These coupon offers were in my In-Box this morning, and I thought I’d share the love. After all, don’t we all want to save on our books?

First up, save 25% off  one item at Borders (in store-only).

Next–two good deals from Books-A-Million:  Save $5 off your next purchase of $40 or more and take $15 off your next purchase of $100 (these coupons are good online).

Now, you may be wondering…what should I buy with these coupons? Well, you could use that Books-A-Million coupon to snag a copy of IMMORTAL DANGER.  Just a suggestion.  🙂

Today kicks off Barbara Vey’s week-long anniversary celebration over at the Beyond Her Book Blog.  Go over, help celebrate, leave a comment–and you could win an awesome prize. There are tons of books up for grabs (including an autographed copy of IMMORTAL DANGER),and on Saturday, one commenter will win an Amazon.com gift certificate for $150!   So, go, party and win!

I have recently had the cyber-pleasure of meeting author Michelle Pillow, and wow, I’m really glad I did!  Because Michelle has got some books out that sound like they’d be perfect for me.  Paranormals, dark and sexy…

First up, Michelle’s KING OF THE UNBLESSED:

The choice is simple: go with him or die.

Realm Immortal, Book One

Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good—happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick’s and, on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning.

Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the Blessed, coveted by the Damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father’s, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she’d get what she wished for. When her fiancé is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving.

Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the Unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her…or die.

***

But, wait, because Michelle has two more books available in her Realm Immortal series:

and

I love those covers! Love them!

Here’s the tagline from FAERY QUEEN:  “It is ill-advised to incur the wrath of a faery, but it is most foolish to do so of a faery queen…”

🙂

You can read an excerpt from FAERY QUEEN here.

And let’s not forget the 3rd book! STONE QUEEN continues the story from KING OF THE UNBLESSED.  Here’s the helpful product warning on this one, posted by Samhain:  “This book contains hot sex, violence, an evil witch, a blundering wizard, meddling sprights, a new queen and the lustful king who plans on showing her just how fun it is to be in charge.”  Come on, they had me at evil witch.

I was looking through my April 09 issue of the Romantic Times and I realized that one of my favorite authors, Amanda Quick, has a release coming up.  THE PERFECT POISON hits store shelves on April 21st. Why does that seem so far away?  But I sure do love her stories!

And what’s on your reading list this week?

I am so into escapism. (Yeah, that would be one of the reasons why I am such an avid reader.) I love getting into a story and being able to escape the pressures of reality, if only for a little while.

This weekend, the big movie that opens is the Watchmen.  I think seeing it is on my agenda.  🙂

But then, next weekend, there’s another flick I really want to see:  The Last House on the Left.  Now, I know The Last House won’t be for everyone, but there is something about that movie that is sucking me in–I’ve got to see it!!!  Maybe the draw for me lies in this one great line from the trailer:  “If bad people hurt someone you love, how far would you go to hurt them back?”

I’m always curious about what people would do in different situations, and, maybe I’m wrong, but this movie seems like it will be one in which the polite veneer people wear is ripped away, and you’re left with the darkness inside. Or, um, maybe I’m just into my RS story so far right now that deep and disturbed movies really appeal to me.

What about you?  Any movie plans on your agenda?

UPDATE: Totally, unrelated to movies, but I just read on Edie’ Ramer’s blog that voting for the CHASE THE DREAM contest has started. Edie made the finals–congrats, Edie! And I wanted to be sure and put up a voting link. Good luck, Edie!

Hi, everyone! I am very happy to say that today’s visiting author is the mega-talented Beth Kery.  (Talk about sensual and emotional stories!)  And not only is Beth answering my amazingly insightful interview questions :-), but she is also giving away a free download of FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC to one commenter. (I love the name of that book–it just makes me smile.)

And hey–wanna know more about FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC?  You can read an excerpt here.

***

Time for the interview!

1.    Welcome, Beth! Please tell us a bit about yourself and the genre (or genres) that you write.

Hi Cindy, thanks for having me.

I write mostly erotic romance, although I do have couple of books that are straight up contemporary romance, one of which is FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC, my upcoming release from Cerridwen Press.  I like to write in all genres, but enjoy contemporary and paranormal the most.

2.    Describe FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC  in 15 words or less.

Uptight gerontologist gets roped into a flirting in traffic dating scheme and finds true lust…and love. (Okay, I went over a word!)

3.    LOL—okay, now use as many words as you’d like to describe your story.

FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC evolved from a news headline of the same name that I saw on AOL. I read the article, and was tickled by it—a guy giving instructions on how to flirt in traffic. At that time, I spent several hours in traffic everyday. With the help of the article and a real life traffic nightmare—the complete renovation of Chicago’s Dan Ryan Expressway—I came up with a fun, sexy story about an uptight physician who gets pulled into a loony dating scheme by her sister and friend. It’s a very light-hearted romance, which was a nice change for me.

4.    Which character do you like better from FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC—the hero or the heroine?  Why?

I really like Esa, because she’s hyper-responsible, and as everyone in her life tells her, really needs to ‘loosen up.’ (She snarls like the wolfman whenever she hears this.) So of course, when she falls into lust and love, she does it harder than most, because she’s got further to fall than a more easy-going, more, er…flexible personality. She also has this wild streak in her, which comes to light when she gets behind the wheel of her sister’s fast, racy sportscar.

5.    What is the most challenging part of being a writer?

Hmmm….just four months or so ago I would have said the waiting. Seems like writers are always waiting on something or another. Right now, I’m having a bit of a writing block for a proposal I’d like to get in. It’s really the first time it’s happened to me, and I have to admit, I’m pretty damn frustrated by it. It’ll come, eventually, but dang…I’m having a hard labor with this baby.

6. In a fight, who would win…Dracula or the wolf-man?  What? This question seems odd? Please, folks are dying to know this answer.

Dracula for sure. Why? Because everyone knows Dracula rules the wolves. Besides, he’s all cool and smooth, and could outlast all of the wolfman’s snarling and teeth gnashing. I’m a firm believer that a level head always prevails.

7.    What’s your favorite scary movie?  Come on, spill.  No explanations—just name it.  Let everyone else guess why.

Angel Heart.

8.    What is your writing schedule like?

It’s pretty simple. I have to do a word count of a minimum of 1300 per day. I can go over, but I can’t go under. I keep a log of my progress.

9.    Tell me anything you’d like to tell me.  

I’ve never flirted in traffic. However, many a tawdry Beth Kery romances have been first envisioned while I sat in traffic, listening to my stereo super-loud. Hey, never let it be said I wasted time sitting in traffic.

Thanks for answering my interview questions, Beth!

Now, don’t forget, if you’d like a chance to win a free download of FLIRTING IN TRAFFIC, leave Beth a comment.

And, in case you were curious…here’s the blurb for Beth’s new book:

She went off like a red-hot firecracker on his foyer floor, then vanished.

Esa never intended to participate in her best friend’s unorthodox dating scheme – flirting with hunky construction workers in Chicago traffic. Her thoughts changed when she saw a long, lean slice of heaven strutting around the side of the highway. For him, she would be the carefree sex kitten her borrowed car with its suggestive license plates implied she was.

Though smarting from the wounds of a recent break-up, Finn can’t resist the tempting redhead driving the come-and-get-me car, flashing him contemptuous looks with those brandy-colored eyes. The lure of taming the feisty little kitten is just too great to deny.

(Quick note: Comments from MySpace will be combined with the comments from my blog and one overall winner will be selected.  Thanks!)

Have you read Larissa Ione‘s PLEAUSRE UNBOUND? (The first book in her truly amazing Demonica series?) If not, then here’s your chance. Select ebook stores are offering the book for  a buck right now. Yep, $1.  Here’s a link for Books on Board.   I think that might just be the best deal you get today.

Last night, I re-read one of my old favorites, PRINCE CHARMING by Julie Garwood. (Thank you, Jennifer!)  There are some books that always make me smile, and this is one of them. I am so addicted to Garwood’s historicals.

I haven’t been able to search and see what new books are out this week–just finished up galley proofs, yay!–so if you’ve got one to share, please do.

And thanks to everyone who has entered my contest! The response has been great! Thank you!!