Sorry I’ve been absent lately–the pollen has struck me hard and I’ve got allergies from hell going on right now.  (My fault totally–I had the brilliant idea to go outside and do yard work on Thursday even though EVERYTHING was covered in a nice yellow from the pollen.)  Grr.  Should be getting back to normal soon and I’ll be back with some writing craft posts.

I’ve long known this. Heck, I think we all know this. One of the reasons I love romance novels so much–I’m always guaranteed a happy ending. (Something that isn’t always present in real-life.)

I’ve been doing research again for a book. Okay, I started doing research–checking out Angola prison in Louisiana, once called the “Bloodiest Prison in the U.S.”–because the research was related to a proposal I was completing. But then…the work on Angola led me to another idea. An idea for much, much later, but an idea I couldn’t shake. So I did more research.

Last night at 11 p.m., I found myself on the couch, eyes glued to the TV set as I watched Lockup. Okay, if you’ve never seen Lockup before (on MSNBC), well, it’s gritty, it’s raw, it’s gory, it’s frightening, and it will make you never, ever want to be locked inside a prison. My husband passed by as I was watching the show.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Research.” A prisoner had just confessed that he killed his mother and ate her brains. “Don’t watch,” I warned, meaning it. “You’ll get sucked in.”

Five minutes later, he was still standing over my shoulders, his mouth hanging open.

Scary stuff–scarier even than the things I imagine for some of my serial killers.

I really love the tagline: Nothing’s hotter than desire after dark…

And the cover model was a great choice for my hero, Todd!

May you find a four-leaf clover, a rainbow, and a really, really big pot of gold!

(So sorry I haven’t posted in the last week, I’ve been having website hosting trouble–but I’ve got a great new host and things should be back on track now!)

I’ve got a post up at The Bradford Bunch–I’m talking about unforgettable characters.  Stop by and share your favorite character with me.

And…check back tomorrow to see the cover of my December 08 Kensington Brava release…Midnight Sins.

Have a great St. Patrick’s Day!!!!

A review of HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT has been posted at The Long and Short of It. Here are a few snippets from the review:

“It’s dark and edgy and hot and suspenseful. We have serial killers and demons and vampires and shapeshifters and more. And you’re not going to be able to put it down. The story is interesting, exciting, and romantic.”

“If you’re looking for a crime drama/serial killer/paranormal that is HOT, then you need to pick up ‘Hotter After Midnight’. You won’t regret it. I’ll lay odds it’ll land firmly on your keeper shelf.”

Wanna read the rest? Then head over to The Long and Short of It.

Thank you, Poppy!