All Sorts Of Goings On

So much has been going on this week!  It's been such an exciting time here. First, I received a 5 star review for Stolen Destiny from Reading Romances, and she made a videoreview for the book too. That made my day earlier this week.

Then on Thursday my publisher released Stolen Destiny to Amazon. Yay! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. :D

And last night I signed up with Kindlegraph, and now anyone who buys any of my books in Kindle can get an autograph from me sent directly to their Kindle!  How cool is that?  So if you're a Kindle reader of my books, you can request a note and autograph from me. Check it out HERE! I better start thinking of clever things to say. :)

Today I'm expecting my last package of swag to arrive so I can begin assembling a package to send to the event I'm attending in October.  :D  The bookmarks came the other day, and I expect the cover flats and coffee mugs to get here this morning.  I'll be including some swag in the upcoming giveaway hops I'm doing in August and September, but if anyone wants bookmarks, just email  me at gabriellebisset@gmail.com so I can get your address.  They're really great looking, thanks to the incredible work Talina from Bookin' It did on them.  (My photography skills aren't the best, but you can get a much clearer look if you click on the picture.)

I hope everyone has checked out Elaina Lee's To Urn Her Love and Sarah Ballance's Hawthorne this week on my blog.  For $3.00 each, you can get a good read and the chance to help people who really need it.  If you haven't yet, check them out HERE.

I'm at Whipped Cream Reviews this Sunday, July 31, all day celebrating their 4th Anniversary Blog Fest, so click on the banner and stop by to leave a comment to be in the running for these prizes:

GRAND prize: Winner’s choice of either a B&W Nook / WiFi Kindle / $150 Amazon or BN GC
Other prizes: Several small GCs and prizes throughout each day.
Every comment left on the posts earns an entry.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Weekend Creation Blog Hop, hosted by the terrific Shah Wharton. Click on over and check out the creative types who join in each week.  You can find some really interesting blogs.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  I'm putting my nose to the grindstone to get some things done before August begins.  My vacation is a mere 15 days away!

Sarah Ballance-Hawthorne

Today I welcome back Sarah Ballance to give you a taste of her new book, Hawthorne.  Sarah is donating 100% of the profits from the sale of the book to relief for the victims of the Alabama tornadoes and the earthquake in Japan that happened this spring.  So by purchasing her book, you can get a good story and help out people who really need it.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

HAWTHORNE blurb

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home.   She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace.  In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything.  What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

 

HAWTHORNE excerpt

Chapter One

            The car slowed to a stop and a decade's worth of memories tumbled onto the sun-blanched asphalt.

Hawthorne Manor.

            The hand-painted sign hadn't changed in years. In the thick, damp air filling the Louisiana landscape, the wood display remain inexplicably unaffected. There it sat—every meticulously scripted letter as crisp and clean as the stark white walls of the manor it lauded, oblivious to the passage of time.

            Emma Hawthorne tensed in the seat of the Mustang convertible, staring at her past with ice sluicing her spine Anywhere else, the view would have been gorgeous. The drive, lined on both sides with live oak laden with Spanish moss, was the South personified. At the end, Hawthorne Manor held court. Pristine, proud, the boastful antebellum home beamed, lording over its acreage.

            But it harbored the unspeakable. No amount of time could erase what happened to her on the other side of the expanse of green lawn. Nothing could change what she'd seen there. Some might say she was crazy—that she'd imagined or invented the whole ordeal—but her scars were all the proof she needed. Whether the shadows lurking behind the façade of the picturesque plantation were real or born of an overactive imagination, there was no way she was going back into that house.

Especially not for a dead woman.

            Sparing a glance in the rearview, Emma steeled herself against a trembling in her hands that threatened to overtake her body. She released a pent-up breath, her heart settling into a less acrobatic rhythm at the thought of leaving. She didn't have to stay here.

Let the South win this one. She was going home.

A split second after she decided to go, something caught her eye. She blinked, trying to see through the swaying canopy of leaves and moss, certain a figure stood atop the widow's walk straddling the roofline of the house. But no one—

Something brushed the car, rocking it. Swallowing panic, Emma tried to tear her focus from Hawthorne Manor, but fear kept her from looking anywhere else. Time and distance hadn't done her any favors; she was a fool for coming anywhere near this place, much less with the ragtop down.

The car rocked harder. The something refused to be ignored.

Fighting the grip of panic tightening her throat—fighting the ghosts of her past—Emma forced herself to look away from the house, toward the intrusion over her left shoulder.

The first thing she saw was an aged set of gnarled fingers resting on the door, blue automotive paint showing through an ugly translucence.

The second was the face—withered, centurion, and expressionless. Haunting.

Familiar.

Her.

Emma screamed.

****

            It couldn't be her.

            Noah Garrett tore down the drive, slapping through a muggy afternoon haze comprised of mosquitoes and humidity. He couldn't know that scream, but he felt the connection the moment the sound of her fear pierced the thick air.

            Emma Grace.

            The one reason he allowed himself to stagnate on the old plantation, long after life and reason moved on without him. Long after she had.

            A blue Mustang sat at the end of the driveway. He wondered if it could be hers—even as he knew it impossible—but she was nowhere in sight.

He slowed to a trot. The sprint left him drenched with sweat and not entirely disappointed his imagination had gotten away from him. His  dream of one more chance to see Emma Grace had never included himself as a dripping mess. He wiped the moisture from his brow, fast concluding the car must belong to a tourist. They often parked at the end of the drive and took pictures of the condescending mansion most thought beautiful. He assumed the intrusion seemed small to their frequent guests, but the constant ding of the hidden bell announcing a visitor could drive a man to the edge.

As if losing Emma Grace hadn't already accomplished that.

Noah closed in on the convertible, giving the nearby grounds a cursory look. The lawn was meticulous, the beds overflowing with sprays of purple garden phlox which trailed around the bend in the road and disappeared. A riot of white and rust-red irises backed the smaller purple flowers, their leaves deep green and glossy. Overhead, Spanish moss swayed only occasionally atop a maze of live oak, more likely a result of a passing swarm of insects than an actual air current. The land was still. If there were tourists snapping photos of the historic plantation—or doing anything else—he didn't see them. But someone had been there, the seemingly familiar scream so real.

Wasn't it always?

Resigned to another night alone with his memories, Noah pivoted.

And found himself nose to nose with Emma Grace.

Astounded, he opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to reach for her, but his arms refused the notion; they hung uselessly by his sides, the effort futile. His mouth wasn't much on cooperation, either. Finally, he found his tongue. "Em—"

Her expression cut him off. Green eyes wide, skin pale, her small frame shaking, she spoke. "I saw her, Noah. She's back." The words, nearly soundless, seemed to catch in the thick air. Lingering. Threatening.

And ripping the heart from his chest.

BUY LINK:http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=1011841&mode=product&product=4810595

Elaina Lee-To Urn Her Love

Today, Elaina Lee returns to give readers a taste of her new book, To Urn Her Love, which she wrote to help the victims of the Alabama tornadoes and Japanese earthquake that happened this spring. I've gushed a bit about Elaina before on my blog because she's the wonderful talent who designs my book covers.  So in addition to being a wonderful artist, she's an author too, and a generous one at that.  She's donating 100% of her profits from To Urn Her Love to help the people in Alabama and Japan, so after you read the blurb and excerpt below, click the buy link and get a great story while you help some people who really need it. 

BLURB -

Caylie Abrahms bad day gets worse when the teen brother she's responsible for proudly hands her a gift.  Just wanting to show how much he appreciates all his sister does for him, Kyle steals what he believes is an ornate glass vase.  The gift is anything but however, and now Caylie has to find the owner of an urn.  Worst yet, she has to explain her dear brother stole someone's loved one.

Against all odds she learns the urn belongs to Rick Marshall, her best friend from college, the man she'd poured her heart out to and been rejected by.  She never thought she'd see him again, let alone have to hand him back his father in glass.  Will her resolve remain strong in his presence, or will she suffer another broken heart?

EXCERPT -

In silence, they walked the corridor flanking the stairs to the second story. Kyle stayed behind, digging through the plate of refreshments. They passed two doors and Caylie began to wonder just how large his home was. She dared not look around too much, afraid she'd grow jealous and feel even more insignificant than she

already did. There were no disillusions in her life, she knew she was poor. Never before though had she felt impoverished. Until now. However, she did keep a roof over hers and Kyle's head and they never went without a meal. Those were at least things she could be proud of. He opened a door to the left and motioned inside.

ʺOn the desk. May I ask first though, who you're calling?"

With a sheepish smile, she held up the card. ʺA cab, I...accidentally locked my keys in my car this afternoon."

He stepped inside and closed the door. ʺI can give you a ride home."

Shaking her head, she took the card between both her hands and stared down at it. Anything not to look at him and his way too handsome face and the body that proved he did hard labor. A few strands of gray stood out in his dark brown hair, slight lines appeared when he smiled, but other than that, the man was still dangerously good-looking. Only now he had a few years that took away that fresh-from-school look and a filled out frame that came with manhood. Alone in a room with him was so not where she wanted to be.

ʺI couldn't possibly ask for anything more from you. We have done more than enough."

ʺNo," he said softly and the light, musky scent of his cologne filled her nose as he moved closer. ʺYour brother has done enough. You did nothing but return what was stolen, hours after it happened, I might add. You did me a huge favor, especially since my mother happened to show up to get a good look at the urn."

"Something you wouldn't have even had to worry about if my brother hadn't taken it in the first place." She shook her head and put some distance between them, moving towards the phone. ʺI'm sorry, I can't accept anything else from you. Agreeing not to press charges and then giving my brother an opportunity to do some good...it's more than enough, more than I could thank you for."

Before she could reach the phone, his hand wrapped around her upper arm. His touch sent waves of longing through her body. Not wanting to feel anything stronger, she brushed his hand away, thankful he released her without hesitation. His eyes darkened with anger and something she couldn't place and wasn't sure if she

wanted to.

BUY LINK -

TO URN HER LOVE

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=1011841&mode=product&product=4810596

Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance Guest Post

This week, I want to welcome authors Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance to my blog.  Elaina and Sarah are here today to talk about what they're doing to help the victims of the Alabama tornadoes and Japanese disaster that occurred earlier this year. Tomorrow and Wednesday, I'll be featuring each of their books, which they're donating 100% of the profits from to help the Alabama and Japanese relief efforts, so be sure to check back for a taste of both and links so you can show your support for this wonderful cause.

When disaster strikes, there's a moment when we forget all boundaries.  Geographic, political, and socioeconomic divisions fall, and there, for some of the most painful, beautiful moments in time, we are one.

Then—hour by hour, day by day, week by week—the vast majority of us lucky enough to do so will move on. 

As the headlines change our focus moves elsewhere, and save for the occasional media update, many of us don't look back.

Some, however, struggle to look ahead.  Here's a glimpse at the staggering numbers and the broken realities affected residents of Alabama and Japan must face every day.

ALABAMA TORNADOES – April 27, 2011

The mile-wide F5 tornado that literally sliced the state of Alabama in half stayed on the ground for an astonishing 300 miles—a record-breaking distance, according to National Geographic.  It also left a path of utter devastation in its wake, and recovery  hasn't been easy, as evidenced by these facts reported by blog.al.com.

·     25,081 families were denied FEMA insurance, including many whose homes had been wiped completely off their foundations.  FEMA's reason?  Insufficient damage. 

·        
Following the April tornadoes, FEMA deployed 523 inspectors to the region.  Together, they've inspected over 5,000 properties a day.  That's a lot of destruction, folks.

·     Of the $4 million in initial FEMA aid for Alabama, $3.1 million went for temporary housing alone.  

JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE – March 11, 2011

A June 29 update from Red Cross Japan reveals the following sober statistics:

·        
75,215 people from the three most affected prefectures are still living in shelters or other temporary housing. 

7,427 are still missing, their loved ones fearing the worst.

·        
119,776 claims for unemployment were filed between March 11 and June 8 in the three most affected prefectures.

·       
97,183 people have been evacuated from the area surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. 

35, 514 have left the Fukushima prefecture, forced to start over with nothing.

You Can Help … Today

Authors Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance, through the generosity of the Astraea Press charity program, are proud to announce 100% of profits from their novellas below will go toward Alabama and Japan Disaster Relief, respectively.  To help raise awareness, every comment on their individual blogs or guest blog posts (including this one!) from July 12 through August 8 will double as an entry into a weekly drawing for a $10 gift e-certificate or a free e-book.  Winners will be announced on their blogs and contacted via e-mail.  As an additional token of appreciation for your support, if you have purchased either of their titles you are invited to contact Elaina or Sarah for a free gift (while supplies last).

TO URN HER LOVE | Elaina Lee | romance | BUY LINK | BLOG 

Caylie Abrahms bad day gets worse when the teen brother she's responsible for proudly hands her a gift.  Just wanting to show how much he appreciates all his sister does for him, Kyle steals what he believes is an ornate glass vase.  The gift is anything but however, and now Caylie has to find the owner of an urn.  Worst yet, she has to explain her dear brother stole someones loved one.

Against all odds she learns the urn belongs to Rick Marshall, her best friend from college, the man she'd poured her heart out to and been rejected by.  She never thought she'd see him again, let alone have to hand him back his father in glass.  Will her resolve remain strong in his presence, or will she suffer another broken heart?

HAWTHORNE | Sarah Ballance | mystery, romance | BUY LINK | BLOG 

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home.   She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace.  In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything.  What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

SOURCES:  NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110428-tuscaloosa-birmingham-alabama-news-tornadoes-science-nation/ | AL.BLOG.COM http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/06/alabama_tornado_recovery_fema.html |RED CROSS JAPAN http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/kokusai_290611.pdf  | Photos by Elaina Lee (July 9, 2011)

Monday Stuff

I couldn't think of a clever title for today's post, so stuff it is.  I'm still reeling from how bad True Blood was last night--well, the first 45 minutes of it.  I posted this on Facebook, but somebody needs to tell Alan Ball why people watch that show.  First, the show begins with Sam's crazy meth family and while I don't have a problem with what happened to the two-thirds that left the show last night, are the creators of that show kidding?  And then how much Tara do I need to see before I can ask for a reprieve?  What a crybaby! And her mother is back??!!!  And Arlene and Terry with some kind of hillbilly exorcism?  Actually, I like Terry, but Arlene?

Where was Alcide? And why when he was talking to that disgusting man did he have clothes on?  FYI, True Blood people:  Alcide should always be at LEAST naked from the waist up or getting naked at some point in the scene.  And he needs to be in far more scenes. 

And Eric?  I'm not sure I like the crying, boo-hoo Eric.  Eric was fantastic until now because he was ice cold and manipulative.  It's what put the spark between him and Sookie.  Now he's crying because he had a bad dream?  Hell, even Bill wasn't this bad at his worst.  It's not enough to see Eric walk around without a shirt on either. His body isn't that good since Alcide came to town shirtless, so Eric needs to be more of his sexy self and less this lost puppy he's turned into.  Bearing his fangs at Tara doesn't count.  That's just a tease of what I wish would truly happen to her.

Bill has been more manly than Eric this season, and since I can deal with Bill either way, I'm good with him, but more of him would be better too.  Who wants to see any of the Merlotte dysfunctional family, Arlene and Terry with Damian baby, or Tara and her mother?  And now we need more characters (Jesus's grandfather) to take away from the core story?  Ugh!

Time to find my happy place.  Think naked Alcide...naked Eric...ok, all better. 

I'm writing posts and interviews like a madwoman to be sure that by the time August begins, I am completely clear for the month since I'm going on vacation.  I can't wait!  But until the end of this week, I'm busy, busy, busy. 

And I found my Amon for the cover of Destiny Redeemed!  :D  I swear those image sites are hiding the good stuff.  After days and days of searching (I'm not kidding.  We're talking double digit hours here), I found him in somebody's lightbox of the hottest men or something like that.  I saw that title and figured it was worth a shot.  Now Elaina has him and I hope to see what she comes up with any time now.  Since you just read about my definite preferences in men above, expect something like them. (Think great abs)

Finally, I'm over at KMN Books today being interviewed about Stolen Destiny and talking about the three main characters, Varek, Callia, and Amon, so check it out!  I'm off to write more posts and run errands.  Have a great one!

Cover Me

Now that I'm in air conditioned splendor, thanks to my two new air conditioners, I've been able to get back to searching for an image to represent Amon from Destiny Redeemed.  I've spent days and days, most of them seriously sweaty, looking for an image for my cover for that book with no luck.  The problem seems to be that unlike in real life, there are very few appealing blond men to purchase from these image sites, and the ones that are attractive are all doing something goofy. 

Amon is 6'6", has pale blond hair, blue eyes, and is built like a brick shithouse.  (For those of you who don't get my local lingo, he's very well-built.) And for those of you who've read Stolen Destiny, he's spent time in Nil. It changes a man. :)

A good way to describe him in Destiny Redeemed is he's a cross between the body type of the new James Bond and the size of the actor who plays Eric Northman on True Blood.  Or in some ways, think of the image of the lead singer from Stone Temple Pilots in the video for Sex Type Thing. (I fell in love with the band because of how much I liked the way Scott Weiland looked in that video. Talk about mad, bad, and dangerous to know...and built, back before the drugs took over...so sad when hot men fall apart)




Amon's smooth, icy, and often deadly.  This has proven to be an impossible thing to find in the images out there. 

I found an image of his love interest, Thea, in no time.  But finding Amon has been a chore, to say the least.  The problem is that I'm very particular (just ask Elaina, God bless her!) and as he's my favorite character I've ever written, the image has to be right.  I accept that I won't be able to find exactly him, but I need to feel I've come close enough. 

So the search goes on...

In other cover news, one of the people who follows me on Twitter has a fantastic new cover that I just have to share.  It's delish!  Michelle McCleod's new book, Love Potions, has a cover I just adore.  I'm not usually a hot pink girl, but this cover jumped right off the page for me.  Michelle tells me she got hers done at www.crocodesigns.com.  Congrats, Michelle!  It's beautiful! 

Yesterday Was Lazy, But Today I'm Swamped

Today's post title refers to how busy I am.  Since I'm going on vacation in less than a month, I have a million things to do.  Where did the summer go? 

I have to get Masquerade typed so it can be to my editor and critique partner while I'm on vacation (I play, they work...nice, huh? Love you guys!).  I plan to release it at the end of August, so there's little wiggle room on that.

If you look at my upcoming appearances, you'll see I have a ton of them in August, and all of them need to be written and sent to the wonderful bloggers by this Monday.  I need to finalize my choices on my cover flats (thank you, Talina!).  I ordered my bookmarks and mugs the other day to get the swag package ready to send away to the October event I'm attending.  Now I need to get on those cover flats and order them, along with burning copies of a few of my books to CD to stuff in the swag package. 

And, cue sad music, I have to prepare for the upcoming semester by getting all my syllabi ready before I go on vacation since school begins the day I return.  To top it all off, it's stifling hot in my office here where I have to do all of this work.  I love the heat, but the humidity in PA is out of control this week. I think I must break down and buy an air conditioner for myself.  So I'm off to WalMart in the hopes that I'm not too late for an air conditioner.  (Please, God, let there be just one more left....)

Hope you're having a great, if sticky, day!  :)

Lazy Summer Days

I love summer.  Even if I didn't have summers off from work, I'd still love the season.  Everything always seems more relaxed in the summertime.  When I was a kid, I always went to summer camp.  Usually it was Girl Scout camp, but sometimes I'd go to two camps during the summer.  Those were the days.  Camping in the woods, swimming in lakes...both things I wouldn't do now if you paid me.  LOL  But when I was a child, they were the most fun you could have on a summer day.

My son is away at Boy Scout camp this week.  He's very much the camping type of person.  He attends camp every summer, and I use that week that he's away to begin preparing for our school year, which begins in August.  I've home schooled Christiaan since third grade, and this year he's going to be a sophomore in high school.  This year will be bittersweet for me because I know we're getting to the end.  However, I'm very excited because we're going to be studying some great things.  In history, we'll be working on the period from 1600-1800, so he'll have two history books to complain about--western civ and American.  Yes, it's true. My son doesn't like my subject.  In literature, he'll be reading books like Don Quixote, Common Sense, and The Federalist.  But what he's really excited about is Chemistry, which his teacher (not me) plans to do as AP, trig/pre-calc (not me teaching either!) and Farsi. 

So while he's off earning the things he needs to become an Eagle scout, I'm here getting things ready for the new year.  I'm eager to begin because I plan to study Farsi with him.  I've always been in love with language, and when he chose Farsi as the language to study for the next three years, I decided I'd learn with him.  So yesterday I purchased the Rosetta Stone program for Farsi and I can't wait to begin! 

I'm over at the lovely Joanne Troppello's blog, The Mustard Seed, today, so take a look at her interview with me. I'm talking about Stolen Destiny and summertime fun, along with giving away a copy of the book to one commenter. Have a great summer day! 

The Top 100 Vampire Romance Books At Amazon

I woke up this morning to find that Vampire Dreams, my little novella that I meant to send to Harlequin Spice Briefs before email goblins sidetracked it, had broken into the Top 100 Vampire Romance Books at Amazon. It also broke into the Top 100 in Erotica in Kindle Ebooks and Books in general.  Wow!  Now that's probably the second best type of wake up I know. ;) Thanks so much to all those readers who've purchased the book. 

I'm thrilled and amazed by this news.  This will be the look on my face all day: :D  Now it's back to work on Vasilije's book.

What A Difference A Year Can Make

Today is an important day for me.  One year ago, I woke up as I always did, but I had dreamed the most fantastic dreams all night.  I was perplexed by them because while they were vivid, they weren't terribly coherent.  I began writing down what I could remember, only bits and pieces really.  But these bits and pieces were nothing like my usual dreams.  A few days later, I had to go to see my son at Family Night at his Boy Scout camp and on the way there, I told his father (my ex, but still a nice guy) all about what I'd dreamed.  He was intrigued (he was also a captive audience), and as I explained about the people I'd dreamed about, I realized that they were something entirely new that I'd never heard about. 

On the way home from Family Night, I scribbled names down on an envelope I'd stuck in my purse days earlier when someone had given me a birthday card.  I needed a name for my people, and after numerous versions, I decided on the name Aeveren.  When I got home, I began writing like a mad person, finishing over 200 pages within the next month. 

Then, right after Labor Day, I was in the shower one morning and an idea came to me.  From that idea came Stolen Destiny. Then around Thanksgiving the idea for the next book came to me.  Well, to be honest, my character whose book Destiny Redeemed is wasn't going to let me go without writing his book. 

Now, a year later, that first novel I began back in July 2010 still sits as the beginning of the Destined Ones journey.  Stolen Destiny is published, and Destiny Redeemed will be published in the fall.  And I've written my novellas too in that year.  Vampire Dreams is selling wonderfully in its 6th week of release, and Love's Master continues to stun me every morning as I check the numbers in just its first week of release.  The third novella, Masquerade, is complete and in the typing/first edits stage.  Finally, Vasilije's story has been calling me, and I'm making good progress on that book, which is looking to be a novel length story. 

I hear people all the time say they don't have the time or they'll get to it later.  I was one of those people before last July 18.  I tell people that they shouldn't wait if they want to attend college when they complain it will take four long years.  My answer is always, "Well, that time will pass whether you go back to school or not. Wouldn't it be great if you had something special to show for it?"  I'm glad I finally took my own terrific advice.  One year later, I have so many special things to show for it. 

I'm at Katie Salidas's blog today talking about the necessity of promotion, so click on over and check it out.  I hope you have a wonderful day and begin something special in your life too. 

Remembering Why I Do This

It's Friday! Yippee!  Here at my house, it's shaping up to be a beautiful day.  The sun is shining and the temps are set to climb into the low 80s.  Life is good! 

I've got a number of things going on today, but I want to note something that really touched me the other day.  Laurie, from Bitten By Paranormal Romance, posted her review of Stolen Destiny on Goodreads and what she said about the book brought me back into focus a bit.  When you can see your sales for books at any given time in real time, it can cause you to focus on the numbers.  That's not what it should be about.  The reality is that unless you're a huge name in NY publishing, you're never going to be able to be in this for the money.  Sure, it's possible you'll make some nice cash, but enough to live on?  Well, I guess it depends on how much you need to live.  For me, unless this begins to bring in the money my day job brings in, it will have to be something I do for another reason. 

As I check the sales for all my books each morning, I'm thrilled to see them climb each day.  That's not why I began writing, though.  It isn't why I write now.  I just needed to be reminded of that.  So when I read Laurie's review and saw that Stolen Destiny had stirred her emotions and really stuck with her for days after she read it, I remembered why I wrote that story and why I write everything I write.  Not for the money. No, I write because I want to share a story with readers.  To know that Stolen Destiny touched her like that means I succeeded with that story. That's why I do this. Thanks to her for reminding me of that.  :)

I'm over at the Brazen Broads Book Bash (is that not the coolest name for a book blog?) today talking about POV.  Thanks to those brazen broads for the invitation to stop by again and for the wonderful review they gave Stolen Destiny. 

Finally, I'm hopping around with my dear friend Shah's Weekend Creation Blog Hop.  It's a new linky each week, so I'll be posting that more often from now on.  I love Shah's hop because it's different.  It celebrates creativity, so there are authors, artists, and all kinds of creative types who stop by. 

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!  I'll be finishing Masquerade and writing guest posts and interviews so I can begin to get ready for vacation.  Have a great one!

'Round The Blogs

Happy Thursday everyone!  It's cooled down just a little in PA, so it's not sweltering anymore.  This is a good thing.  :)  Not that I hate the heat.  I don't.  In fact, I love it.  I can see myself definitely moving south after my son graduates.  But I don't have air conditioning now, so it can get a little sticky. Ewww....

On to more pleasant ideas.  I've been over at Selena's place, The Enchanted Book, all this week with the chance for one reader to win a copy of Stolen Destiny.  Love her blog!  It's so purple.  And yesterday I was over at Erin O'Riordan's blog, Pagan Spirits, talking about my hero from Stolen Destiny, Varek, and his being a "bad" good guy.  Check both of those out for more info on that book. 

Today I'm at the wonderful Talina Perkins' blog, Bookin' It, talking about my adventures in publishing.  Not an entirely happy story, but it turns out well at the end.  I'm giving away a copy of Vampire Dreams or Love's Master to one lucky commenter, so check that out too.  (Talina is the talented woman who creates my banners.  Love her!)

Ok, I'm off to do some work on Masquerade today.  One of my editors suggested an idea that was out of this world fantastic, and I've run with it. It meant changing a chapter or two, but the idea was so yummy that I had to try it.  So far, I'm loving it! I'm also off to get my driver's license picture taken, a far less enjoyable time than writing.  Let's hope the DMV and I don't have to spend too much time together.   Have a great one!

Author Erin O'Riordan Guest Post

Today I welcome author Erin O'Riordan to my blog to tell us about Oakley Falls, one of her characters from Vamps: A Lesbian Anthology with Teeth. 

Meet Oakley Falls

By Erin O’Riordan

Gender: Female

Supernatural status: Vampire

Works at: Blind Eye Gentleman’s Club

Stage name: Mistress Oakley

Supervisors: Adam Germaine (a.k.a. Black Adam) and Adam Gorman (a.k.a. White Adam)

#1 Rule at work: No biting on premises

Ethnicity: Caucasian and African-American

Relationship status: It’s complicated. Oakley was in a relationship with her fellow stripper Kane Black - before Kane turned out to be a vampire slayer. Oakley had to kill her in self-defense. Currently dating fellow stripper/makeup artist Hollie 

Nemesis: Now that the threat from Kane has been neutralized, Oakley’s nemesis is her vampire maker Marija

Platonic best friend: Johnny Lee Bayliss, starting forward of the Chicago Sun Bears basketball team (#13).

Relatives: Her mother is Hecuba Falls, noted sociologist and Black activist. Her father, Travis falls, is a long-haul truck driver. Hecuba and Travis divorced when Oakley was four.

Named after: the oak trees that grew around the campus of the community college where her mother used to teach

Lives in: Chicago, Illinois

Hometown: Mishawaka, Indiana, though as a child she spent her summers with her mother in Atlanta

Favorite color: Black

Taste in skimpy stage costumes: Gothic

Intro music: “Change” by the Deftones

Favorite perfume: Bombshell by Victoria’s Secret

Favorite food: Hot human blood straight from the artery, preferably male. Oakley’s sexual tastes and her nutritional needs are two entirely different matters.

Favorite hunting grounds: Grant Park

Pet peeves: the mention of Kane Black; Hollie trying to get her to eat “real food”

Favorite book: Vamps: A Lesbian Anthology with Teeth, edited by Lorna Hinson

Here and There and Love's Master Live

It's Monday again, and although I usually don't like the first day of the workweek, this Monday I have reason to celebrate.  I woke up this morning and found Love's Master for sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble...and had already sold copies of it!  What a wonderful way to start a week!

Love's Master is the second novella in the erotic romance trilogy set in Victorian England.  While Vampire Dreams is a paranormal, this is more historical with a little twist-some light BDSM (nothing too deep, just some spanking, whipping, and blindfold action).  It's also much longer, at over 27,000 words compared to the 17,000 for Vampire Dreams. 

The idea for Love's Master came from a column that ran in the Times of London for years in the 1800s called the Agony Column.  If you've ever read any of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, you know what I'm referring to. Each morning, Holmes would comb the Agony Column for clues to cases.  All sorts of notices would be posted in the column, such as messages to secret lovers, posts to inform people of events, and even employment ads.  Often the notices were written in code or a foreign language, like German, French, and even Latin. 

I ran across the Agony Column online one day a while back and as I read through the years of notices, one jumped out at me.  I had been reading a lot of BDSM stories and when I saw a post that said, S.B. “is a STRICT Disciplinarian, and not afraid of a rather unruly Pupil" I immediately thought that this would be a great idea for a follow up story in what was quickly shaping up to be a trilogy of erotic romance novellas set in Victorian times. 

I had so much fun writing Love's Master, and much of that enjoyment came from the research I did.  Everything from foods found in Victorian England and Afghanistan to BDSM information was researched, in addition to the basic information that is needed to write about the past. 

To buy it, check out Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  I plan to have it up at Smashwords soon, along with All Romance eBooks too. 

In addition to the good news about Love's Master, I'm over at Danielle Ravencraft's blog, Ravencraft's Romance Realm, today talking about all three of my books out now.  Check that out and possibly for the first time, my picture is posted. (Let's hope none of my students see it. Now that's an office visit discussion I don't want to have!)

I'm also at Harris Channing's blog with an interview with Amon, the sexy bad boy from Stolen Destiny, so check that out too.  And have a fantastic summer day!

Masquerade Cover Love

While I've been busy finalizing Love's Master for its release early next week, my cover artist, the incredible Elaina Lee, and I have been working on the cover for the last erotic novella in the trilogy set in Victorian Times, Masquerade.  Yesterday, it was completed, and today I'm basking in love for my new cover. 

I'd found the gorgeous mask a few weeks ago, and after hours and hours of searching for a couple, I found this one, which I love because the female conveys the strength the heroine Annelisa possesses.  I sent them to Elaina and she did that magic she always does and voila!  Another stunning cover that I adore. 

I'm off to wrangle with the Smashwords grinder thing this weekend, along with the contraptions at the other outlets, but I couldn't wait until Monday to show off the new cover. I'm in cover love! 

Another Year

Another year has gone by and I'm celebrating another birthday.  Unlike many people I know, I love my birthday.  This is probably due to the fact that it was always a very big deal when I was a child because I shared it with my father.  He's gone ten years now, but I think of him often, especially on our day.  I'm very much like him, not surprisingly.  My father was a tough son of a bitch, and anyone who's ever gone up against me on an issue I truly believe in can tell you that I'm my father's daughter in that way. (Check out Nadja's post I link to below for a little taste of that toughness when it comes to my hero in Stolen Destiny.) He never got to see me reach the success I've reached today, but I hope wherever he is, he can see all that I've accomplished in my day job and my writing. 

It's been a big year for me.  Since last July, I've written two novels and three novellas.  The Muse was with me. The first two of those five to be published, Vampire Dreams and Stolen Destiny, were released last month, and in just a few days I'll release Love's Master.  Then in August I'll release Masquerade, the third novella, and in October, I'll release Destiny Redeemed, the sequel to Stolen Destiny.  

So what's in store for this new year?  I've begun writing Vasilije's story, a novel that has grown out of Vampire Dreams.  I'm in the thinking/planning stages for a novel that was inspired by a very hot blacksmith I met last month, and the third novel in the Destined Ones Series, Destiny Unbound, awaits completion at about 50% finished status.  But the lure of the novella always calls, so I can never tell what will happen with that.

Writing has become my second full time job, and hopefully, it can be my only full time job someday soon.  As it is, I write when I can, and for every word that ends up on paper I find I'm enjoying it more and more.  Now that's a job I can look forward to! 

I'm over at my friend and fellow author Nadja Notariani's blog today talking about standing my ground with Stolen Destiny, so check that out.  And I want to give a big shout out to friend and fellow Siren author, Bree Younger, whose first book, Burn, is being released today.  Best of luck to you, Bree!  7-7 has always been a very lucky day for me, and I hope it's just as lucky for you. 

And for my birthday, I'd like this, please.  No bow is needed.  ;)  (Is that a tag or a tattoo on his right hip? Mmmmm....)

Is It Possible Summer Is Halfway Gone??

Please tell me summer isn't halfway over already.  Just the thought depresses me.  I remember as a child my birthday was a very big deal because I shared a birthday with my father and my mother's only sibling had his birthday on the 5th of July.  We would have a huge party right around the 4th of July for all of us.  I swear I thought fireworks were for the three of us until I was about eight years old! 

Now that I'm an adult, my birthday is less about celebrating (although I still say I have a birth week, a throwback to my childhood).  Now, when my birthday comes around, it's a sly reminder that summer is flying by and I'll be back to work at the day job in less than two months.  I know.  You aren't crying for me.  I get that.  :)

To celebrate my birthday and the wonderful times of summer, I went big for the Skyrockets in Flight Giveaway Hop.  If you haven't entered, check it out.  In addition, I received my first review for Stolen Destiny Sunday night.  Lady Raven raves gave it 5 stars at Goodreads. Worth a look! 

I'm over at Karenna Colcroft's blog with Vasilije from Vampire Dreams doing an interview today.  He's always interesting, so check that out.  I give a little hint about his upcoming book in our talk too. ;)

After visiting those fabulous links, get out there and enjoy the wonderful summer we've got before it fades away to dried up leaves and sweater weather.  Find a shady place, grab a decadent summer read and your favorite drink, and thank the sun for doing its job and keeping us all toasty.  :)

Skyrockets in Flight Blog Hop Delight Giveaway (International)

Happy 4th of July everyone!  It's time for cookouts and fireworks and whatever else you do to celebrate America's birthday.  Here at my blog, I'm participating in another giveaway hop.  I think I might be addicted to these.  :)

So, here's the skinny on this hop: The giveaway runs from 12:01 AM on July 4th to 11:59 PM on July 10th. My giveaway is open to everyone, US, Canada, and International, so if you have an email, you can enter.

Ok, so now on to the goodies.  What can you win?  Since it's my birthday on July 7, I want to share the good vibes and give away a copy of each of my books.  So, one winner will win a copy of Vampire Dreams; a second winner will win a copy of Stolen Destiny; a third winner will win a copy of Love's Master, AND... a fourth winner will win copies of two of my books of their choice AND a $10 gift card for Amazon.  (To learn more about each book, click on each title to be taken to their pages.) 

Winners will be chosen by random.org's magic random number thingy on July 11.  To enter my giveaway, there is only one requirement:  you must be a follower of my blog and let me know in a comment below when you give me your email address (so I can tell you if you won!).  Easy peasy!  However, for the overachievers who want extra chances, here's what you can do.

+1 extra chance if you friend me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002481284652

+2 chances if you follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/gabriellebisset

+3 chances if you sign up for my newsletter (You can do that when you follow or by using the pink box in the right sidebar)

Do me a huge favor and add the extras up in your comment, please.  :)

Remember, the extra chances are just that: extra.  They are not mandatory.  Choose to do as many or as few as you'd like. 

Thanks to the hop's hosts Bells from Hanging With Bells, Tigris from TigrisEden's Garden of Books, Danielle of Lush Book Reviews, and JoJo of JoJo's Book Corner. 

Make sure to hop around to everyone else's blog after you enter here!  Have a great one, and good luck!

150!

Well, it's the first of July, so my book Vampire Dreams is entering its second month for sale.  Yes, it's true that it didn't go on sale at Amazon until June 3 and Barnes and Noble until June 10, but I like the beginning of the month idea to see how the book did in its first month out.  So, how did it do?

150 copies sold.  To say I'm overjoyed would be an understatement.  When I released Vampire Dreams, I had no idea what to expect.  I'd read a number of posts by fellow authors to get a feel for what to expect, so I did my homework.  I also knew that at the $1.99 price point, it was higher than other books in the genre, but I kept that in mind and hoped for the best. 

Now it competes with my novel, Stolen Destiny, for my attention, but I'm not complaining.  I want to thank everyone who's read Vampire Dreams and has been so wonderful about it.  In celebration of my birthday (July 7) and the release of Stolen Destiny on June 29 and Love's Master (in a week or so), I've dropped the price of Vampire Dreams to 99 cents. 

Today I'm over at L.K. Below's blog, Lindsay's Ramblings, talking about the inspiration for Stolen Destiny, and Nat over at Reading Romances has reviewed Vampire Dreams and given it 4 stars!  Check both these lovely ladies' blogs out and have a wonderful day!