Kidnap this Logo and You Could Win!

To celebrate its Fifteenth Anniversary in June, Red Sage is throwing a party! Every party needs presents, and here’s a gift that could win you the July Secrets anthology and Calista Fox’s new novel, Object of Desire!Here’s how to play the party game.Anyone can play! All you have to do is “kidnap” this logo and post it on your blog or website.

Copy and paste the jpg image of the anniversary gift to your own blog or website to kidnap it. Be sure to include these instructions so people know how to play!

Invite your readers and friends to send an email with the subject line “Ransom Note” to eRedSage@gmail.com. Inside this email, they must include a link back to your kidnapped logo.

Then you and your friend will both be entered into a drawing to win free trade paperbacks! Every time one of your readers sends a ransom note with a link, you will be entered again! Each Ransom Note is worth two entries in the drawing -- one for the person who sends the Ransom Note, and one for the linked blog or website. And you both can win!Want more chances to win? Invite your readers and friends to kidnap this logo, and then you can enter again by sending a Ransom Note linking to your friend’s blog or website!

The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win! But get your entries in by June 30. We'll be drawing the winners on July 1!Group blog or website? No problem! Just be sure to sign your post so we know who the winner should be!Good luck, and have fun!

Terms of Endearment

I just finished reading a book that was a little on the disappointing side. I'd heard so many great things about the author's writing, so I was surprised. Basically, the book was a string of very long, involved sex scenes with a little plot, a little intrigue thrown in to break up the erotic stuff. But one thing that got me thinking was the pet name the hero used for the heroine - "Sweet." It didn't feel natural, and every time I read it, it pulled me out of the story.
I starting checking my books, my works in progress for the pet names my characters called one another. Imagine my surprise when I found I'd only used three! Apparently, my favorite terms of endearment are, "Honey," "Baby" and "Darlin'." My alpha heroes throw in an occasional "Woman," but only when they're bemoaning some annoying facet of the heroine's personality.
Next I started checking my collection of romance books, which is quite extensive. I randomly looked in twelve books and guess what -- those books used my favorite three terms as well, although one added "Sweetheart" to the mix. Now I don't feel so bad!
Each of these words elicits a slightly different reaction from me. Baby is more sexual than the others, while Honey speaks of emotional commitment. Darlin' sounds like a western hero's line and Woman, well, that one always gives me a little zing of excitement! (TMI, I know!)
I remember in my high school French class, our native of France teacher told the class of one particularly amusing French term -- Mon petite chou chou. (Excuse me if I spelled any of that wrong, it's been many years since HS French!) Literally translated, this means, My little cabbage. Strange, huh?
What about you? Do you have any unusual terms of endearment either for your significant other or that you use in writing?

My First YA Anthology

Today is release day for Summer Lovin' Anthology in ebook format, which will release in print on July 10.

SUMMER LOVIN’ is a collection of love stories by six Climbing Rose authors about life on a ranch, summer jobs, sandcastle competitions, the tragedy of a flood, and falling in love with a rock star. From a rich Southern country club to a Midwest ranch and all the way to the cool beaches of the Pacific Northwest, this sweet collection of summer love stories revels in the magic of first love. You’ll enjoy stories by:
Dara Edmondson, Laurie J. Edwards, Mona Ingram, Kimberlee R. Mendoza, Sydney Shay, and June Sproat
Get ready for some Summer Lovin’.
WIN A FREE COPY! from Laurie Edwards:

Anyone who comments at her blog http://lje1.wordpress.com/ or friends her on MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter from now until May 31 will have their name entered to win a copy of Summer Lovin’. Winner will be announced at noon on June 1, so stop back to see if you've won.
Laurie J. Edwards
http://lje1.wordpress.com/



http://www.myspace.com/lauriejedwards

Happy or Sad?

My novels are kind of like my children. Can't say which I like more. They're different and each has its own special qualities. At a recent book signing, a reader was reading the blurbs and asked, "Which one will make me cry? I love a good tear-jerker." Well, the answer was simple - The Kitten Club. I even cried every time I edited one particular scene and that is the book that gets me more fan mail than any other.
So, I started asking readers when they approached me - "Do you want to laugh or cry?" You see, Compromising Positions is pretty funny. My third book, Falling Star is somewhere in the middle. You want sexy? That would be my Red Sage novella, Captured. But this got me thinking about what I like to get out of a read.
My favorite books are those that make me laugh, but also touch me deeply. I've been reading books I collected at RT for the past couple weeks. So far, I've finished Lora Leigh's Maverick, which was very sexy, although it didn't make me cry or laugh. Then I read a craft book, Angela Knight's Passionate Ink, which was very worthwhile. I'm now a couple chapters into Cynthia Eden's Midnight Sins, a paranormal, which so far is very suspenseful and well written. Next I will delve into some of the Red Sage Secrets Anthologies, hundreds of which publisher Alexandria Kendall so graciously gave out at RT.
So what about you? Do you stay in a particular reading rut or do you venture out there into different genres? What good books have you read lately?

Congratulations to my fab crit partner, Katie Reus on the release of Dangerous Deceptions from Ellora's Cave. I've read this one and it's loaded with suspense as well as some scorching sex scenes. Check it out!

Blurb
Two years ago, Sage Miller’s life changed irrevocably with one violent act. Longing for anonymity, she relocated to the coast of North Carolina. Just when her life is settling down, a sexy man from her past shows up and wants to pick up where their explosive relationship left off. And this time, he’s the one calling the shots.

Trent Takoda spent a week with the most intense woman he’d ever met—before she disappeared in the dead of night. Now that he’s found her again, he’s not letting go. When a vicious stalker with ties to her past tracks her down, all bets are off. She belongs to him and it’s about damn time she realized it.

For all you mothers and mothers-to-be out there, enjoy this day and try not to do the stuff you don't want to - at least for today. I'm allowing myself a few extra indulgences since it's also my birthday - something that happens every 4 or 5 years. It kind of sucks to have to spend time with the in-laws on my birthday, but such is life. Maybe DH and the kids will make me feel extra-special today. Honestly, DH treats me like a queen every day of the year. (Yeah - I have an awesome guy).
Yesterday was a great day. I participated in a book signing and sold lots of books. I even got a really sweet note from one of the other signers, my former mentee. After, we went out to a fabulous Greek restaurant with DH and one of my closest friends. Then late night red velvet cake with DH and the kids.
Here's a shout out to my mother, who didn't give birth to me, but has always loved me as her own. I love you, Mom.

Release Day

My first Red Sage EBook was released today and I'm really excited. Red Sage is a terrific company that I'm so glad to be a part of. I'm offering a gift certificate to Fictionwise for one lucky winner who can answer the contest questions on my website. I'll draw a name on Thursday, May 8. Until then, here's a little about Captured:

When Audrey Brookstone meets a handsome foreigner at a Broadway show, she's instantly taken with his good looks and charming demeanor. After an evening of passion in his limousine, he whisks away to be his courtesan in Cazbekistan, where he is a crown prince. Prince Milo agrees not to force himself on her, but rather to make her fall in love with him in only eight weeks, or he must set her free with a king's ransom. Can Audrey resist his charms or will she give in to his lavish seduction?