Tuesday is my birthday. I’ll be turning thirty. Yep, the big 3-0. And I have so not been looking forward to this big day.

On Saturday, my good friend Ashley offered to take me to lunch–a nice early birthday treat. I went with her, gossipped happily, and had a rather yummy apple martini. Then, we went back to my place…and I found a party waiting for me.

The hubby (thanks, Nick!) and my truly wonderful friends had arranged a surprise party for me. When I first saw everyone standing in my kitchen, my first impulse was to turn and run–and, um, I think I may have done that. My second impulse was to kick previously mentioned good friend Ashley in the shin and demand to know why she hadn’t warned me. (By the way, I did restrain my kicking impule–after all, she really is a good friend!)

I had delicious ice cream cake, fun chats, and perfect presents. I got a book of hexes, a book of spells, a henna tattoo set, enough chocolate to happily knock me into oblivion, a gift card to my favorite clothing store, a gi-normous witchcraft encyclopedia, a perfect lounge suit for reading/writing, scented candles, a dreaming kit…oh, my lovely list could go on and on! Dang–but I was one happy camper. And, honestly, I was very impressed by my gifts–those people sure know what I like!

(The party concluded with a song from my oh-so-muscially-talented buddy Saundra!)

But wait…cuz the fun didn’t stop there!

Ashley and Felecia then went with me to a local martini bar (hey, I’d only had one so far!). I ordered a Harry Houdini and decided that I’d have to go back to that place soon–it had awesome atmosphere!

Then we headed to the movies–saw The Breakup (um, I’m not going to recommend this–I still don’t really understand why the characters broke up, and I found myself wanting Jennifer’s character to get together with a handsome, rich guy, even though I’m normally a huge Vince fan…)

After the movie…we headed back to my house. And Nick joined us for a tarot reading. We took turns, gazing into the cards and predicting.

I think I got in bed around one.

Very cool. Sigh.

Vampires and werewolves seem to be dominating the paranormal market these days, and hey, I’m not complaining…I love–and write about–both these para faves. But, I’m wondering…what else is hot? What else are readers loving right now?

A demon?
An alien?
A djinn?
A witch?
A sorcerer?

What paranormal character would you like to see taking up a larger chunk of the market? Personally, I’d love a good mummy tale…

I’ve just gotten a tentative release date for my second werewolf novella–this December! The Wolf’s Mate is scheduled to be included in Secrets, Volume 18 and it should hit the shelves at the very end of 2006! I’m so excited! I loved writing The Wolf’s Mate–and I’m surprised, and thrilled, that it will be available this year.

When I buy a book, I keep it…for a long, long time. And, every now and then, I re-read my old books. This habit drives my husband crazy–he tells me I already know what’s gonna happen, so why re-read?!

Well, duh, for fun. I only re-read the books that are–in my mind–absolutely fantastic. The stories that clicked with me, the ones that made me smile, made me cry, made me care, or just made me have a heck of a fun time reading them.

I thought I’d list a few of my favorite “oldies” today. So, here goes:

1. Cinderman by Anne Stuart
This is, hands down, my favorite superhero book. The hero gets doused by a burning gunk and suddenly can start fires with the power of his mind…and he can become invisible. The heroine was lucky/unlucky enough to get doused by said gunk, too, and she gets a handy power of her own…mind-reading.

Throw in the pure brilliance of Anne Stuart’s writing, and you have a book you can’t put down.

2. Bewitching by Jill Barnett
When Jill Barnett wrote historicals, she could write funny like noboby else. I always smile when I re-read her work, and, yeah, sometimes I get a little sniffly. Bewitching is a fun tale about a witch (a rather inept one) and the man who steals her heart.

3. Shield’s Lady by Amanda Glass (Jayne Ann Krentz)
Interesting tale about a mercenary with very unusual powers, and the woman who is destined to be his mate. Jayne Ann Krentz creates one of her wonderful new worlds in this story–the woman is just too good at creating a sci-fi romance.

So, does anyone else have any “oldie, but goodie” recommendations?

Inspiration is where you find it. Some people get ideas when they hear songs, when they go for walks on the beach, or even when they are in the shower. Personally, I get ideas from just about anything.

But…there is one thing that really inspires me: the work of my absolute favorite artist, Stacey Kite. A few years ago, I stumbled upon Stacey’s work at an outdoor art fair. I didn’t get to buy any of her work because the canvases I wanted (and, yeah, there were a lot!), were a bit (a big bit) out of my price range. (Hey! I was a recent college grad–I was doing well to buy gas!)

Stacey’s work is all about fantasy. She paints dragons, mermaids, fairies. And she uses brilliant, mood-creating color combinations. And dang if she doesn’t make you believe in the fantasy, at least for a moment.

One day, I’m gonna have one of her canvases in my living room. And I’ll let the thing inspire me every single day…