Testing, testing...

I'm trying a new iPhone app that I can blog from. I enjoy blogging, but can't always afford the half hour to sit down and write it.

I'm being a good girl, and aside from two nights ago when Anna caught me relieving late-night brain wanderings with Twitter, I've been pretty controlled in the "wasting time online" department. :)

Now I can sit in the car while I'm waiting for Eldest to finish school and blog, or at the doctors. It's quite cool...

I've promised some reviews, haven't I? I haven't forgotten. We've (Rach and I) just been critiquing a fabulous ms for our Anna Hackett. It's a full, and it's excellent. Coming to a store near you, absolutely!

Rach is another one who is going places, she's published in non-fiction articles, but her fiction is truly beautiful to read. My CP girls are awesomesauce.

Hopefully, the same can be said for me... :)

Oh, Anna had an excellent post on her blog, Midnight Confessions, about how she revises her work. You should check it out and say hello...

Huh. Still working out how to insert links... And tags. But the rest is okay, nein?

Speaking of dependencies (which we weren't but, oh look, we are now...), my phone just refused to turn on yesterday. It was a horrible feeling, although I felt slightly embarassed about the "cannot function with the iPhone" thing. I managed to hold off until lunchtime, but then I ran as fast as I could to the phone shop to have my life re-started. iPhone, as Eleni Konstantine would say, = Spawn of Evil.

We're on the cusp of what is expected to be our first-ever (since records started) November heatwave here in Adelaide (That is, six consecutive days where the temp is 35degc or above. Or something like that). Yay, not. Thank God the pez have the pool up and running, because it's pretty damned early for a heatwave!

Given some nice rains we had in August and October, it also looks like our farmers (my PIL), will have their second-largest crop haul in history. Good news for them!

I apologise that I have to get this out of my system, but it also looks like being a bumper season for snakes (There have been two at Eldest's school - one in the library. Read, read, read, ouch!). My dad killed one in his strawberry patch, not far from the school. Yet to see any here on our Farmette. Hopefully we won't top our current five-in-one-season record.

Wonderfully, all of our snakes here are highly venomous, so they do not make good friends. We have the red bellied black, the brown, and a tiger snake or two here. *shudder* {EDIT: Oh, Joy. One I missed.}

{EDIT: as I put in the link post-postuously it is warming my heart to read that, "The brown snake is considered Dangerous [Dangerous with a capital D!] to man. Bites from this species of snake have caused death within minutes, rather than hours or days, with even a juvenile (new born) potentially delivering enough venom in a single bite - to kill 20 adults. Today, brown snakes are responsible for most of the fatalities from snakebite - per year." Smashing. Four of the five we had on the farm (one in my ENSUITE. I don't care if it was a baby!), were these delightful creatures.}

I hatez snakes. Well, they're fine, just don't come near me or mine... In fact, the first two lay eggs, I know, which is kinda cute...

Have a great weekend! Mine's great thus far, just posted in bed!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (aka Spawn of Evil), mainly just because I can...

A new era...

of waiting. I've just subbed a new novella to Nocturne Bites. Called, at this stage, FIRESTARTER, after an R for EVIL'S INTENDED arrived in my email box in September.

Many, many thanks and big sloppy kisses to Anna and Rach for looking it over for me. It's sooo much better for it!

Speaking of those gorgeous girls, we've just been reading over a new full for Anna. Keep an eye out for it, peeps. it ROCKS!

Now, it's off to re-hash EI for submission, to Samhain, I think...

I also need to get DDB finished by the end of November - I promised my girls - and if they give me stuff and I don't have anything to give, I'll feel BAD!

Gotta go, back soon... E x

Anna Hackett's TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND (WindKeepers #2) is available now!

TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND by Anna Hackett

The deadly Tempest Winds have escaped. Now, four brothers gifted with the power of the winds must recapture the Venti Tempesta before they can unleash their evil on the world...

WindKeeper Dante Venti, Keeper of the South Wind, is in Rome on a mission to entrap the Southwest wind and its holder before it can infect humanity with the vice of pride. Dante already feels pride seducing him...but the real temptation is alluring assassin Samia Hassan.

Samia has been sent to kill Dante, but her body is irresistibly drawn to him, his power and presence enveloping her. And if she's not careful, she will be entrapped by Dante, body and soul...

TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND is now available at eharlequin.com and all major online booksellers.

http://www.annahackettbooks.com/

Don't forget to check the Elenifest!

Bring the Eleni-fest!

Fellow SA-er Eleni Konstantine is holding an online celebration of writing during the whole month of October.

Join Eleni who will be yakking about grants, writing, conferences & more. For details please go to elenikonstantine.com.

(“This project is proudly supported by the Richard Llewellyn Arts & Disability Trust” ( You go, Eleni!))

She'll be hosting authors such as:

Anna Hackett

Tracey O'Hara

Trish Morey

Anna Campbell

Erica Hayes

Mel Teshco

Website prizes include copy of Heart & Craft by Valerie Parv,
and a copy of Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara.
Blog prizes include writer's packs. (Emily says, that's cool...)

Sounds like great fun. Check it out!

The big R...

On March 9th this year, I submitted my first ever Nocturne Bites ms. Then, the average wait for a Bites was 3 months.

At some point, the wait time increased to 6-8 months. Ooops.

I might have been one of the lucky ones, but I heard back after six and a half months.

It was a big R. Phooey.

But, now I know.

I have another that is with one of my gorgeous CP's - Rach - and I think it's nearly ready to go, well, unless Rach flays it. Then I will work on it some more, and send that baby on to NY.

The rejected one, I will re-write a little. Anna (Anna Hackett, the other of my gorgeous CP's) wondered if I could give it a bit more snazz. I think I can - I would certainly like to - make it a bit more me-ish... Then I ship it off to another epub. Got one lined up.

The best thing about this R was the support that I've received from Anna & Rach, the girls on the boards at eHQ, and my Twitterati buddies. You all are the rockingest. It's a beautiful thing. Kisses all round!

I know I'm getting some eagerly- awaited CP stuff to read soon, so I'd better get crackin'! To be honest, this current WIP was doing my head in a bit, so I'm glad for the distraction.

Take care, E x

PS - I read me some Gena Showalter and Alyssa Day recently. Yay! Will review soon...

And I've got a LIST! - Intrigue Nocturnes in Australia...

I got mail today:

Please find below the list of Nocturne stories so far as released by Mills and Boon in Australia,
11/2008 DEATH CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
11/2008 HAUNTED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
12/2008 PERSECUTED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
12/2008 DANGEROUS TEMPTATION Nocturne KATHLEEN KORBEL NOT AVAILABLE
01/2009 DAMNED Nocturne LISA CHILDS NOT AVAILABLE
01/2009 DEVOTION CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
02/2009 NEVERMORE Nocturne MAUREEN CHILD NOT AVAILABLE
02/2009 CRY OF THE WOLF Nocturne KAREN WHIDDON NOT AVAILABLE
03/2009 BLOOD SON Nocturne ERICA ORLOFF NOT AVAILABLE
03/2009 BLOOD CALLS Nocturne CARIDAD PINEIRO NOT AVAILABLE
04/2009 TOUCH OF THE WOLF Nocturne KAREN WHIDDON NOT AVAILABLE
04/2009 BLOOD SECRETS Nocturne VIVI ANNA NOT AVAILABLE
05/2009 DARK TRUTH Nocturne LINDSAY MCKENNA NOT AVAILABLE
05/2009 UNBOUND Nocturne LORI DEVOTI NOT AVAILABLE
06/2009 THE DARK GATE Nocturne PAMELA PALMER NOT AVAILABLE
06/2009 FAMILIAR STRANGER Nocturne MICHELE HAUF NOT AVAILABLE
07/2009 RISING DARKNESS Nocturne CYNTHIA COOKE NOT AVAILABLE
07/2009 KISS ME DEADLY Nocturne MICHELE HAUF NOT AVAILABLE
08/2009 NIGHT MISCHIEF Nocturne NINA BRUHNS NOT AVAILABLE
08/2009 DARK LIES Nocturne VIVI ANNA NOT AVAILABLE
09/2009 SAVING DESTINY Nocturne PAT WHITE AVAILABLE NOW
09/2009 THE BEAST WITHIN Nocturne LISA RENEE JONES AVAILABLE NOW
10/2009 SCIONS; RESURECTION Nocturne PATRICE MICHELLE AVAILABLE NOW
10/2009 THE EMPATH Nocturne BONNIE VANAK AVAILABLE NOW
11/2009 GUARDIANS KEEP Nocturne LORI DEVOTI COMING SOON
11/2009 THE QUEST Nocturne LINDSAY MCKENNA COMING SOON


Due to limited warehouse storage facilities, and the fact we publish over 60 titles each month, we only store our books for 2 months, including the current publishing month. To try to locate any old titles, you may wish to contact the bookstore mentioned below. Doreen has a large range of rare and collectable romance titles that have been published throughout the years. We thoroughly recommend both her fast service and attention to all matters.
Doreen Watt4 Webb PlaceWeetangera ACT 2614Phone: (02) 62542793Fax: (02) 62545500E-mail: dmwatt@grapevine.com.au
Alternatively, you may wish to look on websites www.amazon.com or www.eBay.com.au If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards Lynda SkinnerCustomer Experience Representative Harlequin Direct Email lskinner@eHarlequin.com.au AustraliaPh 1300 659 500Fax (02) 8588 1201 New ZealandPh (09 837 1553Fax (09) 915 5291
Please visit www.millsandboon.com.au for the latest books, special offers, author news, and lots more!

A Review - "Wind Kissed, Fire Bound" - Anna Hackett, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, September 2009

It's no secret that I'm an Anna Hackett fan. I know, she's my writing buddy, but that don't mean I don't think she rocks.
Her stories are consistently well-written, the premises great and the tension between the characters is beautifully portrayed. In EVERY BOOK she has published, or slated therefore.
She's just the goods.
WIND KISSED, FIRE BOUND is no different.

THE BLURB:

As Keeper of the Winds, Livia Cavalli needed to focus her power on keeping the evil Tempest Winds trapped in their island prison. What she doesn't need is to be distracted by sexy horse trainer Rafe Donovan. Three hundred years ago, Livia became an immortal Keeper to numb her emotions, but Rafe arouses her in a way she hasn't felt for centuries. For Rafe, Livia is a challenge he longs to solveand take to bed. Once she's in his arms, their desire is overwhelming. But when his own powers reveal Livia's secret pain, he realizes taking her body isn't enough - he wants to heal her soul, too...

EMILY'S TAKE:

This is, I think, my favourite Hackett hero. Rafe is a sexy horse trainer (in my head, he was dressed in a well-stressed pair of long-legged Levis, but I don't think that was actually mentioned...). If you can see the cover from here - he looks EXACTLY like that! Bless you, cover gods.
Livia Cavalli is a strong, centered woman who takes her job very seriously - that being a Keeper of the malevolent Tempest Winds (I KNOW, cool storyline!). If she gets distracted, they bust out, wreaking their havoc on four corners of the earth. She is in control, a career woman if you will, without being the slightest bit sexless.
Of course, they sooo want to jump each other, but really shouldn't. For a few reasons, the least of which being that she's got a job to do.
With extra conflicts woven in, Hackett's story is a tight, compelling quick read. You WILL want more.
This is also the first book in the WindKeepers Series. Book 2, TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND is coming out in October from Silhouette Nocturne.
Although these are quite comfortable reads alone, reading this one first would set the stage.

Keep an eye out for more Anna Hackett...