Today, I’m getting back in the groove. Yes, that means I’ll start work on a new project today. Oh, the joy. Oh, the fear. 🙂

I’m also guest blogging at Riding With The Top Down–and giving away a prize. Come on by and chat with me about sharing the romance love for a chance to win!

And, on a different note, as I type this, I’m watching the video of the journalists who were just released from North Korea. Such an emotional reunion with their families. I’m certainly glad that they are back home.

Are you looking for a great writers’ conference?  One that is held in an absolutely beautiful location?  (Right on the beach!)  It’s a conference that has great workshops–and some wonderful editors and agents are coming to hear pitches!

What’s this event?  It’s the Silken Sands Writers’ Conference, and it will be held March 19-21, 2010, in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

A facebook fan page has recently been created for this event, and the Gulf Coast Chapter of RWA now has a MySpace page for the conference, too: www.myspace.com/silkensandswriters.

What are you waiting for? Make plans to join me at the beach!

The winner of the autographed copy of BELONG TO THE NIGHT is…Audrey A!  Congrats, Audrey! (And please stay tuned for more contests.)

The SECRETS, VOLUME 27 authors are talking about hot heroes over at the Bradford Bunch–and they are giving away a copy of their book!

Yes, it’s that time again…

Today’s snippet focuses on the villain’s shining moment. Ah, the villains. Those very bad guys. I decided I would share a villain moment from ETERNAL HUNTER with you today (though I will be sharing a happier, sexier scene later). And, well, I don’t know if I’d call this “shining”–unless you mean shining in a bad way. So…here we go. My villain from ETERNAL HUNTER:

He needed to take a life. Needed to kill. Needed to feel the sweet trickle of life being washed away.

The Slasher, Bobby Burrows, waited just behind the bars. There he stood, stalking around and muttering about evil and devils and hell.

And annoying the hell out of him.

That bastard had been on the news for the last two nights.

His fat, ugly face had been splashed across the screen—making him sick.

Bobby Burrows didn’t deserve fifteen minutes of fame. He deserved a trip to the grave.

Bobby grabbed the bars of his cell. Tightened his thick hands into straining fists around the metal and screamed, “The fuckin’ devil marked me! I want reporters in here, I want my lawyer, I want—”

“Relax.” He sidled closer to him, finally stepping out of the shadows he loved so much and smiling. He jerked his thumb toward the group of guards who were watching television near the entrance to the cages.

Cages. That’s what he called ‘em. To keep the animals inside.

But sometimes, the cages couldn’t hold the animals.

He drew in a deep breath and caught the scent of the man’s sweat and blood. “They’re not going to help you.” They were too busy huddling up and watching a game to give a shit about the guy left in holding. He smiled and hoped he didn’t look too hungry. “But I will.”

Bobby squinted at him. The left side of his face was covered by a large, white bandage. “What? Who are you—”

His hands rose to the bars, reached for Bobby’s—

The Slasher jumped back.

Ah…not as stupid as he looked. “Why don’t you tell me who hurt you, Bobby?”

“I-I did. The devil—”

“The devil’s not real.” He’d never seen him. Judgment wasn’t for the afterlife—it was for here and now, to be delivered by the strong.

“Yes, he is.” Absolute certainty. “Found me in the swamp. Changed before me. I shot the bastard, but he still came after me.” He licked his lips. “Then he cut me.”

The bars were so thin. Not nearly strong enough to keep him out.

But strong enough to trap the human inside.

“He let you live, didn’t he? I don’t think the devil would do that.”

“He’s a monster!” Spittle flew from Bobby’s mouth. “Hiding behind the face of a man. That fuckin’ hunter! Pretendin’, he’s pretendin’—”

“We all pretend,” he told him softly, aware of the excitement burning through his gut. He didn’t have anymore time to waste. “It’s how we live.” His hands shot through the gap in the bars. His right hand locked around the Slasher’s throat.

A wheeze slipped past Bobby’s lips.

Smiling, he jerked the human’s head to the right and heard the sharp snap of bones.

And felt a rush of power as the man sagged in his grip.

Slowly, his left hand rose. He cast a glance back toward the guards. They were still glued to their TV.

Fucking oblivious humans.

Claws pushed from the ends of his fingertips. He raised his left hand—and plunged the claws into Bobby’s heart. As the blood flowed, a soft sigh escaped his lips.

No way was the damn media going to be able to overlook this kill.

He’d be taking over the news now.

***

Want to read more snippets?  Then go visit these authors:

Shelley Munro
Moira Rogers
TJ Michaels
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Kelly Maher
Taige Crenshaw
Mandy Roth
McKenna Jeffries
SJ Day