This has been a crazy busy year, and it’s only half over. Following is a list of upcoming releases with dates where I have them. Mark your calendars.

6/18/10 – UN, DEUX, TROIS, MÉNAGE! anthology (Ellora’s Cave)
07/01/10 – THE OBEDIENT WIFE, Fairy Tale Lust anthology (Cleis Press)
07/??/10 – PLEASING SIR (Me!)
08/01/10 – THE WEEKEND, Lesbian Lust anthology (Cleis Press)
Summer?/10 – VEILED ALLIANCE anthology (Ellora’s Cave)
09/??/10 – FOUR SWORN (Samhain)
09/21/10 – DARKNESS CAPTURED (Avon Red)
11/1/10 – COWBOY FEVER anthology (Samhain)
11/01/10 – THE MORNING RIDE, Passion: Erotic Romance for Women (Cleis Press)
01/??/11 – RAVISHED BY A VIKING (Berkley Heat)
Spring?/2011 – HOT OUT HERE, The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance anthology (Running Press)

Since there’s still time to finish novellas for Ellora’s Cave and Samhain, I might be adding a few more.

So, on to the report!

1) This week I had two new releases, both from Ellora’s Cave. The first was the reissue on Monday of Warlord’s Destiny as a single novella rather than as a part of an anthology. Nice! The second was a surprise release of the print book, Un, Deux, Trois, Menage! on Friday. I hope everyone got their copies!

2) Not a whole lot of writing this week, although I did manage to add to the quickie I’m writing for Ellora’s Cave. It’s a shapeshifter story, BTW.

3) I finally hit on the idea I want to work on for Cleis’s Dream Lover anthology. It’s quasi-plotted, or at least I know who the hero and heroine are and that’s enough for me to start writing.

4) The Plotting Bootcamp is rolling along. Authors are applying themselves to their homework. Sis and I are reviewing it and making suggestions for improvements to help them pummel their WIPs into shape.

5) The really big news of the week was that my Berkley editor approved the synopsis for the second Viking story. So now I can start working on the thing. Since I spoke with her, I’ve been studiously avoiding the book, and working on anything but, telling myself that I have to clear my desk before I dive in, but that’s not true. I never need a clear desk, or even a clear mind, to start something new. I’m just dreading the 85,000 words. LOL

6) Lastly, and this is happy news, the first Viking book has been moved up on the calendar. Ravished by a Viking will be published in January 2010!

What do I plan to accomplish this week?
* Finish EC Quickie
* Write Dream Lover short story
* Work on characters and plot for Viking story
* Plot the next chapter of Bad Moon Rising (no, I didn’t forget all about it!)
* Place order for promo items for Lora Leigh’s Readers Appreciation Weekend

I was a little more flush in the pocket than usual this month, so I decided to splurge on some more art for my walls. Remember “Blueberry Blast”? I enjoyed that painting so much, I went back to my friend’s gallery to hunt for more treasure. You may look at my choices and scratch your head, but I don’t always pick the things that go with my decor or that someone might think is the best art—I pick things that speak to me.

I’ve watched this watercolor for months. Every time I went into the gallery, I’d wind up, standing in front of it, reading the little note the artist wrote about the origin of the bottle tree, and yesterday, I decided it had to be mine. I’m going to hang it near my bed, I think. Maybe the bottles in the pictures that trap the “haints” will work their magic on me while I sleep. (Although, really, I kinda like nightmares. Several of my books have stories straight from my dreams.)

I saw this one when the artist dropped it for consignment last month and told her I thought it would be mine. Since it was still there and it felt like the time was right, I bought it. It’s going up in my office, next to my desk. Now, I just need a little fairy door to hang beneath it to entice the fairies to play while I work.

I have another oil painting from this artist of wine with grapes. When I look at them both, I think of when I lived next to a vinyard in Germany. This one’s an oil painted on a tile.

If you have favorite bits of art that you’d like to share, send me a pic and I’ll post it!

My favorite man-meat website, Just Beautiful Men, is at it again. The blog-owner played with photoshop to produce this image. I snagged it, because sometimes, I just need a little inspiration.

So, using this photo as a writing prompt to spur story ideas,
what sort of ideas come to your mind?

A note from Vonna:

Stop the world. I want to turn off my brain.

Okay, I don’t really mean that. Ever since I invented Vonna Harper, I’ve been writing like a mad woman and enjoying almost every minute. Writing, like life, isn’t always a smooth ride, but what fun would it be without the downs.

The world is spinning like crazy these days and I feel as if I might get thrown off if I blink. The reason is simple: publishing is changing as never before. Ten years ago almost no one had a thought to electronic publishing. Now it’s the wave of the present and future. Ten years ago writers mostly wrote. Now the Internet has changed that and writers are expected to promote like energizer bunnies. Twitter. Facebook. Blog. Trailer. Contest. Newsletter. Etc. Etc.

Oh and don’t forget pirates who take the labor of our imaginations and sweat and steal it.

Okay, I won’t go there.

Maybe its just me, but the moment I’ve finished edits on a story and turn it over to the publishing company, it fades from my mind. I try to remember when its coming out so I can give a shout-out, but by then I’m neck deep in something new plus investigating putting some old books out via Kindle, volunteering for NINC, my favorite writer’s organization, taking my mother to the doctor, taking my husband to the dentist, taking a dog to the vet, putting on my Mother & Grandma hats—the whole nine yards.

All right, it’s mostly my fault (except for the broken water pipe). Somehow I wound up writing for no less than four erotica publishers: Kensington Aphrodisia, where I’m in the middle of a three book contract. Samhain, where I as of today threw another manuscript on my agent’s desk. Ellora’s Cave, where I’m waiting to hear on two submissions. And Loose-Id, where I’ll be submitting a theme story.

I need an assistant. I need a wife. I need a slave.

In case I haven’t bored everyone and/or scared them away, I’d like to give a couple of shout-outs. On July 27, Falcon’s Captive will come out in print from Aphrodisia. The cover gives me sweats & I loved writing about a shape-shifting falcon/woman and the hunter who captures her.

Borrowing from the back cover blurb:

“High above the desert valley, the Falcon Jola circles over the band of warriors below—men who have invaded her land and killed her mate, leaving her alone and longing for the piercing pleasure she once found in her lover’s arms. She will resist these outsiders at all cost. But in a moment of human weakness she is caught. Naked and alone, she fights her captor and vows never to submit. Yet as she lies beneath his rock hard length, her traitorous body responds to his touch.”

Hope Falcon’s Captive can live up to that.

One of my most recent novellas at Ellora’s Cave is Winter Of The Beast (yes, I have a thing for creatures).

Borrowing from another blurb:

“Dio of the Puma clan is a skilled warrior and hunter. What he doesn’t feel prepared for is his new role as ruler of a clan with few women. Does he have the necessary leadership and compassion or will his need for sex dominate? Only the massive, mysterious Beast knows.

When her cruel husband casts her out, Tawia can no longer call herself a Falcon. Her future a frightening unknown, she heads into the wilderness as winter approaches. The Beast watches.

Captured by the enemy warrior, Tawia fights her body’s demands. Trust is as incomprehensible to her as the relationship between Dio and the great puma. But neither man nor beast are willing to set her free.”

Yes, I also have a thing for capture/bondage.

Visit Vonna’s Website

Just two little questions—four answers each. How quick and painless will this be, huh? And how fun to see what everyone says! I could go on and on with answers for both, but I’ll limit my four to the top contenders!

1) What four movies can you watch over and over again?

2) What four cities have you lived in?

My answers will be in the comments!

Psst! I’ll announce yesterday’s winner tomorrow, so you still have time to enter! If you post a comment to this blog entry, you have a second chance to win!

I’m baaaaack! I’m tired, have a headache, and am late starting my day! Yesterday’s mad dash to Dallas and back was a lot more fun than it should have been.

Daughter and the little one came by at noon yesterday, and since we had an hour to kill, we decided to do some shopping. I have a favorite shop, Maurice’s, that always has clothes I like and that fit. I led the shopping spree. I have new tops and a pair of capri pants, and a pretty yellow, cheap vinyl purse. Daughter has outfits and the little one has cheap, blingy jewelry. I didn’t try on anything, which guaranteed I’d have a better time. There’s something about those closed, airless, poorly lighted dressing rooms that always annoys me. I have the receipt. I figure if I try something on later and hate it, I’ll just take it back.

Anyway, we headed to Dallas with the little one asking that genetically guaranteed question, “Are we almost there?”, every half hour. We didn’t turn on the radio even once because we talked and laughed the whole way.

Little girl saw one of those semi-trucks loaded with vehicles destined for a dealership parking lot and said, “Look, Nina, their parking lot moves!”

Daughter and I decided that we’d rather lose a pinky finger than eat of bowl of scorpions. I’d rather eat a roach than a scorpion—yeah, we ask really important questions like that for fun. Funny, I’d rather eat a scorpion than one of those six-inch long monster centipedes. They’re hairy. At which point, the red-headed hellion laughed. “But you’ll eat menudo? Tripe feels hairy, mom!”

Anyway, the little one is gone for the summer. We’re sad, but she is going to enjoy spending time with daddy. I always look for silver linings.

This past week I didn’t write a single word. End of report. The family reunion didn’t wrap up until Wednesday, and then I needed to recuperate from too many people. This week, I have big, hairy plans with dozens of little legs. But first, I need to hit the pool to clear my head.

P.S. I pulled the cover because it’s not quite finalized. My bad!

It’s been a busy week, but the relatives are gone, and I can finally take a deep breath. I’m playing catchup with work now.

Things you might be interested in…

I just did an update of my Coming Soon page. Lots of fun stuff coming, but, in particular, you will want to see what I have excerpted so you can get your pre-orders in!

Tonight, I have a live chat! Everyone, writers and readers, is invited. And I always come bearing gifts. The chat will be at the Fallen Angels Reviews chat room at 9 PM EST/8 PM CST.

I received final word yesterday that I will be in the Mammoth Book of Hot Romance! A few of you read the story, Hot Out Here, when I was looking for beta readers—remember the brown-out ménage? That’s the one!

Note from the editor:

“…the volume of submissions was greater than I expected, as was the quality of the stories I was sent….so I’ve had to be mercilessly selective. However, the good news is that I’d love to use your story.”

Lastly, I have a new old story coming out on Monday! Warlord’s Destiny is one hot-as-hell futuristic with a medieval feel to it. Read the excerpt to see what I mean: Excerpt from Warlord’s Destiny

I dare you not to drool!

Oh! And if you want Fairy Tale Lust postcards, go here to get them: Kristina Wright’s Blog