Halloween Fun! ...And contest!!!!

This year I'd been afraid I wouldn't get to do much for Halloween. Between just starting a new job, still working on my career as an author, the expenses of a surprise vet bill and returning to my goal of restoring my first car, I didn't think I'd have enough time or money.

However, The Great Pumpkin must have smiled on me because I've been enjoying more of the Halloween season than I expected. I've had the chance to watch some spooky fun movies, Soylent Green, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, and of course, Nightmare on Elm Street.

My roommate, son, friend, and I had a spectacular evening carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds.

Finally I dared to try advanced pumpkin carving.

My first is a Jack Nicholson O'Lantern!

Then today I paid homage to my favorite band, Megadeth, and carved their mascot, Vic Rattlehead.

And though I only had a 10 dollar budget, Goodwill had a 75% off sale on Halloween decorations! I got a nifty candy bowl, fake blood splatters and skulls for the windows, some glittery pumpkins, black roses, and spiderwebs. So our place will look festive.

It's my turn to have my son for this holiday and though he's getting to be "too old" he decided to humor me and go trick-or-treating with me. Then we're going to my neighbor's Halloween party.

And I have a black cat!

All in all, it looks like I'll have a splendid holiday.

So to celebrate, I decided I'd give away a free e-book copy of my historical paranormal romance, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE, which is set during the time when the horror genre was born. Also, what's more Halloween than vampires?

To enter, comment and tell me one of your favorite things about Halloween and provide an email address. I'll announce the winner November 1st!

Happy Halloween!!!

Cover Reveal for ONE BITE PER NIGHT!!!

I have been waiting FOREVER to show this off!!!

Some of you may have already seen this cover on Amazon and Goodreads:

However, that is not apparently going to be the cover. Even though I like it. Purple is my favorite color and the model on this one looks more like the hero, but the heroine's hair is the wrong color.  

Anyway, for marketing reasons, my publisher decided to make a new cover, which is also fantabulous!

AND HERE IT IS!!!

I absolutely LOVE that she's holding a paintbrush and I adore the castle and lake in the background. I also like the stormy chemistry between the couple.

Anyway, I'm hella excited for this book and can't wait to hold the ARCs in my hands... and have a fun giveaway. Stay tuned!!!

Dedications, Acknowledgements, and GRATITUDE

On the surface, writing a book seems to be a one person job. However, that is not the case. As we know, it also takes editors, cover designers, formatting and book packaging people, and many others to get that book in the reader's hands.

But those are only the obvious people involved. As I wrote the dedication and acknowledgement pages for my 2nd novel, ONE BITE PER NIGHT, I realized how many people contributed to the creation of this story and in how many unique ways. These people deserve my undying gratitude.

First there were my critique partners and beta readers who gave me the feedback I needed to make the book the best it could be. 

There was the guy who had really cool hair which inspired the appearance of the hero. "Well, I didn't DO anything!" he protested. "I didn't even know you then."

"You don't get it," I told him. "Writers are weird. I had absolutely no ideas. Your hair inspired me enough to have something to start with."

There was the encouragement and support of many friends when I was discouraged and especially their understanding that I had to often abandon them when buried in my writing cave. 

And there were the people who flat out saved my butt during a drastic life change that could have left me homeless and unable to write. 

There's my mom who, though I'm unable to thank her in person since she passed away, every book is dedicated to her because she always encouraged me and supported my dreams. Also, the heroine is a painter and my mom and I both were as well. Every time Lydia (the heroine) had creative inspiration to paint, I'd remember my mom and I looking at a cool sunset or something and her turning to me and asking, "Do your fingers itch?"

Mom also helped me with some research. I paint with acrylics. My mom painted with oils, like Lydia. So any time I had to describe her work I remember all the stuff my mom told me about oil painting.

Writing this book also makes me grateful for my grandmas. The heroine's grandmother is a hateful biatch in ONE BITE PER NIGHT. After writing that book I appreciate my awesome grandmas all the more. 

On Self- Rewards

Sometimes getting important things done, whether it's writing that next chapter or rewriting a scene, or even simple line edits can be. Sometimes I need extra motivation to finish a writing goal.

Thankfully, I am very susceptible to bribery. And since no one's going to bribe me to get my writing done, I have to bribe myself.

For small goals like a scene or a minor bout of editing, I usually reward myself with a nice snack and listen to music. Megadeth never gets old. :)

The bigger ones, like a whole chapter or mass edits merit something larger, like a movie and a favorite meal. If I finish a marathon writing session one of my favorite self-rewards is going to WINGSTOP and getting the garlic parmesan wings.

Ah, the taste of a job well done.

  Then I take my wings home and veg out on the couch and watch a completely guilty-pleasure kinda movie, like a chick flick or a campy B-horror film.

Time to get my Freddy on.

Finishing a project calls for big time rewards, like indulging on what makes me a writer in the first place: My love of books.

Next on my list.

I also like to hang out with all the friends I didn't get to see while hiding out in my writing cave.

Or maybe doing some karaoke.

In any case, I have a lot of things to motivate me.

What do you do to inspire your productivity? What are your favorite treats?

Monstrously good chocolate cookies

My work is having a pot luck so I figured I'd make these again. I've shared this recipe before but it's sooo good!

 I don't bake all that often, but these cookies...Oh...My....God. You will have to restrain yourself from eating them all in one sitting. They're also very easy to whip up, but they are NOT very healthy.

Ingredients:

1 8oz brick of cream cheese, room temp.

1 stick (real) butter at room temp.

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 8 oz box of chocolate cake mix. I prefer fudge, but some like German chocolate cake mix

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. An electric mixer is preferred, but you'll live without it.

Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla extract. Add cake mix and beat. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or 2 to make mixture firm and easy to roll into balls.

Roll the mixture into balls and roll them in powdered sugar. Place them on a cookie sheet (ungreased) 2 inches apart. Bake 15-20 minutes

Cookies will be gooey and awesome. Cool them completely and sprinkle with more powdered sugar if you'd like.

Okay, I'm off to the store for some cream cheese so I can make a batch! This post made me hungry.