Ring of Fire!

Today I'm over at Laurie Roma's place discussing pet peeves when reading romances.  It's stimulating to see all the different responses, but I particularly liked Lori King and Tymber Dalton's responses.

Mine went:  KAREN MERCURY: What gets my goat is when a writer has obviously borrowed a very hackneyed phrase from another writer.  I’ve seen it steamroll that way.  I’ll read the stale phrase—for example, how her gown “pooled at her feet” when a hero took it off.  A month later, you’ll read someone else using the exact same phrase.  It steamrolls from there, and pretty soon every single book has a gown pooling on the floor. Same thing with a man “claiming” a woman’s mouth with his.  I first read that in gothic romances in the 80s.  Pretty soon men were claiming more than mouths. They were staking claims on female body parts all over the place!  If you’re going to borrow a hackneyed phrase, make one up yourself.  My favorite is “slithering.”  I like how satin “slithers” between a hero’s fingers.  You can borrow that.

Tahhh dahh! Presenting Myshkin Gitchy Goomy, the Terror of Tiny Town

Now, I know she doesn't look like much of a terror.

"How could this little puppy possibly be the Terror of Tiny Town?" you might ask.  Well, she says, "Spunk! I has it!"  She's only 8 weeks old and I taught her to "sit" today in about five minutes. She already wears a big girl collar and walks on a leash, and today learned to climb almost to the top of the stairs to the second story.

But in between, she's tear-assing around the house and garden in a peeing and drinking and chewing frenzy!  It's been 10 years since I've had a pup and I've forgotten how they are.  Or I'm that much older, and it's exhausting me. 

 

Here she is, already learning to drive, for crying out loud!  We went up to Montana, near Missoula where the breeder has a 60,000 acre cattle ranch.  We had the luxury to choose between two brown females.  We chose Myshkin because she seemed "calmer."  Hah!  The breeder must've had her on Doggie Downers because when we got her home (after a two-day drive) she hauled ass doing figure eights like a crazy girl!



 

Here she is, fooling everyone with her demure, introspective face.  I put up furniture and cardboard and a kiddie gate today in order to finish my editor's edits on my current manuscript while keeping one eye out for the Terror of Tiny Town.  I'm sure I missed a few edits because it was nearly impossible.  I can put her in her crate but she screams blue murder.  Our neighbor was all "What was all that noise last night?"

 

 

Here she looks exactly like my dearly departed Ishmael at the same age.  Exactly. Except Myshkin has a little white splash on her chest.  Look at that devious face.  She says, "Impishness!  I has it!"  Stay tuned for the next chapter in the saga of Tiny Town.

 



 

Two Sirs, With Love up for pre-order

Two Sirs, With Love has been posted on Siren's website for pre-order!

I'm going to be madly preparing to drive home a new little Newfoundland puppeh while finalizing Two Sirs, With Love and finishing the first draft of Three of a Perfect Pair, so stand by for more updates.



My new puppeh's grandpa getting ready to fly from Missouri

The Grass is Greener is up for pre-order at Siren!

The Grass is Greener is available on preorder at Siren!  It's Book #3 in the McQueen Was My Valley series.  It tells the story of prim doctor sister, Sasha McQueen, and her involvement in a mysterious deadly bombing.  Her best friend's last words, "Tony Danza," mystify everyone.  When hot commando Rowan O'Shea and game warden Perry Donovan step up to track down the crazed bomber, they're involved in a scorching threesome that has the prudish doctor all tied up in knots.

 

Oh, and

Just because.