Is the year really at an end already?  Wow, this year has truly flown by.  (I need time to slow down a bit for me.)  December 31st is here, and I haven’t even made my resolutions for 2010 yet.  Gah!

I did some digging and found my resolution post from last year.  This is what I said I wanted to accomplish for 2009:

1.  Four novels. I can do this. I know I can.

2. One novella. I love writing novellas, especially after I’ve written a 90,000+ page manuscript. It is such a nice change of pace for me.

Did I do this?  YES!!!  I did write four novels, I did write one novella, and, actually, I’m 300 pages into another novel (one that I have to finish my Jan. 15 so I’m gonna be a busy writing chick).

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to branch into a new sub-genre in 2009.  I love romantic suspense, so I was very happy to write those stories (and DEADLY FEAR, my first romantic suspense with GCP, will be out in August of 2010).  I was also thrilled to keep writing my paranormals. Oh, I do love those monsters and men.

So as I look ahead to 2010, my writing goals really will not change much.  I’ll still aim for

1. Four novels

2. One novella

But I’ll also branch out a bit and add a few more resolutions, particularly one that focuses on reading. You see, my reading time has plummeted. At one point, I had a romance book club, but, very sadly, I haven’t been able to participate in that club in a while.  I LOVE reading my romances, so I’m making it a resolution to:

3. Read a book every two weeks.

Sure, this may not seem like a lot to you, but, I was once a woman who read a book a day.   Does that tell you how my writing time has dwindled?  Now, I’m a hoarder. I buy the books, keep them in an enormous TBR pile, then read straight for two or three days to catch up.  My goal is to space out that reading.

I also have a goal to:

4. Travel more.

🙂  I like to travel.

There we go.  A semi-list for me.

What are your resolutions for 2010?  Please, share!!! And have a safe and happy new year’s celebration!

Hunting season is now open!!  ETERNAL HUNTER should be on the shelf of a bookstore near you!  (And if you should head into the store and you don’t see the book, just ask your friendly bookseller for help locating it–cause you don’t want to leave empty-handed, do you?  No way!! And I sure don’t want that for you!)

Here’s the blurb for your reading fun:

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.

***

And an excerpt for you:

“Wanna answer my question?” His voice was deep, rumbling.

Goosebumps rose on her bare arms. And it was too damn warm for her to have a chill from the weather.

“And just what question was that?” She titled her head to the right.

“Who are you?” A pause. “What are you?”

She let her eyebrows furrow. She’d fooled Other before, she could do it again. “I’m really not sure I understand. I told you, I’m Assistant District Attorney—”

“You don’t smell human.”

Her breath left on a gasp. No, he hadn’t just said—

He stepped toward her, a fast move that brought their bodies too close. Jude leaned in, lowering his head over the curve of her throat. And inhaled.

“Stop!” She shoved him, hard, and watched with no small satisfaction as he stumbled back. Oh, yeah, big guy, I’m much, much stronger than I appear. He wasn’t the first one to learn that little lesson.

She almost bared her teeth at him. Almost.

After all, she wasn’t an animal. No matter what the whispers back home said.

“I don’t know just what you think you were doing,” she snapped, glaring at him as she narrowed her eyes. “But you’d better watch what you do and what you say around me.” Was the guy crazy? You don’t smell human. He couldn’t say things like that.

The words were too dangerous.

She reached into her purse. Dug out her card. “Call my office. My assistant will take care of any paperwork you’ve got.”

He stared at her a moment longer. Then, slowly, his tanned fingers rose. Long fingers, callused. Strong. He took the card, and his fingertips brushed over her hand.

Erin didn’t flinch and she was extremely proud of that fact.

“Good work, Donovan.” After giving him that grudging token of appreciation, she nodded and began to march back toward her car.

She’d taken all of five steps when she heard his whistle. Long, loud, and very appreciative.

Erin stilled.

I really don’t need this shit.

“I’ve got your scent.” Hard words. Scary words. Because she knew what they meant.

If Jude Donovan truly was a shifter, and every instinct she had screamed that he was, then having her scent, well, it meant he had her. He’d be able to follow her, to find her, almost anywhere.

A shifter. What were the odds she’d stumble onto him?

One of the little perks in the Other world—the world full of supernaturals and nightmares, the world that, rather unfortunately, was her life—was that like recognized like. Demons, because, yeah, those conniving bastards were real, could “see” others of their breed. They could look right past the magic glamour and peer into the darkness inside.

Witches felt the power pull from their brethren.

And shifters, well, they could smell each other—a distinct scent. One that carried the wisp of power and the scent of the beast.

Jude Donovan smelled of power. Of wild, strong man. Of savagery. No denying that scent.

As for the beast…she didn’t need the marks on Bobby’s face to know Donovan had claws.

Erin began to walk again. One determined step after another.

And even when she climbed into her car, she could feel his eyes on her. Watching and seeing too much.

Oh, damn.

Now, she’d have to be extra careful to stay on her guard and not let the hunter discover the secrets she kept so carefully hidden.

***

This book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (my first starred review from them!). Don’t you want to find out why the reviewer liked it so much?  Got to read it to find out!

This is a big release day for a few books, and as soon as my store opens, I plan to make good use of my Christmas gift cards.  Have a safe and happy day!

And to my husband…happy anniversary.

Tomorrow is the official release day of ETERNAL HUNTER, the first book in my new paranormal Night Watch series.

(A quick note: I’ve been told the book is on some store shelves already. A shopper in Books-A-Million found copies of ETERNAL HUNTER in the fiction section. So if you happen to be shopping in BAM and you don’t see the book on the romance aisle, check the general fiction section–or just ask your friendly bookseller.)

Another quick note:  I hope you enjoyed a fabulous holiday.  🙂  I’m still recovering. Between Christmas and copy-edits for two books, I’ve been a busy gal. But busy is good.  THANK YOU to everyone who sent me holiday wishes, holiday cards, and general good Christmas cheer.  You’re seriously awesome and you helped to make my holiday great!

Last note:  I’m guest blogging at the fabulous Greta’s place today. Come on by to talk about “More Than Men” with me.

Now…on to some excerpt fun.  Since tomorrow is release day (let me do a woo-hoo!), I thought I’d share one more excerpt from ETERNAL HUNTER. Warning, this one has some spoilerish info from chapter two of the book.

You’ve been warned so here’s the unedited excerpt:

***

“You don’t want to see the body.”

His voice, even deeper now, stopped her as Erin began to climb the steps leading to the police station and to the dead man.

She glanced back over her shoulder. She’d caught his scent seconds before he’d spoken. “How do you even know there’s a body here, Donovan?” The District Attorney’s office had received the call less than fifteen minutes ago. Just how had the hunter learned about the death?

Suspicion had her eyes narrowing. “You didn’t—”

He jumped up the steps. Grabbed her arms. “I didn’t kill the bastard, no. If I’d killed him, well, he would’ve been left in the swamp and been gator bat by now.”

Erin swallowed. Nice, to, ah, know. “Then why are you here?”

“Same as you. I want to know what happened to the Slasher.”

Her eyes narrowed. You don’t want to see the body. “Sounds to me like you already know.” Which meant she had a leak in the department. Not surprising. Not particularly good news, either.

His wide shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Trust me on this, you don’t want to see Bobby Burrows right now.”

She licked her lips. “And, trust me, I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” Not like it was her first murder scene. Not by a long shot. She was twenty-nine years old, and she’d been working the rough cases since she’d passed the bar years ago.

To make a difference, sometimes you had to get your hands dirty.

Erin turned and continued stalking up the stone steps. Jude shadowed her moves, his body a ripple of muscle.

His scent filled the air around them.

Her heart raced, too fast. Was the frantic beat from the dread filling her at the thought of a dead man waiting in what should have been a secure cell?

Or was it from something more?

No.

She shoved open the glass doors. A guard near the front rushed forward. “Ms. Jerome—”

Her thumb jerked toward her hulking shadow. “Keep Donovan up here. I don’t want him anywhere near my crime scene.”

Her sensitive ears picked up the hunter’s swift inhalation and the nearly soundless… “You’ll need me on this one, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart. She slanted him a scathing glance. “Doubt it, hunter. Doubt it.” Then she stalked down the tiled hallway, heading for lock-up, and wondering just what sort of sight waited for her.

You don’t want to see the body.

***

I’ll be away for the next few days–busy spreading Christmas cheer and baking and wrapping and then tearing open presents with family.  🙂

I hope you have a wonderful holiday. May it be most merry and bright! If you’re traveling, stay safe. Give your loved ones an extra hug and just take some time to enjoy the special moments.

Happy Holidays!

And, for your viewing fun…beatboxing.  I love beatboxing.

Today I’m a guest over at Elisabeth Naughton’s blog–I’ve joined her for 30 Days of Treasure Hunting fun.  Come by and comment for a chance to win a copy of ETERNAL HUNTER.  And be sure to check out Elisabeth’s other great guests!