I’m thrilled to be participating in the wonderful Hop Against Homophobia taking place between now and May 20th. We’ve got 220 authors participating, and each one of them is donating a prize. That’s an awful lot of chances to win!

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Some days, I like to fool myself into thinking that as a species we’re advanced enough now to put prejudice behind us. (Yeah, I can hear you snickering over there, from half-way across the world.) It’s not that I’m naive. I’m just a dreamer. I think that, as a species, we have the potential to put prejudice behind us. But does that mean that we’re doing it? Clearly not. Or at least, not all of us.

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
-   Mahatma Gandhi
                      Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 – 1948)

I’ve come across the quote above a lot lately, and I’m willing to bet that you have, too. Every time I see it, I pause for a moment and think about what it really means. Every one of us can change the world. Seriously. Maybe not all at once, but slowly, by doing what comes naturally to so many of us: treat others the way we’d want to be treated, think before speaking, reach out to a stranger with compassion and kindness. Think about it — if everyone you knew did those same things, how far would we come toward fighting prejudice? And if you lead by example, and do just one of those things each day, how much of an impact do you think you’ll have on the world around you?

A heck of a big one, I’m willing to bet.

If you spoke up against injustice every time you saw it happen, how many people do you think you’d inspire to do the same? Stepping up and saying something, especially to someone in a position of authority, isn’t always easy. But that’s the first step toward challenging the behaviors and attitudes that lead to homophobic discrimination. Unfortunately, it’s happening all around us, even now. In schools, at work, even at parties. So go out there and “be the change”. Use the empathy and compassion you have inside you to speak up when you see an act of injustice, and do your part to fight homophobia. I’m going to do the same.

So tell me, how are you living up to Gandhi’s quote? When was the last time you spoke up against injustice, especially when it would have been easier to keep your mouth shut?

Leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win an electronic copy of PARADISE FOUND, my debut M/M/M BDSM romance from Carina Press. Be sure to leave your email address as well, so I can contact you on May 21st when I draw the winner’s name. Winners will be chosen at random.

Enjoy the hop!

Now that the festivities are over (at my house, anyway) it’s time to buckle down and think about the upcoming week.

Last Week’s Accomplishments:

• Signed a new contract with Loose Id for SCANDAL FEVER. (Yeah!) Look for this M/M contemporary romantic suspense to hit the virtual shelves in late summer or early fall. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I have more details.
• Wrote 13,000 and finished a new short novella.
• Attended 2 bootcamp sessions (Monday and Thursday). I didn’t get in any workouts on my own, though.

This Week’s Goals:

• Revise and polish the short novella I finished last week, and submit it to my editor.
• Dive into edits for SCANDAL FEVER.
• Do the Couch-to-5K training program on the treadmill on at least least 3 days. (I’m on vacation from bootcamp this week.)
• Read at least 1 novel.

I’ve also got a doctor’s appointment to fit into my schedule this week, but that’s not exactly a goal. More like a “must do.” What’s on your agenda this week?

Still, the cold weather and dreary skies meant all I wanted to do was stay indoors, so I was quite productive!

Last Week’s Accomplishments:

• Finished revising and polishing SCANDAL FEVER.
• Submitted SCANDAL FEVER to my editor. (Let the nail-biting commence!)
• Re-read WAR OF THE FLOWERS, by Tad Williams. (One of my all-time fantasy novels. Loved it just as much the second time around!)
• Attended 1 bootcamp session (Thursday) and did a Couch-to-5K training program on my treadmill on 2 other days (Tuesday and Wednesday).

This Week’s Goals:

• Draft an entire story (about 12k – is that a long short story, or a short novella?).
• Read at least 1 novel.
• Attend 2 bootcamp workout sessions (Monday and Thursday), and do the Couch-to-5K training program on the treadmill at least 3 other days.

That’s what I’ve got planned. You?

But I wouldn’t want you to think that’s all I did last week. Oh, no. I was quite productive as well!

Last Week’s Accomplishments:

• Revised 25,453 words of my WIP (a M/M contemporary romance tentatively titled SCANDAL FEVER).
• Got hit upside the head with an idea so strong I had to stop what I was doing and write it down. I ended up with a synopsis for a full length women’s fiction novel that I tucked away for a time when I can actually pursue such a project.
• Learned I, NEFERTITI went into print, and did a bit of promo work and website updates around that.
• Found out that SIGHT UNSEEN has been selected by Audible to be turned into an audiobook for their collection, and mostly did a lot of squealing and muppet-flailing to celebrate.
• Set up an advertising campaign for MIRROR, MIRROR on Goodreads.
• Attended 1 bootcamp session (Monday) and did a Couch-to-5K training program on my treadmill on 3 other days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).

This Week’s Goals:

• Finish revising SCANDAL FEVER, do one final read-through, and submit it to my editor.
• Read at least 1 novel.
• Attend 1 bootcamp workout session (Thursday), and do the Couch-to-5K training program on the treadmill at least 3 other days.

That’s what I’ve got going on. You?

I’ve got a couple of weeks to fret. In the meantime, I can show off my fabulous new cover! Isn’t it gorgeous?

To read a blurb and an excerpt, click here.

I was more than happy to answer a few interview questions, and the resulting article is up today. Check it out here if you’re interested!

Okay, so with that sappy update, on to the report card.

Last Week’s Accomplishments:

• Started participating in the #1k1hr challenge on Twitter, and ended up writing 12,000 words on SCANDAL FEVER, my M/M contemporary erotic romance. The story is coming along nicely, though it promises to run longer than I originally anticipated.
• Came up with a couple of new plot bunnies that I tucked away.
• Saw a gorgeous mock cover and was so inspired I wrote a 1-page synopsis of a book that could go with it. I’m going to email my editor to see if she’s interested.
• Attended 1 bootcamp session (Thursday) and tried out Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred DVD (Tuesday).

This Week’s Goals:

• Continue participating in #1k1hr and write 15,000 words on SCANDAL FEVER, or finish the draft – whichever comes first.
• Blog at Flirty Author Bitches on Thursday, for my usual monthly commitment.
• Read at least 1 novel.
• Attend 2 bootcamp workout sessions (Monday and Thursday), and add at least one more cardio session.

That’s what I’ve got going on. You?

Last Week’s Accomplishments:

• A STRANGER’S TOUCH came out from Ellora’s Cave. (Woohoo!) I did a whole lot of promo work around that.
• I finished the second and third round of edits on SIGHT UNSEEN, my upcoming Carina Press release under the Hunter Raines pen name, and now it’s on to the copyedit stage.
• I did some brainstorming about my next project, settled on something, and realized I wouldn’t be able to make it work the way I’d hoped. So I started over, and finally settled on a new project.
• Attended 2 bootcamp workout sessions (Tuesday and Thursday.)

This Week’s Goals:

• Finish brainstorming / planning my new project. It’s M/M contemporary, tentatively titled SCANDAL FEVER.
• Write 9,000 words on SCANDAL FEVER.
• Attend 2 bootcamp workout sessions (Monday and Thursday), and add at least one more cardio session.

Stop by and let me know what you think!

A STRANGER’S TOUCH

Shifter’s Touch, Book One

Roxana Leventis spends her evenings blindfolded and strapped into a harness. As living art, she’s appreciated with all the senses. That means being touched, fondled and caressed in the most intimate ways.

Donovan Armstrong thinks his latest assignment is just another security gig, guarding priceless paintings. Boring stuff for a wolf shifter, but he plans to return home to Canada as soon as he finds a suitable mate, the kind of shifter female who’ll stun his pack with her perfection. After four years of searching, however, his temporary stay in New York is starting to look pretty damn permanent.

Until one whiff of Roxi’s scent awakens his dormant inner wolf. Taking her as his mate is unthinkable. She’s not a shifter, and her delicate human body is much too fragile to withstand his animal urges. Still…neither man nor beast can ignore the way she stirs their blood.

Donovan’s job is simple—protect Roxi from overzealous gallery visitors. But who’s going to protect her from him?

A STRANGER’S TOUCH is now available at Ellora’s Cave. Click here to read an excerpt.