Thanks to Cynthia for inviting me to her blog!  I had another blog written for today, but on Saturday I read Shelli Stevens’ guest blog for Cynthia.  At the end of Shelli’s blog, she said to leave a comment with what summer plans we’re most excited about.  In that second, I knew I had to scrap my other blog and instead talk about that I’m doing.  Because I have FREAKIN’ HUGE SUMMER PLANS!  I’m turning indie!  I’m publishing my  e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.  It’s a decision that came slowly, but once I made it, it felt right.  More than that, it felt self-empowering.

So that’s what my June has been about.  I had to read an old ms., CATTITUDE, that I always thought was marketable.  It’s an award-winning book and I had an agent for it about five years ago.  She loved it but couldn’t sell it.  People who’ve read the blurbs on my old website have asked me to let them know when it’s published, so I know it hits a chord.

Because I don’t have an editor and a copy editor, I asked six beta readers to go over it.  It’s taking longer with so many readers, but I want to put out the best, most mistake-free product that is possible without going insane.  I think I have a high threshold for insanity, but your never know when your head might explode.  So six is my limit.  I’ve gotten three critiques back, and I’m waiting for at least two more before giving it to a friend who offered to format it in Smashwords.

In the middle of all of this, I realized I needed a new website. I wanted one in WordPress, so I can update it myself.  My fabulous, brilliant and uber talented CP, Michelle Diener, helped me put one up.  Meaning she did most everything and I somehow lost the blog until she told me how to find it again.

Many other people helped me with my ms. and are still helping me. But that’s going to be another blog.  This blog is about my summer plans, which are to become an indie author.  It will probably be another 2-4 weeks until I get my book on Smashwords et al (which in the publishing world is a sneeze of time), but as soon as the book is set up, I’ll send it out to one commenter, chosen at random. You can read an excerpt here.

Here’s the blurb for CATTITUDE:

Feline or Femme Fatale?

After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one.  But she doesn’t count on falling in love with her former owner.  Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better. It’s all in the CATTITUDE.

So, what are you excited about in your life?

Edie Ramer

http://www.edieramer.com

I’LL BE SLAYING YOU is available now! The second book in my Night Watch series is in stores today!! Go, Dee!!

Cynthia Eden returns to the realm of the Other, where the supernatural bounty hunters of Night Watch work hard and play harder…

Sandra “Dee” Daniels is a vampire’s worst nightmare. Sure, she couldn’t get up to five-six in the highest heels money can buy—not that she ever wears heels. But the monsters in her past and the stake in her boot are enough to keep most bloodsuckers interested in staying undead out of Baton Rouge.

But there are changes afoot on her turf. Rumors of a Born Master in town—a vampire so powerful he can make the streets run with blood. And a new face in Dee’s dive bars and alleyways—Simon Chase, a strong, sexy shadow with a haunted past of his own. Simon knows a lot about the dark side of Dee’s work. He knows even more about how to make her body spark with desire. But the hot lust shimmering between them is only the beginning. Because Simon also knows a secret that will change Dee’s life—if she can live long enough to uncover it.

***

But wait…there’s a bonus!  The first book in my Night Watch series, ETERNAL HUNTER is being offered as a free Kindle download from 6/29-7/5. Oh, yes, FREE!  So if you missed ETERNAL HUNTER, here is your chance to get it!  You can learn all about the Night Watch hunters and get some great background information on Dee.  If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the book using the Kindle for PC feature–and then you can read the book on your computer. (If you’re already read ETERNAL HUNTER & you enjoyed it, then this is the chance to get your friends to try the book–for free!)

Cynthia Eden delves into the dark realms of the Others, where desires and dangerous games await the unsuspecting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Assistant DA Erin Jerome has a secret. Make that two. One: She’s not entirely human–she’s Other, desperately trying to keep her supernatural strength under wraps. Two: she’s got a killer stalking her–an Other rogue set on “gifting” her bloody corpses, not to mention nights lying awake in terror. Small wonder she’s been having bad luck with men.

But the bounty hunter on her new case isn’t worried about any of that. Jude Donovan is a shapeshifter himself, and the new DA’s midnight hair and addictive scent tell him all he thinks he needs to know:  She’s gorgeous, she’s definitely not human, and she’s bringing out the animal in him in a really good way. He might have to track a psychotic Other stalker through half of Louisiana. But he might also get the chance to watch Erin’s wild side come out and play.

***

Have a great day!!  I’ll be off to sign stock soon.

So go. Buy. Slay!

Update: Lauren’s winner is…Jamie Birdwell! Congrats, Jamie!!

My name is Lauren Dane and I admit it, I love series. Reading and writing them.

Lucky for me, my readers love them too so I get to write more of them. I love to write a series of books with the characters’ connection to one another as the uniting theme. My Chase Brothers for instance, or the spin off series from my Cascadia Wolves, de La Vega Cats.

Cascadia Wolves was my first series featuring shifters as main characters. I love the Warden family and their mates and I had a great deal of fun writing the books in the Pellini story arc.

I haven’t stopped writing about that world though, because I do love it and because it’s big enough for me to spin off to other packs and other paranormal characters.

Which is what I did with TRINITY.

TRINITY finally gave one of my favorite characters from the Cascadia Wolves series, Jack, his HEA with Renee, a witch and Galen, a jaguar shifter. It started a whole new group of stories and characters, while retaining a connection to Cascadia.

I loved stepping from the world of wolves into the world of cats. I love shifters in general, but cats were newer territory so I got to build an entire culture to give Galen and his family context.

I love writing wolves, but big cats have proven to be just as fun to write. A cat moves with power and grace. A cat can be silly and definitely lazy. Even jaguars like to lay around in the sunshine.

TRINITY was also the start of a two book story arc. The story of Renee and Kendra’s past, of what happened to their mother and why will conclude by the end of REVELATION.

In REVELATION I make the full shift to the world of big cat shifters, with the de La Vega family at the center. We learn more about Max and Galen’s family as Kendra, Renee’s sister and the heroine of the book, falls in love with Max and spends time with them.

I’ve fallen in love with Boston and my cats, with the National Pack wolves and the witches we’ve met and will continue to as the series moves forward. I hope you all do too! If you’d like to read an excerpt or blurb for either book, the book covers will take you to the pages at my website!

Do you like series? If so, got any favorites? Do you stick to certain genres?

I’ve got a digital copy of TRINITY and a digital ARC of REVELATION to give away to one winner chosen from the comments below.

Thanks for having me,

Lauren

Update:  Meagan’s winner is…CatsMeow! Congratulations!!

Hi! * waving at everyone* My name is Meagan Hatfield, and I will be the next victim…err, blogger chatting here with Cynthia!  *grin*  I want to thank her so much for having me and thank everyone who stops by!

Now, a quickie about me…I currently write dark paranormal romances for HQN & Silhouette Nocturne.  My debut novel, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE just came out this week!  *eek*  I’m so excited!  DRAGON WARRIOR, a novella set in the same world, will be releasing July 1^st from Harlequin Nocturne Bites.  When I’m not hovered over my laptop (writing, not Tweeting or Facebooking of course *grins*) you can find me shakin’ it in my Zumba classes where I teach seven classes a week.   Actually, I have to head to one in about 30 minutes, so we’d better get this party started!

Okay, so I have been getting asked the same question a lot lately…with all the yummy paranormal heroes out there – vampires, werewolves, demons, etc…why did I chose to write about dragons?  What is my fascination with this species and why did I think they would make good romance heroes?   I figured what better way to answer this than the good ol’ top ten list.

So, without further ado, here are my top ten reasons dragons make perfect romance heroes:

1. Dragons are cool.  Or actually they’re quite hot (pun intended.)  No really, in my stories, they are tall, muscular men with rippling biceps and thick corded thighs who put even the hottest of movie-star hotties to shame.

2. Number 2 sort of ties in with Number 1, but they are gorgeous.  Okay there, I said it.  I’m being shallow.  But both the man and the beast are beautiful in their own way.  Dragons are sleek and sexy, strong and yet lithe and elegant, all power yet vulnerable too.  They have great wisdom that comes with age and immortality.  Yet they possess the fiery hot ardor and *ahem* stamina of a young buck in his prime.  😉

3. Dragons are dangerous and let’s face it, we all love a little danger, don’t we ladies?  *wink*  Well, the kind of danger you can experience from the other side of the page at least.  A dragon hero could char you to a crisp at one glance, or ignite a burning desire with one look into their jewel colored eyes.  They make the woman in us want to tame the beast, have the mighty dragon purring in our palm and using ever reserve of his powerful strength to claim us.

4.  I don’t know about you, but I love action and breath-catching fight scenes.  Dragons are one of the best ass-kickers and name takers around.   I mean, when a dragon show up at your party, you pretty much know sparks are going to fly and most likely in the most literal of senses.   So, the moment our dragon hero shifts into the beast and steps on stage, you are guaranteed intense, high-stakes, life or death action.  And let’s face it, if you’re the bad guy, a flippin’ dragon is last thing you want to see running at you on the battlefield, for it will most likely be the last thing you see.

5. Dragons are already equipped with every weapon they might require in a battle.  So need for guns, swords, daggers, shields or the like.  Their scales are hard as armor, talons sharp as daggers, their tails not only help balance in flight, but can be a skilled weapon (or a delectable extra hand for those other battle scenarios…but we’ll get to that later.)  And let’s not forget the dragon’s most formidable weapon…dragonfire.   White-hot and able to melt flesh from bone in 0-60, dragonfire will turn up the heat in any fight.

6. My dragon lord heroes are fiercely loyal, noble, altruistic and aren’t afraid to stand by their beliefs, even on pain of death.  Whether you are the heroine or newfound friend, you have a friend for life when you make one with a dragon hero. He will stand beside you in battle, protect you if you fall, or rescue you if you get captured – and not for money or fame, but because it’s “the right thing to do.”  Awww.  🙂

7. Next reason, dragon lords are irresistible heroes…they are not sexist. {{gasp, shock}} Crazy, I know. But they believe a woman is just as capable of charging into a battle, as she is a bedroom, which makes them a rare gem when it comes to any man.  Even more remarkable, they manage to retain this equality trait while remaining strong and confident Alpha males.

8. Now, this could be a personal preference, but the purebred dragon lord heroes in my books have long strands of silken hair down to their hips.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m a product of the 80’s or what, but there is just something about running your hands through long, soft hair on a big, rock hard man that does it for me.

9. The tail.   Nuff said.  *wicked grin*

10. Drumroll please…and the last reason that Dragons make the best heroes…while I may not have just described the dragon-shifting hero you wrote about, read about, saw in a movie or fantasize about, Declan Black, the hero of my dark paranormal debut, “SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE” has all of the characteristics listed above…and boy is he hot. *wriggling brows*

CONTEST TIME!  I am running a contest for a signed copy of my July release, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE!  All you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite romance hero and why, to be entered to win!

Good luck!

Hi, everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that I’m over at Amberkatze’s Book Blog. She’s interviewed me (thanks!!) and I’m giving away an autographed copy of I’LL BE SLAYING YOU to a commenter. Come on by if you have a chance!