Monday Madness

I wasn’t ready to start a new week. I know, I know, the weekend just ended, but it flew by so fast, I barely had time to enjoy it. Sure, I read all weekend long and spent time with my family, but mais, I could’ve used another day off.

Next week won’t be so bad, I hope. I’m off on Tuesday because of Mardi Gras. What a perfect day for a book release, don’t you think? I’ll be off and I can aggravate people all day with my giddy joy. I’ll try not to be too bad, but I can’t promise anything.

There’s nothing new to really report. I haven’t had a chance to write on my second Olympus, Inc. book because of life, but I’m hoping to rectify that sometime this week. Then on top of that is the book release and a ton of guest appearances all over the interwebz. Which reminds me, I need to post the blog tour on my website. Le sigh. I’m not complaining! I just have a lot to do. It’s a good thing I don’t mind being busy 🙂

In fact, I’ll be over at Southern Fried Gothic today for an interview and giveaway. I hope you’ll stop by to see what we’ve cooked up for you!

So, did anyone do anything fun this weekend?  Like I said, I read all weekend (re-reading Kerrilyn Sparks’ entire series) and watched Ghost Adventures until I got frissons on my legs, which is fun for me, but some people might think it’s boring 😉

Fantasy Man Friday

I know I always start Friday posts by saying, “Wow, what a week!” and not to sound redundant, but what a week! I haven’t had a chance to breathe, but this time around it doesn’t have anything to do with writing. My day job has been running me ragged and I like it! LOL

There was other writing related stuff going on though with the release of my cover for the next book in my Veil Series, Succubus-in-Waiting. It’s a gorgeous cover and I’m beyond pleased with it. The book comes out March 8th, so I’ve been spending what time I have available setting up a blog tour. I still have a couple of spots to hammer out dates for, but I’m booked solid!

I have masks for this blog tour as well, although they’re vastly different from the Ruby masks. These are all tiger masks with slight variations between them. I did the tiger theme because the heroine of Succubus-in-Waiting is a succubus-tiger halfling. Yeah, she’s special 🙂

So this is where I’ll be in the upcoming weeks:
February 28, 2011 – Southern Fried Gothic
March 4, 2011 – Ciara Knight’s blog
March 7, 2011 – Rebecca Zanetti’s blog
March 8, 2011 – Falyn Donaldson’s blog
March 11, 2011 – Rosalie Lario’s blog
March 15, 2011 – Haunted Dreams, Dark Destinies
And two more spots I don’t have dates for yet, but I will post the tour on my website, so check for updates!

Because it’s been crazy busy, I think I need to climb in bed again. I know, I’m such a lazy woman, but if you had this waiting for you…you’d feel the same…

Nom, nom, nom!! Oh yes…he’s waiting for me. See? He’s looking for me! I wish I could stay and chat, but um, we have things to do 😉

Happy Friday y’all and have a safe weekend!

Cajun French: Cher

I'm not talking about this Cher

If you’re here thinking this is a post about the singer, Cher, I’m sorry to say you’re in the wrong place. For those who want to know more, step deeper into the world of Cajun French.

Most of the time, people see the word cher and pronounce it exactly the way the singer’s name is pronounced. In Cajun French, it’s a lot different. Our cher is pronounced “sha” with a short “a”. This is one little quirk about Hollywood that irritates me to no end when they make movies about this area. Now, there’s a possibility that Creole French* speakers pronounce cher the way most people are familiar with, but that is so not Cajun.

Cher is an endearment, as most of you already know. It means “dear” but it’s also used as a verb. When I was growing up, cher was the most common word I heard. My grandfather used it, my cousin used it, and at one point, I thought this was my name.

Sample sentences you might hear in Cajun country with the word cher:

“Mais, cher! I’m so glad to see you!”
“Aw, cher t’bebe” (Aw, dear/darling little baby)
“Aw, cher” (As in you just saw the cutest puppy.)
“Cher Bon Dieu!” (Dear Good Lord!)

My mom came to me one day after reading a wildly popular author’s book and asked me if I’d ever heard two men call each other cher. I hadn’t, of course. This is a term of endearment you hear between lovers (which these two men were not, they were friends), family members, and the elderly to the young. Some people use it as a tag no matter who they talk to, kind of like some people call everyone “boo”.

So, is this a word you’re going to use (with the proper Cajun pronunciation)?

What’s Playing Wednesday

Mardi Gras season is upon us and for the next three weeks, I’m going to be featuring music that puts me in the Mardi Gras mood.

This might sound weird, but when I hear the songs I’ll be playing, I remember waiting with the floats at the start of the parade. I was in band throughout junior high and high school and one of the requirements was marching in parades. On Sunday morning (or Friday night) we’d gather at the start of the parade. Because we were kids, we’d nag the float riders for goodies before they left the grounds.

But what I remember most is listening to the floats’ sound systems as the riders drank and sorted their throws. There are three songs that I find put me right back in that parking lot.

The first song is Don’t You Just Know It by Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns. I love this song and I’ll listen to it no matter what time of the year, but it just reminds me of the 8 mile march I was about to start with a tuba hanging over my shoulder. Ah, those were the days!

I hope you enjoy it!

Oh and I got the cover art for Succubus-in-Waiting Veil book 2! Check it out!

What A Release!

Okay, so I don’t really have anything to blog about today. I rejected several ideas all morning long and finally decided I’d pimp some friends out (because I’m a good book pimp like that).

This week is a book release frenzy, so I hope you have a paper and pen ready to take notes!

First off, Rebecca Zanetti’s debut release, Fated comes out today from Kensington Publishing! If you remember, Rebecca was nice enough to stop by last week for an interview (which I had so much fun with) and a giveaway. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to win an ARC (like me), I recommend you go out and buy Fated.

MARRY ME

Cara Paulsen does not give up easily.  A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter.  But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem…
                                    OR ELSE

Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter.  He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire.  Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

Next up, is Cynthia Eden’s release in the Deadly Series, Deadly Lies out from Grand Central Publishing. Cynthia is a cool lady with some really great books you won’t want to miss!

She wants to hide the past…

FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn’t fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.

He needs to uncover the truth…

One night isn’t enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable—until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn’t who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of blood-thirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.

As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .

DEADLY LIES

Then we have the release dates of the Sizzler ladies! Jillian Chantal’s second book with Siren Publishing, Surfer Bride, is being released today and trust me, this is one lady who can make you drown in her story (bwahaha, so did not intend that pun!). *snicker* Okay, getting back to the book! You have to pick it up. Her heroes are muy caliente!

Quincy Holt, a world champion surfer, was in love with a police officer, Fennimore Smith. He dumped her over a rumor that she cheated on him. Two years later, she’s moved on and is engaged to Percy Hicks, a British man that she believes could make her happy. Quincy thinks her fiancé is an antiques dealer but he’s actually a firearms smuggler. A smuggler being investigated by her former lover, now an ATF agent. When Percy’s private plane full of weapons is confiscated while Quincy is aboard and she’s arrested for arms dealing, Fennimore Smith flies to Bali to rescue her and get her to testify against Percy. She turns him down as she has plans of her own. She sets off to London on a quest to trap her fiancé and bring him down. Will she survive her mission? Will her former lover have to rescue her again?  

And last, but not least, is the amazing Sayde Grace’s first book in the Moonlight Cravings Series, Untamable which is being released on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. Don’t let Sayde’s innocent southern lady looks fool you, this book is hot and a paranormal at that! You don’t want to miss it!

Waking up tattooed, mated and a werewolf would shock most people but for Siddalee Brighton it’s just another day.

Siddalee has always held a burning hunger for her best friend, werewolf Jasper Gandillion. But she never realized what belonging to the animal within him would mean until he marks her in a show of passion and dominance, awakening the werewolf inside her. Siddalee was the first of many illegal breeding experiments that the Luna Werewolf Nation Alpha, Dane Velham, created and the only one strong enough to stop the monster from torturing other women and creating more experiments.

So with all of these great books released this week, you shouldn’t have a problem finding something sizzling hot to read!

Blending In

I’ve mentioned before that I’m nowhere near being a domestic goddess. I hate to clean house, I don’t cook very often, and kids make me nervous. However, I actually bought an appliance this weekend. No, not that kind of appliance *eye roll*. I bought a blender.

First let me explain. For the last two months I’ve been drinking a health shake as a meal at night. This is all part of my diet plan and I’m doing a fine job following it. Yay me. I’ve already told you how I almost stabbed myself with a knife when chopping a banana, so now I break the fruit up with my hands. No stabbing here! However, a couple of weeks ago, I made my shake and because I was busy talking to my cousin on the phone, I forgot an integral part of the shake. The shake mix. I was basically drinking milk, banana, and ice. It was…very bland.

The blender I’ve been using is part of a blender/mixer/food-processor set that my mom bought before my brother was born. Yes, it’s old so I had to make the decision to buy a new blender. The old one was putting its little heart into making my shakes but I could feel it wanting to die. It was time to put it out of its misery. The new blender is pretty! So cool and fast!

But my lack of domestic skills didn’t prepare me for using it for the first time. See, I was ready to use the blender and thought I’d read the bloody manual thoroughly. Yes, I do read manuals most of the time, not that it does me any good. I put all of the ingredients in and was ready to stare in awe at my shake being made. What I didn’t do was tighten the base of the blender onto the cup…

No, I didn’t have milk and all that all over my face. I’m too cool for that! Instead, I had a seeping, sopping mess oozing out the bottom of the blender. It leaked all over the cabinet and I stood there in confusion. Oh, I stopped blending, but that didn’t stop the oozing until I figured out the flippin’ problem! Once I did though, I cleaned my mess and with steely determination, I put that blender back on and sighed as it did what it was supposed to do.

Sadly enough, I’m infatuated with my blender. It’s mine. My first appliance purchase. Sure, I’ve bought furniture and computers, but this is something you cook with! And I bought it! I’m still stunned, yet a part of me can’t wait to get home so I can use it again.

I believe I’m starting to feel the nesting instinct. Finally. I’ve even started looking at houses because I’m ready for my own house, something I’ve picked out and can not clean without feeling guilty. *cough*

Okay, so I have to ask: What was your first household appliance purchase? Did you fall in love with it? It’s okay if you didn’t, I’m pretty resigned to my weirdness.

Fantasy Man Friday

I’m singing Another One Bites the Dust this morning because it’s Friday which means we’ve conquered another work week! It’s been an action-packed week…again. I’m not complaining! I’ve had so much fun between interviews and guest appearances and finding out the date of my next release, I’ve barely had time to take a breath. I love weeks like this because it feels as though I’m accomplishing something. What it is, I have no clue, but it feels good, LOL.

Before I get to the gorgeous Fantasy Man, I’d like to announce the winner of the final mask for Ruby’s book. The winner is…Jen B! Jen, please contact me and I’ll try to ship your mask tomorrow. I have to thank y’all for following along on this blog tour. I’ve had so much fun!

It isn’t over either because the next tour for book 2 of the Veil will start on February 28th! I’ll be posting the dates for everything once it’s all settled. If you have a guest blogger spot open, or would like to interview me, I’m cool with that! Just send me an e-mail at danica.avet@gmail.com and we’ll work something out. I have more masks to give away, these completely different from the masks given away for Ruby, so if you follow along on the tour, you could probably win one of those as well!

I’m not going to rhapsodize about the week like I normally do. I’m ready for my Fantasy Man this morning. As I sipped my coffee, I pondered which one I’d choose. I have a whole stable of gorgeous men waiting to be viewed, so you can imagine how difficult the decision process is. Le sigh.

So…here we go. Today’s Fantasy Man is…Well, he isn’t wearing many clothes, that’s for sure. The minute I saw this guy, I thought of Sayde Grace which so isn’t fair. I mean, really, I should be concentrating on him and what he shouldn’t be wearing. I’ll let you look and decide for yourself what should go.

Ah, I see he’s already reading my mind. He knows exactly what needs to go. *fans herself* As you can see, this is another man from the Gods of Football calendar. I didn’t know Australia had cowboys, but day-um! If they look like this guy, I’m moving and I’m taking my bullwhip with me. Okay, I don’t have a bullwhip, but I would buy one. And spurs. Yee-haw!

Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you have a great weekend.

Cajun French: Grattons

Before I get into the Cajun French lesson of the day, I have two, no three announcements to make. First of all, the winner of an ARC of Fated by Rebecca Zanetti is…Lara Dunning! I have to say, I loved that interview and all of the fun comments. I hope to have Rebecca back some day…perhaps with her next release? We’ll have to see.

The second announcement is that today is your last chance to win a hand painted Mardi Gras mask made especially for my release of Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose. I’ll be over at Avril Ashton’s blog for an interview. I’ve had so much fun on this blog tour and I hope you have as well. It’s been an absolute pleasure! Now go comment for a chance to win! 😉

Last, but not least, I have a release date for the 2nd Veil book, Succubus-in-Waiting. It’ll be released March 8, 2011, which is Mardi Gras! Woo-hoo, party time! Probably not, I don’t party like I used to, but that’s okay! I’ll spend it online goofing off instead 😉 There’ll be another blog tour with  yet another giveaway for that book, so be on the lookout for those dates. If you’d like to have me over, just drop me an e-mail!

Okay, now to the really fun part of today’s post. Cajun French. I think my next book’s release date has put my mind in Mardi Gras mode. The first thing that popped into my mind was how much I adored my one Mardi Gras experience in Gheens, Louisiana. It’s a one-road community and we used to laugh that the world revolved around Gheens, but they sure know how to put on a Mardi Gras celebration.

Now, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into this event. Hogs are butchered which sets up the best tasting heart-attack-on-a-table  you’ll ever have. Most of you know fried pig fat as cracklins. We call them grattons (pronounced gra-tons, roll the gra and it rhymes with batons). If you’ve never had grattons straight from the pan, you haven’t lived.

When I say heart-attack-on-a-table, I mean it because the batches of grattons are tossed onto a protectively lined table and a box of salt poured over them. You want them when they’re hot. *stomach growls* I haven’t had fresh grattons in years. The closest I’ve come is when a vendor brings in a batch from two hours away. They’re slightly warm and still kind of soft, but nowhere near as good straight out of the pan.

It doesn't look appetizing, but mais! They're like crack!

 Those are grattons. It’s a much cooler word than cracklings. When I hear cracklings, I always think about Clash of the Titans when Calibos says, Release the Kraken! And as much as I’m all for eating squids and octopi…it just doesn’t compare to grattons.

So, the next time you’re at the store and you see a bag of cracklings, you can now call them grattons and have everyone stare at you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to drool over the thought of a table of grattons with no one to share it with 😉

What’s Playing Wednesday

It’s time for another What’s Playing Wednesday. Before I get to that though, I have to announce the winner from yesterday’s giveaway over at Jillian Chantal’s blog. The random.org generator was quick today, picking comment #1. The winner is….Lynn Rush! Lynn, drop me an e-mail with your physical address and I’ll ship your mask to you this weekend 🙂

There’s still one more chance to win one of the masks painted exclusively for Ruby’s book. Tomorrow I’ll be over at the amazing Avril Ashton’s blog with another interview and giveaway. Be sure to stop by for the last giveaway for this blog tour.

Oh, and I’m also over at the FF&P blog talking about secondary characters. Stop by for my goofy historical romance scenario!

Now for what’s playing on Danica’s Magical Music Player. Last week’s song was one of those heart-felt love songs. Some people said it was depressing, others said they simply had to add it to their playlists. I was hoping the Magical Music Player would give me a more upbeat song, but it didn’t. I think it’s still stuck in the big hair band days because today’s song is none other than Silent Lucidity by Queensryche.

This song came out in the late 80’s, but it’s such a powerfully emotional song. I loved it, but not as much as my sister did. She was pregnant with her eldest when this song came out and every time she heard it, she’d start crying. Not because she was sad, but I think it was because she felt the stirrings of maternal love and protectiveness.

Now every time I hear this song, I picture my eldest nephew as an infant with his sweet little face and great big eyes. I see him as a toddler, as a little boy with an annoyingly high-pitched scream, as a sassy teenager, and as a handsome young man with a crazy sense of humor.

This song is for Patrick. I love you, Patty-melt.

Do you remember this song from the 80’s? What do you remember about it?

Interview & Giveaway with Rebecca Zanetti

Today we have a very special guest, Rebecca Zanetti, stopping by for an interview and a giveaway. I met Rebecca at Nationals in Orlando and I thought she was such a funny, sweet person that I just had to have her on the blog. Her debut novel, Fated, is out next week by Kensington Brava. You simply have to check it out.

Bio:
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories.  She resides there with her husband, children and extended family who inspire her every day.  Rebecca has completed several manuscripts, winning award throughout the writing industry for her work.  Recently she finished FATED, the first book of a vampire series, “The Dark Protectors,” which will be available February 22, 2011 from Kensington Publishing.

Fated looks like a very sexy read. What inspired you to write this novel? I’m guessing vampires aren’t roaming around Idaho…unless they really are and you’re just not telling anyone! 
If vamps were roaming around here, you’re right, I wouldn’t tell anyone!  This book wouldn’t leave me alone.  Everyone said not to write about vampires, that they were overdone.  So I wrote this one for fun, just for me to read once in awhile.  Then it sold.

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you wake up to the dulcet sounds of harps and float to your computer which miraculously turns itself on and opens your novel? Because I wish that’s how it is for me. 
HAHAHAHA.  On writing days I stumble out of bed, get the kids off to school and start drinking coffee with a chocolate protein shake mixed in.  Then I put on music, comfy socks and start writing.  Sometimes I forget that I haven’t really gotten dressed and end up opening the door to the UPS guy if he’s delivering stuff.  (Hopefully shoes).  He’s actually laughed out loud at me before.

What’s the best part of being a writer? Is it the paparazzi? Or the endless parties with A-list actors? If you see Gerard Butler, tell him to call me 😉 
The best part is that I can be as odd as I want.  You can’t be too ‘out-there’ as a lawyer, but it’s expected in writers.  The real ‘me’ gets to show up.  And if I see Gerard Butler, he’s busy.  I’ll call you later.

How many books do you plan in this series? I hope it’s a lot because I adore book series with lots and lots of books (but you have to write them fast because I’m a fast reader).
I have nine I’d like to write.  The heroine in FATED has a little girl named Janie who all the races want because she’s so gifted.  The last book is her book, and it all ties together. 

I had a chance to meet you at Nationals in Orlando (and y’all, Rebecca is like super sweet!), was that your first Nationals’ conference? What was the best part about it for you? 
My first Nationals was in D.C. the year before and I had just started writing.  I hadn’t joined any online chapters and didn’t know a soul.  So I went to the workshops, met people and spent the evenings watching movies and going through my stuff in my hotel room.  This year, I’d sold to Kensington and had joined several online chapters, so my nights were full.  It was fantastic to meet my online friends like my critique partner and your pal, Sayde Grace.  I also met a lot of new friends like you.  J This coming year I’ve applied to teach a workshop or two, so we’ll see what happens.

What do you do when you’re not writing sexy vampires and the women they love?  
I’m a lawyer teaching legal classes two days a week right now and I’m happily married with two kids in elementary school.  My husband, Tony, is pretty cool…and very supportive of this whole writing gig.  He’s outdoorsy so we spend some time snowmobiling in the winter and playing at the lake during the summer.  I bring my laptop.

What are your plans for the future? You know, other than having your book made into a movie with Gerard Butler as Talen? (Because I want to be on set…you have to let me be there!) 
Okay – truth time.  Dage Kayrs, who is the hero in CLAIMED, is all about Gerard Butler.  I had Gerard’s picture on my wall as I wrote that book…CLAIMED is Book 2 in the series and will be released in October.  Dage is the King of the Realm, the ultimate male…and who else would he be based on than Gerard Butler?

What’s your favorite movie and why? 
Life with Father.  It’s a goofy, true story set in the late 1800s (and filmed when Elizabeth Taylor was about 16) about a wife wanting her husband to get baptized.  Irene Dunne plays the wife.  Well, it’s more about their hilarious relationship.  But it’s hard to explain unless you see it.  If you’re sick, or down, or just need a smile…watch this movie.

And finally, the most important question of all: does Talen wear boxers, briefs, boxer briefs, or does he go commando?  
He goes commando…and I think that word is actually used in FATED. 

MARRY ME
Cara Paulsen does not give up easily.  A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter.  But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem…
OR ELSE
Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter.  He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire.  Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

I’d like to thank Rebecca for stopping by today. Her book will be out February 22, but you have a chance to win an ARC here today! To win, leave a comment pertaining to this burning question: Who is your favorite vampire of all time? (movies, or books)

P.S. I’m having a giveaway as well over at Jillian Chantal’s blog. Be sure to stop by for a chat!