A new review of UNDERCOVER from Romance Junkies - Chrissy Dionne gives it five blue ribbons and says in part: Wow! This book rocks! Lauren Dane pulls out all the stops with this soul searing, awe-inspiring read. Sera is a ballsy kick-ass character whom I absolutely love. Ash and Brandt are dominant men and each is a member of a ruling Family, which adds an extra complication and emotional aspect to the storyline. Sera’s feistiness really cracked me up but she also has an emotional vulnerability to Ash and Brandt that drew me into the relationship so that I felt like I was there watching as each scene between them played out (and believe me there are some scenes that heated my face and left me tingly all over). UNDERCOVER may very well be Lauren Dane’s best work to date. Definitely a must read and deserving of a special spot on the keeper shelf.

Victoria at Two Lips Reviews gives it 4 1/2 lips and says in part: The D/s scenes in Undercover have a lyrical quality about them, which displays Lauren Dane’s ability to craft sexual situations that make sense matched with her characters’ psyches. I rooted for all three of these characters, hoping that, by the book’s end, they would make their joining a permanent reality. Don’t miss Undercover, a saucy blend of D/s elements within a sci-fi setting.

I finished Jeri Smith-Ready’s Wicked Game last night. It’s been a while since I’ve been this totally gonzo about a book. I just really loved it. It’s smart, the writing is clever, tight, sexy in the right places, tense in others, scary here and there and totally original.

Ciara is a smart but not perfect heroine. A grifter (oh how I love twisted characters) trying to go straight for a host of believable and layered reasons. Her job at this funky radio station makes sense. The way she acts with the vampires makes sense. The way she interacts with Shane her sort of boyfriend/vampire makes sense. I liked her a lot because she was accessible in a really wonderful way.

The mystery/suspense element was well done. The worldbuilding was clever and believable and the romantic sub-plot handled well and in proportion to the story. On top of all this? Jeri is a really, genuinely nice person, which is all too rarel.

Wicked Game is a really good book and if you haven’t grabbed it yet you really should. You won’t be sorry at all.

And lastly, my husband is home from his business trip so yay! A long weekend without copy edits or a super close book deadline, a new book opening up in front of me to write, time with my family – it’s all good.

I finished the revisions on Undercover and got them back to my editor
I reworked a manuscript and synopsis and got it to my agent for a pitch
I edited and finished up Sensual Magic and I’ll mail it to my editor tomorrow

NOW – I can work on Cascadia Wolves: Fated!

My kids are still jacked up on a sugar high from all the chocolate and all my good intentions this last week diet wise have gone out the window in a flurry of mint chocolate chip ice cream. But my husband is home, my kids are going back to school tomorrow, my April 1 deadline has been met and I’m rolling! Wheeee!

I have to say, I got pretty sweaty when I read back over the sex scenes in Undercover. It’s hard when you’re writing something and then editing the first time. You’re very close to the book so you can’t really gauge. But reading it over again, some months later I was like, “wow!” I think this is the hottest book I’ve ever written but also, I was pleased to see the emotional depth in places too. I feel better about it and I already liked it before. Sweet relief.

I ordered some goodies for RT for our Love Shack reader party on Friday (don’t miss it folks!) This party will have goodie bags filled with excellent swag that’ll be exclusive to the party including books from the participating authors. I also ordered postcards for Undercover and Vegas and they turned out so pretty.

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Frauke, the person behind the creation of this website (and also the hosting service for it, Janus Portal Hosting) and a great many other websites you you see around. As well as the person who designs my bookmarks, my RT ads and other various graphics like business cards etc. She is truly wonderful. I will give her a few elements and she always turns them into something wonderful. I’ve been a client of hers for several years now and I’m always just so awed by her talent. Plus she helps me with technical stuff when I just can’t figure it out. She always takes pity on me and with good humor. So thank you, Frauke – truly, you make my job so much easier and you do it with style.

Totally UNconnected to any of the above – did you know there was Fraggle Rock fic? I sat in a corner and rocked for a while once I found that out. And then I saw a guy in a furry suit with black leather assless chaps. Don’t ask where I found it. But, well just don’t ask. I think I may have bad dreams.

Now, I’m off to catch up on the stuff I let slide today to finish up with Undercover. Happy Hump Day!!!

In closing, to combat bad dreams – my dreamboat, let me show you him…

Marcus Patrick

Okay so I’m going to let it sit for a few days while I do my revisions for Undercover and then I’ll do the second draft. After that, it’s on to Unexpected, the next Cascadia Wolves book.

I doubt I’ll be adding much word count on my revisions but once that’s over and I send Sensual Magic in, I’ll be ready to get back to the Wardens and their world of wolves so yay!

It’s Read an E-Book Week and there’s a week long celebration going on over at the Samhain Cafe! Many Sammy authors are hanging out and giving out prizes so get on over there to check it out. Angel is kicking butt this week pulling this together so I wanted to send her my kudos, as always, for a job well done.

I love ebooks and epublishing. It’s where I got my start. Ellora’s Cave gave me my first real break and then Samhain after that. I’ll always appreciate the freedom I’ve had to really stretch and become a better writer and to tell the stories I wanted to tell.

I figure what I’ll do is show up later with some excerpts and prizes – ebooks, natch. If you have any requests for certain books to be excerpted from, holler now.

Wheee! Sweating away here and I’m close to the end. I haven’t even started my writing for the day so I’m hoping to break 20K or more by the time I shut down tonight. From day one of Sven to last night I’m up over 7K. A little slower than my normal speed but the flu kicked my butt. I’m hoping to get back up to 3K a day now that I’m not hacking up a lung a few times a day.

Which is good because I just learned yesterday that Outshined, a contemporary erotic romance, sold to Berkley Heat! I don’t know when it’ll be coming out at this point but it’s due mid-September so fingers crossed either late 09 or early 2010! I also got word that the proposal for Fallen, book II in my first Berkley sale, has been accepted. That one will be out at some point in 09 so I’m totally thrilled. Fallen is another futuristic set in the same world as Undercover although not with the same characters.

I’m so fortunate. I want to say thank you thank you thank you to my agent Laura Bradford who always kept me going when I felt as if I’d never sell a darned thing and also to my friends who have been so supportive to me – and most of all my readers who are just totally awesome.

It’s a darned good day!

But yesterday was the first day of the next 70 Days of Sweat Challenge! I did squeeze in 2K this morning and I think they’re good words so yay for me! That makes up for yesterday and I’m hoping I can get more in tonight as well.

Here’s the welcome to the challenge post:

The main goal of this challenge is to write.

1) We’re looking for a total word count between 60-100k. This means between now and May 16, (77 days total, 7 ‘free’ days worked into the calendar), you will write 850-1500 words a day.

2) Check in here @ the blog every Sunday and Wednesday.

3) Daily inspiration here at the blog~you can stop in when time allows.
4) Time permitting, you can check out the blogs of your sponsors or fellow sweaters, links on the sidebar.

Sponsors this time around include: HelenKay Dimon, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Tyler, Shiloh Walker, Lauren Dane, Diana Peterfreund, Jaci Burton, and Portia Da Costa. The sponsors will drop in on the blogs from various challengers over the next couple of months.

So start writing! But take a minute and check out the above sponsors.

Undercover is now off to beta readers. I’ll be on pins and needles until I begin to hear back. Eeep! Now it’s back to work on Taking Care of Business, which I hope to finish up this weekend.

Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend? Here at home it’s me, writing oh and Mt. Laundry too.

Also, in yay news – Witches Knot: Thrice United is now available in print from Ellora’s Cave’s new print store!

To celebrate the recent release of Feral Fascination, the anthology containing Reluctant, in print, several of the anthology authors will be at the EC Reader Chat tomorrow afternoon so pop over to say hello, read fun excerpts and have a good time!

I’m caught up in writing today so I don’t have much else to say! Oh, other than if you write a disgruntled letter to the RWR and pretend to be just a reader but you’re really an author in competition with the books you’re complaining about? Naughty. And not the fun kind of naughty either.

But on to the good kind of naughty – I hear it’s Gerard’s birthday. My goodness, I think someone needs some birthday spankings!

oh and

after looking at those it feels more like it’s my birthday!

What else? Hmm, oh I finished edits and a revision and got back to Standoff last night and got 2500 words written.

I’m addicted to lolcats. I giggle to myself all day. I have issues. Clearly.

moarfunny pictures

Why is it penis enlargement spam is so gross? I mean, it’s all, overstatement with yucky verbage – lots of jamming and choking and all sorts of stuff women don’t really like. Seriously. Also, flooding the neighborhood with your, um, byproduct? Not sexy. Just sayin. I will say I’m endlessly amused with the spam emailer names. I may use some in a book someday.

OH! Feral Fixation – the anthology which has Reluctant (a prequel quickie featuring Layla Warden from the Cascadia Woves books) is now available in print from the Ellora’s Cave Print store. There are some great stories in this antho!