t want to miss that! The least you can do is stop in and say Thank you, Leah!

I couldn’t have been more excited when Delilah selected “Saving Charlotte” for inclusion in the Smokin Hot Firemen collection. And why? Not just because it was a great opportunity to write a hot story about firemen (although, let’s be honest—that was at the top of the list!). But I actually had to go and interview a fireman.

In person.

And yeah, he was in full uniform.

*Drool*

There is just something about a muscular man in suspenders…

It took me a while to think of an excuse to interview my smoking hot fireman, but I’m a creative person, so I pulled it off.

In my story “Saving Charlotte,” Mark Connor finds this gorgeous woman tied to a bed in a burning building. He needs to cut her free, and in a hurry.

My question for my hot fireman in suspenders was this: Do firemen have cutting tools on their belt, and are they issued by the fire department, or can they have their own.

His answer was awesome. They do, in fact, carry cutting tools, and they can bring in their own. He went on, at length, about the different kinds and why he preferred the one he had.

It was so much fun to listen, although, I must admit, I have no recollection of what he said.

I was too busy watching his lips move.

And drooling.

Excerpt from Sabrina York’s “Saving Charlotte”

Mark Conner fought his way through the smoke and flames to the third floor of the apartment building. A skitter of concern writhed in his gut. This fire was moving fast. Despite the nearly fifty pounds of equipment, he picked up the pace and motioned to Izzy to do the same.

According to the wailing mother on the street, there was a child still trapped up here.

Two doors flanked the top floor landing. Without discussion—they hardly needed it anymore—Izzy turned right and Mark turned left. In tandem, they kicked the doors in. Mark angled his flashlight and scanned the smoky living room. Nothing.

Smoke roiled around him; sweat prickled his brow. There wasn’t much time.

Then he heard a faint cry. He shouldered his way down the hall and into the bedroom…and froze.

A second was far too long to stare. Lives could be lost in a second. But the sight that greeted him nearly brought him to his knees. A sudden, inappropriate lust snarled through him. He forced it to the back of his mind. For later.

He’d expected a small child, coiled in a corner.

Not an exquisite angel bound to a bed. Read the rest of this entry »

A while back, I shared pictures of some of the things I’ve made, just to show you there’s more to my life than writing (I hear the hisses and boos! :)). I asked folks to share their artistic passions too! Several of you responded so I’m sharing those pics today!

Ilona Fenton shared the following pictures. She loves crocheting toys and cross-stitching bookmarks.

I love Thor! I need one of these for my little Thor collection!

Ronnie shared a picture of this and had this to say:
“As an example of my cross-stitch stuff I have attached a piece I made for my husband’s powerchair. I stitched it onto the back of his headrest. Everyone loves seeing it. I also have one on the side of his seat that says ‘I Don’t Do Stairs!'”

She’s so talented at the cross-stitch, she makes her own patterns. Here’s one!

Kristen Jones crochets when she’s not looking after her little ones. She even does it for others through a Facebook swap shop and fan page!

This is one my daughter asked her to make for one of my Christmas presents! It’s glorious and of Ganesh! See the elephant at the center?

Melissa Porter sent in her friend’s creation and I can see why! I need one of those on my desk!

Author MJ Frederick has a crafty side as you can see here! She made most of these using transfers, and the t-shirt with the sprigs on it was something she used Elmer’s glue to draw, and then she died the tee green around it! Fantastic! You can check out her creations on Pinterest!

Ronnie Cornett has a very artistic side!

So that’s the wrap-up of the surprising talent we have out there. This is something I made this week. Loved the frog clinging to the top of the bead! (I didn’t make the bead, but that’s something I’ll learn to do some other day. LOL)

Thanks to everyone for sharing their pictures!

A star is born…

Return of the Fae, a contemporary paranormal romance, released this last week.  A witch out of water story. Parris McCall found out the things she actually thought made her weird growing up were actually her witch powers trying to break through the door she’d shut and locked so many years ago.

I had a lot of fun with this story because I’ve always felt different too. I was the girl who’d rather be in the library lost in a book than haunting the mall looking for the perfect makeup or perfume.  Not that I don’t enjoy playing dress up every once in a while.

Prudence, a witch who’s been banished by The Council, a total over-reaction to a situation involving a prince, some jewels, and a spell, shows up in this story. And boy, did the girl steal the scene. I’d thought she’d be a secondary character, one that told her story and gave Ty and Parris the information they were seeking, but now, she’s trying to get more time in the third book. And, I’m going to give it to her.

All because my husband is a Cincinnati Red’s fan.

Did I lose you? Probably. My mind runs in strange circles.  So let’s start at the beginning.

One Memorial Day, we were walking through Cincinnati waiting for the game to begin.  This was my first trip to the city and the Great American Ball Park. As we walked, I told my husband about the beginning thoughts about the plot of Return of the Fae.  I was stuck.  The advice from my husband?  Let it simmer. I think he was tired of listening to me complain.   But I took his advice and enjoyed the weekend, taking pictures as we wandered through A Taste of Cincinnati as well as the ball game.

Once we got home, I downloaded the pictures, and, found this —

And a character was born.

Return of the Fae –

A witch in training, a hunter on the prowl, and a world in jeopardy.

Learning the rules of being a witch takes years, but Parris McCall needs to master them in only weeks. Ty Wallace is going mad with his desire for Parris, but she’s a distraction in his quest to find Coven X before they take The Council and everyone he knows down.

The couple searches for Ty’s mentor, but he’s disappeared. Their only clue comes from a banished witch. When they return, not only are their own lives threatened, but a new life hangs in the balance.

Available at Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Return-of-the-Fae-ebook/dp/B00DJVH8V6

Bio – Lynn Cahoon is a contemporary romance author with a love of hot, sexy men, real and imagined. Her alpha heroes range from rogue witch hunters, modern cowboys, or hot doctors, sexy in scrubs. And her heroines all have one thing in common, their strong need for independence. Or at least that’s what they think they want.  She blogs at her website www.lynncahoon.wordpress.com

The winner of Elle’s prize package is Carol Woodruff!
Congrats, Carol! Elle will be in contact with you shortly!

* * * * *

Lucky Seven

If you believe in luck and 7 is your lucky number, today is your day! It’s the 7th day of the 7th month, and I’m feeling lucky!

I just signed a contract for my 37th, 38th and 39th books with Harlequin. I have wonderful parents, a husband who supports my writing career, three wonderful children and two grandsons. I’ve been to Paris this year, Ireland last year and more travel in the near future. And don’t let me forget to mention that I have a terrific sister, the fabulous DELILAH DEVLIN, who shares my passion for writing. What more could a girl ask for?

I’m also lucky because I have a new series starting this month with Harlequin Intrigue.

It’s the COVERT COWBOYS INC series.  First book out the chute is TRIGGERED.

TRIGGERED

To protect their future, a Texas bodyguard must revisit his past

After taking justice into his own hands, Austin police officer Ben Harding faces an unknown future. But a new job referral carries the possibility of salvation. His mission seems simple: protect a woman and her young daughter—recent residents of the Flying K Ranch who have become the target of threats.

When Ben meets Kate Langsdon, he is immediately struck by her beauty…and by the memories of the tragedies that touched his own family. Resolved not to become emotionally invested, Ben protects the pair as new dangers—and old ranch secrets—emerge. As enemies draw closer, can Ben keep this family alive long enough to explore a future with Kate?

Since I’m so lucky, I want to give you a chance to be lucky. Leave a comment on a happy lucky thing in your life for a chance to win the following prize:

Elle’s Bio:

Elle James spent twenty years in South Central Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, retired Army and Air Force Reservist, she’s proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats or laughing out loud. Now, living in northwest Arkansas, she’s given up wrangling cattle and exotic birds to wrangle her muses, a malti-poo and a yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow skiing, boating, or riding her four-wheeler, dreaming up new stories.

Social Media:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

So, the first time I told my husband my characters talk to me, he told me “They have meds for that.” I just had to giggle. Even though he’s my other half, he struggles to understand me as a writer. It’s difficult.

In my experience, that’s pretty common. No one else except another writer can understand fully.

But that’s all right. Because I can still share my stories with the world, whether people like them or not.

When people ask me how I decide what to write about, or how a particular story goes, it boils down to this: My characters tell me more often than I decide.

I am a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t plot. I just sit down and write and hope the words flow. Sometimes, they do. Sometimes, I struggle. Sometimes, I think I know what’s going to happen, and then the characters throw me for a loop. Sometimes, I’m the writer and the story follows the lines I assumed they would. But so far, if I listen to them, they let me know what the story will be.

Promise I’m not crazy!

When I’ve tried to plot, I haven’t been all that successful. I made decisions and when the story changed, I didn’t deal with the change in my structure. It just stressed me out. So I had to convince myself the way I have been doing things, my process, isn’t wrong. That every writer is different. And that’s OKAY!

Whatever works to get the words on the page is the correct way.

I guess that’s what I would tell other writers: Don’t mess with what’s not broken.

You know how I said my characters talk to me? Well, sometimes they can be difficult. As in…they won’t/don’t SHUT UP! Or give me peace of any kind.

One in particular, Cole, the hero of Collision Force (Crossing Forces Book One) feels as if he should be the center of my universe. When I was writing the book, he haunted my dreams. One might think that’s helpful to a pantser like me, but he wouldn’t let me even think about anything else! I suppose it’s handy that he’s so hot. 6’4, black hair, gray eyes, and of course all the right muscles. Hehehe. He’s funny, too, which is always a plus.

But I figured I would get relief when I was done with the book. Not so much. I KEPT dreaming about him, and his heroine, Andi. The positive thing in all that is, I suppose that they gave me the idea for a very cute Christmas story!

When I moved on to start book two, Cole insisted he needed an “important” role in the book, so for all those who read CF and liked him, be assured you will see him in book 2.

I’ve always been a writer, but the road to publication has been an adventure. I’m so glad I get to share what’s in my head with readers!

Where to find C.A.:

Facebook | Website | Blog | Twitter: @caszarek
| Goodreads

Bio:

C.A. is originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She is married and has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. She works with kids when she’s not writing. She’s always wanted to be a writer and is overjoyed to share her stories with the world.

Sword’s Call (King’s Riders Book One) is C.A.’s first book, and published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. C.A. Collision Force (Crossing Forces Book 1), published by Total-E-Bound Publishing and was released June 28, 2013.

Buylink from TEB:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2180&utm_source=focusonfirststrategy&utm_medium=authorpromo&utm_campaign=collisionforce