misslj_author: (Writing)
I'm playing catch-up here. I've been SO BUSY, and finally I have a bit of time to update on things.

So, on the 17th Sept, the Carer's Support Group had their monthly morning coffee meeting at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which are lovely, and I haven't visited since I was 20-ish. It's changed a LOT. We had a tour of the First Creek Wetlands, which are pretty awesome, and then through the forest of native trees and into the Mediterranean Garden, then we got coffee. I did, of course, nip into the Diggers shop, because these days I'm incapable of passing a garden shop and not going into it. And yes, I did buy a few things, because reasons.

The Wetlands have been developed to help the community learn about wetlands, how they work and why they are important, especially in an urban environment. The garden shows visitors new plants and function of plants and form an important part of the water security plan for the Adelaide Botanic Garden. In five to eight years, the First Creek Wetland is expected to be able to recover up to 100ML of water a year from the aquifer, enough to irrigate the entire Adelaide Botanic Garden.

An amount of stormwater will be diverted from First Creek as it enters the garden, treated through the wetland, and then stored in and subsequently recovered from an underlying aquifer. The collection holds over 60,000 plants, many of which are Australian natives. Some are rare and endangered plants from South Australia which have been grown from seeds collected by our South Australian Seed Conservation Centre. Pathways and viewing platforms surround and go through the wetland and educational signs and other materials explain the wetland and aquifer system and the importance of wetlands.

The SA Water Mediterranean Garden showcases plants from the five Mediterranean climates around the world:

* South-western Australia
* South Africa
* Central Chile
* California
* The Mediterranean Basin.

The plants that live in these places are well adapted for Mediterranean climates just like southern South Australia where it's seasonally dry with frequent fire. Many of them have features that enable them to conserve water during dry times and take advantage of the rain when it does fall. There are three major elements to the garden--a water rill, interpretive spine and geographical drifts--that together tell the stories of Mediterranean plants.

And now, of course, photos! Click to see full size. :D


g1 g2 g3 g4 g5 g6 g7 g8 g9 g10



1. The Diggers shop. 2. Close up of one of the flowering plants in the Mediterranean garden. 3. Beautiful pavilion in the Mediterranean garden. 4. The Bottle Tree. Stores water in its trunk. Put your ear against ir and tap it. You'll hear the water inside. Not to be confused with the boab tree. 5. Magical path. Part of the walk through the forest of natives. 6. Close up of the trunk of a paper bark tree. Part of the forest of natives. It feels quite squishy! 7. One of the last vestiges of the old insane asylum--the morgue. Now a potting shed. 8. First Creek Wetlands. 9. The old tram barns. Now home to rare books and the Millennium seed bank. 10. The Goodman Building.
misslj_author: (Beach scene)
It's that time--cover reveal time! I've got my cover for Mythica, out with Bottom Drawer Publications on the 20th September. There's a give away right now where you can enter a competition to win a copy of the book. And how can you do that? Simple! Click here and you'll see the competition.

And here's the cover:




Blurb: Caiden Jones is part-selkie and lives an idyllic life by the sea in South Australia. He’s had his fair share of disappointments, like being kept out of the Navy due to his mythica status, but overall he’s got a pretty good life. Until he’s in the wrong place at the right time.

Cai steps in to subdue an out-of-control minotaur and in the process suffers a serious injury to his ribs. As Cai struggles to breathe, a gorgeous suit-clad sy’lph with mesmerising blue eyes races to his rescue. When it’s learned that the minotaur was poisoned, the sy’lph, Gray, makes it his personal mission to keep Cai and his family safe.

Cai has always harboured some resentment towards the sy’lph because of their easy acceptance into the community, so the attraction he feels for Gray takes him by surprise. But how can they find out what this might mean when the lives of Cai and his family are endangered by someone closer than they realise?

Other info: Pre-order/buy link and an excerpt are available here.
misslj_author: (Shahid Kapoor)
I'm thrilled that Dreamspinner Press has contracted my first ever full length contemporary novel, Waiting For the Moon and You. It will be out next year, along with the last three Archangel books. Gosh, that's going to be a busy year!

Busy but good, which is what I like. So yay!
misslj_author: (Cat with specs)
It's been a while (again) since I posted here, and all I can say about that really is that between having the cold that wouldn't die and a plethora of other real life things, there hasn't been much energy left in the L. J. bank to power me too far. But there's been some good stuff happening, which makes a wonderful change--with my mum and one of my besties, Minnie, I've been going to the local hydropool every week and doing hydrotherapy. I love this pool and it's a great chance to do a weekly catch up with a very good friend, so it's all win-win for me. Last week, we met a cute little boy who was wearing a Cthulu t-shirt. He wandered up to mum first and gave her a very serious high five, and later, when I was heading to the change room, he and I had a Very Serious conversation about a man in a Big Blue Box (Dr. Who). That whole thing made my night!

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This is not a rocking horse, this is a rocking dragon! Made of felted yarn. Click to embiggen.


There's also been a day in the Handspinning and Weavers Guild shop, visiting with old and dear friends, a lot of phone chats with my brother, which is awesome, and checking out a nearby thrift market where I got a really gorgeous multi-colour glass bottle. This week, we also had the back lawn mowed, FINALLY, as it was beginning to take on triffid-like proportions, and I felt that I should alert everyone that if we vanished, taken by the grass, they should avenge us. Now it's all cut back and it looks SO good. I got a few new things for the garden, and there's more coming from my favourite go-to online garden store, Diggers (http://www.diggers.com.au).

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Bowls made of felted yarn. I love these, the two blueish/purple ones especially. I'd love to be able to make them myself. Click to embiggen.


But what you guys really want to know about is the writing, right? Well, nearly two months ago now, I submitted Waiting for the Moon and You to Dreamspinner Press and I'm waiting to hear back on that. Having it finished and all was a huge relief, as for a while there, I thought it'd be the manuscript that would never end! Some muses are very chatty. The next and last three Archangel books are confirmed for 2015 release, also with DSP. The novel I'm writing with the awesome Cate Ashwood is trucking along, very quickly, actually, so much so that it seems as if it's writing itself and we are merely the physical facilitators of this story. It's called Brick by Brick and is a contemp love found/lost/found story set in Canada. I'm working on another project with Cate and the lovely Raine O'Tierney as well, and while that's taking me a bit to kick it off (I'm blaming this on being VERY tired atm), I'm very excited about it. Finally, and certainly not least, Mythica will be out soon with Bottom Drawer Publications, and I love the cover I have for it--reveal on that soon. So there are books coming soon and far, my friends!

Also, there was a lunch for the Adelaide m/m writers and readers last weekend, at The Archer hotel in North Adelaide. Good food, good conversation, and it was great to catch up with Ali Wilde and Zathyn Priest again, and to meet L. V. Lloyd, Alison Mann, her mum and Thelma Jean Mathew. Thanks to Alison for arranging it all, and here's hoping we can do the lunch thing again, sometime in the future.

Link of the Now: As the Northern Hemisphere is coming into winter, I want to share with you a fantastic etsy shop, run by the lovely Maria. You can't go wrong here, there's hand/neck/head warming things for everyone. I've got two pairs of her armwarmers! ElizavetaViola.

(Don't forget, I'm on Instagram now, so if you want to follow along, here's me: http://instagram.com/ljstar239)

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Our much less scary back garden! Click to embiggen.


So to end this post, there's a meme going around Facebook at the moment, where you list 10 books that have stayed with you, long after you first read them. Rather than post my list on Facebook, I thought I'd post mine as a blog post.

I've got a list as long as my arm, so for that reason, I'm limiting my choices to books written by people I don't know. And there's a few notes about the books too, for extra points!

This is in no particular order. And a bit more than 10 books. It was hard enough to cut down to 18!

Les livres )

Old Books.

Aug. 19th, 2014 07:02 pm
misslj_author: (Books and herbs)
If you're like me at all, you'll like old, rare and/or antiquarian books. This big book of Stephenson's Quotations has been in my family (mother's side) since the 1950s. I love it. It has so many weird and wonderful quotes, and so I've taken some photos to share it with you. As ever, click on the thumbnail images to see the full size photo.

I doubt it's worth anything--it's not a first edition and it's not in mint condition. But it is chock-full of bits of wisdom from everywhere you can think of, and in its time, it's also been a flower press, as you'll see in one of the photos!

Book2 Book1 Book3 Book4 Book5 Book6
misslj_author: (Writing)
I've been blog-silent for the majority of this year, limiting my posts to reporting new releases and the like. There's a reason for this silence--this has been the worst year I can remember.

It started on an uneven keel: on the one hand, I'd moved house and the new place is lovely, in a gorgoeus, leafy suburb, near a terrific shopping center, close to a library, a swimming pool, my doctor and more. But it took three months to get the Internet on, due to the lack of room left on the copper wiring of our outdated telecommunications system. I had to get an antenna put on the roof, and there was a delay on that because the weather alternated between hotter than Satan's armpit or wetter than a swamp or both. Once it was up though, hooray, because yay, Internet!

And then a few months after that, my father died. Other personal issues have arisen which have been... less than good, let's say. Things were quite grim in my head for a while--we can be our own worst enemies sometimes, I think. I suffer from depression, yes, it's true, and I manage it with anti-depressants as best I can. Between the situation that's arisen since my father's death and those other personal issues, well, it's been a dark year so far.

On the good side, I've had books out! Ice with Less Than Three Press; The Wind-up Forest, The Crystal Lake and The Bone Cup with Dreamspinner Press--these are books four, five and six of The Archangel Chronicles. Volume two of the Rockin' Hard anthology came out in paperback with Less Than Three Press, and that contains my short, Capsicum Head. All good things, things I'm proud of, things I'm thrilled about.

I wrote. I wrote my guts out, as they say. I wrote books seven, eight and nine of the Archangel Chronicles intended to be the last three. Sometimes, writing is the best medicine. I also got my edits on Mythica, which is out with Bottom Drawer Publications soon. Dreamspinner contracted the last three Archangel books, much to my delight. I wrote some more, submitting Waiting For The Moon and You a month ago.

But this is the thing about depression. Depression doesn't really care what you do or achieve. Depression is the monster under the bed that rises up when it damn well feels about it and too bad what you might want. Depression is insidious, touching every part of your psyche.

Robin Williams died yesterday, and his passing had a huge effect on me, more than I thought it would. Not just because Dead Poet's Society was my teenage inspiration or quotes from Mrs. Doubtfire became the hilarious calling card in a group of friends. Not just because he was a comedic and improvisational genius or because Good Will Hunting was everything I loved about my past as an academic or The Fisher King was moving and touching. Because Robin Williams was dealing with the monster under the bed--depression--and that monster doesn't discriminate.

I have seen some people talk about him being "selfish" which just... well. So this is my link for the day, the week, the month, hell, for all of us who live with depression or depression sufferers. There is nothing selfish about suicide.

Today, Lauren Bacall died. She was a classy, intelligent, beautiful, strong woman. I hope that she and Robin Williams are together in the great beyond, enjoying a coffee and a laugh together.
misslj_author: (Steve Yoo / YSJ)
I'm at Moral Fortitude today, do come and say hi! http://www.moralfortitude.com/interview-l-j-labarthe/

I also have a free read up on my site, it's Life and Nothing But, originally published with Noble Romance. Rights have reverted back to me, so now it's up as a freebie. Contemporary m/m romance, 25K words or so. The free read page is here.
misslj_author: (Aargleblaahrgle Daniel Craig)
On the 16th June, I was at Lex Chase's blog talking about the human within the divine.

On the 20th June, I was at Skylar Cate's place, talking about music and playlists for "The Bone Cup."

Phew!
misslj_author: (Angels at rest)
To celebrate the release of The Bone Cup, I'm over at Raine O'Tierney's place today, taking part in the Hat Party. So do drop by, say hi, and share your hats! Over this way!
misslj_author: (M/M Passion in suits)
The Bone Cup is out today! You can grab the eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5071 in many formats or the paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5072 or both!

Blurb: Sequel to The Crystal Lake
Archangel Chronicles: Book Six

Gabriel and Michael, hand in hand and leading the Brotherhood of Archangels, the Venatores, and the Archdemon Guild of Glass Knives, march into the mouth of madness to retrieve the Holy Grail with the blessings of both God and Lucifer. They cross dimensions and battle for the future of all realities: Heaven, Hell, Earth and Purgatory.

In Purgatory they are reunited with Naamah and meet her children, who are terrified of her. One of her allies is an angel, but they can’t identify the traitor. Gabriel faces his worst fear when Michael is injured and he might lose the unwavering comfort Michael embodies. If Gabriel cannot save the Holy Grail, he risks losing more than his one true love—all of creation might be destroyed along with them.

May 2014.

May. 30th, 2014 08:27 pm
misslj_author: (Reading nook of awesomeness)
It's nearly the end of May, and it's been quite a year. To be honest, I'll be quite pleased to see the back of 2014. For the most part, it's been, so far, an awful, horrible, no good year. There have been some highs, but there have been a lot of lows, and so I really will be glad to see the back of it come the 1st Jan, 2015. All my fingers and toes are crossed that 2015 will be much better.

One of the better things was that I got a new phone, and thus, I'm now on Instagram. If you're there too and want to follow me--I'll follow you back--mine is this way.

Another of the better things was/is the release of the second trilogy of the Archangel Chronicles, with book six out next month. In fact, it's out on the 9th, and you can preorder it now. I think Anne Cain's excelled herself with this cover. I just love it. No word on the release date for Mythica as yet, so I have nothing to report on that front, sadly. I am, however, nearly finished with writing up the synopsis' for the third trilogy of Archangels books; that will be the last for the moment, but probably not forever. Plot bunnies do bounce up in my brainmeats, after all!

I can't deny that the stress of this year, particularly the last few months has worn me down. I'm very tired. I've felt a bit flat creatively, too, but there's hope that as things pick up, which I have to believe they will, so will the creativity. I'm enjoying my collaboration with my dear friend/colleague/author/generally awesome person Cate Ashwood, and I hope readers will enjoy it too.

And that's about it, really. At least, for the moment. Hope you're all doing fantastically. :)



Link of the Now: Under the Cedar Tree, handmade organic candles. Gorgeous items, lovely scents, and she's local, too!
misslj_author: (Books and herbs)
Congratulations to Cornelia Simpkins and CW63. You were drawn by The Hat as the winners of the giveaway of a set of books four and five in pdf. They've been emailed your way--I hope you enjoy them.



misslj_author: (Angels at rest)
May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and you can learn more about that here: http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/ In the meantime, the Hop is going on and there are loads of interesting posts, the masterlist of which you can find here: http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com

I have contemplated for a while what I would discuss for this year's Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. With the political climate here in Australia being, shall we say, turbulent. However, it was clarified for me that what I would discuss would be the current government's stance on same-sex marriage.
Hop
This is a topic that—in the hallowed halls of Parliament—is a hot button issue. The Labor Party, who are currently the Opposition, are for same-sex marriage and for a conscious vote within caucus. The Liberal National Coalition (LNP from this point on) are less inclined. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Penny Wong, a long-time Labor MP, is out and proud, and she and her partner have just celebrated the arrival of their baby daughter… but they cannot be legally married in this country.

It is easy to say that this is due to homophobia within the ranks of the current LNP government. That may, perhaps, be part of it; I can't say either way. What I can say, though, is that it's a topic that our current Prime Minister has dismissed as being "the fashion of the moment." [1] He has also said, "There is no doubt that (homosexuality) challenges, if you like, orthodox notions of the right order of things," [2] and when asked in an interview for 60 Minutes how he feels about homosexuality, Mr. Abbott replied, "I'd probably I feel a bit threatened." [3]

In October 2013, Mr. Abbott said that while he would attend his gay sister's wedding, but that he couldn't support gay marriage, because, "'I am a traditionalist on this,' he said.
"'From time immemorial in every culture that's been known, marriage, or that kind of solemnized relationship, has been between a man and a woman.'" [4]

This all came to a head when the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) where the national and state capital city, Canberra, is and where federal parliament sits, passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The ACT was the first state or territory in Australia to do this and there was a nationwide hope that this was the first step in the entire nation passing similar bills.

Not so. A challenge to the bill was made in the High Court by the LNP Federal Government. The High Court does not make policy, but interprets the law, and it has ruled that only Federal Parliament has the power to make marriage laws. Therefore, by that ruling, the ACT bill to allow same-sex marriage, could not operate concurrently to the law currently in effect, which is the Marriage Act, amended by former Prime Minister John Howard in 2004 to stipulate that marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman.

While some LNP MPs support same-sex marriage and would support an amendment to the Marriage Act, it is becoming very clear that the Prime Minister does not consider this an important issue that needs to be addressed. So those couples who celebrated their weddings in the ACT in that brief period that they were allowed to be married, had their happiness dashed by the ruling of the High Court, which only interpreted the laws, and dashed further by the LNP government's refusal to reconsider.

Many couples are looking forward with a positive attitude and their stories are heartwarming and give hope for the future. The Australian Greens and many Labor MPs are determined to bring same-sex marriage legislation to the table in Parliament again. The full document (and some of the lovely stories—and not so lovely attitudes from bystanders) can be read here. (NB: Warning—may contain material that could be considered triggering for some.)

And so we come to New Zealand. A year ago, in April 2013, the law was passed allowing same-sex marriages to take place and be celebrated and legally recognized as lawful marriages. There was a great deal of joy and jubilation. The bill that was passed in New Zealand defined marriage as a union between two people rather than between a man and a woman. The figures in the year since the passing of this bill are very interesting.

"Figures released by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs show that from August 19, 2013, when the law became operational, to March 31, 2014, there was a total of 385 female couples and 285 male couples.

"Of these, nearly a third of the couples were Australian citizens." [5]

This illustrates so clearly why the marriage laws here in Australia need to be changed and why the Marriage Act needs to be amended. It also illustrates how unequal the treatment of same-sex couples is here and that there needs to be additional amendments to make same-sex marriages performed overseas legally recognized as being marriages here in Australia, just as marriages between a man and a woman are. At the end of April, 2014, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens plans to bring a bill before the parliament to at least recognize those marriages performed overseas as being legal here in Australia. I, for one, hope it passes.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abbott and those who agree with him, have not discussed the issue since the ACT bill was struck down and repealed. That is, until a group of high school students in Year Nine (ages 14-15) from Newtown, New South Wales, on a field trip to Canberra, had a surprise visit from the PM. I rather suspect that Mr. Abbott got a LOT more than he bargained for with these awesome, brilliant kids.

Those teachers and parents should be damn proud of those kids, as indeed, are the majority of Australians. Not only did they ask Mr. Abbott tough questions about asylum seekers, why the Minister for Women (Mr. Abbott himself holds this portfolio as well as being Prime Minister) is a man, but they asked him repeatedly about same-sex marriage.

Happily, one of the students filmed it and it is on YouTube for all to see. I share with you now the video of a group of high school kids asking the Australian Prime Minister tough questions and his fumbling and bumbling for answers.




References:
1. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/14/tony-abbott-gay-marriage-fashion
2. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tony-abbott-gay-remarks-dangerous/story-e6frf7jo-1225838436495
3. http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1020354
4. http://www.news.com.au/national/prime-minister-tony-abbott-says-he-will-attend-sisters-wedding-but-not-support-the-marriage/story-fncynjr2-1226745544432
5. http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/a-year-on-one-third-of-nz-gay-marriages-are-of-aussie-couples-13623.html



Further Reading:
http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/viewpoint/tony-at-the-wedding-12281.html
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/tony-abbott-quick-to-kill-samesex-marriage-20131214-2zdvq.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-12/high-court-decision-on-act-same-sex-marriage-laws/5152168
http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/viewpoint/what-a-croc-12170.html
http://www.samesame.com.au/news/10688/Student-asks-Abbott-Why-are-you-so-against-legalising-gay-marriage

Notes:
All emphasis are my own, not the original author's.








As part of the Hop, I am giving two lucky readers an eBook copy each of The Wind-up Forest and The Crystal Lake. Leave a comment to go in the drawing to win one of these bundles!

The Wind-up Forest: Archangels Book Four.
Blurb: Archangel Gabriel is hoping for a quiet period in his life to enjoy his relationship with Archangel Michael, but someone has other ideas.

New dangers arise when the Holy Grail is stolen. Gabriel, Michael, and the rest of the Brotherhood of Archangels and their allies must somehow thwart the twisted desires of the thief.

Their search for the Grail takes them all over the world, calling on old friends like Uriel and Raziel, and forging powerful new alliances. Though they face a fresh set of perils in pursuit of the thief, the enduring comfort Gabriel needs so much, that of his beloved Michael, never abandons him.

The Crystal Lake: Archangels Book Five.

Blurb: The thief of the Grail has been identified and the Brotherhood of Archangels is moving to counter her evil machinations. But as demons flock to the side of the thief and betray Hell, monsters are enslaved and shifters and an angel turn traitor. The love between Gabriel and Michael is tested as they join the rest of the Brotherhood on the trail of Naamah. Danger makes strange bedfellows in the form of Lucifer, the Archdemons, and Lilith.

A traitor lurks among the angels and humans, and the Venatores are discovering vital new information. Lovers Liam, a Necromancer, and Baxter, a shifter working for Michael's Venatores unit, must face not just the living but the dead. Archangels Raziel and Uriel contend with demands on Raziel's power that wear him to the brink of exhaustion. The Brotherhood will need all their strength to prevail against the threats surrounding them.

misslj_author: (Reading - outdoors)
I can has cover? I can! Anne Cain has done it again, with an absolutely stunning cover for the sixth book in the Archangels series, The Bone Cup. I absolutely love it, it's such a beautiful piece. Thank you so much, Anne! <3

BoneCup
misslj_author: (M/M Passion in suits)
Dreamspinner Press is turning seven!

Can you believe it? How awesome is this--DSP is seven!



You can get a whopping 35% off my books this week, and they are all over this-a way! So grab a bargain while you can.

There are loads of other authors on sale this week, check out the index to see who's on sale--click the name and you'll be taken to that author's page and list of books.

I can't believe that it's been four years I've been published! So wonderful!
misslj_author: (Illumincation - written words)
April 2014 saw many wonderful authors being interviewed on the blog. They were kind enough to submit to my many questions and my regular question--if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

You can find their posts thus:

  • Astrid Amara, author of "The Archer's Heart" and "The Devil Lancer." She would also like to be a "dandelion in the next life. Normal, resilient, and annoying."


  • Xina Marie Uhl, author of "Necropolis". She would like to be "some sort of long-lived and majestic tree. How about an ancient bristlecone pine? I love how twisted and gnarly strangely beautiful they are."


  • Skylar M. Cates, author of "The Guy From Glamour" and "Exposed". She would be "A wild blackberry bush. I like the idea of growing fruit."


  • Cate Ashwood, author of the Hope Cove Trilogy and "Keeping Sweets". She would be an "eggplant? I currently look a lot like an eggplant with legs!"


  • Zathyn Priest, author of "Amara: The Rebirth". He would be a "rose bush with dark red blooms. Dark red because it's bold and represents my Goth side. The plant because they're beautiful, but they're also tough and you don't want to mess with them. They'll get you with their thorns, making you sorry if you try!"


  • Rick R. Reed, author of "Obsessed", "Dinner at Home", and "Legally Wed". He would be "Cannabis, so I could help people relax...and laugh."


  • Meredith Shayne, author of "Metal Heart" and "Equilibrium". She would be "Mint. It’s tasty, it smells nice, and it takes over everywhere it grows. World domination through botany."


  • Raine O'Tierney, author of "Sweet Giordan, Please Remember." She would be "a Maypop because they are so unique and they remind me of good times in my childhood with my PawPaw."






  • In news not related to books or writing, April also saw quite a sad event in my life and the lives of my family. My father died on April 5. He had been ill for some time, but it was still quite a shock to all of us. He died only a few weeks shy of his 97th birthday.

    My father was born in 1917 in Paris, France. He was always the most French Frenchman I'd ever met, and in his life he'd done a lot--lived in Casablanca, Morocco, after World War Two, where his first wife gave birth to my brother John; worked for His Masters Voice in Quebec, Canada; repaired transistor radios for the French Resistance in World War Two; emigrated to Australia in 1967 with his two youngest children and his first wife. She was killed in a tragic accident in 1968, the victim of a hit-run driver.

    My father met my mother several years later, and they got married and had me. I remember him always being full of life, vim and vigor, even though he was not particularly tall, he always seemed to be something of a giant in my eyes. He did some work as an electrician in the pre-digital era, and later, he assisted at the French Consulate office in Adelaide. He had always wanted to visit the South Pacific, but never realised that dream. He was honoured by the French government with the Ordre National de Merite medal for services during World War Two.

    My parents divorced when I was 16, and while it wasn't amicable at first, they did become friends after a few years. Dad remarried after several years, and was always active in the local French community and his churchlife. He had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and was proud of them all.

    Our relationship may not always have been super happy joy joy--I do have his love of arguing, and we argued about many things, most of the time those arguments ended in laughter and joking--but I will miss him and I will feel his absence for a good long time.

    He would have been 97, today, the 1st May, 2014.

    Rest in peace, dad. I hope the cafe au lait in the next life is to your liking.

    xXx

    This is my dad. Him as a young man, in his twenties; him with me as a toddler, in 1974; and him and me at his 90th birthday, in 2007.

    misslj_author: (Ancient gate)
    Please join with me today in welcoming the delightful Astrid Amara to the blog, where she talks about her writing, animals and more. Take it away, Astrid!

    *****


    1. When and why did you begin writing?

    I've been a writer my whole life, since I was a little kid, and I've never wanted to do anything else. Even when I hate a project and dread working on it, I can't help but keep writing. Maybe it's a disease. It's very likely a disease.

    2. How do you develop your plots and characters?

    I spend a lot of time talking to myself.

    No, really.

    Actually I spend a lot of time hiking and riding my horse, and during those times I work out my plots and characters. Stories usually start with a setting or premise: Protagonist Joe just inherited a waterslide amusement park. Then I think about the romantic aspect I'm in the mood to write: Joe had his heart broken and has sworn of romance entirely. Until handsome Duke, father of three, gets an all-summer waterslide pass.... And then I figure out what the hell they're going to do for 200+ pages.

    Okay I'm sort of over-simplifying things, aren't I? Actually I'm an obsessive plotter. I outline everything. Things get added through the writing, and I don't write in order, but basically the outline gives me the structure I need to make sure everything ties up neatly at the end.

    3. What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?

    I think the first acceptance was from Loose Id, and I was over the moon. I had submitted my novel to them on a lark - just to see if they'd take it. And when they did I was stunned and excited.

    My first cover, however, was from my second submission, this one to Blind Eye Books. I LOVED the cover of The Archer's Heart, which isn't surprising because Blind Eye Books works with its authors to develop a cover they want. My first cover from Loose Id? Honestly, I hated it. I hate most of my covers. But that's ok. It's just a cover.

    4. One of my favourite questions to ask and to answer - fantasy casting! You've sold the movie rights to your latest novel and have total creative control on casting. Who do you cast as your leading characters?

    Ooh! Good one. Hm. For the Devil Lancer, let me think... how about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau or Alex Pettyfer for Captain Elliott Parrish, and for Cornet Ilyas Kovakin... someone like a young Jake Gyllenhaal? So hard!

    5. What genre are you most comfortable writing?

    I prefer writing fantasy - because the sky's the limit in terms of creativity. But I also write contemporary and historical fiction for the challenge of it.

    6. To someone who has never read your work, how would you describe it?

    Hm. How about "either dark gay fantasy with magic and heavy themes or else contemporary humor about homosexual Jews." Does that work? :)

    7. Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?

    With The Devil Lancer at last off to the proofreader, I can now work on a few new projects. I've been slowly writing a medical mystery/fantasy piece but I think I may need to put it aside for a bit while I work on this year's Hanukkah romance story. I also have about 3 other projects in the queue, one scifi m/m, another contemporary piece, and a dystopian fantasy.

    8. Something a little bit different now--I see on your website that you've got two Italian Greyhounds and a horse. How did you come to own such wonderful pets and do they feature in your work or "help" at all? (By help--pitter-patter of paws on keyboards, pony eating print outs, that sort of thing.)

    Indeed, I have THREE Italian Greyhounds, two goats, one horse, and used to have an ex-racer greyhound until he died recently of bone cancer at the tender young age of six. The dogs are NOT helpful with the writing... in fact since getting them I've pretty much had to leave the house in order to write, and the local Starbucks is grateful for the endless hours of my business. I never had small dogs before and didn't realize the incompatibility of laptop vs.lapdog.

    Likewise, it's impossible to write with the goats and believe me I've tried. Paper? They eat it. They think it's really funny. Computer? They step on it. And they have like stiletto heels. Not good for laptops.

    --I'm sorry... I laughed. I'm just imagining ravenous goats wearing four stiletto heels apiece!

    My horse, however, has been a great inspiration. Not only is he the reason I started writing (my "Porn for Ponies campaign" was started to pay for his board) but he gives me a lot of insight into horses, which translates into horses in a lot of my stories (Archer's Heart, Half Pass, and now a whole novel on the cavalry).

    I'm an avid animal lover and truly believe their levels of intelligence and communication are far greater than we give them credit for. I'm the kind of person who goes to a crowded party and finds the cat and hangs out with her instead of the people. I'm sure it all affects my writing in some way - makes me weirder? Who knows. But it is a huge part of who I am.

    9. Novel to film adaptations (and TV) - which books do you think have made a successful and respectful transition to the screen?

    My husband would kill me for saying this since it's the opposite of what he thinks, but I really liked the Lord of the Rings movie series over the books. There were a lot of elements in the novels that were improved upon in the movie, in my opinion. Now I'm going to have to go sleep on the couch tonight for my blasphemy.

    10. What's a perfect Saturday night involve for you?

    I had one just a few weeks ago. I had a great hike that afternoon with the little hounds, came home, played games on my phone in the goat shed to chill with my goatie ladies, then enjoyed a home cooked meal from my husband, and watched Sherlock in bed with the dogs curled around us eating chocolate and drinking wine - cava. Heaven!

    11. What do you do to unwind and relax?

    I sleep a lot. Sleeping is a big hobby of mine. Then I like to hang out at the stable and groom or ride my horse with my girlfriends. I also like to sit in the goat shed and read on my phone... the goat shed is my little meditation chamber. Its warm and cozy and smells like sweet hay, and the girls happily munch their alfalfa and then chew cud.

    I'm also addicted to the internet so spend countless hours on the couch surfing random things - I love fashion websites, tattoo portfolios. Goodreads. Facebook. You know.

    12. What dreams have been realised as a result of your writing?

    The biggest of course is my horse. In 2008 my 29 year old horse Angus died, and I didn't have enough money to buy another, or to care for a horse. I was thinking of getting a second job but decided I'd try and submit a novel to Loose Id and one to Blind Eye Books and see what happened.

    Here we are, six years and fifteen books later - and I was able to not only buy a wonderful horse but all my writing money goes to his vet bills, his board, his supplements. Horses are not cheap, but I'm grateful every day for my readers who let him be a part of my life. I could never have rescued him without you all.

    13. What do you find sexy in your characters?

    Confidence, decision-making skills, quick action, dark pasts, and either brooding mystery or flashy charm.

    14. What things influence you, ie, mythologies, history, art, music, etc.?

    Indian mythology was a big influence obviously on The Archer's Heart, which is roughly based on the Mahabharata. And Aztec beliefs and culture heavily influenced the world I crafted in Irregulars. After reading quite a few books on cavalry and a lot of the Sharpe's series I really wanted to write my own cavalry novel, but since I love fantasy that had to be in The Devil Lancer as well.

    For the contemporary books I write, I'm mostly amused by comedy writers and wish I had their quick wit and killer dialogue. That's my writing goal - to get better at comedy in stories.

    15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

    I wish I could say something dramatic like a peony or a bird of paradise, but let's face it: I'm a dandelion. Normal, resilient, and annoying.





    Bio: Astrid Amara lives in Bellingham, Washington. She spends her days working as a civil servant, her nights sleeping, and the time in between either writing, riding horses, hiking around with her dogs, or staring at the wall. She has no unusual facial features.

    Blog: http://www.astridamara.com/category/our-blog/
    Email: astrid@astridamara.com
    Site: http://www.astridamara.com/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amaraastrid

    Coming soon: The Devil Lancer

    Blurb: Captain Elliott Parrish of Her Majesty’s 17th Lancers cavalry division finds most details about his assignment in the Crimean peninsula insufferable. Rampant cholera, missing supplies, and inept planning start the British war effort against the Russian Czar’s expansion into Turkish territory on poor footing.

    What should have been a swift and decisive summer victory soon drags into a harrowing winter campaign, and Elliott must rally disheartened men through sickness, battle, and starvation. But when he is assigned the additional task of spying on a fellow officer, the inscrutable Cornet Ilyas Kovakin, he finds himself disconcerted and fascinated by both the work and the man.

    Rumors surround Ilyas Kovakin, the half-Russian officer who reports to none in his division. People say they’ve seen snakes slithering into his tent at night, that he has another face visible only in certain light, and a penchant for violent acts carried out in darkness, alone. But the truth that Elliot soon discovers is much more dangerous then mere superstition.
    For Ilyas, his return to Crimea is colored with the horrors of his past.

    Once a mercenary, he has made a terrible mistake and inherited horrifying powers that he can barely control. He feels his hold over his humanity slipping away daily, and fears that salvation may already lay beyond him when the cheerful Captain Parrish catches his attention. Among men who hate him and superiors who covet his brutal power, Ilyas finds the young captain’s charming company almost irresistible.

    But Ilyas knows that the closer he is drawn to Elliot the more he will endanger them both.

    Preorder here

    Out now: Sweet and Sour.

    Blurb: Miles Piekus thought he and Itai would make a great team, despite the infidelities haunting their past. After all, Itai is smoking hot, they’re both driven entrepreneurs, and they love each other. What else did a person need?

    Well, a lot more, apparently, because not only are they no longer passionate, they don’t even share the same passions. Like people, affections change, and Miles wonders if a relationship this broken is truly worth repairing.

    Itai’s business launch with his ex-boyfriend isn’t helping. And Miles himself has a new business to grow over a busy few weeks where Thanksgiving and Hanukkah collide to form either the best holiday season ever, or a kosher caterer’s worst nightmare.

    But help comes in the unexpected, ruggedly handsome form of Detective Dominic Delbene, a pickle aficionado with his own ghosts, who stakes out the deli to capture a dangerous drug dealer. As Hanukkah’s eight days come to an end, Miles discovers that Nic is not only good with pickling; he’s good at everything.

    Buy here.
    misslj_author: (Medieval)
    Please welcome to the blog today my good friend, Xina Marie Uhl. All yours, Xina!

    1. What inspired you to pen your first piece?

    Some sort of preteen angst, I suppose. It's hard to remember that long ago, to be honest. I don't have any one defining memory in which I decided to become a writer. It was pretty gradual, I guess. I do remember writing little snippets of things when I was about 12. I also remember being obsessed with Star Trek at that age, so it's entirely possible that Star Trek inspired me to write.

    2. Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?

    In high school, my best friend Cheryl and I wrote all sorts of things, from silly graphic novels to stories to endless notes. We also read a lot of the same things: Westerns, romances, science fiction, you name it. Other than reading, I suppose one of my earliest influences was Cheryl. Huh. I never really thought of it like that before. Thought-provoking question!

    3. What are some of the most awesome/coolest things you've learned in the process of research?

    Wow it's hard to narrow it down to just a few. I have a real passion for history, and I'm continuous researching. Research can become never-ending, since one wonderful source lead you to another and another, and so on. Bibliographies of books are dangerous things! Anyhow, back to the question. Here's a stimulatingly gruesome paragraph I came upon while researching the siege of Constantinople by the Arabs (ca. 700 AD):

    ... Soon, too, the food ran out; in such conditions scavenging was impossible and, if [the historian] Theophanes is to be believed, the desperate Arabs were reduced to eating their horses, donkeys and camels and, finally, cakes of dead men's flesh, mixed with their own excrement and baked in the camp ovens. Famine, as always, brought disease; with the hardness of the ground putting burial out of the question, hundreds of corpses were flung into the [sea of] Marmara.


    4. What are you proudest of in your life?

    My daughter and grandkids, totally. Aren't they beautiful? I feel very grateful to have spawned successfully and to have survived my daughter's adolescence. It was a close thing, let me tell you.

    5. If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?

    Probably some distant ancestors, possibly those family members who first came to America. I would love to know more about their lives, and what drove them to sail the ocean blue, leaving everything and everyone behind and starting over again. Since both sides of my parents' families came to America in the 1700s, I would imagine that those first immigrants had short and not particularly nice lives, but who knows? Most people did back then. But maybe I'm wrong. I can see why people get into genealogy. It's fascinating. Maybe something for me to do in future years?

    6. Tell us about how you got into being an author.

    I guess it's just something that came naturally. In my life, there has always been this sort of dichotomy between obsession with history and obsession with fiction writing. Usually when I was in school getting my various degrees I was obsessed with history, which led to reading, researching, investigating and so on. And then when I wasn't in school I usually became obsessed with writing fantasy. At this point in my life my two interests have sort of merged and now I'm working on a historical fiction series.

    I've been lucky enough to find writing work doing educational projects, textbooks, assessment questions, various historical projects, that sort of thing. So I guess really the answer to this question is this just something that I've always done. Those fun times back in high school Cheryl probably really set me on my way. By the way, Cheryl and I are still conjuring up new worlds together, despite the fact that we live hundreds of miles apart. You gotta love the Internet.

    7. What's your favourite genre to read and to write?

    It's hard to narrow it down to one, because I've gone through different phases in my life. For a while I only read Westerns. Then I only read romances. Then I only read fantasy. Then I only read science fiction. Most recently, I read a lot of fanfic, which tends to be contemporary fiction in my particular fandom. Although there are some space operas and so forth as well. To be honest, I really don't read much fiction anymore. I'm too busy reading history books. Whatever fiction I consume is mainly the stuff that I write and the stuff that other fellow writers create, in an effort to give them quality feedback.

    8. What do you do when you get hit with the dreaded writer's block?

    Scream. Cry. Complain to anyone and everyone who will listen. Drink wine. Shake my fist at the heavens. Cry and scream some more. And then just sort of tell myself to shut up and set a schedule. I can always write twenty words a day. That's a pretty measly goal. And sometimes I need such a tiny word count, just to get myself going. Of course it usually becomes much more than just twenty words, but I have experienced more than one project where was like pulling teeth to write and that's all I could commit to. This will hopefully change in the near future. But who knows? Writing can be effortless. Writing well is not easy.

    9. So what are you working on at the moment?

    I'm in the finishing stages of book one of a historical fiction novel series called City of Ages. After the plague wipes out his village, a reluctant knight finds purpose redeeming a young thief and guiding a barren lady on a pilgrimage across the Mediterranean to the center of the world -- Jerusalem.

    10. Can you tell us something about your current piece?

    Necropolis is a fantasy novel that has been heavily influenced by my interest in and studies of the ancient Mediterranean. The world the characters inhabit is not some sort of rehashed medieval Western European society but rather a world based on ancient Rome and Greece and Mesopotamia. It's an epic fantasy, but it's not the typical epic fantasy. It takes places in one particular city, and the quest has to do with hidden memories and the enemies that are trying to keep these secrets out of public knowledge. The description is:

    When prison guard Conyr rescues a young priest from execution, he sets off a dangerous adventure that brings allies in a scheming politician, a mischievous urchin, and a beautiful tavern server. Together, the group must navigate a maze of power-hungry rivals, skilled assassins, and deadly sorcery. For the young priest’s lost memory holds the key to more than his past, but the fate of two cities.

    11. What genre would you like to try writing that you haven't yet?

    Probably some sort of travel narrative. I love to travel, and reading travelers accounts is fascinating to me. All the better if what I'm reading is humorous. So I guess some sort of humorous travel writing is something I can really get into. A sort of started already because I have a blog where I try to put down some travel recollections and so forth (xuwriter.wordpress.com). It really isn't a lot at this time with everything else I'm doing but I'm slowly amassing some stories.

    12. What do you do to unwind and relax?

    Fiddle around on the Internet or make my way through some stored up TV shows on my DVR. I'm really kind of a homebody, so just hang out in the backyard with my dogs and my husband makes me happy. Otherwise, hiking the hills around my house is a great way to unwind and enjoy myself.

    13. What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

    Working from home, definitely. Getting some really meaningful feedback from readers has been pretty phenomenal. I'm in this game to touch people's lives, and whenever I've heard that I do that I'm deeply gratified. I've made a few bucks which is always nice if not necessary since I like to eat.

    14. To someone who has never read your work, how would you describe it?

    I've been told that I have a very vivid writing style and that readers can clearly imagine the setting and the characters. I'm a student of human nature, like most writers, so my characters are pretty well-fleshed out. No one is 100% good or 100% evil, just like in real life.

    I mean to take readers on an adventure of the heart and mind, something which carries them away from their daily troubles and at the same time gives them hope to get through the dark times we all have. I don't really shy away from darkness, and in fact have considered calling Necropolis a dark fantasy, but I suppose it lacks the gruesome/horror aspects necessary for that.

    15. Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

    Probably some sort of long-lived and majestic tree. How about an ancient bristlecone pine? I love how twisted and gnarly strangely beautiful they are. A case in point:






    An Arizona native, Xina Marie Uhl currently lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and a minor menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, and aquatic creatures. She's held a number of wildly different jobs in her life, from accounting clerk to history instructor, but writing has been something she's always done. Her fiction is available through XC Publishing.net, and includes the fantasy adventures Necropolis, The Gauntlet Thrown and The Challenge Accepted, Books One and Two of the Gauntlet Trilogy. Recently, she took a trip off the reservation entirely and released the humorous gift book The Cat's Guide to Human Behavior.

    Publisher - XCPublishing.net
    Blog - http://xuwriter.wordpress.com
    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/XinaMarieUhl
    Twitter - https://twitter.com/xuwriter

    Necropolis

    Blurb: When prison guard Conyr rescues a young priest from execution, he sets off a dangerous adventure that brings allies in a scheming politician, a mischievous urchin, and a beautiful tavern server. Together, the group must navigate a maze of power-hungry rivals, skilled assassins, and deadly sorcery. For the young priest's lost memory holds the key to more than his past, but the fate of two cities.

    Buy Link:
    Necropolis - (Amazon - specific until early May): http://www.amazon.com/Necropolis-ebook/dp/B004EPYUXK/
    misslj_author: (M/M Passion in suits)
    My guest today is the delightful Skylar M. Cates. Please welcome her to my blog and learn more about her and her writing!



    What are you proudest of in your life?

    Having my three wonderful kids after going through an infertility battle

    One of my favourite questions to ask and to answer - fantasy casting! You've sold the movie rights to your latest novel and have total creative control on casting. Who do you cast as your leading characters?

    Here is a list for some contenders, in no particular order, a mix of eye candy and character actors:

    Daniel Feuerriegel, Shahid Kapoor, Clive Standen, Ian Somerhalder, Stephen Amell, Ryan Gossling, Joseph Gordan-Levitt, Paul Rudd, Gael Garcia Bernal, John Malkovitch, Hugh Lurie, Karl Urban, Jensen Ackles, Zachary Quinto, Giles Marinini, Gael Harold, Don Cheadle, Jared Leto, Paul Giamatti, Mathew Mcconaughey, Alexander Skarsgard, Colin Firth, Ben Barnes, and Michal Shannon…

    I don’t picture actors in my head when I write the characters (I know some authors do), so this was a tough question for me. I’d like to meet them all. They might not all be leading men, but I’d find roles for them.

    So what are you working on at the moment?

    The third book in my Guy series—Henry’s story.

    What are you proudest of in your writing?

    The way love can be a catalyst in my stories for finding a character’s true place in the world

    What genre would you like to try writing that you haven't yet?

    A Multigenerational Family Saga

    Is there anything that you've always wanted to do but haven't?

    Sure! Lots of things! Be in the Olympics, be a rock star, be a neurosurgeon …Luckily, my characters can do it for me! I always loved to travel and explore other cultures. I’d love for my kids to travel with me. I’d also like to help animals more and foster some, but I need my husband on board with that idea.

    What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

    Wow! I can’t answer this one…There are so many quotes that I love.

    When and why did you begin writing?

    I have always written stories. My earliest memories are of writing letters to my grandmother or writing poems.

    How do you deal with negative reviews?

    Lots of wine and chocolate, lol

    I don’t seek them out. If I agree with the criticism, it will frustrate me that I can’t go back to that novel and fix the issues. If I don’t agree with them, it simply hurts.

    What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new author?

    Don’t rush to submission! Wait until the novel feels really “cooked.” Editors don’t want sloppy, undercooked, rushed work.

    And maybe one more thing? Be kind to others and be kind to yourself.

    How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

    I gut it like a fish. First I open up the characters and see who they are…I might have a trope in mind—redemption, best friends, enemies to lovers, second chance love. I don’t outline, but I obsessively think about the plot. It’s like a puzzle turning in my mind. I also turn the knife on myself. I’ve scrapped huge scenes; I’ve gone through tons of drafts…I’ll cut and revise until it feels right.

    How do you come up with titles?

    The title usually comes to me fairly early. I usually don’t struggle with them. However, the exception to this was The Guy From Glamour. I submitted it with a different title—Better than Candy. But within a few weeks of my submission, another DSP book with a “Better Than” title was published. Worse, the author was planning a “Better Than” series and so was I! Yikes. I told DSP that I wanted to change my title. I had to think fast! The Guy From Glamour and The Guy series were born.

    What have you learned along the way of your journey as an author?

    That I have a great deal to still learn!

    I’ve also learned to truly appreciate the awesome readers and reviewers out there.

    The old adage "write what you know" is something that is touted a lot - do you feel that it's true for your work? Why/why not?

    …I think you’d better research what you don’t know. However, I don’t really support that old adage. It limits the imagination! Nobody could write about talking dragons or serial killers without “knowing one” then… I’m never in favor of that! Women, especially, get criticism on this for writing male characters. There is an undercurrent of misogyny to the comments at times. That is why writers-- from George Eliot to A.S Byatt to J.K. Rowling--- struggled with this. The world would be a sadder place without their lovely books, wouldn’t it? I think you can’t go wrong if you write from the heart, research what you need to, and listen to your characters.

    Finally, the question I ask everyone I interview - if you were a plant in the next life, what would you be, and why?

    A wild blackberry bush. I like the idea of growing fruit. My sister had one, and her kids used to pick the berries. The dogs even managed to chew some right off the bush. We made blackberry pancakes with real maple syrup= heavenly! I also love Plath’s poem: “Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries”



    Exposed by Skylar M. Cates.

    After years of running from a traumatic secret, young journalist Rafe Quintero is making his way in the world alone. Now that he’s landed a job at a Miami newspaper, he’s hungry for success. His goal? A blistering exposé on closeted PGA golfer Daniel Andrews. Rafe will stop at nothing to get the scoop—even if it means going undercover on Daniel’s private yacht.

    Daniel is used to being in the spotlight, but his reputation for being cold and unfriendly hasn’t made him very popular. Still reeling from his mother’s death and his ex-boyfriend’s engagement, he hides out on his yacht to escape the press hounding his every step. His instant attraction to Rafe, his new crew member, is a problem he can't ignore.

    When Rafe and Daniel begin a steamy affair, Rafe knows it’s only a matter of time before Daniel discovers his betrayal. Now he has to choose: confess and hope Daniel can swallow his pride and forgive him, or put his ambition ahead of his heart and follow the story.

    Buy: Ebook http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3605&cPath=55_771
    Paperback http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3606
    Skylar's other books: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_771


    Bio:

    Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar has traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

    skylarmcates@yahoo.com

    http://skylarmcates.wordpress.com

    Skylar can also be found on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/skylar.cates

    Profile

    misslj_author: (Default)
    misslj_author

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