Shiny!

Tall, Dark and Divine, my category length Greek gods romantic comedy from last summer, has a new cover. I don't really think I need to say anything else, do I?

No, I didn't think so. It speaks for itself.

I'm feeling Covetous!

Uber-excited to announce something everyone probably already knows... but it's now official, as the contracts have been signed by all parties and I have a ratified copy in my possession:

I will be writing a series of romances for Entangled Publishing's Covet imprint.

We're talking paranormal romances here, but not the kind of paranormal romances you may be thinking of. There's nothing all weird going on; they're your basic shortish - 56,000 words, in my case - contemporary romances, but with a slight twist.

Like this, "the heroine goes out on the town and gets a little tipsy and ends up indulging in a one night stand... and the guy turns out to be a werewolf."

He doesn't bite her or anything, though. And not that I'm writing that story. Because I'm not. Really. I don't do the hairy. Or the undead.

What we're talking about takes place in the normal world, the one we all live in, just with a tiny little twist. In my case, the action (tee-hee; I said action!) takes place in New York City, in the borough of Queens, in the neighborhood of Astoria, where I spent a few of my formative years; those in my early twenties. Right about here; the corner of Steinway Street and Broadway.


Astoria was, at one time, the biggest Greek settlement in the world outside Greece. I've heard it's changed a bit since I left, but it's hard to imagine that there isn't still a sizeable Greek presence, considering how saturated it was at the time. If I'm wrong about that, just chalk it up to old age: when I lived there, around 1990, the place was heavily Greek. And it seemed a great place to drop a handful of the old Greek gods and goddesses, to see how they'd fare in the modern world. That's the paranormal twist: that there are Greek gods and goddesses wandering the streets of New York.

I'm not allowed to say much about the book yet - it hasn't been through edits, so I don't know how much of it will change - and it doesn't have a cover, so I can't share that... but I can tell you that the title will be Tall, Dark, and Divine - "because every woman deserves a night in the sack with a god" - and that it will be available in digital format on or around July 15th - that's a Sunday, of all things - and I believe the price might be $2.99, but I'm not entirely sure, since I'm actually helping to launch the Covet line, and these are the first books ever to hit the interwebs from the imprint. In addition to mine, there's a book about a witch from the fab Misa Ramirez, and a book about - I think - a vampire - from the equally fab Candace Havens.

I'm not sure whether Candace's book is part of a series or not, but Misa's is the first in a trilogy. And because I never do anything by halves, I'd like mine to be the first in a series. I have plans for Tall, Dark, and Demanding, Tall, Dark and Dangerous, Tall, Dark and Dreamy - or possibly Tall, Dark and Delicious - and even Tall, Dark and Dull.

For that I'll need a little bit of help, of course. There's no sense in writing more books if no one's buying. So tell all your friends: Tall, Dark and Divine is "a witty, sexy romantic romp with great dialogue" - per the fab Nancy Haddock, author of the Cesca Marinelli vampire series - and help me push it up the bestseller lists the second half of July!

Start Spreading the News...

Got some exciting things going on, and a bunch of new books coming in the next few months.

First off: in August, the first book in a light romantic suspense/mystery type series will be released from Entangled Publishing's Dead Sexy imprint. They're shortish books - 60,000-70,000 words (compare to 90,000 for my DIY and Cutthroat Business mysteries) - and available in digital format only; at least until I sell a certain number of copies.

It doesn't have a title yet, but the series will be following the agents of the FBI's Art Crime Team - ACT - as they go about their business of solving crimes and finding love. It's a pretty light and funny series, a bit like my mysteries, but with a couple of different points of view - his and hers - and s.e.x. There'll be hot FBI agents, exotic locations, missing and stolen art, and fun romps.

Secondly, on September 4th, the 6th DIY mystery will be available in digital format as well as mass market paperback. The title is Wall to Wall Dead, and in this installment of the series, Derek and Avery are renovating a condo in Josh Rasmussen's building, while at the same time getting ready for a very momentuous occasion in their own lives. But when the neighbors start dropping like flies, Avery must leap into action to save the day, as usual. I wanted the title of this book to be Secrets in Small Spaces, which should tell you a little bit about the story as well as the renovation tips. Secrets and small spaces. Everyone has a secret, some of them more shocking than others, and it's up to Avery to figure out which secrets are worth killing for.

I did a major overhaul of this book a couple of months ago, and it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. The last book, Flipped Out, made it onto the New York Times extended list, so let's see if we can do it again!

In October - or maybe July, depending on how quickly we can have it ready - the first book in a paranormal romance series for Entangled's Covet imprint will be released, also in digital format.

(If you don't have an eReader and you like my writing, now might be a good time to invest in one.)

This book doesn't have a title yet either, but the series is about a matchmaking agency in Astoria, Queens, called Made in Heaven, and the boss of same is Eros, Greek god of love. It's light and funny and sexy, and I really hope you'll like it!

November 13th, the first book in my futuristic romance/suspense series will be released in digital format and trade paperback: Fortune's Hero, first in the Soldiers of Fortune series. I'm sure most of you are already familiar with the blurb and the gorgeous cover - thanks, Heather Howland! - but if not, here you go:

Last year, space smuggler Quinn Conlan was on top of the world. He had everything a man could want: a fast ship, a great crew, a gorgeous girlfriend, lots of money, and adventure and excitement around every corner.

That all changed when he agreed to ferry a shipload of weapons to the beleaguered planet Marica, currently under siege by Rhenian forces. Now he’s stuck in a prison camp on the moon Marica-3, subjected to weekly sessions with the camp’s “medical team,” and praying for a quick death before he breaks under the torture and spills everything he knows about the Marican resistance.

When the opportunity presents itself, Quinn takes a Rhenian med tech hostage and heads into the inhospitable interior of the small moon. There, he has to keep himself and Doctor Elsa Brandeis safe from the deadly flora and fauna, as well as hidden from the prison guards searching for them, all while formulating a plan for getting his crew out of prison, his ship out of impound, and everyone out of orbit.

But when Elsa professes her love, can Quinn take the beautiful doctor at her word, or will trusting her—and his heart—condemn him and his crew to an eternity on Marica-3?

I'm really proud of this book. My editor says it reads like a cross between Indiana Jones and Star Trek, so if that's your thing, make sure you don't miss it. It's not as light and funny as the rest of my stuff, though. That is, it has its own brand of humor, but it's more gallows variety, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I think it's a pretty good book, and I can't wait to see it on new release tables everywhere!

And finally: I'm also working on a contemporary romance for Entangled's Indulgence imprint, digital only - at least until I sell a certain number of copies - called Friends With Benefits.

It's a heavily trope-based romance, 50,000-55,000 words or thereabouts - it isn finished yet - about a marriage of convenience between two people from opposite sides of the tracks who end up falling in love and staying together. It's a romance, so I'm sure I'm not giving away too much by saying that. As of right now, I have no release date, but it could conceivably be October, if the paranormal romance makes it out in July, or December or early 2013, if the paranormal goes into the October slot. Stay tuned for updates.

So there you have it. Looks like we're all in for a busy, happy autumn this year!