Comment to win THE LORD OF ILLUSION: http://plotmamas.wordpress.com/

I'm over at a dear friend's blog, answering some questions about where I've lived while my father was in the service. Stop on by, leave a comment, and you're entered to win a final copy of THE LORD OF ILLUSION. Contest is open through Sunday, so you have a few days to enter, although I'll be checking in to answer any comments today. Best of luck!

http://plotmamas.wordpress.com/

HOW I JUGGLE MY WRITING LIFE WITH MY REAL LIFE

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don’t necessarily juggle. It’s more of a melding of the two.

The great thing about being a writer is that you can work anywhere, and inspiration comes at any time. The most common places for me to have sudden inspiration is in the shower (which is why I keep a notebook in there, although my bathroom floor has a tendency to get soapy and wet), that fuzzy state between waking and sleeping, while I’m talking with my family about my latest book, and whenever I just relax and rest. It’s almost as if the back of my brain is constantly working and it just takes a nudge to allow it to come out.

So truly, I guess I’m thinking about writing all of the time, especially when I get caught up in a new magical world like the one I created in THE LORD OF ILLUSION. It explains many things. Like, why I have a tendency to wander off in the middle of a conversation, and have to ask my friend what in the world I was talking about to get back on track. Or why I have a tendency to walk into the corners of walls, or forget why I went into a room, or where I was going.

Is that why writers are thought of as a bit kooky?

Or is it just me? Maybe other writers have a way to juggle both worlds and I just haven’t mastered the trick of it yet. But I can see someone make a gesture and I’ll immediately think of how I can incorporate that into my character. Or watch people interact and think of how charming that would be for my hero/heroine. Or fall in love with a character from a movie and launch into an entirely new world with evolved characters of my own. Or see a wedding and wonder what characteristics made these two fall in love with each other and how they managed to overcome any obstacles in their way. Or suddenly wonder why things are the way they are, and what could change to alter the world as it is? Or see a single girl, and create a man that would be perfect for her. Or vice versa.

I lived, breathed, and slept THE LORD OF ILLUSION. I can’t turn the creativity on and off, although there are times when my imagination stalls, and other times when it jumps so far ahead of me that I can’t see the ending of where it’s taking me.

But despite looking like a bit of an airhead most of the time, I have to admit that I love it. There’s an old saying that life is what you make it, and I think that’s true. What you carry around in your head, what thoughts you choose to focus on, becomes your life; because it’s the way you perceive your world (that half-empty, half-full glass of water thing).

For me, I carry around love stories, new worlds of magic, characters that charm me, adventures that I can lose myself in. My life is wonderful, no matter what I’m doing in the ‘real’ world, so maybe not being able to juggle is a good thing.

As always, wishing you my magical best!

FOR WRITERS: Win a mentorship with a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning author!

Sign up for the Desert Dreams conference and enter to win a critique of your query letter and the first few pages of your manuscript from Kathryne Kennedy. She will also buy the winner of the drawing a drink (coffee or champagne, your choice :), to talk about your work and answer any questions you might have about the craft or industry. She will do her best to mentor you in any way you need. So if you have a friend who writes paranormal, fantasy, historical or science fiction romance, and would like a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning author to mentor her, please spread the word to your writing groups or your blog to suggest they attend the Desert Dreams conference in Arizona this year. http://www.desertroserwa.org

Kathryne has helped a few other writers with their queries, and one landed the NY agent she wanted, and the other two sold their work to a publisher.

BIO: Kathryne Kennedy is currently published with Sourcebooks Casablanca, one of the fastest growing romance publishers in the industry. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, have won several awards including the Golden Quill, and have been given Top Picks, a KISS award, and nominations for Reviewers Choice awards by Romantic Times. One of her books received an editor's choice pick from Library Journal, and another was chosen as a Booklist Top Ten Romance of 2011. So far, her books have foreign editions in Germany, Thailand, and Turkey, and have made many top ten bestseller lists in America and the UK.

Hurry! The registration deadline for the Desert Dreams Writer's Conference has changed to March 31st. http://www.desertroserwa.org

Sixty-Eight seconds of sparkling romance: Watch the book video for THE LORD OF ILLUSION

I had this posted on my website but forgot to add it to my blog, so if you haven't seen it yet, enjoy the book video for THE LORD OF ILLUSION!

Want to put your book into the top 100 paid on Kindle? Carolyn McCray has, and is taking appts at Desert Dreams: http://www.desertroserwa.org

Meerkats & Seahorses--two of my favorite things

Sharing some photos I took at the Wildlife World Zoo of one of my favorite land critters, and one of my favorite from the sea.

Win prizes, books, and more books, at Publishers Weekly BHB party!

Every year Barbara Vey at PW's Beyond Her Book blog has a week-long anniversary celebration, with tens of authors participating and giving away prizes and books (including yours truly). You can enter multiple times to increase your chances of winning, so have a blast! Today you can enter at:

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/?p=5716

Good luck and have fun!

FOR WRITERS: The Arizona Desert Dreams Conference!

The most interesting characters are the hardest to write.
Beth Andrews will explore ways to create complex, layered
characters who will jump off the page and into your reader’s heart.
Don’t miss this workshop at the Desert Dreams Writers Conference.

Registration closes March 31, 2012
http://www.desertroserwa.org

A sneak peek at the new cover for ENCHANTING THE LADY

I have to say that I adore this new cover for the re-release of Enchanting the Lady! I am over-the-moon with delight at the dragonette on her shoulder!

THE LORD OF ILLUSION hits #8 in the UK's bestselling eBooks!

From Books on Board:

Bestselling Romance eBooks
1. Hunting Season -- Liz Carlyle
2. A Perfect Blood -- Kim Harrison
3. The Revenge of Lord Eberlin -- Julia London
4. King of Darkness -- Elisabeth Staab
5. Unlocked -- Courtney Milan
6. Nightfire -- Lisa Marie Rice
7. I've Got Your Number -- Sophie Kinsella
8. The Lord of Illusion -- Kathryne Kennedy
9. Princess Charming -- Nicole Jordan
10. She Tempts the Duke -- Lorraine Heath

http://uknbc.com/?p=1450

Waving to those over the pond!
Kathryne