…which means soon I won’t be able to gut out a swim in the cooling waters of my pool. There goes my tan and the new muscle I spent a summer discovering.

It also means I have to start a new book. The fourth in the Dark Realm series. I have the first four or five chapters firmly in my mind, but not a clue what’s going to happen for the rest even though I did write a synopsis and run it by my editor. As always, she says there’s too much plot because she worries there won’t be enough sex or the story will be too complicated and with too many characters. The cast is firmly in my mind, so it’s hard for me to see it from a new reader’s point of view. She’s probably right, so that’s why I have to re-dream the rest of the book.

There’s also the release of my next book, Down in Texas, and the accompanying promotion I have to do, including a fifteen day countdown that will be lots of fun. But I have to dream up all the selling points of my novel and use them to tease you—so it’s work just the same.

And I still have to finish unpacking from the Lora Leigh convention and get my pictures uploaded. I’ll try to get to that today, but right now I have a 4-year-old underfoot who wants me to sit with her and watch Forbidden Kingdom, so we’ll see how far along I get.

It’s nice having another few days to relax before I have to start the next marathon.

🙄

This sexy book about three virile cowboys from a town named Honkytonk just sold to the bookclubs—Doubleday, Rhapsody, and Book of the Month, that is! Get your copy in hardcover come November!

Thought I’d start with something eyecatching. That’s the cover for the book that follows Down in Texas, which will be out at the end of October (hint: it’s ready for pre-order now!!).

I just bet you’re here because you want to know who won the terrific prize pack I put together from Lora Leigh’s convention, right?

Too bad, gonna have to wait a minute.

I do have another announcement to make. Something I like to do for every major release is a countdown contest. And since Down in Texas is my first single title book with Kensington, and it’s been picked up by the Doubleday, Rhapsody and Book of the Month Clubs, I thought we should certainly have a fun launch. So starting October 13th, we will begin the “15 Days–15 Reasons to Buy It Now Party”, here on this blog. Be sure to keep tuned for announcements of the prizes, cool excerpts, and of course the extremely compelling reasons you have to buy my book!

Almost there, so be patient!

I have pictures from the convention, and will love sharing them with you. I’ll get them loaded tonight and hopefully get some help identifying some of the people in the pictures because I totally suck at names. I can remember actors I’ve seen once in a movie, but can’t remember the name of someone I shared a meal with—tell me my mind’s not whacked.

So, still waiting for it? The winner of the bag of signed books (I think only two of them aren’t), as well as bookmarks, pens, magnets, etc., is…

Okay, so I know I’m a tease, but I just wanted you to see that my life is tough! That’s a gallon bucket (my computer screen is very large), crammed full of little slips of paper, cut from pages of answers you gave me to the questions I posed. So, I put everyone’s entries in the bucket, swirled it around and chose a winner…

And that winner is Me! Yeah, the first slip I pulled out was one of my responses, so let’s try it again.

Geez, I did it again!! I must have earned some good kharma this weekend. One more time.

The winner is RobynL!!! Robyn, be sure to send me a private email to let me know your snail mail address. And congratulations!! Email Delilah!

What is the most exciting event you have every witnessed?

While you’re reading this, I’m in my little dark cherry Scion heading back to Arkansas from a ferociously fun weekend. Think about me—bedraggled, hung over, squinting at the road—and be sure to post your final entry in the contest today!

The While the cat’s away contest continues, but you have to find the question at the Romance Junkies blog and blog there! Be back here tomorrow!

If you had to be of a different ethnicity than you actually are, to which heritage would you most like to belong?

Being of predominantly German blood (cold, analytical) and having married an Irishman (fiery and anything but logical), I’d choose to be Italian.

Think about it—flashing brown eyes and temper, curves in the right places, a loud loving family and great food.

If you had to spend an entire summer working at one of our country’s national parks or historic sites, which one would you choose?

My personal fave is Glacier National Park in Montana. I remember being a small child traveling through the park. Dad was in the Air Force and we were stationed in Eastern Montana. Mom’s mother lived in Spokane, Washington and we visited as often as we could. The trip took us right through the park. The tall, glacier-covered mountains looked like they scraped heaven.

P.S. I arrived at Pullman Plaza last night. Did I mention that I’m in West Virginia, not Kentucky!? Good thing I had my new friend Cindi along for the ride or I never would have found the place.

Saw Sylvia O’Day in the bar. Another great big hug and I was thrilled to get to spend some time with her and the friend she brought with her. BTW–the friend is a dead ringer for Pink–have I ever mentioned my girl-crush on Pink?

Comment to win!