a dramatic reading

The BAFTA.  The Academy Award.  So few individuals have won either that I
feel obliged to point out that I have won both. 
 
Am I proving a point?  Or merely bragging?
 
Obviously I’m proving a point.  And the point is this:
 
The greatest villain in Disney history.  The greatest hero in Italian.  A dragon-mastering wizard.  The only man to outwite John McClane.  Some guy in that book by Evelyn Waugh. 
 
These are just a smattering of the
challenging, life-changing roles that I have played.  But no role has been MORE challenging (or
life-changing) than that posed to me by the fine individuals at the Red Adept Novels
Publication House.
 
Yes, as an actor I am constantly
challenging myself to evolve.  To
adapt.  To improve.  To master the craft to which I have attached
myself with a workhorse-like dedication.
 
That’s why I chose to take on the most
difficult role of my career: Katie James.  A young, American, female banker who finds herself getting in over her
head in a way such that she may wish she had the magical powers of Profian or
the political acumen of Alexander VI.
 
Sadly, she is possessed of
neither.  But today, through the power of
audio recording, she is possessed of my BAFTA (and Oscar) winning voice. 
 
Please, enjoy my rendition of TO KATIE
WITH LOVE, if for nothing else, then for the estate of Evelyn Waugh.
 
Sincerely,
 
SIR Jeremy Irons
 
Dictated, but not read
 
Sussex County Seat, July the Twenty-Third,
Year of Our Lord Two-Thousand and Thirteen

Disclaimer: Today's blog and dramatic reading is courtesy of fellow Red Adept Publishing author (and frequent guest) Stephen Kozeniewski NOT actor Jeremy Irons. I figured you already knew that, but since I'm not a fan of getting sued, I thought I should be clear. The audio presentation is a skillful interpretation of what chapter one of To Katie With Love would sound like if actor Jeremy Irons actually DID read it. Which he didn't. But we like to pretend. We're writers.

Get your copy of To Katie With Love today at Amazon.com for Kindle or in paperback. Also available for Nook from BN.com as well as select retailers.

they like me, they really like me!

It may not be very grown up of me, but I can't help myself. Every time I get another amazing review, I jump up and down, squealing at the top of my lungs like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert. This is perfectly acceptable behavior in my living room but, as I've been reminded, not so much at the grocery store.

To Katie With Love

By Erica Lucke Dean

Buy on Amazon

I'd love to run free though the town screaming at the top of my lungs how amazing I think I am, but this might be counterproductive. Too much self-promotion tends to work in reverse. I have to remind myself to step back and let nature take it's course. ​

But seriously, I'm just delighted my little book is getting such wonderful attention. I mean, we (writers) all hope to write a book people love. But in the back of our minds is the fear no one will like it.

Tonight, I'm dedicating my blog to the reviewers...for making my day brighter. ​

Just a few of the amazing reviews my book received during the blog tour...​

"Erica Lucke Dean came up with some great characters." Big Al’s Books and Pals

"I fell in love with Katie and Cooper instantly." Pezz Rambles   

"This delightful contemporary romance has it all, witty dialogue, great characters and an engaging story." Cocktails and Books​

"... Dean has a whole new take on writing romance - and it involves a chick-flick style of writing." Cabin Goddess ​​

​Until the next time...I'll be adding a Reviews tab!

can zombies do karaoke?

Today was jam packed with action. Well, compared to the average day spent in my pajamas talking chickens out of perching on my laptop, or convincing pigs not to eat me.​ Today...I went on a day trip. Today...I drove to civilization.

Ok, so I don't live so far off the beaten path that you could refer to "here" as non-civilized. But if you define civilization as being within a ten mile radius of a shopping mall. Or a five mile radius of at least three McDonald's and a Starbucks, then I most definitely don't ​live in civilization.​ In fact, most horror movies are set in what looks  suspiciously like my backyard.

Anyway...my plan involved an almost two hour drive, after getting less than six hours of sleep. ​My mission...lunch with my mother. My mother doesn't live in civilization either. But since we live in separate wildernesses, we decided to meet in the middle. Or more accurately, near my sister's house. ​

​So, off I went.

Never order salad at a restaurant known for their hamburgers. That's like ordering a pizza at a Chinese restaurant. You just never know what you're going to get. After lunch, we stopped off at a real ​clothing store (not a discount store or a high priced tourist spot like in my neck of the woods) where I could buy real ​jeans (not the plain Jane off the rack denim that never seem to fit right through the ass) and picked up three pairs (pre-distressed) and two shirts (courtesy of Mom). Things were working out better than I'd planned.

Then I swung by the bank where I used to work and signed a few copies of my book (very exciting, just saying) for the people who inspired the quirky characters within the pages. All in all, I managed to sell four books before I've had a single signing event! Not bad for a day's work. My treat for the evening...karaoke!

Fast forward to the evening's entertainment. My eyes were drooping from lack of sleep (and three hours spend in the car under the hot sun). I skipped the liquor because my doctor switched my medication the other day, and apparently, it turns me into a zombie (though, some will find this side effect to be a plus.)​ So, I sang two songs (remarkably well for someone suffering from zombieitis (possible word of the day) and went home, where I'll be sleeping off my meds to the sound of thunder and lightning. In the grand scheme of things, not a bad day at all.

Until the next time...I'll probably be having weird dreams that I'll blog about tomorrow.​

Katie bonus

I gave you a bonus Cooper scene last week. So here's a bonus Katie scene for this week...enjoy!

This takes place after Katie throws back her last shot in Chapter 2...

(May contain minor spoilers if you haven't read past chapter 2...you've been warned!)​

The song had ended, and as I struggled to put the microphone back on the stand, I realized the crowd was giving me a standing ovation.  Of course, almost everyone was already standing by the bar.  No matter…I felt popular.

With a quick peek at my table, I tucked my hair behind my ears. Cooper was still there, wedged between June and Vicky. He had his head thrown back, laughing at something Vicky said, no doubt. My eyebrows pulled together in a tight furrow and my bottom lip pushed out on its own. She was flirting with him…the bitch. 

With a sudden determination, fueled by what could only be jealousy, I pushed my way through the thick crowd of people surrounding the bar, desperate to reach Cooper before Vicky dragged him into the night to have her wicked way with him. I teetered on my heels as the champagne and those four—or was it five shots I drank—finally caught up to me.  The closer I got, the more my head spun, and I couldn’t feel the tip of my nose anymore. 

Focus, Katie! 

I gave my head a little shake, which in hindsight was probably not the best idea. It did the opposite of my intention, making the room spin faster as I attempted to weave through the sea of people without much luck.

A crowd had formed around a pair of tattooed guys in black tees as they locked their elbows and joined hands to arm wrestle at their high top table. Someone brushed by me and touched my butt—more like grabbed it and squeezed with both hands—making me spin around with a squeal. When I turned back, I bumped into a large sweaty body planted between me and the only open path to my table. 

“You were great!” he slurred, gulping a mouth full of margarita straight from the pitcher. “How about you come home with me tonight and sing into my microphone?” 

Gross! “Um…I really need to get through so I can rejoin my friends.”  I pointed to my friends across the room, using the pathetic girl face I’d mastered, strictly for emergencies.

This guy was apparently immune to it. “Can’t I be your friend?”  He leaned in way too far and put a grubby hand on my back. 

I decided then and there I didn’t need any new friends.  What was so great about friends anyway?  Six was plenty.  I stepped backwards just a little too quickly and wobbled for a second before falling into the lap of a man sitting at the bar. 

Did I say lap?  Well, not really into his lap, per se.  The guy was sitting on a bar stool so it was more like falling between his legs and against his crotch. I counted the seconds as I worked to extract myself from this excruciatingly awkward position. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to right myself.  Some romance heroine I would be.  I couldn’t even manage to stay upright walking across a room.

The stranger seemed to enjoy every second I spent with the back of my head pressed against his chest and my hips caught between his muscled thighs.

“Um, could you help me?”  I tried to laugh at my predicament, but I could feel something thick and hard rubbing against my backside and I was pretty sure it wasn’t a flashlight.  

“I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”  He laughed, giving a little wiggle of his hips to punctuate the sentiment, shifting the air until a heavy waft of his cologne burned my nose.

A flash of fear sent chills up my spine. He had no intention of letting me go just yet.  This was it. I knew it. I was about to be raped and murdered by a man who wore Old Spice.

Just then, a large hand slid across my shoulder hauling me upright.

“Fun’s over buddy,” Cooper growled. He gripped each of my arms, turning me to face him.  “Are you ok, Kate?” 

I nodded, too close to tears to say anything. 

“Ok, come on. Let’s get back to the table.”  His voice softened and his arm tucked around my waist as he steered me through the throng.

“You were so brave,” I finally choked out.

“Brave, huh?”  He chuckled as we slid into the booth.

“Did you see Cooper rescue me from the drunk at the bar?”  I blurted.

“Honey, I think you’re the drunken one.”  Silvia flashed her smug grin again and winked at Cooper. 

“I am not drunk.”  I rolled my eyes and tried to laugh it off.  I may not have a lot of experience with alcohol, but I figured it was safe to say I was pretty drunk. I couldn’t feel my nose or my fingertips anymore. I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. Everything went a little fuzzy before fading completely to black.

​

Cooper speaks...

Over the course of the past week, I've had several people tell me how much they love Cooper Maxwell, the mysterious love interest in my newly released book, To Katie With Love. So much so, it was suggested I go dig up a few deleted scenes from my first round of editing. Stuff I couldn't bear to throw out, but for whatever reason, didn't make the final cut. And there's a lot of it. Over twenty thousand words worth. So on that note, I've decided to give you a scene written from Cooper's POV.

This scene originally came in between I Think I'll Have Just One More, ​and Those Were Magnificent Sheets.

Enjoy!​

Cooper leaned in and listened to Katie breathing in and out.  “You’re not drunk, huh?  I think it’s about time someone drove you home.” 

“That’s a wonderful idea, Cooper.  You should definitely drive her home.  June, Vicky, and I are heading in the opposite direction.”  Silvia was already sliding out of the booth pushing June and Vicky ahead of her.  June started to protest, but Silvia poked her in the shoulder and kept moving.  “It’s so nice of you to offer.”  With a wave the three of them made a beeline to the exit. 

“How do they do that?” Phil shook his head.  “I guess I should be heading out myself.  My wife will be waiting up for me.”  He polished off the rest of his pitcher in one long swallow. “You know, I could pretend to offer to take her myself, but we both know you’d rather do it.  Just don’t forget her keys and her purse.”  Phil tossed a set of keys onto the table in front of him and was out of the booth in a flash, leaving Cooper and a very passed out Katie alone at the table.       

“Kate can you hear me?”  Cooper leaned in to her ear and spoke softly.

“Mmmm?”  She groaned, and he felt a tug deep inside.  It was a sound he would have sold a kidney to hear out of this woman, but not when she was half passed out drunk.

“Kate?  Can you get up?”  He took her by the elbow to guide her out of the booth.  She leaned in to him, nestling her face into his neck and proceeded to make that sexy groaning sound again.

Cooper felt the last of his resolve slipping away.  “Get a grip Maxwell, she’s drunk.” 

“Not drunk.  Only had foorf drinks.  Just soooo sleepy.” Katie murmured without opening her eyes.

“Foorf?  Kate, honey.  What is foorf?”  He struggled to hold her upright as he led her to the exit.

“Four…or five,” she slurred a little more clearly, and put three fingers in the air.  “Oh, and champagne.  Didn’t like the bubbles.”    

“You drank four or five drinks?" Cooper's eyebrows shot up. "I thought you didn’t drink?” 

“Nope. Don't drink.”  She pivoted herself until her breasts pressed against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.  “You smell nice.  All pepperminty,” she whispered just before her body went limp. 

Cooper scooped her up in his arms and carried her out the door into the icy January evening.  He carefully loaded her into the passenger seat of his BMW, checking to be sure she was still breathing.  Once he had her buckled in, he rubbed his large hands across his face and stood back to look at her. 

God, she was beautiful. 

Her dark silky hair had fallen across her face and her lips were pouted out the way he'd noticed she did when frustrated.  Her breasts stretched the sheer fabric of the shirt so he could see the silk and lace beneath, and her skirt had hiked up higher on her thighs giving him a better view of…

Stop!

She was his banker, and she was passed out cold in his car.  He was just going to get her home safely then go. 

If only he knew where she lived.

​Get To Katie With Love on Amazon.com and​ BN.com

If I get enough comments, I might be inclined to post another deleted scene next week!

I was groped by a tourist

A party just isn't complete until you've been groped by a tourist. That's what I always say. Ok, so I've never said that before, but it sort of fits, so I'm saying it now. ​

Last night when I went to my usual Tuesday karaoke night at the local watering hole, I was surprised to find my friends had gone all out, throwing me the party to beat all parties. And not just a party, but a color coded book launch party! Even the food was done to match the colors of my book cover. It was a To Katie With Love karaoke party.

I was treated to pink frosted cupcakes, cherry cheesecake, and pink cherry fudge. The mints were wrapped in black and white wrappers, and the napkins and paper plates were pink. They even had matching balloons and printed copies of my cover to decorate the table.

Rhonda (the party planner of the group) even scattered orchids around the table. Orchids that were quickly snatched up by my farmboy (IDP's ​weekend farm assistant, Mason) to decorate his person. A sight I just had ​to capture for posterity.

The first song on the repertoire last night was Etta James's ​ ​At Last, ​readers of the book may note this is the same song Katie sings when she takes her turn at the mic in To Katie With Love. I didn't sing it, but I was delighted that someone thought to do it.

We had a blast, singing and scarfing down sugary treats. I even had a lemon drop martini in honor of Katie's fall from grace at the hands of too much liquor. But before I knew it, it was time to go. And as we picked up the mess and packed up the treats I was approached by a group of middle aged men in town for business and taking in the sights. They wanted to congratulate me on my singing skills and beg me to come back for an encore the next night. Then the one guy went in for a hug. And you know (if you've been reading this blog for while) I don't do hugs. It's just not my thing. but there I was, getting a hug from a total stranger. A hug, and a very obvious grope. ​

I've got to admit, I was sort of flattered. Hey, it's not every day I get groped by strangers. Then the same guy went and groped Mason's ass too. I'm going to pretend it was because Mason was decked out in pink orchids and ribbon, and not because this drunk couldn't tell me from the eighteen year old boy standing next to me. I don't think my ego could take that.

Until the next time...I'll be finishing off the pink fudge before going back on my diet!​

the world tour

How exactly does one embark on a worldwide book tour when flying is not an option? Oh, wait. You say you're wondering why flying isn't an option? Well, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this (you obviously haven't been paying attention over the past few years) but I'm terrified to fly. Yep. I've said it. After years and years of flying without care, one day I woke up terrified. I haven't flown since 1998, and I'm not starting now. ​So how is it I'm starting my world tour tomorrow? It's all thanks to this wonderful little invention called, the internet.

Yes, my blog tour is starting tomorrow and runs through May 21st. There are thirty some odd stops along the way, and I'll be sharing those with you each day in hopes you'll stop by and visit. I'm doing interviews, guest posts, and getting reviewed by some of the best book review blogs around.

First stop tomorrow...an interview on KBoards​. I'm excited. I can't wait to see how I answered his lightning fast questioning. Did I come off as being smart? Sassy? Confused? Well, we'll find out together tomorrow. I'm also being reviewed and interviewed on Jess's Book Blog tomorrow, and interviewed by Raine Thomas (click the pretty yellow text to link to those blogs...but not til May 1st.) I hope I fair well in the process. They're all wonderful writer/bloggers, so I'm sure they'll take good care of me.

I hope I can keep track of where I'm supposed to be and when. It's a long tour and a lot of stops along the way. And I have a book release party appropriately hosted by my favorite karaoke bar (for those of you who have started the book, you'll note that chapter one takes place in a karaoke bar.) I'll be sure to put up pictures tomorrow! ​And in case you haven't gotten your copy yet...well, here's a few links. Amazon.com for Kindle and paperback orders. BN.com for Nook and paperback orders. And Kobo if you prefer that.

Until the next time...I'll be basking in the glow until it's back to work tomorrow!​

from a napkin to a book

Wow...it's really here. Today is the official release ​day for my book, To Katie With Love. I would have never guessed the scrawled out notes on a bar napkin would have actually brought me here. I'm not sure I have words to convey how exciting this is. And for those who don't write books for a living, it takes a really long time and a whole lot of effort to go from a bunch of words on a page to a published book.

To Katie With Love

By Erica Lucke Dean

You know that old saying, it takes a village? ​I know it wasn't used in this context, but it really does take a village to create a book. You start with a writer and an idea, and you go through edits and beta readers and more edits and proofreading and cover concepts and even more stuff I don't even know about because I was lucky enough to have a publisher do all that for me. A village.

Yet, I'm here to tell you, all the work is totally worth it when you see your words come to life in the form of a book. It's almost like having a baby...though slightly less painful, and way quieter, and never mind, it's nothing like having a baby. But it's still super exciting.

So today I official go from being an unpublished author to a published author. Now the fun part can begin as I set out to promote my book on a month long blog tour and as of yet unbooked live signings. ​And here I thought pigs were scary. Scary, exciting, life altering, amazing. I wrote a book and now people can go buy it. Who would have guessed?

Until the next time...I'll be promoting! 

Find To Katie With Love at these online retailers:

Amazon Paperback

Kindle

Barnes and Noble Paperback

Nook

another day closer

I don't remember the first thing I wrote. Probably because I've been making up stories since before I even knew how to write them down. My parents used to talk about my imaginary friends and my elaborate tales, and flights of fancy. Thank goodness they've reached the age where they've forgotten all about those and moved on to other embarrassing memories. I'm sure the first several (hundred) stories I wrote were silly and ridiculous. I say that only because the first few I do ​remember were. Hell, I still venture into the silly and ridiculous from time to time.

My significant other (also known as the IDP, or Imaginary Dead President for those of you out of the loop) likes to tease me about living in an alternate universe...the place I spend most of my time. I try to rationalize it as a writer's prerogative, but maybe I am ​just weird. Hey, if I am, so what. I'm a writer.

Basically, I've always ​been a writer. It's more than what I do, it's who I am. And in just a few more days (four if you're keeping track) for the first time since those first goofy stories, I'm going to see one in print...with my name in bold letters across the bottom. My book.

Come Monday, it's gonna feel pretty damn good. I can't wait to write all about it.​

Until the next time...I'll be looking forward to my last weekend as an unpublished author.​

To Katie With Love - Cover

countdown to release day

I just realized it's only twenty days til my book, To Katie With Love is being released. Twenty days...less than three weeks away. Shouldn't I have started counting down sooner? Shouldn't I feel more anxious...excited...delighted? I mean, sure...I suppose I do. But honestly, it just doesn't feel real yet. It felt real the day I saw the completed cover, but now, it just feels like this far off dream I had that I can't quite pull into my consciousness. And yet, in twenty days, I will have a book out there for people to buy, and read, and hopefully love as much as I loved writing it. ​Because I really did have fun writing this book.

I had no idea when I sat down in a smoky karaoke bar with my drink napkin and a borrowed pen, people watching as I wrote out what would ultimately become chapter one, that anything would ever come of it. And I guess I should thank the bank I worked at for not noticing I wasn't actually working as often as I was scribbling down ideas for the rest of the story, during the business day. And I'm certain I need to thank my former coworkers for allowing me to draw from their personalities to create the zany cast of supporting characters in the story.

And just maybe this little piece of me secretly wishes I was Katie James, and that Cooper Maxwell were real. And maybe in my little world I am...and he is...and happily ever after is just a few pages away.

Until the next time...I'll be counting down!​

she lives!

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit overly dramatic. There was never any question as to whether or not I was alive. But I've been buried under guest posts and interviews preparing for my book release next month. It's crazy! I've never written this many blog  posts for someone else before, and having to do them all at once is driving me crazy! ​

Umm...crazier.​

I've gotten four guest posts done and two interviews. I still have three guest posts to write and four more interviews. And this is only if the tour sticks to 27 stops. If we get any more, all bets are off! ​ But it's not all bad. I'm really not complaining. I'm actually churning out some pretty good stuff. I can't wait for you to read it. We'll just have to wait until the tour, May 1-21st for that to happen. My impatience is not happy about this. Neither is my procrastination, since I can't put it off til April. I actually have to write them now, then wait until May to see them.

Eh, it'll be fine. And come May, I can take a great big breath of air and let the posts speak for themselves. Um...as I'm writing my regular daily posts. Right. No rest for the weary.​

I guess I'd better write a few extra ones for myself while I'm at it. ​

Until the next time...I'll be coming up with more brilliant ideas!​

the word of the day is dirty

I've been having fun lately, coming up with a new word every day. Most days it's a completely random, made up word that I define as I see fit for the circumstances. People love it. I love it. But sometimes you have to fall back on words that already exist. Sometimes you have to pull out a dictionary and say..."what one word best sums up my day?"

Today, that word is dirty.

Remember when a dirty word was something you weren’t allowed to say? Or being dirty required washing of some sort? Well, dirty isn’t always bad, but it certainly makes things more interesting.

So I was thinking about the word dirty today and I realized how much I like it. It can mean something different every time. I decided I’d make a list…a short list perhaps…but a list just the same.

Dirty rice is a spicy dish.

Dirty socks…not so much.

Dirty dancing is spicy fun.

Dirty feet are simply gross.

Dirty sex is pretty hot.

Dirty crotch is definitely NOT.

Dirty words are secret fun.

Dirty underpants are worse than NONE!

Ok, so my rhyming needs work, but you get the point.  When someone calls you dirty it just might be a compliment.

Ok…and off the topic of dirty, but just slightly. As I was throwing together my guest blogs for my To Katie With Love release tour, I was reminded of this really funny auto correct moment that happened to me about a year ago. I'd been napping. I know…the girl who doesn’t sleep was napping? And yes…I was. Even I need sleep sometimes. But I was awakened by a tweet or two, and felt compelled to respond immediately…before my eyes were completely focused, mind you.

My friend Laura had mentioned she had eaten marshmallows that day. This was only significant because marshmallows play a part in my book, To Katie with Love, and these days the in-jokes are many…so we were laughing about that. And I mentioned I’d had a really good dream that was interrupted by the phone “just as I was about to put the brownie in my mouth!” And what could be worse than being pulled out of a dream right before you get to eat a hot, fresh, just out of the oven chocolate brownie, right? (This is the definition of chocoblocking, yesterday's word of the day) Wrong…even worse than that…wayyyy worse than that, in fact,  is when your auto correct changes that sentence to say, “And the phone rang just as I was about to put the brownish in KY mouth!”

And, of course, Laura was speechless. How exactly is one supposed to respond to that?

I swear on a stack of whatever book you put in front of me that I have NO IDEA why my phone chose brownish KY over brownie. And I suspect I will never, in all my years, live it down.

Or the other message I sent that changed the word long to kong (and again, I said, “Really auto correct? Kong?”) It’s amazing how something so innocent can end up being so…dirty.

But hey, it’s the word of the day, isn’t it?

Until the next time…I will be carefully reading every text before hitting send.

​

I have to do what?

So, it's just beginning to sink in...the hard part of writing a book isn't the writing, it's the promoting. Ok, so it was the editing until I was finished with that part...and it was the writing before that...but this time I'm serious. Promoting is hard work.

But necessary. I mean, if I don't get out there and tell people about my book, how will people know? I guess it's a lot like actors who go out and do press for an upcoming movie release. It's part of the job description. They don't get to  play the role then disappear into the woodwork when the hard part of promoting comes along. And neither do I. I have to  do my part. Get out there and interact with people. Ok, so it's mostly online, but still. It's hard work staying on your computer in pajamas all day. Just nod your head and agree with me here.​

On my quest to promote, I stumbled across this idea...well, maybe it was handed to me by a writer friend...creating a book trailer. Sure, I'd seen them before. But I had no idea how to make a trailer. Where does one even begin? So I started asking around, and after a whole lot of digging and a little help from some friends, I now have my very own book trailer. And now that I do, I can move on to the next phase...interviews.

This should be interesting.​

Until the next time...I'll be promoting my book!​

ding dong my edits are done

I think I might have convinced my hus...I mean the IDP...that this whole writing thing is actually a job. I've spent the better part of a month, maybe two, working on edits for To Katie With Love.

The good news is, the edits are done. The book is amazing. And in less than two months it will be released! And I will officially join the ranks of all the other writers who managed to get a book published and into the hands of total strangers. And maybe then I'll get to take a nap.

Or not. There's still so much to be done. I have to write a dedication, an acknowledgement, a few guest posts, interviews, and if I can find the time...another book. ​

Yeah...definitely a job.​

Until the next time...​I'll be writing!

To Katie With Love

Ok, the cat's out of the bag as it were. My cover has finally been revealed. And I couldn't be happier. I love it. Love, love, love it.

So in honor of my cover reveal, I'm going to leave you with a teaser....

Banker Katie James has a serious thing for romance novels. She's perfectly happy settling for a fictional character rather than risking her heart on a flesh and blood man. Besides, the only real man she’s even remotely interested in is her very rich, very unattainable client, the mysterious Cooper Maxwell. From the moment she woke up on her twenty-ninth birthday, she started the dreaded countdown to the big three-oh and another year of being single. But after Cooper crashes her little birthday soiree, looking less like the ultra-conservative man she knows and more like a drop-dead sexy character from one of her books, Katie finds herself in uncharted territory…Cooper’s bedroom! It doesn’t take long for Katie to realize Cooper is keeping secrets...dangerous ones. Unfortunately, when an overly flirtatious coworker sets her sights on Cooper and Katie’s meddling mother decides to make a surprise visit, Katie has a whole new set of problems to deal with.

Who would have guessed having an assassin for a boyfriend would be the least of her worries?

Until the next time...I'll be basking in the glory of a freshly revealed book cover.

letter to the editor

Somewhere up there, someone is looking down on me with a smile on their face. Does this mean they're about to laugh at me? Or have I finally managed to earn a bit of goodwill?

Well, it's a mixed bag, really. I still have electrical outages all over my house, including the heat pump, the stove, too many outlets to count, the lights going both upstairs and down to the basement, and the entire basement itself. So yeah, I'm a running joke for someone...but at the same time...as if throwing me a bone in the face of adversity, I managed to score an editor who keeps the same crazy hours as I do.

And let me just say...I love her. I do. I know you're supposed to lie in public and tell the world how much you love your editor, while planning their gruesome death in  your next foray into fiction. But not me. I'm not lying when I say, I love her. She hasn't fled the country to escape my quirks, she actually responds when I send her a Facebook chat message (even my own mother ignores me half the time), and she has no qualms with debating the merits of my book, often coming to metaphorical blows when we disagree over key points.

Ok, that's kind of a lie. So far her ideas have been pretty good, and she's managed to pull some of my best work out of me, and hey, that's sorta her job, so yeah...she rocks.

Now, if I could only find away to banish the word, patience from her vocabulary. I have no idea how I'll pull that off.

Until the next time...I'll be waiting for my next round of edits.

content edits, I have conquered thee

My first round of edits is done and turned in. With a 48 hour turn around time, no less. Not too shabby, if you ask me.  Then again, the lingering effects of a serious lack of sleep in the past 48 hours may stay with me longer than the feeling of accomplishment.

Eh, it was worth it.

Now the waiting begins. And as far as I'm concerned, this part is worse than the sleep deprivation, the alienated family members, and even the painful discovery of far too many adverbs peppered throughout the book (setting up a literary game of battleship to wipe them clean from the pages.)

No, patience is not my friend. And maybe we could have been friends, if things had been different. If being patient didn't require such...well...patience.

And save your sermon on patience being a virtue. I've heard it all before. I have many good qualities, but that isn't one of them. And I'm okay with that. I've made my peace. Accepted my shortcomings, as it were. I can't keep beating myself up over things I can't change. Like my genetics...my fingerprints...the exact shade of hair color I buy each month to fool the world into thinking my hair isn't going gray.

Sorry...I'm rambling. Are we there yet?

Until the next time...I'll be waiting (im)patiently.

to erica with love

Welcome to the Weekly Guest Spotlight

Laura Kolar

Tonight’s guest is Laura M. Kolar, author of the soon to be released young adult novel, Captive Art. For more about Laura, click here to visit her website.

I have no idea how to start this blog post out so I;m just typing until the ideas start to flow. Erica asked me to be her guest blogger and now I’m a little freeked out since I only post on my own blog about once a month and I never feel like I have anything that great to say.  But here I am typing away because that’s what you do, right?  You type until the ideas come and when they do you can’t stop typing then suddenly something hits you and now you couldn’t stop typing even if your house was burning down around you because if you stop you’ll loose your train of thought and losing your house pales in comparison to losing your thoughts.

Yes, the paragraph above is awful.  It has typos and misspelled words and run on sentences.  It’s the makings of an editor’s nightmare, or in my case, the beginning of an adventure.

After six months of being part of a critique group Erica started, I finally got around to reading To Katie with Love.  Now I’m going to admit something here that she doesn’t know.  I’d actually tried reading Katie several times before, but could never get past chapter one. *ducks and waits for Erica to throw things at me*  Unfortunately, the poor lonely girl in the bar never drew me into the story, but I promised Erica I’d read it.  So I started reading at chapter two, and by chapter three I was hooked.

I don’t know if it was fate, but I ended up having to take two weeks off work immediately following my reading of Katie and I can honestly say I spent more hours ‘working’ those two weeks than I do in two weeks at my day job.  I can also say I enjoyed it immeasurably more.  Delving into Katie’s world has been an experience I will always remember.  In fact, I would have to say it’s been life changing.  (I want to say it’s been ‘earth shattering’, but I’m afraid only Erica would get that.)

When I first emailed her with my comments I gave Erica the same disclaimer I’d given the other ladies I’d done critiques for.  Basically, I was willing to offer my help, but ultimately this was her story and she will always know these characters better than anyone else.  My job as a critique partner is not to rewrite the story in my words, but to offer suggestions to make her story better.

And so it began.

With the insight from another one of Erica’s readers/editors, Kelly Gamble, Erica and I started what can only be called a major overhaul of an already great story.  And the first thing that had to go…chapter one.

Ok, so maybe she didn’t dump chapter one, but it’s unrecognizable from what it was before.  Yes, still the same poor girl in the bar, but now that girl is like a new best friend.  Over the two weeks spent editing, Katie was the last person I talked to at night and the first person I talked to in the morning, other than my husband of course.  Actually, if I’m being completely honest, the person I went to bed thinking of was Katie’s love interest, Cooper Maxwell.  But only because Erica kept sending me pictures and interviews of the man she imagines him to be.  And to say her imagination is vivid would be an understatement, more like scintillatingly luminescent.

At any rate, my new best friend made me laugh so hard I had tears rolling down my cheeks.  When her heart raced, so did mine.  And when she was acting like a complete fool I wanted to scream at her and tell her to straighten up.  But that’s the way a story is supposed to make you feel.  You are supposed to have a vested interest in what happens to the characters.  If you didn’t, the book wouldn’t be worth reading.

So what exactly did I do?  Well, aside from correcting the occasional period instead of a comma at the end of a quote (I’m being kind here, there were lots of those.), I helped find the slow spots of the story, or the lines that didn’t flow and things that didn’t match up with what she’d said in another section.  I made her take out absolutely ridiculous phrases, because nobody says ‘making love’ anymore, Erica.  And I made her take out words thatjustsuddenly appeared.

I also tried to give her encouragement by telling her which parts I loved or thought were funny and insisted she keep.  Believe me when I tell you I will never look at a white orchid the same way again.  Mostly though, I think I was just there.  There for her to call or text when something wasn’t working out or to bounce ideas off of to see if it fit the rest of the story.  (It’s a good thing I have free long distance and unlimited texting.  It’s also a good thing she didn’t mind me eating on the phone.)  But like I said, she’d already written a great story.  And when the last red pen correction is made, I hope what I suggested, if even in a small way, makes the story better.

If you had a chance to read the excerpt of To Katie with Love when Erica had it up on her site, then you should feel very lucky.  Because one day, when Katie is a New York Times Bestseller and a major motion picture, you’ll be able to say you were one of the first to read this fabulous love story.  I know I feel lucky, but then again, I got to go to bed dreaming of Cooper Maxwell.

Thank you so much to Laura…not just for this wonderful post…but for pulling me through this editing process and never once letting me give up or cry. Without the tireless efforts of Laura (and Kelly Stone Gamble), this book may not have been given the chance to find its audience.

Katie and I will never be able to thank you enough!

Until the next time…I’ll be dreaming of Cooper too!