Pamela Palmer's Nine rules of dating a Feral Warrior Shifter

To celebrate the launch month of Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, I've asked some of my favorite authors to share their own Nine Rules here on the blog...

About six months ago, I was in the Avon offices and I made an embarrassing confession--that I'd never read a shapeshifter romance.  Well.  That was not going to be allowed to go on if I was ever going to be able to show my face proudly in those offices again.  I left with my marching orders...read Pamela Palmer's Feral Warriors series. I bought the first, Desire Untamed, on my way home.  I bought the next two the next morning; because I was hooked. Utterly. Completely. Hooked.

Holy Cannoli.  You gotta read these books.

So...I'm so so so thrilled that Pamela was willing to take time out of her crazy schedule of writing more of these books (the next...Rapture Untamed, about Jag, my favorite of the Feral Warriors...is out June 29th.  HAWT cover here!) to join my Nine Rules celebration!

Nine Rules of Dating a Feral Warrior Shifter

1. Don't wear clothes that snag easily on claws

2. Don't wear fur

3. Bring a purse big enough to carry an extra pair of his pants if he has to shift

4. Be prepared for anything

5. Don't be alarmed by the sudden arrival of large predatory animals

6. Be prepared to hold his weapons if he has to shift

7. Don't be alarmed if he starts stabbing the air with his knives -- you can't see the things he's fighting

8. Wear heels – no matter how tall you are, you’re going to feel small

9. Be prepared for the night of your life!

As a FANTASTIC added bonus to her awesome Nine Rules, Pamela has offered one lucky commenter the first three books in the Feral Warriors Series: Desire Untamed (starring hot Lyon), Passion Untamed (perfect Paenther), and Obsession Untamed (yummy Tighe)!

To win, comment below with the animal least likely to be featured as a hero in a shape-shifter romance (I'm looking forward to this one)! Pamela will choose the most unlikely animal and the winner on Monday! (Don't forget to put your email address in the comment!)

And stay tuned for the rest of the month--and a dozen more Authors Rule(s) posts from an awesome range of authors! To read more of Authors Rule(s), please click here!

Kerrelyn Sparks's 9 Perfect Presents for Vampire Sweethearts!

I am SUPER jazzed that  Kerrelyn Sparks has joined me this week to offer up her Nine Perfect Presents to Give Your Vampire Sweetheart as part of my launch month for Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake! Kerrelyn's The Vampire and the Virgin--a continuation of her Love at Stake series--releases this week! Kerrelyn has offered up a signed copy of Forbidden Nights with a Vampire...to win, comment below with your favorite fictional vampire (winner announced on Thursday)!

I should warn you, when I first got this list, I couldn't stop laughing.  It's the perfect example of how hilariously entertaining Kerrelyn's books are...Here we go!

Nine Perfect Presents to Give Your Vampire Sweetheart!

1. A roll of Vampos, the after-dinner mint that gets rid of blood breath.
   
2. A dozen blood-red roses.
   
3. A designer label black tuxedo and cape lined with red satin.
   
4. A king-sized coffin with room for two.
   
5. A flat screen television with a subscription to the Digital Vampire Network.
   
6. A sunlamp so he won’t look quite so pale.
   
7. A year supply of Bleer (synthetic blood mixed with beer).
   
8. A hot dinner date with you as the entrée.
   
9. Sex, sex, and more sex!  A good Vamp can last all night long!

The Vampire and the Virgin releases March 9^th!  Can you guess the perfect present the heroine gives her vampire?   To read an excerpt or enter one of Kerrelyn's own contests, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com!

And stay tuned for the rest of the month--and a dozen more Authors Rule(s) posts from an awesome range of authors! To read more of Authors Rule(s), please click here!

ETA: Thanks to everyone who entered the contest...and to Kerrelyn for stopping by again!  The winner is Debbie Kelly!

Nine Rules Excerpt!

Harper has released
an excerpt of
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

(SQUEE!)

To Browse Inside...
Click the cover!

Today, in Things that Make Me Smile.

Via the fantabulous Coe Booth.

Jennifer Brown's Nine Rules for Being an Agent of Change

To celebrate the launch month of NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, I've asked some of my favorite authors to share their own Nine Rules here on the blog...

As regular readers know, one of my very favorite YA Novels of 2009 was the incredible Hate List by the hilarious, wonderful Jennifer Brown. I'm honored that Jennifer was willing to take time to celebrate the launch of Nine Rules with me...with her Nine Rules for Being an Agent of Change. The phrase--used by the principal in Hate List after the tragic events following a school shooting--encourages students to end bullying at the school...something I think we can all get behind.

With that, I turn it over to Jennifer (with the quick addition that Rule #1 is my very favorite lesson from her fabulous book):

1) See what's really there. Not what you "think" someone else is thinking, or what you're "assuming" someone else is like, but what and who is really there. Remember, you are not only your reputation -- why should anyone else be only theirs?

2) Listen to your gut. Deep down, you know if you're saying or doing something that is mean and hurtful. Trust that instinct -- if your actions (or inactions) feel bad to you... take a different route! It's never too late to change.

3) Save your applause for a friendlier show. Bullies love feedback, and the more you giggle, gasp, or stand and stare, the more likely they are to keep up their bullying act. So steal their applause. Just. Walk. Away.

4) Reach out in friendship to someone who needs it. You never know... the kid everyone tears down just might end up being the best friend you ever had.

5) Be the place where gossip goes to die. Bullying isn't just about shoving into lockers or ridiculing in the lunch line. Gossip and rumors hurt just as much as a punch to the ribs. Don't perpetuate rumors. Don't add to the gossip. Don't whisper or send hurtful emails. If you don't spread hurt, maybe it will die.

6) If you're being bullied, find a safe place... and go there! Don't suffer alone. Tell a school counselor or teacher, parent, friend's parent, or other trusted adult, sibling or friend. An adult can help put a stop to the bullying. And you could end up being someone's hero -- the person who prevented what's happening to you from happening to someone else.

7) Be a carpenter, not a demolition crew. You have the power to build someone up or tear them down. Which would you rather be? Those people in #6 need someone to go to. Be that safe place. You can make a real difference in someone's life, which is kind of awesome to think about.

8) Apologize. It's never too late to decide you are so done with making someone miserable. An apology goes a long way, especially if it's followed up with friendship (or at least a truce).

9) Wear an attitude: "Bullying is SO 1980s!" Make it loud and clear that you think bullying is another one of those uncool things your parents did "back in the day," like wearing big, permed hair and stirrup pants and listening to Depeche Mode cassette tapes. You are so much more evolved than that. You are cool; bullying is so boringly old-school!

Jennifer is offering up a v. cool "Agent of Change" bracelet and a signed copy of Hate List for one lucky winner!  To win, please comment below--one entry for each comment, two for telling us about an agent of change in your life.  One winner will be chosen at random on Monday!

ETA: WINNER!  Congrats to Cari! 

To read more of Authors Rule(s), please click here!

Toni Blake's Nine Rules for Visiting Destiny, Ohio!

To celebrate the launch month of NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, I've asked some of my favorite authors to share their own Nine Rules here on the blog...

I'm so excited to kick off the series with the fabulous Toni Blake, author of seventeen romances including the heartwarming, sexy ONE RECKLESS SUMMER. If you, as I am, are a sucker for homecoming romances--you know the ones I mean...the heroine goes back to her roots and falls for a dreamy local?--ORS is for you!

The book (and it's sequel, SUGAR CREEK, due out in June, Oh! The torment!), is set in a fictional small town called Destiny, Ohio--as much a character as the humans in the book.  Toni's Nine Rules take us to Destiny--and teach us how to navigate this little town.

Nine Rules for Visiting the Quaint Small Town of Destiny, Ohio
by Toni Blake

1. Be sure to stop by the Under the Covers bookstore on the town square and share a cup of coffee with Amy and Tessa. If there’s good girl talk or gossip to be had, this is where it will be going on and you don’t want to miss it. There’s usually a cat-in-residence, too, who will be happy to rub up against your ankles or sit in your lap.
2. Don’t speed in Destiny. Hunky cop, Mike Romo is a stickler about that sort of thing and will give you tickets repeatedly – just ask Rachel Farris.
   
   
   
3. Take a canoe ride across idyllic Blue Valley Lake. Besides being quite scenic, this quaint body of water has seen a lot of Destiny drama over the years, most specifically between good girl Jenny Tolliver and the bad boy of her dreams.
   
   
4. But never, never visit the old Brody cabin in the woods across the lake. It’s SUPER creepy – especially when you think you see lights on even when no one has lived there in years!
   
5. Buy some apples from Edna at the Farris Family Apple Orchard on Sugar Creek and ask her to tell you the story of her tragic first love over a piece of her award-winning apple pie.
   
6. Stay away from Mick Brody! His brother is in prison, after all, and he was always a bad seed. No, it doesn’t matter how hot he is – beware!
   
7. In case of trouble, remember that the Destiny Police and Fire Departments are right next door to each other, just across the square from Under the Covers. And both come complete with lots of sexy men in uniform, which has the potential to make any emergency more enjoyable.
   
8. Hang out at Creekside Park. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to watch hot, sweaty guys playing softball, or you might even be invited into a touch football game with Mike Romo, Logan Whitaker, and Adam Becker – “touch” being the key word here.
   
9. Plan to stay awhile and soak up everything Destiny has to offer, from the quaint garden parties to nights at the Dew Drop Inn, from hot and sexy encounters to deliciously sweet romance.

Number 9 won't be hard at all...and I'm going to prove it to you!

Comment below with your favorite Small Town for a chance to win a copy of One Reckless Summer, the first in the Destiny series--I'll select one random commenter on Friday to win!

To read more of Authors Rule(s), please click here!

ETA: Winner! Thanks to all for commenting...I think its so fun that everyone has a favorite small town (mine is Ashland, NH)! But, sadly, only one person can win! Congrats to Miss Tammy! Everyone else...keep trying all month to win goodies from the other authors who will be stopping by for the 9 Rules celebration!

Release Month Celebration! Nine Rules Excitement!

Tomorrow makes it March!
Release month!

I am so excited, y'all...as you know, I've wanted to write romance novels for virtually my entire life, and this month...I get to be a bona fide romance novelist! I'm thrilled that in T-minus 30 days, my first romance novel, NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, will be on bookshelves all across the country! SO. EXCITED.

Even more exciting is this: For the month of March, there are going to be all sorts of surprises, giveaways and excitements here at MacLeanSpace...free books, goodies, and, my very favorite thing...a series of guest posts by some of my favorite authors--each giving his or her NINE RULES to live by! I'm so very honored that so many good friends have agreed to celebrate with me!

If you'll do me a favor and bear with me, I also have to squee for a second or two...because the first reviews for NINE RULES have started coming in...and I really really have to share!

ROMANTIC TIMES gave it 4.5 stars and named it a TOP PICK for April...MacLean has penned a fast-paced, funny tale with a marvelous cast of characters who captivate and enchant. This book should come with a warning: Once you start, you won't want to put it down! (Yes...I'm calling that "my Times review." Forever.)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY called it: An entertaining Regency debut, and said, The 19th-century clothes are luscious, the 21st-century sensibility is raunchy, and it’s all implausible, escapist fun. And, while I cringed a little at that raunchy the first time I read it, I'm now considering putting it on bumperstickers. :)

And...my favorite...A STARRED BOOKLIST REVIEW!!!--MacLean’s devilishly fun debut novel is an absolute delight: rich in supple wit, suffused with sensuality, and enlivened with a wonderfully engaging cast of characters.

SQUEE!!!

Ok...I swear, I won't post reviews often...so thanks for sticking with me on this one! I hope you'll come back over the course of the month and celebrate this amazing time with me!

And one more thing...I want to thank you all...for your patience, and your encouragement...and for being so willing to go on this crazy journey with me!

Much love...

Oh, Olympics, How Do I Love Thee?

I do not like to watch sports on TV. I'll go to a hockey game, or to the US Open--and when I was in high school I had a big fat crush on a soccer player so, yeah, I've been to my fair share of soccer games--but when it comes down to it, I'd rather do anything than watch sports.

But there is something about the Olympics. Every two years (although I still think of them as every-four-years kind of things)...a bunch of kids from around the world come together and they compete. And every year, I am glued to the tv. Because there is something about the Olympics. Something really remarkable.

I think it's hope. I think it's the fact that today, in this world that is filled with people (myself included) who are filled with boredom and ennui and a real sense that there is nothing that can really awe us, there are hundreds of athletes in Vancouver who are literally experiencing the most amazing days of their lives.

You can see it on their faces when they enter the opening ceremonies in the parade of nations. You can see it in their eyes when they stick their landings. In the way they clutch their partners when they finish their remarkable iceskating routines. In the way they collapse to the ground when they cross the finish lines after the Nordic combined (did you SEE that?!).

They are awestruck. And they are hopeful. And they know that TODAY is the greatest day they have ever had.

And that is some serious mojo.

Serious enough that I feel it through my tv.

Eric makes fun of me. He thinks I'm silly to care about curling. But I do care. Not because I know anything about curling or ever will. But because these guys care about it. And they've been working their whole lives to be the best in the world at it.

And that's something. Because I recognize that I'm not the best in the world at anything. So I give mad props to anyone who can lay claim to that superlative.

So, to the Olympians...all of them...go you. I'm watching.

Felicity Walker on Inside the Character's Studio

I'm very very happy to host Felicity Walker, the star of the truly hilariousRhonda Stapleton's Stupid Cupid, on Inside the Characters Studio!

Felicity Walker believes in true love. That’s why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid’s Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn’t just a matchmaker…she’s a cupid! (There’s more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired…and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

Welcome, Felicity!

What is your favorite word?
Crap.

What is your least favorite word?
Ummmmm, this one's hard. I don't like the word "moist", actually.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
The feeling I get from making a great match.

What turns you off?
The feeling I get from making a wretched match. *sigh*

What is your favorite curse word?
Ass. I'll say it again...AAAAAAAAASSSSS. Man, it feels good. haha

What sound or noise do you love?
I love listening to my friend Maya play the trumpet. She's really good!

What sound or noise do you hate?
I hate the squeaky sound my shoes sometimes makes. Especially when it's just one shoe, so it's all lopsided.

What profession would you like to attempt?
I'd like to be a BETTER cupid than I am...I'm still attempting that one.

What profession would you not like to do?
Anything involving garbage or stinky stuff.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Felicity, thanks for working so hard as a cupid. And for saving those nuns from that burning building. That was extra generous of you.

LOL. That last answer always cracks me up! Thanks for coming over to play, Felicity!

----
Check out other interviews from Inside the Characters' Studio here.

The end. Or, finishing your book.

There are few things in life better than the pleasure of finishing a first draft. In fact, today I can't really think of something better.  This is, of course, because I finished the first draft of my third book--the sequel to Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake--last night.

Just to put it into perspective, here are nine things that finishing your first draft is better than:

1. Finding a $20 bill in your coat when you weren't expecting it.
2. A kick in the pants.
3. A great new haircut.
4. Friday afternoons.
5. Clamcakes and chowder at the beach (and I'm a New Englander.  So that's no joke.).
6. Christmas morning.
7. An Ocean's 11, 12 and 13 marathon...in the theater.
8. Chocolate.

and, by a nose:

9. The tasting menu at Craft. (Tom Colicchio not included.  Obviously, I would have to reclassify if he were.)

For me this is particularly true because, honestly? I still get incredibly doubtful about whether or not my books will actually get finished when I'm writing.  Seriously.  I'll be 300 pages in and think...is this even a thing? But then I come out on the other side...and OMG.  It's a thing. And I actually like it. And I get giddy. And I do a little dance and have a glass of wine and watch West Wing for three hours.

So...yeah...that's nice.

And, of course, I know I am not even close to being done with this book.  Because now comes the part where I hand it over to my ridiculously-brilliant-editor-who-happens-to-see-things-in-my-manuscripts-that-I-would-never-have-seen-had-i-had-an-ice-age-to-find-them and I will say, "These are all the words I know. And this is the order in which I know to use them." And she will say, "Push yourself. I will help."

And I will. And she will. And revisions will happen (another blog post for another day).

And the book you read in the fall will be infinitely better than the book I have today.

And that, too, will feel great.

But it still won't feel as good as finishing the first draft.

xox