New Release alert! Metal and Mistletoe (Hearts of Metal Book 4)

Merry Christmas! My Hearts of Metal Holiday novella, Metal And Mistletoe is now available. You guys have no idea how close I was to NOT writing it. I'm not that big on Christmas stories. However, three things motivated me. 1.) I always felt bad leaving Curt in limbo when he checked into rehab in Kissing Vicious. I didn't want to just leave him as a constantly relapsing addict. I wanted a happy ending for him. 2.) My mom was a Christmas nut and I always try to pay tribute to her. 3.) I always wanted to write an interracial romance. We need more POC characters. So all this was a perfect opportunity and so I went for it. Here's the blurb: Fighting the darkness of their pasts, talented heavy metal musicians Curtis Scrimm and Dezra Hopkins seek holiday solitude but find each other. A HOLIDAY REDEMPTION Curtis Scrimm and Dezra Hopkins have lived both the highs and the lows of life—literally. They’ve both known the joy of performing to hordes of screaming fans and the horror of betraying all that they love and admire. They’ve both just gotten out of rehab. But things are always darkest before the dawn, and with this Christmas comes redemption. It arrives in an unlikely place, in the solitary and deadly beauty of Yellowstone Park. It comes in the form of desperation and unquenchable desire, though things are never so black and white. The spark is a good bass line, the hottest lick from an electric guitar, and a primalistic roar like a furious lioness, and it will ignite an inferno of inspiration that both had been seeking. But that flame needs to be fanned. Curt and Dezra can nurture it with each other. Then they’ll need to find enough trust to make it burn forever. You can get it HERE on Amazon. And it should be available at all other vendors by tomorrow. Other News: I also completed the first draft of WYNTER'S BITE, (Scandals With Bite, Book 5) And am working on revising it before I send it off to critique partners.

It comes out February 14th and is available for Preorder! And more News: On a sad note, my boyfriend's dad had a stroke. On the bright side, he's not as bad off as some and seems to be recovering quickly. On the bad side, he still has a lot of recovery to do, so my sweetie has had to fly down south to take care of his businesses. I hope he'll be home for Christmas. I'm worried sick about him and his dad. His dad is a great man and I hope he'll be back to himself soon. My heart is aching for my boyfriend. I can't stand to see him in pain. In Happy News: I GOT A NEW CAR!!!! It's a 2007 Honda Fit Sport. 10 years ago, when I worked a Honda mechanic, the moment I first sat in the '07 Honda Fit, I sighed in pleasure and thought, "This is a Brooklyn car." Seriously, you guys have no idea how hard it is for a little person like me to find a car that fits me. Then I'd daydream about the day I'd be a best selling author and walk into that dealership and buy a new Fit. I'm not anywhere close to best selling enough for a brand new one (I don't like the way they squished the front end on the new ones anyway), and I didn't get a purple one, but still, my dream actually came true.

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited, even though this means I will no longer be quitting the day job at the end of the month as I'd originally planned since now I need to pay off the car and probably do some repairs since she's used. And I REAAAALLLLY want to paint her purple... with blue ghost flames. Anyway, I hope you pick up Metal and Mistletoe and enjoy it! I also hope you have a Merry Christmas!

I am NOT a Humbug This Year!

I must confess that I used to be kind of a Humbug with Christmas (Hate the snow, the decorations, most of the music) though I've always LOVED giving gifts to my friends and family.

From 2009, back when my mom died, on, the holidays were even harder for me. My mom LOVED Christmas. She'd decorate the whole house, sing the songs, make the cookies, and believed in Santa Clause until her last breath.

The first Christmas without her, I was such a wreck I don't even remember it. The year after that, I was determined to be strong for my family's sake and at least pretend to like Christmas and celebrate it in her honor. Still it took several years before I could listen to a Christmas song without bursting into tears.

I've managed to fend off the holiday depression by staying busy and with two big families, that's actually pretty easy.

But something changed this year. Well, several somethings, but what's most astounding is this:

I'm totally in the Christmas spirit this year! I'm seriously not faking it, you guys!

I think part of it is because I got my Christmas shopping done early and in an efficient manner. Also I made some epic awesome gifts for a few special people in my life. I will be blogging about these after Christmas. :D

Also, it hasn't been snowing much here. (Which is really bad for my area environmentally, but face it, I HATE snow.)

Or maybe it's because I got to spend more time with my Grandma... who's almost as giddy about the holiday as my mom was.

And maybe it's because I've received so much joy from my friends and family this year.

Either way, it feels good. I was even at a store and smiling when the song "Mr. Ginch" was playing.

Holy wow, I actually LIKE that song.

But don't worry you guys, I will still ALWAYS be #TeamHalloween first and foremost.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this fascinating epiphany and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas/ Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza/ Merry Yule, etc.

Seven Gift Ideas for Writers

Hey everyone!

It's that time of year and I am so proud of myself for getting my Christmas shopping/ present making early.

So that gives me time to catch up on Scandals with Bite Book 4, my newsletter, and, of course, this blog.

A few people have been blogging gift suggestions for writers, so I may as well add in my own two cents.

I'm not going to include the obvious things, like notebooks, pens, and whatnot. Instead I will cover two other categories of gifts.

A.) Things that are Fun/ personalized.

It's an indisputable fact that professional writers often turn into caffeine-soaked workaholics. We spend countless hours at our desks, writing, revising, marketing, struggling to meet constant deadlines, etc. In this chaos and drudgery, we sometimes feel like we're losing our identity, our sense of self. Especially when we're so busy being inside out characters' heads.

I recommend gifts that pull the writer away from things writing related. What else does your writer enjoy? For me, it's heavy metal music and horror movies. These are a few things I've pinned for my "Dear Santa" List on Pinterest. It's mostly horror T-shirts and DVDs of some movies I like.

If you're shopping for me, check out Fright Rags.com

So if they're also a gamer, get them gaming stuff. If they're a gardener, gardening stuff, etc.

Another good idea is something that literally pries the writer from their desk.

Movie tickets, concert tickets, etc are all great ways to encourage your writer to get out and clear their head.

But sometimes, we writers are straining to meet a deadline, or in a good groove where the words are pouring out. In those cases, you can't get the writer away from the desk. So that brings me to the other category.

B.) Things that make the job easier.

A non-fiction book related to what we're writing. 

Research can take time. Sometimes grabbing a book is quicker. I often write regency romance, so a book on the regency would be awesome. A sci-fi writer would appreciate something on space technology, a thriller author something on psychology, etc.

A restaurant gift card.

I cannot stress enough how valuable these are. When writers are riding a deadline, dinner plans get neglected. Gift cards for some yummy place eliminates the hassle.

Another function they can serve is a figurative carrot on a stick. Every once in awhile I will reserve myself extra time for a hard core writing day. I set a goal that's two or three times my average word count and if I make it, I treat myself to Wingstop's garlic parmesan wings. If I had a gift card for wings, I'd schedule another mega write-a-thon stat.

Comfort items:

Writers spend a LOT of time at their desks. Things that make the setting more comfortable are highly prized. A few ideas: Pajama pants, fuzzy socks, slippers, or a fleece throw. 

Is their desk too cold? Get them a little space heater. Too hot? Get them a fan. Too dark? A nice lamp would be great!

Caffeine!

Remember how I mentioned that we're caffeine saturated workaholics? A gift card for a favorite coffee shop is appreciated by the coffee drinkers, a box of tea or tea leaves for the tea drinkers, or if you're one of my friends or family members: I LOVE RED BULL!!

Promo items:

These days, we have to spend money on swag and advertising to promote our work.

Places like Vista Print and Print Runner have great deals on bookmarks, pens, stickers and other fun stuff we can pass out to our readers.

Reviews:

It is harder and harder to get reviews. We are extremely grateful for every one.