Did you know that November 7 is National Bookstore Day?  Both chain bookstores and independent stores are celebrating the event.  Many stores are bringing in authors for signing events and lots of stores are offering great sales. (BAM mailed me a coupon for 20% off everything in the store.)  If you’re like me and you love to give the gift of books for the holidays, this is the perfect early shopping time!

And if you know of a bookstore event that is occurring on November 7–whether it is a signing in your city or a big sale–feel free to post in the comments. I’m excited about National Bookstore Day and I hope it’s a great success for all the stores!

Congrats to Ava Gray (Ann Aguirre) on the release of her new book, SKIN GAME!

I’ve been wanting to read SKIN GAME for a while, so I’m excited about release day.  🙂  But, since I am participating in NaNoWriMo, I’m going to have to wait a bit on the actual reading of the book. I’ll buy it today, but I’ll save SKIN GAME until I hit my mid-way point on NaNo–it’ll be my reward read. I do love reward reads.

Is anyone else participating in NaNoWriMo?  This is my first time to join the writing festivities. (November is national novel writing month! Got a book you want to write? Now is the perfect time!)  I’ve actually got two books I want to write this month–one is a Christmas novella and one is a paranormal novel. Um, will I actually write them both in a month? LOL, probably not, but I am going to try and knock out as much as possible before December (and the madness of Christmas) comes calling.

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo, tell me how you’re doing.  There’s strength in sharing the pain–er, fun!

My editor let me know that ETERNAL HUNTER received a starred review in the November 2 issue of Publishers Weekly. Yay!  🙂 (Thank you wonderful people at Publishers Weekly!)

Here’s the review (and you can read lots of other great reviews at the Publishers Weekly site):

Eternal Hunter Cynthia Eden. Brava, $14 paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-7582-3428-5
“Danger and excitement leap off every page of this fast-paced paranormal romance set in the world of 2009’s Immortal Danger. A shape-shifter who can’t shift and a psychic who dreams about death live in the body of Erin Jerome, who’s trying to maintain a normal life as a Louisiana assistant DA while avoiding the secret world of shifters, demons, vampires, witches and djinn. When a shape-shifting psychotic starts stalking Erin, sending her gifts of dead bodies in the crazed hope of luring her to his side, bounty-hunting shifter Jude Donovan vows to keep her safe. Erin wonders whether, like her shifter mother, she carries the seeds of madness and fears that when Jude learns the truth about her he’ll turn from her in disgust. Well-crafted characters and nail-biting suspense and passion elevate this tale above the glutted paranormal market. (Jan.)”

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Talk about some excellent news to find waiting in the old In-Box today.

Hope you’re having a wonderful day–and that you’re recovering well from the Halloween excitement!

Today is Halloween, otherwise known as Samhain to those less conventional folks. Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. It is the New Year for Wiccans and/or pagans. It’s also thought to be one of the two times during the year (the other time being Beltane May 1st) when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. For those of us who wish to honor our dead on this day,  it’s traditional to set a place at the dinner table for your departed loved ones. Participants eat in silence, in honor of those who have been silenced by death.

Since Samhain is also a time when many believe that it’s easier to foretell the future, participating in divination is also an appropriate way to spend the evening. Tarot cards, pendulum use, crystal ball gazing, scrying, tea leaf reading – there are endless possibilities for divining your future. A friend of mine (who loves Scrabble) suggested tossing scrabble tiles and seeing whether any particular words are formulated. A truly unique – and fun – idea!

So what do you say? Samhain is here. It’s  time to reach out and make contact with departed loved ones, spiritual guides, angels, or any being not of this realm. That is, if they don’t reach out to you first! In my book Between Light and Dark, one of the characters is contacted by her dead sister on Samhain. Rather than being a frightening event, it ends up being a joyful, healing one. I know it will be the same for you as well, should you decide to make contact with the other side.

What do you plan to do with this day/night? What ancestor will you be honoring? What answers will you be seeking for your future? Lest you think this is  all just too serious for you…well, please know that I enjoy having fun on Halloween just as much as the next person. Our family has plans for some serious trick-or-treating. And yes, I will be dressing up! What fun and frolicking do you have planned?

As a special gift from me to you on All Hallow’s Eve, I will be drawing a card for each person who comments. And I will post a very brief message message for you from….well…let’s just say, the beyond….

Happy Halloween! Merry Samhain!

Eager for more witchy goodness? Visit my website for information about Between Light and Dark and Darkness Rising, my Hidden Circle Coven books. And don’t forget to mosey on by my blog where I discuss all things paranormal.

Update: Okay, I think we have a clear winner in the annual Cynthia Eden pumpkin contest.  Pumpkin B pretty much won by a landslide, and, yes, pumpkin B was designed by the hubby.  He appreciates your votes!  🙂

Hi, everyone!  Today, I wanted to post a list of the winners from my Month of Monsters.  Many of these winners have already been contacted by the authors giving the prizes. So, if you’re a winner, and you’ve either (1) already been contacted about your prize or (2) already received your prize, then you don’t have to do anything.  If you have not received info on claiming your prize–and your name is on this handy-dandy list–please send an email to cynthia@cynthiaeden.com. In the email, please give me your mailing address and tell me the prize that is yours.

And here’s the list…

Vivi’s ebook of her backlist…Sayde Grace and Breiab

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker…Hales

ARC of Eternal Hunter…Cybercliper

Angie Fox book (either The Accidental Demon Slayer or The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers)….Cybercliper

Drawn Into Darkness…Angela

Midnight Cravings…Morning Glory and Barbara Elness

Belong to the Night…Edie

ARC of The Better Part of Darkness…Melissa T.

Anam Cara…Edie

Ties that Bind…Kathleen

Choice of any Cynthia Eden book…Joye

Belong to the Night…Minna

Denise Agnew book…Nancy

Mutual Desire…DARKREADE

Stolen Heat…RKCharron

Mystery prize pack…Lyoness2009

$15 Amazon.com gift certificate…Tamara Shurling

Helen Scott Taylor Book (The Magic Knot or The Phoenix Charm)…Sue R.

What You Can’t see…Brandy

Cascadia Wolves: Standoff…Nancy Gilliland

Winners to be announced soon for these prizes…

Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr

Seduced by Shadows

Also, I wanted to giveaway 2 copies of IMMORTAL DANGER…those will go to Stacey Smith and Linda Henderson.

Thanks to everyone for visiting during my Month of Monsters! And, don’t forget, the fun isn’t over yet! Be sure to stop by tomorrow.  Elissa Wilds has a very special surprise for every commenter.  A perfect surprise for Halloween!

And, now I need your help on a not-so-urgent matter.  🙂  My husband and I carved pumpkins last night–yep, that means our annual pumpkin face-off.  Which pumpkin do you like better? Hmm?

Pumpkin A (Note the stylish ear-rings)

Pumpkin B (Ah, the nice details!)

What’s your pumpkin pleasure?

Have a wonderful Halloween! If you’re taking the little ghouls out, be safe!

(One last note, a great contest is being held over at Bitten By Books–one of the prizes is an ARC of Eternal Hunter.)