While my neighbors to the south are celebrating Thanksgiving, I find my thoughts turning toward being grateful. Of course I’m thankful for my family, my friends, my health, the income from my day job. But I’m also thankful for my writing.

In no particular order, here are a few writing things in particular I’m grateful for:

1. Being published – I know most successful authors write for the love of it first. I never have. Yes, I love it — but that love is secondary to the end goal.

2. Being e-published – We’re hearing so many stories of NY publishers having trouble, folding or simply closing to submissions. I’m grateful for the freedom I have, for the encouragement to express my creativity, and for the steady paychecks.

3. Recovering my writing mojo – I thought my motivation, drive and ambition had all dried up. They hadn’t. They just went into hiding for 18 months, while I discovered I wasn’t being true to myself. It wasn’t an easy lesson to learn, but I’m grateful for it.

4. My editors – I’m a lucky, lucky author. I have supportive, encouraging editors who demand the best I can give them. I’ve learned more from Mary, Cathy and Maryam than from all the writing books I’ve ever read put together.

5. My support system – The Creative Frenzy ladies, the Total Exposure gang… you all keep me going when I want to give up for good. I’m grateful you haven’t let me. And of course, my husband. I couldn’t write if he didn’t provide the inspiration and environment to do so.

6. The 2,000 books in my TBR pile - In my world, writing begets writing. Reading begets even more writing. The less I read, the less I write. It’s a simple equation.

7. My computer - I’m not a fan of writing by hand. Electronic tools, like my computer, my word processing software and the Internet, all make my job much, much easier.

8. Authors who share their experience with the rest of us – I learn a lot by listening to other authors. I take courses, I lurk on writing forums, I read blogs, and I’m tremendously grateful for every bit of information other authors are willing to share.

9. My critique partners - My books wouldn’t be anywhere near as good if not for my wonderful, supportive, patient CPs. I’m so grateful for you.

I know there are many more items I’m forgetting, so let’s hear yours. What writing-related things are you grateful for?

Isabel Warren wouldn’t dream of defying the morality statutes that forbid women over 40 from ever making love again. As a medical practitioner, she understands the need for laws preventing ‘dirty love’. The S.O.S. virus of 2030 left most of the male population infertile and turned human DNA into something resembling a microscopic jigsaw puzzle. The virus itself is undoubtedly dangerous, but older women are perhaps the most significant threat humanity has ever faced.

Yet knowing what’s forbidden and keeping her feminine urges under lock and key are two different things. Especially when Isy’s most recent assignment requires her to run intimate tests on Connor Flynn, a man sixteen years her junior who seems determined to prove she’s not the monster everyone else thinks she is. And if such delicious temptation wasn’t bad enough, she’s also got Trevor Jones to worry about. It seems he, too, is willing to risk everything to be with her.

Two men. One woman who could destroy them both… if they don’t destroy her first.

Look for it in January, at Amber Heat!

Image via WikipediaAll right, it’s official. I’m registered for next year’s Romantic Times Convention. My plane ticket’s been bought. I’m all set.

I’m not staying as long as most RT goers. As I learned last year, 4 or 5 days is too much for me.

I’ll be arriving in Orlando on Tuesday, at 3pm. I’ll be heading back home on Friday, at 3pm. That should be perfect for me. I’m not going to be participating in any of the book signings, or promo lane. I’m attending to see friends, sit in on some publisher panels, and network.

I’m really looking forward to it!

Anyone else going?

Image by masochismtango via FlickrTo be perfectly honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of sex in public. Sure, it may look hot in the movies. In books, it’s either over-the-top-erotic (which I can certainly appreciate) or a little embarrassing, but well worth the risk. In real life, it’s a little more complicated. You’ve got to balance risk and reward, and sometimes, it’s just not worth it.

But let’s talk about those times it is worth it. When your flight has been delayed for the fifth time, and nothing short of a trip to the airport bathroom with your lover will ease the frustration. Or when you’ve spent all night studying for your final exam, and in the morning, a quickie between the accounting books and the tomes on tax law is just what the professor ordered.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re going to make the most of sex in public:

1. Wear a skirt - Not only is hiking up your skirt way more convenient than having to wobble with your jeans around your ankles, but you can also hide any evidence of your wild adventure much faster than you could otherwise.

2. Choose the right place - There’s sex in public (an elevator, the stall of a bathroom, the far end of a parking lot) and then there’s sex in public (a stairwell in a busy office building, the ice cream section of your supermarket, a bus stop). Choose wisely. Unless you like getting charged with public indecency — or worse.

3. Keep it down - By its very nature, sex in public involves other people. Uhh… that didn’t sound right. You know what I mean. There will be folks nearby, sometimes only a foot or two away. So keep the loud moaning, groaning, and name-shouting to yourself until you get home and do it again.

4. Be quick - This isn’t the time for you to show your lover how long you can go without stopping. Get in the elevator, have a wild ride (literally), and be done by the time you reach the 20th floor.

5. Watch what you touch - I know it’s hard to believe, but you’re probably not the first horny person to think of having sex… well, wherever you’re having sex. And most public places aren’t nearly as clean as you think.

So the next time you’re toying with the idea of being a little adventurous, keep these tips in mind. And if you can think of any I’ve missed, leave me a comment and let me know.

Go forth and fornicate!

You’ve heard the arguments: romance is unrealistic. It sets wild expectations for modern-day folks who will never have that happily-ever-after experience. It’s not possible in our chaotic world. To that I say, bull!

Want proof?

“When Herman Rosenblat was a teenager, he was in a Nazi death camp in Schlieben, Germany. Roma Radziki, a girl a couple years younger, worked at a farm outside the camp. The two saw each other on opposite sides of the fence one day and Roma threw Herman an apple. This continued every day, but the two never spoke because they were scared the guards would see them. Then, one day Herman told Roma she wouldn’t see him anymore. He thought he was going to die, but then the Russians came in and liberated the camp, and Herman ended up going to London to be an electrician. Meanwhile, Roma went to nursing school in Israel. Later, Herman moved to America and a friend told him he wanted to fix him up on a blind date. Reluctantly, Herman went, and as he and his date talked about their wartime experiences, Roma mentioned throwing apples over a fence to a boy. Herman said, “That was me” and proposed to her that night. Two months later she accepted, and this year, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.” [The Frisky]

Talk about beating insurmountable odds! And concidences galore. If I tried to write the blind date scenario, readers would probably toss the book against the wall for being unrealistic. But truth really is stranger than fiction… and romance, in all its wild, wonderful and unpredictable glory, really does exist.

I’ve been interviewed by the lovely Beth Kery about my new release, Better Than Chocolate. She’s graciously allowed me to share the interview here.

1. Your stories all are scorching steamy, but this one struck me as being even more so. It sounds as this woman is being forced to face all her most erotic, darkest fantasies whether she likes it or not! Do you ever find yourself ‘rating’ in your mind the ‘sexy’ factors of your stories, for instance, this was is spicy, this one smoking, this one boiling? Where might you rate BTC?

Definitely! Especially these days, when publishers, editors and readers demand hotter and hotter books. What used to be risque and titillating a couple of years ago will now only elicit a yawn. Every time one of my publishers releases sales numbers, authors are beaten over the head with one message: HOT, HOT, HOTTER! Readers want heroes and heroines swinging from the chandeliers, having sex in public, on the hood of a car, in the kitchen sink. *g* I’d be a fool not to listen, but at the same time, I try to strike a balance between telling a good story, and telling a sex story, y’know?

As for the second part of your question, I think BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE lands in the scorching category. I’ve written hotter books… by my standards, at any rate. For example, I’ll probably always think ALL THE KING’S MEN is the hottest book I’ve ever written, but only because the heroine is forced to do things that often come up in my… ahem… personal fantasy repertoire. And since sex is so personal (in more ways than one), I don’t really know if that book hit readers’ buttons as hard as it hit mine.

2. A chocolate, magical DILDO? Okay, we all want to know where you came up with this multiply sensual sex toy idea.

LOL! Honestly, I wish I could remember. I was asked to participate in the Madam Periwinkle multi-author series, and each participating author had to come up with an item that the hero or heroine would purchase from the elusive Madam. (Just as a bit of background: Madam Periwinkle looks like Marilyn Monroe with purple hair, but she’s a fairy godmother who runs a sex shop for the… sexually needy.) Since I’d already come up with my heroine, and I knew she was a pastry chef, I thought a chocolate dildo sounded like something she might go shopping for. *g*

3. What’s your favorite way to be lazy, and in your opinion, what are the advantages to allowing yourself lazy-time? Any?

I’m a video game fanatic. Nothing (well… okay, ALMOST nothing) else relaxes me like living vicariously through a pretty girl with a big sword who gets her kicks by bashing in the skulls of orcs, goblins and other assorted nasties. *g* And there are definite advantages to allowing myself lazy-time. Lately, it’s been tremendously helpful in letting me deal with very hectic work weeks. And since I’m a fantasy fiend, playing video games helps recharge my imagination well with new writing fodder, too.

4. I know you are taking a much deserved break from your writing. Any ideas how your writing might change, or remain the same when you resume? Any plans in the back of your head? Or are ‘plans’ a bad word at this point?

Oh, no, plans are always a good word. But let me start with your first question. I do think my writing will change when I finally get back into it. One of the things that made me take an extended break was the feeling that I was rehashing the same old stories in different ways. I started to feel like I was writing dreck, and I hated that feeling. I wanted more time to get to know my characters, more time to finesse the words and watch the story take shape. So one significant way in which my writing will change will have to do with the fact that I’m going to give myself a lot more time to write. I used to churn out 10,000 words a week, but I felt rushed, and the work suffered. I admire authors who can write that way and still produce quality work. I was starting to feel like I wasn’t one of those folks, and that’s okay. I need to go a little slower, and have a little more fun with my work while I’m at it.

Getting back to plans. I still don’t have anything solid in mind, but I do know one thing: I will only write stories that call to me. I’ve written books that I felt would advance my career; and others just so I could participate in a call for submissions. In the end, I ended up burnt out and unhappy with what I’d written. I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to let the words flow from a creative place inside me, the one that wakes me up in the middle of the night with new story ideas. That also means I’m open to writing something other than erotic romance if the story calls for it, which is a pretty scary prospect for me.

5. Complete the sentences:
An aggressive writer is one who whips her characters into shape and demands they do as she says.
A well-balanced writer is one who takes the time to recharge her batteries before they start leaking. LOL
Lately, the biggest pain in my butt is my butt! It’s expanding at an alarming rate. *g*
Better Than Chocolate is available at Changeling Press.

I’m absolutely delighted to launch my new blog!

Savage Hunter wouldn’t exist without the hard work of the always-fabulous Fiona Jayde, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t begin this post by thanking her. She worked tirelessly for weeks to create the layout and implement it, and she put up with a ton of questions from me while she was at it. The woman’s a saint.

After taking a rather lengthy break from writing, I’m finally ready to get back into it on a regular basis. This blog is part of that commitement I’ve made to myself. In the coming weeks, you should see new posts up on a daily basis. Look for topics ranging from books, to love, to sex, to writing and everything in between.

For the first time in months, I had a few spare hours to play with Photoshop this afternoon. The image below is based on a photograph I took while on vacation in Mexico last January.

Click on image for larger version.

I know… I’ve teased you all endlessly with mention of my TBR shelves, which, at last count, held over 2000 books. Currently, they’re empty — but don’t panic (heck, I’m trying not to, but I still hyperventilate when I look at my beautiful and very lonely shelves), my books are still in boxes.

I took some pictures before leaving Austin, and I thought it was time I stopped teasing you, and started showing you I really mean it when I say I’m a book addict. Ready? Here goes (click on pictures for larger versions):

   Yes folks, once again, those shelves only hold books waiting to be read. And yes, I do occasionally wander into that room and complain about having nothing to read.I should mention that the books are, of course, alphabetized by author. And those little shelves within the shelves you see? They’re custom-made additions built by my grandfather so I could double the amount of bookshelf space I have.

Another recommendation straight from my book journal.

My… how Harlequin Blaze has changed. Witches and hot sex? I’m there! Well-written characters and a well-executed plot? Be still my heart!

Title: Stripped
Series: The Bad Girls Club (multi-author series)
Author: Julie Elizabeth Leto
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Pub. Date: August, 2007
Page Count: 233
My Rating: A+ (96%)

First Sentence: “You can’t be serious.”

Blurb: Lilith St. John is a witch–really. And she hasn’t been too good lately. It seems using her powers to make Detective Mac Mancusi totally infatuated with her was a big no-no. Who knew? After all, what woman could resist having a sexy guy like Mac aching for her every minute they were apart? But the council isn’t pleased–in fact, they’re stripping Lilith of her powers. What’s a witch to do?

Especially now–when Mac’s suddenly back in her life, looking to rekindle the magic…

(Read an excerpt on Julie’s site)

My Brief Comments: This was such a fun book! I loved how the paranormal elements were not only easily integrated into the plot – they were the plot. Those same paranormal elements also provided both internal and external conflict, which was beautifully handled. A wonderful, touching, emotional read. It definitely deserved the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award it won for Best Blaze of 2007.