Yay! A new release to send off 2009

I'm so so so excited. Whoo hooo! Settler's Mine 5: The Man is available.

Blurb: Colton returns to Settler’s Mine searching for his mate who he’d abandoned years before. He’d been on his way earlier, but once he and Larkin mated, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves and it delayed his trip.

Michipi has made a new life for herself at Settler’s Mine and doesn’t want to trust Colton again, no matter how sincere he seems. Especially with his new mate receiving all the perks of the heartstone glow that she never got.

While Michipi enjoys being the subject of being two men’s desires and what they have to offer, however good they both are she can’t get past Colton’s past betrayal and denies the future of their mating. When an old enemy resurfaces to make an attempt on Colton's life, Michipi is forced to realize that she needs both men in her life. But has the knowledge come too late, and at too high a cost?

To read an excerpt!

May the muse have The Man
Mechele

Kittens and plotting

All things are possible toys to a kitten. The crinkly paper flowers come wrapped in. The flowers. The leaves. The vase.

Yes, we've had a couple of accidents already this morning. I'm going to lunch with friends, so bought a hostess gift (flowers) along with my potluck offering (fruit). Within 10 minutes of turning my back, the grapes had become soccer balls and the flowers were spilled on the floor. No vase breakage, thank goodness. The Paw of Destruction (a.k.a. Pandora the kitten) just looked at me like I was insane to yell at her. "Toys! Shiny, noisy toys! And small round objects just MADE for play!"

I believe that animals do know right from wrong in the sense that they know what displeases us humans. But kittens don't care yet what pleases or displeases us. Unlike puppies, who are social, kittens really don't care what their humans think. The only time it matters is when what the humans wants coincide with what the kitten wants. Then it's important.

I'm reminded of this while I write, too (yes, you knew this would come around to writing, didn't you?) I've been making good progress on my current W.I.P. but lately I got a bit bogged down (my current W.I.P is the prequel to the book shown here). I was trying to move the characters around on the stage, making sure they got to Point A by a certain time in the plot. It just didn't feel right. They felt wooden, recalcitrant, like they were resisting. Sort of like a kitten when ...

Yep. I was trying to impose my idea of what was correct behavior on the characters I created. And what I thought was right (for the plot) was totally out of character for the character.

Scrap that chapter (oh, I'll save it for later cannibalism) and back to the drawing board. Like kittens, I have to let my characters grow and develop. Maybe at some point our ideas will intersect.

Until then...oops. I hear a noise. I think I may need to clean up some more flower spillage.

New Release TODAY!

Sweet Charity, book 3 in the Project Alpha trilogy, is now available from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

BLURB:

Third in the Project Alpha series

Earth 2133

Adrian is an Alpha—a genetically enhanced assassin—thought dead by the people who created him. Living outside the Gate, a high tech shield that protects the enclosed city from the contaminated and lawless land outside, he is the leader of the Resistance, living only to bring down the Gate and the people who sought to kill him.

Charity Caruthers is the daughter of one of the most powerful and brutal men in the inner city—the General. She risks everything sneaking outside the Gate to get a message to Adrian.

Passion explodes, ripping apart the foundations of both their lives. Charity begins to understand true sexual desire as Adrian teaches her the passion to be found in dark fantasies. Loyalties are tested and trust pushed to the limits as the final confrontation is at hand. Some will die. Some will live. And Adrian and Charity’s fragile relationship could be the final casualty in this war of retribution and freedom.

Project Alpha: Futuristic assassins on a deadly course with love. Books 1 and 2—Embracing Silence and Have Mercy—are now available.

Are authors allowed to write from their imaginations any more?

I’ve had a few fan emails recently that made this a very interesting question.

The first one was a few months ago from a woman who said she enjoyed both my erotic and non erotic books and thought my F/F scenes were very authentic, but wanted to ensure I was a lesbian for her to continue reading my books. I thanked her for her kind comments, but told her I was happily married to a man. She told me (sadly, she assured me) that she couldn’t continue reading my books since I was heterosexual. Then just a few days ago I had an email from someone on Facebook asking me to confirm if I was a Christian, because she couldn’t in good conscience continue to read my paranormal erotic romances (which she said she truly enjoyed) if I wasn’t a Christian. I answered her nicely saying that I really appreciated her kind comments about my work, but that I hoped my fans enjoyed my work for my characters, worlds and stories and that I didn’t feel my spiritual beliefs entered into the equation. She answered back saying that if I were truly a Christian that I would’ve proudly stated it and promptly unfriended me. I won’t even get into the sad irony of that particular argument :) which would be an entirely different blog...

Neither of these are the norm within my fan mail, gladly, but I thought they were both rather interesting. Both readers clearly stated that they enjoyed my books, which to me speaks for itself. After all, when I read a book, I read it for enjoyment.

Have we really reached a point where personal affiliations and life color the actual writing to that extent? I’ve read some Stephen King, but I truly hope that within his personal life he doesn’t go around murdering people in macabre circumstances, and I can’t imagine sending him a “fan” mail saying as much. I think I could understand if I was being outspoken about something that they found personally offensive – fair enough for them to choose with their consumer dollars where not to spend their money. After all, that’s the beauty of consumerism. But both of these situations left me a bit puzzled and bemused since that’s not the case. Now let me state, I’m not ashamed in any way of my personal choices or state of being. I just feel that if people enjoy my writing, those things don’t matter or come into play. I’m a good person and am tolerant of others and their views, and I suppose, naively I expect the same in return from others.

Am I being shortsighted? Is this the new face of being within the industry?

I’d love to hear your thoughts...

Tina/Cassie

www.tinagerow.com

www.cassieryan.com

Holiday Entertaining!

Holiday Entertaining!
By
N. J. Walters

This is the time of year when we entertain the most. And, if we’re not careful, it can also be the most stressful time of year. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Host a Christmas cookie swap with friends, family, or the girls at the office. A lot of women are doing this nowadays. You make a bunch of your favorite kind of cookie, save some for yourself and take the rest to the cookies swap. Be sure to decide beforehand how many cookies every person should bring. It will vary depending on how many people take part. If there are six of you, you would probably want to bring at least three dozen each so everyone gets a half-dozen of each kind. You might want to bring a few extra to “sample” as you all divide the cookies. This way you get a few hours out with friends and a bunch of different cookies to take home for the holidays, which you don’t have to bake yourself. It’s a win/win situation.

How about that formal Christmas party you always throw? You know the one I’m talking about. You stress, you shop, you worry about your table displays. That’s fine if you truly enjoy doing it, but if you find it more work than pleasure, how about throwing a different kind of party this year.

You could have a skating or sledding party. You don’t need kids to act like one yourself. Or, if you choose, you can have people bring their kids. Make huge pots of soup and chili for when you’re all ready to come inside. They’re quick to reheat and let you enjoy time with your friends and family instead of spending all of it in the kitchen. Put out loaves of thick, crusty bread or rolls a few plates of those cookies you got at the cookie swap and you’re all set.

Another great idea is a potluck dinner. Invite friends and family to share their favorites with you and others. It’s a great way to try out new foods. You could have a theme if you wanted or you could simply have folks go with tried and true. Maybe you could even print off recipe cards on your computer and put them by each dish so if someone likes a particular one they can recreate it at home.

If you’d like a more formal party for adults only, have a buffet. Help yourself out by going to the grocery store and buying pre-made finger foods. These days, you can find everything there from the most basic to the more exotic. Put out some fruit and cheese platters and let people mingle and enjoy.

Have a quiet dinner for a few close friends or family. Pick a meal you’re comfortable making. This is NOT the time to try out new recipes. It’s not hard to make the table festive. A few candles, some red napkins and a pinecone or two and your set. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be nice.

Above all else, have fun. The people you invite over want to spend time with you. And if they’re more concerned with what your house looks like or what you made or didn’t make, then they shouldn’t be on the guest list.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all. Hope you all have fun entertaining!

Looking for a holiday read? Try Jessamyn’s Christmas Gift, a White Hot Holiday Quickie available now from Ellora’s Cave.


Emotional~Sensual~Satisfying Reads!
http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)

December Newsletter and New Contest!

Good morning and welcome to December!

It's that time of the month again. The December issue of Awakening Desires—the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters—is now availalbe. If you're not receiving it, then you’re missing out on all the latest news, author interviews, excerpts and tons more!

Be sure to check out the this month’s author interview with Katherine Kingston.

As well, each month, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win next month is to go to Awakening Desires Newsletter to join. While you’re there, you can check out back issues of the newsletter.


SWEET CHARITY SNEAK PEEK CONTEST!

To celebrate the release of Sweet Charity --the final book in the Project Alpha trilogy--from Ellora's Cave on December 16th, I'm giving away a download copy. Go to my website and click on the "contests" page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.