Lori Toland's Blog, page 13

Part Deux of the Tolands GO TO ENGLAND (WOOOO!)

Onward and upward is what I always say!

The cattery called and Milly and Chester are fine. Picky eating (like at home) but just fine :)

Day 5: Next Verse, Same As The Last - Sept 29

This is a lovely way to wake-up and enjoy my coffee! Still have creamers left too!



Today we just messed about in Southport doing shopping. There's all sorts of charity shops (I swear they are all in Southport) and I love all the kitschy shops around town. But we nearly walk our legs off and this is all really cool because I feel better. Maybe the iron pills are working? :D YAY!

They are still not done with my damn iPhone unlocking. It will have to be picked up on Monday. $#%@ I'm about to lose my temper.

But we have a lovely dinner and then off to bed!

Day 6: Off to Grandmother's (and Grandfather's house) we go! - Sept 30

First off I have to say: don't plan shit on Sunday in England. It will ALL GO WRONG!!

It rained most of the day but we still had plans to head off after Hubby's grandad got back from church. I should have nixed it then but we gather our things at set off.


Still a lovely view with the rain!
We stop for a bite to eat before getting on the rail and I decide on a steak and kidney pie. I'm so excited because I love pies :D Oh yum! One place in the US does a lovely pie, which is George Washington's home. I could eat ten.

It gets there and something about the smell turns my stomach. Hubby added to my sadness by trying it out and telling me how delicious it was too. I wanted to cry. Something about the methotrexate just changed my tastebuds. Some foods taste great, some turn my stomach (including some green teas) I'm destroyed.

So now that I'm about to toss my cookies (translation: vomit), we headed into Liverpool and... wait. What the fuck do you mean the Wirral line is closed? Is it actually closed like it was when we arrived (it wasn't! it was just the station that we needed to change at) or was it completely not running?

Not running and buses are replacing train service. Well, considering Grandad's house is only a short cab ride outside of City Centre, we decide to take the train as far as we can and then grab a cab.

And it was lovely seeing them. Nan was sick so I couldn't chance hugging her but we had a lovely chat. After a while, we didn't want to wear them out so we took off and when Nan got up to see us off, Hubby handed her the cane he uses for his knee and it was almost as tall as her and I'm not exaggerating!

They are the most adorable couple ever. We say our good-byes and catch a taxi. And OMG, this is where we almost die!

Again, not exaggerating!

Going back to City Centre in the rain, we are almost run off the road by a crazy guy when going through a toll booth. Considering we had been waiting in line (and he could have gone through the toll lane he was blocking, he had no reason to roll down his window and start shouting at our driver.

Are we supposed to pay extra for the LOLs?

Anyway, finally back home, safe and dry. Time for dinner and sleep!

Day 7: OMG NOOO! - Oct 1

Hubby is officially sickie.

Whoa. Back up here. How the hell did I not get sick with my depressed immune system but my hubby did? What the fuck? (Maybe Airborne works... I dunno)

I put him back to bed and he had better be all better by tomorrow (hopefully) but I share a taxi with my MIL into Southport and I'm off to walk around because I feel good. (I'm enjoying this while I can and oh it feels amazing!)

I eat at this lovely parlor (roast beef dinner) that has seriously the most delish lemon meringue pie ever.


Heaven on a plate? I think so! :)
So I walk until I'm almost silly in the head but I can't seem to find anywhere that is able to unlock my iPhone. So after some shopping, I head home, disappointed.

But Hubby is better so I'm happy :) and I'm also happy I'm not sickie either.

So off to bed, and night night ickle Rosie!


I'm going to eat your face off while you sleep. Because I'm a fat cat and I'm that hungry!
Day 8: No door! I'm going out of my mind! Oct 2
Oh! We have pictures of our babies in my e-mail this morning! Oh how I love them and miss them.

He loves the camera!

Mum is not here so I'm not getting out of bed!

We don't get to walk around much at home in Orlando so we're just wandering about town grabbing little items as souvenirs and food. Yum! We get candy for Kele's brood. 
And for fuck's sake, can you please make some more tea mugs that have something Liverpool on them? Residents don't want them but foreigners who need something to bring home to mad frothing family members who are brilliantly excited that you've gone to Liverpool want to hold a coffee mug from the illustrious city. 
That is all *puts away soapbox* you may carry on. 
Also the whole time we've been here, we've had a lovely bathroom to shower in but no door to our bedroom. I didn't mind we had Hubby's old double bed (sorta romantic actually.. *giggle*) but privacy would be lovely. 
By now, we're sort of on edge. Not even lupus or my husband's wonky knee has killed our sex life but no door is such a damn cock-blocker, I'm losing my mind! I can't even concentrate on my writing, even though the iron is helping.
Oh yeah, we did shit today but fuck me if I can remember it. I think we visited the ocean?

If we shack up here for the night, does it mean we're paying for sex?
In the next installment, will Lori lose her mind after being denied sex for over a week? ARGHHH! Stay tuned.

Back from the dead...My time in England and back to the US!

The good news: I made it back from England in one piece. The methotrexate my rheumatologist put me on has done wonders so far. My cats don't hate me for being gone so long!

The bad news: Arseing my way across England with five pieces of luggage was really hard. I couldn't get my old iPhone unlocked in England so I couldn't tweet/check-in/communicate with the outside world. I couldn't eat pie.

The ugly news: I had no door on the room at my MIL's house. I'm still not done with the rewrite on Dangerous Submission (OMFG %$#@). The trains system in England picked all the days we traveled to fuck up. (I CHECKED!!!!)

So allow me to explain.

Day 1: Take-off! (Sept 25th)

My husband has been flying to and from England in First Class on Virgin Atlantic since he immigrated to the US and I have been wondering what all the fuss is about.

Note: Fuss is pretty much deserved. First Class on Virgin is quite nice.

Heading to the airport is pretty cool since my BFF Kele Moon and her husbank took us to the airport so we didn't have to pay ridiculous parking fees. After agreeing to write lots of iMessages and e-mails to her, we went to check-in.

Even Upper Class has its own check-in behind the lovely rope. No standing in line. It's straight to a small place with a bench for you to sit down and gather your thoughts...and realize you forgot your damn skin cream you only manufacture.

Fuck. But I'll be fine. I'm a big, tough girl and things will be fine.

So we head to the lounge and hang out. There are awesome little snackies, including these Biscoffs that I am addicted to. I snarfed down a few before getting a load of them and shoving them in my purse. (That's right, I'm pilfering from the 1st class lounge. :D how lovely)

We decide to leave early to hit the Duty Free shop but they've already closed my flight for liquor and I'm so pissed. I knew I should have bought it when I was down there the first time. *sad*

Anyway, we head for our flight, which was slightly delayed but after we boarded, we were able to settle in.


My little suite in the sky!
Yeah, that's champagne on the tray next to me. :)
So these are massive seats with little foot rests for you to stretch out on while flying. And a table pops out from by where the TV is. I watched Men In Black 3, which was great. I loved how they tied the series together at the end. 

This soup was lovely!

OMG, so was this steak :D

This was sooooooo yummy! OMG!

After dinner and a movie, I played a bit on my iPad and tried to get into another movie but it was difficult. So Time For Night Night!


Please lower the lighting and make my bed please... thank you!

That's the bar in between the seats. Yeah Baby! :)
Now all I need is a good book to read... hey!

So many good books to read. It says new if I haven't read it on this device. I think.
After a few minutes of reading, I was sleepy. For 8 hours, you are trapped on this tin can in the sky and you know what? Going there, it really helped to have a lay down bed! I slept and woke up refreshed.
My husband, poor baby, didn't sleep, but it was hot on the plane so I wasn't surprised. Anyway, after a full English brekkie...

Almost forgot to take a picture, it was so nommie.
...It's time to leave! And after a quick inspection at Border control (where I got confused because they asked if we were partners - I said no, hubby patted me on the head and said yes) and I'm in England. 
Day 2 (sorta): Onward Ho! Sept 26
After we've collected our bags and grabbed our first class train tickets, we're on our way to Liverpool! I love Liverpool. It's so gorgeous. 
Speedy train takes us away and after a quick snack and a nap on the train, we have arrived. 
Note to self: Don't let hubby try to figure out anything while operating on no sleep, especially not tube maps showing where NOT to get off. Also, don't listen to the train people, especially if you are rolling big huge massive bags. They mean well but they aren't rolling huge bags. 
We manage to get on the Northern Line and head for Southport. Hubby is nearly passing out by this time and after we manage to get dropped off at his mum's house, he crashes.
This is when we learn the room we'll be staying in at my MIL's house has no door right now as her partner is working on it. *facepalm* right now, we don't care. Sleep rules.
I let him sleep it off while hanging out with his mum. Tonight is my night for my methotrexate dose so we arrange for a kebab takeaway. While we are figuring this out, I get an emergency message from my BFF that my rheumatologist called with my blood tests and I'm officially anemic. 
*head desk* so that's the headaches and dizziness and flightiness. Well, I thought the flightiness was the blonde moments but I'm not usually like that. Anyway, before the takeaway and since hubby is up, we go foraging for iron pills. This is a lot harder than it looks because England and the US don't always match up as far as medicines are concerned. 
A lovely chemist at Boots was able to help us out and told me while she didn't have it, I needed Ferrograd C and then sent us on our way. After a nommie dinner and my pills down the hatch, I hit the sack!
Day 3: Bottoming is so much fun! Sept 27

My MIL's kitchen is soooo gorgeous!

So I wake up and the first thing I do is realize I need food while going through the lows (bottoming out) of methotrexate. 
My MIL is a great cook but I need specific snacks that I know I will like because these pills do weird things to me (will be fully explained later) So this gives me a chance to head to Tesco's. 
Good part: I'm at Tesco's! YAY! *run around*Bad Part: I feel like utter shit! Boo. 
After getting hooked up by Tesco's pharmacy with my iron pills, I pick up snacky bits like yogurts and cheese and bread and juices and tons of water, because I drink that by the bucketload when I'm on my methotrexate day. And of course Tesco's Gateaux! (Please click on the link for NOMMIE goodness)
I head home and after cheese and bread, I crash out for the day while hubby goes out to wander around.
I woke up that evening to find out that the kitties are not eating. Cue me freaking out while trying to not alert my husband that they are not doing well as I calculate how the fuck we can get home RIGHT NOW!
I gave them some tips and said I would call tomorrow. I cross my fingers and try to calm down but I'm worried about my babies! OH NOES!
Day 4: They are going by so quickly! Sept 28
I wake up with way low blood sugar (that's what I get for sleeping on a empty stomach) and we head out into town for a stroll and nom! We stop at this lovely cafe in town and hubby has the English breakfast and I have the beef (gotta up my iron intake) and then stroll about town. 

Did I read this right?

Getting to visit with my Mother In Law is lovely! I hear about everything and see all sorts of old pictures, including my husband from primary school. OMG, he was such an adorable redheaded boy! (Still is ;))
Every day is relaxing and I'm just enjoying myself. But I realize I don't have enough coffee creamers. This could spell disaster for the Toland trip to England. 
Learn more in the next of installment of Tolands go to England! :)

Across the Winds of Time: Welcoming Bess McBride to my blog!

Today I'm welcoming Bess McBride to my blog. Take it away, Bess!
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Across the Winds of Timeby Bess McBride
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BLURB:
While on a genealogical research journey through the Midwest, Molly Hamilton impulsively buys a 100-year-old Victorian house in the middle of a cornfield, and falls in love with the house’s owner...the original owner, that is. Can he be a ghost? The handsome, intriguing attorney certainly feels solid—and somehow her soul knows she has always loved him.
Darius Ferguson has no idea how he has come to present-day Iowa. The last thing he knew, the year was 1880, and he had just buried his fiancée, who happens to look exactly like Molly. He cannot separate the two women in his heart—to him, they are one.
In spite of being drawn to him, Molly thinks Darius is unhinged. Darius wonders if he has joined his fiancée in purgatory. If time travel is possible, will love be enough to build a future together?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~


EXCERPT:

 “How did you get in here?” I choked out.  “Who are you?”
Darius stole a sideways glance over his shoulder to meet my eyes—or to see that indeed I did not have a gun aimed at him—before turning his face away. 
 “It is I, Molly.  The same man you met two weeks ago.  The same man you loved over a hundred years ago.”
 “You’re nuts!” I spit out.  “You’re not here.  I’m just imagining things.”  My knees were aching, and I shifted awkwardly in the tub to dive under the water again, keeping my neck twisted to watch him.  I couldn’t stay in the bathtub all night.  I felt so vulnerable—even if this was a hallucination...or a fantasy.
 “So, since you’re not really here, you wouldn’t mind keeping your face turned away, so I can get out of the tub, would you?”  My heart pounded, the rhythm matching the pounding in my head from smacking it on the edge of the tub.  “Please?”  I couldn’t keep the quiver from my voice.              “Certainly.  It is not proper for me to be standing here at any rate.  I simply came upstairs to see if you were here, and there you were—in my tub—a vision of bubbles and curly brown ringlets.”            I pressed a hand to my damp ponytail.  A sudden warmth in the pit of my stomach contradicted the cold grip in my chest. 
 “Go away,” I pleaded.  “I may want to daydream about you, but I don’t know that I want to actually see you.”
 “As you wish, Molly.”  He threw another quick glance over his shoulder, and his mouth curved into an embarrassed smile before he moved away.
I watched him disappear and panicked. 
 “Wait,” I shrieked.  “Wait!”
 “Yes, dear?”  He backed up to the edge of the door again, still keeping his face averted.   
“Wait for me downstairs.  Don’t go yet.  I’ll be right there.”
Darius inclined his head slightly to the side where I saw his profile, and I could have sighed when a single golden-brown curl fell forward in his face.

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All About Bess:
Bess McBride made her first serious writing attempt when she was 14. She shut herself up in her bedroom one summer while obsessively working on a time travel/pirate novel set in the beloved Caribbean of her youth, but she wasn't able to hammer it out on a manual typewriter (oh yeah, she's that old) before it was time to go back to school. The draft of that novel has long since disappeared, but the story is still simmering within, and she will finish the adventure one day soon.
Bess was born in Aruba to American parents and lived in Venezuela until her family returned to the United States when she was 12. She couldn't fight the global travel bug within and joined the U.S. Air Force at 18 to "see the world." After 21 wonderful and fulfilling years traveling the world and gaining one beautiful daughter, she pursued her dream of finally getting a college education. With a license in mental health therapy, she worked with veterans and continues to work on behalf of veterans. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary, light paranormal/fantasy and time travel romances and currently has eight novels published. She can be contacted through her web site at http://www.bessmcbride.com.
You can visit Bess at her website and blog.

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Click on the banner below to follow Bess’s tour and comment at other stops too. Remember:  the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Nancy will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so leave a comment here and then follow the tour!




Thanks to Bess for stopping by!

Welcoming Kerry Freeman to my blog :)

Fear and Loathing in Writing Romance
When I started writing Pine Tar & Sweet Tea, I was writing fan fiction. Twilight fan fiction, to be precise. It didn’t take me long to figure out that my story didn’t fit into the confines of Twilight canon, so I stopped writing it, told everyone I’d rewrite it as original fiction, and put it to the side.
For two years.
I wanted to write it. Everyone in my critique group wanted me to write it. People who only knew me as that chick that wrote fan fiction wanted me to write it. Hell, even my husband wanted me to write it.
But I couldn’t. I was afraid. Afraid that the story inspired by two friends from high school could never be done justice by my words.
When Loose Id announced their call for coming out stories, I knew this was the impetus I needed to finally write Pine Tar & Sweet Tea. I threw out everything except the basic premise (two high school coaches meeting at the state championship, one in the closet and with a very religious upbringing, the other out and quietly proud). I sketched my characters, created my outline, and wrote the first three chapters.
Once Loose Id accepted my story proposal, I had to write it. Regardless of how afraid I was that the story could never live up to all the expectation, that I could never do it justice, I was going to write it because my publisher was expecting it.
It’s amazing how a little thing like a contract can make you get off your ass and do something.
Will the finished book make everyone who waited for it deliriously happy? Probably not. But a few people who’ve read it really like it, and I’m happy with it. Matt and René are happy to finally have their stories told, and that’s the best thing an author hopes for.
* * * *

Kerry was born and raised in Alabama, and she grew up swearing she was going to get the hell out of Dodge the instant she could. Turns out Dodge ain’t so bad, and she never left. Alabama’s version of a city girl, she married a country boy, and the adorkable couple lives in a small town with their two socially awkward dogs.
Kerry loves to write about love, and it turns out most of the voices in her head are men. She also loves to write about the South, so most of her stories end up there, one way or another.
A tomboy and a geek from way back, Kerry has a day job but dreams she will one day write full time. She has a weakness for yaoi, Japanese stationery, YA, and ginger-haired singers from Britain. She owns an impressive t-shirt collection. Nowaki & Hiroki are her homeboys.



Pine Tar & Sweet Tea by Kerry Freeman
edited by Jules Robincover by Fiona Jaydepublished by Loose Id
Contemporary M/M113 pages
Buy at Loose Id: TBD
Buy at Amazon: TBD


Blurb
After playing eleven years in the Minor Leagues, Coach Matt Hawley has returned to his tiny Alabama hometown to lead his old high school baseball team to their first state championship. At the other end of the state, René Días, who left the Major League after one season, is getting his team ready to defend their state title for the second straight year. One is in the closet. The other is between relationships. Neither has any intention of hooking up at the state tournament.
Then they see each other.
Pre-game lust turns into an intense one-night stand neither man can forget, and when their best friends embark on a romance, Matt and René are thrown together again. This time they decide it won’t be for just a single night.
But the fear of disappointing his minister father and shaming his family forces Matt to keep one foot in the closet, even as he and René find their lust is maybe something more. Will Matt endure a life of hiding or will he surrender and become free?
Excerpt
The clubhouse was sweltering, and René took his cap off to wipe his brow. The rows of lockers and wooden benches always reminded him of playing in the majors, where reporters wouldn’t even wait for the players to get fully dressed before accosting them for quotes about that night’s game. He’d never quite become comfortable with holding court while dripping wet and towel skirted. Then again, he’d never quite become comfortable with a lot of things he encountered his one year of major league play.
“Good afternoon, Coach Días.” The umpire walked toward him with an extended hand. “Good to see you again.”
René shook the umpire’s hand. “Good to see you again too. Hopefully you’ve had a good year.”
“A very good year. Thanks for asking.” The umpire nodded at David. “Hello, Coach Reynolds.”
“Hey, Bob,” David said, smiling. “No need to be so formal. We’re old friends by now.”
“Let’s just say I definitely wasn’t surprised to see your team back in the finals.” The umpire smiled. “Gonna be a great series, that’s for sure. Your opposition looks good.”
René’s ears practically twitched at the mention of the team from North Alabama. “Have you met their coach yet?”
“Met him this morning. He’s quiet, seems pretty serious. Nice fella too.” The umpire chuckled. “Speaking of which… Hello, Coach Hawley.”
The gracious greeting René planned stuck in his throat the instant he turned and gazed into a pair of intense blue eyes. René forced himself not to gaze up and down the opposing coach’s tall, tight body, but he couldn’t help following as Hawley slowly licked his lips. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the man had the most incredible wheat-blond hair just begging to be pulled.
David cleared his throat. “Um, Coach Hawley, I’m David Reynolds, Mobile’s first-base coach.” He shook Hawley’s hand. “This is René Días, our head coach.”
René finally remembered he was supposed to talk. “Nice to meet you, Coach Hawley.” René held out his hand.
Coach Hawley wrapped his long fingers around René’s hand and held on to it. “Nice to meet you too. Call me Matt, though.”
“We’ve been looking forward to playing your team.” René smiled when Matt’s grip tightened. “I’ve heard great things about how you’ve developed the team since you took over this year. Congratulations on your first state final.”
“Thank you. This is your school’s third year in a row here. That’s a sure sign you’re doing something right down in Mobile.”
If there was a sure way into René’s good graces, it was to compliment his team. He could think of plenty of other ways the gorgeous Matt Hawley could impress him—most involving them being naked together—but they had a few baseball games to play. René released Matt’s hand and tried to ignore David’s bug-eyed look at his side.
The meeting with the umpire was a formality. They discussed the rules of the best-of-three series and the umpire’s definition of the strike zone, and the coaches gave the umpire their batting order. René concentrated on each word of the umpire’s speech and blocked out the coach next to him. Baseball was serious business, and he couldn’t let Matt, however tasty he appeared to be, distract him. But as soon as the meeting was over, René found himself locked into that deep blue gaze again.
Matt swallowed slowly. “Well, René, it was nice meeting you. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” René could feel his cheeks heat. “Good luck to you guys too.”
Taking two steps back, Matt pulled on his baseball cap and smiled before turning to walk away. René couldn’t take his eyes off the slow sway of Matt’s hips. For just an instant, he imagined digging his fingers into those hips and the kind of bruises it would leave on Matt’s fair skin.
“Down, boy!” David punched René’s arm. “And retract your tongue before you close your mouth.”
René suddenly remembered where he was. “You think he noticed?”
“You’re kidding, right? I would say he noticed you every bit as much as you noticed him.”
“I meant— Oh!” René stared toward the door. “Cool.”
David shook his head. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he stomped off. “Biggest game of the year, and now he decides to take the dick out of storage.” He spun around and faced René again. “Just great!”
René jogged over to David and threw his arm around David’s shoulders. “Aww, come on, baby. Don’t be jealous.” He guffawed when David shoved him away. “You’re still my favorite guy, even if you kiss like a girl.”
An extended middle finger was the only farewell David gave him. Still chuckling to himself, René pulled his cap down over his eyes, adjusted himself, and walked into the sunlight to begin batting practice.
* * * *
Thank you Lori for allowing me to be a guest at your blog! And everyone, please visit the tour kickoff post (http://kerryfreeman.com/2012/10/pine-tar-sweet-tea-virtual-tour-kickoff/) to enter the super-duper tour giveaway.
(Thanks Kerry for stopping by :))

Welcome Suza Kates and Whisper of a Witch to my blog.

Whisper of a Witchby Suza Kates
 BLURB:
Biologist Shauni Miller, a beautiful as she is compassionate, harbors a secret that could alter her life forever. If she chooses to share it. Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need, but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she’s hiding something, but then, so is he. Both Shauni and Michael have a role to play and decisions to make as a centuries-old prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Only the fates know if they are meant to be together. Or if one of them has to die.



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  EXCERPT:
“Oh, no you don’t,” she said with a shake of her finger. “I’m not being derailed again.”
“What?” His gaze lingered on her shoulders and the curve of her neck. He wasn’t halfway finished with her, yet. “Yeah. You were going to tell me something.”
“Now you’re catching on. And you were going to tell me how you found me out in those woods.” She looked at the large, golden lump of dog snoring in the foyer. “And don’t tell me it was all him.”
Michael felt his previous mellow aura zipping up tight. She’d relaxed him to the point of pre-catatonia then after one look at her, he’d been aroused again and gunning for round two.
Now he felt neither level of satisfaction. He was back to agonizing over how she would react to his dirty little secret. Hell, she might consider it a breach of privacy, the way he perceived what people were feeling, especially his ability to tune in to her so well. It was like he had a direct line to channel Shauni. All day. All night.
So he did what any fearless man would do. “You go first.”

Buy Whisper of a Witch 
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AUTHOR Bio:
Suza Kates can’t remember a time when she didn’t love books, but two particular memories stay with her. “As a young girl I picked up Little Women, read it straight through, and promptly turned to page one to start all over again. The next book I did that with was Mind Hunter by John Douglas, tales about profiling serial killers.”
Thus a twisted romantic was born.
Throughout her teenage and young adult years, she read everything from horror to historical romance yet never imagined writing anything of her own.
It was during a long, cold winter in a tiny apartment in Germany that Suza picked up a pen and notebook to entertain herself. “The apartment was so tiny, my bed also served as my living room couch. Plus, I shared it with three cats.”
Missing the warmth, the hospitality, and the food of the South, she wrote about those things with a huge dose of family thrown in. She says she still has a sweet spot in her heart for her first book, Southern Moon, but to date, she hasn’t revisited it for submission to her publisher.
Suza followed her heart to Savannah, Georgia, and it was the gorgeous city with its moss-covered oaks and secrets of history that inspired her to consider paranormal romance. “I had an idea about sisters and magic, so I went to work on the first book of The Savannah Coven Series, Whisper of a Witch. The series is still going strong, and I am grateful every day that I took a chance on paranormal romance, a genre I wasn’t very familiar with and had never actually read before writing it.”
Suza has since joined RWA and can’t say enough about this organization. “The education and support are unparalleled. I am so grateful to all of my fellow writers who have offered advice.”
Suza still resides in Savannah and is currently working on her next book. She considers it a perfect day when she can sit at the keyboard with coffee in her cup and one of her cats purring in her lap. 


www.suzakates.com    www.facebook.com/authorsuzakates


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Suza will award signed cover flats and pens to a commenter at every stop, a total of five $15 Amazon/BN GCs to randomly drawn commenters during this tour and her Name Before the Masses tour, and gift basket to one commentator from both this tour and her Name Before the Masses tour. 

Visit here and here for links to comment or respond here to be entered ton win. Each comment is an entry so comment early and often! :)

Wide Awake (A Long Con ficlet) (m/m, PG)

I jerked awake.

The dream wasn't real but it was the one I hated the most because I hated to wake up to the cold night that greeted me after the warmth.

"Nate?"

Sighing at the sleepy voice next to me, I turned over. "It's okay, Tony. Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure? You were tossing and turning."

It was hard to talking about, as if saying aloud would banish the ghosts forever but I didn't want to let them go. I held them close to me so I didn't forget them. "I dreamt my parents were alive, that the car crash never happened."

He didn't say anything but he reached for my hand under the bedcovers. He threaded his fingers through mine, giving me the strength I needed in the darkness. When he finally spoke, I heard the pain in his voice. "In my dreams, I'm waking up from the bad dream and my mom beat the cancer."

I dropped his hand and hugged him to me. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, nuzzling my cheek with his pillow lips. "It's okay. It's part of moving on, part of living without them."

The feel of him in my arms would never take away the pain fully but the darkness was just a little less daunting because of Tony. He snuggled deeper in my embrace as his breathing slowed and regulated.

I drifted back to sleep again, the warmth of his body a salve to my soul.

Facing my fears... in many ways: Halloween Horror Nights 2012

So if you've seen me on Twitter, you'll know I've been wringing my hands about going to Halloween Horror Nights. And if you read my blog, you'll know I'm a huge gaming fan so when Silent Hill came to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights, I had a quandary. I'm deathly afraid of Zombies. Hence the reason I've never been to HHN.

OMG, what to do? Well, I had to face my fears. I've gone through a lot this year and I'm not about to live the rest of my life being scared of zombies. Let's face it, I don't really think zombies are going to walk the streets and take over.

But it wasn't just going to the scare houses and wandering about being scared out of my mind. It was being severely open to infection and getting a cold or flu from being around people. So it was time to don my Mario magic mushroom shirt and head the Universal for a RIP Tour. :D

So I went armed with my flu shot and a bottle of hand sanitizer to make this happen. In the pouring rain. &%$#. Okay, so I'm happy I brought my hat, my knit cap made by the very talented Amy Lane. This would protect me from zombies too.

I could do this. I could totally make this happen!

And I did! Last night I went to Halloween Horror Nights and used a whole bottle of hand sanitizer but I made it through while screaming. My throat is kinda sore today from screaming in the rain but I'm okay. I almost lost my cap in the middle of chainsaw people but they didn't really bother me, except for the gas smell and fog.

Did I mention I have asthma related fog? Luckily because of the rain, there wasn't much.

*Sigh* In book related news....

And now for my books! I got my paperback copies of The Long Con. Woo! So excited. Because these are so damn sexy, I now have to make sure the sequel Dangerous Submission is novel length so it goes to print. :D



And they will be at GRL too so pick up a copy and I'll sign it! :)

(Thanks to Man Oh Man Reviews for a lovely review and quote!)

Are you a zero?

Recently I blogged about the latest release in the Persona series, Persona 4 Arena, which is a cool combat game. I've been madly in love with this series since I picked up Persona 3, which was so awesome. I highly recommend all the games, put out by Atlas because they are so well thought out, game engine wise and story wise too.

They recently released the Persona 4 Animation series and of course the story line is condensed from the game but at the beginning they explain the basis of the whole story, which centers around the tarot deck.

Each character in the game as well as the anime has a "Persona" that fights on their behalf in battle and they represent one of the cards in the major arcana. From the Magician to the Star, they fight with their Personas alongside you.

But you are special. You are a Zero, the Fool Arcana. You see, the Major Arcana starts not at 1 but at zero, the Fool Arcana. It is full of possibilities, the beginning of a journey. It ends at the World, with every card along the way a part of the journey.

So far, the anime is awesome, almost as good as the game. But these games always make me think about my life and become introspective. I started writing again, needing an outlet after I played Persona 4. I started on a new journey.

People use "zero" as an insult but zero is void of limits, a blank slate and a new beginning. I'm proud to say I'm a zero. Are you?

The Soul Within: Welcoming Nancy Adams to my blog!

Today I'm welcoming Nancy Adams to my blog with a lovely excerpt. Take it away, Nancy!
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The Soul Withinby Nancy Adams
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BLURB:
Alex’s body is in a coma. His soul, however, is not. Desperate to become whole, he must first convince stubborn beauty Evening Sinclair that he is not dead.
For generations, the Sinclairs have been healers. Using a gentle touch to heal the body and a soothing word to heal the soul, Evening Sinclair is no different. Yet despite her secret abilities, Eve has a somewhat normal existence. She enjoys her small physiotherapy practice, dotes on her eight-year-old daughter and occasionally helps souls get back into their bodies-that is until Alex, with his brooding good looks and glowing eyes, appears in her kitchen.
Alex is desperate to get back into his body-two innocent lives depend on it. His only obstacle is Eve and her stubborn fear. Unfortunately for Eve, Alex is ruthless and just as stubborn. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He will not 'go away' and no matter how much Eve tortures him with her lush body and perfect mouth, he will not change his mind. Eve will merge him, and if it takes him haunting her day and night, she will merge him back with a body-any body.



EXCERPT:
 “Why can’t you merge him?” she asked, her green eyes sharp.
Eve rested her cheek into her hand. “He has three bullet holes in him—one is very close to his heart, one probably in his liver and the other in his shoulder.”
Gran remained quiet taking in the information.
 “He can move things too. Opens and closes doors.” Her heart began to beat faster when she recalled Alex closing the fridge door. Even now goosebumps crawled their way up her arms.
 “Doll.” Gran leant forward and touched her bent knee. “I know the idea frightens you but are you sure he isn’t dead?”
 “Yes.”
 “But you just said that he came to you, that he could move objects and that he has three bullet wounds one close to his heart. It sounds as though he’s dead.” Gran shook her head. “I told you seeing dead souls might happen sooner or later.”
 “That’s just it, for a while I was so sure he was dead, then I touched him and—” Gran sat up straight. “You touched him?”
 “Yes,” Eve moaned covering her face. “I couldn’t help it, there’s just something about him.”
 “What, doll?” Gran asked gently.
 “I’m not sure.” She lied. She had wanted to feel, no that wasn’t right. She had wanted to know that he was real, that this man, who thought she was damn sexy was more than just a soul and why it was, that when she felt his heat seep into her hands, it felt as though her own soul sighed in relief?
 “What did you feel?”
 “Heat. He was warm...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nancy’s addiction for a good trash novel began in her late-teens when her grandmother gave her a bag of Harlequin Romance books. She was hooked and spent the next few years lurking in the dark corners of used bookstores searching for her next fix. Until, one marriage and two kids later, her own ideas had her jumping up at 3 am (much to her husband’s annoyance) and typing them into her laptop. Beside her husband and children, Nancy has three passions, rearranging furniture, buying bed linens and, of course, writing. Nancy lives in Eastern Ontario with her family and two over sized lap dogs. 


Email address:  Fancy-nancy@hotmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/NancyAdams...
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Click on the banner below to follow Nancy’s tour and comment at other stops too. Remember:  the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Nancy will be awarding a $20 Total-E-Bound or Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so leave a comment here and then follow the tour!







Thanks to Nancy for stopping by! :)

Rediscovering my love of reading.

Reading this again :)
While I've been feeling not quite up-to-snuff, I've been lucky to have an old friend nearby.  That would be a book, anything I can get my hands on to read and enjoy and get my mind off feeling yuck. I started methotrexate and that has been making me feel terrible, but it looks like I'm on the mend.

Books have always been my escape. And I have been really lucky to find some awesome books recently! I just finished No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn, which I really enjoyed and reviewed it here. Also a hot romance is Kele Moon's StarCrossed, which I read as she wrote it.

For M/M fans, I read Ellis Carrington's Feeling Neighborly which came on a solid recommendation from Mary Calmes. I really enjoyed the story and of course I'll be reading Three Fates Anthology and Steamroller but only after I finish Dangerous Submission.


Re-reading books is like visiting old friends :)