How awesome is THAT? Check it at the Bedazzled Ink Book Peddler.

Print soon to follow, mateys!

Hi, folks--

As I said over on my MySpace blog, I'm feeling a little funky today (and not in a good way) so I'm about to swig some Nyquil and get some sleep. I spent the past week or so getting my PC up and running after a trojan attack took it down. Had to reload the OS. Not pretty. And yes, before you get all self-righteous, I DO own a Mac, as well. That's my laptop, and that's my workhorse. I'd switch over to Mac completely, but here's the thing--I do a lot of editing in Word and I've noticed that the more you switch from Mac to PC with Word documents, the more coding/edits/comments get lost. So if my authors are working in PC, I do, too. If they're working in Mac, I do, too. I've debated buying a Mac desktop and running Windows on it to solve this issue, but I need to talk to Mac people to find out if that will truly solve the problem. In the meantime, I'm both Mac- and PC-literate.

As the trojan took my system down (you can see what it did over at MySpace), my colleague R. G. and I were in the middle of finalizing things for Skulls and Crossbones. So not a good time to have system crashes. Sigh. I think, though, we've finally got it:



Sexy, no? Kinda makes you want to pick it up and READ IT, yeah? HAHAHAHAA! Hope you do. We're hoping it'll be available for public consumption around mid-February in both ebook and print formats. I'll keep you posted. And here's a list of contributors:

“Ladgarda” by Christine Rains; “The Gallows” by Jove Belle; “Valkyry” by Rakelle Valencia; “Lost Treasure” by R. G. Emanuelle; “The Hangman’s Dance” by Jane Fletcher; “The Furies” by Rajan Khanna; “Devil’s Bargain” by Andi Marquette; “Fifty Octaves Deep” by Alice Godwin; “HMS Nefarious,” by Rod Santos; “Pirate Wannabe” by Aubrie Dionne; “Road Pirate Wanted” by Victoria Oldham; “The Brahmapur Buccaneer” by Matthew Fryer; “The Kindness of Strangers” Vicki Stevenson; “Resolution 1838” by David Brookes; “The After” by Carrie Vaccaro Nelkin; “Captain, Hook, and Mr. Shrike” by Cat Conley; “A Perfect Life” by Elaine Burnes; “Stardance” by Trace Miller; “The Passenger” by Megan Magill; “Pipettes for the Pirate” by Holly Ellingwood

Doesn't that just sound oh, so groovy? mmm mmm mmmm. Here's the link to it on Bedazzled Ink's page. You know you wanna go see. :-)

Hopefully, just in time for Valentine's Day. And nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day, honey," like PIRATES. Just sayin'.

Hope you're all well and have a great rest of the week. Peace out!

Hey, folks! I'm giving away a copy of The Ties that Bind over at Women and Words. Click the link below for details! WOOO!

HERE'S THE LINK!



When the Albuquerque paper reports that an unidentified white man was found dead along a remote stretch of road on the Navajo Reservation in northwestern New Mexico, UNM sociology professor K.C. Fontero thinks she might be able to use the case as an example of culture and jurisdiction in one of her classes. But it's soon apparent that this dead man might have something to do with a mysterious letter that River Crandall, brother of K.C.'s partner Sage, recently received from the siblings' estranged father, Bill. What does the letter and Bill's link to a natural gas drilling company have to do with the dead man? And why would Bill try to contact his son and daughter now, after a decade of silence?

From the streets of Albuquerque to the vast expanse of the Navajo Reservation, K.C. and Sage try to unravel the secrets of a dead man while Sage confronts a past she thought she'd left behind. But someone or something wants to keep those secrets buried, and as K.C. soon discovers, sometimes beliefs of one culture jump the boundaries of another, threatening to drive a wedge into the relationship she's building with Sage.

Good luck and happy reading!

Hi, folks--

Hope you made it into 2010 safe n' happy. And WARM. It's like the whole country is in a major deep freeze. YIKES! Bundle up, friends. And speaking of friends, some of you have read the first installment in my Far Seek Chronicles, my space opera series with Bedazzled Ink. That would be Friends in High Places, and you can click that link and read an excerpt for it.

At any rate, I'm finishing up the second installment in the Chronicles (still working on a title), and  thought I'd provide an excerpt for it here. Remember, this is a work-in-progress. It has not gone through an edit/final edit/proofread, so the published version will no doubt look a little different.

All rightie, click on for the excerpt and hope everyone is warm and safe!

Peace!

( groovy excerpt behind this link... )

Hi, Kids--

Hope everyone has made it this far without too much freakiness or family angst and I hope your new year goes well.

Updates: Got a nice review for Land of Entrapment over at Rainbow Reviews. Cool! We're waiting for the cover mock-up on "Skulls and Crossbones" so we can release that to the contributors and get all excited again. We do have the image purchased and ready to go. We're just waiting on the mock-up. The holidays kind of put a delay on everything, so no worries. Soon! I just got a short story accepted for an anthology that'll be out next year (duh! This year's almost done!)--more on that later. And I'm still plugging along on all these other projects. The fun never ends!

At any rate, hoping everyone is staying safe and having fun.

Peace!

Hi, folks--

Here's an excerpt from a longer short story (about 15K words) that appears in the anthology Under This Cowgirl's Hat, edited by SA Clements and published by Torquere Press. I'm posting this excerpt here because I've written a novel based on this short story and I'm probably going to put it on my website for funsies.

So if you dig this, then you might dig the novel. This is just to give you a taste of what these characters are all about.

What follows is an excerpt from "From the Boots Up." And yes, it's work safe.


( Read on, my faboo friends... )

Hi, kids--

Hope all is well with you and yours. I did return safely from Seattle. Read a little bit about that here. I also just blogged over at Women and Words about Lambda Rising closing. I have mixed feelings about it, as I'm sure many of us do. Sigh.

In other news, I'm sending the files for "Skulls and Crossbones" to the publisher today for typesetting. They are at work on a cover and we have purchased a cover image (no worries--I think you'll all dig it). We'll let everyone know when that's ready for viewing so individual contributors can post it on their own sites. WOOO!

I'm nearly done with the second installment of the Far Seek Chronicles, my space opera series. I haven't titled it yet, but I will post an excerpt probably next week (unedited, so expect some rawness!). I'm also working on the 4th New Mexico book, this one starring Chris Gutierrez (she gets even-numbered books, remember). I'm doing some research on it, so hopefully that'll be ready by next summer. And I'm working on some paranormal projects (just cuz I'm weird) and R. G. Emanuelle (you can find her on Facebook...) and I are thinking about other projects we can do.

And, of course, there's always the craziness of this time of year. I hope all of you are weathering that okay and for all of you who had December birthdays or have them coming up, hope they're great and hope they were great, if they've passed.

peace!

Oh, Aubrie--do you and your husband listen to www.di.fm? They've got some awesome trance/ambient channels over there!

Howdy, all--

I'll be traveling tomorrow, but here's a reminder. I'll be signing copies of "The Ties that Bind" (and whatever else...) at the Seattle Mystery Bookshop on Saturday the 5th at noon. Joan Opyr will also be in attendance (unless she's kidnapped by Bigfoot on her way over the Cascades) so hijinks are bound to ensue.

If you're going, the Seattle Mystery Bookshop recommends you reserve a copy of "Ties" and they'd like y'all to know that they do ship worldwide. Here's the link for them.

Hope to see some of you there!

Peace out and hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hey, friends--

Reminder to nominate your fave stories for the Year's Best Lesbian Fiction, 2009, published by Bedazzled Ink and edited by Fran Walker.

Here's the link for all the info,

but most before you go there, consider whether the story you want to nominate is eligible. Here's the scoop for that:

Eligibility: Short stories with a lesbian character or theme, FIRST PUBLISHED IN AN EDITED MARKET IN 2009, including stories from e-presses, print presses, journals, and zines. No unpublished submissions or submissions published outside of 2009.

Restrictions: No fan-fic. No unpublished, self-published, or vanity-published fiction. No stories that are strictly romance or erotica. Stories with erotic or romantic components are acceptable, but this collection is intended to complement rather than overlap with the Year’s Best Lesbian Erotica and Year’s Best Lesbian Romance anthologies.

Hope that's helpful!

And my third New Mexico mystery, The Ties that Bind, is finally available in most places. And as a reminder, I'll be at the Seattle Mystery Bookshop Saturday December 5th at noon to sign that and whatever else you wanna bring. Within reason, my friends. Just sayin'.

Peace out!

Okay, kinda. I didn't actually GO to Canada (though I have been, yes indeedie), but nevertheless, I'm extremely honored that Laura Yaros, host of the program "Matrix"--Canada's longest-running radio program by, for, and about women--asked to interview me about the New Mexico-based mystery/suspense series I'm writing for Regal Crest. So we chatted via land line a couple of weeks ago and the result can be found

AT THIS LINK RIGHT HERE.

That's Radio Centreville out of Montreal.

Scroll down on that page to the little speaker icon and click that. The show with my interview should cue up, and it should be available through Saturday (the day after BLACK FRIDAY!!!!).

Let's see--as some of you may have discovered, The Ties that Bind got sucked into that place in the dryer where socks go, and there was some kind of weirdness with getting the info to the distributor. My publisher and the printer/distributor seem to have gotten if figured out, and it is showing up now with the big online booksellers. Sorry about that, folks! Something to do with Friday the 13th? Hmmmm...

Anyway, hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving week here in the States; otherwise, hope you're just having a great week.

Cheers!

Hi, folks! The Ties that Bind is officially released. This is a K.C. Fontero mystery, and for those of you who have been following the series, odd-numbered books star K.C. (this is number 3) and even-numbered books star her best friend, Detective Chris Gutierrez. You can find out more about that and read some excerpts on my website.

Okay, other stuff: Sacchi Green (Connie Wilkins) is giving away a copy of her latest anthology, alt-history's Time Well Bent: Queer Alternative Histories. You can sign up for the drawing at Women and Words (hold on--I'll provide the link in a minnit). Just leave a comment on the blog and make sure to include your email address, which is not made public.

HERE'S THE LINK!


And here's a description: We have always been here. For as long as there's been such a thing as sex, alternate sexual identities have been a fact of life. So why have we been so nearly invisible in recorded history and historical fiction? Now editor Connie Wilkins, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, has assembled fourteen stories that span the centuries from ancient times to the Renaissance to the modern era and explore alternate versions of our past. Their queer protagonists, who bend history in ways dramatic enough to change the world and subtle enough to touch hearts and minds, rescue our past from invisibility, and affirm our place and importance throughout all of history, past, present, and future.

Cool! And while you're over there at Women and Words, maybe drop by my blog about what makes me totally stoked when I'm reading a new author. Here's the link. I blog there on Fridays, but there's always something going on!

All rightie, friends. Peace out and happy writing/reading!

p.s. Happy B-day Aubrie!

Hey, all--

Don't forget to nominate your fave lesbian fiction short stories for the anthology "Year's Best Lesbian Fiction: 2009", ed. by Fran Walker. It'll be published through Bedazzled Ink, and below is the link for the info (including what kinds of stories are eligible):

CLICK HERE!

Nominations are due January 31, 2010!

Yeah!

Hi, folks--

For those of you in the Seattle area, I'm scheduled for a book signing/chat/reading-if-you-want-it at the Seattle Mystery Bookshop for the release of my third New Mexico novel, The Ties that Bind. The Bookshop is located at 113 Cherry, which is downtown near Pioneer Square. Here's the link for the bookshop.

The date of this soiree is December 5th (that's a Saturday) at noon. High noon, baby. Noon-o-rama. Fellow author Joan Opyr will be putting in an appearance, as well, weather permitting, so hijinks could abound. And ensue. Even occur.

Hope to meetcha!

Howdy, all!

See my blog here for more about Día de los Muertos, which is my fave holiday. And no matter what you're doing, have a fun and safe Halloween/Day of the Dead!

The Ties that Bind print edition is available for a discount exclusively through Regal Crest, the publisher. This is the only place you can get it before November 10th, if you're so inclined.

Click here to go check it out.

And remember, you can see if my writing is something you'd be interested in by clicking here to read Chapter One of Ties. If not, oh, well! Find authors you like and support their work. WOOOO!

Happy Weekend!

Okay, folks. If'n y'all care, I have posted Chapter One of The Ties that Bind on my website. You can go directly there via

THIS HERE LINK! If'n y'all want to, that is.

All right, getting ready to go visit a local goat dairy. YEEE-HA! The fun never ends!

According to my publisher, its formal release date is November 10th. YEEEE-HA! I just received my advance copies. Nice cover. Thanks, Mari SanGiovanni! It's the BOMB!

Stay tooned--I'll post a sneak preview at my website in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can still find out what it's about and what the other stuff I write is about by visiting that website. Click HERE to do so.

I'm currently working on getting my stuff onto the shelves of independent bookstores, rather than just online. Remember, if you'd like YOUR local bookstore to carry my stuff or any stuff by GLBTQ authors, let the staff know. Your words have power, friends.

"Skulls and Crossbones" is moving along--we're hoping to get edited stories to their authors way soon. It's still slated for publication in January 2010.

I'm working on a couple of short stories for other venues. I'll let you know if those pan out.

Keep on keepin' on!

Hi, folks--I've got a column on writing setting and its importance over in Just About Write this month. There are some exercises that I do to work on my "observation muscles."

Here's the link for that!

Hope you check it out.

And many, many thanks to all who sent in submissions for "Skulls and Crossbones." We got over 70, and the selection was TOUGH. I'm gratified to see all the talent out there, and I hope that everyone who sent in submissions will consider us as a venue in the future should R. G. and I do other anthologies. Congrats to all whose work will appear in this volume. We're looking forward to publication. We'll keep y'all posted on "Skulls" news as we go through the process.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Cheers!

Hi, folks! R. Roberti, author of What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking the Vegetarian Way, is giving away a copy of that there cookbook over on her blog site. I'll give you the link in a minnit. Here's the 411:



Here's the kind of info you'll get:

What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking, The Vegetarian Way is more that just a cookbook. It is a compendium of fascinating information about food, incorporating history and folklore, stories of origin, and the evolution of food and recipe names. Food has its own history and background and is an integral part of human existence. It inhabits a world of its own, and What, No Meat? invites readers to enter this amazing world, exploring the role of food in historical events, religious rituals, and healing.

Which Roman goddess was the inspiration for tortellini? What do bay leaves have to do with the term poet laureate? What herb, mixed with ginger and cool spearmint, do Scandinavians believe cures women of frigidity? Why did Romans drink saffron before a night of debauchery and sleep on it afterwards? The stories are all here.

Read how some foods were once shunned because of fear of illness, death, or madness. Become acquainted with people throughout history, like Caterina di’Medici, Thomas Jefferson, and other kings, queens and rulers, who were directly responsible for the acceptance of many foods by the masses. How about taking a soup-eating quiz? This quiz has profiles for different psychological types based on how people eat their soup. You could be a “cautious connoisseur” or perhaps a “free-spirited enthusiast,” depending on the utensil you use and whether or not you slurp. Ask yourself, “What kind of soup eater am I?” and read on.

What, No Meat? delivers over 180 recipes, some simple, some more complex. Some are quick to prepare, some are not, but all of them are delicious and bursting with the flavors and aromas of Italy. Sprinkled with a few advanced recipes that can pique the interest of more experienced cooks, they are perfect for weeknight meals and special occasions, for large families and dinner for two. The book is peppered with the author’s anecdotes and some of her own personal philosophies on cooking, practical tips, and other useful information that will guarantee you the freshest, tastiest culinary results.

What, No Meat? is for Italian food lovers, whether you are a gourmet or novice cook, vegetarian or not. It is about classic Italian cuisine catered to a vegetarian crowd, accented by tales from history and mythology, and sparkling with humor.

Sound like something right up your alley? Go to Mizchef.com to enter.

HERE'S THE LINK!

Good luck!

Howdy, all. Yet ANOTHER book giveaway over at Women and Words. OH, YEAH! I love that. This time, it's The Year's Best Lesbian Fiction, 2008, edited by Fran Walker (and available through Bedazzled Ink [Nuance Books]). If you like short stories, this'll get you goin'. Nice variety of themes and authors. There's bound to be something in here that you dig.


Here's the Table of Contents:

• “Sweet Baby Dyke” by Renée Strider
• “Silent Journey” by DeJay
• “One Horse Town” by Melissa Scott
• “The Abomination of the Blue Hibiscus” by Ovidia Yu
• “Gay Day” by Sandra Barret
• “Mind Games” by Tracey Shellito
• “Water Rites” by Mary Douglas
• “Games With Chance” by Andi Marquette
• “Ewaipanoma” by Mary A. Turzillo
• “Kissing on the Ferris Wheel” by Meg White
• “Words Like Candy Conversation Hearts” by Kathleen Bradean
• “To Dance With No Music” by Lois C. Hart
• “The One I Left Behind” by M. Christian

Coolio. Totally. To enter, go to Women and Words. CLICK THIS LINK! IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT THERE! It's a little different this time, as the admin needs you to include your country of origin. Read the instructions and you're good to go. Don't forget to include your email address in your comment (it's not public) so if you win, we can contact you.

Good luck!