WEREWOLVES!!

Not in Raphael and Cyn’s world, though. Not to worry.

I sold a werewolf novella this week to the e-publisher Siren-BookStrand. I’m very excited, because I love my wolves and I’m so happy people will get a chance to read about them. The story is scheduled for a July 2010 release and I’ll let you know more as the details emerge … details like cover art. I’m always so nervous about cover art!

I was reading one of my many writers’ loops this morning and someone had a link there to a video tribute to the Sunscreen Song. The song came out about ten years ago, I think. It’s a spoken song that reminds people to take life as it comes and make the most of it, and it opens with the advice to wear sunscreen. Let me second that advice! I’m a blue-eyed, blonde who grew up in sunny Southern California. My friends and I spent most of our free time on the beach, practically living there during the summer, and once I got my own apartment, I DID live there. Which meant more days spent under the sun (and the moon, too, but that’s another blog post, heh, heh.)

Anyway, I’m off this morning to have some skin cut off my poor nose because of too much sun. ::sigh:: I hope my doctor will be kind. I hope he reads my blog. LOL

Okay. Gotta go. Keeping with the sun and fun on the beach theme, I leave you with a link to some spectacular ocean/wave photography by Clark Little. Check it out here, and, oh yeah, don’t forget your sun screen!

DBR

FEBRUARY ALREADY?

I better write faster! Actually Book 4, SOPHIA, is well underway. I’ve detailed the personalities and descriptions of all my major and not so major characters and completed a very comprehensive outline with all the plots and sub-plots spelled out and resolved. And now the writing has begun. I’m a fairly linear writer. I sketch out 20-30 scenes before I even start writing, pretty much drafting the scenes in full with quite a bit of detail, but then I start at page one of the book and work my way through, plugging in and changing those scenes when I get to them, as the narrative requires.

Of course, there are A LOT more than 20 or 30 scenes in my books! But once I’ve got my outline, the writing goes pretty fast. I sit down with my laptop and sort of immerse myself in the story, and fortunately I’m a fast typist, so my fingers can keep up with what I see in my head.

As with every story I write, I’m loving my characters and their lives and can hardly wait to live with them for a while. Raphael and Cyn are in this one, as is Duncan, of course. And then there’s my female Vampire Lord Sophia and her hunky human, former Navy SEAL, uber alpha male Colin. When those two clash (er, I mean meet) sparks aren’t the only thing flying!

And so … February. I’m not sure where January went, but I know I got a lot done, so all in all I can’t complain. And this January was definitely an improvement over last January, believe me.

Still no word on the RAJMUND release date, but my publisher assures me she’s working on the schedule, so . . .

In the meantime, I refer you to of all things a Bud Lite Commercial which will NOT run during the Super Bowl. I thought it was hilarious, and anyone who’s ever worked in an office should certainly relate to it. Plus, I figure anyone who reads my books won’t be put off by a little pixelated nudity!! Enjoy!

DBR

GOOD NEWS TO REPORT THIS WEEK!

No, it’s not the release date for RAJMUND!! I’m still waiting on that. ::sigh::

BUT … I’m up for a Pearl Award in the Best New Author category over at Paranormal Romance. So that’s pretty cool! And they’ll be posting reviews of both RAPHAEL and JABRIL soon, too. Way cool. Anyone who’s already a member at PNR can vote, but if you’re not already a member, it’s too late. No ballot stuffing allowed!

Also I’m guest blogging at VampChix today, so be sure and come by, say hello, and win a chance for a signed copy of JABRIL. For my loyal readers, who have already read the first two books, I’ll jump that to a signed copy of RAJMUND, if that’s your preference.

On the Extreme Weather front, the rains have stopped at long last!! We had two days of blue sky and sunshine this weekend. It was lovely. My yard looks like a war zone–it’s soggy and full of debris, branches and palm fronds. But at least it’s no longer flooded and we survived with only a bit of wet carpet in the bedroom. We’ve got one more day of rain this week and then that’s supposed to be it for awhile. I hope!

And finally, a fellow writer (thanks, Michelle) sent me this link to share with you all. It’s the plans for a do-it-yourself, no-kill mousetrap. I’ll tell you what I told her … if my rodent problem is so bad the little suckers are crawling on my tables, I’m moving out until the exterminator is done!!

Have a lovely week.

DBR

THIS is a new year?

The big excitement in my life this week? … The palm trees are on the attack. You’ve all seen the pictures and film images of those tall, stately palms lining the streets of Southern California, right? They’re everywhere. Even places they shouldn’t be, quite frankly. And they propagate. Little tiny palm trees sprouting up in the middle of my azaleas. The fiends. Well, this week they clearly decided on a frontal, or er vertical, attack.

About thirty palm fronds decided to drop on my house this week. All at the same time. About 4:00 in the morning. So what, you say? Palm fronds, big, leafy things. No big deal. Hah! First of all, they’re not big, they’re HUGE! Like 9 feet long. And they’re not leafy! They’re pointed and sharp and hard like a plank of wood! Imagine thirty 9-foot 2 x 6’s dropping on your house and yard at 4:00 in the morning.

So, okay. We recovered. But the suckers are still sitting there in a big pile, because now it’s raining, which means no gardener until next week. The good news is, the ones actually ON my roof slid off because of the 50 mph winds we had. Although, at least that happened during the day.

Okay, so that’s MY new year so far.

Yeah, yeah, you say. But what about RAJMUND? And what about Book 4? I’m still waiting for word from my editor on the RAJMUND release date. But I AM hard at work on Book 4 . . . SOPHIA. Look out, men of the Vampire Council, the lady has arrived and she’s bringing her very own human hunk to sip from!

And now from the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous, I found this video series on YouTube. All I can say is . . . my vampires are definitely sexier than this guy.
Enjoy . . . Harold the Vampire

DBR

I’M BACK with 7 THINGS … !!

First of all, sorry for the long absence. I was plowed under with the flu for the last couple of weeks. I did manage to meet a couple of last minute deadlines early on, but then my brain just shut down.

But, I’m better now and, as of last night, once again writing. And to celebrate my return to the living, Michelle Muto has tagged me for
7 Things Readers Don’t Know About Me.

So, here goes …

1. I’m six feet tall. Exactly. My little sister is 1/4 inch shorter which has bugged her all our lives.

2. I married one of my University professors.

3. I’m one of six children. My parents were brave people. LOL

4. I used to enter (and win) dance contests, like rock and roll dancing (NOT disco!)

5. The one trophy I kept from my mis-spent youth is a big ceramic mug I won in a couple’s beer chugging contest.
12 oz. each, seriatim, in 5.2 seconds, baby. That’s right. Read it and weep.

6. I was a horrible high school student. It was THEIR fault. I was bored. My counselor was convinced I was on drugs. I wasn’t.

7. My right leg is 2 mm (just over 1/16 of an inch) shorter than my left.

Whew! That was tough.

And now for something completely different, here’s something I found on Amazon.com. It’s a goatee saver for men with beards. Honest. Obviously designed by someone who’s never had a beard in his life. Sheesh.

DBR

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s 2010! I can’t believe it. 2009 was such a busy, hectic, awful and wonderful year for me!

To celebrate the new year, I’m launching a new page here on my blog . . . Vampire Vignettes. Little slices of life with Raphael and Cyn, and eventually the rest of the vamps, too. They won’t be posted at regular intervals, and they won’t stay up forever, but I’ll let you know whenever I post a new one.

This inaugural vignette is, appropriately, a Vampire New Year’s Eve. Enjoy, and have a Wonderful and very Happy New Year!

DBR

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL …

THIS ONE WILL DO …

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF MY READERS. HOWEVER YOU CELEBRATE, MAY YOU ENJOY THE HOLIDAY WITH THOSE YOU LOVE BY YOUR SIDE OR IN YOUR HEART.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS ONE OF THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE!!

DBR

NEW INTERVIEW and REVIEW!!

The Falcata Times is doing a feature on me today, with a new Interview and reviews of both RAPHAEL and JABRIL. (They like me, they really like me!)

I would have sworn I sent them a picture of me, but …

DBR

And for your holiday enjoyment, here’s some tacky Christmas trees. Yikes!

GUEST BLOGGING AT PARANORMALITY TODAY!!

I’m guest blogging today over at Paranormality, a little story about inspiration and vampires. Is it true? I’ll never tell. But I did live in a condo on the beach in Malibu for several years, and the moon does turn the ocean to silver on certain nights …

I’m giving away a copy of one of my books as part of my guest stint, so drop by and say hello and maybe win a book. And for those of you who already own RAPHAEL and JABRIL, I’ll give you the option of a future copy of RAJMUND. I don’t have the release date yet, but as soon as I do, you’ll be the first to know.

Later this week, Wednesday to be precise, the UK review site Falcata Times will be posting an interview with me, as well as a review of RAPHAEL and JABRIL. I’ll be posting a reminder here on Tuesday night, along with the link.

In the meantime, the Winter holiday season has begun. Happy Hannukah to all who celebrate! I wish you all the joy of the festival of lights. Don’t eat too many latkes … save some for ME! LOL

See you all soon.

DBR

FOUR TOMBSTONES FROM BITTEN BY BOOKS!!

I’ve been waiting awhile for this review of RAPHAEL from Bitten by Books, and it was worth the wait. Four tombstones and an excellent review!

I’m celebrating right now, but you can check it out here!

DBR