Monday, December 28, 2015

99 Cent End of Year Sale!

For a limited time only Tempting the Ringmaster and the Pop Star Next Door are on sale! Get them for 99 Cents today!

Tempting the Ringmaster

Welcome to Buck Falls, Michigan, where the gossip is fresh, the people are feisty, and the circus has pulled in for a limited engagement.
The last thing police chief Graham Tyler needs is a ragtag bunch of circus freaks rolling into town.
Then he meets sassy, spirited, ringmaster Belle-Anne Black.
Belle-Anne's got a rule against dating townies, and she's not about to break it... even for the spicy hot lawman who makes her insides sizzle. Then Graham makes her an offer she can't refuse: one night only, no repeat performances.
Of course, in the circus nothing ever goes exactly to plan.
Get it now!

The Pop Star Next Door
Pop star Anna Howard is used to private planes and Hollywood privilege, not small towns and tree climbing. Back in Mill City to clean up her grandfather's house, Anna falls--literally--into the arms of the sexy single-dad next door. 

When they were teenagers, Nick Maddox set her summer nights on fire with passionate kisses and wicked smiles. He's only gotten better with age. Now, with her heart on the line, it's time for Anna to decide what she's really looking for. 

Get it now!




Monday, November 30, 2015

The Things I Can't Afford in Detroit

Space might be the final frontier, but those of us stuck here on earth there’s one city whose name brings to mind death and rebirth. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, a theme that’s even incorporated in the city motto: “We hope for better things, it will arise from the ashes.”
That’s right.
I’m talking about Detroit.
It’s the new urban frontier, but this isn’t the 1800’s and the safety valve theory of American expansion is dead and buried. People who move here drawn by cheap land and endless opportunity are often surprised to find an existing population that is uninterested in being colonized by East Coast escapees, an entrenched city government that has held on through Detroit’s recent bankruptcy, and a long list of things they can’t afford, like transportation and clothes.
Located in the heart of the American auto industry, Detroit’s public transportation system is inadequate and often disappointing. Aging buses don’t come on time and often breakdown. The much heralded M-1 rail line will only go 3.3 miles up one street, making it more of a shuttle for suburban visitors parking to go to the new stadium district than a useful form of transportation, and the existing People Mover light rail continuously circles downtown on its 2.9 mile loop. For 75 cents it’s the best way to see downtown, but I can walk from one side to the other in five minutes and given the city’s 142 square miles of land it’s pretty much useless unless you want an excuse to shout “Monorail!”
But why would you take public transportation in Detroit? It’s the Motor City not the Light Rail City, but for those of us who live here the cost to drive is extreme. Detroiters pay some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country and—as a result--more than half of the cars on the road are uninsured. Why the high prices? Part of it is Michigan’s insistence on unlimited liability insurance, but Detroiters still pay around twice the amount of drivers in nearby suburbs. When I moved to Detroit I priced insurance for a new car and it would have been more than rent… a lot more. I ended up in a used station wagon with over a hundred and fifty thousand miles on it, and at times I’ve paid over $300 a month for liability only insurance.
And anyone moving to Detroit is going to need a car for their frequent trips to the suburbs to go shopping. Housing might be cheap, but in the city even basics like blue jeans are expensive.
Those same businesses that have been heralded as proof of Detroit’s rebirth in national newspapers and magazines are untouchable by the people who live nearby. I can buy a house for a thousand dollars through the Detroit Land Bank, but if I want a pair of jeans it’s going to cost… a lot. Walking around Midtown Detroit I can buy locally made jeans perfectly crafted from American grown cotton for $250 dollars a pair (actually, I can’t. My boyfriend can, but for women the jeans are all custom made… which means they cost even more). I could also get a t-shirt made out of technical cashmere that can be thrown in the washing machine. It legit feels like it was made by fairies. I legit cannot afford it; or the underwear handmade in San Francisco; or the watches made a few miles down the road.
A food market in my neighborhood has just been renovated and repurposed as an upscale leather goods store. I haven’t been inside. I have nightmares about the price tags.
So, yeah, there’s blight. Yeah, houses are cheap (in some neighborhoods) and there are streets full of empty storefronts waiting to be turned into pie stores and cute little markets. For people who live in New York City where the rent is too damn high, Detroit might seem like a new frontier full of opportunity.

But it’s still not a cheap place to live.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

My Plan for 2016 a.k.a All the Books

Hi everyone,

I haven't blogged in a while but I have a couple of very exciting announcements!

Next year I will have books coming out with two different publishers, and in two different genres!

I have two new romantic suspense books coming out with Entangled Publishing. These are spiritual follow ups to Leaving Las Vegas (have you read it yet?) and I'm really excited about them!

Upcoming Entangled Publishing books:

All In
The Wild Card

I am also starting to write in a new genre ~ Male/Male New Adult Romance ~ and I have three books upcoming with Carina Press. These are new adult books about young men finding their paths... and the path of true love never did run smooth!

Upcoming Carina Press books:

Out of Bounds
Out of Control
Out of His World

Saturday, March 14, 2015

How to Read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Series FOR THE FIRST TIME

Note: This post is most useful if you have never read the Terry Pratchett books before and want a map for rereading them. There is another post for people who want to reread the series available here. 

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe is a complicated series of 41 books involving a host of characters from all walks of life. They are fun, fascinating, and fabulous, but reading them in chronological order can be exhausting because of the many interconnected story lines. This is one order that might help make order out of chaos. (I’m also not doing a lot of commentary because I don’t want to give spoilers).

Discworld First Time Order:


Okay, so if you’ve never read the Discworld books before then DO NOT READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS. The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, and Equal Rites are all fun fantasy novels, but the universe isn’t fully baked and it will make it harder to get into the later novels. If you really want you can watch the two-part television adaption Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic. It stars some guy I’ve never heard of as Rincewind, but—more importantly—Sam Gangee is Twoflower!! Plus Tim Curry and Jeremy Irons! 

The City Watch Part 1 (aka ‘Monarchy: the Vimes and Carrot show with comedy effects provided by Nobby Nobs’):

  • Guards! Guards! (1989)
  • Men at Arms (1992)
  • Feet of Clay (1996)
  • Jingo (1997)
  • The Fifth Elephant (1999) 

Some Random Books (Discworld Culture Edition):

  • Pyramids (1989)
  • Small Gods (1992)

These are both ‘Discworld Culture’ books according to Wikipedia. I don’t know what they’re smoking, but I’m buying. These two books don’t really have any recurring characters, but they’re awesome. Read them. 

The Death (Not Susan) Books:

  • Mort (1987)
  • Reaper Man (1991) 

The Rincewind/Early Wizard Books:

  • Sourcery (1988)
  •  Eric (1990)
  • Moving Pictures (1990)
  •  Interesting Times (1994)
  • The Last Continent (1998) 

The Witches (Not Tiffany Aching) Books:

  • Wyrd Sisters (1988)
  • Witches Abroad (1991)
  • Lords and Ladies (1992)
  • Maskerade (1995)
  • Carpe Jugulum (1998) 

The Death/Susan Books:      

  • Soul Music (1994)
  •  Hogather (1996)

Stop reading. Step away from the novels. Go watch the television adaptation of the Hogfather (available on ITunes people) starring Lady Mary Crawley as Susan. Do it now.
  • Thief of Time (2001) 

Time out for Some Random Books (Truly Random Edition):

  • The Truth (2000)
  • Monstrous Regiment (2003)
  • Unseen Academicals (2009) 

The Moist Von Lipwig Books:

  • Going Postal (2004)
I’m in love with Carrot (who isn’t) but I want to freaking marry Moist. While you’re having a moment (come on, be honest, we’re all having a moment) why don’t you skip back over to ITunes for the television adaptation starring Richard Coyle and Claire Foy (who also play opposite each other in NBC’s Crossbones). It’s delicious. 
  • Making Money (2007)

The City Watch Part 2 (aka Carrot is still cool but VIMES IS AWESOME):

  • Night Watch (2002)
  • Thud! (2005)
  • Snuff (2011)
  • Raising Steam (2013) 

Some Random Books (Childrens Edition):

  • The Last Hero (2001)
  • The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (2001)

The Tiffany Aching Books (AKA Terry Pratchett uses a series of children’s novels to work through his thoughts on alzheimer’s. Just cry the entire time):

  • The Wee Free Men (2003)
  • A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
  • Wintersmith (2006)
  • I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
  • The Shepherd’s Crown (2015)


Congratulations, you made it to the end (if you want to go back and read the first three books now you can, but it's super not necessary). What do you think? Are you in tears yet?

Discworld Machete Reread Order

 Note: This post is most useful if you have read the Terry Pratchett books before and want a map for rereading them. There is another post for first time readers trying to get into Terry Pratchett here.

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe is a complicated series of 41 books involving a host of characters from all walks of life. They are fun, fascinating, and fabulous, but reading them in chronological order can be exhausting because of the many interconnected story lines. If you’ve already read some of the Discworld books and are looking for a way to go back through the series, this is one method that might help make order out of chaos.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Discworld Machete Reread Order:

The Rincewind Books:

  • The Colour of Magic (1983)
  • The Light Fantastic (1986)
The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are the first two Discworld books. They are short funny fantasies that have almost nothing to do with the later novels (okay, they are where the Librarian turns into an Orangutang, so there’s some carry over… but not a lot). By the end of these two novels lovable wizard Rincewind has gone through various trials and come out stronger for it… a better stronger Rincewind? No, thank you. If you want you can skip these two books entirely and just watch the two-part television adaption Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic. It stars some guy I’ve never heard of as Rincewind, but—more importantly—Sam Gangee is Twoflower!! Plus Tim Curry and Jeremy Irons! 
  • Sourcery (1988)
Love Sourcery, I think this is a great introduction to the concept of other Wizards and Unseen University without making them look like unrepetent morons (see Equal Rites).
  • Eric (1990)
  • Moving Pictures (1990)
NOT A RINCEWIND BOOK! The early Discworld books (I know, in Machete order we still haven’t gotten to Equal Rites… patience). This book doesn’t have Rincewind, but it provides the context necessary for Interesting Times and (especially) the Last Continent. It also introduces Ponder and Ridcully, so… you know… awesome.
  • Interesting Times (1994)
  • The Last Continent (1998)
Don’t worry, gentle reader, Rincewind will show up again in other novels! But, these are the essentials.

Some Random Books (Discworld Culture Edition):

  • Pyramids (1989)
  • Small Gods (1992)

These are both ‘Discworld Culture’ books according to Wikipedia. I don’t know what they’re smoking, but I’m buying. These two books don’t really have any recurring characters, but they’re awesome. Read them. Especially the parts in Pyramids that introduce the guild system in Ankh Morpark (and the assassins, never forget the assassins… they won’t forget you).

The Death (Not Susan) Books:

  • Mort (1987)
Mort is the fourth Discworld novel published, and it’s the point where you can say, “Everything after this is totally cannon. The rules are set. This is shit that happened.”
  • Reaper Man (1991)

Introduction of the auditors!

The Witches (Not Tiffany Aching) Books:

  • Equal Rites (1987)

Okay, so Equal Rites was the third Discworld published and it’s another one where the basis of the world isn’t fully developed. It introduces the world and a not quite fully developed Unseen University. Don’t pay a lot of attention to the specifics, just enjoy the story.
  • Wyrd Sisters (1988)
This is the first real Witches book. It's awesome and tells you everything you need to know about Macbeth.
  •  Witches Abroad (1991)
AKA Fairytales are scary.
  • Lords and Ladies (1992)
Ridcully and Granny sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G
  • Maskerade (1995)
  • Carpe Jugulum (1998)

The Death/Susan Books:

  • Soul Music (1994)

Congratulations, you finally made it to Soul Music and SUSAN! Death’s out, she’s in, and she’s awesome.
  • Hogather (1996)
Stop reading. Step away from the novels. Go watch the television adaptation of the Hogfather (available on ITunes people) starring Lady Mary Crawley as Susan. Do it now!
  • Thief of Time (2001)
SUSAN IS AWESOME! HISTORY MONKS! AAAH!

The City Watch Part 1 (aka ‘Monarchy: the Vimes and Carrot show with comedy effects provided by Nobby Nobs’):

  •  Guards! Guards! (1989)
Raise your hand if you’re in love with Carrot. Seriously. Adorable. Also, Vimes… yeah, I love Vimes and his fucking boots theory of economics.
  • Men at Arms (1992)
  • Feet of Clay (1996)
  • Jingo (1997)
  • The Fifth Elephant (1999) 

Time out for Some Random Books (Truly Random Edition):

  • The Truth (2000)
This is a cross between a City Watch Book and a Moist Von Lipwig book but (tragically) isn’t as cool as either one.
  • Monstrous Regiment (2003)
AKA Terry Pratchett does gender studies… without managing to offend too many people.
  • Unseen Academicals (2009)
More Wizards! And more WIZZARD!

The Moist Von Lipwig Books:

  • Going Postal (2004)
I’m in love with Carrot (who isn’t) but I want to freaking marry Moist. While you’re having a moment (come on, be honest, we’re all having a moment) why don’t you skip back over to ITunes for the television adaptation starring Richard Coyle and Claire Foy (who also play opposite each other in NBC’s Crossbones). It’s delicious.
  • Making Money (2007)

The City Watch Part 2 (aka Carrot is still cool but VIMES IS AWESOME):

  • Night Watch (2002)
AKA Vimes has a baby.
  • Thud! (2005)
AKA Vimes reads a storybook.
  • Snuff (2011)
AKA Kids are weird and like poop.
  • Raising Steam (2013)
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! With extra bonus golems.

Some Random Books (Childrens Edition):

  • The Last Hero (2001)
  •  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (2001)

The Tiffany Aching Books (AKA Terry Pratchett uses a series of children’s novels to work through his thoughts on alzheimer’s. Just cry the entire time):

  •  The Wee Free Men (2003)
  • A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
  • Wintersmith (2006)
  • I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
  • The Shepherd’s Crown (2015)


The end. What do you think? Are you in tears yet? Does the Machete Reread order make more sense than chronological order?